In My Dark World

1

Despite it being so chilly in Konoha the day was bright and spring flowers were already beginning to bloom. Everyone that saw the little buds peeking out of the frozen earth was happy that spring was finally here. 

The town was occupied by merry people. Children ran around making soap bubbles and catching falling cherry blossoms with joyful laughter, traditional dancers did their spring dance ritual to appreciate the season and those that weren't watching them with smiling faces were talking over a warm cup of coffee. It was so wonderful outside.

However, there was one person that could not bring herself to feel happy about the fair weather or about anything in general. Her name was Tenten. She had just lost her dojo, her home and only source of income, to a loan debt and now she had nothing to do or even where to go.

The debt had been left behind by her late father— not what she had in mind for an inheritance but it was what she got. All of her property had been used as collateral, even her clothes. She had nothing except the clothes on her back and the wallet in her pocket which was empty save for her credentials and some change that couldn't even buy instant noodles. She was in a slump.

The woman walked aimlessly through the town. She would have to look for a job to make ends meet but where would she sleep tonight? There was no family she could turn to and she didn't want to bother her friends with her problems.  

"Excuse me." A voice broke her out of her thoughts. Only then did she take a look around her. She was at a crossing. She didn't even realize when she had gotten there. "Excuse me." The voice came again. Tenten looked up at the direction it came from.

It was a man. He was about six inches taller than she was but he didn't look down at her. Instead he glanced above her head through his sunshades. He wore tacky clothes— a parka over sweat pants on a formal shirt and two different pairs of shoes. His long dark hair was the only thing moderately sightly about him, packed into a low ponytail.

Tenten was more attracted to the white cane in his hands than anything. It explained his fashion sense or lack of thereof. "Uhm, hello? How can I help you?" She asked in a friendly voice.

A smile curved the visually impaired man's pale lips at the sound of her voice. He stretched his hand towards the direction he heard her from. Gazing at the outstretched hand Tenten's mind whirred with different possibilities of what he could be asking for. Suddenly it clicked. "Could you..?" He was cut off by Tenten who started fretting.

"Ah! I'm so sorry but I don't have any money on me." Indeed she was. Her heart went out to the man but she didn't have the capacity to help him. "I would surely give you if I did...I'm sorry..." The man looked like he was about to say something but then Tenten remembered the coins in her wallet. "That's right!" She cut him off once again and began patting down her body for the almost empty leather. "I should have some change somewhere..."

The visually impaired man had to raise his voice to be heard over her worried ramblings but finally Tenten kept quiet. "Ma'am it's really okay, I don't need money."

"You...don't?" She asked hesitantly, hands going still on her wallet.

The man smiled at her. "I just need help getting to the bus station across the street." 

"Oh." Tenten flushed in embarrassment. She had gone ahead and thought he was begging for alms without even listening to his request first. It was a good thing he couldn't see her embarrassed flush, he would surely have laughed at her. Getting over herself, Tenten extended her hand to him. "O-okay. J-just grab my hand, okay?"