Hitory-Chan

That day she had been exploring the vicinity of the great Pyroh - or as people on the surface called it, Antarctica - watching from afar how large chunks of ice fell after breaking off the icebergs to which they belonged.

She was not supposed to be there, not only because her scales, accustomed to the warm Caribbean waters, were especially sensitive to the low temperatures of that place, but also due to the fact that its journey had cost it to pass through two other kingdoms without authorization. , which could easily be a reason for war.

But if no one knew, it wouldn't hurt, would it?

And in general she had being doing well, apart from watching that show, she had played with some penguins and swam with the seals - one of the latter had tried to eat her, but he was young and had not yet learned that mermaids were a big no-no ... She taught him-.

Her problems came when a shoal of fish ran over her as they fled, leaving her disoriented and confused until she was trapped, along with them, in a gigantic metal fishing net. As the net piled them up and lifted them, she pulled out her sharp retractable teeth - somewhat painful from her earlier encounter with the seal - and tried to bite into the mesh to get out, but the material turned out to be very tough, so, already on the surface and before they could deposit them in the gigantic monster that carried the animals from the sea, she broke that trap with her bare hands and jumped, hearing screams in a language she couldn´t understand.

As soon as she fell into the water she began to swim at full speed to the bottom, freaking out when buzzes began to pass around her.

She screamed and looked at her fin; there was a metal bar hugging it.

And then she started to get pulled up.

She tried to free herself from it, but she did not succeed until, in her desperation, she ended up pulling on her tail, causing a large cut in it that prevented her from swimming, sinking in her place. More harpoons passed her, and when one of her came straight at her head, she closed her eyes, covered herself with her arms and waited for the impact.

But it did not come.

When she opened her eyes, she remained in darkness.

The pain in her fin disappeared little by little until she could no longer feel it; however, instead of relieving her, it made her more anxious.

"Quiet"

It was a voice, deep and masculine.

"Wha ..." she tried to speak, but the words just weren't coming out of her mouth.

"I have healed you" said the mysterious voice "I will help you get out of here"

She felt a webbed hand take hers and make her swim through the darkness.

Despite the fact that she was unsure of that strange voice, she let herself be dragged, fearful of the darkness that seemed to have no beginning or end.

She didn't know how long it took, but an opaque spot began to fade in the distance, getting bigger and bigger until she realized it was light.

She stumbled out of the darkness, her eyes aching from the sudden change.

Upon being able to see again, she turned to where she had come out, finding a large black hole from which a face became visible, gradually emerging a newt whose shoulders and some parts of his face were covered with black scales.

"Have you been the one who helped me?" she asked breathlessly, admiring how majestic that being of darkness looked.

"It was me" se confirmed.

Both were observed each other.

"What's your name?" she asked him, shorter and shy.

"Sasuke"

She nodded.

She took all the courage she needed to do the following.

"I, Hinata Hyuga, princess of Terath's mermaids, thank you, Sasuke, for saving me from death" she said, and stretched her hands up to cup his face "Please take this gesture of thanks from my part” and having said that, she joined her lips to his.

It was a short contact, but deep, and when she finally pulled away from, she turned and swam away from him, red as a lobster.

As she withdrew from him, he stared at her and reached out to touch his lips.

"Hinata Hyuga of Terath" he repeated, sinking slowly "You will hear from me again, very soon" he said to himself.

Because while in her culture it was a “thank you” gesture, in his it was a marriage proposal, and as a prince in his own right, he would accept and seek out his queen soon to begin the courtship ceremony.

Then, he completely disappeared into the darkness and closed the path he had opened to take her off from his lands.

“My King!” One of her courtesans shouted. "Please, I beg you to reconsider!"

He ignored her, tightening the draws of his armor as the guards placed the shoulder pads and handed him his helmet, which he took.

It was still dark, the moonlight hanging over the entire sleeping kingdom as he prepared to leave.

"My lord, he turned, now listening to his first officer, Kakashi, who was speaking to him "Are you sure this is a good idea? Going into the forest alone?"

"It's not something I didn't do before, Kakashi, you should know" he replied without much interest as he grasped the reins of Onyx, the majestic black horse that had accompanied him for years.

"I understand, but it's not the same, your majesty, it never got beyond the Stone River" the man said, his voice so slow and dull as if it was something he was trained to say, but Sasuke knew him better than many as to know that there was concern hidden behind those dead tones “It is a great risk to take to find a woman that we do not even know exists”

"People are dying Kakashi, of hunger, of disease ..." He inclined his head a little towards his first officer, not enough to really see him “If that woman, that… witch exists, it will be our chance to solve all the evils that afflict us, if I find her, then I save my people”

“And if you do not find her, my lord?”

“Then we will have to take more drastic actions, actions that I don't think we're ready for right now, Kakashi”

The silence that followed told Sasuke that the man knew what he was referring to.

They had recently fought a war against a rival kingdom that wanted to take over all his lands. They attacked in the middle of the night, cowardly seeking to have the tactical advantage darkness gave them without expecting the surprise that they were ready to fight back with much more violence than would be expected of a small kingdom that barely prospered in comparison to others. Many lives were lost on both sides, but his army had kept the slightest advantage over the invaders and captured the main officers of the intruders, executing him right on the battlefield as he had ordered them to do, closing any openings to negotiation the rival might propose.

They rose above them and conquered, drove the remaining invaders from their lands and proclaimed their victory, but they had not come out without casualties, as happened in any other war.

Their crops were burned and their women desecrated. Bodies of infants who had adventured out of their hiding spots now laying among the corpses of their fathers and men who sacrificed their lives in the name of the king's sovereignty, waiting to be buried or burned while their mothers, wives, and brothers mourned their losses.

Soon after came the diseases, plagues so violent that even the best physicians in the kingdom had succumbed to permanent contact with the infected and were now lying in beds, signaling with weak voices to proceed to their charges.

The only hope was the woman who dwelt in the depths of the forest, a queen in her own right, the oracle told him, whose miraculous fingers brought life to everything she touched. A witch, servant of the devil, counterattacked the priest, who would only bring bliss before plunging them further into misery.

A queen, a witch, Sasuke didn't care, he only wanted her hands to heal his people, determined to cut them off if necessary to save the few that were left.

Then Sasuke mounted his horse and reached out his hand, taking the sword that Kakashi had prepared for him and fastening it to his waist strap, where it would remain with him throughout his journey.

"Itachi will be in charge while I'm gone" he decreed, looking at his court, who looked at him in surprise and disbelief.

“My king, my lord!” The woman spoke again “His majesty is very ill for this task, I fear that his condition is too delicate to carry the role, your highness!”

