Sorry for the long wait everyone, but just to let you guys know, I have not given up on this story and I have not dropped off the face of this earth. I've just been super busy with school and everything and I'm just glad that during this break that I'll be able to update. I'm excited to hear what you guys think of the new chapter considering that I haven't updated in awhile. So whether you liked it, loved it, or hated it and thought it needs some more improvement, make sure to review at the end of the chapter. Thanks again! :)

I'm glad ot be back and I don't want to keep you guys waiting, so here's a new chapter for I'll Wait For You. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone and I'm grateful that my readers enjoy my story.


Chapter 8: New Adjustments

I sometimes look back at life and wonder how do we know that we have everything figured out? At a small age, many children have their own aspirations and goals that they want to live up to and when they grow older, they still want to reach their dreams. I wasn't the type of child with far-fetched dreams or any high goals at all. Throughout my life, I knew the type of environment that I was growing up in was caging me in as well. The type of lifestyle I was living was holding me back, but now that I look back at all the lessons and all the time I had spent back with my family and my home, I can't lie to myself and tell myself that I don't miss it because truth be told, I wish I could turn back time and return to it.

All I can say is that I've taken things for granted that I never should've in the first place; the truth is, you don't know what you really have until it's gone. And when I finally accepted that, I think I gained some closure; I accepted that my brother was gone and by allowing myself to do so, I was able to move on with my life. Let's face it, I couldn't stay in my room and be indoors for the rest of my life because I would drive myself crazy; I needed sunlight, the nice ocean breeze, and the smell of fresh air, and maybe that's what made me realize that I can't hold onto the past anymore.

Sometimes people need to let go of things and move on because that makes all the pain easier to face head on. The pain will always be there, but as the days passed on, it became easier to handle, especially with Makoto there.

There was something about him that made me feel secure; he made me feel better about myself, better about my own situation and just turned my life around. It felt like I had known him all my life despite how we've only known each other for a few months; he was the type of person who would go out of his way for me and make sure that I was comfortable here.

I found him to be quite a peaceful person who lived for his village and for those people close to him and I can't shake off the feeling that maybe I was starting to develop feelings for him as well. He was different from most guys I knew and he was just someone who liked me for me; it was as though he could understand me, just like my brother had before he died.

'Life's something Kami has given us; he's given us the chance to have a family, fall in love, and live happily ever after, but it's not easy to do, Hikari; it'll take some hard work, but in the end, if you put in all your effort, you'll find that happy ending.' –Akio

My brother used to always tell me that, and I think I'm starting to understand why; there's always suffering that you have to go through before you reach the happy ending and I think that was what I'm going through right now. And maybe, just maybe, Makoto would be my knight in shining armor who would rescue me.


A few months had passed since I arrived in the Hidden Mist Village and as I was now leaning against my window sill, I looked out of my window towards my newfound environment. Truth be told that I could never call this home and as my green orbs scanned the beginnings of the cold winter months, my own body shivered as I realized how much colder it would get.

At the moment I was wearing probably the thickest clothing I had with me, which were some dark black pants and a long-sleeved, dark forest green shirt, and that wasn't enough to keep me warm. As I made my way across the room, I tried to warm myself up as I hugged myself and tried to create some heat as I rubbed my arms.

It wasn't exactly helpful, but the action was able to keep my mind off from most of the cold and as I continued on, I started to think about how my day would go. Like always, I would head off towards my part-time job at a flower shop, but seeing how I had already gone and finished my shift, I had nothing to do. The shop was fairly empty today seeing how cold it was getting, and now that I thought about it, why would anyone in their right mind even have a flower shop in such a cold place? It didn't make any sense to me and as I looked back at the window, I could see the formation of the cold fog forming on the glass, and finally succumbed to my body's desire as it screamed at me to find some warmth.

I slowly guided my body towards the soft, warm covers of my bed and as felt myself fall right into them, I hadn't realized how tired I was until I felt my eyes close and allow me to fall into the darkness.

