SHINASUI'S POINT OF VIEW

My palms felt icy as I gripped my balcony bars overlooking the village. In my head, I kept repeating what I said earlier in the day...that I would accept the deal made by Takeda. I shook my head as remembered his smirk, his emerald eyes sending shivers down my spine. I bit my lip as low and heavy sobs escaped from my chest.

"I'm such an idiot...why am I so stupid?! What have I done?" The wind traveled through me like cloth and my silver hair blew in thin wisps around my face. Cold wet tears dripped down my cheeks as I felt my heart split in two. I had to leave my family, my friends, my home...Neji..what am I to do?

"Crying again? Isn't the Hokage's daughter supposed to be tough?" I turned in surprise to see Konohamaru sitting on my roof, his blue scarf in his hands.

"Kono..." He jumped down to stand beside me, wrapping his scarf around my neck yet again.

"How many times do I have to come over here and take care of you hmm? It's gonna become a full time job soon." I looked up in the dark eyes of my lifelong rival. He gave me a kind smile before opening his arms. I turned to him and sobbed openly in his chest. For some reason, being around him made me feel warm.

"I'm an idiot Kono...I made a terrible decision..." I cried.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I looked up and wiped my face, my cheeks were surely red and irritated by now.

"A prince from the Land of Samurai is here. His name is Takeda Miyamoto. He and my mother got into a big fight today during our meeting...it turns out they have Konoha citizens captured in their prisons." Konohamaru looked at me with his eyebrows furrowed. His face was mere inches from mine as I spoke. His warm breath fanned over my face, visible in the chilling night air.

"Takeda proposed a deal that he would release the prisoners on one condition."

"And what's that?" I looked up at him with my teeth gritted.

"That I would be his wife." Konohamaru's grip tightened and his mouth fell slack. His warm hands held my body tightly.

"Y-you can't be serious right?! You gotta be joking! You said no right? C'mon tell me you turned him down!" I bit my lip further, shaking my head.

"I leave tomorrow for the Land of Iron, the country which the Land of Samurai reside." Konohamaru looked devastated. He looked down before releasing me and running a hand through his hair.

"I...see..." He then broke out in a forced smile.

"Well...ah...at least he's a prince so he has money right? He'll at least take care of you?" I sighed.

"It's not that...it's that...I will never be happy anyway...I'll never find someone that loves me truly. I am a shooting star burning as bright as I can...and yet I seem to find no destination...no true place...I'm just dancing across the sky bound to burn out and turn to dust. At least by doing this, I can do something for this village. Compared to Mom...Dad...Naruto...my contributions to this village have been akin to nothing. With this...I can establish peace...with this...I can have a chance to lift the uselessness." Konohamaru looked angry. He slammed his fist on the metal pole.

"Damn it! Don't you see, you are so much more than that! Without you becoming better than me at everything when it came to the Academy...our fights...I would never have progressed. The only reason I learned the rasengan as fast as I did was because of you! All my hard work and dedication was because one day I hoped to stand by your side and have you no longer see me as a rival but as your equal. I'm not the only one that sees what you've done for us! Without you, Naruto would have given up so many times over...without you, Lady Hokage would never be as great of a leader as she is...without you, I'm sure this village wouldn't have known peace. Don't you see Shinasui? You are the Hidden Leaf's shooting star! You belong right here...right here, beside me where I always dreamed you'd be." My face blushed furiously as I peered up at Konohamaru. His cheeks were rosy; his hands wove their way into mine. He leaned forward towards me, touching our foreheads.

"No matter where you go...no matter what you do...no matter your last name...the love I have felt for you will never subside. I know Neji broke your heart...I know you feel that this is your last and only option...but I want you to know that every time you say to yourself that no one loves you, you're telling yourself a lie." I looked at Konohamaru blankly, my violet eyes were wide.

"You're my best friend...and I've never loved anyone more than you." My heart was racing while hearing Konohamaru's words. I've pictured Neji telling me he loved me thousands of times, but to hear Kono say those words...for him to tell me these things...I didn't know what to feel...what to expect. When Neji left me broken in the snowy gazebo...when Naruto left me alone when he went to train with Grandpa Jiraiya...when I lost control of the nine-tails chakra for the first time...the person that was there for me most was Konohamaru. He was always my rival...friend was something I never thought of. Love was never the word in my mind and even now it feels foreign to me. What Kono said to me was honest and heartfelt...yet I still felt the Hyuga man tearing up my insides with every beat of my heart. Konohamaru moved our hands so we were cupping my cheeks. I was silent as I looked to him. He was so focused and determined...so real.

"So please Shina...please don't do this. I know Neji broke your heart. I know you still love him. But let me have a chance to show you that you aren't alone in this world...that you're worth more than the bargaining tool you allowed yourself to be." I turned away from him, our hands still connected.

"Kono...I don't know what to say..."

"Say that you'll stay..." A tear left my eye and I squeezed his hand.

"I can't." Kono sighed before chuckling quietly.

"You always were stubborn." He released our hands before I felt a pair of warm lips on my forehead.

"Until next time." And before I knew it...Konohamaru was gone...and so was the warmth he brought with.

~~

I watched the sunrise over the beautiful village of Konoha, the morning light peeking over the mountains in the distance. Shimmering beams of vermilion, ruby, tangerine, amber, and gold shone itself slowly across the village. I sat up top the Hokage Monument, the brisk air biting at my porcelain skin.

"Couldn't sleep?" I didn't turn around at the familiar voice.

"Didn't want to. I wanted to watch every second of my last Konoha sunrise."

