ACADEMY DAYS II - KIGATSU

Yokumaru practically flies down the stairs, using his Flicker to get from the top to the bottom in one swoop. Something his mom doesn't appreciate him doing inside the house but honestly? It's too cool not to do it. And it's practical.

He hears the sound of sizzling pans coming from the kitchen and an absolutely mouth-watering aroma filling the air. His stomach involuntarily grumbles and suddenly he becomes much hungrier than he was a second ago.

He heads for the kitchen with an eager step.

"Good morning, mo-" His cheerful greeting is cut short when he sees who's cooking.

Rather than the slim frame and silver hair of his mother, it's the absolute mountain of a man known as Gozu.

The man turns his head and nods a greeting. "Good morning. Breakfast is ready." He places the food on a plate and sets it on the table in front of Yokumaru. Probably the more surprising thing than seeing Gozu is seeing what he's wearing- a large green apron that somehow fits him. Yokumaru has seen some large people in the Leaf, mostly that Akimichi clan but even they don't have this kind of large frame.

"Um, where's mom?" The boy asks while taking a seat.

"Had to go to work early. Asked me to take care of breakfast." Gozu responds in his usual monotone voice.

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Yokumaru begins digging in and after just the first bite is surprised by the result.

Apparently Gozu is a damn good cook. Wouldn't have thought of it judging by his appearance, so there's some truth to that old saying.

"This is really good!" Yokumaru compliments him with a full mouth. Another thing his mom's repeatedly told him not to do but it's so tasty!

Gozu's lips curl up in a light smile that he tries to hide, and Yokumaru swears he saw a bit of red on his cheeks. The man takes off the apron and slings it over his shoulder. "Don't be late for school. Education's important." And he begins making his way toward the door, to go back to his own home which is right next door.

"I won't!" Yokumaru's eyes linger on the man's frame as he exits through the door.

A part of his mind wanders back to memories of his dad, or whatever he still has. It's been becoming blurrier and blurier as time passes. His face, his voice… it's kind of becoming harder to remember. He can remember his general frame, his hair, those are easy, but the rest?

"If only dad was here to see we're doing better now…"

Yokumaru shakes those thoughts away and finishes his breakfast in a hurry and gets dressed for the day. When he sprints out the house, he spots his new family, a concert he still needs to fully wrap his head around, having a relaxing morning in the front garden. Yukimaru is tending to the flower beds by the fence, while Guren sits back in a lounging chair watching over him.

Gozu also leaves his home, now dressed in the Hidden Leaf's shinobi uniform. He nods to Yokumaru as they both prepare to head off to school or work.

"Goodbye, you two!" Yukimaru waves them off with a trowel in hand.

[Crystal Style: Crystal Wall]

A crystalline structure, larger than what he was able to conjure previously, juts out from the ground.

Kotori gracefully jumps back to avoid and begins weaving her own chakra. "Come on, I've seen you do this a hundred times, Yokumaru! You should know better."

"I've barely even started." Yokumaru taunts back; something he doesn't tend to do often but sometimes the motivation strikes him.

The rest of the class look on, impressed as always by the mythical Crystal Style, a jutsu lost to time that was never even taught about until very recently and even then, not much is taught about it as the only two known casters were never taught about its history themselves.

Only Shoto doesn't stare in awe as he'd seen it every day for about a year.

Tenten-sensei stands watch over the spar, taking position in front of class in case any errant jutsu fly their way.

[Ninja Art Aviary: Ostrich]

The large flightless bird forms into being right next to Kotori and springs forward. It, too, has increased in size compared to what she could do before. It's not a fully grown adult yet, but it's also not a young chick anymore. It's capable of doing some serious damage.

"Go, Kotori!" Kashiwama cheers from the sidelines.

It runs at Yokumaru and delivers a series of powerful kicks that resonate through the air with a powerful boom but the boy manages to move back to avoid them. Kotori uses this chance to get in closer.

Seeing this, Yokumaru quickly goes through his hand signs.

[Crystal Style: Crystal Hexagonal Shuriken]

The discs form at his hand and shoot out toward the Ostrich, shredding it back down to a cluster of feathers. He tries to aim at Kotori, too, but she dodges out of the way and has already finished her next move.

"Alright!" She shouts victoriously. "Get ready for my killing move!"

'Her… what? When did she get one of those?' Yokumaru ponders.

Shoto cocks his head, curious as to what she's got planned that they don't know about.

