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Chapter 280:

Once Mabui bypasses the safeguards in place, she enters the dreary

and vacant cabin and begins preparing the evening's meal. Eventually,

Atsui returns from working the fields and Mabui is forced to hear the

blond man whine about his degrading assignment, oblivious to the fact

that her assignment is prostitution. Though the temptation to punch him

in the mouth never ceased, the silver-haired beauty refrained. The

Monster Report gave her all the patience she needed with him, thin

though it may be. So even if her assignment in this team is to prostitute

herself for a big sword, she doesn't compare their tasks.

The meal is ready when Samui finally returns. As they take a seat

around the small and splintered dining table, the gorgeous blond takes

out a small roll of paper that was no doubt delivered via messenger

hawk and tells her team, "orders from A-sama." Placing the paper on

the table, Samui recites from memory, "if Mabui cannot secure

Kubikiribōchō through seduction, we are to take it-"

"Then let's just take it," Atsui hastily and passionately interrupts his

sister. His voice is loud enough to concern Mabui as he continues to

say, "we don't have to make my Mabui-chan do shit with that brat! That

snot-nosed punk doesn't even deserve her attention! This ain't hot, sis!

This ain't hot." Mabui can't disagree more with Atsui. Naruto is the key

to figuring out the Heavenly Transfer Technique and hopefully, gaining

the rank of Jōnin. Though Naruto is too young for her, at the very least,

he's caring, helpful, and once in a lifetime genius.

Without explaining more, Samui answers her little brother, "we're not

equipped for that engagement."

Mabui has been around the stoic woman long enough to eventually

understand that the 'we' Samui is referring to is the two Chūnin on the

three-man team. As their exit strategy in the heart of enemy territory

would be more important than the actual theft, Mabui can't imagine a

village as strong at Konoha would have any difficulty catching up to

and capturing lower rank ninja like herself or Atsui. It's clear Samui

would consider that a failure, as would their Raikage. Additionally,

Mabui understands if Samui was teamed with other Jōnin, the situation

would be different, which means her role seducing Naruto is still their

best strategy.

Just then, a disturbing detail dons on Mabui, chilling her spine when

she suddenly recalls how missions are discussed with A-sama's most

trusted advisers, Dodai and Darui. Her green eyes widen at the thought

Darui might know she has to seduce another man and her instinctual

reaction felt vindictive.

'Finally,' her mind yelled. 'A taste of his own duplicitous medicine.'

However, she quickly ceased feeding those darker thoughts for a

higher self-worth. Even if her relationship with Darui is secret and

rocky, it's still a relationship. He's a person with feelings and she

doesn't want to betray another person's emotional trust. She didn't

want to be the sort of person that would enjoy causing someone else

emotional pain.

Tentatively, Mabui asks, "did A-sama discuss this with… anyone?"

"He makes his own decisions," Samui simply answers, to Mabui's

relief, until the blond bombshell casually adds, "however, Darui-san

and Dodai-san advise when available."

"Were they," Mabui quickly asks, clarifying, "were they available to

advise?"

"That's unimportant," Samui replies as she offhandedly destroys the

missive with a flash of fire. "We have our orders. Atsui, reconn options

of retreat. I'll set traps. Mabui, seduce Uzumaki." Atsui's eye twitches

as he holds in his immense displeasure. Samui ignores him to further

instruct Mabui, "if he's uncooperative, we'll lure him to the ambush.

Dismissed."

There's so much detail missing from that plan, Mabui can't help but

mentally scream, 'how?' Rather than vocalize that, however, she asks,

"ah, Samui-taichou, may I speak with you in private?"

"If it has to do with the mission, I should hear too," Atsui protests.

Samui instructs her brother to leave with a single word. "Atsui," she

voices and with a loud huff, her offended brother leaves them before

she turns to her.

"I feel it's important… for the mission, to know how far I've been

ordered to seduce Uzumaki," Mabui begins.

"No boundaries were detailed," Samui dispassionately responds.

Mabui proactively asks, "none?" The beautiful blond Jōnin would've

answered if there was an answer to give, prompting Mabui to then ask,

"and if it goes as far as sex? Is he- are they okay with that?" Again,

Samui remains silent, to which Mabui interprets to mean if there was a

limit, Samui would say as much.

The woman's silence felt like a blunt reality check, of sorts, for Mabui

on the status of her relationship with Darui. It's similar to third-hand

information, not all reliable but not to be discounted either. It tells her

that Darui didn't succeed in setting a limit to how far she should go, or if

he cared at all. It's not proof that Darui isn't serious about their

relationship, but it's also not proof that he is either.

Samui turns to leave when Mabui quickly asks, "Samui-taichou, may I

know- may I hear directly from you, my commanding officer, how far

you would like me to go with Uzumaki-kun? I know how important

Kubikiribōchō is to A-sama, but in your professional opinion, how far do

you think I should go for a weapon?"

"…A mission is a mission," Samui begins, finishing, "whatever it takes."

TEMARI

Walking the crowded streets of Konoha under a bright sun and clear

blue skies toward their meeting spot, Temari is in deep thought. To

avoid the bustling crowds she takes alleys and outlining streets, and

even then, there are a lot of shoppers, families, friends, ninja,

tradesmen, dogs, cats, birds to fill the senses. Dressed in her usual

short-sleeved purple kimono with slits in the skirt and a more revealing

neckline, Temari ignores the crow as she repeatedly recalls her

conversation with Baki-sensei.

"Are these the photos," Baki asks, accepting Temari's sealed scroll

after returning from a tour with Naruto.

"Photo," Temari corrects, crossing her arms and leaning against the

wall of their living room. It's just her and Baki in their shared three-

bedroom apartment as she adds, "his cousin seems to be the only

family he has, though a third or fourth person lives in the house with

him. I haven't met the others."

"Already in his home and near his family," Baki pensively comments.

"He always struck me as an open individual."

"His mistake," Temari remarks with a hint of pride.

"Is it?" Baki's question instantly makes Temari's rapid mind ponder

alternative explanations as her half-faced sensei continues. "It'll be that

much harder for you."

With their goal in mind, Temari reasons aloud, "because he's easy…

which means visiting his home is nothing significant."

"Precisely," Baki tells her. "He may have shown you around his village

and home, and you may have met his cousin, however, it seems he

would do that with anyone, which means you're not special to him."

After signing diplomatic documents for liability and prosperity, Naruto

had shown her around the village. They went to his favorite spots and

eventually ending the tour at his home where she met his only family,

Karin-chan. Though she felt it was progress, she suddenly realizes it's

not and bemoans, "it's only been one day."

"You have less than three weeks to make him fall in love with you,"

Baki reminds her. "Your opening stroke was brilliant. It's allowed you in

the door, now you have to make an impression."

"I will," Temari heatedly declared before leaving.

