Out of the Ashes

Chapter 26

Probably Crazy

I slept really good back in my own bed after the second exam. I didn't have any nightmares and Fushicho didn't even bother me. In fact, Fushicho was oddly quiet. I didn't hear from her at all as I went through my morning routine and made breakfast for Sasu and I. As we ate we made idle chitchat about what our plans for the finals were. Sasu, of course, was being taken out of the village by Kakashi to train his sharingan and, as I imagined, to get a reading on his curse marks. I still had no idea what I was going to be doing.

After breakfast I actually decided to make a mature decision for once and confront Fushicho on whatever her problem was. So I went out to our backyard, settled down in the most cliche looking meditation spot, and did exactly that. Meditating was kind of like... surfing your chakra, I guess. For me, it heightened my sensing range and blocked out the burning from the chakra around me.

Meditation of course had the deeper mind level, which is what I was going for. It takes a few minutes to get there. It's not like I can just barge into my own mind. Usually when I'm physically in my own mind, I'm unconscious. Meditating kind of fooled around with that concept and cheated a bit. So that's how you get into your mindscape if you were wondering.

My mind was still made of the heavy brick walls and doom and gloom lighting. However the hallway didn't disappear into darkness now and I wasn't in front of Fushicho's cage. I wandered down a hallway for a bit, peering through windows on doors that showed memories I had no recollection of. Memories from my first life as a very small child. I wasn't here for that so I kept moving until I came out in what I could call a throne room: although it's more so where Dracula would brood than a lordly king would sit.

Lazing about on a throne was Fushicho herself-still the eldritch horror made of flesh and gore. Pitch black eyes rolled to look at me and I shivered. Watching eyeballs roll around is not the most pleasing of sights.

"Look at me." Fushicho drawled, "I was expecting a prettier appearance to meet your prideful mind."

I blinked at her and she gestured to the castle, "It's all a metaphor, you silly girl. You're a prideful, broody girl. Thus a dark castle that looks more so like a dungeon."

"Aren't I here to discuss a problem?" I retorted, ignoring the fact that she was trying to insult my ego.

Fushicho nodded solemnly. Veins popped across her skin as she sat up and something that vaguely resembled an arm reached upwards. From the stub a hand furled out and a single finger rose to point to a spot on the ceiling. I looked upwards and handing precariously and swinging lightly was a rusty birdcage. I had to move to a different angle to see what was inside said bird cage.

I would have described the figure sitting there as Dark Link, if you asked me who that was. Black skin, glowing red eyes. However when the figure moved the blackness melted off for a brief moment and I saw skin-actual skin, not the fleshy monstrosity that Fushicho was.

"Who is that?" I demanded, "And what are they doing in here?"

I looked at Fushicho when she shrugged and pushed herself to her feet, "I have no fucking clue. After you let me out I caught him skulking around. I threw him in there and he won't talk to me."

"I hate this world." I sighed.

Fushicho chuckled, "Too much for your little brain?"

"Too much bullshit. I'm just not intelligent enough to grasp this shit sometimes." I groaned, admitting to it all. Fushicho nodded in agreement and she made a gesture with her hand. The cage began to descend and it stopped when the figure, sitting with its knees hugged to its chest, was head level with me. Fushicho and I looked at the figure and it looked at us. Now that I was closer I could see the glowing red eyes were not really glowing, more so they were just a very bright red compared to the castle's atmosphere. In fact, these eyes were actually sharingan.

"That's never a good sign." I remarked. Fushicho agreed, already knowing what I meant. Generally when a sharingan is involved, it means every physical law in existance can be broken.

"I... really hope you aren't Ita." I said to the figure. That was my main concern, although there is also the possibility of other Uchihas who are much more maniacal.

The figure moved for a moment. It heaved, as if it were about to cough, before it broke out into muffled snickers. Fushicho and I shared briefly alarmed glances at each other before we looked back at the figure.

"This is awkward." the figure wheezed, "None of us look quite right."

That voice was very slightly familiar. I had definitely heard it before but not in the last couple years.

"That means we should probably introduce ourselves." I demurred. However I didn't make the move to go first.

The figure stood up and held out his arms. As he moved it was like the black lagged behind him. Particles fell off him and followed to regain their spot. And for the briefest moment I saw a familiar face.

