Past

"I… Thank you for the food, Jun. Everyone, if you'll excuse me… I need to go clear my mind."

Surprising everyone, Nozomi's demeanor made a complete switch as she abruptly got up, leaving the cabin in a rush.

She had never acted in such a manner before, making them all wonder what happened.

"Did I say something wrong…?"

Jiraiya scratched his head as he confusedly stared at the door. He really didn't have any intention for this to happen…

Rushing out of the cabin, Nozomi ran a little and sat on some large rocks... She breathed in the calming forest air as she watched the still lake in front of her.

Her emotions were a mess, as she recalled her two older cousins...

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A few years back, inside the Hyūga complex, three kids were playing catch, running around as laughter filled the garden.

Two of them were boys, twins to be exact. The third one was a younger version of Nozomi.

"Nozomi! I got you, hehe!"

Hiyashi laughed as he placed a hand on a tired Nozomi's shoulder. As she panted in exhaustion, they both laughed together.

"It's so unfair... Big bro Hiyashi and big bro Hizashi, you're both way faster than me!"

"Hehehe… Are you going to be salty?"

"Salty!"

Both twins laughed together as Nozomi smiled. She really enjoyed playing with them.

Suddenly, an older man walked out of the house. Seeing them play in the garden, his face distorted in anger.

"Hiyashi! How many times have I told you not to play with trash from the branch house!"

"B-but father…"

"No buts! You're coming with me!"

Hearing his wrathful voice, all three kids became paralyzed with fear. Walking down to them, the older man grabbed Hiyashi by the wrist and yanked him into the house.

Before sliding the door shut, he took one last look at the other two and spoke spiteful words.

"Toads that want to eat swan meat… Hizashi, I am ashamed to be your father."

Still frightened, Nozomi turned to look at Hizashi, who stared at the ground with his fists clenched.

Although she was frightened by that man, Nozomi was even more fearful of Hizashi's current facial expression.

"Big… Big bro…"

Reaching her hand out to him, she tried to console Hizashi, who gnashed his teeth and slapped her hand away.

"Leave me...! Just because I was born a second after him..."

After saying that, he ran away in anger. Seeing this, Nozomi fell to her knees and started to cry.

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"I wonder how they're doing… Hiyashi… Hizashi..."

Nozomi hadn't seen them since then... They had purposefully distanced themselves, leaving her all alone. Because of this, she only had books to turn to.

Taking out her favorite novel, she tried to drown her sadness with its words.

"Are you alright...?"

Since he was the host, Jun couldn't bare seeing Nozomi storm out of their cabin like that. Walking up to her, he sat down and also stared at the lake in front of them.

"Jun…? Yeah… I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Hearing her answer, Jun felt the sadness in her words. Looking at her, he couldn't help but feel pity.

"Look, you don't need to tell me what's going on… But listen. When we chose our profession, we signed up for the good, and especially for the bad. It's important to keep your head high and move on when something happens."

"..."

"Things from the past will only drag you down if you keep hold of them for too long… I'm a great example of that."

Hearing Jun's words, Nozomi felt like they carried deep meaning... When she listened closely, she could feel an even greater sadness than hers.

"I've done horrible things… Things that I regret. I've lost people dear to me and let their loss cloud my mind. There was a time when I only sought vengeance."

"But then, someone… Someone saved me from this darkness. He reached out his hand and accepted me even after all of the terrible things I did. What I want you to understand is that you have to learn to move on. Live in the present, not the past."

"Jun… You…"

"Well, it seems like I babbled on a little too much there, haha. Anyways, keep what I said in mind... We're waiting for you inside."

Finishing his speech, he patted her on the back before walking back to the cabin. Jun felt sorry for her, but it was up to her if she wanted to change or not. Of course, if she listened, it would be for the better.

"..."

Although he was only two years older than her, Jun's words carried an invisible weight. Being naturally smart, she found more meaning in them the more she pondered.

'He's right… There's no need to dwell on matters of the past… I'm part of team Jiraiya now, a ninja of the hidden leaf... That's all that matters.'

Looking towards the sky, resolve flashed through her eyes.

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