Shirasuki (Crossing the Worlds Part I) 6- Training

"We should get going. I'll bet Lee is dying to fight you." I laugh slightly at the idea of fighting Lee.

"So, you guys train every day?"

"Whenever we don't have a mission." I nod. I had a feeling. "What happened to being an expert?"

"It's hard to be an expert on things that aren't even mentioned." Neji walks to the door and opens it.

"Let's go." I nod and follow him out. Neji walks towards a door in the main house and disappears inside. I shake my head and follow him. A kitchen. Neji tosses a roll at me and I catch it. "Breakfast." I nod and we leave, munching on the rolls. We get to the training grounds and Tenten, Lee, and Gai stare at me.

"Good morning."

"What're you doing here?" I sigh and bend my head to show them my Hitai-ate. "How'd you manage that?"

"I already told you, Lee-kun."

"Eh?" I laugh slightly.

"What's the plan for today?"

"We haven't sparred in a while." Tenten looks at me meaningfully.

"Okay."

"Sounds fun."

"Then who wants to go first?" Tenten shoots her hand into the air and then points at me.

"Against Shirayume."

"Eh?!" Gai and Lee look shocked and I shrug.

"Fine."

"You sure about that, Kiriku-san?" I nod.

"Yep. It should be interesting." The guys back up, out of the way, and I smile at Tenten.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." I get ready, spreading my legs slightly and lifting my hands in front of me. Tenten rushes at me, I wasn't expecting that. I jump out of the way and anticipate her pulling out those scrolls. I land and rush at her. My move surprises her and she opens a scroll, sending weapons flying at me. I dodge every one, somehow, and get up to her and go into my normal first strike when I get attacked in a street fight, three hits to the chest, then an upper jab to her chin, followed up by a kick to her side, ending with a final punch to her chin. I back up, keeping on the balls of my feet and wait a second for her to react. She smirks and comes at me, I jump back, doing a somersault and grabbing one of the various weapons on the ground in passing before landing in a crouch.

I notice that I grabbed a kunai. Good, something small that I can handle. It's about the same weight in my hand as the knife I carry with me when I'm out by myself, especially since then. It's been three years since then. I shake my head to clear the memory. I have to concentrate on this. From what I know of Tenten's fighting style, and my observations here, her pattern is advance, and then in the opening after the recovery, bombard them with weapons from her scrolls. Going off that, I can safely say that she's about to go at me again with her scroll of weapons.

I was right. I dodge the weapons and block some with the kunai. She advances again, but I'm ready for her this time and I use her weapons against her, picking up a handful of shuriken and another kunai to throw at her. I keep one kunai in hand and go in for the attack. She manages to block me with a kunai and I use the opening to use more of my fighting skills. I sweep my leg around and catch her off guard before going in with several quick hits, knocking her down. I crack my knuckles and watch her. I'm getting the hang of fighting here. It looks like I'm about as strong as Sakura. I have to gage my hits to account for that. I start to worry when Tenten doesn't get up. Did I knock her out? Huh?

"Come here, little Pinky."

"You want a fight? Cuz I'm not a pushover."

"That's not what I want at all." I put my head in my hands and wince at the memory. Why is it hitting me this hard?

"Kiriku-san? Are you okay?"

"Didn't your parents ever tell you to come when you're called? Get in the car. I'll take you home. It's too late for you to be walking alone."

"I'm fine, thank you very much. If you don't leave me alone, I will use my cell phone and call the police."

"Oh, you talk big for a little foreign girl."

"I'm not foreign."

"Really? That pretty pink hair could've fooled me."

"I'm serious. If you don't get away, I will call the police."

"That's not a good idea, missy."

"Help!" I drop to my knees and shiver.

"Oy, Kiriku-san. Answer."

"Can you hear us?" I nod slightly. I can hear them perfectly well. But I can also hear that guy, just like it's happening all over again. One of them touches my shoulder and I scream. I can't control that. Even Onii-chan got the same reaction when this would happen.

"Kiriku-san, what's wrong?" I shake my head and back away from them.

"Leave me alone, please."

