Chapter V [Solitude || Naruto Fanfiction]

❝Sacrifice is an inevitable part of missions. Did you not receive emotion training?❞ ㅡ Temari

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

CHAPTER FIVE:

OLD FRIENDS

      Rei thanked Ichiraku as he placed the ramen she had previously ordered in front of her. The sweet scent of roasted pork reached her nostrils, and she moaned in anticipation; it had been too long since she had last tasted one of those delicious meals the old man prepared. Her training was taking more time—and more energy—than she would have ever expected, and so she had barely an hour for herself, which she usually spent on lying on the roof of Maki's house to stare up at the starry sky that resembled so much to her real home, before she called it a day.

      Speaking of her home, never in her life would she have thought she'd be sitting at Ichiraku's with two of her most beloved childhood friends. They both had grown into two strong-looking shinobi—that much was evident.

      "I would've never expected to see you here, Rei," Kankurō spoke after devouring his ramen in less than a minute, which earned himself a disgusted frown from his sister.

      The brunette nodded once and looked at him, and she could've sworn there was something akin to accusation shining in his eyes.

      "After the… incident, Maki's mum decided it'd be best for me to move in with them," she explained, almost stoically. "That same day we came to Konoha."

      Both siblings exchanged a knowing glance, like a secret spoken with their eyes, before they turned to the short girl.

      To be honest, Rei hadn't really talked to anyone about the tragedy in years, and she'd rather keep it that way. In fact, there was only one person in the village that was aware of the horrors she had gone through when she was but a child; the same person whose own childhood was cursed with a similar memory, tainted in despair. As Rei gazed at her meal, she couldn't help but wonder about her blond, good friend. The last time they had met had been some days ago, when he was about to depart on a C-ranked mission to the Village Hidden by Mist, in the Land of Water.

      "Where is Maki, by the way?" Kankurō asked suddenly, and Rei gladly welcomed the change of subject.

      "I wouldn't know. Haven't seen her in days," she replied truthfully, before adding, "Probably training somewhere."

      Hearing that, Temari arched a brow, surprised, and spoke for the first time after minutes of suspicious silence.

      "Training?" she repeated, as though the mere idea was hard for her to believe.

      Rei nodded, finished her meal and waved a hand in a nonchalant way.

      "I've been training myself, thus why I haven't seen her," she explained. Then, the corner of her mouth turned slightly up to form a lopsided smirk. "But I shouldn't be talking to you about this, considering we'll be competing against each other very soon."

      At her words, Kankurō chocked on his own saliva.

      "You're particip–ow!" he yelped when the elbow of his sister connected with his stomach, then paused to glare at the blonde before turning back to Rei. "So, you two made it to Genin."

      "Isn't it obvious?" Temari rolled her eyes, annoyed yet used to Kankurō's thickness, and pointed to the blue band Rei wore around her waist. The symbol of the leaf that recognized her as a ninja of Konoha shone on its centre, after having been printed on the metallic surface with care. "It suits you," she commented coolly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon them, while she placed a hand under her chin.

      For some seconds, Rei didn't respond. To be honest, she wasn't sure if her words had meant to come out sarcastically, or if the
blonde was speaking from her heart. By the way she seemed to survey her with scrutinizing eyes, Rei ventured to bet Temari didn't feel too enthusiastic about the fact she was spending time with them.

      Her own gaze hardened slightly.

      "And who's your third teammate?"

      Those words seemed to trigger an unexpected reaction in them, and surprisingly, Temari looked uncomfortable for the first time ever.

      "Wait, do I know them?" Rei couldn't help but feel curious, as it had been long since she had last seen someone from her hometown.

      "I don't think so," Temari said, avoiding her inquisitive stare by busing herself with glancing around the now-less-crowded street. "It's getting late."

      "We should probably head back to the motel," Kankurō quickly agreed while jumping off the stool.

      The siblings placed the money they owed to Ichiraku on the table before turning to Rei, whose façade was tinted with a mask of serenity, much to their surprise. They watched in wary silence as the short girl followed their steps; she stood up, dusted her clothes and looked back at them.

      "It was nice seeing you both again," she sincerely said, her voice firm and detached of emotion. "Good night."

      No more words were shared between the three of them as she rounded on her heels and walked away, heading anywhere but her so-called home. Rei needed to mull their conversation over and think about what their presence in Konoha would mean to her. It was a fact that they'd be seeing each other in the Chūnin* Exams, and no one was able to tell what it would imply; whether they were destined to fight each other, or if they'd be just passengers on one another's path. And to be quite honest, Rei wasn't sure which of the two options she'd rather face. After that small encounter, she had soon come to the conclusion the Suna shinobi didn't trust her anymore; not enough to reveal something as simple as the identity of their teammate, at least.

