Chapter 10
It takes a whole village to raise a child
The group looked around at their neighboring surroundings as they walked along the dirt road. The snow on the dirt road wasn't as thick as it previously was. Two days of travel had finally taken them closer to the sound village, but the traveling was rough due to the wind and terrain.
The entire group had red cheeks and noses. Each one of them was showing signs of a cold. It was obvious that Onari was not accustomed to wearing shoes, or leaving the village she had been found in. The weather was a huge factor for the girl. Each one of the guys had to trade her off on the first day of travel until the conditions faired.
Onari kept her hand tightened on Sasuke's sleeve; afraid she would fall, or they would get too far ahead. The huge coat Kiba had placed on her shielded her view. She lifted the furry hood to look at the road. Were they making any progress? "Snow more," Onari said disappointed.
"Yeah, it keeps going and going. I don't think we have this much snow back home," Rock Lee said.
"It's winter. There's supposed to be snow," Neji said matter-of-factly.
Shikamaru shook his pack of cigarettes as he held out his hand. Shaking it harder proved his suspicions. "I'm clean out. We've got to find shelter."
Onari tilted her head. "Onari see?" She pointed up.
Sasuke glanced at her. "That's not possible. Even if I put you on my shoulders, you wouldn't be able to see pass the trees."
Onari tilted her head the other way. "No, Sasuke, Onari see," she said pointing to her eyes then up. The look on his face was telling her he thought she didn't understand what he meant. Onari crossed her arms, pouting.
"The language barrier is going to be a problem," Neji said watching Onari's frustrations.
"Onari know Sasuke say," she said softly and frustrated. "Not up..," she struggled with the words, "tree," she said not able to figure out the word for 'shoulders'. She turned around kicking the snow.
"It's defiantly going to be a challenge teaching her Japanese," Neji said.
Onari turned around glaring at him. "Neji no listen," she said bitterly. She knew what she was trying to say.
"Onari," Sasuke said in a stern, authoritative voice. She tensed and matched her gaze with his. "You will not talk to him like that. Neji deserves your respect as much as you deserve his. Do you understand?"
"If I cannot comprehend the broken language which you speak, then it is up to you to make yourself clear. Get your thoughts together, or show actions," Neji said seriously. He had two boys of his own. Tolerating defiance or rudeness was not on his list of acceptance. "Well?"
Onari started to stare pass the men that were watching her. In order to make her special technique work, she had to mellow out and remain unfocused. Most skills required concentrations, but hers was related to an out-of-body experience. Onari's pupils became dilated. The black circle around her iris faded out as her vision intensified. "Torimeshikai!"
Onari's sight soared above the snow and trees- her vision shooting into the air. She could see in a circumference around the point of origin where her physical form was. The drawback with her technique was she couldn't alter her position. It didn't allow Onari total physical freedom like a bird in the air – it only gave her vision range.
"Guys, her eyes changed," Lee said. "The lines in her eyes just disappeared completely." They were all staring at her.
"I've never seen a jutsu like that," Shikamaru said. He walked forward slowly, waving his hand in the girl's face. No response. "Whatever jutsu this is makes her vulnerable while she's using it. Much like Ino's mind transfer jutsu. Her physical form can still be attacked. Onari. Hey? Sasuke how long does this last?"
"I've never seen her use it. I never knew she had a technique of her own." Sasuke watched as Shikamaru crouched in front of the girl. Shaking her lightly didn't arouse her from the trance she was in.
Suddenly, Onari's eye re-focused and the black line in her iris returned. To her, coming back after using her jutsu was very much like waking from a dream. She had to refresh herself with where she was and what was around her.
Shikamaru watched as Onari focused on him. Just as expected, she flung herself backwards – she wasn't expecting him to be there. "Just as I thought, you're vulnerable while using it. That would also explain how you avoided Anamaraki and his men. I bet you could see their positions without ever having to give off yours. Am I right?"
It took her a few moments to decipher what Shikamaru was asking her. She nodded. "Onari rarely caught." How'd he figure her out that quickly? Onari tapped her head like Shikamaru.
"That's right. I analyzed your jutsu by watching you. If I can do it, so can your opponent," he told her.
"I wonder how far her range is," Neji said. "How much distance can you cover?" Onari wasn't understanding. Neji took a stick and drew a large circle in the snow. He then placed a pebble in Onari's hand. "Show me where you are in that circle."
