Nayoko hated hospitals. He hated everything about them. The smell of antiseptic that lingered on everything in the entire building, the sterile taste that hung in the air and caused his mouth to go dry, and the bright, ever-shining lights that seemed to follow him silently like a crowd. But all of those things grew strangely dim in comparison to the memories that always resurfaced when he so much as looked at the building. His mother had sat in this very building for weeks on end all those years ago. He had visited with his father and sister, and at that time it had been a place of hope. It was a place that had people with the ability to save his mother. Nayoko had believed that with all of his heart, but it was all for naught. All of his belief, all of his hope and faith, it had been rewarded by his mother’s death. It was for that reason that Nayoko only ever came here when necessity dictated it, and the injury he had sustained just a little while earlier seemed to be necessity’s most prominent dictation yet.

Nayoko, through years of training and growth, had come to terms with his mother’s death. He knew that being angry at the world and not moving on would do nothing for her, so he had moved on. Nayoko had grieved as long as he needed to, and was now living to be the man that would make his mother proud. And yet, as he walked toward the front doors of the building, his friend Shimada by his side, he could not help but feel the slightest inkling of despair creeping into his thoughts. He stopped for a moment, standing still outside of the hospital, the place of healing that he had come to know only as a place of death. He shuddered a little bit before looking up at Shimada, the weak smile on his lips trying desperately to hide the sorrow building behind his eyes. “Sorry Hattori-chan, this isn't my favorite place in the world. My mother…she,” he choked back his next words carefully before continuing calmly, “she passed away in this very building many years ago. Being here just brings back some memories is all.” His smile strengthened slightly, “But I guess we shouldn't hang around. Let’s head on in.”

He pulled the door open and allowed Shimada to step through first before following her in. The soft echo of their footsteps striking the perfectly white floors sent a shiver down Nayoko’s spine. He placed his hand on Shimada’s shoulder gently and ventured a glance into the rubies that acted as her eyes; they were exhausted. “I’m going to go check in, and see if I can get this treated quickly. Thanks for coming with me! If you want to stick around feel free, but I can’t help but notice that you seem really tired. Maybe you should see someone too?” With that, he walked up to the counter in opes of getting help soon, the pain from the slash across his chest was beginning to flair up again.

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It seemed like a warm day, but inside, deep within her soul, something cold stirred. Something bitter she fought hard to suppress, and yet, never fully sealed or forgave. The hospital always invoked the nihilistic feeling inside of the Hattori woman; expressions Shimada should could never shake off and part with. Writhing in the back of her exhausted consciousness like a festering illness waiting to strike at a weak moment. She wondered just how many people had fallen victim behind the white-washed walls and staff waltzing around every sharp corner. The scent of antiseptic and soap lingering wherever they traversed like coated phantoms in sterile apparel.

She knew she was not the only victim, but dwelled eerily on the heavy subject weighing in on most of her thoughts. Pale hands instinctively tightening into fists at the torrent of memories that came rushing in - muted, faded, but burning like dying stars. Three years ago, everyone she had loved had been taken away from her in one foul swoop, leaving her uncle buried six feet under, and her beloved aunt trapped in a coma she never awoke from. It had crushed Shimada's will, but at the same time, blessed her with a resolve she could be content with. A will to protect the ones she loved and cherished; to never experience such a tragedy again.

If only for the moment, however, as the red haired female believed she had not yet atoned for the vow given that fateful day, and constantly blamed herself for their fates. Guilt hidden in the confines of her heart, sometimes unnoticeable, but always there to rear its ugly head when confidence came to falter and was replaced by a cracking layer of assurance. A constant reminder when she came to frequent her aunt's room and switch out the dying daffodils with a bouquet of fresh ones. To sit and speak with the shell of a woman she no longer considered alive, but desperately hoped all the same to hold a real conversation with one day.

The only response she was ever given was stilted breathing and the rush of air being pumped into inactive lungs.

Shimada often considered whether they would be disappointed in her, and concluded that, yes, they would be. Many more times then she could count. But at least she had a few good events to make up for the bad. The man walking beside her was one of them, and she studied him carefully as they neared the hospital. Snapping out of her depressed musings to focus her attention on his paling face, searching the reason for his sudden halt in progress and the shiver that crawled up his spine. The paper thin smile he offered was weak, pathetic, and, in all her observant behavior, easily seen through. It was his eyes that bore the blunt force for the nature of his pause, dark orbs she figured the color of glassy brown appearing far too barren for her liking. The friendly light clouded by some inner pain she could just make out and piece together.

His expression, the choked words he wrought out, ushered in her a twinge of sympathy. They both had experienced tragedies within a place known to save, but had taken away, and for that, Shimada frowned ever so slightly. The pull of her thin lips downwards a twitch of a movement. She'd bequeath him her somewhat similar tale of woe only if she could have unlocked her jaw to speak. But no words on the matter came out. All she managed to award him for his confession was a shuddering sigh and a downcast stare. Even if she had completely wanted to inform him of the circumstance, she was sure she could not discuss the topic without choking up on some unshed tears.

Crying, to her, was for the weak, and not to be seen in public. The condition of her aunt was something she had told herself she was over, but deep down, knew to be untrue. "I'm sorry to hear that... Must have been a wonderful woman." It was all she could force out, face unusually emotionless as she forced herself to keep the placid mask under lock and key in broaching a painful subject familiar to her own. Carefully, weary of his crack in demeanor, she stepped in through the door that he had held open for her, uttering a quiet "such a gentleman you are," before making her way towards the front counter. Sandals shuffling softly against the floor and the typical sterile scent infiltrating her senses.

With her crimson hair and red eyes, she surely stuck out against the colorless setting.

"You leaving now?" Shimada questioned, stopping at the warm hand that was placed on her shoulder, and turning around to look him in the eye. Face fully exposed to him. Ruby mingling with smoky brown. The young kunoichi blinked slowly at him, tiredly recalling her prior exhaustion, and how it all seemed to come rushing back. Damn. "Ah, for a moment, I had forgotten, but now, not so much. In regards to your suggestion, however," a humorless smirk crinkled the corners of her mouths into a mirthless, grim smile, " there's no fixing what I have. Best just let it run its course. I do appreciate the suggestion, however. If you require my presence as testimony to your battle wound or what not," waving a hand, she gestured off down a hallway she knew that led to her aunt's comatose location, "I'll be down that way. Take all the time you need; no rush." Concluding with a tap to his shoulder, she whirled around on a sandal clad heel and stalked off down the hallway.

Dreading her visit all the same.

It never got easier.

Nayoko glanced over his shoulder one last time to watch the kunoichi with the crimson hair twirl around and walk down the corridor, the click of her sandals against the nearly spotless floor echoing all around him. He watched her walk away, frowning at her back in protest to her departure. He wished she would stay, and he cursed himself for it. he had no right. He had already seen today that whatever wall he had broken down the night that they met was built back up again. She had tried to say something to him earlier, he knew it, but the mask of apathy she wore so well had reformed perfectly. Oh Hattori-chan, I wish I knew how to remove the mask for you. Emotion of any kind suits you much more. As these last thoughts lingered on his mind he heard another voice entering his thoughts.

“Um…sir? Hello?” Nayoko snapped out of his stupor, realizing all too late that he had been staring at her as she walked away, once again losing all sense of what was around him. He spun toward the nurse that addressed him. “You must have lost a lot of blood to be spacing out like that. Come one, I’ll take you to a room and get someone in to heal you up while I call the authorities. They’ll want to know how you got this." The woman said, gesturing to his bloody shirt and the jacket he had tightly tied across the wound. Nayoko stood and nodded stoically and proceeded to follow the nurse down the corridor opposite to Shimada’s destination. Nayoko let out a sigh, cursing himself again for being so upset at such a small fact. Grow up man, he thought to himself as he stepped into the small hospital room. He was only in the room for a minute or two when a medical ninja entered carrying an array of stitches, cleaning components, and a clipboard. Nayoko listened to the ninja before him to and obeyed every word he said. He laid down on the table and allowed his injury to be properly cleaned, wincing ever so slightly when the doctor began stitching him up. The pain was brief however, and after the application of some decent medical ninjutsu Nayoko was feeling almost as good as new. He sat up in the bed and was about to head out when an older chunin entered the room, carrying a notepad and a pen. It did not take long before the new guest in his room launched into question asking with vigor. Nayoko answered almost all of the questions truthfully, but conveniently left out the business about the “Nara” who had led him to the woods. To the authorities, it would just be a random missing-nin attack, nothing more. But to Nayoko, it was personal.

His mind leapt back to the note that had been left for him at the scene. A taunt, a compliment, an order, and a mystery all in one small note. The implications of it were staggering. Either the man who claimed to be a Nara was actually a member of his mother’s family tree, or the man knew an uncomfortable amount of information about Nayoko and was using it against him for some reason.In either of those cases, why would he want me? What did I do to him? Why does he care? It makes no sense at all. The possibilities ran through Nayoko’s mind continuously as he answered the ninja’s questions to the best of his ability. It took about half an hour before Nayoko was finally allowed to leave the room. He stepped into the hallway and was made his way back down the hall toward the entrance. His mind was swimming with information as well as questions, so much so that he almost forgot about Shimada waiting down the other hallway. Oh crap! Nice going Nayoko! First you can't stop thinking about her and when you need to, you just forget! Well don’t just stand here reprimanding yourself, go find her!

He stopped himself mid-stride as he rounded the corner to head to the front doors and spun around so clumsily that he bumped into a nurse who was carrying an armful of papers. “Oh shoot! I’m so sorry ma’am! Let me help you,” Nayoko dropped to his knees, scraping up the former contents of this lady’s arms hastily and shoved them back toward her. “Sorry again! Gotta run!” He rounded the bend, speed walking while trying to seem inconspicuous toward the hall that Shimada had directed him to. At this point I’d be surprised if she even stayed to wait for me! As he neared the corridor, he slowed himself down and allowed himself to listen for any sign of his ruby-eyed friend. He walked slowly down the hallway, listening to each door hoping that he would hear her say something, or see her though an open door. It was then that a thought crept into Nayoko’s mind. So wait a minute, why would Hattori-chan come to the hospital to wait for me, then disappear into the hallways of the hospital as if she belonged here. Is she secretly sick or something? Maybe there’s another one of her friends in here as well. Maybe- he stopped himself. It was none of his business. Why was he having such a hard time remembering that?! He barely knew this woman, and yet he wanted nothing more than to know more about her. He shook his head and sighed, inspecting his shoes and the surrounding floor for a moment before continuing. Whatever she is doing, she did ask me to come find her after. And even if she hadn’t I have to thank her again for walking me here. He glanced around the series of rooms that he had found and began to listen very carefully, Now where is she…”Hattori-chan?” He began to ask in a somewhat hushed tone so as to not disturb anyone else in the rooms around him, “Hattori-chan? I’m all done with the report and the healing. Where are you? Hattori Shimada? Hellooooo?”


