Seven days was all we had until the beginning of the first part of the Chuunin exams. We were going to spend these last few days doing whatever the hell we wanted and no one was going to stop us.
At least, that's how it came to be, what with Hanabi skipping classes the very next day, in order to stick around with us at Casa de Uzumaki. Let me tell you about how Kakashi reacted to the sudden influx of people in the house—it grated his nerves. First off, altogether, there were about twenty-one Genin under a single roof, an Academy student who gave no fucks about academic attendance, nine fox kits that liked to move around the house, and three Jounin.
That's twenty-five people, which soon turned to twenty-eight, because Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon had been learning for quite a while, from Hanabi, on how to sneak out of classes—a task that they finally succeeded in accomplishing after three months' worth of attempts. And not long after, Gai decided to investigate why his team wasn't showing up for training and twenty-eight became twenty-nine.
And twenty-nine plus nine plus one (Akamaru) equals thirty-nine, which is the amount of inhabitants in Casa de Uzumaki! So to clarify, within the span of forty-eight hours, Casa de Uzumaki went from housing five Genin, three Jounin, and nine fox kits, which would be seventeen, to suddenly, thirty-nine. Kakashi had been pretty tolerant so far…then Gai showed up and Gai plus a crowded house equals a disgruntled Kakashi who can't even.
Fortunately, for Kakashi's sanity, Iruka dropped by to pick up a certain quartet of absentees.
"I was hoping Hanabi-san would break out of this habit when all of you graduated…" Iruka sighed. "Now she's gone and included these three, over here…Naruto, I'm holding you accountable for this."
"What did I do, dattebayo?!" Naruto complained.
"It's because of you that Hanabi is like this!" Iruka looked so exasperated, and he had a point, but…
"Actually, if you have anyone to blame—it's Shisui." The beautiful bastard started Hanabi young and she picked up on it.
"Oh god…" Sasuke's eyes widened.
"What's wrong?" Ino was quick to ask.
Sasuke clutched his head in his hands as he looked at Hanabi, who stood at Iruka's side. "She's his legacy."
"I thought that was Naruto-kun?" Shino was perplexed.
"He still is—it's more that Naruto continued what Shisui started," Shikamaru explained.
"And through that extension, she is now Naruto's legacy!" Iruka certainly thought a lot about that, from the looks of his response. "And I would be quite fine with that idea—if only these three didn't become part of that as well!"
Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon all laughed nervously as Iruka looked sternly at them. Hanabi was completely unfazed, having grown used to Iruka over the years, thanks to us…
"We are such bad influences…" I couldn't help but smile when I said this.
"You most certainly are…" Despite what he had said, Iruka didn't seemed too annoyed.
Only six more days until the Chuunin exams…
Come the next day, there was a discernible lacking presence of everyone but Team Kakashi, Yamato, Ao, and Baki. While Kakashi tried to act as if he had nothing to do with it, Zabuza told all and explained that Kakashi had Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai keep their teams occupied with training and away from Casa de Uzumaki.
"There is only so much a man like Kakashi can take in a house like this," Zabuza remarked.
Yamato laughed nervously. "Poor Senpai…"
"You can meet with everyone else tomorrow—just give me enough time to prepare myself," Kakashi informed us as he tried to immerse himself in Icha Icha Paradise. "Though, please do try to leave the house if Gai decides to visit."
As Zabuza had said, there is only so much Kakashi can take. Speaking of Zabuza, he was deliberately pretending to be oblivious to Suigetsu, who was sneaking up on him in an attempt to steal his sword. Just when Suigetsu thought he had the Kubikiribōchō in his clutches, Zabuza moved his sword out of the way.
"You're gonna need to try harder than that, Hōzuki." Zabuza laughed.
"Grr…" Suigetsu growled.
Chōjūrō laughed nervously. "Suigetsu…please don't cause Zabuza trouble…"
"You're not even supposed to touch him now that he's a Konoha-nin," Kiri remarked.
"That's right—but I'll make an exception for the Hōzuki." Zabuza was like that.
"Though, I won't hesitate to freeze you if you harm Zabuza-sama." Haku smiled innocently as Suigetsu quickly cowered behind Chōjūrō.
"He seems quite taken with you," Temari mused, a playful smile having formed on her lips.
Chōjūrō smiled nervously. "It's more that he's using me as a shield…"
"Or since you're wielding his older brother's sword, he's going immediately toward you because of that connection," Sasuke suggested.
"He certainly seems safe around you." Sai smiled. It wasn't a genuine smile, but I could tell he was trying. He must have seen some part of himself in Suigetsu.
The two did also have older brothers who have died…wait, is Sai empathizing? Holy shit—this definitely deserves a sticker!
Smack!
"What did I do?" Sai seemed confused.
"Empathy—the feeling of relating to someone," I replied. "You had Shin, he had Mangetsu…the two of you are younger brothers to them."
Sai blinked a few times and nodded. "Ah! I see!"
Danzō seriously needs to die…
"So how exactly does this sticker thing work?" Kankurō finally decided to ask.
"Positive reinforcement." Good old psychology—it might have only been a ten-week college course, but I sure did remember a lot! "Every time Sai shows some emotion, he gets a sticker, which serves to reinforce this behavior. Basically, I'm teaching him that it is okay to show some emotion."
Or to sum it up, I'm conditioning Sai to stop acting like an emotionless tool.
…
"How the hell are you not a Yamanaka?" Kakashi had put Icha Icha Paradise down after he had heard my explanation.
I shrugged.
Only five more days until the Chuunin exams…
The next day's bothersome hot weather brought our circle of friends to an agreement on visiting one of Konohagakure's lakes for a picnic. We were also going to swim—well, most of us were. Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari didn't exactly know how to swim, what with their Sunagakure lifestyle preventing them from ever having the chance. And yet, it was because of this lifestyle that made Ino insist on getting Gaara, Kankurō, Temari, and anyone else who didn't have a swimsuit get their own swimsuits.
