Back! HAPPY EARLY NEW YEAR!
...Y'all are gonna really hate me at the end of this. That's all I gotta say. Weeeelll, read, review, review some more, and enjoy! :D
Luna sighed and rolled over again, feeling restless. Again. This was the fourth night in a row, too.
Naruto was already fast asleep. Since he was beside her when she first woke up, she figured it had to be some time after one in the morning. It usually was when she woke up.
For some reason, for the past few days, she'd felt a serious foreboding. Like something huge was about to happen. Of what magnitude or nature, she had no idea.
But it was big. And it was bad. And on top of that, Naruto was acting weird as well. Sometimes she'd catch him staring at her with this really weird look on his face; like he was trying to solve a math equation or something. Whenever she asked him about it, he just gave her some lame excuse.
She knew none of them came even close to the real explanation. She could tell by his fake smile. Well...as to the anxiety, maybe that's being brought on by what Alex said a while back. About the Agency dragging me out by my hair. Even though I know that wouldn't happen, they have no good reason! ...But...
Luna frowned, turning over to face Naruto. "That still doesn't explain your anxiety," she muttered thoughtfully, wondering if staring at him long enough would make this all make any more sense.
After a couple minutes, she had a sudden thought. "Is that why you keep staring at me? Am I not making sense to you?" she wondered.
Not that she expected an answer. He was fast asleep and snoring. That was another thing; now that she thought about it, he hadn't been behaving normal...at all.
He wasn't laughing as much. He wasn't touching her as much to piss her off. He wasn't pissing her off in general as much.
The longer she thought about it, and the longer her mental list of his weird behavior got, the worse she felt. Her stomach was hurting, churning violently. This whole thing made her feel nervous as anything.
Eventually, she sighed and sat up. After looking at him one more time, she left the room, not bothering to put on jeans or anything.
Luna quietly went out the front door, shutting it behind her. It was hella cold, for sure, but she didn't really care. Even if she was in a thin long-sleeved shirt and short boxer shorts. She'd been in worse conditions.
She started walking, not knowing why she wanted to but doing it anyway. Eventually, she decided she might as well talk to Tsunade like the latter had told her to do, so she headed for the Hokage Building.
"...Aren't the Sasakis wondering where you are?"
Luna jumped and stopped walking abruptly, turning to look at Jiraiya. He was sitting on a bench, looking at her calmly. She sighed and shook her head. "No, I don't think they are. They might be wondering other things about me, though..."
He stared at her for a moment longer before patting the spot on the bench beside him. "C'mere, kiddo. I think it's time you told me what you're really doing here."
Luna hesitantly sat down. "That might take quite a while. See, I believe I would have to start from the very beginning. Back when I was eight or nine."
"We've got nothin' but time," he replied cooly, making her temple throb. "Obviously you rubbed off on Naruto. He tells me that all the time," she muttered, making him laugh.
"C'mon, quit stallin'. Let's have it."
She paused, unsure if she should just tell this man all she was hiding. Then again...if Naruto trusts you...and my parents trusted you...and NARUTO'S parents trusted you...Oh, damn it all, I'm going to hell anyways.
"Well, you see, it started not long after I moved in with the Sasakis..."
TWOHOURS LATER...
When she was done telling him...well, everything, they were both silent for a while.
"...The Sasakis are dead."
"Yes."
"And you killed them."
"Y-Yes."
"But you only killed them because this Snake Man you're talking about took over your mind."
"Correct."
"And this Agency you work for got you and that Will kid off the streets, so you have to work for them?"
"Unfortunately."
"And so you and Naruto aren't really dating, you're just protecting one another. Also, you killed your actual boyfriend, who betrayed you and the people you work with. But now he's risen from the grave, and was behind the deaths of those ANBU, and who knows what else."
"Yes."
"...Oh. Okay. I'm just glad it's not complicated," he muttered halfheartedly, making her chuckle despite herself.
"Yeah, I'm used to things being complicated for me. ...Say, Jiraiya...Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, kid."
"Naruto has told me you know just about all there is to know, and I was wondering...Do you...have any advice on how to prepare to leave someone behind?" she asked earnestly.
He looked at her strangely. "Leaving someone behind? I don't get it."
"Well...My mission here will soon be over, and...Alex has told me that the Agency is considering forcing me out of here by the end of the month. Either way, I will be leaving, and I'll be leaving too soon. ...I made a mistake," she admitted after a moment of thought.
"We all make mistakes."
"No, but this is a huge mistake," she insisted, shaking her head.
"Sure, you've killed some people. It happens."
She sweatdropped at how casual he was before shaking her head. "No, not that. I made a huge mistake in that...I..." she trailed off before hugging herself, starting to feel the cold for the first time. "...I allowed myself to feel."
