Thirty Kisses Theme - Perfect Blue

When she came to visit his grave the sky was crying. The downpour has started at dawn and was still going strong, soaking anyone who dared venture out doors. But all of Konoha was outside today, coming to pay their respects to Sandaime at his funeral. The funeral wasn't just for the third Hokage, but all of the shinobi that had lost their lives in the brief Sand and Sound attack. That included her lover, Hayate.

But going to a mass funeral to mourn him seemed to her as if she was disrespecting his memory. He was her most important person, and she would pay her respects to him directly, not along with many others who had lost their lives. They deserved respect as well, but to her, Hayate was all that mattered now.

The white lotus flowers she had brought were still crisp and pure in appearance, despite the beating they had taken from the rain. Yuugao hugged them closer to her unconsciously, her feet sloshing through a puddle that had once been the field surrounding the memorial. She lowered her eyes, firming her resolve and clamping the lid tightly on her emotions.

Yuugao was not surprised to see Kakashi standing before memorial, his sharingan eye covered by his headband as usual. She knew he often came to pay his respects to Uchiha Obito. The man had been in the ANBU squad when she had first joined, but had left soon after. She knew he had been very talented.

She was silent as she stood near him, gazing at the memorial herself. Hayate's name was newly carved, about seven lines down from the name Uchiha Obito, which was beginning to fade from weather wear. It was good to see that at least the name would live on in Kakashi, if not clearly on the memorial.

Shifting the flowers in her arms, Yuugao stepped past Kakashi and knelt before the stone, placing the bouquet at its base before putting her hands together in prayer. Her thoughts were chaotic, she didn't know what to say. She just hoped Hayate found peace.

After exchanging words with Kakashi, Yuugao slowly made her way to the funeral. Her arms felt light without the flowers she had carried, and her side felt empty without Hayate walking beside her. She would have to learn to be alone again. The Sandaime's funeral was somber, and the rain was still cascading from the heavens in a silent tribute. She dropped one flower on the counter beside the many others and began to file out of the funeral with the other jounin, staring at the ground ahead of her. She stopped to look up however, when a man on her ANBU squad tapped her shoulder and pointed.

The rain was clearing fast, the gray clouds retreating and taking the weather with them. Sunlight was filtering down through the remnants of the rain clouds, dappling the shinobi below in soft rays. Yuugao smiled a little at the sight of the sky which had suddenly become so perfectly blue. Perhaps Hayate had found his peace after all.