I am SOOOO sorry about how late this one is! It's been a very long month of work and life in general. Thank you to all my new followers, favourites and my lovely reviewers! It makes my day getting an email and seeing I have a new review or follower. May the Force be with you ^^
„I've seen angels fall from blinding heights
But you yourself are nothing so divine
Just next in line"
(You know my name by Chris Cornell)
Something was mercilessly wrenching and yanking his hair until he wanted to scream bloody murder even while half-asleep. Kakashi's hand went up and grabbed five chubby fingers severely tangled in the messy, silver curls that lapped and devoured his assailant's hand like a nest of white snakes.
He blinked. The hand belonged to no one else than the bratty redhead, who was spread over his pillow like an obscene puppy, profusely leaking puppy. But to be just, she also was being slobbered at by the Uchiha heir, who was currently glued to her leg. Why Kakashi had been sleeping with those kids he had no idea… no, he blinked, he remembered it.
The previous night, after suffering from tons of death glares, complaints and stench of vomit, when he managed to safely escort them to Orochimaru's house, he planned to leave them alone and simply go home. However, Shiori had another idea. The tiny gremlin persuaded (or blackmailed if any of you insist on calling a spade a spade) him to stay with them, at least until they would fall asleep. Sadly, he missed the implication that his cooperation included not only preparing bed for them but also getting them ready for sleep. He would never forget the shrill panic on Itachi's face, when the two boys were together closed in the bathroom with a towel, toothbrush and a little too big cat onesie– if it wasn't Shiori who provided her own extra-pajama, Kakashi was sure the smaller boy would bolt through the window at the cuteness and utter un-uchihaness of it. Later, the red terror forced the young jonin to comb their hair, lie down with them (it had nothing to do with a promise of petting his hair) and with some trick put him to sleep (again, it had nothing to do with petting his hair). And so here he was; lying with two adorable children, from which one was doing everything in her might to make him bald; and a snoring… Someone had to be fuckin kidding him!
Kakashi's brain halted and strolled away, wanting to never come back. He closed his eyes, counted to five and opened them but unfortunately, he saw the same thing.
Orochimaru was sprawled on Kakashi's other side not unlike the sannin's little protégé, luckily unlike her he wasn't drooling. However, the man was fully clothed he still smelled like a distillery. Yeah, drunk, seasoned shinobi lying next to him wasn't good news. The more experienced ninja was, the more dangerous he might be in such state of implied vulnerability. And you couldn't get much more experienced than a Sannin rank.
He had no illusions that one false move and he would be swiftly and efficiently beheaded. With feigned naturalness, the boy released his locks from the girl's firm grip and carefully not to disturb the man or the children, slid from the futon; but only when he slipped out of the bedroom Kakashi allowed himself a sigh of relief.
Then the masked jonin's brain halted for the second time this morning.
Just before him lay another member of Konoha's legendary trio, sprawled in an uncomfortably looking pose. Although Jiraiya's bottom - as it supposed to be - was on a couch, his legs protruded above its backrest, while his upper body was on the floor under a coffee table. And he smelled. A lot.
Kakashi held his breath (this was one of those stenches even his mask couldn't stop) and silently went to the exit. Putting on his sandals the teenager had one last look around the place. When he saw it yesterday for the first time only one thing hit him from the entrance – it's normality.
It was reasonably big for one person to live comfortably. With white walls and dark floor, furnished in traditional style it was elegant but not too standoffish. It spoke about good taste and practicality. Truth be told it suited the serpent man just right but for some reasons Kakashi expected something more alike a dark dungeon or a gloomy lab. Not an ordinary house. The only slightly abnormal thing here were books and scrolls. Living with sensei and Kushina Kakashi had become accustomed to omnipresent papers but oddly in Orochimaru's flat he couldn't spot anything about ninja arts so far. There were volumes about history and politics, geography, biology and math. There was even some poetry and a whole shelf of music notes.
Kakashi suspected the scientist wouldn't be so stupid to keep his research at home but still to find here anything else… The boy clenched his fists. Were they all truly so deep, they couldn't see people in their own comrades? Only monsters? Were they even humans anymore?
"Hatake-san?"
One onyx eye blinked. In the corridor stood Shiori sleepily rubbing her face. Maybe he was caught off guard in one shoe, in the middle of a mental breakdown but the white-haired teenager couldn't stop a snort looking at the drowsy child in a tiger onesie, especially when she was dragging her favorite toy-sannin on the floor. Kakashi thanked havens that Sensei discovered his doting parental side after he moved out. If Minato tried to buy and make him wear something like, Kakashi would probably go AWOL and spend the rest of his life as some root eating hermit in the mountains.