I blinked and I was sure my jaw was open. In fact, I was sure if Sasu looked outside at me meditating I was making a shocked face as well.

"Shisui!?"

The figure-Shisui-grinned as the black matter stuck back to him, "Kind of."

"Kind of?" I repeated.

"Just an imprint of my chakra."

I was processing this. I immediately tried to think of a way this could have potentially been possible and Fushicho whispered, more so in a stage whisper than anything else, "This is likely similar to how Minato was in the Kyuubi's seal, maybe even the Kushina thing."

I growled dismissively, "That was just plot points to make an excuse to introduce the parents."

"Considering these plot points are your life now, I'd suggest you treat them with more than a grain of salt."

"You fucked up that saying." I snorted. Fushicho rolled her eyes in the creepiest manner and we both looked at Shisui. Shisui, despite most of his face being rather black and stoic, had enough body language showing that he thought Fushicho was the creepiest thing ever.

I asked the question I should have asked before arguing with Fushicho, "Why are you here?"

"The short version is: Itachi asked me to watch over Sasuke-chan and wanted him to receive my eye. Something apparently went wrong because you aren't Sasuke-chan. I've tried helping you before but uh, that thing there, was blocking me." Shisui paused for a moment before he looked at me again, "Can I ask why you're blonde? And look like you were on the wrong side of a katon jutsu?"

I looked at Fushicho and she shrugged at me. That wasn't exactly the input I wanted but I weighed the pros and cons. To tell Shisui the truth, or to lie?

"We don't trust you yet." demurred Fushicho as I struggled to find something to say, "So until we are absolutely sure you are who you say you are, we won't tell you shit."

Shisui nodded, "Fair enough."

Fushicho raised the cage again and we looked at each other. She blinked after a moment and said, "Well, I guess we found you a teacher."

"What?" I was confused.

"You have a Shisui in your head. Take advantage of this and get him to teach you some shit." Fushicho told me, "He was a very talented shinobi. Learn some kenjutsu from him. Learn how he does his shunshin. He was Shunshin no Shisui, after all."

And then I was pulled out of my meditation. No one wanted my attention or anything, but I'd like to think I'm not the only one who would get pulled out of their head by a bird crapping on them.

Fushicho was laughing at me and I could hear a hint of Shisui's snickers in the very back of my mind.

"SON OF A FUCK!"

.

It was really fucking weird to have a new voice in my head. Of course I was probably considered crazy with Fushicho, but now I was double-crazy. Fushicho could be explained, Shisui less so. Who knew if that was even Shisui? This world was stupid, chakra leaving lasting imprints on the world even after someone dies. I want to know just how that chakra got inside me anyway.

I paused chopping vegetables as I remembered something that actually could explain this mess. After the massacre I woke up in surgery. This had been something I mostly forgot about after that day since I didn't seem to be affected in any way. I grinned at the vegetables I was murdering and decided I should go find Kinoe and ask him what the fuck I was doing in surgery that time. I was willing to bet that had something to do with why I had a voice claiming to be Shisui in my head.

I finished making two bentos and I headed towards our training field. Like I hoped, Kinoe and Bu were doing some field renovations with explosives. They scrambled to hide stuff when I approached.

"Fu! What a surprise!" Bu cried as he shoved several things into a bush with his foot. I didn't really care enough to see what he was training.

I pointed at Kinoe, "You! Come with me."

Kinoe blinked, "I'm in the middle of training Bu-"

"I don't care. I have a question about something important. It's not training related either." I snapped. Kyuketsu, who had been reading off to the side, looked up in interest. Bu pouted at me but Kinoe groaned and followed me. We walked for a few minutes before we sat on a tree branch.

Kinoe swung his legs, "What do you want?"

"Why did I wake up in an operation room after the massacre?" I questioned. Kinoe blinked and looked down at the ground. He kept swinging his feet.

When he didn't say anything, I demanded, "Tell me. And does it have anything to do with Uchiha Shisui?"

The quick, almost silent intake of breath let me know I was close. I leaned towards Kinoe and he looked at me from the corner of his eye. He fell backwards off the branch and hung by his knees.

"Well," Kinoe sighed, "You were in an operation room because you got surgery. It was kind of a botched surgery too."

