Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Life Drabbles ❯ Returning On A Stormy Night ( Chapter 3 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: shattered-words 
Once every year I’ll return to your side, and to the day and place where you died. Now here I am to bear my guilt and sorrow of this past year... (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing. Warning: Some spoilers for “Glimpses of Darkness”)
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Shounen / Romance / Drama / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2007 | Updated On: 10.15.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 180 | Status: Completed
Once every year I’ll return to your side, and to the day and place where you died. Now here I am to bear my guilt and sorrow of this past year... (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing. Warning: Some spoilers for “Glimpses of Darkness”)
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Shounen / Romance / Drama / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2007 | Updated On: 10.15.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 180 | Status: Completed
Returning on a Stormy Night
Author: shattered-words
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it’d be called ‘Gaara’. So, isn’t it a shame that I don’t own it? (“Endlessly, She Said” belongs to AFI)
Summary: Once every year I’ll return to your side, and to the day and place where you died. Now here I am to bear my guilt and sorrow of this past year... (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing. Warning: Some spoilers for “Glimpses of Darkness”)
AN: This was a slightly harder drabble than usual since this particular character is harder to write than my others. She is so much more than she let’s others see. This story is dedicated to any that have lost someone and feels that loving again can sometimes hurt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I will wait for you, she said, endlessly.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The figure jumped from one branch to another as they panted with the exertion. A stray beam of moonlight that cut through the foliage overhead illuminated the person to be a teenaged kunoichi with dark brown hair that looked black in this light. Her eyes were shrouded from view by her bangs that were falling over a Suna hitai-ate. It had been almost three days since she’d properly rested but if she slowed then she didn’t think that she’d make it in time.
She paused after a moment and the moon’s light fully illuminated her. There was a Chunin vest over her dark blue long sleeved shirt that had the Suna symbol stitched on the right forearm. Her black pants were loose on her and looked to have seen better days. On her back she had a back pack that had the necessary things that one would need for a mission, but she hadn’t touched the rations or even had time to think of doing so.
Her body heaved with her breaths as she tried to slow her racing pulse and when it had lower slightly, she took off once more. She was sprinting along a field now, dodging stray logs or holes in the ground without breaking her stride. After an hour she had entered into rocky terrain and knew she was now in Tsuchi no Kuni and slowed so as not to give herself away.
The figure paused as her ears picked up the sound of someone approaching and she ducked down in a hidden crevice of the cliff face that barely allowed her any room to move. She lessened her breathing and lowered her chakra as she waited with baited breath.
Three figures darted over where she was hiding in the darkness and she listened to their heartbeats and retreating footsteps until they had faded away. She waited almost five minutes after they had gone just to make sure she hadn’t been sensed and moved on. If she was caught in a battle then she might be forced to retreat and there was no way that she’d ever make it on time.
It was nearing afternoon the next day when she recognized the land mark they’d erected before leaving. Not that anyone would know that it was since they had made it look like a kofun that if one looked right resembled gassho that pointed in the direction they had gone during the mission.
“Almost there,” she muttered as she wiped a smug of dirt from her cheek. She didn’t dare stop for more than half an hour to rest in enemy territory. After a quick look around where she listened intently for any sounds of life, she passed through the well hidden passage.
It was nearing night when she reached the narrow cliff face and she pressed herself against the wall and moved along. When she had neared a riff in the rock face, she paused and glanced the way she had come. She felt a jolt of fear rush over her suddenly but pushed it to the back of her mind and jumped.
She free fell for several liberating moments where all she heard was the wind in her ears and everything else faded from her mind. Her eyes snapped open as she reached out and let a flare of chakra flood from her that wouldn’t be enough to be detected. She caught the rope before she hit the bottom, and she was grateful for her gloves or the rope would have burnt her skin raw.
