The second blossomming of Sho-kun - Part 1 of 2.
Birthday.
That word didn't seem to mean anything, after
what happened.
He often passed the night alone, in silence,
watching the fireworks run by and assaulted by memories. When his
house was full of people, and he was for all of them"Sho-kun",
the boy born on top of the fireworks.
He never told his team about his birthday.
He always congratulated his adorable student, trying to make that day as special as possible for him. Aware that his other male student wasn't as pleased with his company, he discreetly arranged a small pack for him, leaving it beside his window. And he always remembered to present his kunoichi with a new set of weapons and scrolls, remarking her progresses as an excuse for his gift.
But he never told them when his birthday was.
On his first year in charge of his team, unexpectedly,
something changed.
His team's little underachiever was looking
up to the fireworks, as always, promising that next year he'd
become stronger. As he was enraptured by their beauty, he heard other
two jounin, one with a cigarette balancing on a corner of his mouth,
the other, a young woman with blazing red eyes. The woman spoke
first.
- He isn't here, again.
- You can't expect him
to... You know how he gets, when his birthday approaches. He's
probably gone to sleep... there's too much on his mind for him to
be training.
- I don't get it... I mean... for everyone,
birthday means joy... and he's always so happy-go-lucky... with his
nice guy pose, the teeth twinkling and all...
- You have to
understand that even in the happiest person's heart, there is a
corner that cries... I'm sorry – the man heaved a pained sigh - I
can't go into the details now, maybe later. Happy New Year! And
let's hope he enjoys his birthday, for once.
The boy stood
open-mouthed. That seemed to be his own sensei they were talking
about. Mentally, he told himself he wasn't eavesdropping, he just
happened to listen to a conversation by chance. It was his
birthday... But on New Year's Eve, where was he going to find a
present for him?
Sensei...
The
Genin knew that the very least thing he could do was
sharing that moment with him.
Fummeling into his pockets, he
picked some coins and strolled around for a while. Then he found his
way towards the house he knew so
well.
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Sleepless
night, as always, for the Jounin.
As his fellow shinobi had
predicted, he wasn't in the frame of mind for training. In his
pajamas, sitting over the bed, he was rewatching once and again the
film of his life. People that came and went, people who were still
around but whom he couldn't bear to see. He, the optimistic who
always looked at the future, had reasons to do so. The past was so
painful to look at.
A bang on the door made him jump.
Carefully, he looked out... and gaped worldlessly at his cute-eyed
student, packed with lots of little bags. Opening the door, the ever
serious face of the kid stared at him, clearly not knowing what to
say either.
- What... are you doing here?
Instead of giving
a clear answer, the youngster dropped the bags, stepped forward and
jumped up to hug him.
- Happy birthday! And Happy New Year as
well!
The Jounin stared at his Genin student, his mind racing.
How on earth did he know... he was sure he didn't tell a soul about
this...
- How did you...?
- I regret to say, I found out by
chance.- the boy looked sorry.- So I could only come in with dinner.
Forgive me, sir.
- I-It's okay. But why would you leave the
celebration and come here? You see enough of me every day, to waste
such a youthful occasion coming here –
Falsely cheery, the
man's voice tried to make it less of a deal than it already was. In
truth, he felt like crying.
- In a day like this, people have other thoughts in mind. They do not remember birthdays. I cannot celebrate the New Year knowing my sensei is not celebrating his youthful birthday.
Sharp kid.
Sharper than his years. If I'm not paying attention, he might graze
me with his words.
- Come in, you
must be freezing. No, I'll take the bags in. What's in them?
-
Uh... fireworks... this is dinner, osechi of course... I brought you
some tososan as well.
He set the table somewhat clumsily, but the host didn't seem to mind. It had been a long time since the sensei had had a proper New Year dinner in company of someone dear. The other dear people he had discreetly accepted his unwillingness to celebrate, or either were unable to be with him that day. Or, as had been the case earlier that night, appeared to share some moments before going to his own loved ones.
The toso caused some strife, as the student remarked he was not old enough to drink, and by citing the old saying "if one person drinks this his family will not fall ill; if the whole family does no-one in the village will fall ill", he was persuaded to take the whole flask on his own. (he would NEVER regret he did, after what he found out about the kid...) Of course, he skipped the formality of byakusan and toshosan, so as not to tempt his pupil.
A long time. But, as the man told New Year folk tales to the boy, he realized his lonely New Years were behind him.
They stood awake till dawn, as they agreed to follow New Year's rites thoroughly. Yes, it felt like in the old days, such a warmth in that winter sun... His "Sho-kun" self was alive again, only he would've been called "Sho-san" now, and there were younger eyes than his, looking admiringly at him.
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Time slipped by. Every New Year, the lanky youngster dissappeared from the firework-observing crowd and vanished from sight with his absurd ease. At first, his two teammates thought his goal was the window of a certain pink-haired kunoichi, but when they strolled back to see him lovebound to the patio, there was no-one in there, and the kunoichi hadn't seen him, either.
- He can't be
training...
- He can – the white-eyed genious remarked. – He's
that crazy.
- No way... he must be somewhere else.
In the New Year's eve of the year when the Kyûbi boy came back, something changed again for the Jounin sensei.
First, his eternal rival said he would come later than usual. He knew that, to meet him before the fireworks at 11 PM, he had to appoint him at 3.30 in the afternoon. So he had to fix an appointment for 7 PM to make him arrive at 3 AM...
As the nephew of his clan's head and a Jounin, the prodigy had the chance to invite whoever he pleased to watch up there, in the special guests terrace. So both his teammates were supposed to be there, too, as well as his sensei.
But they were nowhere to be found.
Then, as they wondered AGAIN where on earth were their Chûnin teammate and Sensei, they saw Godaime Hokage and said eternal rival approaching the special guests terrace.
- I can't see him here. Again?
- He cannot be
persuaded, Godaime-sama. There is no way you can bring him to watch
the fireworks. Well... you must understand him, he preferred to be
alone, until his student found out by chance it was his birthday
today. It's the only person, apart from me, that he doesn't mind
around today.
The only eye closed to suggest a smile.
- I
would've spoken to him before, but we changed the usual meeeting
for later. I had promised a certain hyperactive ninja to treat him to
ramen before coming up here.
- AND YOU ARRIVED LATE! - a loud
voice complained.
- Heh, yes, of course, I was late helping an old
lady to buy her groceries.
- WHAT!?!?
- Not you, Godaime-sama,
not you! ANOTHER old lady...
- OH REALLY!! HOW DARE YOU...!!
The prodigy and the weapon expert looked into each other's eyes. Birthday?
- He's odd even with his birthdate... I always
wondered why was he keeping it a secret! But, for that knuckle-head
not to tell us...
- Probably he told him not to. So that's
where...
- ... he went every New Year's Eve! It makes sense,
don't you think?
- Follow me.
- Where are we going?
-
There are... some advantages of being in a clan like mine.
He banged on a shop's door. A shopkeeper, looking mutinuous, looked down into those lavender eyes and... inmediatly rushed to the door.
- And one of those, is that nothing's closed... even in a day like this.
-----------------
As
my birthday approaches, I felt sentimental. I do not celebrate it
with gusto, as I think one year more is an optional path towards old
age. This year, something has started to change. Hence, my
fic. It was hard to write! I tried not to put a single name on it, to
see how long I lasted (I wrote 5 names in all but erased them when I
found out) It was fun, and good practice! I cannot explain yet
what "Sho-kun" is. Let's say it's the nickname by which he
was known as a child.