After the storm comes the rainbow (and with it the snake)

Memory of the sunshine

It has been almost a year and a half now since the Seventh Hokage and his wife were proclaimed dead and 'their murderer' ran away. At least that is what most people believed thanks to the reality altering power of Ada.

 Because someone thought it was smart and a good idea to give such ability to a teen girl...

But it seemed to be better to live in that lie than knowing the truth, which of course was much more unsettling than a 'simple' murder case. At least Senshi saw it that way.

Not like she didn't appreciate the fact that somehow – and even though she tried to figure it out still didn't know how – the Omnipotence couldn't take a perfect effect on her, and instead of changing her memories it only added the new set to the already existing ones. But... Having only a wanted fugitive and two girls powered by the magic of love, all three only 14, being aware the situation beside her was far from ideal.

Especially giving how many things she had to take care of now because of this fucking mess!

With the first and most important one currently sitting in her couch and sobbing, waiting her to come back with some tea...

Senshi sighed, picked up the tray, put up her kindest smile and headed back to the living room. She put down the tea to the small coffee table in front of the couch, sitting down next to the blue haired girl.

Senshi didn't exactly plan to take in Uzumaki Himawari by any means, but one thing followed another and now the girl spent at least three afternoons, almost every week, at her house – or well... the old house at the forest, near the village she happened to move in. On top of that lately she even started staying overnight so Senshi was forced to fix up one more room overground for her to use.

Himawari was usually pretty cheerful for a relatively freshly orphaned 10-year-old – At least that's what Senshi thought. – she liked to talk about her friends at the academy and to show her drawings. And on those rare occasions when Senshi saw her at the village the girl seemed devoted to her goal of becoming a ninja, practicing, sharpening her special talents.

Well... the ones she was aware of.

Then there were days like today...

When the 'late' Hokage's daughter almost bursted through her front door, crying like the world was about to end, disappearing in her room. And forgetting to close the door, resulting in half of the snow from the forest coming after her... and Senshi almost falling out her armchair in surprise.

After that, it took Senshi a good 20 minutes of talking to get Hima out of the room and another 20, at least a half box of tissues and the smell of lavender tea to make her stop crying.

And now they were here...

As it turned out, the reason of the whole scene was no other than the little girl's 'brother' and the fact that he happened to forget about what day is it was exactly. And so, he went out doing his usual, edgy, main character syndrome having, teen boy stuff, while ignoring his sister as he did it any other day.

"Listen Hima-chan..." Senshi said softly putting a hand on the girl's back. "The Young Lord can be a... well a prick. Sometimes... but..."

But what? Kawaki was an unrepairable bastard. Always and to everyone. The only reason nobody integrated their boots into the boy's face was that damn alien-godish power he owned.

Ridiculous!

"You see... I'm sure he didn't forget that this is your mother's birthday just... He has a different way to grieve..."

This was true. Not grieving probably counts as a pretty much different way afterall. And who on the Earth would moun the people they abducted and trapped anyway?

Someone who was smart enough and at least tried to look like a broken son of course!

Sooo... definitely not Kawaki...

"You know what Hima-chan? I think have an idea." Senshi said as she pulled out a tissue from the box on the edge of the table and handed it to the girl.

"Huh?" Himawari blinked at her in slight confusion.

"Well... How about we make something to celebrate your mom's birthday? You and me."

"To... celebrate?"

"I know, I know. This might sound a little... strange... But if you think about it... I mean... I think she'd be happier about that, than to see you being so sad about her death. At least that's what I say to myself when it's my parents' birthday." Her voice cracked at a bit at the end of the last sentence.

No matter how hard she tried, to clean her head, to forget about all the things that hurt to remember. Her previous life, her friends, her family, everything before that disaster of an afternoon. Senshi couldn't bring herself to let go of it yet.

Although it was less painful now than it was at first, the events of the past few months, Himawari coming to the picture with pains so similar to the ones she suffered from before, had threw her mind back in time. Back to that darkened room where she had sat on the couch silently crying and cursing all living being in this world - and the other - for her own misfortune.

But now it's not about you Senshi! It's about her.

And she needs you...

Senshi took a deep breath before speaking again.

"It's a bit late now so the shops probably will be closed by the time we get back to the village. But if my memory serves me well, I have some of my 'Catastrophe of an apple pie', as you were so kind to name, it, at the fridge and some candles in one of the drawers. So, we can surprise your mom with a cake. Kind of..."

Then, because the girl stayed silent, she added.

"But it's perfectly fine if you don't..."

She couldn't finish the sentence because Himawari suddenly hugged her and started crying again.

"Thank you Oneesan! Thank you..."

Still surprised a bit by the intense reaction, Senshi carefully warped her arms around the girl's body, hugging her back.

"Now, now Hima-chan... You are tearing all over my clothes..." She said with a warm smile and started caressing Himawari's hair.

***

Two hours later they were standing hand in hand in the Konoha cemetery, with a slice of apple pie, softly singing a birthday song, in front of the grave of Uzumaki Hinata. The wife of the Seventh Hokage, Hima's mother and wonderful and kind woman, who had always possessed such a warm and welcoming aura. And who now were thought to be rotting away six-feet-deep in the ground.

If only I could tell her the truth...

It was already dark and, being mid-winter, really cold; Senshi wouldn't have come out at all in such weather if it wasn't for Himawari.

But even though she took it as her responsibility to look after the girl, she couldn't bring herself to tell what really happened. No matter how painful it was to see her think that she was left all alone in the world the truth could have put her in danger. So, Senshi decided to do best while playing along with the lie as long as she had to...