In which Yagura gets roasted.

O-O-O-O-O

Sitting with Yagura at the pachinko machines, Han monitored their target from the corner of his eye.

Tsunade yelled a few obscenities before stomping away in a huff. A pretty woman with short black hair and holding a pet pig groaned before following after her.

Han shifted in his seat, not paying attention to the game in front of him. His stomach twisted over itself in a vaguely uncomfortable way. They really weren't exaggerating about her... assets.

Trying to push his Yagura-like thoughts away and focus on the mission, he bit his tongue. They needed to get close to Tsunade and he couldn't allow his hormones to get in the way. Calmer, he stood up with Yagura and followed the two women at a safe distance behind.

"Let's play roulette instead!" the blonde woman yelled. "These pachinko machines are rigged anyway."

Exasperated, her young companion trailed after her. "Please, Tsunade-sama. We just made some money from the last job!"

Despite the young woman's pleas, the blonde continued on a beeline toward a different part of the casino. Han and Yagura trailed close after them.

"I'm feeling lucky tonight!" The blonde woman wandered toward a table playing what Han assumed was roulette. She plopped herself down at an empty stool. "Hey! Boy! Deal me in!"

Even from a distance, Han thought he saw something in the dealer's eyes glitter in victory. "Of course, miss. We have a ten ryo minimum."

Tsunade huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Good enough for me. What are the stakes?"

"Medium rare." Yagura sat at the empty stool next to Tsunade. "Although we might order something rawer if you prefer." He threw the woman a smirk as he placed a small collection of casino chips on the table.

The blonde woman snorted at Yagura's pun but she seemed amused by his attitude. "I'd like my luck well-done," Tsunade answered. "Too rare and my assistant will get mad at me."

Yagura laughed. "What a waste of luck. Isn't it more fun for luck to be at least a bit raw?"

The man and the woman exchanged grins. Behind the blonde, the young woman hid her face in the neck of her pet pig and sighed.

Standing behind Yagura as a guard, Han resisted the urge to cry along with her. I guess sooner or later we'd find someone who'd like Yagura's jokes.

The dark-haired woman behind Tsunade sighed, looking at the edge of tears. "Please, Tsunade-sama. We should head back to the hotel."

The blonde woman spared her assistant a glance before shrugging and digging into her pockets for her own chips. "I'm just going to play a few rounds. We'll be back in our room before midnight," she declared.

It was clear to Han that she didn't believe her own words. The dark-haired young woman sighed before pulling a stool toward the table. She sat resigned, hugging her pet pig closer to her.

Han could relate.

Not wanting to blow his cover, Han forced himself to stand still and stare off into the distance. At the table, the dealer began to set up the roulette wheel.

"So who are you, anyway?" the blonde woman asked. She waved over one of the waiters and grabbed a bottle of sake. "I don't think I've seen you around before." She took a deep, long gulp of her drink before letting out a satisfied sigh. "I've met all the regulars at Tanzaku Quarters by now."

"Name's Kaito," Yagura said. "This is my bodyguard, Han."

Han nodded before looking down at the woman. He got ready to give a curt introduction of himself but his focus was pulled away by the amazing sight in front of his eyes. The necklace she wore around her neck only made it worse. Flustered, he looked away and stared at the wall.

Tsunade snorted. "Like what you see, big boy?" Han could see her smirk in his mind's eye. "You're more respectful than most, at least."

Han wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. "My name is Han," he forced himself to say, still keeping his gaze turned away from the woman.

The woman laughed, loud and boisterous. "Well, it's nice to meet you. My name is Tsunade and this is my assistant, Shizune."

Han swallowed before turning to look down again, forcing his traitorous eyes to focus on the woman's eyes instead. "It's very nice to meet you, too."

To Han's relief, the woman did not seem bothered by his actions and she grinned instead. "Why don't you join us, Han?" she asked. "I'm sure your boss wouldn't mind, would he?"

