And the road of flowers is so long

Itachi was lying on his bed in his room after a morning run. His fingers were turning the pages of a thin book with a soft rustle. His thoughtful gaze was scanning the neat lines of quotes. "A kiss is when two souls meet at the tips of their lips." "I would never compare a kiss to something like that, although it sounds very beautiful," thought Itachi. He remembered the kiss with Ayumi, and how silent all his senses were: nothing stirred, nothing responded to her passionate call. "Apparently, my soul didn't come to the meeting this time," he chuckled to himself. The complete opposite was the kiss with Akina, which he had essentially stolen and for which he had repeatedly reproached himself. After all, it had occurred during his illness, and Akina had miraculously avoided catching a cold from him. His soul had longed for this encounter. However, this time, the girl's soul had not shown up for their rendezvous. "The first breath of love is the last breath of wisdom." "Well, you won't know until you experience it," he decided, although the very thought of it made him uneasy. Was this enemy really that treacherous? He had no idea how to avoid falling into such a trap. after all, all the methods he knew were useless here. "Love is one of those sufferings that cannot be hidden: one word, one careless glance, and even silence are enough to reveal it." No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't imagine himself falling in love, as he had spent his entire life hiding behind a mask of indifference, never allowing his emotions, let alone feelings, to take control. The only person he genuinely cared about was his brother. However, it was difficult for him to imagine feeling any affection for someone else. In fact, he doubted that it was even possible. Itachi got up from his bed, approached the window, and opened the shutters, allowing a fresh, cool breeze to enter. He saw Akina approaching the gate, returning from her archery training. Many events related to her did not leave him indifferent. It was as if the wall of silence in his soul was cracking and was about to collapse if she wanted it to. But she did not want it, remaining indifferent to his silent desires. What confused him the most was that he did not know what he wanted from her. Was it admiring looks and compliments? Unlikely. Was it admiring his strength and skills? Doubtful. This uncertainty confused him even more. The girl had been training with Neji in the mornings for several days now, and it was starting to pay off. Slowly but surely, she was getting used to her new weapon. Hyuga's presence and encouragement were calming and inspiring. He was adept at finding the right words of support when he saw her frustrated by her failures. Akina was returning home in a better mood more often, and it was soon noticed by those around her. She caught the captain of her team looking at her with a thoughtful, slightly concerned expression. "How's your shooting progress?" Haku asked during an evening tea party. "It's getting better every day," Akina replied with a mysterious smile. Today was no different. Akina was a little late, but Neji didn't seem to mind. Every time they trained together, he could feel someone's presence. The observer didn't make any moves, but it eventually became annoying. As she shot her arrows, she kept glancing at her potential rival. It seemed like hitting the target was as easy as breathing for him. At the same time, it was impossible not to admire him: the proud turn of his broad shoulders, his noble bearing, and his long, silver-tinted black hair tied in a low ponytail. Neji caught her studying gaze and smiled radiantly. It transformed his already beautiful face. Akina quickly looked away, feeling awkward. The boy headed towards the target to remove the arrows. His springy, soft gait resembled that of a predator, and it looked so natural that it didn't seem like the result of rigorous training. "Where are your eyes, anyway? There are so many handsome guys around you, and you..." She remembered how Marie had scolded her once when she didn't know what to say when asked which guy had the most attractive figure. "What's the point of looking at them? I'm not going to draw them," she replied. And now, as she watched Hyūga, she noticed that he was quite well-built, despite the fact that it was difficult to see under his loose, slightly baggy clothes. Although his figure seemed more powerful than Itachi's. However, this could be because Hyūga was slightly shorter than him. At least, that's what she thought. "Why am I comparing him to Itachi?" she thought, a little annoyed. The boy approached her and handed her the arrows he had removed from her target. She drew the bowstring again to continue shooting. Suddenly, Neji's strong, broad palm covered her hand holding the bow shaft. "Take a break, you don't need to overdo it," he said quietly. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her hair. Akina lowered her bow and headed towards the nearby benches. "You've made some progress," the guy replied. "Good, because I won't be able to compete with you in the tournament," she said. Neji looked at her in awe. "Serious attitude, keep it up!" Hyuga praised her. After half an hour of rest, Akina picked up her bow and returned to her target. Gripping the bowstring firmly, she slowly drew the bowstring to her ear, focusing on the center of the circle. Suddenly, her hand trembled as she felt the strong arms of the boy wrap around her waist, and she felt his muscular body against her back. Her fingers involuntarily released the arrow, which failed to hit even the shield. "Neji, am I doing something wrong?" she asked warily. "No. I just didn't have enough of these morning meetings. I want to see you more often. I'm suggesting that you date. Be my girlfriend," he said suddenly. Akina dropped her bow in surprise, at first thinking she had misheard. "What a silly joke!" she exclaimed, thinking he was making fun of her. She turned around and glared at him. "Do I look like I'm joking?" Neji said seriously. Akina tried to move away from him, but Hyuga prevented her by pressing her body against his. "Maybe it's a clone of Neji, not him at all... or someone has taken his form. Maybe it's Ten playing a prank on me," she thought with disbelief. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to question your words, but you have to admit that it's not quite... I just..." Akina was completely lost. "It seems like I should apologize. It was all a bit spontaneous... I'm sorry," the guy said, realizing that he hadn't properly prepared the girl for such an offer. After all, a walk and a workout together weren't enough to show her the seriousness of his intentions. "But I can prove to you that I'm serious," he tried to rectify the situation. "Prove it? How?" Akina asked in surprise. Before she knew it, his hand was along her back, pulling her even closer to him, and, bending down to her face, he gently touched her lips with his own. Their soft, trembling touch shocked Akina. She froze in his arms. A light, almost weightless touch that spreads a pleasant warmth throughout the body, absorbing his hot breath. Neji met her stunned gaze as he pulled away from her. The girl was completely speechless. Her legs suddenly became weak, and she began to collapse. The guy noticed this in time and didn't let go of her. He waited for a couple of minutes, giving her a chance to recover. "Neji, I..." she began quietly, unsure of how to express herself. "Take your time, think about it," he said, noticing that Akina was completely confused. He touched her dark green hair and smiled warmly at her, trying to calm her down. This incident was the reason why everything went wrong that day. During practice, she kept missing passes, earning disapproving glances from the guys. "Aki, did you get hit in the head with a copper basin from around the corner?" Haru got angry. At that moment, the team leader's hand rested on his shoulder. Itachi shook his head negatively, indicating that Tsubaki should not be so harsh with his sister. He then took Akinu aside and told her to go inside and rest. Akinu was truly distraught by what was happening. Anyone else would be overjoyed. But why did she see a hidden motive in everything? Neji had done nothing to earn her distrust, but something was holding her in a vice-like grip. One thing was clear: it wasn't a clone. And Ten in Neji's form was out of the question. "She wouldn't kiss me. She wouldn't have the self-control to pretend," Akina thought as she sat on her bed in her room. Upon her return from the shooting range, Itachi noticed that she was visibly shaken. "What is he trying to achieve?" he thought, thinking about Hyuga. At dinner, the girl remained silent and did not join in the evening tea party, which had become a tradition. She came downstairs after the party had ended and everyone had gone to their rooms. Akina poured a cup of aromatic tea and took a sugar bowl. The events of the morning were still fresh in her mind. "I like you..." she repeated Hugi's words over and over again. But why was it so unsettling? She shook her head, trying to push away the overwhelming thoughts, but as expected, it didn't help. "What is it that bothers you so much?" she heard a soft voice say right next to her ear. Akina screamed in surprise and turned around. Itachi was standing behind her. "What makes you think I'm worried?" she began to deny. "You spilled sugar," said Itachi, pointing to the table. There was a neat pile of granulated sugar next to the mug. "So what? Maybe I did it because you scared me. Why are you sneaking around your own house? You're not on a mission. And besides, why don't you wear a bell?" she retorted, growing angry and deflecting the question. Akina quickly left the kitchen. Itachi smiled playfully as he watched