“I can’t believe it…” Kaminari whimpered as she put her head in her hands. “I’m only thirteen! THIRTEEN, damn it; and I’m already dead!” The green haired angel put his hand on her shoulder.
“If it makes you feel any better, the life expectancy of a ninja is thirty.” Kaminari huffed angrily at the angel before shaking her head.
“So who are you, anyways?” Kaminari asked. The green haired angel smiled and expanded his wings.
“My name is Kamichi. I am your guardian angel. Sent to protect you during life, and guide you in the after life!” Kamichi said, proudly. Kaminari blinked at the angel.
“Yeah, ok.” Kamichi’s ego deflated at the girl’s response. “So…” Kaminari started looking down at the earth. “why are we in a hospital? Last I checked, that damn Kabuto killed me at that valley with two statues.”
“Well, that’s not completely accurate.” Kamichi said looking around the hospital. “You were half-dead at the valley. Kakashi, arrived just before you lost consciousness and rushed you and Naruto to the hospital. You died there. Now you‘re a wandering ghost.”
“Oh…wait, how do you know Kakashi-sensei and Naruto-kun?” Said the blue haired ghost. Kamichi laughed lightheartedly as he looked at the confused girl.
“Guardian angel, remember? Been with you since you were born? Saved you on numerous occasions, ring any bells?” The angel teased with a smirk on his face.
“Oh, right, right. Hey what’s going on down there?” Kaminari suddenly asked as she saw a doctor go towards the waiting room. Kamichi’s expression turned emotionless.
“They’ve just pronounced you dead.” Kamichi said in a monotone. “That doctor’s going to tell Kasumi and your friends the grim news. Come, let’s follow.” He said grabbing Kaminari hand and flying after the doctor in the waiting room.
Kaminari looked around the waiting room and saw many familiar faces. Kasumi, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata, Shino, Shibi, Shikamaru, Shikaku, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, Ino, Sakura, Jessica and her family. Sorrow spread across the ghost of Kaminari. Her family, her friends, soon they would all know that one of the rookie ten was gone and wasn’t coming back.
“How are they, doc?” Kasumi asked with worry etched in her voice. The doctor sighed as he looked around the room.
“All the member’s of the Sasuke Retrival Squad are expected to make a full recovery, along with Mr. Rock Lee.” The doctor’s sudden grim expression was only noticed by Kasumi, Kaminari, and Kamichi. The rest of the occupants of the waiting room sighed in relief.
“What about Kaminari Hiyori? What about my niece?” Kasumi said, with increased worry. Kaminari floated by her aunt and tried to hug her, but she went through Kasumi’s solid form. Here it comes. I’m sorry, aunt Kasumi. Thought the ghost as she watched everyone’s attention return to the doctor.
“I’m sorry, but Kaminari Hiyori didn’t make it; she’s gone.” Shock was the only thing that happened in that waiting room for the longest moment. Kasumi collapsed to her knees as her eyes were still wide with shock.
“I-it can’t be.” Kasumi whispered to herself as tears swelled into her eyes. The doctor’s words soon sunk in. Jessica’s parents embraced their daughter as her sobs echoed loudly throughout the room. Sakura stood stock still as uncontrollable tears ran down her face. Ino was the same way. Hinata ran out of the room and into the bathroom as tears stained her face. The sand siblings and the sensei’s looked down at the tiled floor. Tears leaked from Shikamaru’s eyes, while Shino and Kenji left the room. Sadness was coming off them in waves.
Kaminari sobbed as she watched her friends and family take her death hard. If ghosts could cry, then she would have spilled a gallon’s worth a water by now. Kamichi put his hand on the ghost’s shoulder in a comfort gesture. The doctor wasn’t finished.
“Only one of the wounds Kaminari received was fatal. Someone pierced her chest with a straight sword. My guess, it was Sasuke.” Said the doctor.
