13
Age: 13

The destruction of Kanabi bridge had been successful. Team Minato had returned to Konoha one man less. This move, however, despite the sacrifice was crucial for Konohagure's victory during the Third Shinnobi War.

On the way back from the mission Ryou actually found her teammate and they returned the sacred scroll, enemy war plans to the village.
Presently the team was solemnly standing at Obito's funeral service in the Uchiha compound. Ryou stood next to Shisui who held an arm wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulders. The girl couldn't help but burry her face on the older boy's shoulder. Her eyes remaining peeled. He rubbed her arm in a tender matter in an attempt to ease her mourning pain. Ryou didn't feel like it was right to cry. There was something about the situation that prevented her from doing so. Perhaps it was the fact that the last things he had said to her had been awful. He had called her a traitor. She had betrayed him, his confidence, his faith. Who would've thought that a friendship that was born out of her selfishness could affect her so much.
He had said that the insulting word for her did not exist yet, and that was after calling Kakashi both trash and scum.
Then there were those haunting red eyes...

Even if her relationship with Obito had began out of her own self interest- so much had blossomed out of it. He had become almost like her brother, he was the one that had been there when they told her the news about her family. He had trained with her countless of days, even hung out with her and Shisui…
Shisui seemed to be able to read her mind. "It's not your fault." He whispered discreetly. "It was an accident."

He repeated and placed an innocent kiss on the top of her head. If she hadn't shown. If fate hadn't made them stumble upon each other, maybe he would still be alive, and maybe- because of his heroic nature. Rin would finally be with him...

The scene replayed over and over again in her head. If they had left Kakashi behind. If she had been faster and more aware-
He had used every single muscle in his body to save them. Her eyes flickered over to the silver haired ninja who was also at the service. She passed the lump in her throat still not being able to swallow the idea that he had actually returned for her.

She still asked herself that dreadful question: Would Shisui return for her? And would she return for him?

'It's my fault…' Another person was tormented with equally haunting thoughts. From the other side of the crowd. Kakashi watched Ryou and Shisui with peculiar interest and guilt. Her broken expression and empty eyes- In the past he would've cherished it even enjoyed seeing her in this state, but now… It tore him apart.
Rin was also at the funeral, but she wasn't crying, and for a moment Ryou flickered her eyes to her brown ones and cursed her. She deduced that if Rin had actually been stronger and able to take are of herself this entire situation could have been avoided. Rin feeling the ice cold glare, flinched looking away sadly. She held on to one of her arms looking down at the gray gravel sadly.

Ryou still glared at her shamelessly, and she briefly remembered some of her words after Obito had been crushed and Ryou had very emotionally blabbered that Obito loved her.

"I'm sorry Ryou…" she had looked away and turned to face Kakashi.
"Kakashi, you must know my feelings for you!"

'What the fuck…' had been her first thought. Both had turned to look at her. Oh, she actually said that out loud.

'HIM?! She choose HIM over Obito?!' she was aghast.

Before she used to esteem Rin as a sweet girl. She was very nice, charming, very caring of others, but now- just the thought of her made her blood boil.

The service ended rather quickly since there was no body to bury, still the only thing Obito would have left as his mark on this Earth was his name carved in a Killed In Action stone. Ironic how his name would remain in a stone when he had been crushed by one.

The image replayed in her mind again. The feeling. Her inability to breath or properly see or think in that moment. Ryou returned home with Shisui that day to help him babysit for one of his younger cousins, since all of the Uchiha adults would be gathering to help Obito's parents with their mourning in the private of their home. Ryou was sitting in the sofa in Shisui's living room wearing her dark dress. She was rubbing her temples all this was still way too hard on her…

"Hey, Itachi." She said to the 6 year old boy who looked almost in pain.

"Come here." She said. The small boy walked over to her and observed her with his dark eyes. For a brief moment Ryou's imagination flickered to Obito's eyes. She shook her head. She knew this kid was smart, for his age he already knew what was going on and perfectly understood the situation of the war.

"Wanna be useful?" She asked.

He nodded his small head "Massage my feet." she said in a teasing tone with a small smirk spreading on her face.

She raised up her feet near the child's height.

"You're disgusting," He said flatly protesting.

Ryou chuckled and stood up messing with his short dark hair. She headed to the kitchen and started setting up the table.

'Shisui should be back soon with the take-out…' she thought.

"Oi Ryou," she felt Itachi tug the edge of her dress. She looked down at the boy with curiosity. "Can you get me some dango?" he asked.
"Ha! No. That's disgusting." She mocked him. (Even though she liked dango.) Itachi frowned and shook his head. "You're mean!"

