Reminiscing (Lee, Open)

[kanda]

The sun drove its dying lights into the office, giving off just enough light to read and write by. The genin in the seat behind the large desk read through the papers one more time. Kaito had snuck into Tsunade’s office to see if he could find what team she had decided to put him on. Seeing none with his name on them he scowled to himself angry that he would have to continue to wait. Now that it was over, he yawned, and stood up from the desk silently, grasping the papers that would help shape the future of the young ninja in Konoha. He smiled lightly, and skimmed over the new groups quickly. All seemed to be equal in skill and strengths and smarts, and if there were any problems they would be taken care of immediately. Before he finished for the day, he decided to do the Tsunade a little favor. Pulling out a blank piece of paper he swiftly wrote, Took genin team papers to the academy. Still scowling Kaito left his office, sliding the door shut behind him.

The now dark building was void of almost all sound, having been emptied hours ago. The soft ‘thunk’ of each footstep echoed, and gave the genin a cast away feel. He was absorbed in his thoughts, and let his feet guide him out of the Tower. The entrance door came quickly, and as he opened it the setting sun blinded him for a moment. Blinking to clear his vision, he went on again, feeling alone walking among the empty streets. The Academy wasn’t far off at all; close enough that he could see from the office back at the Hokage Tower. As houses passed by slowly, the genin went deeper in his thoughts. The Academy loomed closer and closer, and when he finally reached the area in front of it, he glanced around quickly. No students were around at this hour, and he couldn’t imagine finding anyone else on the grounds unless they were just passing by as he was.

Taking a few more steps further, Kaito felt himself sink deeper into his childhood memories of the place. The cruelty he received from the other students as a child would have darkened most people’s feelings of the place, but not his. The more they were cruel to him for being younger the more he had felt at home. There were good times too, which outmatched the bad. The Academy was the only place he had ever truly felt happiness as a kid, training to become what he was today. Smirking Yuu strode towards the school, but stopped in his tracks when he felt a familiar presence nearby. He held his breath, and looked around again, this time looking for a certain someone in particular. Jumping into a skimpy gait, his eyes shone brightly as he made his way to the swing he had swung on 2 years ago. It was bigger than it had been, but it was still the same tree. In his mind, he felt the tree was like him, the same person as he was when he was an academy student, just bigger and stronger.

[Rock Lee]

The sky echoed a sort of forebodiness around it. Only spare glismpes of light where left. The academy was silent as the youthful ninja took gentle steps through the academy. He remembered to how he got the job of scouting the academy. He carried a lantern into the gentle night. His memory slightly went like this.

He was training in his usual spot when the fifth Hokage came to him. "Lee" she said "I need you for an important mission". He was estatic about it and immeditaly accepted it. It turned out the mission was to scout and make sure no one was around the Academy at nightfall.

"This doesn't seem like the best mission" he said slightly pouting. But suddenly he heard something, like a swaying of back and forth. He could hear no wind. "That's strange" he said no more on his guard. Maybe this mission did have some worth. He now quickly hid from the sight of anyone and slowly converged on where he heard it. There swinging on the swings was a young Genin. "Just a Genin" he said coming out of the bushes. Slight leaves hanging on his clothes. He walk towards him saying "Shouldn't you be at home?".

[kanda]

As he swung slowly in the old swing, Kaito's attention was hitched on the sky in front of him. The colors that the setting sun brought with it were amazing to say the least. The way they seemed to bleed together from shade to shade, and the unusual way the clouds broke the pattern in such a beautiful way. The air was not hot, and not too cold, just a nice mild temperature that seemed just right. He smiled, he couldn't ask for a better evening, and it had been quite a while since he'd been out to enjoy one. Everything seemed to be just perfect. Well almost everything, and if things went as he had planned, it would be completely perfect soon enough.

For just a moment, Kaito turned his attention back toward the Hokage Tower. He could almost swear he had heard something, but maybe not. Deciding that he was just growing anxious, he sighed lightly, and shifted his attention to the ground before him. Kaito watched his feet drag lightly across the ground below him. His arms hung loosely below his hands, which were gripped to the fraying rope holding the swing to the tree. He stopped swinging a moment, as the sound of approaching footsteps entered his ears. Without even moving his attention in that direction, he knew who was finally showing up. A large smile found its way to his face as he started to sway in the swing just slightly, once more.

