In which Yugito goes on a mission, Naruto yells at a fox, and Fuu braids hair.
O-O-O-O-O
"Yugito-san, Darui, C." A stared at each of them in turn before leaning back in his chair. "I have a mission for you three."
Yugito resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Yeah, that's why we came here. To avoid offending her leader, she instead glared at B, who stood behind the Raikage, doing some sort of dance.
"What's the mission, Raikage-sama?" C asked, prim and proper.
"I hope it's not a dull one, Boss," Darui added from C's side, his eyes focused on A.
"Are you familiar with Shiokaze Village?" the Raikage asked. Yugito and C nodded while Darui shook his head.
"Shiokaze is a small village located near our border with the Land of Hot Water," he began to explain. "It's a new village, founded by-"
"Shiokaze is a sight, the people won't bite!" B interrupted. "Prepare for the breeze, you'll want to say please! The people down there, they'll fade to thin air, you dumbass phonies!"
Yugito blinked before staring at B in surprise. Are people going missing in Shiokaze?
She shifted her gaze to her companions. Next to her, both C and Darui looked confused. C tilted his head and frowned while Darui raised an eyebrow, hands in his pockets. Yugito sighed to herself. Is it bad that I can understand what B is saying?
A groaned. Distracted, he shoved his elbow into B's side. "Who are you calling a dumbass phony!?" he shouted. "Now be quiet before I make you leave!"
"Yes, Brother," B whimpered, rubbing at his hurt stomach. Yugito sighed again, shaking her head.
"What were you saying, Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked, trying to get the conversation back on target.
"As I was saying, Shiokaze Village is located near our border with the Land of Hot Water," he explained. "It's a new settlement, only seven or eight years old. It was founded mostly by refugees from the Kirigakure civil wars and the Third Shinobi War. While a few of them returned to the Land of Water once leadership changed, most remained in Shiokaze."
"I see, Boss," Darui muttered. "Why not go back, though? The civil war ended... what? Four years ago?"
"Their lives are better in the Land of Lightning," A said. "In exchange for citizenship, they send their promising children to the Academy here in Kumogakure. A few of them have already become part of our normal shinobi forces."
"So what's the problem with people vanishing, Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked. C and Darui looked at her, eyes wide open in surprise.
"You catch on fast, Yugito-san," A complimented.
Yugito bowed her head. "Thank you, sir." Believe me, understanding what B is saying is more of a curse than a blessing.
"We received reports that a few people have gone missing under mysterious circumstances," the Raikage continued. "At first, we thought they were a string of unlucky coincidences. Shiokaze is located on a volatile coast. It's not unheard of for people, especially children, to go swimming and drown. The village is also surrounded by thick forests and even adults can get lost if they take the wrong turn."
C's frown deepened. "So it's mostly children who have gone missing?" he asked.
A nodded, face serious. Behind him, even B looked more somber than usual. Yugito bit her lip. Perhaps she had gotten too attached to the youngest jinchuuriki because she had to suppress a shiver.
"Who are the people that have vanished, Raikage-sama?" C asked. "Is there anything tying them together?"
"Yes," A answered. "Almost all of them were training to be shinobi, were retired shinobi, or came from shinobi families. To make it more suspicious, a few of them also had kekkei genkai."
"Kekkei genkai?" Darui repeated. "You mean..."
A grunted in assent, his scowl deepening as everyone in the office connected the dots. If people, especially children with kekkei genkai, were vanishing, it could only mean bad news. Who is taking them though? And why?
"Here is the list of everyone that has disappeared so far," A continued. "Your mission is to protect Shiokaze village and find the cause of these disappearances. You are to eliminate the threat." He stared at them, eyes glinting dangerously.
"Yes, sir," the three of them answered at the same time.
A grunted in approval before placing an envelope on top of his desk. "Inside, you'll find the names and descriptions of every single person that has vanished. Use it to help you track down the cause."
"When shall we leave, Raikage-sama?" Yugito asked as she took the envelope and tucked it into her pocket.
"Tomorrow morning," the Raikage answered, leaning back on his chair. "Yugito-san will be the team captain. Try to come back as soon as you can. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," they said.
A smirked in approval. "Good, in that case, you are dismissed. Good luck."
Yugito, Darui, and C bowed their heads down at their leader before turning around to leave the room. As they left, Yugito heard B pleading with his brother for permission to join them on the mission. She shook her head and groaned. The Raikage is never going to let you out of the village, B. You're too conspicuous.
