It's been three years. Three years and yet the memory is still vivid. Three years and the memory stains my mind. Every now and then I can see blood on my hands. Her blood. I'm supposed to not feel a thing. We aren't supposed to feel anything about who we kill. But why her? Perhaps nostalgia, I used to believe that lie was it, but I've come to face it… The truth is those people mean something to me. No matter how much I deny it. They were the closet thing to family… and the will be remembered that way unfortunately….
"You're so cool." Her airy laughter filled the air. Stop haunting me… I'm sorry…
She was mocking me now. It surprised me that her ghost would be so cruel. I never saw this side of her… I never saw her as a person…
Ino stood in the flower shop drumming her fingers on the table quite bored. "Okaa-san! I'm going to leave early." Ino pulled off her aprons and was out of the store before she got an answer. She stretched a bit as she walked out into the sunlight. It was a clear day with blue skies and mellow clouds blowing on by. She started walking towards Tenten house but stopped. 'She's on a mission with Neji-san…' Ino sighed as she leaned against a nearby building and sat down. "Trying to escape boredom, only to find more.. it sucks when everyone's on a mission…" Ino closed her eyes and slumped in depression.
"Oy!" said a voice form above. Ino looked up to see Shikamaru staring down at her. "Clouds are more interesting when your eyes are open."
"Shut up." Ino glared at him. "Aren't you going to offer a hand?"
"Do you want one?" Shikamaru said in a annoyed voice.
"Forget it lazy ass." Ino got up and dusted off her clothes. "What are you doing anyways? On a day like this you'd normally be staring at the clouds at your usual spot."
"Did you forget what day it is?"
"How could I? But, she'd never want anyone to cry over her. She did enough of that herself…" Ino's voice turned more serious. Her face looked sullen and somewhat depressed, yet a smile was still there.
"I was going to visit her grave before he gets there, you know how he gets." Shikamaru said as the two headed towards the hero's monument.
"He's probably going to go at night. No matter how strong he tries to be, we all know he took it hardest." Ino said with a sympathetic voice. The two slowly reached the grave site and sighed looking at the name carved in there. Ino bent down and slowly traced the letters of the name. Shikamaru looked down at the monument watching Ino. His face had a solemn expression. They stayed there in silence for a good moment or so, before Ino stood up and stretched a bit.
"Done already?"
"Yep." Ino said with a smile. " 'Dwelling on someone with no regrets in death is foolish'." Ino said as if mimicking her. "She was so annoying that way… She thought about things way more than she let on…"
"Are you going to be okay?" Shikamaru asked warily.
"I'm fine… just nostalgic you know?" Ino smiled and started to walk away from the monument. "Coming?"
"Sure." Shikamaru hesitated and bowed respectively towards the monument and walked after Ino. The two walked in silence walking by the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Just inside was a customer who hadn't eaten a bit of his ramen. It looked cold and untouched. His chopsticks were still together. He seemed to be looking out into nothingness that never would end. Next to him sat a girl with long black hair. She seemed to be at a loss of what to do. Her eyes seemed to flitter between the boy and somewhere distant. She put her hand hesitantly onto his shoulder. The boy didn't notice. He just sat there looking into the depths of nothingness.
"Naruto-kun… I'm sorry." She said in a soft whisper. Hinata lifted her hand and pushed back a strand of her hair nervously. She stared at him with caring eyes full of love. "Please forgive yourself." Tears brimmed at the edges of her eyes. A single tear fell from her eyes into the cup of cold ramen. The soft sound seemed to wake up just a bit. He blinked and looked up to see her crying.
"Hinata-san, why are you crying?" His voice sounded like a sad attempt to sound normal, but you could hear the deadness behind it. She didn't say a word. Tears just flew down her cheeks.
'Why is it? Why is it that you can't see she wanted you to be happy?' Hinata thought as the tears flew down slowly. 'Why is it you can't forget? Why is it you can't see me?' Hinata said as she sat there silently crying. Naruto stared at her helplessly.
When she haunts me, I see the scar I made on her, the one straight through the heart. Her laughter just seems to fill the air rejoicing at my pain.
"Ninja aren't allowed to feel. What's wrong with you?"
She taunts me. I wake up with cold sweat. It's strange though when I wake up, I don't feel any better. I just feel the emptiness. I've felt this before, but this time, it hurts. It hurts so much more. She makes me feel so alone.
Kabuto sat deep underground. His face somehow transformed into Orochimaru in a misshaped fashion. Just beyond him was a girl, her long hair dancing at the ground. She wore a simple sleeveless white gown. It had a slip at the top revealing just below her heart. It showed off a gruesome looking scar even though it had healed over. There was no expression on her face.
"With you, my plan is finally being set into motion." Kabuto had a dark grin on his face. "Orochimaru will be returned to his former glory and power through me." The girl didn't make a move, only stood there solemnly staring at him. He walked up and put his hands on her shoulder. "Revenge will be served." He laughed darkly. The girl seemed to look down at the ground with a saddened expression. 'So it begins.' She thought to herself.
There we are. If you are wondering who monologues in the beginning and end, if you think about it you'll get it, because I refuse to mention his name. I won't reveal how she died until very far in the near future. Please tell me what you think... I write so many stories that I never continue but this one has real substance so please review and tell me how it is.