.: Back with another update. To be honest, I'm not very proud of this chapter, but it's long and finished! I believe after these events, things are about to get interesting :P But yes, Thomas, Dolia did indeed get an upgrade from the tree. She got to be in a place every girl dreams to be in...Kakashi's bed ;) :.

The Archangel of the Hidden Leaf

Chapter 20:

Overcast and Overdue

At a time when the sun would still be visible above the horizon, the darkest of storm clouds crowded every trace of blue in the sky to cast a wet shadow over the land. There was no point in trying to rest anymore for Akuma and his comrades. Abandoning their temporary spot, they diverted even farther off the dirt path to travel through the forest. Above the ground, the three men leaped from tree branch to tree branch. With chakra directed to the soles of their feet, they all planted swiftly and kicked off without a moment to waste.

Sasuke traversed between Akuma and Kyojin. Whatever branch Akuma projected off, Sasuke did the same. The artificial breeze blowing past them purely from their speed was accompanied by harsh conditions. Not even the cover of the trees could shield them from heavy rainfall that darted from side to side without warning. There was just enough light to keep traveling like this through the Land of Fire, but it would soon be time to exchange their current traveling for their pairs of wings. Or at least, that was what Akuma hoped. Dealing with the harsh noise from wind and rain could not drown out the sounds of lightning strikes. The forest was doing a good job at lessening the power of the white flashes, however.

When it got more difficult for the trio to see where they were putting their feet, Sasuke felt Kyojin's presence catching up to him. The stocky man shared a branch with Sasuke for a moment before passing by to be closer to Akuma. "How are we going to fly under these conditions?" Kyojin questioned.

"We are not birds. We're shinobi," Akuma responded, reaching for his neck to unhook the clasp of his draping garment. "Just stay low."

With a nod, Kyojin followed suit by removing his own garment. Sasuke took notice and slid his arms from his sleeves to prepare for takeoff. The two test subjects unfolded their fleshy appendages and with one firm flap, they each bolted up through the treetops to be free from their restraint. Sasuke focused his chakra on his curse mark and felt his body transform. Once ready, he did the same, exploding from the treetops to join Akuma and Kyojin.

It was a much different world outside in the open. The rain was harsher with raw gusts of wind causing turbulence for them. It would catch at least one of their wings the wrong way and almost send them crashing back down. But Akuma kept his head low and kept flapping his wings to prevent an accident from happening.

Sasuke stayed quiet as thick raindrops splattered across his exposed skin. He was almost surprised that they did not taste of saltwater; there was so much liquid that it could have been an ocean they were entering. The only thing keeping that illusion away was the constant white flashing that burned into their retinas. The Uchiha watched as lightning danced in the clouds, stalking their path until it reached a head and decided to strike the earth. Crackling and volatile thunder burst into their eardrums to interrupt the sound of roaring winds.

Akuma looked over his shoulder. He knew he told Kyojin that they would just stay low when flying, but he quickly realized that enduring a storm like this would only slow them down. "Rise above the clouds!" he shouted, immediately flapping his wings harder to start ascending.

Kyojin mimicked his movements without hesitation, but Sasuke watched as they did a steady ascent up toward the source of danger. If Akuma wanted to get above the clouds to get out from under the chaos, then they might as well make the ascent worthwhile. He flapped his mutated wings just as hard as they did to catch up, but he only did it to pass by. Akuma watched as his youngest comrade turned his direction upward sharply so that he could penetrate through the barrier much faster.

Smart kid, he thought, doing the same but letting him take the lead.

A lightning bolt shot down from the clouds only a few feet away. Kyojin faltered in his flight to react, ceasing his wings' movement to tuck them into his body. Within the split second, as the bolt dissipated and resulting thunder ravaged his ears, Kyojin unfolded himself and continued flying straight up in pursuit of the other two.

He wondered what would be on the other side of the clouds. The little light showing through from below was enough to suggest that it was at least sunset. Would there be stars? Even if lightning was not striking at them when flying above, would they still be able to see the bolts and hear the thunder? Despite having the wings of an archangel for almost a decade, Kyojin had not been able to explore such realms that piqued his curiosity. He was simply a test subject who was put to work by Orochimaru's orders. The extra appendages had their uses and benefits, but he had only been able to use them in the few combat scenarios he found himself in and flying from hideout to hideout when it was too dark for people to see him.

