There are some update for minor change, improvement, and fix for previous chapter, sorry if still end up with many typo that could throw people of when theh try to immerse on the story.
Garden of Fate: Kisah
"Are you two planning to make us eat ramen only for a week?" ask Shiki while using her knife slicing onion leaves in swift, Shiki and Mana just got back from Mifune few hours ago, but when she got back, she was greeted by a bunch of ingredients and her freezer now almost full with Strawberry Häagen-Dazs, she don't know how excited can Sakura and Naruto can be over ramen to end up bought a plenty amount of the ingredients it's actually worth for a 3 days straight, "Also are you just crying? Your eyes and nose looks little bit red."
"N-no, no at all." said Sakura nervous a little bit because her mother just got a bingo.
"If you say so then, thanks for the ice cream." said Shiki just finished chopping all the vegetable needed. Sakura reply with smile and said it was nothing, besides she got all the wealth thanks to her anyway. Shiki then decides to continue by taking a flour, and then she start to mix them with water and eggs, then start to kneads them into a noodle.
"Need help mom? You know Naruto here quite adept at kneading a dough." Sakura said jokingly remember that time when Naruto end up using rasengan to make a noodle with Teuchi, Naruto who understand what she mean gives her annoyed look.
"Don't remind me that, Sakura-chan." Naruto said with sour face, but Sakura just smirking. "By the way Ryougi-san, why are you wearing kimono all the time?"
"I wonder, why do you ask? Is having certain preference over what to wear because it suit you is such strange concept for someone like you?" said Shiki still kneading noodle's dough without even give a glance at him.
"Hmm... I guess yeah." Naruto now start to thinking trying to understand about what she mean.
"It was sarcasm..." Shiki added almost rolled her eyes on how oblivious this blondie can be. Naruto then give a sheepish smile while Sakura deadpanned, "How cute."
Shiki then take a bowl and grease it with olive oil and then rest the dough on the bowl, she take her apron off and now joining with the two at the dining table, she sit across Naruto and beside Sakura and then decide to gaze the blonde looking at him straight to the eyes, her gentle smile and stare are stilled makes it feel little bit eerie instead because how she keep locking her eyes to Naruto as the room fell silence. 2 minutes pass and Shiki still doing it makes Naruto start to feel uncomfortable and blushing, and now he just sweating because feeling nervous, it feels like she just assessing him in and out, make him feel naked as her eyes see through him.
5 minutes passes and Shiki still doing it, she even rarely blink that Naruto swear in past minutes he still can count how many times she blink with his fingers.
"Err... mom you make him on the edge." said Sakura start to feel worry didn't know why she do that, Shiki only raised her hand telling Sakura for stay quiet for a moment, her expression still same, stilled like a statue. Sakura only sweating at her surrogate mother's antics. Sakura didn't know why she do that but Sakura know what is she doing, that's why she feel tad bit nervous and concerned as well.
Shiki's eyes now suddenly turned into bright blue with red lines all over, at this Naruto feel like he stop breathing, he can feel the strange aura that her eyes emitting. The room still silence until finally Shiki decide to break it.
"Interesting... I will assume you have your own reason so I won't bug you, do what you think is right, I trust you won't let any harm done to Sakura, after all you both are childhood friend." Shiki said closing her eyes though she still have that unnerving smile plastered on her face.
Naruto eyes widen for a moment, then decide to look down staring at the table, he frowned on what Shiki just said to him, now Sakura is the one who left in the dark, she doesn't understand on what just happened as she looks on Naruto stern face. When she about to ask to Shiki, she felt a hand on her head, patting her gently, her surrogate mother act as if trying to comforting her, green emerald orbs meet a dull grayish black orbs, still bore a same expression as always Shiki's hand now moving down to Sakura's cheek and start to caressing her while Sakura just confused.
