Chapter 9: Peace ( part 2)
" Sensei? Why are Kakashi and Obito sleeping on the roof huddled so close to one another?"
"I don't know."
"Why are you smiling so wide?"
"I don't know." Minato sighed. Yes. He hadn't made the wrong decision that day. And he was happy.
"Sensei? Your face is going to split into two."
"I don't know."
"That wasn't even a question."
oOo
"Are you two crazy?! You two were sparring all night?!"
"Come on Rin-"
"Shut up Kakashi!"
Obito laughed out loud at that. Only if he had the sharingan to capture Kakashi's reaction. The way he flinched at Rin's sudden and rather violent sounding obstruction was hilarious. He almost jumped up a metre.
"Why are you laughing Obito?! Do I look funny?! Or is it that my words are amusing?! What's so funny?"
"I don't know."
That was it. She had heard enough 'I don't know's to last her the whole month. She so wished to pummel both Obito and Kakashi right then. But she couldn't...
Kakashi held his hands in front of his face like a protective barrier. "Seriously Rin. I promise we didn't destroy anything or anyone. It was just taijutsu. And you know us. We were not fighting to kill of course. Just maim each other for the rest of our lives."
On second thoughts, why couldn't she?
"Wait you two! I am going to gouge out your eyes!"
"Way to go you white haired bastard! Perfect timing for a joke!"
Kawaguchi looked at the three kids as they ran out of his house. Would he be responsible if someone killed someone while working for him? Nah. So he again started planning for the day's activities with Minato.
oOo
"Where are we going sensei?"asked Obito.
"We are going to a place that is called the Shopkeeper's paradise. Goods from all over the world are brought here. Then from here, shopkeepers from all around Fire country buy them and sell them in their shops." Minato said.
"But why are we here?"
"Because," Kakashi replied this time with heavy sarcasm, "Kawaguchi san wants to dance in the middle of the village, you dimwit!"
Minato glared at Kakashi and then slowed himself down a bit to walk by the old man's side.
"Rin, hey look! Aren't those birds beautiful?"
Rin glared at Obito and then went on ahead to walk by herself. Obito in turn glared at Kakashi and caught up with Rin to talk with her.
Obito spent the rest of the afternoon trying to lighten up Rin -not that it paid off- because she spent the whole time ignoring him and muttering under her breath occasionally.
oOo
Rin's mood didn't lighten even when they reached their destination and some workers started loading the carts. Not that she was still furious with Obito or Kakashi. She was angry, but furious no more. It wasn't raining. But there was something about the atmosphere there that made her sleepy and if possible, grumpier.
"Sensei," Obito said ," can I go out of here and look around the place?"
Minato didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Alright go. But be back within half an hour. Don't be late or we will leave you here."
"Don't worry sensei. I'll be back by then."
Rin wanted to join Obito but by no means was she going to forgive Obito and Kakashi.
Obito was out of there in a second. The sunlight was endearing and felt warm on his face after staying in the damp building for so long. His stomach growled. He searched his pockets for some ryo and found a few notes. Now he only needed to find something to eat. If there were goods from all around the world then there was sure to be food from all over the world too. He walked around a bit more. There were people everywhere. Konoha was a fairly big village with lots of people but even Konoha market weren't this crowded. There were tall people. Short people. Old people. Not so old people. And some of them had even dressed themselves in peculiar dresses. Obito guessed that they were from other countries. But no one stopped to chat. No one even looked at anyone. People in Konoha were not like this. They talked to one another. They helped one another in need. He was already homesick. He had never left the village for so long ever before.
"Here granny. Let me carry it for you."
"Thank you dear. What's your name?"
"My name's Obito. I am a ninja from Konoha."
"Oh! Are you little one?"she laughed.
"Hey! I am not lying! And I am not little!"
"Of course you are not. You are a strong young man."
They covered the rest of the way in silence. It was unlike Obito to not utter a hundred words every second but it was one of those moments where he was busy thinking. Thinking about the world. About people. Were people really so different? Old people needed help to carry thing everywhere. Perhaps the people didn't talk to one another because they didn't know them. But they had families and friends just like he had back at home. They loved other people just like he loved his grandmother , Minato, Rin and even Kakashi. There were other people too. Like Tsume sensei and quite a few others. His thoughts were soon disturbed as they reached their destination.
"Thank you Obito. I'll remember your name. You are a good ki- I mean young man." She took her bag back and laughed a weak laugh. "Here. Buy yourself something with this little something."
Obito was never that well off but he had self respect. He would never accept money from someone as gift.
"Thanks granny. But I can't accept it."
"Wait then," she smiled and bought a sweet potato from a nearby shop with the money , "take it. It's not money. And I'll be really disappointed if you don't take it."
He was hungry just a little while ago. So he took it. "Bye granny!" Obito felt sad when leaving her behind. This was the first time he had met her. And yet he felt sad that he would never meet her again.
Just as he was about to take a bite he felt a tug on his pants. He looked down to see a girl child. She was the thinnest thing he had ever seen. Her clothes were all torn up. They barely covered up her private parts. He ducked down to talk to her level.
"What is it little girl?" he asked with a smile.
"I haven't eaten anything for two days. Can you please give me something to eat?"
"Of course. Here. Take it." He got up and offered her the sweet potato.
