Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything or anybody except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Any concepts/ideas mentioned in this fanfiction that seem to be borrowed from another media/piece of continuity - note that I don't mean to plagiarize anything or anybody in any way! This fanfic was made for entertainment purposes, not for pissing off others! So yeah!

The theme for this chapter is specifically Hypochondriac Piano's cover of Xion's Theme from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Tomoko does play this song near the end of this chapter (or at least tries to), and it overall fits the ending mood of this chapter.

For those in want of a nail or more angst, I would point you towards the vocal cover of Xion's Theme done by Lizz Robinett. Even though the song itself pertains to Xion's character specifically, you can look at some of the lyrics in Tomoko's context, considering her divide between her past and current lives. Not to mention, Lizz is amazing in creating song lyrics for a lot of famous songs, and I encourage you to check her YouTube channel out! I just warn you to bring tissues beforehand because a lot of Lizz's Kingdom Hearts content can be sad depending on how you go in interpreting the lyrics.

On the other hand, an alternate theme for a majority of this chapter would be AlexGek025's piano cover of Emotion from Pokemon Black & White considering Tomoko's emotional state.

For a last note in this section, this chapter is specifically dedicated to my two consultants and real life versions of Josh and Leo, one being known as Frost-Ninja-Dragon on Fanfiction. They've really helped me come all this way, so I'm very grateful to them. Love you both and if you can see this - you'll always be my best bros no matter how much time passes!

Please enjoy!

Chapter 22: Who Am I?

When a best friend that you've known for about 4 years comes up to you directly, asking "Could we talk?", then you know it's something you have to take seriously.

Even if you're feeling emotionally conflicted like all dang heck and don't really know how to start.

That basically summed up my situation in just a few sentences - but even then, a part of me doesn't feel like that fully covers everything.

Just looking at Kakashi's back said a lot. Even though I was just a few footsteps away from him, the way the familiar figure was so tense and somewhat hunched spoke more than anything else.

It was only after I had meekly nodded a 'yes' to his previous question that I really took notice of this. My best friend proceeded to just grab my right hand in his left, promptly walking me/dragging me out of my room and to a staircase leading to the roof without a single word being exchanged.

Now that I think about it, his hand also seemed to share a similar message, being both tense but soft while holding onto me.

When did Kakashi start feeling more powerful than me? Not that he wasn't before, but…

… When did he start feeling dependable?

Apparently I was stuck in these thoughts for far too long, because I soon found myself crawling on top of the roof of Nagareboshi, being pulled over to sit next to Kakashi. Since the sun was setting in the horizon, it illuminated the village with a soft red while the beginnings of a night blue were starting to blanket the rest of the sky. Even when night was beginning to fall, the remaining sunbeams seemed to just add color to the rather tense atmosphere, specifically highlighting the silver metal on Kakashi's forehead protector.

Then, there was silence. Even though we were sitting next to each other, still holding hands after all this time, it just felt like a wave of uneasiness hit us both by storm. A part of me wanted to say something - anything - if it meant breaking this awkward silence.

And yes - I just admitted it's an awkward silence, not a 'contemplative silence'. You're free to applaud now.

… Then again, considering how my humor is again in the down lows of 'Sahara Desert-dry', this wasn't really the best time to be thinking on such things.

"Tomoko, we're best friends, right?" The sudden question nearly made me jump from my sitting position on the roof, almost letting go of Kakashi's hand if not for his tight grip.

I blinked before turning to him with a sense of foreboding. "... I always thought we were. Why do you ask?"

The Chunin sighed, grip on my hand starting to become a bit sweaty. Before the embarrassment could settle in, he spoke again, albeit quietly. "... So then why haven't you been talking to me as much during the past three months?"

I swore my body could've turned to stone if it were possible.

"Huh?" I said stupidly, the familiar heat of shame flooding me.

"Don't 'huh' me, Tomoko," As if to emphasize on how done he was with the whole thing, Kakashi proceeded to facepalm, shaking his head. "Even if you don't say anything, I know you've been meditating for a few hours every day for the past few months and how you almost always run to Judai and Hikari-san's room in the middle of the night."

… Yeah, he's onto us. Hisako added dryly.

I just didn't know what to say. All the saliva in my mouth almost immediately dried up and I found myself moving my lips in an attempt to say something, only for silence to greet me.

