Hey guys! Objection234 with another update!
This chapter's quite long and will be divided into 2 parts.
Just a quick note; I understand that the Goddesses' original forms don't look like what they do now. I'm just sticking with the altered forms for simplicity.
By the way, this story will not be harem, so stop pestering me about it.
And please excuse the crappy excuse for a romance scene (I've never been in a relationship, so who can blame me?)
Additionally, I don't have a beta, for those that continue to ask. I can't figure out how to work that infernal system, so sue me.
There's also a reference to Onodera and Tsugumi from Nisekoi, so look out for that.
And I notice how much better my stories are formatted when read on mobile. The web format kinda' throws it off.
Speaking of formats, this story has a new one. Here's a key in case you need it.
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
"Emphasis/Summons/Demon/Jutsu Name"
"Emphasis/Singing/Title"
"Emphasis/Hand Seals"
And viewpoints change occasionally. Keeps the story interesting, no?
Just be sure to pay attention as to who you're reading as, so you don't get confused.
Now, without further ado, here's Chapter (or rather, 'Flag') 1!
- x - (Flag 1.0 - Your name is...?) - x -
(*CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP*)
The rhythmic steps of the marching, hooded men echoed throughout the darkened hall. Illuminated by the occasional set of lit candlesticks were the 6 sisters, being forced to forge along with their hands tied behind their backs. Their masked captors stood silently on either side, not making a sound aside from their repeating strides.
(*CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP*)
The chains and shackles around their wrists shifted as they walked, colliding with one another, causing the blue chains to glow lightly. These blue cuffs and chains were connected to each of them men, held in their hands like a leash.
(*CLINK CLINK CLINK*)
The dull glow of a mounted candlestick exposed the face of the middle-sibling, Diana.
And it was clear she was not amused.
She struggled to move her hands to a more comfortable position, but to no avail, as the chains seemed to glow brighter before the light vanished in an instant. And it was clear as to why.
Seals.
She had seen the flowing ink appear and disappear when they placed the shackles on her. And in that brief 3 second glance, she was able to analyze the majority of it immediately.
It was a complex containment seal, with an advanced binding seal, and a durability seal. The durability seal made the chains and cuffs nearly unbreakable. The containment seal prevented her from moving her hands, and the binding seal let the cuffs stick to her lithe wrists with no breathing room and a (quite literal) iron grip.
She hung her head in defeat, magenta eyes suddenly finding the floor very interesting. She was caught, no doubt about it.
She sighed to herself.
'How did this happen?'
- x - (The Skies) - x -
(3 Hours Earlier)
The group of angels had been flying in silence for almost an hour now. However, what should've been a tranquil stillness was a din of howling winds, over which they couldn't hear their own thoughts.
It never occurred to them that those winds were man-made.
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding foliage had erupted in cloaked figures. Said figures formed a crude circle around them, preventing any possibility of escape.
The next thing she knew was black.
- x - x - x -
Apollo had awoken to the cold stone of the floor.
She jerked her head up. Said floor was connected to a set of cement walls.
In all 4 directions.
There was no windows, doors, or anything. She was in a sealed off, concrete cube.
She ran up to the wall in a panic before she fell. She looked down at the cause; her ankle had been enclosed in an iron cuff, chaining her to the slab of stone she'd been using as a bed.
Slowly and shakily, she stood up, healing her skinned knee with little effort. The Megami walked over to the walls, slim digits brushing over the smooth rock, looking for an opening or crevice of any kind.
Needless to say, she found none.
Getting desperate, she unfolded her wings and drew on her power, halo shining brightly in the dark cell, in an attempt to contact her sisters.
And before she knew what was happening, the walls glowed blue as she fell to the ground, weaker than ever.
Her closing eyes were able to get a good look at the seals before they disappeared altogether.
And as soon as they did, her power returned.
She stood up again, at the sound of footsteps. A muffled conversation was occurring outside, as the seals appeared again, lighting up the room.
And one of the walls vanished into thin air.
Two hooded figures entered, snapping a set of handcuffs on her wrists. The other went to work on unlocking the loop around her ankle.
"Bocchan would like to see you," said one of them in a distorted voice.
She slowly nodded, as they lead her out into the hall.
They took her down a small corridor that connected to a larger hall. It was here that she met up with her sisters.
After a small, albeit happy reunion, the sisters had been led down the seemingly endless passageway. They'd been walking down the dim path in silence for almost an hour now, and if nobody said anything soon, she was afraid she'd go insa-
(*WHUMP*)
Not paying attention to her surroundings had awarded the pink-haired goddess a small bruise on her forehead from bumping into the, now-stopped, hooded man before her. Her sisters giggled lightly at her predicament as she lightly rubbed the bruise, wordlessly healing it. The laughs were quickly silenced by what the men said next.
"We're here."
The masked people uncuffed them and disappeared in a blur of navy. The last one to vanish gestured to the door before them before he did as well.
Apollo rubbed her sore wrist uncomfortably, "Are you all alright?"
Diana nodded, "We're fine."
Mercury cracked her neck quickly, the noise echoing throughout the now-empty hall.
"So what was that about?" she asked with a yawn.
"They talked to me," said their crimson-haired eldest, "Since I'm the oldest. They said we were trespassing on private property, and that 'the young master' wanted to see us."
"Then who were those guys?" asked Mars, a bit miffed at how easily she was apprehended.
"Well, they used a lot of Fuuinjutsu," muttered the black-haired girl, "And they mentioned a master. So we're definitely in the right place."
Mars nodded back, "But they said the 'young' master."
"M-maybe Uzumaki had an heir?" mumbled the cyan-haired Goddess.
Diana shook her head, "No, Shion-sama said that he never got married."
"Wow, so he's lived all this time without someone to love? That's rough…" murmured the Goddess of Music.
"Well, if it's not his grandson, then who is it?" asked Mercury through another yawn.
"Let's find out!" said Apollo, opening the door to reveal…
A winding staircase. And a long one at that.
Their youngest let out a tired sigh, "Well, I'm not climbing that."
She flapped her wings and flew up the stairs, reaching the top in a matter of seconds.
"Are you coming?"
Her sisters followed her example, being careful to avoid the hanging chandelier at the top.
Once they had all arrived, Diana grasped the handle and turned it, opening the wooden door with a loud creaking noise.
They were pleasantly surprised by what they saw.
While the previous rooms had felt like a cold dungeon of a medieval castle or something, they room they had just entered was quite modern. Instead of candlesticks along the walls, there were lamps hanging from the ceiling. Where the halls had been a crude, interlocking stone, here they were neutral beige. On them were a small switch, most likely made to operate the lights, and a series of portraits.
