[The next day...]
Ayuda's P.O.V
The next morning, I was helping Shiori preparing our breakfasts when suddenly we heard knocks on the door. Shiori went to the door and I began to feel anxious.
What if that visitor is my mother? Or father? Or worst, both?
I followed Shiori to the door silently. She opened the door gently, revealing a familiar man standing outside her apartment.
I breathed out a sigh of relief when I recognized it was Kakashi, Team 7's teacher. Still, I was confused. What is he doing here?
"Ah, good morning, pervert," Shiori jested with a mischievous smile.
Kakashi sweatdropped, "Do you really have to call me that? By the way, good morning. Hm?"
Kakashi's gaze rested on me and stared in confusion. Shiori turned to look at me and gestured for me to come closer, so I did. She put an arm around my shoulders and enlightened Kakashi, "She's staying here with me temporarily."
A smile reached Kakashi's face as he inquired curiously, "Since when?"
"Last night. Something happened and she wanted to stay here for a while. Anyway, come in, Kakashi."
The three of us walked into the living room. I excused myself and entered the kitchen. I picked up two plates from the counter and carefully placed them on the dining table. Each consisted of two pieces of bread and a fried egg.
Shiori led Kakashi to the dining table and he sat down on a chair. I awkwardly took the seat across from him while Shiori took the one next to him.
"Don't worry. I've already eaten my breakfast just now," Kakashi told us while waving his hand leisurely.
When Shiori took a bite of her bread and chewed it slowly, Kakashi's eyes fell on me and he asked, "How's your arms?"
I put down the bread I was holding and raised both of my bandaged arms for Kakashi to look. Just as I expected, his eyes shifted and inspected my arms. I smiled, "My arms are getting better, I guess. The burn marks are slowly diminishing. I'll unwrap the bandages when the marks are completely gone."
"I am glad that the injuries are not that serious," Kakashi commented. Then he looked at me straight in the eye and he bowed his head slightly, "On Sasuke's behalf, I'm sorry-"
"It's all right, Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke apologized to me and I forgave him. All is well."
Kakashi closed his eyes in a smile, "That's good to hear. Sasuke is the type of person that does not easily ask for forgiveness. He rarely gets along with Naruto and Sakura too."
"Well, it's clear as day that you have an emo student, Kakashi," Shiori chimed in.
I chuckled. Sasuke is definitely emo.
"By the way, Kakashi," Shiori asked, "are you not going to recommend your squad for the Chuunin Exam? My team, Asuma's team, and Kurenai's team agreed to it."
Kakashi's smile dropped steadily and his right hand rose to rub his temples, "I am still thinking about that. I've seen their performances in our most challenging mission we took; an A-rank mission."
I choked on the bread I was chewing. Shiori was obviously stunned as well as she stared at the male Jounin incredulously. I ignored Kakashi's glance as I took a cup of water and drank all of it before slamming it to the table.
Sasuke and his team took A-rank mission?!
"I thought genins are allowed to take only D-rank and C-rank missions!" I voiced out my thought with wide eyes.
"It is. We thought it was a C-rank mission and all we had to do was to escort a bridge builder to the Mist Village. But as the mission progressed, I was aware that the mission was indeed an A-rank type."
Shiori was in awe, "Wow... they are just genins and they survived on their first A-rank mission. Maybe it's all thanks to you, Kakashi. You helped them a lot, right?"
Kakashi shook his head with a proud smile, "Not really. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were doing great on that mission, especially Sasuke. We were ambushed by two chuunin ninjas of the Mist and Sasuke dealt with them nicely. Then he and Naruto teamed up to fight a boy named Haku. Though I must say that Sasuke nearly lost his life while battling-"
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
Sasuke nearly died?!
I couldn't imagine Sasuke covered up in bloods and deep cuts and was slowly dying. I just couldn't imagine a strong-looking boy like him dying like that. He proved to me that he will not easily give up until he won in our battles. Iruka used to pair us up to duel one another and Sasuke used everything he had to win against me.
