I stared blankly at the small shrine the villagers had set up in memory of the Hokage. Above it was the mountain that had the faces of the Hokages on it. The face of the Third Hokage had a crack across it. I wonder... Could it have been a sign?
The rain fell on us, the sky dark and ominous. It was covered in clouds, with no light peeking through whatsoever. Maybe... Maybe even the sky's mourning the loss of our beloved Hokage.
I stood in between Naruto and Kiba, with Sakura and Sasuke behind us. The crowd of shinobi was silent, staring straight ahead as the rain poured down on us. Konohamaru stood next to Iruka-sensei, crying his eyes out.
"Iruka-sensei... Why... Why do people risk their lives for others...?" Naruto asked, staring at the Hokage mountain. Already, I knew this would be a depressing conversation.
"When someone dies... That's it. There's no coming back, no changing what happened... If they die, they die, and their dreams and goals die right along with them. However... There's something more important to people that just their dreams and goals. Family, friends, villagers... We all have them. And in some shape or form, they're all connected to us, and we share a special bond with them that grows and expands as time passes. There's no real reason, Naruto. Nothing you can prove logically. People just do it," Iruka-sensei answered with a solemn expression.
"... Yeah... I get it. But dying... It's not something people look forward to," Naruto said, and I found myself staring at the picture of the Third Hokage.
"That's true, but... The Third Hokage didn't die in vain. He left us all something very important... Something you'll understand when you're older," Kakashi-sensei said from behind us.
"Hey... I get it, okay!? Give me some credit," Naruto said, grinning his big goofy grin. Suddenly, his expression turned serious. "And what do you think about it, Minxie...?"
I stood quiet for a while before I answered, "Honestly, I don't know, Naruto. There really... Is no logical and solid reason to it. Look at it this way. Remember when we were in the forest? How you tried everything in your power to get me out of that prison? How you were ready to sacrifice your life to protect those precious to you? That's it. You don't think about it. It just... It happens. All because we love others, and because they love us."
"Hm... Yeah... I think I really do get it," He agreed after a while, staring at the ground in thought.
"I wonder... Do you remember the poem the Third Hokage used to say to us? Well, it wasn't a poem... But it sounded like one. It said: 'Where tree leaves dance, one shall find flames... The fire's shadow will illuminate the village... And once again, tree leaves shall bud anew'," I began, blowing my bangs out of my face.
"I didn't get what that meant until now. I'm actually surprised that I remember it. But I wonder... Do you think that's true? That it'll happen?" I asked, looking up at my former sensei.
"... A long time ago, the Third told me of a Will of Fire... One that, supposedly, all Konoha ninja possess. He told me that it was the burning desire to protect Konoha. In this whole attack... We defended our village; we didn't back down. You didn't, either, none of us did. And that means that you all possess the Will of Fire," Iruka-sensei answered.
"But, in answer to your question... Yes, I do believe that it'll happen. Actually, I believe it's already started," He continued.
"Huh?" Naruto voiced, raising an eyebrow.
"All of you have inherited the Will of Fire, better than it was ever expected, too. It may not happen right at this moment... But, eventually, those tree leaves will alight, coming to protect the village once more. All of you... You are those tree leaves. You'll all grow, advancing and strength and skill... Then there'll be a point... Where you're just not kids anymore. You'll be the burning flames that illuminate and protect the village... Shaping the future of yourself and your village," Iruka-sensei finished, smiling down at Naruto and I warmly.
I found myself smiling, too, along with Naruto. I turned to look up at the faces of the Hokages, at how delicately crafted they were. Someday... Naruto's face would be up there. And I'd stand here, remembering this moment and every other moment we've had.
I closed my eyes, clutching the Takeda amulet that hung around my neck. I wonder... Did Ryuu ever possess the Will of Fire, too? If so, what happened to him? Hm...
"Hey, Minx... We're heading home," Kylie whispered, breaking me out of my trance.
"Oh... Yeah, right," I muttered distractedly. I let her pull my arm and lead me out of the crowd, but suddenly, I stopped.
"Err... What happened?" My blue-haired best friend said, raising an eyebrow.
I turned around, walking back over to Konohamaru. "Hey, Konohamaru?" I called.
