>>5798150You think to yourself the number of dead ninja you’ve heard about in passing. It seemed everybody you knew had some dead ninja in their life. Dead parents, dead siblings, dead comrades… If you made a shrine to everyone your home would likely become a graveyard as time marched forward. The village would be full of personal graveyards if everyone kept one for every person they knew, dozens, if not hundreds of mortuaries piled high side by side, reminders of death everywhere anybody could look... Every home a memorial piled high with shrines to the dead. If they just visited the graveyard instead, you could do it too… That or you would die before anyone else and become just another grim anecdote in a future conversation one of your teammates would have at some point.
Yeah, you would put Shigure’s memory to rest the proper, normal way. But not your sister, not Izumi. First, because she had no grave or memorial you could visit. Second, her shrine was a permanent fixture in your home since before the day you were born, and her shrine would remain a permanent fixture in your home until the day you died. She’s just a presence you’ve always carried with you, and you would carry that presence with you, unrelinquished, until your own demise.
Summoning some water clones, you get to work moving everything.
—
The rest of your day is pretty chill and domestic. You and Masami are settling in. She owned more stuff than you do, and it was kind of funny seeing Naoki and a crab lugging several heavy boxes while Masami carried one duffle bag.
The rooms are small. One room, traditional affairs. You had a bed, a little table and chair, and a small television that you resolved to never turn on for any reason because television was stupid. You also had a small bathroom which consisted of a small, cubic tub under a showerhead and a toilet pressed ruthlessly close to it for space-saving reasons. You had never had a proper bathroom before though, let alone electricity and plumbing, so it was still a strict upgrade. You do glance at the hot water knob of your shower with even more disdain than your television.
Water was supposed to be cold. You liked it frigid.
—
You’re stacking rocks for your sister when Hotaru knocks on your door. You politely tell her you’re decent and to come in.
She opens the door and sees you stacking rocks. She watches you for a moment.
“Otomo, come up with a jutsu you’d like to learn. Something I’m likely to know myself, please.”
“Okay.”
“... I don’t know any secret techniques or… I’ll leave you alone.” She says, softly shutting the door.
You bring your hands together.
‘A life has ended, with the passing of a friend. Sunrises and sunsets, bright days and dark nights circled again and again, and gave context to this life. Moment after moment, their life was lived each day…’
