V 4 CH 10
Responsibility
Takeru opened his eyes slowly. He looked up into his brother's sleeping face. Ever since Daiya had returned form the hospital, he and Onari had stayed glued to him. Takeru knew he didn't understand why they were acting that way towards him. Daiya was apprehensive when it came to them being attached to him. However, he had finally accepted his family in whole now. Daiya was sleeping peacefully in the middle of the joined twin beds. Onari was sleeping behind him with her back pressed against his. For once in his life, Takeru felt satisfied around others.
Takeru Uchiha had always watched from the side lines when it came to other people. It was mainly due to the fact that he was Sasuke's son. Sasuke was known throughout the fire country on both good and bad terms. His parents had kept him away from the prying eyes of others due to his father's past. Sasuke wanted Takeru to grow up happily, unlike how he did. Regardless of their effort, Takeru had grown up to only know Masaru, the Hokage's son. He was lonely for attention from his peers and his father.
Sasuke Uchiha was at the top of his class – an elite ninja with skills beyond those with normal training. Because of that, he was prone to secretive and special missions that his family could not know the details of. Takeru knew what his father's real title was. He knew his father's skills and techniques and after all, he watched him train. Sasuke was an assassin by trade – and a damn good one.
Takeru's mother was an assassin from the water country. She had been raised and trained to take orders from the Mizukage. Izumi never knew her real family. She had been stripped from them the moment she was born. It was the clan leader's decision to offer her as a strong combatinant in fighting since her clan was the strongest at the appointing time.
Like Sasuke, Izumi grew up alone with a set goal in mind. His was to avenge his clan from his brother, Itachi, who had been instructed to do so by the head of the Uchiha clan. Hers was to get away from her clan for sole survival. Izumi started to think outside of the box as a teenager. This caused her to be in constant fear for her existence with her superiors. She knew there was more to life than fighting and following orders. She had started to question the very people who made sure she survived.
Izumi's soul had been awakened by a small boy whom she had been ordered to kill on one of her missions. The leader of his clan had been in constant war over the years with the water country. The one in charge, demanded her to act in his favor, and she did, without question. It had all been the aftermath of politics and power. Izumi had been hired that moment on to annihilate all of the remaining survivors. As she looked down at the child –his parents' blood all over his face- her kunai ready to do away with him, the boy raised his arms at her.
Not understanding the child's gesture, she only stared back at him for a moment. The boy tugged her clothes as Izumi kept her weapon raised. Izumi leaned towards the child watching him with her hollow gaze. The boy wrapped his arms around her neck as she came towards him. Izumi felt the boy's warmth. He was alive. He was life. And she was death; A beautiful, pale form of death with lavender eyes. This caused her to re-think her objective motive.
Ever since she had encountered the youth from that mission, Izumi had started to change. She wouldn't follow orders fully. She refused to adhere to the wills and selfish needs of her clan. The water country demanded her life to be terminated. They sent assassins after her to do just that. But Izumi had been trained to be the best – the top of the line. After all, it's coy to think that such underclassman could defeat her so easily. She slaughtered them all in the end.
Takeru only knew about his parents because he asked. They normally didn't keep things from him. His mother wanted him to be informed, but only to the point of where it didn't upset his normal life. She was protective of him, as his father was, and they only wanted him to live and grow in the sun, instead of in the dark. Takeru was the unity of their love and he knew it. His parents deeply cared for each other, as they did for him. They were both orphans who had found each other. Takeru yawned a little. He moved closer to his new brother. He closed his eyes again to go back to sleep. Rain started to lightly hit the roof of the Uchiha house.
The rain hit the roof hard as it echoed thunder over the hidden leaf village. Lightening soon followed. It flashed the sky for a moment before sounding its crackles throughout the clouds. The weather outside was terrible. Takeru had the shoji screens open so he, Daiya, and Ryu could watch the weather from the back hall. "It looks like it's getting worse."
Ryu sighed. "I hate the rain. I don't like being indoors if I can help it." There was never anything to do except practice his art jutsus on scrolls. He wasn't in the mood. "Where is Onari anyway," he asked as he looked at Takeru.
Daiya threw the sheets back on the bed to reveal Onari balled up with her face hidden on his stomach. "She's afraid of storms," he said seriously. The girl was clinging to him as if she was going to be stripped away by the weather.
"It's nothing more than rain and noise. What kind of ninja is afraid of the natural elements? Daiya uses lightening, Onari. You have to understand that you're being ridiculous," Ryu said as thunder sounded over head again. She grabbed her brother tighter.
"She hasn't seen Daiya use it," Takeru said as he watched her. "It's only fitting for her to be scared of it. I'm not sure she's even seen a thunderstorm before. It's the first bad one we've had since she's arrived."
Daiya lifted Onari up so he could hold her. He wasn't used to seeing her afraid like this. She was looking around constantly, her ears listening and body tense. Daiya took his role as her brother quite seriously. For now, he was guarding her and protecting her from her fears.
A loud deafening crack echoed through the sky over head. It was just enough to make all of them jump. Onari started to scream as she covered her ears. She didn't stop either. Thunder and lightening meant the bad man was coming for her. She lowered her head trying to block out the terrible sounds. Daiya latched onto her. He pressed her head against him hard. He wrapped his other arm around her to shield her. She was tense and not letting up. "Onari", he said loudly over her screams. He looked to Takeru and Ryu. "She won't stop."
