Chapter 68
Taking Steps Forward: Reigniting the Fire
Rays of mid-afternoon sunlight, absent of all clouds, poured over every corner of Konoha, from the Great Stone Faces of the past Hokage's to the populated streets below.
Among the busy crowds of people, Amari strolled casually alongside Shikamaru, observing the recovering Village she'd been absent from for the last month. Hammers pounding away at nails seemed to echo from every direction, even when she couldn't see the source; the sawing of wood to rebuild businesses and homes harmonized with the hammer, joined together by the chatter of workers and everyday folk alike.
Continuous repairs, work and missions, such was life in a post-invasion Village. It'd be another year or two before they reached something that felt like the old norms, but it wouldn't be the same. Not for Amari, at least.
Too much changed. Or perhaps she was the one who changed. Inside and out.
For a late September in Konoha, the temperature was quite mild; not unbearably hot, not ear freezing cold. Yet. Winter was only two more months away, and the first snowfall wouldn't be far behind. Amari yearned for that day—snow angels were waiting to be made, and though recent events left her off-kilter, her personal promise to flop back in the snow to make a snow angel hadn't been forgotten.
Shisui would want her to do it, after all.
"Doesn't look like we'll be able to watch any clouds today," she murmured, dropping her gaze from the blue sky back to the street ahead of her.
Her cousin glanced up from his mission scroll—designating errands he was meant to run—to examine the cloudless sky. Then he exhaled a defeated sigh.
"Yeah, looks that way. Still, after I complete these errands it'd be nice to just lie in the grass and relax a little. Don't know why I agreed to train extra hard for you; I've got aches and pains I've never had before. It's so troublesome."
Amari giggled at his complaint. Her poor Shika, putting forth extra effort into training on her behalf; she was proud of him. He'd become a shinobi of his father's caliber if he kept at it.
"You love me for it," she teased, poking him gently in the side.
"I think I need to reconsider my life choices," Shikamaru deadpanned.
"Aunt Yoshino won't have that."
Her cousin groaned. "I know. It's such a drag."
A light giggle kept a smile on Amari's face. She missed…well, she missed Shikamaru. Laughter, too. And this feeling of happiness and ease she lost recently, it was like an application of Medical Ninjutsu; the warmth of happiness and laughter washed over her wounded heart and soul, not fully healing the damage, but relieving it just enough to feel good for a change.
"To be fair," she spoke up, "I'd take lying down in the grass over lying in a hospital bed any day of the week."
Shikamaru snorted at her. "Could've fooled me. I'm beginning to think you secretly enjoy staying at the hospital. You don't have a crush on one of the doctors or nurses, do you?"
Amari rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips, before bumping her cousin's shoulder with her own. "Shut up, troublesome boy."
He hummed humorously. "Honestly I'm surprised you actually take the time to check-out."
"I've thought about sneaking out." Amari shrugged. "I just don't want to make their jobs harder…or get dragged back."
The Nara boy hummed again, acknowledging the logic of her statement before turning his eyes back to his scroll.
It was only yesterday Lady Tsunade healed her, so she was fortunate to already be free. Most ninja would have taken their time to recover from the traumatic ordeal she suffered through, but not Amari. She wanted out of the cage and back out into life as soon as possible.
Like teacher like student, she thought as she stuffed her hands into her pockets.
Kakashi made his exit with her despite their shared feeling of stiffness. It wasn't nearly as bad anymore; they could support their weight and move around without collapsing, but training and missions were out of the question.
Amari attempted to break the rules to train. It didn't begin or end well. Even a mild warm-up by her standards left her winded and on the verge of collapsing, and earned her a mom glare from Kurenai when she found her.
"Little one." Two words and a chastising tone silenced any argument she may have made. It hammered the final, definitive nail in the coffin of her training plan.
"I…it just feels like I was finally taking steps forward before the Akatsuki incident, and now I'm…"
She felt a hundred steps back. She could see the lessons Itachi taught her, feel the muscle memory, but her body…it lacked the strength to perform it. Too stiff. Too slow. There was no fluidity in her movements, no steel behind her strikes… Hardly even a fire in her heart.
Kurenai had sat beside her in the grass, arm wrapped around her daughter's small frame. "Everyone still looks at me like I'm the same kunoichi who went toe to toe with Mimi. The same fearless Genin who recklessly battled against the Akatsuki. I'm happy they're inspired to become stronger," Amari gestured to herself, "but I don't feel like that kunoichi anymore. She was strong. She refused to lose. I…feel weak."
"Mm. And you expected to jump out of bed and back into training?" Her mother rubbed her arm. "Little one, you've been in a coma-like state for a month now. Your body is guaranteed to feel weaker."
"But it's not just my body," she argued weakly, lifting up her hands to look at them. "My spirit feels sapped, too, Mom. I feel…broken inside, just like I did after Ryu died."
"If that's how you feel then we know what to do: We'll rebuild your foundation, one piece at a time—together." Amari shifted her teary gaze to meet her mother's red eyes, full of warmth and support. "You are not broken, little one. You are strong, with no short supply of stubbornness."
The lightness of her mother's voice coaxed a sniffle and a giggle out of Amari. "Today is the first day of your recovery. It's okay to feel weak, physically and emotionally. It's okay to grieve, Amari." Kurenai pulled her closer. "We'll get through this together. I promise."
Amari hugged her mother tightly and buried her tear stained face into her shirt. Always when the storm she was weathering became too much to bear, whether it was the loss of Ryu or the terrible nightmares that made her left arm burn, Kurenai rescued her. Her unconditional love and support was the first brick she needed in her new foundation.
"I love you, Mom."
"And I love you. Always."
Next to Amari, Shikamaru rolled up the scroll, breathing out a complaint about how much of a drag this all was. His words made her smile softly before she returned back to her thoughts.
When I cried last night, it felt…good to release some of that emotion I had knotted up inside me. I doubt I would have been able to hold it much longer anyways, but Kakashi-sensei and Mom being there helped a lot.
Prior to her sensei's arrival, she had been fighting her tears. Everything was hurting within her, and flashes of memories from her past life were surfacing…memories of Shisui and the time they spent together before the massacre. Before his death. Before she carried the pain of loss in her heart.
It was all a jumbled mess, incoherent at times, but the feelings of those days were forever tattooed on her soul…and to feel them again broke her down. Little by little.
She loved Shisui. Missed him. Wanted him to hold her in his arms again…but they couldn't. A life of growing up together, of becoming the wise dragons protecting the Leaf, had been stolen from them. Stolen by a sinister shadow.
