Thank you for all of the reviews, and I'm sorry for taking so long! I made the chapter longer than my usual chapters!
And, if you have time, please review! The count is nearly at 100, and if it could get to 100, it would really make my day.
. . .
The sky was covered in a blanket of clouds.
They were huge, dark, and rumbled throatily with thunder. They were bulging to the brim with moisture, and the boy knew that it would rain soon.
He was seated on his knees, his legs curled beneath him, and his hands pressed gently against his thighs.
A simple grey sleeping kimono hugged his small, thin body, and it was incredibly thin, just barely serving to bring his sickly body warmth.
He didn't mind, though.
Maybe if it rained, then it would wash away all of his worries.
He knew rain tended to that, too.
Maybe it would wash away all of his anger, as well.
Maybe it would.
And, as the sound of frantic footsteps scoping the area and a shrill, feminine voice voicing out orders reached him, he sighed.
When would it rain?
As if answer to his silent question, the clouds above his head let out a loud warning rumble, and as it did so, a huge smile adorned his previous unmoving lips.
He knew his mother was looking for him, but with beautiful weather like this, he didn't think that he was going to move one inch.
He sat there for a few more uninterrupted minutes, but the unmistakable noise of a shoji door being slid open sounded.
He sighed again, just how long could he go without being bothered?
Not very long, it seemed.
Without turning around, he asked, "What do you want, Okaa-san?"
There was silence, as if the person at the door was stunned, but it was easily broken by the sound of a richly refined chuckle, "Really, Yui-kun, is that how you treat your brother?"
The boy- Yui, for that was his name- jerked, then got to his feet, completely disregarding the fact that his knees momentarily shook, and whirled around to face the person, an excited grin on his face.
"Yoshi!" he shouted, but he winced sheepishly when the sound of his own voice cut through his own voice, "Oops, sorry, Onii-san."
Yoshi, however, merely smiled at him gently, reaching out a hand and placing it on his head, "That's quite alright, Yui-kun." His eyes suddenly sharpened, his smile becoming thin, "But, if I may ask, just what are you doing out of bed? You know it's bad for your health."
Yui's smile became forced, because he knew that this was what he hated about his brother. That is, Yoshi's overprotectiveness.
When his brother's hand pressed down on his head with a subtle warning, Yui sighed in resignation, the smile completely dropping from his face, "You know why, Yoshi," he muttered, "Besides, I don't see what has you and Okaa-san ruffling their at. I don't feel any different than when I'm in bed and rested."
There was another silence, and Yui could not help but think that his brother was… tired of him- sick and tired of dealing with him.
So, he got a great surprise when, instead of retreating, Yoshi's hand stayed on his head and gently ruffled his hair; long, slender fingers getting tangled in their strands.
He looked up, confusion plastered across his face, but Yoshi merely smiled at him reassuringly, an affectionate look in his eyes, "If I don't tell Okaa-san about the fact that you're out of bed, will you sit with me, Yui-kun?"
Yui blinked, then his confusion dissolved into a bright smile, and he nodded happily, "Of course I will! You're my big brother, so why wouldn't I?"
Again, Yoshi smiled, and it was that warm, reassuring one that immediately put Yui at ease. He watched, eyes wide, as his brother smoothed out his kimono, then took a seat to where Yui had vacated earlier, patting the space beside him in invitation.
Yui was there in a millisecond, curling up against Yoshi's warm side like a fish seeking water.
He didn't know how long they stayed like that; him, curled up at his brother's side, but it had to have been quite a while, because the sky above him was a dark grey- darker than it had been earlier.
Yui knew that it would rain, and he wanted to be present when it did.
Because, whenever it did rain, he would always be confined to his room, as his parents thought that it was a danger to his already frail health.
He only ever saw rain at a distance.
Now would be different, though.
He would feel the rain instead of just seeing it.
Before his brother could stop him, Yui shot to his feet, and rather embarrassingly, his knees shook like earlier, but he fought off the shakiness of his limbs and took a step off the wooden floorboards.