Ryu tried to calm her, but she wasn't having any of it. The girl wouldn't look at them or move. Her body wouldn't let her. He could tell by the way she was acting that it was a learned fear. Ryu knew all about those because he had a few himself. He wondered what had caused her to be afraid of thunderstorms. "Something must have happened to her for her to be scared like this," he said calmly.
Takeru was at Ryu's side trying to calm Onari, too. He wrapped his arms around her trying to comfort her. Onari untensed a little, but her screams were coming frequently, even if they had lowered in pitch. "Onari, there's nothing to be afraid of. There's no one here but us. It's just noise!"
"You guys still don't know much about her, do you," Ryu asked as he watched his friends trying to get the girl to stop.
"Her language isn't precise, Ryu. She's still learning it. It's not like she has someone to teach her. She picks up whatever she hears, or Mom tells her," Takeru said. Onari's body was lightly shaking now. He didn't know what to do for her.
Sasuke walked into the room slowly. His sons were trying to comfort the small girl, but it wasn't working out very well. "Guys, having the shoji screens open, isn't going to help the situation." He walked over to close them. Onari eased up as they clicked shut. "She's scared of the weather for a reason. I might need to take her, you two. It has nothing to do with you guys trying to help. It's more of an authoritive figure… thing," he said trying to word it correctly.
"Just say what you mean, sensei. It's because you're stronger than us and she feels safer," Ryu said as he crossed his arms. That landed him a smack on the back of the head. "Ow." Ryu rubbed the back of his head where he had been struck.
"No, it's more like an older brother scenario or father figure," Daiya said. "Although, I don't understand why Onari calls you by name." He opened his arms as Takeru moved aside. Sasuke plucked Onari up. Daiya watched as she instantly calmed down.
"I don't know how she views me. I know Onari trusts us, or she wouldn't let us assist her in any way," Sasuke informed the boys. Onari was hiding her face on his arms. She wouldn't look at any of them. "Well, she can just stay with me for a while. She's not going to be very interactive as long as the storm is blowing the way it is." He headed out of the room.
"That has me curious I wonder why she doesn't call him 'Dad' like Daiya," Ryu pondered. "And when did you start calling sensei that? Do you think of him highly now?" Ryu smiled at the boy from under his mask.
Daiya blushed immensely. His body froze. Why did Ryu have to pick on him about it? He grabbed one of the pillows and hid his face. Sasuke was the first person who had bothered to notice him. He was the only person in Konoha who had asked about him and wanted to take him in. Daiya felt funny when he thought about it.
"Ryu, stop picking on him," Takeru said angrily. He threw the other pillow at the tall boy with spiky hair. "You can be such an insensitive jerk!" The pillow hit Ryu in the face. "If you're going to bring out someone's feelings like that to make them look stupid or embarrass them, then go home!"
Ryu looked at Takeru with the same lazy eyes he gave everyone. It was one of the traits he obtained from his father. "I wasn't trying to embarrass him. I just wanted to know why he thinks so highly of Sasuke sensei all of a sudden. He's always distanced himself from adults."
Daiya wouldn't look at them. He didn't favor being put on the spot. He heard Takeru tell Ryu to stop asking. Ryu fired back about how Takeru needed to calm down and act more mature. That caused Takeru to rebound and shout at Ryu. "Shut up," he said with the pillow against his face. "Just shut up," Daiya yelled as he leapt off of the bed. He was out of the room in seconds.
"Don't look at me like that. You were involved, too," Ryu said annoyed with the glare from Takeru. "I'm not about to stay where I'm not wanted." He turned his head and left Takeru.
"Go ahead, Ryu! Walk home in the pouring rain! I don't care," Takeru shouted after him. He tched. "Now I have to find Daiya. Ryu doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, or think before he speaks."
Takeru walked out of the room to find his mother pulling Ryu. She had an annoyed look on her face. Uh, oh. Either Mom saw Daiya bail or she heard us. He looked at her. She stopped and signaled for him to come to her. Takeru swallowed.
Izumi kept a firm hold on Ryu's throat with her arm. She had heard the boy's fighting – about what she was unsure of. Ryu tried to force her to let go. Izumi tightened the grip around his throat. She heard him choke. She let go just slightly. Her gaze was serious and threatening. "Explain yourselves."
Takeru averted his gaze. "Daiya got upset because Ryu questioned him why he calls Dad 'dad' instead of 'sensei'. I told him to shut up and we got into a fight. Daiya yelled at us. He took off. Ryu said he didn't mean it and I told him to go home."
"Do you two have any idea how it makes a person feel to be put on the spot regarding something as sensitive as that?" Izumi let go of Ryu. He stood up rubbing his throat. "First off, it's inappropriate to question a child why they have taken refuge in someone. Especially if that child has never known love, or a real family." She turned her hard gaze to Ryu who backed up. "You need to think before you speak, Ryu, and use better judgment. It wasn't your intention to issue harm, but it has been. As for you, Takeru, shouting around Daiya can startle him. What do you think will occur if he's frightened unexpectedly?"
Takeru's eyes looked into his mother's serious lavender eyes. "An… a-attack," he said softly just then realizing it. It wasn't something he had yet witnessed. His father said it was like watching Daiya die.
"We have not gained the knowledge on how to prepare for the upsets his arrhythmia may cause. I've already seen the aftermath of the first one. It's not a comforting sight to see your child on the floor unconscious and struggling to survive. Don't ask me to bear that image any more than I have to because two boys I know cannot hold their tongues!"
