Elsa woke the next morning to the usual delicious smells of Greta's home-cooked breakfast. Smiling to herself she crawled out of bed and went to greet her caretaker.
"Good morning Greta," Elsa called as she entered the kitchen.
"Oh, good morning child," the troll called back happily, "you go on and get ready and I will finish making breakfast for you."
Elsa turned to go but caught something out the window that made her stop, winter was approaching so the sun was rising later which meant she could see the sunrise when she awoke now. Looking out the window Elsa couldn't help but comment.
"I have never seen a sunrise such a pretty shade of red before."
Greta glanced out the window, "My word, you are right. Best be careful child, superstition says that a red sunrise means you can expect bad things during the day," as she said this Greta gave Elsa an ominous look before winking to show she was joking. "But enough about silly superstitions," Greta then said, her voice becoming light again, "You get ready now or your food will be cold."
Smiling, Elsa left to wash and dress. A few minutes later she was sitting across from Greta asking about Arendelle.
"Did you get any letters for me from home when you dropped off mine, Greta?" Elsa asked.
"Sorry child," Greta replied, "but I will say that your mother looked pleased as punch when I dropped off the one you sent with me. I am sure she will have one written for you by tonight."
"Ok," Elsa said, excited at the thought of hearing from her family
The breakfast that the two were enjoying was then interrupted by a knock at the door. Greta pulled her customary hiding act while Elsa stood to answer it. She supposed that this must be Yugao coming to ask if she wanted company on her walk to classes today. Elsa smiled and decided that if that was the case she would gladly accept the company. When she opened the door she saw that she was correct in who was knocking but Yugao looked different. Her eyes looked tired as she smiled at Elsa when the door was open.
"Yugao, is everything alright?" Elsa asked, worried for her pseudo-sister.
Yugao's eyes slightly widened at the girl's perceptiveness but she just smiled reassuringly, "Everything is going to be fine Elsa, I just came by to let you know that there won't be any classes today. There was an incident last night so the Hokage wants everyone to stay indoors."
Immediately Elsa began to fear for her friend's safety. Yugao saw this and dropped to her knees to be at the girl's eye level.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't worry Elsa," Yugao said comfortingly, "All of your friends are safe, I promise." Seeing that the girl was starting to calm down she decided to try something to hopefully help the girl settle down. "Tell you what," Yugao said, "why don't I get Anko and Kurenai together and you can come hang out with us while things are settled today, ok?"
Elsa nodded at the invitation finding some comfort in the fact she would be together with the three women. She looked up to each of them and would feel safer with them around.
"Perfect," Yugao said, "I will get everything together and come get you in a minute."
With that final promise, Elsa shut the door and turned back to the apartment to find Greta there.
"I heard everything, child, and I am sure she is right. Your friends are going to be just fine. Why don't you go get everything you want to take with you and I will clean up here ok?"
"Ok, thanks Greta," Elsa responded then went and collected some things to occupy her time with, mainly some books and scrolls about basic chakra control she had borrowed from the academy library. She had been interested in them because even though they wouldn't start learning about chakra and how to control it until at the earliest next year in the academy, she wanted to start getting a head start on learning to control her power.
About fifteen minutes later another knock came from the door, and when Elsa answered it she saw that it was once again Yugao. Locking her door as she left, she followed the older woman next-door to her apartment and as they walked in Elsa saw that Anko and Kurenai were there already putting some snacks on a tray. The two other women greeted Elsa warmly and the four of them spent the day playing games and talking, the three kunoichis sharing funny stories about their time as ninjas.
Elsa's favorite was the tale Kurenai told about when she had been on a mission to help guard the daimyo of a small country against assassins and the man had instantly fallen in love with her and would propose to her non-stop the entire time she was there.
"I almost attacked him myself because he was getting so annoying," the woman said, "and the worst part is I still will get letters from him asking me to be his queen."
Elsa had burst into giggles at the story which brought warm smiles to the faces of the three adults. Yugao had told the other two that Elsa had been distressed when she had said there was an incident in the village so they were all pleased to see her regain her warm disposition.
Sooner than any of them expected the sun began to dip toward the horizon and Elsa, remembering that Greta said she might get a letter today, told the other women that her caretaker expected her home. At some point, over the time she had known them, Elsa had told the women about Greta. None of them had ever seen the elusive troll, though it wasn't for lack of trying. Anko had once barged into Elsa's house trying to catch the creature unaware but doing so had startled Elsa so badly that she nearly started crying making Anko bow and sob, begging for the girl's forgiveness. The entire ordeal hadn't even worked because Anko was so focused on Elsa that she completely forgot about trying to see Greta.
Yugao walked Elsa back to her door and promised the girl she would be back tomorrow to walk with her to the academy. Elsa thanked her for everything and entered her apartment. Once inside she smelled cooking and looked to the kitchen to see Greta.
