Check it! This is a belated Christmas Present! Welcome back to Genesis of the Nindo everyone, and I hope you've all had wonderful holidays. I myself have recently celebrated my twentieth birthday, and enjoyed some very useful presents for Christmas. So, I'll check back with you all at the end of the chapter so for now just enjoy the chapter! See you at the bottom!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. Similarly, I do not own any songs english or japanese.
Chapter Fifty-Four
The Silver-Tongued Devil, Uzumaki Naruto!
Kushina rises with a yawn in, what she assumes is, the morning. Looking to her left Minato's chest rises slowly and calmly as he still slumbers on, one arm wrapped around her hips. Smiling lightly, she leans down and kisses him quickly. However, as she rises so does Minato and captures her lips for a longer languorous kiss.
"You're up early." Minato murmurs, eyes still closed as he rests his head back on the pillow.
"Am I?" Kushina counters, and Minato concedes the point. "What do you fancy for breakfast?"
"I think some oatmeal will be alright." Minato whispers, yawning as he too rises. "Shall we shower?"
"We shall." Kushina murmurs haughtily, rising from the bed. Minato chuckles and follows after her. Despite her attempts to tease him the shower is short as Minato refuses to be swayed. They do, after all, have a book to read. Kushina feels like a giddy school girl whenever their eyes meet and they smile at each other in the room as they get ready. She felt this good start to the morning was a sign that today's chapter would be a good one. Telling as much to Minato, he rewards her with a seductive smile and a sweet kiss.
"Come on, you want to go wake up your brats?" Kushina goads the blonde giddily.
"Oh leave them be . . . for today." Minato stipulates, and Kushina grins madly. Laughing quietly together they leave the room and walk past the living room.
And stop.
". . . That's Kurama." Minato states very quietly, face blank and tone filled with shock.
Kushina cannot speak if even she had anything to say, because Kurama wasn't like she'd always seen him before. When she went to sleep the night before a sunset-furred fox curled on the couch cushions. Now, a beautiful young man stretches over the couch, reclined and peaceful looking.
She walks forward softly, footfalls gentle and near silent. Kneeling down by the front of the couch Kushina pauses and her eyes roam the planes, angles and curves of Kurama's face. The long, blood red lashes that rest upon smooth cheeks. The high cheekbones and pale pink lips that even in sleep were slightly tilted into a vulpine smile. Skin almost like moonlight, the glow of vitality nearly tangible from his skin. And his hair . . .
"It's even brighter than mine!" Kushina whispered excitedly, hands reaching up.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Minato advises her with an indulgent grin, watching her hands hesitate just over the locks of electric red hair.
Kushina looks unsurely at Kurama, and then longingly at his hair. Finally she breaks and her hand sinks knuckles deep into the thick hair. "Its soo silky~" she sighs blissfully, twirling the strands through her fingers. "What on earth does he use?"
"The blood of my enemies." Kurama rumbles, one eye cracking open. Kushina shrieks and lunges away to hit the coffee table with her back. Kurama turns and looks at the woman squirming in pain and laughs. "That will teach you to respect personal space won't it girl?" he laughs heartily.
"Oooh!" Kushina grouses, rubbing frantically at the sing on her spine, accepting Minato's helping hand up as he too tenderly rubs at the forming bruise underneath her blouse with his large palm. "How do you expect me to resist that?"
Kurama snorts, a sound that doesn't sound half as harsh as it should coming from such an elegant frame as he rises from his makeshift bed. Stretching his arms up, he drops them down and lazily adjusts the shoulder of his overlarge shirt, and fiddles with the rolled up sleeves.
"What was that shriek?" Tsunade demands, her door crashing into the wall as she strides into the living room with Jiraiya at her back. When she catches sight of Kurama she stills, processes the image, and then shrieks similarly to Kushina.
Her shriek brought out Minato's genin who let out startled screams or exclaimed curses of their own. Kurama, frowning, scolds them. "Enough! If you all don't retain your good sense and return to decency rather than screeching like common animals I will deal with you!"
"At least you're not a complete fool like them." Kurama snarks to Minato, giving him a cordial nod.
"I take that as the deep compliment it is coming from you, oh King of Demons." Minato laughs with a bow of respect.
"As you should." Kurama answers absently, eyeing the bouncing Kushina who looks hungrily at him. "What?"
Smiling brightly and releasing a squeal of laughter Kushina launches herself forward towards Kurama, and grabs him tightly in a hug as restricting as an anaconda's coils. A breath of shock leaves Kurama as he holds her reflexively, not even realizing he's sort of returning the gesture of affection. "What on earth is wrong with you?"
Turning burning, bright eyes up to Kurama Kushina asks him in surprise, "You're letting me hug you?!"
Frowning even more now, Kurama looks down at them and sees that her words are indeed true. "It can't be helped." He mutters to himself, Kushina close enough to hear the words but confused about their meaning. "Well Kushina," Kurama raises his voice and lightens his tone as he looks down at her. "What do you think?"
"You're really really handsome!" Kushina answers promptly, solemnly. "If I didn't know you were a fox demon I would wonder if you weren't an incubus or something –ttebane. I can't choose between you and Minato now!"
"Kushina!" Minato and Kurama snap in exasperation, glaring at the unrepentantly gleeful redhead.
Sighing, Kurama simply pats her head and then firmly moves her to the couch cushions from his lap. "Well, that's something at least. Tsunade, have you regained your voice?"
"!" Tsunade splutters, still not quite sure of what she's seeing, and what the proper reaction should be.
Clucking his tongue Kurama lets her be as Jiraiya guides the confounded woman to the couch. "Will we have breakfast or do we start reading?"
"I think we can skip breakfast for today." Rin replies faintly, motioning for Jiraiya to pick up the book. "You're next, Jiraiya-sama."
"Hah? Oh, right." Jiraiya picks up the book and clears his throat, grinning as he wonders whether or not anyone will really be listening to the chapter. Seems to him they're all quite content to stare at Kurama who's visibly holding onto his patience.
"Nade!"
"What brat?" Tsunade mutters, focused on the paperwork in front of her. Last week she had just skimmed and accidentally signed a tax hike on sake. She will be twice as vigilant now.
"And that'll last for about a day." Jiraiya chuckles, flinching at the hard punch to his shoulder from Tsunade.
"Dan was your fiancé right?" The question is so out of left field Tsunade nearly jumps up, and stares at Naruto in shock.
"Why would he want to know about Dan?" Tsunade wonders, frowning.
". . . Yes." The answer is too soft spoken so Tsunade clears her throat, voice coming back strong and abrasive. "Yes, why?"
Naruto sprawls in the seat in front of her desk, looking almost dreamy and pensive. "How did he propose to you?" Naruto enquires.
Tsunade puts down her papers and folds her hands together on the desk, looking suspiciously at Naruto. "Why do you want to know?"
"Well, I wonder what it would take to get a woman like you to accept the marriage institution." Naruto answers, shrugging. When Tsunade only glares at him he deflates in his seat and pleads, "Come on Tsunade, humor me?"
"Oh, I've always wanted to hear this story!" Kushina murmurs to Minato excitedly, clasping her hands together tightly.
The office is silent as Tsunade thinks over the request. Whilst he waits, the sand of raindrops gently tapping against the windows of the Hokage's Office offer a natural background music. Large blue eyes slide over to the window and briefly ponder the spring rains, grateful for the new life they coax out and yet wondering how bad the summer storms would be this year.
Tsunade sighs harshly, one hand coming up to twirl the end of a ponytail as she gets lost in her memory. "Well," she murmurs softly, eyes unfocused and distant. "Around that time the war was picking up. Battles were bloody and you never went a day, perhaps even less, without hearing about someone you know dying. So, for Dan and I each day was a mix of sweet relief and bitter agony waiting for the other's name to appear on the list of KIA. Well, six months into a long and furious campaign against the enemy we were finally in Konoha at the same time. He had to recover from a serious poisoning and I was just there for a break finally."
"A break?" Naruto repeats.
"I was surprised too." Rin laughs. "Everyone made it seem like we'd never see Konoha again until the war ended."
"Now we know that we just won't be seeing the war end." Obito agrees with a twisted smile.
"Obito!" Kakashi snaps, cuffing the boy.
Tsunade nods. "Even if it's war, you get some time to recuperate after so many months on duty. We don't want to burn the shinobi out . . . within reason. Anyway— I would visit him in the hospital when I had the time. Many times I was the one administering the antidote because at the time I was the only one who could quickly counter the poisons—"
"Chiyo baa-san's poisons?" Naruto pipes up, interrupting her.
Tsunade gives him a dirty look. "Yes. Can I finish? Thanks. Now . . . okay, the day he proposed to me I was actually chewing his—"
"Ew too much information Nade!"
"NARUTO!" Tsunade and Kushina howl furiously, eyes burning.
"Oh that is nasty! Great job kiddo!" Obito laughs hard, clutching his stomach. Beside him Rin shudders at the grossness of the joke, while Jiraiya remains stonily silent. Minato sends the man a concerned glance, knowing of the still very true feelings the Sage holds for the beautiful medic, but Jiraiya won't acknowledge his looks.
"NARUTO!"
"The nerve of him." Kushina growls, knuckles cracking as her fists tighten.
"Oh, he's just at that age Kushina." Kurama chides her. "Need I remind you, that you were no angel of purity yourself at this time? Especially when you spar—"
"Stop, stop, stop!" Kushina hisses in a panic, all too aware of Minato's perky, interested expression.
"Sorry."
Tsunade growls, and snaps. "Apparently you don't want to hear the story brat! Get out and let me finish the paperwork!"
"I'm sorry, really." Naruto whimpers, cowering under her glare. "Please finish? I promise I won't interrupt again."
Tsunade snorts, and plays a waiting game. She keeps up her glare at Naruto and Naruto keeps up his innocent, angelic expression. Finally, she relents with a sigh. "Fine, like I was saying I was berating him very enthusiastically. He had snuck out a few hours earlier and I had to go drag him back. When I found the idiot he was pale, sweating, and clutching a bouquet of flowers like they were his lifeline. He actually handed them to me when I caught him outside the flower shop with this stupid, nervous little grin!
"So we were in his hospital room and I was taking in a deep breath to keep going when he had the audacity to interrupt me. He told me to take a deep breath of the flowers. I threw the flowers at his head. He laughed but I could tell he was really, really nervous so I assumed it was because he was scared of whatever he was thinking I'd do to him. So I told him, he was a complete and utter fool incapable of keeping himself out of trouble if his life depended on it. He glibly responded that it was probably lucky of him to have fallen in love with the best medic in Konoha. I chucked something at him— I can't remember what but he dodged it. I could never stay too mad at him for long though," Tsunade trails off, a lovely smile tilting the corners of her red lips. "Well, I mean, not as mad as any other idiot spouting cheap lines would make me."
