Poisonous Love in the Five Nations

Prologue: Rin and Mitsuki

Three Years Later...

There was a quiet whisper from the wind, the training grounds in Yamaguchi Rin's island fairly large, however it made a great game of hide and seek. I spun around on my heel and I was face to face with a grinning Sazama Mitsuki. The first I met Mitsuki was the evening of the day I arrived; he was in my room rummaging through my bag. He was younger looking at the time, however now, his hair was darker than it was before and his blue eyes were brighter. Mitsuki was handsome; most of the time, would find myself staring at his face.

"Amaya?" His voice brought me out of my reverie and I flushed in embarrassment. "Why're you staring at me?"

I laughed, nervously. "No reason, Mitty-kun."

Mitsuki grinned and wrapped his arms around me, "You know, I think our last day here deserves a bowl of spicy pork ramen, no?"

"Is Rin-nee here?" I asked, Mitsuki, returning his hug.

He drew away from the hug and ruffled my hair playfully with a laugh, "Of course!"

I rolled my eyes at his playful behavior, which he's always been ever since the brief rivalry of being Rin's favorite pupil had stopped. Rin was gentle, kind, humorous and motherly, despite her age. She reminded me of Kei, who I haven't seen on my birthday three years ago. Rin had been generous to let me write letters and deliver them personally to Kei, herself. Mitsuki had always been envious of me, that I at least had a family out there. His parents had abandoned, thrown him out when he was just a baby and he mostly grew up by himself.

I glanced up at Mitsuki, and found him watching me. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Mitsuki smiled, pleasantly. "You still have chubby cheeks, but you're starting to get prettier."

My face warmed up, and I punched his shoulder. "Urusai!"

Mitsuki laughed, pulled me onto his back and ran back to Rin's home. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, we were already there. 

Rin was a small figure down by the pond, dancing with her two thin blades as the water rose up into a pillar and swirled around her. Rin was in her peaceful state.

"Maya-chan," Mitsuki let me off his back. "Tell me, who was your best friend back in Konoha?"

I sauntered into the building and into the kitchen. "Nara Shikamaru."

"Hontō, desu ne?" Mitsuki sounded a little impressed. "I heard his family can manipulate shadows."

"It's not really manipulating, Mitty-kun." I gathered the ingredients for pork ramen. "When we get to the Hidden Leaf next week, you can meet everyone."

Mitsuki came up from behind, with the cooking utensils, and poked at my bracelet. I stared at it for a moment. Sasuke. I barely hear any news about what was going on in the Five Nations, nor any rumours about Sasuke finding Uchiha Itachi from the Akatsuki. A noodle was being waved in front of my face, "Maya-chan, are you going to help me, or not?"

"Sorry," I responded, taking my thoughts off Uchiha Sasuke for the first time.

~*~

"We're leaving tomorrow morning. Have you two packed?" Rin asked, setting her chopsticks down on her bowl. My room was a mess from trying to find the things I have hidden to make sure Mitsuki doesn't see them. I caught Rin's dark brown eyes watching me, and she raised a questioning eyebrow. "Amaya? Is there something wrong?"

"No, Rin-nee." I murmured into my cup of tea. I let the hot liquid scorch my tongue and slide down my throat. "Nothing's wrong..."

Mitsuki didn't seem to believe me by reading his expression, but he said nothing. Rin sighed, and stood, collecting our bowls. "Sleep well tonight, both of you."

"Hai," Mitsuki and I answered, quietly.

I was staring at the necklace, bracelet, and katana all given to me at my last day of Konoha. I had left half of my presents back with Kei, hoping I would be able to open them or at least look at them. I let out a breath, and put the necklace and bracelet back on; I sheathed the katana into the sheath Rin had given me. I placed all the other things into my bag, there was a knock and I turned to see Mitsuki wave at me with shurikens in his hands, "You look more sick than happy to leave, Maya-chan."

"I bet everything's changed," I replied. "They're probably all are stronger, faster, wiser than they were."

"Must be true..." Mitsuki shrugged, flinging a shuriken in my direction, I ducked and glared at him. "Amaya, we're professionally trained shinobi, we know a lot more than what the ANBU know....And you're worried that your friends are more smarter and better than us?"

"I can't help it," I sat down on my bed, next to my bag. "They've been on more missions."

"We're on an island, the closest thing we have for a mission is playing hide and seek in the woods, then sparring each other." He replied, then got another shuriken. "Baka-chan, there's still some spicy pork ramen in the kitchen, if that's what you need to make you relax."

"I'm fine, hentai-kun," I responded, and I glanced up at him one ore time. Mitsuki said goodnight, worry set in his blue eyes, and turned off my light. I spent the rest of the night, staring at the wall, worrying about Uchiha Sasuke.