"Yeah?" He said through sobs.
"Wanna come over to my house? I can make ramen, we can grab some ice cream... And we can all be depressed together! I can tell you about all the times Naruto and I played pranks on the old man," I said, grinning at him.
His face lit up. "R-Really?"
"Of course! I'll do the cooking. Oh! And for future reference, whenever you see Kimi near the kitchen, scream bloody murder, 'kay? But, either way, you should come to my house. In fact... All of you guys should come! We can have ice cream, eat ramen, bother each other... Let's be sad together! You know, besides Ino and Sakura..." I said brightly, muttering the last part.
"That's a great idea, believe it! We'll eat away our problems!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning.
I laughed. "I wasn't gonna put it that way... But, sure!" I said, and once Konohamaru nodded, I smiled, jumping up. "Great! Let's go!" I cheered, bouncing off in one direction.
"Wait, Minxie!" Josh called.
"What?" I asked, turning around to him with an eyebrow raised.
"You're... You're going the wrong way..." He muttered, sweatdropping.
I anime fell. "Seriously? But... But I thought that the house was this way!"
"No... It's the other way..." He said, facepalming.
"And you people call me special," Kylie said, rolling her eyes.
I scowled at her, and she giggled, hiding behind Josh.
"It's official. I'm investing in the biggest fly swatter in history, just for you and your blue little head," I muttered, my eye twitching as I followed them- the correct way- to my house.
~*~
"Oh my god... I remember that! He made me scrub the tiles in the Academy for doing that..." I muttered, licking the ice cream off of my spoon. All of our friends were gathered around in my living room, bowls of ramen and tubs of ice cream in their hands. We were listing memories of the Hokage. Of course, Naruto and I talked about how much trouble we got into with each other. The Hokage did have a weakness for Naruto's pervy jutsu, though... It makes my eye twitch.
Actually, not ALL of my friends were there. Sasuke wasn't around. He said that he had something to do, which I know is a total lie. He's just avoiding me. In fact, he's been avoiding me since we got back from the whole battle with the Sand Siblings. And I don't know why, which really bothers me.
"Why the hell would you replace the Hokage's shampoo with honey?" Shikamaru asked Naruto, who was seated next to me.
"It wasn't my idea! It was hers!" The blonde exclaimed, pointing at me.
"Say what!? All I said was... Well, yeah, it was my idea... I mean, come on! It was hilarious seeing the Hokage walk around completely confused and unable to figure out why all the bees and mosquitoes were surrounding him!" I protested, laughing. "But, then he figured it out because SOMEONE decided to leave the honey container behind," I said, shooting Naruto a pointed stare.
"It was an accident! Besides, it was just a container! That's not how he figured it out," He objected, giving me a dull stare.
"The container had 'Naruto' written on the bottom of it, bonehead," I said, gaining an eye twitch. All of our friends busted out laughing at that, while Naruto anime fell.
Everyone had stopped crying. Now, we were all smiles and laughs. Konohamaru had fallen asleep, peacefully sprawled out across the couch.
"Hey, it's getting late... I should probably get home," Sakura said, standing up with Ino. Who the heck invited them!? Sigh...
"Yeah, us too... I can only take so much female scolding," Shikamaru said, standing up with Choji, Lee, Neji, and Tenten. Shino and Hinata stood up, and we all said our goodbyes.
Pretty soon, only Naruto and Kiba remained, along with the residents of my house.
"Well, this was fun... But I'm tired, and I've got a mission tomorrow," Josh said, stretching.
"Don't remind me. I don't wanna go," Mitchell whined, laying back on the couch.
"Stop your whining and man up! At least you're going somewhere. I'm not even sure where I'm going tomorrow," I said, sliding off the counter and tossing my empty ice cream tub in the garbage.
"Fine, fine... Night, Minx!" He called, jogging up the stairs. Kylie and Josh wished me goodnight, and went up the stairs as well.
My eye twitched. "Oh, that's nice... Leave me with the mess! I don't mind!" I shouted, glaring up at the stairs.
"Just what I like to hear," Mitchell called.
"Oh... You just wait for tomorrow!" I shouted.
