A/N : Sorry for the extremely long wait, everyone. This chapter is also relatively short, due to the fact that I wanted to end it at a certain point; I will begin on the next chapter immediately so that you have a shorter waiting period, but I'm afraid I can't promise very much :( Reviews inspire me to go faster, but only if you want to. Thanks, and enjoy the unexpected romance in this chapter!
I do not own anything!
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"Fear is static that prevents me from hearing myself."
Samuel Butler
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She knew she wasn't supposed to follow them; she wasn't told specifically not to, but she just couldn't help it. Something cold and angry gripped her heart from the inside and before she knew it, she was moving.
Maybe it was because she was scared.
-:-
"I'll be taking my leave, then."
Kotone's lissome body stood proudly in front of the Kazekage's desk. She was dressed oddly, Gaara noted. It looked like something his sister would wear. It was obvious the teen with the white hair was uncomfortable because her right leg kept twitching underneath the black fabric.
For some reason, he was a bit shocked. In his mind, he believed her to be staying for at least a week, but he guessed she wanted to get back home quickly. Gaara didn't ask why; he only thought that perhaps it was their intimate, yet friendly (or perhaps something more) encounter early that morning that had caused her to hurry her departure.
-:-
Earlier…
-:-
Amaterasu's hair was strewn across her borrowed bed, the white locks painting the matching eiderdown. Her legs were unceremoniously hanging over the edge of the bed, as she was lying vertically across it. While the scene might've been taken out of a stereotypical teen's average day, it was actually four o' clock in the morning and Kotone was running out of ideas to occupy herself.
More than once she had gone to the precious cargo she carried in an attempt to read it, but rebuked herself each time.
Two nights ago, she had had the same issue, but waited it out until six, when the earliest of the early were out and about so that she would have company.
The company wasn't all that great either, considering it was the eldest brother of Gaara, Kankuro. Upon wandering into his workshop on accident, Kotone felt as though she was to collapse. Wooden limbs were hanging up by metal strings; it brought back memories of her life as a puppet.
"Oh, hey, you're Kotone, right?" Kankuro finally noticed her and spoke, "Do you need something?"
Her pale fists were clasped with something akin to anger, and she bowed stiffly, "Excuse me. I must've lost my way," she said through semi-clenched teeth and left swiftly, not daring to look back.
She didn't want to repeat the same situation, so she propelled herself up and off of her bed before switching off her light and tucking herself beneath the impenetrable bedding and staring up at the ceiling, lit by the lonely moon outdoor with white eyes that were nowhere near as tired as they should be.
Kotone let her breathing slow down and tried to relax into the comforting feeling of the soft cushions beneath her, yet, moments later, she sat up in the bed with the uncontrollable urge to move.
No one's awake right now, she reasoned with herself, so I might as well tire myself out by walking.
The princess flipped on her dim light and marched to the door, and was about to twist the knob when she realized that if she ran into anyone, they would see her in her new attire.
Temari had once again forced another strange material upon her; a nightgown of the purest white, made of the softest material was thrust into her arms the other day. It was airy, with a flowing hem and loose sleeves, but the undergarments she was given were clearly visible. While she had previously mentioned her lack of nightwear, she didn't think having a nearly see-through gown would suffice.
Despite this lament, Kotone knew she didn't want to dress back in the other, darker clothes, so she decided to simply avoid whoever might be awake at such an ungodly hour.
So, in the dead of night, or perhaps the earliest hours of the morning, she ambled down the tan hallways, gazing out of each circular window she saw to peer down at the dimly lit village of Sunagakure.
It was not nearly as homey as Konohagakure, that was for sure, but for Kotone, it was a pleasurable sight. Her birth home was a desert and though she had told herself many a time that her new home was Konoha, she couldn't help but feel relaxed.
At some point, Amaterasu thought she heard a door open; she had stopped stiff in the midst of the hall, listening closely for footsteps, but when she heard nothing but her own breathing, she continued on.
