-1Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters.
Ch.2
Blood was flowing freely; it ran in water downed rivers as the rain poured through the canopy above. Through the splintering leaves, the sky was dark as midnight set in. And yet, she had to move on. The only survivor of a four man squad, she was sure she was going to die soon, but she couldn't let it happen this way; she couldn't die in some forest with no one to find her.
Her hands, although hidden under the black fabric of those long, ANBU gloves, were burnt from over use of chakra, which she was completely out of. She couldn't recall how long she ushered it into her feet to flee from death and find her way home. A good two hours at least. But, with what she though was most likely a concussion, all she could focus on was the somewhat familiar trees about her. Lacking the skills of logical thinking at the moment, it did not dawn upon her that ANBU squads passed by frequently. Stumbling along, the last thing she could recall was falling to her knees and into darkness before her face hit the wet, grassy earth below.
When she opened her eyes though, it wasn't to the forest; wasn't to heaven or hell, but a softly lit hospital room accompanied with the random beeps from the machines that monitored her health. It felt to her that she had only been out for a mere second, but something told her that she was been lying soundlessly in the bed she currently occupied for quite some time. Blinking lazily, her mind then took in the immense soreness she had throughout her body, and mostly her head.
Something other than the droning beeps caught her ears then; it sounded like soft whispers across the room. Lifting her head, she peered through her hazy eyes to see two people chatting softly by the window. One had been talking, and the other turned their head slightly towards her. The morning light that shone through the glass panes caught the person's messy, silver locks. The other had vigorous caramel hair about their shoulders.
They moved closer, and she closed her eyes, head falling back into the pillow. Hearing her name being spoken by rich voices made her heart leap; she really was alive. Her legs were shifted as someone sat at the end of her bed, blocking out the almost blinding light, and she felt a tear slip down the side of her face…
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Although she didn't like to think of herself as being nostalgic, she often found herself reminiscing about the failed mission that took place some months ago. It was soon to be a year the next month. But now, in middle October, it still seemed close. Atsuka couldn't remember a time when she was that pleased to see Kakashi; back then, she wasn't too familiar with Genma as she was now. Yet, he was there on that day she woke up after being in a minor coma for nearly three months. Kakashi told her he came each night, save those nights when he had a mission, to wait for her to wake, and that Genma had tagged along a few nights to keep him company. She remembered that even then, in a hospital, there was a senbon between his lips.
Kakashi had also agreed to help her recover, seeing how she was quite rusty and lanky from sleeping for three months straight. With their days of being lovers over, is was then that they really got to know one another. They had time to talk when they usually said little to nothing during their time together. It was awkward for the first few weeks; sometimes they slipped during sparing sessions, Kakashi almost always being the one to calm things down and get back to business at hand. It was true they couldn't deny their love for one another, although neither had ever used the term in fear of the other becoming scared. She herself had fear of commitment when Kakashi spoke of his own. It was then, after the second month, they decided that they could no longer be 'friends with benefits', that neither could imagine losing their friendship due to events that could possibly occur in the future. Although, ambitions were concealed well.
Both ninjas were pleased at their ability to keep their personal life concealed from their friends and Konoha. They never suspected the two to be anything more than close friends, seeing how they told no one of their nights together. There were times that Genma suspected something, Kakashi having to reassure him that he only thought of Atsuka as a dear friend, like he thought Genma to be, and nothing more.
This, of course, gave Genma the straight away to flaunt his lazy friend's female comrade, which he took to with gusto. It wasn't too much of a shock to find him tagging along during one of her and Kakashi's training sessions the day after he flirted with her the night before during a little shin-dig the elites held at the pub. It peeved her slightly. Atsuka enjoyed her training with the copy-nin, and the hours they spent conversing or just sitting together after a drawn out spar or lessons on the new jutsus Kakashi began to teach her. With Genma watching her every move, soaking in the way she fought and walked and talked, she was beginning to have problems focusing on Kakashi's attacks or words of advice when she could feel those toffee colored eyes intently on her person.
One day, while Atsuka waited for Kakashi, and Genma, who attended frequently for a month after the first day he tagged along, she was taken aback when the flirtatious jounin came alone. Her first thoughts were that perhaps Kakashi had a mission, but he would have surely mentioned it to her, wouldn't he? Not moving an inch from her spot, she merely watched with cool eyes as Genma neared her, cocky grin with senbon in tow, until he stopped some ten yards away from her.
"Where's Kakashi?" she had asked him in a tone that made her sound more curious then worried. At first, just like Genma, he didn't say anything, just looked at her, hands in his pockets as he leaned onto one leg.
