The Illuminators: Last Trinity (A Naruto AU)
Episode 4.13: Stand Unrivaled - Noble Savages 3
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"Okay. I know what to do."
Joshua focused in on Guy as he accelerated, reading his movements. The jounin then started zig-zagging across the battlefield, trying to make himself a harder target.
If I were in your situation, with no ninjutsu to really make use of...what would I try to do next? You need to make it so that your opponent can't react fast enough.
"..."
Joshua tensed his legs before accelerating to meet Guy, who had burst straight ahead while kicking massive clouds of dust into the air behind him.
"Your next move...means we're going into the air. And that means that..."
"Eat this!"
He watched the punch come for his head before it stopped completely, acting as a feint for the front kick that came in right behind it.
"Got you. Time to reverse it!"
"Wha-"
Joshua sidestepped the kick before shifting forward, using chakra to boost his speed as he threw a heavy right handed punch towards Guy. The older man braced for impact and felt a hammer blow on his chest, only...the weight was somehow rapidly increasing?
"From me to you! Game over!"
Guy shot backwards at that, slamming into the ground some distance away and carving out a small trench with his body. He moved to pop back up but was held down by a firm hand.
"That's it, Guy. We're done."
"..." He knew better than to argue with the Hokage, especially with that tone. Guy nodded and Minato helped him up as he came out of the Third Gate, visibly exhausted and in pain.
"Listen, we have to talk about a few things. Namely about what you heard earlier..."
Joshua breathed a sigh of relief as Minato stepped in, and allowed himself to come out of the Second Gate. He grumbled in pain and took a seat on the ground where he was.
"What a mess. Didn't expect to get this sore today..."
"Well done, my love. You were magnificent," Hannah said as she knelt at his side. She took out a soft cloth and removed his hat before wiping his face for him. "To think you could so readily fight someone with an advantage like that...it makes me rather excited for our future together. I don't think I'll have anything to fear from anyone."
"Don't get too excited. I'm not some sort of god, as you can plainly see."
"Nor do I need you to be such. Our strength together will move mountains, and with a single command. Can you stand?"
"Yeah. I'm alright, just really sore."
"Then a warm soak will do wonders for you. Shall we have one together?"
"Hm." Joshua took back his hat from Hannah and put it on. "That sounds fine. Maybe you can tell me what you saw, any mistakes."
"Of course. We can talk then. For now...I believe that the Hokage is attempting to clear up this misunderstanding. Jiraiya has continued to meddle in our affairs."
"Yeah. I'm getting pretty tired of it. I don't mind as much when it's me, but in your case..."
"I feel the same as you do," Hannah replied. "Harassing you is a touch too far in my book."
"...now I hope you get it," Minato said as he finished explaining things to Guy. The jounin nodded, hand cupping his chin.
"I see. So it seems that Lord Jiraiya was merely mistaken in this case."
"Ah...yeah. Happens to the best of us," Minato replied wryly.
"Well, then. I will have the anti-darkness seals removed at the hospital, since they have no further use. Additionally, I will be sure to check with Kakashi in the future with regards to such matters. Your advice is as timely as ever, Lord Hokage."
"Uh, yeah. Glad I could help."
"My apologies for attacking you so abruptly, young man," Guy said as he approached Joshua again. "Our gracious Hokage has explained the situation to me, and I assure you such a mistake will not happen twice."
"As long as it's over, I've got no hard feelings."
"Excellent! Truly a warrior of high caliber and discipline. It was a great battle, though I didn't get to go all out. Perhaps next time you can get to see the Green Beast become the Blue Beast!"
"Blue..." Joshua mumbled to himself for a moment before shaking his head. "We'll have to see, but I might take you up on that offer one day."
"Fantastic!" Guy said, giving a thumbs-up. "Allow me to introduce myself properly!"
"We have already-"
"I am the Sublime Green Beast of the Hidden Leaf!" he yelled, interrupting Hannah. "Also known as the Leaf's Noble Savage, and guardian of the flame of YOUTH! The one and only, Might Guy!"
"Joshua West. Duo is...I guess it's one of my names now."
"Ah, I see. Joshua...West?" Guy blinked a few times. "You wouldn't happen to have any relation to...?"
"Oh, yeah. Keep it quiet, but that's my grandfather."
Guy closed his eyes in thought. "Of course...the blood of the ancient warriors that runs through your veins. I should have realized it sooner, that magnificent kind of skill. Jacob West also was a master of the Eight Gates, and an immaculate technician when it came to taijutsu. I know that there wasn't a single person in this world who could take him in a one on one fight. Not just fast, or strong, but with the ability to disable opponents before they could even realize it. Hmm...fascinating. Now I see why this skirmish didn't go the way I thought it would."
Minato coughed. "I think it would be best if you went to the hospital, Guy."
"Hm? Oh, that's right. I should do that. It's time to finally take my leave, then. Joshua West, in honour of your excellent ability and technique, I recognize you as the Shining Blue Arrow! I'm sure we will meet again soon! And you, young maiden! Please take care on your life's journey."
He took Hannah's hand and gently kissed it, giving her a wink afterwards.
She must have been excited...I can feel her trembling. Hopefully that battle didn't scare her too much.
Guy was oblivious to the look of disdain coming from the blonde girl, and missed when she rubbed the back of her hand furiously with a cloth as he saluted the Hokage and left.
"An abomination."
"That's a little much," Joshua said to her. "He's not a bad...guy...just misguided, I guess. Maybe slightly gullible. Anti-darkness seals...?" He tilted his head to one side.
"It's an abomination. That outfit. The hair. The eyebrows. Did you not see them wiggle at me?!"
Joshua shook his head. "Sheesh. We better get you home before you stab something."
"Sorry about that, honestly. It's hard to get him calmed down once he gets started, and some part of me was wondering what you could do in a fight. You're definitely some kind of genius, Joshua. Of course, you wouldn't go as far as saying that," Minato said with a smile.
"Right. You've figured me out."
"Heh. I bet you've got a trick or two up your sleeve, but I won't bother you too much about it. Anyways, Hikari will take you home while I get some of this commotion cleared up. Couple of people I'll need to talk to anyways...let Haru or Hikari know if you need any medical attention, alright?"
"We will. I'm assuming you're going to be busy tomorrow?" Joshua asked.
"Yeah. It's the last day for the kids to tune up, and I want to meet with all of them. Naruto I'm obviously going to spend the most time with overall, but everyone could use some extra tips and encouragement. It should be good. I think you all should take the day off, and then come out to see the tournament. I'll get you the good ninja seats, even."
"Appreciate that."
"Yes, we might just take you up on that offer," Hannah said. "After all, this too will determine how the world turns."
"Yup...war is already on the horizon, but that's not to say that the tournament results can't make it any worse. Thankfully, two of the matches are with the children from the Mist, and the Mizukage is level-headed. We'll see how it all goes..."
"Then we'll see you Saturday, hopefully," Joshua said. He and Hannah gave the Hokage a bow before leaving, following Hikari back to the hotel they were now staying in. This time the good suite was on the second floor, not too far from the available exits and fairly spacious. There was a living area, kitchen, and extra furniture to lounge around on with more floor space. Smaller, connected rooms could be reached through short passageways, and the bathroom was in the back, off to one side.
"Neat. Living like royalty for a while," Joshua said.
"Indeed. This seems like a just reward for the trouble we've endured."
"Alright, now...oof."
"..." Ritsu grabbed onto Joshua and pressed her face into his chest. She was quiet, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Ritsu?"
"..."
"...it's fine. I get it." He closed his eyes and hugged her back, placing a hand gently on the back of her head. She snuggled closer to him. Hannah smiled and gave Joshua a soft pat on the shoulder before leaving him alone, Hikari following suit.
"You're hurt," she mumbled into his shirt.
"Just a bit of strain from using the Inner Gates. Nothing serious. I won, by the way."
"I'm proud of you."
"Thanks."
"I just...want to stay like this for a while. Can you hold onto me? Please?"
"As long as you want, Ritsu."
"..."
"A lot of things happened today."
"Yes. But I...I just want you right now. Is it okay?" she asked.
"It is."
"For a while...just like this. I don't want anything else."
"Alright."
"...thank you for letting me be so selfish. I love you. I will always love you."
"I know."
She pressed her head into his chest again, able to feel his heartbeat and follow his breathing. Ritsu didn't know exactly why, but the feeling was needed, and soothing. She had worried all day, even though she felt like she shouldn't have. Things were changing. Things had already changed. But this feeling, this familiar warmth...it hadn't changed. It wouldn't. She believed that.
This world is a...harsh world. So I'll use the little strength I have within me. I'll protect your heart. I'll help you change this entire world.
Just as you changed mine.
---
[] Joshua goes to take that warm soak he wanted with Hannah. They discuss recent events and future endeavours.
[] The day moves to Friday, the eve of the tournament. What does the team do?
-[] Staying inside and resting is best. It's been a fairly stressful week.
-[] It's decided that a night out will do wonders.
--[] All together works.
--[] Joshua takes one of the girls out on a date, or 'date', whichever works. Something says that a bit of extra attention will help with the recent stress.
[] Custom options.
---
[] The big Chuunin Exam tournament is on Saturday.
-[] The team goes out and watches. Tournament results are summarized.
-[] The team goes out and watches. We'll get to see the tournament live!
-[] Custom option.
---
You have 1 stat point to distribute.
You have 1 element point to distribute.
Endurance in the Second Gate has been improved!
---
So it's currently Thursday afternoon and Joshua is sore from Gates. Friday is an off day with the Kage either visiting their kids, or in the case of Oonoki keeping tabs on the village while having tabs kept on them. No major movement will occur as a result. That means you have 1.5 days to do things if you want before the tournament. As always (I think?) approval voting is a thing.
Haru doesn't yet know about her upcoming 'adoption' and Ritsu has yet to hear about the events of the meeting.
As you can see I've given out two direct options wrt the tournament; I'm down for writing out all the rounds if people want to see it from start to finish since we've got an interesting cast due to this timeline. But if you want to skip everything and have a quick summary of each round within downtime, I'm okay with that as well. You're in the Leaf for the foreseeable future either way. The fight was pretty well played; it wasn't too difficult but Guy can be a tough opponent if you guess wrong. Fortunately Joshua is really good at hard reads and made use of that through you guys.
Any questions feel free to ask. I was worried about having to delay this a few days for several reasons, but I realized that I didn't have all that much to pack into the update, as I didn't want to drag out the fighting or add too many extra scenes before you guys got a chance to choose what you wanted to do. Hope you enjoy the update and thanks a lot for the support.
Joshua focused in on Guy as he accelerated, reading his movements. The jounin then started zig-zagging across the battlefield, trying to make himself a harder target.
If I were in your situation, with no ninjutsu to really make use of...what would I try to do next? You need to make it so that your opponent can't react fast enough.
"..."
Joshua tensed his legs before accelerating to meet Guy, who had burst straight ahead while kicking massive clouds of dust into the air behind him.
"Your next move...means we're going into the air. And that means that..."
"Eat this!"
He watched the punch come for his head before it stopped completely, acting as a feint for the front kick that came in right behind it.
"Got you. Time to reverse it!"
"Wha-"
Joshua sidestepped the kick before shifting forward, using chakra to boost his speed as he threw a heavy right handed punch towards Guy. The older man braced for impact and felt a hammer blow on his chest, only...the weight was somehow rapidly increasing?
"From me to you! Game over!"
Guy shot backwards at that, slamming into the ground some distance away and carving out a small trench with his body. He moved to pop back up but was held down by a firm hand.
"That's it, Guy. We're done."
"..." He knew better than to argue with the Hokage, especially with that tone. Guy nodded and Minato helped him up as he came out of the Third Gate, visibly exhausted and in pain.
"Listen, we have to talk about a few things. Namely about what you heard earlier..."
Joshua breathed a sigh of relief as Minato stepped in, and allowed himself to come out of the Second Gate. He grumbled in pain and took a seat on the ground where he was.
"What a mess. Didn't expect to get this sore today..."
"Well done, my love. You were magnificent," Hannah said as she knelt at his side. She took out a soft cloth and removed his hat before wiping his face for him. "To think you could so readily fight someone with an advantage like that...it makes me rather excited for our future together. I don't think I'll have anything to fear from anyone."
"Don't get too excited. I'm not some sort of god, as you can plainly see."
"Nor do I need you to be such. Our strength together will move mountains, and with a single command. Can you stand?"
"Yeah. I'm alright, just really sore."
"Then a warm soak will do wonders for you. Shall we have one together?"
"Hm." Joshua took back his hat from Hannah and put it on. "That sounds fine. Maybe you can tell me what you saw, any mistakes."
"Of course. We can talk then. For now...I believe that the Hokage is attempting to clear up this misunderstanding. Jiraiya has continued to meddle in our affairs."
"Yeah. I'm getting pretty tired of it. I don't mind as much when it's me, but in your case..."
"I feel the same as you do," Hannah replied. "Harassing you is a touch too far in my book."
"...now I hope you get it," Minato said as he finished explaining things to Guy. The jounin nodded, hand cupping his chin.
"I see. So it seems that Lord Jiraiya was merely mistaken in this case."
"Ah...yeah. Happens to the best of us," Minato replied wryly.
"Well, then. I will have the anti-darkness seals removed at the hospital, since they have no further use. Additionally, I will be sure to check with Kakashi in the future with regards to such matters. Your advice is as timely as ever, Lord Hokage."
"Uh, yeah. Glad I could help."
"My apologies for attacking you so abruptly, young man," Guy said as he approached Joshua again. "Our gracious Hokage has explained the situation to me, and I assure you such a mistake will not happen twice."
"As long as it's over, I've got no hard feelings."
"Excellent! Truly a warrior of high caliber and discipline. It was a great battle, though I didn't get to go all out. Perhaps next time you can get to see the Green Beast become the Blue Beast!"
"Blue..." Joshua mumbled to himself for a moment before shaking his head. "We'll have to see, but I might take you up on that offer one day."
"Fantastic!" Guy said, giving a thumbs-up. "Allow me to introduce myself properly!"
"We have already-"
"I am the Sublime Green Beast of the Hidden Leaf!" he yelled, interrupting Hannah. "Also known as the Leaf's Noble Savage, and guardian of the flame of YOUTH! The one and only, Might Guy!"
"Joshua West. Duo is...I guess it's one of my names now."
"Ah, I see. Joshua...West?" Guy blinked a few times. "You wouldn't happen to have any relation to...?"
"Oh, yeah. Keep it quiet, but that's my grandfather."
Guy closed his eyes in thought. "Of course...the blood of the ancient warriors that runs through your veins. I should have realized it sooner, that magnificent kind of skill. Jacob West also was a master of the Eight Gates, and an immaculate technician when it came to taijutsu. I know that there wasn't a single person in this world who could take him in a one on one fight. Not just fast, or strong, but with the ability to disable opponents before they could even realize it. Hmm...fascinating. Now I see why this skirmish didn't go the way I thought it would."
Minato coughed. "I think it would be best if you went to the hospital, Guy."
"Hm? Oh, that's right. I should do that. It's time to finally take my leave, then. Joshua West, in honour of your excellent ability and technique, I recognize you as the Shining Blue Arrow! I'm sure we will meet again soon! And you, young maiden! Please take care on your life's journey."
He took Hannah's hand and gently kissed it, giving her a wink afterwards.
She must have been excited...I can feel her trembling. Hopefully that battle didn't scare her too much.
Guy was oblivious to the look of disdain coming from the blonde girl, and missed when she rubbed the back of her hand furiously with a cloth as he saluted the Hokage and left.
"An abomination."
"That's a little much," Joshua said to her. "He's not a bad...guy...just misguided, I guess. Maybe slightly gullible. Anti-darkness seals...?" He tilted his head to one side.
"It's an abomination. That outfit. The hair. The eyebrows. Did you not see them wiggle at me?!"
Joshua shook his head. "Sheesh. We better get you home before you stab something."
"Sorry about that, honestly. It's hard to get him calmed down once he gets started, and some part of me was wondering what you could do in a fight. You're definitely some kind of genius, Joshua. Of course, you wouldn't go as far as saying that," Minato said with a smile.
"Right. You've figured me out."
"Heh. I bet you've got a trick or two up your sleeve, but I won't bother you too much about it. Anyways, Hikari will take you home while I get some of this commotion cleared up. Couple of people I'll need to talk to anyways...let Haru or Hikari know if you need any medical attention, alright?"
"We will. I'm assuming you're going to be busy tomorrow?" Joshua asked.
"Yeah. It's the last day for the kids to tune up, and I want to meet with all of them. Naruto I'm obviously going to spend the most time with overall, but everyone could use some extra tips and encouragement. It should be good. I think you all should take the day off, and then come out to see the tournament. I'll get you the good ninja seats, even."
"Appreciate that."
"Yes, we might just take you up on that offer," Hannah said. "After all, this too will determine how the world turns."
"Yup...war is already on the horizon, but that's not to say that the tournament results can't make it any worse. Thankfully, two of the matches are with the children from the Mist, and the Mizukage is level-headed. We'll see how it all goes..."
"Then we'll see you Saturday, hopefully," Joshua said. He and Hannah gave the Hokage a bow before leaving, following Hikari back to the hotel they were now staying in. This time the good suite was on the second floor, not too far from the available exits and fairly spacious. There was a living area, kitchen, and extra furniture to lounge around on with more floor space. Smaller, connected rooms could be reached through short passageways, and the bathroom was in the back, off to one side.
"Neat. Living like royalty for a while," Joshua said.
"Indeed. This seems like a just reward for the trouble we've endured."
"Alright, now...oof."
"..." Ritsu grabbed onto Joshua and pressed her face into his chest. She was quiet, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Ritsu?"
"..."
"...it's fine. I get it." He closed his eyes and hugged her back, placing a hand gently on the back of her head. She snuggled closer to him. Hannah smiled and gave Joshua a soft pat on the shoulder before leaving him alone, Hikari following suit.
"You're hurt," she mumbled into his shirt.
"Just a bit of strain from using the Inner Gates. Nothing serious. I won, by the way."
"I'm proud of you."
"Thanks."
"I just...want to stay like this for a while. Can you hold onto me? Please?"
"As long as you want, Ritsu."
"..."
"A lot of things happened today."
"Yes. But I...I just want you right now. Is it okay?" she asked.
"It is."
"For a while...just like this. I don't want anything else."
"Alright."
"...thank you for letting me be so selfish. I love you. I will always love you."
"I know."
She pressed her head into his chest again, able to feel his heartbeat and follow his breathing. Ritsu didn't know exactly why, but the feeling was needed, and soothing. She had worried all day, even though she felt like she shouldn't have. Things were changing. Things had already changed. But this feeling, this familiar warmth...it hadn't changed. It wouldn't. She believed that.
This world is a...harsh world. So I'll use the little strength I have within me. I'll protect your heart. I'll help you change this entire world.
Just as you changed mine.
---
[] Joshua goes to take that warm soak he wanted with Hannah. They discuss recent events and future endeavours.
[] The day moves to Friday, the eve of the tournament. What does the team do?
-[] Staying inside and resting is best. It's been a fairly stressful week.
-[] It's decided that a night out will do wonders.
--[] All together works.
--[] Joshua takes one of the girls out on a date, or 'date', whichever works. Something says that a bit of extra attention will help with the recent stress.
[] Custom options.