Jiraiya paused before patting her shoulder. "Luna...You really care for him, don't you?"
She nodded, looking at the ground. "Yes, I do, and...I don't understand how I let it happen. Agents aren't supposed to care for anyone, see. Since we're always on the move, it would be illogical to do something like that. But...I came here, and...slowly...I started feeling again. And it's not just Naruto, it's...everybody. I'm starting to care deeply for Sakura, and Sasuke, and Sai, and Iruka, and Shizune, and Hinata, and Temari, and TenTen, and Tsunade...All of them, and...and...I'm not supposed to let myself do that!" she insisted, her voice breaking.
"I can't just let myself befriend people I know I'll be leaving, and this is why! I should've known this would happen, but I guess...I'm so good at what I do, and so good at acting that...it slowly stopped being an act," she admitted quietly.
Jiraiya ruffled her hair. "Hey, dry your eyes. You wanna know somethin'?"
She nodded, wiping at her eyes like he said. "Y-Yes."
"I have a feeling the Agency told you all that about not letting yourself feel. But you know...some of the greatest people I know feel just about every emotion there is. Your parents sure did. And because they let themselves feel, they got you out of it. And because Minato and Kushina felt, they got Naruto out of it, and to this day...because of how Minato let himself feel, he's still one of the most beloved Hokages Konoha has ever seen! And man, back when you and your mom used to visit me from time to time...Well, you certainly let yourself feel THEN. In fact, your mom wouldn't even lemme kill bugs in my own house while you were there, because it used to make you upset on their behalf!"
He started laughing at that, and she laughed herself. Mostly at the irony of it all. He put a hand on her shoulder again. "But I guess no matter what I say, you still have to leave for at least a little while, right?"
She nodded, swallowing hard. She didn't have it in her to tell him she'd most likely never be back.
"Well, if you're gonna leave someone...My advice would be to enjoy it while it lasts...And whatever you do, don't make yourself worry. If you spend your time worrying, you won't be able to spend it living."
Luna nodded thoughtfully. "...Got it. Thank you, Jiraiya." He smiled at her before standing up with a tired groan. "Weeeell, the sun's just about ready to start coming up. You should probably get back to Naruto's, before he starts worryin'."
She frowned as she took his hand he had offered and he helped her up. "That reminds me...Something's different with him lately. He's just...he stares at me a lot like I confuse him, and when I ask, he gives me a stupid excuse. And he keeps flashin' that fake smile of his. ...It makes me worry. Something's really bothering him, and I just can't figure out for the life of me what it is."
Jiraiya nodded thoughtfully before smirking. "Well, knowing Naruto, you'll probably know soon enough. Kid can't keep anything bottled in worth a damn. I'm sure he'll be shoutin' it out to the world soon. ...Whatever it is." He started to walk off, then turned around to look at her. "Get some sleep, Luna. You look like you haven't slept in days."
THIRTYMINUTES LATER...
When she finally got back to Naruto's, Luna opened the door to see it looking messier than usual. "...Naruto?" she called out. "Are you awake already?"
She heard something crash, and whipped out her gun immediately, cocking it. Luna carefully crept through the hallway before turning the corner with her gun aimed and at the ready.
"AHHHH! DON'T SHOOT!" Naruto shouted, making her shout and spastically put her gun back in her boxers' waistband. "SORRY, SORRY!" she exclaimed as he sighed in relief, hand on his chest.
"Jeez, Loon, where the hell were you?"
"Out."
"Well, I kinda figured. Y'know, since I even looked under the couch and couldn't find you," he muttered groggily with a yawn. Luna sighed and smiled before pushing him towards his room. "Go back to bed, moron. I'm back now, aren't I?"
"Yeah, but where were you?"
"Couldn't sleep. So I just walked around until I got tired."
"...Oh. Okay," he said sleepily as she got on her side and slid under the covers. She waited expectantly for him to put an arm around her waist, play with her hair, strategically try to get closer, ANYTHING like what he normally did to piss her off!
But he didn't do any of that. And after accepting the fact that she'd just have to stay cold the rest of the night, Luna sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
Naruto...What the hell's going on?
LATER...
Once he was sure she was fast asleep, he glanced at the clock. Ten in the morning. For a moment, he frowned and looked at her carefully. You never sleep this late...Well, you're still breathing. That's good. ...I guess.
With a sigh, he got dressed in the dark and grabbed a package of some Goldfish before going outside. He headed straight for Sasuke's, pounding on the door. I can't believe I'm doing this.
Sasuke opened the door after a few moments, already dressed and everything. "Naruto?"
"I'll do it."
"...Do what?"
"I'll help you. With Luna."
Sasuke stared at him in obvious disbelief, and after a moment he put his hand on the doorway and leaned towards him so as not to be overheard. "...You're sure you won't back out?"