With the door closed behind her, Yugito turned her attention back to her teammates. "We leave tomorrow at eight o'clock from the main village gate," she ordered. "Prepare as if we're going on an extended mission. At ease."
"Yes, Boss," C and Darui said at the same time.
Yugito hummed to herself in satisfaction. Good, they're actually listening to me. She waved goodbye before leaving the administration building and heading home for the night.
O-O-O-O-O
"Do you have everything, Kitten?" Samui asked as they walked to the main village gate holding hands.
"Yes, Samui," Yugito answered, an exasperated smile on her face.
"Weapons?"
"Yes."
"Rations?"
"Yes."
"Makeup?"
"Always."
Samui sighed and took a step closer, grabbing onto Yugito's arm. "I'm going to miss you, Kitten. How long do you think the mission will take?" she asked.
"Not sure," Yugito admitted. "I've prepared for a long-term mission, just in case." They lapsed back into silence, enjoying each other's warmth in the morning chill. Neither of them said anything until they arrived at the main gate.
"Ah, are C and Darui your teammates? They're cool," Samui said.
Yugito turned to look. As expected, C and Darui were already at the gate, present and punctual. C was saying something while Darui leaned against a gate pillar, hands in his pockets. While on first impression he seemed bored, Yugito could tell he was paying close attention to everything his friend said.
"Good morning," Yugito greeted as she separated from Samui, ready to begin the mission.
"Good morning," the two men said in return, turning their full attention to Yugito.
"Are we leaving now, Boss?" Darui asked.
"Boss?" Samui raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Since when are you 'Boss'?"
"Samui! They're being respectful," Yugito retorted. "This is our first time working together and I've been assigned as the team captain. It's not a big deal."
"Can I call you 'Boss,' then?" Samui teased as her smirk widened. "Or do you like being called 'Kitten' more? I don't mind changing what I call you.."
Yugito felt her face heat up involuntarily. She was glad Killer B was far away or she would have never lived it down.
"We need to go," she ordered, not wanting to dignify Samui's teasing. "The village is not far, but I'd like to arrive there by lunchtime."
"Of course, Captain," Darui muttered, biting his lip, eyes full of amusement.
C nodded, looking like he was holding back laughter. Yugito sighed. At least they didn't call me 'Boss' again.
Yugito turned her attention back to Samui. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Samui," she said. "Take care of Mio-chan."
"I will," Samui promised. With no hesitation, she took a step forward until her face was in front of Yugito's.
Yugito didn't miss her chance, leaning forward and placing her lips on top of Samui's. She closed her eyes, letting one hand rest behind her girlfriend's neck and another at her waist. Samui's lips parted and Yugito took the opportunity, letting their tongues meet.
After a few seconds, she pulled back reluctantly, biting Samui's lip gently as their embrace ended. "I'll see you soon, Samui."
"I'll see you in my dreams, Kitten," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Come back soon."
"I will. Don't worry about that." Yugito grinned at her girlfriend and waved farewell. With that finished, she turned to look at her teammates, face serious once again. "Well?" she asked. "Are you two ready?"
Her teammates nodded in response. With a hum of satisfaction, Yugito leaped forward, standing outside of the village limits. She began running, feeling Darui and C close behind at her heels.
"Have either of you ever been to Shiokaze Village?" she asked. They shook their heads. She hummed in deep thought. I guess that's to be expected. It's pretty new.
"Have you been to Shiokaze village before, Yugito-san?" C asked curiously. "I know you are familiar with it, but..."
"Only once, around three years ago," she answered. "It was only for resupplying, though. I remember where it's located. I'll take the lead."
"Sounds like a plan," C said. At his side, Darui nodded. Yugito smiled, satisfied to have respectful teammates for once. Last time, they practically threw a coup when I gave them orders.
Mostly in silence, they left Kumogakure behind as they traveled South. As Yugito had planned, they arrived at the outskirts of the village in the early afternoon.
They entered the village and walked down the main street. Looking around, Yugito could see how the first disappearances had been mistaken for freak accidents. Shiokaze was in a dangerous location: partially hidden and protected by tall cliffs. She saw a lot of small, new buildings built close to the water, strong waves crashing against the coast. On the opposite side of the ocean was a vast and lush forest, trees taller than they had any right to be. She could see how a person, especially a child, would get disoriented and die or get lost forever.