He kept his sight locked on Akuma, the man who was responsible for surgically fixing the cleft lip he was born with and becoming a part of Orochimaru's ranks. Project Archangel was all his to lead, and Kyojin was the first person to experience a successful transplant from a rather sickly member of the Tenshi Clan. The next was Kemono, who received his wings from a teenager that could not even speak properly. Then it was his dearly missed Yume, who received her wings from the only other female they could find. Akuma was the last one to receive his wings, but he certainly waited for the best subject to do the extraction on. If Kyojin remembered correctly, they previously belonged to the father of the girl they were currently after.

He will never forget the majestic sight as he transformed for the first time in front of them all. It was in a room where outside light shined in from the ceiling, and he was angry that they had separated him from his young daughter. Akuma, Kyojin, Yume, and Orochimaru watched as his blank face sprouted razor-sharp fangs and his white eyes rolled back to reveal total darkness. When the fleshy wings erupted from his back, Orochimaru prepared himself for the incoming attack and took down the beast in less than a minute. The creature sure was hiding the best treasure in the entire clan, though, but now they were Akuma's to use.

And it really showed that he was worthy of them. As Sasuke weaved against the wind and rain, Akuma did the same with a natural movement. If a gust caught a wing awkwardly, he instinctively adjusted it to not be slowed down. Was it due to practice or studying the Tenshi Clan during Project Archangel? He was not sure; it had been a few years since he was in Akuma's proximity like this.

Sasuke pulled out his Chidori with a series of hand signs as the clouds became closer, unleashing the static squeal that sounded like the dying breath of his fellow Uchiha clansmen. They were susceptible to being struck the most once they entered the dark masses, so he would act as the lightning rod for them with his Change in Chakra Nature.

The underbelly flashed in a variety of spots with thunder booming. It was best for them to enter a spot where lightning just left, so Sasuke watched. The only thing tricky was knowing there was no set pattern, so the possibilities of penetrating the perfect place were nearly impossible. Just as the Uchiha touched the underbelly, the spot flashed white. Not good. He raised the Chidori to intercept the bolt that was set to strike at the ground and made contact. The chakra in his palm deflected the bolt away with a noise destructive enough to burst their eardrums.

Akuma and Kyojin flinched and shut their eyes in the second it took. Akuma completely missed the bolt of lightning shooting over his head. Suddenly, the nerves in his back were screaming in pain as what felt like molten lava impaled him. The three careened into the cloud, becoming lost in the electrifying mist that surrounded them. But Sasuke kept the Chidori in front of his body to deflect anything else that tried to take them down. Kyojin stayed on his tail but lost track of Akuma in the process. The clouds were too thick to see two feet in front of them.

The only relief was emerging to the other side. Kyojin properly opened his eyes instead of squinting against raindrops, showing him open-air with a dusk sky. Only the western edge of the black bled to a deep orange from the sun waving its daily goodbye. He scanned the expanse to find twinkling stars making their first appearances starting in the eastern direction. It was amazing to think such a beautiful view was hiding behind the cover of nature.

Sasuke was not captivated, though. He was instead looking back down into the flashing gray clouds after realizing that only Kyojin and himself had surfaced. Summoning another squealing Chidori, he glanced at Kyojin. "Wait here."

Kyojin turned his head just to see Sasuke dive back into the storm cloud. Confused at first, he looked around himself and then found that he was alone when Akuma should have been next to him.

Traveling downward, Sasuke found, was not as intimidating as it was traveling upward. He held the Chidori next to him in case lightning aimed for him, but the mist engulfing him only seemed to flash and produce thunder. "Akuma!" Sasuke called through the wind.

"I'm coming!" Akuma called back from below.

Sasuke spread his monstrous wings out behind him to gather the breeze and stop his rapid descent. He righted his body to be up straight but continued to hover in place. A streak of lightning whizzed by him horizontally, illuminating his gray skin and long bluish hair. He did not want to wait for Akuma for too long, but if he did not, then there was no telling where he would surface at.

"Sasuke!" he called, closer than before.

"I'm here!"

The leader of their group appeared next to Sasuke. If a person has a hurt leg, they limp and suffer from a slower stride. The way Akuma's wings flapped seemed lethargic compared to what it had been. They did not pulse when they should in the times when Akuma began sinking due to gravity. "I got hit but I'm fine," he confessed. "Sorry to worry you."