her go. "She's in doubt," he thought. And that gave him hope that she would never make a decision. Akina barely woke up, as she had slept very poorly that night and was completely exhausted. When she went downstairs, she discovered that she was not the first to wake up. Sasuke was sitting on the couch in the living room, drinking tea. "Good morning," the girl said, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Good morning," Uchiha Jr. replied with a friendly smile. "Training, as always," Sasuke suggested. "No, we're decorating the ballroom today. They asked us to help," Tibo replied. "If you need anything, just ask," Sasuke said. "Okay," the girl replied, and after drinking her tea, she left. There was a lot of work to be done. The hall was huge. Along with the others, Akina saw her friends there. By noon, the cleaning and tidying up were complete. "The hall seems empty," Marie replied. "Yes, it would be nice to decorate it," Ryoko agreed. "We should put a sign above the stage," Asemi said. "Yes, that would be great," Akina agreed. "Who's the best artist in the village?" asked Yuki. "Say!" the girls almost answered in unison. They found him in a cafe with Ino and ruthlessly dragged him along, despite her protests. The guy himself didn't mind much, as he didn't mind at all. It took the artist about an hour to satisfy all the requests of the girls, but it turned out, in their opinion, perfectly. After Cy left, a tall, gray-eyed blond man appeared in the hall and asked if his help was needed. "Yudai, why didn't you come earlier?" Asemi complained, glaring at her older brother. "Hi, it's been a while," he said to Akina. "I'm always happy to see you," she smiled at her brother's partner. During her relatively short acquaintance with the owner of Rayton, the girl came to trust him and did not doubt his sincerity. They chatted for a while, until the sister roughly pulled her brother away from the girl under the plausible pretext that they urgently needed his help. And, of course, in the installation of a poster above the stage. Kamatsu had to interrupt a pleasant conversation with Akina and go on stage. "Hi," Akina heard a quiet voice behind her. She turned around. Neji was standing behind her. "Hi, what are you doing here?" Akina was surprised, not expecting him to show up in a place like this. "I heard that the hall was being decorated. I thought you'd be here. And I was right," replied Hyuga. "I see that it's almost done," Neji remarked. "Yes, almost. All that's left is to decorate the hall so it doesn't look so dull," Akina replied. Meanwhile, Yudai was standing on a high stepladder, trying to attach a poster to a wooden beam above the stage. Suddenly, the edge of the poster fell off the beam and onto the ground, but Yudai managed to catch it and reattach it. Suddenly, a kunai appeared in Neji's hand. With a swift motion, the kunai was used to pin the poster to the beam. Yudai was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. Akina looked around the room and smiled at an idea that had just come to her. "Neji, you're a genius," she said. "I've heard that about myself sometimes," Huga smiled. The girl asked him to stick several kunais around the perimeter of the room, under the ceiling and in the ceiling, closer to the center of the hall. Bright paper lanterns and colorful ribbons were attached to them, stretched along the ceiling. Neji and Yudai, using their chakra abilities, easily climbed to the ceiling by walking along the walls. Thanks to their ninja skills, decorating the hall took much less time. "It looks great," Yuki sighed in admiration, looking around the room. "Let's try out the microphones," Asemi suddenly suggested. "Come on," the girls agreed and headed for the stage. They pulled out stands with connected microphones and started singing acapella. Their clear voices sounded harmoniously, and from the way they tried, it was clear that the girls were pleased that their first listeners were some of Konoha's prettiest guys. "Join us," Ryoko boldly suggested to Akiné and the guys standing in the middle of the room. Yudai categorically refused, claiming that he couldn't sing and didn't want to embarrass himself. "You just haven't tried it," she tried to persuade him, but he just shook his head in refusal. The girl turned her gaze to Neji, and for a moment it seemed to him that a challenge flashed in it. She headed towards the stage, confident that Hyuga would follow her example. Akina went up on stage, stood at the microphone stand and sang, giving out a gentle lyric-dramatic soprano. Soon her singing was picked up by a voice with a soft tenor tinge. The girl smiled to herself. Her friends listened to their beautiful duet with bated breath, not noticing at all that they were not alone in the hall. When Akina and Neji fell silent, there was a lone round of applause from the back of the audience. Standing in the doorway of the hall was Tsunade, who