As of recently, I have decided to finish this story up first (Since I think it will be probably have a sequel of some sort). I have already finished 3 chapters in addition to this one! I hope you enjoy the rest of this story that gave me the courage to write these things in the first time. I know that aren't alot of people reading or following this, but for those who enjoy it, I hope you continue to do so. I am sure my writing style has shifted a bit from the start almost 7 years ago, but as always, I would love reviews or any comments. XOXO Hotmess.
P.S. Even after all this time, I am still a hot mess. Some things never change. Anyways, ENJOY!

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Akaya had gave into the six months of grueling training that was to come. It was hard to find happiness in this dire situation. Everything laid upon her shoulders, and she was overwhelmed by the consequences of her actions. Would she still have a home to save in six months?

She felt hands slid through her hair as she opened her eyes to face the day ahead. Tajek took the little moments they had together and turned the, into something magical. He always had. That was how her determination and fire for their romance stemmed from. She was special to him, and he was special to her. The overflowing warmth she felt in her soul was putting things in perspective. She needed to train. She needed to be stronger. She needed to overwork her mother.

"Relax for once," Tajek squeezed Akaya closer to him. The bed was always a safe place to just be together. "You can do this. Have you forgotten taking out numerous Bingo book members already? You have this."

"That was the main takeaway from that mission to the waterfall village," she giggled, "I wasn't quite remembering that detail as much as some others."

And just for a moment, she allowed herself into indulge in a memory laced with happiness.

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The aura of the Hidden Waterfall Village was quite different from what Akaya was accustomed to in Konoha. This was her first mission as a genin as well as the first one outside of her home. She looked at Tajek. He was leading this escort mission and she began to wonder if she had hallucinated about how the sewer mission ended. Akaya remembered vaguely that they had a conversation that was about their relationship status.

Logically she also knew that he had carried her out of the sewers and into the hospital bed she woke up in. But that had been nearly a week ago, and there had been no sign of Tajek until Hokage Danter teamed the two of them with Santai, an self-proclaimed loner, and a sensei that would apparently meet them at the border between the two nations. Sighing lightly, she tried to regain her focus towards the mission at hand. Her feelings couldn't become a distraction.

The "cargo" was a small boy about the age of five. His parents were ambassadors of their homelands, so their son was a by factor of a highly dysfunctional living arrangement. He was a quiet child who had kept himself the entire trip. But as they started their long hike up the large mountain tops and cliffs to the waterfall village entrance, the child was visibly struggling. Unfortunately for the kid, Santai was not the most understanding comrade Akaya had ever worked with. Santai simply nudged the dignitary forward. "Don't slow up now, kid. Keep up with the pace."

Tajek slowed down his strides as he noticed how far ahead of the group he was. He had been scouting at the front of the pack, knowing his motivation for doing so wasn't because he was being the leader. It was mainly to avoid her. She was a huge distraction. From what the doctors said at the hospital, her last minute of consciousness would be a haze due to her drained jutsu supply at the time.

He shook his head as he started to refocus on his mission. He could solve his personal problem at another time. But, unfortunately, he was sure that his two objectives would overlap on this trip. He cursed his father for pairing them together again. As he turned around to face his comrades, he caught a glimpse of her in the tight water-proof attire and blushed slightly. He was starting to reconsider his previous conclusion.

Akaya spoke up boldly. Just because she liked her leader, it didn't excuse their treatment of the exhausted little boy that Santai had no sympathy for. "We need to take a break."

She paused observing Santai's glare and Tajek's gaze. She couldn't describe the feeling that fell to the bottom of her stomach; Akaya had realized she'd have to talk to him alone before they returned to Konoha. "We don't want the boy's mother upset because we didn't cater to our customer's needs."

Santai thought otherwise, "Like it matters. He just needs to get there intact, and we've done our job."

Tajek wiped the sweat off of his forehead. There was no use in getting involved with this bickering. He already knew was going to win it anyways. Akaya's logic far surpassed Santai's. Akaya was smarter than he was so even if his logic was better, she'd make it look like it wasn't logic at all. And details like that made Akaya quite appealing to him, which meant they were going to have to talk again sooner or later. In a realistic world, it was unfortunately going to be sooner.

