Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does :(

This chapter is more of a flash-back-character-development style one so.... yeah. Enjoy!


Chapter Ten

In one of Karei's comedies, a typical scene one might find would be when a character rapidly spits out the fluid they have in their mouths when being told a particularly shocking piece of information. The reason this type of scene is so common is due to the fact that audiences find it hilarious no matter how many times they see it. It's both real and surreal at the same time – not many people would experience such a thing in their lives, but most could still relate to the feeling, bringing about laughs at the comedic truthfulness of the emphasised scene.

For the two men currently situated in Karei's living room, the scene was anything but hilarious.

Naruto rapidly expelled the contents of his mouth onto the wooden floor after having refilled his cup of tea. He started coughing due to inhaling some of the tea, and beat his chest heavily to aid his lungs at expelling the excess liquid they had taken in.

"You WHAT!?" He yelled, causing Kahame to cover his ears in fear of losing his hearing at the hands – or rather the voice – of the strident teen.

"I- I said-" Kahame began.

"I heard what you said!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his arms in the air. "I just don't know what the hell you're on about!" He promptly scooted to the far end of the couch, fearing he had another Pervy Sage in disguise.

Kahame waved his hands franticly as a means to calm the boy down. "H-hey! I only wanted to help!" He flinched as Naruto's mouth fell open.

"HELP!?" Naruto yelled, finding the entire concept of taking dating advice ridiculous. He was a ninja, for crying out loud – how hard could a simple date be!? Not as hard as Kahame was making it out to be – he was sure of that. "I'm gonna be Hokage someday – you think I need help in something like this!?" Kahame sighed at the boy's stubbornness – it reminded him too much of someone he knew.

Good thing I have experience at dealing with someone like this. Had the situation called for it, he would've smirked. I guess being around Karei for so long has taught me a few tricks in how to deal with these sorts of situations.

"Okay then, what's the first thing you'd do when you came to take her out?" He posed the question, hoping to tear down the boy's defences.

"Huh? Well I'd…" Naruto paused and looked down. He hadn't expected this. "I'd… I'd, erm…"

He looked up to see Kahame grow a smirk. Now the situation called for it.

"Fine then, what would you do!?" He decided to play Kahame at his own game. However, it was far less effective when your opponent had several advantages over you – mainly experience.

"Oh, I can't tell you that. I thought you didn't want my help." He laughed in triumph as Naruto sighed in a mix of defeat an anger. Oh, egos were so easy to deflate once you knew how.

Naruto mumbled something inaudible to the man sitting next to him. Kahame had a pretty good idea as to what the teen had said, but he had to hear him say it again – if not for clearance, then just for the hell of it.

It looks like you're rubbing off on me a little, Karei. Kahame thought, his ideas taking a very Karei-ish turn.

"I didn't quite catch that, can you repeat it?" He grinned as a scowl spread across Naruto's face.

"Fine." Naruto said again, a little louder this time.

"Fine what? Elaborate please." Kahame was having the time of his life at the teen's expense. He wouldn't carry it on for long, though – he wasn't that sadistic.

"Fine! I'll take your help!" Naruto's scowl disappeared when Kahame clapped him on the back.

"Good decision, kid." Kahame said, smiling at the now willing to listen blond. His only intention had been to help the boy – the chance at having a little fun at his expense just happened to present itself. "Both Karei and I want this relationship to work for you two."

"Why's that?" Naruto asked, confused. He didn't have any idea why someone would want to help him with something like this. Then again, he wouldn't, having never been in the situation he was in now.

"I've heard how tough it can be for ninjas to find partners. You two have a great opportunity here. We don't want either of you to miss it." He smiled at the slight blush that appeared on the teen's cheeks. His suspicions had been confirmed. So the kid really doesn't have any experience in this sort of thing, and I doubt the girl does, either.

The whole concept was completely new to Naruto. Dating… advice… relationships… partners…

He decided to shut up and listen to what the guy had to say – something he'd done only a few times in his entire life. He realised just how much he valued his relationship with Hinata, and while he thought that getting advice on how to have lunch with her was pretty damn ridiculous, he'd do whatever it took to keep hold of their bond. It was already tight as hell, but it's always safer to add a second nut to a screw to make sure that it keeps whatever it's holding together intact.

