Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and some of the phrases in the story come from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Prologue
This story is set in the Hidden Leaf Village of Konohagakure. Two well-respected clans of the Hatake and Hyuuga have had a long standing blood fued. As many years have passed with this ongoing vendetta, the clan of the Hatake has far dwindled, leaving only a sole heir to carry on the Hatake name. As for the Hyuuga, their family tree has done nothing but flourish and grow into a great household to inherit the powerful blood-line limit, the Byakugaan. Both clans have lived in peace for some small time after the former Head of the Hatake Clan had committed suicide, until recently . . . .
Part I
Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke enter the market place of Konoha. With an air of arrogance about them, the two friends walk down the crowded streets. Thier cold eyes pierced straight through the mass of consumers, and paid no mind to their carefree surroundings. They stopped suddenly, when they spotted two other men walking in the streets as well as them: Maito Gai and Shiranui Genma. Both of them were looking at the goods of a certain vendor, it seemed that they hadn't noticed the two menacing young men yet.
"It's them," snarled Neji to his friend.
"Allies of that Hatake scum."
Sasuke saw them as well, and his lips curved into a dark grin.
"Shall we say hello, then?" he asked.
"...Yes, let's," answered Neji. The raven haired youths approached the older men. Genma had sensed the two threatening flows of chakra coming towards them from behind, and he knew exactly whom they belong to. Neji and Sasuke were the only ones that gave them trouble within the village. Genma also knew that Gai would never back down from a fight if provoked, since he is an easy person to offend. Hence, in order to keep the peace, Genma had to distract Gai and get him away from those two as soon as possible. Before the situation was about to turn ugly, he attempted to get Gai's attention-
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Kakashi's good friends," drawled Sasuke.
Too late.
Like a slash of a whip, Gai's attention had been caught. He remained silent as he glared at the two young men, keeping himself maintained from doing anything he will regret. Sasuke and Neji stood right across from them, their stares fixed only on Gai and Genma.
"Neji-san, Sasuke-san," greeted Genma curtly.
"What brings you here?"
Neji smirked at the question.
"Oh, nothing really," he said nonchalantly.
"Except a message from my uncle, the Head of the Hyuuga clan. . ."
Genma raised a skeptic brow at Neji's statement.
'Not a message of peace, that's for sure. What exactly is he up to?'
"A message..." continued Neji as he narrowed his cold pale eyes at the thick-browed man.
"... For you."
"A message?" asked Genma.
"What kind of message?" inquired Gai, coming face to face with the Hyuuga. Neji's smirk widened into a nasty grin, before answering.
"...This one."
Without warning, Gai is suddenly caught off guard by a flying kick from Sasuke. Genma quickly ducked as Gai flew into a shop window as the glass shattered into pieces. The citizens of Konoha started to panick, and were desperately trying to run away from the scene. Neji laughed at the sight. However, Gai had been unfazed by the attack, and he was furious for being fooled by such a trick. He jumped out of the shop through the broken window, and was about to pummel Neji and Sasuke in a raging fit.
"No!" cried out Genma as he lunged toward Gai, grabbing and quickly holding him back by his arms.
"Let go of me, Genma!" he shouted through gritted teeth, as he tried to get free.
"With these hands, I will take thier spring of youth, and feed it to Kakashi's dogs, and we'll finally end this war once and for all!"
"Gai! Don't! Can't you see? That's what they want you to do!" urged Genma. He knew his restraint won't last long. Neji and Sasuke watched them both with amusement.
Gai's rage had spiked causing his chakra to leak out of him as well as his own strength, as he rapidly grew stronger, making it harder for Genma to keep a hold on him. In a matter of seconds, his resistance finally took over as he slipped out of Genma's grasp, and made an immediate charge at Sasuke.
"Lotus Leaf Kick!" he shouted. Sasuke's Sharingan was already activated, as evaded the attack with a bit difficulty, but was able to recover quickly counter with his trademark fireball jutsu, which inconveniently landed on a few of the shops that soon erupted into flame.
