Butterflies

"Me? I'm nobody. I'm not skilled like Uchiha-san. I am not passionate like Haruno-san. I am not smart like Nara-san. I'm not as strong as Chouji-san. I'm not as collected as Aburame-san. Or as pretty as Yamanaka-san. I'm not as confident as Inuzuka-san. If anything, I'm like Hyuuga-san, socially awkward. Oh wait, no, she's just shy. The socially awkward one is me." OC! Team 7 remix!

Deleted Scene 2 – Yasu and Sakiko

WARNING! This starts off a bit intense and contains hints at rape, child abuse, child molestation and suicidal ideation. It starts in the bandit camp before Aya rescues the two focal points of this chapter.

8-8

Hell. That's what this place is, hell. Sakiko is only five years old. She tries to, but she doesn't understand. Why do they keep hurting her? Why is she treated like a human toilet? She sees the others get treated the same way, but somehow they don't seem to be in the same amount of pain as her. Maybe it's because she's so small?

Sakiko doesn't understand.

What she knows is that she's bleeding down there. She knows that the man was harsh and brutal in doing whatever it is that the men do to her. She knows that her insides feel like they were being torn apart. Even as she's crushed under her latest attacker. Even as he jerks back and forward. Even as things happen that make absolutely no sense to her. All she understands is that it hurts. It hurts so bad.

"Shh, shh, shhhhhh." Sakiko hears her Yasu-nee, feels her petting her hair, feels her trying to heal the broken pieces of her soul… Sakiko just… doesn't understand.

Yasu, on the other hand, does. She understands what these beasts do to the poor girl. How odd, that Yasu can't bring herself to die. Oh, she's found the means, she's planned the execution. But… she can't. She can't let Sakiko live on without her, the poor girl has no one to help her, to save her, to live for her. So Yasu offers what's left of her sanity to the girl.

She's… she's just a little girl. She's but five years old. She doesn't deserve this fate.

Not that Yasu can stand her family for selling her to these curs. Oh, she remembers perfectly the name she was taught was her own. Her clan's name, its long history. She's sooner fall in love with her latest 'lover' than recite one word of that drivel.

8-8

"Are you hurt?" Yasu stares. She stares. A girl, no older than thirteen, just slaughtered the bandits. All of them. And Yasu can't even say she saw any of it. All Yasu remembers is playing with her little brother. Watching him scrape his knee, holding him as he cries from the pain.

"N-no." Yasu manages. Is this a dream, too? Will Yasu wake up in the morning, only to find another unwashed wretch forcing her legs wide as they take that which she has never willingly offered?

"You're safe." The girl tells her. Yasu stares. Stares at the girl, her slight frame, her glasses that make her seem rather bookish. "Are you cold?"

Yasu shakes her head, no. Her movements are jerky, uncertain, frightened. She… she can't make sense of any of this. At all. Then she feels Sakiko tugging on her rags. Yasu looks down, her grey eyes taking in the little girl as she smiles. "She killed them." Sakiko says, sounding way too happy about that. "She got 'em good, too!"

"Yeah, I kind of did." Their rescuer says, smiling. "Listen up, everyone! I want you all to stay together, okay!? I don't want to take any chances if there's any bandits that I haven't noticed! If you see something that you don't trust, please let me or the masked idiot with me know! I swear to you, we will protect you with our lives!"

Yasu blinks away the tears. Someone that will protect her with her life? Someone that saved her from the hell that this place represents?

8-8

Though it takes a while, eventually those rescued are taken to Konoha. Yasu begs Naruto –who reminds her so much of her little brother– for one last hug, hoping that she'll see both him and Aya again soon.

How odd. These past weeks should have been the worst of her life. She's been bathing in cold, dirty river water. She's still wearing the exact same clothes as she has been for the past few months. And yet… Yasu cannot remember ever being this happy.

Konoha, as far as Yasu can tell, seems to be the place where her dreams might well come true. So, as she watches the two that have shown her that this world isn't quite as cursed as she was led to believe walk away… she prays that they will continue to change the world for the better. Even if it's just for one more person. Even if it's just their warm smiles. Yasu feels she owes them both a debt that will never truly be repaid.