Nice going Nayoko...

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It was a quiet stroll down the hall, her face calm despite the lingering distress writhing somewhere in her narrow chest. She could feel it, buried, but struggling to smash past the barrier she had so carefully constructed in an attempt to keep true thoughts in, and the ones she wanted people to see out. It always happened, especially when she got closer to the ever familiar room; heart thudding in her ears, throat constricting, jaw clenching as Shimada paused just outside the closed door. Her mind abuzz with whirling contemplation of the current situation, and the reason for her sudden visit.

Nayoko had not minded her abrupt departure, had he? She had given no word, no meaning for her heading down the opposite hall, and had left him to fend for himself in the checkup process. Of course he could take care of himself, but what did that make her? Not a very concerned friend, it would seem. The musing rattled painfully against the back of the young woman's skull, and she furrowed her eyebrows together in a faint expression of guilt and bemusement. When had she become so brooding over another's situation? After all those years, perhaps something was finally starting to change.

But just not her opinion of herself.

Apprehensive, she sucked in a sharp breath, taking no more time to pull open the door to the scene she knew was waiting for her. Blocking out the thoughts of the man she left behind in the waiting room, and focusing it on the figure that never got easier to witness. Her expression, often apathetic and stoic, softened immediately. "Hey, Aunt Hattori. How are you doing today?" It was pathetic, attempting to make conversation with the prone female, but she was desperate to follow the same routine she had done since her younger teenage years, and stepped up to the bed. Half-lidded ruby eyes scanning the woman with an unchangeable exhaustion.

Messy onyx hair framing a pale face, there seemed to be no resemblance to the Hattori with the crimson locks, but a few features remained characteristic. The high set cheekbones, thin eyebrows, and slender jaw. Marred, of course, by stress lines and wrinkles, and covered over by a breathing apparatus. The constant clicking and whirling of air being pumped into still lungs like white noise, the only thing keeping Shimada grounded in the quaint room. It was surreal, being back in the presence of her aunt, but she was determined to make up for the lost time for not having visited sooner.

A fake mirth laced the young woman's wavering voice. "A-Ah, tired, huh? Well, I guess we feel the same. It's just..." she wracked her brain for the correct word to keep up with imaginary conversation going on in her head, "...so quiet without you and Uncle Hattori around. I got him some new daffodils the other day, but he wasn't that talkative, so I left him alone. Interesting, right?" Shimada probably appeared like a crazy person to anyone else, but it was enough to keep her from completely falling apart at the seams; talking to drive away the disappointment she felt in herself. It only seemed to bring on a deeper exhaustion, however. Her sandals scrapped the floor awkwardly as she made her way over to the wilted daffodils suspended by the bedside, pointed gaze weakening. She made a mental note to buy flowers for her later. "Met a man a little while ago." Continuing, one index finger fiddled with a decaying petal idly. "You would have liked him. Tall; kind; confident. Something your niece doesn't have, right? Funny thing is," a humorless chuckle escaped her, "he's a fellow Hattori. I couldn't believe it, but perhaps you can make some sense of it..."

Her voice dropped off, leaving the kunoichi to her bitter thoughts. How she was simply tired of everything, and just wished for the ache to go away; the pain of the past something too difficult to leave behind. Shimada wondered if he was doing alright. If he was looking for her at the moment, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the now suffocating room. It had grown unbearably hot, ribs constricting to where it was hard to breath, and she could feel herself losing any strength left. Knees collapsing under her weight, lowering her to the floor beside the bed where she could easily search the empty face of a comatose aunt. She didn't know why she did this to herself, the self-torture at being so helpless, but she figured it was to remind her of her vow. Her promise to atone for not being able to save the ones she had loved so dear. Tears prickled the back of her eyes, and she instinctively swallowed back an ugly sound; pale hand with trembling fingers clamping over her mouth in defense.

She was not going to cry. Not ever again, and yet, she could not help it. The crimson haired female almost wanted to laugh at the pitiful state she had deteriorated into. 'For my sake, help me. I'm such a damn mess, perhaps I really do have some problems deep down. I've always had a sense of worthlessness anyway, but it only comes out in these desperate moments.' Thin lips pulling into a frown, Shimada gazed silently at her aunt; a flicker of sorrow glinting behind her teary eyes, and shattering a piece of her expressionless mask. Dammit. 'I really am useless sometimes.' The woman would have remained as such if she had not picked up the faintest call of her name down the empty hall, drawing her out of her moment of guilt and thrusting her back into harsh reality. She knew that voice.

Nayoko was near.

Hastily, she wiped her eyes with the back of a hand, careful to ensure tears, if any had fallen, were not found on her cheeks and stood. Reapplying the mask with unstable precision, and shoving her hands into the pockets of her coat. Hopefully, he may not notice. "Here, Nozara-kun!" Shimada could only produce those words at the wavering tone of her voice, and said no more in fear it would give away her time of weakness.

Hospital trips always left her more weary and depressed then before, and this one sure was no different.

She could forget her exhaustion, however, for the time being if necessary. Keeping up appearances was more important to her than sleep.

Especially in front of Nayoko.

His confidence was wavering with every passing second. She’s gone home already. You know it’s true. Why would she have waited for you anyway? She’s done enough for you today. He sighed a deep sighed and turned around to head back down the hallway. Then he heard it. Her voice, shattering the silence that had watched Nayoko with such spite, caused him to almost jump out of sheer surprise. "Here, Nozara-kun!" His first reaction was to smile. She was still here! He would get to see her again, even if it was only for a moment. But something was wrong. Her call to him had been stoic, as per usual, but something was off. There was a slight waver, not strong enough to be a tremble, but evident enough for Nayoko to realize that something had caused her to falter ever so slightly. He called out, “Oh there you are! I thought you had left!” as he walked down the hall toward the room that she had called from; all the while preparing himself to hold back any overbearing concern that he was sure would well up inside of him.

“Thanks for waiting up, I didn’t- oh.” He stopped mid sentence as he entered the room. Shimada was standing there in front of him, staring back at him with those unflinching, tired, beautiful eyes, hands in her pockets as if unconcerned with what was around her. But behind her was a woman laying on a hospital bed. She was pale, pale enough to remind Nayoko immediately of Shimada, but her dark hair was no where near the shade of crimson that Shimada possessed. She had the same face though, for the most part at least; even through the breathing apparatus the woman was equipped with, Nayoko could see that much. Nayoko stood in the doorway, silent for a moment, taking in everything around him. His eyes drifted across the woman on the bed, and slowly found their way to Shimada’s face. He looked at her, and swore that he could see the physical mask she was wearing. He held her gaze, his mouth falling into a small frown of sympathy. In that moment, he realized he may have made a huge mistake. “Hattori-chan I…I’m sorry, I should have stayed in the hall if you want me to.” He bowed slightly to her in apology, there was no funny business this time around. He stayed like that for a moment before standing up again and re-fixing his gaze onto Shimada. “If you um…If you don’t mind my asking, who is she to you? Family?” He waited anxiously, hoping that he had not overstepped his bounds. But he could not help himself, for the scene was all too familiar.

It could have been this very room for all Nayoko knew, that his mother had occupied all those years ago. The image of her laying in the bed, working with all of her might to stay awake to talk to Nayoko was almost too much for him to take. He could see her clearly, propping herself up and telling Nayoko stories about her family and the Land of Water from whence she had come. Nayoko could not help but smile at that; those were some of his best memories. His mother sharing her life with him had made him feel so loved. As he snapped out of his stupor he reached into his shirt and pulled out the pendant around his necklace, which he always wore. The silver chain and Hattori clan symbol on the end sparked in the oppressive hospital lighting. He held it for a moment before turning it toward Shimada. “Regardless of who she is, I know she must be important to you. I can see an exhaustion in your eyes that you won’t be able to hide from me no matter what Hattori-chan. I know it all too well.” Despite the sorrow that was welling up in his chest he forced himself to smile at her. “And even if you don’t want to talk about it or tell me anything at all, that’s fine. But if you need to, I’m here. I just want you to know that.”

With that, he tucked the necklace back into his shirt and stepped back so that he was out of the doorframe, respectfully giving Shimada the chance to tell him to leave. And there he stood, hoping that she could sense the sincerity in his voice. He wasn’t doing this to get her to like him, he wasn’t doing it because she thought she would think it was sweet, he was doing it because even if Shimada would not admit it, Nayoko knew the pain that she was experiencing.

Or at least he thought so…

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It took her a moment to realize he had spoken, that he had responded to her call, but she remained silent as she imagined him drawing nearer, finally choking back a heavy breath when he stepped into the room and into the oppressive gloom. The simple "Thanks for waiting up, I didn't-" dying at his lips, just as she had predicted. Stilted and... surprised? Was that the word to define the look on his narrow face at the moment? She could not consider it at the moment, preferring to avert her eyes away from him in a slip of desperation that left her attempting to appear more composed then she actually felt.

He was staring, almost in an inquisitive manner, but there was a sadness in his gaze. A penetrating sliver deep below the murky irises that normally held so much light and warmth, and yet, displayed a form of hidden hurt. Friendly glow replaced by a look familiar to Shimada all the same.

As if he had seen this same scene play out before... Perhaps his mother? He had spoken about her passing away here before... But at least he seems better then before with that wound sealed up...

The Hattori woman's paling lips pulled into a tight frown, a thin scowl, that she pinned on him unconsciously. Defensive when he looked from her aunt lying still under the covers to Shimada standing by the bedside. She gazed at him in silence, holding his stare and refusing to look away again despite the burning in the back of her eyes; intent on observing him closely. The kunoichi sought for something she could jab at, a crack in his tall figure that would suggest negativity towards her, in her now seemingly pathetic appearance, but she found none. Nothing that would signal to her disappointment in his features. Only a frown of sympathy. At that hurt more than being labeled as 'weak' in the moment of revelation.

