By the Riverbank {233}

Time skip.

Well, Keitaro had to make the vacation memorable, no talking about the white splash he had given her.

And this was why they were currently near a nearby lake.

The two of them walked side by side under the moonlit sky had a soft glow illuminating Shoko's relaxed features, it cast a gentle shimmer over the river-flowing waters.

She looked precious....call him a simp all you want, he knew what he was looking at....she was pretty, and that was it.

He knew beauty when he saw it.

Keitaro couldn't help but smile as he watched her, noticing the way her gaze softened as she took in the quiet beauty of the night.

As they strolled by the riverbank, the air seemed to be more peaceful, more calm even.

Keitaro could feel the grass underneath them, he could feel how the grass was muffling their footsteps.

He could feel the gentle rustling of the leaves, and the distant murmur of the river harmonizing into the perfect background.

It almost felt like Mother Nature was rewarding him in a way, it felt rather nice.

As Shoko's hand slipped into his, he could feel her touch, it was warm and it sent a quiet thrill through him.

As they continued their walk, her head now resting on his shoulder, he could now for certain say that this scene was serene.

He could feel his own heartbeat in his chest, even that felt serene.

Keitaro felt like he was becoming one with nature.

This place looked like a piece ripped straight out of a fairytale.

He looked at the full moon in the sky, the beautiful pine trees around them, alongside the lake that they were walking around.

This whole scene was just perfect

"Tonight's something," Shoko murmured, her voice as soft as the breeze that played with her hair. She glanced up at him, a soft smile lingering in her eyes, and he could feel her warmth.

He liked moments like these, he wished they lasted for a long time.

He nodded his head, his grip tightening ever so slightly around her hand.

Keitaro nodded, his grip tightening slightly around her hand. "Yeah... feels like one of those moments you just want to hold onto for a while." He said in a calm voice.

The sound of the running water in the background truly soothed him, he felt like, he was on cloud 9.

This was better.

The both of them stopped at the river's edge, they watched as the moon's reflection danced across the surface of the water.

Shoko leaned into him a bit more, he on the other hand, just placed his arm around her, pulling her closer to himself.

He could feel her heartbeat. It was quick, though it seemed to be calming down as Shoko started to feel enveloped by his warmth.

Her eyes were fluttering open and close....she was pretty sleepy.

In the quiet, with nothing but the river's gentle sound and the night sky above.

He felt a rare stillness settle over them.

They stopped at the river's edge, watching as the moon's reflection danced across the surface. Shoko leaned into him a bit more, and he placed an arm around her, pulling her close. In the quiet, with nothing but the river's gentle sound and the night sky above, he felt a rare stillness settle over them.

"Hey, Shoko..." he said quietly, glancing down at her. "I... I don't really say this often, but... I'm glad you're here. Like, here." His voice was soft, almost hesitant as if he wasn't used to such words.

Shoko's gaze softened upon hearing his words, she found them reassuring, her eyes caught the moonlight as she looked up at him. She reached up, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead, then leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I am, too," she whispered. "More than you know."

She had a rather soft look on her face as she leaned into his embrace, Keitaro patted her head as he looked at the river, he could feel the flow of natural energy flowing through the river.

Closing his eyes a bit, Keitaro calmed down, breathing in a deep slow breath, Keitaro made sure that every muscle in his body was relaxed.

In his current state, Keitaro had practically become one with nature....his curse energy seemed to have vanished/suppressed.

He looked at Shoko in his arm, opening his eyes once again, this time his pupils looking like that of a frog.

Keitaro was a free spirit.....some might say he was like a wing, going where the wind took him, he could be gentle and calm, even soothing, however, he could also be as ferocious as a tornado.

The Namikaze part of his name stood for wave and wind.

A strong gust of wind could be felt, Keitaro had a soft smile on his face.....as a green hue started to appear around one of Akane's tails.

Keitaro's current mood was that of someone who felt free....someone not bound by 'it'.....

A/N...fun fact Minato chakra nature are, Wind, Fire and lightning.....

Also fun fact, did you know Akane had the firepower and Kirin had lightning power...I truly wonder what missing.