Here's the next chapter a day earlier than usual to make up for my latish one last week.
...(Nov-Dec. Nazo-18)
She regretted everything. She was in a constant state of... sickness? She wasn't actually sick, obviously. She just suffered the symptoms... constantly. She hated it so much. The time she was free in the afternoons was mostly spent napping. Which kind of defeated the purpose of staying at Shikaku's. She was supposed to see how things worked out when they weren't only seeing each other in from time to time...
Shikaku, for his part, didn't seem to mind the afternoon naps. He never stopped being concerned but at least he wasn't trying to convince her to stop. He just laid with her on the couch or the bed and talked with her about some random things. One of which was Choza's wedding.
It took place on one of her "off" days so she didn't do any of the chakra draining. Her energy level was high enough that she could go. Kushina had been nice enough to bring her new dress over plus a few other things that the red-head said were "essential" to complete the look.
Nazoko didn't argue and let her do what she wanted. The new dress was a royal purple color. It was an off-shoulder gown with a sweetheart neckline. A sash of the same color was sewn onto the dress itself to hug her waistline while flowing down over her hip without accentuating them. Kushina curled her hair and applied mostly purple tones to her eyes and lips.
The wedding itself was similar to the other two she had been to. She spent most of the time practically glued to Shikaku's side simply because he was her crutch and kept her awake.
When Shikaku had to leave again, he helped her over to Sakumo and Okami's. She waved goodbye to him sadly but turned to face her extended family. Minori was happy to see her again, much to her delight. Kakashi was also happy, though the mask made it hard to tell. Why did he have to start wearing that again?
Okami mothered her while she was there and Sakumo watched in amusement. Kakashi often ended up trying to do some of the exercises she did, though he had to stop long before her. Minori also joined in. She was in her second year at the academy.
Like her brother, she was well beyond her years. A genuine prodigy. Nazoko was glad her parents weren't letting her graduate early. It was way too soon.
Her check-ups all came back clean. Nothing bad happening other than a stressed chakra system. Which was what they all wanted to happen. It was starting to recognize that it needed to produce more chakra since its' owner didn't seem to have enough. Again, that was what they wanted.
Finally... Finally, came the day when she could stop. Of course, it had to happen just as her body was adjusting to running on low chakra. Still, she was beyond thrilled. It was nice to not feel like she was on her death bed every day. It took three whole days before her reserves returned to half and would take the last four to get it up to full.
Two days before she left, Minato came back. As did Jiraiya. He had to instruct Minato on proper procedure, after all.
"So... How was it?" Minato asked. He looked a little scared.
"I don't know," she started a little sarcastically. "How was it when you were chakra exhausted?"
He winced. "It wasn't... comfortable."
"Then just imagine that for three weeks straight," she said flatly.
He made a noise.
"I didn't really get to spend a whole lot of time with Shikaku," she pouted pathetically. "I mean the whole point of staying over at his place for so long was to see how we handled it and I ended up sleeping all the damn time."
Minato chuckled. "Well, I would think Shikaku didn't mind."
"That really isn't the point."
He put his hands up to placate her. "I know." He sighed. "I'm not looking forward to this." He'd be starting his new routine the next day. Which was also the same day she was set to head out.
"Mm. It sucks. It was pretty nice being back in the village for more than a few days."
He smiled. "I'll bet. So... I actually wanted to talk to you about something..."
"If it's about marrying Kushina then I support you."
He stared. "No..." He started slowly. "I mean, eventually, yes. But no. I actually was thinking about becoming a sensei."
"Oh?" She kept her tone neutral.
"Ugh." He threw his hands in the air dramatically. He'd definitely been spending a little too much time with Kushina... Or maybe it was her? Either way, Minato and dramatic didn't fit well together. "I hate that response. Do you think I should or not?"
She still remembered that he didn't want her to tell him anything about the future unless necessary. Telling him this much wouldn't be giving anything away. "I think it would be a good idea."
"You do?... I was thinking you would say it was a bad idea."