[Ninja Art Aviary: Hoatzin]

The ruffled bird forms from feathers nearby Yokumaru and immediately jumps at him. Right away, Yokumaru can feel his breakfast coming back up. This bird reeks and it's unbearable. He tries to step back but Kotori has already Flickered next to him and uses his moment of panic to pin him to the ground. The Hoatzin stands right over his head.

"Alright, alright!" Yokumaru cries out. "I give up, just get this thing away from me!"

Kotori grins, "Victory!" and dismisses the stinky bird, also getting off her friend in the meantime.

"That was terrible." He whines as he gets back to his feet.

Tenten steps closer but quickly stops as the stench left by the Hoatzin hits her nose. "Good show, you two. Now, end the spar."

Yokumaru and Kotori form the unison signs, signifying their spar was in good faith. With his free hand, Yokumaru holds his nose as the smell still permeates the air.

"Alright, that's our final spar for the day." Tenten gathers the class back together, allowing Kotori and Yokumaru some time to rest.

Jiriki huffs and crosses his arms. "So much for this Crystal Style…"

Genzai jabs his friend on the shoulder. "Don't be like that, Jiriki. It's an impressive jutsu."

"Yeah!" One of their classmates chimes in. "It's probably the strongest jutsu in the Leaf!"

"The Kigatsu clan is gonna be a real powerhouse." Another girl adds.

The class hounds Yokumaru and Kotori, ever curious about their abilities.

"Are you even hearing yourselves?" Jiriki calls out. "Strongest jutsu? Powerhouse of a clan? Two people don't make a clan. Our clans founded this village and kept it safe through four wars. We've honed our skills to perfection and risen higher than ever." He scolds his classmates, growing more and more exasperated. "Now an urchin and a criminal join the village and you roll on your backs to praise them? Pathetic."

Yokumaru freezes in place, having gotten it a little to his head how well he'd been doing of late. In hindsight, he should've expected a reaction like this, with him being a new kid with a unique gift. Not wanting to stir any trouble, he remains silent. Kotori, on the other hand, is fuming by his side, seemingly ready to go punch him.

Genzai tries to get Jiriki to quiet down. "Hey, that's a little…"

"It's true, is what it is, and you know it, Sarutobi." he makes it a point to emphasize the name of the clan that helped build the village into what it is, the clan that was among the first to join the village following the Senju and Uchiha.

Shoto steps right in Jiriki's face, himself growing angrier. "Wanna say that with a fist in your face, Hyuga?"

Jiriki smirks. "The clan of cowards defending the "clan" of urchins. Great."

Before Shoto can answer, be it through words or fists, a bo staff swooshes between the two of them, separating them.

"Enough." Tenten-sensei commands in her most authoritative voice. "Jiriki, get inside."

The young Hyuga huffs and turns around, heading into the school.

"Don't let him get to you, Yokumaru." Kotori comforts her friend with a pat on the shoulder.

"I won't…" He lets out as barely a whisper. "I won't…" He breathes in deeply before raising his voice to be heard by Jiriki. "I won't let anyone badmouth my family!" He stares at the Hyuga, directly in his pale eyes. "My father passed down these abilities to me and I'll make it the strongest it can be. If you have a problem with that, try and stop me."

Jiriki glares before going inside with a huff.

Shoto looks back to Yokumaru with a smirk. "Well, look at you."

-x-

The rest of the day goes by fairly quietly all things considered. Jiriki barely interacts with anyone, not even to admonish Kashiwama for whatever dumb thing he blurted out lout. Probably fawning over Kotori again.

At the end, the kids decide to take a pit stop. Rather than going directly home, they head off for Ichiraku Ramen, for some after-school bonding. Their time together has been cut somewhat short since starting their new lives, so any chance to be with each other is welcome. Except for one issue.

"Why's he here?" Shoto points to Kashiwama who's waltzing along with a grin.

"Weeeell, I figure it'd be nice to get to know each other, you know?" Kotori rubs the back of her head.

"Yeah, but isn't he, like, annoying?" Shoto leans in to whisper.

Kashiwama walks on oblivious to what was just said.

"He's… fine." Kotori gives a half answer.

"And him?" Shoto then points to Genzai.

Genzai points to Kashiwama. "I'm just here to make sure this guy gets home. Although I'm not against sharing a bowl of ramen."