Every door looked the same, and every window had the same view, which was beginning to become mundane, until she came upon a larger entryway than any other. If she had perhaps, stopped to think for a single moment that Kankuro's room was also near this door, she might've come to the conclusion that this was someone's bedroom, but she simply pushed the door lightly and peered inside.
There was a large bed, big enough for Akio, Aiko and herself, with faint signs of someone lounging in the past, but no other sings of inhabitation. The room wasn't luxurious, but compared to the other bedrooms that Kotone had curiously stumbled upon, it was well-appointed.
Taking a step inside, she realized that there was a picture frame of sorts on a small table beside the bed. The white-haired teen strode to it, gently turning the frame in order to see what it guarded. At the sight of the photograph, there was a large knot in her throat that she couldn't swallow.
She had come galumphing into Gaara's bedroom.
"… Kotone."
The ashen queen didn't need to turn around in a rush to see who it was, so she remained motionless, hearing her own heartbeat reverberate through her body. She opened her mouth to explain, but all that came from her throat was a slight croak.
The redheaded teen soon was at her side, and Amaterasu couldn't help but feel like she had completely violated his privacy, and opened her mouth again to explain.
"I… Apologies for intruding upon your privacy, Gaara-sama," she felt as though the addition of respectful prefixes were needed, "I could not find rest, so I found myself wandering aimlessly. I had no idea that this was your… sleeping quarters."
Her limbs felt stiff, and after she spoke, she felt like her words just hung in the air thickly.
Gaara, on the other hand, was curious as to why she couldn't sleep. He, personally, had the case of insomnia that nagged him from time to time due to his previous accommodation of Shukaku.
"There's no need to be formal," he responded nonchalantly, "you are free to go wherever you please."
Kotone twisted around to face her friend, with a blank look that looked underlined with curiosity. His complete brushing off her indecency in his bedroom was alien to her, but she was glad he wasn't furious with her.
"I will leave you then to rest," she began to walk past him, somewhat hurriedly, "I apologize once again for the intrusion."
Before she could get anywhere, she felt the gentle grip of the Kazekage's hand on her wrist, softly yet firmly holding her in place.
"You told me that you need to hear a heartbeat in order to sleep. Is that correct?"
"That's usually the case…" the shorter teen replied quietly.
Gaara did not release her hand, "Then sleep here."
The entire world had probably frozen at this point. Amaterasu was silent for ages until she finally found her words.
"But where will you sleep? I refuse to steal your room from you."
"You aren't going to. I'll sit beside you and ensure you rest."
Unconsciously, the pale young woman moved towards the Kazekage.
"When will you rest, though?"
"I won't because," the redhead looked away from her piercing white eyes, "I can't."
She felt like an annoying parasite, but soon she found herself tucked beneath the duvet of the ex-Jinchūriki that was heavy with the lack of use. The moon lit the room dimly, and Kotone remembered her inappropriate attire and noted that Gaara hadn't seen due to the dark of the night. She was grateful for that.
In her mind, or perhaps it was her heart, she held a high respect for him, and wished only for him to hold the same for her, but there was always the deep admiration she had for him, or was that something else she couldn't recall the name of?
A dip in the bed made it known that Gaara had sat down beside her. It was odd, but even from the distance that they were, Amaterasu felt completely at ease, like something heavy had been taken off of her shoulders, unlike the time she spent with Sasuke; that felt as though a load of bricks had been placed onto her, and now they had been removed.
Kotone shook her head; why on earth was she comparing the two of them? They were two completely different shinobi and had nothing in common except perhaps their silence.
The thought in itself was loopy, and soon, she found her eyelids heavy with the burdens of that day, and as she fell into the abyss of her resting mind, she involuntarily reached out and grabbed the hem of Gaara's shirt, pulling the cloth as though beckoning him to come closer.
Perhaps she was so used to resting at the side of Aiko, she expected a warm body directly beside hers, but she reflexively moved directly beside the redheaded teen, whose face was looking a little flushed at this point, and in her dream state, she noted that there was a homely scent, like lavender and something else foreign and sweet that she couldn't help but feel attracted to.