---
[] The big Chuunin Exam tournament is on Saturday.
-[] The team goes out and watches. Tournament results are summarized.
-[] The team goes out and watches. We'll get to see the tournament live!
-[] Custom option.
---
You have 1 stat point to distribute.
You have 1 element point to distribute.
Endurance in the Second Gate has been improved!
---
So it's currently Thursday afternoon and Joshua is sore from Gates. Friday is an off day with the Kage either visiting their kids, or in the case of Oonoki keeping tabs on the village while having tabs kept on them. No major movement will occur as a result. That means you have 1.5 days to do things if you want before the tournament. As always (I think?) approval voting is a thing.
Haru doesn't yet know about her upcoming 'adoption' and Ritsu has yet to hear about the events of the meeting.
As you can see I've given out two direct options wrt the tournament; I'm down for writing out all the rounds if people want to see it from start to finish since we've got an interesting cast due to this timeline. But if you want to skip everything and have a quick summary of each round within downtime, I'm okay with that as well. You're in the Leaf for the foreseeable future either way. The fight was pretty well played; it wasn't too difficult but Guy can be a tough opponent if you guess wrong. Fortunately Joshua is really good at hard reads and made use of that through you guys.
Any questions feel free to ask. I was worried about having to delay this a few days for several reasons, but I realized that I didn't have all that much to pack into the update, as I didn't want to drag out the fighting or add too many extra scenes before you guys got a chance to choose what you wanted to do. Hope you enjoy the update and thanks a lot for the support.
[X] Joshua goes to take that warm soak he wanted with Hannah. They discuss recent events and future endeavours.
[X] The big Chuunin Exam tournament is on Saturday.
-[X] The team goes out and watches. We'll get to see the tournament live!
[X] Element point: Wind
[X] Stat point: Taijutsu
Stat points can exceed 10?
If yes a Taijutsu point feels approriate.
[X] The big Chuunin Exam tournament is on Saturday.
-[X] The team goes out and watches. We'll get to see the tournament live!
[X] Element point: Wind
[X] Stat point: Taijutsu
Stat points can exceed 10?
If yes a Taijutsu point feels approriate.
Stats & Limit Breaking Brief
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I don't think I specified exactly how limit breaking worked, so I'll dictate it now
2 points = 1 point for every stat over 10. I said some stuff about rolls but that applies to training only.
You can stack 10 or more points for an auto + beside a stat. This doesn't boost the stat number but it adds a special ability or condition in that category. Once you get a + all other points will be 3:1 for continued stat increase.
Every 5 points over 10 will have a milestone that grants an extra special ability related to that stat.
If you choose to hold onto points I will track them before they are used. You can also put points one at a time into a stat and I will notate them accordingly in the data sheets.
Element points can exceed the limit at any time and will always be 1:1. Limit breaks will give jutsu bonuses. Element points are required for advanced natures.
2 points = 1 point for every stat over 10. I said some stuff about rolls but that applies to training only.
You can stack 10 or more points for an auto + beside a stat. This doesn't boost the stat number but it adds a special ability or condition in that category. Once you get a + all other points will be 3:1 for continued stat increase.
Every 5 points over 10 will have a milestone that grants an extra special ability related to that stat.
If you choose to hold onto points I will track them before they are used. You can also put points one at a time into a stat and I will notate them accordingly in the data sheets.
Element points can exceed the limit at any time and will always be 1:1. Limit breaks will give jutsu bonuses. Element points are required for advanced natures.
Last edited:
VileScurvy
Verified Pirate
- Location
- Malaysia
[X] Joshua goes to take that warm soak he wanted with Hannah. They discuss recent events and future endeavours.
[X] The big Chuunin Exam tournament is on Saturday.
-[X] The team goes out and watches. We'll get to see the tournament live!
[X] Element point: Wind
[X] Stat point: Taijutsu
That fight scene was awesome!Do you think we could teach Naruto some tricks in the future?
[X] The big Chuunin Exam tournament is on Saturday.
-[X] The team goes out and watches. We'll get to see the tournament live!
[X] Element point: Wind
[X] Stat point: Taijutsu
That fight scene was awesome!Do you think we could teach Naruto some tricks in the future?
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thanks
And yeah it's possible, you can also forge some other relationships in the future depending on how things go.
Aiming for Thursday update, Friday latest
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E4 Postlude: Among Clouds
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You almost lost track of time earlier.
Perhaps Ritsu in her subconscious knew that something had changed, and that was why she worried for you so much. Or maybe she picked up on some of the anxiety you were tucking away as a result of the meeting. It could have been a lot of things, but she felt for you. You didn't mind letting her hold tight to you. It was...really comforting, actually. Almost as if she was the one protecting you this time, wrapping you up in her warmth.
You would have to find a way to properly thank her, one day. For her courage, love, and everything else.
Right now, though...it's time for that hot soak you wanted. You take a quick shower and put a robe on over your swim trunks, then step into a pair of slippers. There are towels provided downstairs, so you should be set.
"Sorry for the wait, love. Are we ready?" Hannah asks as she meets you at the door. She has her hair in a loose bun and her own bathrobe on.
"Yep. Let's head down."
The trip isn't a long one, only one floor down and towards the back half of the hotel. You fish a magnetic card out of your robe pocket and push it into the slot beneath the door handle, opening up the room ahead.
"My, my. This is nice."
"Yeah. Mortal danger definitely has its perks."
The two of you enter the room, which contains what looks like a miniature swimming pool, formed into a square. The water is clearly very warm, and there progressive 'steps' leading down into it, doubling as seats you can use while you're inside. Dark tiles line the floor and the lighting is adequate while not being terribly bright. Vines and other hanging plants are placed along the walls. It's a neat, intimate little space. Quiet, save for the movement of the water in the small pool.
The help has left you several sizes of towel, water, and two bottles of wine left to chill in a bucket, along with two tall glasses. Both are non-alcoholic, you note.
"Drink? Sparkling wine," you say to Hannah as you shrug off your bathrobe. "Water's here, too. I'm not having anything."
"Same for me," she says, setting her robe down beside yours. You note her choice of outfit.
"Feeling modest today?"
"Something like that. You don't mind, do you?" Her swimsuit is plain and conservative enough, in two tasteful blue pieces.
"Why not? Blue is a good colour," you say as you step into the warm pool. You have a seat on one of the 'steps' and lean back, relaxing. Hannah slides in beside you and lets out a sigh.
"Ah...this is nice. It's been a while, I think."
"Yeah," you reply. "Few weeks, I guess. We wanted to do this more often, you said."
"I did mention it. Good for bonding, and such. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Wasn't terrible before, but this is good. I should be back to normal after some more rest and sleep. Tomorrow's an off day. I don't want us doing much," you say. "Ritsu say anything about the two goons?"
"Nothing. They haven't been moving much, according to her reports and Haru's. It seems they're very much waiting until after the tourney to make their move."
"Yeah, sounds like it. At least we're keeping tabs."
"Yes."
The soreness is starting to drift off beneath the water. Feels pretty good.
"She was worried about us."
"Ritsu, you mean. Yeah," you say to Hannah. "I didn't say anything yet, and she didn't want to hear it. I know she just feels that something's changed."
"She decided not to ask anything of me, either. We had a moment together, before I took my shower. I...I sometimes wonder about her. I wonder if she's not stronger than we know, but in another way. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I do. It's like she gets determined and kind of just...wraps you up, I guess?"
"That's the feeling, yes. It's one of warmth, and of safety. I wonder how we can help her grow in that manner. I want her to be strong, even if it doesn't mean fighting."
"I was thinking her talents were elsewhere, too. Like she can see a lot of things that you and I can't. Not that we're inadequate, but...maybe living like this closes some avenues off. You know?"
"I do see. It's always been my mission to expand my vision as much as I could, but it's possible that my eyes, and yours, aren't equipped to solve certain mysteries. However frustrating it might be, it's something that we need to accept. That said, all is not lost. Perhaps with her help, we can eventually see those things too. I want us to try."
"Yeah. I feel the same."
"Mm." You feel her slide next to you, and she reaches for your hand underneath the water. Her fingers find their way between yours as she grasps your hand.
"You alright?"
"I am. There's nothing wrong, really. I just...you know the face I put on. I don't try to hide myself when I'm near you, or her. Even so, I still have these moments of worry, these thoughts that sometimes things won't end up as okay as we want them to. That too is part of the change that comes down from heaven. A reminder that sometimes the flavour of life can be bitter. War is...very harsh. It's possible we can escape it and live our lives, but..."
"You don't think it will be that easy."
"I don't. I think we will have to fight, over and over. We will have to sacrifice, and struggle. Perhaps see our loved ones hurt. You're...intimate with that sort of pain, aren't you? Sitting helplessly. Watching..."
"..." You remember days of sitting on a wooden chair, in a wide room with people watching from behind you. A judge wearing a strange wig and black robes seemed to tower above you. Your heart ached as you saw your father with his head down, over and over, trying to think. That ache turned to anger as you saw your mother becoming more and more exhausted with each passing day. It hurt more as your sister tried to comfort you through her tears.
That time, you couldn't understand all the words that you did now. You just knew that things were slowly being pulled away from you, and you from all of them.
"Is it really alright to say that?" you ask Hannah.
"Of course it is. Your pain is a part of your story, even if it isn't something like the horror of murder and death. It matters to you. And you matter to me. Your feelings matter, Joshua. They're valid. You're valid. That's why I want you to come to me if you have need of anything, no matter how silly it might seem to the world outside."
"It's kind of vast."
"Vast...what is?" she asks, turning her face towards yours.
"All the space, I guess...filled by your love for me," you say with a smile.
"Well. It only makes sense that you're the sole recipient. There's...nobody else. I don't think there ever could be."
"I don't know if you should declare something like that so soon."
"I can't? That's rather paternalistic of you," she says, blushing a bit. "There's every chance that I'm right, and I have the agency to deal with that reckoning myself. Unless you want to take that agency away."
"Nothing like that, honestly. I could never."
"Then you're best served by letting me hold onto you. Forever, preferably."
"I'm cool with that," you say.
"I hoped you would say as much. Thank you. It's thanks to your kindness that things are the way they are. Not luck, or some convenient happening. So the love that cycles back to you so freely...it's only a logical process. You see, don't you?"
You tilt your head slightly. "Sort of?"
She gives you a kind smile. "It's nothing to worry about. Simply keep being yourself."
"That, I can do."
"Good."
It's quiet again for a while, and you relax. The water is supposed to be around body temperature, or a little higher, you think. You wonder exactly what kind of system they use for the heating and water circulation. Could be useful one day...or you would just have one of those big wooden tubs outside. Probably more like it.
"Hey," you say as you give Hannah's hand a gentle squeeze. Her eyes focus again and she looks over at you.
"What is it, darling?"
"Saturday. You're not opposed to going, right?"
"Oh, certainly not. I'm quite interested to see how those children do. There has been a lot of advertising around lately, what with the Hokage's son participating."
"Naruto, yeah. It's gotta be overwhelming for the kid. First year as a genin, probably getting promoted, and now the biggest match in the tournament by far. Has his face plastered all over town, too. I wonder about the other girl...Miyajima. Have you heard much about her?" you ask.
"Aside from what Yukari said earlier...she was already under pressure to make it to the final round, but now with the upcoming conflict, that must have been pushed even higher. I want to hope that nothing bad will happen, but she may push herself too far as a result of these influences."
"Yeah. I wouldn't put it past A to have her go all out in the opener, especially since there are a few days of rest in between rounds now."
"We'll be doing due diligence by keeping an eye on matters."
"Agreed. Oh, we need to get Haru set up if she does join us."
"You mean our technique. Yukari left us instructions, so we can connect her ourselves. However, we do have that scroll in case we do need to go directly to her. She says that she'll charge us for stopping in unexpectedly, but her sense of humour is quite dry."
You chuckle a bit. "Yeah, seemed like it. She's really nice, though. I think she and Senna are a great couple."
"You picked up on it right away."
"Of course I did. And experience helps, a little."
"Experience?"
"Noriko is...like, really. You'll have to talk to her about the details, I can't say anything."
"Is she?" Hannah says, intrigued. "Well. Perhaps it was my own bias, but I didn't think she would be a lesbian. She sounded very straight-laced from what you told me. "
"Oh, she's all business, no question. Consummate professional. Just that...one day she stopped deciding to be old fashioned and it all clicked for her. She tried boys...not her thing."
"Were you included?"
"Nope. Didn't bother me, either. She thought it would."
"You are rather mysterious when it comes to your preferences," she says pointedly.
You shrug. "Probably."
"Mm. We'll have to have a proper talk about that aspect. Perhaps after I meet your parents."
"Heh. Go for it. Though you should talk to my sister first, she can go off when she wants to."
"I'll keep it in mind. Much appreciated."
"So you want to head west after this?" you ask.
"Not quite yet...we still have the matters of collecting my sword and the summoning contracts to get to. Also, we might have other work as a result of recent events, there is the rise of Akatsuki to consider...if we do get an opening, I think it would be quite nice to see your hometown soon, though."
"There might be a lot on our plates, yeah..."
"Remember, my love. One day at a time, with all of us behind you. There is nothing to fear."
"Thanks, Hannah."
"Of course. It would be a shame if I could not support my beloved. Though...when we do go home, there is something I would need to ask. Nothing ominous, but...important, in many ways. I will remind you when the time comes."
"Got it. I'll wait until then."
"Thank you."
"As for further in the future...eh." You shrug slowly. "We'll wait for the fog to clear before then. Probably will need to talk to Mom and Dad...right. I'm probably half asleep because of this water. We have to deal with Donovan and whatever he's doing in the Iron."
"Hm. I have a feeling that Oonoki will be putting himself into the middle of that nonsense," Hannah points out. "Remember that he and Akatsuki are linked in their own way."
"And Madara's there, too. So Donovan is definitely connected. I wonder how much time we'll have."
"Enough, I presume. With the battle lines drawn, there should be regular monitoring of the Hidden Rock and its elements. We can ask Yukari about radical elements and defectors at that time."
"Solid."
"Is there much else to worry about? Haru, I suppose. I wonder what she looks like under that mask...I imagine she's quite attractive."
"I think she's straight. Though times are changing, and you're...well, you. Hard to resist."
"Oh~? A rather risque compliment from you," she says teasingly.
"I didn't think I needed to say it. Do I?"
"Hmhm~ I think you do need to, from time to time. Stroke my ego, make me blush. I do love it."
"Heh. I'll remember that, then. Promise."
"I know you will. So considerate and manly...oh, I wonder about you. You can be a silly boy sometimes."
"How so?"
"Your harem of aunties, for one."
You grumble, and she puts her head on your shoulder.
"I'm going to tease you about it forever, and you're going to hang onto that habit. Because you're too polite for your own good sometimes."
"Yeah, yeah..."
You both go into a comfortable silence again, letting the warmth of the water flow into you. A while longer before you get out...this is pretty nice.
"Someday...the mountains..."
Hannah is quietly whispering to herself. About what, you can't parse...but you know she would tell you if it was something important. You trust her...more than the world says you should. But you've never listened to those voices anyways, have you?
Falling asleep here would be bad...you decide to quietly meditate instead.
You feel your partner squeeze your hand gently, and squeeze back.
---
"How's that?"
"That's good. Great, even. Thanks, Ritsu. I appreciate this."
Today is Friday. As promised, you do nothing of substance. Ritsu is giving you a massage as you lay down on your bed. Her hands are nimble and precise; she's done this before, willfully and otherwise. The reminder of what she had to go through still stings a bit, but she assures you that it's okay and gets to work.
You're all the way back to normal but rest more anyways. Ritsu for some reason still doesn't want to hear about the meeting yet, from any of you. You conference with Hannah and Haru, and the three of you decide to leave it alone for the time being. Haru leaves for the afternoon, taking Hikari with her.
The three of you lounge around the suite for the rest of the afternoon.
---
You yawn and open your eyes from the living room couch. It's evening now, from what you can tell.
"..."
Scratching your head, you walk to the kitchen and drowsily open the fridge. Different kinds of juices and other drinks. You can see alcohol in the back, though you're not terribly interested. There's a light pink liquid in one of the slim bottles, and you take it out. Looks fizzy.
You pour out a glass and sit at the nearby marble table before taking a few sips.
"Grapefruit," you mumble, smacking your lips a few times. Hannah strolls in and kisses you on the cheek before taking your glass from you for a moment, out of view. She hands it back soon after, and you take another sip.
"I don't recognize it," she says to you.
"Grapefruit."
"I like it. It's...complex in flavour."
"Yeah." She sits beside you, wearing another one of those long shirts that go down to her knees. Her hair is messy and she looks like she just woke up herself. She takes the glass from you again and drinks before refilling it, then handing it back to you. You take another sip. "What are you thinking?" you ask.
"She needs to hear it. Before the tournament tomorrow."
"Sounds like she doesn't want to."
"There might be a lot of nasty emotions in there. If war is a hard subject for us, who have spent long enough spilling blood, then it must be something else for her."
"I don't think she would run away."
"No. But she has to face the wall first. That would be the hardest part." Hannah props up her head with one arm against the table. "I remember my first kill."
"What was it like?"
The pause is short. "Refreshing."
"Hm."
Her violet eyes move to meet yours. "Nothing more?"
"No. I felt...disappointed. In humanity. It didn't feel good, but for different reasons. I think in my head I had come to terms with it, and it's different punching people to death, I guess. It was just different."
"That sounds just like you, in a way. You're not going to say anything?"
"No. You're not a monster. If I did see you as one, we wouldn't be together right now. Your sins aren't hidden from me, and mine aren't from you."
"I wonder...how I could be so blessed," she mutters.
"Did you want me to hate you? Even a little?" you ask, taking another sip of your drink.
"I braced myself for it." Her gaze goes to the ceiling, and the fan spinning above your heads. "I ask if you would accept all of me, every day. And each day, the answer comes back as a yes, without you saying a word. Without even knowing what the question was. It's too much sometimes. For me, who has gone through so much and accepted herself as a monster."
"You deserve patience too. Just like you told me...you matter. You and your feelings are valid."
"Would you believe that all the love I give you is something I don't think I deserve myself?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"'Cause a long time ago, I used to feel the same way."
She lets out a breath, putting her hands into her lap. "Ridiculous. For you to be..."
"What?"
"Nothing...it's nothing. I know how to love myself, but it's as you said before. I'm simply not used to this kind of intimacy. Someone reaching into me and touching those fragile parts...well. Might we leave it that?" she asks.
"We can."
"Thank you. I mean to say, for all of it. Healing isn't easy, and you're healing me. Every day. As for Ritsu...I want us to talk to her before the day is over. What do you think?"
You finish your drink and go for another refill as you think.
---
[] Now is the time to tell Ritsu about what happened.
[] It can wait until after the tournament.
---
[] Take the rest of the night off as planned. Tomorrow is another day.
[] You should go out for a walk, see what the village is like. You will be fighting for this place soon.
[] Take Hannah out on the town. You feel like you should continue to get closer to her today.
[] Custom option.
---
Figured I would add another stop in case people wanted to do something before the tournament.
Also I like writing through character dynamics and stuff here, so I get carried away sometimes. Enjoy the update.