"No!" shouted Genma. "Both of you! Stop fighting!"
But Konoha's Green Beast did not listen and continued his attack on the Uchiha. The villagers continued to flee. Genma glared at Neji, who was smirking back at him.
"Neji, you have to help me get these two away from each other, or the village will be destroyed," he warned.
"The village can take care of itself," Neji spat.
"You and I have some unfinished business . . . And you're right where I want you."
With that said, Neji activated his Byakuugan, and he outstretched both of his arms, as he bended his knees into his trademark stance.
"Ninpou . . ."
"STOP THIS . . . NOW!"
A voice conquered the attention of the whole village.
" . . . Hokage-Sama?"
Genma watched as the blonde Godaime walk towards them in an unseen fury, with a small troop of ANBU marching behind her. Gai had stopped dead in his tracks, Neji and Sasuke's eyes quickly turned back to normal, and the villagers stopped running once they all saw their angered Leader.
"Hokage-Sama!" Genma called out in relief.
""I tried to stop them, but-"
"Enough!" She commanded, her voice stern and cold. Genma quieted. With one hand signal, her ANBU troops nodded, and went quickly to tend to the fire on the shops. Tsunade gave the four men her attention. Her hard golden eyes pressed down onto Neji and Sasuke.
"This has gone on far too long. Both of you, and you too Gai," she added with a glare to the Green Beast. Gai flinched slightly at the sharp look she gave him.
" . . . This is the third time, the THIRD TIME this has happened! Do you want to destroy this village, just because of your pointless feud?" she spat at Neji and Gai. The both of them looked down at their feet, frowning.
" . . . All four of you are Shinobi's of the Hidden Leaf, where your existence, your purpose, is to protect this village with your lives. Not to ruin it!"
She got into each of their faces.
"If this happens one more time . . . You will be out of this village, before you can say 'Missing-Nin'. Now, leave here, all of you!" she dismissed them. Neji and Sasuke glared one last time at Kakashi's friends, before turning to leave the market place. Genma grabbed Gai by the vest to lead him away, with Gai's angered stare still lingering at the direction where the two young men had left.
Once the four men had gone, and the fires put out. Tsunade's bitterness lessened, as she turned to her beloved villagers with an encouraging smile.
"People of Konoha, please do not stop with the preparations for tonight's festival. I am sure that it will be much better than last year's, and much more safer this time-"
"But what if it isn't?" interrupted one of the villagers.
"What if they fight again, and this time destroy us all?"
A murmur of agreement had spread through the people. Tsunade held her hand out to silence them.
"Everyone, I assure you that something like this won't happen again, and just to make sure, I will establish security during tonight's festivities to keep a look out for any leads to a disturbance, especially on the Hyuugas," she finished.
"What about the Copy-Ninja?" shouted an older man as he stepped out of the crowd with a cane towards the Hokage.
"It is him, that they are feuding against! What if he starts something?"
Tsunade looked at the old man, her face becoming stern.
"Hatake Kakashi, has done nothing but keep the peace in this village."
With that said, Tsunade turned on her heel and walked through the parting crowd, with her ANBU trail following.
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Part II
The sun gradually began to move away from high noon, while Hatake Kakashi lounged under his favorite place under a tall tree in the outskirts of Konoha, reading his favorite book, "Make-Out Paradise." He sighed despondently, as he turned to the next page. He frowned at the picture of the happy lovers in the naughty novel. Holding each other, kissing one another so passionately, and making love like there's no tomorrow. Out of spite, he flung the manga at a tree across from him. Leaving him alone to his thoughts. It wasn't long until his friends were running across the clearing towards the depressed copy ninja.
'Oh no,' he thought despairingly.
'What do they want now?'
"Kakashi!" yelled a voice with an extravagant flair that belonged to none other than Gai himself, with Genma running alongside him. Kakashi didn't move from his spot, hoping that if he ignored them, they might leave him alone. However, that plan never succeede. Gai and Genma seated themselves comfortably on the grass with Kakashi right in between them.
