[Third Person P.O.V]
The shinobi stood before his Hokage, head down in a bow.
"It's okay. You can rise Iruka." the Hokage chuckled. Iruka rose suddenly, cheeks tinted slightly red. The Hokage cleared his throat and continued in a more serious tone. "Have you found some possible recruits Iruka?" The shinobi teacher nodded, nose wrinkled in confusion.
"I have Hokage-sama," the Hokage smiled at Iruka. Less and less civilians were becoming shinobi. It wasn't like they were actually needed but without the civilian portion of the shinobi it would seem like Konoha didn't find them necessary. The Hokage had not got this far ignoring all the civilians. He could easily do that but the moral in the village would fall and that would not be a good thing. Sometimes the Hokage really hated the intricate political web that had been spun through the years.
It wouldn't just be moral but there was also a chance the civilian council would become annoyed and that would lead to unrest in the village. Nothing the Hokage couldn't handle but it would mean a portion of his shinobi would be busy. The Hokage sighed.
"U-um Hokage sama," The Hokage raised an eyebrow at Iruka gesturing him to go on, "If I may, why did you send me to a civilian school for one day to look for recruits if you are just going to knock it down anyway?" after finishing his question Iruka seemed rather flustered. The Hokage smiled warmly at Iruka.
"That's a good question." Iruka looked up, face still slightly red, "However you don't have the clearance so all I can tell you is that we already have a better school for the children being built. One much better than that horrid building where they were before. You're dismissed." Iruka nodded and then left. After he left the Hokage smiled.
What he told Iruka was a lie. The reason they were destroying the school was so that the only place the recruits could go was the academy. They would see it as the best and lowest cost option. They would Come to the academy and plead for them to be allowed in. If they were the recruits that were being scouted then they would be allowed in if not, they would be let in any way and still have to pay afterwards when their child failed. It had worked every other time the Hokage had done it. The civilians weren't as individual as they thought. Now all he had to do was wait.
[Cheree P.O.V]
I walked into class with my head held high. Unlike yesterday when I was nervous and skittish today I was fully ready and I had a new mindset along with it. No longer would I stay silent and not voice my thoughts. I would be ready for Iruka-sensei and any brats that came to visit him. I may have looked arrogant to anyone that looked but I didn't mean to I just wanted to show that I would be silenced no longer. I was actually excited to see the man because there was so much information I could garner and use when I was older to prove my point.
When I came in smiling I met the eyes of the cynics. They looked at me with disappointment clear in their gazes but I wasn't deterred. I had to learn everything I could. It didn't make sense to them, but It did to me. I would learn everything so that when I was older maybe I could use that information to make my points and improve society. To make the change that I wanted to see.
I sat down and stared out the window, looking out for Iruka-sensei. But he didn't come. In fact, no-one came. I was confused, just as the rest of the class were. Where was Iruka-sensei? And, if he wasn't coming, where was Hagimori-sensei? I ended up waiting for the whole day for someone to come. As time went by it became more and more clear that no one was coming. Most of the kids in the class just left. I didn't blame them. I wanted to leave but I was also curious. So I stayed. I stayed the whole day and a little after closing time as well, but no-one came.
In the end, I left. It had become clear that no-one was coming way before I left. When I did I looked around for some clue andy clue why the school was closed for the day. There wasn't even a note.
When I left the school I felt resentment pool in my heart. It just isn't fair! Did they think we weren't worth teaching or was it something else?! Was there someone more important? And my biggest question was to myself, why the hell did you think you could make a difference?
-0-0-0-
The next day I went to school. I'm not sure what I expected. Maybe there would be some kind of explanation as too why there were no teachers at our school yesterday? I shook my head bitterly. It wasn't even slightly likely. Why would I think that they would give us an explanation when they clearly didn't give a shit about us. Still, my curiosity prevailed and I found myself wandering to school anyway.
I, apparently, wasn't the only one who was confused about the whole thing. When I looked around there were a couple of kids walking near me, wearing twin frowns of betrayal and disappointment. The sad thing was I wasn't even that surprised at the events. It was clear they weren't either.
As I neared the gates I could hear loud voices yelling. I frowned, confused. It didn't sound like there were just kids shouting either. I could definitely hear some adults shouting their voices into the air. When I reached within viewing distance of the school my jaw dropped in shock. Whatever I expected to see that was certainly not it.
A huge crowd of angry civilians surrounded a gate. The gate was guarded by a very annoyed looking shinobi. He obviously did not want to be there but he was not the thing that caught my eye. No, that prize went to the school. Or should I say the husk of the school? That was all it was. There was practically nothing left of it! I stood, frozen, for a few seconds before rushing over to the gate. I pushed through a huge crowd until I was standing in front of the shinobi.
"-last time, there was no more funding!" his voice rang out over the crowd, making them grow even angrier. With all the shouting the thing that caught my attention was a lady standing next to me. She was plain looking, quite old and well off all things considered but it was her words that made me turn my head in her direction.
"So you're saying you burnt down this school. A school meant to teach students how to survive in the future. You burnt that down to make room for another hospital which, mind you, most of these children can't afford to use?" her voice was low and cold. She stated it like a fact but her voice was so powerful that the crowd turned towards her. After she was finished she shook her head slowly. "What a sorry, sorry state this village is in." she tutted before walking away leaving me staring at her in awe.
The shinobi was instantly bombarded with question after question. I almost felt dory for the man. Almost. All I had to do however was to look being him at the building we once called a school and my anger was back. I stood in the crowd as it grew in size and power. I felt such hatred to the village, like never before. I could hear the same anger in the voices of others but I could also hear their confusion. Why were they doing this? I thought they were supposed to protect us? Then suddenly a scream went up from somewhere in the middle of the crowd and the area was suddenly silent. People began to back away from the place where the scream was emitted giving me a good view.