Chapter 281:

The worst thing about that exchange is the perspective it provides.

Temari feels as if she will have to be drastic with her advancement.

Walking the slightly more familiar streets of Konoha, Temari mentally

prepares to interact with Naruto again by recalling ever exchange of

dialog she had with Naruto and his cousin to practice witty and cutesy

responses. Temari will admit she's never seduced a man before in her

life, however, she's taken a mandatory class on employing seduction

techniques to gather vital intelligence. In hindsight, she currently feels

she shouldn't have used her status as the Kage's daughter to skip

most of the classes.

Luckily, she's interacted with Naruto enough times prior to this

prostitution that it would be strange if she was suddenly cute and

whorish, so she commits to being attentive and supportive of him and

his ideas. At many stages in their tour the day before, Temari mentally

tallies all points of note. So far, she's still certain she can manipulate

him. He's strong but seems dull and easily pleased. Learning how the

orphans are attempting to establish their clan in Konoha was a good

burden to help them with, however, Temari knew it wouldn't be enough.

Walking up the street to the Uzumaki's home, the straw-colored blond

knew what she needed was something more singular; something that

screamed 'must marry' not 'property developer.'

She abruptly hears, "hey Temari-chan," from behind her, stunning her

spine straight and freezing her heart still for a fraction of a second. She

lets out a settling breath as she turns to the smiling Naruto in his

beaten and worn orange jumpsuit. "Sorry."

Shaking her head as if there's no need to apologize, she asks, "how

was your day?"

"Pretty good," Naruto answers. "I got a lot of training in but not a lot of

results… yet."

Smiling at his confidence, her inquisitive mind wants to know, "what

sort of training?"

Though Temari is eager for any new intel to pass on, she disappointed

to hear him glumly answer, "mostly meditation stuff. Trying to be really

still is hard for me since I have so much energy."

It sounded like mental discipline training and nothing special, however,

she kindly replies, "I can imagine. So what would you like to do today?"

"I'm just a clone but I'm down for anything," he tells her, to her

disappointment.

Though Temari appreciates him saying as much, she feels insulted that

it's a clone and not the real body. It sends the message that she's not a

priority and that won't do, not with so much at stake and so many

depending on her. 'Earn his trust, earn his trust, earn his trust,' her

mind yells in repetition as her voice asks, "may I know where the real

Naruto is?"

"He's training with the Team right now," the clone replies.

"No offense, but can we wait for him nearby," Temari softly asks. "You

and I can still talk, but I was hoping to tell him something personal."

"Yeah sure," the Naruto clone responds.

Deciding talking to the clone will suffice, for now, they make their way

as Temari asks, "I can imagine this whole thing with me and the Omiai

must be pretty weird for you."

"Well… a little," Naruto gruffly answers, lazily seesawing a flat palm.

"Isn't it weird for you? I mean, your tou-chan wants you to marry

someone you don't know? That would do my head in."

"Yes and no," she answers after a long exhale. "Obviously, I'd prefer to

marry someone I love, but I doubt I'm the kind of girl that falls in love at

first sight. What I value in a man isn't something you can see on the

surface."

"What's that-" Naruto halts his curiosity when his brain answers faster.

"Oh! Let me guess. Intelligence?"

Surprised, she turns to his smirking face and answers with an amused

tone, "yes, actually. I didn't think I was that transparent."

Snickering, Naruto reassures her, "you're not," adding with a

melancholy smile, "I've just heard that before."

Immediately, Temari wonders about other women in his life who may

have told him that. The fact that he remembered suggests she's

important or a sensei. Temari's original strategy involved removing any

female attention in Naruto's life, however, considering how all of

Konoha no longer have a future at the end of the month, any kunoichi

attracted to Naruto will continue to take things slow. Besides, any

kunoichi Naruto is attracted to will evaporate from his mind as much as

his heart when he feels what she'll do to him.

"What do you look for in a girl?"

"Uh, well, I thought I knew what I liked but I've learned a lot in the past

few months so now I'm not sure. Right now, I know for sure I like

honest and pretty girls."

'Possible rejection,' Temari mentally catalogs, thinking how that

heartache works in her favor. "To answer your earlier question, this isn't

all that weird to me because the thing I like most about a partner takes

time. So I have to get to know a person before I date them anyway.

What makes the Omiai bad is it has less to do with my needs and more

to do with the needs of the village."

"What does Gaara think about that," Naruto asks. "You're brother and

sister. He can't be okay with this."

With a heightened curiosity about his mental train of thought, Temari

bluntly answers, "my little brother doesn't care."

"Well he should," Naruto angrily asserts. "I get that he's had a tough life

but you're family!"

Again, the connection Naruto seems to have with her brother seems to

stem from a shared predicament. Cautiously, Temari asks, "why do you

think he's had a hard life? He's the son of a Kage."

Turning to her, Naruto leans forward so as his eyes stare more

prominently at her as he gravely answers, "it's in the eyes." Stepping

back, he amusingly adds, "plus he always talks about killing people."

Impulsively, Temari snorts at the blasé manner Naruto accepts Gaara's

homicidal declarations. She feared he would think she was a morbid

for laughing at his comment, however, to her great relief, he simply

smiles.

"My little brother has certainly gone through a lot in his life," she

admits. Rather than change the subject away from her brother, she

allows Naruto to indulge in the topic, offering, "maybe we can have

dinner one day."

She's certain Naruto would be the only boy who'd happily answer, "that

would be great."

Chapter 282:

His excitement to have dinner with her brother has Temari hoping

Naruto is secretly a homosexual. Though that doesn't change what she

has to do and it's a little off-putting if her first is gay, her mind

effortlessly plays out a scenario in which he's unable to get an erection

and she comforts him, thereby earning his trust.

'Kami, let that be the case,' her mind praises as she informs him, "I'll let

you know what he says."

"Sweet."

Throughout the rest of their walk, they talk about mild subjects like

interests and dislikes. Temari always allows him to go first to feed his

ego and to gauge whether she should agree or disagree with his

replies. They speak for nearly three hours when the real Naruto spots

them. The clone says his farewell before popping away. His team

seems odd. Naruto is holding up his pink-haired worn and exhausted

pink-haired teammate. Their sensei is openly reading the same filth

Baki gave her to research from. And the handsome Uchiha continues

walking with little more than a sideways glance at her as he leaves.

"Hey, Temari-chan," Naruto greets before creating a clone to pick up an

exhausted Haruno, princess style, and leaping away.

Temari smiles at the blond before bowing to his sensei, greeting him,

"hello, Kakashi-sensei."

"Temari-chan," Kakashi greets. He then tells them, "I was asked to

chaperon whenever possible, but." Turning to Naruto, he asks, "if

you're fine on your own…"

"Yeah, we'll be fine, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto tells his sensei.