"You're speaking like you're never coming back." I turned to look at him, the familiar single red eye made me feel safe.

"Well...I don't know when or if I will ever be able to come back. So for now...it's my goodbye." He silently sat next to me, enjoying the sunrise with me. After the beautiful glimmering light settled upon the village, the chirping of the birds alerted the awakening of a new day, a new beginning.

"When I was younger than you, I disowned the village as my home. I renounced my citizenship and labeled this village as my enemy. I didn't return until after your mother became Hokage."

"Why did you come back? And how?" I asked curiously. He placed a hand on my head and ruffled it a bit.

"I came back because I loved your mom...and I loved you, like my own daughter. My hatred for the despair ninjas bring was nothing compared to the love I had. Granted, I still love you both the same as I did fifteen years ago...however, I'm happy your mother is happy and that you have grown well with Kakashi as your father. For how I was able to come back? You'll have to ask your mother that question because it still confuses me to this day. What I did was beyond apologies and yet she forgave me...Whatever burden you have on your heart Shinasui, your mother will always love you. I am living proof of that everlasting bond of love. And so are you and Naruto." Uncle Obito looked at me and smiled completely.

"So stressed and serious all the time...you're really the spitting image of your father." Obito laughed. I smiled a bit at my Uncle's childish banter, yet knew in my heart this was his way of saying he supports me.

"Thank you...for everything you have done for me." I spoke quietly. He stopped chuckling and his eyes widened a bit.

"Hey you...don't talk like that. If you think you can get rid of me watching over you, you got another thing coming kid." I raised an eyebrow at his words.

"I don't trust the samurai...there's no way in hell I'm letting them whisk you away with not a care. After all...you're like a daughter to me." I leaned over and gave Uncle Obito a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss this place..." He sighed before rubbing my back comfortably.

"Yeah...you will. But it gets easier...remember you can always come home and say no to this marriage thing." I looked up at him confused.

"What about the prisoners?" Obito shrugged.

"I'm not the Hokage, I say fuck em."

"Obito that's not a good impression to put on Shina." I looked up to see my silver haired father standing with his hands in his pockets. He was looking away, at the village slowly waking up.

"Hmph, I was wondering when you would get here."Uncle Obito smirked. I stood to greet father, my head bowed slightly in shame.

"Shinasui." My father spoke.

"Yes?" I looked up. He turned to look at me with a single lazy eye before hugging me tightly. I felt safe in my father's welcoming embrace, the tears pooling out of my eyes yet again. I wasn't ready to leave my family behind.

"I love you. And I'm going to miss you every single day. You are a hero to not only the prisoners being held captive, but the village as a whole. I am beyond proud of the selfless woman you've become." He pulled away only enough to look me in the eyes.

"You are just like your mother."

~~

After many heartfelt goodbyes with the people I loved most and my dearest friends, it was time for me to leave. I stood by the gates of Konoha next to Takeda and his samurai men, looking at the crowd that gathered to send me off. My mother held strong while holding my father's hands, both of them near tears at seeing their only daughter being taken away by a man I barely know. I smiled at a few of my friends before seeing Naruto along with my niece and nephew crying their eyes out.

"Ohh shhh...babies...and Naruto...it's going to be okay." Boruto sniffled while rubbing his eyes, looking identical to my brother.

"I'm...I'm g-gonna m-miss you A-aunt Shina..." Himawari sobbed onto her father's shoulder, the man crying heavily too.

"Shina!! Wahhhh!" Naruto cried out.

"For god sakes Naruto you're nearly thirty..." I whispered. He put Himawari down and I made sure to give my baby nephew and niece a long big hug.

"I love you guys forever. Never forget that." I looked up at Naruto who was wiping his big blue eyes. I smiled at him before kissing his cheek.

"I'll miss you buddy. Hinata, take care of my brother for me? He can be pretty dense sometimes." Hinata nodded, concern and sadness in her eyes.

"Lady shinasui?" I froze completely, every blood cell in my body stopped in place.

"So the rumor was true then...you are leaving..." I turned slowly to be met with the palest pair of lavender eyes I've ever seen. His beautiful silky chestnut hair flowed down his back without a care. His eyes were glued to me, a stare transfixed.

"Neji." I noticed the woman he chose over me was nowhere to be found.

"Where is your fiancee?" He sighed before closing his eyes.

"She is minding the weapons shop at the moment. I came to see if you truly were leaving. I had to hear from Hinata. Why didn't you tell me? Were you planning on leaving without saying goodbye?" Hearing his words...seeing his face...the pain in my chest exploded and reinforced part of my emotional reasoning for leaving. I had to leave my love for Neji behind...or it'll kill me.

"It's too painful for me." Neji casted his gaze downwards, shame written on his features.

"I truly never wanted to hurt you. You are still and always have been, someone I hold dear to my heart. Please allow me to say goodbye." I walked passed him and paused, facing away from him. My heart was beating at an uneven pace, my blood ran cold.

"Goodbye Neji." I was met with silence before long, warm arms wrapped around my waist. He turned me around and tucked me in his chest, a place I once dreamed of calling home.

"Goodbye Shina." I choked a bit on my nickname...something I've been cramming through his head for years.

"Princess, darling, it's time to leave now." I heard Takeda's voice from over the crowd. I pulled myself away and walked without looking at his face. I knew if I looked at Neji, my resolve would shatter. Takeda held his hand out to me, smiling as I placed mine within his grasp. I turned to look at my friends and family as I left, shifting my gaze upwards to see a boy sitting on a roof just watching. I shook my head and bit my lip as I felt the blue scarf around my neck.

We'll meet again soon Kono...