Ryou got something from the counter and kneeled so she was at the eye level of the child, "You're a smart kid Itachi, I can tell."

She said with a small smile, and put a dango stick in the child's smaller hands.

"I know you won't tell Shisui about our little secret right?" She winked another habit she had picked up from the esteemed 'Body Flicker Shinnobi.'
"Dessert? Right before lunch. Ryou!" The girl snapped her body back into a straight position when she heard her boyfriend walk into the kitchen. She looked at him and noticed he had a dango stick half hanging out of his mouth.
"Great minds? Think alike right?" He said with a grin.

She answered with a sad smile. It was nice to know that despite the grim circumstances Shisui's spirit wasn't crushed... Unlike hers.

Ever since Obit's death You had began to see life differently. I mean how could she not? This was probably the first time she came closest to death.
I mean sure there had been that fighting incident, but she was in the village. There was a medical ninja present. It wasn't the end of the world, but this-

The image replayed in her head non-stop. She could still remember every detail of the incident.

The pain that came with that rock accidentally struck her in the nape of her neck. How her face dramatically slapped against the ground. Her perfect vision, compromised into seeing doubles of distorted images. The feeling of being lifted. Turning and seeing him. One hard eye starring at her the other bloody and useless. Then the massive rock that came colliding towards them. She barely even saw Obito shove them both of the way. Both of them tumbled away into the dirt, and just like that he was gone...

"Shit!" She remembered Kakashi shaking as he attempted to pointlessly lift the rock off him with all of his strenght. "No, no, no!" She punched the boulder in a feeble attempt of destroying it. Only crumbs of the massive piece collapsed.
Rin simply stood back aghast. The least she could do was show some damn emotion.

"That's enough... It's ok..." Obito had said. "It looks like it's over for me..."
"The right side of my body is almost smashed... There's no feeling in it..."

Blood continued oozing from his mouth as he spoke in a raspy voice. It was a miracle he could still speak.

"Why did you do it?!" The Noa girl shrieked outraged. Her vision still somewhat crossed. She leaned on the rock both emotionally and physically exhausted.

"What will Konohagure do without two of its best ninja?" he chuckled.

In his last moments, as his dying act, he decided to gift Kakashi his Shaingan eye. It had been a noble deed indeed...

She felt an uneasy chill run up her spine as she shook back to reality. Sitting in her desk, taping her pencil she decided to make a list of things that she wanted to do before she died. She had been working on this list since she was a only a child.

1) Defeating Genjutsus:
It seemed like an impossibility. No matter how many times Shisui had tried to get her to master them or teach her how to get out of them. It was absolutely impossible for the girl. The best way to just endure them and tr not fall into them.

2) Create Personal Jutsu:
She had successfully began creating chakra crystals and was now working on developing her own personal jutsu.

3) Suspects:
She now had to find potential enemies who could've killed her mother and sister.

4) Murder Weapon:
She had found what she assumed was the murder weapon of her family's death. She would have to further analyze it.

5) Solve Crime:
Find whoever is guilty and take them out.

Since her lonesome guilt was beginning to drive her over the edge she decided to keep herself busy most of the time, just so she wouldn't have time to think about him.

She began keeping a diary.

Whenever Shisui was busy, she would spend time with some of her father or friendly acquaintances who had nothing to do with the incident. Ryou couldn't even look at Rin straight in the eye. If she saw her again... Who knows what would happen, and Kakashi was just- completely out of the question. Things were always awkward between them for some reason- she guessed it was just too much tension from all the history they both shared.

Instead she would indulge in the following activities:
- Intense workouts with Gai,
- SPA days with Kurenai
- Tea time with Kurenai and Asuma or sometimes just Asuma.

They were the perfect distraction, and it was nice to see and be able to hang out with Kurenai again, since the two had been good friends in their youths. Lately, however she had been pestering her in an attempt to get her to communicate with Rin again.

And when none of the above were available she found comfort in volunteering at the children's orphanage. The kids were silly and a handful to manage which made it impossible to even consider taking a moment to think.

Several weeks had passed since Obito's death. Almost months and she still hadn't gone to visit his grave yet. Part of the reason why she had never visited her mother's grave was well because- she didn't have closure, and she would not visit until she had killed whoever it was had ended her life. But visiting his grave? What would she say to him?

"It was my fault."

She shook her head and decided to scavenge her dad's files and to dig in her memory for possible murder suspects.

