So, first of all guys n girls, I want to apologise for not updating so often lately but I'm rather busy at the moment and I try to update whenever I have the chance. Hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THIS IS JUST A FAN-MADE STORY!

Suigetsu climbed out of the water and shook the liquid drops out of his pale hair. His skin was so pale that it looked almost transparent, like a part of the lake itself manifested into human form. Only the various shadows cast proportionately onto his muscular body made it clear that he was actually solid.

He felt slightly exhausted and fell down onto his knees on the leafy ground, brittle twigs crunching loudly beneath him. He was breathing rapidly and heavily, as though he had run a mile without stopping. For some reason, he felt as though he was suffocating, unable to breathe. In fact the very air itself seemed to be smothering him.

Crap...what is this feeling? He wondered as he grasped his chest with his hand.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of running footsteps progressing towards him, and a moment later Karin emerged. As soon as she appeared, the sudden weakness that gripped him seemed to elevate and disappeared almost instantly.

"S-Suigetsu? Are you alright?" she asked somewhat gently.

"I don't know...I felt weak and exhausted, and I couldn't breathe...but the moment I saw you it just disappeared into nothingness, like it never was..." he explained in a raspy voice.

"When I was coming, I sensed the chakra of two people not one, and I thought you were with someone else, maybe with Jugo, but now I can't sense the other chakra anymore. It disappeared suddenly too," she said.

"Do you think someone was watching me? Could it be that whoever was here a moment ago was doing this to me?" he asked, suddenly noticing that he was stark naked.

"Well, it's possible. But who could it have been?" she asked, watching as he rose to his feet and walked towards his clothes. She tried extremely hard to keep her eyes off his privates, and just as hard not to throw up. He disgusted her for some reason, perhaps it was his chakra. It made her look at him in a negative light.

"Beats me. What are the chances of it being an evil guy who needs his ass kicked?" he said as he pulled on his pants.

"I say it's most likely the case..." Karin perched her glasses on top of her nose and threw back a lock of red hair.

"Um, Karin...why'd you come looking for me anyway?" Suigetsu asked, approaching her now that he was fully dressed.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot! Someone wants to see you! She came looking for you and said she knows you!" Karin said excitedly.

"Huh? A girl came looking for me?" he asked confusedly.

"Yeah! Think about it Suigetsu, is there any particular girl you wish she could be?" Karin prompted.

"Tsubaki..." he whispered suddenly.

"You might wanna go see her, she looked like she needed you real bad," Karin looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the role of a matchmaker.

"Is it really her?" Suigetsu was already rushing towards the nearby forest.

"Yeah, it is, but follow me or you won't find her. She's waiting for you," Karin quickly ran off towards the appropriate direction.

"How did you meet her?" Suigetsu asked excitedly.

"It's kinda weird how it happened, but in short: I was talking with Jugo (she left out that she had been blustering about how much she hated Suigetsu) and suddenly I sensed someone's chakra. Then when it began moving away, I followed it and came across this young girl with long black hair and dark eyes. She said her name was Tsubaki and that she had been searching for you for a while now," Karin explained.

"Man...I just can't believe I'm gonna see her again," said Suigetsu.

"So, do you like her? I mean...LIKE like her?" Karin's curious side began emerging.

"Hey! That's none of your business!" Suigetsu snapped jokingly.

"Well seeing as I'm your key to her, it's only fair I should know, right?" Karin teased.

"Yeah right! In your dreams...with Sasuke!" Suigetsu said loudly.

"Suigetsu!" Karin gasped: "Cut it out!"

"Hah! Just givin' you a taste of your own medicine!" Suigetsu laughed.

"Hm!" Karin turned her nose in the air and ran onwards, blushing so much that it was hard to tell where her hair ended and her face began!

Tsubaki paced around the area impatiently, twiddling her fingers and running them through her hair. Every minute felt like an hour, and the butterflies in her stomach were driving her insane. She couldn't wait to see him, now that she was so close!

Come on! Come on come on come on! She thought over and over in her head. She must have burned her footprints in the ground after all the pacing, and the waiting around was giving her brain damage. She had always hated waiting, but this was a special case so it felt much worse.

But when it happened, she forgot all about the excruciating pain of waiting, of the wounds implanted in her heart by the stabbing of time. She forgot all about her past, all about everything and everyone...

...and just focused on the astonished face of the teenage Suigetsu before her.

"Tsubaki..." he murmured, taking a step closer.

"Sui-chan..." she said.

When he heard it, he took off running towards her, desperate to reach her, to touch her, to embrace her.

To kiss her...

She yelled out his name and threw herself into his arms, locking her limbs around his muscular body, burying her crying face into his shoulder. She couldn't help it, and neither could he. They clamped their lips around each other's and kissed so passionately that it felt as though they were both on fire. After waiting for so long...their feelings had finally broken above the surface of their hearts.

"Tsubaki, I've always loved you, always. I had never forgotten about you, never ever ever!" he cried, cupping his hands around her beautiful face.

"Suigetsu...damn it, how could I have lived through all these damned, accursed years without you? I love you so so much, Sui-chan..." Tsubaki pulled him closer in order to kiss him again, tears streaming down her heart-shaped face.

"I'm so sorry I never came back, I couldn't do anything about it. When I was returning to my village that night, Orochimaru attacked and kidnapped me. I couldn't get back to you," he explained breathlessly.

"Orochimaru..." Tsubaki's eyes shimmered with fear.

"It's okay, he's dead now. Sasuke killed him and set us all free," Suigetsu explained.

"I heard he was dead, and that Sasuke killed him, but he still hasn't returned to our village," said Tsubaki.

"Sasuke formed his own team, and I'm a part of it. Karin told me that you don't want him to know you're here, right?" he asked.

"N-no, it's better if he doesn't know. I'm just glad I have you, sweetheart..." she said, gripping him again.

"I wish I could have watched you grow...I wish we could've spent more time together..." said Suigetsu, his tone laced with disappointment.

"It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that you're here with me, and I'll make sure that nothing and no one ever separate us again!" Tsubaki said adamantly.

"Yeah...we'll be together, always," Suigetsu caressed her cheek and smiled at her in his unique way.

And the love that blossomed between them at that moment was far greater than any could ever have imagined.