It was finally the last week of the Festival of the Lotus. There had been no incidents since the parade, which Kakashi was grateful for. But it did make him wonder if the insurgents were planning something bigger. He pondered this as he absent-mindedly wrote his weekly report to the Leaf Village. He made sure not to mention Guy, hoping that his situation would resolve itself. As if on cue, Kakashi heard a deep sigh. He looked up to see Guy laying with his back flat on the floor, gazing up at the ceiling, mid sit-up.

"Something bothering you, Guy?" Kakashi asked. Guy seemed to jump out of a trance and grinned sheepishly. He then began to vigorously continue his sit-ups.

"What, me? Never! I'm just as hot-blooded and youthful as ever! Ha ha!" he shouted.

"You're still a terrible liar, Guy." Kakashi quipped. Guy slowed to a stop as his smile faded. He got up off the floor and turned to look out the window.

"It's the last week of our mission, isn't it?" he asked in a sad voice. Kakashi blinked, realizing immediately what was wrong.

"Yes, it is."

"And then we'll go back to the Hidden Leaf."

There was a long silence. Kakashi wondered what exactly Guy was thinking. Finally, Guy spoke again. His voice was nearly a whisper.

"Kakashi, I've... never been in love before now. Why is it painful?"

"Guy..."

"I'd always thought that no matter what problems I faced in life, I could always overcome them if I was strong enough." Guy continued. "My strength is useless here, Kakashi. I know it's imprudent to ask my eternal rival, but... I think I need some advice."

Kakashi thought for a moment before responding. Should he give Guy the hard truth, or soften the blow?

"Well, if it were me, I'd ignore my feelings and leave without so much as a goodbye. Then I would do my best to never think about it again." Kakashi said frankly. Guy winced visibly. Kakashi stood up and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Thankfully, you're not me." he stated with a slight smile. "I think it'd be best if you were up front and honest... Just keep in mind who you are, and who Princess Umei is." Guy looked at his friend and nodded slowly.

"Right."

Kakashi turned to continue writing his report, leaving Guy with his thoughts.

"Just remember, the Lotus Gala is tonight. Keep your wits about you." Kakashi reminded him. Guy only nodded.


That evening, the four Leaf ninjas readied themselves to perform their mission of protecting the royals as they waited in their room. Kakashi pocketed a handful of shuriken and wondered if paper bombs would be too excessive. He didn't want to cause harm to the castle if he could help it. Asuma sat on his bed and sharpened his chakra blade. Kurenai stood in front of a mirror and practiced some new hand signs she was working on. Guy simply paced the room, deep in thought. They all jumped when they heard a knock at the door. Kakashi answered. A servant stood before him with a large rack of formal attire.

"Begging your pardons, Leaf Ninjas, But the king has ordered that you all wear traditional formal wear at the Lotus Gala tonight, as is our tradition." the servant said. Asuma grunted.

"What? We can't wear those! What if we have to fight?!" he questioned.

"Asuma does have a point." Kakashi allowed. "If the king wants us to be able to perform to the best of our abilities, then..."

"I am sorry!" the servant blurted. "I was told not to accept no for an answer!" He bowed deeply and looked apologetic. "The king honors tradition above all else!" Guy stepped forward and took one of the black kimono suits for himself.

"Come on, we can do this!" he encouraged, although his winning smile was missing from his face. "Think of it as an added challenge!"

"That floral patterned kimono does look lovely..." Kurenai murmured, looking at the dress meant for her.

"All right." Kakashi gave in. "Tell his majesty we will be arriving shortly." The servant bowed and left quickly. Then Kakashi turned back to the others.

"Let's hurry and get this over with."


The throne room was brightly lit, and decorations of lotuses were everywhere to be seen. Couples danced as music was performed by a small orchestra. The four Leaf Ninjas stood beside the throne where the king sat, Guy and Kakashi on one side, and Kurenai and Asuma on the other. They watched the celebration with stoic expressions. The music died down as Tomuri entered the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Honored Guests, Thank you for joining us this night to celebrate the Lotus Gala." she spoke loudly. "On behalf of His Majesty the king, I present his daughter, Princess Umei."

The princess entered the room, wearing a beautiful kimono patterned with sparkling lotus flowers. Her head was adorned with a golden tiara. Kakashi heard Guy sigh deeply as the princess stood in the entryway. She lowered her head humbly as everyone in the room bowed to her. Then the party resumed as she walked to join her father.

"Good evening, Father." Umei said flatly.

"Daughter, where's that smile of yours?" the king inquired. "I thought you liked the Lotus Gala."

"Yes, Father. But..." the princess began. "It has been quite some time since the incident at the parade, has it not?"