His body was met with a shock when his bare feet made contact with the cold, unforgiving ground. His eyes widened for a split-second before he squeezed them shut, trying his best to become accustomed to the cold.
And, as if his body had listened to his inner commands, it did become accustomed, albeit slowly. But it was fast enough that he could risk his brother's wrath.
When he knew that his body was ready, he ran away, giggling madly, hollering, "Catch me if you can, Onii-san!"
Yui knew that Yoshi would be furious by the time that he was caught, but at that time, he couldn't care less.
From behind, he heard an exasperated sigh, and he knew that Yoshi was on his tail.
He continued to run, though, not even caring at the fact that his health might get progressively worse with his exposure to the elements.
However, he was startled, when, suddenly, something icy and cold abruptly his cheek, freezing him with its unfamiliar icy bite.
Yui looked up, a wide, dazed smile on his face as more drops of rain began their descent from the sky.
"Rain," he whispered breathlessly, and he laughed, throwing his arms into the air and doing a little spin, uncaring to the fact that he may look incredibly stupid in that pose, "It's raining!"
However, his joy was suddenly cut short when a hand fell onto his shoulder.
He turned, and was pierced by the unfamiliar sight of his brother's angry eyes.
Anger directed at him.
But Yui didn't care, he didn't even care that his body felt weaker than it was supposed to, and he didn't even care that there were a few black spots in his vision.
Or even that he was completely and utterly drenched.
Yoshi seemed to stop whatever reprimand he had in mind at the sight of him. His eyes widened ever so slightly, but then they hardened, appearing as severe as the frown on his face.
Yui nearly flinched when he felt a hand on his forehead, but when he saw that it was only his brother, he relaxed.
"Who did you think I was? Okaa-san?" Yoshi asked, voice very dry.
Yui nodded sheepishly, "Yeah," he responded, but his voice cracked in the middle, and he nearly fell over.
The rain washed over him, cold and soothing and harsh.
Yoshi easily caught him, gathering him into his arms as if he were an infant, "I don't want any complaints," he said bluntly, "You're burning up, Yui-kun. And, right now, you look as if you're about to pass out."
Yui scowled grumpily, but he couldn't help but agree with Yoshi. He really did feel as if he were about to pass out.
He was cold, too, so he burrowed closer to his brother's chest in an attempt to get warmer, "It's cold, Yoshi," he mumbled.
He heard a sigh from above him, "I know," his brother murmured, "I'll get you into something warm, but first, I have to get you out of this rain."
Yui felt his brother begin to move, and though his pace was fast, it was gentle, too, telling Yui that Yoshi was being extra gentle with his movements, so as to not to jostle him too much.
"You know, Yui-kun," his brother began casually, "This is your fault, you know. You were the one who ran out into the rain, leaving me to chase after you like one would with an infant. So, when Okaa-san finds us, I'll be pinning the blame on you."
Yui groaned in annoyance, and with venom coating his voice, he mumbled, "Sometimes I really hate you, Onii-san."
Yoshi chuckled, and Yui felt it reverberate through his chest, "I know."
Yui heard the sliding of a shoji door, so he guessed that they were about to go inside.
But he soon forgot that fact as a harsh shudder shook through him, "I'm cold, Yoshi," he muttered, and he burrowed even closer, "Make it go away."
His only response was the tightening of his brother's arms around him, and then darkness washed through him.
He knew nothing.
. . .
Yui woke with a start, the covers of his futon sprawled about his legs.
There was sweat on his face, and he felt unpleasantly warm. Slowly, he raised a single hand to his face, and he didn't fail to notice the fact that every single one of his fingers were shaking.
He pushed his hair from his face, grimacing at the slightly wet feel that the tips of his bangs possessed. Nonetheless, Yui knew that the fever was nearly gone, else he'd still be asleep and bundled deep in his blankets.
But he didn't feel cold anymore, not in the least.