The first was a rather large painting of a spiky, blond-haired man, with his arm around a beautiful red-haired woman. The two were smiling brightly, the woman flashing the "peace" sign, with a smile so wide it looked cheesy, the man smiling lightly with his arms over her belly. It wasn't too difficult to tell that at the time, she'd been pregnant.
Further down the hall was an image of an older man with long, spiky white hair tied back. He was doing a ridiculous pose atop a giant frog. Next to him was a blonde-haired woman, her hair in two twin-tails and a lavender diamond mark on her forehead. She was crossing her arms, looking slightly irritated at her teammate's idiotic antics. She was smiling, nonetheless.
Even farther down was a wall-scroll that stretched from that point onward to the end of the hallway. It was a panoramic group photo of the survivors of the Fourth Shinobi World War, they could tell from their attire. Among them were a pale boy with several scrolls with a paintbrush with the tip coated in black ink, a hooded teen with goggles, and a brown haired boy with red markings on his cheeks and a large white dog.
Next were a girl with her brown hair tied up in two buns, a boy in green spandex with huge eyebrows and a bowl cut, and a blond girl with a bang covering her eye. These were all on the left.
Near the back was the blonde, twin-tailed woman from earlier, along with a shirtless, tan man with near-white hair, a smaller, old man with a large red nose who was floating in midair, and a red-haired woman with a topknot. Next to them were a ninja with gravity-defying spiky, silver hair and his eye covered by his headband, and a man with a green bodysuit, with ridiculously bushy eyebrows, Jonin Flak Vest, and a bowl cut. He was giving the camera a wide smile and a thumbs-up, the sun glinting of his teeth.
On the right were a black-haired woman with long sleeves holding a pig, a teen with a lazy look and hair like a pineapple, and a teenage girl in a kimono with a war fan next to her. To their right was a teen with long spiky hair, eating potato chips.
To the far right was a man with a bandage over his nose and a small beard, another man with a bandanna and brown hair, a woman with purple hair in a trench coat, a woman with purple hair and a Cat mask on the side of her head in ANBU clothing, and a woman with black hair and ruby eyes.
And in the center was a brown-haired boy with goggles and a long blue scarf, a tall red-haired boy with dark circles around his eyes and a gourd on his back, a girl with white eyes and long, indigo hair. There was also a girl with short pink hair and fingerless gloves, and a boy with black hair, black eyes, and a sword on his back. He was smiling a genuine smile.
And in the exact center was a boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker marks on each cheek.
It was Uzumaki Naruto, no doubt about it.
The girls walked down the long hall into a small room. One of the walls was glass, displaying the fantastic view of Konoha's Hokage Monument above the tall trees. The full moon above bathed the village in a silvery-blue light.
"Welcome to Namikaze Manor."
The 6 whipped around to find the same blond immortalized in the scroll standing before them.
"Sorry about those guys back there," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "They tend to be a bit paranoid."
Diana turned to him, "Who are you? Are you Uzumaki Naruto's grandson?"
"Not his biological grandson, no," he said.
"Then who-"
He grinned, "After his poor treatment in his early years, Naruto dedicated much of time and effort into rebuilding the orphanage system from the ground up. He took care of them well, and helped even those living on the streets find loving families."
Mars' eyes narrowed slightly, "You talk about him in the past tense. Is he…?"
He shook his head, "No, he's not dead. He recently departed to Kumogakure to provide them with more seals as a contractor."
"When will he be back?" asked Diana, stepping forward.
He glanced at her, "Why? Do you have business with him?"
She nodded, handing him a letter with the seal of Akuma no Kuni on it. Seeing the mark, he tore it open, eyes scanning the letter quickly.
He pulled out a small set of frameless glasses and read it again.
'Huh. He's kinda' cute...' Apollo thought.
His eyes went over it again...and again...and again…
It was a good 2 minutes before Apollo finally spoke up.
"Erm, what are you doing?"
He glanced up, "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm reading it."
"...Repeatedly?"
"Yes….Apollo, right?"
"Wha? How'd you know!?"
He smiled lightly, gesturing to the envelope.
"And you would be Diana, Vulcan, Minerva, Mars, and Mercury, right?" he questioned, earning a set of nods from around the room.
He closed the letter and returned it to the envelope. He resealed it, and pocketed it, adopting a thoughtful look.
"So Moryou's resurfacing, hm?" he muttered.
…
…
He sighed, "Very well, you may do as you wish."
He pointed down the hall, "There are 6 guest rooms down that way; feel free to personalize them as you see fit."
The man walked down the hall, "Come on! I'll give you the tour!"
"Huh? You mean we're staying here?" asked Apollo.
Diana nodded, having read the letter prior, "At least until Naruto-sama returns."
He turned to her, "I recommend you drop the "sama" bit. He's not one for formalities."
She slowly nodded in understanding. They followed him down the hall as he pointed to the rooms.
"These 6 are the guest rooms," he said, pointing to 3 rooms adjacent to one another.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Mercury walked into the nearest room and jumped into bed. She was sawing logs moments later.
The entire group sweatdropped.
"Each room has its own separate bathroom, so don't worry about that," he continued, "And as I said, feel free to customize, as you'll be staying here for the next month."
"A month? Is that when Naruto….san is returning?" asked Mars.
He smiled, "He'll be here, yes."
They continued down the hall, the blond pointing toward a towering set of double doors. He opened them with a loud creak, revealing one of the largest rooms they'd ever seen.
It was 5 stories tall, going far back as the eye could see. And those shelves were lined with one thing.
Books.
(Play "The World God Only Knows OST: 40 - Hon wa Ai Hon wa Yorokobi Hon wa Kandou")
"Here is the library. Every bit of knowledge in the Elemental Countries, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, jutsu scroll or art scroll, textbook or cookbook, if it's written down, it's here," he said, "The Hokage Library has nothing on this place."
Minerva's eyes were literally sparkling as she ran around the room, pulling books from their shelves.
The Uzumaki smiled at the girl's happiness, "It's here that you may find a seal capable of restraining Moryo. They're in the Jutsu section on the 3rd floor."
The group moved, leaving the girl behind. She was too engrossed to notice, building a small fort of books she planned to read.
"Here is the gym and sparring hall," he said, pointing to the next room, "If you go further down that way, you'll reach the weapons locker. I keep the majority of my equipment there."
He opened the doors, revealing said rooms. The gym was simple with a bench press, dumbbells, treadmills, the whole she-bang. The sparring hall was a plain, dojo-like room.