Sympathy was all well, but in the way she saw it, conflicting. Her fists clenched, nails imprinting crescent marks within the palms, and she sucked in a shaky breath. Anything to calm the pounding of her heart against her rib cage. "If I didn't want you to come in, I would not have given away my location." She explained quietly, swiveling her eyes over towards her aunt, and then back towards Nayoko just in time to catch the end of his bow; stiff and apologetic. He really thought it was a problem, didn't he? Her eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully as he continued, his next question bringing an indifferent pain she was barely accustomed to, and therefore, unsure how to answer. It never was easy trying to explain the situation; even the simplified version. Three years, and she still could not speak of her family without feeling the urge to break down and shatter the mask she was now refusing to wear. It was just too tiring to keep it on with consideration of her facial expressions. "Family, but... more specifically my aunt. She's basically the only mother I've ever known, and she's," her throat instinctively tightened, and she swallowed hard to prevent it from completely closing up, "been like this for a while now. Nothing they can do, the doctors said, because they can't find out what's causing her to remain comatose."

It was a brief explanation, but just enough to make her feel uncomfortable in the hot room. Listening to the beeps of the breathing machine, and wondering what was going through her friend's head. It seemed like an eternity, standing in the room shuffling awkwardly side to side, before he reacted; pulling out a pendant from his shirt, and showing it off with slow gestures. The Hattori clan symbol, that much she knew, hanging between his fingers like a looming emblem of heritage. A breath hitched in her throat, and her eyes followed the swaying movement of the necklace carefully. Transfixed in her solemnity when he spoke of importance, familiarity, and comfort. He was extending a hand out towards her, to listen to her, and, perhaps, she in return. The young woman was immediately stripped barren of her cracked apathetic guise, face exposed to reveal true thoughts and emotion.

Sorrow; bitterness; desperation.

Lips trembling, almost as if half-opened to say something, she watched him step back from the doorway and back into the hall. Like he was daring her to turn him away, and bid him 'farewell' for the remainder of the day. And as much as she did not like too much company during her visits, mostly out of embarrassment in being caught in such a weak position, she did not want him to leave. The silence this time would be too much for her. "Please, don't." It was more of a plea than a statement, and she hated herself the way it came out. "I don't think I can handle being alone at this moment, so, please." Her eyes broached his carefully. "Just... let's talk, for a while. I think we both could use it. You seem to carry some pain as well."

He had never listened so intently in his entire life. All those years at the academy, all of those scoldings from his parents when he was a young troublemaker and, much to his own disappointment, all of the stories told to him by his mother on her deathbed; none of them had held his attention like the words being spoken to him now. He could blame his age, that he was too young at the time to hold the conversation for too long, but even he knew that was just an excuse. He knew that right now, he needed to listen more than he ever had. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of the young woman standing before him. He watched her closely as she explained her relationship with the woman on the bed. An aunt, and yet, so much more than that. The only mother she has ever known…He had to stifle his own bout of tears as memories of the mother he had lost began to saturate his mind’s eye. Not now Nayoko, this isn’t about you. This is about her. The mystery of her aunt’s comatose state was a concerning one at the very least, and Nayoko could see that it had taken it’s toll on the young Hattori woman.

He waited for her response to his offer, and what he received was not at all what he expected, but he was happy it happened. He watched the mask on her emotions crack. It was a small crack at first, not much more than a scratch really. But before too long the crack spread across it’s entirety, finally ending with a complete shattering of the guise she held. Nayoko swore he could hear the pieces hit the floor. He watched her begin to crumble from outside of the doorway. Her lips began to tremble, like she wanted to say something, anything, but could not find the words. And then he saw it, the flash of an emotion had not witnessed Shimada display before this point, as her eyes met his. "Please, don't." In those two, simple words, he knew all that he needed to in the moment. She was nothing short of desperate, and she must have hated it. "I don't think I can handle being alone at this moment, so, please." Their eyes met and lingered. "Just... let's talk, for a while. I think we both could use it. You seem to carry some pain as well."

Nayoko allowed himself to smile; a soft, caring smile that spread onto his face with the hope of showing her that he meant her no harm, and that he wanted to be there for her. He stepped into the room again and walked over to a small round table that was set up in the room, presumably for visits with the patients. But today, it was for them. He pulled out a chair for his friend, and stepped around it to sit in his own. The sound of the breathing machine played constantly like it was holding a beat for the silent song that must have been playing around them. He pulled a paper cup from a dispenser in the room, filled it with water, and placed I across the table so that Shimada could have it. Then he sighed, and decided that his story would be the first to be told today. He took off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair, beginning to speak. “You’re not wrong Hattori-chan. I haven’t had many people outside of my father and sister to talk to about this. Thanks for listening.” His smile slowly faded as he began to recall the events of his childhood.

“I have always been close with my family, as long as I can remember we would do things together. Play games, go for hikes, and just have a good time. I love them so much…” His voice trailed off and he swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat. “Seven years ago, when I was 15, my mom got very sick after my sister was born. She came to the hospital here and stayed for two years. She was in constant pain and could never leave, except to walk around the grounds every once and a while. She started to live here, and so did I. She told me about her home, the Land of Water. She was born there but moved away when she was just a young girl. She never new why, but she longed to go back someday and see it…She never got to.” Nayoko could feel the tears beginning to well in his eyes, but is time he did not stop them. "She passed away after those two years here. One day she was feeling stronger, and the next, gone. Like the mist over the lake in the morning. Just gone.” He tried to sigh but it came out as more of a shudder. He looked down, not wanting to meet her gaze. “I just really miss her when I come here is all. I’ve grown because of her, and I’ve vowed to go to her home someday. I want to be a ninja that she would be proud of and I have come to terms with the fact that she is gone. But this place, it just hurts.” He waited silently for a moment before raising his eyes again, the tear stains remained on his cheeks but the flow had halted. He smiled a weak smile. “But I know you know all about that. Like I said, you can’t hide that from me…” He waited for a minute before speaking again. “Now it’s your turn Hattori-chan. Trust me; it feels good to get it out.” He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully, words he knew might make everything worse. But he went for it anyway.

“It’s okay to cry, Hattori-chan.”

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A smile. That was what she received, but had not been expecting. Caring and sincere, it reminded her more of her aunt when she would come home as a young girl; all knees scrapped and tears in her eyes from a rough day at the academy. Bestowing upon her motherly figure her woes, and always, always, being reward with a smile like that in return. Someone who really cared. And for that, she was a little more comfortable then before. Still unsure and wavering in her will, but better off with that one expression. Shimada made a mental note to thank him once all was said and done for everything that will be shared in the confines of the quaint room.

Carefully, she watched him, following his movements as Nayoko went for the table set up for visiting family and pulled out one of the chairs. She could not help the smirk that threatened to pull the corners of her lips upwards at his action despite the solemn mood. Thinking back to the prior hour or so when he had opened the door for her, and she had uttered to him how thoughtful his manners were. Or, perhaps now, a gesture of aid, but whatever the reason, the Hattori was grateful. "That's kind of you..." Murmuring, she nodded towards the cup of water he had provided her, and accepted it with a shaky hand trembling from nerves. Pale fingers bringing it up to swallow a mouthful that was greatly needed. Her mouth felt as if she had been chewing cotton and swallowing sand for the last few minutes.

Placing the half depleted cup back down on the table, she knitted her hands together and balanced her chin on her crossed fingers. Taking care to be considerate in her gaze as she watched him intently. Listening as he started to spin his own tale of woe and loss. Nayoko's face seemed to grow serious with every passing word, and finally, she saw it. Tear tracks making their way down sculpted cheeks to angular jaw. Something painfully writhed in her chest, and she nearly acted on a whim to grab at his hand in comfort. But that was not her. Not wanting to interrupt, she crushed the feeling and remained still. His voice a rumbling tremor against the steady beeping of the machine; his confession witnessed only by her and an unconscious woman not a few feet away.

He had been carrying this emotional baggage, too, but seemed to have had people who cared to speak with. His sister; father. She could now add herself onto the dismal list. But for his mother - his own mother - to pass away so suddenly when she seemed to be getting better, and without another word? It just seemed so unfair. The shuddering of the man's breathing, the aversion of his gaze, planted a sliver of uncertainty in the back of Shimada's mind. Was she really the best person for him to be saying all of this to? At this point, it was too late as she had also agreed to share her inner turmoils, but what she could do to help? No... the best she could do was listen. Listen, watch, and be a supportive figure just like her aunt would have wanted her to be. Just like the Hattori woman never had until now.

Her eyes, more tired then ever, reflected off a sorrowful understanding. It was hard to speak, but he seemed to do it effortlessly; save for the evidence of tears, however, but it was only natural. And Shimada nearly let slip a more bitter expression when he finally addressed her. So it was finally her turn, huh? She did not know where to start. "I really am sorry to hear about that, Nozara-kun. No one should go through that kind of pain, but I've learned the world is cruel and bitter, and offers you no guarantee for a future. Those lost along the way... we remember them, but in moments sometimes full of suffering. Your mother sounded like a wonderful woman, and I'm sure she would be proud of who you have become. You'll fulfill to her her wish of going back to visit her home one day, I'm confident of that." Taking a pause, she stopped to drain the last of the water from the cup to ensure her throat would not close up during her part of the conversation, and retook her cross armed position. Ruby eyes wrought with red staring into his dark tear stained orbs.

'I've never been one for crying...'

Leaning back in her chair, she heaved a heavy sigh and ran a hand through her messy crimson locks. Bracing herself for what she was going to say, and taking a moment to collect her thoughts. Here we go... "I never knew my real mother or father, but I was told they died to ensure I survived the night I was born. My mother handed me off to my aunt, and I suppose she perished right after. A missing-nin attack, I believe, though I was never given the real details about what happened." She could feel something heavy growing in her chest, blossoming like a wound, and inhaled a shaky breath to soothe the ache. But it didn't seem to work. "For fifteen years, I was raised by my aunt and uncle like they were my real parents, and for the whole time, I didn't care who they were. Just that they were family and loved me like their real daughter. The light of their eyes, and I swore to protect them when I graduated from the academy. But it looks like I failed." The broken chuckle that she ushered lacked mirth, and she could finally feel the tears starting to build once more; hot against her eyelids. "A rogue broke into our house one night when I was coming back from a simple mission, and when I arrived, I could do nothing. That night, I watched my uncle get slaughtered right in front of me, and my aunt-" She barely could choke back the sob that threatened to escape, and gripped the edge of the table in frustration. "Something happened to her, something that rogue did that put her in a coma, and I couldn't do anything to save them!" It was then something wet slipped, and she jerked back. Unfamiliar with the strange, foreign sensation, causing her to shakily reach up to her eyes and draw an index finger to find the calloused pad damp.

