Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Who knew... ❯ 7. CHERRIES, NOTHING AND STRAWBERRY ( Chapter 7 )

7. CHERRIES, NOTHING AND STRAWBERRY

 

The summer festival, once called Hana to Mi no Saishi (festival of fruits and flowers) fell every summer on the first full moon night of July. It was so since the first Hokage had grounded Konoha; the inhabitants of the Village Hidden in the Leaf thanked and celebrated the nature that surrounded their village, as its life and prosperity was strictly bounded to Mother Nature.

 

Everything during the festival reminded of the bond between Konohagakure and Nature. The stands and the houses were decorated with all sorts of flowers, leafs and fruits. Girls and women dressed in white yukatas, kimonos or dresses, wore crowns, necklaces and bracelets made of flowers, and carried small baskets filled with flower bouquets.

In the middle of the festival, a bell tolls in the temple, giving the start to the old ceremony of the wedding between Konoha and Nature. During the ceremony, the heads and the heirs of the most ancient clans of Konoha give an offer to Mother Nature, followed by the Hokage. After the offers are made, the ceremony continues with dances and songs by the maikos and geishas, and after that, the Hana to Mi no Yuugi (game of the flowers and fruits) begins. The bouquets prepared by the girls, according to an ancient tradition, were given to the boys they cared about; if the boy cared as well, he would give to the girl a red fruit. Most girls loved this tradition, and spent the few days before the festival picking the flowers and preparing the bouquet for the boy they liked, or loved, or simply cared about. At midnight the Hokage tolls again the bell in the temple, and the villagers headed to the river, where the fireworks show is held, ending the Hana to Mi festival.

 

It was still early, and the sun hadn't set yet.

 

The Hokage walked through the alleys of the tower, admiring the view of his beloved village lit by the last rays of red sunlight, and the hundreds coloured lamps, hung everywhere. The smell of flowers was filling the air, and the villagers, both civilians and shinobis, were already busying the streets, stopping at stands or just chatting randomly.

 

Little boys were screaming in the streets, begging their fathers to let them eat a candied fruit before dinner, and profusely crying when their wish didn't come true, which happened in an alarming majority of cases. One of them was Yoshizumi Shin, who, accompanied by his father and his older cousin Ren was walking stomping his feet towards the Yoshizumi district. Actually, Shin had already eaten a candied fruit; Shinji, his father, had thought that giving him a candy would have prevented the kid from keep on complaining. He knew that Sadako would be mad at him if she found out that Shin had eaten before dinner; and now the child was threatening him to blab everything out to his wife. Shinji just shook his head; family life was just like the diplomatic relationships between the great countries. You give something to someone, someone else complains, and you may even get threatened by the someone you gave that something to. At least, he thought, there wasn't the destiny of a nation pending on the candy-problem. He lifted Shin under his arm, in spite of the child's protest, and headed towards the Yoshizumi mansion. Sadako would definitely kill him if he had given his son *two* candies. `At least Asuka has grown up', he thought blocking Shin's leg trying to kick him.

 

* * *

 

Hitomi was sick and tired; the hair wouldn't just stay the way she wanted, and the flowers…oh, she felt so ridiculous. She wished that Asuka or Tomoyo were there, they would have surely know how to make her feel better. The girl was wearing a white dress with her clan's trademark high collar, and long sleeves; the Kekkai Konchuu's little scars were not very evident, but except for when she was at the river with Tomoyo and Asuka she never wore sleeveless clothes. Sometimes she wished she belonged to another clan, and that she didn't have to hide that way, but she was also proud of the family's kekkai-genkai. At least it helped, and if used properly, it could also saved lives. Hitomi wanted to become a medic nin, and the elders of the clan were pretty happy with that. She had always loved helping people, and she supposed that saving somebody's life brought a wonderful sensation. By now she was happy just curing cuts and not dangerous wounds and diseases, but she studied hard and hoped to improve greatly; she wanted to become like the legendary sannin, Tsunade-hime.

And, if she had to be honest, she had also found another reason to love medicine the way she did.

Freaking hair. How she wished that Asuka and Tomoyo were there.

 

* * *

 

Tomoyo was combing her dark red-brown hair. Aki was lying on the ground, playing randomly with plastic balls. She decorated her long braid some pink and yellow little flowers, and flipped it back. She looked in the mirror; the white yukata fit her nicely, and the yellow and pink flowers matched with the decorations on the yukata's ribbon.

She couldn't understand why Hitomi always lacked of self-confidence; she seemed never satisfied with her look. Then, a vision of Asuka came to her mind, and she began giggling. No, Asuka was not definitely one to sit in front of a mirror and waste her time and mental sanity in dressing, combing, braiding, tying, make up. Tomoyo patted Aki on the head, and the dog growled.

She checked her look one last time, then she walked out of the room, Aki following.

