Chapter 17: The rest of the week
(Sometime later)
[Hokage Office building]
"Jiji! Catch!" Naruko yelled the moment she barged through the Hokage office's doors. The Sandaime's reflexes were still on point as he caught the object with his left hand without lifting his head from the papers he was working on. After he finished rejecting a form Hiruzen looked at what the girl had given him. It was an engraved red coin wrapped in a rubber band holding a folded paper on it back. He raised an eyebrow when the girl's advice reading the letter before asking anything. Humoring her, Hiruzen did so and through the admittedly bad handwriting, he learned about the challenge coin, how the girl acquired it and what he could expect.
"Heh, you're just going keep impressing me, I see?" Sarutobi chuckled as the girl grinned on. "Good thing I've started training again after last time. Now, given you came through the door instead of the window it's safe to assume you have more to say. Correct?"
"Yep," Naruko answered with an extra pop at the end. "You can come in now guys," she called out to the unlikely group of teachers and students who entered in a much more respectful manner than the Uzumaki. "Got a surprise for you, Jiji!"
"Why is young Sasuke wearing part of your old orange jumpsuit," was the first thing the old Kage asked when he saw the group. Sure, the chunin instructors looked serious and the envelope being held by Iruka screamed "important" but people had to have priorities. Then his granddaughter just grinned with too many teeth.
"I pulled a prank," was all Naruko said.
"Of course, you did," Sarutobi and the four hidden ANBU all sighed in defeat. "What was it this time?" the Hokage asked, already feeling a headache forming. Then Iruka placed the envelope on his desk like this was a professional mission report the scarred man before he proceeded to explain what the group had been doing this afternoon. At first, Hiruzen chuckled internally from hearing how Naruko fooled Sasuke into being her and couldn't help the raised eyebrow at the interaction between the Uchiha and Yamanaka. However, any humor soon left him as the rest of the day's events were informed to him alongside the other people in the group giving statements from their point of view. Safe to say that by the end of the briefing the Hokage had lost his friendly grandfather visage. Instead, the group saw the elderly man turned into the unflinching, stern and powerful ruler of the village. Only the adults and Naruko managed to not look intimidated by the man's imposing presence.
"After this Uzumaki-san suggested to her fellow classmates to write a report of today like Suzume-san and myself were doing. These written reports are all sealed in that envelope alongside the video taken from the camera on Uchiha-san's person during the events," Iruka finished and waited.
"I hope it's understood that what I've heard just now are very serious allegations. Allegations that could end up causing unforeseen ramifications in the lives of these people and those around them," the leader spoke and caused most of the academy students to gulp in nervousness. Naruko on the other hand just yawned loudly much to the students' horror.
"Yeah, I know that Jiji. I also know that written papers could be easily faked or lost. That's why I added the videotape which can't be faked and I've already made multiple copies of it should that one "get lost" during transport," the whiskered girl said as if it was an afterthought. Then with a tired smile, she added "I want payback for everything those bastards have done to me but if life has taught me anything is that you don't always get what you want. So please, punish and humiliate them but there is no reason to ruin their lives forever." Hearing this surprising level of empathy for the girl's tormentors cooled the Hokage's fire. Then he noticed an evil grin appear on the girl's face. "But please make sure that they know that it's by my mercy that they keep their freedom. Remind them that it's my choice that they are treated fairly. But most important is that it's my humanity that stopped you from turning them into a cautionary tale. There is no need for people to die from this after all."
'Translation: "They already dug their hole now throw them a rope and see if they climb up or hung themselves with it." She really is Kunishina-chan's and Minato-kun's daughter,' Hiruzen thought with a hidden smirk but said "Your leniency will be taken into consideration however I must examine the evidence you brought. After this, I'll have to launch an investigation so it may take some time. Do not expect this to be resolved quickly."
"I imagined but at least I've completed what I set out to do today. Thank you for your time Jiji," Naruko commented and bowed to the man. With that, the group understood this was the end of their small venture and bow too before leaving with the jinchuriki. Once out of the building their fearless leader decided that their next destination would be Sakura's house.
"Are we doing that weird flying jutsu of yours?" Sakura asked, already looking a little green.
"Sorry, I can't use Zoom to a place I don't know about," Naruko chuckled and asked the girl for the location. With that information, her mini-map was updated and Benihime provided a green arrow trail to follow. Thankfully given the time, there were fewer people out and the group could ignore most of the glares from random villagers towards the Uzumaki. Thus, the girls could talk among themselves with Naruko taking the time to integrate Sakura into the conversation. Then due to some well-placed questions by Hinata and Ino the talk was diverted towards the topic of video games. This soon caused the Uzumaki to geek out about all the games she had played in the arcades, the worlds she had visited and the people she had met and saved. Hinata found this side cute, Ino found it entertaining, Sasuke was indifferent and Sakura finally managed to chuckle.
"That heck," Sakura giggled "You talk as if you've been there for real. Those are just images on a screen, Uzumaki-san. I admit that you're the strongest girl in our age group but you shouldn't lose yourself in those kids' games. Life isn't a video game."
"If you say so Sakura-chan," Naruko smirked knowingly. Hinata, Ino and even Iruka struggled to hold their laughter knowing that the pinkette had unknowingly just managed to find the one person in the Elemental Nations who could say that saying was a lie. "By the way, Hinata-chan and Violet told me you took up an axe as a weapon. How is that going for you?" At the question, the emerald-eyed girl looked down ashamed. "Let me guess, no upper body strength?" Seeing the girl's twitch at the question she added "Then first and most important is that you have to eat! Not more of that diet that's pretty much "I don't eat." All you're doing is slowly killing yourself and insulting people that need to dig through a dumpster just so they wouldn't die from starvation. Second, start lifting things like beginner dumbbells or cans of paint if they're more available. I mean, before recently most of my training equipment consisted of junk I found thrown away and I still managed to become the third strongest in our group."
"Actually, it's the fourth-strongest now," Ino shot with a wicked smirk that made everyone look at her. "What? Did you forget how Hinata-chan made it look like you were run over by horses after she was done with you?" Hearing this the other members of the group tried to visualize the scene of the kind and quiet wallflower beating up the Uzumaki. The adults couldn't fathom it, Sasuke just imagined the Uzumaki had been holding back and Sakura openly looked at the Hyuga both awe and a little fear. Hinata for her part just blushed and looked away in embarrassment.
"Hey! I've gotten a little stronger since then. Besides, you have no idea what those magic fingers of hers can do," Naruko retorted and blushed upon realizing what she said at the end.
"Oh, I'm sure you know all about those "magical fingers" of hers," Ino muttered at what she thought was low enough not to be heard. Yet when she nearly crashed into the paralyzed Uzumaki, Ino got to see both Naruko and Hinata blushing and staring at her like a couple of deer caught in the flashlights.
