a/n: finally, afterlong waiting!I am finished with chapter nine! Sorry for the delay! Thank you! for your continued support! Pls. review afterwards!

"I will send you on a mission."

For a while there, I held my breath thinking what the mission was.

"It's a class A mission." She continued talking.

I blinked my eyes a few times registering what the Fifth Hokage just said.

"You will escort our participant."

"What participant!" I asked.

She smiled again. It was like the smile she made moments ago. She explained to me what my task was all about.

"Once every fifty years," she began explaining. "A contest is held to know who would keep an ancient artifact. This artifact is said to be the key to open an ancient scroll hidden in the caverns of an unexplored land. As prophecy has told, it can unleash a tremendous amount of power. We can use this power to defeat Orochimaru and hopefully, bring back the Uchiha kid. But of course, I have found out that Orochimaru also wishes to attain this power…"

"For immortality?" I asked.

The Hokage nodded. "It's a pageant."

"Why the heck, a pageant?" I asked again.

"The seer who communicates with the scroll said so." She replied. "And there would be no blood shed hopefully."

"And who will represent Konoha?" I asked my third question.

"Don't worry; she really isn't hard to watch. And besides, I think you'll love her company."

"A she? But wouldn't it be better if she was a shinobi?" I asked the fourth time.

"Shinobis are not allowed to participate." Gondaime answered.

"Who is she then?" was my fifth question.

The blonde haired Hokage signaled to call the participant.

"With all due respect, Ma'am" though I didn't really want to question her authority, "I understand the mission, but why choose her when we have an army of female ninjas who could go undercover."

"You'll find out soon."

I didn't understand why she said. I only found it out an hour before I found myself under these sakura trees. Then, a knock was heard from the door.

"May I come in?" a soft female voice said.

"Yes, please."

The door slowly opened. My heart pounded faster. I didn't know why again. A pale pinkish hand opened the door. Then, I saw her the first time. (I thought.) She bowed immediately when she saw the Gondaime and me. Her eyes looked familiar; pewter. I saw. She had long hazel amber wavy hair. She had those familiar pink lips. I couldn't place where I have seen her in my past though I had a feeling that time that I had already met her. I couldn't recall where I have seen her during that moment in time.

I gave a small bow and Hokage-sama said to her to sit beside me.

"Hatake Kakashi, meet Amano Akiru." Tsunade-sama introduced us to each other.

When I heard that name, Akiru, I laughed at myself. How could I ever forget how my beloved Akiru, Aki-chan, Akiru Amakusa looked like. I looked at the woman having the same name as my beloved deceased loved one from head to toe. She wore a simple cerulean dress with ruffles on the bottom of the outfit. The sleeves of her clothing almost covered her delicate light colored hands. She was pretty, all right…well, for me…

"I'll leave you two alone now." Our Hokage said. "I still have to teach Sakura-chan some more jitsus."

"Demo…Tsunade-sama!" the girl said blushing.

The medicine hokage winked and left the room leaving me and this female strange alone…Or…was she really a stranger?

I opened my beautiful orange book and began reading chapter 24 (because that's the last chapter I've read.) We sat there for a while ignoring each other.

"Hatake-san," She was the first to have the courage to speak.

"Call me Kakashi." I stopped reading my book for a while. "I don't like being called by my last name. How 'bout you, Amano-san or Akiru-san?

"Akiru-san is fine with me." She smiled.

I yawned loudly in front of her. I didn't care what she thought. I just wanted to get this thing over with. The expression on her face changed.

"Before the contest begins," she pouted, "you should know that I only doing this because I owe Hokage-sama a big favor. Okay?"

"Soka…I see." I said and at the same time moving again a centimeter back my seat. I guess women are all like that.

Her sweet smile returned. "We will leave two hours from now…"

"Doko?" I asked.

"To snow country. That's were the finals would take place."

I didn't understand what she was saying.

"A ferryboat will take us there. The other portions of the pageant will also take place in that ferryboat. I'll tell you more on the way." She smiled an even sweeter smile. I felt I blushed then.

I nodded. But before she left the room, I asked her a question which I had no I idea why I asked.

"Excuse me, but have we met before?"

She turned her head and she an expression I was familiar with again. "You must have mistaken me for someone else." With that, she left with a smile and closed the door neither in a gentle feminine way I expected nor a harsh way, like that of a frustrated ninja who just received ten class D missions. It was similar to the way Tsunade-sama closed the door, silent but not demure.

I left the room a few minutes later just to make sure I won't meet her at the hallway. I went to my apartment and immediately packed a small bag that contained kunais, talismans, and shurikens. I packed with me a scarf and a muffler since the destination was a snow country. I locked my apartment and began walking to the place she told me where we were to meet.

I was surprised with myself that time because I was about twenty minutes early. I usually arrive ten minutes to two hours and a half after the said time. (I was proud of myself.) After thirty minutes or so, I carriage appeared in from of me.

"You're late." I teased the woman.

"Gomen," she apologized. "I thought you would arrive a bit later."

She got down the stage coach. It was already dusk, the skies were a bit marigold in color. She looked the same way she looked two hours before but there was something in her couldn't explain that made her even more…beautiful.

"Do you want to have ramen for a while before we leave?" she asked.

"But I thought that-"

"Well," she explained. "You see, I set the meeting time a few HOURS earlier so we wouldn't be late…I'm sorry."

"Daijobu…daijobu…" I said.

We ate ramen. She had what I had surprisingly. We both ate ramen topped with tempura. (I just loved tempura…and so did my Aki) Anyway, we had a simple conversation while eating.

"So, what talent are you going to showcase in the contest?" I asked.