Another streak of lightning whizzed by them, bombarding their ears once more. "Never mind that," Sasuke quickly replied. "Let's go."

The two of them went back up through the clouds but slower. Sasuke held up the Chidori again, but he wondered how Akuma managed to get hit. There was no rogue bolt that snuck up on them because they would have suffered the ringing in their ears. It had to have been the bolt he deflected away. If they were not having to fight the storm, Sasuke would have recommended they return to the surface to travel by foot instead. There was no going back now.

Kyojin stayed where he was until Akuma and Sasuke both surfaced together. "What happened?" he asked, noticing Akuma's sluggish movements.

"It appears I did not do a good job keeping us safe," Sasuke said, monotone.

"It was an accident," Akuma defended. "I should have paid more attention to the deflection."

"Well, can you fly through the night?" Kyojin questioned.

"I have to. We can't waste time," he insisted, turning away from the sunset that was easing out of sight completely. He took back his leading role by beckoning the other two to follow him to the east. But they both followed him with the burn that was staring them in the face. It nestled at the base of his right wing as a deep red patch that looked raw to the touch, and thin bifurcates scattered out from it. Akuma just hoped that the cool air would relieve some of the pain so he would not slow down the group too much. His goal was to reach the Southern Hideout by tomorrow evening.

A message of confirmation came last night. Asuma's funeral would happen today. Kakashi tucked away his temporary bedding as the sun's pale morning light filtered through the window. The storm subsided during the night, leaving everything outside damp, but the blue of the atmosphere was still not visible to the earth's surface. A blanket of white clouds made the summer day feel like one of early spring with the cool temperature.

The thought that a funeral was being held shortly seemed fitting, considering the setting. The world went through its stages of grieving yesterday: depression when walking back to the village and anger when going to sleep. After Kakashi stored away his bedding, he silently walked to where Dolia was still fast asleep to peer outside. It was much more calm compared to just hours previous. Was this acceptance of Asuma Sarutobi's death, or denial? Kakashi felt himself having not left the denial stage of grieving. Perhaps that was why it was easy to put up a façade for Dolia; a part of him wanted to believe this event was a joke and he would see Asuma smoking a cigarette just around the corner when they walked outside.

But no, it was really happening. Another person plucked right from his life…Terminated from existence entirely with only memories to be remembered by. It happened to Kakashi many times, yet the same feelings toward losing a loved one always resided.

He told himself to not approach the situation as he did yesterday. Today, he would properly grieve. Looking down to Dolia, he decided to let her rest just a little while longer. She was still curled up in the same position as he put her in last night, clearly enjoying the long, warm sleep as the blankets covered half her face. At least one of them was experiencing peace of mind.

Leaving her side, he went to go change into something black. Before returning, he picked up her folded clothes from on top of the dryer and brought them with him to put on the table. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and rested a hand on the mound in the blankets her body was making. "It's time," he said quietly.

He pulled the hood of her black cloak over her head and then rested his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at his masked face, expecting him to say something, but he was stuck in a pause. Dolia had not been around people for the majority of her life, but she could easily read the misery. He was not like this yesterday. Sure, he was more reserved, but this morning showed a whole other man.

"I want you to keep your gaze low," he eventually told her. "The Hyuga Clan will be there for the death of their clansman. If Hiashi Hyuga finds out that you're out roaming when you should be behind bars, there'll be trouble. I can't leave you here by yourself since the Hokage will also be present. Just stay close to me."

She nodded in understanding. Kakashi was already grieving, but he still had a duty to carry out. The least she could do was do as she was told to not make his life harder. And truth be told, she did not want to come face to face with that man again. His stern expression and burning lilac gaze had her frozen when she tried apologizing to him a few days ago. There was no telling what he would do if he saw her now.

The day was overcast, but the village was lively. The sounds of children laughing came and went along with villagers opening shops and sharing conversation. Dolia could not see what was going on around her, though. She walked with her arm tucked in Kakashi's, her gaze locked on the ground as he wanted. She focused on her feet as they walked, allowing Kakashi to guide her wherever the funeral was taking place. Neither of them had spoken since they left his home.

The one stop they made together was one for Kakashi to buy some flowers. She stayed back, not bothering to look around the shop they were in. When he came back to her, she laid eyes on the small bouquet he purchased and immediately thought about Yamato.