With the help of the rope and her chakra, she landed with a resounding thud since she was tired and lifted her head and looked around the ravine carefully but it was untouched. She sighed and thanked Kami that no one had disturbed it as she moved toward the burial ground that contained no body, since they had burned it to preserve the village secrets.
“Akuro-kun,” she whispered, as if afraid to disturb his slumber. “I’ve returned.” She let her pack hit the ground and promptly collapsed where she stood. Amane had made it with a day to spare and let consciousness take her. It was almost like she knew that he’d protect her while she slept.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amane was startled awake close to noon when she heard the screech of what she could only guess was a buzzard and groaned as she sat up. She let her dirty fingers linger gently over the bump that had formed on her temple from when she had fainted. Her gaze lifted to the darkened sky and realized that there were several rain clouds obscuring the heavens as she sighed.
As she stood she stretched her sore limbs and lifted her pack before moving over to the shallow creek. She hesitated before kneeling, giving a silent prayer and then undressing to wash up. Not that it would matter soon since it was sure to start raining, but she wanted to be clean when she started to pay her respects.
Normally, a person did so within Suna at the memorial but she couldn’t do that. She had to be here or her sorrow would eat away at her and affect her performance on missions until she snapped. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight since she would lash out at anyone that approached her and she was mostly with her partner, Iwane.
She had been tempted to stay in Suna because of the situation with Eizan, but Iwane had urged her to go. It had been impossible for her to go last year because of the Chuunin Exam and so had retreated into the forest the night after the first portion. She had said a silent prayer and relived memories of how Akuro had sacrificed his life to save hers. He had let go so she wouldn’t fall with him.
Amane had been guilt ridden because she hadn’t the courage to jump after him. He had died and she had lived and she’d hated herself more because of that. Then amidst her recollection she had been interrupted by the Hyuuga boy. He had taken one of her most prized possessions, the only thing that kept her connected in some short way to him.
The kunoichi approached the memorial as lightning split the sky and the rain came down. It was a few drops and then it turned into a down pour that quickly soaked her clothing. Her pack was taking shade in a fissure that was just high enough for her to reach.
She ignored the rain as if it weren’t even there as she paused in front of the boulder and started the ritual of Oban. When she had finished the nearby creek had turned into a roaring river that would have been enough to wash her away if she stepped into it.
Night had fallen before she realized it and the rain continued its steady down pour and she knew that soon this small valley would be flooded. She was leaning against the boulder as she spoke quietly to it, her voice drowned out by the thunder but she knew that he’d be able to hear her.
“I wish I could stay here with you forever,” she muttered, face in her hands as the guilt became almost too much for her to bear. Her hair was plastered to her face and the back of her neck, but she didn’t care about that or the fact that her clothes were completely water logged.
“I don’t want to return back there and to those feelings for him,” she said next, voice muffled by her hands still covering her face. “I can just forget about everything and stay here.” There was a sudden flash of lightning and the crash of thunder startled Amane and made her lift her head.
For the first time she noticed the state of the small valley and realized that it was flooding rapidly and soon there would be no way for her to escape. One thing that she had neglected to tell her teammates was that she was a horrible swimmer.
That was one thing that was true for most Suna children since they lived in a desert, but the Itagaki main estate had the luxury of having a pool. However, even if she had spent much of her younger life there, she had never gotten the hang of swimming and being the proud child that she was, had quit right away.
At the time she had wanted her older brother to teach her, as most girls that age were when wanting to be around their older siblings, but he had refused her. Motoki had been too absorbed in his own training to ever give her more than a fleeting glance. He had changed much after their first meeting with their grandfather. After all, he would be head of the Itagaki Ichizoke after their father.
Amane gasped as she stood and stared in a panic at the rising water but her eyes were brought to the stone. The Itagaki female wanted to remain there but another crash of thunder made her jump as her features tightened into determination. There was only one way to escape and she sighed, brought her hands in gassho and asked Akuro to forgive her.
