The Day Ame Cried (Sequel to The Rain-Dancer's Last Dance)

The First Of Many Letters

When I got back to the Akatsuki base, I stepped inside, face emotionless as I walked down the hall.

I walked to the Panic Room and shut the door behind me. I lit a candle using Hinote's abilities and I sat besides the candle. I took out the letter and opened it. I took a shuddering breath, preparing myself for my Okaa-sama's hate-filled word. Then I read the contents.

'To: Miho Kori

Dear Kori,

This is your mother, Yuki. It's been years since I've seen you. Almost a decade, I believe. Ever since you left, I began thinking about how I treated you. Cruelty and hate. That was what I fed you as a child. Kaito... Kaito fed you love, happiness, everything that you needed to be. After Kaito died... All that was left to nurture you with... Was my anger. My cruelty. My hatred.

I hated you. I hated you because when Kaito came back after fighting in the First Shinobi War... He brought home a infant. That infant was you, Kori. Kaito said that he stumbled into a house, looking for food, and found you. But I knew better. You looked too much like Kaito to have been stumbled upon. You were the result of Kaito sleeping with another woman. I was jealous, and therefore I treated you so cruely...

But, I was wrong. I was oh-so-wrong. Miho Kori, you are precious. You were always precious. I was blinded, I was unable to see how precious you were. It didn't matter that you were born from a different woman. But I was too late when I realized that. Because by then... You had already left.

I'm sorry, Kori. I know that apologizing for neglecting and emotionally abusing you doesn't change how I've hurt you in your youth. But I felt like I needed to say it. Or write it at the very least. I have a feeling that you'll come back here, just to visit. So I wrote this letter for you.

If you were frightened by my body, I do apologize.

But... After all the abuse I've put you through... I deserve this, Kori. I don't deserve to go to the same place that your father has gone. I'm afraid this time, I've made too big of a mistake to ever be allowed there.

Enclosed are letters from your siblings that were sent to you. I've kept them from you foolishly. They mostly consist of letters from Willow. She apparently did survive the Shinobi War. Not only did she survive, she... Well, I'll let you find out yourself.

Now, before I end this letter, I just wanted to say a few things.

Miho Kori, you are not ugly. In fact, you are beautiful. You are not worthless. You are priceless. You are not stupid. You are brilliant. You are no mistake. You are one of the best things that's ever happened to me. The ugly one was me. The worthless one was me. The mistake... was me.

I was these things because I failed to see how stupid I was in raising you in such a way.

Miho Kori, no matter what I've said in the past... No matter how I treated you... No matter who've you become... Know that I'm proud of you.

I've missed my chance to set things right, face-to-face, like it should be done properly. But I hope in that you'll understand. But I won't hold it against you if you hate me. I don't deserve your love after everything I've put you through.

In which, reminds me that I've reached the end of this letter. For there's only one thing that I have left to say to you.

Miho Kori.... I love you.

I truly do. And I always have. I was just too stubborn to convince myself. So, with that, I wish you nothing but happiness. Live a life full of light. Light that I've foolishly denied you.

I hope you have a good life.

A good life without me.

Love,

Miho Yuki'

I held the letter to my chest tightly. It didn't matter that the letter was getting crushed. I was too overwhelmed with emotion to care.

And for the second time in a single day...

I wept.

- - - ELSEWHERE - - -

A young adult with silver hair stood in front of a memorial.

のはら　リン

He looked down at the memorial, sadness in his eyes.

"This... Is actually top-secret information, but.... Well… Minato-sensei's child will be born soon."

The silver-haired man sighed.

"Imagine that…. A generation that doesn't know war..." Through the man's mask that covered half his face, he smiled sadly, "If only we'd been born later too..."

The man stood there for a moment, without a sound. The morning breeze blew leaves around the graveyard.

Taking his hands out of his pockets, he gave one last glance at the memorial stone.

"I'm going." He said, pausing for a moment. The man turned and walked away. But his last words were not left unheard.

"I must tell Obito as well..." He said, pausing at the edge of the graveyard, turning his head back to the memorial stone, "...Rin."

- - - - - - -

Pay close attention to this chapter, readers... Because VERY soon, it's gonna make sense.

It'll have a LOT to do with Willow, Kori's big sister, that's the only hint I'll tell you.