Chapter 7: Parties and Sorrow part 1

This in not my book BUT I have asked for permission from the author but he still hasn't replied if anyone can get in touch with him let him know if he wants me to I can remove it from here

go check out the book at https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13522981/1/Reincarnation-Ok-Pal-The-Story-of-Kenta-Yamanaka-Book-2

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HI!

Welcome back. If you're reading this, I'm incredibly thankful you've stuck with the story until now.

I'm loving writing this story, and I have so many ideas for where to take this story, as well as new fics for the future.

We finish this chapter right at the 20k word count mark! A doozy of a chapter. I may have channeled my inner Kenta and went a little overboard on some of the scenes, but they're FUN!

This chapter takes a step back from all of the seriousness/angst we've had the last few chapters. It is fluffy/cute/fun/humor. YAY! Let me clarify one part here… ATTEMPTED Humor. I don't know if you guys laugh at my jokes… But I sure do! It might also be the fact that I've had 6 hours of sleep over the last 3-4 days. Yay crazy work schedule!

As we know, after Kakuzu and Hidan are disposed of, the ball begins to roll faster and faster. Pein's attack, Kage Summit, 4th war. It all is coming to a climax here soon!

The entire chapter isn't all Fluff and fun… The last… Hmmm…. 20% of this story is action packed and a shocking twist! Don't skip to the end though! Read all of it! Lot's of Kenta meddling and cute Kenta/ Fú scenes to be had!

The poll results are at the bottom as well as this weeks nominated Ninja. Make sure you head to my profile and cast your vote there!

Let's start chapter 7! Please, enjoy :D

We dropped down to the road and approached the gates to Konoha. It had taken us seven days of travel since we couldn't run for too long with the sickly Ranmaru. Overall, though, it was a good and relaxing experience. The beginning was rough, explaining to the boy that he would never see Raiga again. But the last three days he had come back out of his shell and provided a certain childish excitement to our group.

The most shocking revolution came with finding out the tiny child was twelve years old. Not the seven or eight I predicted him at. The malnourishment ran deeper than I had supposedly thought. Haku was in the same mindset as when we learned our Ranmaru's condition the temperature momentarily dropped several degrees before Haku reined his emotions in.

"The Great Gate of Konoha will be visible soon. You excited, Ranmaru?" Sakura asked the boy who was riding on her shoulders. We had taken turns after the first day. Haku could have easily done it, but we wouldn't want him unable to defend himself due to exhaustion if they worst should happen.

"Yes, Miss Sakura! I can't wait to see it! Is it really one thousand feet tall?" The boy asked with a wide smile.

Sakura sent a withering glare towards Sasuke who had taken to telling the boy all kinds of extravagant lies. "No, Ranmaru. But it is over one hundred feet tall so it's still very impressive. Don't let Sasuke fib to you anymore. He's being a brat."

I snickered as Sasuke simply shrugged. "When I was his size it did seem one thousand feet. I was simply giving him my recollection of when I was his age."

The two continued their light hearted bickered the rest of the way. Ranmaru gasped on seeing the wall once the treeline broke.

"Well? Does it seem one hundred or one thousand feet tall?" Sasuke drawled with a smirk.

"Well, not one thousand, but one hundred seems too small too!" The boy squeaked excitedly.

Sasuke shot a victorious smirk Sakura's way. She ignored him and began to explain everything to the hyperactive boy as she lowered him to the ground. He stood on weak and shaky legs but he didn't let that stop him.

"Don't run too far, Ranmaru. We have to check in with the guards first. They'll arrest you if you run too far." Haku called quietly. The boy nodded vigiourously and began turning this way and that, taking in every sight he could.

"Izumo. Kotetsu. How are things today?" I asked politely as I filled in the check-in forms.

"Kenta! Good to see you. You guys take that zombie bastard down?" Kotetsu asked eagerally.

"Yup. Sasuke and Sakura gave him a workout. Turns out when a man who thought he was immortal learns he's about to die, he turns into the whiniest bitch in the world." I said nonchalantly, mind focused on getting the paperwork done.

"Damn. Just those two? You didn't do anything?" Izumo asked in disbelief.

I finished the last block and handed the form to Izumo. "Aside from catcalling him and dodging his flying body, nope." I smiled. "Gotta go report to the Hokage. I'll see ya guys around. Let's spar sometime!" I called out as I joined my team.

"Yeah, right! You'd thrash us without breaking a sweat!" Kotetsu laughed as Izumo agreed vehemently with his partner.

"Start training then, slackers! I know you're holding out for those promotions because you like your cushy gate jobs. Don't pretend otherwise. It's as easy to spot as the fact that you two are dating!" I called back.

Both men began to furiously deny both accusation.

"Oh please. Anyone can see you two are dating. It isn't hard to see it." Sasuke said. "If you're worried about people finding out, we don't care. Only the elders with a foot in the grave already have any issues with same-sex couples. It isn't like you two are clan heirs that have to produce your own heir. Just admit it so I can win some money."

That stopped their over-enthusiastic denials in their tracks. "Who do you have money on us with?!" Izumo yelled out.

"Kakashi. For a man who reads smut all day, he's more oblivious than Naruto. Naruto can at least see attraction as long as he isn't one of the people involved." Sasuke muttered the last part out.

Haku, Sakura and I laughed at the last part. It was so true it was almost sad.

"So… you really don't think people would have an issue with… us?" Kotetsu asked hesitantly. The normally sarcastic and carefree man looked genuinely scared to death. He didn't even look this unsure facing down Kakuzu.

