Though the sun had been out early that morning, dark clouds had begun to roll in and the pitter-patter of rain drops cooling the warm earth could be heard as Reicheru made her way up the mountainside. It seemed fitting, that even the heavens would weep on this day, the one year anniversary of her father's death. Pulling her scarf from her neck and rewrapping it to cover her head, the young girl listened as the wildlife of the surrounding forest carried on, scurrying between the drops and going about business as usual. A little moisture would not slow them down.
It wasn't long before she reached the observation deck at the top of the mountain. Tourists and visitors had already begun to head back down the mountain, headed for shelter. Still, the young kunoichi-to-be did not stop here - there was a small out-of-the-way path that led into the mighty trees that stood behind the mountain. It was a track she knew well, having trekked it many times with her father. There was a sight even clearer than the observation deck had to offer up in these treetops, and those who knew of it had created a small treehouse of sorts to enjoy the view from. Climbing onto the platform, Reicheru pulled the scarf from her head and gripped it in her hands as she sat to look over the village that was her home. So much had happened in the last year, and yet little had truly transpired. More of it was taking place in the mind of the young girl, wrestling with the values imparted to her by her father and how true they stood in the face of reality of life in Konohagakure. She knew she had not seen or known enough to question the decisions of her leadership, but what she had seen was unsettling at the least. And at the end of all this lay the impending attack of an unknown entity which threatened to end everything she held dear before she could reach any real conclusions about her place in all of it.
Lost in thought, the shinobi-in-training didn't hear the soft footsteps approaching down below until the stranger stood dripping on the platform behind her. Turning to face the new-comer, her violet-grey eyes locked with the blue-grey orbs of the boy before her. It was the runaway boy her father had gone after on the last day she had seen him alive. Both of them frozen for a moment, the boy's face quickly fell and just as quickly, he turned to exit and make his way back down the mountain. Stunned, Reicheru called after him, "Wait!" Yet the boy continued, and Rei scrambled down the trail after him.
Finally catching him at the observation deck, she called again, "Please, wait!" Her voice cracked with the plea, and the boy stopped with his back to her. He looked down at his feet as he turned to face her. [#6699cc]"I'm sorry for intruding, Reicheru."[/color] His voice was soft as he spoke, which caught the young girl off guard. It was truthfully the first time she'd heard him speak. After the incident, though he returned to the village he had not returned to the academy. He had been in the classroom for a week and then disappeared, and no one seemed to know what had happened. More so, she was caught off guard that he knew her name, and reminded that she still did no know his. Cursing herself in her mind, she raised her eyebrows with a forced smile. "No, it's fine, I just… was surprised to see you there." The corner of the boy's mouth turned up into an almost imperceptible smile, though his grey-blue eyes remained sad. "Yeah, I… I hadn't been there since the last time… the last time Gorou-sensei brought me here…" His voice trailing off, his eyes rose to meet hers, searching with worry to see if the mention of her father upset her. Instead, Reicheru gave a small smile as well, genuine this time. For only a moment was there any conflict within her about her dad sharing their special place with someone else, quickly erased with pleasure that he was remembered today by not only her alone. "Yeah, he really liked it that spot."
The two of them stood awkwardly, unspeaking for a few moments. "You know… I've been meaning to talk to you, for a long time." The dark-haired lad pursed his lips, pale hands fidgeting in his pockets. "I just… I just want you to know, that… I think about him, and what happened, all the time. I'll never forget, never forgive myself… I'm so sorry…" It seemed he was searching for rehearsed words, but what came out was stumbling and raw. Tears that had been welling in his eyes finally spilled over, falling to the ground and mixing in and hiding among the drops that fell from the sky. As he pulled out his apology, he fell into an uncontrolled weeping; a twelve-year-old child shouldering the responsibility of her father's death, verbalizing it for the first time to his daughter, and losing the last bit of control he had. Instinctively, Reicheru reached out and grabbed his arms, pulling him over for a hug. Through her own tears, she could only say, "It's alright."
