The Last Chinoike [A NARUTO LOVE STORY]

A New Opponent

you guys... almost 15K READS?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I wanted to publish this chapter for the 10k landmark, but such is life, that didn't work out. I never in a hundred years would've thought people would read this story. I wouldn't have the drive to keep this story up if it wasn't for you guys so thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to the Hidden Leaf and back <3

Side note, this chapter was originally over 8,000 words so I decided to cut it in half and split it between two chapters. (Which means a bunch of rewrites and edits occurred over the past month). That's a big reason for this delay- I went back and forth every other day on how I should publish this part of the story... but regardless, enjoy!

"C'mon big sis, you've just gotta tell me what you wrote on the note you tucked into his bag!" The hazel-haired girl was walking side-by-side with Hayami, swinging their interlocked hands. "I hope you didn't write anything mean on it! Big bro Naruto is pretty nice, and you can be a little mean sometimes."

The taller brunette let out a gasp that conveyed her feigned shock. "Me? Mean? Stand-offish? I have no idea what you're talking about." She gently brought their interlocked fingers up to bump Sachiko on the side of her head.

"Well, did you put something sappy on it?" The girl puffed out her cheeks while simultaneously attempting to yank her hand out of Hayami's hold. She succeeded and then decided to sprint a few paces ahead of Hayami, leading the way to their breakfast destination. 

The teen had made her way down to the orphanage and just as expected, was greeted with children bouncing around her in hopes they'd leave there with her. Every time she showed up more and more children seemed to stop and stare at her in recognition. 

Of course, she was only known as that one girl that Sachiko hung out with every so often. But still, the kids at the orphanage enjoyed seeing one of their own with another friend outside of the orphanage.

"It was so sappy that it was practically out of a fairytale book." Sure, Hayami may have been exaggerating a little bit, but Hayami saw the opportunity and sprinted after it. "I think they'll write a whole romance about it; you know one of those lovey-dovey books about that one scrap piece of paper I tucked into his bag." 

Sachiko stomped her small foot and turned around to face Hayami with her arms crossed, the now six-year-old little girl was fuming at the fact that the girl she referred to as her big sister was keeping something so interesting from her. "So then tell me if it was really sooooo cute!"

Hayami thought about the note she had tucked into Naruto's bag just the other day. 'There's no way I'm telling her that I was too much of a coward to be the first one to say I love you, so I hastily wrote it on a fucking note instead. That's gotta be the least romantic thing anyone has ever done. I'm a coward for sure, but Sachiko can go on thinking I'm some romance connoisseur. I sure as hell won't correct her if she's wrongly complimenting me. A compliment is a compliment, ya know.'

Hayami caught up to the girl in a few strides and quickly passed her. "Not on your life, brat." As the blue and green-eyed girl started to screech out incoherent thoughts, Hayami smirked to herself, completely content with the reaction she got. 

The child ran to catch up with the teenager and continued to complain as the two headed to their favorite place to eat breakfast. 'In all actuality, I think I would've been an amazing big sister.'

As Sachiko laughed along, taking Hayami's taunting with way more than a grain of salt, a chill ran throughout the teenager's body. Hayami glanced to her right and left, looking up to the sky and back over her shoulder, but nothing appeared. Nothing out of the ordinary popped into her field of vision.