She shook her head. "Nope. I say do it. You'll be a great sensei."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Why don't you give being a sensei a try?"
She scoffed. "No, thank you. I don't have any desire to be one."
He shrugged. "Alright."
It was quiet on top of the Hokage monument. They were seated on top of the Second Hokage's head and looking out over the village. The sun was starting to set and the sky was dyed shades of orange and pink. It was beautiful but also chilly. It would start snowing soon.
She sighed. "I guess I'd better get back. I need to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow."
"Yeah. Be careful out there."
"YOU be careful." She gave him a hug. "And really, don't wait too long to ask Kushina. I would rather not find out what happens when she gets tired of waiting for you to ask and takes charge."
"Ah... Right." He shifted. "Sweet dreams, Nazoko."
"Good night, Minato."
...(may Nazo-18-five months later)
"So, this is your team?" Nazoko looked down at the three new genin that were both similar and yet not, to what she remembered from the show. Still, at younger than ten, all three were flipping adorable.
"Yup! You already know Kakashi. This is Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito," Minato announced proudly. He also sounded a bit nervous.
She placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze then turned back to the children. "It's nice to meet you two."
Rin's eyes were sparkling. "You're Fuji Nazoko! The Hell Butterfly! It's an honor to meet you!"
Nazoko took a step back with her hands in front of her. "Ah... Thank you? I mean, Minato here is much more impressive than me..."
Rin nodded and sent Minato a slightly placating look. "Of course. I'm sure he is." She turned back to Nazoko. "But in kunoichi class, Sensei is always talking about what a kunoichi can achieve when they really put their minds to it. She said that you got your reputation when you were only fifteen! You're an inspiration! So many girls from my class idolize you!"
Her eye was actually twitching. No. Just no. She was hardly a standard.
"Minori was hoping you would be willing to become a sensei when she graduates," Kakashi informed her.
Horror washed over her. "Uh... I..." She gulped and could feel a cold sweat forming on the back of her neck. "I don't..."
Kakashi had the audacity to roll his eyes at her. "You can relax, Nazo-nee. I'm pretty sure she just wants to take over your butterfly contract."
Well, that was a relief... Sorta. "Ah. That's not something I can decide."
Obito, who had been quiet until then, decided to make himself known... Loudly. "I've never heard of the Hell Butterfly. How is that even scary? Butterflies are not scary!"
"Obito," Rin scolded. "Don't be so rude!"
Obito flushed. "Sorry."
Nazoko shrugged. "Eh. Don't worry about it. Though I would disagree. The normal butterfly is fine, but my summons can get... big. Like faces on the Hokage monument big."
"Nazoko-san? Why can't you decide who can sign the contract?"
The way Rin asked... Oh dear, she was actually hoping for a chance to do so as well... Can't let that get too far. "I don't hold the contract. The butterflies are very... selective about who they let sign. I had to use a reverse summoning method to bring me to their home. Even then, there was a very long Q&A session after that until they determined me... adequate."
"That sounds like a lot."
"It is." She sent the young girl a smile. "It was worth it though. Don't try it until Minato says your ready if that's the route you want to take." Nazoko frowned and turned back to the blond. "So, does this mean your not doing the expansion?"
Minato's head perked up. "Nope! I've already done it twice and Jiraiya says there hasn't been much of change in my level. So, chances are, I'd have to keep doing it for a full year before there would be any noticeable results. It wouldn't be worth it in the long run."
That made sense. Minato didn't really need more chakra. He already had a large amount for someone not born into a clan. Hell, he even had more than most of the clan people in general. Still, now Nazoko would be the only one suffering. She sent him a scowl on principal.
"Traitor. So, I guess this also means you'll be in the village for a time?"
"Aa. Lord Hokage said that things were quieting down out there. With you and everyone else on the front, the village could afford to spare me." He grinned. "So, any suggestions on what I should focus on?"
She didn't want to tell him to put more emphasis on any particular part. Doing that could take away from something else. "Mm. Just do what you planned on doing. If it's okay with you, once in a while I might just pull one of them aside?"
