LIGHTNOVELONLINE 45. Reflection & Resolution [4]
"Forward..." (Suzu)
"Neutral ground huh..." (Tai)
Slurp
"A fresh start. I'll even go first" (Rei)
"?" (Tai & Suzu)
Rei put down his tea and placed his chopsticks on his food plate
"Ahem. My name is Rei Sano. I'm seven years old. My hobbies are reading and playing shogi. My favorite food is grilled teriyaki. And-" (Rei)
"Rei. What are you?-" (Suzu)
"Whoa! Wait a sec!" (Tai)
"Hm? What's wrong?" (Rei)
"You're seven years old?!" (Tai)
"Yeah...is there something wrong with that?" (Rei)
"Well...it's just...I thought you were the same age as me" (Tai)
"And how old are you?" (Rei)
"I'm nine" (Tai)
"Really? I thought you were younger" (Rei)
"Given the vibe of 'maturity' you give off, I'd thought you'd be older" (Tai)
"Ditto" (Suzu)
{Well I am a middle-aged man on the inside}
"That just goes to show how much we truly didn't understand one another" (Rei)
The mood went a little sour again
"We worked together for so long and I didn't even know your age..." (Tai)
"...No trust" (Suzu)
Slurp
"Yup. I'm not asking you to share your deepest, darkest secrets. But sharing a few details about who you are certainly wouldn't hurt. Now, as for why I want to be a ninja, the reason is simple...survival" (Rei)
"Huh?" (Tai)
"Survival...are you in trouble or something?" (Suzu)
"No. Not at the moment...but I could be. Let me be more specific, my mother died during childbirth because of her weak body and my father was a Jonin who passed when I was three during the war. Since then, I've started to live with my older cousin who also lost her parents because of the war" (Rei)
"So the reason you want to be strong is..." (Tai)
"I...I'm afraid of ending up like them. I refuse to die on the table like my father. This world is far more chaotic than you two realize. Death can come for us, at anytime, at anyplace" (Rei)
"That reason is so..." (Suzu)
"Simple of me?" (Rei)
"I was going to say, 'human of you'. As much as we try to deny it, the sad truth is the strongest, and those lucky enough to be protected by them are the ones that thrive in the end. We pretend that all are equal at the start of our lives when in reality, most of us have to carve our way up" (Suzu)
"Privilege huh..." (Tai)
"I'm just saying I can relate to what you're saying Rei. We don't get to choose where we're born. I, or anyone else for that matter, is in no position to mock your aspirations" (Suzu)
With a stern look on his face
"Thank you Suzu. I don't have any grand or noble goals. I simply wish to ensure that nothing, whether it be my life or anything else I hold dear, is taken from me...ever again" (Rei)
"Taken from you? Like what?" (Tai)
Slurp! Drinking his tea, Rei waved his finger towards Tai
"Uh-uh. We're not there yet. Trust isn't something that happens in a day, but something that happens over time. This...this is just the first step"
{I won't close my heart off anymore, but I'm never walking in blind again} (Rei)
"..." (Tai)
"First step" (Suzu)
"That's right. I just took my first step...are you two willing to do the same?" (Rei)
"..." (Suzu)
"..." (Tai)
The two looked at each other, and after a brief moment of silence Tai spoke
"My hobby is gardening. I said it before but I'm nine years old. My favorite food is Namasu1Vegetable Dish. Carrot & Daikon Namasu to be specific. My name is Tai...Yotsuki" (Tai)
Surprise emerged not only on Suzu's face, but Rei's as well
"!" (Rei)
"Yotsuki?! As in...THAT Yotsuki?! You're a member of the Yotsuki Clan?!" (Suzu)
"Yes. The very same Yotsuki Clan that has served Kumogakure since it's founding" (Tai)
"Isn't the Yotsuki Clan supposed to be one of the, if not the most, venerable clan in the village?" (Suzu)
{A noble heir huh? Things are starting to make sense. How he was able to gain so much information about the academy and its innerworkings despite being a child. He had influence and connections on his side to begin with} (Rei)
"Yes, our clan has protected the borders of Kumo to this day. Because of our meticulous, dedicated service to the village our clan has managed to prosper more than most" (Tai)
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to but...if you had such a background...why bother hiding your last name in the academy? There would've been no reason for you to team up with me if you revealed it" (Rei)
"Haaahhh. That would be due to my average skill and father" (Tai)
"?" (Rei & Suzu)
"I don't have much talent and my father is the current clan leader. I'm supposed to inherit that title but...there are others who wish to have his position. And if they can't have it, they'll opt for their kids to get it. My father is already under a lot of pressure, the last thing he needs is news about his son abusing his authority in school. I'd be no better than that idiot Sekiei if I did that" (Tai)
"...Indeed" (Suzu)
"Why is your father under pressure anyway? Did he do something wrong?" (Rei)
Tai's head went down as he sighed before speaking again
"The Third shinobi world war was one of the worst in history, so many people died...including members of our clan. During that time, my dad was ordered to stay behind and maintain the defense of the border and village, as is our clan's duty. But a lot of our members were sent to the front lines, just goes to show how desperate Kumo was at the time" (Tai)
"Aaahhh...I see where this is going. Many of them died and..." (Rei)
"...Others were upset that he, the clan leader, got to stay behind in safety" (Suzu)
BAM!
