Poker Face

Chapter 41

***Authors Note***

Yes I know the last chapter is two votes away from the goal but I just had an awesome day and thought I would update. :)

Chapter 41

“Everyone is here. The gang is back together.” I smile at my friends.

Toshi, Akiko, Katsuo, Takeo,Akio, Tetsuya, Kiyomi, Michio, Momoka, and Hayate are all seated by the fire, laughing and joking with each other.

Shinobu, Yuuto, Akane, and Konohamaru are all gathered by me, discussing the war. Well everyone but Akane. She is stuffing her face with food.

“It’s really too bad the other team leaders couldn’t be here. We could use their expertise.” Shinobu muses.

“Shinobu! If they were here you know they would arrest Utau!” Yuuto scolds his fiancé.

“I know…I was only wishing.”

“Wishing what? That I was someone else?” I snap out, locked up anger boiling inside.

“No! I..”

“You what? I can see it Shinobu! You wish I had never come to the mainland in the first place. Or even been born! You hate me for almost killing you and then getting Yuuto captured! You hate me for the lives I have taken! You all do! I can see it in your faces!” I scream, giving them all one last look before turning around and running.

I sigh heavily. I don’t know where that little outburst came from. It just happened.

I throw a pebble into the small stream and lean against the tree trunk.

The words had just come out of my mouth, I barely knew what I said before I said it. I guess that saying “think before you leap” didn’t apply there.

I bang my head against the back of the tree.

Why do I have to behave so stupidly sometimes? After my little outburst if Shinobu didn’t already hate me then she certainly does now.

I drop my head and stare at the grass.

Why does my heart feel so heavy then?

I groan and flop down on the grass.

“Why is it so hard being human?” I yell to no one in particular.

“Who knows?” Comes the answer.

I jerk up, my guard now on full alert.

“Konohamaru?” I blink, surprised, as he emerges from the forest to sit next to me.

I feel the tips of my ears burning in embarrassment.

“You heard that didn’t you…”

“Oh yes, I heard it all.” He turns to look at me. “You know, Shinobu seems pretty upset after what you yelled at her. In fact you have the whole camp upset.”

I smile weakly.

“It’s a gift I seem to have.”

“I noticed.” He says with a short laugh.

We sit there in silence, the only sounds are crickets chirping to the moon.

“You remember when we first met?” He says after a while.

I smirk.

“Yeah…”

“Don’t lose him! We can’t let him keep that scroll!” A younger looking Konohamaru yells as his team races through the snow, desperate looks on their faces.