"Are you sure that you want 30 pounds of fish?" The brown haired woman manning a fish stall eyes me critically.

"Yes," I deadpan, somehow managing to keep my face straight. Arashi and Rai are the actual worst, at this point.

The vendor winces, then tells me the price. I sigh, there goes my vague plans of moving out sometime soon. Sawagi is my favorite now, no doubt about it. I hand over the money, not even bothering to haggle. At this point, I just want this whole interaction to be over with.

I'm handed a couple heavy bags. I grin apologetically at the vendor before I shunshin away.

I stare at the notebook in front of me. Theoretically, combining chakra strings and the Shadow Imitation jutsu should allow for some sort of shadow puppet jutsu. However, I glance up at my lab rats, cough Shikamaru and friends cough, that's not what happened. Black lines extend from my fingers to each of their shadows, but they're kind of just there. Choji nudges one of the black stripes on the ground with his toe. Nothing happens. I groan. Shikamaru flops down with a muttered "Troublesome," and Ino looks conflicted. About what, only she knows.

A thought occurs to me. "Hang on, I need a solidifying element to blend the shadows with the physical chakra." I scribble some notes into by notebook. "Of course, I should have been using Shadow Sewing to begin with! You three are free to go, I need to redo my calculations." I wave them off and pretend I don't hear Choji's relieves sigh or Ino's muttered "Thank Gods."

Alright, so apply the solidified shadows to the chakra strings to interact with the shadow imitation, then use the puppetry application of the string with the possession aspect of the imitation jutsu. This should make the control of the target independent from the movement of the ninjutsu caster, besides the fingers of course, which are used to control the shadow chakra strings. I smile victoriously. This should work.

"Shikamaru," I call, "I have it figured out!" A muffled groan sounds from the other room.

Karasuko pads into the room. "Shikamaru said you were working on a troublesome," her lips quirk upwords at the word, "new jutsu and needed a testing dummy. What's it supposed to do?"

I smirk up at the dark haired girl, "well, I'm kind of frustrated with the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, so I'm trying to come up with a, well, Shadow Puppet Jutsu."

Karasuko's eyes light up with curiosity. "Show me."

I eye her, considering her past I figured she wouldn't be ok with me testing a control jutsu on her. "You sure? I'd have to test it on you, you realize."

She nods, "I'm sure." I exhale, run through the handseals and black lines stretch across the floor from fingers and attach to Karasuko's shadow. I raise my left index finger, and she raises her left arm. I end the jutsu.

"Well," I grin, "it worked." Karasuko rubs her arm in awe.

"Teach me," she looks me in the eye.

"Sure," I shrug.

"Hey Obito," I call as I climb through his window, "I need you to teach me more lightning jutsus."

Obito sits up in his bed. "At this time of day," he blinks blurrily at me.

I stare at him in confusion. "It's two in the afternoon."

A groan comes from the opposite side of the bed as Kakashi sits up. "Yoruka? What are you doing here?"

I blink bemusedly at the two of them. "Well, I was going to ask Obito for help with my ninjutsu, since I haven't been able to find you in the two days I've been looking for more non-clan specific jutsus, but if you're otherwise occupied…" I waggle my eyebrows at Obito. "Speaking of, when did you two even get together?"

"Four years ago," Kakashi deadpans as Obito nods his head.

I choke. "And you didn't tell me?"

"We didn't tell you because you're a little shit who waggles their eyebrows in an obnoxiously knowing fashion. Also, at the time we got together you were a bratty 10 year old and more like an annoying little sister than someone we confide in," Kakashi flops back down.

I blink, "Touché." Another thought occurs to me. "Does Shisui know?"

Obito pales considerably. "No, and you aren't going to tell him, because he's worse than you are."

"Mm," I eye him consideringly, "what's in it for me."

Kakashi sighs in exasperation. "We won't tell him about that little crush you have on him."

I sputter in indignation. "I do not!"

Kakashi quirks an eyebrow at me. "Is that why you were staring at his ass last time you two were over here?"

"I wasn't- I'm fourteen!" My face is hot, and getting hotter with embarrassment.

Obito gains a predatory glint in his eye. "Now, Yoruka, these feelings are I perfectly natural to have and are nothing to be ashamed of-" I shunshin away with a mortified squeak before Obito can finish that sentence.

I collapse onto my bed with a beet red face. There's no way I have a crush on Shisui! I mean he's definitely good looking, what with his black, curly hair that looks so soft, intelligent black eyes, defined jawline, and an overall muscular body. That doesn't even get into his personality. He's hilarious, smart even when he doesn't act like it, and is actually a somewhat nice person.

I pale dramatically. "Shit," I groan, "I do have a crush on Shisui."

The library has useful information, useful information that I don't have to get interrogated for. I head for the jutsu section, I'm going to get another Lightning Release if it's the last thing I do.

I come across Lightning Release: Chakra Scalpel. Huh, used in conjunction with my shadow blades, I could theoretically blend my shadow release with my lighting release. A thought for later though, because I want more than three non-clan jutsus. Still, I write down chakra scalpels in my notebook. Hana can help with the base theory behind them.

Then I see it. Lightning Release: Raging Dragon. My lips quirk upward in a malicious grin, because fuck, that's a fun sounding jutsu. Almost as fast as normal lightning, explosions, monstrous size, and I want it. Probably not practical, but still!

The next time in Ashes to Shadows

Shopping and sleepovers.