This story is a request and dedicated to a really nice guy. Thank you for giving me a boost of inspiration when I needed it most.


Mizuki ran her hand through her chestnut-brown hair that curled at the bottom beneath her shoulder blades. She had taken down her ponytail hours ago hoping the headache would stop. Closing her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose which temporarily assisted with alleviating the pressure that threatened to launch her eyeballs from their sockets. Then she heard it. The soft patter of rain on the window behind her. She hated rainy days. It reminded her of that horrible night when things went to hell between her and Naruto. That was the time when their relationship had truly been devastated. The events that had taken place that awful night had caused a serious rift in their relationship, breaking both of their hearts beyond repair and destroying whatever possible chance of a relationship they might have had in the future. Someone once said, "He who burns his bridges better be a damn good swimmer." She wasn't a good swimmer. She was drowning: in regret, in anger, and in sorrow. If only they had handled the situation differently...but they hadn't. Neither one of them was more guilty than the other in how badly things had gone.

Mizuki closed the transcript of Jiraiya's latest book that she had been proofreading. It was the second one she would assist him with getting to the editor. She had been his proofreader, co-writer, and general assistant for two years. Standing to her feet, she rolled her head to stretch the sore muscles of her neck. Her feet sank into the cushy plush beige carpet beneath her feet as she took the few steps to the wall to ceiling window to look outside. It was early evening. The horizon had turned a sinister bluish gray color due to the sunset being hidden by the oncoming rainstorm. Trees and buildings made eerie black silhouettes against the gray-blue sky. The sidewalks were quickly being deserted by the people carrying umbrellas or hunching under folded newspapers to ward off the big fat droplets of rain that began to fall at an increasing rate. Pressing her forehead against the cool pane of glass, she watched as they ran for cover to hide from the storm. There was nowhere to hide from the storm that had been raging inside of her for two years. Pride and stubbornness kept her from returning to Konoha, from even writing a letter of apology to Naruto. She had forgiven Naruto but had failed to forgive herself. As misplaced as his intentions had been, he thought he was doing the right thing to save a job she had loved dearly. In her pain, she had become blind to the fact that revenge was a terrible and bitter choice that would only cause her more emotional agony in addition to bringing with it remorse and rage due to her own stupid action or rather reaction.

Jiraiya had been knocking at the door of her office and waiting for ten minutes for her to open it. He knew she had to be in there because she never went anywhere else. Work had become her life and what kept her from thinking about the past. Short of kicking in the door, he took the key out of his pocket to open it instead. After all, any damages incurred would have to be paid for by him since this was a rented apartment in his name. He had provided her with a place to live separate from his own in the time that she had been with him. As they were leaving Konoha after she had accepted his job offer, she had made it quite clear to him that their relationship would be strictly business from that day on. The night they had spent together had been a one time and one time only sexual encounter. Since then, he had not even ventured to give her a chaste kiss on the forehead. Sometimes he hated himself for taking part in the biggest heartache of her life. Other times he consoled himself that he was comforting her, and she had made her own decision no matter how bad it may have been. Men sometimes had a warped way of justifying things in their own minds. Because of that, he could see the reasoning behind Naruto's bad actions. He would never tell Mizuki that either.

Upon entering the office, Jiraiya could see her standing with her forehead pressed to the window. He watched in silence as her shoulders began to shake. She was crying but there was no noise apart from an occasional sniffle. Rainy days were always the worst for her. He worried about her on days like this. With each drop, the memory and anguish of the event two years ago came flooding back to her. Without her knowledge, he had been communicating with Naruto for the last year. It had been difficult to keep that from her since being his personal assistant, she knew pretty much every move he made as well as being aware of every appointment, every phone call, and every letter. The boy was just as irritatingly hard-headed, resentful, and damaged as Mizuki. How does one move two unyielding mountains? By chipping away at them bit by bit.