"See you tomorrow," the legendary Copy-ninja states before nodding

to, "Temari-chan."

As Team 7 split between Kakashi trailing Sasuke and Naruto carrying

Sakura, Naruto can't help but apologize to Temari. "Sorry about my

team. Ever since the second task, Sakura's been training like hell to

get better and Sasuke's just a moody booty."

Again, without a thought, she snorts at his quip while he smiles.

Shaking her head, she casually replies, "no apologies necessary."

Naruto returns his attention to the Suna heiress to ask, "so you wanted

to talk about something personal?"

Lighting up at the subject, Temari answers "I do. Can we go

somewhere private?"

"Sure," he returns looking around the wide trail leading to the training

grounds. He hums a moment before snapping his fingers and

proclaiming, "there's a place close by I like to go to." Temari and Naruto

walk into the forest talking about their day and some of the best meals

they've ever had. By the time they reach an out of place waterfall in a

field surrounded by forest, Temari is certain Naruto is addicted to

ramen.

The sound of rushing water intensifies the closer they get and soon

Temari can feel a light mist of moisture on her skin. There are a total of

three hidden waterfalls near Sunagakura, none are as large, loud, or

spectacular as this. When they stop at the ravine, Temari wonders

around the straight branch stretching the length of the falling water at

the halfway point.

"This way," Naruto calls out, leaping on the water. She follows him as

he searches for something specific. When he stops, she doesn't

understand why he tells her, "hold on," before he scoops her up and

jumps straight at the waterfall. Holding him around his neck, her brain

tells her not to worry before they break the rushing wall of water and

land inside a cave. He sets her down before walking to some towels.

Handing her one, she scans the room for any threats before taking

stock of the simple furnishing in the mildly large room. There's a coffee

table a few two sleeping bags and a carousel heater. It would be a

square room if not for the rounded walls.

As Naruto asks, "how's this?" Temari is thrilled by the very wide

whitish-blue wall of water.

"Aside from being wet," Temari begins, toweling herself off. "It's

beautiful… and certainly private. Thank you."

He waves her off before asking over the rushing sound of the nearby

waterfall, "so what's up?"

Releasing her wet pigtails, Temari is drying her hair as she hesitates to

begin. "Um, can I be honest with you?"

"Always," he assures her, sitting on a soft pad by the table.

"Because I don't know what's going to happen with this Omiai, I'm

nervous," she restlessly admits. Walking around the room and sitting

on the padding opposite him at the table, she tells him, "I generally

enjoy engaging my mind with random experiments like probability

statistics or card games. It feels nice when I assess all the relevant

variables to a given situation then accurately predict a future outcome.

It's one of my strengths and I'm proud of it, but, I don't know how this—

between us—will end. It's a lot."

"Yeah, it's pretty bonkers," Naruto agrees, then adds, "but, if it makes

you feel better, I know how it'll end."

With a tilt of her wet head and suspiciously amused eyes, she

responds, "oh?"

"Yup," he returns with his signature smile before answering, "it'll end

how we want it to. As long as we understand one another, I think it'll be

alright."

"Then I think we should talk about that," Temari says, leading him to

her planned topic. "We've spoken in front of our respective leaders and

officials, but it's just us now, and I feel we should discover what this

means without the politics."

Nodding, Naruto says, "yeah, I like that," quickly asserting, "I don't

know about you but I definitely want to be friends, no matter what."

"I'd like that too," Temari forces herself to lie. In her heart she couldn't

care less if she were friends or not, however, she hates the deception.

She's already noticed that he's a nice and open person and the more

he continues to be that way the more she wishes he was an asshole.

As he is, she feels like she's leading a lovably peaceful cow to the

slaughterhouse. Her emotional training taught her that this feeling is

just the humanity within her desiring to preserve the sanctity of life,

however, she can't listen to that part of her now. Her mission is as hard

as it is clear.

Chapter 283:

Temari then asks Naruto, "have you ever heard of a Love Map?"

Shaking his blond locks, no, he leans his elbows on the table as she

answers, "when you share your life with someone, I think it's important

to show how much you care. Think of it as training. Rather than just

saying you train every day, you physically show it. Little things, like

hugs or notes, to big things like goals or anniversaries; it's nice to feel

how much you're cared for and loved."

Looking at her in wonder, as if picturing that kind of life, Naruto warmly

expresses, "that sounds nice."

"Yeah, right?" Temari agrees before continuing. "So this meticulous

attention to showing how important someone is, rather than saying it, is

called a Love Map. Being able to write down the map of your partner's

likes, dislikes, hobbies, goals, and habits. It's important to any strong

relationship."

"Yeah, I think so too," Naruto offers, recalling his own examples of this

attention. "Like how I know when my sensei is worried about something

without her saying anything, or when Sakura is about to quote a book

or when Ichraku's is out of pork noodles by how many people are

outside of the stand."

"Uh… yes," Temari agrees with reluctance. In her mind, she's just

happy he understands the concept. "Though I was referring specifically

to romantic partnerships, the theory is essentially the same. All of those

examples, however, need one thing to survive, time. It takes time to

know those small details but when you take the time and patience to

do this, it can lead any couple to become… emotionally intelligent,

which is vital to a long-lasting relationship."

"Cool," Naruto answers. "A Love Map makes a lot of sense now," he

adds with wonder and deep thought. "Can you use this with anyone

you know or does it have to be with the person you're dating?"

"Uh, I don't see why it couldn't work with your friends," she presumes.

"Cool," he replies. "I used to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how

to make friends but I never heard about mapping out that stuff."

"Happy to help," she quips. Looking out into the mesmerizing fuzz of

rushing water, she voices over the cold water, "so, I'm saying all this

because I… and this is really embarrassing to admit, but, I want to

experience growing such a connection to someone. Not just anyone

either. I want to learn about my Love Map with a partner of my

choosing."

Quirking his brow, he asks, "like a boyfriend?"

"I'll probably be married before I ever have a boyfriend and I doubt I'll

have much of an option as to who I marry," Temari assertively remarks.

"But I did choose you, and despite the odds, Otou-sama agreed. So,

since we're here, rather than be down about it, why not make the most

of it and build a Love Map of my own? If you and I don't work out

months later, that's fine, but right now… I know you said you want to be

friends, and so do I, but-" Temari clears her throat and can already feel

her cheeks blushing as she struggles to say, "I want to experience

things with someone I chose… rather than someone my father has me

marry."

"Things like what?" Though he cuts himself off to pointedly assert, "I

still think you should talk to your dad. How can he not understand?

He's your dad," he exclaims with extended and open palms.

"Thanks," Temari genuinely appreciates, then immediately recalls how

much she wants him to be an asshole instead. Clearing her throat, she

replies, "you don't know him. A small part of him is my father but when

you're the leader of a village, the majority of him is the Kazekage. He

can't be like normal fathers just like I can't be a normal daughter."

