In which Naruto buys tomatoes and international resolutions are made.
Note: I published extra Naruto and Sasuke scenes in the companion story "Two Doors to the Right." More details at the end.
O-O-O-O-O
After turning in his empty exam booklet, Naruto had gone back to the hospital. Ever since then, he and Sasuke had not been apart from each other for long.
The day after the exam, on the first day of summer vacation, the Hokage had come to take Sasuke to his new apartment. There, Naruto had helped arrange everything: moving furniture and unpacking Sasuke's belongings. After that, Naruto had taken Sasuke to Ichiraku Ramen to eat, although neither had been especially cheerful.
While Sasuke was adjusting well to living alone, Naruto could tell he was trying to put on a brave face. Sometimes, the other boy would switch from being happy one moment to trying to run away the next. He would stare off into space, often for minutes at a time, without moving or saying anything. Other times, he would forget whatever Naruto had just told him or what he had just done.
A few times, he had caught Sasuke crying to himself. It was at those moments when Naruto couldn't pretend anymore and he cried alongside him. Every day was easier, but there was little Naruto could do to make it better except stay with him.
Sasuke had yet to complain about Naruto at his side. He guessed Sasuke welcomed having someone who could remember the Uchiha family. After all, it always made him happy to hear the other jinchuuriki talking about his mother.
Still, the loss of the Uchiha clan wasn't the same for Naruto. As much as he missed them, they weren't his parents and he had known them for barely a year. Yet, Naruto was grieving for them by Sasuke's side. The other boy seemed to appreciate the company at the very least. He has barely called me a loser in the last week.
They had been so engrossed in their mutual grief that when Naruto woke up and saw the date, he struggled to remember why it was so important.
Sasuke was still sleeping, his back turned to him and the sun only beginning to rise. Naruto squinted at the small calendar sitting atop the bedside table. Based on the dates already crossed out, it was July 23rd. Sasuke's birthday.
"Fuck," Naruto whispered, borrowing the word Yagura used that made Roshi angriest. He sat up, feeling his stomach turning over itself in panic. It's Sasuke's birthday and neither of us noticed!
He stared in alarm down at the sleeping boy next to him, gnawing on his thumbnail. While it was not the time to celebrate, Naruto knew that if he did nothing, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He gulped, his frantic mind trying to figure out what he had to do.
He still had some money left from the beginning of the month and the Hokage would drop off more when August began. He didn't have much to waste, but with it, he could buy Sasuke a cake and a present. What do I get him, though?
Staring at the slumbering Sasuke, he mulled over the question, biting his thumb. His first instinct was to buy weapons, but that would be expensive and Sasuke already had the best kunai and shuriken in the class. A book might have worked, but it was boring and Naruto wasn't sure what Sasuke would like anyway. Clothes would give him the same result. He thought of candy or snacks, but other than tomatoes, Sasuke didn't have strong preferences and he hated sweet things.
He started to pull at his hair, annoyed with himself. How did I forget Sasuke's birthday!? I can't just let it pass! On my birthday, he was actually nice to me!
With a sigh, he pulled his knees up to his chest as he thought of options for how to celebrate. He looked around the bedroom, searching for inspiration. Within two days, they had unpacked everything, finding places for all of Sasuke's belongings. Still, the room was too big and too empty and the walls were barren except for a couple of posters.
Not like my room. I put the pictures Auntie gave me up on the...
An idea struck and Naruto smirked to himself. He suppressed giggles, not wanting to wake up Sasuke by accident. He left the bed, doing his daily routine and getting breakfast started as he waited for the other boy to wake up.
O-O-O-O-O
Sasuke either didn't see the date or he had the best poker face in the world. In any case, when Naruto told him that he needed to return to his apartment to do chores, Sasuke had only nodded. Relieved, Naruto left Sasuke alone at the apartment, separating for the first time since the last day of school.
He ran to his apartment first- he did have chores and Gaara would never forgive him if he let the plants die. Immediately after that, however, he sprinted to the Uchiha district, his feet pounding the familiar path there.