"Oh I forgot to tell you, I met a someone interesting on my way back from Mifune..."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Shiki looking out through the window car looking at the city while caressing her sleeping daughter hair who decided to use her lap as pillow without asking, Mana sleep peacefully as they are on their way to visit Ryuudou Temple before going back to Ryougi manor, she need to talk with the head monk -her business partner- trying to gain some information she could use and while at it, trying to recruit that teacher once again as he seems quite persistence to keep decline her offer.
As the car stop she finally arrived in front of Ryuudou Temple, though she still need to climb the long stairs to the temple's front gate. She cast aside Mana carefully so she won't wake up and then put her red scarf for Mana's blanket. Akitaka, her loyal right hand then opened the car door allowing her to step out from it.
Shiki finally make her way to the temple with her henchmen while Akitaka staying with Mana as her guard, but as she finally reach the temple front gate, her eyes greeted by an odd man in old sengoku garb consisted with white kimono dan purple hakama, a very long dark blue-ish hair that tied in pony tail with a ribbon, and an impressive long and large nodachi resting on his back. His posture are relax but his eyes are sharp and eyeing at her up and down, the henchmen around her doesn't seems give any attention to the man in front of them, or are they? The man giving very strange aura around him.
As they keep walking forward, the man in purple garb about to step aside until Shiki stopped, this makes the man in traditional clothing stopped from his track as well as his eyes widen when they start to look each other in the eyes.
'Ah... Jackpot then?' Shiki muses.
Seems like her deduction is right, as her henchmen little bit surprised with her abruptly halted out of blue, they giving her a stoic yet visible a questioning look within them. It's not that her worker is paying him no mind, it just that they can't see him, which is odd and amusing for Shiki at the same time, as if his presence was concealed in broad daylight.
"What is it Lady Shiki?" ask one of her henchmen.
"Nothing." and with that she continue her walk, the long haired man now continue as he step aside, as Shiki walk past the man, she glance at him and give slight nod as a greetings, the 'invisible' man face turn serious but still reply her greetings, it will be impolite of him for not acknowledge a beautiful woman's greet. And then they keep moving on as if their exchange between each other never happen.
Her meeting with the monk end up being longer than she thought as when she finally step outside the sky are now already change its color from blue to deep orange, and that teacher she intend to recruit just walked by the gate, a tall man in suit, a dull onyx eyes stopped from track, their gaze met as the man fix his eyeglasses position and then Shiki and the man walk their way closing the distance between them.
"Good evening Lady Ryougi."
"Greetings Souichirou Kuzuki, have you change your mind? My offer still open for you."
"You still at it... why?" ask Souichirou.
"Because I value your past and you has greater opportunity than just being a teacher and live in the temple, haunted by your own shadow, you said you are content with how you are right now but I know it won't last forever..."
Usually Souichirou will decline her right away with "No thanks" or "I appreciate it but I rather not" without any hesitation, however today he seems waver a little bit, he fell silence for brief moment until he finally speak up again.
"I'll consider it for now."
"That's good, then may I know why the change of heart?" Shiki ask with small smile on hee face as always. But the man just give her silence treatment, he about to part and go to his room but a voice of a girl calling him make him cancel his intention and turn to see who just called him.
"Kuzuki-sensei!"
At this moment, Shiki froze for a moment feeling funny on what she just saw.
"...Issei Ryuudou, and Ayako Mitsuzuri, what are you doing here?"
Both make their way to said teacher, and then their gaze shifted to the woman in pretty kimono beside their teacher who wave at them, Issei are not stranger to Shiki then bowing at her, Ayako follow because of this though she just clueless about her.
"Greetings sensei, Lady Ryougi." said Issei, Ayako little bit surprised when she heard how Issei addressed the women in front of them, and Ayako then whisper to Issei, "Mitsuzuri-san are with me to finish a group work, we suppose to work on it with Tohsaka but she left for urgent matter."
"Greetings Issei, and you are Ayako Mitsuzuri?" ask Shiki which got reply with a nod.