So while Shikamaru, Chōji, Kiba, Shino, Sasuke, and Naruto went to go get a bunch of bento boxes from an Akimichi clan restaurant, the rest of us were busy with swimsuits. Swimsuits…swimsuits everywhere!
"Holy shit—you are pale!" I couldn't help but blurt out when Sai walked out of the changing room wearing only a pair of black board shorts.
Sai blinked a few times and looked at his skin. "I guess I am…"
Neji took one look at Sai and started making his way over to a nearby shelf full of sunblock. "We're going to need more of this."
"I wonder if Sasuke-kun'll let me put sunblock on his back for him…" Ino mused as she waited for Temari to leave the changing room.
"I don't think he'll let anyone touch him…" Sakura remarked. "You remember how he was when we were teaching Hanabi-chan how to swim."
"Riiight…" Ino sighed in dismay. "Too bad…hey, Temari—you done yet?"
"Umm…is it supposed to be tight?" Temari asked as she peered out from behind the curtain. "Because it's really—holy crap, he's pale."
And for the second time, Sai looked at himself. "Hey, Meganekko…what do you call this feeling of discomfort?"
Oh my gosh, is Sai self-conscious? That's adorable! Though, should I really enforce this type of emotion?
…
Smack!
It's an emotion—why not? It's better to teach him what it is than leave him in the dark.
"It's called feeling self-conscious…" I explained. "We'll try to avoid making you feel that way, okay?"
"I see…" Sai smiled. "Thank you, Meganekko!"
…
"You know…I would like to punch the person who thought it would be okay to condition someone to be emotionless." That really pissed off Ino.
"Zabuza-sama said that as much as shinobi try to become killing machines, they are only human." And looks like Haku just—whoa, niiice stomach.
"For a second, I almost thought you were a flat-chested girl," Suigetsu remarked moments after exiting his changing room, now sporting a pair of purple board shorts. "Of course, even the flat one is flatter than you."
"You know, you're really starting to piss me off, Suigetsu…" You're this close to getting a fist to the face!
"Why do you insist on looking at that girl's chest?" Kiri arched his brow at Suigetsu.
"There is nothing wrong with a—" Thank you, Tenten, for shutting Lee up.
"I apologize for Suigetsu…" Chōjūrō exhaled shakily. "I think he just likes messing with you because of your reactions."
Is that so? "Well, if he keeps that shit up, he's gonna regret it."
At that moment, a shit-eating grin crossed Suigetsu's face. "What're you gonna do about it, short stuff?"
"Chōko-chan, no!" Hinata, yes!
SPLASH!
…
…
I was in a pretty bad mood by the time we made it to the lake, where a couple of Naruto's shadow clones should have set up our spot already. They did…but it wasn't just them—oh no.
The Kumo-nin were here.
Oh shit.
They were the same three we had seen the other day at the restaurant. And right now, the red-haired Kumo-nin, Karui, was currently obsessing over Naruto's fox kits, which he had brought along for the picnic. The blond-haired Kumo-nin, Atsui, seemed to have noticed our presence, while the white-haired Kumo-nin, Omoi, was staring specifically at a couple of our friends…that being Neji and Hinata.
"Man, I knew we shouldn't have come here…" Omoi frowned.
"It was hot—what else were we supposed to do, Omoi?" Atsui scratched the side of his head.
"Well, I'm not leaving." Karui seemed rather content to interact with one of Naruto's kits. "What's this little guy's name?"
"That's Tohru!" a Naruto clone said before holding up Kurama. "And this is Kurama—try to watch out for him. He likes to cause trouble."
Leave it to Naruto's clones to forget the tension between Kumogakure and the Hyuuga clan in order to make friends. Neji sure seemed annoyed and Hinata just seemed extremely uncomfortable. Suigetsu, Kiri, and Chōjūrō were confused, as they weren't that well-informed about Konohagakure affairs—especially the one involving the Hyuuga clan and Kumo. Even Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari were still in the dark, considering that it was a private matter for both Hinata and Neji.
As for the rest of us, including the real Naruto, we were inwardly freaking out over how incredibly awkward this situation was. It was only until Chōji blurted out one of two words that I was known for saying and doing an action similar to what I usually did sometimes.
"Food?!" Chōji held out a bento box to Karui, who seemed to be the only one of her teammates to not be affected by the existing tension.
I noticed that Chōji was blushing, and that was probably because Karui was wearing a swimsuit, much like her teammates. It took me a couple of seconds to register that there was more to this than what I had originally assumed. And let me just say, it is friggin' awkward to see your twin crushing on someone, like—Chōji, noooo!
I immediately assumed the worst when it came to Karui's reaction. Like—was she going to shoot him down harshly or something similar to that? Fortunately, that was not the case as Karui just blinked a few times and nodded her head.
"Sure, why not?" was her response to Chōji's outburst.
Once again, food saves the day…sort of.
…
The level of awkwardness managed to settle down a notch once we actually sat down to talk. For one thing, Atsui, Karui, and Omoi barely know what to even think of the Hyuuga affair. I mean, they were rather young when the incident had occurred and, unlike Hinata and Neji, they weren't directly affected by it.
"I know the past can't be changed, but…" Omoi seemed to be the most nervous out of his team.
"Mistakes have been made, but that shouldn't determine the way to act towards us." Karui had a point.
"So let's be friends?" Atsui tried to act cool, but he didn't seem to be doing too well under the serious stare of Hyuuga Neji.
"C'mon Neji—they're guests in our village!" I know this was going to be difficult, but…lingering on the past was never good for anyone. "Just try to tolerate them, at least…?"
Neji stared at me for a good minute before sighing. "Very well…"
"U-Um…I'm H-Hyuuga Hinata!" Hinata was quick to introduce herself to Atsui, Karui, and Omoi after that. "It's nice to meet you!"
And it was Hinata's introduction that broke the ice. Neji might have still been distant to the three, but he was at least able to talk to them. It wasn't much, but again, it was a start.