Some minutes later, Naruto stood in front of the gate, panting in exhaustion and nursing a stitch on his side. He looked around first, trying to see if there was anyone nearby to stop him. To his relief, he only saw the yellow police tape blocking the way in. He gulped before taking small steps closer.
Even Sasuke isn't supposed to be here. He forced himself to take a deep breath in and out as he hesitated in front of the yellow tape, a frown on his face. They might have promised the Hokage to stay away, but Sasuke's birthday was more important.
With no more hesitation, Naruto slipped underneath the barrier and looked around, already overwhelmed.
There were no people around. The shops were closed. His nose caught a hint of iron in the air and he forced down the bile that was building in his throat. It was deathly quiet; even the wind sounded muted and the sky looked grayer. He swallowed again and began to walk.
With no people, the sound of his footsteps was magnified until it echoed in the empty streets. The smell of blood only intensified as he walked further in. On closer inspection, he started to see signs of fighting: overturned furniture, ripped flags, burned walls, and-
Is that... blood?
Naruto looked away. Fists clenched, he walked faster, keeping his eyes trained purposefully on the ground. A few minutes later, he arrived at Sasuke's house, his heart beating faster than it ever had before. With the main door in front of him, he took a shaky breath out in relief. Finally.
"I'm here!" he called out automatically as he opened the unlocked door. For a second, he almost expected Sasuke's mother or father to reply but the house was silent, as if it too was mourning. He swallowed again, looking around at the empty hallway.
He breathed in and held his breath as he took off his shoes at the entrance, afraid to take another step inside. Regret threatened to overpower him. Standing in the empty house where Sasuke's parents had been murdered... I should have come here with Sasuke.
But Naruto had no more options. He was already there. Still holding his breath, he took a step down the hall, making the wood flooring creak at the shift in weight. In the empty house, the sound was deafening. He froze, the beating of his heart drowning out all other thoughts in his head. This was a mistake! I should...
However, before Naruto could turn around, a glint of reflected glass on a picture frame gave him pause. He had caught glimpses of it before but he had never gotten a good look at the picture contained within.
In the photograph, Sasuke and his mother were smiling at the camera, her hands on Sasuke's shoulders. His father had his arms crossed in front of his chest, a frown on his face. Yet, the man stood close to his wife and son, as protective as Naruto remembered him. On the corner, Itachi stood apart, a somber look on his face, distant.
Itachi never wanted to be close to them, did he?
Naruto exhaled, forcing down his fear and trepidation. He had a mission to complete for Sasuke's sake if nothing else. With a gulp, he continued down the hall and toward the living area.
Except for the eerie silence and the thin layer of dust that had accumulated, the room looked the same as usual. He almost expected Sasuke or his parents to come inside and talk to him.
Or even... The thought of Sasuke's older brother made his stomach turn over itself in disgust. He clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. Naruto had already made his promise to Sasuke and he was never going back on that.
Before getting angrier, Naruto walked toward a small bookcase. After developing the pictures of Naruto's birthday, Sasuke's mother had shown him where she kept all of her family photo albums. Since then, they had sometimes looked through the pictures together, cooing over how cute Sasuke looked as a baby, much to the other boy's annoyance.
Naruto grimaced to himself before taking a random album from the shelf and opening it. He was greeted with a picture of Sasuke's parents on their wedding day.
Despite everything that had happened, Naruto smiled. While the two were standing apart, as was appropriate for being out in public, they both looked happy to be together. It was a perfect picture to return to Sasuke. Naruto peeled back the protective plastic film and took out the photograph. He put it to the side as he flipped to the next page.
A picture of a young and serious Itachi greeted him. Furious, Naruto took the photo out. He began to rip it in half before reconsidering. With Sasuke as the last Uchiha, he was the only one that could make a decision about the fate of Itachi's image.
Naruto groaned, bit his tongue, and placed the picture of Itachi back where he had found it. Sasuke could decide what to do with it later. He continued flipping through.
It took him a long time to go through the entire collection. Every time he saw a picture of Itachi, his heart contracted in pain and fury. However, he couldn't do anything without Sasuke's permission so he ignored the older boy's face as best as he could. As he went, he took out any and all pictures of Sasuke's family, checking and double-checking that Itachi was not in any of them.