Perhaps Ritsu in her subconscious knew that something had changed, and that was why she worried for you so much. Or maybe she picked up on some of the anxiety you were tucking away as a result of the meeting. It could have been a lot of things, but she felt for you. You didn't mind letting her hold tight to you. It was...really comforting, actually. Almost as if she was the one protecting you this time, wrapping you up in her warmth.
You would have to find a way to properly thank her, one day. For her courage, love, and everything else.
Right now, though...it's time for that hot soak you wanted. You take a quick shower and put a robe on over your swim trunks, then step into a pair of slippers. There are towels provided downstairs, so you should be set.
"Sorry for the wait, love. Are we ready?" Hannah asks as she meets you at the door. She has her hair in a loose bun and her own bathrobe on.
"Yep. Let's head down."
The trip isn't a long one, only one floor down and towards the back half of the hotel. You fish a magnetic card out of your robe pocket and push it into the slot beneath the door handle, opening up the room ahead.
"My, my. This is nice."
"Yeah. Mortal danger definitely has its perks."
The two of you enter the room, which contains what looks like a miniature swimming pool, formed into a square. The water is clearly very warm, and there progressive 'steps' leading down into it, doubling as seats you can use while you're inside. Dark tiles line the floor and the lighting is adequate while not being terribly bright. Vines and other hanging plants are placed along the walls. It's a neat, intimate little space. Quiet, save for the movement of the water in the small pool.
The help has left you several sizes of towel, water, and two bottles of wine left to chill in a bucket, along with two tall glasses. Both are non-alcoholic, you note.
"Drink? Sparkling wine," you say to Hannah as you shrug off your bathrobe. "Water's here, too. I'm not having anything."
"Same for me," she says, setting her robe down beside yours. You note her choice of outfit.
"Feeling modest today?"
"Something like that. You don't mind, do you?" Her swimsuit is plain and conservative enough, in two tasteful blue pieces.
"Why not? Blue is a good colour," you say as you step into the warm pool. You have a seat on one of the 'steps' and lean back, relaxing. Hannah slides in beside you and lets out a sigh.
"Ah...this is nice. It's been a while, I think."
"Yeah," you reply. "Few weeks, I guess. We wanted to do this more often, you said."
"I did mention it. Good for bonding, and such. How are you feeling?"
"Better. Wasn't terrible before, but this is good. I should be back to normal after some more rest and sleep. Tomorrow's an off day. I don't want us doing much," you say. "Ritsu say anything about the two goons?"
"Nothing. They haven't been moving much, according to her reports and Haru's. It seems they're very much waiting until after the tourney to make their move."
"Yeah, sounds like it. At least we're keeping tabs."
"Yes."
The soreness is starting to drift off beneath the water. Feels pretty good.
"She was worried about us."
"Ritsu, you mean. Yeah," you say to Hannah. "I didn't say anything yet, and she didn't want to hear it. I know she just feels that something's changed."
"She decided not to ask anything of me, either. We had a moment together, before I took my shower. I...I sometimes wonder about her. I wonder if she's not stronger than we know, but in another way. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I do. It's like she gets determined and kind of just...wraps you up, I guess?"
"That's the feeling, yes. It's one of warmth, and of safety. I wonder how we can help her grow in that manner. I want her to be strong, even if it doesn't mean fighting."
"I was thinking her talents were elsewhere, too. Like she can see a lot of things that you and I can't. Not that we're inadequate, but...maybe living like this closes some avenues off. You know?"
"I do see. It's always been my mission to expand my vision as much as I could, but it's possible that my eyes, and yours, aren't equipped to solve certain mysteries. However frustrating it might be, it's something that we need to accept. That said, all is not lost. Perhaps with her help, we can eventually see those things too. I want us to try."
"Yeah. I feel the same."
"Mm." You feel her slide next to you, and she reaches for your hand underneath the water. Her fingers find their way between yours as she grasps your hand.
"You alright?"
"I am. There's nothing wrong, really. I just...you know the face I put on. I don't try to hide myself when I'm near you, or her. Even so, I still have these moments of worry, these thoughts that sometimes things won't end up as okay as we want them to. That too is part of the change that comes down from heaven. A reminder that sometimes the flavour of life can be bitter. War is...very harsh. It's possible we can escape it and live our lives, but..."
"You don't think it will be that easy."
"I don't. I think we will have to fight, over and over. We will have to sacrifice, and struggle. Perhaps see our loved ones hurt. You're...intimate with that sort of pain, aren't you? Sitting helplessly. Watching..."
"..." You remember days of sitting on a wooden chair, in a wide room with people watching from behind you. A judge wearing a strange wig and black robes seemed to tower above you. Your heart ached as you saw your father with his head down, over and over, trying to think. That ache turned to anger as you saw your mother becoming more and more exhausted with each passing day. It hurt more as your sister tried to comfort you through her tears.
That time, you couldn't understand all the words that you did now. You just knew that things were slowly being pulled away from you, and you from all of them.
"Is it really alright to say that?" you ask Hannah.
"Of course it is. Your pain is a part of your story, even if it isn't something like the horror of murder and death. It matters to you. And you matter to me. Your feelings matter, Joshua. They're valid. You're valid. That's why I want you to come to me if you have need of anything, no matter how silly it might seem to the world outside."
"It's kind of vast."
"Vast...what is?" she asks, turning her face towards yours.
"All the space, I guess...filled by your love for me," you say with a smile.
"Well. It only makes sense that you're the sole recipient. There's...nobody else. I don't think there ever could be."
"I don't know if you should declare something like that so soon."
"I can't? That's rather paternalistic of you," she says, blushing a bit. "There's every chance that I'm right, and I have the agency to deal with that reckoning myself. Unless you want to take that agency away."
"Nothing like that, honestly. I could never."
"Then you're best served by letting me hold onto you. Forever, preferably."
"I'm cool with that," you say.
"I hoped you would say as much. Thank you. It's thanks to your kindness that things are the way they are. Not luck, or some convenient happening. So the love that cycles back to you so freely...it's only a logical process. You see, don't you?"
You tilt your head slightly. "Sort of?"
She gives you a kind smile. "It's nothing to worry about. Simply keep being yourself."
"That, I can do."
"Good."
It's quiet again for a while, and you relax. The water is supposed to be around body temperature, or a little higher, you think. You wonder exactly what kind of system they use for the heating and water circulation. Could be useful one day...or you would just have one of those big wooden tubs outside. Probably more like it.
"Hey," you say as you give Hannah's hand a gentle squeeze. Her eyes focus again and she looks over at you.
"What is it, darling?"
"Saturday. You're not opposed to going, right?"
"Oh, certainly not. I'm quite interested to see how those children do. There has been a lot of advertising around lately, what with the Hokage's son participating."
"Naruto, yeah. It's gotta be overwhelming for the kid. First year as a genin, probably getting promoted, and now the biggest match in the tournament by far. Has his face plastered all over town, too. I wonder about the other girl...Miyajima. Have you heard much about her?" you ask.
"Aside from what Yukari said earlier...she was already under pressure to make it to the final round, but now with the upcoming conflict, that must have been pushed even higher. I want to hope that nothing bad will happen, but she may push herself too far as a result of these influences."
"Yeah. I wouldn't put it past A to have her go all out in the opener, especially since there are a few days of rest in between rounds now."
"We'll be doing due diligence by keeping an eye on matters."
"Agreed. Oh, we need to get Haru set up if she does join us."
"You mean our technique. Yukari left us instructions, so we can connect her ourselves. However, we do have that scroll in case we do need to go directly to her. She says that she'll charge us for stopping in unexpectedly, but her sense of humour is quite dry."
You chuckle a bit. "Yeah, seemed like it. She's really nice, though. I think she and Senna are a great couple."
"You picked up on it right away."
"Of course I did. And experience helps, a little."
"Experience?"
"Noriko is...like, really. You'll have to talk to her about the details, I can't say anything."
"Is she?" Hannah says, intrigued. "Well. Perhaps it was my own bias, but I didn't think she would be a lesbian. She sounded very straight-laced from what you told me. "
"Oh, she's all business, no question. Consummate professional. Just that...one day she stopped deciding to be old fashioned and it all clicked for her. She tried boys...not her thing."
"Were you included?"
"Nope. Didn't bother me, either. She thought it would."
"You are rather mysterious when it comes to your preferences," she says pointedly.
You shrug. "Probably."
"Mm. We'll have to have a proper talk about that aspect. Perhaps after I meet your parents."
"Heh. Go for it. Though you should talk to my sister first, she can go off when she wants to."
"I'll keep it in mind. Much appreciated."
"So you want to head west after this?" you ask.
"Not quite yet...we still have the matters of collecting my sword and the summoning contracts to get to. Also, we might have other work as a result of recent events, there is the rise of Akatsuki to consider...if we do get an opening, I think it would be quite nice to see your hometown soon, though."
"There might be a lot on our plates, yeah..."
"Remember, my love. One day at a time, with all of us behind you. There is nothing to fear."
"Thanks, Hannah."
"Of course. It would be a shame if I could not support my beloved. Though...when we do go home, there is something I would need to ask. Nothing ominous, but...important, in many ways. I will remind you when the time comes."
"Got it. I'll wait until then."
"Thank you."
"As for further in the future...eh." You shrug slowly. "We'll wait for the fog to clear before then. Probably will need to talk to Mom and Dad...right. I'm probably half asleep because of this water. We have to deal with Donovan and whatever he's doing in the Iron."
"Hm. I have a feeling that Oonoki will be putting himself into the middle of that nonsense," Hannah points out. "Remember that he and Akatsuki are linked in their own way."
"And Madara's there, too. So Donovan is definitely connected. I wonder how much time we'll have."
"Enough, I presume. With the battle lines drawn, there should be regular monitoring of the Hidden Rock and its elements. We can ask Yukari about radical elements and defectors at that time."
"Solid."
"Is there much else to worry about? Haru, I suppose. I wonder what she looks like under that mask...I imagine she's quite attractive."
"I think she's straight. Though times are changing, and you're...well, you. Hard to resist."
"Oh~? A rather risque compliment from you," she says teasingly.
"I didn't think I needed to say it. Do I?"
"Hmhm~ I think you do need to, from time to time. Stroke my ego, make me blush. I do love it."
"Heh. I'll remember that, then. Promise."
"I know you will. So considerate and manly...oh, I wonder about you. You can be a silly boy sometimes."
"How so?"
"Your harem of aunties, for one."
You grumble, and she puts her head on your shoulder.
"I'm going to tease you about it forever, and you're going to hang onto that habit. Because you're too polite for your own good sometimes."
"Yeah, yeah..."
You both go into a comfortable silence again, letting the warmth of the water flow into you. A while longer before you get out...this is pretty nice.
"Someday...the mountains..."
Hannah is quietly whispering to herself. About what, you can't parse...but you know she would tell you if it was something important. You trust her...more than the world says you should. But you've never listened to those voices anyways, have you?
Falling asleep here would be bad...you decide to quietly meditate instead.
You feel your partner squeeze your hand gently, and squeeze back.
---
"How's that?"
"That's good. Great, even. Thanks, Ritsu. I appreciate this."
Today is Friday. As promised, you do nothing of substance. Ritsu is giving you a massage as you lay down on your bed. Her hands are nimble and precise; she's done this before, willfully and otherwise. The reminder of what she had to go through still stings a bit, but she assures you that it's okay and gets to work.
You're all the way back to normal but rest more anyways. Ritsu for some reason still doesn't want to hear about the meeting yet, from any of you. You conference with Hannah and Haru, and the three of you decide to leave it alone for the time being. Haru leaves for the afternoon, taking Hikari with her.
The three of you lounge around the suite for the rest of the afternoon.
---
You yawn and open your eyes from the living room couch. It's evening now, from what you can tell.
"..."
Scratching your head, you walk to the kitchen and drowsily open the fridge. Different kinds of juices and other drinks. You can see alcohol in the back, though you're not terribly interested. There's a light pink liquid in one of the slim bottles, and you take it out. Looks fizzy.
You pour out a glass and sit at the nearby marble table before taking a few sips.
"Grapefruit," you mumble, smacking your lips a few times. Hannah strolls in and kisses you on the cheek before taking your glass from you for a moment, out of view. She hands it back soon after, and you take another sip.
"I don't recognize it," she says to you.
"Grapefruit."
"I like it. It's...complex in flavour."
"Yeah." She sits beside you, wearing another one of those long shirts that go down to her knees. Her hair is messy and she looks like she just woke up herself. She takes the glass from you again and drinks before refilling it, then handing it back to you. You take another sip. "What are you thinking?" you ask.
"She needs to hear it. Before the tournament tomorrow."
"Sounds like she doesn't want to."
"There might be a lot of nasty emotions in there. If war is a hard subject for us, who have spent long enough spilling blood, then it must be something else for her."
"I don't think she would run away."
"No. But she has to face the wall first. That would be the hardest part." Hannah props up her head with one arm against the table. "I remember my first kill."
"What was it like?"
The pause is short. "Refreshing."
"Hm."
Her violet eyes move to meet yours. "Nothing more?"
"No. I felt...disappointed. In humanity. It didn't feel good, but for different reasons. I think in my head I had come to terms with it, and it's different punching people to death, I guess. It was just different."
"That sounds just like you, in a way. You're not going to say anything?"
"No. You're not a monster. If I did see you as one, we wouldn't be together right now. Your sins aren't hidden from me, and mine aren't from you."
"I wonder...how I could be so blessed," she mutters.
"Did you want me to hate you? Even a little?" you ask, taking another sip of your drink.
"I braced myself for it." Her gaze goes to the ceiling, and the fan spinning above your heads. "I ask if you would accept all of me, every day. And each day, the answer comes back as a yes, without you saying a word. Without even knowing what the question was. It's too much sometimes. For me, who has gone through so much and accepted herself as a monster."
"You deserve patience too. Just like you told me...you matter. You and your feelings are valid."
"Would you believe that all the love I give you is something I don't think I deserve myself?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"'Cause a long time ago, I used to feel the same way."
She lets out a breath, putting her hands into her lap. "Ridiculous. For you to be..."
"What?"
"Nothing...it's nothing. I know how to love myself, but it's as you said before. I'm simply not used to this kind of intimacy. Someone reaching into me and touching those fragile parts...well. Might we leave it that?" she asks.
"We can."
"Thank you. I mean to say, for all of it. Healing isn't easy, and you're healing me. Every day. As for Ritsu...I want us to talk to her before the day is over. What do you think?"
You finish your drink and go for another refill as you think.
---
[] Now is the time to tell Ritsu about what happened.
[] It can wait until after the tournament.
---
[] Take the rest of the night off as planned. Tomorrow is another day.
[] You should go out for a walk, see what the village is like. You will be fighting for this place soon.
[] Take Hannah out on the town. You feel like you should continue to get closer to her today.
[] Custom option.
---
Figured I would add another stop in case people wanted to do something before the tournament.
Also I like writing through character dynamics and stuff here, so I get carried away sometimes. Enjoy the update.
VileScurvy
Verified Pirate
- Location
- Malaysia
[X] Now is the time to tell Ritsu about what happened.
[X] Take the rest of the night off as planned. Tomorrow is another day.
Laggy sv equals not fun times.Sigh.
[X] Take the rest of the night off as planned. Tomorrow is another day.
Laggy sv equals not fun times.Sigh.
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No worries. Glad you could still make it out.
Still doing some work on Haru, I was taking her into consideration but sorta expecting to keep the team as it was. Though it makes sense, otherwise the offer never would have appeared. As with Ritsu, looking forward to the new shifts in story.
Deadline is Thursday, Friday latest.
Still doing some work on Haru, I was taking her into consideration but sorta expecting to keep the team as it was. Though it makes sense, otherwise the offer never would have appeared. As with Ritsu, looking forward to the new shifts in story.
Deadline is Thursday, Friday latest.
Last edited:
E4 Postlude: Among Clouds 2
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"I agree with you. We'll talk to her in a bit."
"Good. I can wait a while for you until you're ready."
You take a few more minutes to think and finish up, feeling more awake. Probably best to take the rest of the night off, but you wanted to be sure of a few things first.
After reaching the bedroom that Hannah and Ritsu share, you knock on the door twice. "Ritsu? It's us. Can we come in?"
"Yes, sir. It's alright."
"Thanks." You enter and see that she's still in her pyjamas, setting a book down on the nearby nightstand. She bows towards you and Hannah.
"I woke up an hour ago...I wanted to do some more reading."
"That's alright. Sit with us?" you ask.
"Yes, I will, sir."
You have a seat on the bed together, Ritsu on your left and Hannah next to her. Ritsu has her head down a while, remaining quiet. None of you say anything for what feels like a long while.
"I...I'm sorry about earlier, sir. I brushed everyone off, even though I knew this was something we had to talk about eventually," she finally says.
"We don't ever want to force you into anything you're not ready for. You were right to ask for more time, and you were as polite as ever. There's nothing for you to be ashamed of, Ritsu," you say to her.
"Yes, that's correct," Hannah follows up. "If you feel anything wrong at all, or simply don't want to speak, we will do everything we can to respect that. This isn't yet an immediate matter of life and death, so you're allowed to take your time."
"Thank you...I understand better now. I was just wondering if it wasn't inconvenient."
"It's our job to communicate that to you if it's ever the case. And if we don't, you can tell us. As much as we try to be, we aren't perfect. There's always room for improvement," you reply.
"I don't mean to act like...to seem like...I don't trust you."
"We know. Ritsu, you've been through a lot. You've been wounded, possibly deeper than you knew at first. Healing takes time, and so does opening the depths of your heart to those you love. I won't hate you for holding back, and Hannah won't either. It's alright to be afraid, and to doubt. Please remember that."
"I'll try. Thank you...thank you so much for saying that. I needed to hear it, just one more time," Ritsu says gratefully.
"Any time, ninja girl. So...are you ready now?"
"I am. I...feel like the things I'm going to hear, they'll be painful in many ways. But I also understand that it's something I need to listen to, and truly comprehend. I want to be helpful in my own way. So please...tell me everything."
"Okay," you say with a nod. Hannah gently hugs her from behind, and she relaxes. You start from the beginning, detailing the hostile start to the meeting and everything that followed it. Hannah adds in details from her perspective, helping you paint a vivid picture for Ritsu's sake. She's attentive, looking right at you and trying to absorb every detail that you speak to her.
As you finish with the Raikage's ultimatum, you see her expression change sharply. The pain on her face is lifted a bit as you talk about the alliances you've now forged with the Leaf and Mist, but...there's still sadness in her eyes.
"I understand now. That was the source of my worry...my spirit felt it before I could truly comprehend what it was I was feeling. But now I know. When I clung to you both, it was...worry. It was a longing, a desire that I could stay with you both forever and ever," Ritsu says. "I...is it okay if I speak a while longer?"
"Of course it is, love. Tell us as much as you want to," Hannah says reassuringly.
"There's just so much to say. So much that I want to let out. I can see that we're heading towards war. Soon our entire world will be wrapped up in it completely. I know that there are people who are willing to rise above themselves and their stations, putting justice before their respective nations...and that makes me happy. But even so...I..."
Ritsu starts to tremble a bit, and you put your hand on top of hers.
