One with spirits

funeral

The rain came crashing down on me as I stood in front of the crowd with my family for Ichiro's funeral. I held Mamoru's hand and we looked to the front. people spoke about Ichiro but I just stood there with a blank mind. Soon it went to placing flowers down and Mamoru lead me to the front. We both kneeled down and placed down the flowers and went back to stand in the crowd.

Soon the funeral ended and people began leaving but I stayed standing with Takeo and Mamoru looking at Ichiro's photo. Mamoru wrapped his arms around me and held me then Takeo wrapped his arms around both of us. Tears stung my eyes but I held them back. We all stood there for what felt like hours before they let go of me and looked down at me.

"We should be heading home." Mamoru mumbled.

"I'll come home soon." I said quietly.

They both nodded and slowly walked away while looking at me worried. Once they were gone I kneeled in front of Ichiro's photo and ran my hand across it. I felt my body began to shake so I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. With my eyes closed I couldn't help but think back to a moment with Ichiro and I.

I stood in a clearing in a forest trying to figure out a damn jutsu but for the 100th time I failed.

"Fuck my life!" I groaned.

I picked up the scroll that explained the jutsu and read over it again. From what I was reading I was doing it right. I placed down the scroll and laid down on the floor feeling frustrated. I heard footsteps and I looked at the person to see Ichiro walking up to me smiling. I sighed and stood up.

"Looks like your having trouble with that." He said with a smile.

"Oh such the fuck up!" I growled.

He gave a small laugh and walked in front of me with his back facing towards me. He took a deep breath and quickly made hand signs and before I knew it many leaves and sticks raised into the air and in a split second they were cut to shreds and the trees around us had cuts on them. I looked around astonished and the jutsu he did so easily that was taking me forever to do.

"You have to focus, feel your chakra and the wind around you. Don't let the wind be in control. You have to harness the wind and control it which is easier said than done." Ichiro explained.

I nodded I stood straight with my eyes closed and focused my chakra. I felt it going better than last time but it soon   back fired on me sending me into a tree. I sighed and looked to the ground.

"Do be so discouraged. It took me ages to get that jutsu down your doing very well for just starting to learn in." Ichiro said ruffling my hair.

I gave a smile and nodded and stood back up. I wasn't going to give up.

Thinking back on that memory a sad smile came to my face. The jutsu I was practicing was a simpler version of the one I did with Ichiro when we were fighting the S ranked criminals. I felt tears sting my eyes but I held them back.

"Rico why does everyone I care about die. Why did Ichiro have to die. Why wasn't I strong enough to protect him?" I asked choking back my tears.

"Life isn't fair Hitomi and horrible things happen and we lose faith in humanity but we keep moving on for the loved ones we've lost. We carry their memory in our hearts and share their stories so they never truly die." Rico said.

I nodded at his words before standing up and heading back home.