"Seriously, guys. No one cares. I promise you. We only care that you two do your job and are dependable. In our line of work, when you find love, you run with it. Tomorrow isn't a guarantee." I finished with a sad smile, thinking of mom and dad and how in love they were.

"Cpt Kenta is correct. Don't sacrifice your happiness worrying what others think. Naruto spent over a decade as the village pariah, suffering their hatred and then their isolation. He found happiness. You two can too." Sakura offered with a bright smile.

The two glanced at one another before smiling shyly. "Well, Ko. Guess we weren't as sneaky as we thought. Tell the group tonight?"

"Izu… you know how that is going to go down if these three knew. What are the gang going to do?!" Kotetsu lamented dramatically.

Ranmaru poked his head over the booth. "Whatever people say. You two are both handsome and seem really nice. I'm Ranmaru! I'm going to live here starting today! Pleased to meet you!"

My heart melted at the innocent and sweet boy. Kotestu and Izumo were momentarily stunned by the boy's words; Izumo recovered first.

"That is very nice of you to say. Ranmaru you said? Pleased to meet you. Welcome to Konoha. I think you'll be very happy here." Kotetsu just smiled along with Izumo's words.

"Thanks, mister! Ok bye! We have to go. I'll come say Hi some other day." Ranmaru called as he jogged back over to the group. He was winded just from the twenty foot treck. I frowned at Haku who simply nodded.

"Ranmaru. You and I are going to go to the hospital and get you all checked up, Okay? We're going to get you healthy, then we can go explore once you are better. I know you don't feel sick, but remember what we talked about?" Haku said kneeling in front of the boy.

Ranmaru frowned. "Yes, Miss Haku. Just because I feel fine doesn't mean I am. Do you think we'll be there a long time?"

"That's hard to say. Judging by what I and Miss Sakura have gathered, you should only have to spend one or two nights with an IV. However, we have equipment to use to get a really good look at the stuff we can't see with our eyes. If that all checks out, you'll be exploring Konoha soon. Okay?"

Ranmaru perked back up at that. "Okay, Miss Haku!" His eyes widened and he began to sputter. "I-I'm sorry. I mean Mister Haku! I just forget, because you're much prettier than a lot of girls."

Haku laughed. "It is fine, Ranmaru. Call me whatever makes you comfortable. I don't mind. Many people mistake me for a female. It is a curse that Kenta and I share." He sent a playful wink my way, Ranmaru's eyes followed.

"I don't think Mister Kenta looks that girly." Ranmaru said squinting at me.

"It's a running joke carried over from when I was your age. I did used to be a pretty boy. Once I hit puberty though, my face became less round and more narrow and angular, giving me a more masculine look. Either way, as Haku said, I didn't let it bother me after a while. People use what they can to hurt you. If you don't give them ammo, then they eventually give up. Now it's said in endearment from my friends who knew me back then." I explained to the boy.

Ranmaru nodded. "I understand. Well both you and Mister Haku are nice people, so that's all that I care about. Miss Sakura is very pretty and she's also very nice. Mister Sasuke has pretty eyes like mine, and even if he seems grumpy, I know he's a good guy too." Ranmaru declared as self-assured as anyone.

I laughed as I caught Sasuke mouthing the word "grumpy." He seemed to process what the boy said though and turned away, a light pink creeping into his cheeks.

"Ranmaru, I'll see you soon. Haku is going to bring you by my house once you're released from the hospital. My sister is a year younger than you, and her friends are your age. I'll introduce you. We have to go report now though. Be good for Haku." I said kneeling down in front of the small twelve year old. He smiled brightly, laughing in delight as I ruffled his hair. Kono throws senbon, Ranmaru laughs… I might have found a new favorite younger sibling.

"Haku. Once you get him settled in, report to the Hokage's office. He may or may not have questions for you." I told the young man who was kneeling down for Ranmaru to climb up on.

"Yes, Captain. I should be there in an hour or so. I'll get him settled in with Nurses I trust and make my way to debrief." Haku stated in a respectful tone. At least one of my three minions respected me.

With that I waved once more at Kotetsu and Izumo, gave a cheerful smile to Ranmaru and indicated my team to get a move on.

We were gone in a heartbeat. Landing at the entrance to the Administration building.

************************Tell me those two weren't dating in the manga!**********************

"Enter," Lord Fifth's calm voice called out.

We did as commanded, coming to attention before his desk.

"Ah, welcome back. I thought you would have been home a few days ago. Everything went smoothly I presume." Lord Fifth stated giving us all a once over.

"Yes, Lord Fifth. Kakuzu is dead, we have his body sealed in this scroll." I produced the scroll and set it on his desk, along with scroll containing the Kiba Blades. "The Kiba Blades are in the other scroll. We would have been home much sooner, but there was one complication."

I then spent the next half hour explaining the situation with Ranmaru, not leaving out a single detail of importance.

"I see. Does Haku have a theory about what could cause him to be so weak?" Itachi asked, eyes trained on Sakura. She took the hint.

"Both Haku and I believe that he may have Myastehnia Gravis. A rare autoimmune disease that targets the skeletal muscles. It would be much worse in a civilian, but since Ranmaru has an active chakra system, it greatly decreases the symptoms severity. He'll never be a ninja, but we think that he may make an excellent doctor." Sakura reported in a clinical voice.

"I still don't understand the difference between a medic and a doctor." Sasuke grumbled out.