He understood. "Sounds good."
She clapped her hands together. "Great! Well, this has been fun. I will be seeing you all soon, I'm sure. For now, though, I'm off!" She waved and jumped onto the nearest roof and continued on her way to her original destination.
She skipped through the Nara compound until she reached Shikaku's house. She slid the door open, kicked off her shoes, and slid the door shut. She made her way to Shikaku's chakra and found herself standing in his bedroom doorway.
It never ceased to amaze her. The moment she laid eyes on him, something in her just... relaxed. Like she'd been carrying around this anxiety whenever she knew he was out of the village and it didn't go away again until she laid eyes on him. It wasn't that she didn't have a similar feeling for all of her friends but when it came to them... it wasn't as strong. Barely noticeable.
She leaned against the doorway for quite some time. His hair was down and a little messy from sleep. His arms were bare and there was no indication that he was a tank top. Slow and steady breaths came from between slightly parted lips.
While not every person was considered a sensor, nearly all shinobi were capable of recognizing the chakra signature of people they saw frequently. She didn't have any fear he would react violently if she approached. So, she did. She sat on the edge of the bed and finally got to return the action he'd done so many time before to her. She brushed hair out of his face and behind his ear. Or that was the plan... His hair was surprisingly soft.
"'Zoko?" Shikaku slurred in his sleep rough voice. His eyes were cracked open.
She sent him a smile and leaned down to place a kiss on his slightly dry lips. "Good morning. Scoot over." She made a shooing motion. He let out a throaty laugh and moved over so she could slide in next to him under the covers. She placed her head on his bare chest and made a contented noise.
"You just get back?"
"About an hour ago. I stopped at home and caught Tou-san before he left for work. Then Minato caught me on my way here and introduced me to his team. They're kind of adorable."
He inhaled deeply with his nose buried in the top of her hair. "Hmm. Welcome back."
She absently ran her hands up and down his stomach. "Mm. It's good to be back." Moments like this were nice. Being able to lay down and relax. This war was really wearing on her. Even when most of the time at a base was spent sitting and waiting for the next attack. "They never talk about it in the academy. How... uneventful it is out there during war. Not that I want more to happen..." She sighed. "I only wish this war would end already."
"Me too." He grabbed her hand when it was traveling down. "It's probably best not to do that right now."
Oh.
Now the thought was in her head. Her eyes moved down the top of the blanket where, now that she was looking, there was a raised bump. She bit her lip. Should she? She took her hand from his and slid it down slowly.
His breath hitched. "Nazoko?"
She met his gaze when her hands brushed the waist of his sweatpants. "I want... Can I-" It was awkward to ask.
Intense didn't quite cover the look in his eyes. "If you're sure." His voice was low, almost a whisper.
?
(Link to the deleted scene will be in the AN below)
?
"You are so fucking beautiful," he said gruffly.
A whoosh of air escaped her instead of the laugh she'd intended. She leaned up and kissed him lightly. While she'd like to just lay on the bed with him a little longer, she knew the sticky wetness between her legs would become annoying once she'd fully calmed down.
"You good?" He asked when she pulled away. He searched her face.
"Incandescent." She grinned. "And incredibly satisfied," she tacked on. "You?" Now she was a little unsure. After what he just made her feel, she couldn't possibly have done so well.
His smug expression turned fond. "Nazoko, that felt better than anything I've ever managed on my own. You were perfect."
She blushed shyly before pushing herself off the bed and walked to the drawer she'd taken over in his dresser and pulled out a clean pair of underwear. She'd showered that morning and didn't feel the need to do so again. She turned back to him. "I'm going to change quickly. I'll make breakfast when I'm done."
She'd just finished making some pancakes, which apparently weren't a thing here, when Shikaku walked in. His hair was still down and slightly damp.
"What's that?" He wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Pancakes. I make them all the time for Tou-san." She flipped one. "If you don't like them, I can always make something else. I do expect you to try them though." She sent him a narrow-eyed look.