had come to check the hall's readiness for the festival. "I see the hall has already been prepared. Well, that's excellent," she remarked as she looked around the hall. The girls breathed a sigh of relief at pleasing the Hokage. "By the way, Akina, Neji, that was a great performance. You'll be performing at the ball for the guests. One of our wealthiest guests is an avid music lover. I think he'll enjoy it," Fifth said. Akina felt a chill run through her. Singing with Neji. If her teammates found out, there would be a scandal. The woman noticed the girl's confusion and said, "Consider it an order." And she left. Neji smiled. He was quite satisfied with the situation. The girl's friends kept staring at them. "Will you choose a song?" the guy asked. "I think I can trust you with this," the girl said sadly. "It's nice to hear that you trust me," Neji said. There was so much warmth in his voice that she felt uncomfortable, because they weren't alone. Suddenly, Neji felt a piercing gaze like a dagger. He turned around. Itachi was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His expression was impassive, but his eyes were filled with cold fury. "So that's how it is... Worry or something more?" Hyuga chuckled to himself. In the next moment, Itachi disappeared. And no one but Hyuga could see him. "Would you like to have lunch with me?" Neji asked Akina, noticing that she was hesitating. The two girls began to whisper to each other. "That's why he's giving people something to gossip about," she said. "Go ahead. It doesn't obligate you to do anything. It's a good idea to take a walk later. It'll be a nice break," he said softly. Akin was torn between her desire to refuse Neji and her bad feeling. Hyuga decided to encourage her to agree and took her hand. Akin recoiled in slight fear. She glanced at her friends, who were perplexed. "Okay," Akina replied quietly. Itachi walked down the street without paying attention to his surroundings. He was filled with anger that he couldn't control, and he didn't want to, as he was surprised by his own reaction to Hyuga's presence with Akina. Was it a result of his distrust and fear for her, or was it just one of the reasons for his dislike of the Hyuga clan's genius? It turned out that understanding himself was the most challenging aspect. The sound of a cat's bell came as a surprise to Itachi. A white cat crossed in front of him, and he immediately remembered Akina's words and smiled. The lunch at the cafe was relatively quiet, except for the occasional sideways glance at her. Afterward, at Neji's suggestion, they went for a walk in the park by the river. Soon, they sat down on one of the many benches. "How was your training today?" Akina asked, breaking the long silence. "I miss you," Neji replied. "Yeah, watching me miss the target is fun," the girl replied skeptically. "That's not what I meant," the guy replied with a smile. "Tell me about yourself. I don't know anything about you. We haven't even talked before the mission, and I've been living here for a while," the girl said. "It's going to be a long and not-so-funny story. I don't want to bore you with sad memories," Neji replied. "Are they all sad?" Akina couldn't believe it. "No, of course not. My mentor alone is worth it with his eternal competitions with Lee and Kakashi," said Neji. "Yes, I've seen him a couple of times," the girl smiled. — After the war, a lot of things changed, and a lot of people changed, but I don't think he ever changed. Although I only remember bits and pieces of the war. I remember being part of the Second Division of the Allied Forces with Hinata. But I don't know why I didn't return to the village with the others. I woke up in the woods, and all I could remember was the direction I needed to take. When I returned, I was met with a strange reception. They looked at me like I was a ghost. For some reason, everyone thought I was dead, and they even showed me my grave, which was empty. I thought it was just a cruel prank. They even sent me for an examination. It turned out that I was alive and made of flesh and blood," the guy chuckled bitterly. "Are you mad at them for that?" the girl asked. "No. I don't know how I would react if I met someone who died in my arms. Maybe I would think it was a product of some forbidden technique... Who knows," replied Hyuga thoughtfully. Akina looked at him intently. It was clear that the incident had affected him slightly, but he was trying to push the negative thoughts away. However, this did not prevent her from feeling a sense of security and calmness emanating from him. "He makes you feel safe," Akina thought, understanding why Ten-ten was so eager to win his favor. Neji continued to talk for a long time, lost in his memories. The girl occasionally asked questions, but mostly listened, sensing that the boy needed to express everything that had been building up in his heart. After a while, Neji felt a weight