Bloom Again

viii.

-- Bloom Again --

"When a plant starts to rot,we need to cut away the diseased part. Even if they are the roots, "

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Sai could still remember the day he first met Shin.

The day he made a friend who would one day become his brother.

It was a Sunday evening, and all the kids from the orphanage were running all around the playground, but not one particular boy. Not Sai.

7 year old Sai instead was on a nearby park bench, drawing profusely of the sight infront of him-a caterpillar chewing through a leaf . He was so focused on drawing he didn't realise someone was watching him.

"That caterpillar will be ready for metamorphosis soon " A voice spoke out,breaking Sai's focus. Sai's curious onyx eyes trailed towards the source of the voice,and a grey haired boy wearing nothing but a simple yellow T-shirt and brown pants who was probably a few years older stood before him. Sai blinked.

"Metamorphosis?" Sai repeated

"The prosess of a caterpillar turning into a chrysalis."The boy explained and Sai blinked blankly once more

"Oh"

"What's your name?"

"What's a name?"

"You...really don't know?"The mysterious boy asked unsurely,and Sai nod his head.

"Name is something people call you with," That boy explained

"Oh,in that case I have none,"

The boy frowned. How can one have no name? "None?How's that possible?"

"I'm not sure but the mean Onee-san has always been referring to me as 'Boy' since I first came here,"

The boy in front of him gave him a sympathy smile and offered him his hand "Oh,well my name's Shin,"

Sai look towards the hand and he puts his notebook and pencil down. He raises his right hand rather unsurely and met the other boy's hand halfway.

"Nice to meet you, Shin."

Shin's sympathy smile fade and a real genuine smile appeared. Both didn't notice how the caterpillar had stopped eating and was now spinning a chrysalis made from silk for itself.

::

It was a week later when little Sai was adopted by an old man named Danzo. It wasn't just Sai who was adopted, there were plenty of other kids who were adopted too. The other kids nor the staff of the orphanage didn't question it-they were probably glad the kids are out of their hands-but Sai did wonder.

Was this old man really looking for this many kids to raise?

Sai got his question answered two days later. Yes, Danzo was looking for kids to be raise. But he wasn't raising them for the sake of his village, he was raising them for his own sake, his own manipulative obedient soldier- a pawn. To be used and discarded whenever he wanted to.