H

Chapter 250:

"Wait a minute," Karin states laying her palms on the table and leaning

on the table to stare at him over the rim of her glasses. "I've already

heard how unwelcome you are from Kakashi-sensei, Haku-kun, and

even my interrogators, but we don't need all the civilians or even the

civilians per se. We need to be able to have business transactions with

them, which means they have to accept us—our clan—to do that. So,

the quote-unquote, 'accepted by the civilian population,' is basically

being accepted by free trade or consumerism."

Naruto appears confused as Karin digs around her papers before

snatching a scroll and reading through before stating, "the manual said

that a lot of money can pass through a clan, but our services do not

need to be directed to everyone in the village. If we target specific

consumers, like other clans with businesses, I think that may be

enough… I'll have to check though."

Thoroughly confused, Naruto simply nods as he passively voices, "if

you say so."

"We just need to be able to provide a service that is then accepted by

the village or parts of the village," Karin tries to make clear. "Because if

all the businesses—civilians slash consumers—decide not to

acknowledge our clan by trading with us, then the civilian council may

not approve us, which means we may not be approved by the Hokage

or the Daimyō. There are also tax breaks that come with civilian

approval but I still have to look up what those are."

"Wouldn't they just not recognize our clan to get back at me?"

"That's why we have to find the consumers who won't do that, like

other clans or shinobis," Karin expresses. "Ryo is ryo and every

business wants to thrive, so they should be interested in a new clan so

long as we present a friendly front."

"Mnn, so we need to offer a service that's accepted by at least some of

Konoha to make our clan legit, like, from a business standpoint."

"Exactly," Karin confirms with a nod. "If businesses accept us, then

everyone accepts us."

"Yeah, I'll let you handle most of that," Naruto reasons, never enjoying

calculations unless it had to do with Fūinjutsu.

Her shoulders sink in defeat as she claims with outstretched hands,

"I'm already handling everything."

"I- …Yeah," Naruto sheepishly admits, looking at all her work on the

dinner table. He then asserts with conviction, "I can do the leg work. It's

just—I'm telling you—the villagers really don't like me."

"…I guess it wouldn't make sense to irritate them just by showing up,"

Karin mumbles before narrowing her crimson eyes sternly on her

cousin and declaring, "but as clan head, you need to fix that or the

Uzumaki Clan won't last long."

"I'll change their minds one day," Naruto promises, clear in his tone as

he is in his goal. "I'm going to be the greatest Hokage ever, which

means they have to recognize me as worthy enough to protect them.

Like you and Haku said, clan head is like being Hokage, so, I'll

definitely do it." After she nods with a smirk, Naruto asks, "what else?"

"The last part is pretty easy, actually," Karin notes, turning to a page

within a book. "We simply submit a letter to the Hokage and Daimyō

requesting membership. We outline our clan, it's members, our

doctrine, our revenue stream, and land. Then, so long as we support

and preserve the village and country's rule of law to maintain peace,

they approve it- us- our clan… I guess. I'm still not sure about that."

"We'll figure it out," Naruto proclaims with a strong tone of confidence.

"Haku wasn't kidding when he said you're good at this. You're doing

great! "

Blushing at the praise, Karin smiles as she says, "it'd be easier to just

ask a clan head. Do you know any?"

"Uh, besides Ji-chan, not really," Naruto casually admits. "I could ask

but I don't want to bug him too much."

"If we can find one, that would be a big help," Karin states as she takes

a seat. Relaxing she assures her cousin with a wide grin, "if everything

goes smoothly, we'll be an official clan of Konohagakure by the end of

the month."

"Holy shit," Naruto gasps in amazement. His eyes nearly sparkle with

giddy anticipation as he yells, "when do we start!"

Karin rolls her eyes at his exuberance, though smiling happily all the

while. "I was thinking we can ask Iruka-san when we visit. Since these

are his books, I thought he might know more that can help."

"Good idea," Naruto calls. "Iruka-sensei knows a lot."

As she grabs her notes and stacks them neatly, she adds, "and the

more people we ask, the better handle we can get on this."

As Karin leaves to change, Naruto wonders how many people he can

ask about his parents. Though he found it odd he never truly

researched more than what he was told, he recalls the very moment he

accepted that they weren't going to rise from the dead and be his

family. He wasn't going to have that family-life no matter how much he

wanted it… he wasn't going to be like everyone else, however, that

didn't mean he couldn't be happy without them; which he learned was

easier said than done.

Curious, Naruto closes his eyes as he dives deep into his mind and

into the seal to ask his partner, 'hey, Kurama? Do you know what my

parents were like? Didn't you mention you could sense my mom and,

uh, the first Jinchūriki?'

'I don't know,' he grumbles before raising his neck and head. 'They

dared to speak to me with distaste, as if I was the burden on them…

When it was clearly the other way around!'

Even without his snarling, his disgust for humans is clear in his tone

alone, and yet, Naruto offers his apology. 'I'm sorry you were treated

like that,' Naruto solemnly states. 'They misunderstood you and didn't

get to know you. But I'm sure if they did, they'd realize how cool you

are.' Looking thoughtful, Kurama remained silent, so Naruto states,

'don't worry. I'll ask about multiple girls stuff. If such a thing is possible,

I'll try. Sound good partner?'

Staring at each other for several silent moments, Kurama notes

Naruto's earnestness before laying his head on his front paws and

sounding, 'mmn.'

A knock at the door sounds throughout the living room, bringing Naruto

back to his surroundings. He walks to the door as Karin is exiting her

room dressed and ready to go. Opening the entrance to the sight of the

blond-haired, blue-eyed Yamanaka, Naruto happily calls out, "Ino-

chan!"

"Someone's excited," she teases with her easily beautiful smile.

Chapter 251: The Dining Table

INO

"Someone's excited," Ino teases with a beautifully easy smile.

"Yeah, Karin and I are going over some clan stuff," Naruto explains

before asking, "what's up?"

He pauses at the sight of the beautiful blond in her casual royal purple

thigh-high skirt that matches her purple, wide-strapped, buttoned crop

top that meshed with her long white gloves. He instantly understood,

'easy to take off,' however, her face wasn't blushing like she usually

does with impromptu visits. Nor was she looking at him with hungry,

sensual eyes.

Naruto's obvious gazing was interrupted with Ino's embarrassed, "what

are you looking at?"

Standing straighter, he smiles broadly as he happily answers, "you."

It's such a simple answer but adding to it his bold blue eyes and self-

assured posture and a blushing Ino twists a little in place. She can feel

her body soften under his gaze and shakes her head when the

physical memory of their arousing time together raises her heart rate.

After a few weeks without him and carefully managing her cravings

with her toy, Ino felt confident these flashes of sexual arousal wouldn't

happen, but here she is, getting wet just by being in his presence. It's

humiliating for someone with her mental fortitude, but that only adds to

her excitement.

Shaking her head to physically clear away the sex-provoking thoughts

she contends, "I'm here to see my friend, not my… I thought you might

want to hang out." Spotting the red hair coming up behind him, she

responds before he can, "but I can see you're busy."

Peering Karin over his shoulder, Naruto waves away Ino's reservation.

"It's okay. We were just waiting for visiting hours before we see Iruka-

sensei. Do you want to come? He should be out any day now."

Smiling seems to only enhance Ino's beauty as she nods before

saying, "I'd love to."

