Reborn as a Nara

two

C H A P T E R       2
— "You're a Nara." "And you're a Hyuuga."

Spring has arrived.

(Season of Life, someone used to say.)

Shirayuki walked slowly, the path she took was quite empty and the sky above her was vast and blue. Dragging her feet, she plopped down on the grass, right in front of a more open training ground. Sitting down, her eyes slid closed and she quickly felt the familiar drowsiness that came upon her.

"What are you doing here?" A harsh voice called out.

Shirayuki tilted her head upwards to look, like a boy with bandages over his forehead, eyes that screamed his heritage, and a nonchalant look on his face. Shirayuki raised a brow and gestured around her wryly, "Sitting, of course."

The boy looked as if he couldn't believe how she just answered, it's alright, Shirayuki couldn't believe she even bothered to give an answer either. She turned back to look at the empty training ground and did something she knew she would regret seconds later.

Patting the empty space beside her, she asked, "Do you want to sit down or just stand there like a statue?"

"Why would I want to sit beside you?" The boy questioned.

Shirayuki huffed, "You can stay standing, I don't really care."

He sat down anyway.

Both of them sat beside one another, neither speaking as they stared at the empty and dull training ground. Shirayuki's eyes slid close again, listening to the wind as it whispered into her ear. Her peace was shattered once more by the same voice, the boy she had regretfully invited to take a seat beside her.

"What are you doing out here alone?" He asked, this time having none of the harshness and more curiosity laced in his words. Shirayuki peered over to look at him, giving him a scrutinising look before sighing in response.

"I needed some time away from home," she replied. Then, offhandedly, she added as an afterthought, "Too suffocating."

"What's your name?" Shirayuki asked, dropping onto her back to lie down on the grass as she closed her eyes to block out the piercing sunlight. The boy beside her shifted slightly and Shirayuki could feel his heat closer to her than before.

"Neji." A quick introduction, followed by what sounded both like an accusation and a statement, "You're a Nara."

"Mhm, a Nara," Shirayuki responded. That's right, she was a Nara, no longer a Walker. "And you're a Hyuuga."

"That's an easy guess," he muttered.

Well, she wanted to add that he was probably a branch member, seeing how his forehead was covering what likely was some sort of seal that her father briefly spoke about. But knowing that it's a seal and feeling her own disdain towards it, Shirayuki wasn't inclined to make a comment on it as she could speculate that it would be a very touchy topic for Neji.

"Do you like tea?" Shirayuki asked, sitting up slowly. "I could use some tea, right now."

Her head tilted in question towards Neji. He looked just a little bit hesitant before nodding, agreeing to go for some tea with her. A quirk of her lip into a small smile, she lifted her hand towards him as he stood up. Neji eyed her appendage in bemusement before understanding flashed across his eyes, followed by mild annoyance.

Yet, he gripped her hand and pulled her onto her feet without any complaints, looking almost resigned as she stumped and leaned against his frame for a good second longer. Shirayuki straightened up and drifted slowly along the path, heading down towards a good tea shop nearby.