Midnight in hidden leaf village. The moon is still shining brightly over the rooftops with that same cool hue. It was warm out again and had you sweating in your bed while you tried your best to get the rest you were told to get by everyone.

But something was on your mind. A constant annoying thought that would push through anything else you tried to distract yourself with. Kakashi Hatake.

(Yes...that guy...)

His silver polished eyes seem to look back at you everytime you close your own. You just can't get him out of your head for longer than a second. All you want to do right now is curl up beside him in his fluffy bed so you can purr into his chest. But that could never happen. The only way to get back into his bed is to knock yourself out again and hope he takes you home the second time around.

You scoff at yourself for even thinking of a scenario that could ensure that outcome.
"Stupid..." you whisper out loud into the night sky.

A light appears beside you catching your attention. You look down at your phone and see a message come through. It is a message from Sakura. You sigh in disappointment. You thought for sure Kakashi would have texted you by now...maybe he forgot. Or maybe he is just busy...either way it was making you ache inside.

You sweep open your Lock Screen and read the message.

Hey! Want to spend the day together tomorrow? We can get ready for the gala. I have some appointments you can join in on too. We have a lot of work to do to look our best! 🥰

You sigh at the word work as you are not one to put that much of an effort into your looks. But you reply politely as maybe this will get your mind off your sensei.

Yeah sure! I'm game for anything.

Sakura replies right away.
Great! I'm about to head to bed. But I spoke with Tsunade, she will come with us too and the rest of the girls.

That doesn't actually sound so bad.

Alright! I'm excited! 🥰 good night! C u tomorrow.

You bet! I'll pick you up at 10am. She replies.

You leave it at that and stare at your phone messages. Part of you still prays he will send you something insulting or ridiculous and you wait in anticipation. Five minutes go by with nothing, so you decide to try out this thing called sleep once again. You pocket your phone and hop off your rooftop. You had left your sliding door partially open so the room would cool down a bit. You shut the door and throw the lock on then place your phone on the bedside table. You slide into bed and fluff your pillow just right then close your eyes. But an annoying ping from your phone stops you from sinking into your sheets. Your heart skips a beat hoping it is Kakashi. You slap your hand onto your phone and bring it to your face half excited.

And the color leaves your face....
It is not a message from Kakashi at all. In fact it is a message from that same number that had
sent you your seal and a small threat. You slide open your phone and read it.

I'm coming for you.

That strikes some fear into you. You reread the message filtering through your past as you try to figure out who this may be. It is time you start asking questions instead of pretending like these messages aren't happening.

Who is this? You reply.

No response...asshole...so you try calling. But the number rings twice then the call drops. This happens several times as you keep trying until the number says out of service. Frustrated, you throw the phone onto the bed and lie back thinking. Your mind is still flicking through your past trying to figure it out. There are only two others who know your cohort instinct. Your father who is dead and your brother who went missing years ago. After a severe incident with his own stone of gelel he was permanently disabled by it and disappeared after that. Could it be him? If it is then what does he want from you?

With Bloodclaw gone and the camps cleared out there is no reason to connect with each other again. It doesn't matter anyways, as you are and have always been the stronger one. If he comes for you, you will finish what his stone had started. You lie back thinking about two things, your sensei and mastering your chakras and the stone before you need to use it to defend yourself. You are running out of time...

—————————————-

Morning had some quickly. You slept surprisingly well considering your constant worries last night. You are still waiting for Kakashi to message you and haven't heard a damn thing. As of right now you are sitting at your kitchen island sipping on a shake, reading over chakra balance and waiting for Sakura to arrive.

And she is right on time. A punctual person. You swing your front door open and see Tsunade and Sakura smiling with excitement.

"Ready?" Sakura asks.

"Yes." You reply.
She fist pumps.
"Alright! First stop, is the boutique for a wax and a manicure."
(A what now?)

You hesitate at the door.
"I'm sorry, what are we doing?"

Tsunade and Sakura snicker at you.
"I've booked us all in for a Brazilian, and to get our nails done." Sakura replies.

You blink twice. That is something you have never done and it sounds painful as she explains what a full wax entails.

"Ahhh..." you scratch the back of your head nervously.

