Best friends, always. (Naka and Yuudai)

Toshi sighed. She was on The Hill, the one she had spent many days and hours watching dragon-shaped clouds float away with her best friend, Yuudai. It had been six months since she had been to Konoha. And over the absence, she cleared her thoughts.

She loved Yuudai. And she couldn't deny it, she loved him sincerely, and trusted him with all her heart. But she wanted him to be happy, but she couldn't give him what he needed. So she just pretended everything was like before she kissed him, when they were merely best friends. She supported his and Ember's relationship, though it stabbed her heart everytime she thought about it. But nothing was too good for Yuu-chan.

Yuudai was walking up tbe hill with a blank expression on his face. He didn't think his life had meaning anymore, he also had a bandage over his left eye. He got to the top and saw Toshi, 'Oh no' he thought, 'This'll only make me hurt more, but she still cares for me and I'm greatfull' he got to the top of the hill with a half real smile half fake smile. Then be lay down on the grass next to Toshi.

Toshi looked to the side dazily...and saw just the person she was thinking about. "Yuudai!" She grinned happily and immediately bear-hugged him. "I missed you! I haven't seen you in six months!"

"Yea" he said hugging her back, "I missed you too, Toshi" he didn't know what to do if she asked what he did while she was gone because he was only visiting Kohona. He had left a few weeks ago and he wondered if anyone noticed he was gone, anyway he was only here for a while and then he would head out again and visit once in a while.

Toshi sighed happily, peaceful in his arms. "So, how've you been? I hope you've been treating your girlfriend right, or I'd have to whoop your butt," she said, grinning as she pulled back. "But seriously, please play nice with Ember. She's my best friend."

'Crap! She asked!' he thought, "Toshi, I know this is going to sound bad, but the truth is that I left kohona a few weeks ago and I've ce back to visit for a few days and nobody has noticed I was gone."

"WHAT?! Aiden didn't tell me! He is so dead when I get back home!" she huffed, then turned her full attention to Yuudai. If he wanted to do something, she'd support him. "Did you pack enough socks? Food? Do you need more Ryo? Where did you go? Do you want me to teach you some Taijutsu for defence? Have you been attacked? Hurt? Hunted down by ANBU?"

"Toshi, I'm fine and its not that I won't tell you where I am its that I'm not staying in a certin place for more than a month"

"I don't care where you go, so long as you're safe! What did Ember say about this?"

"I don't know. I suspect Aiden told her and she went searching, but I don't really know what her reaction was to me leaving"

"Ah, you should have told her before you went off!" Toshi sighed and shook her head. "She must be worried sick!"

"Don't tell her!" he said in a calm voice "All I've done to you both is hurt you guys and every time I'm with Ember I'll think of you and all the horrible things I did to you. And I would never be able to forgive myself either."

"Eh, don't worry about it, I'll heal! Just because I lost your love, doesn't mean I have to lose your friendship, does it?" Her eyes turned a warm brown and she smiled, Naka-style. "I just want you guys happy...so please, don't waste all the pain I've went through for you."

"You may heal, Toshi, but I won't. I'll never forget the pain I caused you. But I should he a little happy, you have a much better boyfriend now: that kid from Kiri. Ya don't need me anymore, Toshi. Not my love and you don't need my friendship. You have everything you could want with that kid. All I did was cause you pain, you don't want me as a friend"

"How do you know what goes on in my head?" It was the line Yuudai first used that triggered Toshi's suspicions that there was more to their friendship than meets the eye. "He's nice, and he loves me, but he's my boyfriend and fianceé, but to me, you have a place as a best friend in my heart, and nothing will change that, Yuudai. You only look at the sadness I made for you. What about the happy times? We played hide-and-seek, we trained, we had dares and we played like there were no cares in the world. Remember those times?"

"Yes I do, Toshi. But those times have passed, you can't change the past, only the future. It looks like you have your future set: You're going to mary the kid from Kiri, and live a happy life after that with children of your own, and thats good, but have you ever thought about what would happen when you begin aging and you become retired. What will you do then? I have a blank page, I'm still choosing what my future will be. You, Toshi? You're a lucky one. Unlike me"

Toshi sighed and pat Yuudai's head. "Remember what we used to have for goals? I wanted a master, and you wanted to be K.I.A or Hokage. But hey, I found more than just a master. And you, if you try hard, will find more than being just a Kage or K.I.A nin. Yuudai, please, for my sake...make your life memorable. Don't let your life fade away into history as 'just some other missing nin'..."

"I do have a goal, Toshi. A goal that will make me known, but I will notbe known for the good I have done, but I will be known as the ninja who destroyed Iwagakure. And that is my goal"

"You're going to destroy a main village? Oh, Yuudai..." Toshi sighed again. "You are unbelievably strong, but you can't take down a whole village, you'd need, I dunno, Mangekyou. Are you doing it for revenge?"

"What else? My life has no meaning at all anymore. The only few words to describe it are: hate, dispare, revenge, lonelyness, and exile."

"You remind me of when we first met years ago," she said, looking up at him. "You said that your parents had died and it left a hole in your heart. You were so depressed. Then I tried cheering you up. And we became best friends."

Yuudai looked down, "And that hole still is and always will be there. As I told you when we first met: that hole will always be there even with friends there will always be a gap for my parents filling up with hatred for Iwagakure."

"And I told you already, that hole doesn't need to be filled. You just need to have something so you can withstand the pain... Yuu-chan, how long are you staying in Konoha?"

"A few more days in the forest of death, then I'm gonna head to Kusa, then Kiri just to site-see."

"...can...then can you spend those few days with me? I don't know if I'll ever see you again..."