Original Publish Date: 10th-September-2016


A/N: This one is for Shonuff89, a.k.a Blizzardfang, who becomes the first reader to earn TWO chapter dedications. You were already one of my favourite people in the world of fanfiction, and then you became my Patron. Words cannot do justice to how brilliant a person you are my friend. Hope this one puts a massive smile on your face as usual :)


Chapter 24 – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Between a crucifix and the Hollywood sign

We decided to get hurt,

Now there's a few things we have to burn…

Set our hearts ablaze

- How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Florence + the Machine


The Next Day, Outskirts of Kirigakure: 4465617468

It was hard to imagine that a couple of thousand people could make almost no noise whatsoever.

Granted, we were ninjas and therefore quiet by nature, but this was bordering on ridiculous.

But ridiculous or not, our procession marched quietly. Every stone knocked from the path was greeted by a disapproving look, every sound of crunching gravel punctuated by shaking heads, and every whisper of conversation was aborted before it could become a murmur.

While this was a victorious force returning home after a long war, one could be forgiven for thinking they were the defeated party, crawling back to lick their wounds.

But such is the nature of civil war, or war in general. Nobody really wins; as evidenced by the dead and wounded we all carried on our backs.

It was obvious that the former Kiri separatists were all thinking about what their war had cost them as we left the archipelago behind; they were sombre, yet relieved to be finally heading home. The former loyalists were equally sombre, but their pinched faces and resigned expressions betrayed their apprehension of what was coming next. Would they be punished? Executed for being traitors?

All in all, everyone's thoughts reflected the mood of the aftermath of a war, when the true cost was being tallied.

My thoughts reflected theirs… for all of five minutes.

After that I had started thinking about the sweet torture Mei had put me through last night.

I had thought that I had developed a kind of immunity to Mei's games. Last night had showed that I had quite a way to go before I could resist the charms of the Godaime Mizukage.

On the other hand, Mei had pulled out all the stops last night. I suppose it was flattering, but I still couldn't think of that display without getting yet another painful priapism. (That said, the memory of last night was now the star of my spank bank.)

The only two things I was proud of from last night were: the one-handed Genjutsu, and the fact that I still hadn't succumbed to Mei.

If Mei had performed that display any other day, a crook of her finger was all that she would need and I would have jumped her bones in the middle of a Kage summit, propriety be damned.

But last night… Yesterday was all about Mei. She had conquered Yagura in the morning, and conquered Katagiri in the night. If I had let her have her way with me, I would have been just another conquest. Not to mention it would have set the tone for the rest of our relationship.

That said, I mused, there were worse things in the world than being the plaything of a living goddess like Mei.

When she had finally left the dance floor, her long long hair was wild and loose, and a few tresses had wrapped themselves intricately around me. Words cannot describe how amazing it felt when she finally left, the hair caressing me softly as it slipped across my skin, before making its absence known almost painfully. I saw the small smirk on Mei's face as she finally exited, drawing every single eye in the party tent; the eyes that then turned expectantly to me. It was obvious she expected me to follow her back to her quarters. I should have gone, but my feet remained rooted to the spot.

I didn't want to be a conquest.

I was already regretting it. Rest of the relationship be damned, my stubbornness had cost me a night of guaranteed mind-blowing sex. I had no doubt that Mei would have pulled out all the stops in that as well.

Instead, I was left with probably the worst case of blue balls in the history of the Elemental Nations. I call it the worst case because it hadn't let me sleep, it hadn't let me eat, alcohol had no effect on it; hell, it was still dominating my thoughts 18 hours later, somewhat inappropriately in the middle of a funeral march.

The mist had grown thicker the closer we came to Kiri, and it had thankfully started taking all my attention to avoid stumbling on a stray root or kicking the odd loose rock.

I needed to step up my game, I mused as I landed silently after jumping over an almost invisible ditch. Granted, my game was nowhere near the level of a professional seductress like Mei, but anything was better than playing helpless when she played her games with me. I wasn't sure how much longer she would buy it.

But then inspiration struck. It was something that I could only use once, but I would make it count. I grinned, already unable to wait to make my move.

We had been traveling for around 7-8 hours at this point. Those who had the fortune to get a good night's sleep had woken up early in the morning, and quickly and efficiently wrapped up the camp. Logistics were damned, everyone sealed up whatever they could carry and took it, which greatly expedited the process. All resources would be pooled at Kirigakure, including those that had been brought by the Konoha ROOT contingent. Those had been earmarked for Kiri's use, especially the medical supplies. The trade agreement that I had negotiated with Mei ensured that Kiri would pay for their weight in gold, over the next few years.

I didn't like it, but such was the cost of war.

My thoughts were broken by the gradual increase in sound volume being made by the Kiri contingent. It had been happening for a while, I realized as I peered through the mist and registered the excited looks of the Kiri ninjas. The ROOT ANBU, on the other hand, were as drone-like as ever. We must be close.

This mist was pissing me off, it had done so over the 2 years (holy shit, had it really been that long?) that I had been in Mizu no Kuni. Seeing the walls of Kiri through a small break in the mist, I had just the idea for getting rid of it. As a bonus, it was the first step in stepping up my game as well.

I pushed forward through the crowd, waving to a scowling Chōjūrō, until I was just behind Mei; who was flanked by both Hitomi and Ao. I nodded a greeting to Megumi, who sent me a rather salacious smirk in response. Rather than try and figure out what she was insinuating, I cleared my throat. Mei looked over her shoulder, and I saw that she had a small smile on her face; one that showed how much she was looking forward to this moment. And I had just the thing to make it better. "How do you feel about making an entrance?"

Her smile blossomed, and she immediately stopped, the movement instantly echoed by everyone else. I ignored Ao's scrutiny and Hitomi's weary shake of the head. Mei inclined her head forward, and the two of us stepped ahead, leaving everyone else behind.

Once I judged that nobody would get caught in my technique, and the walls of Kiri wouldn't be damaged, I stopped with Mei just behind me. "Stay close," I warned her as I started forming the hand-seals for the most devastating Wind Release technique in my arsenal. I took a deep breath and released my chakra in a massive torrent, "Fūton: Tatsumaki (Wind Release: Tornado)!"

I felt Mei's confusion as the my chakra caused the wind to start whipping faster and faster around us, forming a visible chakra twister as it caught the attention of an entire Hidden Village; loyalists, separatists and allies included. Her confusion remained as the technique did no visible damage to anyone or anything, simply whipping the mist from around the village it obscured.

Even before the results were visible, I felt her confusion disappear as she recognised what I was doing. I grinned. It won't be long now.

As I had predicted, the visibility started improving within seconds, as the mists that had obscured Kirigakure for so long were caught up and forced to dissipate by my twister.

The tornado screamed as it caught up every blanket of mist, every dewdrop, every damp shadow that kept the ground nearly invisible from the sunlight.

Slowly, sun started shining brightly on the Village that was No Longer Hidden in the Mists.

Once the bright sunshine was clearly visible I slowly let up on the technique, watching for signs of the encroaching mists. But the mist did not return, as it had been cleared for miles around.

Talk about an entrance. My game had officially been stepped up.

