Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But I'm sure you knew that already…
--
Chapter One: A Mess I Can't Clean Up
--
"Uchiha Shisui... brave ninja..."
"Uchiha Shisui... great person..."
Uchiha Shisui... Uchiha Shisui... Uchiha...
A drop of water drips its way down my nose. It reaches the cold pavement beneath my feet and splatters into an unidentified pattern on the ground.
'...Tears?' My thoughts are sluggish. 'No... It's just the... rain.' I sighed heavily as I thought this and I absentmindedly fiddled with my ring and tried to listen to what the people were saying. I could only hear scattered words from where I stood in the back of the corwd. "
Uchiha Maraiya."
My eyes kept their gaze firmly on the ground in front of me as the rain steadily thickened and the precipitation dripped from my onyx hair. I didn't move from my spot.
"Aiya-chan." A voice whispered next to me.
I slid my eyes from their current focus to the young Sasuke who looked up at me with worried eyes.
"They're saying your name Aiya-chan." He continued in a frantic whisper.
"Hai Sasuke-kun. But they're saying my name wrong." I half-whispered back.
"Oh." He gave a half-giggle causing his mother to tug firmly on the hand she was holding.
"Shhh. Sasuke-kun." She scolded him.
"Sorry okaa-san." He apologized and shot me a guilty look.
I shrugged in response, turning my mix-matched eyes back to the front where one of the Elders was looking into the crowd furiously.
"Inuzamachi Maraiya if you would please come up front please." He stated, using my correct name as he spotted my face in the crowd of people.
I smirked lightly in triumph and focused my eyes back onto the ground as I began to make my way to the front. People moved away from me as if I had some deadly disease as I would pass them. I could hear their hushed tones as they conversed with one another.
"Isn't that the girl who..."
"Yes yes... Did she really?"
"I heard that Shisui..."
"Shh here she comes!"
I exhaled through my nose, causing bright puffs of steam to appear in the cold air. My black kimono was completely drenched as I had chosen not to bring an umbrella like most of the other women. My shoulder length hair, which was entirely midnight black, hung in mattes around my face and I was sure that my make-up was a mess. But did I care... No.
'Well... I guess I do care but... Shisui wouldn't have... So I... Guess I don't care either.' I thought, my brain still processing everything much too slowly.
I finally reached the front of the crowd, where I passed the elites of the Uchiha clan. I roughly shouldered my way past two of the ANBU in my way and slowly trudged up the steps onto the platform. The Elder stepped aside and I cleared my throat to gain everyone's attention. Not that I needed to, everyone was already staring at my abnormal eyes and clan markings, signaling that I didn't belong here. But as Shisui's fiance, it would be impolite not for me to come to the funeral. I inhaled deeply in an attempt to ease my pounding heart.
'Here goes everything.' I thought as I stood straighter and clutched the engagement ring in my hand. My clear voice rang out across the crowd, "
"Uchiha Shisui was not only a great ninja and friend, he was also the type of person people on the street stop to talk to and admire. He instilled hope into the younger generation, pride into the elder, and determination to everyone. But to me," I gulped, "he was my best friend. And I loved him... And he loved me, or at least I thought he did. I don't understand why he killed himself, I... I just don't get it! Why did he leave me here all alone! Why! W-w-why..." I shuddered to hold back the tears. I steadied myself. "I wish I could have known what I had done wrong, what we had done wrong. But for whatever the reason I'm sure he's in a peaceful place now..." And now for the finishing lines.
"As a great poet once said,
The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a... a..."
I felt a sudden dizziness and I stumbled forward, my vision fading rapidly into bright spots. Shouts were heard and the last thing I was aware of was me whispering the final word while being caught in firm arms. Arms like Shisui's.
"A kiss..."
And with that I passed out into the arms of Uchiha Itachi.
--
A/N: So? What did you think? I brought it over from Quizilla account (which is now inactive) since I actually though that this could be an interesting concept. I looked up the word for lightning and found 'inuzama' and the word for blood is 'chi' so I put them together to mean 'lightning-blood.' And the page breaks aren't working so I have to use those three little dashes instead...