 

* * *

 

Asuka hated the goddamn festival. She hated it, hated it, hated it. She was sitting on the blasted chair since…since…she couldn't remember. It was like an eternity. She didn't know why Sadako and her grandmother took this long just to comb her hair. She didn't need a hairdo. Why the hell couldn't they just leave her and her hair alone? Ok, she didn't look bad like this, but all the time they took wasn't definitely worth it. Two locks of her hair at the sides of her face were braided and tied with a tiny white satin ribbon behind her head, with small white flowers decorating the braids. She was glad that her grandmother had allowed her to wear a simple sleeveless white dress, whose skirt was right at the height of her knees. She was wearing white and peach flower bracelets, tied with a pink ribbon. She didn't know what else were her grandma and Sadako-san doing. She was definitely losing it, when a help came from her father.

“Asuka-chan! My, you look wonderful like that!” her father exclaimed.

“Please, chichi, don't make it worse. I already feel bad enough like that, thank you.” Asuka replied.

“Asuka, you are the heiress of the Yoshizumi clan” intervened her grandmother “You are going to be in front of everyone during the ceremony, and you must look perfect. Now, do you remember what I told you about the posture, composure and behaviour of a noble lady?” inquired her grandmother.

“Hai, Obaa-san.” Asuka thought that if she was asked to repeat again how a noble lady behaves during an official ceremony, she would puke. She was a kunoichi, an Anbu, not a lady. But her grandmother seemed not to think alike.

“Kaa-san, Sadako, you are urgently needed in…in the library.” Said Shinji. Asuka looked in her father's eyes and mentally expressed him all his gratitude.

The two women seemed suspicious, but when Shinji repeated that it was a urgent matter concerning the ceremony, they left.

“Thank you thank you thank you!!!!” Asuka exclaimed when she was sure that they were gone.

Her father smiled “Now go, or else they'll be back…and they are going to be pretty angry when they will find that in this branch of the district there is no library…don't you have to meet Tomoyo-chan and Hitomi-chan?”

“Yup! And I am already late…” Asuka added.

“So go…and make sure you are at the temple at 9pm o'clock. You wouldn't like to face an angry Yoshizumi Shinichi…have fun koishii.”

“Hai! You too!” she exclaimed running away, after grabbing her flower basket.

 

* * *

 

Tomoyo and Hitomi were already under the cherry tree when Asuka arrived.

“I guess that Kakashi-san is influencing you negatively…you are like half hour late! Your record ever!” exclaimed Tomoyo.

“I'm sorry sorry sorry…but you know my grandmother…” excused Asuka.

“Again with the noble lady stuffs?” asked Hitomi.

“More than ever. I thought I couldn't survive.” Sighed the tall girl.

“By the way, Asuka-chan…” began the Inuzuka girl “I see just two bouquets in your basket…” and she shot her friend a malicious look.

Asuka stuck out her tongue.

“See, Tomoyo? See? One for Kakashi…” and here Hitomi earned a punch by Asuka “…and one for Itachi!!!” Asuka was about to punch her again, but her friends began running, while Asuka kept a quiet pace. “You will have to stop sooner or later, and I'll be right here waiting…” threatened jokingly the Yoshizumi heir. “And no, the other one is not for Itachi. It is for Shishui, because he is my *friend*, and please notice the stress on the word friend” she added.

“Shishui? For Shishui?!?” Tomoyo was astonished.

“Don't! don't begin again!” Asuka pointed her finger accusingly to Tomoyo, while Hitomi was shaking her head. “Asuka-chan…you will never get Itachi if you give flowers to the boy who is not only his cousin, but also his best friend!” said Hitomi.

“And who tells you that I want to get Itachi??? You were the ones who told me that I just overreacting! That I was just fascinated, or something…” Asuka was disappointed. She didn't want to spend the whole night of the festival talking about that.

“No no no, baby, we just said that PERHAPS you were just caught in the moment…but that leaves a big, big room for the other option…which is, Asuka likes Itachi!” grinned Tomoyo.

The Anbu girl rolled her eyes, and said in a begging voice “Please…just for a couple of minutes…would you stop talking about that?”

Hitomi and Tomoyo seemed to consider the option. They looked at each other and then at Asuka and exclaimed: “NO!”. Asuka sweat dropped.

“What are you??? Two devils sent to make my life a living hell??? Because Itachi anticipated you; and he does it much much better than you girls.”

“Ne, ne, Asuka-chan… if Itachi and us are devils…at least there's an angel for you!” exclaimed Hitomi grinning and pointing her finger somewhere.

Asuka looked in the direction Hitomi was pointing. Her face lit up, and the corner of her lips curved into a sweet smile. The two friends just shook their heads, and Hitomi told her “Yes, you are excused…just don't forget about us, uh?”.

 

Asuka ran towards the jounin, calling him by name. “Kakashi! Kakashi-sempai!” the jounin turned and smiled at the girl. “Konbanwa Asuka-chan! You look so beautiful in that dress!” Asuka blushed madly. “Why, thank you sempai…” Kakashi smiled, and asked her “So! Are you ready for the ceremony?” Asuka recovered from her blush “Yes…yes, I'm used to it by now…it's no big deal, really”. “I heard that you are back to work in a couple of days, uh?” Asuka nodded “Yeah, but I don't know if Hokage-sama has already a mission ready for me.” “It's a long time since our last mission together” said Kakashi. Asuka couldn't believe that he remembered that “Y…yes…two months, more or less…”. Kakashi nodded. “Now I have to go and pick up Gai…and this time I suppose that I have a good excuse for being late, ne?” he smiled. Asuka looked at him curiously. “At what time were you supposed to meet?” “Oh, at seven.” He casually replied. Asuka sweat dropped. “Ka…kakashi-sempai…it was a hour and a half ago…and we talked for like…five minutes?” Kakashi smiled sheepishly “Yeah, but Gai doesn't know that. I hope I will see you later, Asuka chan. And I will be punctual at the ceremony, I swear.” And with a puff of smoke, he was gone.