"Why can't you just get through your dense head that I'm here for you, Tomoko?" My heart jolted in response as Kakashi shook his head again, silver spikes lightly tickling my cheek from the close distance. "No matter what kind of big or small thing you're handling, you're free to come talk to me. You don't have to hide it all to yourself - hell, it's okay if you can't say everything yet." His shoulders sagged from another quiet sigh. "But if it makes you feel any better, you can just share a small part of it if you want. As your friend, I won't judge you on anything. I'll never judge you, Tomoko."

It was as though a weight was lifted off my chest. For the first time in months, I felt lighter than anything else in the world, and the words just left my lips without me even thinking too much about it.

"Thank you, Kakashi-kun…"

To my surprise, my best friend simply lifted his head from his other hand, giving me a frown. "Kakashi," He stated firmly.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Tomoko, we've been friends for almost 4 years now. You can drop the -kun." Kakashi elaborated, exasperation clearly written on his face before a glint of sympathy glowed in his silver orbs. "And besides - do you feel like talking?"

I found myself biting my lip a little when looking down at my lap to ponder my answer. Even though I could tell my best friend was trying to be encouraging, nothing was really coming to mind. What was I supposed to say?

That you're the reincarnation of an emotional 18 year old girl that apparently watched a series involving you and your sensei's son in a whole bunch of weird shenanigans which includes saving the world and handling the Duck-butt Uchiha, who by the way, completely sucks ass? Hisako deadpanned from her corner of the mindscape library. Or how you've been dealing with the trauma from your past life and how it's been affecting your current life to the point where I could easily diagnose you as clinically insane considering my own existence and the immense amount of past memories?

… Not helping Hisako.

You asked for it, dear. She replied.

In the end, I just sighed before taking a breath to steel myself for the upcoming vent. "…You remember that drunk customer, right Kakashi?"

"How could I forget that bastard, Tomoko?" I wasn't surprised to hear the amount of venom in my friend's response. "He nearly…"

Kakashi didn't need to finish the comment. The lingering pain in my neck (probably from the emotional impact) still was there after all.

I forced myself to concentrate on what I was going to say to keep my thoughts away from the throbbing in my vocal cords. "The thing is, ever since… that day," I swallowed the lump in my throat to continue, despite feeling the heavy urge to cry. "I've been getting nightmares."

Kakashi didn't say a single thing in response, instead tightening the grip he had on my hand while rubbing a thumb over the top of my palm. The gesture was nice - more than enough to keep me emotionally focused. A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke, voice softer than anything I had ever heard before. "... Of what?"

For some reason, the memories decided to choose that precise moment to flood my head, keeping me from saying a proper answer. Even with my best friend sitting right next to me, I found myself getting dragged into another scene against my will, hearing those voices all over again.

"Kakashi, come over here. I'll start immediately."

"I'm going to die here. But.. I'll be able to be your eye… and see the future with you, Kakashi…"

"Obito!"

TOMOKO-CHAN! This is NOT the time to space out! Thank goodness for Hisako. She literally gave me a mental slap in the face for me to be brought back into reality again, only to face Kakashi's concerned gaze. For some reason, the image of a glowing red Sharingan overlapped with the familiar silver in his left eye, and I had to fiercely shake my head to get it out of my mind.

"... Tomoko?" Kakashi prodded, hand still gripping mine. I didn't even realize he was still holding onto it even during my mental freakout.

Then again, it had been a while since my last honest confession - and just looking at my best friend said more than enough. I needed to say something - now.

"I-I…" The thought alone made tears start to build up in my eyes and I forced myself to look away from the familiar silver orbs just to get a semblance of composure. "I-I kept seeing… you and the rest of Team Minato… dead."

God, just saying it alone was already hard enough. But to my best friend? I could easily see this as emotional torture.

The images flowing through my head just made it worse even with Hisako attempting to clear them away.

My ears could pick up the slightest indication of a gasp from my friend, but the emotions were swirling in my heart far too much for me to stop. From the corner of my eye, it looked like Kakashi wanted to say something, but the sobs coming out of my mouth were already drowning out his familiar voice. "Obito-kun g-g-got crushed by a rock, Rin-chan got s-s-stabbed in the heart, Minato-san got impaled… a-and…" The tears were already starting to become a waterfall down my face, dripping down onto my lap as I attempted to keep the sniffles at bay. "K-K-Kakashi g-g-got k-k-killed by an enemy nin…"

The light was already starting to fade from the familiar silver as blood ran down his face. Even if he wanted to do something, he had no more chakra to even move - trapped in the rubble of the village he dedicated his entire life to. "I guess… this is it for me. Obito… Rin… I'll see you guys soon."

Kakashi!