As she was digging through the files she found an interesting name: Hanzo Hoseki.

In another room in Konohagure, Kakashi starred at the newest addition to his wall. It was now the 4th picture and a sad one. There had been a picture of Obito's service in the newspaper and somewhere in the background Ryou came out. It was a small picture, but it was good enough to go in his interesting wall. Her expression was sad and her eyes were dark just like her dress. Even if it had been years since he started his collection on the wall, he just couldn't bring himself to take it down. He didn't know what was holding him back, but there was something that made him stop every time he even attempted to tear down a single picture, and something that captivated his whenever he accidentally glanced at it.
Something that made him go back for her before she was crushed to death. He recognized he could've died as well, but was stupid enough to go back. Maybe if that had happened, maybe Obito would still be alive and he wouldn't be starring at her pictures. Then again, maybe he would be the one dead under that rock if that had happened.

It almost reminded him off the one Obito had for Rin in his room. Then again, Obito would kiss the pictures and do weird things to them. Kakashi kept them more for… motivation? Was what he told himself.
Ryou was a good kunoichi. One of the best, if not the best in his age range. She was so good as much as he hated to admit it she was almost better than him. He remembered how despite it all when they were in the mushroom forest in Kusagakure she was still willing to believe in him. Despite all the awful things he had said and done to her… in a lifetime.

He looked down at his wooden floor feeling almost despair. His cold heart twisting in his chest. As much as he had been lying and denying some facts to himself he had to come to terms with them. No matter how dreadful and heartless reality trully was...

Ryou had a list of several men she would like to investigate and maybe even kill. The main one on her list:

- Hanzo Hoseki, one of her father's best costumers. A man from a nearby metropolis. Excellent, life long costumer whose shopping had suddenly ceased on faithful day. There was just something odd about this man... The amount that he paid her father. It was out of this world, he might as well have been paying for her house!

However, at her tender age and with her Jounin rank- there was no way she would be allowed to leave the village to hunt her bounty. She had to find a way to get in there and she felt she had figured it out. She was on her way to the Hokage's office. She made way with long strides and a serious expression, she decided to take the park route since it was one of her favorites.

"Ryou! Wait!" She froze. That voice.

She turned to see Rin approaching her. Her mood instantly became sour.

"Yes?" she said in an icy tone. Building a facade. Both her hands gave away her emotions as she tightly clenched her fists.

"Are you avoiding me?" She said meekly.
"What gave you that idea?" Ryou said in the same stoic voice as she began walking away.
"Wait!" Rin repeated and this time stood in front of the girl who kept her eyes narrowed and an expression of disgust.
"Y-You can be so cold sometimes." She said her eyes watering.
"I know how you're feeling, and I feel the guilt of it too, but ignoring me and Kakashi won't make it go away. Obito's death was... something we couldn't help and it's in times like this when we need to stick together."

Rin said sweetly reaching for Ryou's hand. The green eyed girl instead pulled her hand back and glared at the girl with a pair of angry eyes.

"Couldn't be helped?" She repeated her teeth gritting. "Yes- maybe if I hadn't lead those villains into your direction it wouldn't have happened. Maybe if Kakashi had decided to go save you sooner it wouldn't have happened, but ultimately if you had known how to fight- how to defend yourself and escape this could have been avoided completely! If you weren't so feeble and worthless and actually knew one single fighting move- Obito would still be alive!" Ryou shouted her stomach churning in anger, her heart pounding.

Rin looked at her with both of her eyes wide, rivers of tears sprawling down from them. For a moment Ryou wondered if she should apologize, but quickly changed her mind.

"Oh, but yeah- You don't care about that. Because you only have feelings for Hatake." Ryou began walking.
"T-That's not true." Rin protested with a shaky voice between some escaping sobs.

This time Ryou turned around completely and locked eyes with her. Her eyes showed no mercy and gleamed with apathy.

"We both know it's true."

She turned around again and continued walking pretending as if nothing had happened, "Also- I never want to see you again," She added in a hushed tone.

Some time later Ryou finally made it to the Hokage's office, and as she waited to step in she now felt haunted by what she had told Rin. "feeble and worthless."
Her cold words echoed in her empty head. She had been ruthless, but it was, was she felt was the truth that had to be said. Rin was lucky that Ryou didn't slam her in the face, or worse stabbed her with a crystal. She was finally allowed into the Hokage's office. Hiruzen greeted her shortly and rather rudely. She didn't blame him handling a war was hard. She wasn't in the best of moods either.