“My brother already ruled once in a worse state than the one he currently is in while waiting for me to grow up to cede the throne, he certainly can do it a bit more while I'm gone”

“But sir…!”

"In case his condition worsens ..." he interrupted, with a tone of voice as icy as the look he gave the woman "in case he´s not an act to continue, then Kakashi will make all the decisions in my absence and my brother's disability”

Several indignant murmurs were heard from the other members of the court, annoyed by the possibility of a military man would rule them, but with the same look he gave the insolent woman, he quieted them all.

"Kakashi" he called and the man walked with him towards the limits of the kingdom that served as the border of the forest, trotting slowly as his first officer followed him with great ease "I trust you to keep everyone safe, especially my brother” he said, stopping his steed and staring at the man.

"My king's orders are my perpetual la," Kakashi recited, quoting the motto of imperial strength as he brought his right hand to his heart and bowed to him.

Sasuke nodded, but before starting his horse again, he spoke for the last time.

- And Kakashi ... execute her

Kakashi bowed again and Sasuke pulled the reins of his horse to start running, going into the forest when the first rays of dawn hit the ground, and knowing his order would be carried out without hesitation.

-----------------------------------

Inside the forest the thick trees hid any trace of the sun, giving the illusion that it was still night even though Sasuke knew it must be after eight.

Still he didn't back down, mentally reciting the directions the oracle had given him to find the mysterious woman.

“Once crossed the river of stone, the road will split for you, one more dangerous the other, competing for the new prey that appears before them. Be guided by the horrendous noises that make the bones of the strongest of men tremble, by the trail of perdition from which your eyes will not be able to turn away, from the putrid stench of those who defied the sanctity of the earth who stepped on impure feet.

Along the way you will find death's favorite resting place. Do not drink or eat the natural delicacies that will be shown for you, instead you must use your senses, facing the great beast that will attack from the shadows.

If the combat is satisfactory, then the beast will show its respects by leading you to its queen, otherwise, there will be the place of your last rest"

Naturally, oracles liked to be cryptic with their words to the point of making them indecipherable, but the more than a century old woman who had served three generations of her family had put those fanfare behind her, preferring to be as clear as possible in her revelations than risk a bad future for the kingdom because of misunderstandings out of her tongue.

Upon reaching the Stone River, he took a moment to observe the waters peacefully.

That river had been named this way not only because of the rock formation that simulated a natural bridge in the center of that great pool, just covering its surface with a thin layer of water that made it extremely slippery, but also because of the rock at its bottom, arranged in the shape of spikes so sharp that even the slightest fall on them could cause fatal injuries to the unfortunate victim.

He allowed Onyx to drink some of the water before venturing across the stone bridge.

His horse, fearless just like his owner, also had some afraid. On rare occasions he’d tried to cross that path through the waters with the equine, but his partner had acquired a phobia at that particular step when, being very young, he slipped on the stone and it was almost impossible for him to get back on his feet, almost falling to the bottom of the river when with desperate movements he slid to one side before finally reaching the bank of the river and climbing, being completely exhausted on the grass, all under the frightened gaze of his owner who had remained on dry land while his horse struggled.

He remembers that, after that, he had remained with Onyx there for longer than he ever was in that place, being found by the royal guard and brought to the castle only to remain expectant all night at the possibility of having to sacrifice the animal.

Now, Onyx was a majestic and imposing stallion with more history than half his stablemates, but from time to time he would turn back into a fearful foal when they were near that place.

However, while he normally wouldn't push him any further than he considered Onyx could take, this time around he couldn't afford to be understandable to his horse or to be left without a mount for the rest of the way.

“Come on boy!” He encouraged him, shaking the reins several times and smiling as Onyx, refusing at first, approached the rock and put his front legs on it, whinnying loudly as he took small terrified steps.

Even in the slippery material, the new horseshoes he had had his horse put on were being especially helpful in preventing the equine's legs from slipping over the rock even when Onyx's steps were somewhat shaky, leading the horse to gain a little confidence with every step until he was finally on the other side.

“Well done, Onyx!” He congratulated the horse, patting and stroking his neck before pulling out an apple, which he happily accepted.

He wasted no time and continued with the journey, reaching the place where the road divided in three.

At first glance they did not seem dangerous at all, leading him to wonder if the oracle had been wrong with her interpretation or if he had deviated from the correct path himself, but the sudden sound of something sliding on the ground caught his attention and put his whole body on guard again, waiting for any sign of attack.

Instead what he received was the cawing of birds, crows, he recognized, noises of something sliding and the screeching of bats that flew directly to his face at that moment, causing Onyx to panic and stand up on his two hind legs, almost making Sasuke to fall.

When he regained his balance and Onyx was back on all fours, Sasuke looked at the central path, remembering what the oracle had said and thinking that this should be the way to go, so he made the horse move forward, despite the reluctance of the animal.

The putrid stench started only a few minutes on the road before dead animals began to appear on the road, being replaced only a few meters later by human corpses in various states of putrefaction, from skeletons to bodies that should barely have been there for a few days. , and even recognized the uniform worn by the third-rank guards in his kingdom, only stuffed with bones, each corpse wrapped by vines and other local weeds.

He was forced to breathe as little as possible when the stench became impossible to bear, coming to vomit in the section where everything was strongest, without having the opportunity to breathe until the road began to clear of so much death, showing to his sight a great stone plateau clothed with climbing vines and rosebuds.

He got off his horse and gave him another snack, tying the reins to the tree farthest from the ferns and other plants full of fruit that he knew they shouldn't eat.

Slowly and carefully he approached the great structure, gazing at it in fascination. Up close, he noticed the spines that protruded around the roses of different sizes that decorated the plateau, which, he noticed, were deceptively sharp, cutting him at the simple touch and spilling a thick drop of blood that bathed the thorn that caused his wound.

The sudden tremor in his spine appeared as the slight trembling of the earth beneath his feet, accompanied by the sound of something sliding - something that must have been big and heavy, from the way it sounded - and then deafening silence was present. .

“Onyx!” He shouted, turning around when he heard the horse whinny and stop suddenly, expecting to meet the animal where he had left it, however in its place he found another type of animal, giant and with shiny black scales, which were only cut with the three red lines of scales on the tip of its tail, raised in the air with a swaying motion.

The gigantic snake kept its eyes fixed on his, hissing and showing off his forked white tongue.

Eyes wider than they had ever been in his life, he diverted them just a little to the rest of the great reptile's body, almost growling in pain at the bulge protruding from where, he guessed, was the stomach of the immense snake, sure it was the product of his horse swallowing.