      As her feet quietly dragged her down the illuminated streets of Konoha, Rei wondered if those exams would mean the end of what once had been a great friendship.

      She frowned at the thought.

      For some reason, she could feel the strings of that bond already tensing, ready to break under the smallest argument. In fact, the girl couldn't help but find herself completely detached from her childhood friends. She also found herself missing the days when the four of them—Maki was always there, as well—would hang out, laugh careless and tease each other with the mere purpose to make the rest laugh even more.

      "Rei!" someone called from behind, effectively stopping her trail of thoughts and causing her to turn around.

      A boy dressed in the most ridiculous, green attire rushed to her from the opposite side of the long street, his long legs carrying him at an incredibly fast pace. His round, black eyes shone—just like his hair did—beneath the thickest brows she had even seen on anyone. How he always managed to make himself heard over the background noise of people chatting animatedly around him, she would never know. A heavy sigh escaped her lips before she could hold it in, but Rei didn't move from her spot and decided to wait for the energetic boy to catch up with her.

      "I didn't expect to see you today," Rock Lee confessed as the two of them resumed their walk.

      Rei snorted sarcastically.

      "You're not the first person to tell me so," she commented, to which Lee shrugged casually.

      "It's no wonder why so many people are shocked to see you around, honestly. You've been missing for days," he pointed out, giving her a curious glance afterwards. "Where have you been?"

      "Training," she simply stated, but she arched an eyebrow when the boy's curious stare turned into one of excitement. "We're not sparring."

      Lee's face dropped.

      "But, why not?" he whined while throwing his arms in the air to add more drama to his act.

      Rei was about to respond, when something caught her eye. Stopping dead in her tracks, she found her gaze locked on the figure that was casually sitting on one of the highest roofs in Konoha. From her spot on the ground, it was difficult to distinguish anything other than their relaxed silhouette as they stared straight ahead. But, at that time of the day, the moon shone bright in the night sky, and its pale rays worked their way to the paths made between the humble houses.

      Her orange eyes widened, prey to utter astonishment, as they caught a glimpse of their fiery-red hair.

      "Rei!" Lee planted himself in front of her and waved a hand before her face, instantly blocking her sight. Fastest than lightning, she caught his wrist mid-air and stepped around him to glance up again. Much to her dismay, no one was there. "What's wrong?" he asked as he followed her gaze, only to frown in confusion when he saw nothing.

      Mimicking his actions, Rei glanced around curiously before mentally shaking her head.

      "Nothing, I thought I saw someone," she replied with a sigh.

      Lee seemed satisfied with the answer, for he turned around and motioned for Rei to keep walking.

      "So, how's your team doing?" he asked after some minutes of comfortable quietness. "Are you excited for the Chūnin Exams?"

      "I guess."

      "That doesn't sound too enthusiastic." The boy regarded her with disappointed eyes, then punched the air above him. "You have to be more youthful, Rei!"

      Unable to hold back a scoff, she pinched the brick of her nose and muttered, "You drain every bit of energy from me."

      "That's just mean."

      "And you're so much like Naruto sometimes," she muttered.

      And she was right. Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee probably had more in common than Rei would've anticipated when she first met them, what with their seemingly-boundless stamina; something that both helped them in training and ended with Rei's patience at the same time.

      "Which reminds me that you haven't introduced him to me yet," Lee accused, evidently annoyed at his friend's lack of enthusiasm.

      "I've been busy," she partially lied. 

      "You're always busy!"

      "I'm a busy person."

      "...I got that."

      The rest of the walk was quiet for most of the time, only disturbed when Lee tried to convince her to spar with him. Each of those times she would either decline his petition, or ignore his pleads. When the friends reached their destination, Rei couldn't stop the sigh of relief that suddenly escaped her and quickly jogged to Maki's home.

      "I'll see you tomorrow!" Lee called out as he walked some more feet down the same street before entering his own home, leaving an exasperated Rei behind.

      Her relationship with Rock Lee was one of the strangest she had ever had, and it started off as a rockycompanionship. Having someone so loud and energetic as him for a neighbour was something she had loathed from the very beginning. At first, Rei didn't mind him; she'd simply ignore his presence and constant tactics to attract her attention. Nevertheless, after months of being continuously harassed by him, the girl couldn't hold her annoyance anymore and told him off.

      Rei knew if it hadn't been for Naruto, she would have never apologised to the boy and would still be treating him poorly. Honestly, she owed Naruto Uzumaki more than she would ever be able to admit.