 

Asuka was back to her friends, who surprisingly didn't ask her anything. Tomoyo just grinned and told Asuka that they were close enough to hear something. Asuka shook her head, and managed to take the girls' attention to the stands.

They walked and chatted, and a few minutes before 9pm they headed to the temple.

 

The place was already crowded. The villagers loved the ceremony and the “parade” of the noble clans, and chatted and exchanged gossips on the young heirs, betting on an arranged wedding rather than another.

 

Yoshizumi Shinichi was already waiting for Asuka; he wasn't one to wait for people, but his Asuka-chan was not “people”: she was his granddaughter, and his heir. She arrived running, and Shinichi smiled benevolently at her.

“Hurry, Asuka-chan, the ceremony is about to begin” he told her.

“Hai, Ojii-san” she nodded taking her place beside him. She had left her basket to Tomoyo and Hitomi, and now carried a big bouquet of peach branches, with both flowers and fruits. Her Ojii-san carried a ceremony sword with flowers and leaves decorations, with the Yoshizumi symbol on it, the kanji for bushi (warrior).

 

Hokage-sama, escorted by four Anbu, slowly walked the stairs leading to the temple, smiling and nodding to everyone ho greeted him. The temple, on top of a stair of 178 steps, was a traditional Japanese one, with red and green columns, and a red pagoda roof. Around the temple were small stone columns, where red, yellow, green and orange lamps were now hung, filling the place of a surreal aura.

The wide square at the end of the stairs, facing the temple, was being filled more and more as the ceremony was about to begin. The Hokage reached the top of the stairs, looked at the temple, decorated with flowers garlands as everything that night, and then turned and faced the crowd. Civilians, shinobis, people of all ages; children eating candied fruit, girls dressed in white giggling, boys chatting and laughing, adults and elders waiting solemnly for the ceremony to begin. His people.

 

One toll. Two. Three.

 

The ceremony had begun.

 

Somewhere, a light sound of flute began filling the air, which smelled of flowers and sugar.

An Anbu approached the Hokage, handing him a garland, two scrolls and a golden hitai-ate with the Konoha leaf on it. The Hokage kneeled in front of the temple, and put the offers on the altar of the temple. He bowed, and then nodded to the clans heads, who silently and solemnly began walking towards the altar.

 

The crowd was now silent, and everyone's look was captured by the temple, and by the music of the flute.

 

First was the Aburame clan; a man of Asuka's father age, walking with a child, who Asuka recognised as Shino, Hitomi's cousin, kneeled in front of the altar. Shino placed a flowers basket beside the Hokage's garlands, and his father offered to the image of the goddess three precious poems scrolls. The two Aburame, both wearing their clan's trademark jacket and sunglasses then stood up, bowed both to the altar and to the Hokage and walked away.

 

Stomps on the ground were heard when Akimichi Chomaru and his six-years-old son, Chouji, appeared in front of the temple. Chouji carried a tray with fruits, and when they were facing the altar and kneeled, Chouji looked at his father, who nodded; the child then stood and placed the tray on the altar. His father carefully placed a precious comb, shaped like a butterfly, the family vessel, which earned many exclamations from the crowd. Again, they bowed and little Chouji ran from his friends, while his father passed him a bag of chips, smiling kindly.

 

Long raven hair and pale eyes, Hyuuga Hiashi walked fiercely until the altar, followed by a small, pretty girl, with short eyes and a shy look, her cheeks covered with a red blush. Hyuuga Hinata wore a wonderful small yukata, white with flower decorations, like the one that her father was carrying as an offer to the deity. When they kneeled down, Hinata placed a ikebana on the altar, followed by her father who placed the yukata beside the other gifts. Hyuuga Hiashi stood with all his grace and solemnity, he and Hinata bowed and walked to reach the Hyuuga delegation who was watching the ceremony from a corner, where the Uchiha and the Yoshizumi sat too.

 

A pet sauntered cheerfully in the square. “Akamaru! Come here!” a little Inuzuka, Kiba, ran to catch his dog companion, holding his pet with one harm and the flower bouquet in the other. Chuckles and giggles were heard from the crowd, but soon silenced. Kiba reached his mother, who was holding an open box with a necklace inside. Again, as for the scrolls, the comb and the yukata, the crowd murmured, impressed by the elegance and refinement of the object. Both kneeled, made their offer and were about to bow and walk away when Akamaru managed to escape, Kiba following. Kiba's mother just rolled her eyes, and walked away to catch her son and scold him, according to every year's praxis during the ceremony.