Yokumaru avoids looking him in the eye, focusing on the path ahead. "Aren't you, I dunno, mad? Jiriki doesn't like us."

"He'll get over it." Genzai shrugs. "We hang out, but that doesn't mean we gotta agree on everything."

Kashiwama shuffles his feet. "And if he ever tries to say something like that about Kotori, I'll give him a one-two." He punches the air.

"Um… thanks?"

When the five of them get to Ichiraku, they see a rather familiar sight inside- the unmistakable orange cloak Naruto started to wear since his return to the village. Next to him are Hinata and Konohamaru. The three are eating in a fairly relaxed setting, with Yokumaru's mom, Yoi, being the one serving them their food.

When she sees the kids enter, she enthusiastically waves and beckons them over. "Hey, kids! Take a seat, I'll be right with you."

"Well look who it is!" Naruto grins. "I thought you kids were gonna hang after school."

"We are." Kotori answers. "We usually hang out here."

The kids take what remaining free seats are on the bar counter. People usually prefer to use the tables, but there's a select few who still prefer the stools from when Ichiraku was a stall and not a restaurant.

When Yokumaru takes a seat, Yoi leans over to kiss him on the forehead before continuing to work.

Yokumaru hunches over, embarrassed. "Mooom…"

Genzai approaches Konohamaru who ruffles his hair, much to the younger boy's protest.

"You making friends with my juniors, bro?" Konohamaru laughs.

"Your juniors?" Genzai raises a brow.

"Well, of course! I was Naruto's first student so I'm their senior!" He proudly puffs out his chest. "That's why you gotta make sure you keep the Sarutobi's good name, yeah?"

"You two know each other?" Naruto looks between Konohamaru and Genzai.

Konohamaru raises an eyebrow. "Well, yeah, he's my little brother."

Naruto blinks. "Your… your what now?"

"My brother. I've told you about Genzai." Konohamaru answers.

Naruto grabs Konohamaru by the scarfs and pulls him off the seat and away from the kids; presumably so they can't hear but they can still hear despite the attempted whispers.

"What do you mean you've told me?! You've never mentioned a brother!" Naruto protests this shocking new information.

"What do you mean?! Of course I've told you, like when we…" Konohamaru stops to recollect his thoughts. "No, wait, that was Udon. Or that time we… no, that was Ebisu-sensei… Umm..."

Naruto lightly and mockingly smacks him over the head. "You little…"

The two of them turn around, acting as if everything was normal with wide grins on their faces.

Genzai looks to his brother with a hurt expression. "Oi…"

"Ah, Genzai, I've heard soo much from Konohamaru. It's good to finally meet the brother my pupil is so proud of!" He crosses his arms and nods sagely.

"You don't have to pretend, we heard you." Genzai facepalms.

Kashiwama laughs. "Isn't that great, Gen? The one and only Naruto Uzumaki knows of you!"

Genzai lifts his face from his palm to look to his friend with disbelief. "I seriously don't know what world you live in, man."

Hinata leans over to the Senju boy. "And you must be Kashiwama? Your mother speaks fondly of you."

The boy blushes and rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yes, ma'am, that's me."

"It's very nice to meet you, I'm Kotori's mom, Hinata Hyuga."

"Oh, everyone in the village knows you and Naruto Uzumaki!" Kashiwama fanboys over them.

"Hmpf." Shoto proudly crosses his arms. "Of course they are, they're the strongest there is."

As everyone gets seated in their new positions, the kids order their ramen and Yoi heads to the back to prepare their servings, while Ayame remains at the counter to serve any clients to enter.

"Are you taking a break, sensei?" Yokumaru asks both his teachers.

"Yes, we had some time to ourselves and wanted to get out into the city." Hinata answers.

Naruto claps Konohamaru on the back. "And we ran into Konohamaru here at Ichiraku, when he should be training for the Chunin Exams!"

"Hey, I AM training!" Konohamaru protests.

"The Chunin Exams?" Yokumaru tilts his head questioningly.

"Ah, yeah, I guess you haven't talked about that in school, huh?" Naruto scratches his chin. "If you wanna rise through the ranks, you gotta prove yourself in these exams and show ya got what's needed."

"It's a series of tasks that tests you physically and mentally, to assure you're prepared for the responsibilities." Hinata adds. "As Genin, you're a junior and follow your superiors' orders but as a Chunin, you're the one who gives those orders."

Naruto mockingly points to Konohamaru with a thumb. "And this kid thinks he's ready."