"We'll look for the Village Leader first," Yugito ordered. "They should have more useful information that we can use. I remember the village hall is that way." She pointed to a large building close to the coast.
Her subordinates nodded and together they began to walk down the streets of Shiokaze. They passed very few people on the way. The ones they saw traveled in groups and kept their heads down. A couple of villagers were brave enough to stare at them but none said anything.
"This is a dull welcome," Darui muttered, a worried frown on his face.
C nodded his agreement. "I guess they're paranoid about the disappearances. It's not just children who have gone missing, after all."
"It wasn't like this before," Yugito added with a frown. She remembered Shiokaze from the past. Despite being founded by refugees, the people had been friendly and welcoming. They had showered her with open smiles when she entered and waved goodbye when she left. She had seen children playing in the streets, largely unsupervised.
They arrived at the community hall, crossing the entirety of the village in a few minutes. Yugito knocked on the door.
"Come in," an exhausted voice answered.
Yugito didn't waste any time. She slid the door open and walked in, C and Darui close behind her. Inside the room was an older-looking man sweeping the floor. His hair was long and grey except for the top of his head, which was completely bald. He held himself with exhausted dignity. The man looked at Yugito, C, and Darui at the entrance before beckoning them to move closer.
"Good afternoon," he greeted, staring at their hitai-ate with curiosity.
"Good afternoon, sir," she began. "The Raikage has sent us. He told us there have been some... disappearances recently."
At that, the man's eyes widened in excitement and his back straightened. "Really? You have come to help?" he asked, voice pleading.
"We have, sir," C answered. "My name is C. This is our captain Yugito and this is Darui. How may we be of help?"
The old man sighed, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He seemed to consider C's words. "It's a bit of a sad story," he answered. "Come. We can talk in my office. It's more comfortable there. I'll tell you everything you need to know."
O-O-O-O-O
"If the fox tries anything weird, run away at once, Naruto-kun," Roshi ordered, his voice full of worry. "I'd rather you never become a shinobi than learn the fox did something to you."
"Don't do anything that the Kyuubi orders you to do, either," Han added. "If he asks you to take off a seal or release it, run away as fast as possible."
"If he starts bothering you, stand up to him and call him a 'fucking asshole,'" Yagura ended. It was a testament to how worried Roshi was that he didn't bother to correct Yagura's language.
Naruto gulped and grunted his assent, overwhelmed with advice.
The more he talked to the three older jinchuuriki, the more he second-guessed himself. But earlier that day, he had gone to the dock to remind Sasuke to tend to his wounds again. To his dismay, the ball of fire had been much larger than from the day before. I can't keep up with Sasuke if I can't even use chakra!
"Are you really, truly sure about this, Naruto-kun?" Roshi asked again, his eyes full of worry.
Naruto nodded, not sure if he was trying to reassure himself or Roshi more. "I'm sure! I'll make the dumb fox back off if it's the last thing I do, ya know?"
His words seemed to have no effect on the others and they only looked more nervous than before. Roshi bit his lip while Han crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sandwiched between the two, Yagura looked relaxed, but his clenched jaw betrayed his nervousness.
"I want you to run away if the fox so much as tries to get you to do something," Roshi ordered. "You can always go back and talk to it later, Naruto-kun."
"I'll be fine, Mama!" Naruto said with another nod. "I already know what to look out for!"
Roshi's frown did not disappear. "I know, but... still, Naruto... be safe."
Grinning, Naruto wrapped his arms around Roshi's waist. He hadn't felt the need to hug him in years, but he wanted his reassurance. He heard Roshi sigh before returning the hug, wrapping his arms around Naruto.
"Stay safe, Naruto," Han added, moving to stand closer and placing his hand on top of Naruto's head.
"What he said," Yagura muttered, squeezing his shoulder.
Naruto grinned. "It's gonna be okay, ya know!" With that, he disappeared from the Room, the three older jinchuuriki still staring at him in worry.
A second later, he reappeared in a large tunnel that looked like a sewer, standing in very shallow water. He blinked. Why is my mind a sewer? Fuu nee-chan said hers looked like her school!
Nervous, he wrapped his arms across his chest in a hug. He swallowed before starting to walk down the tunnel toward what he felt was a source of chakra. Just gotta remember what Yagura-san said... Follow my instincts...
