Chapter 2
When Anomie awake, she was surrounded in a bright light of a white room. The ceiling was tiled, and clean without a single spec of dirt, and she found her gaze running down to the bright walls and the tiled floor. She slowly noticed two doors, one leading to a hallway, judging by the people walking back and forth through the small window, and another door, probably leading to a bathroom.
She glanced down and saw an IV in her arm and rope, tying each wrist to the bed. Her brows furrowed as she instantly tried to tug them off, but a jolt of pain flooded through her weakened arms and she lost the strength to continue. She groaned, laying head back against her pillow.
"You're awake!" Came the excited voice of Rin, as the girl entered the room with an arm full of flowers. She rushed to the tied girl's side, placing the flowers on the nightstand before facing the other girl. "I was so worried. On the way back you started convulsing...we thought you weren't going to make it...I was scared."
"Why am I tied up?" Anomie asked, finding that her throat didn't hurt nearly as much as it once did. Rin sheepishly scratched her head.
"Well, when we brought you here...you woke up...we don't blame you...but you sort of went violent and wouldn't stop hitting and kicking." Rin said, causing Anomie to nod in return.
"I see."
"Well, not that I didn't want to visit you, but I'm actually supposed to ask you a couple questions about the attack. Is that okay?" Rin stated, and Anomie shrugged, finding the action made a shot of pain to spread through her shoulder. "I can wait until you rest some more..."
"I don' t care," Anomie said, as she met Rin's eager glance. "Go ahead. Rest won't change my answers."
"For starters, we searched your clothes and found this," Rin lifted a scroll from her belt and placed it on the bed beside the tied girl, who's eyes tiredly followed it. She could only vaguely remember taking it from one of the Kumo ninja in the main house, but the memory was foggy and made her head hurt. "Do you know what this is?"
"Not really," Anomie replied honestly. "I took it from someone else."
"We unsealed it, and found a map." Rin said slowly, as if she were reluctant to get to her point. "A map of the land of fire. There were points and coordinates all over it...numbers too."
"I see," Anomie began to realize where this was going and how suspicious she was probably beginning to look if she continued to take the silent route.
"Why do you have this and where did it come from. The seals are a clear sign of Kumogakure, but the Chakra isn't yours. Where did you get it?" Rin asked, her tone was patient, but it had a sense of urgency to it.
"Can you untie me?" Anomie asked, ignoring the question and causing Rin's eyes to slightly widen.
"I suppose you can't be too much of a threat in your state," Rin finally agreed, sitting up and undoing the girl's constraints. Anomie lifted her white hair in her hands the moment her constraints were gone, and held it up in a bun with one hand while loosing the neck portion of her top and turning her back to Rin. She ignored the rush of pain that came with her movements as sh glanced towards Rin's patient expression. She then pulled down the cloth that covered the back of her neck and revealed a branding that resembled a pronged dagger. Rin's eyes widened at the sight of it. "You're an Oiran...? Ah...I'm sorry for the language."
The apology was kind, but Anomie found it unnecessary to state what she was; whether the words had come out as whore, prostitute, or filth. Anomie had long since heard it all.
Anomie dropped her hair, and allowed the clean strands to cover up the marking as she turned back towards Rin and leaned back against her pillow. She didn't flinch at the rude way the girl spoke about her, but found herself saying, "I'm an entertainer, sold to the people."
"But you're so...young...you're my age..." Rin said and Anomie tilted her head to the side.
"They never see it that way," she said after a moment of silence as she twirled a strand of hair on her finger, the only sign of nervous behavior. "I didn't tell you this to be judged-"
"I didn't mean it like-" Rin interjected, but Anomie raised her hand to stop her.
"I told you to explain how I got that scroll," she said, painfully moving her hand to cup her shoulder where the stab wound had been. "I got this in exchange, so it didn't come cheap. I was often requested by older officials of Kemuri," Rin looked slightly disgusted at the thought of someone so young be requested by the elderly, causing the left side of Anomie's lips to twitch up. "And many of them like to talk when they're...happy...one in particular liked to speak a lot after a cup of tea and a dance."
The girl leaned back, her face emptying of emotion. "For a couple weeks, there had been many strange visitors to the headcounters of Kemuri, and they often indulged in the Yūkaku house, maybe they liked our flower arranging and tea ceremonies after a long journey," Rin barely managed to pick up the fact that the stoic girl made a joke. "Kumo ninja, no matter how high up, are still men and they love to talk. I wasn't the most requested girl, but there was another who was, she was ranked Tayū, the highest honor for our...occupation. She was older and had more," Anomie made circular motions around her chest, causing Rin to look away in embarrassment.
"She was always very brave and liked to put her nose where it didn't belong and she also liked to talk. Too much, in my opinion, as girls in our positions really shouldn't gossip." Anomie continued, talking no notice of Rin's embarrassment. "Our village is always the first to be attacked in war, and this time was no different. Kemurigakure, according to Ohashi, she said that the officials were tired of taking the hits for Konoha."
"They betrayed us?" Rin asked, and Anomie shrugged.
