"If there's anything else I need, it's something I can only get from you. A serious discussion regarding our anti-social friend, Itachi."
Ara gave Hana a sceptical look, which the brunette ignored with ease. "Where the hell has he been? Missions wouldn't have lasted for months, right?"
"He's an Anbu, Hana, it was only a given."
"No, it's not!" Hana frowned, "Even Mikoto-san couldn't tell me where exactly is he! I can't remember when was the last time I saw him!"
"He came to Aniki's wedding, at least."
"And he disappeared as soon as it was over!"
"Hana, you're exaggerating." Ara gave the waitress a grateful nod as she placed their plates on the table, but the said waitress gave her a hateful glare. Hana, upon noticing this, let out an angry growl, watching the waitress until she left.
"If murder was legal, she would be dead by now," Hana turned to Ara, giving her a concerned look, "Doesn't it at least bother you a bit? The way everyone looks at you like that?"
"I just learn how to live with it."
"You're being too passive here, Ara."
"Does it look like I care?!" the ex-Anbu snapped, catching her friend by surprise. Hana sent her a shocked, almost scared look, and Ara herself flinched at the brunette's reaction.
"Sorry, didn't mean to yell."
"... Yeah, it's fine." Hana looked down, taking a bite from her BBQ. "But back about Itachi... Do you know where he is? Anything about him? Even Sasuke is worried, I talked to him!"
"Hana, you're worrying too much."
"For good reasons, too!" Her expression turned into one of realization, "... You know something, don't you?"
"It's the clan's business. We shouldn't get involved, and there's nothing we can do."
Hana shook her head, "I wanted to see him. Something's wrong, I can feel it."
Upon the lack of response, the Inuzuka growled, "Ara, I don't remember the last time we spent our time together, just the three of us! Why can't things be as simple as they used to be?!"
Memories flashed through Ara's mind; the villagers' torture, corpses lying beside her feet, blood dripping from her axe, Naruto's angry look, Yuito's hateful gaze, everything that made her heart clench in frustration.
"... Because we grew up. We don't have time for that." Ara's gaze hardened, "We're no longer children. We're shinobi, we have our duties."
"But we're still human," Hana's tone softened, "I don't mind having two badass nerds as my friends. But I'm not a genius like the two of you, I'm not a prodigy. Not long after I started Academy, you got promoted as a Jōnin. I finally became a Genin, but you and Itachi are already Anbus!"
Ara gritted her teeth, "I had no choice, Hana, it's-..."
"It's okay. Itachi had to please his father and you had to survive. But don't forget that I'm not as great as you are." Hana let out a sigh, "... I can't keep up. Even if I try, it would just be a meaningless chase. Ranks or status doesn't matter, I just want to be strong enough to protect those around me. I'm already happy when I see that people acknowledge your powers, giving you the titles you deserve."
"Hana, I don't like the sound of that. I don't want to-..."
"I'm fine with you leaving me behind. I'm not going to stop you, you have your dreams and I'd rather have you reach those."
YOU ARE READING
Master of All Beasts
Fanfiction"People are afraid of what they don't understand. I realize that humans can lost their humanity on what they hate. And that last sentence alone already scares me." Karasu was abused physically, mentally, and emotionally, that her heart slowly became...
