I've been away from the Internet for three days and I have writer's block. What's to do? Well, now that I have access to the Internet again, I watched NejiTen AMVs the whole morning.

Then, pop. I got a story.

But it's not NejiTen. It's PeinKonan. Did I disappoint you? Sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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The night breeze blew against the three vagabonds, making one of them cuddle to the one next to him. One of the boys, a brunette, slept soundly nearby yet far from his other companions.

But something woke the spiky haired boy. Scratching like how a pen's tip moved across paper. Turning to his female companion, he found her with a pen, a gleeful glance on her palm.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching her write on her hand.

She didn't mind his question and went on writing, looking even more eager by the second.

Slightly irritated, Yahiko snarled his expression and snapped, "Konan! What the heck are you…"

"I'm writing a letter." Konan plainly answered before the orange haired boy could even finish his sentence. She smiled and showed him what she had written on her palm.

Nagato heard them and suddenly got interested. He walked to his two friends, who were seated under a tree. On Yahiko's face was a confused look but with a scowl and Konan had the innocent smile of any other optimistic child.

"But, we've got no one to write to, Konan. You know that…" Yahiko muttered angrily, holding her wrist as he read whatever was written on her palm. Konan seemed to shrink back as he gripped her wrist.

Nodding, Konan explained, "I know. But…" She stopped there as she watched Nagato sit beside her, also trying to get a look at her 'letter'. Yahiko let go of her arm, almost shoving it to her then he exclaimed, "You're writing to whom?"

Going back to writing, Konan said as she made more strokes with her pen, "My star. It is nearing my birthday, after all."

Arching a brow, Yahiko yelled at her, "A star? You're writing to a star? What for? Do you know how useless that is?"

Being sensitive, Nagato moved closer then replied to Yahiko's question, "Well, I heard that whenever someone dies, they become stars and they'll make your wishes come true if you ask them on your birth date. Maybe that's what Konan wished to do."

Giving her an annoyed glare, Yahiko asked Konan, "So you're making wishes by writing a letter and sending it to your 'star'?"

She looked at him then said, "Well, my parents are stars. Our parents are now stars. All I want is to make a few wishes and hopefully, they'll grant them." Nagato, once again, began to sob.

"Do you actually believe that stuff, Konan?" Yahiko questioned, giving her a pathetic expression.

Plainly, Konan turned the portion of her palm where she wrote her letter into a separate piece of paper then answered with a grin, "I have my own beliefs. I don't blame you if you don't want to do it. Besides, I used to have so much fun on my birthdays. Why can't I now?"

She went through her letter once again, holding the paper in her hands, "This will do. I'll send it tonight then go back to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll go back to our journey."

Nagato wiped some tears away before asking, "C-Can I read your letter, Konan? If you don't mind, that is."

"Sure, Nagato." Konan replied, handing him her letter. It said:

'Dear Mother and Father,

Don't worry about me. I am fine with my friends Yahiko and Nagato. We'll be wandering, probably never stopping until we find our purpose in life. I'm glad to know that you're just above me, watching over me.

It's going to be my birthday soon and I just wanted to make a wish for this year.

I wish that I'd have a bag of sembei tomorrow morning. Those are my favorites and I'd like to share them with my friends, too. Our journey will be long, too.

Thank you, Mother and Father. I love you.

Konan.'

"A bag of sembei?" Yahiko yelled, "That's what you want? Make a decent wish that will actually help us! Say you wish that we'll be great ninjas!"

Shaking her head, Konan said, "You can write your own wish letter if you want, Yahiko. This is my wish and I won't change it."

Frustrated, Yahiko threw himself to the roots of the tree and grumbled, "I can't believe you…" Nagato, on the other hand, managed to carve a tiny beam then said, "I think Konan's wish is great."

With that, Konan smiled then thanked Nagato. "Yeah, whatever," Yahiko yawned, his hands tucked under his head, "You two better go back to sleep. And you, Konan, I'm not going to carry you again if you're to groggy in the morning."

Giggling, Konan set her letter off in the form of a butterfly then mumbled, "Okay, okay. Good night, Nagato. Good night, Yahiko."

…

Pein snapped out of the flashback and realized that he had been staring into nothing on the rooftops, remembering how things were before.

Shaking his head, Pein tried to concentrate and try to devise a plan on how to get the nine tails… but all he could think of was how many more times Konan made those dumb wish letters every year.

After the year when she wished for sembei, she asked for a new dress. Then, the next year, she asked for combs, then for some money. If he knew any better, he thought that she asked for pretty stupid things.

But, unsurprising for him yet shocking for Konan, she got what she wished for every year.

She'd be so glad every time and she'd cry, saying that her parents never left her. In fact, because she got what she wished for every year, Nagato decided to do the same on his birthday. Still, he didn't even try it.

He had a reason and he told neither Konan nor Nagato.

Pein stood from where he perched and made his way back to his and Konan's room. His steps shuffled with the silence within the hide out and all he could do was roll his eyes every time he remembered Konan's childish ways.

But he was surprised when he entered his room.

"What… What are you doing?" he asked when she found her writing on her palm again.

She gave him her usual expression and suddenly, she placed the pen back onto her desk then replied dully, "Nothing."