The Kazekage felt a tad bit overwhelmed by the attention he was receiving. Never before had he ever offered up his resting place to another person, but he felt as though he were simply doing his friend a favor. However, he would never let a friend lie so close to him and curl their fingers up in his attire.
And speaking of attire, never before had a 'friend' looked so angelic yet sinfully attractive in something his own sister had forced upon them. Luckily, it had been dark, but it was still nonetheless tempting to know that the object of his affection (perhaps that was what she was to him now) was curled up at his side with a peaceful expression that told him that she trusted him.
Never before had he ever, in his life, felt as attracted to someone as he did Kotone. He respected her every decision, and found her very capable in battle, yet wanted to protect her with every ounce of strength he had. Affection meant liking, warmth, care, regard, fondness; the Kazekage was definitely fond of her.
Maybe it was too soon to tell whether or not she was his object of affection, but Gaara knew that he could no longer be able to address her as simply a friend.
-:-
"Thank you for your hospitality," Kotone bowed politely, "My time here was enjoyable."
She reached up and scratched her left shoulder uncomfortably. Gaara tried to hide the ghost of a knowing smirk.
"I have a parting gift for you," he said softly, "I didn't think you would be comfortable in something of Temari's."
The elder and taller teen presented a white kimono draped over his arms and Kotone let out a slight gasp of surprise.
"My kimono…"
The sleeves were longer, and the rips that were once adorning its white material had completely disappeared. It was elegantly longer, yet not long enough to the point that she couldn't fight; keeping the V-shape that decorated the front of the kimono also contributed to that factor.
Carefully, as though the dress would tear at her touch, Kotone received the gift.
"Gaara.. Thank you." She quietly murmured in awe.
She immediately changed into it, grateful for the young man's understanding, as he turned away politely. Amaterasu had previously returned all other garments to Temari except for the outer wear, and now, back in her original attire, it felt effortless to move and the simplicity yet luxury of her kimono made her sigh.
Her geta clacked away as she made her way to the window, opening it with a sense of déjà vu. She looked over at Gaara and nodded at him.
"Thank you for everything, my friend."
It felt strange to use the term 'friend' with the redhead. It underestimated their bond, but there was no other word the queen could think of.
"There's a one hundred percent chance that I'll visit you again."
Therefore, with that phrase that was spoken with something akin to humor, she leapt out into the village to return to her home, and Gaara found himself wondering when she would come back.
-:-
Present time…
-:-
Hiromi was crying, fat tears rolling down her face as she bit her lip to silence herself. Haru was confused by her condition, but stayed nearby, petting her defender in rough, stiff motions.
How in the world would she be able to tell Haru that her parents were both dead and gone? Why was this responsibility given to her?! Why was Haru doomed to a fate of sadness and grief?
"H-haru…" the blonde whimpered, "Be strong, okay?"
"Hiwomi… What's wrong?" The toddler asked.
With a sad laugh, Hiromi tried to wipe away her tears, but failed. She was getting betters at her R's. If only Kakashi-sensei were there to congratulate his daughter. If only Hanako-sensei were there to gently praise her little princess.
"I-…We have to keep moving…" Hiromi murmured to herself.
Standing up, she observed the ripped up medical tape wrapped around her torso and yanked it off, deciding that she'd just have to hold the little girl.
"We've got to keep going, Haru… We've got to make it to the hospital.."
The puzzled silver-haired toddler was lifted up in the kunoichi's thin arms; the blonde teen felt like her arms were reminiscent of twigs, but she simply readjusted her hold on the small child and put one foot in front of the other.
Her tears continued to flow down her face in an ugly, human way, while she bit her lip to contain her choked sobs. Tears won't solve anything; she kept telling herself, stop crying, yet each time she thought was close to stopping her waterworks, her sympathy for the young girl in her arms who was clueless of almost everything taking place around her flooded her mind.
"Stop crying." She whispered to herself, "just stop, you idiot..."
