Title: Mirage of Kaleidoscopes
Summary: Life is a kaleidoscope full of mirrors and shards that twist and turn creating a mirage of beauty and colour and life is nothing more than a beautiful illusion, just like a kaleidoscope.
Chapter Two: Bonds
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"We're born alone, we live alone, and we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone."
― Orson Welles
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She sits at the very back of the class filled with children much older than her who have all graduated. This is a precaution if the enemy every invaded Konoha she could escape from the academy building easier. She waits patiently as the teacher walks in and begins to quiet everything down.
The teacher reads off a clip board.
She dozes off till her name is called.
"Uchiha Nanashi."
She waits.
"Hyuuga Hotaru."
A Hyuuga with an Uchiha, she laughs in her head.
"And Yamanaka Shouji."
She feels two pairs of eyes on her. She stares right back.
And smiles coldly.
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The Hyuuga wears a white turtle neck with black pants. His forehead is bare, a main family member, she thinks.
The Yamanaka is dressed – quote on quote in the latest shinobi trend – rich purple top and dark pants, and his hair is cut – quote on quote in a daringly adorable yet cute way – wild with lighter streaks dyed in.
She studies her team members as they are all sitting outside, on top of the roof. Their sensei, a male, leaning on the railing, he was young, barely twenty.
"My name is Yukimura Kenji, I'm twenty-five years old and I'm a chuunin," he introduces. "My favorite foods are Takoyaki and Kitsune Udon. Least favorite foods are lettuce and carrots. My hobbies include reading and collecting rare books. My dream in the future is to live to see my grandchildren." He chooses Shouji to go next.
"My name is Yamanaka Shouji, I'm nine years old," he introduced cheerfully. "My favorite foods are Katsudon and all kinds of sushi. My least favorite foods are eggplants and lemons. My hobbies are looking at beautiful women and dating beautiful women. My dream in the future is to marry a beautiful woman and have lots of good looking kids."
The Hyuuga is next.
"My name is Hyuuga Hotaru, I'm nine years old," Hotaru says shyly, rather different than regular Hyuuga members. "My favorite foods are Taiyaki and ramen. My least favorite foods are celery and tomatos. My hobbies include leaf collecting and drawing. My dream is to merge the main and branch family into one." His voice filled with conviction as he voiced his dream.
So bright, she thinks. All of them had such bright goals and desires for the future. Did they understand that a ninja's life was short and brief and that they would die before any of their dreams come true?
The three males are staring at her expectantly.
"My name is Uchiha Nanashi," she introduces herself coldly. "That is all you need to know about me."
There is no point in getting attached to things that will fade.
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In the first week of their team Yukimura-sensei teaches them tree walking.
But she already knows, so he has her complete exercises and stretches. She sits down and rests, the sun bright and hot and burning.
Under the shade of the tree she watches her teammates struggle with the tree walking and wonders if she should help. She decides not to and sits down observing.
"Hey! Nana-chan! Can you help me?"
Shouji, bright, cheerful Shouji, always trying to include her somehow.
She nods, she will not refuse them help if asked but she will never offer it on her own.
Effectively, she tunes out Shouji's chattering and focuses on Hotaru, who blushes under her gaze. She gives them pointers and watches as they try and try again till they master it. Shouji jumps upside down from branch to branch. Hotaru merely stands on the trunk, flushed with exhaustion and pride.
She finds it funny that she has the most controversial team.
A Yamanaka who does not study others but rather focuses on himself.
A Hyuuga who is not proud but rather shy and kind.
"Arigato Nana-chan!"
She feels warm for some reasons.
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"Nana-san are you alright?" Hotaru asks.
She nods and wipes the scratch on her arm with a tissue. Shouji is battling with the cat, Tora – the great, great grand parent of the Tora from the Naruto series – whom their team was sent to recover.
Yukimura-sensei congratulates them on a mission well done and they return back to the Hokage Tower.
Another mundane mission.
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"Yay C-Rank!" Shouji cheers
It was their first c-rank mission. It was simple, get a scroll from the Konoha Intelligence Division and deliver it to a base.
She holds her hand in front of her face, blocking off the sun's rays.
Bright, warm, gentle.
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"They canceled our C-Rank!"
Shouji walked back and forth, puffing in anger.
"The war… my father tells me it is ending soon," Hotaru's cold voice cuts through Shouji's ranting. "What is going to happen to us? All this time we have trained to join the war." Hotaru's body shook, "What are we going to do." He is scared, scared of the future. An unplanned future.
"Hotaru…" Shouji mutters, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
She watches silently.
"We'll be fine," she states.
The boys look at her in surprise.
"We'll be fine," she repeats. "We are a team. The end of the war will change nothing."
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The war ends a week after.
The village celebrates.
Nanashi stares blankly at the scenery below on the balcony located on the Hokage Monument. Her team is with her, eating and drinking whatever they brought with them.
"Do you think that war is really over?" Hotaru asks.
Yukimura-sensei seems reluctant to answer.
"No, it's never over."
She plans to enjoy as much peace as she can.
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She trains and trains and trains.
With the clan members, against her weak little brother, with her team, but it is never enough.
She wants to be stronger so she can live because she knows that war is coming again. And she does not want to die.
For what is the point of knowledge if it is not used to your advantage.
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Hotaru offers to teach her some of the tenketsu in the human body.
Shouji offers to teach her how to read others.
Yukimura-sensei tries to teach her teamwork.
All she does is smile and learn.