As he searched, Naruto marveled at how well Sasuke's mother had organized everything. Every single photograph had the names of the subjects written on the back in her neat handwriting. Many also contained a date or extra information. It made it easier to filter out pictures with Itachi on them.
When he finished going through the first album, he worked on the next one and then the next one. While the first one had mostly contained pictures of Sasuke and Itachi, the others told different stories.
He smiled when he saw a picture of a tiny boy pouting at the camera, labeled with the name of Sasuke's father. In another, Sasuke's mother was standing rigidly in front of people labeled as her parents. He saw other people that he assumed were Sasuke's grandparents and the rest of his extended family.
An image of a stupid-looking boy standing with two teammates and a blond teacher gave him pause. The man looked familiar in a way he couldn't put his finger on. He turned the picture over, expecting to find their names. Instead, it was labeled as 'Obito-kun and his team.' The label explained nothing else.
Naruto put the picture in the pile as a gift to Sasuke with a shrug. Maybe Sasuke knows who they are.
With that, he continued taking the rest of the pictures out, adding them one by one to his increasingly larger collection. He wished Sasuke or his parents were around to explain some of them. There were so many people he wondered if it was possible to memorize all of them.
Naruto opened the last album, glad that his task was almost done. He wasn't sure how many more times he could see images of the Uchiha family without simultaneously wanting to cry and laugh.
The last album seemed to chronicle Sasuke's mother and her time as a shinobi. Naruto saw pictures of her team- the labels on pictures of two boys and an older man made their relationship clear. He wondered what had happened to them. She had never talked about her teammates to him before. I guess her team died, too.
Frowning, Naruto took out all the pictures with Sasuke's mother, leaving the ones with only her teammates. Sasuke could decide what to do with them later on. He didn't stop until he caught a picture of Sasuke's mother sitting next to a girl with long hair. Long, straight, red hair.
The girl's face was bright, round, and tanned, a grin threatening to split her face in half. She looked only a year or two older than Fuu while Sasuke's mother looked even older, almost an adult. They were leaning against a training post, their arms wrapped around each other in a hug. Both of the girls were smiling at whoever was taking the picture, looking young and carefree.
His hands began to shake and he frantically peeled back the plastic cover and took out the picture. Everything about the red-headed girl matched what the jinchuuriki had told him. Everything. Long red hair and a round face. Beautiful and cheerful. Always smiling. He held his breath in disbelief as he flipped the picture over, looking for the expected label. He froze when he read the name. Mikoto and Kushina.
Naruto's vision clouded over as tears began to build in his eyes. This is... my mom? Did Auntie know my mom!?
Naruto rubbed his forearm over his eyes to clear away the tears. He pulled the picture closer to his face, wanting to memorize every detail. The girl- his mother?- looked even more beautiful than he had imagined. Her face was bright and happy and she stared up at the older girl with adoration and love. She was tall for her age and gangly, with hints of the great beauty Fuu and Roshi always described her as. So this is what she looked like?
He stared at the photo, mesmerized, until his stomach rumbled in hunger. With a startle, he looked outside. Based on the position of the sun, he could tell he had spent longer than expected at Sasuke's home.
Panicked, Naruto ran to the kitchen and took a large, empty bento box, storing the pictures of the Uchiha family inside. He paused as he looked at the last picture. He knew he should add it to the rest with Sasuke's family but he couldn't. Biting his lip, he closed the lid on the box that would be Sasuke's present. He placed the last picture with his mother tenderly inside his own pocket.
He shoved the last album back on the shelf and ran outside. As he sprinted back to Sasuke's apartment, he wondered if he would ever know why Sasuke's mother had never talked about his mother.
O-O-O-O-O
What's taking Naruto so long?
Sasuke stared out the balcony from his bed, a frown on his face. When Naruto had told him he needed to do some chores back at his apartment, Sasuke had shrugged and told him to leave. He had not expected Naruto to take so long. Sasuke would never admit it out loud, but he was starting to get lonely in his empty apartment.
