Indra
The girl named after the Cherry blossoms and Indra
An orphaned girl left alone in this world to feign for herself. Her parents left her too early. Succumbing to an illness that surprisingly didn’t take her. Only being able to witness nine springs, which her mother had told her the season she was born.
There was no one that would take her in, an extra mouth to feed during times where wrath of the gods and goddesses are prevalent, it was a time of plight.
The world had left her to die in a ditch, with no one that would feel the loss of her perish. But despite this, she persisted, she will not let her fate be so pathetic. At the very least, she wanted to die surrounded by people who loved her dearly. And she will not let the gods deny her that.
The girl, who was named after the Cherry Blossoms that bloom in the spring, set out on a journey, eyes full of conviction, life, and vigour. To find someone that would celebrate her in life and death.
In her journey she met people, different from those who scorn her for having an appearance that’s far from the norm.
Her pink hair that was like the petals of a beautiful Cherry Blossom was easy enough to hide, with inexpensive dyes found in a merchant store, it was easy enough to turn it into as black as the night sky. Her eyes however, her green eyes that shone like the midday field was something that she could not hide despite her best efforts.
But as she continued her journey, the prejudice against her appearance became less, it turns out that this world is so endlessly vast that every person is unique on their own.
And on her thirteenth spring, she settled in a small village, at first it was everything she hoped for, a place that she can finally call her own after so many years of not having any.
However, it was a short lived dream, soon after, the people in the village started to perish and at an alarming rate at that. Whatever the reason for the sudden death of the villagers, it surely didn’t discriminate, whether the old, young, beautiful, ugly, rich, or poor. Lives were lost.
And human beings, with their fickle hearts, wanted something, someone to blame for these unfortunate events. The girl, whom they welcomed in the village with their arms wide open, was blamed for the deaths of the villagers.
Of course, as tales go, she was persecuted by the villagers on her fourteenth spring and with no choice left, she fled the village. Running to wherever her feet brought her, the destination didn’t matter. And for hours on end, the girl ran, her lungs breathless, her feet no longer able to support her, and her body exhausted. For the first time in a while, the girl felt utterly devastated by the turns of events.
Unsurprisingly, her green orbs generated tears with no ways of stopping itself. Her heart poured as well as tears. Until this moment, she didn’t know that she had this many tears to shed.
Where she finally calmed down, she mustered the courage to keep on moving, to not let herself lose sight of her dreams and wishes. But she found it hard especially her faith towards humanity had finally plummeted to the ground.
She wondered if it is possible to find someone that would mourn for her long due death. It seems helpless at this point, if she wasn’t so stubborn, it would’ve made everything easier for her. She wouldn’t have to suffer so much. But despite all of this, her feet continue to move forward.
As she thread forward, she found a bloodied man, almost unconscious. And his eyes, evident with exhaustion and pain, looked at her green ones with so much conviction that it electrified her.
This man wants to live.
Her exhaustion was the last thing in her mind as she rushed towards the man to assist. It was fair to say that his injuries are life-threatening. The girl had never treated anyone before, it was arrogant of her to think that she could assist him.
But still, she wanted him to live.
She reached for his wounds and he looked like he had something to say but no words came. And as her hand reached the bloodied injury, she prayed, hoped, and instinctively poured her life force to her hand.
Blue-green energy manifested on her hands and the energy wraped the injury slowly, delicately, making it close, and as this continued she felt her energy getting sapped away, in spite of that, she maintained whatever she was doing until she could no longer do it.
The girl collapsed at the chest of the man, she felt numb, with no feeling of sensation anywhere but a pang of ringing head, her consciousness started to drift, along with her dulling senses. She wondered if it’s her time to die.
She thought that dying like this was not bad, at least she saved someone and the man won’t forget her for the rest of his living days. She happily entrusts her fate. The last thing that she felt was something warm embracing her.
To her surprise, she didn’t die. Instead she lay in a soft futon. And she wondered how come she didn’t die.
“You’re awake.” A deep, authoritative voice interrupted her thoughts to wonder.
She looked in the direction which she saw the man from earlier, this time in much cleaner wear. She blinked several times before what he said registered in her mind.
He was gorgeous, by far the most handsome man she had seen in her life.
“I—” She tried to rise from the futon only to be hit by sudden nausea that made her want to vomit.
“You may continue to lie down.”
“Thank you.” She said gratefully for the unexpected generosity of the man.
