Grasping at the Sky

Chapter 3: Changes

The cemetery was quiet, as one would expect it to be. Still, Kira had thought she might see someone there, as it was mid-afternoon. Looking around, though, she was met with the company of only tombstones and graves.

It was a stretching length of land far off to the side of the village and out of sight from the main streets people ventured on. After all, no one wanted to look upon the dead every day, no matter who they were. She walked slowly into the thick of them, her sky blue ninja shirt seeming out of place in such a dismal place.

Her feet led her towards the back where larger stones stood tall, the Suna ninja sign carved on them. Those shinobi who fell were always placed towards the front as if guarding the civilians even after death. Nearest to the back, where newly dug graves sat – easily distinguished by the color of the soil – Kira stopped, her left hand gripping the stem of the bright purple flowers. The new graves, over a dozen of them, were people Kira had known, perhaps not well, but once one reached the rank of ANBU, everyone knew each other to a point.

Of all the things she had missed in the time during her team's mission, it was Gaara's death and revival that had shook her most, but the deaths of so many ANBU hadn't gone didn't go unnoticed by her either. Every single one of them had been guarding the wall that stood in front of the village, and they had all been killed, betrayed and caught off balance by it all. It didn't seem right, that Kira and her teammates had been lucky enough to not be there. Could they have made a difference? It was a question that had pledged her mind since returning home.

Now, over a week later, Kira finally had the chance to pay her respects. With all the deaths, her team along with others had been was on village entrance duty, taking shifts with other ninja of the village to guard the only way in. It was long hours of standing and pacing back and forth, something Kira wasn't a big fan of, but also something she knew how to do fairly well. Intel gathering was her forte, but watching people was a lot more interesting than watching the wind play with sand.

Now, with her shift over, she'd stopped by the only flower shop in the village and had headed to where she was now. Gently, she laid one Sego Lily in front of each new gravestone, careful to place it in the small groove so it wouldn't be blown away. She read each name, trying to recall their faces, even if they had never really spoken. Her mother told her that by remembering the dead, you kept them alive, and Kira wanted to help in that.

The last grave she went to had a slightly bigger marker, showing that the person had been prominent in the village. Kira frowned, crouching down in front of Lady Chiyo's grave and brushed away the sand that had settled on it before laying down the last three flowers.

Of all the people in the village, the elder had been the last person Kira had thought would pass on. It had surprised her, finding out how she had died; part of her had not believed it. Not because she thought the woman uncaring, but rather because she had thought Chiyo disliked Gaara.

Then again, she made it appear as though she liked very little.

"Hey, Kira!"

She flinched, startled as she turned slightly to look behind her. Kankurō stood near the entrance of the graveyard, a hand raised. After a moment, she returned the gesture, surprised to see him there, but welcoming it all the same. They had spoken a few times since the day of her outburst, but not very much. They were busy, as he had said before, and that fact remained true.

Taking her acknowledgment as a good sign, the puppet master made his way up to her as she stood up from her crouch and dusted off her black pants. She gave him a small smile when he neared her and he tilted his head, eyeing the flowers she had just set down.