The Illuminators: Last Trinity (A Naruto AU)

[FortePlus]

"Let's head over to the place I was talking about earlier," you say to Hannah as you walk. "You'll love it."

"I expect nothing less from you. Let's keep this a surprise as well."

"You got it."

It's pretty late, already close to midnight. You figured you would be out this long anyways, so it's fine. The match tomorrow won't be starting too early.

You walk the few blocks away from the restaurant and towards the small place you had found a few days earlier. A shop in between two larger buildings that had closed up for the day, and was open all hours with rotating staff. It's in proximity to two hotels that host out of region foreigners, actors, and a few types of business people. A woman enjoys a drink and blows smoke into the air as she leans back in her chair on the patio.

Chimes sound as you push open the door and let Hannah inside before you. It's compact inside, reminding you of a bookstore; there are indeed bookshelves as well, with some paintings and artwork on the walls. You count four tables in the whole place before you reach the counter. There's some shuffling in the back before the swinging door is pushed open by a young man, out of breath.

"Sorry about that...were you waiting long?"

"Just got here," you say to him. Not much older than you, it looks like. He has a hat on with parts of his hair net peeking out from underneath it, and a dark apron with a strawberry stitched onto the front of it.

"Ah, okay. That's good. Uh...welcome to the shop!"

"Thanks. I've been around before and wanted to take my lady friend here as a surprise," you say while nodding towards Hannah. She smiles and bows her head briefly.

"Ah, y-yeah. Nice to meet you," he says with a quick bow, blushing.

"A pleasure," Hannah says.

"Definitely mine," he blurts out nervously. You decide to get him out of here before Hannah makes him melt into a puddle.

"We'd like some tea and desserts for now," you say to him. "Can we get a cheesecake?"

"Sure, yeah. Let me just...a pen," he says as he searches behind the counter. He pops up a moment later with a pen and notepad. "Okay, one cheesecake...tea. What style did you want?"

"You have the Empire style available?"

"We do."

"Get me half of that, one part plain and the other strawberry. And then we'll have the other half traditional, with one part strawberry and the last one caramel. Put those together for now, then take the other parts and fuse those for later so I can take them home."

"Uh...wait, you're going to buy all of those?"

"Can't go around wasting food, yeah?"

"Yeah, guess not." He mumbles as he writes down your orders. "Lots of cake, though...alright. Got your orders. What kind of tea did you want?" he asks.

"Hm. If you've got that 'Earl Grey' in, that would be cool."

"Alright...got it. Right. Okay, if you'd just have a seat, I'll have this stuff out in a bit. Not too long. Hopefully. Uh, yeah. I'll...be back." He bows quickly and takes another glance at Hannah before leaving.

"Charming boy."

"You're awful," you say to Hannah.

She rolls her eyes. "I did nothing, he was stumbling over himself quite handily."

"Heh. Hard not to."

Hannah gives you a smug look. "Indeed. Shall we sit?"

You nod and pull out her chair to seat her at the table, then have a comfortable seat yourself.

"I have had some of this 'cheese cake' before, but it wasn't very well done. Bit of an odd taste, I would say," Hannah says. "And this 'Empire' style sounds quite intriguing."

"Different sorts of techniques. You'll see in a bit, but I have a feeling you'll like that one the best, which is why I ordered it. I think it's a very 'you' dessert, anyways."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Ask Haru," you say with a smile.

"I just might, since you're interested in playing coy. But I appreciate the flattery."

Your teapot arrives, with two tea cups already filled with tea. Next comes the plate of cheesecake, with four distinct zones that contain thick slices. You carefully move the large plate around and move a slice onto one of the smaller ones, handing it gently to Hannah who looks it over curiously.

"That's the Empire one, plain. Have yourself a bite."

"Mm." She takes up her fork and slices a chunk out before bringing it to her mouth. Setting the fork down a moment, she chews daintily before swallowing, then dabbing her mouth with a napkin. Her violet eyes open, sparkling as she looks at you.

"You ridiculously handsome devil. This is going to make me fat."

"Yeah, I know."

"Hmph." She moves relatively slowly and savours the slice before it's all gone, then takes a sip of tea. You take her plate and lay down some of the strawberry flavour onto it before sending it back. She chews on that a moment before commenting.

"This one is the normal style, yes? It's certainly a bit lighter, more textured overall...definitely still good. The previous one was quite decadent. As you said, more to my preferences." She laughs lightly. "I hope you're saying something flattering with that analysis."

You smile and wiggle your eyebrows, making her laugh a bit louder.

"This is absolutely heavenly. And the tea blends so well with our dessert. Is this another thing you've learned from life at home?"

"Grams is pretty particular about what teas go with different kinds of food. Has been for a while, since my old man only drinks certain teas in the mornings and with dinner. My mom doesn't really mind it all that much, but she's accommodating," you say before taking a bite of your cheesecake.

"It's quite fascinating. I've always understood the relationship between beverage and food, just not so intimately. As I've noted before, I tended to eat whatever was available and developed some preferences as a result. Rich clients would at times have us eating their expensive food so that it wouldn't go to waste...quite luxurious, but not very educational when you're more focused on living from day to day. Still, I did develop an appreciation for good cuisine and fresh ingredients."

"That's always nice," you say.

"It is. I did make certain assumptions about your upbringing, seeing as you have a particular class that you come from."

"Yeah. That happens. Honestly, I fell into a pretty good spot. My family is up there, but we still have to interact with people on a daily basis, you know? So we're not separated from everyone else and we don't really take the chance to break away from that sort of position. The Kennedys are the founding family so they have it different, kind of changes how they're supposed to behave. Cadence is pretty interesting in that way, she's definitely more about brass tacks and all that."

"Mm-hm. She sounds quite interesting."

"I'm sure you two will hit it off once you meet. She's a good gal." You sip at your tea. "It's a different world out there, last I remember anyways. I dunno if things have changed too drastically, even with the terrorists getting their second wind."

"Hopefully not. It would put your parents in danger," Hannah says.

"Yeah, but they die hard. Ma is pretty strong and Pop is still in combat shape, he makes sure of it. Plus they might have heard that I was doing okay here, so hopefully that lifts their spirits. Oh, and if my sis is around, that's one more cannon on the deck. Grams...I don't remember the last time I've actually seen her angry." You muse on that as you chew on a slice of strawberry cheesecake. "But there are stories. Wild ones. I'll tell you about them some time."

"Please do. Oh, this one is quite lovely. Rich, but not overly so...worlds apart from the versions I've had before tonight. You mentioned that we'll be taking some home?"

"Yeah. I figure it makes no sense to leave them on the hook for all the stuff we don't eat right away. Especially since I can afford it."

"We still have those ribs from a few days ago...adding this to the experience will be wonderful, hmhm."

"Okay, see...I can take responsibility for introducing you to the stuff, but if you're gonna combine meals like that, then I don't want to hear any complaining later. I don't care how big your thighs get, leave me out of it," you say to her.

"It's your fault. You keep spoiling me."

"I don't spoil you into eating two racks of ribs a day."

"You can't buy food and just leave it around to tempt a girl like that. It's positively unfair! Keep doing that, and you'll have to deal with me being a little plump," she says with a pout.

"You're too sassy. You're ten handfuls too many," you say with a smile.

"You love it."

"I do. That doesn't mean I'll stop complaining."

"About me being plump?"

"That, I'm fine with."

"And what if I'm not?" she asks.

"Heh. I'll be your workout buddy."

She smiles and points her fork at you. "I will hold you to that promise, Joshua."

"Sure."

The two of you continue eating, talking about past events like the previous rounds of the tournament, and upcoming ones like the lessons with Tsunade and your meeting with Mei in a day or two. You finish your cake, then your tea, and get ready to leave feeling comfortably filled up.

"Ah. That was wonderful. We should do this again before we leave," Hannah says.

"For sure," you say. "Just give me the word."

"Perhaps once my lessons with Tsunade end, we can have an outing to celebrate. Hm. These items are a lot to carry at once, aren't they..." She starts to go through her purse and produces a small red scroll. "Mm. I wonder if I should use this one. It wouldn't hurt to check...Joshua, darling. A small favour?"

"All ears, Princess," you say reflexively.

"Could you ask the young man from earlier if he might have a spare scroll? If it's blank, all the better."

"Yup, I'll go check." You head up to the counter and wait for your clerk to appear again.

"Hello again. Anything you needed, sir?"

"Yeah, just an out of the way request. We were wondering if you had some scrolls tucked away."

"Oh, we keep some sealing scrolls for emergencies. Most of them are filled though, and the others are blank."

"Blank ones are great, actually."

"Oh, good. I can spare a few."

"One's good. Here," you say as you hand him payment. "You'll want to replace your stock just in case," you add before he can protest. He nods in understanding and grabs the scroll from beneath the counter before handing it to you.

You head back to the table and hand the scroll to Hannah, who unfurls it across an empty table and produces a pen.

"There is little to worry about in terms of transport, and the contents will be relatively delicate, so...this should do. Let us properly set the parameters." Hannah rolls up her sleeves delicately and leans over the blank paper before starting to write. Her pen moves quickly as she rotates the paper, drawing symbols in specific orders and patterns with precise spacing.

"You learned this in the field?" you ask as she works.

"Yes, I did. Very easy with time on your hands to simply copy an existing sealing formula, but as you progress, you learn about what symbols control what conditions. Sealing hard weapons differs from corpses, or food, or jutsu. Each has conditions that can be set, and each has a particular trigger. You can even set it so that the object or technique is lost upon scroll destruction, or that it is automatically released." She steps back to look at her work before adding more details. "The type of paper is also important. Since chakra is involved, it stresses the components of the scroll. Heavy paper is more expensive and is favoured by weapon users who store weapons and techniques. It's also very good for elemental effects and naturally occurring elements. I saw a clever older gentleman use a scroll with highly pressurized water to cut a swath through many enemies and the structure they were guarding. The paper held up and was ready for further use later. If you are less concerned about waste, single use scrolls with thinner paper are popular."

Hannah finishes her first circle, then unrolls the scroll further so she can start on another.

"That one's for the bottles, yeah?"

"Yes. You do have a good eye, but that's not surprising...after all, you choose to spend your time with me."

"Heh."

"The formulas differ for brittle objects...I mentioned before that the methods for things such as weapons and corpses differ, but not too much. Tissues and the like tend to be carried around in special containers and not scrolls because of the nature of the unsealing process."

"Yeah. I saw a young lady with organs in a cooling container, when I was at the hospital."

"Exactly. You might not want foreign chakra to interfere with certain processes. Corpses, on the other hand...they tend to be used as decoys or puppets. In those cases, the storage method matters little. Anything that requires very careful handling and preservation is put into highly specialized scrolls that are resistant to damage and malfunction. Only select houses in each country are authorized to make such scrolls, and in very limited amounts. One of my past assignments was to secure and deliver a shipment...it paid quite handsomely."

"So they're not just used for the Kage?" you ask.

"No. Anyone with enough money and influence can secure them for their own purposes. For the Kage...there are highly secretive and limited production items that may sit in place for decades, as their only use is for field retrieval of a Kage's corpse." She finishes her second circle and replaces the cap on her pen. "Done. We'll seal the items now."

"I'll take care of it," you say. Placing the boxes of cheesecake in the left circle and the bottles of wine and sparkling juice in the right, you press one hand on the scroll and flow your chakra into it. The formulas glow before the items they surround are sucked into them with a puff of smoke. Now they're two dimensional representations. With the ink already dry, Hannah rolls up the scroll and places it into her purse neatly.

"Wonderful. Now we can travel with ease."

"Good work."

"Oh, it was nothing. Just simple seal work."

"Simple, huh. People usually don't just write sealing circles from scratch in a few minutes, you know."

"Then they should learn, no? I can't be the only one with work ethic," she jokes. "Young sir, we will be leaving now. Please take care."

"You paid too much for the-"

"Don't bother arguing, dear...you won't get far with this stubborn young man. Accept the gratuity you have there, and enjoy your night."

You give your host a wave and he nods back, still a bit dazed. Leaving the restaurant with Hannah, you look towards the sky and see the stars above your head. It's a clear enough night that you can bear witness to the vivid colours of the universe itself, the brilliant gases that give you the feeling of looking at an elaborate painting.

"You okay with one more surprise?" you ask Hannah. She tilts her head as she looks at you.

"One more...?"

"Yeah."

"Then...yes. I will follow wherever you lead." She takes your hand and you lead her towards one of the higher points in the Leaf. It's not too far, thankfully. You ascend the steps that are carved into the hillside slowly, supporting your friend as she walks. She stops for a moment to remove her heels, carrying them in her hand and walking the rest of the way on bare feet. You can make out a couple more places that reach higher than where you are, not including the buildings and towers, but for this part of town, it's more than good enough.

"Here we are. The last surprise of the night. Take a look."

"So this is it, then."

The colours are all visible to you. Bright and rich, a hazy band of light that you have seen before as a child, with a countless number of stars. You, with your own eyes, can pick them out where most people cannot. The galactic plane, evidence of God's creation and mighty works. Billions of stars, you remember your sister telling you one night, when you sailed on the ocean. The great movement of heavenly bodies through the eternal sky.

"It's...possibly more than I deserve."

You shake your head. "Don't say that."

Hannah looks at you, tears in her eyes. Her smile lights up her face, enough to rival the stars shining above your heads. "Did you want this for me?"

"Yeah. I figured it would stir up your heart, and all. Something that you would really appreciate."

"The beauty of creation...bearing witness to the handiwork of Almighty God. Being blessed enough to stand with my beloved in the midst of all this. It's more than I deserve...but I will accept it all the same. Just as I accept all of you, Joshua."

"Thank you, Hannah."

"An experience that would move me to tears...you always seek out the best for me. Always. It's little wonder I'm so drawn to you."

She takes your hand and squeezes it gently.

"This moment...embedded in my being. Forever and always."

"Guess I won't be able to top this," you say with your own smile.

She steps closer and leans against you, looking up with happiness at the stars.

"No. But you won't ever need to."

---

Haru opens the door before you can reach for it.

"It seems you've had a good night," she says flatly from beneath her mask.

You and Hannah look at each other. "It was perfect," you say in unison.

"Hm."