He wanted to get out of the futon.
So he did, tossing aside his blankets and pulling himself to his feet, not caring in the least at the way that they shook dangerously. They had always done that, he mused.
Not that he cared.
Yui knew that his father didn't care for him much- he could easily see this with the way that the man ignored him, because, in his eyes, Yoshi was the better son.
Yoshi didn't get sick often, and his body was stronger than Yui's own.
In their father's eyes, Yoshi was far more available.
Yoshi was only ten, yet he had defied all of their father's expectations.
He was proficient at nearly everything he did, whether it be reading or writing, or even the arts of a Shinobi. Yoshi was far too valuable to lose, and he was protected around the clock as there had already been multiple attacks on his life.
Their father had hired private instructors for Yoshi- instructors to teach him the ninja arts so that he may better be able to protect himself.
And when Yui had found out, that single word had struck a chord deep within him.
Ninja.
He knew what it was before their father had even explained what it was.
Yui didn't know why it seemed so familiar- the word "ninja" wasn't even allowed to be uttered in the same room as him, due to his mother's overprotective streak, he had figured. He had supposed it wasn't that hard to understand- after all, he was only four.
But when Shinobi had been mentioned, Yui had felt something. He wasn't sure what the feeling was- it was a mixture between familiarity and knowing something was there when it wasn't.
Yui still didn't know what it was.
Because, how could he?
He was only four, and he would only be known as the younger brother to the boy that his parents adored so much.
He was only Yui.
He was only Ken.
Yui's eyes widened, and he let out an inaudible gasp.
What was that?
Ken… just who was Ken?
A few seconds later, Yui felt his shoulders relax as he let out a sigh, "I think I might be going crazy," he muttered, the pitch low enough that it wouldn't be carried outside the thin walls of his room.
Yui then let out a yawn before shrugging his shoulders, popping out the tense, corded muscles in his neck and then stretching his limbs.
When he was finished, he stepped off of the comforting warmth of his futon and onto the somewhat cold tatami mats.
It was colder than he was used to, so he glanced down to see what his current attire was.
It wasn't really surprising.
He was wearing what he usually did, except that the outer layer was gone, and he found that he was only wearing the inner garments, their light-grey fabric cool to the touch.
Yui sighed a little, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
He guessed that he felt fine today.
His body didn't feel as weak as it had been yesterday, and he didn't feel so cold, either.
Yui took that as a good sign.
With his smile widening into a grin, Yui walked towards the shoji doors, sliding them open with little difficulty. He stepped out into the open, relishing in the cool air that slapped his face.
But almost immediately as he'd stepped out, he thought that he would get caught. After all, he wasn't allowed to leave his room.
All because of his stupid body.
Yui's grin was replaced with a scowl- an expression that severely distorted his young face, he knew.
He was going to find Yoshi.
Yui had a fair idea of where his brother would be at this time of day, and when he arrived there, he was proven to be correct.
Yoshi was in a defensive position, arms raised protectively in front of his face. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed as he glared up at the man in front of him.
The man was tall with huge, broad shoulders and a tangle of dark brown hair. Over his frame, some sort of jacket was wrapped snugly around him, and under his main of wild hair, some sort of headband around his forehead was visible.
On its polished silver surface were four squiggly lines that Yui had never seen, yet struck a chord in him as a thought came unbidden to his mind.
Kiri.
Yui blinked furiously just in time to hear the man bark, "Again!"
He watched, transfixed, as Yoshi blocked an attack yet again with his arm, the said arm shaking from strain.
The man shook his head in what seemed like disappointment, "Are you really that weak?" he asked, then after a second of contemplating, he said, "It doesn't really matter anyway if you really are weak. I'm only teaching you so I get paid. The sooner I'm done teaching a weakling like you, the sooner I can go home."
Before he could stop himself, Yui said, "Back to Kiri, right?"
The man's head snapped around, his entire body on the defensive, some sort of sharp weapon appearing in his fingers, and he raised it to strike.
