The Geisha Way

Ch26- Hours.

A/N: DON'T YOU DARE PRES THAT PLAY BUTTON. NOT UNTIL YOU GET TO THE STAR SYMBOL.

"What if I came to the end of my life and realized that I'd spent every day watching for a man who would never come to me? What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realize I'd never really tasted the things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been."

The waterfall crashed against the lake furiously, in a never ending quarrel with each other. Miomomo thought how it was very much like her with adversity itself: in a constant battle, where she fought for her happiness, but lost every time. The only time she ever really lost a battle. A tear almost ran down her pale cheeks. She looked away from the waterfall and looked at the almost barren streets. People were rushing home before the storm came; but as it had been proven more than once, Miomomo embraced the sky's tears. It was if she had been the only one to listen to it wailing, crying for the horrors of the world. Watching the terrible things that happened in the world is enough to make anyone hang their head and weep.

"Mio-chan; what are you doing out here?" She slowly turned her head towards the direction from which the voice came. Naruto's bright yellow hair and crystal blue eyes clashed with the gloomy atmosphere. It was if he was the sun itself; bringing light everywhere he was.

"I don't know anymore." She almost whispered. His eyes turned to a look of worry.

"Look..." He awkwardly scratched the back of his spiky hair. Immediately Miomomo knew what he was going to say. "I'm so—"

"Don't." she said harshly. He finished at the sheer bitterness of her voice. She turned from his gaze and watched the water again. Her hands took hold of the wooden beams, until her knuckles turned the color of milk. It was as if she couldn't withstand the weight of self-loath; that she'd collapse if she didn't hold on to something. But what was there to hold on to?

"I know things seem bad now, but don't lose hope—" She scoffed.

"Hopes are like hair ornaments. Girls want to wear too many of them. When they become old women they look silly wearing even one." She repeated the words from a book she had read once. Naruto chuckled lowly.

"Mio-chan, you're twenty. You got your whole life ahead of you; besides I see nothing wrong with having hope—" Miomomo sighed loudly and turned to Naruto.

"Why are even still here; don't you have some mission to make a mess of or something?" He was quiet for a moment before what she said had fully registered into his brain.

"Hey!" He pointed a finger at her. "Look, just 'cause you're stuck feelin' sorry for yourself, you don't have to be mean to people trying to help you!" She rolled her eyes and waved a hand to dismiss him.

"I don't need your help." Miomomo turned to walk away from the fuming Naruto, but was lifted off her feet. Naruto threw her over his shoulder.

"Alright that's it!"

"Naru—"

"No, I am tired of you moping around here; you're really starting to sound like Sasuke."

"Unhand me, right this moment; or else—"

"Or else what?" She said nothing, but let herself be carried away. 

Naruto took her to an opening in the wood and placed her down. She immediately ripped herself away from him. Naruto pulled out a kunai and threw it forcefully at her with his wind chakra. Miomomo narrowly dodged it—she hadn't been training, and it had caught up with her and told her: 'you're it'.