Chapter Text
Thunder clapped through the dark gray sky as a heavy downpour fell late on this horrid night. Two men, one unaware of the other, stared at a lone headstone. An infant, wrapped in nothing but an old rag, was nestled in the arms of the man who loomed over the grave, a look of disgust clear on his face. The rain drops falling onto his face from his hair did nothing to cool the heated words that left his chapped lips as he spoke to the open air.
“I can’t believe you.” He spat as he clutched tighter to the baby in his arms. “I told you countless times not to interfere with what I was doing. Now look at you, completely useless to me now. You could've had it all if you had just done what you were told, Mei. But, no. You just had to jump in front of me, just had to stop that sword from killing me. I had EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL!” He shouted as the thunder clapped once more, and sighed, not wanting to wake the sleeping baby.
The other man, who now had his fists clenched so tight they turned white, fought with himself not to make his presence known. The anger that flowed through him was so strong he was almost choking. If he thought the situation couldn't get any worse, the man had the audacity to spit on the freshly dug grave and walk away without looking back.
Letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding, the man slowly moved from behind the tree and slowly walked to the grave. Every ounce of anger left his body when he read the headstone he’d read a thousand times since the funeral service that morning. Tears filled his eyes as he knelt down in front of the soft dirt, placing his hand on the mound and began mumbling a soft mantra. A warm, hazy pink glow spilled from his fingers and lit up the ground briefly before slowly fading into the dark. In their wake, hundreds of lily buds covered the dirt like a plush blanket, filling the air with their sweet scent.
“Oh, Mei,” the man choked out as he slowly rose to his feet. “My beautiful Hime. I’m so sorry. I… I wish I knew than. I never would’ve allowed him to be anywhere near you.” A violent sob was ripped from his chest as he fell to his knees again, the raindrops mixing with his tears as he stared at the blurring letters on the headstone. “ Haruno Mei - Mother - Daughter - Wife - Died Protecting Whom She Loved”
“You weren’t supposed to pass before me.” He groaned as he clutched his chest. Taking a deep breath, he stood and wiped his eyes. Clearing his throat, he looked up at the sky with new resolve.
“I promise, Mei, I will bring an end to Senji’s terror. Your death will not be in vain. I will keep a close eye on Sakura as well. She will know of her father’s past. I can already tell, she has such a strong power deep inside her. I will teach her when she is old enough, this i swear to you. Senji will regret everything.”
With one last look at the headstone, the man turned and walked away, determination practically radiating off of him as he began formulating a plan to not only avenge his daughter, but to help his granddaughter know just what kind of person her father really is.