History and Progression

There stood Zyxis, looking up at his mother. It wasn't the Zyxis that everyone knew, he was about two feet shorter. His voice was higher, and his body was smaller, his age reverted to when he was only eight. A moment in time when things were simple. He hadn't thought about what training he had to do today nor the worry of getting out of bed. His day usually consisted of running, hanging out with his mother and father, and studying for school. Regular schooling was way more relaxed than the shinobi academy, but at the time he wouldn't have known that. Currently, he was eight. He joined the Academy when he turned eleven years old.

"Mommy," He asked, a noticeable change in his voice. It now sounded cuter, no husky feel to it at all, "What are you doing?" 

His mother smiled down at him and picked him up, placing him on the table. She held out a kunai towards him to show him, although, not bringing it too close in motherly fear that he would cut himself. "This is for a friend of mine, I'm polishing it, and then your father is going to sharpen it later," she continued to rub the cloth on it.

His eyes widened, childlike awe appearing on his face, "What is that! Is it a toy? Can I try?"  His mother chuckled, "No, honey, it's dangerous. I wonder, do you know what a shinobi is?" 

He grinned, nodding proudly, "Of course I know what a ninja is!" He hopped off the table and started to throw fists and try to kick. He lifted his leg and fell on his butt, "Ow." His mother chuckled again, "That's right, Zyx, my friend is a shinobi."

The boy smiled even brighter if that was possible, "Shinobi are so cool! They're like bam, wham, kaboom! Wouldn't it be if I were a ninja? I could do flips and shoot lightning out of my hands; I'd be even faster than I already am!"

Carilyn's smile didn't disappear, but if anyone were to be paying attention, they could see it dim. "Maybe, Zyxis. But the profession is dangerous. I wouldn't want to see you hurt, or worse. Currently, this isn't the best place to become a shinobi either. "

"Profession? What's that?" He asked from the floor. She shook her head and placed the kunai down, ruffling his hair, "You can think about it more when you're later. If I were you, I would become a mailman or a professional eater. You're the best runner I know!"

The door open and in walked a man with a massive grin on his face. It was Orion's father who had come in. His hair seemed lighter, a contrast to the darker silver hair he had when he was older. It wasn't just the natural pigment it appeared as he got older his hair began to darken. "The best runner? I wouldn't say that. You know me, after all." 

Zyxis grinned and ran at his father punching his leg, "Hey dad! How are you? Did work go well?" Orion looked down towards his son and ruffled his hair again, "Yeah, work always goes well. You know how it is, working for all the shops and doing deliveries."

His mother walked forward and embraced her husband, gently pecking him on the lips, "It's good to see you again, love." Orion grinned at her, "I swear every time I see you you're even more beautiful." They began to kiss again, but a little voice interrupted them, "Bleck! You guys are nasty. Dad, let's go for a run! I don't want you and mommy to do that icky stuff! I'll show you who's the better runner!"

His father looked down with one of his silver-colored eyebrow raised, "I'm sorry, is that a challenge little rabbit?" Zyxis grinned, "You know it, old man!" 

"Ow, that hurt!" His father said holding his heart with his hand, "That's it you're on! Whichever one of us gets to the playground and back the fastest wins. I'll see you in a bit Carilyn; I've got to put our kid into place."

Carilyn grinned, "Don't lose too bad, love. That would be embarrassing."

Zyxis giggled as he ran out the door, sprinting as fast as he could. Orion winked at his wife before he took off as well. Once again, life was better back then. There was no reason to be confused or angry back then. Zyx rarely got hurt and had people who loved him, that was all he needed. When he had arrived home later and had won - because his father most definitely didn't let him - the boy ate dinner and had some candy and ran upstairs to his room.

He looked through his bookshelf, searching for the books he had never read. There were many, as he loved to read and study, to have more knowledge and growth. He grabbed the book he was looking for a grinned. He sat at his small black chair at his mini desk and plopped the big book down. He had gotten it once at the library, surprised at the size. At that time he didn't know what a shinobi was, but the conversation with his mom earlier sparked his interest.

All night he stayed up reading that book, learning everything about elements, clans, jutsu, and everything and anything that spelled out "shinobi." A whole year would've passed by with him studying and learning all that he could, an eternal flame burning in the pit of his stomach, the fire stoked by the knowledge and thirst for growth. As more time passed by he began to love more and more about shinobi, while his mother and father began to hate them more and more.