It didn't take long for him to reach the end, a barred door blocking his progress. He approached it and made as if to push it open, but it swung wide before he had even touched it. He blinked. Well, that's weird.
Naruto breathed, deep and slow, as his eyes adjusted to the lower levels of light. To his relief, while it was dark, he could make out vague shadows with the thin glow that seemed to come from nowhere. He gulped before taking a step inside.
At once, a wave of malice and killing intent washed over him. Naruto shuddered, his knees feeling like they had turned into liquid. He bit his tongue to push himself to take one more step. The hatred only intensified, and he had to force himself to keep walking. As he crept closer, the sense of evil only grew, and each step became more and more difficult. Still, it did not take long to reach the end.
He stared up at a prison wall, each bar almost as thick as Han. He gulped. What kind of monster is the Kyuubi?
"H-hello?" he managed to stutter, feeling smaller than he ever had before in his life.
"What are you doing here?"
Despite preparing himself, Naruto jumped, falling down onto the wet ground out of shock. He began trying to scramble away before he remembered why he had come. He forced himself to stop with a gulp. I can't chicken out now!
"H-hi," he said again, keeping his eyes focused on the water and away from the monster. "M-my name is Naruto. Are you... Kurama-san?"
"I know your name boy," the same malevolent voice answered, sounding annoyed. "And don't you dare say my magnificent name with your filthy mouth! Now, for the final time, what are you doing here?"
Naruto swallowed to keep himself from screaming. He tried to look up at the bijuu that was talking, but he could not tear his eyes away from the ground. He gulped and exhaled slowly, balling his hands into fists. I have to do this.
"What did you do to my chakra?" Naruto asked, managing not to stutter. "I can't use it, ya know!" Despite his strong words, he still could not manage to look up at the bijuu in front of him.
At that, the Kyuubi burst into laughter, cruel and wicked. Naruto shuddered. What's so funny?
"You really think I can affect you chakra how I want from here, brat?" the Kyuubi asked. "I guess you're even stupider than you look."
"I'm not stupid," Naruto mumbled.
"What was that, brat? Speak up!"
"I'm not stupid!" Naruto managed to sit up, anger helping push away some of the fear coursing throughout his body. Despite it, he could not force himself to look up at the bijuu behind bars.
The Kyuubi growled. "You must be if you're speaking with me," he said.
Naruto shook his head and bit his lip, unsure how to respond. He wanted to defend himself, but his tongue refused to move and he could only focus on the wet ground around him.
The Kyuubi chuckled, sounding almost amused. "You have a lot of nerve even trying to talk to me. But since you're here... look up at me, brat."
Naruto felt his body freeze at the order. Numbly, he shook his head. He didn't know why, but he knew nothing good would come out of looking up.
"Look up!" the Kyuubi ordered again, angrier and more insistent than the last time.
Naruto flinched. He gulped and clenched his hands into fists, trying to stop his body from shaking, but he could not. Slowly, his eyes drifted away from the ground toward the bars keeping the bijuu separated. He gasped when he saw a vague silhouette sitting behind the prison. Nevertheless, he forced his eyes to continue trailing up toward what he assumed was the bijuu's face.
Naruto felt his insides turn to water. In front of him, red eyes full of hate and malice glared down at him, mocking him and his entire existence. The Kyuubi was taller than he had thought possible, bigger than a lot of the buildings in Konoha. He wanted to cry and scream at the sight, but his body was frozen in fear.
"Do you see it?" the Kyuubi asked, showing off its long fangs as it leaned forward, one pupil taller than Naruto.
Naruto heard its words, but he couldn't understand anything. Panicked, he began crawling away.
"Do you see it!?" the Kyuubi repeated his question, angrier than before.
Naruto stopped, the bijuu's words managing to get through his head. See what?
Naruto forced himself to look back at the bars that separated him from the Kyuubi. He gulped before turning his face to look up at the bijuu once more. "W-what is it?" he managed to stutter out. "I don't see nothing!"
Behind the bars, the Kyuubi rolled his eyes. Annoyed, he pointed to a small piece of paper that Naruto realized kept the cage closed. "What do you see, brat?" the fox asked.
"I... I don't..." Naruto squinted, trying to see what the Kyuubi was pointing to, but he couldn't make it out from a distance.
The Kyuubi rolled his eyes again. "It's the seal, you stupid brat," he growled. "As long as that seal is intact, it's not possible for my consciousness and will to leave this space, let alone affect your chakra. Yet, anyway."