Kahame was slightly taken back by the serious look that the teen donned. Is he really this determined to have what it takes to make their relationship reach new levels? He gave the boy credit. That was easier than I thought. I wonder how Karei's doing?


"Hey. Hey! Hinata! You there!?" Karei waved a hand in front of the crimson girl standing in front of her. The effects of her previous words seemed to cause the girl to become immobile. She was just staring at the same spot on the wall, not moving at all. Well, I guess going into a state of suspended animation is one way of reacting to my offer…

Hinata's mind had begun its descent into shutdown mode. Her consciousness had its work cut out for it. Fortunately for her, however, Karei decided to make it easier on the poor girl.

By simply whispering a few words in the girl's ear, all her thoughts and emotions turned into one, very mesmerising image... An image of Naruto… with only his boxers on… drenched in the sweat of a good workout… his toned abs seemingly glowing golden in the sun.

He eyes widened and she looked at the provocation of her sudden change in thought pattern. Karei smiled innocently at her reaction.

"Ah, you're back, I see. I thought I'd lost you for good." Karei smirked as the teen looked down at the ground, her breathing becoming ever so slightly heavier.

It'll be days since she'll be able to get that image out of her head. Karei thought. …Not that that's a bad thing, though.

"So, Hinata…" Karei began pacing around the nervous girl, as if she was seeing what she had to work with. "You ever been on a date before?" She posed the simple question, hoping to get an answer she could build upon.

"N-no… I haven't…" Came the teen's quiet reply. A sharp clap from Karei made her jump.

"Then it looks like I've got a hell of a lot to teach you," Karei began waving her arms around, as if to emphasise her words. "For starters, I shall bestow upon you my number one rule." Karei was surprised to see Hinata lean in slightly. Just how much does the kid mean to her? "As many wise women once said: 'The way to a man's heart, is through his stomach'."

Hinata almost face-faulted. It seemed that Karei had a hard time being serious about anything when it came to dating.

"Now, now, don't knock my advice just yet. You saw how highly Naruto praised you for your cooking abilities, right?" Karei grinned as Hinata gave a small nod. "And I'm guessing that praise wouldn't be all you got from him if you let him sample your skills again, would it?" Hinata's eyes shot open at the woman's statement.

She was in a very, very foreign situation. She'd never met a person quite like Karei. In fact, she'd go so far as to say that Karei was by far the most unique person she'd ever known.

Oh well, getting help from a sadistic psychopath was better than getting no help at all…

right?

The answer, of course, was no. However, as it turned out, Karei was not always a sadistic psychopath, she actually had a serious side. It was just that this serious side hardly ever surfaced.

Karei narrowed her eyes at Hinata. She could still see so many opportunities to make the teen in front of her feel embarrassed, awkward, nervous… all types of fun emotions. Well, not fun on Hinata's behalf.

But after seeing that scene in the playground, she began to realise just how much these two teens could benefit from being together.

Naruto had been on the verge of breaking down – big time. Had it not had been for Hinata, he would've probably…

She didn't want to think about what might've happened. And, thanks to Hinata, she didn't have to.

Plus, it was painfully obvious that the girl had feelings for the dense blond the minute she walked through her front door. It was also painfully obvious that the boy didn't have the slightest clue.

So with what little idea he now had, Karei decided to work with. Heck, if he had even the slightest inkling that the girl had feelings for him, or he had feelings for her, for that matter, then this relationship would have to work. It needed to. They needed it to.

And Karei wanted it to.

Yes, that's right. Michiko Karei – the most satirical, tease-loving, mocking person her friends knew was actually being deadly serious about something that she'd normally poke fun at for days.

Hinata was one lucky girl… She just didn't know it.


"I see…" Naruto now sat crossed legged on the couch, listening intently to the man sitting opposite him. At first, it had been both awkward and embarrassing for the two of them. Talking about things such as what to wear, what to say, what not to say, how to eat, all the way down to the do's and don'ts of dating were hard enough to discuss with someone you knew well. But someone you'd only met once…

However, as time progressed, and the two became more and more used to the situation, it became easier and easier, until Kahame had achieved what many had failed at doing for years.

He actually had Naruto's attention!

Not just the slight attention that he'd give when threatened, but his full-blown, undivided attention!