“That’s wrong!” A sudden shout captured the attention of the waiting room occupants. A completely bandaged Naruto was being pushed in a wheelchair by a nurse. Tears where running down his face as well. “It couldn’t have been Sasuke! Sasuke didn’t have a sword on him! I would know! I fought him first!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was strange for Kaminari to attend her own funeral. Kaminari floated over to her body and looked at herself. “Looking at my body, it would be hard to tell that I bled to death.” The gold eyed ghost said. Kamichi’s wings twitched as he nodded. Kaminari looked out to the tearstained and sad faces of those who attended her funeral. “I didn’t think so many people would come. Look! Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari are here! And there’s Samui and…wait, is that Shimo?! I didn’t think he of all people would come!”
“Yes, it is surprising that he came, but you probably knocked some sense into him at the Chunin Exams. I no longer sense malice in his heart.” Kamichi said staring out at the crowd.
“Kamichi…?”
“Yes?”
“What’s going to happen to my friends and family?” Kamichi looked at Kaminari. Sighing he looked back at the one’s attending the funeral for Kaminari Hiyori.
“Kasumi, your aunt,” Kamichi started, “will shut herself away in her laboratory working on perfecting the Demon Pill. The Demon Pill will become one of the most useful items to have on the battlefield next to kunai and shuriken.” Kaminari smiled, Yeah, that sounds like aunt Kasumi.
“Naruto’s heart will harden ever-so-slightly from the experience of losing both of his best friends. He will work harder then ever to bring Sasuke back to the village. He will work even harder at becoming Hokage for both of you.”
“Sakura will strive to become the best medical ninja the world has ever seen under the guidance of Tsunade. Never again will she be a burden on anyone. She also believes that it’s her fault your dead because she was such a burden and couldn‘t bring Sasuke back herself.” It‘s not Sakura’s fault, it’s mine for not noticing that Kabuto was there. Kaminari thought with sad eyes.
“Losing one of his precious students hit Kakashi hard. He too, believes it’s his fault for your death because he was too late to save you. To insure that it doesn’t happen again, he will work on being not so late and will train his Sharingan to a new level. He’ll even fall in love with Kasumi.”
“Wait, what?! Kakashi falls for my aunt?!” Said the teenage ghost in surprise. Kamichi nodded. Didn’t see that one coming. Kaminari thought with a sweat drop.
Kamichi continued, “Hinata-san will feel numb for awhile as the reality of her best female friend is dead sets in. She will eventually break out of that shell of depression and reborn as the fighter she was meant to be. Strong, yet caring. Never again will one of her friends die, not while she’s around, anyway.”
“It will be three years until Sasuke learns of your death,” started the green haired angel.
Kaminari snorted, “What? You mean Kabuto didn’t tell him that he killed his teammate? How cowardly.”
“Kabuto is not dumb, remember. Telling Sasuke this would almost guarantee his refusal to become Orochimaru’s next body. Anyways, although Sasuke won’t show it, his heart will fill with sorrow for not knowing that the one who he thought as a sister had died.”
“I’m not sure if I can believe that. Incase you forgot, it was Sasuke who said, and I quote, “Don’t you EVER, call me ‘brother,’ again! The only family I have I want to kill!””
“Yes, Sasuke did say that, but that was before he discovered the truth of his clan’s massacre.” Kaminari raised an eyebrow.
“The truth?” Kamichi blew Kaminari off before continuing.
“After your funeral Shino will learn the feelings you had for him from Hinata.” Hinata you traitor! Kaminari thought with a blush. Thank you for telling him. “Realizing his own feelings too late increases the sorrow in his heart. He will shut out people even more, leaving room for only a select few.”
“Out of all your friends, Jessica takes this the hardest. For her, life goes from bad to worse.” Kamichi said with a grim face.
“What do you mean by that?” Kaminari said, narrowing her eyes.
