Chapter XVII : Jar Jar Binks

I was not amused.

I looked at the x-rays with a skeptical frown, scrutinizing the white lines. The medic-nin was standing at her neatly organized desk, waiting and possessing a seemingly endless patience as I was inspecting my scan the fifth time since arriving there.

"What is the oval thing?" I asked following with my finger the line of the said 'oval thing'.

"Kaya."

"It's almost divided in two parts. See? It has little curly lines here, here. And here. Weeeird."

"Kaya."

I lowered the scan and glanced at the nin. Oh. I put the scan back into the envelope and pushed it onto her desk, slowly until it reached her elbows and then patted the yellow surface of the envelope. She's going to snap. But, it seemed that the medical-nin had already gotten used to my antics. She just sighed exasperated and reached for the envelope to show me the scan again.

"This is a brain scan. This is your brain."

I blinked, ignoring the condescending tone of the nin. She took out the scan again and circled the brain with her index finger. No need to treat me as if I'm a complete idiot. Yeah, none at all. I nodded with faked fascination. The medic-nin sighed again.

"So… what is wrong with my brain? Unless you like circling random parts on people's brain scans, I have no idea what those mean." I explained pointing at the thin red circles in the occipital lobe. Because yes. I do know some anatomy.

"The occipital lobe." The nin explained with a new found patience. "And it has to do with your vision." She hesitated. "It's a little more complicated. What you need to know is that it has to do with how you process the visual information."

Yeah. Because the occipital lobes are situated in the back cerebral cortex and are the main centers for visual processes. Kinda important. Somehow I doubted that answer would have benefited me in any way.

"I see." I said dryly. "And they are circled because…?"

The medical-nin put the scan on the desk and leaned back in her chair. This feels like the moment before the doctor informs you of the growing brain tumor. But there was no tumor. I think. I checked it. Everything seemed normal, but of course I was no doctor. Well, technically, neither is she.

"Chakra is like a web of little, tiny lines that… you know what chakra is, right?"

"No." I answered fast. "I've learned how to mold it, to control it and almost fainted thrice because of chakra exhaustion. But, I swear on the Valar, that no, I have no idea what chakra is."

"Good" she ignored my bickering with no sight of amusement. Oh, she's good with the poker face. "Because your eyes will never receive it."

…

…

…

"I think." she added a little hesitant. She looked at me. "You have no idea what that means, don't you?"

"Nope." I said still smiling ignorantly as the medical-nin took of her glasses and pinched the space between her eyes.

The medical nin sighed and then put her glasses on. "It has to do with your chakra points."

"You can see chakra points through x-rays? Are you serious?!" I exclaimed.

"No, of course you can't." she rectified quickly before, my attention flew out the window again. She pointed at the second envelope. " Just as I said before when we talked about your EEG, you're brain activity is… a little weird. For a shinobi. I'm just guessing that your chakra points situated close to your optical nerve and the occipital lobe, are to blame for your migraines as well." she looked away leaning back into her chair. "Have you activated your Sharingan yet?"

"No." I answered automatically. "Maybe. I don't know. Perhaps. Most likely not. I've never noticed anything different about my eyesight. Not every Uchiha member has the Sharingan, you know?" Had. "Had." I said quickly. Damn you brain.

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure of what? If every Uchiha had the Sharingan? Yeah, pretty sure there were lots of three years old Uchiha kids that had the trademark blood-red eyes with the spiraling tomoe . Are you joking? How am I supposed to know? I didn't exactly live at the heart of the clan,." I said searing with a newfound short temper. I wasn't sure why I was so ticked off. I really, really didn't want to think about the time there actually was an Uchiha clan. "And if you ask me about whether or not I have ever accidentally activated the Sharingan, I think I would have remember seeing the chakra of other people around me and I wouldn't have bothered studying for tests at the Academy. Damn, those are useless for ninjas. Who came with the idea of theoretical test in a ninja Academy? Really."

Why is she so interested about the Sharingan? I knew she was a medic nin, but I felt like there was something more to that. Something in the way she was listening intently to what I've said about the Sharingan, made me wary. She had the expression of the person who knew exactly what it was and how it worked, but needed some sort of confirmation or further information. I didn't like it.