"See you tomorrow," he had told her yesterday before departing.

The random memory made her smile for a second. That was right, it was already tomorrow. She would see Naruto and Yamato at this funeral. As much as she looked forward to it, she felt stuck. How could she interact yet keep her identity hidden?

"Kakashi," she voiced as they walked through the village once more.

"Yes?"

"What if someone tries to greet me?"

"Say hi back. But don't worry, I'll make sure you're safe. That's my job, after all."

Dolia took a deep breath. She needed that reminder that she was not alone in this.

Upon their arrival at the village's graveyard, she would hear how much it bustled. People were gathering for Kata's funeral. Soon the Hyuga Clan would arrive for Toneri's funeral, so the area would be even busier. Kakashi felt Dolia's hand tense up on his arm. He planned to stand in the back so they did not attract attention, so, hopefully, that would ease her stress.

Lady Tsunade walked past the pair, keeping her eye on Dolia, who was unaware of her presence since she was not looking. The Fifth Hokage was unsure that bringing her here was a good idea, especially without her muzzle and cuffs, but it looked as if Kakashi had everything completely under control. Nodding once at him, she continued making her way to the front of the crowd. Heaven forbid an incident occurring here of all places. She prayed Kakashi's instincts were right.

"Kakashi Sensei," Naruto's voice said behind them.

They both turned around to see him walking up with Sakura, Sai, and Yamato, all wearing appropriate black attire and holding flowers or items to lay at Asuma's grave. It was only respectful for their group to show up since they witnessed the aftermath of the chunins' deaths. "Hey," he greeted. When Dolia did not lift her gaze, he tipped his head toward her and held a finger to his covered lips to indicate they should refrain from acknowledging her right now.

Sai felt more than comfortable not acknowledging the creature. Even when he could not see her entire face, her presence still irked him.

A nearby bell indicated that the service was about to begin. Instantly, silence fell over the crowd. Members of Kata's family took up most of the space that was in front of the grave while nonaffiliated shinobi stayed back. Sakura came to stand beside Dolia. She knew that the weight of this burden was laying heavily on her since the incident. Reaching into her bouquet, she pulled out a couple of white roses and offered them to Dolia. She looked at them for a moment, unsure what to do when she did take them but decided to figure that out later. Her fingers took hold of the thorny stems and adjusted the flowers to look at the pattern their curved petals created.

She continued looking at the roses throughout Kata's service. There was no speaking from anyone, only the weeping from his parents and other family members. Dolia listened with guilt. She knew what it was like to lose a child. If that were the case, then why did she take life so carelessly? Her killing instincts have been dormant for a few days now, but there was no telling when they would unleash again. The little chakra control she could do would not be enough to rein in a frenzy.

When the service was over, people took their items to the grave. Dolia gazed up to watch it be done. Suddenly she understood why Sakura gave her the roses. But doing her part was not reasonable when Kata's parents were still in the vicinity. They would recognize her from the time she apologized to them. She would wait for now.

It was not hard to find where the next service would take place. The Hyuga Clan had arrived. Dolia briefly caught sight of the man who struck her after she fumbled her apology – Hiashi Hyuga. At his side were the two who were also present for it and a younger girl she had not seen before. The older girl appeared meek with her straight black hair shimmering against the muffled sunlight. The boy next to her stood tall with an expression that showed a hint of anger. Ducking her face and gripping the roses tighter, Dolia knew it was most important to let the hood of her cloak hide her.

They once again stood in the back, but it was farther back with the number of people in the Hyuga Clan. There was an aisle going down the center of the crowd, and she did not understand why. She caught a glimpse just at the moment Hiashi walked past with Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji. They had just set down their items at the grave and were leaving so that others could do the same. Dolia froze. To make matters worse, Hinata noticed the snow-white skin and turned her head. To her horror, she made eye contact with the creature who killed Toneri, and she was standing with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. What was the purpose?

Before she could think, she passed them all by to stay with her father. Dolia felt a pit grow in her stomach. Kakashi asked her to do one thing, and she failed.

The service for Asuma was relatively small like Kata's was. The Hyuga Clan left the graveyard. Kakashi stood around as familiar faces came around. First, it was Guy and Rock Lee coming in together. Guy looked sullen but Lee was no exception. When they approached, Guy tried to lighten the mood. "Who's this little lady?"

