"Use me as you will. Pull my strings just for a trill. And I'll know I'll be okay. Though my skies are turning gray. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Third Person's POV (continued)
It had been an innocent conversation. All Minxie had been doing was talking to Ryuu, deciding that they should see the Hokage before doing anything else, and she ended up getting tackled into the ground for it.
Normally, the brunette would've flipped out if someone randomly attacked her. And that's just what she was going to do as she opened her eyes to examine the form that was laying on top of her.
She would've continued on with her rant of yelling if the person who had tackled her hadn't had very familiar, very beautiful sapphire blue eyes.
Minxie's eyes widened, and she stared at the boy who had landed on her with his gorgeous blue eyes. It was then that she realized the boy wasn't exactly a boy at all. He was her age and most likely taller than her. He had very familiar whisker-like markings on his face, and spiky blonde hair was on his head.
It took about two seconds for her to realize just who this boy was.
Before she could help it, a grin was spreading across her face, and her heat was beating faster. "Heh... We've really got a habit of meeting like this, don't we, Naruto?" Minxie said, smiling at him as she desperately tried to ignore her burning face.
Normally, Naruto would've replied, "Believe it!" or something like that, but he was too starstruck to do so. All he could manage to do was nod feebly, desperately trying to her what the goddess in front of him was saying over his accelerating heartbeat.
"As much as I've missed you, you're kinda crushing my rib cage, so if you could just get off, that would be awesome, and then I could hug you," She said, her voice sounding like an angel's.
Naruto nodded once again after grinning sheepishly, standing up off of his brunette best friend. He offered her his hand, and once she took it, he helped her up. She began dusting herself off, and that's when he got a really good chance at admiring how much she had changed.
In one word, Naruto would describe her as 'perfect.' Her chocolate brown hair had grown considerably, falling down her back in luscious ringlets. Her emerald green eyes were as beautiful as the gem, reminding him of the grass in the training fields that he had sat on with her. She had grown taller, although he was still bigger than her by a few centimeters. The purple shirt she wore exposed her shoulders and her toned stomach, her skin a pale, cream color. Her curves were more definite now, and all in all, she'd grown up to be the most beautiful girl in the entire village.
Minxie noticed Naruto's staring, but she said nothing, since she was also staring at him. There was no way the boy in front of her could be Naruto, her best friend. This boy... He was so different. Something in him had changed since she'd last seen him. Sure, he still had that spiky blonde hair, those gorgeous sapphire eyes, and that cheesy grin... But other than that, there was no way of recognizing him. His outfit had changed, for one thing, but that was expected. His features were more defined, more manly, you could say, and if you looked hard enough, you could make out the shape of toned abs under his shirt.
All in all, Minxie thought this boy was... Well, hot.
And that was terribly wrong of her, because this boy was her best friend, for crying out loud! She was NOT supposed to be thinking of Naruto in this way. Still, she couldn't help it. And she couldn't ignore the fact that her heart was racing when he looked at her, nor the fact that she thought he was impossibly hot.
Oh, the evilness of teenage hormones.
"Naruto... God, I can't believe it's you. I missed you so much!" Minxie exclaimed, tired of the silence. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.
A grin spreading across his face, Naruto did the only logical thing. He snaked his arms around her waist, hugging his best friend and long-time crush back. He would never say it out loud, but he loved the way her body just fit naturally against his.
"I missed you too, believe it...!" Naruto said, finding his voice once again. That didn't mean that he sounded normal, though. His voice had cracked a bit.
"Ah! You said the line!" Minxie squealed, jumping up and down. She hadn't been that happy in a long while. Being around Naruto again just brought out that natural reaction.
"When did you get back?" They asked each other, once they had parted, at the same time. They laughed.
"Two days ago," Naruto answered.
"A few seconds ago," Minxie answered back, "You know, before you randomly knocked me into the ground and made me roll down a hill."
He laughed nervously. "Yeah... Sorry about that..." He muttered sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
She smiled, shaking her head as she internally giggled at how adorable he looked doing that. "Don't worry about it. It's routine for us. But still, seeing you again is so awesome! I've missed you impossibly, you know. What have you been doing this whole time?"
"Training like crazy with Pervy Sage. I polished my jutsu a whole lot, too! What about you?" He said proudly.
"Same. I trained like crazy, got a whole bunch of new jutsu, and got into a whole bunch of trouble along the way," She replied, smiling.