It was also a few hours past noon and he was starving. He would have already eaten, but Naruto had promised to be back by lunch. Just get back already, Naruto!
Sasuke was beginning to lose against the temptation to raid the fridge when he heard loud pounding on the door that could only belong to Naruto.
"Sasuke!" Naruto's familiar voice shouted from outside. "Open the door! I'm back! Oh... sorry!"
Sasuke sighed. He guessed he was apologizing to someone outside for shouting. He left his bed and opened the door. Naruto stood there, face red as he panted in exhaustion. He held a large bento box in one hand and a bag full of groceries in the other.
"Sorry it took so long!" Naruto apologized while scratching the back of his neck as he stepped inside and kicked off his shoes. "It took way longer than I thought it would, ya know."
"It's fine," Sasuke grumbled, forcing his face to remain neutral. "Though I wasn't sure how much longer you were going to take. I was starting to get hungry."
"Yeah, I bet!" Naruto grinned as they walked to the kitchen together, placing his things on the table. They began to put away everything Naruto had brought into the fridge and cupboards.
"So what took you so long anyway, loser?" Sasuke asked as he placed a bag of tomatoes inside the fridge.
For some reason, Naruto's face reddened and he looked away from Sasuke. He fidgeted and Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Oh... um... hey, Sasuke, go sit over there!" Naruto pointed to an empty chair at the dining table.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why?"
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Just do it, jerk!
Sasuke sighed as he complied with Naruto's request. It was easier than trying to get a reason out of him.
"Now, close your eyes!"
Sasuke frowned. "But, why?"
"Stop asking questions and just do it!"
Sasuke sighed and covered his eyes with the palms of his hands. The faster he listened to Naruto, the faster they could go and get lunch. He heard Naruto moving things around, including the mysterious box he had arrived with. He also heard the sound of the fridge opening and closing as Naruto took something out.
"Okay, open your eyes!"
Sasuke pulled his hands away from his face. In front of him was a tomato with a lit candle stuck on top of it. Next to it was the bento box from earlier. He stared at the display in front of him in confusion before looking up to meet Naruto's eyes.
"What's this?"
Naruto groaned in exasperation as he sat down on the chair in front of Sasuke. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back on the chair as he glared. "It's your birthday, jerk! I thought we should celebrate even with-" He gulped and looked away, his obvious statement unfinished.
Sasuke's eyes widened, taken aback. Birthday? It's my birthday? He looked at the tomato in front of him and the box once more. It was an obvious gift prepared at the last minute. Still, it was more than he had expected to get.
"I wanted to buy a cake, but since you don't really like sweets, I didn't wanna waste my money, ya know," Naruto began to ramble. "I got you tomatoes since you like 'em. I would have made onigiri but I didn't have time for that. It already took a long time to prepare your gift. You can open it whenever you want! You should blow out the candle before the wax gets on the tomato, though."
Sasuke blinked, overwhelmed with the effort Naruto had gone through considering everything. He looked between Naruto and the gifts in front of him, unsure of what to say. With his words failing him, he blew out the candle for something to do.
Naruto giggled. "So what did you wish for, anyway?"
Wish? Sasuke's face felt hotter as he realized he had forgotten to make a wish. "It's none of your business," he grumbled as he took the candle out of the tomato. He would go to his grave before telling Naruto the truth.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Naruto rolled his eyes again as he pushed the box under Sasuke's nose. In an instant, his expression grew somber and he refused to meet Sasuke's eyes. "I didn't buy you anything," he admitted. "But... I thought you would like this. I didn't buy frames but we can do that after we get lunch."
Frames? Curious, Sasuke frowned at Naruto before taking the lid off of the box. He froze when he was greeted by a picture of his mother holding a younger version of himself in her arms, his father kneeling next to them.
"I-is this-?"
Naruto nodded, face still somber. "Yeah. I... didn't know what else to get. I have a lot of pictures hanging in the walls of my apartment already, ya know. I thought you could do the same thing."
