15

She took a long bath, and then got dressed making sure she looked picture perfect before leaving. It was nearly noon when she got back to the headquarters and started cooking, but she'd have to go back to the village to buy some flowers and to show her work to Otamu. Luckily there was still some time left before Deidara got home.

She made sure her room looked perfect and placed the portrait on a bag before walking to the village, the first stop being the flower shop. As she exited the flower shop a hint of blonde hair caught her eye. She could've sworn it was Deidara, she felt so pathetic missing him so much. But she'd see him tonight, in just a matter of hours. She walked to the art shop to find it closed.

Aline sighted heavily, maybe Otamu was at the inn. She made her way there, but according to the receptionist Otamu hadn't been there all day, "Some other time, then" she thought. Now it was getting dark and she really wanted to get home before Deidara did.

While making her way back she spotted Otamu entering a tea shop. She remember her say that the place had a beautiful garden on the inside as well as a big artificial pond with koi fish. She hesitated between following Otamu or going home, but decided that since she was already there she might as well go inside and see the garden. There was a man sitting in a table near the pond, and Otamu walked straight to him, dressed in a pale pink kimono, which accentuated her figure. She looked breathtaking. She smiled at him and leaned closer to the man, kissing him with the passion that lovers kiss after having been separated. This was the man she had talked about, she smiled at them and then thought of her own man who'd surely be on his way home now. She decided against interrupting Otamu and thought that maybe she'd come to see her some other day, with Deidara.

She turned around to leave and as she did Otamu took the sugegasa off the man with a playful gesture before kissing him again. It was the sound it made as it hit the floor that made Aline turn her head.

She could see him clearly now.
It couldn't be.

Deidara was the man Otamu had been talking about.

Her heart sank into the bottom of her stomach. What the fck was this supposed to mean?

He caught her eyes midlaugh, and in that moment he froze.

Aline let the flowers fall. Backing away slowly eyes filling up with tears, why couldn't she move faster? Why did she have to be there? This couldn't be. Sadness was replaced by anger, fury made her body work again and made her body regain its strength. In a flash she had left, leaving no trail behind her. She ran until her legs failed, falling to the ground, breaking down in tears.

She couldn't believe it. How could she be so stupid? How could she have not known?

She stayed there, rocking herself for a few minutes, then started slapping her face as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She inhaled deeply, stood up and tried calming herself down. When her pulse finally slowed down she started walking back to the headquarters. She walked through the forest for what felt for hours. How long would it take her to get there, she wasn't sure, she didn't want to get back, she didn't know what she'd do once she got there.

At last, she realized she couldn't put it off any longer. When she finally arrived the sun had already risen and he could see his outline at the entrance. He was sitting down, head between his arms and it wasn't until he heard her approaching that he looked up and got up to his feet. He opened his mouth as she walked past him but no word came out, he reached out for her arm but decided against it.

It was too early for anyone to be up, which pleased her just fine. She didn't want to be the source of pity among them. She didn't want anyone to see her in this state. Fck love. Fck him. Fck everything.

Fortunately they had only two more days until they went back to missions, then she could be herself again. She could go back to not caring, not feeling, true ninjas show no emotion. "True ninjas show no emotion" she repeated over and over in her head. She couldn't dare thinking right now, she just couldn't.

Aline had been rocking herself on the same spot in her room for the past hours, eyes closed, tears had stopped streaming down and now her eyes looked swollen and tired, yet she continued rocking back and forth over and over. After a while she shook her head and looked at the bed disgusted, several images coming to her head. She couldn't sleep there. She couldn't stand being there, she felt trapped. She opened the window and walked outside, if she stayed there for one more second she'd be consumed.

A few minutes after the strong smell of burning wood reached the headquarters, Konan stepped outside, watching black clouds of smoke several miles away. As she turned to her left she noticed Deidara sitting down staring at the floor, the back of a canvas pressed tightly to his body.

"I hope you're happy now"