Naruto's expression didn't change. "I have to know, Sasuke. It's driving me crazy not to know exactly what her mission is!"
He stared at him a little longer before nodding grimly. "Alright. Let's go tell Sakura; I think she had an idea on how to get some answers...and some evidence."
ANHOUR OR SO LATER...
Luna woke up with a grunt, blinking her eyes open slowly. She stretched before sitting up to find Naruto gone. Her temple throbbed. "Is this his idea of payback or something for earlier? Hold on, wait, what time is it?"
She grabbed her phone and groaned. "Awww, eleven already?" With another groan, she forced herself out of bed, rubbing her eyes tiredly and getting dressed. She heard the door open as she was slipping on her shirt, and poked her head out from Naruto's room as she pulled her hair out of aforementioned shirt. "Hell-ooo?" she called out.
Naruto ran in, looking relieved. "Oh, there you are!"
"Where else would I be?"
"Good question. Saaaay, listen, Sakura was looking for you. She told me to tell you to go see her."
"Is something wrong?" Luna asked, brows furrowed.
"...No. Pfft, why would you think that?"
She sweatdropped. "Well, let's see. You look like you just ran five miles, you're sweating, you look nervous, and you're all jittery. Normally, I categorize that along with something being wrong."
"Nooo, nothing's wrong! I'm just...um...I really had toooo...to...USE THE BATHROOM! Yeah, that's why I look like I ran. Because I did run! And so now I'm here, an- ...Sakura looked angry," Naruto said suddenly, nodding. "You should probably go see what she wants."
Luna frowned, studying him. "...I don't believe any of that, but...I guess you wouldn't tell me what's really going on, anyways. So...I guess I'll see you later?"
"Sure."
Her frown deepened as she shook her head and left. Whatever the hell you're up to, you better get back to normal soon. ...Who knows how long I'll be here...I don't wanna spend it with you acting all weird.
As soon as she left, Naruto sighed heavily. "You're killing me, Loon!" he groaned as he stomped off to his room. For whatever reason, it seemed to be practically impossible for him to lie to her. "Dammit, it's probably some Super-Spy Tactic of hers."
Her bags were still on the floor, and he sighed again as he sat on his knees in front of them. "I can't believe I'm doing this..." He rifled through them, trying to ignore how guilty he felt. "Damn, you have a lot of clothes," he muttered as he tossed them every which way, trying to pause as little as possible with her underwear and such.
Although eventually he gave in and checked her bra size. After squinting a little, he let out a triumphant yell. "Ah-HA! I knew she was a C! And she tried to tell me her boobs weren't all that great," he said with a scoff before tossing the bra behind him like he had with all the other clothes.
Finally, he found what he was looking for. SOMETHING useful. It was a spiral notebook. "Please be something useful, PLEASE be something usefuuuul!"
But flipping through it, he realized they were just doodles. "Are you KIDDING ME?" he exclaimed, facepalming.
He should've known there'd be nothing there. "...Huh, you're actually pretty good at these," he commented thoughtfully, looking at random pages of everything from junk food to random people on random streets.
There was even one of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and it was so accurate it kind of unnerved him a little.
And then he saw one that made him freeze. It was a picture of Orochimaru. He was standing in the corner of what looked like the room he'd seen in the Manor of Sleep, the one that used to be Luna's. Especially what with the little stars drawn on the ceiling.
He was smiling that creepy smile of his, and a scarily-accurate version of Mini Luna was pointing towards the door in a "GET THE HELL OUT!" kind of motion. Naruto sat on his butt instead of his knees, staring at it.
"So...Snake Man...is Orochimaru? Oh, crap...She's gonna be so pissed when she finds out..." he said with a heavy sigh before turning the page, not able to look at it any more. There wasn't much left, and he set the spiral back in her bag before piling some clothes on top of it.
In one of her many pairs of jeans, he felt a lump in the pocket. "...Huh?" he wondered, digging into the pocket. He pulled out some paper that looked like it'd been folded, and unfolded, and refolded at least a hundred times.
Naruto skimmed it over thoughtfully.
Tara,
I am sorry. I feel as if I have failed you, confronting you like this. But I feel it is necessary for my sanity's sake. ...I know my full name. I know of the Sasakis. And I know you knew about it all.
You had to have known, and I realize that now. The Agency knows, hears, and sees all. It is entirely illogical for me to ever have assumed otherwise. On top of this outright deceit, I feel it is entirely illogical for me to place my allegiance to The Agency much longer.
I am aware of the consequences of this decision, and I fully intend to suffer such consequences. I understand that failure to comply with the laws of The Agency will result in my assassination or incarceration. If incarcerated, I would most likely also be charged with two counts of murder in the first degree (I am sure you know of the Sasakis by now as well), leading to a life in prison or being sentenced to death. I also understand that I will be charged as an adult, so I will have no bargains such as "Juvie" or "Community Service".
