Anniversary
[Future]
It was a bright sunny day; a perfect time to go cloud watching and sleeping, but a certain Nara isn't lying down in any of the comfortable spots in the field. Instead, he's staring at a particular stone statue where thousands of names are engraved. His eyes staring at a particular name.
He never figured her out. And every time that he thought he did, she'd prove him wrong time after time. And when he mentioned it to her once, she had the gall to look at him like she can't believe what Shikamaru was saying.
"I'm just a normal, boring woman, Nara." She had told him. "There's nothing to figure out"
But she wasn't boring. Hell, she wasn't even normal.
He means, what "boring, normal woman" would do the things she had done? Every time they go on a mission together, she'd always be the weakest and at the same time the strongest link in the chain. She's an impossible combination of opposites, continuously contradicting as if she's the embodiment of her own self's antithesis.
Of course, he knows that most of them are masks; that's why she's a mystery. Shikamaru could never figure out what's true and what's not. It was like she'd been doing it for decades that she could make every expression so natural. And with her in Team 7, it was like she was the Queen in a game of Masquerade.
"Hey, Shikamaru"
His heart skipped a beat and for a moment, he heard a different voice but glancing at the source proved him wrong. A certain silver-haired Hokage is walking towards him at a leisure pace.
"Hokage-sama" He politely greeted and decidedly ignored the tired sigh the older man let out. The man had long since given up correcting his friends to stop calling him by his new title. "What brings you here today?"
"Visiting friends, as always" Kakashi answered with a closed-eye smile. "I'd been busy lately, so this is my first visit in a week"
Shikamaru grimaced. Kakashi had indeed been busy cleaning up after the previous Hokages. The tower had been buzzing with work and meetings every day for the past 6 months; not even weekends are spared.
"It's been a year, hasn't it?" Kakashi gently whispered. His finger tracing a certain name written in katakana.
Shikamaru's chest tightens. Zen's death had hit Team 7 the hardest, and most especially Kakashi. Everyone knows his life story by now; how he lost his mother to an enemy attack, how he lost his father to misplaced guilt and shame, how he lost his teammates in the Third Shinobi War, and how he lost his sensei in the Kyubi Attack. Everyone knew how he lost a student to the clutches of greed and vengeance. Everyone had heard how he regained his friend, only to lose him again to death. And everyone had heard how he regained his wayward student, only to lose another one.
"Did you know?" Kakashi's voice is still gentle, and Shikamaru didn't know who's he talking to until he heard the next words. "She hated Calligraphy"
"What?"
"She hated Calligraphy" Kakashi repeats with a smile as he stands up straighter. "'It was too complicated', she said. But she still studied it and mastered Fuinjutsu to help her with her Iryu Ninjutsu"
"Shit!" Her familiar voice drifted to his mind, unbidden, as he remembered the times Zen used her skills in the war.
Zen was once again running low on chakra and she had already consumed her 3rd Chakra Pill for the day, another one and she'd be a liability after the effect is gone. She was part of the Sealing Team but she went around and healed anyone she can. But the wounded are too many and the Medic Camp had been compromised; infiltrated by Zetsu.
Everyone who could perform basic first aid to actual Iryu Ninjutsu is working to help, but it wasn't enough. She was the best they got here for both fields and they couldn't afford to lose her.
Shikamaru could only watch in remorse as he couldn't help. With Choji slumped beside him, they were given strict instructions to not move an inch by both Ino and Zen. Ino, despite being bone-tired herself, is still helping tend to any wound she can.
In the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw Zen walk to the side. She took out her sealing materials and began to work on something he couldn't see. It didn't take long before she's taking out a kunai and slicing through the paper, cutting it to symmetric tags. When she was done with it, she walked around the place giving the tags and quietly teaching the other shinobi how to use it. And by the looks of it, it wasn't something that is limited to the ones who could perform Iryu Ninjutsu.
It wasn't after the war until Shikamaru found out that the seal she created had put the patients in some semi-paralysis while slowly regenerating the damaged cells themselves. It was self-healing on a whole new level.
"She was amazing" Shikamaru didn't notice he said it out loud until Kakashi agreed.
They both stood there quietly, staring at the same name and reminiscing the time she was still with them.
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"Sometimes I wish..." Shikamaru muses quietly, "I wish that she's just somewhere out there. That one of these days, she'll drop in on us and say 'Why the long face?' as if the past year never happened"
A heavy hand rested on his shoulder as if to say "Me too"
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[Past]
All I could do is stare. Because what else can I do? As it turns out, Shibuki is the son of the Village Leader, Hisen.
