I woke up in the middle of the night with Kiba still in my lap, I looked down at him with a slightly laugh. I gently pulled him off of my lap, and onto my pillow, then I slowly started to take off his jacket. Once I had it off, I folded it and placed it on the chair in the corner of my room. I huffed out an air of breath, and slowly pulled the blanket up over his body. I leaned down and kissed his head gently before I left my room, adjusting my crutches as I did, while my legs felt better I felt like I needed these just in case. I walked into the living room, before slowly slipping out of the front door without making too much noise so that I wouldn't wake up my mom or the dogs.

I looked up at the dark sky, and smiled slightly before I leaped off the ground, wincing as a pain shot through my leg, but gently landed on the roof without much sound. I sighed softly and laid down against the hard surface that our roof was made of, placing my crutches beside me, but smiled lightly. I put my arms behind my head, and stared up at the stars. When I was gone, this was the only thing I had to do when I was there. If I could sneak out without waiting anyone, I would sit outside all night and just stare at the stars.

I smiled up as I started to point out the constellations to myself. It would be more fun if I had the only person I got along with there was here. On nights that I couldn't sneak out by myself, He would take me out and sit in the trees with me, and would let me point out all the constellations to him. He was a little... off. But that was only around everyone else we lived with. Around me, he would slip up and talk like he actually knew a lot more than he put off.

I sighed softly to myself, and pushed a few strains of hair out of my eyesight. Sometimes I missed the days when everything was a lot easier. I continued to look up at the stars until I dosed off, still sitting on my roof.

///

I felt like I was floating again, and that was not a good sign. I liked it at first, like always, but it was when I was thrown on a grass hill that I began to dislike it. I groaned slightly, and used my hands to rub my face as that was the first place that I hit. "Of all the mother loving place to hit first, it had to be my freaking face..." I sighed slightly as I looked around at my surroundings, and say that I was at the place that Shikamaru had brought me earlier that day. I continued to look around until I saw a younger version of Shikamaru walking up the hill with a picnic basket in his hand. He sighed heavily as he sat down beside where I was standing.

He got out all of the things from the basket, which included most of my favorite foods. It had rice balls, and ramen from ichiraku's. It was actually the exact order I normally got, two orders of beef with extra beef in it. He got out two bottles of water, and a few other things that I loved. He sat all of them out on a small towel he had, and began to eat. He had small tears running down his face, and all I wanted to do was lean over and hug him but I knew that he would not feel it, so I felt no reason to do that. I sat down beside him, and continued to watch him as he took a bite of the rice ball that he had, and I giggled slightly. Shikamaru used to hate rice balls.

"Kruno..." He trailed off, before looking up at the sky. "It's been such a drag since you left. I don't know who to turn to when I need advice, I don't know who to play Shogi with... I don't know who to run into the streams with and try to catch fish. I don't know who to take naps cuddling with anymore, I don't know how to go to ichiraku's ramen without breaking down and crying. It is such a drag, and all I want is for you to come home, please come back to me. Oh god, please Kruno..." He trailed off, and he had tears running down his face at a lot faster pace, and I tried to reach out to pat his back, but my hand went right through him. I cursed under my breath before I felt my body being thrown again.

This time, when I landed on the ground, it was on the cliff that all of my friends and I used to go to, when we were bored. I looked around and saw everything that I used to be friends with. Kiba, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Choji, Hinata, Neji, and Sasuke's brother Itachi. Each one of them were holding a lantern, and that's when I noticed the birthday cake in the middle of them. I heard a sniffle, and I looked over to see Kiba with tears running down his face.

"It's been two year, sis. I miss you. I used to hate sharing my birthday with you, but now I would do anything to be with you today... Eight years old today that we are, but it doesn't feel right without you here..." He trailed off, and next Shikamaru began to talk.

"Today, I would have taken you to the creek that we met at, and I would have given you a present, just like I always do. We would have went swimming, and then we would have tried to see who could catch the most fish. That was always such a drag, but it was amazing getting to see you smile, and to hear you laugh every time you caught a fish. Today, I would have made you eat the crappy cake my mom would have made you, and laughed when she hugged you so tight that it made you beg for air. Today, would have been the day that we laid out on the hill, and watched the stars after your and Kiba's birthday party. Today, should have been perfect, if you were still here, you troublesome woman..."