"Oh, so you can beat me now?" He asked teasingly.
"Heck yeah!" She answered, punching his arm playfully. "But, I am curious. What were you running from, Naruto?"
His expression immediately darkened. "Um... About that... See, I was running from-"
"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT! I TOLD YOU TO WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GO- Oh my gosh! Minxie?" a feminine voice interrupted. Minxie looked over and saw a familiar pinkette, knowing instantly that it was Sakura. The pink-haired kunoichi had grown as well, although her hair was still short.
"Sakura," Minxie acknowledged, smiling at the pinkette.
"Oh my gosh... It's really you! The Hokage told me you'd be arriving soon, but I didn't expect you this early!" Sakura said brightly, a smile on her face. She went over to Minxie, opening her arms for a hug.
The brunette's eye twitched. "Are you on crack?" She asked bluntly, keeping the pinkette at arm's distance.
"Of course not!" Sakura said defensively. "I've just grown up. We're going to be on the same team, Minxie. We can't keep hating each other, or letting our fighting get in the way of our communication."
Minxie frowned. "But... But I liked our fighting! It's what I was looking forward to! UGH!" She complained. "Wait... Does this mean that when I insult you, you'll stay quiet?"
"Yep," Sakura answered, smiling. "Now, just hug me!" And that's when she glomped the brunette with surprising strength. "This is going to be great! We'll be like bffs! And we can shop together, do each other's hair, and talk about boys!"
"Oh, for the love of God, someone get this thing off of me!" Minxie cried, shedding anime tears. "I can't stand this girliness! GET IT OFF! Her forehead's going to squish me! PLEASE!"
Sakura's eye twitched as she released the brunette. "What'd you just say?"
"Um... That you look pretty! Very, very pretty! You don't even notice the forehead anymore!" Minxie said, smiling nervously. Oh, she was such a liar.
"Bad move," Naruto whispered, remembering how Sakura's strength had demolished their training grounds.
"Remember when I said that we should be friends?" Sakura asked. Minxie nodded. "Yeah, that's over. NOW I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BOTH!"
"AAH!" Naruto and Minxie shouted in unison, preparing to run from the fuming pinkette.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "Oh my gosh... MINXIE!"
Minxie's POV
I froze in place, recognizing that happy, cheerful voice anywhere. I turned around, and sure enough, there was Kylie. She was about my height now, and she was so pretty!
We looked at each other, and then two seconds later, we ran towards one another in this whole epic slow-motion scene. Our scene of epicness ended with us glomping each other in mid-air.
That backfired when I felt Kylie tight grasp almost crush my ribs.
"AH! I'VE MISSED YOU SOOO MUCH!" She exclaimed, hugging me even tighter.
"Can't... Breathe..." I choked out, and she gasped, letting me go.
"Oh... Whoops!" She said, giggling nervously.
I laughed, shaking my head, but then I grew serious. "Oh my God! You cut your hair!?" I exclaimed, pointing to her now-short blue hair.
She smiled. "Yeah! Why? Is it bad?"
"Of course not! You look awesome! It looks really good on you," I said, smiling at her.
"Thanks!" She grinned. "But looks like I'm not the only one who changed. Your hair's so long!"
"Yeah, I know. I decided to grow it out a few weeks after I left the village," I said.
"It looks gorgeous. You're gorgeous, Minxie! Man!" She exclaimed, and I laughed. "We really need to catch up, like ASAP! Mitchell and Josh are gonna flip when I tell them that you're back!"
"Ah! They're here!? Where!?" I asked excitedly, bouncing up and down. I'd missed them both impossibly, just like I had missed Kylie.
"That is so unfair," Sakura said flatly, appearing beside me.
"What?" I asked, tilting my head.
"She gets all that, and I have to FORCE you to hug me," She said, scowling.
"That's because she loves me!" Kylie sang, a smile on her face.
"Woah, wait a second! If she loves anyone, it's me," Naruto objected, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Right, best friend?"
"You really wanna have this argument again?" She challenged, fire in her eyes.
"Guys, guys," I said, "No fighting! I love you both. And Sakura... Well, you can't love everybody."
Sakura glared at me, and I laughed. "Okay, okay... You know we have some kind of understanding... Sometimes... But annoying you is too much fun to pass up, seriously," I said, and she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, whatever. I just can't believe that- Oh. My. God," She said, her face going blank in wonder.
