blasts trumpet as we're ONE chapter away from ending this!!!
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"Kakashi.. I... I'm sorry. But I think this is it for us."
No one expected this answer. It was supposed to go with Nami accepting the proposal and to think about the future afterwards. This wasn't supposed to happen. Kakashi felt like fate decided to destroy his life once again.
"I mean, for now, I think this is it. It's just that...." She's fidgeting a lot, Kakashi notices. Nami had never fidgeted for as long as he remembers. "For now, I really, really want to focus on the Snow Islands. I-"
"Can you just be blunt and say that you just can't bear to be with me now? It's not like I'm not used to being left alone." The words hit Nami as if it was a slap, her heart shattered a little as the words finally sunk in. "Kōri, Iruka. Can you leave this room for a minute or two? Things are going to be a little bit more personal here."
"And leave you probably blowing up the room once again? Not this time Nami. I'm staying."
"Iruka's right, Your Majesty. As much as we respect your privacy, we can't let you summon another avalanche. Or a snow storm. Or both. It's not that we don't trust you, but I really understand how it's like trying to accustom yourself to the Island's powers... They're.. a living being too, you know." Annoyed, Kakashi summoned a barrier that covered both of them, allowing them to have a private conversation without the chuunin and the Head Counsellor eavesdropping them.
"Talk. No more lies or cover-ups." He barked.
"You have no right to pull the lonely card, do you realise that?" Nami immediately attacked him. She's pretty sure neither of the men outside the barrier is good at lip-reading, which is a good thing since the next sentences will have a brief mention about them. "Iruka lost his parents at a young age too. All of us did- except for Kōri I guess. But still, it's not like he can meet them whenever he wants?? He has to wait for the warmest day of the year to cross those mountains."
"And please, you?? Lonely??" The Queen let out a hyena laugh. "Sure, I understand the pain of losing your family and team members really well. But, have you ever thought of opening your eyes and look around after that?" The environment within the barrier changed as the queen pulled both of them into a genjutsu.
Outside, both men are currently losing their last bit of sanity.
"Why are the people from Konoha so weird??" Kōri complained once again as he searched for the Queen's chakra line. It was still there, inside the foggy barrier. "What did I do to deserve this??"
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Inside, Kakashi looked around to realise they were back in Konoha. Old Konoha, if he were to name it precisely. He could see the old Konoha gate standing tall and proud, the Hokage Rock that still had only 4 heads back then. He saw himself, walking down the street as Gai was busy pestering him to do another match with him to see who can run the fastest to the top of the Hokage Rock. The scene then changed to him being in the jounin room, being surrounded by Asuma, Kurenai and the other jounin that he talked to once in a while. It changed once again, to the time where it was the first time Team 7 took their official picture. Kakashi still remembered how hard it was to take the picture. Oh, how the only problem he had back in the day was to protect his sensei's son and stop the last Uchiha from joining the dark side.
"These people were there long before I came into your life." Nami softly spoke.
He failed both missions miserably though.
"But they left, just like how you want to leave me now."
"Naruto returned with Sasuke, right? Surely, there are some people who can't come back to us, but they're still here with you here." She pointed to his heart. "Just like me. I'll return soon. If you could just let me free for a certain period of time, I'm sure what we had between us will re-blossomed once again. Trust me."
"How can I? You're the only one who has always been there for me."
"... Not really." It took him only a few seconds to realise where they were now. The memories of the day where Nami ran away from him still lives vividly in his mind. How he sobbed endlessly to the forgotten warden's side, mourning the loss of his girlfriend before finally snapping into his senses and left the warden.
"You haven't forgiven completely, have you?" Nami shook her head softly, answering the painful question from the Hokage. "Flirting is okay, but sleeping together is on another level, Hatake. It's not easy for a woman to forgive a mistake like that." She bought them to the scene where she was drugged by the former counsellors' henchman; how she was carried like some garbage towards the castle. "I later learned that they put some weird spell on you-doesn't make any sense but still; it's an unforgiven act."
"I guess... I can understand it now from your perspective. But-" The genjutsu faded away and Kakashi realised that the distance between both of them had become even far apart. "But still, separating from you will hurt a lot. I'll miss you a lot. Really." He let down the barrier, looking at the two men before focusing on Nami once again. "I'll miss you so much. I'll be waiting until the day you come back to Konoha." The queen gave out a small smile before she replied.
"The feeling is mutual."
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Both the Ice Queen and the Head Counsellor watched as the last ship to the Land Of Fire set sail from their harbour. They waved goodbye from the castle's highest tower as if the two ninjas inside the boat could see them waving.
"I have to confess; I thought you were going to leave this place again," Kōri commented once they entered into the castle hallway. "It's weird, don't you love him a bit too much? That's what you said before."
"I do." Nami looked out over the window once again, already missing them. "It's just that.. a responsibility is still a responsibility. And dad had planned a lot for the island, someone needed to make it a reality." She held the old notebook that she had received from the Sandaime in her hands before throwing it to her partner in administration. Kōri looked at the contents, flipping it in a high enthusiastic spirit before closing the notebook with a wide smile on his face. "So he didn't really abandon his role."
"Was suppose to return once things died down but-" Nami shrugged. She looked back at the family portrait that hung proudly at one side of the wall. "Things happened. Now it's up to us to turn the tables around."
"I'm surprised the book is with you though. How did you get it?" The two people climbed up the stairs before stopping in front of one of the doors. Kōri pulled out a key before opening it widely.
"Pretty long story actually. I still don't clearly know why myself too. But I'm sure whoever did it must have been able to see the future." They both entered Nami's new office, looking at the paperwork that has begun to become piles on her table. "I really hope we manage to overcome this obstacle together. I promised Kakashi this will be the first and last time he waits for me, and then we'll end all nightmares and misery together."
"Noted. The Islands is yours to command, Queen Fuyuhana Nami."