 

The crowd looked in the direction where the next clan representatives was supposed to come out from; nobody came. Those who were closest and managed to stretch out, saw Nara Shikaku dragged along his son, Shikamaru, grabbing him from the neck of his beige jacket. The child was heard repeating more than once something that sounded terribly like “How troublesome”, as well as “how bothersome”. When Shikaku released his son, said child began walking lazily towards the altar, hands crossed in the back of his head and the bouquet hanging, threatening to fall at every minute. Shikaku's offer, a finely decorated mirror, was placed beside the others, and then they walked away.

 

Boys puffed probably for jealousy. Girls began pointing, chuckling and giggling like mad. Mothers intimated to their daughters to behave. Some girls adjusted their hairdo, others their clothes, others were completely paralysed.

Uchiha Itachi, carrying a bouquet of white roses and lilies, made his entrance in all of his beauty, dressed in his black clothes with the Uchiha fan on the back, walking with his well-known grace. Beside him was his father, Uchiha Fugaku, who walked as solemnly and proudly as the Hyuuga, wearing a dark kimono. Asuka blushed madly. Itachi was so…handsome… the giggling of a few nearby girls brought her back to reality. What was she doing? What was *HE* doing to her?? had her brain dried?? It couldn't be true. She was blushing like one of his crazed fangirls…the girl sighed. What would the next step be…giggling? Fainting?

The boy and his father kneeled in front of the altar, the coloured lights playing with Itachi's pale complexion. With grace, like his every move, the Uchiha heir put the flowers on the altar, followed by his father, who placed a dark, ebony fan beside the offers.

Itachi and Fugaku slowly stood up, bowed, and went to seat beside Makoto and Sasuke-chan, between the Uchiha and the Yoshizumi clans.

Asuka's heart skipped a beat. She was sure that Itachi had sent her a look…bah, it didn't matter. But still, she timidly raised her look and lightly smiled at the Uchiha, who, now she was sure, was staring at her.

 

Her mind was a whirling of thoughts, mostly making very few sense. She completely missed the Yamanaka's offer, and had to be shaken by her Ojii-san to come back to reality.

 

Asuka nodded at Shinichi, and she forced herself to walk in the way her grandmother had taught her. “Slowly, but not too slowly, you have to walk graciously, turn your head and smile every now and then, the village wants to see the heir of the Yoshizumi clan. You are beautiful. Let the crow admire you” her grandmother's voice echoed into her head. And she was doing as she had been taught. She searched the crowd for familiar faces; Tomoyo, Hitomi…she smiled warmly at her friends, with Tomoyo taking pictures of her. Asuka thought that she had to get that camera and burn it, sooner or later; Tomoyo's passion for taking pictures was cool, but Asuka being her favorite subject…just no. Asuka blushed. Kakashi was smiling and waving. The tall girl couldn't believe it; he was on time! He was on time and just for her! `Yes, how not, just for me…' remarked the sceptical part of her mind. Asuka shut it up; Kakashi, once in his life, was on time, and he was on time to see her. she replied to his smile, still blushing, and noticed Tomoyo and Hitomi chuckling and laughing. `They'll pay for that, later…' she thought, but she was just too happy because of Kakashi-sempai to really mind. Her father, Sadako-san, Ren sticking his tongue out at her, Shin waving and calling her…beside her family seated the Uchiha. Mikoto smiled, and Sasuke was beside Shin, waving as well. Shishui, hello Shishui…

 

Black. Onyx. His eyes were black, so black, she felt like drowning into a sea of darkness. She looked away, scared by what she had felt, but then looked up again. Itachi was still staring at her. why? Why wasn't he paying attention to…to...she didn't know, to anything but her? anything? He was watching her. she blushed, and felt her cheeks burning. She silently thanked for the coloured lamps, but she know that Tomoyo and Hitomi had noticed. She knew that *he* had noticed.

 

They had reached the altar; Shinichi smiled at his granddaughter, who smiled back. They kneeled, and Asuka stretched out to place the bouquet beside the other flowers. She inhaled deeply the perfume filling the air around the altar; a sweet smell, of fresh flowers, fruits and incenses, and she was a little dizzy by it. It was her Ojii-san's turn; he opened the white, silk sheet he was carrying, revealing the precious, fine sword Asuka had already seen. Admired murmurs raised from the crowd. Asuka spied the reactions of the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. Hiashi looked impressed, while another Uchiha was whispering something to Fugaku, who looked at the sword and nodded.

Asuka was relieved; her grandfather had explained her that the offers were also a status symbol of the wealth and power of the clan. Yes, the Yoshizumi clan was as powerful and rich as ever, was the meaning of the contented look her Ojii-san gave her.

 

Asuka stood up, and followed her grandfather to seat with the Yoshizumi delegation. Asuka sat beside her father, and when the maikos and geishas filled the front of the temple and began dancing, Asuka felt the stares of the people turning away, and she sighed deeply. Her father lowered his head and whispered into her hear “You were beautiful, Asuka-chan. Everyone was impressed. Your mother would be proud of you.”. yes. Yes! These were the words Asuka wanted to hear; her mother always kissed her forehead when she, still a child, finished the ceremony and seated beside her. She looked for Hitomi and Tomoyo; and she found them, both giving her a thumb up. She took a quick look around, and she quickly gave them a thumb up too, sticking out her tongue, careful not to be noticed by the severe people surrounding her.