"W-W-What t-t-that s-s-suppose t-t-to m-m-mean?!" Naruko stuttered yelled which caught everyone by surprise. Seeing this, Ino knew she should stop here and not embarrass or expose the Uzumaki. However, the Yamanaka princess also knew that if she didn't do something to help her friends, the chance of Naruko and Hinata getting together would take years. She was all for a slow burn romance but there wasn't anything wrong with adding a spark or two. Hence, she smiled like a cat and played with her prey.
"What? Hinata-chan there said she helped you with your chakra poisoning back at the infirmary. I just want to know how she helped you with those "magic fingers" as you call them. Is it wrong for me to ask? I'm just a worried friend. Unless something interesting happened that you don't want to tell. Well? Did something happen? Pumpkin? Hinata-chan? Either of you has anything to say?" the Gossip Queen asked as her two friends kept blushing harder and harder with each question. "Come on, I just want to know how she moved your chakra?" And with that Hinata fainted which proved enough distraction for Naruko to discretely clean the nosebleed, she got from the memory.
"Is Hinata-chan okay?" Sakura asked after seeing the girl collapsed.
"She should be. Though that only happens when she's around our dear Naruko Uzumaki. I wonder why?" Ino commented smugly. Thankfully for the whiskered girl, the Yamanaka didn't get a chance to notice the nosebleed. Also, the jinchuriki refused to answer the question and with the help of a clone gently picked up the unconscious Hyuga. After that, the group kept walking towards Sakura's house as Naruko carried Hinata on her back.
[You're lucky she's wearing armor. Else her boobs would be pressed all over your back,] Benihime teased which caused her mistress to blush at the mental image.
[Shut up,] Naruko muttered to the fairy who giggled but followed orders. Moments later the group reached Sakura's house. "Wait a moment. You live in a bakery?" the whiskered girl asked upon seeing her classmate's home.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I never talk about so you wouldn't know. But yes, my parents have owned this store since before I was born," Sakura announced with a sense of pride in her voice.
"Cool, I've taken up baking myself after buying a new oven. Maybe we can change recipes later?" Naruko suggested. What she didn't mention was buying a skill book on baking and using one of her two-weekly instant-learn-skill slots to become an amateur baker. Was it cheating? Of course, it was but she was training to be a ninja and part of the job description is not playing fair. Plus, this meant she could learn to bake cinnamon buns for her girl. Naruko wanted to be a good girlfriend after all.
"Sure, I'll… You know what? Yeah, I would like that. See you tomorrow everyone," Sakura responded with a smile and waved the group goodbye before entering her home.
"Bet you're mad she didn't give you a good night kiss," Naruko teased towards Sasuke.
"Whatever," was all the boy said before turning around to leave. However, he stopped and turned his head back slightly. "What jutsu do you want to learn?" At the group's confused look he sighed and elaborated. "Look I understand you said that today's challenge was postponed but for me, this was a total defeat. We made an honor bond deal. I lost and thus I owe you a jutsu. Now, what type of jutsu do you want to learn?"
'Wow, he really wants to uphold his end, doesn't he? Hmm, I wonder what I should ask for? I do have to start learning elemental magic. No wait, the system classifies spells and jutsu differently so even if I learned elemental ninjutsu it probably wouldn't meet the requirements for my class advancement,' Naruko thought before mentally writing to Benihime [Hey, Beni-chan? What do you think I should ask for?]
[Sasuke-san is part of one of the village's founding clans, correct? Why not ask about older arts like Fuinjutsu? Thanks to Kakashi-san's stories we know your mother was natural at making seals and there's a chance you are too on some level. Might as well try,] Benihime suggested and her friend nodded at the idea.
"Okay. Do you have any books or scrolls on Fūinjutsu?" the jinchuriki inquired which made the Uchiha raise an eyebrow.
"That's seal crafting, right? As far I can remember I've never heard of an Uchiha seal maker. Sorry," Sasuke answered truthfully.
'Dang it. Oh well. Ninjutsu it is then,' Naruko sighed and said "It's a shame but understandable. Then how about nature transformation training manuals? I'm a wind elemental by the way." Hearing this Sasuke nodded in acceptance but said it would probably take him a couple of days to bring the reward given that most of his clan had been fire elementals before leaving. Seeing the boy leave told Naruko it was time the group parted ways. Thus, she stepped closer to Ino before turning to the chunin. "Guess this is where we part for today. I can teleport Ino-chan and Hinata-chan so you don't have to escort us. Thanks for the help," she said and bowed alongside Ino. After saying their goodbyes, the Yamanaka grabbed her arm and they flew towards the flower shop. Once they landed Ino let go and turned to Naruko.
"You know, as horrible as the first time is that Zoom of yours is the best way to travel. A girl could get used to that."
"Heh, yeah I know. It's becoming a habit so I'm going to start running around again. Besides, I much prefer the feel of the air on my skin when I run. Fast Travel is just too quick for that to happen," Naruko answered and jumped a little when Hinata's lips brushed her neck. Ino saw this and smirked.
"Feeling something there, eh Pumpkin?"
"N-N-No."
"Guess I'll have to ignore that blush then," Ino giggled as her friend glared at her. Then her humor went away and Ino's face became downtrodden "But I'm really sorry if I ever made you feel like those people. You didn't deserve any of this. I'm sorry for being such an utter bitch to you all of these years."
"Violet… Hey. Ino-chan, look at me," Naruko whispered so Ino would look at her in the eyes. Sorrowful sky blue met understanding deep blue. "Don't beat yourself up for that. I mean, Sakura has been far worse to me and I've forgiven her. Ino-chan, even at your worst you never crossed the line with me. You never made fun of my height, me being an orphan or ever disrespected my parents. So why shouldn't I let bygones be bygones? Besides we're real friends now and I don't want to lose one of the two girls that could take my level of smack-talk and throw it back," she finished with a challenging grin and left Ino blinking in surprise.
'How can she just forgive me like that? Dammit Naruko! I'm trying to feel bad. You don't have to go and make me feel better,' Ino chuckled. "Fine. I wouldn't be depressed about it. And yeah, I do like our little spats from time to time. Pumpkin," she finished tauntingly with crossed arms.
"You know, I should stop calling you Violet. Sure, it's your favorite color but it sounds so lame compared to that one," Naruko commented, which made Ino raise an eyebrow.
"What? You finally came up with one better?" Ino asked with a laugh as Naruko's fingers twitched for a brief second. "Fine let me hear it," Ino challenged and leaned down so her ear was closer to the smaller blonde.
Then the word " Orchid " was whispered into her ear in the huskiest and most tone she has ever heard. The air caressed her ear, the sound vibrated through her body, the meaning of the flower caused her mind to shivered, her soul awakened to the Uzumaki's presence and the core of her body became an inferno that blushed her entire being. Followed by this were images of Naruko hugging her from behind with those big and strong arms of her as she whispered that word again and again. Causing the Yamanaka's body to react in ways it never had before. How could a single word cause so much damage? It was just a simple nickname made up by the annoying little brat yet the way it was said made her feelings transform into a storm of joyful madness that threatened to consume her.
