Chapter 2
It had been a few days since the incident on the bridge, and life was returning to normal. No one was bothering any of the foreign aid, and even Naruto had managed to keep quiet and do his work. Sakura was taking a break from her duties in the flower fields, watching the clouds go by. "So peaceful," she mused.
"Do you ever do anything besides sit around?" asked an accusing and all too familiar voice. She sat up and saw him staring at her, dark eyes narrowed slightly. He looked angry, and it seemed to be directed at her at the moment.
"Sasuke-kun?" she said, while her inner voice was rattling off the extensive list of things she'd done that day.
"You never train yourself to be better. You can't expect Naruto and me to always be there. There's no way you could hold your own as you are."
"But I try! I'm just not as good as the two of you." He smirked then, turning on his heel and looking back at her over his shoulder.
"And you never will be if you don't practice." Sasuke continued walking, hands in his pockets, not seeing as Sakura bent her head and slumped her shoulders. She knew it shouldn't bother her, that it was just Sasuke's way. But because it was him, it hurt all the more. And she tried to be better, had attempted to do more. But for some reason, she just couldn't do what either of her teammates could. She had the intelligence, but lacked the physical aspect to back herself up, and it made her feel so useless.
"Why couldn't I have been stronger, faster, or anything? Why did I have to be weak, little me? Why can't I prove that I'm a decent ninja? Why can't Sasuke-kun see me for me?" the last part was whispered, and she fought back the tears that were gathering in her eyes. "Why can't he be happy?"
"Because men like that see emotions as weaknesses. And anything that is a weakness should be gotten rid of," said someone behind her. Sakura whipped around to see one of the Sand ninjas. The girl was standing motionless, leaning on her staff as she stared at the pink-haired girl. How long had she been there? How much had she seen?
"What do you want?" Sakura demanded, getting into a defensive pose. The girl raised an eyebrow and started laughing.
"You really think I came here to fight? The moment I made a move towards you I'd be surrounded by your village and questioned. I'd like to avoid that, if you don't mind." Sakura thought about it, then nodded and sat down again, staring at the flowers near her and attempting to relax. The girl walked over and sat beside her, placing her staff at her side. "I want to talk, to answer your question."
"About what?"
"You, mostly."
"Me? Why?" Sakura was staring at the girl now, but she seemed lost in thought as she picked up a wildflower.
"Because I wanted to see what I used to be like," she said, more to herself.
"Used to be like? Are you saying-"
"That boy who was just here, he was on the bridge with you when we met. Uchiha Sasuke is his name?"
"Y-yes."
"What do you see in him?" Sakura blinked and stared at the Sand girl, whose dark eyes seemed to bore in hers. How could she ask something like that, and to a stranger nonetheless? And how could Sakura even begin to answer that question?
"I don't-" The girl held up a hand and then turned away for a moment. When she looked back, there was an apologetic smile on her face, and a slight warmth to her eyes.
"Sorry, I'm not good at this talking thing. Senjo usually handles that part. Kurai and I provide the silent intimidation factor. My name is Kohaku."
"I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you, again." The two shook hands, and a genuine smile crossed each of their faces. "So, why the question about Sasuke-kun?"
"Have time for a story?" Kohaku asked. When Sakura nodded, she continued: "There's a boy who was ranked number two in our class. Akanaho Tansei is the type of guy girls dream about: Good looks, intelligent, and all the right moves on the battlefield. Everyone seemed enamored by him."
"Even you," Sakura realized, drawing her knees up and resting her head on them.
"Is it that obvious? Yes, I admit I too had feelings for Tansei. Even when we were placed on different teams, I still tried to see him as often as I could." Kohaku paused and looked at the flower she held, twirling the white bud between her fingers.
"What happened between you two?" Sakura wondered.
"Nothing, and that was the problem. Tansei was always training, always working, always trying to be better. He wanted to surpass Kurai, the top rookie of our class."
"Your teammate was the number one rookie of your class?"
"He's a bit cocky about it at times, but that's not the point. Tansei never wanted to appear weak, and he felt that certain emotions made him weak. Things like fear, kindness, and love. His goal was to get rid of those emotions entirely, no matter who it hurt. He believed that Kurai had learned how to do it, and so would he."
"Did he succeed?" Sakura knew the answer even as she asked the question. She also knew why Kohaku was telling her all this. Sasuke-kun was acting like he had no emotions, except those of anger and revenge. But was there anything that could be done to make him see that? Something that would break the cycle he'd placed himself in?