Ryu lowered his head. He was ashamed of himself. When Izumi described what she had seen, it got to him. He didn't realize that such things were occurring for his team mate. Daiya was added to Team 2 because he didn't understand team work, loyalty, friendship, and acceptance. Ryu hadn't fully understood what the concern was over the boy. It wasn't common to come across a ninja who refused guidance. Somehow, his trainer had managed to chip a hole in the fortress Daiya had put around himself.
They watched Ryu pass them. "Where are you going," Takeru asked. The tall Genin stopped. He didn't look at them for a moment. Takeru wondered what was going on in his head.
"To make amends." Ryu walked away. He was trying to figure out where Daiya would have gone. He wouldn't be waiting in one of the usual rooms. He was hiding – but where? Ryu thought for a moment. The thunder rolled overhead after a flash of lightening lit the sky. He went outside to the wrap around porch. Ryu walked slowly, listening. As he turned two corners, he saw Daiya sitting with his knees up to his chest, chin resting on his folded arms. "I didn't mean to offend you," he said softly.
Daiya didn't answer. He only stared at the rain falling off of the roof onto the ground. His eyes were focused on the wall in front of him. Rain cascaded down the wall causing the beige color to change as if it were darkening.
Ryu stopped beside him. He crouched with his hands in his pockets. "The scenery can't be too enjoyable. It's just a wall." Daiya glanced at him. Ryu instantly grabbed the boy. He held him tightly in his arms despite the tension he felt going through Daiya's form.
Daiya didn't understand why Ryu was being
sentimental towards him. They didn't know each other very well. It's not like they were close at all. Ryu didn't allow anyone to understand him. "Why are you touching me…?"
"To make sure you haven't become part of the house." Ryu looked down at him. Daiya wasn't objecting to the hold he had on him. He still wouldn't look at him though. "Are you going to stay mad at me? It wasn't even intentional."
"I'm not angry with you. If a giant turkey notices how I'm acting, than it must be pretty obvious," Daiya said unhappy with himself. It wasn't like him to react the way he was with the adults. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
Ryu sat down. He let Daiya go, placing his hands in his lap. "You aren't sure what to think about being accepted. Your normal instinct is to question it- to think it's a trick. You initially want to be accepted by others and would probably like nothing more than for it to all be true. Your head's getting in the way of what your eyes see. What does your heart feel?"
Daiya stared at the rain. The thunder rolled overhead, issuing its existence as the boy from the lightening country tried to sort out what he thought and what he felt. "It feels like it's in a cage." Ryu watched him with his usual hollow expression. "It's always in a cage." The lightening flashed.
Rain drops left over from the previous storm dripped off of the leaves as birds chirped their songs sweetly into the air. Saori was up early looking out of the window. She smiled a little, her heart flip flopping in her chest as the realization came to her. She was going on a date with Ryu today. Her first real date with the spiky haired boy on Sasuke's team. Saori blushed as her mind ran through the images of the day when Ryu had kissed her. He was older than her by three years. And naturally, her father was cautious. He knew Ryu better than she did.
Saori felt strange when she was around Ryu. It wasn't due to his age though. Even though his expression was calm and not interested most of the time, she got the sense that he was paying attention more than anyone. He noticed her. He didn't ignore her at all. No, Ryu challenged Saori to think for herself. She was sly like her mother and smart like her father. Saori Nara was trying to prove to the boys on her team that she was just as good as they were. She didn't want to be seen as anything less than that. Her main goal was to become a Jounin like Kurenai. Women becoming a top level ninja were far and few. Saori planned to change that. Even if, she had no direction. She stretched her arms over her head and got up to prepare for the day.
Ryu sat on the couch staring at Chame, Saori's brother. He kept staring straight back, his red eyes never wavering from the boy's. The kid was challenging him. "Why are you watching me like that?"
Chame grinned at Ryu before he pointed at the older boy. "You're going on a date with my sister. I have to make sure you're date quality for her!" He watched as Ryu rolled his eyes back at him. "I challenge you, Ryu Yuhi!"
"I didn't come to train babies to walk. You're under my mom's care until you get out of the Academy. I also won't be made a mockery of," Ryu said as he chose to ignore the boy. He heard Chame scowl.
"Chame, leave him alone. He's here for your sister," Temari said as she sat a tray down with snacks on it. "In fact, why don't you eat away from Ryu?" Her son picked up an apple slice. He left the room eying Ryu immensely. Temari made sure he was gone. "Saori will be out in a moment," she said. She could tell the boy was nervous – he kept bouncing his leg up and down.
Ryu sat quietly by himself. He breathed out slowly, letting himself calm down. It was his first date ever. He didn't know what to do. There wasn't anything planned for it. Ryu wasn't the best with girls. Then again, he wasn't good with anyone really. Most of the girls he knew lashed out at him or avoided him entirely. His heart was slightly skipping in his chest. Ryu forced himself to swallow. Saori was the first and only girl he had known to be nice to him. He stared at the floor. A face popped into his view. A girl with long blond hair, pink tips, and gorgeous ocean blue eyes was smiling at him. Ryu blushed. He had never seen her with her hair down.
Saori watched Ryu thoughtfully. He was taking in her presence. He was dressed in his usual attire, but lacking the green vest he normally adorned. He was still wearing his face mask. She supposed it had to do with his insecurities about how he resembled his father. "Hi, turkey, have you been waiting long?"
Ryu found himself absentmindedly reaching to touch her face. His hand froze once he realized what he was doing. He let his hand drop and averted his eyes. What had caused him to react that way? "Sorry," he said rather embarrassed.