Sasuke looked around slightly, and took a deep breath when he noticed it was his time to speak. He exhaled before he began, and I sat down near the birthday cake as I listened. "Kruno, you were insane. You were the highlight of my day, and the downfall of people who were trying to pay attention to stuff. You were the person who was screaming and yelling at six in the morning, and getting stuff thrown at us through the windows of random apartments. I miss that. I miss that a lot. I miss you more though. I can only wish that you will come back to us one day."

Hinata was next, and she already had tears in her eyes. "Kruno-o... You-u always-s treated me like a sister... and I miss-s that... I mi-iss you..." She said, and no one expected her to say anything else, because she began to sob. I watched as her cousin looked over at her, and he sighed softly.

"I miss her too, Hinata. But, maybe it was destiny that she was taken. I think that destiny has it that we will see her again. I am certain of it." I rolled my eyes at Neji, he was always on that destiny slide. Itachi was the last one to speak, and I didn't know exact what he would say. We were never the closest, but he was someone that I saw a lot because of Sasuke.

"Kruno, you need to get your ass home. Sasuke needs you, your brother needs you, and all of your friends need you. Hell, I need you." He said quietly. "My parents said that they never saw the world light up like it did when you came around. You were the person who always made everyone smile, and laugh no matter how bad of a day they were having. And now that you're gone, it's like the light has been taken from Konoha. I will pray every day that I will see you again, until I do." I looked at Itachi, and nodded my head slightly. I knew that he was telling the truth.

They all looked at each other before putting their lanterns up, and releasing them. One by one, the lanterns flew into the air, and I heard each person mumble a I love you to the sky.

"I hope she sees those and comes running back." Shikamaru mumbled, and I sighed softly.

My body was thrown again, but this time I was on the same night, but I was sitting in a tree. I was looking at eight year old me, who was staring at the sky and aweing at the lanterns. "They're so pretty..."She whispered to herself, and she giggled slightly as she crawled higher up the tree. I followed her slowly, and watched as she looked up at the sky at all of the lanterns that were going so high in the trees.

"Kruno? It's time to come in!" A voice said, and little me sighed softly as she began to climb down the tree slowly, keeping her eyes on the lanterns and not where she was climbing. I remember this day very clearly, honestly. Kruno's foot landed on a small branch with all of her weight, and it snapped from under her. She let out a terrified scream as she began to plummet towards the ground. Her eyes were squeezed tight as she waited for the hard impact of the ground, which never came. When she opened her eyes, I smiled slightly. She hugged the man who had caught her from falling to the ground, and the orange haired man just nodded his head. His black cloak caught a gust of wind, causing it to flow in the wind slightly and he carried me all the way inside.

This time when my body was thrown forward, I was staring at the morning sky. I sighed slightly and stretched my arms out, making my shoulders pop. I smiled slightly and jumped off the roof, landing gently on the ground just in time for Kiba to come running out of the house, running straight into me. I fell backwards, and groaned loudly as my crutches were once again thrown out from beside me. Kiba stood up and frantically began to pick up my crutches, helping me up and steading myself on them.

"Where the hell were you?!" He screamed, and I pointed to the roof.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went up there and watched the stars and must have passed out while doing so." I explained, and his shoulder went limp slightly.

"You scared the hell out of me Kruno, I thought you were gone again." He whispered, and I shook my head, limping over to him. I adjusted my crutches before I wrapped my arms around him tightly, and he returned the hug. I kissed his temple gently with a small sigh.

"I love you, Kiba." I said, and he nodded.

"I know, I love you too." He whispered and I released him from the hug. He turned and walked back in, and I followed after him. I went into my room and got dressed in my normal everyday outfit, before I brushed my hair down with my fingers. I adjusted my crutches and walked out of the room and out of the house. I looked around and a large smile crossed over my lips as I saw Shikamaru walking my way. I limped over to him, and he gave me a lazy smile.