The two of them stood there in the rain for a moment before crumpling to sit on the wet ground. As they regained their composure, the rain began to lighten, the drizzling washing the tear-streaked face of the two strangers bound together by tragedy. Finally, Reicheru broke the silence. "So, I didn’t know you were even around anymore. Where have you been?" The dark-haired boy straightened stared ahead, gathering his thoughts and going over worn out memories. "When I got back, it wasn't really safe for me at the academy anymore. One of the medics who had… been on the retrieval mission… he took me under his wing, he's been tutoring me privately this past year." He looked down at the ground, wondering how much he should say. "I knew a few medical jutsu from my dad already. I was using them… to try to save your dad, when they found me. I'd never been any good at any other jutsu, part of why I had such a hard time in the academy… among other things." Reicheru's gaze shifted to the ground, remembering the rumors she'd heard about the boy, and for the first time considering the fact that though she had lost her father, he'd lost the only person that believed in him - and watched him die, and now she learned he attempted to save him in vain. What a journey the child before her had been through already, and all this before becoming a full shinobi. Her thoughts were interrupted as he turned to her with a curious smile, attempting to redirect the conversation. "I've learned a lot since then, I could show you a few basic healing jutsu…" a panicked look crossed his face as he quickly added, "If you want, of course! Nevermind, I should go…" He began to pull himself to his feet, face red, before Reicheru stood and stopped him. "That'd be great! If you don't mind taking the time to show me."
Blue sky began to break through the clouds as the young boy taught her how to focus her chakra, healing small cuts on each of their arms gained through training and childhood mischief. It was not dissimilar to the way she would focus chakra to create a wind jutsu - both were precise, but this was less volatile, gentler. It was interesting, that the boy too was much gentler than she had expected, taking his time to explain the techniques and repeating himself without getting frustrated when she didn't get it at first. As clouds began to move back in, Reicheru stopped and looked at her peer. "I have a confession to make, and it's really terrible…" The boy cocked his head, looking at her curiously, preparing himself to receive the confession of hatred and verbal beating he deserved. "…I don't actually know your name." His eyes filled with confusion, then suddenly the first hint of joy she had ever seen in them as he erupted with laughter. "I surely thought my name had gotten around, but not in a good way! So maybe you'll hear it in a good way now. I'm Kaede, Mori Kaede. Nice to meet you, Saitou Reicheru." He extended his hand to shake hers, and she took it with a laugh. As she did, the sun once again disappeared behind approaching clouds, and the mist of an incoming rain brushed against their faces. Still, they weren't quite ready to leave - a little moisture would not slow them down.
[WC: 1,473]
It wasn't long before she reached the observation deck at the top of the mountain. Tourists and visitors had already begun to head back down the mountain, headed for shelter. Still, the young kunoichi-to-be did not stop here - there was a small out-of-the-way path that led into the mighty trees that stood behind the mountain. It was a track she knew well, having trekked it many times with her father. There was a sight even clearer than the observation deck had to offer up in these treetops, and those who knew of it had created a small treehouse of sorts to enjoy the view from. Climbing onto the platform, Reicheru pulled the scarf from her head and gripped it in her hands as she sat to look over the village that was her home. So much had happened in the last year, and yet little had truly transpired. More of it was taking place in the mind of the young girl, wrestling with the values imparted to her by her father and how true they stood in the face of reality of life in Konohagakure. She knew she had not seen or known enough to question the decisions of her leadership, but what she had seen was unsettling at the least. And at the end of all this lay the impending attack of an unknown entity which threatened to end everything she held dear before she could reach any real conclusions about her place in all of it.
Lost in thought, the shinobi-in-training didn't hear the soft footsteps approaching down below until the stranger stood dripping on the platform behind her. Turning to face the new-comer, her violet-grey eyes locked with the blue-grey orbs of the boy before her. It was the runaway boy her father had gone after on the last day she had seen him alive. Both of them frozen for a moment, the boy's face quickly fell and just as quickly, he turned to exit and make his way back down the mountain. Stunned, Reicheru called after him, "Wait!" Yet the boy continued, and Rei scrambled down the trail after him.