I turned around and, with a flourish, performed a small bow. "I gift you your city, Mizukage-sama," I said with a cheeky grin.

Mei smiled her heart-stopping smile at me, causing my blood to rush faster. "Such a gentleman," she purred at me; but I just smiled. She would have to do something at the level of last night to fluster me now. As she walked past, the wind blew her hair into my face; and no, I didn't direct it to do so.

I hung back as the Kiri ninjas walked past, all of them giving me various looks as they shuffled past, ranging from awed to inscrutable. That display had been for Mei's benefit, but no doubt the Legend of Kamikaze (KAMIKAZE!) would grow with that little stunt. It wasn't everyday that someone tore away the name-defining defences of a major hidden village.

It took a while for every Kiri ninja to walk past, but once the majority were past us, I felt Shimura Danzō walk up until he was next to me, his cane tap-tapping all the way; he scrutinized me silently, and I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I didn't bother initiating conversation, and neither did he. I had nothing to say to him in any case.

Once the last stragglers had crossed us, Danzō and I started walking towards the gates of Kiri, his ROOT contingent following dutifully behind us. He had been right, I had realized, when he said that we don't show dissension in front of outsiders. My bitching about him to Mei was one thing, but we couldn't afford to show a divided Konoha to the entire populace of our newest allies.

By the time we entered a few minutes after the Kiri ninjas, the formalities of greeting the Godaime Mizukage had evidently been completed, since I could see Mei holding The Blue Hat in her hands. And yes, The Blue Hat qualified as a proper noun. The smile on her face was small, but she couldn't hide the pride shining through, as she kept running her fingers across its surface. I felt my own face soften at the sight.

Mei was officially the Mizukage.

A bald Elder stepped forward for greetings. He bowed deeply, thereby honouring us. "Salutations to our allies and friends from Konoha! We thank you for your trust and aid in our time of need," he intoned formally.

Danzō bowed back almost as deeply, stopping a fraction short of the other bald man's incline, and I copied his stance. "We hope that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership, Miharu-dono." Evidently they recognised one another, giving further credence to the adage that 'All old people know one another.'

The now-identified Miharu came out of his bow. "Your words do your village credit, Shimura-dono; almost as much as your actions in the battle."

Then, I twitched in surprise, as Miharu turned to me. "And you, Kamikaze-dono," he said, smiling warmly, "much has been said about your contribution to our cause for freedom. 'Indispensable' was the word used, I believe."

I saw Mei's lips twitch out of the corner of my eye, and knew exactly who had used the word 'indispensable'.

I was now in a conundrum; I wanted to bask in the gooey feeling of being called Kamikaze (KAMIKAZE!); I wanted to sheepishly rub the back of my head and awkwardly laugh, I wanted to be as formal as Hinata had taught me, but without sounding like a dial-tone à la Danzō. I settled for a combination of them all. "It was the right thing to do, and I just happened to be in the right place to do it," I said as sincerely as I could.

Miharu's smile deepened, "For too long have alliances been written on flimsy paper and built on empty promises. It makes an old man glad to see a shinobi like you, someone who truly understands the meaning of friendship and sacrifice. It gives me hope for our future; which is why I name you Friend of Kirigakure." He bowed to me, noticeably deeper than before, "No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, you will always be welcome here."

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

They were offering me sanctuary in case I ever found myself on the run.

Let me explain why this gesture blew my mind.

See… The thing is, Genin can be transferred from one village to another, depending on how much sensitive information they know; because it is a given that their new village will pump them for all of it. The possibility of being transferred is almost non-existent for Chūnin, and it is absolutely impossible for Jōnin. The First War started because of high level ninja defecting from one village to another, and ever since then, defectors prefer to go missing-nin, because nobody wanted to kick-start another war.

And Kiri (read: Mei) had just said that they would go to war for me; in front of Danzō, no less.

This… was unprecedented.

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry as I felt Danzō's silent disapproval, and I matched Miharu's bow. "You honour me," I said thickly.

"It is you who has honoured us, Kamikaze-dono. And as a token of our gratitude, allow us to forge a weapon for you."

I blinked in surprise. "Err… You don't have to do that… In any case, I'm not one to swing around a sword…"

Danzō interceded before I could shove my foot deeper in my mouth. "While the swords of Kiri's Seven Shinobi Swordsmen are the most famous example of their forging techniques, they are not Kiri's only weapons of note. Their weapons are of unparalleled quality across the Elemental Nations. It is not an offer made lightly," he said with a different kind of disapproval in his voice; clearly he wanted me to accept the offer.

Miharu nodded, "It is as Shimura-dono said, we are capable of forging any weapon you desire. It does not have to be a sword. A unique shinobi like yourself deserves a unique weapon, after all."

Once more, I blinked in surprise. Not knowing what else to do, I bowed again and repeated, "You honour me."

The bald Miharu smiled at me again, and we went through a few more formalities.

Once the meeting and greeting was done, the entire procession made its way through the streets of Kirigakure, with the Mizukage tower being our destination. I took an interested look at layout of the village without trying particularly hard to memorize it; I knew that Danzō and his cohorts would be able to create more detailed maps at any rate.

Kiri was hardly the most plutocratic of villages, and given the perpetual dampness, hardly the most salubrious either. It was kind of depressing, to be honest. I had expected more from one of the Five Great Villages; even Suna had been better off when their Daimyō had cut off their funding. The faces of the people were hardly better, as they turned to a woman was deified by half the population, and vilified by the other half.

But better things were around the corner. Mei wouldn't have it any other way.

After a minute or so, I realized that I was looking around without registering anything, because my mind was in turmoil. Miharu (clearly on Mei's behest) had set my thoughts and emotions twisting like a maelstrom. A mix of gratitude, chaotic lustful thoughts of Mei, a sense of pride and a feeling of accomplishment suddenly snuck up on me, overwhelming me.

One of my thoughts wandered to the 'weapon' that would be forged for me. I had never needed a weapon before, my Fūton mastery had negated the need for any melee weaponry. Kunai usually sufficed, and I only truly needed the Hiraishin kunai at any rate. Would it be a ranged weapon then? Something like a spinning lance? A projectile launcher? A ninjutsu launcher?

I nearly bumped into Danzō when he came to a stop; I looked up to realize we had arrived at the Mizukage tower. I caught Mei's eye when I looked back down, and she tilted her head, wordlessly asking me to join her. With a grin I pushed through the crowd, joining Mei, Ao, Hitomi, Miharu, Megumi, Kitashi and Chibi Chōjūrō. As always, I ruffled chibi's hair, causing him to scowl and slap my hand away as I grinned at him. Our procession made its way to the roof, where the sun shone brightly, slowly evaporating the dampness that had seeped into every crack and crevice.

The mixture of my turbulent feelings slowly started reaching a crescendo as the group made its way across the roof; for some reason, I hung back as my feet refused to move. It began to hit me all of a sudden. I had done it; I had actually done it. The first step was done. I had ended a civil war and made an allied peace with a major village. I would get an absolutely bitchin' weapon as thanks; not only that, Mei had all but told me that she would fight a war for me, if need be.

I realized that I was smiling so widely that my face started to hurt.

Days don't get much better than this.

Mei made her way to the raised dais at the end of the roof, the one that made her visible to the crowds below. The crowd quieted as soon as they saw their newest Mizukage, their bodhisattva, their saviour.

Once Mei had their attention, she began to speak.

To this day, I couldn't tell you the exact words she said. All I remember is closing my eyes and turning towards the sun, opening my palms as I let Mei's melodious voice wash over me. She spoke of grief, of loss. She spoke of pain, of sacrifice. She spoke of strength, of an unbreakable spirit. She spoke of togetherness, of peace. Her voice undulated like the ocean, rising with emotion and ebbing as she spoke of work to be done.

While she continued her masterful oration, I simply let my emotions run free as I let my guard completely down. There are very few days in your life where you get an overwhelming victory, and I basked in it as much as I could. I felt the sun warm my face and the scent of Kiri wash over me as I tried to sum up my feelings in words.

The only ones that came even close to describing what I was feeling were: You win.

And even then they didn't convey the depth of the sheer emotion I was experiencing.

When I finally came down from my natural high, I finally opened my eyes and realized that Mei's speech was over. She was surrounded by the rest of the group, and she was finally wearing The Hat. It suited her, I had to say.

I didn't want to be a part of a group right now, still feeling outrageously happy.

So I went to the opposite edge of the building and swung my legs over, seating myself with a flourish. I looked out over the village of Kiri, already seeing the improvements that Mei would be making very shortly. They would be aesthetic to start with, but I knew her well enough that I was sure she would add in the requisite quality soon enough.

I let my mind wander, seeing a bright future ahead of us and feeling almost ridiculously happy at the fact that it was almost within reach. Step one, complete.

A few minutes later I felt Mei seat herself next to me, swinging her dangling legs from the sharp edge as she did so. She took one look at my happy face and imitated the words I had spoken to her the last time we had been seated together at the camp, "You seem to be in a good mood."

I couldn't help my perpetual grin from widening, even though my face was hurting. "It's a good day."

She matched my smile at that, "Indeed."

As usual, that meant that she couldn't think of something to say. Since she had come all this way just to join me, I threw her a bone, "What's your favourite part so far?"

She tilted her head as she looked out over the village, her long red hair fluttering in the wind. "The skyline," she said after considering my query for a long moment. That made sense once I thought about it. It wasn't everyday that someone used an S-rank technique to clear away Kiri's most potent natural defence, so the skyline wasn't an everyday sight.

But Mei wasn't done with her statement. "It's like a kiss upon the lips," she concluded while smiling her special smile at me.

My laughter was as unexpected as it was carefree; I hadn't laughed like that in this lifetime. She was still trying to fluster me, but she wasn't going to succeed today. My face was soon going to be sore, and I thought about letting my smile fade away. I let my carefree laugh trail off as I looked out over the aforementioned skyline, noting that it was indeed a breathtaking sight; different to Konoha, but no less beautiful.

I then realized that Mei was still looking at me and smiling, she hadn't stopped doing so; and despite my resolution to not let myself be affected, I felt my heart beat just a little faster. "What?" I asked in response to her staring.

Her green eye sparkled, and it was the most beautiful smile she had ever given me.

"I'm happy you're beside me."

Such a simple statement, but the sheer warmth it carried left me aglow.

Despite nearly deciding otherwise, and no matter how sore my cheeks were later, my smile didn't fade away for hours.


15 Minutes Later, Mizukage Office, Kirigakure: Terumī Mei

Mei's office was surprisingly sparse, save for a few documents on the table. She supposed that Kitashi had removed all mementos from Yagura's reign in preparation for her moving into the highest military office in the land. She would have to go through them at some stage, to find out if he had hidden the top level Mizukage-eyes-only documents somewhere within, but that could wait. There was work to be done, and she would start by personalising the office. First impressions were paramount, and even though her village was in disarray, she would make sure that her office would give the right impression to the new prospective clients.

She walked to the window and smiled at the sunshine lighting up the village. 'Nanashi' was right, it was a good day.

Her posse had left her with her thoughts for long enough, she felt them walk into the office. She turned and walked next to the desk, looking at Ao and Chōjūrō as they walked in. "We've done it," she said with a quiet note of victory in her voice.

Ao smiled warmly back at her. "It was never in doubt, Mizukage-sama."

Chōjūrō nodded eagerly, almost frantic to show his belief in her; but the poor boy was blinded by his hormones.

Before he could say anything in his breaking voice, they became aware of a presence by the door.

'Nanashi' was leaning against the doorway, his arms casually crossed as he exuded an aura of confident sexuality. His gaze was captivating as he ignored the other two occupants entirely.

When he spoke, his voice had a low husky tenor, one that commanded the attention of everyone in the room. "I come bearing gifts for the Mizukage."

Mei raised her eyebrow as her lips twitched in amusement. He tried, every once in a while, to turn the tables on her in their little game. He tried to fluster her, and fell laughably short every single time. It was to be expected; after all, Mei was, in her own humble opinion, the best seductress in the country known for its Seduction Corps.

But this attempt was already better than his previous pitiful ones, so she played along. "Well, your last gift was… adequate," she said, referring to the master-crafted robes she wore even now. "I suppose I can accept another."

His eyes had twinkled when she had used the word 'adequate'; he had seen with his own eyes how she truly felt about them. She saw his smile widen under his mask as he replied, "Oh, I promise that this one will be… Memorable."

She tilted her head questioningly, and watched him push off the doorway as he stalked towards her, like a predator cornering his prey. The attempt wasn't that bad, but it would take a lot more than that to fluster her.

And then he caught her off-guard.

As soon as he had passed Ao and Chōjūrō, his hand casually went up to his mask and blatantly pulled it down.

Mei's thoughts screeched to a halt as she saw the full face of her fighting partner for the first time in nearly two years. Her green eye drank in the six almost-feral birthmarks across his cheeks, and his shiny teeth peeking out from underneath a mischievous grin. It suits him, she thought absently.

He was obsessive about keeping the mask in place, even putting up a seal that shocked anyone who tried to remove it when he was unconscious. There weren't any reflective surfaces in the room, so Ao and Chōjūrō couldn't catch sight of his face; and she suddenly realized that during her musings he had already invaded her personal space, and she hadn't been able to use any number of cutting remarks to put him in his place before he got anywhere near her, and then he was leaning down, and Mei felt her own lips part as she reflexively tilted her head upwards…

And she saw his grin widen as he bypassed her face entirely, his lips coming to a rest next to her ear. For a full second Mei was in shock. Had he really just done that? And had she really fallen for it?

And then he began to whisper in her ear, and Mei forgot about her embarrassment.

Was it…? Could it be…?

He pulled back, his damnable grin still in place, but he had blown her mind with a few simple words.

What he had just told her…

Absently, rather than provocatively, she trailed her fingers up his arms as her hands joined together in a cross seal. It was time to test what he had just told her. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," she whispered, and a clone popped into existence right next to her.