Yagura shook his head. "I wouldn't." He tilted his head to the side and smirked. "In fact, why don't I invite my cousin over? The more the merrier."

"Roshi?" Han sat down next to Yagura before looking around the room. "He should be around here. He was wandering around last I checked."

Yagura shrugged. "I'm sure he'll turn up." He turned his attention back to Tsunade, a smile on his face.

"Tsunade-sama..." the dark-haired woman's, Shizune's, objections brought Han's attention toward her. "Why don't we return to the hotel? It's not too late to end this now."

Tsunade waved her objections away. "We'll be fine, Shizune. Besides..." she returned Yagura's smirk. "I think I like this guy. Something about him is giving me lucky vibes." Her smirk widened. "So what do you say? Wanna see who wins more rounds? Loser pays for drinks."

Yagura smirked back. "You're on."

Sitting next to Yagura, Han felt a shiver run up and down his body. He did not want to see Yagura and Tsunade's ill luck collide. Desperate, Han glanced around the room one more time, searching for Roshi to come and end the charade.

"So what are you gonna bet on, Han?" Yagura dug an elbow into the side of his armor. "Odds, evens, red, black? Or wanna go all in and bet on a specific number?"

Han sighed, resigned to lose. Well, as long as we can get close to Tsunade, losing some of our money might be worth it.

"Odds," he sighed, praying for Roshi to join them soon. He was sure the other man would put an end to their game.

O-O-O-O-O

Roshi's presence did nothing as his warnings went in one ear and out the other. Tsunade and Yagura were simply too immersed in their bets to listen to Roshi's pleas.

Besides, after getting a few drinks and commiserating with Shizune, he had ended up joining them anyway. Now, the three of them sat with the two women, half drunk as they gambled away what remained of their savings.

"I can't believe there's someone unluckier than Tsunade-sama," the dark-haired woman mumbled to herself. "No one's ever as unlucky as Tsunade-sama."

Han studied the woman as she sipped from a small bottle of sake. After a few hours of play, she had joined in on the revelry, drinking and placing a few of her own bets. While not as unlucky, her winnings were slim.

Shizune examined her cards— a ten and a five— before tapping two fingers on the table for another. A four appeared, giving her a total of nineteen points.

"I can't believe Kaito is so unlucky," Roshi mumbled. He examined his cards— a jack and a five— before folding. "I've yet to see him win against anyone."

Tsunade laughed, her face flushed with alcohol. "I guess I can consider this man my lucky token, then!" she shouted before taking a long gulp of sake. "I haven't won against anyone so many times before." She tapped the counter for another card. A three appeared, giving her a total of twenty with her king and seven.

She laughed again, harder than before. "And would you look at that? Victory is on my hands." She smirked at Yagura. "I guess I'm doing better with my lucky token at my side."

Han snorted. "I wish he was a lucky token for us, too." Like Roshi, he folded, not wanting to risk his modest winnings with Tsunade already the likely champion.

At his side, Yagura glared at Han before huffing at Tsunade. "You gotta take risks at times," he said. He tapped his fingers on the counter. He lost at once when the Queen made his new total twenty-two.

"Fuck." Yagura pounded the table, although not hard enough to break it.

Tsunade cackled as she collected her winnings, pulling the casino chips closer to her. Next to her, Shizune seemed amazed at the win, her eyes glistening with happy tears.

"We should play each other more often," Tsunade declared as she shoved the chips into her pockets. "Shizune might actually get off my back if I end up winning with my lucky token at my side." She snickered to herself.

Yagura scowled. "Whatever. Next time, you'll be the loser," he declared. "You just caught me on an off day."

Han resisted the urge to sigh. Is every day an off day for you then, Yagura?

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in disbelief, the same smirk on her face. "Well, I guess I should at least thank you for making me a winner for once," she said. "Let's get some dinner."

"I think it would be closer to breakfast now," Roshi mumbled, gulping down the last drops of sake. "The sun has risen and everything."