Those final moments they shared together, though… She'd cherish them for the rest of her life.
Shisui expressed how proud he was of her. Everything he had done, from the day she was born to his final hours, was to protect her. She was his world, his top priority, his anchor from all the storms that surrounded him…and now she was all that remained of his Will, his dreams, and his hopes.
It made her miss him more.
At that late hour in the night, it was all too much to take in. Doubt crept into her mind like the Perverted Sage creeping into a bathhouse.
Old friends like 'I'll never be good enough' and 'You let the people you cherish get hurt because you're weak' came crawling back out from the dark hole she had buried them within.
"You disobeyed a direct order from your sensei and your mother," she mentally chastised herself. "And then you gave into the Curse of Hatred. Had it not been for Shisui, you could have and would have harmed the people precious to you. Think about it, Amenominakanushi would have incinerated them all in a blink.
"You would have destroyed them because you're an idiot. A foolish little girl who fails everyone she loves. Wait until Kakashi-sensei and Mom finally come by; imagine how much hurt they feel because of your recklessness. Shisui should have been disappointed in you."
Tears of guilt had burned at her eyes. When Kakashi showed up, she tried to fight it by saying the words she was telling herself out loud. Tried to show him why he had every right to be angry and disappointed in her
…But then…
"Amari."
She didn't want to meet his eye. Whatever was there, it was bound to crush the last of her barriers and bring her to tears. It would be a pathetic show and he'd only feel even more disappointed than he already did…yet the Nara dared it. She raised her eye to meet her sensei's, preparing to find every terrible emotion she felt in his eye.
Instead she found immense comfort staring right into her soul.
"It's okay."
The simple phrase made everything crumble because of the several meanings it held. It was okay to feel this pain. It was okay to shed tears for the loss that was tearing her heart apart. They were okay, alive and without anger or judgment over what she had done and what she wished to do.
So, as Mimi advised her, she let it out.
Amari wasn't sure how long she had cried into Kakashi's shirt, or how long she had cried in her mother's arms. Long enough she eventually fell asleep during it; she woke to tear stained pillows and her mother sitting up on the bed next to her, eyes shut and hand holding hers.
Sorrow remained in her heart, even now as she walked with Shikamaru, but Amari no longer felt on the brink of imploding. That counted for something…right?
I'm going to miss Shisui with every step I take on my path, but I'll keep him in my thoughts and my heart, and I'll follow my nindo and dreams. It's what he wanted for me.
She'd try her hardest to keep moving forward as a kunoichi and to fulfill his final wishes, that way when the day came for them to meet again, he could be proud of her.
"You already have, Haya." Amari's heart ached at the memory of the words. "Of everything I ever accomplished, of everything I ever did, being your hero will always be my greatest achievement. I'm so happy I could be your cousin, little sis."
I was happy to be yours too, big brother. I love you with all my heart, she thought, tears returning to her eyes.
"And I love you with all of mine, little sis. Thank you…for everything."
Amari hadn't realized she stopped walking until she exhaled a shaky breath and felt a single warm tear roll down her cheek. Embarrassment and anger instantly swarmed her.
"Damn it, not again," she cursed, bringing her hand up to wipe it away.
Shikamaru stood close by, a tender look on his face. "You okay, 'Risu?"
She began to nod but stopped halfway through. Where was the sense in lying to about it?
"No, I'm not…but I'm trying. It's…it's all I can do, Shika." She wiped another stupid tear away and inhaled what was meant to be a calming breath. How embarrassing. Tears in the middle of the street, in front of anyone who was paying attention.
"Not sure I can do anything, but I'll listen if you ever need an ear to hear you out."
"Thank you, Shika." When she would be ready to talk about it, Amari couldn't say—too fresh and too raw for her to handle right now. But knowing Shikamaru and her mom were always ready to support her meant the world to her. "I don't know if it means anything to you, but Shisui was happy I had you, as am I."
Shikamaru nodded. "Me too, 'Risu. From what little I know, he sounds like a pretty cool guy. Would've been nice to meet him."
Heart warmed, Amari stepped forward and wrapped him in tight embrace in the middle of the crowded street, among the noise of hammers, saws and chatter. Her cousin wrapped a solitary arm around her back.
She'd always be grateful to have Shikamaru in her life. Always.
After they parted, he lifted his chin to gesture down the road. "Come on, let's keep moving."
"You would have thought Shisui was troublesome," she responded, smiling softly while falling in step with Shikamaru.
"Heh, if he was anything like you than you're probably right."
"You know you love how troublesome I can be."
"Yeah, yeah. But troublesome or not, he was your cousin and cared about you more than anything else. As far as I'm concerned, he's family."
"Technically, Shisui is family to you through marriage."
Her cousin rolled his eyes. "Don't be troublesome. You know what I mean."
True, she did. But it was a lot more fun to tease him, if only to get her mind off the pain in her heart.
Shisui would have teased you for being so lazy, but he would have called you family too. She kept the thought to herself, not desiring to prolong their conversation and bring herself to tears again.
Shikamaru's mission didn't officially include her, but with training out of the question, that left her here.
Lying around at home, alone, was the exact opposite thing she needed right now. Her mother eventually had to leave to meet with her team—her duties as a squad leader didn't end because of Amari's emotional state—Team Seven were busy with their own missions and she had no idea where Mimi was. Probably a library or at home working on her Cell Activation Jutsu.
That left her Shika, the one person who wouldn't treat her like a porcelain doll or probe her about things she didn't want to talk about. On that note, she hadn't seen or sensed Jiraiya's presence since Naruto hit him with the Rasengan. Had he returned to his perverted ways? Or had the Rasengan blasted him all the way to the Land of Water?
Maybe he can talk to Atsuko while he's there and let me know when she'll be coming back. She had tried to summon her back this morning.
An egg appeared again.
It's so embarrassing!
This was probably Atsuko's way of punishing her, the troublesome bird!
Her second attempt brought forth Osamu. After apologies were spoken by both of them, and Amari hugged her dear feathered friend, joyful and relieved he'd made a full recovery, Osamu informed her that Atsuko was 'in the middle of something' and would return as soon as she was done.
I hope she isn't angry with me.
"Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry!" a familiar voice apologized from behind the two Nara's, drawing both of them to turn around.
"Is that—"
"Naruto? Amari questioned.
The blond rushed through the crowds of people with Moegi and Udon hot on his tail. The absence of Konohamaru was strange. Stranger still was the boy and kids zooming by the two Nara's without even glancing at them.
