距

Chapter Six

I can't believe he's my brother.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she burst out the apartment, unceremoniously running down the stairs and out onto the streets. She ignored the looks from many villages she passed and kept running, until she made it to the fields.

Green. It was what she expected, but in the midst of November, the grass somehow rotted and withered to a deep moss color. Nonetheless, she trampled into the field and ran to the tree in the middle, tall enough to peak into the horizons.

Quickly, she climbed to the top until she reached the highest branch. She threw herself onto the branch and leaned against the trunk.

There, she silently watched through the branches to see the sun setting; tears quietly slipping from her eyes.

She could still remember what she saw on his face.

"I never wanted a sister like you."

"Wh-What?"

"You're a mistake. Our parents never meant to have you. Still, they loved you. And now, even in death, you manage to tarnish their name? Their legacy?"

"This is who I am!"

"No. Its not. Kaa-san and Tou-san would be so disappointed in you."

When she went back to the village, she was surprised to find that all the villagers were gathered in one place. Normally, they were too busy in their own world to listen to others.

Curious, she walked towards them to see who was in the center of attention. But once the crowd saw her, they immediately parted and let her walk through.

"There!" A certain masked man in the center pointed at her, making her flinch and jump back. She made a move to turn back, the villagers had already blocked her way out.

"There, my little, lovely sister! Do you know what I went through to keep her safe?" Kakashi babbled. "How many jobs I worked? How many times I had to save up money?"

Sayuri looked around to see the villagers crying out praises like, "Oh, such a good man!" Or, "What trouble he went through!"

After hearing those praises, Kakashi turned back to Sayuri with a glinting eye. Underneath his mask, he smirked. "And you know what? She told me this morning---that she was--"

The crowd gasped and looked back at her, disapproving glances. They soon shouted insults at her.

"Do you know how much trouble Kakashi went for you to be safe--"

"--and you ruined it all by telling him--"

"--you were--"

"Gay?"