To my surprise, the grip on my hand just tugged at my arm, and I found myself leaning against a familiar chest. A warm arm wrapped around me, pulling me closer as the hand holding mine let got to reach over and pat my head.

I was too frozen in emotional shock to move. "K-Kakashi?"

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Tomoko." Kakashi murmured softly, his breath gently rustling the tips of my hair. "It's been hard, huh?"

"L-Like all hell, K-Kakashi~!" I clutched at the front of his shirt tightly in an attempt to calm myself. In the end, I still found myself wailing/venting quite a bit in my best friend's shoulder. At this point, a part of me didn't really care that I was full out bawling since I knew that I needed a good cry. Hisako's memory sessions may have helped, but not enough to this extent. I just wanted to talk to someone other than a Yamanaka or a split part of my subconscious. Hopefully I wasn't blowing out his eardrums like I possibly did three months ago. "I-I haven't been able to sleep well for the past few months, the piano just seems so far away now because of what that idiot drunk did, and I-I… I… " A lump caught itself in my throat, forcing me to stop in favor of more sniffles escaping me. "I…."

I'm just scared of dying again. Hell - I'm scared of everyone I love getting hurt again.

"Tomoko, shh." In the middle of all the blurry tears, I could make out the soft navy blue of my best friend's mask as Kakashi placed his forehead against mine, looking into my eyes. "Breathe."

Instinctively, I took in a deep breath through my nose, waiting a few tense seconds to let it go. Then it was rinse and repeat. Once the tears started to dry a bit, I could make out a small smile through my best friend's mask. "You alright?"

It was ironic that Kakashi was saying the exact same thing that he did three months ago when calming me down.

Unlike that time, however, I felt emotionally stable enough to respond. "Y-Yeah… I-I'm sorry Kakashi,"

"Don't apologize," It was at that moment that I really noticed how close he was to me, masked face inches away from my own, and the close distance really let me see how deep his silver eyes really were. Heck, if not for the cool evening wind fanning the both of us, I would've noticed the warmth of his breath so much sooner. "What happened back then wasn't your fault Tomoko - it never was. These dreams too, aren't your fault."

A part of me wanted to believe him. Heck, almost every fiber of my entire being wanted to believe my best friend. But some small part of me that wasn't Hisako or Tomoko - the remnants of the cynicism that defined Vy for a majority of her adolescence - was still there and putting a damper on everything.

"But…" The words just couldn't leave my mouth and my mind decided to finish the thought.

But I don't even know if I was supposed to even be here. I don't know if I'm the right person for the job of 'correcting canon' and making sure a lot of canon shit doesn't happen.

I don't know if I'm the right person that you can call your best friend when I'm hiding so much from you.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at me before pulling me into another warm hug. "No buts," Even with the firmness in his voice, the soft brushing of my hair spoke volumes of the current situation. "No matter what happens, you're still Hoshino Tomoko. The girl who constantly wears different kimono dresses when working in a cafe; the girl who always goes to the library every weekend to study by herself; the girl who never seems to take a hint on when to stop hugging someone. Heck, you're the girl who always worries over the smallest things including how many scratches can be on one person." A teary laugh escaped me at the last part.

"More than anything, though…" Kakashi pulled away for a moment only to once again lean his forehead against mine, and I was surprised to feel warm skin instead of the familiar cold metal of his forehead protector. When did he take it off? "You're Hoshino Tomoko, the civilian pianist of Nagareboshi Cafe and my best friend."

My heart could've stopped at that very moment.

Kakashi didn't seem to notice this though, instead closing his eyes while continuing to speak in that same soft tone as before. "No matter what happens, that's not going to change. And you know my ninja way, right?" My breath seemed to clog in my throat at the sight of my best friend actually opening his eyes to look at me with what appeared to be pure warmth, one hand absently pulling down his mask so that I could see his full face, smiling at me. "I'll always protect my friends - so how can I do that when I die?"

The tears were starting to blur my vision again. "K-K-Kakashi…"

With his mask down, I could see the full extent of my best friend sighing again. "Sheesh, just when I say something nice, you start crying again. Hm…" Kakashi put a hand to his chin, eyes closed in thought before looking at me again with a soft gaze. "How about we make a promise then?"

I blinked some of the tears away. "A-A promise?"

"I'll promise to always come back with everyone safe and sound, and you promise to stay safe and confide in me if you need help - how's that?" It seems like the surprises just wouldn't stop, because I could clearly see Kakashi - my stoic, ninja friend Kakashi - lift up his right hand with one pinky raised.

