a/n: Finally, another chapter update. Hopefully, there will be more reviews. Anyway, I hope you guys will like this. Anyway, it took me three nights to actually finish this, an approximate of five hours. I hope you guys like it!

Everybody loves somebody sometime
Everybody falls in love somehow
Something in your kiss just told me
(that) my sometime is now

Everybody finds somebody someplace
There's no telling where love may appear
Something in my heart keeps saying
(that) my someplace is here

Chapter Three: Everybody Loved Somebody Sometime

There is a secret path in my mind I follow to a place no one can find. That is the path that leads to my perfect someone I have kept hidden in my mind. It leads a snowy place with snowflakes falling gently to the ground. You hear nothing but your footsteps and snow falling to the ground. No animals, just a sun that shines but her heat is not enough to melt the snow. That is my soul, mere white winter emptiness. But if you further into that desert, you realize that the snow will start to melt and the snowflakes slowly became gentle rain drops that fall from the grey sky. The sun will be gone and all the snow will be washed away. And if you walk even farther, the snow will be completely gone. Dandelions, daises, mums, marigolds, and poppies will be blooming everywhere drenching in the rain shower. You can smell the rain and soil. The wind is still. And in the middle of this vast field of flowers is her.

Yes, I had a place in my heart that loved someone. Moreover, I had a heart. Yes, once my heart made my decisions to make my dreams a reality. I know she is there at the back of my mind and just beyond my reach. I know I never will be able to touch her or ever hear her speak again. We will never be together but we will never be apart. We will never see each other forever but still she will always be in my heart.

In the darkest depths of my soul, my memories of her hide. There, in that orchard of flowers is where she sits waiting for me. And every time I visit my memories, I always find her sitting in that flower field touching the flowers. She would then see my and wave to me with all her joy. Her raven hair would dance along with her waving hand despite that it is wet. And her eyes, black as black as night reflected light making her eyes like the night sky.

She was a gifted ninja burdened with a lot of expectations from her family. Being the eldest, she is expected to be the leader of their clan. She is talented ninja who can be clumsy and too shy sometimes. She often is too quiet and rarely airs her opinions. Nevertheless, her charm and beauty made me attracted to her.

I loved her more than life itself. And she loved me so much that she refused becoming the head of the clan because she wanted to be with me despite her family scorned me. We secretly got married and lived a low-profile life. And though the clan erased her name from the family tree, her sweet name will remained engraved in my heart and painted in a small scroll forever. It is Hakucho, Hakucho Uchiha.

She had short raven hair that curved inward on its tips the first time I saw her. Her hair often encircles her face emphasizing her oval shaped face and beautiful facial features. It makes her deep set of almond-shaped ebony eyes more expressive. Her cheek bones make a small smile more sweet and her thin well defined lips make a half-smile a full smile to me.

She did not have soft hands considering she came from a well-to-do family. Her hands were often holding a kunai or a shuriken. She was very good with her hands and displayed it by playing the shamisen skillfully and making calligraphy, one of which was her name that I still keep. She spends her free time either practicing her calligraphy or plucking the strings of her shamisen. She was a talented young Uchiha who awakened her Sharingan at the age of ten but she would rarely use it; only during life threatening situations. Or she would sometimes make a genjustu using the Sharingan.

I vividly remember the day I met her. It was not on a warm summer's day when leaves gently danced with the dry wind. It was not on a cool winter's morning when snowflakes fall gently to the ground while pine trees grew. It was not even on a chilly autumn dusk when leaves gently fall to the ground as squirrels run around. And it was definitely not on a beautiful spring afternoon when cherry blossoms where blooming its best. I met her during a stormy dark night when there was no moon. The wind blew impulsively, the lightning cracked as if breaking the sky, and the thunder roar like a raging lion. It was not the perfect setting to meet someone special but believe or not, I met her under these conditions.

I was staying in the library that night doing my research on human behavior believing this could help me become more successful in battles. I was all alone in the library but I didn't bother. I didn't want to go home because I had nothing to do. I was taking down notes when I heard six soft knocks from the library door.

"Come in." I said with out bothering to look who entered.

"Ano…" I heard a soft gentle voice. "Watashi wa Hakucho Uchiha." I looked at her and she bowed.

"I am Orochimaru." I said shifting my attention to her from the book. "What do you want?" I asked her coldly because she was such an inconvenience to my research.

"Gomenasai, Orochimaru-sama" She bowed again. I felt she was shocked when she heard my name. During those times, I was of high regard to other ninjas, even to my co-jounins.

She excused herself again. "Sumimasen for disturbing you, Sir. But does Orochimaru-sama know if there are books about the Hidden Stone Village?"

I nodded, pointed to where the scrolls and books were and continued writing. She took a pile of six books and a bundle of five scrolls from the shelves and sat across me. We sat silent for a long time until she broke the silence.

"It sure is raining hard tonight. I wonder if it will still rain tomorrow." She said.

I looked at her and she smiled at me. I paused my writing and smiled back at her.

"I think you better stay here for the night." I said really just trying to make conversation.

She nodded and responded, "Maybe I should. My home is at the other side of the village." She paused and then continued. "How about you, Orochimaru-sama?"

"I was already planning to spend my night here."

"Then," she smiled. That smile was actually the smile that made me realize something was different about her. Of course, I didn't realize that time that I loved her. I just felt a warm flush on my face and my abdomen felt a bit ticklish. It was funny because the smile was just a simple smile that I believe meant nothing to her during that time. "I will be honored with your acquaintance, Orochimaru-sama."

"Please, do not call me Orochimaru-sama. It makes me feel old."

"Very well then. Orochimaru-kun."