I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Sakura? What the hell are you- Oh, NO," I said, sighing as I realized what she was looking at. What caused Sakura's brain to go to mush, you ask? Simple. She caught sight of Ryuu.
"Oh my... He's so hot!" the pinkette squealed, jumping up and down.
"Don't tell my boyfriend I said this, but... He sorta is," Kylie said, tilting her head as she stared at Ryuu.
"Oh, brother," Naruto groaned, rolling his eyes as both girls stared at my twin brother.
"You have NO idea," I agreed, sighing.
"He sorta looks like you," Kylie said out of nowhere. I nodded, waiting for her to realize what she said. Then, her eyes widened, and she gasped. "No way! You mean that's-"
"Yep," I answered, "That's him. Hey! Ryuu!"
Rin's POV (Didn't expect that one, did ya? :D)
"And then she ditched us for Ino," Hayato explained bitterly, and I imagined him rolling his eyes.
"All to see some new guy who's apparently better looking than Sasuke," Daisuke said, a trace of jealously in his voice. I guess that was expected. Kimi is his girlfriend, after all.
"At least they didn't drag you guys along," I defended in my soft voice, "But I'm sure Kimi doesn't care about the boy. She was probably just curious."
"Well, either way, I hope he is gorgeous," Hayato said, "That way, they'll leave me alone."
I laughed. "I thought you liked being the object of the fan girls' obsession?"
"At first... Now, it's just insane. Whoever he is... He can have them," He answered.
I shook my head, opening my mouth to say something, but it never came. Why? Because I felt a familiar twinge in my mind, one that told me someone I knew was here. I sensed a familiarly powerful chakra, one I hadn't seen in ages.
"Rin?" Daisuke asked, and I felt him put his hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am, just... Would you boys mind following me somewhere? I think you'll like what you see," I said, hopping off of the banister of the bridge we were standing on.
"Err... Why?" Hayato asked, sounding dumbfounded.
"Because," I answered, turning around, "I felt her chakra. Minxie's back in Konoha."
Minxie's POV
"Everyone, this is Ryuu. He's my twin brother," I introduced, ignoring the look of shock on my friends' faces. "This is Naruto."
"Hey," Ryuu said curtly, shoving his hands into his pockets. I resisted the urge to facepalm at that moment. Oh, he's SO socially awkward...
"Boy," Naruto said, squinting his eyes, "You sure do look a lot like Minxie. I don't know why, but you seem familiar... Are you sure we've never met before?"
"I think I'd remember someone as loud as you," Ryuu said smoothly with blank eyes. Kylie laughed, smacking her hand over her mouth when Naruto shot her a glare.
I roughly nudged my brother in the stomach. "Be nice. He's my best friend," I whispered sharply to him.
"He's an idiot with a good memory. Do you know what'll happen if he remembers that I used to hang around the Akatsuki?" He retorted in his own whispered tone.
I sighed, but I knew he was right. In order for this to work, no one could know that Ryuu was part of the Akatsuki. No one besides the Hokage, of course.
Naruto's eye twitched. "Well... He doesn't get his personality from you, Minxie, believe it!"
"You have no idea," I agreed, shaking my head. "Anyway, that's Kimi." Kylie waved at my brother, a friendly smile on her face. I leaned closer to Ryuu and whispered, "Her real name is Kylie, and I'll explain everything when we get home." He nodded, and so, I continued, "And that's Sakura."
"H-Hi, Ryuu," Sakura stuttered, a blush on her face as she looked down nervously. Oh, MAN.
"Um... Hi," Ryuu said, raising an eyebrow. He obviously thought Sakura was insane. I guess that's what happens when you have no interaction with girls other than your sister for half of your life. You forget how to tell when a girl thinks you're cute.
"Um... What's up with her forehead?" He whispered to me, and I busted out laughing. Kylie apparently heard as well, because she had gone over to a tree and was leaning against it, trying to hide her giggles.
"Oh, the irony of this moment," I said, wiping a tear from my eye. "Anyway, I kinda bumped into Ryuu while I was out traveling. We talked, figured out we were related, and we spent the past two and a half years together. I brought him back here, since this is his original home. I was just heading to the Hokage's office to explain the situation, when Naruto ended up knocking me over."
"Sorry... Again..." Naruto said, scratching his head adorably.
"I know, it's okay," I said, grinning at him. "Anyway! Ryuu, these are only three of my amazing friends. You'll love them all, I promise."