"Sandaime-sama," she said kneeling before him. He briefly glanced at the young girl, confused as to why she was kneeling. She took in a deep breath before saying it, but her decision was made.

"You have my complete loyalty, I want to serve you, as an... ANBU."

Life moves by pretty quickly, if you look away for one second. You might miss it.
Some days had passed by and one of our protagonist was standing outside of the graveyard. Shisui stood next to her, hand in her shoulder.

"Are you sure, you're alright going alone?" he asked concerned.

She nodded in certainty holding a bouquet of flowers close to her chest.

"I just... I've already visited," he explained. "It's just, it's hard," he somewhat managed to express himself. "It's O.K.," she took her hand in his and gave him a gentle squeeze, a sad smile wearing on her features.
"This is something I have to do alone." She said taking in a deep breath.
Shisui removed his hand and got ready to leave. "Remember, it is not your fault," was the last thing he said before leaving.

Everything had been so overbearing lately... Rin confronting her, Kurenai being on her ass about it, and sabotaging Asuma and guy just like a couple of years ago... But right now she had a bigger fish to catch, the investigation on Hanzo Hoseki.

After her fight with Rin, Kurenai had approached her with an unbelievable expression.

"Ryou! Is it true that you said such things to Rin? The girl is an inconsolable mess! I just-I can't believe it!" She had ranted.

Not feeling like arguing, Ryou had simply walked away without saying anything else. She was a Jounin for Kami's sake. She had more important things to do than apologize to that stupid girl for "hurting her feelings," she thought in a mocking baby voice.

And just like that, just like a couple of years ago. She was completely alone. Her father was on and off on business like always. Kurenai, wouldn't speak to her and wouldn't let Asuma talk to her. Gai was around sometimes, and well Shisui was always there for her. But he was also really busy with his own missions and clan duties most of the time… Despite being a clan prodigy, Shisui wasn't esteemed like most of the other Uchiha. Instead of joining the police force like most of them were destined to do, he went ANBU. He betrayed their cult.

Approaching Kakashi was absolutely out of question. Stepping in, she walked over to his stone and placed the bouquet with crimson red camellia flowers on his grave.

"Why did you do this?" She began. "Why couldn't you think of yourself instead of that wicked- ugh- for once?!"

Of course, there was no response.

"I feel stupid talking to a rock. I mean your body isn't even underneath this dull tomb, but reading it brings comfort to some people. I guess..." She wasn't sure how else to continue.
"When I die, I want to donate my organs to people so someone will use them, but dad says that's unpractical because people will be popping random crystals out of their body parts." She couldn't help, but laugh a little.
"That's ridiculous right?"

She suddenly felt a familiar presence next to her and turned to see Kakashi standing next to her holding a bouquet of pink roses in his hands.

"Tsubaki flowers?"

He casually commented on the red camellia flowers Ryou had placed on Obito's grave. "In Hanakotoba, the language of flowers, in our country the red camellia represents love. Samurai in ancient times saw it as a bad omen being as it collapses and dies all at once, not in parts like the sakura flowers or others… The western meaning of it symbolizes excellence. I felt it was suiting, and that Obito might like it."
Ryou explained.

Kakashi was impressed he didn't know Ryou fancied flowers that much.

"How do you know so much about them?" "My mother really liked them, she would buy a different bouquet to decorate the house every week, and she'd tell me the stories about them." She said with a small smile.

He briefly remembered her mother. An elegant woman with caring eyes, it was said that she had been a skilled tracker back in her day.

"What do these mean?" He said in an attempt to start a conversation and ease the ever growing tension between them.

She finally turned to face him avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Pink roses, are a symbol of happiness and trust. And the western meaning is one of love, gratitude or appreciation. Whoever helped you at the flower shop must've thought they were for a girl." Was all she said.

He remained quiet for a moment. The tension remained thick, there was no way of casually brushing off that both of them were standing in front of their dead friend's grave, and odds are both of them were just as guilty for causing his dead.

"I better go." She said in a hurried tone.
"Ryou," He reached for her hand firmly. She was surprised when he held it.
"Wait." He didn't know how to begin, she squeezed his fingers hoping he would let go. When she was young she had admired him, then she had hated him, feared him, and now- now that they had made peace there was just something off about him that always made her want to stay away. Maybe it was the way she could see herself reflected in her dark eye or the way his eye would linger on her for a second more than with other people. She couldn't put her finger on it. It was as if her fight or flight reflex was acting up, and the answer was always an easy one: flee.