Saori sat next to him. From what she knew about him from her father, Ryu was generally shy unless he felt accepted. He was unsure about the others around him because no one gave him a chance but Sasuke. Ryu didn't try for anyone – not even for himself. The reason for his existence was unclear to him. He was a general loner and had only recently made friends with a few kids on the other teams. Despite the low self-esteem he had and how he kept a distance from others emotionally, Saori thought he was wonderful. She kissed him quickly on the cheek. Saori reached for his hand and tugged. "Come on, Ryu. Don't be so shy," she said smiling at him.
Ryu walked with Saori until they came to the forest. He looked down at his hand. She was still holding it. "Saori, I… don't have the proper knowledge about what a date is supposed to be like." He didn't know what she expected from him.
"Neither do I. This is the first date I've ever been on. You're the only guy who has given me a chance," she said as she looked at him. "Tell you what; let's get to know each other better. I know you like me and all, but we need to be closer to each other if we are to understand the other. That's why I brought us out here. You like to hide in trees a lot, from what I hear. It's only fitting for you to be in a comfortable environment until you feel like coming out. I won't force you," she said. Saori tightened her grip on Ryu's hand. She felt him wanting to lock up. "Why are you trying to hide? It's kind of difficult out in the open isn't it?" She watched him glance at her shyly. He was defiantly shy all alright.
Ryu felt a little vulnerable. His heart was racing a bit and his eyes were looking around. He was on a date with a girl. The thought kept registering in his head. The first date in his life and he didn't have a plan. Saori was a very pretty girl – more so with her hair down. Ryu was panicking. He was going to mess up. He felt stupid for asking her out. There were other guys she could date besides him. She had a lot of options. He wanted to bail. He closed his eyes thinking it was a better choice than to be faced with rejection. Before he knew it, Saori was hugging him around the waist. Ryu tensed a bit as he looked down at her.
Saori could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest. He was nervous to be with her like this. "Ryu, thank you for noticing me," she said softly. He eased up. "I appreciate you taking your time with me." Saori felt him gently put his arms around her. He was very unsure of how to react to her. "I'm sorry if I'm scaring you. If it makes you feel any better, I don't know what to do either," she said as she looked up at him with a light smile. He was watching her with the same expression he had given her on the bench that day.
Ryu felt a little more at ease. She wasn't all over him, or expected him to act a certain way. "Um, how is your training coming along," he asked as he tried to find something to talk about. He scratched the back of his head as he watched her.
"It's fine," Saori said. She figured he wasn't used to this sort of interaction. It sure showed. Saori smiled at him again. "Say, Ryu, maybe I could get you to teach me how to be faster at climbing."
"Climbing? Are you a monkey," he asked her. The shock on her face made him laugh. "Why would you need me to teach you to climb? You don't know how to do it?" He watched her look away embarrassed. "Saori, tell me why you wish to take tutoring of that kind."
Saori glanced at him. "Lee sensei had us climbing the cliff a few days ago. Eiyu was faster than me. So he didn't have to repeat the lesson like I did. Takeru was the slowest, so he had to repeat also. He took his time getting up the cliff and it showed sensei that he wasn't concerned about how he needed to hurry. The point of the exercise was to teach us our strengths and weaknesses. Eiyu was only concerned with himself. Takeru wasn't concerned at all. He was only doing it because he was instructed. I refused to take advice from my team mates and ended up falling. If Lee sensei hadn't caught me, I would have hit the river with the rock." She played with her shirt. "I want to be just as good as the boys."
"Why are you worried about how strong the guys are on your team?"
"I want to be a Jounin like Kurenai sensei," Saori said softly. "I'm just as good as they are. I don't need someone to tell me what to do. I need guidance and the force to do it." Saori felt Ryu put his finger under her chin. She looked into his red eyes.
"Show me," Ryu said seriously. If she wanted to become a Jounin level ninja, Saori was going to have to step up and prove it. "Unfortunately, most ninja are males. If you want to become something, you have to work at it. You're going to have to beat all of the guys, Saori. Plain and simple: Your training is going to increase. Now… show me."
Saori yelped as she was startled by Ryu forming behind her out of the tree. She turned around trying to block one of his hands from hitting her shoulder. She reacted slowly and he hit her on contact. Instead of crying about it like a sore loser, Saori brought her leg up to kick. He blocked that, too. Ryu was avoiding her quite easily. He even started to whistle while she came at him spinning and throwing punches and kicks. Ryu moved back each time with his hands in his pockets. He appeared to be playing more than training. "You don't have to whistle," she said annoyed. She was suddenly hit from the side. Saori fell and slid. She looked up to see Ryu crouched beside her on the tree branch.
"Sometimes noises are used to taunt, or distract you. You had no idea I wasn't really in front of you. It was a copy, Saori. See, if you get advanced enough, the copies can mimic whatever you want them to. The Hokage's famous for it. It seems you and Daiya have a lot in common. Both of you worry about what someone is doing instead of where they really are." He helped her up.
"What do you mean? You were in front of me. I don't know when you copied yourself." She rotated her shoulder.
"I was never in front of you to begin with," Ryu said as he sat next to her. "Remember when I appeared behind you and startled you? That was a copy. I'm a strong Genjutsu user, Saori. I use copies and other forms of jutsus to let me know how many of an opponent is lurking in an area without having to give my position away. It also lets me know how strong someone is. You never go into a situation blind. You need to have more confidence in yourself."
