It had been two days since the battle where Hokage-sama and several others lost their lives in the fight between Orochimaru and Konoha. It was raining as many shinobi from all different rankings stood and watched the ceremony.
I was lucky that I was allowed to come, especially considering the fact that my arms were still unusable. They were heavily bandaged and held to my chest in slings. My chest was also tightly bound in bandages since I was literally stabbed through my lung two days ago. The nurses said it would probably be another week or so before they could be properly healed enough for me to start up being a shinobi again, but only if I took extra care with every action I performed.
My parents had a small meltdown upon learning that I had a worse injury from a month prior I never told them about. They were going to have a much worse reaction once they found out I was planning on becoming an ANBU member one day. Those two didn't want me in any more serious danger, or at least not for a long while.
My sister gave a small sigh besides me, snapping me from my thoughts. She had such a sad look on her face that reached deep into her eyes. My twin took the death of the old man hard, just like everyone else.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a very kind person with an extraordinary Will of Fire, one that would burn on in the hearts of everyone else loyal to Konoha. Even though he did die two days ago, he managed to save the place and people he cared for so much. If he could have even that much, it was worth it to him.
I glanced up towards the Hokage Monument where a large crack ran diagonally across Sandaime-sama's face. I frowned softly at the omen that appeared three-fourths of the way through the battle. I quickly pushed negative thoughts away, however, and turned my eyes up towards the sky.
Dark, grey clouds extended out for as far eyes could see. They released large raindrops that got anyone soaking wet if they stood outside for more than ten seconds at a time. It appeared that even the heavens wept from the death of such a great man.
I slowed my head to tilt back as far as it could and allowed my eyes to rest on the black umbrella over my head. I listened to the raindrops hit the black material before allowing my head to go in its natural position.
The only reason I had been allowed to attend the ceremony was because my sister offered to hold an umbrella over me, and subsequently herself since it was big enough. The nurses didn't want my bandages to get wet and aggravate my wounds. They were so overbearing...
Sakura softly called out my name, causing me to look towards her with a raised brow. Her green eyes were still directed towards the center photo of Hokage-sama, and they were filled to the brim with unshed tears. Her free hand hesitantly reached out towards me and gripped the loose, black shirt I wore.
"Sakura..." I said, catching her attention. I looked forwards with an emotionless expression, my body not betraying my locked away sadness. "It's better not to remember how he died, but rather how he lived."
The pinkenette was clearly confused by my words, but I wasn't going to give her the answers that time.
I gave a small sigh as I shifted my weight a bit, causing pain to shoot through my arms. I winced at the sensation, but was revealed that my nerves definitely still worked. It would just take a little bit to get my muscles working again as well.
My twin tightened her grip on my sleeveless top before adjusting the umbrella so it wouldn't drop water down on the people behind us.
We stood in the front row, all the way to the right with other genin.
I ignored her concern and turned my attention back to the old man's smiling face. I looked into the black eyes of the picture, my mind drifting back to a time many years ago.
~
"Ren, stop glaring at the door."
I snapped out of my trance, but I was still furious with the man that was waiting and hiding just on the other side of that door. I turned my gaze back to the old man sitting across from me and kept my arms crossed tightly in front of my chest. I tapped my left bicep with my right index finger, my anger slowly building up inside of me once again. I was going to lash out once more if I wasn't distracted thoroughly.
The white-haired individual knew that and cleared his throat before folding his hands together. "Ren, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"How do you even know it was me?" I asked defiantly.
The Sarutobi raised up an eyebrow rather high.
Even at that young age, I could still sense when someone gave me an 'Oh really?' expression. "You take that back!" I yelled angrily at the stupid old fart while pointing dramatically.
The white brow raised up even higher before the old man just sighed. "Ren, your chakra was all over his apartment."
I frowned while glaring into the distance. Fucking sensory assholes. I hate those guys.
"Why did you do this, Ren?" Hokage-sama questioned.
I clicked my tongue before snapping, "He deserved it."
The leader of Konoha ran his hands down his face while muttering, "What could he have possibly done to make you sneak into his apartment, poison all of his foods and drinks, booby trap every centimeter of his home, cast genjutsu that made him things so horrible he refused to tell anyone, and then finally try to ambush him and kill him via heart attack?"
I didn't reply, because put like that, I sounded like a bit of an asshole.
The man who was nicknamed as "The Professor" picked up a sheet of paper and then flipped it around so it'd face me.
Clearly, that fuckface Mizuki had already told his side of the story.
"Mizuki doesn't have the qualities to be a teacher. He can't even correct a history paper properly," I stated with crossed arms.
The old man turned the paper around and began to read my answers over carefully. His black eyes seemed to pick up pace the more they read. His white brows furrowed deeply before he finally reached the end of the page. He flipped the paper over and placed his tightly clenched hands onto the surface of it. "Where did you that information?"