"Hi," Karin says from behind Naruto, adding with a bow, "I'm Uzumaki

Karin, which you'd know if my cousin had any manners."

"Sorry, sorry," Naruto expresses with a chuckling grin. "Karin-chan, this

is Yamanaka Ino."

"Hi, it's nice to officially meet you and welcome to Konoha," Ino

responds, returning her own bow. Karin expresses her gratitude before

Ino asks, "I hope I'm not intruding?"

"No, of course not," Karin returns shaking her head. "Except for Naruto

and Haku, I don't really know anyone here."

"If it's alright with you, I'd love to take you shopping," Ino proposes with

an easy smile before adding, "I know all the best spots with the cutest

outfits."

"Really," Karin gasps happily, though, after a second she realizes she

has no funds here, nor does her cousin seem to make much. Naruto

and Haku seem to pool their income to support themselves. Haku has

even told her that Naruto works several jobs to make enough to buy

ninja gear. Considering the amount of funds their clan needs to

become official, Karin smiles weakly as she admits, "um, well, I'd love

to, but, there's still so much to do. Would it be okay if we go at a later

date?"

"Of course,"

Turning to her with a curiously quirked brow, Naruto asks, "but don't

you need to buy things?"

Karin squints her eyes while she smiles a fake smile as she wraps a

stiff arm around Naruto's neck and tells the beautiful blond girl, "just

give us a second." Karin pulls Naruto back inside a few steps as she

whispers to Naruto, "did you forget we have to spend a lot of ryō—that

we don't have—on buying property? I have everything I need, so I don't

need to go shopping."

"But if there's something you want, I can pay for you," Naruto argues. "I

want you to be comfortable here."

"I am," Karin responds. "Being here is already a hundred times better

than where I came from. And when we establish our clan, it'll be even

better."

"…Alright," Naruto concedes. "But don't hesitate to ask if you need

anything. We're family, which means we're in it together."

Returning to an inquisitive Ino, the Uzumakis apologize for stepping

away, to which Ino asks, "is everything alright?"

After they assure her it is, the triplet take a leisure walk to Konoha's

Hospital to visit a good man. Iruka is cheerful to see his former

students and Karin again and it made them all happy to see him

maneuver himself onto his wheelchair without assistance. As Naruto

drives the wheelchair, the sensei is amazed to hear everything that

happened during the Chūnin exams. From Ino and Karen's experience

to Naruto's victory over Sasuke.

"I'm so proud of all of you," Iruka gushes.

"Why? Karin-chan and I didn't even make it into the final test," Ino

argues.

"But you tried your best, which is all we can ask for," Iruka argues.

"Don't forget, Neji-kun is a taijutsu specialist, a year older than you and

the Rookie of the Year. Consider this moment a great learning

experience that can help you locate areas of your training you can

focus on."

"There's no short cut if you want to be the best," Naruto advocates, to

which Iruka whole-heartedly agrees.

"I think I have enough to focus on with our clan," Karin casually admits.

"Speaking of," Karin voices stepping ahead of the pace to turn, and

while walking backward, ask the man, "I was hoping I can ask you a bit

about how we can establish our clan? I read some of your books, but I

could use a little more focus. It's a lot of information."

Adding a slant to his neck, Iruka answers, "I know some of what's

involved, so I'm certain I can help, but I'm curious. Have you spoken to

any clans about this?"

"Uh, like me," Ino interjects raising her hand. Turning to Naruto, Ino

asks, "why didn't you ask me? I can always ask tou-chan if I don't know

something."

"Really," Karin asks, before turning to Naruto. "I thought you didn't

know any clans."

Feeling blitzed by the questions directed at him, Naruto tries, "I- wait,"

before pausing and recounting to Karin, "you asked if I knew any clan

heads, which I don't… other than Ji-chan."

Karin slinks her shoulders wearily while Ino proclaims, "I can still help."

Moving to bump Naruto's shoulder, Ino suggests, "how about you,

Karin-chan, and Haku-kun have dinner at my place tonight? You can

ask tou-chan anything you want."

Looking pleasantly pleased, Karin asks, "really?"

"You mean it," Naruto asks.

Gazing at how elated he is, Ino smiles with a sense of calm serenity as

she answers, "of course. Anything I can do to help…"

"Thanks, Ino-chan," Naruto warmly expresses, and she can feel his

appreciation. The rest of the visit was spent convincing Naruto not to

sneak Iruka out of the hospital for the dinner as well as answering a

few of Karin's questions.

Chapter 252:

MABUI

"You know," "I was so happy meeting you yesterday, I never introduced

myself." Infiltration at its essence is simply fitting in within a community.

Every aspect of fitting in is important to the overall success, and in this

case, their shared interest in Fūinjutsu will help guide her decisions. So

rather than remain formal, the beautiful secretary offers a friendlier

mode of address. "Please, call me Mabui."

Chuckling, he responds, "okay, but you have to call me Naruto."

Mabui's mind fritzes at his name as he asks, "I've never seen you

around here, and if I had, I'm sure I'd remember."

Smiling at the compliment, Mabui focuses on his name, asking, "may I

know your surname?"

"Uzumaki," Naruto answers. "But you can call me Naruto."

Mabui is thrown for a loop, shocked and confused, wondering how it's

possible this blond boy can be the same one that fought Momochi

Zabuza just last night. Aside from looking completely fine, he has

Kubikiribōchō. Mabui has never felt so fortuitous in her life. Not only is

he a valuable tool to decipher the jutsu in her possession, but he's also

in possession of the weapon they traveled to Konohagakure to

purchase.

'Or is he,' she wonders. He doesn't look like he's been in a fierce

contest that's left him near to the point of death. Two of her three

mission objectives seem to have converged, however, she needs to

verify he is the right person before formulating scenarios that will best

complete her mission.

With a concerned voice and a forward gesture, Mabui leans over the

desk to place her hand on his forehead, careful to make certain he can

see enough cleavage as she asks, "are you well, Naruto-kun? You

seem feverish. Did you sleep well?"

Mabui catches his gaze linger for a second shorter than she expected.

With an underbust of thirty inches and a full bust of thirty-six inches,

the caramel beauty expected more of a hypnotized gaze rather than

his mere glance as she notes how toasty warm he feels.

Naruto's vision has less of the library backdrop and more of the

tanned-skin, silver-haired beauty with a stirring set of knockers. He

enjoys her scent and proximity as he blandly answers, "no. I feel fine."

"Oh," she voices as she leans back in her seat. Rather than push for

certainty, Mabui decides to be patient for an opportune moment or

speak with Samui later. The silver-haired Chūnin certainly has a better

understanding of why it's so difficult to work with Samui. If the brilliant

Jōnin didn't have such a hesitation to speak, Mabui would've made the

connection last night that the boy she met in the library was the same

one who fought Zabuza… 'and won,' her mind reminds her.

Though it's difficult to see how this young man can be so formidable,

Mabui sets her mind to working him, starting with, "good. I wouldn't

want you to get ill; not after we've only just met." He smiles happily

before she asks, "would it be okay if we learned a bit about each other

before we start? So we're more comfortable with each other?"

"Sure," he answers. "Ladies first."

