Where the Wind Blows

Loud Silence

"Chunin exams already? You really are something else, Mira," said Shisui.

Uncomfortable with his compliments, I elbowed him, which he exaggerated, claiming that he could barely move, and groaned, doubling over in pain. 

It felt good to be with him again. I had a feeling it would be a while before we could go on a snack run again.

"Maybe you'll stop ignoring Itachi and I when we finally become Chunin."

The wind was strong this night, and seemed to carry our words through the air.

"You know I don't ignore you," he said quietly. 

Something was wrong. I wasn't the kind of person to pry, but he had something on his mind, and I had heard whispers from my parents...

"I heard about your dad," I said.

He seemed surprised I brought this up. Was that not what he wanted to talk about? 

"Oh...Yeah. He's not doing so bad, he just doesn't always remember who I am. That's all."

I held his hand. It was the only thing I could do. He gave it a light squeeze, and we walked the rest of the way to the bakery like that. That is- until I heard someone call his name.

"Shisui!" 

We turned, and were greeted by his teammate, Tamiko. She had bobbed purple hair, and dark blue eyes. I didn't think she liked me, which was fine, since the feelings were mutual.

I let go of Shisui's hand and gave her a tight smile. "Tamiko," I said politely, before turning to him. "I'll be back."

I went into the bakery without another word, and ordered whatever new lemon pastries they had. I ordered food for Shisui as well, and my grandparents. They were usually the main ones who took care of me, as my parents were part of the police force, and were under strict supervision most of the time. 

As I was about to pay, I realized Shinko was the cashier. I never realized it was a family owned business. Shows what a lousy friend I was.

I hadn't exactly apologized for what I said, and it would have been forced saying it now, but what was I supposed to do? 

"Hey, Shinko...I'm sorry for the other day. You were just trying to be nice, and I blew up on you," I said.

She was looking through the window, to where Tamiko and Shisui were standing. 

"It's okay," she said, pausing before continuing. "Now tell me, is that your boyfriend?"

What?

"I don't want to be mean, but why do you care?" I asked, worried I had said the wrong thing again. 

"You don't get it, do you?" She shook her head and laughed. "As smart as you are, you can be so dull sometimes. It's because I like Itachi."

"Oh," I said, feeling less and less like the pride of the Uchiha. 

Man, I felt really dumb. So that was why she kept pushing? I should have known, she always looked upset when Itachi and I would walk home together, or how we usually paired up for training. And here I was, thinking she was jealous of my abilities...

My face was bright red from embarrassment. I hadn't ever thought about boys the way she did. 

"No, Itachi isn't my boyfriend. He's-"

Her face immediately brightened. If I was standing any closer, I was sure she would've hugged me. 

"Awesome!" she exclaimed, and I knew everything between us was settled. "Well, you should keep an eye on that boy. That girl definitely likes him."