In Sickness And Health ~Shikamaru~

Chapter 11

My mind instantly formed a picture of Reira, sweet, innocent Reira whose long black hair was always cut to perfection and blue eyes vacant. No where could see her having the ability to fight, even think like a ninja. But then I remembered her stunning logic ability. It could be very possible that she was the brains of her team. But even still, the thought of her being a ninja was... almost unreal.

Reira is fifteen, three years in the hospital, which means the accident occurred when she was twelve. If she was a ninja, she would have been a rookie nin in my class. But I don't recall her... Almost all of the girls were absolutely nuts about Sasuke Uchiha back then though, so more often than not, I completely ignored the girls. But I remember most of their faces. Reira's was foreign to me the first day I met her, the interest in her peaking from the fact that she was in such a state but slowly growing from it. Even now she can speak a full five words before having to pause and think.

Reeva looked at me with hard intent. "You never answered me earlier. How did you come across the information about my daughter?"

"Why?"

"Why? Because I care about her and want to make sure no one from here has this info to harm her!"

"Calm down, jeeze your loud." I grumbled. "Reira is safe. I know this because I know her. She's a friend."

This seemed to ease her a bit. I needed to think of a good way to use this information though, a way to end this war with little to no bumps and deaths to account for how the rebels have acted. "What are you hoping to gain from this war anyway?" I asked.

Reeva's eyes pierced me with a hard need and ambition. "The government in this land is not as nice as the leaf, ninja. They are cruel, over barring, law happy. They are drive their people and economy into the ground. Families starve because parents can't find work, taxes are high to please the fat officials who eat and live off the hard working people. And the citizens have had it with this cruel oppression." She looked down at the floor with anger marring her face. "My sister Saiko asked me to come and help. This used to be my home, back when everything was good. The good people needed a leader, someone with a brain and guts to pull out all the stops."

"And you were just the crazy lady for the job." I pulled a bit of sarcasm from my back pocket, hooking my thumbs in my pants. If life here is so terrible why don't the people move out?"

"Don't you know anything about this land and it's laws?" Reeva asked incredulously. "If one of those people wants to move out it would cost them almost $10,000. The officials have decided that that is the best way to discourage people from leaving. There are watchers all around the boarder and if you are caught trying to leave without paying the fee it's death. This isn't a country anymore, Ninja. It's a prison."

Well shit. Maybe we should do more research on these places before we agree to work for them. If what Reeva said was true then these people had every right to want to rebel against their government and demand some changes. Which means if they surrender... shit.

Reeva seemed to soften slightly as I sighed and kicked my foot in thought. "Go home. This isn't your fight. I don't want to see someone get stuck in all this if they have a way out. Go home and tell my little girl I love her."

Her words hit something deep inside me. She loves her daughter. But this war has to end. To many people are involved and unhappy and away from family. As a ninja, I must do what I can to help. Even though it sounds like a lot of work and a total drag, I want it to end, if anything, so that Reeva and Reira can be together again. But how...

Then it hit me. It was so obvious. We had to get THEM to surrender on equal terms with Reeva and rebels. Get them to agree to some changes, change to... what do they call it in the west? A Republic? My mind worked around a few area's of concern, fixing a plan to end it. Reeva watched me with curiosity as I crouched on my knees and put my fingers together, my stance for thinking. The plan played in my mind, a work of pure gold. The answer was so simple. This war is unnecessary.

Twenty minutes later, my plan was formed and I was informing Reeva of what I had come up with. Her face grew from skepticism, to surprise, to pure and utter delight. "Ninja, you're a genius!" She yelled.

"You're still loud. And I have a name." She looked at me with a look that said she didn't even realize she had no idea who I was. With a sigh I said. "My name is Shikamaru."

Her eyes softened. "Shikamaru. You have done an amazing thing today. There is no way that I could ever be able to repay you." She seemed to gather an Idea in her head and ran to the book shelf, pulling the photo album down and a picture out. She ran back and placed the photo in my hand. "Take this and go back to the leaf. Tell Reira that I'm coming home." I was about to protest and say I'd stay to help, even though I really don't want to, but she stopped me. "We can handle rest, Shikamaru. Here." She wrote an address on the back of the picture. "Write a letter, and I will keep you informed on how the plan is progressing. You are our savior." She lightly hugged me and sent me from the room, yelling for Kunis to get me to the border safely and unseen.

Okay... she's a little strange. But in the cool night air, I began to unwind. Home. To Reira. It's strange but... I miss her... A lot. I turned the photo over to see the picture and my heart thumped hard in my chest, stopping me. I knew her! The girl was obviously Reira but now I remembered her! From the academy! From the chunin exams! Her hair used to be short, that's why I couldn't remember! And that's when I remembered the accident and exactly how and why Reira lives the way she does today.