Dream

It was as though I was floating; the whole background was a bright white color and as I covered my eyes from the bright light that was now illuminating the whole area, my green orbs finally adjusted as I opened them and saw someone before me.

I was in shock and as I looked back at him, I was surprised how he looked just like himself; with his dark jet black hair and vibrant purple orbs, there was no mistaking it that it was my brother, Akio, standing before me.

I saw him with his charming smile and as I tried to reach out for him, he abruptly lifted his palm and signaled for me to stop my advance. At that, my feet stopped myself and as I now only stood a few feet from him, I was confused; all I wanted to do was embrace him and never let go and as I now raised an eyebrow at his gesture, I waited for him to say or do something to tell me that he was actually here with me.

"Hikari, you're not safe here." I heard him say as his purple eyes quickly turned stern.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Akio? How am I not safe?" I asked as I tried to step closer, but as I tried, I only saw my brother take one step back.

"There are forces out there that are endangering your life right now; you need protection." Stated my brother.

"I thought I was already safe? Makoto's taking care of me, isn't that enough?"

"I can't tell you much Hikari, but all I can say is that you're not safe; watch out for yourself and whatever you do, don't trust anyone. There are people out there who are after you and they won't stop at anything to get to you. You're the remaining Tsutano, Hikari; that entitles several things, but the most important is what we were hiding."

"The Hero's Water…" I silently whispered as I turned towards my brother and saw him nod at my statement.

"There's a reason why I gave you that necklace, Hikari. Remember to always wear it and keep it near you; it's for your own protection. But for now, you need someone who you can trust because when the time comes where someone comes after you, you need to turn to that person for help."

"But there has to be more than that, Akio. What else aren't you telling me?"

"I'm sorry, Hikari, but I don't have enough time to explain. I have to go, but for now, be safe and try to stay out of trouble…" Akio said as I watched him slowly disappear from my view.

And before I knew it, I felt myself slowly fall to my knees; in one moment, I was with my brother, and in the next, I found myself alone.

End of dream.

I woke up abruptly in a cold sweat and as I sat up in my bed, I quickly threw the covers off of me as I grabbed the silver necklace off from my bedside table and put it around my neck.

The dream that I had just experienced felt more than just a figment of my imagination; it actually felt real, as though Akio was really there.

But it wouldn't make any sense; why would my mind conjure up pictures of my brother knowing how much he affected me. I didn't know what was happening; maybe I was just becoming slightly insane because deep down I missed my brother, but there was more to that dream that I could comprehend.

Someone or something was after me; my brother was warning me about something and as I tried to calm myself down to think clearly, the mere thought of being endangered was scary to me.

I took a moment to go over the many possibilities and as I just decided to give the topic some thought later, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since the time I had arrived back to my temporary shelter.

My stomach was grumbling loudly and as the sound reached my ears, I was quick to get up from my bed and check the clock on the wall; as my eyes scanned over it, I realized that I had slept for at least four hours and as it was now almost five o'clock, I decided that it really was time to eat something.

With that thought in mind, I made my way towards the kitchen; it was plain, painted just pure white with white appliances to match, and as I made my way towards the refrigerator, I took out some bread and a couple slices of meat and lettuce to make a sandwich.

As I finished my arrangement of food between the two slices of bread, I was quick to finish my meal. There were only crumbs of the bread left on the plate and as I gulped down a glass of milk to soothe my dry throat, I realized that Makoto had never come back from the office.

I had placed my plate into the sink and I quickly realized that there wasn't another plate under it, which only further reinforced my conclusion that he didn't come back to eat.

I was a bit worried about Makoto and as I clutched tightly on the silver necklace that was around my neck, I bit my bottom lip and decided that he was probably staying in the office because there was probably a lot of work to do. Instead of trying to concentrate on the negative possibilities, I decided that I should keep my mind off of it and make some food for him. Considering that he's been working for awhile, he'd be hungry by now and the least I could do for him was to make dinner and show my appreciation for everything that he's done for me.