"Like Jiraiya." Rin whispers to her teammates. When they give her confused glances she subtly sends their attention to the Sannin who's thinly veiled disgruntlement is plain even for them to see.
"I hope this entire chapter isn't about Dan, for poor Jiraiya-sama's sake." Obito whispers sympathetically. Rin and Kakashi nod.
"Not even Dan-san was immune." Naruto mutters, and Tsunade still hears him as she smirks.
"My reputation was sterling and couldn't be forfeited even for him." Tsunade primly informs him. "Now where was I . . . right. He picks up the flower, and the way he tenderly fixes the blossoms makes me a little ashamed so I ask for them back."
Jiraiya snorts, a smidge of good humor returning to him. "You never asked for anything back then."
"Shut up." Tsunade scowls.
"Right. Ask."
Tsunade shoots Naruto a glare. "He smiles and hands them back to me. I take a deep breath, and then another, and another. I do love those flowers, and after so long of thinking the smell of death, dirt, and medicine would be stuck in my nostrils it felt really good to be able to still smell something so inherently good. When I back away from the bouquet . . . he was on one knee."
Tsunade heaves a big sigh, placing a hand over her chest like she can still feel the monster butterfly that tore through her lung sac and ravaged her GI tract. "I took a step back. I wanted to bolt. Just . . . run right out of that hospital. But . . . there was such— the expression on his face. It was a little nervous smile and a sort of goofy yet calm expression. But it was flimsy, I could see behind that and see the naked anxiety and dare I say fear on his face. I'd never seen him scared before. I had to stay."
"That's sweet." Minato stage whispers. Nervous titters float around the room as Tsunade crosses her arms and turns her face away, a slight blush lighting her cheekbones.
"He asked me, very sweetly, to marry him. And . . . I said yes within a minute." Tsunade finishes her tale. An unsatisfactory one, she surmises, if Naruto's expression is anything to go by.
"It wasn't unsatisfactory by any means!" Rin cries in protest. "I think it was a lovely tale."
"I can see where he's coming from though." Obito admits. "No fireworks, or daring acts of bravery or strength? No carcass of a bear, or hide of a tiger?"
"What is this, Stonehenge?" Tsunade deadpans. "You need surprisingly little material trappings when you're with someone you love. Right?"
"Right." Minato and Kushina confirm with giddy smiles.
"That's it?" He presses. Tsunade scowls at the expectant tone in his voice.
"What else should there have been?" She snaps.
"No I mean . . . that was it? Flowers and sincerity? You, Nade?" Naruto explains.
"You make me sound like a gold digger." Tsunade growls dangerously.
"I'm not saying you're a gold digger. But you— no, I'm just saying that . . . you're you! Senju Tsunade! One of the most beautiful women in the Elemental Nations? He can't have just got you with flowers!" Naruto cries, lightly rapping the desk with his knuckles.
Tsunade shrugs. "Well, I loved him. We didn't need all of that, we just needed . . . each other."
"Lame." Kakashi snorts under his breath.
There is a brief moment of silence between the two and then Tsunade looks up at the door. "Using the door today, Jiraiya?"
The door opens and Jiraiya walks in, grinning as he scratches the back of his head. "I might have pissed off some of your ANBU . . ." he closes the door behind him and looks at the two blondes in front of him. Slowly, the more he looks at Naruto's face, the more his expression darkens.
"I don't know why you're giving me that face like you absolutely pity me . . ." Jiraiya observes, tone thoughtful and low. "But it's really pissing me off."
Minato chokes but manages to control his laughter, schooling his expression with his high self-control. Others are not so lucky and can only hide behind coughs or pressing knuckles to their lips.
"All right, laugh it up." Jiraiya huffs, rolling his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Tsunade blush heavily but stay silent. Swallowing a sigh he keeps reading.
Ayame wipes down the counter slowly, tracing out whorls and twists as she does so out of pure boredom. The sound of displaced air and flaps hitting something make her look up, a bright smile automatically springing up at the sight of Ichiraku's most prized customer. "Naruto!"
"Hey Ayame-nee," Naruto grins warmly at the brunette, reaching over to plant a kiss on the girl's cheek. "How's business?"
Snapping the cloth in her hand at the cheeky blonde she snickers. "It'll be a lot worse if my many admirers see you getting comfortable with me, upstart. Think of your girlfriend!"
"Please, she wouldn't say no to a tag-team with you." Naruto drawls, waggling his eyebrows. Ayame, scandalized and blushing heavily, hits Naruto full over the head with her cloth, making him wince and clutch his head dramatically. "Ow, Ayame, jeez!"
"Definitely at that age." Minato snickers.
"What a wonderful age." Rin and Obito sigh, high-fiving each other.
"Nothing less than you deserve!" Ayame contests hotly, still blushing. "Now either order or make room for our better behaved customers."
"That ultimatum would have a lot more weight if there were any other customers." Naruto deadpans. As Ayame's expression grows deadly he wisely stops his teasing and gets to the point of his visit. "Just two bowls, one vegetable ramen and one miso ramen. And ask Teuchi-oji if he'd be willing to talk for a little while."
"I'm always here if you need to talk, you know that Naruto!" Teuchi's voice comes out strong from the back where he's making the orders, and both Naruto and Ayame chuckle.
"I know, and I really do need some advice oji-san." Naruto returns.
"He in trouble or something?" Kakashi wonders. "Why not ask me?"
"Something the matter Naruto?" Ayame asks in concern.
Naruto sighs, shoving a hand through his hair. "Well . . . nothing serious or harmful. I just need the advice of people who've done this before."
"Ah." Minato and Jiraiya draw out, grinning at each other.
"I hate when you two get it so much faster than the rest of us!" Kushina groans.
"Maybe you just need to be smarter." Kurama grins, having gotten it quickly too.
"Done what before?" Ayame asks. Then she straightens and shakes her head. "No, no, that was invasive of me, sorry."
"You're never— well—"
"You!" Ayame huffs, and Naruto laughs.
"Don't worry Ayame-nee you're not being invasive I promise. I just need to hear your old man tell me a tale." Naruto assures her. Then, he smirks and looks up at her through his lashes. "Now, while your father's still busy what so you and I do a little— Hey! Put that rolling pin away!"
Jiraiya snorts, good humor now completely returned to him. "That's my boy."
Ayame sniffs, lowering the utensil but not relinquishing it as she returns to her work, rolling pin tucked safely away in her apron pocket.
"Tough crowd." Naruto mutters, resting his elbows on the counter and holding on to the skin just above them as he waits. He does not wait long as Teuchi comes out with two steaming bowls, and places them in front of Naruto. Miso first, and then vegetable.
Naruto smirks at Teuchi. "I might have liked the vegetable—"
"Miso first from the time you first arrived here, whenever you order it." Teuchi cuts him off, smirking back. "This old dog doesn't need new tricks when his old ones are so impressive."
"It got to the point where even we were predictable, right Kushina?" Minato smiles at his girlfriend.
"That'd be hubris if it weren't so richly deserved." Naruto notes, breaking apart his chopsticks. "Thanks for the food."
"So," Teuchi starts, leaning on the counter and raising his eyebrows at the young man. "What is it you wanted to talk about with me?"
Naruto chews on a mouthful of noodles thoughtfully, looking at Teuchi. Teuchi struggles to withhold a smile at the way Naruto's eyes seem to look into him, maybe even right through. The boy was more like his father than he knew.
"Of course that man would know." Kurama mutters. "I've seen more of him than any other person through Kushina, with the exception of Minato. Honestly, it's almost sickening."
"I was hoping you would tell me . . . about how you proposed to Ayame's mother." Naruto asks quietly.
"No way! Teuchi would actually tell that story?!" Kushina shouts in a state of half-panic, half-excitement. "Naruto shouldn't even be asking, that's rude!"
"What's rude in asking someone to recall a loving memory? You just haven't lived long enough to understand Kushina." Kurama counters.
The question definitely wasn't what Teuchi expected and he hums thoughtfully, scratching his chin. Slowly, a smile grows and lifts his face, the weathered skin wrinkling around his mouth and at his brow. "I never have a problem talking about the best times of my life!" Teuchi laughs. "Let's see . . . I suppose you should have a little background information first."
"Oh wait tou-san I want to hear it too!" Ayame protests, quickly putting down her cloth and scurrying around the corner to take a seat next to Naruto.
"But you've already heard it . . ." Teuchi trails off, looking at the two younger folks looking up at him with big, eager eyes much like children. Shaking his head he laughs and continues the story. This was a while ago . . . a very long while ago it feels. I believe this was twelve years into the Sandaime's reign."
"A long time ago indeed." Rin mutters to Obito who sniggers.
"The village was prosperous, peaceful . . . things were a little more cut and dry between the shinobi and civilian sectors, as the Nidaime had a more militaristic approach than his older brother. Which is not to say he looked down upon civilians! No, rather, in regards to the shinobi forces he was very particular, fair and strict but certainly not unkind to anyone. He dutifully carried on the Will of Fire, and at the time of his passing, it blazed to life in the Sandaime.
"Would you say the same thing Tsunade-sama?" Minato asks the woman, who would have lived through some of the Nidaime's reign.
Tsunade nods. "Yes, great-uncle Tobirama was very particular about it. I'd best describe Konoha then as Kumo nowadays— or that is to say, Kumo in Naruto's time. Shinobi and civilians didn't mix noticeably like now."
"I had a girl who caught my eye a few years prior. Back in those days, dating wasn't common. What you did was go through a girl's family and arrange meetings or courting, if you will. Especially if that girl was from a clan family, or even one with an older, respected civilian background. The most you did back then was take a girl out for a walk, or join her in the veranda of her home, so as to preserve her honor and to ward off rumors like if you two went off by yourselves in a place others couldn't supervise you. Hell— back in those days courting a girl, was courting about half the village! All the family, family friends, and even close work associates of the girl's family were scrutinizing you." Teuchi laughed, slapping a hand on the counter.
"How terrifying." Obito shivers, looking highly worried at the thought of having to go through such a process with any other clan member. Going through all the Inuzuka for Rin? A true test of love and devotion indeed!
"It's the same thing now isn't it?" Jiraiya laughs. "Though I guess work associates would be exempt from this— otherwise, everyone else is lighting a fire under your ass."
"But what made the situation even worse? The girl of my dreams was the apple of her shinobi father's eye. His daughter, and only child!
"Oh!" All the men in the room flinch.
"Thank God Naruto is a boy. If he were to be a girl instead . . . I couldn't read this." Minato confesses with a cringe.
"I wouldn't let her leave the compound. Ever." Kakashi mutters, eye twitching at the mere thought of children, let alone a girl. Hives were ready to break out at any moment.
"You had all sons Kurama, what's your problem?" Kushina laughs, seeing the odd glint in Kurama's eyes. The demon does not respond, merely glances at her before smirking slyly.
