The next couple of weeks were filled with the same sorts of drills, day after day they were achieving new goals. They had been running laps on the water, dodging water attacks from their teacher, and learning the fundamentals of crafting their own water jutsu. The extreme workouts had taken an enormous toll on their bodies however... The bottoms of Nagato's feet were blistered, Yahiko had a bruised rib, and Konan was physically exhausted.
She wanted to go on but she couldn't. She had reached that wall where it was impossible to move on, no matter how hard she pushed herself. Her legs cramped and she fell to her hands and knees, she used her remaining chakra to prevent her from sinking through the water. Both her friends walked towards her to help her up, her legs still felt like they were asleep; the pins and needles sensation was overwhelming.
"I'll take you home," Yahiko said flatly. Konan nodded silently as she put her arm around his shoulder for support. Jiriya announced that he would go into town to get more supplies then meet them back at the house in a couple hours.
Konan hobbled along with the partially support of her friend, but her legs weren't going back to normal. She stopped for a second to try and massage her calves to get the circulation going again. She felt Yahiko let go of her but then grab her again to lift her onto his back. He bounced a couple times to adjust to the extra weight then moved once again towards the house.
She was confused, things between them seemed...different. It almost seemed like he lost all of those "special" feelings for her, and they were back to square one. She nestled her chin into the nook of his neck, he didn't adjust it at all. A few minutes later, Yahiko slowly walked up the porch steps and unlocked the familiar wooden door. He awkwardly slipped off his shoes using his toes then continued to carry her to her bed. He lowered her down onto the sheets but her legs caught on his shirt and it raised up to show his abdomen. Her eyes widened as she saw the huge blackish purple bruise under his rib cage from when he had bruised his ribs days prior.
He quickly pulled the white T-shirt back down to cover his injury. "Yahiko that's bad! Let me help you.." she pointed out softly. She grabbed for the same first-aid kit at the side of her bed that she had used for Nagato's feet the night before. Yahiko sat on the bed facing her. "I kinda need to be able to see it," Konan laughed as she gestured to his clothed torso.
"Duh," he said half to himself as he pulled to ragged shirt over his head careful not to provoke his ribcage further. His shaped abdomen was now facing her and she felt herself become uncomfterable-his body had changed a lot. To the side of his faint abs, she could see the devastating bruise once again, she cringed slightly. She ran her fingers through the kit to find the proper kind of bandage to support the injured rib.
Starting the trail of gauze right before the bruise, she reached around his torso to wrap it around, her face was almost touching his chest. She repeated this a few times till she felt it was properly supported, the used the tiny metal pin to latch the gauze together. As she was about to retract her arm back to her side, he grabbed it. He almost violently pulled her in for a long, vigorous kiss, his hands placed on both sides of her face. Then he pulled her face again, which was almost surprising as the kiss itself. He then quickly got up and walked out of the room.
A few hours later Yahiko returned with Chibi at his side. Konan, Nagato and Jiriya were already putting up the clean dishes from the meal the had just had. He unhooked the dog from his leash then walked back to the room.
Yahiko fumbled through his night stand for the pack of cigarettes he was currently craving. Bad. Once he found it he took the lighter off the self then returned to the wooden patio. He sat in the wicker chair with his feet on the guide railing as he lit up his cigarette then took a long drag. He coughed slighty, he hadn't smoked for a week. He just felt the need to, he hurt, physically and mentally.
Today marked one year since his family was murdered, his life destroyed. He remember the date so well, because it was his birthday that day. Most kids would've been excited for a birthday; all the gifts, the food, the rank. But he didn't care, but there was one thing he did wish about birthdays, it was wishes. If he could have one wish, it would to bring his life back to normal, to gift him the lives and presence of his family once more. But he knew that it could never happen, wishes didn't exist, he felt pretty nonexistent too. Tiny and insignificant. He couldn't save his everything, his life.
He wanted something to believe in, the past year alone, that's all he searched for. Someone to look up to, to know they would change the world at its pitiful state today. He knew he couldn't do it, he wasn't strong enough, and he accepted that. But he knew his life would be set out to find who could change their world, because he wouldn't wish this pain on anyone.