PurpleSkye: To those who already read this, please read this again. My e-mail buddy, ade5kira, helped me edit some parts of it so it'll be much more presentable. Thank you, ade5kira!

The Ninja Academy was closed and not to mention empty of its usual occupants just because of the upcoming storm on its way to Konoha (Hidden Leaf Village). The chunin instructors were given a well-deserved break from teaching and the soon-to-be-genins were stuck at their homes with absolutely nothing to do. And alas, Uchiha Sasuke was one of them. A little rain wouldn't keep him from getting out there and training; nothing ever would. Anyway, it wasn't raining yet, though the wind outside was harsh and mind-blowing.

It was finally decided; Sasuke would train himself no matter what, and no one or nothing would stop him from doing so. As he was about to open the door out of his apartment, he suddenly remembered his kunais and shurikens and that he was supposed to bring them along with him. Seriously, how could he forget? He sighed as he retreated back into his bedroom where he often kept his weapons.

Opening his bedside drawer, Sasuke gathered all his weapons into a leather pouch. As he got his last kunai out, an old photograph slipped to the floor. He picked it up and stared at it intently. For a minute, he did not recognize who the young girl in the picture was with his five-year-old self. But he swore he had known who owned that long black hair and those captivating red eyes. Was it -?

"Aiko..?" he whispered realizing he was looking at the pretty face of his childhood friend.

FLASHBACK

It was about lunchtime and Uchiha Mikoto had asked her youngest son, Sasuke, to look for his older brother – Itachi. Sasuke gladly complied to his mother's wishes and went off immediately to search. He went into the forest where he knew that his brother always trained in. He started to yell his brother's name when...

"WATCH OUT!" a girl yelled as she tackled Sasuke, an incoming kunai whizzing past their noses, narrowly missing them.

She got off of him once she was sure the danger had passed, and quickly asked in a worried voice: "Are you all right?"

Sasuke simply nodded, frozen in shock.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl exclaimed, pushing a stray strand of her long black hair out of her ruby-red eyes. "I thought you were my brother!" she explained, somewhat embarrassed by her actions.

"It's okay." Sasuke mumbled, gathering the courage to speak. "Wha –" he tried to ask her name before something interrupted him.

"AIKO!" someone yelled, making the girl turn around.

'So her name is Aiko...' Sasuke thought, still staring at the girl.

"I'm coming, Onii-san!" she shouted in reply, standing up and leaving immediately.

Sasuke never saw her again after that incident. Not until a few days later when his mother's younger sister – Aya – came for a visit did he see the cute girl again. He hid behind the doorway, simply watching the grown-ups' conversation from afar.

"Is this Aiko? My goodness! You grew up so fast!" Mikoto screamed in excitement, embracing the young girl. "Do you still remember who I am?"

The little girl nodded her little head and smiled brightly at Mikoto.

"Where were the two of you, Aya?" Mikoto asked, carrying the three-year-old onto her lap. "You've been gone for so long."

"Well, here and there. Anywhere to keep Aiko safe." Aya answered, concern filled her dark black orbs. "I had to keep her away from Takeshi too." She added in a silent whisper.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Mikoto retorted, appalled by this piece of information.

"He kept training her to become a fighter! I couldn't let him teach Aiko how to hurt other people." Aya explained.

"You can't keep them apart, Aya. They're the only ones left. Takeshi's the only one she's got besides you." Mikoto lectured her younger sister in a matter-of-fact tone. "And besides, she's an Ichiro and they're naturally born fighters." She continued.

"Don't you think I know that, Onee-san?" Aya told her older sibling in her own defense. "That's the reason I came back to Konoha." She continued, bowing her head in defeat; she knew her sister was right all along.

Then suddenly, Aiko got down from Mikoto's lap and walked towards the door leading to the hallway. The two women watched with such curiosity as she waddled her way to the later destination. All they heard was her chuckling cutely, having found something to her amusement.

"Hello! My name is Ichiro Aiko!" she told the little boy just about her age, who had been hiding behind the door, as she noticed, all this time. "What's yours?" she then asked him curious.

END FLASHBACK

So, that's where it all began – they're friendship anyway. It had been seven years since he last saw her, though. And even though he would most likely deny it, he had almost forgot about her. The innocent look on her face; the cute sound of her laughter – it was all coming back to him after so long a time. How he missed those days when he'd see her smiling brightly at him; she seemed to become a distant memory to him.

"When will I ever get to see her again..?" Sasuke whispered as he continued to stare at their childhood photos, having found most of it inside his drawer.

Then, Sasuke heard the soft pitter-patter of rain hitting his clear bedroom window. He hadn't noticed the time that had passed; he had been standing there and staring at those pictures for more than an hour already. He just couldn't help but be captivated by Aiko's crimson eyes. And unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to pursue training.

Sasuke sighed but when he went to return the old photographs, something really shiny caught the attention of his deep black eyes. He reached out his hand pulled the silver-chained necklace from the inside of his bedside drawer. He surveyed it carefully, searching for its significance. Suddenly, the idea hit him (not literally, of course). It was similar to the one he gave Aiko on her 5th birthday.

