Saruto | The Bloodline Prophecy (Part 1)

Chapter 19: Foggy Waters

"Shikadami!"

I felt the water seep into my pants as my shoes shuffled on the ground. Shit. Where was she? Activating my Byakugan, I was met with an overwhelming pain. My eyes were overused but I pushed through it. Winicing, I focused my vision on the point where she entered the water. Nothing. It was like she was entirely gone.

No... Could she have drowned?

Suddenly, the water began to ripple a couple of meters to my left. Directing my vision towards that directing I saw as a figure pushed itself to the surface. It was Shikadami, her hair soaked and out of its ponytail. As she grasped for air and coughed out some water, I swam over to where she was and helped her to the shoreline. She continued to cough as she revealed Karasuki hidden in her arms. She found him! But for some reason I didn't care as much as I should have. All I could think about was the fact that she was safe.

"Are you okay?" I said with immense concern.

Pulling her hand to her lips, she coughed a few more times to let the rest of the water out of lungs and then looked at me to smile.

"Yes, I am okay," she collectively confirmed.

Smiling back, I walked with her back over to where Inojou was on the ground. He was passed out but by the looks of his chest going up and down. He was breathing. Locking my eyes on him, I thought about the attack that the Otsusuki Clan inflicted on us at the Moving Mountains.

We could have prevented it. After all Choban did say that there were signs of a second-party. But I was too wrapped in the mission to put much thought to it. And now Inojou was incapacitated and I have no idea how Kakashi, Haru, Tsuki, and Choban were. For all I know they could be dead.

"You're bleeding!" Shikadami exclaimed as she put her hand to my cheek, pulling my gaze to hers.

My eyes. They were overused and exhausted. This damn prophecy is making my inherited talents useless. I felt like my power was not the same as it was.

"It's fine," I reassured as I did not feel like explaining the entire reason to her.

She seemed to understand my sensitive outlook on the issue and did not speak of any more concern. I felt as her cold hands rubbed my cheek and then pulled away. And with this she also wore a frown. Shikadami tried her best to hide but I could tell that she was upset. As she hid her face from my own, I observed her apparent defeated posture as she stared at the ground.

"Hey," I spoke out as I grabbed her hands to pull her back to my gaze, "I promise, I'm okay."

She nodded as she shyly avoided my gaze, realising my hands from her own, I reached for her chin and pushed it up to look up at my own. She blushed as she tried her best to not look directly into my eyes. She was by no doubt nervous.

"I-I," she struggled as she looked everywhere but me, "just don't want anything to happen to you."

My heart dropped as I fully came to realize how much she really cares about me. I have always thought that when you develop feelings for someone, you can't expect it to be equally returned. But maybe, just maybe, it was the same. She had really felt the same way towards me that I felt towards her.

We had spent these past 5 years together on the Anbu and you would think that we would be used to our lives being in danger, and before personally I didn't think about much of her ability in survival. But now it was different. Ever since that first kiss in the moonlight, the way I see her is different. And that might be the same for her too. I just wish I could show her that I felt this way back. Prove to her this.

Grabbing her hair, she combed her fingers through. I had never seen her with hair down. It was long and beautiful. I liked it, but she seemed to be uncomfortable by it.

Immediately I grabbed her chin and pulled it up to my lips as I embraced her own. I didn't know what I was doing. It was as if I was acting on instinct. She didn't fight my embrace but instead through her arms around my neck. I could tell that she was on her tip-toes and she seemed unbalanced Realising my hand from her chin and I wrapped my arms around her waist. The kiss seemed less innocent than before as I pulled her closer. Her lips pressed hard against mine. I didn't want it to happen.

Suddenly, there was a loud groan coming from behind her. As our lips separated, I embraced and didn't waver. Shikadami turned back towards Inojou on the ground with her arms still wrapped around my neck and my arms wrapped around her waist.

We were met with Inojou sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Inojou!" I exclaimed as I left Shikadami embraced, however, we remained to hold hands as we approached him.

He seemed to be confused as to where he was as his line of vision observed our surroundings.

"Where the fuck are we?"

Shikadami and I immediately exchanged looks and then looked back to Inojou.

"More like," I spoke out as I waited for him to look over to me, "When are we?"