Naruto froze as he thought through the implications. "W-wait, if you're not affecting my chakra, then how come I can't do the Leaf Concentration Exercise!?"
The beast scoffed. "How am I supposed to know? Now leave. My prison is contaminated enough without you in it."
Before Naruto had a chance to respond, he felt a strong gust of wind pushing him back. Powerless, it carried him away out of the Kyuubi's room.
Naruto didn't have time to protest before he woke up in his own room.
He shouted, sitting up in bed, panting. He shuddered and tried to suppress the tears that were threatening to come out. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to get his frantic breath to return to normal. I should've listened to Mama and Papa. That was pointless. I didn't even learn anything.
Despite his earlier vow, his breath cracked and a sob escaped his lips. Naruto wiped away the tears, feeling his heart beating so fast it felt like it could burst out of his chest. He swallowed one last time as he forced himself to stop crying, wiping his forearm across his face.
Slightly calmer, he looked around his bedroom, reassured by the familiarity. The same posters and decorations were still hanging on the walls. The streetlights outside illuminated his room in a soft glow. Near the window, his houseplant stood silent, a protector and friend. Naruto sighed in relief. It's all normal.
He lay down in bed again, feeling his heart beginning to slow down and his breathing going back to normal. As he did, however, he noticed a new problem. He blushed, embarrassed with himself.
Annoyed, he stood up and began to strip the bed of the wet sheets. I'm just happy I didn't stay with Sasuke tonight. I would've never heard the end of it.
O-O-O-O-O
Fuu was starting to get worried about Naruto.
For the past week or so, Naruto had been out of sorts, only nodding along to everything she said. While unusual, he had only seemed distracted and pensive, not wanting to talk much. She had assumed he was struggling with something in school and left it at that.
But he wasn't this upset yesterday. She peered at Naruto over her sketchbook, biting her lip. He looked on the edge of tears, lying with his stomach on the floor. Earlier, she had asked if anything was wrong but he had only shaken his head, insisting he was fine.
His silence was starting to worry her and there were no other people she could ask for help. Fuu had hoped for someone to arrive, but every other jinchuuriki was too busy to join them.
"So, Naruto-kun, is anything wrong?" she asked for what felt like the millionth time, pasting a grin on her face.
Naruto shook his head. He refused to look up as he doodled something in his sketchbook. It looked like a misshapen blob. Fuu bit her lip again, increasingly worried. Naruto is never upset for this long!
"You know, I'm getting tired of drawing," she lied. "Why don't we do something else?"
"Okay," Naruto mumbled, placing his art supplies down. A second later, his sketchbook and pencil disappeared. Fuu's concern deepened as she stared at him being so uncharacteristic. She allowed her supplies to disappear as well.
"Hey, come closer," she ordered. "Let me do your hair!"
"My hair?" To her relief, Naruto reacted to that, frowning in confusion.
She nodded, her grin widening. "Yeah! Mariko-sensei is having me practice with doing hair," she explained. "I want to see what I can do, especially with short hair."
Naruto frowned at her before shrugging, sitting up cross-legged on the floor. Glad, Fuu moved to sit behind him with a mischievous grin on her face. She forced the Room to summon a collection of hair styling supplies.
"I think it's a little easier to practice on another person," she said as she began to comb through Naruto's hair. "Takumi-sensei let me practice on him, but he looked like he wanted to cry when I finished! I think it's because I kept pulling at his hair. Tell me if I start pulling, too, okay?"
"Okay." Naruto didn't react. Fuu frowned to herself. What's gotten into him?
"Anyway, do you want to hear about some of the training I've been doing?" she continued. She grabbed a small lock of Naruto's hair and began to braid it, sticking her tongue out in concentration.
"Sure."
Fuu grimaced at his uncharacteristic apathy before tying the end of the braid. "So I've been practicing the Four-Tailed jinchuuriki transformation, right? I was finally able to get the clone jutsu done correctly while still in the form! It's pretty hard to do and I still have to keep practicing! But I think if I keep going, I'll master it soon enough. Chomei thinks-"
At those words, she heard a sob emanating from Naruto. Fuu froze, her comb in the middle of the air. She put it on the floor before pulling Naruto into a hug. Naruto tensed for a second before returning the gesture. She tightened her hug, feeling his tears drip down his face and onto her shoulders.