She thanked him and ate it without wasting a single moment. Almost inhaled it. Obito was happy seeing this. Sure he was hungry. But he had enough money to buy himself two more. And being able to make a little girl smile would certainly be much more pleasing. But he was taken aback when he saw tears trickling down her cheeks.
"What now?" He ducked down again to her height.
"I was so hungry that I ate it. But I should have saved some for my brother and mother too. They have been hungry for two days too."
"Oh..." He took out the little money he had from his pocket. "Come with me." He grabbed her hand and walked to the nearest shop and bought two more sweet potatoes.
"Here take another one. You can give this to your mother."
This time she smiled. She thanked him and started running away. Obito really felt sorry for her and her family. It brought tears to his eyes. So much pain in this world and he could do nothing.
"Hey wait up little girl!" he shouted from behind and started running to catch up with the girl who had stopped in her tracks.
"Take this one too. I don't feel like eating."
This time the girl laughed giddily. "Thanks a lot nii san."
Obito had nothing more to give her. But he wanted that smile to be plastered on her face. So he ducked back down and hugged her. Yes. Perhaps the warmth of someone who cares would make ger smile. After a few seconds she melted into him and hugged her back. Obito guessed it was because it was dusk and was probably starting to get cold for someone with no clothes.
He let her go.
"Bye little girl. Say hello to your brother and mother for me."
She waved and started running again. But something again made Obito feel a weird something in his chest. He didn't know if it was sadness. But it kind of made him feel hollow.
This time he followed the little girl to see where she was going. She turned around a corner and entered a narrow lane. Obito noticed two people sitting there. The male, his age, was probably her brother. He and her mother hugged her. They inhaled the food offered to them. He felt like talking to them. But it was already dusk. And his team was waiting for him. Whatever. Now he was happy and satisfied. So he could go now.
oOo
"Obito you are late!" shouted Kakashi and Rin in unison.
"I was just helping an old lady carrying her stuff. I promise."
"Liar!"
"It's okay. Obito, you helped her right?" Minato asked with a smile.
"Yes sensei. I promise."
"Then it's okay. Now come on guys. Let's get going."
Kakashi muttered something under his breath and Rin just huffed and turned away.
Soon they had entered the forest. It was dark and the surroundings could only be seen because of the lamps carried by some of the workers. Minato was upfront with Rin and Obito and Kakashi had the back of the caravan. Kakashi was silent. And Obito was very surprisingly, silent as well. He had seen things on their way back that had had that effect on him. When he had helped that girl, he was satisfied with himself. He was content. But on his way back he gad seen numerous such families. So many people who had nothing to eat. Nothing to wear. Nothing to call home. And he could not help them. He couldn't do anything but feel helpless.
Other than the sound of the carts and people walking, nothing could be heard. Owls hooted. Some other night birds chirped. Minato looked back. Nothing was unusual. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Except that there were a few more workers than there were when they had entered the forest. He stopped in his tracks. The caravan also stopped moving.
"I know which of you are here to rob us. Leave us alone or I will be forced to deal with you with heavy hands." Minato raised his voice and stated calmly.
No one moved.
Minato wheeled around and threw a kunai. It glided past a man and lodged itself in the bark of a tree. Taking a little of his flesh with it.
Soon the silence of the night was turned upside down as dozens of men ran out of the woods and towards the caravan. Minato threw a few more kunais around and started wiping the floor with the robbers using the hirashin. They were clearly civilians and didn't have any formal training in combat. Obito and Kakashi rushed forward and took care of a few of them themselves. No one killed anyone of course. Rin pummeled a few herself.
The bandits started retreating and ran for their lives into the woods.
"OBITO," Rin shouted, "BEHIND YOU!"
Obito turned around and saw what was the matter. A bandit was trying to attack him from behind. And it was the brother of the girl he had helped back in that...whatever was the name of that place. He should have had panicked because someone was trying to charge at him from behind with a sword. But there was nothing to worry about. One of the workers had done a very good job of driving a knife into his chest. He dropped the sword and tripped on something. Obito caught him before he could fall though. Not like it made a difference. They had done a very good job of eliminating one more scum from the face of earth. The earth was now a safer place. A bloody criminal was dead. Where were the crackers?
Obito couldn't see properly. His eyes burned. He was struggling to even keep them open. He was disgusted. Horrified. He pushed the body away. Those sweet potatoes didn't matter anymore. The money he had spent behind them were useless. That hug was useless. His love for that little girl was useless. They would be sitting there. Waiting for their loved one to come back. Waiting and waiting and yet waiting some more. Without food. Without clothes. Without a roof. And if luck was with them then they wouldn't have to die of cold as starvation would get them to meet this little boy again a bit earlier. Obito didn't know what hurt more. Death by starvation or because of cold?
Tears were now rolling down his cheeks. He couldn't brush it off as dust now. Not that he cared anyway. Nothing mattered. He could see nothing with his eyes anyway. Just the face of that little girl.
Rin ran past everyone and hugged him. Hugged him tight. She didn't need to know why he was crying. She just wanted to rub those tears. Make them vanish. All her anger was washed away as she rubbed circles on Obito's back with her hand.
AN: Sorry for being late again. I had fever...and guess what? Exams from this tuesday again. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.
Let me know how you liked it. Keeps me going.
I heard about the Texas shooting just now. My condolences are with the people who have suffered. I am really sorry for your loss. Be strong. Be brave. I just hope I could help you somehow. Stay safe.