Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in it.
II.
"Team 3 will leave tomorrow morning, our shinobi have found a potential hiding-place of Akatsuki close to the border with the Land of Rivers, a long way south. I can assure you that it's completely dangerous."
Jakushi almost jumped out of happiness. They were in Tsunade's office, along with Sakura and the unexpected presence of Kakashi Hatake. It seemed that with the return of the last group of ninjas, another was to set off.
"The road may be to the South but it's almost December and I'm not sure that-" Kakashi started but was deafened by Jakushi's gratitude.
"Thank you so much! That was just what I wanted. Thank you, Tsunade-sensei!"
"I think it's wise to inform-" Jakushi hugged Sakura quickly and flew through the door. "-your team." Tsunade finished the sentence with a tired expression.
Sakura gave Tsunade a sorry expression and nodded, leaving silently the office.
"What's wrong with these kids, all of them obsessed with battles and proving themselves."
"You haven't accepted that they're not children anymore." Kakashi folded hands. "Leave them to learn from their mistakes."
"Some mistakes can't be fixed." Tsunade glanced at him seriously.
"Correct." Kakashi looked through the window, but his eyes were peering into something far, beyond.
Jakushi entered one of the small training rooms of the Ninja Academy, where she usually found the rest of her team when it was too cold outside. Kioshi and Takumi were verbally fighting once again, of course, but when she got in their sight, their expressions softened visibly.
"Let's agree for this once and for all. You will carry a bracelet on your left wrist and I - on my right. That's the way people will discern us and we won't have problems.
"The only person in our family that doesn't like attention. Are you adopted or something?"
Kioshi, as always, took things literally and looked at his brother offended.
"That's not even funny..."
"Guys, please!" Jakushi ruined their dialogue absently while pouring water in a small glass from the table in the corner of the room - matter-of-fact the only furniture there. She saw the green rucksack of Kioshi leaned on the wall and Takumi's katana right next to it. "What happened again?"
"His fans were chasing me and declaring their love for me again."
Jakushi barely held a laughter.
"You could act like it's me at least. You should try sometimes."
"Takumi?" Once focused on them, Jakushi felt a bit confused because both of them have taken perfectly symmetrical posture one against the other, the same clothing, same height, they were like mirror images. Usually, they did it unconsciously but it was fascinating to observe.
"I bet you'll be bad at it as everything else," Takumi added quietly, whereat a flame kindled in Kioshi's palm. Now it was clear who was who.
Jakushi went to them and spilled her glass of water, to Takumi's great surprise, upon him, casting a murderous glare.
"I think one of you should go out and that would be you, Takumi. I'll talk to you later. My head hurts from you two."
Takumi shrugged and took his katana and left the room in a prideful manner. Jakushi waited for him to leave and turned back to Kioshi, waving a hand in front of his eyes. She noticed that the flame in his hand was gone.
"I won't need another glass of water for you, right?"
Kioshi sighed in exasperation and put hands in his pockets.
"You really get fired up easily." Jakushi teased with a smirk.
"Is today some kind of a day for the greatest jokes?" Kioshi narrowed eyes and walked past her, pulling out a book out of his rucksack. Then placed his silver-framed glasses and dragged down the wall, beginning to read. Jakushi wondered what was going to make him say more than five sentences a day. Definitely, something that excited him. She neared him and bend over.
"We're sent on a mission." Jakushi pushed the book down with her index, without hiding the smile on her face. " They think they've found an Akatsuki hiding-place and we're sent to check on it. We must go tomorrow by dawn."
"Great." He announced with a fake interest and insufficient convincingness in the tone. Then raised his book again.
"I see that you're extremely happy." Jakushi noticed out loud and Kioshi lowered his book.
"I won't be able to finish the book again."
"Said Konoha's defender." She gave a prissy ending to the sentence and chuckled. "Big problem. I'll write a tragedy about you and your book. If you value so much that book, take it with you."
Kioshi didn't reply.
"Don't listen to your brother. You are different enough from him. No need to be like him, I like you better now." She laughed and he gave her a quick glance.
"Better go find him. He'll be happy to hear the news." Was the only thing he said and continued reading.
Jakushi raised her hands in defeat.
"I'm out, I'm out..." She stepped back, putting on her overcoat and went out to look for Takumi.
Jakushi knew that it won't take long to find Takumi. Most likely, he'd left the Academy. She walked a few minutes to the centre of the city and it really wasn't hard to find him. He was with a loud group of four girls, at the beginning of the street. Wrapped in his grey scarf, he had conquered a few heart, which, it seemed, have lost a sense of the time and the place they were at. As long as Takumi - the centre of their world - was there. And he, on the other side, had no problem with that.
"Takumi, do you remember me?" Asked the girl on his right, discerning with height.
"Of course I remember you, Yui." His vivid eyes followed everyone around him.