'Tears...? I said I wasn't going to cry...'

And despite the anger she felt at being weak, she pressed on. Sharing with him the full story as he had done with her. "I promised myself I would never let that happen ever again, to protect the people I love and grow strong no matter the cost. But I just feel like I've... disappointed them. I couldn't stop them from their fates, so what does that make me?" Shimada did not want to meet his gaze, but everything pushed her to defiantly look him in the eye with her teary face and expose a side to her that was so rarely witnessed. A defeated depression she refused to let go even after everything that had occurred. An ugly sound, like that of a sob, wormed its way from her chest, and she clenched her jaw in distress.

"Worthless...?"

Nayoko had managed to take a few deep breaths before Shimada finally began to speak to him. His composure had returned for the most part, and he was ready to do everything he could for her in this moment. He placed his elbows on the table and leaned in so that he could hear every word, even if she became quiet. The story he heard her tell made him experience something that he had only felt once before. It was the same feeling that had enveloped his very soul the day his mother died; and now here, alone with Shimada and her sorrows, he felt it again. Heartache. It was a dull throb that pulsed with each pump of blood through his body. It washed over him and caused him to almost let a groan slip from his lips. Even as she finished her first thought, he knew that she had known so much more pain that Nayoko could imagine. He remained silent and listening as she finished her drink before she continued, crossing her arms.

He watched her lean back and began to relate the tale of her childhood. A mother who died when she was born, a father unable to protect his daughter, and an aunt and uncle that took her in. He glanced past her to the woman on the bed, a frown beginning to form on his lips. He heard Shimada's breaths coming in shaky, erratic intervals as her emotions bubbled to a boiling point; the mask she wore so well all but forgotten. But it did not end there. Then her family attacked while she was gone, her uncle murdered, her aunt plunged into coma from which the doctors said she may never return, and all of this defined by the guilt that Shimada could not shake. It was only now that her mask was gone completely that Nayoko could see the true weight that she carried. It was as if hundreds of weights were attached to her very soul by so many chains, her guilt and frustration defining her every action. Then he saw them, the tears that sprung unbidden to her eyes. She was choking back sobs and forcing her way through every word though he knew that it pained her greatly. Nayoko’s own eyes began to tear up again. He knew nothing of sorry compared to this woman. Where his life had been accented by death and loss, Shimada’s had been defined by it. Suffering saturated every corner of her existence, and to live in that shadow must be destroying her. He watched as she reached up and touched the tears that were forming in her eyes, almost appearing shocked that she still could cry.

She pressed forward, finally uttering words that broke Nayoko’s heart and forced him to bite his tongue that he would not speak. "I promised myself I would never let that happen ever again, to protect the people I love and grow strong no matter the cost. But I just feel like I've... disappointed them. I couldn't stop them from their fates, so what does that make me?" She seemed to force herself to stare directly into his eyes, everything in her gaze screaming for help, for comfort, for anything. Then she said it. The one word that snapped Nayoko’s resolve, it broke from her lips like a sob that she had been holding for eternity.

"Worthless...?"

He did not mean to react as violently has he did, but he had given up control at this point. The room had become a hotbed of emotion and he was not able to push through that to grasp at the logic which had decided to flee from their presence. He stood up abruptly, his teeth clenched, his hands balled into fists, and his tears gone. He wasn’t sad any more, he was past that point. His voice was not loud, but it was stern, “Dammit, Shimada, how can you say that?” He had given up on honorifics, on proper addressing, he just needed to get through to her. “I know you have been through hell, I know that your life has been nothing but tragedy accented by more tragedy, and for that, I am truly, truly sorry.” He sighed, trying to regain composure, “But Hattori-chan, what you have been through, what ill fortune has befallen you does not make you worthless. I agree with you! The world is cruel and bitter, and offers you no guarantee for a future. But that does not have to mean that you have to give up on the possibility of one. I was not guaranteed to get your help this morning, but I asked anyway, I was not guaranteed to survive that fight but I fought through and survived, and there was no guarantee that you would join me for a drink a couple nights ago, in fact the odds were against me, but dammit Hattori-chan, I asked anyway!” He stopped for but a moment, but he was not done, not by a long shot.

He stepped around the table until he was right next to her and crouched down so that they were at eye level, his voice softened. “Hattori-chan, we have no guarantee for anything this life, and because of that, you can’t hold yourself responsible for what happened to your family. You were 15 years old, same as me when my mother fell ill. We were young, we were foolish, we thought we could do anything,” he reached out and let his hand rest gently on her shoulder, “but we couldn’t. And just because we now know that reality, that doesn’t mean we should give up on what we want to become, and what out families would want us to become. You say you feel like you disappointed them? That you haven’t been able to protect people you care about? Well Hattori-can, what about today? Tell me what that was this morning in the woods! You protected me. I would be very hurt, or worse, if I had to take on all three of those guys alone. But I didn’t, because you were there. You helped me.” He sighed, trying to keep himself calm. He carefully analyzed his next thought a couple of times before he spoke, pouring all the sincerity he could muster into the words. “Hattori-chan, worthless means that you have no value to anyone or anything; the only guarantee that I know to be true in all of life is that you are not worthless.” He pointed to the woman on the hospital bed, hoping against all logic that even she could hear them in her comatose state, “Because I know that while she lives, she will love you…and,” he lowered his hand, “I know that you’re my friend, so I care about you too.”


He was done now, as all of the stress and tension in his body loosened as he remained there, crouched in front of this kunoichi who he knew was far stronger than even she knew, the sound of the breathing machine breaking the silence that pressed in on them around the room.

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His reaction had put her into shock; into a confused state she had not experienced since she was a young girl living in an empty house for the first time. Haunted by ghosts of the past, and a turmoil she chained to herself in self-loathing. As soon as the word had slipped past her trembling lips, Nayoko jumped up so abruptly, practically knocking the chair over in his violent wake and striking surprise into the Hattori woman's chest. Never had she, in her brief time of knowing him, seen him more animated than then. Violent even, the way his jaw clenched hard and the shadow in his dark eyes was transformed into something so much more. Shimada would not be surprised if he acted out, noting how his hands, curled into fists, shook with suppressed emotion.

She had only been honest; blunt and harsh against herself. Speaking her mind of what she really thought, and it was like a double-edged blade. The stern sound of the tall male's voice one side, his stressed expression the other. Her tear stained eyes reflected off an indistinguishable light of negativity. Shimada, in her clouded consciousness, knew she was in for a rough scolding. It was only likely after the nihilistic speech she had pledged herself to.

No proper speech or honorifics, he was straight to the point. Taking no time to waste around as she could only simply stare at him in her solemnity. The heat of the room unbearable against their seething emotions - their confessions - that mingled viciously. The tension was almost too much as she listened, chin angled up to allow her to shakily meet his gaze, pale fingers scratching marks into the table in frustration. As someone saddened, burdened, it was easy to get caught up in a whirl of other feelings, and anger was just one of them stabbing its way through her heart. She gritted her teeth despite Nayoko speaking bitter truths, and though she wanted to agree with him, she held onto her anger.

He truly did not understand her, did he? Those years spent alone, letting the thoughts of loathing build up like a festering wound never to be healed from lack of acceptance. Why couldn't she just finally let it all go? Shimada averted her gaze from him, blood boiling through her veins, and a narrow jaw locking up in denial. How could anyone expect her to believe those words so easily after all that time? Justification to herself would take time, but in the heat of the moment, a veil had fallen over the logical side of her mind. Her emotions, now that the mask was completely shattered, were running away from her.

And she had not experienced such helplessness in a long time.

"How can I accept those words so simply? Just forget everything I've thought of about myself for the last few years? I dug a grave for myself I can barely see the end of; climbing out into the light is something I do not have the strength for..." She whispered sharply, a bitter tone wedged in her voice; teetering on the precipice of aggression and utter exhaustion. Her mind between snapping at him with all her violent intent or blocking out the conversation all together. Shimada nearly went for the latter, anger flaring up once more in her narrow chest before he had stopped, composure calming ever so slightly in a way that took her off guard. The young woman wanted to lash out, keep the tension in the air going as he stepped around the table and knelt down near her. Eye level, voice soft and not as strict.

She wished the man would just scream. Get angry, yell at her for thinking she is of no worth. But instead, he relayed to her matters in where she had been important. Friendship; survival; consideration. And he did not stop with that, preferring to continue on and torture her more with the comments of young adolescents who had virtually no power against greater forces in the world. Those who should not give up just because tragedy befell that was greater than what they could prevent. Shimada, hands shaking, nearly flinched when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Warm but solid; there in the moment. Even in the heat of the moment, when tempers were flaring, Nayoko was giving out a comforting gesture. He was too good for her.

The woman remained silent however, ruby eyes wrought with the emotional toil cast down onto her balled fists resting on her knees. Mind rattling with sharp thoughts. 'I did help him, didn't I? Early today, those three... But I can't fully convince myself on one act alone...' A heavy sigh escaped her lips, chest rising and falling erratically with the pounding of her heart, but she quieted her breathing just in time to here him utter a wrenching statement.

"Hattori-chan, worthless means that you have no value to anything or anyone; the only guarantee that I know to be true in all of life is that you are not worthless." Big meaning for those seemingly basic words. The sincerity was enough to break her even more, and Shimada could practically feel the frustration slipping out of her blood with each beat against her rib cage. Her eyes, once dry, suddenly felt wet once more, and she blinked away her gaze from his. Teeth clenched together, lips pulled down into a visible scowl. He gestured to her aunt, and she nearly lost her barely reclaimed composure. "I know that you're my friend, so I care about you too."

She swallowed hard; lingering anger corrosive on the back of her tongue. "Tch, what a drag t-this day is..." Choking out, she ran the back of a hand along her eyes, suddenly feeling too tired to carry on her wrath any longer. It made her feel pathetic, but she could not care at the moment. "You smart ass, thinking you can persuade m-me so easily. Why do you have to be so damn good at berating me?" Shimada mumbled quietly, the only words she could pronounce without collapsing into another pathetic sobbing mess. Desperate to collect her dignity from when it had been stripped bare.

"I yield." Exhaling a heavy breath, she slowly pinned her burning gaze onto him; feeling more dead inside than she had ever been before. "I'm sick of feeling so damn tired about myself all the time, I just want it to get better. But I'm a stubborn woman who has never been good at letting go of my past problems or accepting the truth from others, and so, I don't." Humiliation coursed hot through her at the thought of the event that had just played out, and the kunoichi wondered if Nayoko could ever forgive her for her weaknesses. For her flaws against herself.

