"Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides." ~Lao Tzu
.2
The first loss is the hardest. It's the one you lose when you have no control, when control is taken from you. Death is finite. It comes and it takes, and takes, and takes until there is nothing left to give. Death is relentless, a fact of all life. You live and you die. End of discussion. But your first exposure to such a concept, the one in which you realize you never had control in the first place is the hardest.
For Hibiki that exposure comes earlier than most experience. Her first experience with the matron Death in this body is when her mother dies. A strong capable woman, a woman who raised her to be strong and capable. Kano Moriko was a special woman. One death had not been kind too.
It was hard for the girl to believe that it had been almost eight years since then. Eight long years without her mother.
She never met her father, he died before she was born. War was a terrible thing. It took, and took and it never gave back. So many lives lost for the sake of war, so much time just gone. Hibiki hated it.
Her fingers traced absent mindedly over the etched kanji on the stone. Both of her parent's name were here. She figured her own name at some point would probably join them. The morbid though caused her to drop her hand, it fell numbly at her side. Now was not the time for that.
Today was a very important day, and she couldn't let those sort of thoughts ruin it.
Obito was starting Academy today. Technically today was the entrance ceremony but Hibiki let the technicalities go.
This day marked the beginning of the end. Hibiki shook that thought away as she turned her back to the stone. Today there could be no misgivings or negative thoughts. She had to be positive. Obito wasn't really giving the opportunity not to be.
She pulled herself from the stone and headed towards the direction of the tower. There was an entrance ceremony to attend.
When she arrived Obito caught her eye almost instantly as if he had been looking for her. She gave him a small smile and a wave as she settled next to his grandmother. Atsuko gave the much younger girl a knowing look before turning her proud smile to her grandson.
Today was a happy occasion, Obito while his path was dangerous, was one step closer to his newly acquired dream. He wanted to be Hokage. Hibiki had yet to get the story out of him on how he had decided that. She was certain it would at least be entertaining.
As the ceremony drew to a close, once the Hokage had finished speaking. The chunin found herself the subject of attention for a brief moment when once again Obito crashed into her legs. She did refrain from picking him up this time, instead settle for ruffling his already messy hair.
"Hey Obi-chan." The now five year old protested at the name, but Hibiki didn't let it bother her. Obito would always be Obi-chan. No matter how old he got. Atsuko stifled her own laughter at the sight, watching the two interact while usually adorable was also very entertaining.
"Rin-chan, you 'member my nee-chan and my oba-san?" Hibiki peered curiously down at the small brunette girl, she had the vaguest memory of meeting the civilian born girl at the park once when she was watching Obito. But that had been over a year ago.
Rin nodded her head before dipping into a small bow. "Hello Kano-san, Uchiha-sama." A cheerful smile on her face. That was it, she was adorable. It seemed that Atsuko shared the sentiment.
"Hello Rin-chan, are you excited to be starting classes?" The kind old woman questioned.
The small girl nodded her head with great enthusiasm, she could see why the two were friends. "Yes ma'am. I can't wait." Atsuko gave the child a kind smile, it didn't reach her eyes. Only Hibiki noticed this, only she saw the sad look the lingered in the old woman's eyes. Because she knew something they didn't. A secret she'd never tell.
War, was far from over.
"That's wonderful, well I believe your teachers are calling you. Best be on your way." Obito threw his arms around the elderly woman's neck before running off, Rin hot on his heels. She did give a small wave over her shoulder as they went.
Hibiki watched them go, a pang in her heart.
"Dinner tonight." The Uchiha informed the young konouchi. It hadn't been a question, Atsuko hadn't asked. Hibiki hid the roll of her eyes and nodded her head.
"Yes ma'am." She echoed the little girl a half smirk upon her face. They'd get to hear about Obito's first day, although it would only be a half day, she didn't want to miss it.
"Good." Atsuko turned and walked away from the girl. She had a meal to prepare for.
Hibiki stood there for a moment longer, long enough to see a head of silver being shuffled inside along with all the other genin hopefuls. A small frown formed. He'd only be here a year before the village would pull him out and throw him to the wolves.
That wasn't okay with her.
Something to think over.
