amethyst solitary (naruto u.)

jiraiya

"Akai hana tsunde

Ano hito ni age yo

Ano hito no kami ni

Kono hana sashiteage yo"

Jiraiya rose his brows in amusement over the sudden melodic lyrics entering his ears. One of the Legendary Sannins happened to be heading towards Tsunade's residence, both for a meetup and to bid farewell before he officially leaves the village to track down one of the Akatsuki's members, Pain. But the melancholic voice floating freely in the air, which was resonating from the riverbank near him, enticed him to pause and concentrate on its tone instead. It sounded so serene yet simultaneously empty. Like a broken angel.

He shifted his head to the side and was instantly met up with a familiar back. The floral dress that made him drool previously gave away who that person was. His eyes crinkled up, the corners of his chapped mouth crumpling in a frown upon noticing her eyes were puffed out, assumingly from crying.

What confused him moreover however was, well, why was she wet? According to his calculations, the sun has technically been out for awhile now.

Although he wasn't entirely swayed by her display of emotions, he couldn't help but allow his feet to approach her from behind. Manaka's singing came to a halt when she sensed his presence lingering behind her. She dreadfully peered over her shoulder then returned her gaze back to the river, unbothered by his unexpected appearance.

At this point, nothing really fazes her anymore. Not even an old pervert who carries long crazy white hair.

Jiraiya sighed, already too flustered to delve deeper into the meaning of her current state. He wasn't one to put on the motherly act towards anyone. Especially with young girls like her. Yet, since she was close to one of his students and he seriously didn't want to get caught up in Naruto's whirlwind of scolds for not checking up on her if something bad happens to her later on, he had no choice but to ensure her wellbeing.

After all, it's what a true shinobi does.

"I don't usually lend a helping hand to girls like you unless for ahem "a special treatment", but mind telling me what's bothering you?" he finally blurted out.

A moment of silence passed by, and her not saying anything triggered a vein to pop at the corner of his head.

"Hey, I'm talking—"

"Why must all good things come to an end?" Manaka interrupted monotonously.

The unforeseen inquiry made the white hair carrier deflate and widen his eyes.

"Hmmm...that's a good question." He pursed his lips into a thin line. "Probably because loss teaches us the worth of many things."

The girl remained staring at the rippling water. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, if we don't stumble upon hardships in life, we'll never thoroughly acknowledge the good that derives from it. Hardly anything valuable is earned without sacrifice."

Manaka glared at his reasoning. "It's kind of unfair don't you think?"

The teenage girl is beyond doubt convinced her life imprisons the heavy weight of a mere cursed luck. Every time she tries claiming a healthy change in her life, something unexpected appears out of the blue, destroying the whole concept of pursuing happiness. Take for example, a yōkai that looks exactly like her, completely ruining her chances of starting a new life in the ninja world.

Manaka scoffed at the self-centered thought, bringing her knees closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She wasn't one to talk. Hana has suffered more— indeed more than her and the rest of the human population combined all together. How can she think this selfishly? Gosh she was so pathetic.