Warmth slowly started to run through my veins as I glanced between his offered pinky and his unmasked, smiling face. No words could escape my mouth, and it was only Kakashi nodding gently in response to my bewildered stare that it really registered in my mind that this was actually happening.

I had someone who didn't care about what was going on with me.

I had someone who would run over to me in a heartbeat if it meant making everything okay.

I had someone who cared for me - aside from my family.

A sigh of my own left my mouth rather shakily before I reached up to link my pinky with his, shaking it softly. "O-Okay… Okay…"

The message was unspoken but understood.

I'll trust you.

… Thank you.

The only thing left on my mind was hugging my best friend and saying one last thing. Before reaching over to wrap my arms around his neck, I made sure to look at Kakashi in the eye to say it honestly.

"Thank you Kakashi. I love you."

Some emotion I didn't recognize went through his silver orbs, but I didn't really pay much attention to it since I was currently basking in another hug and taking in the familiar pine scent that was my best friend.

In the end, Kakashi simply sighed again before wrapping his arms around my waist, squishing me to him. "I know Tomoko."

A soft silence blanketed the both of us before another whisper was let out into the wind - gentler and almost quieter than anything else said before.

"I love you too."

"This is the third month Tomoko-chan has been away from the piano."

"Tomoko? You mean that little girl at Nagareboshi Cafe?"

"Yeah, I don't blame her. Apparently a few months ago, some drunk ninja acted up and scared the living daylights out of her in the middle of a song request. Even for the village under war, that's not something that a civilian should face."

"God, I hope she's doing alright."

"Apparently her parents have been playing the music at Nagareboshi lately, but it just isn't the same. I heard from a few friends how the cafe just seems a lot more darker - even though Tomoko-chan is still working there. I think everyone just misses her piano."

"You think there is anything we can do?"

Nohara Rin wasn't really a big fan of trauma. Even as a medic-in-training, that kind of thing was something she still felt uncomfortable thinking about.

But when it happened to a friend? Then Rin felt absolutely useless.

Initially, after that whole incident with the drunk nin, Rin stayed away from Nagareboshi. She didn't really feel right returning to the cafe when knowing that such a thing happened there. Tomoko needed space - and Rin didn't feel confident in her ability of being able to help.

Not to mention with the Third War going on, training was an absolute priority.

It was only really at the urging of Obito that she stepped back through those familiar cafe doors with him a few months later, looking around for the familiar head of black hair. To the medic's surprise, it was easy to find Tomoko in the vicinity of Nagareboshi, white and pink kimono dress being the main stand-out of her appearance. If not for the apron covering the front of the familiar outfit, Rin would've thought nothing had changed.

"Rin-chan? Obito-kun?" Even Tomoko's voice sounded the same as always, high-pitched sound highlighted with warmth. "Hey! Welcome back - where would you like to sit?"

"Someplace by a window would be nice, Tomoko-chan!" Obito chirped back.

"Alrighty then, just follow me!" Rin would've believed the whole illusion if not for the glint of sadness in the familiar blue. Even when walking to their assigned table, the grand piano that Tomoko used to occupy looked almost lonely from its position in the center of the cafe. Despite Hikari-san currently standing on the stage in a lovely violet sleeveless dress, passionately playing her violin, Nagareboshi felt… oddly dark somehow in comparison to Tomoko's days on the stage.

It was when their civilian friend later came back with their orders that Obito asked the dreaded question.

"Tomoko-chan, why aren't you playing the piano? It looks really sad over there!"

Oh Obito. Rin couldn't help but think.

It was as if a rock had been thrown into the arena because the smile the civilian girl had on seemed to just crack. "O-Oh…" Rin felt her heart drop to her stomach at the sight of the former pianist slowly inching away from their table, having already dropped off their orders, blue eyes looking to the side as if in shame. "I-I guess it's that obvious, huh?"

The words just came out before she could even think about them. "... Tomoko-chan, is everything okay?"

Wide blue eyes turned onto the medic, and Rin unconsciously found herself sucking in a breath at the sight of the swirling emotions bubbling in them. Adding in the shocked expression on the civilian's face, it looked as though Tomoko was about to cry. Even if it was only for a few seconds, Rin immediately found herself memorizing her friend's face to inquire about later.

Tomoko needed help - and from the looks of it, she wasn't getting enough of it.

Far too soon, the heart wrenching expression was covered up by a warm smile as Tomoko lightly bonked the back of her head with a fist, sticking her tongue out clumsily. "S-sorry about that guys! I-I'm okay! I just needed a break from the piano for a while."

