Change of Heart

By Major Mike Powell III

"Haruka-san!" The anguished cry came from the puppeteer shinobi's dorm room door, soon followed by a few weak knocks on the wood.

Haruka was at the door immediately, opening it wide to reveal the sight of a distraught Hibari.

The older woman was about to ask what was wrong, but the adorable pinkette had already invited herself in by wrapping her arms around Haruka's slim waist and burying her tear-stained face in her friend's huge cleavage, letting a soft wail of sadness.

"Haruka-san...Haruka-san...! I...I couldn't...I couldn't do it!" The poor Hanzo Academy shinobi cried into the surprised Haruka's huge, pink-and-white clad chest. The bow-wearing blonde's surprised and confused expression soon melted into regret as she quickly understood the situation.

"Oh Hibari-chan...I'm so sorry..." She said softly, hugging Hibari back, patting her lower back and her silky pink head of hair. "Come on, take a sit and tell me what happened." She said and led Hibari to her huge bed, sitting them down on the edge, keeping a secure, comforting hold on the flower-eyed girl.

The distraught young woman's sobs soon enough became just sniffles and hiccups here and there, having gotten it all out of her system after she jumped into her dear friend's chest.

"I...well, it was dinner time..." She began.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was subtle, not something Hibari was usually keen on, but with the simple words of "Ne, Yagyuu-chan?", their fellow good shinobi were quick to make up one reason or another to leave the dinner table...and therefore leave Hibari alone with Yagyuu, whose undivided attention was on her adorable comrade even as she munched away on a piece of fried calamari.

"Yes, Hibari? What is it?" She said in her usual stoic, soft voice, keeping her eye on the pinkette as Hibari sat down next to her, looking sheepish and anxious.

"Well, Yagyuu-chan...I just wanted to...um...you know how I've been kind of busy these past few days?" She began, idly playing with the hem of her school uniform's skirt.

"Yes, Hibari. I noticed. What have you been up to? You seem to have been having a lot of fun." Yagyuu asked and then mentioned, bearing a soft smile. Hibari's pink flower eyes widened slightly. She was clearly surprised herself. She then smiled sheepishly.

"W-Well, yeah, I've been having fun while...well...getting ready for something." Yagyuu tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "You see, Yagyuu-chan...I asked a...a friend for some advice. And...and I think I'm...I'm ready..." Hibari's already soft voice was almost a whisper now and Yagyuu, being the very observant girl she was, noticed there was a clearly troubled look on her oldest friend's lovely face.

"Hibari...is everything Ok?" A slight tone of worry flowed into Yagyuu's question. The girl then reached out and took the umbrella-wielding shinobi's hands in both of hers. Surprised, Yagyuu looked at their joined hands and then, up at Hibari's face, which was now not too far away from hers.

"Yagyuu-chan...I...It's...I just...I had a little help and now I'm ready to tell you that...that I...I lo-"

Yagyuu's eye widened, but then narrowed in deep concern when Hibari suddenly stopped at what the silver-haired shinobi thought was the most important part of the sentence.

"Hibari...?" She whispered. The pinkette herself seemed surprised, and the look on her face turned strained, as she were struggling with something. She shook her head this way and that, and her hands began to shake as they squeezed Yagyuu's.

"Yagyuu-chan...I...I lo...I love...!" Yagyuu's eye widened. "Damn it! Why can't I say it?!" Hibari cried out in frustration.

"Hibari...you...you're..." Hibari's pink eyes widened when her dear friend pulled one of her hands away from Hibari's hold on it and reached up to gently cup Hibari's cheek, soft...and wet with tears.

"Hibari...you're crying. Why? What's wrong?" Yagyuu frowned in confusion and concern. Hibari seemed very surprised at this, herself.

"Huh...I'm wha? Crying...but why...?! I'm confessing to...to...you're my dearest friend! I love...I lo-..." Hibari was very upset and more tears began to streak down her cheeks.

"Hibari..." Yagyuu was stunned.

"..." Hibari's face fell and she looked down, her soft pink bangs obscuring her eyes. That didn't hide the tears from view, though, as the tiny, salty drops fell. "I can't...I can't say it...damn!" Hibari's looked back up, her beautiful features marred by a distraught expression. "Damn it! I can't say it! I'm sorry, Yagyuu-chan!"

And with that, Hibari let go of Yagyuu's hands, stood up and ran out the door.

Yagyuu was left momentarily left alone at the dinner table with a blank look on her face, before Asuka, Katsuragi and Ikaruga burst in from the open door to the next room, shouting Hibari's name in concern and utter confusion, and going over to check up on Yagyuu.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"S-So...I couldn't think of anywhere else...nobody else to run to...but you, Haruka-san..." Hibari finished her tale. The busty blonde gently rubbed small circles on the younger girl's back and gently squeezed her in her embrace as she took in the information.