"Over here," he said, gesturing to the next 3 doors, "Are the training rooms. Each one is modeled after a specific environment: forest, ocean, and snow/ice."
He opened each door as he said this, showing the group of 4 the rooms. They were as he described, the forest being a sea of trees with a clearing at its center, the ocean being a large pit filled with water and an island near the middle, and the last being an outcropping of snowy hills and icy plains. The walls were lined with papers with intricate seals on each of them.
"What are those?" asked Apollo.
He smiled, "Those keep those rooms the way they are. Environmental seals to keep a constant temperature, as well as resistance and regeneration seals to restore any damage I make to the surroundings when I test jutsu. They also block off the outside world when I close the door, so even if the room were to burn down, the mansion would be unaffected. I can leave at any time though."
"Sugoi…"
They moved on to the next area, Mars staying behind to check out the weapons locker.
"This," he said, showing the room through the open doorway, "Is the kitchen. Meals will be prepared at 8:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 7:00 P.M., so you don't need to worry about that."
The remaining 3 nodded, following him as he walked on.
"This is the living area," he said as they entered.
It was simple, with a sofa capable of seating 6, as well as two smaller chairs across from each other. There was a large, round, wooden coffee table in the middle, and a television hanging off the wall.
"If you need me, you can find me here, or at my room at the end of the hall," he said.
They walked through the room, the man opening the glass door on the far side.
"Here," he said, leading them through, "Is the patio. You can access the pool and hot tub from here. Feel free to use either at your leisure."
"Wait!" Apollo called as he turned to leave, "What's that over there?"
She was pointing at what appeared to be a large black bow with white and black rectangles sticking out of it. There were three pedals at its base, and a bench-like stool next to it that stood on four legs.
"That's a 'piano'," he said, "It's a musical instrument from the West."
"So it's imported? Impressive…" murmured Vulcan.
(*DOOOOOON*)
A din of unpleasant noises assaulted their ears, the Uzumaki clutching his own in pain. The magenta-haired priestess rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, withdrawing the hand she'd slammed down on the keys.
"Hehe, whoops."
"Whoops!?" Diana cried, "You can't just go around hitting things, nee-sama!"
Meanwhile, the young Uzumaki was rubbing the blood from his ears with a handkerchief.
"Ah! Uzumaki-san, I'm so sorry!"
"N-no apologies are necessary," he said, "I just happen to have better-than-average hearing. And drop the suffix too. Makes me feel old."
"A-alright then," she said, "How do you play this thing anyway, Uzumaki...kun?"
Said blond almost tripped when he heard that.
"Ah..um...well, it takes a lot of (*ahem*) practice…" he said, attempting to regain his composure.
"Oh? Can you show us?" asked Diana.
"Well….maybe another time…" he said, trying to wipe the blush from his face.
"Moving on!"
The man continued at a brisk pace, bringing them back into the house. They passed through the living room once more, putting them in the hallway again.
"This is the workshop," he said, pointing at the next door.
Nailed into it was a small piece of wood with letters carved into it. It read "Naruto's Workshop" with a chibi boy next to it, flashing the peace sign.
"It's here that Naruto and, on occasion, I, work on Fuuinjutsu. It's very complex, and I'd prefer you knock before entering."
The three nodded, as they moved down toward the end of the hall, to where the "tour" had started.
"This is the reading room. There's plenty of natural light, so you can bring anything you find in the library and read it here."
He pointed to the door they had come in from when they first arrived.
"That's the evacuation route and war bunker. We usually don't use those rooms, so don't worry about it."
"And this," he said knocking on the final door, "Is my room. If you need anything, just knock."
He turned to them and clapped his hands together.
"And so concludes the tour. Breakfast will be prepared in a few hours, so I'll see you then!"
He opened the door, walking through it, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll catch some much needed shuteye."
"Already? Why?"
He looked at the pink-haired girl in confusion, "Of course. It's 2 in the morning."
He shut the door behind him, leaving the girls to their own devices.
And much like Mercury had, he leapt onto the bed, falling asleep in a matter of moments.
- x - (Day 1) - x -
(9:00 A.M.)
"We always get the shitty jobs, don't we?", said the masked person, pouring an egg into a pan.
"Nah," said the other, "Cooking for 6 frickin' beautiful girls? We could've been stuck with something much worse."
"I know, but Boss tends to use us for jobs that he doesn't feel like doing. Do you remember the last time he took out the trash? Yeah! Neither do I!"
"Well, we're clones created by a Ninjutsu," said the second, scooping piping-hot pancakes onto a plate, "We're meant to be used."
"Yeah, in battle!" said the first one, flipping a sausage patty, "Not for recreational purposes!"
"Aw, come on," muttered the second one, "You honestly don't expect me to believe that jutsu are never used outside of battle, do you?"
"No, of course not!" said the first, pouring steaming-hot brown liquid from a coffee pot, "It's just that those jutsu aren't self-aware, ya' know?"
(*TMP TMP TMP*)
The sound of footsteps silenced the two as Diana entered the room.
"Ah, Ohayou-Gozaimasu!" she said, noticing the two.
They both raised their right hand in greeting, both changing their voices slightly.
"Ohayou, Diana-san!"
The one on the left bowed, "I will inform Uzumaki-sama that you're awake."
"T-that won't be necessa-"
(*BWOO*)
The man had disappeared in smoke.
Not a second later, the Uzumaki strode in, still in his pajamas.
"Mornin'," he yawned.
"Good Morning, Uzumaki-san…"
He looked around, noting the lack of people in the room.
"So no one else is awake?" he asked, taking a seat across from her.
"Not at the moment, no."
As the masked man moved about the kitchen, the blond said a quick prayer and picked up his fork (they don't need chopsticks since it's a western breakfast).
"So when do you think they'll be up?" he asked, spreading some butter on a pancake.
She tapped her chin in thought, "Well, Mercury will usually wake up anywhere from 11 to 3. Minerva probably stayed up late reading again, so she'll be up around 10. Mars and Vulcan will definitely be up soon, and Apollo comes down as soon as she smells-"
"Food!"
A pink blur from the door flew across the room and to the table. A fork was picked up-
"Itadakimasu!"
And the food disappeared from the plate seconds later.
The masked man sweatdropped, placing another plate in front of her. That food vanished as well.
"Hey, hey, slow down nee-sama! Otherwise you'll-"
(*ACK*)
"...choke."
The pink-haired girl flailed about in a panic, clutching her throat.
(*HURK*)
The pancake responsible flew from her mouth as the blond administered the Heimlich Maneuver. Said pancake slapped Diana in the face, before falling into her lap.
"Ehehe, sorry Diana-chan," said the Uzumaki apologetically, "And you, you could at least slow down to chew."
