Sweet Silence

A/N: Yeah…it's another story…I try to make it as descriptive as possible…so here you go.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. If it were, Sasuke would be my slave as punishment for turning evil. Muahahahahaha…

Prologue

"Ne, Shizuka-chan? This is your new home."

A young girl stood, holding a man's hand, at the large gate of the Hidden Leaf Village. Black eyes stared blankly ahead, her lips pressed into a tight line. Shoulder-length black hair fluttered about her skittishly as the wind blew; her black pants and shirt were being tugged in undecided directions by that very same invisible breeze, and yet she seemed unmoved. The man had short, messy black hair and brown eyes, and he wore a dark blue outfit similar to the one the girl wore. The disguised difference between the two was the way they stood: the man with a smile and in a relaxed pose, the girl with a solid expression and holding herself stiffly. Secretly, she did not really care to enter this new territory.

"Come, the house should be ready now."

The man led the young girl through the gate and far into the heart of the village, past shops and houses, springs and stores, markets and bookstores. Finally they arrived at a small apartment building complex. All of the buildings were a dusty off-white with the same shingles on the roof as in the rest of the village, and pipes were visible on the outer walls. Letting go of the girl's hand, the man dug in his pocket, pulling out a key and fitting it in the lock. The girl watched motionlessly as he opened the door.

"After you," he said.

She entered the apartment silently, followed by the man, who closed the door behind them both. She looked around with little interest. The walls were off-white and chipped in a few places, and bare, save for a scroll that had been put there earlier by the landlord. Removing her shoes and stepping up onto the main floor, she found that the room was also lacking furniture. There was only a sofa with a sidetable on either end, a small coffeetable the length of the sofa, and a short chest of drawers with a TV centered upon it. Shizuka blinked at the sight of her family's table…in the dining area of the apartment, which was open and lead into the kitchen via a doorless doorway. Beyond the doorway was another, which lead into a hall.

The kitchen wasn't all too special, either. Chestnut cabinets lined the walls. The appliances were white and black. From her position Shizuka could just see the hallway leading from the kitchen to the back of the apartment. A closed bedroom door was visible, as well as the door to the bathroom. The man walked past Shizuka and discarded his shoes also. Regarding her observances, he spoke again:

"I know it's nothing special, but it's all your parents could afford…are you hungry? All the appliances work efficiently."

The girl slowly moved her right hand up to her ear, bending her elbow and tucking her arm against her. She gently tugged her right earlobe with her thumb and index finger, displacing silky black hair only slightly. The man smiled, but then frowned a second later.

"What's wrong, Shizuka-chan? Don't you like Konoha?"

Shizuka's hand did not move.

"But…if you do, then what's wrong?"

Shizuka walked slowly over to a nearby table, upon which lay a small pad of paper and a pencil. Picking them up, she wrote on the tablet and handed it to the man. After reading it, he replied, "I'm sure the other kids will like you just as you are. And about me leaving, don't worry. I'll stay here, on your parents' orders and out of my affection for you."

Finally a small smile graced the girl's lips and she tugged on her right earlobe again: 'Yes.'

"Then, what do you want to eat?"

Another reply was written on paper: 'Ramen, and white rice with tomatoes.' The man smiled. He knew this was her favorite.

"All right. I'll be back. You may go to your room if you wish—it's right over there, near the entry." He pointed.

The girl turned her head in the direction of the stated location, then turned back to him and motioned for her paper. When it was given to her, she wrote, 'When do I start school, Sabishi-san?'

"Tomorrow, at the very latest. But I was considering taking you today. After all, it's only noon."

Shizuka seemed to contemplate this for a while, until Sabishi spoke up again. "How does that sound? We'll go after lunch."

After another moment of silence, the girl hesitantly put her fingers to her right earlobe. 'Yes.'

--

Again, Shizuka walked hand-in-hand with Sabishi, as they headed towards the Ninja Academy where Shizuka was to be attending. Upon entering the premises, Shizuka suddenly withdrew, hugging herself fearfully and releasing Sabishi's hand.

"Daijobu, Shizuka-chan, we don't have to stay. Let's just go meet your teachers, okay?"

Slowly, the dark-eyed girl nodded, and forced her feet to move forward once more. In the hallway she froze up again, but at long last she was finally standing in front of the door to her soon-to-be class. She chewed her bottom lip anxiously. Deep down she was terrified of this new life she was being forced to live, but she would never come out and say that. She had been taught long ago to never speak of such emotions.

Sabishi did not notice her internal struggle, and knocked twice before sliding open the door. "Gomen nasai, I don't mean to interrupt, but…"

The sensei, Umino Iruka, stopped and blinked a couple of times before recognition finally dawned on him. "Oh, right, you're that new girl that's supposed to be joining our class tomorrow! I see you couldn't wait, eh?"

Shizuka hid behind Sabishi and trembled. Sabishi just laughed. "Ha ha ha…she's a little shy, since she's never been to such a big village before…our village was very homely and tiny…"

Iruka chuckled in response. "I understand. Her name, is it…?"

"Noraiya Shizuka. And you already met me…Hiaruke Sabishi, her caretaker."

"Yes, I remember you…"

All of a sudden, another teacher came in and alerted the other two men: "Hiaruke-san, it's a good thing you're still here. The Hokage wishes to speak with you."

"Oh…all right. Shizuka-chan, can you stay here until I get back?" Sabishi inquired of the girl cowering behind him. Still trembling (but not as obviously), she touched her right earlobe. "Arigato," the man said to her, then to Iruka: "Domo arigato, Iruka-sensei…"

Shizuka now stood alone, her arms down at her sides, emotionless once more. She had to be strong now.

"Shizuka-chan? Why don't you go find a seat, so that I can continue with the lesson?" Iruka prompted her. Her dark eyes turned to observe all the students in the room…

This was indeed too much of a change.