Onari got up. She shyly looked at everyone that was watching her. She placed the pebble in the dead center of Neji's circle. "Onari see to.. no see." Moving her hand, she gestured to half-way from the pebble to the border of the circle. "No see, but see," she said pointing to the border of the circle.
"Whoa, the kid can see everything within a large distance like a hawk," Kiba said.
"That's a useful jutsu to have. Especially if avoiding opponents, or planning strategy moves," Shikamaru said. "Heh. You're a long range and close combat type. Interesting."
"What else can you do," Lee asked. He watched as Onari tilted her head. "You must have had some type of training to be able to do all that we've seen."
Onari shook her head. She doesn't remember anyone teaching her. "Onari do what Onari do. Like…," she paused, thinking," Neji do…Shikamaru do.."
"Yes, but we've all had training," Lee said. "Are you sure no one has taught you?"
"Lee, if someone has trained her, Onari would have been too young to remember," Sasuke said lowly. "And the fact remains that her Japanese is not advanced enough to tell us otherwise."
To lighten the mood, Kiba interrupted. "So, Sprout, did you see somewhere we can go?"
Onari pointed to her right. "Onari see tops." She kept her hand pointing.
"Tops? You mean 'roofs'? Like..buildings," Kiba asked. Onari tilted her head. "A village?"
Onari pointed at Kiba as she jumped in the snow, excited. That word she understood. "Village!"
"It isn't wise for us to stray from the road. Who knows what wildlife is in there. Also, if we got lost, it'd be a while before we could get our bearings. There's too much snow," Neji said.
"You're forgetting we have Mabae," Kiba pointed out. "He can detect anyone or anything before it comes near us. Besides, if we get lost, Onari could use her jutsu again. Right, sprout?"
Onari only looked at Kiba. She wasn't used to using her technique several times in a row. The most she had used it in a single day was twice. It had left her feeling out of sorts. There were drawbacks. "Onari try," she said sheepishly not wanting to disappoint them.
Kiba got a worried look on his face. "You haven't used it much, huh? I didn't think so. Well, me and Mabae will find the village and keep us on track. We'll only use you if we get lost. Is that alright?" Onari nodded.
"Alright, now that everything is settled, let's go. It's only a few hours until nightfall and I need a cigarette," Shikamaru said.
"You smoke too much," Kiba said.
"It's the stress of working with you guys," Shikamaru said back.
"Pst, Onari," Lee crouched down pointing to his back. "Rock Lee transport is open and awaiting passengers." The girl jumped onto his back eagerly. He was glad she was finally adjusting to him. Onari had been rather apprehensive towards him and Neji at the beginning. Now she was challenging Neji –much to everyone's surprise.
The group of seven walked in the snow-covered forest for a few hours. The only sounds were crumbling snow falling from the branches overhead. Mabae wagged his tail as he sniffed the various smells in the air. So far, the group was on the right track. They only had to re-check their location once. Lee noticed that using Onari's jutsu left her dizzy. He had suggested until she was properly trained, that they would not ask her to use it.
"When we get back, you're going to have others your age around. You can make friend and, hopefully, adjust better," Shikamaru said.
"Others," Onari asked. What others? Did he mean people in a village, or what?
"Kids your age, Onari," Sasuke said. "There are a lot of kids in training to be a ninja. They all go to the Academy at first, and then if they study hard and pass, they come to us to be trained further to protect the Hidden Leaf Village and its people."
"That's another factor. Onari is too old to take the entrance exams. Kurenai won't accept her on those grounds. We're going to have to teach her ourselves," Neji said. "She has skill and talent. It'd be a shame to let them go to waste."
"I can teach her after training my students, but not every night. We're still responsible for missions and reports," Shikamaru said. "I could ask Temari to teach her during the day if it's not too much trouble."
"Temari is Shikamaru's wife," Lee told the confused girl. "My wife is Sukara. She could also help you with reading and writing. Sakura is very patient in that field."
"Sakura wouldn't make an excellent teacher. That woman doesn't have the patience of a saint," Shikamaru said.
"Oh, that reminds me. You're getting two more family members. Sasuke has a wife named Izumi and a son named Takeru that is close to your age," Lee told her.
"I-zu-mi? Ta-ke-ru? What a Ta-ke-ru ?" Onari didn't understand.
