.20
"I don't really want you to understand... I just don't want you to be like, 'Oh, is that all'? I don't need people to get it. These feelings... are important to me, and they're just for me." ~ Koi to Uso
...
Her bare feet brushed the grass beneath them, eyes looking out towards the setting sun, lost in thought. He could sympathize with her look, but he kept his distance watching her from the doorway. His grandson was sitting next to the girl a small fox asleep in the boys lap, one of her three summons, the other two were present as well. One was content to lay at her other side while the smallest and newest one was curled around her neck.
It was a nice sight, she seemed so relaxed. Considering how wound up she had been the day before. A smile quirked at his lips as he listened to the story she was telling. Konohamaru seemed enthralled as well, he made no indication otherwise at least. Rarely had he seen his grandson so focused. Hiruzen would give her credit it was an amusing story.
"That's crazy! What did you do next?!" Konohamaru exclaimed his eyes wide. The girl finally turned to look at him offering his a smile.
"I talked to him, I mean at this point it was obvious he wanted to say something to me and what else was I going to do. The guy has like twenty years of experience over me and I was only a little older than you at the time. I knew better than to run." She laughs, it reminds him so incredibly much of her father.
"But you said he was the brother of Raikage! That makes him our enemy right?" A thoughtful frown set over her expression as she regarded the question.
"Technically we are at peace with Kumo right now." Hiruzen answered for her, she gave him a grateful nod before continuing.
"Your grandfather is right, we are at peace with Kumo at the moment and we were then too, the war had been over for almost a decade at that point. Besides it was a good opportunity to obtain some information." Konohamaru gave her an exasperated huff, crossing arms over his chest in the process. The fox in his lap gave him a squeak.
"I wanted there to be a cool fight." Hiruzen shook his head as did the girl, fighting Killer Bee of Kumogakure was never in ones best interest. The girl's father avoided it as often as he could during the Third war. It never really worked out for him though.
"Nope no cool fight there, but I did get my summon contract out of the meeting so that was awesome." A contract that had to be thoroughly analyzed before they allowed her to sign it. Hiruzen had not been able to get the full story of why the Hachibi host wanted her to have it either beyond the simple fact that it was an Uzumaki summoning scroll. At the time it was obvious there was more too it but she hadn't divulged that information and once the scroll had been cleared it hadn't mattered.
"But why? Why did he give it to you?" She seemed to ponder that question for a moment, as if to think of the right words to say.
"When Uzugakure fell the few survivors split up all going different ways, some ended up as nomads, others made new affiliation and many of them quit being shinobi altogether." She paused, taking a breath before continuing the explanation. "Bee-san had an Uzumaki partner for the mission he didn't run with his brother the Raikage, but after the third war ended his partner died. The scroll had belonged to them, an Uzumaki, and I guess he thought that it should be kept only by one." Her hand rested on the fox laying at her sides head, petting the fur gently.
Hearing that made everything much clearer to the Third, there had been no ulterior motive from the Hachibi host then. Not like he had expected.
"But how did he know you were an Uzumaki?" She snorted before shaking her head.
"Probably the hair, Uzumaki's were known for the outlandish red hair, also I have page in the Bingo book. You have to understand Konohamaru-kun unlike the others my age I have been a ranking shinobi since I was barely eight." An amazed look covered his face. Hiruzen chose that moment to clear his throat disturbing whatever question his grandson would think of next and capturing both of their attention.
"That's enough question Konohamaru, why don't we come inside to eat dinner." Dinner that had yet to actually be made.
Mitomi shook her head at him as if she knew of his distraction but stood carefully regardless. The small fox on her shoulder never moving, balanced perfectly. She ushered his grandson and two foxes back into the house before setting off in the direction of the kitchen.
He decided against following her and instead headed to the living room. His grandson trailed after the red headed jonin and he was left alone.
.
After dinner I thank the Sandaime for his show of compassion and I take my leave. No clear destination in mind I am left to wonder around the village at dusk. With a head full of worries and a heart filled of angst.
Sometimes memories are the worst form of torture, they hurt the most. The thought of what could have been, all the unanswered questions left in their wake. They blur the lines between past and present making you questions everything. But it is the memories of what would have been that haunt and torture me the most. It's the thought of where everyone would be right now if I had never existed. Because somewhere that is the case, an alternate universe where everything played out exactly as should.
I had seen it. I knew that somewhere in this vast universe such still existed.
That thought scared me more than it possibly should. Because I wondered, my thoughts always ended here.
Were they better off for it? Was that world better off for the reason that I didn't exist there?
I would never know the answer to that question, but certainly I would always wonder.
XOXOX
A short chapter but a chapter regardless. I'm not too sure how I feel about this, but we will see. I hope you all like it, let me know.
Thank you to everyone who still reads this and reviews. You guys are great!
Sincerely, La'Rae