Akaya bent down to the boy's level. She patted him gently on the shoulder and smiled, "You can take a break now," She reached into her pocket to reveal a small package of dried fruits, "Eat these. They will give you some energy."

Tajek looked dumbfounded at her kindness and sincerity. This child was a complete stranger, and she still put him before herself. On top of that, her smile was dazzling. How could she be so perfect for him?

Santai roughly bumped into Akaya's bent-over figure, causing her to fall backwards on the steep slope. She tried to grip the terrain, but the rocks on the hill wouldn't allow it.

Akaya tumbled downhill, gaining speed quickly. She reached for a kunai on her hip and gripped it firmly. When she found a soft spot in the ground, Akaya viciously scraped the weapon into the hill. It stabilized her long enough for her to get to her knees. She looked up to see Tajek racing to meet her with concern on his face. She smirked, realizing he did care at least a little for her. Then a figure blocked her view of Tajek. A hand bent down to offer a way to her feet. From her teachings at the academy, Akaya knew who this person was: the famous demon, Sesoni.

As she took his hand, Akaya gazed in awe at how long his fingers were and how cold to the touch he was. Something about him was mystifying and awe-inspiring. Sesoni was tall and lean but toned. He was stronger than most humans thought. His looks were deceiving too. His snow-white hair cascaded down past his shoulders, and his eyes were a spectacular sight for her. They were cat-like and a precise, splitting blue color: not yet the color of a clear sky but not quite as light as an ocean wave hitting the shore.

Sesoni smiled slyly. This young girl looked familiar in a way, but he couldn't name how. As she stood to her feet, he removed his head from hers slowly. Her body temperature was only slightly below a human's, but it was noticeable enough to take serious interest in her long brunette hair and slightly slender fingers, there were no demon characteristics physically; however, that was only a part of being a demon. Actions spoke volumes with their kind. He would have to observe this half-demon more carefully. "What's wrong? Never seen a demon in person before."

Tajek watched as Sesoni teased Akaya and shook his head. Of course his father would send Sesoni as their sensei. It was only the best for his boy; so why then was Akaya handpicked for his team as well? "Don't tease her too much. Fresh meat never learn much about demons in class, Sesoni.

Tajek leaned over closer to Akaya and brushed dirt off the back of her shirt where she couldn't reach on her own. He could at least help her with something.

Akaya brushed off her knees, which were scuffed and scraped from her fall and then dusted her hands off. She did a graceful bow and looked up at Sesoni, "It's a great honor to meet someone of your stature," She smiled brightly, "Plus, you look so much cooler than Himeka's shadow demon."

She felt Tajek's gentle touch on her back. Akaya slightly blushed as a result. To avoid an awkward situation, she began to trek up the hill to where her focus should have been. Sesoni glanced over at Tajek, who was intently watching her walk away from him. The demon picked up the kunai that Akaya embedded into the ground and tossed it to his young friend. "Never seen you so nervous."

Tajek caught the weapon and twirled it around his finger with confidence. "I'm not nervous."

Sesoni raised his head and smirked. "Good because the two of you are going to survey the area to the west of us. From the camps around here there is word that some nin are looking to capture a small boy for leverage."

He started to trek up the hill, cracking his knuckles in the process, "And judging by the ruins of your sewer system in Konoha, you two can handle it."

The young Shinobi nodded. There was no use fighting against this ploy. It was all starting to make sense to him now. This whole mission was a set-up by the Hokage himself. "How do you know that was us?"

"You really think your father would overlook the girl that actually got you to do something with your talent?" Sesoni watched as Akaya high-fived the young boy. She was so effortlessly kind, "And it didn't help your case that she's pretty."

Tajek crossed his arms as he looked at the girl from a distance. Akaya had a way about her that no one else was going to understand. In certain lighting and in the worst moments, her beauty became overwhelmingly breath-taking. "She's not pretty."

The well-seasoned demon smiled at Tajek's reply. "You mat want to start practicing how to lie better. Blushing isn't helping me believe you." He laughed as he patted his friend on the back, "Maybe just this once, you should stop being lazy. It's evident she has feelings towards you as well, Tajek."

Effortlessly, Tajek placed his hands in his pockets. "Whatever. It's not like she even cares that much."