"Takeru is a name, Onari. Takeru is mine and Izumi's son. He's a boy," Sasuke said trying to put it in simpler terms.
"Boy like… Sasuke," she asked kind of bewildered. There was a boy his age in the house? Onari's eye twitched. What kind of place was she going to? Was it one of those bad places where old men preyed on children?
Lee started laughing when he caught on to Onari's reaction. "You're a weird kid. Takeru isn't a boy like us. He's not even our age. He's your age. We haven't been boys in a long time, either. We're adults."
"At least some of us reached that maturity," Neji said taunting.
"Neji, you take that back," Lee said bitterly.
"Isn't stooping to his level making you just as immature," Shikamaru said as he glanced at Neji out of the corner of his eye. He felt a ball of snow hit his shoulder. "It's too troublesome to counterattack. My feet are killing me."
"Neji get Shikamaru like Kiba," Onari said as she pinpointed why Shikamaru chose to back down.
"More than likely," Sasuke said.
(Scene Change)
Neji walked back to the group. He thanked the woman at the front as he passed her. "The rooms are not very big. She said they only allowed two to a room. Large futons were extra. However, they do have a bath upstairs. Is that alright?"
"Under short notice, it'll have to work. The question is, who roommates with who? We could draw straws or something," Shikamaru suggested.
"I don't care who I roommate with. As long as it's not Neji," Kiba said.
"The feelings mutual," Neji said lowly.
"Why don't we let fate decide? No one can argue about who they get then," Sasuke said. If Neji and Kiba were bunked together, it would only prove that they needed to reconcile their differences. "I don't think straws will work in this case. We'll use numbers and names." He borrowed some paper from the woman at the front. Then he proceeded to write numbers 1 – 7 and their names on seven pieces of paper.
"Alright, this is how we'll settle things. There are seven pieces of paper in this box. Each number represents a person, but to be fair, we'll pick our own numbers. As we draw a number, it will signal if we roommate with that particular person. Is everyone with me so far? There is a catch. The numbers must match with the person that draws and the person's name. So for example, if Shikamaru draws a 3 and the 3 is Neji, but Neji draws a 6 and it's me, they both have to redraw."
"Oh, I get it! It's like playing Matching," Lee said. "That's pretty fair, Sasuke."
"I know. That's why I suggested it," he said.
"I want the number one," Kiba said.
"Four for me," Shikamaru said.
"I'll take five," Neji said.
"I'll be two," Sasuke said, "And Onari can be three."
"Put Mabae as six and Lee as seven," Kiba said.
Sasuke shook the box a few times. "Let's get Onari to go first." Onari reached into the box. She pulled out a folded piece of paper. It had the number 3 printed on it. "Okay, put it back. You can't pick yourself. Try again." Onari moved her hand around then pulled out another piece of paper. 4. She got Shikamaru. "Next."
Lee stuck his hand into the box. He didn't care who he bunked with. He liked his friends. "I got the number one."
Shikamaru was next. He pulled out the piece of paper. "I got 2."
Neji reached into the box after Shikamaru. He did not want Kiba. He narrowed his eyes pulling out a 6. "I got the dog."
Lee laughed. "Since there's only two to a room, someone's going to get a room to themselves in the end. Onari and Mabae will have to stay with one of us."
"I forgot about that," Neji said.
Sasuke reached into the box. He pulled out a 7. "Lee."
"I'll pick for us," Kiba said. "I'm first, sorry buddy. I got a 5." The group got quiet. It was Neji's number. "So that leaves Mabae and Onari."
"Maybe, maybe not. They have to match remember? First matches get their roommate. No take backs," Sasuke said. Or we'll be here all night. "Who's first for the names?"
"I just want to get this over with," Shikamaru said as he reached into the box again. "I have Kiba. Redraw. Now I have to wait, right? Okay."
"Next," Sasuke said. "We're waiting on a match." Onari stuck her hand in. she showed the name on the paper. "Lee."
Lee went next. "I have Sasuke. So far, we're all redrawing, I think."
Kiba went next. "Mabae goes with Shikamaru."
Sasuke drew after him. "I have Onari. Don't get so excited, we're not finished," he told her.
Kiba drew again, for himself. "I have…," he swallowed. "Neji."
"This is starting to get interesting, "Shikamaru laughed. "Which means Neji is still stuck with Mabae."