"Hey, I am SO ready, you don't even know!" The younger boy crosses his arms and huffs. "I'm gonna ace it so good they're gonna bump me right to Hokage."

"That's not how it works, bro." Genzai sighs at his brother's usual antics. He gets particular when the title of Hokage is brought up.

"Who's to say how things work?" Kashiwama interjects. "The world's changing every day. It's not the same as when my ancestors founded the village, and it'll be even more different for our descendants. At some point, the change has to begin."

"That's… oddly philosophical coming from you." Genzai raises a brow.

"If we're talking Hokage, then dad's a shoe-in, right?" Kotori adds. "The whole world loves him, there's no way he won't be!"

"Of course I'll be!" Naruto pounds his chest. "But for now I have other responsibilities that need taking care of."

Hinata chuckles. "So different from before."

"Yeah, bro." Konohamaru nods. "Sounds like you've learned to watch your next step."

The group at the counter laugh and have an all-around merry time. The kids recount what they did and learned at school, showing off their knowledge, earning the praise of the 3 older shinobi.

As Yoi's been back in the kitchen, Yokumaru takes some test papers from his pack to show off to her directly. He excuses himself and makes his way to the back of Ichiraku Ramen where his mom cooks for the restaurant.

He goes through the door to the side and to the kitchen, a path he's taken before after being given express permission from Teuchi and Ayame, since his mom started working.

When Yokumaru opens the kitchen door, the sight in front of him causes him to stop in his tracks.

His mom is in the kitchen, standing over the cooking pot while the head chef Teuchi has his hand on her back. He's laughing and being way too close. This has got to be one of those situations, right? The sleazebag's taking advantage of his mom and forcing himself on her. He's seen this happen way too often in the capital and he never was able to actually do something about it but it's different now! He trained with one of the best shinobi in the world and he's not about to let this guy get grabby with his own mother.

Just as he's about to yell out to him with enough anger for a lifetime, his mother turns to Teuchi. She's not annoyed, she's not angry. She's laughing with him. Yoi leans over to kiss Teuchi on the cheek and even steps closer to him.

Yokumaru stares with horror, trying to process the scene playing out right now. His mind races over every memory he has of his dad, every word, every action he can recall. Seeing his mom this close with this random man is making it difficult. He can feel his world falling apart.

"Hey, who are- Yokumaru?"

A male voice snaps Yokumaru back. He focuses his eyes forward, to Teuchi who'd turned around to see him. Yoi had also turned around, her eyes wide with shock, not unlike how he'd been just seconds ago.

"Yoku…" Yoi quickly pushes away from Teuchi and steps toward her son. "Honey, I-"

Yokumaru darts off at full speed. Yoi chases after him but there's no way she can catch up to a ninja, even if just an Academy student. He bursts out the door, into the restaurant proper, and continues running at full speed, much to the confusion of everyone inside.

When Yoi runs out after him a few second later, Naruto stands from his seat to walk after the clearly distraught woman. She stops just outside the door, looking frantically at where her son might have gone but he's already out of sight.

"Yoi?" Naruto walks behind her with Hinata besides him. The kids are staying back but are also concerned with what's going with Yokumaru.

Yoi turns around and pleads. "Naruto, Hinata, please, I need to find Yoku. I… I'm sorry I have to keep relying on you, I'm just…"

Hinata walks to her and places her hands on the woman's shoulders. "It's alright. What happened?"

Hesitant, Yoi takes them to the side, to explain away from prying ears.

-x-

On a rooftop not too far away from Ichiraku Ramen, Yokumaru sits atop a water container, curled up and hugging his knees. With his head buried in his legs, he looks down at his hands, absent-mindedly fiddling with a small crystal he'd made with his Crystal Style. This jutsu is really the only thing he has to remember his dad by. They never were blessed much in terms of the material so this is the only memento he has. If he struggles real hard, he might be able to look at the reflection and see his dad but that memory's slowly been fading away. Every day, he has to struggle more and more to remember how he looked.

He doesn't stay alone for too long before he hears 2 sets of footfalls land besides him. He looks up just in time to see the orange markings fade around Naruto's eyes, and the veins disappear around Hinata's. In hindsight, he probably should've expected that hiding wouldn't work.

He buries his head in his knees again.

Naruto sits down in front of him, while Hinata sits down next to him.

