~Five years later~
It's been five years now and I still hadn't found my voice. I walk with Sasuke to school each day and we occasionally walk home together. I had watched as Sasuke closed himself off from the world. That's where we were different; though I had lost my voice I was still social. The thing is that… Well you see I am an Uchiha and like all Uchiha's I'm pretty popular. Not that it's really something I like. In all honesty I'd love to just hang out with Shikamaru, but I'm friends with the majority of the village. Strange how not being able to talk gets you attention. I never got over what happened and it's a sore spot for me, but I'm nothing like Sasuke. I'm not a cold, closed off person; I'm a, for the most part, happy person. I'm open, well as open as a mute girl can be. I can communicate with Shikamaru though. I have my ways. The thing is that Sasuke's getting worse now. Before he was closed off to everyone but me, but now he's closing off to me. It worries me…
"Shia," I looked over at Shikamaru, it's rare for him to even be awake during class. "How's your jutsu going?" I sighed and shook my head. My clone jutsu isn't really, how you say, good. See of all the jutsus, which I'm good at, my clone jutsu kinda sucks. "Shia…" I rolled my eyes at him. He shook his head and closed his eyes again. I smiled as I watched him fall asleep.
"Shia!" I glanced up at Iruka-sensei, "A B or C?" You may be wondering how I answer these questions. Sign language? Paper and pencil? Oh no. I threw a kunai at the bored; it landed on B with my perfect aim. He nodded and continued. The only reason Iruka-sensei starts talking to me in class is to see if I pay attention. Not that it's hard to answer without paying attention. His answers are all easy to pick out, even if you're guessing.
I glanced around the room. All the girls were eyeing my brother, all the boys eyeing me. I was so glad that I had Shikamaru. He may be lazy as hell but he's a good…body guard? Yes I guess that would be a good way to put it. It was fun to walk around town with him. But the moment he's gone…Oi, let's just say I'm glad I have him.
"Oi, Shia." I pulled myself out of my daze at the sound of that voice.
"What's wrong with you?" I sighed, it was Choji. I gave them a smile and stood. "Are you alright?" Choji asked me, confused as to why I hadn't responded in the first place. I nodded; giving him a 'I'm fine' look as I stood to walk with them. "Let's go get some food." My smile grew; Choji never ceases to amaze me.
"You sure you're alright?" Shikamaru asked as we walked to the Bar-B-Q. I nodded to him as we walked. In truth, I had never felt better. Not in years. Shikamaru didn't seem to believe me, I could tell by the fact that he was still giving me his 'I don't think you're telling me the truth and it worries me' look. I held a smile though, I felt great. Aside from the fact that my clone jutsu sucks I was in a great mood. Nothing and no one was going to bring me down.
"Shia, whatcha been up to?" Choji asked as he ate his Bar-B-Q. I shrugged, Choji made me smile every time. He had given up on me talking a long time ago, now he just asked questions that require an answer. I felt myself smile.
"Choji she can't answer you." Shikamaru never found it funny, he stayed bored.
"Well she can answer you." He had a point. "Why can't you answer me?" I looked at Shika.
I've never really tried, do you think I could?
"Doubt it."
"AH! There, she just did it didn't she!"
Here it goes.
"She's going to try." Shika told him and I took in a deep breath. I looked right at Choji, into his eyes and started to gather my chakra. See I can telepathically communicate with Shika, but I use chakra to do so. I've done it so much with him that it takes almost nothing now, but to communicate with new people it takes a whole lot of chakra.
Can you hear me Choji? His eyes went wide as he heard me. I'll take that as a yes.
"Wow." I smiled
Shika when's our test?
"End of the month." I nodded and took some of the food. "Need help?"
I don't think so; I think I just need to work a bit more. I think I'm gonna go.
"Good luck." I smiled and waved to the boys, before taking Choji's food.
Bye boys. He was still in shock that I was in his head, so he didn't realize till I was gone that I took his food. I needed it though, I was replenishing my chakra.
I walked out into the woods to go and train, all I needed to fix was my cloning jutsu. The one thing I needed to pass the test was the one thing I was bad at. Life's funny that way. I sighed as I started to practice. All I needed was to concentrate. Just a little more and I'd have it. I just needed to-*CRASH* WHAT THE HELL?
"Ouch…" I looked around till I found a group of kids from class all working on jutsu and aim. Great, now I needed a new spot before-"Shia is that you?" Too late. I stepped out into the clearing with a smile. "Would you like to train with us?" I tapped my finger on my leg for a moment before pulling out a kunai to write in the ground with.
I wrote, I'm really only practicing my clone jutsu because that's the only thing I need to work on.
"We can work on that." Dang. I smiled and shrugged, agreeing to join the training. "Yes, let's all work on the cloning jutsu." I inwardly slapped myself. Why couldn't they let me be?
We ended up working for about two hours before I left and went home.
"Where were you?" I looked at Sasuke, even now when he's closing off he's still worried. I woke a note and gave it to him as I walked to the kitchen.
I was training.
"With?" Oi. I tossed him another one.
Lots of kids from school.
"Such as?" I slammed my hands on the table. I love him, but he drives me crazy.
Sasuke, I'm a big girl I can take care of myself!
"No you're not! You're 11!"
You're 12!
"You're my little sister!" I hated it when he used that one, I had no come back. On the bright side our little argument showed me he still cared. I sighed and shook my head. I walked over to him, gave him a hug and one last note before going upstairs.
I'm going to take a shower, night.
"Night…" He mumbled as I walked off.
So you may be wondering why I don't communicate with Sasuke, well I think that my silence may be one of the things keeping him here. He really worries about me. I'm slightly afraid that he'll leave if he knows I can communicate with the outside world.
I sighed as the hot water flowed over my body. I needed to relax, to take a few deep breaths. The test was coming up and I needed to learn the right jutsu and…well, that's all. I need to figure out what's blocking me. What's keeping me from learning that jutsu? I shook my head and shut off the water as I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I got dressed in my PJ's and walked out toward my room.
"…Shia?" I looked over at Sasuke with a cocked head. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, it was barely audible, but I heard him. I walked over to him and smiled and hugged him. Sasuke hasn't been much of a hugger since then, but every once in a while he'd hug me, when he felt guilt especially. This happened to be one of those times. I smiled at him and walked to my door. "Good night Shia." I nodded to him and waved before shutting my door and going to bed.
~Time skip 3 weeks later, 5 days till the test~
I just don't get it Shika. I thought to him as we sat in class.
"Well, is there something you feel guilty about?" I thought about it and nodded a bit. "So take care of it, maybe it'll help."
I don't know…
"Have I ever steered you wrong?" I shook my head, "So why worry about it now?" I looked at him, "What is it that you're feeling guilty about?"
None of your business.
He looked at me for a moment before shrugging and going to sleep. I shook my head for a moment before glancing over at Sasuke. He was in his usual position with his head on his hands, glaring at the world. I kept watching him, trying to decide if I should go through with what I was thinking of doing. It would use a hell of a lot of chakra. But then again, maybe not, I mean we are flesh and blood. Our chakra is similar…Who knows, it may be as easy as talking to Shikamaru. I glanced back at Shikamaru's sleeping form. I hate it when he's right.