Author: UnknownShinobi
Title: Oh the Lies They Tell
Category: Anime – Naruto
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, you'd be paying to read this.
Chapter 2: Smoke and Mirrors
Summary: Team 10 reflects on Asuma's death. Written in past tense
Warnings: Written right after I read Chapter 238 of the manga. May be a bit depressing.
Pairings: None
Oh the Lies They Tell
Chapter 2: Smoke and Mirrors
It's hard for them to accept his choice, though they fully understand his reasoning. They never thought it would end this way, never thought that Team 10 could be destroyed so easily. But they can't pretend it's a dream, there's too much blood for that, too much pain.
But the life of a shinobi must go on; they've suffered death before and survived. And they'll suffer again unless they learn. Emotions are irrelevant, for they are meant to be the tools of the Hokage, the tools of the village. Their line of work involves death, involves killing.
And yet, it's hard to let go, hard to surrender something you didn't know you valued so much.
Hard to keep the demeanor of a ninja of Leaf.
..::Boar::..
His blood is on her hands. Not because she is at fault, but because there was nothing she could have done. She feels the cold of his death creeping into her bones, seeping through her skin and into her heart. Blond hair falls into her eyes, plastered to her forehead by the rain. She can't help but think that if she was stronger he'd still be alive. If she was Sakura maybe their sensei wouldn't be staring up at the sky with blank eyes.
..::Deer::..
He doesn't like the clouds this way. Doesn't like the way the grey sky seems to loom so close to the ground as if to suffocate it. And just to think, a few hours ago they had been playing Go again, had that been the calm before the storm? But now he knows the secret, Asuma's king – 'the one I am protecting is…' That last secret between them... But the only thing that will come to mind are those two words that seem so unfamiliar now: "So troublesome…".
..::Butterfly::..
For once in his life he doesn't feel hungry and he's not sure he ever will again. In the shadow of his death, food seems insignificant. There will always be more of that to look forward to… A continuous supply of it. But there was only one of him, only one sensei for Team 10…
They won't cry; it's a futile action.
Tears won't bring him back.
They won't turn back time.
They won't…
Perhaps in days to come they'll truly accept his sacrifice.
But for now they'll let the rain cover their tears…
Let the smoke disguise their meaning…
They'll play this game with themselves for as long as they need to.
Anything is better than facing that hurt.
Anything is better than facing that feeling of loss…
Even the lies they tell…
The lies that seem so irrelevant when they know they'll never truly forget…
Never truly erase this pain that darkens their hearts…
Shikamaru will keep smoking although he'll always complain about how it hurts his eyes.
He'll do this to remember…
Choji will refuses to eat BBQ.
He'll do this to honor the memory…
And Ino will never give up, will never surrender.
She'll do this because he wanted her to…
They know they'll never forget, and behind the façade they never want to. Because as obscured as it is by smoke, they see themselves behind the glass, a reflection of how they were, how they should have been, how they aren't….
And so…
They'll remember…
(My ending really sucks… Can you tell I was watching Star Trek episodes with my dad again? I kept inserting words like "futile", "insignificant" and "irrelevant". Most of them were edited out when I was revising, but my diction was still heavily influenced by the Borg episodes I saw.
Whoa! "Even the lies they tell…" I didn't notice this line until just now. Odd how it ties into the FanFic title….)