As you step inside, Hannah gives Haru the scroll from earlier. "Goodies from our date. The gold bottle is yours to keep."

"Really. I heard that you ran into a bit of trouble."

"Easily handled," you say. "Besides, I think seeing Hannah go off on all those plates scared them worse. She's high maintenance."

"I can see that," Haru says with a gesture towards Hannah's figure.

"Oi. You're lucky I'm ready to sleep."

"I'm an opportunist at heart, ma'am. I'll be up a bit longer, I simply wanted to wait for you both. I know that I don't have to, but...it simply made sense."

You and Hannah exchange another knowing look.

"I'm sure that one day you'll tell me what those silent conversations are about."

"Sooner than you think, my dear. Good night. And a lovely night to you, my beloved. Thank you for giving me the world."

"Night, Princess. Sweet dreams."

"Only the sweetest." She winks before heading off to her room.

"These seals are recently written," Haru notes as she unrolls the scroll.

"Oh, yeah. We got one from the little cafe we went to, Hannah whipped them up."

"Something like that...I don't suppose you know how to do that too, do you?"

You smirk at that. "Night, Haru. There's cheesecake in there, have fun."

"You...cheesecake, then? Hrm."

With a chuckle, you leave her where she is and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be pretty exciting, so you should get some sleep, at least.

---

It's tournament day.

[] Anything you wanted to do prior to the main event?
-[] Custom option.

[] Let's get straight to the grand final!

---

Date night ends, and fight day begins. Hope we've been doing well.

Next scheduled update is for Apr 30, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks for reading.

 

[VileScurvy]

Absolutely amazing day with our date! Now, lets get on with the main event!


[X]Let's get straight to the grand final!

 

[veekie]

[X]Let's get straight to the grand final!

 

[FortePlus]

You might have noticed the delay on the new update. There's no ETA on it right now due to stuff happening like...work, I guess, and generally not feeling great.

The aim is that I'll have the update finished by the end of this week, if not it's probably that I'm terrified of screwing this next thing up in front of my small audience. So I apologize for the delay either way. Hope to post something soon.

 

[FortePlus]

Before the sun rose, the Hidden Leaf was busy.

Many people went to work unfurling banners to put at the front of the stadium. In the background, maintenance of all kinds was happening in the stands and on the battlefield, making sure that everything was as close to perfect as possible.

And in the rest of the village, businesses opened early. The people arrived shortly after, trying to get ahead of the inevitable rush so they could make all of their purchases. The streams of people grew with each hour, and by the top of the morning, the streets were nearly at capacity as people went to and fro. Bars and restaurants prepared to open near midday, an hour before the scheduled battle.

"So it's really set to be packed today, huh."

Joshua mused over a hot cup of tea after getting ready for the day. Everyone was skipping breakfast at the hotel, as Haru had promised to get something hearty from one of the food places near the stadium.

"It's going to be a half day for all non-essential businesses. So any place that serves food and drink will be open. The Hokage has also provided economic packages so that local businesses can upgrade their entertainment systems as necessary."

"So that means televisions?" Ritsu asked from her seat.

"Not necessarily. Many places will take advantage, but there will be a dedicated radio call by shinobi. Asuma will be doing the play-by-play, as they call it, while Guy will be doing the colour commentary."

"He would know about colours...perhaps not coordinating them properly, unfortunately..."

"Easy, Princess."

"An affront to fashion and form. His skill in taijutsu is irrelevant," Hannah protested to Joshua. He chuckled and shook his head, taking another sip of his tea.

"It's going to be a busy day from what I've already seen. That's why we'll be going ahead to the stadium early to grab our seats. The proceedings won't be any shorter today, even with the one fight. Many announcements and gestures of thanks before the main event begins," Haru explained.

"It sounds like a lot," Ritsu said with a frown.

"It might be, ma'am," Hikari answered, "but I think that's because it is a very rare event in all of shinobi history. The Five Kage, all gathered in one place, and the advent of new generational talents. Many things are happening in a way and at a speed that were previously unheard of."

"Hm."

"Though I understand your sentiments, ma'am. It's not something that every shinobi grasps fully either. The days will pass after this like most others. It is the legacy of this gathering that will echo through history, I think. Ma'am."

"That all makes sense. I've only just started my journey in the shinobi world, and as a civilian, the weight of all these things were lost on me, for various reasons..."

"The shinobi culture of the Hot Springs takes on a different tone, ma'am."

"So I've noticed. My father never taught me much, and my mother...she was ignorant of a lot going on around her. By choice, anyways." Ritsu shrugged. "It's in the past. I'm learning everything there is to know now, and the meaning of these gatherings are becoming apparent."

"You've come a very long way in a short time, ma'am. Please continue to believe in your skill."

"Hmhm. I will," Ritsu said with a smile. "Thank you, Hikari."

"Ma'am."

"Shall we be on our way, then?" Haru asked the group. After getting nods in reply, she opened the door for everyone and secured it behind them afterwards.

The streets of the Leaf were filled with people, many of them streaming towards the stadium where the final match of the tournament, and the final scenes of the Chuunin Exams would take place. Joshua's group weaved through the growing crowds, past the already filled bars and restaurants, and towards their destination. Children ran outside of the front entrance, selling candies and other treats. Food carts and vendors made their money hand over fist, and those reselling tickets left as quickly as they came, their pockets filled to bursting with their takes.

Within the stadium itself, ceremonial events took place one after the other as the crowds started to file in. The Hokage made his way up to his seat after seeing to the tournament's final two participants, who were resting in their own rooms before the main event began. Sasuke meditating his room, and Naruto eating in his.

"Hey. Everything okay?"

"Hm?" Sasuke raised his head to see Sakura entering the green room. "Ah, yeah. Just doing some meditation before the fight. Trying to win, and all that. Don't worry too much about it. Something you needed?"

"No, I just came to see you. Kind of a big event." Sakura took a seat in the chair next to Sasuke.

"Probably the biggest in a while, yeah. Just two kids, in front of the whole world. No pressure."

"It's pretty crazy."

"That's the kind of world we live in," Sasuke said. "Better this than war, at any rate. Mom and Itachi keep reminding me."

"Yeah. Sensei says it, too. She was in the middle of a war, back when she was younger. Around our age...I don't know if I could handle watching people die like that. I didn't exactly get used to it during these exams, I know that much."

"It's different when the pain's happening to you, I guess."

"Yeah, sort of. Hey, we shouldn't be talking so much about me. This is your day, Sasuke."

"It is, but talking about other things is always nice."

"..." Sakura nodded and went quiet for a while. "Sasuke?"

"Yeah."

"I want you to know that no matter what happens, you've done really well to get this far. I love you."

"..."

"I know...it's a lot."

"It is. But it's good, Sakura." He looked over at her and smiled. "Thank you. I promise to do my best for you, like I will for everyone else."

"I know you're a bit nervous. And maybe worried," she said as she brushed back some of her hair. "You're up against Naruto, after all."

"Yeah. Real strong. Unpredictable. Big dork."

"That's the Hokage's son, you know."

"Right. Dork."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him, smiling. "You seem fine now. As long as you don't do too much, since...a lot can happen. I know you're going to go all out for this one."

"Yeah."

"Then...I should give you this gift now. For luck. And for everything else."

Sakura let out a breath as she stood up, walking over to where Sasuke sat. He looked up at her slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Heck of a time to get aggressive."

"It is, isn't it..." She blushed as she leaned downwards, her nose touching his. Sakura closed her eyes and moved forward, parting her lips gently.

And though he thought it too much for a day like this, Sasuke closed his eyes, letting her lips touch his for the first time.

---

"Good afternoon, Naruto."

"Mm! Afternoon, Hinata!"

Naruto slurped up the last of his ramen and drained the bowl, letting out a breath before wiping his mouth with a cloth. A few other bowls were already stacked up in front of him on the table.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, just settling in."

"I see...this is more than the usual before a match. I assume there are at least some nerves."

"Sure. It's Sasuke, after all. This is pretty much everything I've wanted since the tournament started, or...before that, really. To fight him on the biggest stage ever." He grinned. "I'm all about winning, though! Gotta rub it in somehow, ya know?"

"It's just like you," Hinata said, smiling back. "I know that no matter what happens, you'll make everyone proud. Me, especially."

"Ah, yeah...Hinata, I should thank you. For being around, and putting up with me, all of that junk."

"It's hardly 'putting up' with you, Naruto." She took a seat beside him. "Do you remember the day we met, in the snow?"

"Yeah."

"I'll never forget it. And I'll never forget watching you forge ahead, through each and every obstacle. Our genetics are no guarantee of success. I've experienced that myself...but it was you that inspired me. Our friendship, and now...something more," Hinata said with a soft blush. "Watching you, and walking beside you has helped make me strong. Each time you shine brighter, I do too."

"Hinata..."

"All I ever want is for you to keep true to who you are. It's what made me fall in love with you...and why your nindo is now mine as well."

"...right. Do my best. Never give up. Never go back on my words."

"Yes."

Naruto gave Hinata a thumb up. "No problem. I can't be anyone other than me, ya know?"

"I know. Fight hard, Naruto. And be safe."

They shared a long, warm hug, to which Hinata closed her eyes, smiling.

---

"Attention, everyone. The day's main event is set to begin in fifteen minutes. If you are not already seated, please do so before the main event begins, as movement will be restricted for the tournament's duration. We do hope you enjoy yourselves today. We repeat, the main event will begin in fifteen minutes from now. Please make your way to your seats if you are not already in them."

The final call went out. Spectators finished buying and eating their food, went to the washrooms, and made their way up to their seats in relatively neat fashions. Those around the stadium gathered near the giant television screens mounted on the outside walls. Above the front entrance, giant banners with portraits of Naruto and Sasuke rippled gently in the breeze.

Every radio was tuned to the designated community frequency, as people still at home gathered around their sets to listen. Life slowed down, and a select few worked on to keep the village safe, minding the barrier around the village and going on patrols.

Fifteen minutes passed, but the Hokage decided to wait a bit longer before he would have the final round begin. Mikoto and Kushina were having a friendly argument in the row of seats below him, while the Kage near him were all settling in.

"You must be very proud, Lord Hokage. Hosting the exams and having the final match between two shinobi from your village. And one of them is your son, to boot. Very fortunate, no?" Mei said with a friendly smile.

"Definitely. It's been an amazing series all around, couldn't have asked for a better result than this. You know, those two have wanted to go at it for real for a long time, now. Doing it on the world's biggest stage is something else entirely."

"I agree. It must be nerve-wracking and exciting all at the same time. But I know those boys are all for it."

"Always have been. Alright...we'll let those two get down to business."

The Hokage made his way down to the railing as people in coloured uniforms streamed out through the stadium tunnels. On one side, the representatives of the Uchiha Clan. On the other, those descended from the Senju Clan along with a host of other Leaf clans, standing in solidarity with the Uzumaki Clan. Flags were raised high, waving through the air as the sounds of drumming flew up towards the spectators. All sound then stopped as the Fourth Hokage raised his hand.

"Welcome to the final event of the Chuunin Selection Exams. On behalf of the Five Kage, I would like to thank everyone for attending this afternoon, and for all of the support you've shown us. Today is the culmination of years of training, weeks of effort, and days of intense combat. I am very proud to have both grand finalists as representatives of the Hidden Leaf Village. From the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke walked through the crowd as it parted for him, making his way to the front where Hayate stood waiting.

"From the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto confidently walked ahead as the crowd on his side parted for him, and met Sasuke in the middle. Their eyes met, filled with intensity and carrying focus.

"Everything has come down to this last battle. The two warriors standing before you have overcome many trials, and battled many opponents to get to the final round. And then, as you all witnessed, went even further to defeat powerful rivals. This fight is about the meaning of the exams, about what it means to be a shinobi. Today is the day that you bear witness to a new age. Time might pass, but what a shinobi is will never change.

And so, after everything that has brought us to this point...let this final match, a new chapter in history, begin!"

"Fighters ready. Rules are the same as always...you can go all out, but try not to obliterate each other. Only so much that Lady Tsunade can do. Listen to my commands as much as possible. Both sides acknowledge," Hayate instructed.

"Sasuke Uchiha, acknowledged."

"Naruto Uzumaki, acknowledged."

"Both sides affirm. Take your positions, and we'll get started on my signal. Good luck."

The field emptied until only three people remained. Guy excitedly started his radio commentary as the volume of the crowd inside the stadium rose. Competing chants for the two fighters clashed in walls of noise, and rumblings could be heard outside.

"Guess you're ready to lose, then," Sasuke said.

"That's more your style," Naruto responded.

"I see. Hopefully you'll eat dirt with some dignity this time."

"Yeah? Try saying that while you're flat on your back."

"Ready!" Hayate said, interrupting them. He raised his arm and the boys tensed in preparation.

"Begin!"

As soon as Hayate made his move backwards, a three pronged kunai was stuck into the ground at Sasuke's feet. He never glanced at it, his eyes turning crimson and rotating as he saw Naruto appear in front of him, a spiraling sphere of chakra in his right hand.

Game on.

The earth exploded upwards as Sasuke dodged and skipped away. Copies of Naruto sped out of the dust, leaving ribbons of it streaming behind them as they surrounded Sasuke. He braced himself and slid to a stop, letting the ten clones catch up and engage. With a swift elbow, he dispatched the clone ahead of him, making it pop into smoke before he spun and took out another clone with kick to the head. He ducked and weaved the attacks of three clones at once as they moved across the battlefield.

I guess the real one's mixed in with the rest, right in front of me. Figures he'd exploit that part.

Luckily, there was enough weight to the copies he hit. He could keep his focus that way, and use it to his advantage. Sasuke watched as more clones were generated; some were clearly of the basic variety and he drove a fist through one to get to the solid clone behind it, impacting it and making it puff into smoke. The clones were increasing in number and moving at faster speeds, starting to become little more than orange streaks of light to the general audience.

"Guess we can escalate now."

Sasuke quickly made seals and activated Chidori in his left hand, then accelerated through the wave of clones in front of him and dispatched them in a stream of lightning.

"Starting early? I can work with that!" Naruto yelled back as he charged Sasuke with two clones at his side. He spun up a Rasengan in his right hand and jumped into the air before disappearing, then landing next to one of his wrapped kunai and attacking from Sasuke's right.

