Reborn as Sakura and Hinata: Lost in the Wind

Emotions and Training

I strolled into the armory confidently, eyeing the behind of the figure bending over the work table.

"No theatrics this time?" Anko turned to face me with a smirk, but it lacked some of its deviousness.

"Oh, I decided on a new approach." I huffed, grinning, "Keep you on your toes and all."

Anko held up my sword, "I hope you have some more surprises for me." she requested while tossing it to me.

I caught it, stumbling from its weight. With a confident smile, I whipped out a seal and slapped it to the base of the blade. Anko eyed me with curiosity, and I swung the blade easily, pointing it straight at her with a confident smile.

"Well, I'll be damned." Anko shook her head good-naturedly, "You've cheated your way to wielding the blade."

"I'd rather call it using my skill set for multiple purposes." I poised to attack, advancing to attack Anko. She picked up another sword from the table, lifting it in time to block me.

"Yeah, you're going to be a lot faster now." she noted happily, shoving me back a considerable distance, "But remember that you'll lose some force as a result!" She leapt toward me, swinging her blade over her head. I lifted mine to block pushing her off me. She flipped back onto her feet, and I immediately advanced to attack her again. I swung again and again, the lighter weight making the sword so much easier to manage. Anko blocked each swing.

"You're really going at it today!" She commented, "What's going on? You're being a little reckless!" With a well placed swing, she caught my blade at the hilt and knocked it from my hands.

"You already know." I scoffed.

"Hey, no I don't. I only know what you tell me." she deadpanned with an unimpressed look, "I'm not gonna try and assume how you feel about anything."

I walked over to my sword, moving to pick it up, "Alright then..."

Anko stabbed her sword into the ground in the way of my hand, "Hold on a moment. I think we should just talk for now. You do poisons right?"

"Yeah, I've been working on it." I shrugged.

"Then how about we work on some while we talk." Anko smiled kindly at me. How could I say no to that?

"Okay." I nodded and sat down at one of her work tables. She plopped down next to me.

"So, what's eatin' ya?" she asked, picking up a pair of gloves and tossing another to me.

"Well, what happened a week ago." I huffed, "My best friend is gone, everyone else is depressed, and it's the Hokage's fault... and a little bit mine." I tacked on.

"You are really going hard on Lady Tsunade, huh?" Anko noted, picking up a plant specimen and examining it.

"Well, y'know, I know the future, and she knocked me out?" I pressed.

"Yeah, but she's new to this whole thing." Anko shrugged, "She didn't even want this role, and now she's made a pretty big mistake already. She just didn't know you very well, and most people who would be in her position would be intimidated by you."

"Intimidated?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, I know you don't want to hear it, but you're hard to work with." Anko sighed.

"Yeah," I admitted, "I know."

"But you're working on that right?" Anko glanced at me.

"Yeah, I am." I sighed again, finally picking up my own plant specimen.

"Good. Then that's what matters right now." Anko chirped, dropping a leaf into a beaker of some liquid, turning it yellow.

"But it doesn't change the fact that Hinata left, people got injured, and that I feel fucking horrible." I grumbled. Anko looked at me in surprise, gaze softening.

"Aw... kiddo," she put down her work to properly look at me, "I understand how that feels." she looked down sadly, "I know people got hurt, and I know you are hurting. But things will get better okay?"

"I... I know." I sniffed, trying to hold back tears, "But, I was just so useless... and now everyone I know is in a bad place... and I think people are mad at me... and then there's Sasuke."

"What's going on with him?" Anko asked gently.

"Hinata took his eye... and I know she didn't want to but... I feel betrayed. She took my brother's eye. How am I supposed to feel about that?" I hung my head, feeling guilty about my emotions.

"It's okay to be angry with the people we love." Anko stated, "People are complicated, and relationships are always changing. You might be mad at her now, but you still care for her right?"

"Of course I do!" I argued, "But... there are some things that people can't get over. I don't think she and Sasuke could ever be friends after what happened."

"You might be surprised." Anko shrugged, "But, then again, I don't really know either of them."

"I just... feel so bad for everyone. It's really cruel. She finally opens herself up to people, and people love her for it, just for her to be taken away. It's almost like a cruel joke." I explained.

"Was she like that in her old life?" Anko asked, seemingly without thinking, "Oh, jeez," she facepalmed, "Sorry, I shouldn't press that!"

"No, no, it's fine. I think it would actually help to talk about my old life." I shrugged, "But... um, yeah. I was basically her only friend in our old life. She was so driven by work that she didn't really see the purpose in making friends. I think the only reason we were friends is because I met her when we were young."

"That's a kinda hard core way to think about life," Anko mused, "And for a life as... simple as your old one."

I shrugged, "It's just the way she was. After we died, I think she saw the problems with how she was living and wanted to try something new. She seemed so happy about it too." I frowned, "I'm worried that when she comes back she'll shut herself down again."

"Oh, she definitely will." Anko asserted, "But, if the people she made bonds with truly care for her, which I'm sure they do, they won't let her stay shut down. And I think that she won't be able to keep that up for long either."

"I guess that helps, thanks." I mumbled.

"So, you called Sasuke your brother." Anko mused, "Remind you of your old one?"

"Yeah, actually." I perked up a bit, smiling despite myself, "They are both total edgelords."

"Yeah?" Anko smirked.

"Yep, both don't like to follow rules, they got similar senses of style, bad attitudes, the works." I laughed.

"Sounds like a handful." Anko smiled.

"Oh, definitely, but I think Sasuke might actually be easier to live with." I noted.

"How so?" Anko inquired.

"Sasuke actually fears me. No matter what I did, Aaron would never do what I said. I would always have to get Beth when I really needed him to do something." I pouted.

"Beth wore the pants then?" Anko chuckled.

"Oh, absolutely, she had four younger brothers and somehow kept them all in check." I said.

"And you too apparently." Anko grinned.

"That's the most impressive thing!" I agreed in an display of self-awareness.

"Hey, what poison do you want to try making, again? I realized I never asked." Anko chuckled embarrassedly, "I got a paralysis one going if you care to learn how to make it."

"Oh, yeah! That sounds good." I excitedly leaned forward for Anko to demonstrate how to make it.

And that's how I spent my day, talking and making poisons with someone who seemed to be the big sister I never had. It was nice to finally have someone I could completely talk to about anything: no secrets, no fear. I could feel my spirits lifting as we worked, and I could only hope that I could do the same for everyone else.