A Hummingbird's Prey (TLU Book 2)

Chapter Twelve- Obscurity

Mei had just finished running her errands for the week, carrying two large bag filled to the brim with groceries to show. All that was left to do was wash and prepare the produce and she could use the rest of her day searching for apartments that she could share with Kakashi. The thought of them moving forward in their relationship excited her, even though they spend their nights alternating between their apartments, having a shared space called home would make things less complicated, and more exhilarating.
She paused at the sound of a sniffle, and looked to the descending stairway beside the bridge she had almost crossed. Her eyes filled with worry as she located short pink hair curled into a pair of knees.
"Sakura?" She approached cautiously, sitting beside the young girl. "What's wrong, sweetling?"

"I feel like I was only born to fail." Sakura blurted out between sniffles. "I've been training with Lady Tsunade for months, and I still can't get a single hit when we train. I fail every time."
Mei felt her heart cracking with every sob, reaching for the girls shoulder. Sakura pulled her shoulder away from the comfort, but collapsed into Mei's chest shortly after.
"I fail Lady Tsunade, I failed Team 7. I failed at convincing Sasuke to stay in the Leaf.... I'm useless!"

Mei held the girl's cheek firmly, but not too firmly to cause any pain.
"Don't you dare call yourself useless, Sakura." She scolded. "You didn't fail anyone. Sasuke made his choice, and if he wanted to have stayed, he would have. As for Team 7? You and Naruto went with two Sannins to become the best Shinobi you could be. And with your strength, the potential in you is tremendous. Lady Tsunade can see that."
Meilani impassioned speech caught not only Sakura's attention, but the attention of a certain Copy-cat approaching. Neither of them noticed his nearby presence.

"But Kakashi-sensei didn't even bother trying to train me after Naruto left. That's why I went to Lady Tsunade. I figured, with all of my weak jutsu I might as well stand on the sidelines and heal whoever needed help."
"Honey," A crease between Mei's brows formed. "If that were true you wouldn't have made it past the first trial of the Chunin exams. That alone is hard to pass the first time. I can't speak for Kakashi, but... Maybe he felt discouraged after what happened with Sasuke."
Kakashi stepped closer to a nearby tree, his eyes lowering to the ground. They never discussed Sasuke's abandonment, but Mei's accuracy made his chest ache.

"I'm sure he wanted to do what's best for you. We both do." Mei wiped the tears away from Sakura's eyes. "And, you know, sometimes.... As much as it hurts, the best thing to do is let someone go. So they grow into the person they need, or want, to be. For better or worse."
Sakura's lips pursed to the side, her eyes glancing back and forth between two invisible objects.
"So do you think... The best thing to do is let Sasuke go? Did you feel the same way with-... With Itachi?" She whispered his name, almost as though she was afraid the name itself would summon him.
Kakashi leaned closer, noting the rigidness in his muscles. Meilani herself leaned back a bit, the question completely unexpected.

"I..." Her chest felt tight. "What do you mean?"
Sakura picked at the dirt under her nails. "I remember the night you told the three of us a little about you and him training for a while, before the Uchiha massacre. You tried really hard to have keep a straight face, but I saw the sadness in your eyes. It was like you relieved it in a few short seconds. The good and the bad."
Mei adjusted her grocery bags so they wouldn't fall on the floor, swallowing against the prickling in her throat while Sakura continued;
"I realized after looking at myself in the mirror that it's almost the same, my expression I mean. It's kinda how yours looked back then." Sakura tilted her head, surveying Mei's dumbstruck expression. "You loved him, didn't you?"
Kakashi's brows snapped forward. Making sure to remain hidden but leaning just around the tree to watch Mei's face.
That's impossible. There's no way she did.
Meilani swallowed hard, reminding herself to unclench her jaw. She needed to tread lightly. With her eyelids nearly closed, she watched the ground.