"I wasn't injured in the massacre." I said.

Kinoe grunted in agreement, "No, you weren't. Sasuke was which was why you got this particular surgery. Originally he was supposed to get it but he was far too damaged for us to consider doing what we did to you, to him."

"And what did you do?"

Kinoe didn't answer me. I growled at him.

"We... well, we replaced one of your eyes with Shisui's."

I fell off the branch and Kinoe caught me with one arm. We hung there for a moment and we let things sink into our minds. I was considering the fact that one of my eyes apparently wasn't mine.

"Where's my eye, then?" I questioned, my first concern being who had it. I was hoping the answer wasn't Danzo. I don't want my eye on his creepy arm. That would make things really awkward and feel really weird.

Kinoe pointed to his hip, "I sealed it away on myself. Since we don't know what kind of sharingan you have, as you haven't done anything special yet, we had to make sure to keep it safe. However the point of putting Shisui's eye into Sasuke was that the eye was supposed to guide him subtly. I'm sure it still has some of Shisui's chakra considering it is a very strong sharingan."

I snorted, "Sensei, I have two voices in my head now. One of them is normal, one of them is Shisui."

Kinoe dropped me. I landed in a roll and Kinoe fell next to me. He landed with a heavy thud and he decided to lay on the floor next to where I was sitting.

"Holy hell, that's something. There shouldn't be nearly enough chakra for there to still be any kind of spirit or conscience left." Kinoe sighed and looked up at the clouds, "Well, at least you know the power of his eye."

"Why did the story change? Why doesn't Ita have the eye hidden away?" I wondered.

"Because it is hidden." Kinoe answered, "That hiding place just happens to be your eye socket."

Joy. Exactly what I wanted to do with my life. Be a hiding place for something Danzo would probably want to rip out of me should he ever know where it was hiding.

Kinoe reached up to the top of my head and ruffled my hair, "The other reason that eye was supposed to go to Sasuke is because Itachi wanted him to be able to protect the two of you. So don't think Itachi doesn't care about you too, little Uchiha-hime. He cares."

"Tch, I don't need a fake brother's care." I leaned back into the grass next to Kinoe. I was pretty mad that I had Shisui's eye in my eye socket. I was also kind of mad at Kinoe.

Well.

I was absolutely furious. I was so mad that I was quiet about how angry I was. And everyone knows that my temper usually involves being a loud brat.

Why would he not think to tell me, in the time that I had known him, that my eye was replaced with Shisui's? That's kind of something important and he should have told me. Especially considering the fact that we're both Samsaras! I had thought that Kinoe and I had, you know, some kind of special bond. Some kind of cheesy thing that anime always preaches about.

Evidently, we did not.

Kinoe snorted, "He's real, and he's your brother by blood now. Just because you don't want it, doesn't mean he won't give it."

"Whatever. I learned what I wanted to know." I stood up, "See ya."

Kinoe waved a hand at me and I left without looking back.

.

Contacting Shisui was like using Fushicho as a telephone operator. I got to go through this operator several times a day because I did want to learn from Shisui. Why not take advantage of the voice in my head?

I'm probably crazy, but whatever.

Shisui had me work on speed first. My shunshin wasn't awful and the key to the shunshin is to be fast. I'm not going to lie, Shisui's exercises were absolute hell. He demanded you push your body to its absolute limits and I was glad Sasu was off training with Kakashi because I looked like hell every morning and every night. I rarely saw Bu during the training period. Kinoe took Bu out of the village limits often, just like Kakashi took Sasu. So I was left to my own devices except for when Kyuketsu stopped in to make sure I was alive.

One morning, Kyuketsu brought some kind of protein shake. He handed it to me and I eyed it like it was poison. Kyuketsu rolled his eyes at me when I didn't trust it, "It contains muscle rebuilding proteins. Do not think I haven't noticed you shake with effort from standing."

I mean, he wasn't wrong. My body was on fire and standing was harder than doing an exercise at this point. At least I could focus on an exercise. Standing around talking wasn't very relaxing when my muscles felt like spaghetti.

I took a sip of the shake and found it was a lot thinner than I expected. I drank the drink, pleased that it didn't taste like garbage. Kyuketsu watched me drink every last drop before he put the canister in his bag.