She grabbed her pack, secured it onto her back and backed away as far as she could without falling into the raging river before sprinting toward the memorial. When she jumped, her foot connected with the top of the boulder and she bent her knee and propelled herself up as far as she could. A gasp left her as her hands grasped the edge of the cliff face for a second before her fingers gave way against the slick condition of the rock.
The valley was filling up fast and as she lost her grip she knew that she’d have no other chance at a running jump. She should have fallen but she felt her foot connect with something solid, and she used that as leverage to force herself up and grabbed a more firm grip. Using as much chakra as the wet surface would allow without slipping, she climbed up.
The Chuunin could feel the rain beating down on her and the thunder drowned out the sound of her labored breathing as she struggled toward the top. When a fierce wind tore through the space between her body and the wall, she felt it tearing at her. She held onto the cliff face for dear life as she clenched her eyes shut. Her hands had torn on the jagged surface of the rocks, and the blood that had fallen onto her face had been washed away.
When the wind died down the slightest bit she took a deep breath and started to climb again as quickly as she dared. If the wind slammed into her again the way it just had, she was sure that she’d lose her grip. She was almost to the top, but her hands were already battered and slipped every so often, and she didn’t dare try to reach the blood clotting pills in her pack.
Amane felt her hand reach the top as the wind slammed into her the same instant the thunder resounded through the area and startled her. She felt her body being pulled away from the cliff face and the one handful of soil from the top was still clenched in her bloodied hand. Several images flashed through her mind as she felt herself falling.
-
“Hey, are you the Chuunin that’s going to be our fearless leader today?” asked Iwane’s arrogant voice. The young man looked up and both girls recognized him at once as he fixed an impish grin on his face.
“Itagaki-san, Erizawa-san, always a pleasure,” he said, trying to hold back his laughter at the expressions on their faces. His eyes lingered longer on Amane and his mouth softened slightly.
Iwane lunged at him and latched onto the only guy she could stand to be around and he howled with laughter as she playfully attacked him. Eizan, who had watched with an expressionless face until then, let an amused smirk cross her features as she stood next to Amane.
-
She felt his fingers ghost across her features moments before she pulled away and for the first time her face heated up in a blush. Amane tried to turn away but his hand caught her elbow and pulled her around once more. “Why do you turn away from me?”
“Don’t touch me,” she hissed and tore her arm away. She saw his hurtful look and winced. “I’m sorry.” The apology had come unbidden to her lips. Although she already knew how she felt, Amane had grown up without the privilege of touch or comfort.
He reached out once more and pulled her against him and she remembered his confession the other day. The person that had stumbled over his own words didn’t even resemble the one that held her now. “Please don’t pull away,” he pleaded as she squirmed in his hold. “I love you.”
Amane felt her mouth open but she had no words to answer him with. He saved her the trouble as he leaned in and fastened his lips over hers. Everything else melted away and ‘I love you too’ lingered in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t force the words out.
-
She watched as he smiled and mouthed something to her and released her hand. Her eyes widened in horror as she felt him slip from her hold and he fell as his body was swallowed by the darkness. ‘I know.’
Amane felt her mouth part to say something but only pain surged through her entire being as she screamed. She screamed her declaration over and over, but she knew that he couldn’t hear her anymore. “I love you, Akuro!”
-
Something pushed her back against the cliff face and she felt herself slam into rock and she grabbed on before she could lose her grip again. She pulled herself up and when she was secure over the edge she fell onto her stomach and laid there for a moment before she rose to her knees.
Amane scrambled over to the edge and peered into the valley and the memorial. She caught sight of a figure sitting on top of the boulder as lightning lit up the sky and she saw his head tilted up as he peered at her. Then the light faded away and darkness filled the area once more. When the lightning came again she strained her eyes as she searched but there was nothing there.
The Itagaki collapsed and felt fatigue drag her into unconsciousness. ‘Akuro...’
