The last words that echoed through his mind as he sat there...The look of sadness deep within her eyes, that smile...that seemed much more genuine than any of the others that she’d given him before now. ‘Sometimes two minds are better than one, and sometimes answers are a lot easier to find with a little help. But I understand, probably better than anyone, how hard it is to trust. If you don’t trust, then no one can let you down. After all, the only one you can truly count on is yourself.’ Those words, so true...he knew what it was to be let down...to be lied to, to trust, and then have your confidence shattered in to a million pieces. That’s why he never opened up to anyone, always hid behind a shell, worked alone, and guarded himself, always.<br/><br/>A faint frown formed on his lips as he slowly sank back, so that he was laying down on the branch, staring up at the sky through the tree branches, the light of day growing steadily brighter, and dappling the ground below with different shades of green. Before he closes his eyes, he once again forms the clone symbol, and this time, not one, but two clones appear. They go in opposite directions, keeping an eye out for any unwanted guests, just like before.<br/><br/>His mind, though guarded with an iron shell, began to wander...Had he really misunderstood her? He didn’t want to believe it, but was she really that hard to understand? Usually he could decipher a person in just a few hours of being around them, but for her, she was a complete mystery. And no doubt it was that way about him, for her as well. Either way, all this wouldn’t matter once he was back in Konoha. He’d forget about her, forget about this mission they had been on, and be completely focused on the true goal of his life.  But now he was getting a nagging feeling, that even when they go their separate ways back in the village, he’d be dealing with her again, some day. He didn’t like that thought, and so tried to rid it of his mind, but no doubt, it was there.<br/><br/>Sighing softly, he looks up through half closed eyes, the image he was seeing blurred from his eyelashes. What was this? Doubt? Was he really doubting himself? That was not something he was one to do...so why was he doing it now? What was the true purpose of this mission? Was the Hokage, Tsunade, up to something else that they didn’t know of? Was that it? Or was it something different? Kuronotsurugi shakes his head softly to himself. That wasn’t right...He had to stop thinking like this. However...even as he was thinking to himself, his mind began to slip, and sleep slowly began to over take his body.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">It was a rainy day, a dark day. Even though the clouds were in the sky, the class was being taught outside, practicing their shuriken throwing. A younger version of Kuronotsurugi could be seen, standing by himself, shuffling slightly where he was as he waited for his turn. He wore rather plain clothes, a pair of dark shorts, and a high collared black short sleeved shirt, with the Uchiha symbol on the back. His white hair, damp from the rain, fell in his face, covering his forehead, hiding those nubs he hated so much.<br/><br/>Even though his eyes were downcast, he could feel that people were looking at him, his classmates staring. Some were glares of hatred, others uncertainty. He could hear whispers as his name was called, snickers of jibing comments. ‘Hey, it’s horn boy.’ ‘What is with that white hair? Can’t he change it to something else?’ ‘I still don’t think he’s an Uchiha...he doesn’t look like one!’ Laughter waves through the group, and his fingers trembled as he took the shuriken from the teacher, his heart feeling as if it had stopped in his chest. He couldn’t breathe...lifting his chin to look at the targets, he bites his bottom trembling lip, fighting back the overwhelming emotions he was starting to feel.<br/><br/>‘Hey, look, he’s gonna cry!’ ‘Oh, wow, that’s a new one. What a crybaby.’ Squeezing his eyes shut, he grits his teeth, and instead of the target, he whirls around and lets the shuriken whirl towards the hating classmates. They miss of course, he wasn’t going to kill them. “JUST SHUT UP! WHAT DO YOU EVEN KNOW ABOUT ME, HUH?! YOU THINK I ASKED TO LOOK THIS WAY? DO YOU!?!? JUST SHUT UUUUP!!!” The tears fell from his eyes, mixing in with the rain that fell, and before anyone could say anything, he whirls around and runs.<br/><br/>Arms pumping back and forth, the rain splattering in his face, stinging against his cheeks. He felt as if he was dead, but his body said otherwise. He hated it. He just wanted to fade away, disappear. Why did they have to be so mean? Why did he have to be such a baby? He wasn’t seeing where he was going, and just ran. Before long he’d gone to a part of the village he didn’t know, filled with trees. And as he looked up, it was too late. Running head long in to a tree, he collapses back on to the ground. His vision blurs, as he felt warmth running from his forehead. “Oh well...” He murmurs... As he closes his eyes, the tears only stopping once he’d passed out.</span><br/><br/>His hand reached up to his face, and was surprised to find tears falling. Opening his eyes, he was back to reality and sits up slowly. A frown on his lips, he takes a trembling breath, before wiping away the rest of the tears that were on his cheeks, shaking his head. It had been quite some time since he’d dreamt of his past...Looking around, he wondered if Hikari was back or not from her little trip away. He was half way hoping she was still gone, as he didn’t want her to see him crying in his sleep.<br/><br/><br/>Sen sighs softly, when Arashi said that it was fine. She couldn’t help but smile a little bit at what he said after, only with him she would. She hoped that something like that wouldn’t happen again either, she hated being left alone. “Huh, oh, um, yeah, I’m a little hungry...” She replies, standing up slowly. This wasn’t the first time he’d ever asked her if she needed to eat, but every time he did it felt nice, nonetheless. Wondering to herself, she hoped that he would eat with her, but rarely did he ever do that. Just once she’d wished he’d sit down with just her and have a meal, but she wasn’t brave enough to ask such a thing.<br/><br/>They leave the room in which they come to, and go to another area, where there was food to eat. As they walked, they pass by a few others of whom they either worked with, or just knew from sight. A lot of them knew of her failures, and some even pointed it out as they walked past. Her eyes were staring at the ground as she walked, and her feet felt heavy. She didn’t talk back to anyone, instead kept quiet, allowing them to say their snide remarks, taunts, and rude words. It wasn’t within her will to retort...she was one who took the hits, and just let it go on that way. She glances at Arashi from the corner of her eye, wondering if he would say anything in her defense, but she doubted he would. Even though he never seemed to like how she was treated, he never stood up for her, or stopped the others from being so cruel to her. The little happiness she’d gained from being close to Arashi leaks away and a sad look was in her eyes, a frown on her lips. Today she’d make sure she didn’t mess up...she didn’t want to be alone for another night.