Kisa remembered her first doll like some people remembered their first day of school, like some people remembered the pages of their favorite book, she found comfort in the memory when the world got too heavy and joy in the memory in quiet moments. As she stood in the courtyard waiting for her one true, eternal love to return, the memory was so sharp it was as if she had gone back in time.
The cherry blossoms had bloomed early that year, early enough so that there had been no need to decorate for her March third birthday party. Instead, the festivities were held in the courtyard among the delicate pink trees. Mom had made all her favorite foods and family friends from everywhere had been invited. Kisa remembered how grand she had felt, being the oldest child of one of the most respected clans in the land of fire. To many, her and her siblings represented a new golden age for shinobi everywhere.
Kisa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to quell her own fear, she had never much cared what the world thought, but family was different. She knew that they would be hurt, even if no one let it show. Mom and Dad wanted nothing more than for her live the most average, prosperous life possible. They never wanted her to feel the pain of being the odd one out for one reason or another. But with all that she had learned since that day nine years ago, how could she just marry some other ninja blueblood and get on with her life?
"Haha! Kisa is nine already?" Konoha's Rokudaime had laughed loudly as he slapped her father on the back, "It seems like just yesterday you and Fai-chan were just a couple of delinquents back in Konoha!"
"Jellyfish was never a delinquent." Mom had said matter-o-factly, using her pet name for Dad. Kisa remembered the slight smile that had played over her lips as she had exchanged a look with her husband. Now, after so many years she knew what it meant, how it felt.
"Well you know! Being an Uchiha, he was a delinquent the day he was born!" The Rokudaime winked and nudged the younger man playfully." Somewhere across the table someone gave a derisive snort and a heated debate began. Kisa watched as both of her grandfathers joined in. Grandpa Deidara on one side with the Rokudaime and Grandpa Sasuke quietly but angrily defending the honor of his clan. It was a little funny to watch, but that was the moment Kisa had lost interest. Old times were important, they were the reason everyone could come together like this, but they were not related to her world. She would never be able to revel in those victories or laugh at those mistakes. To her, everyone was as they were in the moment. Nothing more, Nothing less.
Quietly, she surveyed the gifts that surrounded her. A new art set, from Dad, a set of steel senbon, from Mom, Mom's clan in Iwa had sent some expensive silk kimonos and a nice note from Katsura-Baachan. Grandpa Deidara's colorful and explosive present had already blown away on the wind. There was also candy from the Rokudaime; but Kiyoshi, her younger brother, was sullenly devouring it. Kisa didn't mind much, though she thought it was a bit rude on principal.
The wind picked up and petals began to rain down. Kisa looked up at the pink branches and felt her eyes sting. It was a good birthday, but she felt so sad. It marked the end of being truly carefree. Soon she would leave to train in Konoha with other kids her age. Mom said she'd make lots of friends and that it would be so fun she wouldn't want to come back. But still...
"Why so unhappy?" An almost unfamiliar voice asked her from above. It was smooth and beautiful but didn't carry more than the slightest echo of emotion. A red-framed head caught the sunlight as it leaned over her upturned face.
Kisa had never much cared for human appearances, she had always preferred to document the majesty of the natural world through pen and ink, but as she looked upon the breathtaking young man, she was in awe. Not even the cherry blossoms could outdo the immaculate lines of that face, not as it looked down at her expectantly. In that single moment she was swept away by the serene and amaranthine beauty that dwelt in and around those stone colored eyes. Her hands reached up of their own accord, being drawn as flowers were to the sun. How she longed to somehow know that splendor as well as she knew her own heart.
With the softest click the face tilted to the side and an expression of amusement loomed softly without unraveling the lines of its art. She reached farther but, from where she sat, her fingers only met empty air. There was a moment of realization when her action failed. She had to say something, she had to justify her futile reaching.
"You're so...", She started in dazed explanation, "beautiful.." The young man looked down with the same soothing grace as a statue she had once seen at a temple. But it was different, more real, it created the spectacular illusion of what life should have been and would always be. "like a doll..." She finished with the rapt but unclear whisper of someone under a spell, "Like a great, big doll..."
He smiled and placed a long but delicate bundle on her upturned palms. "Art is everlasting, little one." he whispered, "Never forget that." and with that he drifted away and the spell was gone.
"Sasori no Danna! You made it, un!" She heard her grandfather exclaim but the moment was gone and Kisa wouldn't chase it.
Instead she turned her attention to the precious gift in her hands. The white paper wrapped loosely around the vaguely human shape made it resemble a corpse sleeping within a shroud, but as the gauzy cover fell away the girl was once again enchanted. There, peacefully sleeping, spread between her palms was the most beautiful version of herself she had ever seen. It hair was tied up to the side in a dark blue ribbon, just like her own. It's tiny hands lay down at its sides, peeking out from the sleeves of a newly made kimono that was just a bit too big for it. She tried to flip back one of her own too-long sleeves and marveled when she realized that the pattern was also the same as her own kimono, right down to the placement of each flower.
Snap-- She was brought out of her memories by the sound of a door quickly sliding open. She looked up to see her father in the doorway, "Kisa," He said softly and she could hear the weight under the usual kindness in his voice, "Wont you come in and give us the pleasure of your own words?"
((Heh! That was fun! So~ this is actually something of an omake to another Naruto fanfiction me and my friend are making. Suffice it to say, a lot of people don't die in ours (thus all the people that should be dead hanging around)... Though there are reasons besides just our fangirlish nature...and there are a non-inconsequential amount of OCs... though arguably they are the offspring of real characters so err its uhh better? =.=;; LOL we basically put our favorite OCs' child with Sasori cuz well... he's preeettttyyyy and it makes for drama! If you actually care about the back story of the peripheral characters, tell me in a reveiw and I'll post it, but otherwise, please just enjoy this in the moment! The focus will mainly be on Sasori and his Sasori-ness Oh and uh I'm sorry if the canon-altering offends anyone but really, would fanfiction be any fun if we all just rewrote the original plot!? Anywaaayys please review and have a greaaaat day!))