"Then he needs to change that," Naruto immediately claims. "When I

become Hokage, I'm definitely not going to do something like that."

"You have my vote," she quips. "So, things like what, you asked. If

you're not against it, I'd like to do things a little differently." With a blank

look on his face, he simply nods before she continues. "I'd like to

reverse our roles." Confusion settles on his face before she elaborates.

"Normally the man tends to initiate things like being the one to

approach a girl, asking her out, essentially making the first move."

Naruto easily understands, asserting, "Oh, yeah, my sensei says that

comes from the very old way of doing things. Years and years ago,

women handled the subtle jobs like running the day-to-day of a home,

healing, or raising children while the men handled the more extreme

jobs like hunting, building, fighting, all that kind of stuff. So, the strong

and confident guys would ask the girl out, but the women would feel if

he can do all the things that'll give her a good life. And that's how it

would go, generation after generation until it became normal."

"The only reason that worked was because both parties knew the

specific things they needed to survive and that system helped facilitate

it," Temari comments, actually enjoying the insightful conversation.

"Men wanted sex and someone to take care of their offspring. Women

wanted to be protected from the elements, physical assault, or poverty

as they raise their young." Naruto agrees with a nod before she

continues, "fortunately, society isn't so primitive anymore, which is why

I think I'll enjoy switching the roles a bit."

Again, his eyes squint in confusion before he cautiously asks, "so, you

want to ask me out?"

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to initiate the first move," Temari purports.

It's a bit of a gamble because she doesn't want it to seem like she's

threatening his masculinity. He can be slow at times but he's always

struck her as confident, and confident people don't depend on others to

make their decisions. Temari makes certain he understands, "I don't

mean I want to make all the decisions or take the lead. I'd simply like it

if, for instance, we were out together and I want to hold your hand,

rather than waiting until you do it, I'd like to know it's okay with you if I

do it."

Temari can't help like she's betraying all independent women

everywhere, along with Naruto. The daughter of the Kazekage, highly

instructed in the ways of the killing arts, top of her class, a strong

kunoichi like her shouldn't need to ask permission to be assertive. But

she can't take the risk he'd be intimidated by an assertive girl, not when

she has no other option but to make it work with him.

Chapter 284:

To her delight, he reacts as if her worry was ludicrous to begin with,

crunching his facial features together as he scoffs, "yeah, I don't mind.

But I definitely don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable

with. The great thing about being friends is as long as we're honest,

you don't have to be anyone but yourself."

'Again with the friendship,' Temari mentally tallies. 'It's like he's testing

me.' She might consider that possibility if he were a little more cunning,

however, he seems too straightforward for that type of thinking, and

answers him, "that's good to hear, because, if I'm being honest, I'm a

little excited to experience this to the fullest. I want you to enjoy

yourself too. And who knows, maybe in a couple of months we may

develop a really strong relationship."

"I know we will," he confidently tells her.

"You know the future?" Temari teases before asking, "what makes you

so confident? I mean it's not like we really know each other. You

already know how much I detest squid, but you like it. What if there's

something about me you won't like?"

"I don't know about all that," Naruto replies. He rubs the table of the bit

of dust on it, thinking a moment until he states, "mnn, well, I know

Gaara is a handful, but you still care about him, which means you love

your family. We have that in common." Smiling, he adds, "you're smart,

strong, pretty, and you love your family… I mean, it's a fair bet we'll get

along."

With the orange sun beginning to set, radiating a warm glow through

the whitish-blue rush of water, a hesitant and nervous Temari inhales

before leaning over the table and giving him a quick kiss on his lips. As

far as kisses go, it was over too quick to feel good. Temari suddenly felt

so dumb and mortified and unattractive, that she blushes deep red

before spontaneously covering her beet-red face in her hands and

face-planting forward on the table. Temari's mind is rarely so chaotic

and hectic. Her mind is racing with negative and critical thoughts of her

pathetic attempt to be charming.

She's trying to catch her breath when she hears Naruto ask over her

heavy breathing and waterfall, "are you okay?" It only made Temari feel

more embarrassed that she's making him worry over her. She's nearly

sure she failed when he hesitates to ask, "uh, do you want to be my

girlfriend?

Recalling how she prepared for that question, she takes several

moments to regain calm down enough to recite from memory, "that

doesn't matter to me. That title is so other people know what we mean

to each other. Right now, I'm not worried about other people. I just want

to see what you can mean to me."

"Oh," Naruto hums with amazement, giving her a desperate boost of

confidence. "So… uh, we're… whatever?"

"Fluid," Temari suggests before adding, "anything and everything we

want."

Raising the edge of his brow, Naruto cautiously asks, "and kissing?"

Again, Temari's panic checks her in the gut as she voices with

complete certainty, "you hated it, didn't you?" Even as he waves his

hands, she continues, "I don't have a lot of experience-"

"No, no, no, I didn't…" Patiently Temari waits for his meaning and

though he only paused for a moment, it may as well been an hour

before he clarifies, "I uh, barely felt it- ah! But not because it was bad

or anything. It was just over so quickly. I swear." With her higher

reasoning assuring her that makes sense, Temari nods before he asks

her, "but you're okay kissing me?"

"I… I'm a girl!" she asserts like that's neglected information. Temari

knows she always wants to present a strong and intelligent front, but

that shouldn't mean she can't be feminine either. She rightly argues, "I

feel things other girls feel-" "Oh, yeah, I'm not saying-" Naruto tries to

interject but she cuts him off to embarrassingly proclaim, "and it's not

like I don't find you attractive. So, yes, k-kissing is… I'd like to try

that…"

"Oh, okay," Naruto easily accepts with a shrug and a nod. Standing, he

takes his cushion and places it on the table before asking her, "come

here." He pats the cushion as he asks, "have you ever kissed

anyone?"

Taking control of her emotions, Temari stands as she answers, "I… you

won't tell anyone right?"

Tilting his head with plain eyes as if to physically ask, 'really,' she sits

on the cushion on the table. He steps in front of her and widens his

stance so her head is leveled with his chest as he assures her, "believe

me, I can keep a secret."

Feeling the first traces of his body heat, she clears her throat as she

voices, "that's good. Um, I've kissed one boy."

Looking down at her darker blond and damp hair, Naruto moves in

closer as he inquires, "didn't it work out with him?"

"…No," she answers, willing her muscles to not react to his close

proximity. Though her thoughts recovered memories of the hyper

Daimaru, she didn't want to sour the mood by mentioning his death.

"He left the village." Awkwardly, he apologizes, but she shakes her

head before moving on to ask, "have you kissed anyone?"

"Yup," Naruto enunciates with a pop. She's sitting on the table, her

closed legs underneath his wider stance, and inches away from his

chest. His body heat washes over her, making her realize she was cold

before as he commands her to, "close your eyes." She tries to ask why

when he interjects, "come on. I know you'll like it."

