You've... changed. (naruto fanfic)

Chapter 22

---3rd person---

She saw him, he stood at the KIA stone, the rain pouring down on him, yet his silver hair still stood up as normal, defying gravity.

She couldn't see his expression, but she knew he was hurting. How could she blame him? His Hokage had died yesterday protecting the village. 

Yes, it was silent, nothing but the dark clouds were above them. She knew it would rain, it always rains when someone special has died. 

She felt like she should go and see him, stand with him, make sure he is okay. But another part of her told her to leave him, that he needs this time alone. That he needs this time to mourn. 

"You can come over here." his deep voice reached her ears, taking her out of her thoughts. "I don't bite."

She felt a small smile on her lips but it faded just as quickly as it appeared.

"I just thought you might want to be alone." she said as she began walking over to him. 

"I have been." he said, his eyes never leaving the stone as she reached him. "I've been alone for a long time now."

She stood next to him, facing him, but his eyes were still on the KIA stone. Only now could really see the pain reflected in that one visible eye. 

She saw not only the pain; she saw the sorrow, the regret, the loneliness. She had never seen him like this before. In all honesty, it hurt her. She never thought she'd see him in such a state.

But she knew that he did need to mourn, that she couldn't just make him forget.

Mariko slowly reached out her hand, entwining his in her own.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel a little better with Mariko next to him. 

Even if he felt he didn't deserve to be happy with someone like her, even if he believed he had made too many mistakes in his life,

He couldn't deny how much her being by his side meant to him.

 ~

He sat in between his two teammates, no expression on his face. He couldn't show any emotion, it’s not like he didn't want to, he literally couldn’t.

On his left, one of his closest friends and teammate, Kiyomi.

He had heard the entire story. She was fighting with that Gaara guy, the one she said she cared about. She stabbed herself in an attempt to 'wake him up'.

Kami. He thought. I never could really understand Kiyomi sometimes. Fact is the doctor's said it was a miracle that she's alive. In all honesty, it's not a miracle, it's impossible. 

She literally stabbed herself right thought the heart, in an attempt to kill herself just for the fucken ass hole Gaara. They said that they don't even know how she survived. 

They said there is only one person who would actually know, and that is the Slug Queen. Her names like Tsunade or something? I don't know. 

And Akari. He thought as he stared over at the girl on his right.

She'd been badly injured and lost a lot of blood. Apparently one of the medical ninja found her and said her heart was still beating. So they took her and ran as fast as they could to get to the hospital.