Chapter 15 

Recap 

Rolling up her sleeves so that she could freely use her hands, Setsuna closed her eyes and began to play the beautiful instrument in her arms - her only comfort for the next few days. The music played was dragged along with the wind all the way across the forest and anyone who could hear it sighed in content, wondering who was playing. Although, the only person in the whole chunin exams who had such an instrument was clearly Setsuna.

As she finished, Setsuna began to ponder about the next day. When she next wakes up she would have to make her way towards the tower. Hopefully she won't have to face off against anymore enemy ninja.

Who knows what tomorrow may have in store for her?

X~Story Start~X

The next few days passed by in silence for our midnight-blue haired main character. After her last encounter with the three (now dead) ninjas, Setsuna had no company other than that of herself - not good but not bad either. It seemed that she had finally succumbed to the feeling of loneliness and decided not to push it away any further. Being alone in the darkness of the massive trees that belonged only to the forest of death, Setsuna actually managed to feel relieved about the sudden acceptance of her feelings.

For so long Sentaro had been trying to convince her that having feelings weren't such a bad thing and although she felt as though they would only hinder her, the doll-like girl decided to simply embrace them - however difficult that may be.

And this is the reason as to why Setsuna was currently huddled up against a large tree on the outskirts of a clearing. It had just barely turning morning but due to the fact that the leaves were keeping the sun away, it was still rather cool. Setsuna, however, was rather lucky at this moment to have such silky yet thick material for her clothing. There was a reason why Sentaro decided to have her clothes hand-made with the best material they could find - it would keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Sitting in pure silence, Setsuna's ears began picking up the subtle movement of footsteps pounding against the forests earth floors. They were rushed and staggered; an injured ninja or more likely an enemy ninja trying to lure her out unguarded. Taking both of the reasons to heart, Setsuna sprung gracefully to her feet and stared piercingly in the direction the sounds were coming from.

It didn't take long for the enemies to appear. There were two males and one female; all looking as though they were put through a shredder and back. The possibility that they were trying to trick the midnight-haired girl, however, was still in high stakes - a few injuries wasn't going to change that fact. 

Breathing heavily, the enemy ninja glanced at Setsuna and became instantly startled, not thinking that they would cross paths with her then and there (with those injuries to boot) - they would not be able to fight and if they did, they would unmistakably lose. Dosu, passing his teammate (Zaku) with the worst wounds to Kin, slowly took a step forward as a sign of peace. He watched Setsuna sceptically before speaking, all-the-while making sure not to take his eyes off of her barely tensed muscles - as though she was not even being cautious around them. 

"We're not here to fight, just to pass through. There is no point seeing how we don't have either of the scrolls and are too injured to win against you" Almost cut off by Kin and her pride (which Dose retaliated to with a harsh glare) he continued "If you do let us through, we will tell you some useful information about your teammates... that's if you care enough."

Setsuna's chest constricted fiercely at the mention of her team, although her expression remained the same. She decided to hear the boy out and then choose what her course of action would be when she had all the information; she was almost sure that she wouldn't go to their aid as she had herself to look after first and foremost.

Her heart, one again, didn't seem to very much like her way of thinking. Though she was determined to ignore it for now.

Giving her reply in the form of a nod, Setsuna listened with one ear on the conversation and one ear on her surroundings. She would give a small shake of her head at some points in the story while most of the time her body language and reactions remained unrecognizable - there was no way that the sound ninjas could tell what she was thinking and this was painfully excruciating for them. 

It was a few minutes later that Dosu had concluded his story, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead in anticipation of the young girls answer. 

Setsuna wasn't surprised at all with her teams situation and decided to let them be. She glanced Dosu in the eye before speaking, only to him. 'Very well, you may pass... but the next time we cross each others path, I won't think before attacking. Be prepared' Her ghostly voice added to the suspense of her words and wait a second longer to leave. He grabbed Zaku back from Kin and slung him rather roughly over his shoulder. Gesturing his head to the tress across from them, he stated over to Kin with a hard voice "Let's go, Kin" 

As Dose jumped off into the wildness once again, however, Kins attention was captured by the sudden movement of her blue-haired enemy as said girl also began to leave. "Are you not even going to see if your teammates are alright?" Kin sneered, her eyes full of hate catching Setsunas eyes full of dullness. "Your even more worthless than I first though, abandoning you team in their time of need" And with that said, the sound ninja followed after her injured teammates into the darkness of the forest of death, her footsteps stealthily quiet.