"I don't know, but Ohashi told me that Kumo wanted as much information on Konoha as they could get. Kemuri is a stop on the way to Konoha, so we get information about Konoha and the land of fire much more than any average village. Those coordinates could be anything, from attack points, to battle strategies. Ohashi never told me. Curiosity killed the cat," Anomie whispered the last part before a tiny, bitter frown glimmered on her lips, pressing her palm against her injured shoulder. "And cats never like to be alone to die."
Rin leaned back against the chair, and in that moment the sliding door to the room opened and an old man stepped inside. On his head was a bright red, domed shaped hat with a long, matching haori and a red, full-length kimono, tied with a white sash.
"I'm apologize for eavesdropping, Anomie-san," the old man said, closing the door behind him as he took note of the girl's form tensing. "I'm the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen." His kind face did not make the girl's form relax, but her frown at least disappeared at his smiling face and grim eyes. "I was worried you wouldn't tell me the truth if I asked you directly, so I had to stoop to these methods. Don't hold it against Nohara-san."
Rin was fisting the bottom of her shorts in her fingers, her form obviously tense when Anomie's gaze locked onto her. At the sight, Anomie's form relaxed and she laid her back against her pillow. Her gaze softening was enough for Rin to relax as well.
"In that case, I've told you all that I know." Anomie said, and she brought her gaze back onto the old man. If she was younger, more innocent, she would have more shame at such a kind old man knowing about her story, but she wasn't a child and she felt near to nothing. "Ohashi died for that stupid scroll and took me down with her. There isn't much for me to tell. Konohagakure hits, and Kemuri takes the punch, that's the moral of the story."
The old man wasn't offended, although Rin winced at the words. He shook his head, letting out a sigh. "I believe you. That isn't why I'm here right now. Konoha is going through its own setback to this war and new refugees are coming in every week. It is my job to offer those who need it shelter in our village. You, for one, have earned that same hospitality, Anomie-san."
The girl's eyes slightly twitched in surprise, but didn't interrupt.
"The Yūkaku houses of Kemuri are legally outlawed here, but we have some of our own," the Hokage coughed into his hand, the only sign of embarrassment that he showed. "I've heard they are quite the entertainers," Anomie could see in his eyes that he more than 'heard' about them, "and while I'm sure your skills are excellent... Ahem...you're much too young to participate in their...performances."
"That's fine." Anomie replied simply, causing the Hokage's shoulders to slightly relax. She didn't exactly choose or enjoy the pleasuring aspect of being an Oiran courtesan, but the system was broken so she had her doubts that the law would keep her away if she wanted to pick up where she left off in Kemuri.
"I mentioned before that refugees are coming in often, so your living arrangements might be a little tight but-" The Hokage continued, but Rin hesitantly interjected.
"Hokage-sama, I was thinking she could stay with me. Our house is more than sufficient and my mother would love the company," Rin said, earning slightly surprised looks from the other two. The Hokage's face immediately softened, and nodded as Rin's gaze snapped to Anomie whose once molten eyes began to look almost gentle. "If that's alright with you."
Anomie bit her lip and looked away, causing Rin to grin as she took the silence as a yes.
"I know this doesn't make the loss of your village lessen the burden on your heart," the Hokage's voice made the girl's gaze return to his eyes. She had met many men in her time, but none had ever treated her so...respectfully. "But I hope Konoha can become your home in time, but before that happens, I would like to know your full name, if you wouldn't mind."
"...Kougin...Anomie," she said, slowly as her wide eyes stayed fixed on the standing man.
"Well, Kougin-san, it's not too late to enroll in the academy, you know," the Hokage said, turning his eyes back on the girl and watching as her expression disappeared. "I don't discriminate on what path you choose and will support you either way." Times had obviously changed and children are being lined up for war- whether they are a little too old or a little too young.
"I don't hate ninja," Anomie said after a moment a silence. "And I don't think myself so weak as to fail at being one, but to be a ninja for a village, you must put others first and have something to protect. I'm afraid, I don't have the ability to do that and my mindset isn't right for fighting for Konoha's future."
The Hokage's face looked sad- maybe sympathetic- for a moment, but his palm rested on the girl's head, affectionately patting it. "I respect your choice, but don't ever forget that there are people you can talk to if you ever need help." His eyes drifted onto Rin, who was fidgeting in her chair. "I leave her to you, Nohara-san."
Rin stood up quickly and bowed as the old man began to leave the room, the scroll in his had as he departed, "thank you very much, Hokage-sama!" Rin let out a deep breath and turned towards the girl in bed, looking at her strangely. Rin pouted at the look, but didn't question it. "I'm sorry about deceiving you, Anomie-san."
"A ninja does what they must for their village," she replied simply, resting her head into her pillow. "You're taking a stranger into your home...I think that's pretty noble, especially if that stranger is a whore."
"That's not who you are," Rin exclaimed, causing Anomie's eyes to snap in her direction, making Rin nervous. "M-Maybe that was what you did in the past, but it doesn't define who you are. People can change if they want to change and no one is stuck being labeled to a job forever."