Flashback:

"..you know he's been talking about you a lot, right Hikari?" said my brown-haired co-worker as she was cleaning the front desk.

"Huh? Who are you talking about, Yuki?" I asked as I finished a flower arrangement and neatly put it on the top shelf.

"Makoto of course! Don't tell me that you don't know how he feels about you?" Yuki asked as she abruptly stopped and looked at me with her chocolate brown eyes.

As I blushed and looked away from her gaze, I stopped trying to adjust this flower's petal and fidgeted with my fingers as I tried to come up with a response. "Well…I never knew that he cared that much about me if he's talking about me that much."

Raising her brow at me, Yuki quickly shook her head in disappointment and said, "Hikari, I don't think you realize how much he cares about you. This entire village basically knows how he feels about you and you seem to be the only person who doesn't notice it. I can't believe it." Yuki had said as I saw her hit the palm of her hand to her forehead and then turned towards me again. "I would've thought you'd realize by now seeing that he basically saved you, let you stay in his home, and has taken care of you."

"Oh, well I suppose I do now…" I said as I returned back to my work.

As I continued adjusting the leaf until it was in the right position, I was about to move onto the next flower arrangement before Yuki sneaked up behind me; as I turned around and shrieked in surprise, I immediately turned to see if anyone had noticed and I was grateful that no one was there to hear my scream.

"Yuki!" I harshly whispered, "What was that about?"

"Hikari, do you guys sleep together?"

"…yes, we sleep everyday." I said as I casually moved onto the next arrangement, but what I wasn't expecting was that Yuki continued to follow me and nearly squealed after what I had just told her.

"You've slept with the Mizukage's son?" Yuki nearly screamed and as I finally realized that I had heard her question wrong, I was quick to drop everything and quickly cover her mouth.

My cheeks were now a light red color and as I abruptly tried to stop Yuki from saying another word, I was quick to tackle her to the ground with my hand still over her mouth. As I watched her stop struggling in my grasp, I loosened my grip on her and allowed her to settle down before I continued on.

"Yuki, don't say anything…I didn't mean it like that! I thought you meant if we get enough sleep every day. I swear to you that we've never done anything like that." I firmly said as I had tackled Yuki down to the ground and made her keep silent as I slowly let my hand move away from her mouth.

"Whatever you say, Hikari…." She said as she briskly passed me and finished cleaning the surface of the desk.

As I rolled my green orbs at her childish antics, I was about to put some more vases back on the shelves, but my legs abruptly stopped as I turned to Yuki and asked, "Yuki, what has Makoto been saying about me?

Curious was an understatement on what I was feeling right now because I was more than curious; I was at least anxious and a bit scared to hear what Makoto thinks of me and as I watched Yuki go through her thoughts, the whole atmosphere of suspense was nearly killing me.

As I was about to lose my patience, Yuki finally spoke aloud and said, "All I've heard around town was that he's always been talking about how unique you are and how your appearance makes you different from any other girl he's seen. I've also heard him calling you his angel and how he might plan to propose to you, but other than that, nothing else."

My eyes widened at her last statement and as I tried to hide the blush on my face and my expression of shear shock, I nodded and quietly turned away towards the back room. I felt my feet move and as I passed through the wooden doors, I was in a room full of vibrant flowers, left alone to think about what I had just heard.

'Could it be true that that's how he feels about me?'

End of flashback.

That whole flashback ran through my head as I was preparing the rice, meat, and vegetables for his dinner and as I grabbed a bento box from a cabinet, I quickly stored the food within it. Putting the top onto it, I was glad that I was able to create a decent meal full with onigiri, unagi, umeboshi, and dango, and I hoped in my heart that he would love it.

As I quickly made my way out of the kitchen and towards the closet, I quickly took out a thick navy jacket, gloves, and dark-colored shoes. I wrapped myself quickly into the jacket and as I put my gloves, hat, scarf, and shoes on, I quickly finished. As I buttoned the last button on my coat, I grabbed the bento box and ran out of the front door towards the Mizukage tower.

