Kakashi wasn't one to think too much about certain things. He found it gave way to regret and hatred, and it was never worth the trouble. Ever since that day a year ago, when Tama approached him about Obito, he did his best not to linger on what she had said about his teammate. Tama tended to overthink things, he noticed this during the three years when she was under his guidance.
However, she also spent three months in his Anbu squad at first, and back then there was never an observation that she made that was wrong. This made him worry, because it meant that she might have been right about Obito.
At current, he and Asuma were walking together through the graveyard. He had come from Rin's grave, and Asuma from his father (third Hokage), and his mother's.
It was inevitable to turn away when they noticed Tama kneeling at the foot of Kushina and Minato's graves along the way. She had brought offerings, it seemed, but she wasn't her usual composed self. She was crying, bawling, actually.
Asuma looked at Kakashi, to see the man guiltily look away from the girl. He caught his friend's gaze and sighed.
"I couldn't even get there in time to do anything. I just stood there like an idiot while you fought for your lives. I couldn't even protect the boy from the village after that and... Now I'm living comfortably while he has to live like a nomad..."
She wheezed. Kakashi didn't want to hear anything, but it was too late to turn now. They had no choice but to walk past her. The atmosphere was immediately very awkward.
"Today Danzō reprimanded Tsunade-sama for putting too much faith in Naruto-kun, I couldn't even stop myself from strangling him. I can't take it anymore, oji-san, oba-chan. I can't hold back anymore. If I go on any longer, then I might kill someone by mistake. Please, give me the strength to go on. Help me to not dig myself a grave before I can help Naruto-kun.", she cried pitifully, barely breathing between words. Just as they finally got past her, she suddenly fell silent and there was a loud thud. The two men turned around instinctively, to find that she had fainted. What a coincidence that they had to be there.
"She still has these fainting spells?", Asuma asked, somewhat caught off guard. Kakashi pursed his lips. He really thought that these were long over.
"Apparently. Maybe it's chronic.", he said as he picked the girl up carefully. He pried her eyes open and studied them. There was some strain there that worried him, as if she had overused the Sharingan. However, the girl was clearly not doing so, so there aught to have been another explanation.
"I wonder if she still has those fits.", Asuma said as he crouched down next to the other man. Kakashi looked up at him, confused.
"Fits? What fits?", he asked. Asuma sighed.
"Remember when you brought her to my house after the Kyuubi's attack? She had a series of fits that day. I thought she would die. I don't know what it was, but my old man said that it was triggered by her emotional state. She was unconscious most of the time so I had to watch her while the old man prepared the funeral arrangements.
She couldn't wake up without having an episode, and I'll be honest, I was freaked out. So one day I went to check on her and try to get her to eat. She was gone. We thought she went back home, but then her mom came over to look for her. I think she might have thought about running away then.
A few days later, she was back to her usual self. Also, when the old man was in hospital, I asked around and found out that he was supposed to die on that roof. So she tampered with the jutsu that was supposed to kill him so he could say goodbye to Konohamaru and I. After that was done, she fainted immediately, but the medics said there was nothing wrong so tgey didn't admit her.", he said. Kakashi blinked. Why didn't anyone tell him about this? The third Hokage told him all about Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, yet he didn't bother with Tama. Why? He slowly rose to his feet.
"Where to?", Asuma asked. Kakashi sighed.
"The hospital.", he said decisively.
...
Shisui was sitting outside, his back to the door, and a hot cup of tea in his hands. He had heard some disturbing new in the Post Village a few days prior. Apparently Tama was suspected to have assisted in the Uchiha clan massacre, and Tsunade was contemplating whether or not to have her detained.
He didn't know whether or not to tell Akira and Karin, or to send them to the Wasabi residence while he went to help Tama.
He was worried. Worried that she would do something stupid like she always did. It would be best if she answered to Tsunade and did as she said. Or else she would lose both her position and her honour.
With a heavy sigh, Shisui rose to his feet. He had a very bad feeling about everything that he heard, and by the sound of it, Tsunade was convinced that it was true. Tama was in deep shit no matter how he looked at it, at this point, Danzō wasn't going to hold back any longer.