"Tansei became bitter, cynical even. Everything needed to be corrected in some way. His forms, his habits, even his outside life. When I tried to tell him he was fine the way he was, he shut me out. He said that I was trying to help Kurai by keeping down any rivals. And then he called me an enemy." Kohaku's breath caught in her throat as she pulled up one of her armguards. A massive scar marred the inside of her forearm, trailing into lines that extended to her elbow and wrist. "I have a similar design on my other arm."
"He attacked you?"
"Without mercy. I was caught off-guard, and he pinned my arms to the ground. If Kurai and Senjo hadn't stopped the fight, he would've killed me. As it was, my arms took quite a while to heal, and a lot of work to use them properly again." Sakura's eyes widened as she flashed back to Lee-san's fight against Gaara. Though his whole body had been broken, still he tried to train in the hospital, even when the medical team had said he'd never be a ninja. "A lot of Chuunins and Jounins have scars, but theirs are from missions and battles against outsiders. Mine came from someone I trusted, someone I'd once called a friend." She moved the armguard back into place and crushed the flower she'd been holding. They sat in silence for a moment as the clouds continued to creep by.
"Kohaku, do you think that Sasuke-kun would hurt me like that? Is that why you told me your story?" The other girl looked Sakura over for a moment and then smiled.
"No Sakura, I don't think Sasuke would hurt you like that. I guess maybe I needed to get that out to someone who could understand."
"Thank you for trusting me." Kohaku stood and stretched, picking up her staff and leaning on it for a moment.
"Thank you for trusting me as well."
"Maybe there is a way for Sasuke-kun to be a bit happier and still hold on to his training practices. I know he's a vengeance-seeker, but maybe I can show him there's more to life than that."
"That's an idea. I hope it works." The two girls waved to each other, and then Kohaku leapt up into the trees and left the Leaf girl to her chores. "No Sakura-chan, there is no normal way to change a man like that. Revenge and anger are too strong in those types of people, and it eats away their souls. But he won't ever hurt you like Tansei did to me. Not if I get to him first."
"You did what?" Kurai fumed, pacing around the guest quarters like a caged animal, arms rigid at his sides.
"It was girl talk, Kurai. She needed to know she's not the only one who's gone through that," Kohaku retorted, staring out the window at the night sky.
"But you told her something about your past. You should never give that information to a stranger."
"Don't lecture me like I'm a child. Sakura isn't the type of person to hurt others."
"How do you know? That could just be a mask to fool people. Wouldn't be the first girl to do that."
"There's honesty in her eyes. She tries not to show how hurt she is, but her eyes betray her. That kind of girl shouldn't be a ninja."
"Senjo used to be like that, before our missions taught her how to hide those thoughts and emotions. You can't go around defending every broken-hearted girl just because you feel guilty."
"Guilt has nothing to do with this!" she yelled, spinning around and glaring at Kurai. They stayed staring at one another for a moment, neither one moving or looking away. Senjo poked her head out of the sleeping room and sighed when she saw the scene.
"Do you two mind? Following that Naruto kid today was exhausting, and we're going to be busy again tomorrow. You should both get some sleep." Kohaku stood and put on her sandals, pausing at the door.
"I need to clear my head. Don't wait up." She took her staff and left, and Kurai slammed his fist into the wall.
"She never listens to me," he muttered, barely noticing the dent he'd made. Senjo walked over and put her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his back.
"This is a path she needs to walk by herself. Not everyone can put a stopper on their feelings like you, Kurai-kun."
"I have feelings, Senjo-chan. I just know how to use them to my advantage. That's what Tansei could never understand."
"It's not like you ever told him, either." Kurai pulled away from the redhead and walked over to the window. There were so many scenarios that flashed through his mind regarding that time. But he'd vowed to never regret not telling his rival what he'd so desperately wanted to know. After a few minutes of stargazing, he said:
"Even if I'd told him, he wouldn't have been able to truly grasp the concept. You need to completely understand something before you master its use. If you understand how an enemy can use your feelings against you, then you can take steps to minimize that feeling during a battle. But if you just bottle everything up and force it back, sooner or later you're going to snap."
"We should've killed him," Senjo said suddenly, eyes darkening. "He could've killed Kohaku, and we let him go."
"At her insistence," Kurai reminded her. "He betrayed her, and nearly cost her the use of her arms. She wants to be the one to deal with him."
"And if she can't?"
"Then I will kill him. Anyone who hurts either of you will have me to deal with." Senjo hugged him again, staring up into his eyes, which seemed softer than usual."
"See, there is some good in you." He started laughing, and the sound sent shivers up her spine. Kurai smirked and shook his head, arms encircling her waist.