Feeling the flame of fury ignite and grow in him, he grasped the hilt of his sword in a slow motion and drew it lightly, as the serpent rose a little higher above him.

With one swift movement he pulled it out completely as the snake lunged at him, barely being fast enough to avoid its jaws, but not fast enough to dodge its tail, which slammed it against a tree and left it stamped there until he nailed the sword almost halfway.

Even his powerful armor hadn't been enough to shield him from that blow, catching his breath cut short by the pressure of the limb that had held him captive, but he had no time to think about that as he tried to get away from the great perimeter that covered the snake.

The injured tail slammed into the ground next to him, causing him to stumble from the din it caused.

The reptile's head also collided with the ground a few feet from his back and then glided at high speed towards him, using its nose to push him up when he collided with him and sent him flying into the air as the snake rose again, now with its jaws open.

But Sasuke was able to hold on to the tip of the animal's nose and avoid being swallowed as he had done with his horse by resting his feet against the bottom of the snake's mouth and giving a little jump before it closed it, being helped by the impulse that the same reptile gave him before the abrupt movement it made while trying to make him fall.

Sasuke stayed on the snake's skull and held onto its scales as best he could before stabbing his sword - which he had clung to as much as he could during the attack - into one of the animal's eyes, which let out a shrill and strange sound before, to Sasuke's immense amazement, it made a 180 ° turn and threw himself hard against the floor, taking him with and crashing him on the flat surface, a blow so violent that it caused him to lose his helmet, his mobility and his strength.

--------------------------------

Only seconds before he lost consciousness he saw the towering snake - now one-eyed - rise above him before launching itself with his jaws open just as Sasuke's eyes finally gave up.

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the immense throbbing pain in his head that only got worse when he tried to open his eyes, being hit by the brightest sunlight that forced him to close them again.

Where had so much light come from?

After a while, and when he was sure he could resist it, he opened his eyes again.

It took him a long time to regain the clarity of his sight, but once everything was clear he was astonished at what he saw.

In front of him a large colorful space, green above all, stood proud in all that light. Huge trees were here and there, casting great shadows, covered with fruit in great quantity.

A few meters from him was a lake with crystal clear waters, reflecting everything that was shown from above.

It was only when a slight movement behind him caught his attention that he realized he had been leaning against something cold, and when he turned around he felt as if his entire being had left his body when he found himself face to face with the giant eye yellowish that he recognized instantly.

He backed away quickly, grunting in pain as his muscles protested at his sudden movements, but instead of stopping to ease them, he fought them and reached for his sword at her waist, surprised not to find it.

The snake stared at him for a few seconds before lazily deflecting its head toward the center of the thread that had turned its body.

—You must not fear, it will not hurt you

He turned quickly and looked around, searching for the soft voice that he had said those words.

"Onyx" he breathed out, seeing the mate he had thought he lost, now lying on the grass, asleep on the other side of the lake.

Naturally those words were not said by the animal, but by the other person next to it, who was gently stroking the mane of his horse.

Their eyes met and he forgot how to breathe, incredulous of the moons that were his pupils, beautiful, and that without a doubt were looking directly at him.

The woman stood up and he could see her completely: snowy skin, long dark hair that swayed with every step she took. Her body was covered in leaves, branches and flowers that clung to her like a second layer. The upper part of her was covered by vines up to the middle of her breasts, being enough to cover the most. The lower part was a skirt, much less rigid than the upper one as it was made entirely of green leaves in different sizes, stopping only a few inches above her knees.

A long vine rested in the center of her abdomen, joining the two pieces as one.

She was barefoot and her hair was decorated with the most elaborate flower crown he had ever seen in his life.

As he passed by the lake, he stopped, crouching in the direction of the water, taking from the ground a large leaf of a plant that he did not recognize - and which he had not realized was lying there - and wrapped it gently until it formed a bowl that she plunged into the water until filled it, rising again and resuming its way towards him, now with the makeshift pot that spilled tiny drops from its bottom.

When she finally got to him, he saw her more clearly: thin and natural pink lips, a small and upturned nose, perfectly shaped eyebrows and long eyelashes that only marveled her appearance even more, also highlighting the lack of the slightest freckle on her face.

She offered him the bowl but he did not take it at first, still fascinated and hypnotized by the beauty of the woman in front of him until she pushed it to his chest, forcing him to hold it as she took one by one his hands between her smallest and drew them to the sides of the blade, releasing it when she made sure his grip was firm.

She, with one of her index fingers, touched the surface of the water three times in different parts, and when her hand lowered three different flowers grew in the water: a lotus, a calla and a water lily, which immediately disintegrated and mixed with the liquid, giving it a color that ranged from pink to purple.

"Take it" she said, looking into his eyes "it will help you heal."

He didn't know why, but he obeyed her and took the entire tonic in one gulp, grimacing when the bitter taste of it touched his tongue and she slid down her throat.

She smirked and turned around, walking back to where Onyx was now awake, looking at them wearily.

"It's you" was the first thing that came out of his mouth, looking at her completely uncovered back as she walked away from him “The witch”.

Her walking stopped and she turned around again, looking at him now with a frown, offended.

“That's very rude!. I am not a witch" she protested "My name is Hinata Hyuga, and I am the queen of this garden" she said proudly, turning to resume her march as if her statement was enough to deny his word.

But he would not be fooled; he had witnessed for himself what she had done in the water she had given him to drink.

He looked around him and his sight fell on his sword and armor, arranged neatly on the grass near the giant serpent's tail.

Slowly and careful not to be heard he approached his things and took the sword at the same time that with difficulty he took three steps back as the snake's tail moved to hit the ground and then returned to its original position.

It took a bit of trouble, but he was able to raise his sword and hold it with both hands, directing the tip in the direction in which that woman - that witch - was, now again sitting on the grass, stroking the back of his horse, looking at him unimpressed.

"Witch, you will come with me" he demanded "Everything will be easier if you do not resist, you will get a decent treatment: you will sleep in the softest bed, you will wear the finest clothes ... otherwise, if you resist, you ... you ..." He stopped for a moment, not for lack of words, but from shortness of breath —If… if you resist… the dungeon… the smallest and dirtiest dungeon will be…

"You’re hurting them" she interrupted, and he didn't understand.

The witch looked down and he followed her eyes, stopping at the sword that was now stuck in the middle of a small group of flowers.

When had he lowered his sword?

“What did you do to me?” He growled, aware of the progressive loss of strength to which he was subjected.

"It's the medicine" said the witch, calmly "for your body to heal, it must first rest”

And as if that were a command, his body fell apart, causing him to fall to the floor on a tall grass bed that he could swear was not there a moment ago.

