Chapter 3: Girls' Reunion
Summary:
Team 15 and two other friends listen to what Sumire has to say about Kawaki
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Naruto and Kawaki were walking away when Tsubaki said to Sumire:
_ I still don't like the way he looks at you.
Namida:
_Why is that? He has a scary look, but not when he looks at Sumire.
Tsubaki:
_Huh, I don't know, he just stares at her too much.
Wasabi:
_Well, the way he looked at me was like he was about to tear me apart. You guys know how dangerous he is? I heard when Sarada told Chocho he was able to blow up an area with a diameter of one kilometer, If it wasn't for Boruto, Team Seven and Mr. Katasuke would be obliterated. He also murderer a very strong opponent, his body is a weapon itself, he is like a monster and he...
Sumire interrupted:
_So was I!
Wasabi:
_Wait Sumire, you were not like that.
Sumire:
_Yes, I was. I didn't choose to be a weapon just as he didn't. I have hurt people too, I could have destroyed this whole Village that is twenty times larger than one kilometer. I was given a second chance and so was Kawaki. I don't know what he has been through but since I put my eyes on him the first time I could see a frightened soul trying to escape from an imposed darkness because I have been there too!
Namida:
_ Sumire-chan...
Namida and Wasabi looked at Sumire and remembered how painful was for her to bear the guilt of having hurt people in the name of an imposed vengeance. They remembered how hard was for Sumire to tell them she was responsible for Nue's attacks. They remembered when they told Sumire they already knew it and had already forgiven her for that. Tsubaki didn't know about Sumire's past as the other girls did, she was just observing intrigued.
At that moment other two girls we know well joined them.
Sarada:
_Girls, you are already here? I thought we were not late.
Tsubaki:
_ No, you are on time, we are ahead of the schedule.
Chocho:
_Class Rep! I missed you. Here, I brought you potato chips.
Sumire:
_ Ow, thanks Chocho,_ Sumire took the potato chips bag brought by Chocho and put it inside her back bag while Chocho was already eating from her own bag._I will eat it as a snack in the afternoon break. It is good to see you and you too, Sarada.
_Good to see you, Class Rep. Did something happen? You, Wasabi and Namida are with sad faces._ Sarada answered concerned while she thought: "And Tsubaki's face is like she is lost..."
Sumire:
_Ow, you have just arrived when I was talking about a sensitive subject...
Tsubaki:
_That's all because of that odd guy.
Chocho:
_ Odd guy, who is that?
Wasabi:
_ Aw, it is Kawaki, he and Lord Seventh have just left this spot.
Sarada:
_Really? Oh mine, did he attack someone? Did Lord Seventh restrain him?
_No way, it was not like that. Humf, you just assume he would have done something bad any time?_Sumire replied looking disappointed.
Sarada looked at Sumire a little startled and thought: "What? She has seen a little what he is able to do. Also, he just attacked a kid the other day..." Sarada was remembering what happened the day she met Kawaki and The Seventh Hokage at the Taiyaki shop.
Namida:
_Well, actually he was threatening to hurt Wasabi and Tsubaki jumped in to fight back, but Sumire stood up for him and he retreated.
_Huh, she stood up for "him"?!_ Sarada replied chocked and thought: "Shouldn't she be acting the other way around? (protecting the girls instead)"
Tsubaki:
_Quite a risky move from Sumire, trusting he wouldn't attack, but he didn't after all.
Sarada:
_Wait, he apologized then?
Namida:
_Yes, he even made a puppy-eyed face when he said he was sorry.
Sarada reacted with a relieved funny expression and thought: "Hard to imagine him doing a puppy face".
Wasabi:
_ Puppy-eyed? That's silly Namida.
Tsubaki:
_If he resembles a puppy that's why you loathed him that much as you have a feline instinct, Wasabi.
Namida:
_But puppies are cute.
Chocho:
_Do you also think he is handsome, Namida?
Namida:
_What? Well, when he is not with a scary face perhaps...
_This is not the point!_ Sarada interrupted annoyed.
Sumire, seeing a chance to reestablish her defensive arguments, started a speech sounding like a lecturer presenting an essay:
_Yes, this is not. As I was saying, Kawaki must have been through such awful things. The first time I saw him I could recognize that fear, his only answer was being aggressive and not trusting anyone. Now that Lord Seventh has taken him under his care we must be patient dealing with him, answering aggressiveness with aggressiveness is the wrong choice.
Tsubaki:
_ I was just being precautions, I should defend myself and my mates. But if it is like you are saying it means he won't engage us if we don't respond to him with rage?
Sumire:
_Exactly.
Wasabi:
_ Sorry, Sumire, I haven't thought this way. He just got on my nerves and I got carried away. But I still can't take the fact he tried to kill you back then. Have you forgiven him already?
Sumire signed and said:
_Of course I did, he hurt me, but he didn't intend to kill me, I assure you that. I need to tell you guys what happened that day. Even you, Sarada, don't know the full history despite you having been there.
Chocho:
_Oh sure I wanna listen, you should tell it on our way to the Bakery it is a few minutes to open, I am hungry!
Everybody agreed and the girls started to walk. Their appointment was meeting at Senju Park at 5:30 a.m. and walking to the Bakery that used to open at 6:00 . Team 15 was supposed to meet Hanabi Sensei at 7:00 a.m. to leave for a mission, Sumire would follow them to meet Hanabi briefly and then start working by 7:30 a.m. at the Ninja Science Facility. Chocho would leave them to meet Team 10 for training with Moegi Sensei, Sarada was going to train with Sasuke that morning too.
