Chapter 2 - Memorial

Several days had passed before several other teams had returned. A respectable size for the memorial. Once again the weather reflected the moods of the two girls who'd been left behind. The sky was a dull gray, but the rain had not fallen yet.

The botanical ninja starred at herself for a long time in the mirrror. Her kimono black with a few pink cherry blossoms flowing down one shoulder.

The medic-nin also wore a simple black kimono, no other design as her hair was bright enough in her opinion. She'd tied it back into a braid, except for her bangs that hid half her face and the bunch that hung over her shoulder. She looked runned-down.

A messenger came to their doors alerting them that the funeral was to begin shortly.

The botanical ninja hung her head low and felt herself rooted in her place. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to accept that her friends were gone.

The other sighed, but answered her door and looked to her neighbouring friend's. "Alanna..." she sighed, tapping the door lightly, "Come on, it has to be done..."

Alanna's door opened slightly and she quietly made her way out.

The other nodded in approval, unable to smile. The two made their way down to the memorial stone upon which their friends names had been written beneath the names of others who had passed before them.

The procession was down-hearted and laid back, speakers taking turns to speak while others stood and listened carefully, crying or sobbing.

Alanna starred straight at the names of her comrades. Memories both good and bad whirled around in her mind. From their first assingments in the academy, first missions as genin, then chunin, and then finally as jounin. They were family to her, and now she felt like an orphan again.

The other merely lifted her left foot slightly from the ground, running her toe through the loose dirt. She didn't want to be here, but the only way Alanna would have came is if she had come... She really wished she'd gone to get a drink or something instead, at least her mind would be elsewhere for once in the last few days...

The attendents of the funeral soon approached the marker and placed white roses before the young shinobi's names. Alanna was one of the last. She kelt down before the stone and brushed her fingers on one of the names.

The other had already placed her flower and was looking around at the others who had attended the funeral. Some looked unphased, as she was, while other were more upset. She waited for the last few people to pass and for the memorial to be over before looking to Alanna. "You going to stay here?" she asked gently, as some people left right away and others lingered.

Alanna felt one of many more tears fall from her eyes. "Sokejin..." she murmured silently, as though she was speaking to him.

"I'll take that as a yes..." she sighed lightly, "I'll see you later," she replied, leaving her friend to finish what mourning she had to do for now. She, on the other hand, needed a distraction and headed to get herself a drink.

At the counter of the beverage shop was a tall grey haired advance shinobi. He too wore a black kimono and a black mask that covered most of his face.

She payed very little mind to him, at least not until she'd chosen something and placed it on the counter.

"Hey," he said glancing over to her, "How're you holding up?"

"Better then Alanna at least..." she replied, sighing and blowing a few strands of loose hair from her left side of her face.

Kakashi nodded his head. "I'm not surprised. You all were pretty close I heard."

She nodded, "Perhaps too close," she replied.

"I can relate."

She nodded one again, but this time said nothing. Instead she pulled her braid to the front and begane to untie it.

The waiter soon came up to her and handed her her bill, "Have a nice day." He didn't seem to notice that some of his customers were in funeral gowns.

"I think I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," she stated outloud as she pulled her small purse from the side of her sash.

Kakashi had already placed his in his pocket and the exact amount before her for her drink, "On me. You've paid for enough today."

She felt her face readily blush a shade of pink she didn't think existed for a moment there, "Oh, um..." she nodded, "Thanks."

He simply nodded back at her and stepped out. His glass now dry as a bone.

She sighed lightly, she would have to find a way to catch him without the mask... or perhaps remove it herself. She got up as well, smiling at the small guesture Kakashi had done for her, and headed out.

She returned to her apartment once again, listening at Alanna's door to see if she'd returned yet, but no such luck as far as she could tell. She hopped onto her bed without changing and slept the rest of the day away, her drink working almost like a strong sleeping pill.

Alanna however, remained before the tombstone well throughout the day and well into the night...


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