RED • MITSUKI

lix. EMOTIONAL SHINOBI

***

A few days later, the teams' mission was over and they could return back to their homelands. Shaking each others hands, the two villages split and went through own ways. They were still recovering from the injuries, but they were well enough to travel back and earn the rest they need.

On their way home, Haruko couldn't stop thinking about Mitsuki. She would have thought that all this thinking would eventually make her sick, but she just couldn't shake the thought of her lover out of her head. It was torture for her. She wanted to just see him at the village more than anything. She just wanted to see him at the enterance like he usually did with his signature smile.

"Yo, who's that at the gate?"

"No way..."

Haruko's eyes widen as her boyfriend, who was missing for several of days, stood there with his teammates. They were just laughing, talking, acting as if Mitsuki didn't abandon his own village.

The blue haired boy turned his head to face the incoming team. He sent her his signature smile, which made her mad. She felt anger, she felt worry, she felt all sorts of emotions. Even though this was what she wanted, she still want to drag him across the village and hug him at the same time.

"Haruko! Eiji! Ichiro! Welcome back!" Boruto shouted, waving his hands in the air. "How was your mission? Wasn't it like B-Ranked or something?"

Kaito-sensei continued to look forward. "We can't stop to talk to anyone at the moment. We need to report the mission to the Hokage immediately."

"That's perfect for me," muttered Haruko. She continued the blank stare as she passed the group of genin. The three of them stared at her in confusion, especially Boruto.

"Oi! You're not going to say hi to your boyfriend?! What kind of girlfriend are you, huh?!"

"Boruto!" scolded Sarada, covering the boy's mouth. "Shut up! She just got back from a B-rank mission!" She then took a glance at Mitsuki, who continued to stare at the girl leave. "Besides... Mitsuki's back now with no warning. Imagine how she's feeling."

Mitsuki knew that a text to the girl would probably distract her from her mission and wasn't the appropriate way to tell her that he's back. He also didn't like the bold approach of waiting by the enterance, but Boruto insisted on him coming and greeting her. Mitsuki originally thought visiting her in her home later in the day would be the best approach.

"Mitsuki..."

What the three genin didn't know was that Haruko was trying her hardest not to cry in front of everyone.

—•—

After the mission report, Haruko walked over to her house. She stood at the front door, too tired to even take out her keys and unlock the door, She was too drained to take another step into her house. She was too exhausted to take a shower. But alas, everyone has to do things they don't like.

"Um, Haruko..."

Haruko turned her head slightly. She knew that it was Mitsuki from the sound of his voice. The pain in her heart returned and the thoughts came screaming at her again. "Please, anything but this right now."

"Haruko..." he took a step forward, his hand reaching out to her. "I'm sorry-"

His sentence was interrupted by Haruko smacking his arm away. Tears streamed down her angered expression. She was absolutely fed up with everything going on inside her.

"You think I'm going to accept your apology after what you've done?!" she screamed, her fisted hands shaking. "You betrayed us! You left the village! You left all your friends behind, but for what?!" She paused to sniff. "You left the village who took care of you, looked after you! You left the village that gave you a chance at living here!"

Mitsuki knew that the girl was beyond upset. The anger and emotions she was feeling, he had no idea what she was feeling. All he could do was let her let out everything that she bottled up inside her.

What surprised him the most was the sudden hug she gave him. She wrapped her arms tightly around her as if to suffocate him. She let out a muffled cry on his kimono shirt. "You left me..."

He hugged her back, one hand on her back and the other on the back of her head. "I'm sorry. I truly am. My intention never was to hurt you or anyone else. I don't blame you for not accepting my apology."

He kneed down to her level, his hand now wiping away the tears. "I love you."

Haruko was too tired to try and stop crying. She never felt a connection as strong as the one she has Mitsuki. She never was as open, as loving and affectionate, and as real to a person before. Moving into the Hidden Leaf and getting close to all her classmates in the Academy was the best decision she ever made. She never would leave the village behind. This was her new home.

"Mitsuki thought the same thing but he still left."

Haruko ignored this thought and forced a slight smile. "I never thought you would see me cry. I was always so tough, yo."

"And you still are. You're strong, Haruko." The boy stood up. "You've been holding all your feelings up until now. That takes a lot of strength."

"But a shinobi should never show their emotions," she muttered, wiping the tears from her face. "I need to be strong. I can't let them interfere with missions."

"It's what makes you human, right?" Mitsuki asked, tilting his head. "There's nothing wrong with doing what comes naturally to you. Free yourself from that bubble you surround yourself."

And he was right. The boy who isn't even technically human is telling the actual human girl about what makes her her. She didn't want to listen to what he was saying, mostly because she was still mad, but as he continued to speak comforting words and phrases to her, she let out a long, emotional cry into his shoulder. She wanted to push him, hit him, make him feel what she felt. She didn't want to be comforted by the very man who made her feel all this pain.

"Shove him out of your life!" cried the voice inside her. "He'll bring nothing but harm and pain into your life. The more you continue to love, the more grief you will soon fall under."

But perhaps that grief was worth it. Perhaps there was a purpose, a reasoning, a lesson to be learned from all of this. Perhaps she needed a shoulder to cry on or to hear the person whom she loves the most whisper gentle phrases into her ear. She didn't know for certain, but she did know that forgiving him was going to take a long time. She never was good at forgiveness. Holding grudges was just a part of her life, a part of his family's life. There was nothing forgiving about the Saitou Clan.

But maybe she can learn.

***

at long last, another chapter !!!

:)