Chapter 02
The Scarring Fate
He gasped desperately. It was no use. No matter how hard he tried, he always ended up with the same result. How many times had he tried to hang himself? How many times had he failed to stop breathing after doing so? At least he knew it was the same amount of times. Why wouldn't it be? He was still here, unfortunately, moaning in self-pity. He was still trying though. He couldn't give up now. Not when he was so close to ending it all.
He stood back up on his wooden chair. He got his tiny neck around the rope. He made to kick the furniture, and yet, he failed once more. He just couldn't find it in him to end it all. But then why did he wanted to in the first place? It was obvious to him that nobody was going to help him. Why would they? They were the reason he felt so out of place. So alienated. So unwanted.
So, so…
…so him.
Then he did what he always did afterward. Held his breath on the ground once more. Feeling his lungs burn with need once more. Flailing in desperation once more. Clutching his watering eyes once more. Feeling the pale complexion of himself turn blue once more. Punching his chest to fight back what his young body wanted once more.
Then inhaling for air… once more.
He began to sob.
And sob.
And sob.
And sob.
Until his eyes were puffy and red. Dried out like a desert. Then, he tried resting his eyes, feeling exhausted. But he failed to rest as well.
So he sobbed.
Once more.
"Hey Ken, you listenin?"
"H-Huh?" The boy blinked back to reality. He wasn't sobbing, he was walking. With Naruko beside him.
Oh yeah. It was all just a dream. All just a dream.
She sighed. "I was just saying how it's just unfair how many D-Rank missions we receive on a daily basis. It's like they think we're babies; too young to fend on our own. And besides, we learned our lesson, right? We're a team now, so we should get challenges that revolve around pushing our ability to work together. Not trying to find a fat cat in an alley, or to trim the lawn!"
"Y-Yeah." He nodded sheepishly, still trying to wrap his head around the situation at hand. They were walking back from another successful D-Rank mission, or to put it in Naruko's words, D-Rank 'Chore'. And yes, none of them were sent back to the Academy. They were all included in Team Seven once Kakashi explained to them on how their good deed to Naruko was just what they needed to get a passing grade. By thinking selflessly, they opened the box that revealed the answer to what being a team was all about. It was cheesy, but Ken enjoyed it until the very end. It made him happy to see everyone getting along, and now they were all officially ninjas… again.
Since then, they had done nothing but little chores around the village that were supposedly called 'missions', which made sense since they were still new in being a ninja, the chores that is. Ken admitted that it was becoming a bit frustratingly tedious, but it still pushed the boundaries on what he could physically withstand. Unlike Naruko and Sasuku, he was just an average guy that could not mold his chakra, so he had to rely on his wits and dedication to stand alongside his teammates, which was still extremely hard.
He was called 'dead last' for a reason, but he couldn't use that as an excuse. Just like mourning during his survival training a few days ago, he shouldn't hope that one day, by being sorry for himself enough times, that he would suddenly become a phenomenal ninja. No, the Ninja World did not work that way, and with how many times life kicked him in the gut as a wake up call to the harsh reality he lived in, Kenjo of all people should know that much.
It didn't make it any less easy, or any less frustrating. He wanted to be someone Naru-chan could really count on. That could be there for her in any possible situation. And he wanted that asap. So he needed to train on the things he was able to get better at. But with how little people tolerated his very presence, it was really difficult to find a one-on-one teacher. And even if he found one, they needed to be on the same level of understanding.
He could only imagine how they might react to how shallow his arsenal as a ninja really was. They might even receive a warrant for kicking his ass for wasting their time like that.
Amusing, but probably plausible in his mind.
"Hey, how is your training coming along, Ken?"
"W-Wha?" He turned to her as if she grew a second head.
"Your training." She flashed a small smile. "It's been a while since you last gave me an update on it. So, how is it coming along? Did you finally learn how to mold your chakra?"
Kenjo frowned, then smiled as brightly as he could without making it seem fake. "N-Nah, n-n-not yet, b-but I can t-t-tell I'm g-g-getting c-close."
Naruko's eyebrows tilted sadly, smile not wavering. "You sure you don't need my help? I won't mind lending a hand."
He shook his head. "N-No thank y-you, Naru-chan. I-I'm c-capable of hand-ling it m-myself."
"Well, if you say so, 'ttebayo."
He kept on smiling at her. He could never admit it to her, that his chakra was moldless, that he was always going to be handicapped as a shinobi no matter what. That he might never be as great as she was. He expected her to not know about civilian chakra, about how the only weapons they usually use were frying pans and knives. That she was looking at someone who already lost a battle that hadn't even begun.