…
…
"This shouldn't be too hard—right?" Temari looked nervously at Shikamaru as he used his Kagemane to slowly walk her into the shallow lake water.
"Just stay calm—the first step is to let go of your fear!" Ino was trying to calmly walk Temari through her very first swim lesson.
"Aaahh!" Temari shrieked when her left foot entered the water.
Did you know that Temari was aquaphobic? Well, now you do and that was the very reason the poor girl was freaking out, despite being in shallow water with Shikamaru.
"H-Hey—stop struggling." Shikamaru was having a hard time keeping control on Temari, who was most definitely on the verge of tears.
"I don't think I can do this!" It was strange—seeing Temari, of all people, in such a vulnerable state.
"So long as you're under my control, I won't let anything happen to you." Shikamaru tried to be as reassuring as ever. "Now just listen to Ino—she knows what to do."
"Breathe in…and then out." Ino was good at calming people down.
It took a while, but Temari eventually relaxed—and just in time, because Shikamaru had to release his hold on her, in order to avoid exhausting himself. While that went on between Temari, Shikamaru, and Ino, the rest of us were doing our own little thing. Naruto had made a bunch of shadow clones to help Gaara and Kankurō learn how to swim. Unlike their older sister, Gaara and Kankurō were much calmer when it came to the water.
Chōjūrō and Kiri were doing their best to keep Suigetsu from being a dick to Temari. Chōji was doing a rather good job at being subtle around Karui, who was still rather invested in the fox kits. Hinata was trying to take the time to familiarize herself with Omoi and Atsui, while Neji was currently caught up with Lee trying to push him and Sasuke into a competition to see who could swim the fastest.
Tenten stood at the sidelines with Shino, just sighing and shaking her head. Kiba kept egging Neji and Sasuke to go along with what Lee was proposing, with Akamaru barking along for an extra measure. Sai and Sakura were in the water with Haku and I. Haku had summoned Haruka in order to show off a bit and because I might have asked him to—I like Haruka, okay?! The bubbles, man, just…the bubbles! Plus—Haku had never showed his teammates his summons, so I decided now was a good time as any to get Haku to bring out Haruka.
Of course, Haruka was anything but a sea horse when Haku had summoned him—by the by, did you know Haruka was male? I certainly did not, and the only reason I found out was because Haruka was not the tiny sea horse I had expected to see when the smoke had finally cleared. Instead, what we got was a rather attractive blue-eyed, raven-haired merman. Like, what the fuck?!
Humana humana humana humana humana humana humana…
If there's anything about my reaction, it was that I wasn't the only one staring wide-eyed at the bishounen merman that Haku had finished summoning. No—we all were, because hot damn, look at those muscles!
Stupid sexy Haruka…
"H-Haruka?!" Haku was absolutely shocked. "Wh-What happened?"
Meanwhile with Haruka, the attractive little shit, he looked at himself. He then scratched the back of his head and said (he can speak), "Growth spurt."
Turns out, Haku's sea dragons are capable of taking the form of humans—or at least a form similar to that of Haruka's. As sea horses are technically considered the children of sea dragons, when it pertains to Haku's summons, when a sea horse begins to start growing into the next stage of its life, you basically get what Haruka is. He'll eventually revert back to a form more appropriate for a sea dragon. Until then, Haruka is stuck looking like a bishounen merman.
I have no idea what to even think of this. All I know is that, by the end of this day, Atsui, Karui, and Omoi joined our little circle of friends.
Only four more days until the Chuunin exams…
The next day, we ended up spending yet another day at the lake, as swimming lessons continued for Temari, Kankurō, and Gaara, while the rest of us tried to cope with the bothersome hot weather. Summer was definitely here. The days were much longer, now, and the sun was anything but merciful.
I could already see my skin beginning to darken after yesterday's outing and, with consistent sun exposure plus swimming, I was going to darken immensely. Not that I mind, or anything—I mean, it's definitely better than getting sunburned. I just seriously don't like staying out in the sun—it's fucking hot, okay?!
"So you're telling me your clan owns the restaurants that make this delicious food?!" Karui seems completely obsessed with Akimichi clan food. "That is awesome!"
Chōji seemed rather flattered, as was I, but I could tell that Karui's words affected him more than it did me. I think it's cute Chōji has a crush, but really—how the crap did that even happen? Ehh, then again, Karui does look nice in that white, pink-polka-dotted one piece she's wearing. And she's not that bad of a person, if impulsive and irritable at times…but not everyone is perfect. In any case, she's treating my brother with respect, so I'm staying out of this.
"Hey, we got a stalker!" Suigetsu suddenly yelled, pointing out a nearly hidden girl who had been hiding behind a tree.
The girl peered out from behind the tree, looking rather mad as she yelled, "I am not a stalker!"
I had the biggest shock in my life when I noticed the girl's red hair and glasses. Holy fuck, it's Karin!
What the hell?!
"Then explain why you were watching us for the past hour?" Suigetsu seemed intent on proving that he was right about Karin stalking us.
Karin scowled as she adjusted her glasses. "Idiot—why would I stare at you for an hour?"
"Maybe you saw something you liked?" Suigetsu grinned. He was trying to provoke Karin and Chōjūrō caught on quickly by trying to change the subject.
"S-So who are you?" Chōjūrō asked.
Karin stared at Chōjūrō questioningly, briefly glancing at the rest of us as if we were going to do something. Slowly, she walked out from behind the tree. She was only wearing a lavender-colored one piece and as very obviously unarmed, but she pretended as though she was. "Karin from Kusagakure—if you do anything funny, I won't hesitate to attack."
"Why would we do anything, dattebayo?" Naruto frowned. "Hey, why were you watching us? Do you want to eat-ttebayo? Is that it?"
Karin said nothing and just stared at Naruto. She seemed less tense just looking at him though, but she still kept her guard up.
"There's a lot of food!" Naruto held up a bento box. "Hey, Chōko-chan, can she eat with us-ttebayo?"
