𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. || 𝐊. 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 [Editing]

xxxvii

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Florence stood opposing to the wind and a constant breeze ruffled it's way through her loose hair.  The kunoichi was alone, several feet away from Naruto and Jiraya, who were training.

Yet there she stood ankle deep in an almost translucent blue river. The water was cold, numbing her feet and the riverbed rocks were sharp, jabbing up into her skin.

It wasn't the same.

She wanted it, that same euphoric feeling she felt running through the street to the ramen stall.

It had been a week and she had yet to feel it again. Though she had come to love the cooling rush of the waves and heat of the hotprings.

The movement of the liquid as it slipped around her skin, slashing up, it gave the kunoichi a grounding feeling.

Slowly Florence stepped to the grassy riverside bed, shaking the droplets from her skin and walking up the hill to her partners.

"How's training?" The medic asked, her eyes drew on Naruto the short blonde boy who slumped tiredly against a rock.

He shot her a weak smile and a quivering thumbs up. Even though it was only the early afternoon the genin had rushed through most of his chakra.

"We're taking a short break" Jiraya chuckled, he was a tough trainer. Unlike his student the sage sat idly on the grass drawing up a manuscript to his newest book.

Florence moved to sit next to Naruto, "tired?" Her voice was soft and soothing like calm breeze.

Stubbornly the ninja shook his head, blonde strands ruffling. "No, do I look tired" covered in sweat and streaked with dirt the kid looked up to the woman challenginly.

"Ya know I can help, but if you don't need it. . " her pastel eyes slid to the side as she scratched her cheek, voice dying off.

Naruto laughed, "fineeee you can help if you want". The corners of his eyes crinkled into a smile, he was radiant like the sun.

The edges of the kunoichi's lips drew up ever so slightly, Kakashi was right, helping people did make her feel better. Kakashi. For the week or so this training excursion had lasted Florence had pushed the ninja from her mind.

Every time the silver haired jounin crawled in to her thoughts she would squish him like a bug and think of something else. Of course it never truly worked and Kakashi always held a foothold on her.

Silently, face fallen at the thought of her lover she reached forward. Florence's hand was coated in a golden glow, the chakra swirled around her fingers like honey.

The kunoichi's hand laid on Naruto's forehead, it was technique she used to use on Kakashi. The ability to transfer or siphon chakra from one being to the next.

In certin amounts it was harmless, beneficial.

At first Naruto drew his face back, a double chin  forming from his motion. Though after a moment or two the ninja realized it wasn't going to hurt him and leaned into her palm.

Florence's hand was warm and the chakra entering his body felt like the sun beaming down on his skin.

Finally the light haired woman drew her hand back, "better?" She tilted her head, strands of pale green slipping over her skin.

Naruto smiled softly, "you're a good person Florence- sensei". Before she could reply the blonde stood determined, pressing his palm into the ground. A tadpole wriggle up from a cloud of smoke.

Florence looked to her own hand, she felt it, the nine tails power within the boy and the fiery chakra pool. It was daunting like a lingering darkness wanting to swallow her whole.

A shiver wracked the kunoichi's body, her hands folded within her lap. She thought to her students words, he was wrong, Naruto didn't know the half of her.

Would he still look to her the same if he knew the real Florence.

"He is right ya know" Jiraya slid into the spot where Naruto sat moments before. "You're a good person kid". The sages brush tapped against his lip as he thought, pondering words.

The light haired woman rolled her eyes, "I'm not a kid".

Her cohort merely chuckled, inking words down on his paper, "ok, kid". He'd acknowledge her as an adult when he felt she was one.

Briefly Jiraya's eyes slid up, glancing at the woman. Her face turned forward, watching Naruto unaware of the sages eyes. He could see her growth this past little while.

"Missing Kakashi?" A white, bushy brow rose as the old man returned to his work. He murmered profanitys at a a word he misspelt.

Florence sighted, fiddling her fingers "intrested in my love life are we?" A dry chuckle fell from her tounge bathing in the open air.

The wind changed direction, the temperature dropping slowly as the air carried a colder flow.

Naruto, talked to a newly summoned frog, its height reaching his knee. It wasn't big enough, but still, it was evident progress.

Jiraya sighed, rubbing his finger against a blob of spilt ink, "I'll take that as a yes". He teased the kunoichi, edging her to anger.

"It's not fair, I'm mad at him, but the anger keeps slipping away and above it all I miss him more than anything" her voice dropped, withering away as her throat squeezed. The woman couldn't help but wonder if the jounin missed her too.

"Love is tough kid, but if it's ment to be you'll pull through" Jiraya smiled sadly thinking back to his past.

She tore her gaze away from Naruto and to the old sage. "Thanks old man". Florence didn't know how, but Jiraya had a certin way with words and the pervy sage had helped her more in a week than anyone else had.

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Late update and I'm sorrryyyyyy 😬

I hope you're all safe and doing well, I appreciate all you lovelies ♡♡♡