Mei saw him turn his intense scrutiny towards her clone, and she felt an irrational bout of jealousy at him turning that gaze to anyone but herself. Her clone wasn't shy either, as she raised a hand and ran the thumb across his cheek; Mei saw him shiver, but he was still in control of the situation.

… And then the clone took her hand away from his cheek, lifted The Blue Hat from Mei's head, plopped it on her own and sat down at the desk, pulling the small bundle of papers towards herself.

Using Kage Bunshin for completing paperwork?

Genius.

Sheer genius.

But 'Nanashi' wasn't done.

This time, he was the one that raised his hand and pulled the fringe perpetually covering Mei's left eye away; and for the first time since they had known each other, they both drank in the sight of each other's uncovered faces. Their breaths mingled as they kept their gazes locked, they hadn't as much as blinked since they had caught each other's eyes across the room, and it had grown far warmer in the interim; she could see his veins pounding with his increased respiration, and was shocked to realize that her own had unconsciously skyrocketed as well.

Once the atmosphere was sufficiently charged, he let her fringe slip back into place as he pulled his mask back up. "Well," he murmured, still in that husky voice, "I'll let you get to work."

And then he turned around and walked away.

He had been gone for nearly twenty seconds when she finally blinked in surprise at his sheer audacity. She was suddenly aware of the other occupants of the room again, of the slight smirk on her own clone's face (conclusively proving that Kage Bunshin were evil creatures that revelled in their creators' suffering), of Chōjūrō's open-mouthed- and Ao's more dignified, but no less embarrassing- gaping.

There was a lesson in there somewhere about not letting her guard down now that she was the Mizukage, but she was too wound up to care.

For the first time in a long while, she was the one who was left frustrated by the games she liked to play. She seriously considered going after 'Nanashi' and all but assaulting him; as no doubt he had also done on many occasions.

But Ao ruined the moment before her hormones convinced her it was a good idea. "M-Mizukage-sama…" He trailed off.

Her clone levelled a killer glare at the man in order to cover up Mei's subtle swallowing. Mei's voice, when she spoke, was sweet poison. "Ao… shut up or I'll kill you."

Ao paled.


The Next Day, Kirigakure: 4465617468

Mei's official coronation would be tonight, which is why Danzō and I were still around, having been invited for the official function. We had been put up in the most luxurious hotel that Kiri had to offer, and I had been given the top suite, ahead of Danzō. The snub to Danzō still made me grin whenever I thought about it.

His ROOT contingent had left in two parts, one yesterday and one earlier today. I had no doubts that some of them had infiltrated Kiri, but there wasn't any way to find them by now. It was part and parcel of running a hidden village, so I didn't even try to protest.

There were more dignitaries arriving in Kiri, thinking that they would convince Mei to install themselves as the new Daimyō, but they would be in for a rude shock. To avoid any potential complications, Kiri weren't taking any missions; otherwise the Daimyō candidates would just try to assassinate each other by hiring Kiri ninjas. Mei had put them off for now, justifying the decision by explaining that she needed to clean house, but in reality she was consolidating her hold over the rest of the nation. The announcement of Mizu being turned into a democracy would be made later tonight, at the official coronation.

Since a clone of mine had undertaken the journey to the Fire Nation Capital to go to Inamoto's, I had commissioned a formal kimono for myself as well as Mei's dress, so I wouldn't be under-dressed for the über-official function. A tailor had visited me the previous evening, and pronounced himself satisfied with my mostly black kimono, with an intricately stylised orange-coloured depiction of the Divine Wind (read: typhoon) in front, and the kanji for Kamikaze (again in orange) across the back.

Have I mentioned that I absolutely love my moniker?

I had just finished getting ready for the day when Miharu knocked on the door. "Good morning, Kamikaze-dono. If you have some time, perhaps we can pick out a suitable weapon for you?"

I bowed to the bald old man who never failed to call me by my nickname. I still couldn't decide if he was politely making fun of me or whether he was genuine in his attempt to humour me. "I am in your care."

I followed him out, and I let my thoughts wander to this *weapon*. No matter what Danzō said, I still couldn't see myself fighting with any sort of melee weapon; my fighting style was far too versatile for that. Sarutobi had tried to get me to learn the staff, claiming that a 3-part staff would be a good addition to my arsenal, but somehow I found the stances too stiff, since I had a very fluid movement style. Perhaps if I had learned how to use one as a kid, things would be different. I made a mental note to get Naruto to learn how to use a weapon, it was better in the long run.

As I followed the shining bald head of Miharu across the streets of Kiri, I waved to a few people and generally smiled at everyone I met; and in return I was pointed out reverently by the majority of the populace. I felt like a superstar, and it felt damn good, I have to say. Having experienced the exact opposite as a kid, this was a feeling I could never tire of.

To my surprise, we hadn't gone to a shop or a blacksmith. Instead, as we left the village proper, I realized that Miharu had taken us to the training fields. We stopped in the middle of one, as Miharu turned to me. "Before we can pick out a weapon for you, I wish to see you train for a while. This will allow me to pick out something compatible to your fighting style."

Having been thinking along those very lines, I nodded my agreement to him. As he left my immediate vicinity, I decided that I would stick to the skills that all Kiri shinobi had seen. Even if it would help me pick out a better weapon, it just wasn't worth it to flaunt all my skills.

I took a deep breath and focused my chakra as three clones popped into existence. At an unseen signal, we all moved; I activated my Fūton chakra cloak and rushed forward, while the clones jumped back, one readying a Suiton ninjutsu, another preparing an exploding tag, and one about to counter me with a Fūton technique of his own. I adjusted my feet to avoid the incoming barrage and was about to fire off a technique of my own-

"I've seen enough!" Miharu called out, and started walking back towards the village.

I exchanged a confused glance with my clones. We hadn't even fought for more than 3 seconds, and he had already made a definitive judgement? Was it that easy to pick out a weapon for someone like me?

A moment later I was walking just behind Miharu, as my clones dismissed themselves in the background. Evidently the bald man sensed my confusion, because he started to explain. "You are a skilled Nin-Taijutsu user, which means that you often fight enemies at a distance, as they try to stay as far away from you as they can; whereas you seek to close the distance where you have the advantage," he analysed. I blinked in surprise. For someone who had seen me fight for a number of seconds that could be counted on one hand, it was pretty fucking accurate.

I made a sound of agreement, prompting Miharu to continue. "Therefore, you require an alternate means of attack, one that is suited to both a medium range and melee range if need be."

My eyebrows rose. "That sounds like a complicated weapon."

Miharu let out a small laugh. "Not as complicated as you would imagine. The weapon I have in mind seems almost tailor-made for you. I almost expected you pull one one out as you started fighting; which is why I thought of it. It was quite popular with the Uzumaki clan, back in the day, given their obsession with swirls and spins."

I made sure not to react at that. Had Mei told him of her suspicions about my origins?

He didn't speak the rest of the way, and I didn't press him further.

But now I was officially intrigued.

I knew that my mother had favoured a blade, but I had never heard of Uzumaki being known for anything other than Fūinjutsu and their long lifespan. I had to see this weapon for that reason alone, if nothing else.

