Vision of Truth I: Cat and Fox (Naruto)

Leaving All Behind

"All these impermanent things
Present yet elusive
Passive yet abusive
Tearing out the heart in utter silence
All these impermanent things
Well, they point in all directions
Like secondhand reflections
And they're leading us to subtle shades of violence

Why keep hanging on
To things that never stay
Things that just keep stringin' us along
From day to day" 

- "Impermanent Things" by Peter Himmelman

Chapter 1: Leaving All Behind

My right arm shot out to block the fist coming my way while I retaliated with my left fist. My opponent continued to pummel me with attacks, and it became increasingly difficult to keep up. Finally, I moved too slowly and ended up pinned against the wall, my arms restrained. My breathing labored, I stared defeat in the eye.

"You need more practice, Katsumi," he said gruffly.

"Come on, Dad," I said. "It's my last day in Boston. I'll have plenty of time to practice once we get to New Hampshire. Can't I go now?"

My dad gave me a long hard stare before releasing my arms. "Fine. Be back by dinner. Don't forget to pack." Then he left without another word.

I exited the sparring room and quickly took a shower. I needed to make the most of the little time I had left. Tomorrow I left to spend a week in New Hampshire with my great-grandparents, aka the people who cursed our family. Because of them, I had to leave my entire world behind for another that was objectively worse. Even if I ended up preferring the new world, this was still wrong. What I hated most was not having a say in the matter. My life was all laid out for me with  no regard to what I actually wanted. Well, I would make sure the cycle ended with me, one way or another.

Above all, I needed to survive. My dad relentlessly practiced taijutsu with me, and now I could beat just about everyone except for him. Ninjutsu and genjutsu did not exist in this world, but I learned the hand signs to prepare. Once I arrived in the ninja world, I would be sent to the academy for awhile, so I was sure I could pick everything up quickly. I may not have wanted to be a ninja, but I would be a good enough one to not be killed.

I pet my cat Mrs. Puff on the way out of my small house. I jogged all the way to the nearest train stop and boarded the T, Boston's transit system. There were no trains in the ninja world. Or many modern conveniences for that matter. Some people thought I should not be riding public transportation and walking around downtown on my own, but it was nothing compared to what I would face in the new world. What kind of place trained kids to go out and fight their battles?

I exited at Haymarket and started for Faneuil Hall Marketplace. I paused in front of the statue of Boston native patriot Samuel Adams. "I bet you wouldn't stand for a kid being sent away to another world," I said. "It goes against everything you stood for." There was no way the government knew about the portal, and I was not going to tell them. I was not going to be responsible for an inter-world war - that is, if they did not lock me up in an insane asylum instead.

I shook my head and continued down the street. Crowds of people surrounded me, either shopping or enjoy the live music from street performers. I kept walking until I reached my destination: the Boston harbor. Thankfully, there were  not many people on the edge of the wharf, and I managed to find a bench where I could see and look out at the ocean. Once I was settled, I pulled my sketchbook out of my bag and began to draw.

I enjoyed drawing as a way to express the feelings I would otherwise keep hidden away. I was not very creative, so I drew what was right in front of me. The catch was that I could not draw humans well, so I drew people as animals. I always drew myself as a cat because I related the most to cats. I was a black cat, of course. They were the best.