Limbo

[Lunanana]

”Tsuki-sama, I-”
”Please, leave…” She pleaded, her eyes closed. The small shrine in front of her was meant to anchor her, providing at least a piece of stability. Nothing. Not even a breath, heart clutched, drenched in impossible agony. ”It’s an order, Ko-san…” The old man left, footsteps receding on soft grass. Her trembling hands clasped tight around a string of prayer beads that no longer brought comfort. Tears spilled from her eyes like silver rain, trailing down her cheeks and onto the stone beneath her, where generations had whispered their hopes and grief. The air was thick with the scent of incense and moss, but all she could feel was the weight of the words still echoing in her ears – the sentence of a future she did not choose.

A low, raw sob escaped her lips, only for her hand to fly on her mouth, shushing herself, keeping silent, like she learned to do, like how it was always expected from her to behave. None. Not one of them wanted to see her, to hear her out. No one cared because it was not in the clan’s best interest. She could’ve screamed in the impossibly clean, traditional, void of all emotion room and none of the would turn their heads. Not one… None…

Alone. She felt so alone. Her fingers, pale and shaking, clutched the prayer beads tighter. In the stillness, memory came like a cruel spirit – his hands brushing hers under the lush Konoha trees, his voice low and warm with whispered dreams, the way his eyes found hers in crowded rooms and made the world disappear. The man she loved, who looked at her like she was the first breath of spring after a long, merciless winter. “Please…” she whispered. “I already belong to someone. My heart… my heart is not mine to give.” The wind stirred the trees, gentle as a ghost, and the shrine stood silent – unmoved, unyielding.

Her breath hitched as grief gave way to fury – quiet, aching, desperate. With a trembling arm, she raised her fist and brought it down upon the stone. Not a violent strike, but a soft, resolute thud, enough to echo her heartbreak, to anchor her to this moment. He’ll find me. He said if I disappear he will wait for so long… A sudden realization dawned on her. With hurried steps, she stood up, her pink kimono billowed behind her like petals torn from a cherry tree, trailing her as she broke into a run to the Hyuuga gates.

”Hyuuga-sama!”
In a rush, her world became clear – veins illuminated, as her Byakuugan became her new vision. Sharpened into precision was not fury, nor hatred, but sorrow. She moved. In two measured, fluid strikes, one for each guard, she touched the chakra points just beneath their ribs. Not to harm, only to silence. Their eyes widened, then softened, and they crumpled to the ground. She sprinted across the moon-silvered fields, her sandals barely kissing the earth, her hair unraveling in the wind. Every beat of her heart echoed his name. The Nara forest loomed ahead, dark and deep.

She practically slammed into the house door, each bang like a desperate plea. ”Yoshinori!... Yoshinori!!!”

[Niro]

The last few days since returning from his latest mission had been a blur of exhaustion and reflection. Deep beneath the earth in one of Fire Country’s long-forgotten mines, Yoshinori and Akito had uncovered more than they’d bargained for. The mission had begun with careful research and probing into the tunnels, but what waited for them below wasn’t just darkness. It was danger. Thanks to Akito’s Byakugan, they narrowly avoided becoming lost in the winding subterranean maze. Without him, Yoshinori was certain they would’ve been trapped down there for far longer than a day, maybe even forever. Fighting their way out, battered but breathing, had been a sobering reminder of how quickly things could shift. He was glad he had encountered the professor at the University before going down into the darkest parts of the earth, it had been a move to save his life.

He took the next day slowly, allowing himself to recover in the quiet of home. A light sparring session with a clone and a bit of jutsu theory filled the afternoon, but as the sky began to turn amber with evening, Yoshinori found his thoughts wandering. He hadn’t seen Tsuki since before the mines and the silence between them now pressed heavier with each hour. He missed her. Missed her voice, her presence, even the smallest of glances. He debated reaching out. Maybe he’d ask Akito, a branch member as far as he could tell, to slip her a letter. Something simple. A gentle nudge that he was still here. Still thinking of her.

The idea circled his mind as he bathed and slipped into soft black sweatpants and a worn tee, curling onto the couch with a warm blanket and one of his father’s old scrolls, a half-finished collection of Sankaton and Fuuinjutsu that he’d found while cleaning his office. It felt like a gift from beyond the veil, a whisper from his father’s hand guiding his. Shinya, his cat, lay curled contentedly on his stomach, purring with a soft rhythm that lulled him further into quiet thought until the sound of hurried footsteps on the stairs shattered the calm.

