Begin Again (Third Book To The Tale of Princess Maiko) (Naruto Fanfic)

Their Suffering

Third Point of View

Maiko sat in Kakashi's backyard, her hand wandering on her necklace. Kakashi stood in the kitchen, his thoughts concentrating on the depressed girl on the other side of the window. He saw as she got her Andori out (Or so she calls it), her eyes shone green as she spun the necklace in the air.

Kakashi thought deeply, just what...What can make her happier? He'd tried almost everything. She wasn't an easy girl, though. He knew that, his idea of girls was...jewelry, stuffed animals and boys. Especially boys. But Maiko was different, perhaps it was her wide knowledge of the world, or maybe the fact that her mentality was of a seventeen year's old with the capacity of a wise old women.

There was one thing though...Kakashi knew there was something Maiko did want at the moment. But the problem was that was the one thing he couldn't give her.

Her mother.

He dried off the last plate and down at the sink, worried for his little sister's health too. She hadn't eaten almost anything. It was sad, it was unnerving. He glanced at the fridge; he knew he would find her breakfast plate ninety percent full in there.

He had not seen Sasuke in a while. Just on missions and he was quieter than ever, no sound came from him. Nothing. Kakashi sighed in frustration and went to the backyard, towards his sister who was still watching the necklace glisten in the sun.

"Hello, there." He said in a cheering voice, as if he hasn't cracked up his head the past few weeks, almost three months now trying to cheer her up.

"Hmm." She acknowledged him.

"What are you doing?"

"Spinning my necklace." She said emotionlessly.

He sighed and thought fast. "Wanna go shopping?"

She frowned and got her eyes back to black and turned to him with a baffled expression. "Shopping? What do you mean shopping?"

It wasn't a laugh or a smile but it was the first emotion she had shown to him in the three months. Confusion. That was all Kakashi needed to encourage him.

"I don't mean you getting me a new pair of heels or a nice dress to wear," He looked over at her expression, disappointed to see nothing. "But more like, furniture, maybe go to the grocery store with me, something, and we can go out to eat if you want, too."

She sighed deeply and pressed her palm to her chest, as if hurt to take in the air then she let it out. She nodded and stood. She didn't really like the thought of going out and bumping into Sasuke but if her brother was asking it... She winced at the thought. What if she did bump into him? What would she do? What would she say?

She hesitated behind Kakashi but then he turned and asked; "Are you coming?"

There was a little sparkle of hope in his eye he wasn't able to hide. And that was all she needed to encourage her. She nodded and walked forwards.

They walked out and the villagers, surprisingly, did not whisper a word about her. The Hokage had given out the warning that if anyone was caught talking about Sasuke in front of Maiko, they would suffer consequences.

Maiko took no notice though. She was counting her footsteps as she walked.

Kiba saw her and walked up to her, ignoring Kakashi's wince.

"Hey, Maiko." Kiba said, walking by her side.

She looked up at him slowly. "Hi."

He frowned. 'She was so cheerful the day we met, what'd happened?' He thought.