"Aa. I'm sure it will be great." He let her go and went to set the table before taking a seat. "So, what are your plans for the day?"
"I guess I was going to check in on Sakumo and his family. I don't start the expansion training until the day after tomorrow and once I do... Well, you know my energy levels after that." She brought their plates over.
"Ah. Is it worth it?" He was about to take a bite but she giggled and stopped him.
"You're going to want to put one of these on it first." She brought over a few items. Strawberry jam, peanut butter and bananas, and chocolate syrup. Maple syrup also wasn't a thing around here. Well, there was but shinobi tended to not have it in their homes. She'd looked into it and it was because there weren't any maple trees. Those grew in tea so the syrup would need to be imported and it was pricey.
He watched her spread some peanut butter over hers and cut up some bananas to place over the top. He chose the same.
"It's good."
"You sound surprised," she teased. "Contrary to popular belief, I am a decent cook." Which he knew. She'd cooked for him before.
"Popular belief?" His stare was curious.
Oh, that's right. He wouldn't have heard about it. "Well," she began sheepishly. "I may have set the kitchen on fire the first time I tried making these. It was a few years ago," she added quickly. "And it was only the once. Tou-san likes to remind me about it."
He coughed into his hand to cover his laugh.
"Oh, shush." Yet she couldn't stop smiling. "Anyway... Any plans?"
"Nah. I was just going to nap."
She shook her head and gave an amused sigh. "Oh!" She reached into her kunai pouch and pulled out two small pieces of wood. "Honestly, I made these a while ago. The first time I broke my leg. Thought you might get some amusement out of them. Even if it's only for a few minutes."
She tossed him the Burr Box and the Crazy Ring she'd made back when she was twelve or thirteen and had a broken leg. She'd forgotten she'd made those.
He picked one up. "What is it?"
"Burr Box and Crazy Ring. I know the names are weird." She waved a hand dismissively. "The Burr Box you gotta figure out how to take it apart and put it back together. The Crazy Ring you're supposed to get the ring off the strings."
He looked at them closer. "You made these?"
"Aa." She didn't like taking credit for someone else's work but it was easier than trying to explain her origin story. She snickered in her head. She was making herself sound like a superhero.
She finished eating and washed the dishes while Shikaku dried.
"You never did answer my question. Is it worth it?"
She winced. "It doesn't feel like it right now. Though it is working. My reserves have definitely gone up significantly for only two months. I would imagine that it will plateau soon enough and then I can stop. I already told you that there is a reason why I'm bothering with it. So, I can't say for sure yet if it is."
"Hm." He dried the last dish. "You gonna head out?"
"Yeah. I'll be back by lunch and then you have me the rest of the day."
The look he sent her rekindled some of her earlier desire. "Looking forward to it." He placed his forehead against hers.
Once again, she found herself wanting to say those three words she hadn't been ready to before. Now, however, it was different. She'd thought about over the last five months. Her hand traced along the scars on his face and she took a short breath in. "I love you."
He froze. "What?" It came out as a whisper.
Had she said it too soon? They'd been dating for a year and a half now... She mentally slapped herself. Seriously? The only time it's too soon to say it is if you don't mean it. "I love you."
He relaxed and kissed her. "I love you too," he said against her lips.
The tension she hadn't even realized she'd been carrying released at his words. Maybe it was the cynic in her, but a part of her thought he was only with her now because he'd already invested so much time into the relationship and couldn't be bothered to start all over again. It was stupid and she knew it wasn't true. Sometimes, her thoughts could get away from her though. Still, she did know him well enough to know he wouldn't say something he didn't mean.
"I love you," he said again as if reading her thoughts.
She giggled into the kiss. "I love you too." It was almost as nice to say as it was to hear. At this moment, she couldn't help but feel that things would be okay.
...(Sept. Nazo-19)
"Are you sure you should be doing this, Nazoko-san? You don't look so good?"