"Is that all?"

Sasuke clenched his fist and Chidori exploded outwards, sending violent blasts of lightning all around him that popped the remaining clones and sent Naruto sliding on his back. Sasuke quickly drew a set of shuriken and made handseals before breathing in.

"Phoenix Flower!"

Naruto arrested his slide and popped back onto his feet, looking up to see the mass of fireballs descending on his head. He made a familiar seal.

"Mass Shadow Clone!"

A wave of clones appeared in front of Naruto and braced themselves as the fireballs slammed into them, popping several with the shuriken hidden in them. A few remained as the smoke cleared, along with the real Naruto standing behind them.

"Pretty tense so far," Mei commented as she looked on. "They're trying to test each other..."

"I would assume so. Quite a different set of affairs when you're fighting someone you know," Oonoki said. "But there's not much hesitation on either side."

"It's a heated rivalry, from what Lord Hokage has told me."

"Heh. It is something ironic, thinking about it...the spirits of the Uchiha and Senju clans, coming together in battle once more. But this time, for a positive cause."

"Perhaps one day, in a more peaceful time...I could hear stories about those days," Mei said.

"Perhaps." Oonoki stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing, if this strife comes to a proper end. I'm sure that you'll do what you can on that end, Mizukage."

"Yes. Count on it."

Naruto and Sasuke sped forward towards each other again, with Naruto reducing his side down to three as Sasuke reached him. They met in blurs of colour, Sasuke defending himself and swiftly parrying attacks from the three Narutos in his face. They layered punches and kicks over and under and around each other rapidly, Sasuke reading each movement with his Sharingan and adjusting accordingly. He suddenly dropped to the ground on his hands before rotating his body and sweeping the area in front of him with his legs, knocking his opponents off their feet. The three Narutos rotated in the air and landed properly, but not before Sasuke popped up and breathed out a fireball, swallowing all of them up at once.

Sasuke's head tilted to the left, avoiding a punch from Naruto who had appeared behind him. He grabbed the extended arm and used it to slam Naruto to the ground; the blonde turned in Sasuke's grip and went for a sweep of the legs, which missed as Sasuke released his grip and jumped into the air. Naruto continued spinning while making handseals, whirling to his feet and sending a burst of wind pressure right into Sasuke. Sasuke flew backwards after guarding with his arms, and his eyes scanned the ground below as multiple Narutos appeared again, chasing him down.

"Four. Trying to cover the angles...trying to make me waste energy."

Sasuke frowned and made seals while he was in the air, bringing Chidori back to life in his left hand. He sailed towards the ground, and two clones were there to meet him with wind techniques. The world flowed through his exceptional set of eyes, and he made a subtle movement before landing, causing himself to slide backwards, crouched low to the ground while the wind bursts passed over his head, ruffling his hair slightly. He sprung forward and swung his left arm out like a blade.

"Chidori Sharp Spear!"

The lightning extended outwards and sliced through the two clones on the ground, plus the one in the middle descending with a Rasengan in hand. As they puffed into smoke, the real Naruto charged ahead with his Rasengan spinning rapidly in his right hand. This moment was the one he had been waiting for, one where Sasuke would be in between attacks and unable to launch another in time. Chidori fizzled out as expected, and Sasuke was out of position after his earlier swing.

At the least...he would land a blow! Even if he could do something else, Chidori was a left handed attack...

Naruto used a body flicker and accelerated, pushing his arm forward.

He's coming in pretty fast. This won't be anything good...

Sparks jumped from Sasuke's right hand.

...but it's necessary.

He had a split second, and made great use of it with his Sharingan; the explosive energy redirected from the attack that was in his left hand was moving towards his right, and he slammed his electrified palm into the spiraling sphere of chakra as it reached him. Naruto's eyes widened, and both boys grit their teeth as the two attacks clashed before throwing up an explosion of chakra.

They flew in different directions, rolling along the ground before getting to their feet. Smoke streamed from their damaged outfits before they charged each other again.

Can't believe he got me like that! It was a desperation move, but still...! This guy's too much sometimes!

Naruto growled and made the tiger seal, calling forth clones of himself that shot forward through the sky and towards Sasuke. The boy with black hair whipped out shuriken and launched them with expert precision, dispatching clones that got close to him with his feet while spinning in the air to launch attacks at ones further away. Naruto held his ground and called more clones, while at the same time preparing the special kunai he had tucked away. He tossed them in a wide spread around Sasuke, who slid to a stop as he realized the new plan.

"Really going for it, yeah?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you're desperate!" Sasuke taunted.

"You realize I'm a sensor type, yeah?"

"Like I said, desperate! But don't worry, I'm looking to wrap this up, too."

"Worried I'll tire you out?" Naruto called back, placing one of the three-pronged kunai between his teeth.

"More than a small concern, yeah." Sasuke fired up Chidori once more, then split it between both of his hands.

"Didn't know he could do that...hrm. Neat trick. Can't lie and say I'm not impressed," Naruto muttered to himself. He concentrated and formed a Rasengan in each hand, then took a stance, facing down Sasuke.

"Hoh...he picked up enough control to use two at once like that. Means he's free to use both hands at any time. They look pretty sturdy, too. Good for him," Sasuke said with a nod. "Well, here we go..."

Naruto tensed a moment before disappearing from sight.

"You know, I'm still more than a little surprised that Naruto picked that one up so quickly," Mikoto said to Kushina.

"Hey, you and me both. He's better than me at school, and on top of that takes to jutsu like his dad."

"Drawback's still there, I imagine?"

"Yep. Chews through chakra like a demon. Even people with big reserves like us would have trouble using it for too long, and Naruto hasn't mastered it yet. So he's got a limit, one that Sasuke could exploit. I think he's realized that he needs to take control of the momentum."

"Looks like it," Mikoto said, watching as Naruto zipped between kunai and Sasuke followed him patiently. "Though...my kid's realized it himself, that if he loses initiative, it's all over in a moment."

Naruto continued to move, creating extra clones in the moments he had and making them teleport along with him, creating flashes of orange that surrounded Sasuke.

The first one moved, and was promptly run through by Sasuke, popping out of existence as another descended from the air and was kicked into oblivion easily. Another dropped down with a Rasengan, landing short and slamming it into the ground in front of Sasuke.

"Shoot...!"

It wasn't the visibility, it was the positioning; the ground was loose and Sasuke knew he had to move...

...which was the time Naruto burst ahead in a flash of light. He feinted with one Rasengan to the face, then got his other just below Sasuke's other hand to hit him in the hip. The sphere of chakra ground into him before shooting outward, taking Sasuke towards the far wall of the stadium and right into it before exploding in a wave of energy.

"That's one..."

"Guh...this isn't good." Sasuke still had it in him to chuckle as he got back to his feet. He knew his mobility was almost shot, and he would definitely be slower for the rest of the match. There needed to be enough chakra for the final trump, since it would definitely come down to that.

"Tch. Stubborn." Naruto focused on maintaining the remaining Rasengan in his hand, and waited for Sasuke to move again. It wasn't likely he would do anything rash, though - he was outside the immediate range of the net created by the Hiraishin kunai, and he had to know it.

Sasuke, understanding his rival's thought process, pulled up another low powered Chidori and stretched two fingers outwards.

"You have to know by now, right?" He raised an eyebrow as Naruto failed to move. In a moment, he directed more chakra into Chidori and got ready to fire. Naruto felt the flare of energy and focused on the kunai behind him, back and to the left. He warped to it, and Sasuke, aware of the lag in time, had already picked that spot as the first target.

"From me to you, buddy. Chidori Driver!"

Naruto moved to twist his body away, but didn't realize that Sasuke was aiming away from his center of mass...and towards the target in his left hand. The bolt of lightning ripped through the Rasengan, destablizing it and forcing it to detonate. A whirlwind of chakra briefly formed, throwing Naruto to the ground. The blonde's head pounded fiercely as he got to his feet and jumped out of the shallow crater.

Typical. I think I have him figured out, and then stuff like this happens.

Naruto grumbled and hit the side of his head a few times to try and clear it. His left hand was shaking slightly, which he knew wasn't good. Sasuke wasn't terribly low on chakra yet, and his was decent...but both sides had their combat ability lowered by now.

"Hey, lame brain! I've still got my other arm! What've you got?" Naruto yelled.

"Lame as it might be, an actual brain."

"Tch. Let's get this over with. You've earned this ass-kicking now!"

Naruto charged ahead with a smile, and Sasuke let out a breath before running ahead, smiling back at the same time. They met in the middle of the field, Naruto taking the opportunity to move between his kunai for an attack from behind Sasuke. Sasuke ducked and kicked upwards, hitting Naruto's guard and popping him higher into the air before he disappeared again, charging from the left side as he came back into being. Sasuke quickly engaged, skillfully hitting Naruto with a punch combination that sent him sliding backwards. He followed with a hard straight that Naruto leaned into, blunting some of the impact as he drove his good right hand into Sasuke's side. Sasuke winced and stumbled before rocking forward, landing an uppercut that lifted Naruto off his feet, and following with a dropkick that sent the blonde flying away.

"What the hell are you made of, Naruto...Auntie Kushina has to be feeding you well outside of your ramen habit," Sasuke muttered as he shook out his hand. "If this goes down to a slugfest, I'm done for." He knew that he wouldn't manage any better with the damage from the Rasengan, even if it was just a blow to the side. His mind went to Shiori. "And she took three of those to the body...forget Naruto, what does she have for breakfast...?"

Naruto spit out dirt and wiped his mouth as he stood up. "Ugh. I'm not gonna last if I have to eat ten punches just to get one in. Gotta take advantage of him slowing down some...but I can't stand still too long, either." There wasn't anywhere to hide or catch his breath, not with the Sharingan still active.

Sasuke forced through another Chidori and aimed at Naruto, who immediately took evasive action; the burst of lightning ended up at his feet, causing minimal damage but throwing him backwards some distance and making his ears ring. Sasuke took the opportunity to gather his chakra for an attack that would, hopefully, decide the fight.

"Something like this...haven't done it before, but now's a good a time as any to test it."

The sounds of a thousand birds shifted into something else entirely, a sustained crackling as the chakra around Sasuke's hand burst out violently before shifting from blue to a blue-white colour and stabilizing.

"You've got a lot of goddamn nerve, Sasuke!"

"Nothing new, right?"

"What's that one called?"

"Keeping it simple...Super Chidori."

"I can see how that one would work. Well...guess I gotta ante up, yeah?"

"Go ahead," Sasuke said with a nod. For the first time since the fight started, he became aware of the crowd. Of the cheering and excitement, of everything that was going on outside of the world that he and Naruto were sharing. Naruto saw his expression change, and took a bit of time to absorb the atmosphere himself.

"Good times."

"The best, even," Sasuke replied. "This has been a heck of a fight."

"We won't get to do this for a while."

"Kill each other? Ah, Kakashi-sensei will let us go at it like usual."

"That's true. Alright...unfortunately, I'm not as good at nature transformation as you yet - that'll change, count on it - but we can go with this for now."

Naruto focused and brought his hands together, one above the other as chakra started to spiral in his palms. Two Rasengan, one over the other, started to form, but were also caught up in each other, rotating at the same speed. They went faster, becoming one entity as Naruto's hands moved slightly apart, and the pure white chakra was changing colour.

"I'll show you...my ultimate technique!"

A whirling red sphere compressed itself between Naruto's hands, and he grinned proudly as it stabilized.

"Burning Rasengan!"

"Heh. Hell of a name. Came up with it yourself?"

"Sure did!"

"Well, it's no 'Whirlpool Doom Sphere Barrage', I can tell you that."

"Dude, shut up! It was one time, okay? Not everyone has to hear about it!"

"You spent three weeks coming up with...that...so you deserve all the ridicule you can get. Besides, you won't land that thing."

"Says you. The Sharingan isn't a guarantee, ya know," Naruto said as he transferred the technique to his right hand.

"Doesn't need to be. Come on, bring all you have...neither of us have much in the tank at this point."

"You were hoping for this all along."

"Hmph." Sasuke braced himself. "And what if I was?"

"Not like you to get all sentimental in public."

"It isn't, no."

Naruto and Sasuke retreated to opposite ends of the battlefield, charging their techniques further. They stared at each other, understanding, expecting, and satisfied that it had come down to this moment. Every young shinobi's dream.

The Hokage rose to his feet, and so did his wife, and everyone else in the press box. The crowd was loud, more excited than ever before and cheering at near-deafening levels. People were yelling at their radios, the stadium walls were trembling, and suddenly, the entirety of history compressed itself around this one moment, this single event.

This duel between brothers, who had been together since before they were born.

Naruto and Sasuke took off, in whirling clouds of dust and dirt. They sped towards each other; Naruto using his bad left hand to support his good right arm as streaks of red light streamed from his Rasengan, Sasuke supporting his trembling left arm with his right as the ambient energy from his Chidori raked the ground beneath it.

Both moving at high speed.

No diversions.

No new tactics.

No hesitation.

"Narutooooooooooooooooo!"

"Sasukeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

And with reckless abandon, left and right arms met, attacks slamming into each other and struggling heavily, raking the ground with wind and lightning and carving it out in a circle with pure pressure. The light was dazzling. The force was intense, washing over the crowd and pushing some back into their seats.

The two boys stared at each other, even as the world started to fade from sight.

---

"..."

"..."

A white void.

Naruto put his hands behind his head casually. "Here again, huh."

"So it seems." Sasuke sighed. "Can't believe it."

"Yeah. It was close, though."

"It was. Hey."

"Yeah?"

"You know...how I get. Talking about sensitive things."

"I do, I think?"

"I'm not that great at expressing my emotions, still. What I'm trying to say is...hm." He had his head down, thinking.

"Well, this is good a place as any, ya know."

"...I just wanted to say that I'm thankful for you. For being my friend, and all that. It means a lot. It also does a lot, in a lot of ways."

"That all you wanted to say?"

"No." Sasuke raised his head. "I wanted to say that I'm thankful that...you're my brother. Even if we're from other families, I've...always thought of you that way. And I love you for it."

