♡

There's a curt silence after Haruki and Kagura fade far into the distance, their interlocked hands and blushing cheeks no longer visible due to how far they've dispatched from us.

I'm the one who breaks the silence, tilting my head in utter bewilderment.

"So...Is Hiko just gonna lead the group now?" A question mark floats above my head as I speak, eyes darting around between my classmates during the aftermath of Haruki's charm completely robbing our assigned tour guide.

We're all effectively stumped, some of the girls are seething in jealousy of my twin sister whereas some of the boys weep in dismay, the more neutral of the bunch merely looking around in pure confusion.

Shikadai sighs, bringing a hand up to his temples and rubbing at them as if to relieve some sort of headache he's brought on. "We should've seen this coming," He groans, to which Boruto crosses his arms rather haughtily.

"We haven't even known Kagura for more than five minutes? How is she so comfortable-"

"Oh please Boruto, did you see that guy's face? Any girl would be lucky to grab his attention the way Ruki did, he's so different from the guys back home." Cho-Cho comments as she fishes for chips at the bottom of the bag, unknowingly causing Boruto's eyes to light up in a brewing fit of jealousy.

"Different from the guys back home?! What does that even mean?!" He's exasperated at this point, eyeing all of the fawning girls with a deadpan expression as he has very little understanding of just what the hell is going on.

All he knows is that this tour guide, a nice guy, he admits, managed to sweep Haruki off of her feet in mere seconds!! And the rest of the girls here, but that doesn't really matter to him much at all.

Cho-Cho shakes her head at Boruto, as if he were clearly missing a very obvious point.

"Runa's big brothers have the same energy. And her cousin too! They're all so tall and mature! And they're so hot-!"

"Gross!" I squeak out, my head snaps around to meet Cho-Cho's at an alarming speed, my hair whipping around and nearly smacking my face as a result.

"Sorry girl, but it's true." Cho-Cho shrugs as if she were pitying me as she continues to munch on her chips. I turn to my female classmates, hoping that they'd be disagreeing and denying Cho-Cho's claims. But to my complete and utter horror, the girls are all either nodding in agreement or sheepishly averting my gaze!

Hell, even our class president Sumire can't look me in the eye!!

Oh god...ew...

Boruto doesn't get any of it at all, his blue eyes shifting between us girls in a deadpan expression.

Masahiko's clearly had enough, his sharp red eyes gleaming with annoyance at everyone's chit chat as he stands at the front of the group. He uncrosses his arms from his chest, instead shifting his weight to one leg as his hand rests on the hilt of his sword, painted nails thrumming impatiently against the material.

"All of you shut up." He says, not raising his voice at all. He doesn't have to, because the second his words spill out into the air our ears ring with authority and all of our lips immediately sew themselves shut.

Like baby ducklings following after their parents, the rest of my classmates and I follow Masahiko's every word with an instilled level of respect and fear. We all straighten up immediately and nod, even I as his younger sister feel my bones clatter a bit at the domineering tone of his voice.

You have free reign of the Hidden Mist Village but don't stray so far. Keep yourselves in groups and take note of the time, like your sensei said earlier this fountain is our meet up spot. We're going to be meeting the Mizukage so make sure you're on time. If you aren't I'll give you hell. Understood?"

God he's scary sometimes!

His energy matches my fathers perfectly, from the steely look in his eyes to the taut set of his jaw. It doesn't matter if he looks nothing like him, he's definitely our dad's son.

All of us nod as if we were his soldiers in an upcoming war, no one daring to disobey. Not even Iwabe, the tall and tanned classmate of mine who just so happens to be Boruto's friend. The same Iwabe who had some not-so-nice things to say to Haruki and I in class when we first learned about this trip.

"Just as I thought, two spoiled princesses with no clue of the world they live in. Why're you two even in the ninja course hm? Because your mom stuck you in here?" Iwabe, a boy from my class who I recognize as one of Boruto's friends, scoffs.