"Just wait for tomorrow!" He mimicked. My eye twitched again.
"Grr... YOU IRK MY EXISTENCE!" I yelled.
"Love you too, Minx!" He yelled back, and the light from upstairs shut off. Sigh...
I walked back into the living room, ice cream cartons in my hands. "Hey, Naruto, Kiba? Can you guys help-"
I stopped when I saw that both boys were asleep along with Konohamaru. Naruto was on the floor, as expected, Konohamaru on the couch, and Kiba in the arm chair.
If they didn't look so cute and make me say 'aww...', I would've yelled and woken them up. But, I didn't. Instead, I sighed, a smile on my face as I placed the ice cream cartons on the coffee table. I walked over to one of the shelves, picking up three blankets and draping one over each boy.
Picking up the ice cream cartons once again, I began cleaning up the living room slowly, humming to myself the whole time. Once the kitchen and living room were clean, I shut off the lights and headed upstairs to my room.
I quickly changed into my pajamas, letting my hair loose as I pulled off my leaf headband. Yes, my mirror was still covered. I was NOT about to have my reflection start talking to me again. It's just plain freaky.
When I heard a noise, however, I picked up my hair brush and spun it, positioning it like a kunai. Freaky noises, a girl alone in her room... I don't really feel like getting injured today. Plus, with a pedophile on the loose... It's not very comforting when I hear noises like that.
I looked towards my balcony, opening the curtains. I sighed in relief when I saw who it was.
"Oh... Sasuke. You scared me," I said, opening my balcony's doors. "What're you doing here?"
"I can't come to see you?" He said, raising an eyebrow.
"I just... I don't know. You looked like you needed some space. I mean, you've been avoiding me and all..." I said, sighing.
"Avoiding you? What are you talking about, Minxie? I was just with you," He said.
I reached out and touched my hand to his forehead. "You feeling okay? Please tell me you took your medication this morning."
He scowled at me, patting my hands away. "I'm perfectly fine."
"No, you're not. Something's wrong with you... Because I've been here all day. I came here right after the Hokage's funeral. And you missed our whole depressed ice cream and ramen thing. It was fun," I said, leaning on the door to my balcony.
"Wait... What? That's impossible. You told me that you ditched the whole ice cream and ramen thing and came to talk to me," He said. His eyes told me the truth. He really, really believed that I was with him, but I wasn't.
"You know me. Why would I ditch ice cream and ramen!?" I exclaimed, tilting my head. "Hold up... What did we talk about?"
"About... Gaara. You told me how much you liked the charm he gave you, and how much you missed him. You also mentioned how he came into your room a few nights, while we were together, might I add," He growled, his expression turning into an accussing one.
"What... But that's not true! I mean, it is true... But I didn't tell you any of that! I was here, Sasuke," I insisted.
"You mean you weren't planning on telling me?" He said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I... Well, no... But we didn't do anything, okay? He just talked to me! And I didn't tell you because I knew how you'd react," I said, shooting him a stern look. "But, anyway, the bigger problem. What else did I tell you?"
"You don't remember?"
I facepalmed. "I can't remember because it wasn't me! Honestly, Sasuke, I was here, at home. You can ask anyone. You're the one who didn't show up. But I was here, and I never spoke to you."
"Well, if you didn't speak to me... Then who did?"
"I don't know... A transformation jutsu, maybe?"
"I would've been able to tell. This was you, Minxie. Same hair, same eyes, same face... You just seemed a little off. Like you were trying to get me angry or something."
"So, what? There's two of me, now?"
"Don't even joke about that. One of you is enough."
My eye twitched. "What's that supposed to mean!?"
"It means exactly what it says, idiot."
I scowled at him. "Err... Anyway, did you want something?"
"Take a walk with me."
"Sigh... Fine, I guess..." I muttered, slipping on my shoes.
"You're going outside in your pajamas?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Duh. I'm not gonna change into regular clothes to just walk with you," I said, picking up my leaf headband.
"You should bring your jacket. It's cold," He suggested.
"It's all the way in my closet, now. Besides... It's August. It shouldn't be too cold."
"Minxie, take a jacket."
"No. Stop ordering me around, Duck-Butt."