It took about two seconds for Kylie and Naruto to swamp Ryuu with their conversations, both of them asking him questions about his likes, dislikes, and anything else they could think of. I tried not to laugh at his expression, but seeing as he looked as if he was being tortured, it got harder and harder every second.
"He's your brother?" Sakura asked in disbelief, eyeing Ryuu.
"Yep! I still say I'm the cuter one, though," I said seriously, smiling at her.
"Did I mention to you how much I missed you?" She said, wrapping an arm around me.
"Don't you mean 'did I mention to you how impossibly gorgeous your brother is?'" I asked, and she anime fell.
"Is it that obvious?" She asked.
"Don't worry. I already knew Ryuu would end up being mobbed by fan girls. But I think I should give you a heads up... He's kinda blank. I don't think he's the relationship type," I said, watching my brother talk to Kylie and Naruto.
"Why not?" She asked, sounding disappointed.
"He's been on his own a lot longer than I have," I said quietly. "He's changed from when I first met him, but... I'm not sure he even likes girls."
Her eye twitched. "W-What?"
"Not that way!" I said, raising my hands up in defense. "He's straight! I just meant that he's not ready for a relationship... MY GOD!"
"It's not my fault!" She exclaimed in defense. "I just assumed!"
I shook my head. "Don't assume, you piece of cotton candy! I'm just trying to say that I can't make Ryuu like you. If he does, he does. If he doesn't... Well, that's all I can do," I explained.
"I get it," She said.
I raised an eyebrow. "You do?"
"Yeah, I do. I grew up, remember?" She said, smiling.
I smiled, but I still couldn't help gaining an eye-twitch. "Right... Guess that'll just take some getting used to. But, who knows? I might actually end up liking you."
"Anyway, I better get- AH!" I was cut off abruptly when someone tackled me into a hug. Well, two someones. I opened my eyes, noticing that two of my favorite brunettes were the ones hugging me.
"Oh my god! Guys!" I exclaimed happily, hugging them back.
"Midget!" Mitchell said, smirking down at me.
"I am not a- Woah. Dude, why are you so tall?" I asked, tilting my head as I noticed our height difference. Mitchell was impossibly tall for no reason! His outfit had changed, and his face had matured. He looked cuter than last time I had seen him, but he'd always be more of a brother to me.
"Because I'm awesome," he answered simply. "And you... Damn. When did you get so hot?"
I facepalmed. "Really? That's what you noticed?"
"I'm a guy, Minx," he said, "What'd you expect?"
"I- Oh, who am I kidding?" I said, shaking my head. "Josh!" I said, grinning. "I missed you more than Mitchell!"
Josh laughed, hugging me, while Mitchell gasped mockingly.
"What!? I'm better than he is!" Mitchell objected.
"Yeah, but he didn't call me hot," I answered, smiling at him. He pouted, and I laughed. "Oh, you know I love you! You know... Sometimes... But anyway! I have a surprise! This way!" I grabbed their hands and led them over to Ryuu, who was still facing Kylie's endless babbling.
"Ryuu, these are two of other friends. Hayato and Daisuke," I introduced. Then, I whispered to him, "Their real names are Mitchell and Josh. Again, I'll explain later."
"Anyway!" I said loudly, "They're awesome. Well, Daisuke's awesome. Hayato's just a pain in the ass."
"It's funny how you think you're any better," Mitchell retorted, a smirk on his face.
My eye twitched at him. "You shaddup! Anyway, this is my brother, Ryuu."
"Brother?" Josh asked, raising an eyebrow as a look of realization washed over his face.
"I'll explain later," I said, waving my hand dismissively, "But I've gotta go. I have business to attend to."
"What are you doing?" Ryuu asked, his eye twitching. He had a look that said: Please DON'T leave me alone with these... people.
"I'm giving you a chance to make friends!" I answered brightly.
"Do you have friends less... Loud?" He asked, gesturing to Kylie and Naruto.
I laughed. "Um... Kind of! But they're not here yet, and I've got a lot to do, so I need to get going," I said, and he sighed, nodding. I turned to Kylie. "If I'm not back early enough, just take him back to the house that I hope is still standing."
She gasped. "Hey! Have a little faith!"
"It's you in the house with a kitchen," I said flatly, "There is no faith."
She gave me a flat look, and I smirked. "Love you, too! Now, I'll see you all later," I said, waving at them one last time. I began walking back up the hill, but once I reached the top, someone tapped my shoulder.