His words immediately silence the class, the atmosphere's turned uncomfortable, almost overwhelmingly so, leading me to scowl at the tanned boy. He's sitting alone and all the way in the back, glaring at Haruki and I as if we personally did anything to him.

Haruki tensed up as well at the confrontation, eyes widening into ones of worry as she immediately clasped her hand over mine.

"Well aren't you just a joy to be around?" I ask sarcastically, raising a brow at his unwavering glare.

What the hell is his problem?! My dad would so end him if I asked sweetly enough, so he better watch the fuck out-

Before I could threaten Iwabe with the curse of all of my ancestors, living family members, and myself haunting him in his sleep, Shino sensei steps in the room alongside Sumire; the class representative.

"You will be representing our village on this upcoming trip. And to help you through all of this, We're actually going to be bringing along one of Konoha's top shinobi. If you run into any troubles, he'll be there to help. Plus, he's a great representative of our village already, so as long as you follow in his lead you'll do fine."

We all perk up in curiosity, wondering just who Shino-sensei could be talking about in such a high regard.

"Nii-san!" Haruki gasps by my side, sparkles of excitement appearing literally out of nowhere and floating around her. I perk up as well, eyes widening at the sight of our older brother strolling through the room.

Ohhhh...THIS is what he meant by being a bodyguard?!

He's not wearing his mask today (Noted by the swooning sigh the girls of the classroom performed in unison) revealing the entirety of his face. To my curiosity, he looks a bit different than his usual laid back and neutral self.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looked a bit pissed! Annoyed? Bothered? It's All of the above, scarily enough.

Oh no...

Did he hear Iwabe from outside?!

"Are we going to have a problem?" Masahiko drawled, sharp red eyes boring through Iwabe's skull.

Oh god, HE HEARD HIM!!

It was clear that he was completely uncaring of any directions that had been set for him previously, feeling no need to introduce himself to the classroom as he stared down the young student.

His stance was effortless yet imposing all at the same time. He stood tall with his gloved hand resting casually on the mantle of his sword, cocking his head to the side at the lack of response from the taken aback (And admittedly intimidated) Iwabe.

"Oh? Good, you know when to shut your mouth. Maybe you won't get yourself in trouble out there after all." He scoffed, turning to face the rest of that with that usual steely gaze he held.

I think Iwabe's been pissing his pants at the sight of Masahiko ever since.

Masahiko's eyes scan along our group a final time before nodding once. "Now scram,"

Nobody had to be told twice, as some of the girls ran off together to take pictures by nearby modern landmarks, others bolted to the dock where multiple shops with low lit neon signs and pretty ocean views, and Boruto ran off some of our shared friends back to the shop housing some exclusive trading cards.

Well, Boruto and his friends minus one.

My eyes immediately zero in on Iwabe who's strayed from the group despite my brother's words. He repeatedly glanced back at Masahiko to make sure he wasn't watching before making his leave, bowing his head, keeping his eyes on the ground, and shoving his hands into the fabric of his pockets.

I scoff at his weak attempt of fading into the background as he lures himself into the less populated, unlit alleyways Kirigakure has to offer.

Of course, there's always gonna be someone who doesn't follow the rules!

As much as I'd love to give him a piece of my mind and drag his ass right back to the group, I'd much rather do my own thing with Masahiko. But I can't just leave him to his own devices. Not only is wandering off on his own a terrible idea, it could quickly turn dangerous. Plus, it's not even like he's heading to any of the populated areas!

Going into the dark and gloomy alleyways away from society? Really? It's like he's asking for trouble. So, what's my plan?

My dark gaze then turns to Boruto, and a lightbulb flickers above my head. Perfect!

He's clueless, giddily eyeing all of the rare ninja trading card packs the outdoor booth has to offer alongside Shikadai, Inojin, and Denki. I stalk behind him like a tiger would a gazelle, preying upon the unsuspecting when I suddenly latch my hand onto the collar of his black jacket and pull; forcing him away from the booth and towards me.

