When Lightning Strikes Part 2

Chapter 30

Hatake Kaiyo P.O.V.

Silently I walk up the stairs to the attic. Without turning on the light I make my way to a certain box. Without making a sound I move two or three boxes until I find a small music box. I open it but no music comes out of it. Instead there's a bunch of pictures. I take the top two, since I've purposely placed them there a few days ago. I put the music box away before silently walk back down the stairs. I close the door and walk down the other flight of stairs. I put on my shoes and silently leave my house. It doesn't take long for me to find my favorite spot. Above the stoneheads looking down on the city. Even though it's the middle of the night, I see a lot of lights. I zip open my jounin vest and take the two pictures out of my pockets and hold them in my left hand, and take a kunai out with my right. As I spin the kunai around my index finger I look at the pictures. Each one is of one of my parents, either one is in their ANBU uniform. Both don't seem to know that the photo is being taken. Both seem about my age, though my mom seems wounded. One thing is similar with both. Both their eyes almost scream 'depressed'. I smile slightly. "Seems to run in the family huh?" I whisper. I lean my chin on my hand while I keep the kunai spinning on the other. I look over my beloved city as I frown for a second. I take my head off my hand at the picture again. I stop the spinning by taking the kunai tightly in my hand. With a whoosh my hair is blown into my face.

I stop the movement of my kunai and close my eyes for a second. "Don't you have a family to go to?" I say softly as I open my eyes. "I am with my family" Naruto sits down next to me. "It sure is a view huh?" He asks. "It is" I say softly. "You know Kaiyo" Naruto sighs deeply. "I've been watching over you ever since you've been born" Naruto says. I glance at him sideways and he smiles. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice that, that crazy big smile disappeared from your face?" Naruto asks. I turn my gaze back to the city. "Tell me honestly, what were you planning to do just now?" Naruto asks and I can hear the worry in his voice. "I don't know" I say softly. "I came here to be alone, Naruto-niichan" I say. "I don't think you should be alone right now" Naruto says softly. "Why don't you talk to someone, Kaiyo? Every adult you know has experience with losing someone they care about. They know exactly what you're going through" Naruto lays his hand on my back. I finally look at him. "I don't know what to say. I've tried but when push comes to shove I don't know what to say" I say sadly. "Say you're hurting" Naruto smiles slightly. "Say that Ginjiro's death hurts more than you expected and that you need help" Naruto says. "No one will judge you for it" he adds. "There's nothing anyone can do to help" I mumble. "Perhaps. Most of it you got to do by yourself yes. But everyone will tell you that you're not alone" Naruto says. He shoves me slightly and when I look at him surprised he smiles slightly. "You're my adorable cousin. Did you really think I'd let you hurt yourself out of pain?" I rub my eyes and smile slightly. "Guess not" I say before shoving him back.

I pull my leg up and lean my forearm on it. "It's been a while since you've invited me like this, Shikamaru-sensei" I say softly as I move my shogi piece. "I guess we both lead busy lives now" Shikamaru answers and I smile slightly. "I guess" I mumble. For a little while the only sound are the shogi pieces moving on the board. "So, Naruto told me something that worried me a little" Shikamaru says finally. I knew this wasn't just catching up. I don't respond but lean my chin on my arm as I move my piece. "You know you can talk to me about anything, why didn't you?" He asks. "Because I'm pathetic" I move my chin from my arm and lay my forehead against it instead. "After every thing that my parents have been through, you all have been through, I just lost a friend and I'm like this" I say. Shikamaru chuckles slightly. "We grew up in tense times, we didn't have the time to feel it as intensely as you. But that doesn't mean it wasn't there Kaiyo" Shikamaru says. "Believe me when I say that after the war it caught up with us, and we all had to take a moment to deal with it" he says. I don't respond. "You don't have to feel ashamed" he says. "Everyone keeps saying that" I say. "Then why don't you believe us?" I close my eyes. "I don't know" I whisper. I look up and place my chin on my arm again. Shikamaru smiles gently at me. "What would you say if it happened to your sister?" He asks. "I don't want her to feel this way. Ever" I answer. Shikamaru chuckles. "I know. But she will" he says. "I'd probably say the same thing" I sigh. "It'll pass. Embrace it, learn from it. Grow. I know you can do it" Shikamaru says moving his piece, defeating me. "Yes sensei"