Kakashi nodded his head, "All of us were glad to see his eyes opened. And this is what I'm worrying about. One of my comrades was almost killed in an A-rank mission and that is one of the reasons why I'm hesitating to tell them about the Chuunin Exam. Though I was impressed with how they dealt with Zabuza and Haku. They showed great teamwork, especially Naruto and Sasuke."
Shiori swallowed her food and grinned reassuringly, "Kakashi, it's just Chuunin Exam. There won't be any deaths because one of the main rules in the exam is everyone is forbidden to kill one another. This is just a friendly exam for genins to prove whether they have the qualities to become chuunin or not. Just relax!"
Kakashi sighed in relief, "I guess you're right, Shiori. Maybe I am worrying too much about these kids."
By the time Kakashi finished his words, I had already finished my breakfast. I guess it's time for me to take a shower. Yep, I still had not showered yet. I woke up this morning and immediately helped Shiori with breakfast.
******
Third Person's P.O.V
After the two Jounin heard Ayuda entered and closed the bathroom door, Kakashi glanced at the lady beside him and whispered, "What happened to Ayuda last night?"
Shiori laughed shortly before saying, "I knew you're going to ask that."
"I know you, Shiori. You're not the type to easily allow people to sleep in your apartment, even your own students. So I was surprised to see Ayuda here," told Kakashi.
Shiori averted her gaze from Kakashi. Her plate was empty, indicating that she had eaten her breads and fried egg cleanly. Kakashi waited for her response, and a few seconds later, he got it:
"Ayuda has strict parents and she described them as 'devils that only care about their statuses'. To make it worst, they put her in an arranged marriage. She and this boy will engage after the Chuunin Exam ends."
"Oh," Kakashi was not really surprised. He had seen a lot of wealthy and noble families involved in forced or arranged marriages. He knew that Ayuda belonged to a noble family. But a small part of him was mildly shocked because a young girl like her was already in such predicament. Unable to contain his growing curiosity, he inquired, "Who is her partner?"
This time, Shiori stared back at Kakashi's eyes with serious look and answered, "Neji of the Hyuuga Clan. Have you ever heard of him? I feel like I've heard of that name before..."
Kakashi's eye twitched upon hearing familiar name. He replied, "I know him. He is one of Guy's students. So their parents pair them up, huh?"
Shiori sighed, "Yeah, and Ayuda was furious, so she begged me to let her stay here for a few days. I protested twice but she insisted so..."
"Well, you can take this opportunity to improve your skills in taking care of a child," Kakashi smiled, pretending to act innocent, "I heard from Kurenai that you are very bad in babysitting."
"What?! Kurenai told you that?!"
"Oops," Kakashi promptly stood up from his seat while looking out of the window. Shiori followed his gaze and saw the blue sky and white clouds. Then Kakashi added, "I have to go. My squad is definitely waiting for me."
The copy-ninja sauntered towards the door when Shiori burned his back with her glare. She asked with threatening voice, "What else did Kurenai told you?"
Kakashi laughed nervously as he grabbed the doorknob, "Nothing else. Just relax, Shiori."
Shiori huffed and crossed her arms while watching Kakashi walked out of her apartment and closed the door gently.
"YOU'RE LATE AGAIN!!"
Naruto and Sakura screamed at their team leader Kakashi who sauntered towards them leisurely. He closed his eye in a smile and waved his hand to them saying, "Sorry, guys. I decided to visit a friend of mine because he is sick so-"
"LIES!" the same students chorused once again. The other student, Sasuke, remained standing in silence behind them. He looked at Kakashi with a blank face, but deep inside, he was annoyed at his teacher's penchant for arriving a few hours late.
Kakashi could only laugh. His students knew him enough that he kept making up excuses whenever he arrived late.
Team 7 proceeded to take on D-rank missions. They had finished two D-rank missions and was on their ways to meet the Hokage when Kakashi asked them out of the blue, "Have you guys heard anything about Ayuda?"