Stumbling forward, the teen fell to her knees and let out a pained noise. Despite her tumble, Haru stayed in her embrace, though startled by the sudden fall.
"I can't do this by myself… I'm all alone and I'm scared," Hiromi choked out in tears.
The saltiness of her sadness dripped down her face in fat lumps, and she tightened her grip on Haru until the tot made a minute squeak of discomfort.
"What…" the chunin lowered her head, "What… do I do..?"
She threw her face up to face the sky that was once a beautiful azure, now stained by the black of destructive smoke and death, and yelled at the top of her lungs, "I don't know what to do!"
Hiromi cried loudly, "I'm only fifteen, (curse) it! I … I don't know what to do!"
Her own voice echoed back at her and sobered her mind. She looked into Haru's eyes with her own puffy red ones, and tried to think; the gears in her brain, rusted by her tears, slowly began to turn.
"Hiwomi…" Haru's lip quivered, "What's wrong? Why were you mad?"
For now, the teen ignored the questions. The most important thing right now, she thought, is getting Haru back to the hospital so that she can be somewhere safe.
"We just have to keep moving, and eventually we're run into someone, right..?"
She shook her head, "That's a bad idea. We may encounter the enemy."
"Hiwomi?"
"But… if we stay here, we'll eventually be found out.."
"Hiwomi!"
"It seems like regardless of what I do, they'll find us.. (Curse) it!"
The silvernette in her arms began squirming and Hiromi scolded her.
"Haru, please, stay still. Right now, t-the bad guys are after us, and we have to be careful!"
"Hiwomi, who is dat?"
The child's small fingers pointed up above Hiromi's head, likely on one of the collapsed rooftops. A friendly ninja! Hiromi thought ecstatically, turning her body around.
The shadow of the unseen figure fell upon her ominously and she peered up with sudden anxious feelings churning her stomach.
Standing there atop of the rooftop was a man who looked similar to the last enemy Hiromi had seen. They both had the same orange hair, and though their piercings were located in different areas, they had the same feel: apathy, or rather, disregard. His strange eyes were looking at her, she knew, but they seemed to take no notice of her.
They had encountered the enemy.
"Do you know the whereabouts of Uzumaki Naruto?" He asked.
Hiromi returned a look of worry and fear. Pushing Haru behind her, she tried to rack her brain for solutions of what to do. Despite the man's large size, he appeared experienced, and thus, was very likely to catch her if she ran.
And obviously, she was in no position to fight him; Haru was still shivering behind her with a look of astonishment and palpable fear.
But that seemed the only way to escape from this mess; fight or flight.
"Haru," Hiromi spoke quietly, "I want you to turn around and run as fast as you can, okay?"
"W-..?" Haru had no chance to respond.
"Do you know the whereabouts of Uzumaki Naruto? I will not ask again."
A large hand gripped the blonde's neck and she was lifted off the ground, immediately letting out a yelp of pain, trying to pry the Akatsuki member's hand off of her.
"P-please, let me go!"
"Wet Hiwomi go!"
Slowly, the man's eyes drifted to Haru, who stood stiffly with her small fists clasped tightly at her sides. Hiromi watched as his opposite hand reached towards the toddler.
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" She roared, squirming and kicking the criminal in the crotch.
He let out a sound of discomfort, but didn't release her as she had planned. Peering over at her sensei's child, she tried one last time to convince the girl to run.
"Please, Haru, you've got to-!"
What was that noise…? It was… clapping?!
It was true; from behind the tall orange-haired man came the sound of someone clapping, in a malicious and sarcastic way. The Akatsuki member didn't seem to know who it was either, but seemed to eventually come upon a realization.
"Bravo, bravo!" A snarling tone sneered, "What a show you've put on for me, Hiromi…"
The blonde made a choked noise, squirming even harder in the grip of the criminal. Something was wrong. She knew that voice. She didn't want to know it, but she did.
Stepping out from behind the teen's assaulter was a lanky, unhealthily thin body, with black eyes filled with inexpressible malice. Her body was so pale, and so bony; the jacket she wore swallowed her skeletal arms, but was ripped in half above her navel, revealing a pair of white ribs, hidden behind a fishnet undershirt.
