[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Hi
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Sakura?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: ….
Sakura blinked at her game screen, startled when she realized she'd been zoning out for the past few minutes. She'd been so out of it, she'd missed Meister's ping, even though she'd been waiting for him.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Sorry
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Hey, what's up?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I was just asking which mission you wanted to do next.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: idrc - Maybe not something with fighting today though
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Not the right brain space
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: OK
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Is everything ok?
Her fingers paused on the keyboard. No, everything's not OK. Hinata hasn't come back yet from wherever she went to confront her cousin, someone's spreading that I'm a prostitute on the school forums, and if the family I'm working for fires me because of the forum post, I'm screwed for living expenses.
But it's not like I can tell a random stranger on the internet about stuff like that.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Just stressed with life
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Don't worry about it ^_^
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I just want to be lowkey today
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Sure
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: This one then
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: [Return the Hagoromo to its rightful owner]
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: pinged the start
Sakura couldn't help cheer up a little as they made their way towards the location, chatting all the way. After the honeymoon incident, Sakura's bad habit of rambling while nervous had come out. Not only did Meister not make fun of her for it, but he was also a great listener. He had a dry sense of humour and a talent for incisive one-liners that would make people want to punch him. She could appreciate that in a conversational partner, although she was glad no one else could read their private Couple channel.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: So someone claimed quantum supremacy yesterday
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Very exciting
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I'll start preparing for the apocalypse
Sakura snorted. Statements like that made her wonder exactly what he studied. Only a true computer science nerd would understand that quantum supremacy would mean the end of encryption as they knew it, but he didn't have any of the true nerdy enthusiasm about the idea. Shannaro!
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I've got the chocolate stash already
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: What would you hoard in an apocalypse?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Rice
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I like onigiri
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: We're here
They arrived at a tiny hidden spring at the edge of the Land of Stars, but when Sakura looked around, she didn't see any NPC to start the quest. The location was peaceful and empty, just like many of the hidden locations in the game. Steam rose from the rocky pool in billows as small leaves floated on the surface of the hot spring, like tiny emeralds jostled by the gentle burbles of the pond.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: There
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Can you pull?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: might have to afk for a bit
Sakura blinked, squinting at her screen until she could make out a gorgeous robe made of translucent rainbow feathers draped on one of the larger rocks surrounding the spring. Going forward, her avatar picked up the garment.
[Couple] System: You have found a [Hagoromo belonging to a celestial maiden]! Find the maiden to return the robe to her so she can return to heaven.
Sakura waited for more information, but after that bit of system information, nothing else appeared. She scowled.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: … That's it?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Looks like.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Shannaro!
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: How the heck are we supposed to figure this out?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Bad game design :(
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Let's start with walking around a bit
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Maybe she's hiding in one of the caves
They explored every nook and cranny of the tiny hidden location, then left the small enclosure to search outside. Not five steps after they left the hidden location, though, the Hagoromo disappeared from her hands and reappeared by the spring again. It happened again and again until Sakura was ready to tear her hair out in frustration.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: This is ridiculous.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: There's got to be a better way
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Look it up?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: No way!
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: There's got to be some clue...
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Robe?
Sakura smacked her forehead. Of course! Since they didn't have any other information, the hagoromo was probably their best clue. She clicked on the item to examine the item text flair.
[Self] System: This Hagoromo is a kimono woven of shimmering feathers that allows celestial maidens to return to heaven. This priceless garment is carelessly draped over a wet rock, which means the owner must be bathing nearby.
Great, so find a naked girl. No problem! She must stick out like a sore thumb. Still, I have no idea where to start looking for her. Wait a minute. There's no naked girl in the hot spring, so… That's strange. What are water stains doing on this side of the rock? The spring is on the other side… Maybe with the robe….
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I think I have it…
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Need my notebook
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: OK
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: brb then
She blinked in surprise when his avatar disappeared from the screen, then shrugged. It must be important if Meister actually had to take his avatar somewhere else. Considering the robe hadn't disappeared when he left though, she could probably just yell at him if she needed him to hand in the mission. Muttering to herself, she soon forgot about him to finish the mission
(￣ω￣ ?)
[Couple] System: Congratulations! You have found the celestial maiden and returned her robe. Thanks to you, she can now return to her home in heaven.
Sakura punched the air in delight at her success as the (thankfully) not-naked girl changed into the Hagoromo by the power of videogame graphics and flew away on her screen. Just as she was about to message Meister to check if he'd also gotten credit, a message from him popped up on her screen.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: gj
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: ty
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Did you get credit?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Yep
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Come to the [Celestial Walkway]
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: ?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: something fun
What's fun in that mausoleum? With a couple of clicks, she teleported to a shining walkway of white marble with huge columns. The Celestial walkway was an abandoned location in the game, once used for PVP events, but once tournaments and clan wars had been implemented, it wasn't frequented as often. This was one of the few places in-game that a player could be attacked by other players not in their party and lose equipment, so the vast majority of players avoided it.
