Paths of Divergence

Accident

Chapter 5

-Accident

Sunshine pours in through the leafless trees of the training field, illuminating the morning frost that covers the village. Bitter cold hangs in the air, nipping at every exposed piece of skin of Team Kari. The young girl of the squad, Toshi, shivers in response to the low temperatures. She wraps her cloak around her as tight as she can, crouching down to retain every bit of body heat possible.

Shozen stands still, ignoring the cold and instead, focusing on how tired he is. He constantly yawns, trying to shake the sleepiness off. Shizake silently chuckles at his comrade before turning to the entrance gate to the training field.

"Gah...where the heck is Shīttooo?" Toshi groans, rubbing her hands along her arms to create heat.

"Probably just late. Once we get going you'll warm up." Shizake says.

"Well then I hope he hurries the hell up...because I'm freezing!" She yells.

Footsteps crunching against the thin layer of snow on the ground fill the team's ears. They look up to see Shītto slowly jogging to the team, thick clouds of vapor coming from his mouth.

Shītto runs up to them, rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry...missed my alarm clock."

"Hm. Lets just get started." Shizake begins. "I still have the traps set up from yesterday."

Toshi's eyes squint, "You just left live traps sitting out here...?"

The Uchiha stops in his tracks, dropping his head and scratching it, "Yeah...forgot to come dismantle them."

"You're lucky no one died..."

"Lets just get started Toshi."

The four of them stand at the edge of the tree line, Shizake observing his traps set up. Some are obvious, meant to mimic routine trap dismantles. Others are placed in places that will require keen eyes to dodge. The captain nods his head at the other three, commanding them to begin...

***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***

A young Uchiha walks his way home, sighing as he rests his hands behind his head. A shadow from the skies consumes his sight, the sun setting below the horizon and the night beginning to settle in. The trials of the day have consumed his mind, eating away at his conscious and thinking of what the future might possibly hold. He sticks his hand out, placing it on the railing as he ascends the creaky stairs. He then reaches into the left pocket of his black pants, pulling out a key.

Quickly shutting the door behind him he turns to see a familiar face looking at him with one eye open from a mat laid out in the middle of the living room. Their gazes meet, Shizake startled at seeing his cousin.

"Where've you been...?" The boy on the mat asks.

"I uhm...was just...talking to Iruka. A-about what I'm going to do. Since I wasn't um...placed on a team." Shizake replies, deciding to keep his thoughts to himself for now. Ways of figuring out how to tell Sasuke what actually happened fail to come to him.

"And?" Sasuke spurs on, sitting up crossed legged on the mat.

Shizake grits his teeth and begins picking at his nails, internally panicking for what to say. For now he decides to keep with the lie.

"I'm just going to wait until next year I guess." He says shakily, battling the nervousness that seems to pour out of his every orifice.

"Hn. I see."

Sasuke stands up and proceeds to fix himself a glass of water. He stares out the window, looking among the lights that dot the village at night.