Amari shared a confused look with her cousin. "Odd. Naruto!" she shouted to the boy.
The knucklehead turned around but continued to run in place. "Sorry Amari! Gotta go!"
"Where's the fire?" her cousin asked.
"Hokage Tower! No time to explain, but Konohamaru is going to be in big trouble if I don't get there soon!"
And with that the boy and the kids took off again through the people, leaving two puzzled Nara's behind.
"That doesn't sound good," she noted.
"Yeah. You heading to check it out?"
"Will you be okay if I do?"
He gave a short nod. "Yeah. It'll be a drag, but that's running errands for you." He lifted his chin in the direction of the Tower. "Go on. I've got this."
"Okay. See you later to watch clouds or relax under the sky?"
"Yeah. See you later."
With the approval from her cousin, Amari disappeared via the Body Flicker, and promptly landed on her hands and knees on the roof of a nearby building.
Damn legs are still giving me trouble. She lifted her eye up in the direction of Naruto's inevitable destination and settled her brow into determination. I'm not going to get better if I just baby myself. Time for a little exercise.
She got her feet under her and began Body Flickering across the rooftops at a relatively slower speed than before. It was a good exercise, and she managed to reach the Hokage Tower before Naruto with only a sheen of sweat beginning to form and unsteady breaths for her effort.
Not so bad, she thought between breaths, sitting down on the railing outside of the door leading inside. I could be gasping for air or have fallen off a rooftop or even impacted against a wall from a bad jump.
It wasn't a high bar of victory, but it was good enough. For now, anyways.
I wonder what's going on with Konohamaru. She could have easily entered the tower and found out for herself, but she had no idea what she was looking for or what kind of trouble it was. For all she knew, the trouble could be caused by a prank or the use of the Sexy Jutsu.
I'm not taking the heat for their shenanigans, especially if it's the Sexy Jutsu.
If this trouble was caused by the Sexy Jutsu, she was inclined to punish the boys herself for still using it.
Naruto, Moegi and Udon arrived up the stairs a few minutes later, looks of surprise on their faces.
"Amari? But didn't I see you back—"
"Body Flicker Technique," she answered easily. "I wanted to figure out what the problem was and if I could help." She hopped off the railing and back onto her feet, sandals making a light clap as she landed. She squinted her eyes at her teammate in suspicion. "This isn't some problem caused by a pervy ninjutsu, is it?"
Her teammate shook his head rapidly and spoke through his tired breathing. "No! Konohamaru has barricaded himself in the Hokage's room." He shook his head again. "We don't know why. But Granny Tsunade could do something really rash if we don't hurry."
"Let's go then."
Naruto took the lead again at a slower jog compared to his previous sprinting. Moegi and Udon followed close by. Amari took up the rear with slower strides; the room they were looking for wasn't that far past the doors.
They entered the cool temperature of the building and made their way around the curved hallway of the cylinder shaped tower. The raised voice of their new Hokage became prominent.
"From what I can tell, it might do the little brat good to get roughed up a little. Now get him out of there!"
Things have obviously deteriorated quickly. Amari quickened her pace.
"Wait! Don't!" Naruto shouted ahead of their arrival.
They found Tsunade standing beside Shizune, the pet pig Tonton held in her arms and against her buxom chest—still not a bad way to die—while two male shinobi Amari vaguely recognized stood in front of the door. The two men were in the midst of preparing to use a jutsu of some kind, but at the sight of the group of four they lowered their hands.
"Naruto?" Shizune questioned their presence.
Tsunade's eyes fell onto Naruto, who had to brace himself on his knees and take in a few breaths of oxygen. Her eyes roamed over to Amari, widening only slightly in surprise. "Hmm? Aren't you supposed to be resting at home today?"
Amari coughed awkwardly. "I, uh, might have been," she offered lamely. Her Hokage narrowed her eyes. "I got restless. Needed some fresh air."
The Hokage held her beneath a penetrating gaze that was almost as scary as the mom glare Kurenai gave her. It broke for a disapproving sigh. "You're definitely Kakashi's student."
"That's…good, right?"
"Normally. I wouldn't want to be him today, though."
Amari winced. Oh no. She could read that look without dōjutsu. "Guy-sensei?"
"Yep."
"Oh boy…"
She could only wonder if Guy instigated the challenge, or if Kakashi went looking for it.
Naruto sucked in a deep breath than released and stood up. "Just…hold on," he panted. "I don't know everything that's going on, but don't be too rough on Konohamaru. Please, Grandma Tsunade."
Amari's eye widened. Did he just call her Grandma Tsunade? Is he insane?!
The Hokage's brow twitched in annoyance but she made no comment about the nickname. One of these days, her eyes read, she'd make him regret it.
"He's a friend of yours?" Tsunade asked in a flat voice.
Her teammate nodded. The Hokage looked at the door in consideration of her options—break it down now or let the squirts attempt a peaceful negotiation.
"Don't worry! I can get him out! Just let us talk to him; he'll listen to us."
The Hokage set her eyes back on the boy. Her decision was made. "I want him out of there by the end of the day!"
Without another word Tsunade walked right past the group towards the exit. Her assistant followed, a look of bewilderment on her face. "En- end of the day? Bu- Lady Tsunade! Wait!" she called as she ran to catch up.
Did our Hokage just leave so she didn't have to do any work?
Honestly, Amari couldn't blame her. Paperwork was a drag.
Shrugging it off, she examined the two ninjas, left looking as bewildered as Shizune sounded, in an effort to figure out who they were. It took a moment, but the light bulb in her mind flickered on. "You're the two ninjas from the Chūnin Exams, right? The ones who pretended to be Genin and also were sentinels for the written portion of the exam. Izumo and Kotetsu?"
They both smiled in greeting. "Well, well," the one with the long cloth bandage on his nose spoke, "sniffed us out again, Amaririsu."
"I'm surprised you still remember our little trick from the first part of the exam. I don't think we were ever properly introduced though. I'm Izumo," the one with the full bandana forehead protector introduced himself then motioned to the other, "and this is my partner, Kotetsu."
She bowed her head in a short nod. "Amaririsu Yūhi. I learned your names from Genma-sensei. Said he'd been giving you two a hard time about us bursting your bubble."
"That he did," Izumo agreed with a smirk.
"Still hasn't let us live it down," Kotetsu followed.
