I never really appreciated cliche saying as much as I should have. Now… now those sayings are a lifeline for me that I wouldn't know what to do without. Maybe it's just the fact that I am now regularly being thrown into impossible situations that they have become so useful. Or maybe it's just the nice reminder of my old world and their more clean cut on the surface morals.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. This isn't necessarily true because what if both are your enemies, are both your friends? I don't think so… however the saying are helpful to make complicated things simple.
Every dark cloud has a silver lining. That I could apply to my life CONSTANTLY. You become a ninja, you'll have to kill people, but you'll get stronger and learn cool chakra techniques.
However I really wish I had learnt more of them because what exactly is the friend of my friend? It should be another friend but unfortunately it feels a lot like barely tolerated feral wolf.
I was more than a little relieved that when Yota told about how he met me and then later Ami he left out our chakra training. Another reason I like the kid, he just proved I can TRUST him.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me…." Choji pouts crossing his arms and looking from me to his shoes and back. I cock an eyebrow at him.
"Really? Because I'm pretty sure you didn't tell ME either." I add and he begins to blush a little. He lets out a long sigh and lets it go. This is the third time we are all meeting up together. At least it isn't as awkward as the first or second time. Unfortunately our presence has driven Ino and Sakura, even Shikamaru to come more often after class not wanting to leave Ami and I alone with Yota. Not like we have been for weeks… yet the feeling of distrust isn't one sided, Ami doesn't want them alone with Yota either and so has been ditching Kasumi and Fuki at lunch to come. This has earned an increasing number of glares from the two directed at me, but no one messes with me or confronts me directly. Come to think of it I haven't really had to deal with any of the usual teasing most 'outcasts' do and I have a feeling I have Ami to thank for it. The thought makes my cheeks burn because the thought of being protected by a little girl that I am supposed to be protecting… NOT the other way around… well it is a little embarrassing.
Yota doesn't seem to mind the environment at all, he's pleased we're all coming more often. He seems to be getting bored if his daily complaints are anything to go by. Still there is that mutual distrust surrounding us. With the exception of Choji of course. Ino and Sakura gossip about Ami and I when they think we and Yota aren't listening.
"I don't like them…" Sakura whispers and I shake my head.
Eaves dropping proficiency level has risen X1
Eavesdropping Proficiency Level 30
Ability to listen in on others conversations without them knowing you are listening. Range 0.1m per level, 100% accuracy. -10% accuracy per additional 0.1m. Current ability range 3.0m
"Cold, cold, cold, it's snowing cold!" Yota sings as he dancing around fluffy white snow falling from the sky a product of his joy after Ami made him giggle. I watch Ami making a snow ball throwing it at me. I dodge out of the way and it hits Choji dead centre. My sister in all but blood's face goes bright red as Choji answers in kind and a snow ball flight breaks out. I may or may not frame Shikamaru when throwing snow balls at Ino and Sakura however it is the first carefree moment since the two groups merged. Hopefully not the last.
POV Shikamaru Nara
It's strange figuring out you can know someone and know nothing about them simultaneously. Naras may not be the most energetic or full of initiative however that isn't our style. Generally speaking we aren't front line fighters… like at all. No we are the supports helping our allies the Yamanaka and Akimichi, we are infiltrators and strategists. So being 'go getters' isn't really useful to us. Plus it's just too troublesome.
Still I always thought I had a good read on my class, a solid understanding of what made each of my classmates tick. I had to do something when I couldn't fall asleep as rare as that was. Choji was a good freind, my BEST friend. He got me and never bothered me about well… anything. So of course I knew about Sayori. Choji's first friend. I met her once when I first met Choji after all and determined that she was mostly not-troublesome. Her whole watching from the shadows thing pointing to a shy personality that wouldn't have pushed Choji too much out of his comfort levels.
Still she wasn't in my class, and I rarely saw her again, just from time to time when Choji would head off to hang out with her or had something to say to her. She didn't seem particularly interesting or special. She seemed the type of kid who follows rules and was polite, and level headed. Unlike Ino who was loud and always testing boundaries. Still I didn't really pay attention.
The same could be true for most of my class I had realized. I paid attention to the clan heirs. I'd be a fool not to considering we were all in a way bound to each other. We would all be seeing each other through our whole lives when we eventually became the heads of our clans, and knowing the temperament of each other would serve us well. I even knew Sakura a little given how she had such ridiculously high academic scores and was Ino's little pink shadow. Even if that relationship had become somewhat strained when a month ago Sakura announced her oh so predictable and common crush on Sasuke Uchiha. Not that it was brought up much.
I thought I understood things, the other kids, the civilian borns and even shinobi borns were not as important. Most would end up in the genin reserves anyway and they were woefully predictable. Like Ami, Ami is predictable, a girl who socially was very high but academically very weak, barely that much higher then Naruto and myself. A class bully who as long as I and my friends stayed out of the way of I would never really need to interact with.
So why was it suddenly all my carefully made profiles were thrown out the window? Hiding Yota is a dangerous thing, I know it is, it's against the rules and takes a bit of bravery. Both things that should not have matched with Sayori. Let alone the fact she had apparently kept it so secret that even Choji hadn't known she knew. Looking at Ami playing around her profile was gone too. Not only in class had she slowly started to improve (she had even come running showing off here near perfect math test the other day) but she was actually nice to Yota. It was weird.
I wanted to ask my Touchan about it, ask him why people had suddenly changed but I couldn't risk him looking deeper into anything I did or he would figure me out and Yota would be discovered. I look at Sayori making snow angels, what did Yota mean she was like him? The two look nothing alike, so it can't be physical. Personality wise they aren't the same. I eyes the air around me. There are so many unanswered questions about Yota and now there are just as many about Sayori.