Tsunade laughs.
"It's not as bad as you think, let's go!"

Four hours later you are exhausted and feel slightly violated. (Your poor coochie). You had met up with Hinata and Ino along the way and each of you got plucked, primped, and trimmed. Next was a tan and some lunch after that. Then Tsunade took everyone over to her house for pre-drinks, (which you weren't allowed to have), and to get you fitted into a dress. All of these efforts you had no control over.

Now you stand in Tsunade's luxurious room in front of her mirror looking at yourself in a floor length velvet dress that is so fitted it makes every curve you have ten times more exaggerated than normal. Thankfully there is a slit up the side of the dress making it easier to walk in and sit down.

"You look fantastic in this dress! I wish I had those hips. That's why I haven't worn this one." Tsunade says, tying the thin ribbon on the back of the dress..

You blush slightly at everyone's remarks.
"Yes! It's perfect!" Hinata says oddly pressing her fingers together and Ino agrees.

"Thank you." You reply.

Sakura checks the time on her phone.
"We have a couple hours before we need to leave. I'll do your makeup and hair if you want, Hana."

You shrug as your entire body has been theirs to shape and mold all day. Why stop now? She ushers you into the bathroom and closes the door.

Another two hours later...

You and the girls are ready. Although you appreciate what they are all doing for you, this is not your favorite way to spend an entire day. You would rather be outside doing something productive or hanging out with your sensei...speaking of sensei you still haven't heard a word from him. You check your phone quickly before putting it in your bag. Still no messages. You sigh sadly. This is unusual for him. Maybe you had done something to upset him?

You decide to put your pride on the back burner and send him a text.
Hey how are you?😋

You wait a few minutes and nothing comes. He doesn't even read the message. Your stomach turns and your heart drops. (What is going on?)

"Let's head out, we have a lot more fun ahead of us." Tsunade says.

Everyone except you cheered at that and Sakura seemed to notice.

As you walk down the street to the gala dressed to impress. Sakura falls beside you glancing at your glum behavior.

"Hey, you've been quiet all day. What's up?" She asks in a lower voice.

"I haven't been quiet all day..." You reply.

She laughs.
"Right. Remind me never to take you for a Brazilian wax. But really, you aren't your happy self today. What's going on?"

You wished she hadn't put you on the spot as you don't really have an excuse that doesn't involve Kakashi. Then again this girl knows him very well, maybe she can shed some light on his behavior.

"Well. Kakashi said he would message me last night. I haven't heard from him at all." You reply.

She looks at you strangely.

"You two seem to talk a lot. I know when he was my sensei he wouldn't even show up on time. And I barely knew what he was doing outside of training."

You sigh regretting bringing him up in conversation.
"I guess we do talk a lot.."

"A lot! But...Kakashi is hard to read. He does one thing then does the opposite the next day. He is also unreliable sometimes. I mean if there is a threat I trust him with my life and have. But as for anything else, well, he loses interest fast and becomes aloof."

That hit you like a punch to the stomach. So he's lost interest? Did he even have interest in the first place? This was more confusing than what you had thought before.

"Well, I won't worry then. Do you know where he went this weekend?" You ask.

She shrugs.
"I heard a few of the guys had a quick mission last night, which they should be back by now. As for the rest of the weekend. That's a mystery."

"Ok." You say trying not to be noticeably disappointed. A mission was a good excuse not to message you. You decide to make that the reason.

"We're almost there. Let's try not to think about the bad stuff and focus on the fun time we're about to have!" She says and takes your hand.

"You're right. Thanks Sakura." You smile and she smiles back.

As you approached the gala everyone stops to stare, you were amazed at the location. Nothing like what you have been to before as this setting was outdoors in a vast garden with solariums scattered along a wide river. This has to be the most beautiful place for an event.

Upon entering the gala you were given a stamp on your hand by jonin guards at the front. You recognized one particular jonin right away. The very same ninja who had put an approved stamp on your application. He double takes at you again as you approach.

"Hey, Hana. Wow...I mean...I don't even know what to say...you'll be breaking hearts tonight." He says.

You smile and stick out your tongue to that remark.
"Thanks, Genma. You're on stamp duty again, hey?"