'Wha… I… How… But… KYYYAAAAA!' Ino's poor maiden heart couldn't take much more stimulation and it chose to flee. Thus, the princess jumped away until her back was pressed against the door of her. Both of her now sweaty hands covered her assaulted ear connected to her flushed face as her quivering legs fought to sustain her weight. All the while her widened eyes started at Naruko who looked back at her with a mischievous grin before winking and zooming away. 'WHAT THE HELL DID SHE JUST DO TO ME?!' Ino's frantic mind screamed as she slid to the ground and tried to get her heart to stop skipping so many beats. She was not about to die from gay panic, dammit!
~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
[Naruko's apartment roof]
"That was kind of mean of you," Benihime reprimanded though she could stop herself from grinning over what happened.
"I call it payback," Naruko responded while laying down Hinata on a sofa she teleported up to the roof. The wonders of having a reality-bending cube that could help you create any furniture at a moment's notice. "Anyway, I have to wake up our princess here. She might not care about what her clan thinks but that guard Kō looks at me like a father ready to kill his daughter's boyfriend."
"I'm not surprised. Over the years as my personal guard Kō-san has been more of a father to me than Hiashi-sama has."
"Yeah, that would explain why-" The words died in Naruko's throat as she finally registered the third voice. With difficulty, she gulped down her nerves and looked down to see Hinata starting at her. The night was just starting to fall but even with the low light, Naruko could see there wasn't any anger in that pair of lavender eyes. However, there wasn't any laughter either, just neutral calculation as Hinata lifted herself into a sitting position.
"Naru-kun, what did you do to Ino-chan? I woke up a bit after my lips touched your neck. Hence, I was able to activate my Byakugan in time to see you breathe chakra into Ino-chan's ear. Please tell me what did you do?" Hinata asked with a calm yet firm voice. It made the girl seem so much taller and intimidating than Naruko could have ever imagined.
"Ah… Well, you see… I… umm… Beni-chan?" Naruko nervously asked while glancing at her partner for help. Instead, she found a text window that read
[Sorry! The girls called saying they need some help translating a textbook. I hope you and Hinata had a good night!]
"Traitor!"
"Naru-kun?" The question made the blonde flinch before she sighed in defeat. She knew she had done wrong and would have to pay for it. Therefore, Naruko bowed her head low, sat on her knees and showed Hinata the screen that held the answer.
{TITLES}
The Prince [Equipped]
Description – a title given to a girl and woman who radiates an aura of attractiveness that can even sway members of the same gender. Normally this type of girl flourishes in all-girl schools because she is either cool, beautiful, handsome, smart, mysterious, possesses great athletic ability or a combination of these. Thus, causing her to gain many fans due to being the closest things these sheltered girls have to a boy or because she managed to awaken the girls' true feelings.
+25% chance of charming women
+10% chance of persuading women during conversation
Can cause extra CHARM damage to women when using the correct speech options
"Naru-kun, what do the terms charm damage and correct speech options mean?" Hinata asked more in confusion than anger after reading the text. Even with the blue tint of the window covering her girlfriend's face, Hinata could see Naruko's strong blush as she looked away.
"I don't know about the second one but the first is what you did to me at the infirmary," Naruko whispered through the embarrassment.
"What are you talking about? All I did was- oh… Oh," Hinata gasped as the memory came back. Almost instantly the Hyuga blushed crimson as she remembered exactly what her fingers did to the Uzumaki. It wasn't long before the couple was both releasing steam from their ears due to the heat said event produced for them. It took some time before Hinata could form a sentence and even then, it was a struggle. "D-D-Does that m-m-mean you c-c-can make a g-g-girl c-c-c-c-c-climax w-w-with y-y-your v-v-voice?"
"Maybe," Naruko squeaked out while biting her lower lip. "I'm sorry… I thought it would have been a good payback for making you faint. I'm sorry," she apologized and waited for the hammer to fall. Instead, she felt her face being lifted by a pair of gentle hands.
"It's okay. No, please listen. I am mad but I'll forgive you this once. So please, promise me you will never use this title without my permission. Plus, you have to tell Ino-chan about this tomorrow. She's our friend and it's not nice to play with each other's feelings like that. Can you do that?"
"Yes! It's a promise," the blonde said while nodding continuously. Then she stopped. "Wait a moment… Why wait for your permission instead of banning it completely?" At the question, it was Hinata's turn to blush and pull away. She even did her cute finger poking gesture. "Hinata-chan?" For a while, the girl didn't give a response other than biting her lower lip. That is until she whispered.
"I… I want you… Well, I want… I… please use it while calling me pet names! Just like you did not Ino-chan," Hinata confessed quickly with a luminescent blush that Naruko matched.
'Bloody hell… She wants me too… but that so… in her ear?! Wow… D-D-Did I really find such an awesome girlfriend by being myself and letting… her know about… me… fuck,' Naruko thought as she came to the realization that she had yet to tell the girl the whole truth. 'We promised no secrets… but… will she still want me if she knew that the fox is alive and in me?' This caused a great deal of turmoil in the small Uzumaki as her mind came up with a plethora of scenarios where things would be better if she kept her mouth shut. However, even more, events emerged where the guilt of keeping this secret ate her up or that Hinata found out later and resentment grew due to that lack of trust. "I can't keep silent about the fox after all, can I?" she thought out loud while staring down.
"Huh?" Hinata asked in confusion. After confessing her desire to perform such an incredibly lewd act Hinata took her girlfriend's silence as a sign that she had crossed one line too many. However, hearing the pain in her lover's voice pulled at Hinata's heartstrings. "Naru-kun, what's wrong? What do you have to tell me about the Kyubi no Yoko?" At the question, she received a sad smile before Naruko got up and sat beside her on the sofa. However, the whiskered girl refused to look at her in the eye.
"Sorry, Hinata-chan. Today I lied to you about the true fate of the fox. Benihime! I know you're there by the door eavesdropping. Tell me, is there a way for me to show my memories to others the way you do with yours?" Instead of answering, the fairy opened the main system's menu screen showing tab shortcuts for all of Naruko's other menus. The tab called Encyclopedia had a flashing yellow [!] besides it to signal a new addition to it. Naruko clicked it on and then went to the new section called Important Events. There she found the video called Meeting one's inner demons and once selected played the video of Naruko's meeting with the Nine-tails in its entirety.