"It's up to her." Frankly, I'm still trying to get over the shock that Karin is right there. "But if she wants to, she can."
Silence…
"Fine, I'll eat your food—but this doesn't mean anything!" A light blush tinged Karin's cheeks.
And that is how this circle of friends gained a stalker of some sort—we introduced ourselves to her, but Karin like to keep her distance and preferred to watch us than interact. The reason she had been hiding behind the tree was because she had been at the lake first before any of us. She hid when she sensed us coming—by the by, Karin was a sensor type. She was capable of detecting the presence of other people by directly sensing their chakra—which was how she detected us and considering our large number, Karin had every right to hide.
We might have unintentionally intimidated her with our arrival. Karin was on her own, since she had wanted to be on her own, away from her teammates, in a village that was not hers. Though, she seemed rather relaxed around Naruto for reasons that I couldn't exactly understand…and, in contrast, extremely uneasy around Gaara.
I barely know much about Karin, except her obsession with Sasuke (which is absent, fortunately), affiliation with Team Hebi, her healing abilities, I am aware that she is an Uzumaki, and something about perfume…
Oh, and her extremely volatile relationship with Suigetsu, which still seems to be a thing, based on how much Suigetsu keeps trying to provoke her. At least Suigetsu has stopped bugging me, for the time being, but I don't think Karin appreciates the attention.
SPLASH!
Nope, she most definitely does not.
Only three more days until the Chuunin exams…
As of today, Neji was now fourteen!
Happy birthday, Neji!
We went to an Akimichi clan restaurant to celebrate—all twenty-five of us, plus ten (the fox kits and Akamaru). Our group was getting bigger with each passing day. It was almost ridiculous…but we were having a great time getting along—to a point, though. Karin and Suigetsu got along like water and oil. And Neji was still distant toward the Kumo-nin—just not as much as he had been previously. A lot of work needs to be done, though I don't think too much can be done about Karin and Suigetsu, since the little shit likes messing with the Uzumaki (is Karin even aware she is an Uzumaki?).
That aside, I decided now was a good time as any to give Neji an item I have been holding onto since Wave Country… "Happy birthday, Neji!"
Neji stared at the scroll I held out to him. "What is this…?"
"It's a summoning contract!" I chirped. "They're bats!"
"Bats…" Neji repeated.
I frowned. "Unless you want the crabs, then I can get them for you…?"
Neji shook his head and took the scroll. "I'm fine with anything you give me."
At that moment, three Iwa-nin approached the table we were all sitting at. I have no idea how long they had been inside this restaurant, but their appearance nearly scared the crap out of me. It didn't help that they were all older than we were—well, most of us (Kiri is still the oldest in our group). The spiky, brown-haired Iwa-nin seemed to be around Kiri's age. As for the extremely large (in height and build) Iwa-nin, his age was a little ambiguous, but the youthful look on his face made him appear at least younger than twenty. The raven-haired, pink-eyed Iwa-nin seemed to be the youngest out of her team, as well as the shortest. She was also the first out of her teammates to speak with us.
"Well, well—isn't this the cutest proposal I have ever seen!" Iwa-nin say what?!
"Excuse me?" Neji was baffled.
The pink-eyed kunoichi blinked a few times, seeming somewhat perplexed. "Don't you know? A gift like that given on a specific day is considered a proposal and since you've accepted it, that act binds you together in marriage."
Oh fucking hell—not again!
"Kurotsuchi—I don't think Konohagakure follows that custom," Kurotsuchi's large teammate remarked.
Kurotsuchi…where have I heard that name before—fucking hell, she's the Tsuchikage's granddaughter!
"Hey, I know that name-ttebayo!" Naruto seemed rather proud of that fact. "Your grandfather's the Tsuchikage, huh? Huh?"
"Oh, so you've met the old man?" Kurotsuchi grinned. "How was he?"
"Look—can someone just fill me in what happened just now?" I mean, don't leave me hanging—what the heck was the whole proposal thing about? Don't leave me in the dark!
…
Apparently, in Iwagakure, handing people scrolls that contain jutsu or summoning contracts on a specific date—such as a birthday—as a gift is considered a marriage proposal, which, if accepted, legally binds the gift giver and receiver. There is just something so…specific about this custom. Like, what the heck—you seriously have to be careful with stuff like this!
I'm really glad that we cleared things up and, while we were at it, got some introductions out of the way. Introducing Team Kitsuchi's Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Ittan, the Genin team representing Iwagakure—they were here to stay for the Chuunin exams and, considering the current trend that seems to keep occurring, they might as well be part of this circle of friends.
I'm still extremely concerned about any of them finding out anything familiar about Naruto. The only reason things haven't been as awkward, was because Team Kakashi was in their Team Blast From The Past attire. Despite this, we got along well with Team Kitsuchi.
And so our group just getting bigger and bigger—Kakashi was certainly not going to be happy if we ever decided to go to Casa de Uzumaki, so we refrained from doing so. Kakashi needed a break and rather than staying cooped up inside a house, I think it was better for all of us to stay out and about in Konoha.
It sure did give us some interesting sights, such as seeing the Raikage chase after Bee and Yugito—why were they even running?
Only two more days until the Chuunin exams…
I might have been harping a bit on the other hidden villages' customs (and if I was, it was completely unintentional), but I would like to point out that Konohagakure isn't exactly as normal as it appears. There is much more to us than one would see at first glance. To begin with, I shall bring up a rather iconic landmark of this village. It was one that signified the founding of this hidden village.
Deep within the forests surrounding Konoha, there is a giant tree that stands out from the others. It is a tree unlike any other, for it is hollow and yet, despite being hollow, it still "lives" off the chakra of many plants and vegetation surrounding it. It is extremely large and wide, with a babbling brook running past the side of the base.
The story goes that the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama, grew the tree that once stood previously before tree that now stands there in that place. He sculpted it as he grew it, turning it into a magnificent tree known as the First Tree. Alas—the tree met its end when Uchiha Madara destroyed the tree.