"Shall I—"
"No!" Kushina snaps, preventing him from saying something that would embarrass her.
Keeping in mind the differences between civilian and shinobi relations then and now, you can guess that her father was more than a little nerve wracking to me. She wasn't a shinobi though— not too many woman became kunoichi in those days, more out practicality than want. Ask Hokage-sama what I mean about that," Teuchi adds, to waylay the questions he saw spring up in Naruto.
"Meaning no one had yet created ways to regulate a woman's menstrual cycle so that she'd only need a period only a few times a year as opposed to every month. Not to mention a method of birth control that would later become regulation as to prevent pregnancy either due to deep cover work or other complications in our line of work with a success rate of 98%." Tsunade explains, mostly for Kushina's and the genin's benefit. Rin would have learned this all during her beginning training as a medic, and Jiraiya watched her create the birth control. Minato would just know. Period.
"Now . . . like I said, we had been meeting each other for a few years, first as school mates and then later on as suitors. I loved her, there wasn't any other woman for me. So, on a hot summer day, drenched in humidity and my own fear, I made the trip to her house. Of course, I made sure to dunk myself in the river a few miles from it before going there so at least wouldn't smell a mess. Looks were beyond saving at that point."
"Oh don't be like that tou-chan!" Ayame protests. Turning to Naruto she adds, "I ought to show you dad's pictures sometimes. He was really good looking!"
"You have to say that, you're my daughter." Teuchi grumbles, his smile showing them he was kidding. "It was mandatory back then that if you wanted to marry, you needed the approval of both families. My folks were completely fine with it, of course. All they ever had was noodles on the brain anyway and so long as my future wife liked their noodles everything was fine."
"So this is a family business?" Naruto asks, gesturing to the stall.
"Wasn't known as Ichiraku's before. My parents were partnered with another family of noodle makers, who unfortunately died sometime towards the end of the Second War. I was eventually the one to reopen the stand several years later under our family name." Teuchi answers, nodding.
"Back to the story. I . . . I'm not exaggerating when I say that was one of the scariest days of my life. Third scariest, in fact. Sitting in front of that man, and even though he had on an impeccable poker face I could see it in his eyes. He was wondering how fine the line was between stupidity and bravery for me to dare ask his daughter's hand in marriage. I'll admit it was three parts stupidity and one part overwhelming love for my late wife. He said no the first time, and I was so dejected it took me two weeks to face her again."
"Boo!" Kushina, Obito and Rin holler.
"Why'd he say no?" Naruto asks, indignant.
Teuchi smiles at Naruto's affronted face. "He didn't believe I could support his daughter or any family we made together just serving noodles. And, for a time I believed it too. That I wasn't good enough for the woman I loved, and perhaps she should find someone better. I made the mistake of telling her this. Naruto," Teuchi pauses, face morphing gravely as he turns to face Naruto directly. "If you take nothing else from this story, take this. Never tell a woman how to make up her mind. Ever. My ears never did work quite right after she got finished tearing a piece out of my hide . . ."
"What excellent advice. If only I had a capable, responsible male in the early stages of my life to tell me such wisdom. I might be twice improved." Minato praises aloud,corners of his lips twitching at Jiraiya's affronted scoff.
"I was plenty capable! You just never took my advice on women." Jiraiya argues.
"Most likely, though I don't know you well enough to say this is fact," Kurama offers helpfully. "Your advice was, in terms of common sense and wisdom, the exact opposite of the ramen seller's advice."
"It's genetic then." Naruto murmurs, looking at Ayame out of the corner of his eye.
"For the sake of Tou-chan's remaining hearing I won't comment on that." Ayame informs Naruto stiffly.
"Good girl, so caring to her father." Teuchi sighs, having covered his laugh with a rough cough. "Well, Naruto, it took me another two years to prove to that man I was worthy. I worked hard, grinded my nose to the stone and the flour. My blood became broth and my will became tempered. Within two years I had completed my father's teachings and worked alongside him as the best chef in the family business, earning myself a few of my own loyal customers who would eat nothing but my own creations. High praise indeed, for any chef I can assure you."
"Hooray for goals!" Kushina cheers.
"You're badass card is revoked you romantic softy." Tsunade declares.
"I get it, like having clients ask specifically for a certain shinobi shows how pleased they were with their performance from a past mission, and their continued patronage to the village." Naruto presents the comparison and Tecuhi nods with a wide grin.
"Yes, exactly like that! Those two years were panful too, watching other men sniff around and try to entertain her father's favor. He never did though, and it wasn't until years after he died that my wife divulged to me that he had intended to give her hand in marriage to me— not because he especially liked me, but because he loved his daughter enough to do near anything for her happiness, and I suppose he held a tiny bit of respect for me. So, one night after a grueling fry up for a bachelor party and a business dinner, I immediately went back to my apartment and dressed in my nicest formal kimono, one I had worn to my cousin's wedding a year ago but I wasn't exactly rolling in the dough— oh, wait."
"BWAHAA!" Obito bawls, slapping the table with his hand. "I got it!"
"Yes, we all got it." Minato deadpans. "Funny fun fun time."
"Oji-san/Tou-chan!" Naruto and Ayame complain, the pun physically paining them.
"Haha! Oh hush, that was funny!" Teuchi guffaws. "Oh fine, then . . . right, I got dressed up, and met my girl's father again. It was lucky enough he was willing to receive me at that time of night, any visits after six were generally considered rude. She was right there . . . blushing and beautiful. I looked him right in the eye the, with her in the room my courage was tenfold and I could take on a chuunin I felt. It took a long while to persuade him but eventually he offered his blessing and allowed us to take a walk in the gardens together.
"Who knew Teuchi was so brave!" Kushina laughed. "I thought he was too gentle for such things unless anyone bothered his baby girl."
"I'll bet he grows deadlier as she grows older and lovelier." Minato chuckles.
Teuchi turns to Ayame, a soft light in his eyes and a content smile on his face. "Your mother was so beautiful that night. She wore the kimono she handed down to you."
"The red koi kimono." Ayame sighs, holding her face in her hands and smiling sappily.
"And you, looking exactly like her, need only imagine . . . the moon was full and heavy, the sky littered with stars. Under that tree that rustled with each breath . . ." Teuchi chuckles lightly, looking down at his large weathered hands. He turns them palm up and examines them for a short while. "I stumbled over my speech— I had one prepared. I barely even got a full sentence out before I decided to cut my losses and just give her the ring. Nothing fancy I'm sorry to say. An opal in a gold band."
"I like opals." Rin frowns at Teuchi's low worth of his own ring. He worked long and hard, toiled for that ring. "With all the time he worked for it, I bet it was a really beautiful ring."
"It surely must have been the most beautiful thing in the world to his wife." Jiraiya agrees, nodding wisely.
Naruto knows the ring he speaks of, Ayame having shown it to him when he was a very young boy and new to the kindness of the Ichiraku family. Ayame's mother had already been dead two years by that point, succumbing to the illness that battered her weak immune system— a fragility caused the poisonous Kyuubi chakra she'd been too exposed to the night of his birth.
"Well." Kurama murmurs. "Is my chakra really that bad?"
"Yes." Tsunade, Kushina, Jiraiya and Minato emphatically respond. "It's all the malice in it— so much of it breaks us down." Kushina adds.
Kurama snorts. "The world's most destructive and selfish creatures succumb to malice? Oh the irony."
"Don't forget we're also the most advanced, the most emotive." Kakashi counters mildly.
The band was simple, but it was shined and looked brand new. Ayame's mother, and then Ayame herself, took excellent care of that ring. To Naruto, regardless of the simplicity of its form, it was a ring representative of true love. Briefly, he wonders what his mother's ring had looked like, if she had even bothered with a ring at all.
"That's a good question. Would I even have one?" Kushina wonders, mostly to herself.
"I'd buy it at least as an option. Whether you wore it or put it up somewhere is your choice." Minato offers her.
Teuchi continues the story, coughing uncomfortably. "Which isn't to say my wife was a materialistic woman . . . it was just a dent on my pride that I couldn't get her the ring that she deserved."
"Wouldn't any ring bought for her by her number one suitor be the ring she deserved?" Naruto teases. Teuchi snorts, shaking his head with good humor.
"To end the story . . . even though I bungled my speech and only managed to look like a gaping cod on bended knee, she still cried happily and managed to stammer through her own acceptance of the ring. The seven years we had before Ayame came was wonderful—"
"Hey!" Ayame snaps, affronted. Teuchi smirks and swipes her shoulder with his towel.
"You didn't let me finish," Teuchi chides. "The years after with Ayame were simply perfect. There's nothing, Naruto . . . nothing more precious to a man, more perfect, than his own family. A wife, kids— these things that you wrought with your own hands you'd kill to protect. Nothing is more important than my family."
"Don't," Kushina mutters, squeezing Minato's hand as she feels him tense up again. "Even try and add to your already ridiculous pile of guilt."
"He spoke the worst words Kushina." Minato whispers, face carefully blank. Kushina presses her lips into a thin line. She wondered what she could say to try and convince Minato he wasn't totally at fault.
Naruto smiles. "This was a fantastic story Teuchi-oji. Thank you for telling me."
"I'm glad to tell it!" Teuchi responds cheerily. "So, by this can I reckon you're looking to . . . ?"
Naruto's smile turns embarrassed, his shoulders hunching slightly. "Yeah." He admits softly.
"Oh! Oh I get it, this is gonna be such an awesome chapter!" Rin squeals, pitch getting higher and higher with each word until by the end everyone cringes.
"We're going to read about our boy getting married –ttebane! Isn't it amazing?!" Kushina exclaims, shaking Minato by the shoulders.
"Yes, yess," Minato means it, but he's also trying to prey her hands off his shoulders.
"Okay, so he's going to propose . . . whoop de doo." Kakashi grumbles. "My hearing is more important damn it."
"Shut up you spoilsport." Obito snaps, irritated both with his loss of hearing and Kakashi's grouchy opinion.
Teuchi laughs boisterously, clasping Naruto's shoulders with strong hands and giving him a shake. "Wonderful! You'll be the happiest man alive Naruto, I guarantee it. Why, you'll have to hold a party for this!"
Ayame looks between the two of them, brow furrowing as she works over this small mystery the two men before her are a part of. "What are you . . . ?" She gets it then, instantly. "Oh. Oh! Oh Naruto!" squealing she throws her arms around the red-faced boy, crushing his ribcage in a terrific hug.
"Don't tell alright?!" Naruto rasps, needing air desperately.
"We won't! Promise!" Ayame and Teuchi chirp.
Naruto and Kurama walk through the town together, idly glancing at shops before dismissing them. They're not in Konoha. Instead, they are on a simple C-rank mission taken only to get out of the village the two are walking through a town on the border of Fire and Wind. It is, predictably, hot as hell and windy like nothing else.
