A Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 13 - Silence

I love writing a note before I start the story because it's interesting to see my attitude change by the time I'm finished writing! Writing this story is a good mind rest for me and I really need one these days... I'm living such a fast-paced and busy life, I need the breather.

More often than not, Shisui was absent during training. The war seemed to have reached its peak as there was less shinobi in the village than before. Her father was not an exception. With her mother's belly growing swollen day by day, Aki wished everything would end well for her family. Therefore, she became more relentless and trained until the world was spinning and every muscle in her body burned.

Well, it's not like he promised to be here every single day.

Ever since her birthday and the announcement of her mother's pregnancy, Aki couldn't help but open her heart a little more to the people surrounding her. This also meant she had to face what she had been denying for the past few years. Loneliness.

Taijutsu was what she focused on when she felt particularly lonely, then weapons, and finally, chakra control. It was a never-ending cycle of grueling training.

Several uneventful weeks past by with the same repertoire.

Then one day, before the snow had fallen, Aki's father came back with news.

"The war is over." he quietly announced with a grim face.

Mother's smile faltered a little.

"Why, that's very good news. I won't have to worry about you all the time anymore."

Aki was confused at the tension in the conversation.

Isn't this a good thing? Why are we not celebrating?

A wry smile hung on Aki's father's face.

"Yes, I guess it is."

With a glance at their bedrooms, Aki's father signaled for a private conversation with his wife.

Aki patiently waited for them to close the door then silently administered chakra to her ears in order to amplify her hearing.

"The Third Hokage is stepping down from his position."

"What? Now?" Mother spoke bewildered.

"He's old and tired from the war. I don't even want to know the number of casualties we faced. Nevertheless the number of shinobis we killed."

"Then is Namikaze-san.."

"Yes, or Orochimaru-san. The council and the Hokage will choose."

"I hope Namikaze-san gets chosen, he's done so much."

"Densetsu no Sannin has done much too, although Orochimaru does give off an odd vibe."

"Don't dismiss a shinobi's intuition, it's not just you who feels that way."

The rest of the conversation went unheard as Aki's mind whirled with the implications of a new Hokage.

The Naruto timeline is beginning soon.

And although a part of her was overjoyed with the end of the Shinobi War, Aki couldn't help but mourn at the thought of more people losing their lives over the Kyuubi Attack. If she could, she would have tried to stop it from happening, but she was a coward.

I'm not even six, nevertheless, I don't know how all this ninja stuff works. I'll just be killed. There is no way I could stop someone like Obito Uchiha.