"Was this supposed to scare me away from you?" Hinata asked calmly after the video ended. That reaction threw the whiskered girl for a loop as she found herself unable to answer. Then the bluenette interlocked their fingers before turning to the blonde with a radiant smile. "Because all it did was enforce and confirm my idea that you and the Nine-tails are two different beings. Not only that but it makes you stronger in my eyes because a creature fueled by evil considers you weak. To me that can only mean you're a good person at heart and I'm proud that the guardian of this village has chosen me as her partner."
Hearing this left Naruko speechless in wonder at how the girl could keep seeing the good in her. This was only their second day as an official couple yet in both Hinata had managed to make her feel so many positive emotions. Maybe it was the euphoria of first love, the inexperience of the youth or that this cruel world had yet to turn them completely cynical but Naruko hoped these moments kept happening. She wished Hinata could keep surprising her with support and love during her darkest moments. But most of all Naruko wanted to do the same for the Hyuga heiress because if Hinata was willing to help someone with a literal demon inside of them then the bluenette deserved to be supported and loved just as much.
"Also, Naru-kun," Hinata whispered while biting her lower lip and blushing like the sun. "y-y-you still o-o-owe me a p-p-pet name."
Gulp…
Well, then...
It seemed the next couple of minutes before Hinata would have to get back to her house were going to be very interesting for the couple.
~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
(Wednesdays – Lunchtime)
[Ninja Academy – Outside resting area]
"Dude… What the hell happened to your face?" Kiba asked as he saw the perfect handprint on the left side of Naruko's face.
"Oh, I just pissed off Ino-chan. Nothing to worry about," Naruko answered while eating her lunch beside a giggling Hinata.
"What did you do?" Choji asked, a little scared.
"Nothing much, I just change her nickname from Violet to Orchid." That got Shikamaru's attention given how relatively quickly he lifted himself into a sitting position.
"Do you know what orchids are a symbol of?"
"Sure do."
"And you whispered it into that tsundere's ear?"
"Yep."
"You're lucky to be alive," Shikamaru complimented and went back to sleep. Then on the other side of the resting area, a similar conversation was taking place between Sakura and Ino.
"What did Uzumaki-san do to you?" Sakura questioned as her rival ate her food as if it had insulted her. The day had started out like normal with the exception that Ino had started to act like a shy little girl around Naruko in the morning. Then the Uzumaki had cornered her and they talked somewhere private. Next thing Sakura knew she was being dragged by an angry Ino to eat lunch while the whiskered her had a clear handprint on her face.
"She used that stupid sexy voice of her to give me a nickname," Ino answered with great indignation which caused Sakura to look as if she had just been hit by a confusion spell.
"Wha… Stupid… sexy… voice? What?"
"Don't look at me like that! Just you wait! Once she uses that on you, you'll feel the pain my poor pure maiden heart is going through!"
'Pure maiden heart? Yeah right. Next, you're going to tell me Uzumaki-san is gay and she has a fan club filled with girls yearning to feed her ramen while only wearing wet bikinis. That wouldn't be so bad. I mean, don't you want to see the muscles that girl's arms are packing? Wouldn't it be awesome to be squeezed by those biceps? Oh yeah, I could motorboat those melons of hers! Oh, shut up you pervert! I'm not a lesbian, so why are you having those thoughts? Because you can never outrun your gay thoughts! NEVER! Fuck off,' Sakura ended the mental debate by throwing in axe right between her inner self's eyes and throwing the body off a cliff. 'That will shut her up for a while.'
Thankfully the rest of the school day was uneventful after this. Then after school using the one true, tried and tested method for fixing or making things disappear Naruko bribed Ino with a shopping trip. During this, the three kunoichis in training went to Higurashi Weapons where they met Tenten's father Tetsuo Higurashi. Surprisingly, the man looked more like a painter or sculptor than a weapons forger due to his blue kimono, glasses over his chocolate-colored eyes, long black hair and average frame. However, his callous hands and the ease with which he held his creations showed he was both a life-long forger and artist in his craft. It was during the introductions that the man learned that Naruko had been the girl who used to spend time with his daughter and he was overjoyed to finally meet the infamous Knives.
It was here that both Hinata and Ino learned of where Naruko got her love of videogames and that she had another big sister figure. After the introductions, Tetsuo asked the girls what he could help them with. The first thing they asked was help with finding the Yamanaka new whips. While he was a bit surprised by the choice of weapon, he still helped them find two that Ino fell in love with, a leather bullwhip and a chain whip with a bladed point at its end. Naruko feared she may have awakened something in the taller blonde but paid for them anyway.
"Anything else I can help with today, ladies?" the craftsman asked after ringing up the purchase. This would have been it for the shopping but Benihime was quick to remind Naruko that they still needed iron ore to make more slime equipment.
[If there is anyone that would know where to get some iron ore is the guy that works with it all day,] Benihime informed and Naruko nodded. Thus, the jinchuriki asked where she would find some which threw the man for a loop. "Uzumaki-san, why would I need such a thing? The process of extracting the iron from its rock is too dangerous. In good conscience I can't let you experiment like that," the weaponsmith announced to the surprise of the Uzumaki.
[I can't blame him. During the extraction process, the heat used is plentiful enough you could set your house on fire if something goes wrong. Thankfully we don't have to worry about that with our forge. Hey! I have an idea. Why don't you show him the gauntlets and scythe you made? That should reassure him that you know enough to not cause three buildings to go up in flames.]
[That fact that you use buildings as a scale of measurements worries me,] Naruko muttered to the fairy before talking to the craftsman. "Higurashi-sama, the truth is I've already gained some skill in blacksmithing. Here looked at these," she said unequipping and presenting her goo themed scythe and gauntlets to the man. Both he and the princesses marveled at the slickness of the weapon and armor as they seemed more akin to display pieces than proper equipment. This was especially so with the blade of the scythe seemed to be made out the thinnest pane of glass imaginable. Yet both Hinata and Ino had seen the scythe slide through wood and steel with ease and when Tetsuo picked it up, he could feel the power flowing through it.
"What kind of material is this? I can tell it's strong yet I barely feel its weight. And the craftsmanship! I can already tell many areas where it could improve but I would definitely sell this. Just how long did it take you to make these?"
"Hmmm, let's see… Between the gauntlets and the scythe? Hmmm… I think probably 30 minutes give or take? Maybe? I wasn't counting. I just made them," Naruko answered with a shrug.
"What?" Tetsuo asked in shock, which distracted him enough to accidentally slide open his thumb with the blade of the scythe. He managed to bite down the curse and blink in wonder as the Uzumaki came to his aid with a quick healing jutsu. However, as the wound rapidly closed his jaw dropped when he saw his blood drip complete off the blade. It was as if the majestic weapon couldn't stand the fact that someone tried to dirty it with their putrid blood. "U-U-Uzumaki-san… How did I manage to integrate a self-cleaning seal into the blade without using an engraving? Wait, no! How did you even come across a self-cleaning seal?! Those things are the stuff of legends!"
