A Hummingbird's Prey (TLU Book 2)

Chapter Nineteen- Disaster

The group arrived in Konoha in the late afternoon. With Lady Tsunade carrying only a slight bitterness, she indulged Mei's offer to spend only half a day's detour to visit a closer village. One with plenty of gambling and with enough distraction for her to slip away without others noticing. That way, she could visit a familiar spot without needing to share it with anyone else.

When she arrived Mei sprinted across the wide river towards the flower field Kakashi took her to, around 20 kilometers north. She huffed disappointedly when she realized the flowers weren't in bloom yet, and nearly all of them were simply green stems with small buds on top. She dragged her feet along the edge between the field and a large pond beside it, reminiscing of their time together here. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered his borderline primal behavior, the way his tongue and mouth devoured her as she sat on top of his face. How in sync their bodies were, careless of their surroundings and focused solely on each other. It sparked a familiar tingle in her lower stomach, which made it difficult for her to breathe steadily. And distracted her enough that she nearly slipped into the pond.

"I wonder if we'll have make-up sex." She thought aloud.
Thanks to her traveling, Meilani reduced any fear of Kakashi ending things for good. She remembered how persistent he was when it came to saving their friendship, how it proved to her that he cared about her being in his life. If that was his dedication as a friend, who is she to doubt his words now that they are more?
It was a moment of weakness, one that they both experienced. And as soon as Meilani returns, they can figure out how to overcome it and strengthen their relationship together.

A large, blooming lotus caught Mei's eye. She marveled at the amount of petals this single flower had, and the unbloomed lotus was large enough to cover her entire palm. Gingerly, she picked up the flower, pad and all, and wrapped it gently around its pad and another singular green disc. She placed it at the top of her bag, making sure the bag itself was secure.
Mei thanked the Earth and prayed to it so she can reach her home safely. And to preserve the beautiful flower in it's prime.

She walked through the gates breathing a heavy sigh. The weight on her shoulders lessening. She paced through the dwindling streets, grinning at the sight of Ichiraku's. Excitement bubbled in her chest when she realized Kakashi would be surprised at how early she is, and debated on taking a shower so she didn't reek of campfire and dirt.
"Mei?"
Her dark teal braids whipped behind her. "Kurenai!"
Meilani tilted her head at her friends creased brows, and the tightness of her hug.
"Are you okay?" Mei held Kurenai's arms. "Did something happen to you, or Asuma? To Kakashi?"
Kurenai shook her head. "They're fine. But... Something did happen."

Mei held her breath in her lungs. The air felt still, as if one slight breeze would bring forth a reckoning.
"Mei, your... You apartment caught on fire. The entire top floor was destroyed."
Mei stood in front of Kurenai with parted lips, her vision going in and out of focus.
"Is-is everyone okay?"
Kurenai squeezed her hand. "There were some casualties. I think you need to come with me, just for a while."
"No," Mei walked backwards. "I had everything in there. Naruto left everything behind!"
She took off with a sprint, leaving Kurenai to chase her. Meilani's breath grew ragged with every step. How bad was the fire? Surely something had been saved, anything. What would Naruto come home to?

As she approached the building, she saw what was left of the top two floors. Windows had become shattered glass and some parts of the building were missing, either from collapsing or burning away. Mei ran up the wall as close as she could to the top before gently hopping through a collapsed wall near the staircase. She ran all the way up, the scent of ash and burnt flesh invading her nose. Mei ignored Kurenai calling out to her from behind, and skidded through her broken door. It was there she locked eyes with Guy, silent with a deep frown on his lips. He was kneeling in front of what used to be her bookshelf, all of her books burnt or curled up beyong repair. Every piece of furniture, including her tables and fridge has been covered in soot and splintered.