She saw Meister's avatar standing by a pillar, which had a limp figure tied to it with a chain. Frowning, she walked over.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: ?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: What's up with him?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Sharingan
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: He's immobilized and bad at dispelling genjutsus, apparently
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Get out your lowest tier weapon and stab him to your hearts' content
Just when she was about to ask why she should stab him to her heart's content, the player tied to the column answered that himself.
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Oi
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ***hole
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: what the **** are you doing?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: I just called your wife sloppy seconds
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Why torment me like this?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Just kill me then
Sakura realized where she recognized the username from. The guy in world chat during their wedding!
[Here] SakuraBlossom: I remember you
[Here] SakuraBlossom: From the wedding!
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Yeah it's me
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Go on, kill me!
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Take your revenge
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Or are you just going to be a weak woman?
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Don't worry
Sakura narrowed her eyes at chat. Weak woman, am I? Fine, if that's what he thinks, that's what he's going to get. She flipped through her inventory then grinned when she found what she was looking for.
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Excellent
[Here] SakuraBlossom: I still have my genin kunai
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Genin Kunai?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: We're going to be here forever!
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
She set her avatar to autoattack Suigetsu with the puny genin kunai, doing one only hitpoint's worth of damage every slash.
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Oi
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: I have like 20k hit points
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Do you plan to be hacking me until next year?
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Nah
[Here] SakuraBlossom: It won't take that long
[Here] SakuraBlossom: and I have auto-attack ^_^
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ...
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Look, SakuraBlossom
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: I'm sorry, I was rude
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: I shouldn't have called you sloppy seconds
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Can you please not waste both our times and kill me already?
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Oh I won't kill you
[Here] SakuraBlossom: I'll just heal you when you're low ^_^
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Don't **** with me!
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: Learn to dispel Genjutsus then
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
With a small smirk, she switched to their couple chat.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I get that he's bad at genjutsu
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: But why is he so eager to die?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Shouldn't he just log off or something?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: chain mission
"Ohhhh," Sakura started snickering out loud. No wonder! A chain mission was a series of missions where a player could only get to the next mission after completing the previous. If a player logged off during the mission, they lost all their progress and had to start from the beginning. Considering some of these missions could take hundreds of steps for exponentially better rewards, it was no wonder Suigetsu was just lying there like a stuffed pig for her to hack at.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: …
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: you're too evil
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Thank you
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I have to take a call
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: OK
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I'm going to get some hw done then
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I'll keep an eye on our avatars
"Sakura-chan,' Tenten called out to her as she returned from her late classes in a whirl of bag and books.
"Hey," Sakura smiled at her as she pulled out her own reading.
"Whatcha doing? Gaming again?" Tenten teased her
"Casually playing while reading ahead for cryptography. Class go okay?"
"No," Tenten groaned, "I can't do this late-night class nonsense anymore. I'm going to drop this film appreciation babble and find another elective. It's not too late yet."
"What are you thinking instead?" Sakura asked.
"I dunno," Tenten frowned as she pulled out her laptop, sitting down on the other side of the large table, "lemme check the course offerings."
Sakura left her to it while she quickly glanced at her screen, only to frown when she saw the [Here] chat.
(o_O)
[Party] UWUFukixx: Hey, is that Sm1rkMeister?
[Party] UWUKasumixx: He's with that woman
[Party] UWUKasumixx: What are they doing here?
[Party] UWUFukixx: No idea
[Party] UWUFukixx: Oh wait, is that Mist Sword?
[Party] UWUKasumixx: You know him?
[Party] UWUFukixx: I did a mission with him once
[Party] UWUKasumixx: Let's get him out of there.
[Party] UWUFukixx: But we can't beat either Sm1rkMeister or SakuraBlossom
[Party] UWUKasumixx: We can shame them into letting him go
[Party] UWUKasumixx: Then MistSword will owe us a favour, hehe
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Hey
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Sm1rkMeister
[Here] UWUKasumixx: You're the Server Best
[Here] UWUKasumixx: What are you bullying lower level players for?
[Here] UWUKasumixx: That's not fair!
[Here] UWUFukixx: Exactly!
[Here] UWUFukixx: And it's 2 v 1
[Here] UWUFukixx: Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
[Here] UWUKasumixx: …
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Hey
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Hey
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Don't ignore us!
