Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Without Any Destiny ❯ Chapter 7: Between the Winter Wolf and the Flaming Lion ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7: Between the Winter Wolf and the Flaming Lion

`… sometimes, I talk to myself. I try to keep myself calm. Cool. Relaxed. It was the only thing that made me happy… Or so I say. I sometimes have a feeling that I have two minds. One is the cold winter wolf. The silent timid me who never boasts his power but has always faced this world alone. The other me is the flaming red lion. This is the part of me which I sometimes wished take control of me. The boisterous courageous me who works well with friends but doesn't know when or where to use my power correctly. I could feel the silent me being yelled at by the red lion. And when I tried to be the red lion, the winter wolf will always emerge winner. ALWAYS… never once was I wrong… But should I change; my life will be upside down… Should I be the winter wolf I've always been or the flaming lion that my heart longs to set free?'

"Gai Sensae, we're going off."

"Don't wait for us."

Gai Sensae, absorbed into his book, waved his hand at Neji and Yuri. Yuri bowed and shut the door behind her, laughing at Gai Sensae's behavior today. Gai Sensae, half-asleep and half-awake had been holding the book since last night. His bloodshot eyes haven't shut out. His fascination of the book began too deep. Gai Sensae shook his head and said,

"I must stop this madness of mine now."

Green trees shade the ground, keeping cool of his crackly skin. Butterflies and bees set off to work, collecting their fair share of the earth and leaving the rest for some. Bunch of flowers grew by the little hill heading downwards. Yuri ran off, holding a basket in her hand, chasing after Neji.

"Neji! Wait up!"

Neji leapt a few and finally, jumped to the ground, landing coolly. Yuri arrived a few seconds later, panting heavily. Her hair was messed up but she still had a cheery smile.

"Let's gather those flowers!"

Yuri walked down the hill. She spotted a few dandelions and fresh daisies. Neji, on guard, sat on the tree branch, keeping his eye on her. She walked to each place and bent down to pick something. A warm breeze blew as it swept away baby dandelions. Higher and higher it flew to the blue sky. Neji watched Yuri. A moment there he swore he saw another woman. Very different from Yuri. She had a different face. Green eyes that looked into yours as if she wants to play tricks with your eyes… Light crème hair of withering daffodils and fair moonlight skin in a white dress. She looked like a goddess from afar. Neji blinked in disbelief. It was no longer the nymph he saw. It was a brunette girl with brown eyes with half-tan skin in a white sleeveless coat-like shirt and black shorts. This was Yuri.

"Neji, is something wrong?"

"… Nothing… I thought I saw someone."

Yuri shrugged her shoulders and arranged the flowers in her basket from the grayish white thorough-warts and yellow daisies to the purple lavenders, tiny violets and sweet pale yellow primroses. She hummed a song she heard a long time ago under her breath.

".. .Neji-kun?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you have any family you keep close?"

"None that I know of."

"Oh…. Anybody you're really fond of?"

"… Nobody."

"Really? You sound like you're lying."

"… Pft… It's none of your business. Besides, not everyone has a happy childhood memory like you and Sasuke."

Yuri halted a moment and then, got up, with the flowers in the basket. She walked forward as Neji followed behind.

"You seem to enjoy bringing up my matters with Sasuke-kun."

"Like I said, not everyone had a happy childhood memory."

"That's out of the topic for now. What have you got against Sasuke-kun?"

"… That's none of your business."

"Oh, really? Maybe I should ask Sasuke on your behalf."

"… Pft…. Suit yourself."

"It always comes to this when it comes to my matters. You enjoy bringing up Sasuke's name in front of my face, don't you? You just love taunting my life!"

"Oh… and I thought you loved hearing Sasuke's name…"

"You know, let's forget about this topic. I'm too tired to argue with you about Sasuke."

Yuri walked a few steps further angrily, and then halted in her steps. Neji stopped as well. Yuri wiped her eyes and walked further.

"You think I have a happy childhood, do you? As you said, not everybody has a happy childhood memory. I don't. I have too many sad memories which I don't intend on ever bringing it up to you."

"Don't. I'm not interested."
"Who said I would? You don't even know me!"

"Same goes for you! You don't even have the rights to pry into my life."

"Your LIFE? I haven't even mentioned anybody from your life, you selfish dimwit!"

"You don't need to… I had gone through rough times and I don't need you to tell me what to do or how happy you were in your life!"

"Happy? You call my life happy? Boy, you need a check-up because I don't have a happy life. You have no idea what's it like to be growing alone without nobody to help you! You don't even know what it's like to be watched and hunted down every single minute of your life! You don't even know what's it like be nobody and not anybody! You don't have that feeling because you don't even know how it feels to me, you selfish egotistical maniac!"