We went through the streets, and I repeated my smiling and waving to familiar faces as I basked in the love shown to me, but my mind was elsewhere. I kept my focus on the sunlight glinting off the bald head ahead of me; the mists had yet to return after my stunt yesterday.

We finally arrived at a massive smithy called Iketana, and I could immediately smell the furnace burning in the back. It looked more like a fortress, or a garrison, than just a simple shop. Metal was everywhere in it's appearance, from the doors to the arches to the windows. The entire place was black-and grey, and it gave the impression of being built with a singular purpose in mind. The ceiling high shelves were absolutely stockpiled with all different kind of weaponry imaginable, and a single glance was enough to confirm that each one was of a better quality than all but their highest-priced counterparts in Konoha.

Danzō hadn't been exaggerating Kiri's prowess in weaponry.

Miharu nodded a greeting to the proprietor, who nodded back before scrutinising me closely. He was a tanned, burly man - almost overly muscular, but he had to be so to work in a place like this. His hair was cropped very close to his head, and he wore a sleeveless vest with simple pants as his work clothes. I bowed my head to him, and he returned the gesture, not breaking eye contact. He stayed silent however, and his brown eyes tracked us like a hawk as Miharu went to a shelf near the back, and I followed dutifully. Miharu came to a stop near the end, and took a single weapon from the stand, one that was apparently my size.

I was dubious as I accepted the weapon, the metal cool under my fingertips. I had seen a few of them used, over the years, but never to any memorable effect. As I reflexively ran my fingers over its surface to check for imperfections, I let my doubt creep into my voice. "Is it really even a weapon?"

Miharu smiled. "Follow me," he said simply.

I followed, as I unthinkingly tucked it between my arm and body as I walked out of a side door, into a courtyard where a few practice weapons were stacked against the wall. I tried to imagine myself using this in combat, but I wasn't really convinced.

"You're already carrying it the right way," Miharu said approvingly. I blinked in surprise as I looked at it, tucked between my arm and my side. "I was right to suggest this for you."

My doubts were clearly visible on my face, so Miharu continued, "Perhaps I will give you this later." At that point I saw him carrying a scroll, no doubt with stances on how to use this weapon in combat. "Go ahead, give it a try."

I shrugged. I turned to the end, where a few worn practice dummies were placed. I raised my right hand with the weapon clutched in it, shifted my right foot back as I rested my weight on it for a moment, then I quickly shifted my weight forward as I-


Five Minutes Later

I stared at the weapon in my hand, my head spinning with the possibilities; and yes, pun totally intended.

I couldn't believe I had doubted its potential for even a second.

I finally looked to Miharu, whose warm smile clearly told me he had seen this coming a mile away.

I swallowed around the excitement that had suddenly jumped into my throat. I had just one thing to say.

"I want two of them."

Miharu's smile widened.


3 Days Later, Iketana's Forge, Kirigakure: 4465617468

As soon as I set foot in the smithy, Tenrai took me to a small shrine dedicated to Kagutsuchi, the patron deity of blacksmiths across the Elemental Nations. We both offered our prayers and asked for guidance, after which Tenrai led me to the back room, where the raw materials were kept.

"This particular deposit is one of the largest and most pure that we have in our armoury. Only the Mizukage can expressly command it to be forged into a weapon. To do so otherwise is treason," the proprietor of Iketana, named Tenrai, told me severely.

I gazed upon the large ugly rock in front of me, one that contained Kiri's famous chakra metal. I could see metallic gleaming clumps of it peeking through here and there. It was about as tall as me, and thrice as wide. It was also completely unrefined.

Evidently we would be starting from scratch.

"The more of your chakra that you use during the entire process, the better your weapon will respond to you," Tenrai continued, his tone gaining more gravitas as he did so.

He was clearly a master at his craft, and even a guy like him didn't get the chance to do this everyday. He would not accept anything but my best effort, and I resolved to oblige, starting right now.

I closed my eyes and sent out my Fūton chakra towards the large unrefined rock. I surrounded it with my chakra, and I felt it immediately absorbed into the rock, attracted by the unrefined chakra metal. It wasn't nearly enough to make it a drain, but it was noticeable.

I then commanded my chakra to lift the rock into the air; and it did so, a centimetre a time. It weighed about three metric tonnes, so the lifting was anything but easy.

I didn't let the strain show in my face as I opened my eyes and looked at Tenrai. He gave a curt nod of approval and turned, walking to the smelting room. I followed slowly, struggling with the weight, but not showing it for a single second.

I entered the smelting room, and saw Tenrai indicate a flat bed of iron bars. I manoeuvred the rock to it, not letting it crash but lowering it gently, until I was sure that it was resting firmly. It was very unlike me, but I hadn't yet said a word to Tenrai outside of greeting him. He was a no-nonsense kind of man, and I wasn't about to get into any shenanigans. I instinctively knew that this was the time to be hyper-focused, to make sure I saw any mistakes before I made them, because Tenrai wasn't the kind of man who would forgive any.

I turned to him silently, respectfully awaiting his next instruction.

It wasn't long in coming. "The first step is called roasting. This is where we extract the ore from the mined rock." Indicating a series of hoses just above the iron bars, all of which faced inward, he said, "That is where the fires come out to heat the rock, which will burn away the impurities, and cause the molten oxidised ore to drip down to the onyx slab. The controls are over there," he said, indicating the far wall.

I walked towards the indicated controls and pulled the lever, causing the fires to roar out of the hoses. The room was instantly flooded with heat, and shadows flickered against the walls, giving the room an eerie appearance.

Tenrai watched the scene impassively.

I didn't know the man at all, but I was certain that he disapproved of my actions; despite what he had just told me. I quickly thought about everything he had told me, when it clicked.

If it was simply a matter of operating the controls, he would have done it himself.

I turned back to the iron bar bed, and the slab underneath it to catch the molten metal as it dripped down. It was clear that the first step was heating the rock, but he didn't want me to use the regular fires.

I recalled the first thing he had told me, 'The more of your chakra that you use during the entire process, the better your weapon will respond to you.'

I wasn't Fire-natured.

But I didn't have to be.

My response was as instinctive as it was immediate.

My Fūton chakra shot out and spun around the rock, attracting all the fire and instantly raising its temperature. I kept increasing the potency of my technique until I saw the flames start to turn blue.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tenrai give a satisfied nod, but I kept my focus on maintaining the technique.

The calefaction was slow, even with my technique having a higher temperature than his ordinary fire. I also had to make sure that the toxic burning gases didn't affect the rest of the room, so I split my chakra to direct the gases to the vents in the ceiling; and now that I looked around, there were a few gas masks around that would allow this stage to go by easier. But I had already made my move in the form of using Fūton, and it was a superior one, in my opinion.

Within minutes, I was sweating like a pig. The air was choked with heat, and I had to half-close my eyes to protect them from the raw intensity of my own inferno. I needed water to soothe my parched throat, but I didn't dare ask Tenrai for any. I vowed not to show any weakness whatsoever.

One mistake had been enough, even if I had corrected it almost immediately.

I kept my focus on maintaining the fires at the right temperature, while simultaneously not allowing the gases to pollute the room.

