Chapter 2

Part 4

Buriza struggled to a knee. "Leave me alone. Why do you force me to endure this kind of torment?"

Sakura started to run to his side. "Hey! Leave him alone! Buriza-Kun!"

Sasuke held her by the arm to stop her. "This is his problem. Let him deal with it.

"Get out of here! We don't want you here!" More people hurled more things at him.

Buriza winced as he got to his feet. "Do your worst and be done with it."

Kakashi appeared. "That's enough. Go on and get back to your business. There isn't' anything more for you all to worry about."

The crowd hesitantly dispersed slowly. Kakashi sighed. "What a relief." Buriza managed to walk away a bit as Hinotama and Naruto came running up.

"Why did you intervene Kakashi?"

"If I hadn't, they probably would have killed you. I think it's about time for you to do some explaining…" Kakashi turned to Buriza and pointed a kunai knife at Buriza.

Hinotama just looked at Buriza as if to ask what he wants to do.

Buriza shook his head. "Not here... Let's take a walk if you don't mind…"

Kakashi gave a nod. "If that's the way you want it. You have our trust thanks to what you did for us back in the Land of Waves."

Sakura gave a worried look at the two shinobi, not sure of what to think of them now. She thought they were her best friends, but what could their past be hiding?

Before they knew it, the group was in the training grounds where Team 7 had fought to get Kakashi's bells. They had walked the entire way in silence. Buriza sighed as he felt the wind hit him. "Guess it's time to start our story then isn't it…" He took a long deep breath as everyone took a seat but him and Hinotama.

"As you know, we weren't born in the Land of Fire, nor were we born as wandering Shinobi. I was born in the Snow Country, born a Snow Shinobi of the Shenduku Clan, we're extremely well known there."

Kakashi gave a slow nod. "Yes. I have indeed heard of them. So you're the heir to that Clan…"

Buriza nodded too. "Yeah, that's me. Me and my little sister Yae, who's one year younger than me are the heirs of that clan. I trained hard to live up to that title. I became as strong as I could and rose to the top of my class, much like you Sasuke. However without real experience, no one believed in me as a true Shinobi. One day I was given a mission to protect a village from a rogue group of bandits."

"That's where I come in. I was born into a small rogue camp not too far from Konoha. They didn't cause any trouble, so we were mostly left alone. I lived a normal life, always being treated as the 'class clown' for my weak skills. My home also got asked to send help. Buriza and I met there. We had a few fights, but other than that we got along fairly well."

"We fought off our first successful bandit raid, winning the trust of the villagers and we protected that village like it was our own! However, after about a week the bandits got fed up and let loose an all out attack…"

"There were only about thirty of them. But they were only toying with us. We never really saw their plan. We fought them off viciously; we managed to evacuate all the villagers safely but…"

"But then, the bandit's true plans were set into action. Several explosives went off as the real threat attacked, a group of Missing Ninja attacked. We nearly died…"

"I don't remember what happened next, just a burning light that seemed to absorb all other light. Then a loud explosion."

"The bandits were defeated, but a giant explosion totally devastated the entire village. And without any of the bandits left, the entire village blamed us for destroying their homes…However, it was my fault…I couldn't stop any of it…so I took the full blame…So only one of us would have to live a life of hatred…I haven't returned home, or even known a home since…"

"I traveled with him, to know he wouldn't have to bear the hatred alone. Everywhere we went, we were treated as monsters for destroying that village. We've been looking for peace and acceptance this whole time." He sighed softly and closed his eyes.

Buriza turned his eyes skyward and gazed as if he were looking into the past. "We hoped this place would be our new home. But it seems our past has even followed us here! And if the Hokage were to find out…"

"I already know…I heard the whole story, and even saw you, Buriza-San, be attacked by the villagers…" The Hokage walked forward from under a tree, smoking his pipe.