Naruto

When I was little, my mother used to tell me stories about the lake Kawaakari. The word around Konoha was that it was one of the most beautiful lakes in the entire Fire nation. Whether the fact held true to the outside world, I really had no clue. I had spent my entire life in Konoha city - grew up there, had my schooling there and worked there. I got married there, had my kid there and got divorced in the same city. My entire world had been confined in the same small place I knew as home. I had no qualms about it. If anything, I really liked the place.

But I had always wanted to see the Kawaakari lake. It was a long distance away from konoha, over thousand kilometers actually but that had never stopped me from dreaming. I wanted to see that lake, if only to recreate the moments I had spent with my daughter planning a trip to Komorebi valley - the home to the lake.

There were myths about the lake saying that angels descended down from heaven to bathe in that lake, when the moon was full. There was an entire story behind the legend, about a Sunian Prince dreaming of a beautiful angel bathing in the lake. It was said that he fell in love with his dream and with that angel that he spent six years of his life, roaming the lands as a dervish looking for that lake. He did succeed in finding it and finding the angel and stole her wings so that she stayed with him but the angel's guardian was not happy with the turn of events and unleashed his wrath on him. The Prince, however,  managed to escape him and ran away with the angel back to Suna where they got married and lived happily ever after. The guardian was heart broken and returned to the heavens, crying throughout his journey. His tears when hit the ground formed a lake; Namida lake - the lake of tears - 8 km to the north of Kawaakari lake. I remember telling Sakura and Hikari about it. My little girl was so much like me. She always got excited about going there. At one point, she even started saving money in her little money box that I got for her birthday. The memory still made me smile.

It was actually Shikamaru who suggested that I took the trip. He was a true friend, been worried ever since Hikari passed. It was a long journey there and considering my phobia of flying, it was an impossible task but he had talked me into going, said that I took the train then hitchhiked my way up to the mountains... well kinda because I would never be able to not pay for my rides. That'd be totally wrong, for me at least. I didn't want to impose on anyone.

Maybe I was foolish for giving into Shikamaru's suggestion. I didn't want to be here. Travelling meant too much free time on my hands to reminisce about my life. I didn't have a happy life, not really, considering I was orphaned when I was only ten. My godfather, who took me in after my parent's death passed, too, when I was sixteen. Lost my best friend at seventeen. Became a father and got married at eighteen only to lose it all too at twenty-two. At only twenty-three, I was a living embodiment of a sad story. I was pathetic in every way one could be.

It was deep into the night when the bus finally stopped. There was an inn at walking distance where I'd be staying for the night. In the morning, I'd set out for the nearest train station that was a good few kilometers away from Konoha city. It was a big city, that Konoha, and I lived in a small town little away from it but it still took half a day to get to the other end of the city where that station was located.

I checked into the inn and booked a room for the night. It was a shabby old place, smelled of a swamp with seeping roofs and leaking pipes but I was glad it was the way it was. I wouldn't have been able to afford a fancy place. I was short on money.

Skipping dinner, I went straight to bed but sleep was lost to me. Lately, it was playing hide and seek with me which I was losing for sure. An entire hour passed in wait and I was still out of luck. So I pushed myself off the bed and walked to the window. The night air was warm and the moon was pouring all its light down onto the earth. It was beautifully. It was heart breaking.

Another night that I'd have to live without her, another night that'd be spent thinking of her. I was torn between wishing that I forgot and that I didn't. Either way it'd hurt. It won't stop hurting for a long long time.

As I looked out at the slumbering world, my eyes caught the indigo glaze of someone's dark locks sitting on a bench outside. I squinted my eyes to get a better look at the person but their back faced me so I couldn't exactly tell. The lavender hoodie, however, did catch my attention and I was immediately reminded of Hinata. It was her, I could never mistake her hair. She always had beautiful hair.

She was hunched over, as if crying and I was a bit concerned for her well being. Was she okay? What was she doing here all by herself? What if she was hurt? I was just about to take off and get to her but she jumped to her feet, rubbed her face and walked in. I sighed, mentally chastising myself for caring.

Why was it so hard to act indifferent with her?

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Is anybody out there?

tayyabalaraib