Sesoni ignored Tajek's pleas to deny his feelings and emotions. He continued up the incline towards the rest of the group. "Alright. Akaya and Tajek will divert away from the group as scouters. We don't need any bumps in the road. The others will remain on track to the village."

He surveyed the small team around him. Tajek showed indifference, the young boy looked puzzled, and Santai remained calm; however, Akaya's smirk was plastered across her lips. There was a part of Sesoni that like the noble, headstrong girl. Not even a demon was going to scare her off from her goals. "Any questions?"

Akaya replied confidently, shaking away her own worries about being alone with Tajek. "Which direction?"

Her respectful deposition was noted as he pointed towards the waterfalls away from the village. "Head to the waterfall without a village entrance. Stay there until the sun sets. Then head back to the shore. If there is any activity going through there, investigate it."

Sesoni grinned, showing his demonic set of teeth. Akaya ever marveled at them; in many respects, they were like hers were becoming. She turned to look at her battle partner. Tajek was relaxed as he walked away from her, "You coming?"

Akaya sped up to reach him without humiliating herself for the second time on this trip, and as they distanced themselves from the others, they were soon surrounded by the walls of a cave-like tunnel system. "Do you know the way, Tajek?"

The voice that responded to her timid questions shocked Akaya. It was as if all of his memories of her had vanished. The indifferent tone destroyed her thoughts of what she thought might be between them. "I've been around this area several times. I know the way by heart. So on this mission, it's be smart not to run off again."

Akaya felt her fingers form into fists. She couldn't have fathomed that Tajek would play with her emotions as easily as he did now. He never showed signs of betrayal or distrust before.

Why was he treating her so differently from the rest? What did she do in those lapses of memory after the sewer mission was done? Had she said something wrong?

She barked back at him, "Whatever. The whole village would've been dead if I didn't do what I did in that split second. You know that better than anyone. You witnessed the whole thing go down. And while I'm grateful for your assistance after the fact, you can't say there was any other option."

The tunnel was dark enough to cover up the fact that Akaya had to wipe tears away with her sleeve, but Tajek was observant enough to know that she was angry and even more so, upset. "Just keep walking and calm down. There's no need to be hurt."

Indifference. More undermining indifference.

Akaya walked slightly behind Tajek, trying to avoid looking at him. That was proving to be an impossible feat for her. His spiky hair allowed her fascination at the situation to grow. Why did she fall for the laziest person in Konoha? He didn't care about anything, so why would she be an exception to that fact?

Darkness made way to the light as they approached the end of the tunnel. As Akaya emerged, she gazed out at the beautiful scenery laid before her view. The immense waterfall was directly in front of them and the few trees that surrounded them were lush, green and full, contrasting nicely against the rock walls and walkway. The rock formations looked crystallized as water trickled down them. It was a complete change from her sights back in Konoha.

In her fascination and wonderment, Akaya missed Tajek's smile at her. She had a twinkle in her eye and a spark in her fiery heart. The light that was disillusioned by the sun made her skin glisten, "It's pretty amazing, huh Akaya?"

Akaya smile lightly and spoke softly. "Yeah, it is."

In that moment, Tajek came to an understanding with his fate concerning the beauty next to him. Akaya wasn't going to disappear from his life, partly because of his father's doing and partly because of his own. He was drawn to her. The moment was surreal and there was a side of him that didn't believe it. There had always been a myth that you could find your true love under the waterfalls. And as Akaya radiated in her sense of awe and excitement, Tajek found himself basking in his warm thoughts of her.

Her eyes glanced at him, and she smiled brightly and more confidently than before. "Guess you do remember who I am."

She peered back at the marvelous, entrancing sight before she continued. Spoiling the spectacle would be a true injustice. Her voice was surprisingly gentle, and her words matched the effortless nature of the waterfall in front of them, "You've been avoiding me this whole time and now, magically, you know my name again.''

"Now, in my defense," Tajek stopped, acknowledging silently that he had no real defense. He inched towards Akaya, sensing that his only option now was to take action. There was no other way to make her truly understand how he was feeling in this moment with her.

Instinctively, the young girl reached for a kunai. She kept it on her right hip so Tajek lunged for both of her wrists swiftly and pushed her against the cooling surface of the rock formations that had been behind them. Her response was just as Tajek expected: pissed.

