Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟏𝟓| Heroes

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
– George Bernard Shaw

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DAWN

"He's not dead."

"No shit Sherlock, he just collapsed due to chakra exhaustion—"

"Not Kakashi Sensei, idiot. I'm talking about Zabuza."

"I knew that." Jiro scoffed. "Who are you calling an idiot, kid? And how so?"

Dawn leaned her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs, her back resting against the wall. "Instinct."

To be more precise, it was more than instinct. She knew he was alive, she knew what death felt like and for some reason she didn't feel it when the kid swooped in and 'disposed' of Zabuza's body. She also had a feeling that the Hunter Ninja was more than he seemed to be, his distinct clothing that was culturally worn by winter-deployed Shinobi and the long black hair. It had to be Haku. The more logical side of her thought she was insane for believing the twisted lies of her mind. But the fact that she randomly collapses out of nowhere told her that she had lost her sanity long before she even arrived at the Leaf Village and that either way, nothing ever made sense. So she had to follow her instincts in order to make something out of the situation.

"Instinct?" Jiro deadpanned. "Or does it have something to do with the whole blanking thing you got going on."

"Blanking?" She scrunched her nose. "Am I meant to know what that means or...?"

"When you fainted your eyes were like white-ish. I don't know how to describe it, but it was blank. Like you were lifeless or some shit. That's why I was so worried." He grumbled.

"You were worried about me?" She teased, a small smirk on her lips.

He rolled his eye, his furry ears drooping slightly. "You know I do, kid. Now, you wanna tell me why you didn't want to flee?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, avoiding his stare and ran her thumb over the decaying, wooden floorboard of the bridge-builder's accommodation.

"Of course not." He retorted smartly. "So I suppose I'm meant to forget how you tried distracting the Uchiha scum by angering him, or how you wanted to stay with your teammates instead of running away, or the little gossip sessions you've had with candy girl, or the way you bandaged blondie's wound, or that deal you made..." he shrugged.

Her eyes pulled into a glare. "I don't know what you're insinuating, but that doesn't mean anything. The only reason I made the deal was because I made a promise to you, and I can never break something like that. That's all."

"And it's not because you care about them?"

"I can't let my emotions get in the way of everything. You know that, Jiro..." Dawn sighed.

"What's everything?" Jiro suddenly hissed, lifting his head up. She flinched at his tone, not used to having him vicious with her. "Because for all I know, we moved to the Leaf five years ago for the sole purpose of forgetting everything and actually living our lives. This isn't living. This is destroying yourself, because you can't be bothered to open your eyes."

"Open my eyes to what?" She asked, her tone eerily quiet, yet steady. "Because every time I open my eyes I see the dead bodies of my family and my home. I open my eyes and still feel the coldness of the blade cutting my skin. I open my eyes and hear her voice taunting me. I open my eyes and see Keiji's lifeless eyes. So don't mind me if I want to keep my eyes closed. Because there's nothing in this Village that could fill the emptiness within me. Nothing."