* * *

 

As soon as the maikos and geishas finished their dances, Asuka bowed in front of her clan's elders and ran to find Hitomi and Tomoyo, who were waiting for her under the same cherry tree as before.

 

“Hei! Here is our ceremony girl!” welcomed her Hitomi, embracing her.

“You were wonderful! I'm looking forward to printing the pics I took! I already know which ones are going to be my favorites; there is one of Itachi looking at you, one of you looking at Kakashi, one of Kakashi looking at you and one of you blushing madly and staring at Itachi!!!” laughed Tomoyo.

“Look, I was blushing because I hated to be there in front of all these people, not because of the damned Uchiha…” Asuka tried to look convincing.

Hitomi looked at her “And you expect us to believe in this pathetic attempt to a lame excuse?”. Tomoyo nodded. “It's no use lying to us, girl!” and she pointed at Asuka accusingly.

Asuka sighed. “Ok, I was blushing because your dear Itachi was staring at me like I was the weirdest creature on earth…”

“…or like you were the most beautiful creature on hearth!” grinned Tomoyo.

Asuka gave her a freezing look.

“You should have heard all the talks of the village's old hags! You would have killed them!” said Hitomi, changing the subject.

“Oh, yes? And why?” inquired the young Anbu girl.

“Because you would have killed like half of the crowd!!!” exclaimed Tomoyo.

Asuka looked at her friends questioningly.

“Yeah, apart from all the `how pretty, nice dress, nice hair' and so on…” began Tomoyo “…they focused mainly on gossips” ended Hitomi.

Asuka really didn't understand. The Inuzuka girl puffed, and thee Aburame one sighed. “You really are slow when it comes to these things. You're growing up, Asuka! people begin to gossip on possible arranged weddings! Of future husbands and wives, of children, of clans' unions…”

“And what's with me?” asked the jounin.

“You are the heir of the Yoshizumi clan! It's time to find you a suitable husband!” exclaimed Tomoyo.

“Husband? Wedding? Oh no, after what my father did, I suppose that my Ojii-san won't repeat the same mistake…he already lost one heir. I don't think he's willing to lose another.” The Yoshizumi girl was frustrated. It seemed that all they were talking about recently was Itachi-weddings-clans…Asuka didn't like this kind of talks, not at all.

“But if he did? Did you ever think who your fiancé might be?” inquired Hitomi.

“Hell! Of course not!” she was really losing her temper.

“How many male heirs of our age did you see in the ceremony?” asked the Aburame.

“just…just Itachi.” Asuka replied. Then she realised. “No! no no no! You must be joking!”

“Well, Asuka-chan, it looks as though the old hags already see you with a gold ring around your finger.” Tomoyo cut short.

“It's just the old hags. They can gossip as much as they like. It's not like their crazed talks have anything to do with reality.”

“We do hope so for you, Asuka-chan.” Both friends said.

 

The three girls were so busy talking that they hadn't noticed that the Hana to Mi no Yuugi had already begun.

Drops of white were running all around dispensing flowers to their beloved, some were chuckling and keeping the fruit they had been given as the most precious jewel in the world, others were crying desperately because the fruit didn't come.

Children were playing in the stands, trying to get a golden fish with a light paper net, or aiming at a target, others were eating dango, candied cherries and other candies.

“So…” Asuka began “what's the plan?”

“Yeah, what's the plan? Alone or together?” echoed Tomoyo.

Hitomi blushed. “A…alone?”

Asuka arched a brow. “is it a question or a statement?”

Hitomi breathed deeply. “I suggest going on our own.”

Asuka nodded, while Tomoyo didn't want to miss the chance to tease Hitomi. “Waaaah! Hitomi-chan! You going to give the flowers to that Kabuto guy?? I knew it! I knew it!”.

A cold stare by Hitomi shut her up.

“And you, Tomoyo?” she asked.

“mmm…don't know…perhaps to…Yoshizumi Ren!!!”

Asuka sweat dropped. “You…you mean my cousin.”

“Yup”

“My cousin”

“Yes”

“My cousin?”

“Man Asuka, yes! Him!”

“Ok, ok, don't mind. My cousin. Oh. By the way. When and where shall we meet?”

“Here at…11pm?” suggested Hitomi.

The two friends nodded. They hugged each other, and with a “good luck girls” they disappeared.

 

* * *

 

Asuka was looking for someone. She was looking for a black haired boy, pale, with beautiful onyx eyes. He usually dressed in black, the vessel of his clan on his back. Asuka was looking for an Uchiha. Shishui Uchiha.

In her quest she had crossed Itachi more than once; she wondered how could he even think to go out and leave the closed, secure Uchiha district to drown himself in a bath of fangirls. Perhaps he liked it. Bah. It wasn't her problem.

Itachi wasn't the Uchiha she was looking for.

Suddenly, she spotted a black dot in the middle of a white crowd.

She ran after him, making her way among dozens of people, until she found him.

But it wasn't Shishui.

Ok, never mind.

Asuka smiled big and touched the boy on the shoulder. He turned, and smiled back at her.

“Hello, Sasuke-chan” she greeted him.

“Asuka nee-chan! You are beautiful! I saw you, during the ceremony, you know. I was with Shin.”

“I saw you too, Sasuke-chan. Did you get friend with my little brother?”