"Ok, I got it." she interrupted me. She looked at the scan again and sighed. "Listen. I don't know how the Sharingan and the brain work. That is, was related to your clan's secrets and confidencial stuff. But this requires the attention of someone specialized. I'll have to do some research and ask some other colleagues. Maybe go even further and ask for help. In the meanwhile, it would be good if you stopped your eye drops treatment. And maybe even talk with your sensei about it."

So dismissive. She either knew nothing about kekkei genkai, or she knew too much and had to shoot me down for the meanwhile. Something was definitely amiss. Or she was gathering information. My paranoid side of mind went immediately to Danzo.

"Finally." I sighed relieved. I hated eye-drops and it took my eyes three weeks to come back to normal and not look like I was on crack all the time. But they are still a little pink. Since the Land of Waves my migraines disappeared by miracle though. Weeeeeird. The effect of touching Haku's hair, I bet.

"Well. You're free to go. I'll notify you if I find something."

"Oh, was I detained? I had no idea you had it in your power to do that. This must be really-"

"I have other patients! Make sure not to force that shoulder."

"Got it, got it. Oh and by the way, doctor? My migraines stopped. For now. I'm no longer in pain since my last mission."

The nin said nothing as she looked almost through me. It was rather odd. My condition that is. Migraines and vision problems. In a world without chakra that usually meant I needed glasses. Those are symptoms kids or teens usually accuse and that's how they get diagnosed with vision some imparity. But we were in no ordinary world and chakra nodes were all over our body and organs. And the chakra nodes points in my brain apparently were blocked or something.

"That's…interesting. How about you come back in two week and we do another check up? Although, if you remember anything, or the migraines come back, or anything else, you may come anytime at any hour." the medic finally responded. "You will most likely find me… still here. Oh, and Kaya, no training. Until your shoulder is fully healed."

I felt kinda bad for the medic nin. She seemed so dejected when she said that, likeshe hasn't seen her home in days, if not weeks. I nodded and left her office. I wanted to get away from the hospital as fast as I could. I hate hospitals. The smell, the people, the building they all had a sickly feeling to it. It is a hospital, ya know? I looked along its corridors feeling a little claustrophobic. The bluish and grayish light didn't help. I remembered the last time I've been in the hospital for a prolonged period of time. I have to get out of here.

So…where to now? I looked on the road to my left, under the unmerciful sun a wave of dust risen by people walking around minding their own business.. It was always sunny and warm in Konoha. Too sunny and warm for my taste. I sighed and started walking randomly on the road that opened to my left. It was impossible for me to get lost. I've been walking these streets way too many nights for that to happen. I could have met up with my team and hear Naruto complain about how they had to walk the dogs of the daimyō or whatever lame D-ranked mission they were appointed, but I wasn't in the mood. I could spend the extra money I have. Oh. Yeah. And by extra I meant extra. It seemed that once the Land of Waves regained its balance, it also gained a substantial financial support from The Gatō Company. A short lived and spointaineous one. After the unpredictable death of the business man at the hand of two missing-nins (who by the way, are still at large, ahem), the village beneficied of its fortune as charity. A last wish of the man. Nice guy, that Gatō.

However, they needed someone to manage the financial and comercial matters and put order in the papers and all that shit. Which of course I did not offer to do. And of course I didn't received a, hm, modest share of Gatō's money. No, that was the generosity of the village, for us, three genin and our sensei that saved the day. Konoha received something out of that as well, so no questions were risen about the whole thing. It just happens that The Land of Waves loves us. Especially me.

Keh. My feet were already covered in dust. After almost a month, well, at least three weeks, spent in the Land of Waves where the humidity was even more pronounced, this was annoying me. Konoha's climate really doesn't suit me. Funny, neither has my home in my previous life. Previous life? Really. Shut up mind, enjoy the schroge the sun is providing you. How many people can say they get to live twice? Wasn't this better than being dead? Wasn't anything better than beaing dead?

I passed from one of the quietest parts of Konoha, to one of the bussiest. Yay. I loved people. I looked at them, passing me by. It never occured me how much the people of the village enjoyed having diverse colored clothes. The crowd was dominated by a variety of colours. Why am I so fascinated by fucking colours? And clothes? Because I spent 12 years in a clan that had an obsesssion with dark colors,white and maaaaaaaybe grey. And I can't say back home things were different. Ever been to Europe during winter? It's fucking depressing.