Nodding her, 'thank you,' she starts by saying, "well, I've been into

academics since I was a little girl, but recently, I've been more curious

about Fūinjutsu." Playing at sad, she comments, "so even though I'm

so old, I'm still a beginner in the Sealing Arts."

Mabui understands how most men are evolutionarily predisposed to

acting as a protector, instinctively feeling an urge to come to the aid of

the opposite sex or someone they're attracted to. It's why it's no

surprise to hear an incredulous Naruto respond, "what are you talking

about? You're so young though! What are you? Twenty? Twenty-one?"

Though Mabui plays the flattered girl—dainty and cute as she tucks a

strand of snowy hair behind her tan ear—for her goals, she would've

preferred if he gushed about her looks a little more in order to gauge

how susceptible he is to suggestion. Naruto, however, simply tells her,

"don't let your age be a factor in learning something. My sensei always

tells me if you're determined to learn, then nothing can stop you and

she's one of the smartest people I know."

Considering how this boy figuratively fell on her lap when she needed

to decipher the Fūin seals of her jutsu, Mabui couldn't agree more,

answering, "I couldn't agree more." Allowing a frame of her deceased

fiance to flash in her mind, she adds, "I absolutely love intelligence.

And thank you for saying that. What about you?"

"Not much to say," Naruto bemoans. "I'm going to be the best Hokage

in the history of Kages and nothing's going to stop me."

"The Hokage," she repeats with a respectful surprise.

"Yup," he says with a smile and a nod, before finishing, "other than

that, I love my friends and training, so, pretty normal I'd say."

"What about your aptitude for Fūinjutsu," Mabui wonders aloud. "That

seems beyond normal."

"Mmn," he hums before answering, "I didn't really know about that until

recently. Like I said, I just get it."

"It's quite rare to, 'just get,' a skill like that," she comments with a smile.

"Speaking of, where would you like to start?"

Mabui couldn't keep up where Naruto started and asked if they can

look at something easier than recreating electromagnetic induction

powerful enough to light entire city blocks. When he wondered if she

might like to retrace complex Fūin modules that link multiple Fūin

matrices, she, again, asked for something a little easier. When he

suggests elemental seals, she balks by how little she knows while

begrudgingly asking, "how do… beginners start learning Fūinjutsu?"

With his head tilted in thought, and his eyes squinted in introspection,

Mabui's mind yells in disbelief, 'he actually has to think about it!'

Embarrassed, Mabui tries to recall the last time she felt so stupid;

made all the more humiliating by how young he is. She's been an

academic all her life, and even with two degrees, she can't even keep

up with what he's saying. It was too humbling and Mabui worries what

that could mean for her goals going forward.

Chapter 253:

Though the cheery blond seems as content as ever, she wonders if

he'll eventually become bored with her clear lack of knowledge on this

subject. It's supposed to be an intellectual back-and-forth, however,

she has little to add. It makes Mabui feel as if she's not contributing

enough, and that, she cannot allow, especially when he suggests the

most basic, sealing designs and mechanics.

"You certainly know your stuff," she comments with a smile. "I hope I'm

not boring you."

"No way," Naruto assures her. "I've never taught anyone before, so it's

pretty fun."

She sets aside thoughts of her old professor and finds his response

lacking enthusiasm, leading her to ask, "would it be okay if we sit next

to each other? So I can show you if I'm working out the methodology

correctly?"

"Sure," he voices and when the boy sits in the armchair next to her, she

crosses her legs so that she can bump his when she thinks she's

losing his interest. As they work on some sealing frameworks, Mabui

wonders when the best time to secure his assistance in deciphering

the Heavenly Transfer technique. It'll be a delicate process with her

chief concern being if he'll tell anyone. The easiest way to make certain

he keeps her confidence is to build a rapport he'll be faithful too.

Spending some time and effort to make sure her seal design for large

inanimate objects was impressively perfect, Mabui sweetly calls,

"Naruto-kun?" Sky-blue eyes turn to her as she scoots closer to him,

feeling her bust jiggle in her fitted white blouse as her foot 'accidentally'

touches his leg. She then asks, "would you look this over for me?"

Though she was proud of her flawless work, the way he hums through

his examination makes her feel like a fifteen-year-old freshman again,

waiting for her sensei's approval. Eventually, he says, "it'll work, but,

uh, it's pretty… flat."

"…Flat," Mabui repeats with spooked eyes, trying not to feel so small.

"Um, like," Naruto mumbles as he grabs his black-inked brush,

however, Mabui swiftly hands him a red marker. He takes it and

highlights fourteen different areas of her design while imparting, "don't

be afraid of being creative with Fūinjutsu. It isn't like a lot of the crap

you read in scrolls. It's way more fluid than that and can be formed in a

lot of ways. I mean, you don't even know how many times I've rolled

my eyes at some of the crap I read," he rasps with irritation. "Anyway,

what you have here is a bit stiff and, uh, excessive, but you can easily

compound several of these arrays into one command with only a

couple additions of characters; here, here, and here, written out like

this," he slowly voices as he writes.

At the sight of his many red changes all over her work, Mabui mostly

forgot about her humiliating inadequacy and simply grew amazed by

how his simple alterations somehow make the entire seal compact,

dynamic, yet stronger. Reading his corrections made Mabui conclude

that this blond-haired blue-eyed boy was not only on another level, but

was going to be far better for her time-table than any book will be. With

that understanding, she redoubles her determination to do everything

in her power to make certain he's in favor of helping her.

"You truly are amazing," Mabui flatters, to which he chuckles,

embarrassed.

"Nah! It's nothing," he says scratching the back of his neck.

"If there's anything I can help you with, you have to ask me," Mabui

offers. "You're helping me with this and I want to help you as well."

Politely waving away her offer, he relays, "it's okay. You don't-"

Mabui interrupts, "no, I do, Naruto-kun," taking his warm hand in hers

as she adds, "I mean it. If there's anything I can help you with, I'd

appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to try."

Naruto seems taken aback a moment before lowering his gaze on their

joined hands. She lets go with a sheepish smile and he turns pensive

for several long moments, clearly mulling over a thought. She pretends

to go over her work while he goes back and forth in his mind when he

finally says, "nee-san…"

"Yes," she sweetly replies. He still looks hesitant, facing the table as he

debates with himself. With a proactive attitude, Mabui takes the arms

of his chair and rotates the young man into facing her. Her smile is

reassuring as she takes her seat, rotated to face him, and waits.

He shrugs jovially enough before speaking, "there is something I want

to know more about, but I'm not sure if it's okay to ask."

"I see," Mabui hums before asserting, "we may not know each other

well, but I can assure you, you don't need to be afraid of asking me;

sometimes it's easier to ask a stranger than a friend. So, please, ask."

Nodding happily, Naruto asks, "do you know a lot about love and

relationships?"

Happy to hear the topic, Mabui sits up, smiling as she answers, "I do,

actually." Hoping to add another pillar by which to build a rapport upon,

she admits, "I may not look it but I have a background in psychology

and sociology, so, I have a very good understanding of those types of

human connections."

"Wow," Naruto lets out with relief. "Sweet. What I want to know is, can

a marriage, or a relationship, or I guess, just romantic love be between

more than two people? Like a group?"

Though she hadn't expected that to come from such an earnest

attitude, Mabui doesn't let it show on her captivating caramel features

as she asks him without a hint of judgment, "you mean polyamory?