Sakiko stays at Yasu's side, just where Yasu needs her. They answer all the questions they can, grateful these men are kind and respectful. One of them shows them to their new home, and offers Yasu an envelope with money, explaining that she'll get more or less the same amount every week, but it won't be enough to live a lavish life. Yasu doesn't need to, she's quite happy living a free life, away from those thrice-damned bandits now rotting away in whatever hell they deserve.

Yasu decides immediately that she can earn her own keep, so she sets out, money in hand, in search of work. There simply isn't enough money to buy an outfit, they only have enough to pay for food, really, so she hopes that the people here will allow her a curtesy and hire her on her credentials, not her outfit.

8-8

Yeah. No. The civilians of Konoha are no different from the civilians anywhere else. They take one look at Yasu and turn her down. It was hard the first ten times. But it's going on seven in the evening, most of the businesses are closed, so she decides to try a convenience store that seems to be open twenty-four hours a day.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for work. Would your store happen to-"

"We don't deal with vagrants." Comes a cold response. Yasu wishes this surprised her, but really… this is as familiar to her as it is depressing.

"Hello, Yasu-san, Sakiko-chan." They turn to the familiar voice, shocked. Namiki Aya, their saviour, just standing there with a little smile on her face. Sakiko jumps into her arms not a moment later though. She smiles a little wider. "I take it you have somewhere to stay?" She ask, wondering at the sad state they're still in.

"Aya-san! It's so good to see you. What are you doing here?" Yasu asks politely. She has to fight back the tears, not quite being able to put into words just how she feels. There's the intensity of her gratitude that she no longer wakes up to another… scene? There's the frustration of not being able to find work because of her state of dress, which Aya herself seems quite annoyed with. There's… so many things conflicting with each other.

"Just picking up some small things. We kind of have a lot to do at home, you know?" Aya says vaguely. "By the way, would you two care to join us for dinner? I mean, it wouldn't be any trouble."

Sakiko's tummy rumbles at the thought of food. She turns a pretty red, clearly embarrassed about that. "That would be lovely. Thank you." Yasu bows, trying to hide the tears at Aya coming to her rescue once again – though Yasu doubts the girl will see it quite that way. "You say 'we'? Are you here with someone?" Yasu isn't quite sure why she asks that. Maybe the need to say something? To change the subject? To hide her undeniable shame at forgetting the time and not seeing to Sakiko's dinner?

"Uzumaki-san, naturally." Aya says smiling at the blonde taking out another pack of instant ramen, just in case. Yasu follows her eyes, finding Naruto there as well. He seems quite focused on picking up something extra.

"Ah, of course." Yasu smiles. When Naruto comes over with their things, he hands them to the shopkeeper. He looks at Naruto a little funny –which confuses Yasu, but she says nothing about that– Aya glares at him, he knows not to make a scene.

"Sakiko-chan, please do not do that." Yasu-san says, noticing the redhead's gaze on a pack of chocolate. She's longing for them, which Yasu understands, but that isn't proper.

"Don't worry about that, Sakiko-chan. I have plenty of chocolate we're already buying. And after dinner, I'll share some with you, okay?" Again Yasu is struck by Aya's… strength of character. To be so caring and giving and willing to tend to a girl she rightly barely knows? Yasu is almost to the point of tears once again.

8-8

Yasu is once again struck by the generosity of her young hosts. Aya heads off into the kitchen to cook, even as she allows Sakiko to run around and play freely. Yasu sees Naruto playing with her, sees the joy in his eyes that easily matches the redhead's.

Only, she cannot bring herself to sit idly by and be served. Not when she owes everything to her hosts. So she enters the kitchen and offers a hand. Yasu sees the gratitude in Aya's eyes, but not for the offer of help… if Yasu had to guess, she'd quicker say that Aya enjoys the company – which Aya also admits to.

Yasu washes her hands and starts chopping the vegetables, making small talk with Aya as she goes. Nothing important, mostly just asking what's on the menu, what she likes to eat, that sort of thing.

Aya starts telling her funny little stories about her brother, about their team and the wacky adventures they've gone on. Yasu listens, laughing every now and again at how Naruto and Aya seem to live like cat and dog, constantly fighting about little things, but like a true brother and sister they would fight and die for each other. Yasu finds herself admiring the pair even more.

Then Aya asks Yasu to have Naruto and Sakiko wash their hands for dinner, just like any mother would. Yasu finds that she can't quite see Aya as a little girl anymore. She's a young woman in a small body, nothing less.