This felt like a pivotal moment for Temari. She never wanted to

compromise her safety by trusting him in such a vulnerable position.

Though he doesn't act like her brother, Naruto and Gaara are the same

and Temari's never forgotten how dangerous he is. Half smirking, he

looks at her with his large sky-blue eyes, never once showing any

signs of duplicity. With a deep breath, she mentally says a last prayer

before yielding and shutting her eyes.

Chapter 285:

With her sense of sight obstructed, Temari redoubles her efforts to

remain as calm as possible. Calling on all her mental training, she

concentrates on how the foreign sound of water falling rapidly becomes

much more clearer. She can acutely feel his presence when she hears

Naruto softly say, "I want you to relax, Temari. Relax and concentrate

on your breathing. Like you do in training. Inhale deeply. Exhale

steadily. And with every breath you take, try and feel it in your body

how at peace you are."

Despite the present possibility of danger, it was easy to fall on her

training and slowly relax with the exotic sound of water rushing in the

background. With another full breath, Temari can feel a bubble of

toasty body heat around Naruto and herself defend them against the

cool atmosphere of the spacious cave behind the waterfall. She hears

Naruto shift slightly before feeling his warm hands land on her

shoulders. She couldn't help but tense up.

"Stay loose and relaxed," Naruto softly voices. "Breathe, Temari.

Breathe."

When her shoulders feel like warm butter again, Naruto begins

massaging her deltoids. His grips hold her muscle firmly, near to the

point of tight as he commands her to keep breathing deeply. Soon she

relaxes and she can feel tension she didn't know she had left her

shoulders. He then begins to draw the softened muscle up with gentle

and constant pressure. With her eyes closed, surrounded by the

unnatural warmth of his body, feeling put under by the hypnotizing

sound of rushing water, loosening to his firm touch as he expertly

kneads, caresses, and rubs out all the tension and stress in her

shoulders.

Naruto worked her shoulders then traps till she was on the verge of

sleep when she suddenly feels warm pillow-soft lips against her own.

Her eyes snap open when she realizes he's kissing her full on the lips.

The surprise lingers when his warm, strong hands slide up her graceful

neck to cup her jaw before tilting his head so their noses are side by

side. Opening his lips pressed against hers wider, Temari is easily

overwhelmed. Her mind froze for several moments, however, the soft

and gentle way he moved and played with her lips made her wonder if

he enjoys kissing her, if she's doing a good job, if she feels good and

just then, the setting, the warmth, and the affection helped her to relax.

Temari kissed him back and recalling some unknown origin of

knowledge, she mirrors what he does with just as much affection and

patience. She doesn't have much experience doing this or anything

beyond kissing, but she was surprised by the combinations of soft

natural lips with just a little bit of tongue. It was as if he knew thirty

ways of kissing and Temari was lost. Naruto swept her up and to her

surprise, she wanted more.

Her arms shot out of their own accord and wrap around his neck,

dragging him in, or so she thought. Temari was pleased when his arms

descended around her bodice and lifted her off the table and her feet.

She took control then and he amazingly allowed her to lead, swivel and

dip their stretched, pressed, and wet lips. Temari couldn't believe how

amazing kissing could feel and enjoys every second of their combined

taste, smell, heat, moans, and desire. They were present in the hot

feeling and it felt like it could last for hours.

It's when her foggy and lethargic mind finally registers his strong chest

pressed flat against her womanly bust that she feels a world beyond

kissing. To her great astonishment, the core of her womanhood

reflexed with juicy desire and her inner thighs tensed like an electric

shock struck through them. It was a wake-up call. Temari felt like she

was put under genjutsu and very little made sense anymore.

Naruto was still holding her to him when she suddenly breaks their

kissing session. Panting, Temari notes her right leg is wrapped around

his left leg, her arms are around his neck, her lips feel hot and swollen,

her eyes are lidded, and on top of smiling, his expression seems just

as captivated.

"You're a really good kisser," he happily tells her and she could feel her

face flush with more rushing blood.

Ignoring how embarrassing her beet-red face must appear to him, an

elated and weightless Temari clears her throat to thank him, but instead

sounds, "wow." Mortified, Temari slumps her head on his shoulder,

never having felt so awkward in her life. She knew she didn't have a lot

of experience, but as long as she remembered what she read, she

always felt she would be alright. She never expected Naruto to be one

of the best kissers in existence. 'He may only be the second man I've

ever kissed, but, Naruto must be in the top percentile,' her mind

argues.

"Was that too much," she softly hears from him.

Hopping back, Temari shakes her head as she doesn't want to speak.

Turning her attention to the waterfall, she hastens to the rushing wall of

water and dunks her head in. The rapid cold did wonders to wake her

from her thrilling haze. With a deep exhale she turns to him, dripping

water as she smiles and says, "that was… it felt really good."

"Oh, cool," he casually replies before asking, "again?"

She felt her legs wanting to move, however, looking at him, she

suddenly struggled with her mission. This must be what they referred to

by saying don't get too close. 'Always remain detached,' she recalls her

sensei lecturing. She also recalls her sensei teach, 'if you do get

attached, then you should not pull back because they will feel it. You

simply need to take more time before the moment when the mark's

usefulness comes to an end. That is the time to be heartless and

complete your mission.'

Chapter 286:

Temari never thought she would be in this position but looking at

Naruto, she's uncertain of how she'll react, and that scares her. She's

tempted to take a step back, but not only could that send the wrong

message, she recognized that hesitation, that fear, so with great

trepidation and uncertainty, Temari takes a step forward and nods. The

rest of the evening was dedicated to his lips and hands. Temari was in

such a daze she didn't even realize how she made it back to her room

until she closed the door behind her.

A knock came then before she hears her sensei's voice through the

wood asking, "anything to report?"

'He's the Kami of Kissing,' Temari's mind answers. She shakes her

head before she answers, "some progress was made. Nothing more."

When she hears him leave, Temari abruptly asks, "where's Gaara?"

"On the roof," Baki answer. "He's been… restless. Why?"

She had thought to talk to him but knew it was impossible now. Her

baby brother is craving a kill. And in three weeks, she'll be feeding her

monster-possessed brother Naruto… whether she wants to or not.

INO

Returning late to her home after hanging out with Naruto's clone, Ino

eagerly rushes up the stairs and into Sakura's room to gush about their

night. It was a friendly affair, but it's the best night yet. Though Ino

wishes painfully to her bones things were different between Naruto and

her—that she hadn't made so grave mistakes—she's simply happy that

they're working on being trusting friends again.

Though Ino hadn't expected Naruto would tell Kurenai-sensei, she's

glad he did. Ino respects Kurenai a great deal and it hurt deeply when

the beautiful sensei explained how disappointed she was in her. Ino

didn't even want to touch her tea, her stomach was in such knots.

