So… this is the last chapter.
My love will be sent to you all at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 25: What Else is there to Say?
I awoke in a haze, a pink blur of hair blocking my view. I let out a tired moan as I sat up from my spot. After I rubbed my eyes and my vision became clear, I looked towards Sakura.
"I'm glad to see that you're awake, Suki." I smiled at Sakura as I watched her sit down in a chair next to the cot I was in. When she let out a heavy breath of air and rested her head on her arms, I knew she must have been exhausted.
"What happened?" I questioned after a long silence. Sakura let out another sigh and lifted up her head.
"Pein sacrificed himself to save the village, and everyone came back to life." My eyes widened.
"Does that mean…?" I paused in my sentence when I looked up towards the opening of the tent I was in. After the light stopped affecting my vision, I peered at the figure. When I realized who it was, a lump rose in my throat.
"Kakashi!" I called as I glomped him. Kakashi let out a light oof, but held his ground. I held onto him tighter when I felt him return my hug. After a while, when the lump in my throat got smaller, I released him.
I smiled at him happily. When I received a smile back, I looked towards Sakura with wide eyes.
"Does that mean Aki…?" I began to question, but when her smile faded, I frowned. I looked towards Kakashi for confirmation.
"…She didn't come back." I frowned as I looked down, the lump rising once again.
After a long moment of silence, and myself with my thoughts, I looked up towards Sakura.
"Am I well enough to travel on my own?" I watched Sakura as she pondered on what the answer should be with a determined look on my face. I smirked when she let out a defeated sigh.
"You should be fine… but why?" I looked at her again with a stern face.
"Years ago, Aki told me when she died, she wants to be buried at home. And if the ground was too frozen for her to be buried, she wanted to be cremated. I'm going to make her wish be a reality." I answered Sakura while I walked to a stand and grabbed my things.
"Let us go with you!" Sakura stated with a concerned look on her face. I looked towards her with a frown.
"I have to do this on my own." I muttered as I got ready to walk out of the tent. I paused and looked back at Sakura.
"Do you know if my apartment was destroyed?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow. When Sakura told me it was destroyed, I let out a sigh and started to head towards the gate, but a booming voice stopped me.
"Suki! Where do you think you're going?!" I looked back to find Tsunade. I turned all the way around and looked at her seriously.
"I am going to the land of snow to allow Aki to be at rest." I answered smoothly as I walked up to her. Tsunade smirked.
"I would think as much." She motioned her head towards another tent. "You might want to get Aki before you leave first." My eyes widened as I then slapped my forehead. I am such an idiot. I frowned as I passed her and ran to the tent.
After I found Aki and left the tent, I quickly left the village with ease. Tsunade already told the guards what I was doing and wished me good luck as I left. I nodded to them in thanks and began running towards the direction of snow when they were not visible from behind me.
I let out a huff of air as I set up a small camp on the outskirts of a small village. When I started a fire and sat next to it to keep warm, I glanced over to Aki's lifeless body. The color was now all gone from her skin, and very soon she will start to decay. I need to get there quickly. I thought for a moment and realized that her home town was only a day away. So after I have a quick breakfast of instant ramen, I will get there by sunset if I don't stop. I nodded my head with a determined look and quickly fell into a slumber.
I awoke in the snow village. I let out a tired huff from the past days run. I wasn't confronted by anyone, but I had to stay in a tent so they wouldn't question why I had a dead body. I quickly stood up and put away my sleeping bag. When I was done with that, I picked Aki up and walked into the village and towards the building where mourners were walking out of. I let a frown fall onto my face as I walked into the door.
When the old woman behind the counter saw me and Aki's motionless body in my arms, she frowned. Said woman came out from behind the counter and felt the side of Aki's cold face. Her frown deepened.
"This girl came to me a few months ago, and gave me a letter." I frowned as I shot her a confused look. She continued to look at Aki sadly.
"She told me to give it to the one who brought her here." She explained as she walked back behind her desk and rummaged through a drawer until she pulled out an envelope. She flipped it over and studied the name on it.
"I assume you are Suki?" I nodded to her, the frown still on my face, as she set down the letter and took Aki from my arms.
"I will prepare her for the cremation." The old woman stated as she walked into a different room with Aki. I frowned again as I looked towards the letter on the counter, a lump rising in my throat.
I quickly walked over to it and delicately opened it to read the letter.
'Dear Suki,
If you are reading this, then I am dead. I would first like to thank you for bringing me here to bury me or cremate me. I knew that I was going to die for you when I first arrived in Konoha. You see, for the curse to be lifted from our clans, someone from one of the clans would have to be willing to die for the other, and have nothing to bring them back from death.
I went to a well known fortune teller and she told me that I was going to die from someone in the Akatsuki. And that you would be there at the end. I have accepted that fate, and I hope that you will too. You have to do some more things for me before everything though…'
I let out a sigh as I reached the cave Aki told me to go to first. I glanced down at the letter in my hands.