"Huh?" Naruto raised his eyebrows at Kakashi while Sakura blinked her eyes questioningly at the copy-ninja. Sasuke, who was scanning his surrounding, also shifted his gaze and paid his full attention to him. Naruto shook his head answering, "Not at all, Kakashi-sensei. Why?"
"I see. It's nothing. I was merely asking," Kakashi flashed a fake smile while he thought to himself, 'It looks like the news of Ayuda's arranged marriage still has not reach to their ears yet.'
Naruto and Sakura were engrossed in their conversation while the raven-haired Uchiha fixed his gaze on Kakashi's back. The young boy was wondering why he asked that kind of question out of the blue, and he asked about Ayuda of all people.
An image of Ayuda's crying in the arms of Shiori flashed in Sasuke's mind. The Uchiha then surmised that Kakashi knew of the reason she cried.
Team 7 met up with the Third Hokage for the third time that day in his office. The old man Hokage was kind enough to give them a day off but Naruto refused like the stubborn boy he was, saying that he wanted more challenging missions than D-rank ones so he can become strong faster than before.
It took Kakashi and Sakura to hit his head for Naruto to stop refusing the Hokage's offer.
After accepting to take a day off, Team 7 walked out of the Hokage's building when Kakashi walked off first as usual. Sasuke's gaze was burning on his back and he was contemplating whether he should approach Kakashi or not.
"Sasuke-kun!" the onyx-eyed Uchiha glanced at his teammate Sakura with a blank face. He could see Naruto crossed his arms and scowled at them. Sakura asked, "There are still a few more hours before the sun sets. Do you want to train together?"
"No," Sasuke answered in an instant before he walked to the direction where Kakashi disappeared to.
He could hear Naruto's laughter and invited Sakura to eat ramen with him. Of course, Sakura rejected him. Sasuke blocked all of the noises and walked off with his hands in his pockets.
Sasuke was actually heading straight to his apartment. He decided not to ask Kakashi about Ayuda since it sounds too personal to the girl. Sasuke is not one to break into someone's privacy or secrets. He believed that Ayuda can handle whatever her problem was.
He turned around the corner when he saw Kakashi's back was facing towards him. He was also aware that Shiori was standing next to him; her back faced Sasuke too. The Uchiha quickly hid behind a wall when he heard:
"How's Ayuda?" the copy-ninja inquired.
Shiori sighed before answering, "She's still upset about the arranged marriage."
Sasuke's body stiffened and his eyes widened in shock at this point.
"She also pretty much ranted about her strict parents to me," Shiori added, "Anyway, did you talk to Might Guy?"
Kakashi shook his head, "No. I did not have the time to see him today. I'll see him tomorrow and ask him if he knows that Ayuda and Neji Hyuuga are paired up in an arranged marriage. I have a feeling that he knows about this."
"But, Kakashi," Shiori started to scratch her head, "what can we do about this? We cannot involve ourselves in someone's personal matter. If only we can help Ayuda..."
"I know. Ayuda needs to discuss with her parents or Neji's representatives in order to stop this marriage. But judging from her strict parents, it's not going to be easy. Hm?"
Kakashi looked behind him over his shoulder. Sasuke was quick to aware that Kakashi must've sensed his chakra presence, so he quickly rushed off into random direction.
"What's the matter?" the clueless Shiori asked while following his gaze curiously.
The copy-ninja was silent for a moment before he spoke to the lady, "It's nothing. I'll take my leave now, Shiori."
Sasuke had just entered his apartment and slammed the door shut. Now he knew why Ayuda was crying; he knew what her problem was. He was too shocked to move a muscle while registering the fact that his rival was going to marry with someone named Neji Hyuuga. Now that he thought about it, he was wondering who this Neji was. Sasuke had never heard of him before, excluding the Hyuuga part. He must be from the same clan as Hinata, Sasuke thought.