That Kenjo would always be a wannabe shinobi.
ALWAYS.
No matter what.
"So, I've heard that you had graduated Tayamaru a few days ago?" A patched man asked casually, his voice rumbling with old age and wisdom behind it's deepness.
"Yes, I have." His company said back, red lamp shade hat hiding his calm, smoking expression.
"May I ask what gave you the idea that passing a failed Academy student was a good sign for the public?"
"Had his compensated failure been announced?"
"No."
"Good, I expect it to be so until said otherwise."
The patched man sat quietly for the man to continue.
"Kenjo has always been a special case, Danzo. You of all people should know that. I have my own personal motives for passing him. I expected you to be pleased with my decision though, since you were always fond of the boy for some reason."
"…I am, I'm just surprised you had done something about it before I could. And it's not only myself that is interested in the boy. Both of us are, am I wrong?"
"No." He exhaled a puff of smoke through his pipe. "But you were the one that beforehand declared the boy to be a part of the village during that fateful day, were you not?"
Danzo Shimura nodded, though, he knew Lord Third could feel he had done so. "Yes, I suppose I was."
"You still haven't explained the reason behind your decision, though."
"Haven't I? I told you it was because of his infancy during that time. It was only right to withhold the child for reasonable purposes."
The Hokage sighed inwardly. "Fine, don't tell me."
There was a dramatic pause between the two men before Danzo spoke up once more.
"And the Kyuubi's vessel?"
"What about her?"
"I heard they're on the same team, with one of the last Uchiha no less."
"Yes, they are. It's only fair if we keep up our tradition as a whole. The rookie of the year, the first in class, and the one below every margin. All on one team. What, are you worried for some reason?"
"No," Danzo shook his head, a mental smile crept in his mind. "Not at all."
"I've had it!" Naruko yelled aloud, catching Ken off guard, Sasuku only grunting in response.
"N-Naru-chan…"
"He's taking us for a damn joke!" She growled. "He's doing this on purpose! He always has been! But not anymore!"
"Could you shut up already, you blonde idiot?" Sasuku grumbled, making it seem more like a command than a request.
"No I won't, teme!" Naruko met her glare with her own. "Kakashi-sensei had pulled the last straw! He's been late ever since day one! If he appears, I'm going to really give him a piece of my mind!"
Speak of the devil. In a puff of smoke, the Jounin in question raised a salute to his students. "Yo."
"You!" Naruko pointed accusingly.
"Me?" He pointed at himself confusingly.
"I have a few words to exchange with you!"
"Can it wait, though? I have some good news to tell you all."
"No, it cannot!"
"N-Naru-chan…" Ken said below his breath.
Kakashi sighed. "And here I was thinking you would be more inclined to listen to the news on your first C-Ranked mission."
"I don't– wait, what?" She blinked in surprise.
Their sensei eye-smiled. "I've been informed by Lord Third that you guys are going to do your first C-Ranked mission. He wanted to keep it a secret until you arrived at the Hokage tower, but I figured you needed the boost for today as early as possible."
Despite only being able to see the girl's back, Kenjo and Sasuku could feel the sparks bursting from her eyes. "YAATA! C'mon you guys, let's not keep Jiji waiting!"
"What happened to 'giving him a piece of your mind'?" Sasuku couldn't help but ask the blonde preteen.
"Can it, teme! Don't ruin this for the rest of us!" And then they were off, with Sasuku taking a moment to mumble before following suit.
"Yep, this team is definitely the worse…"
"Hey, Ken?"
"Hmm?" For once, Ken wasn't daydreaming before answering, which rarely happened. Daydreaming, he could only assume, was a sign of his body trying to compensate his lack of actual sleep. It wasn't really confirmed, it was only a hypothesis, though he didn't have anything else to go on since he didn't really feel rejuvenated during or after it.
It could just be another sign of the depravity of his entire being, but then again, that would only be an assumption as well.
"Well," She trailed off momentarily, just barely above a whisper, taking a small glimpse behind them. The cargo was still not harmed, which was the four-eyed man named Tazuna, oh, and his wheelbarrow full of… stuff, with Kakashi and Sasuku walking near him. "I think this guy is kinda sketchy, don't you?"
"Mr. T-Tazuna?" He looked back as well, more than subtly, earning a pair of eyes to connect with his. Ken quickly looked away from the staring man, finding himself embarrassed due to his rude glance. "W-Well, h-he seems n-nice enough to m-m-me."
