You've... changed. (naruto fanfic)

Chapter 24

She wanted to reach for Kiyomi's headband but she was afraid.

She knew that if the headband was still normal with no markings on it, there was a chance that Kiyomi would come back to the Mist Village. However, she also knew, this if the headband had a slice through it, it meant Kiyomi was leaving... and she wasn't coming back.

She felt her hands twitch slightly. She wanted to reach out for the headband, look at it and find out for sure what Kiyomi's decision was. 

She slowly took a step forward, now standing right in front of the graves. She could feel the tears at the brink of her eyes as she slowly bent down, picking up the headband by the red fabric of each side of the metal, it was still facing down so she couldn't see what it was.

Once she was standing back up, she looked at the band in her hand, before shifting her right hand and slowly turning the headband round to face her.

As soon as her eyes caught the sight of the kunai slash through the headband, she closed her eyes letting the tears roll down her cheeks.

---end of flashback---

Yes, that day was when Mariko knew for sure, she wouldn't be seeing Kiyomi for a very long time.

But, that day she also realised, she had nothing left in the Mist Village. 

She grew up here, she had many friends but she knew there was always something missing. Until of course she meet Kiyomi and her family, they seemed to not so much fill the hole, but cover it up, make her ignore it.

But once Kiyomi's family died, she was to take care of Kiyomi even if it was the last thing she did. But now, Kiyomi's gone, and that hole is once again empty.

However, there was one person, one person who actually filled that hole in Mariko. That person made her feel normal again, happy. Yes, that man made her smile just at the thought of him.

Kakashi Hatake.

I miss him. She thought. It may have only been a few days, but I know, that he's the only one I want to be with right now.

 Yes, Mariko knew exactly what she wanted, but how could she really leave?

Her Mizukage was keeping an eye on her, and she didn't really want to leave Akari and Rei alone here.

Yes, Mariko had no idea what to do.

 ~

Kiyomi couldn't help but smile at the sight of the boy in front of her.

There he was, his red auburn hair blowing in the wind, his sea foam eyes locked with hers and the slightest of smiles on his face.

She felt the faintest of blushes on her cheeks.

Oh how she loved his smile. Even if it was only a small smile, it seemed to light up his face completely. It made him go from so serious to just cute. 

Her smile made him melt every time he saw it.

Ever since Kiyomi had joined the Sand Village once more, Gaara had changed.

He smiled so much more, he worked a lot harder; he wasn't the cold, evil child he use to be.

Kiyomi as well, didn't realise how much she loved the Sand Village. She had missed it so much since she had left, but now she was back, and nothing was in her way.

It hadn't taken long for the Sand to accept her and trust her. Well some elders still kept an eye on her, but she was happy, she didn't care about being watched, she ignored it as she had all she needed.