Fortunately, one of Hashirama's children managed to regrow it, using Hashirama's notes regarding the tree as a reference. And from the tree that was regrown, came an even grander tree. It is the tree that now stands much taller than its predecessor did—a tree that contains quite a lot of history. It is a tree that is considered quite sacred in this entire village—the Tree of Harmony.
There is really something special about a tree like this. Words can't really be used to describe the feeling one gets by looking at it. For any foreigners visiting Konoha, a visit to the Tree of Harmony is a must…at least, that's what most tourists are told—whenever we get any, that is.
It was Naruto who ended up suggesting we all go to this location when we were out of ideas on where to go. None of us felt like swimming today, but it was still too hot for any of us to feel comfortable just hanging around Konoha. Nobody really protested, and considering we had many guests with us who had never been in Konoha before until now...this was a good time as any to introduce them to our customs.
"Hey, let's go! Hey, let's go!
I'm happy as can be,
Let's go walking, you and me,
Ready, set, come on, let's go!"
There was always something about visiting the Tree of Harmony that made most of us feel a sense of ease and happiness. I was in such a good mood that I was actually singing as we made our way to the Tree of Harmony, with Naruto leading the way.
It has been a quite a while since we last visited the tree. The last time we did, was when Shisui was still alive. The thing about the Tree of Harmony is that one doesn't just visit the tree. It's an experience—one that can't really be explained.
"The foxes and the badgers too,
All come out to play.
They all want to explore,
The deep and wonderful woods all day!"
What's funny is that the fox kits were with us. Kurama was still being a little troublemaker, Yuu seemed to be the designated leader of the pack or whatever appropriate term was used to describe a group of foxes, Ryuuichi seemed to be the one that stuck around closer to Naruto, as did Tohru and Kyo. Jotaro, Kakyoin, and Blue were practically everywhere, their sense of adventure high. As for Yosuke, Gaara took an interest in him and was currently carrying the marble fox.
"Look at all my many friends,
Ready, set, let's go!"
Sometimes, songs can be extremely fitting, depending on the situation. For this one, this song is just that and I am amazed at how Suigetsu was able to stop being a little shit for once. I was expecting him to start picking on me once I had stopped singing. Instead, there was nothing but silence…the only sound being that of the many chirping birds and singing of cicadas. Oh man, near the end of summer, the cicadas are going to get on everyone's nerves.
Anyways, the reason why Suigetsu had never said anything was because we finally arrived at our destination. And the one thing that usually happens to newcomers is this awestruck expression and silence that follows after. That was what happened to our friends from Iwa, Kiri, Kumo, Kusa, and Suna.
"Behold, the Tree of Harmony!" Naruto was quick to introduce the massive tree before us. It was just as magnificent as ever. "On the outside, you can see the many carvings of animals, of which are first generation Boss summons-ttebayo."
According to the information Naruto had learned, the carvings were originally supposed to have a different role, such as being containers of the summoning contract scrolls that matched its respective carving. One had to break through the carving to get to the scroll, but it was a design that was never acted upon and the carvings were just left alone. The carvings becoming something more akin to showing a summon their ancestral roots in a way. As mentioned before, this tree contains quite a lot of history.
In fact, there is much more to it on the inside, than the outside. Naruto led us around the base of the tree, looking through the many gaps of the giant roots before stopping across a certain gap. He grinned widely and gestured at us before jumping into the gap. Jumping into the gap landed us in a slide-like slope that took us into many directions, from down to up, left to right, and any combinations of the aforementioned directions. It was quite fun and best of all—no splinters!
Eventually, all of us landed in a patch of soft grass, so our landing wasn't that rough. There was a couple moments of silence before Kiba loudly exclaimed, saying that the slide was one of his favorite parts about the tree.
"It's been too long, ahahaha!" Kiba laughed. "You've never been here before, huh, Akamaru?"
Bark!
"Whoa!" seemed to be our guests' responses as they looked around the inside of the tree.
Being as gigantic and wide as it was, the tree was able to contain so much more inside of it than one would ever imagine. There was a vibrant green grass floor with a river flowing through it. Sunlight streamed through the leafy ceiling of sorts above us. The temperature was moderately cool, unlike the temperature outside of the tree. It was nice…
There were also quite a lot of flowers growing all around the area, but what made them so special is that these were the types of flowers that have not been seen around since Hashirama was the Hokage. For Shino, he considered this one of his favorite aspects of the Tree of Harmony, which he shared with Ino and Sakura.
If you sat around and stayed quiet, you could listen to the echoing of chirping birds, the flowing water of the river, and—if you listened really closely—you could hear a heartbeat. The tree is alive and there is just something so special about this tree that one really couldn't explain.
"It's like an emotion that is tangible," Naruto remarked. "You can feel it…at least, that's what I think, dattebayo. Before I met any of you guys, I used to come here all the time when I was little, to escape the villagers' glares and stuff. I felt at peace here."
What Naruto had said probably explained the tree as best as anyone could. Also, my feels…stop!
"I thought this could be a cool secret training ground, but I could never bring myself to practice here-ttebayo." Naruto grinned as he scratched the back of his head.
"…Sai, are you crying?" Sasuke suddenly said.
Immediately, all attention was on Sai, who wore a blank expression on his face as tears streamed down his cheeks. He seemed so surprised, that he hesitated to touch the wet trails of tears on his face. Has it really been that long since he last cried?
"It feels…as though something is squeezing me inside," was all Sai could really say. "It hurts…"
My chest practically tightened when I heard Sai say that. I walked over to him and, instead of giving him a sticker, I hugged him. "You're sad…"
"Why?" That was a question that I would think that some people would ask, in regards to crying.
"Sometimes...there are just things you really can't explain." I smiled wryly as I gently placed a sticker on Sai's hitai-ate. "Because you can feel sad for various reasons…when something bad happens, something feels bittersweet, or when someone leaves—really, it depends on the person."