- Witch! ... You will pay...

Unconsciousness welcomed him.

--------------------------------------

When he woke up there was still sunlight, quite clear, so he thought that maybe he had only slept a few seconds, but the environment felt different from before and he could hear the distinctive galloping and neighing of Onyx, going here and there as his footsteps slightly covered the happy laugh of the female.

He could not move his body freely, only just his fingers, and mentally he cursed himself for having taken that concoction that this evil woman had given him, clearly using her sorcery to weaken him.

“Your body still needs rest” he could have shuddered at the sudden voice if it weren't for the fact that he was paralyzed, shortly afterwards the witch's face appeared in his visual range, tilted from above so he could see her “you´ve been very hurt by your confrontation with Munda, your injuries will take a little longer to heal”

He grunted, annoyed.

“Why have you risked your life to get here, mortal?” She asked him, now in a more serious tone.

Then and once again without really knowing why, he began to tell her about his kingdom, about the moments of wealth and prosperity before the war struck, about the deaths and the lack of food that besieged them, making their situation worse. He told her about his brother and his mysterious bedridden illness, about the sudden barrenness of his lands, and how he had preferred to make this trip alone rather than take away much-needed protection in case they tried again to invade them during his absence.

In her face there was no sorrow, annoyance or joy for their misfortunes, instead it was pure curiosity what he could see while he finished explaining the reason why he was looking for her.

"Okay, I'll go with you" she answered with conviction.

He, who had gradually regained mobility to the point where he could now sit up and the waves of heat attacked him insistently, looked at her in surprise, unable to avoid questioning her decision.

"I'll go with you" she confirmed again "However, the starting path is more dangerous than the one you traveled to get here, so you will have to make a full recovery first" She stood up and looked at him “I cannot be away for long, this place depends on me, so I will help your people and leave immediately, it is my only condition”

He watched her, almost denying immediately that he could leave that easily, but he was quick enough to bite his tongue before speaking.

"Okay, then we have a deal" he agreed.

She nodded pleased and stood up, walking away from him and up a tiny hill where she began to press with her fingers the closed buds and the withered flowers that surrounded her, opening and coming back to life with the simple touch of her.

Despite having accepted, in his mind they only danced ways of how he would interrupt her departure, it would be very foolish of him to let her go that easy, a person with her abilities, whether witch or not, was unique, one in a million , and no self-respecting kingdom would let her go that easily.

He could try to convince her by showing her everything that she obviously didn't have in her "garden", the wonders of modernity, and if that couldn't convince her, well, he had dungeons at his disposal that he could trick her into or even without them, but surely he would not lose those abilities from his hands.

Satisfied with that plan, he began to touch the back of both of his hands, searching and removing the splinters that he did not know how he has nailed himself.

Even though Hinata's tonics were helping him recover faster than he normally would, it felt like it was actually taking forever.

There, the days and nights seemed to last longer than normal, as if the clock had 36 hours instead of 24.

Each remedy that Hinata gave her were different and she healed something different, like the one she used to make his bruises disappear, which were a combination of wild flowers and citrus fruits that melted in the water as soon as she created them and released. Those bruises that would normally take a week or more to fade, she had done it in almost three days.

The problem is that she could only give him a tonic for one thing at a time, along with the first one that she had given him so his body relaxes and rests.

Now he was drinking one that she claimed would help with his internal ailments, and he guessed she was referring to the bruised bones that barely allowed her to walk or breathe. This was particularly bitter and she had to take it several times a day, which was a mini torture considering that these wounds would take even longer to heal.

He was washing his armor when he heard her scream.

“No! Go away, you can't be here!”

His skin prickled when she heard it. Had someone entered that place? An ally or an enemy? The great snake that was supposed to be the only one that could make someone else reach that place, Munda, hadn't moved from the rock it had spread on the day before, almost looking dead if it weren't for the hiss it left escape from time to time, maybe someone had found a way to enter without facing the great reptile?

“No! Get away!”

Wasting no time he dropped the piece of armor he was washing into the water and instead grabbed his sword, gripping it tightly and ran - or rather, he limped quickly - looking beyond the trees and bushes until he saw her midnight hair, covered with small flowers of various colors, and he went quickly towards her, who kept her fists clenched and her arms stiff down, slapping the floor with one foot while she kept yelling at whoever was there to leave.

But as he got closer to her, he still couldn't see anyone else; maybe it was some invisible person? It would not be unreasonable to think about that.

Finally, when he got to her side, he saw whoever caused her annoyance.

"This… creature…" she began, making an exasperated gesture with her hand at the wild boar that nonchalantly ate the blackberries from the orchard it raided "This annoying creature won't go away!" I've tried everything but it keeps coming back”

He looked at her in disbelief.

“So much fuss over a wild boar?”

“Is this the name of this demon spawn?” She asked him, looking at him intensely "Do you know him?"

"It's a wild boar, there are hundreds of them in the forest" he said more calmly, dismissing the accusation of her previous question.

“Hundreds?!” She gasped in disbelief.

"Calm down, just ... get rid of him."

“I´ve tried it! But this ... boar keeps coming back”

He let out an exasperated sigh, thinking of suggesting of making her pet snake eat the animal, but dismissed the idea as he thought the reptile was pretty useless when it don´t came to attacking and killing unsuspecting humans and their horses near the plateau of stone.

Since he first woke up he had only seen it move a few inches and change position, so another idea occurred to him.

“Can you hold it?” He asked him “with your ivy?”

She looked at him curiously and suspiciously, but instead of answering vocally, she raised a hand and made a few short movements with her fingers before clenching her fist, catching the animal that began to screech in panic.

He approached it, and with a certain movement, cut off it head.

When he heard her loud gasp he looked back and there she was, her brows furrowed, her eyes staked and both of her hands covering her mouth.

He looked back at the now dead animal, grabbed it head and raised it before asking.

“Do you know fire?”

.

.

.

Sasuke sat on a rock while at the same time bringing the now cooked boar meat to his mouth, biting off a large chunk and tearing it from the rest so he could eat it.

Sitting on another rock on the other side of the bonfire he had made, Hinata found herself with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed, looking at him with such intensity as if she wanted to make his head explode with just her powerful gaze.

She was upset with him, that was clear. Since he had killed the animal and cut its meat into smaller portions so he could stick them into branches and put them on the fire to cook.

The turning point, however, was when he gathered branches and leaves and started the fire that he had surrounded with rocks of different sizes as a barrier so that the fire did not spread.

Apparently, she could forgive him for killing an animal even if she was clearly against it, but lighting wood and using leaves as a burning material was where she drew the line, practically declaring enmity at the prolonged silence she had maintained.