However, the beautiful woman understood the situation and while she

didn't approve, she didn't see any malice in her heart.

"You were hurting and lashed out," Kurenai-sensei said. "You're not the

first person that's happened to and you won't be the last. Your effort to

make amends is encouraging and I still support you, Ino-chan."

It was a fabulous start to her day and astonishingly enough, she hung

out with Naruto for hours. More than anyone, she wanted to share it

with her sister. Unfortunately, the pink-haired girl was passed out in her

bed. It's been like this since the second task. Ino hardly sees her and

when she does, the girl is frustrated, studying, or sleeping.

Ino's too excited to leave Sakura be, however, rather than waking her

up Ino showers, changes, and slips into bed with Sakura. The blond

whispers her hopes for the future, her apologies for the past, and her

gratitude for the present before going to sleep with her dear friend.

SASUKE

Walking out onto the stone path of the courtyard of his clan's estate,

Sasuke asks the shinobi hidden in the shadows of the moonlight, "what

are you doing here, Kakashi-sensei?"

Stepping out of the shadows created by the hip and gabled roof of the

ancestral home, Kakashi casually answers his student. "There's been

an incident." Sasuke crosses his arms as he stretches his senses to

detect as much as he can. He's certain the three-man team of Jōnin

are watching him when Kakashi adds, "one of the finalists has died."

"Why are you here," Sasuke asks his sensei.

Kakashi explains, "there's been a lot of deliberation behind my being

here. Your absence was of great disappointment to certain groups

interested in the Uchiha name; the last true Sharingan user. As such,

rather than arrange the current contenders in an uneven tournament,

Hokage-sama has approved offering you the opportunity to enter the

tournament-"

"I accept," Sasuke quickly asserts.

"Easy now," Kakashi tries to placate his student. "Before you do, you

should be aware… there's a caveat."

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke contends. "I accept."

"At least hear me out," Kakashi asserts. "Under no circumstances, will

you be able to win the promotion to become Chūnin."

Drawing his brows together in some confusion, Sasuke asks, "what do

you mean?"

Looking up at the night sky, Kakashi explains, "while it's true you're one

of the top genin in our forces, and even stronger than some of the

participants currently in the third task, you did lose in the preliminary."

Sasuke scowls a moment, ashamed by his loss to Naruto. "So even if

you beat every contender in the third task, you will not be promoted.

Your participation in the tournament is strict to appease interested

groups."

Sasuke's goal in life never strays far from his thoughts. The memories

littering his clan's home always reminds him of the love that's been

stolen from him. Itachi's death is his only goal and gaining promotions

matter for the opportunity they offer to teach him more.

'Teach me like Orochimaru is offering to,' Sasuke thinks. Sasuke

vaguely wonders if the incident that happened tonight has to do with

him. 'It doesn't matter,' he thinks. 'My decision is clear.'

Kakashi allows a moment to pass in silence before asking, "well?"

"I accept," Sasuke coldly declares.

Chapter 287: The Mission

HAKU

Early Wednesday morning, well before the day's trading can

commence, Haku knocks on the rear entrance to the minor weapons

shop. After five strong raps against the metal door, Tenten cracks open

a sliver to the beautiful face of her new and sad predicament. Raising

his delicate eyebrows expectantly, Tenten sighs before completely

opening the door for Haku. She's wearing her favored pink, sleeveless,

qipao-style blouse and dark green pants, and as he follows her through

the stockroom to the apartment upstairs, Haku notices her sluggish

shoulders, the pungent unventilated scent of metal, distilled white

vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. He also notes clutter on

tabletops, a trash can full of take-out containers, and delivery dates

circled in red on a calendar. It's clear to Haku, Tenten has been running

the shop for the past two weeks without much assistance—if any—and

around her duties as a Konoha kunoichi.

Haku would've spoken to Tenten a week earlier—as she said she

would—however, he couldn't leave Zabuza until he was certain he only

needed rest. The entire time Haku tended to Zabuza, he was

consistently amazed by how content he felt with such amazing men in

his life. Momochi Zabuza; who taught him how to survive the brutality

in this world, and Uzumaki Naruto; who's teaching the love of a friend.

Tending to Zabuza's wounds, he never felt happier, and looking at a

slightly worn Tenten, Haku felt an urge to reciprocate that kindness

toward the bun-haired girl. After all, Haku can't understand why

amazing shinobis like Zabuza and Naruto would care about a broken

person like him but they do. Now that Zabuza has given him a weapon

of his own to mold, Haku can't let either men down.

The state of the two-bedroom apartment was well-lit, spacious, and

mostly clean; as if the girl always has to rush to clean as much as she

can. Tenten herself seems tired. Her chocolate eyes aren't alert, the

buns of her brunette hair sag as much as her shoulders, and right

away, she lazily takes a seat at the dining table rather than offer or

make tea. Haku imagines numerous mental tasks an adult is

responsible for could be taking a mental toll on the young girl. Haku

knows Tenten dreams of becoming an S-rank Kunoichi one day and

can imagine how frustrating it is to be hindered by her daily training

and the responsibilities of running a business by herself. Haku knows

it's not impossible to do both, however, it's clear that Tenten is

unaccustomed to such a lifestyle change.

Sitting in the chair across the casually dressed girl, Haku first asks

Tenten, "well?"

Defensively, Tenten feigns ignorance by asking, "well, what?"

Haku answers with zen-like patience, "do you accept your place as my

weapon?" Tenten balks as he adds, "and by extension Zabuza-sama

and Naruto-sama's weapon?"

Twiddling with her fingers, Tenten sags in her chair as she questions,

"ugh, do I have to agree to be their weapon too?"

"What's mine is theirs," Haku plainly answers. "However, I plan on

training you to be as strong as possible, so, if you grow strong enough

to beat them, I don't see why you couldn't win your independence."

Haku cuts any response Tenten might have by reminding her, "please

keep in mind I'm not here to debate this. You've had ample time to

consider your pledge to me. I'm here for your answer and nothing

more."

Understanding she's worried about her father—despite how terrible the

man is—Haku waits several silent moments watching Tenten torture

herself with indecision before she finally bellows, "…Fi- Fine! I'll be

your weapon! Happy!"

Haku ignores the girl's saddened shiver to answer, "good. First thing's

first-" Haku is interrupted when Tenten's head slinks, forehead first, into

the table. 'She's not going to make this easy for me,' Haku thinks as he

tells the defeated girl, "my weapon damages others, not itself."

Lifting her head, Tenten asserts, "I'm not an it-"

"You're my weapon, my tool," Haku retorts, though absent any hostility.

"A highly tuned instrument of death to use as I see fit."