Yui shut his eyes, twisting his fingers into the fabric of his kimono as he waited for the inevitable.
But it never came.
A few seconds later, Yui cautiously opened his eyes and flinched a little.
The sharp thing's point was inches away from his face, but that was the thing- it was inches away from his face!
It hadn't touched him at all.
Now, Yui could see why.
He saw long, pale fingers wrapped tightly around the thing's hilt, and he followed the fingers to wrist, and then up the arm that the wrist was attached to, to finally the face of the person who had just possibly saved him.
Pale blue eyes stared back down at him bemusedly, and Yui flushed ever so slightly in embarrassment.
It was a man who looked to be in his early to mid-twenties, with a thin, pale face and dark brown hair that seemed to defy gravity, sticking up comically in every direction.
The man's voice was strangely soft, silky almost, "Are you finished, Kiri-nin?" he asked without turning around, and Yui was instantly in awe, after all, how couldn't he be?
This man was like… the definition of awesome.
And again, Yui frowned, because, once again, he didn't where all these strange words were coming from.
The Kiri-nin merely scoffed as he walked away, muttering, "Don't know why you can't teach the damn brat, after all, you're his supposed bodyguard or something."
"I prefer the term "watcher"," the man responded idly, looking as if he couldn't care less.
And he probably didn't.
Not that Yui knew.
Yui also noticed that, as the man was facing him, a gentle look had eased his features, but though his face was gentle, his eyes were not.
The pale blue depths held a deadly glint deep within them.
There was also something off about his body posture- that is, he looked like a snake about to strike.
Yui nearly jerked in surprise when his brother's voice sounded, "Itsuki," Yoshi murmured, his voice sounding weary and tired, "Can you please put that weapon away? Even though it belonged to him."
"Of course, Yoshi-sama," the man, Itsuki, responded immediately.
The weapon was gone in an instant.
Yoshi then approached him, his face tired and haggard. The blue haori he wore hung off of his frame, emphasising how tense and taught his shoulders.
Yui looked up with mild surprise when his brother came to a stop in front of him, but he didn't flinch when he felt Yoshi's warm hand touch his forehead, brushing away his bangs in the process.
"Still a slight fever," his brother nodded, as if that information was incredibly important, and then his face got on a more serious note, "What are you doing out of bed, Yui-kun? Weather like this isn't good for your body. You could get sick."
"I'm fine, Onii-san," Yui protested, a sullen scowl lighting up his face.
"Nevertheless," Yoshi interjected gently, and his face suddenly wasn't so serious anymore. Instead, it was warmer and more sincere, "You're still sick."
"I'm fine," Yui spat, and, with a tinge of bitterness thrown in for good measure, he exclaimed, "And it's not as if it matters anyway! I'm just the spare son anyway!" his last words ended in a yell, and when he was finished, he was breathing heavily and his cheeks were slightly flushed.
Yoshi looked stunned, if lack of a better word, but then his eyes hardened and his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Is that what you really think, Yui-kun?" he asked softly, and if Yui knew any better, then he had to say that his brother looked… sorrowful.
But Yui wasn't going to back down no matter what expression Yoshi pulled out, "Yes!" he yelled, and his words only grew louder as he shouted, "That's exactly what I think!"
And then he turned the opposite way and bolted.
. . .
Yui sat on his futon, looking down at his bare feet with a sullen look on his face.
He hadn't meant what he'd said to Yoshi, of course, but as soon as his brother had opened his mouth, everything that Yui had had bottled up inside had come tumbling out.
And that included his anger, jealousy, and bitterness.
And it had hurt so much to see the pained expression on Yoshi's face.
And to think that he had caused that look made him sick to his stomach.
I don't hate you, Yoshi, he thought.
And he didn't.
He loved his brother so much that it hurt.
He didn't mean to say what he had.
And that was when Yui decided.
I'll apologise to you right now, Onii-san, he decided.