Hinata tries to comfort him by caressing his hair. "Your mom told us what happened." No response. "It's fine to be upset. I know this kind of change can be daunting but you two are a team. You have to go through it together."

Yokumaru shakes his head. "I don't want it to change. It was fine how it was."

Naruto scoots a bit closer. "Hey, man, you know change can be a good thing. You've gone through a lot of it these past years, right?"

"I just… don't want some stranger replacing dad! We don't need anyone else! That doesn't have to change!"

"And have you told your mother that? Did you talk it over with her?" Hinata asks as she continues to comfort the boy.

He shakes his head.

"The most important thing is making your feelings heard. Speak with her openly and allow her to do the same. You both love each other; I know you can come to see how the other feels. You said you were going to become stronger for your mother, correct?"

"Yeah." He lets out a meek response. "I just dunno how to do it."

"You can start by saying what you said to us- that you fear for your father's memory. The rest will come out on its own."

Naruto sits opposite Hinata, now both of them sitting to Yokumaru's sides. "I know this probably isn't something you wanna hear, but hear me out, anyway, okay? I promise there's a point to it." Naruto's words cause Yokumaru to look up to him, still resting his head on his knees. "Teuchi was kind to me when almost no one else was. He's one of the best people I know. You know that power from the Nine-Tails that I use? Well, people were afraid of one person having that much power so they were afraid of me and didn't like me at all."

"They didn't?" Yokumaru finally straightens. "But people love you, sensei."

"Yeah, they do now. But back then?" Naruto shakes his head. "Teuchi, though; he didn't care about any of that. He let me eat his ramen and never once made me feel unwelcome. I didn't find out 'til later but apparently he lost a lotta business 'cause of that. People didn't wanna eat in the same place as me but it never crossed his mind to kick me out just to save his shop. I guess what I'm trying to say is- Teuchi's a good man with a big heart. He might be more understanding than you think."

"I didn't know you were that close with him."

"He's a good friend. He can be yours, too, if you let him. But it's all up to you if you wanna. If you don't, then make it clear. Make your voice heard, alright?" Naruto lightly fistbumps him on the chest.

Yokumaru gives a slow nod, trying to process the conversation.

Hinata stands up and offers him a helping hand. "Let's get you home, alright?"

-x-

Outside of their homes, Yoi paces back and forth while Guren watches on.

"He'll be fine, Yoi." Guren tries to comfort her aunt, which isn't really a specialty of hers.

"I should've been upfront with him. I should've told him, instead of letting him find out like this." Yoi distresses.

"You wanted to make sure it was actually serious before dumping it on him. That's a good thing. You did good by him, it just didn't work out in this particular case." Guren shrugs. "He'll come around."

"You didn't see his face, Guren. I've never seen him so… betrayed." Yoi crosses arms, not knowing what to do with them right now with all the stress.

"And I'm sure he'll get over it."

"I hope you're right…"

At this point, Naruto and Hinata land in front of their gate, Yokumaru in tow. Quiet and with his head down, he makes his way toward his mom. His sensei talked it over with him, told him how important communication is, but… right now talking isn't on his mind. He can't bring himself to do it.

Yokumaru walks right past Yoi and heads inside, much to Yoi's dismay.

"I'm sorry." Naruto steps towards her. "We tried to talk to him, but…"

Yoi shakes her head. "No, you've done more than enough. Spending that time apart made him into an amazing young boy, but maybe it drifted us apart in ways I didn't predict."

"I do believe he understands, he simply needs time to process it." Hinata adds.

"I'll… try to fix this. Thank you." Yoi bows and heads back inside.

Guren sighs, placing a hand over her belly. "Kids, huh? What a mess."

Naruto laughs. "Take notes, you'll be dealing with this kinda thing soon enough."

"Don't remind me. I still have no clue how you're even supposed to raise one. Definitely gonna mess it up." Guren contemplates.

"That's where your own family comes into play." Hinata smiles to her. "Gozu is attentive, Yukimaru is eager for a sibling, and Yoi and Yokumaru I'm certain will also help their new family member."

"Right?" Naruto beams. "Even if you stumble somewhere, others are around to pick you up. Already happened to you once, didn't it? When you met Gozu and Yukimaru the first time."

Guren shakes her head with a short laugh. "Where are you two brats coming off so sagely. Go home, you've already had enough family drama for the day."

"Good night, Guren." Hinata bows, while Naruto gives a mock salute, and the two of them head off home, as does Guren.

