First off, it's taken me many years to get the courage to write and post this story. I've actually had this written for a few years now and I just finally got the courage to post it :) also, like I just said, I wrote this a few years ago so the quality isn't quite as good as I'd like it to be. I've made some changed but it's still not a very good chapter in my opinion. But if you stick with the story I promise it'll get better. I hope you all enjoy and please review if you don't mind!
Escape
The heat of the village burning. I could still feel it on my back as I ran away. Yaiba is at my side. His mouth blazing blue with chakra. I am terrified and all I can think is run. So I run. I run until the heat does not touch my back. I run so far before I know it I realize how close I am to my destination. I run until I reach a cliff. I could sense them approaching. I recognize the village in the distance. They can't touch me there. So I jump. I fall.
I wake up. Another dream. Three weeks after the incident and the dreams wouldn't go away. Sometimes they were worse. Sometimes I wouldn't get away. I look around and remember that I'm in class. Iruka had left for some reason and most people in the class were talking with one another. I didn't know them that well. Next to me with his head on the desk was Nara Shikamaru. My best friend. My only friend now. And my savior. He was the one who caught me as I fell. It turns out I fell into the Nara family deer reserve and Shikamaru had been out getting an estimate of the amount of deer in the park. I can only imagine his surprise at seeing a girl falling from the sky. I can remember seeing his face before I blacked out. I allow myself to day dream and recall the events that happened three weeks ago.
The next thing I knew after blacking out, I was waking up in a bed. For a moment my mind betrayed me and I look to my right expecting to see my sister asleep in another bed but there was only a wall. It came rushing back and I started to cry. I cried for about the next five days in that hospital room until they released me. I had run out of tears by then. The whole time I didn't talk to anyone. Apparently I had run out of words as well.
A shinobi came to my room the day I was released and told me to follow him. He led me to a large building. It was the Hokage's building. They center of the village. I went to meet the Hokage. I had learned a lot about him from my father. Not much of it was good though. My father despised all to do with Konoha. The Hokage talked to me. He said something about my brother and sister. The name Orochimaru came up a few times. I heard no one else survived. I knew it all already. How could I not? I had been there.
"You will be staying with the Naras," he told me. "Their son Shikamaru is the one who found you and they took you to the hospital. Your dog Yaiba is with them right now," His face grew less business-like and more sympathetic. I knew what was coming. I'd been expecting this and my body grew tense. "I'm so sorry for your loss Sayuri. I knew your father and your clan and while we weren't on the best terms I will miss them as well. It is a great loss. This shinobi here will take you to your village, if you would like. There isn't much left but you can gather any belongings that remain." I get up to leave and turn away. "Oh and Sayuri, if there's any problems or anything you need, you can come see me." I nod my head and walk out the door with the shinobi.
Yaiba was waiting outside, unsurprisingly. He was too smart to be kept away from me. We walked to my village. I couldn't imagine how I had run the distance in so short a time the other day. Adrenaline I guess. We walked the path in silence. I tried to prepare myself for the sight that lay ahead but no amount of preparation was enough. My village was ruined. The houses burnt. The bodies had been removed but the blood remained. My fingers tingled. The energy and tension in the air was too much. The shinobi behind me handed me a handkerchief of sorts to wipe away any tears I had but I ignored it. I was filled with sadness but no tears would fall. I began to walk through the ruins and the shinobi stayed behind. I knew where everything was supposed to be. The houses of my relatives and friends, the shops I would go each day, the academy where I became a kunoichi. But none were left. It was all charred ruins. The monsters had decided to destroy everything in their path. Everything except me. I escaped. I came to the place my house used to be. All that was left was a pile of sooty rubble. I paused for a moment in the middle of the street outside my "house". Were those two indents I see in the ground? There had been rain the night before. I look up to the place he had stood. The balcony was no longer there. I look to the spot a few feet away from where I stand. Where the imaginary indents were. Her feet had been there. I clenched my fists. It didn't matter now anyways.
I walked towards the remains of my house. I doubted much would be left. Yaiba bounded ahead and started nosing in the rubble. He knew what I was looking for. There wasn't much. The shattered remains of my mother's favorite vase. I grabbed a piece of the beautiful stained glass and pocketed it. One of the knives with the ruby handle my father treasured. I put it in my leg pocket. I went to the place my room used to be. I spotted a small glimmer beneath the ruins. I pulled it out. It was my old ninja headband. It was useless now. The emblem with the six point star encased in a dragon's mouth meant nothing now. I would have to become a ninja again anyways. Either way I wrapped the bandanna headband around my head. As I walked out of the ruins I spotted one more thing. Laying on the ground were two small blackish purple stones with the kanjis for Kumori and Yoru. Shadow and night. Perhaps they were lost that dreadful night. Or maybe dropped on purpose. Strange that they would be on one string together. I wrapped the stones around my neck next to my bright yellow stone with the kanji Sayuri, little lily.
"Everyone! To the front of the class." My daydreaming came to an end. "We'll be having a transformation justsu test because Naruto here decided to skip class." Iruka had apparently returned with Naruto. I didn't know much about Naruto but he sure seemed to cause a lot of trouble. As I walked to the front of the classroom with Shikamaru my hand went up to my chest where the stones lay. Why had they been on the same string? The question puzzled me. It made no sense. Did they leave them there for me to find? I would probably never find out.