“Now who are you?” He wasted no time in asking her, which she didn’t expect since she just saved his life. She expected him to thank her at the very least. A scowl unknowingly formed on her face, which the man didn’t catch due to the dim room.
“My name is Sa–”
“Who sent you?” He asked again, this time sternly. His body leaned forward, reaching for the weapon that’s concealed in his back. Depending on her answer, he might have to end her.
“No one, I just happened to stumble upon you while I was running away from my–a village.”
There was no indication of lying, from what he can observe. His ability to detect lies is topnotch, which means that girl is not lying. He put down his weapon as he let his suspicion go.
“I see, then continue your rest, I will accommodate you while you stay here. Consider this as a thanks for saving my life.” And just like that, the man stood up and left the room leaving the girl disoriented and alone in the spacious room.
It didn’t take long for her to know who the man is, his name is Indra Ōtsutsuki, older than her by seven years. At first, the man offered her a place to stay while she recovered, which took a while considering that she couldn’t sit up properly for the first few weeks.
He explained that the reason why her recovery was very slow was because she used chakra without proper training, causing her to drain her life span drastically. He also raised the possibility that she might not live long because of the very same reason.
The revelation didn’t shock her, she felt her life slipping away, it’s no surprise with that.
After a few months, she was good as new, although a bit weaker than she used to be. Thanks to the help of Indra and all of the comfort he provided during her recovery period.
When her recovery finished, she told Indra that she didn't want to go anywhere. After all, she grew fond of him because of his patience and unexpected kindness he had shown to her while she recovered steadily despite his not so appealing attitude.
It was the first time she felt like she was cared for. And maybe by his side, she’ll finally have someone to care for her when she breathes her final breath. More determined that ever since her days are numbered.
“Do whatever you want.” He replied nonchalantly, which caused an excitement in the girl.
There onward, their lives tangled like a stubborn fabric thread, the girl never felt something quite like this before, and as for Indra it made him momentarily forget about his hatred towards his family. The warmth that the girl provided was enough to keep his entirety occupied.
For what felt like countless springs, it was a surprise to say that they’ve only spent four. It was maybe because of the fact that Indra finds to adore her hair in semblance with the Cherry blossoms, even her eyes remind him of a midday field.
Her beautiful hair in which she tried to hide desperately was the most beautiful thing he had laid his eyes upon. And her genuine companionship was something that he didn’t know he needed. But there he was, like a fool, driven by his emotions. Wanting the warmth provided by her company to be with him forevermore.
“Indra.” She whispered lovingly in his ears. Even her voice sounds like the song bird's lullabye.
Indra simply raised his eyebrow as a response to her voice.
A moment of silence enveloped them, but instead of it being awkward, it had this mood.
This made Indra look intently at her, only to see her beet red. It was cute. He never said anything and patiently waited for her to say her next words. It didn’t matter if it took eternity, he would wait for her as long as she was there.
Finally mustering her courage, the girl moved her lips and said the words that would send Indra emotional. “Would you take me as your wife?”
Another moment of silence was between them and before Indra could say anything she decided to ramble. “If y–you’re okay with me as a wife of course! I won’t impose my feelings on you if you don’t want to and you have every right to reject me! It’s your right but I hope you won’t because I love you very much and it would break my heart.” She continued her incoherent rambles.
“The point is, I love you and I want to spend my life with you as your other half, as your wife.” She finally finished, and looked at him with her loving eyes. It was such an intimate look that it made Indra’s heart beat faster than it already was, his pulse became erratic and the only thing that he could think about was the lovely girl in front of him.
Indra leaned in forward, capturing her small pink lips against his, in a way, it was his answer to her proclamation of love. To tell her that he felt the same, if not, more. The passion that he had always had fueled by his deep love for her, he thought that maybe, this is the life that he wants.
Even if his father didn’t choose him over his brother, it was fine as long as there was someone that would choose him over anything else. Maybe this life was enough for him.
Their wedding was a simple one, with only the officiant and his wife present at the ceremony. Indra wanted a grand wedding, to let the world know that from this day onwards, they were man and wife. But the girl had insisted on keeping the wedding as simple as possible.
After that, they spend another countless years in spring, basking in each other’s companionship. Over the years that they were together, they shared laughter, happiness, bliss, pain, and sadness. Their love was not as smooth sailing but they managed.
These days makes him question if he was really deserving of such happiness.