"Yeah? That's...really good of you to say, Sasuke. You didn't have to, but you chose to. I appreciate that. Sasuke, I love you too. And I've always seen you as my brother, even if you're a weirdo sometimes."

"Hah. I'm guessing that was supposed to be ironic?"

"Nah."

"Right, you're an idiot."

Naruto blew him a raspberry before grinning.

"Well...I'm pretty happy that it all went well. I guess things need to come to an end."

"Yep."

The two approached each other and gripped hands warmly.

"Don't make me regret saying this with your dumb gloating."

Sasuke smiled brightly.

"It's your win...Naruto."

---

Naruto opened his eyes, finding himself at the bottom of a newly formed crater on one knee.

In front of him was Sasuke, face down and unmoving. Hayate rushed over from the edge of the battlefield and checked on Sasuke.

"I'm calling it. Sasuke Uchiha is unable to continue. Winner, and grand champion...Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village!"

The roar of the crowd somehow became louder than before, creating a minor earthquake that rippled through the village itself. Asuma did his best to calm Guy down during the radio call, and the Five Kage all politely clapped at the result.

"That's game! Looks like you're cooking me dinner for the next month, Mikoto! Ohohohohoho!" Kushina put a hand beside her mouth as she laughed obnoxiously.

Mikoto groaned. "Oi..."

Minato chuckled to himself as he clapped for the two competitors.

Naruto...Sasuke. You've both done well. For this, and everything else, I'm very proud of you. And that's why I'll do good by you, and by everyone else. It's time to build a future where everyone can truly be happy.

Sasuke opened his eyes, and found himself being propped up by someone. He turned his head slowly to see Naruto smiling at him, and then nodding to the crowd.

"Soak it in, yeah?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said quietly. "Soak it in."

Tsunade waited in the wings, looking at the boys with their damaged arms, slung over the other's shoulders. Supporting each other.

Grandfather...I know you'd be happy to see this. We're finally all together. Watch over me, won't you? I want to make the most of this chance. Maybe not your ideal world...but the peace you wanted is in reach.

Flowers and confetti rained down onto the battlefield, surrounding the two young men who had fought their hardest. History had already changed. Time had moved forward.

Naruto and Sasuke.

The ones who had opened up a great new legacy.

For the end of this battle...was the beginning of the future.

---

"Well, ossan. You've helped change history's flow."

...

"The rest is up to that grandson of yours. The one chosen of heaven. Madara might be my ancestor, but...it won't be me that puts an end to it. I became a phantom a long time ago."

...

"I won't simply pray for your success...I'll put my cursed strength into action. All you have to do is reach me, Joshua West."

---

Sorry for the delay, a lot of things were going on and I wanted to do some proper work on this before putting it out. I hope you all enjoy the read.

No voting for now. Next update is scheduled for May 21, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thank you for your support.

 

[VileScurvy]

That was awesomely awesome! Incredibly incredible! Stupendously stupendous!

Marvellous job of writing, I must say. And that mysterious guy at the end...I wonder. New character or old? Either way, will prove to be very, very interesting.

 

[FortePlus]

And that mysterious guy at the end...I wonder. New character or old? Either way, will prove to be very, very interesting.

Click to shrink...

Someone new, but that you already know of. Probably narrows it down too much.

Oh and thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[veekie]

Guess without the Kyuubi chakra turbocharging the Rasengan theres no stadium scouring explosion when it got unbound

Sakura let out a breath as she stood up, walking over to where Sasuke sat. He looked up at her slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"Heck of a time to get aggressive."

"It is, isn't it..." She blushed as she leaned downwards, her nose touching his. Sakura closed her eyes and moved forward, parting her lips gently.

And though he thought it too much for a day like this, Sasuke closed his eyes, letting her lips touch his for the first time.

Click to shrink...

My first thought:

Spoiler

 

[FortePlus]

Guess without the Kyuubi chakra turbocharging the Rasengan theres no stadium scouring explosion when it got unbound

Click to shrink...

Yeah, it was pretty big but nothing like VotE 1. Tournament rules and not as much juice flying around in general helped.

 

[FortePlus]

The entire village is talking as you leave the stadium. People are mingling near the food stands and restaurants, and streams of them head out onto the streets to celebrate the rest of the day. The bars and restaurants are packed, and people are on every patio, bench, and railing in sight. It's a grand time in the Hidden Leaf Village.

"That was an incredible match!" Ritsu says as your group walks. "It was...I can't really describe it. But I know it was good! I didn't expect it to get that exciting, but it did!"

"Those boys certainly put on a show. It was beyond my expectations," Hannah says. "To think they could be so skilled at that age, so far beyond their peers."

"They're definitely special kids," you reply. "I have a feeling they'll be growing much stronger quickly, and that the Leaf will have a lot of business soon. Definitely a showcase for the ages...and they'll be selling tapes of the fight forever."

"Speaking of which, I can secure recordings if you wish," Haru says.

"We'd like that, yeah. Thanks, Haru."

"Of course, sir."

"Hope those two are getting some good rest after this, though. Or at least they'll slow down for the day."

"I assume they'll both be briefly appearing at the party in the Uchiha District," Haru explains. "There was going to be one no matter who won, though I can imagine it would have been much more chaotic if Sasuke secured a victory. But Naruto is well liked by the clan as well, so the celebrations will be refocused in his honour. The entire village is invited, which includes certain guests."

"A street party. I think it could be fun, Master," Ritsu says eagerly.

"I would be fine with it, but...a nice and early dinner appeals to me more," Hannah says.

"Ma'am." Hikari salutes crisply. "The timing would be good. There's a post-tourney dinner being held by some of the noble clans jointly. The Hyuuga and Akimichi would be present among others. As you know, the latter are known for their healthy appetites, which should appeal to you, ma'am."

"Hmm..."

"That is to say, ma'am, your similar love of cuisine would earn you some admiration, along with your well-honed figure. Ma'am."

"Well...I do enjoy mingling, from time to time. And a bit of ego stroking," she says as she flips her blonde hair back. "I find myself intrigued by the offer..."

A good save by Hikari. And you are pretty hungry, admittedly.

"All of that's good, but there's another option," you say.

"What might that be, sir?" Ritsu asks.

"We've got ribs, rice, and a couple boxes of cheesecake back at the hotel. Figure we could polish those off and hang out together for the rest of the night." You shrug. "Not as exciting as the other options, but I think it would work."

"You make an excellent point, darling. Time together at home is still time well spent," Hannah says with a nod.

"We do have quite a few options. It's a lively sort of atmosphere today," Haru says.

"Ah, I see that my timing was good."

You see the Hyuuga woman from the other day approach through the crowds of people, and she bows towards your group politely.

"Lady Hyuuga. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Haru asks.

"Hmhm. Feeling cheeky today, are we?" Ui Hyuuga responds, smiling.

"I assumed keeping up appearances was your thing. But either way...it's very good to see you, Sister Ui. Did you need something of me?"

"Nothing that warrants concern, Haru. I wanted to organize something for the children, after Naruto and Sasuke made their required rounds. The other clans have agreed, and I have made arrangments with a restaurant. This is a good opportunity to forge bonds and good will between those of various nations, in addition to partaking in delicious food, and perhaps some games."

"And you want the Blue Arrow there."

"Of course. He's proven himself to be an inspiration to many already," Ui says, giving you a kind smile. "Opportunities like this don't come often, if at all."

"Sister Ui, ma'am. Who is invited?" Hikari asks.

"I've arranged for all of the children from the preliminaries onward to join us. The Five Kage have allowed it, and they will be doing their own tours of the village along with a special dinner. The teachers have also been extended invitations to our gathering, though not all have replied yet. All of you are invited to join us."

"And we're free to decline?" Haru asks.

"Without question. You would simply be unannounced special guests, so there's no pressure to attend. I would appreciate it very much if you did make it out."

"Will Hisano be there?" you ask.

"She will be. I thought of her in organizing this gathering. She is a very good child, but terribly shy. Something like this would be good for her."

"It sounds nice," Ritsu says. "A dinner and game night. Maybe we should think about going."

"Oh! Kakashi and Rin might bring their lovely daughter along," Hannah adds in. "Being around young ones does boost my spirits."

"Young ones...interesting choice of words, considering."

Hannah rolls her eyes at Haru. "If you would refrain from unfounded attacks on my character, I would appreciate it."

"You'll be in jail by the end of the night. That much, you've made clear."

"My. They do carry on, don't they?" Ui says, softly giggling behind her hand.

You shake your head with a smile. Seems like you have a wealth of options in front of you. So, how do you want to round out your Saturday evening?

---

[] Go to the party in the Uchiha District. It sounds like a good time, and Ritsu sounds excited to take part.

[] The dinner hosted by prominent Leaf clans sounds nice. It would definitely have a lot of food, which would please Hannah greatly.

[] As relayed to you by Ui, there's a gathering with the children who took part in the tournament, which would include Naruto and Sasuke later. It would be nice to see Hisano again as well.

[] Simply head back to the hotel and hang out with the girls. You've got more than enough food and treats, and it's been an exciting enough day.

[] Other option?

---

Bit of transition before we get to the next major parts, and opportunity for interaction.

The next scheduled update is May 23, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks for reading.

 

[VileScurvy]

[X] As relayed to you by Ui, there's a gathering with the children who took part in the tournament, which would include Naruto and Sasuke later. It would be nice to see Hisano again as well.

Let's congratulate them on their victory, and see how the other kids are doing!

 

[veekie]

[X] As relayed to you by Ui, there's a gathering with the children who took part in the tournament, which would include Naruto and Sasuke later. It would be nice to see Hisano again as well.

 

[FortePlus]

"I think we should make an appearance at Miss Ui's gathering. What do you ladies think?" you ask.

"Perfectly fine," Hannah says.

"I'm very much fine with it, sir," Ritsu says.

"That seems fine to me, yes. It seems we're all in agreement," Haru says.

"Thank you all very much. I'm sure the children will be happy to see you," Ui says, bowing deeply towards all of you. "As mentioned, the venue is already prepared. We are simply waiting for our honoured guests. If you would follow me, sir and madams."

Your group follows Ui through the bustling streets and towards your new destination.

---

Not wanting to ruin the evening's surprise, Ui whisked Joshua and his group into a room upstairs, separate from the rest of the large hall. A young waitress tended to them as the children from different villages and clans arrived on the main floor, and went into the large main hall. Several tables were dedicated to food, with another section that had games already set up, including a poker table. Actual money wouldn't be going around, Ui would see to that herself. The large space in the middle of the hall was dedicated to more interactive games and dancing, if so desired. A portable sound system had been acquired and would be put to good use.

It was sure to be an interesting night.

The first of the children arrived, and Ui greeted them politely. Gaara, who had mellowed considerably and no longer led off with that murderous glare from weeks before. Temari, who followed behind her younger brother and made sure he was safe. Instead of the usual giant fan, she carried two on her waist. She wore a white skirt with netted stockings, and a hooded jacket in the same colour with short sleeves that revealed the netting on her arms. Kankuro likewise was without his puppet accessory, his hood up with the usual paint on his face. The children were all relaxed, which was good to see.

"Will your sensei be attending?" she asked.

"He said he'd pass. Thought it was lame or whatever," Kankuro said, chuckling. "He's probably just scared of Sharingan Kakashi."

Temari sighed and lightly elbowed her brother, who shrugged.

"I see. Welcome to all of you. I hope you enjoy the evening."

"Thank you, ma'am," Temari said with a bow.

"Appreciated," Gaara said quietly, trying to hide beneath the hood of his sweater.

Ui smiled and bowed, directing them towards the fruit trays.

The next set of children arrived, familiar enough in their formation and bickering.

"Are you serious? We're not late, and we're definitely not leaving early. Miss Ui put this whole thing together for us. It's rude!"

"It's a pain in the ass."

"C'mon, Shikamaru. It's not that bad."

"You're just saying that because there's food here, Choji."

The newest generation of Ino-Shika-Cho: Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Shikamaru was his annoyed self, wearing his favourite grey jacket with the Nara clan crest on each shoulder. The various pockets inside and out were a boon for many reasons. Choji was as jolly and hungry as ever. His green jacket had his clan crest split along the middle by the zipper, and the shirt underneath read 'GIGANT' vertically in black lettering. The scarf that his mother had proudly knitted him years ago was around his neck. And last but not least was Ino, already scolding Shikamaru for his apathy after she had dedicated time to cleaning her hair properly. Her sleeveless purple shirt was simply supported by a wrapping of bandage around her torso, and the wrappings that went up from her ankles stopped beneath her shorts.

"You're being celebrated for your accomplishments, Shikamaru. Seriously, lighten up."

"Accomplishments? Sasuke and I stared at each other for ten minutes, then I gave up," Shikamaru retorted.

"You know full well that's not what happened down there! Ugh, you're actually the worst sometimes. Idiot slacker."

"Now, now. We shouldn't be too harsh towards each other," Ui said gently.

"I know, I know...it's just that it irks me to listen to this guy put himself down every single day. He knows what he's done and what he's capable of," Ino said, pouting.

"Shikamaru?" Ui asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah, it's a pain...but I know she wants the best for me. Everyone does."

"Then you'll enjoy yourself tonight."

"Hrm. No promises."

"For you to try is all I ask." Ui smiled and patted the younger boy's head. "Choji, please eat to your heart's content. There's more than enough food for us all."

"Yes, ma'am. Thanks so much for throwing us this party!"

"It was my pleasure."

"You really do look happy about it, Miss Ui. And the kids from the Sand, too...hm. Maybe I should talk Temari up later, see what makes her tick...and steal whatever workouts she does for her legs..."

"Lady Hyuuga! I come bearing important news!"

As Team 10 moved ahead, a boy with a familiar green spandex suit and bowl cut hair came to a stop in front of Ui, at full attention. His leg warmers didn't help him stand out any less.

"Ma'am! I humbly apologize on behalf of myself and Guy-sensei! Guy-sensei will be unable to attend the night's ceremonies due to prior engagements!"

"He's drunk, then."

"Ma'am! It seemed to be a mistake."

"I understand. Be sure to relax, Lee. I'm sure that our patrons will be better able to appreciate your charms at half their usual radiance."

"Of course! The awesome power of YOUTH should spread to all villages and nations! I will do my best to be a humble ambassador for the cause."