It was funny to tell the truth, even if preparing that meat and the dressing he had bathed it with to give it a little more flavor had been torture for his sprained wrist, it was worth it if I could see her normally relaxed and smiling face distorted with annoyance and disappointment, her lower lip sticking out childishly.

Furthermore, and despite the wide variety of fruits she had been feeding him - more delicious than he had ever eaten - he had really missed the taste of meat on his palate.

“Hey!” He called her even though it wasn't necessary, since she hadn't taken her gaze from him for a second. "Try a little" he said, spreading some meat even though he was too far for her to reach.

That scandalized her.

“I will not do it!” She vigorously refused, looking quite offended by his proposal “I'm not a savage!”

"Me neither" he said, shrugging even though he wanted to burst in laughs at her expression.

“You are eating a living being”

“You eat the children of your plants, but I don't judge you for doing that”

The expression on her face finally overcame him, making him laugh.

With difficulty and care, he rose to his feet and walked around the fire, sitting next to her and extending with his good hand the piece of meat he himself had previously been eating.

"Try a little" he repeated, but she pursed her lips and turned her face away, refusing.

“No, I do not like”

"You can't say you don't like it if you haven't tried it yet" he told her, repeating the words his mother had repeated so much to the fussy eight-year-old he was.

But she kept refusing, so he took another approach they used to use with him when he was especially difficult to feed: negotiation.

"How about this" he began “If you try a little of this, I promise I won't complain and take all your strange meds even if they taste like hell itself, you don't have to like it, just try a little”

She looked at him scrutinizingly, apparently looking for some kind of dishonesty, but he just brought his injured wrist to the center of his abdomen, in a well-camouflaged dirty little manipulative move, which he knew was working when she looked at his wrist and then again to in his eyes.

“Just a little?” He nodded "And will you take the medicine without complaining?" He affirmed again.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out again in the form of a long sigh.

She opened her eyes again, now with a look of determination and nodded.

He smiled and brought the meat to her mouth.

“W-wait!” she yelled, holding his wrist.

He was really having a hard time not laugh again.

Without letting go his wrist, she barely opened her mouth and bit into some of the meat, chewing it and stopping after swallowing it.

He looked at her expectantly, watching as she frowned again and sudden tears began to fall from her eyes.

Was it really that bad?

He began to feel guilty for forcing her to do so, but he was surprised when she now took a bigger bite, taking the meat from his hand to grab it herself, saying between sobs

"It's good!" she sniffed and cried harder as she ate more of it.

________________________

That night he woke up because of the pain that attacked his healthy wrist, grunting and looking for the reason for that, and when he looked at it, he was surprised and out of breath to see how a bracelet of branches wrapped him, which would not be a problem if it was not for the fact that they seemed to come straight out of his skin.

________________________

Another few days passed and he had kept thinking a lot about his situation.

Due to his suspicions, he decided to do an experiment.

For a few days he stayed especially close to her, touching her skin with his fingertips in the most subtle way he could, leading him to offer help during the moments when she did her self-imposed tasks that were not really necessary - there was not much to entertain herself with, he supposed — and despite confusion at his sudden need to help, she agreed and directed him what to do, frustrating him when any of those tasks kept him away from her.

But at the end of the day he touched her enough without going overboard - tapping her shoulder to get her attention or patted it awkwardly as he congratulated her with a "good job" - and then he walked away from her and went to the makeshift cot she had created for him, leaving her more confused than at first.

The first night he waited awake for something to happen, for the branches to start coming out or for his skin to turn green, he wasn't entirely sure what could happen, but he waited.

And he received nothing.

He repeated the experiment several more times and nothing happened, so he thought maybe it was a side effect of the last potion she had given him to drink? It would make sense that his body is no longer producing more vegetation by changing the type of medicine she was giving him, and it would also make sense that she did not know that effect as something out of the ordinary, since her own body seemed to produce by itself the plants that dressed her.

Then he forgot the topic, classifying it as a one-time occurrence.

Until he wasn't.

That morning, when he no longer had any kind of ailment and was beginning to feel he was finally regaining his strength, he had helped Munda - who, he learned, was really peaceful when he was not protecting the entrance to that garden - to get rid of the little debris that had stuck to him after his last shedding of skin.

"Good work," Hinata said, patting him on the shoulder as best she could since he was significantly taller than her “Munda's shedding of skin is usually a disaster because it is more resistant than normal, so I always have a hard time cleaning it when it's in season” she revealed, now with her hand fixed on his shoulder “you are very good at that”

He accepted her congratulations with a small hint of pride on her chest.

They passed the day with normally, and at night, while taking a bath in the lake, a sudden pain attacked his shoulder.

When he tried to move his shoulder in circles, he couldn´t, the pain and stiffness prevented him from the slightest movement, then he brought his other hand over said shoulder to try to massage himself, but when he felt his fingers prick, He stopped.

Surprised, he looked at his shoulder and couldn't believe what he saw: it was covered in thorns right where Hinata had touched it.

The fire of anger ignited in him and spread like forest fire, was that it? Her hands? Were her hands causing his body to produce leaves and thorns as if it were a simple plant? Although, now that he thought about it, he had been a fool not to realize it before, after all, she was nothing more than a witch whose hands could grow trees and flowers out of nowhere.

He had been fooled. He had let his guard down and this witch was turning him into another plant in her garden.

Who many more had she done this to?

He looked at the surrounding trees for the hint that any of them were once a man, but he had done his job so well that there was not the slightest trace of a previous humanity in them.

Angry, he left the lake and put on his pants, not caring they were dirty and dusty from the activities he had done that day. He dressed in his armor and took the sword with him, searching for Hinata and finding her, as always, in the center of the small flower-covered hill that surrounded her.

His quick and heavy steps caught his attention, turning and smiling at him when she saw him approaching, but that expression quickly changed when he entered, stepping carelessly on the flowers that she loved so much.

"Sasuk ..!"

"In two days we will leave," he interrupted, placing the sword under her chin and applying enough pressure so the tip dug lightly into her neck, hurting her “I have already lost a lot of valuable time with your stupid games, as of today, I command”

He turned around without giving her the opportunity to speak and went to the farthest part of that garden, where he found what seemed to be the oldest tree of all, the most leafy, where he sat down and pressed his back against it, crossing his arms with his sword still in his hand, quickly creating in his mind all the logistics of what he would do next.

______________________

The desperate neighing of Onyx woke him up.

He hadn't realized when he had fallen asleep, but it seems as if the apocalypse had taken place once he closed his eyes.

