Chapter 28: A Sudden Change

"Uh…Oh…" Airi opened her eyes as she felt warm light touch her face. "H-Huh?"

"Airi?" Airas walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Aurion walked over as well. "Airi, I'm so glad you're awake."

"Where…Where am I?" she asked as she looked around.

"You're in Konohagakure."

"R-Really? But how did I get here?"

"Well, let's just say we went through hell trying to get you back," Aurion answered.

"Where's everyone else?"

"They had stuff to take care of," Airas responded.

Airi rolled over in her bed. "…He took it…didn't he?"

"What? Who?"

"Shinji. He took my Garnet. The source of my Kaji summon…"

"Airi…"

Tears wet her lashes. "I feel like a piece of me is missing. Kaji was a part of me. I let him down. I couldn't protect him like I said I would. And now…I won't ever see him again…He's gone…"

"Airi, don't worry. As soon as this is all over, we'll help you get another stone of Garnet."

"…Where's Shino?"

"We're not sure."

"…I see." She got out of bed.

"Airi, you shouldn't try to get up yet! You should rest some more!" Airas urged.

"No thanks, I feel fine." She pulled on her top shirt over her small halter top, then pulled on her leggings. "If that's alright with you guys," she slipped her boots on, "I'm going out for a bit." She got up and walked out.

"A-Airi…"

Airi took a deep breath and headed out of the inn. "What now?" She walked through the village with no real destination. "What do I do? Everything's just so…so difficult…" She looked around at the people going about their normal lives. "…How I wish things could just go back to the way they used to be. Why? Why do I have to do this?"

"Airi, is that you?"

She turned around. "Oh, Hinata…"

Hinata ran up to her. "Airi, what're you doing out here? Are you feeling well enough to be up and about?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine!" She smiled. "Thank you for asking. Um, have you seen Shino?"

"Shino? Oh, I haven't seen him this morning, sorry."

"Oh, okay. Thanks anyways." She continued to walk.

"Airi?" Hinata looked down. "How strange. Is she feeling alright?"

Airi sighed as she looked at the ground. "…Sixty one, sixty two, sixty three…"

"What're you doing? Counting your steps?" Kiba appeared next to Airi. "Hey."

"Oh, Kiba…" Akamaru barked as he poked his head out of Kiba's jacket. "Hello Akamaru."

"What're you up to?" Kiba asked.

"Oh nothing. I'm just looking for Shino. Have you seen him?"

"What? Shino? Hmm…Can't say that I have. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him all morning. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Thank you for you time Kiba…" She smiled and headed in the opposite direction.

"You're…welcome? That was weird. I wonder what's up with her...?"

XXXX

Shino…Where are you? Airi looked up at the shrine and sighed. "Hopefully this prayer eases my mind." She got up and turned around abruptly, hitting someone. "Ack, I'm so sorry! I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes."

"That goes without saying."

Sh…Sh…? She looked up and there was Shino, obviously smiling at her. "Shino!" She jumped up and hugged him. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"A-Airi…" He blushed a bit.

"Where've you been!"

"Around, that's all." She let go of him. "So uh, why were you looking for me?"

"H-Huh?" She blushed. "I just…I just wanted to…to see you…"

"Oh…okay." They stood silently. "…Would you like to take a walk?"

"Hmm? O-Oh! Yes, sure!" They walked away from the shrine and continued through the busy village. "It's kinda crowded…"

"Well, new people moved here, remember?"

"Huh?"

"Your clan. Remember that you asked if they could stay here for a while?"

"Oh! That's right!" She laughed lightly. "How could I forget?"

"Airi, I'd like to show you something…"

"Really, what?"

"Come with me." He took her hand and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

----

Shino and Airi reappeared in the village mountain. "Here we are."

"Huh? This place?" Airi asked as she looked around. I remember this place. It's where Shino… She shook her head to get rid of the bad memories.

"Airi, look out there." She stood next to him and looked out at the village. "Tell me, what do you see?"

"I see your village, Konohagakure."

"You may see my village, but I see a lot more."

"Hmm?" She looked at him.

"I see innocent people going about their business, unaware that a violent war could come here. I see your people trying to fit in, trying to lead a normal life. I see them hiding from the Aburames of this village, and then I see Nozomi children. They don't know about the war, for they talk and play with Aburame kids. Airi, I see a bright hope for the future. If we can stop this war, then we don't have to worry about the future of our clans. Those kids, they can change things. If they befriend each other, then everything will be okay."

"…I get it now." They looked at each other. "Shino, I'm tired of the way I am."

"What do you mean?"

"The way I act and how I think. This whole time I've thought of nothing but my people. I thought that sacrificing myself was the only way to save them…When I tried to fight back, I had no power. Whenever someone said that I was responsible for the death of my people, I just got so weak. Whenever I remember what I did, I became saddened. I slipped into misery because of those memories. They are a reminder of what I did, always haunting me, never leaving me alone. They torment me, day in and day out. This is my punishment for killing all of those innocent people…"

"Airi, it's not your fault! What happened was-"

"Shino, I can't blame others for my own faults…Have you ever thought about killing yourself just to get peace?"

"What! Airi, you can't mean-"

"I've thought about death so many times when I was little…but then I realized that death is the easy way out and I didn't have the luxury of dying. I hade to atone for my sins…This pain and suffer will haunt me no more though!"

"Airi…?"

"I've always told myself that I wanted to change, and I will! The destruction of my village…it wasn't my fault!"

Shino smiled. Airi, that's what we've all wanted to hear. It's not your fault.

"I'm gonna change! No longer will I be at the mercy of the past! I'm living for the future now! We're gonna win this battle Shino, and I will become stronger!"

"Airi, that's great. You have my full support."

Airi smiled at him. "Thank you Shino. That's good to know." She paused. "Shino?"

"Yes?"

"Can I…Can I borrow your kunai knife?"

"Huh? Sure, okay." He pulled it out and gave it to her.

"Thank you Shino." She touched the tip of it. "It's so sharp…Perfect."

"Airi?"

"Shino…please remember who I was…for me." She clutched the knife tightly and ran off.

"Airi!" He tilted his head. "What exactly did she mean?" He thought for a moment.

"Have you ever thought about killing yourself just to get peace?"

"Hmm?"

"I've thought about death so many times when I was little"

"…WHAT! Airi, no! Don't take your own life!" He ran up towards the Hokage Faces after her. Is she crazy! I thought she said that she wanted to change! I didn't think she was serious when she said that she thought about committing suicide! I have to stop her! I can't let her kill herself! "Airi!" He ran up on top of the faces and found Airi. "Airi?"

"I have to do this…" She held up the kunai knife. "No more pain, no more suffering…It'll all go away."

"Airi, don't do this!"

"Shino...Don't worry…It'll be okay." She smiled as she grabbed her hair. "I want to change so I can become stronger and protect the people and things I love!" SLICE! "I can't be like this any more…" She held a tuft of her mint green hair in her hand. "I don't want to be weak…I don't want to feel powerless…" And with that, she let go of the hair and the wind carried it off. "Shino, things are gonna be different…" She turned around and looked at Shino. Her now short locks danced in the light breeze. "I swear it." She smiled at him.

"Ah, Airi…" He blushed and smiled back. "You look good with short hair!"

"Thanks…"