His fingers entwined around hers, onyx eyes sparkling with a mixture of mischief and something more profound. "Do you remember how we first met, Hana?"

Hana looked over at him, her heart skipping a beat. "Of course, how could I forget?"

He chuckled, the corner of his lips rising. The park bench creaked beneath us, a comforting, familiar sound. They sat in the same spot they always did, beneath the ancient maple tree across the playground. 

"You were pouting at your aunt," He continued, a playful smirk on his face. "Wearing that ridiculous poofy blue dress with a pink bow." 

Hana rolled her eyes playfully, secretly wishing he had forgotten that she was wearing that monstrosity. Aunt Kushina just had to pick the poofiest and sparkliest dress that made her feel like she was a walking bubble. She looked over at him, chewing her gum, replying dryly. "And you were trying so hard to climb this tree until you stepped on the broken branch and fell flat on your face, Obito."

Obito's cheeks began to flush slightly, and he pouted. "I can't believe you still remember that. I only did it to impress you, you know."

"You sure did impress me." Hana grinned teasingly and paused for the dramatic effect. "With how clumsy yu were. I remember hearing a thud and seeing you on the ground. You really did that to impress me?"

"Yeah..." Obito trailed off, pink still dusting his cheeks. "I thought I could impress the prettiest girl on the playground by climbing that tree. But hey, it worked. We had a tree climbing contest after you asked if I was okay."

Hana laughed heartily at the memory: Kushina shouting about how she would ruin that dress, Obito boldly declaring that he could climb it better than her, and telling Obito that he wouldn't win because of his fall. Hana and Obito became best friends after that day.

Hana stirred awake from my slumber, the scenery changing and her heart pounding. 

Did she really dream about that memory? About him?

She felt a pang in her chest as she sat up from the bed. She hadn't thought about him in a while. That was the day they had their first kiss, and he wouldn't let go of her wearing that stupid frilly dress years later. She missed him, but she shouldn't think about him. Not when she was already seeing Ryuken. 

She moved on, so why was the boy from her past still haunting her dreams?

Hana stared at the sage-green curtain momentarily, still processing that dream. She stood up from the bed to make a cup of coffee to clear her head and get her brain back on the right track. She remembered how Naruto was training with Kakashi today, and his new teacher named Yamato was there. She hadn't met the guy, but Kakashi told her a little bit about him. 

Thinking that maybe Naruto would want some snacks while training, she tied her long crimson hair into a makeshift updo with a claw clip, and washed her hands to gather the ingredients to make Aunt Kushina's infamous ramen.

She noticed the sky was cloudy and grey outside as she stirred the broth. She looked out the window, the dream still heavily weighing on her mind. She wanted to push it away, but the memory was too stubborn and now she was lost in her thoughts about it. 

"You better not ask Aunt Kushina for pictures of me from that day," She said, smirking at him. "Because I'll burn every last one of them. No one needs to see me in that dress."

She noticed he was quiet. 

"Obi-"

She turned to face him and noticed he was close to her face, glancing down at her lips. 

The sound of the oven's timer going off broke her out of her trance. "Get it together, Hana..." She muttered to herself as she turned the timer off.

She moved on, and he'll never come back. She had already came to terms with that years ago, so she needed to let go. 

She quickly put the ramen in containers and packed extra for Naruto, considering how he eats ramen as if it was his last meal. The rain stopped, and the sun peeked through the clouds as she slung the tote bag with the ramen inside over her shoulder. 

The walk to the training ground was quiet. She approached the training ground, seeing Naruto surrounded by his shadow clones and Kakashi standing before him and talking to him. She could tell Naruto had been working hard, judging by how determined and sweaty he looked. 

Her eyes landed on a brunette man sitting on the ground, holding his arm up, surrounded by nine wooden pillars. He heard her footsteps and looked at her with a questioning look—that was probably Yamato.

Hana smiled politely at him, shifting her weight onto one foot as she stood before him. "Hi. I'm Hana. Just came by to see if Naruto and Kakashi wanted some lunch."

"Lunch?" He blinked, as if surprised. "That's... actually thoughtful. Most people just bring chaos." His lips twitched upward. "I'm Yamato. Thanks."

Before Hana could reply, one of Naruto's clones whipped his head around. "Whoa—what's that?!"

The rasengan in his hand flickered and destabilized, its chakra wavering. Kakashi reacted instantly, waving the clone away just before it detonated into a harmless puff of smoke.

"Focus," Kakashi reminded Naruto, though his eye flicked toward the bag of food in Hana's hand. "And it seems we may have a lunch break incoming. Ramen, you say?"

Naruto seized the moment, practically teleporting toward her. His clone fizzled out in a whirl of chakra, clearly not needed anymore. Hana couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness.

She knelt on the grass, opening the bag and setting out disposable bowls and chopsticks. Kakashi and Naruto sat beside her as she passed out the steaming containers.

"This is my aunt's recipe," she said, lifting the third bowl. "So enjoy it while it's still hot."

"Finally!" Naruto exclaimed, practically bouncing in place. "I've been training so hard, I thought I was gonna starve!"

"I figured as much," Hana said with a smile. "That's why I packed extra—for you, especially."

She handed the next bowl to Yamato, who blinked in slight surprise.

"Here," she added. "I figured you'd be hungry too, dealing with these two."

"Thank you, Hana," Yamato said, caught off guard but smiling genuinely.

In record time, Naruto had devoured the first bowl, cheeks puffed with noodles as he lowered the empty container.

