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Chapter 40

40

It was a cloudy morning, as Akira scanned the Academy grounds with sleepless eyes. It was still quite early, so the raucous laughter of children was absent. Taking in the chilly, morning air, the kunoichi breathed deeply, mentally preparing herself for another day of teaching.

Frowning, she kicked a stray clump of grass by her feet and tried not to dwell on the fact that the demon within her had terrorized her once more. After waking up from another emotionally scarring nightmare, Akira was not able to sleep until morning. She rose from her bed, exhausted, and skipped her morning training. Her wolves noticed her unusual behavior and tried to ask her but Akira had curtly hushed them. Noticing her short temper, the Ookami said nothing and just bade her well. It was obvious to the wolves that their mistress was feeling out of sorts.

"He only lusts after your flesh."

Akira clenched her fists and closed her eyes briefly, unable to forget the demon wolf's taunting. She absently touched the thin gauze that covered a shallow wound on her left cheek. As usual, the Kageboshi's chakra had marred her skin with unsightly burns. Most have started to heal but there were still those that were quite raw. Akira covered her arms with bandages and wore pants to cover up some of the wounds on her legs. The one on her cheek was still quite fresh so she applied a soothing ointment and covered it with a thin gauze. Hopefully, it will heal before midday.

She's used to the physical, emotional and psychological assault of the demon she harbors but that doesn't mean that it hurts less. It always pains her, most especially when the attack is about him.

"He only lusts after your flesh."

"I can't leave you Satsuna."

A stray tear fell from her eyes and she hurriedly wiped it away, lest a student see her. She sighed once more and looked up at the sky. The sun had hidden behind gray clouds and once more, she saw the events of last night.

She acknowledges their deep bond although she never had the same level of camaraderie and companionship with her own genin team. Akira is aware of the strong connections between a team, and so she knows that the friendship between Neji and Tenten is something that cannot simply be ignored.

But...

The scenes of last night flashed in her mind once more, and a wave of hurt and confusion washed over Akira. She felt her chest tighten. She tried to rationalize—insisting that they're just friends.

They're just friends.

'They're just friends. There isn't anything more.'

A part of her objected. Because she knew that friends do not treat each other like that. Friends do not look at each other like that. And friends do not touch each other like that.

Again, Akira was reminded of how close Tenten was against his side, how their arms were linked together, how Neji looked comfortable doing it. To Akira, there was nothing platonic in their exchange. There was something there that shouldn't be. And regardless of whether she's overreacting or over analyzing, Akira could not deny that it hurt her to see them—him—like that.

And the worst part? It was as if it didn't matter to him what she saw, what she felt, or who she was. As if he didn't hold her the same way, kissed her... as if she didn't matter.

Insecurity crept slowly into Akira's psyche, and her confusion magnified into epic proportions in her heart and mind. She felt torn. On one hand, she can't really get mad at Tenten because the girl had always been kind to her. But Akira couldn't shake off the feeling of spite when she saw how close the other kunoichi was to the Hyuuga.