"Alright, the moment of truth. You can keep your number, or exchange it, but they still have to match," Sasuke said.
"Well, I got you the second time and you got me the first time," Lee said. "So do we redraw?"
"That's up to you. You have the choice. I'm not bothered by it," Sasuke said.
"Alright. Sasuke and I share a room. So now we're out of the game," Lee said.
"Everyone else redraws," Shikamaru said. "I have the number 4. Which is me."
"You get a room by yourself. Lucky bastard," Kiba said. He wasn't jealous of Shikamaru. He just didn't want Neji.
Onari carefully reached into the box. She would rather stay with Kiba at this point. Neji scared her because of his authoratative nature. She withdrew a 5. Neji.
"Oh, no, you don't! I'm not taking any chances," Kiba said. He fished around in the box and exchanged the paper in his hand several times. "6! Hah!"
"You're so fickle," Neji said as he reached into the box. 3. I got the kid."
"Sorry, Onari, no take backs. You room with Neji tonight. Kind of odd how it turned out, but it's better for Kiba to have Mabae." Sasuke put his hand on her head. "Neji's a little stern, but he's a good guy. He'd do anything to protect you, Onari, so don't be afraid of him. He's a parent, too; he has two boys of his own and that's why you probably feel threatened by him. Give him a chance. He's not a bad person."
"Hey, we're going to rest for a while, then probably head out for a bite to eat," Shikamaru said. "I've got to lay down."
"It seems we rented the whole floor. Not bad for the innkeeper considering winter months are the slowest periods of the year," Neji said with Onari trailing behind him. He put the key in, clicking the door open. Patiently, he waited for Onari to go in first. She kept her gaze lowered as she passed him.
Onari looked around the room. It was so small there was no room for a table. She tensed as Neji shut the door. Even though she was nervous, she tried to focus on what Sasuke had said.
Neji tried to make light of the situation by taking out the futon. They had spent two days in the cold wilderness. It was relaxing to have a bed in a warm environment. "We're going out later, but now it's time to rest. Its' been a long day." Onari stayed still. "You can take off the coat. We're inside."
Onari pulled her hood over her face. She was hiding. Under the jacket she wore the red shirt Neji had given her. The problem was that her arms were highly visible. If she took it off, he would see the marking with strange writing. She felt the hood being lifted. Her yellow eyes met Neji's white ones.
"Why are you afraid of me? Have I ever given you a reason," he asked. She shook her head. "Then why are you withdrawn? You're not like that with anyone else."
Onari forced herself to answer him. It wasn't fair to not like Neji. He had defended her when her life was in danger. "O-O-n-nari sc-scar-ed," she said stuttering.
"What are you afraid of? Me," he asked a little hurt.
She shook her head. "Not scared of Neji. Scared of Neji -," she pointed to her head. She wasn't able to figure out the correct word.
"You're scared of what I think? What is it that I'm not supposed to know about?" he watched as Onari took one of her arms out of the sleeve, then lifted her hand and part of her forearm out of the neck hole to the coat. Neji saw the tattoos on her arm. "You have tattoos?" Onari nodded. "What are they of?" He watched her confusion. "You don't have any idea."
Onari zipped open the coat letting it fall to the floor. She tilted her head at the man with long hair. He was studying both of her arms. "Pictures on Onari," she said gesturing to her back and sides. "Bad marks."
"So everyone knows about them, but me," Neji said disappointed.
"Kiba no see."
"Oh, well, that makes me feel a little better," Neji said with a smile. Onari giggled at him. "Ready to lay down? Good, because I'm exhausted."
(Scene Change)
Onari yawned hard. She rolled over onto her stomach. Her hand bumped into something. Opening her sleepy eyes revealed a sleeping form beside her. She yawned again. How long had they been sleeping? She hated to wake him, but it was time to get up.
Onari lazily climbed over his back and side. Neji was sleeping hard. Onari shook him lightly, but he was in a deep sleep. "Neji, Onari up," she said shaking more. "Neji Hyuga," she called as she fell over him landing on her back.
Neji stirred slightly. Onari placed her hand on his cheek. "Neji, Onari say up." She watched him open his eyes. By the looks of it, he had forgotten about her. She pointed to herself, "Onari."
"Hmm? Onari, I didn't forget about you," he said softly. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "What time is it," he said aloud, knowing Onari wouldn't understand. Neji sat up rubbing his temples. He thought of something as Onari grabbed their shoes. "Onari, the markings on your arms worry you. If we go out, people will see them. Perhaps, we should cover them up for the time being."