The girl he'd aimed the statement at let out a few coughs as her throat cleared up, "Sorry, sorry. But the food's so good though! Those guys really know how to cook!"
"Had no idea you tasted it…" muttered the blond.
"That's why you don't scarf down your food like there's no tomorrow," mumbled Diana, cleaning her face and lap with a napkin.
The girl didn't appear to heed her as she began to stuff her face again.
'Seriously...where does it even go?' thought the Uzumaki, glancing at her stomach.
Her flat...toned...unblemished stoma-
"Ohayou!"
The man almost fell out of his chair.
"O-oh! Good morning Mars-chan!"
She nodded back, before taking a seat at the table.
The other blond wiped his mouth, cleaned his plate, and excused himself.
"There's more food on the counter," said the masked man, "Feel free to help yourselves."
He vanished in smoke, just like the first had done.
…
…
"Hey, can you pass the syrup?" asked Mars.
Apollo did so, giving her the bottle.
"So have you noticed yet?"
"Noticed what?" asked Vulcan as she walked in.
"Ah! Good morning nee-sama!"
She nodded, "Good morning to you to. Now, noticed what?"
She took a seat at the table, picking up a set of utensils. One quick prayer later, and she'd begun to eat.
"Uzumaki-kun never gave us his first name!" cried Apollo, "That's what!"
"Hey, you're right," murmured Mars, "Do you think we should ask what it is?"
Diana shook her head, "No, if he wanted us to know, he would've told us."
Apollo visibly deflated, "What, so he doesn't trust us?"
"I don't think it's that," said Diana, patting her older sister on the shoulder lightly, "Maybe it's just embarrassing or something."
Vulcan almost snorted, "As if anything could top 'fishcake'."
"C'mon girls," said Mars, glancing over her shoulders, "You can't make fun of him in his own house like this."
The eldest tilted her head in a mockingly innocent fashion, "We can't?"
"We shouldn't." affirmed the War Goddess.
"A-anyway, Vulcan-nee-sama?" started Apollo.
"Hm?"
"D-do you think you can go through Uzumaki-kun's mind and find out?"
She shook her head, "Not a chance."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Well, for a number of reasons. For one, it's his mind, and I have no right to probe it."
Apollo nodded in understanding, as her sister continued.
"Second, once you get this information, what do you plan to do with it?"
"What are you talking about? I'm going to use it to call him by his first name of course!"
The crimson-haired girl raised a thin eyebrow, "Oh? And how do you intend to explain how you came across that bit of information?"
"Huh? Ah...um…"
"And lastly, and most importantly…"
Apollo leaned in close at what her sister had to say.
…
...
"...I don't care."
The girl proceeded to facefault.
The red-haired girl continued, "I couldn't care less about Uzumaki's first name. And you shouldn't either."
"Huh? Why shouldn't I?"
The woman sighed, "Have you forgotten as to why we're here in the first place? We aren't here to enjoy ourselves!"
Silence reigned at the normally-reserved girl's outburst.
Mars nodded slowly, "As much as I want to goof off and mess around, Vulcan's right. We came here with a mission, and lives are at stake."
Apollo nodded as well, a bit crestfallen.
- x - (Day 5) - x -
(3:00 P.M.)
(Apollo P.O.V.)
If I could describe Uzumaki-kun in one word, it would be… an enigma.
I found him in the living area that day. It was the most I'd seen him since the first day; he was always in his room or the workshop, doing Jupiter knows what, and I was in the library with my sisters, helping them look for a seal.
We weren't making any progress, so I decided to sneak off and ask for Uzumaki's help. And so, here I am.
"N-ne, Uzumaki-kun?"
"Hm? Oh, Apollo-chan! What can I do you for?"
"...Huh?"
"AGH! I mean...do for you! What can I do for you!?" he nearly shouted, face red as Vulcan's hair.
Unaware of the reasons for his blush, I continued, "We're having a bit of trouble in the library. Do you think you could…"
"Say no more! I'll be there!"
"Great!" I said, walking past him.
(*WHOOSH*)
It was in this brief instance that my arm brushed lightly against his shoulder. The coffee cup fell from his hand…
"Ah!"
I reached my hand out, in an attempt to catch it. We did, some of the brown liquid splashing lightly on our fingers.
Our...interlocking...fingers…
I gazed up at him in surprise, to see his blushing face staring back.
(Uzumaki)
I stared down at Apollo's face, unsure of what to do. Our damp fingers were still intertwined around the cup I'd dropped, but that was the least of my concerns.
No, it was that I was close enough to count her eyelashes.
The sparkle of her wide, glistening eyes, the softness of her pink lips, the rosy tint to her cheeks, even small bursts of cherry-scented air every time she exhaled. No detail was lost on me.
"A-apollo…"
I gulped nervously, a shiver going up my spine and across my body. My grip loosened on the cup…
Causing it to fall once again.
Apollo's eyes grew even larger as she moved to catch the cup again. I did the same, bending down quickly to grab it. But our heads collided and we fell backward, back first.
(*Gk!*)
Apollo wasn't as lucky, hitting the chair as she went down. Abandoning my earlier objective of landing safely, I moved to catch her instead.
(*WHUMP*)
I succeeded, using my body to receive the majority of the impact. However, what we were left with was an entangled set of limbs as Apollo opened her eyes.
If I wasn't close earlier, I certainly was now. Her cute, button nose was millimeters from mine, our lips almost touching. Those beautiful magenta eyes stared into my cerulean; I could see their reflection in hers, they were that close. Her flowing pink locks surrounded us like a curtain, blocking the outside world from view. From my perspective, it was just me and her.
"Apollo, I…"
(*TMP TMP TMP*)
"Apollo! Where'd you g- Whoa!"
I was quickly torn from that world and shoved back into reality. The curtain flew up as Apollo's head jerked up to look at who'd interrupted.
A flushing Diana stood at the doorway, mouth uncharacteristically agape. Her face's color blended seamlessly with her eyes as she covered her mouth with her open palm.
Attempting to regain her composure (and failing at doing so), she cleared her throat.
"Sh-should I go? Or…"
"No! Nonononono, it's fine, it's I...well-"
"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" she cried as she ran off, leaving a comical smoke trail in her wake.
"Honestly, that girl…" mumbled the Goddess.
She turned her attention to the man, who'd stood up upon her entry.
"So, were you two actually?..."
She let the question hang in the air.
"Huh? Oh no! Nonono, we just -uh…-tripped! Yeah, I dropped my coffee and- huh?"
I heard muffled giggling as the Megami walked back down the hallway.