"Hn... Whatever, When you freeze, it's not my fault."
"When you freeze it's not my fault," I mimicked, closing my balcony doors behind me, "Geez, just shaddup, will ya!?"
"Loser."
"Duck-Butt."
"Bird brain."
"Jerk."
"Fan girl."
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?!?!?!?!?"
***
Okay... So Sasuke was right. I was freezing my butt off outside. Who knew August could be so cold? ... Don't answer that.
I shivered for about the tenth time, and Sasuke shook his head.
"Idiot. I told you that you'd need a jacket," He said, his hands shoved in his pockets.
"Well, jerk-face, I didn't listen! Really, you should know me by now," I said, giving him a flat look.
"Loser... Here," He muttered, taking off his jacket and handing it to me.
"Eh?" I said, tilting my head to the side.
"Take my jacket, bird brain. No protesting," He said, and before I could say anything else, he placed the jacket on my shoulders. I was about to protest, but once I felt how warm the jacket was, I closed my mouth. Hm... It smelled just like him.
Ew... That's such a stalkerish thought.
We walked together for a while, our hands intertwined. I purposely bumped into him the whole way, making his eye twitch. He started bumping me back, and by the time we got to the bench, I'm pretty sure I had a bruise.
We stood quiet for a long time, Sasuke drawing circles in my palm with his thumb the whole time. I loved this. Just sitting in silence, enjoying each other's company... It was peaceful.
"Sasuke... What if... What if there really is two of me?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" The ravenette inquired.
"It's just... Nevermind. It's impossible, anyway," I said, shaking my head.
"What's impossible?" He asked.
"Nothing, Sasuke. Just... I love you, you know that, right?" I said, leaning my head on his shoulder.
"What... What did you just say?"
"You heard me. I said... I said I love you." Things became silent. Great job, Minxie. You said those three dreaded words too quick, and now he thinks you're just another fan girl! PERFECT! This is just great. I'm gonna end up living with cats, all lonely and wrinkly. I'll be the cat lady of the street, no boy liking me ever again because of my stupid, big mouth that blurts out stupid things when there's a serious or awkward moment and-
"I love you, too."
I almost fell off the bench. "What... What!?" I exclaimed, my eyes wide and a blush rising to my face.
"You heard me. And quiet down, loser. People are sleeping," He said, looking at me with a smirk on his face.
"B-But... B-But... But Duck-Butt!" I exclaimed. Why is it that he makes me just forget everything I want to say? I sound like I have A.D.D. when he acts sweet, which is bad, because I think I already have A.D.D. He just makes things worse.
"You're such a loser," He said, smirking at me. Before I could say anything, or think at all, for that matter, he leaned towards me and kissed me. My heart started doing backflips the minute his lips connected with mine.
I want to tell you that there were fireworks and sparks and glitter and unicorns... But there weren't any. Why? Because a few seconds into the kiss, it started raining. And it wasn't little drops of rain, either. It started pouring outside.
"Oh my... Seriously? I took a shower!" I complained. However, I couldn't stop grinning. I've always wanted to run around in the rain. Hm... I should totally do that right now!
Before I could control myself, I was running around like I was insane. And, I'll tell you right now, it's FUN. When Sasuke just stood back, staring at me with a major eye twitch, I ran back over to him.
"Come on! It's fun!" I said, intertwining my hand with his and pulling him along with me.
"Hn..." He said boredly, but he didn't pull away from me, which I took as a good sign.
The night went on, me having fun with Sasuke like I always did. We even kissed in the rain a few times, which was so cliche, but it was so amazing that I didn't even care. These moments were ones that I treasured, holding them all close to my heart.
Still, I couldn't stop thinking about what Sasuke said. Two of me? That's really not possible. But then why did Sasuke seem so sure that it was me? He would've seen through a transformation jutsu, unless this person was really, really good at faking personalities.
The second he said he had seen me, I had felt my heart plummet to the floor. Because... What if he really saw me, just not the actual me. The other day, I could've sworn something touched me, causing me to black out...
But that girl from the mirror isn't real. She couldn't be real. She's just a figment of my imagination; something like an inner, only more nagging and creepy.
... Or so I hoped.