"What are you training for the tournament?" Kyuketsu questioned. I decided this was a good time to sit down so we sat on the panels and watched the garden. Sasu hired a gardener to keep Momma's garden in top shape. I thought it was a good idea although I didn't voice this opinion.

"Speed, Kenjutsu, and my sharingan." I answered easily.

Ah yes. Sharingan training. There wasn't really much to train other than Shisui making sure my reflexes could keep up with it. We did have a relatively serious talk about how I could access his eye's powers but I didn't really want to fuck with that very much. He also explained the price to pay for a mangekyo and I listened politely despite already knowing.

Kyuketsu hummed, "Have you gotten a replacement tanto?"

My tanto got fucked after all.

I shook my head, "Honestly I have no idea to go for one."

Kyuketsu stood up, "Follow me, then."

"What." I deadpanned. Yet I followed him anyway.

Kyuketsu led me through the shopping district and we didn't stop at any of the blacksmiths. We ended up more towards the end of the district where the grittier shops sat. Kyuketsu led me into a shop that looked a little worse for wear but I trusted his opinion. Inside there was a short older man with graying dark blue hair and blue tattoos lining his arms. When he saw us he didn't stop working at his forge until he was completely done. When he eventually finished he turned around and eyed the two of us with unnerving light blue eyes.

"What do you want, brats?" he demanded, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Kyuketsu wasn't bothered in the slightest, "She needs a new tanto. Hers was broken in a fight."

The blacksmith regarded me again, this time observing me. He snorted, "And how exactly did you break your tanto, then?"

I highly doubted I was allowed to say Orochimaru broke into the forest and went after us. But Kyuketsu answered for me, "Orochimaru."

I gaped at Kyuketsu, "Kyu-Kyu what the fuuuck?"

The blacksmith paused for a moment. He looked over the two of us before he straightened his back with a loud crack, "Uchiha Fushicho, right? All right, I'll make you a new tanto. I'll make you the best goddamn tanto in the whole country if you got away from that snake fucker and lived to get another weapon."

Kyuketsu pushed my jaw up to close my mouth before I drew flies. I looked at him and tried to demand with my eyes for him to explain. I suppose he got the message, because he did exactly that.

"Tensai is an excellent blacksmith. While he looks elderly, his skills are unmatched." Kyuketsu explained while Tensai snorted at the elderly part, "He also has a hatred of Orochimaru."

"Hatred!" Tensai growled as he made it to his forge, already starting on what I assumed to be my tanto, "If I were a ninja, I'd kill him myself! I seek revenge, little Uchiha-hime. I will see that fucker in hell!"

Before I could say anything through, Tensai half turned around and shooed us with a large hand, "Get out of here! I can't focus with you loitering and talking!"

Kyuketsu and I got the hell out of there and we ended up sitting on someones roof nearby. We looked up at the sky and Kyuketsu started giving unneeded backstory I didn't really need, "Tensai has a grudge against Orochimaru for what happened to his daughter. She was one of the people who went missing and was experimented on back before Orochimaru was discovered."

I wasn't too interested in Tensai's background, if I was perfectly honest, so I demurred, "Ah. Well, I guess that was a good thing for us since he'll make me a new tanto."

"He will forge you the best tanto you will ever wield." Kyuketsu promised me.

We ended up getting something to snack on, with him nagging me about my health and what I should be eating. He brought up my nightmares.

"Huh." I stopped suddenly, holding my dango that Kyuketsu was determined to stop me from eating, "Fuck, I didn't even notice my nightmares are gone."

Kyuketsu paused from trying to swipe my dango out of my hands, "They disappeared?"

"Mhm. Whatever, good riddance for now. They'll probably come back." I continued moving but Kyuketsu was interested in this topic.

"What could have caused them to disappear? What have you been eating? Is it your increased training regime? Did something during the exam cause them to disappear?" Kyuketsu bombarded me with questions and I was not happy with his sudden talkativeness. I tried to speed up a bit while shoving my dango stick entirely in my mouth. Kyuketsu made a displeased noise and followed me as I sprinted home.

He said goodnight when I threatened him with dinner that I cooked myself.

Kyuketsu hasn't realized I've been improving my culinary prowess. Soon I will be a master chef! Well, someday. Not today though.

I don't really remember when I came to the conclusion as to when my nightmares disappeared. Sleep was peaceful without them and they were easily forgotten by my other worries. I had been so used to them and suddenly, I had no idea they weren't plaguing me anymore.

Anyway, when I discussed it with Fushicho at some point she decided that it was likely Shisui's chakra accidentally causing them. It probably became active when my nightmares started and as my body got used to it, the nightmares started to settle. They promptly stopped when he was able to make contact, which was actually during the Wave mission. I could recall a few moments where Shisui was there. He was there when Yasobu was in my mind. He was there when I fought Shinju.

Shisui was my nightmares. He was the red eyes that chased me while Fushicho laughed. Fushicho knew he had been here for awhile. She had been fighting against his chakra. But what had allowed him to take his own form like he had now?

Meh, I'll figure it out someday. And if I don't, Fushicho probably will.

.

The week before the finals was filled with festivities. The best day though was the day before the finals because there were game booths, specialty foods, and everyone was supposed to dress nicely in kimono and yukata. There were plenty of D ranks for genin not in the finals to put up decorations and they seemed to have gotten some creative ones because there were lanterns, streamers, and other pretty decorations that filled the streets. Those few days before the final festival night the village underwent a complete transformation.

Onna found me two days before the final festival. I was taking the last three days off so my body could recuperate for the fights ahead so I wasn't doing anything too interesting when Onna let herself into my house.

Well, I was relaxing in the bath.

"Holy shit!" I didn't have any weapons with me in my own bathroom, so when Onna just let herself in I tossed the first thing I could grab at her: a towel. Onna caught it, very amused, and she put the towel aside before dropping a basket on the edge of the bath. I looked into it to find a few bottles that weren't labeled. I picked one up to look at it, all while sinking into the water as best I could, and I uncorked the top. A soft flowery scent came out of the top and Onna gestured to the basket.

"I thought you deserved some pampering after how hard you've been training! Today, I thought you could use these." Onna quickly rattled off what was in the basket but I really only caught half of their actual names. To put in far more blandly than Onna did, inside the basket was a simple homemade spa kit she created. There was lotion to soothe my muscles, cream to make my skin smooth and strong, a face mask that was a concerning black-green and smelled something awful, oil for my hair, and other relaxing things.

So I got ripped from my bath and Onna joined me for my spa treatment. It was actually kind of nice. Onna and I looked ridiculous with face masks on and our hair plastered back and slick with oils. The face mask went on smelling like garbage, dried and pulled at your skin, then peeled off like you were lightly waxing your face. Onna promised it cleaned pores like nothing else and the secret was the kind of seaweed she used. Onna wanted us to paint our nails but typically kunoichi polish was bland, non-reflective colors and made to withstand hell and reinforce your nails for more effective pokes and rakes. I kept my nails very short so Onna didn't bother too much, putting a clear coat on to make me feel like I got the complete experience.

When we were all done after an entire afternoon of pampering, Onna brought out what she really came here for.

"Buttering me up for that, huh?" I demurred as Onna held up a formal kimono. I had worn an actual full formal kimono when I was three for the Shichi-Go-San festival but that was about it. Otherwise I wore much plainer but still expensive yukata for more events. Kimono were annoying because they made it harder to move and required layers. If I wanted to eat and move around the festival a kimono would limit me a bit.

Onna held up the kimono and looked across it at me, "You know me. Now, are you going to accept this or do I need to come back tomorrow?"

"I don't dislike your presence you know, don't act like you coming to visit is a punishment." I replied with a wry smirk, "I guess I'll wear the kimono. It's not supposed to be overwhelmingly warm that day, right?"

For a moment, Onna looked surprised. Then she wiped that look away and smiled proudly and warmly, "I would like a picture of you, Obu, and Kyuketsu-kun on that day. Even Kinoe-san if he stops in."

Sure, why not? Although I was still rather irritated with Kinoe. One whose eye has been replaced without their knowledge generally won't be so forgiving too quickly, after all.

The next day, Onna stopped by with a hearty lunch and she asked me if I could convince Kyuketsu to wear something nice for the festival. I told her there was a very unlikely chance I could get him to do shit, but I figured I had to see him anyway. My tanto was supposed to finish up that day and I didn't feel comfortable going to the blacksmith without him.