It had begun to get foggier again and as I maneuvered my way through the cold streets of the Hidden Mist Village, I could see my breath in the air as I was breathing heavily.

I was running as fast as I could towards the tower and as I finally made my way towards the large building, I entered and was able to get the feeling back in my limbs as I entered the warm building.

I quickly looked around and once I was able to remember where his office was situated, I moved towards that direction. I knew that it was in the left wing, the third door from the left because I had come to his office a couple times to just talk to him and help him out with his paperwork and as I was making the same turns I had made several times before, I had finally made it to his office.

The door was a cherry wood color and as I softly knocked on it, I heard Makoto's voice answer, telling me to come inside. I then slowly grabbed the golden handle and as I turned it, I was relieved to see that he was there.

His office was as neat as he was; everything was organized in its place and the walls were painted a dark blue color with a little lighting from the lamp on his desk. In the center was his black-colored desk and a big, black chair where he sat doing his paperwork.

As quickly as I came in, I quickly closed the door and approached his desk. I took a seat in a dark blue chair , directly in front of him, and as I waited patiently for him to finish signing his signature off for something, he quickly turned his gaze towards me and gave me a warm smile once he noticed I was there.

"I didn't know that you would come by today; this is actually a nice surprise." Makoto said as he stopped working and turned his attention to me.

Smiling at him, I nodded and replied with, "I was just worried since you didn't come back for lunch, so I thought you'd be hungry so I made you a bento box." I had said as I handed him the box and watched him open it.

As I saw him scan over the contents of the box, I was nervous to see what he would think about my cooking. And as I saw him break his chopsticks and pick up a pick of unagi and put it into his mouth, I watched him chew and swallow, waiting for his judgment.

"It's really good. Arigato, Hikari, this was very thoughtful of you." Makoto said as he continued eating.

I could see that he really liked it and I was glad that he appreciated the amount of work I put into it. I never realized it, but his opinion about me is important to me and as he quickly finished the whole box, I realized that he must've been pretty hungry this whole time.

"I'm glad you liked it. You must've been pretty hungry if you ate it that fast." I said as I smiled at him and slightly giggled at the blush coming up from the surface of his face.

"I've been stuck in here the entire day, so yes, I've been hungry this entire time. I'm glad that you made this for me."

"I see, so what have you been up to?" I asked as my curiosity got the best of me. I saw the amount of paperwork that was stacked on his desk and as I tried to see what was on the papers, I couldn't really make out what it said.

"Just looking over some treaties and such, but I'm almost done, so we can go out together and have a fun night. That is, if that's all right with you." He said as he stopped to look at me and see my reaction.

I was shocked and I knew that it showed on my face, but as I looked back at Makoto, I couldn't help but smile and nod my head as I agreed with his offer.

Seeing his eyes light up in delight, I could see that I really did make him happy and as he quickly returned back to his work without another word, I left him to his work as I quietly sat in my chair and waited patiently for him to finish.


After another hour of work, Makoto had finally finished looking over all the paperwork and as I was now helping him file away some of them into the many file cabinets in his office, we were finally done within another minute.

"Now that that's done, I say we get out of here and have some fun." Makoto had as he turned towards me and took my hand in his.

I nodded and as I let him drag me out the door into the coldness of the night, I was glad that I was getting to spend time with him.

I had to admit that Makoto was probably the reason why I was still sane at the moment because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to make it through all of this and I don't think I'd be able to be happy ever again. But he changed all of that for me; I didn't know how I couldn't see that he cared about me because at the moment I could clearly see how obvious it was.

I could see how much his eyes lit up when I'm with him and as I inched closer to him to make my body warmer, I felt him sling his arm around my waist, moving me closer towards him.

"I think we should go get you some more clothes for the winter; I can tell Hikari that you're still adjusting to the weather and I don't want you to catch any illness or anything. It's better to be safe than sorry." He said aloud as he looked at me with his intense gaze.