"Welcome home child," the troll greeted warmly, "how did your little playdate go?"
Elsa smiled and spent the time waiting for dinner to be served telling Greta all about her day, giving truncated versions of the many stories that the three women had told her. Greta smiled and laughed with her as she finished cooking and setting the table. When they were both seated Greta spoke.
"Well I am so happy that you enjoyed yourself, and to top it off, I have got something for you."
As if by magic, an envelope appeared in Greta's hand. Elsa got excited at seeing a letter from her family and started to reach for it, but Greta pulled it back slightly and said,
"How about we finish eating first and clear the table so that you don't risk getting food on it."
"Oh, right," Elsa responded and finished eating quickly. Once the food was gone, Elsa helped clear the table so that it would be done faster, then opened and read the letter while Greta did the dishes. Elsa smiled seeing her mother's beautifully flowing script and read the letter eagerly. It told about her father doing his best to make sure trading rights were fair for his kingdom. Apparently, there was a neighboring hamlet called Weaseltown, or something like it, that kept trying to sneak loopholes into the trade agreements. Elsa's mother was still holding tours of the castle to show the art there, she had also apparently started showcasing local artists and craftsmen in the hopes of increasing their success. Finally, the letter talked about Anna and how she had started spending more time out of the castle with the people of Arendelle. On one of her trips, she had become friends with a local boy named Kristoff, though they rarely were able to meet together because he lived off in the mountains with the ice harvesters. Eventually, Elsa went to bed clutching the letter to her chest for comfort.
The next morning Elsa woke and found that the letter had been placed on her bedside table. She went through her normal routine waiting for Yugao to come. A few minutes later, the woman arrived and told Elsa that classes at the academy were continuing, so Elsa grabbed her things and went with the woman. When she arrived at the school building she looked around almost desperately until she was able to spot Naruto and Hinata. As much as the day with her neighbors and the letter helped, they hadn't fully dispelled the worry that had rooted itself in her heart at the news she had received the day before. Unfortunately, neither of her friends was given any more information than she had been about what had happened. So they decided to wait and hope that they heard more soon.
When they arrived in their regular classroom the children found their seats and the teacher said that after attendance was taken they would be going to the courtyard of the Hokage's Manor to hear an announcement from the village leader. Elsa was confused as she looked around because there were several empty seats in the class but the teacher said all the students were present. Following the teacher's instructions, the class then lined up and made their way to the Hokage Manor which stood adjacent to the academy building. The courtyard was already filling with people but the children were brought to the front of the crowd and seated where they would have a clear view of the raised dais where the Hokage stood. It seemed that every person in the village was present if the noise of the crowd was any indication but all sound ceased when the Hokage began to speak.
"Citizens of Konoha," he began, voice solemn, "it is with great pain and sorrow that I speak to you today to inform you of the loss of one of the pillars of our community. The Uchiha Clan is no more."
The crowd erupted into fearful murmurs. Several whispers about "another shinobi war" could be heard but the crowd again quieted to hear the village leader speak.
"I can confirm to you that this was not an outside attack, there is no need to fear that another village is targeting us. However, it will be up to all of us to show that this loss doesn't leave us weak. The will of fire is strong in every Konoha citizen and we will make that clear by doubling our efforts in all aspects of life. Unfortunately, this knowledge also means that the culprit was one of our own."
Again pockets of murmurs sprouted out amid the crowd.
"I will not declare their identity openly here. I will not let such a heinous act become a source of notoriety for the ones responsible. But I can announce that according to all our best tracking personnel the guilty party is no longer in the village so you need not fear further violence."
He paused for a moment looking as though he were collecting himself. This time the crowd did not begin to speak, they waited for the man to continue seeming to hold a collective breath.
"I know that this event brings a sense of uncertainty to your lives. The Uchiha have been a central clan to this village since the day of its conception, but we will move forward fighting in their memory. They were our comrades and will always hold a place of honor in the history of our village, and most important of all is the fact that there is hope for the clan to rise again. A single survivor was found. We as a village must band together and support him so that he can grow to one day re-establish the pillar that the Uchiha clan represented. "
The village leader's voice took on a hard edge as he gave the next part of his speech.
"The boy does not need sycophantic doting. Do not see this as an opportunity to gain favor with a future leader in the village," his voice then softened as he continued, "he has just lost his entire family. I ask that you all treat him with the kindness that he may fear he has lost forever."
The leader's heartfelt request seemed to touch the hearts of the crowd, even causing a few sniffles to be heard.
"At the end of this week, we shall have a village-wide day of morning and a ceremony honoring the fallen. Now please go home today and spend time with your families. Draw strength from the bonds of love that you have for each other. Good-bye and let the will of fire burn strong in your hearts."