And he didn't even have to throw in the promise of a new jutsu!

Still, that didn't mean it didn't take a lot of effort to drill even the most simple ideas into the thick skull of the teen.

Kahame was currently on his fifth explanation of why eating with your mouth open was one of the most inappropriate things to do whilst on a date. He thought he'd finally gotten the point across, but…

"But what if I need to breathe, and my mouth's full of food?" Naruto asked without thinking. Kahame smacked his head.

"Naruto… what's the big thing underneath your eyes. Y'know – it has two nostrils…" Kahame looked up to see that the blond was actually looking to see what he meant. When realisation dawned on the teen's face, and the inevitable blush of embarrassment swept across his cheeks, Kahame sighed. "Now do you get it?" He was relieved – to say the least – when the boy nodded.

"So, to recap: don't eat too fast, don't eat with your mouth open, don't talk with your mouth full, don't put your elbows on the table, don't slurp your soup, don't eat too much at once, don't swallow before chewing…" Naruto sighed. "Is there anything you can do?"

So far, most of the rules had been thing you weren't allowed to do. This was mainly due to the fact that, with Naruto, laying down the restrictions first was the most important issue. If you gave the boy any leeway, he'd use it to its full extent – and then use it some more.

Kahame smiled. "Of course there are. You're allowed to enjoy your food, obviously. Just don't act like some sort of animal, or escaped mental patient."

"But nobody's ever told me about manners before…" Naruto replied, the idea of behaving like a gentleman still highly alien to him.

"I can see why…" Kahame mumbled. He denied saying anything when the teen questioned what he had said. "Look Naruto, here's the deal. You're going on a date, yes?"

The blond nodded.

"You're going on a date with Hinata, right?"

Again, the blond nodded, with a confused look on his face.

"Tell me – what does Hinata mean to you? What do you like about her?"

Naruto blinked. The question seemed out of the blue.

"What does Hinata-chan mean to me?" Kahame nodded at Naruto's question. "Well that's easy – she's my friend! I'd protect her with my life if I had to, and I'd do it without a second's thought." Kahame smiled at the boy's caring nature. However, it wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for.

"Yes, well, that's a very admirable thing, but why would you do all that? Surely it's not just because she's on your team. There must be a reason as to why you like her so." Kahame hoped that by making Naruto answer his question, the teen himself would realise how much the girl meant to him. Only when you think about why you like someone is when you realise how much they mean to you.

And that's exactly what happened.

Naruto opened his mouth to give one of his ordinary answers, as if he were going to describe any of his friends, when he stopped. He opened his mouth again, but the answer he was about to say didn't seem right… Something about it was off.

Kahame smiled. There we go…

Naruto began to think. He began to think long and hard. Granted, he wasn't the best thinker, but when he wanted to he could be fairly intelligent.

Only fairly, though. Everyone has their weaknesses, after all…

Why do I like Hinata-chan… Why do I like Hinata-chan…

It wasn't that the reasons weren't coming to him en masse… It was just that most of them were things he'd never dealt with before.

There were the obvious reasons, such as that she was a nice person, she was caring, she was a good friend, she made him laugh, she was a great cook, she was a good ninja etc.

But then there were others… Others which he'd only thought of subconsciously until now.

She's really determined… I enjoy just being around her… She always makes everything seem lighter…

"…Just thinking about her brings a smile to my face…" He began voicing his thoughts out loud without realising. "…She accepts me for who I am…" Kahame smiled.

Perhaps the kid isn't as dense as I first thought. He just needed a nudge in the right direction.

"…She's cute…"

Naruto stood up.

"Scrap that – she's downright beautiful."

He looked down at his clenched fist.

"…Just thinking about her being hurt breaks my heart in two…"

Kahame nodded. He understood exactly what the kid meant.

"…Thinking about not being able to see her anymore is just unbearable…"

A small smile broke through on the boy's face.

"…Thinking about simply being with her is enough on its own to make life worth living."

A small tear slid down the teen's cheek. Now he knew exactly how he felt about the girl.

Now he knew why all that advice he'd been given was necessary…

…Now he knew what Hinata meant to him…

"She… Hinata-chan…" He turned to look at Kahame, only now understanding what his real intentions were when he asked the question. "She makes me feel… She makes me feel complete." He was a little unsatisfied at his choice of words, but at that moment he was finding it hard to think straight. The flood of thoughts and emotions made sure of that.