She stuffs her hands in the pockets of her vest before walking away. Kushina wanted to meet up with her to get lunch. It been a while since they'd seen one another. Hibiki had been in and out of the village the last few months gathering intelligence. Even with the second war over they couldn't afford to lose their advantages.
Information was power. The village Hidden in the Leaves had some of the best infiltration and intelligence agents in the whole elemental nations. Hibiki happened to be one of them.
In her last life she'd been a programmer, it was partially why this was so easy for her now. She intercepted messages sent between villages and decoded them. Which meant that right now she spent a lot of time out of the village and stuck at various boarder post.
She hoped that at some point they'd stick her back behind a desk, and that she could just decode. This was getting old really quick. The more time she spent out of the village the less time she got to see her friends, the less she got to spent with Obito, and the chance for death to reclaim her only grew the longer she spent in the field.
There were too many things to do, she didn't have time to be worried about dying. Again.
Quietly she slipped into the small tea house, her preferred lunch spot, and was met by a very enthusiastic tackle. Er she meant hug. "Hibi! You made it!" She smiled softly at the red head.
She really loved the red head.
"Hello Shina, you are causing a scene." Kushina pouted at the younger girls deadpan voice. She dropped her arms from around Hibiki's neck.
"You're no fun." They are led to a table in the back of the room, one that is conveniently close to a window and one exist. Thank the stars for Shinobi catered tea houses.
"I invited Mikoto, she said she'd come if she can get away from wedding planning." Hibiki nodded her head, taking a sip of her tea then. So it was finally happening then. Mikoto was getting married at barely seventeen.
Everything was slowly slotting into place around her. Time seemed to be running out. All of their days were numbered. She clutched the glass so hard that is broke under the pressure shattering, glass and liquid cover her hand and the table.
Her eyes wide, she hadn't meant for that to happen. The glass was replaced, tea cleaned up, and everything returned the way it should be within moments. Noting that china breaking was a rather normal occurrence and the staff here were very used to it.
Kushina gave her a concerned look. "Hibiki, are you okay?" The girl gave a demure nod of her head. Everything was fine, there was still time left, no one was dead or injured yet she could still save them. Right?
"Sorry. I'm thinking too hard." Kushina's brow rose, for some reason she got the idea that that wasn't the whole story.
"About Mikoto's wedding? Because even she hasn't broken anything over it yet." This time Hibiki shook her head. Mikoto getting married really wasn't a big concern for her, she had too at some point. But she could probably spin something else that Kushina would believe, and maybe even help her with.
"Obito started the academy today, I'm worried." The Uzumaki teen's expression soften then. She knew how much her friend worried over that little boy and while it didn't always make sense, Hibiki would do anything for him. He was basically her little brother.
Before she could give her reassurance the dark haired girl added this. "I saw sensei's son today too, he's starting early I think." Kushina had heard rumors, that the Hatake heir was a prodigy. Mostly from Minato who had been asked to start mentoring the boy a while back.
There was a certain look in Hibiki's eyes when she mentioned this, one that didn't sit well on her face. She was extremely bothered. It was easy to read. The situation bothered her, which meant there was something more she wasn't saying. Kushina sighed. If Hibiki didn't want to talk about, she wouldn't.
"I'm sure everything will be okay, besides they have you looking after them." Kushina tried to be positive, knowing that's what her friend needed. But there was something in the younger girl's expression that was just giving her a bad feeling.
It almost seemed like she was hiding something. As much as Kushina didn't like it. They all had their secrets.
"Yeah, maybe." Hibiki wanted to believe Kushina, she wanted to think that it would be enough. Truly she did. But she knew. Which made believing so much harder.
Today was supposed to be a good day. A positive day, but it had turned dark. The rain clouds had settled in on her mind. Hibiki couldn't out run this either, because she knew.
And the knowing, the knowing clouded everything.
XOXOX
I promise it is not going to be this deep all the time, I swear this will be lighter than PoC. But it has to get to that point. There are some things that Hibiki has to work through before it can be lighter. So while it want be near as dark as PoC there will be moments that are deep. Moments that have to happen.
On another note, yes I will try to incorporate more humor into this story. But it won't be forced. I want the humor to come naturally. So please bear with me and give it time.
Thank you so much for you kind words!
Please continue to let me know what you think, I love hearing from you guys!
Thank you for reading:D
Sincerely, La'Rae