"Hey, Kruno." He said, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him, and gently nuzzled my cheek against his shoulder. "Do you have anything to do today?" He asked, and I shook my head. "Good, because we're hanging out today."

"Alright, what are we going to do?" I asked, and I got really excited when he said that we would going to the river where we met. My stomach got slightly butterflies as we walked towards the small creek, his arm still wrapped around my shoulders, his thumb gently caressing my shoulder blade.

We arrived at the creek, and I took off as fast as I could to where the deeper water was, and I giggled slightly before looking back at him. "Are we going to get in today?!" I asked, practically jumping on my crutches.

"Can you swim with your leg?" He asked, and I nodded. In reality, I didn't know if my leg stood a chance, but I didn't care. This was something that we used to do all the time, and I was so damn excited.

SHIKAMARU'S POV

I watched as Kruno ran to the creek, and she was giggling loudly. This small laugh of hers caused my heart to start racing slightly, and I walked over to her. She asked me if we could swim, and I thought about it for a second.

"Can you swim with your leg?" I asked, and she nodded quickly.

"Please Shika!" She said, and she grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to her. Once again, my heart began to speed up slightly as she touched my arm. I didn't know exactly why my heart always started racing when I was around her, or when she touched me, or just did the smallest thing. It always made me happy, my heart would start racing, and my stomach would do a few flips. I didn't know how to react when I got those feelings, so I just pushed it down to the bottom of my stomach.

I looked at Kruno as she began to take off the over shirt she had on, leaving her in just a tank top like shirt, with her normal ninja pants on. She then began to pull of me again, and I took off my jacket, leaving me in nothing but my fishnet top, and my normal ninja pants as well. I sighed slightly, and looked at her as she began to crawl in the water, leaving her crutches on the side of the deep end. I started to follow her, making sure to keep a close eye on her so that nothing happened to her.

She went under the water for a few minutes, and came back up with her hair covering her face. I chuckled slightly and she flipped her hair back, causing some water to splash off of my face. She giggled at that, and I raised my eyebrow before using my hand to splash water at her. She gasped, and looked at me with her mouth in the slight shape of an 'O'. I chuckled, but my eyes got wide as I saw her scoop her hand under the water, and create a huge splash of water, all over me.

That was the beginning of an entire splash war between the both of us, and in the end we were both laughing so hard that we weren't even making noise. She dove under the water, so deep that I couldn't see the basic form of her body under the water. I began to panic until I felt a hand pull on my leg, pulling me under the water. I held my breath, and opened my eyes to see Kruno. She was smiling at me, with giant puffed out cheeks. I smiled back at her, and she swam towards me. Her lips gently landed on my nose before she shot back up to the surface. I stayed under the water because my cheeks were a hot red color. Damn that troublesome woman...

My heart was still racing really fast from the kiss on the nose, but I swam back up to the top and looked at Kruno, who was giggling loudly. My stomach did a small flip, and I closed my eyes as I thought back to the conversation that my dad and I had had last night.

"Hey dad, can I ask you a question?" I said, walking into the kitchen with my hands in my pockets.

"Sure, Shika. What is it?" He asked.

"How did you know you loved mom?" I asked, and he tilted his head slightly but answered me.

"Well... I thought that everything she did was perfect, even when she messed up. I thought that she was beautiful, the most beautiful women I had actually seen before actually. She would make my heart start to race, and my stomach would do this thing where I felt like I was going to puke... Your mom called it getting butterflies. I always wanted to be around her, and just hold her. I wanted to protect her from everything and everyone. I wanted her to be happy no matter if I was or not... I just. I knew I loved her." He said, and I nodded slightly. "Why?"

"Just wanted to know, love is such a drag." I said, and my dad nodded.

I looked at Kruno, and thought back to what my dad had said. Every time I saw her, my heart did speed up. My stomach did flips every time she was even near me, and all I wanted was for her to be safe and sound. I wanted to be the one who saved her no matter what. I would give up my life for someone, and that someone was her. She was the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on, and I didn't think I would see anyone more beautiful...

And that was when I realized it.

I was in love with my best friend.

////

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEH