A Story Of Red

A/N: Beware. Character death.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the vedio 'Mehrooni' which has inspired me to write this fiction.

Ask me not to leave you, or to return from following you.

For where you go, I will go.

Where you lodge, I will lodge.

Your people shall be my people and your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die and there will I be buried.

May the Lord do so to me, and even more, if anything but death, part you from me.

~Ruth 1. 16-17

My name is Chouji and there are many things that I am not. A writer, for an example. An early riser, for two.

But what I am? Well, in love, actually. I am in love with the light, golden mornings of Konoha. Between the dirt and dust, the noisy mornings of Konoha are beautiful.

There is this sound of my milkman, who gets up early to make his delivery on time. There is this sound of my kettle, boiling water to make tea. And then there is this sound of chirping of birds mixed with all this.

This is the hour where Konoha is most alive. When given a chance, my mornings won't start until the clock is shouting midday. But as my life would have it, I always find myself something that forces me out of the bed even before the sun rises.

But that's okay, for I am in love with the sunlight that likes to play hide and seek among the leaves of age-old trees. I am in love with soft and pretty morning dew that cools my feet and my heart when I walk in my lawn.

And as the day would end and night would arrive, it always leave me with the urge to explain my feelings in terms of paper and ink.

People say that the more Konoha is growing, the less true love can be seen here. People have fallen in so deeply for their jobs, that the real love just seems like a fairy tale spoken in some two hundred pages of a sappy novel.

It is just a word that is related to a three hours movie that the romantics enjoy, and even then, it just fades away in their memory.

If by mistake, it happened in some corner's café then that's just it. It will last for a week or by most, for a month. You will find these lovers making out behind a tree or sometimes on the bike. After that, just like the advertisements of Fast track watches, both parties will leave the premises and the feeling of belonging, of attachment, will vaporize.

But once, on one fine morning, I got to see that famous Novel's love out of the book. I never got to know their names, but after observing them for some time, it seemed that they both were madly in love.

At exactly 7:45, they would arrive at railway station. Sometimes even holding hands and blushing (though the man hides it well). Sometimes they would just stand apart, their hands brushing and both seeking each other's faces while the other was not looking.

Both sparkling, both smiling.

(Well, the man not so much. But that didn't surprise me. He does look like the brooding types.)

After watching them, I got this feeling that I have seen them in some Uchiha's soap-detergent adds. They both had those eye-catching features, what with the lady having pink hair and the man having an appearance as if he was going for a photo-shoot. And that's why I named them 'Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha'.

The moment the train arrives, Mrs. Uchiha would help Mr. Uchiha to adjust his office bag on his shoulders and then would hold his hand while they make their way towards the crowded entrance of the train. After them, I would follow.

They always sat on the same seats- the one at the back on right hand side. Mrs. Uchiha would sit near the window, her hair flying in the wind. And Mr. Uchiha would sit beside her, armed with a shawl in case she got cold.

The train would start and out would come Mr. Uchiha's long awaited newspaper and Mrs. Uchiha's bundle of wool.

Of red colored wool with which she would starts knitting a red colored sweater.

Some days, they would just sit silently, each minding their own business and looking like they were content with just being in each other's company.

Some days, they would leave their newspaper and sweater and Mrs. Uchiha would put her head on Mr. Uchiha's shoulders and would close her eyes as if any moment she would go to sleep.

Some days, they would start talking and of what they talked, I never found out. I will always remember the look in their eyes though. Tender, like the innocence of a new born baby.

They were probably in their late twenties and looked like they were just married. I was sure of it, for many times I have caught Mrs. Uchiha watching her threaded fingers with Mr. Uchiha where their wedding rings rested. The soft glow that she would get in her eyes as if she couldn't believe that she was married spoke of itself.

Whether it was a love marriage or arranged, I never knew. Though I like to think that maybe ran away together due to family's objection. I could probably be wrong, of course. After all, Mr. Uchiha didn't seem like a man who runs away.