More commonly known as polygamy, however, the umbrella term is

polyamory."

"Uh, I guess," Naruto answers, having never heard of the term. He

further explains, "I've never heard of such a thing, but my friend wants

to know if it's possible. He thinks that if multiple girls love you, then you

should just be with all of them, but, is that right? Isn't love supposed to

be with one person? That's what everyone says, so, I thought I'd ask to

see if being with more than one is a thing."

His blue eyes are looking at her innocently for answers but Mabui felt

conflicted. She naturally wants to support monogamy, however, she

also wants to ensure he subscribes to her in all things. Adding to her

conflict is her lack of experience. She's only ever had one exemplary

love in her life and he died of a heart attack. Her only other relationship

is with Darui and it's so secret, her well-educated mind is telling her

she's being used.

Chapter 254:

Though the Jōnin is an impressive figure, he doesn't seem to care one

way or another, serving to either frustrate her for caring too much or

forcing her to care as little as he does. How is she supposed to tell

Naruto about how she suspects her indifferent-boyfriend cheats on her

and likely thinks nothing of it? Mabui naturally wants to support

monogamy, however, she can't claim to honor decency when her

current relationship feels strictly physical and her deceased fiance was

thirty years her senior.

Regardless, even if Mabui felt like she didn't have a leg to stand on,

she still knew that a relationship based on love was between two

people. Her best guess is Naruto can't decide between two girls he's

attracted to and his ''friend'' selfishly and callously reasoned, 'why not

both?' To Mabui, this felt like monogamy versus the mission; the truth

and possible failure versus the lie and further trust.

In a split second and with plenty of guilt, Mabui sacrifices whoever

these girls are to shamelessly stroke the intolerable typical male

fantasy for the aid Naruto may provide, asking, "first, are you including

harems in your query?"

"Harems?" Naruto starts to ask before he remembers some of the

study material he researched before Kurenai began teaching him. "No.

I don't think the girls love each other in a harem."

Mabui isn't sure if that's better or worse, however, she comments,

"well, it's interesting you should mention that because a core value of

non-monogamous relationships is their belief that sexual and relational

exclusivity—basically a relationship strictly between two people—is

unnecessary to have a deep, committed, and loving relationship."

Quirking his brow, he asks, "really? That's hard to picture."

"Indeed, it's not very common," Mabui claims. "However, I should

preface this by saying this is a very nuanced topic with a lot of overlap

between the types. Since polyamorous relationships can vary from

person-to-person or group-to-group, I'll focus on the three basic styles.

There's the Dining Table. In this category, all members, whether you

number three or ten, are so comfortable with each other, they can all

meet—for example, around the dining table—and connect as well as

friends and family can."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Naruto slowly asks, "ten people? In one

relationship? Like with love and sex and everything?"

Feeling a little sick in her stomach, Mabui nods her head, 'yes' to each

of his questions before stating, "they can spend holidays and activities

together, like one big family."

"Hmm… That doesn't sound too bad," a wide-eyed Naruto comments

with gasping disbelief. "I've always wanted a big family."

To his credit, Mabui will admit, 'at least he doesn't appear to be a pig

about this,' before asking Naruto, "are you a single child?"

"Until until last week, I didn't have any family, at all," Naruto happily

tells her. "But then I was lucky enough to find my cousin! Can you

believe it? It's been great."

"Oh, Naruto… I'm so happy to hear that," Mabui genuinely remarks,

sparing a conflicted thought for her deceased parents; the last of her

family. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," he expresses with a nod.

Mabui then continues. "The second style is known as Parallel Poly.

Within this polycule, there are individual relationships that know of one

another but don't all date one another. For example, you date girl A and

girl B but girl A and B prefer not to date or meet each other."

"They won't even be friends with one another?"

"It's up to them," Mabui notes. "Each group is different because

everyone is comfortable with different things. Maybe girls A and B are

okay with sharing you because they have time constraints. For

example, if they have goals that don't allow them enough time to

dedicate to a relationship."

"Mmmn," Naruto hums. "I guess that makes sense, but, I'd prefer if

people were friends. They can support and help each other. That's

what family and friends are for."

Spotting an opportunity, Mabui asks, "do you help your friends,

Naruto?"

"Always," Naruto champions before adding a caveat with a smile.

"Well, if I can anyway."

"I feel the same," Mabui sweetly responds. "Even now, I'm enjoying

helping you with this."

"I really appreciate it," Naruto assures her with beaming interest.

It's exactly the energy she's looking for as she continues. "The third

style is the Solo. In this bracket, the individual—you, for example—has

multiple romantic relations, whether sexual or not, without the urge to

live with any one partner."

"They prefer to be alone," Naruto wonders aloud.

"Yes and no," Mabui responds. "It's not that they prefer to be alone. It's

more like they don't believe in the natural progression of exclusivity.

So, going from dating to engagement, to marriage, to children, is a

natural progression they don't support, even within a polyamorous

relationship."

"If I had the option, I'm definitely a Dining Table kind of guy," Naruto

admits.

Though she loathes to motivate him, Mabui adds, "I believe so too.

Remember, if you do get the option, don't force your partners to be

more than they're comfortable with." He accepts her couching without

remorse, thanking her for the tip and Mabui only feels terrible for the

girls he'll try to swindle in this trial of futility. "After you select what style

you prefer, each member of your polycule will then have to figure out

how you interact, your values, personal boundaries, domesticity, and

future outlook."

"Sound pretty complicated," Naruto notes pensively.

"If you're not in it for the right reasons, it can be," Mabui sagely imparts.

"The right reason is love for each other," Naruto proclaims, surprising

Mabui before she nods in agreement.

Chapter 255:

INO

Opening the door for Karin and Naruto, and Ino immediately

appreciates them wearing a black shirt with an orange spiral within a

circle at the center. The red-haired Uzumaki wore her black shorts and

matching thigh-high leggings while Naruto remained in his orange

combat slacks. Though she wonders why they'd choose the same

symbol as the one on Konoha's flak jackets, she's more pleased to see

how nervous Naruto seems. Ino can't imagine it was Naruto's idea to

dress for the evening and appreciates Karin's effort.

After welcoming them in, Ino's content to grab his forearm and pull him

before her parents and formally introduce them. At the sight of her rigid

father greeting them, Ino empathizes with what he must be feeling as a

father, however, she can't deny she's thrilled by such a mundane worry.

After the ordeal she went through nearly six months ago, it's a miracle

to her she can still be her parent's little girl, if only in their eyes.

Per the dining etiquette, Inoichi sits at the head of the rectangular table

with the guest of honor, Naruto, to his right, then herself beside him,

her mother at the southern end of the table, followed by Karin and

Sakura. Ino asked a few of her cousins if they'd like to earn some quick

ryō serving the family, to her parent's surprise, so they can all remain

seated while they're served.

In the close proximity of their dining table, Ino feels like her worlds—

her masks—are crashing together. He should fell agitated, but that's

not the case. Despite the boy she's had sex with sitting next to her

father, despite how exciting it is to know that Sakura, her mother, and

her father are all keeping her crush on Naruto to themselves, despite

what she knows in her heart she must do later, Ino wasn't nervous, shy,

or scared. She was happy he was there because if this was the last

time this happened, she was going to enjoy it to the fullest.