"So, how's my eternal rival this afternoon?" greeted Gai, giving Kakashi a great pat on the back, that startled him out of his glum reverie. Kakashi forced himself to smile, as he amiably scratched the back of his head.
"Yo," he acknowledged the both of them. Relieved that his own mask concealed his true outlook.
"So, what brings you two out here?"
"What do you mean?" said Genma in mock hurt.
"Since when did we need a reason to hang out with our old friend?"
Kakashi was offended at the remark.
"Am I really that old?" he asked with a hint of apprehension in his usual calm voice.
Gai laughed at his useless concern.
"Are you kidding?" he said.
"We've known each other for a long time. And you look as if you haven't aged a day, and you haven't changed a bit either... Except for now."
Gai's tone changed quickly from friendly to suspicious. His thick dark brows raised in question. Kakashi's eye shifted to Genma, who shared the exact same look as Gai. Kakashi slightly tensed at their stares.
"Erm . . . Something wrong?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady to avoid more suspicion.
Genma's senbon twitched between his teeth while looking at the Jounin in deep thought.
"Gai?" he asked his comrade sitting across from him.
"Is it just me, or is there something wrong here?"
Gai looked at his rival up and down.
"You're right Genma. Something is definitely amiss."
Kakashi remained keeping his cool.
'Oh gods,' he prayed.
'It's been a long day, and the least thing I want to do is talk about any part of it.'
The silence elongated between them. Kakashi's anxiousness started to grow within, until Genma finally gasped.
"I got it!" he resolved excitedly.
"Your mask is different!"
Kakashi and Gai gave him uncertain looks. Genma laughed at their reaction.
"I'm just kidding, but hey, where is your book? Usually you're always reading that damn thing all the time."
Kakashi froze.
'Dammit, must... avoid... telling... them!'
Kakashi gave a light laugh, and thoughtfully scratched his shaggy silver mane again.
"Oh, I must have left it at home . . . I think I'm becoming forgetful in my old age, heh heh."
Gai and Genma looked unconvinced.
"Oh yeah?" said Gai. "Then what's that over there?"
Gai pointed at a spot, where something bright orange laid abandoned in the grass. Then within a blink, the book instantly disappeared. Gai and Genma both looked at Kakashi, they saw the book, and knew he took the book away that fast, there was no mistaking it.
"What? I don't see anything," said Kakashi casually crossing his arms. Genma sighed
"Come on Kakashi, something is definitely wrong."
"Indeed," agreed Gai.
"A person like you would never carelessly throw away something so precious to you, without some sort of explanation."
Kakashi sighed. He failed again, now he had to relive the agony what just happened to him, to his friends.
"All right," he sighed in accepted defeat. The two men lended their ears with great interest.
"Could I mumble it to you?" he asked wearily.
"Mumble? There's no need for that," said Gai.
"It's just the three of us here, and there's not another being around here for miles."
"C'mon Kakashi, try us," said Genma with a friendly smirk.
"Fine," said Kakashi as he let out another dejected sigh.
"I'm in love."
Silence. Genma and Gai's jaws dropped in shock.
"Y-you, K-Kakashi... " stuttered Genma in stupefaction.
"The Legendary Copy Ninja, in LOVE?"
"Th-this is going to make headlines!" said Gai with tearful enthusiasm.
Kakashi groaned. His friends ignored his low mood, as the interrogation began.
"So who's the lucky lady, or man?" asked Genma with great intrigue. Kakashi shot him a glare.
"What?"
Genma gave a nervous chuckle.
"Well, you never know nowadays," he said waving his hands in defense.
Kakashi pretended he didn't hear that, as he let his thoughts run away with him. He relaxed as he inclined his head against the tree trunk as he began to think about her. He let out another sigh, but this time it was a sigh of contentment.
"Kurenai," he said her name as if it were the most beautiful dream he ever had.
Gai's thick eyebrow arched at the name.
"Kurenai?" he said the name thoughtfully.
"Wait a minute, isn't she a lesbi-"
"Yes!" interrupted Kakashi, his voice coming back to earth.
