Author's note: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your support on the last chapter! I decided that I want to include a wider range of story forms in this challenge! Which includes one shots, two shots, AUs, and more! I'll let you know if the chapters are one shots, AUs or not, but don't worry, the main pairing will still be ManamixShisui! This is just so I don't get bored and I think it will help motivate me to get to 100 chapters! Please enjoy and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Manami Terumi is my character.
Memory
Mei watched from her large windows in the Mizukage's office as her niece took the curly haired Uchiha's hand and dragged him into the market. Though he put a show of complaining about going shopping, Mei could easily see that he would have willingly gone anywhere Manami wanted him to go.
Mei bit back a chuckle as the Uchiha attempted to juggle only to have Manami catch the falling fruit. She profusely apologised to the stall owner before dragging the blushing Uchiha by the collar away from the fruit vendors.
So it looks like Uchihas aren't good at everything, Mei thought as she continued watching them. The pair kept walking around the market, Shisui eagerly picking up and examining various things with childlike curiosity while Manami watched him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Mei got the feeling that Shisui had been begging her niece to let him come to Kirigakure for a while now, if his enthusiasm about every little thing he saw was any indicator. Mei let out a small chuckle, knowing that she was probably a key reason why Manami was reluctant to bring Shisui to Kirigakure.
As the pair disappeared into the mist, Mei cursed herself for not forcing Shisui to match her up with one of the members of his clan. She could only imagine the horror that would appear on her niece's face when she asked. Though, the Mizukage was unsure about how the Uchiha would response.
Mei assumed he would have most likely agreed to anything she asked if it meant Mei would approve of his and Manami's relationship.
Mei smiled softly to herself as she turned away from the window and sat back down at her desk, ready to dive back into her paperwork and wait for Ao to return from the absurd list of errands she sent him on. Even the thought of the carelessly speaking ANBU captain was not enough to ruin Mei's good mood.
There was something about seeing her niece so happy and clearly in love that gave Mei hope for the future. For quite some time, Mei had been worried that Manami would never form deep, intimate connections with others given the trauma of her childhood during the Bloody Mist. Which was one of the main reasons Mei had spent Manami to the Hidden Mist in hopes of securing a peace treaty with them. She had no doubt that Manami would succeed in gaining the Hokage's trust, but Mei had also hoped that having more interaction with Leaf shinobi would help Manami see the light again and lift her spirits.
Thankfully, Mei's hope had paid off and with every return from Konohagakure, Manami seemed happier than before. The Mizukage wasn't blind to the fact that a certain curly haired Uchiha must have played an important role in her niece's transformation.
It had been quite a long time since Mei had seen the look of hope and love so clearly written on a couple like it was for Manami and Shisui. Though Mei knew she should stop the next few images and thoughts that were about to flood into her conscious, Mei didn't. It had been so long since she had thought about them, even longer that she had talked or spoken their names out loud of anyone. She knew she wouldn't start now, it was not the time to start thinking about old memories. She had promised herself that when he died but couldn't resist whispering their names in her head before forcing herself to read the new mission report in front of her.
It would come as no surprise to anyone who knew the true story that the people Mei was thinking about, the names she had whispered in her head belonged to a couple whose love saved and destroyed them both.
The names that belonged to the two people were Manami's mother and father.
Author's note: This isn't as long as the others but I'm not feeling super well right now. This chapter serves to convey Mei's reaction to meeting Shisui and what she thinks about her niece dating him. In addition, it also serves as a way of hinting at what really happened between Manami's mother and father, which will be revealed in later chapters. Thank you for reading and please enjoy!
