I now ship both Homura x Koharu and Kagami x Koharu, due to some amazing Japanese art site. Fail.

Um. So, Izuna's cafe. It's gorgeous. + mean Uchiha fathers. That's like the essence of clans: Mean fathers (except for some).

Disclaimer: Same old same old. You know the drill.

Chapter 38: Individual

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY."

If Koharu wanted anything, it was not this. If this continued, she would be deaf by Friday. It was Friday.

"PLEASE ACCEPT MY CHOCOLATES."

Wasn't this sort of backwards? Wasn't she supposed to be the one giving chocolate to a boy, rather than a boy giving chocolate to her? And this boy, this loud, annoying, stubborn, stupid, idiotic, ridiculous, dark-haired, handsome Uchiha boy, why did he have to be offering in such a blunt, outlandish way? Why couldn't he be normal?

"KOHARU?"

"I can hear you, you idiot!"

Poor Kagami could not tell Koharu that his ears were somewhat damaged from the mission he'd just returned from – a series of bombs so close and so loud that he'd nearly lost his hearing straight afterwards (luckily, it turned out to be temporary) – and that he didn't know he was talking too loud.

"SORRY?"

"Be quieter," hissed Koharu under her breath. Of course, Kagami could not hear her, but read her lips just find. ("Because I have a Sharingan," he would say proudly, sounding far too much like his ex-clan leader than he should have.)

"DO YOU WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE?"

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?!" Koharu, who rarely had her hair down, was on the verge of losing her hairpins from her vehement whipping around and snapping at her boyfriend. Kagami didn't really mind; he thought she was terribly pretty with her hair down. Well, at least that's what he supposed – he'd never really seen her out of her characteristic twin buns stabbed through with a needle. Everyone feared that needle.

"THERE IS THAT CAFÉ THAT YOU LIKE, RIGHT?"

Uchiha are blind, and stupid, Koharu thought grumpily. It was no wonder that Tobirama-sensei wanted to kill them.

Quite a negative, almost evil thought, but that was just Koharu. Even when she was an old, old lady, she and Danzo would forever pick on the Uchiha. Though Danzo would die by the hands of two of them, and she'd click her tongue and sip her tea, overlooking a destroyed Konoha with distaste.

She would also never forgive Kagami for dying, either.

She never forgave anyone for dying. Koharu vowed that until she, too, reached her deathbed, she would stubbornly hold onto those dear to her, even if that meant it was in terms of never allowing forgiveness. Tobirama, sacrificing himself – she would cry that he was a stupid teacher at his grave until her team embraced her and they sat there for hours. Torifu and Biwako, dying the night of the Uzumaki child's birth. Biwako, her best friend. Kagami by his own clansman, the night of the Uchiha Massacre. Hiruzen by his own student's hand. Thatidiot had been the worst. Who else was left? Shiro had long since sacrificed himself in a mission; she'd been there. For that one, Koharu didn't think she would forgive herself. And even Chiyo, who had traded her life for that of the young Kazekage. Was there anyone left who held their ideals and never let go? The Kages of the current day – all of them believed in a flimsy, fluttering ideal called faith. Tsunade had faith that the Uzumaki boy would prevail. And if he didn't? If the village was destroyed more than it already was?

If there was anyone who understood her, it was Homura. He sat beside her, old and tired, sipping tea and shouldering the brunt of her sadness for her.

"KOHARU?"

"I hear you!"

"UH, YOU KNOW, IZUNA-SAMA REALLY LIKED THIS PLACE. YOU WANT TO GO THERE?" He was now pointing at a small café, one that Koharu recalled going to maybe a year or so ago. It had been renovated and expanded, looking brisk and modern. Koharu vaguely wondered how in the world Izuna could have enjoyed this café if he'd been dead before Konoha's establishment. "THEY HAVE GREAT PASTA."

This was the idiot that would charm her for a period of Rikudo Sennin knows how long, even in old age, unmarried, and still joking about marrying her like he was sixteen. He was everyone's favorite uncle.

"KOHARU?"

How many times was that now?

"What." The girl folded her arms in an attempt to channel her sensei's staunch attitude. What with her Mito-like demeanor and her practiced Tobirama-face, she was quite the frightening girl. Unfazed, Kagami's face morphed into that of an ignored puppy, forlorn and a little bit wistful.

If he thought he could melt her today (with his amazing puppy eyes that outdid his Sharingan by far and his attempt at homemade chocolate) then he was wrong.