"Are you still feeling ill, Shiori-chan?" Because he certainly would if he would eat so much as she did the previous day.
But the child only clicked her lips two times as if she had to think what exactly she wanted from him. Then she patted her tummy.
"I'm hungry. Feed me."
The boy sweat dropped. It wasn't even funny anymore.
Ω
No one would be able to tell what thoughts were hiding behind those two golden pools following the teenager looking through kitchen cabinets in search for breakfast cereals. The girl snuggled into her Orochi-chi to ensure it.
The fourth month since the Kanabi mission was slowly ending. Kakashi's eye was mostly healed. He still had it bandaged but it was only precaution in case of unexpected excessive nerve strain. Orochimaru said that in two weeks there would be no need even for that. That the boy would be all right. Shiori doubted it.
In her previous life, her cousin had a dog once. A little, ugly mongrel – it was nothing special. Whenever her family went to visit, it just was there sleeping or eating. Until one day the dog was gone. She had never seen such anguish like the one that tormented her cousin in the next weeks. He was thoroughly devastated. It was nothing more than an animal but for the thirteen-year-old it was his best friend. Everyone gave the boy time to mourn and as days passed he was getting better but as far as the reborn woman knew, he never again had a pet.
Before her stood a similar thirteen years old kid. However, he didn't lose a dog. He watched as his best friend was buried under a pile of boulders. People gave Kakashi time to mourn – the whole month – and thought that now everything was back to normal. That he was back to normal, because why not?
In times like these she truly couldn't understand this world. It wasn't enough that society made kids kill. It didn't even treat them as soldiers, they were nothing more than tools. This was a child for fuck sake! A child in pain. And because of her meddling those two boys had been even closer than in the canon. Because of her there was only more pain. She had to make Kakashi stop tormenting himself. She didn't need more guilt gnawing at her subconscious when it had been already being eaten by a hundred other worries.
"Stop grimacing like that. I got your carrels." Shiori jumped when he put the food right before her. "Maybe you shouldn't eat if your stomach still hurts?"
The girl packed a spoonful of flakes into her mouth and cautiously pulled the bowl to herself.
"This is mine. You won't take my food again." Kakashi could swear she growled at him. It was way too early for this.
"I don't want to take your food. You were frowning like Pakkun when he ate chocolate. It's called concern."
"Ehh, I'm concerned that you've forgotten about my coffee. Seriously, who forgets about coffee in the morning?"
"Why am I even trying?"
"Cos, you want to be in Mini-nii's good book." Answered the girl munching her next spoon of carrels and completely ignoring the rhetorical nature of his question. Kakashi made her worry about him and so she was pissed and there was only one good way to deal with it – graciously sharing with everyone around.
"Should you even drink that thing?"
"Mini-nii allows me."
"Because you bewitched him." Groaned a new voice whose owner barely stumbled into the kitchen and crashed on a chair. Jiraiya's mouth opened to make another note about the tiny redhead's kinship with the infernal forces but the Sannin merely closed his mouth with a loud clamp. "What the fuck is that?"
Shiori's eyes retraced where the man was directing his accusatory finger. It had to be in her close vicinity… wait, he was pointing at her toy! How dared he?!
Apparently the Sannin dared, even very much so since he laughed so hard he started to cry.
"Stop it right now!"
He didn't. if it was possible his mirth only grown. The reborn woman had enough of it. That fool wasn't mocking only her toy. Doing it, he was insulting her and her science-guru. She was rather angry since she caught a glance of that downtrodden teenager, but now she was simply livid.
Kakashi sincerely thought the girl might start crying at any moment but in one second all her anger seemed to evaporate; in its place remained only a cold calculation. The boy flinched when the kid slid off the chair and without a word toddled to the bedroom. The silver-haired jonin felt torn. He knew he should at least try to reason with the toad summoner but on the other hand he also knew that whatever Shiori had in store for the cackling man, it would be entertaining.
There was no more time for musing since the child waddled back to her seat with a bunch of papers and a highly disturbing sadistic gleam in her golden pools.
"I've put an exploding seal on your manuscript. It's on timer and the only thing stopping it from doing biiig kaboom is my chakra. If the manuscript end up being away from me before I dissolve the seal, the work of your life will be nothing more than a pile of ash. So please, stupid froggy, stop laughing before I'll blow it up."