"Sorry about that." The Nara motioned then to the others one by one as she continued to speak. "This is Udon, Moegi, and Naruto. We'll take care of this."
"Good luck and watch out." Izumo glanced at the top of the door. "That's a trap door full of pepper bombs and who knows what else. If it comes to brute force, be prepared for anything."
Amari nodded. "Okay. Thank you for the heads up. We'll try not to damage anything."
The pair dismissed themselves.
Naruto, ever the blunt instrument who saw everything as a nail, went to the door and rapped his knuckles against it. Hard enough Amari stealthily stepped to the side, out of range of any traps. She placed her right hand on the wall in front of her.
I need to see what kind of mess he's stirred up for us in there. Konohamaru is exceptionally stubborn, a quality he shares with Naruto. At a guess, I'd say this has something to do with the Third Hokage's death and the soon-to-be Fifth Hokage taking his place.
She couldn't be sure, which meant figuring out what was above and beyond the door to piece together a plan. Only one way to do that. Shutting her right eye, she pooled chakra into her left. Byakugan!
Through the inverted black and white vision, she began her examination, first focusing on the trap door above the double doors.
An intricate set of traps up there. I see little bombs, probably filled with pepper or something else entirely. Also a lot of giant pots.
As she turned her eye to the main room itself, Naruto attempted to bargain with ramen, in turn making Amari's stomach growl loudly. Ramen…
"Heh heh heh!" Naruto snickered at her.
Amari's cheeks tinted pink. "I haven't had ramen in a month. Cut me some slack."
Her stomach growled again at the sound of the word.
Clearing her throat, she focused back on locating traps. As her vision refocused, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in shock.
"Whoa. He really went all out," she whispered to herself.
Furniture from chairs to bookcases were stacked in front of the door as a blockade, and that wasn't even what caught her eye. He has ninja wire strung all across the room with paper bombs attached to them. There's a…boulder? How the hell did he get that up in there? Ninja tool triggers are within the ninja wire as well.
"Aren't you going to at least say something?" Naruto asked when his bargaining was met with silence.
"Okay, how about 'shut up'!" Konohamaru shouted back like a brat.
Real mature, she rolled her eyes.
"No kid is going to talk to me like that!" Naruto growled.
Amari sighed. Great. Now he's fired up.
"That does it! Get out of there or I'm going to drag you out!"
"Yeah, yeah! Just try it!" Konohamaru fired back.
"You little!"
"Don't try to charge the door," Amari warned. Naruto ignored her and charged shoulder first into it. The trap door above opened and released the large bundle of giant pots to crash onto Naruto, slamming him chest first into the ground.
Again the Nara sighed. "I would have grabbed you with my Shadow Possession, but then you wouldn't have learned."
"Are you okay, Naruto?" Moegi and Udon asked in unison.
"…Ow," he wheezed.
Amari deactivated her Byakugan and opened her right eye again. "You really are troublesome, Naruto."
After pulling the pots off of him and stacking them all in a neat pile off to the side of the door, she asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm okay. What kind of traps does he have in there?"
She crouched down onto one knee next to Naruto. "Besides more pepper bombs and giant pots above the door?" He nodded. "If this comes to brute force, we're going to have to be at our bests to get through there."
"How come?"
"From what I was able to see, he has a ridiculous amount of traps beyond that door. There's ninja wire everywhere, paper bombs or something like my Concussion Seals hang from them, and he has ninja tools ready to open fire when the door is opened. On top of that, there's a boulder ready to swing down once a kunai slices it's wire, plus a bunch of furniture hanging above the door."
"Seriously?" Naruto sounded equally perplexed and worried.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I don't know what's gotten into him, but to go to this length to defend that room? It's like he's trying to make a last stand."
Her teammate and the kids behind her made varying sounds of worry because of her analysis. She couldn't sugar coat it. This was serious, far more serious than she actually thought it would be.
"He could get himself killed or someone else if he isn't careful." She looked up to Naruto. "We have to do this smart. Words will hopefully defuse this situation, but it may come down to you and me blasting through that door. If it does and we're not careful…it's not a happy scenario, for any of us."
Her teammate nodded once and turned his cerulean eyes back onto the door. "I know you're not at one hundred percent, but do you think you'll be able to come up with a plan to get through?"
"Just give me a few minutes to think, and try not to lose your cool. You don't want to keep triggering those traps."
"Right."
Amari shut her right eye again, brought her right hand into Tiger and activated her Byakugan so she could continue examining the traps. She hoped words would work, but deep down she realized they were far beyond that.
Konohamaru had no intentions of coming out. He planned to stay firmly planted in there until the unlikely scenario of everyone leaving the room alone happened or he was forced out.
Amari didn't want someone else handling his physical removal. They would take the situation extremely serious and, in the words of Tsunade, rough him up for acting so childishly. Konohamaru was only acting out of grief; it was a feeling she understood better than he might believe.
We're the only way he gets out without him getting hurt or in more trouble. With that thought in mind, she began devising her plan. Doing so wasn't easy. There was only one way in and it was covered with traps followed by more traps beyond the door.
Between me and Naruto, I'm faster when I'm at one hundred percent. But if I face plant or trip because my legs are still stiff, that one moment could cause one of those bombs to go off or Naruto to get hit by a kunai.
There was no room for error here. No—
"Oh, Konohamaru!" a high-pitched sultry feminine voice sounded off from in front of her, drawing her eye to…to…to… "Won't you please come out?" the Sexy Jutsu version of Naruto asked while covered in nothing but a thin cloud smoke.
Smoke her Byakugan could see through. Red flushed Amari's face as the very clear vision of a stark naked woman was forever burned into her retinas.
Somewhere in the Leaf, Master Jiraiya felt a pinch of jealousy for a reason he couldn't understand.
Then Amari's embarrassment for accidently ogling a naked woman from head to toe shifted into rage. Because this wasn't just some naked woman. This was Naruto. This was his stupid Sexy Jutsu—a jutsu which he so clearly researched in intricate detail!
Details he shouldn't possess the knowledge of yet!
"Don't keep me—"
"You perverted knucklehead!" Amari slammed her fist onto the top of her teammates head, knocking him down into the floor, her face red as a tomato and fires burning in her eyes. Her wild blue hair began to lift on its own, lashing like the Nine-Tails tails as she clutched her hand into a tight fist.
The transformation dispelled and revealed her knuckleheaded teammate face first on the floor, a large bump already forming on his head.
"I said give me a few minutes to think, not use the Sexy Jutsu in front of two girls and another young boy!" She nailed the bump on his head again. "I ought to trap you inside a genjutsu for the rest of eternity!"