The air was silent a while. Neji and Yuri felt pressure and frustrated. They both were mad at each other. They wanted some space. Some free space of their own. Yuri walked off.

"Where are you going?"

"Somewhere else!"

"But the house is this way!"

"I know. I think I need to cool down a while. I'll come back when I want to."

Neji snorted in arrogance. Here they go again, arguing over another matter and ending up, splitting ways. He didn't care. They both needed to cool down. Yuri turned into the other road as Neji went the other way. Time was all that matters now.

"Neji… You idiot."

Yuri threw a stone into the river. She stood on the bridge that separates the forest from the river. She looked at her own blurred reflection as the stone sunk below. She leaned against the support with her arms folded front.

"Why must you always try to find a fault with me? I tried so hard to make friends with you… and you, you selfish little monkey! You're always mentioning Sasuke's name out of nowhere and in the end resulting a fight. It's been already 3 months and I don't think I can go on living like this, facing day to day a problem after another. Neji, you idiot!"

She felt her face all flush with anger. It's been almost 4 months. It was always like this. Every time they had a fight, Neji would always bring up Sasuke's name and both of them will result in a fight. Yuri sighed.

"… You idiot…"

"… Complaining to yourself? How fun…"

"Sasuke-kun… Have you come here to taunt me? If you are, well, congratulations for making my life just as miserable as it should be."

Sasuke walked up towards her and stood beside her. He gazed into their reflection in the water. The water was moving down the river, making their way to greet the Mother Ocean. He looked at Yuri's reflection. She was different from all of the other days. She mournfully watched the water run by as the soft wind carried a sad melancholic whisper to her hair. Holding a pebble in her hand, she threw it into the river again, angrily, disturbing the peace of the water.

`This isn't like me at all… I shouldn't be here, wasting myself, blaming my pain on the river. And letting Sasuke-kun see me in such an embarrassing state.'

"Yuri, what are you doing here in the first place?"

`Me…? Can't you even tell?"

"You look as if you've been crying."

"No, I haven't…. I'm just frustrated."

"Frustrated about what?"

"…Sasuke-kun, don't you have other things to do?"

"Actually, I was supposed to meet you back at Gai Sensae's place. But since I found you along the way, I guess I needn't go there anymore."

"…Oh…"

Yuri wiped her eyes and tucked her hair neatly. She turned and looked at Sasuke.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"About… what you've been doing for the last 7 years since we've met."

"Well… I've been in Hana all the time. Staying in a cottage alone… Gathering flowers every night. That's what I have been doing for the past 7 years."

"That's it?"

"Yeah… That's about it."

"… I thought you had some fun experience during those 7 years."

"That's what everybody thinks. Nobody really knows how much I suffered or how much pain and sadness I've been through at all…"

"Really? Why don't you tell me?"

"… Are you being sarcastic?"

"No, I just want to know what kind of pain and suffering you've gone through."

Yuri kept silent, clenching her fist in her hand. She quickly picked up her basket and walked away.

"Where're you going?"
"I'm going home."

"You still haven't answered my question yet."

"I know. I'll tell you when you're much older."

"Yuri, are you hiding something again from me?"

Yuri halted in her steps as she found Sasuke in front of her. He folded his arms and gave her a cool look. The air was a little tensed again. Yuri felt the wind blow in an awkward way.

"Sasuke-kun… Listen, I can't tell you everything yet."

"Why not? What is all this secrecy you're hiding behind me?"

"… I'd tell you but…"
"But what?"

"… now is not the right time."

`So, when is the right time, Yuri? Why won't you acknowledge me yet?"

"... Wait…"

Yuri put her hand into pocket and dug out something. She pulled out a necklace from her pocket and placed in front of Sasuke. It was a platinum necklace with two rings in the middle. One ring was dark blue sapphire and the other was bright green emerald.

"What's this?"

"… You can keep this."

She placed it gently into Sasuke's hand and shut it tight. She patted his hand and walked off, brushing him aside.

"What do I do with this?"

"When you understand this, then only will you be ready to face the truth."
"Yuri… why didn't you be honest with me?"

"I would have… but something tells me that this was not the right time. Not yet. You haven't grown up yet. Until you understand this, then only will you be acknowledged by me as a grown man. For now, Sasuke, you are not ready to listen to it all."

"…Pft…"

"Goodbye, Sasuke-kun. We'll meet again."

Yuri put her hand and waved, walking off alone the dusty roads. Sasuke turns to look at the necklace. He gazed at it and clasped it tightly.

"Damn… what do you want me to do, Yuri?"