"Of course not. If it doesn't involved something to destroy your enemies, you have no desire to learn about it." Sakura replied in a sickly sweet voice.

"She's got you there Sasuke. You really should look into medical techniques. Haku showed me the style of hand to hand he and Lady Hinata developed. It's quite terrifying. A single touch can kill." I added in a grave tone.

"Whatever. What's the difference?" Sasuke asked me, refusing to meet Sakura's eyes.

"A medic is a trained shinobi. They are sent to the front lines in times of war. They provide lifesaving immediate first aid or advanced treatment. They can defend themselves if need be. Doctors work in hospitals. Many are either retired medics, or civilians that trained specifically in medicine and shinobi medical techniques. They are non-combatants, and during times of war are deep behind the war front where patients are brought to them to receive comprehensive treatment. Medics will stabilize the patients enough for transport, the doctor will finish treatment." Sakura lectured.

"That… was a lot less confusing than I was making it out to be. I guess that medics in peace times are doctors then?" Sasuke asked sheepishly.

Sakura nodded. "Precisely. See? You can use that big 'ole brain of yours outside the battlefield." Sakura cheerily said, patting Sasuke's head.

A lightning coated hand lashed out at the same time as a fist compacted with a dense amount of chakra, I stepped forward, intercepting the attacks. I simply grabbed Sasuke's hand, discharging the lightning with ease. I knocked Sakura's elbow towards the ceiling, the release of the chakra displacing the air around us.

"Now, children. You are embarrassing me in front of Lord Fifth. Do I need to treat you like my ANBU who embarrassed me?" I said in an emotionless voice. My dead eyes sweeping the two bickering teammates.

Dread and apprehension washed over the room. Two of the sources stood before me looking abashed, the other coming the corner.

"Panda. Your emotional control seems to be slipping. The usual as soon as your shift is over." I told the unseen ANBU in the corner. "Bring these two with you. Bring them blank masks. If they refuse, let me know."

"Y-yes, Captain!" Her voice squeaked out.

"What… what is the usual, Cpt Kenta?" Sakura's nervous voice breaking me out of my momentary trance.

"Hm? Oh, one hundred suicides." I said off-handedly, attempting to reign in Jaguar.

"That doesn't seem to so bad." Sasuke chimed in.

"In the marketplace. Naked. Only the mask is allowed. You can weak a hair covering as well." I said finally breaking away from glaring at the corner.

"NO WAY, YOU PERVERT!" Sakura screamed out.

I pinned her with a glare. "You will do it, Haruno. Or I will have you written up for insubordination."

"Lord Fifth, he can't do this!"

"Brother, you can't seriously let him get away with this!"

Both had turned towards our young leader and instantly voiced their complaints.

Itachi shrugged. "Until I release you from this debrief, you are still under his command. You embarrassed him with your childish antics. I must say his methods are unorthodox, but at least you will remain anonymous. Consider it a silver lining."

I felt the amusement from Lord Fifth even those his blank mask never wavered.

"Either the one hundred suicides, or fifty laps around the wall of Konoha. I will let you choose this time. Next time, embarrassing me will not give you a choice." I relented slightly. They would learn soon that Kenta Yamanaka did not like to be embarrassed in front of leadership unless he was the one doing the embarrassing.

The death glares relented and both bowed slightly. "Thank you. I apologize for my lack of maturity." Sakura spoke up first.

"Yeah, thanks. I deserve the punishment. He's my brother, but you are my captain. I forgot myself and made you look like an incompetent team leader. I apologize." Sasuke said humbly. I wasn't surprised, but the raised eyebrows from Sakura told me she was.

"Speaking of Kenta's leadership, what did you both think?" Lord Fifth broke the tension.

"He made quick and decisive decisions. His ability to think on the fly is impressive. He asks input from his troops and actually listens, changing his plans if he thinks their ideas work. He is good at remediating any tension within a team. He cares about anyone under his command. He also will not hesitate to call someone out if they are being insubordinate. Even if he considers them a friend, he will dress them down just the same as someone he doesn't consider close. Overall, Cpt Kenta is someone I would gladly follow on any mission." Sakura said, giving her analysis.

I smiled slightly, happy with her summary. It made me feel good knowing my peers saw me as a capable captain.

"I agree with everything Sakura said. Kenta is more than a competent leader. He is able to use the strengths of all his subordinates to their potential. He believes that the mission must be completed at all cost, but won't needlessly throw lives away to ensure mission success. He will weigh all options and decide on the course of action that will lead to the best results for mission as well as personnel. Overall, as Sakura said, I wouldn't say no to a mission led by Kenta in the future." Sasuke said as soon as Sakura finished.

Lord Fifth nodded. "Thank you both. Kenta is a fantastic leader despite his age. It pleases me to know that even if there was a little bit of leftover tension, you all were professional enough to succeed in this mission. Well done."

We all puffed up a little at Lord Fifth's praise. He turned his eyes solely on me. "Your report on the two of them, Jonin Yamanaka."

I stepped forward and saluted our leader. "I will start with what I consider the negatives. The two showed almost no abilities outside of the initial ambush in their resting state. As they stand now, I would say that Sakura Haruno is, as she stands before you, is a strong Chunin on the cusp of making the rank of special Jonin. Her limited showing of medical techniques makes me believe that she is on par with Lady Tsunade's apprentices, but she would need an actual evaluation by someone with the required knowledge for that."

