the world carries on without you,
but nothing remains the same.
i'll be lost without you
until the last of days.

~ last of days, a fine frenzy.

Chapter 12: Last of Days.

"Tomorrow? Why him?!"

Kakashi ran a hand through his silver hair lazily as he nodded. He grinned when he noticed the conglomeration of frustration and jealousy that was accumulating in the young Genin's cerulean eyes.

"It's just that we need to take extra precautions with Sasuke because his opponent in the next match is Gaara… and you saw what he did even to Lee," said Kakashi. "So we're leaving early tomorrow to train."

Naruto's lips formed into a small pout as he crossed his arms, glaring at his black-haired teammate, whose expression was as indifferent as it nearly always was. Kakashi chuckled amusingly.

"Be patient, mm? I'll train you one day too," he promised.

Naruto's frown was instantly replaced with a broad grin, which he flashed prominently in Sasuke's direction.

"Now that the prelims are over, time for ramen!" Naruto mentioned, his azure eyes twinkling. "Your treat, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi nodded. "All right, all right… just this once, because everyone excelled my expectations of you four in the preliminaries."

"Er, actually—" began Sasuke.

Kakashi and Naruto turned towards him, waiting curiously for the remainder of his response. The suave Uchiha seldom had any other plans.

"Well, we had originally planned to… spend my last day in Konoha… elsewhere," Sasuke finally said, staring fixedly at a stained spot on the dusty road.

Vague as the sentence was, thanks to the huge effort Sasuke had placed into completing the remark, the other two males seemed to understand immediately.

Naruto smirked. "A date? Where?"

Sasuke merely shrugged, but he was still determined not to meet his companions' inquisitive gazes. "Just further downtown, past the village… where there are more things to do."

"Like…?" inquired Naruto, raising an eyebrow.

Sasuke's scowl deepened as he noticed the smirk widen on his teammate's face. Meanwhile, Kakashi had deliberately excluded himself from the conversation and had instead begun reading the novel he always had at hand.

"It's nothing," the Uchiha mumbled.

"Yeah," snickered Naruto as he pushed his forehead protector out of his glowing eyes. "Oi, Kakashi-sensei, you're still treating us then, right? In that case, I'll go find Sakura-chan."

Their overly carefree sensei merely nodded, his one eye never straying away from the pages of his book.

"Have fun tonight, Sasuke," Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke shot an irritated glare at his teammate. He heaved a long, drawn-out sigh as he watched his sensei and teammate disappear across the street—perhaps this so-called date was more trouble than it was actually worth.

***

A sharp knock sounded from the front door; the noise was soon followed by several rapid footsteps and the sound of a lock turning.

"Hi," Miyako greeted swiftly, snapping the door shut the instant the dark-haired Genin let himself in. "Tea?"

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion at the sudden generous offer, and he found himself staring blankly at the tea tray she had immediately held out. Her smile was a bit too wide, and it was only then when he noticed the somewhat dark bags underneath her eyes. Perhaps that was the reason behind her spontaneous giddiness.

"Have you been sleeping?" Sasuke asked candidly, taking a mug of tea only because he had no idea what else to do.

"Yeah, just not well," she responded as she poured herself another mug of steaming, green tea. "I'm glad you mentioned that Kakashi-sensei planned something… I need to get my mind off a few things."

"Hn," he replied awkwardly. "I bumped into Kakashi earlier and he said the three of them wouldn't be able to make it."

Miyako raised an eyebrow as she turned to face Sasuke, who was staring very intently at his steaming mug instead. Her auburn eyes glimmered in amusement as she assumed what was correct—the fact that he alone must have organized the day's plans.

"Ah," she answered. "Where to, then?"

"You'll see. You're leaving your mask off again?"

She shrugged, running a loose hand through the sea-black waves as she stepped towards the door. "Mask or not, I get enough death glares from all the kunoichi who were in your previous classes. It's up to you."

Sasuke shrugged as he followed her lead outside. His dark eyes lingered momentarily on her face as he watched her lock the door. Miyako was still dressed in her routine training clothes, and her robes were black, as always. Sasuke blinked absentmindedly; now that he thought about it, other than the ocean-blue kimono he had seen her in on Tanabata, he hadn't seen her wear any other hue.