"More ramen, please!" he mumbled through a full mouth.

Hana chuckled and pulled out another container. "Slow down or you'll choke."

As Naruto dug into his second helping, Yamato looked between her and Kakashi. "So, how do you two know each other?"

Hana narrowed her eyes at Kakashi playfully. "We were on the same genin team. This one gave me hell growing up."

"Correction," Kakashi said with a shrug, adjusting his mask. "I gave you constructive feedback about your impulsiveness."

"You told me I was a hothead," she shot back, arms crossed with a teasing glare.

"Was I wrong?" he asked, not missing a beat.

"Sounds familiar," Yamato said dryly, giving Naruto a side-eye as the boy carried the trash away in the bag.

"Very," Kakashi agreed, shooting a pointed look at Naruto, who was already stretching and bouncing back over.

"That ramen definitely hit the spot!" Naruto beamed. "I'm ready to get back to training, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi rose to his feet, brushing off his pants. They returned to their previous training position. Yamato silently performed a set of hand signs, raising his left arm just as he had before—likely reinforcing the seal he'd been maintaining.

Hana decided to stay and watch the training for a little while before heading home. She didn't speak to Yamato, not wanting to distract him, and simply took a seat on a nearby tree stump. From a distance, she watched Naruto struggle but slowly start to gain control. Time passed — nearly an hour — and it seemed like he had finally figured it out.

"Looks like he finally nailed it," she murmured, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Naruto grimaced at Kakashi and collapsed onto the ground dramatically. The two remaining clones vanished with an exaggerated puff, still bickering as they dissolved.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Yamato muttered, sighing. "What are those two doing now?"

Hana let out a soft chuckle, watching as Naruto shouted at Kakashi while backing away.

Suddenly, a swirl of chakra signaled Izumo's arrival directly in front of Yamato. His face was grim.

"I have a message," he said without preamble.

Hana stood quickly, the hair on the back of her neck rising. She stepped beside Yamato, heart pounding in her chest.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Izumo's eyes briefly dropped to the ground, then returned to meet Yamato's gaze.

"It's about Asuma..." he began, his voice heavy. He paused, weighing his words. "He's dead."

The world seemed to tilt beneath Hana's feet. The wind was knocked from her lungs.

"Asuma's... dead?" she stammered, her voice cracking. Her mind reeled, fragments of old laughter and recent plans flashing through her head like shuriken. "That can't be real..."

Yamato's expression didn't shift, but his tone was more somber than usual. "How did it happen?"

Izumo's shoulders dropped slightly, guilt settling into his posture. "He was killed in battle. By the Akatsuki. The funeral is being held today."

The words felt heavier than any blow. Hana could still hear Asuma's laugh from just last week—remembered the way Kurenai smiled at his jokes. They had just made plans to meet again. Now... he was gone.

And Kurenai.

Her chest tightened.

Yamato stood without hesitation, and Izumo followed suit.

"Kakashi," Yamato called out, his voice sharp with urgency. "We need to end training. Immediately."

Kakashi turned, brows knitting. "What happened?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion, while Kakashi's gaze slid toward Hana, noting the pale expression on her face.

"Asuma Sarutobi..." Yamato began quietly, "has been killed."

Naruto and Kakashi both froze, the air around them thick with disbelief.

They returned to the village not long after. Each of them changed into funeral attire. Hana, however, chose to stop by Kurenai's home first, knowing the woman would need support—more than anyone else.

She hesitated outside the door for a moment, then exhaled and knocked gently.

The door creaked open. Kurenai stood there already dressed in black, her crimson eyes dulled and rimmed with red. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and she looked exhausted.

"Hana," she said softly.

"Kurenai," Hana replied in the same tone.

There was no need to ask how she was doing. Her face said enough.

Without another word, Hana stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. Kurenai sniffled and leaned into her shoulder.

"I was just about to head to the funeral," Hana said gently. "I thought... maybe you'd want someone to walk with."

Kurenai nodded slowly, lips trembling. "Thank you..."

She stepped outside and quietly closed the door behind her. The walk was silent, but not awkward. It was the kind of silence that held grief in its arms — delicate and sacred. Hana didn't try to fill it. She just walked beside her, present and steady.

When they arrived at the gravesite, many of the village's jonin had already gathered. Lady Tsunade stood nearby with Shizune. Gai was openly crying, tears streaming down his face. Hana's eyes lingered on him, and she couldn't help but wonder — what kind of power did it take to kill someone like Asuma?

Kurenai stepped forward first, laying a bouquet gently at the base of Asuma's headstone. Her hand trembled, and her shoulders quaked with silent tears. Hana placed a comforting hand on her back, a quiet gesture that said I'm here without needing to speak.

The funeral ended with a stillness that stretched between all the mourners. One by one, they drifted away in silence. Kurenai lingered.

Hana touched her shoulder lightly. "If you need anything... anything at all. Let me know."

"I will," Kurenai said, her voice barely holding together. "Thank you."

Hana gave her space after that, stepping away from the gravesite with the weight of loss settling deep in her chest.

Another loved one, gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first big arc is now out of the way. It hurt me to write Asuma's funeral because I miss my special guy. Don't worry because Obito is coming up soon lol. I'm changing POVs because honestly, I've been on Tumblr and getting story ideas with other fanfics and first POV is not my favorite anymore it was just easier to write that way. Let me know how you guys feel about this POV, and if you guys like it, I'll continue. If not, I'll keep first POV.