"But we thought you knew!" said Genma incredulously.
"Well apparently, nobody said anything about it to me," he said, slightly annoyed, as he got up from the ground between the suffocating space of his good friends.
"Now, if you'll excuse me . . ." said the copy-nin as he continued to walk away from them.
"I'm going to find a very tall tree, and hang myself from it."
The two jounins on the ground were taken aback by his statement. They quickly rushed up to him, and grabbed both of his arms. Kakashi didn't attempt to fight back.
"Oh no you don't," said Genma as he firmly held up his left arm, while he and Gai started to drag him toward the village, with Kakashi's feet trailing behind them.
"Where are you taking me?" droned the copy-nin.
"Listen Kakashi, take our advice," said Gai cheerfully.
"Forget Kurenai."
"How?" lamented Kakashi.
"How can I get her out of my mind?"
"Why, tonight's festival of course!" suggested Genma with a wink, obviously very excited.
"Every beautiful woman in the village will be there, just you wait and see."
Kakashi sighed once again.
"It's not going to work," he said. "Your efforts will amount to nothing."
"Come on, my rival," urged Gai looking back down at his lagging comrade.
"The Flame of Youth is still within you, so you must come with us!"
"Either you fall in love with somesone else tonight, or we'll die trying!" Said Genma cheerfully.
Kakashi groaned despairingly as his good friends continued dragging him away through the vast green fields of emptiness.
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Part III
Hyuuga Hinata slid open the door to her father's study. She walked to the center of the room across from her father, Hyuuga Hiashi. He heard her come in, and placed the small bamboo brush he was writing with onto it's holder, as he observed her with his blank eyes. Hinata kneeled before him in seiza with her hands placed on her lap. She bowed her head in respect.
"You called for me, father?" she said, her voice timid and attentive.
"Ah, Hinata, yes, how was your training with Kurenai-Sensei, today?" he asked.
"... Good," she said meekly, though her hands were blistered and a bit bloody right after the training. She cleaned them briskly before this meeting.
"Very good, well, onto the more important matter," he said, moving on.
"I have great news that will affect you and the prosperity of our clan."
Hinata, with her eyes glued to the mat she sat on, listened to the Hyuuga Head obediently as he contintued. "This afternoon, I was taking a small walk around our private orchard, until I saw your cousin's good friend, Uchiha Sasuke."
Hinata shivered slightly at the name. Ever since the Anbu exams three years ago, Neji and Sasuke developed a cold-bonding relationship. Also, they were frequently teamed up together in A and S rank Missions because of their powerful combined use of thier blood-line limit. Sasuke usually came to Hyuuga Mansion weekly to train with Neji. But it seemed that today's visit was completely different from the usual training, especially when it included Hinata herself.
"He came up to me, and gave me a very interesting proposition," Hiashi continued, looking down at where she sat.
"Now we all know of Sasuke's tragic past with the brutal genocide of his clan, which is ever the more reason why you are important for this . . ."
Hinata continued listening in her quiet state, as a million questions started forming inside her head, one louder than the other. She stood there silently waiting and dreading for whatever words might come out of her father's mouth.
"... And he has chosen you to help revive the Uchiha Clan."
Hinata made an inward sigh of resentment. 'Marriage,' she thought bitterly. '... To him of all people.'
"... I have already given him my consent," Hiashi concluded.
"You will go with him to the festival tonight, along with your cousin, Neji. So try not to wander off. That is all."
Hinata bowed her head again, before rising to her feet. She walked towards the sliding door, and exited Hiashi's study. Once in the hallway, Hinata let out an exasperated sigh, she had been holding in throughout the meeting.
'How could he? ' she thought sadly.
'I don't even love him.'
She looked out into the orchard oustide her father's study. The light from the sky gave the grass and the trees an orange tinge. Night is coming near, and the festival will soon begin. She had to get ready, for she didn't want to be near the bad side of the Uchiha heir or her cousin.
