AN: Inner monologue warning...Also, Sakura's a little naive because she's 13. For some reason, I'm not a big fan of this chapter, but I can't just timeskip until something happens; you wouldn't feel any emotions toward these characters.
Road to Cherry Blossoms
Eleventh Path
The Drive to Get Stronger Arc: Anticipation
Since the only thing I can do is simple genjutsu and Academy techniques, I make up for that weakness with being super extraordinarily and also slightly impractically prepared. If I hadn't known how storage scrolls work, my spine would've given out as soon as I slipped on my backpack.
Still, I feel like a little girl with my pink, girly outfit and kunai bouncing in my pouches. My backpack isn't light and looks big against my thin arms.
Mom's right...I do give up a whole bunch. Why'd it have to be so easy just to give up? Why could it be easier to work? I reach for my hair to bite it - but, no, it's too short.
"What else do Konoha shinobi do?" says the father of the Zensen Family, Hiraku.
"I dunno," Kiba says. "We just do missions and sometimes fight. But when we get home, family's real important."
"I like that ideology. It's too bad Water doesn't think that. Power and individuality are the de facto. Everyone fends for themselves when they're born. It's why our life expectancy is so low."
Kiba grumbles. "'S probably why all you Water shinobi look so creepy."
Since I'm closest, I punch him right in his funny bone. He starts flailing his arm and also not flailing his arm because it hurts to move, but he has to move it in order to get feeling back.
After more walking, I hear from my spot at the front of the line: "I cannot stand walking anymore!"
Hearing her voice sends a jolt of annoyance up my spine.
Hanami Zensen has arms crossed tightly across her chest with a pout. "How on earth do you people stand walking for so long! It's hot, I'm getting sweaty, and my feet hurt!"
Kurenai-sensei and Shino get an earful as they're leading the back and Hinata patrols the middle (because of me being here). Miraculously, Kurenai-sensei has an extreme tolerance of bratty kids because her smile doesn't falter. Shino, however, looks very pale with tense eyebrows.
"Sometimes," Sensei says, "our clients aren't as mobile as we are. We must take this in consideration."
"Woah, woah, Hanami!" Hiraku strides to his daughter. "If we take a break every hour, we won't make it in time!"
"Then carry me the entire way, Papa." She stretches her arms out, ready for him to pick her up.
Her mother shakes her head. "Sweetie, you're thirteen. You're too heavy and too old to be carried on backs - no matter if your father doesn't mind. Just endure it."
"I don't want to!"
Sensei interrupts with: "I'll carry Hanami. I'm in fit condition."
Hanami glances at her, frowns, and humphs. "Just keep quiet, and maybe it'll be okay. If not, we're stopping immediately!"
"I understand, Hanami." Kurenai-sensei kneels in front of Hanami with her back being the closest. She scrambles on and Sensei, hooking her arms around Hanami's body securely, stands up without effort. "There. Isn't it fun being this tall?"
Hanami's cheeks are pink as she murmurs, "I'm almost as tall as Chiru."
Chiru snorts. "This is the only time you're ever going to be this high."
We resume walking, but I still watch her as I walk. Her face turns red. "Yeah, well, I don't like being tall! You bump your head on stuff and get dumber. Plus girls are short, so your wife might feel bad because you are taller than her!"
Chiru narrows his eyes and looks away; Ouka scolds her daughter for being so fussy while Hiraku checks his height and his wife's height, surprised of a 16 centimeter difference.
"Whatta freak show," Kiba mumbles. His voice sounds heavy. I look at him to find his hood covering more of his face than normal.
"Kiba? You okay?"
"No! What a mean, little brat! She's gonna tear the entire family apart one day!"
What's he getting so - oh. Inuzuka and dogs are very, very close. Dogs enjoy being in packs and families, so that aspect must've worn off on the Inuzuka. Not to mention he has his own sister he mentioned sometimes. Seeing Hanami must feel like seeing a rebellious pup who refuses his pack.
That is...almost like Sasuke. He ran away from his pack. "She's sort of like Sasuke in that regard..."
"Gh - y-yeah," he stammers. "Both are hotheaded idiots. Only Sasuke's got skill." He trails off, gesturing more than necessary. "You...still love him?"
I can't bring myself to say no, even though that's how I feel. Saying things are permanent. Thinking things are possibilities. Saying thing around others is just begging the wheels of fate to churn.
"I wonder what we're going to eat tonight," I say instead. "It can't be too much that we can't move, but with a family of five, we've gotta be eating good right?"
It's satisfying to see his hesistant expression change into a wicked grin. "Hinata's the best cook ever! She takes a long time, but it's always worth it. But I've told Hinata she can't be doing such gentle things if she wanna get confident, so I'm teaching her the basics of caring for her own Inuzuka pup! Too bad she only wants Akamaru."
I turn to give Hinata a smile. She's completely distracted by baby Sakan in her hands; she's tickling him and asking him questions. It's so adorable!
Calm down, inner fan girl! We're past those days...right?
Our first thirty minute break is three hours before sunset. Our next break will be our break for nighttime. Tomorrow, it's thirty minute breaks every three hours. Kiba is dozing off on a rock, Hinata and Shino keep guard, and Kurenai-sensei chats with Hiraku and Ouka.
I see Hanami sit the furthest away from us under a tree shade. Since Chiru is all alone, I decide to talk to him.