He chuckles softly.
"If that's what you call it. I am also making sure no losers enter. As this is a gala for all villages, not just ours."

That did have you wondering what this gala is all about.
"Is there a reason for it?"

He nods.
"Yes, it is the anniversary of our great hokage. The ones who founded our village and our allies. Although some who are attending aren't allies, they do contribute to our village in some way. I recommend you stay away from..."

"Anyone from the iron village. Yup I've been informed."

He smiles.
"Good. If you have any trouble, come find me."

You smile sweetly. It was nice to have so many people here who care about your well-being.
"You're first on my list to find!"

He blushes at that and reaches his hand out to yours. You place your hand in his, he kisses it then gently and presses a stamp on it.
"All set. Again Hana, if you need anything. Come find me."

"Thank you."

"Have fun!"

You move down the line following the rest of the girls who have made it inside the golden gates. On entering the gates you immediately smell barbecued foods and high end treats. (Drool).

The girls usher you in through the winding pathway until finally the entire place opens up to a well manicured spread of grassy terraces, gardens, and balconies with glass solariums. There were several levels, each with tables and chairs set up and beautifully decorated. The entire gala overlooked the river and sunset in the distance. There is a lovely orchestral tune coming from one of the higher terraces next to a solarium. You close your eyes really listening to the precise notes being played. Then Sakura grabs your arm.

"Come on! Let's go get a drink!" She says and pulls you ahead through groups of people mingling. Most of the men stop to stare at you two. While others whistle or make sexual comments, and some even follow situating themselves close by. Ignoring everyone, she marches you both over to a classy looking bar and slams down twenty ryo then asks for two vodka crans...not your first choice...

The bar tender smiles.
"Sure thing!" He reaches for a bottle of vodka and flips it around impressively pouring the drinks into two short glasses with skill.

And your loud mouth can't help but throw out a bit of sass.
"Have you ever dropped a bottle doing that?" You ask.

He smirks.
"Not in a long time, sweetheart." He winks at you and floats the drinks across the smooth bar and they stop directly in front of you.

You lift your glass to him and he blows you a kiss. Sakura clinks her glass against yours and downs her cocktail in just a few seconds. It looks like she has a level of intoxication to get to and it's waaaay higher than yours. You watch her turn around scoping out the scene and you do the same.

The entire place was packed full of every kind of ninja aside from the youngsters. Everyone seemed to be sticking to their own clicks for the most part. However, anyone within twenty feet of you and Sakura have their eyes on you. Then four women approach you with lovely smiles. They seem to know Sakura well and don't hesitate to squeal, hug each other, and compliment each other's outfit. You watch them quietly sipping on your cocktail feeling very out of place.

"This is Hana! She's new here to hidden leaf." Sakura says waving her hand to you.

You greet the four girls smiling and being sweet. They seemed nice for the most part. One of the girls places two fingers to her mouth mimicking smoking something while looking at Sakura. She nods and turns to you.
"Hey I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom. Did you want to come?"

You scowl not understanding.
"Do I need it?"

She laughs.
"Not at all. But the girls want to smoke some weed. That's what I mean. I can meet you back here if you like. Hinata, Ino and Tsunade are just over there too."

You look around at your situation and start to feel very out of place. In times like these you find comfort in just being alone.
"It's ok I'll be around, I'm going to go check things out."

She smiles.
"Alright I'll see you soon."

"Sure thing!" You salute her and watch her leave with the rest of the girls. You sigh and turn around to order an actual drink.

"Hey bartender." You call, catching his attention. He wipes down the counter as he makes his way to you.

"Yes ma'am?"

"A glass of your finest Chardonnay." You say with poise.

He raises a brow.
"Not diggin the cocktails huh?"

You laugh.
"It's not my thing."

He smiles wide.
"I have just the thing for a classy lady such as yourself."

He whips open a wine fridge and pulls a large bottle of Chateau Montelena. You are literally drooling as he flips it around himself and holds it up for you to view.

"Chateau Montelena." He says with a thick accent.

"Enchanté." You kiss your fingers and tap them on the bar eagerly.

He chuckles and places a wine glass down in front of you then fills it half full. You take the glass and swirl the smooth golden contents around testing its fullness. You bring it to your nose and breathe in its sweet yet sour aroma. It was a heavenly glass of wine.

