Kiri watched the moving hand of the pocket watch. It was somehow mystifying, putting him in a brief trance. But his eyes were far removed from the present. He viewed the world both in the present and in his soulscape. This forest had long been his sanctuary, and this secret lake that opened to the skies and the hidden parts of the ancient forest of Kumogakure’s depths used to be his sole secret. And yet, as he looked down, he watches the sleeping form of the woman he had brought there. He quickly hides the pocket watch in one of his pants-pocket. The solitary moon up above was silent despite knowing that it would soon fade into the bright lights of day. For now, at least, in the remaining darkness and mist, it gifted an enchanted glow to this mystic lake.Her hair glowed against the remaining moonlight, casting an eerie ghostly effect, almost too precious for him to even touch. And yet, was not too long ago that he shared a kiss with her? His eyes sharpened at the thought of the recent memory and he looked away, drawing his knees close to him as he tried to reflect on what he had done. Almost like a child, pouting, angry, stubborn. He looked on at the lake where once some of the forest creatures would bathe in, but never whenever he was there. Perhaps they knew of his presence all too well. Or perhaps because his presence often shrouded this place with his overwhelming chakra, seemingly transforming it into the lake inside his soulscape. Ah, but that was the reason for it. He could transcend through time and space in his soulscape, and this lake he cursed with the power he received from Hogosha allowed him brief moments of melding the two realms. Thus, it is at once both the real and his soulscape’s imagery.
He began to think why he brought her there. Perhaps he was hoping that he would be able to catch a glimpse of her inner soul right where his power was stronger. And yet, when they had arrived, they both remained silent. The woman– Minako– may have attempted to speak, but Kiri only replied was what needed, nothing more. And then, it came to pass that they would both sit near the edge of the lake, and his chakra began to converge with the place. Soon enough, golden flashes would surrounded them before they would grow thin and warm, subdued to a soothing sight. Only the rustling leaves against the wind, and the flowing waters from the nearby short falls would echo in the silent forest as they remained silent.
It was some time by then when he noticed her chakra changing. So he reached at her and pulled her close, embracing her, letting her lean on him as he would slowly let her lie her head on his lap. She must have been exhausted. Or perhaps he was still not proficient in his chakra control that he still had that effect of overwhelming others. Needless to say, he stayed silent as he watched over her sleeping form, touching her face a few times, and it that one strange moment, he leaned in and gave her another kiss on the head. This time, it was long, almost as if he was yearning for something, before he parted. It when he then sat upright and began to watch the time on his watch, trying to distract himself, only to fail for the next hour or two.
And as time passed, with the remaining glimpse of the moon diminishing over the canopies of leaves of trees, and the rays of dawn opposite it, Kiri could feel his own chakra calming down. And so, it would seem as though he would lie next to her, face close to other as he continued to look at her, thinking that by doing so he would know the answer to his questions. "Just who are you to me?" he whispered with a hand on her face. He hoped it would, right before he completely fell asleep. But it didn’t. Instead, the last of the convergence of his chakra with the lake would disperse, the dimly glowing lights would break into the light of day and Kiri would fall deep into sleep next to the woman that seemed to have suddenly lingered in his soul.
For now, he took the moment to prepare the meat and rearranged the stones around the firepit so he could place the meat on top, like a makeshift grill. Stone-slab cooking wasn’t that rare, after all, especially when one lived in the wilderness such as he. He knew how to survive without having to resort to eating raw meat. But as they would wait, Kiri couldn’t help but feel as though the lingering comment about names remained in the air. It was a tension that simply begged to be noticed.
Looking at her as she came close, Kiri couldn't take it anymore. She was so innocent, so naive, that he wanted nothing but to protect her. To have her close. And that he did. As she was within reach, he would take her by the arm, pulling her close to him, as he leaned backwards until he was lying on his back and she was on top of him. He would caress her face before his hand would brush hair back and settle behind her head in a protective hold.