Dinner is… wonderful, in Yasu's opinion. She hadn't quite realised just how much she and Aya prepared, they were so busy talking. It's more than enough for Sakiko to have seconds and even thirds. And, as promised, Aya shares her chocolate with Sakiko for dessert.

Yasu studies the contented little smiles on them both, just as Naruto heads into the kitchen to warm up some ramen? He still has room!? He ate as much as Aya did! And THAT says something!

However, Yasu quickly discovers that ramen to Naruto, is chocolate to Aya – they'll make room for it. Once everything is eaten, Naruto starts to collect the dirty dishes. Yasu stares in shock. "What?" Naruto asks, obviously feeling a little self-conscious. "It's only fair. Aya cooks, so I wash."

"C-can I help?" Yasu offers once again. She… she can't even begin to understand the humble attitude of her saviours. And really, these two have done nothing but save Yasu and Sakiko over and over again.

"It's fine, Yasu. You helped cook, too. I can pull my own weight around her, 'ttebayo!" Naruto tries turning her down, but Yasu stubbornly starts collecting dishes anyway.

"It's no trouble, Naruto-san, I assure you. After all, you were gracious enough to invite us into your home." Yasu insists. Naruto shrugs, seeing no reason to argue further.

8-8

After the dishes are washed, rinsed, dried and carefully put away, Yasu finds Sakiko in the family sitting room, happily patting her distended tummy. Sakiko probably ate more tonight than she has in the last week combined. Yasu silently prays the girl won't get sick, but she's still quite happy to see the quiet acceptance that hell is in the past.

"Where is Aya-san?" Yasu asks. Sakiko points upwards, still rubbing her tummy and grinning like she's finally gone off the deep end. "You look like you're quite happy."

"We're in paradise." Sakiko coos dreamily. "Aya-nee… she… she understands more about chocolate than I ever will." Yasu finds herself laughing at that.

Yasu shakes her head and makes Sakiko promise not the throw up, but the girl just keeps patting her tummy happily, the smile never leaving neither her lips nor her eyes.

Yasu finds Aya in the bathroom, sorting through a mountain of dirty clothes. And Aya… she… Yasu can't quite process what's going on. Aya is offering a mountain of clothes to her. By some weird coincidence, the smaller clothes should easily fit Sakiko, and the lady's clothes are Yasu's size! And Aya is… offering it all to Yasu. For no reason other than that it'll fit.

She's blown away. Utterly lost. She can't begin to process this. First she saves them from hell, then she takes them into her home, and Naruto-san is all but demanding that they spend the night as well. Yasu is… she… "I understand. But… please, is there some way to repay you?" She begs, fighting back the tears. Aya's been nothing but an angel, Yasu simply cannot allow herself to take advantage of her like this.

"Yes. Be there for Sakiko-chan." Aya says. "She's about the age I was when I lost mama, seeing her happy, knowing someone's taking care of her…" She trails off, unwilling to continue.

Yasu understands, if only a little, why this amazing young lady is as she is. She understands what it is to have life kick you to the curb, to have your dreams shredded inside you. The urge to mother her is almost overwhelming, but Yasu doesn't doubt that things won't be that simple. She can't just take this lost little girl into her arms and tell her the things she deserves to hear. "That goes without saying, Aya-san. Hmm. Would you mind if I come here tomorrow and help you around the house?" She offers instead.

And after a bit more back and forth, Aya also demands that Yasu and Sakiko spend the night. Then and there, Yasu swears that she will do everything to help Aya and Naruto, that she will dedicate her life to making their lives better, to love them, to coddle them as much as they will allow.

After all… Yasu doesn't doubt for a second that if they hadn't saved her… it wouldn't have taken so much another month in that bandit camp to break her mind and soul entirely. After that, it would only be a matter of time before she took her own life.

Yet, here, in their home, in their haven from the cruelty of the world… Yasu sees something, finds something, she never thought she'd find again: love. And for someone as battered and broken as Yasu and Sakiko… that is all they can ever hope for.

8-8

End Deleted Scene 2

8-8

A/N: This never made it into the original plot, because I thought it was a little too dark. But this is the story behind Yasu and Sakiko, this is the tale they never wanted to tell. And why they are so fiercely loyal to Aya and Naruto.