I nodded and as we silently made our way towards the shopping district of the Hidden Village in the Mist, I was excited because this day was getting better as time passed.


We quickly entered into a store and as I was thankful that it was warm inside, I saw from the corner of my eye that Makoto was smirking at me due to my discomfort with the cold. It was a little immature, but I couldn't help but notice that Makoto was a handsome guy and despite how I rolled my eyes at him a joking manner, I was just doing it to avoid blushing in front of him.

Suddenly, I felt him grab my hand again and lead me towards the right section of winter clothes. As I approached the stacks of clothes, I was quick to look for thick sweaters, coats, and shoes for the upcoming winter weather.

I was thankful that Makoto was so willing to provide for me and as I grabbed several clothes and showed him which ones I liked, I got the sense that he was happy to spend time with me as well. I could see that from his smile he liked to be with me and as I looked back at him, I realized that maybe I was developing feelings for him as well.

I didn't know how to explain how I felt, but I guess I could say that I felt like a giddy school-girl who just found her long-time crush. Something about Makoto made me feel safe and happy and I was just thankful to have something like that around me.

He was someone who I could fully trust and now that I look back at it, he's always been there for me when I needed him most.

This may be my tough journey, but he's been through the whole ride with me. He's dealt with all the good times and the bad times so I felt that he truly understood me. I could probably tell him anything and know that he wouldn't judge me about it like the other people in this village or anywhere else.

He probably is one of the only few who have seen both sides of my personality; I could be emotional and loud or soft and kind and he's been able to break through my walls. I could see that he cares about me and maybe I really was falling for him.


We had finished getting all my winter clothes in less than two hours and as we both were leaving the store, I couldn't help but feel that this day was beginning to feel magical, as if it was the beginning of a fairy tale.

Makoto had taken my hand in his again and as we both were walking around the village, I could see that the stars and the moon were shining brightly down upon us. It was as though I was in a dream, a magical dream that was giving me a ray of hope that I could have a future here.

It was a nice feeling to know that I could be happy again and as I was quickly blindfolded my Makoto, I felt him slowly lead me towards who knows where. But despite the air of mystery that now surrounded us, I felt that I could trust him and despite wherever we were going, I was just happy to be with him.

The air was starting to get colder and as I felt a breeze pass through the atmosphere, I could almost smell the scent of the ocean or some sort of body of water. Makoto had suddenly stopped me and positioned me straight ahead towards somewhere unknown and removed the blindfold from my gaze. And at that moment, I was nearly shocked at what I saw.

Makoto had taken me to an ocean near the outskirts of town and as I watched the moon illuminate the blue water, I was astounded at how beautiful the scene was.

It was peaceful and as I silently sat down and enjoyed the sounds of the calm moving waves, I felt at home here. It was as though there was a sense of my old life lying in those waters and despite how I knew it was gone, something about any body of water made me feel like I still had a home to come back to.

The sand that was beneath me reminded me so much of my home and as I grasped some of it and let the pieces fall from the palms of my hand, it just felt right to be here at the moment.

I was content with the ocean breeze pushing past my snow white air and I completely embraced the feeling. As I looked back at the ocean and its calming waves, I couldn't help but smile.

I quickly turned back to Makoto, but I quickly realized that he had already taken a seat next to me, so as we both just sat on the sand in silence; it was as though we both knew that it was just a time to take everything in.

"I usually come here to clear my mind and just think without any interruptions." Makoto said as he turned towards me and waited for my response.

Before answering, I looked back at the scenery again and finally responded with, "It's just like the spot I used to go to back home; it's funny how we both have the same thoughts on how to clear our minds. It's nice here..."

"It is. It's like my sanctuary where I can go here anytime and just be me." He stated as he turned his gaze away from me and back to the waves.

As I slowly nodded and watched him from the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but return back to the scene and watch the waves slowly creep closer to where we were sitting.