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Part IV
The night has come, and the lights were born. The moon glowed high above the sky illuminating the festivities below. Music was being played in every corner, the villagers were buying masks and fans to keep cool from the warm night, playing games, eating sweets, and some drinking sake on the outside bars. Each villager in Konoha wore different colored yukatas and masks for tonight's festival, and Genma and Kakashi were amongst the crowd. Kakashi wore a plain dark grey and black yukata, while Genma wore a shiny dark blue one, with a white sash.
"I have never seen so many sexy ladies in one place!" said Genma with a wolf-like grin as he looked at a group of young women wearing glittery and feathery masks, however Kakashi was far less than happy.
"This is the Hokage's theme?" asked Kakashi, looking forlornly around at all the festiveness that filled the air.
"A Masquerade Festival?"
He wanted to die right then and there. Genma rolled his eyes at his friend's bleakness.
"Kami! Kakashi, if you're going to be like this and ruin my fun, why don't you just jump off a cliff already?" said Genma with exasperation.
"I'll be happy to oblige," said Kakashi as he started to walk away to find the nearest cliff to plummet from, but Genma quickly grabbed him by the back of his yukata to stop him.
"H-hey, I was only kidding," he said jokingly. Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the senbon-chewing ninja, and then sighed.
"I knew it was too good to be true," said Kakashi, his sole eye frowning.
"Aw, come on Kakashi! Why are you acting so depressed anyway?" asked Genma with annoyance.
"Aren't you supposed to be in love?" he asked as he batted his eyelashes mockingly at the silver-haired man. Kakashi was not amused with this behavior. Just then a happy couple passed them. The women leaned on the man's shoulder, smiling, holding hands, laughing. The young woman was holding white cotton candy to her lover's mouth, but his attempt at biting a piece off was not so successful, as he ended up taking all of it off the stick. The woman laughed as she took the treat off his face to throw it to the ground, and kissed him. Kakashi felt his stomach tie up in knots at the sight.
"Anyway, I'm going to get a mask, do you want one?" asked Genma, completely ignoring his friends inner turmoil.
Kakashi glared at the stupid man.
"Oh, oh yeah, sorry," he said sheepishly, realizing his faux pas. "Hey, have you seen Gai anywhere? He's supposed to be on break from his security duty, by now."
"I'm right here," said the man with the thick and fuzzy eyebrows that appeared out of no where, right behind them. He was still in his jounin uniform.
"Oh there you are, I was just about to get a mask, do you want one?" asked Genma. Gai shook his head.
"I can't. I'm still on duty," said Gai.
"Then why are you here?" asked Kakashi. Gai started to look hesitant, about telling him the real reason.
"Promise you won't get offended?" Gai asked with a nervous smile.
"No."
"Okay, some of the villager have requested me to make sure that you won't do anything violent, because of the Hyuugas and . . ."
Kakashi put his hand up, telling him to stop. "Enough," he sighed, "You don't need to say anymore."
How could he have forgotten? Kakashi was so absorbed about his tragic love life, that he had almost forgotten about the long-standing feud between his family and the Hyuugas. Now with that in mind, it just added more to the burden on his shoulders.
"Well, the villagres don't need to worry about me, Gai," he said to his furry-browed companion.
"Fighting with the Hyuugas, is the very last thing on my mind right now."
Gai made a sigh of relief.
"Well good, that makes my job much easier then," he said with a triumphant grin.
"Hey guys," Genma greeted after coming back from the vendor.
"What the-?" Gai was at a loss for words once he saw that Genma was wearing a mask, that strangely resembled Gai himself; In a far more scarier way. The brows were fuzzier and it's cheeks were horrifyingly red.
"D'ya like my mask?" he asked cheerfully. Gai's fingers started to twitch, as he slowly held them out towards Genma, for the need to strangle him.
"Where... did you... get... that thing?" he managed to ask slowly as his rage began to boil.
"Whoa! Check her out!" said Genma looking behind Kakashi, ignoring Gai completely. There were a group of young women about to buy some masks.
"C'mon Kakashi, let's go find the love of your life!"