Kahame nodded, happy at the blond's realisation. If only he'd realised it earlier… All these explanations could've been spared… He wouldn't admit it, but he was actually glad that he'd had this talk. Having no real male family, he had never been able to have talks such as these. But thanks to Naruto, he'd actually ended up helping himself aswell.

There was a certain woman on his mind. A certain woman that, only now, he'd realised fully what she meant to him. Of course, he could think of a million different reasons as to why he loved her, but it took him until he actually discussed it with someone, even indirectly, to get an idea of how much more she meant to him.

Naruto… Even when you're frustrating as hell… you still end up doing good. Kahame smiled, a tear descending down his cheek aswell. I'm glad I met you kid… I really am…



Contrary to Kahame, Karei's approach to advising Hinata was greatly different. While Kahame focused on what Naruto could and couldn't do, Karei focused on what Hinata could do, and could get away with. In her eyes – being the female in the relationship was twice as fun as she thought being the male would be.

As such, the certain 'privileges' Karei was telling Hinata that she could have on her date were turning the girl every shade of red under the sun. In fact, Karei was sure that Hinata had invented several new colours that day.

"…So, to sum up, you can pretty much manipulate Naruto into doing whatever you want." Karei concluded, after telling Hinata about the ingenious art of 'suggestion'.

Basically, Karei told Hinata that if she wanted something, or wanted Naruto to do something, she could indirectly ask him in the form of a statement rather than a question. For example, when Hinata told Karei what shirt she thought Naruto looked best in (after a lot of probing), Karei told her that saying something like, 'You know, you looked really nice in that shirt' would almost certainly make the dense blond wear it, even though Hinata never actually asked for it.

Hinata didn't like the phrase Karei used – manipulation was a horrible thing – but she had to admit, some of it did sound tempting. It seemed that Karei was rubbing off on Hinata a little bit. Her 'dark side', as it were, was begging to surface – for the very first time.

Karei scratched her chin. Aside from the few tips, she really couldn't think of anything else to tell the girl.

"…I think that's about it…" She looked over at the quiet girl. "I guess I can count on you to make tomorrow interesting for the lad, right?" Hinata slowly nodded. Over the course of the 'advice' she had been given, Hinata learned to simply agree with Karei on some things. Disagreeing wasn't worth the hassle it caused.

…Besides, Hinata felt that Karei could count on her to make tomorrow interesting. Surprisingly, over the course of the mission, she found that it was becoming easier and easier to be around Naruto. Before, her shy side took a massive boost anytime he came within ten feet of her, but now, contrary to the past, she felt as if she could open up more than usual when he was around.

She didn't quite know why, though. It wasn't that she couldn't think of any reasons, however, it was just that she couldn't pick the right one.

He was a good listener, as much as he was a good talker. He was easy to talk to (easier than most, anyway) – Hinata didn't feel particularly pressured to act 100 percent perfectly when he was around, she felt that she could let a few jokes and fake mocks go here and there, she knew that Naruto could take a joke.

But, ironically, the most prominent reason, and the most obscure, was that… she just felt comfortable around him. She couldn't explain why – she had plenty of reasons, except none of them seemed to be the correct one – but there was something about him, some aura that he had, that allowed her, and virtually anyone else, to simply be able to be themselves around him.

A small smile sparked into life on the teen's lips. However obscure this reason was, she'd find out tomorrow exactly why she felt the way she did around him. After all, she'd known of the boy for a very, very long time, but it was only until recently that she'd really known, if not a little, then some things about him. Tomorrow, she'd find out exactly what made him tick – what made him the Naruto he was today…

…What made her love him so much…


A sense of awkwardness was keen in the air when the two women entered the house long after the two men had. Hinata made the weak excuse of getting herself a drink to escape the inevitable entering of the living room. Karei just laughed, knowing the real reason for the girl's reluctancy to enter the room which currently housed the blond teen, and allowed her this one favour, entering the living room without her.

