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Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

Galatians 5:16

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EARLIER IN THE FOREST:

"Hayato, promise me... promise me you'll come back," Kaede asked, raising a pinky at him.

They were currently inside their cave, while Aiko and Ryohei were discussing a plan closeby.

Hayato remained stern, currently seated atop a rock, cleaning his sword with a cloth, and leaving her momentarily unanswered. Soon enough, he returned a smile, and tangled his pinky around hers; "I promise..."

Both of them stayed this way in solemn silence, staring each other in the eyes. Hayato's gaze remained unwavering, while Kaede's flinched, stemming from dread, and concern.

Hayato grasped her palm, "Take a seat Kaede. You seem worried."

Kaede accepted the gesture, seated beside him, and spoke out her concern while staring at the ground, "Of course I'm worried."

Hayato replied, "Of what? That we'd lose?"

Kaede turned to Hayato's eyes, a deep sapphire brimming with untold potential.

The enchanting obsidian in Kaede's eyes started to lose its luster, her vision blurring as a salty fluid formed in her tear ducts.

"I'm scared Hayato. I want us to be together," she sniffled, her lips twitching, to which Hayato tightened his grip on her hand. With his other free hand, he placed it atop their interlocked hands.

Kaede continued, "I have so much in my mind... That we can tell Minato nii-san and Kushina nee-san that we're... a thing... ya know."

"Haha, you're the one keeping it a secret," Hayato chuckled.

"I want to surprise them... In the future." Kaede stated, a warm smile gracing her lips; "Kushina nee-san's reaction would be so funny."

"Haha, I agree," Hayato admtted.

Kaede continued, "And then we'd get married later down the line, start a family... There's so much Hayato, I just- "

She ceased, her eyes widening as a tender sensation grazed her lips.

Hayato had lunged forward, ironically, and delicately, planting his lips on Kaede's. Though initially surprised, Kaede closed her eyes, embracing the sensation.

The world was silent around the duo, the chirping of birds, the Iwagakure forces outside yelling at each other to locate the perpetrators, nothing was heard as they delicately engaged in a loving kiss.

Removing his lips, Hayato rested his forehead on hers, grasping her other free, trembling hand. The duo closed their eyes, their expressions flushed.

"Sensei, and Ryo are right there," Kaede warned in a choked tone.

"It's fine... Besides, they already know," Hayato asserted.

A serene silence hung over the duo, not awkwardness, but a silence that helped soothe their hearts. The fact that they were beside each other right now, in this very moment, eased them. The formerly distressed Kaede was now calm, her heart racing not from distress, but from the kiss.

But it was the perfect thing she needed to help soothe her mind.

Removing his forehead, Hayato reassured her, "Kaede, don't worry. We'll be back."

The duo stared each other in the eyes, before Kaede suddenly pressed forward, digging her face into Hayato's shoulder, hugging him tightly.

"Please, please come back. Don't leave me... Please," She cried, tightening her grip as her tears soaked Hayato's clothes.

Rubbing her on the back, Hayato ascertained, his eyes sharp, "Yeah, I'll be back. You can count on us!"

Removing himself from the embrace, he placed both hands on her shoulders, his lips morphing into a heartwarming grin, "And when we do come back, you can talk more about our future. Believe it."

Unbeknownst to them, Aiko and Ryohei had been watching. They could only see Hayato's back, but the position of Hayato and Kaede was sufficient for them to deduce what was going on.

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Ryohei decided not to intrude on their privacy, turning his eyes away, but Aiko just stared at them seriously, and shamelessly. Seeing this, a bead of sweat formed by Ryohei's temple.

"Sensei, don't you think tha-"

"You have one too, don't you Ryo?" Aiko interjected.

Ryohei, who had a look of nonchalance, was now shocked at his sensei's statement.

"You... knew?" He asked.

"Yeah, she's a good girl," Aiko answered, turning her eyes back to Ryohei, her gaze solid. "There's no way we're losing. We're definitely getting outta here, and returning home. That's an order!" Aiko commanded.

A smile graced Ryohei's lips, and he saluted, "Aye, ma'am."

***

In the face of despair, Aiko, who was in between Hayato and Ryohei, pulled them tight into her embrace.

"I'm sorry you two," she apologised, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her guilt gnawed deeply within herself, at her inability to protect these 2 youths, with such a promising future ahead, but were soon to die.

The duo wrapped an arm around Aiko's back.

"No, don't be. We chose this sensei," Hayato soothed, rage calming as he embraced his sensei.

"Yeah, we accomplished the mission. The rest is in Kaede's, and Konoha's hands," Ryohei asserted.

And so, in the face of impending peril, the trio bitterly smiled, embracing each other in a warm hug. They watched in awe at the tailed beast bomb, closing their eyes, and accepting their fate.