I didn't really know what happened after. We began seeing each other more. At first, her family was more than willing to allow me and she to be together during missions believing it would help her improve her skills as a ninja, since she was a chounin. And as time passed, I grew more and more appreciative of presence. And soon, I looked for her presence and so did she. We were seen almost always together every time.

I never really did realize immediately that I love her. It was all thanks to Jiraiya that I figured that I loved her.

"You spend your time a lot with this Uchiha woman." Jiraiya said one day while we were during our rounds around Konoha one day.

"Why? Is it a crime?" I replied.

"You really are clueless about girls and guys being together, are you?" he laughed because I really didn't understand what he was talking about.

"No, I just enjoy her company. That's all."

"Really now…" he elbowed me. "You enjoy somebody's company? You must be joking. And besides, know what?"

"What?" I raised my eyebrow.

"I think you're in love with her…" he chuckled.

I stopped from walking. "Me, be in love? That's a good joke." Then, I continued walking. But, as I recall jokes are half meant true, right?

As years passed, Hakucho-dono became a jounin and the Uchiha clan began to realize the special feeling she had for me and I had for her. The clan, I later found out, discovered where I came from and considered me as a good-for-nothing-no-name-street-rat-trying-to-race-his-status-by-marrying-an-Uchiha kind of guy. (And I am not that, for the record.) Her family was forcing her to marry her fourth-degree-cousin hoping to maintain the fully keep the bloodline limit of the Uchiha.

They did not want our marriage for infinitely many reasons. Probably, the first reason why they did not want me is because they believe I have strong genes. But, passing down of genes are really just a matter of probability. Also, they did not want their grandchild to look like me. Those I can accept. But the reason which I did not like is they thought that I did not love Hakucho and I was only using her to improve my standing in society.

I remember one day, I overheard the father of Hakucho lecturing her about her future will turn out.

"Orochimaru is nothing but a ninja who want your title not you. He is a snake that deceives his prey then eats it. He is the warder of bad omen that will bring destruction to the family. Though he is talented, his mind is crooked. He is a serpent that magnets danger and bad luck. He is a jinx, Hakucho! Stay away from him! You will have no future if you marry him."

"How would you know who he really is?" Hakucho burst in tears. "You haven't even met the man!"

"Hakucho," her father calmed down. "I only want what is best for you."

"Oto-sama, Orochimaru-kun is a candidate of being the next hokage."

"That is not an excuse…"

Hakucho fell to her knees and began to cry. Her father left her room and wept almost all night. We did not see each other that day and the entire because I know she was thinking about what to do. I was also preparing myself of her decision; whether we would still see each other or not.

By the end of the week, she visited my apartment. I opened the door for her. And as soon as I closed it, she buried her face on my chest and cried. We stood that way for half an hour or so. Finally, I lifted her head my raising her chin and said, "Though your eyes seem to be as black and as cold as stone, I could still see right through them even though you are not crying. You're very sad, I know. So, please stop crying."

I wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks and I smiled. She smiled.

"Hey," I said while I reached for a small box in my pocket. "I bought this during the festival. I think it will look good on you."

It was a pair of earrings made of porcelain. It was bluish-green in color that was formed in the shape of a snail shell. She put those immediately and smacked me on the forehead. She hugged me and told me how much she loved it.

"Maybe it's time to end this?" she told me one day.

"End what? Are you going home already?" I pretended not to know what she was talking about. But, I was prepared and I knew that day would come. I took a deep breathe and looked away from her.

"Listen, Orochimaru-kun I-"

"You don't have to explain…I knew what your father said about me."

"Then…I need not tell you anymore. I guess this is good bye…"

I nodded. She smiled. She stood up. But, I looked at her without emotion. But, I felt that something inside was compelling me to stop her; to tell her to stay and sit with me, to make her hang on…

"We don't have to say good bye." I said.

"I know," she turned her head towards me. "We can still be friends."

"No, that is not what I meant."

"Let's get married…secretly."

I did not know what was going through my head during those times; how unreasonable my thinking was. I was a fool in love; so in love, that I forgot reality. I was an idiot. This is one of the biggest mistakes I made in my life. But, I never regretted that made that mistake.

"Are you insane?" she yelled at me. "There's no way I-"

"They would not know. We could go on to our obligations by day and we could spend our nights together. Nobody would know…"

"Then, we'd be living a lie…"

"I'm willing to risk it," I said. "For you…"

But destined or not, I found myself in front of her wearing my most formal outfit. She was in front of me wearing a simple white gown. We said our pledges and I will's and we lived a peaceful life for a short period of time before the Great War broke out.

I know. I was a lot different from what I was before. Time has molded me into a more mature and more realistic person. I would be able to do what I did a long time ago. I would never fall in love again.

It is like a falling down a cliff; falling faster and faster. The faster you fall, the harder you will hit the ground. Sometimes, someone is there to catch you before reaching the ground. She is the angel that will grab hold of you before plunging into the rocky bottom of the valley. And sometimes, the angel will not be there. You will crash land into the rocks shattering you into pieces. Nobody will be there to pick you up and mend your wounds. You will be alone lying helplessly.

Love is not a pair of wings that will help you fly. It is not a mattress that will cushion your fall. It is not going to help you grab on to something to stop your fall. It is the push that caused your fall. It is the gravity that forces you down. It determines the hardness of your fall. And your special someone that is waiting at the bottom of the cliff, is she going to catch you and hug you tenderly or is just she going to watch you shatter like a looking-glass and laugh with so much joy?

What happened to me when I fell of the cliff? My angel was taken away from me…

a/n: That's the end of this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it! If you got questions or problems, do not hesitate to tell it to me. Please do tell me as to improve the following chapters of my fanfic. Thanks! Bye!