How To Be Heartless? (Book One)

Chapter 4: The Bells

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       I stood unnerved with my fingers twitching at my side, but I didn't allow such useless emotions to cross my face. His beady eyes bore up on me as I stared straight back. I slowly pulled out a kunai, and I quickly threw it by his side, he made no such move to show it affected him. I knelt down at his level and put a different kunai knife up to his small neck. Still no response as he playfully looked up at me. I started sobbing with no tears.

      How can I become a ninja if I can't even scare my dog! A small bark was heard under me and I swiftly moved away, looking at the white haired mutt. I glared at it as harshly as I could, but he still didn't move. Was my glare so weak? I sighed silently. More than anything I wished I was strong, but some were not capable in being a ninja. I was good at throwing kunai and relatively good at fighting hand to hand.

       That didn't matter to father if I couldn't do Ninjutsu, or even the simplest skills in interrogating that father excelled at. I didn't know how to be monotone, in fact, I didn't know how to be heartless. I sighed and looked up as father came through the open entrance to the garden mother had held so dearly.

      "Sana," his voice called, I looked up at the sound of his voice, my orange eyes scanning his for any looks of content. I found none, silently he beckoned me further.

      I nodded, a sign showing him I was listening.

      "You still haven't improved from the last time I've seen you."

      I looked at him confused at the statement, before trying my best to not anger him with the emotions I showed. "In what area should I improve?"

      "All of them," he said and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "But most importantly, don't get too friendly with your new teammates," he ordered, and I froze for a second before nodding silently in false understanding. I didn't ask him why, as the look in his eyes stopped me. He nodded and walked away, leaving me by the green garden that surrounded me. "The closer you get, the less likely you are to honing your skills." I heard his voice in the distance before it disappeared.

      I knelt down next to the small animal next to me, my hand skimmed over his mane that reminded me of a rug being draped over the puppy.

      "At least you're still my friend," I whispered, lifting up the animal and placing him in his small stall at the inside of the house. He promptly ran away. "I didn't want you to be my only friend anyway!"

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      Everyone seemed to arrive from different directions at the training ground, each seeming tired, or worn out. Obviously, as sad as it was, they weren't very used to this kind of morning. Sasuke seemed fine, but Naruto went to sleep as soon as he arrived.

      I sighed and curled my knees into my chest, looking ahead of me. Sakura was wearing her usual pink attire, and hanging onto Sasuke.

      And then we waited.

      And waited.

      And waited some more.

      "I can't believe he is late!" Naruto shouted, and Sakura glared at him but her thoughts were probably the same as his. They were more alike than they thought.

      Sasuke looked at them, his eyes slightly annoyed as well.

      I said nothing. Looking away, I pressed my back against the wood of the tree, holding in any annoyance I had.