The colossal orb, which in the trio's point of view, seemed to reach the heavens, obscuring the skies in an endless ominous purple, was released, ever so slowly progressing toward the trio.

Time seemed to be at a standstill, and the shadow of the colossal sphere wrapped the trio, while the destructive ball itself had yet to engulf them!

...

Roshi, on the other hand, remained callous, coldly spectating the embrace of the trio. He couldn't hear their conversation as the shockwaves of the tailed beast bomb released with tremendous force, lifting even the trees from their roots, enveloping the terrain in an eerie humming sound and cacophonous howls, but that didn't change his motive!

Purple electricity propagated outwardly, additionally fracturing the earth.

...

In the dark and tranquil world, the trio continued stuck with their embrace.

"Sensei, I'm sorry... for calling you an old hag. I didn't mean that," Hayato was the first to break the silence, his tone grievous.

Coming into close terms with death itself, though he had always been ready, it wasn't a feeling he was willing to embrace.

Aiko smiled, her cheeks wrinkled, "Sure, I guess I'll forgive you." She accepted the apology, bringing Hayato's face close, planting a kiss on his forehead, and doing the same with Ryohei.

But the duo wasn't embarrassed. To them, it was like the love of a mother, and Aiko did so, treating them as her son.

They were both orphans, and she was like a big sister who was 13 years older than them, but at the same time, emanating a motherly warmth.

Tears slightly formed in Ryohei's eyes, not from fear, but from sentimentality; "I'm grateful to have been part of this squad, though I wish it didn't end this early."

"Agreed, I'm blessed I had you as my teacher, sensei," Hayato admitted.

"We were blessed," Ryohei corrected.

Aiko choked this time, pulling them close, her wrap tightening as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"You guys are the best students I've ever had."

She cried even more, her tone laced with guilt, "I am so sorry guys... You guys shouldn't have to die... Both of you should've lived... Returned to your loved ones, then later down the line you'd have kids... And I'd be the best aunt your kids ever had... I had all these things in mind... Yet..."

Hayato and Ryohei merely listened, their vision blurring as their eyes drowned in their own tears, before tracing its way down their cheeks.

"There's just so much, I'm so damn sorry guys," she shouted.

Tightening their embrace, Hayato and Ryohei, wrapped their other arm around Aiko. Hayato spoke, "Sensei, thank you for everything. You were the best teacher I've ever had, and I am truly grateful..."

Ryohei supported, "Yeah. Sensei, we were truly blessed. Don't blame yourself, this is what we chose."

Aiko whispered in a hushed, and stammering tone, "You guys."

They say when you're near death, your life flashes before your eyes. That saying was applicable here too.

The adventures they had shared, as well as the miseries, the triumphs, as well as the defeats. The bittersweet memories of when they would hang out at Ichiraku Ramen, or when Aiko would tease them consistently for her satisfaction, while there were also shared moments of sadness.

However, the squad had persevered through all these ordeals together, developing a familial-like bond.

Every single detail of their life had flashed before their eyes.

The colossal orb was so very close to squishing them like bugs.

'I'm sorry nii-san... Kushina nee-san... I'm sorry Anko-chan, and Orochimaru-sensei... and...' He paused his line of thinking, his lips twitching.

This time, he inaudibly mumbled, "I'm sorry, Kaede... I couldn't keep our promise."

Remembering the conversation they had moments before engaging in battle, tears had traced down his cheeks.

Ryohei wondered, 'I'm sorry Kaede... And I'm sorry, Emiko...'

An image of a female formed in his mind, whom he would share dango with occasionally. It was her favorite dish. She had lustrous, purple hair, chestnut brown eyes, and donned an obsidian tunic. An ecstatic grin graced her countenance as she poked at a plate of dango with her chopsticks, and it was something Ryohei liked to see.

He had always found it cute.

She was his junior, a year younger, but through time, the both of them had become close. Like Hayato, he was worried for her... How will she take news of his death so suddenly?

And finally, Aiko; 'Kaede, I'm sorry for not protecting Hayato... Minato, I'm sorry I couldn't look after your brother... Emiko, I'm sorry about Ryohei... And Fu... My dear Kenjiro, and my dear son Fu, I am so very sorry.' She reminisced about her husband, Nara Kenjiro, beside her son, Yamanaka Fu, who was only a year old, cradled in the arms of Kenjiro, sharing an ecstatic grin.

The final moments were coming to a close, and the trio inwardly apologised to everyone that had come to mind.

All 3 of them thought in unity, 'Everyone, we're sorry.'

However, their apology would remain unheard of forever by the rest of the world.

Roshi mercilessly declared in a gentle whisper, "Bijuudama!"

Nothing was heard, as the silhouettes of the trio ever so slowly disintegrated, blood splattering starting from the head as the tailed beast bomb worked its way down, mutilating their bodies, and subsequently slamming into the earth!

*BOOOOOOOM!!!*