"I miss Shin…" Sai sniffed.
And for the first time, in the entire month and some days that we had known Sai, he started sobbing. Our reaction to this, as many of the others new to our group would learn, was to initiate a group hug. Up until this day, Sai was clueless about showing emotion. Now, I think he gained a decent grasp on what they were. It will still take him some time, but I'd say that this experience, overall, is a great step forward toward undoing Danzō's conditioning.
You better watch your back, you Sharingan-stealing bastard…
Since Sai had never felt such a rush of emotions before, it wasn't too much of a surprise that the sensation left him feeling so overwhelmed. We had to leave early because of poor Sai. Ino had never been so pissed in her life to see someone react the way he did.
"I seriously want to punch the person who did this to Sai…" Ino held up her tightened fist as she watched Haku and Sakura console Sai, who seemed rather exhausted.
"Naruto, we gotta go!" Sasuke called out to Naruto, who was currently somewhere within the depths of this tree.
"I'll be back in a sec, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled back.
Only one more day until the Chuunin exams…
Today was our last day, because tomorrow was the day the Chuunin exams began. We were back at the Tree of Harmony, with extra guests that were the jinchuuriki of Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo. Naruto had made it his goal to bring them along, since he felt like showing the friends he had made during the dinner such a beautiful place.
"This is beautiful…" Yugito was awestruck.
For once, Bee was having trouble rhyming and just stayed silent as he marveled his surroundings. Han seemed rather intrigued with the tiny birds that had perched themselves on top of his hat. Utakata started laughing when a couple of butterflies had landed in Yagura's hair. And Rōshi just seemed close to tears—all of them seemed close to tears, actually. Even Naruto and Gaara, for reasons that none of them could even explain.
It got even more confusing once we arrive to the carvings inside the tree. While the outside carvings were that of first generation Boss summons, the inside carvings were of the bijuu. The thing about the tree that is quite tragic was that it was meant to signify the unity that followed after the Warring States Period. The Five Great Shinobi Countries used to get along…
Then the First Shinobi World War happened.
Of course, now…it's complicated. The Five Great Shinobi Countries are together again, but just for the Chuunin exams. Still—it's not something that should be overlooked.
And right now, all of the jinchuuriki are going to what I believe were their respective bijuu's carvings. It was as though something was drawing them to the carvings. Gaara had walked up to the carving that I had long associated as Shukaku's carving, which was of a one-tailed tanuki. Yugito lightly trailed her fingers across the carving of the two-tailed bakaneko. Yagura's gaze was fixated on the carving of the three-tailed turtle. Rōshi had his hand held over the carving of the four-tailed monkey. Han just stared at the carving of the Gobi, of which I always thought looked like a combination of a horse and a dolphin—it's strange.
The only reason I knew that the Rokubi was a slug was because I had asked Utakata in private as to what his bijuu a few days ago, during that dinner with the Sandaime and the others. He had seemed so amused that I had asked him and now, as he looked at the carving of the six-tailed slug, his expression was that of astonishment.
The Nanabi was the only carving that was left alone and years ago, Shino had correctly identified it as a kabutomushi—or a horned beetle. I could only assume that our missing jinchuuriki from Takigakure was the container of the Nanabi at this point. I wonder if we'll ever get to see them…
And if there's one thing I know about Gyūki—apart from being Bee's bijuu—it was that they were like this cross between an ox and an octopus. The things I managed to remember from my past life…
I really wished I had more information than I do now. Though, in a way, I think it is somewhat best to be ignorant. Not always—just sometimes. Still...the information I have now is somewhat useful. It's enough for me to know why Bee is so drawn to the carving of the Hachibi.
And Naruto, as always, was drawn to Kurama's carving. It was something that Shisui had commented on, and, being who we were years ago, we never thought too much about it, but now…something was up. Even his fox kits were gathering around the carving.
All at once, the jinchuuriki began crying…and we had no idea why. They just did. Gaara tried his best to wipe away the tears, but they just kept coming. Yugito was quite shocked that she was even crying, though she did seemed drawn to Yagura, who was bawling his eyes out like a child. For once, he didn't seem too against the idea of being treated like a child when Yugito patted him on the shoulder. In fact, he just latched his arms around her waist in an embrace as he cried.
One thing about Rōshi that I never really mentioned was that, for an adult his age, he was rather short. Not as short as Yagura, but he was still around our height (and taller than me). He seemed so much smaller and shorter than he was, just standing next to Han. Of course, everyone looked smaller around Han. And yet, as the two of them cried, Rōshi and Han both looked so small, their distinct height differences not really doing much in their current state.
Utakata tried to distract himself with his bubbles, but the tears kept coming. Bee had to look away in order to take off his sunglasses and wipe away the tears without any of us getting a chance to catch a glimpse of his eyes.
And Naruto…Naruto looked at his kits, then at the jinchuuriki near him, and, finally, at me. He sniffed, using the back of his sleeve to wipe away the tears that kept coming. "Ch-Chōko-chan…?"
"Why are you crying?" I finally asked the question that all of us were wanting to ask.
"I don't know, dattebayo." Naruto sniffed as he wiped his eyes again. "It's like…it's like when you named Kurama. Only, instead of feeling mad...I feel sad. I just don't know why..."
It was an answer that Gaara, Yugito, Yagura, Rōshi, Han, Utakata, and Bee could agree on—they just felt so sad, but didn't know why.
"Maybe we should go somewhere else, away from these carvings." Shikamaru seemed onto something, but there was something else about the look in his eye as he looked at Naruto and the others who were like him. I wonder if he's figured it out…
…
By the time we reached the center of the tree, those who had been crying finally stopped. The jinchuuriki with us seemed much calmer, if content. Bee was back to his usual rapping habits, making it his goal to show his appreciation for the tree through his rapping. Yagura seemed a bit embarrassed as he talked to Yugito, apologizing for his behavior, but she brushed it off, saying it was fine.
