Hikari mentally cursed herself for her little moment of clumsiness, and more so the fact that he had noticed it. Of course he had. He was a shinobi, he was trained to notice small things. He wouldn't have missed it. He slowed the pace in response, which she supposed wasn't a bad thing. She had been fine at the previous pace, but they weren't in a hurry, and with her mind as distracted as it was, it was probably for the best that they go a little slower. She was less likely to almost slip again if they slowed the pace a bit. And besides, it was a pleasant night. The cool night breeze, the silence, the beams of moonlight that trickled in through the trees, bathing the world in a silvery light. It was perfect, really. It didn't hurt that it meant that they wouldn't part ways for at least a little longer.<br/><br/>After she had managed to let the words slip from her lips, she fell silent, waiting as patiently as she could for his answer. It seemed like an eternity passed, wrapping them in silence for what seemed like forever before he stopped and she followed suit, landing on a branch a few feet to his right. She wanted nothing more than to crawl out of her skin as she waited for him to answer. Seeing the serious look on his face she half expected him to just say that it was indeed what he wanted. But he wouldn't have stopped for that, would he? The questions raced through her mind in the few moments before he finally spoke. She let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when he finally answered. He didn't know. Maybe it shouldn't have, but somehow those words brought with them a feeling of relief. It was better than him saying he wanted to part ways.<br/><br/>She watched as the expression on his face changed and for the first time she could actually see something real in his eyes and on her face. For some reason that actually made her happy, even if she felt bad for causing such turmoil within him. Maybe it was something he needed. To battle the darkness inside that he had seemingly grown accustomed to. It wasn't for her to decide, though, nor for her to worry about. She was quiet at first, when he asked if it was what she wanted, but after a very brief moment she shook her head without hesitation. "No, it isn't." her words were soft, gentle, carrying the weight of everything she now felt, confusion, a little sadness at the possibility that they may yet go their separate ways, and a hint of happiness that he was at least considering the possibility that they didn't have to go their separate ways. "I thought it was... or maybe I didn't. Maybe I just thought that it was what I should want. But it isn't." Her words were, once again, soft and gentle, carried lightly on the breeze.<br/><br/>She was silent again as he looked away, scratching his cheek in a nervous manner. She couldn't help but smile a little, a soft and sweet smile that actually lit up her features, if only a little. Her hair, which had a silvery shimmer to it in the pale moonlight, blew lightly in the breeze and rustled back and forth slightly as she nodded gently, her blue eyes shining as she smiled at him. Somewhere in her mind she thought he looked rather cute like this, but she didn't let it register. She couldn't afford to think such things. At least not yet. "Alright, then. I'll be there." she promised with a slightly brighter smile.<br/><br/>Once he began heading back to the village she followed close behind, leaping to the next branch and then another as they headed back towards Konoha. A small smile lingered on her lips as she enjoyed the moonlight and the night air, allowing her mind to wander unhindered. No point in even trying to reign it in at this point. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but somewhere inside it didn't matter. It was too late to try to reign her heart in with logic. Somewhere inside she'd already made up her mind. This was what she wanted, even if somewhere down the road she got hurt because of it. It was worth the risk. Or at least she hoped it would be.<br/><br/>She remained silent for the remainder of the trip back, mostly lost in her own thoughts, but also enjoying the night and keeping enough of her attention on her surroundings to avoid any mishaps and to remain aware in case some unexpected visitors appeared. Thankfully, the trip was mostly quiet and enjoyable and before she knew it the gates of the village had come into view. She felt a tinge of disappointment, which she found rather strange, but she pushed it down. The mission had to end. All that she could do now was wait and hope that she wasn't let down again.