The Last Prayer

Part 28 :: Hope Vs Experience

KURENAI

Sitting comfortably on Kurenai's couch, cups of tea and an empty box of dango on the coffee table, Kurenai just finished explaining last night's dinner with Naruto, Karin, and Hinata. Kurenai remained silent, waiting on her pensive friend.

The choice to remain silent was finally broken with a short snicker. Slumping her shoulders, Kurenai exhales as her dearest friend gradually chuckles louder. The erotic kunoichi manages to yell, "are you fucking shittin' me?!" before laughing out loud. The dark-haired woman leans back, holding her gut as she laughs for several long minutes, till she's leaking from her eyes and hurting from her jaw and abdomen.

"Anko," Kurenai eventually groans.

She can't completely stop snickering, however, she calms down enough to apologize. "I'm sorry, babe," she says. "It's just- come on! The same fucking thing? The same situation twice in one year? It's insanity! Asuma had to be the escort for that bitch-princess and now Naruto has to escort the Kazekage's daughter!"

"It's not funny," Kurenai groans around rubbing her frustrated face. "And it's not the same-"

"You have to tell him," Anko interjects rubbing the laughing-tears from the corners of her leaking eyes.

Shaking her head with some confusion, Kurenai asks, "tell who what?"

"Oh don't even try to spin that nonsense with-"

Kurenai cuts in, "it's not nonsense-"

To which Anko easily cuts in, "I'm not an idiot-"

Leading Kurenai to interject, "I didn't say you were but don't just assume-"

"You're falling for him! For Naruto," Anko yells, silencing Kurenai. "Why else would this bother you enough to tell me? Because you're like, really and properly falling-"

"I'm not-"

"You are," Anko maintains. "You are, and stop bullshitting a bullshitter."

Kurenai begins to say, "I..." however, can't quite separate her thoughts from her emotions and it's unclear to her what she wants. It still amazes her that Naruto can matter this much to her; that she's truly considering a public and committed relationship with him. But it's not what's expected of her. What if it doesn't work? Would her father approve? Would her Hokage approve? Is their relationship fine as it is? Kurenai is bombarded with questions she can't answer without some perspective. It's why she immediately called Anko. Exhaling, Kurenai simply talks to her friend.

"Anko, I know for sure I love parts of him and really really like all of him," Kurenai begins. "He's just amazing, plain and simple. Someone who's suffered so much for so long and still cares that much about his village is almost impossible to imagine in our world, but I see it in him every day. He's handsome and strong... really strong. In fact, I'm fairly certain he can be promoted to a special-Jōnin on his Fūinjutsu acumen alone."

"That's hilarious," Anko quips with a snort. Having read the genin's jacket, Anko knows a great deal about the blond and comments, "Uzumaki Naruto, the dead last of his class being bumped up to the brain sect with all the other geniuses. Kami, who would've thought, eh?"

"He's just full of surprises," Kurenai replies. Blushing, she honestly adds, "and the sex... it's, well, otherworldly. He's a beast and I can't keep up anymore."

"Mnn, do tell," Anko seductively voices with a coy grin.

Ignoring her friend's lewdness, the raven-haired beauty speaks, "there are so many reasons why he's great, but that's not love; not romance. When Asuma and I were together, every day was pure joy. I felt so loved and beautiful and energized and smitten and nothing in this world seemed insurmountable so long as I loved him and he loved me."