The Hokage finished with a small incline of his head then turned to go back to his manor. The Academy instructors told the students to stay in their lines and that they would be dismissed once they had all returned to the classroom and attendance was taken again. Elsa followed numbly. She wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of death, when she was around four her grandmother had died, and since coming to Konoha she had befriended both Hinata and Naruto who had both lost parents. But the idea of death on this scale shocked her. She realized as the Hokage had been talking that the empty seats in her classroom had all belonged to black-haired students with the Uchiha family name; they would never be in class again. The only Uchiha clan member she had any real connection with was Sasuke, as odd as their relationship was, and she may never see him again either. The Hokage had mentioned a survivor but hadn't given any details about who it was.
When she exited the building she felt a touch on her arm and saw Hinata looking at her with sad eyes.
"I have to go," the soft-spoken girl said, "father told me to come home directly after we were released, I think he knew we would be let out early. I see you later though."
Elsa nodded and gave her own farewell. Before turning around to view her other friend. Naruto looked as lost as she felt. When their eyes met they both shared the same thought, "I don't want to be alone."
"Can I come over?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, please," Elsa responded.
So the two made their way to Elsa's apartment and spent the day just being there for each other. Anko dropped by unannounced and seeing the two children alone, spent some time there trying to cheer them up. Naruto had met all of the women that lived around Elsa, they seemed to make him nervous at first though he eventually warmed up to them. Anko was his favorite due to their similar personalities and the fact that she would let him play with her kunai. Though he would always complain that the kunai were dull and Anko would normally rub her head and say, "Oh, guess I will need to sharpen that one tonight."
Yugao dropped by that evening with takeout for dinner. She had sat with the children and shared the meal with them. Before leaving she asked if they needed anything and both of the kids said they were fine. Naruto ended up spending the night and in the morning Elsa woke to find him still sleeping on her couch and breakfast already cooked and set out on the table for the two of them. Elsa was sad that she didn't get to see Greta, but she accepted that Greta still wanted to stay hidden from anyone but her. Giving Naruto a quick shake, the two of them ate their breakfast and made their way to the academy.
At the end of classes, Naruto and Elsa split up. Naruto went back home saying he needed to check on his plants and make sure he had stuff for the ceremony tomorrow. Elsa, on the other hand, had made plans to visit with Hinata at the Hyuuga compound. Elsa hadn't brought anything from Arendelle that would be fit for the ceremony, so Hinata had invited her over to borrow something of hers, the two girls being roughly the same size.
When they made it to the compound Elsa greeted the guard at the door who bowed their heads respectfully to the girls as they entered. Their first stop when they got inside was to visit Hanabi as usual. The young toddler was playing in her nursery under the watch of a grandmotherly nanny. When the two entered, Hanabi took note of who had come, all the time keeping her same blank expression, and immediately toddled over to Elsa. When she arrived at Elsa's feet she made motions as though she wanted to be picked up. Elsa obliged and lifted the small child into a gentle embrace. Hinata was immediately dejected, muttering about how cruel Hanabi was to her sister.
The toddler then wiggled to let Elsa know she wanted to be put down, and once she was on the ground, made her way over to Hinata where she gave her sister a conciliatory pat. Hinata then quickly snatched the girl up in a hug of her own.
"I want hugs, not pats," Hinata said in a sullen voice.
The two girls then sat and played with the younger child for a few minutes. Normally these play sessions were vigorous attempts to get the child to react with a smile or laugh, but with the current events happening Elsa found it challenging enough to keep her own smile let alone try to pull one out of someone else. A few minutes later they said their goodbyes to Hanabi and made their way to Hinata's room to look at the options in her wardrobe. As they walked Hinata began talking to Elsa.
"I am sorry that I wasn't able to spend any time with you yesterday," Hinata said.
"It's ok," Elsa responded, "I spent the day with Naruto and my neighbors came by so I wasn't alone. How were you yesterday?" Elsa then asked.
A complicated look came over Hinata's face, but she didn't respond until they had entered her room and they closed the door.
"It was hard," Hinata finally said, "One of the reasons that I had to come home was because the leaders of the clan were having a meeting and now that I am in the academy I have to attend them as the future heir to the clan." Hinata explained, "while we were in the meeting the leaders there began talking and it was like they didn't even care that people were dead. All they could talk about was how great the opportunity would be for the clan." Hinata began to get upset as she continued, "I know that they saw the Uchiha as rivals, but it was like they didn't care and father was just sitting there and...and…" Hinata trailed off as she began to cry. Elsa didn't know what to do in his situation so she followed her instincts and hugged the other girl. Eventually, they both were sitting against one of the walls of the room, Hinata having calmed down.
"What do I do in this situation?" Hinata finally asked, "you always seem to know more about being the heir in a noble family. What would you do?"
Elsa thought about it. She had never been in a situation like the one Hinata described but she thought about the most recent letter that she received from her mother, where it explained the struggles her father went through trying to deal with the unpleasant people of Weaseltown.
