By the time Shin slowly woke up, the sky had darkened and the sun was nearly set. The horizon was tinged with a warm amber glow.
He sat up, still a bit disoriented, stretched his limbs, and brushed off the fallen leaves clinging to his clothes.
"It's this late already?" he muttered as he looked up at the fading sky.
"That guy, Kiba... he really did leave me here." A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stood up and dusted off the dirt on his clothes.
The surroundings were quiet eerily so. Even the buzzing of cicadas had ceased, leaving only the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Under the sun's dying light, the earth was bathed in a golden hue.
Shin scanned the area and spotted a small figure sitting quietly by the lakeside not far away.
That boy?
He recognized the blond-haired boy from earlier that afternoon.
Still here?
Looking around again, Shin realized the boy and he were the only two people left.
Did Kiba mess with him too? Is he sitting there all alone feeling sad?
After hesitating for a moment, Shin slowly walked over. As he got closer, he saw the boy was staring blankly at the lake, his small frame looking particularly lonely from behind.
"Hey," Shin called out.
The boy flinched slightly, then slowly turned his head. Shin noticed the whisker-like marks on his face, three on each cheek. The boy glanced at him, confirming the greeting was meant for him.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Why haven't you gone home yet?" Shin asked.
"Oh... oh..." The boy's tone was abrupt and stiff, his expression uneasy. He quickly looked away. "I will, soon."
"And the others?" Shin pressed.
"Huh?" The boy looked puzzled.
"The kids from this afternoon."
"Oh... them..." The boy lowered his head, falling silent for a moment.
"They all went home... after the game ended."
Game? Shin nearly chuckled but held it in when he noticed the boy's slightly dejected expression.
"You should head home too. It's getting late your parents must be worried," Shin said gently, glancing at the now-sinking sun. He turned, ready to leave.
"My parents... worried about me..." the boy murmured. His head lowered, hair falling forward to obscure his face.
Shin, catching the shift in his tone, paused and looked back.
"What about you?" the boy suddenly asked. He lifted his head, his eyes filled with a kind of raw yearning and quiet pain.
"You slept out here all afternoon, and now it's almost night. Won't your parents be worried?"
Shin was caught off guard. He hadn't expected the boy to ask that. After a moment's hesitation, he replied, "Probably. They'd probably be worried."
If they were still alive, of course they would be.
"I see..." The boy's expression softened, and he looked down again.
"Having someone who worries about you... must be nice..." His voice trembled as he spoke.
Shin fell silent.
The wind was picking up, whistling through the trees, and the air had grown cooler.
"You should get going," Shin said, eyeing the dark clouds gathering in the distance. "Looks like it's going to rain. You'll catch a cold if you get drenched."
With that, he turned and started walking away. He had no desire to be caught in the rain.
The boy remained, staring blankly at Shin's departing figure.
Only when he felt something cold on his cheek did he look up. Crystal droplets were beginning to fall from the sky.
It's raining...
He didn't move. He simply sat there, letting the rain fall on him.
That person just now... was he worried about me?
Shin picked up his pace toward home, grumbling internally about his bad luck.
The rain was getting heavier, soaking through his clothes and hair. The hem of his shirt dragged in the muddy puddles forming on the ground.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Not far ahead, someone was running toward him.
It was Kiba. He was wrapped in an oversized raincoat that looked far too big for him, its hem dragging behind him. In his hands, he carried an umbrella.
Shin blinked in surprise, his mood instantly lightening.
Kiba ran up to him, opened the umbrella, and held it over Shin's head. Raindrops pelted the umbrella's surface, sliding off with a dull thump.
Kiba handed the umbrella to him.
"I thought you'd forgotten about me," Shin said, taking the umbrella. A rare smile curled his lips, his eyes crinkling with genuine warmth.
Kiba didn't say anything. He simply glanced at Shin, then turned and dashed back into the rain. His small figure quickly disappeared into the downpour.
This kid... Shin couldn't help but laugh, then opened the umbrella and continued on his way home.
When he got back, he took a warm bath and changed into his usual dark blue yukata. By then, the rain had eased to a light drizzle, and the sky outside was fully black.
Not long after, Hana Inuzuka arrived.
"I could've made something myself," Shin said as he spotted the lunchbox in her hands.
Hana smiled, walking straight into the room and setting the food on the low table.
"Can you really cook something better than your big sister?" she teased.
"Come on, let's eat," she said warmly.
Shin didn't protest. He sat across from her, took the chopsticks she handed him, and began eating.
"I saw Kiba running out with an umbrella earlier. Was that for you?" Hana asked.
Shin nodded, realizing she must've noticed the umbrella he had left at the door.
"Sigh, he probably left you behind again, didn't he?" Hana said apologetically.
"It's fine, Hana-nee," Shin shook his head. "He didn't know it would rain."
"Kiba really is a handful. Once you both start school, I'm counting on you to look out for him," she said with a trace of worry.
"Got it. Don't worry, sis."
"Oh, and Kiba finally got his own dog today," Hana said with a grin. "His name's Akamaru. He's still tiny. You'll see him tomorrow."
"Really? So he's finally becoming a real ninja."
"Hah! He's got a long way to go. He's still got years of school ahead," Hana chuckled.
"I'll be heading out on a mission tomorrow to the Land of Rivers. I won't be back for about half a month," she added.
"Really? Be careful," Shin said, setting down his chopsticks and looking at her.
"Don't worry. It's just a C-rank mission, and there's a jonin leading the team," she said, ruffling his hair until it was a complete mess.
"No need to worry. I'll bring you something nice when I get back."
"It's just a bit of a shame that I won't get to see you and Kiba on your first day of school," she added with a sigh. "I wonder what you two will be like."
"I still remember how scared I was on my first day. I spent the whole time wanting to go home…"
"Back then, they told us we'd be on the battlefield after just a couple years of school. I was terrified."
"But I didn't even graduate before the war ended."
"Big sis..." Shin looked at her, not sure if she was reminiscing to herself or talking to him.
"Peace really is better. War... should never happen again," he said quietly.
"Is that what you think, Shin?" Hana was surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Of course peace is better."
"You really hate war?" she asked, curious that a child like him understood such a concept.
"War..." Shin's voice grew low. "Of course I hate it."
He buried his head and went back to eating.
"You really are a kind boy, Shin," Hana said softly, watching him.