[Here] SakuraBlossom: We're resolving a personal issue
[Here] SakuraBlossom: You guys should keep walking
[Here] UWUKasumixx: What kind of personal issue gives you the right to torture people like this?
[Here] UWUKasumixx: It's just a game
[Here] UWUKasumixx: What are you getting angry for?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: back
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: Annoying
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: Go away if you don't want to die
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: lol!
[Here] UWUFukixx: Hey! That's not fair
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Rude!
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Just because you're the Server Best doesn't mean you get to bully girls!
[Here] SakuraBlossom: What does your gender have anything to do with it
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Besides
[Here] SakuraBlossom: It's just a game
[Here] SakuraBlossom: What are you getting angry for?
[Here] UWUKasumixx: You're too mean!
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Fine
[Here] SakuraBlossom: We'll do it the ninja way
[Here] SakuraBlossom: 2 v 1
[Here] SakuraBlossom: You guys win, you can rescue him and we'll leave him alone
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: You'll fight me
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Go take a break
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I'll deal with them
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: ty ^_^
[Party] UWUFukixx: Can we beat him? 2 v 1?
[Party] UWUKasumixx: He is outnumbered
[Party] UWUFukixx: Isn't he Server Best?
[Party] UWUKasumixx: That's an old title
[Party] UWUKasumixx: Besides, he wouldn't get serious against a couple of girls, right?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: wtf how are you not ****ing done yet?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: And what's this about 2 v 1?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: C'mon, I took a shower
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: This is taking for ****ing ever
[Here] UWUFukixx: We're going to rescue you MistSword
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Oh it's you
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: **** off
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: We got some grudges to settle
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: What are you prancing in to pretend to be a good person for?
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: You can't take either of them
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: You're both just a pair of little girls anyways
[Here] UWUKasumixx: Why you-
[Party] UWUKasumixx: Hmph!
[Party] UWUKasumixx: Let's go Fuki
[Party] UWUKasumixx: Ungrateful wretch!
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: I'm going to do my laundry now
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: Hurry up and kill me SakuraBlossom
[Here] SakuraBlossom: You're really rude, aren't you?
[Here] SakuraBlossom: I guess I'll just be a little girl and let you go then
[Here] SakuraBlossom: stop wasting internet and electricity on you
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I need some herbs
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Want to come?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Sure
One laundry cycle later…
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: …
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: OI
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: OI
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: YOU ****ERS
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: UNDO THIS GENJUTSU
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Here] MistSwordSuigetsu: ****
[Self] System: Sm1rkMeister has refused your invite to whisper!
(`皿´＃)
Sakura felt a little bad for Meister since he was just meditating to improve his chakra capacity while her character gathered herbs. Still, it was nice to have some company, even very silent company, while she did the boring and monotonous task in her secret base.
She loved this little hidden location. It was a pain to find, but beautiful when found, a little alcove tucked into the side of a mountain with peach trees, various herb patches that scaled with the player's ability, and a glorious eternal sunrise. It'd been her secret place, ever since she'd found it. She'd never seen anyone here, and she'd never brought anyone here, but somehow, it felt right to have Meister here.
As she finished gathering herbs, she moved her avatar to stand beside the rock on which his avatar was meditating. She just meant to admire the painterly hues of the sunset, but he sent her a chat message instead.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: ?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I just finished
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Thanks for waiting
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: yw
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: How did you know Mist Sword was doing a chain mission?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Logged on this afternoon and saw that he was asking about scrolls about the jinchuriki on World, then I saw him near the Old Man in the Moon's workshop.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: It's the 48th & 49th collection requests in one of the Legendary Mist Sword retrieval chain missions
Sakura remembered that chain. The Rolling Jade Seas clan had organized a tag team to help one of their clanmates get through one of those missions. It'd started at 8 am, but because she'd had a full day of classes and work, she'd only been able to join for the last 20 steps out of the 108 total steps near 10 pm.
Still, for Meister to recognize those particular steps, and then trap Suigetsu when he crossed into a deserted PVP zone… Just how good is his memory? And was it a coincidence, or had Meister been watching out for an opportunity for her?
