Can Death Keep Her Away?

Chapter four

A/N: Hello everyone! Rishi is……back. Again. XD Right…I have nothing to say, so on with chapter four! It is four…..right….?

"K-Keiko….." Shikaku looked at the notepad in disbelief. He had his suspicions, but the confirmation that this was his daughter was still astounding. He looked at Keiko in the eye, his own eyes brimming with tears.

The girl—Keiko—grinned. It was a genuine Keiko grin.

Shikaku stared at her for a moment, then brought her into an embrace.

Keiko just smiled as her father cried. She hugged him back….And smiled.

After a few moments, Shikaku pulled back. "Right…." He said slowly. "So." He began. "Where the hell have you been for these past five years?"

Keiko slowly wrote it down on the pad. Her writing had always been nearly illegible, so she took her time and wrote it all down clearly.

That night…..I was kidnapped by rouge ninja. I didn't plan on being held there for so long.

Keiko then took back the pad, and wrote something else. She handed the pad back to her father.

Dad…..I'm sorry. I must've caused you guys a lot of trouble. And now…I can't even tell anyone that I'm alive. My voice…It's gone.

Shikaku smiled. "Keiko," he began. "Keiko, you did cause us a hell lot of trouble. But I'm just happy you're back." He smiled. "Besides, Hokage-sama says that it's only temporary. You should have your voice back in about a week.

Keiko huffed. It was easy to see that she wanted her voice back, and now.

Shikaku chuckled. "You're still the same impatient knucklehead I knew back then."

Keiko stuck out her tongue, making the stupidest face she could muster. Shikaku laughed.

After Shikaku stopped laughing, he continued. "Listen. If you want your mother and Shikamaru to know so badly, why don't you show them? Things that only you could do. Things that only you know."

Keiko grinned and nodded. She jumped off the guestroom bed and ran out of the room, down the stairs, and into her parent's room.

Yoshino was sitting on the bed, looking through an old photo album.

Keiko sat down besides her.

Yoshino looked up in surprise. "Oh! I….I'm sorry." She said sheepishly, wiping her eyes quickly. "You see, today's the day my daughter…"

Yoshino stopped short. Keiko was hugging her mother. Yoshino was engulfed in many memories. Memories of fights….Of pain. Keiko had always know. Keiko….

Keiko had always hugged her mother when she was sad.

"Kei……ko…..?" Yoshino was astounded. Only her daughter would do something like this. "Keiko….It's you, Keiko, isn't it?"

Keiko looked up at her mother and smiled. It was a smile only a daughter could give to her mother.

Yoshino was engulfed in tears again. "Oh my God…." She whispered as Keiko rocked her mother. "Oh my God, Keiko…"

And so, they stayed like that the whole night, the daughter comforting her mother.

A/N: I felt like ending it on a sweet note. It wasn't that good. I know. It was short, and I waited forever to give it to you peoples. XD Review if you wish.

By the way…Keiko is seventeen in this story.