"Thanks for having us," Naruto tells Inoichi, however, her blank-faced

father seems to be deep in his thoughts, to which her mother gently

calls, "sweetie," from across the table. Blinking back to reality, Inoichi

stumbles through, "hmm? Oh, yes." Turning to Naruto, he conveys, "of

course, we're happy to- The Yamanaka Clan is happy… to have you."

"And Haku-kun," Ino asks Naruto, helping her father.

"He couldn't make it," Karin explains.

"Ino tells us you had some questions regarding the restoration of your

clan," Ino's mother dictates to Karin next to her.

With a bit of a sobering shakeup, Ino asks "restoration? There was an

Uzumaki Clan in Konoha?"

"Not in Konoha," the brunette mother states before asking her

daughter, "haven't you noticed the emblem on their shirts is the same

one on Konoha's flak jacket?"

"Yeah," Ino answers looking ahead at Karin's shirt before asking, "is

that the crest of the Uzumaki Clan?"

"It is," Inoichi answers and the young ones turn to him as he adds, "as

an eternal symbol of friendship between our villages."

"I had no idea," Ino gasps toward a nodding and smiling Naruto.

"I'm sure they must've taught it in school," Ino's mother proposes.

"I think I remember that," Sakura slowly voices, tilting her head a bit in

thought. "But rather than the Uzumaki Clan, they said the name of the

village; Uzo- Uzusho-"

"Uzushiogakure," Karin assists to Sakura's gratitude.

"That's the village our moms came from," Naruto tells Sakura and

everyone. A thought pops into his head he can't help but ask. "I wonder

if other Uzumakis or villagers from there know that Konoha is friends

with Uzushio."

"You think there might be some more in Konoha," Karin asks her blond

cousin.

"Maybe," Naruto answers. "It's another reason to establish our clan. If

descendants hear about the Uzumaki Clan's return, they might come

here."

"I hope so," Karin voices.

"I'm fairly certain there'll be a vetting process, so, be prepared for that,"

Inoichi claims. "Konoha is a fairly open village, but, they'll be

meticulous with anyone who wants to live here."

"Maybe a DNA test," Sakura suggests. "To make sure they're actually

of Uzumaki descent."

"Oh, man, I can't wait," an exuberant Naruto exclaims.

"The Yamanaka clan knows why you're here," Ino's mother starts,

looking from her daughter to Naruto. "And we want you to know we can

certainly help."

"What do you have thus far," Inoichi asks of Naruto.

"Karin and I are Uzumakis," Naruto begins before asking one of his

chief concerns. "But we also want Haku to be apart of our clan. That

wouldn't be a problem, right?"

Inoichi takes a moment to consider the question before answering,

"within Konoha's laws, the only legal ways Haku can gain the surname

Uzumaki is if he marries into the clan, or, as a parent-less minor, the

clan head adopts. But as Haku is an adult, by law, he can only be a

member in all but name. The Yamanaka Clan, as well as all the other

clans, have members that do not hold the main family's surname. Just

as we do, Haku can be a member who will be better than a clan's

sworn retainer, but lower than a relative."

"Hear that, Naruto-sama," Karin calls over with a smirk. "Haku may not

have the surname but he can still be a member of the family," she

reasons to which the blond shrugs unimpressed.

"Wait," Sakura gasps, turning from Karin to Naruto. "Naruto is clan

head?"

"I know, right," a smiling Naruto voices to his pink-haired friend, who

nods. "It was weird for me too, but then Haku and Karin convinced me

this'll be like being Hokage. Which means I've got to be great at it!"

Staring at him in disbelief, Ino can tell a strange and perverted thought

popped in Sakura's mind when the pinkette slowly comments, "I don't

know if I can call you Naruto… sama." Looking around with a blushing

face, she remarks, "it sounds weird just saying it."

"Naruto-sama," Ino happily tries. "Naruto-sama… I don't know. I kinda

like it." Sakura's green eyes widen, a smirking Karin sits up straight—

looking between Naruto and Ino—and a red-faced Inoichi struggles to

hold in the food he wants to choke out. A slight nudge of her foot from

under the table is all Ino needs to know her mother is saying, 'please

think of your father.'

Clearing her throat, Karin tells the table, "before you can be the best

clan head, we still need property, which won't be easy, as well as a

foothold in some part of Konoha's markets. Is there any advice or

direction you can give us for that, Inoichi-san?"

Chapter 256:

Setting down his glass of water, a frazzled father eyes the Yamanaka

matriarch, having one of their silent conversations before Inoichi turns

to Naruto and says, "the primary reasons why establishing a clan is

difficult—nearly to the point of 'why bother'—is because of the initial

money involved. It's a lot; in some cases, more than what a person

may make in their entire life. And Haku-kun and Karin-chan are correct.

A lot of the Hokage's responsibilities is managing the financial life-line

of his people. As a leader, you'll need to know your enterprise inside

and out, your clan's P & I, which is purchase and import, and you'll

have to be meticulous about everything, which means every invoice,

every commission, every contract. Your paperwork has to be perfect."

Naruto, Karin, Sakura, and Ino are silent as they take in the information

when Ino's mother asks Naruto, "may I assume that your current

income is the standard E-7 or 8 for Genins?"

However, Sakura interjects, "actually, Hanaya-san, our team was

bumped up to E-9 after the A-Rank mission we completed."

Naruto nods his head in agreement as the brunette Yamanaka adds,

"very good. At a minimum, you'll need a hundred times that amount to

start. That includes land deeds, filing, village incentives and permits,

and miscellaneous fees you won't see coming."

"Then of course," Inoichi begins to follow up. "There's the cost of any

business your clan chooses to incorporate into Konoha's economy-"

"Wait," a wide-eyed Ino calls, exasperated by the administration behind

every clan, before turning to Karin. She's nearly disgusted with herself

at the thought, voicing, "is that… That's why you passed on shopping.

Oh, Kami, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking-"

"No, please," Karin says, pumping both palms in solidarity. "It was nice

of you to offer. I was happy you did. It's just, right now, Haku and

Naruto are the only ones bringing in ryō, so every coin counts."

"I'm sure it'll work out," Naruto assures the table, especially Karin.

"Naruto," Sakura speaks. "This is serious. It sounds like it's going to

take a lot of ryō and effort."

Inoichi then explains to the guest of honor seated next to him, "as clan

head, you have a duty to be aware of the changes you can and can't

make for the good of all those you are responsible for. Trust me, they

will look to you for safety, not only from physical harm but from financial

harm as well."

"Mn, yeah," Naruto agrees with the experienced clan head. "I just

mean, I can't see a single thing stopping me from taking care of Karin

or Haku or any other Uzumaki we find. So why worry about it? Ryō,

land, business… I get that it'll take more than what I have now, but

that's fine, because I know I'll do my absolute best for the people I care

about, no matter how long it takes."

"Spoken like a true clan head," Hanaya shares, though happily eying

her husband as if to say, 'go ahead.'

"Uzumaki-kun," Inoichi starts to which Naruto interjects, "you can call

me Naruto."

"Naruto-sama," Hanaya speaks. "What my husband will eventually

come around to telling you is that we had two stems of the Fire Slipper

Orchid. We know you gifted them, however, Kurenai-sensei has asked

us to sell hers on your behalf."

"Whaat," Naruto calls. "But I told her she didn't have to."

