uncagedforjustamoment

Entry tags:

001

[The camera flicks on to reveal a young man with eyes so pale lavender and missing pupils that it might appear as if his eyes are white and unmarked at first glance. There's a small frown on his lips, and his eyes squint in a curious determination.

Through observation and intuition, he's puzzled out the purpose and general function of the device well enough to activate it, but unfortunately it has...so far...not provided illumination over where he's woken or how. Waking up after death is no surprise--it's happened more than once before, though the last time it happened to him he hadn't been as certain of his own death when he lost consciousness as this time.

Waking here, however...is less...understandable.]

Explain to me where this place is and why I've been taken. Have I missed the end of the war? [That seems the most reasonable conclusion: otherwise he would have been brought back out to the battlefield, wouldn't he?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He doesn't miss the momentary hesitation in her first statement, but he chooses not to comment on it: it was so brief that it might mean anything, and most likely had nothing to do with himself or any of his questions.

He nodded instead, folding his free arm over the one holding the device.] I believe so. [There were a few signs to indicate this, and he's almost confident he's heard others nearby refer to the town by 'New Bark'.] If you have been here a month, should I assume you'd arrived here before the war began? [It seems likely, but unlike certain others he's spoken to she is age appropriate. It's possible, if others come from impossibly far in the past, that she might come from his future instead. Although it would be more difficult to transplant someone into the past, he saw no difference between that and whatever must have been done to allow Tenten to vanish for months after the Chuunin exams without notice.]

No, that kind of logic won't apply here. People arrive from various times and supposedly we never noticed their disappearance. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but I've been told that time stops while we're here. You won't miss out on anything.

[ Her expression shifts to a pained one at that. Maybe she's just homesick. ]

The war has taken a toll on a number of us, but our perseverance doesn't waiver. All we can do is sit here and hope to return to our place on the field of battle soon enough.

[He tilts his head to the side, thoughtful. There are explanations for the time discrepancies and for the memories, but there's really no time to share his current theories on the matter. She's already moved on to the subject of his time--though perhaps without quite knowing it.

Where her expression is pained, his is the grim smile of a man who's both chosen and accepted his fate. There is nothing more to miss out on at the battlefield.

Unless, of course, he can return there as he is now. That would change matters.]

With that in mind, I'm sure you can guess why I ask what your place on the battlefield was before arriving here? [Or at least partly. Really, he just wants to know things turn out well after his 'death'.]

You... are aware?

[ A vague response to that, but what else can she say to someone who's death she's not particularly over just yet? They may have not been close, but seeing a comrade fall before her own eyes when she likely could have prevented it leaves her with a sinking feeling of guilt and despair. ]

As far as I know, I'm the only other person that far ahead in the war. Many of the others are lagged behind by hours, days, even months. It's all unsettling, but I also advise you keep some matters to yourself until you're certain the person you're speaking with can handle it.

[Of his death? Yes. He even retains the memory of the experience of dying. It's not the most pleasant one.

He makes an effort to produce a smile that even someone with as relatively little experience with him as Sakura has can read. He's quite at peace with dying: although he has no interest in repeating the experience unnecessarily. Perhaps the smile will ease some of the guilt he presumes she's experiencing as a medic and comrade.]

If you're suggesting I keep the news of my death away from people it will hurt [such as Naruto, who he's sure will take on all of the responsibility whether or not it's his right to] I'll inform you that I'm not so thoughtless as to spread the word needlessly.

[ It helps alleviate the pain a little, but there's a greater burden weighing down her mind. If only she revealed her hand sooner, could she have saved him? It wasn't time yet, she just has to keep reminding herself of that. A mantra she chants within her head until exhaustion pulls her into a light sleep. Those have been her days and nights in this world without conflict more than a battle between creatures. ]

I know it'll hurt, but... [ Naruto, she would argue, is finally experiencing the happiness most of them have had their entire lives. A world with both of his parents, traveling alongside them and getting to share in all the things they never had before. How can she tell someone who's dead that they can't take his happiness away just yet? ] But...

[ She can't. The impulse to argue back is gone and instead she's just left with words jumbled up. She swallows hard in an attempt to buy more time, but the seconds keep passing them by. ]

When will you tell him? [ Why is she concerned with that suddenly? ]

[If she voiced that guilt to him, he would quickly inform her nothing short of a rinne tensei sort of jutsu could have saved him. His Byakugan made it perfectly clear the sort of horrible damage he incurred as soon as that spike impaled him. No matter what skill level she had, he was already beyond help when he landed.

Her emotional turmoil on the matter of sharing the new is...unnecessary. It would serve no purpose to tell most of the Konoha shinobi of his fate, and some such as Naruto would unnecessarily take the blame for his own choice. Such as Sakura is doing right now, if the guilt in her expression is any indication.]

When it becomes necessary. [If it never becomes necessary, then never. After a moment, however, he frowns. It's doubtful, but it's always possible that keeping it to herself is what's weighing on her.] It's no secret, if you're concerned instead with 'keeping' it. I ask that you leave Tenten to me in that case, however.

[ Such as she holds the desire to protect her teammate, Neji makes the same intention clear. These are the things, when not witnessed, should be heard from the mouth of someone who can offer a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.

Funny, isn't Sakura the one always doing the crying?

Managing to keep most of her emotions bottled up (although it still slips up when her voice cracks or with the disbelieving stare she gives the PokeGear), there's a nod to show she understands the request. ]

Of course.

If you need someone to tell Naruto or if you'd like to tell him, just give me a heads up. I, I already have one missing teammate. [ If she words it like it's a chore, maybe he'll sympathize a bit with her? ]

[There are certain people that it is best to be there to answer their questions immediately, rather than allow them to stew on the questions and make things worse. Tenten was among those it was best to have answers for, should she care to have them.

He regards her curiously a moment. She is...making a bigger deal of his death than should probably be made of it. He was neither the first, nor likely to be the last, and hardly the most important casualty of the war. Making unnecessary arrangements and productions of the news--when he stood perfectly healthy now--only made it into a greater deal than it should be.

Still, he supposes with Naruto such precautions may actually be necessary. And, as her comment reminds him, Sakura has surely suffered enough turmoil with her teammates to last a lifetime already.

If she wants him to believe she regards things as a hassle, rather than a genuine distress, she'll have to do better at pretending.]

Very well, if that is what you wish. Presuming such a situation arises, I'll attempt to inform you ahead of time. [Of course if the need does arise, he can't promise he'll have such time, she understands.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

001

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;

video;