p data-p-id="be8602a8ad9236d0e9cb82332172138e"Author's note: I'm so sorry this has been a long time coming - like 2 years. Ugh. so sorry. I had been dealing with such a harsh writers block that I couldn't get over it really. It was like pulling out my teeth with a wrench or trying to cut my own arm off. /p
p data-p-id="921cf3739a7a755fa5283655bf9c5c36" Also sorry that this is a lot of shorter than my normal chapters. Sorry! I hope y'all like/p
p data-p-id="7aa70a97ee39627c645d71c35a439684"Please give me feedback! I'd really appreciate it. Also I hate being this person, but ideas would be wonderful. I'm still fighting my writer's block, and anything would help!/p
p data-p-id="9a295872213548684b6cddfa7286d60a"~X~/p
p data-p-id="7aed846f5b3de8a31c56e49a627f5f70" /p
p data-p-id="cba5320370773dabeebe2d7ad596b285"Sasuke had been fascinated by the proceedings of a Hotoya burial. He had been to very little Uchiha clan burials before the massacre, and none had been as ornate as the damn snake's had been. The ceremony hadn't even started with a viewing of the body or a sentimental service about his life./p
p data-p-id="1262aa5b4f4cf4d2de8d558fb6d2920e"It had started in a hall within Kazu's house, which apparently had been the main building in the clan compound. A new dragon had been painted onto the wall; it was only a green outline of a large dragon that watched over the snake's headband and a few mounted kuni. This whole part had been to watch Kazu place those memorabilia on the wall, honoring the snake as a member of her clan./p
p data-p-id="eb7e48223841a1a322ee20b733f06688"Kazu had been dressed in a long white traditional kimono with gold trimming and embroidered gold flowers. Jealously had coursed through his veins at the honor, respect, and recognition HIS Kazu gave the damn snake still - even after he was dead. It just continued to increase as the burial continued./p
p data-p-id="427f80fbcd518376511b0dc2b5d8287a"Ceremony and grace had filled the funeral, and his Kazu had performed it with a stoic face – at least until half way through. Silent tears began to run down her face, and her voice waivered on a couple of her words. His jealousy began to simmer underneath something else – something urgent. It pushed and pulled at him to do something. The tears and the wavering voice had been bothering him in a way that made his jealousy only simmer underneath. He had been itching to do something, and it wasn't to destroy an already dead man as it had originally been./p
p data-p-id="473ece77f09e1018b1d95a01af64ab55"He had watched Naruto and the other guests slink away from the ceremony as if trying not to catch Kazu's ire as she silently cried. The villagers had been treating his Kazu strangely since the snake's death. Something was off in how they acted, even the Leaf ninja, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Not that it mattered – as long as it didn't hinder him in any way with his Kazu or the Elders./p
p data-p-id="3325564278d64f7d54a542247907db9b"Afterwards, as his Kazu stood by the tombstone, Sasuke couldn't help to walk up to her. Her tears hadn't stopped and only seemed to increase as more people left. It was definitely good that he hadn't been the one to kill the damn snake. It would have brought him down to a place where he might not have been able to return from./p
p data-p-id="3f06160ef65eda4bf4052ab476dba388"Tired, upset eyes had watched him wearily as he approached. The bastard behind her had tensed slightly, ready for him to do anything to her. Sasuke's anger rose slightly at that, but a glance at her downtrodden eyes caused it to be replaced quickly. A need consumed him to do something – to get her back to him in anyway./p
p data-p-id="7d1532be597ce823ba4e00f42354f2d3"He had raised his hand and poked her forehead just as his brother had done to him when he tried to comfort him. His lips had parted to say something – he had wanted to say something - but nothing had come out. They had stood there for a couple of seconds. She had watched him, confused but no longer crying as heavily as before./p
p data-p-id="17dd265cf717157583e7db0ada75a2eb"He had reveled in her allowing him to touch her, but struggled to provide something more than that to calm her down. After several silent moments, he had left. Something about her crying hadn't sat well with him; not being able to fully stop her crying, hadn't sat any better with him either./p
