Dark •Sequel to Bright!•

Realization

—-LAST FILLER CHAPTER FOR AWHILE I SWEAR!-—

••Akari POV••

It had felt like my life had really begun to turn around. I had let go of trying to bring Sasuke back, despite my brother's protests. I had also begun to be deployed into missions with Kakashi Sensei, since he requested that I come with him now. Although I loved working with him, and getting to work with Team Kakashi, I still had a special place on Kurenai's team no matter what.

The Akatsuki were still at large, and still hunting down Jinchuriki. As of right now, the old Team 10 was being deployed to hunt some of them down. They earlier today to hunt them down, and although Shikamaru and I hadn't spoken much since I came back.. I felt an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

I pushed it aside though as I walked towards Kurenai's apartment, at a faster pace than usual. I was beyond excited to see her. It felt like it had been forever with how busy everything had become. I was surprised when I got her request to stop by that she wasn't deployed on a mission.

I tapped on her door and smiled happily when I saw her open it almost immediately.

"Akari, you're earlier than I expected." Kurenai smiled, and stepped aside so I could walk into her neat apartment. I remembered my time of staying here, back when I found out about Naruto keeping the Nine Tails from me.

"Kakashi wanted me to take a break, plus he wanted to focus more on Naruto's training for a few days," I shrugged and sat down at her small round table. I looked at her windowsill and noticed a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting there blowing slightly in the wind, "I see Asuka came to say goodbye?"

"How do you-" Kurenai's face was beet red, and I just laughed interrupting her.

"I've known since I was twelve Kurenai Sensei, you two weren't discrete at all." I smiled at the flustered woman, and she just shook her head with a grin.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, but there are some things leading up to that first," Kurenai said with a bit of a stricter voice, I nodded my head, "I know I told you that you were forgiven when you came back, but Akari I need to know that you understand what you did by leaving."

I tended up in my seat as I felt my heart drop a little bit. Was she still upset with me? Is that the only reason she wanted me here?

"Kurena-"

"Hinata cried anytime we were deployed, or when she reached an accomplishment because you weren't right by her side,"

Another stab in the heart.

"Kiba and Akamaru almost drove themselves insane looking for you everywhere, grasping at any piece of information they could find just hoping that they would be led to you,"

Another reminder of what I did to Kiba.

"Even Shino was upset that you were gone, he used very few words to express it but you could feel it from him,"

"I'm sorry.." I choked out in between tears finally lifting my head up to meet Kurenai's and stared in shock at the tears running down her face too.

"And I, I not only lost a student when I lost you Akari, I felt as though I had lost a child, I felt as though I had failed you in whatever role you saw me in in your life," Kurenai's voice cracked as she continued to look at me with a straight face, "I don't want to say I picked favorites, but in that time you lived with me, in the time I had known you I felt as though I maybe filled in a few empty spots you needed in your life."

"You did, I never saw you as just my teacher, you were the family I needed, but I messed up." Kurenai reached her hand across to grab mine, and give it a squeeze.

"You did mess up, but you've paid for those mistakes, and now I need to ask you the good question," Kurenai smiled at me happily, "When my child is born, will you take on the roll I did for you? Asuma is surely going to ask Shikamaru to too, but I would love it if you two split the job, be a big sister roll to whoever they may be."

I blinked a few times trying to process what she had just told me. Then finally it clicked into my head, that's why she wasn't going on anymore missions. She was pregnant, and Tsunade didn't want to take the risk of losing two lives. As it all settled in my head I shot up from my seat and wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"I would be honored." I whispered as I held onto her, and let a few more tears escape my eyes. She held onto me just as tight, laughing a bit at my reaction.

———-

After spending a few hours at Kurenai's home, I decided that there was one other person I needed to spend time with. So I made my way to the one place I knew I would find her, the training grounds. Ten Ten was still flawless as ever using her weapons, never missing her target. I watched her silently for a few moments, just smiling at the second girl I ever called my best friend.

"If you're going to stalk me, you could at least be the stalker that buys me things!" Tenten yelled, not even glancing back at me. I stared at the back of her head for a second, until she finally turned around with a big smile plastered across her face.

"Sorry, it's still so cool to watch you do all of that." I laughed awkwardly, as I made my way towards her. We both sat down on the ground, underneath the shade of a tree.

"I hear Kakashi has taken you under his wing, and that you're actually really good at ninjutsu?" Tenten laid down on the ground, slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't know the true extent of my own skills." I shrugged, as I looked around at the place Sasuke had first approached me after becoming Genin.

"Do you still think about him?" Tenten said softly, and I glanced down to see her studying my face. Leave it to her to know what's going on with my head.

"I know I shouldn't, and that I should be happy with Kiba, but there's still a part of me that wishes I would have done more to keep him from becoming what he has." I sighed, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"He choose his own path Akari, there was nothing you could do, but now you have to choose too you know?" Tenten closed her eyes before continuing to speak, "You could let him go and be happy with Kiba, or you could continue to fight to pull him back."

"I thought I could be that light at the end of a very dark tunnel for him, but it seems as if he's turned away from it, turned away from me on his path of vengeance." My words felt bitter leaving my mouth, trying to fully accept the truth myself.

"Maybe you're right, but have you given up on him?" Tenten looked back up at me again, the look in her eyes a bit more serious.

I hadn't really had time to think about Sasuke lately. Other than when I had told Naruto that I didn't want to be apart of his crusade to bring him back to the Leaf. Most of my time was put into training, or missions. Any extra moments I had I spent with Kiba. Those extra moments meant the world to me, but yet I couldn't stop finding myself looking back on my good memories of Sasuke. Even if I couldn't romantically have him in my life, maybe part of me still just wanted him there. Kiba and I still had a lot of figuring out to do as to who we could be as a couple. He understood I needed time, but was I really taking the time I needed making out with him any chance I got? My heart wasn't completely healed yet, I still had a long way to go.

"I'll answer that question at a later day, for now, I don't have a good answer."