"Nice?" Naruko chuckled below her breath, still in a whisper. "He called you a walking patch of grass. You call that nice?"
"W-Well, every-one has t-t-there way of e-express-ing themselves, so w-we shouldn't j-judge."
"I know," she placed her hands behind her head. "I'm not saying he's a bad person, just a bit suspicious in my books."
"H-How come?" Ken was almost afraid of asking, having a feeling Naruko's reasoning will reason him to change his perspective on the man in an instant. After all, she was always good at making others believe in her.
"One day, I'll be Hokage, and then everyone will have to look up and respect me. Believe it, 'ttebayo!"
A small smile tugged on his dry lips.
"Well, call me crazy, but this morning I actually saw him in Konoha."
"T-This morn-ing?"
"Yeah, just before arriving at the bridge. He was looking around, scanning his surroundings before going into someone's house. I don't know about you, but if someone does that in front of my eyes, I immediately think that he's hiding something troubling."
Ken just looked behind him again, but more subtly, catching a glimpse of the builder once more. 'Hiding something troubling?'. That did sound sketchy though, Ken admitted, but what could an average, cranky builder be hiding in a village that he wasn't actually a part of? Strange, strange indeed-
"Ken, look out!" He flinched at the clash of two kunai right in front of his face, the aerial one hitting the soil with a soft thump. Naruko held her kunai close to him in deflection, eyeing behind a tree that a shady ninja crawled out from.
"A ninja?" Naruko's eyebrows raised.
"A Hidden Mist ninja no less." Kakashi asserted, glancing at the headband the person wore.
"A n-n-ninja?!" Ken gulped nervously. "B-But I t-thought we were g-going t-to take o-on ban-dits."
"My thoughts exactly." Kakashi eyed the silent, if not a bit frantic unarmed man, before giving his attention back to the ninja before them. "They're probably after Tazuna's cargo. Whatever you do, protect it and Tazuna at all cost, got it?"
"Got it, 'ttebayo!" Naruko formed her signature hand signs, summoning a couple of clones afterward. Sasuku held her place near Tazuna, hearing rustling in the bushes close by. Kakashi got into a fighting stance as well, seeing a Mist ninja appearing from a lone puddle on the ground.
And Ken?
He tried to do the best he could. He knew he wouldn't be able to gain an upper hand if they were to use any ninjutsu. Ken might give them an advantage with his Taijutsu, though it was barely mediocre good, and judging by the appearance of these guys, the green preteen was almost certain they were trained in that aspect too, and very well if he were to downgrade his bravado any further.
But he refused to let his cowardice get the best of him. He was a ninja now. No more running away from his problems. No more hanging himself. No more holding his breath for anybody, especially for himself. He was alongside Naruko now, maybe not figuratively, but it was a start, and it was just what he needed in life.
Here we go! Let's do-
"Ken, behind you!"
"W-Wha?" It all happened so fast that he felt like life was going in slow motion. He tried to look back in time as quickly as possible, he really did, but all he got was a hard kick to his spinal cord, sending him tumbling forward. Ken stopped rolling in the dirt, groaning in place as he felt a surge of pain rush through his backside.
OW!
That really hurt! He made to stand up, but his eyes widened when he saw a kick aiming to knock him out by the head.
It would have easily done so, had it not been for a certain blonde whacking the living daylights out of his attacker first.
Well, that was an overstatement actually, since Ken witnessed the slowly rising form of his soon to be mobile enemy.
"Ken, get up!" Naruko nearly yelled at his still form. "You gotta be on your toes, 'ttebayo!"
"R-R-R-Rig–" He was going to get his message through, but his inconvenience in speaking aloud got the best of him. Again. Ken shook his head. It didn't matter anyway. She, clone or not, was gone to take care of the unfinished opponent. He stood up, took a kunai out with his shaking hand, and looked around for any unwanted pest that wasn't occupied right then. He wasn't cold. He barely felt coldness. Ken probably could sleep in a freezer and come out with only minor consequences. So then, why was he shaking so much?
He couldn't keep his hand, his feet, his entire body calm and collected. He could even feel his bones chatter like they were having an endless, unwavering conversation with each other. Was it his nerves? Was he really that nervous? Damn it! Not now! Not when he was amidst a crisis such as this. Or maybe it was this exact crisis that was making him be so apprehensive.
Oh, who was he kidding? Of course it was. But why now? Why now when his team needed him to actually be there for them!? Not on the sidelines, but on the battlefield. Why now, Kami damn it!? Why n–
"Ken!"