"Don't be fooled, Senjo-chan. That's only your reflection."
"Damn it, Kurai pisses me off sometimes!" Kohaku yelled to the sky, kicking a nearby tree. She had wandered out to the forest on the edge of the village to calm herself. Sometimes the dunes near home tended to relax her, but here there was no shifting sand and constant wind. It was quiet, almost serene with the moon rising over the treetops. No breeze stirred the leaves, and not even the sounds of insects could be heard. She became instantly alert, eyes scanning the branches of the trees nearest her and glancing quickly down the dark path.
"Having problems?" a male voice asked. The sound caught her slightly off-guard, and she spun around to find two boys behind her like they were out for a night stroll as well. However, the smirks on their faces and the look in their eyes immediately told her she was in for a fight. They wore no forehead protectors, so either they were still in school, or they didn't want any repercussions to their village.
"Answer him, Sand bitch," the other boy said, taking a step forward and removing two shuriken from a pouch on his waist.
"You don't want to do this. I'm not here to fight." Kohaku put her staff up in defense, eyes quickly assessing the terrain: The many trees surrounding them, a dirt path to somewhere she didn't know, and the way back blocked by the unknown boys. 'If I run, they would either follow me or flank me if they know the area. But if I bring a fight back to the streets, what then? Guess I stay here.'
"Not here to fight? Well that's too bad," the first boy replied, suddenly throwing a kunai at her while his friend launched the shuriken. Kohaku twirled her staff instinctively, deflecting the blades. Both boys charged, their kunai meeting the blades on her staff as she parried them move for move. Back and forth they went, until one boy got lucky and caught her right arm, slicing through the armguard and revealing the one scar.
"Looks like someone got to you first," he sneered. She narrowed her eyes and dug her heels in, pushing them back a few feet with the wooden part of her weapon.
'All right, now I'm annoyed,' Kohaku said to herself, throwing her staff into the air and quickly forming seals. "Katon: Bouseki hoi-ru no jutsu!" (Fire Element: Spinning Wheel Attack). A flaming wheel half her height burst from her hands and spun towards the boys. As her staff came down, Kohaku caught it and ran at her attackers, sweeping them off their feet and putting them in the path of the wheel as she used a bit of chakra to shape its course. It mowed over them, leaving minor burns and tattered clothes before burning itself out. She shook her head at the two of them as they struggled to get to their knees. "I said I didn't want to fight. Maybe next time, you'll listen."
"If we go back and say you attacked first, who do you think they'll believe?" one boy coughed. She paled then, one hand gripping her staff so hard she heard the wood creak. "Your people are hated by Konoha. Who would they trust more?"
"A reliable witness," another voice answered. Kohaku's attention was drawn to the trees, where a boy a year or so younger than her stood with his arms folded. Long dark hair, Konoha forehead protector, beige shirt, and- Were his eyes actually white?
"Who are you?" she demanded, once more dropping into a defensive crouch. The stranger narrowed his eyes and jumped to the ground, casting a quick glance at her former opponents and laughing slightly as they both passed out.
"Even after hearing about the Chuunin exam, they still thought a Sand ninja was an easy target?" His eyes shifted back to her, and she swore there were visible veins at the corners. "My name is Hyuuga Neji, and you have my word that the truth will be told about this attack on you."
"No offense, but words mean very little to me."
"What would I gain by lying?"
"You get rid of another Sand ninja: A potential enemy."
"Do you plan on attacking anyone in Konoha?" His tone was flat, but his eyes never left her face, as if they were looking through her. And then it clicked: The Hyuuga family had the Byakugan bloodline limit, one of the most powerful traits in the world. This Neji must be one of the clan's successors.
"Do I look stupid? Not only might that start a war, but I'd rather not fight everyone in this village." He smirked, then picked up the two boys by the collars
"Then you are not a potential enemy to me. Though we might still harbor hatred for your village's failed takeover, making a martyr of you wouldn't help us either."
"Good night then, Hyuuga Neji." He walked off in silence, dragging the boys behind him, and Kohaku faced the sky once more. "First our feudal lord took our honor, then our Kazekage took our trust, and then our own people took our respect. What is left for us now? How do you rebuild with nothing?" She knew there was no answer, and no one to accept all the blame. Except of course, the old standby. "I'm tired of blaming him for everything. We created him out of our fear and hatred and supposed superiority. We allowed him to run uncontrolled and unstable. We sat back and thought the situation was well in hand. He stole our birthright, and we did nothing out of fear of the Kazekage. I wish we had gone on that mission. At least Kurai and I wouldn't have failed."