Anomie's lips slowly twitched, before a small giggle erupted from her mouth. The laughter rocked her body and she used her hand to hold most of it in as she laughed into her palm. Rin's head tilted to the side, confused, as the other girl held up her free palm in a stopping motion. "I'm sorry, it's just too funny." Anomie said in between intakes of breath. "You might be right; you might be wrong, but you were so passionate." The laughter slowly ceased, but both girls slightly smiled.
All the things Anomie wanted to say wouldn't come out. It was as if they were locked up tight, and sealed away in some dark corner of her heart. Thank you was at the top of her list, but when she met Rin's eyes, a part of her knew that the other girl understood.
And even though it wasn't said, Anomie could almost hear the unspoken murmur of...
You're welcome.
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Anomie found herself without any inkling at what she should be doing when she arrived at the Nohara household. It was quiet, and with just one look at the small table and small couch and the photographs of Rin with an older woman was a sign of a mother and daughter being close. The older woman had similar features to her daughter, right down to the blue stripes on her cheeks.
They seemed happy, Anomie thought as she lifted the picture frame in her hand. The mother's hair was slightly darker and age had taken a small toll on the crease of her eyes when she smiled.
"Oh! That's mom," Rin said, looking over the slightly taller girl's shoulder. Anomie bit her lip and placed the picture back alongside the others.
"Where is she?" Anomie asked in return turning to the girl who now held as small bag in her hands.
Rin's eyes slightly clouded with sadness as she looked back at the picture beside the taller girl. "She's on the front lines right now...but I'm sure she'll be back soon enough for you to meet her. She's a very powerful ninja!" Rin grinned happily, the moment of sadness departed from her eyes. "You'll like her! I'm sure of it."
Anomie didn't comment on that as she noticed Rin happily rock on her feet. "What is it?"
"Well...you don't have anything to wear...and I don't mind sharing my clothes, but they don't exactly seem to..." Rin couldn't help but stare at the way Anomie's chest looked ready to burst from Rin's favorite dress. "...fit."
"I don't need new clothes," Anomie smoothed out the dress. "If you have any old ones, I can stitch together something new."
"You sew!" Rin seemed excited by the prospect, which slightly amused the other girl.
"It's one of the many things they teach you," she replied, brushing her fingertips against one of the many rips in Rin's outfit. "Being a ninja can't be good for fashion. I can fix it for you."
Rin smiled, "I'd like that, but first I would like to buy you a few necessary girl stuff, including fabric. I'm not so poor as to not be able to provide for you. I'm always away on missions, so I don't wear to much of the latest fashion. We ninja have a lot of spending money," Rin said this so happily that Anomie couldn't refuse, but made a silent promise to pay back her debts, tenfold.
"In that case, some lipstick would be nice," Anomie said and Rin nodded.
"The first thing on your mind is makeup, we are very different people, An-chan," Rin said, before her eyes widened. "You don't mind the nickname, it's just your name is so long."
"Names don't mean much to me. I've had many already, and Anomie wasn't the one I was born with," the other replied, offhandedly.
"Really?" Rin seemed sad again. "What was your name when you were little then?"
"Fuyu. I was born in the winter, amongst one of the coldest nights and my hair was white. My mother wasn't very clever," Anomie said, glancing over to Rin with a small smile. "She said that my hair was kissed by the gods, but I was sickly baby so I think it was really just kissed by disease."
"What happened to her?"
Anomie only shrugged, obviously not sure. "I lived on the streets for a long time, but it was the white hair that got me noticed by...men. Like I said, age is of no consequence when it comes to most men and the poor and hungry are always the first to seek warmth." Rin eyes looked ready to erupt in tears, but Anomie's face was blank.
"Should I call you Fuyu-chan then?" Rin asked, her voice was earnest, but the comment made Anomie slightly frown and she continued her story after a firm glance towards the other girl.
"The white hair also got me noticed by the Yūkaku house, and they took me off the streets and gave me food and shelter. I was the only one without black hair there, so I stood out even though I was so young. I learned many things about dancing and making tea and..." Anomie trailed off, but a smile lingered on her lips. "They dressed me in a bit more skimpy clothing there than the other girls, and even dyed the tips of my hair pink... They taught me iwagakure style of dance...a bit more progressional than the traditional Oiran," she grabbed a bit of her hair and looked at, almost like it was a fond memory, before staring back into Rin's eyes.
"Fuyu was the name of a street rat, without family or life. Anomie is lucky. It brought me life and education and purpose..." Rin still looked unconvinced, but Anomie only smiled. "It was also the name I had when I met you. I'd say it's very lucky. Maybe my hair really was kissed by the Gods, and brought me luck.
"More than anything else, I think that my white hair helped me start a new life away from Kemurigakure. Not many others can say the same." Anomie barely got much else out before Rin's arm wrapped around her in a tight embrace, causing the girl's eyes to widen and her arms to stiffen at her side.
"Let's go get that fabric, An-chan," Rin whispered, but her arms didn't so much as budge, caging the white haired girl inside. It was probably one of the least unpleasant prisons Anomie had wrapped around her.
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Anomie didn't know what to do after she got back to Rin's house, sporting a new, now fitting outfit that Rin had forced on her during their shopping spree. It was rather pretty, and Anomie had never worn leggings before, not to mention black ones. Her dress was beige, with flowers that resembled to the pretty sakura blossoms that Rin and her had passed on the way to the shop. Sakura didn't grow in Kemuri, so it was a pleasant change.