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She felt someone lift her into a sitting position at the same time that a warm blanket was wrapped around her body. Her eyes fluttered open for a few moments and she saw two figures looming over her. The thought that Iwa-nin had found her sent a flash of fear through her but their voices reached her ears as she relaxed.
“I’ll need to change her out of these wet clothes. Go stand over there, Neji-kun,” a voice snapped. One of the figures snorted but did as he was told and walked away. The hands were on her again, gentle and careful as they peeled the clothes from her cold body. “It’s okay, Ame-kun. I’m here.”
Amane felt relief flood her and a warmth envelop her heart. For a moment she forgot her grief and sorrow and allowed sleep to wrap around her as her eyes drifted shut. She was safe.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Even the generally exuberant Jonin was looking miserable in this weather as they trekked through Stone lands, taking every measure they could to ensure they weren’t spotted by enemy ninja. Their clothes were all soaked and so their exploding tags would be useless. It was a risky mission, and the only reason they had accepted this mission was because the Kazekage himself had asked the Godaime for assistance, since Suna was short on ninja at the moment.
Tsunade agreed to give them aide since they had helped them greatly when Uchiha Sasuke had defected, and Akimichi Chouji and Hyuuga Neji had been severely injured. If it hadn’t of been for the quick actions of the kunoichi from Sand, then the youths would have surely died.
One of the ninja that had helped them was the one they were going to assist and the other was keeping pace with their cell, with Neji and Lee flanking her. Tenten and Gai were taking the front since they were the ones that would react first if they were attacked from the front.
The Hyuuga and the Erizawa both had good sight, and although the Byukugan had a wider range, it didn’t hurt to have an extra pair of eyes watching their backs. Then Lee would help as defensive if they were ambushed from behind.
As they arrived at the path that had a kofun, the leaf-nin were confused as Iwane crouched down and searched the ground and when she came back empty handed, she gave a nod. “She’s been through here but hasn’t yet returned.” She shifted her weight nervously and felt the wet material of her clothes rub against her skin. “This path is hidden but anyone can see it if they look hard enough.”
Iwane disappeared down the almost virtually hidden path and they hurried to catch up. However, it proved to be too narrow for Gai to pass through and Neji came back out when he hadn’t followed and immediately saw the problem.
“Go ahead Neji and complete the mission with your fires of youth,” he told him, but knew to keep his voice down. He gave a thumb up and even in the rain his teeth glinted with a resounding ping that could be heard over the sound of the thunder.
The Hyuuga refrained from answering and merely turned around and went through the well hidden crevice. They separated into twos and went in search of the kunoichi, and he paired up with the strangely silent Iwane.
They had been searching for almost ten minutes when the rain stopped and it was the emerald eyed ninja that spotted the figure beside the edge of the cliff first. He heard a small cry leave her lips as they sprinted in her direction. She crouched down beside her and quickly checked her over.
After a moment she sighed in relief and Neji finally saw her face soften from the unreadable expression into an emotion he couldn’t quite identify. “Oh, thank Kami,” she whispered and pushed the girl’s hair out of her eyes, frowning slightly as she saw the bump on her head. Then she noticed her injured hands and her features twisted into what might have been anger before it was gone.
She ordered him to leave while she changed her clothes, and she gave a silent thanks to the gods that the extra set of clothes in her pack hadn’t gotten soaked. Amane’s eyes fluttered open and she soothed her quietly, knowing the other girl would be able to recognize her voice. “It’s okay, Ame-kun. I’m here.” She watched her drift off again and she sighed and finished dressing her.
Iwane chanced a look down into the valley and saw that it had completely flooded. She knew that if Amane had fallen in then she wouldn’t have been able to make it out alive. “Thanks Ogata-kun,” she muttered, knowing that he had kept her safe. She rested her head against Amane’s shoulder and only lifted it when the Hyuuga approached. Shortly after, they met up with the rest of Neji’s team and headed off.