There came the point to where he was ten, and his mother and father had their first real argument.

"Carilyn, he's a good man. Just because he does bad things doesn't mean-" He began, "Do you hear yourself right now? You sound like an idiot! A fucking idiot!" She interrupted "They do this for us; shinobi are here to help US!" He continued, yelling louder.

"Shinobi are no good murders that will do anything that they want to with no fucking repercussion. Do you know what our Kage does every day? My friend's heads on the pikes?" She screamed, her voice turning shrill.

Zyxis lay in his bed, closing his eyes and plugging his ears. He didn't want to hear this. He wanted to be a shinobi. He knew that he would love it. If he were to become stronger, become faster, and go up in the ranks to become a Kage, then he would fix everything in this village!

Things eventually calmed down. The shinobi friend had come over a few weeks later for his tenth birthday. The man's name was Izumi, one Jounin of Kumogakure. He, his father, and his mother had grown up together, but he decided to graduate and become a shinobi instead of getting a citizen job.

"Hey, there little buddy. You're ten already? That's crazy! You know, I'll turn ten in a few days too," He said, rolling his eyes, "I can't believe you're older than me! Although, you are kind of on the short side."

Zyxis laughed, "There's no way you're younger than me, you're too tall and impressive as a shinobi. I want to be just like you when I'm older!"

His father shook his head, wrapping his arm around Izumi's shoulder, "Beaten by my best friend. You know, Zyx is taller than both of when we were at that age. He'll most likely be taller than us when he's older. Maybe even stronger than you."

The man grinned, "You know, he's probably already stronger than you now, right? And faster if I heard that correctly."

Orion chuckled and punched him in the shoulder at full force, knowing that it wouldn't hurt a trained Jounin. To his surprise, it damaged his fist. "Ow, what the hell was that?"

"You ever hear of a word called armor? Or did you forget I was a shinobi before poking me with a bit of force," He laughed gently pushing past Orion and kneeling to reach Zyxis' height, "Happy Birthday anyway, buddy! I can't stay for long; you know duty always calls."

Zyx frowned, "You can't stay? The party has barely even started yet." Izumi frowned and looked away, but turned back with a smile, "Your mother and I are on thin ice right now. I don't think she would be super happy to see me right now. And I'm one of the most powerful, so the village needs me as well."

"And humble," Orion added with a sly smirk. "What your father said," The Jounin said with a roll of his eyes, "Here."

In a split-second, a kunai appeared in his hand. To the boy and his father, it looks like it had only just emerged. The kunai had a blue hilt and a lightning bolt arced in it from the tip to the start of the grip, electric blue as well.

"I call this a Raiton Kunai, made by mwah. If you're lucky enough, you'll be able to channel lightning into the blade and make it way stronger when you're older and a cool shinobi like me."

Zyx's eyes sparkled as he grasped it, "This is the coolest thing ever!" He nodded, "I'll see you later little buddy, have a good birthday and stay out of trouble. Wish me luck on my mission." The boy smiled and nodded, giving him a thumbs up, "I'll know you'll do great!"

The boy spent the rest of his day hanging out with his family and opening presents; life seemed good once again. But everything that goes up had to come down.

"I'm sorry, what?" Orion said one day as Hana came over. Hana was Izumi's daughter. Zyxis had known her his whole life, although she was a few years older than him. Hana had entered their house sobbing, the only way to describe her was a mess. After they were able to calm her down, she dropped the bombshell.

"My father died on his mission." She sobbed, sniffling and trying to keep her cool, "Some shinobi came today and delivered his body. My mom broke down. My father is so cut up and bloody, I can't look!"

 She burst out crying again.

"Zyxis, stay here and comfort your friend I'll be right back." He then ran up the stairs. Both his mother and father came tumbling down the stairs with looks of distress and ran outside, gone to the wind. Lightning seemed to strike outside his house, the wind picked up, and the rain began to pour. Zyx frowned, "Hana, are you-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence as she rammed her head into his little chest and grasped onto him, crying her eyes out. Zyxis wanted to cry too; he loved Izumi as if he was an uncle, the only person who understood his love for becoming a shinobi. He grabbed her and rubbed her back, burying his face and head into her black hair.