"I don't know," Elsa replied honestly, "I think this is something you should ask your father about. Tell him what you think and ask him what the best thing to do in this situation is. He would be the most knowledgeable. And if you don't like the answer he gives, then try to think of how you would want to act differently."
Elsa felt like the answer wasn't great but it was all she could think to say given the situation. Hinata seemed to accept the response though, nodding her head and wiping her eyes clean once more. With that handled the girls got back to their task of finding outfits for the ceremony the next day. Hinata had a wide range of formal kimonos and eventually they each found a black kimono that would fit the circumstances. They spent another hour together having tea on one of the porches overlooking a garden and took comfort in each other's company before Elsa bid Hinata farewell and left.
As Hinata watched her friend leave she made her way back to her room to think. The things she had said had been weighing her down all day so she felt much better having unloaded her feelings onto the other girl. Hinata was immensely grateful for Elsa's stability and friendship. Ever since their first meeting, the girl had been a role model for Hinata, even though they were the same age Hinata saw her friend as a fount of wisdom for her to learn from so that she could support the family she loved because even though her instructors in the gentle fist would call her a disappointment and the elders watched her with disdain when she entered the clan head meetings, she loved the Hyuuga clan and all its members.
Putting on her most determined face Hinata decided that her best bet was to follow her friend's advice. If she wanted to be the best leader for the Hyuuga clan she could be she would need to learn from the current head. So picking herself up she made her way to her father's office and gently knocked on the door.
"Enter," she heard her father's voice call from inside.
As she entered, she closed the door behind her and knelt in front of her father's desk waiting to be acknowledged. Hiashi Hyuuga had his customary blank look on his face as he worked reading and signing various reports and requests. Finally, he appeared to reach a point where he could pause and he looked up at his daughter. She wasn't fooled though, she knew that with his byakugan he had been watching her from the moment she had approached his door. It was a little known fact that while fully activating the byakugan was a noticeable process, due to the enlarged nerves and blood vessels that bulged on the side of the head, a master could constantly push small amounts of chakra through their eyes to gain an incredibly accurate situational awareness.
"Why have you come to see me daughter?" the man asked formally.
"Father I am here so that I might better learn how to serve the clan as its heir," Hinata explained.
This was a small ceremony that had been drilled into her for as long as she could remember. If Hiashi deemed her request unimportant she would be dismissed. If he saw it as something not worthy of immediate attention she would be given an appointment and asked to come back later. Her request this time intrigued the clan head. She rarely showed interest in the running of the clan, he had hoped that by having her attend meetings she might find some attraction to the responsibilities she would have, so hearing her request what she had was both surprising and pleasing for him
"You may speak then," Hiashi said, putting down his pen to give her his full attention.
"Father," Hinata began, then paused trying to organize exactly what she wanted to say, "I don't wish to come off as disrespectful but I was troubled by the events of yesterday's meeting. The elders seemed to almost take glee in the fact that the Uchiha were gone, especially Fuson-sama. Would it have been so wrong to call for respect when talking about our fallen allies, even if they did come from a rival clan?"
Hiashi's eyes closed at the girl's words. She wasn't wrong, many on the council had been callous of the loss of the Uchiha clan, only thinking of how it would strengthen the stance of the Hyuuga in the village rather than mourning the loss of life. He could see how that would be painful to a heart as open and caring as hers was. But, having people like that was one of the reasons the Hyuuga did so well for themselves, where others might hold back for reasons of propriety, men like that saw opportunities and seized them. It was Hiashi's job to keep the desires of those men tempered so that they did more good than harm.
"Daughter, as the clan head one must work with all that the clan has to help it grow and keep it safe." Hiashi explained, "Men like Fuson are difficult, but it is because of him, and men like him, that the Hyuuga have the stability and prosperity that we do. You can't allow emotion to color your actions in the midst of a clan meeting. Doing so would make you enemies amidst the elders of the clan, and bring division to clan leadership."
Hinata listened to her father's explanation but it didn't sit well with her. She could understand what he said but it wasn't about emotion. Treating the dead with such disrespect is wrong, and even if you put emotion aside you should never lose your sense of what is right.
"Thank you father, but I can't fully accept that," Hinata said, causing Hisashi eyes to widen almost imperceptibly in shock, "I can understand that you must be willing to work with different types of people for the good of the clan but I can't accept that you have to leave your sense of right and wrong out with your emotions. No matter what if something wrong is happening you should try to oppose it shouldn't you? And if the elders respected you would they be willing to follow a request without seeing it as an attack worthy of retribution. If you are willing to let the elders get away with anything even if you disagree with it, then how are you leading?"
Hiashi stared impassively at the girl as she looked back with determination in her eyes. He watched for a moment to see if she would back down. He was impressed by his daughter's response. She had well-reasoned points and she obviously was convinced of her answer. At the end of their impromptu staring match, Hiashi spoke.