"Huh, I guess it has." Tsunade glared at the light of dawn shining through the windows before standing up and stretching her arms over her head. "Anyway, as thanks, let me treat you three to breakfast," she said. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun."

"You mean the last time you actually won," Shizune mumbled, hugging her pet pig close to her.

Tsunade ignored her with ease.

Han's heart began beating faster inside his chest. Finally, we can talk without Yagura getting distracted by stupid games.

"Sure." Yagura stood up with a sigh, pressing his thumbs against his temples at the incoming headache. "Although I guess I should pay off our tab first?"

Tsunade's smirk grew wider. "Yeah, I guess you should."

Yagura groaned again and headed toward the cashier to pay. In the meantime, the two women cashed their winnings, Tsunade gloating the entire time.

With their payments settled, Han, Roshi, and Yagura followed after the two women as they left the casino. Blinking in the light of a new day, they headed toward a street stand selling fried noodles.

Swaying side to side, Tsunade sat down at the counter. "Hey! Boss!" she shouted. "We're ready to order!"

"Coming right up!" Busy serving another group, the cook spared them a brief glance. "One second, miss!"

"Take your time," Tsunade mumbled before turning to the other four companions with a frown. "Well? Sit down! I'm starving!"

"Yakisoba? Could you have chosen anything cheaper?" Yagura whined, following Tsunade's instructions anyway.

Roshi slapped the back of Yagura's head, making the shorter man turn to him with a betrayed glare. "Don't be ungrateful, Kaito," he scolded. "Do we need to give you basic etiquette lessons?"

Tsunade snorted. "Yakisoba is the best after a drunken night out," she argued. "Also, should you be giving a gift horse in the mouth?"

Han shook his head and sat down next to Yagura with a sigh. "You will hear no complaints from me."

"How can I serve you, Miss?" The chef returned, wiping his hands on a towel that had seen better days.

"Five orders of yakisoba, please!" Tsunade answered with a wide grin. "Though you might want to make one extra large," she used a thumb to point at Han. "This guy looks too big to be satisfied with anything small."

Yagura snorted, grinning up at Han. Han forced himself not to cover his face with his hand. I think Yagura has met his match.

"Anyway, we should get to know each other." The blonde leaned her elbows on the counter, resting her head on her palm and grinning. "It's not often that I meet such unlucky people. At least, no one as unlucky as me."

Yagura crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What do you want to know?"

The woman shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever you want to say."

Yagura pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not sure where to begin."

"I guess we should start with the obvious." Shizune leaned on the counter, studying the three men with a suspicious glint. "What do you three do for a living?"

"What do you think we do?" Yagura asked, turning to the younger woman with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"You're shinobi." Tsunade poured out tea for all of them. "It's obvious from first look. Though I would bet on you being retired. I mean, look at that arm." She glanced at Yagura's injured arm before serving cups of tea out for everyone. She passed the drinks down the counter before taking a sip from her own cup.

At Han's side, Roshi frowned, his eyes focused on Tsunade. "If you knew we were shinobi, why didn't you say anything? We could've been sent to assassinate or capture you."

Tsunade shrugged. "Curiosity," she admitted before taking a long gulp from her cup of tea. "I'm tough enough to defend myself so assassination isn't a concern. Besides, most of the time people want something that only I can give them. It's pretty annoying to be honest." She licked her lips before turning her attention back to Yagura. "Although usually their company isn't as nice as yours, my little lucky token."

Yagura bristled at the nickname but said nothing.

On Tsunade's other side, Shizune sighed. "So what do you three want with my master?" she asked. "Might as well just accept or reject whatever favor you're asking for now instead of dragging it out for way too long."

Guess we can't plead ignorance anymore.

"We're not affiliated to any village," Han said. "We've come to ask for a favor."

Tsunade snorted and rolled her eyes. "Why's that not a surprise?" she mumbled to herself. "Everyone always wants something from me. What do you want? For me to heal your hand?" She glared at Yagura with a raised eyebrow. "Or maybe you want me to heal some back pain? Or make you feel young again? Problems in the bedroom? I'm sure I can help."

