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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Manami Terumi is my character.

Mother Nature

Growing up in Kirigakure, Manami was accustomed to long, gloomy days where it seemed like the entire village was permanently in a sleepy state of being. When she was a child, she often imagined that the mist that blanketed her village was actually cotton candy. She remembered her father's boisterous laugh when she had mentioned it to him. It was one of her few fond memories of her youth, before the Red Mist era effectively wiped away any joy and hope Manami would feel for years.

That was until her aunt took over and hope slowly began to emerge in the Hidden Mist village again. And that feeling of hope and joy would only continue to grow as more and more people started to support and believe in her aunt's dream that Kirigakure could once again prosper.

Of course, the new and growing hope in her beloved village was only one aspect that regularly filled Manami with a sense of joy. The other main source that contributed to Manami's happiness, though she often found herself exasperated as well, was none other Shisui Uchiha.

Manami couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across her lips as she thought of the cheerful, curly haired Uchiha who asked her about kissing one of the swordsmen of the Mist on her first visit to Konoha. She had remembered the nerves that had seemed to follow her throughout the day as she kneeled in front of the Hokage, trying with every ounce of her being to convince him to accept her aunt's alliance request. Back then, news of Kirigakure's attempts to recover from Lord Yagura's bloody and merciless reign was just starting to spread to the other nations, and it wasn't surprising that most leaders were reluctant to create ties with the Hidden Mist.

In fact, Manami and Ao had spent numerous days and nights reading politely worded letters that rejected her aunt's request for an alliance from leaders of various leaders. With each rejection, Manami had felt the hopelessness grow and grow until she began to believe that Kirigakure would never receive any help from the other great nations. Thankfully, that had all changed when Manami had arrived in Konoha, her hopes almost nonexistent and a nagging voice in her mind whispering that this would end just like the rest.

Except that it didn't and when Kirigakure's alliance to Konoha was made public, Manami could slowly see the positive changes that were beginning to take place in her cloudy, sleepy village.

"What are you thinking about?" A groggy voice asked from beside her.

Manami turned her attention to the dark-haired boy lying beside her in bed, as she watched him slowly rub the sleep from his eyes. It was moments like this that made Manami grateful for the time they were able to spend together and the peace that seemed to envelope her mind when she was with him. In moments like these, she wasn't the Mizukage's niece, and he wasn't Shisui of the Body Flicker. They were just a boy and a girl who were in love with one another. And that was all that they needed to be.

"You." She whispered as she allowed Shisui to pull her closer to him.

His eyebrows shot up, and she watched as a slow smirk emerged on his face, "Me? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I know it's tough to not think about my dashing good lucks and incredible talent."

"Not to mention your endless charm and humility." She replied in a dry tone.

"Well that too." Shisui said as he buried his face into her neck and pressed gentle kisses onto her sensitive skin.

Manami let out a sigh of content before turning her attention to the window across from the bed. While Konoha was known for its vibrant trees and sunny days, today the skies were filled with heavy rain clouds that unleashed millions of tears onto the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village, causing most people to find cover indoors.

She had remembered the excitement on Shisui's face when she had arrived in this village, and the seemingly endless list of things that he was determined they were going to do together, most that took place outside, when mother nature decided that it had other plans. Within a few seconds, the sky had darkened and unleashed its never-ending supply for tears, which resulted in Manami and Shisui rushing to get back to his apartment and change into dry clothes.

Manami had been surprised when she saw that Shisui had dedicated a place in his closet for her things and made a mental note to do the same from him when she got back home. When they had both changed into dry clothes, the couple climbed into bed and began talking about the recent events that had taken place when they were apart from each other before eventually falling into a quick, yet restful slumber.

While Manami had been looking forward to spending a few days in sunny Konoha, mother nature had had different plans. However, as Manami found herself wrapped up in Shisui's strong arms, she realized that a little rain wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thank you!