"I felt like that too; the pond in the backyard was my sanctuary, the one place where I knew no one could judge me; the one place where I could figure out who I was."

Turning his head to look back at me, I looked up into his eyes and saw that he thought the same thing as well. In his eyes, I could see him think over my words and as I saw him slowly nod, there was another moment of silence between us.

I couldn't say that I didn't like the moment of silences we had because I enjoyed them; it was nice to know that someone was here beside me and despite how quiet it was, it was just nice to be in his presence.

"I know it's nothing compared to the pond you had back at home, but I was hoping that this would make up for it. I know how much you've been through, Hikari, and I can say that I'm proud of how far you've gotten. If I were you, I don't think I would've been unable to make it this far." Makoto had suddenly said as he looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"I don't think I would've been able to make it through without you, Makoto. You've always been there for me and you shouldn't be proud of me, you're the reason why I've made it this far. You are such a strong shinobi and compared to me, I'm just an ordinary person." I had said as continued to play with the sand between my fingertips.

"That's wrong" Makoto said with a stern voice and as I heard the tone of authority beneath it, I flinched a bit, afraid of what he was going to say. "You've come so far on your own; I was just there to help you along the way. The growth that you've achieved is because of yourself, Hikari, and don't let anyone tell you differently."

I blushed at his statement as took in what he said, I realized that Makoto thought higher of me than I ever had in my lifetime. I had always believed that I was a girl who was just afraid of everything; afraid of change, afraid of ending up alone, but maybe, I didn't have to be that way anymore because I have someone who cares about me sitting right beside me.

"Arigato, Makoto-kun. I didn't know that you thought so highly of me."

"You've changed into a stronger person, Hikari, and whether you see it or not, I have. Your journey's been tough, but you've been able to overcome so much. You're the real shinobi here." He replied as he gave me a soft smile and took my hand in his.

Smiling up at him at his gesture I looked at him and said, "How am I a shinobi? I don't even know how to fight let alone defend myself." I had blatantly said as I looked at him with one of my brows raised.

Chuckling at my statement and shaking his head in a joking manner, Makoto gave me another soft smile before continuing onto what he was going to say: "You're overlooking what makes a true shinobi, Hikari. It's not about skill or being ruthless on the battlefield; although that's half of it, there's more to it than that. Shinobi are born within us everyday and whether we decide to take the path of one or not, the spirit of a shinobi resides in all of us. Being a shinobi is more than just having fighting skills and tactics, it's also about being brave and facing your fears head on and to keep fighting no matter what the circumstance. It's about protecting those who are sacred to you."

"I-I never thought of it that way…" I started as I began to ponder over his words. "I guess I would be considered a shinobi in those terms, but—"

"But nothing, Hikari….If you have the will to fight and continue to do so, even if the circumstances look bleak, then in my eyes, you're considered a shinobi." Makoto said as I watched his stern façade remain on his face.

I could tell that Makoto was serious about his words and as I processed over what he had just said, I suppose that he was right in a sense. If those were the terms that he defined as a shinobi, then I guess I was one in his eyes.

"Arigatou, Makoto-kun. You've helped me become a stronger person and I'm so grateful for you to be here for me." I softly said as I watched the seriousness disappear from his face and be replaced with a look of relaxation and tranquility.

After a discussion like that, all I wanted to do was enjoy the peacefulness of the entire scene and as I felt Makoto wrap his arm around my waist and pull me closer towards him, I found that I wasn't afraid to rest my head on his shoulder.

It was actually comforting to have him there and as we both enjoyed the serene silence of the night, I looked up upon the bright stars and hoped for the best.


We stayed like that for who knows for how long, but all I knew was that it felt nice to belong somewhere, to actually be able to say that I found someone who cared about me and thought about me. And maybe perhaps, my home lied with him.

I didn't know how long we were out in the cold, but the freezing climate didn't seem to bother me; it was relaxing and as we both continued to sit there upon the sand, I had noticed that it was starting to rain.