Gaara had distanced himself away from the others and found solace in his siblings, who were asking him if everything was fine. As much as Gaara said he was fine, he looked anything but fine. Birds continued to perch themselves on Han's hat, with Rōshi making a comment about it, only stopping when a bird landed right on top of his head. Han laughed at this.
Utakata continued to blow bubbles, saying that he liked the way they appeared inside this tree. The lighting from the sun streaming through the leafy ceiling above us gave the bubbles a rather pretty sheen. Of course, the bubbles also acted as a bit of a toy for the kits, who chased after them as they drifted lower and lower to the ground. I noticed Utakata smiling at the sight when he thought no one was looking, so there was that.
And Naruto was so hyped up to tell everyone about the graves that were inside this tree—by the way, did you know that the Tree of Harmony also acted as a makeshift tomb of sorts for our Hokage? Well, now you know and let me just say, it's something that's happened recently. Like say—right after the Yondaime had died. The Sandaime decided to relocate the graves of the deceased Hokage to the Tree of Harmony. And alongside the Hokage's graves were trees that were very much like Shisui's tree.
The thing about Ino's family's side business was that it's actually part of an old custom the Senju clan had, in regards to what they did with their dead. Considering what used to be of the world during the Warring States Period, the trees were meant to honor the dead of many of the Senju clan's kin. So many trees…so many deaths…it was sobering.
And yet, it was a custom that seemed to have been extended to anyone who had become Hokage. In death, their ashes would be mixed with the soil of a tree that would grow in place of their grave. So far, there are only three graves, of which have been relocated to this tree. It was a decision Hiruzen had made after the Yondaime had met his death.
Senju Hashirama's tree was a plum blossom tree that was flowering rather beautifully. Senju Tobirama had a walnut tree, and Namikaze Minato had a beech tree. Nearby the trees were uncolored statues of the Hokage. I was a little worried about our Iwa-nin companions recognizing Minato's statue, but all they really did was stare at the trees.
"So the Nidaime has a walnut tree for his marker?" Kurotsuchi asked as she looked over the tall tree.
"Well…" Naruto grinned widely as he scratched the back of his head. "From what I've heard about him from Jiji, Tobirama-san was a bit of an insensitive walnut…so it does fit."
At that moment, Sai burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. It was so sudden and just, so jarring—this was the first time we have ever heard Sai laugh like that. It was so genuine…
Smack!
Sai wasn't able to say anything for a bit, as he was still laughing, but I could tell he wanted to thank me for the sticker. He's really come a long way since he showed up at our door…
"So far, the Raikage's hat has been passed down from father to son since they keep going crazy," Yugito suddenly began. "If one of us was caught even insulting Ay-sama's line like that, we would get a strict scolding at the least."
Naruto looked strangely at Yugito. "Is there just a giant sign that says, 'No Fun', in your village?"
"No fun, more like can't run," Bee remarked.
"Speaking of run, why exactly was the Raikage chasing after you two a couple of days back?" Sasuke asked.
Yugito laughed awkwardly. "We might have snuck out while Ay-sama was taking a nap…"
"To do what?" I was honestly curious.
"Little lady was getting bored, so I suggested we get a reward," Bee explained.
"Freedom, with a side order of karaoke." Yugito stuck her tongue out a bit. "Bee wasn't supposed to have left the room, though…"
"It's all right—and I think we're rather tight." Bee grinned as he held out his fist to Yugito.
Yugito grinned back at Bee and bumped his fist with hers. "Likewise."
It's nice to see these two Jinchuuriki getting along so nicely… The same could be said about Utakata and Yagura, who are acting like a pair of brothers. Ironically, Utakata appears more like the older brother, while Yagura is the younger brother…
Yagura must never know of this thought…
"You know, you look a lot like the Yondaime Hokage," Karui suddenly said as she looked over the statue of Namikaze Minato.
Karui's comment nearly made my heart stop as I turned my attention to our Iwa companions. Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, and Ittan seemed to be considering Karui's comment as they looked at the statue and then at Naruto. A minute passed, with no one saying anything.
Then Kurotsuchi spoke. "I see some resemblance…but I doubt this kid has what it takes to be the Yellow Flash."
"Not now, at least," Akatsuchi remarked.
"Definitely has a long ways to go…" Ittan added.
"Hey!" Naruto snapped.
Kurotsuchi laughed. "If you don't agree with what we say, then you best prove us wrong in the Chuunin exams. That goes for all of you, okay?"
"We'll be watching all of you from the sidelines." Rōshi grinned.
"So do try to give us a good show." Utakata smirked.
"And don't die…please." Yagura almost sounded as though he was pleading.
His comment really woke us up. We could die in the Chuunin exams if we weren't too careful. And yet—I don't feel scared…why is that? Maybe it's a delayed reaction, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the moment while I'm in it—that's how it's been for me since I was born into this world. It's still not the smartest thing I have ever done, but it's better than stressing over the events I'm not even too sure will happen or not.
You gotta love deviations, ahahaha….
…
…
We stayed inside the Tree of Harmony far longer than any of us had intended. And for that, we were granted a magnificent sight once the sun had completely set and the sky had darkened. At night, from within the tree, it had a bioluminescent appearance. Really, the glowing color coming off from inside the tree was the chakra that was flowing through it.
When the First Tree was destroyed, the Tree of Harmony had been planted exactly in the location where the First Tree once stood. The reason why the Tree of Harmony grew so much more magnificently than its predecessor was that Hashirama's chakra, which had once flowed through the First Tree, still lingered in that location. It was why the Tree of Harmony flourished so much.
Even now, Hashirama's chakra still flows through this tree, as shown by the glow seen every night, within the tree. The color tends to change with each season, almost like a mood. It just comes to show how alive this tree really is.
Karin described the chakra flowing through the tree as unique. She seemed so dazzled by it, saying that it was comforting—even loving. There was just a flurry of emotions that she got from the tree—all positive.
