Kids In The Dark (A Kakashi Love Story) (1st Place in NWA Kakashi 2015)

The last something that meant anything

( after the nine tails attack, couldn't find a proper angle to write it from. )

Meiko sighed heavily as she pushed herself out of her bed, only after attaching her metal leg to her stump. She walked over to her closest and got dressed, putting on her official Jonin uniform. Nearly a year after the attack on the village, Meiko was finally promoted to Jonin.

The pants she wore went all the way to her ankles, and she made sure to wrap her entire fake foot in bandages so that it wasn't noticeable. She then slid on her ninja shoe, long sleeved blue shirt and standard flak jacket before she moved onto the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, she stared at herself. Her dark brown eyes stared back from her reflection, and she sighed while she grabbed a hairbrush; beginning to brush her once again long hair. Her father had asked her to grow it back out, because he liked it better long. So she did, even though she was miserable.

Meiko pulled all of her hair up into a tight bun on top of her head, and then tied her headband around her head, a few pieces of her bangs overlapping the cool metal material. She brushed her teeth and did anything else she needed to do to finish getting ready.

With a sigh, she moved into the living room and sat down on her couch, a book in her hands. But she wasn't going to read this book. No, the girl just stared at the pictures on her walls. The pictures of her and Asuma, pictures of her and her father, but lastly... pictures of and Kakashi.

Kakashi had pulled himself away from Meiko after the death of Minato, the last member other than Kakashi who was still alive from their squad. But after Kakashi lost the only other member, he pulled away from Meiko.

But that isn't to say that Meiko and Kakashi didn't have good time when they were together. They were happy, being themselves in the apartment Meiko had gotten herself. They would stay up till all hours of the night, just talking about bullshit and enjoying each other company. Sharing random, passionate kisses and long nights together.

But now, Meiko spent all of her time alone. She rarely saw anyone anymore. Kakashi took tons and tons of missions, so he was always gone. And even when he was home, it seemed like they avoided each other.

A knock at her door drew her attention from what she was staring at, and she made her way over to the door slowly. She opened the door and there stood her father. She smiled at him.

"Oh, hi dad. Do you need something?" She asked, and Hizuren nodded his head slightly.

"I know it's early, but I have a mission for you. I need you to go to Suna, there you will meet with Kazakage. He is going to appoint you to someone who can further the training you already do. There in desperate need of more shinobi for now, so I'm sending you." He said.

"I don't have a choice in this?" She asked, and Hizuren shook his head.

"I'm afraid not my girl. I already sent them your file." He said and Meiko just nodded her head sadly.

"Okay. Thanks dad." She said before she shut the door in her fathers face. She turned around and made her way to the bedroom to start packing.

| * | * | * | * |

Meiko finished packing everything she could need, including medication and all of the things for her leg. She sighed heavily as she took a few pictures off the wall and put them in her backpack as well. That was it, she had everything that she was going to bring with her. She looked around at the apartment for the last time for a while, before she walked out of the door.

Meiko had her backpack firmly on her back, and she let her eyes take in every last detail of Konoha as she walked down to the village gates. She took in as the children played, stopping as they smiled at her and she smiled back. She took in the sweet aroma of the town, the love that she had for the village. She watched people laugh and smile, and it almost seemed as if they hadn't ever been affected by the fox those few years ago.