Shocked, Sakura asks him, "you gave Kurenai-sensei a flower?"

"And me," Ino smiles at her pink-haired roommate, earning another

kick from her mother, reminding her of her dejected father.

"Kurenai-sensei didn't feel taking such an extravagant gift was proper

and I agree with her," Hanaya tells Naruto. "You are more than

welcome to gift her something else, but she was quite clear, all the ryō

the orchid was sold for would be given to you."

Naruto mumbles unfavorably, "I don't know how I feel about this,"

before Karin curiously asks the Yamanakas, "uh, are flowers worth a

lot?"

"Apparently it was quite the bid, but Naruto's Fire Slipper Orchid sold

for a record-setting one-point-one million ryō," Inoichi slowly admits, his

voice still pained by the blond boy clearly in his daughter's heart and

Ino, Sakura, Karin, and Naruto bolted up in their seats absolutely

flabbergasted to hear such shocking news.

"One-point-one mil," a wide-eyed Karin yells. "For a flower?!"

"And don't think we're selling yours, honey," Inoichi informs his stunned

daughter. Ino and Sakura are silent as their stunned faces turn to

Naruto for an explanation, however, he's as befuddled as they are.

"It's fair to say the Uzumaki clan will have sufficient funds to get

started," Hanaya comments in amusement. The unexpected news

stunted the rest of dinner and it wasn't until Hanaya suggested dessert

that Ino asked if they wanted to get popsicles.

NARUTO

The four of them walk the busy streets of Konoha's main market

square. Though it's evening, there are many villagers out and hardly

anyone glares at Naruto. That alone was enough for Naruto to be

happy, but he was also out with three of his good friends, which

doubled his elation. His happiness was so astounding, he didn't even

want to think about how much money his clan now has.

Walking between Ino and Sakura, who's talking to Karin, Naruto

couldn't be happier, until, slowly and unexpectedly, Ino slides the tips of

her fingers down the inner side of his forearm before effortlessly

slipping into his warm palm and interlacing their fingers. It was so

unexpected, Naruto tilts his entire head, staring with large saucer eyes

at such a blatantly public display of affection.

Naruto didn't even register the act of hold hands under moon-mixed

street lighting and surrounded by a bustling crowd for several

moments. Her warm, soft palm was so staggering Naruto looked

around for witnesses and immediately spots a few glances; none more

noticeably surprised than a blushing Sakura and Karin. Ignoring their

giggling, Naruto is even more shocked when his blue eyes land on

Ino's. Exception for her blushing cheeks, she was calm, serene, no

more or less jovial than before she held his hand, as if being personal

with him—of all people—in public didn't affect her.

'It's like she doesn't care who sees,' his thrilled mind gasps.

Chapter 257:

Not even Nai-chan has breached the public domain of intimacy and

Naruto nearly couldn't function. Something as simple as purchasing

four popsicles from the vendor was a formidable task for his brain to

execute. Naruto simply couldn't think past the warm, pretty, caring

hand he was happily holding in public. His heart was beating a mile a

minute. With Ino's help, they each had a popsicle to suck on while

enjoying the night walk.

After Karin suspiciously mentioned how tired she felt, Naruto made a

shadow clone to escort her home. Sakura, Ino, and Naruto continued

their walk for another twenty minutes, even running into Kiba and his

sister. At the sight of the blonds holding hands, Kiba surprisingly didn't

challenge him. After making certain Naruto knew he was going to win

the tournament, he along with his sister, Hana, and their canine

partners left.

After Ino has a quick word Naruto couldn't hear with Sakura, his

teammate felt tired and left soon after with a clone as well. With a

comfortable pace, Ino leads them to an unspecified destination, all the

while they talk about mundane things like pranking, being a leader, and

how she's lived as the heiress of one of the honored clans. He was so

engrossed, he was mildly surprised to be in front of his old apartment

complex.

His old home was never beautiful to look at, however, it may as well

have been a palace compared to what it looks like now. Windows are

broken, there appears to be fire damage, it's dirty, and worst of all, it's

surrounded by hoodlums. Cracking their knuckles, Naruto and Ino work

their way up to the fourth floor, effortlessly decimating the large and

armed group of gangsters, and before Naruto enters his old apartment,

he creates several clones to go room-by-room to make sure all the

thugs were gone.

"Well that was exciting," Ino huffs.

Walking up behind her, Naruto wraps his arms around her midsection,

relaying, "I can think of something much more exciting than that."

Inhaling deeply to remain calm, Ino is dazed by how effortlessly his

body seems to warm her entire being up as if switching on the light.

Her arms wrap over his as she leans back into his buzzing presence.

She's only shocked out of her arousing stupor when she hears him

whisper by her ear, "will you be my girlfriend?"

She felt her womanhood quiver and grow moist while her heart

hammered with excitement. "I'd love to," she answers, however, her

mind reminded her of her mission. Of her character, and what it

dictates she must do for the person she loves. "But I have to tell you

something first," she whispers, feeling her fingers shake.

"It can wait," Naruto happily sings, turning her around to look him.

"Sorry," Ino responds, using the opportunity to step away. The move

clearly confused him as she says, "but it can't. What I have to say

might… will make you change your mind about me."

"Uh, I doubt that," he laughs as he takes a step toward her. When she

takes a step back, he's further perplexed, asking, " Ino…"

"What I have to say will be hard enough," she voices, stomping down

on the urge to put more distance between them. She reminds herself,

'I'm not a coward,' before she voices, "but please let me finish."

To his surprise, she kneels, placing her forehead to the floor and

triangle-shaped palms on the floor above her crown as well. He

abruptly takes a step forward, asserting, "you don't have to kneel-"

"Please," Ino calls loudly, hating how weak she feels about what she

must do, however, if she looks at him, she knows his adorably trusting

face would make her not want to say it. 'And he deserves the truth,' her

mind declares as her voice bids, "let me say it like this, or I won't be

able to."

"… okay," he hesitates to agree.

Exhaling a lung-full, Ino speaks. "Before that day that bound us

together, I lived in this world I created; second-best kunoichi in our

class, most beautiful, smart, confident, in love with the best man, with

designs to be his wife one day. In that box I created, everything made

sense, and the world was right. After what happened to me with Chōji's

dango… the world I had created blew apart. I wasn't the same girl

because so much of what made me was gone. I don't want to make

excuses but I felt mutated, ugly, and I was so so angry and I couldn't

do anything about it because I didn't understand what had happened."

"I'm sorry, Ino," Naruto regretfully admits. "I get that you didn't actually

want to do that with me. Had I known, I would've stopped it. I was

stupid and but it's different now."

"It is," Ino agrees. "For both of us. That's why I have to be completely

honest with you. You deserve to know how horrible I can be-"

"You're not horrible," Naruto interjects, shifting forward. "No more than I

am-"

"I raped Sakura," Ino flatly confesses, silencing Naruto down to his

breathing. "At my worst, it wasn't so much her words that I couldn't

take, but the new reality behind them. I felt like I had lost everything

and I let my anger take over. I used my jutsu on her and took

compromising photos of her. Then I blackmailed her for the photos by

making her…" "ahem, by making her have sex with me and… and

even making her have s-sex with you. I've long since learned what I did

was horrible, and wrong, and evil, and there's no excuse for it. I

understand if you never want to see me again, but you should know I

will always cherish you and the times we shared."