-x-

Back in the Uzumaki residence, Kotori's also nervously been waiting. After Yokumaru rushed out, the kids were sent home while the adults figure out what's going on. Still, she can't exactly sit still while her friend is in some form of distress, although there's not much else she can do right now. Naruto and Hinata got this covered, right?

As she muses and worries, her parents arrive at the front door.

She immediately jumps to her feet. "What happened? Is Yokumaru alright?"

"He… will be eventually." Naruto tries to give a comforting but vague answer.

"But… what happened?" Kotori repeats the question.

Hinata kneels down to be level with her. "Everything that happened, it's for Yoi and Yokumaru to talk over. It's their story to share and they will when they're ready. Until then, we have to give them space, okay? Just try to keep Yokumaru close as you always have."

Kotori gives a very confused nod. "Okay? I'll try."

Naruto claps his hands in an attempt to bring the attention away from the gloomier subject. "Alright, let's see what's for dinner!" And he walks inside.

Hinata raises a brow. "But we already ate."

"Yeah, but I'm hungry again."

She laughs. "Alright, let's see what leftovers there are."

The three of them walk back home for their second dinner. Before fully closing the door, Kotori gives one final glance, almost expecting Yokumaru to show up and reassure her there's nothing to worry about. Sadly, he's nowhere to be found.

At the Kigatsu household, Yoi woke up earlier than normal from a combination of factors. Worry being about 90% of it. Last night, Yokumaru went straight to bed and locked himself in his room, not responding to any of her calls. She decided giving him space might be for the best right now, as Hinata herself suggested.

This early in the morning, there's not much for her to do. Normally she'd keep herself occupied with some kind of housework but she already went through that. Now all she can do is pace. Around the house, around the yard, anywhere her feet can take her, and hope that Yokumaru will be in the mood to talk.

"Good morning, auntie!" A boyish voice snaps her from her nervous pacing.

She whips her head to the house next door, where Yukimaru is tending to the flower beds. "Oh, good morning." She tries to put on a brave smile, not wanting to pass her worry onto the boy. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

"That's alright, I just got out." He lifts his watering can to show her. "Have to keep the plants nice and fresh."

"You've a very diligent boy, Yukimaru." She smiles, a bit more genuinely, at him.

"Is... Yokumaru alright?" He asks cautiously. "Guren said he's not feeling well right now, but he must be better if he left out the window."

"He's… going through something. I really hope he can-" Yoi stops mid-sentence. "What did you say about a window?"

Yukimaru points to the side of the house. "I saw him jump out the window while I was getting dressed."

Yoi immediately dashes to the side to check, only to confirm what Yukimaru said. The window's open, the curtains are pulled back, and there's clearly no one there. She darts back into the house and onto the second floor, leaving behind a very confused Yukimaru. She tries to open the door but it's still locked. She darts back outside and gets right at the fence, as close as he can get to the neighbouring house without passing through.

"Did you see where he went?!"

Yukimaru steps back like a frightened bunny. "Um, no? Is this bad? Did something bad happen?"

Yoi snaps out of it when she sees her plan to not worry him failed miserably. "No, no, Yuki, I'm sorry. It's alright."

He calms down and steps forward again. "He looked upset. Is there something I can do? We only just got together as a family, I want to help if I can."

"Thank you, sweetie." She opens her arms to invite him into a hug, which he accepts, and the two embrace over the fence that separates their homes. "You don't have to worry about a thing." She looks over once again at the open window, her nerves getting the better of her once again. "Not a thing."

-x-

At the Academy, the class has gathered and are only waiting for the bell to ring to signal the start of the school day. Everyone is present, save for one. The seat next to Kotori and Shoto remains empty. The two fidget in their seats, still not entirely sure what happened yesterday. Was it so bad he'd skip the day?

It isn't until the bell rings that Yokumaru shows up, literally a moment before Tenten arrives herself, following right behind him.

"Rise." As usual, Jiriki signals the morning ritual. "Bow."

Tenten ruffles Yokumaru's hair as she passes and laughs. "Just beat me to it. Take your seat."

He walks over with his head lowered and sits down, only to immediately be barraged with questions by his friends.

He manages to give the faintest of smiles and mutter "I'm okay. Really."

The rest of the day would prove that he isn't actually. A lack of focus, a lack of motivation during sparring and training, and an all-around lack of energy. He never was the most outgoing, but it was never this bad.