"Library," I answered honestly.
"Where?" He pressed.
"Depends on the week." I explained with a small shrug before leaning closer to him. "Just between you, me, and those ANBU dudes overhead, this weirdo comes in every week to the library and slips in small folders of information regarding the history of Konoha."
"Does he ever come back to collect them?" Hokage-sama asked softly.
"He used to, but stopped since I would always take them from the library and never return them," I replied before pointing a thumb over my shoulder at my house. "They're all under my bed if you want to get a guy to collect them."
The powerful man raised his right hand quickly before allowing it to settle back down on the table. "When will he be coming back next?"
"Five days," I answered immediately, "He'll show up next Tuesday some time between the start of the academy and lunchtime."
"Hm... That's rather accurate for a child your age," the old man praised as he sat back.
"I'm an accurate person," I boasted proudly before pointing to the reason I was in his office at all. "So, do I get a higher score?"
"No," he said, causing me to frown deeply. "That's not the materials you were taught in the academy, so your grades must remain the same. Also, you shall be receiving a new sensei since you traumatized your previous one. Please don't repeat this again."
"No promises," I mumbled under my breath while sliding off of my seat. I gave a half-assed bow before turning heel.
"Children these days are so dangerous," Hokage-sama muttered.
"I prefer the term selectively ruthless," I corrected before taking my leave from his office via the door like a normal person.
"That's even worse..." He commented before sighing deeply.
~
I gave a deep sigh of my own before glancing over at Iruka-sensei.
The man was comforting Konohamaru with a very saddened expression. He finally broke down and hugged the boy to his chest. As a person who cared deeply for the children of the village, he, of course, would be distraught over a student of his crying his little heart out.
I listened to the sobs of Hokage-sama's grandson, allowing my mind to once again drift back in time. However, the memory I uncovered was one that I hadn't really thought of in many years...
~
I, soaking wet, gently lead my sister, whom was also soaking wet, through the streets to our home.
My poor twin was sobbing uncontrollably as she had nearly experienced death earlier that day. She, a mere girl who couldn't swim, was pushed down a ravine into a large, quick-moving river by a boy a bit older than her.
I was furious at the boy, but I couldn't allow Sakura to drown. Therefore, I left him behind and quickly made my way down the ravine, stumbling and falling several times. I was pretty cut up, but for the sake of my precious person, I endured it. I jumped into the river to save her, and got just as wet as she had. I had to save her, and that was my only priority.
Unbeknownst to me, a man who was walking by saw what happened and beat me down to the place where my sister had been dragged off to. He caught her and gently placed her down on the side of the ravine where water could not reach. He then grabbed ahold of me and brought me to my sister's side.
I was going to thank the old guy, but my sobbing twin demanded my full attention. I immediately began to fret over her well-being and tried to ask questions, but she just kept on crying. So, being the big brother I was, I put her on my back and began to carry her up the ravine's side.
The guy who had helped my sister get out of the river grabbed ahold of the two of us and began to jump up the side of the rocky slope. He was definitely a shinobi, but the robes he wore automatically gave away his ranking. Yes, it was the Hokage of Konohagakure. When he made it to the top, he set us down and began to ask us questions, only for me to ignore him and continue on towards our house.
Sakura suddenly slid from my back and began to walk next to me, probably uncomfortable by the wetness of her new clothes that had been torn us along her fall.
I rubbed her back soothingly as I lead her towards the general direction of our home. I was thankful she still had enough sense to her to guide me in the right direction since I was the epitome of directional challengedness.
We soon made it to the street we lived on, and Sakura had calmed down a bit by then. She was still crying, of course, but it wasn't as heart-wrenching as before.
"Once we get inside, go take a warm bath and get on some dried clothes," I told my sister, earning a small nod. I lead her inside and stopped in the front hall. I helped her take her sandals off and then kicked mine off haphazardly. I didn't bother to wait for the old man who had followed after my younger twin and I.
"Oh my goodness! What happened?!" Okaa-chan exclaimed as Sakura passed by the kitchen.
Hokage-sama stepped forwards and states, "Your daughter happened to be pushed and subsequently fell down into a river. Rest assured the boy will be punished for his actions with supervision."
I grit my teeth at the wording, but said nothing more as I went upstairs to get changed. I dried myself off and threw on a new pair of clothes before heading out to my favorite place to clear my mind - the Hokage Monument, or more specifically, Nidaime-sama's head. I sat there with my legs pulled up to my chest, my chin resting on my knees. I stared down blankly at the village below, my arms tightening their grip around my legs.
The breeze gently ruffled my hair as scattered clouds danced across the blue of the sky. It would have been a perfect day if the previous incident hadn't occurred. But life had a shitty habit of kicking people down sometimes.