Once my task became second-nature, my mind began to wander to the person it had wandered to ever since I had first laid eyes on her.

Mei and I had finally got together the night of her coronation.


I had been wandering amongst the party, making nice with the soon-to-be-former nobles of Mizu no Kuni. During Yagura's reign they had been criminally negligent in their duties to their people, all of whom were about to replace them for good.

Once Hoshigaki Kisame had murdered the reigning Daimyō and his immediate family, his successor wasn't immediately apparent, and it had added to the confusion in Water Country. All the nobles saw this as their chance to ascend to the highest position of nobility in their land, and began a plot of lies, betrayal and murder against their peers.

They had all heard the rumours about democracy, but they all thought it was a ploy by Mei to gain power. While it wasn't outside the realms of possibility, anyone who had known Mei for even a short while would have known that it was a fool's hope. But then again, weren't the majority of nobles fools when it came to those under their care?

They had been so focused on undercutting one another that they had, almost to a man, been remiss in their duties to their vassals. And now the common man was about to rise, and change the political landscape forever.

But all that would come later in the night.

First, Mei would fatten the lambs for slaughter. That began with her entrance.

There was no gong to announce her arrival, no call went out. And yet, everyone's attention went to the entryway, where she had just arrived.

She was a vision.

She was dressed in an elaborate blue and white kimono, the colours of the Mizukage. Her red hair was mostly done up in a complicated bun held together by chopsticks, while her four trademark bangs framed her face; and a long silver earring dangled from from the visible side of her face.

She looked around uncertainly for a moment, before one of the nobles broke the spell by bowing to her. "Mizukage-dono," he murmured, and everyone else followed suit. Mei's shoulders relaxed slightly in apparent relief as she bowed back to the room, murmuring, "I am in your care."

No doubt the nobles had caught every small movement, and were planning on manipulating a clearly insecure woman.

Just for a moment I caught her eye, and I saw the truth flash for a moment before her persona snapped back in place.

The whole thing was an act. Playing coy, the insecure damsel in distress, even her appearance; all of it designed to lull the nobles into a false sense of security.

I grinned.

Mei was going to eat them alive.


"The next stage is to heat the metal in the absence of air. This step is called reduction."

I used Fūton chakra to cool the metallic oxide that had dripped to the bottom of the iron bars. I had barely been here for a few hours, and I was already sure that this exercise would take longer than the 3 days that Miharu had optimistically predicted to Danzō.

Once the metal was sufficiently cooled, Tenrai wheeled out a low wide gurney. We loaded the slab on it and wheeled it to a room which contained, by Tenrai's description, "an air-starved furnace."

Before we began, Tenrai liberally added a mixture of limestone and lead to the still-hot mixture. "It acts as a flux," he told me. "At higher temperatures, it chemically binds to impurities, and at the end it floats on the metal and acts as a layer of protection, preventing it from further oxidising." I nodded my understanding.

Once we fed the slab inside the furnace, I didn't even bother to go to the controls which started the fire.

I would make my own.

I unsealed my Sealing supplies and got to work, as Tenrai looked on in undisguised interest.

30 minutes later, I had made a large circular seal that I placed on the ground underneath the furnace. The first stage had used around 40% of my chakra, and I had used Fūton, the elemental nature that I was most compatible with.

Katon, on the other hand, was one I was least compatible with. I was sure I would run out of chakra before this stage ended, but I was damned if I wouldn't try.

I took a deep breath.

And then I pushed my chakra into the Katon seal.

The flames immediately roared to life, coming out in a series of jets, immediately licking the sides of the air-starved furnace, and my chakra started permeating it.

Since my chakra couldn't directly affect the metal in this step, I had to find a way to make it work indirectly.

Tenrai looked impressed, which was all the validation I needed.


I had seen Mei flirt with other people before, but the sheer lasciviousness with which the nobles were almost assaulting Mei was disgusting to see. I was very aware that I was suffering an intense bout of jealousy, but rather than calm me down, that realisation nearly made me have a fit. I had barely kept myself in control, but my finger-food was suffering my wrath as I viciously stabbed it with toothpicks.

"What did that poor fish ever do to you?" Megumi asked me, giggling as she did so. Her amused expression told me she knew of the reason behind my foul mood.

I glowered at her, putting a lot of feeling behind the expression; so much so that it took her aback. After I returned to stabbing my fish, she wandered away.

A few minutes later, I saw Megumi reach Mei and whisper something into her ear. I didn't have to be a genius to know what was being discussed. Mei's lips twitched, but she didn't turn towards me. Just as well. I'm not sure I could have contained my violent jealousy if Mei acknowledged me.


Once I was close to exhausting my chakra, Tenrai turned on the regular flames. "Your chakra is already saturating the room. You need to pace yourself for the next stages."

He then gently led me to a functional kitchen. I stumbled a few times, but I didn't fall- which was a minor miracle. I was completely drained, and my entire body was screaming in protest at the lack of chakra running through it.

Everything inside the kitchen looked as if it had been crafted in the smithy itself, from the table to the knives, from the shelves to the cutlery, from the chairs to the plates.

I absently nodded a greeting to the female cook, who nodded back. I think she was Tenrai's wife, but I was too exhausted to try and make conversation and find out if that was the case.

Tenrai piled a plate high with carbs and proteins and passed it to me, along with a supplement of what I recognised to be unconcentrated soldier pills. It would assist in converting my meals to chakra, but without the horrific drain and side effects that came afterwards. It was a common tool used by anyone who used chakra for long periods at a time.

When I next came to my senses, Tenrai was shaking me awake. I didn't even remember reaching the guest room where I was evidently placed. I think it was morning, but there wasn't any way to tell inside the smithy. There was only the perpetual orange glow which peeked through the slits under the door.

Once I was fed and watered again, Tenrai led the way back to the room with the air-starved furnace. We pulled out the metal and cleared away the flux and the visible impurities.

Then, he took me to a room with a large clay vessel, which was absolutely baked in heat. "This is called a tatara," he said, indicating the clay vessel. "We will start a charcoal fire inside it, and slowly add the metal and more charcoal, until all of the metal has been consumed."

This time, I paced my chakra output correctly, liberally using the regular fires and maintaining the temperature via my Fūton chakra.


"By the time you return, your homes will have been seized. They will henceforth function as the offices of the newly elected officials."

The word 'uproar' doesn't do justice to the sheer confusion that followed the conclusion of Mei's shocking proclamation. There was mass panic, as some of the nobles tried to rush out, only to find their paths barred by grotesquely grinning Kiri ninjas.

Mei stood on the dais, her left hand on her hip as she inspected the nails on her right hand, looking supremely unconcerned with the turmoil she had just caused amongst the soon-to-be-former upper echelons of her country.

Usually I love to bask in chaos- to a prankster, it's one of the best feelings in the world- but tonight, jealousy left a sour feeling in my mouth.

During the confusion, I slipped out on the balcony and stood at the railing, my arms crossed as I leaned on my elbows. I glared hatefully into the distance, hating the situation, and hating myself even more.


I couldn't tell you how many days passed in the room with the tatara. Time lost all meaning when there was no way to mark its passage. The shadows played tricks on my mind, and I imagined hearing sounds that could not have originated from the smithy.