Hopefully, they had not disturbed her aunt too much.

"Nozara-kun..." It took her a moment of careful consideration to completely swallow her pride to ask for aid, but did she even have the right to call him that anymore? Shimada was unsure of how to address him due to the outburst that had just transpired. "I need help... please. It's like I can never wake up and accept those who care for me, who actually think better of me than I do myself, without denying my own mind atonement for my guilt. I've had it for this long, I can't simply shake it off and walk around without thinking about them, so..." The Hattori did not know if it was applicable to inquiry; eyebrows knitting together, watery eyes weak through the haze of tears as she observed his face. "Help me believe everything you've just said. That I'm not a disappointment; that, at fifteen years old, there was nothing we could have done. That these things just happen sometimes. I..." Heaving a heavy sigh, she paused to think of her next words; breathing background noise against the machine providing life to her aunt in the hot room.

"...want to believe you."

What strange place we’ve ended up in. This woman, this beautiful woman, with whom I wanted to become closer to, and me, Nozara Nayoko, have been reduced to crying, yelling, confused, and broken people. Here we are, standing in a room, tensions running high, emotions boiling over. How did we get here? These thoughts and many more flew through Nayoko’s mind as he listened to Shimada’s rebuttal to his sudden outburst. Her jaw was locked, her voice was quiet, sharp, and bitter, and her hands clenched into solid fists of a strong kunoichi in her lap. She made a good point, he could not deny that. Even with her telling her story to him, he had no idea who she really was or what she had gone though. Sure, he knew what loss was, but to have your only family murdered in front of you, that was far worse than anything Nayoko had experienced. Even so, he continued, softer, but with words that carried weight, and he could see that she felt that as she reacted to the words that flowed from his lips, laced with pain and understanding.

And suddenly, the tension fell away for but a moment. "Tch, what a drag t-this day is..." her voice caught in her through for a moment, and Nayoko almost broke down again at the sound it made. "You smart ass, thinking you can persuade m-me so easily. Why do you have to be so damn good at berating me?" Shimada wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and continued with words that allowed a long sigh to break from Nayoko’s lungs. "I yield." They exhaled in unison and she continued, baring her soul to him. He could see the embarrassment in her eyes as she tried to avert her gaze from his own. The emotion in the room was palpable, and Nayoko had to continue breathing deeply to keep enough breath in his lungs. “Well, I’ll agree with you there. This day has been a bit of a drag,” he smirked for just a moment before he continued. “I never wanted to force you to yield, but I couldn’t just let you think that. You’re worth so much, Hattori-chan. You’re a strong kunoichi who makes Konoha a better place just by being here, plus you bring so much light to other people when you want to. Take the other night, for example. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time, you made my whole week by showing up that evening.”

He could see that she was thinking intently, so he waited for her to continue, finally being rewarded for his patience with the soft whisper of his name. What followed was nothing short of a confession. She needed help, and more than that, she was asking for it. The she saw her chains of guilt as locked by someone who had thrown away the key, and she certainly did not know where it was. Her brow furrowed as she searched for the right words. Finally, a plea came from the woman who Nayoko had come to know as so strong and so independent. A cry for help; "Help me believe everything you've just said. That I'm not a disappointment; that, at fifteen years old, there was nothing we could have done. That these things just happen sometimes. I..." She sighed and paused, searching for how to conclude the thought…

"...want to believe you."

Nayoko was at a loss. He looked past her, trying to think of what to say, what to do, what he could possibly change about this circumstance that would change the mind of a woman who had allowed herself to be buried by guild for so long. His mind raced as he thought through everything he could do, and how every option seemed to make everything worse. He almost began to panic until he thought back, back to a moment he had almost exactly like this, but with his sister. His mother’s illness had set it just after she had been born, the exhaustion it had put on her weakened his mother’s immune system, and the rest was history. One day, Nayoko’s sister, Kioko, had come to him after a day at the academy, and was crying. Nayoko had tried to comfort her, but to no avail, until she finally said what was on her mind. Nayoko could hear the words clearly in his head as if it was yesterday. “Big brother, why did I have to make mommy die?” It had torn through him like a hurricane, and nearly hurt him as much as the day his mother passed. But then he remembered what he had said.

Nayoko’s mind snapped back to the present; his dark brown eyes turning swiftly to lock with Shimada’s ruby-red ones. Slowly, he slid his hand down from her shoulder until they rested on her fists that were still sitting n her lap. His calloused fingers gently pressed against the taught skin of her hands. “Hattori-chan,” he began softly, “I can’t prove anything to you. I can’t present a case with evidence, I can’t tell you the story of what happened in a different way that removes all of the guilt that you feel, but I can tell you the facts that I know. You were young, you were scared, and you were in danger. Your uncle fought to save you and your aunt, and here you are today, sitting in front of me in the same room as her. I won’t deny her state of health, I won’t tell you that everything will be alright, but I will tell you one thing. If she was awake right now, she would tell you the same thing I am. She loves you, Hattori-chan. She wants nothing but the best for you, and she would not want you to sit here and continue to wallow in your guilt.” He paused, smiling softly and squeezing her hands ever so slightly, “You don’t have to live in the past anymore. Your family wouldn’t want you to. You don’t have to continue to be the little girl that watched from the sidelines. You can become the woman that they would want you to be. Because even if you aren’t guaranteed a future in this crazy world, you sure as hell can work for one.”

He stayed like that for a moment longer, just resting his hand on hers, before finally letting go and standing up in front of her. He waited for her response, hoping he had done enough, and praying that no matter what, she would stop hating herself. The beeping of the breathing machine was agitating in the air around him, and he secretly longed to leave the room, but he wouldn’t until he was asked to, or until he was accompanied by the woman before him.

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She stared quietly at the man in front of her, analyzing his face for emotion; simultaneously wondering how this had all started, and what was to be of the outcome. The Hattori woman had snapped, that was for sure, at the young male whom she had begun to truly call 'friend' somewhere in her mind, and guilt filled her. Crushing at her chest, making it hard to breath in the hot, tense room. Shimada, wary of the emotion, dragged her red eyes from his and towards the wilted vase of daffodils in silent reprieve. Ears open, but sight fixated on one point. Anything to prevent him from staring into her eyes and seeing anymore of the raw emotions swirling just beneath the tear stained irises.

Feeling almost pathetic, she attempted to soothe herself by listening to his quiet responses. Hearing the faint smirk in his voice and then the words offering solace rather than grievance. His whole night, huh? She had done that, just by showing up and providing a few hours worth of company. Her lips threatened to twitch into a careless slack smirk despite the stress lingering in her heart. "I'm... glad, actually, that I met you that night. If I hadn't," Shimada, heaving a heavy sigh, contemplated the bitter possibility in her head, "I would probably be still tying myself down to the past, never having been given that push forwards. At least, I assume that's what would happened more or less." She mentioned nothing about praise, finding she could not accept it, and preferred to remain silent for the rest of his speech.

At one point, however, he grew silent, and she swore she could see the gears in his mind working. The far away look in his dark eyes that had overcome him informing her that he was recalling something important; more sorrowful then good. But, as soon as it had begun, Nayoko's focus was back. Carefully, the Hattori woman glimpsed at him from her peripheral vision, concealing her concern with a shaky mask of eerie calmness as he started. His voice beginning again with not words, but actions, calculated as the warm and solid hand on her shoulder slipped down to come to a stop at her own folded hands. Shimada grew still as the calloused fingers, ones belonging to a working man - someone who has handled rough business and foes alike - pressed against her knuckles. Gentle and strong and real. It reminded her of her uncle, but this time far different.

She almost wanted to joke, to point out he was technically holding her hand and get a laugh, but the situation was serious, and therefore, not appropriate. Her thin lips, bitten previously to stop the first onset of sobs before their conversation, were held still. Sealed to utter not a single sound, and it was for the best. What Nayoko commented on nearly sent her face dissolving once more into an emotionless mess of distress and frustration. "I won't deny her state of health, I won't tell you that everything will be alright, but I will tell you one thing. If she was awake right now, she would tell you the same thing I am. She loves you, Hattori-chan. She wants nothing but the best for you, and she would not want you to sit here and continue to wallow in your guilt." He squeezed her hands, pausing as if searching for the correct way to conclude his statement before continuing on with a soft smile touching his lips. “You don’t have to live in the past anymore. Your family wouldn’t want you to. You don’t have to continue to be the little girl that watched from the sidelines. You can become the woman that they would want you to be. Because even if you aren’t guaranteed a future in this crazy world, you sure as hell can work for one.”

Her heart throbbed against her rib cage, and she held her breath for just a moment.

How long had it taken for her to even considerate contemplating other's point of view on the matter? To possibly conceive the notion that, deep down, there was a silver lining at the edge of the dark? That the grave she thought she had actually dug for herself had a way out somewhere? For all those years, she had nihilistic thoughts, regrets buried in the back of her mind, and all that needed to help was a similar, but far more comforting soul... There was a sharp truth in his words even she, though not wanting to completely accept, had to acknowledge. It was different, the age, the gap in experience from her past self. The child that thought the world literally had ended and there was no security in sight.

Become someone who she could be proud of.

Shimada, hands trembling on her knees, wondering if some veil had been pulled from her eyes, barely could bring herself to glance at the older male. Meet the dark orbs of burnt honey that seemed to hold so much warmth and honesty; opinions to an idea she thought she could never have. Salvation. If she had been another woman, a more expressive kunoichi, she could have hugged him then and there in show of gratitude; appreciation of someone supportive. But being the Hattori she was, she simply choked out a breath of air instead to ward off the positive feelings and peered into his face. Mind reeling to think of possible ways to reply to his words. "You... no, I did not expect to hear as much from anyone. Not the way you said it. But, for that, I..." Lifting her half-lidded eyes, she swallowed roughly. "...I thank you. For actually speaking to me, and for, perhaps, getting me to listen if just a little. You can be quite charismatic with your phrasing, even going as far as to use my words against me?" She sadly shook her head, but finding some mirth somewhere in the slow action. "Interesting." Stopping, Shimada watched as he stood, as if signaling things in the room were coming to a dismal close.

