Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Versions of the color Red ❯ Rainy Monday ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. This is a fan fiction, and it is written purely out of fun and a need to work my creative writing abilities.

Enjoy!

 

Rain, sleet, shine, or snow he always visited.

And today, it rained; unrelenting, harsh pelting droplets, sinking into his clothes- the coldness seeping into his skin, and into his warmth. It was just another rainy Monday visit to old friends.

He stands there, head bowed, in silence, honoring the dead- his dead.

Obito....Rin...Sensei...

He always stands there, completely lost in his thoughts- his memories, of his past.

He used to do this multiple times every day; before missions, after missions, between missions.

Now, he visits a few times a week, and always before and after a mission (successful or otherwise).

He'd stand (or sometimes sit) there, in front of the memorial wondering. Why?

Why Obitio?

Why Rin?

Why them?

Why not?

Why not him?

His mind always reels at this point, remembering the way Obito's body was crushed under the falling rocks as he spoke his last words.

The way Rin always smiled at him, even when she bled to death on the forest floor.

The way their sensei was always enthusiastic about everything and positive about life- even when faced with death.

He always felt like a coward, for not dying- especially for not dying alongside them.

If he had died instead of them in one of those places, what would he have really missed?

His old Team 7, weddings, babies being born, and playing the role of god-father to Asuma's little boy comes to mind as he thinks about the things he would have missed if he had died already.

Still, he asks.

Why?

Why not me?

As if to remind him, a flash of silver and black off to his left alerts him of another presence.

He looks up from the memorial and turns his head.

A cute little thing, with pleading green eyes and silver hair peers up at his rain drenched form from underneath her black umbrella.

That's why...

"Chichi, please come home out of the rain now. Okaasan and I are worried you might get sick."

The little girl frowns up at him, but her eyes show her true emotion- worry.

"Maa, don't fret Azami. Your old man here isn't going to get sick, especially with two of the greatest medic nins to come into my life taking care of me."

She scowled at him, the worry in her eyes lessening as he replied with a smile- his eye crinkling to show appreciation for her (honestly well-placed) concern.

Looking past her he sees another person standing under a solid black umbrella. Pink hair frazzled about her face, her dress flowing beautifully around her form.

His eye moved downward to her belly- 5 months and 2 weeks pregnant.

That's why...

His head tilts and his eye crinkles in a smile at his wife, before he steps forward and takes the umbrella from his 6 year old, already a genin, daughter. He holds her hand as the two of them walk back towards their mother.

Once there he switches places, giving the umbrella he holds back to his daughter before taking the umbrella from his wife's hand, while taking her hand into his own hand to hold on the walk back home.

As they head towards the old Hatake clan's house, he takes one last glance at the memorial stone, feeling as if he's being watched.

He thinks that if they could tell him they would. They would tell him how happy they are for him.

That's why...

He looks forward to watch his little spit-fire of a girl take off skipping through the puddles after getting the okay to do so from her Okaasan.

He watches and chuckles, slightly fascinated, as she runs and jumps into a puddle, squealing at how cold the water is as it drips down her legs from her now wet shorts.

He looks down at his wife, to see her smiling up at him, and in an uncharacteristic public display of affection, he squeezes her hand as he bends down slightly to kiss her on the top of her head.

This is why it was never me.

As Sakura, his wife of (almost but not quite there yet) 7 years leans against his soaked side, he looks up to the sky with a sense of completeness. No pain; no guilt, nothing but a companionable happiness and a love for life.

Thank you, friends, for watching out for me.

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After I read over this once I finished writing it, I felt mixed emotions about it. Tell me what'cha think!

The meaning of the name (supposedly) is:

Azami- The flower of a thistle; symbolizes defiance