Ruka Hiden : Tangled Paths, Love's Redemption

Twenty Five

The rain came down in relentless sheets, soaking the village of Konoha in a melancholic embrace. The normally vibrant streets were eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle subdued by the downpour. Ruka moved through the rain with purpose, her umbrella shielding her from the worst of the weather. Each step she took felt like it might be her last, hesitation and uncertainty pulling at her heart. The conversation she knew she had to have weighed heavy on her mind, and the truth she couldn't ignore gnawed at her insides.

All day, the wedding preparations had been a blur. Ino's excitement, Sakura's steady presence, the constant bustle of people around her—none of it had been able to drown out the growing ache in her chest. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that she was running away from something she hadn't yet faced. And now, as the rain pounded against the ground, she knew there was only one person who could give her the answers she needed, even if those answers shattered her.

Her footsteps slowed as she neared the park, a place she knew Kiba often retreated to when things became too much. And there he was, sitting alone on a drenched bench, his head bowed and shoulders hunched against the relentless storm. The sight of him, soaked to the bone and looking utterly defeated, sent a sharp pain through her heart. He looked like a man with nothing left to lose, as if the rain wasn't just drenching him but drowning him in his own sorrow.

Ruka approached him quietly, her steps barely audible over the sound of the rain. When she reached him, she held the umbrella over his head, shielding him from the rain that had already soaked him through. It was a small gesture, one that felt almost pointless in the face of everything else, but it was all she could think to do.

Kiba didn't look up immediately, but she knew he could sense her presence. He always could. It was something she had come to rely on, something that had always been a part of their connection. Now, though, it felt like a double-edged sword.

"Ruka," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the rain. "You shouldn't be out here. You'll catch a cold."

His concern, even now, made her heart twist painfully in her chest. How could he still care so much, when she was about to leave him behind? How could he be so selfless, so willing to let her go, when every part of her wanted to scream at him to fight for her?

"I wanted to talk to you," Ruka finally said, her voice soft, almost drowned out by the rain. "I needed to see you before..."

"Before the wedding," Kiba finished for her, finally looking up at her. His eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles under them betraying how little he had slept. He looked like a ghost of the man she had once known, all the vitality and warmth drained from him. "I know. You're getting married, and you need closure. I get it."

Ruka's throat tightened, her grip on the umbrella trembling as she tried to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Kiba, I..."

"Don't," Kiba interrupted, his voice raw and brittle. He forced a smile, but it was a hollow thing, devoid of the warmth she had always loved. "Ruka, I wish you nothing but happiness. Gaara... he's a good guy. He'll treat you right. And I know you'll make a great wife. You always knew how to take care of others, how to make them feel... important."

Each word cut deeper than the last, slicing through her defenses until she felt like she might break apart. This was supposed to be closure, but it felt like a knife twisting in her heart, each twist a reminder of everything she was losing, everything they had once shared.

"Kiba..." she started, her voice trembling. She wanted to say it, the words hovering on the tip of her tongue. She wanted to plead with him, to beg him to fight for her, to not let her go. But the words caught in her throat, strangled by the realization that it was too late, that she had already made her choice.

For a moment, Kiba looked at her with an expression that mirrored her own turmoil. Was he waiting for her to say something? Was there still a part of him that hoped she would ask him to stop this, to stop her from marrying someone else? But whatever hope there was, it was fleeting, drowned out by the rain and the cold, hard reality of their situation.

Ruka bit her lip, tasting blood as she forced back the tears that threatened to spill. She had come here for closure, but all she felt was an overwhelming sense of loss. Kiba was letting her go, and the worst part was, she couldn't even bring herself to ask him not to.

"Thank you," she whispered instead, her voice thick with unshed tears. "Thank you, Kiba. For everything."

Kiba nodded, the forced smile still plastered on his face as he looked away, unable to meet her eyes any longer. "Yeah... take care, Ruka."

It was over. The finality of it crashed down on her like a tidal wave, threatening to pull her under. She wanted to scream, to tell him that she didn't want this, that she didn't want to leave him behind. But she knew it wouldn't change anything. He had already made his peace with it, and now she had to do the same.

Ruka lingered for a moment, hoping against hope that he would say something, anything to change her mind. But when nothing came, she took a deep, shaky breath, turned, and walked away, her heart heavy with the weight of the unspoken words that would forever remain between them.

As she left him behind, the rain continued to pour, washing away the remnants of what had once been. But even as the distance between them grew, Ruka knew that a part of her would always wonder what could have been, had things been different.

But for now, she had made her choice. She would move forward, one step at a time, even if her heart was still catching up to her decision. Even if the path she had chosen felt like it was leading her further away from the one person who had ever truly understood her.