Iwane carried the slightly taller girl on her back but refused to let anyone else carry her. The unreadable expression had gone from her face and now only determination to get her teammate home was seen. They respected her wish and let her carry the kunoichi.-
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Translations:
kofun: burial grounds
gassho: praying hands
ichizoku: clan
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End, Returning On A Stormy Night
Author: shattered-words
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it’d be called ‘Gaara’. So, isn’t it a shame that I don’t own it? (“Endlessly, She Said” belongs to AFI)
Summary: Once every year I’ll return to your side, and to the day and place where you died. Now here I am to bear my guilt and sorrow of this past year... (OC-centric, hints of certain pairing. Warning: Some spoilers for “Glimpses of Darkness”)
AN: This was a slightly harder drabble than usual since this particular character is harder to write than my others. She is so much more than she let’s others see. This story is dedicated to any that have lost someone and feels that loving again can sometimes hurt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I will wait for you, she said, endlessly.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The figure jumped from one branch to another as they panted with the exertion. A stray beam of moonlight that cut through the foliage overhead illuminated the person to be a teenaged kunoichi with dark brown hair that looked black in this light. Her eyes were shrouded from view by her bangs that were falling over a Suna hitai-ate. It had been almost three days since she’d properly rested but if she slowed then she didn’t think that she’d make it in time.
She paused after a moment and the moon’s light fully illuminated her. There was a Chunin vest over her dark blue long sleeved shirt that had the Suna symbol stitched on the right forearm. Her black pants were loose on her and looked to have seen better days. On her back she had a back pack that had the necessary things that one would need for a mission, but she hadn’t touched the rations or even had time to think of doing so.
Her body heaved with her breaths as she tried to slow her racing pulse and when it had lower slightly, she took off once more. She was sprinting along a field now, dodging stray logs or holes in the ground without breaking her stride. After an hour she had entered into rocky terrain and knew she was now in Tsuchi no Kuni and slowed so as not to give herself away.
The figure paused as her ears picked up the sound of someone approaching and she ducked down in a hidden crevice of the cliff face that barely allowed her any room to move. She lessened her breathing and lowered her chakra as she waited with baited breath.
Three figures darted over where she was hiding in the darkness and she listened to their heartbeats and retreating footsteps until they had faded away. She waited almost five minutes after they had gone just to make sure she hadn’t been sensed and moved on. If she was caught in a battle then she might be forced to retreat and there was no way that she’d ever make it on time.
It was nearing afternoon the next day when she recognized the land mark they’d erected before leaving. Not that anyone would know that it was since they had made it look like a kofun that if one looked right resembled gassho that pointed in the direction they had gone during the mission.
“Almost there,” she muttered as she wiped a smug of dirt from her cheek. She didn’t dare stop for more than half an hour to rest in enemy territory. After a quick look around where she listened intently for any sounds of life, she passed through the well hidden passage.
It was nearing night when she reached the narrow cliff face and she pressed herself against the wall and moved along. When she had neared a riff in the rock face, she paused and glanced the way she had come. She felt a jolt of fear rush over her suddenly but pushed it to the back of her mind and jumped.
She free fell for several liberating moments where all she heard was the wind in her ears and everything else faded from her mind. Her eyes snapped open as she reached out and let a flare of chakra flood from her that wouldn’t be enough to be detected. She caught the rope before she hit the bottom, and she was grateful for her gloves or the rope would have burnt her skin raw.
With the help of the rope and her chakra, she landed with a resounding thud since she was tired and lifted her head and looked around the ravine carefully but it was untouched. She sighed and thanked Kami that no one had disturbed it as she moved toward the burial ground that contained no body, since they had burned it to preserve the village secrets.
