950 Shinobi Themes on LJ - Theme # 18 : Dreams
Rating : PG, K+ (for some crude language and somewhat-indecent thoughts)
Summary : Is it a dream or is it not a dream, that is the question. One would never know but it's clear they would never look at each other the same way ever again.
Disclaimer: I had all rights to Naruto, the anime, and its characters... then, I woke up.
Glossary:
CAPITAL Speech = Exclamation, shout, emphasis on a certain or particular scenario.
Regular Speech in " " = Talking, conversing.
Italicized Speech in " " = Whispering, emphasis.
Italicized Speech without " " = Thinking, wondering, inner thoughts, verbs/actions.
.:{}:. = Change in scene.
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A Touch Lost or Forgotten
...but found and recalled again.
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Chapter 1: Her
I felt the hard earth, with its countless pebbles and stones, underneath my tired feet; they all seemed to be enjoying the pain and discomfort they were putting me through, making new cuts and lacerations, marking the skin as a lover would. Even the looming trees seemed to be grinning malevolently, taking pleasure in my pain, as I ran through the thick grove. Soon it ended and I let out an inaudible, yet visible, sigh. I had reached a grassy clearing with friendlier-looking trees and a vast clear bright blue sky dotted here and there with fluffy white clouds. Blades of grass tickled my feet. I giggled at the pleasant sensation and, shortly after, winced at the pain that rekindled as the blades touched newly-opened gashes. Somehow, the physical pain made the pain I was going through more bearable, as it seemed to divert my attention.
I eased myself down, stretched out on the teasing grass, and closed my eyes. It was so peaceful here. All that sprinting away from the holding-cell that was called home drained me enough as it was but it was always worth it – running from the pain and the humiliation, which changed into fear and desperation, which in turn became a soothing, yet passing, tranquility. Somehow, passing through the Forest of Death seemed to be a haven of sorts. Every time I ran through the forest, with its exotic flora and bizarre fauna, I was entranced by its eerie beauty. Senior ninja warned freshly-appointed Genin about the dangers awaiting them inside the forest hence they never gave it a chance; never seemed to wait and wonder about its eccentricities, never gave it a second look, only undergoing it as a mission rather than taking out some time to take a stroll and look through life's mysteries – Tsk, stroll? I bet taking a stroll in the Forest of Death would be like taking a walk in the park and I, obviously, mean it sarcastically – why not take 'Strollin' in the Forest of Death' as a mission, itself? Heck, that would be fun. Moreover, this place seems to be so alike to the Hyūga Compound but so different at the same time. Why is that so? Wait, yes, I think I know.
While the Forest of Death is, undoubtedly, warned to be a treacherous trek due to much obvious reasons, it actually is quite a warm, comforting, and serene place; I love watching the quirky carnivorous plants tend to their stomachs as much as the harmless ones brightening up the forest with their striking colors but it's the creatures existing which hold most of my attention – giant, shimmery, multi-colored butterflies, 20 foot long poisonous centipedes with black & white stripes, gigantic falcons with bright blue abdomens, tiny gold-dusted humming birds, and metallic-colored flying fish! On the other hand, my home is, clearly, somewhat the opposite as opposed to what outsiders would believe it to be. According to me, the Hyūga household is the most formal, indifferent, unfeeling, and coldest place on this planet, let alone the village. How both places compare with each other would be how the ones on the outside assume them as something theyare not. There is no color where I live and it is devoid of the fairytale-like creatures I have come to love and adore; in place of them, there is my father who distances himself from me, a cousin who abhors me to an extent that he took pleasure in trying to kill me during the Chūnin Exams, and a sister who is more like a rival, and a stranger, than how a sister should be.
The 44th Battle Training Zone, the Forest of Death – which is used for the yearly exams through which ninja can advance to the rank of Chūnin – holds many memories for me. Its perimeter is surrounded by a metallic fence with 44 gates equally spaced around it. Inside is a river, the forest with a radius of about 10 km, and a tower located in the exact center; The Forest was the stage for the second part of the Konoha Chūnin exams, proctored by Anko Mitarashi; its primary function served as a testing ground for the survival and fighting skills of the Genin trying to become Chūnin and it was in this Chūnin exam where I fought my cousin, the prodigy of the Hyūga Clan, Neji-ani, and barely survived.
But it was during that fight that I found myself. I also realized I was not as weak as I was said to believe. For years, I was called worthless, looked down upon, and never respected. That day, I found that worth, that power, and that respect. Something in me changed and I did not care if no one but me noticed. All thanks to the one I have loved ever since I had the ability, and the capacity, to love.
It's so unfair how humans easily judge without really knowing, saying a Kunoichi who hates violence, loathes fighting, recoils at the sight of blood, shows emotions, is empathetic, and - most of all –shows weakness is, without any doubt, weak. I wish I had the courage to stand up to my father and declare out loud that if me being human and if showing I'm human is a sign of weakness then I'll gladly set aside the position of 'strong' any day. But I have my clan's rules and traditions ingrained into my very soul and, believe me when I say this, old habits are hard to let go,especially if they have been cemented through purist,and very torturous, clan elders. If I remember correctly, there is even a western saying whichfully supports my analogy but I'm too tired to even try to remember.
I think I'll rest my eyes for a while, thinking about a certain loud-mouthed, blonde shinobi who, without even knowing, changed me for the better. True, I am still shy but I have a newly-emerged confidence which shines like the sun my name always intended to mean.
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After-notes:
Ani – is what you call your older brother when you are talking about them.