“Mmm, a bit, yeah. Ne, ne, Asuka nee-chan! Did you know, did you know that Itachi let me go to train with him *twice*??”

Asuka was impressed “Twice? That's wonderful Sasuke-chan! See, see that Itachi cares about you?”

Sasuke nodded smiling happily.

Asuka took a small bouquet from her basket.

“This is for you, Sasuke-chan. Even if I suppose that you got as many bouquet as your brother!”

“but this is from you, nee-chan! It is not from some crazed fangirl! Wait” he said, looking for something in his pockets. Then, he handed her a strawberry candy.

“This isn't a fruit, but it tastes like one!” Sasuke exclaimed smiling.

“Awww, thank you Sasuke-chan! You are such a cute boy! But you used not to like candies and sweets…what happened?”

Sasuke grinned. “The strawberry candy you gave me that rainy day wasn't bad at all!”

Asuka laughed. “I know, I love strawberry candies! Oh, Sasuke-chan, did you see Shishui-kun?”

The child nodded. “he was near the temple. Probably he's still there.” Then he smirked maliciously. “Why, Asuka nee-chan? Do you mean to give him flowers? Because if it's so, you should give them to aniki, because I know he likes you.”

“Oh, thank you for the advise, Sasuke-chan. I will think about it.” She ABBASSARSI and kissed him on the forehead. “bye, Sasuke-chan! Be a good boy!”. And she ran towards the temple.

 

It took her more than she thought to get to the temple; there were so many people, and each seemed determined not to move from the exact place they were. Eventually, she reached the temple, and luckily Shishui was really there. He was sitting on a step in the middle of the stairs that brought to the temple. Apparently, he was looking at the sky.

“Shishui-kun! Shishui-kun!” screamed the long, dark haired girl.

The boy lowered his head. When he saw Asuka, he smiled big and lovingly.

“Hei! Asuka-chan!” and he waved at her.

The girl went up the stairs, and she seated beside him.

“I've been looking everywhere for you, but I was persecuted by Itachi…luckily I found Sasuke-chan, who told me that you were there” she said, leaning the basket on the ground and her back to another step.

“You…you were looking for…me?” Shishui was happy beyond beliefs.

Asuka ruffled the boy's hair “Why, yes I was! Didn't I just say it?” she laughed. She didn't notice that the boy was blushing madly.

She raised her eyes, and looked at the sky. Then, she looked at the village.

“It is beautiful from here, ain't it?” Shishui asked, guessing her thoughts.

“Awesome…really.” She agreed.

Shishui breathed deeply, and seemed to gain courage. “You are beautiful with this white dress Asuka-chan” he said, without looking at her.

The girl looked at him, and smiled.

“Thank you, Shishui-kun.”

They were silent for a few minutes, when the young Uchiha broke the silence.

“Why were you looking for me, Asuka-chan?”

The girl slapped her forehead. “How baka! I was forgetting! Sorry Shishui-kun, I was lost looking at the village” she said. The Yoshizumi heir took a bouquet from her basket and handed it to Shishui.

“This is for you, my dear Shishui-kun!” she exclaimed smiling and standing up in front of him.

The raven haired boy stared at her, at the flowers, and then at the girl again. He couldn't believe it. Asuka-chan…his Asuka-chan…the girl he liked…was giving him flowers? On the festival night? That was too good to be true.

Asuka tilted her head to the left questioningly. “Mmm? What? Don't want them?”

“No! No! I mean, yes, yes I want them! Thank you Asuka-chan!” And he stood up as well, hugging the girl tightly.

“Ah…Shi…shui…I can't…can't breathe..” said the girl, almost suffocating.

Shishui immediately let go, and then looked in his pocket.

He took something, and then handed it to her, eyes closed and arms stretched in front of him.

“A…Asuka-chan! This is for you!” he exclaimed.

The girl took what he was handing her; a couple of cherries. She smiled warmly. “Thank you, Shishui! I love cherries!”

“I…I brought them just for you…I…gave fruits to nobody else.”

Asuka looked at him. Behind him were four or five bouquets.

“I…I didn't gave them to the other girls because…because…I like you Asuka-chan!”

Asuka was speechless.

“You…like me?” she asked.

“I…I like you very much, Asuka-chan.” Confirmed the boy.

Asuka didn't know what to do. She didn't expect this reaction of him.

“I …” she began, but the young Uchiha interrupted her. “Aren't you mad at me?” he asked, worried.

“mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because I told you that I like you…”

The girl shook her head “Shishui-kun, I would never be mad at you. And then it is very sweet of you.” She smiled, reassuring him.

“Do you…do you like me?” he asked, still not looking in her eyes, but playing with the flowers she had given him.

“I like you, Shishui-kun. You are one of the persons I care about the most in the whole world”

“I mean…like me like me…like…like love.”

Asuka was fearing that such a question would come. She didn't know what to say. She had never thought about him that way…

The girl still hadn't answered.

“I don't know, Shishui-kun. I never thought about…loving someone. Like…loving loving. You are a handsome boy, you are nice, and I like being with you. But I don't know. I'm sorry.”

Shishui smiled, a bit of sadness in his look. “Don't mind, Asuka-chan. I didn't ask you to marry me!” the boy tried to laugh, but just a forced smirk came out.

