In Their Shadow

Chapter 20

Yuma sighed as he walked down the trail to Third Training Ground, the spot he and the rest of team seven usually meet up and the grounds named after the the Third Hokage, who had held jurisdiction over these grounds before his passing. He was down in the dumps for his inability to gather up the courage to apologize to Naruko for ruining the get together. He had attempted going to the infamous home of the Hokage, the Hokage's Manor, but chickened out once he got there.

'Damn it, I suck so hard.' Yuma said, down in the dumps over his inability to admit he was wrong.

'I can't believe I chickened out at the last second, it's just two words. 'I'm sorry.', yet I can't even say it!' He complained to himself, his wrapped arms and hands in his pockets as he looked at the ground solemnly.

A golden hue shown from beneath the bandages wrapped around his arms, a light shining from his forearm.

"What seems to be the matter?" Yumito asked suddenly, a light tiredness evident in its tone.

"Oh, hey. You woke up." Yuma said, surprised at its sudden voice.

"Yes, I needed only around twenty-four hours of rest. I am now fully revitalized." Yumito spoke, its voice now more resembling a static like copy of Yuma's voice.

"That's weird, your voice is different. What happened?" Yuma asked.

"Nothing. I just felt like you were often put off by my previous voice, so I assumed yours." Yumito mused.

"Yeah, but your voice will always be weird, whatever..." Yuma said, his voice trailing off, his mood still in the dumps.

"You seem troubled." Yumito said.

"That's an understatement..." Yuma complained.

"Tell me what is wrong Yuma, and I shall help you in any way I can." Yumito said.

"Nah, I just ruined someones meal, I already know what to do. I'm just too scared to do it." Yuma said, his eyes downcast.

"That's it?" Yumito said, still not accustomed to the concept of human guilt.

"And that's why I can't talk to you about these things Yumito...You wouldn't get it." Yuma said with a huff.

The light beneath his bandages began to dim.

"I see...I'm sorry." Yumito said, a strange inflection in its voice.

"Yumito?" Yuma said, worry for his body's occupant evident in his tone.

"There is plenty I have to learn of you humans...So plenty..." Yumito said.

"Yumito...Sorry, I shouldn't have been so rude..." Yuma said, now feeling guilty over him not allowing Yumito to help him.

'There I go again, why am I so terrible at talking to others? Its one thing to be that way toward others, but to be that way even to a being I myself created? How socially inept can I be...' Yuma lamented.

"You needn't apologize, it-!?"

Suddenly, Yuma heard a swishing sound, almost like sand paper being rubbed against grass. It sounded as if it were rushing at him from behind in a quick manner. He turned around, and-!?

"YUMA!"

Suddenly, Yuma was dragged into his own shadow, he looked outward from within the shadow and found that a sharp pillar of sand had pierced the spot his body was once standing. Before he could come to terms what was happening, he felt his shadow being pulled by some unseen force. The plot of land his shadow was situated on, was turned into sand, forcing him out of the shadow, leaving a black stain. His body flew, as he tried regaining his footing after being seeming pushed from out of his shadow. He brought his feet down onto the ground, biting onto his tongue due to the force of the forceful landing.