Stitched || Kakuzu

Epilogue

The sun's rays peeked out from behind the clouds as a new day had begun. After a calm, summer's night, the day was proving to follow the same pattern as the clouds began to clear out, only leaving a few lingering puffs of white in the cerulean sky.

"Land ho!" A strong, masculine voice called as the sight of mountains appeared in the distance. A group of the ship's staff steadily began their procedures for docking, hustling and bustling about as they embraced the crisp, salty sea air and navigated around civilians and shinobi alike.

At the front of the boat stood a young woman with nothing but a small bag hanging off her shoulder. Her sandy, blond hair was tied up in a high bun with her bangs and sides still framing her face. There was a bandage wrapped from her left wrist to her elbow and she silently brushed the tips of her fingers along the length of the bandage as she looked at the upcoming shore in deep thought.

It's been a couple of months since she'd last seen them. After she had killed her father, she remembered an overview of the events, but the shock of it all rendered her from recalling complete details. Regardless of the things her father and brother had done, she had too much of a guilty conscience to leave their bodies exposed in the crater. Digging their graves, she laid them to rest between the rocks before returning home. She was sure that her accompanists were with her during that time, but once she reached the docks, they were nowhere to be found. Disheartened, she wasn't even able to properly say goodbye.

When she arrived back in Kirigakure, her home just didn't feel like home anymore. She had walked into the kitchen first and sat down at the table, looking at the broken plate she had tried to mend the night she found out that her father wanted to re-appropriate her body. She sighed softly to herself as she stood up, pushing the somber thoughts out of her head. No matter where she went, however, they only seemed to follow. After all, it was just her now.

Continuing through the house, she closed off her brother's and father's rooms before stopping in her own. The remnants of her long hair were still discarded on the ground where she left it. Grabbing a broom, she began to sweep it up. As she cleaned, her eyes drifted towards the scar on her left arm. The indescribable pain she felt when Kakuzu's stitches were being expelled from her body was now reduced to a dull throb every now and then, however she didn't mind it. The physical appearance was much more important to her. The gash that took up the better part of her lower left arm was sewn up with a needle and thread after being cleaned. It was the only thing left to remind her of her experience and the new acquaintances she had made.

After a couple weeks of solitude, Nozomi decided that she couldn't be surrounded by these memories anymore. What she needed was a fresh start and a breath of fresh air. Confident with her decision, she packed a small bag of necessities and sold her home along with whatever was inside. Emptying her savings account and whatever insurance she could get from Hideki's hunter-nin occupation, she bought a one way ticket for Kumogakure and set off, waving her second home good bye. After all, third time's the charm, right?

Two months into her stay in the Land of Lightning, she found a simple cottage a little ways from Kumogakure. The goal was to one day live in the civilian district inside the Hidden Village, but she would have to get approval first which meant she would have to travel back to the Mist to retrieve her proof of citizenship documents. This revelation lead her to today, where she was heading back to her new home from Kirigakure after collecting her paperwork..

Once the boat reached the docks, Nozomi stepped off the ship and onto land. A gentle breeze greeted her and she clutched the end of her yellow sundress to prevent it from flying up as she looked up at the stone buildings that seemed to touch the heavens. This time, she could actually go sight-seeing. Chuckling to herself, the woman started on her way as she fixed her bangs. If she retraced her steps, she might even pass by the black market and possibly run into Kakuzu again?