Whirling her unfocused brown eyes, she asks with clear concern, "what

does that mean, 'how you see fit?' I mean, how do I know you're not

going to force me to assassinate some innocent person or sabotage

my village?"

Nodding his head, Haku replies, "your fear is understandable, but

you're only concerned because you don't know nothing more about me

than the little you've seen or heard. I freely admit to you that if Zabuza-

sama was the only master I served, you'd certainly be expected to do

disagreeable—certainly illegal—tasks. He's ordered me to cheat, steal,

lie, and kill on many occasions." Haku can visually see Tenten fall into

despair before continuing. "However, even if I couldn't take the life of

the person he ordered me to, lie to the innocent, steal despite having

the funds, or deceive the considerate, he didn't discard me. He always

kept his weapon."

A suspicious Tenten asks, "you didn't do what he told you to? Even

though you practically worship him?"

Nodding his head, Haku explains, "he'd say I still had value to him."

With a gentle and affectionate smile, Haku happily claims, "but I know

it's more significant than he's willing to admit. He knows me to my

broken core, and whether I stain my soul for him or not, he accepts me

as I am. Zabuza-sama has indirectly taught me his code and I've

wholeheartedly embraced it. We don't know who you are yet, Tenten-

chan, so expect that I will push you to your limits and beyond;

physically, to be sure, but more importantly, mentally. Discovering that

maturation will be uncomfortable for you, but not unlike myself, you will

learn what you can and cannot do, and like Zabuza-sama, I will

continue to push you until who you are is undoubtedly clear."

Tenten mulled over his words for a moment before clarifying, "you said

if Zabuza was your only master. What did you mean by that?"

"For ryo, Zabuza-sama would certainly order you to kill, cheat, and

everything in between," Haku begins to casually answer. "However,

Zabuza-sama is not my only master. The reason why I won't order you

to betray your comrades or kill unnecessarily is because Naruto-sama

would undoubtedly be disappointed in me if I did. It's not his way, which

means it's not my way."

Chapter 288:

Shaking her head in disbelief, Tenten asks, "how's that possible? I

mean, Naruto and Zabuza are polar opposites. How can you possibly

balance what they both want from you?"

With all his heart, Haku warmly answers, "it's possible because I love

both men, and to my everlasting joy, they care about me enough to

be… considerate. Or I'm just really lucky."

Seated opposite from him, Tenten doesn't feel fortunate with her

masters, shrugging as she mumbles, "yeah…"

Extended a proverbial olive branch, Haku affirms, "your father's actions

may be the reason you're in this situation, but you shouldn't believe

he'll die if you don't do as I command." She looks him in the eye as he

incidentally adds, "he'll only die if you attempt to go back on your word.

I'll be demanding everything of you and I expect you to do everything

you're capable of. Keywords; capable of. As in, what's in you to do.

We'll learn who you are. Of that, I have no doubt. Do you understand?"

Tenten slowly nods in resignation before asking, "how will I have time

for everything? What about my team, my missions, and the store? I

have to close in the mornings as it is just to do missions, then I spend

the rest of the day here trying to earn enough to keep the lights on and

afford food-"

"You mean take-out?"

"I don't exactly have time to cook," she returns.

"I suppose," Haku agrees, looking around the part living room, part

kitchen. "Have a little more faith in your master, Tenten-chan. I've given

the logistics of this situation a fair amount of thought. First, I will be

moving here with you-"

Blushing from neck to forehead, Tenten points out the widely

questionable, "b-but you're a boy-"

"And your master," he responds, adding, "who's interested in nothing

more than your success as my tool." Losing her modesty, Tenten tried

not to take offense to that as he explains, "I'd rather not leave Naruto-

sama's side, especially with his precious person coming home from the

hospital today and his clan coming together, but shaping you into a

proper tool is for the best. I'll have to commute every meal period to

prepare their meals so be prepared to join me if the situation arises;

dinners for instance."

"If you have to go back so often, you might as well stay there," Tenten

argues. "Otou-san taught me everything I need to know so I'll be fine.

I'm just saying I don't have a lot of time, is all."

"Staying here will also allow me to watch the store when you're away,

as well as give me a base to sell my herbal medicines from," Haku

reveals. "Additionally, with Iruka-san returning home and Karin-chan

living there, Naruto-sama will likely have more privacy here."

Flushing red once again, Tenten groans, "ugh, you mean- him and

me-" With the heavy thought of sex widening her browns, she asserts,

"I- I don't think I can-"

Haku leans forward, looking into the girl's large brown eyes as he softly

states, "Tenten-chan, I've already said this'll be uncomfortable for you

and that I'll still demand it anyway. The next time you feel the need to

protest, honestly ask yourself, 'would I commit seppuku to escape the

shame of my immoral actions?' If the answer is no, keep the complaint

to yourself."

"And if the answer is yes," Tenten dares ask.

"Then I expect you to carry out your intent," Haku easily responds. "As

my tool, we don't do half-measures and we don't go back on our word."

"Fine," she huffs. "So when are you forcing me to h-have s-sex with…

with…"

Looking at the girl with a bit of disappointment, Haku asks, "you can't

even say it?"

"It's embarrassing!" Slapping her hands on the table, she vehemently

asserts, "I've never even kissed a guy before and you expect me to just

have sex! With someone I don't even love! That's just too much!"

"That's reasonable," Haku agrees. "We'll start with full-body massages

then. You'll be training a lot more with me so receiving massages from

him will be beneficial to your muscle recovery. I'll speak to Naruto-

sama later today-"

"What are you going to tell him," she interjects before pointedly noting,

"and how's he okay with all of this? Does he approve of raping-"

"For the last time, Tenten, your selfish actions put you here," Haku

quickly retorts, standing sharply to his feet. He's not an angry person

by nature, but he will not allow her to vilify Naruto. Looking down at a

surprised Tenten, Haku maintains, "I won't allow you to escape your

responsibilities by claiming to Naruto-sama you had no hand in this. Of

course, I can tell him every single detail about the deal you agreed to,

and knowing him as I do—how good he is—he would never participate

in any sexual acts with you. Naruto-sama would undoubtedly try to help

you in some way, leading to a strong possibility of fighting Zabuza-

sama again. I would not like that. It wouldn't be ideal, but, that's simply

who Naruto-sama is. Zabuza-sama, on the other hand, wouldn't

appreciate you going back on your word and considering the

agreement you made with him-"

"Alright, alright, I get it," Tenten huffs.

Sitting back down after a moment of silence, Haku discloses to the

bun-haired beauty, "I chose Naruto-sama to be your first for several

reasons; he spared me and Zabuza-sama, he saved you and your

father, he's kind, caring, strong, funny, and handsome. He'll be Hokage

one day and likely enact many great changes to our world. You can do

so much worse for your first time; I know I did. You simply can't see

that because you're overly emotional about idealistic comforts. But

remember this, life doesn't owe you anything, much less a fantasy, so

stop focusing on how things ought to be."

