---3rd person---
It had been a few days since Mariko, Akari and Rei had made it back to the Mist Village, in that time, a lot had happened.
Mariko had reported Kiyomi's failure to kill Gaara, only angering their Mizukage.
He was pissed off to say the least, after all he had done for Kiyomi, and now she had failed her mission as well as going rogue, leaving their village.
That's what all of them thought.
Rei and Akari were now in a stable relationship, Akari had told her parents and they accept Rei easily. They had known Rei for ages, ever since Akari first introduced them, heck they even knew themselves that there was something more than friendship between the two.
Mariko had however been acting different.
Sure she acted normal, her lazy self around everyone, however she refused to talk about Kiyomi.
No one really knew the real reason why Mariko was acting this way. Fact is it was a mixture of different things.
One, was the fact that Kiyomi was gone. Of course she missed her, having no idea where she would have gone.
Another of course is because she missed Kakashi. She never noticed how much he really meant to her. And only now did she realise how much he filled her mind.
But lastly, it was what she found the day she came back to the Hidden Mist Village.
---flashback---
The Mist was thick today; no one could see anything 3 meters in front of them.
Mariko walked out of the Mizukage's building; her head hung low, as she had just been scolded by him. He was angry about a lot of things and she knew he just needed to calm down.
But that didn't stop the words that he had said.
"You're so useless!"
"They said you were the best of the best yet you can't even handle one mission!"
"You lost our prodigy!? How could you let her leave!?"
Yes, Mariko wasn't a huge fan of her Yagura, her Mizukage. He for some reason always held a grudge against Mariko. She believes it's because she turned him down a long time ago as well as every other man who asked her out.
So as of now, she made her way through the Mist, ignoring everything and everyone she passed. She didn't want to talk to anyone or be near anyone, unless it was Kakashi.
She didn't know where she was going, but she unconsciously had walked exactly where she needed to be.
She looked up at her surroundings, taking in everything, the trees, buildings, everything.
She didn't think about anything in particular, she just walked until she arrived there.
She slowly looked up, her eyes meeting with the two grave stones before her. But as soon as she looked up, her eyes widened as her eyes caught onto the items before her.
There, lying on across the graves were Kiyomi's old sword as well as her red ninja headband which was facing the ground.
She just stood there for a moment, taking in what she was seeing.
She knew what this meant, she wasn't stupid. But she didn't reach for the items, it almost as if she couldn't.
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.
Which was Gaara.
They had been inseparable since she arrived back, he was always by her side and she was by his. Gaara never wanted to go anywhere without her, and it was the same with her.
Kiyomi forced her eyes away from Gaara to look back at Bakai who was giving them a debrief since they had just finished a mission together.
"...Other than that," said Bakai, "You two can rest for the rest of the day, but there is a mission prepared for you for tomorrow, you will be leaving around mid day so meet me at the gates then."
"Hai," said Kiyomi with a smile while Gaara nodded.
"Good, I'll see you both then," and with that, Bakai poofed into smoke, leaving the two standing alone just outside the Kazekage’s building.
Kiyomi flashed Gaara a smile before she began walking.
Gaara stared at her for a moment, still lost in that beautiful smile she sent him before he was brought back to reality by her voice.
"Ne, Gaara," she started as she kept walking, causing Gaara to smile before following behind her.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"Can we get something to eat? I'm starrvvvving!"
Gaara gave a small smirk. How was it he knew she was going to ask that?
"Sure." he said simply, causing her to turn back to him, her face lit up in a huge grin. "But you're paying."
Her smile faded into a pout.
"Wah!? Gaara!" she complained as she threw her arms around his neck before pulling his face close to hers, letting a blush cover his face. "But I paid last time!"
Gaara's smirk grew as he wrapped his arms around her waist and bringing her in closer.
Now she was blushing, she opened her mouth, about to say something but Gaara cut her off by pressing his lips to hers.
She tried to argue but she got lost in the kiss.
Both Kiyomi and Gaara have changed since they came back to the Sand Village. Kiyomi acted more childlike in a way, not so serious or mature I guess.
She acts the way she use to be, fun and innocent. Gaara acts more mature, however he still liked to play with her making small jokes, but only when it was just the two of them.
Around others, they would act more formal and how they normally would but when it was just the two, they were still just the two best friends who use to play together every day.
Once they broke from the kiss, Kiyomi couldn't help but let a smile cross her lips.
"Ne, Gaara, you're delicious and all, but I'm still hungry..."
Gaara gave a very rare chuckle as he wrapped his arm around Kiyomi's shoulders before he began leading them to a restaurant.
~
Mariko sat high in a tree, her back resting against the trunk, her knees huddled into her chest as she covered her face with her hands.
I can't believe I did that. She thought as she let her hands drop from her face and wrap around her legs.
She opened her eyes, gazing out at the scenery around her.
Her eyes, they weren't red from crying, simply because she wasn't crying.
She wasn't scared, but she just looked lost. Alone. As if she didn't know what to do.