"Very good." She smiled and rustled his hair lightly.

"Good of you to speed ahead like that, Lee. Sheesh."

"Nothing unusual for the times. Lady Ui, we are honoured that you would invite us to this gathering."

Neji and Tenten bowed politely for their hostess. Ui bowed back.

"As always, Neji...you take on more of a formal tone than necessary."

"It wouldn't do to sully the reputation of Hyuuga."

"I have a feeling he's going to be like this forever, so don't worry about it too much, ma'am." Tenten shook her head, the buns of brown hair on top of it moving slightly. Her shirt was lovingly patterned with flowers and featured long sleeves that puffed out near the wrists - perfect for hiding tools and other items easily. A small black band went comfortably around her neck. Neji had on his meticulously cared for white jacket, given to him personally by his uncle, the clan head. It featured a high collar which sometimes helped with his mysterious aura, or so Tenten said.

"You jest, but customs like this are of great importance."

"Yes, he is a sweet boy," Ui said with a smile. "Both of you, enjoy yourselves."

"Yes, ma'am. Thanks for having us. Guy-sensei is at the big party with the Uchiha and got into the drinks, as Lee might have told you. A bit of genjutsu did the trick, but he won't be himself for the rest of the night," Tenten explained.

"I see. How disappointing. I know our Kakashi would have been delighted to have his good friend in attendance."

Tenten gave Ui a wry smile before moving on.

"Lady Ui, have you heard from Lady Hinata yet?" Neji asked his cousin.

"She should be on her way. Please don't smother her too much."

"I don't do things like that."

"Mm-hm. Make sure to eat. And don't use your bloodline limit too often, especially here."

"I will exercise discretion, milady."

She didn't believe it for a second, but nodded and sent her overprotective younger cousin on his way.

"Ah, good to be here. Always love a good party."

"I feel the same. It's somewhere we can relax, at least. I think the larger event happening would be a bit too chaotic."

"Good evening, ladies. And gentleman."

"Thank you very much." Kisame Hoshigaki bowed along with his two students, and Ui returned it politely.

"I hope there was no trouble on the way here."

"None at all, ma'am."

"Very good."

"That's a whole lot of food," Junko remarked. "And some games over there...ooh, a poker table. No real money though, right?"

"That's correct."

"Responsible. I like it. Won't stop me from going off on everyone though, nyahaha! I've definitely got a way of charming a deck, ya know." Junko laughed to herself as she went off.

"She might be over there all night," Shiori said with a sigh. "I'll make sure she remembers to eat."

"Congratulations on your promotion, Miss Ishikawa. You were incredible in your match."

"O-oh. Thank you very much, ma'am." Shiori blushed brightly and bowed her head. "To hear that from one of the Leaf's great clans...very humbling."

"You are more than deserving. Please enjoy yourself while you are here. And the same to you, Mister Hoshigaki. We have a fine selection of teas for your perusal."

"Ah, very nice. Thank you for that, I'll be sure to sample some of the Leaf's finest wares," Kisame said with a grin.

"You really do love your tea, sensei."

"I make a point to enjoy the finer things in life while I still can. You never do know what tomorrow brings, Shiori."

"Yes, sensei. We will see you later, ma'am."

"Yes." They exchanged bows before Shiori and Kisame left.

"Miss Ui. It's good to see you again."

"Of course. Did you rest well?" she asked Hisano as she arrived. The younger girl was wrapped in her white cloak, with a modest pair of leggings visible underneath. Her two teammates, injured in the Forest of Death, had been sent home already with their teacher. Accompanying her was a square-jawed, muscular man with a giant sword on his back. He had sandy blonde hair and wore the standard Cloud shinobi uniform, with his forehead protector on.

"She's fine," he rumbled at Ui. "How long is this party going on for?"

"I have not set an end time as of yet. With the tournament over, and the permission of the villages themselves, I may send these children home at any reasonable hour."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm not interested in babysitting children all night."

"Then you may leave at any time you please. Hisano can safely be relinquished to my care, and I am already authorized to take responsibility for her if I feel the need. May I have your name?"

"It's Wolf."

"I see. Since you have forgotten, or were simply not informed, I am Ui Hyuuga, of the noble Hyuuga Clan. I trust that you will find time to enjoy yourself in the time that you are here. I had discouraged the carrying of weapons within this facility, but I am sure that you have your reasons. Hopefully there are no misunderstandings," she finished with a smile.

"..."

"Hisano, there will be a special visitor later tonight. You know him well."

"He's coming to the party?"

"Yes. Keep it a secret." Ui put a finger to her lips, and Hisano nodded before copying her.

"Yes, ma'am. Master Wolf, I will be sampling the fruits. Is that okay?"

"Do what you want."

"Yes, understood. Miss Ui, I will see you soon."

"Of course." Ui watched as Hisano left. "The kami see all. You will be judged in time for your treatment of that child," she said without looking at the Cloud shinobi.

"Hmph. I'm really sure they care about how well I treat a tool like that. Any alcohol here for the adults?" Wolf asked.

"A small bar to your far left. For your safety, please moderate your consumption."

Wolf walked off, missing the threat hidden in Ui's words. She took a breath in to calm herself before waiting for the rest of the children. It was a few minutes later that some barks could be heard.

"Heh, looks like you're excited too, Akamaru. Miss Ui, yo."

"You should take more care in addressing your superiors. Why? Because good etiquette is appreciated by those from all walks of life."

"I'm sure that it's not too much of a problem, Shino," a kind voice interjected.

"Understood."

"Most Honourable Sister, thank you for inviting us to this event. We're all very happy to be here."

"The pleasure is surely mine, Lady Hinata." The two traded bows and gave each other warm smiles. Hinata had her usual outfit on, hair let down for the casual festivities. Kiba was the same as ever, wearing a black jacket with the fuzzy hood that shadowed his face at times. Akamaru rode on his head, as always. Shino wore his long grey coat with the high collar that obscured half of his face, and dark glasses that obscured his eyes.

"Ane-ue, has Neji arrived?" Hinata asked.

"He has. I'm sure that he has already taken note of your arrival, and is planning accordingly."

Hinata sighed and nodded. "I see. Hopefully he doesn't strain himself again. I can take care of myself."

"I assume he is aware, but does not want to chance an accident. Terribly cute."

"The terrible part is accurate."

"Gahahaha! Man, if my big sis was that clingy, I wouldn't know what to do with myself!" Kiba laughed.

"Naruto should be here soon. That may act as a natural barrier to any advances," Shino pointed out.

"I really cannot deal with you two sometimes," Hinata muttered, blushing. "Ane-ue, until the next."

"Until then, Lady Hinata."

Ui gave Akamaru a gentle rub behind the ears before the children moved on. Last, but not least...Sakura.

"Miss Ui, good evening."

"Good evening, Miss Haruno. Are you well?"

"Yes, very much so. I'm guessing Naruto and Sasuke will be coming in last?"

"Yes. They're finishing their rounds in the Uchiha District."

"Yeah, I was over there. It's pretty rowdy, but that makes sense for what's happened. Here though, we'll get to be kids for once, you know? That's why you had this event in the first place, I'm guessing."

"That is entirely correct. Hopefully you enjoy yourself, as children are meant to."

"Definitely. I'll see you later, then?"

"Yes, you will."

Sakura nodded and went off to join her friends. As she left, a group of reasonably responsible adults filed into the great hall.

"It seems our chaperones have finally arrived," Ui joked.

"Heh. Guess we're the cool adults for once," Asuma joked back. "Nice to see you, Ui."

"Asuma saw this as a good excuse to skip the elites' dinner," Kurenai said.

"A good choice," Ui said, nodding.

"See? Knew she'd agree. Don't go judging people by their clans, Yuuhi."

"Ugh, shut up."

"Hello! Auntie Ui!"

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite little flower." She crouched down to meet her small visitor's gaze. A kind face like her grandfather, her mother's brown eyes, and her father's spiky silver hair, swept stylishly to the left side with the rest bound at the back by a sunflower hair clip. She wore a bright blue shirt and overalls, with one strap having slipped off to the side.

"We didn't want to dump her off somewhere again," Rin said. "And the other kids love playing with her whenever the chance comes up, so this looked like a win-win."

"I certainly don't mind," Ui said as she shared a hug with Tsuyu. "She will be in safe hands with all of us around."

"Yup!"

"Heard Guy's not coming," Kakashi said. "Kind of a bummer, I wanted to see how the kids would take to all that youthful energy."

"See, I thought you'd be the one most relieved by that," Kurenai said.

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea. I'm going to enjoy this time of peace, but I think it would have been good for the kids to get that kind of experience."

"I wonder what you mean by experience."

"The alcohol is to your left, Miss Yuuhi."

Kurenai narrowed her eyes at Ui. "Oi. What's all this about..."

"We'll see you in a bit, Ui. Come on, let's get a drink or two in and calm you down, Kurenai. Tsuyu, who do you want to see first?" Rin asked her daughter. "Naruto and Sasuke aren't here yet."

"Is Choji here, Mama?"

"He's over there, well stocked with snacks, it seems. Go over and bother him for a bit."

"Okay, Mama. See you later, Auntie!"

"Yes, see you soon." Ui and Tsuyu shared another hug before the latter ran off, towards Choji and where Ino and Shikamaru were still arguing. The adult left for their drinks, and Ui checked the clock at the far end of the hall. It was nearly time, then.

"Mm. Let's get ourselves ready for the rest of the night."

---

"If I might have the attention of my wonderful guests for a moment, it would be greatly appreciated."

Everyone stopped what they were doing at the sound of Ui's voice.

"Thank you kindly. I would like to formally welcome you all to this gathering. Each one of you has made it more and more vibrant, and it is appreciated. To have many clans and different villages in this room, even if it isn't all of them, is a very good thing. But more than that, I wanted to give all of you the chance to relax, mingle with each other, and be children for this short time. You have gone through intense training, many hardships, and fought valiantly at every turn. You deserve this and more. So, I humbly ask that you all enjoy yourselves. Eat as much as you want, play until you tire, and laugh until you are pleasantly sore all over. I will watch over you in as kind a manner as I possibly can. Thank you so much for coming, on behalf of the noble Hyuuga Clan, the Hidden Leaf, and the Five Kage. And most of all, for myself. It warms my heart to see everyone coming together peacefully."

She paused a moment and took a sip of water from the bottle beside her.

"Now. All of you should recognize each other as part of an exclusive group, namely those who made it to the final round preliminaries. I would like to recognize you for your wonderful accomplishments. All those who made it to the third round of the Chuunin Selection Exams, please stand, and applaud each other."

All of the children stood and clapped for each other.

"Thank you. Now, would those who made it to the top eight remain standing for us? Please applaud those who ascended to that height."

The children that made the top eight remained standing, and were met with applause.

"And now, those who made up the final four, remain standing. Please show them your appreciation."

Shiori and Sakura were the last two standing, and both soaked in the applause while smiling at each other.

"Finally, the moment we have been waiting for. Please stand and acknowledge our two grand finalists as they enter. Sasuke Uchiha, and our tournament champion, Naruto Uzumaki."

A loud and sustained applause followed as the boys entered, rings of flowers draped around their necks from earlier festivities. Sasuke calmly waved, while Naruto pumped his fists and blew kisses to everyone around.

"Thank you all. Of course, the party wouldn't be complete without one more surprise. A guest you may have heard of, and his companions. They graciously accepted my request, and have come to spend time with you, the future leaders of the world. Please welcome a friend to the Hidden Leaf, the Blue Arrow himself, Joshua West. His lovely companions are Hannah and Ritsu."

"Mama! It's the Blue Arrow! Papa told me about him!" Tsuyu said as Joshua and the others entered.

"It is. I guess Ui convinced him to come along. Well, it makes sense. They're all still young people, at least compared to us," Rin said. "Let's wait for the crowd to thin out before you meet him, okay?"

"Okay, Mama! I can wait."

"Good girl."

"Seems like you're famous, sir," Ritsu said quietly.

"Yeah, guess so. Between the kids and all the news going around, it makes sense," Joshua said. "Far from the worst thing in the world. Hungry, though. Might want to get some snacks once all the clapping stops." He waved to everyone as they approached.

---

Select one or more options from the list below, or ask for something you'd like.

[] With all the talk about the Leaf's resident slacker genius, Joshua decides to have a few games of shogi with Shikamaru.

[] Hannah has her long-desired talk with segments of her 'competition', Junko and Shiori, over a game of poker.

[] Ritsu and Ino have pleasant conversation and swap stories.

[] Haru and Ui talk while watching over the children.

[] Hisano, wanting to explore her world more, decides to speak to the kind-looking Hinata.

[] Tsuyu buzzes around the party and finds herself in front of the Sand's lonely jinchuuriki and his siblings.

[] Custom option. Suggest combinations or scenarios, as many as you like.

---

So this is very much an open section, and I really did underestimate how much content there was this section to go through until I started writing it out and checking what I felt needed to be there. In any case, you have access to all of the kids who made the preliminaries, and you'll note some differences here and there. Hopefully you all enjoy it.

The next scheduled update is for Jun 6, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks for reading.

 

[veekie]

I like them all and cannot pick!


[X] With all the talk about the Leaf's resident slacker genius, Joshua decides to have a few games of shogi with Shikamaru.
[X] Hannah has her long-desired talk with segments of her 'competition', Junko and Shiori, over a game of poker.
[X] Ritsu and Ino have pleasant conversation and swap stories.
[X] Haru and Ui talk while watching over the children.
[X] Hisano, wanting to explore her world more, decides to speak to the kind-looking Hinata.
[X] Tsuyu buzzes around the party and finds herself in front of the Sand's lonely jinchuuriki and his siblings.

 

[FortePlus]

How many is that, 7 scenes. I'll adjust the update timing accordingly. Might be split updates depending on how I feel. I suspect some of these will get away from me like the hot spring party did, but that's life I guess.

I had a mistake in the databooks for Joshua that was corrected (4 nin instead of 5 nin) which is of interest because there will be some punching relatively shortly. Just have to decide on format. It seems like no matter how you include the exams they seem to take up a lot of time and writing space, and I say this as someone who largely doesn't think of the arc as the greatest thing ever. Good thing I covered just round 3.

 

[FortePlus]

"Yo!"