The bartender watches you closely, smiling all the way. You take a sip, just a small one, and let it sit on your palette taking note of the slight oak and apple after tastes.
You hum at how robust this wine is.

"Nothing sexier than a lady who knows wine and what to do with it." The bartender says.

Suddenly a heavenly smell wafts towards you. The bartender looks up behind you.

Before you can turn around to see who it is you feel a finger draw up your back along the open section of your dress sending a substantial shiver up your spine. Then a shadow of a tall man peers over your shoulder and that finger finds its way back down to your hip along with the rest of his hand. He squeezes your hip and presses his firm body against your backside.

You know exactly who it is and you couldn't be more excited he is here. He leans down to your neck and says the words you have been dying to hear, which is pretty much anything that comes from his mouth at this point.

"Hey...you dropped your pocket...." He whispers. You can sense the grin on his face.

You lift your chin to him and he noticeably breathes in the perfume you had sprayed on your neck.
"You can't drop a pocket." You reply and giggle.

He straightens up chuckling to himself.
"I see you're breaching your conditions already."
He says as he leaves you to lean his back up against the bar and your mouth drops at the sight of him.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored tux with his mask on and headband removed. He has put some time into his hair this evening, god does he look delicious. And being the rebellious type, he has also untied his bow tie to let it hang with his collar buttons undone. You stare at him shamelessly until the bartender interrupts you both.

"Would you like a glass?"
He asks Kakashi.

Kakashi doesn't bring his attention to him. Instead he nods and holds his own obvious gaze on you. You can see him lick his lips under his mask as he draws vision lines down your body.

You take a deep breath bringing yourself back to reality and take a sip of your wine.
"I am a rebel without a cause." You reply finally.

"A rebel?...yes...without a cause?...I'm not sure about that..." he says just as the tender hands him his glass of wine and Kakashi takes it, making sure to put the bill on his tab.

"You're a lucky man, Kakashi Hatake ." The bartender says.

Kakashi glances back at him and holds his glass up nodding. You can feel your cheeks heat up...(was that about you?")

The bartender leaves you two and you decide to change the subject.
"Of course you know the bartender." You roll your eyes.

He smirks at you.
"The second most important person here."

"And who is the first?" You ask assuming it is the cook making all those yummy snacks you're going to devour later. But he shocks you with honesty.

"You." He says, causing you to blush.

You take another sip of wine, drowning your nerves. He is so handsome you are barely able to get words out.

You draw your eyes down his chiseled front again and comment.
"You've dropped five years in that suit."

He smiles wide, cheeks turning as pink as yours.
"And you've gained five years in that dress."

You raise your brows.
"I guess we're even then?"

He laughs.
"I guess we are. There's a problem though.."

You tilt your head.
"And what's that?"

"You forgot your guy repellent..."

You laugh.
"Not exactly...you're here. I think I'll be ok." You smile and bite your lip trying to hold in how in love you are.

"Ha!...in that dress? I'm not sure about that...I would have to tether you to me."

You smile deviously.
"I don't mind being tethered..."

He huffs and whispers something under his breath. Most likely something he shouldn't be thinking and that draws you closer to him. You lean in beside him resting your elbow on the bar and place your wine glass down.

You can't believe he is here right now, standing in front of you, acting as if he hadn't just spent the last twenty four hours ignoring you. Did he even notice? You just have to ask.
"Banter aside...I have to ask...Did I do something wrong?"

His brows knit together and that cool expression changes into concern.
"What do you mean?"

You look over at the bottle of wine, watching the bubbles reach the surface thinking of how to respond in a way that doesn't seem like you were too worried about him.
"I...well I texted you hours ago and got no response, thought maybe you got lost on the path of life again...."

He breathes out.
"I'm sorry, Hana. I was on a mission. We had to be stealthy which meant no cellphones. I should have told you but it was so last minute, I didn't have time."

And all your fears disappear in a matter of seconds. You move yourself to his front and he straightens up, rising off the bar. You smile up at him lovingly and begin to do up the buttons on his shirt then tie up his bowtie.

His eyes flick back and forth over the features of your face seemingly in a trance as you carry on the conversation.

"It's ok. I'm glad you're safe." You reply as you finish tying his bow. You pat his chest giving him a once over and he grabs your hands gently looking deep into your eyes.

He leans in close to your lips and starts to whisper something.
"You look fff...."

Then an angry female voice interrupts you. And you watch as Kakashi's eyes snap wide open and the color in his face turns white. He looks terrified right now putting you instantly on edge.

"So, is this what you have been doing in your spare time?" The voice asks furiously.

He releases your hands immediately and steps away from you. You watch his movements feeling his fear. Your eyes turn to the voice and a woman you have never seen before, with hazelnut hair wearing a kimono style dress approaches. "Hanare?" Kakashi asks in disbelief.

"Let me guess, this is your "student". She says with quotation marks hissing with jealousy.

You swallow and watch Kakashi choke on himself not defending you like he should. You turn your focus back on her and scowl.

"And you are?" You ask.

"I am Hanare, Kakashi's girlfriend!" She snaps. Those words ring loudly in your ears and everything disappears except for Kakashi and his surprise girlfriend.

Your entire world begins to collapse around you. You look between the two, Kakashi with a desperate painful expression, Hanare fuming with rage. And every boundary and borderline he has ever crossed with you stabs you in the heart.

"From the look on your face, Kakashi hasn't mentioned me has he?" She snarls and glares at Kakashi.

Kakashi finally comes to his senses and begins to protest his relationship with her while she snaps back at him.

"Don't place me in a relationship I haven't committed to!" Kakashi seeths.

"You just spent last weekend with me!" She retorts.

But you can't hear anything right now. All you can hear is the repetition of the word "girlfriend" in your mind. Then your chest starts to glow as your blood begins to boil, your flight or fight instinct is kicking in, your emotions are going wild right now with so much hurt you can barely register their argument in front of you.

Pulling you out from your emotional spiral, she says something that makes you angry.
"I will make sure you lose your title, Kakashi!"

That was shocking to hear. For you that can't happen. No matter how badly he just hurt you, ruining his life is not something you can do and you won't be the cause of it. You hold your hand over your heart so Kakashi can't see the stone glowing through your pain. You take a deep breath in and come up with the perfect response to change the tone.

In a voice louder than theirs you reply.
"Ohhh! You're Hanare! I am so sorry, I wasn't expecting someone so beautiful."

She startles at the volume of your voice.
You look at Kakashi, who is shaking his head. His eyes beg you to stop vouching for him but you carry on.

"Kakashi has told me so much about you." You say holding your free hand out to shake hers.

She blinks at you stunned and shakes your hand cautiously.

"He told you about me?" She asks.

You fabricate a laugh just to save face even though all you want to do is scream.
"Of course! He talks about you all the time." As you finish your sentence a sharp pain shoots through your chest. You need to leave this fucked up situation before you lose it and she ends up a pile of body parts on the floor.

You take one look at Kakashi and glare at him through a plastered smile. He looks as if he is ready to cry and you excuse yourself politely.

"If you would excuse me I have a lot of drinking to do to get through tonight." You laugh wildly. "I'll catch up with you two later. Enjoy your evening."

You bow your head and grab the entire bottle of wine off the bar and walk away before you smash it into Kakashi's face.

You can hear him call out for you earning another hiss back from his girlfriend. You walk away holding the pain in your chest while you pound down the bottle. You rip the pin from your hair that is holding one side back behind your ear. You shake it out letting it fall wildly, not even caring about looks or the effort you put into today. Nothing mattered at this point. There was no need to look your best or even feel it. You have just lost everything your heart desires and you now realize you didn't have him in the first place. You curse yourself for falling for him. It has only been a couple weeks and you are mad for him. Damn him!... Damn him and his smooth tongue, crushing good looks, and wonderful smell. You are such an idiot!

You carry on through the gala not caring about anyone around you until you reach the band playing in the opening of a solarium on a stone terrace balcony. You find an empty spot to drink by yourself and lean over the terrace railing watching the water rapids of the river in the distance. The tears came right away and you drowned them in wine as best you could. That is until you hear a man's voice beside you.
"The music is that bad hey?"

It startled you as you hadn't noticed the man until he said something. Embarrassed about crying in front of someone you shy away and wipe your cheeks.