The dress reached her ankles in the back, but in the front was short and didn't even reach her knees, making it feel like she was wearing a cape. The sleeves were long and dangled from her arms with her shoulders bare. Rin had taken her to get her hair done, so now it was tied with ribbon and flowers.
It wasn't an outfit she had ever worn before, and it felt very much like summer and bordering on spring. And the material was soft, like silk, and felt very nice against her skin. Her new shoes were like tight, and went up to her knees like high boots, with small heels that made her taller than she already was.
Rin wouldn't let go of dressing her up like a doll, and Anomie wasn't sure how much she spent on her, as Rin wouldn't allow her to know. So now, she had no idea what amount she had to pay back.
The house was small, and she had to share a room with Rin, which she couldn't help but feel guilty about. The girl who was so good to her, and she couldn't do anything in return. Rin didn't see it that way, and looked giddy and excited as she began to set up the bed for two people.
"I'm sure Kakashi and Obito are going to be super surprised when they see you," Rin said, as she fixed up her sheets and darted across the room, placing the new clothes on hangers while Anomie folded up the new panties and sleeping garments and placed them in the dresser. "Not that we didn't think you were pretty when we found you, but you were covered in so much blood and dirt..." Rin grinned over to the girl who only blinked in return. "You are stunning now. I bet you'll be super popular here."
Anomie glanced over to Rin, "As popular as you?"
"Oh!" Rin giggled, shaking her head. "No, I was never so popular with the boys when I was in school. I don't have your..." Rin cut off, giggling again.
Anomie raised a brow and went back to folding clothes. "I don't think that's true. I never liked ninja headbands, since they restrict the beauty of the face, so that's the only thing I don't like about your fashion..." Anomie realized that her compliment was a backhanded, and immediately attempted to rectify it. "But other than that, you're very pretty Rin-san. Modest, smart, and you heal things that are broken. Any kid can get strong and learn to throw knives, and beauty is a matter of genetics and luck or just a matter hard work...but not many can fix broken skin. I know how to dance and sing, but I don't know how to save people from the brink of death." Anomie glanced over to Rin, to see the girl was looking over to her with wide eyes. "I think you are admirable in a way that others can never be. Far more than you realize. Girls mature faster...when the boys catch up, they will see that too. That inner strength."
"I wish Kakashi could be one of those boys," Rin said with a smile.
"Is that the one with the goggles?" Anomie asked, and Rin shook her head.
"No, Obito is great, but Kakashi is the only one for me," Rin looked sheepish, scratching the back of her head with a large grin.
"The silver haired one then," Anomie folded the last under garment, and closed the dresser drawer, giving the purple striped girl her attention. "Seemed kind of like a jerk to me." Anomie remembered the silver haired boy's mumbling to leave her in the forest.
"You take that back right now," Rin said in a scolding tone, only half serious. "Name calling isn't nice, An-chan."
Anomie giggled, shaking her head. "I'm sure you know best."
"What kind of boys do you like?" Rin asked, watching as Anomie looked at herself in the full-length mirror, and pouted her lips while pressing her ring finger in the small seashell shaped container of pink lip paint. She pursed her lips and began to coat them in the color.
"I've never thought about it," Anomie said without a second thought. "I'm not very experienced in the art of dating and thinking about a future with boys my age. I suppose I wouldn't mind someone like you, Rin-san."
Rin's cheeks inflamed with color, and Anomie watched them ignite from the corner of her eyes as she closed the lip color container.
"You say such embarrassing thing, An-chan."
"Do I?" Anomie turned towards the girl. "I'm serious. Like I said, Rin-san, I think you are pretty amazing. And I trust your judgment. If you say Kakashi-san is the only one for you, then he can't be bad. Maybe he's just young. Girls really do mature faster, and some faster than others in this world. It's the system."
Rin frowned. "It doesn't seem very fair."
"Well, we do what we can." Anomie smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, maturing isn't all too horrible. I think helps us live longer. If you pretend to be a weak and innocent little girl, people won't take you seriously and will often times underestimate you. Sometimes, when you know you can't win by playing fair, you have to find a way to win in other ways."
"While I know that is true, I prefer to take a fight the honest way. No tricks, just them against me," Rin said with a smile. "I'll always have Obito and Kakashi by my side, and we watch out for each other. I don't think I'll ever need to stoop so low."
Anomie smiled again as she sat on the newly made bed, laying back against it and closing her eyes. "If everyone thought the way you do, Rin-san, I think there wouldn't be much fighting in this world."
"Well, I don't know about that, but when Obito becomes Hokage, I'm sure he'll at least change the way Konoha treats others," Rin grinned, most of her teeth showing as she tilted her head to the side, causing Anomie to glance her way, laying her left cheek against the satin bedspread.
"Is he really strong?"
Rin's smile only grew, "he's not the strongest in the world...but he's so determined that I can't see anyone stopping him from being on top."
"You believe in him a lot."