"It's okay, it will all be okay," Zyxis didn't cry. It was as if a sudden realization dawned upon him. Izumi wouldn't want him to cry; he didn't want him to show weakness. Shinobi didn't sob. Shinobi stayed strong. He would remain formidable for Hana and help her get through this time.

Thirty minutes passed, and his parents came in drained. His mother was sobbing, and his father was holding her. He couldn't tell if Orion was crying or if it was the rain. He had never seen his dad cry before. Hana had fallen asleep on his chest from all the distress that she went through today. Izumi's wife came in as well, and so did the body.

The boy stared with a blank face at the body of Izumi. It looked like him. His face was cut up, and he was missing an arm, but it was him. Zyxis didn't cry; he refused to cry. He wasn't sure if he wanted him to cry so that he would pick the safer option. He hadn't cried even when he was younger. The first and last time he wailed was when he came out of the womb.

The funeral came quick. Zyxis hung out with Hana and was there for her when she cried. His mother sobbed and apologized. In front of everyone, she cried, "I didn't mean for our last conversation together to be a fight. You were my best friend; I loved you like the brother I never had. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!" He hugged his mother and made sure he was with her as well.

His father was probably taking it the hardest. He didn't make any sound, but tears welled up in his eyes. They had known each other since they were children. It was hard to see a childhood friend die even if you didn't know them. Imagine how his father felt staring at his dead friend in his casket, armless and cut up. Zyxis went over and hugged him, and his father squeezed him tight, but he only winced. There was no need for him to take away comfort from his father.

Once everything was finished, and Izumi's wife and daughter went home, his friends gone to the wind, the little white-haired boy had stayed. Zyxis bowed towards the grave, putting flowers he had picked himself. "I'm sorry, uncle. Izumi, you were probably the only one who truly got me," He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and pulled out the Raiton Kunai.

"I'm gonna become a shinobi just like you one day," Zyxis said with determination, "Not even like you, even stronger! One day, I will become Kage and get in the higher ranks and make sure the village will never have to send their shinobi out to die. Everyone will matter, and we will be equal. No more dictatorship, no more hellish landscape, and no more death."

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists around the kunai, "I won't be a hypocrite. I know it will take a while, and I might not be able to do it as fast as you want. I won't be able to do this either without killing. I know that, and I know what I have to do." He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, grabbing the kunai and slashing it against his palm.

His body jerked in pain, and he winced as blood flowed out from his hand. He put his hand over the grave and watched as it slowly left his body, falling on the dirt and the flowers, marking it like a painting.

"That's my promise to you, Uncle Izumi. I won't die, and I won't fall behind. I'll never lose. From here forward it will be a steady path with no breaks, and I'll become Kage. I'll never forget about you nor my goal."

He wandered back to his house and discretely wrapped up his arm and put away his kunai. All pain, all gain. He went to sleep, the eternal flame in his heart and stomach burning brighter than ever before. The next morning he trained, ran faster than ever before, studied more. He did the same thing the next day. Then he did it again every day after that. By the time his eleventh birthday had come around Hana wasn't crying anymore and she was training to become a shinobi as well.

His mother felt guilty still, but she didn't cry. His father worked harder than ever, but he didn't complain. Zyxis never sobbed once and worked every day. Now, he realized that if he were to become stronger, he couldn't rely on training by himself. He needed a proper education. Zyxis knew that he needed to train in the Academy and become a full-fledged ninja. He would've done it a year ago if he were ready. He gave Izumi a quick apology for waiting. The hardest part would be asking his mother; whose heart was still sore from losing her friend to the shinobi profession.

Zyxis couldn't hesitate. Zyxis couldn't wait. If he were, then another year would pass by, and then another. His promise would shatter. There was no hesitation as he walked up to his mother as she made dinner, "Mom," He started, taking a deep breath, "I want to enroll in the Academy and become a ninja."

She cursed as she burnt herself on the pan, backing up and putting cold water on it before it could hurt anymore, "Zyxis! Don't joke around like that when I'm cooking! You know that isn't funny!" Another deep breath, "I wasn't joking mom. I want to become a shinobi."

The water from the sink turned off almost eerily as she turned to him, "No." The answer was firm; there was no room for any discussion. She had no leeway about her response. Zyxis had already told himself that he wouldn't take no for an answer. "Mom, I'm becoming a shinobi rather you like it or not," She gasped, Zyx had barely ever back-talked to his parents.