I stopped in my tracks. Ah. So this was the reason of the sudden apathy and the absolutely happy thoughts. Nostalgia and homesickness. I grimaced at the idea and shook my head as a woman sent me a dirty look because I stopped in the middle of the road. I was homesick. How could I be homesick if I had no home? I laughed. Some more people looked at me strangely and I've started walking again before I traumatized even further the little child that was asking his mother why was that strange girl with black boots laughing in the middle of the road.

This is absurd. It was. It really was. Not to mention pathetic. I felt so… alien to my surroundings. Nothing felt right. Ever since the Land of Waves everything changed gradually. It was still changing. But I couldn't put my finger on what it was. It had nothing to with my day to day activity. Or more precisely, non-activity. Because of my shoulder – which by the way, was almost healed so the medic-nin should just chill out – I had to sit out of the missions of team 7, helping Kakashi with supervising the three idiots. Yay. I shouldn't really be complaining. I got the chance to continue with my chakra manipulation exercises and Kakashi even promised to teach me how to walk on water like our lord and savior Jesus Christ (not that Kakashi knew who that was). But of course, as everything else that Kakashi promises, he will do that …eventually.

As for my dear not-really-team-mates, something was off. And I meant something was off between Naruto and the freaking Duck, of course. The rivalry has always been there from the fucking Academy, but now it was getting on my nerves. And Sakura's. And secretly, I could bet, Kakashi's too. Scratch that. EVERYBODY'S. I shook my head. Yes. This rivalry was serving no purpose to the fragile bonding and teamwork we all formed in the last 2 (or was it 3?) months. Those morons were destroying the whole progress. Why so snappy, though?

Hmm. I had to find something to do. Not doing anything productive while the others had missions – yes, even those pathetically easy and whydotheyneedninjaforwalkingdogs? missions – was getting to me. And I couldn't rely on Kakashi for training, as he refused to help me until my shoulder was FULLY recovered. Heh. That lazy piece of jounin.

But what should I do? As much as I wanted to say that Kakashi and the annoying medic were wrong… they were right. My shoulder had almost recovered from the wound and I would soon enough be able to resume archery and missions. And physical training. I was seriously out of shape before, even more now that I took a prolonged break from using my arm. Eh, what a timing. I could have used all this time for training, had I been more careful when facing enemies handling ridiculously huge swords. Of course, I practiced my chakra manipulation, molding it for days, but I still couldn't control it to the extent of shooting flaming arrows like I did with Zabuza, which I was starting to think that I had been seriously fucking lucky. Heh, got it? Maybe that's because you can't shoot at all momentary? Just saying. Yeah, you don't say, brain.

I stopped in my tracks in front of a flower shop. It triggered something in my mind, but I couldn't figure out what. Well, I am fond of flowers, but not so much that I would buy some randomly. I was saving my money for other…. purposes. What's up with the flower shop? Did I suddenly feel the need to dedicate my life to ikebana? Hm. I have decided to check it out.

All around me were, yes you guessed, flowers. …who would have guessed? I thought there would be cuts of meat, poultry and shellfish. I liked flowers. It wasn't only the smell or the aesthetic aspects of it, actually, it reminded me of Nekobaa. She used to have that damn garden, which she tended to every damn morning, making my escapades almost impossible. Now, living in an apartment on the four floor didn't exactly help if I wanted a garden of my own. Although, back at the Academy I used to enjoy the ikebana classes. Yes, we had such classes, yes they were for us, the girls, and yes, most of the time they were a bore, but, after the 10 minutes of not doing anything productive (training, yes, I'm referring to training), I got used to it and enjoyed my time with arranging the flowers. I wonder what the crazy old cat lady is doing right now? I haven't thought about her in a looooooong time. Ah, more nostalgia.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

The voice startled me, interrupting my reverie. What's Ino fucking Yamanaka doing – oh. Ooooooooooh. Shiiiit. Flower shop. Yamanaka. I completely forgot. I could have picked a better day to stop by. Maybe one in which it wasn't the shift of the 12 years old Ino. Seriously, I can't wait 'till we all grow up. It was enough hearing the thin voice of a 12 years old Ino to get on my nerves, not to mention the personality. . .