I had only felt a few small droplets of water hit the top of my head and as I turned my head up towards the sky, I knew that it was actually raining from the amount of rain clouds in the sky.

It felt nice to feel the water hit my head and despite how cold it was getting, I didn't really mind it. Something about the rain made me feel like I was back at my old home and as I was still sitting on the sand, I decided to embrace the feeling of the rain.

All my childhood memories of my brother and I playing in the rain puddles and in the rain as it drizzled upon our skin came back at me and as I let all the droplets hit me, it was as though my brother was still here with me.

Flashback

It was a time when my brother was 9 and when I was around 6; it was raining hard and as I stood under the roof of our home, I was watching my brother play in rain puddle. He was laughing and having fun, and it seemed like he didn't hold any cares in the world on his shoulders, as if he was carefree.

Despite how much I wanted to join him, I hid behind a wooden pole because I was afraid that the droplets of water would ruin my kimono.

The kimono wasn't new, but I guess at the time, I was just afraid to try something new; as a child, I was always afraid of so many things and my brother, Akio, seemed to be fearless.

"Hikari?" Akio stated as he stopped and looked towards me.

I had continued to hide and as I was about to head inside, I was pulled abruptly by my brother as he took hold of my hand.

"Akio, let go! I want to go inside. You're going to get sick if you stay out here any longer." I said as I tried to get out of his grip, but despite how much I struggled, Akio kept hanging onto my arm.

As I turned to face my brother, I noticed that there was a look of perseverance in his purple orbs and that look quickly silenced me as I waited for what he was going to say.

"Come on, just join me, Kari! This one time! It'll be fun I promise!" Akio exclaimed as he tried pulling me out from under the roof and into the rain.

I was panicking as he got closer and closer to the rain and as if my brother could detect my own fear, he stopped a few inches before we would both be standing in the rain and stood in front of me.

Holding my shoulders and stopping myself from shaking, Akio said, "Kari, come on, just once. Please. I promise it won't hurt you and you might like it. Sometimes you just have to face your fears. You can't avoid them forever."

As I watched my brother extend his arm out towards me as an offering, I was hesitant at first. For a moment, I looked at his hand and I was afraid to touch it, as though it had a disease, but after contemplating what my brother had just said, I slowly reached out towards his hand and took his hand in mine.

Shaking my head as though I was saying that I trusted him, Akio slowly pulled me out from under the roof and into the rain.

The feeling of the water hitting my skin was different, but as I became accustomed to it, I enjoyed the feeling. I felt free; free from whatever my life was caging me in from and despite how I was getting my kimono dirty, I could clearly remember that that was my first time that I had fun.

For once in my life, my brother had shown me my first glimpse at freedom, and truth be told, it was sweeter than anything in the world.

End of flashback.

That memory was probably one of the most precious memories I had of my brother. I've realized that he's taught me so much about life and even from a young age, he was still teaching me something.

It's funny how now that I reflect back on it, even at a young age, my brother had a promising future and it all disappeared within one day. Instead, I was left here and I've been thinking that it happened all for a reason; maybe it happened because I would need to find out who I was and everything that my brother taught me would help me throughout that journey.

I didn't know how to feel at the moment and as I slowly stood up and let the rain hit my skin more and more, it was just a refreshing sensation. It was as though the water was washing away all my pain and suffering and I felt free.

Without even a second thought, I stepped forward and began to embrace the rain as I danced in it.

I closed my eyes and as I let my body move on its own, it was nice to disconnect from the world around me and as I continued on with my actions, I hadn't noticed that Makoto had joined me until I felt someone spin me around.

As I returned back to reality, I was surprised that he was joining me. His arm was on my waist and as the other was holding onto my hand, I felt him lead me across the dance floor.

Even though it was raining, it was nice to see Makoto's fun side. It wasn't a side that I often saw because being the Mizukage's son, Makoto always had to act serious; he always had to act as though he held no emotions and was just a weapon for his village, but I got to see a different side of him. I saw something beneath his hard exterior and I was grateful that he let me in and break down his own walls.