"Ah, Chiru, right? Can we talk?"
He nods, most of his attention on the ladybug crawling over his hands (I feel itchy watching it!).
"Thank you. Okay...about your sister...?"
"She's wasn't always like this," Chiru says tonelessly. That question was asked many times - had to be. "Forgive her big head."
"What happened, then?"
"Dunno. She's keeping everyone out of her little world. Maybe this party will have her appreciate how special life is." His words strike me deeply, but he scoffs. "Look at me - talking just like a Fire shinobi."
"How do Water shinobi speak?"
"Gruff. Scary. Always yelling. Water teams aren't the simple Jounin and three kids. Kids are picked if they can kill or if they already had killed. Greenies get kicked out to become servants or poor."
"That's...awful." My voice sounds hoarse as I fight burning tears. "Why hasn't anyone tried to stop that tyranny?!"
The ladybug flies away, disappointing the boy. "Cause you need power to fight power. And once you get power, you never go 'I'm going to help the less fortunate!' you go 'I must do what ever it takes to keep this power.'"
So...selfishness and greed run rampant. Impulsively, that makes my spin shiver. Thinking it through, it's not an unreasonable government choice. I mean, this entire world is military-based - military-dictatorship at worse. As a super power, Konoha obviously chose the more favorable version of the government and Water chose the most logical. Really, we train children to become soldiers or meat shields.
And yet, there's something keeping me going. It has to be my upbringing. I've got friendship, loyalty, the Will of Fire, and determination to look forward. That lets me ignore some of the crueler aspects of this world. Water probably didn't have the patience to create an engaging atmosphere; they must tell their children what their place is in this world and expect the children to listen or die.
In hindsight, I wonder which government is the best - disregarding ethics, and all? Konoha is saccharine sweet and Kiri is brutally honest.
(Maybe it all boils down on who had the cuter boys?)
But about Hanami...
"She wasn't always like this? Meaning, she was a bit more...tolerable?" It's the most polite phrasing I can come up with.
"Yeah," he huffs.
Then could it be trauma? Or - ?
"Enough about me. How'd you damage that forehead protector?"
My finger immediately find their way to the scratched metal. "That's...a little personal."
Chiru quirks an eyebrow. "Really? Got it from doing something really embarrassing?"
"N-No...this is my teammate's protector. He's gone now."
"...oh. Oh, sorry about that. Erm...why do you wear that dress as a kunoichi? Can you seduce men?"
"What!" That hardly sounded like a question! "M-Me?! No way! C'mon...I've got a big forehead and I've got no curves, no nothing." I rub my nose because keeping my hands still is impossible. "Plus I can't even flirt right...no guy's gonna fall for me..."
"Well, what can you do?"
"Genjutsu," I say without hesitation. "Sorta. I'm a beginner."
"...recent Genin?"
"It's been almost a year now."
Chiru frowns. "Why...aren't you strong?"
"Long story, okay?! Butt out of it! I didn't quiz you this much!"
"Hey, hey, you've got my life in your hands and I'm a little worried about your strength."
"No one's dying, Chiru."
"You say that now," he states, "but if my baby bro or sis is even in danger of dying, I'm going to fight back."
I nod once. "Wouldn't want it in any other way."
"...you know what a Water shinobi would say? Their lives are more important than their teammates. Not because they're selfish - usually - but because it'd be disrespectful to think they need help with their own lives. Like, um, teaching for a teacher or cooking for a master chef. Even though there's a lot of death, violence, and death, they really do treasure life."
Aaaannnd I cannot understand how any human can see life differently. Life is precious and short. What more can there be? Chiru's, like, sixteen years old; it's probably something you learn when you grow up.
All this talking and thinking has made me tired. I lie on the cold grass with my face facing the empty sky and trees. Cerulean has never looked so vivid before. I swear I saw a cloud shaped like a fish cake...
"I'm back. Why so frightened?" I don't need to see underneath his mask to know his sharp teeth are grinning. My body won't respond. Standing so close to him, I feel like a glass doll. He can break me and I can do nothing.
He saunters closer. "You ain't gonna run? That's the best part. But the ultimate part is giving your prey hope before you take it away. Their despair at that moment makes me laugh." He barks out laughter.
I still can't do anything. I drop to my knees and stare down Zabuza Momochi who's definitely going to play with his prey before making the kill -
"...!"
My ears...don't register...the voice...
"...! ...!"
I open my eyes...Seeing a silhouette against the sun puts the voice into focus."
"...gotta get a move on. Let's go, sleeping beauty!"
Guy? Lee? No, a mission...
"...Kiba?" I wonder.
"C'mon, we gotta go."
"How long was I asleep?"
"Like five minutes, I guess. Everyone's waitin' for you."
"...okay." I still feel shaken up. I just dreamed of Zabuza. He's dead now, along with Haku. There's nothing to worry about.
"Hey, you okay? You look real pale."
"Just a weird dream," I grunt as I get up and dust off grass and dirt. I stop when something white blocks my view. "What are you - ?"
Akamaru barks inches before my face. With him this close, he looks adorable. I grab him from Kiba. Aw, he's so cute and warm and he keeps licking my hand.
"You can play with him for a bit," Kiba says. "I noticed he makes people real relaxed."
He's trusting me with his puppy? Would he have done that back in the Academy, too? "Thanks, I feel a lot better all ready!"
He grins, showing his canines, and we start our journey once more.