Fuu bit her lip again. She couldn't remember the last time Naruto had cried in front of her. I think he was five the last time I saw him like this.
She held onto him, saying nothing as he allowed Naruto, her little brother, to get the tears out of his system.
After a while, Naruto's sobbing ended, but he kept his arms wrapped loosely around Fuu. She planted a kiss on his forehead. At that, Naruto shifted, sitting cross-legged at her side and placing his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around him, pulling him close.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, looking down at him.
She saw Naruto biting his lip before answering. "I'm stupid," he whispered. His eyes began to water again but he wiped his face with his forearm before the tears could fall.
"Huh? Stupid? What do you mean? Did someone say anything to you!?" Fuu asked, indignant for Naruto's sake. "Was it... Sasuke?" She felt a sudden desire to hunt down the other boy. I thought he was Naruto-kun's friend!
Naruto shook his head. "I can't figure out the Leaf Concentration Exercise," he explained, refusing to meet her eyes. "Everyone else in my class already knows how to do it, ya know."
"Leaf Concentration... You mean that thing where you use your chakra to stick a leaf to your face? Are you still having trouble with it?"
Naruto snorted. "I'm not having trouble. I just can't do it! I talked to the Kyuubi, but-"
"You talked to the Kyuubi!?" Fuu's jaw dropped. "But Chomei says the Kyuubi is the most annoying of all their siblings! Except for maybe Shukaku! Why did you talk to him!?"
Naruto shook his head and shrugged. "I thought he was doing something to my chakra. Like what the Ichibi does with Gaara, ya know. But it turns out my seal stops him. Also, he... um..." At that, his face reddened and he looked down at his knees.
"So what happened when you talked to the Kyuubi?" she asked. "Did he say anything important?"
"He just said he didn't wanna see me. And then he told me the seal stopped him from getting out and... uh... something about how he couldn't affect my chakra and his will. Then he kicked me out and I woke up."
Upon finishing the explanation, he burrowed closer to Fuu's side. She tightened her hold on him. "So the Kyuubi isn't messing with your chakra, then?"
Naruto shook his head.
Fuu hummed to herself in deep thought before asking the next question. "So how do you try doing the Leaf Concentration Exercise? Maybe I can help?" Fuu bit her lip. She was only a genin and a rookie one at that. She wasn't sure what insight she could give Naruto. But I can at least try!
Naruto hesitated, presumably wondering how Fuu could help when the older jinchuuriki could not. Shrugging, he seemed to decide there was no harm in talking.
"So, like, I feel my chakra and concentrate it in my stomach," he began. Fuu nodded. "Then I move it all to my forehead and place the leaf on it. I can feel the chakra, ya know, but I don't know why it doesn't get the leaf to stick to my face! I mean, I have chakra, so what's the deal?"
"Wait, all?" Fuu's heart began beating harder inside her chest. She wondered if Naruto's problem was the same as what hers had been trying to use the Initial Jinchuuriki form.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, all."
"Why are you trying to use up all your chakra to stick a leaf to your head?"
"What do you mean why?" Naruto stared up at her in confusion. "Isn't that how you're supposed to do it?"
Fuu shook her head "No, I think I know what your problem is, Naruto-kun."
"What!?" Naruto looked up incredulously at her, his eyes widening in surprise.
"You're using all your chakra for a simple task!" Fuu explained. "What you have to do is take only a tiny portion for the exercise. That's the only way to do it without overcharging and forcing the chakra to disperse in order not to overload your body."
"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head, confused with her explanation.
Fuu sighed. "Think of it like this. How much does a leaf weigh?"
Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a few grams?"
"And how much do you think Papa weighs?"
"Maybe one thousand kilos?" Naruto stared at her, trying to see what she was getting at.
Fuu shrugged. She didn't know how much Han weighed and she had no idea what to guess. "Yeah! Now, let's say you wanted to lift him up. How much energy and effort do you think you would need to do that?"
"I don't know, a lot?"
"And how much effort would it take to pick up a leaf?"
"Almost nothing?" Naruto looked quizzically at her. She could tell he was wondering where she was going with the metaphor.
Fuu nodded and grinned. "If that's the case, why would you use the same amount of effort to pick up a leaf as you would use to pick up Papa?"
At that, Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He screamed, finally understanding the problem. "Wait... have I just been using too much chakra this entire time!?"
Fuu smiled. "I'm not certain, but I think so. That was the problem I had when I first began learning how to do the jinchuuriki transformations. I was using way more chakra than I needed for small things!"