"We've been friends since we were kids. He never knew his parents, and my dad died when I was little and my mom was always away on missions...so we have a lot in common. I'm sure you'll like him. He is like a brother to me, so if you end up liking him, you have to prove you're worthy to me directly," as Rin spoke, Anomie found herself all the more eager to meet her friends and see them in the same light that Rin did. To see people in such a clean and innocent hue would make the world seem so much brighter.
"I'll have to start proving my worth then, but I don't see myself having a shot with either of them with you next to me," Anomie said, her voice clear of any resentment and that caused Rin to shake her head and earnestly hop onto the bed next to Anomie's face.
"Have you seen you?" she sounded so determined to make her point that Anomie had no choice but to listen. "You're strong. And you're still able to act so strong after your home was...anyway, I think you're admirable too."
Anomie couldn't help but give the girl a lopsided smile, but she didn't remark her thoughts that said Kemuri wasn't her home. Its loss didn't hurt her. A life being destroyed is very sad, but she had no life to destroy and no family or friends to mourn. Yūkaku houses provided friendship, but in means it was a...less than friendly completion. The more a girl is requested, the less she worries about food and security. The girls there did not take kindly to a 8 year old street rat being a favorite like Anomie was and the only one who would even talk to her was the same one who almost got her killed because of a rolled up piece of paper.
As non-judging as Rin had proved to be, Anomie didn't think the privileged girl would like a former courtesan's viewpoint on people.
"Tell me about Kakashi-san," Anomie said, changing the topic to one that instantly brought a bright smile on Rin's innocent face.
She crawled to beside the laying white haired girl and lay beside her. "For starters, he became a Genin at five years old. He's so talented and fights as easily as I walk. But he's not stuck up about it," Rin's voice sounded so fond and free of doubt that Anomie found herself drawn in by the described boy's image. "Sure, Obito gets under his skin, but those two never got along, but I think deep down..." Rin's lips pouted. "...deep, deep, deep down, they like each other more than they let on."
"You cherish them?"
"More than anything. Minato-sensei too and Kushina~" Rin's smile was almost contagious.
"Kushina?"
"She's Minato-sensei's wife. She's very kind. During training she sometimes visits and helps us get better. She's so strong and the food she brings is very good," Rin turned her head and looked at the other girl. "I think you'll like them all too, Anomie." Her once happy tone turned serious and her smile disappeared at her last sentence while Anomie's face emptied of emotion.
Almost immediately, Rin's hand cupped the girl's palm and they laid in silence. Anomie wasn't sure how long the silence lasted or when the room started to darken, but Rin's hand never removed itself from her own.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Anomie found herself asking after she heard Rin's rhythmic breathing of a girl who had fallen asleep. "I don't have anything to offer you..." She turned on her side, now facing the sleeping girl, still hand in hand. With her left hand free, she hovered her hand over Rin's face, barely illuminated by the last glow of sun shining in through the window.
She didn't get it, and she knew she wouldn't understand Rin's kindness anytime soon. Perhaps it wasn't even kindness. Perhaps Rin only pitied her and took pity on the story she had told. The thought of someone feeling sorry for her slightly unnerved her, but she covered the growing resentment.
Or perhaps it had nothing to do with wanting to help her. Perhaps Rin was just lonely, being in an empty house. Anomie could accept that much more than being pitied.
Anomie slowly closed her eyes and pressed her left hand to her chest.
She didn't believe herself capable of making anyone feel less lonely...at least not without providing more physical needs, which she highly doubted Rin would ask from her. She could clean and cook, but Anomie had nothing to ease Rin's pain. Neither the personality, nor the practice.
Her hand, still in Rin's grasp, finally squeezed back.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't try.
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The village was so full of life and it surrounded her at every step. Even in the midst of war and panic and destruction, the children didn't stay in their home, hidden from the world by the protective arms of parents. They played and laughed and spoke as if there wasn't a care in the world.
The sunlight cooked her skin, but it was a pleasant glow and she took it in strides. In Kemuri, she wouldn't dare walk around in such revealing clothing, but here, she feared no such action would defeat her in the open air of daylight. Not to mention, the climate change would have been her undoing if she wore anymore clothing.
She breathed in the air as she walked past the food stalls, noticing that many were open and feeding the hungry mouths of the elder and children all alike. Ramen stands seemed to be the most popular, but Anomie never acquired the taste for noodles so she skipped past them. She had actually never tried ramen, as Kemuri didn't have those types of dishes. Mostly she ate Mamakari Zushi and the standard rice, although, if she did good, she'd sometimes be rewarded Otoro tuna from the merchants who'd visit the main house. She really loved the days the merchants would arrive in the village, and loved them even more when she was permitted the meals they'd bring.
If she did remarkably well, she'd be allowed to melon, which she had grown accustomed to not receiving much. They were rarely in season and merchants didn't like to carry them in their inventory. The square melons still made her happy when she saw them, and the thought of eating like a king made her work harder in her job in the past.
Rin gave her money to eat while she met her team for training since food wasn't something Rin normally bought considering her mission schedule and eating out. Anomie wasn't surprised when she found out that the girl couldn't cook anything.
There were so many stands and so much food, that she wasn't certain what to eat. She supposed it was normal in Konoha, but in Kemuri, it was more normal to be hungry than not.