"Takumi, where are you going? Can we come with you?" In one voice smiled the two shorter light-haired girls.
"Actually I was going nowhere..."
"Takumi, do you like my hair?" The fourth girl showed off her locks.
"You're wonderful as always, Asuka." He looked fascinated, but as much as he wanted to give attention to every one of them, they seemed to get greedier and greedier. Yui even took his hand.
"Let's go to one place. It's a shop. I'm sure you'll like it."
"Why don't we go to the fountains? The sakura blossoms still swim in the water. It's very beautiful." One of the light-haired girls offered.
"Nonsense. That's the worst idea ever." Asuka glared at her.
"Girls! Girls, stay calm. Don't fight, we'll go wherever you want, we have plenty of time." He laughed and added seriously. "You don't want me to leave, do you?"
"No! Please, Takumi. Stay with us."
Jakushi wasn't sure how Takumi endures these girls near him but had come to two conclusions long ago. First - obviously people from the male sex had an innate god complex. Second - Jakushi wasn't sure if it's a part of his character of it was just the fact that he had a twin, Takumi was somehow always used to having someone around. To be alone confused him, he didn't know what to do and it angered him.
She was convinced of it when she saw it with her own eyes, about a year ago, when Takumi was injured badly enough for him to be three days in a hospital. When at the end of the first day she and Kioshi went to visit him, he was almost in a panic. He didn't show his emotions in front of them, but Jakushi noticed that he was upset.
It was strange to see Takumi showing something else than happiness and wit. Later, when that began to repeat, she understood the reason. It was loneliness. To remain all alone frightened him. And somebody else's presence made him happy.
She neared slowly, hoping to not interrupt his lively conversation.
"Takumi?" She asked quietly but loud enough for him to hear.
Hearing her voice, he turned sharply and his angelic features lit up with a smile. He wrested himself from the girl's company as if he'd forgotten about them and went to her. She, on the other side, tried to ignore the pairs of eyes, filled with hatred and fixed on her.
"This one again..."
"Her hair is funny. What a laughing-stock."
Jakushi swallowed, ready to wage a verbal war against the four, but Takumi's expression turned into a grimace of shock and anger.
"Tell me they didn't say that." He looked her in the eyes and she saw the same flicker she saw in Kioshi moments ago. But while Kioshi was pretty balanced in his emotions, Takumi just didn't know how to stop. That startled Jakushi and she forced herself to warn.
"Takumi, please don't do things you'll regret later." Jakushi laughed quietly and continued in a low voice. "They think so highly of you, don't ruin their dreams. I'll live. Don't turn around... if you please."
"If I don't do it, they won't stop. They have no right to offend you like that. They don't know-" He started to turn but Jakushi grabbed him by the scarf.
"Calm down for a second and listen. We go South tomorrow morning. They send our team to check on a hiding-place of Akatsuki."
"We have a mission?" Takumi lit up again.
He hugged her tightly, full of joy. Then recoiled as sharply as he hugged her. "Finally..."
"Yes." Jakushi wondered what colors changed through the faces of the girls in the back.
"Will you come with us? I need to celebrate." He made a few steps backward.
"I'm afraid I'll leave you in the capable hands of your current company. It's fair of me to give them some time to be with you." Jakushi shrugged.
"Complete nuisance if you ask me," Takumi whispered.
"What did you just say?!" The girls asked suddenly.
"Nothing, my dears... And now, where do we go first?" Takumi winked at Jakushi and joined his company once again.
She didn't haste to move, looking at the loud group in front of her with a ghost of a smile.
Despite the late hour and the chilly November wind, most of the citizens of Konoha were gathered to welcome their heroes. It was past eleven in the evening when the two groups of Sasuke and Naruto returned. The main job of catching the single enemies of the peace lasted a few months and although evil couldn't be fully wrested out of the world, Naruto and Sasuke, along with many others, took care that the peace was restored as much as it could through the lands.
The groups left the village in a different time and in different directions but arrived together nevertheless. And the streets of Konoha illuminated pleasantly with a great number of decorations in their honor and incited everyone to leave their bad thoughts behind and acquire their cheerful mood. Not only because shinobi returned to the village alive and well, but because Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were amongst them.
And for Konoha, they were the saviors of the ninja world, role models of children and adults with their devotion and fulfilled oath to defend Konoha. It was true that the people liked Sasuke, but there was no secret that they loved Naruto. Perhaps one of the main reasons were that they had no relatives to wait for them. That's why all of Konoha was there to welcome and show them that they had a family and were an important part of it. The return had to be festive.
Jakushi and Sakura were out early and wrapped in their long scarf and fluffy gloves, on their way to the center. Jakushi desperately wanted to start some kind of a conversation with her but that was impossible in the current state Sakura was in. She had her serious mask but her trembling hands and the absence of mind gave up her uneasiness.
