From the Ashes

by raspbewwies

Canon, Post-war. Drabbles on Konoha's rebirth from the ashes. Multiple characters. Possible warning for spoilers from the manga. #20: "Through it all, hope will follow, in traces and faint whispers. For it is hope that remains as they journey through the infinite, hope that will resurrect. Hope that will birth them from the ashes."

15. 15: Shoe

Prompt #15: Shoe

Her daughter has outgrown her shoes.

Kurenai Yuhi can't help but feel a pang of resentment when they go to pick another pair of sandals. She is slipping away from her, just like her father did. Slowly, with a lot less blood, she prayed, but she would leave.

Leave and keep her, all alone.

On the way back, her daughter turns around to look at happy families with their fathers. Eating ice cream, having piggy back rides, being complete. She turns to Kurenai, her three year old eyes full of questions.

How can she explain that her father paid a price for her life, for everyone else's, for them to eat ice cream and have piggy back rides?

How can she possibly explain without making her daughter hate, as she secretly does in some dark corner of her heart?

She does not know. She does not want to know. So she buys her an ice cream and tries to give a piggy back ride, but settles for carrying her. Some things she just can't do.