She stopped, staring at the money in her hand. The currency was the same as her village, but she was still reluctant to spend Rin's money. As she absentmindedly walked again, she found herself suddenly pushed over with such force, that she could feel her stitches opening on her shoulder. She felt a weight on her chest spread through her body as she opened her previously clenched eyes to stare at the boy who landed on top of her. He had scruffy hair, and goggles, causing a string of memories linger back on her mind.
"I am so sorry!" He shouted, as he stood up and immediately offered his hand to lift her up as well. She placed the hand of her unwounded shoulder in his, standing up to his height. His eyes widened as he noticed the bandages around her bare shoulder where the dressed scooped over, begin to soak with blood. "Oh god. I'm sorry-"
"You're Obito?" Anomie said, her voice light and musical, not paying attention to the bandages, being painted red. She was only thankful that her revealing dress didn't cover over the wound, as she didn't want to be the one to tell Rin that she got blood on it.
Obito's eyes further widened, "Oh no, my bad reputation precedes me if you already know who I am." He seemed to not recognize her, as his last visit had been a weakened shell of her true self, and this fact caused her to slightly smile before she noticed a tiny bit of concerned stares they got from the surrounding people. She bowed, assuring them that she was all right.
When she looked back up to Obito she smiled, fondly remembering all of Rin's stories about the boy. "I'm Anomie."
"The girl from the woods," Obito instantly replied, and his guilt seemed to worsen. "I don't suppose I already said I was sorry."
"It's really not necessary. Stitches open up all the time. It was really, partially my fault for not paying attention," she replied, her voice in polite monotone.
"I was late and running without thinking. Rin is going to kill me when she sees you," Obito said, and Anomie didn't have a reply to that probable factor.
"I should probably fix this," Anomie bowed to Obito, her small bits of loose hair that wasn't tied in bows and flowers fell over her shoulder. "If I fix it in time, Rin will never know."
Obito looked reluctant before he finally spoke again, "How about I take you to Rin and she'll fix it. The training grounds can't be too far."
"Are you sure?" Anomie asked, and Obito grinned, gently tugging the girl by the elbow so she had no choice but to follow, leaving the idea of eating behind for a while, and she placed the money that she gripped in her hands into the loose pouch in the dress she wore. Ninja villages were nice in the fact that all their clothing had pockets. She couldn't say the same about the kimonos she wore in the past.
"Yeah, to be honest, you coming with me could serve as an excuse to why I'm late," Obito slightly grinned, and the prospect brought a small smile to Anomie's face. "Maybe with you by my side I wont get yelled at."
"Well, it's good to have dreams," came her short response, and Obito would of thought she was mocking him if it wasn't for her general aura of indifference.
"Rin told me all about you," Obito said as they walked, his smile was innocent, so Anomie was fairly certain the girl hadn't told him everything.
"Has she?" Came Anomie's calm response, and Obito's smile only widened.
"Well, not that much, but she said you were very pretty," Obito didn't show an ounce of shame when he said his statement so bluntly.
Anomie raised a single, thin eyebrow as she swept her hair aside from her face. "She told me you wanted to become a Hokage."
"Not a Hokage. The Hokage," Obito corrected, all playful attitude was replaced by absolute determination.
"Alright. Well, you have my vote," Anomie said simply. "Especially considering you're the only candidate I know."
His eyes lit up with a sad joy, slightly surprising her when she met his gaze. It made her wonder if he wasn't used to recognition of his dream. After a moment of silence, Anomie's voice cut into his newly fitted mood. "I think you need more friends. You don't believe in yourself nearly enough."
"Well, I'll officially add you in my friend's list~!"
"From what I know, me, Rin-san, and Kakashi-san. Lonely list."
"Kakashi's not my friend."
"Lonely list growing lonelier."
"You're not very nice."
Anomie didn't answer and only looked away to hide her smile. She composed her face when she glanced back at him, to find he was grinning still.
"Well, not many people understand me," he finally defended his lack of friends, and she only raised another brow.
"You don't seem very complex, but, Rin-san is your friend and I think that's all you really need," she meant to sound lighthearted, but he seemed to jump up for joy when she said the girl's name.
"You think so too?" He eagerly said, and Anomie didn't know what to say to his sudden enthusiasm, so she shrugged. "I met her when I was little. Most kids laughed at me when I spoke about becoming Hokage, but she didn't. She was the first one to support me and she's always supporting me. She likes to save everyone she meets and I think she's like a beacon of hope to anyone she heals."
"That's a very imaginative way to describe someone," she said slowly, wincing when she felt someone brush against her shoulder. Obito frowned and pulled her closer to him in order to escape the barrage of the crowd. She waved her hand, silently assuring him that she was all right, even though the blood began to soak through her bandages until there was little of the white material left.
"Well, I believe she's going to save a lot of people and I plan to protect her so she can," Obito said, his voice almost sounding manly for a second.
So that's how it is, came Anomie's musing thought, What a strange love triangle their team has.
She was surprised Rin hadn't guessed Obito's obvious affection for her, as he wasn't good at hiding it if a stranger could pick up on it.