She was sure she looked a sight. A light sheen of sweat coated her forehead and the back of her neck and her body was shaking. She could only imagine how pale she was and the bags under her eyes. "Chakra expansion training is not fun. I wouldn't recommend it. It's like being sick constantly and you have no energy for much of anything."
The annoying part was that she'd had to re-drain her reserves that morning. All it took to get her sweating like a pig was the relatively short walk to the training field. Even worse, she'd heard that Obito was notorious in his team for being late. She'd arrived after him... "Believe it or not, I'm actually used to feeling like this. Still, this training session will probably be a little different than your used to. I won't be doing much in the way of hands-on training so much as instructing you."
"It's fine. I'll take anything you throw at me!"
She managed a weak smile. "Don't get too excited. I can promise you that today is going to make you hate me." She may have said that with a little too much glee if she were to judge the disturbed look on Obito's face. "I can also promise you, so long as you stick to what I tell you, that you will be closer to your goal. It is still to beat Kakashi, isn't it?"
His eyes were actually sparkling. "Really?"
"Mmhmm. Why don't you start with your warm-up?"
"I've already done it!" He exclaimed proudly.
"Good." She smiled. "Do it again."
"But why?"
She frowned at his whiny tone. "I could be in bed right now but no. I'm forcing myself to be here because I promised to help you. If you're going to argue with me every step of the way, I'll just go home."
"No, no, no! I'm sorry! I'll do it!" Do it he did. In about ten minutes.
"That... was the standard academy warm up." She sighed. Had Minato really not given his team something more to do? She would have her work cut out for her. "Look... You're not in the academy anymore, Obito-kun. You're going to need to work a lot harder if you really want to be a shinobi."
"I do! I'm going to become the Hokage!"
That seemed to be a highly coveted position, she mused to herself. "Well, then. You're going to need a much tougher warm up. Let's start with a physical assessment, shall we? I need to know where you're at so I can create a routine that suits you."
The next hour was spent watching Obito do as many push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and a couple running exercises. He was lying flat on his back by the end.
She never really considered forty push-ups to be anything spectacular when she was in the academy. Which really proved that indoctrination worked. Even someone who was mentally an adult could be pulled in by it. Before, a nine-year-old boy would have only been expected to do fifteen to twenty. Chakra and the overall mentality of this world were really incredible.
"Okay. Better than I was expecting. Forty push-ups. Eighty sit-ups. Twenty pull-ups. Three miles for long-distance running. Reflexes are average." She said it out loud for his benefit. "I am going to focus on speed for you." If he was just a little bit faster, he could save Rin and still have time to get out of the way of the boulder. "Come over here."
A groan came from him but he rolled over and followed her orders.
"I'll talk to Minato to make sure he's on the same page with us," she said to herself. She took one of the bangles from each ankle and deactivated all of the seals. "Here. Put these on."
Obito made a face. "But those are for girls!"
She glared at him until he acquiesced. "I should make you wear them for that comment." She shook her head. "I'm only letting you use them right now so I can figure out a good starting point for you." She activated two seals on each one. "Lift your legs."
"Ugh! It's heavier!"
Cue eye roll. "Yes, that's the point. Each seal adds a certain amount of resistance to the limb it's placed on."
His eyes widened and he looked at the metal ring with more interest. Then his eyes turned to the rest on her ankles and widened further. "So many... All of those seals are active?"
"Yup." Two seals seemed to be a pretty good point to start for his legs. She deactivated the seals. "Put them on your wrists." She tried one seal each and had him lift them. A frown adorned her features. It was a little too much. So long as Minato gave him enough time to adjust, it shouldn't be a problem. "Okay. I'll go find something more "masculine" to place some seals on for you. You'll wear them at all times. Got it?"
"Got it, Nazoko-sensei!"
Cheeky brat. "Your new morning routine will be as follows; fifteen push-ups, forty sit-ups, ten pull-ups, and a mile and a half run."
He nodded eagerly. "How long until I can beat Kakashi?"
