Stand By Me

STAND BY ME - chapter 21

"Tokuma?" I said, my head tilted to the side. I was washing the dishes until I heard some knocking on the door.

"It's been a while." He smiled.
"It sure has been!" I smiled back to him, "How's it been going?"
"Good, good."
"So, what brings you here?" I asked, curiously. It was sudden of him to show up at my doorstep like this.
"Well, I..." His gaze shifted to the side, a finger itching his head, "I was hoping you'd come train with me."
"Eeeeehhh?!" I exclaimed, "Me?"
He nodded.

"You don't need to train with me. Your Byakugan is one of the strongest in our clan."
"Not as strong as yours, Aya-sama."
"Don't call me that." I pouted.
"As you wish."
"Well," I thought, "I won't give up on a chance to become stronger myself. Let's go!"

---

I held my hand out in front of me, my palm stretched, flat.

"Your mastery of the Gentle Fist," I was panting, "Is incredible."

"Same goes to you." Tokuma said, wiping the sweat off of his temple. I noticed the clan's curse mark on his forehead. For someone of the branch family, he really is talented.

For the past three hours, Tokuma and I were training at full-speed, non-stop. I had promised myself since Itachi's absence, that I wouldn't let my comrade's death go in vain. I would train to become stronger, every single day, so that something like that could never happen again.

"You kind of remind me of Neji." I giggled. Tokuma, just like Neji, was extremely confident in his abilities. A cool-headed shinobi. "Tokuma, we should do this every day." I straightened my posture, my hands on my hips.

"I agree," Tokuma said, his Byakugan deactivating, "Every morning. 7 AM. Deal?" His hand extended outwards towards my direction. I walked closer to him, and shook his hand firmly.

"Deal!"

---

"I trained with Tokuma today."

"Tokuma?" Shisui's eyes perked with curiosity, "As in, the Tokuma?"
"I didn't know he had a name for himself." I rubbed my chin, slightly disappointed in my arrogance.
"He's one of the best trackers in Konoha." Shisui stated, matter of factly.
"Because of his Byakugan?" I questioned.
"Mhm."
Footsteps emerged from the forest, only to reveal Kayumi.

"I finally found you two." She said, waving a transparent plastic bag in front of us, which was steaming.

"You brought food!" Shisui said, "I'm starving."
"I knew you would be." Kayumi winked.

She took out three plastic bowls of ramen. I was drooling. My stomach grumbled at the sight of food, I quickly held my torso in embarrassment.

"Hee hee, I guess you're hungry too!" Kayumi grinned, passing me a bowl.

---

"We should call this jutsu..." I thought, my head tilted to the side, "Hanabi-style rotation!"

"Yes!" Hanabi gleamed with excitement, "I finally have a name for it!"
"It's fitting for you, my lil' monkey." I ruffled her hair, hearing her giggle in response.

"Where's Itachi? I want to show him!" Her eyes widened with excitement. She was so innocent. So pure, naive. Maybe that's why I liked being around children. They had what I didn't have.

I lowered myself to her level, both of us met eye-to-eye.
"Itachi's handling some important things outside of the village, but..." I said, as Hanabi's lips formed into an "o" shape, "You'll graduate from the academy in no time, if you've mastered rotation already."

"You really think so, Onee-san?" 
"I know so." I smiled, grabbing a cloth out from my knapsack, and wiped her forehead clean of sweat. Hanabi was only six years old, but I saw great potential in her skill. 

---

My head was propped up onto the pillow, my eyes fixated onto the ceiling above me. My fingers began toying with the cold pendant that was across my neck. Darkness was quiet, crickets could be heard through the open bedroom window chirping.

Itachi. I hope you're okay. It's only been a month, but I miss you. 

---

6:30 AM.
I hopped out of bed and prepared myself for the daily bouts of training with Tokuma. I was excited. If Tokuma and I both keep this up, we'd make a good duo in battle, I thought. I brushed my hair and tied it up into a bun, and made my way out of home towards the training district.

---

"Tokuma!" I yelped. He was waiting, his back against a tree.
"Aya." He smiled, which was unusual. Tokuma was usually very stoic, neutral in his mannerisms.

My stomach growled. I sighed in embarrassment.

"I forgot to eat breakfast." I said.
"No worries," Tokuma reached for a bag that was behind him, "Have some. It's good to get some energy before training."

"Oh." I stared at the bag of food in surprise, "Thank you!"

---

The birds in Konoha were chirping loudly this early afternoon, the dew on the leaves after the night's rainfall glistened. 

"How are you?" Mikoto asked. I saw her carry an armful of groceries and offered to help her carry them.

"Me? Oh, I'm doing good!" I smiled. "How are you, Mikoto-san?"
"I'm good, but I mean... because Itachi is gone on a long-term mission, how are you?" She emphasized the last two words, seeming concerned. 

"Oh." My head dangled downwards, focusing on the sound of my footsteps. "Well, I miss him from time to time, but I know he'll be back." I smiled.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with such a difficult situation." Mikoto placed her hand on my shoulder, and sympathetically smiled. How did I truly know that Itachi was going to come back? He could be killed out there, and the news would only reach me days later. Itachi and I were so out of reach from each other, like two hands desperately reaching out to grab each other. I suppose that distance only made my chest feel heavy. Stop thinking of that, Aya.  

"Itachi is the least difficult person on this planet, Mikoto-san." I said gently, smiling back. "I think I'm more difficult than he is at times." I chuckled. 

"I guess that's why you two get along with each other so well," Mikoto said, looking up at the sky, "I'm glad he has someone around his age he can confide in, besides Shisui."

"I'm glad I could be that person for him."