prolog
The feelings he felt when he thought of the pink-haired girl were different. Sometimes he was angry with her, other times he was glad she was gone, but most of the time he felt like he had been let down.
It was a strange situation and he could actually understand that the young woman had looked around for other men. Back then, when they had got further and further apart, he had only realized how much he actually liked her. It was too late today. She was happy with the person he hated so much that the hatred would have long since begun to eat him up if he hadn't always thought of HER.
Because it was he who took it away from him.
The moment he realized he really loved her, she had forgiven her heart.
And it wasn't his. It had been useless to tell her how he felt about her. There had been no use reproaching her for leaving him alone, for breaking his heart.It was useless because by then he had already broken her tender heart. He had inflicted the worst of all wounds on her, tore her soul without paying any further attention. He hadn't cared how she felt, and that mistake had cost him her love.
How much he had longed in the past few months to hug her, to feel her blood-red lips on his, and to whisper in her ear that he would never let her go again. But all of that was just a beautiful dream.
And it was a dream that wasn't going to come true.
A little sadness rose in him. Why hadn't he noticed earlier how much she meant to him? Why did fate play its cruel game with him over and over again? He had lived through many fights and knew how difficult it was to win against a serious opponent who might even be superior to you. It was a huge hurdle that he had to jump over in order to get one step closer to his goal.Everything is allowed in love and in war.
It was strange how much truth there was in that sentence. Those few words, which sounded harmless, could in a painful way seal his doom.
It sounded strange, but the young shinobi had realized that the young woman still loved him, but had condemned and sealed that love deep inside her. If he couldn't break that seal, he'd lost the battle for her.
Oh yes, he would fight for her as she had fought for him.
But he would be victorious.
His love for the girl wouldn't make him give up.