"I…was just…trying to get him to talk," he groaned.
"So you use the Sexy Jutsu when I'm examining the room right behind you?!"
"Oh…" Realization and embarrassment colored his features. "…Sorry about that…"
Amari huffed, face still red, as she knelt back down in her spot. "You're lucky I love you Naruto. If I didn't, I'd make your little transformation sex change a reality for you within a genjutsu."
A shiver of fear was clearly visible on the blond boy as her threat sunk in.
She banished the previous…incident from her mind and picked up in her plan. It was feasible for them to break down the door and disarm all the traps; they just had to stay right on target throughout the entire operation.
There's not going to be enough room for both of us to be disarming targets, and I can't break that door down without a really large Fire jutsu. She shook her head mentally. I don't want to set this place on fire. That'd be troublesome. Which leaves Naruto to break the door down with his new technique. The strength I sensed in his jutsu should easily wreck the entire door.
From there it will be up to me to react quickly. I should be able to use one clone and work around myself to disarm everything. The only way I'm going to react quickly enough will be the Body Flicker and my Sharingan and Byakugan.
That settled the plan for the brute force way, but she had to give it at least one try to get Konohamaru to talk. She lowered her hand and turned her gaze onto the door with both eyes.
"Konohamaru!" she projected her voice loud enough to be heard. "Please, just tell us why you're doing this! Moegi, Udon, Naruto and I are severely worried about you and we want to help! Don't push us away!"
If her mother could pull her in from the storm, then maybe she…
"This is the Third Hokage's room! Nobody uses it except him!" he shouted back.
So this is about the new Hokage. Change is happening everywhere, and for him it must be like his grandfather is being swept under the rug to be forgotten.
"So that's what it's about," Naruto whispered.
"Can you blame him?" she asked quietly. "All of us lost a Hokage; he lost his grandfather. Now they're taking all of his stuff out and replacing him."
"But the Old Man wasn't just a Hokage to us," her teammate argued.
The Third had been more than just a village leader to them. For Naruto he was the one person who showed him any attention or compassion in the beginning. For Amari he was the man who had accepted her into the village when she had nothing.
For them, he was like a grandfather as well.
"And that's not what's happening. We need a Hokage for our Village, but that doesn't mean the Old Man is forgotten. We have the circle that binds us like Iruka-sensei said."
"I know, Naruto. But understand that a bond of family that is severed is not something that heals overnight or in a month," she explained. Amari brought her hand over her heart and curled her fingers into her shirt. "A bond like this being severed, you feel it every day, and in the immense grief we feel we think, speak or act in ways we don't want to or don't mean to."
Then maybe you should have spared them instead of me…
The words tasted like ash on her tongue now.
I'm still only a child…
"…I get that. I really do," Naruto responded softly. "I miss the Old Man every day. But if we stay in that pit of grief, it can get really dark…and then you can become someone like Gaara."
Someone surrounded by impenetrable darkness. Someone who turned away from the hands reaching out to them.
Someone like the person she became when consumed by the Curse of Hatred.
"…Yeah," she agreed in a quiet voice. "I…understand Gaara better than I did before. I accused him of so much, and spat so much venom because he turned his back on Hikari, but when I was the one surrounded by darkness, I embraced it, too. I couldn't see anything except my desire to kill Itachi and Aimi for what they stole from me. I ran right past Mom, Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei, and I never looked back."
Not until Shisui arrived.
I'm such a hypocrite.
"Heh," her teammate breathed out a rough laugh, "well I've got news for you, Sis, I'm not letting you go back there. I've felt that darkness before, too, and I won't let it consume you."
His confidence filled Amari's heart with too much warmth for her to bear. Thank you, Naruto.
"And I'm certainly not letting him go there either. You hear that, Konohamaru! We're not letting you shut us out!"
"Oh yeah! Well bring it on! I'm the grandson of the Third Hokage! It's my duty to defend this room!"
Naruto took an aggressive step forward. "Listen up, you little runt! There isn't time for you to be doing this! Konoha is what needs to be protected!"
"This Village could burn for all I care!"
Both Genin's fires were lit instantly. Onyx shifted to crimson. "How dare you!" Amari seethed.
"What are you going to do about—"
"You shut your mouth right now, you brat!" Anger flooded through her veins, but not sourced by the Curse of Hatred. In a sudden explosion, her Will of Fire reignited into a raging inferno. "Your grandfather sacrificed his life for you and this Village! And you dare to spit on that sacrifice?!"
She knew the remedy for this kind of childish action. The genjutsu Itachi had beaten the hell out of her until she learned her lesson and that was exactly what she planned to do to the little brat beyond the door.
"You've just crossed one line too far, Konohamaru! Disrespecting the Village and the sacrifice the Old Man gave to defend all of us?! You should be ashamed of yourself!" He turned to her with fire in his ocean eyes. "Amari, what's your plan?"
"Rasengan that door down. I'll handle the rest." Her dōjutsu's were searing holes through the door at the insolent child behind it. She created a clone next to her and prepared to act.
"You got it." Naruto created a clone as well and put his right hand out. Air and chakra brushed against Amari as a blue swirl of chakra formed in his hand, but before either could act, a new chakra caught the attention of the Nara.
On her right, Tsunade approached at a casual pace, face blank.
"Lady Tsunade?"
The legendary Sannin lifted her hand, loading her index finger in a flick gesture. Then she released it against the Amari's clone's head as she walked by, never meeting her eyes.
The Clone popped instantly. Ow, Amari winced internally at the memory. That was like being punched by a brick.
Tsunade moved between the two Naruto's, loading a second flick. The Naruto clone dispelled on impact, while the Hokage knocked Naruto over with a shove.
"Ow. Huh? Grandma Tsunade?" The older woman reached forward towards the door. "Wait! Be careful!"
Pots came crashing down. None touched the kunoichi. Her fists flew faster than bolts of lighting, punching the metal pots out of the air and out of her way before Amari could finish blinking.
Whoa…
Tsunade pushed the doors further open and her hands, again, blurred to the naked eye; only Amari's dōjutsu allowed her to see the Hokage move. She pulled down the paper bombs, crumpling them in her fists before cutting the wire with a downwards swipe of her hand. Trap engaged, Tsunade took one step back and let the furniture and books fall down in front of her. Then she slammed her fist forward—the furniture splintered and exploded, sending the books flying away and clearing the path ahead of her completely.