"Hey." Shikamaru lethargically waved at the person who sat in front of him on the floor. He took a sip of juice, sighed, and quickly reset the pieces on the game board. Nine by nine rows, making eighty-one squares. 20 wedge-shaped pieces in the form of pentagons, with the pointed sides facing the opponent.

Shikamaru yawned and glanced upwards, then did a double-take when he noticed who it was.

"Not a problem if I play, is it?" Joshua asked.

"No, no...not a problem at all, I guess." Shikamaru said nothing, but was cursing his luck inside of his head. Of all people, this guy. The Blue Arrow. The one who had beaten up the Leaf's top taijutsu user.

What a pain.

"Joshua West," he said, extending his hand.

"Shikamaru Nara," he said, shaking firmly. "You know how to play?" he asked, fixing his posture slightly.

"Yeah, but it's been a while. Shogi isn't my thing, really."

"Ah."

"Figured I'd give it a try. And I heard you're really good. Asuma is your teacher, right?"

"Yeah. He's...pretty good about his job."

"I can see it. Well, let's get started. Hopefully I can give you a thing or two to chew on, heh."

"Right. You want to flip first?"

"Sure." Joshua picked up five pawns and tossed them into the air. One landed on its side, one face up, and the others face down on their 'promoted' sides. "Guess you go first."

"Yeah. Ready?"

"Ready. Let's go."

Shikamaru started by moving a rook, simply to test the waters. He let out a breath as he watched Joshua's first move.

Guess this'll be easy. Hopefully he doesn't get too upset...

"Checkmate."

Only a few minutes had passed, and Joshua smiled while shaking his head. "Got me. This is another level from what I was told. Alright, you good for another game?"

"Yeah, no problem. Knock yourself out." The two reset the game board. "So, how'd you end up here of all places? Came to watch the exams and all that?"

"Yeah, pretty much. There was some other work we were considering but, you know. Things happen."

"Yeah. You...really travel with two girls?"

"Yep. Why?"

"I mean...you know how it is," Shikamaru said as he moved a pawn up the board. "They're high maintenance. They have to be in your case, with...you know."

"I might know," Joshua said with a chuckle. "I figure Hannah would be a handful for most guys. But I guess I'm not most guys." He paused for a moment in thought before having one of his knights retreat backwards.

"They're definitely a drag, man. Loud, and domineering, and aggressive...that's just to start," Shikamaru said.

"I figure it's because they care a lot, at least the ones you know. Your teammate is Ino?"

"Yeah."

"Hm. She's got energy, so I see what you mean. But it's out of love on her part, you know? I think you'll get used to it in the end."

"I doubt that. Checkmate."

"Again, huh. Alright, let's go for another."

"Yeah." Shikamaru reset the board. He noted the results were much closer than the last time. "You get first move this time."

"Oh, thanks." Joshua slid a pawn forward and waited. "But I'm sure everything will be fine. I...can't say you're wrong, though. Women can be scary, for other reasons."

"Really? I thought you'd love the attention."

Joshua waved a hand. "Not my thing. I'm just as much of a dork as any other guy. Like...maybe it's good for someone else to get mobbed by women because they like the way you look, but it's not for me. Definitely not."

Shikamaru raised a brow as he made another move. "Huh."

"Hey, don't let appearances fool you."

"Yeah, I'll remember. So, how do you do it? Deal with two girls at once, I mean."

"There's no magic formula," Joshua said as he reached for a previously captured piece and dropped it on the board. "But you can do a few things properly to gain favour."

"Like what? Check."

"Hrm." Joshua tapped his cheek as he surveyed the board. "Simple stuff, but there are important pillars. You appeal to their egos a bit, leave time to give them your attention, and indulge them from time to time."

"Indulgences, huh. I don't have enough money or taste for any of that."

"That's always a thing, yeah. Lucky for me, I got a great draw."

"How so?"

Joshua gave his companion a smile. "She's got a sweet tooth. Real big one, too."

"You're kidding. With...I mean, she looks like that, so how does that work?"

"She's built a bit different, not to give away too much. But yeah, we both love good food, so I spoil her from time to time. I don't just feed her to shut her up or anything, never works like that. She likes the company most of all."

"Fun and attention. It's that simple, you think?"

"Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Check."

Shikamaru nodded and took a bit of extra time to analyze the board. "It does. Way too easy. I don't think it works like that aside from your case...you have a princess on your arm, and the only things you have to do to keep your life from turning into a living nightmare are give her food and hugs." Shikamaru moved his king. "I don't see how I could believe something like that, after looking at the world around me."

Joshua chuckled and moved another piece.

"But you seem like you're not worn out by her, so it has to be working. I don't think I could pull something like that off, though. Checkmate. Another round?"

"Yeah. You go first this time," Joshua said.

Shikamaru nodded and reset the board. That game was pretty intense, considering.

"Well, if it helps...there's more going on than just dealing with a girl."

"You're not married already?"

"Nah. Not her thing, and I'm not ready for it either way. We're...closer than that. Hannah means a whole lot to me, more than words can express." Joshua waited for Shikamaru to move before quickly responding. "Something like that changes the nature of our relationship, how we get on, how we think about each other. What we do for routine, things like that."

"Like a best friend, then?"

"Deeper than that."

"Deeper..." Shikamaru mused on it while processing his next set of moves on the board. "Someone connected to you in a special way, then."

"Something like that."

"Probably won't understand something that complex."

"Heh. You will in time. I know it."

"Checkmate."

"Sheesh. You're unbeatable, looks like. Asuma said he never could get a game off you."

Joshua stretched and started to get up. A thought came to Shikamaru just then.

"Wait. One more game. But...something slightly different."

"Yeah, sure. Which one?"

"Chess."

"Oh, okay." Joshua took his seat as Shikamaru grabbed a new board and set up the pieces. "Chess is a bit more familiar, I played a few games with Ritsu recently. She's pretty good."

"How many games did she win?"

"None, but...I'm pretty good too, you know," Joshua said with a smile. He shook out his arms and looked at his pieces. "Black suits me, so I guess I'll take this side. You go first, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru considered his options and moved a pawn on the far right to start.

"Ah. So that's it, then."

It was only a slight bit of inexperience, he thought.

Seven moves.

"Checkmate. Heh, told you I was good."

"You're kidding," Shikamaru mumbled. He was aware, but had no means of stopping what was happening. A thought came to mind, that this sort of maneuvering was exactly how he outpaced Might Guy of all people.

Simply put...ridiculous.

Shikamaru sighed and gave Joshua a wearied look. "So you're a pretty boy, genius, taijutsu expert, and you pull girls in like a giant magnet. You're sure you're not some sort of god, or whatever?"

Joshua got to his feet. "Nah. Just really blessed."

"Humble, too. Seriously a drag, makes it harder for guys like me."

Joshua laughed at that. "I'll see you around, Shikamaru."

"Yeah." He gave Joshua a smile. "Thanks for the games, I appreciate it."

"No worries."

Shikamaru was about to put away the game board when someone else arrived.

"You packing up already? I was looking for someone to go a few rounds with."

He looked up to see yet another blonde girl, except this one was from the Hidden Sand. Temari, wasn't it...she was definitely one of the scarier ones.

Against his better judgement, he nodded and watched as she sat.

"I saw you get crushed earlier by the Blue Arrow in chess."

"Yeah."

"I guess we can go back to playing shogi. You know, so that you can save what's left of your pride."

Shikamaru let out a harsh breath. Losing to a girl wasn't happening, and definitely not to this one. Temari took note of his sudden jump in energy and smirked.

"So. You ready?" she asked.

"Whenever you are. And please, take all the time you need," he replied.

They glared daggers at each other as Temari made the first move.

---

Ino deftly shuffled the deck of cards in between her hands. She watched the three ladies at the poker table, taking note of their postures and expressions.

Junko, noted quarter-finalist, sat confidently while tapping her fingers lightly on the table.

Shiori, her slightly older sister and semi-finalist who gave Naruto a run for his money, calmly had her hands in her lap. She stole glances at the girl sitting in between her and her younger sister.

Hannah, the girl who had come in on the arm of the Blue Arrow himself. Ino was under the impression that people who looked as different as they did - her skin fair, his darker - weren't ones to start dating, and if they were, not so openly.

But who could blame her, really? He was absolutely smoking hot.

Shiori was thinking to herself that she was in another world compared to the blonde girl who carried herself like a grown woman, and was very much built like one. She sat on her chair confidently, one stocking-clad leg crossed over the other as she tossed her sparkling hair back over her shoulder.

Ino started dealing; the game was the variation of poker called 'hold 'em', and Shiori sitting on the left side had posted the small blind of one hundred up already. Hannah, sitting next to her, put her big blind of three hundred up.

"Hm." Ino raised a brow and started to hand out two cards to each player, cutting out one after each deal. If normal people were liable to count cards, it would be a simple matter for shinobi. Not that anyone's pride here would cause them to cheat at such a simple game for low stakes. No, everything had to be finished cleanly for the sake of ego. That was how she saw it, anyways.

Everyone got their cards. Junko lifted hers up with both hands before setting them back down and nodding. Shiori took hers up in one hand, and Hannah sat calmly, not taking a look at her cards.

Ino smirked. Bold move from the princess.

Junko, under the gun, took a glance at the other players and rapped her knuckles on the table to indicate a check. The action moved to Shiori.

"You seem quite confident tonight, Miss Kuiper," Shiori said.

"Well, I am feeling a bit of luck at my back," Hannah replied. "And please, formalities are not necessary. Hannah is very much fine."

"Understood, thank you." Shiori tossed a few chips towards the middle of the table, matching Hannah's blind. "Call."

"Three hundred," Ino confirmed. The action moved to Hannah, who calmly tossed her chips in.

"Call."

"Three hundred. One thousand in the pot."

"Call," Junko said.

"Thirteen hundred."

"Call," Shiori said, glancing at Hannah. The older girl calmly tossed in twice the amount of chips in response, still not looking at her cards.

"Raise."

"Twenty two hundred," Ino announced.

"Call," Junko said.

"Twenty eight."

"Call," Shiori responded.

"Thirty four."

"Call," Hannah said, her eyes closed.

"Four thousand. Alright, here we go." Ino burned a card and set it aside, then dealt the three community cards for the flop, face up on the table in the designated area.

Ace of hearts, ten of diamonds, six of diamonds.

Betting started again with Shiori. Hannah absentmindedly brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, and had yet to touch her cards. Junko kept her composure but grimaced inwardly.

Shiori gave Hannah a look and pushed in more chips.

"Fourty six hundred."

"Raise." Hannah calmly placed her own set of chips in.

"Fifty five hundred."

"Ugh. There's no way. I'm out." Junko tossed her cards in. Seven of hearts, two of clubs. She put her hands behind her head and watched as Hannah and Shiori dueled.

"Call," Shiori said, determined.

"Sixty four hundred," Ino confirmed.

"Call," Hannah responded, unmoved.

"Seventy three hundred. Alright, we're off." Ino shuffled the deck.

"You were magnificent in your match. I was happy that I got to watch it," Hannah said to Shiori.

"Thank you. It was very much an honour to be there, to even get that far. I obviously wanted a better result, but..."

"There's nothing to fret about on that end. You were spectacular, and the entire world was able to witness that. All anyone could ask of you is to keep yourself going, no matter what."

"Yes. I will." Shiori paused as Ino laid down the river card. King of hearts. A small twitch in her off hand betrayed her, but she hoped it was fine. "We met with Joshua earlier. Before the quarter final round, I mean. He's very nice."

"He is lovely, yes. I'm sure that he gave you some helpful advice that you can carry into the future."

"He did. There's a lot he knows, for being so young. Like he's experienced the world a thousand times over, somehow. I just...get that impression."

"Mm. I know what you mean."

"How long have you been...I mean to say, how long have you known each other, Hannah?" Shiori asked. She rolled one of her chips between her fingers.

"A few months now. But it feels very much like a lifetime...and that makes me immensely happy," Hannah replied. "He has been a blessing to me. I don't try to stop him when it comes to affairs of the heart...that is his choice to make."

"Affairs of the heart..." Shiori thought on that a moment.

"Hah. Like you'd give him up so easily."

"Junko!"

"What. No need for our blonde goddess here to play coy, yeah?" Junko grinned. "You've gotta be savouring your time with that fine chocolatey boy."

"God, you are the worst sometimes," Shiori groaned.

"Well...I can't exactly comment on such things. We share a platonic relationship. That is all," Hannah said simply.

"Uh-huh. I'll leave it alone for now..."

"How about forever?" Shiori scolded.

"Hey, ease off me. Only reason I'm not bothering with the grand struggle is because I can't compete and I don't wanna. It's like," she made a shape near her chest, "wow!, and then like," she made a shape around her hips, "whoa!, you know?"

"I don't know and I don't want to, Junko. Seriously..."

"Bah." Junko waved off Shiori and then went quiet, to the latter's relief.

"Well, we certainly are liberated in some areas," Hannah said with a giggle. "A delight, to be sure. Let's see now...quite interesting, the turn card."

Ino sniffled a bit and continued shuffling the cards in her hand.

Hannah still hadn't picked up her two cards, everyone noted. What was she up to?

"We can't all get by on luck," Shiori said pointedly. "Sometimes it runs out and you're left with nothing but your two hands and what you might be carrying in them. Check."

"That much is true, yes. And sometimes, you really do have to take a leap of faith...driving forward to the future you believe in." Hannah shook out her hair and then pushed a large pile of chips towards Ino.

"Ten thousand," Ino announced. She looked towards Shiori, who stared over at Hannah.

"You're right. The greatest accomplishments take courage."

She put her hands around the majority of her chips.

Paused.

Then made sure she was moving all of them.

"All in."

"Twelve thousand seven hundred," Ino announced.

"It is cruel, though...to think that some of us are born better than others. With different, superior gifts that leave others behind."

"Those things can be overcome," Shiori argued back at Hannah.

"Indeed, they can be. And I don't share such views, of unsurpassable genetic superiority. But there is a difference between some of us. To grab hold of the fabric of reality, and pull...that is not a gift given at birth, but grasped through the power of belief."

Hannah set her hand on the table and lifted up her two cards. She smiled.