"You're supposed to clean your weapons?" Naruko asked with a tilt of her head and genuine confusion. Seeing and hearing this caused Ino to see her like an idiot while Tetsuo looked like he was about to have a heart attack. These looks caused Hinata to turn away to hide her giggle while Benihime, who right now could only be heard by the girls, openly laughed her little lungs out.
"Baka! Of course, you're supposed to clean your weapons! How else are you supposed to maintain them?" Ino reprimanded with crossed arm and a glare. Naruko frowned back at this.
"Hey! No one told me about it before now. Plus, all of my weapons do that cleaning thing," Naruko answered back before pulling out a bucket of orange paint from her inventory. After setting down and opening it she took out a short sword won from the skeleton soldiers. Then she dipped its blade into it which once pulled up processed to quickly drip itself clean like the scythe. "See?" she shrugged. Seeing the astonished look she shrugged again and added "I had to learn everything by myself so I didn't know you have to clean them. As for the material? Well that's my trade secret for now. But I do need iron for it to work so can I buy some? I'm okay with buying scrap too."
"Fine. Tenten-chan did warn me that you could be weird. However, I do hope you later tell me about your technique. I'll even give you proper lessons on blacksmithing in return. Deal?"
"Deal."
Thus, Naruko was able to buy ten iron ingots which Benihime explained that later they could scrap for ten pieces of iron ore each. Of course, that would be far more than what was currently needed for the first tier of smile equipment but that just meant Naruko could work on making iron equipment as well. Then after the shopping was done Ino suggested they go to an empty training ground so she could test out her new whips against Naruko's shadow clones.
So many, many, many clones lost their lives that afternoon.
On the plus side the Shadow Clone Army learned a new technique called Auto-Respawned which makes the fallen revive five seconds after their individual death if there is enough MP for them. Hence, Naruko no longer had to give the order for the clones to reconstruct themselves after Ino killed them with each hit. On the negative side, depending on who you asked that is, Ino was turning out to be terrifyingly good at dual-wielding her whips. Another thing to note is that after this Ino finally forgave Naruko and agreed to the nickname Orchid. However, it was only to be used among the four of them. No one else needed to know.
~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
(Thursdays – Afternoon)
[Naruko's apartment – Gym room]
"246… 247… 248… 249… and… 250!" Naruko exclaimed before collapsing on the mat after her last set of one handed-pushups. "That's *pant* 1000 *pant* with between *pant* each," she said through gulps of air before rolling unto her back. "I can rest now, right?" she asked to her living manual.
"Let's see about that," Benihime pondered as she checked the training schedule Gai had given Naruko. Thankfully after doing it enough times the training had turned into a daily quest. There wasn't a punishment for not doing it but completing each tier let the Uzumaki accumulate points that could be used to buy prizes. "Hey! You have enough points to buy the first piece of Rare Candy."
"What does that do?"
"Oh, right. Forgot you haven't played Pokémon yet. By Arceus I to get you a Gameboy Color so you can start your journey," Benihime commented and then explained "A Rare Candy is free level-up. Eat one and you go up a level no matter how much experience you need. Normally it's best to use them when you have zero to almost nothing of XP meter filled."
"Cool but I'll pass for now. Anything else?"
"Let see… clothes… clothes… more clothes… sexy cosplay… more clothes… Oh, this one is interesting! If you use all of your 8000pts you can get a Holodeck for your sparring room."
"Holodeck? Does that have to do with Holograms? Aren't those made of the hard-light thing that covered the training puppet that tried to kill?"
"It's similar, this machine creates realistic holograms of either enemies or objects. This means she can fight old foes in the place you faced them or in new areas. You can also edit their stats to either make them stronger, weaker or have them use different tactics like being more aggressive, defensive or focus on fleeing from battle. Though thankfully while the machine is in use all damage is non-lethal. Plus, if we get the needed materials, we can upgrade the Holodeck to simulate different places like forests, villages, cities, open sea and even volcanos if we want to be adventures. Oh, and you don't have to worry about maintenance as I can do it alongside a clone or two."
"Okay. Buy it and we'll set it up later," Naruko answered while she sat up and pulled out a cold-water bottle from her inventory. After drinking she thought out loud "You know, it's weird… I'm doing all of this physical training and I haven't seen my stats increase from it. Yet after resting, I can feel my body getting better and in sync. Almost as if each time I learn a bit more about it. How it moves, how it feels, what its limits are and just how I can push it to get that extra burst of speed or strength, you know?" Hearing this, Benihime smiled and landed on her friend's raised knee.
"I was surprised too when I noticed your stats not increasing from Gai-sensei's intense training. But I have seen improvement in your movements and with your explanation, I'm guessing that system, for now, is making up for the lost time."
"What do you mean?" Naruko is both confused and intrigued.
"While I scan you, please answer me this: Before meeting Gai-sensei, did you have a proper training program or did you make it up as you went?"
"Made it up as I went, of course. No one thought it would be a good idea to teach "the demon bitch" how to get stronger."
"And did you have a balanced diet?"
"Again no. Wait… is the system like… is it trying to put my body in the condition it should be at my current age?"
"That is half correct! From what I can gather after that quick scan, the system is improving your body to become the best version it can be at its current level. Then at the same time, it is helping your mind receive and process this new information faster so you skip over the awkward face of stumbling over yourself through each modification. Hence why you feel like you're getting to know your body better because that's exactly what's happening. Or as some old mystic would put it "your mind and body are becoming one." Also, now that you're eating properly and getting all the nutrition your body lacks it's safe to assume soon your body will start developing as it should have."
"Develop? Does that mean I'll stop looking like a 10-year-old with tits?" Naruko asked with a look of both desperation and hope. Seeing this Benihime laugh nervously but nodded in affirmation. This, of course, causes the small Uzumaki to scream in utter joy. "YAY! YES! I'll no longer be a half-pint midget shortie that you need a magnifying glass to find in an ant colony! Praise be the game system and its wonderful powers! YAY!" she celebrated as she fell back onto the mat with laughter.
"Naruko-chan, I understand humans care about their height but why do you? Sure, you're very short for your age but that doesn't really explain it. Especially how it seems that in the past this angered you enough for people to now actively avoid mentioning it," Benihime, still on Naruko's knee, finally asked after her friend took a breath. However, she noticed this question caused the blonde to become quiet for a time. "Naruko-chan?"
"Sorry… Bad memories," Naruko commented before answering. "I get mad about the short jokes because my height reminds me of all the times that I've had to miss a meal. Look, I may be an idiot for a lot of things but I'm not stupid. Anytime I had to go to the doctors for medical check-ups I could hear them and the nurses talking about how I was underdeveloped, malnourished, and overall, I was short and weight less than someone my age should. That if things kept going it would be a miracle if I passed the physical for the Genin Exam let alone survive past the year as kunoichi. So yeah, I get pissed off when someone makes fun of my height because it's a constant reminder of how fucked up my life is."
