Child of the Moon

Quiet Moments

"You're up early."

Tsukiko shifted, looking over her shoulder to see Kakashi coming by.

"Hmm," she responded, turning back to the gravestone in front of her.

"How's the shoulder?"

"It's fine," she responded. "It'll be tight for a while, but there's no permanent damage done. It's been added to the list of epic scars."

"You've been out of it since we got back," Kakashi commented.

"Did you hear the rumor going around?" she commented.

His curiosity was piqued, and a mischievous impulse took hold of Tsukiko. "Oh?"

"Yeah, there's this rumor going around about you and me..."

"Uh...?"

"Apparently, I'm your long-lost sister, if the rumors are to be believed," she grinned over at him, highly amused at the slightly pink dusting under his only visible eye. "Of course, that's ludicrous."

"That's going around?" Kakashi sighed, strangely relieved. "Where did that even start?"

"I have no idea," Tsukiko sighed. "I got back, and the first thing I get asked when I'm discharged isn't 'how did you get that badly hurt, sensei?' but 'is it true Kakashi-sensei is your brother?' or something about the Fourth being my dad...."

"The Fourth?"

"Yeah, I don't know..."

Kakashi sighed. "You know, usually you're not so down about all this."

"I got to thinking," she said. Kakashi internally groaned. "Don't be like that. I was thinking... You know how I don't remember the fight, or anything before arriving in the village?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if whatever is blocking my memories of the fight, is doing the same for my past," she said, staring blankly at the headstone, with Shisui's name on it.

"You think you killed him."

"No one knows for sure what happened," she snapped. "Just that... he was never found. A suicide note was found, but... before the massacre, the Uchiha weren't convinced it was suicide."

"I've heard the rumors," Kakashi conceded. "It's my understanding that Itachi was suspected, though."

Tsukiko's arms wrapped around her stomach, unconsciously. "Yeah..."

The two sat there in silence for several minutes before Kakashi went to tend to other matters, gently squeezing Tsukiko's good shoulder as he left.

Tsukiko couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her, yet when she reached out with her mind, she never sensed anyone else.