Those Years I Spent as a Love Rival to Ninjutsu

Senju Rina has lived next door to the clan leader's home since she was little.

She is frail and, although she attends ninja training with the other girls in her clan, she can't become a ninja.

After flower-arranging class, she tucks the flowers under her arm and climbs onto the wall of the clan leader's courtyard.

On the other side, a silver-haired boy tilts his head up slightly. His pomegranate-red eyes meet hers.

His face is stern, but his brows lift ever so slightly. "Rina, why are you climbing the wall again?"

Rina struggles to find her balance on top of the wall and sits down. After catching her breath, she offers the boy the azaleas left over from class. "I'm done with class. Look, aren't these flowers pretty?"

Tobirama looks away from Rina's pale fingers and fixes his gaze on the bare courtyard wall. In a gruff voice, he says, "Get down, quickly. You might fall."

Rina blinks, a little disappointed, then carefully jumps down from the wall.

As an adult, Senju Rina finally realizes that she's in love with the white-haired boy next door.

And the person she loves happens to love her too.

*

1. In this story, Izuna survives, and everyone gets a happy ending.

2. I really hate the Senju conspiracy theories.

3. I wrote this on a whim to lighten my mood. The heroine's talent has a set ceiling, and she won't get stronger. Childhood friends, with Tobirama as the male lead.

4. Tobirama can't become the Second Hokage, for the reason stated in point one.

5. If you want to nitpick the details, you're right.

6. Lots of flashbacks, told out of order and woven into the story.

7. The story went off track and has little to do with the title.

8. I'll add more if I think of anything.

Theme: Let's write some fanciful unrequited love.