The two men's heads whirled around when they heard the door slide open, the younger of which jumping slightly at what he thought would be the beginning to the event he'd both been waiting for and dreading – a little more of the latter than the former, delicate situations not being his best. He was somewhat relieved, however, when he only saw the black-haired Karei emerge from the hallway, carrying a large, and slightly foreboding, grin on her face.

Still, the first thought that popped into his mind was the absence of a certain teen.

"Where's Hinata-chan?" He asked after Karei had barely stepped foot into the room. She frowned in mock dejection.

"Am I not good enough for you?" she jokingly pouted, earning a sigh from the blond and a smirk from Kahame.

"Hello, Karei-sama, how are you this fine evening?" He sarcastically retorted. Karei peered over at a slightly shocked, otherwise amused Kahame.

"I see what he lacks in manners," she looked back over to the blond, "he also lacks in comebacks." She smiled innocently when Naruto became slightly riled up.

"Whoa, whoa, easy you two. I think the start of a verbal war isn't quite what we need right now…" Karei said, trying to calm the two down. His words did as he had hoped, as the thought of 'advice' re-entered Naruto's and Karei's heads, bringing about the same sense of awkwardness as before, aswell as a slight sense of sadism.

"That reminds me…" She looked sweetly in Naruto's direction, placing her palms together in front of her. "Naruto, would you mind fetching me a glass of water? I'm ever so thirsty."

Naruto, seeing no plausible reason as to why Karei couldn't get it herself, but eager to get out of the room in hopes of shaking off some of the awkwardness that didn't want to leave him alone, walked out of the room, casting a suspicious eye at the woman. One didn't need to know Karei for more than a few days to know that most of the things she did had some sort of ulterior motive hidden behind them. One which would most likely end up in entertainment for her.

Which, of course, this request did. Sorry Hinata, but it doesn't look like you'll be able to prepare yourself for the confrontation. Besides, if you can get rid of the awkwardness now, you should be fine tomorrow… Though I hope there'll still be some 'fun'. Kahame noticed the evil glint in the woman's eye, and sighed.

"I still can't believe you put me through all that…" Karei smirked at Kahame's words. "You'll be the death of me one day, you do know that, don't you?" Kahame smiled as Karei sat down next to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"If I am, it would make things even. I've already been your savoir." She smirked as Kahame rolled his eyes.

"You'll never let me forget that, will you?" They both laughed, recalling a memory secret to them, and them only. "Then again, why would I ever want to?" Karei leaned her head on Kahame's shoulder, sharing a moment of silence, reminiscing on one, special moment.

The moment where their relationship began…

The moment they first met…


The sun shone brightly over the town of Fushigakure, indicating that, yet again, it would be another warm summers day. The birds seemed happy, and were merrily singing, perched high up on the branches, or standing on the windowsills of local houses.

One bird, however, had the misfortune of choosing the windowsill of one Michiko Karei's kitchen as their current location to stand. A large fist slamming down hard on a wooden table nearly gave the poor thing a heart attack, and it flew as far away as it could in fear of its life, forever labelling that house as unsafe.

Karei sighed, her fingers drumming on the kitchen counter in frustration.

"Where… where the hell did I put those damn herbs…!?" She vented her anger out loud, searching every nook and cranny in every single cupboard and drawer. After a long while she came to the conclusion that, in fact, she didn't have any. She sighed, realising that she could've saved herself a few hours by simply going out and collecting the ingredients she needed to finish her herbal medicine.

Sliding on her sandals and picking up the small bag that once belonged to her mother, she left her house, heading for the forest. She'd be damned if that forest didn't have the herbs she needed. A few choice words entered her head at the idea of not being able to find the ingredients she'd need.

Little did she know that she'd find a lot more than a few herbs in that forest… A lot more, indeed.



Kahame ran as fast, and as hard as he could. The trees which had previously been zooming past him were now beginning to slow down, indicating his high level of fatigue. His commander pushed him far too hard, but he'd sooner pass out from exhaustion then stop to take a rest…

Which was exactly what happened. It started with his foot landing awkwardly, his ankle twisting in searing pain. That soon led to his leg tensing up, sending him crashing to the ground head-first. If the loud ringing in his ears didn't indicate to him that he was in a world of trouble, then the sudden blackness did.

He was unconscious…

He was unconscious in the middle of the forest, with no one about to help him.