'Number one, you are to go to the Cave near the Village Hidden in the Ice to find the flower of winter. This flower is a blue color, but be careful, its pollen is poisonous to breathe in. After you pick the flower, you need to take the pollen out of the flower and place it in a flask. Make sure it is sealed.'
I let out a sigh as I looked around the cave. But then my eyes caught on the most beautiful flower. I smiled as I neared it and took in a deep breath so I would not end up breathing in the pollen. I delicately held the flower up and used a needle to take out the pollen. Why pick it when it's easier to just take the pollen and let it live? I took the needle off of the container and then concealed it. After letting out my breath, I flew back and walked out of the cave. I glanced down at the letter again.
'Number two. Knowing you, you probably didn't pick the flower. You've been hanging with Sasori too much. Now go back and pick the flower, since the pollen is out, it is no longer poisonous. The flower petals are needed, so place them in something so they won't wither so quickly.'
I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes. I turned back around and back into the cave to do as she said.
"It's hot as hell over here!" I complained as I walked even closer to the natural hot spring. Why there is a hot spring in Snow, I will never know. I huffed as I finally reached it and filled up a glass container and sealed it. I frowned as I looked at the letter one last time.
'Okay, now that you have the pollen, flower petals, and the hot spring water, you need to bring it back to my hometown. There you will go and see the fortune teller. She will do the rest.
-I love you, Aki'
I frowned as I folded up her letter and began to head back to her village. Good thing the springs were close to it!
I knocked on the old wooden door of the building where the fortune teller is. I smiled as an old woman whit very long braided brown hair opened it. She was wearing a green tank top and had bracelets all the way up to her elbows, her brown pants were a little torn and baggy, but she looked relaxed. When she met my gaze, she smiled brightly, revealing white, straight teeth. I smiled sadly at her and stepped in when she moved over.
"Welcome, child of the split clan. I was waiting for the day you would finally arrive here. I am so sorry of your loss." I smiled at her kindly and bowed my head. She then led me to a chair at a round table.
"Now, take out the pollen, flower petals, and spring water." I nodded and did as I was told, when I did so, the old woman grabbed the water filled container and poured the poisonous pollen inside it. When she finished, she grabbed the petals and crushed them up in an old grinder and placed the powder inside the mix. When she finished, she shook the container until all the powder was dissolved.
"Now, Suki, you need to drink this before Aki is to be cremated. The flower petals diffuse the poison, so you will be fine for a good amount of time." I nodded as I chugged the mixture. Surprisingly, it had a sweet taste to it. When I finished, I was disappointed to find that it was all gone. The woman smiled at me.
"Now go to your sister's funeral, she is waiting for you." I bowed my head and ran out of the door and towards the funeral home. I frowned at the thought of not seeing her anymore, but continued to run towards the home.
When I got there, the same old woman was smiling at me. I smiled back and she led me to the back where she will be cremated.
I frowned at the figure of Aki as the woman walked in. I didn't want to see her get cremated, but I was doing so for her.
"Suki, don't worry, I've been waiting for this moment." I jumped when I heard her voice and looked next to me. When I found no one, I heard her giggle.
"This is why I got you to drink that. So you can hear me before I'm fully gone." Aki stated. I watched as the woman smiled and left the room. The cremation machine roared to life and Aki's body began to move towards the flame.
"I miss you, Aki. I wish you were the one to stay." I heard Aki's giggle echo in my head. I rolled my eyes.
"You know I couldn't let that happen. I was supposed to protect you. You are the heir of the Kiwachi clan. You are the one who needed to live. And now, you are granted to have your true potential." I tilted my head to the side.
"I was meaning to ask about that. What did you mean by the curse is lifted?" I heard Aki sigh, and I can see her eyes rolling by the way she sighed.
"Since you have experienced death, you are able to fully read minds, use telepathy, and hear dead people." I frowned.
"I thought that was what you are able to do."
"It is, but now since you are my only relative; the gift is passed down to you. You sealed that with drinking the thing that you drank." I was silent for a moment and looked towards her body. She was now all the way in the flames.
"Now do me a favor and don't be stupid." I giggled as it fell silent. I watched the roaring of the flames, the orange light dancing on my face, and allowed one tear to fall.
"I promise… sister." I muttered as the fire died and all that was left was ashes.
After I returned to Konoha, I spread Aki's ash's in the wind on top of the Hokage monument and placed the urn down. I looked up at the sky as another breeze broke out.
Now all that needs to be done is winning this war.
*Dramatic applause*
I would like to thank my readers and reviewers for sticking with this story to the end! You were all amazing!
And thank you Jodie for allowing me to use Uke and friends in the story. I hope it was good enough!
I less than three you all.
And when I make the other story following Kito, I will make another chapter on this for the information.
Chao!