Yuki's P.o.V.

The funeral for the Hokage was a long proceeding. Every person in the village including the feudal lords came to pay respects and mourn. My team and I stood in a sea of black, fishnet veils covering our faces. A black ribbon tied back my long hair. I insisted to Momo that we stay at least until the Hokage was laid to rest, despite Himeko and Ryo's injuries being healed enough to travel.

The coffin of the Third Hokage sat under a beautiful portrait of the ancient man, painted as he was smiling proudly. On top of his coffin was a pyramid pure white flowers, and as it was our turn to place the lillies on his casket, I could hear a child weeping.

Kind words and memories were being said about the Lord, but I regret to say I wasn't paying much mind. Instead, I kept my head bowed, staring at my boots, and allowed my mind to wander someplace else . . .

. . .

I was surprised they let him stay in the hospital considering all the trouble he had caused. Perhaps the village realised the he was just a child, and the Kazekage - who was actually the Orochimaru character that Ayame had explained to me as we made our way back to the village the day before - misled all of them. Maybe Naruto even put in a good word for him. Regardless, I knew Gaara would be leaving that very day, healed or not.

So, what was I doing here, in his hospital room, changing the flowers in the vase on his nightstand? What could I accomplish as this comatose boy, the most terrifying and powerful person I've ever met, laid here in this bed?

Taking a seat in the chair next to him, I studied him. The even breathing of his chest, the way his nose twitched now and then, the rings around his closed eyes. His sand gourd was placed across the room, a tan blob against the sterile white walls. Temari and Kankuro were most likely being questioned before their departure. They were just kids, too, after all.

Gaara stirred in his bed. I tensed in my seat, watching carefully as his eyes fluttered open to reveal those teal orbs that struck me from day one. He sudden focus made me wonder if he had even been sleeping at all. If he knew I was present, he didn't act like it as he stared at the fluorescent light bulbs over him. The luminescence flickered so quickly it was as if they weren't blinking at all.

"Gaara?" I called to him gently as to not startle him. He didn't respond. "Can I get anything for you?" This time, he only turned his head in my direction. Slowly, methodically, as if he wasn't sure. "Do you need me to get a nurse for you?"

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a raspy voice rather than answering me. I relaxed into the back of my chair.

"I wanted to check on you and see how you were recovering."

"Why?" I had been wondering the same thing, but I suppose I knew all along. I just wanted to talk to him.

"I feel like we need to discuss something before you leave," I said calmly and rationally. If he had any eyebrows, I think he would have furrowed them. "About you . . . and me."

He made an attempt to sit up, but he struggled so I stood up to help him. When he was settled, I poured a glass of water for him and he accepted it, our fingers brushing briefly against each other. When he was finished gulping generously, I set the cup down and drew my magenta cloak over my shoulders.

"Well?" Gaara asked. "What did you have to say to me, Yuki?" My lips parted, suddenly dumbfounded. What was I going to say? Hearing him utter my name suddenly made me forget . . .

"We need to talk about . . . us," I said after a painful moment of silent eye contact. "And by that I mean - I never lose my composure. Ever. And suddenly here you are, and I find myself losing that composure. Everything I see or do, suddenly I'm reminded of you and I hardly know you. And I know you have something somewhat similar."

Gaara looked at me as if I had sprouted wings and horns. Did this proclamation really baffle him? Was I the only one who experienced this sudden change in character? Only when I started to feel flustered did Gaara say something.

"So, what does that mean?" He asked. "To say those things. Thinking about you . . . about each other . . . what is it?" He wasn't undermining me - he was genuine. I realised then, with his siblings afraid of him and the village despising him, that he truly didn't know what it was like to find someone he had . . . interest in.

"Um, well, I think it means, that," I swallowed hard. I began to comprehend that I didn't know how to deal with this either. "We should keep in touch when we go to our villages."

As if it was an obscure conception, Gaara mulled it over for a long while before nodding contemplatively. Admittedly, I've never had a foreign relationship either, but that's because Ame isn't a friendly place and I never left my village. And if I was being even more honest, the only person I've written letters to is Himeko, but still that was rare.

"So," Gaara said to break the silence. He took a long pause, his mouth tugging in different directions but not smiling as he hesitated. "This makes us . . . friends?"

"Well," I said, trying my hardest to fight off a smile daring to slip onto my face. I tentatively reached for Gaara's hand, and he surprisingly didn't retract. "I certainly hope so."

. . .

That happened days ago. Gaara was long gone by now.

The funeral ended when the Hokage was interred. The broken-hearted exited the beautifully green cemetery orderly and in silence. Some stragglers stayed behind to pay memory to fallen loved ones from the past. Out of the corner of my eye, a girl in black with red hair tied back in a ponytail stood out. Not because of her hair, but because she was alone.