Though she looks defeated to Haku, he appreciates her simple nod.

Before he leaves, they then discuss the costs of her living situation and

business expenses. Tenten barely squeaks by with the tenders she

makes after her missions and what she makes as a kunoichi is her

savings. Like many teams in Konoha, Team Guy meet in the mornings

for training before working missions until noon, after which, the rest of

the day is for self-improvement. Haku takes the spare keys to Ten Out

of Ten and the apartment upstairs before leaving to meet Naruto at the

hospital.

It didn't take long for Naruto, Karin, Iruka, and Haku to leave the

hospital with the Chūnin sensei. Wheeling Iruka's wheelchair, Naruto's

excitement could not be tamed and Haku wouldn't have it any other

way. Making their way home, the ecstatic blond talked a mile a minute,

all the while, Haku simply enjoyed the feeling of having genuine bonds

and a home to walk to. However, the pleasantness of their peaceful

walk made him worry about the turmoil in the future.

Chapter 289:

Haku wondered about Mei and what her plans to uproot their life might

entail, because sure as her love for Naruto and Zabuza, he had no

doubt she was planning something. Though the former hunter-nin is

alert, he's never been deft at predicting that woman's movements, and

despite Haku's implicit trust in Naruto, he's worried. Mei may make a

move soon and Haku has to have faith Naruto won't be swayed by her.

Thoughts on how best to preserve Naruto's way of living are

interrupted when Sakura and Ino meet them on the way to Iruka's.

They present their happily embarrassed sensei with a bouquet of

wildflowers along with congratulations and well wishes. Naruto had

invited them, along with all the other rookies and their sensei, to lunch.

Many agreed to come and those training for the final task of the Chūnin

exam said they'd pass by. Sakura and Ino, however, want to borrow

Karin before joining them at Iruka's.

KURENAI

Walking under the sunny blue sky blessing the bustling village of

Konoha, Kurenai enjoys her peaceful stroll to Iruka's house. The

homes in this residential area are strictly for shinobi—mostly those of a

non-combative, clerical, or educational position—and once she passing

the last of the homes with tall thatched gates, it's no more than a

twenty-minute walk to Iruka's home. Like the others Naruto invited, she

happily accepted the invitation to Iruka's Welcome Back luncheon and

is helping Haku prepare the meal. The Chūnin sensei has been in the

hospital for nearly six months after his spinal injury, and absent any

blood-family, it warms her heart that Naruto will be there to help care

for the teacher.

Walking the nearly empty path of the rural neighborhood, Kurenai's

thoughts, once again, stray to Naruto, adding an audible sigh to the

numerous insects clicking and birds chirping around her. Her blond

lover is currently escorting the daughter of someone important, just as

Asuma had, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why this is

happening to her again. It nearly feels deliberate, as if she's at the

center of a cosmic comedy and the joke's on her. Worst of all, she feels

as if history will only repeat itself if she doesn't find her balance in this.

'No,' she mentally contradicts. 'Nothing will change unless I stop

hesitating.'

She just doesn't know why she's hesitating. With her well-trained mind

and honest heart, Kurenai knows two things with absolute certainty;

she loves both Asuma and Naruto—if in different ways—and she

knows that some intangible thing is stopping her from making a clear

and confident choice, leaving her hesitant, indecisive, and standing

still. The dilemma is so preoccupying, Kurenai asked Naruto for some

space and relieved him of his assistance with Hinata's training; using

an actual genjutsu of him to train her. She needed time to think, though

another part of her self is accusing her of simply running away, as she

did with Asuma. Her heart and mind were in such repeating conflict,

she's relieved to sense her friend before the busty beauty lands

smoothly beside her.

Sliding her hands in the large front pockets of her brown coat, Anko

curiously asks, "aren't you a bit early?"

Playfully bumping shoulders, 'hello,' a smirking Kurenai answers, "I'm

surprised. No new notes on how I ought to defile Naruto next?"

"Oh, babe," Anko huff with a smirk. "I've got notes for days. But I'm

willing to wait until I see how you both smash your pissers. I won't

know how to help my babies if I don't know where they're at."

"For the last time, I'm not letting you watch," Kurenai snorts, groaning

in amusement. "I wanted to get an early start before they get there. I'm

not sure how many are staying for lunch so I want to be sure there's

enough."

"With two weeks before the finals, these brats got a lot of last-minute

training to get in," Anko comments. "I can't stay so that's one less

mouth to feed."

With concern, the raven-haired beauty asks, "is everything alright? Are

you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm still in a weird place but it's fine." Anko shrugs before

clearing her throat and considerately voicing, "I actually need to ask

you something… and I'm not sure how much I should say."

As ninjas deal with sensitive material on a daily basis, Kurenai isn't

bothered by her friend's hesitation and relays as much. "If it's work-

related, you know you don't have to tell me anything compromising."

"Yeah, I know," Anko hums with a small smile. It's clear to her that Anko

is uniquely bothered by this information as she slowly explains, "it's

work-related, for sure, and I was brought in, but, it's the intel that sucks

here."

"Okay," Kurenai gently words with a nod. It's not uncommon for ninjas

to work without the complete story and she asks, "what do you want to

ask?"

Turning her pupil-less brown eyes on her friend as they walk, Anko

asks, "can you check-in on Yūgao? Like, often?"

Nearing Iruka's, Kurenai's ebony mane flows over her shoulder and

collar bone as she turns a suspicious gaze on Anko, answering all the

while, "…I can, of course. Why?"

"That's the complicated part," Anko half-heartedly smirks. Hiding what

appears to be sadness, a cheerless beauty express, "you and me are

her closest friends and she's going to need her friends now more than

ever."

Feeling the sun suddenly get hotter, Kurenai's concern grows as she

apprehensively asks, "Anko?"

Joylessly, Anko finishes, "just like Kakashi needed his friends after

Obito and Rin."

It's enough of a blunt hint to stop Kurenai in her tracks, gripping her

stomach at the rancid thought of Yūgao suffering the loss of her life.

'Hayate is dead,' her mind realizes as she asks her friend, "how?"

"Sorry, babe," Anko replied. "I'm sure you'll hear everything later. I just

can't right now."

"…Understood," Kurenai barely manages.

Kurenai wanted a distraction, just not one quite so devastating. Hayate

was always such a calm and composed shinobi, retaining his gentle

spirit despite the dangerous and dark duty of a ninja. 'And he was so in

love with Yūgao,' her mind recounts. Anko, Kurenai, Asuma, Kakashi,

Guy, Raidō, and Genma all bore witness to the pair's initial meeting,

their eventual partnership, their perfect union, their undeniable love.

Despite his illness, their love remained strong and true, 'now he's gone

and she's alone,' Kurenai's mind finishes.