Everyone had stayed the entire day with Akaya. It was weird for her to spend time around a group of people for more than a few minutes. And, under any other circumstance, a few minutes would be if they were lucky. But these three were different. They made her smile, and more importantly, they made her laugh. It was a shame that the whole village was frightened of them just because they were demons. Really, she enjoyed talking to them more than any human that she had met. They each were so intriguing that it was almost impossible not to want to talk to them.

Although everyone had left her house about an hour ago, Akaya still sat at the table, wondering where the day had gone. It was one of those days where she actually felt alive. She knew that Tajek would come back, but she was tired of waiting. She was tired of wondering. Above all, she was tired of hurting. She slowly rose from where she had been sitting. It was almost mind-blowing how quickly a house became deafeningly quiet.

Suddenly, there was a thud on the roof. Akaya's ankle still hurt from her earlier battle, but whoever was on the roof wasn't very smart to make the noise to begin with. She knew that whoever it was obviously didn't know her skill set at all. She walked casually toward her windmill shriken and grabbed her two kunai. She placed one on her calf muscle on her left leg and another in a pouch on her hip. She placed the windmill shriken in its respective sling on her back.

She then very quietly crept outside and climbed methodically onto the roof. As she gained her balance, she saw the familiar figure of Shin Ryu, looking up at the sky. She wanted to relax, but after his lesson today, she knew not to.

An enemy will use anything against you.

She remained balanced on the slanted roof and pulled out the kunai on her hip. She charged at the figure and placed the kunai around his neck. She held it tightly to his skin. "Are you really Shin Ryu, or are you just a spineless coward who won't show his real face?"

It shocked her how harsh her words could sound. Before his disappearance, she could never be taken seriously. Her words were soft and resound. Now, standing on the roof in the middle of the night, she sounded rough and harsh. At that moment, she knew that she had grown up. It was almost hard to process, but a voice broke her inner thoughts.

"So you did pay attention today." He paused to chuckle for a few seconds. "You are just as they say. You pick up on things fast."

Akaya almost loosened her grip, but something told her not to. "You expect me to believe you, here and now. Everyone left an hour ago. Why would you still be here?" She paused before she continued. She wasn't expecting an answer nor did she want one. She wanted the truth, but at the same time, she didn't want to hear it. She just wanted to know it. "If you really are Shin Ryu, then tell me what my favorite color is?"

She smirked. Tajek talked to her about telling Shin Ryu about them, but she knew that he did more than just mention her name every once and a while.

Shin Ryu sighed. "That is an excellent question to ask. You went on a personal route rather than a tactical one. Your favorite color is green. Now, if you don't mind."

He didn't really have to finish as Akaya pulled the kunai away from his throat and placed it back on her hip. She really didn't know what to do after that, so she bravely sat beside him. He intimidated her, just like he intimidated everyone else. However, she never let someone intimidate her to the point where she would avoid them. She would never have talked to Tajek if she did that.

Shin Ryu grasped Akaya's shoulder. "You know, I never could believe what Tajek said about you." Akaya looked over at him as he removed his hand from her shoulder and placed it behind his head. "He told me that you were perfect for him."

Akaya smirked as she looked up at the sky. The stars twinkled brightly, and Akaya was stunned at their beauty. "That sounds like something he'd say."

Her voice's tone had completely changed. It was now soft and collected. She began to smile to herself. This was the tone she had used on the bench with Tajek.

()

Tajek and Akaya sat on a bench in the middle of the village. They had no real idea of what they were sitting there for. They weren't tired, but they saw the bench and decided to sit down the ice cream and after the walk around the outskirts of the village, they decided a rest couldn't hurt though.

Akaya spoke timidly, "Tajek, what mission do you have to go on?"

They only recently started dating, and she wasn't exactly sure how to talk to him like his girlfriend yet. Was there supposed to be a difference in the first place? They were now genin, and after the Waterfall Village, she hoped they would be passed this awkward stage already.

"Just the routine stuff. Nothing that I can't handle." He smiled at her with his biggest smile. He couldn't think of the words to say next, so he just decided to ask a question. He wanted to know more about her, and that was the best way to find out. "So, don't you live with Himeka Hiromi?"

Akaya sighed solemnly as her demeanor changed. "If you consider seeing her once in six months living with her?" Akaya began to feel sick and found it hard to continue. "I hate her, Tajek."

Now, tears were in her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. "I'm always alone. No one is ever there."

She fell into Tajek as he folded his arms around her. He tried to comfort her next. He had never been in this situation before, but looking at his parents for an example, he quickly acted. He rubbed her back as he spoke. "I know how you feel, Akaya. Imagine being the Hokage's son. Not really having a name because of your father, who is rarely even home because of his job. It's terrible. But Akaya, I promise that no matter what, I am always here for you. You will never be alone. I'll make sure of that."