The sun was still on its path towards the peak of the perfectly azure sky, which was dabbed with hints and fluffs of white clouds. The two Genin proceeded down the somewhat busy road, their eyes meandering on the rows and rows of shops lining down each possible path.

"It isn't fair," Miyako suddenly said.

"What isn't?"

"That Kakashi-sensei chose to train you," replied Miyako sulkily. "Not Naruto, Sakura or me… just you."

Sasuke scoffed. "That's only because I was the unluckiest contestant, getting assigned to face off against that one Sand nin. I have to admit, I was surprised to see Lee injured to that extent."

"… And I get to face off against good, old Dosu," she answered sarcastically.

He smirked. "It shouldn't be too hard—you've already gotten a good look at his technique. Consider yourself lucky… why do you want to go up against such a tough opponent anyway?"

Miyako's frown deepened. "So I wouldn't have to hear all these comments about me being lucky."

"Then impress me," he said teasingly, causing her to smirk.

"If you hadn't been so hopelessly injured," she chuckled, accentuating the last word, "then perhaps you would've been able to see my match… but since you aren't going to be back here for a month starting tomorrow, let's try and keep the bickering on the down low today, shall we?"

Sasuke's smirk widened as he felt her hand slip into his, their fingers intertwining almost instinctively as the two of them scanned the busy streets before them with eager eyes.

"I'm out of kunai," said Sasuke. "There's an armory further down the street… do you need anything?"

"Mm, I should probably sharpen my kodachi, they're a bit dull… oh," she exclaimed, cocking her head to one side as she stared at the crowd that had gathered in front of the armory. "Some sort of contest?"

"You haven't heard?" a young man to the left of them said. He grinned when the two Genin shook their heads. "The armory here is one of the best ones in Konoha—you look like a shinobi, so you would probably know," he said, nodding towards Sasuke. "The owner's set up a really straightforward contest—first one to strike all the targets set up wins. They're offering a weapon of your choice as the prize—sword, lance, anything. People have been trying all morning, but it looks rather impossible."

Miyako arched an eyebrow and turned to Sasuke, who was pondering the exact same thing. "Targets? If they're just targets, why hasn't anyone won yet?"

Sasuke shrugged and tugged her hand gently forwards, leading her through the crowded area. "Let's give it a try."

Miyako chuckled at his eagerness to compete, but followed his steps all the same. A keen, gray-haired shinobi, presumably the owner, spotted Sasuke's forehead protector and beckoned them to come up front almost instantly.

Laid out in the open space behind the armory stood six casual targets, all positioned in a large circle with a good distance between each one.

"Heard about the contest then, eh?" the owner asked earnestly, clapping the young Uchiha on the shoulder. "No doubt you're a shinobi… the rules are simple—there are a total of eight targets, six of which you see in front of you and two of which are hidden behind those two large boulders." He nodded towards the boulders accordingly. "I'll provide you with eight kunai. Use them however you want, and if you manage to strike the center of each target, then we'll have a winner."

The elderly man smiled congenially. "People have gotten close, but the hidden ones have been troublesome. How old are you, son?"

"Fifteen." Sasuke had his hand extended his hand out towards the owner before he had finished his last sentence. "I'll do it."

"Ah, you're young," the owner replied, handing the Uchiha a handful of kunai. "A Genin then, mm? This is advanced Jounin training… oh, and I forgot to mention. You must throw your kunai out all at once."

Miyako merely stared at the elderly shinobi, her thoughts agreeing exactly with what the audience behind them was murmuring—the task was certainly advanced, and perhaps even impossible for anyone beneath a Jounin rank. There was no doubt she could strike the centers of the six visible targets all at the same time, but the two hidden ones seemed like a bit of a stretch.

The number of onlookers had increased significantly the moment they heard that a Genin had taken on the challenge. There had already been several shinobi who had attempted the task before them, some of whom were twice Sasuke's age, but none had quite succeeded.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in concentration as he walked towards the center of the targets, shifting and positioning the kunai smoothly between his fingers. He stopped and shut his eyes, replaying the memories in his mind. His heart lurched with hatred, but the enmity disappeared as he exhaled, tightening the grip on his weapons.