"It's not something strictly logical, m-maybe...but...my heart aches so much right now. Both of you saved my life. I would have crumbled to nothing eventually, if I had been left in the state I was. I would have been a passing phantom, just another person in the back of your memories who disappeared into the aether. I really would have died. But you gave me kindness, you saved me, you gave me purpose. And even now, you're continuing to care for me. You're teaching me how to live, how to survive on the battlefield, how to take care of myself and how to truly heal. You're giving me life. Everything I am at this moment is thanks to you, and you've asked nothing in return. It's why I love you so much." She stops and sniffles, wiping some of the tears that have run down her cheeks. "You brought that kindness, that sense of duty to the leaders of the world...and some of them just rejected you. They chose to hate you. I don't want to lose you. I have these sights, these visions in my head of losing you both, of having you ripped away, and I can't stand it...I can't stand it at all. I trust you, I've seen how strong you both are, I know your skill, and yet...and yet I still worry, I worry so much. I don't want war. I don't want to lose either of you, because you're...you're...god, I'm sorry. I'm just..."
"There's nothing wrong with you," you say as you hug her tightly. Hannah does the same, placing her warm hands on top of yours. "I worry too. I want everything to be okay. We'll make it..."
"We will make it, yes. But it's okay to feel pain...to worry and cry. You will never shame us by being open about your emotions, Ritsu. We will be here to wipe your tears for you. We will love you forever."
She lets out a trembling breath. "I'm still so...scared. I just want...please stay with me. Keep holding me like this. Please..."
"As long as you want. You're our precious Ritsu. Never forget that," Hannah says.
"All you have to do is ask, and we'll be at your side," you add in. "That's our promise to you."
She nods slowly and goes quiet, her crying eventually reduced to occasional sniffles. You and Hannah continue to embrace her, feeding warmth into her and each other.
---
After Ritsu calms down some more, the three of you have a discussion over what's going on. She asks questions about the financial situations of the shinobi powers, how they tend to operate, things on smaller scales. Pieces start to slowly come together for her...she's determined to find out as much as she can and make use of the information that's gathered. Ritsu is already more than useful, but you keep out of her way by not saying it. Her brain is already moving, and she doesn't need to be coddled like that.
"Mm...I don't have anything yet."
"I think it's a bit soon to formulate anything," you say to her. "We can wait for more information to filter in. Oh, right. We're meeting with Lady Tsunade later in the week. We'll let you know if she says anything that stands out."
"Thank you. I'll keep all of this in the back of my mind for now. There are other things I feel I need to work on first...and that are less troublesome, I think. When we leave the village, I would like to run a test...I'll have to write up the details properly."
"Looking forward to it," you say. "Oh, and...this is a secret between us three for now. If she gives the okay to the Hokage, Haru will be joining us from now on."
"Really?" Ritsu's eyes light up. "I didn't think that could happen, but I'm excited to hear it. Not only is she nice, but she's very attentive and skilled. I think I could learn a lot from her. And best of all, I wouldn't be as much of a-"
"You are not a liability," Hannah says.
"Ma'am, please. We all know-"
"You're not a liability," you repeat.
"Honestly! Sir, ma'am! You know that I'm the weak-"
"You're not a liability, Ritsu." You both say it firmly at the same time. She rolls her eyes and gives in.
"Understood. I'm not a liability."
"Remember that from now on. Or you'll be punished harshly," Hannah says.
Ritsu gives her a smug look. "I doubt that, ma'am. I know you wouldn't hurt me."
"Who said anything about hurting~?"
"Ah...? W-wait...aha...hahaha...h-hold on...!"
Hannah looks away from her tickling a moment. "Joshua, if you would leave us alone a while? Oh, by the way..."
"We have the night off, that's an order."
"Yes, sir~ That means I have all night to punish this naughty one!"
"S-sir...ahahaha! Help!" Ritsu cries out, tears in her eyes.
"Sorry, ninja girl. You asked for it. See you two later."
"Hahahaha! Ma'am! M-Mistress! Ahahaha...please, I'm sorry...hahahahaha!"
You close the door and whistle to yourself.
"Is everything okay, sir?" Haru asks as she spots you.
"Yeah, just had a heart to heart. We explained what went down at the meeting to Ritsu. She's doing okay now."
"Thank goodness."
"Yeah...felt the same way. Anyways, the Lady Kuiper is punishing her unruly servant at the moment."
"Understood. Do you need anything of me?" she asks.
"Nope. Should be good. We're all taking the rest of the night off."
"I understand, then. If you have need of anything at all, I will be present, sir."
"Thanks, Haru."
---
You eventually feel like you've done all the reading and puzzles that you could, and the sounds from the radio start to blend together. It seems time to call it a night. You check on Hannah and Ritsu, and they're already asleep in each other's arms.
Informing Haru that you're heading to bed, you wish her good night, clean up, and finally lay your head on your pillows. It's a nice, easy path to sleep.
You dream about a different girl with blonde hair. She had a big goofy smile and bandages in different spots on her face each week. A competitor but a graceful enough loser. Whenever she didn't succeed, she would spend days scheming so that she eventually did upon her return.
Her life was turned upside down, through no fault of her own. Maybe if she was born into a poorer family...maybe if the wheels of fate turned a little faster or slower.
But then...life could be cruel like that. You called her Cadence. And she asked you to name her daughter. A child named Aria. Did she remember you? You hoped so.
You wish you could dream a bit longer. About how things used to be.
...
But it's time to wake up. You have work to do.
---
Saturday morning.
The village is abuzz; you can already hear the crowds moving outside. You get cleaned up and dressed in your normal attire, making sure you wore the scarf that Hannah got for you. Hannah and Ritsu seem to have followed suit as they emerge, both wearing their scarves as well.
"We will be sitting together, per the Hokage's orders," Haru says. Hikari stands at attention beside her. "I already have a place reserved as a vantage point, so it's also fairly convenient."
"That works. And there's standing room if we want to see anything up close, right?" you ask.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Sounds good. Any objections, ladies?"
"No, sir. I think this will be fine," Ritsu says.
"Mm. What about snacks?" Hannah asks.
"I've secured adequate provisions, for appetites large and small."
Your blonde companion scoffs. "Cheeky, aren't we..."
"I meant no offense, ma'am. I only took note of your unique consumption habits." Haru sounds slightly insincere.
"You mean bottomless pit," you quip.
"Awful. Terrible. I've never known you for such a brute," she pouts playfully. "Don't expect me to share anything with you, then."
"Ouch."
"Banter aside, thank you very much for that, Haru. I'll be paying enough attention that you won't have to empty any food carts on my behalf."
"Heh."
"Quiet, you." She pokes your shoulder and smiles.
"I'm looking forward to the tournament myself. Though half of the finalists are from the Leaf, I'm very interested in the two girls from the Mist. Their styles are very clean and precise, and they have a great grasp on their surroundings. Individually, they have their weaknesses. But as a team, they're incredible."
"That sounds interesting," you say.
"Lady Tsunade did imply that there would be trouble ahead for Gaara of the Desert," Hannah follows. "And then there's the match that everyone has paid good money to see, conveniently at the end of the program. I expect Naruto to win that one."
"I'd bet on him, too. From what I hear he's got a pretty unique grasp on his tools. Takes after both of his parents in different ways."
"Shall we head out? Perhaps it would be a good idea to take hold of your seats before the majority of patrons arrive," Haru suggests. You follow her lead and head out for the day, going across the village and towards the stadium that you couldn't miss if you tried to. Getting closer, you see how big it really is; the walls are tall enough to keep most techniques from escaping. A few streams of people are already heading inside, though you have an hour to go before the first match starts.
Haru has a word with the people at the door and they wave you in a moment later. There are staircases everywhere, along with a few lifts for less able people, and a few winding ramps. Your group heads through the lobby and up the stairs towards your seats. Spectator areas surround the stadium, neat areas that are formed like staircases and give a good view of the action below. Three sections in particular stand out, with the one you're in on the left included. Next to you in the middle is the section for all the VIPs, which include foreign dignitaries, the daimyo, and the Five Kage themselves. On the right is another premium section like your own.
"Recent additions," Haru points out as you sit. The chairs have backs to them and are made of a material unknown to you. It seems to reject dirt and moisture, though.
"You mean the seats?" you ask.
"Those and the general layout. Before, we only had these three sections on the one side. It was adequate for other examinations. But the importance of this event forced some additional construction. We have newer sections, built to the same early standards in order to surround the arena in full and increase seating capacity. The existing sections as a result have been upgraded."
"Neat. Well, we'll be comfortable if anything. Clear lines to the field, too..." You note the open space, strategically dotted by patches of trees and shrubs. Loose dirt and a field that has uneven parts, but also allows for acceleration in a straight line if needed. This battleground had something for everyone. It was up to the participants to make use of it, then...all part of the examination process.
"Ma'am. Intending to start routines," Hikari says.
"Of course. Be safe, Hikari. We'll see you soon."
"Ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. Sir, ma'ams." She salutes before heading off.
"Major." Another ANBU calls to Haru. They whisper a short conversation before separating, and the other ANBU then leaves as quickly as they came.
"There's still some time before the ceremony begins. A request has been made of the Blue Arrow in particular."
You point to yourself and Haru nods.
"Yes. The idea is to meet with some of the participants briefly before the battles begin. Word of your performance with the Green Beast has been getting around. I for one stand impressed."
"Oh, thanks."
"There's no pressure involved. The children don't know that you're here, and it was the Hokage's suggestion alone. You're free to decline and I can relay the message."
"Perhaps you could go and give us report of those children. Your eyes are, in addition to being lovely to stare into, quite sharp," Hannah says with a wink. "Your presence will be missed, but we can endure for a while. I think it would be nice to greet them. We might end up side by side in the upcoming struggle."
---
[] Go and meet with some of the kids. Couldn't hurt, you think.
[] You feel like staying put for now. Maybe you could talk to them later...time to get the tourney started.
[] Custom option.
---
Just a little extra gearing up. Enjoy.
"Good. I can wait a while for you until you're ready."
You take a few more minutes to think and finish up, feeling more awake. Probably best to take the rest of the night off, but you wanted to be sure of a few things first.
After reaching the bedroom that Hannah and Ritsu share, you knock on the door twice. "Ritsu? It's us. Can we come in?"
"Yes, sir. It's alright."
"Thanks." You enter and see that she's still in her pyjamas, setting a book down on the nearby nightstand. She bows towards you and Hannah.
"I woke up an hour ago...I wanted to do some more reading."
"That's alright. Sit with us?" you ask.
"Yes, I will, sir."
You have a seat on the bed together, Ritsu on your left and Hannah next to her. Ritsu has her head down a while, remaining quiet. None of you say anything for what feels like a long while.
"I...I'm sorry about earlier, sir. I brushed everyone off, even though I knew this was something we had to talk about eventually," she finally says.
"We don't ever want to force you into anything you're not ready for. You were right to ask for more time, and you were as polite as ever. There's nothing for you to be ashamed of, Ritsu," you say to her.
"Yes, that's correct," Hannah follows up. "If you feel anything wrong at all, or simply don't want to speak, we will do everything we can to respect that. This isn't yet an immediate matter of life and death, so you're allowed to take your time."
"Thank you...I understand better now. I was just wondering if it wasn't inconvenient."
"It's our job to communicate that to you if it's ever the case. And if we don't, you can tell us. As much as we try to be, we aren't perfect. There's always room for improvement," you reply.
"I don't mean to act like...to seem like...I don't trust you."
"We know. Ritsu, you've been through a lot. You've been wounded, possibly deeper than you knew at first. Healing takes time, and so does opening the depths of your heart to those you love. I won't hate you for holding back, and Hannah won't either. It's alright to be afraid, and to doubt. Please remember that."
"I'll try. Thank you...thank you so much for saying that. I needed to hear it, just one more time," Ritsu says gratefully.
"Any time, ninja girl. So...are you ready now?"
"I am. I...feel like the things I'm going to hear, they'll be painful in many ways. But I also understand that it's something I need to listen to, and truly comprehend. I want to be helpful in my own way. So please...tell me everything."
"Okay," you say with a nod. Hannah gently hugs her from behind, and she relaxes. You start from the beginning, detailing the hostile start to the meeting and everything that followed it. Hannah adds in details from her perspective, helping you paint a vivid picture for Ritsu's sake. She's attentive, looking right at you and trying to absorb every detail that you speak to her.
As you finish with the Raikage's ultimatum, you see her expression change sharply. The pain on her face is lifted a bit as you talk about the alliances you've now forged with the Leaf and Mist, but...there's still sadness in her eyes.
"I understand now. That was the source of my worry...my spirit felt it before I could truly comprehend what it was I was feeling. But now I know. When I clung to you both, it was...worry. It was a longing, a desire that I could stay with you both forever and ever," Ritsu says. "I...is it okay if I speak a while longer?"
"Of course it is, love. Tell us as much as you want to," Hannah says reassuringly.
"There's just so much to say. So much that I want to let out. I can see that we're heading towards war. Soon our entire world will be wrapped up in it completely. I know that there are people who are willing to rise above themselves and their stations, putting justice before their respective nations...and that makes me happy. But even so...I..."
Ritsu starts to tremble a bit, and you put your hand on top of hers.
"It's not something strictly logical, m-maybe...but...my heart aches so much right now. Both of you saved my life. I would have crumbled to nothing eventually, if I had been left in the state I was. I would have been a passing phantom, just another person in the back of your memories who disappeared into the aether. I really would have died. But you gave me kindness, you saved me, you gave me purpose. And even now, you're continuing to care for me. You're teaching me how to live, how to survive on the battlefield, how to take care of myself and how to truly heal. You're giving me life. Everything I am at this moment is thanks to you, and you've asked nothing in return. It's why I love you so much." She stops and sniffles, wiping some of the tears that have run down her cheeks. "You brought that kindness, that sense of duty to the leaders of the world...and some of them just rejected you. They chose to hate you. I don't want to lose you. I have these sights, these visions in my head of losing you both, of having you ripped away, and I can't stand it...I can't stand it at all. I trust you, I've seen how strong you both are, I know your skill, and yet...and yet I still worry, I worry so much. I don't want war. I don't want to lose either of you, because you're...you're...god, I'm sorry. I'm just..."
"There's nothing wrong with you," you say as you hug her tightly. Hannah does the same, placing her warm hands on top of yours. "I worry too. I want everything to be okay. We'll make it..."
"We will make it, yes. But it's okay to feel pain...to worry and cry. You will never shame us by being open about your emotions, Ritsu. We will be here to wipe your tears for you. We will love you forever."
She lets out a trembling breath. "I'm still so...scared. I just want...please stay with me. Keep holding me like this. Please..."
"As long as you want. You're our precious Ritsu. Never forget that," Hannah says.
"All you have to do is ask, and we'll be at your side," you add in. "That's our promise to you."
She nods slowly and goes quiet, her crying eventually reduced to occasional sniffles. You and Hannah continue to embrace her, feeding warmth into her and each other.
---
After Ritsu calms down some more, the three of you have a discussion over what's going on. She asks questions about the financial situations of the shinobi powers, how they tend to operate, things on smaller scales. Pieces start to slowly come together for her...she's determined to find out as much as she can and make use of the information that's gathered. Ritsu is already more than useful, but you keep out of her way by not saying it. Her brain is already moving, and she doesn't need to be coddled like that.
"Mm...I don't have anything yet."
"I think it's a bit soon to formulate anything," you say to her. "We can wait for more information to filter in. Oh, right. We're meeting with Lady Tsunade later in the week. We'll let you know if she says anything that stands out."
"Thank you. I'll keep all of this in the back of my mind for now. There are other things I feel I need to work on first...and that are less troublesome, I think. When we leave the village, I would like to run a test...I'll have to write up the details properly."
"Looking forward to it," you say. "Oh, and...this is a secret between us three for now. If she gives the okay to the Hokage, Haru will be joining us from now on."
"Really?" Ritsu's eyes light up. "I didn't think that could happen, but I'm excited to hear it. Not only is she nice, but she's very attentive and skilled. I think I could learn a lot from her. And best of all, I wouldn't be as much of a-"
"You are not a liability," Hannah says.
"Ma'am, please. We all know-"
"You're not a liability," you repeat.
"Honestly! Sir, ma'am! You know that I'm the weak-"
"You're not a liability, Ritsu." You both say it firmly at the same time. She rolls her eyes and gives in.
"Understood. I'm not a liability."
"Remember that from now on. Or you'll be punished harshly," Hannah says.
Ritsu gives her a smug look. "I doubt that, ma'am. I know you wouldn't hurt me."
"Who said anything about hurting~?"
"Ah...? W-wait...aha...hahaha...h-hold on...!"
Hannah looks away from her tickling a moment. "Joshua, if you would leave us alone a while? Oh, by the way..."
"We have the night off, that's an order."
"Yes, sir~ That means I have all night to punish this naughty one!"
"S-sir...ahahaha! Help!" Ritsu cries out, tears in her eyes.
"Sorry, ninja girl. You asked for it. See you two later."
"Hahahaha! Ma'am! M-Mistress! Ahahaha...please, I'm sorry...hahahahaha!"
You close the door and whistle to yourself.
"Is everything okay, sir?" Haru asks as she spots you.
"Yeah, just had a heart to heart. We explained what went down at the meeting to Ritsu. She's doing okay now."
"Thank goodness."
"Yeah...felt the same way. Anyways, the Lady Kuiper is punishing her unruly servant at the moment."
"Understood. Do you need anything of me?" she asks.
"Nope. Should be good. We're all taking the rest of the night off."
"I understand, then. If you have need of anything at all, I will be present, sir."
"Thanks, Haru."
---
You eventually feel like you've done all the reading and puzzles that you could, and the sounds from the radio start to blend together. It seems time to call it a night. You check on Hannah and Ritsu, and they're already asleep in each other's arms.
Informing Haru that you're heading to bed, you wish her good night, clean up, and finally lay your head on your pillows. It's a nice, easy path to sleep.
You dream about a different girl with blonde hair. She had a big goofy smile and bandages in different spots on her face each week. A competitor but a graceful enough loser. Whenever she didn't succeed, she would spend days scheming so that she eventually did upon her return.
Her life was turned upside down, through no fault of her own. Maybe if she was born into a poorer family...maybe if the wheels of fate turned a little faster or slower.
But then...life could be cruel like that. You called her Cadence. And she asked you to name her daughter. A child named Aria. Did she remember you? You hoped so.
You wish you could dream a bit longer. About how things used to be.
...
But it's time to wake up. You have work to do.
---
Saturday morning.
The village is abuzz; you can already hear the crowds moving outside. You get cleaned up and dressed in your normal attire, making sure you wore the scarf that Hannah got for you. Hannah and Ritsu seem to have followed suit as they emerge, both wearing their scarves as well.
"We will be sitting together, per the Hokage's orders," Haru says. Hikari stands at attention beside her. "I already have a place reserved as a vantage point, so it's also fairly convenient."
"That works. And there's standing room if we want to see anything up close, right?" you ask.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Sounds good. Any objections, ladies?"
"No, sir. I think this will be fine," Ritsu says.
"Mm. What about snacks?" Hannah asks.
"I've secured adequate provisions, for appetites large and small."
Your blonde companion scoffs. "Cheeky, aren't we..."
"I meant no offense, ma'am. I only took note of your unique consumption habits." Haru sounds slightly insincere.
"You mean bottomless pit," you quip.
"Awful. Terrible. I've never known you for such a brute," she pouts playfully. "Don't expect me to share anything with you, then."
"Ouch."
"Banter aside, thank you very much for that, Haru. I'll be paying enough attention that you won't have to empty any food carts on my behalf."