In the stillness, breathing machine beeping audibly in the background, she swiveled her gaze towards her comatose aunt, but, for the first time in a while, felt nothing but remorse. No hate; loathing; or regret. Just exhausted sorrow towards a fallen loved one. It struck her. "Hmm... you must have said something to change that stubborn heart of mine, but probably not for long. If I go back to hating myself again - though hopefully it won't be as severe - I do not want you to look down upon me. I'm not easily changed, as I may have informed you before, but for now..." Something indistinguishable graced her lips. "I feel as if a weight has lifted. Nozara-kun, I won't ever be able to express it, my appreciation at you helping me sort through my grievances, but know I mean it when I say 'thank you'. And," she reached a trembling hand towards him carefully, "could you help a emotional exhausted woman up? I've spent most of my strength on this morning, actually, but I wanted to ensure you made it to the hospital alright. I apologize for shoving all of this onto you so abruptly, especially when you're wounded." Shimada confessed, wondering if it was acceptable to ask for his hand after everything she had just put him through.

He didn't need any more stress in his life, surely, and she failed to know if he was alright from the topic of the conversation; the depressing approach it had plummeted to. He had spoken of his own mother, but did not seem too worse for wear. She would make sure he was fine at another point, perhaps when they were out of the medical facility and putting the events at the back of their minds. It was the least she could do for him.

"Oh, Nozara-kun, one more thing." Shimada frowned ever so slightly. "Do not speak a word of what happened to anyone else, please. I may have showed you something I never wanted to, but you witnessed this vulnerable moment, and in my concern, I wish to keep this a secret. I prefer my reputation to stay as an apathetic woman..." She mumbled, staring at him, and waited for the man to take the next move.

She may not completely forgive herself, but it was a slow start to perhaps a lengthy road of acceptance.

She refused to look at him for some time, which caused Nayoko some distress. Perhaps she’s gone too far now? Maybe she has already written me off. Regardless, I will speak my mind. He pressed on though his speech. He hoped that something he said would reach her, and just when he thought it was too late, he saw her tighten. Everything about her tensed, and her hands, still held by his, began to tremble. He heard her inhale and hold her breath briefly, as if she had been winded by the words that he spoke so gently to her. Those few seconds seemed like an eternity to Nayoko, each moment allowing for the inklings of regret to permeate his mind, each moment causing him more distress than he had felt in years. And then she looked up. Their eyes met, and while the red of her rubies and the dark brown of his own eyes danced together in the abysmal hospital lighting, he saw something in her open. A floodgate of some sort had just creaked slightly open inside of her, and in that moment he knew that he had reached her.

She looked like she wanted to say something, or even do something for but a moment, and then as the breath in her lungs released she began to thank him. Nayoko smiled at her compliments, but payed them no more heed than that as he remained watching the light reflect off of her eyes, and the flow of her crimson hair over her shoulders. It was when she had finished that he stood up and waited for her to join him. She glanced toward her aunt in a moment of quiet contemplation before she turned back to him, assuring him that he had helped, despite the fact that it would take more than this one conversation to change her way of thinking. He nodded in understanding, remembering how long it took him to get past his mother’s passing. All of those years at the academy had been such a distraction, they were what had got him through. Seeing Shimada sitting there before him now, he knew that he would do everything he could to be that helping hand, if she would let him. She then continued with words that brought a warmth throughout Nayoko that he could honestly say he had never felt before.

"I feel as if a weight has lifted. Nozara-kun, I won't ever be able to express it, my appreciation at you helping me sort through my grievances, but know I mean it when I say 'thank you'. And," she reached a trembling hand towards him carefully, "could you help a emotional exhausted woman up? I've spent most of my strength on this morning, actually, but I wanted to ensure you made it to the hospital alright. I apologize for shoving all of this onto you so abruptly, especially when you're wounded." If he could have seen how he reacted in the moment from her perspective, he would have been embarrassed. His eyes grew slightly wider, and his mind flashed back to the last time he had taken her hand to help her. The smell of the sake from that night flooded his memories, and the happy look she had worn flashed into his mind’s eye. And he stared. He stared at her hand just as he had stared at her the first time they met. He felt such a genuine compassion for this woman who he had only recently met that his mind was reeling. He did not know why, nor did he know how, but he knew that in this short time, he had come to care for Shimada a great deal. And for that caring, he was thankful.

His thoughts were broken by her voice again, "Oh, Nozara-kun, one more thing." Shimada frowned ever so slightly. "Do not speak a word of what happened to anyone else, please. I may have showed you something I never wanted to, but you witnessed this vulnerable moment, and in my concern, I wish to keep this a secret. I prefer my reputation to stay as an apathetic woman..." She mumbled, seemingly embarrassed by what had transpired, regardless of how thankful she was. He waited silently for just a moment more, and then reached out and took her hand. As he did, as if on impulse, he pulled her to her feet. He was gentle enough that it would not hurt her, but quick enough that it would probably surprise her. He stopped her once she was up, and still holding her hand, and standing close to her, he looked down into her eyes seriously, while smiling gently. “I would never betray your trust Hattori-chan, and I will respect your wishes…” His voice trailed off as he looked down at her, blinking slowly, surprised at himself for doing something so reckless. He did not waste any time, and continued his thought, “But I think that emotions suit you. Whether they are sorrowful ones like those that fill the room around us,” he smirked, “or bubbly ones brought on by a little too much sake.” What are you doing Nayoko? And a better question; why are you doing it?

With that he turned, beginning to let his hand slipped from hers having already helped her up and stepped toward the doorway, putting an arm’s length between them. “Let’s get you home, and get some of that breakfast you were out to get this morning. It’s the least I can do after putting you through such a rough day.” He laughed softly at that and waited for her to walk with him, ready to follow her lead once again.

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She had spilled out so much, exposing to him the pieces of her heart, that it almost felt... empty. Lighter then it had even been, and for that, it was something of a temporary comfort. All because of the young man who had decided to listen and instill portions of painful advice; words both meaningful and bitterly poignant. The shinobi with a strong will the Hattori had thought she had possessed, but now truly wanted.

Barely related, appreciative in the brief time of their friendship, and he had done more for her than others in her entire life. Shimada felt he truly was a kind man, and a blessing to be around. Nayoko had stated she had brought light to the people around her, but she could only contemplate that it was he who presented such a force. His personality was contagious, smile friendly, and for that, nothing expressed her gratefulness other than the faint smirk she could produce. Hopefully, enough to show the crimson haired woman was, in light of everything, in a fairer mood than before.

In the silence that befell them, however, she noticed he paused in accepting her hand, and simply gazed at her outstretched fingers in some form of... curiosity? Wonderment? Observation? Shimada could not make out the look on his face, the expression glinting in his dark brown eyes like pieces of coal, and she wondered hesitantly if it was the wrong course of action. But that could not have been it, as, taking a closer look, she realized he just seemed to be thinking. Analyzing the scenario with recognition, perhaps as if he had witnessed the event in the past. It did not dawn immediately on her, however, and it mostly took her by surprise. The similar memory flickering through her mind like glimmering short-lived fireflies.

The warm pub and thick scent of sake in the air. Staring up at a man she had just met, asking for aid in successfully standing up in her drunken haze. Back then, she had been inebriated, unsure of her movements, but now, it was the exact opposite. Shimada knew exactly what she was doing, where she was, and who the male in front of her was. It was of her own will she asked this time around. "You look a bit frozen there, Nozara-kun." But the light edge in her otherwise tired voice was the same. "Charmed by my looks? I understand I cut a unique appearance, but you seem quite intent on staring; you there?" She inquired anxiously, contemplating if a faint teasing was appropriate for the darker mood of the room. It was the only option she could consider; attempting to break the morbid atmosphere. Waiting for him to potentially help her up.

The young woman almost considered he would not act until he finally grabbed at her hand, her breath hitching in her throat as he pulled upwards. In one swift, smooth motion, Shimada was standing inches away from him. Ruby eyes widening in surprise, and her gaze searching his; the warmth on her hand the only thing she could focus onto. Nayoko's gentle smile took her further off guard. “I would never betray your trust Hattori-chan, and I will respect your wishes…” He quieted after speaking, eyes closing shut slowly and opening at the same speed as if he had startled himself with his strength; the speed of his own reaction, but the emptiness did not linger long this time. “But I think that emotions suit you. Whether they are sorrowful ones like those that fill the room around us,” he smirked, “or bubbly ones brought on by a little too much sake.” At his words, playful as she thought them, Shimada stiffened. Feeling a wave of heat seeping into the pale flesh of her cheekbones, and threatening to turn her face into a red hue of embarrassment.

Oh, wasn't he being frivolous in his word choice?

Fighting back the blood rushing to her softened features, she started anxiously. "W-Well, aren't you being the mischievous one? Anymore and I'll think you're flirting with me, Nozara-kun." She imitated his smirk with one of her own, finding the moment easier to handle by mocking him playfully back. As soon as it was over, his hand slipped from hers, taking the warmth with it, and she watched as he stepped into the doorway. Signifying the conclusion. Heaving a heavy sigh, waving silently at her bedridden aunt, she slowly joined him. His offer of a late breakfast and the prospect of sleep pushing her forwards.

Though she felt exhausted, Shimada felt a content bitterness well inside of her from the day's events, and she permitted a smile to faintly curl her lips upwards. "I appreciate it, really.. Respecting of what I ask, you keep your word." Halting in her statement, she glanced wearily at the ground. "And, I must admit to taking up your offer. Food is something I had forgotten about, but I will remind, I suppose." Walking beside him, she snickered ever so softly to herself. "You still owe dinner for this morning."

Nayoko smiled when he accepted her offer for a meal, and chuckled along with her as she reminded him of how he owed her one. “That’s true! Let’s get out of here.” As they stepped through the corridor and toward the lobby, Nayoko reflected on all that had transpired that day. The trap, the fight, the note, and now this. What a day… He shook his head at his own actions as they replayed in his mind, especially those pertaining to the last few moments in the room. He had never been one to be so forward, so risky. But for some reason he wanted to be when he was around Shimada. You’re acting like a high school student with her Nayoko. Smarten up or get out of this before you mess it up. He could hear the warning thoughts echoing in his mind, but they were being drowned out by the memory of the words that she had just said to him. "W-Well, aren't you being the mischievous one? Anymore and I'll think you're flirting with me, Nozara-kun." That is not what I’m doing, that’s for sure. But for some reason... for some reason I’m not completely put off by that. Am I flirting? Damn Nayoko, you really are being childish.

They continued walking in a comfortable silence, him holding the door for Shimada once again as they exited the place that they had both come to loathe. They stepped out into the sunlight and Nayoko couldn’t help but inhale deeply, standing up on the tips of his toes before exhaling and falling back onto his feet. “Now that feels good doesn’t it? The fresh air always feels amazing after a good cry.” He turned to look at her and smiled. “Come on Hattori-chan, let’s get you some food before you pass out.” With that, he began walking toward the market district.