"Are you sure, Tomoko-chan?" Obito apparently caught onto the same hints she was seeing too, black eyes now wide with sympathy and concern through the familiar orange goggles. "You don't look that great…"

So the bags under her eyes weren't a sign that Rin was going paranoid then. Obito could see them too.

Despite Rin's growing worries, the civilian simply smiled again, nervously giggling. "D-Don't worry about me guys! I'm okay! No need to worry!" Before Rin could even try to say anything, Tomoko bowed her head, blue eyes glinting with something foreign when looking at them. It felt like an ironic role reversal of when the two shinobi first met the girl. "I just need some time to myself for now. I hope you enjoy the rest of your meal!"

Don't look like that Tomoko-chan. Don't hide everything away like that.

Don't cover it up with a fake smile like that.

And with a soft (timid) curtsey on the civilian's part, Tomoko gave another (fake) smile before leaving the two ninja be.

Honestly, the medic had no appetite after seeing all that. How could she enjoy the rest of her meal knowing that a friend was suffering and just refusing to tell them anything?

Rin only had to glance at her Uchiha teammate once, and no words had to be exchanged.

Something had to be done.

"The war's really getting tough lately."

"Yeah, I heard from some border patrols about how they saw a couple Iwa nin lurking around lately. Not enough to cause too much trouble, but they seem to be setting up for something big."

"Man, I could really go for some good music right now."

"… I would recommend Nagareboshi Cafe, but it's kinda facing a slump too."

"What happened?"

"Turns out that the main musician got really traumatized a few months back -"

Might Guy would've liked to see Konoha as a village filled with youth.

But these days, it was just becoming scarce, no matter how much he shouted about it.

"Hey Guy," Sarutobi Asuma was the first to break him out of his thoughts, puffing from his slumped position in the training ground. "T-Think we could take a break? I know you're full of 'youth' and all, but I'm beat."

"Alright my wonderful friend!" Guy yelled out happily, fist pumping in agreement. It looked like another spar could be counted towards another victory in the name of Youth! "How about we head out to eat?"

"Well then," This time, it was Yuhi Kurenai who interrupted from her position in the sidelines, soft magenta eyes gleaming with anticipation. "How about dango? It's been a while and we've all been out on missions."

"Dango is starting to get a bit tiring Kurenai," Asuma huffed in response, slowly getting back to his feet while stretching his back. "Is there anywhere else we could eat?"

The kunoichi blinked and looked between the two boys before closing her eyes to think. After a few moments, the familiar magenta orbs opened with a spark of inspiration shining in them. "How about Nagareboshi Cafe? I heard that the food's really good and the music is to die for!"

Kurenai seemed to miss the wince that went through Guy's figure at the response, and the Green Genin had to look down for a moment, enthusiasm fading for just plain empathy. "I-I'm not so sure on that, Kurenai-san."

"Why Guy?" It was Asuma who spoke this time, brown eyes narrowing in suspicion. "This is a first for you to turn down something."

Guy looked at his fellow shinobi before smiling rather sadly and crossing his arms. "The thing is, youth hasn't really been a constant at Nagareboshi lately…"

"Oi Bakashi!"

Kakashi held back the urge to just strangle the owner of the voice, instead choosing to focus on polishing the kunai he had in hand. There were so many things that could be said in response to that, and in the end, the Hatake settled for the simplest option.

"... What is it Obito?"

To the Chunin's surprise, he could quickly make out two scents homing in on him, not just the rather annoying smokiness of his Uchiha teammate, making him look up. What greeted him were the figures of Obito and Rin both towering over his sitting position, both Genin donning expressions of apparent concern.

What?

Rin was the first to speak in the soft silence, twiddling her thumbs before slowly sitting down in front of the Chunin, folding her legs underneath her torso. "... By chance, Kakashi-kun, you've been living with Tomoko-chan for a while, right?"

The mention of her name just made alarm bells go off in the Chunin's head, and Kakashi found himself gripping the kunai tighter than before. "... What about it?" He found himself growling.

"O-Oi, Kakashi, don't get too mad about it!" Obito said placatingly, for once not trying to say an insult in exchange for sitting down next to the medic and crossing his arms. "S-Sorry about the insult earlier…" This was getting weird - Obito never did try to apologize before. "T-Thing is, we visited Nagareboshi earlier, and…" The Uchiha trailed off, black eyes blatantly showing his hesitation.

Kakashi just stared.