p data-p-id="7ca64364840a65875ba99a13ff036693"The air in the Hotoya dojo hadn't gotten any colder or emptier after the death of the snake either – which almost baffled him. There was just a slowly lifting sadness and despair as the days turned into a week. His Kazu had cried over the damn snake multiple. There had been a couple of times when she had even started crying during their training at her dojo in front of him, which he had been surprised at given how she had been only been displaying anger around him since he returned./p
p data-p-id="332aa0cfe1ea0ec462b8839f6c10adf3"His thorn's crying was happening less and less now, which meant that she was no longer thinking about the bastard as much. Good./p
p data-p-id="d2e0dd673704e1e904983e3a6e6dd3f4"The sooner the memory of him was out of the way the better./p
p data-p-id="39abb4ce278bec49cfb00dd1ce353c84"She stood numbly before the newly added tombstone, right next to her parents as if he is a true member of the Hotoya clan. And, he is – was. He had been since their time within the Akatsuki's prison together./p
p data-p-id="5abb422e68f986f5b0fc03e84396358c"Tears began to pool in her tired eyes. Before they could fall, the exhausted blonde tipped her head back and looked at the bright blue sky until the tears went away. Now wasn't the time to cry. She had cried too much and too openly for the past week and a half. Hotoyas' dealt with the death of a clan member quietly and internally within the clan. Granted Mamoru wasn't a true member – although she regarded him as one – and she didn't really have a clan anymore to help with the pain, just her team primarily Riku. As if she would seek comfort from the traitor./p
p data-p-id="63f2b558851ac669705c728fd0b900eb"And while she couldn't really control the attendees of Moru's funeral, as she was the last of her clan, she did wish some people hadn't come -/p
p data-p-id="df0e6048cce06379519f86c116c8ebd6"Like Naruto, who had been there in all of his oblivious, idiotic glory. He had been acting exactly as when she had told him of her ordeal with Akatsuki ages ago: not looking at her, avoiding eye contact, barely saying two words the whole time. What Kazu didn't understand was why the hell he was there anyway? The dumb blonde had made it perfectly clear since Sasuke had returned that he didn't really want anything to do with her now. He was just trying to save face. It was annoying and frustrating to her - then and now./p
p data-p-id="644e6d2c95f5dee0be9eac87f0c7e7aa"The traitor had been there as well. Why – she didn't know. He had been there, and he had almost seemed sympathetic – or something like that. Kazu didn't know what to say about it or how to explain whatever it was that Sasuke had been doing. And, honestly she'd rather not think on it. It was definitely too kind for who the man was and thus too confusing. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her forehead, where he had poked her. An odd gesture to be sure./p
p data-p-id="d85ee62ae1a2abae1940b6413beeb380"Kakashi had been there. While he wasn't unwelcome, he had just stood in the shadows observing the proceedings. It was almost unnerving how he had watched her; his eye taking in every detail, every reaction, studying her it seemed. Why was he studying her – why had he BEEN studying HER since the Snow village? The traitor should have been on his watch list, not her. What was she to do though? The Leaf had been neglecting its safety for blind faith no matter how many times she tried to bring its mistake to life./p
p data-p-id="11b7310e74b695f962b1395c287f99a1"The Leaf was angering her, and her grief wasn't making the situation any more clear or easy. Kazu ran a palm down her face and rested it against her neck. Tired eyes, red with grief, gazed at the new tombstone. Moru gave his life protecting her, knowing full well she would risk it countless times after for the livelihood of her village: a village that had forsaken her more times than naught for a man she called traitor. It saddened her./p