"So I just need to use less chakra?"
Fuu nodded. "It's sort of hard to do though," she admitted. "It feels kinda like trying to fit an ocean into a kitchen sink. But that's the only way to do it without overcharging your body and making the technique fail."
"Oh! I see!" Naruto grinned up at her, his earlier mood disappearing in an instant. "You mean I need to watch how much chakra I use for each technique?"
"Yeah! I think so!"
They traded grins. With the gloom from earlier gone, Naruto laughed and talked as normal, allowing Fuu to style his hair. She let out a sigh of relief as she practiced her braiding. Good, Naruto is back to normal.
O-O-O-O-O
"Hey, jerk!"
Sasuke turned around, seeing Naruto running toward him with a grin. The day before, the other boy had looked on the edge of tears the entire day. It had been disconcerting and Sasuke had been unable to concentrate on training. Seeing him smiling and grinning as usual sent a wave of relief coursing through him. He wasn't going to say anything about it, though.
"What is it, loser?" he asked, smirking at him. "No longer moping around?"
Naruto giggled, ignoring Sasuke's words effortlessly.
"I finally learned how to do the Leaf Concentration Exercise!" he announced, raising a fist up in the air. His eyes seemed to shine in happiness as he joined Sasuke's side at the edge of the dock.
"Oh, uh... finally," Sasuke muttered. Congratulations.
Naruto rolled his eyes at that but his mood did not waver. "Yeah! I finally figured out what the problem was, ya know!"
"What was it?" Sasuke asked curiously.
Naruto giggled again, fidgeting in excitement. "I was just using too much chakra!" he explained, still grinning. "I thought this entire time you needed to use all your chakra for the technique, but it turns out you only need a little!"
"A little?" Sasuke titled his head to the side. "Do you have that much chakra already?"
Naruto shrugged. "I guess? Anyway, watch this!" With that, he took a leaf out of his pocket and placed it on his forehead. For the first time ever, it remained on his face, refusing to fall down. Naruto's grin widened and he began to bounce in excitement.
"Not bad," Sasuke conceded, crossing his arms and nodding his head.
"Thanks!" Naruto scratched the back of his neck bashfully.
"You didn't put glue on it, loser?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.
Naruto huffed. "Shut up, jerk! It's my chakra! Gimme your own leaf if you wanna be sure!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I believe you." He turned back to look out at the water with a sigh. He was getting close to figuring out how to do the Great Fireball Jutsu, but it was still not enough. Not good enough to show Father at least.
"Anyway, so how's your training going?" Naruto asked. To Sasuke's surprise, the leaf had stayed on his forehead, held up by chakra.
"Fine," he muttered. "It's almost finished."
"Makes sense, I guess. Are you sure you're using the correct amount of chakra, though?" Naruto asked.
"What do you mean?"
Naruto shrugged. "I mean, it turns out I couldn't do the Leaf Concentration Exercise cause I was using too much chakra. Maybe you're using too much or not enough?"
Sasuke paused to consider. He hadn't really thought much about the quantity he was using to do the jutsu. Maybe the idiot is actually onto something...
Sasuke hummed to himself. Seeing his determination, Naruto stepped back, going back to stand on dry land. Sasuke took that as his cue to try again. He moved through the hand signs, focused his chakra in his throat, and blew out.
It worked. The ball of fire was larger than anything he had created before. It was the same size as his father's from when he had tried teaching him the technique a week earlier.
The fire dissipated and Sasuke took a step back, amazed by his own progress. His eyes widened and he cheered, almost forgetting Naruto was there to see.
"Yes! I did it!" he shouted, running toward Naruto. He almost made to hug him before pausing a few feet away. Wait! I can't make him think I actually like him!
Naruto didn't have the same worry because he leaped toward Sasuke in a congratulatory hug. "Yeah, Sasuke! Congrats!"
"Thanks, loser," Sasuke replied without venom. "Now let me go," he ordered, pushing him away. "I have to get Father and show him I figured it out."
"Yeah, yeah." Naruto rolled his eyes as he let Sasuke go. "Go get Uchiha-san."
Sasuke stuck his tongue out before running back toward his house. Naruto replied by crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out as well. Sasuke turned his head away, not wanting Naruto to see his smile. He would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed Naruto's company more than anyone else's.