Asuka nodded. “don't be sad, Asuka-chan, you are so cute when you smile!” he tried to cheer her up.

Asuka looked at him and smiled warmly. “this doesn't change anything to me, Shishui-kun. I still like being with you. I still care about you. You still are my Shishui-kun, are you?”

He nodded smiling. “Of course I am, Asuka-chan.”

She hugged him, as to say `I'm sorry'.

“Now I have to go, Shishui-kun.”

“I liked talking with you, Asuka-chan. Perhaps I'll see you later, during the fireworks?”

“Yes! I'll look for you!”

“Bye, Asuka-chan”

“Bye Shishui-kun!” she waved smiling, and ran down the stairs.

 

Shishui at first wanted to cry. But hei, he was an Uchiha. He was an Uchiha, and he was a shiobi.

And after all, she didn't tell him she didn't like him.

The raven haired boy was determined more than ever.

He looked at the bouquet. `Yes, Asuka-chan. You just said that you don't like me that way *now*.'

 

* * *

 

Asuka wondered if the one who invented this game was wicked, mad, or had masochistic tendencies. Every now and then she saw girls sobbing, boys on the verge of crying fighting the tears for their masculinity's sake, disconsolate stares lost in the void…

And she was part of it all. Willingly. She thought that she had to be as masochist as the one who invented the game. She felt like the worst person on earth; she had tried her bet not to break Shishui's heart…but he looked as if she had stabbed him right in the chest.

And what was she doing now? She was looking for Kakashi-sempai.

Yes.

She was a masochist.

Definitely.

 

She spotted a few jounins chatting, but no white hair.

Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

She sat sighing on a bench in the park, looking at the third and last bouquet of her basket.

It was nice. She had thought about the colors of the flowers that might have suited him better, and after a week of thinking she had come out with the great idea.

White small roses. White small roses! Was she crazy?

The bouquet wasn't nice. It was extraordinarily, unquestioningly, undoubtedly common.

It was the peach flower in the middle of it that “saved” her bouquet a bit.

Kakashi was nowhere to be found.

She wanted to stand up and head to a dustbin. She never wanted to see flowers again.

“What are you doing, Asuka-chan?”

She turned. Her heart jumped.

“I…nothing, Kakashi-sempai”

He smiled. “Oh really. Do you mind if I sit there with you?”

“No, not at all!”

“I knew it. That's why I brought you this” he said, handing her an ice cream.

Asuka thanked him, and began eating. `see? He thinks of me as a child.'

“I saw your little brother rivalling with Sasuke for the little girls' attentions” he smiled.

“Ah, yeah. But he told me he already has a girlfriend in Suna. Something like…Temari, I think”

“It's in the family genes, then!” he smiled.

Asuka stopped and looked at him “What do you mean, sempai?”

“That you both have fans. I noticed how the two Uchiha boys behaved around you” and here his smile turned into a malicious one.

“Don't talk to me about that, please” she sighed.

“Oh, and why? Don't you like to have fanboys?”

“I just stabbed Shishui and left him bleeding. I am not the good girl everyone thinks I am. I am a monster. I flattered him and then broke his heart”

“oh, a real monster, indeed.”

“Don't mock me, I am already depressed enough, I don't need any help.”

“I am not making fun of you, Asuka-chan. You are not a monster. But you are right. You are not the good girl everyone thinks you are.”

“…”

“You are even better. You worried for Shishui instead than simply rejecting him. I find it sweet. You are honest, sincere and you care for the ones you love. And you never let your comrades down; you know how much this means.”

Asuka nodded, and smiled.

“Thank you, sempai. I never even hoped you thought so highly of me!”

Kakashi smiled. “You are my favorite kunoichi, after all”.

Asuka blushed. `yeah…sure…and what about Anko-sempai?? And Kurenai-sempai??'

The girl finished her ice cream, and cleaned her hands.

“Kakashi-sempai, I have something for you.” Now her cheeks burned, and she felt very, very hot.

“Hn?”

Asuka said nothing; she just handed him the flowers casually, not even bothering to look. She already knew that she would be one of the crying girls, and not one of the happy ones.

Kakashi took the flowers.

And she knew.

“Asuka…I don't…”

She smiled. “Don't worry sempai, I didn't expect anything from you. I just wanted to give you the flowers, that's all. Just because.”.

“No, I mean that I don't…”

“Bye Kakashi-sempai! I'll see you soon!”

And for the second time that night, she ran away.

 

Kakashi shook his head. `Again, Asuka-chan, you are too impulsive. I just meant that I don't have a fruit at the moment…but you don't even know how much I care.'.

 

* * *

Tomoyo and Hitomi were under the cherry tree. Both were chatting smiling. Asuka stopped running, and began walking slowly. Hitomi and Tomoyo saw their best friend. She was not smiling.

They moved at the unison. Asuka stopped and began crying in the same moment that Tomoyo and Hitomi hugged her.

“He…I …and Shishui…oh, how I hate this day!”

“c'mon Asuka-chan! Screw that idiotic white haired freak!”

“Yes! He doesn't deserve you!”

Asuka sniffed. “But…but it hurts!”

“I know, I know.”