"Hibari-chan...I'm sorry. I think I know where you are going with this...and I believe I know what happened." She then gently but firmly took Hibari by the shoulders and turned her to be face-to-face with each other. She then moved one hand to gently cup Hibari's surprised face, gently stroking it with the pad of her thumb.

"And I'm sure that you know it, too." She said, letting the revelation linger in the air.

A couple of seconds of a blank look in Hibari's eyes, and her expression then turned to absolute shock.

"Haaahh?! What...?! What?! B-But, Haruka-san...is that even possible!" She cried, moving her hands to her heart, confused pink staring into serene forest-green.

"Think about it, Hibari-chan. You came to me a week ago, asking me for advice because you wanted to confess to Yagyuu-san. It was logical, considering our history. I did everything I could for you, the dates, the public displays of affection, everything short of your first kiss." Haruka explained. Hibari unconsciously leaned her face into the palm of Haruka's hand cupping her cheek. "Hibari-chan...something like this happening is not uncommon. When you explore the aspects of a relationship with somebody you went to for advice, not the one you actually wanted to be in a relationship with...it's perfectly logical for something like this happen."

Haruka's fingers then went from cupping Hibari's cheek to her small chin.

"Hibari-chan...you know what I'm talking about, don't you?" She whispered.

Hibari's response was an uncertain whisper.

"H-Haruka-san...please...say it."

Haruka smiled and leaned in, her lips barely avoiding Hibari's as she moved them to her ear. Slowly, she whispered...

"Change of heart."

Hibari gasped quietly.

"Change of heart...? Then...I...I fell out of love with Yagyuu-chan..." Haruka's beautiful face returned to Hibari's field of vision. "I...may I try...?"

Haruka smiled warmly and nodded subtly. Hibari took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. She gazed into Haruka's eyes with determination.

"Haruka-san...I...I love you. Huh? I...I said it...?" Hibari asked herself. She was clearly in shock...but the shock soon gave way to utter relief and a soft smile that reached her beautiful flower eyes. "Haruka-san...I love you!"

The bow-wearing blonde gently rubbed Hibari's arm with her other hand and returned Hibari's smile with a warm one of her own.

"Thank you, Hibari-chan. I love you too."

And then, both women leaned in, closing their eyes on their approach, until their lips met in a chaste, lingering kiss; a simple caress of lips that left a tingling feeling in its wake after their separated.

Haruka gazed into Hibari's smiling, watery eyes as a couple of rebellious tears slipped down the pinkette's cheeks; tears of joy.

"Thank you, Haruka-san. Thank you so much! Please, be my girlfriend!" Hibari cried excitedly, earning a lyrical giggle from the busty blonde. Her reply was a new kiss, this time, deep and passionate, making Hibari gasp and moan softly as Haruka pulled her into her lap, their voluptuous bodies meeting and molding together like pieces of a beautiful puzzle.

Once they broke apart, not without a thin string of saliva joining their lips, the two young women touched their foreheads together, smiling happily with closed eyes.

Then, Hibari's eyes shot wide open and she got off of Haruka's lap, looking distress and concerned.

"Oh no, oh no, Yagyuu-chan! Oh my God, I left Yagyuu-chan back at Hanzo Academy, oh, and the others too! Mou, they must be really angry at me, and looking for me, and...oh God, this is bad!" The poor dear panicked. Haruka looked at her in amusement, giggling gently. She stood up and gently took Hibari by the shoulders, kissing her forehead.

"Calm down, darling. They must be more concerned than anything right now. Come, let's go meet them. You have a friendship to save, don't you?" Haruka took Hibari's hand and headed for the door. Hibari stumbled a little, but she soon calmed down and grasped Haruka's hand with both of her own.

"Y-Yeah! You're right, Haruka-san! Yagyuu-chan, and the others, they are still my dearest friends! Let's go!"

And so, the new couple headed out the door and out into the street to meet the rest of the Hanzo Academy shinobi.

Hibari had a friendship to save, and Haruka had a girlfriend to support.

~FIN~

Author's Notes: Huh...?

...

HAH?! I did it? I did it?!

...

Hoooooly s**t! I DID IT! I wrote a "Senran Kagura" story! :DDDD Oh my God, this...holy crap. I didn't think I could do it! LOL And to think I had this idea while watching the episode of Monday Night Raw I downloaded yesterday. XD

Well, I have to send a shoutout and thank you to my good friend Roxius, 'cuz I had initially conceived this idea by chatting with him on Facebook, and I, in fact, asked him to write it for me. Guess I...got a little impatient, eh Rox-kun? Sowwy~ Still, I dedicate this little one-shot to you, my friend! :3

Also, people, I recommend you check out this story "Ninja Kisses", right here in this section. It's an awesome AsukaxHomura one-shot, with potential chapters coming next. ;D

So, yeah, thanks for reading, and please leave a nice review, 'k? :3 Or you can rage about how dare I split YagyuuxHibari. LOL Trust me: I love those two just as much. Ask Rox-kun and Sketchy Tetra. :D

So, have a nice day~!

Semper-Fi! Carry on!