Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Ko decided to lay down some flowers for his sensei before heading out to dinner. At the cemetery, he heard a quiet whimper, hardly audible above the chirping crickets. Ko walked inaudibly toward the direction of the noise to find the making of it. He saw a lone figure seated at the bottom of the tree. His teammate's announcement quickly flowed back into his mind when he saw the cream-blond hair on the figure's head.
"Kawa Miku," Ko knelt in front of her, the foreign name forming easily on his tongue.
The girl looked up to the sound of her name. In her hand, she clutched onto two torn Stream village headbands.
"Are you okay?" Ko asked.
Miku looked away so that he could only see the side of her face that her hair covered.
Ko reached for her bangs and tucked it behind her ear. Miku eyes widened and lashed her hand out to unhook her hair, but Ko gently grabbed her wrist before she could do so.
"Your brothers and parents," he said, "didn't die so that you can hide behind your hair. They died to keep you alive and helping others, am I right?"
Miku stayed still for a while. Slowly, she nodded.
Ko smiled and ruffled her hair.