The Toad Sannin wiped a tear from a corner of his eye. The demon-child's words somehow broke through the hangover and his howling and slowly registered in his mind.
"C'mon, devil-chan, you won't do it. She won't, right?"
"She may." Answered Kakashi, slowly retreating to the window. That brat was way too happy for it to be a simple bluff.
"And she will." The redhead assured joyfully. "I already revised it all and even though then it'd be nothing but a waste of my time, I'm going to make it go boom!" The maniacal cheerfulness disappeared from her voice, replaced by a hiss. "So ssstop laughing at Orochimaru-sama's expense."
"Ok, ok, don't be so touchy. Kakashi-kun, give her that coffee she wanted." He added barely moving his lips. "Now, kiddo, when we have all that drama behind us, tell me, what do you think about my masterpiece?"
"I…"
"Just, just do it quieter, wouldn't ya?"
"NO!" Shiori started speaking with that childish, irritating voice that was making the people listening to it crave to have a bucket on their heads. "Now, getting back to business…"
It wasn't given for the reborn woman to get back to business because to the room entered something gloomy, what under closer scrutiny turned out to be their host. Orochimaru slumped on the chair next to his teammate, mumbled something and seemed to fall asleep again.
Kakashi experienced a yearning to pinch his cheek to see if the scientist was still alive but not considering how stupid and suicidal it would be, the papers in Shiori's grip still were a bit too risky for his liking.
Said girl however did nothing. She was already familiar with Orochimaru's morning behavior - mainly consisting of channeling his inner zombie, and so she continued.
"Truth be told it isn't as bad as I though..."
"See, I told you that my extraordinary…"
"Only half of it is total rubbish. With the second part, maybe we can do something."
"Wait!" Heavy dissatisfaction plowed the Sannin's brows. "What do you mean by rubbish? It's…"
"Infantile, clumsy, ungrammatical, repetitive, with no plot nor believable characters. The only thing it has is the message you wanted to express: unity, peace, love and forgiveness – in other words mind-numbing cliché."
Jiraiya had the impression that each her word was like an anvil falling on his head. He was getting smaller and smaller and in the end felt like a chewed bubble gum under her shoe.
"First, you must clearly identify the target group to which your book is addressed. So?"
"Ehh…" The man took a deep breath pulling himself together. What someone so young could know about literature? Nothing – that's what. She just learned to read when? A month ago, at best, for god's sake. On the other hand, that brat was a devil personification and she had already thought about some advices, rather than focusing only on a crushing criticism. Well, he always could humor her and listen. "Older children and young adults, I guess."
The reborn woman began to drum her fingers on the papers she was holding. Even in her old life the fairy tales were in truth nothing more than horror stories for babies. Because what were they teaching us exactly? Every story about princesses – nothing more than selling yourself to someone rich. Three pigs – be rich and build a big house, otherwise someone will take it away. Don't let her even start about Hansel and Gretel - you can't trust your parents and must count only on yourself; of course beside all that cannibalism and being-baked-alive-in-an-oven business. Maybe in her previous world it was the logical reaction of caring parents to condition their offspring to living in a psychopathic culture but then here, with all than ninja running around, she needed something equal to Tarantino-King mix.
"Then we need to personalize your main character. They must have more history and depth. Maybe they could be abandoned by their parents? It also needs more gore and some teenage drama."
"Teenage drama?"
"Yeah, something romantic would be the best." Shiori bit her lips. "The protagonist's love interest may be from an enemy village. Star crossed lovers and all that." She had in mind a cross between Harry Potter, Romeo and Juliet and Saw. And… she saw daylight. "I know! It has to be a girl!"
Opposite to her Jiraiya was in the dark and his brain just leaked through his ears from her shrieking.
"I beg you, quieter. And what girl?"
"The main character. If it will be a girl and not a boy - the sale is going to rise to the top! It's revolutionary idea. Not to mention that statistically females read more than males. We are going to be rich!"
"And I will have more female fans, ehh?" Jiraiya imagined crowds of young, lovely ladies reading his book with rosy cheeks and glossy eyes. He was already seeing it: tales of a gutsy kunoichi. Yes, that sounded nice... "Wait?! What we?! It's my book!"
"When I'm finished with it, it won't have anything to do with your original book. These are my ideas! I have three witnesses!"
The Toad Sannin looked around the room. Orochimaru seemed to be napping but it was given the serpent man would take the devil's side. Kakashi was an unknown and… when and from where this kid came from? The Uchiha brat was silently sitting with Shiori on one chair, observing everything with those unnerving black eyes. It seemed Jiraiya didn't have a choice.