A sharp knock. A voice. Her voice. He shot upright, the scroll tumbling from his lap as he crossed the living room in a blur, through the kitchen and to the door. He barely registered his own movement, only the sound of Tsuki calling his name panicked and broken. He flung the door open and there she was. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood trembling, and without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms. She collapsed into him, sobbing, and he held her tightly, hands quickly moving to check her over, desperate to make sure she wasn’t hurt.

His fingers gently cradled her face, thumbs brushing away the tears that just kept coming. “Love,” he murmured, voice low and urgent, “what’s wrong? What happened?” He glanced past her, instinctively scanning the darkened street, before easing the door shut behind them and guiding her softly to the couch. Whatever this was, whatever had shattered her, he would be here. He was hers, no matter the obstacle.

[Lunanana]

She was a storm wrapped in pink silk. For a moment, neither spoke. Time stilled. The forest quieted, as if all of creation paused to witness the moment. A soft gasp escaped her lips as the weight of the night, the running, the fear, the love, all of it crashed over her. She fell forward, not in weakness, but in surrender, into his arms. She collapsed against his chest, burying her face into the warmth of him, her tears flowing freely now.

The moment her feet touched the floor again, she broke away, breath still ragged, her eyes heavy with the weight of everything she hadn’t yet said. ”I thought they… I thought they stopped… I-... I thought…” She paced the house like crazy for a moment, not spitting it out – she couldn’t… Just looking at him clenched her heart to the point of the impossible.

As she approacher him again, her eyes were glassy, frantic, and shimmering with tears that refused to fall. ”Im sorry… I’m sorry. I-... They promised me to another. A Hyuuga Bannin.” Her breath hitched as she said it, looking into his eyes like they were the last truth she had left. The words hung there, heavy and sharp. Her thumbs brushed across his cheeks as though trying to wipe away the shame that clung to her skin. She slipped her hands, letting them hang limp at her sides. She stepped back, barely breathing, her eyes clouded. If she couldn’t have him… If he couldn’t have her, then no one could. Ever. Dark thoughts were running through Tsuki’s mind now, the darkest she ever had. They were like a shadow, a monster, standing behind her, clawing at her shoulders, threatening to consume her whole.

[Niro]

Yoshinori held her tightly for a moment, as if his arms alone could shield her from whatever had driven her here, trembling and broken. But when Tsuki began to move again, he let her go, trailing quietly behind as she paced the hall like a ghost, giving her space to breathe, to think and to exist without pressure. She pivoted suddenly and stopped just shy of him. He froze, reading the pain in her eyes even before her words came.

At first, her earlier statement made no sense. But then clarity struck and with it came a deep, sinking ache. The Hyuuga had promised her to someone else. His stomach turned. Anger, confusion, sorrow. All of it twisted across his face in a heartbeat. She wasn’t just his love. She was his future. And now that future was being quietly taken from them by ancient expectations and suffocating tradition.

Her fingers brushed his cheek. Warm. Trembling. And then, just as quickly, she withdrew as if even touching him now was forbidden. That broke something in him. More than the words. More than the news. Yoshinori’s chest tightened, but he pushed past it. He took her hands in his, gently, as though asking permission with his touch. Whether she flinched or not, he held on, grounding them both.

“There hasn’t been a Hyuuga Bannin since Aina,” he said softly, searching her face. “Who is it, Tsuki? Who did they promise you to?” His voice tried to stay steady, but the cracks were there unmistakable in the way his breath hitched and his eyes shone with restrained turmoil. A dozen questions clawed at the back of his mind. Who was the man? How had this happened so quietly? Could he stop it?

Dark thoughts tried to rise, but he forced them down. Now wasn’t the time for plans or schemes. It was the time to hold her. To make sure she didn’t feel alone in this. He pulled her into his arms again, gently but with fierce intent, one hand cradling the back of her head like she might shatter. “And when?” he asked, voice barely more than a whisper against her hair. “How much time do we have?”

Because no matter what the answer was he wasn’t letting go without a fight.

[Lunanana]

He didn’t speak right away. He didn’t rush in with promises or pretty words. He just stepped forward, slowly, like approaching a wounded bird trembling in the grass. And then, gently, he reached out – his hand finding hers, fingers brushing against her knuckles with the softest insistence. She flinched at first, caught between despair and disbelief. But his touch was warm, steady, real. And she let it in.

Her eyes rose to his, searching. Wanting him to tell she was having a nightmare, almost pleading. Those words never came and she whispered, barely heard, the name slipping off her tongue like venom. ”Hyuuga… Akito…” She didn’t hate him, he was a victim of circumstances just as she was. He didn’t want this union. Neither did she. ”He’s loyal to another. So am I…” With my heart, my body and my soul. They didn’t have much time. It was a celebration back at the Hyuuga compound, someone will sniff it out that she was missing. She knew it. She couldn’t compromise their… His… Location. It hurt.

