[Yuki Hinata]

❄

Academy days felt longer nowadays, he spent so much time trying to do well in his studies that were worded and written for a much younger demographic. He was starting to wonder if there was something innately wrong with him to have been stuck behind this much. In truth, he had hoped to graduate a long time ago now, but it just had not happened. Though he had effectively mastered all of his academy jutsu, he was still working on the bookwork for those in their last year of the academy. He was hopeful, very hopeful... He didn't want to be lagged behind any longer, and he feared the worst that if he did, he would be dragged back to that cell again and kept there indefinitely. The idea caused his stomach to be in knots.

Hinata had perched himself up on the rooftop of his home in the Yuki compound today, his legs dangling down as he contemplated the implications of his future, though he was also doing some homework quietly. There was a fairly complicated mathematics problem about angling the throws of shuriken just right at a target from a certain distance. Hinata had practiced these throws in real life before but had not yet mastered the trajectory although he had gotten better over time...

He was, as he did his work, quietly wary of the world around him, as he often was.

235 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

Kazu walked a different route home that day than he usually did, instead of a straight shot home he went to a nearby food shop to get a snack, and then proceeded on a straight shot home. This route brought him to a new area of the Yuki compound. On the way home, he sat on a bench, seeing a nearby boy on a rooftop. Well that was strange, but so was his hair. Half of it was as white as snow, while the other half was practically ablaze in red. From so far away Kazu couldn't really tell but it looked like he had a bruise over his left eye as well. 

Kazu wasn't really a social person at all, so while some people would wave or say hi, Kazu just gazed elsewhere. His icy blue eyes took in the clouds above him, the sky in Yukigakure was always nice in Kazu's opinion, but it felt like it was even nicer on this day. Alas, his gaze returned to the boy on the roof. Something about him attracted the young genins attention. He knew he needed to be more social, and there wasn't anyone else around so he did what he normally wouldn't. "Hey!" He shouted to the boy in an attempt to grab his attention, he was probably gonna regret this.

[Yuki Hinata]

❄

Hinata was far too busy working on the mathematics problem to have noticed Kazu immediately, he knew of Kazu. Having been around when he had been born - after all the Yuki clan did not experience a huge population boom at all times, so when someone was born in the clan, well, it was a big ordeal! Hinata had been quite young when it happened, but remembered it nonetheless. He remembered the baby too, with all white hair. They never interacted, not really, and Kazu would be unlikely to remember him because Hinata had been disappeared a while ago... Many of those babies had gone on to be shinobi, whilst Hinata, the state secret was forced into the academy at an older age, to work away until he could graduate.

Now he was eighteen, and still in the academy.

The shout caught his attention though, and he would peer up from his book, and around until he saw the boy with the snack in hand.

"Hello," Hinata responded. His voice quieter, he didn't like to shout. He was, in fact, a very mild-mannered teenager. He looked at things, observered them, and responded evenly. He wasn't sure if this was where he was to jump down, but he didn't. He just stayed on the roof, his feet dangling.

"How are you Kazu-kun?"

220 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

Kazu didn't notice that the boy on the roof had been working on something before he had gotten his attention, but he did seem lost in thought. The boy definitely seemed older than him, but yet he seemed even less social than Kazu. There was also something familiar about him, but Kazu couldn't determine why he felt so familiar. 

At some point, Kazu had acquired the familiar boy's attention, cause him to look up from his book and respond with a simple hello. Most people would've come down from the roof at this point, but this guy didn't for some reason. Then again, most people wouldn't just relax on a rooftop either. Kazu then proceeded to have a look of confusion on his face, how did this guy know his name? Did this mean there was an actual reason for the rooftop boy to be so familiar? Kazu would've wondered about it more, but that would've meant more effort and he just couldn't be bothered to ask outright. 

"I'm good, got a snack from the store, do I know you though?" The lazy boy questioned before eating more of his snack, he really could survive off of snacks for the rest of his life if he needed too, but it would be very unhealthy.

[Yuki Hinata]

❄

"Um... I'm Hinata. We're clansmen?" He definitely knew Kazu. Then again he knew a lot of his fellow clansmen. Some of them though did not seem to remember him. It truly saddened Hinata to no end. He had once been a vital part of the Yuki clan, but ever since his disappearance into the underground facility and not resurfacing in the last few years well it was as if he were a total foreigner. It hurt him, deeply.

He swallowed hard and let out a sigh. He didn't know how to interact further. It always felt so awkward when others expressed that they did not know him and he knew them. He didn't know what to express at that point. His shoulders drooped a bit subtly, his eyes closing for a moment as he got self-conscious before he looked back at Kazu. They were far away enough from each other, that he wasn't extremely compelled to avert his gaze from Kazu.