"Oh, it's you." I said nonchalantly. Well, isn't she just as happy seeing me as I am seeing her? Wait, that sounded bad. I walked up to the blonde smiling widely. "How ya doing?"

"What are you doing here?" she repeated rudely, crossing her arms. Why so rude, blondie? Ever heardof customer service. Although, she seemed unsure of how to act around me. Not quite rude, but neither neutral. She's on the defensive. Hmmm.

"Buying flowers." I replied with the smile still plastered all over my face. "… for Sasuke."

"Sasuke-kun?!"

Oh my vala. I started walking around the shop looking at the different kinds of flowers. Now this is what I call variety. And dedication. Because as we all know, I was a professional florist. I could name on type of flowers which were kinda hard to miss and that was daffodil. And I wasn't sure about them either. Was it daffodil or buttercup? I dunno, man, I just loved arranging them by colors.

"Mhm. That Sasuke-kun."

"Heh, why would Sasuke-kun want flowers from you?" she asked needling me. She's. just. like. Sakura.

"A gift is an unexpected and pleasant surprise, I heard. He doesn't have to want flowers. If it's a surprise present. Of course." I explained, studying some beautiful… yellow… delicate flowers.

"It's Sasuke-kun's birthday?" she asked unsure.

"No." I answered looking at some suspended flower pots. "His birthday is in summer" I think. "Chill out. I was joking. They're not for the duckling. Can you imagine Sasuke with a flower crown on top of his head? Hilarious. Eventually pink ones."

"Oh." she said disappointed. I looked at her from the corner of my eye. Really? "Then, can you make up your mind faster? I have to close early today."

"What's the rush? I thought that you, Yamanaka, liked being surrounded by plants." I said turning to the blonde girl. "Or it's finally getting to you?"

"Flowers. Not plants." she corrected me with an annoyed and annoying tone. Flowers are plants, you blonde summer child. "I have training."

"Oh. I see." I said coming closer to her. Training. Right. That's important, right? "I'll have" I started motioning to the yellow flowers "those, in the pot."

"Marigolds" she said blinking fast at me as if surprised. What the…? She moved pass me towards the pot. "You know" she started, as her love for flowers was stronger than the antipathy for me. "in many cultures, marigolds symbolize the sun and ressurection- "

"I'm not really interested in symbolistic." Lies. I cut her off. "Ikebana wasn't one of my high scored classes."

"Actually it was." she said looking at me smugly. Why so smug? She used to be the best in that class. She owns a fucking flower shop. "But I was better. I'm surprise you don't remember."

"Ha. You weren't better, we used to make arrangements together, no? I made some bomb designs. You just knew more about the flowers because you're family own a freaking flower shop! But I have some innate artistic eye for arrangements, hmpf!"

"Sure, if you say so."

I passed her the money and grabbed the pot. Ino rolled her eyes at me. They really are beautiful. And little. Little flowers painted in yellow, orange and red. Little flowers of fire. Wait a second. Fire. Fire. Fire.I am the biggest idiot ever. Seriously. I turned to leave without bothering to say 'bye' to Ino and my body slammed into something, making me stumble a few steps backward while holding my hand to my temple. Why am I not watching where I'm going? Because, again, I'm an idiot.

"Ouch. How troublesome."

"For the love of the vala! Can't people watch where they're- 'ouch'? Seriously, you just said 'ouch'?"

In my mind, the lazy voice of Shikamaru and the word 'ouch' never quite fit.

"Kaya-chan! What are you doing here?"

I stepped back into a normal position to look at both Shikamaru and Choji who were apparently, entering the flower shop just as I was about to exit. Nice timing, right? Does he always carry around a chip bag? It was as if, one was always glued to Choji's hand whenever I met him. That was a really bad eating habit for a a kid in general. We needed to watch our diets, especially shinobi-in-training like us.

"Do you ever change the chip brand?" I asked as it occurred to me that I've never seen any brands around Konoha to speak of, but it was worth a question. It was meant to be sarcastic. I massaged my left temple much like Shikamaru who was staring at me confused.

"What do you mean?" Choji said mouth still full of chips. "There's only one shop that sells chips in the whole Konoha?"

"Guys, you're late!" Ino said coming forth to her teammates and abandoning the I-am-a-flower-seller apron somewhere on a chair.