"Heh."
"Quiet, you." She pokes your shoulder and smiles.
"I'm looking forward to the tournament myself. Though half of the finalists are from the Leaf, I'm very interested in the two girls from the Mist. Their styles are very clean and precise, and they have a great grasp on their surroundings. Individually, they have their weaknesses. But as a team, they're incredible."
"That sounds interesting," you say.
"Lady Tsunade did imply that there would be trouble ahead for Gaara of the Desert," Hannah follows. "And then there's the match that everyone has paid good money to see, conveniently at the end of the program. I expect Naruto to win that one."
"I'd bet on him, too. From what I hear he's got a pretty unique grasp on his tools. Takes after both of his parents in different ways."
"Shall we head out? Perhaps it would be a good idea to take hold of your seats before the majority of patrons arrive," Haru suggests. You follow her lead and head out for the day, going across the village and towards the stadium that you couldn't miss if you tried to. Getting closer, you see how big it really is; the walls are tall enough to keep most techniques from escaping. A few streams of people are already heading inside, though you have an hour to go before the first match starts.
Haru has a word with the people at the door and they wave you in a moment later. There are staircases everywhere, along with a few lifts for less able people, and a few winding ramps. Your group heads through the lobby and up the stairs towards your seats. Spectator areas surround the stadium, neat areas that are formed like staircases and give a good view of the action below. Three sections in particular stand out, with the one you're in on the left included. Next to you in the middle is the section for all the VIPs, which include foreign dignitaries, the daimyo, and the Five Kage themselves. On the right is another premium section like your own.
"Recent additions," Haru points out as you sit. The chairs have backs to them and are made of a material unknown to you. It seems to reject dirt and moisture, though.
"You mean the seats?" you ask.
"Those and the general layout. Before, we only had these three sections on the one side. It was adequate for other examinations. But the importance of this event forced some additional construction. We have newer sections, built to the same early standards in order to surround the arena in full and increase seating capacity. The existing sections as a result have been upgraded."
"Neat. Well, we'll be comfortable if anything. Clear lines to the field, too..." You note the open space, strategically dotted by patches of trees and shrubs. Loose dirt and a field that has uneven parts, but also allows for acceleration in a straight line if needed. This battleground had something for everyone. It was up to the participants to make use of it, then...all part of the examination process.
"Ma'am. Intending to start routines," Hikari says.
"Of course. Be safe, Hikari. We'll see you soon."
"Ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. Sir, ma'ams." She salutes before heading off.
"Major." Another ANBU calls to Haru. They whisper a short conversation before separating, and the other ANBU then leaves as quickly as they came.
"There's still some time before the ceremony begins. A request has been made of the Blue Arrow in particular."
You point to yourself and Haru nods.
"Yes. The idea is to meet with some of the participants briefly before the battles begin. Word of your performance with the Green Beast has been getting around. I for one stand impressed."
"Oh, thanks."
"There's no pressure involved. The children don't know that you're here, and it was the Hokage's suggestion alone. You're free to decline and I can relay the message."
"Perhaps you could go and give us report of those children. Your eyes are, in addition to being lovely to stare into, quite sharp," Hannah says with a wink. "Your presence will be missed, but we can endure for a while. I think it would be nice to greet them. We might end up side by side in the upcoming struggle."
---
[] Go and meet with some of the kids. Couldn't hurt, you think.
[] You feel like staying put for now. Maybe you could talk to them later...time to get the tourney started.
[] Custom option.
---
Just a little extra gearing up. Enjoy.
Last edited:
VileScurvy
Verified Pirate
- Location
- Malaysia
[X] Go and meet with some of the kids. Couldn't hurt, you think.
Why not? It will be interesting to meet this universe's version of the Rookie 9!
Why not? It will be interesting to meet this universe's version of the Rookie 9!
[X] Go and meet with some of the kids. Couldn't hurt, you think.
Episode 5.0: New Age of Heroes - Prologue
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
"Sure, let's go meet with the young guns," you say to Haru.
"Understood. If you would follow me, sir."
"See you in a while, darling."
"See you soon, sir."
You give the girls a salute before following Haru away from the seats and down a flight of stairs at the back. She takes you further down a few long corridors, and to a set of double doors that she pushes open. You enter what looks like a green room, with a table that contains snacks and drinks on one side and several comfortable chairs on the other. Three children are sitting around a table playing cards.
"Not worried about your match, are you?" the lone girl asks.
"A little. That Hisano girl is kinda scary, ya know? Not how she looks, just...I can feel it in her chakra. You know?"
"I saw the tape of her myself," the black haired boy says. "You're right to be cautious. Not that I think you'd lose to her...you have to get to me, anyways."
"Heh. You'd better win your match too, ya know," the blonde boy shoots back, smiling. "Oh, we got fans coming in already! Hey, Sis."
"Good morning, Naruto. Are things well?" Haru asks.
"Yep. Just talking about our fights coming up."
"Morning, kids."
"Yo, Dad! Careful not to wish us too much luck, ya know? We wanna give those other kids a chance!"
"Don't get too cocky, son," Minato says with a smile, rustling his son's hair. "This is the visitor I wanted you guys to meet up with. Hinata's not in yet?"
"Not yet," Naruto says as he and the others stand. They line up in front of you and bow politely. You bow back.
"You've probably seen my handsome face all over town by now, heh. Name's Naruto Uzumaki, number one rookie, future Hokage and legendary badass!" The energetic blonde kid you had seen in the posters around the village. The orange pants and jacket were unique enough, his blue headband wrapped proudly around his head. You could see he had red and yellow bandages layered over his hands, an orange toolbelt, and a shirt beneath his jacket that had the word 'BOOST' in bold orange lettering, the Leaf symbol below it. He has the same blue eyes as his dad and reminds you a lot of his mom, down to the mannerisms.
"Sasuke Uchiha, from the Leaf's strongest clan, the Uchiha." The next is the cool customer, Itachi's younger brother. His headband, or at least the metal part, is set on the left side of his chest like a badge. He has bandage around his left hand, going underneath one of the long sleeves of his shirt. It's the same dark blue uniform from the Military Police, with the Uchiha crest on the shoulders. Long dark pants complete his look. His dark eyes give little away, though you can guess that his whole stoic look is very popular with the ladies.
"Sakura Haruno, apprentice of Lady Tsunade. Very nice meeting you," the last member says with another bow. Her green eyes are bright with kindness. She dresses simply and practically enough; a sleeveless red shirt with a collar, pink skirt with shorts underneath, and knee high boots that are light pink. There are black gloves in one of the front pockets of her skirt. You look for her headband and note that it's on top of her head, being used as a hairband of sorts; her excess hair is tied back into a ponytail. She does have a bit of a forehead, but it makes her look cute, you think.
"Joshua West, of the Iron Country. Known here as the Blue Arrow," you say.
"My mother told me about the Gold Reaper. Is it true that she's your woman?" Sasuke asks.
"Seriously, Sasuke..." Sakura shakes her head.
"It's...hm. You're half right, I guess. I can't say much more than that," you tell him.
"I see. My apologies for the abrupt question." He seems unsatisfied with the answer, but chooses to be polite.
"No problem. The Hokage wanted me to come down and meet you guys before the tournament started."
"We were kind of musing on it, yeah," Sakura says. "We heard about the Blue Arrow and wanted to meet him. Lady Tsunade was talking about him being a future ally, and this seemed like a good time since we agreed on it."
"Dad said you took out Super Thick-Brows Sensei in a duel!" Naruto exclaims. "Beat him at his own game, too! That sounds all kinds of crazy, wish I coulda been there...ah well, he said there would be another chance to watch."
"So I've been hearing. Nothing's finalized yet, but it should be fun," you say.
"Totally! Maybe we could have a spar one day, too!"
"Getting a bit ahead of yourself, kid. You're pretty quick, but nothing like him," Minato says.
"That fast, huh? Heh, I see. I'd have to work hard, then..." Pretty boisterous guy, but not entirely reckless. The gears in his head are already turning.
"You shouldn't worry about jounin level opponents so soon," Sakura says. "Or anyone who's in the orbit of the Five Kage, anyways. That goes for all of us. Oh, sir. If I could ask something?"
"Sure," you say. "And no need for formalities, either. I'm not that much older than you all, I think."
"Really? If you could...?"
"Sixteen."
"Say what?!" Naruto yells. "Geez, that's even younger than Sis Haru and Itachi and all of them! And not that much older than us! And you're going head to head with old guys like Super Thick-Brows?"
"That's pretty impressive. With that build, I tagged you as a bit older," Sasuke says. "Itachi did say that there were a lot of talented younger fighters these days..."
"You're free to be informal as far as I'm concerned, Joshua," Sakura says.
"Same," Sasuke follows.
"Yep! Though if you wanna call me Lord Naruto, go ahead! Haha!"
Sakura rolls her eyes at him. "Anyways...my question, if it's okay...what have you been doing in the outside world lately? There are rumours and such about you, I think."
"I know which ones."
"Sasuke, hush."
"Ah, yeah. Talk about troublemaking and the like...I do mercenary work. That usually entails some sort of violence, but it also encompasses smaller jobs, sometimes little odd jobs that people need done on the cheap. You have the option to set your own prices, too. So you can make yourself available to richer clients, like my amazing companion does. Or, you can take time out to do work for no charge, like I sometimes do."
"How do you eat? I mean, working for nothing has gotta be rough sometimes," Naruto says.
"Saving and investing, eating stuff in the field, and lots of street food along with good teas. The last part is the most important. Public bathhouses whenever you need to get clean. Plenty of cheap motels and inns all over the place, and you can board out in the country in exchange for manual labour most of the time."
"So it's about resourcefulness," Sakura concludes. "It's not terribly different from the shinobi lifestyle, just that you don't have a single home to come back to. Lady Tsunade and Rin-sensei have talked about traveling medicine before, and it's becoming quite popular due to the new technologies. Your grandmother is responsible, I think."
"Yep, she is."
"I see. I just wanted to ask about living in the field...it actually sounds exciting. Thank you so much for the insight."
"Heh, nothing to it. Just ask if there are any more questions, I'll be in town a while."
"Sorry for my lateness, everyone."
A new face arrives, in the form of another young girl. She bows towards you and you bow back before she joins the others. She and Naruto exchange a nod and meaningful look.
"My name is Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the noble Hyuuga Clan, the strongest in the Leaf. It's an honour to meet you, sir."
"Same to you, Lady Hyuuga."
"Ah...thank you. Um, you can skip formalities if you would like?"
"Sure. Same to you."
"Of course." The girl in front of you is known as the Hyuuga Princess, the golden child of her clan and one of the village's best young talents alongside the others here. She has the signature featureless white eyes of her family, paired with long dark blue hair that she has in a high ponytail. Her skin is notably fair, most of it hidden beneath a white hooded jacket that has the Leaf and Hyuuga symbols stitched into the left side. Her pants are a dark blue, and she wears the standard sandals with low heels like Sakura. You can see that her headband is wrapped safely around her neck.
"What took you so long?" Naruto asks Hinata.
"It was Uncle Hizashi again...and Brother Neji...as always," she replies, exasperated.
"Yeah, it's always them, ain't it..."
"Naruto, stop it. There's nothing wrong with family expressing affection for one another," Sakura scolds.
"Ehh..." Minato makes a face. "Hizashi does overdo it sometimes. I mean, it'd be really creepy if they weren't blood related, you know."
"I think it's creepy now," Sasuke quips.
"I-I wouldn't go that far, but yes, they do dote on me a bit more than is...healthy. I can't even say that it's because of what happened all that time ago. Something just...changed within them." She tries to suppress a shudder.
"This is the Blue Arrow guy I was talking about earlier," Naruto says to her.
"The Shining Blue Arrow. I did hear about him," Hinata says with a nod. "Father is very intrigued after hearing about your skill. One of our clansmen observed the battle and was rather shocked at what transpired. Guy-sensei opened three of the Inner Gates and still lost."
"Three Gates?" Sasuke asks. "That's heavy for anyone to take on..."
"Of course, that wouldn't be the truly shocking part. Is it true that you only opened two of the Gates, Joshua?"
"Yeah...that's about my limit for now."
"Hold on a minute. The Inner Gates should have a difference in strength...that shouldn't even be possible," Sakura says with awe.
"That means that you're some kind of monster," Sasuke concludes. "And it means that you were superior to Might Guy even before opening the Inner Gates. Maybe if he went all out, he could have won, but...I can't even say that's a certainty. You still have more, I know it."
"It's possible," you say with a smile.
"I wanted you to meet him in order to see what the world outside looks like," Minato says. "You guys know a bit about Haru, about me, and about the elites of the village. But this guy here," he says as he jabs a thumb towards you, "is something special. Growing this fast and being this good is no easy task."
"Good bloodlines help. But hard work's a must. You all know that much, Sakura especially."
"Me?" She blushes. "Well, I didn't expect to be praised like that..."
"Being Lady Tsunade's apprentice means you've got to be something special. I know she can't wait to see you win your first match."
"Yeah. I guess I've got a bit more to prove, then. Thanks."
"All of us are gonna kick major butt today, for sure!" Naruto says. "But if Dad's telling us that you're that crazy strong? Can't wait to try and climb that wall."
"As much as Naruto likes to mouth off..."
"Hey!"
"...I'm the same," Sasuke finishes. "A new benchmark to surpass, eh..."
"I'm looking forward to working with you as an ally," Hinata says politely. "Thank you for your insight."
"I'm gonna take our guest away for now," Minato says. "So you guys focus on getting ready. I'll be back in a bit."
"Yes, sir!" the children all say in unison.
"Haru, follow me."
"Yes, sir."
"See you guys later, yeah? Good luck out there," you say with a thumbs up.
"Yeah! I'm ready to rock! Just watch!" Naruto says.
"Right. I've got a match to win," Sasuke follows.
"I appreciate the encouragement...I'll do my best," Sakura says, determined.
"Thank you, Joshua. We'll give our all with your support," Hinata says.
You nod in acknowledgement and follow Minato and Haru out. They take you a short ways down to another set of double doors, and Minato pokes his head in.
"Lady Mizukage?"
"Here, here. You can come in, Lord Hokage."
"Thanks, but we'll keep busy outside and give you some space. I brought our guest along, as you requested."
"Oh, wonderful."
You enter with the okay from the Hokage. It's the same kind of room as the last, and Mei is sitting comfortably on a chair. There are two girls on the carpet, their legs extended towards each other as they stretch simultaneously.
"Girls, we have a visitor."
"Okay," they say in unison before standing. You bow towards each other as greeting. The girls are dressed identically, which makes sense from what you already know. Blue shirts with the Mist symbol on the shoulders, and dark skirts paired with high socks.
"Ain't it somethin'..."
"Hm..."
"Ahem. Ladies," Mei says sternly.
"Right. Sorry. Junko Kuronuma, the cooler half." The younger girl smiles and winks at you. Her black hair is cut to her chin except for the back, where it's a bushy ponytail. She has bright amber eyes that you can tell are looking you up and down. There's a yellow compression sleeve on her right arm.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Shiori Ishikawa, presumably the fairer half." Her smile is genuine as she says that. She has long and wavy black hair that flows past her shoulders, with bright cyan eyes that are watching you intently. The same type of sleeve as her partner is on her left arm, coloured pink.
"Joshua West, out of the Iron Country."
"Also known as the Blue Arrow, yeah?" Junko says. "Heard a bit about your rumble a few days ago. I can believe it...just look at you."
"Junko, show some restraint," Shiori scolds.
"Psh. Miss Prim and Proper here is ogling you too."
"I am not!"
"Anyway...we're called the Phantom Maidens around the shinobi world. Neat title, huh?"
"Definitely, especially for some genin," you say.
"Sensei put a lot of work into helping us get this far," Shiori says. "Kisame Hoshigaki."
"Ah, yeah. One of the Swordsmen. He's pretty famous in his own right."
"Yes. I must admit, I was expecting a lot more resistance before this stage, but our training was more than adequate, and our opponent selection very good. For example, Junko demonstrated the weakness of puppet arts as a jutsu specialty, and I showed the flaws in a weapon-based strategy at longer ranges."
"We were just that good," Junko chimes in. "But now is where the real climb starts. Lady Mei says that it's an achievement to get to this point, but that can't be all there is. We want to win, end of story. Though...I'm betting Shiori will be the one to make it furthest."
"Why's that?" you ask.
Junko puts her hands behind her head. "Well, I'm up against Sasuke Uchiha, the guy who's rivals with the Hokage's son and all. He's not just good, he's super sharp. And that's before he powers up his Sharingan. I'm confident, but I'm also aware of how far I gotta go as someone from a normie clan. Shiori on the other hand has a better matchup. She's the CQC expert out of us two, and I think she'd have a better time disabling the Hyuuga Princess than I would."
"I disagree and think that I'll have a harder time, but that's natural," Shiori says.
"Yep. That's how we got so good working together, seeing things different and then comparing notes."
"Although, these aren't the worst possible draws..."
"Uh-huh." Junko makes a face. "I think we've both got an edge on Haruno, though she's hella strong. The sand kid looks bloodthirsty but beatable with our unique skills, and that Naruto guy...he's just way too unpredictable. But the one that scares me the most is her."
"Her?" you ask.
"Hisano Miyajima," Mei says. "There definitely is a harsh vibration coming from her."
"Worst part is that she's acting so effortlessly," Junko continues. "Like she was just tooling around the entire time. She...made it to the tower first in the Forest of Death. In forty five minutes..."
"She is definitely a threat," Shiori says. "Watching the tape of her...not only is she so hard to study because of her jutsu, but she also remains mysterious. Her opponent in the preliminaries was Neji Hyuuga. She dispatched him with a single attack."
"Hm." You scratch your head. There was something to think about, definitely. What was Hisano here for, really? Someone that powerful...one of the many successors to the title of Raikage.
"Well, we gotta focus on getting past the first round before we worry about her. Who knows, we might get lucky and those two take each other out," Junko says with a grin.
"Would you really want that?" Shiori teases.
"I mean, duh. I want to fight, not to end up as one of their punching bags. Even courage has a limit, ya know."
"And thus, the reason why I am the elder sister."
"Coz you're a year older, granny."
"Hmph."
"'Course, maybe Josh here likes older ladies. Eh?"
"Junko, that's harassment."
"You wanna touch his muscles too."
"Not without permi-" Shiori covers her mouth, blushing.
"Ha, got 'em! So...can we?"
"I think it's time for Mister West to leave," Mei says with a sigh. "Focus on preparations until I get back."
"To echo what Mei said earlier," you interrupt, "it's great that you guys got this far, honestly. I hope you get to show the world what you can do. You should be proud of what you've accomplished so far."
"How'd you get so strong?" Junko asks. You look to Mei and she nods.
"Daily training, and rounding out my weaknesses. Or trying to mitigate them. Genjutsu doesn't work so well when the enemy can't make eye contact, for example. You can outthink your opponent so that later you can outpunch them. S'what I did when fighting Might Guy."
"Thinking a step ahead...and if your specialties are evenly matched?" Shiori asks.
"Mix it up. A few utility jutsu are good when used creatively. Think about combinations, but don't think too hard about them. If you give your opponent a chance to recognize your patterns, you keep yourself from winning."