Before he could even fathom the verbal eruption, he felt a rush of pain through his shoulder. AH! He fell down on one knee, holding onto his– wait, a shuriken? When did a shuriken met his left shoulder? Wait, when did he get down on one knee? And this bulging pain… Was this shuriken the reason everything happened in a blink of an eye?
He heard a cry before him. Ken watched the Mist ninja get pulverized by a clone. It dispersed once the damage had been dealt.
Then, there was silence. "Ken!" Well, before Naruko approached that was. "Are you okay?"
"H-Huh?" He swallowed, looking at her crouching form before turning to his shoulder.
Now it became crystal clear what happened. If he thought it was worse before, it was certainly worse now.
Not even the dark, black liquid slowly dampening the spot of interest and down his arm could take his mind off of one crystal clear fact.
Kenjo Tayamaru was now an official wannabe ninja.
And that, more than anything before in his life, hurt.
Really hurt.
Naruko frowned. She was troubled. The blonde strolled down the streets to her favorite place to eat. Alone. She wasn't that hungry, well, not anymore that is. The young kunoichi was troubled by Ken's sudden silence that unintentionally represented her current quietness.
It was why he wasn't with her to get their usual bowl of ramen. That was readily apparent. Naruko tried asking, she really did, but Ken just smiled back then.
I-I'm alright, r-really. Don't w-worry about i-it, o-okay?
What kind of reply was that? He was alright? He wasn't up for any conversation. That wasn't alright. That wasn't the Ken she knew deep down. There was something troubling him, she just knew it.
It was their C-Rank mission. Their first C-Rank mission. She knew he was excited, if not a bit nervous, it was written in his eyes. So why? Ever since that attack. Was it the ambush? Was it because he didn't perform well in front of them? During their first C-Rank mission? She didn't care if he didn't. No matter what, he would always be her cool Ken, no matter how good or bad he did. Everyone had bad days. She should know.
The blonde sighed. That mission was meant to be an enjoyable time for them. They were all waiting for the moment to shine, to get out there and prove that they were ready for the outside world. So the mission was meant to be exciting no matter how you looked at it. For her and him. And yet, it felt so… depressing… Was it just her? Was Naruko the only one who felt like the weather had turned dark yesterday, the day they left for the Land of Waves? It couldn't be, right? No, Ken's mood had turned for the worse. She wished it hadn't, but it did.
Now here she was, opening the blinds to Ichiraku without Ken following suit.
"Oh, Naruko-chan!" Teuchi smiled her way. "Hmm? Ken-kun isn't with you this time?"
"Yeah…" She sat down. "I'll have the usual, please."
"Huh, you don't sound so enthused to eat. Did something happen?"
"Well, I guess you could say that."
"Does it have something to do with Ken?"
Naruko blinked out of her downcast. "How did you know, Ojii-san?"
The man smiled knowingly. "Well, you didn't come with the boy, and he's usually always by your side, so I assumed it had something to do with him."
The girl looked down once more. "I don't know, that's the thing."
"Huh? What don't you know, Naruko-chan?" He got cooking, still lending an ear as he did so.
"Well, we just came back from our first C-Rank mission, but ever since departing for it, his mind's been more distant than usual."
"Oh…"
"I think it has something to do with the ambush that happened during that time. But I'm not completely sure."
"You were ambushed?" He asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yeah." She nodded. "It felt like he was in his own world back then… again."
"During an ambush, huh? Sounds to me like he was just simply frightened by the situation."
"Frightened?" She looked up with curious eyes.
"Mm-hmm." He placed the bowl of Miso down on the counter. "You said it was your first C-Rank, right? So maybe he was apprehensive because of it being his first real fight, or that's what I'm assuming it was."
"It was."
"Then, there you go." Teuchi's hands found his hips. "And maybe he was upset because of that."
"You think so?" Naruko stared down at the bowl of ramen before her, the type that Ken would eat if to only be as less picky as he could. Miso Ramen. The type she was now eating… without him. If Naruko felt less enthused about eating, then she definitely lost her entire appetite right then. She never knew Ken might have felt like that, and she was angry that she didn't assume that in the first place.
What a friend she was. She tightened her fists. She needed to find Ken. Naruko wanted to cheer him up before anything else. He said he was going home early. But the only problem was, she didn't know where he lived.