Thinking of the collective effort for her clanmate, it made her wonder something else.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: What step was Mist Sword on?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: 108
Sakura burst out laughing, making Tenten, who'd just finished choosing and enrolling in her replacement elective, look up at her. Seeing Sakura look at her screen, Tenten only rolled her eyes at Sakura before she closed her laptop and grabbed her bathrobe.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: lolololol
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I feel kind of bad for him now
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I don't
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: pft
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: You're so cruel
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Does it bother you?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: It probably should.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: But I'm just not the type to turn the other cheek
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: And I've been having a bad day because of some forum nonsense that I can't do anything about
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: people jump to the stupidest conclusions
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I can't even complain about it to my roommate, because her cousin got involved and implicated me
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: So this kind of petty revenge cheered me right up
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Thank you
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: You're welcome
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I should go
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Same ^_^
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Good night! Sleep tight
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: u2
Sasuke didn't go to sleep, though, as he shut down the Way of the Ninja. Instead, in the quiet of his bedroom in faculty housing, he went to the school forum and looked for the post that had Sakura so upset. When he found it, he snorted. What a load of nonsense. As a matter of course, he found the IP address of the person behind the post and started to hack the school forums to delete it properly, when he paused.
Remembering what Sakura said about her roommate's cousin, Sasuke casually hacked the forums to display all the school emails with full names of the posters. That old hag next door better not give me any nonsense about student privacy. Not that she'll ever find out.
He stopped at one post, from a Hyuuga Neji and frowned. Speaking of the old lady next door, Tsunade had been complaining about the Hyuugas for the past eighteen months. He'd filtered most of it out, but she had such a loud voice, he couldn't help if some of it got through when she had dinner with him and his brother. What was it again? Something about them not respecting her and the office of the Dean, and trying to interfere with one student… Perhaps… Sasuke hacked this Hyuuga Neji's inbox and computer just in case.
What he found made his eyes turn even colder. Better to nip this in the bud.
Rolling his sleeves up, he got to work.
ヽ(￣～￣ )ノ
When Hinata returned to the dorm, she hesitated with her hand on the knob of the dorm room, afraid to go in and face Sakura. After she'd failed to persuade her cousin, she'd sat in a cafe for two hours trying to muster her courage to call her father, only for her phone to run out of batteries.
She'd nearly burst into tears right then and there, but the clerk had come over to remind her that the cafe was closing, so Hinata had had no choice but to head back. Still… she was having a hard time opening the door to their dorm.
So she was a bit surprised when it swung open in front of her instead.
"Hinata-chan!" Sakura looked at her in surprise, wallet, and keys in one hand as she opened the door with the other. She looked like she was dressed to go out, "I was just about to go out to look for you when I couldn't call your cell. What are you doing outside the door?"
"I-I…" Hinata couldn't say the words.
"Come in first, and have a cup of honey ginger tea. Don't stand out there. Your hands are freezing! You should probably take a hot shower, but Tenten's in there, and you know how she can get. Temari's probably staying over at Shikamaru-senpai's tonight." Sakura tugged her back into the room, and Hinata followed, her tongue still tied, as Sakura sat her down at their large table then set the kettle to boil.
"By the way…," Sakura said, not looking at Hinata as she got the tea stuff, "I don't know what happened, but the post is gone, thank god."
"H-Huh?" That snapped Hinata out of her trance, "Th-the post is gone?"
"Yeah?" Sakura frowned.
"O-Oh…," She trailed off, lost.
Sakura turned around and smiled at her, drinks in hand, "Don't worry about it anymore. No real harm done - I didn't like your family much to begin with, anyways."
Hinata laughed weakly at Sakura's impudent look. She was overwhelmed at the way the situation had shifted so quickly, but she didn't want to press it either - she was just glad it was over.
At least, she hoped it was over.
AN: Hell hath no wrath like a... man defending his woman. Poor Suigetsu? Nah.
NGL, this was one of my favourite moments in the drama (I think I've said this like four times already - I have many favourite moments, and I get to write each one in excruciating detail for y'all, muahahah). For anyone who's keeping track, this chapter spans the end of Episode 2 and beginning of Episode 3 in the drama. I do so enjoy writing black belly Sasuke. I really gotta do it more - actually (brief self promo insert), I'm writing Sasuke as a black belly in both my ongoing longfics right now, so - hehehe. For the interested, I'm also writing another Modern AU SasuSaku fic, called "The Words I Want to Hear" (C'mon LScore, can't you write anything not Shipper modern AU? Ehn, eventually... maybe...nah), which is also a fusion fic with a Chinese Light Novel. Check it out if you're interested! I'm writing it mostly because ATSiD is a slowburn with many plot threads (I have an excel spreadsheet to keep track of everything, I'm very proud of it), for all it is a shipper fic, and I just want to write cute fluff and stuff you all full of dogfood, dammit.
Anyways, thank you for your patience this week - I know I'm a bit late on this chapter, but life, man. Thank you to Reglee for being my amazing Beta, and as always, comments, reviews, kudos, favourites, bookmarks, and boomboxes playing pop from the seventies always make my day. Also, extended ANs on the Tumblr of the same name, as always (in about eight hours). See you next time!