”I’m not sure… They just announced it…” She said, tears swelling again and falling down her cheeks one by one. She didn’t say anything after that – not for a long while. She just held on, like the world had ended and he was the last piece left. She wanted to stay, to run, to burn the compound to the ground, to scream, to cry… To feel something, anything, just not the sorrow. Anything else.

Her hand gently slid out of his, her expression painful, it hurt more than any injury. ”They’ll find you if I stay… I…” Have to go… The sentence was a wound in her throat, each syllable laced with guilt and dread. Tears welled again, hot and bitter.

[Niro]

Yoshinori stilled at the name. Akito. The same man he’d just fought beside, uncovering secrets deep in the earth. The realization struck like a blow, a twist of fate too strange to ignore. His fingers tightened involuntarily at her waist, not from jealousy, but from the weight of what it meant. This wasn’t Akito’s doing. It was the elders. Another decision made without their voices, without their consent. A thread of tension eased in his chest. Promised to another. If Akito was anything like he had seemed, maybe… maybe he wasn’t the enemy in this.

He reached up once more, catching the tears trailing down Tsuki’s cheeks, brushing them away with tender strokes. Then, gently, he wrapped her in his arms again. A quiet strength in his embrace. Protective. Grounding. His eyes stared past her to the far wall, his expression unreadable, but inside, his mind raced. Should he tell her what they’d found? The mines? Would this be the last night he held her before duty and tradition tore them apart?

The announcement had only just come, casually slipped into a celebration, a political gesture dressed as joy. Nothing had been finalized yet. Not truly. That detail alone lit a spark of hope. His jaw tensed as he pressed his tongue to his teeth, the effort of holding in his frustration written subtly across his face. He wouldn’t show her anger now. Not when she needed reassurance, not rage. When she began to pull back, his arms instinctively held tighter, and his voice was calm but unyielding.

“No.” He shook his head and gently guided her back against his chest, as if anchoring her to him. “When the world’s this dark… no one can best the Nara. No one will find you here unless we want them to. You’re safe. We’re safe. For as long as you need.” His tone carried quiet defiance, not a declaration of war, but a vow. He would not let her go easily. Not without being heard. Not without trying. “And besides…” He hesitated, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear with surprising gentleness. “I need to show you something.”

He led her to the kitchen table with steady hands and pulled open a drawer. From it, he retrieved a small stack of worn journals from their mission involving the baku and the children, their bindings frayed with use. With a soft thud, he placed them on the table between them. “Akito was with me on my last mission,” Yoshinori began, his voice lower now, more serious. “And we found something.”

[Lunanana]

Her breath hitched as her hands slowly curled into the fabric of his shirt. She tried once more to step away but his hold didn’t loosen. His arms stayed around her and something in her gave out. Tsuki melted into his embrace again, closing her eyes and hiding from everything that was beyond them. She listened to what he had to say and her initial shock started to wear down.

They had time – that thought washed like a wave and she held him a little closer, still not in her right mind but focus and determination were finally knocking on the door. There was another matter she wanted to share and yet decided against it. It was too much to process that right now and she didn’t know for sure. What she did know is that he had something in mind.

She pulled back a little, looking up at him with a short spark of curiosity in her eyes. Her face changed from sadness to worry to focus almost in an instant. She followed him to the kitchen, her hands wrapped around her but now she was interested. It seemed that Yoshinori unraveled something. She blinked, eyebrows knitting as she stared at the journals, recalling them from before where they both sat in this very kitchen, examining them. ”These journals…” She finally spoke, her gaze traveling between each of them on the table. She knew where they were from and her mind started connecting the dots about doujutsu. Tsuki blinked, looking up at him from across the table with a questioning look.

[Niro]

Yoshinori pulled the chair beside Tsuki rather than across from her, settling in close. One hand reached for hers, gently curling his fingers around hers for reassurance, while the other began to work at the knot holding the stack of journals together. "I started decoding them after we got back the first time," he said softly, his voice low and steady, eyes flicking to her before returning to the task. "At first, it was just nonsense. Pages of cryptic ramblings. But then… I cracked a second layer of the cipher. And that’s when it all started coming together."

The journals slipped free and scattered across the tabletop. He opened the first one with deliberate care, revealing the margins filled with his neat, compact handwriting; annotations connecting fragmented thoughts, translating whispers of history into something tangible. "I spent a lot of nights on these," he admitted, thumb brushing lightly over hers. "Late hours after training. Sometimes I’d forget to eat. Shinya would get upset when I skipped cuddle time."

