Opening my eyes slowly, I found myself lying on the ground. A lingering soreness crept through my limbs when I moved my legs and fingers.

I must have passed out while practicing the Tempest Howl and the Ikazuchi. The sky was painted in deep shades of redーevening had arrived.

As I tried to push myself from the ground, a shadow fell over me. It was my uncle, hands tucked into his pockets.

"You okay there?" he asked.

"I think so…" I muttered. "But could you give me a hand, uncle?"

Chuckling softly, he firmly gripped my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"Looks like you made quite a scene here," he said, glancing around at the damage. Some tree trunks had been stripped bare, exposing the raw, splintered wood beneath. Shattered bark had broken into pieces, scattering across the field. Fallen branches could be seen on the ground, yet their leaves remained intact.

The acrid scent of the scorched wood stung our noses. As I turned my head toward the source of the smell, I saw several trees with gaping holes burned through their centers, their bark charred black. Each tree bore five holes, varying in size. I must have gone overboard with the Ikazuchi.

"Uh…" I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a bit embarrassed.

My uncle slowly shook his head, a knowing look crossing his face. "You know you can't be reckless with your chakra, right? Especially after what Kakashi told you about the lightning attack."

"I know," I admitted. "But I need to be ready! We don't know when Zabuza will attack us."

"I get it," my uncle said, his hand resting on my shoulder. "But being hasty is not gonna help. Remember, you are only just human."

He ruffled my hair before giving me a light pat. "Now, come on. Everyone is waiting for you."

As we began walking away, I tripped and fell. My uncle caught me before I hit the ground.

"See?" my uncle said, raising an eyebrow.

Laughing out weakly, I slowly nodded. "Okay, okay. I'll be more careful next time."

"Next time?" he asked skeptically, his gaze sharp. "Your 'next time' doesn't sound too convincing."

"Uncle! You wound me!" I replied, clutching my chest.

My uncle's eyes widened for a moment before he chuckled. "Did Ino teach you that?"

"She said it helped me to look more convincing if I was a bit more…dramatic," I smirked. "Did it work?"

"Just a bit," he replied, "But don't you ever try to be like her, Darou. One is just enough."

"Sure thing. But I can't make promises."

Shaking his head to the side, my uncle helped me walk back to the house.

After dinner, I sank my entire body into the hot bath, letting the warmth ease the lingering soreness. The water was at the right temperatureーhot enough to draw me in, making me close my eyes with a deep sigh. The soothing heat felt so good after a long day of training. The steam enveloped me, pulling me further into bliss. If I stayed in the tub too long, I could easily drift off.

But I could only afford ten minutes. Still, ten minutes was just enoughーenough to relax my muscles and clear my mind.

"Hmm…"

Snake, Rabbit, Boar, Horse, Tiger. Snake, Rabbit, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

"Wind Style: Tempest Howl."

Cow, Monkey, Snake. Cow, Monkey, Snake.

"Ikazuchi."

Replaying the steps of the justu I'd learned today, I need to be sure I can perform it smoothly and quickly. When we face Zabuza, I need to stay calmーthere shall be no room for hesitation and mistakes.

If I made a single error…

We would all die.

And the mission would fail.

After the bath, I changed into my nightwear and headed to our guest room. Along the way, I could hear a commotion coming from inside. Curious, I gently turned the doorknob to take a peekーonly to find Shikamaru, Chouji, Sakura, and Ino struggling to hold my dear friend in a firm grip.

"What… are you all doing?" I asked with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Trying to keep Naruto from running off!" Sakura replied with a frustrated sigh. "Kakashi-sensei told him to take a rest, but of course, he wouldn't listen!"

"He was halfway out the door when Sakura called me to restrain him!" Ino added, tightening her grip on Naruto's right arm.

"And then Ino dragged me and Chouji into it for backup," Shikamaru muttered, clearly irritated. "This is such a drag…"

"C'mon, you guys!" My dear friend growled, trying to shake them off. "Just let me go! One more round and then I'll come back!"

"Oh really, Naruto? Because every time you say that, you end up doing five more rounds!" Sakura shot back, tightening her grip on Naruto's left arm.

Looking behind them, I saw Sasuke sitting in the corner. He was watching the whole thing silently. And as usual, he didn't bother getting involved.

