V2 ch 4
The troubled Genin!
Takeru sat in his seat in class. He leaned his head against his hand, thinking. Takeru yawned. His father had been so exhausted, that he slept that entire afternoon and night. Sasuke was still asleep when he had left for school. Onari was also asleep. He wondered what was going on while he was away. Takeru couldn't focus on what Kurenai sensei was telling them – his mind was completely on Onari.
"Takeru, pay attention. What I'm saying will be on your exam at the end of the week," Kurenai said. The boy looked at her-his mind aloof. The class stared at Takeru. "The rest of you need to focus, as well. I'm not standing here for my benefit."
The class took a break some time later. Takeru remained in his seat, still thinking. I wonder if mom has to avoid Onari, or if she can interact with her now. In his mind, he could see his parents chasing the girl all over the house. He felt a tug on his shirt. He turned his head.
"Why didn't you go to the festival," Masaru asked. "I wanted to play games with you, but you weren't there. Kandai said he saw you earlier and you left. What's wrong?"
Takeru looked at the Hokage's son. Masaru had blond spiky hair like his father and the white eyes of the Hyuga clan. Kandai and Eiyu were his cousins. "I got wrapped up in a decision I had to make."
Masaru folded his arms on the table. "What kind of decision can make you miss the festival? That's not like you."
"My dad brought back a girl our age to stay at my house. My parents wanted me to make the decision about her staying," Takeru said. He didn't look at Masaru. It was unusual to be confiding in his childhood friend about something like that.
"You mean the orphan girl? My dad was talking to my mom about her. He said they found her wandering the streets of a snow village a long ways from here. I overheard that she had been on the streets for a few years and that the entire village had turned against her," Masaru said as Takeru looked up. "So your dad didn't tell you."
"No, he hasn't had the chance. I didn't know any of that. All I knew when I saw her was that she was afraid and had no one," Takeru said.
"So what does she look like? Is she going to start going to the Academy," Masaru asked curiously.
"No, I don't think so. Onari can't read and her speech is heavy with an accent. She speaks broken phrases."
"Takeru, I bought you something at the festival," said a shy girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She held out a small box wrapped in cloth. "I thought you would like it, "Gin said embarrassed at interrupting him and Masaru.
Takeru took the small box from her. Gin was a relatively sweet girl. She was calm, good natured, and didn't get into fights with anyone. Takeru thanked her for the box. He unwrapped it. Inside the box was a small scroll. It was blank.
"It's a jutsu scroll. You write whatever jutsus you are having trouble with, on it," gin said unsure of Takeru's reaction to it.
"Oh, it's a study aid. Thanks, Gin," Takeru said placing his hand on her head, petting. He needed all the help he could get. Some techniques were harder than others to learn.
"So are you going to let that girl stay," Masaru asked out of the blue.
"Geez, you're nosey. I suppose. She's not a threat. She's just…. Unusual," Takeru said.
"What girl," Gin asked. "I don't mean to eavesdrop. I'm sorry."
"You're alright. Masaru's the one with the big mouth," Takeru said shooting him a look. "My dad brought home a girl he rescued from a snow village when he was on his mission. Her name is Onari and she's our age."
"She can't speak well and she can't read," Masaru said bluntly.
"Masaru, knock it off," Takeru said getting annoyed at his bluntness.
"That's sad. She sounds like she really needs a friend. It's not easy to adjust to a world you don't know. I feel sorry for her," Gin said getting emotional. She could feel her heart tensing up with sorrow as if she was the girl in question.
"Alright class, we're going to go out for a little physical training. I want all of you to line up. It's time to see how some of you fair with balancing," Kurenai said.
"Aw, man, I suck at that," Masaru said.
"I'm surprised you can walk without falling on your face," Takeru said as they got in line.
Gin smiled at the taunt.
"Calm down. It's alright. She won't hurt you," Sasuke said as he sat on the bed, his arms wrapped around the girl. She was watching Izumi intently.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to come closer? I'm a threat to her because I'm an adult. I can see it in her eyes," Izumi said. Onari only trusted Sasuke. He was the one that had first interacted with her, so his bond with her was going to be more important and stronger.
"Izumi, I don't think she's going to reject you. She has to get used to us. I know it's unnerving to start like this again," Sasuke said. Years ago, he and Izumi had reacted towards each other with a lot of hesitation. His wife loved children, though. She wanted to love something and be a mother – it was part of her inner strength; it was why she was overly concerned about Onari. Despite her bystander personality, Izumi was protective of everyone close to her.
Izumi stepped a few feet closer. Onari panicked. The girl tried to back away, but Sasuke held her in place. "Sasuke, I don't know about this. I don't want to frighten her."
"Onari, Izumi is a girl, too. She's just an older girl. Takeru is a boy just like me, but he's younger. Do you understand?"