To be honest, we were never supposed to bring any foreigners inside the tree and yet, look at us, with our party of intriguing characters. It's not so bad, breaking the rules…especially since it's been so beneficial to our bonding. Everyone has been getting along—and for our jinchuuriki guests, getting along with shinobi from their respective villages was a huge plus.
We might have all fallen asleep…well, everyone, except Gaara, who seemed to have been having a rather engaging conversation with Bee when I woke up from my nap. With most of us asleep, seeing Gaara putting his trust in Bee might have made him feel as though he was questioning our trust in him.
And yet, considering how scared Naruto had been when he confided in me about his secret…I don't blame Gaara. I don't blame him at all. For Gaara, Bee was his safest choice as an outlet—someone who wouldn't judge him because they were alike.
I'm not exactly sure what it was they were talking about, because Gaara soon noticed I had woken up, and right after, everyone else had started to wake up. He seemed nervous, but otherwise, somewhat relieved. It showed when Bee had patted Gaara on the head and his hand hadn't come in contact with sand.
Gaara trusted Bee and having someone who could support him was better than being on his own. It was Sasuke and Naruto all over again. The question is whether or not Bee knew everything about Gaara's concerns—about his problems concerning Shukaku, the fact that he has been keeping a huge secret from us for nearly five years, or both. Whatever it was, at least Gaara wasn't alone in that aspect.
Eventually, Gaara will find the courage to confide in us, his friends…today is just not that day. For now, I think it was best to enjoy today for what it was—a day of bonding and possibly, discovery.
Come tomorrow, the Chuunin exams will begin…
…
…
…
A/N 4-20-15 UPDATE: SO BABAVANG OF DEVIANTART DID ANOTHER THING AND JUST...YOU GUYS CAN FINALLY SEE TEAM BLAST FROM THE PAST! The link to it is on my profile, check it out because holy crap, is it awesome! Just...I'm so speechless, I'm just so happy. T^T
Just so you know, the Tree of Harmony came to be because everyone kept saying that Konoha was the most normal out of the hidden villages and you're kinda right…except they have this tree. So despite having rather normal marriage customs, Konoha is still a little nutty (please excuse the pun, if you will, ahaha).
So anyways, the Tree of Harmony came to be when ChibiFoxAI and I came across the Tree That Owns Itself, this tree that pretty much owns itself (look it up). Then she brought up the Tree of Life (look that up, for it is beautiful), and then we remembered Wind Waker. Really, this tree started off as a way to show that Konoha wasn't as normal as it had seemed, and pretty much, we got this beautiful tree that has Hashirama's chakra flowing through it. We pretty much have joint ownership of the idea, in case anyone is wondering…ahahaha, it's a wonderful idea—shush!
So yeah, Konoha kinda sorta worships tree, that soul tree Shisui has is actually part of a Senju clan custom, and if you remember what Naruto had been reading, he was actually reading about Senju clan customs. It is a thing—one that is slowly becoming more and more of a Konoha thing and not just a Senju clan exclusive.
Anyways, in case any of you guys were wondering as for all the crying in this chapter…the Tree of Harmony is a weird tree. It has Hashirama's chakra, but you gotta remember what kind of guy the Shodai Hokage is and I'm referring to the fact that he is an inheritor to Ōtsutsuki Asura's chakra, what with him being a reincarnation of the guy. Hey, look! I actually did the research this time around, with a little help from ChibiFoxAI (get used to seeing her name, she's here to stay)! ^^
Anyways, the reason for the crying is because the Jinchuuriki can recognize Asura's chakra flowing through the trees, since Hashirama was able to tap into it. The carvings, plus the chakra, as well as, if you consider how the Bijuu were created by the Sage of Six Paths, Asura's father, they're technically stepsiblings. If you take all of that onto consideration, it really touches on how highly the Bijuu had viewed Hagoromo in order to feel such a connection to Asura's chakra. Also, take into consideration of the words Karin had used to describe the chakra.
By the by, Karin is now part of this circle of friends, as are Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, Ittan, Atsui, Karui, and Omoi. Really, this group is getting full of more and more characters, so please do excuse the lack of dialogue in some places. It's hard to work when you have like over twenty characters in one setting.
On a side note, you have managed to catch a glimpse of Iwagakure's marriage customs and when it comes to their customs, it's more about being specific and word for word…so, unless otherwise (such as in the case of Chōko and Neji), you would have to know what you're doing in order to get yourself engaged/married.
And Haku is in possession of sea dragons who are capable of taking on a human form or, in the case of Haruka, the form of a bishounen merman…or mermaid (there are females as well). It is a form restricted only to them and it's basically their go-to form whenever they are going through growth spurts, so expect to see more pretty mermen…or mermaids. By the by, does anyone get the reference, because it's there!
Anyways, when it comes to certain emotions and Sai, he will get overwhelmed because of how unused to it he is with strong emotions. Also, Temari is aquaphobic—she's slowly getting over it. Chōko may or may not have qualities that would have made her an excellent Yamanaka (psychology is fun, yo) and likes to sing songs from My Neighbor Totoro (see Stroll for reference), and Kakashi has his limits when it comes to being in a crowded house with Gai.
That being said, let's get on with the shout outs, because this A/N is getting too long for my tastes! Shout out goes to Meilinfan, for being lucky reviewer #600 (wow, already?!), Llyrica (nice name) for being reviewer #610, TheSecretNames for being reviewer #620, and AriaPsiana389 for being reviewer #530. Honorable mentions go to FredFredNineNine, Uchiha Salad, for liking these wacky marriage customs I have given these villages, and KingHoborg, for being a history minor. Thank you all so much for taking the time to review! ^^ I truly appreciate it and I hope to continue hearing from you guys!
So I hope you like this chapter and I promise you guys, the next chapter, it begins. Be it, it will be the first part of the Chuunin exams, but dang it, it's something! Plus, you will be hearing the laments of a second-year college student. Oh, what fun you guys shall have, hearing Chōko suffering through exams. In any case, I had fun writing this chapter!
So until next time, everyone! KD out! XD