Naruto's mind struggles to make sense of the meaning behind her

words. They just don't connect with the girl before her in any way as he

tries to vocalize the thing that doesn't make sense. "I don't- You

couldn't- Ino, tell me- But Sakura's your-"

"I'm so, so, so, sorry, Naruto," Ino interjects, pressing her forehead as

hard as she can into the board of the floor. She wants the pain, she

needs the pain to get through it as she apologizes. "I won't ever stop

being sorry. Till I die, this will be the worst shame of my life."

Naruto takes her hand and pulls her up to see her face. Her face would

surely tell the truth, but she looks away, ashamed. "You're lying," he

yells with hope that she is. "You couldn't do that!"

Weak in his grip, Ino uses all her strength to look in his beautiful eyes

as she affirms, "I wish I were lying… but it's the truth."

Letting her go, Naruto steps back, mouthing, "I don't believe it. I can't!

Not of you!"

Smiling with red-rimmed eyes refusing to cry, Ino asserts with

confidence, "I have no doubt I would've fallen in love you before long."

She back-steps toward the door, leaving him with, "your trust, love, and

warmth altered my world for the better, Naruto, and I'll always be

grateful to you. I'm sorry," she finishes, exiting the shell of his old

apartment and leaving him to his betrayed thoughts.

Chapter 258:

SAKURA

When Sakura finally hears Ino enter her bedroom, the pink-haired

kunoichi grips the instant-photo tightly in her grasp and walks out of her

room. Though Ino wanted them to share rooms, Sakura reminded her

blond sister that she will be doing a lot of studying and needs peace to

fully concentrate. Sliding the last photo she hadn't destroyed in her

nighty's pocket, Sakura couldn't believe how blatant Ino was being with

her affections toward Naruto.

'They held hands in public,' Sakura's mind screams yet again, as her

blushing body feels electric. 'Even Kiba saw them!'

After leaving Naruto and Ino earlier, all Sakura could think about on her

walk back to the Yamanaka compound was her night with Naruto, and

how Ino would eventually feel the same elation she had felt. Sakura

couldn't explain why Ino starting a relationship with a boy she's had sex

with excited her so much. She fantasized about it every night since and

has already masturbated three times to the last photo of herself giving

Naruto's erupting cock one long lick.

The closest the pink-haired genin understood about the photographic

evidence, was how the connection it displayed excited her. It was her

body in the photo, but Ino was the one licking Naruto's large phallus,

and now her blond sister wants the date the boy she had sex with. The

connection was titillating to think about, all the more when she realizes

Ino was right about their bond.

Standing in front of Ino's door, Sakura doesn't even knock before

entering the heiress's room. It was rude, but not without purpose.

Sakura may agree with Ino's opinion of their familial relation, but, that

doesn't mean she won't demand what she needs. 'Sisters,' Sakura's

mind repeats. It was odd how much she agreed with their bond, and

realizing how close the girls are—and will always be—made Sakura all

the more confident she will have what she wants.

Ino is walking out of her closet in silk purple shorts and top when

Sakura enters her room without permission. Sakura finds it odd she

would just ignore her and watches Ino walk to her dresser and pick up

her brush. The silence between them grows as Ino simply brushes her

lustrous blond hair. Setting her resolve, Sakura walks over to Ino, takes

the brush from her hand and takes over titivating Ino's golden mane.

Looking at the straight-faced Ino through the mirror, Sakura couldn't get

a read on her sister. Still, she says, "I have a problem you're going to

help me with." Other than her pupil-less attention, Ino doesn't react any

other way. It almost unnerves Sakura from continuing, but, when she

thinks about why she has to stay with other ninja's while Naruto can

walk around free as he wants, Sakura holds firm.

"When I told you about my training you said I was crazy to train so

much and one hour wasn't going to make a dent against all that

fatigue," Sakura continues, though delicately brushing Ino's blond hair.

"And you were right. Boardgames weren't going to keep me from going

crazy, but you can." Eying the girl she remarks, "or to be more precise,

Naruto can."

Again there's no reaction and Sakura can't help but wonder, 'what's

wrong?'

Pushing through, the blushing girl continues, "even though you're

Naruto's girlfriend now, you're going to convince him that you approve

of me and him having sex! That's right! I want to have sex with your b-

boyfriend, but let's be clear here, it has nothing to do with love and

everything to do with your debt to me and assisting me with my

training."

Ino takes in a deep breath and seems ready to protest, provoking

Sakura to take out the photo as she moves in front of the beautiful

heiress, and yell, "and if you don't like that, this should help you realize

why you have no choice. I'll tell Naruto what his new girlfriend did to

me!"

Breathing heavily, Sakura did not expect Ino to break down and start

crying; not a light whimpering or mild shedding of tears. No, the

beautiful girl looked pained with fat globs of tears gushed out of her

squinting eyes, and her mewling shocked Sakura's heart into racing

with worry. Forgetting the picture, Sakura takes her wailing sister in her

arms and holds her tightly. Though Sakura tries to ask Ino what was

wrong, the wailing girl wouldn't respond. Ino wouldn't even answer to

her mother when the matriarch entered the room. In the end, Sakura

stayed with Ino all night, holding her as she cried and slept and cried

again.

NARUTO

Naruto should be happy to receive the memories of his clones training

progress, as well as his clone's talk with Mabui, but he wasn't very

content. The silver-haired woman was incredibly attractive, smart, and

interested in what he had to say but after the revelation Ino had

smacked him with, Naruto couldn't think or feel much of anything else.

Seated at the dining table in Iruka's home beside Karin and in front of

Ōyashiro-san, he hoped to feel better tomorrow. He wants to be

cheerful when he meets the caramel-skinned beauty again.

"I apologize for the late hour, Naruto-dono, Karin-dono, but thank you

for meeting me," Ōyashiro speaks. He takes a sip of their tea and

compliments Iruka's cozy home. There were many scrolls from Karin's

research neatly stacked to the side, but as a whole, the entire house

was very clean.

"Well, I still have to give you the ryō for the chakra blades," Naruto

comments before Karin asks, "how can we help you?"

"I'll get right to the point," Ōyashiro claims. "I want to be of service to

you. I want to be able to facilitate a need of yours in equal measure to

the item I'd like in return."

Looking from Naruto to the veteran tradesman, Karin asks, "what

item?"

"Kubikiribōchō," Ōyashiro answers.

"Sorry, but it's not for sale," Naruto regretfully admits.

"I see," Ōyashiro easily responds, however, undeterred, he continues.

"You must have a sentimental attachment to the weapon- Oh, better

yet, I imagine you want to use it to become a legendary swordsman

yourself. Legendary swordsman Uzumaki Naruto. It has a nice ring, I

must admit."

"Actually, I'm not planning on using it," Naruto tells the man. "It's too big

and I'd rather rely on taijutsu than kenjutsu."

"That would explain the chakra knuckle-blades," Ōyashiro mumbles to

himself loud enough for the Uzumakis to hear. "So, if not to become a

swordsman, then sentimental reasons?"

"No," Naruto callously replies. "I mean, I won it but I don't care about it

one way or another."

"Well then, might I ask why not sell it to me," Ōyashiro asks, quickly

adding, "I'll pay generously for it."

Even Karin looks at her down cousin curiously when he answers, "I told

Zabuza-jiji he can work for it."