Jiraiya had finally convinced Naruto to travel to their city to see Mizuki. Now, all he had to do was convince Mizuki to meet Naruto. He had watched his beautiful assistant punish herself and stew in self-induced misery long enough. Due to their letters and phone calls, he knew Naruto was in the same predicament of being locked in emotional purgatory. Enough was enough. These two idiots had broken each others hearts so it was time to get them back together so they could heal them.

"Mizuki," Jiraiya called in a low voice to keep from startling her. A sorrowful smile covered his face as he watched her struggle for composure, wiping away the tears and sniffing loudly before she turned around to face him. It was almost comical how she thought she could hide the fact she had been crying when her eyes were red and tear tracks had ruined her make up.

"Yes, sir," she sniffed, grabbing a tissue from the box on her desk. "It's just - "

"Allergies?" he interjected, citing her favorite lame excuse. He raised his eyebrow in consternation as she blew her nose loudly.

"Yeah," she snuffled, almost chuckling. She knew that he knew she was lying but had decided to follow through with the game they had played many times before. Jiraiya really was a good man. Too bad his bouts of perversion overshadowed the greatness in him. Sometimes she felt more like an animal keeper than an assistant. "What can I do for you?"

"I forgot to tell you that I had booked a meeting with a new publisher tonight. He actually came to me to pitch an idea for a novel that someone had submitted to him," he began, pacing the area in front of her desk. He hoped he could pull this off. Mizuki had an innate sense of being able to see through his bullshit.

"Oh, no! How could you do something like that? You know the promotion party for the pre-sale of your next book is tonight!" she whined, barely resisting the temptation to throw the new manuscript at him. He was always doing things like this, and it never got any less infuriating. Scheduling meetings, making dates, and forming plans without her which he would forget had become a nasty and irritating habit of his. To make things worse, his forgotten appointments often conflicted with already scheduled commitments.

"I'm sorry, I really am," he returned hoping he sounded sincere. He was not sorry at all for lying to her this time or for what he was about to do. He had convinced Naruto to come see her. The last hurdle to his perfectly laid plan would be getting his obstinate assistant to the same place as Naruto for the meeting to happen between the two of them. Lying would be the only way to get this to work. "Could you please meet the publisher for me? All you have to do is listen to the pitch and decide if I should write the novel. I trust your judgment and you will know if it's a project I would like so I'm leaving the decision to you."

Mizuki sighed heavily, leaning against her desk as weariness fell upon her like a thousand pound weight. This man could make her so tired and wear out her last nerve. Sighing again, more loudly to show her aggravation, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm her anger. "I'll do it."

"Oh, don't act like such a martyr," he grumbled, walking over to her. He put his finger under her chin, lifting it so she would have to look at him. He chuckled at her when she kept her eyes tightly clenched like a defiant child to avoid seeing him. "I know you hate these pompous parties anyway. They're just my thing though. To schmooz, to get drunk, to kiss the pretty bookstore owners so they'll buy my books and sell them..."

"You're a terrible, horrible man sometimes," she snorted with derision to hide her amusement. "Yes, you do excel at kissing ass and taking phone numbers."

"Thank you, my dear. I'll take that as a compliment," he said, backing away from her so he could fish a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Here's the place and time to meet the man."

"Queensbridge Hotel, the bar, at eight o'clock," she read aloud, giving him a suspicious glower.

"What?" He shrugged in hopes of seeming innocent, but he succeeded in looking more guilty.

"Is this a date or a business meeting?" she demanded, her glower turning to a steely glare.

Jiraiya gulped. He would have to use his best acting skills to pull off this subterfuge with any degree of success. "A business meeting. A few drinks and a yes or no to the idea. That's it!"

"Hmmm," she hummed, still not convinced. Giving him one last leery glance, she placed the paper on her desk. "I'll go get ready." She walked to the door, pausing before walking out into the hall. "But I'm warning you, if this is an underhanded plot to getting me back out into dating, I'll cut off your manhood while you're asleep."