"Two percent."
"Twenty."
"Three."
"Thirty."
"What, THIRTY?! Do you know how it works?"
"Fifty."
"Better give her that twenty and be done with it." Muttered Orochimaru, who apparently wasn't so asleep as everyone thought. "Eighty percent from something is still better than one hundred from nothing."
The light-haired Sannin groaned.
"Ok, we have a deal. Twenty." The last word barely passed through his lips. "To think I'm listening to a five-year-old brat."
"Six."
"What?"
"I'm six." Proudly explained the girl. "I had birthday the last week."
"And you didn't tell anyone?" Kakashi couldn't believe her. "Sensei and Kushina-san won't like it."
"They were busy with the wedding. It was more important. And I told Tachi-chan and Shisui-san. They gave me a book, crayons and mountains of deeeelicious sweets."
Itachi gently tugged at her sleeve.
"Senpai, I thought you did not tell anyone else so later they would feel bad and give you better gifts?"
The boy's question triggered a wave of silence that after seconds burst like a balloon. Everyone was snickering (Jiraiya was more howling than anything else), and only the two younger children remained frozen.
Itachi was sure he was correct. Senpai didn't explain her motives but it wasn't so hard to deduce. Those men were highly intelligent shinobi, they had to know it too, right? Or did he say something wrong? Was his senpai mad at him? She didn't look like it. More like a dumbfounded goldfish.
At first the reborn woman wanted to scream et tu brute, contra me but the reference and Latin would only fall on deaf ears. She couldn't believe Itachi can betray her in any way. He, he… He wasn't anymore recklessly following her orders. He thought about her behavior and accordingly took a stance – on his own. Maybe not only his obsession was passing into oblivion? Maybe with some luck and further nagging he would stop blindly follow orders in general…
A wide smile bloomed on her face and she pounced at the boy sitting next to her, hugging him as hard as she could.
"You're the best, Tachi-chan!"
"Child, he can't breathe."
"Yeah, and it looks like you've broken him, again." Added Kakashi.
Ω
Days were passing by. Winter in Land of Fire ended as fast and suddenly as it began. The spring washed in like a tide, proceeding confidently with warmth and blossoming life. Once more human breaths were invisible and the birds were livelier in the sky. Clouds still lingered over the village but today they weren't resembling a dense layer of grey but rather a messy collection of white puffs among the blue.
Itachi tilted his face up. Appreciating the moment was important, tomorrow wasn't guaranteed to anyone, ever. It was clear especially now, standing in the midst of the mourners in the middle of an official vigil for the fallen.
More than eighty percent of leaf shinobi was back in the village. Still active forces were stationed at the borders mostly as a warning. Most nations reached the agreeable terms of truce by now. Only Konoha and Iwa, which were the source of the conflict, still couldn't come to an agreement. Kiri wasn't even taken into account. After lost battle against Kumo on the Sea Grave Island, war for them was already over. Now, they were nothing more than conflicted groups of mercenaries.
The boy looked at the other side of the assembly. In the first row were standing clan leaders and squads that lost someone in one of the key battles. Namikaze-sama was easy to notice. His team was next to him while Shiori senpai with Kushina-san were few rows behind. In moments like these words didn't come, memories did. In shinobi village mourning comrades supposed to be something noble and stoic, but above the crowd a child's weeping could be heard. It was loud, with running snot and choking sobs but Shiori wasn't ashamed. She was doing what others couldn't and they seemed to be grateful for it. Their loved ones deserve to be mourned properly.
Itachi didn't like seeing her cry. She was his first friend, someone important. But he still didn't know how to help her. What should he do? He never spoke with Obito. He saw him two or three times in passing but that was all. Obito's life wasn't important, not for Itachi but now the boy knew that every life was important.
One of his clansmen started whispering to his father about Third's resignation and choosing a new Hokage. Some of the Uchiha were dissatisfied with status of their clan, demanding from Fugaku a hard stand regarding his own candidature. But Itachi's father was unyielding. There would be no more bloodshed, at least not on Fugaku's watch.
Itachi couldn't understand how people, his own people, might want to willingly seek more deaths. He saw life, war and death but he couldn't comprehend clear purpose for any of them.
