Cherry Blossoms

🌸When She Died🌸

It was after the Fourth Great Ninja War.

When he thought his Genjutsu would be enough

To keep her away,

He forgot that she was the most skilled at breaking Genjutsu, even while he was the most skilled at creating it.

Anyways...

She had run between them.

In which their arms were meant to be lost,

His right

And his left,

She was lost instead.

When she died...

He had an early retirement. He was supposed to become Hokage, and he was ready, but the loss of his student was too much of a burden on him. He blamed himself for not getting to his team sooner. He'd sworn he'd always protect them, even after his betrayals and leaving. He'd sworn he'd protect her ever since he left. And he'd failed.

He gave up on his endless training. His 'power of youth' dwindled away, and all determination and motivation were drained from him for the longest time. It wasn't until he met his first student that he regained the passion to train and fight. For her sake.

She was her best friend. Then she hated her. Then she learned so much from her and reclaimed her as her best friend. But now, it's too late to tell her that. From friend, to rival, to best friend. There's no way she could hear it, now.

She tortured herself every night. She was her greatest student, who could ever surpass her. She was strong, she had a strong will, and her chakra control was impeccable. Her student, she loved her like she was her own daughter. For once, she believed her curse had been broken, but she just had to lose another. Why'd it have to be her?

He cried every night. He claimed his love for her endlessly, and to this day, he still did. He knew her aggressive side and experienced it the most out of everyone that ever knew her. He felt this same gut-wrenching when his teacher was killed, and he never wanted to lose anyone close to him ever again. But she had to see their fight. He regrets ever letting it happen, ever letting her find them and worry about them. He wishes he could go back in time and stop the fight himself before she could.

He starved himself, he never talked to anyone ever again, except for her. Her lifeless tomb. He refused to ever forgive himself for what happened, and the blame, he believed, lied only on himself. He visits her grave every day. Morning, afternoon, and night. He brings her flowers and confesses to her the love he never knew he held for her until she was really gone. Repeating those three words she told him an endless number of times, but he never found the courage to tell her. Fresh tears stain her grave, the grass, his pillow, his blankets. He held a kunai to his throat multiple times already, but he was still here. He searched endlessly for any way to bring her back, to no success. But even if he did, he would be far too ashamed to deserve her love in return. He continually called himself a pathetic fool and beat himself half alive at the training fields. He admits, he never showed it. He never spoke words to hint at it. But when she died, he was the most in pain, because she endlessly loved him, but just before he could confess, when he thought he'd be keeping her safe...

... It was already too late.

_________

Mood killer.

Can you guys name who's who in each paragraph? There are six in total.