Still, any attempt to question was deflected which made them both more worried and more annoyed. Worried that something's going on with their friend that might be too much of him, and annoyed that he doesn't trust them after all they've been through.

It isn't until after school ends that Kotori and Shoto follow him outside.

"Okay, no more hiding, no more lying!" Kotori crosses her arms.

"Come on, man, haven't you learned keeping… whatever it is you're keeping isn't helping anyone?" Shoto stands on a railing besides her.

"Just leave me alone, alright?" He walks past them. "Don't wanna talk."

Kotori fumes. "Mom and dad didn't leave us alone." She declares. "Even when you stole from us, they didn't leave you alone and they fought to get you to where you are right now! We wouldn't be here if they left you alone!"

"Maybe woulda been better if they did." He mutters.

"Hey-" Before Shoto walk forward after him, Kotori steps.

She grabs Yokumaru by the shoulder to spin him around and slaps him, the sound echoing slightly in the street. "Seriously?!" She doesn't hide anger. "It'd be better if they left your mom sick and dying?!"

"Wha- NO!" He shouts back, holding his reddened cheek. "Obviously not!"

"'Cause that's basically what you said you wanted!"

"Well it's not! You guys wouldn't get it."

"Then help us get it." Shoto jumps down from the railing. "What do you gain by keeping to yourself?"

Yokumaru tightly grips his shirt. "Alright."

He leads them to a nearby park where they can sit in private, away from prying ears, and tells them what he saw and how he reacted.

He hides his face in his palms. "So now I dunno what to do."

"Oh, Yoku…" Kotori offers a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"So you've just been running and avoiding? Seriously?" Shoto admonishes his actions.

"Well, yeah! I dunno what to say…"

"Shisho talked with you about it, didn't they? So why, you know, listen to them?" The Teshin boy asks what he feels is an obvious question.

"It's not that easy. I just… choke, you know? There's so much I wanna say and I don't wanna say it the wrong way to hurt her."

"But... she's probably hurting a lot right now, 'cause you don't want to talk to her." Kotori says in a calmer, more soothing voice.

Yokumaru grumbles. "Yeah. You're right."

"Do you want us to stick around with you?" Shoto asks out of genuine concern and wanting to do what's right by his friend.

After a brief pause, Yokumaru answers. "I think I need some time alone for this."

Kotori and Shoto nods in understanding. Kotori brings him into a tight hug while Shoto offers a more distant fistbump on the chest. They both slowly make their way back home while Yokumaru stays alone.

-x-

Meanwhile, during the day, things weren't all that better at Ichiraku Ramen. Deciding to put her faith in her son, Yoi went to work as normal, trusting that Yokumaru will vent and work through things on his own until he's ready to talk. If he's not home by evening, she'll have to ask for help once again.

The entire time, she's a bit distant from Teuchi and Ayame, acting entirely professionally both behind the counter and in the kitchen. Ayame, unlike Yokumaru, knew of the budding romance but kept it between themselves until it was decided to be put out in the open. She respected their wishes and had more time to get used to everything.

She's worried about what's to come, for a number of her own reasons.

While continuing to work the counter and serving orders, she does overhear a brief part of a conversation happening in the back, where Yoi and Teuchi are talking as they prepare the meals.

Yoi keeps her distance from Teuchi and meekly says. "I think it'd be best to… take a break. Until Yokumaru feels better about this. It hasn't been that long since his father died, I don't…" She swallows deeply. "I want to do right by him. I have to."

Teuchi tentatively smiles. "Yes, of course. I understand."

"I'm sorry." In a hurry, Yoi fills a bowl of ramen and goes to place it for pick-up.

Ayame tries to pretend she hadn't heard a thing and begins cleaning an already clean glass, to appear busy.

The remainder of the work day is tense and not as cheery or loud as Ichiraku tends to be.

-x-

After work, Ayame stops by the store for some shopping before heading home. With bags full of food, she decides she needs some fresh air so takes the long way home. That leads her through a particular park she'd sometimes go to when she's not on shift at work, a place that helps her get in touch with herself.

Apparently, that's the case not only for her.

As she passes through, she sees a boy sitting on a swing on the playground, unmistakable bed of silver hair. Yokumaru.

Her mind races as to the best course of action.

On one hand, she can talk to him and maybe reach an understanding, although she's probably not a person she wants to see right now. On the other hand, she's probably the most familiar with what he's going through.