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"My father is angry with me," Hotaru whispers, voice full of hurt and pain. "He says that I am not good enough."
She stands and gets into form.
"Fight me."
Hotaru stares at her wide eyed.
She strikes.
Hotary deflects.
A kick. A punch thrown. A fist deflected.
She hits a tenketsu above his arm and Hotaru drops down.
"You are weak," she states. "But you will be strong, someday. Stronger than anyone and until you become stronger you are weak. It is as simple as that."
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It is her birthday today.
Her teammates and Yukimura-sensei have decided to give her presents. Yukimura-sensei gives her a new kunai and shuriken set. Shouji gives her a book on herbs.
Hotaru, he gives her a book on all the tenketsu on the body.
"You said you wanted to know," he says shyly, blushing. "I copied all of them down for you."
His gaze is warm and gentle and full of passion. Her heart tightens.
She has not felt like this before.
"Happy birthday, Nana-san."
He places his hands on her shoulder and he presses a kiss on to her forehead.
She is sure that it was only her imagination.
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She is six.
The clan becomes stricter in her training. She learns to move wind and spit fire and heave earth and flow water and create lightening. But it is still not enough.
Her movements are constantly monitored by patrolling Uchiha police members.
She distances herself from her team.
From Hotaru.
When Hotaru questions her with Shouji she smiles coldly, "I am an Uchiha."
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Yukimura-sensei is in dismay as the team begins to fall apart.
Shouji constantly seeks the attention of women despite his young age of 10.
Hotaru submerges himself with training.
She stands at the side, watching.
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"Why?"
"Because I am a Uchiha and you are a Hyuuga."
Hotaru's hand clenches around Nanashi's arm.
"I'll become stronger," he declares, eyes burning. "I'll change the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. So help me Nanashi."
It is the first time he calls her by her full name.
Her heart skips a beat.
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She is six when she meets Obito. He is the nephew of the couple who adopted her twin brother.
He is three.
The clan has declared him old enough to enter the academy.
Obito is still a child, an expendable pawn of the clan.
"Nee-sama!"
Obito follows her everywhere.
She does not know what to make of this child.
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Time passes.
She ages. Seven. Eight. Nine.
And slowly her team repairs itself and they grow close once more.
Hotaru teaches her the Hyuuga secret style, the Gentle Fist.
Shouji teaches her only the basic Yamanaka ninjutsu, the Shintenshin no Jutsu.
When she asks why…
"Because I trust you."
She feels like laughing, so naïve, she thinks. She never uses the techniques in battle.
But for some reason she feels so warm inside.
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Obito is young and innocent.
He trusts too easily, she thinks, watching him sleep on her lap, her hand running through his hair.
But he will kill, a voice in her head says.
He cries because he cannot live up to the clan's expectations, because his family expects more than he can give.
She comforts him because it is her duty.
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It is the summer festival and she is dressed in a ripple designed kimono, rich purple with a bright red obi and long sleeves.
Shouji and Hotaru come to pick her up for the festival.
It is loud and noisy and full of life.
"You look beautiful."
Hotary maneuvers a lock of her hair behind her ear.
She watches him with large black eyes as the fireworks shine brightly in the background.
Her heart is beating for some reasons.
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It is autumn. The leaves turn red and orange and yellow and they cover the ground in a blanket of brilliant colours.
"Let's make a leaf pile and roast some potato!"
Shouji is excited and goes off, executing his plans.
"You have a leaf in your hair Nana-san."
Hotaru's hand is very warm as he plucks the red maple leaf. His hand lingers slight longer than necessary.
"Oi! Come help me Hotaru!"
He breaks away and runs towards Shouji.
She feels oddly disappointed.
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Winter is here but Konoha is never graced with white snow as much as the other villages.
But lady luck seems to be shining on Konoha today and snow begins to fall. Although it always melts it is still beautiful to look at.
Her eyes gaze at the white landscape in awe.
Hotaru takes this moment to wrap a scarf around her neck.
"Don't catch a cold Nana-san."
His smile is kind and warm.
Her heart skips a beat.
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Time passes and the peace remains.
She is ten and she celebrates under a blooming cheery blossom tree as Hotaru presses his lips against hers.
She does not move.
It is so very warm.
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Her happiness does not last.
The third war starts.
Hatake Sakumo is the cause.
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Today is the day Obito graduates. She goes to the academy and she is amused that no one came. He's eyes brighten as he catches her in the distance.
"Nee-sama!" His voice is loud and happy.
She smiles and allows him to drag her off into the crowd.
"That's Rin," he says, blushing.
You will destroy worlds and lives for that girl, she thinks. Her gaze turns cold and she tunes out Obito's voice. She wonders if she should kill this boy before he kills.
But she is not so far gone as to consider killing a child.
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Shouji fights as a man possessed.
Hotaru dodges and aims for his tenketsu points.
She stands at the sideline and watches.
"Why is it you!" Shouji screams.
He tosses the kunai aside and leaves.
"… I'm sorry," Hotaru whispers, tears falling from his eyes.
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Their team is broken once more.
Yukimura-sensei is no longer there to do anything.
The war has started once more and their sensei is one of the first to be killed.
Rock-nins ambushed one of the bases.
Shouji and Hotaru cry at his funeral.
She stares at the stone plaque and traces his name over and over.
My dream in the future is to live to see my grandchildren.
Yukimura-sensei was never even married.
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Everything breaks apart someday.
She wraps herself into a ball and stares at the darkening sky.
War has come.
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She is cold once more.
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But she does not cry.