"I'm not sure I would call it love, but I won't deny that, at least on my end, there was... Obscurity. I felt drawn to him, but I couldn't explain why. Maybe it was how kind he seemed, or his charming nature. I don't know, but, I know something was there. And yet, figuring that out wasn't my priority. Being the greatest for baby Naruto was."
Mei cupped her hands together, her thumb tracing deep circles into her palm. "But I will admit, when I grew a little older, my mind wandered. I thought about a lot of 'what ifs,' wondering what life would be like if the massacre never happened... If I'm being honest," she chuckled humorlessly. "I think I loved what could have been."
Mei flipped her hair to the opposing side. Still unaware of Kakashi's presence, unaware of his fists being shoved into his pockets. The clench of them turned his knuckles nearly white.

He teleported away quietly before hearing the rest.
"But that doesn't matter anymore," she concluded. "because I have Kakashi. I wouldn't trade what we have for anything. And while I hope that Sasuke comes to his senses, I wouldn't put too much energy into praying for his return."
Mei tucked a strand of hair behind Sakura's ear.
"You put that energy into your chakra, your training. It might not feel like it now, but the greatest things take time. And I know you're destined for greatness, Sakura."

A faint smile spread along Sakura's mouth. Mei smiled brightly, opening her arms for a tight hug.
"Thank you, Meilani-sensei. I get to call you that now because you'll be a sensei soon!"
"You are correct," Mei giggled. "It's going to be different, I'll have a whole posse to look after. I hope they'll like me."
"They're going to love you." Sakura stood up, hands on her hips. "or I'll beat them up."
"Maybe I'll set up a sparring match with you. That'll toughen them up, I think." Mei joked as she stood, pulling her bags straps along her arm. "Now, go splash your face with some water and go on with your training. I expect Auntie Tsunade will want to meet with you soon."

*****

Kakashi walked out of the Hokage's building with his hands in his pockets. His eyes stayed on the ground while his mind bubbled over Mei's words repeatedly. He felt a discomforting heat under his skin, and every time he swallowed a bit of saliva it trailed down his tense throat at an agonizing pace. His normally relaxed posture had a deeper slouch, and his arms were pressed against the sides of his torso.
"Kash,"

He froze in place, turning his head into the direction of Meilani's voice. She rushed forward, a beaming smile along her face.
"Hey," he greeted. Mei held his torso firmly, pressing the side of her face against his chest. Kakashi returned the embrace with one arm around her waist.
Mei tilted her head up, observing his expression and the tense aura around him. "What's wrong?"
Kakashi glanced at her, his gaze fleeting. He swallowed hard before leaning on one side.
"I don't feel well," he answered. Mei placed her knuckles against the exposed cheekbone before turning her wrist over the same spot.

"I can't tell if you have a fever," she gently held his neck. "Let's get you home, I can make you some soup?"
He shook his head. "I don't have time. I need to be at the gate in 10 minutes."
Mei tilted her head to meet his gaze, frowning when he avoided it again. She cupped his face and held it so that he had to look at her.
"If you're feeling sick, you should give the mission to someone else."
"I'm fine," he argued, taking her hands and lowering them to her sides. "I have to go. I'll see you in a few days, alright?"

Her chest felt a heavy pressure, invisible but present. Mei stared at the back of his jacket while he walked away, completely baffled at how he only held the top of her head briefly before walking off.
"You're not even going to kiss me goodbye?" She called out sharply. He answered her without as much as a glance.
"I don't want to get you sick. I'll, see you soon. Okay?"
The pressure in her chest began to sting, watching him walk ahead to the gates without looking back.
"What the fuck," she whispered to herself, crossing her arms. Shaking her head, she stormed off towards her home.

*****

In the Land of Valleys a figure walked through the cover of a moonless night. Using his masked chakra he quickly strode up one of the highest peaks, charting the quickest way to get to the distant land.
His hair, the same color as the midnight sky, had been tied into a long braid resting against his back. He stared ahead, his keen brown eyes spotting the distant lights of the city of Konoha. Like resting fireflies ignorant of nocturnal predators that they may entice.
He sneered, his teeth grinding together at the sight of the Princess' safe haven. Where his vengeance awaited him.

"Your father thinks he can keep you from your fate," he hissed, tightening the hold of his dagger. "But you cannot prohibit the inevitable. I will be there soon, little dragonfly."
He nearly spat at the nickname his niece had been given at birth.
"And I will be sure that you suffer as your mother did."