'Ugh, that little! She was totally having a field day with this, wasn't she!?' I thought, slightly miffed that I'd been robbed of a possible kiss.
From Apollo no less.
I'd noticed from the second I met the girl, she looked so much like her that it was ridiculous.
The fact that she acted like my younger self was an added bonus.
A familiar voice rang through my head.
"Gee, way to keep your cool back there."
'Shut it,' I shot back, picking up the fallen cup.
(In The Library)
"Hey Diana!" said Mars, waving her over, "Was it you that we heard earlier? We asked Apollo, but she won't say anything."
The girl averted her eyes at the mention of her name, her face a deep red.
"Oh? Yes it was me," responded Diana casually, walking over to where the group was working.
"So it was? Why'd ya' shout then?" asked Mercury.
She smirked, "Oh, nothing. I just happened to walk in on Apollo straddling Uzumaki-san."
"EEEEEEEEH!?"
- x - (Day 8) - x -
(Apollo)
It would be a full 3 days before I got any time alone with Uzumaki-kun again.
It was mostly due to my sisters' interference, but now that I had it, I definitely wouldn't let it go.
And I used it to ask the question on the forefront of my mind since Day 1.
"N-ne, Uzumaki-kun?"
"Y-yeah?"
He stared at me a bit uncomfortably. Understandable, since our last encounter had ended rather poorly.
"Wh-what's up?"
"So, I've been wondering…" I started.
"...Wondering…?"
I steeled my nerves. I couldn't even look him in the eye; memories would just come flying back.
My hands on his chiseled frame as our faces nearly touched. I could still see the depth of the thin, whisker-like marks that ran across his cheeks. And I couldn't forget those eyes. Deep cerulean eyes that were like an ocean in a storm; a fierce, unrelenting torrent of emotion bottled up into an endless and bottomless abyss. I could just stare into them, mesmerized forever…
"Apollo!"
"Huh?"
The blond's face was ripe with concern as he placed a calloused palm on my forehead.
"Are you alright? You're zoning out and you're all red…." he said, "Do you have a fever or something?"
"Haha, fever? As if! I'm the Goddess of the Arts! Medicine's one of my many fortes! Sickness can't touch me!" I laughed nervously, striking what I thought to be a heroic pose.
"Yeah, sure...Anyway, so what'd you need?"
"Oh, right! Um...well, I was wondering…"
…
…
"Uzumaki-kun...what's your name?"
"Hm? What are you talking about? You just used it."
"No, no! Your first name!"
"My first name? Well, it's…."
…
I leaned closer in thinly veiled interest.
…
"A…." he started.
…
…
"...A…" I repeated.
…
"Se.." he continued.
…
…
"...Se.." I repeated.
…
…
…
"Cret!" he said, smiling.
…
"Huh? A-see-kret Uzumaki?" I asked incredulously.
"...Say that a bit quicker," he deadpanned, getting up.
"A-see-kret….A see-cret….A secret...hey!"
He laughed as he walked out of the room.
"Oi! Get back here!" I called, racing out into the hall after him.
"?"
"I'll...I'll find out what your name is! Just you wait!" I shouted, finger pointed in his face.
"Oh? Well, by all means, try," he said, hands still in his pockets.
He turned and walked off, back into his workshop.
"Just you wait Uzumaki-kun! I'll learn your name in no time! Hahaha!"
"Nee-sama? What are you doing?"
I stopped my poor attempt at an evil laugh to stare blankly at Mars, who'd poked her head out of the library.
"Huh?"
"Come on! We need all the help we can get here!"
"Ah! H-hai!"
- x - (Day 9) - x -
(6:34 A.M.)
(Apollo)
"Ohayou!" I called as I entered the dining room.
"Hm? Oh, Apollo-sama! Good Morning!" said one of the masked men working in the kitchen.
"Apollo...sama?"
"Well, yeah. As a guest of Uzumaki-sama's we are to serve you as you see fit."
"Oh really?" I asked, slyly, "I guess I'm in luck then."
"Hm? Why would you say that?" asked the second one, walking over.
"Well, I have a plan…"
- x - (Day 9) - x -
(7:27 A.M.)
(Uzumaki)
(*AAAAAAUUUUHHH*)
I yawned contently to myself as I walked through the empty halls. The familiar clutter associated with the clones' cooking reached my ears, as I rounded the corner to the kitchen.
"Ohay-whoa!"
Instinct kicked in as I bent over backward a full 90 degrees. A hail of frosted pastries flew over my head, splattering the wall behind me.
"Aw, come on," I muttered, standing up straight again, "You'll have to do better than that."
"Darn it! You win this round!"
I looked over at where Apollo stood, operating a crude slingshot with a pile of assorted breakfast food next to her.
"You think you can touch the Prank God with such measly attempts? Please, if I were caught by one of these, I'd tell you my name right then and there."
"Is that so…?"
She ran off in a trail of dust, most likely to plot her next scheme.
I looked over at my clones, "Did you know about this?"
They shook their heads innocently, in a fashion that practically screamed "guilty".
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"So what's for breakfast?" I asked, walking over to the table.
"What in the!?"
I turned my head to see Diana's face gazing at the dirty wall in astonishment.
"Morning Diana. Croissant?" I offered, passing her a plate of said pastry.
"What in the 3 realms happened here?"
"Hm? Oh, Apollo's attempt at pranking me. She's all hung up on not knowing my name," I said, buttering a slice of toast.
She nodded, accepting the answer, "Do you want me to talk to her? You know, before it gets out of hand?"
I shook my head confidently, "Nah, I got this."
She nodded again, reaching for a bagel.
- x - (Day 11) - x -
(5:18 A.M.)
(Mars)
I smiled to myself as I roamed the empty, silent halls of the mansion. It was roughly a quarter past five, so even the hooded men weren't up yet. There was no clatter in the kitchen, no cries of indignation from Apollo's failed pranks, it was just the eerie echo of my bare feet against the cold floor.
Why was I up this early? Well, with Apollo's recent onslaught of pranks on Uzumaki-san, meals were rarely peaceful. So, I would get up to skip the whole mess. There was always food in the pantry or the refrigerator, so it didn't take long to whip something up.
I sighed contently as I opened the large door. As usual, everything was fully stocked, no doubt those masked men responsible. I grabbed some bread, sliced meat, lettuce, and cheese from the cupboard and fridge, opting to make a simple sandwich.
One delicious meal later, I sat alone at the table, quite satisfied. Now all I had to do was wait for my sisters to wake up, and we can resume work on the seal.