It seemed like a ridiculous question. What BFF didn't know where their other half lives? And yet, Ken denied her chance to even know of it's location time and time again. He wanted it to be under wraps. It had hurt, it still did, to think that he didn't trust her enough for her to know such information. Naruko could've asked around, but just like how she dropped the subject, the blonde didn't wanted to pry for something that might be too personal. At least it seemed for him.
She wanted to respect his boundaries, and that was what she was going to continue to do. Naruko just hoped that wherever he currently was, he would be okay, at least long enough so they could meet up again.
Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there. Are you o- *gasp*
Well, that happened. Her reaction wasn't shocking though. Bumping into someone she didn't know– him– gasping at said someone once their eyes met– again, him– and running away like her life depended on it– agai– well, you get the picture.
Everyone avoided him. Everyone. They despised him. They hated his guts. Kids were just too oblivious to care– which that girl was, a kid that is, making it seem strange then. Adults were like stampedes trying to dodge the plague. That was what he saw himself as, a plague, among other phrases.
It was tedious, yet saddening. Confusing, yet lonely.
He didn't know why, he didn't know why they did what they did. Spat on him. Mocked him. Glared at him. He just wanted it to stop, despite his attempts to ignore them. How could he? Twelve years of pain was not something that could simply go away like a simple bad cold. Not even Naruko Uzumaki could let him forget what he had, and was going through.
On the contrary, she was actually a reminder that he was alone with her. It was bitter-sweet. She was all he needed, but she was also everything he did not have back then. A friend. A family. A childhood.
Just like her.
Ken wasn't saying that he regrets meeting her. Nothing could make him feel that way. She was the ray of hope he never had, but at the same time, she was a cloud of unwanted pain. The painful reminder of what his life meant outside of their circle of friendship, what it meant without her. Nothing. The painful reality that he would never be as good as her.
As brave as her.
As talented as her.
The painful reality that he was nothing and always will be nothing compared to her.
Then, why was he still doing this? Being a ninja. Being something he's not. Traveling a road of inevitable futility. How stupid was he back then? How stubborn was he to still continue on? It made no sense. No sense at all. Just like his life.
Just like his very existence.
"K-Kami damn it!" He screamed in his pillow, the painful, lingering aftermath of his first real fight still there. Mocking him. Laughing at him. Just like everyone else. He sat up on his bed– the floor– and punched the cushion. Again. And again. And again. And again.
The low amount of feathers he collected scattered out of the slit of a 'head's best friend'. It took him a while to gather 'so much' feathers for the comfort of his head, and now they were all lying idly across the floor.
But he didn't care. He was so angry. So, so angry. He had been in worse situations before, but his frustration at himself, at his life, had just allowed all of those negative emotions to run amok, finally out of his system. At least, he hoped so. A bulging sting was felt from his hands. He looked at his bruised knuckles. Ken had been punching the ground, so to speak, due to the low mass the pillow contained.
But he didn't care about that either. All he cared about was to catch up to Naruko. To actually be by her side. Being saved by her not only once, but twice yesterday did not help him accomplish his goal one bit. It was just a reminder of how long the road to it really was.
An endless length of disaster just waiting to swallow him whole.
Ken sighed, plopping himself down on the mashed pillow, but instead of a softer landing, his mind rang from the knock of the hard ground. The poor boy held his head, finally giving way to physical discomfort. He breathed, steadying his breath and soon ignored the slowly dissolving hurtfulness.
He'll get over it, hopefully. He wasn't someone who liked holding a grudge. So he'll let it slide.
What would he get over, you might have asked?
Everything.
"Hey, Ken." He turned his head. Naruko stood, smiling. It seemed more of a sad smile than her typical bright sunny one. Just like the rising sun right then. She approached him on the bridge. Her hands behind her back.
"H-Hey." Ken smiled back. Despite the hell he went through last night, he couldn't rain on her day just because of his lousy one. He needed to stay positive around her, just as she was–
The girl in question brought her hands out in front of her. A container?
Wait, was that the Ichiraku Ramen's logo?
"W-What t-this?"
"It's your ramen, dummy." She giggled cutely.
"M-My ram-en?"
"Yeah. You didn't come with me to Ichiraku yesterday, remember? So, I decided to get a parcel of Shoyu for ya. Your favorite."
"W-Wait," He blinked, "you b-bought a Shoyu par-cel for m-me?"
"Of course, 'ttebayo." She grinned widely. "Why wouldn't I buy one for the cool Ken?"
Ken's cheeks flushed once more at the mention of him being 'cool'. He certainly wasn't. There was no denying it. There was nothing cool about him. Their last mission was proof enough. So it always touched him the most when reminded of how highly Naruko thought of him. It melted his weak heart. Really it did.