Onari looked at her arms ashamed. She withdrew slightly. The guys were alright with her, but they were in a village full of unknown people and possibilities.
"Onari, do not be ashamed of who you are. Just because other people may treat you differently, doesn't mean the ones who are close to you will. The only ones that matter in this world are your family and friends. They are the ones that love you unconditionally and accept you for every ounce of your being.
Your arms need to be covered until we find out what the markings mean. We don't want someone to discover you who might harm you, or unleash it. You're part of our strange family now. I, Lee, Sasuke, Kiba, and Shikamaru will protect you at all costs. You saved all of our lives, and at the very least, we are indebted to you." Neji wondered if she understood anything he said. Onari seemed to comprehend more than she let on. She nodded then held out her arms.
They all met downstairs. "So where are we going exactly," Shikamaru asked. "I'm not exactly picky by any means. Even ramen has to be better than what we've been dining off of as of late."
"Ramen is fine with me," Lee said rubbing his hands together.
"We need to eat healthy. Our bodies are stressed out and have been under a lot of abuse for the past week," Neji said.
Sasuke frowned. "I guess ramen is out of the question."
"What's wrong, Neji? Kiba steal your favorite doll and won't give it back," Lee said narrowing his eyes.
"Would you two knock it off? We're all tired and taking it out on each other is not going to solve anything," Sasuke said annoyed. "Wait. Where is Kiba?"
As if on cue, Kiba came down the stairs, panting. "Sorry, Mabae's upset because he can't go." Kiba flexed his hand. They were all on edge. "Let's just find somewhere to eat. I'm hungrier than a pack of wolves."
"I second that motion," Shikamaru said raising his hand.
(Scene Change)
They managed to find a small place still open. The owners looked rather pleased to see a group such as theirs coming in. Onari had never been inside an eating establishment before. She was never allowed in. Not paying attention to where she was going, Onari bumped into a stranger.
"Hey, watch where you're going kid," said a man snapping at her.
Onari threw herself back, her feet sliding on the floor. The only thing on her mind was to get away. She swallowed with difficulty, her breathing quickening. Her heart felt like it had needles in it and couldn't pump.
The man was staring at her harshly until a figure came within ear shot. "That tone was unnecessary. You have no right to speak to her like that," Shikamaru said his eyes meeting the man's. He kept his posture firm and serious.
Onari thought the stranger was going to attack her for a moment. He was certainly thinking about something. The man turned his gaze away trying to mind his own business. Her breathing was still quick and not yielding. Onari felt someone put their arms around her and draw her backwards. She freaked out for a split second, until she looked up.
"Calm down. It's over. He won't bother you," Neji said. When she's afraid, Onari hyperventilates. We've got a lot of work on our hands. He kept her next to him as they passed the man Onari had bumped in to. For now, Neji would shield her, but she was going to have to learn to stand her ground alone – like they all had.
Neji sat in the chair on the end, just in case, someone did give them trouble. His guard was up now due to the previous encounter. He made Onari sit next to him so she wouldn't be self-conscious of the other patrons. Realizing what was taking place, Sasuke sat across from her. He was starting to get overprotective of her just as he was with Takeru. Rock Lee sat on Onari's left to try and make her feel at ease. Kiba took his place on Sasuke's right and Shikamaru on his left.
A young girl approached the table and took their orders. Onari stared at the table, not meeting the girl's eyes as she asked her what she wanted. Sasuke had to apologize to the young woman and order for Onari. At one point, she tried to hide under the table, but Neji caught her arm and made her sit up straight.
"You shouldn't be afraid while we're here. We'll leave in the morning for home," Shikamaru said. "If anyone says anything, I'll slap them so hard you'll hear their teeth rattle." There was the famous tilting of Onari's head. "Don't get me wrong, I'm generally a nice, quiet guy, but there's no reason for hostility against you."
"You can't let another person have control over you," Sasuke said watching her. "If an opponent realizes you're afraid of them – whether it's their abilities, actions, or words- then they can and will manipulate you."
"You've got to have more confidence in yourself and the others around you," Lee said petting her head. "We won't let anyone hurt you. Period."