"I see," he said, "I am glad that you are considering things like this now. It shows that you have begun to accept the responsibility you have as the heiress to the clan."
Hinata slowly released the breath she had been holding. Meeting her father's eyes had been one of the most difficult things that she had ever done. She sat for a moment more waiting to see if her father would add anything else to the discussion. When no other comment came Hinata assumed she was dismissed. As she stood to leave, her father spoke again, freezing her in place.
"When I was a genin, I had a teammate who was an Uchiha." he said, "Apparently the Hokage wanted to see if the Sharingan and the Byakugan could work in concert. When we met we hated each other on sight. We had each been raised to think of ourselves as better than the other so we were constantly trying to one-up each other. Then on our first C-rank mission, he saved my life. I couldn't let him get ahead so on the next I saved his. Pretty soon we started a new competition and by the time we were promoted to chunin he was my closest friend. He was actually at your mother's and my wedding. I always meant to get together with Umeshi again, and now he's dead." Though Hiashi had started the story with a hint of fondness in his voice by the end he was once again speaking in his emotionless tone.
"I think you are right Hinata," Hiashi said quietly, "I should not have let them talk of the dead in the way they did."
Hinata couldn't take it. Some may wonder why Hinata still respected her father so much after some of the things he put her through. He allowed the instructors to be extra harsh on her during training. He allowed the elders to look at her with disdain. He pushed her to be the best sometimes to the point that she thought she would break, but she accepted that because she could see that Hiashi was a man wracked by constant pain. He had lost his brother, and his wife, his nephew hated him, and now he had lost the chance to ever reconnect with his friend. Forgetting about propriety Hinata ran across the office and embraced her father around the neck.
"I'm sorry Papa," Hinata said
Hiashi froze at the contact. How long had it been since she had called him that? Since he had let her call him that. Not since the death of his wife, when he had begun to close himself off when the pain grew too much. Now as he felt his daughters arms around him he couldn't help but feel the arms of his love that had held him the night Hizashi had sacrificed himself, not to protect the clan which he had grown to hate, but to save the life of his older brother that had been too weak to protect him and to save the village that he loved from war.
"I'm sorry my love," his wife had said in the same kind, soft voice used by Hinata now.
For a moment the pain was eased and Hiashi closed his eyes in contentment.
"Thank you daughter," he said quietly.
The next day classes for the academy were once again canceled. At noon the ceremony began, the streets leading to the village cemetery lined with the citizens of Konoha all draped in the colors of mourning. In a long procession, the bodies of the Uchiha were carried through the streets each one covered by a banner bearing the red fan sigil of their clan.
Elsa stood near Yugao and Anko to watch the procession, Kurenai had gone to meet up with another group to spend time with them. Next to Yugao was her boyfriend Hayate who Elsa had met a few times. He was a kind man with a frail disposition for a shinobi so he would often have a cough. She could see from her place that Naruto was nearby accompanied by Jiraiya, the two would often spend time together when the strange older man was in town. He seemed to try and visit at least once a month, and whenever he did he would drop by Elsa's apartment to check on her then go to spend some time with the blond boy. He had told Elsa that it was because the boy had caught his interest when he had dropped her off but she felt that wasn't the full truth for some reason.
Eventually, the line ended and people started to follow the final body toward the cemetery where they gathered to hear another speech from the Hokage. The village leader gave an abridged history of the Uchiha Clan and spoke of some of their greatest contributions to the village through the years. He ended his speech by thanking them for their service then invited a monk from a nearby temple up to offer a prayer for the departed.
For most of the ceremony, Elsa was filled with a numb depression. Seeing the long line of caskets had been so hard because it made the idea of how many people had lost their lives seem so much bigger than it had when it was still abstract in her mind. At the end of it, however, she was able to get a small ray of relief because on the platform at the front, standing next to the Hokage, she saw Sasuke. He still had a bandage on his face showing he was still in recovery, but knowing that he was safe helped her feel better about the situation.
When everything was done Elsa was brought home. She changed out of her borrowed kimono, deciding to bring it back to Hinata the next time she visited the Hyuuga compound. Elsa hadn't seen the other girl during the ceremony because the clans all stood grouped together, but she knew that she would see Hinata in school at the start of next week. With nothing else to do Elsa decided that she would go visit Naruto.
Leaving her apartment she made the short trip to his home. They had learned soon after she had arrived in Konoha that their homes were not that far from each other, but Naruto normally liked to visit Elsa rather than the other way around because he would often not take care to clean his apartment and hers was always nice and orderly. Today she didn't want to stay at home. It was still light out and she was feeling restless so she hoped that Naruto would know someplace they could go, or that he would be willing to walk around with her.
Knocking on his door, she didn't have to wait long before he opened it smiling at the sight of his friend.
"Hi Elsa," he said brightly, "Want to hang out?"
