A/N: Hello! As a project for myself, I've decided to start this story. I haven't written anything in a long time and wanted to get back into the habit of it. Also, in order to try and keep these characters as in character as possible, please feel free to let me know how you think they should act and speak.
And so, with that, please enjoy!
- Gre3n
CHAPTER ONE
TWO YEAR ABSENCE
Mayumi let herself into her apartment wearily. Coughing slightly, she waved away the dust that had become unsettled on her entry.
Geez, have I really been gone that long?
A quick glance at the dead plant by the door confirmed it, and she sighed heavily.
Two whole years, she thought glumly. I wonder how everybody has been doing...
Kicking off her sandels, Mayumi walked further into her apartment, tossing her bag onto the couch as she passed by. The cloud of dust that billowed up sent her into another coughing fit, and she tried futiley to bat it away with her hands. It was going to take a while until this place was liveable again.
Still coughing, Mayumi made her way down the short hallway to her bathroom, craving the feel of clean, warm water on her dirt-caked skin. How long had it been since she'd last had a shower? A week? Two? She didn't want to know the answer. But as she got a whiff of herself as she pulled off layers of clothing, she knew it had been a long time. She was covered in sweat, dirt, tears and blood; and not all of them were hers.
Completely naked, Mayumi assessed herself in the bathroom mirror. Tired, amber eyes met her gaze, concealed slightly behind a matted mane of dark hair. She reached up to her head and pulled out a twig from the tangled tresses, bringing it in front of her face to gaze at blearily. How long had that been there? Tossing it into the sink, she removed a few more twigs and leaves before returning back to her assessment of her current state.
She'd lost some considerable weight, evident through her visible ribs and (to her extreme displeasure) a smaller sized bust. Vainly, she tried pushing together her breasts attempting to make them appear bigger, before giving up and staring down at them glumly. She was at least a few sizes smaller. A few more prods and pinches to other areas of her body alerted her to exactly how much weight she had lost. She was thin, unhealthily so. Finally it made sense why her clothes had been so loose on her lately.
Her skin was in a poor state. Cuts and bruises covered every inch of her frame, and a particularly nasty gash stood out across her collarbone. She scrutinised it slightly in the mirror, checking for signs of infection. It was clean, and already halfway through healing, but it would definitely leave a scar.
One to add to the collection, she supposed.
Overall, Mayumi concluded she looked like death warmed over, but at least there was a bright side. All that time spent outdoors had given her a wicked tan, darkening her olive skin almost to golden. Or maybe that was just the dirt...
Assessment over, Mayumi finally stepped into the shower.
The pipes rattled as she started the water, the lack of use had caused them to stiffen, and the first stream of water that exited the showerhead sputtered before pelting down a steady flow.
Mayumi sucked in a quick breath through her teeth, her body tensing as the water stung her many wounds. She forced herself to relax under the warm water, loosening up each of her muscles one by one. The water that washed down the drain was a rusty brown, and it wasn't until an hour later when it became crystal clear, that Mayumi finally shut it off and exit the bathroom.
She was in the process of brushing through her hair with her fingers, the fluffiest towel she owned secured snugly under her armpits, when her stomach growled so loudly that she thought she saw the windows shake. Clutching her stomach, Mayumi staggered over to her fridge, her mouth salavating and images of squid dancing in her eyes.
The loud buzzing of the fridge was the only sound in her quiet apartment, and she stared down hopelessly at a lone onion on the top shelf. She had forgotten that she had cleared out her fridge before she left. Slamming the fridge door closed, she opened her pantry next, hoping to find some crackers or at least something, but all she was met with was more of the prevalent dust that had accumulated in her home.
Mayumi bit her lip. She really didn't want to go out into the marketplace today. All she wanted to do was rest, curl up in bed, and maybe cry herself to sleep. She'd survived for days without food in the past, did she really need to go out and buy food now?
Another aggrivated growl from her stomach answered that, yes, she really did need to, lest her stomach start digesting itself for sustinence.
With a small amount of self-pity, Mayumi entered her bedroom and began rummaging around inside her wardrobe for some casual attire. She settled on a pair of plain black sweats and a light green shirt with the leaf symbol emblazoned on the front.
Quickly stopping by her discarded bag to grab her coin purse, she made her way out the front door, hopping slightly as she shuffled her feet back inside her sandels. Locking the door behind her, Mayumi deposited the key into her pocket and patted it against her leg.