At least, he thought that there wasn't anybody about. There was, in fact, a trio of bandits that had managed to sneak into the town in a rare lapse of security, around the time when the guards on the gate had been switching.

They'd been tailing Kahame for about ten minutes before he fell, having noticed his weariness in less than a second. Seeing him as an easy target, and know not having to worry about him putting up a fight, they closed in on his unconscious body, ready to take whatever loot they could manage from him. The life of a bandit was sweet when opportunities like these presented themselves to you

Or at least they thought it was…



Karei almost squealed in joy when she finally found the last patch of herbs she needed to collect, and immediately began harvesting them, fearing that they'd disappear for some reason, leaving her at a loss again. Fate had never been kind to her, having left her completely alone in her life, so she didn't see it fit to try and push her luck by standing around.

She smiled at the thought of her new medicine, and how it could change her life around. She didn't actually have any idea how it would manage something as amazing at changing her life, but she was desperate. She'd try just about anything if it had even the smallest amount of hope at bringing back the happiness she once felt.

It wasn't as if she didn't know many people. it was just that she wasn't particularly close to any of them. They were either too old, married or too young for her to be able to relate to them in any way. She'd say that they were acquaintances more than they were friends. Coupled with the loss of her mother…

She shook the thoughts from her head, not liking the train of pattern they were taking. However, having been lost in them, and having just finished gathering the last herb she needed, a loud thump jolted her out of her reverie. She focused her attention towards the origin of the sound, but didn't hear anything else for a short moment. She was just about to leave when she heard snickering, and the sound of someone talking. Taking a few steps closer, she hid behind a tree and listened in on the conversation that was occurring.

"…Can't believe our luck! To think this sucker would go and knock himself out for us!" The group laughed.

"Saves the need for us to do it, eh Boss?" A lackey replied, poking around inside a pouch that they'd 'found' attached to Kahame.

"You betcha!" The 'Boss' replied, pocketing the money he 'obtained' from the man's wallet. "Good thing he was carrying all this stuff, too! Makes our job a helluva lot more profitable." The man stopped for a second, peering down at Kahame. "Still, we don't want him waking up on us…" He looked over at his two henchmen. "You know what to do-"

"HEY!"

The three bandits looked to see a young, black-haired woman standing in the opening of two trees, her fists clenched around a small bag, eyes narrowed. The bandits blinked, before the 'Boss' spoke up.

"Beat it, girl. We're busy." They continued to pillage the unconscious Kahame, seeing the woman as no threat at all. All it took was an elbow to the neck, followed by the thud of a lackey's body to make them rethink their first impressions.

Karei had closed the gap between her and the thieves in less than a second, and had lowered their numbers from three two to in not much more. She smirked.

"I'm guessing this isn't a rehearsal for some sort of play. You better get away from him." Karei took a step forward menacingly, hoping to avoid confrontation. It wasn't that she didn't think she could take them, it was just that she feel like knocking out more than one person in less than a minute.

Unfortunately, once again, fate decided to be a bitch and deny Karei of her wants.

"Or what?" The 'Boss' replied, pulling out a knife. "What's a broad like you gonna do?" He lunged at Karei with his knife, not taking the unconscious body of his partner as any sort of indication of the woman's capabilities.

To say 'it wasn't hard' for Karei to take care of the remaining two bandits would be a downright lie, and to say it was easy would be a huge understatement. Even with her fairly average taijutsu skills, the 'fight', if you could call it that, was over in almost an instant. The forest floor was now covered with four unconscious bodies.

Checking the stranger's pulse to see if he was okay – which, thankfully, he was – she tried to wake him. After a few attempts, she realised that waking him was a lost cause, and decided that taking him back to her place was probably the best course of action.

So, with more than a little effort, she picked up her bag, along with the insentient body of Kahame, and began the long and tiresome struggle back to her house. The guy would have to be eternally grateful, otherwise he might find himself in a similar state to which he was in at that moment for making her lug him all the way back to her house.



The first thing Kahame felt after finally regaining consciousness was a dull pain in his ankle, and the feel of something cold pressed against it. He slowly opened his eyes, the normal amount of light seeming far too bright after having been knocked out.

It was then that he noticed the pretty woman leaning over him, a worried yet relieved look on her face.

"An… angel…?" he asked, still not having gathered his bearings. "Aw crap, I died."