Setsuna's eyes followed after the girl in uncertainty. She was slightly confused; were her teammates wounds so bad that she should go and see if they are ok? What business was it of Kins to say that when her team were the cause of said injuries? All the troubling thoughts were giving our blue-haired girl a headache.

As she once again turned to leave the clearing where she had spent her night safely resting, Setsuna felt a pang recurring against her chest - getting louder and louder as she took steps further and further away.

Every time her foot crashed against the forest floor, her body was trying to tell her to turn back around. It was like her body and brain both had different minds of their own. While her brain was telling her that it was safest to just get to the tower before time ran out, her body was trying to force it's own path back where she came from; it wanted to get her to her teammates. 

Clutching her shamisen closer to her chest, the familiar feel of its hardened material giving her comfort, Setsuna began running up the tree to her right (herself not knowing what she was really doing). Once reaching the first branch, which was actually already pretty high up from the ground, she grabbed a hold of it and swung herself around so that she was kneeling on top of it's mossy green body.  

Her eyes searched piercingly into the darkness before her and she closed her eyes to try and get a feel of where her team was hiding. It wasn't before long that she could feel the intense heat of Narutos chakra - it was always the one that she could sense the easiest with how agonizingly profound it was. Unlike that of Sakuras, which was always in control and kept to a minimum, Narutos was always trying to find a way to escape as though it was being held in an unwanted cage; as though it had a mind of its own.

Changing the position of kubikiribōchō so that it would be more comfortable to run with, Setsuna got up from her kneeling position at the same time as leaping off onto the following branch of the neighbouring tree.

This continued with the next and the next and the next.

As she landed on one tree branch, the midnight-blue haired girl would pump chakra into her legs before pushing off towards her next destination. This was would surely drain her chakra faster, but it was faster and more time efficient then walking the whole way - her team were almost all the way across the forest from where she had slept the night before. 

It was around an hour later that Setsuna arrived. Her shinobi boots practically demolished the leaves on the forest floor as she landed in a clearing just in front of a large tree with a hollow entrance. While she wasn't intentionally being loud, her appearance had surely caught the attention of three genin in particular. 

Naruto, who noticed her first, grinned as bright as the sun shined above the forest. He leaped up from his position (sitting on the ground with a confused expression marring his face) and practically jumped on the poor unsuspecting girl. He didn't know why he was so happy, but when Setsuna appeared, it was as though they would all be saved just by having her there with them. 

"Setsuna-chan! I'm so glad that your here. If only you were with us from the beginning-" Naruto continued on with his rant, hand gestures and everything, although the one who he was speaking to wasn't even focusing her attention on him. Instead, Setsuna's eyes focused on Sakura who was off to the side with Ino as said girl trimmed her hair. 

Her hair.

Setsuna's heart plummeted as she noticed that Sakura's beautiful long hair had been cut off jaggedly, as though with a kunai. The long pieces were splayed out across the green grass near the hollow of the tree, pieces being blown off in the wind and getting stuck in bushed across the clearing. Setsuna felt something at this sight, though she couldn't understand what. Could it be that the blue-haired girl was saddened by what had happened to her teammate? 

Shikamaru and Choji sat off to the side somewhere, both seemingly in a deep conversation, and Sasuke was leaning against the tree with the hollow entrance; he had an expression of concentration as though he was trying to figure something out. 

Setsuna glanced back towards Naruto and took into consideration the scratched and bruises that covered his visible skin. The worst cut had to be the one just under his eye on his left cheek - it was still bleeding out in a small stream. Ever so slowly, not even knowing herself what she was doing, Setsuna placed her soft, delicate hand on his cheek. Naruto blushed a deep crimson red at the sudden contact and stuttered out a "S-Setsuna-chan?" but didn't dare to push her away.

This action caught the attention of both Sakura and Sasuke. The former who openly gaped at the girl who was showing a sudden care for the blond-haired idiot. The latter, however, managed to contain his shock, but it didn't stop him from trying to get a better look at what she was going to do - even the great cold hearted Uchiha couldn't contain his curiosity. 

Setsuna's gaze softened as she wiped her thumb over Narutos cut (said boy twitched from a sting of pain) and muttered softly into her own mind 'Jikan Seigyo: Keishu'. While the time around the Naruto's wound turned back, he glanced up into his teammates eyes and noticed a difference to her former self. Her gaze was so soft and delicate that he couldn't help being very serious for once. It was as though, while her face was expressionless as always, her eyes were trying to convey something to him.

He decided he liked this Setsuna. 

