Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto only my characters.
First, I would like to give my Beta cheekylips a big thank you!
Next, I would like to thank all of you for reading. Please add a review.
It's a short one this time around considering my other chapters.
Chapter 13 Departure
Morning couldn't have arrived soon enough and as soon as she could, Maiha made her way to the Hokage's office. To her benefit she had received news from Tsunade that the Sand Village had accepted her request to train with their shinobi. "Thank you Lady Hokage, I can leave right away, I am eager to begin my training."
"The Sand shinobi is scheduled to leave in about an hour. Be ready to depart by then. I will have all provisions taken care of," Tsunade notified her.
"I'll be back in one hour," Maiha left the office. That gives me time to do one last thing before I leave the village. She headed over to the flower shop, bought a bouquet of sunflowers and made her way quickly to the memorial. "Ai, I don't have much time to spend but I will be leaving for a while so I brought you an offering since I won't be able to do this every day." She laid the sunflowers at the memorial. "I hope you understand. I love you," After bowing respectfully, Maiha bounded back to the Hokage's office.
"Maiha, you will be accompanying this sand shinobi back to Suna. Here is your permission scroll, please have a safe journey," and Tsunade sent her on her way.
"Thank you Lady Hokage. I will." Maiha nodded and turned to go. She was out of the village just before it began to wake.
Monday afternoon Kakashi again went to her apartment. Still no sign of her. Sakura said she was scheduled today at the hospital I'll go and see if she's there.
"No Kakashi she was scratched off the list for further rotations but I have no idea why. Shizune came over this morning to inform us. I'm sorry, but if you find out please let me know okay?" Sakura explained.
"Thanks, Sakura I will." He walked in deep thought to the memorial. Upon his arrival he noticed the bouquet of sunflowers and it struck him as odd, it was out of her routine. Over the years she had become a creature of habit just as he was. He began searching for clues in the information that he had collected that day. Shizune came to the hospital that means the order must have come from Lady Fifth. He turned and bounded off to the Hokage's for answers.
"Kakashi, to what do I owe this visit?" Tsunade asked intrigued as one eyebrow raised.
"Actually Lady Hokage, I am looking for information."
"Information, on what exactly?" she inquired as she leaned forward over her desk.
"Has Maiha gone out on a mission?"
"Now you know that mission information is classified Kakashi, why are you asking?" She pried, trying to solicit more information from him trying to fill in the blanks on why Maiha would want to leave with such haste.
"Yes Lady Hokage I know, I just haven't seen her around and was wondering if she was out of the village on duty."
"Is something wrong Kakashi?" Tsunade probed more deeply.
"This is out of character for her and I was just well, concerned that's all. I know that she has been scratched off all rotations at the hospital, I haven't seen her in 2 days, she left a full bouquet of flowers at the memorial instead of just one as usual, and she didn't inform me she was leaving the village on a mission. We let each other know not to worry if we don't see each other for a while," he poured his thoughts out to Tsunade.
"You really think you know her, don't you Kakashi?" Tsunade gave him a serious look. Kakashi was taken aback by her tone and her expression. "Let me ask you a question Kakashi; did something happen recently involving her?"
He instantly thought about the night at the dock. "Why do you ask Lady Hokage?" He stammered.
His reaction to her question had already answered for him but she attempted to collect as much information as she could about the situation. "I know your history and connection and it may answer my assumption." He gave her a perplexed look. Tsunade exhaled, "She's gone Kakashi."
"Gone?"
"Yes, I am not sure when she'll be back and neither does she," He stood silent. "She is a skilled and very capable kunoichi. I expect that you will go about your business as a shinobi of this village and move forward."
"Yes Lady Hokage," he replied in a rather melancholy tone.
"As a matter of fact I have a mission for you. You will depart tonight with a medic. You will be required to take out a target and then return to the village." It wasn't a high ranked mission but it would give Maiha travel time and occupy Kakashi in the meantime. She tossed him the scroll "Please leave on time this evening," she concluded.
"Yes Lady Hokage," he replied and then turned to leave. He was completely stunned by her departure. Had the situation been that horrible of a thing to push her to leave? It went further than it should have but we were both had a bit to drink and our judgment was impaired. Though had it gone any further… he exhaled.
Kakashi went to her apartment, obtained the spare key and let himself in. He looked for any clues that would tell him where she may have gone. It was the first time he had been in her bedroom. He took in the room. There were pictures on the wall of him, Ai and herself, team 7, her graduation from the academy as well as others. Shelves above her dresser displayed little mementos that she had collected over the years from her accomplishments and a glass bottle with a cork lid that looked like it contained the dried petals of a sunflower, most likely from Ai's funeral.
As he looked around he noticed that all of her uniforms were hung orderly in the closet on hangers. She was neat and clean and her apartment reflected that. The rest of the bedroom however, told a different story. The white silky dress lay in a pool on the floor, the linins of her bed were in disarray along with her make-up stained pillow. He sat down on her bed heavily and sighed. "I have let you down Ai, I promised to watch over her and it's me that ended up hurting her."
On the way to Suna Maiha couldn't help but think about the incident at the dock and her decision to leave. Really brave, run away Maiha, you're such a strong kunoichi. Well, now I have the chance to make my own way in the world, I am not following in anyone's footsteps from this point on I make my own.