Genma pulled the depressed Jounin by the arm towards the core of the festivities.
"I hate this," mumbled Kakashi, as he let hemself get dragged around to almost every bachelorette in the village.
Meanwhile . . .
Sasuke and Hinata, along with Neji, walked around the festival area, observing all the villagers having fun, playing at the game booths, and buying a variety of different masks from the vendors. Neji wore a dark grey yukata covered in a yin-yang pattern. Sasuke wore a plain dark blue one with his Uchiha symbol on the back. Hinata wore a lavendar colored yukata that match the color of her eyes, along with a white sash around her torso.
Hinata never felt so claustrophobic in her entire life. She felt like she was being protected by two arrogant bodyguards than being on a date. First of all, Sasuke was not the kind of person to have fun with, and Neji is just all the same. Without thinking, she made a small disappointed sigh. Sasuke quickly caught note of it.
"Hinata-san, is their something wrong?" he asked, with a hint of concern. Hinata made a small gasp, she didn't want him to know how she really felt.
"Oh n-no, Sa-Sasuke-kun, I-I'm hap-hap-happy t-to be h-here," she said with a timid smile. Sasuke didn't look very convinced, as he continued to stare at her with his cold black eyes. Hinata felt that same shiver go down her spine just then. That look he gave her could frighten a Colossus. Then she felt a hand being placed on her shoulder.
"Hinata, look," said Neji, pointing at a vendor.
"Why don't you go buy yourself a mask? We'll be right here."
Hinata looked up at her cousin, and gave him a silent nod, before she left for the little shop.
Once she was out of earshot, Neji narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha heir.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked with disappointment.
"You are supposed to woo her, not scare her!"
"Hmph! She's being difficult," said Sasuke unemotionally to his friend, crossing his arms.
"Well, you're going to have to deal with it," said Neji simply.
"She's chronically shy. Why don't you try being nice for once?"
"Nice?" questioned Sasuke with his brows raised at the Hyuuga descendant.
"I don't see you being nice."
Neji was about to retort, until something caught his eye.
"Speaking of 'nice' . . ."
Neji nodded at the direction for Sasuke to look. The Uchiha turned his head to see both Gai, Genma and-
"Kakashi?" said Sasuke with mild surprise.
"What is he doing here?"
"Ahem! Problem gentleman?"
A well-known voice was heard from behind them. They turned to see the Godaime herself standing their with that stern look. They quickly both stood at attention before her.
"Tsunade-Sama," they both addressed in quick unison.
"I hope you're not going to do what I think you're going to do," she said flatly with her arms crossed over her protruding chest. Both Neji and Sasuke were at a loss for words, until a different figure caught Sasuke's eye.
"Er--Hinata-san!" he called out to the small girl in the lavender yukata wearing a plain round mask that resembled the full moon. When she saw them, she quickly scuffled passed the crowd towards her darkly dressed escorts. Once she reached them, Sasuke smirked as he put his arm around her shoulders.
"You see Tsunade-Sama," said Neji, changing the subject. "We're just enjoying the festivities with my cousin."
"We're going to be married, you know," Sasuke chided in, as he pulled her closer to himself.
"... Within the month."
"Congratulations," said Tsunade flatly, her look unchanging. She looked to Hinata and gave her a small smile.
"Nice to see you Hinata," she said kindly. Hinata silently bowed at the greeting. Tsunade gave the two young men another wary look.
"Remember. One more . . ." she said holding up her index finger, and glided it across her neck. The two men nodded earnestly with understanding. Then she turned to leave them. Once she had fully disappeared within the crowd.
"Let's get out of here," said Neji with loathing. "I can't stand to breathe the same air around that Hatake scum."
Sasuke nodded. He bent down to Hinata's ear.
"Are you ready to go, Hinata-san?" he asked in his most sincerest voice. Her covered eyes peered through the full moon mask to see him, as she mutely nodded in reply.
