Living a Lie

Chapter Thirty-One - Make a Wish!

Kuma-san escorted me to just outside the festival, stopping at the edge of the beach alongside an old, weathered oak bench. I took a seat and watched as he slowly scanned our surroundings, his pale blue eyes flashing every now and then in the lights cast by the lanterns. With a quick nod to himself, he shuffled over to sit by me on the bench (which now seemed about ten times smaller than it had before).

“So,” he began, and I watched as he slowly leaned back and assumed a more comfortable, relaxed position beside me. “Kawabe this year, hm?”

I nodded. “Where has he sent you before?”

“Let’s see. When there were more than a couple teams back at one of the bases, he’s sent us to a mountain resort in Lightning, an old mansion by a beautiful lake in the Land of Water, and some inn with natural hot springs on the border between the Lands of Sound and Hot Water.”

I leaned forward eagerly. “Hot springs? Seriously?”

Kuma-san laughed. “Yeah, but that was only once. Usually, if we weren’t all around at once, he’d send us on small missions away from whatever base we were located in at the time.” He glanced sideways at me, a mirthful sparkle in his blue eyes. “I’m surprised he didn’t give you guys a chore list.”

I laughed. “I think he tried, but ended up just telling us to keep our eyes and ears peeled for any information on the jinchuuriki.”

This made Kuma-san perk up. “Speaking of which, I have something for you to pass along.” Reaching into a hidden pocket inside his obi, he pulled out a small, sealed scroll. “I’ve found one, the seven-tails. She’s heading back toward Takigakure. Kakuzu-san should be able to provide more information regarding the abilities of the beast.”

Well that dampened my mood. Great. Another jinchuuriki hunt. Another three days of ripping the soul out of another poor, innocent human being.

“Oh,” was all I could say to that. I couldn’t even muster some false enthusiasm to make sure Kuma-san thought I was truly Akatsuki material.

He brought one of his giant hands to rest on my shoulder and patted it gently. “I know it’s rough. But it’s part of the job.”

I nodded mutely, trying to dislodge the sharp memory of the six-tails jinchuuriki screaming in agony.

A few endless moments of unhappy silence passed as we watched the waves crashing over each other in the rising tide. Kuma-san was the one to break it, though. “Any idea what you’ll be writing on your Tanzaku this year?” he asked.

I’d been pondering that very question half-heartedly ever since my discussion with Itachi. I didn’t want to see Sasuke again, that was for sure. I really wasn’t interested in getting myself all knotted up in a relationship, either. “I’m not sure. Maybe luck or something like that,” I replied, and then turned to look at the giant man sitting next to me. “What about you, Kuma-san?”

“To be honest, I haven’t really celebrated Tanabata in a long time. I haven’t written a Tanzaku in years.” He looked up toward the sky, and I joined him, my eyes tracing the patterns in the constellations and following what I could see of the silvery river that separated the two star-crossed lovers. I jumped a little at the deep sound of Kuma-san’s voice as he finally answered me, “Good health, I think, would be a good wish.”

I nodded, returning my attention to the stars.

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“Sakura, where’ve you been?” Deidara called as I worked my way towards the group. “We’ve been looking all over for you, un.”