He tried to remain in such a good mood for a while, but with each step they took his mind drifted back toward the note he had found that very morning on the body of his assailant. It left him so confused, and in desperate need of answers. But he also knew from that note that he would have to travel to the Land of Water and confront the mystery man that had been following him around; the one that secretly bore his mother’s family name. He glanced up at Shimada and felt a pang of regret in his chest. He did not want to leave her, but he knew he had to. The least I can do is tell her… They arrived at the Market District in very little time and Nayoko decided not to waste any more than was necessary. “The choice is yours Hattori-chan, it’s my treat, but once we sit down to eat I…I have something to tell you. It’s nothing too terrifying it’s just, I just want you to know is all.” He waited for her to choose a place and contemplated how he would explain his situation. Since honesty seems to be the theme of the day, I’ll go with that I guess… He looked on, and prepared to tell his tale, silently hoping that she would be disappointed that he would be leaving for a time.

Heck, maybe she’ll want to come along…

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Shimada immediately felt her head clear as she waltzed out of the room and slunk down the corridor, sandals shuffling against the floor the only sound she focused on. That, and the man strolling beside her.  Longer stride leaving her always taking two steps for his one, but it was not something she minded. Instead, she simply remained silent and listened to the stable beat against the polished floor, letting her mind wander as they walked further away from the room that held too many stressful memories to count.

The event that had just transpired one to be added to her list of regrets as well as improvements. If she was to think better of herself, to begin the slow process of acceptance, it had to start with a push. One given to her by the tall dark haired male who seemed to be drifting off in his own thoughts with each step towards the lobby exit. Could she blame him? So much had happened in one day, it was almost impossible to logically organize the events in a simple order without recalling the moments prior that had led up to key points. Nayoko asking her to aid him alongside a foreign shinobi from Kirigakure; the fight against three missing-nin that ended up with her companion sustaining a wound and two dead; the hospital visit that turned into a pit of misery and deep painful confessions on both their parts. Shimada was surprised she could still walk from the physical and emotional toil of the day, but suspected it probably affected Nayoko just as much.

Anyone would be exhausted from one conflict after another.

The crimson haired woman, however, snapped out of her thoughts when the door was held open for her, and she peered up at her companion. A light smirk threatening to break free from the apathetic mask she was still working to mend. "Still opening doors, I see. That's a trait I know I can appreciate; chivalrous as you are..." Shimada mused thoughtfully, stepping out from the gloomy building smelling of soap and antiseptics and into a world of color and sun. Permitting a blissful sigh to escape her thin lips just as the man she walked with joined her in the open air. Bouncing on his toes like an excited child seeing snow for the first time. Perhaps a change of atmosphere was all the pair needed. "Well, I believe I will have to agree with you there, Nozara-kun. Feels much better than inside that solemn center." Commenting off to the side, she trailed after him as he started to head in a direction she knew as the market district. Finally feeling some of the hunger pangs worm their way into her empty stomach.

About time.

As they walked, she cast her eyes onto the ground, and watched her shadow mimic her against the flat plane of ground. Taking each step in time, never hesitating for a second. It amused her for just a moment to see Nayoko's own shadow stretched higher than hers, but she glanced away to focus on watching where she was headed. Fixing her attention back onto the beginnings of the market and not the shades playing chase across the roads.

The scent of cooked food was so hypnotizing that Shimada almost missed his words, and snapped back just in time to catch the end of his sentence. Something about it being on him followed by a more serious intonation that sent her mind immediately reeling. A torrent of scenarios and possibilities flooding her consciousness. He said it was nothing severe, but it left a vague ending she could not help but fill in. A sudden incurable disease? A truth she would be better off not knowing? Or, perhaps, a murder that he was the only witness to? Ah, but that was perhaps stretching the truth a little too much, and she dismissed his wave of concern with a flick of her hand. The least she could do was reassure him.

"Whatever you have to say, go ahead, but first, I'd like to grab something from that street vendor." She gestured with a pointer finger to a simple stand hosting a couple of men cooking skewered meat tucked away near other similar vendors. "After that, please do not hesitate to inform of me of what you have to say. If it is important..." The Hattori woman fixed him a stare. "...do not leave any details out." And with that said, she slunk off towards the vendor, hoping Nayoko was close behind.

He said he'd pay, after all.

Nayoko wasted no time, nodding and stepping over to the stand and purchasing two sticks of the cooked meat fresh off of the grill, Thanking the vendor he stepped over to Shimada and handed one of them to her. “Alright let’s grab a seat,” he said calmly. He led her over to a table and pulled out her chair for her, just as his mother had taught him to always do. Then taking his own seat he began to bite into the meat on his stick. After a few bits, he began to tell his story, opening up to Shimada fully and leaving nothing out.

“Hattori-chan, do you remember that note that was on the body of one of the men we fought this morning with Daiko? I mentioned it did not bear any good news, but I didn’t say anything further at the time,” he sighed. “That is because I wasn’t sure what to do at the time to be honest. It was a note from the Nara that I mentioned before, only, that’s not his name. His name is Koyanagi Tano. I’ve never heard of him before, but you see, Koyanagi is my mother’s family name!” He paused after that, letting his words hang in the air before he pressed on. “My mother’s family was originally from Kirigakure no Sato, but according to my mother, they left when she was just a baby to come here, to Konoha. She had always wanted to go back to learn about her family, but now I’m afraid the learning has come here. All of those missing-nin were wearing defaced headbands of the Village Hidden in the Mist, and now one of them has identified himself as being related to my mother in some way. It seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to just to get into my head, so I’m inclined to believe the name that is written here. I just, I don’t know what it means.”

He stopped again, taking a few more bites of his food frantically, as if eating would somehow remove his confusion. He took a couple of deep breaths and then continued. “The note told me to travel to the Swamp of Sorrow in the Land of water, which is pretty close to the village there. I know it may be a trap, and I know it is probably dangerous, but I have to go.” The last few words came out stronger than the rest, as if it was not only an assurance of determination, but a command to himself as well. He nodded sternly and looked into Shimada’s eyes. “I’m not asking you to come with me or anything, that would be insane, but I will be leaving for there soon....and I…I wanted you to know. I didn’t want you to think that I would be the type to just take off and not say goodbye to a friend like you, so I wanted to tell you that I will be gone for a time.” His voice began to trail off for a moment as thoughts rushed through his head. His voice began to come out more softly, and faltering slightly as if to convey how serious he was while also trying to remain gentle. “I need to know where this man is from, and what he knows about my mother. I need to understand what is going on, and the only step that makes sense now is to go after him. I should be due for a promotion soon, and after I get that I will be leaving for Kiri. And I want you to know,” he paused again, not able to help himself, “I want you to know that I will miss you Hattori-chan.” There, I said it. In their breif time together, he had formed a bond with this young woman, and he wanted to keep it strong, even in his absence.

His words hung in the air for a moment, unsure of how to follow them up he just smiled a small smile, waiting to hear what Shimada had to say and beginning to stand to leave after he devoured his meat on a stick. “And um, that’s all…” He had told her what he knew, but it was not much, and he hoped she understood why he told her. He wanted her to know that he would come back to see her. He would make sure to. He had to; for her sake.

Or maybe it’s for my own sake?

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Shimada watched as he purchased her choice of interest, acquiring one for himself, and handing her the other. It would be enough to finally make her feel a little more stable on her feet. The Hattori woman nodded in acknowledgement to his offer of taking a seat, following him quietly to a nearby table without commotion, and sat down when he pulled a chair out for her. Just like all the other times, but she thanked him politely nonetheless. 'Good manners.' As hungry as she was, she restrained herself from eating ravenously, instead submitting to taking smaller bites. Allowing the savory flavor to wash over her tongue. Her eyes remained on Nayoko's, however, intently staring until the man finally moved to speak; her voice shutting down to permit him all the time in the world to relay to her what was so important. That had had her guessing negative possibilities to news that may have not been too life-threatening. No matter what he announced, Shimada would take it in stride.

“Hattori-chan, do you remember that note that was on the body of one of the men we fought this morning with Daiko? I mentioned it did not bear any good news, but I didn’t say anything further at the time,” the shinobi across from her heaved a heavy breath of air, and she wondered if there was a deep weight pressing somewhere down on his chest. Stress from the morning that held one too many surprises.

"Hmm, then I see what this is about." Shimada piped up in his brief phase of silence, eyes prompting no expression save for a flicker of interest. It was the note, then; the one the self-proclaimed 'Nara' had taken trouble into having him retrieve. It seemed he had been an ominous figure in Nayoko's life from the start. The crimson haired woman immediately quieted, and, leaning back in the chair to continue eating, focused on the story once more.

"It was a note from the Nara that I mentioned before, only, that’s not his name. His name is Koyanagi Tano. I’ve never heard of him before, but you see, Koyanagi is my mother’s family name!” The kunoichi, normally stoic, could not help the surprise that fluttered across her indifferent expression at his words; thin eyebrows arching upwards ever so slightly when he paused to let the information settle in. Indeed, that was a problem. Shimada steepled her fingers together in her lap, the stick the meat had resided on laying abandoned on the table in her haste to completely turn her attention onto the grave meanings. The statements of harsh truths almost impossible to believe. Her features, though remaining passive, bore a sort of hard edge.

The man, Koyanagi, a related figure; facts hinting back to the origin spot in the Land of Mist. Ground zero. She frowned as he continued, and knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, where he was going. "The note told me to travel to the Swamp of Sorrow in the Land of Water, which is pretty close to the village there. I know it may be a trap, and I know it is probably dangerous, but I have to go." His conviction, the determination, was too strong to be faked, and looking into his dark eyes - the burnt brown she had grown familiar with - she saw no hesitation. He really was going to travel there soon. “I’m not asking you to come with me or anything, that would be insane, but I will be leaving for there soon....and I…I wanted you to know. I didn’t want you to think that I would be the type to just take off and not say goodbye to a friend like you, so I wanted to tell you that I will be gone for a time." His voice grew soft, transforming into something gentle yet firm; conveying the intention of explaining with severity. “I need to know where this man is from, and what he knows about my mother. I need to understand what is going on, and the only step that makes sense now is to go after him. I should be due for a promotion soon, and after I get that I will be leaving for Kiri. And I want you to know,” he paused again, not able to help himself, “I want you to know that I will miss you Hattori-chan.”

And that hurt worse.