Kami. This woman is incredible.
She stepped up onto the fallen bookcase and right onto a paper bomb; with a turn of her foot she disarmed it, a cloud of smoke of extinguished flames rising beneath her heel.
Tsunade continued forward.
A set of kunai's were sprung next, but she merely tilted her head to the side to dodge them. One of the kunai cut the wire holding up the boulder, sending it on its course right for the Hokage's head. She lifted her arm up and slammed the back of her fist into it without looking.
…Damn.
That was the last of the traps. Konohamaru trembled on his feet in front of a bookshelf, gaping in fear of his methodically approaching fate. Tsunade sauntered towards the boy until she was right in front of him, at which point she bent over and reached forward.
If she nails him with a flick, it's all over for Konohamaru.
All the kids outside the door tensed in anticipation of attack from the badass kunoichi.
Tsunade slid a book out of the bookshelf and opened it, never speaking a word. Never acknowledging they were even there. She left as if nothing happened.
Amari watched the legendary kunoichi leave, bemused by the entire occurrence. I wonder what that was about… She shrugged. Oh well. I guess we won't be knocking some sense into Konohamaru. Not physically at least.
"Konohamaru, let's go," she ordered in a tone that would broker no argument.
"…um, where?" he asked as he exited the room nervously.
"You, Naruto and I are going to visit your grandfather to pay our respects." She met his eyes with an unblinking expression. "And that's not a request."
Amari turned her attention to Moegi and Udon with a genuine smile. "You two can head home or go hang out somewhere if you like. We need to do this alone." She poked the pair fondly in their foreheads. "Good work coming to get Naruto. Konohamaru is lucky to have friends who look after him when he isn't looking after himself."
Moegi and Udon both smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Amari. You too, Naruto," Moegi thanked.
"Yeah, thanks a lot," Udon followed.
"No problem. I'm just glad I could help," Naruto replied.
The pair headed off after a farewell to the trio, leaving Konohamaru to stare at his toes as the two Genin set their hardened gazes on him.
"…I'm in big trouble, aren't I?"
"Oh yeah," Naruto told him as he crossed his arms. "Don't think we're done after what you said about the Village."
"You're lucky Lady Tsunade showed up and gave me the few seconds I needed to cool off. Otherwise I would have smashed you into the ground inside a genjutsu before doing it physically."
Konohamaru gulped but remained silent.
"Let's go."
How the hell did that kid do it at her age?
Tsunade had been going over duty rosters with Shizune at a tea shop when she had come across the roster of Guy's team. Seeing the picture of Rock Lee and his student Mimi Inuzuka brought back the memories of the day before and his condition.
"You can go to hell!"
No one, save for Naruto, ever talked back to her without fear. Shizune had done it a few times when it came to gambling, and then trying to stop her before the deal with Orochimaru, but every other ninja usually regarded her with respect.
Not that kid, and not Naruto, that's for sure.
His nickname did get under her skin a little—who does he think he's calling a Granny—but for one reason or another she hadn't clocked him for it. Maybe she was just getting soft in her old age, or maybe it was because she was fond of the little brat.
Whatever the reason was wasn't important. She had been taken aback by being told to go to hell by the Inuzuka, but let it slide as she watched her make a foolish promise to Rock Lee.
"Watch me."
Tsunade hadn't known what to think about it then, but again she let it go and went on with getting to know her new duties.
After seeing their faces again, she had to take a walk for some fresh air. Clear her head. Locate the source of this gnawing feeling in her gut. Something about Mimi Inuzuka's confidence in there being a way to increase the procedures success rate…it bothered her. It nagged at her sense of duty as a medic and her desire to learn new knowledge of the art.
She didn't relish telling Rock Lee his career as a shinobi was over. She hated it. Moments where she wasn't there to prevent something terrible from happening—like with her little brother—or moments where even her great Medical Ninjutsu just wasn't enough to heal someone—like Dan—always hit her hard.
And that boys dream revolved around being a shinobi. A shinobi losing their dream wasn't rare; Lee was just the most recent for her.
It took some time, but she found Mimi in the library, completely passed out from a mixture of lack of sleep and use of chakra. Her ninken slept in her lap while the secluded table in front of her was piled with papers and open books.
Tsunade had leaned over her shoulder and scanned through everything on the table, only to have her eyes bulge in shock at a column of percentages under the words:
Lee's procedure with Cell Activation Jutsu, Amari's chakra and a food pill.
0.378%
1.942%
7.858%
18.274%
28.691%
40.503%
49.999%
50.001%
50.003%
The numbers stopped there. Other notes crammed into the margins, diagrams and thoughts were scribbled hastily elsewhere. But those percentages, it shouldn't have been possible. Yet her notes were so intricately detailed that Tsunade believed it.
Spurred by the sight, the Hokage decided she needed to learn what this Cell Activation Jutsu was, and how it allowed this little Genin to make an advanced procedure a fifty/fifty shot with the help of a food pill and chakra support from Amaririsu Yūhi.
She flipped through the notes and the books in silence, piecing together the foundational pieces of this jutsu before heading to the Hokage Tower to retrieve the book currently in her hands.
This Cell Activation Jutsu, it's remarkably similar to that Kabuto's regenerative abilities. She flipped the page of her book and continued reading.
The only difference is her variation is applying those same regenerative abilities to a patient instead of herself. For a kid her age to be able to make this procedure a fifty/fifty chance, even if it is with the help of someone else, it's practically unheard of.
"Watch me."
Tsunade was watching now and she had every intention of seeing how far Mimi could go on her own. It was the reason why she hadn't stolen the notes the young kunoichi worked so hard on. How high could Mimi push those percentages in the next few days?
How high could she herself raise them?
For now all Tsunade wanted was a nice quiet place to study the contents within this medical journal and a bottle of sake. Glancing up from her book, the Hokage scanned the nearby shops. There! Farther down the street, and it appeared to be empty.
Hmm. That place will do.
The Hokage thumbed the page for revitalizing the cellular structure and proceeded to the shop, picking a secluded table and asking for sake as soon as she reached it.
She wasted no time in diving right into the book and the alcohol—though the latter she took in smaller portions. Diagrams, theories, conclusions, she studied them all.
Even with her skills, the Cell Activation Jutsu was a challenging technique to crack. Activating every individual cell of the human body required precision, chakra control and enough chakra for it and the actual procedure. She hadn't had a medical challenge like this in…she wasn't even sure how long anymore.
The last war, probably.