I stopped by the Aburame compound and after a few minutes the guard I spoke to at the front retrieved him.

Kyuketsu greeted me, "Hime, I wasn't aware you would be visiting today."

"Tanto pick up." I retorted and Kyuketsu, with what could only be called a pleased smirk, handed me exactly what I was there for.

I took the sheathed blade with both hands and my lips pursed, "How much was this?"

"I paid for it." Kyuketsu answered firmly and I scoffed but pulled out the tanto to see. The blade was definitely a different metal from my last one. This one was much whiter and shinier while also feeling lighter. The handle was firm leather and had a good grip instead of the squishy handle my previous one had. I swung it around and it cut through the air with the only noise being the hiss it made as I ripped it from it's sheath.

I held it up and the light shined off it, "This was expensive."

Kyuketsu shrugged, "Consider it my contribution to your training for the exams. I have been helping sensei and Pinky recently but you have been training entirely on your own."

"I didn't ask for you to buy me a new tanto. Besides, I think a better contribution to my training would be you wearing something nice for the festival." I remarked. Kyuketsu snorted.

"That's not training, Hime. I will see you at the festival." Kyuketsu went to go back into the compound.

"Does that mean you're wearing something nice?" I called after him but the only response I got was a wave of his hand. The guard at the compound gate stood like a statue but I was sure he was watching me behind his dark glasses. I gave up and returned home. How Kyuketsu-like of him. Short and to the point while also being a friend and a jackass at the same time.

.

The festival started in the late afternoon around when the sun would begin getting low in the trees. It gave a nice athsetitc to the entire thing but before the festival started, I had to deal with Onna. I was halfway done with my hakama when Onna once again entered my home without permission and decided to take over how I was dressing that evening. I went along with her though because I was in a rather good mood.

I was excited for the finals. My first match was against Bu, which meant it was a safe match. I knew what would happen during the invasion and no one important dies during that so I would be perfectly safe.

I was surprised when there was a knock on my door when Onna was doing my hair.

"Were you expecting someone, Fu-chan? I asked Obu to retrieve Kyuketsu-kun but they shouldn't be here so early." Onna remarked. I wasn't expecting anyone so I figured I should probably answer the door. Onna clipped my hair so that moving wouldn't ruin everything and I answered the door.

I thought my mouth was going to drop when I saw Sakura standing there but instead I bit my lip. How awkward was this? I still kind of blamed myself for her losing part of her fucking arm. Speaking of that, she was wearing a heavy kimono with the empty sleeve hanging at her side and not giving away the fact she didn't have two full arms.

"Sakura." I said, "Not to sound unwelcoming, but what are you doing here?"

Sakura looked down at her feet, "I know Sasuke-kun is out of the village training so I thought you might need someone to help with your kimono."

I didn't want to be rude and point out she probably wouldn't be too much help with one arm. Instead, I stepped back, "Onna-san is here to help me, but do you want to join us? I think she brought makeup and I don't particularly want to go through that alone."

That was totally an excuse to make her feel welcome. I was planning on avoiding Onna's makeup supplies entirely since she did bring them but I was sure Onna would do something heavy and womanly on my face.

Sakura smiled, "Would that be alright?"

"Of course. The more the merrier, I think." I plastered on the best smile I could and led Sakura to my room where Onna was waiting patiently. She was very happy when Sakura trailed in behind me shyly.

Onna managed to wrestle my hair into a few loops on the side of my head with the rest trailing rather neatly behind me. She even got a wave going in my usually straight and wild hair. Then Onna tackled Sakura's hair, putting it up into a wrapped updo with very little effort. She stuck a flower into the middle of it and seemed pretty satisfied.

Then came the makeup.

Sakura went first as Onna promised that she was able to do soft makeup for young girls like us. She didn't bother with any kind of foundation for Sakura and instead went straight for her eyes. When she was done Sakura's eyelids glowed softly and brought attention to her lightly lined eyes. She beamed at me with a glossy smile and I resigned myself to Onna's whims.