Saori smarted off at him, "Oh, you're the one to talk. You were scared of me earlier at the house." She watched him twitch and fall over. Saori laughed. "Gee, Ryu, what happened to your self-confidence?"
"Woman, back off," he said to her narrowing his eyes. Saori only laughed at him as he did so. Ryu sat up. He leaned towards her looking at her with angry eyes.
Saori looked at him cutely. She kissed him softly on the cheek. His anger suddenly left him and he fell over onto his side defeated.
"Girls are confusing," Ryu said lightly. Saori kissed him again, but on the other cheek. He blushed red all over as his heart flopped around in his chest. Before he knew it, Saori had him up and leading him back to the village. She hugged his arm tenderly. "Where are we going?"
Saori led him to her favorite part of the river that ran through Konoha. It had gotten quite dark by the time they had returned to the village. Saori found herself staring into the water. She loved how the stars were showing. "I like this part of the river the most. It's near the hospital, but I like to come here to think. It's nice and quiet." She hooked her legs around the rails and sat down. Ryu leaned against it crossing his arms. He glanced at her. "I really like you," she said shyly.
Ryu didn't understand why. He had never been liked before. "Why…? I haven't done anything special to be liked." He watched as she turned towards him.
"You may not think so, but you have. You make me think. You… make me do for myself and realize what it takes. You gave me a chance, Ryu. That's more than most have done," she said moving her hand to go through his hair.
Ryu noticed the sound of her voice. She was lonely. He had never seen Saori in Konoha before. He wondered why that was. Ryu moved closer to her slowly. She was watching him even shyer as he was her. He leaned towards her and lowered his face mask to kiss her sweetly. He felt a powerful wave of energy when he was in contact with Saori physically. She transferred energy to him when he was near her.
Saori and Ryu kissed each other several times. She didn't want to part from him. Ryu kissed her beside the mouth before wrapping his arms around her tightly. She was a little nervous, but she leaned into him regardless. Saori could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest again. She wanted to calm him down. There was nothing to be afraid of. It was only her. She rubbed her cheek against his chest fondly. The day had been spent with them trying to get to know each other. Saori had learned a lot about Ryu in the ways he thought and how he acted.
Ryu breathed out slowly, afraid that what he was experiencing would all vanish like one of his genjutsu illusions. This girl was completely different. He noticed that even though Saori hid what was really bothering her, she toughed up her persona and moved on. She had a very strong character. Ryu was concerned about how much she was going to have to push herself in order to match the males who were training. He wanted to see her achieve her goals. Just because he didn't have a reason to fight or train, didn't mean he couldn't help her. "Saori, who do you train for?"
"Hmm?" She looked up into his handsome pale face. Ryu appeared dashing in the moonlight with how his red eyes matched his dark hair. Saori found her heart racing again. "Who do I train for? What do you mean?"
"Well, there has to be a reason for you to train. Most that become ninja feel a certain responsibility for their clans, or family. Some are out to prove themselves to someone. Some ninja fight to protect, or are upholding a promise. There has to be a reason for you to train – to move on in life. It's selfish to be your own reason. If that were the case, than there would be no point in following orders, or working with a team. I couldn't believe in myself if I knew I was the only reason I wanted to exist."
"But you don't fight at all," Saori caught herself saying. She covered her mouth quickly. He was looking at her with his brows furrowed. "Ryu, I'm sorry. I didn't
mean,-"
Ryu averted his eyes before he looked back at her sternly. "What has your father told you about me? Is that why you agreed to go on a date with me?" His body became tense. He moved back. If Shikamaru had been informing Saori of the type of person he was, Ryu was going to be angrier than hell.
"N-No, Ryu, I didn't know anything about you until after I met you. I only asked my dad because you're so… guarded," she said the last word softly. Saori was always messing up when it came how to communicate with others. She put her hand to her forehead and shook her head. Putting her foot in her mouth was beginning to be a habit of hers.
"There's a reason I'm guarded. That's my business. What has Shikamaru sensei told you? Answer me!" Ryu was furious. His team worked with the others in order to get familiar with working together. Still, there was no right, or cause for Saori's father to be slandering his name.
Saori looked up at Ryu. He was watching her intently,
his teeth gritted. "My dad only told me that you were shy. He said that you get in trouble with Sasuke sensei a lot because you don't try for yourself. He also displayed worry due to the fact that you think little of yourself. He said you acted like you don't exist. But… you do. Just as I do. He wasn't trying to make you sound like a bad person, Ryu."
"If you wanted to know about me… why not ask me yourself? It's rude to go behind someone's back. So your problem is you don't have a backbone," he snapped at her. Saori's eyes went wide. Ryu saw the hurt in her face. He was erupting and she was worried. Ryu moved away from her more. It was too good to be true, he knew it. There was no chance of her accepting him for the way he was. "Asking about me is not the same as experiencing. You can tell your father I said that."
Saori watched as he lifted his face mask. Ryu formed hand seals in front of her. "Ryu!" His body sunk into the ground. He vanished. Saori stared at the spot where he had been standing. Ryu was sensitive to judgment. She turned around to stare at the river for a long time. Her eyes didn't lift when a figure stood next to her. Saori kept thinking about how Ryu had bailed on her. Right when she thought she was getting to know him, he turned corners on her and she lost him.
"The water doesn't have anything interesting in it but the stars. If you wish to see them and not an illusion, it's best to look up," Idai said. He watched her look at him slowly. "Are you alright? You look sleepy."
"No, I'm fine," she lied. The words didn't sound right coming out of her mouth. She was sure Idai knew she was lying. Saori felt odd. She felt as if her heart was being crushed.