"As for Sasuke, I would rate him as a solid Jonin as he stands before you. He showed aptitude with lightning release, as well as masking his presence until the last possible moment. His speed and strength are above average, but as I said, he would blend into the gathering of Jonin in our village. Another negative of Sasuke's is that while he does seem to have control of his curse seal, he will need further practice with it, and until such a time I recommend that he does not use it unless he is with Sakura. A few joking words from myself over his appearance had him losing control of the dark influence of the seal. Sakura was able to quickly correct this, but it is only because she knows him so well. If she wasn't there, he may have went berserk."

"Overall, they would need to be tested at their base level again, on a regular A-Rank mission. The data was inconclusive to give an accurate report of their abilities without accessing the curse seal."

Lord Fifth nodded slowly. "We can arrange that at a later date. Once they accessed the mark?"

"At level one, they showed impressive speed as well as a good boost to their chakra. Their teamwork together is flawless, and Sakura's control is mind-boggling. She was able to use all of her elemental techniques with zero hand seals. Molding the chakra with pinpoint accuracy using both earth and water techniques. She may be able to do this at base level, I only saw her use elemental techniques while accessing her curse seal. The two were able to quickly counter a wind enhanced fire technique with a collaboration technique of their own."

"Sasuke showed a varied array of skills at his disposal. His ability with his Sharingan is most impressive; instantly copying a B-Rank fire technique from Kakuzu. He also showed proficiency in both wind and water. I can only assume he has the basics of earth down, but with Sakura's strong affinity for the element it wasn't needed. His sword skills have grown, as well as his 'Chakra Flow' ability, cutting through an A-Rank supplementary technique with ease."

"Once both of them entered level two, and aside from Sasuke's near rampage, the two working in tandem effortlessly finished Kakuzu off. I would say that in curse two, both are elite level Jonin in strength. A solid A-Rank in the bingo book, and with more experience in battle as well as not letting up on their training, they should both reach at minimum the lower echelons of the S-Rank tier."

I finished my briefing and stepped back to join my minions. They both were giving off pleased vibes. At first they both seemed offended by my assessments, but I wasn't lying, nor was I being biased. I barely did get to see them fight in their base levels of power.

"Thank you, Jonin Yamanaka. Do either of you disagree or think his assessment was inaccurate or biased?" Lord Fifth's gaze swept back and forth between the two.

Sakura shook her head, but Sasuke of course had to say something to his dearest elder brother.

"I think his assessment was fair, Bro- Lord Fifth. I cannot blame him for his initial assessment as he is correct. We didn't show much in our resting state. I still think though that with such limited information, his assessment wasn't far off. Aside from Sakura being most likely Special Jonin strength rather than Chunin." He finished with a slight bow.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I've made my decision. Sakura Ha- Excuse me. Come!" Itachi called as a knock had sounded. "Ah, Haku. Come in, please. How is our newest citizen?"

"He is doing well. The nurses love him. He has them wrapped around his finger already. He's eating now, and being given an IV for his dehydration. I took blood samples to analyze later for further testing into his condition. I suspect that my initial analysis was correct, but concrete answers are always best." Haku reported quickly.

"That is good to hear. Keep me updated." Itachi ordered the young man. Haku nodded and smiled at Lord Fifth. "We were just finishing up in here. Kenta had just given me his assessment of the skills of Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Was there anything you wanted to add? I know you didn't hear what was said, but if you had something on your mind this whole time?"

Haku shook his head. "No, Lord Itachi. They both did spectacularly against such a dangerous opponent. Lady Sakura was particularly impressive. I can't wait for her to begin her work in the hospital."

"Where do you see her working, Haku?"

"She said she wants to join the research department. Her thoughts and ideas would be most welcome and could be groundbreaking." Haku replied excitedly, sending Sakura a reassuring smile.

"What research have you done, Sakura?" Lord Fifth's attention returned to the young woman.

"Genetics, mostly, Lord Fifth. As well as dabbling in how Yin and Yang releases could be used in medical practices." She replied eagerly.

"Yin and Yang?" Lord Fifth questioned.

"The mystical palm technique is a technique that requires a perfect balance of both Chakra. I have been testing the effects of skewing the ratios and seeing what happens to the patient. My patients being lab rats for the moment. It… is not promising, but the theory presented to me states that Lord Hashirama's Yang Chakra was so potent, he could heal from nearly any wound instantaneous. Lady Tsunades Creation Rebirth is similar. It's nearly all Yang Chakra. However, both of those are internal. I want to find a way to make it external, healing all but instant death wounds with relative ease." She finished in a breathless rush.

"That would be revolutionizing. Make sure you go and get an evaluation on your medical skills within the week." Lord Fifth said with a polite smile. Sakura nodded eagerly, snapping a salute in the process. "Anything else, Haku?"

"There is… one thing." Haku said hesitantly.

"What is that?"

"I…" He took a deep breath and met Lord Fifth's eyes. "I wish to adopt Ranmaru. He has grown on me. He feels safe with me. He is old enough that he won't need constant supervision. I can provide a loving home, food, clothes, and education to him."

"His bloodline will be cause for much contention. Can you protect him from that?" Lord Fifth said instantly.

Haku faltered before steeling his nerves. "Yes. I can. I, too, have a bloodline that Konoha would one day like to see grow in their shinobi ranks. I will castrate myself and destroy my genitals if they attempt anything on the boy."

I let out a bark of laughter. "My dramatics are rubbing off on my minions. Excellent!"

