Paranoia of the Starved |Kankuro|

Chapter 6

I smiled softly to myself, scratching behind her ears. I should have brought her some water, I'll have to remember to do that next time.

I fed her, while running my hands through her dark hair, I was able to forget all that happened today. With her around, everything wasn't that bad.

.

.

.

I sighed out messing around with the second smallest marble, which was the same as the last one, but 2 times harder because the outside layer was thicker, but otherwise I couldn't figure it out no matter what I did.

I perked up as Nakomi-sensei pulled down a map of Suna before beginning today's lesson.

"Hello everyone! Today we will be going over the basic economy of Suna," he explained. "Can anyone tell me what economy is?"

I stayed quiet, and watched as Temari slowly raised her hand. That was another thing I was confused about. Why was Temari in this class? Wasn't she a year older than Kankuro?

"Yes, Temari?"

"Economy is the trade and distribution of goods and money." She explained quickly, short and to the point.

Soon after, lunch came. I had my lunch, but didn't really feel like eating. I searched around my spot for my marble, with nothing turning up. I sighed out. Just forcing myself to eat, just so the food doesn't go to waste.

As I heard footsteps approach, I found myself gritting my teeth, as I look up to see my assailants from yesterday.

You got this Himoko. Don't let a little bit of childhood trauma get to you. You've been through this already.

I let out a breath.

"Is there something you need?" I asked, a sickness welling in my stomach.

"Well, you never answered my question from yesterday, why is your face all fucked up like that!" She laughed out, I felt the bile rise up in my throat but I managed to keep steady for the time being.

I sighed out, "when I was a baby the hospital burned down, and I was burned in the fire." My eyes lingering on my food.

"Oh wow, I guess not even the hospital wants you here," she laughed. My heart thrummed in my chest, wasps stung in my heart, I choked down the bile in my throat.

"I guess I'll leave then," I state, picking up my lunch, and making my way back into the classroom. I only let the tears fall when I was finally away from everyone else. I didn't really feel like eating right now..

I ran my fingers through the warm desert sand. One might get annoyed at being surrounded by sand constantly, but I didn't mind it. It was almost therapeutic.

I froze as I heard careful footsteps getting closer and closer. Then, Kankuro's face peak around the corner. "hey.."

I stared at him for a few moments, suspiciously. Was he here to make fun of me? To tease me like those girls..?

"Hey," Came my simple reply.

Kankuro stepped out from behind the corner as he plopped next to me, setting his lunch in his lap. "Whenever you left yesterday.. I found your marble, again-jan.." He explained quietly, like with the wrong word he'd set off a bomb. He held it out for me to take, and I stared at it for a few moments, before picking it up.

"Thank you.." I respond quietly, rolling the marble in my hand it became something calming to me, my chakra reaching out and wrapping itself around the marble.

"Were you really crying yesterday?" He asked, and I paused, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"No." I lied bluntly, staring down at my sandals.

Kankuro paused for a moment before turning to me, "so have you figured out that marble yet-jan?" He asked, tilting his head at me. I stared at him for a few seconds, he had a small dopey smile on his face.

To be honest, out of everyone that I thought I would befriend in this life, I would have thought Gaara, but no, I was too scared. If I were somewhere else, Naruto, Kiba, Rock Lee, maybe even Sakura. I never would have thought of becoming friends with Kankuro. But I had to realize, that he wasn't a character on a screen anymore. He was a real person, right in front of me. With feelings, emotions, quirks, and problems.

"No, I haven't figured it out yet," I responded slowly, releasing my chakra from around the marble.

"Do you think I would be able to try-jan?" He asked, and I very slowly handed it to him. I watched as he analyzed it for a few moments, gingerly holding it. I assumed he was trying to figure it out, but I couldn't see his chakra.

"I think I got it-jan!" He chirped, beaming towards me. In my stomach, there were no longer wasps, instead there was just a little bee, buzzing happily in my stomach.

"How? I've been trying to figure it out for weeks!?" I asked, sitting up fulling and turning towards him. "Let me see it!" I let let a small grin form on my face, realizing it after a moment I let my face drop, I feel like my smile looked weird.

He hands the marble back to me, "then you haven't been paying attention. So, you know when you're on the hard layer? So, there are minuscule cracks on the outer part, I think there might be a tiny part that you can get your chakra through-jan!" He explained, grinning.

I analyzed the marble for a few moments, going through the first step, I picked up on something, something different that I never noticed before. I could just barely notice it. A tiny crack, running along the edge of the inner lead.

Shifting my chakra into the crack, I wiggled through, and I was in. It was like a maze, and it probably took me the rest of lunch, but after a few moments, I felt a slight spark in my chakra and the marble lit up a faint blue. I grinned to myself. "I did it!"

"Can I try it now! I promise I'll give it back, okay-jan?" He asked, beaming.

I paused for a moment, unsure, and in a small moment, where I didn't feel paranoid or afraid, I nodded, handing Kankuro the marble.

"Alright, just remember to give it back!"