Safe and secure.
Konoha hadn't changed at all.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, Mayumi gazed up at the Hokage monument fondly, taking in the familiar faces carved into the rock of Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Namikaze Minato, the heroes of the Hidden Leaf Village. Such a welcome sight for sore eyes.
All around her on the street, villagers bustled from store to store. Overhead, ninjas flitted by, jumping from one rooftop to the next, appearing as nothing but blurs to untrained eyes. A pair of young kids burst through the crowd, and Mayumi had to quickly spin and dance out of the way to avoid a collision.
"Sorry, Miss!" The kids called as they disappeared back into the crowd, their laughter ringing in the air.
Mayumi grinned to herself. It was good to be home.
Some time later, Mayumi was finished with her grocery shopping. Her arms were loaded with paper bags, and her vision was mostly obscured by the various food items that threatened to spill out at any moment. Proud of her effort, she began to make her way back home.
What would she have for dinner? Maybe boil up a few eggs, open up a can of-
Her nose twitched.
This smell!
Mayumi whirled around, her eyes wide. Could it be?!
Her eyes connected with the stall owner, and the man flinched slightly under the intensity of her stare.
"Ikayaki!" She crowed, as she made a beeline for the store.
Two rows of squid sizzled loudly on the grill, each of them the perfect light golden colour signalling they were ready to eat. The delicious smell had Mayumi salavating, and squids once again danced in her eyes.
"Hey, hey, Mr. Squid-Guy, how much is the food?"
"¥355 each, or three for ¥800."
Mayumi frowned slightly. Shoot! She only had 500 yen left in her purse after all that shopping.
Oh well, something is better than nothing.
Mayumi nodded at the biggest and juiciest squid in the first row, "Gimme that bad boy!"
"You got it lady!" Mr. Squid-Guy replied. He quickly plucked it off the grill and wrapped a napkin around the handle of the stick, "Here you go-uh..." the stall keeper apparently just noticed how burdened her arms already were.
Mayumi was unperturbed, "Just stick it in my mouth. The money is in my pocket." She wiggled her right side at him, "Go on, take it."
"Umm..." the man looked around uncomfortably.
"Come on!"
"Uh, miss, I don't-"
"Give me the squid!"
And that was how Maito Gai and Sarutobi Asuma stumbled upon Mayumi; arms loaded with groceries, a squid dangling from her mouth, and aggressively waggling her hips at an increasingly distressed stall owner.
Gai's mouth opened in shock, "Mayumi? Do my eyes decieve me, have you truly returned? Mayu!"
"Hm?" Mayumi blinked, and turned to face the familiar voice.
Green obscured her vision; Mayumi was forced to drop her bags to the ground when she was suddenly pulled into a bone-crushing hug. She gasped, the vice-like grip painful on her wounded body. The squid fell from her mouth, and Mayumi watched in slow motion as it tumbled over Gai's shoulder and hit the dirt, instantly spoiled.
The scene behind Mayumi shattered into a million pieces.
My ikayaki!
A river of tears streamed down her face.
Blind to the anguish he caused, Gai laughed merrily, "Mayu! It has been far too long! I feared you would never return; cut down too soon in the spring of your youth. But now I see my fears were for nought!"
Gai's grip tightened, and Mayumi had to concentrate really hard on being able to breathe. Seeing her distress, Asuma strolled over and tapped Gai lightly on shoulder.
"Ease up Gai, you're going to suffocate the poor girl."
"Hm?" Gai looked down at the woman he held in his grasp, unaware of the strength he was exerting.
Mayumi's soul was threatening to escape her body, the wispy cloud drifting out of her mouth.
"Ah!" Gai released her instantly and watched with horror as she wilted to the ground. He was about to subject himself to one thousand pushups as punishment, when suddenly a squid connected with the middle of his face.
"Gai! You idiot!"
The squid slowly peeled off Gai's face, revealing a wailing Mayumi as she mourned the loss of her favourite food.
Asuma stood to the side and watched Gai desperately trying to comfort the crying kunoichi with promises of grand, self-imposed punishments. Mayumi had now composed herself, and was having a quiet service in the middle of the street for the lost squid, complete with a lit candle. Nearby civilians were giving the group a wide berth, unsure of their mental stability.
Asuma smiled to himself.
It was good to have her home.