Green Tea: Konnichiwa, minna! It's been a while since I last updated! (October) Sorry I'm so late on everything. School has just been so hectic lately. So anyways...
Here. We. Go! Enjoy!
How To Smile:
Chapter 5: Colors
Tsunade rolled up the mission scroll after reading it and handed it to Kurenai.
"So... Will you accept this mission?"
Kurenai hesistated. It was a dangerous A, bordering S-class mission, regarding some renegade members of Akatsuki. She wasn't too sure whether her team could handle it.
The Hokage interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them.
"Once again, I would assign Jounins for this... but as you know, our village is a little low on ninjas... We've lost quite a few in the last Akatsuki-Orochimaru encounter."
Tsunade met Kurenai's crimson eyes.
"Konoha needs your team."
The Jounin looked away and then nodded.
"We'll take it."
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Shino asked Ayame to meet him at the training field that afternoon. He waited for her, slightly apprehensive.
"Shino-kun!"
He turned around to see Ayame running towards him, wearing a light blue summer dress.
When she finally reached him, she was out of breath.
"Sorry I'm a bit late, I had to stay and help with the closing up."
She huffed.
"So, what did you want to tell me, Shino?"
Shino looked away.
"We're going on a mission tomorrow."
Ayame's smile immediately disappeared.
She understood.
If this was so important that he actually called her here to see him... This had to be a dangerous mission. An A-class... maybe even a S-class.
"You're not sure whether you'll make it back... alive... right?"
"Yes."
The two were silent as they watched the sunset together, like they had so many times before.
Except this time it was different.
This could be... the last time...
After the sun set, Shino quietly walked away, leaving Ayame alone in the middle of the training field.
She turned around in the direction that he left after he was gone.
"Shino..."
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There was a tapping at his window...
No.
Not a tapping. A thud... Every few seconds or so.
An intruder?
No.
Someone trying to get his attention... At midnight?
Shino dressed and walked over to his window.
As he looked down, his eyes widened.
Ayame was standing outside, holding a handful of rocks.
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When he walked outside, he saw her standing there, waiting for him. Silently, she took his hand and led him to the same training ground where they watched the sunset.
He didn't question her.
She plopped down on the grass of the field and stared at the stars. He did the same.
All was silent except for the weak singing of the late summer cicadas.
And then she spoke.
"Ok, ask me what you've been dying to ask."
Her question caught him off guard.
She rolled her eyes.
"Just ask it already."
He was confused at first. And then he understood.
"Why did you choose to observe MY team, instead of someone elses'?"
"That's not the question, think again."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Just think."
Finally, he asked again.
"Why did you choose to observe me?"
She huffed.
"Try again. That's still not the question."
Shino racked his brain. If not that, then what did she mean?
He thought back to every thing she said.
-It's my goal in life.-
-To teach someone how to smile-
-Are you blind?-
-Can't you hear it?-
-Shino-kun!-
Then he thought of it.
"Why did you choose to teach me?"
Ayame was silent for a long time.
Then she spoke.
"My mother gave me not only the gift of understanding... but also the gift of sight. I see colors in everything. Anything. Anyone."
She sat up, gazing at the big dipper.
"I was at the swings one day, when I was eight. And I saw a weird little boy. He wore round, dark, glasses. And he had a really high collar. I couldn't even see his face. He was sitting on a bench, looking at the ground. I was intrigued by him."
"Me."
"Yes. That was you. But it wasn't any of these things that made you weird."
She sighed.
"I couldn't see a single color in you."
Shino jerked his head sharply to look at her.
"That's right. I couldn't see a single color in you. Everyone had colors, even the saddest of people, even the most pitiful of people at least had the color black."
She turned and looked at him.
"I knew the instant I saw you, that you would be the one. The one I would teach how to smile."
The bug-master was at a loss for words, and stared at her openly.
"It's odd, isn't it? I didn't even know your name! But I knew it had to be you. I'm not a big fan of fate, but that was... I don't know. Something."
Ayame tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"So... I spent the next years, observing you, learning all that I could about you. I wanted to know everything about you. I wanted to understand you. But I didn't dare to approach you until you noticed me."
"Why?"
"True understanding is rooted from mutual acknowledgement of each other's existence. I couldn't force it on you. I can't MAKE you learn. But I could teach you, if you wanted me to."
Ayame stopped and played with her long, russet hair.
Shino allowed the facts to sink in, slowly.
And then he understood what he wanted.
He...
"You know, I was wrong." She suddenly said.
Shino raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I was wrong about you. About your colors. I must have been blind as well, when I first saw you. But lately..."
"What?"
"You have colors too."
She tilted her head and stared at him, smiling.
"Yes, you have lots of colors. They're not bright. They're dark, but very beautiful. Colors that I've never seen before... I don't even know their names..."
He looked into her eyes, and felt them penetrating into him. Piercing through his armor of tinted glass, looking into his very soul.
She drew closer and closer to him, until their noses touched.
He felt himself drowning in her brillant blue eyes that shined ceaurlean, even under the dim moonlight.
She sighed and he felt her warm breath on his cheek.
"Such beautiful colors, I could stare at them... all day..."
And then she was gone.
He saw the shadow of her retreating back, walking off to the woods.
"I'll wait for your answer, once you return. Good luck with the mission."
Then she stopped. But she didn't turn around.
"Oh, and you know where to find me."
He watched her shadow move away until it was gone, swallowed by the darker shadows of the tall forest trees.
Green Tea: Woot! I've been dying to write this for a while! The next chapter will be the finale! Please Review!