In Their Shadow

Chapter 41: A Boy Capable Of Great Things

It was the morning of the Exams, Yuma woke up with a yawn, blinking as his vision adjusted to the dim lighting. He rubbed at his tired eyes, looking wearily at his surroundings. He was laying on a bed in a completely blank room, to his left was a lamp and a door that lead into the main hall of the Shimura Dojo.

'...Must've been knocked out during training...But I don't feel injured...Why is that?'

A knock at the door got his attention, as he sat upright in the bed, his feet dangling off the side.

"Come in..." He said with a tired disposition, wondering who it was.

The door opened with a creak, the genuine light spilling in making Yuma squint. Standing in the doorway was Sai, a small smile he was sporting made Yuma grin back.

"Hey Sai, what time is it?" Yuma asked.

Sai nodded his head, his smile still not going away.

"No need to worry, you still have two hours before the exams start." Sai said, assuaging Yuma of his worries.

Yuma got out of the bed, stretching his arms over his head. This action made Sai chuckle.

"You seem to have slept well Yuma." Sai remarked.

"Yeah, its been awhile since I've slept so soundly. This place is ten times better then my dinky old apartment." Yuma said, as he walked to the doorway, ready to get the day started.

"I'm sure Lord Danzo will be glad to hear that." Sai said, bringing a small frown to Yuma.

"So, I noticed you call mister Danzo "Lord" a whole lot. Why the formality?" Yuma asked, bothered how distant Sai seemed to behave with the man Yuma viewed as a father figure.

"That's..." Sai, taken off guard, looked at the ground, holding his chin.

Yuma, thinking he had over stepped his boundaries, tried taking back his question.

"...Never mind. Sorry, it's none of my business." Yuma said.

"No. Its alright. Its just...How do I put it."

Sai's gaze turned vacant, as if he were in deep thought.

"Danzo is...Hard to approach unless he is the one to approach you first. That's the kind of man he is. At least, in my opinion." Sai said, looking as if he had more he wanted to say, but was unable to.

Yuma stared at him in shock. Sai, uncomfortable by the silence, thought he had made a mistake in how he worded his feelings. That is, until...

"Ha! You're totally right. He is hard to approach. Like a cat!"

Sai titled his head in confusion.

"A cat?"

"Yeah! You know, like how a cat acts all contrary and pretends indifferent. Behaving coldly, but then unexpectedly, every now and then, does something kind to show he really cares deep down."