I had no idea how much time passed before I felt a presence behind me. I looked over my shoulder and scowled a bit at the old man before realizing he was holding up a plate of sweets, my favorite at the time.
"You mother was getting worried and asked me to coax you home with these daifuku," the Sarutobi explained while stretching the plate out towards me.
I snatched the plate away and began to shove one into my mouth. I took a large bite out of it before my eyes lit up in joy. I had strawberry daifuku, my absolute favorite treat at the time.
Yes, this happened before I was introduced to Itachi-senpai and subsequently the amazing thing which were dangos. Still, strawberry daifukus are my second favorite sweet/snack food of all time.
The old guy chuckled and walked past me to stand close to the edge of the rocky head.
I watched him silently while continuously stuffing my face with the sweets made from rice, anko paste, and strawberries.
"Haruno Ren..." The Sandaime Hokage called out after I finished off the plate.
"Yeah?" I asked rudely as I stood up and went to his side, the plate held tightly to my chest.
"You seemed quite angry after I told your mother what happened," he noted aloud.
"Why wouldn't I?" I snapped angrily, my hands clenching into fists. "She's my little twin sister. She could have died, and all he gets is supervision."
"What would you suggest as punishment?" The Sarutobi inquired.
I remained silent for a moment, silently deliberating my preferred method of punishment. I finally looked up at the man blankly and stated, "I would want him to experience the same cold and suffocating terror Sakura went through."
The old guy looked disturbed to a minor degree. "Why?"
I snorted. "To teach him a lesson."
He raised up a white brow. "And what lesson would that be?"
My eyes narrowed at the village down below. "All actions have consequences. Perhaps next time, he will think of those consequences before doing bad actions."
"...That's a rather dangerous suggestion, one that could very well strike fear into this village," Hokage-sama pointed out.
I didn't reply, and instead pushed that notion aside. I would have my way no matter what.
And that night, I did. It became known as the Black Lotus Incident, and many citizens lived in fear for a small period after since the culprit was never brought to justice. I, just as that boy before me, only got a minor slap on the wrist and was threatened with supervision and further action if I were to do something similar again.
The old man would always chat with me about once a month for the next year and a half to make sure I was keeping my rage in check. He soon began to loosen my reigns after I sealed away my undesirable parts. He allowed me to do as I please after I entered the academy since I was focusing my energy on becoming a shinobi.
Even still, I would stop by every so often to talk about life just as I had many years ago. We grew close as two people would with that interaction and became more than mere leader and child. We became friends, if you will.
It was a bond I carried close, though I did so without the knowledge of others as the adults would scold me for taking up his precious time while the other children would mock me for spending time with such an old man. It was a bond that I wished to protect, even as it was threatened by a power that could easily sever the bond. It was because of that bond, however, that I even risked death to protect.
It was a bond that I allowed to be severed because of my lack of strength...
~
I felt tears prick my eyes at the realization I was so helpless in that big world with foes around every corner. I managed to blink those tears away before anyone could notice them and instead focused on the beautiful ceremony being held for the loss of such a beautiful life.
"Iruka-sensei..." Uzumaki-kun suddenly called out, catching my attention. "What are humans? Is life just that simple?"
The black-eyed man stared silently at his former student before turning his gaze to the picture of Sarutobi Hiruzen. "What a person dies... It doesn't matter if it's past, present, or future - they lose everything. He died fighting in a mission - death caught him unaware because life was that simple."
I frowned at the sensei's words, not believing the bullcrap he was spouting. He died because he chose to go out on his terms. He died because he was a great man that chose the lives of these villagers over his own. He died to seal away Orochimaru's greatest weapons. It's not that life is simple, as it most certainly is not, but rather that death is simple.
"It's like a dream," Iruka-sensei continued, "It's all the same even if you haven't reached your goal, but everyone knows that the most important thing is to die for a cause. Family, friend, lovers, and other villagers: to me, those are the most important people... We trust each other, help each other from the day we're born to the day we die. We start to feel that love is the most important and... that kind of relationship takes time to develop... and trust... Anyone with this headband on knows... because it's very important..."
I opened my mouth silently, but paused. I decided to just close my mouth and not spread my ideals that seemed to clash against the older male's.
Kakashi-sensei, who was to my diagonal right one row behind, reached over and put his hand on my head. "Just say it and get it off your chest."
I looked down at the ground for a few seconds before turning my gaze to Iruka-sensei. "I think you're right to a degree. People die all the time, and dreams die the same. That's a simple fact. Life, however, is much more complicated. Love is indeed the most important thing, and it does take time to love. It's because we develop special bonds of love with the people around us that we continue on. We fight for those bonds every day, whether we know it or not. Even those without these hitai-ate headbands do so. The difference between us and those who don't wear them doesn't come from the knowledge of bonds, but rather how far we're willing to go to keep our precious bonds, our precious people, safe."