"Hey! Minx!" Naruto called, and I turned around.
"Oh. Yeah?" I inquired.
"Once you're done talking to the Hokage or whatever... Do you think you and I could... Um... Go out for ramen at Ichiraku's or something?" He asked, scratching the back of his head as he shifted from foot to foot nervously with a blush forming onto his face.
I smiled, a faint blush rising onto my own face. "It's cool if you don't want to, though. I mean, no pressure or anything. I was just thinking that we could do something since we haven't seen each other in so long and-"
"I'd like that," I answered, interrupting his adorable babbling.
His face lit up. "Really? That's awesome! Believe it!"
"Oh, I do," I said, laughing. "Meet me at the training grounds. We'll head out to Ichiraku's from there."
"Got it," He said, nodding.
"Great," I said, "Catch 'ya later?"
"Yep! See ya, Minxie!" He called, waving.
"See you, Naruto!" I called back, smiling one last time before heading over to the Hokage's office.
~*~
"I see... So that's what happened..." Lady Tsunade muttered, tapping her nails on her large desk.
"Pretty much," I confirmed quietly.
"Well... I won't lie to you and say that I'm excited to have an ex-Akatsuki member stay in my village," she said bluntly, "However... I suppose it's not terrible. I trust you and your judgment, Minxie, I always have. That's why I made you a Chunin. And if you believe your brother's intentions are pure... Then I'll allow him to stay here."
I smiled, standing up. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade. You have no idea-"
"I'm not finished yet," She interrupted.
"Oh," I said, sitting back down.
"I respect the fact that you came here and told me the truth about your brother instead of lying about it. That scores you some points with me. But I can't just let him be here without any questions asked. We need a cover story for his sudden appearance, and the truth will stay strictly between you and I. I also need a test to be conducted on him. Nothing too drastic, just something that'll prove to me he's sane. Maybe something in his memories will give us information on the Akatsuki," She explained.
"I've already got that covered," I said easily. "I've gained both kekkei genkai of the Takeda clan. With my Mind's Eye and Heart's Eye, I can show you what Ryuu is really like by projecting what I see into your own mind. That way, things will stay strictly between us, as you say."
"I'm trusting you here, so yes, we'll do that," She decided. "But I do have one question. How do you fit into this whole situation? I understand that Ryuu has ties with the Akatsuki... But when did you meet him?"
"Two and a half years ago, he was traveling with Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki. I ran into him while Naruto and Jiraiya were searching for you. He... He protected me," I answered.
"What?" She asked in disbelief.
"It's true. There was a lot going on, and I got distracted, so they targeted me. But when Kisame lifted his sword, it never made contact with me. When I opened my eyes, Ryuu was standing there, blocking Kisame's sword with his bare hands," I explained.
"... Just as I thought," She said. I raised an eyebrow in question, and she continued speaking. "You made him change, Minxie. No matter what he's been through... No matter what'll happen to him, he'll die to protect you. Family means more to him than his own life."
"It's kind of common to both of us," I agreed quietly, remembering what I had said during Itachi's 'test.' "But can he stay?"
"Yes, he can stay," she said, smiling, "Just make sure he doesn't go too far. Bring him by later on today, all right? We'll conduct the exam and be done with this. Meanwhile, I'll start thinking of a cover story. Until then, you're dismissed."
"Thank you!" I said, jumping out of my seat as I smiled gratefully at her.
She smiled, shaking her head. "You're welcome. Now, go. I'm pretty sure Naruto's ready to bust the door down so he can have your attention back."
I laughed at that, nodding. "Right. See you later, Lady Tsunade!" And with that, I exited the room.
I made my way over to the training grounds, stopping when I felt a familiar presence. I turned around, and sure enough, Temari stood there, Shikamaru by her side. Temari looked as pretty as the last time I'd seen her, and my wonderful pineapple-haired friend looked as lazy as ever.
They both stopped when they saw me, their eyes wide. "No way... Minxie?" Shikamaru said.
"PINEAPPLE!" I exclaimed, running over to him and glomping him. "AND SMART BLONDE!" I shouted, wrapping an arm around Temari as well.
"Oh, God," Shikamaru groaned, "You got prettier AND louder. How troublesome..."
Temari nudged Shikamaru in the ribs, grinning at me. "Don't mind him. Hey, kiddo," She said, returning my hug.