Boruto complains almost immediately, sharply smacking away my hand with narrowed eyes.

Suspicion is written all over his face when he turns to me, the blue hues of his eyes glinting curiously when they land on me.

"I thought I'd told you this before, but keep those claws to yourself." He mutters with a deadpan expression, eyes lingering on my sharp nails with a small shiver of fear running down his spine. He masks it of course, not one to let people see him sweat.

"Yeah yeah whatever, go get your friend will you? He wandered off on his own." I say, pointing in the direction Iwabe went off to. I don't notice with my attention turned to the dark alleyways, but Boruto watches my face quietly, intently even.

The feeling of warmth flutters across his face, not enough to make him blush, but enough to make him uneasy. Just like me, thoughts of our time up on the cruises dock replay in his mind over and over again whenever we're close enough.

All of the swirling emotions bundled up in his chest at the sight of me fluster him terribly. He doesn't like it at all since it's so new to him, he doesn't like feeling so weird around me! Hell, he preferred it when he was ignorant to my beauty, now he feels like he can't run away from it!

His eyes unconsciously shift from the slope of my nose, to the curve of my lashes, to the poutiness of my lip- GOD he needs to get ahold of himself!

He clears his throat, tearing his eyes away from me as his brain works on overdrive. He needs to get away from me, or else he'll go insane. He despises the feeling of it all, much rather wishing he still saw me the same way he would any of his other friends.

He can't though, not when I'm always so terribly close and so horribly pretty! Damn it.

He starts to focus on other things, wanting to kick himself for thinking like such a weirdo at the thought of me. And then, it hits him.

Iwabe did what?!

His blue gaze snaps back to the alleyways I was pointing at earlier, and with an exasperated huff he runs a hand through his blonde hair. "He went off on his own?! I'll go get him. Denki lets go!" He's quick in action, barely sparing me another glance before running off in the direction I addressed.

Denki, the poor soul, follows behind in pure confusion. He's a much slower runner than Boruto (Who could blame him? Boruto is literally number one in almost everything, as much as I despise him for it), but he tries nonetheless as he sprints his way into the un-lit streets.

I watch them with a sweatdrop forming at my temple. A part of me wants to go watch the confrontation that's sure to go down between Boruto and Iwabe; but my thoughts are quickly interrupted when Inojin and Shikadai approach me.

"Hey Runa, wanna go get lunch with us?" Inojin casually asks. I perk up at the idea. Inojin Shikadai and I have all been friends since the days we were respectively born, and it's been a while since I've spent some quality time with them!

Inojin is always either off with Haruki or busy training, whereas Shikadai is usually wrapped up in Boruto's schemes or too lazy to commit to anything else. Now that I think about it, this is the perfect opportunity for all of us to catch up!

Admittedly, guilt creeps up behind me like a looming shadow.

I'm so open to spending time with Inojin and Shika despite having Masahiko's training in mind, so why did I shut down Haruki like that without a second thought? I bite my inner cheek, remembering how silent she became after I rejected her pleas.

All she wanted was to spend time with me like our friends do, but I didn't even give her a chance! A poisonous realization bubbles in my head.

Since when did I start treating Haruki as less than our friends?

Actually, that's not it at all. I've been treating her as more than our friends. Much more, as competition instead.

Because the truth of the matter is that she is my competition. My biggest competition, in fact.

It's the way that she seemingly doesn't have to break a sweat whereas I have to try my hardest and then some- The kunai practice session in class from a few days ago was the perfect proof!!

She is my competition. The competition I have to beat if I want to become someone worthy of being hokage.!

Lost in my own thoughts, I nearly jump out of my own skin when Masahiko appears by my side. I tune back into reality just in time to hear him politely dismiss my friends, letting them know that he was going to be training me for the next couple of hours.

I watch with raised brows as Shikadai and Inojin walk off together, only turning to Masahiko after a few moments.