The older Yuki did however eventually start looking up towards the greyish sky of Yukigakure. What was he supposed to say here? He had not been taught how to interact normally, usually, people spoke to him. Not the other way around. He was good at just taking orders, not coming up with his own ideas.

216 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

The boy introduced himself as Hinata and mentioned that they were in the same clan. That meant they were related right? Kazu wasn't entirely sure but they both lived in the Yuki compound, so it made sense. He figured he should probably apologize to Hinata for not remembering him, "Sorry, I was really sheltered by my parents for a while growing up so that's probably why I don't remember you. It's nice to uh... re-meet you." Kazu noticed the rooftop dweller sigh which pretty much confirmed that not being remembered by Kazu made the other boy sad. Kazu wondered why it made Hinata so miserable, what exactly caused it?

Kazu really didn't know how to continue the conversation from here though. It didn't make it any easier that Hinata maintained his position on the rooftop and not coming down. The white-haired boy thought for a moment before questioning Hinata, "So what are you doing all the way up there anyways? I mean rooftops are definitely a comfortable spot to relax and all, but it doesn't really look like you were relaxing." Kazu finished, still wondering what exactly made Hinata so sad. It couldn't just be that Kazu didn't remember him, right?

[Yuki Hinata]

❄

"Homework," Hinata responded, now he was finally coming down from the rooftop. All it took was a single hop. His knees bending to allow some of the shock from the landing to dissipate into the rest of his body as opposed to being observed harshly by his legs. He would close his workbook and tuck his homework items underneath his right arm. Now though, now he was also not looking directly at Kazu, or at least not in his eyes as it was normal to do. He was just staring at Kazu's chest awkwardly as if he were doing something equivalent to making eye contact. He shifted uncomfortably on the ground now.

"Academy homework..." He was always very uncomfortable having to reveal that he was an academy student at the age that he was. But that was his reality. Fortunately, he was on the cusp of graduation so he would not have to feel ashamed for much longer. Except being an eighteen-year-old genin was also kind of embarrassing in its own manner of speaking. There were much more accomplished shinobi at his age, he wanted to be one of them... But he had been delayed for the sake of government progression. He didn't like it, he hated it to this day, but he only knew obedience anymore. So he didn't even have a contradictory thought regarding it that would ever vocalize.

"Kind of embarrassing."

234 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

Kazu watched as Hinata effortlessly jumped down from the roof with a single jump. As soon as he had reached the ground and stood up, Hinata began to avoid Kazu's eyes. Kazu didn't mind it though, he actually did something quite similar, looking above the boy since they were both obviously nervous. He mentioned that he was doing academy homework and Kazu was a little surprised. He seemed like he took most things seriously so how in the world was he still an academy student? He determined it was best not to ask that question though, since Hinata mentioned it was embarrassing. 

Kazu thought about how to respond though, how could he make him feel better? There was no way Kazu was going to help him, the boy barely had the motivation to do homework when he was in the academy. That actually gave him an idea on how to respond, "I would offer to help, but I hardly had the motivation to do homework when I was in the academy. However, if I was able to pass, I'm sure you will!" He finished with a smile, everything he said was true, he really didn't have any motivation whatsoever to do his homework. It definitely got him scolded a couple times though.

[Yuki Hinata]

❄

Hinata smiled wearily, he was tired. The look in his eyes wasn't exhaustion from reading though, it was a lifelong tiredness. It permeated his entire being, the way he stood and looked. Even his hair seemed a little bit tired. But the feeling around him was cold, colder than any normal Yuki gave off. Even with his locked Hyoton it seemed he was colder for one reason or another. Even someone like Kazu might feel it.

He tried to straighten himself out, remembering the lesson on slouching and how it was not only bad for the back, but made you seem weak.

Breathing in, then out. He looked down at the ground, toes curling in his shoes for a moment. What was he supposed to say?

He looked back towards Kazu, but not quite in his eyes still. He found his ear quite interesting though, a good target to lock onto.

"I suppose one day. I hope soon. I've been working hard. Preparing. My delay hasn't been met with a great deal of happiness. So I can't fail or I'm sure someone will try to recycle me." He didn't elaborate on what recycling meant. But based on the context one could at least assume that it was nothing good.

