Shattered Dreams (Naruto fanfic)

Chapter 7

I was filled with so much pent up frustration and anger, that I decided to go for a walk around the village. I had reached a small copse of trees at the edge of the village and decided to climb one. I climbed as high as I could go and sat on a branch near the top. I looked up at the night sky and stared at the stars. Why? Why must this world be this way? It seemed like the shinobi world was destined for bloodshed and pain. I heard the sounds of laughter behind me and turned my head to see a young family. It was a mother and father walking with a little boy in between them. They were holding the little boy's hands and swinging him up into the air and the boy pealed with laughter. I smiled gently at the family but then the smile slipped from my face as I thought of the upcoming war. I thought of the possibility of the parents being sent to war and someone having to tell that little boy that his parents were dead. Then that little boy would have to go to war himself. I had never seen a true war but the idea frightened me. I stared back up at the sky. I thought of Madara and Hashirama and all the siblings they lost. I thought of my own older brother. He was only 14 when he died. I was 10 while my sister was 6. It was the first time that my sister and I had experienced real death and it broke our hearts. I never wanted that to happen again. But I had no power to change that.

I heard a voice calling to me. I looked down to see Yurie staring up at me. "Yurie, what are you doing up?" "I heard you got in a fight with Father and I wanted to see you." She climbed up the tree and sat on the opposite branch from me. We both turned our gazes up to the sky. "Father worries about you, you know." I looked over at Yurie. "Of course he does. I have the strongest Kekkai Genkai of our clan." She shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I don't think he liked sending you on that mission alone. He never said anything but I could tell he was worried about your safety." I sighed. "If that was the case, then why did he send me alone?" She looked away and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because he only trusted you? Or maybe the clan elders thought that you were the most capable." I bit my lip. Did Father worry about me? It was hard to believe especially after our argument. I never knew what was going on in that man's mind. "Yurie..." I hesitated. Her light blue eyes focused on me. "What is it Mayumi?" "What if.... what if we didn't have to fight?" Her face turned wary. "I would love if that was the case.... but you know that's not possible." "But what if it is? What if there are others out there who want to see peace as much as we do?" She shook her head at me. "I wouldn't trust them. They could just be saying that to get your defenses down and strike at an opportune moment." "But what if they really meant it?" Yurie grabbed my hands and gave them a slight shake. "Mayumi, you can't afford to be thinking like that. Remember the story our brother Takeshi told us?" I knew instantly what she was talking about. Old memories resurfaced as I thought of the past.

Flashback

"Come on Yurie, we're almost there." I pulled my little sister along as we raced to our destination. We finally came to a door and I raised my small fist and knocked. The door opened to reveal Takeshi in the doorway. "Big brother!" Yurie and I tackled our brother in a hug. He laughed and ruffled our hair. "May, Yurie, what are you guys doing here?" My brother was the only one who called me May. "Shi-shi!" Since Yurie was only four, she had trouble pronouncing Takeshi's name. "We want to hear stories of Mother again," I pleaded. Takeshi rubbed the back of his head, mussing up his short chestnut hair in the process. "Shouldn't you guys be in bed?" I looked up into big brother's hazel eyes. "Please?" I begged. "Pwetty pwease?" Yurie begged as well. I saw the moment he caved in and he sighed. "Alright. Come sit on the bed and I'll tell you about Mother." Yurie and I sat on each side of Takeshi and he wrapped his arms around us as he began weaving his tale.

"One of the things they say about Mother was that her beauty was unparalleled. Her hair was long and as dark as midnight. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel that seemed alive with its shimmering colors. Her skin was flawless and the color of light chocolate. She also had an amazing singing voice that people swore could tame even the wildest of beasts." That was one of the few things I remembered about my mother. I remembered how soothing her voice was as she sang me to sleep each night. "She was also known for her kind and compassionate heart. She would go out of her way to help even the smallest of creatures. It is rumored that that is why Father fell in love with her. Even though she was not from a prestigious family, she took to the role of clan leadership quite well and became a strong figure by Father's side. She always tried to negotiate for peace between the Yume and the other clans." Takeshi looked down at his lap and a frown pulled at his lips. "Unfortunately, that compassion was her undoing. She had agreed to meet with another clan for peace talks when they turned traitor and killed her and her entourage. Since that day, Father has never trusted another clan and the Yume ceased all peace negotiations."

"Big brother," I whispered. He never told us the story of how she died before. Takeshi looked at me and I saw the pain in his expression. He was the only one who was old enough to remember Mother. "Remember May, Yurie. People only look out for themselves. You must always keep your guard up."

End Flashback

"Don't end up the same as Mother, Mayumi. It is unwise to trust others outside of our clan." I stared into her eyes and I saw that she truly believed that. There was no way I was going to change her mind. I made a couple decisions that night. One, I could never tell anybody else about my friendship with Madara and Hashirama. Two, not only would I try to change the world so that my sister would be safe but also so she would have faith in humanity. Cause I believe there is still hope for us all.