"Really?" I blinked surprised "Well, the business must run smoothly for them. Although, holding monopole over a perishable good, is pretty illegal, economically speaking, if I am not mistaken."

"…"

"What is she talking about?" Ino turned to Shikamaru after she decided asking me directly won't get her a NORMAL answer.

"Economy, apparently".

"…"

"Anyway" I smiled quickly to fill the silenc and the blank expression the three genin. "To answer your question, I was buying flowers for Mikasa."

"Who is Mikasa?" Shikamaru asked eyeing suspiciously the flower pot, with a red mark on his forehead. Did we butted heads? Did I have a red mark on my forehead? Did he HIT MEIN THE HEAD WITH THE DOOR?! I put one hand to my somewhat burning forehead. Oh, yes. Definitely, got hit.

"My cat."

"Oh, you have a cat?"

"Wait, you're buying flowers for your cat…?"

"Yes." I turned to Ino. "She likes munch on them. I also have to go harass an Uchiha. See you guys later!"

I waved them good-bye and exited the flower shop in a rush, determined to reach the market and avoid Ino's shrieking. It's not really a market. But close to that.

"SHE'S BUYING FLOWERS FOR HER CAT TO CHEW ON THEM?!"

I did not look back while walking fast down the road to the center of the village. I did not want to enrage even further a Yamanaka. Plus, I had a plan. I smiled looking ahead at the Hokage building. How time consuming would my next two stops be? I wondered. After all, I didn't have all day.

Ҩ

Three hours later I was in front of a wooden door of an apartment. I can't believe it took me three hours. It better was worth it or I was going to find and kill something that remotely resembled Jar Jar Binks. I hate Jar Jar Binks. Why would anyone like Jar Jar Binks? It's an abomination! I knocked three times. Do you wanna to build a snow man? Or even better.

"Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's doors" I hummed knocking again. He is so going to hate me.

I readjusted the basket in my arms, careful not to smash the flowers. Hopefully he was at home. He could be training. And in that case I would have to walk all the way to the training grounds. Yay. I raised my hand to knock again, when the door cracked open. Just a little bit. Victory. I waited patiently for the door to open slowly, revealing a very grumpy Uchiha Sasuke. Well, well, the duck is out of his water. Wait. What?

"Hello, Sasuke. Had a good day?" I smiled widely as the duckling furrowed his brows at my shining and cheerful disposition.

"What do you want?" he asked eyeing me suspiciously, much like Shikamaru did earlier.

"I need your help. I even brought peace offerings. See?" I held the tomato basket high so he could see the vegetables, um sorry, fruits clearly. I didn't know whether or not Sasuke really liked tomatoes, or if it was just a rumor in every Naruto fanfic ever. But it was worth a try. And the pun. And I like tomatoes. "May I come in?"

He stared at the tomatoes and then he opened the door widely for me to enter. It worked! But he could have helped me with the basket and the flower pot, though. I looked around me as Sasuke closed the door. It was funny. Neither of us were living in the Uchiha compound. Our home. No, we were living in small apartments like this one, in a rather good part of the village. Although not really close to each other. The compound would have been more than enough for two children. But we had the disadvantage of being both under-age and orphans. Aaand the compound was partially destroyed. Some of the interconnected buildings and closely built ones that were forming the compound itself were a little worn out by the years and seasons. Which wouldn't really have happened if someone would have lived there and took care of the place. But aaaanyway. Being inhabited for years made the difference. I bet the blood still taints that place. Or maybe the ANBU did some cleaning. Someone must have cleaned to place since it was a closed case. Then again, no one was allowed entrance. It was weird.

I put the pot and the basket on the table close to the window. The apartment was just as small as mine, although it was an apartment, not a flat, so it had a bedroom separated from this one. Heh. He had more space than I did. And he kept it more clean and orderly than I would ever keep my flat. But the again, duckling doesn't have a cat. Nope. He didn't and that made a HUGE difference.

"How do you know where I live?" Sasuke asked behind me as I took in the sight of his apartment.

"This… gives me the creeps." I said turning to the duck. "It's too … clean. Anyway," I said taking a tomato from the basket and walking to the sink. "I went to the Hokage building and stole the list with the residents of the village from the letter 'U' while asking for an audience with the Hokage. Who apparently was busy at that moment. I also made a copy of the list." I reached for the paper in my pocket. "Here, I have proof. Enough to assure you I'm not a stalker that walked in to kill you? Or poison you?"