Why have I chosen this? I know that's what you're wondering. What everyone will be wondering. Shall I tell you the real reason, or the reason I shall give The Agency? I believe I have known you long enough to know the real reason shall be safe within your mind. This latest mission...has changed me. In more ways than anyone, even you, could possibly understand. I now understand that what I've been doing for The Agency may be justified, but that does not make it right. And that does not mean I can handle the consequences that have plagued my mind. The guilt of all the targets I've annihilated is tearing me apart.
If you recall, I never asked to be part of The Agency in the first place. That was a decision made by my brother, who would have done anything to keep me from starving. He may be accustomed to this whole assassination business, but I am not. Nor have I ever been. And Naruto Uzumaki, along with the rest of Konoha, has slowly helped me realize that.
I've also come to realize that The Agency is more corrupt than I ever could have imagined, and I am sure they want nothing more than to keep me until I die. Therefore, I shall not give them the satisfaction. I realize I have two options: run, or die. I choose...to not run from my problems any longer. I choose the right to die knowing I have atoned for all the wrong I've done, all the grief and pain I've caused, and that my death was chosen by me and me alone.
I hope you can understand. Consider this my letter of resignation. I hope to give this to you upon returning to The Agency after succeeding in the protection of Naruto Uzumaki and annihilation of Orochimaru on behalf of Kohlie Hajisuki. ...Killing Alex would be a nice little bonus as well. I'll explain him to you later.
Burn after reading.
-Luna Sasaki
Naruto read it about eight times, three of which were just to make sure he understood it right. "...Okay...Now I feel really guilty," he grumbled, putting all the clothes back in her bag before standing up. Sasuke was waiting for him at Sakura's, and he handed him the letter without a word.
Naruto looked around as he read it, sweatdropping. "...Where the hell are her parents?"
"They're almost never here," Sasuke replied thoughtfully. "I think she said this time they were off on another mission or something."
Naruto groaned, feeling a pang as the word "mission" made him think of Luna. "Dude, don't say 'mission'...It makes me feel like even more of an ass."
"Why would you feel like more of an ass than usual?" Sasuke asked, making his temple throb.
"Alright, you know what? Read that whole thing, Emo Boy. THEN tell me YOU don't feel like an ass!" Naruto waited patiently for Sasuke to read it over, and eventually, his expression changed drastically. "...Oh..."
"Yeah, uh-huh. Now tell me, Sasuke. How does that make you feel?"
"...Like an ass," he admitted in a grumble, drooping. Naruto grinned, cupping a hand to his ear dramatically. "Oh, I'm sorry, WHAT was that?"
Sasuke's temple throbbed. "Dobe, don't push it. I think you're a bigger ass."
"ME?"
"Yeah, for not trusting your girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend! Didn't you read that letter at ALL? She's proooteeectiiing me, stupid!"
He walked over to Sasuke, took the letter, and pointed to one sentence in particular. "'I hope to give this to you upon returning to The Agency after succeeding in the protection of Naruto Uzumaki and annihilation of Orochimaru on behalf of Kohlie Hajisuki.' See!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I see it. Who the hell's Alex?" Naruto grew guilty all over again just thinking about the last time she'd seen that douchebag. "Her ex-boyfriend. She kinda killed him?"
Sasuke sweatdropped. "...You're kidding, right? And you blame us for thinking she'd kill you?"
"Moron, she killed him because he shot her damn brother!"
"...Oh. ...I feel like an ass all over again," Sasuke groaned, drooping again. Naruto sweatdropped with a sigh. "...This is gonna be a long day."
MEANWHILE...
Luna sighed heavily as Sakura shot her another look when she thought she wasn't looking. "Sakura, is there a problem?"
She smiled. "Problem? No, no problem."
Luna crossed her arms across her middle as they continued to search the store for stuff for Sakura's New Year's party. Because apparently a Christmas party just wasn't enough.
"Funny, that's what Naruto told me as well. If there's a problem, I'd rather be told about it."
"I'd tell you about it if there were a problem," Sakura said matter-of-factly. Luna sighed again and moved in front of her. "Your fake smile tells me otherwise. You flash it every time you answer me. ...It's about me. You're suspicious of me, aren't you? And now...it seems like you have Naruto suspicious of me as well. It would explain why he looks so troubled lately."
Sakura opened her mouth to answer, but seemed to rethink it. After a few moments, she leaned towards Luna and lowered her voice. Her whole expression changed drastically, and Luna felt the urge to gulp despite herself.