      Upon entering the humble house, the delicious smell of freshly cooked rice reached her. The corner of her lips twitched slightly when the joyful voice of the youngest member of the Hashiri family invaded the place, his agitated footsteps clacking over the wooden floor as he trotted around the living room. He was soon silenced though, after a not-so-happy Maki scolded him for stepping on her foot. By the way Maki spoke to her brother, Rei guessed their mother had yet to come back from the Hospital, where she worked as an admirable medic nin.

      As the loud voice of Maki broke the quiet atmosphere once again, Rei shook her head lightly and proceeded to take her sandals off. She then began to make her way towards the source of the noise, her mind elsewhere as she replayed the unexpected events of the day. And to think she thought the strangest thing happening to her would be when one of the techniques she was trying so hard to master managed to throw her headfirst into the cold river… She could still feel some of her clothes sticking to her skin due to the water that had yet to dry out.

      "But I don't want to go to bed yet!" Aido Hashiri whined as he hid behind the blue sofa.

      "I can still see your head, numpty."

      Rei smiled softly upon reaching the living room and watched the scene in slight amusement. The small boy quickly put both arms over his head, as to prevent his sister from seeing it.

      "And now I see your arms as well." Maki rolled her eyes, but she didn't move from her spot at the other side of the couch. And even though Rei knew how little her patience was when it came to watching over her brother, she was also certain the boy was amusing her.

      "I'm going to tell mom you're being mean to me," he muttered, loud enough for both girls to hear.

      "And I'll tell her you threw the rice she made for you out of the window."

      "I wanted to feed the birds and you wouldn't let me!"

      "The birds don't want you to feed them," Maki groaned.

      As expected, Aido broke crying. And just as expected, no one paid mind to him.

      "I'm tired," he mumbled suddenly, getting up from his hiding spot as he wiped his eyes.

      "Of course you are," Maki said as she shook her head out of exasperation, then turned around. Instantly, her mood lightened up, and she smiled. "Hey, Rei."

      As the raven-haired girl took her annoying, little brother to his room, Rei flopped on the sofa. Closing her tired eyes, she breathed in deeply and allowed herself a moment of peace. It had been a long day, and normally, she would be already sleeping; but there was something floating her mind that didn't let her rest completely.

      "I'm so done with today," Maki groaned as she sat down next to her. "Thank God our lessons are finally over. I don't think I'd be able to stand Tora's yelling one more time."

      Rei opened her eyes to look at her.

      "I can't stand her either," she agreed.

      "But you don't have to listen to her day after day," Maki pointed out. "I actually wonder why."

      Rei frowned slightly, confused.

      "What do you mean?" she asked, to which Maki merely waved a hand dismissively.

      "Doesn't matter."

      The brunette observed her for some seconds before giving in, "If you say so." She ran a hand through her short hair, sat up and adopted a serious expression. "Temari and Kankurõ are here," she revealed.

      The reaction was immediate; Maki jumped to her feet and faced her with shock shining in her dark eyes.

      "They are here?"

      Rei pursed her lips into an annoyed frown.

      "That's exactly what I said."

      But Maki wasn't listening to her anymore, and she began pacing around the room without sparing her even a glance. Irritated by her behaviour, the shorter girl huffed in aggravation and leaned back, wishing her friend would stop mumbling under her breath and calmed down. It took her five long minutes, but Maki eventually sat back down.

      Frowning, she simply commented, "The Chūnin Exams."

      Still upset with her, Rei sighed and nodded to confirm her thoughts.

      "That's unfortunate," Maki admitted. "I suppose they're not eager to fight us either."

      Thinking back to the conversation she had shared with the Suna siblings, Rei bit back a snarky comment.

      I'm not so sure about that.

      "Speaking of, how are you doing? Are you any stronger?" Maki asked excitedly, her hands clapped together as she stared at her friend in curiosity.

      Leaning her head on the back of the comfy sofa, Rei merely shrugged.

      "I wouldn't know," she admitted. "This training is all but improving my fighting skills." 

      Maki frowned.

      "What do you mean?"

      A sigh left her lips, one that reflected the exhaustion and frustration the girl felt inside.

      "I've been training day after day, hoping that sooner or later I'd be able to do something with what Tora's trying to teach me," she began. "But mixing my chakra with the wind is not that easy, and I haven't really accomplished anything great."

      Maki hummed and tapped her chin with her finger; which Rei had learned she did whenever she tried to find a solution to an issue.

      "I don't know, but what you're doing is something that's supposed to be out of our league for now," she commented. "I'm not sure why Tora is asking this from you. But if she has, it's because you can do it." She paused, titled her head and asked, "Isn't there anything that can help you with this?"