"Her name is Dolia," Kakashi answered. "You'll get a proper greeting when we're done here."

"Dolia, huh?" Lee repeated.

She hesitantly looked up to see the person standing in front of her. His black hair was in the shape of a bowl and his eyes were very round and dark in color. Upon seeing her featureless face, his sullenness wavered. She expected the typical revolted reaction, but to her surprise, he instead gave her a friendly smile just as Naruto did in their first encounter. "I'm Rock Lee. Nice to meet you."

She reciprocated the greeting with a smile of her own. "You, too."

Sakura stood by in witness to the exchange. Seeing people be friendly to Dolia despite her being different was a good occurrence. On the other hand, it was expected of Lee. He was someone who always showed kindness to others.

A girl with long blonde hair caught Dolia's attention as she approached the group. "Ino," she breathed in disbelief. It had felt like months since she last saw her. But her excitement quickly deflated when she recognized the look of deep grief haunting her facial features. Next to her was a rather overweight male with swirls on his cheeks and long brown hair that spiked outward like a porcupine. He shared the same expression.

Sakura and Naruto braced themselves for a tough interaction with the two since Asuma was their beloved sensei. Surprisingly, though, the third member of their team was not with them. "H-Hey, guys," Naruto said, unsure whether to be lighthearted or not.

Ino recognized the bony girl with snow-white flesh. "Dolia? Is that really you?" she asked. "I never thought I'd see you here of all places."

"It's me…Are you okay?"

Ino looked at Choji. "Asuma was our sensei."

Her question suddenly seemed stupid and insensitive. To share her condolences as best she could, she reached and took Ino's hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Kakashi questioned the pair.

"We don't know," Choji confessed.

"He's got to be here, though," Sakura commented. "He was probably closest to Asuma Sensei out of the three of you…"

"That may be exactly why he's not here," Ino pointed out.

Kakashi exhaled silently. It was true that Shikamaru was closest to Asuma. He was someone who did not like to work hard, but he was still passionate and treasured bonds like that one. There was a high chance that this funeral was too much for him to bear at the moment.

"Do you know what happened?" Naruto wondered, hoping he was not prying too much.

"Shikamaru said it was the Akatsuki," Choji shared.

The Akatsuki? Naruto repeated, too familiar with the term. There was a sinking feeling in him that they could have been coming for him and Asuma's reconnaissance team got in the way.

Ino sighed and released Dolia's hand. She knew it was the Akatsuki. After all, her father revealed to her what his mental investigation through Dolia's memories was. She was horrified to hear all the terrible events she had to endure before ending up in the Hidden Leaf. But the last detail he revealed to her was one she knew led to this very funeral.

"Lady Tsunade is sending a team to go looking for the Akatsuki members who captured her. I gave them all the information they needed to correctly identify them," Inoichi concluded that evening at the dinner table.

The only problem was that Asuma's team did not encounter the Akatsuki members her father described. Although she did not see them for herself, Shikamaru's testimony was enough to confirm the mix-up. Inoichi said the Akatsuki members who briefly captured Dolia were two men: one with long blonde hair and a slashed Hidden Stone headband who used explosive clay as a weapon, the other with an orange mask that had only one peephole. The Akatsuki members Asuma and Shikamaru fought were two men as well: one with a three-bladed red scythe who had the mysterious ability to slash himself to attack his opponent, the other with only his red and green eyes showing for his covered face whose abilities were unknown. The one with the scythe was the one who killed Asuma Sensei.

One positive outcome of the situation was that it had been revealed multiple Akatsuki members were roaming the Land of Fire. The village could be on high alert of the impending threat, but she knew there would be no need. Shikamaru would wrestle with grief today, but sooner or later, he would want to get his revenge. Ino knew her teammate well enough to know how he operated as a human being. He would go after the ones responsible for this situation so that nobody would have to experience such pain at their hands ever again.

Over at the graveyard's entrance, Hinata waited patiently for her sensei and teammates. She was anxious to see how heartbroken the woman who trained her would be. She and Asuma Sensei were more than close. It was very obvious to whoever found them together. But her anxiousness was more than that. Toneri's murderer was here on the very same property as her. Mixed feelings about such knowledge also filled her head.

There was no indication that her father had seen it, too. When she told him that she was also attending Asuma Sensei's funeral, he showed understanding and departed without complaint with her younger sister. Neji came to her side at the same time. "Are you staying, too?" she asked him.