Sighing, I walked over to my bag and rummaged through it. I was able to find what I was looking for. With a quick flick of my wrist, I shuffled it onceーand without a warning, I threw it at my dear friend.

A soft thwack landed right against his temple, bringing his attention to me.

I shuffled the cards again. "How about we have a few rounds of cards?"

"Cards…?" he asked, a bewildered expression spreading across his face.

The others who were holding Naruto all turned to me, wearing the same baffled expression.

"We are on a mission, Darou. We are not here to goof off." Sakura said.

"I know that. But who says we can't enjoy our rest?" I replied. "Besides, it's been a while since we did something together. Back at the academy, Iruka-sensei always had us play gamesーto bond, to be part of the group."

They listened to me quietly as I continued. "I'm not trying to be all-wise or something. I am saying… we should spend some time with each other. We never know what's going to happen tomorrow or the day after that. So… what do you say?"

Slowly, their grip started to loosen, letting Naruto slip free of their hold. They were worried that he would bolt out of the room. However, my dear friend stayed back and picked up the card from the floor. He gave it back to me before sinking onto the floor.

"Alright, let's play." He answered with a grin.

"Wait… you are not leaving?" Shikamaru asked, his brow rose.

"Nope." He shook his head, turning to him. "A few rounds of cards don't sound so bad. And… I guess it's nice to hang out like this for once. I was pretty stressed out when I couldn't reach the stop so… yeah, I could use a break." He scratched his head sheepishly.

Everyone blinked rapidly, stunned by Naruto's reasonable words.

"Are you… okay?" Ino asked, her tone suspicious.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" Naruto raised his brow.

"Because you sounded so… reasonable." She replied, clearly in disbelief.

Hearing it, Naruto's grin went wider. "I'm glad you finally noticed! I can be reasonable, of course! I'm not hot-headed all the time."

"Yeah… For a long time, I thought your brain was just for decoration." She playfully teased with a smirk.

He shot up. "Why youー"

"Easy there, mon ami." I chuckled, calming him down. Then I glanced over at Sasuke. "What about you, Sasuke? Wanna join in?"

"No." He replied coldly, "Why would I waste my time on a game of cards? I'd rather get some sleep than take part in something so ridiculous." He stood up, preparing his futon.

"Is that so?" I raised my brow. "Afraid you might lose to Naruto?"

His hand froze in mid-action. He slowly turned his head, shooting me a glare. "Come again?"

"Just a thought," I continued, keeping it cool. "With that whole lone-wolf attitude, I bet you are terrible at playing cards. I can't help but wonder if you are trying to protect yourself from being… humiliated."

Then, in a blur, he yanked me forward and grabbed me by the collar.

His fist was raised, poised to strike. The others around me couldn't say a word as they were deeply surprised to see what was going on.

I stared directly into his eyes, meeting his glare. His pupil was burning in a quiet blaze. The sound of his knuckles could be heard as he tightened his fist slowly.

"I am not afraid," he said in a low, growling voice.

Unfazed, I kept my posture straight. "Then, show me. If you are not."

His grip tightened, pulling me in. He was ready to punch, to deliver a blow to my left cheek.

But… he loosened his grip and let go. With a sharp "hmph," he crossed his arms and turned away.

It was hard to tell if he was in or not. Sasuke was known for saying a few wordsーkeeping his intentions to himself.

Still, judging by his behaviour, he didn't head back to prepare his futon. He stayed with usーwhich pretty much confirmed that he was in.

"Well, then!" I announced, shuffling the card with practiced ease. "Gather around and take a seat! We are going to play Old Maid… with a twist."

"A twist?" Chouji asked in a curious tone.

Smirking mischievously, I glanced at the others. "The loser of the game… will have to tell an embarrassing story~."

By round four, things got interesting. It was me, Naruto, and Sasuke who were still holding the cards in our hands. The tension was rising as our eyes flickered heavily between us.

"Grrrr…" Naruto growled, deciding which card to take from Sasuke's.

Sasuke kept quiet, waiting for Naruto to pick up.

"Should I… pick this? Or…"

"Oh, just pick one already!" Sakura said, watching from the side with her arms crossed.

