"Go! Go!" says Kimimaro, waving for Jyuugo to run to the next location where there is a bit of cover. Jyuugo makes a break for it with the treasure in his hand while Kimimaro and Kimiko provide cover fire.
"We're nearly there," says Kimiko, shooting a jet of water at Konohamaru. They are in the middle of the treasure hunt. The treasure hunt is also a water fight. They transformed the garden into a maze of walls and mounds made with earth style fuuinjutsu. Kurama set up this game so that Kazama, Arashi and Iruka would be able to join in without already knowing where the treasure is. There are seven treasures, and the clues to where each treasure is hidden are in a box on the roof. The goal is for each team to find a treasure and get it back to their base. Once they have a treasure at their base, they can go up to the roof and get another clue.
Burifu jumps over the earth wall Jyuugo is hiding behind and tackles him to the ground. "Hand over the snake, eh!" she demands, pointing her water pistol at Jyuugo's face.
Everyone was split into two teams. Kimiko gets to lead one team, because it's her party, and Tachi gets to lead the other because he won Pin The Tail on the Bijuu. The treasures are rubber versions of various summoning animals: a slug, a toad, a snake, an owl, a shark, a crow and a clam. Burifu and Konohmaru are on Tachi's team, along with Minato, Sekitei, Iruka, Aki, Moegi and Arashi. Everyone else, namely Jyuugo, Kimimaro, Kabuto, Kushina, Naruto, Namiko, Kazama and Udon, is on Kimiko's team.
Kazama emerges from her hiding place and shoots Burifu in the face with her water gun. "Back off, that treasure is ours!"
Burifu splutters and falls falls off Jyuugo's chest, dropping her water pistol. Jyuugo jumps up and makes a break for the front doorway, which is Kimiko's Team Base. Konohamaru turns his aim onto Jyuugo, but Kimiko aims her water gun right at him, hitting Kono square in the chest. They are not allowed to fight each other with anything except water - even water style ninjutsu is not allowed.
Kono retreats behind the earth wall he is using as cover.
Juugo reaches the doorway and places the rubber snake beside the owl they already have. "HOME!" yells Jyuugo.
"Kimiko, to the roof!" urges Kazama. Only the team leader is allowed on the roof to collect the clues.
"Stop her!" yells Konohamaru. The teams are allowed (and even encouraged) to stop each other's team leaders from getting the clues.
Kimiko squeals in fright as every nearby member of Team Tachi turns their attention to her. ""Cover me!" she calls to her own team, and turns towards the roof.
Sasuke knits her eyebrows together in determination. She can do this. Carefully, she takes a step.
"You can do it!" Mikoto cheers, clasping her hands together.
"Come on, Sasuke," says her father, sternly. "Don't let these injuries defeat you."
"Nee chan! Nee Chan!" chants Eizo, waving his fists in the air.
Itachi says nothing, and Karasu is asleep - not that he would understand what is happening anyway.
Sasuke takes another step, and wobbles dangerously. Sasuke steadies herself and takes another step. Her cast is finally off and she is learning to walk again.
"Come on," says Mikoto, beckoning Sasuke towards her. "You can do it."
Sasuke never thought that walking would be so hard. Her left leg feels wobbly from all that time in a cast. There is still a layer of bandages around the leg to protect it, but Tsunade deemed Sasuke healed enough to start walking without her crutches.
So that is what Sasuke is trying to do.
"Just a little further," says Mikoto, encouragingly.
Sasuke grits her teeth and takes another shaky step. If she can't even cross the living room without falling over, then that's just pathetic. Ugh, Sasuke is starting to sound like Madara. That's just unacceptable.
Sasuke tries to take another step and wobbles dangerously, before falling flat on her face.
"Oh!" Mikoto's hand flies to her mouth. "Are you alright, Sasuke?"
Itachi starts laughing.
Sasuke turns her best death glare on her elder sister and struggles back to her feet. Her face burning red with embarrassment, Sasuke finishes crossing the room and glares at Itachi.