But before he could, a sharp, feminine scream echoed throughout the entire house. Yui immediately stiffened, and a yelp issued from his mouth when the shoji door to his room roughly slid open.
Someone stood in the doorway and Yui froze. His hands clenched into fists and turned white with the pressure of being held too tight. He was so scared. He couldn't even shake from the terror that acutely felt, it was as if his muscles had decided that they wanted to take a break from moving from awhile. His lips were tightly pressed together, his mouth refusing to open, with his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. From an outsider's perspective, Yui looked like a statue, frozen, on his knees, with his arms tightly pressed to his sides.
But Yui only had a split-second to panic, because, the next thing he knew, the stranger had sprung forward, and he was born witness to a pair of familiar pale blue eyes.
"Itsuki?!" he gasped, completely taken aback.
His brother's watcher simply nodded, before solemnly announcing, "Your parents, Hotaka and Youko Akiyama, are dead."
And Yui's entire world came crashing down.
He stared at Itsuki blankly, unable to comprehend what had just been said.
His parents were dead.
An overwhelming sense of loss crashed over him and his sight became strangely blurry.
His entire body was shuddering, but he remained sitting where he was, staring hard at the ground. Yui was confused when something cool ran down his face and dripped to the ground.
And then he felt it.
Anger and sadness.
They… they can't be dead! he thought desperately. They just can't!
Before he knew it, Itsuki, his brother's watcher, was standing in front of him, "Come," the man said, hands wrapping around his arms and securing his shoulders, "It's time to leave before they find us."
Yui opened his mouth to reply, to say that he was not going anywhere without his brother, but all that came out was some sort of strangled sob.
Finally, as Itsuki was pulling him to his feet, Yui managed to finally croak, "Y-Yoshi… what about Yoshi?!"
"It was Yoshi-sama's wish that I get you out of here," Itsuki responded calmly, "And I intend to honour his wishes."
Yui's sadness turned to anger in a second.
"No!" he shrieked, struggling against Itsuki's hold, but when it only tightened, he spat out, "I'm leaving without Onii-san!"
"It was Yoshi-sama's wish," the man responded back in a cold, monotonous voice.
"I… I hate you!" he yelled, "You could have brang him with you! What… what kind of a watcher are you if you can't even protect my big brother?!"
Yui was mildly alarmed when Itsuki merely sighed, "I have no time for your hysterics," the man murmured, "Kiri has put a hit in for your parents' head. They believe that if your parents are dead and out of the way, then they can access the Akiyama fortune. They wanted everyone out of the way, regardless of the fact that they would have to kill children."
"And, Yoshi?" Yui asked, feeling hopeful.
Itsuki didn't look affected in the slightest, "You will never see him again," he answered shortly, "And it's best if you don't."
"Huh?" Yui was confused, "What… what do you mean?!"
His tears had turned angry, and they dripped down his face like a rainstorm.
"I would say "brace yourself"," Itsuki muttered, "But it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
"Where are you taking me?!" Yui demanded.
"You will be safe," the man murmured, "But never even think of seeking your brother or myself. It's best you think that we're dead."
Yui never got a chance to protest as something struck the back of his head.
Everything went dark, and he could feel his hope for a happy existence melt away with his vision.
His future was uncertain.
. . .
I woke to the sensation of moving.
My eyes were still closed, and I felt a soft wind caressing my hair, slapping my bangs into my eyes. On my cheek, I could feel a faint throbbing, and it hadn't died over time.
And that was when I remembered.
The memories came back quickly.
I remembered the battle, the dying man that I'd killed- I swallowed- and then Rei.
I remembered his dark blue hair and sharp, cutting eyes.
I remembered just exactly what he was.
He was like me.
And so was Cho.
I thought of Cho then- that sweet, socially naïve boy back in Suna.
We three were the same.
The exact same.
They were the only ones who could understand what I was going through, though who knew how much they remembered.
I remembered half of my past, as well as bits of my life.
But it didn't really matter now, did it?
The past me- no, the Girl, was not me anymore.