It was rough work, with Diana-nee-sama and Mercury being the only ones with prior knowledge of Fuuinjutsu. Even so, the former was only a Class 3, and the latter was almost never around to help anyway, so the work was quite slow. Of course, Vulcan's stupid pride stopped us from asking Uzumaki-san for help, saying that we shouldn't require the assistance of a mortal.
Apollo had frowned at that comment, Diana and I being the only ones who caught it.
Mercury was no help at all; she'd just walk in and plant her face into the nearest desk, falling asleep almost instantly. Minerva was reading something else half the time and Apollo was always off hatching her next plan to mess with Uzumaki.
Frankly, I wasn't much help either, with no prior knowledge of the Sealing Arts whatsoever. No, I prefer to cut down my problems with my trusty saber, thank you very much!
I stood up, walking out of the room and into the hall, making my way toward the library.
I was halfway there when something caught my eye.
They were shadows, moving underneath the door to the "Forest" Training Room. Curious, I opened said door, unsure of what awaited me.
I certainly wasn't expecting what I saw.
A circle of hooded men had surrounded Uzumaki, weapons at the ready. I saw all kinds of blades, from small kunai and ninjato to katana and rapiers.
One by one, they engaged the blond in the center. Blade hit blade, as they countered and parried each other's blows. Soon metal hit flesh as the hooded man was felled in a single stroke. He burst into smoke, weapon vanishing with him, and another soon took his place.
I watched in awe as Uzumaki single-handedly slaughtered each one of them, the look of absolute concentration never leaving his face. He struck down another, throwing a low sweep, causing them to lose their balance and fall on his blade.
Eyes widening, he bent over backwards as a ball of water flew by, crashing off in the distance.
"Hey!" he shouted, standing up, "We agreed, no jutsu!"
"There are no rules in Hell!" yelled the man responsible, flipping through seals.
'Saru, Tatsu, Ne, Tori, Ushi, Hebi, Inu, Tora, Saru!'
"Chidori!"
He charged forward, lightning-coated fist first. The sound of a thousand birds chirping in unison filled the air.
(*WHA-BAM*)
The person let out an agonizing gasp of pain as the Uzumaki caught him in a Lariat. The jutsu dissipated into nothing, the sound vanishing with it. The body dispelled, leaving nothing more than a plume of smoke behind.
"Damn bastards don't listen," he grumbled, "Though they're all me, so I should know better…"
"Ohayou!" I called, "Uzumaki-san!"
"Agh!"
He stumbled over, almost falling onto his back. He made a quick recovery though, falling into a rigid defensive stance. His gaze softened when he realized who it was.
"Oh, Mars! Geez, don't scare me like that!" he said, slipping out of the stance, "Thought it was Apollo for a second."
"Gomen, gomen…"
"So," he started, walking over, "why're you up so early?"
"Oh, just to skip that 'morning rush'" I said, making air quotes at the last part.
"Hm? So you ate already?" he asked, wiping some sweat off his face.
"Yes, why do you ask?"
He jerked his thumb at the center of the field, "Care for a spar then?"
I quirked an eyebrow, "Are you sure? You just got through pummeling all those clones, and I'm no pushover."
"Yeah, I'm sure," he said, cracking his neck, "Besides, the only people I can spar with 'die' in one hit. It'll be nice to fight someone who can hold their own."
"Oh, I'll do more than that," I said, taking a step forward, "I'll wipe the floor with you, Uzumaki!"
"Oh?" he asked, taking his own step forward, with a smile that got my warrior-blood pumping, "Is that a threat?"
"No," I said, getting in his face, "It's a guarantee."
- x - (Day 11) - x -
(7:28 A.M.)
(Apollo)
I tapped my foot impatiently, checking the clock once again. It was almost 7:30, and there was no sign of Uzumaki anywhere!
"Where the heck's your boss?" I asked the men in the kitchen. They shrugged silently, before returning to work.
I sighed again, "And I had a whole pie catapult set up too…"
I was about to go do another check around the mansion when Diana went by, tugging a half-awake Mercury behind her.
"Huh? What's going on?"
"No time! Come see!" she called back.
Abandoning my contraption, I followed my younger sister, slightly intrigued.
(*CLANG*)
(*CLANG CLANG*)
"What...the..?"
In the center of the field were Mars and Uzumaki-kun...dancing?
'No wait...'
I could see the faint glint of steel whenever they moved their arms. Each time they did so, I heard the distinct (*CLANG*) of metal upon metal, as literal sparks flew.
'They're not dancing, they're...'
'...Fighting!'
"HYAH!"
My sister's blade came dangerously close to severing her fellow blond's arm. A quick parry was the only thing that stopped him from losing the limb.
Seeing the Uzumaki having a bit of trouble after all my failed pranks that week was rather gratifying.
So I did the only thing I could to further his distress.
"Woo! Go Mars!"
- x - (Day 11) - x -
(7:31 A.M.)
(Uzumaki)
At the sudden cheer, we stopped our "battle" to instead look over at our new spectators.
Apparently, Apollo'd been the one to shout, waving a banner that read "GO MARS!" that she'd spawned out of freaking nowhere. Though I wasn't surprised, since the sister I'd been fighting had a similar ability with weaponry.
From my understanding, she could summon any sort of weapon, from axes to lances, clubs to maces, whips to swords. If it was designed to hurt, she could use it.
To my relief, for the purposes of our spar, she stuck to swords. I really don't know how much thrashing my ninjato could take! And that's really something, considering that it's reinforced with seals and all.
I took this moment to sheath my weapon and remove the tattered remains of my shirt. It had been torn to mere shreds during our spar (yes, Mars had landed some glancing blows, as did I) and the sweat pouring down my chest had soaked it through. What I was left with was a wet rag that smelled slightly less disgusting that what Apollo'd tried to dump on me yesterday.
My opponent turned her attention back to me.
"Do you want to keep going? Or do you wish to rest?" she asked, saying the last bit with a mocking smile.
I returned the look, "Please, I can do this all day."
I drew my sword as she charged forward, blade at the ready.
- x - (Day 13) - x -
(11:48 P.M.)
(Minerva)
Two people stood in the middle of the street, everyone else having stopped to watch what was soon to take place.
An indigo-haired woman stood in the center of the crowd that had begun to gather. Her white eyes were brimming with tears, presumably due to the man before her.
Said man regarded the woman with a sad smile, as she poured her heart out.
"How can...this be happening?" she said, voice barely above a whisper, "How could you...leave us like this?"
He gave that same sad smile, "Sorry. But it won't matter anyway," he said, walking up to her and handing her a handkerchief, "You won't remember me anyway, so no harm done, right?"