---flashback---
Mariko packed her bags, she had everything; she wasn't going to leave anything behind.
She placed a gen jutsu over herself, making sure no one could see the bag on her back as she began walking.
She didn't show any reaction to anyone as she walked, not even her two students. She just ignored them and kept walking.
It wasn't long before she made it to the Mizukage’s office; she didn't say anything, she just walked right in, not listening to anyone else when they told her to stop.
"What the hell do you want Mariko?" hissed Yagura.
She said nothing, she just pulled out her ninja headband and placed it on his desk.
He gave her a confused look before she spoke.
"I'm not being a ninja anymore." she said, her voice dead. "I quit."
"What do you mean you quit?" he asked with a slight growl to his voice.
"Simply that. I'm no longer a ninja, I'm also leaving the Mist Village. I can't stay here any longer. Don't even try and stop me. Don't worry, I'm not going to betray the Mist Village, I just don't want to be here any longer. I might return one day, but until then, I won't come back here, ever."
And with those last words, she gave a respectful bow before she turned and began walking.
Yagura just sat there, stunned by what she had just said.
"Mari-" he started but was interrupted as she reached the door, turning back to face him, sending him the smallest of smiles.
"Thank you." she whispered before disappearing in a poof of smoke.
---end of flashback---
And that is what happened.
So now, Mariko lay in a tree far away from the Mist Village, fact is, she didn't really know where she was, but she didn't care, she just sat there, not knowing what to do.
"Mariko?" said a voice in disbelief.
Mariko instantly froze. She knew that voice, she knew that voice anywhere.
She snapped her heard left, only to find Kakashi standing on the ground below her.
"Kakashi?" she whispered in disbelief,
And before she even knew it, he had jumped up to her branch and pulled her into a tight embrace.
And that embrace, was something she needed. It was something Mariko had needed ever since she was brought back to the Mist Village.
"Kakashi." she whispered as she held him tighter.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he pulled out of the hug, but not too far.
"I..." Mariko started but trailed off. "I don't know."
Kakashi gave a slight frown. Why does she seem so... lost?
"Mariko?" Kakashi asked again but she just looked away.
He reached his hand out ever so gently, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger before slowly turning her head to face him.
Her eyes meet his and that is when she saw the fear in his eyes.
His fear of losing her.
Nothing was said, only silence filled the air as Mariko slowly leaned in, closer to Kakashi.
Their faces only an inch a apart, the only thing stopping their kiss was Kakashi's mask, she reached her hand up, about to pull it down-
"Kakashi-sensei!?"
The two instantly pulled away, Mariko blushing slightly while Kakashi gave a sigh.
Why Naruto? He thought as he turned to see Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke.
"Hey sensei! Are you- woah wait a second!” exclaimed Sakura. “Isn't that Akari’s sensei?"
"Hey it is!" added Naruto with a grin. "Are Kiyomi and the others here!?"
Sasuke said nothing but from the look on his face you could see he too was interested.
"No," sighed Kakashi as he stood up on the branch. "Just Mariko. Are you all done and ready to go?"
"Yeah! We've been waiting for aggggeeess!" said Naruto with a slight growl.
"Alright, I'll be there in a second." he said waving the three off as they mumbled under their breathes, but Kakashi ignored.
Mariko kept her eyes on her feet. She didn't want Kakashi to go, she wanted him to stay. He just gave her some sense of home, happiness.
She felt tears wanted to reach her eyes but she held them in as soon as she saw a hand appeared before her eyes.
She followed it up only to find Kakashi giving her one of his famous closed eye smiles.
"Come on," he said. "You're coming with me."
And with that Mariko reached out her own hand, entwining it with Kakashi's letting a smile form on her lips as he pulled her up.
~
"I still don't get what was up with Mariko-sensei!" whined Akari as she sat on Rei's bed, waiting for him to finish his shower.
"Well I have no idea!" he called through the door as turned the water off. "She's been acting weird ever since she got back."
"I know." sighed Akari. "I think she misses that Leaf ninja. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she left the Mist Village for him!"
Rei let out a chuckle from behind the door.
"Could you blame her if she did?" he said. "I'd leave my Village for you."
Akari felt her heart skip a beat at his words.
"You don't mean that..." she said trailing off as a blush covered her cheeks.
"I do." he said, his voice serious. "You know I'd do anything for you Akari."
Her face was now as red as a tomato.
He.. he doesn't mean it... She thought. Does he?
Akari heard the door open and she looked up only to find Rei shirtless.
Her eyes widened as she stared at his well toned chest, his hair still dripping wet as he stared at her.
"Like what you see?" he smirked.
Akari grinned before walking over to him, she rested her hands on his chest, her eyes never leaving his as she stood on her tip toes, whispering in his ear.
"You look sexy wet."
He shivered from her voice but she only smirked but before anything more could happen, Rei pulled back slightly before his lips came crashing down on hers.
Yes, the two had become so much closer since the Chūnin exams. They saw each other every day, sure they had a few fights here and there but,
It was undeniable that they really did love each other.