"And those who grab hold of the strength in front of them...those who endure, and choose to believe. They are the ones who become the great chosen. For we believe that the heavens have given us enough to start...and that they will provide for us, in order to properly finish our beautiful struggle."

Shiori stood up and turned her cards over.

King of diamonds and eight of spades.

She watched, along with the others, as Hannah slowly set her cards face up on the table in front of her.

"Of course, I do have my pride and selfishness to consider. I am a woman, in addition to all of this." She stared into Shiori, making her shudder slightly. "Remember...that whenever you do aim for a queen..."

Ino burned one card before dealing the last one, the river.

"You shouldn't miss."

Ten of hearts. Three tens, and two kings. Shiori had a full house.

But...even then.

An amused smile crossed Hannah's lips.

"Holy...mother of god..." Junko breathed out.

Shiori dropped back into her chair, stunned.

"Although...I will always welcome a challenge from someone so spirited. Be well, Shiori. And remember...there is no shame in falling down. It's staying down that makes the difference."

Hannah slowly uncrossed her legs and left her seat.

"If you would be a dear, Ino...hold on to those chips for me until later."

The younger girl bowed her head with reverence. "Yes'm."

"Thank you." Hannah flipped her hair backwards and started off towards the juice bar.

"Is this...one of those mountains, too...?" Shiori watched Hannah strut away confidently, then back at the two cards lying on the table, in front of a pile of casino chips.

Jack of hearts.

Queen of hearts.

The most powerful, unbeatable, dramatic, unlikely hand. And with merely a whim...she brought the impossible into reality. Just for sport.

"..."

A royal flush.

---

More to come, no voting for now. The next scheduled update is Jun 14, 2020 at 11:59 PM .
Hope you enjoy the read.

 

[FortePlus]

Oh, right. It has been a year since this started (as of last month). I appreciate the support and votes from my regular readers especially. I also hope that people who are primarily lurking have enjoyed themselves as well.

There's still plenty of story and a whole world that I want to give everyone a chance to explore; hopefully the word count doesn't get too unwieldy as the days pass. So with that said, I will continue to do my best.

 

[FortePlus]

"Hey there. Ritsu, right?"

"Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Miss Yamanaka."

Ino laughed lightly as she sat down beside Ritsu. She set her glass of sparkling juice on the table. "No need to be so formal, yeah? Ino is fine. It's nice to meet you, too."

"Thank you. How was poker?"

"Pretty fun, actually. Got to play dealer for a match with your..." Ino paused to let her companion fill things in.

"Mistress."

"Ooh, spicy. So you guys have a whole thing going on, then? The three of you, I mean."

"Not really. It's not complicated, but a bit different if I had to say anything. It's really just the two of us that are intimate in that way."

"Ah, okay." Ino decided not to pry much further, taking a sip of her drink.

"I can guess what you're thinking, and...well, he's far from unappealing," Ritsu said with a smile. "But our relationship was formed in a different way. Do you have any romantic aspirations at this stage in your life?"

"My first choice is taken," Ino said, smirking. "Totally not bitter about it, by the way."

"Mm-hm." Ritsu sipped at her own drink lightly.

"Nobody immediately comes to mind...not that I'm lacking for suitors. Might be part of the problem, in fact. Quantity doesn't beat quality."

"You definitely have time to figure it out."

"Yeah. I'm in no rush. Definitely want to figure myself out some more before committing to anyone."

"What's it like being in your position?" Ritsu asked, resting her head on her hands. "You've got the village at your fingertips. Do you see it as a burden, or extra responsibility...?"

"Opportunity, I'd say. It can turn out either good or bad, and you don't always have control over that. But you can make moves to control how you're affected by everything that comes. You really want to avoid ending up in a position of weakness if you can help it. Know what I mean?"

"A little."

"Little bits of leverage, right? The social world is tough, so you want to try and have something in your back pocket at all times. Might be a jutsu, might be some information...might be something else altogether."

"I understand that much."

"Heh. Thought you would. Um..." Ino took another drink and paused a moment. "Something personal. Is it okay?"

"Of course."

"You're a bit older than me from what I can tell - you look gorgeous, by the way - so you'd have some more experience in the...more daring areas of social interaction. Sometimes superior strength and training might not be enough, so I wonder...what do you fall back on, in the end?"

"There always has to be a belief in yourself. You form your plans and contingencies, and put your faith in them and your skills. Things might fall apart, yes...and in ways even being a kunoichi might not protect you from." Ritsu let out a breath. "Experience will be the best teacher...it will show you what you can stand the most, what your greatest fears are, your triggers. But you can always prepare. Always, always prepare."

"I see. So there's not that much to do."

"Some would call it fortunate, others unfortunate. But every woman is different, and has her own ways of coping."

"That much is true, yeah."

"What about your side? I hear you're quite popular," Ritsu said.

"It's about interaction and keeping the people satisfied," Ino replied with a grin. "You know already, being in the same field and all...the clothes, the hair, the makeup, the way you rock your style. My dad's pretty high up so I have to keep up appearances, but at the same time, I don't want to be passive about anything. He and Mom understand that much, but I try not to push it too far."

"Any advice?"

"Oh? Well...hm." Ino ran a hand through her hair briefly. "The best thing to do, at least the smartest, is to establish support lines at each point of your movement or operation."

"Support lines."

"Yeah, it's a catch-all for resource caches. Much easier where you live and work, but just as vital on the road. You scope out an area and learn as much as you can, right? Trying to find intersecting pathways and points of interest. Pick one, and then you plan around that point. It's not going to have all the resources you want at once, but it will be an effective point to evacuate or retreat to. More importantly, once you identify that point you can chain relevant places to and from that point."

"Ah..."

"I figure you've been working on solo infiltration and the like, right? Pick up and go wherever you're needed, never leaving too many roots in the ground?"

"Yes, a lot like that." Ritsu found herself impressed.

"Yup. It's a lot different. Of course, I'm still young. I don't know as much as you do."

"I've only just become a shinobi myself."

"I wasn't talking about that part." Ino sipped at her drink. "You've been through a lot as a person. I guess you're in a good place now, traveling around with two hotties."

Ritsu giggled. "I might be, yes. You're wise beyond your years, Ino."

"Hey, it's a gift and a curse all at once," she said as she raised her hands. "Just playing the cards I'm dealt. Speaking of cards, though. Your mistress over there? Pretty awe-inspiring."

"She's very strong in character, and a tender soul. It's part of why I love her so much."

"Mm."

"What did she do, exactly?"

"Landed a royal flush."

"Hm." Ritsu smiled and shrugged. "As my master loves to say...she's quite the diva sometimes."

"Heh. Putting it lightly, you know."

"I have stories. Lots of them," Ritsu said with a playful grin. "How much time you got?"

Ino put her elbows on the table and smiled back. "As much as you want. Hit me, honey."

---

"O silent guardian. How do you fare this fine day?"

"I see that someone is in a good mood." Haru took the glass filled with dark liquid from Ui, and moved her mask to one side so she could take a drink. "Went with a stout today, then."

"Quite enjoyable, no?"

"Nobody would take you as a girl who liked her alcohol this much."

"Everything in moderation. When done well, these things give us the most blissful moments."

"Hm. I wonder about that."

"How have you been, Haru? That is to say, regarding your recent assignment minding the Blue Arrow and his lovely ladies."

Haru shrugged as she looked out over the room. All of the children seemed to be getting along, which was very good considering everything. The hidden villages had seen their fair share of dispute against one another, and it would only make sense for it to filter down to the children. Was it simply too early to tell? Or had this generation really changed?

"Things are fine. Our clients have been relatively well-behaved, and considerate."

"You've condensed things a fair bit."

"Perhaps."

"I suppose we won't be talking about your tender feelings for Joshua, then."

Haru stiffened slightly and Ui smiled as she caught it.

"Things like that are inappropriate," Haru said as she finished her drink. Her mask went back on properly, and she folded her arms across her chest. "It also isn't good to make unfounded speculations, Lady Hyuuga."

"My. It seems I hit a nerve."

"Yes, of course. I'm aware of your tactics."

"Mm. Is it...you think you don't stand a chance against...?"

"No comment."

Ui nodded and took another sip of her drink. "Lady Kuiper does have a stunning figure, you know."

"Yes. And?"

"Well..."

"I'm not sure why that's relevant. Master West isn't that shallow a person, as I'm sure you can guess."

Ui nodded again, deciding to leave it alone. "Of course. I didn't mean to imply otherwise."

"Hm."

"It is a lovely sight, isn't it? All of these children, together in one place."

"You've wished for something like this for a very long time, Sister Ui. But it's not enough, I'd say."

"There is always more to be done."

"Perhaps you and I would cease to be in an ideal world."

"Perhaps. But that is no reason to stop our advance towards it."

"Ui. I want to believe in that sort of world as well. But if we are still shinobi until our last breaths, will you regret it?" Haru asked.

"I would be foolish to. There is suffering in the world that I want to erase. There are many things I want to change, if only I had the power to do so. But I will never regret this life that has been given to me. I will endure, and I will show kindness to those in this world."

"I want a chance to bring us closer to that ideal world."

Ui's gaze moved towards Joshua, who was making exaggerated gestures as he spoke to Naruto. A lively debate about...something. But did it matter?

"You may come upon that chance sooner than you think, Haru. Would you be ready at that time?"

"I won't just follow any old soul, Sister Ui."

"Of course. But you didn't answer my question."

"Of course I would be."

Ui closed her eyes and smiled.

"Then I will hold you to that, White Fox."

Haru turned her head briefly towards Ui. She let out a breath before looking out at the rest of the party.

"You really are annoying sometimes."

Ui gulped down the rest of her drink before leaving for a refill. "Yes. I know."

---

No voting for now. The next update is scheduled for Jun 20, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks for reading.

 

[FortePlus]

Hisano carried a plate of fruit to one of the tables nearby and sat. She looked at the fruit a moment before picking up a slice of pineapple, and biting into it.

The sensation was foreign, and amazing at the same time. The way it could be sweet, but so many other things at the same time. Truly wondrous.

"So...this is the power of nature." She bit into the slice again and savoured it. The way the pineapple 'bit' back at her was intense, scary the first time, but not so bad after that. "Whoa..." It was the kindness of the Blue Arrow - Joshua - that had opened her mind to recieve the infinite knowledge of the world around her.

There were no ideas on how to properly thank him yet. Hopefully they would manifest soon. Hisano looked around and saw that someone else was sitting alone. She felt lifted by the positive energy of the party, and decided to take a chance. Gathering her plate in one hand, she went over to where the person sat and made sure she was noticed.

"Ah, hello. Miss Miyajima, isn't it?" The warm and kind smile came from a girl with the same eyes as her guardian, Miss Ui. This was...the girl who was the next head of the Leaf's mightiest clan.

"Y-yes. Hisano is...also fine, if you would like. Milady." Hisano bowed towards Hinata, who giggled softly.

"Please, call me by name as well. Hinata is perfectly fine. We're here to mingle and have fun, yes?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Don't be afraid. Come," Hinata said, taking Hisano's hand and letting her settle into the seat nearby. They sat beside each other, Hisano nervously taking another bite of pineapple.

"How have you been? Ane-ue has been taking care of you, I heard."

An old and very respectful style of address. Miss Ui was important, wasn't she...

"I've been fine. Recovering very well. Miss...Lady Ui is taking good care of me."

"As I said, no need for formalities. I call her Ane-ue out of affection. It's a form of address that isn't used much anymore, even within noble families like ours. Hm." Hinata smiled. "There are parts of the lifestyle I find romantic, and others quite dated. Very complicated. But...there's a charm to it, I think."

"I see. Is it...hard being royalty?" Hisano asked.

"Sometimes. But I think that I can be a force for good this way. I don't like to think that I'm better than anyone else by way of birth. Even so...hm. Some need to be put in their place. And it is our job to do so. I have accepted that responsbility as a daughter of Hyuuga."

"You are...very strong. I saw it, in battle. And also elegant." Hisano nibbled at a piece of melon.

"Thank you very much. I wish that you could have been well enough to see your fight with Naruto through. It would have been exciting. But I'm happier to see that you're well enough to attend functions like these."

"I'm really sorry."

"Hisano..."

"I didn't want to hurt him, and..."

Hinata placed a hand on Hisano's shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"I know what happened. I was there, remember? You are not at fault. You're a human being. A person. Ane-ue sees that in you, and Naruto did, and so do a lot of other people. Please remember that. And furthermore, you tried so hard to protect him. I heard you call out, trying to save him. You're a wonderful soul, Hisano."

"Did you see that...with the all seeing eyes?"

"No. I feel it in my heart."

Hisano nodded, feeling more at peace than before. Kind people were all over this world, if one just explored a little.

She thought of Joshua again. Her eyes searched the room and found him laughing along with some of the Leaf adults.

Hinata followed her gaze and smiled.

So...you have a person you've fallen for too. Someone so kind will give you strength for the future.

"When you have a person you like, sometimes you worry about them a lot," Hinata said gently.

"...yes."

"What helps me is...when I think about that person, I say a prayer for them. For good fortune, for health, anything that comes to mind. I believe that those positive thoughts will give them strength for the future, and the ability to go beyond their limits."

"Is...that so?"

"Yes. Try it when you go to sleep tonight."

"I will. Thank you, Miss Hinata."

Hinata laughed softly and patted Hisano on the shoulder. "You're very welcome, Hisano."

Hisano blinked and thought a moment, looking down at her plate of fruits. "Miss Hinata. What...do you like to eat? Is it exotic fruits? The papaya? The avocado?"

"My favourite? Oh, it's definitely cinnamon buns," Hinata said happily. "It's terrible, I start salivating whenever I think of them, haha! Warm and sugary, and the way everything just melts in your mouth..." She sighed, hands on her cheeks.

"C-can you tell me more? About the buns. All the styles. Are they here?"

Hinata laughed and brought Hisano to her feet, watching the other girl's eyes sparkle with curiosity.

"Ane-ue thinks of me when these functions happen...so I know there's a section specially made for fresh cinnamon buns, and it will be open all night. I'll teach you everything, Hisano. Ready?"

"Yes!"

"Then we advance. To deliciousness and glory!"

The two linked arms and went off to collect their spoils.