Sumire started to tell them about her interaction with Kawaki since the fight at the Tech Lab Stairs till the moment he freak out at seeing the injection needle. She pointed each slight sign that Kawaki gave showing he didn't enjoy being hurtful, likewise the fact he only used the stolen ninja tool to hit her as the last resource after being restrained, as he first threatened her with words before he engaged in body combat. She mentioned the way Kawaki called himself a monster saying she was the same made her feel how that words reflected his pain. She also pointed that he defended the stray dog without warming the butcher and that when he threatened to kill her as she found him he just meant to avoid her but not to kill her or even to hurt her. All the girls were impressed to hear Kawaki had sat down calmly to watch Sumire aiding the wounded dog and that previously he had made by himself a bandage with his torn sleeve, which gave him away to Sumire find him. At that point, Sumire interrupted her speech as they arrived at the Bakery proceeding to do the orders and finding a spot to sit. Sumire continued as soon they were done, everyone was anxious to listen to the rest of the story while eating their breakfast.
They were moved when Sumire reported her speech about trust and about her own experience of a redeemed painful past while she recognized Kawaki's sad eyes as the ones she once had. Of course, she mentioned Kawaki's resistance and rude behavior, but she saw it as a defensive mechanism of a traumatized child. Much related to the moment he saw the needle of the injection and attacked her.
_...probably that was an emotional trigger, he was a lab rat after all. I should have known better. Even so, the way he was grabbing my neck was just to immobilize me, he only tightened his grab after Team 7 and the Police Force arrived because he was angry thinking I was a liar. So Nue bit him, reckoning his chibi form was enough to defend me, he would have used her beast form if my life was at stake as he had enough chakra for that and my control over him can't overpass his protection instinct regarding me. Then the Police Force shot directly at Kawaki who blocked the blasts with his ninja tech modified arm, but the remaining impact wave hit me and Nue because we were right behind him, that actually was the reason we fainted._Sumire continued.
_Sarada then spoke:
_Ow that Police Force, they acted pretty recklessly at Ryutan! I warned them not to shoot because you were there, they also ignored me when they engaged Kawaki in a crowded street regardless of the villagers were in the crossfire reach. Ow, actually I am recalling it right now, I have to admit, despite being attacked by the Police blasts, Kawaki deflected his fire counterattack to avoid hitting the passersby, it happened seconds before Lord Seventh jumped into the scene.
In Sarada's mind: "Humf, I hope that Police Force task team will be passing through an administrative procedure. Their actions were mentioned in the Team Seven report."
Sumire replied relieved:
_ Oh he really did that? This is my point, he doesn't enjoy hurting people. Well, just concluding my speech, I guess a few minutes had passed and I remember waking up in Boruto's arms seeing Lord Seventh and Mr. Sai, I begged Lord Seventh to give a chance to Kawaki explain his side. A few moments later I was with Boruto seeing when Kawaki fainted from exhausting and Lord Seventh held him.
Chocho:
_When I and Sarada met him the day before yesterday, he seemed unfriendly but not even close to being the monster everyone is painting him by. He is good-looking and seems cool.
"You didn't see what happened after you leave, Chocho"_ Sarada thought doing a frowning look.
"So they also met him the day before yesterday?" Sumire thought surprised when she listened to Chocho's speech, then she looked at Sarada's concerned face and she got intrigued.
Namida:
_The way Sumire talks about him makes me feel he is a nice person.
Wasabi:
_I guess he is not that evil after all.
Tsubaki:
_Since he has no intention of hurting anyone, it is ok for me.
Wasabi:
_ I hope he learns some good manners though.
Sumire gave a shy laugh after listening to Wasabi, she was happy the girls had started to see Kawaki with better eyes.
In another part of Konoha
On their way home, Naruto noticed Kawaki was pretty down after the incident with Team Fifteen, he knew he didn't need to lecture him because Kawaki seemed already repented. As an attempt to cheer Kawaki up, Naruto said:
_Hey, Kawaki, I bet you are hungry; these early morning walking can really open the appetite. I bet Hinata is preparing a delicious breakfast today.
_Huh, yeah. _Kawaki answered almost indifferently.
Naruto:
_ Hey, maybe today you and Boruto could spar in the training field to know better about your Karma resonation. It will be interesting.
Kawaki:
_ I guess he won't enjoy this idea. He was not interested in helping me the last time we talked, he is still mad at me somehow.
Naruto:
_Tsc, yeah, Boruto can be really stubborn. But give him time, he will change up his mind, since you are trying to do things right now, aren't you?
_You think?_Kawaki asked surprised to get this encouragement even after the earlier incident.
In Kawaki's thought: "Maybe I should get that broken vase glued up together after all."
Naruto:
_Sure I think. And don't worry I won't mention this little morning brawl with Wasabi and Tsubaki to him.
_ I appreciate that. I guess Boruto would be mad to know I threatened Sumire's friends. I don't know if he cares much about them but I've seen he cares about Sumire._ Kawaki answered and thought: "Boruto was quite protective over her back then!"
Naruto:
_Indeed he cares. Don't worry though, Sumire likes you, so, she probably would help you out with Boruto if she has the chance.
Naruto looked at Kawaki and noticed his eyes were quite cheerful. Although Kawaki tried to dissimulate his joy just saying:
_ Huh, well, if you say so... whatever.
Naruto smiled and thought: "I guess this worked better than talking about food."