Like Sakura, Onna didn't bother with my skin and went straight for my eyes. I already could tell she was doing something heavier on me but Sakura was watching with big eyes so I didn't give Onna any attitude. When she was done I eyed myself in the mirror and pursed my lips. My eyes had a dramatic red streak following my black eyeliner. While the wing Onna gave me was definitely on point, I turned to give her the stink eye. My red streak kind of looked like Orochimaru's purple if I tilted my head a bit.

"I think it looks lovely." Sakura said when she saw the look I was giving Onna.

I shrugged, "It's a bit dramatic for a girl my age, isn't it?"

"Nope!" Onna popped the P, "Looks perfect!"

And a knock on the door, followed by Bu announcing he was coming in, saved her from further argument. We met Bu and Kyuketsu in the kitchen where Bu was helping himself to my attempt at making candies. He started choking when we walked in and Kyuketsu was looking at him with masked concern.

"Fu what is in these?" Bu demanded, turning to face us. His mouth dropped and we got a very unflattering view of his tongue that was looking a bit blue from the candy he tried.

I looked at what he ate and laughed, "Bu that was the failed batch! I accidentally didn't use sugar for that."

Kyuketsu eyed it while Bu struggled to find his words. Kyuketsu examined the two batches of candy on the counter, "How did both come out nearly identical? Sugar and salt are very different and should cause the candies to have different consistencies."

"Kyu-Kyu I need you to not attack me like that, thanks." I told him before I waved my hand in front of Bu's face to make sure he was alive. I was strategically taking attention away from my culinary experimentation. Listen, I crave some old life foods okay.

Back to reality.

Bu closed his mouth, "You two look so different!"

Sakura and I shared a look, and I was the one who stated, "I can take offense to that. Are you saying I don't look magnificent, beautiful and majestic every day?"

"You should have just said we look nice." Sakura quipped before putting her hand over her mouth as if she hadn't actually meant to say it.

Bu sputtered, "I-I mean, you look stunning! Both-Both of you do!"

Onna laughed and took over the center of attention, "Let me take a few pictures!"

We spent like twenty minutes with Onna posing us around the yard. Bu wore a formal yukata that was a solid blue that brought out his eyes. Kyuketsu, surprisingly, wore a yukata that was solid burgundy with a high necked shirt underneath it. Actually, I am pretty sure he was wearing a body suit under it but I couldn't confirm it, nor was I going to ask if he was wearing a body suit. Sakura had a red kimono with petal designs all over it and a white obi. I had a colorful kimono with a main blue color that was overtaken by floral patterns at the bottom and went to white and red at the bottom. My obi was a deep red that Onna probably matched to my sharingan and my Orochimaru eyeshadow.

"Finally!" I loudly announced when Onna was done with pictures. We all scattered away from her when she told us to have fun and if Sakura and I could run, we would have ran. The festival was in full swing and the entire market district was transformed. Sakura and Kyuketsu followed Bu and I slowly. Sakura was unsure how to act around my two idiots and Kyuketsu was... himself. While he indeed looked very good, especially considering he wasn't wearing his goggles or his hood, he was still his usual self.

Bu challenged me to the game where you need to catch fish and I was absolutely ready to destroy him. After I thoroughly beat Bu, whose hands were shaky and looked like Kinoe had done some major healing to them, we all got yakitori from a stand. I saw a snow cone stand and the other three almost lost me as I made a beeline for it. I was so excited for my snow cone I couldn't care less about anything else, including how I almost mowed over Temari and Kankuro.

Kankuro and I reached the snow cone stand at the same time and honestly, we could have had a finals match right then and there with how much we were willing to kill each other over a snow cone.

I stepped in front of Kankuro, who hissed, "I haven't had one of those in months!"

"Try years." I retorted. Konoha was a popsicle place. We had the supplies to make popsicles as opposed to actual ice cream because Konoha is more agricultural oriented than livestock. If I wanted ice cream ice cream, I would have to go more towards Iwa and potentially Kumo. Kumo probably had a different variant of cream based ice cream, because I know Iwa is the place to go if you want the closest thing to chocolate ice cream.

Mint chocolate chip is a lost dream, you see.

Kankuro let me get my snow cone first and when I got my first taste I was very disappointed the blue cone was more blueberry than blue raspberry. I should have known and went for the lemon flavored one but I had hopes and dreams for the blue cone. I watched Kankuro pay for his red cone and he looked at me like he had never seen me before.