She shook her head forcefully, clinging to the handkerchief as if it were her lifeline, "How could you say that!? How can you possibly think that I'd forget about you?!"
"I never will!" she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Because I…"
"I...love…"
…
(*Drip*)
The salty tear had splattered over the ground, the noise ringing in her ears. As the sound registered in her mind, she blinked confusedly, looking down at the drop which had fallen. She stared back up at the man before her.
"D-do I know you?"
He grinned as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Yeah, but it's okay if you don't remember me."
"S-sorry, I...I don't even know why I'm crying…" she stammered. She didn't even know why she felt so sad, but it just wouldn't stop.
"I'm sorry about not recognizing you...you must think I'm really rude…"
"I'm leaving on a really long journey soon, so it's probably better that you don't remember me. Saying goodbye would be too difficult otherwise," he said with a chuckle.
There was something so familiar about the way he smiled at her, the way it made her feel like everything was going to be okay. She really wanted to know who this person was, so she desperately racked her brain for the faintest fragments of any memory.
"It's okay...no need to try so hard," he said, laughing a little as he pulled her into a hug.
"You probably don't remember me, but we made a promise, you and I… that if, someday, I were to ever leave, that you wouldn't cry, that you'd smile properly. So smile please, let my last memory be of your smile."
If it had been a promise, she wouldn't go back on her word, even if she didn't remember. So, clutching the handkerchief he had given her for her tears, she smiled.
- x - x - x -
As did I as I closed the novel, tears rushing down my face. I placed the finished paperback atop the neat stack of others, deciding to move on to the next volume.
"Having fun?"
I let out a cry of surprise at the sudden voice, looking up to see the host of our group.
"U-Uzumaki-san!"
He gave me a familiar smile as he spoke, "Just Uzumaki is fine, Minerva-chan, no need for honorifics."
I shakily nodded, face heating up at being referred to as "chan".
He turned and began walking away.
"Read 'Do You Remember Love?' next," he called over his shoulder, "It's one of my personal favorites."
Before I could respond, he disappeared into the hall.
I picked up the book he'd recommended, idly noting that it was written by the same author of the previous 4 books I'd read. That being said, I decided to read the "About the Author" section this time around, since I hadn't during my previous read-throughs.
I was quite surprised at what I saw.
It read "Namikaze Tsukasa: Born in 182, in Konohagakure no Sato. Also the author of Award-Winning Best-Sellers 'Doki Doki Fantasy', 'Moonlight Sonata', 'Fly Me to the Moon', 'Beautiful World', and 'The Promises We Exchanged That Day'.
And below it was a picture of the very same blond I'd seen moments ago.
- x - (Day 14) - x -
(12:07 A.M.)
(Apollo)
(*AAAAAUUUUUUH*)
I let out another yawn, checking the clock for the twentieth time in two minutes. I'd reset my pie-catapult from earlier, waiting for Uzumaki to walk by. Unfortunately for me, he hadn't yet, so I was stuck waiting until he did.
Sure, I'd been waiting over 4 hours, but I hadn't given up hope!
It was just a matter of time before he walks by and (*WHAM*)! Right in the face! That'll show him!
If he doesn't just duck, that is.
My thoughts went back to his battle the other day. It was insane; nobody'd ever been able to match her in combat before! She's the Goddess of War for a reason after all!
It was clear the blond was trained, quite obvious in fact. The way his motions were fluid and precise, no doubt hammered in by years of hard practice. The way how no movement was wasted, whether defensive or offensive. The way how his eyes would narrow, as if it predicted her every move, the way his stance switched seamlessly between blows, the way his muscles rippled every time he blocked a strike…
I shook my head rapidly, trying to clear the blood that had rushed to my face. Where had that come from!?
'Though I gotta' admit, he is pretty handsome,' I thought to myself, 'That missing shirt back then really supported that.'
Then there was his smile that was like the sun poking through on a cloudy day. Those whisker marks I'd always wanted to stroke, just to see if he'd purr. Those bottomless cerulean eyes when adorned by those frameless glasses looked so damn sexy-
(*WHAP WHAP WHAP*)
I slapped my own red face a good thirty times as I tried to calm down. Keyword being tried.
'Am I...'
'Am I actually crushing on Uzumaki!?'
(*TMP TMP TMP*)
I was pulled from my thoughts at the sound of someone running in the hall.
Said person turned the corner, rushing into the room, shouting.
"Apollo-nee-sam-EEP!"
In my surprise, I'd pulled the trigger on my contraption, launching a pie in their direction. Luckily for them, they were far shorter than the intended target (*read Uzumaki), so the crusted pastry flew right over their head. The girl fell to the ground, curled into a ball.
"Ah! Minerva! I'm so sorry!" I said, leaving the device to run to her side.
"N-never mind that! Look at this!"
She pulled a small hardcover from her clothes and practically shoved into my hands.
'What's she so hyped up about? I've never seen her so passionate before!'
"Go to the 'About the Author' section! Hurry, hurry!"
I quickly complied, interested in what had put Minerva into this state.
My eyes widened at what they saw.
- x - (Day 14) - x -
(12:19 A.M.)
(Uzumaki)
(*AAAAAAUUUUUUH*)
I let out a yawn as I walked from my bathroom to my bedroom, towel draped over my shoulder, hair still wet from the shower I'd just taken. I had my pajama pants on, but not the shirt, as my torso was still a bit damp. Plus, it was a bit hot out tonight.
I rolled the towel into a ball and tossed it across the room. It landed in the hamper with a (*SWISH*).
I walked over to the window, pushing the curtains aside and opening it. A breeze lapped over my skin, the droning buzz of cicadas filling the air. The glowing moon shined brightly in the sky; in just a few days, it'd be full.
I smiled to myself, 'It's already that time again, isn't it?'
"UUZUUUUUUUMAAAAAKIIIIII!"
The moment of peace was shattered as Apollo kicked my door in.
"I've got you now!" she shouted.
…
…
"...Huh?" was my intelligent response.
"I've finally got what I need to defeat you!"
…
…
"...What?"
"Take That!"
She swung a piece of evidence forward. I saw that the "evidence" was a book as she flipped to the inside cover.
"I got you, Tsukasa-kun!"
I scanned the passage briefly, before taking out my glasses and reading it over again.
It was in this brief moment that Apollo (and Minerva, whom she'd dragged along behind her) appeared to notice my bare torso (and unbeknownst to me at the time, my glasses). A quite noticeable blush soon embellished her face, with Minerva passing out from embarrassment.
I let out a small chuckle, "Sorry, but that's not gonna' help you."
"...Huh?"
I flashed a devious smile, "'Namikaze Tsukasa' is a pen name; an alias. Nothing more."
