RED • MITSUKI

xx. BLOOD MIST

***

Kagura and Haruko were walking along the dock, laughing with each other. Haruko was telling the chunin stories of how idiotic Boruto is. He seemed to be very interested in the girl. Haruko had drawn it down to two things: 1. he likes her or 2. she was just very cool.

"And he fell face first to the ground!" Haruko exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "Now, he knows not to mess with ChoCho and her chips."

Kagura laughed. He noticed Boruto and Sarada sitting down on the dock. "Hey, we should go over to Boruto."

"Hm?" Haruko looked up, seeing the blond look like an idiot. "Oh, yeah. Let's go."

"So good!" They heard Sarada say. They were eating grilled squid from a nearby food shop.

"I'm so glad," Kagura smiled. The two turned around, confused to see the two. "To be honest, I wasn't sure something so simple would suit your tastes."

"Our village is surrounded with mountains and forests," Boruto said, patting the space next to him so the two would sit. "So this is super delicious."

Kagura sat next to Boruto while Haruko sat next to Sarada. "I see. I'd like to visit someday."

"I'd sneak you in my luggage," Haruko whispered in a foolish manner. "No one would suspect a thing."

The four laughed loudly. "There's nothing there. It's just countryside." Boruto waved his hand.

"Countryside?!" Haruko protested. "The Leaf is the exact opposite! There are so many buildings and stuff."

"You only see that part of the village. We have so many trees," Boruto sighed.

There was a nice moment of silence. "Until a few years ago, this place had nothing either. It was a poor fishing village with so little that it could stick to the sea breeze. Not just here . . . the entire village was poor. But it all changed when Lord Chojuro took over. He made life more prosperous for everyone."

Sarada smiled softly. "You must love the current village, Kagura."

"Yeah, this place is so cool." Haruko took a piece of Sarada's grilled squid.

"Yes..." Kagura stood up. "And that is why we must never go back to the era when we were known as the Blood Mist Village."

-•-

The class had gone all around the Land of Water. It was as if the area was made for tourism. There were so many spectacular memorials and buildings that Haruko couldn't rate them on a scale of 1-10. They were all high above the scale.

The class took a lunch break on top of this tall hill called "The Hill of Hope." Kagura explained how citizens would often come here and throw rocks into the ocean at the bottom. It was more of a cliff but the name was more fitting than "The Cliff of Hope."

Haruko let her legs dangle off the hill. She munched on her boxed lunch as she heard footsteps come closer to her. Mitsuki sat next to her.

"I received a little 'talk' from your friends," Mitsuki said, staring at the setting sun. "They seem to have heard."

"They tricked me into confessing," Haruko muttered, looking down at her food. "Sorry..."

Mitsuki hummed. "Why are you sorry? I am not mad." He placed his hand on Haruko's free hand. "Don't be upset."

Haruko stuck her tongue out slightly, staring hard at her ocean. "Why are you here? I thought you were with Boruto and Kagura."

Mitsuki chuckled, "well, I can't leave my girlfriend by herself on a beautiful day like this, can I?"

Haruko found herself flustered, her face turning as bright as her hair. She turned her head to face Mitsuki, who was smiling warmly at her. He leaned in close to Haruko, both of their lips slightly opened. She leaned in slowly too...

"Hey, guys!" A voice behind them yelled, making the couple lean back. Haruko looked at Eiji with a mixture of anger and embarrassment as Mitsuki simply looked confused. "Not doing anything inappropriate, right?"

"Of course not," Haruko said, biting her lip. "We were just . . . talking..."

Eiji smiled innocently. "Really? Mind if I join?"

Mitsuko began to get up. "Sorry, but I told Boruto I would watch him roll down the hill." He turned his head over to Haruko. "We'll continue this 'conversation' later." He winked before walking away.

Eiji smirked as he watched Haruko smile brightly. "You like him~"

She sighed, staring at the sky. "I guess I do."

-•-

Haruko sat in her hotel room, separating her candy by color. When you're bored and your phone is charging, you had to improvise. Yes, there was TV but Haruko wasn't necessarily in a TV mood.

Sumire, Wasabi, and Namida left to go swimming. It wasn't too late. It was around 4 pm. Haruko began to wonder if they drowned and if Namida saw a jellyfish and screamed loudly.

The door to her room opened. Haruko thought it was Sumire or Wasabi and continued to organize her stash. "If you want some candy, you got to pay first."

"Oh, I'm not interested in that candy," a silky smooth voice whispered behind her. "I'm interested in something a little more . . . sweet."

Mitsuki wrapped his arms around Haruko. The girl felt her body lift up as Mitsuki carried her bridal style. "M-Mitsuki!"

"I said I would continue my conversation, right?" His smile seemed more like a devious smirk. "Let's go out. We can several talks together."

Haruko tilted her head. "Out where?"

"Anywhere," Mitsuki looked out the large window the girls had. It showed the entire village. "There's so much to see. It'd be a shame not to see them with you."

The ginger didn't know what to say. No one - really, no one - has ever been so kind and gentle to her. Not her brother, her father, her entire clan. Her friends were never so into her like Mitsuki had been ever since they met.

She was so happy to meet someone as kind and concern as the blueberry haired boy.

***

[ author's note: short chapter I KNOW

we're getting close to genin exams and I HAVE MY OUTFIT PLANNED FOR HARUKO, EIJI AND ICHIRO YESSS

SO I HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER READY AND OMG ITS SO LONG GRAB SOME POPCORN KIDDIES AND TAKE A BATHROOM BREAK WHILE YOU'RE AT IT]