Eyes still closed, the Uchiha prodigy bent his knees at a precise angle briefly before launching himself several feet into the air. He felt the cool zephyr press comfortingly against his young face as he flipped himself over perfectly in mid-air, allowing the all-too familiar sensation of chakra to flow steadily into the tips of his fingers.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, and the sable hue that had glittered with indifference only seconds before had been replaced with a set of brilliant crimson, each orb blazing with accurate attentiveness. He felt the adrenaline rush through his system, and without another moment's hesitation, Sasuke thrust all eight kunai in opposite directions. For a split second, it looked as if merely three or four of the weapons were going to reach their targets, but there was a sudden, sharp clang of metal colliding in mid-air, followed by the sound of several kunai planting themselves in wood.

There was a short pause among the crowd, each pair of eyes focused directly on the elderly owner, who had already begun walking towards one of the hidden targets, while indicating to his assistant to check the other one. Having landed perfectly in the center of the circle, Sasuke begun walking towards Miyako, his blood-red eyes fading hurriedly into their original, dark shade in order to avoid curious stares.

The two Genin waited patiently as the owner and his assistant emerged from behind the large boulders. The curious murmurs among the watchers behind them had begun to increase, and out of sheer peripheral vision, Miyako noticed a few shinobi—Jounin, judging from their uniforms—who were grinning from ear to ear and shooting impressive glances at Sasuke. There was no doubt they had already seen the Uchiha's performance at the Chuunin exams.

The doubtful mumbles of the observers turned into admired shouts of glee as they noticed the owner nodding his head, a grin plastered on his wrinkled face.

"Never in my life," he began, "have I seen such a performance. Konoha is proud to have you as one of its shinobi. As promised, you can take any hand-crafted weapon from my shop, free of charge. Impressive… very impressive."

He was still muttering words of admiration as he led the two back towards his shop.

"For a second there, I thought you had screwed up," admitted Miyako, her lips tugging themselves instinctively into a small smile, "but I was naïve to think that... Sasuke?"

Ebony eyes flickered back into reality, and he returned her sentence with a half-hearted smirk, one that faded moments too soon. Sasuke noticed her mouth open, but he interrupted just in time by tousling her hair, knowing that she had immediately perceived the fact that something was bothering him. Instead, he nodded towards the rows and rows of hand-made weapons that hung delicately against the walls of the small armory.

"Get a new set," said Sasuke, shuffling his hands lazily into the pockets of his shorts.

"Of kunai for you?"

"No," he replied exasperatedly, pointing at the sets of short swords that hung in the right-hand corner. "Kodachi."

Miyako looked up at him in disbelief as the owner handed a set of new kodachi to Sasuke. He flipped the sword several times in his hands before handing it to the kunoichi standing next to him.

"They're considerably lighter than the ones you have now," he commented, smirking at her blank expression. "Even I can be a gentleman every once in a while. We'll take them."

She grinned as she observed the swords' features before handing the set back to the owner, who began delicately wrapping the weapons up.

"For the kunoichi, then?" said the owner, eagerly handing the bundled set to Miyako. "Is there anything else the two of you need?"

"Kunai," responded Sasuke simply, reaching into his pockets for his wallet, only to see the older man shake his head in response.

"Knowing that someone like you is protecting Konoha is far enough payment for me," he said, handing another neatly wrapped bundle to the young Genin. "This village needs more shinobi like you."

Not knowing what to say, Sasuke merely nodded in thanks. It didn't take the two of them too long to emerge from the crowd, now that the performance had ended and the onlookers had continued on their own separate paths, but in the little time alone, Miyako had noticed that the glint of vexation had once again appeared in the Uchiha's charcoal eyes.

***

"… You are terrible at this game."

Miyako frowned, biting down on her lower lip in concentration as she watched the pool of goldfish with an unusual amount of concentration. She lowered the net slowly for a few seconds before cautiously dipping it into the water, causing all the goldfish to scurry to the opposite end. She pursed her lips together in frustration, brushing her hair from her eyes.

"Again," she said flatly, proceeding to lower the net once more.

Sasuke sighed, both with exasperation and amusement. "This is the third round and you've only managed to capture three. The kids are better than you."

"Shut it," answered Miyako, her eyes following the path of the fish below her. "The game's not over until my net's useless."

Just as she was about to lower the net against the surface of the water, Sasuke approached her from behind, heaving yet another sigh. She felt her back press against his chest, stiffening as Sasuke held her wrist in one hand, his obsidian eyes watching the fish attentively as he lowered both her hand and the net into the pool.