It wasn't a nice sight that much was for certain. A man in a rabbit mask was holding a kunai to the throat of a man. The man was terrified and his small daughter was holding his leg. The rabbit masked man didn't seem to care though he dug the kunai deeper into the man's throat.
"P-please. L-let me go!" the man cried. There were no tears on his face but you could hear the fear and terror in his voice. "I swear I haven't done anything! I-I'm a good citizen please-" he coughed, blood spewing out of both his mouth and throat. His daughter began crying even harder than before. "I have a daughter. She h-has no mom. She'll die!" But it was too late. Even I, with my minimal experience, could see that the man was already dead. As if to finish off the job the rabbit man passed a kunai through the man's throat, completely removing his head from his body.
It was so silent that a pin could be heard dropping. Everyone stared in horror at the severed head. The rabbit man raised it into the sky as if to show his power. "This is what happens to those who try and break the rules that are put in place." He said in a quiet voice., though I could hear the pleasure in it. His pleasure at feeling powerful. I could hear other people gagging but I was too transfixed in my horror to do anything but stare. "Now scram!" his words were the last he said before gathering the body and leaving in a swirl of leaves.
People around me rapidly left, faces pale and ashen. I looked to see the shinobi behind me smiling. He was happy. Happy at the death of an innocent. I still didn't move, just looking at the crying child on the floor. She'd had her dad torn away from her for nothing. I wanted to hug her.
Suddenly I was ripped from my thoughts by something kicking the back of my shins. I looked up to see the shinobi staring down at me. "Why aren't you leaving? You heard his words. Scram!" he made shooing motions with his hands and I glared at him but ignored him.
Slowly I walked up to the girl and placed a hand on her back. She looked up at me, her tear streaked face dirty and just so sad. I knelt down beside her and looked her in her eyes. She couldn't be any older than three.
"What's your name?" I said. She looked at me and I didn't think she was going to answer but she choked it out.
"My n-names Kasumi. My d-daddy gave it to me. H-he said I'm named after h-his mommy." She is bawling her eyes out at this point. I can't blame her. I would be too.
"Well Kasumi," I took her small hands in mine, "My name's Cheree. I think I have somewhere you can stay." She looked up at me. Her face just spoke of distrust. Even at 3, she had still been taught to wary about strangers. Before she could interrupt me I picked her up and hoisted her onto my back. I didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary, especially as I had now gained the attention of the shinobi behind me.
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere safe." With the shinobi glaring at me I marched off, head held high. I wasn't intimidated by him. I flicked my hair and continued walking away from him. With one last sneer in my direction, he too disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
-0-0-0-
[Third person P.O.V]
It was mid-morning and the Hokage had already gone through most of his paperwork when a large swoop of wind distracted him.
The Hokage looked up as an ANBU in a Rabbit Mask appeared before him holding the body of a random civilian. The Hokage looked at the ANBU operative who nodded.
"The job is done sir!" he said in an emotionless tone. The Hokage smiled and dismissed him. All that was left to do now was publically apologize for Rabbits actions. The Public would see the Hokage in a good light knowing he had "punished" the ANBU operative. Like always the plan had gone off seamlessly. Civilians. So predictable. He chuckled slightly and shook his head.
-0-0-0-
[Cheree P.O.V]
It has been 4 months since that day. I still have nightmares about it as do some of the other kids who bore witness to the horrific crime. Sometimes I wake up and I can hear their screams tear the night into noise. There wasn't much we could but get over it. It wasn't as if we could afford therapy or even remotely trusted the shinobi behind the therapy.
Kasumi's dad was right. As much as we tried to help she didn't last long. A few weeks after I brought her back she died of a high fever. I stayed with her until she died and I can still remember her last words as if it happened yesterday.
Her empty eyes stared into mine. They were glazed over like she was looking at me but also not at the same time. "Cheree?" she whispered, little voice groaning with the pain of speaking.
"Yes?" I whispered in a cracked voice. She fumbled around for a second, moving her hands spastically until they found mine. When our hands connected she clenched mine tight. I held hers back.
"When I die will I see mommy and daddy again?" her excited voice broke my heart in half. I squeezed her hands.
"Yes, you will. When you die you go to paradise, a place where nothing is bad. It is full of nice people and love and happiness-" my voice broke as I choked back tears, "-like you've never felt before. An angel helps you get there and when you do your Mom and Dad will be waiting for you." She looks at me in the eyes.
"What's an angel?" she asks looking at me and smiling in awe. I squeezed her hands again.
"An angel is a human-like creature. They have massive white wings like a swan. They are kind and nice and loving. They have all sorts of power and they make everything better." I whisper. I can tell she is close to dying. Her breaths are raspy and shallow.
She hums slightly and looks up at the ceiling. "Are you an angel?" I look at her in shock. She turns her gaze towards me. "All you need are wings. Then you'd be an angel." She says it firmly like there is no room for argument. Then she turns her eyes towards the ceiling and breathes loud raspy painful sounding breaths.
I smile sadly. "I'll be your angel if you want." she uses her last bit of energy to nod.
"I'd like that." She slurs and then just like that she is gone. Her grip on my hand falters. It is still warm, but I can feel the heat leave it. I stroke her stiffening face and close her eyes, tears building up in my eyes.
"I'm far from an angel Kasumi."
The next day we burnt her body. She didn't even get a funeral or a gravestone. She was just burnt. We said a goodbye and then whoosh. It was like she never existed. Like there never was a Kasumi-chan.
Even as I think about It I can feel tears rise in my eyes. She was a sweet girl. Even when she was hurting, in the brief few weeks I knew her, she tried to make everyone happy. She seemed to like me the best, but she was wrong. I am no angel.
Even if I was, even the devil was once an angel.