Jiraiya felt faint. He did not doubt his spunky assistant who would be instilled with insane rage if this was a blind date and would follow through on her threat. If she knew who would be waiting for her, he was sure she would kill him at this very moment with the dagger shaped letter on the desk after she cut it off. Covering his most sensitive area with his hands, he cleared his throat before saying, "Please, go. You won't regret it."

Enduring one last glare of fiery disapproval and distrust, Jiraiya held his breath. Once Mizuki was out of the room, he could breathe again. He desperately hoped he would not regret this scheme. Or be separated from his most prized possession.

~...~

Mizuki sat at the bar, poking at the cherry in the bottom of her martini glass. The publisher was late, and she was pissed. Glancing at her watch, she pressed her lips together in anger. Twenty minutes! How dare he be late when he had requested this meeting? How unprofessional, how undignified, how uncouth! She would wait ten minutes before leaving. What a waste of make up, and her new dress! She had worn the midnight blue body skimming dress with tiny straps for the first time for this stupid meeting. Of course she had planned to wear it to the promo party but instead she was stuck here looking pathetic and desperate. The lonely businessmen and pathologically cheating husbands had imbibed a few drinks by now and were looking at her as if she were their next victim. No thank you. She shuddered, getting the bartender's attention. She ordered another drink then took a glimpse at the entrance. No one new was walking in and the vulture's were beginning to circle. Jiraiya would owe her big time for this. One more drink and she was going home. Her ugly sweats, a chick flick, and a pint of rocky road was issuing a siren's call to her. The sweet song of wallowing in bad clothing, girl power, and chocolate was irresistable and begging to be answered. In...she looked at her watch...eight minutes she would answer that call.

"Mizuki?" a man behind her questioned.

Mizuki straightened her back, waiting for the man to say something else. The voice had been strikingly familiar, sending an electrical buzz up her spine that spread through the back of her head. He spoke her name again, and she recognized the voice. She closed her eyes as the charge ran down her spine and pooled into uncomfortable warmth in the deepest part of her abdomen. She wanted to vomit. If she had been standing up, she would have fainted.

"Naruto," she whispered, willing herself to remain still.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sitting on the bar stool next to her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she returned, feeling the heat of his body seeping into hers as he brushed past her sit before he leaned close to her. Jiraiya. That bastard! She was going to kill him!

"I'm not quite sure really," he answered, sounding as confused as she felt. "Will you open your eyes and look at me? Do you hate me that much?"

Mizuki slowly opened her eyes, turning her head to see him. She clamped her lips together tightly so she would not be gaping at him. He was wearing a navy blue business suit with a light blue shirt and white silk tie. She had never seen him in a suit the whole time they had been together. He looked incredible. The big eyes the same color of the deepest part of the ocean stared into hers. She had always loved those eyes. They had always held so much emotion, and when he would look at her...oh, my god. The feelings that overwhelmed them both swam in their deep blue depths as he looked at her. His hair had grown longer, making him look more like his father. His inviting pink lips, turned upwards into a smile that held so much sadness it made her want to cry. "No. I don't hate you. I could never do that."

"That's good to hear," he said, relief causing his tightened facial features to relax. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she returned, picking up her glass to take a drink. When her hand shook so badly that the contents sloshed onto the brilliant mahogany surface of the bar, she quickly set it back down. Staring down at her hands, she chewed her lower lip. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to beat his face in with her bare fists. She wanted to gather him into her arms and kiss him until their lips were sore. What was she supposed to do?

"Mizuki, I - "

"I'm sorry too."

Naruto blinked, unsure of how to proceed. To call this awkward and disconcerting would be a gross understatement. He had expected to be cursed, pummelled to death, insulted, or just plain ignored. It had taken him by surprise when she had not walked out of the bar after hearing his voice. Even was even more shocked when she did not scream what a bastard he was at the top of her lungs before slapping him silly. Since her reactions had been so far from what he had expected, he was not sure what to do next.

"Do you think we could - " He began to be interrupted again. She always had been able to practically read his thoughts and finish his sentences.