"No, you're not! It was hard seeing my friend die," He almost winced, "Do you think I want to see my son die as well?" That time he did cringe back. "Mom! I won't die, I can't die. I need to repay Izumi for everything he had done for us. I need to become a shinobi to avenge him!"

"This isn't a game-!"

"I know it's not a FUCKING game!" He screamed louder than he ever had. There was complete silence. They could've heard a pin drop on a rug. At that same time, his mother's food decided to over boil, a searing noise sounding out as it touched the already hot stove top. She frowned and turned it off, ignoring the evaporating liquid.

"I'm sorry," Zyxis said, "But I'm doing this no matter what you say. I just wanted you to know." His mother shook her head with a small smile. Although it was a smile, it was sad. She looked as defeated as she did when they went to Izumi's funeral. "So you're doing this, son?"

His answer was concise and clear; it seemed to take the space from around it when he spoke, "Yes." She cringed. "I wish it weren't true... but I'll enroll you. Tomorrow, you'll probably start. Go to your room. I need some time to myself right now."

Zyxis frowned. He wasn't a kid that usually got in trouble ever; he was well-behaved. He had never been told to go to his room. His red-eyes flashed, and he turned on his feet stomping up the stairs. Zyxis told himself he wasn't upset, and that if he weren't a hundred-percent honest with his mother, then he wouldn't become a shinobi, and he would break his promise. The actual training would start tomorrow.

So he trained harder than he ever had before. He didn't waste time with friends at the Academy; they didn't know what it was like to have a goal, a mission in life. If he talked to them, he would waste precious training time. Time passed by, and time continued. He finished the Academy, his first step into the ninja world, finished. Zyxis knew that he didn't need to worry about it. He would continue training as he always did.

His birthdays in the Academy didn't matter, even when they came, he only trained and ate some cake and hung out with the family. He had a constant routine. He finished the Academy at fifteen, and you know the rest from there. Why was all of this important? Zyxis' life was about to change forever.

Even with having parents that were alive, a family that loved you, and village you cared for and wanted to make better; things weren't always the greatest. The only person to truly understood him had died, he realized that his parent's lives weren't the best either since their parents were gone, and so were their other relatives, and the shinobi's life was just emotional as it was. The white-haired Uchiha had unlocked his Sharingan through pain, even though he acted emotionless, he was not.

Today, he had been out to train like he always did. Life was pretty good so far. Natsume had agreed to get dinner with him so that he could talk to her about how to make her feel better, and why she was so sad in the first place. Hoshi and he had become better friends, it was another stepping stone that he could use to make the village a better place. He and Ryuka weren't the coolest together, but the colorful-haired boy was his first friend, so he didn't think it would take too much for them to get back on the right page and become good friends.

Zyxis was in the library, studying up on things he might've missed the past few months for training. You couldn't just keep just the body healthy; the mind had to be formidable as well. He had to keep up in all aspects. He went to get some more scrolls and went to see the new guy that did the library checkouts, but to his surprise, Hana was there.

Although, she wasn't smiling for the first time in a while. It looked like there were bags underneath her eyes and she looked pale. The boy moved quickly to greet her; he missed her dearly, she was a childhood friend after all. It seemed that in an instant she was there and then she was gone. She had disappeared without a trace. Did he see things that weren't there? That was impossible; the boy had 20/10 vision, twice as good as everyone else's. Could you even imagine an Uchiha wearing glasses?

He frowned, he wouldn't accept it. He ran around looking everywhere, but he couldn't seem to find Hana. Right now, he needed to admit the fact that he saw things that weren't there. He went to check out again, but there was no one there. "Excuse me," Zyxis yelled, but not too loud since it was a still a library, "Is anyone there?"

The owner of the library came out with a smile. She frowned when she saw that the desk was empty, "Where did Hana go? Last time she just disappeared on me, and now she's skipping work? I swear, I should fire that girl. Here, I'll help you check out." She sat at the desk, and he got some news articles and jutsu to practice later.

Zyxis frowned all the way home. Why had Hana run away from him like that? He hadn't moved at full speed as to not disrupt everyone, but he was pretty quick. Was she purposely avoiding him? He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was getting somewhat anxious. He wanted her to be okay. He felt as if he had some need to do it since the person he was so inspired by was her father. He would attempt to find her tomorrow, though. He didn't want to barge into her house uninvited. As soon as he got home, he wrote a note and sent it to her house with Eno.