"Go ahead," I said to my team. "I'll catch up." The three of them made no attempt to stop me as I turned and walked back.

Stone memorials with names and dates neatly carved in them formed a proper grid in the grass. Each marker had the symbol of the leaf village engraved in the gray slabs. When I reached Ayame, who was kneeling in the foliage, I joined her. There was a canister in front of her and a handkerchief in her hands. On the tombstone, a single white flower sat and candles burned.

"I'm glad you could stay for the Third's funeral," she said quietly. I could see her face clearly through my veil, no hair curtained her broken expression, the bags under her stormy eyes.

"I wouldn't have missed it," I replied. I turned back to the grave. It read: Akio. Beloved Brother and Dear Friend. It was simple. Ayame must have picked it out.

"My brother," she said, still quiet, "was pretty proud of you. He was really glad you let him work with you. He liked you the moment he saw you. It was kind of pathetic." She chuckled wryly and I saw her lips press into a thin line in an attempt to suppress sobs. "You know, I chose not to have any dates on this thing," she nodded at the slab of stone, "because he always seemed so ageless. He was young and fun, but had the wisdom of someone who lived a full life. He'll tell you he's a fighter, but I knew he was nothing but a lover. I mean, he couldn't even kill me when he had a perfect opportunity." She didn't chuckle darkly as I expected. She just looked sad. " 'Dear Friend'. No, he wasn't really like that to many people. Just to me, mostly. The rest of them saw him as an outsider. Like me." Then she was quiet.

"He was proud of you," I tried to comfort. She nodded vigorously, as if trying to shake something off.

"I know." Finally, a drop saltwater cascaded down her face. "There was a lot I didn't get to say to him. A lot that didn't get said to me. Regrets. But I think I get it now." I didn't think she was talking to me anymore. "I get why it's so important now. Orochimaru won't take anyone else from me. That's a promise." Her voice cracked and she shuddered in spite of herself.

She fiddled with the navy blue handkerchief in her hands, tears dripping down and getting soaked by it. Straightening her posture, she folded the cloth once to form a triangle and tied it around her neck. I knew she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, so I bid both her and her brother a farewell before taking my leave.

I left the village that same day.

To the best of my knowledge, Ayame stayed in that spot until after the last person exited. Despite her friends coming to check in on her and attempt to move her, she remained still as a statue. She remained immobile until long after the sun went down and the stars were out, unable to let go.

. . .

Ayame's P.o.V.

There was emptiness inside of me. A whole had been ripped out of my torso. Akio was gone, never to be seen, or heard, or touched ever again. Only after Yuki left, after the candles burned out, after Sakura brought food and kind words to me, after Sasuke and Naruto and Kiba and Shikamaru tried to pry me from my brother's grave, after everyone was in their homes and sleeping under the same roof as their loved ones, did I remove myself.

I went to the Hokage memorial mountain. Seeing the Third's face carved in rock between the past Hokages was a comfort, as I knew he would live on in the will of fire within every citizen of Konoha, just as it did with the others. On the top of the mountain, it was dimly light from scattered torches and the air was cool and serene. The world felt silent and cold.

Tightly gripping the metal canister in my hands made my arms shake. I inhaled and exhaled sharply, not wanting to cry, but not fearing it either. Standing near the edge of the mountain, where I could see dotted lights of the city, I just wanted to talk.

"There was a lot I didn't get to tell you," I said, hearing the wavering of my own voice. "I meant to tell you after the Chuunin Exams, but . . . I guess now is after." I took in a deep breath and chuckled harshly. "Mom came to me the day before the tournament. She said that I didn't need her anymore. I had you. She was so, so proud of us, proud that you had made the right choices." Looking down at the canister, I continued. "I doubt I'll be seeing you, but I just wanted to tell you how much she loved us. Even when she was gone. Even thought you'll be with her now. Without me.

"And I know you didn't like the idea of being tied down to one place. You're a nomad. You go where the wind takes you, you said so yourself." I unscrewed the container in my grasp and shoved the top in my pocket. A gentle wind made my black, traditional kimono flutter and my hair float behind me. "I would never bind you to something you hated, just for my own comfort. So, by doing this, I'm saying goodbye. Once and for all. I'm letting you go into the next life." The object in my hand shook violently, I choked back the waterworks, despite the sensation of a knife twisting in my stomach. "I love you."

I turned over the container, and out spilled black ashes. The wind picked up and whisked Akio away, making him look like dancing snowflakes. I strained to watch every bit of him disappear in the darkness of night.

The cloth around my throat smelled of him: of ramen, sweat, dirt. He carried this blue thing in his pocket everywhere he went, and it was on his person when he died. It was the only thing I took from him, the only piece of him I could stand to have in my possession.

