The Beauty of Imperfection

Chapter Ten

I sat on the stone bench, head in my hands, gripping my hair as realization crashed down on me.

"I know it's my fault Daisuke died."

I shake my head sharply, trying to get rid of the memories. I shouldn't have snapped. I shouldn't have said that. Now he knows.

"Do you flinch when your mother raised her hand too suddenly?"

I shake my head again. Dammit, dammit, dammit!

"Do you know what it is to be Imperfect?"

Shit. Shit. All those words, stripping away my armor and the protective lies I had wrapped around myself and revealing the weak, weak little girl I was.

Kiba stared at me with shock and horror and guilt and I can't stand those eyes and the silence and I turn around and leave before he can say anything.

He doesn't stop me.

Breathe in, and out.

Someone drops down on the bench next to me and I look up in shock, hurriedly trying to compose myself. I blink.

"Naruto?" I ask in a soft voice.

He stares determinedly ahead. "Are you okay?" He finally questions.

I stare at him for a long moment. This boy was impossible. Utterly impossible. I was horrible and mean and rude and cruel to him and here he was, fully of light and goodness and reaching out to save me.

The last thing I wanted to do was drag him into the darkness with me.

"Yeah," I finally assure him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He stares at me with concerned blue eyes and with a flash of pain I remember Sensei's lighter blue eyes and how similar and how different they were to Naruto's.

Naruto's concern, if it was possible, grew and I know that he must have seen that flash of pain in my eyes. I stand, and I know that I am running away but I've come to accept the fact that I am a coward.

He looks up at me. "If you ever need anything..." He trails off, then starts back up, "Maybe we can just go get some ramen sometime. You could come with my team. You're friends with Sakura, right?"

I blink, long and slow as my throat closes up. Breathe in, and out. "Yeah," I nod. "Yeah, I am."

"Alright," he nods. "Come hang out with us sometime."

"Okay," I agree, knowing I never would.

"Okay."

***

I walk up the now familiar hospital stairs and down the corridor to Sensei's room, hoping against hope that he was here this time, that he wasn't avoiding me anymore, that he hadn't abandoned me.

I go to open the door, but pause when I feel a familiar chakra. Hideaki? She was back from her mission? What was she doing visiting Sensei? I slink back, wondering what she was doing. After a moment I decide to wait and listen.