Indra knows that he wasn't a good man, before he met his wife, he did things that were morally unacceptable inorder to spite his family. For all the lives he took, his sin would only grow. Maybe it is no wonder that someone had attempted to take his life.
But the silver lining about it is that he met his wife. In a way, his horrid actions made him meet her. Even if it's wrong, if it meant bringing her to him, he would gladly partake in his past misdeeds once again.
He found salvation in her, and that was enough for him.
They bring out the best in each other, Indra, having invented the Ninjustu with the support of his loving wife, and she also learned how to cure ailments with the support of her husband. It was a peaceful and content life that they wished to go on for eternity.
But no amount of love would stop the imminent thing that was already predestined to the girl who was named after the cherry blossoms. On her twenty-third spring, her health began to take a turn for the worse. No amount of healing ninjutsu or any ninjutsu as well as ninshu was able to relieve her from her fate.
“Darling.” She called out while she lay in her very soft futon alongside her husband.
“What is it?” He faced her. Reaching for her pale face. He didn’t forget to admire the hair strands that fell to her beautiful pale face. Despite suffering so much, his wife remained as beautiful as ever.
She opened her mouth, before closing it. She then smiled gently at him. Despite her feeble attempt of hiding her worries, he noticed. They’ve been together for almost a decade, he can read her like an open book. Still he waited, patiently for her next words to flow to his ears. But despite that, a budding silence threatened the room.
Indra pulls his wife to an embrace to reassure her that he will be there. “I love you.” He said, meaning every word and more. “I love you so much.”
“I love you more.” She said in a whisper, He pulled back from his embrace, wanting to see her beautiful face, probably streaming with tears.
But she wasn’t crying, instead she had this look of fulfilment in her face, with no regrets in life. She looked like she belongs with those divine beings that have no attachment to human life now.
He knew, he knew that it was her time.
“Can you not leave me?” He said softly, gently even. He was like a kid asking for an unreasonable request from his parents. "I promise to be a good man for the rest of my days, so darling, can you not leave me? Please?" He pleaded. Every word struggling to come out because an unknown lump swelled inside his throat.
“I love you.” She said, wiping the tears he hadn’t known he had shed. Stream of tears continued to pour and sobs threatened to come out from his mouth.
Despite the imminent death that awaits his wife, he never entertained the possibility of a world without her. In his heart, things would work out for him for them somehow.
“Darling, I love you.”
Finally, her eyes slowly closed, and for what felt like an eternity, he gazed at her as she drew her final breath. Everything was in a slow-motion prompting him to realize that his mangekyo sharingan had manifested itself.
His world suddenly became dull, just mere seconds of her death, he felt like the world had crumble into tiny shards. He pushed out the hair from her forehead and kissed her temples.
“I love you most, my darling wife.” He managed to say before sobs and hiccups escaped his lips, and soon after an agonizing scream that would be heard echoing throughout the lonely autumn night escaped him.
He didn’t know how he managed the next months after the death of his dear wife. It felt unreal and hollow. His will to live had vanished along with her. Everything became so unbearable now.
And yet when this snow melts, a spring without her will come. And the spring after that, and the next.
“Indra.” A familiar voice called for him. He hadn’t heard from him in years.
“What is it that you want, Zetsu.” He bluntly said. He never liked the fellow, he was malicious, which he never realized until his wife came.
“My deepest condolences for your loss.”
“Why do you seek me?” He glared at Zetsu who tried to console him.
“I found out who tried to kill you 9 years ago. I’ve known for a while but I haven’t had the opportunity to inform you when you chased me away.” Zetsu smiled creepily.
Indra was livid, he is not one to let go of his grudges, despite his significant mellowing throughout the years. And the person who almost killed him nine years ago was far from forgiven. Mainly because it was the reason why his wife had succumbed to her early and untimely death.
“Who is it?” He raged, now at the end of his mourning period, anger consumed him. So much so that he feels as if his body would burn from the rage.
“His name is Masaru, an indirect disciple of your brother, Asura.”
Something inside him shattered. Of course, his brother had something to do with it again. All the misery that had come to him was caused by his brother Asura, from his mother’s death up until his wife’s death. Asura was the cause.
His buried hatred to him, to his family resurfaced again, ready to destroy whoever, and whichever stands in his way.
And the hatred that he felt transcended his body, prompting generations of hatred to come and linger in this world. Now, it was all because the spring for him will never be the same again.