The Fox's Third Flash of Hope

Mother's Day 2015 Special

Just a little background on some characters' parents. Sorry it's late, I haven't been in a writing mood lately and I have no idea what to do for the current Chunin Exams...*cries*

Kansen looked absently out the kitchen window, a lukewarm cup of green tea in her hands. She leaned against the ceiling-to-floor glass, when suddenly she realized what holiday it was. She never quite cared about holidays, and never even acknowledged their existence unless the people around her started talking about them. However, this one particularly bugged her for some reason that she couldn't quite explain. "Hey, Senai!" she called to her guardian, who was upstairs. The jonin had been about to close the soundproof door to her working space, but paused when she heard Kansen's voice.

"What is it?" the orange and turquoise haired jonin trudged down the stairs, stopping right at the point where she could see Kansen staring blankly out the window.

"What was she like?" Kansen suddenly asked, motionless.

"Who?"

"My mother," the redhead blinked and turned towards her guardian with a somber look. "You were in her team, right? What was she like?"

Senai was completely taken aback by the sudden question. For a few seconds she stood there stock still with wide eyes, but recovered her composure and carefully walked down the rest of the steps lest she trip in her sudden state of emotional unbalance. Just the thought of her deceased teammate brought back sorrowful memories. She also had a feeling that Kansen wouldn't help her if she did fall down the stairs and land on her head. "We're going out on a walk."

"To where?" Kansen now stood up straight and set her cup of cooling tea on the kitchen table that happened to be next to her.

"The cemetery."

*****

The rows of stone graves had far more visitors than usual. Some of them put down flowers, while others simply stood in silence and stared at the engraved names.

Senai led Kansen through the morose rows, and Kansen was lost in the pathways lined with identical stones within minutes. However, the jonin seemed to know exactly where she was going. She had been here many times before. A few petals detached from the posy of carnations Senai was carrying and disappeared into the grass underfoot. They had picked up the flowers at a flower shop on the way here.

Eventually they stopped in front of a grave that was no different than all the others, save for the name. Kuten Reitsui. Senai carefully set the bouquet on the grass in front of the stone.

"Why red carnations with white rimmed petals?" Kansen was curious. Senai had asked specifically for it at the floral shop.

"That's the flower your father proposed to your mother with."

"So?"

"It was Kuten's favorite blossom after she said yes. Your father chose it because it matched her hair, and in the flower language it means love."

"So my father was a flower enthusiast?"

"Not really. He searched it up at the flower shop we just went to," a reminiscing smile tugged on Senai's lips.

"Mom had the same hair as me?"

"Yep, except it was wavy instead of straight. And she had all the same problems you do with camouflage," Senai closed her eyes and chuckled. "However, no matter what happened she always kept a level head, even if the world was falling apart around her. But that tough facade never reached those gray eyes of hers that were stuck in a perpetual state of kindness."

"I see. What about father?"

"I'll tell you that next month on Father's Day."

"God dammit, Senai."