She ended her questioning and took a long gulp of tea, her eyes focused on the counter.

Han felt guilt bury itself into his stomach and he shifted in his seat. How often did people visit her just to talk? Did she have any close friends or confidantes other than her assistant?

"We're missing-nin," Han confessed. "And we're searching for—"

But before Han could explain the situation, a plate full of steaming hot fried noodles was placed under his nose. Distracted, tipsy, and starving, he stared at the meal on the counter.

Noodles fried with pork belly and vegetables in a dark sauce made him salivate at the sight. The aroma emanating from the dish was one of the most enticing things he had ever smelled.

In a trance, he separated his chopsticks and began to eat. The first taste made him moan in delight. The noodles were greasy, salty, and fattening- the perfect meal after a night of drinking.

Mission forgotten, he shoveled fried noodles into his mouth. At his sides, his companions did the same, barely breathing as they chewed on their breakfast.

"These noodles are great," Yagura mumbled through a mouth full of food.

"Swallow before talking!" Roshi scolded.

Yagura rolled his eyes and finished chewing. "Yes, Daddy."

"Stop calling me that!" Roshi whined.

Next to Yagura, Tsunade snorted, taking another bite of noodles and swallowing. "Well, glad you appreciate the meal," she began with a smile before her expression turned serious. "But now, I guess we need to talk business. I'll at least pretend to consider your request before I reject it. It's the least I can do." She washed down her noodles with a gulp of tea.

Roshi sighed. "It really is a request that only you might be able to grant," he said. "You see, we're trying to track down Orochimaru."

At the name, the woman froze, her chopsticks in the middle of the air. At Tsunade's side, her assistant turned her eyes from Tsunade to the men and back again. She placed her chopsticks down to watch the exchange.

Han, Roshi, and Yagura waited. A moment later, the blonde put her chopsticks down on the table with a sigh.

"Orochimaru?" Tsunade crossed her arms in front of her chest, turning to glare at Yagura. "Why are you searching for Orochimaru?"

"Money," Yagura answered without hesitation. "Do you know what the payout would be if we turned in Orochimaru?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I can imagine. But Orochimaru is not someone you can mess with. He's—"

"We know," Roshi interrupted. "He... we have already fought him. That's the reason why we need a favor. Our last brawl ended, charitably, in a draw. Which is why we decided to seek you out. If there's anyone who knows how to defeat him, it's you."

Tsunade huffed. "Me, huh?" She turned her gaze down at the plate of noodles in front of her. Her smile was gone, eyes full of a strange and raw anger. Or perhaps grief? Failure?

Uncomfortable, Han shifted in his seat.

To his relief, the expression lasted for only a second and her eyes became full of impatient annoyance again.

"What the hell do you expect me to do, anyway?" Tsunade took a long gulp of tea. "I haven't been to Konoha in years and I haven't seen Orochimaru in the same amount of time. What do you think I could offer you?"

"You two were on the same team for decades," Yagura explained. "If anyone knows how he fights and what his weaknesses are, it's you."

"Even if I did, why should I share them with you?" Tsunade took another long gulp of tea. "In case you hadn't noticed, there's nothing to encourage me to reveal my secrets."

Yagura frowned, unsure how to retort, before taking another bite of noodles.

"Do you want us to tell you what Orochimaru has been doing recently?" Roshi's voice became heated and he slammed a hand down on the counter. "Do you know what he has done? Is Orochimaru really the one you want to protect? He's been experimenting on children!"

Tsunade grimaced but did not immediately answer. "I think I can imagine." She looked down to stare at the counter. "Orochimaru was never particularly interested in... morality."

She cleared her throat. "Still, he was a friend. And..." she swallowed. "And I'm not sure how much help I can give you three anyway. It's been years since I saw him and even longer since we fought side by side. Any information I give you would be outdated at best."