He didn't know why she continued to view him as a 'cool' person. She probably wanted him to feel better about himself. Even if that was the case, it still warmed his heart to know that she would go out of her way to even consider it.
He smiled warmly at the gesture. He was truly lucky to have a friend as awesome as Naruko Uzumaki. He couldn't believe it.
"T-T-Thank y-you, Naru-c-c-chan." He took the parcel from her, tears were starting to form in his eyes. 'Damn it, not now! Don't ruin this moment by crying, you idiot!'
"Ken?" She took a concerning step closer.
"N-N-No…" He tried wiping his eyes with his sleeve, parcel in the other hand. "D-D-Don't worry. I-I-It's t-t-tears of j-joy, r-really." Damn it and his baby nature! The tears were the personification of his gratitude that he wanted Naruko to know all about, and yet, he didn't wanted to show none of them. He felt vulnerable with each drop. But it was too late. The cat was out of the bag. It wouldn't be the first time however, he was always a crybaby when Naruko even considered doing something nice and generous for him.
Her caring nature of his so-called 'hunger' was that of a nuclear bomb dropping on his crumbled nation; it was just impossible to stop.
She smiled after a sigh of relief, glad she hadn't done anything wrong to make his mood even worse. Naruko approached the crying boy, and embraced his susceptible being. He choked when her arms wrapped around his person– her warm presence devouring his pale, fragile one– but allowed the hug to continue with his own small, but tight hold from his free hand.
"There there, it's okay, you little baby." She playfully taunted in his ear.
"H-H-Hey!" It was his normal loudness, but it felt like a shout of disapproval. She chuckled.
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
The two continued to stay like that for a while, the world around them meaningless for the moment.
"Hey."
"Y-Yeah?" Ken answered with a less shaky tone this time, his impediment mostly the only reason for his stutter.
"I'm sorry."
"H-Huh?" They broke the hug to look at each other, their arms still ready to act if needed to.
"I didn't know how nervous you were back then." She looked down in dismay. "I knew our first C-Rank would've meant a lot to us even before. I was a bit nervous myself too, but I guess I had forgotten your situation."
It took Ken a few seconds to realize what she meant by that. It was probably his inability to mold his chakra.
"So, sorry, for even expecting you to be ready for something like that."
"N-No!" He almost yelled, surprising the blonde and even himself. "I-It wasn't y-your fault, o-okay? I s-should've b-been read-y for s-such miss-ions w-when I s-signed up f-for be-ing a n-n-ninja. So i-if it's a-anyone's fault, it's m-mine."
She stared at him, then nodded in understanding. She did not agree with his self-loathing, but Naruko decided it was something he would rather take responsible for than to share it.
"Why then?"
"Huh?"
"Why won't you let me help you mold your chakra? It would be so much easier if someone gave you a hand."
Ken frowned. Not this again. He already told her, didn't he? "I-I told you, my d-d-dad's helping me."
"Your dad's not even a ninja himself." She furrowed a bit, but then looked away once she realized what her mouth had just let out. "Sorry. I didn't mean to insult him. Have you at least made progress?"
Ken lied again, nodding as a response. He didn't even wanted to speak on the topic. It was all just a façade, and he didn't wanted his pie hole to tangle him in a larger web of falseness.
She sighed. "Well, if you say so. But you know you could ask me for help anytime, okay?"
He nodded again, his guiltiness too great right then to mutter a simple approval.
He felt dirty. And it wasn't just his outsides either.
He felt contaminated. Why couldn't he just be honest with her? Why lie? What could he possibly hope to gain? It was an endless cycle until he breaks it. But he just couldn't. He just couldn't reveal the poisonous reality to her. The reality that her closest friend had been lying to her from the very beginning.
Question was: Where did it all start? When did he start sprouting this huge, infested web?
Frankly, he didn't even want to remember. It was just that painful.
Kenjo sat on the plain grass, as usual. He watched how Naruko and Sasuku duked it out, as usual. And his sensei read his Icha-Icha paradise next to him…
…as usual.
"H-Hey, Kakashi-s-sensei?" He looked up at the standing pillar.
"Hmm?" He gave his student a glance.
"W-Would it b-be okay if I-I-I-I-I–" Oh crud! He stopped, his mouth shut, calming himself for a moment before trying to continue. All the while, Kakashi seemed to be tolerating his time consumption from his book quite well, or at least, trying to. Ken knew he could be a bit of a handful sometimes… ALL the time, he guessed. Especially with this damn disorder in the way. I mean, even he was going insane with how much irritation in total he received from the flipping thing! "…if I-I were to g-go in the f-forest to tr-ain?"