"You don't sound fine," Idai said. He watched her body language closely. All of the years he had under his belt observing others paid off. "Whatever it is will come to pass. I'm sure you've done nothing wrong. Maybe the context was blow apart by someone who doesn't understand himself, much less, understand others."
Saori looked at Idai. "Did you see what happened?" Had he been watching her all this time? Saori watched him tilt his head at her.
"No, but usually when someone is staring at an object, it's due to sadness or anger. I don't think you're angry. Also, when others tend to quarrel or have communication problems, it's because one person misinterprets what the other is saying. You can only wait for the other person to get over it."
Saori swore it was like Idai was in her head sorting out her thoughts. She pictured him as a clerk stamping scrolls and making comments. "You speak as if you have a lot of experience in that arena."
"Well, my dad is Might Gai," Idai said smiling at her. "He gives me a lot of advice. He has for a long time. I might not be the best example because I'm hard headed."
Saori smiled at him. "So if the other person likes you, but is showing anger at you for repeating what someone said, what should you do?" Saori hopped off of the railing.
"Well, I hate to tell you this, but it's never wise to repeat another's words unless it was helpful information." He watched Saori sigh heavily. "Apologizing is all you can do. If the person you're referring to wants to remain with you, they'll forgive you. If not, you have to move on."
Saori crossed her arms thinking. "Well, I'm not about to let Ryu get away with it. I know he likes me and he knows how I feel. He was trying to bail on me at the beginning of our date. I could sense it."
"I kind of figured that's who you were talking about," Idai said as he scratched his head. "I don't know anything about Ryu. I only recently met him. I only know what I hear from Daiya and Takeru. I try not to base what I hear on personal experiences. It's not the same."
"I think I may have done that. It's probably why he's mad at me," Saori said a little depressed. "Should I leave him alone for a while, or seek him out?"
Idai pondered. "Leave him alone for now, but first thing tomorrow, you need to talk to him. If you let it go for days on end, he may start to think he was right, or that you're not interested in him any more. One thing I've learned about Daiya is that he uses anger to make someone back off. He feels threatened and doesn't know how to handle a situation. Maybe it's the same thing with Ryu. He might not know how to handle someone prying into his life. I know that in the short time that I've spent around him, he's calm for the most part, but he jokes around a lot to get attention, or defuse a situation. He seems sad – at least in his eyes." Idai stiffened. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to be so philosophical. It's just how I view things."
"No, you've helped me a lot, Idai. You're sweet to do so," Saori said giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. He blushed. Now Idai was acting shy. "I think you're the best person to talk to when it comes to these sorts of things. Thanks! It's getting late and I better go before I get grounded." Saori waved at him and took off running.
Idai took out his flute. He stared at the stars in the water. Closing his eyes, he let his fingers move across the holes as he started to create sounds. Idai loved the night atmosphere. It was the only time he could be himself without anyone watching.
Izumi Uchiha concentrated on the water balloon in the palm of her hand. She was an avid water user and was familiar with how water flowed. After all, she was from the water country. Izumi opened her eyes breathing hard. The balloon in her hand had not changed at all. The water inside of it was bouncing around, but it wasn't in the flow she wanted. At this rate, she wouldn't master the technique the Hokage was trying to teach her. "I don't understand how this is going to help Daiya."
Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, had been watching Izumi's progress for the past week on mastering the technique he had learned from Jiraya. The balloon had not changed at all in the past week, nor did he expect it to. Her thinking was not right. He was going to have to guide her. "It seems you have the strength for keeping your chakra flowing for long periods of time despite the fatigue you possess. You're not trying to pop the balloon in this case. If you were to pop it, it would hurt your son. We're simply trying to maintain constant water current. If the current changes and you can keep it that way, then the chakra can be used to aid someone in medical need."
Izumi looked at the balloon. "Too much force would kill him. Chakra can be forced out, but to cause motions in pushing like in a wave, requires lots of training. It's one thing to perform hand seals to unlock a jutsu, but if there is no understanding, it cannot be accomplished."
"I picked you as the best candidate due to your experience with water jutsus. The balloon is a test, Izumi. You're not looking at it from the right angle. It's significant to the heart muscle. It's the same size and contains fluid. Think of the water in the balloon as blood flowing in the heart. If blood is pushed backwards with the force of chakra, it would case the valves in the heart to not fully close. This would lead to a heart attack when the blood cells in the heart cluster together. I want you to continue working on trying to get the water to flow in a wave. The wave has to keep occurring, or the valves will become blocked. It's a hard task, but if you can accomplish it, you'll gain the knowledge on how to help him and others in his situation."
Izumi nodded. It was going to take a lot of thought on her part on how to approach it from a different angle. She had to figure out how to keep her chakra pushing in a pattern. The Hokage was right – it was a challenge. Izumi thanked him for his time. He bowed back to her.
Izumi walked home with her eyes downcast. She was trying her best to master a new technique and it wasn't going very well. Her chakra skills were advanced; therefore, she didn't understand the problem she was having. Why can't I figure this out? I know how water moves. Water moves in the direction that force tells it to – or gravity. It has no shape of its own. Manipulating chakra takes a lot of skill. I know I have it. I'm doing something wrong. She watched a young child blow bubbles as he held his mother's hand. No, that's not it. As she walked, she tried to find other means that would help her.