"Sorry I asked… I didn't mean to open old wounds."
"Nah, don't worry. You didn't know anything and I guess it's good to air that one out once in a while," Naruko assured while a smile before blushing and looking away. "Besides, I have a girlfriend now and if I grow taller, I can give her a proper kabedon."
"Wait, the wall slam thing? I thought you couldn't read before so why do you know that term? And you haven't bought any manga recently," the fairy inquired and got a chuckle out of her friend.
"It was a few days before you came into my life. I was bored and sitting in a tree when I heard a couple of Sasuke's fangirls talking about it. Explained how they wanted him to do it and everything. Given how feverish they talked about it I think Hinata-chan could enjoy it but first I got to be taller than her. Plus, given how young I look if Hinata-chan were to do it… well, it would just make her look like a pervert."
"Not sure I buy the last part but that's just me. Anyway, tomorrow is your first sleepover if memory serves right. So, what do you want to do? What to check out that dungeon map we got from the sewers?"
"Hmm, Nah. I shouldn't go into a dungeon in case the girls want to explore tomorrow. Maybe reading a book would be better? Heh, never thought I would suggest reading a book as a way to pass the time."
"If dungeon exploration is out and you want to read why not look at the notebook Uchiha-san prepared for you about Elemental Transformation?"
"Oh, right! He said it took him a while to write it because he needed dumb to information so I would understand," Naruko remembered and smirk. "Fucking bastard couldn't pass up the jab at me. Gotta respect him for that one. I'll also have to get him next." With that said the gamer opened her [BOOKS] tab and pulled out the notebook Sasuke had given to her this morning as a reward for him failing the challenge. The blonde also chuckled at the memory of Kiba yelling that it wasn't fair that he didn't get to see the Uchiha lose. In response, Sasuke just said it had been a private affair between them and what happened there was no one else's business. "Well, will you look at that? He actually took the time to make diagrams and images to make it easier to understand. Guess he took it as a personal attack on his honor if I somehow wasn't able to learn this."
"Does that make him selfish or selfless? On one hand he took his time to make a very detailed and easy to understand manual for a difficult subject. On the other he did it because the thought of failing, even by proxy, was out of the question."
"Let's give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Besides he took the time to explain how elemental chakra works and explain the training used to unlock them. Plus, I kind of enjoy his anime-style drawings. Hehehe, that closet geek just gave some juicy ammo willingly," Naruko commented while paging the notebook. Then her body locked up as her right eye turned a complete glowing white with equally pale chakra smoke escaping its side while her left turned a solid black with purple smoke. About five seconds later Naruko blinked and her eyes were back to normal but she felt incredibly dizzy and sporting a slight headache.
"I see the clones finally managed to learn another spell. Two of them at that, I'm guessing, give the two district colors," Benihime noted as Naruko moaned in pain and rubbed her temple.
"Yeah, the second non-elemental attack spell and the first shadow element spell. At least now that I have a connection to the shadow element, I can learn Desolation Claw from its scroll," the whiskered girl commented as the pain slowly subsided. "Kind of sucks my clones can't learn from books like I can and instead have to re-read it until they memorize it. Four clones per page cost way too much chakra and time."
"This is a direct result of you just learning to read or write. I'm sure the more you practice you'll learn and create the Speed-Reading skill that will drastically cut down the time needed to read and understand a book. Just give it time. Now, what spells did you learn?"
"The non-elemental spell is called Magic Bullet where I concentrate my MP into the tip of my finger and once there is enough I "pull the trigger" to launch a fist-size orb of concussive energy. The shadow element spell is called Blind and like the name implies I can temporarily blind my target but it only has a 30% chance of successfully affecting the target," Naruko explained while taking out the skill scroll and finally learning Desolation Claw. "Okay, not that I used up my second and last instant-learn-skill slot for the week, let's take a bath before reading Sasuke's notebook in the rooftop. The open-air and warm sun helps me concentrate."
"Righty-O, Daddy-O!"
"For the love of all that is holy never say that again."
"Sorry, I'll delete that from my memory."
~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
(Friday – After school)
[Hyuga Compound]
"I have everything ready Oneechan," Hanabi called out with her backpack perfectly in order. Hinata turned to her little sister and patted her in the head lovingly. Both girls were dressed in a casual white dress.
"Got job Hanabi-chan. I finished packing as well," Hinata commented and asked if the girl was ready to leave. Not surprisingly the little nodded in excitement over the prospect of spending time with her big sister. As the two girls walked through their home, they found their father waiting at the entrance of the courtyard. Both stop to bow to him. "Good afternoon Hyuga-sama. Here to see your daughter off? Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to Hanabi-sama while we're in the care of the Yamanaka clan," Hinata promised rather coldly.
"You're my daughter too, Hinata," Hiashi said evenly but you could still hear hurt in his voice. Regretfully for him, Hinata was using the perfect mask of neutrality his clan was known for. Worse still the girl had started to refuse to respond when addressed as a member of his direct household. "Please be careful. Both of you," he finally said after seeing that his oldest wouldn't budge from her current stance.
"Don't worry Hyuga-sama. I'll make sure that this diplomatic outing with the Yamanaka heiress will be successful," Hinata announced before bowing again and escorting her little sister out of the clan compound. All the while Hiashi watched his two girls leave with regret beneath his sculpted mask of indifference.
'Is this it? Did I push her too much and finally made the distance too large to cross? Hitomi-chan, I know I'm a failure as a father but please give me a hint on how to fix this. I don't want to lose more of you,' the clan head lamented to himself.
~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~
[Yamanaka Clan Compound]
[Ino's Family House]
Both Ino and Inoichi were currently watching the matriarch of the household fussing over the house's state. The place had already been cleaned enough for some areas to literally shining but the mother just wanted to make sure her daughter's friends got a good impression. Apparently, the woman wanted this little party to be a recurring event if possible.
"Mom really wants this work, huh?" Ino asked her father with a small smirk. Inoichi lightly chuckled but still looked at his wife lovingly.
"Can you really blame her? The last time you had a sleepover was with Sakura-chan. Shame, you let Uchiha-san ruin that friendship," the clan head answered. At the corner of his eye, Inoichi saw his daughter frowning at the statement. 'I still remember the day they parted. Ino came back furious but crying during all of it. I hope they manage to reconcile soon. Having friends out there in the field is always a plus,' the father thought. Then the family of three head the house bell announcing the arrival of someone.
"Ino-chan! Your friends are here," Noriko called out with a grin. Then mother and daughter went to greet the arrivals which turned out to be the Hyuga sisters accompanied by a young guardsmen Hyuga.