He studied the scrolls and laid in bed, ready for the next day to come. He swore that he would help Hana, no matter what. Although he didn't want to admit it, if he were to be completely honest, Zyxis had a crush on her. He didn't feel much emotions that involved romance with others. He thought of Natsume as a little sister, he loved his mother and father like a child would, and he didn't have many friends when younger, especially not female.

Maybe after he was finished training, he could ask her to dinner, and they could talk over it.

WC: 4,163/16,000

Times were way simpler back then. Once again, there was no need to worry about things like dying every day and getting strong enough to prevent it. Hana used to be a free spirit; she used to be happy. When her father, Izumi had died, she felt as if a part of her had shattered into pieces. Hana loved her father more than anything in this world and without him, what reason was there to smile? Why should she laugh and cry? The whole reason she wanted to be a shinobi was that her father was one, Hana wished to be by his side during training and missions. Then one day he just up and left her, leaving only to come back deceased and mangled.

The last words that he told to her were, "Hana; I'm going on a mission. It might be a while, a few months even. I want you to care of mom, handle Zyxis, and make sure Uncle Orion doesn't miss me too much." Hana giggled, "Yes father!" Izumi smiled at her and rustled her hair. "That's my daughter. I love you more than anything in this world. Be safe, I'll see you later."

If she had known that when her father walked out that door, Hana would never see him again, she would've grabbed onto his coat and pulled on him with all of his strength. It was like a dream to her. This time she didn't let him go, she cried to him, begged him to stay. Every situation and re-run was different but had the same ending. Each step to the door made the house seem to shake, as he got closer a golden light illuminated from the window, growing brighter, so it was harder to see him.

Izumi walked out of the door, and Hana screamed at the top of her lungs, "Dad!" and just like that, it was over. She flew up in her bed coughing, tears running down her face. Hana frantically looked around her to see an empty room. She brought her knees to her breasts and planted her head in them and started to cry. By the time the female Chuunin finished, it was only two in the morning. She jumped out of bed, guess she was getting sleep tonight; again.

Hana grabbed her kunai and swung it around a bit, staring at it with morbid humor. With a sigh, she pressed the sharp blade against her skin, starting to add pressure. Pushing the kunai against her skin wasn't the first time the Chuunin had done it, either. Afterward, she would use that kunai to train, harder than she ever had before, not caring how she got hurt in the meantime. Hana was bruised, cut, and burned. She lay in a bath full of warm water, but even that couldn't make her feel better. She was to the point of breaking.

Every day she seemed to revert to a more quiet version of her, she barely went out in public, and her mother even had to bring her dinner cause she was too sad to get out of bed.

"Honey, I miss you," She coughed, "Why don't you come out and hang out? I swear we won't be upset with you, I want to see your face again, I love you, honey." Coughing, her mother walked away. Hana frowned to herself. She got out of bed and opened the door, taking her dinner and eating it by herself. The next day Hana woke up, feeling slightly better. She wondered how Zyxis was doing. Hana had left him for a while, as when this depression first happened Hana only went in on days that Zyxis wasn't there. It wasn't because she didn't want to see him, it was just a coincidence she got upset on days that he had come in.

It felt like it had been forever since she had seen the boy. It was kind of weird to think about it; they had been hanging out almost every day since they're childhood. Hana knew that they both wanted to become a ninja, it only served to strengthen their bond even more. Hana wondered how his family was doing. It would be a lie if Hana said she hadn't missed him. Hana looked at the kunai that was used daily, wondering if it even made her feel better. She knew it didn't; the black-haired girl was only lying to herself. Hana picked up and threw it; it embedded itself into the wall.  She cuddled against her bed and wondered if it would be nice to start making money again.

The next day the girl had gone into the library feeling anxious for some reason. There was no need to be, but the girl felt as if she was going to pass out. Her boss was lenient cause she knew that Hana was going through some stuff and wasn't in the right mind to work. The girl realized that she probably wouldn't get another chance in this job if she left again. The day had started slow, but as time passed by, more and more people came in. Every time she saw a bob of white hair, her heart would jump, and her cheeks would flush. It was usually just an old person. Although, someone familiar to her did stop by.

