─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───
𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈
Inari stared at the gravestone.
A funeral was held to honor her short life.
She could hear the muffled cries around her.
The soft patter of the rain hitting the already wet dirt.
Kiyoko stood next to her, holding his sisters hand tight while his other hand was gripped onto the umbrella used to protect them from the light rain.
Inari glanced at him, but she couldn't really see his face. Kiyoko felt numb, he was biting the inside of his cheek to feel something, but there was nothing.
Just the bitter taste of his own blood.
He could feel tears running down his face, like hot water was leaking from his eyes.
Amaya was standing by herself, she was the closest to the gravestone, her hand covered her mouth as she cried quietly.
"Why?"
Why would anyone do this.
What type of "loving mother" abandons her kids? Just like that?
Did they even know who she was?
How kind she was?
They couldn't find the rest of her body.
Just two fingers.
Two.
Those same fingers attached to the hand Inari held.
So many people held.
People are scared.
They believed that they killed Akane and stole her body.
The venom and Sekigan, remember?
Her eyes narrowed at that thought, her eyebrows knit together in confusion.
She was so confused, her mind scrambled.
Why?
Why?
Why?
A lot of people were attending the funeral.
People Inari didn't even recognize.
"Why are they here? I met only half of them, why do they care now?" She thought, her eyes looked up into the dull gray, cloudy sky.
Everyone was crying.
Even the sky was crying.
She felt like dying.
Just going to sleep.
A small whimper escaped from her lips.
Her bottom lip trembling, so she bit it hard.
Her head leaned until it found it's way onto her brothers shoulder.
She tried to think of things that made her happy.
Amaya's loud laugh.
Her brother's smile.
Akira's giggle.
Orochimaru and his... things.
Naruto's antics.
Sakura and Ino's pointless fights.
Sasuke's sarcasm.
Hinata's tight hug.
Her snakes.
The Third's kindness.
Beating up Hoshi.
And him.
Neji.
She smiled at that.
Thinking about him.
The boy with the lavender like eyes.
His mittens.
The silence when their eyes would meet. Just for one second.
She thought about that one second.
Just a moment of understanding each other.
Her eyes squeezed shut as she held her breath, thinking of that silence.
A silence when you didn't have to say anything to each other
No matter how hard she tried she still felt...
What did she feel?
She knew she felt something.
But then it was gone.
Akane Akashi.
The greatest swordsman, some would say.
The woman who loved so many.
And so many loved her.
Inari sometimes wished that her mother just died.
The heat of the sting after she was slapped for not doing something right.
"Stupid girl. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."
Is what she would say, so many times Inari started to believe it.
Even know that she's dead Inari didn't feel comfort, or relief.
She was so sad. Inari didn't want to be sad.
This isn't what Inari wanted.
Akane didn't deserve this.
Out of everyone, she didn't deserve this.
A small smile formed on Inari's face, thinking of the happy memories.
Her brown hair with gray streaks that was still so vibrant and bright it made her smile.
Her sharp honey colored eyes but only so sharp it could cut a fluffy cloud.
Her soothing voice.
That smile she always smiled.
Comforting Inari when she needed comfort.
Being an amazing grandmother for Amaya.
And almost like a second mother for Inari.
All gone.
Not all gone.
Just two fingers.
Not a smile.
Not a peep.
No stupid.
No frown.
Just death.
Just gone.
Just like that.
There it is.
She felt something.
Something warm.
Just going down her face.
She lifted up her hand slowly and felt them.
Tears.
More and more pouring down like the tears from the sky.
Was the sky also crying?
She began to weep.
Inari couldn't control it anymore.
Her body shaking and her hand covering her mouth.
His mittens he gave her, covering her hand is what was muffling her cries.
Her legs felt weak.
She dropped to her knees.
So low she was facing her grave.
Inari looked up, a small picture of Hanami smiled back at her.
And she screamed.
Screaming out in pain.
Crying out for her mother to come back.
To comfort her.
Why didn't she come back?
Doesn't she care?
Why isn't she here?
Hug me, please. Talk to me. Teach me. Hold my hands. Just come back.
Come back.
Come back.
Please.
Her eyes slowly opened, it was morning.
Another day passed by.
The sun shining through the curtains and lighting the room up with its warmth.
The birds singing their sweet tune.
She hasn't left her room in days.
Hasn't eaten or drunk anything in that period.
It hurt.
It really did.
What was the point?
Why should she live?
Inari never realized how easy it is to die.
If she wanted to she could just die.
The bed was the only thing giving her comfort.
Almost as comfortable as Akane's hug.
But that was gone.
People would check up on her.
Amaya would stand in her room sometimes and smile while talking about the good memories she shared with Akane.
Naruto would visit her, sitting next to her on her bed and telling her all about what happened at the academy and read all her books out loud to her.
Hinata was frequent. She would bring tea and try her best to cheer her up but her efforts always failed. She was okay with that. She was okay knowing that Inari listened.
Sakura would even stop by, she would comb her tangled hair and talk about Sasuke. Normally, Inari wouldn't care about what Sakura would have to say about Sasuke but now she felt like caring. A small distraction felt nice.
Sasuke would sometimes visit, he would just look at her for a moment. Seeing her made him feel something familiar. Something he feels.
Grief.
"Get up."
He would say.
But she never listened.
Ino would tell her the drama that happened when Inari wasn't there. Inari appreciated it.
But that's not enough.
Akira would make food and give it to her.
She let it rot.
And then him.
Neji would stay with her the longest.
Cleaning up her messy room.
Though he didn't like it, she liked the mess.
He hated seeing her like this.
A mess.
What he saw in her was something he despised.
Grief.
Once he fell asleep, his head resting on her lap. She would pet his head, it made her smile.
Temporarily.
When he left, she wouldn't smile again.
Another sleepless night.
Tears running down her eyes nonstop.
It was tiring.
The crying.
The grief.
But then she closed her tired eyes.
Knowing the next day would be the same.
And she would still cry.
this chapter was all about the portrayal of grief/ loss of loved one. i can relate to this feeling and i hope my portrayal of the topic is well put. some chapters will be like this one kind of quick paced but it's a resemblance on how inari sees it. a chapter will be in first person to really dig deep into inari's state of mind.
love you and be safe!
-pieckssupremacy
─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───