We both had continued dancing in the rain for awhile and as we both stopped to breathe, it didn't matter that we were wet and dirty from the rain and the mud.

It felt nice to act like children for a moment and as I looked back at Makoto, I could see the small bright smile on his lips as well. And as I watched him, I actually saw him laugh and from that scene, I had to look twice because I didn't believe my own eyes. It was nice to see him laugh and smile and as I also joined in with his laughter, it was just a magical moment that was perfect for the two of us.

Within a few more moments, we both stopped laughing and it became silent again. I enjoyed the silence and I was also thankful that it was dark because I didn't want Makoto to see myself blushing because I knew that each time he smiled, he truly did show how handsome he was. Each time he laughed and he smiled were on rare occasions and when he actually did, it made my heart flutter. Butterflies would develop within my stomach each time he did and I would always slightly blush.

"Umm…t-thank you for joining me, Makoto. I needed that." I said as I smiled at him.

I felt Makoto grab my hand and as he nodded at my statement, he replied back with, "No problem, it was an honor. I haven't had that much fun for awhile."

"We should probably head back now before we catch a cold or something." I had suggested and as I was about to make a move back towards his home, I hadn't realized how wet the ground was, and had accidently slipped.

Closing my eyes and waiting for the impact, I tried grabbing anything within my range; within a few more moments, I realized that I had stopped falling and I was instantly surprised that Makoto had managed to catch me.

I was quite thankful though because I didn't want to get any dirtier and as I was currently snuggled against his chest, holding onto him, I couldn't help but blush even more.

I had never realized how muscular Makoto was and as my body was against his, I finally knew now.

I didn't know for how long we stayed like that, but once I was broken out from my daze, I tried to remove myself from his chest.

I suddenly felt Makoto's arm hold me around the waist to steady myself and as I finally was able to get my balance back, I was about to let go of him before he grabbed my chin. Both our eyes met each other's and as I looked deeply into his dark-colored orbs, I was mesmerized by them.

It felt as though we were the only two people in the world and as I felt him lean in, I hadn't realized that he had kissed me until I felt his soft lips on mine.

I didn't know what to make out of the kiss considering that it was the first kiss I had ever received, but it felt strange, in a good way I suppose. I felt my lips move against his and as we broke a part for some air, it was as though my breath was taken away.

But despite how nice it felt, it wasn't the type of kiss that I was expecting. I always thought that it would be magical, but for reason, it wasn't. It felt as though there was something missing, and maybe it was just because I was inexperienced, but I didn't know what was missing. It felt like an ordinary kiss, nothing special about it except for it being my first kiss.

I was now stuck at a fork in the road and as I felt Makoto take my hand again and lead me back towards his home, I didn't know what to do anymore.

I felt lost once more, just like I was at the beginning of this entire journey and just when I thought I had everything figured out, things just got more complex.

I didn't know what to feel anymore because from the beginning, I thought that I was developing feelings for him, but was it feelings that came from the person who Makoto was or was it just for the sake of him being my hero?

This whole situation was becoming more confusing than I needed it to be.

I only wish life was easy, or at least easier, but I don't think my future would give me any shortcuts or any way out because that's what life is like. Life is cruel and complex and if it was easier, then we wouldn't have to work hard for anything. We wouldn't have any aspirations or dreams, and in the end, I guess I believed that life gives us these obstacles to show us how far we'll get if we overcome them. Because in the end, we can get to wherever we want to go as long as we're willing to take on the obstacles that stand in front of us.


For this chapter, I wanted to develop the relationship between Hikari and Makoto more so I just wanted to get them spending more time together, so I hope I was able to do that and give their whole 'relationship' some justice.

Please remember to review and tell me your thoughts about the new chapter. I hope the next one (that I'm currently working on) will meet your expectations and I think come next chapter, things will get a little more interesting.

Sincerely,

Katara