“Don't think about him. C'mon Asuka-chan, let's go. The fireworks are about to start. Or you want to stay here?”

Asuka shook her head, and sniffed. “No, at least a good thing, beside you.”

The three girls headed to the river, still hugging.

 

* * *

 

Hitomi, Tomoyo and Asuka lied on the grass on the river shore, looking at the sky and waiting for the bell to toll and the fireworks to begin.

 

Asuka was calmer now; after all she knew that he was going to reject her. And then…honestly she didn't know if feeling relieved. Her heart and mind were still a mess; she had liked Kakashi-sempai completely, devotedly, secretly for years, and now just a couple of weeks with Uchiha Itachi were enough to question all her inner world.

 

She sighed. “Girls, I'm going to drown my sorrows in food. I'll be right back” she said standing up, and looked for a candy stand.

She walked up the river embankment, which was pretty high, and then headed to the place where she remembered the candy store was. At her left was the embankment, while at her right was the park; the candy store was two or three hundred meters from her. She wanted something sugary, caloric, perhaps with chocolate. They said that chocolate made you feel better. And she needed to feel better, desperately.

Happy couples passed by, hugging and kissing . She sighed. The show would begin in more than forty minutes, she thought, and she wanted to spend a little time on her own. She went away from the people and the confusion. The candy store could wait. She sat on a rock bench hidden by some trees, her legs stretched in front of her, and leaning on her hands at her sides.

Finally, silence.

She could still see the lights and the people walking, but everyone seemed too happy or too desperate to look for a place to hide like she did.

 

* * *

 

When Sasuke had told him that he had been kissed on the forehead by Asuka, he felt jealous. Jealousy wasn't erased even when he felt stupid to feel like that, and had ordered himself to quit with these little girl's behaviour. But he still had *that* in his pocket, and he felt that he wouldn't be quiet until he had freed himself of the “weight”.

He decided to look for the someone who could release him of said weight.

He asked everyone; no one knew.

Itachi had seen Shishui, who had told him briefly of what had happened. He felt like smiling, like screaming, like jumping up and down. But of course he didn't. after all, he felt sorry for his friend. He knew how he felt-he might soon be feeling the same as he did.

He was walking on the path beside the embankment, when he spotted two girls he knew.

He greeted them with no particular effort, and went straight to the point.

At least now he had somewhere to look for.

Itachi was walking the same path in the opposite direction, when a white glow coming from the wood. Itachi smiled, and his heart began racing. He stopped, and took a moment to ponder on this new sensation. It wasn't the irregular heartbeat he had on missions; it wasn't the irregular heartbeat he had after running or training. And he was afraid. He didn't fear for his life. He feared for his heart, he feared being rejected.

But he was Uchiha Itachi. And Uchiha Itachi fears nothing.

He left the path, and thrust in the park.

She was sitting there. He had already seen her that night, more than once, but he had no chances to tell her how beautiful she looked like that. Her tanned skin contrasted with the candid white of the little dress she was wearing. Her wavy, long dark hair were free on her shoulders, kept only by two small braids that met behind her head. The flower bracelets she wore underlined her tan; he smiled. The white contrasted to her skin just like his pale complexion with the black clothes he wore. Since the night he had spent wondering and thinking, he knew that he had found her. she was his opposite. She was white and he was black; she was water and he was fire; her soul was transparent, and he had to hide the real, dark depths of his soul to everyone.

She was powerful. She could kill anytime, anyway, anyhow. But she would not, never. Did she know that she could control him like that? That she could keep him back from the plan he had prepared long ago?

He moved.

She turned.

She had seen him, now he had to do it. He couldn't think back, he couldn't simply go away.

She smiled. “Hello, Itachi.”

He smiled back. “Hello, Asuka-chan.”

He came closer, and seated beside her. He came even closer. He could smell her perfume, mixed with the perfume of the small roses and peach flowers she wore. He came even closer. His left hand moved, and was in front of her face, closed, hiding something.

“I have something for you…do you have something for me, Asuka-chan?” he asked her. Asuka shivered at the touch of his husky voice, at the feeling of his lips moving practically on her ear.

“Y…yes” replied the girl, in a whisper.

She untied one of the bracelets, and tied it around Itachi's left wrist.

He opened his hand, revealing a red, perfumed strawberry.

 

The bell of the temple tolled again.

 

* * *

When Hitomi and Tomoyo saw Asuka and Itachi walking together, and saw Asuka's bracelet on Itachi, they knew. Itachi looked softened, at that very moment. When they sat with Asuka's friends, including her cousin Ren and Shishui, Itachi had partially regained his blank expression. But there was something different in him, when he spoke to Asuka. Asuka lied with her friends Hitomi and Tomoyo at her left, and Itachi at her right.

Tomoyo lifted her right hand, giving a thumb up that nobody except the three of them could understand; Hitomi squeezed her jounin friend's hand.

 

None of the girls had ever seen better fireworks.

 

- - - - - - -

 

So??? Liked it? Too bad? Too slow? What do you think???

I know it took longer than usual to update, but I'm back to study…I warned you…but hey, it's pretty long, uh?

2sexy4u: just…hehehe ^_^ we're both crazed, girl

 

ciao a tutti!!!