Sasuke nodded, lost for words. Hands shaking, he began to rifle through the collection held inside. He saw his parents at all stages of life, sometimes with Sasuke, sometimes together, sometimes alone. There were pictures of his more remote family members as well, some of whom he had never met. No Itachi, though.
"Th-thank you, Naruto." Sasuke felt tears beginning to build in his eyes but he pushed them back. He had cried more than enough in Naruto's presence already and the other boy cried in sympathy every time.
"You're welcome," Naruto mumbled, a sad smile on his face. "It took longer than I thought to get them. And I was worried the Hokage would come in and kick me out any second, ya know. Since we promised we wouldn't go there until-"
Sasuke grunted, cutting Naruto off. He began to flip through the rest of the pictures, trying to memorize every single one of them. Naruto said nothing else as he did so, watching as Sasuke processed the gift he had never thought he wanted. There were more photos than he had believed possible, but his mother had labeled each of them with a name and sometimes with a short description.
He smiled to himself as he sorted through them. Mom is so organized.
"Hey, Sasuke, do you want to go get lunch now?" Naruto interrupted.
Sasuke nodded, unable to say anything else. "Sure," he mumbled, his throat feeling strangely choked. "Where do you want to go?"
"Ichiraku Ramen?" Naruto suggested in a hopeful tone.
Sasuke nodded in agreement as he put the lid back on the box and stood up. He did not have a lot of preferences in regard to food, but even he had to admit that the ramen there was delicious.
O-O-O-O-O
"Harusame-sensei, do you know what this meeting is about?" Utakata asked as they walked inside the rarely-used village conference room.
Harusame turned to him with a secretive smile. "Don't worry, Utakata-kun. You'll know soon enough."
With an annoyed sigh, Utakata followed behind his master. He sat down near the back next to Harusame with a bored yawn, turning to him with a raised eyebrow. His master had been going on top-secret missions for the past year and already knew what the Mizukage would announce. However, he had refused to tell Utakata anything. While he doubted it would affect his life much, Utakata was still curious. We don't get called over to these kinds of meetings often.
While they waited for everyone else to enter, Utakata looked around. The room they were in was large enough to accommodate not only the jounin of Kirigakure but also most of the chuunin. It had sat unused ever since Mei Terumi had taken charge, unneeded at the end of the civil war. Any meeting that called upon the presence of so many high-ranking shinobi could only be for a major announcement. If it weren't for Harusame's cheer, Utakata might have thought Kirigakure was headed into yet another war.
On the front stage, Mei Terumi stood in front of a podium, a kind yet proud gleam in her eye as she waited for the rest of the shinobi to trickle in. A short distance away, the Mizukage's usual guards, Ao, Ameyuri, and Zabuza, watched her every move. In every corner was a masked ANBU agent, including- his stomach turned over itself- Yagura's wife.
While the Mizukage stood at the front, the rest of the shinobi were spread throughout the room. Most had found a seat while a few others leaned against the walls stubbornly instead. Utakata rolled his eyes at the display. Like sitting down is going to make you look weak.
"Thank you very much for coming," Mei Terumi began after all the Kirigakure shinobi had settled in. Immediately, everyone turned their attention to the front.
Utakata scanned the faces of the shinobi in the crowd. While most looked simply curious, a few, mostly old veterans, sneered when she spoke.
"As you can imagine, I have a very important announcement to make," she continued, ignoring the few frowns in the room. "I don't suppose many of you know why I have gathered you all here today?"
Next to him, Harusame's calm facade transformed into a smug smirk. At a few points around the rest of the room, he saw others that also seemed to be in on the Mizukage's secret. Utakata sighed. Just get on with it. I promised Kimimaro I would train with him after the meeting and I don't want to disappoint him.
"Now, I don't want to keep you here for long so I will make my announcement in one sentence." She paused for dramatic effect, sweeping her gaze across the room. "As of today, Kirigakure and Konohagakure are officially diplomatic and military allies!"
Chaos erupted at that announcement as a cacophony of voices shouted over each other. While most sounded positive or cautiously optimistic, the loudest people were full of resentment and fury instead.