"...Okay. I guess there's no point in blowing it off anymore. Yes. I'm highly suspicious of you. We know you're an Agent. And we know you're with Naruto for... 'other reasons'. So why don't you just tell me the real reason you're hanging around here?" she asked in a dangerous voice. Her eyes narrowed. "And I feel it's a good idea to inform you that if you try to hurt Naruto, I will alert Tsunade and I will kick your ass."
Luna stared back at her stonily. "...Very well. You wish to know the truth, yes? The truth is that I am here on behalf of The Agency to ensure Naruto's protection. He has also been ordered to protect me. We have a common enemy – two, actually. Originally it was just Orochimaru. Now it appears Alex, the man you treated in the hospital with the strange wound? He has his sights on us as well. ...That's my fault. But either way, I assure you that no harm will come to Naruto while I am here!"
They stared each other down for a long time, and finally, the white-knuckle grip Sakura had on her basket loosened. "...I guess I can believe that for now. But I'm warning you, the first sign that-"
"Save your threats and warnings, Sakura. You're giving them to the wrong person." Luna sighed heavily. "Besides...I have a feeling I won't be here much longer, anyways. I am not in their favor."
"Whose?" Sakura asked, obviously curious now.
"Who do you think? The Agency. They say I am 'too rebellious'. I plan to resign soon, but...I'm not looking forward to the consequences of that," she admitted with a shake of the head.
She then smiled at Sakura. "But don't worry about Naruto. I won't let anything happen to him. ...Well, beyond the usual abuse I give him."
Sakura laughed at that one, and shook her head before picking something off a shelf. "Let's just keep going."
HOURSLATER...
"No way."
"Aw, c'mon!"
"Nooope."
"Pleeeease?"
"I am not holding a stick that's on fire and sparking everywhere!" Luna exclaimed, crossing her arms defiantly as they continued to stand outside Sakura's house with random other people. Her temple throbbed as Naruto continued to whine. "...I'm starting to wonder why I missed you acting normal so much," she muttered to herself before groaning. "Okay, fine, FINE! ...Just one."
"YES! Okay, hold it at the very end like sooo," he explained, grabbing her hand and wrapping her fingers around the end of the stick. "Uchiha, if you please!"
Sasuke sighed, temple throbbing. "Couldn't you just use a lighter?"
"Ah, but a lighter doesn't get as pissed off as you do!" Naruto replied, making Luna bite her lip to hide her smile.
Sasuke sighed heavily. "Fiiine."
"He actually agreed," Luna commented with slight disbelief as he did his little hand signals. "Probably 'cause he feels like a total ass," Naruto replied simply.
Luna turned to look at him. "Lemme guess. Sakura isn't the only one who was suspicious of me." Naruto made a noise of surprise. "You knew?"
She jumped as the stick caught on fire, and then it turned into silver and gold sparks going all over the place. "Holy crap!" she exclaimed, and Naruto laughed. "Wave it around. Usually, if you do it fast enough, you can write your name."
"Really?" she asked in a tone of awe, doing as he said. Sasuke and Naruto watched with sweatdrops as she waved it as fast as possible (which was pretty damn fast) and spelled "Mississippi".
"HA! Betchya can't spell THAT!" she said smugly. Naruto narrowed his eyes at her challenge before grabbing another stick. "Sasuke! LIGHT ME!"
"With pleasure," Sasuke muttered, and Luna quickly clarified, "His STICK, Sasuke."
"Even better. Thanks, Luna. Now he'll NEVER get action before m-"
"N-Not THAT STICK, the one outside of his pants!"
Naruto sweatdropped at their conversation. "...You're so weird. Both of you. Well, I take that back. Sasuke's just a moron."
"Watch it, dobe!" he snapped before doing his hand signals and making his little fireball. Naruto smirked proudly at Luna after spelling in the air "Missippi". "Ha! How about THAT!"
Luna sweatdropped, trying not to laugh. "...Naruto, you spelled it wrong."
"What? NO WAY!"
"Yes way. It's M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I."
"Well what the hell did I spell?"
"The way Mississippians say Mississippi, I believe," Luna replied thoughtfully. Naruto grinned. "Say Mississippi again."
"Mississippi?"
"Hahaha, that's a funny word!"
Luna and Sasuke exchanged an eye-roll. "...Wanna do another one?" Naruto asked with a sneaky grin.
"No."
He just continued to grin that creepy grin, and finally, she sighed. "...Yes!" she admitted grudgingly with a stomp of her foot, grabbing another of the sticks out of the pile and making the other two laugh.
Ino suddenly ran out, grinning at them. "You guys, the countdown's starting!"
"Countdown?" Luna wondered.
"Oh, it's no big deal," Naruto said quickly, but she had already ran inside. He looked at Sasuke, who smirked. "Try and talk your way out of this one, dobe. Hope you have good breath."