Yagura hummed. "I see." Despite his neutral tone, Han could hear the disappointment in his voice.

They grew silent, no one moving or eating. The only sounds came from the world outside the stall.

Tsunade snapped out of her trance first. She sighed and picked her chopsticks back up, placing a bite of noodles in her mouth. With that, the spell was broken and they all returned their attention to their meals.

"I'm not going to help you chase down Orochimaru," the blonde said before washing down her noodles with some tea. "But..." she turned to stare at the three men in the eye one by one. "But I'm not going to stop you either."

She hummed to herself. "If you really want to know more, find Jiraiya. He'll know more about Orochimaru's current whereabouts than I do. Just be warned. He's even harder to track down than I am. Search for reports of perverts though and you might be able to pin him down."

"Thank you." Han bowed his head down before taking a sip of tea. "I'm glad you were able to help us on our mission."

Tsunade snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'm just returning the favor after all the winnings this little lucky token got me."

"Little?" Yagura pouted at the word but said nothing else. He suppressed his annoyance by eating more noodles.

Next to Tsunade, the dark-haired woman giggled before taking a bite of her own meal. "Thank you for not leaving us destitute," she said, eyes full of sincerity.

"You say that like it happens often," Tsunade complained.

"Because it does happen often, Tsunade-sama," the woman mumbled, mouth half-full of noodles.

Tsunade ignored her assistant again. "Anyway, how long are you three going to stay in Tanzaku Quarters?"

Roshi sighed and shook his head. "We were just going to stay and talk to you," he confessed. "We want to—"

"Let's have a rematch!" Before Roshi could explain their plans, Yagura interrupted, pointing a finger at the blonde woman. "Let's play again! There's no way you'll win next time!"

Tsunade smirked. "Are you sure about that, my little lucky token?"

"Oh, I most certainly am." Yagura matched her smirk with one of his own. "And when you lose, be ready to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness."

"Ooh, men usually aren't so straightforward," Tsunade teased. "But if you insist, little guy."

Yagura's face became flushed in embarrassment but he did not relent. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Not wanting to get involved in whatever challenge was going on, Han turned his attention to Roshi and Shizune.

"I think we will head back to our hotel room to rest after this," Han said to the young woman. "We're planning to leave tomorrow after lunch. Would you like to meet for dinner tonight or breakfast tomorrow before we depart?"

The young woman turned toward Han, cheeks flushed from the remains of alcohol. "Dinner would be lovely," she said with a tender smile.

Han fought off a blush and nodded. It's not just Tsunade who's lovely, is it?

O-O-O-O-O

Wide awake for once, Utakata stood behind the Hokage's shoulder.

He glanced at the old man from the corner of his eye. He stood in front of the main gate, hands behind his back, staring at the main road into Konoha. He was surrounded by other Konohagakure shinobi, most hiding their faces behind ANBU masks. Like the Hokage, the other shinobi watched the road as they waited for the Kirigakure delegation to arrive.

Utakata glanced at his students next. Without needing to be told, they had understood the importance of the momentous event. Like the Hokage and his guards, they stood unmoving, staring down the road and saying nothing.

Utakata resisted the urge to fidget. They had been waiting for almost an hour at that point and he was starting to get hungry. The Fifth Mizukage said they would arrive before lunch.

Bored, he let his mind wander, his stomach churning in a combination of anxiety and hunger. In less than twenty-four hours, his students would be fighting for the top spot in the chuunin exams. While he had trained them as best as he could, there was still visceral fear imagining what could happen.

I'll step in if anything starts to go wrong, he vowed to himself.

A sudden tension in the Hokage's shoulders broke him out of his musings. Curious, he turned his attention toward the road.

In the distance, a small retinue of shinobi walked closer. Mei Terumi, wearing her Mizukage cloak and hat, walked at the center. Ameyuri Ringo and Zabuza Momochi stood at her sides, guarding her from unlikely threats. Behind them were Kasumi's mother and brother while Harusame trailed at the back.