"He has business with ANBU," Genma had answered back. It was true enough, she remembered the copy-nin talking about helping out with some mission planning and things of that manner. He had told her they called him in unannounced most of the time, so she figured that day was on of those to be announced days.
"So why did you come, Shiranui," she had asked him after some moment of thought. Genma smirked at how she called him by his surname, but never asked why. It was common thing to do, but when she said it, he couldn't help but find it amusing and something a little more than that.
"I told Hatake I'd take over for him today… if that's okay with you, Tsukatu?" Atsuka remembered that she wanted to say that she wasn't okay with it. Yet, being a twenty and five year old woman, she acted professional and accepted his tutoring, but kept caution all the while. From then on, whenever Kakashi was too busy with ANBU or things of that manner, it seemed Genma always had an open schedule to accommodate for the copy-nin. Two months had past then; May. Kakashi's schedule wasn't too full, but it still pulled him aside now and then which allowed Genma to have more time with Atsuka, something he wasn't liking. None the less, the caramel haired jounin managed to talk his way into teaching his not too social or 'Genma-like' Tsukatu. It was true that Genma was very handsome and charming, and he made Atsuka laugh on more than one occasion.
One, lazy May day, though, Atsuka witnessed, once again, Genma doing what he does best; flirting. Yet, that day was much different than most days spent alone, training with the senbon-chewing jounin. Kakashi had told her the night before that he couldn't come the next day, so of course, when she saw Genma's head rise above the horizon, his backwards placed hitai-ate bandana, she didn't have that slightly peeved demeanor Genma usual saw about her. That day, she just looked more aloof than normal as she watched him with her lazy hazel eyes, gentle breezes playing through her chocolate tresses.
Genma had stopped some feet away, his cocky grin melted into a more or less placid expression as the two merely regarded each other. The afternoon sun reflected off the senbon between those lips. Atsuka could see the experience in his caramel eyes which was usually covered by his witty charm or flirtatious smiles. He seemed to be able to become mature then, for Genma, someone who, even though was around twenty-seven, acted as if they were-twenty one. It was a first, Atsuka not questioning him about Kakashi's whereabouts, and so he commented, like she knew he would.
"What's this, no interrogation?" his voice was soft, almost distant, but hinted with slight humor and sarcasm. She had merely bobbed her shoulders and brushed aside strands of hair from her delicate face. It was that day the both of them didn't quite feel like sparring or discussing jutsus or talking about things of that fashion. Both took to the shade of a tree and just sat for a long while until silence finally broke in the form of Atsuka sneezing. Genma used this as an advantage to strike up conversation.
"Bless you…"
"Thanks."
"Say… Tsukatu?"
"Yeah?…"
They merely talked about their interests and dislikes, and shared their view points about the elites of Konoha. The two of them couldn't help but laugh as they agreed that Anko was, to simply put it, permanently pissed off, and that Gai needed to get over himself, and fast. Genma admitted he thought highly of himself, Atsuka nodding in agreement, but Gai was, in their opinion, just plain weird.
She didn't really mind it when Genma scooted next to her against the large trunk, or when his hand found her own in that almost 'oh, I'm sorry' way, yet he kept it there none the less. He didn't seem to mind when her head slid gently down to rest upon his strong shoulder; the way her hair cascaded over his olive green vest and deep navy shirt in sienna streams. An arm snaked about her waist, his head touched the top of hers. They sat in what seemed bliss for a long while, both of them not daring to speak for some reason they couldn't comprehend.
By the time Genma offered to walk her home, it was well into the evening, the wispy clouds were stretched over the canvas of blue sky like rose and lavender hued cotton candy. As they walked, Genma admitted that Atsuka was a 'special' kind of woman, not like those who threw them selves upon him night after night at the village pub. He wanted very much so to get to know Atsuka. She had to admit that Genma could have his moments while still staying true to himself. The walk to Atsuka's apartment wasn't long, yet, no words were exchanged between the two. Upon her door step did his hand find her chin, lifting it gently up, her eyes had flickered to his. The senbon was plucked gently from his lips by then, and Atsuka was more than clear of his intentions.
It was soft and sweet, the kiss that he left upon the woman's lips. Nothing too productive, but something to let her know that yes, he was clearly interested. He grinned softly where as she only blinked, lips parting minutely when he leaned away, and gave his good-nights with a little wave of his and as he stepped off her doorstep and walked lightly down the street. There were no sweeping tongues or heavy breaths, and no groping or a tight embrace. It was just something, Atsuka concluded, as being innocent and simple. But simple wasn't a word to compare Shiranui Genma with.