Maiha fell back on her old ways and planned on dedicating herself to her training. She did not expect to reach the level as one that hails from the wind country but she was going to try her best. She was given a 12 month training opportunity with the Suna military.
Three long months of rigorous day in and day out training past before Maiha asked for advancement. "Sensei, may I respectfully ask to add weaponry to my training? I have an affinity for water jutsu do you think that is will assist in more diverse as well as intensified attacks?"
"I will ask my superiors what they think and will let you know tomorrow, training is concluded for today," he said.
"Thank you sensei, I will see you tomorrow." After parting with her sensei, Maiha decided to have a special dinner. She had been working hard and felt as if she deserved a little something even if it was simple. She stopped at a local ramen shop and placed an order. It wasn't fancy but it was out of her ordinary routine which made it special to her.
"You're not from around here are you?" the ramen shop owner asked.
"No, No I'm not," she smiled and leaned in, "is it that obvious?"
"Your mannerisms give you away and also the fact that I have never seen you before," the owner gave a smirk.
"So is it true that I hear that you would like to learn how to use weaponry with wind jutsu?" Temari asked as she came around the corner of the shop.
Maiha stood up in respect and began "Oh yes Temari-san, I believe that using weaponry in combination with my water jutsu will diversify as well as intensify my current abilities. I understand that I could not be as proficient as a sand shinobi using these techniques with such a short training period. That being said, whether I am permitted to learn how to use wind weaponry or not, I have committed and will continue to devote my energy, body, heart and mind to develop the skills necessary to utilize wind jutsu to the best of my ability while honoring the style in its use."
"Very well, I have made my decision," Temari said. "Beginning tomorrow, you will be instructed on how to use some basic wind weaponry."
Inside Maiha was elated but due to Temari's disposition she expressed the excitement in more of a proud manor. "Thank You Temari-san I can assure you that I will put every effort into my training. I will not take this opportunity for granted."
Since her departure Kakashi had added one more stop on his daily route when he was in town, Maiha's apartment. Every now and then he would ask about Maiha but Tsunade wouldn't offer any information to him other than, 'She will be back when she is ready'. Afterward he would always leave the office with a mission. Tsunade tried to keep him busy when he appeared to her in those isolated states of depression.
Kakashi often spoke to Sakura about Maiha's departure. "I still can't believe that she would just leave without a return date," Sakura said. It just doesn't sound like her, something must have happened, why else would she leave?"
Kakashi knew why Maiha left; he just wasn't willing to share that with Sakura. Although she was the only one that he would confide in he still kept information from her.
He tried to break free from the regret of that night but no matter how hard he tried it would resurface. Kakashi attempted to do more with his comrades in the village. He did well most of the time keeping these feelings hidden but every once in a while those who knew him best would notice some discrepancies in his normal demeanor. There was one particular night at the bar when the usual group of male shinobi noticed something odd from the way he was acting. There was a woman at the bar that was heavily flirting with him. He, of course, remained in his laid back predisposition. The men were in awe about how smooth Kakashi was. Act like you're not interested but be polite and allow her to be persistent. What a plan! Kakashi was drinking heavily that night and it was known to his comrades, that the Kakashi of old would be most assuredly be taking someone home with him.
"Last call!" the bartender yelled.
Time to seal the deal, all the shinobi watched intently to see how Kakashi's plan would unfold. As they were all getting up to go, the women stood intently by Kakashi waiting for him to lead the way to his bed. He stood managed a "Good night all, have a safe walk home," brushed past the woman and left the bar. The shinobi as well as the women were left stymied. The woman grabbed her things and departed in a huff leaving the shinobi bewildered.
It was the night of the full moon and he wanted to be alone, the only presence he would accept was hers. Kakashi walked to Maiha's apartment on a whim, still no sign of her. He walked to the dock and sat down in his usual spot. The moon lit up everything around him and reflected off the water just as it did the last night he had last seen her. His mind began to replay the memory over again and it felt as if it were in real time. Her voice echoed in his mind, 'If you lose appreciation for the simple things, like the ones that you see every day, then how can you truly realize how special the once in a lifetime moments are when they come along.'
He thought more about the memories of that night and how they could have ended up, the night in the alleyway and the attraction toward her that had risen up inside him. The heavy flirtation after that kiss, the little message she left for him in his book and how he pushed them all to the deep recesses of his mind. He thought about how he enjoyed her company and her outlook on life. He missed her, not only for her physical presence, but for her warmth, mind and her heart. She never said good bye in her haste to leave, something that sounded so simple, yet it still was deeply disturbing to him. He looked up at the moon, "Maiha, I'm sorry; the little things are what I missed, and are now what I miss the most."
Under the same moon Maiha strolled around the streets. The city didn't have the same beauty as home but then again she was looking through the eyes of a Konoha villager not one from Suna. However, the moon shone just as brightly in the clear sky. She stopped at an area outside the village. There was a bench made of sandstone on an overlook and there she sat looking up toward the moon. "Kakashi are you looking up at the moon too? Try as I may I cannot forget about that moment. At the time I thought my actions were so sincere and I was embarrassed that you rejected me though you returned my affection. When our lips met with no barrier in between, I knew it then but didn't act. But… I am sure you have moved on by now. I must move on as well. Tomorrow is an important day in my shinobi future and such emotional thinking will get in the way. I shall redirect my passion toward my training. I will not fail to find out who I am, as a shinobi I owe that to my village, and as a woman I owe it to myself."