Hey, Hi, Hello.

Welcome to chapter two of Scarred. It's titled 'Storyteller', as I'm sure you can tell. I really, really hope you enjoy it 3 Song? A7X.

DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Naruto. What a shame T/-\T I also don't own the song or the picture used for the cover. Credit goes to the original artist, and if I find out who it was who drew it I'll edit.
WARNINGS: Cussing.

Anything in bold is important or with emphasis.
This is what memories look like.
This is what thoughts or letters look like.
'This is what song lyrics look like.'

~SCARRED~

'Come back again,
it's almost easy...'

~SCARRED~

Naruto seems dismayed, I marvel. His big blue eyes are gazing up at me, and he's still clinging to me. "'Ttebayo...g-gomennasai..." he murmurs, eyes watering up. Immediately I feel guilt surge through me. Not even five minutes after being reunited and he was already crying because of me. And here I was, thinking that our reunion would go well.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay," I tell him. I raise one hand and pet his hair, the other lifting so I could properly hug him. He hugs back, seeming happier. "Ne, you've gotten taller, too." That was true, he had grown. He was taller than before, his face and body matured. But yeah, I was still taller.

He releases me from the hug, grinning. "Of course I did, 'ttebayo!" I smile at him, and then turn to Neji. I gesture for him to extend his arm out. Then I press a hand to his wound and let healing chakra flood through. Once his arm is healed enough he gives me a grateful smile, pats my head and disappears. Normally we would discuss what I needed to work on more, but seeing as how there was a reunion waiting to happen he departed. We'd talk about it later.

Then I turn to the three before me. Without a word, I step forward. First, to Sasuke. I hug him, just a little shocked when he hugs back. It was the first time I ever actually hugged him. Then I release him and move to Kakashi. I hug him, too, staying there a few seconds longer. He smelled of rainwater and soap- familiar, like he did when I was still twelve and he hugged me at the chunin exams. I release him, too, and step back so I can see all three of them. "I missed you."

"As we missed you," Kakashi says, and Naruto nods vigorously. Sasuke doesn't do much of anything but the simple fact he hugged me back instead of pushing me away showed he agreed, to an extent.

"Well," I state, "We have a lot of catching up to do. So let's go."

~SCARRED~

We make it to my clan grounds quickly. I show the boys to living room, make my excuses to go take a shower, and I do just that. Ten minutes later I'm dressed in my standard outfit, minus the trench coat and boots. My standard outfit consists of the following- black tanktop, clan flak jacket, black trench coat with sleeves rolled up to my elbows. Shorts ending just above my knees, black boots, bandage wrapped wrists and gloves with Velcro straps. Perhaps a bit strange, but that was what I was comfortable in and therefore my normal outfit. The boys were still waiting patiently, all turning to face me as I entered.

The doors and windows are all opened, letting air flow through the house. My fingers twitch to the top pocket of my flak jacket, where my cigarettes resided alongside my lighter. I felt the craving rising up, reminding me that I only had two cigarettes today. In all honesty, I was trying to quit. It wasn't working. I ignore the urge and sit down across from Sasuke and Kakashi. There's a few seconds of silence before I speak up. "So, tell me of your adventures."

Sasuke talks this time. "For every story we tell you, you have to give us one of your own."

I nod, accepting his terms. "I suppose I'll go first-" A knock sounds on the open front door, and I lean slightly back in my seat so I could see who was knocking. It was some recently turned chunin messenger, looking quite unsure of himself. "Hai?" I ask, standing from my seat and walking to the door.

"Message from Hokage-sama," he says, holding out a letter. I take it from him and thank him. He nods, smiles tightly and disappears, likely anxious to finish up his day and get home. The sun already set, and stars decorated the sky. It was pretty late, I was exhausted and I bet the others were too. So I settle down back into my seat, take the letter out of the envelope and read its contents aloud.

"'To Team 7: At eight in the morning tomorrow, be at Training Ground 32. You'll receive further instruction from there. Come prepared. From, Tsunade-sama.' Well, fuck. I don't want to go," I declare, tossing the letter toward my teammates. Naruto catches it as I stand again, hand reaching into the top pocket of my flak jacket. I stand in the frame of the front door, leaning against the side. I withdraw a cigarette and my little metal lighter, letting the cigarette hang from my lip as I light it. I had no self-control whatsoever when I was feeling stressed out and wanted to smoke, it seemed.