I motioned to the basket.

"You stole the list with the Konoha residents?" he asked incredulous, his eyes widening for a second. "Are you insane?"

"You haven't been paying attention. I have copied the list. There's a jutsu for that, you know? And it's only from the 'U' rubric." I explained taking a bite from my tomato. Yummmmmy, juicy. I took a paper and a pencil from around the small kitchen as the Uchiha followed my moves with a disapproving expression. He keeps pencils and pens in a plastic glass. I used to keep them like that back home.

"You stole information from the Hokage building"

"I copied information from the Hokage building."

"…"

"I'm taking one of your chairs."

He had only two. I dragged one of the chairs at the table, facing the duck who was still staring at me like I was Satan and sprang from the ground into his kitchen. I was drawing. Sincerely, I was bored, so drawing was my way of avoiding awkward silence that would inevitably occur when trying to engage in a conversation with an Uchiha.

"You said you needed help." he said getting to the point of my visit.

"Ah, yes that. I need you to teach me Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu. Please. I was supposed to ask for help not demand it, god damnit." The last part I said it to myself but didn't bother to lower my voice so basically I was talking to myself outloud. You mean, like usually? Yes, brain. Like usually.

Sasuke looked at me with no expression really. Neutral face. Which could mean a whole bunch of things. He could be surprised. He could be annoyed. He could be dissapointed. He could be happy. He could be sad. He could be ecstatic. He could be anxious. He could be bored. He could be ANYTHING. But to save my life, I couldn't say what exactly because he always wore this neutral and guarded expression void of any emotion when he didn't actually know how to react. Perfect for a ninja, detrimental for human interactions. And perfect for a portrait. Yes, and no. Because it would be a portrait void of expression.

"You can't do the Fireball Jutsu." he finally said incredulously, stating the obvious. What, does he think we all learn fire jutsus when we are children?

"That's what I said. Indirectly. I lived with a cat granny my entire childhood, you do realize she didn't exactly know a bunch of jutsu and stuff like that, do you?" I said annoyed, tapping the bitten tomato with my fingers.

"You lived with Nekobaa?"

"Yes, Sasuke. I used to live with her on the northern side of the compound. But that's not the point." I ran my hand impatiently through my hair, more and more annoyed. Although, he's more talkative than usual. I glanced at the duckling, as he stood, with his arms across his chest, with an apathetic and somehow slightly curious expression. I was becoming good at noticing the little changes in his seemingly neutral expression. "The point is, I need to learn that jutsu, because I have to control my chakra better. It will help me understand how to actually use it."

"Have you asked Kakashi?" he asked frowning.

"Kakashi-sensei never has time for training," he pulled a face at that but I ignored him "and the only person I personally know to be able to pull off that jutsu, is you" I said looking him straight in his face. "Conveniently enough, you're not a stranger, on the contrary, you're an Uchiha, and someone I know for quite a bit of time. Barely," I said, knowing exactly how 'you don't know a thing about me' he would get. Ah, yes. Sweet puberty and teenage. "but still, enough for me to ask for a little help with training." I frowned. This sounds kind of… weird. "And I don't see you having anything else better to do."

"Hn" he 'said' defiantly, dismissing the last part.

"Ah. I see. Missions"

"…"

"… that boring, huh?"

"Hn."

I smiled triumphant. I was right. The light coming from the window wrapped around the Uchiha as he was trying to think of something that would contradict me. Heh. I bet he was just as fed up as Naruto was with all the 'missions' the Hokage assigned team 7. I knew I was, and the only thing I did was watch them do silly things, like picking weeds from a garden, or litter from the river. Or babysitting. Blah. Basically, after the Land Of Waves we were back to square one and bored out of our minds. The duckling walked over and grabbed a tomato. Ha. I knew it.

"So, when do we begin?" I smiled brightly.

"No here."

"You don't say?" I said sarcasm dripping from my voice. "I asked when, not where."

The duck said nothing and walked to the door. With the tomato, of course. Only when he opened the door did I bother to get up and grab some tomatoes from the basket. And the pot of flowers.