"The key to this game is patience," he muttered in her ear. "You can't lower the net too slowly, nor can you do it too quickly. Just watch."

But Miyako couldn't watch. Her eyes were focused on the clear pool of water below, but her mind focused solely on how miniscule the distance between them was. She could feel his warm breath against her neck as he continued to give her instructions, but she was tuning them out—

She found herself sinking back into reality, only to notice that Sasuke had merely been swaying the fragile net against the water in an attempt to break the cloth holding it together. Miyako's frown deepened as she tossed the now useless net in an empty bin, glaring daggers at the prodigy beside her, who was smirking, apparently very pleased with himself.

"We should probably be heading back," he said, after several minutes of having Miyako ignore him.

The sun had already begun to set, though instead of the normally vibrant colors Konoha's sunsets normally consisted of, the accumulating clouds above them were beginning to darken.

"Do you reckon we can beat the rain?" asked Miyako as the two of them quickened in pace.

"I know a small shortcut," mumbled Sasuke, taking a sharp left turn down an empty alleyway. "This way."

She followed his steps and the two began breaking into a run as the heavy drops began sinking towards the ground, soaking them in a matter of seconds.

Miyako followed Sasuke's lead for what seemed like an eternity. She suppressed a light shudder as she lifted her head, and she ceased walking as she suddenly recognized their location.

Standing before them was a gate to a village, but judging from the aged wood and the now unreadable characters inscribed at the top of it, it was clearly uninhabited. Miyako blinked the raindrops from her eyelashes as she caught up with Sasuke, who had now slowed to a walking pace.

For several minutes, neither of the two said a word. Miyako felt her stomach lurch uncomfortably as she noticed the faded, cracked paper fan symbols against the stone walls surrounding the horribly vacant village. Despite the loud sound of rainfall and the occasional flashes of lightning, there was an empty silence that rang through the deserted streets, and the overall presence of the sunless, gray sky made the village seem even more desolate.

"There's still a long way to go," said Sasuke, his voice coated with nonchalance as he led her along the steps of a particular house. "We should just wait it out in here."

"No."

The solitary word had tumbled out of her mouth before she had even registered the response. Sasuke turned to face her, his face dripping with cold rain.

"… Why?"

"No," she repeated, pushing her soaked hair from her eyes. "There are other places."

"… Are you thinking that I'm bothered by this?" he asked skeptically. "It's nothing, it's been a while—"

"It hasn't been a while," interrupted Miyako. "If it was nothing, you wouldn't have immediately thought of this shortcut."

Sasuke said nothing, his lips pursing into a thin line as he glanced elsewhere. Both of them knew where this conversation was turning.

Ever since her first years at the Academy, when she had first received the horrific news regarding the massacre of the Uchiha clan, Miyako had known that as the sole survivor of the clan, Sasuke would indisputably set his revenge as his only priority. But the miracle of time had provided her with the belief that perhaps Sasuke would rearrange those priorities. And lately, the more often she pondered over the situation, the less she slept.

"… You wouldn't leave, would you?" she asked quietly.

Miyako noticed a muscle tense along the back of his neck, but waited for his answer patiently.

"You're right," he said indifferently. "It's unforgettable, what he did. You wouldn't understand it, you've never met him."

She opened her mouth hesitantly. "Actually—"

"I would," said Sasuke firmly.

Miyako fell silent. She merely stared at him, the hazel hue shielding the shades of disappointment, but he seemed determined not to look her in the eyes, knowing that he would come close to changing his mind if he did so.

"… Is that what today was for?" she asked steadily.

His heart lurched in guilt. It had always been her keen ability to perceive that gave him away so easily. Sasuke shook his head, pressing down the aggravating thoughts as he turned his neck to face her.

"There isn't any point in standing here," he said quietly, walking towards the gate. "We should go."

Miyako said nothing, but she followed his lead, her head spinning with their previous conversation. The weight that had been released from her chest seemed to have returned, and she was so fixated on her thoughts that it seemed to take no time at all to find a local inn.

Sasuke slid open the bamboo door and immediately approached the middle-aged man sitting at the front desk. Miyako stood in the center lobby, unaware of the curious stares she received from the other inhabitants of the hotel. Only when her body gave an involuntary shiver did she realize how cold it really was.

