The Lost Ninja

Who is a Monster?

I pull on my ninja gear wanting to go see Lee considering I didn't get a chance to yesterday. I notice the red strands before allowing it to stay in a ponytail for the day to give my head a break. I slip out of the house eating an apple before sensing for Lee's chakra and running to where he is. Once I appear he looks surprised, but I see the thoughtfulness and sadness he is hiding from everyone. I balance on the bridge realising that he must need a risky surgery and he's thinking about whether or not he wants the surgery. After a few minutes of silence Lee looks up from the water to stare me in the eyes shocking me. He's not normally like this when I'm around making my spine straighten under his searching gaze.

"You are close with the sand ninja who did this to me, right?"

"Who told you I was close to Gaara-chan? Their own opinions will probably have shaped what you know about Gaara and I."

"Kiba said he saw you and Gaara during the second exam of the Chunin exams when you thought no one would see. That you were helping Gaara sleep by letting him lay in your lap and running your hands through his hair as you hummed. He said you showed no concern for the team that Gaara had murdered earlier in the exam."

"It's true Gaara-chan and I are as close as siblings which is what Kiba saw, but he thought of something different. Did he tell you what he called Gaara to my face?"

"He said he is a monster and I can't help, but see that as well. I mean it's because of him that I am now stuck like this."

"You have a similar mindset to Kiba's so I will not try to make you understand Gaara and his ways because you will oppose them. Just imagine being born and trained to be a weapon never receiving any kind of love. Maybe that can help you understand Gaara, but then again maybe not."

"It does not matter he is still a monster!"

"Would you call me a monster then too Lee? For I was raised almost like Gaara and if I didn't come to Konoha I would be just like him." I say softly looking into his eyes.

I see the answer in his eyes and take off even as he calls out for me feeling the overwhelming sadness come back. Even after I've shown them that I'm good and would do anything for this village I'm still looked down upon. I growl frustrated with how naive these villagers are because of the false peace they believe in. I slam my fiat into the ground and breathe quickly as the area around me quakes before exploding. I sense his chakra but I'm far too upset to care that someone is watching as I break apart.

"Someone has managed to upset you. Who was it and what did they say?" He questions from my back.

"Kiba basically made Lee view Gaara as a monster and indirectly made him view me as one too. They're all far too naive for me and I'm slowly losing it with their simple mindedness. To imagine that I could be just as Gaara was is terrifying, but true. Had I not come to Konoha I would be that cold and a mindless weapon against anything I was set against."

"You aren't a monster Yuki. If you were you wouldn't care what happened to anyone you know, but you react in the opposite way. You'd rather give your life in place of someone else's which shows you aren't a monster. Come on your Uncle is probably worried about you at this point."

"You're right he's probably about to send out a search party to come looking for me."

The two of us quickly make it to my house where Uncle Shi is peering out the door with a worried look. He relaxes seeing me coming up the stairs and Neji just nods before leaving to the Hyugga compound making me look at the sky. Somehow in being upset I lost track of time and it's now dark out which makes it understandable on why Uncle Shi is worried. I slip into the house before sitting on the couch knowing I'm going to be questioned on why I was out so late. He sits on the couch facing me and I know he can see through the emotionless look I have placed upon my face.

"What happened today? You left a note saying you were going to meet up with someone and now you're upset."

"It's nothing to worry about. I've dealt with it and I understand the misunderstanding that came along with my conversation. There's nothing to worry about right now."

"Tsunade wanted me to tell you that when we leave for the mission you're going to stay back and train with her."

"Wonder what she wants to teach me. She's taught me everything she knows about medical ninjutsu and I already have my own summoning. You should sleep so you're ready in the morning for the mission especially considering I won't be there to stop the fighting."

He chuckles before ruffling my hair and leaving to his room while I stay on the couch to read a book. After an hour I slip into my room knowing I'll have to write down words to the music I've been hearing inside my head for days now. Otherwise the music won't let me sleep which is bad because I can't be sleep-deprived on an Anbu mission or something could go wrong. I sit down with my sheet music and begin writing the notes down first getting them perfect to what I've been hearing in my head. After that I slowly work on the lyrics that I think will work with the tempo and style of the music. I make a few revisions before finally feeling like the song is complete and file it away with the other songs I have created. Finally, I feel tired enough to sleep and slip under my covers to sleep the night away.