Hinata watched from behind a vendor's tent as she saw her company leave the festivities. She sighed with relief, thankful that she can now experience some freedom from her stifling escorts. She decided to take a walk around the outskirts of Konoha, since the town was peaceful enough. She also felt like going someplace quieter and more tranquil. She stepped away from behind the vendor and turned to walk the dirt path. Her mind began to drift deep in thought of how she would be able to get out of her marriage situation, if there was any way out.
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Part V
Kakashi stood alone upon a grassy hill, breathing heavily as he watched the patch of light in the center of town where the Masquerade festival went on without him. His escape had worked perfectly. His two good friends were unaware of his disappearance, as his Kage bunshin was real enough to keep them occupied for the night. Almost half of his energy was spent after conjuring such a difficult jutsu, but it was worth it. He needed to be alone. The women at the festival that he had met through Genma couldn't compete with the beauty of Kurenai. With his breathing heavy, Kakashi removed his mask to let more of the cool air into his lungs.
"Kurenai..." he panted, as he minutely began to lose himself within his thoughts.
"Why... did it have to be... this way?"
He began to walk.
"Oh Kurenai..."
Down the hill he went.
"Why...?"
Towards the forest of trees.
"Does it have to be...?"
He walked within the tall trees, getting lost within the forest of his thoughts.
"... This way..."
Until something accidently found him.
BUMP!
Next thing Kakashi knew, he was dazed, flat on his back on the ground and returned to reality. He felt something warm sprawled on top of him.
"Gomen nasai!"
He heard a voice he has never heard of before, a voice so soft and so serene, that only someone of great purity could obtain such a sound. Kurenai sounded nothing like that, nothing like that at all. He lifted his head to see what was lying on top of him, and that's when time suddenly stopped.
' . . . She is beautiful, no, that word doesn't even compare to those bright eyes, her long black hair, her soft lips. Have I died and gone to a place where things far greater than beauty itself lives amongst these darkened skies?' thought Kakashi with shocking bliss. Her luminous gaze was so warm and so innocent. Her pale iris' were as light as the full moon, a light that guided him from the path of darkness that he was treading on before.
Hinata watched his expression with pure interest. No one ever looked at her with such intensity. She wondered what he was thinking. Usually, she would've immediately got off of him, but something in his face told her to stay, since he didn't make any movement to make her move. So, she stayed. Her, on top of him. They were both lost within the gaze of each other's soul. Their hearts begin to beat loudly in sync. A blush formed in Hinata's cheeks due to how close they were. Kakashi felt as if her pale eyes were luring him towards her, like how the ocean is pulled by the moon's gravity. There was a great need to be closer, close enough to touch and... to kiss.
He felt that If he didn't take this "light" as his own right now, he would be lost in the dark forever. It happened almost instantly as they had just met, Kakashi's face had closed the distance to meet Hinata's lips. Sweet and soft, and just right. Hinata didn't move, as she let him continue, she wanted to continue, and she closed her eyes and let it happen longer. She bought him back from an empty world of loneliness. He made her feel something she never felt before. Could this truly be...?
"Kakashi!"
They broke the kiss, shocked from the interruption. Their heads turned to where they heard the sound from behind the thickness of the forest, they weren't found yet.
"Kakashi! We caught your dirty little trick!"
'Damn you Genma!' thought Kakashi with a vengeance. He felt movement above him. The young woman of his dreams stood up, and he quickly followed.
"Wait," he said grabbing her hand. Hinata looked back at him, his face was covered behind a dark mask, but that gaze within that one eye that en tranced her was still there.
"Your name," he whispered with urgency. "I need to know."
"Hey Kakashi!" Genma called again.
"I can sense chakra here, he must be nearby." That is Gai's voice.
Kakashi turned back to her.
"Please," he pleaded. With that look he gave her, Hinata relaxed, she couldn't refuse him. She placed her hand on his face, slid the mask down, and balanced herself on her toes and gave him a brief kiss on the lips.
"... Hinata," she whispered, before settling back down on her feet. She gave him a smile, a smile that he will always remember. He smiled back at her. His first real smile.
"Goodbye."
"Kakashi! I think I see him," said Gai.