Kakashi eyed him for a second. He wanted to train in the forest? Why that place in particular? The copy ninja knew the kid's patience might have ran out due to watching the two seemingly more 'adequate' ninjas each and every single time, while he sat there doing nothing… each and every time, so that was readily apparent. It wasn't as if he wasn't allowed to spar with the others, Kakashi even offered him to go first. But Kenjo wasn't enthused to take any of them on. The copy ninja wished he knew the reason though. It could be out of fear, but who knows? "Why not here in the opening?"
Ken looked down and bit his lip. The green preteen could practically feel the piercing curious stare Kakashi gave him from above. He knew the man was going to ask him that. Why wouldn't he? Ken knew probably everyone in the entire village knew of his unmoldable chakra, including Kakashi-sensei. So there was not a lot he could do in terms of training.
Maybe his taijutsu, and his precision with his Ninja tools, but that was about it. And all of them could be sharpened in the open field they were currently in, so why specifically the forest? "W-Well, I was h-h-hoping to brush on m-my t-traps for f-f-further usage."
That was half true though. The more dominating reason was Ken's fear of being center stage. His irrational anxiety of being stared at, he assumed, had been born during the academy.
Do a Bunshin no Jutsu.
Failed.
Do a Henge no Jutsu.
Failed.
Do a Kawarimi no Jutsu.
Failed, failed, and failed.
There was no hope for him, so training in front of his team, despite it being futile once things would get heated up, such as the dreadful ambush two days ago, Ken would be stiff still with 'stage fright'. Honestly, it's a stupid thing to have, he knew that, but knowing his flaws never helped it go away, no matter how hard he tried.
Trying all sorts of methods in his 'Ninja One-Oh-One' book to mold his chakra had taught him that valuable lesson. But he did try a few times on things he hadn't attempted before regardless, since Ken always hoped that he could somehow find that special talent he had hidden inside of him some day, if he even had one that is. No matter how shrouded the possibility might be.
You will never know if you don't try, 'ttebayo!
He smiled at the memory.
But digress aside, Ken hoped that Kakashi couldn't see through him, that his excuse was good enough to hide his pathetic fear.
Thankfully, he seemed to buy it. "Okay, but don't go too far. Needing to fetch you will already be an unneeded necessity as it stands."
The boy smiled at the response. At least he would have some alone time now. "A-Arigatou!"
And that was the first time, he and Kakashi had exchanged a two-way conversation, regardless of how short and professional it was.
"Hey freak, nice ears."
*Collection of laughter*
"Man, you look like an ugly dog with those things."
*More Laughter*
She frowned.
He frowned from afar.
She felt, sad.
He felt a powerful anger within that kept boiling with every laugh that from the group's mouth.
She got tugged and pushed around.
He had enough.
But he was beaten up once he intervened.
Punch after punch.
Blow after blow.
Splatter after blood splatter.
They laughed all the way home.
She looked down, horrified at the sight.
He tried flashing a smile, but his mouth was swollen and bruised.
She slowly opened her mouth, and spoke.
"Hey, kid."
Ken turned around. It was a small girl. A lot younger than him. Maybe seven or eight? He didn't know. He was actually surprised though. It wasn't everyday someone came up to him. Scratch that, it was everyday someone came up to him, to spit on him, harass him in one shape or form, just to get their message across. To represent everyone else's opinion on him.
That they hated him.
This felt like one of those moments, only it was a young girl this time. Strange though, younglings were the only ones who seemed indifferent. But this was just a remake, right? Just with a younger representative, right? It had to be.
Regardless, Ken spoke up, only to not be impolite. "M-Me?"
"Yeah, you."
She stopped near his position, staring at him with a neutral expression. Well, as neutral as her furrowing black eyes could allow her. It was a nice evening. The orange sky was radiating a beautiful trance for Konoha, and Ken was enjoying it whilst walking 'home'. At least, until he was stopped by a little girl.
"You're my sister's teammate, right?"
Huh? Sister?
"W-Which one?"
"Sasuku." She said dully, as if it was obvious.
"S-Sasuku?" He blinked, but caught himself once he really had a good look at her. Her tiny figure was enveloped in a black striped silk– probably expensive– it's sleeves loosely hiding her palms, her small fingers popping out from the end. Her shorts was the same design and color, it's greyness stopping midway through her thighs. But what was more eye catching was her eyes.