Utakata shifted in his seat, nervous despite himself. He was not foolish enough to believe that everyone was happy with Mei Terumi's leadership. It wasn't too long ago that the graduation exams had been abolished and even less since the civil war ended. The Mizukage retained her position not because of overwhelming popular support but through her power and skill. While the younger generation liked her, there was a sizable and vocal minority that questioned her every move.
"How the fuck is that supposed to work!?" an older-looking shinobi clearly from the Hoshigaki clan shouted above the rest. He lunged forward, tall and menacing, a hand inching closer to the weapons pouch on his thigh.
Unruffled, Mei turned to the man, a smirk on her lips. "Oh, what do you mean, Yosuke-kun?"
"How the fuck are we supposed to work with that village!?" the man, Yosuke, continued, baring his pointed teeth. "We can't trust anyone there! How many of us did the bastards kill?"
"An alliance with Konohagakure will make us weak and complacent!" a different man added, joining Yosuke's side.
Utakata was unsurprised to hear murmurs of agreement spread throughout the room. He sighed as he settled into his seat and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The meeting was going to take longer than he had anticipated.
The Mizukage looked down at the men with an expression full of scorn on her face. "Are you saying Kirigakure is so weak we would be unable to defend ourselves if necessary? Because that's what it sounds like to me, Katsuo-kun, Yosuke-kun."
At that, the first man's face turned a shade of pink, combining strikingly against his bluish skin. "It will leave us vulnerable!" he argued. "That's how peace treaties always work. They force us to make concessions and then they attack!"
Before the Mizukage had a chance to reply, Ameyuri shoved her out of the way to stand at the podium. Mei Terumi moved with only a small sigh and a fond smile.
"Do you think Mei-chan is stupid enough to give us shitty terms?" the redhead shouted, standing on her tiptoes to glare at the gathered shinobi over the podium. "Why do you think we haven't gotten one before? You think we were sitting on our asses!? We struggled to get a fucking good set of terms and a fucker like you is not gonna ruin that!"
"Shut the fuck up and listen to what your leader has to say," Zabuza added. He joined the Mizukage's other side, sandwiching Mei Terumi in the middle. Unlike with Ameyuri, the swordsman cast an imposing figure- tall with murder in his eye. The man was the reason why the graduation tradition had ended and no one was ever going to forget that.
Now annoyed, the Mizukage glared in exasperation at the two swordsmen at her sides.
"The terms we have been given are more than adequate." Ao joined the group next, somehow managing to shove the three other shinobi out of the way.
At Ao's endorsement, the muttering subsided as everyone settled down once more. Utakata could understand why. Ao was a direct link to Kirigakure's past and the most traditional of Mei Terumi's inner circle. While the Fifth Mizukage was unpopular with the older generation, Ao enjoyed high approval ratings with most of the village.
At the last interruption, Mei pushed the three of them away, leaving her alone at the podium once more. She glared over her shoulder at her retainers. Contrite, they took polite steps back as she brushed the bangs out of her face. Content that no one else would interrupt, Mei Terumi turned her attention back to her captive audience. Utakata sighed again. Are they children or the most powerful shinobi of our country?
"An alliance would expand our client base and also provide backup for if a foreign attack did come to pass," she continued, unruffled. "Or are you saying you doubt our strength to repel the Land of Fire if the need arises?"
At the comment, some of the shinobi shifted in their places but said nothing else. Utakata raised an eyebrow, impressed. Questioning a Kirigakure shinobi's ability was the most surefire way to get under their skin.
The Mizukage cleared her throat. "Well, if all of these initial objections are done, why don't I explain the exact terms and conditions of our agreement." Murmurings of assent spread throughout the room, although there was some residual resentment. "First, I would like to talk about our alliance terms in regards to military strength. Konoha has promised-"
Before Mei Terumi could explain more, the same Hoshigaki man from earlier interrupted with a furious shout. A chorus of dissent followed his outburst and the room broke into chaos once more. Despite the discord, Mei Terumi remained unphased, too resilient to break her composure. She began to explain the specific points of the alliance unflinchingly.
Utakata groaned as he settled in for a very long morning. He sent out a mental apology to Kimimaro, hoping he wouldn't be upset about missing out on training for the day.