“Not even a year after your death, she is raped by none other then Itachi Uchiha.” Kamichi paused when he heard a growl come from the blue haired ghost. “I’m sorry, Nari-san, but there is nothing you can do about this. It’s becomes a son that she will name, Shuichi. Shortly before Shuichi is born, Lee proposes to Jessica, who of course says, “yes.” About two years after that, Orochimaru will murder her parents to get to Shuichi. In a last ditch effort to save not only herself, but her brother and her son as well, she uses a special jutsu that was granted to her by Mikomi. You know Mikomi as the angel that is sealed inside Jessica. Anyways, the jutsu is called, “Heaven’s Judgment.” This jutsu along would have been enough to finish off Orochimaru, but just after the was cast, Sasuke showed up and kills him. Sasuke returns to the village with Jessica, Shuichi, and Kenji, and tries to get an unwilling Sakura to go out with him.”
“Wow, Jessica’s life is going to get rough. I can’t wait till all that drama will be over…and I really can’t wait for Sasuke to try and seduce an uninterested Sakura!! I can just imagine how that will turn out! And then there’s Kasumi and Kakashi…I wonder what my cousin’s would look like…Heh, I bet Naruto and Hinata get together.” Spoke Kaminari.
“Yes, they do.” Kamichi chuckled, “It will be interesting to see all of this turns out.” Kaminari’s smile faded as she noticed that some people were starting to leave the funeral.
“It’s over already, huh? I guess this means that Hinata will tell Shino my secret soon.” Kaminari mused quietly to herself. Kamichi nodded. “So, who’s the lucky girl that gets Shino? It’s kind of obvious that it isn’t me.”
“I’m afraid that has no answer.”
Kaminari turned to give the blue eyed angel a confused look. “What do you mean by that? Of course it has an answer! Either he get’s married or becomes the forty year old virgin. Which is it?”
“It’s not possible to answer right now. That and some other things haven’t been determined. As of right now, one person’s decision can alter the course of the future greatly. A kind of butterfly effect, if you will.”
Kaminari felt a sudden surge of rage course through her slightly transparent body. “So you’re telling me, that Jessica getting raped and having her parents murdered are set in stone, but not Shino getting a girl or not?! The hell kind of priority organizer does the after life have?!” Shouted Kaminari, angrily.
Kamichi didn’t appear to be affected by Kaminari’s fury. “Like I said, one person’s choice can alter another person’s future.” The angel said, serenely. The dead Hiyori sighed.
“Then I don’t suppose you can tell me if Naruto becomes Hokage or not.”
“No, I am sorry, but I cannot.”
“I see…” Kaminari trailed off and looked at the people who were left. Kasumi…Naruto…Iruka-sensei…Kakashi-sensei…Jessica…Lee…Hinata…Sakura…Shikamaru…Shino. The blue haired ghost of Kaminari Hiyori floated down to each of them and thanked them all for being there. Jessica was the last one that Kaminari floated to. Kaminari placed her hand on Jessica’s shoulder.
“Jessica, thank you for being such a good friend to me while I was alive. The road will only get tougher from here, but I know you will make it through. Please watch over Kasumi for me and make sure she doesn‘t do anything stupid. Like the time she got drunk and claimed she was a leprechaun and yelled at random people about “stealing her lucky charms.”” Kaminari watched as Jessica’s eyes went wide and placed her hand on the spot where Kaminari’s hand was.
“Kaminari-san…” Jessica muttered as more tears well up in her eyes, but these one’s didn’t fall. “I will be strong for you.” Kaminari smiled and removed her semi-transparent hand off of her best female friend’s shoulder. I know you will be, Jessica-san.
Kaminari floated over to her tombstone where Kamichi was. “Another chapter comes to an end, huh?” Kamichi nodded as he put his hand on Kaminari’s shoulder as they both looked at the tombstone.
Loving Friend, Niece,
Comrade, and Student
Your Thunder Will Echo Through Time