Searching For Light (Naruto)

The Final Memory: Part Three

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and Ren." Nozomi apologized, eyes filled with remorse.

"It wasn't your fault." I shook my head, eating some canned soup that he had.

"I was supposed to be there to protect you both...." He went on, brushing his hair back.

"He might still be alive, right?" I inquired hopefully.

"I don't know." He shook his head much to my disappointment."He's quite a small boy, and that fall wasn't anything small. Even if he did make it... he won't last long..."

I stood up, swinging my bag over my shoulder."Where are you going?" He asked, standing up placing a hand on my shoulder.

"To find my brother." I said.

"Ruri, you can't go." He objected, and I couldn't help but glare at him.

"Why not?" I questioned, suddenly becoming very aggravated with him.

"It's too dangerous. We could run into more Fuyu, I took out the three that were chasing you, but there could be more. Just be patient." He tried to reason with me.

"Gives me more of a reason to go after him. He could be in trouble as we speak." I snapped.

"Maybe.... But if there's one thing I know about Ren is that he's smarter than what most people give him credit for. He knows how to get himself out of trouble." He said, and I let out a reluctant sigh."We wait, and then we head out."

"Fine..." I muttered sitting back down.

*******

Days have passed, and we searched high and low. Still no sign of Ren. Not a single trace. Nozomi has taught me a few more things. How to set a fire, and search for food, even hunt. Though that last one is a bit hard since the Fuyu walk along side animals. But, we didn't have much of a choice.

Nozomi has been starting to worry me. He's depressed. His eyes had bags, and he didn't speak much anymore. He barely eats too. Sometimes I had to go and hunt for food on my own because I can't get a response out of him. It's like he's always in deep thought, as if he's constantly thinking over the past. He's like me; we can't get away from the memories.

"Ruri....." Nozomi began, and I ran over to him. He stared down at something and I when I saw what it was, nothing seemed to matter anymore. I bent down the white cloak I gave to Ren, it was stained with blood."No...." He muttered.

"Nozomi, he might be still near right?" I said, looking at the boy.

"I'm sorry, Ruri, but that's too much blood for a boy his age and size to lose..." He shook his head.

"H-He can't be gone!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face."I know he isn't!"

"I know it's hard, but there's not much we can do for him now." He said,"We have to let go."

Let go? How am I supposed to that? He's my brother for goodness sake. Now we're just giving up... Just because of this stupid cloak... I hate this, I hate everything.... Ren didn't deserve any of this. He was always the one being looked down upon, but now he's suffering even more.

I ended up walking off with Nozomi. The hope that Ren was still alive lied within me, but that hope wasn't what controlled me and my actions. Fear did. The fear of what I would see if we did found him. Fear of the pain, and of the possibility that he really was gone.

So the search was off.

*******

I walked into a small shop that was in a small town. Nozomi had stayed somewhere in the forest. We had no food, and no money, and we also had bad luck with hunting today. So yes, I was about to do the one thing I forbid myself from doing. Stealing.