Iruka-sensei contemplated my words carefully, judging them based on his own personal beliefs. Finally, he gave a soft, sorrowful smile to me. "You really are the smartest student I've ever had, Ren."
I gave a forced nod of praise, but I really didn't appreciate it since that knowledge should have been common to all shinobi.
"Yeah, you certainly do have some good students," Kakashi-sensei praised just as he did back in Nami no Kuni. He ruffled my hair, much to my annoyance.
I scolded deeply and glared at the silver-haired jônin. "You better fix that. I'm not going back to that hellhole people call a hospital and deal with those demons lecturing me for "being too rough with my head"."
"Ah, sorry," the man apologized as he began to straighten my hair out carefully.
"You better be," I grumbled under my breath angrily.
"But..." Uzumaki-kun objected, catching everyone's attention, "...death is still painful."
"The Hokage wouldn't think it's painful," Kakashi-sensei told the blonde, earning great confusion from the kyūbi's host. "Because we both agree people should not be hurt for no reason."
I cringed at his use of double negatives, but didn't bother to correct his grammar.
"But... it's no use even if you do understand," the black-eyed male said.
Uzumaki-kun smiled. "Right...! Because not knowing is better than knowing..."
I looked between the two guys with the utmost confusion. "What fucking drugs are you on? It's always better to know. Not knowing creates thousands of what-if scenarios that won't leave you a moment's peace."
"Perhaps that is the case for someone so driven for the truth, but not for Naruto," the former ANBU member whispered, causing me to pause and then nod in understanding. "In any case, the rain is finally letting up."
I gave a small hum of approval before just silently watching the end of the service.
By the time it finished, the rain had ceased and revealed the sun which had formerly been hidden away.
Sakura closed the umbrella and walked with Kakashi-sensei, Uchiha, and I. She, like the rest of us, had to pause and wait for Uzumaki-kun to stop chatting with Iruka-sensei over whatever trivial bullshit they were talking about.
Finally, the little blonde moron began to run towards us while waving to the brunette. "Bye Iruka-sensei!"
"Bye," the man replied with a somewhat saddened smile.
The boy with whisker-like markings on his cheeks finally made it and yelled, "Let's go get ramen!"
"How about dango?" I suggested with a small frown. "We always have ramen."
Kakashi-sensei gave a very sarcastic laugh before gently holding my shoulders. "That was funny, Ren. It really was. You're going back to the hospital."
I frowned, but didn't struggle as he and the rest of my team escorted me back to the prison of demon doctors and nurses. I was brought back to my room, and Kakashi-sensei lingered after the other three left. "I won't ditch, so you don't have to babysit me," I said with great annoyance clear in every aspect of my being.
"Yes, I know. But just in case..." He patted my head and gave a closed-eye smile. "If you behave, I'll bring you your usual order of dango from the place you took TenzÅ too. Sound good?"
I brightened up, not at all upset with that damn wood-moving asshole for spilling me special place to Kakashi-sensei. I nodded enthusiastically before laying down in my bed like a good patient.
"Good. I'll be back later." He then took his leave, abandoning me in the place that held several of my fears.
I waited patiently for several hours, only to realize he wasn't coming as the visiting hours came to an end. I was rather disappointed as I curled myself into a ball, my covered pulled over my head to block out any light that would otherwise assault my eyes. I had just about fallen asleep when someone suddenly placed a hand on my side. I jerked awake and shoved my covers off so I could have a face to the pervert in the hospital. I scolded upon seeing the smiling face of my asshole of a sensei.
"Sorry I'm a bit late," he apologized while sitting down on the edge of my bed. He passed along my dango to me before setting the throw-away cup of tea on my nightstand. "I didn't remember your exact order, so I had to wait for Tenzō to be free."
I looked at the man in surprise for a split-second. I expected some dumbass lie, but being given the truth was a bit... nice. I smiled softly down at my dango before looking at the man with great embarrassment. "U-um... C-could you, uh, h-help... me...?"
"Of course." He picked up one of my sticks of dango since I couldn't. "Say ah!"
I glared at him as my face practically exploded in red. I managed to shove down my pride, however, and took a more bold approach to the situation. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, extending my tongue out slightly. "Ah~h!"
The man, without any hesitation, began to put the dango into my mouth.
I quickly bit down fiercely on the first ball that entered. Since we were sitting on a bed, I could easily feel him jolt away before shivering slightly. I smirked triumphantly as I ate my single sweet, my eyes opening to show off my slight sadism.
Clearly getting the hint, Kakashi-sensei didn't push his luck and fed me normally before assisting me with my drink. He then cleaned up the evidence and bid me farewell before jumping out of the window. He stuck to the hospital wall and closed the window behind him before really jumping away.
I chuckled softly at his departure before laying back down. I kicked my covers into a somewhat decent position and then curled into my usual ball. I fell asleep peacefully and had a restful night.