"You both got so OLD!" I noted playfully, grinning at them with my hands on my hips.
"Like you're any younger," Shikamaru retorted, rolling his eyes.
I stuck my tongue out at him, then tilted my head, noticing that he indeed WAS walking with Temari. They were standing close to each other, and I, as expected, began assuming like crazy.
"No way... Are you two on a date!?" I asked excitedly, smirking.
"How many people are gonna ask us that!?" Temari shouted, throwing her hands up in the air.
"So I'm right!?" I said, grinning.
"NO!" They both shouted, scowling at me.
"Well then!" I exclaimed, putting a hand over my heart mockingly, "Talk about rude! First time I see you guys in two and a half years, and you yell at me!"
"Not our fault," Temari said, shrugging.
"I'm the proctor of the Chunin Exams this year. It's a drag, but the Hokage'll kill me if I don't do it. Temari's the liaison between Suna and Konoha for the Chunin Exams, so I've got to escort her," Shikamaru explained.
"Well, after you finish escorting her around for the Chunin Exams, why don't you escort her out on a date?" I suggested. They both glared at me. "Okay, okay! I can take a hint! Sheesh..." I muttered, putting my hands up in defense.
"Where are you headed?" Temari inquired.
"I'm meeting Naruto at the training grounds. We're going out for ramen," I answered. Once I noticed their smirks, I immediately went ballistic. "Not that way! We're just friends! He wanted to catch up and suggested we go out for- Oh, why do I bother? Sigh... I'll see you guys later."
"Bye, Mrs. Uzumaki," Shikamaru called mockingly, smirking along with Temari.
I scowled at them. "That's why you look like a pineapple! Shaddup!" I exclaimed, and after hearing them laughed, I walked towards the training grounds.
Sure enough, Naruto was standing there in all his cuteness. "Hey, Minx!" He greeted cheerfully. "Ready to go?"
"Yep," I replied, smiling. And, together, we made our way to Ichiraku's, smiling and laughing the whole way.
Ryuu's POV
"... And since then, we've been like sisters!" Kimi, or Kylie, finished brightly. Minxie's friends had all stuck around, telling me stories about how they met my sister and all that had happened to them.
The girl with the forehead kept looking at me, and if she didn't stop, I was going to rip my hair out. Minxie's friends were all unbearably annoying. Fun, yes. Good people, yes. But they just wouldn't SHUT UP.
The loudest one, Naruto, had left earlier, and I had no clue where he went. I didn't care, either. But that still left Kylie, who was almost as loud as him. How she and Minxie became friends over a sandwich is beyond me.
"Yeah, guys, I better get going," Sakura piped up, "I've gotta report to the Hokage. We should be starting on missions tomorrow."
"Oh, yeah, that's right," Kylie said, "All you needed was Minxie to get back, right?"
"Mmhm," the pinkette answered, "Now that she's back, we can start as Team 7 again. I'll see you guys tomorrow! Bye, Ryuu." She shot me a sweet smile and disappeared from us.
"Well, then... Are you up for a tour of the village, Ryuu?" Kylie inquired, a friendly smile on her face.
"I suppose," I answered, and she smiled, leading me around the village. She engaged, once again, in her endless chatter, and I resisted the urge to strangle her.
"Why do you guys use different names?" I asked suddenly, impatient for Minxie to arrive.
"We're originally from the world where Minxie was hidden," Kylie explained, "In order to not rise suspicion, we kept our real identities on the down low, and took on names from this world. As far as everyone else knows, we're Minx's friends from the Hidden Rain Village."
"You know that she was hidden? That we were separated?" I asked lowly.
"Minxie tells us everything," she said, "She knows we don't care what she does, because to us, she'll always be the friend that we love. We have no secrets. Right, guys?" Mitchell and Josh nodded in agreement.
"If that's the case... Then you know the real story about Minxie and Sasuke, correct?" I said, and instantly, their expressions darkened. The blue-haired girl sighed, getting a troubled expression, and Mitchell's knuckles cracked.
"We don't like talking about him," Josh said, noticing my eyebrow raise at his friends' reactions. "No one's mentioned him since the day he left, especially not in front of Minxie."
"Didn't she tell you the story?" Kylie asked in her light voice.
"Briefly," I answered, "But I'm positive that she's left a lot out. She only told me that they broke up, and that it was hard on her."