After some time, the official part of the ceremony was over. People started to mingle. Some still stood motionless, others already departed. Itachi strolled to lone figure, standing away from others. The Snake Sannin was one of the most powerful ninja in Konoha, and one of the most probable candidates for Hokage hat. Not to mention that he was senpai's mentor – he had to be wise.
Orochimaru was focused on a tombstone. It was made of a white marble and the same as all of the others, except the label they bore. The graves were silently rising from the manicured grass, lined up perfectly with those in front and behind, a city for the dead.
"Grieving over the dead is meaningless. If there's any meaning in death, it's to take advantage of it." Whispered the man but Itachi wasn't sure if he was talking to him. His snakelike eyes didn't pry themselves off the grave even for a moment.
"What is the meaning of life?"
"There is none." Now he looked at the boy. Orochimaru gave him the simplest answer. Funny how often they proved to be right. "There's meaning in life if it's eternal."
"Why everyone insist that life must mean something?" Interrupted Shiori. When she noticed where Itachi was heading she went after him. She had enough of the extensive fussing over her person (she still had red nose from Kushina's handkerchief) so now she was discussing the purpose of life with a four-year-old child and dangerously brilliant psychopath.
"It does not?" The reborn woman could swear that formal speech pattern of his would be the end of her.
"No, it doesn't. Your life has only that meaning you're going to give it. It's act of living itself that matters. That's why it's so important to life at its fullest and always be happy and well-fed."
"In your case, it is rather unambiguous."
"I like my food like any other girl." Said Shiori. Sannin's words were too true to argue with them. "And speaking about food, Orochimaru-sama, you're going home with us. Kushina-san made so much food even I won't be able to eat it all."
"That's hard to believe and I cannot remember approving to go anywhere."
Shiori did what worked the best when her mentor insisted on being difficult. She hugged his leg.
"Please, come with us. You love Kushinas's food and I made new adjustment to our choking tag. You must see it." The moment Orochimaru's will crumbled and he sighed aloud the girl beamed at him. "Thaaaank you, you're the best. Oh, I know, Tachi-chan, why don't cha ask your parents to join us?"
The boy nodded and ran to his father. Her golden pools followed him unlit he disappeared in the black mass of mourners, then they focused on the grave that held Orochimaru's interest. According to the obituary it was made for Mitsuki and Manabu who died thirty years ago. Were those people the Sannin's kin? Parents maybe?
"You know, Orochimaru-sama, about that thing you said earlier? About eternal life?"
"Yes?"
"I think it would be very lonely."
"There's nothing wrong in being alone."
"There isn't." Agreed the girl, not even once looking away from the tombstone. "But there's nothing good about it also."
Ω
Shiori sobs broke Kakashi's heart into a million pieces. All he could hear was his heart hammering after understanding them. He felt like someone punched him in the guts. He couldn't breath and his limbs felt like dead meat as he tried to move. He quickly forced his body into submission, not wanting to get emotional in front of all those people. Most of them had lost someone close, he wasn't the only one and he refused to be the one breaking rules. Shinobi do not show their tears.
The road to sensei's house was nothing more than a haze for him. He was aware of every corner they passed, every street they walked. He heard Shiori's complain about Itachi's absence just as clearly as he felt Rin's hand in his grip. None of it mattered.
When they entered the home, he excused himself, feeling his chest tighten as the emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He ducked off and went straight for the bathroom, near slamming the door shut behind him. He went to the sink, his grip hard as he struggled to fight back the tears. He missed Obito so much! Kakashi would give anything to be the one who shoved Uchiha out of the way that day. Obito didn't deserve to end like this. He was the cheerful moron meant to finish with a happily ever after. Kakashi never said it but they had been good friends from their academy days. The silver-haired boy knew since then how Obito felt about Rin. He had never seen that idiot so happy as when he was with her. Kakashi thought it stupid but in truth his best friend deserved someone like her. Only to have it snatched away by a fucking boulder.
"Kakashi-kun" Kushina's voice broke through the walls of his mind. "Come here."
The boy didn't fight, he let her reach up and pull him into a tight embrace. He took in a few shaking breaths, willing the tears not to fall. He didn't need this tonight but hearing Shiori's cry for Obito like that, made all the emotions he kept bottled up snap. His knees gave away as he sank to the floor. Kushina went down with him, rocking him not unlike a small child.
"Sorry, I should have make her stop but I thought it may do her some good. It was a mistake." The redhead murmured into his hair, squeezing him gently. "Despite all that sass Shiori is too young to understand. She just misses him."
"I want him back too." Kakashi whispered with choked voice. "Can I have an epic tantrum too?"
