I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Alone
Ryuu stared blankly at the board. He knew what Iruka was teaching. His father had already taught him. It was an offensive Wind Style jutsu. He had learned it quickly, and his father had been proud. But it still hadn't been enough. He wasn't Shisui. His father was always reminding him of that. Shisui was gone. They kept feeling the need to tell him that. As if he didn't know. As if every time he saw the door to his brother's room he wouldn't remember. As if he didn't still wait in the park for his brother to come and pick him up before remembering that his brother wasn't coming. He knew Shisui was gone. But still his family seemed to think they had to remind him.
"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, twisting around in his seat.
"Yeah," Ryuu mumbled, looking to the window, seeing a Barn Swallow sitting on the window sill.
He turned back to the board, remaining silent through the rest of class before heading home, climbing to the roof and laying down, staring up at the birds as they flew overhead. He wished he could fly. It had always been his dream. Maybe there was a jutsu to let him. If nothing else, he could always transform into a bird. Or an insect.
"Ryuu, come down here!" his father shouted from below.
Ryuu stood, walking to the edge of the roof and dropping to the ground. He stood, looking up at his father. "Yes Father?"
"It's time for your training!" his father growled. "We're working on your tanto abilities today."
Ryuu nodded obediently and followed his father into the sparring room, drawing his tanto as his father picked up his own. Ryuu readied himself, eyes scanning his father's form as he readied himself as well. Then, his father charged, shooting across the small circle and slashing at Ryuu. Ryuu deflected the tanto, rolling around his father and standing, blocking a second slash. His father punched at him and he turned sideways, catching his father's thumb then ducking between his legs, pulling the hand with him before standing, his father's arm now between his legs. He pushed his father, who stumbled out of the ring then turned around.
"What the hell was that?" his father demanded. "Use your fucking tanto! Don't be a goddamn coward! By your age, your brother could mop up the floor with almost anyone he fought using that same tanto!"
Ryuu remained silent, staring at the floor. Finally, he nodded, raising his head as his father stepped back into the ring. His father stepped forward and Ryuu charged, knocking his father's tanto aside and slashing. His father leapt over it and Ryuu spun, slashing at him again. His father blocked the slash, landing on his feet and Ryuu slashed again. His father caught his arm, twisting sharply before ramming the butt of his tanto into Ryuu's stomach, dropping him to his knees before kicking him out of the ring.
"You're nowhere near Shisui's level," his father said. "Keep training. If you're all our family has to continue, then you've got a long way to go."
He turned, walking out of the room as Ryuu pushed himself up off the ground, retrieving his tanto and putting it away. He walked out of the house, climbing back to the roof and lying down. After a moment, a crow flew down, landing on his leg and staring at him. He reached out, stroking its feathers lightly and stared up at the sky. After several minutes of this, he finally began to feel at peace for the first time in a very long time. He smiled slightly as he watched the birds above him flying to and fro.
"I miss you Big Brother," Ryuu mumbled. "Why'd you have to go?"
Suddenly, the crow nipped his finger and Ryuu shouted in surprise, sitting up and looking at the crow and the spot of blood on his finger. He stared at it before reaching out and beginning to stroke it again. It didn't bite him again, so he relaxed.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to depress you. I wish I could fly like you do. It must be so much fun up there."
After a few more minutes of sitting there, he stood, the crow crying out indignantly and flying away, then walked inside and headed to bed.
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