"Hey, Sprout," Kiba said whispering to her. He formed a hand seal in front of his body. Kiba poofed into Sasuke. He started making faces at Onari. She blinked then started laughing her butt off. Her bubbly, happy laugh got everyone's attention in the place.
"Kiba, you idiot," Sasuke said as he bonked him on the head.
"It's rude to play at the table," Neji said sternly. "You always have to start something."
Onari kept laughing at Kiba and Sasuke. Sasuke had Kiba in a headlock. It was funny as heck to her because Kiba was still maintaining the transformation and was making dramatic faces at her.
"I get what he's doing and why, but now isn't the best time," Shikamaru said. "Kiba, knock it off. Everyone's staring and you're making us look bad."
"You guys have no sense of humor," Kiba said as he turned back into himself. "They're a bunch of old men, right, Sprout?"
"Aren't you a year older than me, Shikamaru, and Sasuke," Lee said with his eye twitching. "You'll be an old man before we will, you know."
"I'm not getting involved. Me and Kiba are the same age," Neji said as he drank his hot tea.
"Here are your orders gentlemen," the young woman said as she returned. She laid out all of the bowls, plates, and chopsticks. When she got to the young girl, she stopped. The girl had a hideous scar on her face and her eyes stood out. Trying to maintain her professional composure, she cleared her throat and forced a smile. The girl was keeping her gaze focused on her. The young woman took a step back. "If you gentlemen need anything else, just let me know." She decided to check on the other patrons as quickly as possible.
"Whoa, Onari, where did that come from," Lee asked. Onari's eyes were focused and serious. Did she actually listen to what we told her about being more confident?
Neji lifted his hand, placed it on to of Onari's head and turned her hard gaze back to them. "Being confident means believing in yourself. It is just as important to let certain situations go. If you harvest anger and hatred, everything that affects you emotionally will eat away at you until you erupt."
The fact that we don't know what she's been through emotionally, mentally, and even physically has us in the dark. We know what tortures affected Naruto and Sasuke when we were kids. Naruto chose to deal with his torments in a positive manner, but Sasuke chose a negative route. It took years before we got Sasuke back. People who choose to not accept help are the most difficult. They want to engross themselves in the past and until they accept things for the way they are, they cannot move on.
Onari seems to have the same attributes as Naruto and Sasuke. She's being tortured by something. I can tell it in her eyes and her actions. The poor kid is shy, withdrawn, apprehensive, clingy, defiant, and shows signs of aggression at times. I wish she could tell us what's wrong and confide in us, but her language and understanding of Japanese is broken. Unfortunately, we'll have to play this situation by ear. Shikamaru watched Onari sadly. She was having difficulty mastering the pair of chopsticks.
Kiba watched as the girl stabbed her food. "That's one way to do it." She seemed rather pleased with herself. "Somebody's picky," he said as Onari spit out her food. She was trying to scrape her tongue off. He noticed she was doing that with each different piece of meat she tried. "Sprout, why are you not eating it?"
"Rabbit," she said pointing to her plate.
"I didn't order you rabbit," Sasuke said. "I ordered you beef and chicken."
"That's probably my fault. That's all we had when we were stuck on that mountain. I guess she's associating it with the hare," Shikamaru said.
"If you're not going to eat it, give it to me. All I eat is meat," Kiba said.
Sasuke grabbed some of his stir fry with his chopsticks. "Onari, open." He placed the food in her mouth. She seemed to be eating the heck out of it. "Hmm, that's different. I think Onari is a vegetarian."
"Should we order her something else," Neji asked.
"Nah, I can share with her, too. I don't particularly like broccoli. It's like munching on little trees," Shikamaru said.
"Thank you very much," Neji said as they left. "It's a good idea if we don't associate with anyone else while we're here. The waitress was a little spooked and the patrons were eying us as we left."
"The last thing we need is more trouble," Shikamaru said.
Onari pulled her hood over her face. If they got into trouble for anything, it would fall on her. She didn't want them to get ran out of the only village they had come across in days. She clutched her chest. It felt as if it was tightening and someone was sticking ice needles into her heart again. It hurt. Onari bit her lip so hard that she started to bleed.
Kiba sniffed the air. He turned around. The blood that he smelled was close. His eyes softened. "Um, guys, why don't you all go ahead." They stopped. "I think me and Onari need to have a talk."