"As epic as you want." Kushina laughed quietly, tightened her grip on the boy for another firm hug. "I don't mind. Just don't threaten to blow everything up like that she-devil does. Then I might get a little irritated."
Kakashi chuckled weakly, but he couldn't return her hug. It took him another few minutes to get himself under control. The woman said nothing, she sat there patiently waiting until he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Kushina-san. My behavior was unacceptable." The boy said softly, reaching up to wipe his face. His hand came away damp with tears he hadn't realized had fallen.
"You are not allowed to apologize for feeling miserable because your best friend is dead." Kushina said, her tone mostly strong and slightly pissed. However, it still wavered slightly at the end. Her voice sounded a little choked up as well. "We all miss him."
Obito had been well liked by everyone. Kakashi couldn't think of anybody he didn't get along with, well except him every now and then. That day years ago when Obito and Rin were stalking Kakashi to his home and instead of punching them, he had gotten into making them dinner, made his lips tug upwards in amusement. It had been the first and only time Kakashi was openly cordial to that idiot.
"That's better." Said Kushina noticing the small quirk of amusement and kissed him on the forehead. "What are you smiling about?"
"Obito was a goof, wasn't he?" The teen said, wiping his nose with a sleeve on his blouse.
"He was pretty funny." Kushina smiled as well. "Poor Minato often was so flabbergasted when he came home. I couldn't stop laughing when he was telling me about your antics."
"Yeah" Kakashi's little bit of amusement fell away from his face. "He was a really good guy."
"That he was." Kushina let out a small chuckle, giving the boy another delicate hug. "Come and give Shiori a cuddle. She may fuss a little at the beginning but she loves petting your hair – apparently, they're tickling her. I'll get you a tea. You're welcome to sleep here if you don't want to be alone tonight."
Kakashi nodded in agreement, wiping his face again. Even if he normally was prone to argue with Kushina about staying at their house, he knew she'd get her own way today. Besides, Shiori seemed to calm down and her cuddling tendencies appeared to have a soothing effect on him too. Staying the night wouldn't be an ill-advised idea either. His own apartment would be very cold and lonely place to be tonight.
Kushina gave Kakashi one last hug, before getting up and leaving him in peace. The young jonin sluggishly climbed off the bathroom floor, taking his time to wash his face and make sure he was unruffled enough to leave the room. He looked one last time in the mirror flashing his red eye. He had a promise to keep.
Ω
The last move of a brush and it all looked perfect but none of it helped with Shiori's mood. Yesterday Minato went with Hokage and few other shinobi to participate in negotiations with Iwa in Land of Iron. That generally neutral nation had enough of their shit and decided to play role of the arbitrator, and apparently, you cannot say fuck off to a country that possess an incredibly strong military, especially when you're worn out by the last few years of carnage.
"Each time it looks better. Thanks, Shiori-chan." Rin beamed at the child while admiring her own reflection.
After Kushina's and Minato's wedding the medic-nin was so in love with her new make-up that Shiori proposed to redo it with henna in every two weeks. It was enough to say that after this the two girls seemed to be on far more amicable terms and that at the end of every session Shiori received an enormous hug – just like right now.
"Rin-san. Air. Need"
"Sorry" The older girl sheepishly put the six-year-old on the floor. "I just really like those tattoos. I'm going to look as a total kick-ass on the mission."
"For sure."
It was good Rin was so absorbed with her own reflection that she never noticed Shiori's bright smile never reached her eyes. Those golden pools were flat and empty like a dessert. All life was completely gone. The reborn woman felt like she should cry but after that day on the memorial park she was unable to do it. She wasn't sure if it was her eyes that dried out or just her heart. Because her laments that day weren't caused by Obito's death, she was sure Fate was bitchy enough to not make it so simple and just kill him. She was crying for herself and things she decided to do. Things that should be hard and unacceptable but in truth were far too easy. No wonder she and Orochimaru went along so splendidly. They were more alike than she liked to admit.
"We're going to join a unit on the border with Land of Canyons. It's sad it's still plagued with rouges from Iwa and Kiri. It's only ten days so with Kakashi-kun and Guy-san it should be easy." Rin in jest flicked Shiori's nose. "When I'm back we'll go for a dango, my treat. What do you say?"
"It would be great, Rin-san." She managed to say it with considerably straight face bun in truth the reborn woman wanted to say something else entirely; something more like: I'm sorry Rin-san but unfortunately you aren't coming back.
In memory of Chris Cornell