209 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

It seemed like Kazu's encouragement worked, if only a little. He wasn't really too good at cheering people up, so it was a surprise that it had worked at all. Still, the boy seemed to be weary for one reason or another. Was it the conversation that caused it or something else? Meanwhile, Kazu's body slowly started to get colder, a feeling he wasn't really used to. The boy shivered for a second as his body tried to acclimate to the new cold. As Hinata stopped slouching, Kazu brought his gaze down to meet Hinata's gaze. Two different colored eyes came into Kazu's gaze, his own icy blue colored eyes staring at them. Kazu wondered if his eyes were natural or if something had happened. 

Before Kazu could question it, Hinata responded to his encouragement. He hoped he would graduate the academy soon, Kazu assumed it was because he'd worked hard to do so at first. That was before the boy had mentioned being recycled. "Like replaced? That's..." The boy didn't have to finish. He'd always thought of Yukigakure as a really good village, he couldn't fathom the leaders of their village replacing anyone. "Well, you're irreplaceable to me at least." 

[Yuki Hinata]

❄

"I doubt you would notice." Hinata would respond, him staring back at Kazu because Kazu had made it so. Though, his gaze would avert awkwardly. As if he were avoiding innate confrontation. Even if there was no confrontation to be had at all, he felt as if there might have been some. Regardless of Kazu's intention, Hinata was guarded in a strange way, in a way that created mysterious energy around him. It was painful, helpless as if he were not supposed to speak. His lips sealed to truths beyond most people's comprehension. He carried a terribly burden with him, one he wished to unveil, but could not.

"You hardly know me." Though, he knew Kazu. They were only three years apart, Kazu would likely not remember when Hinata disappeared, he would have only been three and both the clan and village had been quiet about it. Hinata had only been made an academy student four years ago and not much interaction had been had since. He purposefully stayed away, many avoided him so he too avoided them in return, fearing to make anyone uncomfortable.

Only their Lady Shuka had been receptive to his presence, though as an aunt he was glad she was.

204 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

Hinata's words made Kazu a little sad, despite the fact that they were true. How could he not notice a guy with red and white hair not being there anymore though? It was obvious to Kazu that Hinata had issues of his own, just like Kazu. Regardless of either of their issues though, Kazu thought Hinata was overall a pretty good guy. Yea, he hardly knew him but that didn't mean he wouldn't miss the guy. Then again, he'd already forgotten the guy once. That was memories from when he was super young though! He couldn't help that his childhood memories were easier to forget! 

Still, everything the academy student had said was true. He couldn't really find a way to argue against it either. Not to mention, that would be a lot of effort. More than training, missions, or any other regular Genin stuff, changing people's mindsets took way too much work. So, the boy made no effort to do so. However, he had to say something, so he just let words come out of his mouth, "I might have forgotten you once already, but those memories are just hazy in general. I don't remember most people I met when I was that young and just because I barely know you doesn't mean I wouldn't miss you. I'm also not here to change your mind or anything, you've got to be the one to make that decision." Just like I have to be the one to decide to stop being lazy, Kazu thought to himself. Without meaning to, he'd probably make Hinata even more sad, he should really think about what he says beforehand.

[Yuki Hinata]

❄

That did not serve to make Hinata feel better, but he hoped that the other boy would not forget him again. Though, he figured he might if there was enough trauma to the head. Such injuries did occur after all. Slowly he inhaled to himself standing quietly for a moment before nodding slightly. He didn't think what Kazu had to say was said out of malice, but Hinata did feel a little sadder now. Not that he was particularly cheery before.

"Well... I should get going now." He murmured. "Maybe we can meet up sometime. More officially." There was not a lot left to say. Kazu was not a bad person, but it was not as if Hinata was particularly social. And frankly, he was very awkward and had no idea how to hold a proper conversation. So he would start to turn and walk away, he had homework to do and finish. So, he would turn, ready to walk away unless Kazu stopped him in some way. And, Hinata was very obedient so he would stop if he was told to do so, but for now he just needed to go there was no other conversation to be had. He just hoped he would not be forgotten again.

[exit]

209 | Yuki Kazu | notes

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[Yuki Kazu]

Kazu's attempts to cheer Hinata up seemed to fall on deaf ears. He said that he should go ahead and get going, Kazu could tell the boy wasn't much of a talker. Then again, neither was Kazu. Kazu was because he was sheltered for so long though, he wondered exactly what had happened to Hinata to cause him to be this way. At least Kazu hadn't made him so sad that he wouldn't want to see him again, "Yea, that'd be fun. See ya. Oh, and good luck with your homework and academy stuff in general!" As he finished his statement, he turned around and started back on his path home. What would he do when he got there? That was simple, he was going to relax. 

[end thread]