Lord Fifth gave me an unimpressed look before returning to Haku. "Extreme measures, to be sure. But the resolve is there. You will also have the support of the Uchiha, and if my guess is correct, the Hyuga. Two clans famous for our eyes will band together to support a third. The Ketsuryūgan was once hailed as being on par with our eyes before the world thought they were lost forever. Having the bloodline start back up in Konoha will make the entire village stronger."

Lord Fifth paused, giving Haku a measuring look. "One year. You will have guardianship for one year. At the end of the year, we will meet again and discuss full custody. Acceptable?"

"Yes, Lord Fifth! Thank you so much!" Haku's teary eyed reply came back before Lord Fifth even finished. He bowed profusely to the point that Lord Fifth motioned for me to stop the boy. I did so, laughing at his absolute joy of being given the chance to look after the runty child.

"Congrats, Dad. Earlier than you anticipated, but good practice for the future, eh?" I whispered to the overjoyed man.

He gave me a serene smile and simply nodded.

"Now, if there's nothing else, I will deliver my judgement." Lord Fifth interrupted. "Sakura Haruno, please step forward."

Sakura did as commanded, snapping a salute and staying at attention.

"With Jonin Yamanaka's assessment, as well as reviewing your record, I grant you the rank of Chunin. Your file will note your strength, allowing you to take on higher ranking missions than most Chunin. You will also be noted as promoting to Special Jonin on completion of the minimum required number of missions. Do you find this agreeable? I know I said that completing the infiltration mission would give you the Special Jonin rank, but the experience on paper doesn't give me justifiably reasoning for the two rank jump."

Sakura shook her head, beaming. "That all sounds more than fair, Lord Fifth. I will check in with the mission requirements for the next promotion as soon as my medical skills evaluation is over."

"You can achieve the rank if your medical skills meet the requirements, but you would be labeled as a medic and would abide by Lady Tsunade's rules." Lord Fifth offered.

Sakura shook her head. "Thank you, Lord Fifth. My dream still hasn't changed though. I want to be a frontline fighter when push comes to shove. I will gladly help out at the hospital and during wartimes, but I would much rather be on the active duty payroll."

Itachi nodded and his attention turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke Uchiha, please step forward."

Sasuke mimicked Sakura, snapping a salute and standing at attention.

"With Jonin Yamanaka's assessment, as well as reviewing your record, I grant you the rank of Special Jonin. Upon completing the required number of missions as a squadron leader, you will be granted the rank of Jonin. I cannot give you the full rank at this time as you have actually led zero missions. Do you find this agreeable?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, Lord Fifth. That is reasonable. I will complete the requirements as quickly as I can. I will make you proud."

"You make me proud every day, Little Brother. Continue to grow strong; our ancestors favor you." Lord Fifth said with a rare smile.

Sasuke had to fight himself not to break out in a wide smile. Eyes swimming with unshed tears, he simply snapped a second salute before joining us back in line.

"Team Kenta. Overall… Congratulations on the successful completion of both an S-Rank mission as well as an A-Rank. You make us all proud. Continue to do so. Dismissed!"

***********************************Itachi 2nd Best Big Bro********************************

"Hold still-"

"Mother, I can tie my own tie, thank you very much."

"Kenta Yamanaka. There is no need for any of your sass right now, young man. Your grandfather and cousin put a lot of time and effort into this party, the least you can do is to not show up looking like a Neanderthal." Mom reprimanded in a clipped tone.

I sighed heavily. "Yes ma'am." I mumbled out, turning towards the door at the feminine giggles I was hearing.

"What are you two looking at? Don't you have hair or nails or something to do?" I mock glared at Kono and her best friend Hanabi Hyuga.

"Brother, you're the one taking forever to get ready. Hanabi and I have been ready for ages." Kono replied smoothly, giving me a very familiar smirk.

"Ami has been corrupting you again, hasn't she? You two stay away from her, she's bad news!" I told them sternly.

"Who's bad news, Kenta dearest?" The devil appeared, asking in a sickly sweet tone.

"You! You and your devilish ways will not corrupt my innocent little sister!" I hissed at the demonic spawn.

"I would never!" Ami gasped. "You wound me, my dear. I simply show young Kunoichi the correct path to follow. It is my moral obligation to ensure the legacy of Konoha Kunoichi is passed to the newest stars. Isn't that right, Aunt Tori?"

"That's right, dear. Kenta! Don't call your friends devils. It isn't nice."

"Mooooooommm! Don't take her side! This isn't a girl power pow wow! This is MY special day. Treat me like royalty!" I whined, stamping my foot for emphasis.

Mom patted my cheek as Kono and Hanabi laughed loudly at my dramatics. "Of course, dear. You're my special boy. Very special." Mom sent me a devilish grin of her own.

I stood there like a fish out of water. This was unjust! I was being ganged up on.

"Now, ladies. You know how Kenta gets when he feels victimized." The voice of an angel said from around the corner in the hallway. My face lit up. Fú poked her head in. "Hi, handsome."

"Hey there, beautiful. Thank you for defending me. They're been teasing me for hours!" I pouted.

"It's been five minutes." Ami deadpanned. She turned to Fú and smiled. "You look lovely, Fú. That color is amazing with your skin tone!"

Ami wasn't lying. The cream colored kimono with light green accents highlighted Fú's natural beauty. It was simple, but well made.

"I'll bet it looks even better on the floor." I said with wink.

Fú blushed, Mom smacked me. "Kenta Yamanaka! Your sister! My gods! What am I going to do with you?!"

I ran and hugged mom. "Love me forever and ever."

She pried herself out of my grip. "We're leaving in ten minutes. You all better be ready to go by then. Kono, Hanabi, come help me."