The last time Hiromi saw Maiko, she seemed to have been prepared for battle, but not quite as battle-ready as now. There were black pouches on her waist, and a sheath to accompany them. Maybe it was the fact that oxygen was leaving her brain at a steady pace, but it looked to her as though the cloak was familiar…
Reality went in and out of her mind, but it seemed like Maiko and the strange attacker were talking… Were they talking? She couldn't hear a thing..
"… I… -sama! I …. My … family… can't… without…. See?"
"…Disobeyed… I … report … Konan…"
"Please! ... Good… months… beg … kill her… -sama."
In slow-motion almost, Hiromi was released and crumpled on the ground. Haru was still there, according to the silver blob that was slowly gaining details, sticking by her guardian's side as the young woman breathed and coughed roughly.
Objects around her were beginning to be redefined, and the blonde finally decided to look back up at Maiko, though her entire body still quivered.
Sharp teeth grinned at her, "This time," the green-haired menace slowly made her way to Hiromi before grabbing her hair and yanking her up to match her gaze, "I won't let you get away alive."
Upon being released, the chunin scrambled to her feet, positioning herself in front of Haru protectively. As her eyes quickly scanned her old friend's body for another weapon, she completely froze.
.
.
.
.
.
"Of course…" Hiromi said, shocked, "It makes sense now.."
"What was that?" Maiko smirked mercilessly, "Oh, I nearly forgot… Of course the blubbering idiot didn't tell you the truth…"
The Sato teen had an idea of who the 'blubbering idiot' was.
"Are you surprised? Are you hurt? Are you… sad?"
Blue eyes took on a look of distress. She refused to respond, and that caused Maiko to bark furiously.
"ANSWER ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!"
Hiromi shook her head, not necessarily refusing, but simply closing her eyes, as if shutting herself off. The lean murderer grabbed the girl's braid and threw her onto the ground, breathing heavily with anger.
The young woman looked up, and no longer saw Maiko, but saw a beastly monster, dyed black, with red clouds.
"You see," the green-haired fiend spoke calmly once again, as though lecturing the fallen teen, "I didn't just disappear all those years ago... I had a … realization."
Haru was stunned, completely frozen in her place like she had somehow recognized her mother's murderer and was more terrified than she'd ever been.
"My powers were more than this measly village could handle… Look around you, Hiromi. This fleapit has been completely demolished," Maiko threw her arms out at her sides, "I am stronger than everyone in this slum combined, you foolish, weak, stupid girl. If I had stayed in this place any longer, I would've been… Well, that doesn't matter anymore."
"I'm never going to come back here anyways, after I'm done with you. After I slaughter you in the most painful way imaginable, I'll finally have destroyed all remaining pieces of my past here…"
"M-Maiko!" Hiromi squawked out finally, "this is your home!"
The taller, thinner girl hissed and kicked the blonde brusquely across the face.
"No, no, I don't think you understand…"
Maiko unraveled her hand from her large jacket and place it on the collar, pulling it up slightly to her mouth, with an insane expression.
"The Akatsuki is my home now."
-:-
She was running, running, running. She was running away from her fears, her anxieties, and her past. She could hear their screams and the echoes of their memories together.
"I'm so happy," they said.
"I love you," they said.
"Don't ever leave me," they said.
"We hate you," they screamed.
There was blood, so much blood. Was it her own blood? No, she was unscathed. She hated herself. She hated herself so much. She was completely unharmed, but they were all gone, gone, gone. Dead, dead, dead.
"I will never leave you," she said.
"You will always be mine," he said.
"I love you so much," they said.
"Kill, kill, kill," they screamed.
She was so afraid, so afraid. She knew she couldn't keep running, but she kept running, running, running. She was running from herself.
But there they were! Even if it was momentary, she felt relief. So momentary. So fleeting. Why couldn't she find peace!? Why, why, why?!
She ran from them because there was some foolish part of her that spoke.