"We're going to the compound, aren't we?" I asked struggling with the tomatoes. He didn't answer as he locked the door – I watched him amused because I have always seen Kakashi and others disappear in a blur and poof, appear somewhere else – but sent me an annoyed look. Heh. Sasuke being annoyed from interacting with people. Sooooo out of character.

Thirty minutes later we were at the entrance of the Uchiha district. Everything looks the same. The small houses looked a little eaten by the succession of seasons. They looked uninhabited, but still they were a painful reminder of a once prosperous clan and of course, of the night of the massacre. I don't even have sarcastic any remarks left. Well, I could think of some, but I wasn't in the mood. Something about the experience in the Land of Waves changed my perspective about that night.

Sasuke was as taken aback as I was at the sight of the compound. But only for a few seconds before starting walking again on the main street that cut through it with houses on the sides. Maybe he's been here before. It was possible. I looked at the back of the duckling, at the sign on his back, painted in white and red. When did I became so estranged from the clan? I never was familiar with it from the beginning, though. I wasn't familiar with anything from this world, because I wasn't part of this world. Not originally. I saw the duckling sent me an annoyed look over his shoulder and I remembered that I have legs that can walk.

The rest of the houses were there as well. Every each one of them. Even the dumplings shop, whose owners I had the pleasure to see bleeding to death on that night. They were the first corpses I've seen. It was very anticlimactic seeing the compound now, with the sun shining on the greenest grass I have ever seen and remember that the last time I've been here was in the middle of the night, thick blood covering the ground. I knew the streets by heart, and I stopped in the middle of one turning to my right.

"Wait" I said a little louder than intended only then realizing how quiet we both have been.

I only vaguely saw Sasuke from the corner of my eye turning as I started walking down the street. He said something but I continued walking faster, and faster. I can't stop. The houses around me turned scarce and in worse shape than the others. The road itself seemed wilder and bumpier. When I've reached it I was panting and had to wonder myself how fast have I been running. It didn't matter.

Nekobaa would have a fit if she could see the garden. There was a cacophony of weeds and flowers and wild things growing everywhere in the once attentive tended garden Nekobaa used to kill her time with. The building itself fared better, from what I could see, some of the ceiling gave in from heavy downpour. I should really evaluate the definition of 'better' in my dictionary. I heard footsteps stop behind me. I didn't care.

The front door was missing and the stones that led to it had grass grow between them. Unkept. I took some tentative steps ahead and then got bolder and rushed inside. It looks so abandoned. Of couse it did. It was abandoned. The walls were as dusted as the floor was. It seemed as the garden decided to invade the kitchen, since it missed a wall and the vine was growing on the other. Don't know where that came from. The room with the ceiling descending gracefully all over it was mine. Had been. One thing was missing as well.

"There is no blood." I said stupidly, almost to no one in particular, but I knew the duck was somewhere around as I was walking around the house. "The cat granny never returned here."

That was a relief. But I knew there would be no blood. I remembered very few things from that night before my walk among the dead Uchiha and Itachi putting me to sleep with genjutsu, but if I wasn't mistaken the Nekobaa wasn't at home when the massacre took place.

"Nekobaa is alive?" I heard Sasuke came from the kitchen his eyes gliding over the disaster time, weeds and rain unleashed on the walls and floor. "She survived?"

"No and yes." I replied and he looked at me. "She wasn't at home where it happened. She must have gone to her granddaughter, Tamaki." I explained fishing in my memory and feeling proud as I reached that piece. "I think. My memory is foggy about a lot of things that night. I didn't make it this far into the district to know for sure if she was or wasn't here. I passed out near a tree somewhere closer to the entrance."

I felt the eyes of the Uchiha fixed on me, rather than saw them. I looked in the direction of what remained of my room, not daring to venture even further. I don't care. This isn't my home. It never was. It's just a ruined house. Then why were my feet glued to the partially destroyed floor and my bones heavier with several pounds than usual? The cats. Neither of them were here. I wished that the duck would stop staring at my back.

"The lake is this way."

He did not wait to see if I followed. And neither did I need guidance to find the lake. It wasn't necessarily my favorite place of the compound and neither was it particularly hardtop find. Perhaps that was because I couldn't swim. Perhaps. I used to walk on the wooden bridge like a cat walking on ice or snow: with great disgust and reluctance. When I finally reached the duck, curiosity was all over his face.