A quiet breath of a laugh escaped him before his expression returned more serious, eyes locked on the open pages. "The story’s about two Hyuuga. Retsuya and Akiko. Main branch cousins… promised to others in arranged marriages. But they loved each other. Not just in the romantic way, though that too, they wanted to change everything. To break the seals. The bloodlines. The rules."

He glanced at her, watching her carefully, his knee bouncing now with the weight of everything unsaid. "They escaped one night, together. Retsuya was a chakra genius. Akiko… she was an archivist. She stole three forbidden scrolls from the clan’s archives, they held the process to evolve the Byakugan. Not just enhance it. Transform it. The Tenseigan."

He let the word linger, as if unsure whether it held too much hope or too much danger. "They weren’t alone. A few branch members followed, people who wanted freedom and not just love. And then... they vanished. No trail. No return. Just... gone." Yoshinori looked down for a long moment, his thumb unconsciously tracing circles against the back of her hand. Then, quietly and gently, he said, "We found them."

[Lunanana]

She held his hand with ease, like she always did, like they both belonged together. Anticipation grew in the pit of her stomach, gaze following his hand, listening. While she was curious, there was something else brewing in the back of her head. He put a lot of thought into this and a lot of care. She, on the other hand, almost forgot about it, sucked into the matters of the clan. Guilt. Even now?...

Tsuki leaned in just a little, trying to skim through his notes, at the same time attentively listening, unconsciously getting closer to him. Break the seal? Wait. Now she started looking at the notes again, really trying to understand, her heart beating a little faster. She looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed, listening. ”Tan…Seigan?” She tilted her head to the side slightly in question.

Tsuki exhaled, still processing the story of the Tanseigan before he revealed they found them. She gasped and turned to him, searching his eyes, pleading to continue. ”W-What… But…?” Somehow this revelation weighed on her shoulders, she didn’t know what to expect. It didn’t escape her that he seemed a little nervous. Tsuki slowly slid on his lap, hands wrapped around his waist and head resting on his shoulder, patiently waiting for him to continue.

[Niro]

"Akito and I took a small expedition to a few remote sites," Yoshinori began, his voice quiet and tinged with guilt that seemed to settle over him like a shadow. He didn’t meet her eyes at first, his fingers idly toying with the edge of a page as he collected his thoughts. "I was the one who brought the mission to the University. The reason we didn’t go home that night. If I’d just waited..." He shook his head, pushing past the weight of regret. "The first few places were empty, just ruins and dust. But the last one… something found us in the dark."

A beat passed. He licked his lips, the memory clearly haunting him. "It picked us off one by one. We couldn’t see it at first. Just... the screams. And then silence. Until it was only Akito and me left." He paused, staring down at the journals like they might protect him from the images clawing at his mind. When he spoke again, his voice had grown colder and measured. "They’d been down there too long. Inbreeding. Isolation. It changed them." He swallowed hard. "Translucent skin. Silver hair. Eyes like ours, but wrong. Distorted. Their Byakugan… mutated."

Tsuki didn’t interrupt, didn’t even breathe too loud. She listened. "They moved like spiders across the walls and ceilings. No sound. No warning. But they’d lost their Gentle Fist. They couldn’t use it anymore, didn’t know how. They'd been forgotten for too long. And still… it was barely enough for Akito and me to survive." His jaw tightened. "The others didn’t make it." He didn’t say more. He didn’t have to.

Yoshinori flipped to a page in the third journal, fingers trembling slightly as he revealed a rough sketch of an eye. It looked like a Byakugan, but colored a strange, luminous blue. He had brushed it off before. He couldn’t now. "I think the lab we found was trying to recreate the Tenseigan." He exhaled slowly, steadying his breath. "The journals describe it as an evolution of the Byakugan. Born from divine ancestry, perfect chakra alignment… and something else. A serum. One created through a convergence of bloodlines."

Yoshinori’s gaze was distant as he continued. "But the people in that lab… they were afraid. Afraid to chase the myth to its end. And now I understand why." His voice fell to a murmur, almost to himself. "We only saw a fragment of what’s down there. That wasn’t the whole clan, it couldn’t have been. There has to be more, deeper in." Silence fell, heavy with what wasn’t being said. Then, finally, his eyes lifted to meet hers. "We need time. As much as we can get. And if the Tenseigan is real, if it exists..." his fingers closed over hers again, warm and steady, "Then maybe we can use it to free you from all of this."