"Sakura, you're very pale." Jakushi started again. Even if the two of them were used to walking faster than the others, Sakura just moved like an arrow. "Please, calm down."
"I'm fine." Sakura tucked a lock of hair behind her ear without noticing that she did that since they met and her hair was falling back down freely every time.
"Sakura, you don't need to be so nervous." Jakushi thoughtfully swore to cut Sasuke in tiny pieces if he, by chance, didn't react properly with her friend, when they meet. After all, he had hurt her so many times that Jakushi was on the verge of her patience. "I'll personally take care you two meet."
"Sounds like you're going to lock us up in an arena." Sakura laughed nervously.
After they walked through the long way of the main, busy street, adorned with lanterns, flickering with warm flames, they soon neared the shouting crowd. There were a lot of familiar faces among the colourful parade and Jakushi stopped to greet all of them but Sakura was either looking down or around, in a restless search through the wall of people, fencing the main road from both sides like saluting soldiers.
They saw how Hinata was trying to peek through the crowd but to no avail. She was dressed in long white coat and white hat. Veritable fairy from a fairy-tale. Sakura and Jakushi went to her.
"Hinata." Jakushi nodded and Hinata turned to them with a smile.
"I can't pass..." She said timidly.
"I see." Jakushi laughed and looked at Sakura, whose gaze was resting on the people in front of them. "It's alright, we'll help you."
Jakushi saw how Sakura's eyes cleared and she dashed forward. She made her way silently through the citizens, Hinata and Jakushi followed. They finally succeeded, finding themselves on the other side and Jakushi remained among the crowd, to observe.
Not very far from them, two groups of shinobi neared in the middle of the sea of colors. Hinata ran to Naruto, expecting with a smile his reaction.
"Come here, my love." He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, wrapping his other hand around her waist and before she could say anything he was already kissing her. It took the strength of her two hands to draw back a bit and blush terribly.
"There are so many people watching... Can we go... somewhere else?"
"What do you care if people are watching?" He leaned to kiss her again, but then recoiled sharply and took her in his arms. Hinata laughed and enveloped him with hands.
"I'm sorry I left you for so long. Well, now I'm here and you won't be bored. Are you free tonight?"
"What if I have found someone more impressive?" She couldn't hide her smile when he slowed down for a bit as if to think over her words but then renewed his pace once again.
"There is no one more impressive than me." His eyes sparkled with resolution and happiness from the festive welcome, ensuring so much and special attention focused on him.
"I missed you." She whispered in his ear because the noise deafened the whole village.
A few meters back stood another couple, in a complete silence. Sakura had intercepted Sasuke's way and now they stood in silence, gazing at each other. Their faces were raw, eyes didn't change their target. They said so much without speaking. Looking at each other as if there were no people around them, there were no lights, nothing.
Only the two of them in a universe that belonged to them. Jakushi observed from aside, of course, but somehow wanted to avert her eyes because the scene was hundreds of times more intimate than Naruto and Hinata's kisses. Sakura made a few furtive steps towards him, slowly, insecurely. She swallowed and her eyes fell down to the earth, feeling terrible that the tears that fell down her cheeks betrayed her once again. But Sasuke just went to her and raised her chin.
"Don't cry." His voice was imperative, as always, never with a tinge of doubt.
"I..." She wiped the tears from her face and sighed. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Come with me." He took her by the hand and after her nod, they went on under the eyes and voices of the excited audience.
Jakushi was more than happy to see them together. After she sent them off with a contented look in her eyes and a smile on her face, she looked up. Quietly and calmly, snowflakes had started to fall from the darkness above. They arrived silently into this already loud village.
There was something very sad about every snowflake and Jakushi wondered why she felt that way. Every single one of them was perfect, wonderful and she could do nothing to prevent them from falling to the ground. The darkness suddenly lit up with fireworks. Rich of colour, big and small. Jakushi heard how a group of small children next to her screamed happily on every circle of light that was born high in the sky.
"Are you all alone in this romantic and-"
"Terribly cold night?" Kioshi cut off his brother seriously.
Jakushi laughed at Kioshi's tone, colder than the air. Takahiro had surrounded her from both sides, joining her observation. She didn't even hear them approaching.
"Why is that sad expression? This is the first snow of the season. In addition, we are on a mission. Tomorrow."
"Sad? Nonsense. This happy I haven't been in months."
Takumi glanced at Kioshi as if to confirm a statement.
"Beautiful." They said simultaneously and made Jakushi laugh again.
"I adore it when you two do this." She tore her eyes from the fireworks and walked down the street with the brothers by her side. "Who's hungry?"
She received a hearty laughter instead of an answer.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Thanks to my first reviewers and readers. I love you guys. Hope you like some slight NaruHina/SasuSaku here. Until next time!