The Blood in our Veins

Comforting Lies

Mitsu's POV

Mother and Father had not returned home yet, which worried my little brother and me. We were under the impression that this mission was to be an easy one, simple and quick. But it had slowly developed into darkness, the sky eating up all the sunshine in slow strokes of red and pink, like uncovered flesh.

It was midnight now, Setsuna long having gone to bed, and dinner having already been served. I stayed up, sitting on the front steps of my house and staring into the sky full of stars I so desperately wished to be a part of, if only for the freedom.

Worry raced around the edges of my mind, constantly whispering to me of situations that could so easily have befallen my young parents, barely eighteen when they had me. What if they did not come back? What if the enemy had captured them and were torturing the two for information right now?

I could not help the black edge of despair, after having barely slipped through its grasp many times before, I could not help but fear the eventuality of capture by despair's seduction. AS if in one of Kakashi's books, only despair and I played the main roles.

My back was carefully leaning against the steps leading up to my front door, the lights in my house absent of brightness so I remained in shadow. My hair, different shades of red, lay braided beside me so it did not pull, and I wore only black shorts and a black loose sweater, keeping my bared flesh slightly less chilled. The stars were brilliant, our house much more secluded than many of the others, and therefore able to see more of the night sky. 

Reaching my black-clad arm up, I pretended to hold the stars in my hand, as if maybe capturing their fire would put one inside of me, or possibly melt the ice that had so carefully wrapped around my heart and soul. It chilled me more severely than any night air could, and left me stranded with only stars to look at for warmth. 

I heard them before I saw them, or more accurately felt them. The blood within me clenched and warned of their arrival as their blood also reacted. We never went anywhere without knowing of the other, it was part of our special ability, one I felt both gifted and cursed to have.

They were whispering, quiet in case their children had been to bed. They should've known I would be up.

Quickly pushing off from the steps of our abode, I glided over to my parents figures, turning to the street on which we live. They caught me as I jumped onto them, a group hug quickly forming. I couldn't see their faces, nor their clothes, for the darkness that surrounds them, but the feel of the clothing was not a good one.

I stepped away from them with speed, my gaze turning harsh like a mother's would when finding a bruise on their child

"You're injured? Where? How? Did you go to the hospital? Was the mission successful?" The mission, first to be asked by the Anbu, something I had not fully grasped as of yet, and frankly did not wish to."Are you in pain?"

My mother chuckled and my father simply placed his hand upon my shoulder, comfortingly.

"Would you not have felt it if we were injured? That blood that runs through your veins is not only for knowing where people are, but how they are doing." He was not condescending, a wise teacher teaching his disciple and loved one.

"You know my range isn't that far yet, I can only feel death." I knew this for only one reason, a reason even my parents did not know, though the information was open to everyone. Death upon death had happened that night, and their blood swirled within my veins, causing internal and external damage I had to be hospitalized a week for.

"We're fine honey, we fell into a puddle of our enemies blood and it dried before we could get home." My mother, with her matching red hair and piercing blue eyes said, a smile on her face despite the morbid choice of words. Here, with the profession of ninja, we were used to such scenes and events, even worse, we accepted them as the norm.

I looked at them with only disbelief in my eyes, they were ninja for God's sake, ninjas don't fall willy nilly.

"You fell?" I questioned with annoyance. I tended to get angry when my parents were hurt or lied to me about their injuries, almost as if I was their parents, not the other way around. 

"Your father was being a dork and tried to kiss me and I slipped and we fell into a puddle. Don't worry honey, we've only got a few scratches and bruises, nothing serious." She poked my father, who was looking at her with love and a touch of mischief.

"Can I not give my lovely wife a kiss once in awhile? Is it against the law now?" He asked in a high pitched voice, making mom shake her head and me roll my eyes at their silly behavior. They were ridiculous sometimes.

"Of course you can, but can you try to hold onto your horniness until we get home? God, it's like I walk around with a dog in heat. You should try some self-control sometime!" 

"You started it, talking about being alone in a forest and how a 'near death experience makes you appreciate the intricacies of love more'. It's not my fault I wanted to satisfy you." My dad said, making little air quotes with his fingers. By this point I was simply smiling while mom stared angrily at him.

"I did not say that!" I knew she would totally say that."And anyways, why didn't you just wait until we got home, when you can push me around however much you want to and we won't fall into a puddle of blood? You know, blood is very hard to get out of one's hair," I agreed, it stuck to the tendrils like they were veins and the blood was starving for oxygen.

"Well you encouraged me! Plus, once we got home I knew we would have to be very quiet 'cause Mitsu can hear practically everything we do." I hated it, it was like having two wild monkeys in our house while we tried to sleep, causing a massive ruckus and making me wince. Plus, I find it highly inappropriate to know when my parents were doing their thing. It's not like I wanted any more siblings.

"Well, I had an idea." My mom said quietly, stepping towards father until they're faces were close enough to see the pupils in this darkness.

"Oh, really? Well . . . please do share." My dad was the strongest man I knew, but the moment you put mom into the equation, he melted into a whispering idiot.

"Well, we both have to take showers, and I was-"

"Eh eh eh eh! I don't want to hear it! I'm not listening! You horny bastards! One kunai plus two equals three, the hierarchy of needs is physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization!" I cut them off, closing my hands over my ears and screaming words that popped into my head. I so did not need to hear their plans for later.

They smiled down at me, and, taking each other's hands, took one of mine and we walked to the house where setsuna slept and memories were kept. 

Sorry if the end got a little awkward there, I had to cut it short. Next one will be good, I promise.

Please vote, comment, fan, all that good stuff. I'd really like to see how you feel about it, 'cus I'm trying really hard to stay on character. Am I succeeding? Anything that needs to be changed?

Bye!