"Good afternoon, Yamanaka-sama. I am Kō Hyuga and have come here as an escort for Hinata Hyuga-sama and Hanabi Hyuga-sama," he introduced with a bow and stepped away to show the sisters who bowed in respect as well. After a couple of more formalities were exchanged the jonin excused himself to report back to the clan. Thus, leaving the girls to talk among themselves with Ino being the first to speak by calling Hanabi cute and commenting on the strength of the Hyuga's genes. While the older sister giggled the younger one puffed her cheeks slightly as if they had just called her weak.
"But talking seriously, why did you bring your kid sister?" Ino asked good-naturedly. Before the youngest could talk Hinata explained.
"Back in the clan, it's always about being proper, getting stronger and training to be both. It's a rare day when we get a chance to just be to ourselves. Hence, I brought Hanabi-chan so she could get some real rest for once and get to play. I hope this isn't a problem, Yamanaka-sama?" In response, the mother just shook her head and smiled.
"Not at all, Hinata-san! For a child to develop healthily they need time to play. So, it wouldn't be any trouble for me and Ichi-Kun to play with her while you girls have your fun," Noriko offered and smiled down at the youngest Hyuga. "Will that be okay, Hanabi-chan?"
"But I want to play with Oneechan," Hanabi answered in a small voice while holding onto her sister's hand. She wasn't scared of the mother far from it since that woman exuded a friendly aura but Hanabi had never gotten time to really play with her sister. Could anyone blame her for being selfish this once? Hinata certainly didn't give the hug she gave the smaller girl. Then the group somehow heard a loud neigh coming from above. Therefore, they turned their head just in time to see a giant black horse jumping off a building and out of shock they and the people on the street looked on as the horse continued its descent to the unflinching ground. Then just a couple of inches before it would crash and die the beast jumped midair and safely landed just in front of the four women. Still not believing their eyes, the Yamanakas and Hyugas looked at the horse towering over them as it calmly sat down and lowered its head.
"Hello, everyone," one Naruko Uzumaki greeted from the horse's back with a grin. Then she flips forward and lands before them as the animal pops in a white smoke. "Glad to see I'm not later for our gathering. By the way Hinata-chan, who is the little kid?" she greeted and asked normally. Hanabi was the first to get over her shock about the girl's entrance.
"I'm only 7 and you're only two inches taller than me. The only small one here is you," the small Hyuga countered which, to the surprise of the students, made the Uzumaki smirk.
"I think like you, kid. What's your name? Got to show you some proper respect after that one," Naruko asked and the girls introduced themselves which gave the other women time to recover.
"Uzumaki-san," Noriko started, "I wasn't aware you held the horse summoning contract. From memory the last time anyone heard of it was during the last moments of the First Shinobi World War where it vanished after its last summoner died."
"There's a horse summoning contract?" Naruko questioned back to everyone's surprise. "I just had one of my clones use the Transformation Jutsu to turn themselves into a horse so I could ride them over the rooftops for fun."
"But transformation doesn't work like that," Ino commented dumbfounded. "I mean, the jutsu is mostly a glorified illusion. When used neither your space or mass changes."
"Unless you perfectly visualize what you want to transform into," Hinata added in thought. "I don't possess Haruno-san's memory for text but think I read it once in a book about chakra theory. True transformation through the jutsu is possible. However, the user needs a high level of chakra and a near if not a total understanding of the object and/or animal they are changing into. The horse Naru-kun was using is a good example. To transform she would have needed to know where all the organs and muscles were positioned so as not to cause irreparable damage."
"But I didn't transform. My clone did," Naruko commented with a confused look that was mirrored by the children. However, this bit of information made the adult chuckle. The, understandably, looked at the woman in confusion.
"Sorry, girls. It's just rare to hear an academy student find the loophole. Normally it's taught to Chunin because by then they have the chakra levels needed to pull it off," the Yamanaka Matriarch said after she finished laughing. Then she explained "As Hinata-chan explained, if one wants to transform into something like an animal one needs to know their makeup to change your organs, muscles and skeletal structure. However, a clone doesn't have organs since they are just chakra constructs and we can mold chakra into anything with enough practice and imagination. Another loophole is using an inanimate object," After that, she demonstrated by plucking a leaf from one of her flowers and turned it into a kunai. Then she used that new knife to cut a couple of other leaves to show off its edge before canceling the transformation.
"It's a good way to form a quick escape plan but the amount of chakra needed to keep the transformation active makes it very impractically. Reason being that more often than not the jutsu gets canceled by a single strike. Therefore, making reliable armor or weapons that could last an encounter is nothing but a pipe dream. Though I have heard seals can help in making the transformation more durable but I never understood how to make something other than one item limit single-use storage scrolls. Anyway, why don't we go inside for some tea." With that, the group was escorted into the house where the quest met Inoichi in the modest dining room of the house. There the patriarch served everyone tea his wife had prepared as the group sat around the table. After everyone was seated the father was the first to talk.
"Sorry if this sounds rude or intrusive, but I have to ask Uzumaki-san. What made you want to help my daughter get stronger? Last I heard before last weekend you two were almost enemies but after that Ino-chan started calling you a friend."
"Well like all good friendships she bribed me," Naruko answered with a smirk which made the daughter choke on her tea. "She wanted to know how I got stronger so she could help Uchiha-san. Hence, she bribed me with a giant bowl of ramen to come with Hinata-chan and me to train. However, instead of her learning something to show Sasuke she got close to us."
"Then it was in that dungeon while fighting that horrible abomination that our daughter broke through her mental barriers and opened the door for her to become the strongest psionic in our entire clan since its founding," Noriko added with a graceful smile. This revelation, of course, caused the Uzumaki to become frozen before she slowly turned to glare at Ino who chuckled nervously.
"B-B-Before you chew me out please let me explain," the princess pleaded as she found herself in the receiving end of two strong glares. 'Wow, Hinata-chan looks extra mad. She really is protective of Naruko-chan. Wonder how bad it will be when I finally get them together?'
"Ino-san, you made a promise to Naru-kun and Hokage-sama on your honor as the heiress of the Yamanaka clan that you would not tell anyone what you saw today. Please explain why do your parents know, then?" Hinata asked in a firm tone that still surprised Hanabi.
'Wow! Onee-chan is acting so cool,' the little sister thought with stars in her eyes.
'That's my girl! Get her,' Naruko inwardly cheered for her girlfriend.
"Well about that," Ino started "the truth is I didn't technically tell them anything. Remember those headaches I kept getting before, during and after the fight with that abomination? It turns out that, just as Benihime suggested, it was my powers awakening and getting out of control. Then when I went to tell my parents I took off the circlet Naruko made for me which consequently caused my new powers to go on full blast and I accidentally made a mental link between them and me. This, in turn, caused a memory transfer to occur which made them see everything I saw against my will. Thankfully since mama and papa had more experience than me in mental base ninjutsu the connection as cut and my powers were suppressed safely."
