desolate minds

iii. a lost cause

I nodded, chirping my affirmation as I followed my brother's lead. Ichirou wandered back over to the rock he was lying on previously, his eyes now open for the world to see. They were a dark brown, and glossy. Letting my childish side pull through, I tugged on Sasori's sleeve before he could start to stretch. "Ano...Nii-sama, is Ichi-sensei blind?" Could I be anymore subtle?

Sasori paused in his movements, turning his head a bit to meet my eyes. I didn't miss the way he glanced at Ichirou, however. "Hm? Yes, he is, but—" A stern look took over his face then, reminding me just how powerful and infamous he was in a different timeline. "Don't underestimate him. Ichirou-sensei is a very skilled shinobi, and despite his disability, he's still very powerful." This felt like a lecture instead of a verbal beating, so I didn't allow myself to feel too offended by Sasori's tone.

Don't underestimate anyone. I think that's what he was trying to get across— which is kind of ironic, considering how his death was a result of him underestimating his opponents... That thought alone made my throat run dry. Sasori dying...it just wasn't an option.

Sasori and I continued stretching; me copying everything he did. In my past life, I was sure to work out everyday in order to keep myself in shape... The fact that I was able to run fast and defend myself was what kept me alive for so long. It was that one moment of carelessness that ruined me, however.

"You two cuties finished?" Ichirou walked over to us, his hands clasped behind his back and that cheery smile still on his face.

I stretched my arms out one last time while Sasori nodded, standing up straighter. "Yes, Ichirou-sensei."

"Great! Sasori-kun, start on your laps. Kyo-chan, you remember what I said earlier?"

Giving my best childish grin, I nodded and quickly ran to the spot in the shade that Ichirou had pointed out earlier. Now, all I could do was watch...or not. I still had the option to train with my chakra. My goal was to be at an average level by the time I entered the Academy, and even though I was making decent progress, I still wasn't there yet. I could still only sense chakra signatures that were half a mile away and no further; my control, on the other hand, was extremely impressive. I could keep multiple things attached to myself for over an hour or so before I lost control.

So, with Sasori and Ichirou's voices as my background noise, I set to work on training. My mind seemed to go into a meditative state as I focused on my chakra and controlling it. Using my other senses to help guide me, I slowly reached out with my chakra and began to pinpoint all the living things within the area; that I could get to anyway.

Ichirou was the person closest to me, while Sasori's familiar chakra signature continued to brush up against the area where I couldn't reach just yet. Unsurprisingly, they were the only two I could currently feel, which meant it was time to literally start expanding my horizons.

The moment I began to try and increase my range however, a harsh slap on the back snapped me out of it and knocked my small body over. "—Oof."

"Sorry~ I didn't realize you were so small, Kyo-chan!" Ichirou apologized, his voice as cheery as ever. For a moment I was confused, because I could still sense that Ichirou was standing in the middle of the training ground, observing my brother. Then I remembered that clones were a thing in this world, and sighed.

"No, it's okay..." I mumbled, a pout on my lips as I tried to rub my now-sore back. "Ichi-sensei, is there somethin' ya need?"

"Hm? Not really... I was just wondering what you were doing, Kyo-chan. I can feel your chakra spreading over the area. Mm, maybe work on being more subtle next time."