He blinked, trying to clear the blurry view of him until everything was terrifyingly sharp.

In front of him, Onyx kept crying, rising on his hind legs and then dropping the front legs in heavy blows, kicking up the dust with each fall.

It was daytime, he could tell, but the whole environment was so bleak that his brain had a hard time understanding it.

He looked around him, all the space that had previously been green and colorful had turned to the darkest gray he had ever seen. The trees shed their leaves at an impressive speed, the same ones that were now on the ground, surrounding him.

He tried to take one, but the blades were so brittle they broke with the simple touch.

"Onix, take it easy" But the horse ignored him; instead, he whinnied louder as if urging him to stop and then ran, leaving him behind.

He walked carefully, looking everywhere: the bushes were dry but still held some of their fruits, of which he took one and put it in his mouth only to spit it out instantly, disgusted by the horrible taste of the previously delicious blackberry had taken. As he walked, a foul stench began to fill his nostrils, aggravating the closer he got to the lake, until he realized that was where it came from. The waters, previously clean and clear, were now as black and thick as tar.

What was happening?

It didn't take long for him to find the cause.

Still on the small hill was Hinata, motionless and with her head bowed, the flowers around her were wilted. Munda surrounded the hill, making a great circle with its whole body, as trying to be a wall of protection for her owner.

The great snake gave him a warning hiss, glaring at him, now with both of its healthy eyes, as if it was challenging him to come closer.

Even with the threat of the reptile, he did, he knew how protective he was, but he had learned that in here Munda was more like a puppy playing at being brave than the gigantic and terrifying snake really was.

Already within the circle of protection of him everything was more horrible, here the flowers were not withered, and instead they seemed burned. Hinata's body remained immobile, not even seemed to breathe, and when he surrounded her and was face to face with her, he was surprised by the horrible state that in just a few hours she had gotten.

Her skin was as gray as the rest of the earth, her previously pink lips were now dangerously close to black, almost all the flowers in her hair and crown had lost their petals and the ones that remained would fall at any moment. Her eyes were open and she kept them that way, without blinking, and the only sign that told him there was still life in her was the trail of tears that fell without stopping.

He crouched in front of her and called out, but he didn't get the slightest bit of recognition from her.

He grabbed her face and winced at the ease of movement he had from her, even if her body seemed stiffer than could be possible.

Then the dark green trail that fell from her throat to her abdomen caught his eye, and he felt as if he had been hit with the strongest metal as he remembered what he had done.

Was this his fault?

"Hinata," he called her, lifting her face so he could look into her eyes, which seemed to be empty. "Hinata, I'm sorry."

But his attempts were in vain because she did not respond or make the slightest movement that indicated she would do it at some point.

Desperation began to fill him and he didn't know what to do, stroking her face and trying to wipe the tears away, but they kept falling and instead, sliding over and around his thumbs, mocking his unsuccessful attempts to stop them.

Then, in a moment of utter despair he did something he had only thought would happen in his dreams, and kissed her.

His lips froze over the cold, chapped of hers, and all ambient sound that he had previously not actively noticed disappeared. He made no move, just stood with his lips joined, praying inside his mind for a reaction, until her lips trembled.

One sob left them, then two, until it was totally a symphony of wailing.

He hugged her and pressed her to his chest, quietly apologizing to her and preferring to hear her cry than remain in the deathly silence of moments ago.

----------------------------

Recovery was slower than he could have imagined. While it took less than one night to produce the disaster, fixing it was a matter of a long time.

She avoided talking to him and he couldn't blame her, not after all that he´d caused.

She was just getting back to her normal color and at the same time so did her garden, slowly returning to the green it was when he had arrived.

He hadn't given her a reason for his action in the first place, and he didn't think he'd do it sometime soon - never, if he could.

He just helped her silently, discovering that when he kissed her, she recovered a little more.

So he kept doing it, morning, afternoon and evening, until the pink on her cheeks appeared and the flowers in her hair began to bloom.

That, however, came at a price, and it didn't take long for him to realize that the mere touch was more powerful than that of her fingers.

It first reflected on his nails, which turned brown and their textures became like that of a tree trunk. Then on his chest, where leaves and thorns came out again.

It was a much faster process than he had thought.

"I think we can leave tomorrow" were the first words she spoke to him after days of silence, smiling shyly at him, speaking in a low voice.

He nodded as best she could, his neck stiff from the changes taking place in him.

That day his feet stuck to the ground, and pulling them off felt as if he had lost a limb.

"Sasuke" Hinata called him the next morning, worried about what she was seeing. "Since when has this been happening?"

He looked at her, but he didn't answer.

He was still lying on his grass cot, trapped by the ivy that had tightly encircled his arms, torso, and legs to keep him in place.

"Wait." The desperation in Hinata's voice was palpable, but he could barely recognize anything.

With her hands, Hinata touched the plants on top of him, but was surprised to see that instead of obeying her and disappearing, they seemed to tighten around Sasuke.

She looked at her hands without understanding what was happening and tried again, her eyes clouding over as she obtained the same result as the first time.

The tears left her eyes and the sobs soon appeared the more she tried and failed, becoming more energetic and miserable with every second more.

"Hinata," he called out, barely a hoarse whisper as he felt a new plant grow from his stomach and slide its roots through his esophagus, slowly exiting his mouth "There is no time for me…”

“Do not!" She shouted shakily" Don't say that!”

“S. Save them ... my people ...” he said, barely breathing.

"I-I will, but-but first ..." A sob interrupted her "you first..."

Sasuke wanted to deny, but he had neither the strength nor the mobility to do so.

"There ... there is ... no time for ... me" he repeated.

“Sasuke”

“Please”

Without finding the words to answer him, she just nodded.

Sasuke smiled and looked at her, grateful as a single tear slid down the side of his face as more roots came out of his mouth.

"Thank you" he said, his voice cracking, closing his eyes, "I lo ..."

But he couldn't finish his sentence, losing the last breath he had and finally letting the roots slide out of his mouth and dig into the ground beneath him.

A heartrending scream came from Hinata's mouth, the loss, for the first time in hundreds of years, completely ripping her apart.

She cried over his body, feeling a pain much worse than that of a few days ago completely invade her, feeling again how she was fainting rapidly.

But she still had one last promise to keep.

Unwilling to leave him, Hinata placed both hands on the ground and gathered all of her strength, screaming as she transferred her power beyond the forest, filling all around with the life that he had come looking for.

The earth shook and great thorny walls rose above all of her garden, joining in the center without closing completely, and leaving a small gap through which the sunlight entered.

Exhausted, she walked to where Sasuke's body lay covered in roots and she dropped down beside him, placing a hand on his chest, slowly closing her eyes and melting into him.