When he finally stopped near Kaito, he couldn't keep himself from smirking lightly, as she stopped the swing once again. Glancing up the smirk faded as he saw someone he didn’t even recognize. With a small sigh he swore to himself realizing the person he was hoping for was dead. The look in that person’s eyes was enough to make his heart race. Just as years ago when they were at the same academy for learning purposes, he was filled with joy at just the sight of her. Instead though Kaito was gazing at a rather young male who appeared to be a chunin. Gazing at him Kaito couldn’t help but notice how much he looked like Maito Gai, a rather odd jounin that he had met once.

With one final sigh Kaito began to rock back into the swing ignoring the newcomer for a moment. He was a little frustrated with himself for not allowing the past to simply fade away. Breathing in the cold night air he slowly began to close his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be at home as well,” Kaito said coldly. He was usually a kind person but he was just so frustrated with himself for being so weak. Five people, five people died because Kaito wasn’t strong enough to protect them. First his parents and then his squad mates, who knew who else would die because of his weakness.

[Rock Lee]

"Actually it's my mission to be here" he said in retaliation. He noticed a sense of cold tone in his voice as he spoke. He was about to tell him to respect his elders, but something told him that would do nothing. It was the sort of rebellious youth that was found today in the generations. He wondered if he was once like that when he was a Genin. "So are you going to tell me why your just swinging here?" he said taking a seat next to him on the other swing.

He pushed off with his feet, starting to sway back and forth. Soon he was swinging away his time awaiting for an answer. The night had fully gone into full swing, no pun intended. The large crescent moon looked out at them as if giving off a natural source of light. It was quite beautiful than the full moon, well that is what he thought anyway. He thought of his own frustration with the academy. He had been mocked by fellow teammates and peers by his inability to have Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. But he soon embraced his disadvantage, trained by Gai he soon made himself a master of Taijutsu.

The dirt of the swing had rubbed off on his materials slightly, the boy swung beside him. He had never seen him before. Thats why he wasn't to quick to judge him, you never know what a person goes through.

[kanda]

Kaito’s attention slowly drifted upward, and he stopped swinging for a moment. His eyes slowly took in the area around him. There were slight changes to the academy since he was there but everything looked all so familiar. He smiled; reminiscing of his times spent training and learning there himself. Though not always the best of times, he would never forget his days here. By far his most prominent memory was of when he first met Asuna. He remembered how she was nearly exactly opposite of himself in every way. He came from a large, prestigious family; where she had no one to call family herself. He seemed to keep to the background of everything, while she was most often the center of attention. He was on the quiet side, and she was loud. And yet, he couldn't help but be drawn to her.

Though at the time Kaito wouldn't ever admit it; He was in one way similar to her... he was hurt. Having spent most of his, seemingly perfect life, hurt himself... he found interest in the young girl, and he felt like he almost understood. To a different extent of course, but he couldn't shake his feelings for her, even after her death. She had admired his strength through everything that presented itself as a problem to him, and had constantly said she hoped that she herself could one day have the same strength.

Kaito laughed lightly at the feeling that rushed through him at the thought of her, as he positioned himself so that he was more comfortable in the swing he began to rock back and forth. This time Kaito only pushed himself lightly, slow enough that he could keep his feet touching the ground below him. He didn't bother to keep an eye out on the person next to him, figuring that if had planned for a confrontation Kaito already would have been fighting. He simply continued to push himself slowly in the swing, waiting for him to finish speaking. With a sigh he just glanced at the man next to him. “Let me ask you something, you have memories here correct. Were those memories of good times or bad,” Kaito inquired.

Like everything Kaito had a reason for asking this question. It would help him get an understanding of the man next to him so that he could better explain why he was here. Everyone who ever attended the academy would admit to having at least one bad memory but depending on how many good times they had as well would ultimately affect there answer. If they said good then obviously there were more good times then bad but if they admitted to it being bad then they would be more like Kaito. Somebody who appreciated the academy but couldn’t deny that time there had made them just breakdown and weep like the child they had been.