He thought about his lack of affiliation with the leader of Team 10 but also how Guy Sensei, Rock Lee, and Tenten were here. Plus, he knew the funeral would be brief like Toneri's. "Yes," he answered, looking for his former team members. It was easy to identify Guy and Lee, but when he did, he also caught sight of who they were talking to. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Ino, Choji…and it. The teenage jonin grimaced. "Do you see that?" he questioned his cousin.

Bracing herself, Hinata gazed over to where Neji was looking and spotted the same group. "W-What?" she stammered.

"That thing isn't in prison?"

Oh no, Hinata said to herself.

"Please, Brother Neji, let's not stir trouble before a memorial service. It's not the right time to question such things," she reasoned.

"But this is outrageous," he argued. "Toneri was killed in cold blood, and this is how his justice is paid?"

"There must be a purpose for it. Lady Tsunade was in charge of the prosecution, I'm sure of it."

Scowling with dissatisfaction, he turned his attention away, but he vowed to say something to somebody. In addition, Hiashi had to know about this.

A minute later, Hinata saw Kurenai Sensei dragging her feet to where she was, a wrapped bouquet of roses in her grasp. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino walked alongside her, probably having met with her at her home. Kurenai's wavy black hair looked slightly bedraggled, and her red eyes appeared sunken in from a lack of sleep. Seeing it up close was hard to digest. To see their sensei so utterly heartbroken was very unfamiliar and upsetting.

Kiba and Shino guided her onto the property with Hinata tagging along. When everyone noticed her, conversations quickly ended. Tsunade went over to say something to the grief-stricken widow before allowing her to go to the grave. Naruto, Sakura, and Sai separated from Dolia, Kakashi, Guy, and Yamato to go join the others their age in an adjacent group. The last people to join the service were Neji and Tenten. They stood behind Lee and Sakura, and Neji kept darting his eyes at the creature as she stood between Kakashi and Yamato.

The youngest person there, Asuma's nephew Konohamaru, found his place next to Naruto as his uncle's lover placed her flowers on the empty grave. The mood shifted to somberness as everyone watched. It was the first sign that this whole thing was real. Asuma Sarutobi was truly gone. Naruto placed a hand on Konohamaru's shoulder when he heard him choke up.

Kakashi watched on with the same empty feeling. His friend was experiencing pain that he could not fully relate to, and it hurt him. But he did know that he lost a friend, as did Guy, who let his emotions get the best of him. Dolia stood unmoving, absorbing everything Kurenai did to know what to do when she visited the final resting places of her victims. But she also found Kakashi's hand and gripped it to let him know she was sorry he lost someone he had a friendship with.

Asuma's grave was covered with items like flowers and bottles of liquor. It was a representation of the love people had for him. Dolia was the only person who had nothing physical to give, but she prayed that Asuma would rest in peace. After the Sarutobi Clan, friends, and acquaintances finished their time at the carved stone, Kakashi approached to give his flowers. "You will be missed," he said in a low voice.

Nobody watched as he had his moment alone except for Dolia. She stood in the same place as before but alone now. When he stood up straight and returned to her, she looked up at his darkened eye. Was it because of the cloudy sky above them or a fresh bout of pain? Well, he did also look tired, and he was not like that earlier.

He looked at the white roses in her possession. Something told him that they were not for Asuma. Almost reading his mind, she held them up higher. "Can I…?" she trailed, unsure how to word the rest of the sentence.

"Of course," he replied.

She immediately turned her back to him to go visit the two other gravestones that were covered in memorabilia. First, she went to Kata's. Going down to her knees just as Kurenai had, she examined everything bestowed in front of her. The gravestone was square and had the same leaf symbol on it as everyone's headbands did. There was a plague full of writing as well, but she could not read what it said. But she placed one rose in the center so that it could blend in with everything else.

I know this funeral was supposed to happen a while ago. I'm glad I got to be here for you. Whoever you were, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I still don't know why I killed you, but I will never forgive myself for it. You had an entire life to look forward to, and I took it all away from you…I don't want to hurt anyone ever again. Even if I am a monster, I promise I will protect people from now on.

Running out of things to say, she stood up to go to the other gravestone. Neji tracked her from the entrance in the middle of a group of people. Whatever she was trying to accomplish, he was not falling for it.