"... Tomoko-chan seems to not be normal, Kakashi-kun," Rin finished, voice quiet. "She just… her smile looked so fake… and we were wondering if there was something you knew about it?"

The Chunin nearly dropped his kunai.

"I-I've been getting nightmares… I-I kept seeing… you and the rest of Team Minato… dead."

Tomoko's words from the night before took that moment to appear in his thoughts, and Kakashi, for once, found himself hesitating. Just looking at his two teammates alone showed that they were worried, a lot if not just as much as he was, about the civilian pianist and her current condition. Even if the Hatake currently detested them to some degree for creating a skill gap that he had to bridge during missions, he couldn't deny that the two Genin cared for his best friend.

Their eyes reflected how much they cherished Tomoko's friendship.

Would it be right to share with them what he knew?

No way in all hell. A part of him cried out, anger clearly present. They didn't know Tomoko as long as you did - why tell them when they didn't notice what was wrong until just now?

Kakashi had to admit that dark part of him had a point.

But the rest of his heart, carefully raised by Sakumo, Minato-sensei, Kushina, and the Hoshino Family, protested.

You should tell them. The nightmares involve them too.

The memory of his best friend's crying face (ohmygod, why is Tomoko crying, don't cry - please) just solidified the decision in his mind.

"Obito-kun g-g-got crushed by a rock, Rin-chan got s-s-stabbed in the heart, Minato-san got impaled… a-and…K-K-Kakashi g-g-got k-k-killed by an enemy nin…"

Kakashi just sighed and carefully stashed the cleaning cloth and kunai back into his kunai holster strapped on his right leg. With a heavy heart, the Chunin looked up at his teammates with serious eyes before opening his mouth. "... Yeah, I know. Just listen carefully and don't say anything until I'm done, got it?"

Rin and Obito fiercely nodded in response.

"So it all started a few days after Tomoko got lost in the village…"

Late that night, long after the cafe had closed, a small figure could be seen tiptoeing past the back doors to reach the center of the shop.

In the pale moonlight, the grand piano stood tall, quietly waiting for its former master to approach.

"Apparently, she was dealing with a lot of nightmares that night, and Judai-san later took her to a Yamanaka the next day to look at what was going on."

Obito was the first to attempt to speak. "W-What happened-"

Kakashi just glared at the Uchiha. "What happened to not interrupting?"

Obito just made a 'Meep' noise before quickly making the motions of zipping up his lips and tossing the key.

The Chunin sighed, shaking his head before continuing. "I'm not fully sure, but it's only just recently that Tomoko told me the reason why she had to meet the Yamanaka."

A little girl, donning nothing but a nightgown, carefully walked over to her old companion, situating herself back onto the tall piano bench. With a shaky breath, she pushed back the piano cover to fully uncover the gorgeous black and white keys, virtually unchanged with the exception of a small layer of dust.

Pushing a strand of black hair behind her ear, the girl raised her hands to touch the keys.

Initially, music came out of them as usual.

But as time went on, with the girl attempting to create a melody as she used to do months ago, something went wrong.

"It turns out that the nightmares that she had -"

Every music note just came out shaky and jumbled, never once coming together in a beautiful symphony. It was as though the piano was crying.

No matter what the girl tried, no matter what hand position she took, the same crooked tunes came out.

As time went on, tears slowly began to fall on the keys.

"... Why?"

"- consisted of scenes of Team Minato dead."

"Why can't I play the piano?"

Author's Notes: … So, there's a cliffhanger for you guys to think about. Sorry about taking so long with this chapter - had problems with writer's block and practicing driving so I could take the behind-the-wheel test and pass. Luckily, by the time of this chapter's publishing, I finally have my own license, so HOORAY!

More time to Civilian Pianist and once again, thank you to all my wonderful readers and followers! Last I checked, we have more than 400 favorites and 500 followers on the story, so thank you for sticking with Tomoko and I for so long. It is kinda angsty right now in the story, but to me as the author, it's necessary for further character development. Don't get too down just yet - there's still a bit of hope!

Not to mention, this is the first time I've officially introduced Asuma and Kurenai to Civilian Pianist! I kinda wish I didn't take so long, but they honestly didn't really show up until now since even in the anime/manga, a lot of their childhood together isn't really specified on much. Based on that, I assumed that they didn't really have a lot of contact with Team Minato, and subsequently Tomoko, based on how the war was going, so it was only until now that they've thought about going to Nagareboshi.

Still - Love you all and this is Writer-and-Artist27 signing out to work on the next chapter!