"Oh, hey. That's what Naruto Uzumaki does. He's thinking ahead, but not too far ahead. What do you think about stepping on the gas?"
"Definitely do that," you say to Junko. "Not following through is what gets shinobi killed in high speed affairs. Just because your opponent can see it, doesn't mean they can stop it properly."
"Neat. Thanks for the tips!"
"As you can see, he's not just a charismatic young man, but quite insightful too," Mei says. "Much like the two of you, hard work brought him to where he was. Talent does help, but it's not everything. And it's not the only thing that gives you worth."
"Yes, ma'am," they say in unison.
"Good. Now, I think you should really start preparing for later. Joshua, I'll escort you out."
"Yep. Take care, ladies."
"You too, Josh! If we make it to the next round, you gotta show us how ripped you are!" Junko says.
"Take care, sir," Shiori says politely, blushing. "A-and ignore her."
"She's not as much of a prude as she lets on."
"Junko!"
You chuckle as you start to leave the room with Mei. "They're definitely sisters, if not by blood."
"Yes, surely. Of course, that spirit is part of why they love each other so much."
You exit the room to see Minato and Haru waiting patiently.
"You can have him back now," Mei says. "Thank you, the girls were definitely...enlightened by this experience."
"As I'm sure you were, Lady Mizukage."
Mei laughs softly. "Yes, I did come away with some extra knowledge myself. Good luck to you and your children, Lord Hokage."
"Same to you and yours, Lady Mizukage."
"Thank you. If you'll excuse me." She winks at you over her shoulder before walking back into the room.
"I think it would be wise to get back to our seats now," Haru says. Her voice is bordering on hostile, but again, you keep quiet. No sense in getting in the middle of that one.
"Yeah. The Kazekage and Raikage are doing their own things, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to see Joshua anyways. You guys head on back while I get the kids ready. See you in a few hours."
"Yeah," you say as you bump fists. Haru takes you through the corridors again and back towards your seat.
"The Mizukage is charming, isn't she?"
You snap to attention as Haru speaks. "She's pretty nice, yeah. And after all of that fighting, too. You'd expect someone like that to be a little more hardened, but not her."
"I see."
"Are you wondering if she's my type?"
"Is she?"
"Not sure," you answer. "I don't know if I really have a type...I mean, I have, you know...features I like, obviously. She's very attractive. But as for being drawn to her immediately...it wasn't like that."
"I understand, sir. I apologize if I was being intrusive."
"Not at all. Maybe a bit surprising that you asked, Haru."
"Not...to be dismissive. But I have my reasons, sir."
You blink before nodding. "Yeah. We all do. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"Thank you, sir."
You quietly head back to your seats, and find yourself between Hannah and Ritsu again.
"Welcome back, my love. Did things go well?" Hannah asks.
"Sure did. The kids are alright," you say with a chuckle. "All of them look confident. Met with the Leaf and Mist children."
"Oh, how interesting. Would you tell me about them?"
"Sure." You spend the next few minutes going over your meetings, with the relevant details and insights. Hannah hangs on your every word, remaining silent as you speak.
"Mm...very, very intriguing. All of them are special children in their own way...I do share Haru's sentiments about the Phantom Maids, and crave seeing them in action soon. Dealing with two of the Great Doujutsu...I want to see how they manage. Also, I note that I have a bit of competition waiting in the wings?"
"Oh, sheesh. They're just girls, don't worry about it."
"I'm not worried, make no mistake. A harem is just fine with me, but I would be at the top by default, you see. I am your favourite."
"Says who?"
"Oh, stop. I'm irreplaceable. Can you deny it?"
You sigh and roll your eyes. "Well, you're not wrong."
"You see? Then it's been decided. As I said before, all I need from you is your time and affection. That Mei Terumi, though...I'll have to keep an eye on her before she snatches you away."
"I'll bet."
"Hush, hush. You make me out to be a beast," she says with a playful smile. "Let me have my fun, and keep you out of danger. You're still just a boy."
"And you're still just a girl."
"Quite. You've done a fine job of keeping me from harm, and I thank you."
"Sir, ma'am...I hate to interrupt your flirting, but it seems the ceremony is set to begin now," Ritsu says.
You turn your attention to the field below, watching as representatives from each village file into the stadium. Flags of many different colours are being flown, and the Five Kage are there to be acknowledged. While they make their way up to their seats, the people left behind go into formation and stand at attention.
The eight participants finally appear and stand in a line together, facing the seats where the Five Kage would sit together in the middle of the stadium. The referee stands in front of them, a man with a blue bandana that acts as his Leaf headband, and a pale, tired-looking face. You remember him as the man who you first encountered upon entry to the Leaf, Hayate Gekkou.
The crowd grows more excited with each passing moment. You see that the Five Kage have reached their designated area, and all of them sit save for the Hokage.
Looks like things are ready to go.
---
Full slate of fights ahead. Will likely break them up into separate sections.
Aiming for Thursday, Friday latest for next update. No voting for now. Enjoy.
"Understood. If you would follow me, sir."
"See you in a while, darling."
"See you soon, sir."
You give the girls a salute before following Haru away from the seats and down a flight of stairs at the back. She takes you further down a few long corridors, and to a set of double doors that she pushes open. You enter what looks like a green room, with a table that contains snacks and drinks on one side and several comfortable chairs on the other. Three children are sitting around a table playing cards.
"Not worried about your match, are you?" the lone girl asks.
"A little. That Hisano girl is kinda scary, ya know? Not how she looks, just...I can feel it in her chakra. You know?"
"I saw the tape of her myself," the black haired boy says. "You're right to be cautious. Not that I think you'd lose to her...you have to get to me, anyways."
"Heh. You'd better win your match too, ya know," the blonde boy shoots back, smiling. "Oh, we got fans coming in already! Hey, Sis."
"Good morning, Naruto. Are things well?" Haru asks.
"Yep. Just talking about our fights coming up."
"Morning, kids."
"Yo, Dad! Careful not to wish us too much luck, ya know? We wanna give those other kids a chance!"
"Don't get too cocky, son," Minato says with a smile, rustling his son's hair. "This is the visitor I wanted you guys to meet up with. Hinata's not in yet?"
"Not yet," Naruto says as he and the others stand. They line up in front of you and bow politely. You bow back.
"You've probably seen my handsome face all over town by now, heh. Name's Naruto Uzumaki, number one rookie, future Hokage and legendary badass!" The energetic blonde kid you had seen in the posters around the village. The orange pants and jacket were unique enough, his blue headband wrapped proudly around his head. You could see he had red and yellow bandages layered over his hands, an orange toolbelt, and a shirt beneath his jacket that had the word 'BOOST' in bold orange lettering, the Leaf symbol below it. He has the same blue eyes as his dad and reminds you a lot of his mom, down to the mannerisms.
"Sasuke Uchiha, from the Leaf's strongest clan, the Uchiha." The next is the cool customer, Itachi's younger brother. His headband, or at least the metal part, is set on the left side of his chest like a badge. He has bandage around his left hand, going underneath one of the long sleeves of his shirt. It's the same dark blue uniform from the Military Police, with the Uchiha crest on the shoulders. Long dark pants complete his look. His dark eyes give little away, though you can guess that his whole stoic look is very popular with the ladies.
"Sakura Haruno, apprentice of Lady Tsunade. Very nice meeting you," the last member says with another bow. Her green eyes are bright with kindness. She dresses simply and practically enough; a sleeveless red shirt with a collar, pink skirt with shorts underneath, and knee high boots that are light pink. There are black gloves in one of the front pockets of her skirt. You look for her headband and note that it's on top of her head, being used as a hairband of sorts; her excess hair is tied back into a ponytail. She does have a bit of a forehead, but it makes her look cute, you think.
"Joshua West, of the Iron Country. Known here as the Blue Arrow," you say.
"My mother told me about the Gold Reaper. Is it true that she's your woman?" Sasuke asks.
"Seriously, Sasuke..." Sakura shakes her head.
"It's...hm. You're half right, I guess. I can't say much more than that," you tell him.
"I see. My apologies for the abrupt question." He seems unsatisfied with the answer, but chooses to be polite.
"No problem. The Hokage wanted me to come down and meet you guys before the tournament started."
"We were kind of musing on it, yeah," Sakura says. "We heard about the Blue Arrow and wanted to meet him. Lady Tsunade was talking about him being a future ally, and this seemed like a good time since we agreed on it."
"Dad said you took out Super Thick-Brows Sensei in a duel!" Naruto exclaims. "Beat him at his own game, too! That sounds all kinds of crazy, wish I coulda been there...ah well, he said there would be another chance to watch."
"So I've been hearing. Nothing's finalized yet, but it should be fun," you say.
"Totally! Maybe we could have a spar one day, too!"
"Getting a bit ahead of yourself, kid. You're pretty quick, but nothing like him," Minato says.
"That fast, huh? Heh, I see. I'd have to work hard, then..." Pretty boisterous guy, but not entirely reckless. The gears in his head are already turning.
"You shouldn't worry about jounin level opponents so soon," Sakura says. "Or anyone who's in the orbit of the Five Kage, anyways. That goes for all of us. Oh, sir. If I could ask something?"
"Sure," you say. "And no need for formalities, either. I'm not that much older than you all, I think."
"Really? If you could...?"
"Sixteen."
"Say what?!" Naruto yells. "Geez, that's even younger than Sis Haru and Itachi and all of them! And not that much older than us! And you're going head to head with old guys like Super Thick-Brows?"
"That's pretty impressive. With that build, I tagged you as a bit older," Sasuke says. "Itachi did say that there were a lot of talented younger fighters these days..."
"You're free to be informal as far as I'm concerned, Joshua," Sakura says.
"Same," Sasuke follows.
"Yep! Though if you wanna call me Lord Naruto, go ahead! Haha!"
Sakura rolls her eyes at him. "Anyways...my question, if it's okay...what have you been doing in the outside world lately? There are rumours and such about you, I think."
"I know which ones."
"Sasuke, hush."
"Ah, yeah. Talk about troublemaking and the like...I do mercenary work. That usually entails some sort of violence, but it also encompasses smaller jobs, sometimes little odd jobs that people need done on the cheap. You have the option to set your own prices, too. So you can make yourself available to richer clients, like my amazing companion does. Or, you can take time out to do work for no charge, like I sometimes do."
"How do you eat? I mean, working for nothing has gotta be rough sometimes," Naruto says.
"Saving and investing, eating stuff in the field, and lots of street food along with good teas. The last part is the most important. Public bathhouses whenever you need to get clean. Plenty of cheap motels and inns all over the place, and you can board out in the country in exchange for manual labour most of the time."
"So it's about resourcefulness," Sakura concludes. "It's not terribly different from the shinobi lifestyle, just that you don't have a single home to come back to. Lady Tsunade and Rin-sensei have talked about traveling medicine before, and it's becoming quite popular due to the new technologies. Your grandmother is responsible, I think."
"Yep, she is."
"I see. I just wanted to ask about living in the field...it actually sounds exciting. Thank you so much for the insight."
"Heh, nothing to it. Just ask if there are any more questions, I'll be in town a while."
"Sorry for my lateness, everyone."
A new face arrives, in the form of another young girl. She bows towards you and you bow back before she joins the others. She and Naruto exchange a nod and meaningful look.
"My name is Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the noble Hyuuga Clan, the strongest in the Leaf. It's an honour to meet you, sir."
"Same to you, Lady Hyuuga."
"Ah...thank you. Um, you can skip formalities if you would like?"
"Sure. Same to you."
"Of course." The girl in front of you is known as the Hyuuga Princess, the golden child of her clan and one of the village's best young talents alongside the others here. She has the signature featureless white eyes of her family, paired with long dark blue hair that she has in a high ponytail. Her skin is notably fair, most of it hidden beneath a white hooded jacket that has the Leaf and Hyuuga symbols stitched into the left side. Her pants are a dark blue, and she wears the standard sandals with low heels like Sakura. You can see that her headband is wrapped safely around her neck.
"What took you so long?" Naruto asks Hinata.
"It was Uncle Hizashi again...and Brother Neji...as always," she replies, exasperated.
"Yeah, it's always them, ain't it..."
"Naruto, stop it. There's nothing wrong with family expressing affection for one another," Sakura scolds.
"Ehh..." Minato makes a face. "Hizashi does overdo it sometimes. I mean, it'd be really creepy if they weren't blood related, you know."
"I think it's creepy now," Sasuke quips.
"I-I wouldn't go that far, but yes, they do dote on me a bit more than is...healthy. I can't even say that it's because of what happened all that time ago. Something just...changed within them." She tries to suppress a shudder.
"This is the Blue Arrow guy I was talking about earlier," Naruto says to her.
"The Shining Blue Arrow. I did hear about him," Hinata says with a nod. "Father is very intrigued after hearing about your skill. One of our clansmen observed the battle and was rather shocked at what transpired. Guy-sensei opened three of the Inner Gates and still lost."
"Three Gates?" Sasuke asks. "That's heavy for anyone to take on..."
"Of course, that wouldn't be the truly shocking part. Is it true that you only opened two of the Gates, Joshua?"
"Yeah...that's about my limit for now."
"Hold on a minute. The Inner Gates should have a difference in strength...that shouldn't even be possible," Sakura says with awe.
"That means that you're some kind of monster," Sasuke concludes. "And it means that you were superior to Might Guy even before opening the Inner Gates. Maybe if he went all out, he could have won, but...I can't even say that's a certainty. You still have more, I know it."
"It's possible," you say with a smile.
"I wanted you to meet him in order to see what the world outside looks like," Minato says. "You guys know a bit about Haru, about me, and about the elites of the village. But this guy here," he says as he jabs a thumb towards you, "is something special. Growing this fast and being this good is no easy task."
"Good bloodlines help. But hard work's a must. You all know that much, Sakura especially."
"Me?" She blushes. "Well, I didn't expect to be praised like that..."
"Being Lady Tsunade's apprentice means you've got to be something special. I know she can't wait to see you win your first match."
"Yeah. I guess I've got a bit more to prove, then. Thanks."
"All of us are gonna kick major butt today, for sure!" Naruto says. "But if Dad's telling us that you're that crazy strong? Can't wait to try and climb that wall."
"As much as Naruto likes to mouth off..."
"Hey!"
"...I'm the same," Sasuke finishes. "A new benchmark to surpass, eh..."
"I'm looking forward to working with you as an ally," Hinata says politely. "Thank you for your insight."
"I'm gonna take our guest away for now," Minato says. "So you guys focus on getting ready. I'll be back in a bit."
"Yes, sir!" the children all say in unison.
"Haru, follow me."
"Yes, sir."
"See you guys later, yeah? Good luck out there," you say with a thumbs up.
"Yeah! I'm ready to rock! Just watch!" Naruto says.
"Right. I've got a match to win," Sasuke follows.
"I appreciate the encouragement...I'll do my best," Sakura says, determined.
"Thank you, Joshua. We'll give our all with your support," Hinata says.
You nod in acknowledgement and follow Minato and Haru out. They take you a short ways down to another set of double doors, and Minato pokes his head in.
"Lady Mizukage?"
"Here, here. You can come in, Lord Hokage."
"Thanks, but we'll keep busy outside and give you some space. I brought our guest along, as you requested."
"Oh, wonderful."
You enter with the okay from the Hokage. It's the same kind of room as the last, and Mei is sitting comfortably on a chair. There are two girls on the carpet, their legs extended towards each other as they stretch simultaneously.
"Girls, we have a visitor."
"Okay," they say in unison before standing. You bow towards each other as greeting. The girls are dressed identically, which makes sense from what you already know. Blue shirts with the Mist symbol on the shoulders, and dark skirts paired with high socks.
"Ain't it somethin'..."
"Hm..."
"Ahem. Ladies," Mei says sternly.
"Right. Sorry. Junko Kuronuma, the cooler half." The younger girl smiles and winks at you. Her black hair is cut to her chin except for the back, where it's a bushy ponytail. She has bright amber eyes that you can tell are looking you up and down. There's a yellow compression sleeve on her right arm.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Shiori Ishikawa, presumably the fairer half." Her smile is genuine as she says that. She has long and wavy black hair that flows past her shoulders, with bright cyan eyes that are watching you intently. The same type of sleeve as her partner is on her left arm, coloured pink.
"Joshua West, out of the Iron Country."
"Also known as the Blue Arrow, yeah?" Junko says. "Heard a bit about your rumble a few days ago. I can believe it...just look at you."
"Junko, show some restraint," Shiori scolds.
"Psh. Miss Prim and Proper here is ogling you too."
"I am not!"
"Anyway...we're called the Phantom Maidens around the shinobi world. Neat title, huh?"
"Definitely, especially for some genin," you say.
"Sensei put a lot of work into helping us get this far," Shiori says. "Kisame Hoshigaki."
"Ah, yeah. One of the Swordsmen. He's pretty famous in his own right."
"Yes. I must admit, I was expecting a lot more resistance before this stage, but our training was more than adequate, and our opponent selection very good. For example, Junko demonstrated the weakness of puppet arts as a jutsu specialty, and I showed the flaws in a weapon-based strategy at longer ranges."
"We were just that good," Junko chimes in. "But now is where the real climb starts. Lady Mei says that it's an achievement to get to this point, but that can't be all there is. We want to win, end of story. Though...I'm betting Shiori will be the one to make it furthest."
"Why's that?" you ask.
Junko puts her hands behind her head. "Well, I'm up against Sasuke Uchiha, the guy who's rivals with the Hokage's son and all. He's not just good, he's super sharp. And that's before he powers up his Sharingan. I'm confident, but I'm also aware of how far I gotta go as someone from a normie clan. Shiori on the other hand has a better matchup. She's the CQC expert out of us two, and I think she'd have a better time disabling the Hyuuga Princess than I would."
"I disagree and think that I'll have a harder time, but that's natural," Shiori says.
"Yep. That's how we got so good working together, seeing things different and then comparing notes."
"Although, these aren't the worst possible draws..."
"Uh-huh." Junko makes a face. "I think we've both got an edge on Haruno, though she's hella strong. The sand kid looks bloodthirsty but beatable with our unique skills, and that Naruto guy...he's just way too unpredictable. But the one that scares me the most is her."
"Her?" you ask.
"Hisano Miyajima," Mei says. "There definitely is a harsh vibration coming from her."
"Worst part is that she's acting so effortlessly," Junko continues. "Like she was just tooling around the entire time. She...made it to the tower first in the Forest of Death. In forty five minutes..."
"She is definitely a threat," Shiori says. "Watching the tape of her...not only is she so hard to study because of her jutsu, but she also remains mysterious. Her opponent in the preliminaries was Neji Hyuuga. She dispatched him with a single attack."
"Hm." You scratch your head. There was something to think about, definitely. What was Hisano here for, really? Someone that powerful...one of the many successors to the title of Raikage.
"Well, we gotta focus on getting past the first round before we worry about her. Who knows, we might get lucky and those two take each other out," Junko says with a grin.
"Would you really want that?" Shiori teases.
"I mean, duh. I want to fight, not to end up as one of their punching bags. Even courage has a limit, ya know."
"And thus, the reason why I am the elder sister."
"Coz you're a year older, granny."
"Hmph."
"'Course, maybe Josh here likes older ladies. Eh?"
"Junko, that's harassment."
"You wanna touch his muscles too."
"Not without permi-" Shiori covers her mouth, blushing.
"Ha, got 'em! So...can we?"