The girls followed mom, still giggling like the twelve year olds they were.

I turned towards Fú. "You really do look beautiful, babe. I can't wait to show you off tonight and make all my cousins jealous." I said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Thank you, Kenta." She turned towards Ami. "Thank you for the compliment, Ami. You also look ravishing. Is Shino coming?" Fú's playful smirk causing Ami to turn slightly pink.

"He will be. I feel like it's been ages since we've spent any amount of reasonable time together. If I'm not on a mission, then HE is. I can see why Shinobi and civilian relationships don't tend to work out. It's hard to understand the lifestyle if you don't experience it for yourself. I completely understand when you told us that the time you and Kenta spend is quality over quantity." Ami said, shoving me out of the way of the mirror to check herself over once more. She straightened out the sleek, sin red dress she was wearing and turned towards us. "Let's get going, shall we?"

**********************************Ami is werkin it!**************************************

"Mom wasn't kidding. They really did go all out." I mumbled in awe. The clan compound courtyard had been transformed into an area the snotty nobles from the capital would be impressed by. Lights were woven into the many trees dotting the courtyard, bathing the area in a soft yellow glow. Tables were laid out in neat rows, the fragrant bouquets the eye catching center pieces.

Overall, this party was the party of the year.

And it was all for me.

As it should be.

I began to spot familiar faces. Apparently this had changed from a family celebration of my achievement into the upper echelons of shinobi fame into the social gathering of the year. Every major and minor clan head was in attendance. Notable shinobi from the ranks were also beginning to make their presence known. I waved to people I personally knew and sent polite nods to those I knew only by face. Fú had her arm interlocked with mine. She smiled brightly at everyone.

I leaned down. "This your first socialite gathering?" I said quietly.

She nodded. "Everyone looks so amazing. I almost feel like I don't belong." Her smiled dropped slightly and her chakra became unsure.

"Not a single person looks better than you. Besides, most of these people are here to scrape and simper to the people who hold the real power. Watch. Lord Hyuga and Uncle will be swarmed by social cockroaches within ten minutes. It's honestly pathetic. Don't let anything anyone says hurt you. They're only here for themselves. You know who the ones are that matter." I spoke quietly but confidently into Fú's ear. Her mood instantly improving.

"You won't be upset if I embarrass you by saying the wrong thing?" She asked, but with a teasing smile in place.

"You'll have to beat me for that particular honor. By the end of the night, you'll understand why I keep saying that Ino is the one who deserves the heir title. I've got the social graces of a boar. Especially when it comes to civilian issues." I finished the last sentence with a shudder. I just did not get them. How can they stand being so weak and helpless?

We spent the next hour mingling with all the self-important airbags of Konoha. About twenty minutes into the circuit, mom had to chaperone us after I may have poisoned a particularly annoying merchant. I can't quite remember the details though.

We arrived at the final stop, now that the boot lickers had scurried away to their other targets for the evening.

"Lord Hyuga, thank you for coming." I said, smiling at the man. He may be a stiff, but he wasn't a horrible person. Aside from enslaving and branding the majority of his clan, he wasn't unpleasant to talk to.

"Young Lord Kenta, Lady Tori, Lady Fú. Thank you for inviting us." Hiashi said with a barely perceptible nod.

I turned to the young woman to his left. "Lady Hinata. A special thanks to you. Ino tells me you helped her immensely with the decorations and catering."

She smiled brightly. "The pleasure is all mine, Lord Kenta. You are a dear friend and we are celebrating an amazing accomplishment."

"Yes. S-Rank. Quite a remarkable feat indeed. Your father would be proud. He'd actually be running around, bragging to everyone whether they wanted to hear it or not." Hiashi said with a quirk of his lips. Basically is equivalent to bright smile.

"Thank you, Lord Hyuga. Your words bring me great joy. How are you enjoying the party?" I asked, playing the game that all nobles and wannabes played.

"It is lovely. The food is absolutely decadent. The Akimichi have outdone themselves. I never noticed how lovely your clan courtyard is. It's always had a… homey charm to it." He said politely.

I fixed the grin on my face. So, we're trading barbs now? Ok.

"Ah, yes. We are a smaller clan, but we fill our compound with life and love. I know other compounds have been said to be cold and uninviting. We want to make sure everyone feels welcome when they step through our gates."

"Yes. Quite… lively if you ask me." He said, his mask of indifference frozen in place.

We stared one another down for a few more minutes before I burst into laughter. "You're a good guy, Lord Hyuga. Hanabi is staying with us for the night, did she tell you?"

Lord Hiashi smiled and nodded. "Yes. She asked, well… more demanded I say yes. I'm getting soft in my old age."

I snorted. "The day you get soft is the day the walls crumble."

We chatted a few more minutes before Uncle Inoichi made his way to the raised dais with the microphone.

"Ladies and Gentleman. Thank you all for attending the celebration tonight. If you could all take your seats, we have just a few quicks words from a few of Kenta's friends and then we will serve the food." Uncle informed the gathering.

"It was nice talking with you two. Thanks again for coming. We'll talk later." I said a little louder than necessary as the background chatter had increased as people eagerly began to find their seats.

Twenty minutes later, all the guests were seated.

"Once again, thank you all for coming. As you all know, we're here to celebrate the amazing accomplishment of my nephew, Kenta, for becoming our clan's first S-Rank shinobi in over a century. Let's give him a huge round of applause."

My closest friends and comrades all complied, cheering loudly, cat-calling, the works. The bootlickers clapped demurely a few times before falling silent. I had their faces memorized, I'd get them back later.