Onari didn't answer. Her mind was trying to recall the day before. The group had returned to the village. She had come home with Sasuke and met this lady and a boy. Sasuke had prevented her from running away. This woman was Sasuke's wife? Izumi was watching her sadly. She didn't have the look in her eyes that Onari feared. Onari felt Sasuke touch her face. She tensed.
"Sasuke, we shouldn't push her. She's still afraid of me. I understand why. It's been a very long time since she's had anyone. Pushing her will only make her resent us for it," Izumi said.
Sasuke looked down at Onari. The girl was still tense, her eyes not leaving Izumi. "I don't know what else to do. She can't go to another family right now. Onari's not going to trust anyone easily. Shikamaru said he would take her in, but he has Saori and Chame. I don't know if that is the right environment for her."
Izumi kneeled in front of the bed, placing her hands on her knees. "We have to learn why she's afraid. A problem can't be solved unless it's approached. I don't want her to leave. I want her to do well here."
Onari turned her head quickly. Sasuke wanted her gone? She understood some of what he and Izumi were saying Onari felt betrayed. Sasuke said he wanted her to stay with them. He had meant it back at the village covered in snow. Why didn't he want her now?
Izumi was watching Onari. Onari's body language changed from being tense to shaking. She feared Onari was going to retaliate. They had no knowledge of how much language the girl understood. Izumi watched as Onari's fingers clenched. "Sasuke, look out!"
Onari brought her arms up quickly trying to shove Sasuke off so she could get away. She dug her knees into the bed, pushing up. Onari felt him go back, but when she tried to turn, in order, to flee, Izumi was on her, pinning her to Sasuke. She couldn't move! Sasuke wrapped his arms around her again, holding her firmly. Izumi was also holding her still, pressing her weight against her. Onari gritted her teeth. They weren't letting her get away so easily.
"Onari, stop! Onari!" Sasuke held her so hard his nails dug into her arms. The girl was breathing so hard, she was panting. Izumi kept her arms around Onari and her body on top of hers. The girl was slowly calming down.
"We cannot help you if you won't let us," Izumi said in an unusually calm manner. "You're putting up a lot of walls, Onari. I and Sasuke are still trying to get past the first one."
Onari tried with one last attempt to throw Izumi off, but the woman was still on top of her. They had her confined to the room. If they were going to do anything to her, they could.
"Why are you afraid all of a sudden," Sasuke asked, not moving. "Why are you choosing to run from two people that are trying to help you? I didn't bring you back to hurt you, Onari. Why are you assuming me and Izumi are going to fool you?"
"Sasuke, I think she understood what we were discussing," Izumi said softly. She lifted herself off of Onari and brought her hand up to the girl, moving the girl's hair off of her face. Onari was crying. "She understood everything."
Sasuke lifted his head off of the bed to look at the girl. He could see that she had given up fighting them. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and falling onto the bed.
"Off Onari," Onari said quietly, her voice cracking. "Sasuke Izumi no want Onari! Off Onari," she said yelling.
Sasuke put his hand on the back of her head and pressed the girl to himself, gently. Izumi was right. Onari understood more than she let on. "Izumi, what do we do? I don't want to give up on her."
Onari was looking at her calmly, her yellow eyes watching her lavender eyes. Izumi smiled at her as she wiped Onari's tears away. "We have to give each other a chance. Chances don't hurt. Onari needs a chance to understand just as Izumi and Sasuke need a chance to prove to Onari that they want her to be happy. That's it. No string attached."
"Onari, you can't run away from us. When you fight us, it hurts here," Sasuke said touching the place over his heart. She was watching him and Izumi with a softer gaze. Had they managed to tame her after one outburst? "It's not that we don't want you. We do, but we can't force you to accept us. It's the hard, cold reality we have to face. We can't make everyone happy, or make them trust us."
"Will you give us a chance? Will Onari walk into the darkness with us, not knowing what is in there?" Izumi waited for the girl to answer.
Onari slowly nodded.
"We won't know what's in store for us, unless we go together and see it all for ourselves. Right now, Onari is not alone. She has Izumi, Sasuke, and Takeru. Maybe others who will go with her on the journey, but Onari has to give them the chance," Izumi said.
"Onari, what did you tell the awful man who wouldn't let you leave the snow village," Sasuke asked. He wanted to know, or rather hear her say it. At the time, he had been wounded and was out of it. "What did you say in front of Shikamaru?"
The look in the girl's eyes changed to hardness, seriousness, and meaning. Her eyes reminded Izumi of the way Sasuke's eyes had looked all those years ago when she had first met him.
"Onari protect Sasuke," Onari said with aggression. Her fighting spirit was overcoming the normal shy, nervous girl that was inside of her. It was like awakening in a field and seeing the sky for the first time.
"Onari, if we let you go, will you sit and not run?" Sasuke watched her nod. He sat up as Izumi moved back. "I mean it, Fire Bird, if you take off I'm going to be upset with you." He let her go.