"What in the hell are you doing?" His grip was loose, and she was fully capable of ripping out of his grasp; however, she stood with her hands above her, waiting for his next move. As she peered into his bright hazel eyes, she resumed smiling at him. "I didn't imagine what happened in the sewers, did I?"

Tajek blushed furiously as her smile spread across her porcelain face. How in the world did he overlook her for so long? Even with his laziness, she should've stood out. Her lips were overpoweringly enticing and his infatuation began to grow even more. He leaned in, sharing the same bit of air between him and his crush. He looked hazily into her eyes as his face was mere centimeters away from hers. "Not one bit of it."

Akaya felt his gaze on her and looked up trying to avoid it. She was not one for the spotlight. As a Shinobi, hiding in the shadows was what came naturally to her. It was part of the job description to be discrete. Even now, Tajek followed the mantra of a leader in the ninja world: tall, handsome, and most notably, noble.

However, she found that she was craving his attention. She longed for his gaze on her, and she wanted to be the one he was attached to. If no one else saw her in the shadows, she wanted Tajek to spot her. She tilted her head slightly and returned her view to his lips in order to play her final move in their emotional chess game. She could now admit it: she wanted him back. "Then what's stopping you from kissing me right now?"

He released his grip on her wrists as he pressed his lips firmly against hers. The texture enchanted him. They were soft and luxurious. Tajek relinquished his grasp on her wrists so he could explore the feeling of her waist as he pushed his body gently against hers. Akaya hung her arms around his neck. She showed no retaliation to his advances, and her affection poured over into her effort in the kiss. Much to his surprise, she strongly pulled him forward, throwing him even closer to her body. Her waist felt so silky in his fingertips. Even though a shirt covered her there, he knew her skin would be wonderful to touch.

They heard nothing but the echo of the trickling water off the rocks as they separated from their intense first kiss. Tajek kept his hands on her hips for a moment longer before letting go of her completely. Akaya was glowing in his foreground when the background should have kept his undivided attention. Her long, hair had swooped over her shoulder as she turned to look to the east of where they were at. She vehemently released her grasp on his neck as she backed slowly and methodically against the rocks. She slowly moved toward the tunnel's second entrance where it would envelope them back into darkness.

Tajek stood dumbfounded at her immediate actions and self-confidence.

Many village girls had features and characteristics that he had found appealing. They would rely on him for outcomes. They would always be home when he returned from a mission. They would bear and care for his children when that time arose. They would live a plain and simple life that he would be the leader of.

But Akaya was not apart of any of that. Her skills would be a huge resource for Konoha and she could never really settle down. As he watched the stealthy nature of Akaya, he immediately reassessed his needs. Maybe what he wanted and what he needed had been two completely different concepts.

Akaya felt the presence of the two men coming. She briefly glanced at Tajek to see him stupidly staring at her. She furiously blushed but motioned for Tajek to stand beside her against the smooth surface of the wall. Thankfully, he had registered what she was trying to convey to him. Water splashed against her face as footsteps echoed through the tunnel as they hoped to stay in hiding. She quickly did hand signs and her fingertips lit up with white chakra. Tajek marveled at it and attempted to touch her when Akaya gave him a look of both worry and control. She whispered, "Don't touch me and just trust me."

Footsteps got closer by the seconds. Akaya kept her chakra fluid and channeled as the intruder's approached the opening.

"Santai, they can't be too far ahead of us. The very least we can do is sabotage Danter's kid and a stupid little girl."

The voice grew as the figure neared their location and Akaya peered around the corner to observe. The voice belonged to a burly old man that was well past the prime of his life. Not much taller than Akaya, he looked frail and weak; nevertheless, Akaya had quickly learned that looks could, and for the most part were, deceiving. That was especially true in her line of work.

As he rounded the corner to where they were, Akaya jabbed her fingers into his throat and felt her body collide into Santai's chest, who then restricted her movement. She frantically tried to get out of her teammate's clutches, but she soon gave up. "Penetrating touch!"

In an instance, the old man fell to his knees, and Akaya watched as Tajek mercilessly plunged a kunai into the jugular of the opponent they faced. Blood spewed onto the floor and walls, tainting the once-beautiful scene. Suddenly, Akaya's blood began to run cold.