O-O-O-O-O
When the meeting finally ended, it had grown dark outside. By the end, there had been countless interruptions, a few hundred death threats, eight fistfights, and at least two attempted murders. However, no one had died, possibly making it the most peaceful gathering in Kirigakure history. Everyone began to trickle out of the room, as satisfied as they could ever be.
Utakata stood up, stretching his arms above his head to relieve some of the tension after a full day of sitting. He had sat through the meeting in mute exasperation, watching Mei Terumi at her best. Throughout the assembly, she had shut down all insurrection, remaining perfectly calm and composed all the while.
He was turning to leave when Harusame pulled him back by the sleeve. "Wait, Utakata-kun. The Mizukage wishes to speak to you."
Utakata groaned but followed his master's instructions. He felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of Kimimaro waiting for them alone at Harusame's compound. I'll swing by the store and buy him some yogurt as an apology, he promised himself.
Tapping his foot, Utakata waited as the rest of the shinobi left, Harusame at his side. Most, like him, seemed cautiously optimistic about the change of events. Meanwhile, the true fanatics were as angry and frustrated as they had been at the beginning of the day. However, Utakata doubted anything Mei Terumi said would ever change their minds.
With an empty stomach and a sore body from sitting all day, Utakata approached the Mizukage. Despite the hours spent speaking and explaining herself, her composure was intact. She stood tall and proud, talking to Zabuza, not a hair out of place.
Utakata walked toward her, bowing his head down when her gaze turned to him. "Harusame-sensei told me you wished to speak with me, Mizukage-sama." Please make it quick. I'm starving.
"Ah, yes, Utakata-kun. Just the person I wanted to see." Utakata lifted his head up to find her smiling up at him. "This won't take long, come and sit with me. I've been standing all day."
"Of course, Mizukage-sama." Together they sat at the edge of the stage.
"It's about our agreement in regards to the chuunin exams," she began. "Do you remember what I said about them?"
Utakata wondered if 'I didn't pay attention' would be good to say to someone who had spent hours speaking. "I'm not sure which specific point you mean, Mizukage-sama," he decided to answer instead.
She sighed and stretched her legs out in front of her. "We will be sending one of our genin teams as a show of good faith to Konoha to participate in the next chuunin exams. We hope to use that as a proxy for war."
"I see." Utakata nodded. Sending a genin team to Konohagakure would show Kirigakure could open its borders and trust its allies.
"Of course, then the question becomes which team or teams we should send," the Mizukage continued.
Utakata forced his face to remain impassive although her insinuations were obvious. "Why would our team be chosen over others?" he asked before she could nominate him. "Wouldn't an older and more experienced team be more likely to showcase Kirigakure's strengths?"
"I believe your team is more than experienced enough," she countered. "You have completed a lot of C-ranked missions and I only hear good things from Zabuza-kun and Anzu-san. A lot of satisfied customers, too. I have agreed to an alliance with Konoha, but there is still a need to scare them. What do you think potential clients would say if they saw a group of children doing better than their peers?"
"That could boost the number of missions we get," Utakata admitted. "It could intimidate the other nations if they were to see young children at the finals."
"We also need to show the world that Kirigakure is stronger than it ever has been," she continued. "The days of the Bloody Mist are over."
"I understand." Utakata nodded his agreement. The days of the past could never be forgotten but a better future could be made.
"I only have one question before I make my final decision to send Team Utakata to Konoha," the Mizukage said.
"What is it, Mizukage-sama?"
"Do you think they will be able to advance to the final stage?" She turned her face to him, a demanding glint in her eye.
Utakata shrugged. "I think so. But of course, nothing is-"
"Let me rephrase the question," the Mizukage interrupted, her face becoming stern. "Do you believe in your students enough that you think they will advance to the final stage and win?"
Utakata blinked, momentarily taken aback. The Mizukage's gaze was severe and expectant as she waited for Utakata's guarantee of his students' success. He thought back on their progress and their ability to cooperate as one unit. They had near-perfect teamwork, covering each other's weak points and accentuating their strengths. Despite still being very young, there was only one answer Utakata could give.