Onari sat still. Her body was tense as she sat between Izumi and Sasuke. She looked from one to the other constantly. They both sat still, just watching her. Scaring her wouldn't help the situation.
"I'm going to lift my hand and touch you, alright," Izumi said. She slowly started to move her hand in Onari's view. It was easier to tell the girl what was going to happen because it would make her aware and keep her calm. Gently, Izumi touched Onari's forehead. "See? That wasn't so bad. I won't ever hurt you. Neither will Sasuke. Understand?"
Onari only looked at Izumi. She was afraid of making anyone angry at her. Slowly, she nodded her head.
"We're not trying to make you afraid of us, but we need you to listen. Adults that care about you say things to help you," Sasuke said. He gently touched her cheek. Onari didn't flinch, or tense. "We're going to leave the room. If you want to come out, you can, but we won't force you."
Izumi and Sasuke got up. They walked out of the room. Izumi wasn't expecting Onari to follow them. She had to adjust on her own. They went to the kitchen and sat at the low table. For a while, they were quiet, only listening to the small movements Onari made on the bed.
Sasuke was watching the entranceway for Onari. He sighed. "I don't understand why she took to Shikamaru, Neji, and Kiba so well when we were on our mission."
"Maybe it's because of the circumstances surrounding her and everyone else. She was also in an environment that she was familiar with. We just need to be patient," Izumi said as she sat a bowl of food in front of her husband. She sat down, closing her eyes.
Sasuke looked down. "When did you make this?" He picked up his chopsticks.
"When you were deep in thought," she said smiling at him. "Sasuke." Izumi gestured to the entranceway with her head.
Standing slightly out of view, her hand on the frame was Onari peering in. she bit her lower lip, her eyes looking around the room. Onari didn't move any closer. "Are you going to come in, or just stand there," Sasuke asked.
Onari moved back some. "Sa..su..ke, On..ari… stomach…talk." She had smelled the food and came to check it out.
"Or, we could simply entice her with food," Izumi said with a grin.
"Come on. You have to come in here if you want to eat," Sasuke said. Onari seemed to be going through the pros and cons about entering the kitchen. He watched her scope out the area for exits and anyone else that might surprise her. "Come on, Fire Bird, it's just us."
Onari came around the corner slowly, her eyes darting around the room. She fiddled with her hands, nervously. Cautiously, she edged forward. Onari lowered her head averting her gaze.
Izumi got up slowly. She walked away to find something for the girl to eat. They were making bigger steps now and she was satisfied with that.
Takeru was on his way home when he stopped. He turned his head to view the trees off to his right. For some reason, he started to walk towards them. He looked up at them. Curiously, he went into the woods. Something was telling him to go further. His intuitions were making him move his legs.
Takeru heard no sounds in the training section of the woods. Usually there were older students out here. The more determined ones always stayed till dusk. Takeru felt like he was being watched. "Why do I feel like I'm being watched?" He looked around, but saw no one.
"Because you are," a low voice said. "What are they teaching brats at the Academy now or days? You walked right into a trap without realizing it."
A trap? Takeru froze. He looked down at his feet. There was nothing there. Who was the one issuing the trap? He had been careless. Sasuke wouldn't be happy with him. He always told Takeru to be mindful of what was around him. It was highly important to know where enemies could hide, or what traps could be laid.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. There is more than one kind of trap. Some traps you can see, others you hear… This type you can't see until it's too late. Either you haven't learned this yet, or it's still unfamiliar. Which is it?"
"I don't know this type of trap," Takeru said nervously. He felt threatened. How was he supposed to get out of something he couldn't see?
"That's all you had to say," said the voice. "Release." The trap faded away. The woods disappeared. In its place was the training field. The boy with dark hair was looking around bewildered. "It seems I'm a target this week for the Academy students."
Takeru tensed as an older guy came half-way out of one of the trees. His eyes were wide. The guy was a Genin. Takeru noticed his red eyes before he saw the white tips of his black spiky hair. "Who are you?"
"I thought you'd be more concerned with the trap I had you in. didn't your father tell you about Genjutsu traps and how they're a type of illusion technique?" He raised a brow. "That's surprising. And to think I'm the one who gets in trouble for being a slacker." He came out of the tree fully and jumped down.
Takeru looked up at the older, taller boy. His face was covered with some sort of cloth mask. He wore the same material on his arms, along with gloves. There were no visible weapons on the boy except for the usual ninja tool cases. He looked familiar to Takeru. "Are you going to tell me who you are?"
The boy crossed his arms, sighing. "Geez, you're just like your father. So demanding… Sasuke Uchiha is my sensei and I'm called Ryu."
"My dad trains you?"
"He tries," Ryu said not really interested in talking about it.