"There's something wrong. I'll take her to Tsunade-sama. Maybe she can help."

"Okay. I think she knocked Tenten out…"

"She'll be fine." Someone picks me up and I struggle. I can't discern reality from the memory. Why is it this bad this time? "Kiriku-san, it's just me. Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." My eyes snap open.

"Yume-chan, it's okay. I've got you. Nothing else is gonna happen." Fine…I'm fine. No one's attacking me. I'm not getting kidnapped again. It's just Neji, trying to help. I calm down as I can finally separate the memory from reality.

"You're pretty apt to get hurt huh, Kiriku-san?"

"She's not hurt, but I think that there's something else wrong." I grip Neji's shirt.

"I'm fine. Really."

"Still, it's best to have someone find out for sure." I sigh. He's not budging on it. He sets me down on a bed and I sigh.

"This is totally unnecessary." After a while, Tsunade comes in.

"What's wrong?"

"Just a bad memory. It hits me like that every year around this time."

"Really? What memory is that?" I glance at Neji.

"I…really don't want to talk about it."

"The only way to find out what's wrong is to talk about the problem." I sigh.

"Fine, but…"

"Neji, please leave the room for a little while."

"But…" Is he that worried about me?

"Please." He nods and leaves the room. "Now, what's wrong?"

"It's really just a memory."

"About what?"

"When…" I shake my head.

"When what?"

"Three years ago…I…I was walking home from school…because Onii-chan was at work, so he couldn't pick me up…a car drove up beside me and a guy started talking to me…when I didn't do what he wanted and go to the car, he stopped, got out, and grabbed me…" I shake my head again.

"Then what happened?"

"He…he took me…in the car…but I don't know where we went…and then…then…he tied me up…and…"

"Oh. I see. I assume the trauma from that hasn't worn off." I nod. "Did you go to therapy?" I nod again, and then lift my shirt up, revealing the map of scars on my stomach.

"I don't think they cover this in therapy. I scar easily…my upper legs are about the same."

"From that?" I nod and push my shirt down again. "I'm going to see something. Sometimes, things like this actually damage your brain. Lay down." I do and she puts her hand over my forehead. I hear a loud buzzing and a slight pressure on my head. After a few moments, the buzzing and the pressure stops. "It shouldn't bother you too much now." I nod slightly and sit up.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama." She smiles and gets up. She leaves the room and Neji comes back in.

"Well?"

"I'm fine. Tsunade-sama just…"

"Oh, you don't want to talk about it." I nod and get up.

"We should go back to the training ground. I'm sure that Gai and Lee are worried." He nods and we leave the hospital.

"You're sure you don't want to talk about it? I mean, why did you struggle when I picked you up before?" I sigh.

"Let's just say…I had a traumatic experience. That memory…when it comes to the front of my mind…it's hard for me to separate what's actually happening from that memory…when something physical corresponds with the memory…it makes it worse."

"Oh. I'll drop it then."

"Kiriku-san! Are you okay?!" We get to the training grounds and I see that Tenten is awake, and worried. Gai and Lee look happy that I'm fine.

"Yea, nothing to worry about. I didn't hurt you, did I, Tenten?"

"Nope. I'm fine." She winces slightly, giving away the lie.

"What is it with girls and always saying that they're fine?" Gai shrugs in response to Lee's question. Guys are clueless. I sigh.

"Guys?"

"What?"

"Slacking off because you're worried?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"You're a bitch, you know that?"

"I get that a lot." I sit down and stare at the clouds.

"Lazy too…"

"I heard that." Lee swallows and they're silent. "Scared?"

"Vastly." I sigh and turn my gaze to them.

"You don't have to be. Usually, I don't start fights. Per say…" I blow my bangs out of my face and sigh.

"What do you mean, per say?"

"It's my hair that starts the fights, generally."

"How is that?" I sigh.

"Where I'm from, it's pretty weird to have hair that's any color except black or brown. Since I refuse to die my hair, some of the older students at my schools would start fights with me. Because I stood out."

"Harsh."

"You don't know the half of it." I get up and lean on a tree. "So, are we gonna stand around talking or are we gonna get things going again?"