He scratched at his scruffy head, his droopy eyes peered down at the reflection that stared up at him with pity in his cup of tea. A stifled grunt escaped his throat in response to the man staring back at him from the cup of steamy liquid. There he sat in a table in a run-down tea shop all alone on a Saturday evening. He scratched at the thin stubble on his chin, it wasn't thick for he wasn't that old and was younger than he looked.
"
My name is Jinto. I'm fourteen. I'm not interesting at all...most would say I'm pretty boring..." He glanced out of the window of the tea shop, haunted by the reflection that stared back at him with such lack of emotion, with such pity, yet what was truly pitiful was that he lacked care to how much he sucked. "
I guess I have some interests...but it mostly revolves around missions and the type I like to perform. Really, being on missions, doing work, it's the only time I actually feel...normal."
"More tea?"
Jinto turned from the window where he was watching Iwagakure move back and forth. Turning to the pretty young woman that came to serve him his drink. He gazed at her face a moment, then down at his cup which was full, then back up at her with a puzzled expression. His brow twitched, perking up and arching.
"Uh...no thanks." His uneasy voice spoke, quickly turning his gaze from the girl to the window once more.
"You're Jinto, right? Kawamara Jinto? We went to Academy together." The girl laughed, placing the tea kettle down on the table and sitting across from Jinto with a smile from ear to ear. "I'm Kaoru, remember?"
He coughed a bit, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he gave a comforting smile as he looked back down at his cup and lifted it, taking a sip and placing it down. "I...uh...yeah, I remember, but I gotta' get running. I have this mission I have to be on in a few hours." Standing in the chair, he lifted the bag that sat next to his chair and slipped it on his back.
"Oh...okay...!" She scratched the side of her face with her slender digit, watching as Jinto passed by, she stood and took up the cup of tea, waving to Jinto as he stepped through the door. "Bye..."
"
Well, that was rude..." Jinto gazed up at the descending sun, his thumbs lodged between his backpack straps, his elbows out at his sides. "
I had a crush on her a couple years back. She was the prettiest girl in class..." He trudged down the road, moving with the crowd and onto a avenue that was less busy, the cries of merchants lulled as he grew more distant.
"
I just...I suck when it comes to girls...I had a girlfriend once when I was twelve, after I became a Genin..." He sighed, his eyes drooping, "
She left me for a Chūnin, though."
"Ah~!" Jinto jumped back, three shuriken raining down where he once stood. Frantically, he searched the rooftops for the assailant who hurled the shuriken at him, only finding
a intimidating girl standing upon the awning of a nearby roof, reaching onto the small of her back and drawing two small tantō.
"What's your deal?! You almost nailed me with those shuriken, ya'know--!!" Jinto cried to the sneering girl who's nose wrinkled.
"Are you gonna' do something about it?" The young lady asked, twirling the short swords in her hands, attempting to taunt Jinto into a challenge.
"What? What're you...crazy?" The boy asked, arching a brow, pointing at the girl.
"I asked if you're going to come do something about it."
"Tch, whatever..." Jinto muttered, trying to be about his way, only to find that more shuriken fell upon his path, nearly going through his feet if he hadn't narrowly evaded them.
"C'mon! Show me what you're made of...!" She called downward, Jinto smacked his teeth, leaning forward and pouncing up onto the adjacent rooftop, standing there and glaring across the way at the girl.
"Well, if it's a fight you want..." Jinto muttered, "
I'll just...tie her up and then go about my way..."
"Wagh~!" Like a complex dance, a flower in full bloom, she spun, twisted and slung her blades outward which were barely being intercepted by Jinto's kunai. "Nananananana--!!" He swayed under her tantō as she took a slice at his neck--
"This isn't a spar--! You're trying to kill me--!!" The boy whined, standing straight, pushing off the rooftop underneath his feet, putting a gap between himself and the violent girl. "You really
are crazy!" He gasped for air, gripping his knees, they had been at it for almost a full ten minutes without breaks.
"You'd totally be dead if I weren't pulling my punches..." The girl admitted, twirling her blades compulsively. "I think I'll stop now, though!" She snickered, barreling straight toward Jinto, one tantō out in front of her--
"Wait...! I remember you...!!"
They clashed once more, Jinto tried to parry and throw the woman off her balance--
But her style was just too fluid--
She managed to spin, taking a swipe at his face, cutting into his cheek--
"Nnh--!!" He groaned, throwing his head away from the tantō that cut into his flesh, trying to regain his composure--
His body locked up and stiffened--
He was relieved of the breath he held so tightly in his throat, sighing.
Warm blood trickled down his side, causing the boy to turn and look down at the tantō lodged in his side before looking up at the girl who was mere centimeters from his face, their breaths mingled on the humid summer day...
"Ow...you..." He bit down, shutting his left eye tight, "stabbed me..." He spoke in parted breaths, he whined and sucked in air just after yelping out in pain. "Don't twist it! Don't twist i--!!"
She smiled, leaning in as he cried out, her lips locking around his, sharing a kiss just before pulling back. With a grunt, he fell onto his back, reaching over and gripping his wound, he tried to stay awake, but the sun in his eyes didn't allow them to stay open and the blood pouring from the hole in his side caused his consciousness to wane.
"You
have changed..." The girl sucked her teeth, she was nothing but a shadow upon the sun, her vague features were barely visible. The light engulfed her, and just for that moment, that brash girl that carved him up seemed like some sort of angel, like that girl he managed to remember.
Seven Years AgoA young girl with silver hair stood across the field, a ponytail poking from the side of her head. "You, Jinto--are a baka!" She cried, Jinto stood across the field with his arms crossed and his nose wrinkled, wearing a cocky smirk on his face.
"Whatever, Micchan..." He laughed, waving to the girl, the small posse that stood at Jinto's side chuckled as they turned away, and returned to their game. At the young girl's feet was a weeping boy, sitting in the dirt of the dusty field, smudges upon his cheek were being washed away by a fluid stream of tears. "You're just a girl, what can you do?"
"You're a bully, Jinto! A big--fat--doodoohead bully! I don't like you, anymore
!!"
"Micchan..." He mumbled, the way her hair caught the sun in it's silver locks, it was unmistakable. "You didn't need to stab me, crazy...!" He was talking to open air, though. By now, she was long gone, and he was but drifting in and out of consciousness. Shutting his eyes tight, he finally gave in, and the sun disappeared behind his eyelids...
つづく
TO BE CONTINUED
