<span style="font-weight: bold">"I'm going to the training field to visit the memorials."</span>Chaz spoke in a weary tone, after all the commotion he sounded resigned. Something about the fact that he was going to the memorial after such a haughty display of his cold "Shinobi" heart put a sour taste in Kenta's mouth. He watched him go wordlessly. Jumichi followed suit, seemingly having little to do.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"probably some errand the Old man has him doing and he's mocking me"</span>Kenta interlaced his fingers behind his head and huffed in agitation. "Why's that guy so...? What's his deal, man?" he wanted to hit something so bad, his knuckles itched. Jumichi gave a gesture to follow after him as he pushed off the wall and started to walk. Kenta quickly followed behind, curious in what he had to say in the "prodigy"'s defense. Jumichi walked wordlessly for a long time, all the while concentrating on the floor ahead of him. He was elsewhere but his body was still operating as normal. Kenta was intent on finding out what was going on. His focus was zeroed in on Jumichi's face, watching for a shift in expression a word, something. He only began to speak once they had left the Hokage's building. The air had stagnated and hung heavy with humidity even this deep into the night. After all the earlier bustle, the streets had gone quiet. Buildings that were often open late, were beginning to wind down and a few of the store lights had shut off.<br/><br/>"Nine years ago, do you remember the attack on the village?"  Kenta gave him a quizzical look as if he were speaking gibberish.<br/><br/>"A lot of ninja lost their lives that day. Among them, Chaz's parents" Jumichi filled in.<br/><br/>"What?" the word was barely audible from Kenta's lips. Things started to click into place. Jumichi had tried so desperately to hide his pain over his lost friend, but Chaz... he had nine years to figure out how to make himself go numb. The pair walked in silence until they reached the training field. Thoughts churning in both of their minds. There he was, kneeling at the stone.<br/><br/>"Think there's a good place up there for Aki?" Jumichi remarked, his voice shook for the first time all night. He didn't wait for a response before giving Kenta's shoulder a knock. It was a slow overly cautious hit. He'd probably never done it before "I'll see you guys in the morning," he turned and began walking aways as he spoke, giving one final look at the stone.<br/><br/>"And Kenta?" he stopped abruptly<br/><br/>"yeah?"<br/><br/>"Thank you," and with that, he walked off.<br/><br/>Kenta turned his attention to Chaz. The field at night had a greyness to it. Like a light always dimly illuminated the whole place with a dull, soft glow. Kenta walked through the grass towards Chaz, wavering as he moved. The thought of just aborting this whole idea flitted through his mind countless times.<span style="font-style: italic">He hasn't seen you yet</span>He thought.<span style="font-style: italic">He needs space, he wouldn't want someone to bug him right now!</span>but Kenta's legs carried him ever forward. It was his own stubborn decisive niceness.<br/><br/>"Hey" he called in a soft voice. It wasn't much but Chaz was close enough to have heard him. "The stores are closing up but-" his words trailed off<span style="font-style: italic">No that's stupid</span>he thought to himself. He sat down next to Chaz and just quietly looked over the stone. A lot of familiar names marked this stone.<br/><br/>"It hurts when people we love die," he spoke to himself just as much as he spoke to Chaz "We can push it away but... it comes back," his words were a rasp in his throat "I couldn't let you suffer alone... even if you wanted to," he was silent for a while as the sound of cicadas rung up from the trees. It was oddly late for such cries, maybe even bugs mourn. Clouds that Kenta hadn't even noticed moved and the moon shone brightly on the training field.<br/><br/>Kenta turned to look at the sky once more, his eyes had welled up and threatened to overflow. He let the tears roll down his cheeks as they came, his hands gripped at a blade of grass, and he placed it into his palm. After pressing his palms together and deep concentration he managed to rend a straggly hole into the grass using his chakra. It was a game he liked to play when he wanted to get his mind off of things.<br/><br/>"I was never great at this," he chuckled as he spoke, followed by a soft sniffle.