Finally catching him at the observation deck, she called again, "Please, wait!" Her voice cracked with the plea, and the boy stopped with his back to her. He looked down at his feet as he turned to face her. [#6699cc]"I'm sorry for intruding, Reicheru."[/color] His voice was soft as he spoke, which caught the young girl off guard. It was truthfully the first time she'd heard him speak. After the incident, though he returned to the village he had not returned to the academy. He had been in the classroom for a week and then disappeared, and no one seemed to know what had happened. More so, she was caught off guard that he knew her name, and reminded that she still did no know his. Cursing herself in her mind, she raised her eyebrows with a forced smile. "No, it's fine, I just… was surprised to see you there." The corner of the boy's mouth turned up into an almost imperceptible smile, though his grey-blue eyes remained sad. "Yeah, I… I hadn't been there since the last time… the last time Gorou-sensei brought me here…" His voice trailing off, his eyes rose to meet hers, searching with worry to see if the mention of her father upset her. Instead, Reicheru gave a small smile as well, genuine this time. For only a moment was there any conflict within her about her dad sharing their special place with someone else, quickly erased with pleasure that he was remembered today by not only her alone. "Yeah, he really liked it that spot."
The two of them stood awkwardly, unspeaking for a few moments. "You know… I've been meaning to talk to you, for a long time." The dark-haired lad pursed his lips, pale hands fidgeting in his pockets. "I just… I just want you to know, that… I think about him, and what happened, all the time. I'll never forget, never forgive myself… I'm so sorry…" It seemed he was searching for rehearsed words, but what came out was stumbling and raw. Tears that had been welling in his eyes finally spilled over, falling to the ground and mixing in and hiding among the drops that fell from the sky. As he pulled out his apology, he fell into an uncontrolled weeping; a twelve-year-old child shouldering the responsibility of her father's death, verbalizing it for the first time to his daughter, and losing the last bit of control he had. Instinctively, Reicheru reached out and grabbed his arms, pulling him over for a hug. Through her own tears, she could only say, "It's alright."
The two of them stood there in the rain for a moment before crumpling to sit on the wet ground. As they regained their composure, the rain began to lighten, the drizzling washing the tear-streaked face of the two strangers bound together by tragedy. Finally, Reicheru broke the silence. "So, I didn’t know you were even around anymore. Where have you been?" The dark-haired boy straightened stared ahead, gathering his thoughts and going over worn out memories. "When I got back, it wasn't really safe for me at the academy anymore. One of the medics who had… been on the retrieval mission… he took me under his wing, he's been tutoring me privately this past year." He looked down at the ground, wondering how much he should say. "I knew a few medical jutsu from my dad already. I was using them… to try to save your dad, when they found me. I'd never been any good at any other jutsu, part of why I had such a hard time in the academy… among other things." Reicheru's gaze shifted to the ground, remembering the rumors she'd heard about the boy, and for the first time considering the fact that though she had lost her father, he'd lost the only person that believed in him - and watched him die, and now she learned he attempted to save him in vain. What a journey the child before her had been through already, and all this before becoming a full shinobi. Her thoughts were interrupted as he turned to her with a curious smile, attempting to redirect the conversation. "I've learned a lot since then, I could show you a few basic healing jutsu…" a panicked look crossed his face as he quickly added, "If you want, of course! Nevermind, I should go…" He began to pull himself to his feet, face red, before Reicheru stood and stopped him. "That'd be great! If you don't mind taking the time to show me."
Blue sky began to break through the clouds as the young boy taught her how to focus her chakra, healing small cuts on each of their arms gained through training and childhood mischief. It was not dissimilar to the way she would focus chakra to create a wind jutsu - both were precise, but this was less volatile, gentler. It was interesting, that the boy too was much gentler than she had expected, taking his time to explain the techniques and repeating himself without getting frustrated when she didn't get it at first. As clouds began to move back in, Reicheru stopped and looked at her peer. "I have a confession to make, and it's really terrible…" The boy cocked his head, looking at her curiously, preparing himself to receive the confession of hatred and verbal beating he deserved. "…I don't actually know your name." His eyes filled with confusion, then suddenly the first hint of joy she had ever seen in them as he erupted with laughter. "I surely thought my name had gotten around, but not in a good way! So maybe you'll hear it in a good way now. I'm Kaede, Mori Kaede. Nice to meet you, Saitou Reicheru." He extended his hand to shake hers, and she took it with a laugh. As she did, the sun once again disappeared behind approaching clouds, and the mist of an incoming rain brushed against their faces. Still, they weren't quite ready to leave - a little moisture would not slow them down.
[WC: 1,473]