"These people aren't them," she said.
"Run away, Maiko, run away," she said.
She screamed and screamed and screamed, but all this time, no sound left her mouth. Where was her voice? Why was she hiding from them? They gave her fleeting peace, but peace all the same!
Soon, she found herself looking into crimson, and was gone from reality.
"They found us," she said.
"Hurray," she said.
"I am free," she said.
"Finally free."
And when she woke up after the torture, she was so happy, yet so confused and lost, and that little piece of her that was scared was slowly smothered and hidden away, so that she would never know.
She didn't know. She didn't know. She didn't know. Secret, secret, secret.
"Who are you," they asked.
"I am Maiko Arakawa," she said.
"And so are we," they responded.
Her dive into madness began at the humble age of five, modestly the starting point of all other sociopaths.
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"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity."
Edgar Allen Poe
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"Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results."
Narcotics Anonymous
~:~
A/N: Before I get started on the 'thanks to...' I have a feeling someone out there is like "whoa that romance between gaara and kotone was kinda quick", so let me just say...
THIS IS MY FOURTEENTH CHAPTER OF A SEQUEL TO LIKE A 20+ CHAPTER STORY. IT'S ABOUT (CURSE) TIME FOR ME TO PUT SOME ROMANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARENT HIROMI AND KIBA OKAY
And also, I'd like to just give a big hug to everyone who reads and reviews. I enjoy followers and people favoriting me and my story, but there's something extra special about getting a nice note or a good pointer, so thank you all :)
Thanks to...
Reviewers!
PsychoIdiotLady - I really like this arc too :) But that's the good thing v.v she won't be an orphan for too long! I kinda answered your question in this chapter, though there are some questions I can't answer :p sorry! Hiromi will.. well, you'll see ;) okay, thank you so much for telling me that! I almost put them in this chapter, but I'm glad you mentioned it :) About Akio and Rock Lee, we'll just pretend his last visit was a long time ago.
Thanks again for your help and your lovely review! I will try and update sooner.
Hidden Depths of the Mind - Yeah, it felt really strange depicting her in something other than her white kimono ._.
:O gaaasp~! you've gotta read or watch some more! Even though you may get the gist of stuff, nothing feels greater than seeing it firsthand v.v
Hehehehe c: thank you. I feel like I'm a really angsty writer :p I just can't help it..
;_; It sucks, doesn't it?! I feel so old.
Love, don't worry about what I think of it; if you are proud of it, I would more than happily get it tattooed on my back v.v that is actually a lie because I don't want a tattoo XD But I still love you!
Hehehe, thanks for your review! I love getting notes like these :) Thank you again! and sorry for the wait.
tsuki-shinigami - Sorry I always take forever ;_;
Hahahahsahgkjahdfkjghf XD That's so cute and awesome! *mother hen mode activated* But you should really pay attention to things that involve University :O one day, you're going to be in university, and then you'll be out in the real world and asdf fhgh s
Anyways, thank you so much for your encouragement :) I love your reviews, and I will try and update sooner!
Animefangirl95 - [Chapter 12]
No you aren't v.v I am a horrible person for taking five years v.v
YOU FIGURED OUT BEFORE I EVEN KJAHDFGKADHG CONGRATULATIONSSSS YOU WIN MY PRIDE
[Chapter 13]
YOU ALREADY FIGURED IT OUT I THINK U KNOW
Me neither ;_; I felt really bad for putting Kotone through that.. Especially since I didn't really know how to describe it.
Hurray Hiromi c:
[Chapter 14]
She really does... I feel like I kinda dumped a lot of crap onto her plate :p oops.
Perhaps..? Or perhaps not.
Well, thank you so very much for reading and reviewing :) I really appreciate it~!
Neko-chan - [The Puppet and the Puppeteer] - A little bit, but that's okay :) Hahaha, I'll just give you a little spoiler...
She doesn't end up with him ;0
Aww, thank you~! I'm sorry I couldn't thank you in earlier chapters, but one day you will see this v.v one day...