Tajek looked at Akaya's expression, and then the compromising position Santai had her in. He had managed to pull a kunai from Akaya's waist, in the same area Tajek had dreamed of feeling minutes before. Santai pointed the kunai at her throat now. Rage flowed over Tajek's logic, but it changed as the demon of the shadows quickly twisted Santai's head until a pop echoed in the tunnel. It killed the ninja almost instantly, which Tajek thought was fairly nice of Sesoni given the circumstances. Sesoni had always been stealthy, but Tajek was in awe at how undetectable his friend was. It was as if his chakra signature was invisible.

Akaya felt the warmth go away from Santai's chakra signature his body hit the wet, hard surface of the tunnel. His hand grazed the back of her leg and slowly made its way to the back of her heel before she moved away from it. She forced herself to turn and face Santai's lifeless body. As much as the two of them had been different, the reflected each other in their aspirations. In their academy days, they both strived for perfection in their techniques and applications. Leadership ran deep in motivations and their quick thinking saved many lives, even at such a young age. And as Sesoni slid the body over into darkness, Akaya realized that with one wrong step she would end up as lifeless as the darkness engulfing Santai now.

As much as darkness could be her ally, it could be her ultimate demise.

Sesoni remained composed. There was more going on here than a sabotaged mission. From the records, Santai was a clean genin with the only blemish being his sour attitude. He looked at the old, wrinkled man collapsed on the ground, "Which one of you killed him with a nin-jutsu?"

Tajek grabbed a strong hold of Akaya's hand and squeezed it so she could be reassured. As he did, Sesoni felt a smirk rise on the left side of his mouth. At least that part of the mission went as Danter had anticipated. "If someone gets in trouble, let it be me. Akaya used that nin-jutsu in self-defense and as a last resort. I was the one who was being irresponsible and should take the true blame for killing him."

The demon laughed loudly at the boy's mindset. "Now how could you get in trouble for killing someone that was listed in the Bingo Book? Honestly, I am surprised you two are still breathing after coming into contact with Tori Chazu."

Sesoni observed the young girl who stood in silence before him. She wasn't trying to glorify or defend her actions. She remained humble, as Danter suggested she would. "What ninjutsu was that powerful and could act so quickly? And how exactly did you learn it?"

Akaya looked at the results of her reactions that laid lifelessly in front of her. She had just killed a Bingo Book member, and yet, she couldn't tell herself she had pulled it off. "It's the Penetrating Touch:Level 2. It sends a jolt of energized chakra to the chakra of the victim, and as a result, the body can't handle it. If someone has a strong understanding and control of their channels, like you or the Hokage for instance, it can be redirected into the bloodstream and could only potentially shock you for a second or if I am lucky, two.," She took a breath before continuing, "However, if someone redirects it at the second level carefully, my body will react to the jolt in the amount of chakra I put into the attack. Or at least that's Himeka Hiromi had taught me.

Sesoni understood the young girl's background the more she spoke. He knew that she had looked familiar to him; Akaya had an ANBU-skilled teacher. Talent ran naturally through her veins, but as he looked at Tajek, he noted that both of their talents complimented each other at the same level. The outcome of their feud Tori Chazu shouldn't have ended so smoothly for them. "You have learned from one of the best stealth-based nin. Hiromi is well-known for her gentle approaches with ruthless outcomes."

He noted the admiring look that sparked in Akaya's eyes at the mention of Himeka's name and status. There lied a problematic situation. Many rumors had sprouted that Himeka had been pregnant during her year of absence over a decade ago; however, no one could confirm it because Himeka was not seen at all during that time. Additionally, she came back to the ANBU stronger than ever, which suggested a large amount of training was done. Akaya's connection to Himeka was also speculative. The story was that Akaya had been left as a orphan on Himeka's doorstep months after the ANBU's return. Though Sesoni saw Akaya for the strong individual she was, he couldn't help but notice that deep green in her eyes matched Himeka's but her long legs and slender fingers rivaled that of Shin's.