"No. No, I don't." Snatching the drink from the bar, she swiftly brought it to her lips and tossed it down her throat. It burned like fire, but it took the edge off of her rapidly fraying nerves. "No. We can't get back together."

"Why not?" he asked, reaching for her hand. This time he received the preconceived response. The only thing different was that she had slowly moved her hand away instead of recoiling in disgust to slap him.

"Once bridges are burned, they can't be repaired," she stated with a fatalistic attitude.

"You're right," Naruto agreed, sighing wistfully.

Mizuki wanted to cry. Her eyes burned and her throat was closing up in her effort to hold back the tears. It was becoming difficult to breathe. If only there was a way, any way at all, to work things out with him...

"But..." he began, pausing when she turned to look at him. He could see the tears brimming on her bottom lashes. Clearing his throat, he fought for control as he continued. "It might not be able to be repaired, but it can be torn down and something new can be built."

"Yes, but-"

It was his turn to interrupt her. "What I mean is, we can never go back to the relationship we had. In all honesty, I don't want to," he said, going on to explain as a single tear overflowed and raced down her flushed cheek. "I want something better, something stronger...a relationship that is real and will last forever."

Mizuki chortled less than happily. She used the napkin from beneath her glass to wipe away the tears that were flowing freely from her eyes. "I understand what you mean. So what do we do?"

"Begin again. Build a new relationship. Get to know each other. Base the relationship on something more than sex." He gave her a shy smile when her eyes met his. "What do you think? Do you at least want to try?"

"Yes," she giggled, elation seeping into her tear choked voice. "I would really like that." She stayed quiet for several minutes until he began to literally squirm in his seat. "So how do we do that? How do we begin?"

"How about this?" he asked, sliding from his bar stool and walking toward the door.

"Naruto, wait!" she yelled after him.

"Just hang on, I'll be right back," he assured her before disappearing out of the bar and out of her sight.

"What the hell-" she muttered in bewilderment and anger. She turned her back to the door, ordering another drink. Might as well make the best of it and get drunk. A tap on her shoulder almost made her fall off of her bar stool.

"Excuse me, lovely lady," Naruto said when she turned to look at him.

"What the hell - " she demanded before being cut off.

"Shhhhh...play along," he hissed, looking so cute she giggled.

"Okay," she whispered, giving him a big smile.

"May I join you for a drink?" he inquired after the bartender set her glass down.

"Of course you may," Mizuki answered, keeping her eyes on his as he parked himself next to her. "My name is Mizuki."

"I'm Naruto. It is so nice to meet you," he returned, shaking her extended hand. She could not help but giggle again. This was completely crazy but fun. Hope welled within her and made her happy. They began asking each other the typical 'getting to know you' questions as if they were complete strangers. It was a little odd and a whole lot of ridiculous, but it was really nice - like a real beginning.

"So, can I call you?" Naruto asked at the end of the evening.

"Sure." She scribbled her phone number down on a fresh napkin that the bartender handed her with a smile. She handed it to Naruto, watching him stuff it in the pocket of his suit jacket. "Please do."

"Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?" His eyes sparkled with a new life and exuberance as he smiled at her. He took her hand in his, helping her down from the bar stool.

"I would like that," she answered, allowing him to lead her to the door. She liked the feeling of his arm encircling her waist, his hand resting lightly on her hip, while he steered her to the front door of the hotel. This really would a whole new beginning for them. In the past, he would have taken her to his room to have mad, passionate, animal sex with her for hours on end. She smiled.

"Good night, Miss Mizuki. I look forward to seeing you again," he told her, bringing her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it like a fairytale prince.

"Same here," she replied, giving him a curtsy just like the princess she felt like. She turned away to walk down the street. Her body wanted to go back, to go to his room, to be with him all night. But this time things had to be different. They had to start their relationship differently to have a different ending. Preferably a happy ending.


"Love builds bridges where there are none."

Quote by R.H. Delaney