"Really?" Akaya looked up at Tajek, and Tajek began to blush. He didn't mind it though, and he used his thumb to wipe away the tears that were trickling down her cheeks. Her skin felt so soft in the palm of his hand.

He smiled. "Really. Akaya, I promise you will never be without me for very long."

He moved her face closer to his, to the point where their lips were only centimeters apart. He had kissed her before, but sitting on this bench it was different. He didn't know how, but he knew he would never forget this moment. And he knew that she wouldn't either.

He pushed his lips against hers.

She relaxed and stopped crying completely. A smile slowly formed on the corner of her lips. The kiss eventually ended, and they shared another awkward silence as they looked into each other's eyes. They didn't know what to say, so they didn't say anything. They simply smiled. They simply enjoyed each other's company.

Akaya finally moved her hand onto Tajek's. She removed his hand from her face and held his hand in hers. She pushed her fingers in between the spaces of his fingers. It was a perfect fit. "Would you like to walk me home Tajek?"

"I think I might."

Both of their smiles grew as they left the bench and headed toward her house.

Danter stood looking out of his office's window. It was high off the ground, so he could see out and over Konoha. Sometimes being Hokage had its perks. He saw the two, sitting on the bench. He loved the idea of Tajek having a girlfriend. He might actually have a drive to do things now. And as for his choice, he approved it. He had only officially met Akaya twice, but she was respectful and determined. Two traits that every shinobi should have. Two traits that every person should have. He turned toward the last stack of paper work that sat on his desk. "Guess, I'll get back to this."

()

Shin Ryu smiled. It was the first time she had seen him actually show his teeth when he smiled. They looked like hers in a weird way, "I'm really surprised that you didn't ask what he said. Most other women would probably be curious." He was trying to get that response and she knew it.

"Well, I'm not like other girls. Trust me, every other girl would have given up on him by now. They would have moved on by. " She paused for a few seconds for dramatic effect, "As for not asking about what he said, I am curious, but asking about it would seem rude in my opinion. I would much rather you tell me because you want to rather than because you feel like you have to."

She smirked because she knew that she had won his mind game.

"You'll be a great jounin. That was your second lesson. To play into an enemy's hand is one of the worst things you can do. In order to win a match based on intelligence, you have to make the enemy think that he has the upper hand. You have to make him think that he is in control when you have just been leading him your way all that time. You really are better than I thought you would be."

They both looked at the sky for a few moments. "Akaya, he loves you. He would love to see you now. Beautiful but powerful. Smart but sweet. Determined yet sensible. You've grown up, but you will always be the same person to him as you were the first day he saw you."

Akaya looked over at him. He was being serious about this. "I wish he would have said that then. If he had said those three words, I don't think this would be as difficult. Then I'd know that he would come back. Instead, I'm wondering about it all of the time."

She couldn't believe that she was slipping her guts out to someone that she had barely met. Someone that could easily kill her.

Shin Ryu never made a promise that he couldn't keep, but in this case, he wanted to break it for her sake. She was a great person, and as much as he hated to admit it, he liked her. He could never understand why Sesoni cared so much about her until he had interacted with Akaya. She was different from the rest. She captivated everyone that spent time with her. And now, when she felt distant from the world, no one had been there to help. He pitied her because he had been there before. It was hell. "He was going to that night. He was going to surprise you with a jade necklace and tiger lilies. He told me to make sure that you were okay while he was gone."

There was a long silence as Akaya looked at the sky. She hoped that Tajek was looking at it too. They would be connected somehow then. They would still have something in common.

"I never told him, Shin Ryu. I was too afraid to say it."

Shin Ryu simply patted her on the back. "You will get your chance to. He will be back, and I guarantee that seeing you will be one of the first things on his "to do" list."

She smiled as she yawned. "I hope so. Unlike you, though, I have to get some sleep."

She stood up, and the pain of her ankle took over again. She blew it off. She knew that she could handle this. "If you want to come inside, you can at any time. I'll leave the door unlocked for you."

She carefully got down from the roof and headed toward her bedroom. She changed into comfy pajamas and slid in between her bed and the covers. She easily dosed into sleep.

()

Shin Ryu crept into the house as quietly as he could. It was a little cold out, and the house was warm. He was headed to Akaya's room to ask a question about where he could lay down at. Being brazenly rude wasn't his style. He slowly opened the door to see her fast asleep in her bed. The first time he had seen Tajek after he had met Akaya, Tajek was overly excited. He said she looked like an angel, especially when she was calm and collected. As he looked at her now, Shin Ryu had to agree. And as he shut her door and sat on her couch, he realized that Akaya became the daughter that he never had. Even if he could only protect her in her lifetime, she was different, and everyone knew that.