Kakashi glanced sideways to see the princess's concerned face. So she could sense trouble brewing too...

"Nonsense!" the king said loudly. "We have the Leaf Ninjas here to protect us. There is nothing to worry about. Go enjoy yourself. Dance!" he urged. Umei's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I would like to dance with Might Guy!" she stated suddenly. Guy made a stifled choking sound as his face turned slightly red.

"But wouldn't you rather dance with someone closer to your status?" the king asked eagerly. "I met a nobleman earlier who has a son about your age."

"I feel safer with Guy, Father." Umei insisted. The king sighed.

"It is true that he shielded you from danger at the parade." he allowed. "That was admirable of him. I thank you, Ninja." he bowed slightly in Guy's direction.

"It was an honor, Your Majesty!" Guy said seriously, bowing so deeply he almost fell forward. For the first time that night, Umei smiled.

"Fine then. If dancing with this ninja will help you enjoy the gala, you have my permission." The king declared. "I only ask that you remember your place, Ninja of the Leaf." he said the last part with a low tone, making Guy stiffen in response. Umei approached him with an energetic smile.

"Might Guy! How are you this evening? And Kakashi Hatake! You both look very dashing!" she bubbled. Guy and Kakashi both bowed to her.

"Your Highness is very kind." Kakashi said, smiling. He nudged Guy with his elbow.

"Y-yes! And this evening finds us as youthful as ever!" Guy blurted. Kakashi rolled his eyes, but Umei giggled. She held out a hand to Guy.

"Shall we?" she asked. Guy's face turned completely red as he stammered.

"I-I'm afraid I d-don't know how to dance!" he uttered. "My life has been spent practicing taijutsu, not dancing." Umei grabbed his hand.

"It is easy! Come on!" She pulled him towards the center of the room, where others were dancing. Kakashi watched him go with a sigh. So the Princess reciprocated Guy's feelings for her, that much was obvious. What should be done?

'I just have to trust Guy.' Kakashi reminded himself. 'I wonder how all this is going to play out...?'


Kakashi quickly grew bored. He watched as people enjoyed the party with his blank expression. He wished he could read his book. The only thing that amused him was Guy's attempts at dancing. Still, as embarrassed as Guy looked, he also seemed to be enjoying himself. The princess did her best to teach the ninja to dance, laughing playfully when he made mistakes. The two seemed... happy.

As the song came to an end, Guy grinned down at his beautiful dancing partner. Kakashi suddenly saw a flash of someone else in his mind. A young Uchiha boy with goggles, grinning at a girl with short, brown hair. That really took him back. He flinched visibly as a pang of familiar sadness pierced his heart. He shook his head and focused once again on the present.

Only to see that Guy and the Princess were nowhere to be seen!

Kakashi scanned the area with his eye. Guy stood out in a crowd, so why couldn't he see his friend right away? Finally, he caught sight of Guy, standing outside on the balcony with the Princess. The moon shone on them from one side, and the light from the Gala, on the other. They looked truly happy.

"That ninja seems to be letting my daughter get some air after their dance." The King noticed. "I have three ninja with me, I'd like to spare one for her."

"Understood, Sir." Kakashi nodded. He gestured to Asuma and Kurenai to let them know what he was doing, before heading for the balcony.

Before he reached Guy and her Highness, Kakashi found himself slowing down. He suddenly became curious about what they were saying. He felt strange. He wasn't usually one to listen in on private conversations outside of missions in the ANBU, but he wondered if his advice from earlier had reached Guy. He paused and concealed himself behind a pillar within earshot.

"... and then I showed those two bandits what for, with nothing but my left foot!" Guy was saying animatedly. The Princess beamed.

"Just your foot? How incredible!" she answered. Guy smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, they dislocated my right shoulder, and I was carrying the stolen goods with my other arm, so one foot was all I could spare them." Guy admitted. Umei's eyes shone.

"You have had so many adventures, Guy!" she exclaimed. "When you talk about your missions, the outside world feels like a much bigger place!"

"I still can't believe you've never been outside your kingdom's borders." Guy responded. "The world is full of beautiful sights to see!"

Umei laughed as Guy spread his arms out wide in an attempt to demonstrate the vastness of what the world had to offer. Guy let out a hearty chuckle as well as he smiled at her.

"Although, none of that compares to the sight I see right now!" he added.

Umei's countenance brightened. She blushed as she looked up at Guy. Guy winced as his smile faded.

"I-I'm sorry, Umei." he sighed. "I keep forgetting... who we are."

Umei's smile disappeared as well. When she next spoke, it was nearly a whisper.