"Aren't you in the finals?"

I nodded, sucking at the flavor in my cone, "Yeh."

Kankuro decided that was enough interaction and he walked through the crowd with Temari looking at me curiously. My group found me a few moments later and Bu was a bit exasperated when I explained I was ready to fight for a snow cone.

I would have actually killed Kankuro if it was ice cream, by the way.

"What flavor did you get?" Bu questioned as we all walked along the street, observing all the stands.

I answered bluntly, "Disappointment."

"What?"

"Blueberry."

Sakura laughed.

When I finished my snow cone without it melting on me, Bu and I fought over a few more games. I came out on top for most of them although Bu's aim was way better than mine. We ended up buying masks to wear, which Kyuketsu didn't take off once he put on, and Bu was bouncing in place during the fireworks show. Bu got so excited that when he realized there was a booth that sold fireworks, he grabbed my hand and started to run.

I yelled and tried to follow while Kyuketsu picked up his pace and Sakura hurried after him. Bu darted through the crowd like a pro and eventually we made it to the booth he was looking for. Kyuketsu and Sakura were a few moments behind us but Bu forgot about me and was browsing the fireworks by the time they came up to me.

"This maniac." I complained, "He would do this over fireworks."

Kyuketsu turned towards me and I stared into the oni mask, "You just did this over a snow cone."

"Fuck you, Kyu-Kyu."

Sakura laughed again.

The festival went all night but considering Bu and I were supposed to be fighting the next day, we decided to head out after a few more games. We actually got banned from a few when they realized we were ninja so we didn't really get any prizes. We didn't need the prizes anyway and if we did get one, it usually got handed off to a kid. I thanked Sakura for thinking of me and had a kind of awkward goodbye with her before I nodded to Kyuketsu, gave him a thumbs up and a pointed eye waggle, and I wandered off with Bu hurrying to catch up to me.

"That was so much fun!" he announced, "And I got so many ideas from the fireworks!"

"You also spent a small fortune on some." I snorted. Bu blushed and looked away, switching his bag to the hand not next to me as if I would suddenly stop judging him for buying a fuckton of fireworks just because I couldn't see them.

We walked quietly away from the festival until we reached the street where we would part ways. Bu eyed me for a moment, "Do you need me to walk you home?"

"Did you just ask me, a chunin exams finalist, if I need to be walked home?" I retorted, amused.

Bu rolled his eyes, "You got attacked in the compound before. And you're slow in the kimono."

"If someone attacked me with the village security like it is right now, they'd be fucking dumb and dead. I'm fine Bu." I did smile at him though, since he was trying to be nice and I was just bullshitting him, "But thanks for the thought, I suppose. See you tomorrow?"

With an assured grin, Bu nodded, "See you tomorrow, rival."

"Ha!"

We parted in good spirits.

I slept good that night knowing that tomorrow would be the end of the exams but the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. Sasu would be back and hopefully be staying, Bu and I would fight for a title, and everything would be on track.

AN:

Yay long chapter!

I've been sick again, but I am hopefully going to be healthy the rest of the summer now! Changed up my medication (Thank you for the advice Ulsindhe!) and I should be cured! Huzzah! It's going to be great that I can write and draw again without feeling drained and just... not there.

I was kind of unsure about the Shisui thing, I was super excited to introduce it because it's been hinted at for awhile, however I got a negative review where someone complained about "sentient chakra bullshit" in regards to Fushicho. I like the idea so I kept it because my story my rules, and the review certainly didn't bother me except in that it sounded more hostile than constructive, and also I really like Shisui as a character and I want him to be here for however long I decide he stays ;) My idea doesn't break any Naruto rules and follows along with things that happen in the show so (Inner Sakura, Minato in the Pein fight, the Tailed Beasts) I am happy with it.

Fun Fact: Fushicho still talks with a lisp! It hasn't been mentioned in awhile due to her bettering her speech however sometimes characters she just meet may remark on it. I just wanted everyone to remember it's there.

Thanks to the following for reviewing (:

NinjaDemonAngel (Your review made me smile!)
Guest
akagami hime chan (Fu is my fav to write)
WestOfTheGlass (I'm so sorry I didn't PM reply, thank you so much! *blush*)
skittlesdeb
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Thomas Drovin