And with that, she lifted his mask back up to it's proper place and bolted out of sight through the woods. There was a rustle in the bushes behind Kakashi, but he didn't move. Through all the death he has seen, the battles he has fought and the torture he has been through in his entire life, he had never been so . . . happy.
"There you are, we've been looking all over for you," said Genma coming up to his friend, but Kakashi didn't notice him there, his head became flooded with thoughts of his newfound love.
'Hinata...' he thought dreamily.
'Words cannot describe your beauty... or your great use of chakra...'
"Kakashi, hellooo?" said Genma waving both his arms in front of the dazed jounin, which bought him back to earth.
"My rival, are you well?" asked Gai, coming to his fellow jounin's side.
'Words cannot even describe how I feel, or is it... ?'
"That word, 'well' is an understatement compared to how I am feeling at this moment," said Kakashi, still staring at the place where she disappeared.
Genma looked at him quizzically.
"Did something just happen with that girl you were with?"
"Girl?" he asked, coming back to earth again. "You knew someone else was here except me?"
"Actually Gai knew, and I am so proud of you," said Genma happily ruffling Kakashi's unkempt silver hair. Kakashi slapped his hand away in annoyance.
"Stop that."
"I'm sorry man, I'm just so impressed that you got over Kurenai so quickly."
Gai agreed with Genma. "Of course! You were so depressed earlier that you wanted to kill yourself," he added.
"So, what is she like?" asked Genma with interest. Kakashi didn't answer, he just stood there, thinking about her again.
"Kakashi, come on don't leave me hanging like this, can you at least describe her to us?"
Gai stepped up to Kakashi.
"Could you at least give us a name?" asked Gai, with just about the same amount of interest as Genma. Kakashi made another blissful sigh.
"...Hinata," he said just barely loud enough for them to hear it. Both of the men's jaws dropped in shock.
"H-Hinata?" '
Genma became serious.
"Kakashi, you don't mean Hyuuga Hinata, do you?" asked Genma, while in the inside he was praying that he was joking. Kakashi remained silent.
"Kakashi!" Genma shouted as he grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Don't tell me you already knew that she was a Hyuuga when you kissed her!"
Kakashi looked at his brown haired friend.
"Yes, I did know," he said simply. "But I don't care... I think I'm in love with her."
Genma and Gai's eyes widened. It was worse than they thought.
"But how can that be?" asked Gai who was still shocked about what was really happening.
"You were probably with her for less than five minutes, how can you fall in love with someone so quickly?"
"Especially, when she's related to the enemy," added Genma.
Again, Kakashi didn't answer, but instead moved away from them towards the direction where she left.
"Wait!" called Genma, grabbing Kakashi by the arm. "Where are you going?"
Kakashi looked back at his dumbfounded friends.
"I need to see her again," he said, before taking his arm back from Genma.
"Five minutes is not enough for us."
With that said, he used half of the remaining chakra he had left, and sped through the forest jumping through the trees.
His two friends were left in the forest, still in shock.
"Gai..." said Genma, still in shock of what he had just heard.
"We have to do something, he can't stay like this."
He started to run towards the same direction as Kakashi, but was stopped when a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do," said Gai.
Genma moved his shoulder away from his grasp.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked angrily.
"Don't you realize how dangerous this is?"
"Yes," said Gai simply.
"And I know Kakashi does too, but it seems the love he has for that girl is much stronger than anything, even this fued isn't strong enough to keep him away from her."
Tears began to stream down from Gai's eyes at this moment.
"Aah, the spring of youth is indeed strong within him," he said with his eyes closed and his fist clenched in front of him, reveling the beauty he had just witnessed.
Genma looked away from Gai and looked out into the distance where Kakashi disappeared.
"Well, at least that fool is happy now," he murmured to himself, then a small smile formed onto his lips.
"I hope he finds her."
A/N: This was the first romantic thing I wrote, before the other one. You might have probablynoticed some slight OOC, but then again I just HAD to right this story, due to the lack of KakaHina. Thanks for reading.
