Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

II.

- Tea -

Neighbors? He had no memory of her whatsoever.

Iruka desperately wanted to continue the conversation and still was deeply intrigued. Hopefully, this could turn out to be not a fragment of his imagination. Unfortunately, touching her to make sure she's real would be inappropriate on another level. It didn't mean that he denied having that impulse, though.

The girl extended her hand with a slow, circular and almost sensual motion; offering him to take a look at her palm, whose lines were now darkened by the lack of light.

"I am not a spirit." She chuckled when he gave her an instinctive furrow of disbelief. "See for yourself."

Iruka decided that he'll play her game and reached, fingers wrapping around her tiny wrist. She shivered lightly (he wasn't sure whether it was his hand or the cold whirl of the wind), but smiled nevertheless.

"See? Human."

"You're freezing." He stated evenly, getting up on his feet and dusting his kimono off in the process. Then he extended his hand again, to help her. The surprise on her features was visible and she just stood still for a second, holding the scarf close and looking up at him, eyes shimmering with wonder. "Do you wish to stay here?" He asked then, suddenly, musing that she might've just arrived, but she shook her head vigorously and hurried to catch his hand and get on her feet as well.

"Thank you… and no, I was headed back to the village anyway when I saw your candle going out." She drawled, with a little smile on her lips. "You seemed a bit lost there."

"I am fundamentally lost, this is a permanent state. Trust me." His low murmur was followed by her ringing laughter.

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yeah, it is." He sighed, taking the lead.

They followed the line of red lanterns at an unhurried pace and for the first ten minutes neither of them spoke, but then he decided it's rude to not talk at all. What was more, he was truly curious. He glanced at her again, this time under the colorful and brighter lights of the lanterns and was able to notice that there were tension and nervousness in the way she had gripped her scarf and the way her tired eyes were nailed on the ground as they walked, side by side.

"I'm Iruka." He said, making her raise her eyes and lift off the sadness in them a bit.

"I know."

Her voice was a half-whisper again, like a caress of the wind, and somehow it did not even surprise him that she knew. Apparently, she was the more observant neighbor of them both. Her eyes crinkled as she chuckled, gaze skimming over the brown cord on which the lanterns swayed to the currents of air.

"What is hung on the south wall of your kitchen?"

Iruka was starting to feel a little bit uncomfortable. She was asking absolutely the strangest questions.

"Excuse me?"

"I live across and I can't help but notice from time to time, sorry. You spent hours watching something in that direction."

"Whom do you mourn?" Iruka decided to counter her inquiry with one of his own because he didn't think it was fair for him to be interrogated throughout the whole night. It was her turn and she probably realized it because she turned to smile at him, but the smile had a little bit of a dark undertone.

"A whole family, actually." She took a deep breath. "Okaa-san and nii-san died in the fires of the night of the demon attack. Otou-san died in the Fourth Shinobi War. We're civilians, though. Merchants… father took me to a lot of his travels and I've seen other countries and villages. The sea, though…" A sigh escaping her lips, "breathtaking. Have you seen it?"

"Love the forest more, if I have to be honest. It's where I grew up."

"Konoha is Konoha, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"And what about you? Parents?" The girl's voice was hushed with melancholy. "I saw two names back then."

"Parents," Iruka confirmed. "Shinobi. Fought and died on the 10th of October."

"They have had a meaningful death. My condolences."

"Thank you."

They passed by the quieter outskirts and started to get into the part of the village where the shops and markets were still open and busy. He remembered that they usually worked till late on the Rinne Festival. Logical, he thought, since a lot of people have a day off work today and taking a walk around the main streets sounded like a good plan. There was always the type of people who had forgotten to buy a present or two and did it in the last minute. Nevertheless, going out just to see the lights and the ornaments was just as good of a reason.

His apartment was in the north-western side of the village, a few blocks away from Naruto's house, and he began to wonder how, in so many years, has he not noticed any neighbor he's had. The battles and the teaching had taken all of his attention. Nobody noticed small things during turbulent times like the ones this particular village went through, anyway.

They stopped at the shadowy side of the alley (which was only partly lit up by the single lantern not far from them) and Iruka tried forming in his mind a full-fledged way to apologize for leaving her, but she spoke first.

"Do you want to come in? For a cup of tea."

Iruka felt a few small, wet drops falling and looked up, distracted by them. It finally started to rain.

"I…" His eyes shifted back on her, "probably shouldn't."

"Please." She stepped closer, her eyes begging him with a relentless force.

He has been pretty screwed all his life, for not being able to say no to people, but this time he was really, really screwed. Because she resonated tension of a different kind. She didn't invite, she allured, knowing exactly what power her appearance had on him. He was willingly falling into the trap. But she was not dangerous nor she wished to harm him, obviously, it was more of… an attraction. Strong attraction.

Iruka waited for her to unlock the door and they entered a cozy apartment. The small kitchen and the living room, in which they directly entered, were one whole and the paint was a mild, creamy peach. Almost like his.

