A Little Black Box

Without realizing it, autumn had arrived.

Just a while ago, he had a haircut. It was much different than what it looked like back in spring.

He'd grown several centimeters taller, too.

As he experimented with the red spikes, he wondered if she would still recognize him.

...Come to think of it, she was probably changing little by little, just like him.

But he knew instinctively that he would identify her on sight. He would only have to see her eyes.

His own life was slowly but surely transitioning.

His uncle had stopped pushing him to speak with the other children.

His skill with ninjutsu had improved dramatically. The sands were tightly under control. He'd received recognition from his father and the advisers. Many avenues of training opened up to him. He had much more freedom to plan, to read. Soon, he would be allowed to take an exam and become a genin.

He would be so much closer to his goal. Yet these things meant nothing to him now, except as milestones for his own progress.

.

.

He had finally discovered the reason behind the kunoichi's presence in the village in the past:

A merchant caravan. A low ranked escort mission. One team of genin hired from a foreign village at the same time every year, without fail.

For the first time in his life, he had something to look forward to this coming spring. He didn't care what obstacles he had to pass. Nothing would stop him from seeing her again. Just thinking of cloudy spring skies made concentrating on his copy of Mysteries of the Universe difficult.

So in between chapters, he would sit next to his window and daydream under the moonlight...

A village sheltered in deep forests. Maple leaves of gold and red. A flock of whooping cranes flying overhead, with no other sign of life for miles.

Walking in an unknown grassland next to the usual girl.

As always, he couldn't see her face because of her hair and the wind. For even in his own fantasies, he was unbearably shy and could come no closer.

But this time, the air felt just right. The clouds blocked the sun, the shadow like a curtain that fell over their bodies. Shielding them from the rest of the world.

His footsteps slowed. So did hers.

The cranes were long gone, and all was still.

His fingers ghosted towards her. His heart hammered inside his chest.

As if sensing his intent, she shifted closer to him as well. But she still didn't turn to look at him. As always, her gaze was focused on something farther than he could comprehend.

That would not stop him.

He was resolved to lose himself once more within the mystery of her.

This time for sure, he firmly felt that she would turn her head towards him if he took a gamble, a leap of faith. Just like before.

This time, he would definitely-

His sand rose to block the rain of steel and glass shards.

An enemy.

Fear.

Uncertainty.

Indignation.

Gentle autumn daydreams ruined by the howl of pain and death.

An unnatural stillness that made him falter.

Tiny fingers gingerly peeled away the face mask.

A familiar, fond face covered in blood.

Betrayal.

Jade eyes widened. Bit by bit, a hollow feeling welled up inside him. The world tilted beneath his little feet. He demanded an explanation, anything at all, so it would just. Stop. Hurting. His heart was trapped in despair's painful grip.

After a shaky breath, his uncle told him that it was an order. An order he could have refused.

Said that he'd always hated him. That everything was a lie.

And then the man had pulled enough energy to say that the kunoichi had lied to him, too.

...Had she?

Had she lied to him?

.

.

She sometimes held still for long periods of time, gazing at something farther than he could see. The swing's chains creaked under the pressure of her hands. The stone sat unresponsive on her lap. There would be no magic today.

"It... just happened. It wasn't like I was walking anymore. More like... falling."

In moments like these, her smile did not reach her eyes. Her voice sounded painful to his ear. He could hear her heartache clearly.

But he didn't know where to bring her warmth, or how to treat her soul.

Unable wrap his arms around her because he was still so small.

Helpless as she trembled in her seat, bravely keeping her smile for his sake.

Incapable of giving her any words of encouragement.

The first time it happened, he was so ashamed. But she assured him that his feelings had reached her, and she was glad.

So he continued to feel, despite his own pained heart. He poured his everything into his emotions.

If her own heart could be healed, just a bit, then he would continue to feel until she was whole again. Until she found the strength to start walking, and find her way.

Even if it meant an eternity.

.

.

Such pain couldn't have been a lie.

He defiantly said as much, and the traitor merely smiled.

The resulting explosion was so loud, he'd believed for a scant moment that he was no more. Only to open his eyes afterwards and suck in a deep breath. He was alive. The sand had protected him from the older man's kamikaze, but his heart was still in turmoil.

This horrible event only strengthened his desire to get away from the village, moreso than ever before. And yet, he was still a child. He could not leave on his own power. The world beyond the village walls seemed impossible to reach now.

Somewhere inside his body, primordial chaos stirred.

You can't. But I can. Close your eyes, and I will handle the rest.

So he clenched the stone in his fingers and closed his eyes.

It was the first true sleep he'd had in three years. He dreamed of clouded skies, endless grassland, whooping cranes, and emerald eyes.

To him, this was happiness. He could just sleep forever. Be lost in her mystery forever.

But something was wrong. The eyes he'd longed to see weren't smiling. They were crying. No matter what he did, he couldn't make it stop.

And then he realized that he could not sleep. Not like this.

Yes, he missed her. But if he clung to these childish feelings too tightly, he would never be able to get out of here.

He would be stuck. She would be stuck.

The loneliness was slowly killing him.

But he... he had to hold on. He couldn't give up.

Not when he still had so much he wanted to talk to her, face to face. Not when he had an entire world to explore with her beyond the desert. Not when he'd sworn to heal her heart for an eternity.

With great reluctance, he released the girl from his arms.

It was truly a wonderful dream.

And it didn't have to remain a dream, he promised himself.

Warm emerald eyes watched him march away from the grasslands and onto his chosen path...

TBC...