Elsa smiled back at the fact that he had guessed why she had come. Naruto could be surprisingly insightful sometimes and incredibly dense at others, it was one of his odd quirks.
"Yes," Elsa answered, "I was hoping that you would like to go for a walk or that you knew a nice calming place. With everything going on I feel restless."
With a simple "sure," Naruto left his home locking the door behind himself and the two children made their way down to the street. Soon they were walking toward the less populated areas of the village enjoying the nice weather.
"So I saw that you were with Jiraiya at the ceremony," Elsa said to start a conversation as they walked.
"Yeah," Naruto replied, "he was in town for the ceremony and he dropped by yesterday to ask if I had anyone to go with."
"You two seem to be getting close," Elsa said, fishing for information on the two's relationship.
"Kind of," Naruto said noncommittally, "he drops by every once in a while. He said he was impressed by my pranks and stuff and wanted to learn more about them. But most of the time he just asks how I'm doing and tells me to clean my room." Naruto grimaced slightly as he said this but then his expression softened as he continued, "it's kind of annoying, but also kind of nice for someone to be there you know?"
Elsa felt content at her friend's comment. As she had learned about his past she was disturbed by how lonely he must have been. It was nice to hear that he was now having connections with more and more people. Naruto always seemed to thrive as he interacted with others. As they continued to walk they chatted about inane topics like what to expect when they went back to school, the weather, and how cool ninja are, though that was mostly Naruto ranting. Elsa was happy that the walk helped her to relieve some of the stress that the sudden upheaval had caused. It felt so nice to do something so normal.
As they were circling back through one of the parks in the village, Elsa suddenly noticed something. Interrupting Naruto on his third spiel about ramen, Elsa grabbed his attention by saying,
"Naruto, look,"
Off to the side of the path was a small pond. The sun was starting to set, coloring the sky and the pond an orange-yellow color. Sitting on a small wooden dock, protruding into the water, was a black figure. As they approached, they recognized the figure as Sasuke, still dressed in the black clothing he had been wearing at the ceremony earlier. The last surviving Uchiha was sitting looking out over the water, a dark expression on his face. Elsa turned to Naruto and saw him looking at the other boy before he grimaced and made to walk away.
"Naruto!" Elsa said, "We should go talk to him."
"Why?" Naruto asked, "it's not like we're friends."
Elsa harrumphed at the boy, then ignoring his remark began walking toward Sasuke. Naruto made a noise like he wanted to call her back but stopped himself. Elsa wasn't sure if he followed, but right now she didn't care. Sasuke must be in pain and she wanted to try and help. When she reached the bottom of the small rise that separated the path from the pond she slowed. Continuing to walk hesitantly, Elsa came to a stop at the start of the dock. The boy hadn't seemed to notice her yet, so she cleared her throat trying to grab his attention. The sudden noise made the boy jump and spin facing the girl, his eyes wild. Elsa flinched back slightly at the boy's expression, but forced herself to stay where she was. Unable to collect her thoughts, she said the first thing that came to her mind.
"Sasuke, I am so glad you are alright."
Sasuke didn't react to her words at first, after a moment however his expression darkened and he furrowed his brow angrily.
"How can you say that?' he said, his words almost coming out as a growl, "My entire family is dead, how could I possibly be 'alright?'"
Elsa was shocked by the response. Sasuke had been haughty with her before but he had never shown such malice.
"No, I-I-I didn't mean…" She started, "I just wanted to-" Sasuke cut her off before she could finish.
"You just wanted to help. That's what everyone wants to do. Well, I don't need your help. WE AREN'T EVEN FRIENDS!" he ended up yelling the last part.
"Hey!" interjected Naruto. He had ended up following Elsa after all, and when he heard Sasuke yell his natural instinct to protect her pushed him to act.
"Oh great," Sasuke said sarcastically, "here comes the idiot butting in like he always does."
"Hey," Naruto said again, "Elsa is just trying to help. Don't be rude or I'll make you pay for it."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the threat, " What are you going to do? You couldn't even finish the obstacle course, and you think you can take me on."
"That's it!" Naruto replied, "This has been a long time coming jerk."
"Bring it on idiot."
Before Elsa could say anything to prevent it, Naruto launched himself at the other boy. Sasuke, being the more skilled of the two of them, easily deflected Naruto's clumsy first swing and retaliated with a fist to the face. The hit didn't stop the boy though, he quickly got up and attacked again. Just like he had bragged to Hinata, stamina was Naruto's specialty. Whenever Sasuke hit him down the boy would quickly bounce to his feet and attack again. The fight appeared to be one-sided but Naruto made up for his lack of skill with his cunning. Starting to recognize the patterns of Sasuke's movements Naruto attacked in a way that he had already tried before. Sasuke, underestimating his opponent, thought he was just trying the attack again randomly and countered it using the same method he had before. Naruto had used this as a way to know exactly where the counter was coming from allowing him to grab the boy's arm and leaving him defenseless to Naruto's follow-up attack. Sasuke's skill was not to be underestimated either, seeing the attack coming the boy rolled with the punch lessening the damage it did. Now separated the two boys looked at each other each panting from the exertion they had put into the fight thus far.