Now I know why he's familiar.
What I do not understand is why we were invited to the Leader's home instead of a regular restaurant. And knowing now who invited us in, it makes me wonder if all of this would lead us to a trap.
All I can do is sigh and wait for what this will lead us in the end.
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Contrary to what I remember from my previous life, Shibuki is not like the timid kid I remember him to be. Sure, he's still a prick (only Kami knows how Naruto befriended the kid), but at least he's not yet that annoying. I pity the team that will handle this kid's mission when he seeks escort assistance from Konoha in - in what? Eight years?
But does it really have to come to that?
Argh, brain! Stop thinking already!
Things will happen as it should be. It has to.
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"Thank you for inviting us for dinner, Hisen-sama"
"Don't mention it" The village leader smiles warmly, "It was a pleasure meeting you and your family, Rae-san"
We bowed and left. It was already night time, hopefully, there are inns still open and vacant.
"Do you remember?" the soft voice of my younger self drifted to my ears. "Back in our country, guests are invited to stay the night if it got this late. It's a show of hospitality."
"But we're no longer back home" I replied, equally softly. "And besides, we're outsiders. We shouldn't expect to be welcomed into someone's home that easily no matter how generous they are"
"I miss home"
"Me too, kiddo" I replied and ruffled her hair.
"What are you two talking about?" was Karin's curious question.
I could only smile sadly and say "Nothing"
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"How long are we staying here?"
I blinked and glanced at my younger counterpart.
"I don't know" I shrugged. "I was planning on finding a job somewhere but if you want we can hit the road again"
Wide disbelieving brown eyes stared at me with her mouth agape.
"What?" I asked with a frown.
"You..." She hesitated. "You never did that before"
"Huh?"
"Nothing" She shook her head and took a step back. "I'll go ask Karin what she wants to do"
"O-okay?" I replied, unsure.
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"My name is Rae, sir" I introduced with a smile. "I have experience working in serving drinks and food"
"Are you literate?" The man in front of me asked as he scrutinized me.
"Yes" I continued smiling. "I know my numbers and letters"
"Okay" The man nodded. "You're hired. You can start tomorrow"
"Thank you"
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"Nee-chan~!" Two voices echoed in the small one-room apartment we've rented. It was the only thing we could afford, plus necessities. In the end, we've decided to stay for a while because of Karin. She wants to enjoy the place before we moved again. And while we're here, I decided to go and get a temporary job at a local restaurant. It has a good pay grade and located near our accommodation. I work from Monday to Friday for eight hours and have Saturdays and Sundays as off.
And today is a Saturday and the kids want to go to the park.
"Nee-chan, hurry up!" Karin whines from the door.
"Coming~!" I shouted back from the kitchen where I was filling up some water bottles for our trip to the park.
I am so thankful that my talk with Karin went off with only a little hitch.
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"This is so unfair"
I looked up from the book I was reading and was greeted by the scowling face of my younger counterpart.
"What is?" I asked with a raised brow.
"The game" She replied, if I didn't know any better, I'd say she's pouting. "We're playing Ninja"
"Uhuh..." I intoned, motioning her to continue as I closed my book shut.
"We keep on losing"
I raised a brow at that. "You're a sore loser"
"No, I'm not!" She replies indignantly. "It's because of that guy!" She then points at a certain brunet playing at the playground with the other kids. "What kind of ninja plays Ninja? It's practically cheating!"
I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing at her face. She glares at me as she stomps her feet in annoyance.
"What do you want me to do?" I grinned.
She grits her teeth before grabbing my arms and pulling me to my feet. "You'll be the real ninja in my team!"
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More laughter rang in the playground and every person who passed by would smile at the sight. Some of them had exasperated expressions and some are even chuckling at the childish sight.
One 16 years old teenage girl is playing ninja with a 13-year-old boy (who is quite well known as the village leader's son) and several kids ranging from 5 to 9 years old.
"I like your expression right now," said a voice beside me. Glancing over, I came face to face with the content expression of my younger counterpart. "Your smile is more relaxed than your usual smiles"
"It's just..." I shrugged. "I can't remember when I last had this much fun."
"When our cousin got shot in the face with a fistful of mud?" She suggested, and that got me laughing.
"I remember that!" I grinned, then stared off at a distance.
"It's been a year since I came to this timeline"