"Predictably." The group parrots in dry tones.
"What are we searching for again?" Kurama asks. Not that he's forgotten, he just wants to see how much repetition it takes for the stupidity of this walk to finally sink into Naruto's brain.
"I know you think this is stupid." Naruto sighs, speaking Kurama's thoughts aloud. "But I just feel like this is the way to go! It'll be perfect— I just need one hundred candles, and roses. Lots of roses."
"You sap, slinging clichés around like they're going out of style." Kurama snickers.
"Oh, I think it's wonderful." Kushina pouts, supporting her sochi.
"Cliché." Kurama mutters under his breath.
"What, exactly, is cliché?" Naruto asks, bored now with Kurama's constant critiques of his decided course of action for the proposal.
"Roses? Candles? Shall we hire an orchestra, or will just the solitary samurai with a dark past and a violin gifted to him by his father who disappeared when he was a child suffice?" Kurama ripostes, grinning as Naruto bristles.
"BURN!" Obito sings, breaking off into a wheezing fit when Rin elbows him in the diaphragm.
"They won't be red roses." Naruto grumbles petulantly. "There's lavender roses too, ever heard of them? And gold roses. Not the yellow friendship ones, but deeper, golden roses. And candles are not cliché, they are classic— aren't they?"
"Very classic. You can never go wrong there in my experience!" Jiraiya boasts with a leer, tossing his head like a proud bull.
"So says the porn writer." Minato mutters to Kushina and Kurama, who match smirks of amusement.
"Oh, yeah, sure, classics." Kurma agrees, before adding as an afterthought, "In every trashy romance and erotica novel ever."
"Well played Minato." Kurama murmurs absently, crossing his right ankle over his knee.
Naruto groans, pulling at his hair. "Ugh, I knew it. Okay, scratch the candles. I still need a light source . . ." his head pops up, whipping over to Kurama. "Lanterns!"
"Paper ones?" Kurama clarifies.
"No, the metal ones you can actually see the candle in!" Naruto explains, growing more animated.
"He's so cute!" Rin laughs, delighting in Naruto's experience.
Kurama considers this, before nodding in acceptance. "That's more original. And you still get your little candles then."
"Okay so . . . not one hundred. Fifty? Forty?" Naruto starts mumbling to himself, rearranging certain plans. Kurama looks to the heavens for patience, lips tugging into a reluctant grin. Naruto keeps rambling but Kurama barely pays him any mind.
"— and two round of fireworks—"
He's paying attention now.
"Sorry, what fireworks?"
Naruto gives him a look of pity and condescension. Kurama struggles to reign in his desire to injure the boy. "Well what's an announcement without fireworks?"
"There's a man who knows how celebrate. Naru-chan, I'll fight to stay alive just to raze Konoha with you!" Obito wails happily, grabbing a pillow and then sobbing into it.
"God what is your problem?" Kakashi despairs, edging away from his best— and he needs to rethink that title— friend.
"You could just put out an ad in the paper." Kurama mutters under his breath.
"Now who's cliché? And boring— damn you are dull Kurama."
Kurama doesn't hesitate to give in to his violent urge this time. Naruto yelps in pain, choking it off with a whimper when the stares of the passerby become too much. "Fuck you too." Naruto snarls.
"Just get your damn things and let's go already!" Kurama snaps.
"No." Naruto pauses, looking thoughtful. "You think paying off kids to dance with sparklers is too— ouch, I was joking!"
"Sometimes we wonder . . ." Tsunade snorts.
"How can I be so sure?!" Kurama demands, gripping the front of Naruto's shirt and shaking the human.
"C-c-chii-ill!" Naruto yelps as he's shaken like a ragdoll in the Demon Lord's hands.
While Kurama tries to shake some manliness back into his warden, meanwhile in Konoha . . .
Ayame sighs dreamily, wiping the same spot she'd been standing at for five minutes already. Teuchi knows what fills his daughter's head so much that she cannot concentrate and despite his amusement she really ought to get back on track. "Keep polishing and soon enough you'll strip the color off that wood." Teuchi points out gently, snapping Ayame from her thoughts.
"She must be happy for Naruto and Katsu." Rin murmurs, smiling so wide her cheeks will hurt by the end of the chapter, she's sure.
"Oh, sorry tou-chan!" Ayame apologizes, leaving the rag alone as she puts it away and cuts up vegetables as her father makes more noodles by hand. While she continues her work, after several minutes a new set of customers arrive. Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ino enter the stall, looking at the back of the young waitress as she continues to chop away.
"Hello, Ayame-san!" Chouji greets jovially. Ayame looks over her shoulder, slightly startled, before smiling brightly at the group.
"Chouji-san, Ino-san, Shikamaru-san!" Ayame greets them, putting away the knife and walking forward. "How are you all today? Chouji-san, I've hardly seen you around lately."
"My apologies Ayame-san," Chouji chuckles as he takes a seat at the counter. "My father and I have been training intensely, not to mention he's now deemed me ready to further my teachings of the clan."
"Ah, time for the clan heirs to grow into clan heads." Minato smiles at the growth of the future generation.
"You mean he's getting you ready to be Clan Head?" Ayame asks in amazement.
"Not yet." Chouji answers, folding his hands atop the wooden counter. "He's still got a long life ahead of him, he's just decided I should take up more responsibilities for the Clan and is teaching me how to complete these tasks. Anything directly related to Clan Head he still takes care of. Still, it's a great honor and I wish to work hard for the betterment of my clan."
"That is an excellent answer. He'll do the honorable Akamichi Clan proud with such a mentality." Jiraiya approves, smile warm and eager.
"He's very much like his father." Minato agrees.
"Well said, Chouji!" Ino approves, smiling cheerfully. "Tou-chan is also teaching me some of the deeper mind techniques that makes our clan so notorious in the investigations department. I'm just not sure if I want to replace Tou-san in his capacity at that department though . . ."
"Troublesome." Shikamaru mutters. Ayame and Chouji chuckle as Ino glares at him.
"It does make me insanely curious to know how Shikaku ever got the will to learn about his clan, lazy as he is." Kushina notes thoughtfully.
"The elder Nara might have enjoyed peace and relaxation as much as any Nara, but deep within he held a spine of steel." Jiraiya informs her, chuckling at the thought of the secretly fierce Nara. A novelty to be sure.
"Your father might spare you, being of the same lazy mind, but I know your mother is driving you to take up more of your clan's tasks!" Ino snaps.
If possible, Shikamaru sours further. "Oh, she is, and the most tedious and boring parts too, for the punishment of being so lazy. I'm stuck working with our clan's deer more than ever now, taking inventory of our medicines weekly as well as checking the herd count monthly. It's a total drag."
"Sounds rough." Ayame sympathizes. "Now, what would you like to order?"
Ino opts for Vegetable ramen while Chouji and Shikamaru both spring for chicken ramen, Chouji of course ordering thrice as many bowls as the other two.
"Here you are!" Teuchi smiles widely, putting the large bowls in front of each customer.
"Thank you!" The chuunin chorus thankfully, breaking apart their chopsticks and digging in.
"Ah, delicious as always!" Chouji compliments after slurping up the ends of his first mouthful.
"Why thank you!" Teuchi laughs from the kitchen, throwing fresh ingredients into the pan to sear.
Ino giggles. "Eh, but no matter how much Chouji eats he'll never be the shining star of Ichiraku's like Naruto is."
He has a several year head start on me." Chouji acquiesces affably. "I'm no competition for him at all."
His friends and Ayame all laugh, and it is then that Katsu slips under the flaps pf the Ichiraku Ramen stall.
"Hello~" Katsu greets everyone, slipping into a seat besides Shikamaru. "Are we all having fun today?"
"Hi Katsu-san!" Ayame greets loudly, giggly. "How are you?"
"Ah, you just made it obvious Ayame-san." Minato sighs, smiling at their enthusiasm.
"Fine, Ayame-nee." Katsu laughs lightly, a little taken aback by the louder than normal greeting from the older brunette. "How's the stand these days?"
"Practically bursting with excitement!" Ayame struggles to retain her enthusiasm. After all, no one— especially Katsu— is to know of Naruto's plan until the time is right. To resist temptation, she quickly asks the girl what she wants for lunch.
"Oh, a salt ramen please." Katsu answers, smiling as Ayame bustles into the back to get her order. "Uh, anyone know what that was about?"
"What was what about?" Ino asks, stirring her chopsticks around.
"She didn't seem a little off at the start?" Katsu questions the gossip queen.
"Well it was a little suspicious." Shikamaru agrees, though he seems reluctant to answer and involve himself. "She seemed almost alarmed and yet immensely glad that you were here, but she was holding back almost at the end."
"With Shikamaru and Ino on the case, that secret will stay a secret for all of an hour." Kushina snickers.
"Do you want Naruto to be found out?" Tsunade asks, surprised.
Kushina shakes her head. "They're Naruto's friends. Even if they know, they'll help keep it from Katsu. I bet they'll even make things more interesting!"
"Mmm . . . yeah, I know that look." Ino chirps, grinning widely as she reviews Ayame's behavior. "That's the look of someone who knows something and desperately wants to shout it out to you but she can't. Either she promised, or she's undecided how you'd take it."
"Ah, but Ino's analysis is sure to make Katsu curious." Kakashi points out.
"What, I wonder, does she know?" Katsu murmurs, quieting when Ayame returns with her order. "Thanks Ayame-nee." She breaks apart her chopsticks and dips her chopsticks into her noodles, when she decides to try and ferret out some information from the unusually bubbly young woman. "So . . . anything new and exciting happen recently?"
"W-what?" Ayame looks to Katsu, trying for lofty but there's a faint quaver in her voice that made her stammer.
Rin giggles, almost unable to take it. "Oh so obvious, Ayame!"
"Well you said the stall was practically bursting with excitement. Any particular event come to mind?" Katsu explains, looking innocent.
Ayame laughs nervously, waving one hand in the air in a nonchalant manner. "Oh, well . . . Well!" finding an excuse, Ayame dons a cloak of confidence and regains her composure. "We live in an exciting place, and with all the interesting things going on all the time around here in Konoha it's surely no surprise that we can feel it even here in this ramen stand. After all, our number one customer is usually involved in these interesting times."
"What did Naruto do this time?" Katsu rolls her eyes, but when Ayame stiffens and looks nervously around she narrows her eyes. "Ayame . . . ?"
"Wha— um, no no!" Ayame tries to save face, but she's blushing and looking quite anxious. "Naruto has done nothing at all, really!"
"You're losing face Ayame, abort, abort!" Obito hisses.
"Really? Because you look like you're covering for him." Ino prods, smirking widely, putting her hands in her lap and leaning forward slightly.
Minato smirks. "Oh little Ino, why are you hiding your hands?"
Kushina flashes sparkling eyes to him. "Oh you don't think she— she is! Oh, ha!"