It would only be much later that I realized that not all the sounds were imaginary; some of the pitter-patter sound had been the sound of Danzō's coming and going, checking that I was alive before leaving for Konoha without as much as a farewell.

My life had been reduced to maintaining the orange glow of the fire, and eating enough to be able to maintain it; sleep was only reserved for when my body completely rebelled. Otherwise, I regularly added charcoal and the metallic ore and kept the fires burning.

When Tenrai pronounced the stage finished, we broke apart the tatara. We removed the metallic bloom, called the kera, and it was carefully broken by Tenrai. He didn't ask for my help, and I didn't offer it, recognising that this was beyond my skill.

"There are three kinds of metal that are produced from the kera. One of them has the lowest carbon, and it will be used in the core of the weapon. The second and third, each with higher carbon content, will be forged in alternating layers to form the edge. But before we do so, we will further purify the highest carbon metal by dissolving it in acid."

I looked on in shock. The three metals he had indicated totalled maybe 5% of the entire kera.

Noticing my look, Tenrai elaborated, "The rest will be re-smelted and re-purposed."

I felt a strange attachment to the rest of the metal I had been feeding my chakra to for the last few days; but I physically wrenched myself away.

Then, we loaded the third metal onto a smaller onyx slab atop a gurney, and took it to a room with industrial sized vats of acid and other liquids to begin the third phase.

We hooked the slab to metallic ropes hanging from a pulley system. I suddenly frowned as something struck me; I looked to the acid and then to the onyx slab. Wouldn't it get dissolved?

Tenrai had noticed my glance, and explained. "The slab is impervious to this particular acid."

My face cleared, and we went up by a ladder to a raised platform. From there, Tenrai pushed a few buttons that activated the pulley, raising the slab with a repetitive clanking noise and slowly lowering it into the acid.

As soon as the acid came into contact with the reduced metal it began to hiss and froth, emitting a truly awful smell. It nearly made me gag, but I had resolved not to to show any weakness.

Once the slab had been lowered to the bottom of the vat, Tenrai stated expectantly at the bubbling and stinking vat.

Clearly, I was expected to do something, but what?

It came to me, a few moments later.

I raised my left hand, my palm facing the vat, and activated my Suiton Sealing Matrix.

The liquid acid began to slowly stir.

I made it flow upwards in a column from the centre, so that it continually and evenly dissolved the metal. I kept the flow slow but steady, not wanting the acid to overflow or splash out the sides of the vat.

Tenrai smiled approvingly and left, climbing down the ladder.

I kept the sickly bubbling liquid continually moving, feeding it my chakra and catalysing the chemical reaction.

Once I had attained equilibrium, my mind again wandered back to that night.


I knew who had joined me on the balcony, even before her scent invaded my nostrils.

I didn't look at her, or react in any way to her presence, keeping my gaze on the hills in the distance.

Mei stood at my left, also looking out over the vast expanse. The view from Kiri's banquet hall was spectacular, but it was the last thing on my mind.

I should have been ashamed of my jealous reaction earlier, but I wasn't. Not in the least.

But I was sick and tired of the games between us, even though I had finally gained the upper hand yesterday. I was sick of watching her flirt with someone other than me. I was sick of staying away from her. I was sick of the distance between us.


"The next stage involves mixing an organic solvent with the acid. This will bind with the metal dissolved in the acid, and further reduce the impurities. It will also neutralise the acid, which is important for the next step."

The vat of acid was lifted by the intricate system of pulleys and mixed into another vat, one that contained the aforementioned organic solvent. Once more, the reaction was violent as gases once again escaped; but this time it was accompanied by a pitter-patter sound of something tapping against the vat.

"Those are the impurities solidifying and falling to the bottom of the vat."

I nodded to him, and once again activated my Suiton Sealing Matrix to catalyse the reaction.


I didn't know when I had taken my gaze off the far-off hills, but I realized I was looking at Mei, and she was returning my scrutiny with the same quiet intensity.

Slowly, all my thoughts of jealousy and insecurity fell away.

Slowly, my breathing synchronised with Mei's as we looked at each other; whether it was for a minute or for an hour, I couldn't tell you.

We kept looking at each other, thinking of nothing. And yet, thinking of nothing else.

Slowly, the sparks flew.


"The last step in the purification phase is electrolysis. We introduce two sheets of chakra metal to the mixture- one pure, which acts as the cathode, one impure, which acts as the anode. We then connect them to a cell and pass an electrical current through the mixture. The purified chakra metal gets attracted to the cathode upon the completion of the circuit."

I grinned as I activated my Raiton Sealing Matrix, using my sparking chakra as the electrical current and completing the circuit.

Watching the pure chakra metal sheet get thicker and thicker was a thing of beauty.


Without saying a word, Mei broke our mutual staring and sashayed away, knowing my eyes were on her hips.

I was reminded of something Ero-Sennin loved to say. 'There's only one thing in the world better than watching a woman walk away… And that's watching a woman walk towards you!' he would finish with a boisterous laugh.

But while watching Mei walk away was indeed a captivating sight, I was apprehensive. Was she playing another game? Because I wasn't going to play anymore.

But then, she stopped at to door to the balcony and sent me a look over her shoulder.

Then she walked away, leaving me rooted to the spot, my brain having been turned to mush by the sheer desire in her expression.

'Ero-Sennin was wrong,' I thought absently. 'Getting a look like that is far better than watching a woman walk towards you.'

And then my feet began to follow Mei.


The forging had officially begun.

The soft core-metal was melted first, hammered, folded; and then the process was repeated.

Over and over I swung the forging hammer, striking the metal and folding it over itself. Tenrai had told me that for the finest katana he had forged, he had repeated the process of folding 20 times. He claimed that further folding was of no benefit.

I didn't stop until I had done it 40 times.

Once the core metal was folded to my satisfaction, I added in the other two in alternating layers, and began the whole process of forging again.

Needless to say, the entire time I was feeding the metal my raw chakra.

My view of the world was reduced to sweating in the workshop, swinging the forging hammer as my muscles screamed in protest; but I ignored all signs of exhaustion, drinking in another gulp of the hot dry air as my only sustenance, outside of the meals that Tenrai forced me to eat.

I lost track of days and nights, because there was no way to mark the passage of time in the smithy. There were no windows to show sunlight, only the perpetual orange glow and the flickering shadows that wreaked havoc with my perceptions.

I lost myself in my work… And my memories.


I followed Mei through the upper floors of banquet hall, barely catching a glimpse of her as she walked up the stairs, or disappeared around a corner.

But I didn't relent in my pursuit.

It would only be much later that I would even think of running or using a Shunshin- or even the freaking Hiraishin; but in that moment, I followed wherever she led.


"There were many ways to finally make the weapon. I personally favour turning the entire molten conglomerate into a large single block and then forge weld it together. We then draw out the weapon from there. This is called the age-kitae process. It allows the layers to retain their shape, and the proper metallic layer stays in it's correct place. When done correctly, this allows you to fearlessly use your weapon for parrying," Tenrai told me.