Utakata took a deep breath in and out to keep himself from running toward his teacher like a small child. From the corner of his eye, he saw his three students tense, although they didn't move. They understood the importance of appearances too well to break discipline.

Walking so slow it felt like torture, the Kirigakure delegation headed toward them. Unable to break and run toward his teacher, Utakata forced his eyes to focus on the Mizukage at the front. After what felt like hours, Mei Terumi stood in front of the third Hokage with a fake smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Sandaime-sama," she said with a curt nod. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm happy to see we are now considered trustworthy enough to be welcomed into Konohagakure."

"Good afternoon, Godaime-sama," the old man replied with a polite nod of his own. "As long as peace exists between our two villages you are always welcome here."

"That's good to know," Mei Terumi replied with a gentle smile before turning her gaze toward the rest of the Hokage's guards. "Thank you for opening your chuunin exam invitations. As you can imagine, we have been traveling for over a day and would like to rest. I don't suppose we're worthy enough to be invited in?"

"As long as you stir up no trouble," the same woman that had questioned Kasumi's age grumbled, arms crossed in front of her chest.

At the woman's interruption, the Hokage's hands clenched into fists behind his back but he said nothing. The other Konoha ninja remained quiet, although their expressions told Utakata they agreed with her sentiment.

Utakata waited for predictable, angry outbursts from Ameyuri or Zabuza. To his amazement, however, they remained quiet, despite their brows contracting in anger.

Guess Mizukage-sama finally instilled some self control into them.

Utakata glanced at Harusame to see his reaction. Unbothered, the older man returned his gaze with a covert wink before turning to smile at Kimimaro. Kimimaro's face turned pink at the positive attention and Utakata was sure there was a hint of a smile on the boy's lips.

"I promise we will bring no trouble to your village, Hokage-sama," Mei Terumi replied after an awkward silence. "I have trained my shinobi well, as you can see."

At those words, Ameyuri and Zabuza took a step forward before bowing their heads down in respect. Still, they said nothing, although Utakata saw Zabuza glancing at Haku from the corner of his eye. Behind them, Harusame, Kasumi's mother, and Asahi bowed as well.

Can we just get this over with? I want to eat.

"We welcome you to our village." The Hokage bowed his head in return. "Please come inside. Would you mind joining me for dinner, Mizukage-sama? From one kage to another?"

Mei Terumi's smile froze on her face but she nevertheless nodded her acceptance. "I would be honored," she lied. "Although I think I would like to keep at least one of my guards with me. I hope you understand."

If the Hokage noticed her discomfort, he said nothing about it. "Of course. That's to be expected." He sighed and turned around to head back into the village, the gates opening wide.

"I will send a messenger with dinner information later. Please take the rest of the afternoon to rest. We will talk later."

"Of course, Sandaime-sama." Mei Terumi nodded one last time before entering the village at the Hokage's side.

With that, the rest of the shinobi— both from Konoha and Kiri— followed suit. Utakata watched them all walk inside before joining them, his students at his heels.

O-O-O-O-O

"Ugh, is it too much to hope that the dinner will be just for business?" the Fifth Mizukage whined as she collapsed dramatically on the sofa of her hotel room, a forearm covering her face.

Utakata took his sandals off at the door and he watched his students do the same. Together, all of the Kirigakure shinobi entered, forming a semi-circle around the Mizukage.

"I mean, having a bit of hope isn't always a bad thing, Mei-chan." Ameyuri sat on Mei's lap, wrapping her arms around the other woman's neck. "Though considering your looks, that's to be expected. Want me to be your guard tonight?"

Mei uncovered her eyes to stare at the Swordswoman, a speculative glint in her eye. After a moment of consideration, she sighed and shook her head.

"No, I think it's fine. I think a man might make it less likely for... unscrupulous things to occur."