She snorted. "That depends on you. If you want to improve faster, you'll do the routine once in the morning, and once in the evening. I'll let Minato know that he should add one seal to each item once he deems you adequately used to the ones you'll already have."
He frowned for only a moment before a determined glint took over. "I'll be better than him in a year!"
She smiled. "I'll do my best to help you get there. No promises though." She grimaced. "I have my own training to do..." His excitement was contagious though. She only hoped she was doing enough.
...(Nov. Nazo-19)
The base was quiet. It was another boring day along the Hotsprings border. Nothing much was happening. Kumo had pulled back it seemed. Whatever the reason, no one knew. It was a little disconcerting.
Nazoko rolled her neck and shook out her limbs. She'd just gotten off her shift of watch and could use a good stretch. What better way than making people uncomfortable by doing her flexibility routine? It was always good for a few laughs. Even if it was only in her own head.
She started with some basic yoga techniques before she moved onto the contortions. The reactions of the people around her did not disappoint. Some were curious or awed. Others were just plain disgusted. Of course, there were always a few that made comments that went a little too far.
"Mm. Can you imagine what she'd be like in bed? Just picture how many different positions you could try." A round of muted chortles followed.
She appeared behind him. "Oh, do tell. What kinds of different positions?" She may have been leaking a little killing intent.
The man paled and choked on his spit. "Nazoko-san!" His voice went up a few octaves. "I'm so sorry! It was just a joke."
"No." She glared. "For one, a joke is meant to be funny. I'm not laughing. Two, that was only a lewd comment that completely objectified a comrade of yours. Women are capable of being here for something other than your viewing pleasure and to entertain your less than innocent thoughts."
"Damn straight!"
Nazoko turned to the newcomer and gapped. "Tsunade-san?" She hadn't expected to see her until around when Naruto was born, assuming she agreed. She hadn't even had the chance to send out a butterfly to get Tsunade's answer.
A lot of whispered "Lady Tsunade" swept through the gathered crowd.
"You and I are going to have a little chat." Her tone was no-nonsense. Nazoko would not be able to refuse.
Sensing how serious this was to her, Nazoko nodded and led her to a more secluded area, then laid down an advanced privacy seal. She barely had time to look at the blond before she spoke.
"I want you to tell me everything."
"I already-"
"No. You told me some watered-down version. No doubt for the sake of Jiraiya. You left out something important from what you did tell me and then you stopped around the nine-tails. There is more to the story, isn't there?"
Nazoko sighed. "Of course there is. What I told you didn't even cover half it. I was only trying to keep things concise for the sake of letting you know what I was asking you for."
Tsunade crossed her arms. "Now, I want to know all of it. Everything."
Nazoko took a heavy breath. "That's a tall order... This could take a while." She sat down and leaned her back against the tree and started her tale. She left nothing out.
"That..."
"I know."
"Does Jiraiya know about Orochimaru?"
Nazoko frowned. "I... haven't mentioned it to him. I mean... In the end, he was... okay? But... I'd really like to avoid everything that led up to that... I know he's already under Danzo's thumb but I just don't know what to do about it..."
"That sounds like a mess." Tsunade snorted. "Me becoming the fifth Hokage? All because of a brat? Look... Obviously, you don't have a plan for everything. It still sounds like you have enough to make it work. I'm sorry. I just can't go back to the village."
Nazoko's heart sunk. "Please. Reconsider. I'm not asking you to stay. I-"
Tsunade shook her head. "I hate the village more than anything. It took everything from me."
Something in Nazoko snapped. "Oh, boo-hoo! Cry me a river. Konoha GAVE you the opportunity to have anything at all! It didn't take a damn thing from you! War did. I'm trying to stop another war from taking everything from more people! I could use your help to do it. Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You think you've lost everything? You have no idea what I've lost!"
Tsunade flared her killing intent but Nazoko didn't back down. She didn't even flinch. "You only lost a teammate. You know absolutely nothing about what I-"
Nazoko stood. "I've lost everything once before! My family and my friends! My career! My fucking life! Everything!"