Her throat constricted tightly, and she swallowed to prevent it from closing up on her as she gazed pliantly at him. Hands clenching in her lap, face a nervous mask of indistinguishable emotion. Shimada would not admit to having abandonment issues, courtesy of the lack of parental figures in the last half of her adolescence, but she felt something that could be described as similar welling up inside her chest. Overwhelming; suffocating. She did not know what the reason for the sensation was, but perhaps the thought of him leaving to never come back scared her. More than it should have. The only friend she had in a long time, never returning? It was an image she did not want to imagine. But it was no use arguing; no use in getting him to stay longer for her selfish reasons of companionship. He could handle himself, and she could, too. The Hattori had lived alone for a few years, so what's a few months at the most? She was, at the very least, appreciative he informed her of the situation, and that he was going to miss her. Those words she had not heard since her aunt and uncle's untimely fates. Hopefully, it would not be an echo of the past for that would be something she could not handle.

'I just need to focus on the now. Pull yourself together, Shimada, and stop acting like you wont see him again. He's fully capable, and you're a grown woman.' She berated herself, and then slowly glanced up at his face. Watching the slow smile curl his lips upwards; posture beginning to straighten as if he was preparing to leave. She had to say something, anything, but her jaw felt like it had locked tight. The Hattori woman provided a faint scowl, and, taking a few moments to loosen her gritted teeth, finally managed speech.

"I feel honored, really. You missing me? Well," she awarded him a bitter smirk, one not matching her eyes, "I haven't heard that in a long time. Perhaps, it'll be more like the other way around, but I wouldn't..." Shimada awkwardly cut herself off, faltering for another second as she switched to a different topic; erratic in her words. Almost as if she could feel herself slowly coming undone; the day just not in her favor. "No, but, ah, your promotion? Congratulations. Perhaps we should celebrate when you get back, though I'll say I'm not far behind as well. You'll probably want to leave right after, however, so commemorations should wait until later." It was going all wrong in her head, her thoughts running away from her, and she halted her progress to stop the rambling slipping past her lips.

'I'm becoming such a mess! Dammit, why can't this be easy?'

Her apathy was breaking, and she needed to mend before wholly exposing her true emotions to him again; not again. Taking a deep breath, relaxing, she choked back the anxiety threatening to rise and wore the best indifferent expression she could muster. Shimada was affected by his statements of leaving more than she had considered, and desperately attempted to lessen the ache through hiding. Hoping he could not see what she would not reveal despite her slip in composure. "Ah, just, when you leave, please tell me. Other than that, I..." she breathed out a heavy sigh, "...wish you a safe journey, and that you find what you are looking for. If you ever need a kunoichi on your travels, you know where to look; I wouldn't be opposed, but you can take care of yourself." Ruby eyes, flickering with unexpressed emotion, glanced up at him thoughtfully, and she paused. Concluding the words in her head before uttering quietly the morbid meanings.

"Just promise me one thing." Shimada was almost embarrassed at what she would say next, unsure of the reason spurring her on to speak, but it simply felt right. Soothing to her mind wracked with apprehension; uncommon to her stable demeanor. "Don't die."

Nayoko’s eyes radiated sympathy for the woman before him as he watched her struggle through whatever it was she was trying to say. His soft smile was a genuine one, put more at ease as he watched Shimada display the slightest inklings of rambling. He almost chuckled, but he knew that would be insensitive, so he held back. He was just happy; happy that she had said she might miss him too. That was all he wanted to hear, though he did not know it until that very moment. He saw watched the rambling move toward something else that he could not quite place, sadness maybe? A pang of regret shivered down his spine as he wished he had decided to stay for just a little but longer, but it only lasted a moment. His resolve had steeled itself the moment he had read the note, and there was no changing it now.

He could see the anxiety behind her eyes as she struggled to feign indifference once again, but Nayoko had seen this act before, and he would not be fooled. Her composure was slipping ever so slightly, but she was holding it together, barely. All of this just because I am leaving? Maybe…maybe this connection is something more than I’ve understood it to be. She then continued to speak, through the words were ever so slightly shaky, "Ah, just, when you leave, please tell me. Other than that, I..." she breathed out a heavy sigh, "...wish you a safe journey, and that you find what you are looking for. If you ever need a kunoichi on your travels, you know where to look; I wouldn't be opposed, but you can take care of yourself." Her ruby eyes flickered before him, and he could tell that she was not done yet. He waited patiently to hear what she had to say. "Just promise me one thing." The pause after those words was nearly unperceivable, but Nayoko heard it. "Don't die."

Nayoko let the words hang in the air unintentionally. She was far more concerned than he could have imagined, and in that moment, he wanted desperately to hug her. Not out of some sort of strange fantasy or hope for a reciprocated expression, but so that she would know he cared too. Nayoko, of course, held back, knowing what kind of woman Shimada was and how she would most likely react to that, so instead, he stood, grabbing the stick left over from his snack and tossing it into the garbage can a few feet away. He grinned and looked down at his friend that he had grown so close to in such a short time. So many emotions had been laid bare between them, and now they stood on a precipice of an unknown nature. I’ve gotta lighten the mood somehow, but maybe I can lighten the load at the same time... “I promise you, Hattori Shimada, that I will do everything in my power to come back to you in one piece, and when I come back, we can get more mystery meat on a stick.”

He stepped over to be beside her chair and ran his fingers through his hair before continuing, stalling for time as much as he could. Finally, he asked. “But even though I am not asking you to come with me, I would like to extend a formal invitation. Hattori Shimada and Nozara Nayoko, travelling through the a strange land full of strange people, and solving mysteries as a team! You gotta admit, it sounds fun!” He stepped away and pulled out a pen to write something down on a pad of paper. He tore of the page and placed it on the table. “That is where I live, if you want to come with me, then stop on by and we can discuss travelling arrangements and the date of departure and whatnot! Otherwise, I’ll be sure to drop off a letter at your place or visit before I go.” He smiled, letting his fun-loving side shine through while also nodding to let her know that he was serious. “Hattori-chan, there is no pressure at all, and I know that you have responsibilities here, but if you want to come, by all means, come along. I’d like nothing more.”

He stepped away from the table and glanced down at his watch, and his eyes went wide. “Ah crap…I gotta get home! My dad is probably worried sick after I’ve been out all day!” Even as he said this he began to wave goodbye and step away from the table. “Thanks again for all of your help today! And I expect an answer to my invitation!” He smiled one last time and looked into her eyes, “I hope the rest of your day goes well, and don’t let the silence get to you tonight. Just remember what we talked about.” With that, he turned and began to walk away quickly, looking over his shoulder and waving as he abruptly left the scene. “Sorry to leave you so suddenly! But you know, duty calls!” And then he was off, headed home to explain to his father what had gone on that day, for the most part. While he walked away one thought lingered with him.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if I had been flirting with her in the room…

[Exit Thread]

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Training:

Heart Of Iron (Hagane no kokoro - 鋼の心) (C-S Rank Scaling Jutsu): (3500/3500)

Water Release: Wild Water Wave (水遁・水乱波 ~ Suiton: Mizurappa) (C-Rank Jutsu): (1000/1000)

Element (Fuuton) from B-Rank to A-Rank: (3000/3000)

Unsued WC: 1823

Shimada considered his silence carefully, watching as he stood and threw away the stick the meat had been residing on into the trash. His smile, however, soothed away the doubts she had about her words, and she relaxed ever so slightly as he started speaking. “I promise you, Hattori Shimada, that I will do everything in my power to come back to you in one piece, and when I come back, we can get more mystery meat on a stick.” It was an interesting declaration that put her somewhat at ease, but also into a fit of snickering that she desperately attempted to keep down; considering it inappropriate at the moment. But, he had a point. Mystery meat on a stick? Most likely.

To battle against the emotion trying to break lose, she cupped a pale hand over her lips, and gazed up at him as he strode over to stand by her. His fingers through his dark locks a sign of something more. Tension, perhaps? Anxiety? She did not care to know, instead focusing her attention onto his voice. The rumble of his tone comforting in its own weird way. “But even though I am not asking you to come with me, I would like to extend a formal invitation. Hattori Shimada and Nozara Nayoko, travelling through the a strange land full of strange people, and solving mysteries as a team! You gotta admit, it sounds fun!” The Hattori woman blinked her ruby eyes slowly, gazing at his back as he stepped away to go and proceed in scribbling down information; lips forming soundless words.

He wanted her to come? To travel with him on his personal journey to the Land of Water, and experience the sights and sounds? Why, she was flattered at the proposal. Nearly showing it in the small curve of her mouth upwards. Of course it beat remaining in Konoha while her companion was off doing who knew what in the foreign land, seeing unique events and meeting new people. Shimada would definitely have to give his offer a serious contemplation.

“That is where I live, if you want to come with me, then stop on by and we can discuss travelling arrangements and the date of departure and whatnot! Otherwise, I’ll be sure to drop off a letter at your place or visit before I go.” His grin was infectious, contagious in its liveliness. “Hattori-chan, there is no pressure at all, and I know that you have responsibilities here, but if you want to come, by all means, come along. I’d like nothing more.” The young woman tracked him as he stepped away one last time, and visibly frowned when his face dropped. Something was wrong. “Ah crap…I gotta get home! My dad is probably worried sick after I’ve been out all day!” He was already turning to leave, one hand poised in the air to wave goodbye. “Thanks again for all of your help today! And I expect an answer to my invitation!” He grinned, peering into her eyes. “I hope the rest of your day goes well, and don’t let the silence get to you tonight. Just remember what we talked about.” He simply looked over his shoulder once, and she gave a tepid wave back. “Sorry to leave you so suddenly! But you know, duty calls!”

"I'll make sure to give you an answer soon, and I really appreciate the offer!" She called as he left, tucking the paper providing his address into the fold of her jacket. "If I make a decision anytime soon, I'll be sure to drop by your place and give you my reply. Expect me eventually." Shimada finished, standing from her chair and proceeding to toss away her stick as well. Cramming her hands into the pockets of her jacket, she strolled silently back towards the direction of her home; finally desiring nothing more than a long sleep. As she walked, however, the young woman noticed she had never felt so light in her chest before.

And she smiled.

'Thanks, Nozara-kun. You're like a blessing in disguise...'




Training

Trained Genjutsu C --> B [10752 - 2000 = 8752]
Speed D-0 --> D-2 [8752 - 725 = 8027]
Endurance D-0 --> D-2 [8027 - 725 = 7302]
Perception D-0 --> D-2 [7302 - 725 = 6577]

Remaining: 6577