"Why does it seem like who we are is more important than how we feel?" she asked. "I know we each have our respective duties, but... I love you, Might Guy." Guy swallowed hard as Umei gently grabbed his hand and laced her fingers through his. He accepted the gesture by tightening his grip on her hand.

"I love you too, Umei." Guy answered, his voice tight.

Kakashi had seen Guy cry before. In truth, he was an extremely emotional man. But this was the first time he had seen his friend like this. The joy mixed with agony Guy felt was written plainly on his face. Kakashi couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Guy always cared for the wellbeing of his comrades, yet when it came to his own problems, he did what he could to not burden others.

"My mission is nearly over." Guy continued. "And then I must go back to the Leaf and continue to protect my home, and complete my missions."

"And I must become queen of my kingdom." Umei followed. "We'll likely never see each other again."

A long silence passed between the two. Guy lifted his free hand and placed it on Umei's cheek, looking into her eyes seriously.

"No matter what happens, I will consider myself lucky to have been loved by you." he said.

Kakashi found himself leaning in closer, like he was reading one of his romance novels. So Guy and the Princess had already previously confessed to each other how they felt? Movement in the corner of Kakashi's eye caught his attention. He tensed, when he suddenly recognized the figure of Tomuri, the servant, who was hiding behind a curtain. She was also watching Guy and the Princess. They locked gazes for a moment.

"Tomuri! You're here too?!" Kakashi hissed. The old woman gave him a sly look.

"I'm Her Highness's personal servant! What's your excuse for spying on these two?" she whispered back with a smile.

"I'm not spying, I'm...!" Kakashi began, getting flustered. He took a deep breath, reminding himself to keep his voice down. Aside from that, he was definitely spying. "I'm keeping an eye out for insurgents!"

"Of course you are." Tomuri responded with a wink. Kakashi turned his attention back to the balcony when he heard Guy's voice.

"I just... I don't want to say goodbye!" he said, shaking his head. Umei smiled sadly, leaning forward slowly.

Kakashi watched as the two kissed. He had mixed feelings about this. Of course, if anyone deserved true love and happiness, it was Might Guy. On the other hand, this was so outside the scope of the mission, it was borderline dangerous. Kakashi glanced at Tomuri to gauge her reaction, but saw that she was looking past him, her face pale and fearful. He turned his head to follow her gaze, but when he saw what the old woman was looking at, it was too late.

"Umei!" The king marched past Kakashi and grabbed his daughter's arm, wrenching her away from Guy. "Have you lost your senses?! This man is a ninja of a different nation! And you!" The king turned on Guy. "How dare you kiss my daughter! Was this your intent from the beginning? Is the Land of Fire trying to supplant our kingdom?!"

Guy was shocked to silence. What he was being accused of had never entered his head as a possibility. Umei put herself between Guy and her father.

"Father, no! You do not understand! Guy did not kiss me, I kissed him! He is kind, and brave, and strong, and I have fallen in love with him!" she interjected. The king only grew angrier.

"He's obviously lying to you, Umei!" he spat. He turned and jabbed a finger at Kakashi. Asuma and Kurenai hurried to the scene as well. "I hired you ninjas to protect my daughter from harm, and this is what happens? Guards, arrest Might Guy!"

"No!" Umei begged. The captain of the guard came forward.

"Your Highness, if I may, I have been watching this ninja's interactions with the princess. He seems to genuinely have only the best intentions. Would it not be better to..."

"Silence!" the king snapped. "It seems as though I am the only one who cares what happens to my kingdom! I order you ninjas to leave immediately! And never return to my kingdom again!"

"Father, please! You must not!" Umei implored, earning her a resounding slap from her father. Everyone froze. The king glared at his daughter.

"Umei, have you turned your back on your kingdom so quickly?" he asked darkly. "You are unfit to be queen, or even my daughter! I hereby banish you from the kingdom of the Land of Lotuses!"

Umei stared at her father with wide eyes. Tears sprung to her eyes as she backed away from him slowly. The guard looked at the king in alarm.

"But your majesty!" he began.

"I have made my choice." the King growled.

Umei turned and ran away, throwing off her tiara as she did so. Gasping sobs could be heard as she vanished from view. Guy stared after her.

"Umei!" he finally shouted as he ran after her. Kakashi looked at Asuma and Kurenai, all at a loss for words. He finally signaled for them to follow him as he left. The king looked out over his kingdom with a stoic face.

"I'll guide my people to safety, even if I must do it alone."


Sorry this chapter is a little rocky. I've had horrid writer's block for weeks, so I just forced myself through and pounded out this sorry excuse for a chapter. I just really want to push through to the more interesting parts of this story! If any of you have an idea of how to improve this chapter, please let me know! As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!