"I think it's time for Mister West to leave," Mei says with a sigh. "Focus on preparations until I get back."
"To echo what Mei said earlier," you interrupt, "it's great that you guys got this far, honestly. I hope you get to show the world what you can do. You should be proud of what you've accomplished so far."
"How'd you get so strong?" Junko asks. You look to Mei and she nods.
"Daily training, and rounding out my weaknesses. Or trying to mitigate them. Genjutsu doesn't work so well when the enemy can't make eye contact, for example. You can outthink your opponent so that later you can outpunch them. S'what I did when fighting Might Guy."
"Thinking a step ahead...and if your specialties are evenly matched?" Shiori asks.
"Mix it up. A few utility jutsu are good when used creatively. Think about combinations, but don't think too hard about them. If you give your opponent a chance to recognize your patterns, you keep yourself from winning."
"Oh, hey. That's what Naruto Uzumaki does. He's thinking ahead, but not too far ahead. What do you think about stepping on the gas?"
"Definitely do that," you say to Junko. "Not following through is what gets shinobi killed in high speed affairs. Just because your opponent can see it, doesn't mean they can stop it properly."
"Neat. Thanks for the tips!"
"As you can see, he's not just a charismatic young man, but quite insightful too," Mei says. "Much like the two of you, hard work brought him to where he was. Talent does help, but it's not everything. And it's not the only thing that gives you worth."
"Yes, ma'am," they say in unison.
"Good. Now, I think you should really start preparing for later. Joshua, I'll escort you out."
"Yep. Take care, ladies."
"You too, Josh! If we make it to the next round, you gotta show us how ripped you are!" Junko says.
"Take care, sir," Shiori says politely, blushing. "A-and ignore her."
"She's not as much of a prude as she lets on."
"Junko!"
You chuckle as you start to leave the room with Mei. "They're definitely sisters, if not by blood."
"Yes, surely. Of course, that spirit is part of why they love each other so much."
You exit the room to see Minato and Haru waiting patiently.
"You can have him back now," Mei says. "Thank you, the girls were definitely...enlightened by this experience."
"As I'm sure you were, Lady Mizukage."
Mei laughs softly. "Yes, I did come away with some extra knowledge myself. Good luck to you and your children, Lord Hokage."
"Same to you and yours, Lady Mizukage."
"Thank you. If you'll excuse me." She winks at you over her shoulder before walking back into the room.
"I think it would be wise to get back to our seats now," Haru says. Her voice is bordering on hostile, but again, you keep quiet. No sense in getting in the middle of that one.
"Yeah. The Kazekage and Raikage are doing their own things, and I'm sure they wouldn't want to see Joshua anyways. You guys head on back while I get the kids ready. See you in a few hours."
"Yeah," you say as you bump fists. Haru takes you through the corridors again and back towards your seat.
"The Mizukage is charming, isn't she?"
You snap to attention as Haru speaks. "She's pretty nice, yeah. And after all of that fighting, too. You'd expect someone like that to be a little more hardened, but not her."
"I see."
"Are you wondering if she's my type?"
"Is she?"
"Not sure," you answer. "I don't know if I really have a type...I mean, I have, you know...features I like, obviously. She's very attractive. But as for being drawn to her immediately...it wasn't like that."
"I understand, sir. I apologize if I was being intrusive."
"Not at all. Maybe a bit surprising that you asked, Haru."
"Not...to be dismissive. But I have my reasons, sir."
You blink before nodding. "Yeah. We all do. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"Thank you, sir."
You quietly head back to your seats, and find yourself between Hannah and Ritsu again.
"Welcome back, my love. Did things go well?" Hannah asks.
"Sure did. The kids are alright," you say with a chuckle. "All of them look confident. Met with the Leaf and Mist children."
"Oh, how interesting. Would you tell me about them?"
"Sure." You spend the next few minutes going over your meetings, with the relevant details and insights. Hannah hangs on your every word, remaining silent as you speak.
"Mm...very, very intriguing. All of them are special children in their own way...I do share Haru's sentiments about the Phantom Maids, and crave seeing them in action soon. Dealing with two of the Great Doujutsu...I want to see how they manage. Also, I note that I have a bit of competition waiting in the wings?"
"Oh, sheesh. They're just girls, don't worry about it."
"I'm not worried, make no mistake. A harem is just fine with me, but I would be at the top by default, you see. I am your favourite."
"Says who?"
"Oh, stop. I'm irreplaceable. Can you deny it?"
You sigh and roll your eyes. "Well, you're not wrong."
"You see? Then it's been decided. As I said before, all I need from you is your time and affection. That Mei Terumi, though...I'll have to keep an eye on her before she snatches you away."
"I'll bet."
"Hush, hush. You make me out to be a beast," she says with a playful smile. "Let me have my fun, and keep you out of danger. You're still just a boy."
"And you're still just a girl."
"Quite. You've done a fine job of keeping me from harm, and I thank you."
"Sir, ma'am...I hate to interrupt your flirting, but it seems the ceremony is set to begin now," Ritsu says.
You turn your attention to the field below, watching as representatives from each village file into the stadium. Flags of many different colours are being flown, and the Five Kage are there to be acknowledged. While they make their way up to their seats, the people left behind go into formation and stand at attention.
The eight participants finally appear and stand in a line together, facing the seats where the Five Kage would sit together in the middle of the stadium. The referee stands in front of them, a man with a blue bandana that acts as his Leaf headband, and a pale, tired-looking face. You remember him as the man who you first encountered upon entry to the Leaf, Hayate Gekkou.
The crowd grows more excited with each passing moment. You see that the Five Kage have reached their designated area, and all of them sit save for the Hokage.
Looks like things are ready to go.
---
Full slate of fights ahead. Will likely break them up into separate sections.
Aiming for Thursday, Friday latest for next update. No voting for now. Enjoy.
VileScurvy
Verified Pirate
- Location
- Malaysia
Oh yess.I like the different looks you gave for Team 7 in this round! Way cooler than canon, in my opinion.
And the half of the Mist team's thirsty as hell,lol.I like 'em!
And the half of the Mist team's thirsty as hell,lol.I like 'em!
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
One thing I always notice with redesigns/rewrites is that people go a little crazy when drawing the new lines. Sometimes less is more and having a reference for every change helps - if you ask me why a piece of clothing is this length or that colour for example, I'd probably be able to tell you!
That's part of what makes writing AU stuff fun, you get to play a bit with the colours in front of you without totally erasing the original idea. (There's a reason why it's not super edgy for Boruto to wear black but it makes Naruto look like an edgelord.)
That's part of what makes writing AU stuff fun, you get to play a bit with the colours in front of you without totally erasing the original idea. (There's a reason why it's not super edgy for Boruto to wear black but it makes Naruto look like an edgelord.)
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Actually before I release an update or anything I'll talk about something I've been meaning to mention, but kept forgetting. Spoilers are difficult and I want to keep the world colourful, so I won't say exactly what or who is happening.
So I mentioned somewhere near the beginning of this that I've worked on this adventure more than once. In the past the Illumination project, called "interactive cyoa" (???) and now called quest, was both an AU and a homage to the originating community, including revised versions of characters from other works with the help of the original authors.
In reaching the refined form here with much less crossover and far more AU and core OC, there's still some character bits from other past fanworks. While there are extensive changes to personalities and such, I feel like I should acknowledge one of these past collaborators, fellow QM @Megacookie before I forget. I was thinking about doing it in a credits sequence but who knows when that would be.
Elements will definitely be different but I felt a way about going through this and not shouting him out at least once, even if the characters in question end up basically as my OC because how far they deviate.
Not a terribly important PSA, but some out of story lore.
So I mentioned somewhere near the beginning of this that I've worked on this adventure more than once. In the past the Illumination project, called "interactive cyoa" (???) and now called quest, was both an AU and a homage to the originating community, including revised versions of characters from other works with the help of the original authors.
In reaching the refined form here with much less crossover and far more AU and core OC, there's still some character bits from other past fanworks. While there are extensive changes to personalities and such, I feel like I should acknowledge one of these past collaborators, fellow QM @Megacookie before I forget. I was thinking about doing it in a credits sequence but who knows when that would be.
Elements will definitely be different but I felt a way about going through this and not shouting him out at least once, even if the characters in question end up basically as my OC because how far they deviate.
Not a terribly important PSA, but some out of story lore.
Episode 5.1: New Age of Heroes - Bloom Violently
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The Fourth Hokage rose to his feet, with the Third next to him and the rest of the Five Kage seated nearby. The extra personnel on the battlefield filed out until only nine people remained in the middle, facing the stands where the most important leaders were watching from.
"Welcome to the final round of the Chuunin Selection Examination! I am the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. I would first like to thank everyone near and far for coming out to support our aspiring shinobi. With the cooperation of the stellar leaders of the other villages, this examination period has not only been remarkable, but fruitful. Already we've seen plenty of determination and skill, and candidates to become chuunin.
In the first round, we tested the intellect and pride of those seeking to become full fledged shinobi. In the second, we tested their endurance and resourcefulness. And finally, with this third round, we test their ability in straight man to man combat. The eight you see here have proven themselves to be the best of the best in all of these categories, first leading their teammates to success, and then propelling themselves even further. This tournament will have a champion, but all of the children here will have a chance to show the world what they're made of, and show their villages and Kage the skills they've learned.
So show these kids your appreciation when they begin their matches. They've worked hard to get here, and this past month has been filled with training and studies on all of their potential opponents. If there are any secrets left, it will take a top flight shinobi to hide them to the end, and that's one of the things we're looking for. All of us, as the Five Kage, are as excited as you are to see the true strength inside of the people standing below us.
Thank you again for coming, those inside and outside the stadium watching. Now that the opening ceremonies are over...let the final round matches begin!"
Minato let out a breath as the stadium erupted in cheers.
"That was a fine job, my boy."
"Heh, thanks. You always did have a way with words, sensei," he said to Hiruzen. "I wanted to try and get close to that feeling."
"You should have more confidence in yourself, Lord Hokage. Your speeches are wonderful," Mei said with a smile.
"No need to suck up so eagerly, Mizukage."
Mei said nothing, brushing back her hair as Rasa spoke from the opposite side.
"Be civil, Kazekage. This isn't about you or any of us right now," A said from beside him. "Focus on your child's match instead."
"..."
"This first match should be entertaining...the newest apprentice of the Slug Princess herself, eh? And the supposedly untouchable jinchuuriki of the Sand," Oonoki mused.
"Alright, go ahead and announce yourselves to the crowd," Hayate said to the people standing ahead of him.
"Right! Naruto Uzumaki, of the Hidden Leaf!"
"Sasuke Uchiha, of the Hidden Leaf."
"Sakura Haruno, of the Hidden Leaf!"
"Hinata Hyuuga, of the Hidden Leaf!"
"Junko Kuronuma, of the Village Hidden in Mist!"
"Shiori Ishikawa, of the Village Hidden in Mist!"
"Hisano Miyajima...Village Hidden in the Clouds." A girl with brown skin and curly pink hair, wrapped in a long black cloak with white heels on her feet. Her eyes shone a golden yellow and looked wearied. She was the tallest of the participants, though her full build was still unknown.
"Gaara of the Sand Waterfall." The last participant, a boy with red hair and green eyes with thick dark rings around them, as if he had never slept a day in his life. A red tattoo stood out above his left eye. He dressed in black, wearing a hooded sweater and pants that showed almost no traces of his pale skin. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck, and there was a leather belt with his headband on the lower part of it. It secured the sand-coloured gourd on his back, which had cracks and unreadable markings all over its surface.
"Uchiha...Uzumaki...Miyajima. No matter which one of you advances next, I'll hunt you down and crush you," Gaara said menacingly. "I'll show you what true terror looks like."
"What a toothless threat."
Gaara turned his head to glare at Sasuke, who was looking down on him.
"Pathetic. Someone who can't even assess the threat in front of him...you're not worthy to face an Uchiha."
"Threat?" Gaara growled back.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in anger. "Your free ride ends here...don't you look down on our Sakura, asshole."
"Yeah...you're dreaming if you think you can just walk over her," Naruto followed up, sneering. "Enjoy your trip to the ICU later."
"..."
"First match is Haruno and Gaara. Everyone else, make your way upstairs," Hayate said with a cough. "See you in a while."
"You've got this, Sakura," Hinata said with a smile.
"Yeah. Floor his ass, Sakura," Naruto said.
"Show him the strength you've worked for. We're with you in spirit...no matter what happens," Sasuke said.
"Right. But...I know what you're expecting out of me, Sasuke."
"Of course you do." He smiled at her over his shoulder. "You're our Sakura, after all."
Three people were left on the field. Hayate stood between Sakura and Gaara, the former slipping on her black gloves and pulling them tight.
"Rules are the same as always. Fight as best you can. You can surrender at any time, and I recommend it if you feel that you're in any danger." A cough. "But if I say the match is over, the match is over. No killing if at all possible. Participants, acknowledge."
"Acknowledged," Sakura said.
"Whatever," Gaara muttered.
"Both participants affirm, I guess. Fighters ready."
Hayate raised his hand, looking quickly at each fighter before bringing it down.
"Begin!"
Sakura and Gaara took a hop away from each other, staring ruefully.
"I can see...how your sister looks at you."
"..."
Sakura clenched her fists. "So...since she's so fearful...and your father doesn't see any point to rearing you properly...I'm going to give her a service today, in front of this crowd."
"And what might that be, wench?"
"I'm going to teach you some manners."
"Then come and try it, you useless bitch..."
Sakura punched downwards, throwing up debris and a cloud of dust into the air. Gaara responded by having the cork on his gourd turn to sand, then letting the sand from inside flow out and to the ground. He briefly wondered what his opponent was doing.
"Stop hiding...you're wasting my time," he growled. The sand in his possession had multiplied in volume as he ground up rock beneath the earth. He sent a wave forward that washed over the upturned rock where Sakura was. She shot out from behind it and ran ahead of the sand as it chased her down.
A hard opponent? No, not really. You're stationary because of your so called absolute defence. That means that I can fire at you from a long range...and that's what I'll do to start.
"No point in wasting ninja tools. Besides...they're not small enough for what I want to try," Sakura said to herself. She slid to a stop briefly before flicking her thumb at Gaara.
He didn't register what had happened until the sand wall blocked the flying object.
"What...?" It was a rock. "What is she...doing?"
Sakura accelerated again, moving in a circle around Gaara while firing off pieces of rock with flicks of her thumb in either hand. The wave of sand kept growing, merging with other flows as Sakura moved in and out of range to fire off projectiles.
Gaara watched with irritation and confusion as the rocks came flying in, hitting his personal barrier over and over again.
"..."
Junko made observations from her position near the railing, on the lower part of the stands.
"What do you think?" Shiori asked from beside her.
"Just a matter of time now. And to think I was worried about fighting him...arrogant prick."
"She's sizing him up."
"Yep...just figuring out how much force she'd need to end him. I reckon that sand could be packed really hard and tight, so it could protect him just a bit if he needs it. But she's playing him for a sucker."
"Mm. How simple," Shiori said with a sigh. "I guess that's it, then."
"Yeah. The Leaf...isn't anything to screw with. You can bet on that, sis."
Sakura finished her barrage and slid to another stop, noting that the sand had retreated to around Gaara's position. She started to flow chakra neatly and precisely into her arms and legs, tensing them in preparation.
"Are you done playing games?"
Sakura smiled. "Not yet. I wanna finish this one here."
"Then I'll bring it to an end myself. I'll make you regret ever taunting me, bitch..."
"Like I said before..."
Her green eyes flashed with fury.
"I'm going to teach you some fucking manners."
The earth exploded in her wake as she took off.
"!" Gaara couldn't register her movement. A body flicker? No, faster than that?
She sent sand flying in waves as her feet carved through it, and drew back a chakra-loaded fist. Gaara moved his sand towards her, but it was too late. The automatic defence kicked in...
...and was promptly smashed into nothing.
Gaara felt his world flicker into darkness for a moment before he registered the pain of slamming into a wall. His head throbbed and he stood up, feeling that the Armour of Sand on his body had been cracked apart. But...there was something in his mouth. He spit on the ground and his green eyes widened.
Bits of white material...and crimson everywhere. This was...
The side of his head hurt and he touched it. It was...wet?
His hand came back coated in red.
"This is...this is my...blood...?"
"Why don't you wipe yourself off and get back in the fight?" Sakura taunted from a distance. "Never been hurt before? Well...there's a lot more where that came from. This lesson isn't over."
"I'm...bleeding? What...ugh...aaaah...!"
Rasa looked on, unnerved.
"What's with your boy, Kazekage?" Oonoki asked. "He's only been hit once, but he's not taking it well. Is he that fragile?"
"Gaara has supposedly never experienced any injury. He came out of the Forest of Death unscathed, like Hisano Miyajima did. This must be a paradigm shift for him," Mei said.
"I...I can't...not like this! Mother...please...!"
"..." Sakura gathered more chakra.
"I...I won't...let you!"
"I won't let you, either." Sakura grit her teeth and burst forward again, dodging Gaara's waves of sand as she neared him. Several clones started to form but she tore past them, lining up another chakra enhanced punch.
Gaara's eyes widened with shock and anger, and he forced sand into a tight position near his upper body.
"You were so preoccupied with the next few rounds that you forgot, huh?"
"What?! You...!"
"I train daily under Lady Tsunade and have Rin-sensei as my second mentor. Do you get it?"
She slipped to Gaara's left and readied her right hand.
"I'm a medical kunoichi...and that means I know just how to make you hurt the most."
"Guh...!"
Sakura threw a chakra enhanced right hook through Gaara's sand barrier, driving her fist right into his side. He floated for a moment, face frozen in immense pain.
"And you can have this one for the road!"
She wound up and lashed out with a roundhouse kick, barrelling through the sand again and slamming into the side of Gaara's head. His face warped slightly before he left her foot, sailing like a rocket into another far wall and cracking it apart on impact. The sand reacted fast enough to slightly cushion him, remaining in place as he dropped to the ground.
"This...p-pain...what is this...why...? The sand...isn't...?"
Gaara spit out blood again as he forced himself to his feet. Tears were streaming down his face.
"Your sand has a load limit. You're not strong enough to stand against me, and I figured it out as soon as I started this fight. There were two ways to get around your sand," she explained, two fingers raised for emphasis. "Outspeed it...or outmuscle it. And since I'm not Naruto or Sasuke, I decided to go with the muscle option. It doesn't matter what you try...I can do this all day. You can't."
Sakura looked down on Gaara. He seethed, his face twisting up and giving him a gruesome look as he screamed.
Sand started to gather around him, coming out from his gourd and from the rest of the arena. It was beginning to layer itself into a sphere, a cocoon of sorts...
Rasa gripped the arms of his chair tightly.
"Kazekage. What's going on?" Minato asked, already knowing the answer.
"..."
"Lord Kazekage. Do you know what's happening?" Minato asked in a firmer voice. "What's your son doing?"
The Leaf genin meanwhile were growing slightly worried as they huddled against the railing.
"Something's way off, these vibrations...oi, Hinata. Can you see what's happening?" Naruto asked as he looked over the arena.
"I can..." Hinata quietly activated her Byakugan. "It's...I..."
"Hinata? Hey, what's...?"
"S-some kind of...I...he's transforming...but I..."