[I see. One of the powers Ino-san developed was telepathy. Then like many beginners before her, the ability went out of control and connected her to other people's minds. She's lucky it was her parents who are already experienced in mental arts and could stop her. Normally the recently awakened telepath will accidentally kill the first person they connect to or their brain will break due to the strain of assimilating all the memories of another person's life,] Benihime explained while sitting on Naruko's shoulder.
'Heh, guess I can blame her for spilling the beans if she was faced with that,' Naruko thought to herself before smiling. "Okay. I'll forgive you," she said to the surprise of Hinata and elation of Ino. Then she smirked like a devil out for blood. "However, now you have to explain and show what those psionic abilities are. I'm the reason you started using them, after all." Hearing this Ino looked worried and glanced at her parents who nodded reassuringly.
"It's okay Ino-chan. Naruko-san, Benihime-san, and Hinata-san have helped you out a great deal. Therefore, we trust them with keeping your abilities a secret just like they trusted you," Noriko assured with a motherly smile.
"They considered you their friends Ino-chan and trusted you with a great secret. You can do the same. Please I'm sure little Benihime-san will enjoy knowing her predictions were correct," Inoichi added with thumbs up.
"Who's this Benihime everyone keeps is talking about?" Hanabi asked much to everyone's surprise since they had forgotten she was there. They also noticed she had activated her Byakugan and was looking straight at Naruko. "Also, what is the ball of chakra with wings sitting on your shoulder?"
"Heh, of course Hinata-chan's little sister has a Byakugan. It was stupid to assume otherwise," Naruko chuckled and Hinata looked worried for a moment.
"I'm sorry Naru-kun," Hinata apologized although Naruko told her it was okay. Still, the older sister turned to the younger one with a pleading look. "Hanabi-chan, please understand that nothing here is bad and that Benihime-san is a good friend of ours. However, we keep her existence and Naru-kun's new bloodline limit is a secret because there are bad people that could use them to hurt others."
"Like when Kumo tried to kidnap you?" Hanabi asked, looking down and feeling afraid. She had been too young to remember what had happened to her sister but that hadn't stopped the less savory of the elders from using the event to show that Hinata was a weakling. Hanabi had stopped counting the nightmares of her being in her sister's place during that event. Seeing the girl distraught, Hinata was quick to hug Hanabi to safety. "Okay… I promise not to tell anyone."
"Okay, Benihime. You said you were thinking of adding Hinata and Ino to the people that can permanently see, hear and talk to you even under cloaking. Please add Iruka Umino, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi Hatake, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hanabi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Noriko Yamanaka to that list," Naruko ordered. Almost immediately the people who hadn't met Benihime before felt something cover them for a second.
"Scans of Hanabi Hyuga, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Noriko Yamanaka are complete. By the command of Naruko Uzumaki you three and four others have been given the authorization to interact with the unit designated as Benihime," a voice spoke from the center of the table. Then to the amazement of the two adults and child they saw the space there distort into pixels before it started breaking apart. Next as the air broke apart, they saw a small female figure forming from the tiny legs up. Once the cloaking dissipated the group got to see the fairy dressed in an orange battle kimono with black outlines and her straight red hair lefts flowing down her back. Once she was visible Benihime bowed and introduced herself "Good afternoon everyone. My name is Benihime and I am Naruko Uzumaki's Navigation Assistant Virtual Intelligence or NAVI for short."
"Wow, so pretty," Hanabi gasped in child wonder since she was seeing a creature of, until now, fantasy standing before her.
"Thank you, Hanabi-sama. You are also petty yourself," Benhime acknowledged with a nod that caused the small Hyuga to blush at having been caught staring. Then the fairy redirected her gaze at the adults in the room. "I am happy that my assumptions of the Yamanaka knowing about a stronger version of mental ninjutsu were correct. I can see a great deal of potential in Ino-chan and that promise deserved a proper guide. Thank you," she finished with a bow.
"No, we should be the ones thank you and Uzumaki-san," Noriko spoke first. "It was thanks to you that Uzumaki-san possessed her new bloodline limit and thus could help our daughter further evolve her own. Not to mention that after that adventure my girl has become so motivated in taking her ninja training seriously. It does my heart good that we longer had to think of asking her to quit."
"What?" Ino and the rest of the girls asked in surprise. Inoichi nodded in affirmation before speaking.
"It's true Ino. Your mother and I had been talking about your poor performance these last two years. You barely ate, spent more time caring about your hair than training and you were almost obsessed with winning Uchiha-san's heart at the possible detriment of your self-worth. It worried us greatly and had us thinking it was best for you to either quit being kunoichi or at the very least be held back a year to see if you could get your act straight. Being a shinobi is a very dangerous job and many times even more so for a woman and we didn't want to be the parents who buried their child or worst an empty coffin. However, while we still worry, we have seen a remarkable improvement as of late. Physically you're not at a level I would like but each day you're getting better and thanks to your new psionic abilities you have an ace very few would expect. Thus, why Nori-chan and I feel we can trust you know with choosing this career."
"T-T-Thank you, daddy. Mama. I promise I'll make you proud," Ino said with eyes filling up with tears. Still, you could see the fires of conviction behind her light blue eyes. It made Naruko grin knowing she had helped the girl react to this point.
"Speaking of those psionic powers," Naruko recalled with an excited grin as she looked at Ino. "Now that our little princess knows about Benihime, you owe a demonstration." Hearing this Ino smirked before taking off her amethyst circlet and closed her eyes to concentrate. Next thing they knew Naruko's hair lifts and is slowly styled in a single braid ponytail. As this is going the group also sees Ino's forehead begin to perspire while her hands move in sync with Naruko's hair. Moments later the act is done as Ino sighs and lets go of her friend's hair.
"Is that enough for now? I'm still getting the hang of it but I can at least now use two hands to move things if a little slow," Ino said with a tired but satisfied grin.
"I think I look better in twin-tails but you did a fantastic job here," Naruko commented while looking at her new braided hair.
"Well then," Inoichi started, "I think we've wasted enough of your time, girls. So why don't you go up to Ino-chan's room and start your weekend-long party? Spending time with your friends is important after all."
With permission given, the girls thanked the adults and left to start their fun. They had a whole weekend to party and they weren't going to waste it!
A/N:
I didn't mention this in the last chapter but I want everyone to know that I'm making Sakura a full civilian instead of the daughter of shinobi. Reason being that I genuinely forgot who her parents were shinobi because they only appeared in the anime way after I stopped watching it. I think I stopped watching it a little before Sasuke's fight with Itachi because I remember only reading the manga after that. Hence, I never saw Sakura's parents until after the series ended and read Sakura's wiki. Yes, I also skipped the movie they first appeared since I never got around to watching that one.
I like the idea of Sakura being the "normal one" of the group at the start. I feel like it makes her growth as a character is better. That and I somehow always had the idea that Sakura was good at baking. Don't know why. Maybe I read it in a fanfic during the series' early years?