"Shall I go with you, Mei?" Zabuza stepped forward, Haku in his shadow, to pledge his loyalty.

"You're too hot-headed, Zabuza!" the Mizukage complained. "I'll take Harusame-sensei with me. He has more self-control than you do at least."

"What? I said nothing when that bi—" Zabuza glanced at Haku. "When that woman said we would only stir up trouble. I held my tongue then."

Zabuza took another step forward before kneeling in front of the Mizukage, a hand over his heart. "With my life at stake, I vow to follow your instructions."

The Mizukage chuckled before placing a hand on the man's cheek. "Why would I want to put your life at stake? Especially when it's unnecessary? Do you think I can't take care of myself? Is that it?"

What little was visible of Zabuza's face turned pink while Ameyuri giggled in delight.

Utakata shifted in discomfort at the oddly personal scene playing out in front of his eyes. To his disbelief, everyone else seemed unphased by the display. Kasumi's mother headed to the kitchen with her daughter and son for something to drink. Meanwhile, Kimimaro was too focused on Harusame to watch the display in front of them.

Utakata blinked. Is this how Ao-san feels whenever he's stuck at the Mizukage's office with them?

"Mizukage-sama?" Utakata interrupted, taking a step forward.

"What is it, Utakata-kun?" The Mizukage tilted her head to the side. She moved her hand away from Zabuza's cheek to sweep her bangs away from her face.

"We should get lunch soon," he said. "If we wait any longer, some of the restaurants might close to prepare for the dinner rush."

"Ah, yes. Of course." With a sigh, the Mizukage stood up, Ameyuri and Zabuza standing at her sides. "Is there anything you would like to eat?"

"There are a lot of options in this area," Utakata answered. "Although we have grown fond of a nearby ramen restaurant. Isn't that right, Kimimaro?"

Kimimimaro jumped at the mention of his name. Taking his eyes away from Harusame for a second, he nodded. "Yes, sensei. It's..." He swallowed. "It's good."

The Mizukage stretched her arms over her head and let out a happy sigh. "Well, I'm glad we have a plan. Ramen sounds nice right now. Let's go." She stood up and headed toward the door, her retinue following after.

O-O-O-O-O

Pretending to meditate, Yagura watched the three children a small distance away from the corner of his eye. He waited for his chance to interrupt.

"I'm getting tired of the snow," Fuu whined, combing her fingers through Gaara's short hair as she tried to make a braid. "At least you have hot springs and public baths in Konoha, right Naruto?"

"Yeah, but I don't go there a lot cause they stare at me, ya know," he complained. "Last time I went with Sasuke and he almost got into a fight with this other boy. I think it was some kid in our school?"

"But you have a tub in your apartment, right, Naruto?" Fuu asked, tying Gaara's tiny braid with an elastic band.

"Yeah!" Naruto moved to Fuu's side and began to braid Gaara's hair himself. "Though it's not as big as the one in the public baths, ya know."

Gaara sighed, his head still as the two other children tried to style his hair. "I wish I could take another bath," he said in a wistful voice. "But we don't have enough water in Suna for that."

"Baths are really nice, Gaara." Naruto bit his tongue in concentration as he tied the braid. Unlike Fuu's, it was messy and malformed. "When you visit me, we'll go to the hot springs and public baths every day! Even if they stare! Right, Fuu nee-chan?" He turned toward the older girl, eyes shining in excitement.

"Right!" Fuu moved to fix the braid Naruto had made. "We have a tub we use here for baths, but it's always annoying to heat up the water, so we don't bother with it too often."

"I read that sand baths can be done if there's no water available," Gaara added.

"A sand bath? How would that work?" Naruto asked.

Fuu shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe—"

Yagura sighed, tired of listening. His plan to find a pause in their conversation might have worked if Fuu and Naruto ever stopped talking.

Guess I'll have to interrupt them after all. Yagura stood up and headed toward the three children kneeling on the floor.

"I think— Oh, Yagura-san?" Naruto blinked up at him. "What is it?"