"I don't like lakes. Or seas. Or any kind of deep waters." I offered an explanation.

"You've been with us to gather the litter from the river." he argued.

"I said deep waters"

"It isn't that deep. And it's a lake."

"Yes it is. I saw you almost drown when we were five. It wasn't pretty."

"…"

"I never said I don't like fishing. From the shore. Usually in the summer." I scrutinized at the wooden bridge not trusting it's stability.

"I've never ventured into the lake until I was six" he narrowed his eyes.

"Yes you did and you were five. And took to water like any duck: naturally. And your brother had to go in after you, and drag you back to the surface. That was a bad fishing day for me" I said fully aware that I was ranting on because I was frightened by the irrational thought of the wood suddenly giving in under my feet. "Can we get directly at teaching? I get a distinct impression that I'll be spending some time on this bridge."

"Do you know the signs?" he hesitated and I could read on his face that he hoped my answer was positive.

"Nope. I'm learning this from scratch."

I learnt that day that Sasuke was a very patient teacher. Especially for a 12 years old. And that I was shit at my own clan's jutsu. Tiger. Snake. Rat. Ram. Monkey. Ox. Horse. Hare. Dragon. Dog. Boar. Bird. That was a lot to remember for my unused mnesic skills. If I have any. And I wasn't used to form that many hand signs and fast. It was a struggle. And I had to give Sasuke credit for actually having patience the first eight times I tried to get the order right. After that his expression began to resemble one of annoyance, but he kept quiet.

"You have to gather chakra in your chest and release it along with the air.." he explained methodically. "Here."

He motioned to me to step back and he expertly did the signs in a fast sequence and then released the jutsu upon the lake's surface. Just like that. I stared like a retarded person. There were flames coming out of a person breath, spreading across the watery surface of a lake, right in front of me. A fucking huge fireball. And I was about to learn how to do that myself. What the fuck am I doing? What the fuck am I thinking I'm doing? The duck turned, looking at me expectantly.

"Got it." I said shaking my hands, trying to sound confident like I saw people spit fire on a daily basis. This is insane. Yes, insane, in a world where people can summon ninja dogs, suspended mirrors made out of ice or the fucking Nine Tails. This part should be easy. Oh, yeah. Because I have actually set on fire something on my own without the hand signs. Something minor, like a man's arm, no biggie. Actually, that was the arrow. I set on fire the arrow and that set on fire Zabuza's arm.

Sasuke nodded stepping back. He didn't have to. I did the signs, gathered chakra in my chest… and nothing. Wait, not. There was something. A small tread of smoke. At the sight of it I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Well, that was shittier than I first anticipated." I laughed and then tried again. And again. And again. So frustrating. "You know you don't have to stay, right? Thanks for the teaching. You're not obliged to waste your time here," Sooooooooooooo fucking frustrating.

"Hn" I heard his footsteps. Why isn't it fucking working? "Don't exhaust your chakra while on the bridge".

I turned but he wasn't anywhere near anymore. So, he does that after all. Disappear. I shook my head and pulled my hair out of the ruined braid only to make another. But he has a point.

I turned towards the lake and tried again.

Mesa wanten ta strangle mesa-self wit mesa own guts per dat title.

It was between that or Nostalgia which in hindsight might've actually been a much better choice. Meh. Cheers for split-second changes at 2 a.m in the morning. This is a chill chapter. Too chill, I concluded after I edited the shit out of it (15 min ago, that was 15 min ago). I left out a convo with Kakashi and another with... other characters, but let's just say I might have included them in the next chapter(s?). Anyway, a lot of setup. I could have either skip the period between The Land of Waves and The Chūnin Exams or do this set up for future stuff that have to do with my character. I had fun swimming in Kaya's mind a little bit and decided to pull out of the action and enjoy the ride. I dunno if anyone is going to like it tho :))) It might seem like it's dragging.

Thank you soo much to people who left comments, kind wishes, people favorited, followed and basically everyone who decided to read my story and pay even one chapter some kind of attention. It all means a lot~ Please take care of yourselves, be kind (to yourself and others) and take extra care (because 2020 was a bitch and 2021 is her sis).

See you later!