p data-p-id="121134c0f48ed73aee6eefa8ea6c3f9f"Her life was a mess. It always had been, always would be. And it seemed the people who she got close to would always be ripped from her fingers. She only had Riku left, and she wasn't going to let go, ever./p
p data-p-id="a4d9ef7a68ca5bdca0b7aed095ebd986"The dynamic of her team was now all fucked up. It had been the moment the Hokage decided to place the Traitor onto her team. They had been well rounded in all the basic chakra types and had a wide range of jutsu users. They had fit so seamlessly together; it was as if they had been training together since they were in the ninja academy and not thrown together as chunnin. Now that was thrown off in the most horrid of ways./p
p data-p-id="b03480748e057b20a376134500ee46c0"An important piece had been torn away, and thrust in its place was a man she felt she could never fit well with, especially in a battle. She couldn't trust him. Not now. But, she had to. The Leaf required it of her; she would do anything for the safety of her village, including watching a traitor on her team, kuni posed to kill him should he try anything. It was her duty, and she would do it with no more vocal complaints./p
p data-p-id="46ffee89a1659032fb6ad6c04544938f""I wish you could take them with us, Moru," She whispered while touching the top of the glistening tombstone. As promised by the Hokage, Team Kazu was going to take the Jonin exam. It was an honor to Kazu that was only bittersweet now. It took a moment for Kazu to steal herself for the inevitable meeting with the Hokage and her team./p
p data-p-id="05c224f9c100bc3ad1b1e9752fc4773b"Shaku? Ready?/p
p data-p-id="868393931b15008b09ae228d2d348d89"Yes, Mistress./p
p data-p-id="d7743b4607f41028d64eb7919a484f20"The golden dragon soared to her mistress' shoulder from her perch in the surrounding tree branches. Molding around the katana that had been continuously strapped to her mistress' back since the attack and careful of her kasurigama, Shaku settled nicely, folding down to appear less threatening for the trek through the village./p
p data-p-id="e9571a8dbbd98aa355fbac25e648d2c7"With one last soft gaze at Moru's resting place, Kazu turned and headed to her Hokage's office. Her shoulders visibly squared and the muscles in her jaw clenched. Tired eyes hardened until they looked barren. Duty called, and she always answered./p
p data-p-id="921cf3739a7a755fa5283655bf9c5c36" Also sorry that this is a lot of shorter than my normal chapters. Sorry! I hope y'all like/p
p data-p-id="7aa70a97ee39627c645d71c35a439684"Please give me feedback! I'd really appreciate it. Also I hate being this person, but ideas would be wonderful. I'm still fighting my writer's block, and anything would help!/p
p data-p-id="9a295872213548684b6cddfa7286d60a"~X~/p
p data-p-id="7aed846f5b3de8a31c56e49a627f5f70" /p
p data-p-id="cba5320370773dabeebe2d7ad596b285"Sasuke had been fascinated by the proceedings of a Hotoya burial. He had been to very little Uchiha clan burials before the massacre, and none had been as ornate as the damn snake's had been. The ceremony hadn't even started with a viewing of the body or a sentimental service about his life./p
p data-p-id="1262aa5b4f4cf4d2de8d558fb6d2920e"It had started in a hall within Kazu's house, which apparently had been the main building in the clan compound. A new dragon had been painted onto the wall; it was only a green outline of a large dragon that watched over the snake's headband and a few mounted kuni. This whole part had been to watch Kazu place those memorabilia on the wall, honoring the snake as a member of her clan./p
p data-p-id="eb7e48223841a1a322ee20b733f06688"Kazu had been dressed in a long white traditional kimono with gold trimming and embroidered gold flowers. Jealously had coursed through his veins at the honor, respect, and recognition HIS Kazu gave the damn snake still - even after he was dead. It just continued to increase as the burial continued./p
p data-p-id="427f80fbcd518376511b0dc2b5d8287a"Ceremony and grace had filled the funeral, and his Kazu had performed it with a stoic face – at least until half way through. Silent tears began to run down her face, and her voice waivered on a couple of her words. His jealousy began to simmer underneath something else – something urgent. It pushed and pulled at him to do something. The tears and the wavering voice had been bothering him in a way that made his jealousy only simmer underneath. He had been itching to do something, and it wasn't to destroy an already dead man as it had originally been./p