[Lunanana]

Tsuki stilled, listening again. She couldn’t believe it, it sounded horrifying, all those years… Thoughts and images in her mind were going so fast they eventually blurred. She exhaled, heavily, pulling back again and leaning on the table to look at the journals. She didn’t speak at first – shock and then curiosity overcame her. Slender fingers flipping through the notes, pale eyes committing the images to memory. This… Could work.

”I can stall them.” Tsuki eventually spoke, looking up at him and finding his hand again, her fingers gently sliding where they belonged. ”I can give you and Akito enough time to figure this out…” It was not a hard task. She’ll just have to whine about the date, order oversea silk… Anything. It was against her principles but time is what they needed. She knew Akito’s heart was in the right place too – especially after finding this.

Her expression changed again, tone barely above whisper. ”But… It sounds very dangerous too. Are you… Sure?” She gripped her kimono with her other hand. The last thing she wanted was for Yoshinori to get hurt or worse… Her teeth clenched. Eyes trailing back to the notes and then darting back at him.

[Niro]

Yoshinori kept his gaze locked on her, the usual steel of his blue eyes softened by something gentler, something only she ever seemed to draw out of him. Her question lingered in the air, tender and aching, stretching silence between them like a thread ready to snap. “I know,” he finally breathed, voice low, almost reverent. His hand left the worn journal and rose to her cheek, brushing away a lingering tear with the edge of his thumb. “But not even death would be enough to keep me from you.”

There was fire in his voice now. Quiet but unwavering, lit from deep within. The kind of fire born not from rage, but devotion. This, she, was why he’d returned to training. Why he’d stepped back onto the path of a shinobi after years of wandering off of the path calling his name desperately. All because a girl with moonlit eyes had offered him a bento under the trees, never knowing she'd set everything in motion. He almost smiled at the absurdity of it all. From a shared lunch to this. A bond deep enough that he’d willingly crawl into the earth’s darkest depths if it meant freeing her.

“If there’s even a chance this can break their hold on you,” he said, voice steady now, “I’ll take it. No matter how far down it goes. No matter what’s waiting.” He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles, slow and deliberate, an anchor in a moment neither of them wanted to leave. "And I won’t be going alone," he added, managing a half-smile. But it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Akito’s strong. Smart. I think... I hope he wants out just as much as we do."

But even as he said it, doubts curled at the edges of his mind. Power had a way of whispering promises, even to the best of men. Yoshinori was gambling that Akito’s heart would choose freedom over legacy. All they could do now was wait and see. A sharp knock echoed from the front door, cutting through the moment like a blade. Yoshinori stilled. His body tensed. Without a word, he rose from the table, catching Tsuki’s hand in his briefly, a silent plea for her to stay seated. He reached for a kunai resting near the entryway, a decorative charm hanging from the ring as he slipped it behind his back. Then, with careful steps, he opened the door.

A young Nara guard stood on the other side, shifting nervously. “Hyuuga twins,” the man murmured. “They’re at the gates. They’re requesting Lady Tsuki return... immediately.” Yoshinori’s jaw clenched, but he kept his voice even. “Stall them,” he said. “As long as you can.” The guard nodded once before vanishing into the trees. Yoshinori shut the door with more force than necessary, placing the kunai atop the footlocker as he returned to the kitchen. His expression had changed; shadows darkening his eyes, the weight of reality pressing in again. “They’re here,” he said quietly. “But Nara-san’s buying us time.” The pain in his voice, like the fear in his eyes, said the rest.

[Lunanana]

His words still echoed in the air, painted of the colors of sadness and hope. She leaned in and held him – tighter and tighter, yet still with gentleness they both carried toward each other. Her fingertips pressed into his back as though trying to anchor herself, and something began to change. His hand slid gently across her spine, breath steady against her hair. Not a word passed between them, but still… she felt it.

Strength. Not loud. Not defiant. Not the kind that shouts or shakes walls. But the kind that roots itself quietly inside the heart, promising that they both can endure this.

Her tears slowed. Her hands steadied. She straightened slightly, still in his arms, no longer falling but rising – bit by bit, breath by breath. She was still afraid. Still shaken. But she wasn’t alone. And in the space between his heartbeat and hers, she found the courage she needed. Her lips parted, only for the knock on the door to make her jump. She waited, patiently, perfectly still. Her Byakuugan found the Nara and her eyebrows furrowed.