"Hey, kids, can I talk to you for a second?" Yagura pasted a smile on his face.

"Talk to us?" Fuu glanced up at him, eyes bright in curiosity. "What do you want to talk about, Yagura-san?" She gave him a smile full of so much hope and innocence that something in Yagura's heart contracted in pain.

"It's about the kids that Utakata-kun is teaching," Yagura began, trying to copy her smile but knowing he was failing. "Utakata-kun told me you've made friends with one of his students, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes brightened. "Yeah! Kasumi nee-san! She's awesome! I think she hurt her eye or something because she only just now took her bandage off, ya know!" He paused to mull his thoughts over. "Actually, the scar is really similar to the one you have, Yagura-san. It's kinda weird."

Oh this child is an idiot.

Yagura sighed. "Well, there's a reason for that," he began.

"A reason?" Naruto tilted his head to the side. Sitting next to him, Fuu and Gaara also seemed curious.

Yagura cleared his throat. "The truth is that Kasumi is my daughter," he confessed. "But I didn't want you to let anything strange slip, so I didn't say anything to you about that before."

"You have a daughter, Yagura-san?" Gaara asked, eyes wide open in shock.

Yagura raised one eyebrow. "Yeah? What about it?"

"Wait, does that mean that you had sex, Yagura-san?" Fuu's voice sounded too incredulous for his liking.

Yagura groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering the lecture he had given the children after obtaining Roshi's approval. "I'm an adult, Fuu. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I thought you said people had sex when they were attracted to each other?" the girl continued. "Does that mean someone was attracted to you?"

Yagura stopped himself from strangling the young girl by crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I have a son and a daughter," he said through a fake grin. "My wife sure seemed to think I was attractive. When she agreed to marry me. When I asked. After dating her. 'Cause she liked me. 'Cause she was attracted to me."

"Wait, someone liked you so much they married you, Yagura-san?" Naruto asked.

While Gaara remained silent, his expression told Yagura that he agreed with them.

Would it be morally reprehensible to kill children because they made fun of me? He pushed past his anger and forced his fake smile to widen.

"Anyway," Yagura continued. "Kasumi is my daughter. Since you will be watching the finals tomorrow, I wanted to know if I could watch through your Door. I would ask Utakata but—"

"Yes!"

Before Yagura had a chance to explain the full situation, Naruto shouted his agreement.

Yagura blinked at the boy. "Are you sure you don't—"

Naruto shook his head. "I should've known onee-san was your daughter, Yagura-san! You two look really alike. You even have the same kind of scar, ya know!"

Yagura hummed to himself. "If you say, Naruto-kun. Anyway, will you let me watch the matches through your eyes?" He felt his heart beating faster inside his chest.

Naruto nodded, grinning up at him. "Yeah! Sasuke and me are gonna watch it together tomorrow." He turned his attention toward Fuu and Gaara. "And you two can watch too, ya know."

Fuu's eyes opened wide and she seemed to consider the offer before shaking her head. "I don't think I'll be able to, Naruto-kun," she said with an apologetic smile. "I still have a lot of training to do with Chomei. We're working on perfecting the Version One Transformations now."

At her side, Gaara also shook his head. "I have training with Temari and Kankuro tomorrow," he said. "They..." he swallowed. "They talk to me a bit more recently."

Yagura placed his hands on top of Fuu and Gaara's heads. "We'll let you know how everything turns out, okay?"

Fuu and Gaara grinned at him. "Sure, Yagura-san," they said at the same time.

"Oh, and Naruto?" Yagura turned his attention toward the youngest boy.

"Yeah?" Naruto tilted his head to the side.

Yagura grinned, bowing his head down in gratitude. "Thank you."

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: Yagura is actually really easy to roast. Roshi and Han are just bad at it.

I'm available on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. You can also add me on Discord as WaffleDogOfficial#0023.

Morket is a super nice person and a great beta reader.

Next chapter: the finals.