“Akuro-kun,” she whispered, as if afraid to disturb his slumber. “I’ve returned.” She let her pack hit the ground and promptly collapsed where she stood. Amane had made it with a day to spare and let consciousness take her. It was almost like she knew that he’d protect her while she slept.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amane was startled awake close to noon when she heard the screech of what she could only guess was a buzzard and groaned as she sat up. She let her dirty fingers linger gently over the bump that had formed on her temple from when she had fainted. Her gaze lifted to the darkened sky and realized that there were several rain clouds obscuring the heavens as she sighed.
As she stood she stretched her sore limbs and lifted her pack before moving over to the shallow creek. She hesitated before kneeling, giving a silent prayer and then undressing to wash up. Not that it would matter soon since it was sure to start raining, but she wanted to be clean when she started to pay her respects.
Normally, a person did so within Suna at the memorial but she couldn’t do that. She had to be here or her sorrow would eat away at her and affect her performance on missions until she snapped. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight since she would lash out at anyone that approached her and she was mostly with her partner, Iwane.
She had been tempted to stay in Suna because of the situation with Eizan, but Iwane had urged her to go. It had been impossible for her to go last year because of the Chuunin Exam and so had retreated into the forest the night after the first portion. She had said a silent prayer and relived memories of how Akuro had sacrificed his life to save hers. He had let go so she wouldn’t fall with him.
Amane had been guilt ridden because she hadn’t the courage to jump after him. He had died and she had lived and she’d hated herself more because of that. Then amidst her recollection she had been interrupted by the Hyuuga boy. He had taken one of her most prized possessions, the only thing that kept her connected in some short way to him.
The kunoichi approached the memorial as lightning split the sky and the rain came down. It was a few drops and then it turned into a down pour that quickly soaked her clothing. Her pack was taking shade in a fissure that was just high enough for her to reach.
She ignored the rain as if it weren’t even there as she paused in front of the boulder and started the ritual of Oban. When she had finished the nearby creek had turned into a roaring river that would have been enough to wash her away if she stepped into it.
Night had fallen before she realized it and the rain continued its steady down pour and she knew that soon this small valley would be flooded. She was leaning against the boulder as she spoke quietly to it, her voice drowned out by the thunder but she knew that he’d be able to hear her.
“I wish I could stay here with you forever,” she muttered, face in her hands as the guilt became almost too much for her to bear. Her hair was plastered to her face and the back of her neck, but she didn’t care about that or the fact that her clothes were completely water logged.
“I don’t want to return back there and to those feelings for him,” she said next, voice muffled by her hands still covering her face. “I can just forget about everything and stay here.” There was a sudden flash of lightning and the crash of thunder startled Amane and made her lift her head.
For the first time she noticed the state of the small valley and realized that it was flooding rapidly and soon there would be no way for her to escape. One thing that she had neglected to tell her teammates was that she was a horrible swimmer.
That was one thing that was true for most Suna children since they lived in a desert, but the Itagaki main estate had the luxury of having a pool. However, even if she had spent much of her younger life there, she had never gotten the hang of swimming and being the proud child that she was, had quit right away.
At the time she had wanted her older brother to teach her, as most girls that age were when wanting to be around their older siblings, but he had refused her. Motoki had been too absorbed in his own training to ever give her more than a fleeting glance. He had changed much after their first meeting with their grandfather. After all, he would be head of the Itagaki Ichizoke after their father.
Amane gasped as she stood and stared in a panic at the rising water but her eyes were brought to the stone. The Itagaki female wanted to remain there but another crash of thunder made her jump as her features tightened into determination. There was only one way to escape and she sighed, brought her hands in gassho and asked Akuro to forgive her.
She grabbed her pack, secured it onto her back and backed away as far as she could without falling into the raging river before sprinting toward the memorial. When she jumped, her foot connected with the top of the boulder and she bent her knee and propelled herself up as far as she could. A gasp left her as her hands grasped the edge of the cliff face for a second before her fingers gave way against the slick condition of the rock.