I was Yūmaru Kishi now, Genin of Sunagakure.
That was what mattered now.
The wind on my face was beginning to grow annoying, so I sighed and tightened my arms around whatever they were wrapped around, resting my cheek against something cool.
In fact, I now had the vague notion that I was being carried- by who, I had no idea.
My front was resting against something strong, yet it somehow managed to be soft at the same time.
Something had secured my legs, and somehow, the burning, hellish pain in my injured leg had abated somewhat.
Maybe it was because I had fallen asleep?
I shakily opened my eyes when I felt something soft tickle my nose.
I saw red right in front of my face.
I frowned, why was I seeing red?
I shifted in the hold I was in awkwardly, because it was quite obvious that I was riding on someone's back.
My movements must have alerted the person holding me to the fact that I was now very much awake.
Their head turned slightly, and I was mildly surprised to see wide, greyish-brown eyes piercing my own.
It was Sasori.
And there's the question- that is, just why was I riding on Sasori's back?
It was quite clear that the red head didn't seem the type to help others, judging by his complete lack of concern for human life in the Naruto series.
But that was when he was, like, thirty five years old. Right now, Sasori was only seven, due to turn eight in a few months.
"Sensei," Sasori's voice sounded, and I had a vague notion that he was calling for Kazuki, "She's awake."
"Finally," said sensei grumbled, sounding out of it, and my head snapped up at the voice, "Hey, Yūmaru-chan! Get off of your lazy ass and greet your sensei, you twerp!"
"I'm not on my ass, Sensei," I retorted tiredly, and I was somewhat shocked at how my voice cracked in the middle, "And I'd really like to get more sleep."
"You've been asleep for hours," Sasori interjected, his voice a mixture between amusement and irritation. It was as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be amused at the fact that I had slept for hours and still wanted to sleep, or the fact that I wanted to sleep and was consequently slowing them down.
"How long then?" I asked, and I really did want to know.
"About three hours," the red head answered bluntly.
I wanted to smirk at how deadpan his voice sounded, but I was simply far too tired for that little effort.
I leaned my head against Sasori's shoulder, "So, Sensei," I began conversationally, "Can you give me a rundown of my injuries?"
Kazuki sighed as if it were a great effort, "I would have told you last night, but you were too out of it," she grumbled, "Clinging to Yashamaru-kun and I like that. And then you refused to get up this morning so we had to take it in turns in carrying your heavy ass to the mission location."
I smirked then, and my sensei's only response was the rolling of her eyes.
"Really, Sensei," I mock-gasped, "I can't be that heavy. Besides, you probably didn't even carry me."
Kazuki didn't have a chance to retort, as a very dry voice chipped in, "You're right on that note, Yū-san."
My head lifted and I peered over Sasori's shoulder, saying happily, "Yashamaru-kun!"
Yashamaru smiled in return, and it held a trace of warmth, though it still retained its grimness, he didn't seem to be surprised at the abrupt change in honorifics, either, "Yū-san," he acknowledged.
I raised my hand from where it was wrapped around Sasori's neck and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. The red head didn't even tense under my touch, which I took as a good sign.
Normal people would tense.
But we weren't exactly the definition of normal.
We were Shinobi, and we were trained to be sneaky, as well as strong.
Stealth was a good attribute for a ninja, I mused as Sasori inclined his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine once again.
The red head looked bored, something I attained to feeling weary and impatient for the mission to just end.
I wanted that, too.
I wanted this mission to end so I could just go home and put this whole thing behind me- put behind me the fact that I killed another living, breathing person.
But I would get over it- I just had to.
After all, this was what I had signed up to when I joined the academy.
There was no time for weakness.
… or, at least, that was what one of my teachers had tried to teach.
But I also had to take into account how volatile my emotions were at the same time.
Because of how I had just sat there and done nothing in that battle a few hours ago, proved how destructive emotions can be on the battlefield.
I wouldn't let that get the better of me next time.