Elsa was distraught at what was happening in front of her. She had wanted to try and offer the boy some form of comfort after the pain he must be going through, and now her friend was fighting him. She felt helpless in the situation before her. That feeling combined with the tumultuous emotions she had from all the drama of the past days to form a swirling storm inside her. As the two boys rose to continue their melee she couldn't hold it in anymore and threw down her hands yelling,
"STOP IT!"
Unbidden her power responded exploding out despite the gloves she still wore on her hands. Wintery energy exploded out from her spreading in swirling fractal patterns. In an instant, the pond was frozen over and the dock had an inch of ice sticking the feet of both Naruto and Sasuke to the ground and stopping their fight. The two boys stared at her in shock. She wanted to shrink, self-conscious of her outburst, but the more pressing desire to help the boy who had lost everything allowed her to push past her fear and speak.
"Sasuke, just because you don't need help doesn't mean you can't want it." The girl said, "we may not be friends but we are still here for you."
The girl was as heartfelt as she could be, pleading for the boy to accept her help. A part of the other boy kept him from accepting it though. In the face of her plea, he looked away and clicked his teeth to show annoyance. From where Naruto was standing though he could see the pain in the boy's eyes. With a roar, Naruto ripped his feet from the ice and marched up to him. Sasuke prepared to defend himself but hesitated because even though Naruto looked aggressive his body language didn't show that he planned to attack. When Naruto reached Sasuke he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and yelled in his face,
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ALONE IDIOT!" Sasuke's eyes widened at the shout but he was listening closely as the boy continued speaking softly, "It hurts more if you are alone."
As Naruto said this Sasuke was surprised at the shadow of pain he heard and how similar it was to his own. Sasuke's eyes began to water but he wouldn't let himself cry. He stiffened his bottom lip and looked away. The trio sat in silence, Naruto and Elsa hoping the other boy would accept their offer of friendship. Finally, the other boy spoke quietly,
"Fine,"
Elsa, having approached close enough to hear his response, smiled softly. Naruto's face erupted into one of his trademark grins.
"You know what you need?" Naruto suddenly asked, "Ramen, everything's better when you have some ramen."
As he said this he patted Sasuke on the back companionably. However, with his feet still frozen, Sasuke wasn't able to correct his balance so the pat caused him to topple forward.
"NARUTO!" Elsa yelled and began to scold her friend for his careless action.
"Don't blame me," Naruto responded, "you froze his feet to the ground."
Sasuke, his feet now free of the ice, turned over and looked up, watching as Elsa nervously tried to explain. The scene was so innocent with the two framed by the setting sun behind them that it caused the boy to chuckle at the normality of it. The two friends froze at the sound and looked at him, smiling at the pleased expression they saw on his face. As one, they reached out offering their hands to the boy on the icy ground.
In short order, the trio was walking down the road heading for Naruto and Elsa's favorite ramen stand. As they walked Sasuke said quietly,
"I don't actually like Ramen,"
Naruto's shocked cry of "WHAT!?" echoed through the empty streets.
As the children walked away they didn't see the form of Neko appear on the dock looking over the aftermath of the conflict that had just taken place. She gazed in shock at the frozen pond and dock before using a fire jutsu to rapidly melt the ice erasing all evidence of the girl's power.
Teuchi sat in his shop idly preparing some ingredients that had been running low. He wasn't technically open for business today, no shop owner was, in respect of the lives lost. But he had the shop shudders lifted in case people came looking for some ramen to give them comfort in the face of the tragedy that had struck the village. He had already had several people, both shinobi and regular citizens, drop by to talk and he had offered them a warm bowl free of charge hoping to give some relief to the stress they must be feeling.
With the sun now setting he was planning to close up shop but he figured he would get a head start on some of the prep work he would need to do tomorrow when he opened for business. As he worked, Teuchi was distracted by a voice approaching that was instantly familiar.
"...and that is why, no matter what you say, ramen will always be the best food ever invented by all of humankind."
Through the curtain walked the young form of Naruto extolling the greatness of broth and noodles to a resigned audience. Following Naruto in came two other children. One Teuchi expected. It was Elsa, Naruto's best friend and a new regular to the shop, though she rarely came in without her blond friend accompanying her. The other was a complete surprise to see. As the boy found a seat on one of the stools at the counter, Teuchi couldn't help but remember the sight of the Uchiha survivor standing at the front of the ceremony alongside the Hokage staring forlornly as his family was lowered into their graves. Now though, the boy seemed to be recovering, if the accommodating look he was shooting toward Naruto was any indication.