Days passed and then months. Things never changed. They would always come at 7:45 and would always sit in the same seats. When the last second station arrives, Mrs. Uchiha would give a squeeze to Mr. Uchiha's hand, would peck him on the cheek and would leave the train.

I once caught her climbing on the train that would take her back to the station from where we started. I remember thinking, 'Why was she going back home? Did she forget something?'

I got accustomed to watching them each day. Sometimes they would catch me looking at them and I would give a small smile and would turn away. I never talked to them but now it seems as if I had known them my whole life. The way Mr. Uchiha would look at Mrs. Uchiha, the way she would blush when she caught him doing that, the teasing that would soon follow, was all that kept me riding on that train every day.

I remember one day in particular. Affectionately, I like to call it 'A day of first-times' .Once, Mrs. Uchiha complained that Mr. Uchiha was too grumpy to be her husband. Mr. Uchiha just grunted and continued reading his newspaper completely disregarding her. She huffed and puffed her cheeks like a little kid. Two stations passed and they were sitting in the same position.

Then suddenly, Mrs. Uchiha had a mischievous look in her eyes. She turned towards her husband and smiled. He just raised his eyebrow and seemed wary of what would happen next. It turned out he was right to be on his guard 'cause then Mrs. Uchiha jumped on him and started tickling him.

It was the first time I saw the man laugh.

After watching him, I couldn't stop myself and started laughing too. Big mistake on my part as it brought me the attention of the Uchiha couple.

Mrs. Uchiha just smiled at me and Mr. Uchiha glared, with a small blush apparent on his face. I tuned away slightly but kept on looking at them from the corner of my eyes. Thinking that I was no longer looking, Mr. Uchiha pointed his glare at the lady and said something that suspiciously sounded like 'You are annoying'. I could be wrong because instead of shouting at him for being rude, Mrs. Uchiha just started laughing as if they were sharing some private jock.

At that point, I realized why Mr. Uchiha was so in love with this woman. Her laugh was like a disease that would spread far and wide if you are not careful. It was like even the second's hand of the clock stopped moving just so that all you could hear was her laugh. Her cute button-up nose scrunched and her face glowed.

It was the first time I was jealous of Mr. Uchiha.

Before I could contemplate what I was feeling, Mr. Uchiha suddenly did something unexpected. He captured the lady's chin and captured her lips in his. I was very much surprised and it looked like so was the lady.

In all my observation, and I observed them quite a lot, I could give a guarantee that Mr. Uchiha was against any type of PDA. After all, he would always hide his face behind his newspaper every time Mrs. Uchiha did something slightly romantic.

Their kiss was small and must have lasted only for a few seconds. It was the only kiss I ever saw them sharing, but it was the most passionate thing I ever saw. After the kiss ended, Mr. Uchiha again opened his newspaper and started reading as if he didn't do anything out of the blue just a minute ago. Mrs. Uchiha just looked at him for a minute and then slowly a bright, beautiful smile spread on her face.

It was a smile that she bestowed only on Mr. Uchiha. Even now, the first thing that I ever remember of her is that smile.

Time passed by and the ball of wool grew smaller and smaller. It was turning out to be a beautiful sweater. Mrs. Uchiha would always, each day diligently work on it.

First she completed its neck and then it's front. Then came it's back and rest of the sweater. She made a cherry-blossom design on the edges. One day she even completed the sweater's right sleeve. Great! Now all she had to do was complete the second sleeve. I have never seen her as happy as she was looking that day.

The next day, I obediently came at the right time and stood on the station. But the Uchiha couple never came.

Days turned into months, and I was still waiting.

My anxiety was increasing rapidly. My heart was begging me to do something about it. I never knew when it happened, but they both had become a part of my day and without them, I couldn't shake this empty feeling that was growing in my chest.

I wanted to inform the police, but where would I start? I didn't even know their names. Maybe Mr. Uchiha got transferred? Maybe Mrs. Uchiha wanted to go on a vacation?

But I was never an optimistic person and the more I thought of them, the more I thought of the many bad endings to their story.