"Hana, it's great to see you!" Orion said as he came to the desk. Hana smiled at him, somewhat shyly, "Hi, Orion. How have you been?" The man shrugged, "I've been okay. Nothing has been going wrong as of recently. Although, people seem a bit off. I'm pretty sure it's the time of year when things get a bit crazy. Whenever it rains, people seem down and dreary. It rains constantly here."

Hana only nodded, the joke hitting too close to home. She went to start checking out her books, but a firm hand squeezed her shoulder, "Hey," Orion began, causing her to look up at him, "I've known you since the day you were born. If there's anything wrong, let me know. I think of you as my daughter, Hana. I'm sure Zyx would love to see you again anyway."

The girl blushed, "Really?" She covered her mouth as if she wasn't meant to say that. Orion chuckled, "Of course he does. Maybe you can try coming over tomorrow? My wife has been dying to see you as well." 

Hana took a deep breath. For once in a long time, she felt truly loved. Of course, her mother was there, and she would always love her mom, Hana cared for her mom more than literally anybody, but a male figure disappeared in her life, and that spot was never full.

"I'd love to. You already know I'll be there," Hana said with a small smile. After she checked out his books and left, the girl had a better day at work. Although, her performance there changed quickly. Once she checked out a person and looked up, Zyxis was right there. Their eyes met, and Hana's heart started beating faster than ever before. The white-haired Genin started moving towards her, and she went with the wind. Zyxis seem confused when he was and began to look around the library. After a few minutes of searching to no avail, he got checked out by her boss and left.

Hana snuck back in and apologized to her boss and told her that it was only a potty break. Thankfully, her boss waved her off and told her to warn somebody next time. Although Hana felt as if she wouldn't get fired, she was one of their best workers. The girl didn't know what had happened right there, but she was super worried when the boy had come in and wanted to talk to her.

Don't get her wrong; she didn't have any feelings for the boy. Well, that would be a lie, cause she somewhat did; but they were good friends. He probably views her as a sister since they grew up together and she is a bit older than him. It wasn't appropriate to run away, but she didn't stress out too much about it. She was aware that she would be able to see him again tomorrow. The day passed by quickly, and she was able to go home and get some sleep for once. The eyebags underneath her eyes took away from her natural beauty.

The night disappeared in a flash. She didn't have any nightmares and woke up happy. She heads downstairs and to the kitchen where her mother was making breakfast. Hana's mother would turn her head and cough every few minutes, sniffling. "Did you catch a cold?" Hana asked as she sat at the table. Her mother frowned and shook her head, "No, I just haven't felt good. Everything feels like it's burning and cool at the same time."

Hana looked at her mother with a frown, "Turn off the stove, mother." Her mom raised an eyebrow, "Why?" Hana shook her head, "I'm taking you to the hospital. You're pale, losing your voice, and look as if you're going to pass out any second. Why are you neglecting taking care of yourself?"

She turned the stove off and stomped her foot, "I could ask you the same thing! Your father died over five years ago; you can't continuously worry about it and get-" She was cut off, "Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Hana screamed, standing up. "Father was the only one that understood me! Neither you nor Zyxis' parents agreed with me being a shinobi! What am I supposed to do!?"

The mother began coughing horribly but still decided to get her last words in, "Zyxis doesn't hide in his room and cry every day, he works hard to respect your father. Stop feeling sorry for yourself! I'm going to the hospital now."

Hana growled, "Good riddance." She ran out the door and slammed it, breaking it straight off the hitches with her uncontrolled strength. Her mother sighed and started to cry, coughing as well. The daughter of the crying woman walked out the door and shook her head. It wasn't as if she hated her mother, but sometimes she got on her nerves. Hana looked in the mail, only to see the note from Zyxis. She was going to go over there anyway, but it was nice to know that he wanted her there as well. It didn't take her long to reach Zyxis' house as they only lived a few blocks away from each other.

She ran over there and knocked on the door. The butterflies in her stomach erupted again. What would Zyxis do or say once he saw her? Would he smile? If Hana were honest with herself, she would know that he would only be bland. The door open and her breath hitched.

"Hana?" A female voice rang out. She smiled as Carilyn came into view, the person she viewed as a second mother. "Hello Carilyn, where is Zyxis? I came to hang out with him; we haven't seen each other in a while." Carilyn raised an eyebrow, "He's just upset. Here, come inside. I'll prepare some food for you guys to eat."

