Chapter 23: Not Yet
"What the hell is wrong with you!"
"It wasn't my fault dammit!"
"Airi told me everything! How could you do that!"
"Didn't you hear me! It wasn't my fault!"
"If you truly had no intention of kissing Airas, then why did you let it happen!"
"The woman jumped on me! By the time I got her off, Airi was there!"
"You sad bastard. I let Airi go so you two could be together and this is what you do?"
"Kiba!"
"Be a man a fix this problem if it wasn't your fault Shino!"
X-X-X-X
"What's up Airi?" Kiba shouted as he saw Airi and Airas at the village gates. "Hey!"
Airi looked up sadly. …Kiba… She smiled and waved. "Hey!"
Hinata followed Kiba. "Airi!" She looked back at Shino. "C'mon Shino."
"Yeah, yeah..." Shino looked at Airi and then to Airas. They both had on fake smiles, but only he could tell.
"Hey guys!" Airi shouted. She ran up to Hinata and hugged her. "Hinata!"
"Hello Airi!" Hinata giggled.
"Airi, are you feeling okay?" Kiba asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."
"Positive?"
"Positive!"
Hinata watched the two. "H-Hey, what's going on?"
"Don't worry." Airi looked at Shino. "Hey, Shino."
Shino looked at her nervously. "Y-Yes?"
She walked up to him and patted him on the back. "Hi-yas!"
Wh-What! "A-Airi?"
She giggled. "What Shino?"
"You're not…mad?"
She looked down. "About that…I'm sorry."
"Hmm?"
She smiled. "I shouldn't have gotten mad like that! If you want to be with my sister, then go ahead! Shino, you have the right to chose who you want to be with just like everyone else!"
"What? No, Airi, that's not right."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Airas looked at them. "Airi, are you forgetting something?"
Airi looked at her older sister. "A-Airas…"
"Hurry up and do it," Airas said. Kiba and Hinata looked at Airas, then to Airi, and finally at each other.
"A-Airas…" Airi lowered her head, "…You're horrible."
"Come on, we haven't got all day baby sis! They sent me to get you and they're expecting you back today!"
"Okay…Alright…" Airi walked back over to her sister and looked at her friends. "Guys, thank you." They gave her curious looks. "Over these three months, I've really had a lot of fun. You guys have showed me so much and you've taught me so much. The three of you showed me that I'm not alone in the world. You…" she rubbed tears from her eyes, "…You taught me about…friendship." She couldn't hold back the tears. "You guys!" She threw herself at them and hugged them. "I'm so lucky to have met you three! Thank you for everything!"
"Airi, why are you saying these things?" Hinata asked, almost tearful.
"Yeah," Kiba added. "Why are you talking as if we're never gonna see each other again?"
"…You're leaving, aren't you?" Shino asked. They all looked at him.
"…Shino…" Airi shut her eyes. "Y-Yes, I'm leaving."
"What!" Hinata exclaimed.
"Why!" Kiba demanded.
"Because I fulfilled my goal. I made lots of money from selling my charms. The money is going to my village. I'm sorry, but…I have to go home now." She released them and sighed. "You guys will always live on in my soul, not matter what…"
Airi, you're too important to me…thank you… Hinata thought.
That sounds like she's gonna go sacrifice herself or something… Kiba shifted uneasily.
"I…I love you guys." Airi ran over to Airas.
"Took you long enough. Let's go." Both of them started walking.
"Be a man a fix this problem if it wasn't your fault Shino!"
Shino gritted his teeth. Okay… "Airi, wait!" Airi and Airas stopped and turned to him. "Airi…Airi, we want to go with you!"
"Wh-What?" Airi looked at her sister, then back to Shino. "Y-You can't! You guys, you have to stay here. Besides, don't you have to go see Miss Kurenai? Don't you guys have to train today?"
"I…I don't care!" Shino exclaimed. "We want to go with you!"
She blinked. Oh…Shino… She looked back at her sister. "Airas, can they?"
"Are you insane Airi? It's forbidden! No outsider may enter our village! You're in enough trouble as it is! Leave them."
"Oh, o-okay…" No, not anymore… "No."
Airas looked back down at her. "What did you say?"
"I said 'no'. They're my friends and I want them to come with me. I don't care about the consequences. What're they gonna do? They can't do anything. I made a pact and with that pact, everything will be atoned for. They're coming with me, so back off."
She shook her head. "You fool. Fine, do whatever you want."
It worked…! Airi turned back to her friends. "Alright, you guys can come!"
Hinata smiled. "Wow, you'll take us to your village? This is so exciting!"
"Is it okay to invite us to a hidden village?" Kiba asked.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine!" She looked at Shino. "I'm not ready to say my final good-byes yet…"