"Are you stupid? You're alive right now."
Nazoko shook her head. "I died once. I was born in a place far from here where chakra was not used. Shinobi did not exist. Life was... calm. Until the day someone broke into my house while I was home. I was murdered. The next thing I knew, I was alive again. I don't know how, and I don't know why. I was given a second chance. So, here I am, Tsunade. Using that second chance to make sure no one has to know what it's like to REALLY lose everything."
Tsunade was looking at Nazoko in a new light. "Does-"
"I've only ever told Minato. I try not to think about it."
She shook her head. "It's not possible."
Nazoko sneered. "So, it's more likely that a nine-year-old knows the symptoms of pre-eclampsia without ever having picked up a medical book in her life than it is a soul being reborn? Or a three-year-old knowing that her mother was suffering from psychosis without being able to read?"
"What?"
Nazoko sighed. "My mother, from this life, never went in for her check-ups after having me. Her post-partum depression was never caught. It developed into something much worse. I became aware of myself before I turned three and I knew... she was sick. When she started having conversations with people that weren't there, I even knew what she was sick with. I told Tou-san. The word of a three-year-old doesn't hold much weight. Long story short, she tried to kill me and is now in the psych ward."
"And the pre-eclampsia?"
"I knew someone from Before that had it. It was much more common there than it is here. If I hadn't known about it... If I hadn't said anything... Okami would likely be dead. Apparently, no one tests the urine for a protein that is present when the patient has it." She sighed and slumped in defeat. "Please, Tsunade-san. Don't let other people feel the same loss we have."
The look of pure anguish that crossed Tsunade's face tore Nazoko's heart in two. She hated having to ask this of her, but she couldn't afford Tsunade saying no.
"I... can't. I'm sorry." Tsunade stalked off leaving Nazoko to stare after her in defeat.
She rubbed her face and removed the seal while letting out a sigh.
"Nazoko?"
She brought her gaze up and sent a tired smile. "Shikaku." Her eyes moved to his usual two teammates and she frowned. "I thought you'd still be in the village with that genin team of yours?"
Choza smiled. "Aa. The Hokage just needed a good strategist on the Iwa front for a bit. Naturally, we wouldn't let Shikaku go alone."
"Of course. Thank you for looking out for him."
Inoichi couldn't hold it in anymore. "Um... That was Lady Tsunade."
"Uh-huh."
"She was right there."
"That's right."
"Why was she standing right there talking to you?"
Nazoko tilted her head. "Because we had things to discuss."
Inoichi huffed. "Okay, but what kinds of things?"
"Privet things."
He made a noise of protest.
"Drop it, Inoichi," Shikaku warned. He never took his eyes off her. "Are you okay?"
The way he said it made her think that he would go after the blond sannin if she said no. "I'm fine. Disappointed, but fine." Conscious of the eyes on her but not caring, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Much better now you're here," she whispered into his ear. It wasn't a lie either. Ever since she'd started the expansion training, she mostly only saw him when she was exhausted and only wanted to sleep. It was a nice change of pace to see him when she was fully lucid.
He placed a discreet kiss on her head. He'd been in the village a little bit more now that Choza was a sensei. However, they couldn't keep him in for too long.
"Did you know that Konoha will be holding our own Chunin exams this year? Just for our shinobi," Choza said to fill in the silence.
Nazoko released Shikaku and stepped back. "Oh? I must have missed that."
"Aa. One of my students asks about you frequently."
She wasn't sure she liked his tone. "Oh?" She tilted her head. "I've never met them..."
"From the sounds of it, you've trained with one of them." Choza was smiling now.
She tilted her head. "Who?"
"Maito Gai."
"Ah." She shuddered. "I didn't really train WITH him... I thought my own training was bad..." She couldn't manage to finish a sentence.
"Gai is one of a kind."
She raised a brow. "Have you met his father? He's a nice guy. A bit more intense than his son. An absolute nightmare with the physical training."
Choza looked interested. "Really? Worse than Gai?... I suppose he had to get it from somewhere... So... When did you train with Gai's dad?"