---

A short update, but I didn't want to leave everyone hanging for too long. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Next update is scheduled for Jun 30, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks for reading.

 

[FortePlus]

"Hello! Good evening!"

"..."

Gaara looked downwards to see a small child with silver hair, strikingly similar to Sharingan Kakashi's. She smiled and gave him a polite bow in return, then patiently waited for him to respond.

"Hey. Say something," Temari urged. "Not often you see sprouts like that with manners."

"...hello."

"It's nice to meet you, sirs and ma'am! My name's Tsuyu, and my Papa is Sharingan Kakashi. He cut a lightning bolt in half! My Mama is Rin, and some people call her the Flower of Life! They have very cool names. May I have your names?" Tsuyu asked.

"Gaara of the Sand Waterfall."

"Kankuro."

"Temari. Very nice to meet you, Tsuyu."

"Thank you! Miss Temari, are you all related?"

Temari smiled and crouched down to meet Tsuyu. "We are. These two are my younger brothers. And...I care about them very much. Gaara is very quiet, but he doesn't mean to be rude."

"I know. I saw that he looked a bit sad and wanted to help cheer him up," Tsuyu replied. "Sister Sakura beat him up really badly. It must have hurt...she punches real hard when she's angry."

"Yeah. Gaara was in the hospital for a bit. He's fine now..." Temari leaned in close to whisper. "That was the first time he got a beating in his life, you know."

"W-wow..."

"Yeah. He learned his lesson though. Bad kids need a spanking sometimes, and he was a really bad kid. But he's okay now. He's doing much better."

"That's good."

Temari nodded and moved to stand up. "We all live together, for better or worse."

"Hey," Kankuro said.

"Scratch that. Usually for worse," she continued with a smirk. "Our dad's the Kazekage."

"Grumpy Sleepy Kage?"

"That's the one."

"Hmph." Gaara couldn't resist expressing some amusement at that.

"Do you guys like the party so far? I'm having a lot of fun with my friends!"

"I like it. It was really nice of Miss Hyuuga to set all of this up for us," Temari said.

"Yeah, gotta say...it's a rad set up. Games and food and junk. Good spread, and at least a few famous faces. Not bad, really. Better than the parties we throw," Kankuro followed.

"Calling those parties is laying it on thick," Temari said with a grunt. "You'd think we were in a museum with all the fossils around."

"Um, Mister Kankuro? Can I ask a question? It might be...sen...seni..."

"Sensitive?" he asked.

"Yes, that. Is it okay?"

"Sure, go ahead. Not much that can bother us at this stage in life, y'know." He shrugged. "Perks of being sent on life or death missions all the time."

"Okay. You talked about Grumpy Sleepy Kage being your dad. But...what about your mom? Is she...?"

"She died. Giving birth to me."

Gaara spoke out loud for the first time, stunning his siblings. He crouched in front of Tsuyu, who looked at him curiously.

"I was the last one she ever saw in her life. Because of me...her light was taken from the world."

"Is...that true?"

"..." Gaara couldn't remember being told anything else. He had never known anything else. Wasn't it the truth? The reason why she...

"I don't think...um. I don't think that the person who worked so hard to give birth to you...would ever hate you."

Gaara's eyes widened.

He had never thought of it that way. If she hated him...if she meant to curse him so much, then why wouldn't she just give up? Why not preserve her life? Why not let him just die with her?

Had everything...been a lie?

He remembered Yashamaru. His uncle who loved him, before suddenly changing and trying to kill him. It didn't sound right, but it was his words that made Gaara change.

But those...

"I...understand now."

...were to protect him, in the end.

"You're right. I can finally understand this world...and my mother. With her strength, she gave me life. Life that should not be so easily thrown away. I can connect with who I am, and who I am meant to be." He smiled. "Thank you...small angel."

"Small...angel?" Tsuyu tilted her head.

"You did a good thing, that's why he's saying that. A little weird, but..." Temari ruffled the hair on his head. She still marveled at how he was letting her in, so close...like a dream come true. "He's great just the way he is."

"I made you happy, didn't I?" Tsuyu asked Gaara.

"You did. I will repay you some day-"

"Repay me now, please! Debts aren't good to hold on to! Papa said so!"

Gaara chuckled lightly. He looked at his brother and sister, and they both smiled and nodded.

"Then...show me how I will repay you properly."

"Okay! Come with me, please. Oh, and I should call you something nice instead of Mister Gaara of the Sand Waterfall. That's a lot of words..."

"I see."

"Gaara-nii! Is that okay?"

"..." Someone...to look up to.

This place had been a blessing all along, somehow.

"It's fine. I can accept that."

"Thank you! Okay, Gaara-nii. Let's have you pay me back for all those smiles!"

Kankuro watched the two leave before turning to Temari. She had her eyes closed.

"You alright, sis?"

"I'm...alright. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Mom. And Uncle Yashamaru. They...didn't pass on for nothing. I felt like that for such a long time. Today was...the start of something new."

"Yeah. Really is. You think we'll be able to keep it going?" he asked.

Temari opened her eyes and smiled.

"That's not a problem. Gaara has somewhere he belongs. And a home, with people who love him, and always will. He won't let that go."

She watched as Gaara timidly shook hands with Joshua.

"And we...won't let him go."

---

The next update is scheduled for Jul 13, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks and enjoy the read.

 

[VileScurvy]

Ngaww. The cuteness, it burns!

I like how Rin managed to have a kid with the Scarecrow. Looking at today's update, I dare say she'll take after her mom more than daddy dearest.
Good postlude, all in all!

 

[FortePlus]

It has been a long sort of thing. Treating this as an adventure has helped a lot with getting the themes down and developing the characters. In a regular story it's sort of superficial, in a quest it has a lot more meaning.

I like it. Adds more to the writing process.

Tsuyu takes a bit after her grandfather as well. A smart kid, too. Exploring the possibilities of Rin/Kakashi was something I've always wanted to do. They just seem to work together.

 

[FortePlus]

So there actually is an update incoming (today, should be) and it's been a while since the last. The update schedule I'm hoping to try and keep to maybe 3 a month as usual, but the estimated times will be attempts more than hard deadlines. Mostly due to bashing my head against the wall when I do miss them, like I did recently. I have a lot of ideas I still want to get to, but this has become too big to treat as "story" as I intended at first, and will be trying a different approach. The technical side of the writing won't visibly change as a result but the ideas I have for story structure and the main plot lines will.

Also this is the point where, between this and the other project I have that's been unexpectedly popular, things are slowing down due to some fatigue. And then there's my need to try and deliver quality when I do sit down and write, which means a few days of nothing instead of work. It happens. I apologize in advance for anything that seems troublesome. I keep running into this problem though and this is a chance to manage it properly for once.

So as usual, thanks for the support and I hope it's not too much of a hassle to keep following along.

 

[FortePlus]

The night passes by beautifully.

Pretty much everyone has fun, aside from the Cloud shinobi sulking in the corner. He leaves early, handing over guardianship of Hisano to Ui, which is just fine. The kids especially are enjoying themselves, even ones like Gaara who seemed hostile at the tournament. Tsuyu seems like she got to him, after Sakura made a point of knocking the trouble out of his head a week earlier.

Eventually it gets late enough that the venue owners have to start cleaning up for the next day, and everyone starts to get ready to go home. Shiori and Hannah in particular share a meaningful look that makes you wonder a bit. It's probably nothing too troublesome. Hopefully.

"Thank you very much for spending time with us," Ui says with a bow. "It was a wonderful experience for all, and I know that it won't be forgotten soon."

"Thank you for having us," you say to Ui with a smile. "It was a lot of fun."

"I feel much the same. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate with you," Hannah says while clinging to your arm.

"Thank you," Ritsu says, bowing.

"We'll be seeing you soon, Sister Ui. I trust you have this under control," Haru says to her comrade.

"I do, indeed. Please take care, and enjoy the rest of the night."

Bows are exchanged once more before your group leaves, heading back to the hotel and waiting for Haru and Hikari to inspect the premises. They let everyone in and you yawn before flopping onto the closest couch.

"Whew. That was a party and a half," you say with a sigh.

"Tomorrow is Sunday," Haru points out. "Aside from your usual excursions, you do have that meeting with Lady Mizukage in the afternoon."

"Date," you mutter.

"It's not a date," Hannah calls back from her bedroom.

"It's a date," you insist. "God, I don't know what I'm gonna do for that whole lunch thing...at least I can get some sleep, it's not super late. Ui did well with time."

"Sir. Is it always necessary to do your studies on Sunday morning?" Hikari asks.

"Nah, it isn't. You're thinking I should use the time to get some extra sleep. Not a bad idea...I'll do that, or start later at the least. Doesn't have to be a big production either. Thanks, Hikari."

"Sir. Always my honour to help, sir," she says with a salute.

"In that case, you have time to spend with me tonight," Hannah says as she reappears. She's dressed in one of her thin nightgowns and seems intent on stirring up trouble with the other girls. Haru seems a bit annoyed already. I wonder about these two sometimes.

"Well...I do sleep pretty well with you around," you admit quietly.

"As long as your acts are restricted to the esoteric variety, it shouldn't be a problem," Haru says pointedly. "We wouldn't want you to be too tired out for your lunch date, sir. Or raise suspicions of any sort, since those might lead to misunderstandings." She shrugs. "I suggest you make sure to remind her you're still a teenager."

"You think she's that type of woman?" Ritsu asks as she jumps into your lap, wearing a shirt and shorts.

"You don't need a dog's nose to smell the desperation on her."

"Holy hell. You're sharp tonight," you say to Haru.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew the things I knew. Trust me, you should watch yourself."

"Sir. Don't worry about her too much, sir. It might be the drink from earlier tonight," Hikari reassures you.

"I am not drunk, sir."

"Ma'am. It's not necessarily drunkenness, since you're quite responsible. But your tongue has been known to loosen from time to time, ma'am."

Ah. So that explains why she's annoyed tonight. "I think we should get to bed before something happens, then. No offense, Haru."

"None taken. Have yourselves a good night. Hikari and I will turn in within the next hour or two."

"Sir, ma'ams. Have a good rest," Hikari says while saluting.

"We will. Thanks." You pat her on the head, and then do the same to Haru, giving her some extra care. There's a quiet, happy sound coming from beneath her mask, and you smile at it. "Come on, doll-face. I've got a long day tomorrow, no thanks to you. See you tomorrow, Ritsu."

"Of course, Master. Sweet dreams."

"'Doll-face', hm?"

"What else do I call someone so cute?"

"Oh, stop it. You can't just tease me like that. Awful," Hannah says with a smile as she closes the door behind her. You lazily take off most of your clothing and fold it up before sliding under the covers. Hannah joins you a moment later, snuggling into your side like she belonged there. But she just might in the end, considering...

You yawn and scratch at your head. Tomorrow...you'd keep things light tomorrow. Even if it was an annoying date, it was a meeting with one of the leaders of the free world. You wanted to be on the ball for it. Meditation would be good, if nothing else.

"Are you okay, darling?"

"Mm. I'm fine, Princess. What about you?" you ask.

"Perfectly fine. I wonder if you're thinking about tomorrow's meeting."

"Date."

"You shouldn't worry too much about the meeting. Things will be fine, especially with that sharp mind of yours. And if I thought you were in any danger from that so-called she-wolf, I would have never allowed you to meet alone in the first place. She knows that much." She makes a contemplative sound. "Although...it seems good to ask..."

"Ask what?" You turn your head to face Hannah.

"Well...what if she did proposition you?"

You snort. "Yeah, right. I'm way too young for her."

"You're not in the slightest. Trust me...you would have been considered by quite a few women for marriage three years earlier."

You shudder. "Thanks, guess I won't be sleeping after all."

"I'm entirely serious. And you don't have to...you know. Get intimate right away. I mean, not in the usual manner, since there...n-never mind. You know what I mean."

"Unfortunately." You sigh. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious, and we're close friends. It's only natural for me to know," she says, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief. "So? What would you do, Joshua?"

"Every answer is the wrong answer."

"Oh, don't be like that. Tell me, please? What's the point of bedroom talk if it isn't something spicy?"

"Oi..." You grumble for what feels like the hundredth time tonight. Is this woman tipsy, too? Maybe, but it doesn't matter now.

Mei Terumi...she really is gorgeous, you have to admit. More than her simply hitting on you, some sort of proposition...asking to be her boyfriend, or worse, her husband. What would come of that? What would come out of refusing her? It's a lot. She seems like a nice person, too, so you really have no reason to think she would be that vindictive...but people change frighteningly quick when it comes to romantic encounters.

---

Hannah's "Bedroom Talk"

[] Well, you would obviously say yes if she made a proper pass at you. Why not?

[] Maybe you'd put up a bit of resistance to see if she was really serious about it. After that...you're not terribly sure.

[] You're disinterested in that sort of relationship, but maybe you could be closer acquaintances? And she could get her chance to convince you that she would make a good wife, one day.

[] Meh. Pass. You're not interested in that sort of thing. Friendship is fine, but anything beyond that is trouble, especially with a woman nearly twice your age.

[] Custom option.

---

Sunday Morning

[] Wake up early and have your early studies as usual. It'll be fine.

[] Skip most of the usual stuff and just read and meditate.

[] Sleep in. You can skip days and you've done it in the past.

---

Sunday Afternoon/Lunch with the Mizukage

[] Try and look sharp for your meeting. You're eating with the Mizukage.

[] Semi-formal. Neat, but not too neat and a little relaxed. Seems okay, and she might not like it if you're too stiff.

[] Casual. Stay relaxed. You're already allies, so she might appreciate a little bit of honesty.

[] Custom option.

---

Not as big as past updates, but there's a little bit of "try to remember where I actually left off" happening along with refocusing everything. Hopefully everyone enjoys. It's been a bit.

Next update is aimed for Aug 3, 2020 at 11:59 PM . Thanks for reading.

 

[veekie]

[X] You're disinterested in that sort of relationship, but maybe you could be closer acquaintances? And she could get her chance to convince you that she would make a good wife, one day.

[X] Skip most of the usual stuff and just read and meditate.

[X] Semi-formal. Neat, but not too neat and a little relaxed. Seems okay, and she might not like it if you're too stiff.