No, she wouldn't be figuring this out in a couple hours. Given another day or two, though…
I'm not about to be out done by a teenage Genin,she thought as she turned the page and continued reading.
The sun continued its descent, painting the Great Stone Faces of the past Hokages in golden light. Sunset was only a few hours away, she unconsciously noted while studying. Pieces were coming together; possessing the wealth of Medical Ninjutsu knowledge she acquired through the years made it easier.
I bet Mimi Inuzuka's time would have been cut beyond half if she was my age.
Still, starting from scratch and getting as far as she had in a month or two impressed the legendary kunoichi.
In a few years she'll match Shizune's current Medical Ninjutsu abilities. She might even reach my level eventually if she continues to advance.
The sound of the tavern door opening barely registered in the Hokage's ears as she flipped the page again and took a sip out of her sake cup.
Living this long, though, wasn't easy. Battles were tough, certainly, but the lives she couldn't save, the family, friends and comrades she lost were far harder to bear.
"Aha! There you are! We caught you," Shizune's voice penetrated the silence.
Tsunade glanced up at her to see the stern eyes of her assistant, who had yet to notice the work her Hokage was doing.
"Shh," Tsunade shushed her.
Shizune's eyes finally fell down to the book. The sight of muscle anatomy and spinal column diagrams on the right and left pages enlarged her eyes to an almost comical degree. "Aiiieee! Lady Tsunade, are you actually studying?!"
"Oinkkkk!" Tonton squealed in shock.
"Quiet down, will you. I'm trying to concentrate here," she responded as she continued to read.
"Wh- what did you say?!" Shizune shrieked in a mixture of surprise and fear. "You've never concentrated on anything except gambling!"
Tsunade stared, bemused by her faithful assistant. You'd think she'd be happy. She sighed internally. Oh well. I'm sure it'll pass.
"Oh, calm down already, Shizune." Tsunade set her sake cup off to the side and refocused her eyes on the book. "I was thinking about what Mimi Inuzuka had said."
Shizune let her shock take a trip outside the door, thankfully. "Oh, you mean increasing the chance of success for Rock Lee's procedure."
"Yeah. I found her asleep at the library today. With a food pill, someone providing chakra for support and the jutsu she was referring to, her chances of performing the procedure are now fifty/fifty as well."
"But…how?"
"Remember that medical-ninja Kabuto you fought against?"
"Yes. What about him?"
"Specifically his body's ability to regenerate new cells, like he did after Naruto hit him with the Rasengan."
It was the only reason he could stand up on his own after taking that technique head-on.
He had used his Medical Ninjutsu to heal the point of impact before the jutsu even hit him, thus, when it did, his body was already healing the damage, allowing him to recover instantly. Or, at least that was the case until the extensive damage of the Rasengan hit him after Naruto nearly died.
The regeneration hadn't been enough to deter the amount of damage done, but that was unimportant now. This was about the ability itself, not Kabuto.
"Mimi has figured out how to apply the same technique to a patient rather than for herself."
"That's…amazing," Shizune said as she moved around the wall separating her table from the door. "So that's how she plans to increase the chances of the procedure for Rock Lee."
Tsunade dipped her head in a short nod. "Right. But she's still at fifty/fifty with it right now. If I was able to do it, though…" she trailed off.
It would heal Lee and give him back his dream. That was worth something more than money.
She lifted her eyes from the book to meet Shizune's. "Even if it raises his chances from fifty to fifty-one percent, I think it's worth a shot."
"Lady Tsunade, the success of a technique like this is so dependent on the user. It's doubtful Mimi Inuzuka would be able to pull it off in practice. Even you might not be able to do it."
I wouldn't count that kid out just yet, she thought as she smirked, grabbing the tall bottle of sake and swirling it around. I don't think she's done proving me wrong. As for me…
"There's only one way to find out, I mean, I am the Fifth Hokage after all," she replied.
Hey, wait a minute. She frowned, lifted the bottle up to her ear and twirled it again. Damn, there's nothing left.
Her assistant smiled and revealed a second bottle. "Just this once, I'll make an exception."
Tsunade smiled and set her bottle down so she could rest her head on her hand and shut her eyes. Outside she sensed the retreating chakra forms of Naruto, Amaririsu and Konohamaru, all of whom had been previously standing outside of the door for the last half of their conversation.
I guess that boy heard what he needed to hear. Things may change, but the Will of Fire and the wills of the people we hold dear never fade away. They keep burning and guiding us along our paths.
Right, Sarutobi-sensei?
Two days later, masses upon masses of people gathered outside of the Hokage Tower for the official inauguration of the Fifth Hokage: Tsunade Senju.
To Amari's eyes, it seemed like the whole Village had shown up for the event. Civilians, workers, shinobi, they were all here, gathered to witness the beginning of a new chapter of the Leaf. Hopefully a prosperous chapter. And hopefully absent of war.
A trailing sea of conversation swam through the crowd of people; voices on top of voices chatted in varying ranges of emotion, fluctuating from excited banter of friends and children to passive discussion between comrades and Clan leaders.
The swirling sounds surrounding Amari made her think of Hikari. The Sand kunoichi would certainly be lost in this noise, unable to 'see' or coordinate her way through it. But part of the Nara still wished Hikari had returned to her, that way if she were here, she would be right at her side, warmly holding onto her arm or hand.
I hope you're safe, Hikari. And more than anything else, I hope you're happy.
Amari stood with her mother in the crowd, joined by Anko Mitarashi. The Snake Mistress wasted no time in teasing her. "Shortcake!" she had started, a grin in her voice. Her trench coat covered arm snaked tightly around Amari's neck so she couldn't go anywhere. "I heard about your little reunion party, and you didn't even bother to invite me! I think I'm offended."
"Hello to you too, Miss Anko," Amari choked out, too busy struggling to breathe to be annoyed by the nickname.
"Sounds like you attracted some real scumbags," Anko continued without loosening her grip, a bright grin still on her face. "And those jerks didn't even bother to stick around after all your hard work, sorta like a bad first date!" she laughed.
She'd already been turning red due to lack of air. That comparison didn't help at all!
"Anko," Kurenai chided in a motherly tone.
"Can't…breathe…"
"Oh, don't whine," Anko teased, releasing the girl. Amari sucked in the largest breath of oxygen she could. "You may like it when you're older."
"Anko!"
The deadly tone of her mother's voice effectively eliminated Amari's curiosity. Maybe it was better she didn't know what Anko meant by that.