I got the distinct impression that this wasn't a titbit he shared with just anyone. I must have made a favourable impression on him.

Then we began to forge-weld the metal block together and subsequently cut the weapon out of the block.


I stopped at the entrance of the suite at the top of the banquet hall. It wasn't quite a luxurious hotel room, it's function was mostly to provide a place for the ones hosting the function to change and dress up. But it did have a bed, a couch, and a large vanity. I also noticed these things the next morning; because in that moment, I only had eyes for Mei.

She was standing in the center of the room, facing me. I couldn't name all the emotions in her expression, because there were too many to count. But I could see desire, vulnerability, lust, and raw need.

It was the most enticing thing I had ever seen.

Slowly, I closed the gap between us after shutting the door behind me. I saw the colour start to rise in her face as her respiration increased, and I felt mine start to do the same.

I came to a stop in front of her, suddenly unsure of what to do first. Should I pull away the chopsticks and let her hair fall free? Should I caress her cheek?

Mei took the initiative, raising her delicate fingers and slowly pulled down my mask, her fingers leaving a burning trail as they trailed down to my throat. I swallowed.

Then I pulled the chopsticks away, watching her radiant red hair uncurl and cascade down her shoulders like a waterfall. I then pulled away her fringe, and this time made sure that it would stay out of her face.

I don't know who began it, but then we were softly kissing, finally tasting one another.


We had finally pulled the twin weapons into the correct shape, first drawing the basic circle, then adding the four evenly-spaced hollow blades across its outer surface.

Each of the hollow blades contained a different seal in the centre.

One for the Hiraishin.

One that allowed me to summon it.

One for durability.

One that allowed me to control its trajectory.


Our kissing had started softly. It was anything but soft now.

Our desires had taken over us completely.

Everything I had repressed over the past two years, all of it poured out with a ferocious intensity.

One that was matched by Mei.

Suddenly our hands were tearing at each other with an almost violent desperation. Articles of clothing flew all over the room, but we didn't break our kiss for more than an instant, as if we were each other's only source of oxygen.

We fell to the bed, a tangle of lips and hands and hair and legs.


"The last step is differential heating. We apply clay over the different layers before we finally let them cool sequentially. This allows the different layers to harden properly. The edges will contain the thinnest layer, and the insides will contain the thickest layer. This will ensure that the edge cools first and is therefore the hardest; this will prevent the metal from shattering upon impact."

I smiled as I drew the seals for the last major element that I had yet to use in the forging, Doton.

I used the seals to shape the clay; once it was saturated with my chakra, I applied it according to Tenrai's directions.

And then the weapon was plunged into fire once more.


Sapphire blue crashed into orange.

Blond hair melted into red.

Green eyes sank into blue.

Our lovemaking had been frantic, both us expressing our desires in an explosion of intimacy. Gasps and moans were the only sounds we made as the fire in our hearts was brought to life.

It was memorable, as evidenced by the scratches on my back and the soft bruises on Mei's neck.

And now we both lay on our sides, once more looking into each other's eyes, tired but not exhausted, the fire between us dimmed but still simmering.

We still hadn't said a word to each other.

We hadn't needed to.

We lay there, and to any outsider it would have looked like nothing was happening between us at all.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.


"Now comes the most important part. The forging is complete, but we must keep the metal heated below its melting point, all the while lightly tapping it with the forging hammer. On the surface, it will appear that nothing is happening, but the metal is being restructured at an atomic level. The hammering reinforces the natural crystalline lattice of the metal, and this dramatically increases the longevity of the weapon."

Once Tenrai had left, confident that I was following his instructions adequately, I cut open my palm. With the resulting blood, I drew one of the more morally questionable seals I had learned from Orochimaru (via reverse-engineering).

And using the blood-seal, I permanently bound a piece of my life-force to the twin weapons, giving it a longevity that it would never have had otherwise.


This time, our lovemaking was slow, sensual. And somehow, our respective chakras synchronized like they had during our first meeting, when we had used the Shinjutsu no Fūin (Seal of Truth) on each other.

We were two people in two bodies, but neither of us was entirely in either.

I distinctly felt myself having three arms and one leg, and I could feel Mei experiencing something similar.

I could no longer tell which sensation originated from me, and which one was being felt by me.

I surrendered myself to the alchemy of desire, and felt Mei surrender too.

With our surrender, we became two halves of a whole.

And with our surrender, we journeyed together to our mutual climax, our bodies reaching a crescendo that echoed in our spirits.


13 days after I had first started, I was finally done. I had treated my weapons with all five basic elemental natures during its forging, along with my blood (and therefore my chakra).

When I had started, they were a part of a hunk of ugly rock, larger and heavier than me.

Now, they were pieces of art, barely a fraction of the weight they had once been.

I looked down proudly at my creations.

A twin pair of gleaming chakrams.


Author's Notes: To see what the chakrams look like, Google 'Kingdoms of Amalur Chakrams images' :D

After two years- a civil war, and the toppling of a centuries old regime- Mei and Nanashi finally get together! And Nanashi gets a badass master-crafted upgrade too!

{The fatal flaw…}

It's about damn time. Their games were driving me crazy… But at the same time, letting them get together earlier wouldn't have done justice to their crazy relationship.

{Do you see it yet?}

Hehe, everyone has their version of 'tell the Hokage to use Kage Bunshin for paperwork'. I've been wanting to write my version of that scene for ages. What did you think of the whole scene in the Mizukage's office? Of Nanashi finally getting Mei back? Was the wait worth it?

{The inherent decay in the act of creation?}

And the simultaneous forging/anarchy/coupling? I thought that bit was inspired! What were your thoughts there?

{No?}

And a massive LOL at all those people who were expecting Mei to get pregnant, because they read waaaaayyy too much into my author's notes last time around. Like I mentioned on Twitter, it's not happening. It did cause me to snicker each time though.

{You will.}

Next two chapters are back in Konoha, where we see what Naruto and Anko have been up to; so there's plenty of time to submit your suggestions(see below)!

{Soon.}

A Super special thanks to Carry2Sky, without whom the forging scene would have been an absolute shambles. This chapter would have been dedicated to him, if I hadn't already promised it to Blizzardfang. You'll get chapter 27 buddy!

Yeah, I know it's been a while, but in my defense… Pokémon Go. The Dratini I hatched (in addition to the 1928 Pokémon I caught) makes it all worth it. I'm not even sorry… cause I'm about to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a Pokémon Master!

My newest favourite song is the Pokémon Theme Song as performed by METALLICA! Watching James Hetfield scream 'Pokémon!' into the mike was a thing of beauty. It's also my new ringtone :D

SUGGESTION TIME: And I still don't have a name for the twin chakrams! Send in your suggestions and I will put up the best ones on a poll. It has to be a Japanese name, 'cause the language is awesome that way. And if any of you speak Japanese, please get in touch; I would love to pick your brain.

As always, for those who wish to donate, please find the details of my crowdfunding campaign on my profile page. (This is the last of the chapters to be posted simultaneously for everyone, next time on my Patrons get first glimpse :))

Review! (If you're one of those people who can't think of anything to say, just write: 'Worship The Log!' I'll understand ;))