There was a tiny haze of confusion in Sasori's eyes when I didn't say anything, and he was the one to break the silence, "What?"
I blinked, "Huh?"
"You wanted to say something?" his voice was impatient, and that was where the line was drawn.
"I was wondering if you could put me down," I answered, smiling somewhat sheepishly.
My only response was Sasori gently loosening his hold on my legs, and I winced when my injured leg touched the ground. I put a hand on his shoulder for support, taking it away a split-second later when I saw his eyes narrow.
"So," I said, glancing around at my team, "Are we any closer to finishing this mission?"
"Actually," Kazuki answered, and she looked quite pleased with herself, "We should be there in… an hour, give or take, with the pace that we're setting."
"You mean walking?"
My sensei sent me an ugly look before a sweet smile took over her face, "Yes, Yūmaru-chan," she drawled, voice sickly sweet, "Walking."
I winced despite myself, because I knew that we would probably already be there if I wasn't injured.
I walked in silence beside Sasori, and when Yashamaru came to a stop beside my right, a small smile curved my lips, but it abated somewhat when he handed me something that I should have taken from him as soon as I'd woken up.
My bag.
I easily slung it onto my back, but I winced slightly at the throbbing on my neck.
I glanced down at my chest discreetly, to see if I could see anything, but all I could see was the pale skin of my slightly exposed collarbones.
Yashamaru, seeming to notice my gaze, explained, "Sensei thinks you were strangled."
I swallowed painfully, still feeling Rei's fingers around my neck, "No shit," I whispered.
"If it hurts so much, then maybe Sasori-san could heal it?" Yashamaru offered, sounding somewhat unsure.
I instantly recoiled away, flushing slightly, because it wasn't as if Sasori would say yes, right?
Right?
I didn't give Sasori a chance to answer, because I blurted out, "No, healing's not necessary, Sasori-san!"
Sasori seemed amused, but you couldn't really tell due to the hazy and dreamy look his eyes always had.
Well, it was better than cold, I guess.
We walked for an hour in silence, and it was then that we came upon it.
A large house that bordered on mansion, what with its elegant wood.
It was half collapsed, a single shoji door in the front entrance half off of its hinges and creaking in the wind.
I gasped, because I had a feeling that, while it seemed abandoned, a good number of people had occupied it.
My shock turned to horror when I noticed something lying face down, their hands strewn on either side of their head.
They were wearing a blue haori, they wore stained in blood.
Strands of light blond hair were also coated in blood, but it seemed to be from a more prominent source.
"What…?" I heard Yashamaru breathe from beside me, gaze zeroed in on the boy lying face down.
"The Akiyama Residence," Kazuki murmured, her eyes widened in barely concealed shock, "But… but how?"
"Sensei," Sasori suddenly said, and we all turned to him, faces horror-stricken, yet still curious, "That boy… I think he's still alive."
"What?!" said sensei gasped, her face draining of colour.
Then, she seemed serious, not like the happy and sarcastic teen we knew her as.
She was a Shinobi, deadly and oozing with grace.
"All of you," she said, regarding us seriously, "I want you to take cover in the trees. Whoever did this… they could still be around, using that poor boy as bait. I'll go over to him and see what I can do. I may not be a medical ninja, but I wasn't promoted to Jōnin for nothing."
"But, Sensei," I immediately began protesting, but Kazuki silenced me with a sharp look.
"Enough, Yūmaru-chan!" she hissed, her dark eyes glowering down at me, "I'm your commanding leader, and I expect you to follow every single one of my orders. If I tell you to run, you run, and if I tell you to run and leave me behind, you will do so. Let's not forget the fact that you're injured."
An arm was slung over my shoulder, and Yashamaru said, "We understand, Sensei, and we'll take care of her."
Before I could react, the arm around my shoulders was gone, and so was Yashamaru.
Sasori was gone, too, so, cursing Kazuki, I followed their lead.
I hid in the trees.
And all of this was done for the sake of a stranger.