Itachi suppresses her giggles. "Your face when you fell was priceless," Itachi says.
Sasuke sniffs and tosses her hair.
"Come on, Sasuke," says Fugaku, who is on the other side of the room where Sasuke left her crutches. "We are not stopping until you can make it across the room without falling."
Sasuke turns around and heads back across the room. This time!
Well, she has been trying all morning without success, but this time she will make it without falling. One foot in front of the other. Her left leg is a bit awkward to walk on, but she just needs to get used to it. Another step, and another. Sasuke is aware she has a limp. It might very well be permanent.
And finally, Sasuke reaches her Dad.
Fugaku grins and pats Sasuke on the head. "Good," he says. "Keep it up and you'll be back in shape in no time!"
Keep it up. Those words again. Her dad says 'as expected: that's my girl' to Itachi, 'keep it up' to Sasuke and 'good work' to Eizo. Does...does their Dad have different words of praise for each of them? Maybe. Sasuke resolves to pay closer attention in the future. "I'm not done yet," Sasuke says with a smirk, and turns to walk back to her mother. No more crutches for Sasuke.
"Get it, get it!" Screams Kimiko, panicking. Team Tachi stole their third treasure. If Sekitei gets the Clam treasure to her team's base, Team Tachi will be one point away from winning - and they already have their own third treasure, meaning they have two treasures in their possession. The score is 2/2, and the first team to make to four points wins.
In other words, Team Tachi is about to win.
Namiko leaps over a mound of earth and relentlessly attacks Aki, who has Team Tachi's other treasure. Aki retreats from Namiko's onslaught, holding the plastic slug close to her chest. Aki fires back with a water balloon. The water balloon hits Namiko square in the face, knocking her over. Kushina finds the garden hose and starts spraying Minato with it for the heck of it. Iruka comes to Minato's aid by bombarding Kushina with water balloons. Naruto tips a bucket of water on Iruka's head, then runs to the pool to refill it. Konohamaru and Moegi leap to Aki's defense as Kazama and Udon rush to assist Namiko. Arashi, Tachi and Konohamaru rush to defend Sekitei with their super soakers.
"Jyugo, Kimimaro, Kabuto: Iet's get them!" says Kimiko, refilling her water pistol. Her Sound buddies refill their water pistols too. Once they are done, Kimiko and her posse descend on Tachi, Kono, Arashi and Sekitei to reclaim their treasure. Water flies everywhere, Kabuto loses his glasses, Tachi trips over a stone and Burifu touches Jyuugo's butt. Kimiko is about 90% sure she did it on purpose. However, it looked accidental - but you never know with Burifu.
"Did you just touch my butt?" asks Jyuugo. Apparently he noticed.
Burifu turns bright red and apologises.
Everyone else seems to think it was an accident, but Kimiko narrows her eyes. Does Burifu have a crush on Jyuugo? That's just weird.
However, while they were distracted, Sekitei sneaked past and is now just steps away from the back doorway - Team Tachi's base. "Get her!"
Sekitei squeals and tries to run away, but she trips and drops the treasure. The clam goes flying. Before anyone can do anything, the clam lands in the doorway.
"Awesome!" Yells Kono, throwing his hands in the air. "One more and we win."
"Namiko!" Yells Arashi. "We can win this!"
"No!" says Kimiko. She doesn't want to lose another game.
"Rrrr..." Jyuugo growls. Kimiko freezes. No - please not right now! "Die..."
"Jyuugo, calm down!" says Kabuto.
"Jyuugo!" says Kimimaro, readying his spine to restrain Jyuugo. "Stop, please."
Jyuugo transforms further, now half his body is transformed. Jyuugo laughs maniacally and bats Kimimaro aside. That's never happened before.
"Jyuugo's gotten stronger," says Kabuto, sounding pleased.
"Now's not the time to be happy about that, Kabuto!" Yells Kimiko.