Nearby their group was Lord Hiashi, Hanabi and Neji Hyūga; she was glad Lord Hiashi hadn't returned to ignoring or scorning his nephew. And hopefully he's forgotten that he wanted to talk to me.
Hopefully. But unlikely.
Closer still were Tenten, Mimi, Aoko, and her cousin Hana with the Three Haimaru brothers. Hana was pleasant as always, offering warm words and brushing off Amari's apologies for dragging her into the mess with Akatsuki. The elder Inuzuka even succeeded in embarrassing her little cousin for laughs; when talk of Mimi's Cell Activation Jutsu came up, Hana pulled Mimi into a crushing hug, letting everyone in earshot hear about how proud of her little cousin she was.
Mimi struggled to break free the whole time, blushing a shade of pink Amari had never seen on her, yelling at Hana to put her down and at Amari for laughing instead of helping. She couldn't. It was the duty of the younger sister to laugh at her older sister's expense, when the opportunity arose that is.
Hana placed her back on her feet and ruffled her hair, a triumphant grin on her face at the brooding expression and promises of vengeance Mimi swore beneath her breath.
Prior to the scene, she was explaining how Lee's procedure was, theoretically, at fifty-two percent, and that Lee intended to go through with it, only Mimi wouldn't be performing it.
"That Old Hag snuck into the library when I was asleep and rifled through my notes according to Aoko. Two days later, she has the procedure to fifty-eight percent." Mimi huffed. "I'm not mad that she's actually going to do it, but she could at least give me some damn credit. I worked my ass off to get it to work."
Hana sprang her attack a moment later.
Amari was glad to hear the news, for Lee's sake and Mimi's.
Earlier, around the time she arrived, she noticed Naruto, Hinata, Shino and Sakura make their way towards the front of the crowd, sticking together.
However, Anko hadn't been finished with her brand of humor. Within shouting distance was Asuma, Shikamaru, Ino, Chōji and Kiba with Akamaru. The adult of the group had been sneaking glances here and there with Kurenai, which neither Amari nor Anko could let go. Amari was just more subtle.
"You two are so cute when you're stealing glances. Just go kiss him already. No one will judge," she whispered, causing her mother to blush and poke her forehead.
Anko took the blunt approach. "Hey Asuma!" she shouted, waving when she caught the pair staring at each other. "Are you two meeting up later to celebrate this occasion with as much passion as possible?"She waggled her eyebrows suggestively and grinned for added effect.
Asuma turned redder than a waterfall of blood. Practically everyone nearby looked on in confusion, blushed for them or snickered.
"I'm just asking for Shortcake's sake!" Anko didn't relent. "I don't want you two corrupting— gah! Mmphh!"
Kurenai appeared behind her friend and covered her mouth with one hand, while the other she wrapped her other arm around Anko's throat. The red eyed shinobi was blushing even brighter than Asuma, whispering what could only be horrifying threats if Anko's nervous laughter and muffled apologies were anything to go by.
Amari, Mimi and Hana, however, died laughing. Together. No kunoichi left standing. Side aching laughter left them hunched over and kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down their cheeks.
"Miss Anko, you're the most amazing person in the whole world," Amari said while wiping her tears away.
"Of course I am!" Anko placed her hands on her hips, puffed her chest out and grinned.
"Oh…kami…that was too good. Better than when Amari told Ino she was 'in love' with Sasuke and they had to reform their clan."
"No! She didn't!" Hana's mirthful eyes fell upon the blue-haired kunoichi.
"I did," she admitted, smiling.
Other than that, she had seen Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon together with Iruka closer to the front on her left. The boy had come to some realization after paying respects to his grandfather and overhearing the Fifth Hokage speaking to Shizune. Amari wasn't really sure what had sparked him to regain his positive outlook, but she was happy he was back on the path.
Seeing others preparing to embark on their paths towards their futures gave Amari confidence that she could, too. It wouldn't be easy, but this new pain she had would make her stronger.
Just like you would want it to, right Shisui?
Tsunade took center stage on the Academy rooftop, wearing her Hokage hat with Jiraiya and the two Village elders.
Everyone went silent.
Tsunade took her hat off and placed it over her chest. "From this day forward," she projected her voice over the silent Village, "I shall protect the Hidden Leaf Village as the Fifth Hokage!"
The crowd erupted into roars of applause and cheers.
Amari remained composed, smiling softly and tilting her head to rest against her mother's arm. Kurenai wrapped her arm around her and held her close.
The inauguration carried on into a village-wide celebration, but once the initial part was over, Amari regrouped with her sensei and team for a brief meeting. She made herself at home on the tree branch above them, where she kicked her legs back in forth as Naruto and Sakura arrived.
"Hey Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto greeted as he strolled up with Sakura at his side.
"You're looking a lot better, Kakashi-sensei. You too, Amari," Sakura said.
"Thanks, Sakura," Kakashi thanked, eye smiling at the pair. "I'm sure you're all curious why I asked for this meeting, so I'll get right to the point. Amari and I are cleared for duty tomorrow which means Team Seven is back to work."
"All right!" Naruto cheered and pumped his fist into the air.
"So, when is our next mission?" Sasuke asked.
"Funny you should ask, Sasuke. Lady Tsunade has assigned some D-rank missions to get us back into the swing of things, but we'll be taking time to get some team training in as well. That way Naruto can show me his new technique, you and Sakura can show us what you've been working on and Amari can get to work on the fūinjutsu technique I want her to learn."
That wasn't so bad. Sure they had to do some boring D-rank missions, but it was easy to tell they were all eagerly looking forward to team training.
"Oh, and you can expect a C-rank escort or bodyguard mission by the end of the week." Kakashi waved and eye smiled. "Training starts at four in the morning tomorrow. Don't be late."
Kakashi disappeared. Together, the four Genin digested his words. Amari was excited about the missions and the training, regardless of how early in the morning they had to wake up. Then again, waking up early had never been a real issue.
Naruto, however, had a shout that echoed the others sentiments.
"Four in the morning?! Is he insane?!"
Amari couldn't help but giggle. Good to know some things never change.
As her world was shifting around her and she was starting to take the first steps forward with these new scars, she found comfort in knowing that no matter how much did change, Team Seven would always be a place she could call home.
Review Response to ChillinInKonoha: We'll have to wait and see if Anbu is in her future. Tenzo was probably on the verge of unleashing draconian methods onto Naruto and his clones. If only they weren't inside a public structure. More on Mist Village situation coming soon. Orochimaru has plans.
Thank you for the review!