on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw that the girl was asleep. "Either she's really tired, or I'm a really interesting conversationalist," he thought ironically. "How difficult it must be for her," was his next thought about training and competition. Hyuga sat quietly, not wanting to wake the girl up so that their meeting would last as long as possible. After a while, the girl woke up and, realizing that she had fallen asleep during the conversation, began to actively apologize to the boy. He, in turn, assured her that there was nothing in this that could offend or insult him. Neji leaned over and touched her lips with his own. This fleeting kiss resonated with tenderness in her soul. "Now you have my forgiveness," he smiled. Akina turned away, feeling her face begin to heat up. The day was inexorably turning to evening, and the girl realized that it was time to return. Itachi would definitely not pat her on the head for missing training, and her brother would not be silent. Just thinking about the displeased faces of the guys, and the good mood immediately disappeared. "They're probably looking for me with dogs," she said sadly, getting up from the bench. "As far as I know, Kiba and Akamaru are on a mission right now, so it's unlikely," Neji said with the most serious expression on his face, which caused a cheerful gleam in the girl's amber eyes. They walked in silence. Everyone was immersed in their own thoughts: some were pleasant, and some were not. "You're afraid of a conflict with Itachi," he guessed, noticing her tension. "Since I've been part of his team, he's somehow decided that I need constant supervision, control, and protection. He's carrying around this great mission like a fool with a mortarboard," Akina replied. "If I were in his place, I'd keep you close to my heart, too," Neji replied. "Protecting me is half the problem. Now, in his mind, as soon as I leave his clan's territory, all the maniacs and dogs will be after me!" Akina exclaimed in frustration. As they talked, they didn't notice how they had reached the gates of the Uchiha clan's compound. At the gates, Sasuke was standing with a serious expression. He looked at the couple with displeasure. "Why, Her Majesty has honored us with her presence. I don't remember Itachi canceling your training," he began to reprimand her. "I'm sorry, I was the one who held her back," Neji said. "Am I in jail? The guards have been found!" Akina was indignant and walked past Sasuke through the gate. "Thank you for your help... And for everything," she said to Neji before leaving. The same gloomy faces greeted her at the manor house. "Aki, what does this mean?" Her brother began to reprimand her from the doorway. "Nothing," the girl replied with undisguised irritation. "Don't be angry, we were just worried," Haku replied. "What was the point? I was among people, not in the woods. I had nothing to fear from civilians. And if you haven't noticed, I'm old enough to have my own affairs, unrelated to games or your clan," she continued angrily. "Well, I noticed it very much," said Itachi, and the inviting glint in his eyes as he looked at her did not please her at all. "He's mocking me again," she thought, seething with indignation, and, refusing to eat, she went up to her room. After dinner, Itachi decided to try to resolve the conflict with Akin. He knocked on her door, but there was no response. He sighed heavily, assuming that she was still angry with them for being too protective. "I'm coming in," he warned, and quietly opened the door. When he entered the room, he saw that Akina was already asleep. He quietly walked in, covered her with a blanket, and sat down on the edge of the bed. For a while, he just sat there, watching her: the way her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, the way her lips were slightly parted, and the way her strawberry-colored lips were slightly parted. Her dark green hair was spread out on the pillow, and her chest was rising and falling with her even breathing. Despite the fact that there was still a hint of fatigue on her face, she was still the epitome of charm. He'd never noticed this in other girls. Maybe it was because he'd never looked at them like this. Itachi touched her hand, which was resting near her face, and felt her fingers move in her sleep, and the tenderness of her hand was transferred to him. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but it was very pleasant. To hold her hand and not let go... never let go.

In my closed heart

For your tenderness

And your warmth

there is always a small gap.

He remembered one of the quotes he had read. But his serene calmness was replaced by indignation when he remembered how Hyuga had looked at her back in the hall. Perhaps he had taken her hand just as he was doing now, and felt the same way he was feeling. "It won't happen," he firmly decided, leaving her room to prevent their relationship.