I have no rights to Naruto.

Enjoy.

x-x

x-x

Murmuring softly Ibiki consoled his little Angel, a tiny three year old sized bundle that fit into his lap and cried and cried at the death of their elderly neighbour, Mr. Makaki. Ibiki had barely known the man until a crawling Kaida had nearly tripped him outside his front door, the old man and toddler instantly becoming firm friends, Mr. Makaki only revealing his illness after he had known the couple and their beautiful daughter for over a year.

Cancer was a deadly viscous enemy and the old man had fought harder than many Shinobi Ibiki had seen on missions, but sadly the time had come, and he had known it. He had asked to join the Morino's for dinner, talking and playing with Kaida all evening, his goodbye hesitant and the cuddle and kiss given to Kaida so loving that even Ibiki had stopped for a second, listening to the old man with labouring breaths tell his daughter to behave and felt a sense of finality. When Sakura had knocked on the door and gotten no answer this morning she used the key Mr. Makaki had given them and found the man lying in his bed, his heart had been unable to take the strain on his body any longer.

His Hellcat had been in tears, Ibiki himself solemn, both waiting until the evening to tell their little Angel who now shed tears and tears for the man she had begun to call Grandfather.

"Even though isn't here he's still looking out for you, watching you." Sakura consoled kneeling in front of Ibiki and rubbing Kaida's back.

"I wan him back!"

Heart wrenching at their sobbing daughter Sakura wiped her own tears. "I know Angel, but was very sick and in pain. Kami took him to heaven and he's not in pain anymore."

"I didn't wan him t' go!"

"He's in heaven now Angel with all his friends and his wife and his family and you'll see him again someday, when you go to heaven."

"Will you go to heaven Mommy? Will Daddy?"

"If you're good you go to heaven Angel." Ibiki grunted, nearly choking as Kaida screamed and grabbed him by the throat in a tight hug, making Sakura yelp as she grabbed pink locks in her hands and pulled Sakura into her hug crying out loudly.

"I don't wan you t'go! I don't you to die!

You're not going to die!

Your not YOUR NOT!"

"Shush Angel, we're not dying! It's okay shush."

Sakura and Ibkiki quickly hugged and kissed Kaida, promising her they weren't dying and that everything was okay, finally the little girl started to calm down, hiccupping and then lightly dozing. Just as Ibiki and Sakura thought she was asleep she open emerald eyes and grabbed them both.

"Your not leaving me?"

"No Angel we're not."

"Prowmise, not goin' away."

"We promise Angel."

Satisfied with their answer the little girl allowed them to tuck her into bed, kissing and telling her they loved her. Ibiki quietly telling the next story from the book – that had taken months to find, there was only one book both he and Gaara approved of and didn't find too sappy, the original Grimm Brother's tale, death and torture included.

As they stood and left the room, their Little Angel's words struck them dumb, leaving them looking back at her in disbelief that would slowly in an hour or two morph into amusement.

"Dats means you can't go on missions either."

x-x

x-x

Dia Duit,

This little conversation was spoken although I've changed it a bit between my aunt and her 4 year old daughter when their neighbour died, her Mom promised she wasn't leaving to go to heaven and then the next day my cousin said she couldn't go to the pub with her sisters when she promised she wouldn't leave her lol.

Their neighbour did die of cancer and I found myself crying as I wrote this, in the last three months two of my neighbours died of cancer, one was a grandfather, the other like an uncle so as I said it a vicious deadly opponent, and after my other neighbour died nearly two weeks ago now I remembered this and thought it was a bit of humor in a sad situation.

I updated Tell Them and have started the next chapter.

Lots of love,

The Rose and the Dagger x x x