Izumi watched how the water flowed in the river for a long time. She furrowed her brows trying to sort it all out. The river flows because it is being pushed by air and gravity. Each molecule is affected. When the molecules are combined, they create water – a fluid and source for our survival. Blood is simply a combination of cells that our bodies need. Blood cells contain oxygen – like water. So to be able to push the blood in the way it needs to go without causing a backflow, I need to focus on pushing the oxygen in the cells – not the blood itself! Her eyes widened. Izumi realized what she had been doing wrong. The Hokage was trying to get her to think outside of the box – to think for herself. Izumi left the river to return home. She still had to learn to harness her chakra in the right way.
Upon returning home, Izumi noticed how quiet it was. Normally, the kids were training or learning. Onari was usually challenging Takeru throughout the day. Daiya was always correcting one of them and Sasuke was either training or working on mission reports. He took his missions when the kids were asleep to keep them in the dark about what it entailed. She checked the boys' room first. They weren't in there. Izumi looked in the kitchen – nope. She checked her room, but it was barren. They can't possibly be training. She proceeded to the dojo anyway.
Izumi stepped into the dojo. She found Takeru following Sasuke slowly. Onari was holding onto Daiya's hand and he was being held. "Guys, what's going on?"
Sasuke turned around to greet his wife. Daiya grunted as he moved. "Hey, how was the training session with Naruto?" He glanced down at Takeru. His son was staying glued to his back, his eyes focused on Daiya. "He's okay, Takeru."
Izumi walked over. "Has he…-," She watched Daiya move his head slowly. He was basically unconscious. "Sasuke, is he alright," she asked worriedly. She came over to check him.
"I believe he is. He over exerted himself. Daiya was trying to show Onari what she was doing wrong in her training, from what I understand. I tried to warn him earlier to stop when he felt tired. I think our little lightening bug doesn't like to admit his weaknesses to anyone."
"I take it you weren't with them. Sasuke," Izumi's eye started to twitch as she looked at the towel wrapped around his waist. "Why aren't you dressed?"
"Well, that's because I was taking a bath when I was alerted to what had happened," he started out to tell her.
Onari's face popped into view. She looked at Izumi with wide eyes. "Izumi, Onari saw Sasuke butt."
"It would have to be Onari, wouldn't it," Izumi said. She sighed as she leaned her head towards Daiya's chest. Sasuke turned him slightly so she could listen more closely. Izumi heard his heart beating gently. She closed her eyes to focus on the rhythm. Soon, she heard the way his heart's rhythm changed. Izumi lifted her head. "He's alright. When he wakes, he's going to get the roughest lecture he's ever had," she said merely on the fact of her worry. "I still need to work on my training. I only gained the knowledge of how to help him a little while ago."
Sasuke felt Takeru grab onto his sides. Takeru pressed against his back hiding his face. He looked over his shoulder. Takeru was afraid. He could feel it. "Takeru, Daiya's alright. He just needs to rest. He'll wake up when his body recovers. Do you want to help me put him in his bed?" Takeru nodded. "Alright, we'll go take care of Daiya first." Sasuke left the dojo with Takeru tagging along.
Izumi looked at Onari. "We have to talk Onari. What parts of Sasuke did you see in the nude?" Onari tilted her head. "Uh, without clothes on. No shit and no pants, Onari," she said rephrasing it until the girl understood.
Onari turned around. She pointed to her back, rear, and legs. She had only seen him from behind. "Onari see Sasuke butt."
Izumi sighed relief. Onari didn't know the difference between males and females. She knew this because whenever it was possible, the girl tried to get Daiya to take a bath with her. On rare occasions, she had seen Takeru run from her on account of it. "Onari, sit down. You're fixing to learn why boys and girls are different." Onari tilted her head.
Sasuke laid Daiya down on his bed. The boy grunted lightly as he felt the movement. He was responsive to touch and motions despite not being able to fully respond in other areas of cognitive function. Takeru was pulling the sheets over the foreign boy to keep him warm. Sasuke looked down at his son. He probably sent Onari after me while he stayed with Daiya. "Takeru, how did you know Daiya's heart was acting up?"
Takeru kept his eyes focused on Daiya's sleeping form. "When he was blocking Onari's punches, he was breathing hard. It doesn't take much effort to block someone. Onari caught onto what he was doing and slowed down. He couldn't match her movements. He started to tense up and he just suddenly fell to the floor. I told her to go get you while I stayed. Dad, will this happen every time he feels fatigue?"
"I'm not sure, Takeru. It's happened before when he wasn't active. Daiya knows better than anyone what he feels. He needs to be made aware that when he feels what he does, to stop whatever he's doing. It could help prevent his arrhythmia from getting out of hand."
Takeru watched Daiya sleep. His brother was fine while he was resting. Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. Takeru was more determined to protect his family. One thing he had learned from his training with Rock Lee was that he needed to try harder. "Dad, can we train now? I need to improve." Sasuke glanced at him. "I need to know how to protect Daiya and Onari when they're not able to protect themselves."
Sasuke nodded. His son was finally learning the purpose of a team. "Put your shoes on and grab your ninja tools. We'll go to the training grounds."
Ryu scratched his head as he yawned. He had been practicing with his art scrolls for hours. He was tired of fooling with the illusions he was trying to create. Ryu wanted to be a strong genjutsu user like his mother. Genjutsu could only be pulled off by a strong ninja would was able to maintain his focus and concentration. It required a lot of skill in order to trick someone's senses. He went to the kitchen to get something to drink.
Kurenai was stepping out of the apartment when she ran into Saori. The girl had a determined look on her face. She was marching straight for the apartment. Saori looked up at her as she stopped. "Hi, Saori, how was your date yesterday?"