Her Yoshinori came back with another serving of bad news and she frowned, slowly standing up. ”Then I’ll have to make this quick… Yoshinori. I…” Tsuki looked away, blush that was already on her cheeks was threatening to deepen. ”At first, I-I thought it was stress. S-Surely, right? Er…” Tsuki was beating around the bush, finding the right words. Her arms wrapped protectively around herself. ”The second time… I looked. Um… I-I wasn’t sure, well, um… It c-couldn’t possibly, r-right?” Tsuki was painfully aware that she was not making any sense, deducting that from his confused look.

She resorted to the language they knew better. The one where words were only a nice addition but touch and gaze spoke a thousand. Her hand gently wrapped around his, guiding it slowly towards her. She gently placed it on her tummy, her own resting above his. ”It’s faint… Barely there…” Her gaze slowly rose to his, her eyes betraying the weight and fear. ”...Two.”

[Niro]

The dark, stormy look that clouded Yoshinori’s face slowly melted into confusion then softened into concern as Tsuki’s words tumbled out in a string of half-sense and nerves. “Stress? Second time?” he echoed, brow furrowed, voice gentling. “Tsuki… what are you trying to tell me?” He searched her expression for meaning, his heart already racing. She had every reason to be overwhelmed, he knew that better than anyone, but her vagueness left him spinning. Second time? The phrase circled in his mind like a ghost he couldn’t catch.

And then she reached for his hand. Her fingers trembled slightly as they slid into his, and before he could ask again, she guided his palm to rest against her stomach. Everything stilled. Yoshinori blinked, stunned silence overtaking him. His gaze locked with hers. Her eyes shimmered, and in that look, so full of hope and quiet courage, everything made sense. Not one. Two. He dropped to one knee, not out of dramatics, but because his legs simply gave out. His breath hitched in his throat, shallow gasps breaking loose like coins scattered from a broken jar. “Two?” he whispered, disbelief and wonder blooming across his face. “You’re… we’re... pregnant?”

His voice cracked on the last word, and still he blinked like he needed to be sure this wasn’t a dream. The rush of emotion crashed into him: joy, awe, and fear all at once. Not the fear of the unknown but the sharp, unshakable fear of a man who had something precious to protect. Without another word, he rose again, cupping her cheeks between his hands, reverent and shaking. His lips met her skin in a flurry of kisses, her forehead, her cheeks, the tip of her nose, until he finally pressed one long, trembling kiss to her lips. “I love you,” he murmured, voice thick with emotion. His eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “Stay right here. Please.”

Then he was gone. Yoshinori nearly tripped over himself in his hurry, sprinting down the hallway to his room. He threw the door open, heart hammering, and tore through the closet with unfiltered desperation, clothes flying, papers scattering, until his hand closed around a small velvet box buried in the back. He returned moments later, chest rising and falling with deep, nervous breaths. The moonlight filtering through the paper-thin doors painted silver across the floor, casting an almost sacred glow in the quiet space between them.

His expression was steadier now, no less intense, but deeper somehow, like he had already made a vow before speaking a word. “I know the timing’s terrible,” he began softly, stepping in front of her. Then, without hesitation, he knelt once more and opened the box in his palm. A delicate ring sparkled inside. “But once we beat this damn clan…” His voice caught for a second, and he looked up at her, eyes brimming with love and conviction.

“Tsuki, will you marry me?”

[Lunanana]

Tsuki gasped, leaning down to place a hand on his shoulder as his face went through an array of emotion. She watched him, a little scared herself, yet not catching a single negative emotion there. Just as suddenly, he kissed her face and she couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed on her face, even now, even when such news was just echoing in the room. There was hope. Always. ”No, I love you… Us… Four?” Her voice broke at the last word and she barely whispered it out. Now she was getting stressed.

She didn’t even have the time to register how quickly he disappeared. Tsuki blinked owlishly, her hand instinctively resting on her stomach. With a softer gaze, she looked down at it, her blush now faint but there, as she moved her hand in soothing, circular motions. A manifestation of their love, securely nestled-

Her train of thought was lost, interrupted by the most beautiful sight – Yoshinori. He was collected and that scared her a little bit. The silence stretched between them – but it wasn’t empty. It was full. Full of everything unsaid, everything survived, everything promised by the weight of her tears, the warmth of his hands, the quiet certainty in the space they now shared. ”Yoshinori?” She prompted, waiting eagerly.

Tsuki gasped again, her eyes widening impossibly and then softening. ”YES!” Yes, yes, yes! She dropped to her knees too, they both falling to the ground from her excitement. She could see it now – a life not painted in fear, but in soft mornings and children’s laughter and shared breath beneath quiet stars. Not perfect. Not easy. But theirs. She kissed him – soft, desperate, full of the words her voice couldn’t form. She pressed all her fear, her love, her ache and the weight of her soul into that kiss.