Ayame huffs, suddenly serious. "Whoever needed to cover for an—"
"LOOK OVER THERE!" Teuchi bellows, Katsu shrieking at the loud shout as the chuunins snap their attention to wherever he's pointing. When all they see is a confused jounin, Ino snarls and whips around.
Teuchi and Ayame have vanished.
"Very good Teuchi-san, very good!" Tsunade laughs, delighted with the ramen chef's clever ploy.
"Oooh!" Katsu puffs up, irritated. "Getting even Ayame and Teuchi in on this, just what is that man doing?" Sighing, she puts her money to cover her meal on the counter and rises. "Well I've got to get back to work. It was nice seeing you guys again!"
"Bye!" Team Asuma calls out to the departing girl, and once she's out of earshot the team huddles together.
Shikamaru eyes Ino suspiciously. "When you put your hands under the counter—"
"Of course." Ino smirks, tapping her temple. "I know what Ayame's dying to tell!"
"And that is?" Chouji presses when Ino makes no move to relieve herself of the obviously juicy piece of news.
Ino just giggles. "We have to round up everyone!"
Naruto shivers, stopping dead in the middle of the road. "Do you sense that?"
Kurama stills, frowning lightly. "Strange . . . I'd think this was almost malice but there's no true darkness in it . . . yet I can't help but feel like I've sensed this before."
"Ah, the feeling of a woman out to get something and nothing will stop her. Has it really been so long for me? Will I forget the years spent in stubborn little Kushina?" Kurama wonders, smirking.
"Oh stop teasing." Kushina chides halfheartedly.
Naruto looks ill. "I feel as if things are going to get very difficult for me." He gasps, turning stark white. "Is this a sign that Katsu isn't ready yet and she'll tell me no and we're going to be really awkward around each other and—"
"Ugh, Naruto!" the group groans, pained.
"If you really think she'll say no, you need to get your head checked!" Rin insists.
Kurama groans, ruffling his hair roughly as Naruto goes off on a panic-fueled tangent.
"Now will you please tell us why you dragged us all here?!" Sakura demands, slapping the table in front of her as she rose to her knees. The table makes a cracking sound, and Sakura frowns for a brief moment at the table. Sitting back down, she takes a deep breath and then huffs. "I still have rounds to do, and I've got a pile of files to go through before midnight."
"I had to sneak away from the counter at the weapons shop." Tenten chimes, looking quizzically at Ino, who had called them all— more like literally dragged them all here, like Sakura said.
Lee bursts out. "Gai-sensei and I were completing our new training regime, in the middle of six hundred—"
"Wonderful. I was finally enjoying a not-awkward lunch with Otou-sama and Hinabi. In the same room. At the same time. For the first time in six months." Hinata deadpans, pearly eyes narrowed in annoyance as she held a delicate teacup.
"I know those feels little Hyuuga princess." Obito sighs, chuckling wearily.
"You have lunches with your parents?" Rin asks.
"I did. That stopped in my first year of Academy, when it went from awkward to disgust with my performance." Obito shrugs, grinning. "I really suck at theory, what can I say?"
"Why are your lunches usually awkward?" Ino asks, curious.
Hinata shrugs. "When you get more than one Hyuuga in the room, it's awkward. At least for me. You know, the whole non-traditional Hyuuga thing makes attempts at conversation awkward— especially when you'd rather talk about the benefits of senbon over kunai and your traditional family frowns upon the use of weapons at all."
"That does make things difficult." Neji acknowledges.
"You're a traditional Hyuuga too." Shikamaru points out.
"Yes, but I'm a branch family member and therefore inclined to rally behind the non-traditional Hinata-sama rather than anyone else in the main family." Neji explains.
"Seems legit." Kiba drawls. "Back to the short update of our lives, I was in the middle of cleaning kennels. Kennels that desperately need cleaning."
". . . I apparently was the only one with free time." Shino reports.
"No surprise there." Kiba snorts, jumping when an ominous buzzing comes from Shino's jacket.
Ino raps the table twice, getting everyone's attention. "I have discovered something. Something big. Something very important."
Unnerved by the solemnity from the usually bubble blonde girl Hinata is the first to question it. "Well, what is it?"
Ino takes a deep breath. "Well, how can I say this . . ." cornflower blue eyes snapping up, she looks at each one of them with a fierce gaze.
"Naruto is going to propose to Katsu!" Ino leans back and smugly waits for the storm to blow in.
"Wondering how to say something, and then just bluntly blurting it out. Oh, children." Kurama laughs softly.
She's a little smug with the reactions.
"This is amazing! Oh, my two friends are on the youthful path of life together!" Lee wails, tears streaming down his face as he jumps up and strikes various poses.
"Okay?" Neji shrugs, looking around to see if he's the only one not blown over by the news.
"Yes I know everyone who knows them saw this coming a mile away but show some more enthusiasm." Kushina laughs.
"Lee has enough enthusiasm for everyone. Hinata, too, now that I think about it." Kakashi explains.
"Seriously?!" Kiba barks and Akamaru, well, really barks. "But they're only sixteen?! What's he wanna get chained so quickly for?!"
"Chained?" Rin sniffs, imperious. "Foolish little cousin, I had wondered why you were still single. Chained, indeed."
"What the hell kind of question is that!" Sakura shouts angrily, in defense of her teammate. "Naruto isn't a dog like you, you uncouth mutt!"
"Well good for him. Not like we didn't see this coming, though?" Tenten shrugs. Did Ino expect them all to be shocked that Naruto intended to marry his childhood sweetheart?
Hinata is too busy squealing and spinning in the spot to add anything of worth to the conversation, though her enthusiasm is noted and commended.
"See, Kakashi was right!" Minato laughs.
"B-But I can't believe . . . seriously . . . it's too soon!" Sakura stammers. Her teammate, Naruto, just a few months younger than her and already thinking about marriage? "I mean, I hardly think this is the time to be getting married of all things."
"She has a point." Jiraiya admits. "Word will reach many ears, and not all of them friendly. He's painting a big target on her back, and I don't know if he's capable of planning as many contingency plans as he might need. Which," his tone grows lighter and a smug grin appears on his face. "Is why his awesome, amazing, super spy and super pervert godfather will be there to save the day!"
"As if we would expect anything less sensei. You will be named godfather for a reason!" Minato praises, smiling happily.
"When would be the time?" Hinata demands, the words of opposition from Sakura setting her in prosecution mode. Like hell she would be denied seeing her two best friends have the best wedding ever. "Shinobi don't have long life expectancies, and those two are so obviously in love it's almost maddening."
"Yeah, that's right!" Rin agrees fully. "Every day might be your last!"
"So you've got to live each day like it's your last!" Obito joins in confidently, sharing a high-five with the girl.
"Hinata's right on this one." Ino chimes, grinning. "Why wait? Honestly, I'm jealous of Katsu! She saw what all of us girls were too blinded by Sasuke fever and the Kyuubi to see. That Uzumaki is prime-A man!" Ino sighs dramatically. "No, but instead it's all left to Katsu . . . and maybe Hinata . . ."
Jiraiya pauses to sniffle proudly. "That's my boy!"
"Oh, don't say such things!" Hinata protests, a little red in the face.
Sakura bites her lip. She'd really hardly seen much of Naruto. In truth the rescue of Kakashi had been the most time they'd spent together, and then after that once again she saw mere glimpses of Naruto. They'd hardly gone on a mission together . . . hardly spoke together . . . hardly searched together . . .
Her hands tightened into fists in her lap as that last thought hit her and she shook her head. Why was she thinking of Sasuke now when her teammate was preparing to make the biggest decision of his life?
"Because you were hoping he, of all people, would want Sasuke back as much as you." Minato observes. "Ah, but if only you knew . . ."
Kushina frowns, crossing her arms. "She's being selfish."
"Naruto and Sasuke were close back then, there was no one closer to Sasuke than Naruto. Though it makes sense, it's also selfish of her." Rin laments.
"Well I say it's the perfect time, and it's about time!" Ino proclaims. "They're already living together and they've been together for ages, so really the only thing left to do is marry!"
"True, but Naruto is a wanted man right now. Does he really think it wise to risk showing off a new weakness to the world by taking a wife?" Shino points out.
Lee's mouth twists into a frown, and he drops into an uncharacteristic seriousness. "I pity the poor man— no, I pity the village affiliated with that dead man walking if they try anything. Besides that, Katsu had her own run-in with an Akatsuki member and has not left the village since."
"It's a risk every shinobi takes." Tenten muses. "Falling in love. Making a family. We're all at risk for having our loved ones used against us, no matter how improbable it might be."
"Yeah, but there's every day jounin. And then there's Naruto." Kiba chuckles.
"And Kiba makes the most logical point of the day." Kakashi chortles.
"Grah!" Ino shouts, throwing her arms up in the air and startling her friends. "Stop being so pessimistic! Our friends are getting married and taking the next step in their lives together! We have to help them!"
"Help them with what? Naruto's going to propose, he doesn't need our help. It's a simple question: Will you marry me." Shikamaru snorts. Ino scowls and smack the Nara on his arm.
"Judging by the stories we read earlier, that's an understatement of gross proportions." Obito remarks.
"Very true." Minato confirms.
"Simple! Simple?! That's the hardest question in the world to ask!" Ino shrieks.
"No, the hardest question in the world is: fat-free or no?" Hinata ripostes, earning some laughter from the females.
"That's not even a question." Chouji answers all too seriously. "It should never be a question. Fat-free shouldn't even be a word in our lexicon."
"We are so off topic." Tenten reminds them impatiently. Turning to Ino she asks, "So you think we ought to help Naruto set up something for his engagement then?"
Ino nods. "Yep! We need to help him make sure everything is absolutely perfect!"
". . . All in all Hokage-sama, the mission wasn't even worth its C-rank. It was fit for even a genin to do." Naruto finishes his report of the mission, and waits for word from Tsunade.
Tsunade nods, a smile lighting her face. "Very good Naruto. Your report will be filed, and your pay is in its usual place. Oh, but we've got a new clerk in the payroll office so try not to go bursting in like you usually do okay?"
"Sure." Naruto laughs, and is about to bow himself out when Tsunade asks him a question.
"When you asked me about Dan . . . were you asking because you too wish to propose?" Tsunade asks curiously.
Naruto blinks, then chuckles sheepishly. "Wow, um, Nade . . . you're a beautiful woman and all—" he ducks the stapler she hurls at him.
"Impertinent brat!" Tsunade gripes, scoffing. "As if I'd give a scrawny kid like him the time of day."
"You brat!" Tsunade snaps, gripping the edge of the desk as tightly as she dares.
"I'm kidding, I know what you mean." Naruto laughs, a cheeky grin on his face before it mellows into an embarrassed smile. "And, to answer your question . . . yes."