She squinted. "It was about four or five years ago. I may have mentioned I was out of shape in front of him and have regretted it ever since!" She smiled brightly. "On the upside, I added another six seals to my weights during his training."
Choza scratched his head. "I don't understand how that works... I remember taking off those ankle ones of yours... They didn't feel all that heavy..."
She smirked now and took one off before tossing it to him. "You won't feel it unless your wearing it."
"Really?" He studied it then looked between the band and his wrist. He shrugged and clasped it. The moment it latched his eyes widened when his arm pulled down. Knees bent and arm strained, he grunted. "A little help."
Nazoko laughed and unclasped it.
"You didn't warn me it was that heavy!"
She laughed harder. "Did you think I wore these for fashion?"
"All of them are that heavy?"
"Aa. It's a bit complicated. They don't actually add weight. It's just resistance. Jiraiya had me put that in as a fail-safe after a mission I had with Inoki-san. Didn't want anyone to have struggle to carry me in the event that I was incapacitated behind enemy lines. My staff is the biggest issue for that since it's actual weight seals on that."
He pursed his lips. "Can I hold on of those?"
She raised a brow. "You really want to?" She pulled one out at his nod. "It's... heavy." She carefully placed it in his open palm but didn't let go. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She thought twice and placed a hand a few inches below his. "Just in case." Then she released it.
"Urgh!" He jerked down and would have fallen over if it weren't for hand underneath. "What?! How on earth can you carry all that weight around?!" He watched with incredulity as she tucked it back into her obi.
She shrugged. "I'm pretty used to it now." Was it just her or did she find it a little funny that Choza was the one asking her that? "So... How long are you going to be here for?"
"Not for long. We just had to check in with the commander here," Shikaku said.
Opening and closing his mouth a few times, Choza shook his head. "You're something else. Has Tsunade been training you? I heard she could punch a mountain in half."
Nazoko snorted. "No. She uses chakra control to do that. It's incredibly dangerous and hard to do. It requires timing so precise that even a fraction of a millisecond off and you'll be facing the consequences. It's why the general forces only ever use chakra to strengthen their existing muscles. What she does is... not worth it if done wrong."
Inoichi looked up. "We need to go. We have one more base to hit before we can head back."
Nazoko smiled. "Alright. Be careful." She leaned on her tippy-toes and kissed Shikaku. "I love you." It was really a great feeling being able to say it.
"Love you too," he mumbled against her hair.
She waved as they left.
Well, there it is. So... Link to the deleted scene; topsyturvy-dream dot tumblr dot com / post / 627045386562011136 / just take out the spaces and replace the dots.
Special Thanks to topsyturvy-dream for posting to her blog for me. Seriously, thank you!
If the link isn't working or showing up properly in this chapter, I also posted them on my profile.
That aside, only two chapters left of my prewritten stuff. Some of you have asked me to just continue if I can and not post the "wrap up" if I don't get around to finishing this story in the next few months... I suppose I could leave it for you all to decide. I can do for that what I'm doing for the adult scenes? Send the info via PM and just mark the story as on hiatus? Would that work?
Also, as for why I decided a rewrite was needed... So, there are a few things that really bothered me as I went over the story and I knew it needed to be changed. For one thing, Nazoko telling Minato even though she doesn't know him personally in the beginning? Yeah, it can be easier to talk to a stranger but, this is the naruto world. She doesn't know him as a person yet and she had no idea of knowing how he would react. So, that was one part I needed to change. Another... I completely missed the Yahiko incident. Like, I literally skipped over it I think. And the biggest reason, by far, is that I needed to do it to get back into Nazoko's headspace. Rereading it just wasn't cutting it. Criminal minds has still taken over my life so the rewrite is on hold as well... My hope is that once I get back into rereading all my favorite Naruto fanfics, it'll get me back into the writing mood. Cross your fingers, yeah?
As always, thanks for the encouraging reviews. I can feel the love. You all rock!