I suck in a deep breath, filling my lungs with smoke. I hold it in for a few seconds longer than necessary and the tension in my shoulders is gone almost immediately. My fingers don't feel as twitchy, either. For however much I wanted to stop smoking, it sure calmed my nerves and soothed me. I release the breath and exhale, feeling their eyes on me. "Sorry, picked it up from Tonbo and Asuma-sensei. Can't seem to let it go," I explain, shrugging my shoulders. "Now, let's see. . . Ah, I know."

"Just this past year I was picked as a proctor for the chunin exams. Part one, as it were. Ibiki was still overseeing it, though he kept hidden. This one gaki from Kusa was particularly problematic," I inform them, only pausing to take a drag from my cigarette. "He couldn't take me seriously. Said I was the same age he was and he could take me down because of it. So I informed him of my time in the exams. Told him how I won because I cornered my opponent in a pool of water and electrocuted him so badly his face slid off. Freaked him out quickly. Your turn." Another drag, holding my breath in, and finally exhaling.

"Maa..." Kakashi-sensei mumbles. "Ano, once when we were in a little village Jiraiya was up to his usual antics, staring into the women's side of the hot springs. He got caught by a woman whose husband was in the male side. He was a jonin-level and chased all four of us out of the village . I lost about an inch of hair from one of his fire jutsus. This was about three months after our departure, I think."

That makes me laugh. Naruto joins in, and Sasuke smirks a little bit. I take yet another drag off of my cigarette. It was almost gone, too, just two or three drags left. I exhale. "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, I'm surprised you didn't dodge!"

He looks indignant at this. He hasn't really changed much, not like Naruto and Sasuke have. He still had that same closed-eye smile and playful tone. And his hair had recovered from the fire attack, it seemed. "Hey, I was dodging the rest of his attacks!"

I scoff playfully at him, replying, "Sure you were, sensei... Anyway, my next story is..."

~SCARRED~

Dear Team Seven,

Hi.

This is the first letter I've written to you three. You left just over a week and a half ago, and I figure that's an appropriate time to start this letter thing. And I realize I'd be the one to initiate it because Naruto isn't too responsible and would likely forget, Kakashi-sensei would take forever like he always does, and I doubt Sasuke is interested enough in writing a letter to me or anybody for that matter to actually do so, so...yeah. Anyway, the point of letters are to talk about what's happened since the last time we've seen each other, right? So that's what I'll do.

There's really not much for me to talk about, because it's only been a week and a half and not much has changed. I finished up physical therapy two days ago. I can move my arms and fingers again without agonizing pain in them. It's still a bit uncomfortable, and while not necessarily painful, a bit ache-y because of the new scar Ibiki-sama gave me. My skin feels a bit tighter. I guess that's the word for it. I've also done an interrogation, and it was pretty interesting. The girl I was interrogating was around fifteen, I think, and she had blue hair. That's all I can tell you about that. Oh, and tomorrow I'll be leaving on a mission with a few others to escort someone to a village on the outskirts of Kaze no Kuni. I don't know why they picked me, but oh well. Said mission is the reason that I'm writing this letter out now, because I'm not sure how long I'll be gone and I don't want to keep you waiting or anything.

I'm sorry, because I apparently suck at writing letters. It's kinda awkward, seeing as how the last letter I ever wrote was to Daichi after he left, and before he even was supposed to come home. I was five and didn't understand the mechanics of letter writing, but it was still easier to write that than it is writing this. And there's the fact that this letter is to three different people, and it's a little bit strange referring to all three of you individually and then at other times, collectively. As a...team. Cause that's what you are, right? Whatever. It already feels like you three have been gone a year. When you reply, make sure to tell me all about your adventures. I'm sure they're much more interesting than mine are. Please send a picture, too, if you can. I'd like to see some of what you're seeing. In return, if you want, I'll send some pictures too. Only if you care, though, because I don't see a point taking the time to photograph something, get the film developed and then get an envelope to fit the picture (because no way am I folding it, that would annoy Sasuke too much to receive a folded up picture) if you don't even care in the first place.

Well. I guess this is the end of my letter. Write back soon, okay?

Kimi.

PS- Tsunade-sama says there might be a little bit of trouble sending them sometimes because of the need of the messenger birds being in high demand right now. So if I ever take too long to reply or I never reply at all, that's probably why.

~SCARRED~

TA-DA.

The second chapter is done, and shorter than the first because not only do I have a whole lot of writing to do for, say, Indebted, but I also didn't want to start any of the main events of chapter three in this chapter. I hope you enjoy this, anyway, and expect some more story sharing and letters in the next chapters!