Tsunade takes a deep breath and looks at Naruto carefully. "And you're sure about this? Have you thought about the risks you'll both be taking?"
Naruto pauses, swallowing down a lump in his throat. "I have, but . . . not even that is enough to thwart my intentions. I . . . I really, really want this Tsunade. More than anything in the whole world."
"Good!" Kushina's eyes blaze. "If there's something you want, then go get it! Period!"
Tsunade's smile is radiant, nearly glowing with happiness. The joy in her expression is mirrored in Naruto's. "Good!"
They say goodbye then, with Tsunade extracting a promise from Naruto to tell her when it would be confirmed as soon as possible. Naruto leaves the room chuckling, closing the door behind him. As soon as the click of the lock sounds from the door, Naruto stills and looks to his right. Sakura storms towards him, her expression intense and almost . . . fuming?
Rin scowls immediately. "If you don't want to help, don't bother!"
"Sakura?" Naruto questions, but instead of answering the young woman merely grabs him by the shoulder with an almost painful grip and starts hauling him along with her as she continues to stride forward.
Tsunade huffs at her future apprentice. "Really, that's just bad form."
Naruto tries to make her stop, or at least explain the situation but Sakura says nothing and merely continues on outside of the Hokage Tower where people scurry to get out from a light shower of rain, heading in the direction of Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto could make her stop, or at the very least extract himself form her unnecessary grip, but he's curious as to what's going on and figures that answers lie where she leads.
Ducking quickly under the flaps he isn't even spared a moment to greet Teuchi and Ayame, as Sakura continues beyond the counter and to the booths where all of the others of the Rookie Twelve were. Naruto wonders for a brief moment where Sai is, before remembering the boy was on a mission with Yamato-taichou.
"Hey, guys," Naruto greets slowly as Sakura shoves him into the cramped booth and shuffles in right next to him. From shoulder to hip on either side of him he's firmly stuck between Sakura and Shikamaru, which is a little uncomfortable considering they are all a little wet.
Shikamaru sighs in annoyance, flicking a bead of water away from his forehead. "Hey. Why are you always so troublesome?"
"If I knew what you meant I could probably apologize sincerely for it." Naruto offers, nonplussed.
Ino is the first to speak, and Naruto thinks that Ino might be the one responsible for this strange meeting judging by her excited features and eager body language. "So let's not waste any time then, I'll be just like you in this." She beams at him, and Naruto is even more befuddled.
"Like me. What . . . ?"
"Loud, proud, and in charge." Obito mutters. "I think?"
"I agree with that assessment." Kushina giggles.
Ino nods at his confusion, looking like an angel of patience. "To be blunt here: We know you're going to propose to Katsu."
It's amazing how one does not even need food or drink in already in one's mouth to choke, something Naruto clearly realizes as he struggles to breathe again. Sakura sharply knocking him between his shoulder blades does naught but send him face first into the table.
"You okay?" Sakura asks blandly.
"Ngh . . ." Naruto grunts. "You bitch . . ."
"Let's get back to the main topic here." Ino rushes in, wanting to stop an altercation between the blond and pink demons. "We heard about this—"
"And how did we hear about it?" Shikamaru interrupts, looking severe. Naruto needed to know Ayame wasn't so easy to trick.
"Is looking into civilian's mind without even asking illegal?" Kakashi wonders.
"Most likely one of those very old laws you have to go through fifteen damn books to find." Tsunade replies, shrugging.
"I . . . may have looked into Ayame-san's mind," Ino admits, and hurries to explain as Naruto's eyes burn into her. "Which she is very mad at me for and I repent every day for this! I doubt I'll ever have a decent meal at Ichiraku's again, if that helps you. Look, Naruto . . . Whiskers, I just want to help you. We all do. I'm sure you've got a plan, and as your friends we'd like to help your plan succeed." Ino gulps, looking pleading. "So, please?"
Naruto lets out an extended sigh, looking around at everyone. "All of you want to be a part of this?"
"It'll be fun." Hinata giggles.
Naruto smiles wryly at the beautiful heiress. "Of course it would be for you Hina. But, everyone else?"
Lee pumps his arms into the air twice, smile large and beaming. "Oh yes of course Naruto-kun! To aide my friends as they take their next youthful step in their springtime of youth would give me no greater pleasure!"
"In a way, it'd be like being part of history. The first of us to get married." Kiba muses aloud, scratching under Akamaru's chin. "I'm in, just for bragging rights."
"With us working on things, there's no need to worry about anything!" Chouji assures Naruto, giving the blonde man a closed mouth grin as he hides the large bite of beef he just took.
Naruto looks around at all his friends, seeing the sincerity and genuine happiness for him in their eyes, their faces. A large smile threatens to crack his face as Naruto expresses his gratitude. "Thank you so much!"
Ino grins as the others cheer. "So, I'm thinking with all of us here we can have you proposing by tomorrow!"
"Hold your horses there speedy." Obito cautions, grinning at Kakashi's loud snort. "These things take time!"
"Now you've gone and panicked him." Kushina drawls, shaking her head.
Wait, did she just say— "Tomorrow?!" Naruto nearly screams.
His friends laugh, and though he isn't the least bit reassured Naruto gets the feeling that no matter what he says things are going to happen quickly. Ino had at least capitulated and allows him until the weekend to gather his nerve. Not exactly ample time, the weekend being two days away, but whatever.
Naruto, worn out emotionally and mentally, trudges home in a weary state. The closer he gets to home however, the more his spirits lift as he looks forward to a hot dinner and a nice evening spent in with his beautiful girlfriend. The house is lit up in the evening, and it looks so warm and inviting Naruto's completely refreshed.
"It's wonderful to have that one place you can feel relaxed and totally at ease in." Jiraiya informs Minato's kids, advising them. "Even if just for a few minutes, to have that one place rejuvenate you is worth its weight in gold."
Stepping into the house he chucks off his shoes and shrugs of his jacket. "I'm home." He calls out.
Several barks are his answer, and the joyful laugh of a woman. "Hey Ru!"
Smiling, Naruto walks into the living room and spots an amusing sight. Little Nana sits there with her giant caterpillar pet, now five feet in length. Yuuta is in a frenzy with the new strange being, running in circles and barking at the placid insect as Katsu looks on and laughs with the little girl.
"Whoa it grew?!" Kushina and Obito shout excitedly.
"Nana, how are you?" Naruto asks the girl kindly.
"Sensei!" Nana beams. "I'm fine, thank you. Did you just get back from your mission sensei?"
"Yes I did." Naruto nods, then his head tilts to the side as he regards the girl. "Was there something you wanted Nana?"
Nana takes a minute to think this over. "Well, no . . . not really. I just wanted to see you sensei, and show you how big Chi-chan's gotten! And, I wanted to ask you if you'd ever play with Mori-kun and I again."
"Mori-kun?" Naruto teases. Nana pouts and whines, so Naruto lets her off. "I'll get back to you when I can, promise. Now run along home Nana."
"Okay!" Nana pops up and sweeps Chi-chan the giant caterpillar into her arms, pausing to ruffle Yuuta's fur. "Bye-bye!"
Naruto watches her until she crosses the gate, and then without moving a muscle a clone appears right next to him and follows the girl to make sure she stays safe. When the door closes he goes back to the living room only to see Yuuta lying down on his side. Naruto kneels down and runs a large hand up and down the pup's side twice, fussing with his ear for a little while before going up the stairs to the bathroom. Quickly washing his hands, he returns to the low table in the living room where Katsu is setting out the food.
"Heh," Katsu giggles, taking her own seat. "I didn't think that caterpillar would grow any bigger."
"I didn't even know she knew where I lived." Naruto admits, leaning back on one hand as he took a sip of mango juice, a product from Hot Springs Shikamaru had gifted them with. "How was your day?"
"Strange." Katsu answers, and Naruto raises a brow at her reply. "Well, I've been persona non grata with our friends as of . . . two days ago."
"Ugh, why are they so obvious?!" Kushina groans, half amused and half frustrated.
"Oh?" Naruto raises both eyebrows this time, and listens to her short story as he dines.
Katsu nods. "Oh yes. I try to get near Hinata, but she giggles and runs away. Chouji is always looking rather nervous, and is careful about what he says to me. The one time I saw Ino, she squealed to high heaven and then frolicked on her merry way. Shikamaru actually puts effort into avoiding me. Do you know how that feels?"
"Surely you're exaggerating. Shikamaru hardly puts effort into anything!" Naruto laughs nervously, because he knows exactly the reason for such strange behavior and he silently curses his friends for being so damn obvious.
Katsu frowns. "When Shikamaru turned the corner and I was suddenly there, he froze and bounded up the side of a building to get away. That's effort. However, it was nothing— absolutely nothing— to the way I felt when Rock Lee of all people ran away from me, bursting into tears. In public."
Kakashi hunches over, flinching violently. "Good God!"
"I cannot even fathom that pain." Kurama states seriously.
"And coming from the Demon King, that's a big fucking deal!" Obito supports.
"You bunch of idiots . . ." Naruto mumbles crossly, glaring at the wall.
"Even Teuchi and Ayame won't act normally around me." Katsu sighs, gold eyes flickering up to pin Naruto on the spot. "I know this has something to do with you Naruto. What are you hiding from me?"
Naruto holds his breath for a moment before resuming normal breathing function. "I will tell you. Soon. I just . . . need some time."
Katsu's interested expression morphs into worry and she reaches over the table to pluck at his wrist cuff. "Should I be worried?"
Yes. I'm asking you to paint an even bigger target on yourself— I'm sorry I'm so selfish— "No." Naruto smiles wanly.
Katsu scrutinizes him, the hand plucking at his wrist cuff moving further up to touch bare skin. Looking down for a moment, she relents and gives him a crooked smile. "Okay." She shrugs. "Won't you give me a hint though? I'm dying to know . . . please?"
Naruto gulps nervously. "I don't think . . ."
"Oh, pretty please?" Katsu pleads, leaning up on her knees and clasping her hands together over the table. Naruto's breath catches watching her. Seeing the thick, brilliant hair tumble over her shoulders and around her body. The almost burnished gold of her eyes seem to glow and, god, how could have something so beautiful?
"You'll never stop asking yourself that question." Minato whispers under his breath, looking over to Kurama and seeing the demon grin in amusement. They look at each other and nod in agreement.
Naruto's fingers tremble but his hand is quick as he holds her arms and leans up, lips crashing onto hers. From the point of contact through the rest of their bodies heat blooms and Naruto is reminded of exactly why he wants so selfishly to replace Kuroshio with Uzumaki.
"Woohoo, Uzumaki!" Kushina cheers.
"I'm still rooting for Namikaze." Minato chuckles.
Pulling away for breath Katsu takes a few moments and then asks, "That was my hint?"
Rather than answering Naruto's head drops into the junction of her shoulder and neck, forehead rubbing into the skin. "I love you so, so much you know that right? No matter what."