'Naruto' the midnight-blue haired girls ghostly voice spoke into Naruto's mind. 'Do you have any other serious injuries?' 

"Nope" Naruto grinned his usual grin and gave his teammate a big thumbs up. "I'm fine, believe it! But you should see if Sakura and Sasuke need help. They have worse wounds then me" 

The boy looked down at the grass as he stated this before snapping his neck back up to face Setsuna with bright blue eyes reflecting the glittering sky. 'Just like the sun' Setsuna pondered. She stared down at Naruto for a while longer before proceeding towards Sakura first.

She waited a while until Ino was done cleaning up the mess that was Sakura's hair, and when the two were practically alone gazed at the pinkette with the same look she gave to Naruto just previously. Sakura was shocked to say the least. The display reminded her of just before entering the forest - when Setsuna had glanced upon her with a look of relief as though she would finally be released from all of her pain. 

"Setsuna..." 

'Your hair is short' 

Sakura was surprised at the sudden interruption, but quickly replied while stroking a hand through her new hairstyle. She didn't regret what had happened. Rather, Sakura felt as though she could finally start over a new leaf. 

"Uh-Yeh! I just felt like cutting it all off suddenly. You know, long hair really gets in the way in a forest like this" Since Setsuna herself was a master at scrutinizing people, she could tell that the pink-haired girl was lying. Though, she didn't say anything and merely nodded in reply.

As she did for Naruto, Setsuna gently placed her hand so that it was covering Sakura's cheek. Then, whilst stroking her swollen eye, thought 'Jikan Seigyo: Keishu'. The pinkette's face was back to it's beautiful self in a matter of seconds - something that Sakura was thankful for (though she still couldn't understand how her blue-haired teammate could perform such a jutsu).

Not sparing Sakura another word, Setsuna set off towards Sasuke this time. Although she did wonder if he would even want to receive her help - stubborn was his best trait after all. 

Sasuke, noticing her coming towards him, scowled. However, even though he was scowling, he wasn't really angry. More confused; confused about many things. At the moment, though, he was confused about the sudden change in Setsuna's personality. Sure, her face was still expressionless and her movements were still the same, but her eyes were almost completely different. Whenever staring one of team 7 in the face, she would turn all soft and caring. Sasuke wondered what had happened to change her so in the short time that they were apart from each other.

'Sasuke'

Sasuke was brought out from his contemplating thoughts and suddenly came face to face with the doll-like girl. He had never been that close to Setsuna in all the time that they knew each other (which wasn't really that long), so this was his first chance closely take in her features. The first thing he remarked upon was the army of long charcoal eyelashes encompassing the most luminous cobalt blue orbs. Her skin, untarnished and blemish free was pale like snow and her lips, fuller than others, a cherry red. 

Startled by these sudden observations, Sasuke recoiled in self disgust.

"Hn. There's no need to waste any of your chakra. I'm fine" 

Setsuna did ponder if he really was ok, but didn't go against Sasuke's wishes and nodded in understanding. 

Turning away from the ravenette, Setsuna clutched her shamisen a bit tighter. It really was time for her to leave now. There was nothing more that she could do for her team - really, she was quite alright just knowing that they were doing fine and were not too badly injured. It surprised Setsuna herself how quickly she was becoming accustomed to feelings. Although, the only things she was feeling at the moment was relief and slight worry. The others she would have to learn herself later; and her friends would be there to help her along the way.

Setsuna stopped mid-thought.

'Friends?' she tested the word in her own mind, rolling it around just to get used to it. Yes, these children were her friends, just like Sentaro was her family. Mayonaka was also a friend, someone Setsuna would actually consider also as family. 

As a gust of wind blew through the clearing, the midnight-blue haired girl picked up her pace in walking back towards the trees encasing where team 7 and team 10 were resting. Her hair wavered in the air, sparkles reflecting from the light that was let past the roof of leaves. The gold intricate designs from her obi emulating the sun. 

Just as Setsuna reached the edge, a call hollered from behind her. 

"Setsuna-chan! Where are you going?"

'Naruto' Setsuna stated, not yet turning back to acknowledge the blond-haired boy. 'It is time for me to go now. But don't worry' Glancing over her shoulder, Setsuna showed her team a sight that they would never forget - it was just something that would stick in their memories for the whole of their lives. Perhaps, in the future, they would think back to this moment and they, themselves, would feel better. 

They were sure that it would be a sight that the three would never see again.

'We will see each other again soon. Be safe, Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto' 

And just like that, Setsuna had disappeared, taking her sensational smile along with her.