Ayame slowly approaches the sulking Yokumaru, not wanting to put him in a position he's not comfortable with. "Mind if I sit with you?"

He gives a barely identifiable shrug from his curled up position, which Ayame accepts as at least a temporary invitation. She sits on the swing next to him, staying quiet for a moment to allow her presence to sink in but also to allow herself a few extra minutes to find the right words. She's not sure she has them but she still needs to say it.

"I know it's a lot to take in. How flipped around everything feels right now. How unfair it feels. Better than you probably think."

Yokumaru stays quiet but listens as Ayame continues, watching him from the corner of her eyes for a reaction.

"When mom died, dad tried to date again. He introduced a few women he'd been seeing and I did my absolute best to make it clear I hated them and didn't want them anywhere near me. Because I didn't want anyone to take my mom's place, to erase my memories of her. Sound familiar?"

Yokumaru slightly tilts his head to actually look at her as she talks.

"My dad, bless him, eventually gave up on dating. He put his own happiness on hold just to make sure I felt in a safe and comfortable place. He never went out with anyone else, not until now when your mom started working for us." She sighs and begins casually pushing herself back and forth on the swing, only going a few centimetres. "I'll admit, looking back on it, I regret doing what I did. I've come to realize how his pain was different from mine and he needed a different way to cope from me, and I never let him. I probably made him sadder but he never let it show and looking back on it, I wish I thought more about him. Because at the end of the day, I love him and I want him to be happy. It's the same for you, isn't it?""

Yokumaru nods. "Yeah."

"You're a smart kid. Smarter than I was. So you can probably understand better than I could how important your parent's feelings are. You don't have to accept my dad if you don't want to, but let your mom be happy, too, okay?" Ayame stands up from the swing and picks up the bags she'd set to the side. "She's probably looking for you now. You should go to her, for both your sake."

As Ayame begins walking away, Yokumaru speaks up. "Do you want to have another mom?"

Ayame stops and thinks for a moment. "Even if dad starts seeing someone else, I'll still only have 1 mom."

"I see."

"YOKUMARU!" A voice calls out from the distance.

The boy whips his head to the familiar voice, only to see his mom frantically running at full speed and looking around in a panic. Teuchi is right behind her. Both looks exhausted, as if they'd been running for quite some time.

"YOKUMARU!"

After a moment, Yoi sees Yokumaru and Ayame at the playground and makes a mad dash to her son, skidding to her knees on the sand in front of him on the swing. Teuchi slows his pace and walks up to his daughter, desperate to catch his breath.

Yokumaru is speechless, unsure how to react to his mom's panicked state, or of Teuchi's presence. The man seems to have been out helping her search for him, despite how much it took out of him.

"I was so worried!" Yoi looks her son over to make sure he's alright.

"Mom... " Yokumaru becomes teary-eyed. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be, honey." She pulls him into a tight hug, caressing his hair. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Mom." He lets out in a meek voice.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk?"

Yoi smiles and kisses him on the forehead. "Always. You can talk to me about anything."

She stands up, taking him by the hands as he hops off the swing. He holds onto her hand as if his life depended on it.

"Teuchi." She addresses the man. "Thank you for being here. About earlier today..."

He raises a hand to stop her. "You don't have to say a word. Your son needs you. As a parent, there's only one thing to do."

Yoi bows. "Thank you. And thank you, Ayame, for being with him."

"Of course." The young woman smiles. "He's a good kid."

As Yoi turns to go home with her son, Yokumaru breaks away from her to go to Ayame. Without a word, he gives a very sudden and very brief hug, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Thanks." With just that, he runs back to his mom's side.

That night, he and his mom would have an in-depth conversation and fully open to each other about how they feel, and they'd become much closer for it.

Author's Note

1) Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure how to go about this chapter. I know step-families can be a source of tension that sometimes breaks apart families for life. I didn't want to just gloss over how it affects kids, but also didn't want to dwell on the negative side too much as I don't think that fits the style of a Battle Shounen. I do hope I did well enough.

2) And, yeah, I know, I made the Hyuga a dick. It just… feels right.

3) Konohamaru actually having a sibling might come out of left field since one would think something like that would be brought up over the years, his parents were also never brought up in the actual series. So I figure it can work. It was either make Genzai Konohamaru's sibling or his cousin, but we've also never been made privy to the possibility that Hiruzen had a 3rd child.