"Are you the reason my dad comes home worried," Takeru asked.
Ryu looked back at the boy with no expression. "I don't know why he would be worried. I usually do what I'm instructed to. Maybe he has other things on his mind."
Takeru narrowed his eyes. "No, I think it's you because I've never heard your name before."
Ryu turned around. He waved at the kid. "See you, Uchiha."
"Hey, wait!" Takeru ran after him. Ryu was gone. Dammit. He probably used Genjutsu to get away. "What kind of guy is he? Sheesh." Takeru turned around and walked off.
Takeru took his shoes off and stepped onto the wooden floor. "I'm home," he said. Where was everybody? He proceeded to the first room – the kitchen. Takeru walked in then sat down beside his dad. His father was laying his head on the table, arms crossed. Takeru shook his shoulder. Sasuke opened his eyes. "I take it you and mom had a rough day?"
Sasuke sat up, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, you can say that. Onari's a handful, but I think we made some progress with her." He reached up, petting his son on the head. Takeru was his only son. He was deeply concerned about his son's strength's and weaknesses. Most of all, he wanted to protect him from harm. He didn't know what he would do if he ever lost him. "What's on your mind?"
"Dad, I met a guy that you train named Ryu. He used some kind of Genjutsu trap and.. I walked into it," Takeru said looking away. He didn't know what his dad would say. He was prepared for a lecture.
"So you met Ryu. I see," Sasuke said looking away. "Ryu hides a lot using Genjutsu to avoid other students. He's not a bad guy, but he's misunderstood. He was only trying to avoid trouble."
"Is he the reason you get that worried look on your face," Takeru asked.
Sasuke glanced at his son. "He's one of the reasons I worry. I try as hard as I can to teach and prepare my students for the real world. It's disappointing when you try to do all you can and it's not enough."
Takeru didn't understand. "I thought everyone tried as hard as they could to become a Chunin." He watched his father fold his hands.
"Some students try harder than others. The ones that try the hardest are usually the ones that have something to prove, or are struggling – compared to their teammates. I believe in Ryu's case, he hasn't found a reason to try as hard as he can. He has nothing to protect – nothing that means anything to him."
Takeru looked away. He only talked openly with his father. Sasuke listened tow hat he had to say and didn't treat him like a child. "From what little time I spent with him, Ryu acts like he doesn't like who he is."
"That may be true. Regardless, I feel responsible for how he's turning out. Ryu's father was my sensei. Everything his father did for me, in the end, affected Ryu. Kakashi helped me learn how to work with others and was the one who sealed the curse on me. He did what he could to prepare me for my own battles. The least I can do, is train his son."
"But I thought Kakashi sensei died a long time ago?"
"He did, Takeru. Kakashi died protecting Gai – his rival and friend. He died because he didn't give up on me. A sensei never gives up on his or her students. I'm not proud of what I did in the past. I'm well aware that you know, Takeru. I see how you look at me, at times. I don't expect you to understand." Takeru remained silent. "However, I don't know what to do about Ryu, or Onari right now. I have two troubling kids on my hands."
"Dad, don't give up on them. You can't. If you give up, then you won't see their full potential emerge. Ryu will come out of his shell eventually. He's just harder to understand. As for Onari, she's unusual, but she seems alright. Speaking of her, where is she?"
"Oh, your mom was gong to give her a bath. Izumi actually got Onari to let her touch her. Now we just have to get her used to you."
"How are we going to do that?"
"I have no idea. You're the first kid that has spoken to her that I know of."
Takeru blushed. He was slightly intrigued. He was the first one to try and make friends with her.
Sasuke looked up. "What happened?" Izumi walked in carrying Onari. A towel was on the girl's head. Strangely, Onari wasn't trying to object to being held.
Izumi signaled for Takeru to not speak. "Well, I found out she has a huge fear of water. It took a while to bathe her. The poor thing is deathly afraid of water. Sasuke, someone has done something to this child. She was huddled in the corner, shaking and staring at the tub with wild eyes." Izumi sat down at the end of the table next to Takeru. "If I ever meet the bastard who has scarred her, I'll….-," she stopped. Her anger was getting the better of her. Take a deep breath. She did.
Onari was tired from fighting Izumi over the water situation. She laid her head on the woman's shoulder. It was exhausting having to keep her guard up all of the time. A face came into view. It was the boy from last night. He was watching her. "Ta…ke..ru," she said softly. He smiled at her, nodding.
Sasuke grabbed his son by his shorts. Takeru was being too curious with Onari. "It's training time, Takeru. Say 'See you later'," Sasuke said. He picked Takeru up and started to carry him out, upside-down.
"Dad, can't we do it later," Takeru said. He watched Onari softly smile at him. She.. smiled. Takeru felt that funny feeling in his chest again.
"No," Sasuke said. "And I think we'll go over a few trap types since you ran into Ryu."