And then came the second rushed knock on the door, shattering the moment, reminding them of the path ahead.

[Niro]

Yoshinori never imagined the best day of his life would be so tightly tangled with the worst. He held her close, his arms wrapping around her like he never wanted to let go as if he could hold back time itself. When her lips found his, he melted into the kiss, surrendering to the silent promise it carried: of her, of him, and of the life quietly growing between them. It was a promise of a future; uncertain, maybe, but real. Raw. Worth fighting for. It wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t be gentle. Not in the beginning. But Yoshinori would give everything to make sure all four of them had something bright waiting on the other side.

He wished he could live in that moment a little longer. But reality came knocking, literally. A second knock hit the door, harder this time, cutting sharply through the stillness. Yoshinori sighed, long and reluctant, brushing her with one last series of kisses before rising to his feet. Then, hesitating, he reached into his pocket, fingers curling around a delicate silver chain. “This isn't what I had envisioned but...” he said softly, a little sheepish as he pulled the thin necklace free, its links catching the light. From his hand, the ring glinted. He carefully unthreaded the ring from its box, slid it onto the chain, and stepped behind her. “It’d raise questions if you wore a ring they didn’t give you,” he explained, voice quiet as his arms came around her to clasp the chain behind her neck.

The ring now rested just over her heart. A symbol hidden in plain sight. A truth only for them. He gently tucked it beneath the fold of her kimono, the back of his fingers brushing her collarbone. “Just for now,” he murmured near her ear, his breath warm against her skin. Then he stepped beside her, fingers brushing hers, reluctant to let go.

Another sigh escaped him, this one heavier. “I’ll walk you out, at least,” he said, jaw tightening, eyes flicking toward the door with a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. He grabbed the charm-studded kunai and slid it into his waistband. Then he turned, offering her his hand again. And once she took it, he opened the door, stepping into the evening’s chill. The walk to the gates would be too short. Far too short.

[Lunanana]

She gently clutched the ring on her neck, as if it was made of glass. It was perfect – the metaphor it carried, the way it looked but most importantly it was perfect because he asked her to marry him and she didn’t hesitate not even for a split second. All she wanted was to drown in his kisses, be held by him, listen to what he talked about, it didn’t matter if it was about her, his new jutsu or intricate tunnels crawling with inbred Hyuuga. Anything, as long as she heard his voice. And yet… She had to go. To hold her part, to stall them, to win him time. So they could live in peace. Here, or wherever. As long as it was with him.

She held his hand, like she always did. Gently and with care, because that was their way. She inhaled slowly, the phantom weight on her shoulders still there but now she felt like she could breathe, endure it and fight it. They walked side by side beneath the hush of moonlight, and Tsuki felt content with the silence. Her eyes trailed to him and she spoke, for herself, for him. ”It’s going to be okay, Yoshinori… Please don’t worry. You and I both are strong, in more areas than one… And I know I am strongest when fighting with you, for you. For us.” Her words flowed straight from her heart. She looked ahead – toward the hidden outline of the compound gates, still far in the distance, framed by looming trees and high stone walls. Shelter, but not safety. Familiar, but never free.

”...Follow your plan and I will keep up my end. Once it sets to the last motion, I will find you. Like you found me.” It was a promise. Tsuki knew that she will try to stall them for as long as she can but the clock was ticking nonetheless – it will only be so long before they guard her up. More worrisome was the life inside of her, she can’t hide it forever too… Someone might notice. They are called the all seeing eye for a reason. Yet, she only saw the two faint dots because she really looked for them. That’s to hoping.

[Niro]

Beneath the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the thick canopy of the Nara forest, Yoshinori and Tsuki walked slowly, purposefully, toward the gates. The edge of their hidden world crept closer with each step, but Yoshinori held onto the moment like a breath he didn’t want to let go. The crisp night air cleared his mind, but his thoughts still raced ahead, calculating the uncertain roads that lay before them. He nodded quietly at her words, the gates of the compound beginning to emerge in the distance like a closing chapter.

“I can’t promise I won’t worry,” he said at last, voice low and strained. His fingers tightened around hers as though anchoring himself. “Because that would be a lie and I don’t want to lie to you. Not ever.” His gaze flicked to hers, and the worry in his eyes was undeniable, but it lived beside something else: pride. “You’re strong, Tsuki. I’ve seen it. Felt it. And because of you… I’ve become stronger, too.” He couldn’t say it aloud but it scared him. The intensity of how far he’d go now. The new, overwhelming clarity of purpose. Before, he was determined. But now? Now he was terrified of the lengths he might travel to protect her... and the lives they had created.