      Rei shook her head no.

      "There's no–"

      "Rei, there's something for you waiting in my room. Why don't you go up and look for it, can you do that?"

      Her orange eyes widened, and Rei jumped to her feet. Staring at nothing in concrete – her gaze focused straight ahead – she suddenly remembered the last time she spoke with her parents, so many years ago, before they went out to face the demon of Suna.

      She could remember herself running up the stairs to her parent's room, opening the door with both hands, rushing inside, looking anywhere her curious gaze crashed upon, and dropping to her knees before an old trunk…

      "Rei…?"

      A sad smile touched her lips.

      "Dad, I found it!"

      Rei then remembered herself taking it in her small hand, jumping to her feet, running back down the stairs… and ignoring the warnings of her mother, opening the front door to rush outside.

      Pushing the painful memory to the back of her mind, Rei forced a smile and glanced at her concerned-looking friend from the corner of her eye.

      "I may have something."

-#-

      Meanwhile, some feet away from the Hashiri's, a lonely figure roamed the streets. Under the intense moonlight, his fiery red hair seemed to have its own brightness as it was ruffled by the soft breeze of the night. He walked quietly; no sound was made by his footstep as he made his way towards the only motel in Konoha. From afar, one would say he moved with the grace of the wind, swiftly yet slowly. But in fact, it was sand what carried him and surrounded his form from head to toe; so fine it was almost invisible to the eye.

      No one dared to lay their gaze upon him for too long. There was something scary following him, like a shadow: a dark aura that screamed danger. His aquamarine eyes were cold as ice, and they glowed with a terrifying expression that reflected the murderous, bloodthirsty character that lived within the boy.

      "Do you think we should tell him?"

      As he slid along the corridor of the motel, heading his room, he could easily hear his siblings whispering agitatedly from theirs.

      "He won't care," his brother replied.

      "Or he will care too much," his sister argued.

      "…that wouldn't be good."

      "You think?" his sister was certainly aggravated by the thickness residing inside his brother's head, as usual. "We can't afford letting Gaara lose control. He's already eager, ready to… kill."

      Under normal circumstances, Gaara would've ignored them—he was used to them gossiping about him. However, he turned his head towards the closed door, and, not moving his hands even an inch, he ordered his sand to slide it open. Immediately, the whispering stopped, and surprise took over both Suna siblings' features.

      "G-Gaara," Kankurõ stuttered, fear already plastered on his face.

      As expected, Temari remained silent; she knew better than to start babbling like her idiot-for-a brother, Kankurõ. Yet her eyes instantly became alert, and she stiffened when Gaara walked in at a slow pace.

      "What is it that you've decided I shouldn't know?" His voice was rasped, low and permeated in hatred.

      Kankurõ and Temari knew that tone far too well, and they quickly glanced at one another in alarm. The unspoken warning hidden within it got them both straightening their spines, like soldiers ready to receive a rebuke from their superior.

      "It doesn't matter, really," Kankurõ chuckled nervously, waving his hands in the air while he did.

      His deadly glare fell upon the puppeteer, immediately silencing him and causing him to take a step back.

      "You should stop deciding on what matters and what does not," Gaara said emotionlessly, but the threat was clear; louder than before.

      Worried, the only girl in the room took a hesitant step forward, sneaked a quick glance at the redhead before looking at Kankurõ.

      "Let's just… stay calm. He's right," Temari said quietly, as if fearing she'd make things worse if she spoke any louder. Then, she let out a deep breath and forced herself to fix her green eyes on Gaara, whose own gaze drifted to stare her down. "If Gaara wants to know, we'll tell him."

      Kankurõ scowled and glared at the back of his sister's head, unamused with her decision of taking Gaara's side but understanding it nonetheless.

      The redhead regarded them silently for what seemed to be hours, crossed his arms over his chest and didn't say a word to acknowledge her.

      "We met someone… from our childhood," Temari revealed, wincing ever so slightly when his eyes glanced at her again. "She was—"

      The girl stopped mid-sentence, taken by surprise, as Gaara turned around and began to leave the room. Neither she nor her brother dared to question his actions; they merely watched still, not moving a single finger.

      Before the boy left though, his emotionless voice invaded the place one last time.

      "I don't care," —he tilted his head to send them one last look— "so long as she stays out of my way."

      His body disappeared in thin air, leaving only the smell of bloodied sand behind.

      "I'm so going to kill him," Kankurõ growled once they were alone, only to yelp in pain when the blonde girl punched him on the back of his head.

      "Stop testing your luck, idiot."