Or was he right?

Koharu had this inner debate for a span of approximately three seconds, before Kagami snapped to attention and went stiff as a board. Koharu turned to see what had occurred, and found herself nearly running into Kagami's father – the most likely candidate for the next Uchiha head, now that there was a wave of dissent for Madara's support. And, as all of their class knew, Uchiha Kagami's father was not the nicest nor was he the most lenient father out there. If one had a compassion radar, nothing would come up. Ice cold.

"Pardon me," Koharu said lightly, pretending to be a passerby that bumped into him on accident. During these moments, Kagami always asked whoever was around him to casually make an escape, for something negative was bound to occur.

If Kagami's father even noticed her presence, he gave no sign. A ways behind him, his wife and daughter – Kagami's little sister Hansha, named reflection after Kagami's mirror – waited patiently. Koharu wondered if the Uchiha advisor was going to blow up at his son, as she'd seen him do before.

"Care to explain?" The Uchiha shoved a bag of failed chocolates at Kagami's chest. "Didn't you tell me you were out training last night, while I was dealing with clan issues?"

"Yes, sir." Kagami's fingers wrapped around the plastic bag fiercely, as if it was the only way he could relieve his tension. Koharu recalled a time when Hiruzen had leapt in bravely, trying to play the protagonist and help Kagami out of his debacle. The results were disastrous. It was as if Hiruzen had forgotten that Tobirama-sensei didn't need any more incentive to bring hell down on the Uchiha, one way or the other. Kagami's father had flown into a rage; a memory everyone would rather push aside.

"And where were you?"

"Training, sir."

Kagami stood his ground when his father slapped him across the face. Koharu was proud of him; he hardly wavered. The young Uchiha was nearly his father's height, and looking to be more broad and handsome as well.

Behind her mother, young Hansha cringed and clutched her dress.

"Don't lie to me," snapped their father.

"Father," Kagami said calmly. "You're scaring Hansha. Please."

"I don't care what it is you're doing," Kagami's father told him in a low voice, gesturing to the bag, "but you don't lie to me. Ever."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you follow?"

"…Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir." Kagami glowered, and as soon as his father turned around, the Sharingan came out like a blazing sword from its sheath. It was a bad choice, because the angry chakra he emitted was immediately detected by his father, who whipped around and closed the gap between them in two strides. Kagami was taken by the collar as his father glowered at him.

No words passed between father and son, only an exchange of scarlet eyes in a piercing staredown.

"Sharingan away, boy," his father hissed. "You are disrespecting your family by turning your eyes against them."

Kagami said nothing, only brusquely shook his father off of him. His father looked like he wanted to smack the boy one last time, but little Hansha – a round little girl with pigtails and a lovely pink dress – had leapt in front of him and was clutching her brother's leg. His father's hand lowered.

With that, Kagami's family retreated to whatever it was they'd intended on doing besides scold the eldest son, dragging Hansha with them.

"Uchiha."

Koharu, in the corner, turned to see another person addressing Kagami. Danzo emerged from the shadows, clapped a hand on his teammate's shoulder, and murmured something in his ear. Kagami cracked a smile and gave Danzo a halfhearted slap on the back.

"So you can be funny," Kagami called after him. Danzo shrugged, and then was nearly tackled by Hiruzen and Shiro, dressed as a monkey and a dog respectively, out of the blue. The Shimura danced out of the way as Hiruzen hooted and began a ridiculous game of tag, claiming that Shiro was "it". And thus, a ludicrous chase of chuunin, dog, and monkey began.

"What…the heck is that." Kagami, shoulders slumping slightly, gazed after his friends. His face held a hint of amusement, a little bit befuddled, but mostly sad. He once had that freedom, a young genin who bounced about like the world was his. Now, going for a jounin title, he had his clan's name to wear on his back.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're not yelling anymore."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Kagami grinned, then. Koharu wondered if he'd been faking a loud voice problem or had somehow miraculously recovered. At the same time, she watched his eyes carefully. Dark brown, almost black, like pools of ebony that could mysteriously swirl into a scarlet Sharingan. They were sad, filled with an unspoken anxiety that he kept guarded from everyone. She touched his arm.

"Let's go to that café," she told him softly.

He smiled at her, gently. Gratefully.

Something happened here... O.o

Behold, brain-rambling. Not quite stream-of-consciousness, but still rambling.