"Dammit, Sasuke!"
Luna ran inside to see what was going on and saw everyone crowded around Sakura's den tv. Some people, like Kiba and Rock Lee, were wearing little hats that said "HAPPY NEW YEAR!".
"What's going on?" Luna asked Sakura, who turned to smile at her. Naruto nearly ran Luna over, making her temple throb. "Calm yourself, jeez!"
Sakura pointed to the tv. "Well, deep downtown in Konoha they have this ball set up. It drops when the countdown stops, symbolizing the New Year has started."
"And then you kiss when the ball drops!" Ino added cheerfully. Luna gave them strange looks. "Kiss? Why?"
Sakura shrugged. "It's just one of those weird New Year traditions."
Ino looked around spastically. "That reminds me – where's Sai? We've got fifteen seconds!" she exclaimed before running off to find him.
Sakura smirked at them. "I better go find Sasuke. If Naruto has to suffer, so does he." When she left, Luna and Naruto exchanged a look. He huffed. "...I told you not to come inside."
"No, you simply said it was no big deal. You should've known that would make me more curious," she accused.
"9, 8, 7...!"
Luna rolled her eyes, noticing Naruto's panicked look. "Calm yourself. Sakura and Sasuke may know about us, but the rest of Konoha doesn't. If you look all panicky when you're kissing me, no one's gonna believe it. And then what?"
"Then you kick my ass?"
"Very good, you're learning!"
"3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Almost everyone around them looked at a person near them and leaned in for a kiss, so with a "Here Goes Nothing" look to each other, Naruto and Luna did the same.
It seemed to her like time just completely froze as soon as they made contact. All the noise around her disappeared, and her stomach started flipping like crazy. It was a weird reaction, one she wasn't used to. Once he pulled away, the noise came back tenfold, and her heart was pounding. She stared at him for a second, and he stared right back.
But then Rock Lee barreled through there, right between them. Neji soon followed. "GET BACK HERE, LEE!"
"NEJI, I'M SORRY! I HAD NO ONE ELSE TO KISS! IT WAS JUST A PECK ON THE CHEEK!"
"DAAAAMMMIIIIT, LEEEEE!"
Naruto and Luna sweatdropped a couple times. "...What just happened?"
"Good question," he replied.
Sasuke and Sakura were watching Lee and Neji run around her house with sweatdrops. Judging from Sakura's heavy blush and Sasuke's light one, Luna guessed Sakura had found him in time.
Luna took a deep breath after realizing she'd been holding her breath that whole time, nodding to herself. "I, um...I think I need some air. I'll...I'll be back," she mumbled before making a beeline for the door.
Once outside, she braced her back against the wall and covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have done that. I should not have done that. That was really damn stupid, Luna. Why'd I run inside, anyway? I guess I figured it was a different countdown entirely...Oh, great job. What've I done now?"
"You've made Naruto very confused, that's what."
Luna jumped at the sudden noise, temple throbbing. "You just really do not comprehend the meaning of the phrase 'I'll be right back,' do you?"
Naruto crossed his arms smugly. "You sound kinda...formal there, Loon."
She sighed, shaking her head again. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Done what?"
"THAT."
"And what would this 'tha- ...Oh. Oh, you mean the kiiiisss," he said in a somewhat-triumphant tone. Luna huffed. "Stop sounding so smug! I saw your expression, you were thinking the same exact thing!"
"Only if you were thinking 'Dammit, I wanna do that again,'" he replied matter-of-factly before even thinking about it, making her head shoot up to stare at him.
"...What was that?"
"I said: Only if you were thinking 'Dammit, I hope I never have to do that again'." Luna shook her head, pushing herself off the wall to get closer to him. Usually that worked in staring people down that were taller than her.
"No, that's not what you said."
"Yes it is."
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't!"
"..."
"..."
"Yeah, you're right, it wasn't," he said simply. She was trying to think up a reply when he kissed her again, and even though it was admittedly a nice feeling, she pulled away. "The hell was that? ARE YOU CRAZY?" she exclaimed, temple throbbing.
"That's possible," he replied thoughtfully, looking at the ground like a scorned puppy. She felt so torn, it wasn't even funny. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been happy just then, but...
What to do? What? Any suggestions, sane part of my brain? Oh, c'mon, there's gotta be a sane part somewhere...
Wait...Wait...What was that advice Jiraiya gave me? About leaving? ...Uh...Uhhh...What was it? WHAT WAS IT? ...Ummm...OH! "Whatever you do, don't make yourself worry. If you spend your time worrying, you won't be able to spend it living."
...Don't worry...
Luna nodded to herself determinedly before stepping closer to Naruto. She grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him to her before kissing him.