Mitchell scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me... Even now, she protects his sorry ass," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Mitchell," Kylie warned, staring him down.
"What?" he snapped, "You know it's true, Kylie. She's not over him, even after the hell he put her through."
"We can't tell her how to feel, Mitchell," She said flatly.
"No, but we can tell her the truth," He retorted.
"Because we all now how wonderful things turn out when you tell the truth," She snapped sarcastically, scowling at him. He looked a little hurt, and I was only confused as to what the hell happened. How much hadn't Minxie told me?
"Look, Ryuu," Josh said, noticing my confusion, "A lot happened here in Konoha that you don't know about. There's a lot we like to keep buried. We all made mistakes. If Minxie didn't tell you everything, it's because it's too hard for her to remember it. You should've seen her the first week that bastard left. She was torn in half."
"Either way," Kylie spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest, "It's not our place to tell you."
"My version of the story is very simple," Mitchell said, "Jerk of the village makes the beautiful angel fall for him, makes her love him even more, breaks her heart in two, and then leaves the village, all for power. The angel, being an angel, never gives up hope that he'll change, and she's stuck in eternal ambivalence."
"It was that bad, huh?" I said, looking at the ground. I began hating myself even more for not being there for her. If Minxie had been that broken... Where was I? I knew she was alive, and yet I hadn't gone after her. I was always late. Always too late.
"It wasn't anyone's fault, Ryuu," Kylie said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder, "What happened, happened. We all wanted it to change, but we couldn't. We still can't. But Minxie didn't stay broken forever. She's got her own guardian angel around, and he's pretty awesome."
"Oh. Him," Mitchell muttered, rolling his eyes. "Annoying brat..."
"You're just mad that he got to cuddle with her and you didn't," Josh said, smirking.
"Oh, shut up," Mitchell said, glaring at him. Kylie giggled, watching her boyfriend and close friend begin to bicker.
It was... Fun, watching them. To see how they could taunt and tease each other in such a playful way, yet they were still friends that cared deeply about each other.
It'd been a while since I had actually had fun. Other than when I was with Minxie, I'd never really enjoyed and savored anyone else's presence. Well, that's if you count out her... Her being another reason I wasn't eager to return to Konoha.
"Hey! Guys! When I said to give me a second, I didn't mean to ditch me," a soft voice called. I instantly froze in my place. I knew that voice. I'd know it anywhere.
I heard Mitchell say something, but I was too shocked to listen. I knew she'd be here, but I was hoping that we'd never end up meeting again. God, if she still remembered me...
"Oh! You'll never believe it! Minxie came back!" Kylie said excitedly.
"I know," the angelic voice said, "I sensed her chakra, and told these two. Being the gentlemen they are, they left me so they could run and see her. I missed her, didn't I?"
"Oh, she'll be back," Kylie said easily, "You should come over for dinner later and see her!"
Oh, God. Don't mention me, don't mention me, don't mention-
"But first, you've got to meet someone!" Shit.
Slowly, I turned around, knowing this confrontation was inevitable. Thank you, universe. You've succeeded in making my life miserable. Again.
Kylie was oblivious to what was going on in my mind, so she continued on with her usual happiness, "This is-"
"Ryuu..." The angel whispered, her lilac, almost white, eyes wide. She had everything, and she'd surely grown up from when I had last seen her. Her snow white hair was longer, and she had it up in a ponytail. Her pale face was angelic, just like every other part of her. She was absolutely beautiful.
But she remembered. God, help me.
I knew Kylie, Mitchell, and Josh were completely confused, but I was too wrapped up with staring at the goddess before me that I didn't care. There was absolutely nothing else for me to say, except:
"Rin."
~*~*~*~*~*
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETS! RIN AND RYUU KNOW EACH OTHER!?!? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?!?!?
I don't know, man. I really, really don't know. xD Like I said, this sequel's going to have a LOT of surprises! And this one is just the beginning, so be prepared!
I know the picture didn't work last time... I have NO idea what happened -.- But I reposted it, and I hope it works this time! IT'S SUCH A PRETTY PHOTO OF KYLIE!
Anyway, this chapter was the last filler before we get into the Shippuden action :D First Shippuden part: Gaara's Kidnapped!
Ah, the chapters for that arc are just going to be epic :D ! Hope you guys like this chapter, be sure to tell me what you think ^.^ !
Thanks again for everything, I'll be updating soon!
-smilescutie3311