guardian of the storm | ✓

Chapter Six ~ Mourn

~Chapter Six~

Stars shine brilliantly in the sky above, the cool air brushing against her bare skin. Winter lay in a field full of tall grass somewhere near the Leaf Village having not been able to sleep. The grass shifts with every puff of breeze that flits by, her dry lips becoming more chapped as the silence coated over her like a thin shield.

She hated the quiet. It was something she relatively tried to actively avoid for then it meant that she could think. And for someone like her, thinking was an extremely dangerous pastime. She thought of all the what ifs, what if her village had never been destroyed? What if Ryu and Riku never died? What if Inazuma never died? What if... she never made the blood binding promise?

The more she thought, the deeper the frown on her face grew.

She had figured everything out. If she was being completely honest... she would've much rathered never stepped foot in the Leaf and have her village still be there. If she was given a choice, yes she'd give up her home in the Leaf and return to her true home within seconds. But sadly this was the harsh, cold reality she lived in.

She was certain of her future, and knew her past would never change. It terrified her to think of the future, to think of what she committed to and she didn't want to accept her undeniable fate. However she speculated that there was a slim chance that her fate could change, but she knew that no matter what one thing would happen.

And she was afraid to loose the Leaf.

Closing her eyes she slowly reaches up, fingering the bandages covering her bad eye. "I never thought I'd see you look so depressed Winter." Her stomach twists and she keeps her eye squeezed shut. "Aw c'mon are you not going to say hello?" She licks her lips, her stomach dropping and her pulse racing.

"Why won't you say hello?"

The voice was deep, pleading and had a hint of laughter in it. The male's voice shook her to her core, a darkness encasing her slowly. Light had vanished long ago and she was left with the horrors of her mind to deal with. She tries to take a deep breath but it only catches in her windpipe making her want to choke.

"Because you're not real."

Her voice breaks and she barely manages to swallow thickly. Her words crash down upon her like a tidal wave, her heart seeming to skip a beat as it stutters. The grass next to her rustles making her eye fly open. Nothing is there and there is no indication of any human life for the stretch of land she rests on.

She presses a hand to her head as she sits up, the grass beneath her flattened out from the weight of her body. It takes her a moment to stand up her knees threatening to buckle, her vision blurring slightly. She slowly walked back to her cabin, a single speck of red in the darkness around her.

Her eyes trailed along the walls of her house, her footsteps sending small of dust up in the air as she walks, each breath filled with hot air. She stands in front of the red painted door at the end of the hallway her fingertips resting on the doorknob as memories flash through her mind.

Gaara stays quiet for a minute before finally asking, "Why are we not allowed in that room?" His voice is mellow as he looks at the dark haired girl. She closes her eyes again not in the mood to talk, "Reasons." He waits for a while wanting a complete answer. The next ten minutes are spent in dead silence that hangs over the two young ninjas. Finally Winter growls underneath her breath in annoyance. "You're getting pretty creepy."

"I'm not leaving until you explain why."

Her eyes open and narrow in irritation before she rolls them. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Gaara of the Sand. I am letting you and your siblings stay in my house, which means you follow my rules. No is allowed in that room, understand? Not even if the Hokage himself knocked on my door and demanded that he be let in that room would I let him." Cracking her back she stands up and walks back onto solid ground, staring at him evenly.

"Everyone has secrets and mine are ones I plan to take to the grave."

Running her thumb over the doorknob she hears a faint click and opens the door slowly. Everything is cleaned spotless, one of the first things she'd done when she'd come back to the Leaf. Two twin beds were resting against opposite walls. On the left half of the room was mainly red, red walls, red sheets, red pillows.

On the right half of the room was mainly black, black walls, black sheets, black pillows. Both halves were neat just how the twins liked to keep their room that was nearly twice the size of hers. On their walls were the kanji for dragon in their respective color, Ryu's red and Riku's black. Everything about this room brought back memories that crashed down onto her making her mind shut down before restarting.

Being overcome with the pesky things known as emotions she walks quickly out of the room and gently shuts the door behind her. Knowing she wasn't going to get any more sleep she decides to take one more trip.

The streets of the Leaf Village are pleasantly silent and Winter leaves no sound as she walks along the cobblestone path that turns to beaten down dirt. Her destination comes into her sight, a black memorial stone carved with the names of those who were killed in action.

She crouches down and with a shaky hand traces over the name of her late sensei, sadness evident in her eye. Her shoulders drooped as an invisible weight settled there more comfortably. "Am I making the right decision Iza-sensei?" She whispers solemnly, "Or am I just making one mistake after another?"

"I wish you were here, you'd know what to do. You'd know what to say and what I should do and if I'm doing the correct thing. I wish... I wish I could see you again but it's too dangerous. I'm sorry."

She bowed her head, her long hair draping against the cool ground that felt as if the hands of death himself had touched it. "Am I doing everything wrong?" She asks her voice breaking as her hand rests on the carved name. "A-Am I just going to end up hurting more people than helping?"

She takes a shuddering breath calming herself. Emotions were never the answers, she had to be practical. She had to use numbers and statistics. She had to use cold, hard logic not the fleeting feeling of despair she was feeling at the moment. She could do this. "You know what I realized Ina-sensei? I'm not going to miss the life I had..."

She stands up, her knees cracking and her back straightened as she starts to walk away failing to notice the silver haired jonin leaning against a tree, away from her line of sight.

"I'm going to mourn the life I could've had."

Hey! Sorry for the late update and it's a bit sort, kinda a filler BUT there is some very important hints and pieces in there. You may or may not catch them but this chapter is a pretty big building block for future.

Also... I got a pizza onesie xD

Like seriously the most random and best purchase I have ever made. Have a wonderful day.