------------------------

From the highest tower of the Uchiha castle, the cries of the courtesans invaded the room of King Itachi, whose body was covered by a white sheet as his court surrounded him.

"You did it, my king," Kakashi whispered, watching from the window as the kingdom began to fill with the vivid green of the growing plants and the colorful buds of flowers and fruit that followed them, though his attention was really fixed on the large bud that it had formed in the farthest part of the forest.

While, at the gates of the kingdom, Onyx the steed without his king arrived.

Los dedos generalmente torpes se movían sobre él con una maestría que la mayoría desconocía, encendiendo el fuego donde fuera que lo tocara.

Y él solo quería más, anhelando el contacto que se le había sido negado durante el mes que no la había visto.

Sus propias manos recorrieron las piernas de ella, que envueltas en su cintura la aseguraban de no deslizarse contra la pared en la que su espalda se apoyaba.

El contacto con la tela de su vestido lo enloquecía, no queriendo más que romper la maldita prenda que le impedía verla y tocarla como debería ser, pero sabía que era necesario que guardara la compostura si no quería ser descubiertos.

En su lugar se concentró en sus labios unidos que los salvaguardaba de ser descubiertos por la sinfonía de gemidos y gruñidos que desesperadamente salían de ellos, siendo atrapados por el interior de la boca del otro.

Sus caderas se unían en un vaivén bien sincronizado de movimientos donde, cuando él bajaba, ella se alzaba sobre él hasta que se dejaba caer al mismo tiempo en el que Sasuke se hundía con una estocada en su interior.

—Hinata —gimió su nombre en la primera oportunidad que pudo, cuando abrieron una pequeña brecha entre ellos para por fin respirar —Por favor… por favor… quédate conmigo —le rogó, desesperado cuando el cosquilleo en su ingle aumentaba con cada segundo que pasaba.

Pero ella, como siempre, le rompió el corazón cuando lo volvió a callar con un beso al mismo tiempo que negaba con su cabeza aquella petición que ya se había convertido en una constante entre sus íntimos momentos.

La furia y consternación que le provocaba su negativa solo fue combustible para que la unión entre sus sexos se volviera más ruda, más errática, hasta que ambos se pusieron rígidos antes de que se marchitaran por la abrupta liberación de placer.

Unos minutos pasaron hasta que él finalmente permitió que sus piernas lo soltaran para que ella, aún debilitada y temblorosa, pudiera ponerse de pie, colocándose nuevamente las pantaletas que habían permanecido colgando en la punta de sus dedos mientras ellos se devoraban el uno al otro.

Y llegó el momento en el que tuvo que desviar la mirada, porque su corazón no resistía ver como ella tomaba del descanso del lavamanos las joyas que decoraban sus dedos, cuello y orejas, dejando para último la pieza más importante de todas.

Solo bastaron unos pocos segundos para que el sonido de la puerta abriendo y cerrando se escuchara en la infinidad de aquel lujoso baño que había sido testigo de los actos impuros que ambos habían consumado.

Se acercó al mismo lavamanos y abrió el grifo, mojando con el agua su rostro en busca de alivio incluso en la más mínima forma, mirando sus propios ojos en el espejo frente a él mientras las pequeñas gotas se deslizaban desde su frente, a sus mejillas y finalmente caían a la blanca cerámica.

Esperó varios minutos para recuperarse totalmente, sintiéndose destruido en más de una forma.

Tomó la pequeña toalla que la barra a su lado y secó sus manos y cara, tomó su saco, que había quedado en descanso sobre el tanque del inodoro y arregló su pajarita, finalmente dispuesto a salir de aquel espacio que empezaba a oprimirlo.

Salió sin pena ni culpa, sin mirar hacia los lados en busca de cualquier persona que viera a ambos dejar mismo baño y delatarlos, en realidad deseando que aquello fuera exactamente lo que pasara, pero aquel pasillo vacío en el segundo piso solo le recordaba que las escaleras habían estado fuera de los límites de los invitados a aquella fiesta, siendo solo unos pocos los permitidos a usarlas, tal como él y ella lo habían hecho.

El sonido de diversas charlas lo recibió, nada ruidoso como lo que cualquiera esperaría del anfitrión, pero que era totalmente acorde con la ocasión que se celebraba.

Con la vista fija en la salida, empezó a caminar para irse lo más rápido posible, esperando no llamar la atención con su abrupta partida.

— ¡Sasuke!

Pero como todo lo que intentaba aquella noche, falló.

Con los hombros rígidos por la tensión se dio lentamente la vuelta, enfrentando al hombre que lo llamaba con su estridente voz.

Desde el otro lado de la habitación, Naruto se acercaba a él a paso moderado, completamente distinto a como generalmente caminaría, adaptándose a la velocidad de la persona a su lado.

— ¿A dónde vas? ¡La fiesta aún no termina!

No respondió al momento, mirando los azules ojos de su amigo antes de pasar a los marfilados de su acompañante.

—Lo siento, tengo que irme —volvió a fijarse en Naruto, siendo más fácil mirar su expresión desbastada que el ceño levemente fruncido de Hinata —Algo surgió en la empresa, me llamaron de urgencia —se excusó con una mentira, esperando que al menos Naruto pudiera ser engañado con sus palabras.

—Eso apesta —se quejó el rubio, aunque su tono denotaba entendimiento.

Naruto se acercó a él, abrazándolo.

—Aun así nos reuniremos mañana ¿verdad?

Sasuke también lo abrazó, un poco más rígido que al principio.

—Por supuesto, idiota —le respondió, sus ojos fijos aun en Hinata, tratando de no deslizar la mirada hacia abajo para no toparse con el anillo que orgullosamente brillaba en su mano izquierda —No puedo dejarte arruinar tu boda con tus estúpidas ideas ¿cierto?

—Genial —el abrazo se acabó y Naruto se volvió a deslizar junto a su prometida —realmente te agradezco todo esto Sasuke

Él rechazó aquello, volviendo a mirar a Hinata y extendiendo su mano para apretarla con la de ella.

La electricidad que producía en ambos cualquier contacto entre ellos seguía ahí, pero ninguno de los dos podía reaccionar en consecuencia.

—Felicidades por su compromiso —fue lo único que pudo decirle, doliendo cada letra que salió de su boca y el pequeño “gracias” que ella soltó.

Sus manos se soltaron, lentas, y el sentimiento de vacío en él se hizo más grande cuando el ligero contacto final de las yemas de sus dedos desapareció.