Instead of asking, Sasuke nodded. It was clear something was wrong. Onari's actions said it all. She was choosing to fall behind and already separate from the group. His instincts were telling him to tighten the hold on her, but he was afraid that if he did, she would slip through the cracks. For now, Onari was as fragile as China. "Alright, we'll catch you later." He waved to Kiba.
"Are you okay with leaving her with him," Neji asked.
"Kiba notices something's wrong, like I do. I can't always be the one to approach Onari. She may resent me if I pry too much. As difficult as it is, I need to step back from her," Sasuke said. Onari reminded him so much of Takeru. Takeru was suffering with loneliness back home and he didn't want his son to build a fortress around himself.
"Sasuke, do you think Onari will be good for Takeru?" Lee watched a hesitant reaction on the man's face. They seemed to be on the same page. "Heh, sorry."
"No, it's alright. I'm worried what Takeru's reaction will be to her. I don't want him to feel like he's being traded in, or anything," Sasuke said.
"Saori acts the same way. You're not the only one who worries about his kid," Shikamaru said.
"Hey, guys, I have a great idea! Why don't we get them all together? That way, they could get used to each other. That's how you make friends," Lee said.
"That's a nice idea, but Onari might withdraw even more if she's forced into a situation with a lot of strangers," Neji said. "Let's stick with Sasuke's original plan to introduce her to Saori first, then Takeru. One on one contact may be better at this point."
(Scene Change)
"Hey, Sprout, what's wrong," Kiba asked softly. He lifted the hood gently. Onari's lip was bleeding. Aw, man, she's blaming herself for something. He wiped the blood off.
She couldn't look at Kiba. Onari felt bad about being in new surroundings and not knowing how to act. Her features were enough to get her noticed without adding her actions into it. If it were possible, she'd change her eyes and get rid of her scar. It was better to blend in than to stand out.
Kiba placed his rough hand on her cheek. "Hey, Onari, you can't let yourself take the blame for everything that happens. You haven't done anything to punish yourself over." She looked at him with scared eyes. "Come on, Sprout, level with me. What's wrong?" It took her a moment to try and tell him. Onari couldn't find the correct words in her head. "Try using words you do know." He didn't take his hand away from her cheek. Trying to maintain the thin bond between them was his main goal. If it broke, he might lose contact with her.
"Onari not have-," she held up five fingers to signal the guys, "Onari bad. Onari bad marks. Bad others see Onari."
Kiba was trying his best to understand what she was trying to say. It was rather difficult with the language barrier. "Hold on. You think you're a bad person because of the marks you have? Lee already told me about the writing and pictures, Sprout. What others think doesn't matter. You can't keep beating yourself up over it."
"Onari trouble to Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Sasuke, and Lee," she said softly.
Kiba grabbed onto her shoulders. He looked at her firmly. "I don't want to hear you say that. You're not trouble. I am," he said smiling at her. "I cause more problems because I'm cocky and I get on everyone's nerves." She smiled a little. "Don't tell the others I admitted it though. I'll just deny it."
"Kiba no hate Onari…?"
Kiba gave her a bear hug. "Of course not! I've never had a little sister before. You sure you want me as an older brother? I'm not going to go easy on you." Onari nodded.
"We'd better head back before Neji comes looking for us." Kiba lifted Onari up and carried her.
Neji Hyuga smiled a little as he leaned on the wall of a building. He was kind of surprised Kiba hadn't heard his movement. It had been a good idea to place something of Kiba's on his body, in order, to mask his scent. It had worked successfully.
He was pleased that Kiba had managed to get Onari to talk. Now he could take other measures to teach her and train her properly with caution. Even though the girl was going to live with Sasuke Uchiha and his family, Neji felt a great deal of pride regarding Onari. She was going to be his student, at his request. The girl had a lot of power in her that needed to be monitored and applied in a positive manner.
That girl is a genius in disguise. She learned Sasuke's fire jutsu after a few tries in the snow village. When she is threatened, she doesn't know how to handle it, and gets scared. However, when someone else is in danger, she defends them without any concern for herself – even when the odds are highly against her. She's a protector and defender like Naruto, but unlike him, she doesn't voice her confidence to the whole world. Things are a bit shaky right now, but if I can awaken her true abilities and personality with training, we may gain a valuable companion and ally.
Neji started to run back to the inn. He had to get back before them, or his cover would be blown. He had no intention of letting Kiba Inuzuka rub it in his face.