Tai slammed his fists on the table
"He was anything but safe! Our village was under siege CONSTANTLY! He, and my mother, have risked their lives to defend our home more times than I can count! So many times, that they moved me to a new home closer to the village and away from our clan headquarters for my safety. Which is located on the outskirts of Kumo closer to the village border" (Tai)
"That's why I've never seen your parents whenever I went to your house. But...the war is over...why are you still living there? Oh! Does that mean there's still..." (Rei)
"Inner turmoil..." (Suzu)
"Yes. Everyone is still hurting after the war. And our clan took the brunt of it, we're an absolute mess right now. And to top it off, most of my father's supporters are dead. The only one he can still trust is my uncle Kiyoi. My parents wanted to keep me away from the family drama" (Tai)
"That's why you were so down when Tango-sensei talked about the aftereffects of the war during our mission..." (Suzu)
{And why you were so upset when heard Sekiei mocking family status during our graduation exam} (Rei)
"But..." (Tai)
"..." (Suzu)
"But what?" (Rei)
"Someone has spread rumors that they're keeping me away because the clan leader is embarrassed by his 'talentless son'. These rumors are what caused other clan elders to push for their kids to inherit the position instead of me" (Tai)
{Jeez, I never would have guessed the chipper one of our group would have so much baggage on his shoulders}
"Does the clan leader position mean that much to you?" (Rei)
"No, I could care less. What's bothering me is that I'm causing trouble for my parents. It's why I'm so desperate to succeed, why I'll use any method I can to triumph in my career" (Tai)
"It's surprising people would call you 'talentless' after your performance in school. Hell, you even created your own original jutsu. An admiral feat considering how young you were at the time" (Rei)
"Not to mention your skills at information gathering in school. That didn't escape my notice" (Suzu)
{Using Suiton2Water Style to vaporize harmful oils made from plants you personally cultivated as a weapon, demonstrates a level of intelligence that makes me wonder if YOU were reincarnated} (Rei)
"Heh! Thanks. Unfortunately no one else sees it the same way as you two. A wedge has already been drawn between my father and I. That's why I want to be a ninja, to help my family and become a son they can be proud of. I still have other goals in mind, but I'll keep that to myself for now. Because like you said Rei, one step at a time" (Tai)
Akina approached the table and asked if anyone wanted seconds. Only Rei raised his hand before she took their plates
After leaving the three to themselves, Rei spoke
"Thank you for telling us that Tai. Suzu? Is there anything you would like to share? This is a safe space" (Rei)
"Yeah, no pressure! Doesn't have to be a lot, and you'll find no judgement from either of us" (Tai)
"...I...um" (Suzu)
"It's okay. Take your time. This restaurant is my third favorite place in the whole village, that automatically makes it sacred" (Rei)
"...This...well..." (Suzu)
Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke
"My name is Suzu. I'm nine years old and I live alone. I was too young to remember when my parents passed away. I don't really have a favorite food, but my hobby is pottery. My reason for being a ninja is to restore the lost honor of my family" (Suzu)
"Restore honor?" (Tai)
"Your family..." (Rei)
"..." (Suzu)
"Suzu?" (Tai)
After some hesitation, she spoke up. But what she said next shocked the both of them
"I'm related to Kumogakure's infamous Kin-Gin Brothers3Gold and Silver Brothers"