Guest - [Chapter 6] - [The Puppet and the Puppeteer] - Perfecto! :P You seem to have hit the nail on the head~! ... Is that how the saying goes?
Thank you for reading and reviewing :)
Guest - [Chapter 17] - [The Puppet and the Puppeteer] - Me too, I love all the characters, besides Ino and sakura.. They are my least favorite.
Sweetheart, caring for people is like walking v.v If you just stop walking, you're not going to go anywhere. Sure, you may end up walking down the wrong path, but you learn from it and you need to keep moving forward. And your family still loves you; I doubt they seriously fear you :)
Sasuke = Srsly..? I actually really don't like it when it's a harem :/ it's good to have different opinions though :)
Gaara = I think he's so cute and cuddly now :3 I think he's just the sweetest panda ever!
Shikamaru = Hey! Don't hate on less smart people! :O i'm one of them! I always strived to have advanced classes because people looked down on me.. But then as I got older I realized, everyone is different regarding their academic levels :)
Shino = He's so funny XD I always feel so bad when people forget about him! I never found him creepy, but I can understand why they might
Kiba = Too be honest, he's not exactly my favorite, but his cheerful and aspiring attitude just reminds me of Rod from Harvest Moon A New Beginning except Rod is more romantic XD oops way off track Sorry about your dog btws but he or she is going to be waiting at the gates of heaven :) That's somewhere in the Bible gurl i promsie
Naruto = For some reason, I don't like him as much as others :v I think he's nice and funny and all, but I like quiet and calculating people more, romantically ;p he's a great guy! :) HEY. YOU ARE NORMAL. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE MINDSET THAT YOU ARE NOT AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE CALL YOU WEIRD, IT'S YOUR CHOICE TO BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE. *lecture mode active*
Choji = Hehehe c: I kinda doubt someone could outeat him though.. Maybe omg who was that one anime character oh wait Snorlax. Snorlax could outeat Choji XD doesn't everyone love food tho?
Madara/Tobi = I like him too! :) There's really no complicated reason, I just think he's cool.
Sasori = I really like his 'friendly?' relationship with Deidara c: I thought they were really funny and cute
Deidara = I have no idea why, but Deidara has to be one of my favorite characters. There was never any deep reason, but I just really admire him c:
Itachi = I like him too c; he's so hot, and his voice is just like UNF and kjhgakjdfh
Kabuto = his geekiness, i liked, but his douchebagness was so just ugh
Kakashi = Hahaha, that's actually like.. 100 percent true ._.
Rock Lee = OH COME ON EVERYONES GOTTA LOVE ROCK LEE AND HIS HIAR
Kankuro = I never really liked him XD But he does clean up nicely v.v
Ugh i dont even wanna tak about that why is my keyboard screwing up what
Lol do people actually call it a kid's show? :P
Thank you so much for the long review and the kind encouraging words! :D
Followers!
Thanks to Eternal Cat Moon, Tough chick, Purplette237, crystalbleach208, treavellergirl, Rawawawawrr, and SkatingAngel! Thank you all very much! Sorry I didn't thank you all individually.. My keyboard is acting up and I am really lazy and tired right now :(
Favoritings!
Thank you, Eternal Cat Moon, Purplette237, crystalbleach208, 3, GinnyWeasleySister, LilacLilyFlower, treavellergirl, and AriesTanotage! Once again, I'm sorry. It just gets a little tiring to find different ways to thank each and everyone one of you, but that doesn't make you any less special than reviewers, and I still appreciate you all just as much :)
A/N: I am so sleepy right now XD I hope you guys like this chapter because if not, I did all this for no reason -_-
Seriousness now, umm, guys, one day this story is going to end. I hate to sober up the tone, but I just wanted you all to know, that when it ends, I will very likely be deleting my other stories and starting over on a new Bleach fic, or Naruto fic depending on how the stars do stuff.
okay, well, I love you all very much, and I hope that as school slowly begins to return, you can all keep your sanity :)
Please be looking forward to the next chapter, everyone!