"Himeka is pretty awesome, but she forgets what she is supposed to stand for." Akaya put her hair into a tight braid as she talked casually and openly about her caregiver, "She fights for revenge and out of anger. That will only get you so far as a Shinobi. You have to have a passion for what you do and a love for your nation, but most importantly, you need to bring honor to your home wherever that may be."

She smiled brightly as she secured her windmill shriken on her back. "You're a lost Shinobi otherwise."

Tajek was impressed, once again, with Akaya. Her loyalty to Konoha was integrated deep into her thoughts and showed through her actions. He had only seen Himeka Hiromi a few times in the village, but the ninja seemed cold-hearted and threatening. Tajek had overheard things from his father about the high-ranked jounin; even his father was unsure where her loyalty was. And even though Akaya lived with the brutal woman, she showed a much softer side. "I don't mean to break up this 'get-to-know-you-better portion of the trip, but shouldn't we be going now?"

Akaya felt a small, weak signature approaching them timidly. "You're right. We should focus on this mission." She saw a small boy emerging from the shadows. He was speechless as to what he was seeing. He darted back into the tunnel, and Akaya sped after him. She felt Tajek grab for her, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sesoni hold his shoulder firmly.

Sesoni held Tajek's shoulder, not sure how his young friend was going to react. Teenagers were always a ball full of intense emotions. To his delight, the genin was calm and understanding. "Akaya has a calming way with her words or so I've been told. If anyone here could talk to that kid and unrattle his nerves, it's gonna be her." He rustled through Tajek's spiked-up hair playfully. "You, on the other hand, take after your father in those regards. His words always speak the truth, whether it will hurt or not."

"Yeah, well, I guess opposites do attract." A smile planted itself on Tajek's face. They weren't complete opposites, but they did have glaring differences. Mainly, she had motivation, and he never had it to begin with., "Dad set this whole thing up, didn't he?"

The powerful demon walked into the dark abyss of the tunnel and spoke seriously to the boy beside him, "Danter just wants the best for his only kid, so when he heard about your sewer mission with Akaya, he wanted to see if it led anywhere." He threw his hand up in the air and motioned Tajek to continue to follow beside him, which Tajek did at his leisurely pace. "Personally, I like the girl. She's got a blazing fire within her that's not common in most humans."

Tajek followed suit and placed his hands in his pocket. "Guess I'll have to thank the old man for his meddling this time."

The little child was quick, but as the tunnel opened back into the light, his endurance ran out. As he slowed down, Akaya grabbed her weapon off her back and allowed it to light up in flames from her chakra supply. Her foe had thrown kunai at the boy, but Akaya leaped to block them with her windmill shriken. In the process, the shiny objects were charred by their contact with the fire.

Akaya stood strongly in front of the naive child, pushing him behind her with her free hand. She let the beads of sweat run down her face as she glared at her opponent. It was surprising how such a small, petite woman with curly, blonde hair, blue eyes, and lush lips would choose the life of a ninja, let alone a rogue one. Akaya gave a piercing look of anger as the young nin refocused her attention on the important task at hand. She didn't need any distractions. "Walk away now, and I won't do anything to you." She snarled as she loudly to the woman, "But if you stay, you won't last long."

"Now why would I ever be threatened by an empty challenge? Just try and stop me. That brat is as good as dead!" The evil-looking smirk that rose on the woman's face sent shivers down Akaya's spine and caused the boy to grip her leg firmly in fear. "You seem somewhat intelligent. I'll tell you what. You give me the boy, and I'll spare your life."

Akaya didn't even consider giving up the boy as an option. Not after she accepted this mission, knowing the costs and stakes. Nobility won over selfish desires in the life of the Shinobi. Akaya quickly threw the hand signs for her barrier with the windmill shriken still in hand. She placed the barrier specifically over onto the boy by gripping his hand tightly, "Run back to the others, and do not stop or look back."

The young rogue darted at him as he took off and started a ninjutsu sequence. "Water strike jutsu." Water formed in sharp, liquid needles, headed for the boy, as it approached him, it was stopped by a large fire. Soon, he was in the darkness of the tunnel. "Well, you little shit."

Akaya kicked the woman's back with all her strength and watched her fall and roll onto her back, avoiding the huge shriken Akaya lunged in her direction. The fire on its edges lit the area well even as the environment showered raindrops to extinguish it. Akaya threw a small kunai to catch on the woman's shirt and placed her scorched weapon to the tip of the surprised foe's throat. "Empty challenge, huh? You should have walked away when I gave you the chance."