"A few friends wanted to say a few words before dinner. So please welcome to the stage, Naruto Uzumaki."

I cheered and clapped loudly as Naruto in his gaudy orange formalwear stumbled his way onto the stage.

"Uh, thanks, Mister Inoichi… Sir." Naruto cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, uh… I've known Kenta since we were six years old. He was the only kid in class who would talk to me at first. He kind of took me under his wing and showed me kindness. He introduced me to his family and they welcomed me into their home with love. The entire Yamanaka Clan has always been good to me, but especially Kenta and his parents."

"A few weeks ago, they officially adopted me. And I can honestly say it was the happiest day of my life, ya know? I'll be grateful until the day I die that you chose me as your friend that day, Kenta. You introduced me to my clan. Introduced me to sealing. You constantly helped me and never gave up on me like others did. You always stuck up for me, and you were always there to annoy the crap out of me. You're the brother that I always wanted, and I'm super proud to call you that. If anyone deserves this, it's you."

"Kenta is a genius. Everything came natural to him. He never studied in school but still got perfect scores. He was just that guy. But he never acted like he was better than anyone, ya know? He works his ass- oops, sorry Mom… He works his butt off every day. He never settles for second best… especially since he lost the Rookie of the Year title all those years ago." Naruto snickered and sent me a shit eating grin. I flipped him the bird.

"But that's why I always admired him. He never settles. He works his butt off and never takes a day off. He got to this point by refusing to be second best ever again. I could have been just as jealous of Kenta as I was of Sasuke-Bastard, but Kenta was always there with his hand extended, ready to help. Not just me either, anyone who asked. I'm hungry so I'll wrap this up. Kenta. You're my brother and my best friend. I love you. Keep working hard. I'll need a strong ANBU commander when I take that hat from Lord Hokage!"

Naruto stepped down to massive cheers from the crowd. I blinked away the dust that was causing my eyes to water. Naruto rejoined our table.

"How'd I do? Not to long right? Not boring? Oh man, that was a lot more people than I thought, ya know?" Naruto's verbal tick was always out in full-force when he was nervous. Sucha cutie.

"You were fine, dear. It was lovely." Mom said with a warm smile, the rest of the table quickly offering their reassurances as well.

"Meh. You'll have to work on your public speaking if you plan on becoming Hokage. I give it a C minus." I said in a bored drawl.

"Oi! I'd like to see you do better, ya know! It's scary being up there with all those people staring at you!" Naruto's angry rebuttal came fast and furious.

"Ahem. Boys. Pay attention. Eyes up here." A familiar voice commanded, interrupting Naruto and I. We turned our attention to our third teammate who had replaced Naruto at the stage.

"Hello, everyone. For those who don't know me, my name is Ami Kogure. I was Kenta's Genin teammate, and we've been inseparable since." She smiled brightly at the crowd. "When we graduated from the academy, I was not a good person. I was mean. I was a bully. I covered my own insecurities by picking on and berating those I saw as less than me. When we were assigned as Genin teammates, I didn't know much about Kenta. I knew that he was a cutie. I knew that he was constantly trying to one up my precious Lord Sasuke." Her voice rose in pitch at the self-deprecating joke.

"I didn't really know anything about him past that though. Within five minutes of our team assignments, I knew that Kenta wasn't someone I could bully, and in fact wouldn't hesitate to hurt me right back. Whether physically or emotionally. In example, after I called both him and Naruto some awful names, he threatened to poison me. So that is how our relationship started." She said laughing at the memory, many in the audience who knew me joining in. I shrugged, pretty sure she was exaggerating.

"We then started training together. I will admit, I was not the easiest person to try and work with. I was obsessed with my image. In short, I was a fan girl. I know, the horror. Kenta, Naruto, and our beloved Captain tried everything they could think of to prove all my insecurities about training wrong, but I wouldn't listen to any of them. What do boys know of a young maiden's heart in her quest for love? Jack shit."

"One day though, in the middle of training. These three beautiful women just appear out of thin air. They dropped their Kimono's revealing the bathing suits they were wearing beneath them. All three women were goddesses. I was so jealous of their figures. Their perfect hair was shiny and luscious. Everything I wanted, these three had. That was the day I met Aunt Tori. She explained literally everything that poor twelve year old Kenta was trying to tell me for the last month. But when a gangly twelve year old boy tells you something… Well, the impact just isn't the same as this bombshell of a woman telling you. It wasn't just the words though. The visual proof was before me. Three, elite Jonin kunoichi stood before me. They weren't muscular, they weren't rail thin. They were perfect. And it finally clicked."

"The moral of this story is that Kenta hated me when we first met. Yet he still went out of his way to get me out of the absolutely dangerous and self-destructive mindset I was in and to start taking my career choice seriously. He was under no moral obligation to even lift a finger to help me, yet he lifted an entire boulder to get me training seriously. I will forever be grateful to him for being the amazing man that he is. He will go above and beyond for anyone he feels deserves it. He hides his heart under all that drama, sass, and snark. But he can't hide it from the people he loves."

"As Naruto stated, Kenta isn't just talk either, and he never rests on his laurels. He works until his hands bleed and he's near to breaking. He doesn't just talk the talk. He never told me to train more while he wasn't training to bone-crushing weariness beside me. He never gave up on Naruto, and he never gave up on me. Even when his father somehow convinced Captain Anko to take me under her wing, and I still haven't paid you back for those first months, dear. He never stopped giving me advice, or helping me with any of my skills. He never pushed, but he was always there if I had questions."