When Sasuke put all the pieces together, he concluded that Ayuda was clearly against this arranged marriage and therefore she cried in the park just like he witnessed yesterday.
The young Uchiha did not know what he felt upon perceiving this matter. He had sympathy for Ayuda, that's for sure. He used to think that she had everything and a perfect life, but after discovering all of this, he knew he was wrong. He judged her way too easily.
******
Ayuda's P.O.V
Shiori and I pretended nothing had happened in the presences of Kazuki and Kaito. They made jokes and lightened up the mood as usual while we're fulfilling our missions. The boys smiled and grinned without worries and that made me actually envious of them. I could only give them fake smiles in which only Shiori noticed.
That night, Reina visited Shiori's apartment to see me. She looked at me directly in the eye with seriousness displayed crystal clear on her face as she told me that our parents had a message for me.
I gulped down a lump in my throat. I allowed her to enter the living room and went to sit beside her. Shiori had just finished showering and now she's taking her time to wear her clothes in her bedroom, so it's only me and Reina in the living room.
Before I had the chance to think about what could possibly be the message was, Reina beat me to it, "I told them you're going to sleep here for a few days and they were furious."
I felt sudden sense of fear ran through my nerves like the chill of an icy wind. I started to feel nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. My breath hitched at one point.
This is how I feel when I heard my parents are furious at me.
"They allowed you to sleep here for only one night, which was last night. Now they sent me here to bring you home. I have to take you, Yuda-chan. You cannot stay here any longer," Shiori said softly, staring at me with sympathy as if she can predict of what my parents will do when I return.
I averted my gaze, looking anywhere but my sister's face. I might break into tears if I continue to stare at her.
"Take your time," Reina placed a hand over my shoulder, "I'll be waiting here."
I nodded my head silently and stood up from the couch, heading to my temporary-bedroom. The second I held the doorknob, Shiori came out of her room. When she noticed me, she grinned gleefully; unaware of my mood at that moment. She's probably oblivious to the frown I had on my face.
I didn't bother to return her smile; instead, I entered my room and began to pack my things. I could hear Shiori greeted my sister in the living room and asked about me. I blocked out all noises as I tried to find out all of my things in this apartment.
I inserted all of my items in a bag and walked out of the guest room. I noticed Shiori and Reina had their eyes fixed on me wordlessly. I hoped that they would stop looking at me like that because if they didn't, I would've start crying right then and there. The pressure was too much.
It's as if they could sense my discomfort that they instantly shifted their gazes and looked at one another. I stood next to Reina as Shiori spoke, "Please take care of her, Reina."
I saw my sister nodded her head, "Certainly, Shiori-san. And thank you for taking care of her."
"You're welcome," Shiori then shifted her gaze to me. She bent down her upper body to be on the same eye-level as me, causing me to look at her straight in the eye, "I'm going to miss your presence in my apartment, Ayuda. If you need someone to confide in, just find me, okay? I'll see you tomorrow then at nine in the morning, at the same place."
I was not too sure if I can meet up with my team at exactly nine a.m. My father had the tendency to lock me up in the house after I did something wrong because I loved to go out and explored the village. Once he's satisfied, he'll release me from his clutches. Ever since I joined Team 5, I had never done anything wrong. I would meet up with my team without problems. But now, I had a feeling that I will be grounded for talking back, screaming at them, disobeying them, and running away from house.
Reina and I headed back to my house. When the building of the house came into my sight, fear gripped me like icy fingers. I involuntarily shivered in fear as we walked closer to the house. An image of my parents' angry faces flashed in my mind.
We stood out in the porch. Reina sent me a look as if asking me to prepare for whatever was going to come at me. I did not nod my head. I just stared at her with wide eyes, obviously asking for help.
Before one of us could speak, the door was slammed open, revealing my enraged-looking mother standing there. She sneered at me while muttering incoherent curses at me. I quickly looked away when I felt my eyes began to sting with tears. Reina made a move to reason with her when suddenly, a firm hand gripped my wrist and pulled me in forcefully.