Hana strolled in and looked around. Her second home and her second family. She sighed, maybe her mother was right. Closing herself off from the people she loved and the people who loved her was not a good thing to do. Hana missed seeing Carilyn, Orion, and Zyxis. She wasn't even sure how far he had made it being a ninja, how strong he had gotten. She was the hardest worker that she knew, he was probably to the point where he was peaking. As a Genin too, that was just plain silly.

Then why was she so nervous? Every step up the stairs was like being a pebble skipped in lava instead of water. The door opened.  Zyxis walked out with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, Hana. I've missed you," He said in the quiet tone he was known for whenever he spoke.

--- (POV Switch) ---

Zyxis anxiously anticipated the moment that Hana would come. He didn't know what they were going to talk about or what they were going to say, but he was somewhat excited to see her. A fellow shinobi just like him, the only one in his family - pseudo-family - that Zyxis could relate to and talk with about everything and anything that had to do with his ninja career. Sure, talking to friends like Ryuka, Hoshi, and Natsume were fine, but he felt as if he needed a deeper sort of bond or connection. He couldn't tell his mother; she would only get upset and rant about it.

Hana was his escape away from most everything. When he was upset, when he was tired, when he needed someone, Hana was always there. If he were to find out that she needed something he would be there for in a blink of an eye. Zyx laid himself on the ground and began to do push-ups to pass the time. By the time he did a hundred, someone was coming towards the door. He expected it to be his mother when he opened the door but instead, it was his childhood friend and rival, Hana.

He spoke without thinking, "Hey Hana, I missed you." His cheeks instantly flushed. The girl walked forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his chest. Zyxis wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. Usually, he would push her away, but it had been a while since the two of them had seen each other. It was weird when he continually wasn't teased, for once. Well, his other friends did tease him enough as well.

"I'm thrilled to see you," Hana said. She sounded defeated. As she spoke, she slumped in his arms more. Tears sprouted in her eyes. Zyxis only held her closer, leading her towards his bed. The two sat down on it, and she began to cry.

"Zyxis, I'm so sorry because I strayed away from you. I didn't mean to avoid you; I was just upset. Confused. Shinobi are not supposed to show emotions, but there is only so much you can bottle, right?" She wiped at her tears with her sleeve, "Life is so hard. I miss my father every day, my mother and I aren't getting along anymore, I don't want to live anymore."

The white-haired boy looked at Hana's arm, taking note of the wounds inflicted there. He frowned, "Why would you hurt yourself more," He gently rubbed his hand against her soft skin, a thin glow of chakra exiting his fingertips. It wasn't a healing jutsu by any means, but it helped soothe the pain. "It shouldn't hurt anymore. Please don't do that to yourself Hana; you have to get it together."

Hana nodded, "I know, shinobi aren't supposed to show emotions. That's, like, the first rule that we learned in the Academy. When times were simpler." 

Zyxis nodded, "When times were simpler." He agreed. The two went to his room and hung out. Later, his mother brought food up. Zyxis smiled to himself knowing that Hana was now feeling better and was okay, better than she was before. He wasn't the best at comforting people, nor was he the best at saying the right things, but if he could do anything to help her or anyone else vital to their village, he would.

"Why are you smiling at me like that Zyxis?" Hana asked with a raised eyebrow as she drank more punch. The boy shrugged, "This is the happiest I've seen you in a while, Hana. I'm just glad for you." The girl shook her head, "It's all thank to you and your family Zyx."

He sighed, "Do you think becoming a shinobi was such a good idea, Hana? We probably wouldn't have to go through so much stuff. My mother and father seem happy as citizens, doesn't your mother feel fine as well?"

Hana nodded, "I think about that a lot. We shouldn't think about that now." Zyxis nodded, "I understand. Let's try to have fun, okay?"

"Okay," Hana said with a smile.


[OOC: was going to get MS, almost died from brain trouble trying to type all of that]




- 1,649 + 1,351 = Art of The Raging Lion's Mane (3,000/3,000)
- 1,200 to Raiton: Jodan
- 1,000 to Lightning Release: Lightning Style Kunai
- 1,000 to Temporary Paralysis Technique + 1000 more to Master it no Handseals
- 951 to Raiton: Kunai Cutter (951/1,000)

Ew

Approved.