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The river's aroma lingered on them, and its tiny droplets moistened their clothing. Using the extra chakra made Naruto sleepy, and Adohira was also exhausted from being flung around like a monkey on his back. Once they reached the ground, they relaxed on the grass. The setting sun still retained its warmth, and its radiant heat dried their clothing and hugged them like a warm blanket. Its sunlight made the river look glittering and heavenly. The pair rested on a tree trunk with heavy, tired eyelids, staring mesmerized at the sight of the river they'd just crossed.
Adohira looked over at Naruto sweetly. She reached over and gripped his resting hand. He returned her smile, although a bit more timid, and expected her to say something, but nothing. She merely gazed at him, and her look made a red blush run across his nose.
It was at this moment she realized she didn't simply have a crush on Naruto. It was much more complex than that. He was the most precious person to her.
"Naruto..." She sighed, wanting to speak her thoughts. She laid her head on his shoulder, feeling the allure of sleep drift her away.
"Y-yeah?" His voice was high-pitched in nervousness. He cleared his throat and tried again, this time dropping a few octaves, "I mean. Yeah?"
The deep orange of the sun set upon them and disappeared into the night. Naruto turned his head to her, mindful of her delicate face resting on him. She fell asleep. He almost didn't even want to move. He kept his back rigid on the trunk, becoming a substitute bed frame, and realized he'd been holding his breath keeping still. He exhaled for dear life and looked over to see if his outburst woke her.
Still sleeping, she looked so delicate, like a helpless, tiny fairy resting on him. He felt his heartbeat quicken. Aware of this sensation, he quickly looked away as if watching her sleep like this was inappropriate.
He then looked down at his legs and saw that she was still holding his left hand. She clasped it with both her hands, and in her palm, he noticed the scar of a shuriken she gave herself years ago when they were playing. A light chuckle escaped his lips. He spread his free hand over hers, surrounding them wholly and protectively.
No more scars, he thought, feeling his heavy eyelids close on him. Not while I'm around.
An hour or so later, her eyes gently opened. She could feel Naruto's light breathing tickling across her face. They faced each other in a fetal position. Naruto used his arms as a pillow, and he wasn't wearing his usual jacket, only his black t-shirt. She felt something soft underneath her head and noticed it was Naruto's kunai pouch. All his kunai and shuriken were laid out by their legs. He must've emptied it so she could use it as a pillow. More so, his jacket was draped over her shoulders like a blanket.
Suddenly, she shot up and let out a gasp. The sound made Naruto flinch and he immediately took a fighting stance.
"You wanna go?!" He threatened with closed eyes. "Let's dance, pal!"
