Reliance
by Arethusa Fellini

He will think to himself that he has come to depend too much on her ability to read and support his every move.

She will think to herself that she has come to depend too much on his abilities alone but not have any for herself.

Then she will feel the burden. Then he will feel the burden.

And they will shout at each other. Because he is selfish and so is she. Because she is independent and so is he. But in the back of their heads, they will immediately regret it.

And when she leaves him she will ask for his youthful rival to talk to him.

And when he leaves her he will ask for his shy, gentle cousin to talk to her.

And these two people will accidentally know of each other's intention. And they will smile at each other knowingly and laugh it off. And they will agree to feign innocence and tell the two who ordered them that they couldn't find the person they wanted.

Then, both will feel the frustration of their situation. Then, both will let go of their pride. 'Just this time,' they will think.

Tomorrow, she will look for him. Tomorrow, he will look for her as she will look for him.

And when they see each other, she will head towards him and gaze hesitantly but sincerely at his pale eyes. And she will show him what she feels through her eyes.

And he will see it. And he will take one step to bring them closer together. And he will bring her into the circle of his arms. And he will breathe in the scent of her twin-bunned hair as he settles her head on the crook of his neck.

Then, she will say to herself once again that she loves him. Then, he will admit to himself once again that he loves her.

But neither will speak these thoughts out loud. Because she is selfish and so is he. Because he is independent and so is she. But in the back of their heads, they admit to themselves these flaws. Because she needs him as he needs her.

Fin

Disclaimer: This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.