Trying to peek at what she had written on her palm, Pein asked with a stern look in his eyes, "Are you writing to your star again? I thought… you stopped doing that so long ago."

Seeing that Pein had realized what she had been doing, Konan sighed then said, "It'll be my last, I promise. I know it's juvenile but…"

"It's fine." Pein quickly answered, keeping his leading expression maintained as he spoke, "But I thought you stopped this act when you found out that I was the one who made your wishes come true."

With the statement, Konan glanced away then said nothing. She remembered how high her hopes used to be. Each time she sent a wish, she would hope the next day that her star made her wishes come true.

But she was wrong. It wasn't her star who made her wish come true every year and she discovered it the other year, when they were still a wandering trio. She was surprised to see why she had been wrong all those years. Yet, she also felt anger and slight happiness despite anything.

"I did." Konan said dryly, grabbing her pen again and finishing her letter, "I promise you that this will be the last wish letter I will ever make."

"Doesn't have to be that way, you know." Pein said, trying again to see what she had written, "I… won't break your hopes this time."

Nodding, Konan took the letter, separating it from her hand then turning the piece of paper into a butterfly like every year. She held it with her hand softly then told Pein, "Oh, you don't have to this year, anyway."

With that, Konan walked to the window and was prepared to set her butterfly off when Pein asked, "…Can I read your letter?"

Konan turned to him then nodded, handing him the butterfly. Pein watched it unfold then read her last wish letter:

'Dear Mother and Father,

Once again, I am fine as always. It has been years since the last time I sent a letter and this will be my last.

Actually, I don't have a wish for this year and never again… because I already have what I want.

I have my partner, Pein, and he's all I've ever wanted.

Thank for always watching over me but now, I can watch over myself and I trust that nothing will harm me as long as Pein is my partner.

Thank you, Mother and Father, for giving me someone like him. I love you.

Konan.'

Glancing at her from behind the letter, Pein muttered, "I see. Now I know why this is your last letter…"

Konan took the letter from him and finally, she let it go, watching it soar into the night sky. She followed it with her eyes before turning away.

The two exchanged glances before she excused herself, saying, "…I'll be back…"

She passed him, walking out of the door. Pein looked back at her, watching her walk off, out of the room. He looked down and remembered why Konan had stopped sending those dumb letters… and it was all his fault…

"Yahiko? Where are you?" Konan called out when she didn't find her companion beside her when he should be asleep there.

"Nagato, wake up!" Konan said, shoving her friend, "Yahiko's gone! We have to look for him!"

With that, Nagato blinked his eyes open then stumbled up to his feet. The two frantically searched nearby, hoping he didn't go off too far.

Minutes later, Nagato and Konan returned to their campsite, their search for Yahiko ended in vain. But Yahiko suddenly appeared from nearby. He held a cluster of Konan's favorite flowers and when Konan saw this, she asked him, "Where were you?"

Yahiko hid the flowers behind his back then stammered with a loud voice, "….I went for a leak."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Konan rushed to his back then took out the cluster of flowers he had. "This… This is what I wished for. Yahiko, don't tell me…"

Seeing that he had no choice, Yahiko admitted, "Yeah, yeah, I'm the one who's getting all the stuff you wish for. I went out to get those flowers you wished for and…"

Konan held the cluster, her gripping getting tighter with fury. "What? All this time it's been you? Why? Don't you have faith in my star? In my parents? Our parents?"

Yahiko looked away then muttered, feeling slightly ashamed, "I know that every time you'd make a stupid wish, you wouldn't find it the next day. Things don't work that way. But it's such a shame to find you disappointed… so, I get those stuff and pretend that I didn't, anyway."

With the explanation, Konan's furrowed brow began to relax and soon, she was smiling, "You've been doing this every year… for me?"

Yahiko gave her an annoyed look to hide the eagerness, "Duh. You owe me, Konan."

Konan laughed then said, "That's so nice of you, Yahiko. But, if it doesn't really work, then what's the use of sending those letters…"

He saw a tinge of discouragement in her eyes as she said, holding the cluster, "I guess I'll stop sending them. It'll save both of us the hassle, right Yahiko?"

Trying to be tough, he answered, "That's a relief! Well, off to bed now, eh?"

She giggled as Nagato yawned once again.

But Yahiko knew how much it broke Konan's spirit.

…

Pein closed the open window then sat onto his bunk, still looking out the window, beyond the glass. He looked at the stars and all he could do was sigh.

He placed his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. Before he knew it, he heard Konan enter the room and take her place on her own bunk, ready to go sleep.

"Say, Konan…" Pein started, "Are you angry at me even until now… for, you know, breaking your hopes…?"

She turned to him then quietly said, "No. I was never angry."

Slightly relived, Pein nodded then turned to his side (the side facing her) and shut his eyes, trying to fall into a slumber.

"I'm actually grateful." Konan added before she drifted off to sleep.

Pein kept his eyes open as he saw her paper butterfly pass by, 'Yeah…' he thought, 'I'm glad I did that, then.'

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I'm sorry if it's not that good. I'm not in a writing mood. Were they OOC? I hope not. Technically, I don't know if Pein is Nagato or Yahiko. I just used Yahiko, anyway. It looks better that way, I guess.

Please leave a review.

Note: Sembei are Japanese crackers, if I'm right.