"I'm almost in tears too. I wish they would play something more upbeat." He says.

You let out a small laugh at that and take a long swig of your wine wiping the excess off your lips. You reply still looking out over the river.
"It's not the music, it's the people."

"Now isn't that the truth." He agrees. Out of the corner of your eye you can see him lean over the railing two feet away. "Gala's aren't my favorite place to be."

"Me either."
You reply in disregard and notice Kakashi in the distance. He is still arguing with Hanare and finally she storms off. You're surprised she didn't pack it in ten minutes ago with his behavior. You did....

"My name is, Arufa...and yours?"

You reply with slight annoyance.
"Hana."

"What is it you would rather be doing right now, Hana?" He asks.

You listen to him considering his question. There are so many things you would rather do...And finally that brings your attention to him.

At first impression, he looks like a man of expensive taste with well bred self composure. He has black perfectly spiked hair, a slender build and a suit that puts the rest of the men here in rags. He looked expensive and breakable.

You turn and lean up against the railing watching the band. You point out the guitarist and reply.
"That, sitting on my rooftop with a bottle of loveblock, playing into the night."

He moves closer within a foot and leans over the railing with both elbows to look out over the river.
"You play?"

You nod and take another swig of wine. By now over half the bottle is gone and you are starting to feel it.

"Not just a pretty face huh?" He smirks at you and you huff back at him smiling.

"You know what I would rather be doing?" He asks.

"What's that?" You look straight at him and pick up on a strange scent. Something similar to burnt sugar. He smiles at you and you notice sparks of gold flitting about the air but brush it off as just a happenstance.

"Taking a beautiful woman like you out for dinner. I'd like to get to know you a bit more. You seem...interesting..." he replies and another thick smell of burnt sugar enters your nose. You close your eyes, breathing it in deeply. Once you open your eyes you get a strange tingling in your body. Maybe it's just the wine hitting you. But it almost knocks you over and you stumble into the balcony railing.

He moves in closer, placing a hand on your waist to help stabilize you.
"Woah...that wine is hitting you hard hey? Let's slow down a bit. Here have some water." He offers you his drink and takes the bottle of wine from your hand. You lift it examining its contents, it is clear and full of ice. You sniff it cautiously.

As you hesitate he laughs and moves his hand down to the exposed skin of your thigh then pulls you in closer. His touch seemed to send a shiver of pleasure through you. You hum at him feeling dizzy and light headed.

Something was wrong, but you couldn't place it. Your peripheral vision is starting to blur, making you focus solely on him. His amber eyes coax you to come closer and you do for some reason.

"Drink." He says lifting the glass to your lips.

You do as he says and press your lips to the glass edge and tip the contents.

All of a sudden a very angry male voice stops you.
"Don't drink that, Hana!" And the glass is taken out of your hands. You can barely register what just happened. But you manage to look over at the voice and see a beautiful man with silver hair and a half mask covering his face...Who is he? You know him but can't seem to remember...in fact you can't remember anything.... What is happening to you?

In a daze you pull away from the amber eyed man and stumble back into the balcony railing trying to support yourself upright. Then you watch a fight unfold between the two men....

"Eh!, Kakashi Hatake. It is a pleasure to see you again." The black haired man bows.

The silver haired man scowls.
"What's in the drink, Arufa?"

"It's just water. She looks like she needs some." He grins, sinister in fashion.

"Then why don't you drink it?" He holds out the water to him.
He brushes it off by waving his hand.
"I got it for her." He replies still smiling.

Kakashi bears his teeth and throws the drink at him but the man dodges it and the glass smashes against the stone terrace floor. You watch the glass scatter across the floor and begin to feel even worse accompanied by a sharp pain in your chest.

Kakashi warns him.
"I suggest you release her from that genjutsu now, or you won't be leaving here in one piece."

He laughs loudly, startling you from your dizzy spell. You groan loudly while holding your head, feeling sick to your stomach.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You are getting delusional in your old age." He laughs and positions himself in front of the silver haired man. They square off, obviously getting ready for a spar. Both remove their suit coats and throw them to the floor. The silver haired man unbuttons his cuffs and rolls them up then rips off his bow tie throwing that to the stone floor too.

