Guidance
Sure, they could cope with his death. They had closure; they had each other. They were with him in his final moments. What did she have?
Nothing.
Anko had absolutely nothing but her memories of him to cherish. To cling to. She found it hard to believe that he was gone. The news had shocked her; now she was alone. No one to understand her pain. No one to admire. No one to love.
No one to help her anymore. Her sensei, if you could call him that, was little more than a snake-obsessed, pale-skinned Sannin who would have completely abandoned her were it not for the curse seal she might one day bear.
She was left alone.
Obito had been all she had—all she had wanted to become. She had admired the giving boy; fancied him immortal. Sometimes she still imagined seeing him running by, flashing a trademark grin, goggles slipping off his face in his rush to get to training on time.
She noticed the changes overcoming everyone else, though she hardly cared. His teacher, Konoha's legendary 'Yellow Flash', had been quieter, his robust yells exchanged for a saddened expression. Kakashi and Rin mourned the loss of their teammate, comrade and friend. Kakashi frequently scolded himself for his and Obito's foolishness. He was visibly scarred as well, his left eye now replaced with a Sharingan. Rin was reserved, sparing her smiles only for Kakashi. Gai, a prankster and one time partner-in-crime of Obito's, completely stopped his mischief. Anko herself stopped talking.
Yes, it was war. Yes, casualties were to be expected. The facts were no consolation to the broken-hearted genin.
The grey-eyed girl didn't really like visiting the monument with his name carved into it. She had never liked the reminder of Konoha's losses. Now she had another reason to hate the cold marble slab.
It was his birthday today, though. She just could not bear the thought of him spending the day alone. She placed the pathetically small bouquet of handpicked flowers on the monument and nervously started talking to him. Or maybe she was just talking to the air. Who knows? Lately, he was the only one to hear her words.
She didn't even realize she wasn't alone, so soft was the elderly man's steps. The red and white Hokage robes rustled in the slight breeze, alerting the genin to the leader's presence. She gazed horror-struck at him. He must now think her mad.
Wait, why was Sandaime here?
This question must have shone in her eyes. He smiled, his face line with age and sorrow. He answered her in a knowing voice, as if he had heard her unspoken question.
"I always try to visit them every day." He patted the grave marker which bore the names of so many shinobi he had known. "I assume that you're here to visit Obito-kun."
She didn't reply, choosing instead to look at the many names carved on the stone. Her eyes slowly filled with tears as she saw his freshly carved name.
"I heard you haven't been speaking lately," he looked at Anko. She was staring at the name again; her blank expression revealed what was on her mind better than any words could have. Slowly, the great man knelt to her level. He place an aged hand on her shoulder and looked at her dark eyes. She resolutely stared at the monument.
"Anko, Obito wouldn't want you to do this, would he?"
She softly nodded; she had known all along, after all, that silencing herself with mourning was no less than betraying the boy's memory. Uchiha Obito, most outgoing boy she knew, would detest the thought of anyone shutting themselves away from society. He would have been the first to scold her for her actions.
Sarutobi glanced back at the marker, sadness prevalent in his wise eyes. He recalled the many he had once known, admired, loved whose names vied for space on the stone. "Sometimes, Anko, shinobi have to show emotion."
His was advice she never forgot. It rang true in her head when Orochimaru abandoned her. It resounded whenever she doubted herself. The phrase kept her from ending it all during the chuunin exams after her confrontation with the snake Sannin. Even at the old man's funeral, it was a solemn reminder.
She remembered the boy she had loved; she didn't, however, allow her grief to overwhelm ever again. She became more confident and open, Obito's remembrance guiding her.
A/N: I really would like feedback for this one, since it's my first fiction with this pairing. So, if you have the time, please review.