Se despidió y se dio la vuelta, deteniéndose cuando abrió la puerta y se giró levemente para mirarlos por última vez, viéndolos felices mientras eran abordados por otras personas que los felicitaban, aunque los ojos de ambos volvieron a encontrarse antes de que no pudiera resistir más y salió de aquella casa.

Ignoró completamente su auto cuando pasó a su lado, prefiriendo caminar en medio de la oscura calle solo iluminada por pobres farolas amarillentas y la blanca luz de la luna.

Ya no debería afectarle, se supone que la historia de ambos había acabado años atrás cuando estuvieron de acuerdo que su relación no daba para más, cuando sus caminos se separaron, cuando la convenció, apenas seis meses después de su separación, de que debería aceptar la propuesta de su amigo a una cita, asegurándole que estaba completamente bien con aquello.

Qué tonto de su parte.

Ahora solo era una página a la izquierda que solo era leída de vez en cuando en busca de algo olvidado, y él no podía hacer nada más que aceptar aquello, anhelante del contracto de sus finos dedos sobre sus borrosas letras.

“Un gatito en el tejado, solo sin su lady”

Este one no tiene nada que ver con el del día 1, aunque probablemente solo yo lo relacione en mi cabeza.

La última frase la agregué porque en mi mente, Sasuke va cantando la canción que canta Chat Noir en Chat Blanc

PD: Aparentemente haré puro cliché e historia quemada este mes SH

It began as a mistake, then became a habit.

The generally clumsy fingers moved over him with a mastery most unknown, lighting the fire wherever it touched.

And he just wanted more of her, yearning for the contact that had been denied him during the month that he hadn't seen her.

His own hands ran down her legs, wrapping them around his waist ensured her not to slide against the wall where her back leaned.

The contact with the cloth of her dress drove him mad, wanting nothing more than to tear the damn garment that prevented him from seeing and touching her as it should be, but he knew it was necessary for him to keep composure if he didn´t wanted them to be discovered.

Instead, he concentrated on their joined lips that safeguarded them from being discovered by the symphony of moans and grunts that desperately came out of them, ending up being trapped inside the other's mouth.

Their hips met in a well-timed swing of movements where, when he came down, she rose over him until she dropped as Sasuke plunged into her.

"Hinata," he moaned her name at the first opportunity he could, when they opened a small gap between them to finally breathe “Please, please… stay with me” he begged her, desperate when the tingling in his groin increased with each passing second.

But she, as always, broke his heart when she silenced him again with a kiss at the same time that she shook her head to the request that had already become a constant between their intimate moments.

The fury and dismay her refusal provoked in him only fueled the union between their sexes to become rougher, more erratic, until they both stiffened before they withered from the abrupt release of pleasure.

A few minutes passed before he finally allowed her legs to release him so that she, still weakened and shaky, could stand up, putting on the panties that had remained dangling on her fingertips as they devoured each other.

And the moment came when he had to look away, because his heart could not resist seeing how she took from the sink the jewels that decorated her fingers, neck and ears, leaving for last the most important piece of all.

It only took a few seconds for the sound of the door opening and closing to be heard in the infinity of that luxurious bathroom that had witnessed the impure acts that both had committed.

He walked over to the same sink and turned on the faucet, wetting his face in search of relief even in the slightest way, looking at his own eyes in the mirror in front of him as the tiny drops slid from his forehead, onto his cheeks and finally they fell to the white ceramic.

He waited several minutes to fully recover, feeling destroyed in more ways than one.

He took the small towel that hung next to him and dried his hands and face, took his jacket, which had been resting on the toilet tank and fixed his bow tie, finally ready to leave that space that was beginning to oppress him. .

He left without shame or guilt, without looking sideways for anyone who saw both of them leaving the same bathroom and giving them away, actually wishing that was exactly what happened, but that empty corridor on the second floor only reminded him that the stairs had been off limits to the guests at that party, with only a few allowed to use them, just as he and she had done.

He was greeted by the sound of various chats, nothing noisy like what anyone would expect from the host, but which was totally in keeping with the occasion at hand.

With his eyes fixed on the exit, he began to walk to leave as quickly as possible, hoping not to attract attention with his abrupt departure.

“Sasuke!”

But like everything he tried that night, he failed.

Shoulders stiff with tension, he slowly turned around, facing the man who called out to him with his shrill voice.

From across the room, Naruto approached him at a moderate step, completely different from how he usually would walk, adapting to the speed of the person next to him.

“Where are you going? The party is not over yet!”

He didn't respond immediately, staring into the blue eyes of his friend before turning to the ivory ones of his mate.

"I'm sorry, I have to go" he looked at Naruto again, it being easier to look at his rough expression than Hinata's slightly frown "Something came up in the company, they called me… urgently" he excused himself with a lie, hoping that at least Naruto could be fooled with his words.

"That sucks," the blond complained, although his tone denoted understanding.

Naruto walked over, hugging him.

"We'll still meet tomorrow, right?"

Sasuke hugged him too, a little stiffer than at first.

"Of course, you idiot" he replied, his eyes still fixed on Hinata, trying not to slide his gaze down into the ring proudly shone on her left hand. "I can't let you ruin your wedding with your stupid ideas, right?"

"Great" the hug ended and Naruto slid back next to his fiancée "I really appreciate all this Sasuke”

He rejected that, looking back at Hinata and reaching out to squeeze her hand.

The electricity produced in both by any contact between them was still there, but neither of them could react accordingly.

"Congratulations on your engagement" was all he could say to her, hurt with every single word that came out of his mouth and the little "thank you" she blurted out.

Her hands released, slow, and the feeling of emptiness in him grew greater as the final light touch of their fingertips disappeared.

He said goodbye and turned around, stopping when he opened the door and turned slightly to look at them one last time, seeing them happy as they were approached by other people who congratulated them, although their eyes met again before he could not resist anymore, and left that house.

He completely ignored his car when he passed it, preferring to walk in the middle of the dark street only lit by poor yellowish streetlights and the white moonlight.

It should no longer affect him, it was suppose that the history of both had ended years ago when they agreed that their relationship was no worth anymore, when their paths divided, when he convinced her, just six months after their separation, that she should accept his friend's proposal for a date, assuring her he was completely fine with it.

How silly of him.

Now he was just a page to the left that was only read from time to time in search of something forgotten, and he could do nothing but accept that, yearning for the contract of her thin fingers over his blurry letters.

"A kitten on the roof, alone without his lady"

This one has nothing to do with the one from day 1, although probably only I relate it in my head.

I added the last phrase because in my mind, Sasuke is singing the song that Chat Noir sings in Chat Blanc

PS: Apparently I will do pure cliche and burned stories this month SH