Kaze No Kokoro (Naruto fanfic)

Bonding

Midori woke that morning feeling recharged. Her heart blooming in the arms of the person dearest to her. Kakashi. The jounin was still asleep and she wasn't about to wake him. He'd likely force her to stay inside. For a second she thought of actually doing so, spending this day off with him, but there was another person she had missed and she wanted to spend this day with him.

Carefully she made her way out of the jounin's arms, he groaned, and for a second there she thought she might've woken him, but his heartbeat and breathing stayed the same. 'I must've just imagined it.' She thought as she went to the bathroom to get ready.

In truth, Kakashi had woken, he was just too lazy, and he knew who she wanted to see. He was happy she was bonding with someone other than him so he decided not to stop her. She was unlikely to use her chakra much when just hanging out, anyway.

After Midori had finished getting ready she went out, jumping the roofs with a smile before arriving on the blond's balcony. She called out. "Naruto! Let's go out and play!" The blond woke up with a start 'Midori is here!' A smile instantly appeared on his face. "I'll be there in a sec!" He scrambled to get ready and, from where Midori stood, a lot of bumps and crashes could be heard.

When Naruto appeared from his room, albeit looking a little disheveled, she held out her hand towards him and with a smile on her face she said, "Let's go." The sun shined behind her and for a second Naruto thought the dawn had come for him instead of his friend. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the mirage and a smile on his face appeared, from ear to ear, before he replied while taking her hand. "Yea!"

The brunette turned and jumped, dragging her friend with her, thinking about where to go. Then having decided she pointed. "Let's go there. To the top of the Hokage mountain." Naruto nodded. Anywhere was fine with him. So they bounded through the village, smiling and laughing as the wind swept through their hair. To Naruto, moving through the village had never felt so good.

Once they arrived at the top they sat, basking in the sun, while Naruto started to tell her all about their mission to the land of waves. Midori listened, smiling gently, praising and frowning at times.

After Naruto told them about their tree training he asked her if she could do that. To be honest, Midori wasn't sure, so they went to a tree. Naruto explained it to her and added a quick "But it's okay if you can't do it on your first.." Midori looked at him puzzled as to why he stopped talking, as she stood horizontally against the tree. "Try.." Naruto finished.

"Unfair! How come you can do it this well already! It took me so long!" Midori had returned to the ground and patted Naruto's head. It was only now that the blond actually looked at her, really looked at her. She was slightly taller than him and when he looked into her eyes they seemed so... old, like she had lived for decades already, and he understood. Whatever she went through, she needed to get stronger, more than he did. "I'm sure there's stuff you're better at than me Naruto." Those words snapped him out of it, she was wearing a gentle smile that coaxed him into returning it, and he did.

They sat again talking for hours before Naruto finally asked something he'd been wondering for a while now. "Why do you wear that scarf? It's really quite warm after all. Ah, not that it doesn't suit you, it's just, I was wondering is all." Midori smiled sadly, "It's alright, I suppose it is kind of weird. It's easier to show you why though."

Midori slowly removed the scarf and when Naruto saw what was underneath he couldn't help but gasp. The scars looked almost scary and he wondered how he'd missed the sign of them peeking out from under her clothes. He knew he was an airhead but had he really been so blind?

While thinking, he didn't realise that his hand had inched towards her, only snapping out of it when he touched Midori's skin, they felt so.. rough. He looked up at her from the scars he was staring at, body frozen, face turning blazing red. He quickly pulled his hand back, looked away, and stammered "A-a-a-ah s-s-s-sorry."