"Mr. Teuchi," Naruto suddenly exclaimed, "you gotta help, Sasuke says that he doesn't like ramen."
Putting on his most child-friendly smile Teuchi played his role in Naruto's little drama.
"What?' Teuchi said with over-exaggerated seriousness, "we can't let that slide." Turning to the boy, he looked him over with a critical eye. "You know I think I can fix this. Tell me boy what is your favorite flavor."
Sasuke was surprised by the man's attitude towards him. Every other adult Sasuke had dealt with since he woke up in the hospital had tried to dote on him. Yet here was a man who was treating him normally.
"Um," Sasuke said, a slight nervousness in his voice, "I like tomatoes."
"Ugh" Naruto exclaimed, "it's hopeless, you can't put tomatoes in ramen."
Teuchi chuckled ominously, "Oh Naruto, is your faith in ramen so small that you would balk at a mere tomato? Watch and learn."
Teuchi turned from the three children and began to work. The children were enraptured as they watched him scoop a serving of broth into a smaller pot and put it on a burner. He then added several ingredients including a tin of tomatoes and various spices. As that boiled, he grabbed a ball of dough and expertly stretched it into a serving of noodles, putting on a little extra flourish to entertain his audience. Soon the noodles were in the water boiling and Teuchi pulled a bowl down. At the exact moment that his timer dinged he pulled the noodles shaking them free of water and put them in the bowl. The broth which was now a rich red color was then poured over the top. Turning back to the three children, Teuchi placed the bowl on the counter and added some toppings: a few slices of crispy fried chicken, a soft-boiled egg, bean sprouts, and a sprinkling of green onion for color. Placing the bowl in front of the black-haired boy, he watched expectantly.
Sasuke looked at the bowl of noodles in red broth warily before he reached out with his chopsticks and pulled out a mouthful. Placing the noodles in his mouth he slurped them up and chewed slowly. His two new friends watched, eager for his reaction. After a moment he swallowed and looked at the bowl surprise on his face.
"It's good," he said.
'Yeah!" Naruto cried, "Teuchi, you were right, I never should have doubted the power of ramen."
Teuchi smiled at the boy before looking at the Uchiha scion before him.
"You know there is a fun story to how I made up that recipe." Teuchi said, "way back when I first opened the shop I had a regular customer who brought a friend of hers to eat here, her friend was an Uchiha like you."
The boy looked up sharply at the man as he continued his story,
"She said the same thing you did, so I asked her, 'what is your favorite flavor?' and she also said tomatoes. I challenged her to come back in a few days and that I would have a new flavor of ramen made that she would love, and that bowl is the result of the challenge. She liked it so much that she used to come regularly though she stopped coming as much when she got married and started having kids. But I always kept it on the menu and even named it after her. You are enjoying the Mikoto Special right there."
Sasuke's eyes widened at the name and Teuchi smiled gently back. Looking back to his bowl the boy continued to eat. Turning back to his station Teuchi took the orders of Elsa and Naruto and got back to work. As he cooked he thought to himself,
"What a strange twist of fate, having an Uchiha and an Uzumaki eating here again."
When the other two had been served Elsa sat contentedly in between Naruto and Sasuke watching the two boys eat happily. As she dug into her own bowl she could help but feel happy to be here in Konoha.
Dear Elsa,
It has been so long since your last letter dear, I wish you would write more often. Things are going well in Arendelle. Your father has gone to great lengths to form strong ties with the surrounding kingdoms. We recently were able to form a treaty with The Southern Isles and Corona. You would be shocked to hear what those places will spend to get ice shipped to them. We still have a strained relationship with Wesselton. They seem to think we have some hidden treasure, rather than just accepting that we are selling ice, but as long as they are willing to sell us grain to supplement our stores for winter we have to keep those avenues open.
Anna has become a hero to the people. She loves spending time amongst them, especially at the orphanage where she goes to play with the children once a week. The people seem to think of her as a saint. I am worried though. Even though she is still kind she has become so serious, spending more and more time with your father talking about economics and such. It really is a surprising change. I asked her once why she spent so much time doing it and she told me, "If Elsa is off learning in some academy I will learn what I can here in Arendelle." I think you should write to her more often, she still misses you terribly I can feel it.
I have been doing my best to promote culture here. After so long, I was finally able to get funds to start building a museum to host the art we keep. That would allow more people the chance to see it rather than the small groups I am able to get approval to show through the palace. I also was able to organize a festival for local musicians to play for the community. I truly think it is helping the city become a more beautiful and happy place. Your father doesn't get it but I was lucky enough to marry a man who trusts my judgment.
Please write soon Elsa. We all love to hear that you are doing well and that you have made such good friends. I hope you feel you have enough control to come home soon.
All my love
Your Mother,
Beta: Creativemindatworkhere