"There are only singles left," she heard Sasuke say as he approached her, twirling the key between his fingers.

He was greeted with another silent response. Sasuke turned down the corridor, his eyes scanning the hallways for the correct room number. He opened the wooden door, revealing a nicely sized room, which consisted of several straightforward decorations and a single bed in the center of the room. A neatly constructed bathroom was further inside the room, complete with a sliding door that contained a set of clean towels and linen. After staring blankly at the clothing provided, Miyako slung a light pink yukata and towel over her shoulder, and left the room without another glance at Sasuke.

***

The sun had set rather quickly, and rather than let up, the storm had worsened significantly, and the two Genin had no choice but to remain in the inn. They were still a good distance from Konoha, and both Sasuke and Miyako hoped that Kakashi's aptitude would allow him to find them early the following morning.

The two had also taken advantage of the gender separated indoor springs on the main floor, though Miyako had lingered in the bath a good deal longer—presumably, she had simply wished to remain out of the room.

As darkness began to settle in and the rain continued to pour onto the village, the Genin had prepared to spend the evening in complete silence. Seconds, minutes, hours passed. Sasuke's even breathing and the sound of the rain colliding peacefully against the rooftop were the last noises she heard before the fatigue that had accumulated in the evenings before washed over her.

Having always been a light sleeper, Sasuke found himself awake in a mere handful of hours. He opened his dark eyes blearily, turning his head towards the opposite side and grimacing as he rubbed the taut muscles in his neck. The young Genin had been trained to sleep in a variety of environments, but even he had to admit that compared to the mattress he normally slept in, sleeping in a chair with his head propped against the windowsill had never been the most comfortable.

The Uchiha sighed noiselessly, leaning his head back against the opaque window, blinking the weariness from his eyes. The rain continued to fall steadily, though the brief flashes of lightning had already ceased.

He had only begun staring expressionlessly out the window for a few minutes before he heard the shuffling of bed sheets. Sasuke turned, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as he wondered if Miyako was awake as well. She mumbled a few incoherent words in her pillow before the room was once again replaced with its original amount of stillness.

Sasuke scoffed, assuming that she had purely been talking in her sleep. He closed his eyes wordlessly once more, hoping to drift back off to sleep, only to hear Miyako mutter something unintelligible once more.

The composed male sighed as he headed towards the bed, half amused at the fact that he had always been unaware of her ability to sleep talk. He approached her quietly before hesitantly sitting on the opposite end of the mattress, leaning his head forwards in order to distinguish what obscure words had prevented him from falling asleep.

He waited patiently for a good deal longer, but it seemed as if the talking had ceased. Sasuke ran a free hand through his black hair, shrugging his shoulders indifferently as he walked back towards the corner of the room.

"… Go," came a voice that was barely audible. "… Don't go."

So she was awake, then?

"What is it?" he asked warily.

No answer. His dark eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, and he began approaching her once again, this time determined to figure out whether or not the kunoichi was actually asleep.

"Don't," she muttered again. "Don't…"

He leaned over her, his hands suddenly pausing as they made their way towards her. Jet-black eyes blinked as the Uchiha adjusted himself to the darkness, his right hand gliding against the surface of her pillow, which happened to be considerably damp. Charcoal orbs turned towards her sleeping figure again. Even though it was only her back that he was seeing, he could easily notice that she was shivering. He reached for the covers, drawing them over her thin shoulders just as she spoke again.

"… ke. Sasuke…"

Sasuke froze, his hand still hovering above her. Before he had even digested the situation, he found himself gently shaking her shoulders.

"Miyako," he said quietly.

Auburn eyes snapped open almost instantly, and she turned to face Sasuke, her eyes scanning the dark room for any signs of disruption.

"It's nothing, calm down," said Sasuke, watching her carefully as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What is it?" she sighed as she fell back against her pillow. "It's hardly morning."

"You were talking in your sleep," he said, choosing his words cautiously.

Miyako's expression darkened. For a successful shinobi, sleep talking was undoubtedly a sign of some sort of weakness.

"… I don't talk in my sleep."

Sasuke paused briefly. "You were saying my name."

A tense silence followed his answer. Miyako turned her body on her side in order to face the teenager sitting beside her, her lengthy eyelashes fluttering as she glanced up at him.

