She was a ninja. And she was special. She was the heiress of their clan - her father’s successor. She was the best apprentice their clan had ever seen. Her eyes were proof of her skill, for they possessed the power that her ancestors have developed and perfected for centuries – a power limited to her family.

But, there was a catch.

Nobody would dare to look at her. Nobody from her village would want to associate themselves with her, save for her family. They feared her because of her eyes. They were afraid of its power, of its capabilities.

And she didn’t want this treatment.

She didn’t like this power, this status, and the responsibilities that go with it. She had only wished for acceptance in her society, not the fear that made them revere her like a goddess, like someone who had the power over their lives. All she wanted was for someone to look at her and befriend her.

Yes, all she needed was a friend.

She was alone - until the day she met someone who could stare right into those blood red irises of hers.

It happened on an ordinary day, a day where she was left to herself: no responsibilities, no sparring sessions, and no missions to carry out. It was just a day of rest – a time for herself and her thoughts.

It was her routine, to secretly leave the village and lounge on the nearby river to relax, every time she had a day like this. She had settled herself on the blanket that she had brought with her, a little bit of bread, an apple, and a small canister of water were by her side. She sat there by the riverbank, lost in her thoughts.

The air had been cool and the sound of the steady stream of water was relaxing to her mind. She was at peace with the soft breeze coaxing the trees to sway and dance to the wind’s tune. It was a beautiful afternoon to laze. And she was enjoying every bit of it, the small pinch of freedom she had.

She had been laying on the blanket for a few minutes now, eyes closed as her mind prepared to rest. Her piece of bread and untouched apple had been safely kept in her bag. Her body had been relaxed until her ears registered the rustle of bushes, footsteps scrunching the dead leaves on the ground, and the sound of someone sighing.

Her reflexes went to work as she jolted up, rouge eyes opened, and hands clutched on her sheathed knife’s hilt. Her head turned to the direction of the sound. There was no movement, no sign of anomaly among the lush greens.

She stood up from her seat, white socks crumpling the purple sheet as she took on a defensive stance, one hand on the hilt of her knife, which had been strapped her to belt, whilst the other relaxed by her side. She heard the rustle of leaves again and this time, she saw the bushes move. The greens parted revealing another person.

She stared at the newcomer, scanning them for any sign of aggression, but the other person was calm.

“Oh, uh, hi!” The newcomer greeted her with a smile. The person’s eyes were eerily gray yet those eyes managed to look at her.

It was the first time someone, other than her family members, had greeted her properly. And she didn’t know how to return the kind words. She rubbed the back of her nape in discomfort as she searched her mind for a proper retort.

“Uh, hello.” She managed to reply, eyes never leaving those mesmerizing pair of grays.

The stranger took a small step forward, a smile still etched on her face, a hand outstretched and her pearly whites showed and glittered, “My name’s Great Wolf. What’s yours?”

‘She’s not from my village. And she’s a ninja just like me. She gave me her ninja name, which is in accordance to our rules that no ninja should give off their real name to strangers.’

She thought as she took the stranger’s hand and firmly shook it. Both their grips were tight, stiff, and rigid, giving both the impression that they were both new to this kind of meeting. Despite this awkwardness, her gut feelings told her that this person didn’t mean harm. The energy surrounding the achromatic-eyed young woman was calm. Besides, if the person had wanted to attack her, the newcomer wouldn’t have hesitated to pounce on her as soon as she felt the other’s presence. The newcomer also came alone.  

“People call me, Graceful Fox.” She replied as soon as they let each other’s hands go.

Great Wolf’s smile widened after hearing her name, “It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful person.”

And that statement made her cheeks flush, her heart race, and her breath hitch for the first time.

Her carnelian eyes averted the gray eyes as she turned away to hide her reddened face. She could feel heat fill her cheeks.

A chortle reached her ears. She turned to meet Great Wolf’s closed eyes, her guffaws unleashed as the new acquaintance doubled over in laughter.

“What’s so funny?” She inquired, quite offended by the unruliness that the new acquaintance had displayed.

“You’re so cute when you’re blushing.” Great Wolf answered immediately as she stopped her laughter and recomposed herself, wiping those happy tears from her eyes with her fingers.

Graceful Fox huffed and sat herself back down on the blanket, body turned to face the river. Great Wolf saw the childish behavior, scratching her neck some before a grin made its way to her face.

Graceful Fox was surprised when she felt someone plop herself down beside her, in fact, a little bit too close to her for someone she had just known. Her new companion had seated herself in an unwomanly manner, legs outstretched and parted as her arms propped her body up. Gray eyes stared ahead while the smile remained on her lips.

Somehow, Graceful Fox wondered what made this ninja so bright and cheery.

“We, ninjas, were bound to be lonely, but I think it’s this limitation which made me appreciate a lot of things. We get to see and appreciate the most insignificant things in life because we all know that everything will fade and be forgotten.” Great Wolf said as if she had read the other one’s thoughts.

The other ninja was surprised and her face displayed the sadness that she had momentarily tucked away after slipping off the village.

“I envy you,” Graceful Fox mumbled as she pulled her knees close and tucked them into her arms, “You see things that most ninjas could not see and appreciate; I, myself, included in that lot. You see, nobody in my village would dare to notice me. They feared me for what I possess. I felt like my life’s purpose was to merely instill fear on people and help my village thrive.”

“But you don’t seem like one who would inflict unnecessary harm.”

“They dared not look at me for fear that they would die when they do, but I’m not like that.”

“And so, you’ve been alone… just like me…” She heard the other mumble the last part.

“We’re the same?”

A sad smile was her reply. Her eyes widened, surprised at the new acquaintance’s revelation.

“My village folk fear these as well,” Great Wolf pointed to her eyes.

This time, Graceful Fox smiled. It felt good to find someone in the same situation as herself. She didn’t bother knowing what the other one’s eyes could do. Just knowing someone like her was enough. Now, she had someone to empathize with, and she can be the other one’s pillar of support as well.

Finally, she was not alone.

The two talked more for a few moments, it felt like they’ve known each other for years. Graceful Fox even shared her food to her new friend. The bread and apple were gone. The canister was emptied. The setting sun signaled for both ninjas to return to their homes.

It was time to part.

The two ninjas found themselves standing by the river bank, eyes never leaving one another. Rouge eyes stared at achromatic ones and the latter gazed back. It was a surreal moment for the both of them to finally be seen with neither fear nor prejudice.

“I guess, I’ll see you around.” Great Wolf finally said after a long moment of comforting silence.

Graceful Fox nodded, her lips upturned as she leaned forward to give her new friend a hug. She felt the other body stiffen for a moment before it relaxed and returned the embrace. Those gestures were new to both of them, yet they felt like the other deserved it for all its worth.

“See you around, my friend.” Graceful Fox bid as they parted in different directions, running past the thick brush.

+++

The two ninjas have gotten closer with the passage of time. It had been two months since their first meeting by the river bank. They often met and talked at that very place. The bank became their sacred spot – a place where they can be momentarily free and be themselves.

And one day, Great Wolf found herself face to face with a limping friend. Her rouge-eyed friend had managed to cross the river before collapsing in Great Wolf’s arms.

“What happened?” Great Wolf asked in genuine concern as she steadied them both, shifting her weight against Graceful Fox as she helped her friend settle on the blanket she had laid out beneath a tree beforehand.

Graceful Fox gave her a sheepish smile. “I – I got wounded on our last mission, ended up in our village’s hospital, but I didn’t want to miss our usual meeting, so