"Silly little girl. You can't understand."

The woman's face lit up at whatever thought went on her head, and Akaya stood crushingly on her enemy's knees to watch it quickly evaporate. Screams of agony and pain shot up to Akaya's ears and she just stepped down, holding her tactical advantage.

"Tell me. Why were you after a defenseless kid anyways." Akaya kept her focus on her target until she heard clapping coming close to her. She glanced up to see Sesoni motion to step back off and Akaya trustingly did so.

Sesoni appreciated Akaya's trust in him. Most could not react so seamlessly with a demon, but this intelligent child did. She was not easily intimidated by her opponents and even now, as Akaya looked curiously in his direction, she stood proud over her prey. There was no knowing what surprises this young girl had up her sleeve.

As Akaya backed up and away from her acquired target, she caught a glimpse of a proud glimmer in Tajek's eyes. She smiled triumphantly at him. However, her glance quickly returned to the young woman who sat up in agony. Akaya rubbed the back of her neck, seeing that she might have gone too far in winning the battle.

Gripping her straightened knees in pain, the woman snarled nastily at her predicament. "Dumb brat! What the fuck were you planning on doing to me anyways? Extract me limb by limb!" She shot an evil glare to Sesoni, "And Sesoni, you calculated wrong! She wouldn't be so easy to beat. She's demon-like in her approach, much like Shin Ryu in his prime. Get it right next time, or that will be the last of the favors I owe you!"

"You're kidding, right?" Tajek didn't appreciate the gesture of a fake mission as a challenge, "Who arranged this?"

"In all honesty, it was partly your father's idea," the demon smirked happily, "But the details were all my doing. Well, besides the Bingo book member and Santai."

"Oh," Akaya sighed, realizing her victory wasn't as real as it seemed at first glance. Once again, looks were deceiving. She directed her attention to the boy. She finally noticed his blond hair and petite physique. "The boy is your son, isn't he?"

The woman nodded, "Nice observation there. He's my son, which means I'm the ambassador to the waterfall village."

Sesoni nudged the boy to travel towards his mother, which he did carefully avoiding her knees in the process. Suddenly, the mother's figure seemed to turn into liquid and reform. The woman stood up and popped her kneed back into the proper placements. She smoothed her son's hair as she spoke, "It was nice to meet a fresh, eager face around here. I'll be sure to remember you two."

She looked lovingly at Akaya. All of the aggression had suddenly evaporated. The woman hugged her son tightly, and Akaya wished she could have that feeling with a parental figure. "I'm Kanji Tsuyu."

"I know who you are by word of mouth," Akaya rubbed her elbow that had been scuffed from the fight, "You are the water demon of the waterfall village. Your resume is highly extensive."

"A brilliant study too, I see. No wonder you reminded me of Shin Ryu." She looked at Sesoni as she continued, "Send him my regards. Great work, by the way. You have a strong team there, Sesoni. I'll make sure to gave you all high marks on the mission review."

Kanji cradled her son in her arms as she returned to a complete liquid state, allowing her son to transform with her. And with that, Sesoni's team had completed their mission.

"Let's go home." Sesoni turned and started walking in the direction of the docks, leaving Akaya and Tajek to follow behind him. He walked in front of them feeling satisfied with the outcome of events. Danter's mission had also been completed and finalized.

Akaya gazed at Tajek and smiled delightfully, watching him smirk back at her. She could never figure him out/ It was like a puzzle that shifted its image around every minute. But she couldn't deny how she felt in this moment and as this puzzle piece. As if he had read her mind, Tajek placed his fingers in the empty spaces between her own and latched down tightly. He was not letting her go this time.

Sesoni never looked back at the two genin. He didn't have to. He remembered how his first true love felt. How a blossoming love emerged swiftly and had an everlasting effect on a person. "Come on, lovebirds. Danter will be looking forward to hearing how this mission went."

()

Sleepily, Tajek spoke up, "We should probably get going."

Akaya sat up in the bed, swinging her legs over the side. She smiled, encouraged that good things could stem from shitty scenarios. "Only six months to go, after all."