Katsu pauses, looking out of the corner of her eye to see gold spikes and a tan neck. Her head tilts forward and she brushes a kiss against the side of his neck. "I love you more than anything, Naruto. A-are you sure I don't have to be worried—"
"Yeah." Naruto chuckles gently. "I just don't think I say that enough. That I love you, my princess."
"Okay so I get the roses, they are traditional. You're lucky I talked out of lavender roses, yeesh. But, wouldn't this benefit from the addition of some, I guess, forget-me-nots and blue violets . . . oh and zinnia! The magenta ones." Ino suggests to Naruto as Chouji and Shikamaru struggle with the many rose bouquets Naruto bought.
"Isn't that too much blue? And the magenta wouldn't fit at all." Hinata argues, carefully placing candles in the lanters at Naruto's side.
"I do like violets though . . ." Naruto muses. "And forge-me-nots mean something really nice don't they?"
Ino nods enthusiastically. "You're placing the roses on the ground and in low areas, but the blue bouquets can go higher up and mix in really well with the lanterns you'll have in the trees."
"Okay. Do that please? However many you think we need, and be practical about it." Naruto cautions. He looks over to Shino and Kiba who cart in fireworks. "Oi, how's it going over there?"
"Really great! We've got some good ones for a great price." Kiba answers, giving Naruto a thumbs-up.
"Hey, you didn't go anywhere shady for those fireworks did you?" Naruto demands, and Kiba shoots him a disgruntled look.
"Hey, you wanted fireworks— we got fireworks. Do a guy a favor and they bite your head off." Grumbling, Kiba continues on to place the fireworks in a discrete location.
"Naruto, did you check the weather forecast to make sure it wouldn't rain?" Neji reminds him.
"Oh of course! They say there's only a twenty percent chance of rain, so we're in the clear." Naruto assures him, confident in at least this.
"I don't know . . . Twenty is still more than ten." Kushina hedges.
Hinata tosses her hair over her shoulder, shutting the last lantern case shut. "Hey Naruto where do you want these—"
"Look out!" Chouji yelps, tripping over a stray candle. He crashes into the table, knocking Hinata off her feet and straight into Naruto, the both of them tumbling to the ground amidst the crashing lanterns.
"Ugh, Chouji!" Tenten groans, leaping off the tree she's setting up the lanterns in. "You better not have broken any!" she warns, viewing the struggling people.
"You alright Hinata?" Naruto groans, moving a lantern from underneath his tailbone with a pained whimper. "Well this one is crushed."
Kakashi snorts. "Fatass."
"Yeah, but the candle can still be saved." Hinata mutters, carefully taking out the tiny white candle from inside.
"Yeah, I can put in the heart on the ground." Naruto laughs, helping Hinata up. "You okay Chouji?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry about the lanterns, how many did I ruin?" Chouji asks guiltily, looking around at the decorations strewn about.
"Uh . . . I see ten so far." Tenten mutters, softening when she sees Chouji deflate. "Hey, but there were plenty before remember! We've still got extras."
"Don't beat yourself up Chouji, it was an honest mistake!" Rin claims, smiling softly.
"Yeah, don't beat yourself up Chouji." Naruto adds, clapping the boy on the shoulder. "After all, you still need to help me set everything up!"
Chouji smiles, and says, "Well I guess you're— HOLY SHIT DUCK!"
When a fellow shinobi tells you to duck, you do so without question. Good thing to, because right as they drop down a firework zooms over with a whizzing sound, jerky movements creating danger for everyone nearby as they shriek and throw themselves to the ground.
The firework finally bursts into a shower of light with a resounding crack and boom, much like thunder. Naruto's head jerks up and he roars, "KIBA!"
"Shouldn't handle fireworks if you're going to be careless about it." Tsunade grumbles.
The Inuzuka in question peeks around a tree and smiles nervously. "Uh . . . my bad man."
"Good work today Katsu!"
Katsu turns around at the compliment and smiles brilliantly. "You too! See you guys tomorrow!" Waving goodbye to the workers and patrons Katsu steps out of The Tea House and starts walking home, taking a deep breath of the spring air, the night a curiously tepid temperature that's too comfortable to be warm yet just on the edge of cool. The crickets were already out, the sun having sunk below the horizon and the sky darkening from dusky purple to moonlit blue.
"Ah," Minato beams. "We're going to read about the proposal finally!"
Immediately Kushina shuffles forward until she's on the edge of her seat, biting her lip and gripping the edge of the couch cushions tightly. Tsunade leans over a little to read along with Jiraiya, as Obito and Rin bounce slightly in their seats.
She walks through town, smiling and murmuring polite greetings to the people she passes by who respond in kind.
Passing by the Ichiraku Ramen counter she's stopped by a cry of her name. "Kuroshio Katsuhime!"
Curious who would use her full name, she turns and sees Ayame standing in front of the stand holding a white envelope. Katsu's eyebrows raise in shock, she'd hardly recognized that voice, so full of pomp and import from Ayame. "Ayame-nee?"
"Please read the note inside and immediately make your way to the mentioned destination." Ayame says evenly, face carefully blank but her eyes danced with glee. Confused, Katsu takes the envelope and sees her name written on it in orange ink, the kanji beautiful and crisp against the white of the envelope. Flipping it over, she slides her fingernail looking letter on stationary decorated with an orange sun at the upper left corner and a crane at the bottom right. It's a color almost like parchment and Katsu smiles lightly.
"Aww!" Rin squeals form behind her hands, clamped over her mouth to prevent any embarrassing sounds from slipping out, not that it's doing much good.
It read: We'll both find our answers in the clearing where fox and princess met snake mistress.
"Oh, rhymes?" Tsunade snorts. "Naruto, you can't help but be cheesy can you?"
"Hush you, it's sweet." Kushina playfully scolds, grinning widely.
"Ayame-nee, what's going on here?" Katsu asks, looking up at the ramen waitress.
For a brief moment Ayame's mask cracks and her face lights up, before she regains herself and returns to her even tone. "Please head to your destination Kuroshio Katsuhime."
"It's nice his closest friends can be a part of this moment." Kakashi reluctantly speaks up, unwilling to add more estrogen to the romance fest.
"You're having so much fun with this." Katsu accuses, tucking the letter and envelope into the pocket of her black apron and walking away. She looks back over her shoulder to see Ayame twirl once before spinning under the flaps of the ramen stand and disappearing. Katsu turns to the front. The penmanship of the letter was not familiar to her, perhaps a stencil? So anyone could have written the note, but only a few could get Ayame in on it.
"Oh what am I deliberating on this for," Katsu murmurs under her breath. "This whole thing screams of Naruto."
"It is, it is!" Obito squirms in his seat, excited. "So hurry and go!"
She knows the clearing he was talking about, it wasn't as if Naruto made it very hard to figure it out. The clearing where fox and princess met snake mistress— the clearing where she and Naruto met Anko. The clearing they'd have picnics in and where they used to play and train before Naruto left for nearly three years with Jiraiya. Why does he want to meet there though?
Katsu walks into the more rural part of town, with fewer shops and more stalls dedicated to the few in-village farms. Katsu smiles at the now closed dango shop that is Anko's favorite haunt. Turning down another path she passes through a large alley that opens up to a wide field and under a stone bridge that's seldom used to another part of Konoha's forest. At the edge of the tree line, she stops.
There's no official path, just one beaten down by the tracks of deer and smaller animals over the years, a path worn smooth and with smaller growth of grass than any other part. What makes her stop, however, are the lanterns hanging from the tree boughs to her left and right, lighting the correct path for her. Katsu looks at the pretty, large metal lanterns and the candles that give out a warm, strong glow and cast a beautiful light onto the trees, the path, and the leaves.
Kushina smiles so wide it hurts a little to be honest but she cannot stop herself if she tries. To read about the actions her son and Konoha would take in the future was important, to aide her friends and family to survive whatever storm was coming. To just be able to be a part of the important moments in his life like this, however, meant more to her than she could describe. Even if she was reading about it now, she was sure the emotions will feel just as fresh, maybe even magnified when these things do come to pass.
"Well color me impressed," Katsu giggles, a bubble of delight growing in the pit of her stomach. "What else is there?"
The answer to that question was at the end of this lantern-lit road, so she just had to follow it through. Katsu takes her first step into the candle-lit world and then continues on. Sometimes the lanterns are metallic blue, sometimes they're black, and sometimes they're shining copper. Katsu is enchanted with it all.
"I bet it must feel like another realm, a fairy realm." Rin whispers.
When she leaves the path, she gasps in delight and a little awe. She's in the clearing now and it's breathtakingly beautiful. Lanterns in the trees are covered with large blooms of forget-me-nots that trail down from the boughs. Delicate little blue violets make flower chains crisscrossing the trees. On the very ground she steps upon, rose petals of the deepest, passionate red lay delicately upon the ground. Her next steps into the center of the clearing are very careful, unwilling and even afraid to crush the rose petals underfoot.
"Do you like it?" the question quietly asked makes tears spring up at the corners of her eyes, threatening to overtake the rest of her lower lids.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Katsu answers truthfully. She can feel a slight warmth at her back, so with one more step backwards her body relaxes into the larger one behind her. "It's dreamlike Ru!"
Naruto sighs happily, wrapping his arms around Katsu's waist and pressing his hands lightly between her hip bones. "It makes me happy to hear you say that. This is all for you, after all."
Katsu smiles gently, head leaning back and twisting slightly so she can look at Naruto. "It's wonderful, thank you."
"Well . . . this isn't the end of the surprise." Naruto hedges, hands moving to her sides and holding her there gently. "I, er . . . there's something I want to ask you Katsu."
Naruto takes a step back and turns Katsu around, still holding onto her. Katsu looks up patiently, seeing Naruto bite his lip thoughtfully and look everywhere but her. "Yes?" she encourages.
Naruto takes a huge breath. "I . . . um. I— okay let's start simple. I love you."
"I love you too." Katsu giggles, eyes flashing in the candle light— gah, why did he notice that now his tongue was tied and—
"You poor thing." Tsunade giggles. "The brave Uzumaki Naruto, tongue tied for the first time in his life I bet."
"Naruto?" Right. She's waiting for another . . . sentence. With a subject and a pronoun, and . . . possibly an adjective. That might be pushing it. A sharp rustle from one of the tress on the sidelines makes them both turn their heads to look at it, Katsu in confusion and Naruto in displeasure. He told those idiots to leave!
"I love you." He repeats. "Um . . . and you love me. And . . . you know how, we've been together practically forever?"
"Yes." Katsu stifles her giggles because despite the hilarity of the situation Naruto is earnest and something won't come easily to him. She sees him shoot another glare at the trees on the side, hearing something she couldn't. Huffing, he turns back to her and he loses the glare and irritation.
