The Fallen Ayumu (naruto)

Chapter 38

As we walk away I cannot help but turn to look at the two teams behind us, the absence of Neji's, and the caring one of Naruto's.

Perhaps a connection like that just isn't possible for someone like me.

...............

We eventually set off into the forest on our own. Thankfully the ice on my ankle left it numb, relieving me of the pain as I traveled through the forest. Each time I find a quicker route, a quieter way, I stop myself. Knowing that they wouldn't be able to do the same. The space between myself and the group has grown larger with time, and they're only a handful distance away.

With the sun setting, I come to a halt and run my lithe fingers down my lengthy skirt. When I reach the end a tear off a long strip, using it tie my hair into a tight bun.

They catch up to me as I jump upon the tallest tree, quickly climbing to the top as if I were a spider-monkey. My eyes land upon the tower, where we must take our matching scrolls. We only have around a day left, although getting there could take a few hours.

I use a branch below me to get down, grasping onto the longest one and jumping down to a lower branch, where we all ran. They're silent, staring at me for answers. I observe how sweat drenched their hair, and how their breath retracts in and out rather quickly.

"You need water, yes?" I suggest, patting my gloved palms together free of the dirt from the tree. Shikamarus observes me silently, eyes catching onto my gloves, and then onto my newly tied hair.

"Yeah, we need a break." He sighs, using his clothed shoulder to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Knowing which direction we are, I don't have to say much for them to follow me to the lake that wraps around this jail cell of a forest. And when we reach it, it's like children in candy land and they run to the glistening waters, filling their canteens to the brim and gulping down some water with their palms. I watch as their lips move and they exchange small talk.

Although when I step toward the lake, it goes quiet, awkwardly quiet.

I glance at the three of them with hooded eyes, only to sigh as I fill my very own canteen up as it had been empty for a few days.

I begin to feel Ino's eyes fixate on me, and finally she speaks up. "Lady Akari, what happened to your ear? There's a bandage." She asks, concern threaded in her voice. "Explosion. There were two." I blankly say as I try to look anywhere but their eyes.

Her face drops a bit but she immediately covers it up. I guess my answer had addressed the elephant in the room. Or at least one of them. How am I supposed to speak of the explosion, my sudden arrival with a new team, and why the hell they were in that fight in the first place? A part of me just wishes to ignore it. Obtain my water, amicably turn in our scrolls, and never communicate with them again after I become chunin.

Even that is much easier than whatever this may be.

Ino hesitates before answering. "About that...I'd say on behalf of all of us, we are so sorry. We should've listened to you, and if-" she explains and I quickly stop her.

"If I got frustrated over not being able to change the past then there would be a lot of anger in my soul." I bluntly state. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't hurt by their actions on the first day. But many other days have hurt more. Seconds in my life have hurt far more than that singular day.