"Wha!? So I got all excited for nothing!?"
"Afraid so," I said.
Recovering from her earlier surprise, the pink-haired girl stormed out the door, unceremoniously dragging her unconscious sibling behind her.
"I'll get you Uzumaki! Just you wait!" she shouted over her shoulder.
I smirked, "You realize that intend to pay you back in full if you do, right?"
She used her free hand to tug down her eyelid, and stuck her tongue out as she walked down the hall.
I shook my head at her childish antics, creating a seal-less Kage Bunshin to fix my now-broken door.
"Damn, she's really cute when she's angry," I muttered to myself.
"You kidding?" said the clone by the door, "She's cute, period."
I felt my face heat up as I climbed into bed, "Shut it."
I fell asleep to the sound of my own laugh.
- x - (Day 17) - x -
(11:30 P.M.)
(Uzumaki)
(*TMP TMP TMP*)
The dull sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls, as I made my way to the living area. I passed the 6 guest rooms without making a sound. Once I got past there, the rest was easy.
It was kind of unnecessary with the girls already asleep and all, but hey. You can never be too careful, right?
Finally, I reached my destination.
The full moon shone brighter than any star in the sky, the silvery-blue glow enveloping the landscape as far as the eye could see. At the right angle, it's reflection could be seen in the sparkling water of the pool, making the water appear almost white.
The temperature had taken a small dive in the past few days, leaving the air not too warm, and not quite cold either, being somewhere in the middle. Either way, it was quite refreshing.
I turned my attention to the instrument before me. Relaxed and content, I sat down and began to play.
- x - (Day 17) - x -
(11:32 P.M.)
(Apollo)
I ducked behind a pillar as I followed Uzumaki down the hall, paint-filled water balloon in each hand.
It seemed that he was convinced that I was asleep, so this was the perfect time to strike!
As he walked out onto the patio, I hid around the corner of the wall, making sure he didn't see me.
He gazed up at the night sky fondly. I wound up, preparing to nail him in the back…
Only for him to move at the last second. The sphere of liquid disappeared over the railing, descending upon the earth below without a sound.
'Damn, I almost had him!' I thought to myself.
Vowing not to make the same mistake twice, I readied the balloon, planning to hit him in the head as he sat at the 'piano'.
But before I could, he started to play.
(Play "Naruto Ending 1 - Wind (Full Version))
A song filled the air as his fingers moved over the keys. The combination of notes created a bittersweet, almost eerie melody.
And then he began to sing.
"Cultivate your hunger, before you idealise.
Motivate your anger, to make them all realise.
Climbing the mountain, never coming down.
Break into the contents, never falling down."
I closed my eyes as the music filled my ears. Suddenly, I could see flashes of memories that were not my own, flying before my eyes.
I saw a small blond child sitting alone on a swing, eyes empty and downtrodden as he stared dully at the earth before him as others passed him by, not even offering him a glance.
"My knees are still shaking like I was twelve,
Sneakin' out the classroom, by the back door.
A man railed at me twice, though but I didn't care.
Waiting is wasting, for people like me."
I saw his sensei crying above him, shuriken having pierced his back. He was mouthing words that I couldn't quite make out over the music.
"Don't try to live so wise,
Don't cry 'Cause you're so right.
Don't dry, with fakes or fears,
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end."
I saw him stand, making hundreds of clones. They all pummeled a silver-haired man before the scarred Chuunin gave the crying boy a hitai-ate. The chorus repeated, the combination of his voice and the instrument nearly bringing me to tears.
"You say dreams are dreams.
I ain't gonna play the fool anymore.
You say cause I still got my soul!"
This verse brought up a memory of the boy standing before his classmates, declaring his dream of becoming Hokage. They all laughed as he sat down, fake smile still present on his face.
"Take your time baby.
The road needs slowin' down.
Reach yourself, before you gloom.
Reflections of fear make shadows of nothing.
Shadow of nothing…"
This verse showed the boy training his hardest, going through exercise after exercise, to get stronger, and prove them all wrong. The sweat poured off his body as he went through Taijutsu drills.
"You still are blind if you see winding road,
'Cause there's always a straight way to the point you see."
Images of his classmates laughing, his sensei frowning, and the Third Hokage smiling flew through his mind. His eyes flashed wide with passion.
"Don't try to live so wise,
Don't cry 'Cause you're so right.
Don't dry, with fakes or fears,
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end."
The boy ran through the drills with a renewed vigor, each punch or kick twice as powerful. The attacks wore down at the training post before him, chipping it away, splinter by splinter.
The chorus repeated itself twicemore, as the blond's attacks grew more and more ferocious. When the final line was uttered, he uprooted the log, and sent it flying with one swift blow.
"'Cause you will hate yourself in the end.
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end.
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end…"
The boy fell on his back, exhausted. He stared off into the distance at the Hokage Monument, specifically at the 4th Hokage's head smiling down at him. He smiled back before the memory vanished, leaving nothing but black.
I stood frozen against the wall, as the music stopped. I raised a hand over my mouth, only to recoil in slight surprise. My face was damp, tears rolling down my cheeks.
'What the? When did I start to…?" I thought.
I looked over at Uzumaki to see the moonlight glisten off his watery eyes. A single tear fell down his face as he stared up at the moon.
'U-Uzumaki-kun is...Uzumaki's actually…'
'...Crying?'
He smiled up at the night sky, but it was a different smile. While all the ones before had been filled with joy, mischief, and a bit of...something else, this one was different. This smile brought out that "something else" full-force.
It was sadness. Sorrow. So many different emotions wrapped up into one. But at its root was one alone.
Loneliness.
He stood up, and walked by me silently.
"...Good night, Apollo…" he said, without turning.
And he walked away.
- x - x - x -
Aaaaaand we're done!
But, Jesus Christ on a Bicycle, this chapter took a while! A total of 2 months worth of planning, drafting, and typing!
And this is just the first half of the chapter...ugh…
Quick note: The novels that Minerva was reading are actually fanfics. They're a group of oneshots by DigiFruit, and I definitely recommend you check them out if you're a NaruSaku fan. Hell, I'm a NaruHina fan and I enjoyed them.
(**UPDATE: There's a poll on my profile for this fic! Should the events of the Goddess Arc follow that of the Manga? The Anime? Or Maybe a mix of both? Vote now!**)
"Flag 1.5" should be up anywhere from April to early June. But from now to then, I plan on updating "Hello Again" (yes, it's back!) as well as "The Tail of Naruto Uzumaki" and "A New Beginning".
'Til Then!
- Objection234 (Akane Sasu Sora on YouTube)