"During practice today, I want you to think about yourself. Not Haruki."

I freeze, highly confused by his words. Haruki?! Who the hell mentioned Haruki?!-

"You're a lot easier to read than you think you are. You haven't stopped glancing at the direction she went off in ever since she left." His words leave me speechless, nearly gasping for air at his intense reading of my behavior.

I didn't even realize I was doing that!

"Don't try to chase after Haruki. Chase after the kunoichi you want to become. You'll never be Haruki, and she'll never be you. Thinking about her so much won't do you any good." He advises with a surprising amount of wisdom as he begins to walk ahead of me, his fingers tapping against the hilt of his sword.

My steps stutter to follow him, my head thrown for a loop as he expects me to follow. He doesn't bother glancing back at me, instead keeping his steely eyes forward.

His next words ring in my head for days to come.

"More so, if you try to chase after the Haruki you think you know, you'll be just another follower forever."

I'm terrible. I'm a terrible daughter. I'm the worst- They must be so worried, and now my mom is going to have so much on her plate- but I can't continue hiding, and I upset my dad too! Oh my god I'm horrible-

"Haruki? Is something wrong?" My eyes light up at the sight of Kagura walking up to me, a small platter of sweets in his gloved hand as he analyzes my face. We've been walking along the pier for quite some time now, and I've enjoyed every second of it.

He's just so handsome! And polite! And respectful! And sweet! And everything I've ever imagined my prince charming to be!

My heart flutters whenever I see him in the same way it does whenever I have my dango dates with Mitsuki, ah it's all just so amazing!

He seemed a bit reserved at first, which is something I don't mind at all. I was the one to take a hold of his hand, taking the initiative, and ever since he's been nothing but dreamy!

Just like the time when we were sitting together on the dock. Kagura took me there with the excuse of wanting to show me how beautiful it looked during sunsets. And he was right!

The sun hit the water, casting a warm caressing glow over the surface of the blue waves. The two of us were struck with the same golden light, small shimmers bouncing off of my skin and entrancing Kagura into an awestruck state.

A strand of my pearly locks shifted a bit and fell onto the height of my cheekbone, and he couldn't help but gawk at the sight of me. Then, with a burst of confidence over the moment, he raised a hand and gently tucked away the curled strand behind my ear.

My eyes widened and a blush overtook my already rosy cheeks, I turned to him and gasped lightly when I realized how close our faces were-

"You looked concerned"

Oh, right. We aren't there anymore. That was hours ago.

Kagura and I were in line at the sweets shop he promised he'd take me to when it happened.

The fact that my father's unread note was in the pocket of my skirt was eating away at my consciousness no matter how hard I tried paying it no mind.

Curiosity killed the cat, and it only took a moment for me to excuse myself from Kagura's side, walking out of the shop and gingerly slipping out the letter. I toyed with the folded paper for a short while, my mind running a mile a minute as I tried guessing at what it could've possibly said.

It must've taken a lot for my father to send a personal note himself, and guilt eats away at my heart when I think about how much I must've worried him and my mom.

A gust of wind shifted through the air. The sea breeze gifting me with a unique sort of freshness over my skin, tousling my hair gently and nearly blowing away the letter in my hand.

It was the atmosphere that snapped me out of my worried rut, and I finally grew the courage to open the letter. I took a deep breath, feeling myself grow smaller as I unfolded the paper.

If the world were a bit kinder, maybe I'd just disappear. Float away like a fluffy cloud up in the skies, or maybe even just poof into non-existence. That'd work too.

But the world isn't so kind as I've recently started to realize, and there I stood with trembling hands and a blurred gaze as I re-read the short and curt note over and over again.

I cleared my throat, shook my head in a weak attempt to ignore my fathers letter for now. I wanted to enjoy today! It already had a rocky start from my argument with Runa from earlier, I don't want that negativity to seep into my time with Kagura.