Strength of a Flower•(Itachi fanfic)•editing

KIA and Stones

It's been a week.

A week since Azalea found out that her parents were killed in action.

A week since she became hard-of-hearing. She was told that she was lucky she was not deaf.

She didn't feel lucky.

The raven-haired girl looked in the mirror she was standing in front of, her long, dark hair down and brushed. She had on a black kimono that was long, the top had some white on it, while the bottom was completely black. There was a ribbon that was tied at the front. The sleeves were long and wide and there were white and black flowers in her head, something that Itachi insisted she wear.

Her normally bright, hopeful brown eyes now had a dullness to them, showing her sadness. Her normally slightly tanned skin were a bit on the pale side, showing that she had basically holed herself up in her house that didn't feel much like a home anymore. She did not feel all that good either, and she knew that that was because of her depressed state. Itachi managed to keep her from falling off of the edge of the cliff she felt like she was standing on, he was the only one keeping her grounded. And he was barely managing to do that.

Everyone's sympathies were not helping her, they were why she had taken to laying in bed or on the couch all day, staring into space.

"Azalea? You ready?" Itachi called out to her through the bathroom door, to which she went to the door and opened it.

She nodded, another thing that was different about her, she hardly ever spoke now. Today would be the most that she would speak, as she was going to give a speech. Azalea hesitatingly put her hand in the crook of Itachi's arm, the two walking out of the house that had everything that reminded her of her parents. The picture frame her parents had given her was still at Itachi's house. She didn't want to see it. See their faces. She was glad that people gave up on talking to her. After a half an hour or so, they finally reached the cemetery, where Sari and Kaisäko would be buried.

There was still time left to kill before the funeral began, something Azalea was glad for. She kept trying to mentally prepare herself for the whole thing, but there just never seemed to be enough time. Not even a whole week.

Why did it have to be them?

Why did they have to sacrifice themselves so the others that had been sent there could escape?

Azalea was startled out of her thought bubble when she heard her name being called, "Azalea will now come and give a speech," the monk said, stepping down from the podium that was put in front of the graves behind the table that was set up with pictures of Sari and Kaisäko, along with three others that also died.

Too soon...

She sighed, dreading the whole thing, as she walked up to the podium and went behind it, looking over the people that had massed together for the ceremony.

Too much...

A sea of black clothes with splashes of white from the roses they held in their hands.

Too soon...

Azalea looked at Itachi, who gave her a small smile, trying to encourage her to go on. The ravenette finally opened her mouth after collecting her thoughts, "Hi... I know I haven't really talked much... but, my parents... they were the world to me... to everyone. At first I was angry, I hope you understand, I was angry that they sacrificed themselves so that the people who survived could escape, but then I realized that I probably would have done the same thing because they raised me to be selfless."

She was babbling now, as she often did when she's nervous, "They were amazing people, the type who would help anyone or anything that they saw needed help. They were kind, they loved me with everything they had... they protected me to the best of their ability. The-they,"

She began to choke up, tears filling up her eyes and spilling over onto her cheeks, so she took a deep breath and continued on, willing herself to be strong.

"They loved everyone. The village, the people in it, the animals. Everything. They had, as Itachi told me once that I had, the Will of Fire. I should thank my parents for everything, I don't think I'd have been the way I am now, well, not at this moment, but... I think I would be worse off. I think this village wouldn't be like it is now.... I-I lo-lo-" Azalea looked down at the podium, a sob building up in her as she shook her head, cutting herself off.

No... no... no!

"I-I that's all I have to say... thank you for your time!" she exclaimed, wishing she wasn't so loud, but she couldn't hear herself if she didn't speak at a louder-than-normal-voice. After saying these words she all but ran from the podium and away from the whole thing, tearing the flowers away from her hair, to which they responded by following her.

Itachi groaned and ran after her, not liking the idea of her being alone.