AN: Be warned that this is mostly the product of a brain fart. Enjoy anyway!


She takes his breath away.

Pretty would not be the best word to describe her now, especially with the dark purple rings under her eyes, even though she's certainly not ugly. But moments like this...

It rarely snows in Konoha. He's been fortunate enough to have been witness to a few snowfalls, but this was her first. She watches with silent awe. He admires the elegant curve of her nose, the strength of her jawline, the wildness of her hair, and that proud sadness in her eyes that he could never begin to fathom.

He hopes that she is just tired. But he has never seen her tired. And he hopes that her being there with him has somehow lightened whatever burden she is carrying. He curses himself for thinking this because he knows he will regret it later, but he decides that he wants to embark on this journey with her. Maybe it's the brightness of the snowy fields that is making her eyes so bright and so sad. But maybe if they stick together, they can feel warm, and soft, and human again.

So he does something he has never done before.

He takes her hand and he says to her, "Troublesome woman, you're beautiful."