She could feel the surprised expression still on his mouth, but it soon softened, and he was kissing her back. All her pent-up emotions – the fear, anxiety, turmoil – went into that kiss, and the ones after. She soon felt her back against a wall, she assumed the same one she'd been braced against earlier. Though I don't remember moving...Oh great, I've lost my mind. ...I don't want it back, she decided, deciding to let logic fly out the window and let her emotions have a chance.
His hand went to her hair, at the nape of her neck, which made her stomach flip even more. Her heart felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest, and she wondered why it had never done that before.
She now had a death-grip on his shirt, balling it up in her fists. Her whole body was slowly getting warmer and warmer, and that feeling skyrocketed when his other hand found its way to her hip. Her shirt was hitched up a little somehow, she imagined it had been pulled by the rough material of the wall, and that hand of his was lingering by the hem.
Luna impatiently angled herself so that the hem went up a little further, and he took that as her permission. Which it so was. After a little hesitation, his hand slid underneath her shirt, and she seriously wondered if she was about to catch on fire. Her necklace was glowing and pulsing like crazy, threatening to blind her even though her eyes were closed.
She heard a weird sighing noise when his hand grazed her stomach on the way to her back, and after a few moments she realized it had come from her. Which would make sense; she was getting delightful little shivers all over.
Unfortunately, no matter how happy she was, reality soon sunk in. The reality being that she just couldn't let herself do this. It was around the time he started tracing her spine that she abruptly pulled away, shaking her head. "I can't, I can't. I'm sorry but...I can't do this."
His expression was one of sheer confusion. "Why, what's wrong?"
"Y-You don't understand. The Agency, they... I can't. They'll kill you, they'll kill me, they'll kill us both, I can't, I can't!"
"Hey, hey, calm down," he said gently, putting his hands on her shoulders. "They don't haveta know. Besides, I could take 'em no problem."
Luna shook her head, not able to look at him. "Don't be so sure. They probably already know. They probably knew the second I kissed you. They always know. Always. And once they realize...what I did...I'll be incarcerated at best. And I have no idea what they'll do to you. ...I can't allow that."
"Loon, you're forgetting one important thing."
"What?" she asked, hesitantly looking up at him. He tucked some hair behind her ear before smirking. "I don't give a damn about The Agency. They can try and do whatever they want, but as long as I'm in Konoha, they can't touch me!"
Luna slowly realized he might be right. "Wait...That's...That's true, they can't! As a whole other universe, they have no jurisdiction here!" she exclaimed, feeling like laughing hysterically for whatever reason.
But then her face fell suddenly, making him groan since he had been about to kiss her. "But-"
"C'mon, no more buuuuts, are you serious?"
"...I'm sorry, but I just can't. Even if they have no jurisdiction, it won't stop them from trying to get rid of you. However cliché it may sound, you know too much. They'll stop at nothing to kill you once they realize how much I've told you. And now that I've just crossed a huge line that every Agent knows never to cross..." she trailed off, shaking her head.
"I can't put you through that. Now, me, I'm going to eventually die at their hand anyways."
"Because you're planning on quitting."
"Right, so – wait...how'd you know that?" she asked him, looking up at him again. He laughed anxiously. "I...kinda...went through your stuff earlier today. I found the letter you wrote for Tara."
"WHAT?" she shouted, her grip on his shirt tightening for a different reason entirely.
"Hey, IN MY DEFENSE, Sasuke mentioned you might be hired to kill me and it was hella convincing the way it all fit together!"
"Oh, well. As long as you sifted through my stuff for a GOOD reason, I guess I should just totally dismiss it!" she exclaimed sarcastically.
"That'd be nice."
Her temple throbbed. "You little-" She cut off after hearing a crash, followed by "LEE, DAMMIT, THAT VASE CAN'T BE REPLACED!".
They both sweatdropped. "...Sakura's gonna be so pissed by the end of this party," Naruto muttered with a shake of his head.
Luna nodded in agreement, and suddenly his attention was turned back to their own little problem. "So...What're you tryin' to tell me? We're just gonna pretend we didn't just make out?"
"That'd be nice," she replied, making his temple throb.
"I can't believe you just used MY OWN PHRASE on top of denying me my manly needs! That's like...kicking a man when he's down!" he whined, making her temple throb.
"Hey, I don't like it any more than you do!"
He suddenly stopped complaining to grin all smug and perverted-like. "Oh, you don't? Well, that changes things."
Luna's temple throbbed as his hands went to her waist, pulling her to him. "What're you doing?"
"Changing your mind. If you don't like this any more than I do, it should be easy. Especially since I want you really bad right now, which means, by your looogic, you want me just as bad right now!"