One by one the students performed the task. We were supposed to transform into Iruka-sensei. Most did it fine. Some had a few differences but nothing too major. The annoying pinkhaired girl performed. The dark blue haired boy performed. Shikamaru did as well though quite lazily. It was my turn. Poof!
"Well done Sayuri," Iruka told me. I nodded my head and stepped to the side. It was Naruto's turn. People complained and whined. I didn't get it. They all did fine with the test. Naruto stepped up amid the jeers for his turn. He assumed the position. "Henge!" he cried. And poof! A naked lady and a rather attractive one too. Iruka flew back and Naruto burst out laughing "Sexy Justsu!" I smiled. It was pretty clever. The rest of the class seemed unamused though.
"Ugh Naruto!" "You're such a freak!" "What a stupid techinique." Naruto walked back to his seat and sat down. I understood the feeling when no one thought you were good enough.
After classes ended, Shikamaru and I walked out of the building. He turned to the right and beckoned me to follow. He was heading to our favorite place. The bench with the perfect view of the clouds. I gently shook my head no.
He shrugged indifferently. Shikamaru was a nice guy to be around because he didn't mind that I didn't talk much. Most days I would follow him to the bench and relax while he fell asleep. Today though I had something else in mind.
Yaiba comes bounding by like he always does after school. He understands what I want and takes off. I follow after him. Soon he has tracked down who I was looking for. It was Naruto sitting alone at a Ramen Bar. I take a seat next to him silently. He doesn't even notice me; he's too busy slurping down ramen. I try to speak but it's hard. The words feel like peanut butter in my mouth. Finally I manage to spurt out something coherent.
"I liked your transformation today in class." He looks up clearly shocked. I keep my head directed towards the table.
"Oh uhhh… thanks I guess. Ummmm would you like some ramen?" My stomach growls. "Haha I'll take that as a yes! Hey old man! Another Pork Ramen!" My ramen comes out and it's a few moments of silent slurping. "So uh you really liked my jutsu?" I nod my head. "Oh boy really! I sure did get Iruka-sensei good today didn't I? Hey ya wanna hear about what I did outside of class today?" I nod my head again. "Okay! Well get this…"
Naruto continues for a good hour and I order another Ramen. Silently of course. I used to be a talkative person but I find it hard to form sentences now. When he was done I managed to say the words I'd been planning the whole time. "That's really interesting Naruto." Wow I was bad at this whole talking thing. He apparently didn't mind.
"You really think so! Hey thanks! Gee not many people really talk to me. Well I gotta go! Hey ya wanna eat with me again sometime?" I nod my head and smile. "Okay! Well I'm here after school so whenever you want to just drop on by! Bye!" He takes off running and I wave to him. I had forgotten how to be a real person over the past few weeks but for some reason I felt as though Naruto understood my pain and I wanted to know him.
I go down some of the scenic park paths of Konoha. I never would've guessed a month ago that I would be here in Konoha. My father hated it here. I tense up. My father. I would never again here him complain and criticize this beautiful place. I would never hear him joke with my mother. Praise my brother and sister. Yell at me. My knees go week and I sit down on a park bench. I feel tears forming.
People walk by as I sit crying on the park bench. None seem to notice me. Some look at me with disgust. Like they always do. One boy walks by and scoffs at me. I notice his dark blue hair and shirt. He's in my class. His scorn snaps me out of my self-pity. I always hated being viewed as weak.
I stand up and continue my walk. Today had been a long day. I needed to head back to the Nara's. Yoshino wouldn't get too mad at me but I didn't want to give her a reason to get upset. I went over the day in my head. For some reason I felt more like myself than I had for a little while.
I finished my walk back to the house. Yaiba was still with me playing with the butterflies in the air. I let out some sparks in my fingers to light the way home. It was starting to get a little dark. I looked around in the beautiful park. The Hokage's office building was a little ways in the distance. It looked wonderful with the sunset accentuating the red of the building. Lightning bugs emerged and the butterflies disappeared. Yaiba chased after them instead. He had bits of blue chakra in his mouth. He looked so happy. Happier than he'd been in a long time. I was happy too. It felt strange. I continued to release little bits of electric energy from my fingers. The lightning bugs flew to them like they were friends. I smiled.
I soon reached the Nara household. It smelled good inside. It's strange how I was noticing all these small details now. Something must've changed in me today. We sat down for dinner. The Nara's talked like they always did. Yoshino berated the boys like she always does. Shikaku sits in silent acceptance and Shikamaru looked bored as usual. After dinner I walked upstairs for bed. Shikmaru's and my room were next to each other. He looked at me as we separated. "Goodnight Sayuri." I stopped walking down the hallway and looked at him.
I walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Goodnight Shikamaru. Thank you." He looked at me as I walked away. And I heard his door close behind him. I walked into my room.
Yaiba was already lying on the bed sleeping. I changed into my nightgown and sat down on my bed. The day I started ninja school they gave me a pamphlet with the names of all the kids in the class. I found the blue haired boy who had scoffed at me. Uchiha Sasuke.
'Looks like I have a new person to prove myself to dad,' I think to myself. I lay in my bed for awhile that night thinking about the day. I could mope around and think about what I've lost. I can sit and keep quiet and cry to myself in the park. Or I can have ramen with Naruto, watch clouds with Shikamaru and enjoy the life I have now.
I smile as I close my eyes. 'I think it's time to start something new.'