One day, my prayers were answered and I again saw Mr. Uchiha standing on the station. I smiled to myself and scanned the surrounding but Mrs. Uchiha was nowhere in sight.

I grew curious and so I walked towards Mr. Uchiha. He turned and looked at me but didn't say a word. All I wanted was to ask him about his wife but it was going to be the first time I was going to talk to him.

I cleared my throat and he just raised his eyebrow. I smiled between my cheeks. Mrs. Uchiha was right when she said that her husband had the most expressive eyebrows one could ever see.

"Do you remember me, Mr. U-… I-I mean, Sir?", I asked hesitantly.

He scrunched his eyes and regarded me for some time. Then he nodded his head and said, "You are the one who stalked my wife."

Oops! Well I guess I did pass as a stalker. But he was wrong. I don't stare at his wife. I stare at them.

With a sheepish look on my face, I asked him softly.

"What happened, Sir? You came alone today?"

"Hn."

The train had arrived and we climbed it. I thought Mr. Uchiha will elaborate himself but he never did. I noticed that he didn't take his usual seat but rather stood at the door.

I took a place beside him and contemplated whether I should push him further. I huffed and made my decision. I hadn't waited for so long to be just ignored.

"Where is your wife sir?"

He glared. Not the soft one that he would usually throw at me when he would catch me looking at them, but rather a very mean one.

"What's it to you? Who are you anyway?"

"I-I am sorry. It's just I have become accustomed to see you together. Nothing else."

We stood there in silence. The train was moving and so was the wind. But for me it seemed as if everything was standing still.

What happened between the Uchiha's? Did they have a fight?

Mr. Uchiha did seemed kind of tired. His clothes were dirty and even his always so perfectly kept hair were messed up.

But the worst things were his eyes.

There was just no spark in them. It looked as if even the small task of breathing was all too much for him.

He looked like a dead man walking.

He must have sensed my inquisitive stare because he sighed and then looked at me.

"She was stupid, okay?" he said. "She was annoying. She had cancer. She wanted to spend some time with me so she used to climb the train too. I…" he frowned, but latter continued, "I told her not to, but she won't listen. God, I hate her." He sighed.

I was shocked. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest and could feel my ears burning. But other than that everything felt numb.

Mrs. Uchiha died.

She is dead.

This mantra kept on repeating in my head. I still could not believe it. Mrs. Uchiha was so nice and sweet and happy. I could have never guessed that she was sick!

Suddenly, I realized something. We never talked.

For months we have been catching the same train and I didn't even wave at her. But maybe it was for the best. After all, she died, didn't she? Becoming friends with her would have just increased my pain.

The train stopped at the second last station. But today, there was no Mrs. Uchiha making her way towards the exit. Some people entered the train and some left. Suddenly, life started looking like a train too. Some people would move on to next station and some would be left behind.

We just stood there in silence. The train started moving again. I wanted to say something, to console him.

There were thousands of words that I could have said, thousands of sentences that I could have uttered.

"I am sorry."

This was not one of them. 'I am sorry' just wasn't enough.

The train stopped at the last station and we both made our way towards the plat form.

"I wanted to stay with her, you know. But we needed the money to pay for the medication. And even then I couldn't save her.'

Mr. Uchiha caught me by surprise. He wasn't the type to talk to people, unless forced. I wasn't expecting him to say something.

"Why ? Why do you hate her? It wasn't her fault that she was sick."

Mr. Uchiha just turned away and if I hadn't been observing him, I would have missed the words that he said then.

"I hate her, because she made me promise not to follow her."

I should have cried then. It was a sad story. But I didn't.

At least not until I noticed what Mr. Uchiha was wearing.

My break down in middle of a railway station got me many different reactions.

Some just walked by.

Some gave me curious glances.

But nobody spared a second for the grieving man who was just walking away.

A second for the man, who was wearing a red colored sweater with its left sleeve still unfinished.

For them, he was just another one in many.

A/N: God, I need a beta.