"Here, you should take these flowers. They are yours… The ones you got him are much better anyways," he acknowledged.

She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Had he actually recognized that she did something better than him for once?

He let go of her hand and handed her the roses. She stood there hugging the roses to her chest.

"Also-" he began.

He just had to get it out of his chest. It took him too long.

"You're not going to lecture me about my fight with Rin, right?" she interrupted him, her mood immediately turning bitter.

Her eyes both sharply fixed on his face.

"N-No, it's not that…" He said running a hand through his hair nervously.
"I just wanted to…" She looked at him with curiosity, and couldn't figure out just what the hell was going through his mind. She didn't have time for this.
"I promised to never hurt you again, and protect you," he suddenly blurted. She cocked her head to the side bewildered by his odd behavior.
"Thanks, but I don't need-" he interrupted her.
"I just wanted to apologize for being so dreadful to you these last couple of years, but you saved me from drowning in my own pride and I see my mistakes now. And I thank you for that."

Ryou was absolutely speechless. She felt like she needed air. Why did he always do this? I mean, they had already had a similar conversation just a couple of months ago that one night when he attempted to leave the village.

She blinked twice confused: She did not see this coming.

What the hell was happening? She looked at the boy with her eyes wide. She held her jaw in place as it was about to drop. Flowers in her hands even closer just to make sure she wouldn't drop them. Part of her was waiting for Gai to come out with a camera grinning claiming that hits was all a dare or a stupid prank.

"You don't have to say anything-" he began. She interrupted him.
"Thank you, but- you've already apologized before," she said as gently as she could with a small smile. Slowly inching away from him, she had to get out of here soon. There was something about the autumn wind and the setting dusk that made her feel even more on edge. Her heartbeat pulse began to pick up pace. Something bad was coming, she could feel it.

"I'm sorry if I was somewhat unbearable as well…" She had ran out of things to say, "And for the flowers, thank you. They're very-" This time he interrupted her.

He held her head in place with his two hands and intensely stared at her with his one viewable dark eye. His other one, Obito's Sharingan, was now covered by his forehead protector. It took her a moment to react and to realize that he was actually kissing her in the middle of a graveyard. Her mind went blank. She couldn't even process what the hell was happening. His kiss was so different from Shisui's it was so desperate and hurting-

She blinked twice when he pulled away. He had never seen her face turn that shade of red. Her heart was thundering violently in her chest. Only he could get her this riled up in such a brief amount of time. She saw he had his mask on again and couldn't help but wonder what he looked like-

"How dare you!" She exclaimed furiously. "I-I-I," she couldn't find her words. Eyes darting all over the place nervously. "I have a boyfriend!" She snapped, violently hitting him with the flower bouquet he had just given her, damaging most of the pink flowers.

"Why would you do that? What are you thinking?!" she screeched, her face burning in embarrassment. He wasn't about to apologize for doing something he had want to do for a very long time.
"WHY?!" She demanded to as she gripped on to his shirt collar. Often times when You demanded to know things he would just throw her a bone and she was fine with it, this time, she meant business. He had never seen her act so hostile before. He had done way worse things to her, but this was a first.

"I just had too," he shrugged attempting to keep his cool. He had acting like such an idiot before before stuttering and stumbling around with his words.
He cooly shoved his hands into his pockets and arched his back, he was beginning to catch up to her height.

"I can't believe you!" She continued her rant. He had stopped listening half way. A smirk playing on his unseeable features.

He stoped resisting the assault of the flowery weapon. Feeling more embarrassed than frustrated, she simply stormed away. Once she was at a safe distance, Kakashi finally let out the breath he had been holding and turned to the grave.

"I'm glad you were here to see that," Not knowingly to Kakashi's knowledge if Obito knew he would be rolling in his grave, gagging.

"I have an important mission tomorrow in the country of the Mist, Rin is coming too. It's dangerous, so we'll be extra careful..." he said to the grave after his leaping hormones cooled down.

Later that evening Ryou lay down in her bed next to Shisui. She still felt her heart hammering against her rib cage. They weren't doing anything in particular that night, simply talking about his most recent mission and attempting to relax.

"Hey, where did you get those flowers from?" he asked looking at the damaged pink roses that were on a vase next to her bed. She felt her heart rate increase just at the sight. He knew, he had to have fucking known.

That was the first time she lied to Shisui...

It was only a couple of days later that Ryou was having breakfast with her father that she noticed something peculiar in the back of the newspaper. There was a picture of Rin Nohara in the morning paper- in the Obituaries section.