"From the moment we've met," his eyes soften and his body starts to unwind a little as he finds words that come easily and comfortable to him. "You've done so much for me that I can never repay you for. You were my first friend, my first family, my first and my most precious person. You've never really asked for anything, the love you give me is given freely and without exception."
"Isn't that how love works?" Katsu murmurs rhetorically, tangling her fingers with Naruto into warm knots that make the bubble of delight swell from the pit of her stomach to encompass the entire thing.
Naruto smiles softly. "I'll spend the rest of my life proving myself worthy of you, freely given or not. That's why . . . to help with that, I have one more thing I want you to give me."
Katsu cocks her head to the side, curious and willing to give Naruto whatever he wants. "Yes, Naruto?"
Oh, look, he can't make proper sentences anymore! "Katsu . . . I . . ."
"Yes?" Katsu eggs him on, eyes sparkling with curiosity and love.
Naruto swallows. "Katsu . . ."
"Naruto."
"I . . ."
A new, hissing voice comes from the trees. "Fuck's sake, just ask— mmph!"
"Who the fuck?!" Kushina yells, scaring the shinobi into jumping.
"Kushina." Kurama snaps, and the redhead shrinks before recalling why she yelled.
"Who just messed this up for my baby?" she growls dangerously.
Katsu turns from Naruto, the spell between them broken. "Was that . . . Kiba?" Katsu asks interestedly, unaware that Naruto stands like a puppet with broken strings, his face completely stony.
"Um . . . sssshhh!" Someone else, the voice feminine, tried to pretend like it was the sound of the wind whistling through the leaves. Only, no matter how loud the wind howled it never ever said 'fuck's sake.'
"You bastards . . ." Naruto murmurs, raising his head up to glare bloody murder with crimson, animalistic eyes at a specific tree on the sidelines. A tree who's upper boughs just shivered. Katsu, turning and seeing Naruto a hair's breadth from going postal, gently touches his cheek with the tips of her fingers. Cutting his eyes to her, Naruto briefly smiles and kisses her fingertips before moving back and pulling out a kunai. "Scram!" he yells angrily, chucking the kunai towards the tree and seeing it cut through the leaves. An unmanly, girlish scream lets him know something was hit.
That something, Kiba it turns out, tumbles down and brings a few people down along with him, not to mention a lantern. Katsu and Naruto watch Kiba, Chouji, Shikamaru, then Ino fall out of the tree and take down the three lanterns hanging in that tree down with them. The lanterns roll out of sight, but the group of groaning and tangled humans stay there.
"Kiba!" Rin snarls so fiercely Obito and Kakashi nearly shove themselves away from her in fright. "You will make up for this as soon as you are born!"
"Oww," Ino whines. "Naruto, why?!"
"Kiba's the one who flailed around and knocked you out of the tree, not me." Naruto reminds her, unapologetic and smug in the face of their pain. "I told you guys to get lost, I'd tell you how it went later!"
"You wouldn't have even noticed us if the mutt over here kept quiet." Shikamaru grouses, kicking Kiba with one leg.
"Yeah, idiot! Way to ruin the mood!" Ino barks, then she sighs. "Come on out you guys."
From another tree, Hinata, Tenten, Neji, Lee and Shino drop to the ground. "Hey there!" Hinata laughs nervously, fingers poking together in nervousness as she used to do when she was a young girl.
Tenten marches straight up to Kiba and roughly brings him to his feet. In a flash of silver a tanto is pointing at his groin and Tenten is blasting him with killer intent. "Let's go mutt, you and I need to have a chat."
"Kiba-san," Shino adjusts his glasses. "Kurenai-sensei will hear about this."
The threat of what Kurenai could do to him made Kiba pale worse than when Tenten levelled a tanto at his future children. With a strangled sound, Kiba turns to Naruto and Katsu and says, "Sorry."
Naruto snorts, and is about to retort when he stills. "What's that sound?"
For a moment the others look at him in confusion, when Shino starts. "Where did those lanterns roll?" he asks sharply.
Their only warning is a high whining noise that comes closer, and a sudden glow in the darkness. Fireworks burst up from the trees and over the canopy, racing into the skies and then exploding in a shower of light and explosion. Some of them. The other several fireworks were coming straight for them.
"Wow." Kakashi deadpans.
"I smell foul play." Obito claims loudly. "Could this be the work of fan girls?!"
"Shit!" Naruto curses, flying through hand seals as he pulls them both to the ground and then slams his hands onto the grass. His friends vault for the earthen wall but it isn't fully formed before a firework hits it. The firework ricochets of the top of the wall and breaks off a chunk of earth to fall on the others, the crazily spinning light show hitting a tree and bursting into flame. The other fireworks zoom around their position and some manage to make it just over the canopy before they explode. The fireworks still go off too close to them, so everyone is left with ringing ears. Naruto and Kiba swear they go deaf, and the lights nearly blind everyone who plasters themselves to the ground.
"Are you fucking serious?!" Naruto yells, lunging for Kiba and wrapping his hands around the other boy's throat. "Why didn't you secure the fireworks you—"
"We don't have time for that, who knows a water jutsu to take out the fire?" Ino yells, pointing at the tree. The fire crackle and grows, and a branch holding a lantern breaks off, rolling towards them. The burning branch catches something dark hidden amongst the grass and then suddenly a trail of fire starts to light around them. Everyone watches dumbly, until Katsu shouts.
"Whoa! Naruto, is this . . . a heart made out of fire?" Earlier, Naruto had recalled his promise to create a flaming heart for Katsu when they were small children, and he had spent a long time connecting the wicks of the small green candles that would blend into the grass, arranging them so they would shape into a heart.
"Oh, this is turning into a disaster." Kushina whimpers, spinning around and snarling at a wheezing Kurama. "Stop laughing damn it!"
"This . . . is . . . the funniest shit . . . fucking ever!" Kurama gasps, hysterical and in pain from laughing so hard.
"Yeah." Naruto answers, shaking his head and then repeating that with more enthusiasm. "Yeah! Uh, Hinata would you—"
"On it." Hinata assures him, turning to the tree. "Suiton: Water Trumpet." Putting a hand to her mouth she shoots a concentrated stream of water at the burning tree and soon enough has it put out, though the tree will surely fall soon from damage.
"Well," Naruto sighs. "We can still savage this—" With a crack of thunder, the heavens pour down upon them. Within a few moments everyone is soaked, hair plastered to their faces and skin, clothes stuck to them. While the others squawk and run, Katsu and Naruto stand rather dumbfounded in the middle of the once flaming heart.
"Oh, Naru!" Minato murmurs. "This is a test."
"Wow." Katsu shields her eyes and looks up as best as she can. "They didn't say anything about a storm!" Turning back to Ru one side of her lips quirk up into a crooked grin seeing the boy stock still and wide eyed like he'd just been dealt a serious blow.
"Oh, Ru," she grabs his hand and tries to pull him to find a tree to stand under. "I'm sorry, this surprise was really sweet. Whatever it is you wanted to ask me, you can ask at home okay?" She tugs his hand again, confused when he won't move. "Naru, come on! It's pouring, we'll get sick!"
". . . No." Naruto mutters.
Jiraiya chuckles. "That's right, just forget all the pretty distractions and go straight for guts!"
"What?" Katsu asks loudly, unable to hear him over the dull roar of the rain.
Naruto slowly shakes his head, blinking rapidly. "No." he says louder this time.
"No?" Katsu frowns. "Ru, it's torrential out here, let's go home please."
"Damn it no!" Naruto shouts, frustrated, snatching his hand away from Katsu and angrily scraping his hair away from his face only to snarl when it slaps him right back unwilling to allow him respite. "Katsuhime, I can't wait. I— ah fuck, what is it they said about plans?!"
"Man plans, God laughs." Minato replies with a laugh.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Katsu admits, grimacing as she pushes back her sopping hair. "Well, you said something about you wanting something from me."
"Right!" Naruto exclaims, looking at her with burning eyes full of determination. "I don't want it Katsu, I need it. I need you."
Katsu shakes her head, still confused. "What are you—" She gasps, cutting off her own words when Naruto pulls her to him and kisses her, hard and demanding. He breaks away from her, lips mere centimeters away when he finishes and finally asks the question he's been dying to know the answer to.
"I want your heart. And in exchange, as poor as it is, I'll give you my last time. Kuroshio Katsuhime, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?" Naruto asks, voice strong.
"Ahh, he asked!" Kushina jumps up out of her seat and bounces around the couch to the back, where she spins fast and reckless. "He asked, he asked, he's going to be married!"
"Whoo! That's the way to do it Naru-chan!" Obito whoops, Kakashi clapping along with him.
Katsu stares at him, still a little blindsided by the kiss and then breathless when he asked her to marry him. "Seriously?" she utters, and immediately wants to beat herself senseless.
Naruto nods rapidly. "Yes, seriously!"
Katsu's mouth works for a word, a positive word, and then— "Yes! Yes, of course I— YES!"
"YEAH!" Rin and Obito roar, leaping up and furiously slapping their hands together in a high-five. "Ow!" the pair of idiots furiously wring their hands, palms burning from the flesh slapping together.
"I wonder if they'll let me preside over the wedding." Tsunade wonders, smiling beatifically.
"Seriously?" Naruto asks faintly, and now it's his turn to wish for self-harm.
Katsu smiles leaning up, "Seriously!" and she kisses him just as demandingly as he did a scant few minutes ago. Naruto responds just as happily, and they can hear their friends wolf-whistle and cheer from somewhere up in the trees.
Elated, Naruto can't contain himself and lifts Katsu off her feet, spinning them both around. "We're getting married!" he laughs, unable to stop kissing her, holding her.
"You're getting married!" Hinata and Ino scream delightedly, and the sound of laughter overcomes the roar of the rain for the rest of the night.
"Yay, yay, yay!" Rin and Kushina trill spinning around and around.
"Okay, calm down!" Jiraiya laughs, not sure if he can look at their widly spinning forms anymore.
"I can't help it! I can't! This was the best! Chapter! Ever!" Kushina screams, tugging Minato and spinning around with him for a few minutes before stopping and jumping up and down.
Kurama looks at her and snorts, amused. "As happy as you are now, you better match this when Minato asks to be fair."
This chapter was purely bout fluff and Naruto and Katsu. It's the holidays, romance is practically part and parcel so don't complain. Besides, how can you when the next chapter is . . . . THE LOST TOWER! WHOOOO FUCK YEEAAAHHH! The Lost Tower a.k.a Minato-Naruto-fluffy-wonderful-oh-the-feels-my-heart-will-burst chapter! And, there's more! As a challegne to myself and at the request of a loyal reader and friend, I'm going to work hard to get chapter fifty-five out for them as a birthday present. Expect this chapter to come anywhere from the seventh to the eighth okay?
Okay.
So.
I'm about to go hard. Gtg, Guile's Theme to listen to.
Love,
Bloody Mad~3
