We Are Ninja

Diary of Benimaru Uchiha

"Once our light goes out, how will people remember us? By the duration or the saturation of our light? Or will they only remember the darkness that remained."

B.U. K.Y. 52

²

"Cheers to Konoha's Future Famous most Awesome Ninja to ever graduate!" Jiraiya stood on the table with his cup held high to the small group of young genin.

"OI IDIOT GET OFF THE TABLE BEFORE YOU RUIN MY APPETITE" Tsunade wasted no time giving him a gut check back into his seat as we all laughed at their antics.

"So you guys had to grab some bells from the Hokage? That must have been difficult." Yumi spoke as she threw a few pieces of pork onto the grill next to her mushroom and Daikon.

"Not really, it would've been easier if Jiraiya had cooperated with us though. He gave us plenty of chances but Tsunade and I had to keep saving someone" Orochimaru added while throwing some pheasant meat. Lately he's been craving more bird meat and eggs in his diet.

"HEY! WHO NEEDED SAV-"

"Well I for one think that was great. Muzaka, Dan and I was stuck climbing Hokage rock with just our hands. If we fell Toru-Sensei would catch us and bring us back down to the bottom and tell us try again. It took forever before Muzaka got to the top and used a kunai and rope for us to grab." Hiruko complained to his friends.

"Oye C'mon it wasn't that bad buddy" Muzaka chirped while staring at his beef that was almost done.

"Easy for you to say you man beast. I'm not a physical Ninja" Dan exhaled while he nursed the bandages on his palms.

"Well what about you guys Yumi. You guys have Beni's dad as a Jonin it had to be an interesting test right" Tsunade asked her good girlfriend.

"Well it wasn't too difficult we had to locate a spy organization but Kagami sensei did the heavy lifting for us so we just needed to follow up. Luckily Ben- OUCH."

"Yumi what's wrong?"

Yumi glared at the black haired youth with bandages across his eyes next to Tsunade that had just kicked her shin under the table "No no I'm fine, I was just saying luckily Benimaru suggested we sneak in during Paramores performance and pass in one swoop."

"Oi did you guys see them too? I tell you now I Jiraiya promise I'll forever be the number one fan of that hot sing- I mean the babe- wait no i mean the sexy- "

"Jiraiya please stop speaking you're making my head hurt" Benimaru finally chimed in as he pulled a few pieces of beef rib and peppers on his plate while throwing lamb chops with zucchini and carrots for Tsunade. Her cooking skills aren't the best because she doesn't have the patience to slowly watch and wait for food. Her choice of words is higher flames cook faster.

"Hey you blind bastard what's wrong with my voice?"

"Would you like a list?" Orochimaru couldn't help but take a shot.

Shiba sat quietly next to Yumi as he lightly grilled some beef meat. Rare a bit bloody is his preference. Must be a mosquito thing.

The 9 friends sat together in this barbecue shop laughing and having a good time together. No hostility no worries because they knew these people would be the ones they would have the closest relationships with. Their biggest friends and closest allies. Each person stood at the peak of their clans in their fields and had a student of the second hokage as their mentors.

But even more unspoken between them was the fact that they would all have to stand at the front of their battle fields. That's the downside of having guide jonin. Because that means you have higher expectations on you than those of the genin reserves. The village is sending their best to guide us so we must be worth the effort.

It didn't take us that long to eat what our rich second generation pockets could carry in one sitting besides Jiraiya and Orochimaru being civilians. So as the moon started to rise and the crickets and frogs hidden deep within the forests around us began their nightly melody Orochimaru couldn't help but get philosophical on the small group of children.

"What do you think it means to be ninja?" Orochimaru asked us all but I noticed he looked at me specifically.

"Isn't it just using the coolest ninjutsu to defeat your enemies." Jiraiya said while Muzaka nodded in agreement.

"Idiots obviously ninjas have to complete their missions. A ninja who can't do that isn't a ninja." Yumi spoke up with Hiruko and Shiba supporting her.

"I think ninjas are just an inheritance of the past so that their beliefs aren't forgotten." Dan spoke up as everyone looked at him as he turned red in nervousness. "Or nevermind."

"Ninjas are candles" I spoke up gathering everyone's attention. I pick up the candle in the middle of the table and spoke "Everyone fears the darkness and to avoid that we use the candles in our hands to light the way. In the hands of a Daimyo their ninjas are the strongest candles, limited but as long as we burn brightly in whoever hands then they're satisfied. But if we don't burn or can't lite, then we have no purpose."

"Thats a bit dark Beni" Tsunade said with a sharp poke to my cheeks.

"But he's right" Orochimaru said "Whether candles or swords a useless tool is useless."

SLAM

Everyone turned to look at Jiraiya "We aren't tools. We are ninja of the hidden leaf. We fight to protect those close to us and protect our home."

"Wow Jiraiya can say something smart after all."

"HEY TSUNADE THATS NOT FAIR!"

We laughed and argued for a while before paying and leaving, I walked Tsunade back home before heading back to the Uchiha compound. The Uchihas have the biggest clan land in Konoha even the Senju land is a size smaller. My home is in district 2 of the Uchiha compound and I enter the familiar streets to stop in front of my two story home.

My mother went missing on a mission when I was 4 and my father has taken good care of me since then.

"Im home" I say as I open the door to find my pops sitting on the couch writing a scroll.

"Welcome back Benimaru. How was dinner with your friends?"

"It went great at the very least it wasn't as expensive when splitting the bill."

"Thats good son I'm glad you're still able to enjoy nights out with your friends." He said with a trace of nostalgia.

"Hey dad, what are ninja?"

He looked at me and thought for a second and spoke "We are ninja. Everyone will have their own reasons whether it's for power or protection but ninja isn't a mindset it's a profession, just like a chef and a doctor. It's a choice we make but it's not who you are. As long as you can keep Benimaru the ninja seperate from Benimaru the person you'll be alright."

His profound words bothered me a lot that night. But I think I sorta understood. But that only led me to bigger problems such as who am I now? Am I already the Benimaru the ninja or the person? And how are we different?