"I know they're ready," he said, meeting the Mizukage's eyes directly.
The Mizukage let out a relieved sigh and she nodded. "Well, the current exam already started in early July, so it's now too late to join." She smiled at him again. "Though of course, I imagine you would want some time to train and prepare anyway."
"I do," Utakata admitted.
"The Third Hokage has told me the next set of exams will take place in early January," she continued. "I will not send an official declaration until mid-December. You have until then to make any preparations and to change your mind if necessary."
"I believe they're more than ready, but it's best to be over-prepared," Utakata answered. "I need to tell them about the opportunity as well. I doubt any of them will say no, but I need to make sure they all want to participate first."
"Of course!" The Mizukage grinned at him. "I do have some teams that could go in their place if necessary."
Utakata bowed his head down. "Thank you, Mizukage-sama. If by any chance I find our team is not ready to represent Kirigakure, I will tell you in advance." That's not going to happen, though.
"Thank you very much, Utakata-kun." Her grin widened and she nodded politely in his direction. "Now, I think I've kept you long enough. You are dismissed."
Utakata bowed his head down one last time and headed to where Harusame was waiting at the door. Together, they left for home, but not before stopping by the store first to get snacks for Kimimaro.
O-O-O-O-O
"Good evening, Kimimaro-kun," Harusame said as he stepped inside, setting the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.
"Good evening, Harusame-sensei," the boy answered, nodding his head politely as he helped the older man with the groceries. He turned toward Utakata next, a disappointed frown on his face as his tone grew cold. "Utakata-sensei."
"Good evening, Kimimaro," Utakata greeted with a smile. "I'm sorry we made you wait so long. And that I missed our training session."
"It's fine," Kimimaro muttered as he placed some vegetables inside the fridge. Despite his words, his frown betrayed his frustration and annoyance with Utakata. He closed the refrigerator door with more force than necessary.
Utakata winced as he stepped closer to the boy, holding out a bag for him. "It really couldn't be helped, Kimimaro," he began. "I brought you some yogurt. I hope I can make it up to you later."
Kimimaro's shoulders relaxed marginally but the frown on his face remained. "Why did the meeting take so long, sensei?"
Utakata hummed to himself. "I wish I could tell you now, Kimimaro. You'll have to wait until we have a team meeting to find out." He gave Kimimaro what he hoped was an apologetic look.
Kimimaro's frown deepened. "But why? Why can't you tell me now, sensei?"
"I just can't," Utakata replied with a tired sigh. "I will explain everything when Kasumi and Haku are here. It concerns them, too. It wouldn't be fair to them if I told only you first."
At that, Kimimaro's face transformed into what could best be described as a pout. It was strange to see on his normally stoic face. "I understand, sensei," he said in a tone that revealed to Utakata that he didn't understand at all.
Utakata placed one hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Kimimaro. I promise I'll tell you everything soon. Can you forgive me?"
At that, Kimimaro nodded, but the pout remained. Utakata suppressed a chuckle. It was the first time he had seen Kimimaro upset with him before and it was strangely cute.
"We'll have a team meeting tomorrow morning and I'll explain everything then, all right?" Utakata reiterated, one hand still on Kimimaro's shoulder. He handed over the bag with the boy's favorite food.
Kimimaro nodded again, still looking upset, as he accepted the apology gift. That time, Utakata couldn't hold back a snort of amusement at the look on his face. A year later and he's finally no longer afraid to show me how he really feels.
"Well, if you two boys are done, I'd like some help with dinner," Harusame interrupted as he washed vegetables in the sink.
"Of course, sensei," Utakata replied as he began to take out mixing bowls from the cupboard. "What are we making?"
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. 2020 is a difficult year for everyone, I think.
IMPORTANT-ISH: I published another chapter for "Two Doors to the Right"! Summary: In which Naruto and Sasuke get used to their new lives. It takes place time-line wise exactly in the middle between this chapter and the last one.
I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. I'm also on Discord if you wanna add me.
Next chapter: flowers for everyone.