The valley was filling up fast and as she lost her grip she knew that she’d have no other chance at a running jump. She should have fallen but she felt her foot connect with something solid, and she used that as leverage to force herself up and grabbed a more firm grip. Using as much chakra as the wet surface would allow without slipping, she climbed up.
The Chuunin could feel the rain beating down on her and the thunder drowned out the sound of her labored breathing as she struggled toward the top. When a fierce wind tore through the space between her body and the wall, she felt it tearing at her. She held onto the cliff face for dear life as she clenched her eyes shut. Her hands had torn on the jagged surface of the rocks, and the blood that had fallen onto her face had been washed away.
When the wind died down the slightest bit she took a deep breath and started to climb again as quickly as she dared. If the wind slammed into her again the way it just had, she was sure that she’d lose her grip. She was almost to the top, but her hands were already battered and slipped every so often, and she didn’t dare try to reach the blood clotting pills in her pack.
Amane felt her hand reach the top as the wind slammed into her the same instant the thunder resounded through the area and startled her. She felt her body being pulled away from the cliff face and the one handful of soil from the top was still clenched in her bloodied hand. Several images flashed through her mind as she felt herself falling.
-
“Hey, are you the Chuunin that’s going to be our fearless leader today?” asked Iwane’s arrogant voice. The young man looked up and both girls recognized him at once as he fixed an impish grin on his face.
“Itagaki-san, Erizawa-san, always a pleasure,” he said, trying to hold back his laughter at the expressions on their faces. His eyes lingered longer on Amane and his mouth softened slightly.
Iwane lunged at him and latched onto the only guy she could stand to be around and he howled with laughter as she playfully attacked him. Eizan, who had watched with an expressionless face until then, let an amused smirk cross her features as she stood next to Amane.
-
She felt his fingers ghost across her features moments before she pulled away and for the first time her face heated up in a blush. Amane tried to turn away but his hand caught her elbow and pulled her around once more. “Why do you turn away from me?”
“Don’t touch me,” she hissed and tore her arm away. She saw his hurtful look and winced. “I’m sorry.” The apology had come unbidden to her lips. Although she already knew how she felt, Amane had grown up without the privilege of touch or comfort.
He reached out once more and pulled her against him and she remembered his confession the other day. The person that had stumbled over his own words didn’t even resemble the one that held her now. “Please don’t pull away,” he pleaded as she squirmed in his hold. “I love you.”
Amane felt her mouth open but she had no words to answer him with. He saved her the trouble as he leaned in and fastened his lips over hers. Everything else melted away and ‘I love you too’ lingered in the back of her mind, but she couldn’t force the words out.
-
She watched as he smiled and mouthed something to her and released her hand. Her eyes widened in horror as she felt him slip from her hold and he fell as his body was swallowed by the darkness. ‘I know.’
Amane felt her mouth part to say something but only pain surged through her entire being as she screamed. She screamed her declaration over and over, but she knew that he couldn’t hear her anymore. “I love you, Akuro!”
-
Something pushed her back against the cliff face and she felt herself slam into rock and she grabbed on before she could lose her grip again. She pulled herself up and when she was secure over the edge she fell onto her stomach and laid there for a moment before she rose to her knees.
Amane scrambled over to the edge and peered into the valley and the memorial. She caught sight of a figure sitting on top of the boulder as lightning lit up the sky and she saw his head tilted up as he peered at her. Then the light faded away and darkness filled the area once more. When the lightning came again she strained her eyes as she searched but there was nothing there.
The Itagaki collapsed and felt fatigue drag her into unconsciousness. ‘Akuro...’
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She felt someone lift her into a sitting position at the same time that a warm blanket was wrapped around her body. Her eyes fluttered open for a few moments and she saw two figures looming over her. The thought that Iwa-nin had found her sent a flash of fear through her but their voices reached her ears as she relaxed.