Karei shot a confused look at the man, before breaking out into an amused grin.

"I guess that's one way of saying hello." She stood up, allowing the man some space. After Kahame realised that he, in fact, wasn't dead, merely in a different place than he was before, he suddenly became very curious as to why he was where he was.

"What happened?" He asked simply.

"I'd like to know the answer myself." Karei replied, earning a perplexed stare from the still complete stranger. "I found you unconscious, in the middle of the forest, about to become a human kunai holster at the hands of a few bandits."

By the way Kahame's face didn't show any sign of understanding, Karei realised she'd have to dumb it down a bit.

"I. Saved. Your. Life." She said slowly, in the mood for some thanks.

Kahame, still slightly dazed, had to wait a moment before the effect of Karei's words actually registered with his brain.

But when they did…

Kahame sat bolt upright, wide eyes staring into concerned yet somewhat amused ones.

"You… you saved… my life…?" Kahame spluttered out. Karei jokingly looked around the room, as if searching for something.

"Is there an echo in here?" When she felt that the tease had sunk in to the man, she turned to face him, a cheerful grin on her face. "Believe it, mister – I saved your life from three pitiful bandits. I mean honestly, they were utter crap…"

Kahame simply stared at his savoir as she continued to gloat about her easy victory. The idea of having his life saved by this woman was still… 'new' to him, and he was trying to remember exactly how he had managed to fall unconscious. He pretty much knew already, but hadn't quite accepted it yet – his pride was being stubborn.

Besides, Karei had finished her boasting session, and had more questions for the still unidentified man.

"So… What's your name?" Karei asked, feeling almost compelled to find out more about the man. It took Kahame a few seconds to realise that he'd been asked a question… And that he'd been staring at the woman for quite some time.

"Huh? Oh, my name's Kahame." He replied, albeit slowly.

"Kahame, huh?" Karei nodded, showing her approval. "Nice to save you, Kahame. I'm Karei." She smiled to let the man know that she was only joking.

Well, mostly, anyway.

Still unsatisfied with the total lack of things to talk about – even after having saved his life – she decided that getting to know him still seemed like the best idea.

"So, you got any family around these parts?" Karei was a little shocked when Kahame suddenly looked a little depressed at her question. "What's the matter?"

Kahame looked up at the woman.. She at least warranted an answer – she had saved his life, after all.

"I don't have any family – I've been alone for as long as I can remember." Karei's eyes widened at the new information she'd been given.

'He's… He's the same as… me…' she thought.

"Do you mind…" she began to place a hand on his shoulder, but stopped halfway, "if I ask what happened?" Kahame shook his head.

"Couldn't tell ya. I've never known any family. My first memories are of an orphanage, and then of joining the town guard." He jumped slightly when Karei completed her gesture, though he felt somewhat comforted by the hand than now rested on his shoulder.

"Must've been rough…" Karei said calmly, feeling the need to comfort the man, knowing what it felt like to be alone. Kahame just shrugged, not wanting to dwell on the matter.

"Could've been worse." When Karei shot him a 'how-could-it-have-been-worse?' look, he decided to elaborate. "I guess… I guess since I never knew what it was like to have family… I never knew what it was like to lose any, you know what I mean." He sighed. "That would suck."

Karei's heart clenched in her chest. That feeling he just described… That was exactly how she had felt for so long.

Seeking a change in subject, Kahame took the initiative.

"How about you? Where're your family?" Kahame, even if he had guessed 100 times at the answer he'd receive, never imagined that Karei's response would be exactly what he'd just said would 'suck'.

Karei quickly retracted the hand she'd placed on Kahame's shoulder, taken back at the obvious yet, to her, sudden question.

"I… Well, I…" She'd never spoken to anyone about her family before, and as a result didn't quite know where to begin. Kahame, sensing her distress, guessed that it was a sore matter, so decided to leave it.

"Never mind, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to-"

"My father…" Karei said quickly, feeling the need to get her past out in the open. Kahame, realising that this was probably a first for the woman, swung his legs around – with a little effort, his ankle hadn't fully healed yet – so that there was room on the couch for Karei. He was a little shocked at the speed in which she sat down, but he didn't show it.