p data-p-id="473ece77f09e1018b1d95a01af64ab55"He had watched Naruto and the other guests slink away from the ceremony as if trying not to catch Kazu's ire as she silently cried. The villagers had been treating his Kazu strangely since the snake's death. Something was off in how they acted, even the Leaf ninja, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Not that it mattered – as long as it didn't hinder him in any way with his Kazu or the Elders./p
p data-p-id="3325564278d64f7d54a542247907db9b"Afterwards, as his Kazu stood by the tombstone, Sasuke couldn't help to walk up to her. Her tears hadn't stopped and only seemed to increase as more people left. It was definitely good that he hadn't been the one to kill the damn snake. It would have brought him down to a place where he might not have been able to return from./p
p data-p-id="3f06160ef65eda4bf4052ab476dba388"Tired, upset eyes had watched him wearily as he approached. The bastard behind her had tensed slightly, ready for him to do anything to her. Sasuke's anger rose slightly at that, but a glance at her downtrodden eyes caused it to be replaced quickly. A need consumed him to do something – to get her back to him in anyway./p
p data-p-id="7d1532be597ce823ba4e00f42354f2d3"He had raised his hand and poked her forehead just as his brother had done to him when he tried to comfort him. His lips had parted to say something – he had wanted to say something - but nothing had come out. They had stood there for a couple of seconds. She had watched him, confused but no longer crying as heavily as before./p
p data-p-id="17dd265cf717157583e7db0ada75a2eb"He had reveled in her allowing him to touch her, but struggled to provide something more than that to calm her down. After several silent moments, he had left. Something about her crying hadn't sat well with him; not being able to fully stop her crying, hadn't sat any better with him either./p
p data-p-id="7ca64364840a65875ba99a13ff036693"The air in the Hotoya dojo hadn't gotten any colder or emptier after the death of the snake either – which almost baffled him. There was just a slowly lifting sadness and despair as the days turned into a week. His Kazu had cried over the damn snake multiple. There had been a couple of times when she had even started crying during their training at her dojo in front of him, which he had been surprised at given how she had been only been displaying anger around him since he returned./p
p data-p-id="332aa0cfe1ea0ec462b8839f6c10adf3"His thorn's crying was happening less and less now, which meant that she was no longer thinking about the bastard as much. Good./p
p data-p-id="d2e0dd673704e1e904983e3a6e6dd3f4"The sooner the memory of him was out of the way the better./p
p data-p-id="39abb4ce278bec49cfb00dd1ce353c84"She stood numbly before the newly added tombstone, right next to her parents as if he is a true member of the Hotoya clan. And, he is – was. He had been since their time within the Akatsuki's prison together./p
p data-p-id="5abb422e68f986f5b0fc03e84396358c"Tears began to pool in her tired eyes. Before they could fall, the exhausted blonde tipped her head back and looked at the bright blue sky until the tears went away. Now wasn't the time to cry. She had cried too much and too openly for the past week and a half. Hotoyas' dealt with the death of a clan member quietly and internally within the clan. Granted Mamoru wasn't a true member – although she regarded him as one – and she didn't really have a clan anymore to help with the pain, just her team primarily Riku. As if she would seek comfort from the traitor./p
p data-p-id="63f2b558851ac669705c728fd0b900eb"And while she couldn't really control the attendees of Moru's funeral, as she was the last of her clan, she did wish some people hadn't come -/p