"I hope you hear me when I say this, Akio," I added as if an after thought. "Orochimaru will pay for taking you away when I barely had you in the first place. He will pay for attacking my home. I swear to you, he will."

Silence. After putting Akio to rest, so to speak, I felt a surreal calmness wash over me. For the first time in nearly a week, I felt peace. I was still heartbroken, still sad. The pain in my chest throbbed and will remain there for a long time, I was certain of that. From there, I just closed my eyes and let the wind flow about me.

"Nice speech," a voice said suddenly, nearly making me jump. I recognised Kakashi's voice and when I turned around, I saw the man in question, still wearing a black suit. It was so dark I could hardly see him, but his light hair reflected the dull glow of the torches. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I'm still mourning."

"I know you are," he said, apparently looking at the ground from his hunched over posture. I walked towards him and sat on a bench that was concealed by darkness. He joined me. "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," I said, craning my head back, staring at the black leaves of the dark trees I couldn't quite see. "But sorry won't bring him back."

I wasn't tired, but I was drained. I ached all over, my eyes were sore. I didn't want to go home, but I didn't want to be alone either, despite being alone all day. A part of me felt like this whole experience, this heart breaking, soul wrenching sensation was just a dream. But the overwhelming majority of myself knew better than that. I turned my head and looked at Kakashi, still hunched over with his elbows on his knees. Why was he here?

"You never answered me," I said, mimicking his posture. Being on his right side, I could see the small area of his face that wasn't concealed by his mask. His eye looked sunken and tired. But something else as well.

"I could have stopped him," he said. I blinked. This wasn't my cocky sensei anymore. This was a man riddled with guilt. "I shouldn't have let him run off. He wasn't a ninja, it wasn't his job to help that day."

"Kakashi-sensei," I said, promising myself I wouldn't break down again. "Akio made his choice. There was nothing that could have been done. I'm not mad at you for not stopping him. I'm just . . . sad." Neither of us spoke for a moment until Kakashi broke the silence.

"He didn't die in vain," he said, leaning back into the bench. "He managed to save people from falling debris in the arena. He even got Yuki's teammates out of the way."

"I'm sure he wanted to impress her mostly," I said, feeling a ghost of a smile on my lips. I looked over my shoulder. "What did Orochimaru want? Why would he go to the effort of manipulating the Sand ninja like that? Please answer me truthfully."

"I can't tell you," he said, sounding disappointed. "I"m sorry."

"Does it have anything to do with Sasuke?" I asked, feeling a headache coming on. He didn't answer at all this time. My temples throbbed. His silence wa smore informative than any answer he could have given me.

Orochimaru came for Sasuke. And so soon after the curse mark was out on him? I thought Kakashi sealed the mark? The seal is only as strong as he is, was what Kakashi had said that day. So long as Sasuke doesn't crave the power, Orochimaru's hooks in him will eventually get ripped out. I squeezed my eyes shut; the blackness faded to greens and purples, blooming and blossoming all around, spiraling upwards until they disappeared. Fireworks exploded behind my eyes until the lights dimmed down to nothingness.

To my right, I could hear the light padding of feet. Too light to be human, but too deliberate to be anything feral. I opened my eyes and felt more adjusted to the night. When I turned to the source of the footsteps, a small shadow-like figure was trotting towards me with a narrow object in its mouth.

"Kage-kun." The little dog approached me and stopped at my feet. I accepted the thing in his mouth. It was a white lily. "Thank you. I'm sorry I haven't been around." He barked softly once and licked my leg. I scooped him up in my arms and placed him on my lap.

"The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen," Kakashi said in his more normal tone of voice, "was very fond of you and Naruto. For Naruto . . . that's a different story. But you? He felt responsible for you. He saved you when you stumbled upon this village at just five. He was fascinated. It was obvious then that you had power - no other kid that age could run for miles without stopping." He sighed out a breath and lumbered to a standing position. "I'll make sure the next Hokage understands you. I promise."

"Why are you telling me this, Sensei?" I asked while petting Kage behind the ears, a gesture comforting to both of us. The shadow of Kakashi's shoulders shrugged.

"You lost people you love," he stated. "And I'm sorry. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you."

He stood there, waiting. For what, I don't know, but he eventually walked away. He didn't look back and I didn't stop him. But when he went, the coldness of the night finally got to me, penetrating my bones while barely touching my skin. I shivered so hard that my teeth chattered.

. . .

Hey, so, there hasn't been an author's note in a while. That's mostly because I doubt people are reading anymore.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that, much like Naruto's training session from being a goofball to a powerful ninja, this hardship of three years is coming to a close.

The last chapter of Exams With the Beast is coming up next. The ending of this book will be followed by the beginning of another.

Review, follow, and favourite for updates.

Thank you for reading.