~
"So you want to join our Village?" the woman asked with an interested look on her face.
"Yes." Mariko answered nervously.
"Why is this exactly? Weren’t you part of the Hidden Mist Village?"
"Yes but... I just don't want to be there any longer." she answered honestly.
Tsunade gave her a curious look. She could tell something had happened to make this woman turn in her headband and leave the Mist Village.
She didn't know what it was and she doubted she was going to get any information from her. However, she couldn't help but think that a certain silvered haired Jōnin had contributed to it.
"How do I know I can trust you? You might just be a spy for the Mist Village." said Tsunade.
"I have no way to prove it." said Mariko as she looked up at Tsunade, locking eyes with her. "All I can do is swear my loyalty to you right here and now."
Tsunade couldn't help but smirk. She knew this woman was strong and she also knew she wasn't lying.
"Alright." said Tsunade, causing Mariko's eyes to widen slightly.
Tsunade smirked before reaching into her draw, pulling out a leaf headband and holding it out to Mariko.
"Take it." she said. Mariko's eyes were still wide but she snapped out of it, before taking a step forward and grabbing the headband.
But as soon as Mariko laid hands on it, Tsunade pulled it back, bringing Mariko's face down to the same level as hers.
"Swear to me right now, that you won't betray the Leaf Village."
Mariko stared at her for a moment before a smirk appeared on her lips.
"I swear, that no matter what happens to me, whether I one day join the Mist Village again or not, I will never betray the Leaf Village."
Tsunade smirked before letting go of the headband.
"Welcome to the Leaf Village Mariko Aiyahshi."
~
Kiyomi and Gaara lay on the roof of their house, staring up at the stars above them.
Gaara lay on his back, his gourd not on his back but next to him while Kiyomi lay next to him on her side, her right arm on his chest while her head also rested on his chest.
"Hey Gaara?" she asked, her voice soft and careful as if she wasn't quite sure how to put what she was about to say.
"Hm?" he answered simply.
Kiyomi then pulled out of his grip, and sat up before looking down at him.
"What... What happened after I left?" she asked.
Gaara's expression turned from happy to instant sadness.
Kiyomi saw his expression and immediately apologized.
"I'm sorry." she said. "I shouldn't hav-"
"No." he said interrupting her as he too sat up. "I guess I should tell you now."
Kiyomi saw the pain in his eyes.
"No Gaara really! You don't have to-"
"I want to." he said, his eyes now locking with hers and causing her to stop arguing. He then looked out at the village as he began to speak. "Once you left, I sat on that swing for most of the day, till some children were playing in front of me, they then kicked the ball to high and it went on a cliff.
"I used my sand to get it down and try to be nice, but they ran away and my sand... it pulled them back, I was going to hurt them until Yashamaru jumped in the way.
"It was later on that night I tried to give medicine to the girl I hurt, but she called me a freak and shut the door in my face.
"The night, I sat up on the roof, crying, until kunai were thrown at me by a masked ninja. I got angry and wrapped my sand around him, crushing him and almost killing him.
"Only then when I pulled down his mask did I see Yashamaru. He then told me the story, he said my father order him to kill me. He also told me my mother never loved me, he never loved me and... that you never loved me."
Kiyomi's tears were already falling down her face as Gaara's story went on.
"He died, then I lost it. The sand carved love into my forehead, and I don't remember the rest of that night. But after that, I became different. I no longer cared about anyone else. I lived only for myself, I fought only for myself.
"I was a cold hearted killer, nothing more."
"I'm sorry." Kiyomi whispered, causing Gaara to turn to her, only to have his eyes widened in complete shock.
There she was, tears streaming down her face, the pity, fear but most of all guilt held in her expression.
"I... I should never have left... then none of this would have happened... I'm so sorry Gaara. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that!" she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him before crying into his chest.
Gaara couldn't do anything at first out of shock. She's... she's crying for me. He thought before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.
"I'm so sorry!" she cried. "If I'd only been with you! I didn't know! All these years.... I was just enjoying myself... I never once came to visit you... I’m sorry.."
Gaara eye's widened even more. He could now feel warm drops of water falling from his eyes.
I'm... I'm crying. He thought. I haven't cried since that night...
Kiyomi not hearing Gaara reply; looked up at him, his eyes locking with her own.
"I love you Gaara." she whispered. "I love you so much. I promise... I promise that I will never ever leave you again."
Gaara stared right into her eyes, seeing only the truth.
Never in his life had he ever felt so happy.
"I love you too." he whispered before bringing his lips to hers.
_________________
TA DA!! DONE!!
Yes I know it took forever but you guys must be use to it by now haha
So did you like this chapter!? Tied up all the loose ends and now everyone’s all happy and lovey dovey!
So yeah now I'll just write the epilogue!! Although I don't know how long it will take...
Hopefully it will be done in a few days since I have exams real soon and I want to finish this story before then!
And I noticed some of you are wanting/expecting a sequel... well I'm sorry but I don't think I'll write one :/ I have crap all ideas for one so the end to this story will be the epilogue :)
Until then please...
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