Saori averted her eyes for a moment. "Kurenai sensei, why is… Ryu so angry all of the time? I know I shouldn't be asking because it will make him despise me, but I'm at a loss. Our date went fine yesterday until the point of me putting my foot in my mouth. I shouldn't have brought Ryu out like I did and I know I was wrong to do so. I told him he doesn't try for himself. Whether that's true or not, is not my knowledge. I was basing it off of what my father has said – which infuriated him. I don't know how to make it right."
Kurenai looked over Saori. The girl really wanted to be close to Ryu. If she didn't, she wouldn't have bothered to come all of this way to do so. Saori lived on the other side of Konoha. She was trying to make amends. Kurenai wasn't sure if Ryu was going to understand what it meant when someone was determined to get to know him. She could only hope that he would give Saori a chance to accept him – and not keep pushing her away. "I think I should tell you some things about him, from my point. Ryu has always been hesitant and shy to get to know others around him. It's been like this since he was little and attending the Academy. Part of it, is due to what others have said about him. Everyone has talked about him – children and adults alike. He wasn't meant to hear those words, but he did. What others have said about him has always played over in his head like a recording. It's prevented him from trying to get to know others. Ryu is afraid of what others say about him, because deep down, he's afraid they are right."
"But they aren't right. None of them are! Ryu is stronger than people give him credit for. If no one thought he was worth it, they wouldn't try for him. I don't want him to give up just because some people are cruel and can't keep their mouths shut! He's not the only one that has had to listen to what others say who are ignorant. Everyone has talked about me since I joined the Academy. It was mainly because my uncle is Gaara. People fear what they don't know. They also try to put someone in their place because in turn, that person is stronger than them, and they don't like to be faced with it!"
Kurenai kept her eyes on Saori. The girl was being empowered by what she had said. "How do you think it feels to be singled out of everyone? If you were in Ryu's place, how would you want to be included?"
Saori thought for a moment. "It doesn't feel spectacular to be alone. There's nothing great about it. The only way someone can be included is when someone else never… lets go," she said looking up at Kurenai who was smiling at her. "I won't let go of Ryu. I promise. No matter what he says, or does, I'll still be there – even if I have to cement my feet to the floor."
Kurenai chuckled. Shikamaru's daughter is something else. She defiantly has the willpower, I'll give her that. She moved her hand back to gently open the door to the apartment. "Last time I saw Ryu he was in the kitchen. It's on the left."
Saori smiled at Kurenai before she went in. She took off her shoes. Saori took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She really liked Ryu and now it was time to prove it. Kurenai had empowered her alright. Saori walked slowly to the kitchen. She poked her head around the corner to see Ryu drinking out of a carton with his back to her. Saori tip toed towards him.
Ryu sensed a disturbance in his ninja way. He raised a brow. Was his mother back to catch him drinking out of the carton again? He felt like he was fixing to be hit from behind. Instead, as he lowered the carton, he felt arms wrap around his waist from behind. Ryu looked down. It wasn't his mother. His body tensed a little as he looked over his shoulder to see Saori looking up at him with her ocean blue eyes. He froze. Why was she here?
"I still like you, you giant turkey. And no matter what you think, I didn't say those words. I apologize for putting my foot in my mouth, but it's something everyone does at one time or another. I'm not giving up on you, Ryu Yuhi. I don't care what you say, or what you do. You're not getting rid of me that easily. I already told Kurenai sensei that I'd cement my feet to the floor so you had to look at me every day!"
Ryu's eyes softened. Why is she trying for me? He set the carton of milk down. Ryu turned around fully to look at her. Saori was matching his gaze. She didn't flinch when he lowered his head to look dead into her eyes. He was an inch away from her. "You're awfully persistent for a girl. Are you trying to say your will is stronger than mine? So by bursting into my home, you think you can change my mind?"
Saori looked into his eyes hard. "I don't know what your mind thinks, or says about me. I'm determined to find out. The only way to show you how I am is to not let go of your hand." She grabbed onto his hand and interlaced her fingers with his. Ryu didn't snatch his hand away.
It took him a moment to realize Saori was serious. He felt the warmth through her fingers. "You want to know what my mind thinks about you, or my heart?" Before Saori could answer, Ryu started to kiss her. He closed his eyes letting his guard down.
Saori could feel his soul calling out to her with each kiss. She reached her hand up to touch his face while he kissed her gently, before going all out on her. He was kissing her with pure passion – something she had never felt before. Her body was being ensnared by Ryu's true feelings. She looked up into his eyes as he parted from her. "I want to know what every inch of your body feels about me," she said softly.
Ryu looked at her with a new awareness. She was the only girl who had bothered to try with him. She was the only girl who had overcome the obstacle he threw at her. Saori had feelings for him. She wanted to be near him. Ryu could feel it in her words, in her fingers, in every aspect of her form. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest. Was he falling for her? He didn't know, but only time would tell. "I suppose I could apologize for the way I acted. I'm not very good with saying 'I'm sorry', so I'll take you out
for lunch, if that's alright with you."
Saori smiled at him gently. She kissed him on the lips tenderly. He kissed her back before he pulled her close to him. Saori wrapped her arms around him hard. She wanted to feel him against her for a little while. "Ryu, can I just hold you for a while," she asked.
Ryu petted the back of her head as he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Yeah, I'll allow it." He tensed his back some. "However, you don't have to hold me with your chakra strings." Saori only smirked.