She sighed heavily. "Naruto, I really don't think-..." she trailed off as he kissed her again. ...I'm goin' to hell anyways, what do I care? she wondered before kissing him back, her hands gripping the back of his neck.
It wasn't but a few seconds after when she felt it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and her scalp tingled. No...Not now! Can't the enemy WAIT a damn minute? She pulled away with a miserable groan, her blood running cold.
He studied her face, noticing her striken expression. "...What?" he asked carefully.
She slid away from him, looking around. "Something's not right. Someone's here." Naruto groaned. "Don't you pull that Manor of Gay crap on me NOW!" She sighed and held up her necklace, which was turning a dark shade of purple. "Whaddaya call that?"
"I call it 'You better get behind me,'" he replied, almost instantly positioning himself in front of her and whipping out a kunai.
Luna sighed again. "I knew this was gonna happen."
"What?"
"They're here."
"WHO?" She didn't have time to answer that, because the bushes started rustling, and out walked...
"Oh, thank the Holy Cupcake Jesus," Luna said with a sigh. Naruto sighed with relief, too. "Oh, good, it's just Alex. Him we can take."
Then she noticed what he was wearing, and her pulse skyrocketed. "No..."
"What NOW?" Naruto asked, him and Alex obviously wanting to rip each other's throats out. Luna shook her head. "The person on the inside, your informant...it was yourself?" she asked him.
Alex chuckled, tapping his outfit. "Ahhh, so you recognize this?"
"I should. I've been wearing those bulletproof vests on assignments for years," she replied dully. "Although, your face...It looks so different..."
It did look pretty different. Sure, Luna and Naruto could still recognize him, but...it took a bit of staring. She had mainly identified who it was by his walk. His hair was now black, and his eyes were a light chocolate brown.
How Naruto recognized him so quickly, she had no idea.
Naruto looked between them in utter confusion. "Loon, what's going on? And now that I think about it, what's with Douchebag's new look?"
Alex's gaze flitted back to him. "Did he just call you 'Loon'?" he asked, totally ignoring the "Douchebag" part.
"Got a problem with it?" Naruto snapped.
"You said you hated nicknames!" Alex accused.
Luna's temple throbbed. "I like them when they're from the right people."
"Ooooh, ouch," Naruto said with a whistle. Luna rolled her eyes, and Alex just smirked.
"Well, Luna. Ready to go?"
"Go?" she and Naruto repeated in unison. Alex's smirk grew, and he let out a loud whistle. Almost immediately, three other armed Agents came running.
"The hell?" Naruto wondered, but Luna felt her heart drop to her toes. "I warned you," Alex said smugly.
She didn't resist as they wrenched her arms behind her back and handcuffed her. "Luna Sasaki, you are hereby under arrest for outright defiance of The Agency."
"On what grounds?" she snapped.
"Refusal to return for testing," they replied. Luna felt as if she were about to pass out, her knees starting to shake. "T-Testing? No one told me I was subject for testing! ...Please, this must be a mistake of some sort-"
"Get her outta here," Alex interrupted, gesturing west. The direction of the well.
Naruto ran after her, but she whirled around before the Agents escorting her could react. "DON'T!" she shouted, knowing Alex could shoot him on the spot. He had that authority, it seemed.
Naruto had that look on his face that told her he was beyond confused, and she flashed him a reassuring smile out of habit before being forced to face forward. Once he was out of her sight, the panic sunk in and hit her hard.
Testing...No...I can't do that again...!
Naruto watched them drag her away in total disbelief, not quite comprehending what just happened.
One minute they were kissing, the next she was gone?
He turned to find Sakura and Sasuke watching with wide eyes, and he sighed and shook his head. "She's not coming back, is she?"
"I don't think so," Sasuke replied grimly.
"Did they say...'testing'?" Sakura asked carefully. Naruto felt his stomach churn, having forgotten about that part. "...Oh...Testing..."
He looked up at them, shaking his head quickly. "She can't go through testing again. Who knows what they'll do to her this time? ...I gotta go help her!"
"Naruto, wait! You can't just run off without knowing where she's going!" Sakura exclaimed.
"She's going through that well! The one that leads to the world I met her in," he explained, looking anxiously in the direction they'd dragged her off in.
"And then where?" Sasuke asked.
"Tara'll know. ...Wait...better yet...BECS WILL!" he said suddenly, running off.
"Naruto, you can't just-"
"I'M GOING TO MY HOUSE, IS THAT A CRIME?"
"WAIT FOR US!" Sakura shouted back, running after him. Sasuke watched the two run, then groaned to himself before following.
"...Idiots...NARUTO, I KNEW THIS WAS GONNA BE TROUBLE FOR US! ...All I wanted to do was get her out by New Year's, but nooo, he had to find that letter and make me look like an ass!" he moped, hauling ass to try and catch up with them.