Kuro: Snakes and Crows

Chapter 9: Kuro Trusts

Araya's Pov

I glared up at the sky the next day. The morning was too cheerful to fit my mood. It was pleasantly warm and birds flew over head, singing about this or that, being way too happy.

I could tell that Matsuko was traveling to the clearing with the snake. I rolled my eyes. I hated that twin sense...but at the same time it was comforting to know that someone was looking out for me and knew where I was even if I had to know where they were at all times.

I thought about what my sister had said during the argument. She had told me I believed the world revolved around me. I had wanted to shout that she was wrong but she stormed off too quickly. Then, as I thought about it, I realized she was right. I hated anyone who inconvenience me and I never thought about other people and what they could be going through. I had always told them something along the lines of, get over is and worship me.

I closed my eyes against the sunlight and faced this realization. I was a selfish brat who wouldn't do anything to help someone else. I was always worried about my own dreams. Now, I had to ask myself, did I really want to change? Did I want to care about other people and stop thinking about myself for a minute.

I sat up in the warm sun and decided to go to the clearing. I was going to train with them and learn to be more caring. I was going to try my best to become better, even if that did fall short sometimes.

I leapt up and ran over the hills and traveled up among the trees, exhilarated by the run. I jumped down into the clearing, landing on my log with barely any noise. I reached the clearing before Matsuko and Oro. I winced as I saw Ponytail sitting against a tree, head in his hands. He was fidgeting with a pendent around his throat. I glimpsed his face and felt my stomach twist within me. His face was full of anguish and pain and radiated guilt and self doubt. I knew that I had helped some of those emotions along and I hated myself for it.

"Hey," I said awkwardly. Itachi looked up quickly, dropping his pendant down his shirt.

"I...ummm," I stammered. What was this? I never stammered. "I'm here, I guess....for training."

I face palmed inwardly. Caring about others was really hard.

Itachi nodded but his dark eyes were still full of all those painful, terrible emotions.

I sat down and fiddled with the kunai knife that my mother had given me before....I wonder what would have happened to me, if I would have come to this, if my mother had been the one to teach me.

Matsuko and Oro entered the clearing. They were walking very close together and smiling at each other. I was beginning to sense that there was more than a hope for being just teammates.

"Araya," Matsuko said, surprised. "I didn't know you came back here."

I nodded quietly. "I thought that I-we should try our best. I'm not used to giving up and I'm not going to start now."

Itachi looked up, slightly surprised before his lips turned to a slight smile.

"Well, leader," Oro said. I could hear an apology in his voice. "What do you say?"

Itachi got up slowly but with a satisfied smile. "Alright, let's go."

We stood together as Itachi described what we were going to be doing next.

"We're going to use each other's ideas and abilities to get to that tree and back," Itachi explained. He looked slightly unsure of this plan and I realized that being a leader must not be as fun as I imagined.

"What do you mean, Itachi?" Matsuko asked. I spotted Kuro next to her and was kind of surprised that I hadn't noticed him before.

"We're going yo pair up. One person has to get the other to the tree. The, the other person will bring them back. Anything is allowed but they are not allowed to work together at all. Only one person will be allowed to work justus at a time."