"Kenta Yamanaka, we celebrate the amazing accomplishment of your rise to S-Rank. A goal you've had since I've known you. You've reached the 1% of shinobi, and for many that would be enough. I know you though, you will continue to train. You will continue to hone your craft. Your love for your family, friends, clan, and village is absolutely admirable and should be emulated by every person in Konoha. So tonight, we celebrate you, Kenta. Thank you for being you. Dramatics and all, I would literally change not a single thing about you."

Ami stepped down and curtsied to the audience who were cheering her as enthusiastically as they had Naruto. I was on my feet and running to give her a hug. Gods, what would my life have been like had I not been paired with Ami? I don't even want to think about it. She's the twin sister from another mister in my life. We argue like cats and dogs, trade barbs all day, but at the end of the day, there's not a single woman aside from Fú that I would want at my side.

"Thank you, Ami. I love you, you she-devil." I said in a gruff voice full of emotion.

"Love you too, Girly-Man." She said in a voice a tad huskier than what was normal. "Now, stop hugging me or you'll ruin my make-up. A kunoichi looking this good is a work of art. I had to deep condition this rat's nest for an hour." She grumbled, pointing to the purple tresses that were done up in an intricate bun.

I laughed and let her go as asked. She patted my check before pinching it really hard. "Anko? Really? For my first taste into the shinobi world? I can finally beat her in a spar so I can tell you. Later tonight, I'm regaling you with what exactly I had to endure those first three months."

"Looking forward to it." I mumbled, rubbing the sore muscle.

I sat back down at our table, frowning noticing that Fú was no longer there to give me sympathy kisses.

"Um. Hello, everyone." Another familiar voice echoed across the courtyard. I turned my head back to the dais to see the beautiful form of Fú occupying the space that Ami had just evacuated.

"For those who don't know me, my name is Fú Uzumaki. I am Kenta's fiancé." She said the last sentence with a small little smile, the noticeable darkening of her cheeks easily seen by all those in attendance. "I haven't known Kenta as long as Ami, and not even close to as long as Naruto, but I think I have a pretty good idea of who Kenta is."

She paused, orange eyes sweeping the crowd. "Kenta Yamanaka is the hardest working, kindest, most loving person I've ever met in my life. I met Kenta when he was twelve years old. I was fourteen at the time. For those who don't know, I'm originally from Taki. I met Kenta and his team when they came to Taki to renew the trade agreement between our villages. The first words out of Kenta's mouth to me were a stuttered mess and he was blushing like a virgin on her wedding night."

A few outraged whispers were met with Fú's absolutely adorable metaphor. I glared hatefully at the few prudes ruining her speech and making her doubt herself. Reinforcing my displeasure with a wave of concentrated bloodlust their way. Two men fainted, the rest instantly shut up. I nodded, pleased with my work before turning to Fú, giving her a wide smile. She sent her own grateful smile back in return.

"I spent three days showing and entertaining Team 11 while their captain and Lord Shibuki hashed out trade agreements. The entire time, I thought Kenta didn't like me. He wasn't mean to me, but he was much less animated when he spoke to me. His friend Ami though quickly put those thoughts out of my mind, assuring me that wasn't the case. When Team 11 left, Kenta and I began to exchange letters. He would tell me of everything from his training, to what his adorable little sister did that day… everything. I spent fourteen years in Taki being shunning and hated by my village. In just three days and a handful of letters, Kenta had shown me more love and kindness than I thought were possible."

"The next time I saw Kenta was at the Chunin exams that were held here in Konoha four years ago. By then, his shyness hadn't gone away, but he was much more himself around me than before. By the preliminaries, he had flipped the script and now I was the one blushing. Back and forth we went. I couldn't remember a time when I was happier."

"At the end of the exams, I had been told that Taki's council had voted to have me temporarily removed from the village due to safety concerns over the quickly growing Akatsuki threat. I wasn't given a timeline for when I would return home. Even though I had no friends, and only one person in that entire village cared for me, it was still home. Upon hearing of my predicament, Kenta had rushed in and within twenty-four hours, saved the day. He introduced me to Lord Shibi Aburame. They offered me the cottage that sat on their property out back by the small pond. It was paradise as far as I was concerned. The worst day of my life quickly became the best. I had a new home, with a clan that shared my interest in insects. I had friends, for the first time in my life. And last, I had a man who saw me as a girl, and not as a demon or a weapon. A man who would go to the ends of the earth and back again to make me happy."

Fú's watery gaze found my own dust infested gaze. "Meeting you was the gods telling me that they hadn't abandoned me. You've shown me the good in humanity. You've given me unconditional love and support. You've given me a family. You've given me the world, and continue to work every day to give me the rest of the universe. Your accomplishment is only the tip of the iceberg for where you'll go in life. I see you for everything you are, Kenta Yamanaka. You won't rest until you're the best at everything. I love you, and I love that you refuse to settle. I love your strive for greatness. I love everything about you, and the world is rewarding you for the good karma you've put into the world."

"S-Rank is only the beginning. You haven't reached your ceiling yet, you're not even close. I will be there, standing right beside you, for every milestone you reach. Thank you, Kenta. For being who you are. I know that the last few weeks have been rough for you. Despite it all, you're continuing to push towards greatness. Never give up who you are. Never doubt who you are, and if you do, I swear to you I'll be right there to remind you who you are. Congratulations, my love. I can't think of one single person who deserves it more."