"Well, you can't protect her from everything," Anomie left out her cynical comment of shit happens and decided to stick to not upsetting him too much. "Especially during a war when bad things happen to people who don't deserve it everyday."
He looked very upset by the girl's comment and his shoulders sagged like an upset puppy's ears.
"So I guess you'll have to get stronger than your enemies," she continued, glancing towards him as they neared the training grounds. "I think the future Hokage can do that much, don't you?"
Obito opened his mouth to reply, but another voice interrupted with a shout.
"Obito you're late. Later than usual," Minato lightly scolded, his eyes running over the two.
"Sorry sensei, a black cat crossed my path so I took the longer path but then I found Anomie and we had a bit of an accident that requires Rin's expertise," Obito grinned, brushing off Kakashi's obvious scowl. Rin rushed up to the injured girl, her eyes instantly drawn to the wound with its blood bandages.
"Obito! What the hell?" Rin scolded as she began to undo the bandages without Anomie's response. Her strong grip forced them both to sit as she undid the girl's outfit so her arm was completely bare and the material uncovered much of the girl's chest that remained wrapped in tight, dark pink material in the shape of a tube top. The boys all averted their eyes, even though not much was showing while Anomie rolled her eyes. "You alright. Does it hurt?" She asked, as she undid the last of the bloody bandages.
"Only my pride," came her reply, causing a chuckle to come out from one the boys, but she didn't know their voices well enough to know who it had been.
"Well, considering the circumstances, I suppose it's alright for today and I'll excuse your lateness," Minato said, causing Kakashi's eyes to narrow further.
"He keeps doing it because you're too lenient," Kakashi scolded, and Anomie almost felt for a second that he was more of a strict teacher than the actual teacher.
"Oh, come on Kakashi. You're telling me there's not a single part of you that's glad training was delayed," Obito said with a grin.
"There are rules for a reason. I'm not happy when their broken because it inconveniences everyone around." Kakashi lectured, causing Minato to slightly smile. "Now, training will go into the evening and my entire day is spent either waiting for you or training with you. I'm not sure which is worse."
Obito sat down, putting in his eye drops as he all but brushed off Kakashi's lecture. "Don't be such a stick in the mud. I don't enjoy being with you either. It's not like you're the best in the world. Every second I am late is a second away from you. It's all good enough for me."
Rin rolled her eyes as she got out her needle and thread from a small emergency kit in her bag.
"If you had been here on time, you wouldn't have further injured someone," Kakashi retorted, and Obito had no excuse as he set Anomie a small, guilty glance as he closed the cap on the eye drops.
But Obito couldn't let the other get the last word as he let out his lame retort of, "Shut up Kakashi," said silver haired boy only scoffed.
"Ignore them. It's what I do most days," Rin said, raising her hand to numb Anomie's skin.
Anomie shook her head and waved off Rin's hand. "Conserve your Chakra for your training. A needle won't hurt." Rin's hesitant gaze prided the concern, to which the girl only shook her head. Rin nodded her head and began re-stitching the wound as Anomie played with a small pink flower. It felt like home when she saw it, resembling many of the flowers she saw back when her mother was still around in their small house. They used to grow by their door until some drunken douche upturned the ground with his fight that broke said door down and ruined the flowers and their house.
"It's a Hezā flower," Rin said with a small smile as she glanced towards the flower from the corner of her eyes. Anomie's glided her fingers around the thin, string like petals. "In the language of flowers, it means protection."
Anomie looked at the girl from the corner of her eyes, almost surprised. "Flowers have a language?" The sudden innocent statement made Rin's smile grow gentler.
"I thought you said you learned flower arranging in your time," Rin commented, finishing the last few stitches.
"Flower arranging, yes, but I didn't learn any languages of flowers." Anomie stated as she picked the flower from the ground and placed it in Rin's hair, using her headband to place the stem in a secure position just as Rin finished the last stitch. "There. Now you're protected."
Rin's smile grew and she stood up after gathering her medical supplies and neatly placing them back in their box. "You do embarrassing stuff sometimes, An-chan," came Rin's stiff reply as she tried to hide her smile.
Anomie only stood up with a look of indifference as she glanced towards Kakashi and Obito, who were still bickering before her gaze drifted to the sensei that passively attempted to stop them. His eyes drifted to her when she took a step closer while fixing her sleeve so she was covered. One look and anyone could tell that she had no modesty.
She bowed, managing to stop the bickering of the two ninja who looked her way. "I apologize for holding up your training." Her bow was very poise, and formal.
"It was Obito's fault anyway," Kakashi said, and Obito silently agreed while Anomie straightened her back and said nothing to or against the claim.
"Train well," was her last words before she departed to get some much needed food that the goggled boy had deprived her of.
The only good thing of Obito's run in was that it allowed her more time to learn the way around Konoha. That much was nice at least so she took advantage of everything as she made her way back to the food stalls, lined in tow with each other. She was officially too hungry to be picky, so she decided to let the crowd sway her decision as she glanced at the least occupied stand.
She glanced towards an obvious ramen stand with short, yellow colored curtain that spelled out 'ramen' in katakana and her pace quickened past it before she noticed that it was the emptiest stand around. She guessed that it might be because it was newer, judging by the way it looked.