"I see," Ōyashiro nods as he responds. "Well, played, Naruto-dono. If

I'm understanding you correctly, if Momochi-dono didn't mind you

selling Kubikiribōchō, you wouldn't be opposed to selling it to me?"

"Nope," Naruto says.

With a confident voice, Ōyashiro then asks, "and if I offer you triple the

retail amount, would your reconsider selling it to me now?"

Curious, Karin asks, "how much is-"

"Four hundred and sixty-six million ryō," Ōyashiro answers all the while

staring at the listless Naruto to gauge his response.

Chapter 259:

Karin gasps, stunned with wide-eyes, but after what Ino admitted to

him, Naruto is numb to expression. Ryō isn't everything and he doesn't

like the idea of lying, so he answers, "sorry. I wish I could but, I gave

Zabuza-jiji my word."

"No need to apologize, Naruto-dono," Ōyashiro says, shaking his head.

"It's quite admirable of you. Our word is our bond, after all, and for the

moment, I'm quite content with the knowledge of your position."

After they let him out, Karin gasps aloud, "four hundred and sixty-six

million! That means the retail for Kubikiribōchō is a hundred and… fifty-

five point three something or other! Do you know what we can do with

that amount? We'd be one of the richest clans in the village!"

"It's just ryō," Naruto glumly states, before telling Karin, "I'm going for a

walk. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Karin answers before asking, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he responds with a weak smile, happy she didn't ask him

about Ino. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Nodding, Karin tells him, "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thanks."

It wasn't long before he found himself in Kurenai's bed. Though they

discussed Hinata, she could tell he was distracted. When he eventually

opened up, he didn't explain more than his dashed hopes of nearly

having a girlfriend, and worse than that, how he feels about the horrible

mistakes of an intimately close friend. He nearly feels betrayed. The

beautiful Jōnin's words were as comforting as her presence, but even

as they sleep together, he doesn't feel quite right.

MABUI

"So he is the same boy," Mabui gasps after Samui gave a detailed

description of the Uzumaki who fought and defeated Momochi Zabuza.

It was baffling to the silver-haired stunner that a sixteen-year-old genin

can be stronger than the Demon of Hidden Mist and prodigious in

Fūinjutsu. She can't help but gasp to her teammates, "he didn't even

look injured!"

Seated around their small dining table in the middle of their empty

living quarters, Atsui seemed pensive, seemingly trying to make sense

of the same thing she is. It just didn't seem believable, and if it wasn't

for Samui's first-hand account, they wouldn't believe it. The

symmetrically beautiful leader is stone-faced, however, and Mabui

easily imagines she's reflecting on her lack of communication, as any

leader might in such a situation. If Samui would've spoken more, Mabui

could've made the connection earlier and they could've planned to use

Mabui's connection with Uzumaki to secure his favor, if not outright

steal the blade from him.

"Ōyashiro asked for more time," Samui tells her subordinates, forcing

Mabui and Atsui to assume that's still the primary course of their

mission. Rather than explain to her subordinates if there are any

backup plans, Samui stands and retires into their shared bedroom.

Mabui follows and isn't surprised to see Samui is already in her

sleeping bag. Her leader wasn't sleeping, so Mabui speaks as she

begins to change. "Thank you for telling us Uzumaki's description. With

that, I'll try to charm him to our side."

"Understood," Samui voices with her back still to Mabui.

Rather than retain the silence, Mabui asks direct questions to

encourage the beautiful leader to speak more, starting with, "is there a

specific tactic you would like me to incorporate?"

"…What are his interests," Samui coolly asks.

"Fūinjutsu and…" Mabui hesitates to finish. On a mission, Mabui is fine

flirting and seducing others if it's safe to do so, however, she draws the

line on going the extra mile, especially all so Bee-sama can have a

new sword.

Samui eventually voices "…And?"

Though she doesn't want to be ordered to do anything she would be

uncomfortable doing, Mabui answers her commanding officer, "he

asked me about women and love."

"Do what you must," Samui states from her resting place in her

sleeping bag.

"Understood," Mabui responds. Though she could've ended it there,

Mabui's psyche training tells her to speak about her day with the blond

prodigy. As Mabui recounts her interaction with Uzumaki Naruto, she

hopes to get through to Samui and breakdown, if only a little, some of

the girl's fear.

TENTEN

Opening the rear access door of Tent Out of Ten, Tenten asks, "what

do you want?"

Without being permission, Haku enters the merchandise bay of the

weapons shop. Though Tenten tried to stand in front of him, she can't

help but think of her father and weakly allows the beautiful shinobi in as

he answers, "I'm here to assess the quality of my weapon."

"I am not your weapon," Tenten cries back.

Haku stops walking toward the stairs that lead to the apartment above

and turns to leave, commenting, "very well. I'll let Zabuza-sama know-"

"Wait!" Tenten yells as she reaches for Haku's dark green tunic. "Wait!

Are you crazy?! Don't-" Haku's calm dark eyes relay Tenten's clear

options, to which the bun-haired belle slowly asks to know, "…how

could you be okay with this? If I don't do what you say, Zabuza kills my

father!"

"I fail to see how you lose here," Haku calmly responds.

Eyes widening incredulously, Tenten rebuffs, "what I just said already

means I lost!"

Calm as ever, the beautiful boy asks, "how? Your father is still alive and

will remain so. And all I'm going to ask of you is train to be a weapon

even Zabuza-sama would be proud of. Neither of which feels like

losing to me."

Cautiously, Tenten asks, "what do you mean by train?"

"You belong to me, Tenten," Haku reiterates. "But you also belong to

Zabuza-sama's and Naruto-sama's because what's mine is theirs. That

being said, you're so pitiful as a ninja, it would embarrass me to

present you to them."

Ruffled by the observation and hating herself for being unable to

confidently dispute it, she instead returns, "I don't need you to present

me to anybody-"

Turning again to the door to leave, Haku repeats, "I'll alert Zabuza you

do not wish to cooperate-"

"Fine," Tenten yells, grabbing the sleeve of his dark green tunic. "Fine.

Just- …what do you want?"

Nodding, Haku begins walking again, heading toward the stairs as he

asks, "when was the last time you murdered someone?"

Tenten is taken aback at the questions as they walk up the stairs and is

slow to honestly respond, "…I've never killed anyone."

"Hmm," Haku lazily hums before abruptly deducing, "I suppose we can

find a homeless man for you to kill." At Tenten's yelping cry, Haku turns

to the girl as they enter the apartment and relays, "it's fine, Tenten-

chan. I won't turn you in to the authorities-"

"It's not about getting caught," she boldly asserts. "I'm not killing some

random person! What is wrong with you?"

"I certainly can't claim to be… normal," Haku sheepishly admits with

the sweetest smile before purposely pointing out, "however, I am also

not weak."

"Neither am I-"

Haku interrupts by asking, "shall we put that to the test?" Tenten

stiffens as Haku continues his leisure pace around the living room. "If

you beat me, you will no longer be my tool and I'll make certain your

father does not die by Zabuza's hand, directly or indirectly."

"And if I lose?"

"Then the status quo remains," Haku answers.

It didn't take Tenten too long to answer with conviction, "fine! After I

win, you promise no harm will come to my father?"

"You have my word," Haku asserts with a short bow.