"Mom, where's Father?" Sasuke asked, running into the kitchen first.
His mother was at the low table, calculating the clan finances in her spreadsheets. She peered at him kindly before answering. "I saw him a while ago," she said. "He was skulking around the garden. Oh, and please tell Naruto-kun about dinner tonight! I'm making katsudon."
"Sure! Thanks, Mom!" Sasuke thanked her before running out in search of his father. He found him a few seconds later, sitting on the deck and sharpening kunai.
"Father!" he shouted, panting with excitement and effort.
"Sasuke, what is it?" His father did not pause in his work, sharpening his weapons while looking in Sasuke's direction.
"I know the Great Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke announced, barely restraining himself from bouncing on the tips of his toes. "Watch me do it one more time, Father."
His father sighed and shook his head. "Sasuke, it's too soon for you to-"
"I can!" Sasuke interrupted, scowling at his father. "I think I've gotten the hang of it. I want you to see it, Father."
The man paused to consider his words, studying his face for some reason. With a sigh, he placed the kunai on the deck and stood up, brushing non-existent dirt from his clothes. "Fine. If you say."
With a smile, Sasuke and his father walked in silence back to the dock where he had been practicing for the past week. Unsurprisingly, Naruto was still there, looking out at the water with a leaf glued on his face. He waved when he saw Sasuke and his father walking closer. Sasuke ignored him as he ran to the edge of the dock.
He exhaled slowly to calm himself before trying the jutsu. He did the hand signs, gathered chakra in his throat, and expelled it. To his relief, the jutsu was still perfect, the same size as his father's.
When he finished, he panted in a combination of relief and exhaustion before turning to look at his father. The man stared at him, eyes wide. Sasuke bit his tongue to suppress the grin that was threatening to come out.
However, instead of praising him, his father turned around and began walking away, abandoning Sasuke on the dock. In an instant, Sasuke felt tears beginning to build behind his eyes. He bit the inside of his cheek and looked down at the wooden planks.
Before he left, however, the man stopped, his back still turned to Sasuke.
"That's my boy," he said.
Sasuke looked up at his father, his eyes widening in amazement. Did he say...
"Good job," he continued, his back still turned to him. "From now on, keep striving to improve yourself. Remember the proud symbol on your back."
Sasuke smiled to himself, visualizing the Uchiha clan symbol embroidered on his shirt. "Yes, Father," he answered cheerfully, his smile widening. He finally recognizes me...
"And one more thing..." Sasuke titled his head to the side as his father turned to meet his eyes. "Don't try to be your brother anymore."
With that said, his father walked away, leaving Sasuke standing alone on the dock, frowning. He bit his lip as he tried to think of a reason for his father's words. Don't try to be like my brother anymore? Why? Is that why Father and Itachi don't talk to each other anymore?
He didn't have much time to ponder his father's words before Naruto joined his side. He looked just as confused as Sasuke. "Why doesn't he want you to be like your brother?" he asked. "I thought Itachi was, like, the strongest one in your clan?"
Sasuke bit his lip and looked away. "I'm not sure. I think..." he swallowed, the confession at the tip of his tongue. "I think Dad and Itachi don't like each other anymore."
Naruto gasped. "What!? That's weird. Aren't parents, like, forced to like their kids?"
Sasuke shrugged, looking back at Naruto. "I don't know," he confessed. "I just know they don't get along anymore. Itachi's been acting kind of weird, too." And with what happened to Shisui... Everyone's saying Itachi did it...
Naruto shuffled his feet, hesitating before placing a comforting hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke startled at the sudden touch but did not push Naruto away. He stared at him, a frown on his face.
"I'm sure it's gonna be okay, Sasuke," Naruto said, grinning brightly. "Families fight and get upset all the time, right? It's all gonna be fine!"
Sasuke nodded, slightly reassured. He smiled at Naruto before collapsing, lying down on the dock and looking up at the sky. He let out a sigh. "I'm exhausted," he admitted. "I don't think I can move anymore."
Naruto stared down at him, resting on the wooden dock. He giggled before lying down nearby, looking up at the sky with him in silence. Sasuke sighed, wishing he had enough energy left to push Naruto into the water.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Naruto also considered pushing Sasuke into the water, just so everyone knows.
Also, what's this? Chapter out a day early? I just don't have much to do right now, okay? If you still use Tumblr, my account is waffledogwrites.
Next chapter: unexpected meetups.