Pitch black.
Just like Sasuku's.
"Y-You're S-S-Sasuku's s-sister?"
Her face grimaced a bit. "I had stated that Sasuku was my sister, didn't I? How much more clarification do you need?"
He frowned at that. 'Well, she seems very mature for her age, that's for sure.' "C-Can I help y-you then?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, you certainly can." She folded her small arms across her chest. "I want you to teach me everything you know about being a ninja."
…Come again? "E-Excuse me?"
She grimaced at this. "Don't tell me you need a hearing aid, doofus."
Ken blinked. He actually didn't know how to respond to that. He could say no, but he was using the time to recover from her harsh words. It had been a while since he had last been in a heated conversation. As heated as this was at least. Usually he just ignored such remarks that flew around him from all different angles, but now he was talking back, and he was at a lost of words.
"Well? Don't just stand there. Say something to at least confirm my demand."
"I-I…" He looked around, as if his surroundings would help give him an insight on what the heck was happening. A little girl, Sasuku's sister no less, wanted him to teach her about being a ninja? HIM? The guy that couldn't even mold his own chakra? The guy that wasn't capable of doing anything beneficial for his team two days ago? Was this really happening?
He couldn't be dreaming, right? No, it was mentally impossible for him to. He wouldn't be daydreaming this either. The thought of tutoring anyone was never a thing that popped up in his mind, especially if he already had a difficult time to teach himself. So it made no sense for him to daydream this particular moment.
But how could this be true in the first place? What the hell was going on?
"L-Look, kid–"
"I'm not a kid." She glared ferociously, drying Ken's throat. He gulped nervously. 'She certainly has a charming demeanor.' Her expression really reminded him of Sasuku when Naruko was crawling under her skin. Maybe it was an Uchiha thing, or just a sister thing, either way, it was really scary.
"S-Sorry. Urm…"
"My name is Sakuri." She said plainly, her glare gone with the wind.
"N-Nice name." He smiled, hoping to brighten the mood. If it did, she certainly wasn't showing any signs that it was. The little girl kept her bored expression in tact, which didn't make things any easier for him. "I-I don't t-think you would w-want me as a-a s-sensei."
"Wait," She seemed to contemplate her decision as well, "You're not the rookie of the year, are you? You're the dead last then, right?"
He slowly nodded, the name still not easy to digest.
"Damn it." She neared her thumb to her mouth, her nail being chewed on in thought. After a while, she continued. "Do you know the way to the better teammate's residence then?"
Better? Again, that hurt, but Ken guessed it was true. But as he opened his mouth, he decided against the idea of telling her the directions. Not only was giving out information like that personal to Naruko, and the fact that he had no consent from his friend to tell her, knowing the blonde's relationship with Sasuku, it was better off if he kept it to himself.
Sasuku was, how Naruko phrased, a teme, and how Sakuri seemed to closely resembled his emo teammate, he wasn't sure if Naruko would enjoy her company. I mean, she literally said she 'demanded' that he taught her personally. Granted, it was before she found out his 'real identity', but it didn't matter either way.
And he couldn't risk being in trouble with Naruko. Kami knew how dangerous she was when you pissed her off, just ask Sasuku.
"S-S-Sorry," He shrugged, "no c-clue."
"Damn it." She cursed again, "I can't waste anymore time. I guess you will have to do."
Wait, what? Not again. "S-S-S-Sor–"
"Yeah yeah, you are sorry, I get it. But you can't be that bad. You obviously have enough experience that you had graduated the academy, right? So that's good enough for the meantime. You will teach me from tomorrow onwards how to become a proper Shinobi. And get your teammate's residential location as soon as possible, so that if you suck, I'll have them teach me instead."
"…O-Okay, I guess?"
"Good." She turned around, her clan's crest facing him from the back of her shirt's design. "We'll meet here in the morning, since it's Sunday tomorrow, and your team does not meet up on those days, am I wrong?"
"N-N-No, you a-aren't."
"Very well then. Seven in the morning. Don't be late, or you'll most definitely regret it." She turned to glare at him. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am." He stiffened in apprehension, staring straight forward.
She nodded, then she was off.
Leaving him dumbfounded.
What the hell just happened…?
End of Chapter
Special thanks to Ezeakel and phelipebr for being my first two reviewers. You guys rule!
And for the others who fol/fav, thank you to you too for being so humble in adding me to your list. You guys rock as well.
And thank you reader for taking the time to read this chapter. Don't forget to review to share your thoughts though. I would really appreciate it.
-Narurific-