FLASHBACK

It was a bright and sunny Friday morning when the now five-year-old Sasuke made his way to his aunt's house. Today, on the 23rd day of July, was not only Uchiha Sasuke's birthday but also the youngest living Ichiro's too.

"I hope Aiko likes my present!" the little boy chorused as he knocked on Aya's front door.

"Oh hello, Sasuke!" his aunt greeted as she saw him standing at her doorstep. "Happy birthday, by the way." She added, giving him an embrace and a small kiss on his forehead.

"Arigato." He replied politely. "Can I see, Aiko?" he added smiling.

"Well, of course." Aya answered, somewhat sad.

"Hmm...Is there anything wrong?" Sasuke asked her innocently as he went in the house.

"Aiko's pretty upset today, Sasuke." She explained, worry present in the way she told him.

"Why is that?" he retorted, curious and also anxious.

"Takeshi went off on a mission with your brother last night and they won't come back until next week." Aya elaborated further. "You know as well as I do that she wanted him to stay for her birthday, right Sasuke? But he couldn't turn down such an important mission." Aya concluded, sighing soon after.

"I'll make her happy again, Aya-san!" Sasuke stated, full of energy.

Aya simply smiled at him, encouraging him to do what he said he would. So, Sasuke went up to Aiko's room and knocked on her door. She answered the door for him, a smile still showing on her tear-stained face as she tried her hardest not to cry anymore.

"Happy birthday, Aiko!" Sasuke told her, trying his best to cheer her up.

At this, Aiko buried her face into her hands as she fell to her knees and cried. This shocked Sasuke but he comforted her nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around him and cried unto his shoulders.

"He – promised – me – he – wouldn't – leave!" she sobbed, hugging him tighter.

"It's not his fault, Aiko. It was an important mission." He explained. "You know he would've stayed with you if he had a choice." He continued.

She ceased her weeping, stunned by Sasuke's words. He was indeed correct. Takeshi would never do that on purpose. She wiped away her tears and smiled.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She told him gratefully.

She did not let him go, at least not yet. When she finally released him after a few moments, she was back to her normally cheerful self.

"I almost forgot, Sasuke-kun." She stated as they both stood up from the floor. "Happy birthday!" she continued, smiling widely for the first time that day.

"Arigato, Aiko." He replied, smiling back at her. "I –" he started to say, his hand in his pocket; clutching the gift he had bought for her.

"Wait!" she interrupted, grabbing his hand and pulling him into her room. "I wanted to give you something!" she added, sitting him on the bed.

"Aiko, I –" Sasuke tried to say as the five-year-old girl was looking for something.

"Wait a second! I know it's here somewhere." She interrupted once again. "YES! Here it is!" she yelled with complete joy as she held a book in her hands.

It was a scrapbook, as far as Sasuke could tell and it was for him. He looked at it and then to Aiko quizzically.

"Aya-Okaa-san thought of it." Aiko explained. "She even helped me with it." She added in an embarrassed whisper.

"Thanks, Aiko." He said in response, grinning as he turned each page of the scrapbook. "I have something for you too!" he suddenly said, shutting the book closed.

"You didn't have –" she started to protest but Sasuke simply pushed the nicely wrapped present into her hands.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she began unwrapping the gift neatly. Inside it was a cute black box. She opened it and saw a beautiful necklace with its charm being a heart that was cut in half. She was amazed by its elegance yet austere look; it was simply exquisite.

"And look, Aiko! I have one too!" he said proudly showing his necklace that was similar to hers. "If you put them together it would form a heart, see?" he added, demonstrating it to her.

END FLASHBACK

What he said was no less than true. Putting his necklace together with Aiko's really did make the heart whole and besides that, one would be able to understand the words engraved on them – "Together Forever". Without the other they wouldn't be together, right?

He smiled slightly as he continued staring at it and then wrapped its slender chain on his neck. Something told him that their reunion would happen soon enough. At that instance of time, he didn't know how right he actually was.

Meanwhile, you were running for your life. To tell everyone the truth, you've been at it for hours and still they didn't give up on you. And by 'they', you mean the people who worked for the one who had kidnapped you seven years ago.

"DON'T YOU GUYS EVER GIVE UP?" you shouted at them, feeling yourself gradually loosing strength.

There was no reply. You sighed as you took their silence as a 'no' and kept running away. Originally, there were twenty of these ninjas but they were now down to two. Considering how fragile and thin you looked, no one would've guessed you would be able to fight off that many. But because of all the harsh trainings you've gone through, you had become too powerful for them to handle.

You were getting really exhausted, sad to say. But you couldn't surrender yourself now; you didn't go through all this trouble escaping just so you could get captured again. You, Ichiro Aiko, would never do such a monstrous deed; you were not a quitter and you would never be.

You strained your crimson eyes, trying your hardest to keep them open. You then stopped at a clearing not far from Konoha, catching your racing breath. The pouring rain drenched your long black hair and not to mention your bloodstained clothes; your whole, entire body was soaking wet.

"If I were you, I'd remit yourself to us." One of your pursuers told you threateningly.

"Unfortunately, I'm neither one of you." You retorted, facing them both in your fighting stance. "I will never return with you!" you added stubbornly.

And thus, the fight began...