"Is that…" began Sasuke. He cleared his throat. "Is that the reason you haven't been sleeping lately?"

Her eyes flickered. "It's nothing… go back to sleep. You have to leave early in the morning."

"… Are you crying?"

"No," she said firmly, glaring up at him. "My face is dry."

"But your pillow isn't."

"It's nothing," repeated Miyako icily. "Besides, why does it matter? Aren't you planning on disappearing?"

Sasuke bit down on his lower lip. "Not now."

"Eventually," she replied in a steely tone.

"You don't trust me?"

Her lips curled into a snarl, and she sat up, straightening herself to his height. "No, I don't, and we both know—"

Sasuke leaned forward, silencing her immediately as he pressed his lips firmly against hers. Miyako turned her head swiftly, breaking off the kiss, now glaring furiously at him.

"Don't touch me," she snapped.

"… I won't leave."

Miyako scoffed. Sasuke gripped her shoulders tightly, his obsidian orbs flashing determinedly as he repeated himself.

"I won't go" he said quietly. "I'll leave with Kakashi tomorrow, and I'll come back." He loosened his grip as he noticed the hints of relief that had washed over her.

"You'll come back," she repeated slowly, finding the concept somewhat difficult to believe.

Once again, his stomach lurched in guilt. "Mm."

Miyako fell back against the pillows and heaved a deep sigh. "Get under the covers." She made a face when Sasuke arched a skeptical eyebrow. "It's cold, and you only have a couple of hours before Kakashi comes."

He obeyed, slipping underneath the covers, his lips curling into a small smirk. "You don't think I'd do anything to you?"

"No," came the one-worded response. Miyako ran a hand through her tangled hair, turning herself on her side so that her back faced him. "You aren't that petty."

"But I'm not that patient either," he breathed in her ear, snaking his arms around her waist. "And… apparently, neither are you."

Miyako suppressed a light chuckle as she turned to face him, her cool hands stroking his pale face. He leaned forwards and kissed her briefly, but reassuringly.

She felt the flutter of drowsiness come over again, and she leaned closer to Sasuke, eager for the warmth his presence radiated.

"I enjoyed today," she whispered.

He smirked. "I know."

"Remember today at the armory?" asked Miyako hesitantly. She continued when he merely nodded. "… Why were you so bothered by it?"

Sasuke's smirk turned into a deep scowl instantly. "It just brought back memories."

"Of... ?"

"... I saw him do that exact same training routine," he said bitterly, "but he was two years younger than I am now. He also succeeded in striking every target without even opening his eyes."

So that was it. As much as he had wanted to escape from his past, it seemed to follow him wherever he went.

"Do you want to know what I like most about you?" she questioned, causing him to shrug in response. "It's the overwhelming confidence that you always carry yourself with. Without it, it's easy for you to be labeled as any other normal shinobi, which you clearly aren't… and I know you would never even let him get in the way of succeeding."

"You must be exhausted," he replied as a slight smirk played at his lips. "You're talking a lot more than you usually do."

"Go to sleep—it'll be sunrise soon," she scoffed wearily, closing her tired eyes.

Within minutes, Sasuke felt her cool breath against his body; her breathing was no longer abnormal, but instead calmer and more even. He stared at her sleeping face for several more seconds, his narrowed eyes flickering uneasily in the darkness as recalled what he had promised. Lying to her wasn't quite like lying to anyone else—there was something convincing about the way she had refused to admit that she had been dreaming about his inevitable departure. Drastic changes would indisputably happen in the near future, changes that would completely invert the worlds they were each dwelling in now.

So much had happened in so little time. He had always been alone, silent and nonchalant, but the experience of spending so much time alongside team seven was beginning to quench the hatred that had lingered inside his system for years. Ever since the massacre, Sasuke had closed his eyes to the bonds that had been so brutally severed from him, but little by little, he was beginning to see again. His heart sank as he thought of how inescapable of a path fate had strung out for him.

But it was the present that mattered most. It was what always did, because these were the last of days.

author's note:

so i had some trouble uploading this chapter simply because i felt as it was somewhat cliche. the new semester started this week, but i'll continue to try and update. i am so looking forward to shippuden - the plot gets so much better. :/

as always, please don't hesitate to review! they always perk up my day. :) any insights and opinions would be extremely helpful! thaaaanks!

xoxo.