"Age aside, I can still wipe the floor with you." He replies and raises his fists.

Everything was happening so fast and you begin to panic as you spiral into another dizzy spell. Yet you force yourself to watch what is happening before you despite wanting to go lie down. Who are these men and why are they fighting right now?

Minutes later the fight was on. Both men tear after each other with precision and power.

The silver haired man slams a heavy lightning-packed fist into his opponent, knocking him to the ground with enough force to crack the stone beneath him. You watch his skill and technique marveling at how agile and quick he is. The younger black haired man was no match for the silver haired dream before you. Every counter punch made, missed him terribly or landed him on his ass.

With each hit the black haired man takes, your mind comes back to reality until finally you clear the haze over your vision and realize what is happening. It was then three more jonin joined Arufa. Each wearing similar suits, most likely from the same village...the land of iron. How stupid could you be to let this man take over you mind. It is no wonder you are beginning to lose control over your stone.

It was four on one and Kakashi was the target. Astonishingly he takes on each one pummeling them down with little effort. That is until he is attacked from both sides. He takes a punch to his temple and stumbles towards you. He repositions himself in front of you in protection and raises his fists again ready for more.

You notice the gasps and screams from others around you. An audience has gathered watching the fight unfold and more jonin join in, this time on Kakashi's side. You watch fists and jutsu flying everywhere in chaos causing your stone to throb in your chest. You keel over holding it through the pain, supporting yourself on the railing.

By now Tsunade and Jiraiya have made their appearance calling out for Kakashi to stop. But he is seeing red right now smashing fist after fist into Arufa's face while he holds him down. You watch, closing in on the sound of bone breaking, the splatter of blood from the open gashes, and the painful grunts Kakashi is inflicting. All of which trigger your cohort instinct. The Chi no neko stirs inside you, rumbling through your chest as you watch.

You suddenly sense a threat, and your eyes flick up to see Hanare ahead of you just beyond the chaos staring daggers in your direction.

Kakashi takes a hard hit from frost jutsu and bits of ice scatter by, cutting open your shoulder. And you lose yourself, you let go of the stone's energy, unable to contain it anymore.

You scream.
"STOP!" And the three solariums shatter into pieces. You hold out your hands halting any more chaos from unfolding. You freeze everything in place bringing a much needed silence to your ears. Your chest throbs painfully pouring blue energy from you as the stone fills your body with heat. Once your temperature peaks you look around you. You scan every shocked motionless expression and flex your power with primal instinct.

You curl your hands in circles gathering the stones' energy. It pulses from your hands and you force everyone within twenty feet around you to kneel. Your instinct begging to display its god-like strength.

"Sit down!." You say in a low feline growl.

And everyone around you slams to the ground staring up at you. This took a substantial amount of power from your stone and you stumble back feeling the exhaustion backed with the familiar dizzy feeling you get before you black out. You have to stop yourself or everyone here will be nothing but bodies.

You bring your eyes to the only thing that matters in your life. Kakashi, the first man you have ever fallen for, and watch the blood drip from his forehead over the scar of his left eye. Lovely memories of him flash through your mind and instinctively you hone in on his scent. You breathe him in with heightened senses and bask in its cool spiced aroma. Your stone begins to calm and you release everything around you. The glass hovering in the air falls scattering like beads under everyone's feet.

It is a horrifying silence and all eyes are on you. Kakashi rises to his feet slowly, hands spread out in defense. But this time it is directed towards you.

"Hana, please, calm down. You're safe, I'm here...." He slowly walks towards you in caution, taking easy steps. You look down at your hands and see they are still glowing unnaturally. More jonin join Kakashi in defense, each drawing energy.

Kakashi takes another step towards you and you back away feeling cornered like a helpless animal. Tears stream down your cheeks as you grasp the concept that you are now considered the enemy. Just like so many times before. It was time to run while you still have control. You power up your stone and Kakashi calls for you to stop. With one flick of your wrist you send the entire group around you backwards to the ground. And you take the opportunity to disappear.

You run through the gala as fast as you can go. Passing by perfectly trimmed bushes and gardens. Your momentum tears leaves off and rips apart the ground below you. You run as if your life was at stake.

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