It couldn't be helped. He would infiltrate Kohonagakure and stop her from acting out on her impulses. Otherwise, someone was going to die.
"Akira-chan, I'm worried about nee-san.", Karin's voice said from somewhere in the house. Shisui paused, did she have that feeling too?
"Me too, but what can we do? We're too far from her to know what's going on."
There was a long pause, before the sound of hurried footsteps came Shisui's way. He perked up and looked behind him to see Akira trying to stop Karin.
"Can we go to Konoha—"
"Wait, Karin-chan! We're not even sure of what's going on.", Akira cried, clearly upset.
"Calm down, please. It's not good to get too excited.", Shisui said. The girls looked at him worriedly to meet his tired gaze. He sighed, this was going to be a challenge.
"Have some tea with me.", he said softly. They sat down, albeit still anxious, and took cups for themselves.
"I'm sure Tama-san would be pleased with your training progress.", Shisui said, smiling. Akira nodded hesitantly, and Karin looked down.
"I'm going to take you two somewhere for a while. I have something to take care of. Alright?", Shisui said. The girls looked at each other, suddenly uneasy.
"Just for a while. It'll be like I never left when I get back.", Shisui coaxed. The girls didn't seem to be convinced. However, it was just the next morning when they found themselves alone in the little house. At least Shisui was gracious enough to not take them away.
...
Shinobi no mono.
One who endures. One who hides. It's all that she did ever since she could throw a kunai, since she could cast jutsu. It was all that she did... All that she knew, but now that situation had become like this, was it worth it?
Shisui lived like a bat, afraid to see the light of day. Itachi was an enemy of the place he once called home. Akira and Karin couldn't openly live comfortably because enemies of the Uzumaki clan were still out there. Sasuke was out working to become killer so that he could kill his brother. Naruto... She promised that she would help him, and now he was gone and she was still doing nothing.
Then there was Obito. It was a theory at first that he was that person from thirteen years ago. Now that he had confirmed it himself, she felt betrayed and useless. After all the training that she did, she still couldn't do anything that day.
She turned to look out the window. Whoever found her must've been proud of themselves to have found the great Faction Captain Suzume in such a sorry state. The useless Faction Captain Suzume, who had the ability to fix everything but didn't.
"You're awake.", someone said from the doorway. She didn't look, it didn't matter who it was.
"You fainted.", Asuma said as he walked in, his students and Konohamaru closely following behind him. Was it him who found her? If so then she wasn't to worried. Asuma was a good person.
"You had us scared for a moment, nee-san. Are you sick?", Konohamaru asked. Tama couldn't help but smile at him fondly. It had been a while since she last saw him.
"I brought you food. It's ramen.", the boy said as he placed a warm bento box in her hands. She sat up and moved so he could sit next to her.
"You're a lifesaver, you know that?", she cooed as she flicked his little nose. The boy blushed and frowned, trying to look as serious as possible.
"I'm not a kid anymore, nee-san.", he said. Tama chuckled and ruffled his hair.
"Of course not, you're six years old, after all.", she said, causing the boy to look away in embarrassment.
"How long have I been out for?", she asked, looking up at Asuma. The man pursed his lips before sighing heavily.
"About five days. Tsunade-sama has people watching so you don't esacpe.", he said. Tama pursed her lips. Tsunade too? She must've read through the third Hokage's logs. She stood up and pried the drip from her arm, alarming Asuma and everyone else.
"What the hell are you doing?", the man said as he stepped forward. Konohamaru was properly disgusted and found himself halfway across the room immediately. The students looked at each other, concerned. Tama stood up and stretched her arms and legs.
"I'm leaving. Thank you for checking up on me, and you too kids.", she said as picked up the bento box and began to walk out.
Three Anbu immediately appeared around Tama, causing her to pause and look around.
It was all too fast to track, the girl had them on the floor in a second, groaning and clearly in pain as she stepped on them to get out. Asuma signalled his students, who immediately acted. The first one, a Nara, cast as shadow possession jutsu, rendering Tama motionless. The second, a Yamanaka, did a mind transfer jutsu to try and get her back in bed. However, the older girl still moved, catching everyone off gaurd.
By the time she was gone, the Nara was knee deep in the ground, and the Yamanaka fainted.