A/N: Kishimoto owns Naruto, and all of his Narutoygoodness. I am just coping with having no updates on Wednesdays.
Kunoichi
II. Two Years
Two years of secret missions and hoping to earn her way out of her life and carved into the stone.
Two years of managing to beat the odds again and again, and feeling more hollow each time.
Two years since the ANBU mark was carved into her arm and sealed the rest of her heart
In the pink of dawn she brushes her hand over his name, still wearing the blood of the enemies of Konoha – of those that tried to take advantage of the peace between nations and the complacency that can follow in the wake of peace.
She knows he is coming – she can hear him, which means he is allowing himself to be heard.
She is always respectful of his time here – after all, he has been visiting far longer than she has.
She usually tries to be gone before he arrives, so she bows her apology.
"Hokage-sama," she murmurs and passes him.
"Gai is worried about you," his voice is low but clear in the hush of the morning.
"I shall visit," she says quietly.
She takes her leave of him.
She can feel his eyes on her, but she doesn't turn around.
She cleans up from her mission, files her report, visits her sensei, assures him that she is fine, just tired, fakes her smiles and her laughter and goes home to face sleep, dreading another day among the living.
She dedicates every breath to the protection of her village.
She has been offered transfers and positions outside of Konoha – chances for a new life and a new start.
She will not leave.
She must live and die in the service of her village or she will never rejoin him.
Next: Unexpected Ally