Growing Pains

Chapter 27

As Araile brought her hand to push her hair back, Shinrai took her hand in his, causing another small blush to appear on her face.

"Please don't put the bandana on. Your ears make you who you are," Shinrai said, a smile lighting up his eyes.

She blinked and looked down, her gold eyes hidden by her bangs. He liked her the way she was? Everyone else had always stared. Kakashi always told her to not listen to everyone, but Araile heard whispers from the villagers. Thanks to her ears, she heard lots of things. Sometimes it was regarding who her parents were, and other times it was snickering at her features.

A cold fist clenched itself around her throat. Araile gritted her teeth as a hot sensation prickled behind her eyes, the hot tears threatened to spill over. Shinrai didn't understand it. He may have the same pointed ears as she did, but he never had to deal with the teasing and bullying.

In a shaky hand she untied the cloth and clenched the bandana in her fist, before suddenly throwing it on the ground.

"You don't understand," Araile said in a shaky voice, and before Shinrai could do anything she spun around and sprinted away, leaving the bandana and Shinrai behind.

Tears blurred her vision as you continued to run through the village. Shinrai didn't understand the hurt she had gone through when she was a child. Especially when it came from the village children. They had always picked on her because of her ears. All because she was different from them. Every time Kakashi confronted the young girl about it, she always put on a brave face and smiled, saying that it was nothing; but every jab the children made chipped away at her young heart and confidence. As Araile grew up, she became more withdrawn and always preferred to stay in the apartment she shared with Kakashi. She never wanted to sign up for the academy, and Kakashi never forced her. Sure he took her out around the village sometimes, but she never went out with friends of her own.

As Araile continued to run, the tears finally released themselves, and cascaded down her face. Her legs screamed at her to stop after a while and she complied, slowing to a panting stop. Wiping her tears away, she blinked in surprise when she realized that she was on top of the Hokage mountain. The wind blew gently, and playfully tugged at the strands of her hair.

Araile sat down and rested her chin on her knees as she pulled them in. The sun began to set, casting parts of Konoha in a warm orange glow. She buried her face into the hollow created by her arms and knees as her shoulders shook from the sobs that wracked her body. Memories of when she was small and under the care of Kakashi began to rise in her mind.

Memories of the village children always teasing her, never playing with her, hitting her and pushing her over onto the ground.

Araile never wanted these ears to begin with, so why were they always making fun of her? Kakashi said numerous times to ignore them and that her appearance was just fine, but in Araile's young mind she was confused, lonely and desperate to fit in.

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"Araile!" Shinrai shouted over and over again as he walked through the village.

He didn't know where she ran off too, and he wasn't familiar with this village. Sighing, the poor boy sat on a bench and put his chin on his hand, heart heavy.

Why did she react like that? Was it something he said?

"Are you looking for Araile?" a manly and deep voice said in front of Shinrai, causing the young boy to look up in surprise.

A man dressed in all green stood in front of him. Shinrai blinked in surprise; this man had the biggest eyebrows he had ever seen!

"Yes, have you seen where she went?" Shinrai asked, hopeful.

"Ah, the youthful young flower is up on the Hokage mountain. She seemed to be upset and crying youthful maidenly tears," the green man said dramatically, causing Shinrai to blink in confusion.

Was this man on something?

"Why was the youthful young flower, that my eternal rival Kakashi has raised since a babe, crying? Does she need a knight? I will be her knight in shining armour! I! Maito Gai!" the man continued, oblivious to Shinrai sitting there.

"I don't know. I said I liked her ears the way they were," Shinrai said, blinking when he noticed Gai suddenly change his attitude when he heard Shinrai.

"I see. That makes sense now," Gai said in a sudden serious tone, heaving a heavy sigh.

"What? Why?" Shinrai asked, standing up.

"She has had problems with her appearance since Kakashi has taken care of her," Gai stated, sitting down on the bench, Shinrai following.

"The poor girl has been teased all her young life from the village children and villagers about her appearance," Gai continued, looking solemnly at his hands.

In his mind's eye, Gai pictured the young girl that Kakashi took care of. Gai would find the small child crying by the playground sometimes after she tried to play with the village children. They always made fun of her appearance, and it hurt Araile emotionally. Sometimes they even threw punches or kicks at the child just for the fun of it.

Kakashi tried his best to lift her spirits, but could only do so much. Gai helped sometimes as well by giving the child candy, and always made her laugh with his tirades of 'youth' and 'maidenly smiles'. It only lasted a short amount of time before the sadness and loneliness returned.

Apparently, she still had some hurt feelings over her appearance. Sighing, Gai heaved himself up off the bench and turned towards Shinrai.

"Go! Go and find your maiden!" he said with a thumbs up and shiny smile before walking away.

Shinrai blinked, not quite sure what he had witnessed. Lowering his head, Shinrai processed what Gai had told him. Araile was bullied because of her ears? He didn't know that, and he told her to leave them the way they were.

What an idiot he was!

Gritting his teeth, Shinrai jumped up from the bench and ran towards the Hokage mountain. He would find her, and make everything better.