Slowly, she decided to give ramen a chance as she walked to the stand, her head passing through the yellow curtain of 'ra' and took a seat on the high stools next to the counter and the wall where a man shined a cup.
What an intimately confined space between customer and chief, Anomie thought in a muse as she adjusted her position on the stool. The man looked friendly enough at least, and he turned to her with a smile.
"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen house. I'm Teuichi." The man greeted, and she nodded as she placed her cheek against her palm while her elbow rested on the counter. "You new in Konoha?" The man asked, and Anomie took a moment to realize that he was talking to her. Ah, a conversational chief. That's nice.
He couldn't be more than 30 years old, and looked pretty spry for his age. "Yes. You can tell?"
"I've lived in this village for years. I know every face." The man said with a smile, and she found that difficult to believe about such a large village.
"I was under the impression that this stand was new," she said in reply as he filled a dish with ramen and vegetables with impressive speed and gave it to some weirdo in a green suit.
"Recently relocated. I wanted to try a spot more close to the ninja academy." He had such a kind smile that made her eyes slightly soften. "That's where the most money is at." His lighthearted comment made her slightly tilt her head. "What can I get you?"
"What's the cheapest thing you have?" She asked instantly, wanting to make the money last.
"Tare would be our cheapest," he said without a second thought as she glanced behind him at the menu.
"Tare ramen then," she said, closing her eyes and allowing the silence to overtake her, ignoring the glances she felt from the green suited boy to her right. She decided the best thing was to completely ignore his existence.
The bowl of ramen was in front of her in less than eight minutes. She grabbed the chopsticks and separated them before she realized she didn't know how to eat the noodles. She glanced at the green haired man to see how he ate them, and copied his style.
It didn't seem to go in her favor as he flashed her a sudden grin, holding up his thumb in a happy motion. The glare that caught from the sun to his white ass teeth hit her in the eye.
"I see the shine of my youth has caught your eyes." He said in an energetic tone that made the noodles she barely got in her mouth to fall back into the bowl.
She was certain something was caught, but it wasn't youth.
He flexed his muscles and grinned at her again. "You are as beautiful as ever." She saw him staring a moment longer at her bandages that covered her body's bruises and wounds. She saw that he had similar bandages around his fists, the kind that looked to hide the after effect of fighting.
"We've never met," she knew it was a mistake the moment she allowed herself to speak.
"Ah, you are mistaken. I see you every night in my dreams!" He sent her a wink, his grin still in tact as her mouth slightly opened in surprise. "I am Maito Gai! The man who now vows to lay down his life to protect you."
What the actual fuck? Anomie found herself at a loss for what to say to his confession and every time she tried to control her composure, the green dork said something new to make it drop.
"What are you-" She began, but he suddenly leapt onto the stool next to her.
"Be my girlfriend," he said simply, and his confidence in himself practically leapt out onto her.
"You're serious...?" she murmured slowly.
"Be my girlfriend." He repeated.
She raised an eyebrow as she lifted her bowl into her palm, slurping the noodles as she leaned back against the wall. The ramen had lost its taste now that her stomach felt numb. He waited patiently for her to finish, watching as she ate the ramen in under four minutes. She set the ramen bowl down, and the Ichiraku chief motioned the price with his hands and she placed money down on the counter and stood up.
"No," she said finally, causing Maito Gai to look disheartened for a split second.
"I still have you in my dreams," he said with another wink as he blew a kiss her way.
"I hope they do you well," she said simply, moving the curtain aside to walk away.
"She will come around. Youth calls to youth," she heard Gai say to the chief before she walked away from hearing distance.
Only once she was far away, she realized that she was laughing. Her sides shook as she held them, leaning against the wall. She let out a couple more chuckles, surprised at her mirth, before quickly composed herself and continued walking.
Her heart felt light and she remembered the weird green man's comments with fond, mocking, humor.
Author's Note
I think I might of made Anomie's character slightly gay, but I'm not surprised in the long run. I meant for her relationship with Rin to grow into a sister kind of thing.
Character development is coming along.
I really like Gai, so I had to add him in here for the long run. His inital attraction to Anomie was more to do with the fact that she was covered in bandages, so he thought she was a Kunoichi who worked very hard. I don't think he particularly cares about looks, and was more so attracted to Anomie's gentle persona. I wasn't sure to refer to him as Maito Gai or Might Guy. Since I lean more towards the Japanese side of things, I obvious made my choice.
Each chapter is long, because chapter-wise, this story shouldn't be very long.
I hope to do Kakashi's character justice and I'll try not to screw up the romance portion of the story, which I've done in the past. They are both sort of young as of now, so their options are limited, especially since Anomie is definitely a more...mature character who might taint Kakashi's semi-innocence in very pleasant ways.
I refuse to believe that he's completely innocent during Gaiden years since I see him as a silent pervert but then turns into an open pervert. Anomie is gonna help speed that along.
Thank you for reading. I hope I didn't disappoint.
ヘザーの花 (Hezā no hana) (white Heather Flower) - symbolizes protection; Wishes will Come True