She and the others had been waiting for him to choose. It had been a few minutes since I'd taken his card.

Then slowly, he took the card that was on the right side.

Looking at the card he took, he frowned and then kept it in his hands.

Next, it was Sasuke's turnーto pick mine.

"Hmm…"

Sasuke's eyes flicked over the cards in my hand, his brow furrowed in concentration. The silence stretched as he took his time, clearly weighing his options.

Figuring this could drag on, I decided to break the quiet. "You know. I always wondered, Sasuke…"

"About what?" he answered without looking up.

"About you," I replied. "My grandpa told me a lot about your clan. The Uchiasーthey were the founding members of establishing Konoha, alongside the Senjus."

He didn't reply, remaining silent.

"You must be proud of it. Your ancestors played such a huge role in shaping the shinobi world. To be part of that history, it must have weighed you down a lot. Like you need to be stronger and better."

He took the card from the right and kept it in his hands. Still not responding.

I then took the card from Naruto's handーno pair.

It was Naruto's turn again. He reached for mine, and his face brightened as he took a quick glance at the card.

"Oh yeah, I'm out!" he exclaimed, slamming the cards to the floor. A pair of red-colored nine: One diamond and one heart.

Now, it was me against Sasuke. Once again, he needed to choose carefully with my cards.

"I know what it feels like when you aren't doing enough." I continued, "When I was accepted into the Sarutobi clan, I had to work hard to prove I belonged to them. But sometimes, working hard alone wasn't enough. I needed someone—someone who could help me."

"... what are you trying to say?" Sasuke said, meeting my eyes as his hand hovered above the cards.

"I'm just saying that… you should rely on others. Be a bit more open. Trying to take care of things on your own is… heavy." I answered in a soft tone.

His eyes slowly narrowed. His expression shifted into a sneer.

"What do you know about it?" his tone was sharp. "How could you possibly understand what it's like to feel powerless? To live with regret, that you could've done something."

I held his gaze, calm and steady. "Haven't I told you? I was the only survivor of the shipwreck. I lost my parents that day. So I know what it's like." I replied.

"Hmph." He scoffed. "Just because you lost them in an accident… it's not the same. Imagine losing them at the hands of someone you trusted the mostーsomeone you admiredーonly to watch them killing everyone."

His glare intensified, causing the tension to ripple beneath the surface as the room fell silent. Neither of us said a word when our eyes locked into each other. Our friends around us kept watching, not wanting to intervene.

However, the tension didn't last for long. Sasuke finally grabbed the card from me and slammed it onto the floor. He got a pair of sevens: a spade and a heart.

I looked at the cards in my handーa joker. I had lost the game.

"Fool…" Sasuke muttered. He then slowly stood up and went to prepare his futon. But before he could finish it, I let out a quiet chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he stopped in his tracks, turning back at me with his brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's just…" I shook my head, a faint smile. "When you called me a fool… you are right. But there is a difference between being a complete fool and being a hopeful one. My grandpa told me once, 'Holding onto what we could've done won't change anything. We learn from it, carry it with us — not as a burden, but as a guide. That's how we move forward.' Being stuck in the past won't help. Sometimes, we have to accept it and make sure we can make a better one for our future."

For a brief moment, eyes flickered as if something had changed in him. But it was quickly masked with his usual calm and cold look. He turned back to finish preparing his futon, slowly sinking into it.

"… good night." He quietly said, catching me and the others by surprise. It was quite unlike him to say it. He wasn't the type of person to greet or say farewell to anyone.

But still, he had said it. The word lingered a bit in the air.

"Sweet dreams, cher," I replied. I slowly looked back at others, scratching my head sheepishly.

"Sorry. Didn't expect it was going to take a… serious turn, mon ami." I cleared my throat. "Anyway, since I lost the game, it's time to tell you my embarrassing story."

"Oh yeah! Your embarrassing story!" Ino said, looking at the others. Slowly, they all started to remember the purpose of the game.

"Do you have one?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Hmm…" I rubbed my chin, thinking deeply. Then, a moment later, my cheek started to heat up.

"You okay? Your face is turning a bit red." Shikamaru said.

I laughed softly. "I… just started to remember my first crush."

Their eyes widened in surprise.

"OHHHH! That sounds interesting!" Ino leaned forward, eager to know.