p data-p-id="df0e6048cce06379519f86c116c8ebd6"Like Naruto, who had been there in all of his oblivious, idiotic glory. He had been acting exactly as when she had told him of her ordeal with Akatsuki ages ago: not looking at her, avoiding eye contact, barely saying two words the whole time. What Kazu didn't understand was why the hell he was there anyway? The dumb blonde had made it perfectly clear since Sasuke had returned that he didn't really want anything to do with her now. He was just trying to save face. It was annoying and frustrating to her - then and now./p
p data-p-id="644e6d2c95f5dee0be9eac87f0c7e7aa"The traitor had been there as well. Why – she didn't know. He had been there, and he had almost seemed sympathetic – or something like that. Kazu didn't know what to say about it or how to explain whatever it was that Sasuke had been doing. And, honestly she'd rather not think on it. It was definitely too kind for who the man was and thus too confusing. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her forehead, where he had poked her. An odd gesture to be sure./p
p data-p-id="d85ee62ae1a2abae1940b6413beeb380"Kakashi had been there. While he wasn't unwelcome, he had just stood in the shadows observing the proceedings. It was almost unnerving how he had watched her; his eye taking in every detail, every reaction, studying her it seemed. Why was he studying her – why had he BEEN studying HER since the Snow village? The traitor should have been on his watch list, not her. What was she to do though? The Leaf had been neglecting its safety for blind faith no matter how many times she tried to bring its mistake to life./p
p data-p-id="11b7310e74b695f962b1395c287f99a1"The Leaf was angering her, and her grief wasn't making the situation any more clear or easy. Kazu ran a palm down her face and rested it against her neck. Tired eyes, red with grief, gazed at the new tombstone. Moru gave his life protecting her, knowing full well she would risk it countless times after for the livelihood of her village: a village that had forsaken her more times than naught for a man she called traitor. It saddened her./p
p data-p-id="121134c0f48ed73aee6eefa8ea6c3f9f"Her life was a mess. It always had been, always would be. And it seemed the people who she got close to would always be ripped from her fingers. She only had Riku left, and she wasn't going to let go, ever./p
p data-p-id="a4d9ef7a68ca5bdca0b7aed095ebd986"The dynamic of her team was now all fucked up. It had been the moment the Hokage decided to place the Traitor onto her team. They had been well rounded in all the basic chakra types and had a wide range of jutsu users. They had fit so seamlessly together; it was as if they had been training together since they were in the ninja academy and not thrown together as chunnin. Now that was thrown off in the most horrid of ways./p
p data-p-id="b03480748e057b20a376134500ee46c0"An important piece had been torn away, and thrust in its place was a man she felt she could never fit well with, especially in a battle. She couldn't trust him. Not now. But, she had to. The Leaf required it of her; she would do anything for the safety of her village, including watching a traitor on her team, kuni posed to kill him should he try anything. It was her duty, and she would do it with no more vocal complaints./p
p data-p-id="46ffee89a1659032fb6ad6c04544938f""I wish you could take them with us, Moru," She whispered while touching the top of the glistening tombstone. As promised by the Hokage, Team Kazu was going to take the Jonin exam. It was an honor to Kazu that was only bittersweet now. It took a moment for Kazu to steal herself for the inevitable meeting with the Hokage and her team./p
p data-p-id="05c224f9c100bc3ad1b1e9752fc4773b"Shaku? Ready?/p
p data-p-id="868393931b15008b09ae228d2d348d89"Yes, Mistress./p
p data-p-id="d7743b4607f41028d64eb7919a484f20"The golden dragon soared to her mistress' shoulder from her perch in the surrounding tree branches. Molding around the katana that had been continuously strapped to her mistress' back since the attack and careful of her kasurigama, Shaku settled nicely, folding down to appear less threatening for the trek through the village./p
p data-p-id="e9571a8dbbd98aa355fbac25e648d2c7"With one last soft gaze at Moru's resting place, Kazu turned and headed to her Hokage's office. Her shoulders visibly squared and the muscles in her jaw clenched. Tired eyes hardened until they looked barren. Duty called, and she always answered./p