"It's the beast inside. Shit...he's changing," Sasuke muttered.
"It's just...the chakra...I don't understand..."
"So it's nothing like Mom's, I can tell that much. It just feels super creepy, even from here. Sakura! You gotta put this one away!" Naruto yelled.
"Yeah. No trouble, then..." Sakura ran ahead, charging at the sphere of sand. She neared it and several large spikes emerged from the front; dodging most of them, she karate chopped through the rest with slight damage to her gloves. Her fist then penetrated the cocoon, and she plunged another in beside it.
"Nowhere to hide! CHA!"
With a mighty yell, she tore apart the front of the hardened sphere, reached in, and yanked Gaara out before tossing him aside. Sand quickly fell away from him, and what looked like a warped appendage melted off of his right arm.
"You..."
"Ugh...what...did you..."
"If you're going to that length...then I'll put an end to this for good."
Sakura wound up her foot, and Gaara summoned sand to defend from his position on the ground. His chakra was down from trying to repair his sand armour so frequently.
The sand wasn't...going to make it in time.
"Fly away!"
Her foot connected, sending Gaara high into the air.
"And now the finale...let's try it out!"
Sakura boosted her running speed and ran up the nearby wall, then jumped into the air towards the middle of the arena and the floating Gaara.
"Hopefully you'll learn your lesson with this, jackass! Show some respect for us kunoichi! And don't you ever mock the Leaf again!"
"Ugh..."
"Suck on this!" Sakura flipped forward in the air, raising a leg high. "Sakura! Down! BURST!"
She dropped a vicious, chakra boosted axe kick down onto Gaara's chest, no longer defended by his sand. He hung in the air for a moment before accelerating downwards violently, slamming into the ground and sending out a rolling circle of debris to the ends of the stadium.
Sakura twisted in the air and gracefully landed just outside of the newly formed crater. Hayate slid down to check on Gaara, who was unmoving with a pile of sand beneath him.
"Out like a light...I'm calling it. Winner, Sakura Haruno of the Hidden Leaf."
"That's how you do it," she said, pounding her chest once. "You can bring it on from anywhere! SHANNARO!"
"Shannaro! Whooo!" the Leaf patrons shouted back in unison.
"Hell yes! That's my girl!" Tsunade yelled from her seat. "Told ya we'd learn the fucker!"
"Crisis averted, I guess. And a good ending to the match, far as I'm concerned," Minato said with a sigh.
"If I can pull off my next match, that's what I'm up against," Junko said with a smile.
"Excited?" Shiori asked.
"Yeah...but I'm not gonna make the same mistake that Sand idiot did. My focus is going to be on my next opponent...and it has to be if I wanna do well. But I'm excited for this match too. Hopefully he goes all out..."
"Gaara, huh..." Naruto mused on the Sand shinobi as he was tended to by medical staff. Once stabilized, they moved him away on a stretcher and a few stadium workers did some repair to the battlefield. A short concessions break took place.
"That was one sided," Joshua said. "Not really complaining, but I didn't see that level of domination coming."
"Once that boy was hit, it was all over. The only chance he had was to use the powers of his tailed beast, but Sakura didn't let up once," Hannah replied. "A remarkable child, smart and battle savvy."
"I caught that little feint she did, really nice touch. Tsunade's been giving her the complete package."
"Indeed. It's plain to see why she's called the Savage Blossom."
"A special move," Ritsu mumbled. "It seems neccessary these days."
"Heh, totally. Something like Sakura Downburst...sounds cool and gives you presence," Joshua said. "Intimidation is a part of battle strategy too."
"I see...hm."
"Shall I get us some snacks?" Haru asked the group.
"If you would be so kind. That would be lovely," Hannah said.
"Yeah, I could go for something hot and meaty. And you," Joshua said with a glare towards Hannah. "Don't even say it."
She pouted. "Tch. Killjoy."
"I would like some meat myself," Ritsu followed. "Non-lewd variety, please."
"I'll do my best to accomodate your...unique tastes," Haru said snidely before leaving.
"Well, she's been a bit mean-spirited lately," Hannah commented with a smug smile.
"Yeah. Guess she'll fit in with the family just fine after all. Next match is Junko and Sasuke...should be a hot one."
---
Deadline should be Friday. Enjoy the update.
"Welcome to the final round of the Chuunin Selection Examination! I am the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. I would first like to thank everyone near and far for coming out to support our aspiring shinobi. With the cooperation of the stellar leaders of the other villages, this examination period has not only been remarkable, but fruitful. Already we've seen plenty of determination and skill, and candidates to become chuunin.
In the first round, we tested the intellect and pride of those seeking to become full fledged shinobi. In the second, we tested their endurance and resourcefulness. And finally, with this third round, we test their ability in straight man to man combat. The eight you see here have proven themselves to be the best of the best in all of these categories, first leading their teammates to success, and then propelling themselves even further. This tournament will have a champion, but all of the children here will have a chance to show the world what they're made of, and show their villages and Kage the skills they've learned.
So show these kids your appreciation when they begin their matches. They've worked hard to get here, and this past month has been filled with training and studies on all of their potential opponents. If there are any secrets left, it will take a top flight shinobi to hide them to the end, and that's one of the things we're looking for. All of us, as the Five Kage, are as excited as you are to see the true strength inside of the people standing below us.
Thank you again for coming, those inside and outside the stadium watching. Now that the opening ceremonies are over...let the final round matches begin!"
Minato let out a breath as the stadium erupted in cheers.
"That was a fine job, my boy."
"Heh, thanks. You always did have a way with words, sensei," he said to Hiruzen. "I wanted to try and get close to that feeling."
"You should have more confidence in yourself, Lord Hokage. Your speeches are wonderful," Mei said with a smile.
"No need to suck up so eagerly, Mizukage."
Mei said nothing, brushing back her hair as Rasa spoke from the opposite side.
"Be civil, Kazekage. This isn't about you or any of us right now," A said from beside him. "Focus on your child's match instead."
"..."
"This first match should be entertaining...the newest apprentice of the Slug Princess herself, eh? And the supposedly untouchable jinchuuriki of the Sand," Oonoki mused.
"Alright, go ahead and announce yourselves to the crowd," Hayate said to the people standing ahead of him.
"Right! Naruto Uzumaki, of the Hidden Leaf!"
"Sasuke Uchiha, of the Hidden Leaf."
"Sakura Haruno, of the Hidden Leaf!"
"Hinata Hyuuga, of the Hidden Leaf!"
"Junko Kuronuma, of the Village Hidden in Mist!"
"Shiori Ishikawa, of the Village Hidden in Mist!"
"Hisano Miyajima...Village Hidden in the Clouds." A girl with brown skin and curly pink hair, wrapped in a long black cloak with white heels on her feet. Her eyes shone a golden yellow and looked wearied. She was the tallest of the participants, though her full build was still unknown.
"Gaara of the Sand Waterfall." The last participant, a boy with red hair and green eyes with thick dark rings around them, as if he had never slept a day in his life. A red tattoo stood out above his left eye. He dressed in black, wearing a hooded sweater and pants that showed almost no traces of his pale skin. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck, and there was a leather belt with his headband on the lower part of it. It secured the sand-coloured gourd on his back, which had cracks and unreadable markings all over its surface.
"Uchiha...Uzumaki...Miyajima. No matter which one of you advances next, I'll hunt you down and crush you," Gaara said menacingly. "I'll show you what true terror looks like."
"What a toothless threat."
Gaara turned his head to glare at Sasuke, who was looking down on him.
"Pathetic. Someone who can't even assess the threat in front of him...you're not worthy to face an Uchiha."
"Threat?" Gaara growled back.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed in anger. "Your free ride ends here...don't you look down on our Sakura, asshole."
"Yeah...you're dreaming if you think you can just walk over her," Naruto followed up, sneering. "Enjoy your trip to the ICU later."
"..."
"First match is Haruno and Gaara. Everyone else, make your way upstairs," Hayate said with a cough. "See you in a while."
"You've got this, Sakura," Hinata said with a smile.
"Yeah. Floor his ass, Sakura," Naruto said.
"Show him the strength you've worked for. We're with you in spirit...no matter what happens," Sasuke said.
"Right. But...I know what you're expecting out of me, Sasuke."
"Of course you do." He smiled at her over his shoulder. "You're our Sakura, after all."
Three people were left on the field. Hayate stood between Sakura and Gaara, the former slipping on her black gloves and pulling them tight.
"Rules are the same as always. Fight as best you can. You can surrender at any time, and I recommend it if you feel that you're in any danger." A cough. "But if I say the match is over, the match is over. No killing if at all possible. Participants, acknowledge."
"Acknowledged," Sakura said.
"Whatever," Gaara muttered.
"Both participants affirm, I guess. Fighters ready."
Hayate raised his hand, looking quickly at each fighter before bringing it down.
"Begin!"
Sakura and Gaara took a hop away from each other, staring ruefully.
"I can see...how your sister looks at you."
"..."
Sakura clenched her fists. "So...since she's so fearful...and your father doesn't see any point to rearing you properly...I'm going to give her a service today, in front of this crowd."
"And what might that be, wench?"
"I'm going to teach you some manners."
"Then come and try it, you useless bitch..."
Sakura punched downwards, throwing up debris and a cloud of dust into the air. Gaara responded by having the cork on his gourd turn to sand, then letting the sand from inside flow out and to the ground. He briefly wondered what his opponent was doing.
"Stop hiding...you're wasting my time," he growled. The sand in his possession had multiplied in volume as he ground up rock beneath the earth. He sent a wave forward that washed over the upturned rock where Sakura was. She shot out from behind it and ran ahead of the sand as it chased her down.
A hard opponent? No, not really. You're stationary because of your so called absolute defence. That means that I can fire at you from a long range...and that's what I'll do to start.
"No point in wasting ninja tools. Besides...they're not small enough for what I want to try," Sakura said to herself. She slid to a stop briefly before flicking her thumb at Gaara.
He didn't register what had happened until the sand wall blocked the flying object.
"What...?" It was a rock. "What is she...doing?"
Sakura accelerated again, moving in a circle around Gaara while firing off pieces of rock with flicks of her thumb in either hand. The wave of sand kept growing, merging with other flows as Sakura moved in and out of range to fire off projectiles.
Gaara watched with irritation and confusion as the rocks came flying in, hitting his personal barrier over and over again.
"..."
Junko made observations from her position near the railing, on the lower part of the stands.
"What do you think?" Shiori asked from beside her.
"Just a matter of time now. And to think I was worried about fighting him...arrogant prick."
"She's sizing him up."
"Yep...just figuring out how much force she'd need to end him. I reckon that sand could be packed really hard and tight, so it could protect him just a bit if he needs it. But she's playing him for a sucker."
"Mm. How simple," Shiori said with a sigh. "I guess that's it, then."
"Yeah. The Leaf...isn't anything to screw with. You can bet on that, sis."
Sakura finished her barrage and slid to another stop, noting that the sand had retreated to around Gaara's position. She started to flow chakra neatly and precisely into her arms and legs, tensing them in preparation.
"Are you done playing games?"
Sakura smiled. "Not yet. I wanna finish this one here."
"Then I'll bring it to an end myself. I'll make you regret ever taunting me, bitch..."
"Like I said before..."
Her green eyes flashed with fury.
"I'm going to teach you some fucking manners."
The earth exploded in her wake as she took off.
"!" Gaara couldn't register her movement. A body flicker? No, faster than that?
She sent sand flying in waves as her feet carved through it, and drew back a chakra-loaded fist. Gaara moved his sand towards her, but it was too late. The automatic defence kicked in...
...and was promptly smashed into nothing.
Gaara felt his world flicker into darkness for a moment before he registered the pain of slamming into a wall. His head throbbed and he stood up, feeling that the Armour of Sand on his body had been cracked apart. But...there was something in his mouth. He spit on the ground and his green eyes widened.
Bits of white material...and crimson everywhere. This was...
The side of his head hurt and he touched it. It was...wet?
His hand came back coated in red.
"This is...this is my...blood...?"
"Why don't you wipe yourself off and get back in the fight?" Sakura taunted from a distance. "Never been hurt before? Well...there's a lot more where that came from. This lesson isn't over."
"I'm...bleeding? What...ugh...aaaah...!"
Rasa looked on, unnerved.
"What's with your boy, Kazekage?" Oonoki asked. "He's only been hit once, but he's not taking it well. Is he that fragile?"
"Gaara has supposedly never experienced any injury. He came out of the Forest of Death unscathed, like Hisano Miyajima did. This must be a paradigm shift for him," Mei said.
"I...I can't...not like this! Mother...please...!"
"..." Sakura gathered more chakra.
"I...I won't...let you!"
"I won't let you, either." Sakura grit her teeth and burst forward again, dodging Gaara's waves of sand as she neared him. Several clones started to form but she tore past them, lining up another chakra enhanced punch.
Gaara's eyes widened with shock and anger, and he forced sand into a tight position near his upper body.
"You were so preoccupied with the next few rounds that you forgot, huh?"
"What?! You...!"
"I train daily under Lady Tsunade and have Rin-sensei as my second mentor. Do you get it?"
She slipped to Gaara's left and readied her right hand.
"I'm a medical kunoichi...and that means I know just how to make you hurt the most."
"Guh...!"
Sakura threw a chakra enhanced right hook through Gaara's sand barrier, driving her fist right into his side. He floated for a moment, face frozen in immense pain.
"And you can have this one for the road!"
She wound up and lashed out with a roundhouse kick, barrelling through the sand again and slamming into the side of Gaara's head. His face warped slightly before he left her foot, sailing like a rocket into another far wall and cracking it apart on impact. The sand reacted fast enough to slightly cushion him, remaining in place as he dropped to the ground.
"This...p-pain...what is this...why...? The sand...isn't...?"
Gaara spit out blood again as he forced himself to his feet. Tears were streaming down his face.
"Your sand has a load limit. You're not strong enough to stand against me, and I figured it out as soon as I started this fight. There were two ways to get around your sand," she explained, two fingers raised for emphasis. "Outspeed it...or outmuscle it. And since I'm not Naruto or Sasuke, I decided to go with the muscle option. It doesn't matter what you try...I can do this all day. You can't."
Sakura looked down on Gaara. He seethed, his face twisting up and giving him a gruesome look as he screamed.
Sand started to gather around him, coming out from his gourd and from the rest of the arena. It was beginning to layer itself into a sphere, a cocoon of sorts...
Rasa gripped the arms of his chair tightly.
"Kazekage. What's going on?" Minato asked, already knowing the answer.
"..."
"Lord Kazekage. Do you know what's happening?" Minato asked in a firmer voice. "What's your son doing?"
The Leaf genin meanwhile were growing slightly worried as they huddled against the railing.
"Something's way off, these vibrations...oi, Hinata. Can you see what's happening?" Naruto asked as he looked over the arena.
"I can..." Hinata quietly activated her Byakugan. "It's...I..."
"Hinata? Hey, what's...?"
"S-some kind of...I...he's transforming...but I..."
"It's the beast inside. Shit...he's changing," Sasuke muttered.
"It's just...the chakra...I don't understand..."
"So it's nothing like Mom's, I can tell that much. It just feels super creepy, even from here. Sakura! You gotta put this one away!" Naruto yelled.
"Yeah. No trouble, then..." Sakura ran ahead, charging at the sphere of sand. She neared it and several large spikes emerged from the front; dodging most of them, she karate chopped through the rest with slight damage to her gloves. Her fist then penetrated the cocoon, and she plunged another in beside it.
"Nowhere to hide! CHA!"
With a mighty yell, she tore apart the front of the hardened sphere, reached in, and yanked Gaara out before tossing him aside. Sand quickly fell away from him, and what looked like a warped appendage melted off of his right arm.
"You..."
"Ugh...what...did you..."
"If you're going to that length...then I'll put an end to this for good."
Sakura wound up her foot, and Gaara summoned sand to defend from his position on the ground. His chakra was down from trying to repair his sand armour so frequently.
The sand wasn't...going to make it in time.
"Fly away!"
Her foot connected, sending Gaara high into the air.
"And now the finale...let's try it out!"
Sakura boosted her running speed and ran up the nearby wall, then jumped into the air towards the middle of the arena and the floating Gaara.
"Hopefully you'll learn your lesson with this, jackass! Show some respect for us kunoichi! And don't you ever mock the Leaf again!"
"Ugh..."
"Suck on this!" Sakura flipped forward in the air, raising a leg high. "Sakura! Down! BURST!"
She dropped a vicious, chakra boosted axe kick down onto Gaara's chest, no longer defended by his sand. He hung in the air for a moment before accelerating downwards violently, slamming into the ground and sending out a rolling circle of debris to the ends of the stadium.
Sakura twisted in the air and gracefully landed just outside of the newly formed crater. Hayate slid down to check on Gaara, who was unmoving with a pile of sand beneath him.
"Out like a light...I'm calling it. Winner, Sakura Haruno of the Hidden Leaf."
"That's how you do it," she said, pounding her chest once. "You can bring it on from anywhere! SHANNARO!"
"Shannaro! Whooo!" the Leaf patrons shouted back in unison.
"Hell yes! That's my girl!" Tsunade yelled from her seat. "Told ya we'd learn the fucker!"
"Crisis averted, I guess. And a good ending to the match, far as I'm concerned," Minato said with a sigh.
"If I can pull off my next match, that's what I'm up against," Junko said with a smile.
"Excited?" Shiori asked.
"Yeah...but I'm not gonna make the same mistake that Sand idiot did. My focus is going to be on my next opponent...and it has to be if I wanna do well. But I'm excited for this match too. Hopefully he goes all out..."
"Gaara, huh..." Naruto mused on the Sand shinobi as he was tended to by medical staff. Once stabilized, they moved him away on a stretcher and a few stadium workers did some repair to the battlefield. A short concessions break took place.
"That was one sided," Joshua said. "Not really complaining, but I didn't see that level of domination coming."
"Once that boy was hit, it was all over. The only chance he had was to use the powers of his tailed beast, but Sakura didn't let up once," Hannah replied. "A remarkable child, smart and battle savvy."
"I caught that little feint she did, really nice touch. Tsunade's been giving her the complete package."
"Indeed. It's plain to see why she's called the Savage Blossom."
"A special move," Ritsu mumbled. "It seems neccessary these days."
"Heh, totally. Something like Sakura Downburst...sounds cool and gives you presence," Joshua said. "Intimidation is a part of battle strategy too."
"I see...hm."
"Shall I get us some snacks?" Haru asked the group.
"If you would be so kind. That would be lovely," Hannah said.
"Yeah, I could go for something hot and meaty. And you," Joshua said with a glare towards Hannah. "Don't even say it."
She pouted. "Tch. Killjoy."
"I would like some meat myself," Ritsu followed. "Non-lewd variety, please."
"I'll do my best to accomodate your...unique tastes," Haru said snidely before leaving.
"Well, she's been a bit mean-spirited lately," Hannah commented with a smug smile.
"Yeah. Guess she'll fit in with the family just fine after all. Next match is Junko and Sasuke...should be a hot one."
---
Deadline should be Friday. Enjoy the update.
Last edited:
VileScurvy
Verified Pirate
- Location
- Malaysia
Nooice.Gaara got smacked like a noob, by Sakura of all things.Guess the early training by Tsunade made a huuge difference.
Can't wait to see the next instalment!
Can't wait to see the next instalment!