"Your first crush?! Are you sure you want to tell us about it?" Sakura asked.

"It's okay." I shrugged. "I really don't mind it. Besides, I can't remember who it was." I scratched my neck. "All I remember is that I… did something silly and maybe… a bit cringy."

"Cringy?" Chouji tilted his head.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Well, tell us! Don't leave it hanging!" Naruto urged, bouncing with curiosity.

"Okay, okay." I grinned, shaking my head. "It all happened when I just moved to Konoha. A few weeks later, that was."

As I slowly began, they all became quiet.

"The sun was setting that day. I was in downtown, exploring the village. My uncle had allowed me to look around until eight. As I jumped across the rooftops, something caught my eye. It was a girl with short hair. She was holding a sunflower in her hand and was trying to give it to a boy. I didn't want to disturb it, so I was about to leave. But then, I heard the girl cry. When I turned back, the boy had left. The girl stood there for a while before running away. She was still holding the flower in her hand. When I saw it happen, I couldn't help but feel worried about her. It was silly, I know. But, something inside me told me I should go after her. And check if she was okay."

"And did you go after her?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "I searched her everywhere until I finally found her at the bridge."

"What did you do when you found her?" Naruto asked, eager to know more.

"Well… I walked up to her and asked her if she was okay. And then… I was frozen."

"Frozen?" Shikamaru's brow raised.

"Yeah." I nodded. "There was something when the light caught her, you know. She was… belle. Très belle. I had never seen a girl so radiant, like the sunset."

They all grinned widely except Ino. Her expression was different—there was a mix of intrigue and a bit of embarrassment, but I can't be sure.

"So, your heart was immediately stolen, eh?" Sakura teased with a grin.

I chuckled. "You could say that."

"Did you talk to her?"

"We did for a while. I made some jokesーterrible ones, of course. But she laughed. I was glad that I made her smile."

"Hmm, so what did you do after that?" Naruto asked.

"After we talked, I asked her if I could have the sunflower. She was about to throw it away into the river and… I didn't want it to go to waste. I said to her, 'Like a sunflower, it can bring happiness to someone. Maybe you and I could be happy if you gave it to me. I promise I'll take good care of it,' or something like that."

They started to giggle, covering their mouth.

"Wow, that was smooth, Darou. Smooth." Shikamaru said, giving a sideways glance.

"How old were you when you said that?" Chouji asked.

"I… was six at the time soー"

"Six?!" Naruto's eyes went wide open. "No wonder, you were such a smooth talker."

"Oh, come on! I was just copying what my uncle did! I saw him saying like that to Kurenai-sensei when she came to our compound, so…" I blushed heavily.

To break the awkwardness, Ino cut in. "Do you still… keep that flower today?"

I looked at her. There was something different in her face. It was as if she had been wondering it for the whole time.

"I do." I nodded. "Before it withered, I asked my grandpa if there was a way I could keep it longer. He then told me I should press it. He helped me with it, and it's still hanging in my bedroom."

Her voice hitched a bit after my answer. A warm pink slowly bloomed on her cheeks. She then softly smiledーa warm, appreciative smile that spread across her face. Her smile felt a bit familiar. I could not remember where it was, but it was at some time and in some place I had seen it before.

"Hey." We were interrupted.

We turned back to see our Jounins standing at the entrance. They've just come back from their night recon in downtown.

"What were you doing?" Kakashi-sensei asked. "I told you all to go to sleep. It's almost midnight."

Naruto replied. "We were listening to Darou's story after we played a round of cards andー"

"Wait, cards?" My uncle cut in, his brow raised. "Who brought a deck of cards on this mission?"

"... I did, Uncle," I replied. "I figured we would be away from Konoha for more than a week, and… I thought we could spend some time together to catch up on things…"

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, exchanging his glance with his colleague.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Darou." My uncle replied, "But next time, try not to play it long. Okay?"

"I understand." I nodded.

"Alright, everyone," Kakashi-sensei said, getting our attention. "Get your futons ready. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

"Busy…? Why's that, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, curious.

"We'll tell you everything in the morning, Sakura," he replied, his tone soft. "Right now, you all need to sleep."

And so we tidied up the things, laid out our futon, and went to sleep.