She looked puzzled. "I'M GOING TO SHOWCASE MY TALENT!" she suddenly exclaimed. (Though what she did was contrary to what I thought her personality to be like, I still thought it was kinda cute…seriously)

I just nodded reservedly.

"I'll just play my shamisen." She said.

Well, as far as I know not a lot of people can play the shamisen. Heck, even Aki-chan had a hard time learning to play it when she was a kid. But nevertheless, she knew how to play it…"Hey, wait a minute" I said to myself. "Could she be?" But, she couldn't. I knew she couldn't be her.

But that woman in front of me would be around my age making her the same age as Aki-chan if she were alive. But she couldn't be. I reminded myself again. I didn't want to bring false hopes up because I knew that Aki-chan died before my very eyes more than thirteen years ago…

We left the Hidden Leaf Village after we ate. We arrived at the pier two hours later. But before we got on board the S.S. 024, a mysterious ninja from the sound village attacked us. He was able to dodge my taijitsus and use bunshins. So, I had to use my genjitsus and my sharingan. Then to my surprise, while staying away from the main battle and watching from a close distance, Akiru yelled, "Pour your charka on the bushin on your three o'clock." I listened to what she said and with that I defeated the sent assassin.

"Are you a shinobi?" I immediately asked her the moment we put away the baggage. But she didn't answer. Nevertheless, I asked her another question.

"Are you a gennin?"

"Once." She answered.

Before I could ask another question, a sailor asked as to proceed to the upper deck because the contest was about to begin. The talent portion was the first part. I was nervous because not even once did I see her practice nor hold a shamisen. She got up the stage with confidence like she had been practicing for a month. When she began to play, all the people on that ship were silenced and listened to her play. She even made me stop reading my book. As I listened to her piece, I recognized the song she was playing.

Maybe, it was a constant self-control. Maybe, you were crying inside.
You can't give away the dream you chose yourself?
More than the number of times I suffered, more than the number of times I doubt,
I want the number of times I laugh and trust others, and I pray that it'll happen in my life.
Even though I was always a side character, even though I'm a shadow,
let me be in the center when I dream. Let me be honest.
Frequently, somehow I didn't give up.
Frequently,I always stand up, right?
Frequently, we always trust each other
Frequently, I dreamed.
Frequently...

The audience gave a standing ovation for what she did. Even I clapped with enthusiasm after her playing. It was like she had been playing that shamisen since she was a kid. She asked me if she did okay and I told her she did more than okay. She smiled and sat down beside me while watching the other contestants performing. I'm not saying that the performances the other contestants did was bad, they were just mediocre. The following days were filled with more ramp model walking, yes, swimsuit pageant… (I like that one. Akiru might kill me if found out I did) One night when we were about to arrive at snow country, I asked her if we could walk on the deck to smell the sea breeze.

I didn't realize it back then but the reason why I asked her to have a stroll with me was I liked her.

We talked carelessly about useless things like how can a house burn up and burn down at the same time. I told her how I kicked Naruto's butt one day. But, I never told her of my past. Still, I was curious about hers.

"Where do parents live?" I asked.

"My parents died a long time ago."

"Ah, gomenasai…" I made an apology. "I'm sorry for asking."

"Eh, it's okay! Daijobu!" she smiled and we continued talking.

As the night grew darker and the stars and moon shined brighter, her beauty was more and more expressed. Light on the boat made this woman's eyes illuminate, but somehow not glow like a cat's. She was indeed attractive. I could tell it. I was falling in love, I thought.

Then without my meaning to say it, shocking words came out from my big stupid mouth. Though I vowed to my departed dearest that I would never fall in love again, there I was. I confessed my feelings to the lady I have just met in ten days…

"May I fall in love with you?" I gave a soft murmur. I was hoping that she didn't hear it.

"What did you say?" She asked hysterically.

"Nothing. Nande, nande" I said while smiling but deep inside I wished to take back what I just whispered.

"You said something." She compelled. "You said 'May I fall in love with you?'"

"I did not." I denied.

"Yes, you did."

We were on like that for a few minutes or so. She reminded me so much of Aki when she did that. Finally, I gave in and told her 'yes.'

"Kakashi, Kakashi." She said. "I don't know how to say this but-"

I was anxious on what she was going to say. Would she say she didn't like me? Would she say she was already taken? Or would she slap me in the face? I waited for the answer or a slap on the face or a stomp on the foot. None. She just smiled at me.

"What ever you're going to say I completely understand…after all I'm just your hired protector…and besides-"

Before I could say another word, she placed two of her silk soft fingers over my masked lips and said "hush." She smiled again.

"Had you been blinded by love so bad that you can't see that I was hit by Cupid's arrows?"

She removed her hands off my covered face. Then, I touched her chin and gently drew it upwards. I took my other hand and held hers and placed it on the top end of my mask. "Remove it." I told her. She hesitated at first but then slowly removed my dark mask. Then slowly, our faces became closer and closer until we were only a ten millimeters apart. Then, for the first time in my life my lips touched someone else's. Yes, it was the first time I kissed and I thought it was the second time I loved. But I was wrong…

(Thank you Come Come Paradise for teaching me how to kiss...)

We stood there for a long time looking at the shimmering stars. We arrived at the dock of snow country the following day. Still, I couldn't forget what budded that night. It was probably the most beautiful night in my life. It was perfect. I wanted that night to last forever. Sadly, this beautiful night needed to have an opposite, a contrast to it. The worst was about to happen. I couldn't see it just then. I wasn't prepared. I swear…

a/n: That was chapter nine! It actually turned outlonger than expected...I hope you guys liked it! or enjoyed it! pls do review and tell me if i have mistakes! This has been moon-chan! I'm out 'ta here! 'til next time! P.S. Sorry for the Typos!