“I’ll need to change her out of these wet clothes. Go stand over there, Neji-kun,” a voice snapped. One of the figures snorted but did as he was told and walked away. The hands were on her again, gentle and careful as they peeled the clothes from her cold body. “It’s okay, Ame-kun. I’m here.”
Amane felt relief flood her and a warmth envelop her heart. For a moment she forgot her grief and sorrow and allowed sleep to wrap around her as her eyes drifted shut. She was safe.
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Even the generally exuberant Jonin was looking miserable in this weather as they trekked through Stone lands, taking every measure they could to ensure they weren’t spotted by enemy ninja. Their clothes were all soaked and so their exploding tags would be useless. It was a risky mission, and the only reason they had accepted this mission was because the Kazekage himself had asked the Godaime for assistance, since Suna was short on ninja at the moment.
Tsunade agreed to give them aide since they had helped them greatly when Uchiha Sasuke had defected, and Akimichi Chouji and Hyuuga Neji had been severely injured. If it hadn’t of been for the quick actions of the kunoichi from Sand, then the youths would have surely died.
One of the ninja that had helped them was the one they were going to assist and the other was keeping pace with their cell, with Neji and Lee flanking her. Tenten and Gai were taking the front since they were the ones that would react first if they were attacked from the front.
The Hyuuga and the Erizawa both had good sight, and although the Byukugan had a wider range, it didn’t hurt to have an extra pair of eyes watching their backs. Then Lee would help as defensive if they were ambushed from behind.
As they arrived at the path that had a kofun, the leaf-nin were confused as Iwane crouched down and searched the ground and when she came back empty handed, she gave a nod. “She’s been through here but hasn’t yet returned.” She shifted her weight nervously and felt the wet material of her clothes rub against her skin. “This path is hidden but anyone can see it if they look hard enough.”
Iwane disappeared down the almost virtually hidden path and they hurried to catch up. However, it proved to be too narrow for Gai to pass through and Neji came back out when he hadn’t followed and immediately saw the problem.
“Go ahead Neji and complete the mission with your fires of youth,” he told him, but knew to keep his voice down. He gave a thumb up and even in the rain his teeth glinted with a resounding ping that could be heard over the sound of the thunder.
The Hyuuga refrained from answering and merely turned around and went through the well hidden crevice. They separated into twos and went in search of the kunoichi, and he paired up with the strangely silent Iwane.
They had been searching for almost ten minutes when the rain stopped and it was the emerald eyed ninja that spotted the figure beside the edge of the cliff first. He heard a small cry leave her lips as they sprinted in her direction. She crouched down beside her and quickly checked her over.
After a moment she sighed in relief and Neji finally saw her face soften from the unreadable expression into an emotion he couldn’t quite identify. “Oh, thank Kami,” she whispered and pushed the girl’s hair out of her eyes, frowning slightly as she saw the bump on her head. Then she noticed her injured hands and her features twisted into what might have been anger before it was gone.
She ordered him to leave while she changed her clothes, and she gave a silent thanks to the gods that the extra set of clothes in her pack hadn’t gotten soaked. Amane’s eyes fluttered open and she soothed her quietly, knowing the other girl would be able to recognize her voice. “It’s okay, Ame-kun. I’m here.” She watched her drift off again and she sighed and finished dressing her.
Iwane chanced a look down into the valley and saw that it had completely flooded. She knew that if Amane had fallen in then she wouldn’t have been able to make it out alive. “Thanks Ogata-kun,” she muttered, knowing that he had kept her safe. She rested her head against Amane’s shoulder and only lifted it when the Hyuuga approached. Shortly after, they met up with the rest of Neji’s team and headed off.
Iwane carried the slightly taller girl on her back but refused to let anyone else carry her. The unreadable expression had gone from her face and now only determination to get her teammate home was seen. They respected her wish and let her carry the kunoichi.-
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Translations:
kofun: burial grounds
gassho: praying hands
ichizoku: clan
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End, Returning On A Stormy Night