"Sit. I'll make the tea." She gestured at the kotatsu across the room and smiled at him.

He obeyed, but not without taking a good look at all the vivid paintings that were hung on the walls all around him. They were likely painted by hand and he suspected they had sentimental value because they were too much and not really masterpieces. Still, the paintings were good and were mostly landscapes. Light colors. There was happiness in the images, so he assumed they were painted long ago.

"Here." The girl handed him a steaming cup and sat across him with her own, tucking her feet under the cover. "Those are my mother's. I saw you were interested." Both her hands hugged the cup and she joined him in his observation. "She was a painter. Nii-san had her gift, but I'm bad at it."

"Anything you like doing? Except for traveling." Iruka took a sip from the tea and was surprised by the unusual berry taste.

"I am bad at everything if I have to be honest." She laughed sincerely, before taking a deep breath. "I love cooking, though. Calms me down."

The pause rent the dialogue again and Iruka couldn't remember having such a difficult conversation with someone lately. There was something in-between that filled in the silence and made him uneasy. He didn't even know her name yet.

"It is really odd to me," The girl raised her voice, sharpening his attention, "that Kakashi Hatake is a really popular name in this village. I hear his name all the time." Her voice was still louder than necessary and her eyes were nailed on her tea. "I don't hear yours anywhere, though."

"Who are you?" Iruka left the tea on the table abruptly, furrowing at her. Her words nipped him and the allure she weaved till now suddenly lost its hold on him, leaving a place for a wave of uprising anger. "What do you want from me?"

She slightly tilted her head, as if it grew a little bit heavier, and her eyes blurred with sadness, which didn't appease him in the least. There was something very beautiful and deep in her eyes when she looked at him like that and he caught himself staring back at her for one long moment of appreciation, but then he blinked away and scoffed, standing up to his feet. That was just another one of her tricks.

"Thank you for the tea," He nodded curtly and headed for the door, bashing it shut behind him. But at the first step, he stopped himself.

The street was desolate. He could hear people in the distance rushing to and fro, to evade getting wet by the already increasing drizzle. The air enveloped him in a cold embrace and cleared his mind up.

What kind of a witch was that and why did he submit to her in the first place?

The door slowly clicked open and he took a deep breath, ready for a verbal fight, but before he could raise his voice the words stuck in his throat, stultified by a single motion. Her hands slipped around him and she slowly adhered to him in something that closely resembled a hug, but she moved so slowly and cautiously that he had doubts about it.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a clock, isn't it? The thing on your wall you love watching. You wish to turn back time."

"Get away from me," Iruka warned.

"You wish things have been different."

Something stung at the back of his eyes, he wasn't sure whether his wrath channeled those tears or the gnawing pain she awakened so insolently.

"How dare you?" He wrested away, facing her. "You think you know me so well-"

"You wish you had died with them. I know it. I wish I had died then too." She finished quietly. "You were not the only one left with a hole in your life that day."

"Good for you." Iruka stepped to her. "I'm happy that you feel like you have an idea of what I went through. Stop talking like you know me."

"Then I saw the sun-haired child. The demon carrier who could end the suffering of my soul. My detestation and will for revenge grew stronger with every day. Especially on the days you sheltered him in your apartment. I could barely stop myself. Waiting for the time you'd leave him alone or turn away from him."

Iruka's eyes tore away from her in shame.

He felt that way too once. Revenge? Oh, yes. Delivering justice was an edge away. So close to ending the endless nights of sorrow, the regrets, the shattered lives of hundreds. He could pacify souls with this act. Probably save the destruction of millions in the future. It was a noble cause once. But Naruto was… a child. A little bundle of energy that too mourned the loss of his loved ones. Naruto had nothing to do with the sinful monster they locked inside of him. Naruto was not guilty and didn't deserve any punishment.

"Then I heard about your story. People talked." The girl bit her lip. "I couldn't sleep that night, wandering the streets. Refusing to go back to my place because of all the frustration I have built up. And then I-" Her voice broke off and she chuckled through her inconvenience. "I went back in the morning. Your window was partly open when I passed by. The boy was sleeping in your bed and you lied next to him in the silence, and you looked at him… with so much love that…"

She took a labored breath, head shaking.

"I just felt so bad. And so useless. I wasted days upon days on hate and sorrow, while you… took care of him. And now he's a hero and people love him… and he is what he is thanks to you."

"I, uh… I did what I thought was right." Iruka commented evenly, starting to feel a lot more uncomfortable than before. The conversation had taken an interesting turn.

"Yeah… right." She let out a forced laugh. "Sleepless nights? Starving because you always gave him all your money? Freezing because you can't afford anything more than blankets? I can see through your windows, you know. We are neighbors."

"And why do you chose to tell me this now?"

"Because we cherish our heroes today." She breathed out, stepping closer to him. Close enough for her to get under the rain. "And you are mine, Iruka."