Four of us, he reminded himself again, heart soaring and sinking all at once as the gates drew near. “We’ll find each other,” he murmured, almost to himself, and gave her hand a gentle, steadying squeeze. He stopped just before the gates, turning to her, and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, one final, lingering promise held between them. There was no holding back. He poured everything into it: devotion, desperation, hope. When he finally pulled away, his eyes shimmered with grief barely kept in check. “I love you,” he whispered. “Always.”

The heavy gates creaked open, spilling silver moonlight across the clearing. On the other side, two Hyuuga twins waited in silence, their faces unreadable in the shadows. The moment Tsuki stepped forward, one of them moved to seize her wrist. But he never made it. Faster than a blink, Yoshinori’s hand shot out like a whip, catching the twin by the wrist mid-motion. There was nothing hesitant in his grip, only steel and fury. The man’s arm jerked to a halt, suspended between them. 'Funny,' Yoshinori thought darkly. They had seemed like giants once. Untouchable. That day at the ice cream cart, they had moved like specters, faster than thought. Now? They were slow. So slow. Like they’d already lost.

He stepped forward, his presence charged with quiet menace. "You'd best keep your hands to yourself or you'll lose not just them." Yoshinori hissed, voice sharp and cold. His thumb pressed hard against the twin’s wrist, digging in until the man grimaced and began to squirm. Yoshinori didn’t let go. The pressure built until there was a sickening snap. The man yelped and Yoshinori threw him back into his brother cradling the limp wrist. Yoshinori didn’t move. He just stood there, eyes locked on them both, daring them to try again.

Let them know exactly what they were taking her from.

[Lunanana]

There was no urgency in it. No haste. Just a sacred kind of stillness, as though the world had knelt to witness this vow made without words as their lips met. She kissed him back with a quiet fire, her lips parting to draw him in deeper, closer, until there was no space left between them. When they finally broke apart, her eyes remained closed for a heartbeat longer, as if she were afraid to open them and find it had all vanished. ”I love you too…”

Her head slowly turned to the opening gates, her gaze inevitably landing on the last people she wanted to see now. Tsuki probably was not capable of hate, yet. Her impassive expression directed at them spoke volumes of something else – something more deep and terrifying. She stepped forward and saw a hand coming in her peripheral vision. Only… It never landed. It happened suddenly and yet, she saw each move very clearly. Yoshinori’s eyes held something she hadn’t seen before. Maybe she should’ve been scared but she couldn’t, not now when she knew what was at stake. Pale eyes settled on the men. ”Know your place. You are never to touch me again.” Her usually soft voice now had a colder edge, directed at them – voice shaped by a life of obedience, grace, and inner discipline, but now breaking open under the pressure of love and determination.

Tsuki turned to Yoshinori again. Sad but hopeful. “We’ll find each other" – she said to him without using her voice. Too many eyes and ears. The celebration was coming to an end, soon Hyuuga will pour from every corner. Her gaze was soft and loving and she was looking at him as if she was committing every inch to memory.

Before the crown spilled around her, she grasped the ring again, disappearing from his sight.

[Niro]

The injured twin muttered under his breath low threats of retribution, of punishments that would befall Yoshinori for his defiance. But when their eyes met again, the words withered away beneath the quiet fury burning in Yoshinori’s gaze. Not another word passed between them. He barely registered the threat. Tsuki’s voice, her unwavering strength, filled his heart more than any warning could unsettle it. His chest swelled with pride; his Tsuki, unbowed and brilliant even now. She would endure. He had to believe that. Until he could come for her.

As she turned to walk with them, she glanced back one final time. And in that moment, bathed in silver moonlight, she took his breath away. Gods, she was beautiful. Strong, radiant, and heartbreaking. He watched her go, each step tugging at something deep inside him. Her silhouette blurred slowly into the gathering crowd, swallowed by the fading echoes of the celebration. And then, she was gone.

Yoshinori lingered at the edge of the gate a moment longer, shadows curling around him like old memories. He stepped back into the forest, the heavy wooden doors creaking closed behind him and the quiet swallowed him whole. A hand landed on his shoulder. Firm. Reassuring. He turned slightly to see the Nara guard from earlier. Silent but present, offering a nod of quiet understanding. It wasn’t much. But it was something.

And in the darkness of the woods, Yoshinori let the pain settle quietly in his chest… just long enough to steel himself again. Because this wasn’t the end. Only the calm before the storm.