He wasn't entirely sure why this Karei was about to share something so personal with him – nor why he shared something so personal with her – but the fact was that she was sharing this with him – and he be damned if he didn't listen with every ounce of fibre in his body.

"My father…" She repeated, steadying herself for the upcoming revelation. "…He died before I was born, while my mother was still pregnant with me." Kahame's eyes grew to double their normal size.

"I… I'm sorry…" He didn't really know what to say. For someone to be in the same situation as he was… It was completely new to him.

"Don't be. Like you said – it would've been more painful if I'd have known him." Her face took a sudden turn, and sorrow was spelt out all over it. "But… But my mother… She… She was murdered whilst on a negotiation mission…"

Karei let out a deep, shaky breath. She'd promised herself that no more tears would be shed over this fact… but it was proving to be easier said than done. She flicked a misty eye to Kahame, and was surprised to see a look of shock on his face. Well, more shock than she'd expected.

"Did… did you say 'negotiation mission'?" At the sight of Karei's nod, Kahame clenched his fists, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

Kahame wasn't an idiot, and as soon as he heard the words 'negotiation mission' he knew just how alone the woman next to him was. It wouldn't take a genius to realise that if their parent died during a time of celebration – for Karei, during the celebrations of having peace with the attacking town – one's sorrow for their deceased relative would go almost unnoticed.

"Do you… do you have any family left?" Kahame felt the woman's pain… He knew the woman's pain… He was hoping… praying that she'd had someone there for her… someone who'd taken care of her in those lonely years… someone who'd been there for her when she'd needed them.

A slow, emotionless nod was all he received…

And it broke his heart in two.

It was then that he realised it. They weren't 'pretty similar' or 'a little bit alike', they were exactly the same. They had never had anyone but themselves to find comfort in, the only exception being the very early years of Karei's life.

Karei wiped the escaped tear that threatened to show her sorrow. She sniffed, hoping to change the subject.

"Well this is turning out to be pretty depressing. How about we-" She was cut off.

"Don't." Kahame stared long and hard into Karei's eyes… Karei's lonely, bemused eyes full of sorrow. On the outside she would appear to the normal person a strong and capable woman… but on the inside she was no better than a confused child searching for someone to comfort her… Someone to be there for her… Someone to love her…

"Please – don't try and hide your sorrow. I can tell you're hurting inside but haven't had the chance to let it out to someone." Kahame knew that his words had taken effect when Karei's eyes widened and her breathing grew heavier and shakier.

Kahame held his arms out to Karei, greeting her with a familiar yet long-lost gesture.

"It's okay – I'll be your shoulder to cry on."

It was that moment when Karei knew that she was right in going to the forest that day. Her lack of herbs, her confrontation with the bandits… her meeting with Kahame… Some would say it was fate, others would say it was good fortune, but one thing was for sure… Karei realized she had found someone very special – someone who'd change her life… forever.

And because of this, Karei could do nothing to prevent the tears that followed. She collapsed into Kahame's embrace, letting out all those bottled-up emotions… all those feelings, all those memories… all the pain she'd kept to herself.

It would be a while before the two broke contact, Kahame and Karei both finding comfort in another human's contact. It would be even longer before Kahame left Karei's house, Karei seemingly wanting to make up for all the human interaction – and contact - she'd missed out on.

But it would be an eternity before these two people would be separated. Bonds this strong only come about once a generation, but when they do the results speak for themselves.



"You know what?" Karei asked, turning to look up at Kahame. When she received the 'what?' she was expecting, she answered her own question. "You never actually thanked me for saving your life that day." She smirked, knowing that Kahame knew full well what she was really saying. Kahame smirked too, knowing Karei's mannerisms.

"Is that so?" Kahame asked innocently. He wrapped his other arm around Karei, who sunk deeper into his embrace. "Well then, I guess I better make up for it!" He pushed Karei over onto her back and crawled on top of her, letting his lips do the talking.

It was a good thing that both Naruto and Hinata were out of the room, because there are some moments between two people that are supposed to be kept personal… and away from teenage eyes…

…That and… Hinata would've probably fainted…

…Poor girl…


A/N: As always, please review and... you know the rest :)

And I apologize for the long lack of updates since the last chapter. I would say blame Christmas but... that would be unfair... so blame hippies instead :)