"I heard alot about you from my daughter, it's nice to know her upperclassmen having good relation with her, though I can see why she attached to you." Shiki said with gentle smile, "Please take care of her, in any case I shall take my leave, have a good night."
And with that she left with her henchmen leaving the three behind, seeing plenty scary guy in black suit and sunglasses following Shiki makes Ayako shock and shiver a little bit.
'Sakura never told me that she actually a daughter of Yakuza leader!' Ayako think while seeing her best friend's mother leaving the temple, Issei saw this and decide to ask her.
"Did you feel afraid of her?"
"H-how do you know?"
"Well it's normal since she is pretty much a Yakuza leader, but don't worry she is kind." Issei stated try to comfort Ayako.
"She just have that aura makes me scared, also Sakura-chan never told me about her family, it's surprised me she is Yakuza princess..."
"Funny hearing it from you since you kinda looks like Sakura's mother..." said Issei while fixing his glasses, to their surprise Kuzuki-sensei nodding in agreement saying he also can see the resemblance.
"Did you just compared me with a mother? do I look that old?" Ayako protested.
"Well, it just Lady Ryougi look young enough, I guess that is what you call baby face?" Issei said nonchalantly, but this makes Mitsuzuri start to think about it again, she does looks young despite already having a 14 year old daughter.
"Lady Ryougi not really that old, my big brother said she only 30 years old so chill out." Issei dodging a bullet, if Ayako mad at him, he probably end up in hospital, after all she is kendo master at school, even Mitsuzuri family is renown as Martial Arts family.
"Ooh... wait hold on.." Ayako put her hand on her face, her expression start to darkened as she going deeper on her thought, a brief moment later she start to sweat with wide eyes as her mouth agape... "Oh lord, so she having Sakura at age 16..."
Issei who never think of that then froze while Kuzuki just left to his room.
"Yakuza are scary..." Issei finally said that... the very man who just ask his friend to not worry about Yakuza.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
"To actually end up befriended with someone who resemble as your mother, I feel touched, Sakura." said Shiki with teasing smile, "Did you really feel attracted to your own mother? Perhaps you even swing that way?"
Sakura's face now all red and rise from her seat, Shiki and Naruto chuckle at her finding the girl quite hilarious and cute by getting teased like this.
"T-that's not it!! She just really friendly!! Beside if not me, then who gonna love you back except father? Even Mana and Aunt Azaka against you and saying want to beat you to take father from you, hmph!" rant Sakura now crossing her arms and hide her face from embarrassment, "And don't laugh at me Naruto!"
Both laugh even harder, until they finally settle up, her mother finally stand up and go back to the kitchen continuing with making ramen.
"For a moment I really feel like I look into a mirror, though the hair color and eye color is the one that throw that thought far far away." said Shiki while putting her apron back, "And about that man at Ryuudou Temple, that's a servant right?"
At this question their face come back serious and sit down try to think about it at the dining table, except Shiki who continue making a ramen. If the man carry nodachi like that then she sure that he must be saber, but what kind of saber that have presence concealment perk? She thought that is special set of skill only for Assassin class servant, and Naruto is summoned as Assassin already.
"That's definitely a servant, well this is convenient knowing there is a servant at Ryuudou Temple, thank you so much for the help mom."
"Sure, take it as repay for the ice creams, who knows what will you ask to me knowing you are so similar to Azaka in someway..." Shiki pauses her sentence as she finally manage to make the dough into a long string and finally put it on boiling broth and let it cook.
"...Someway like possibly into incest, and it's towards me this time." Shiki said with smirk.
"MOM!!" Sakura buried her face on the table giving up on life for being teased again and again, but at this moment Sakura really realize the similarity between her mother and her friend at school, kami-sama the way they think kinda similar in one way or another as well, especially on how they teased her for fun. Naruto just laughing hard amused by Sakura's surrogate mother humor while Shiki just chuckle lightly.
"Alright let's settle down, dinner coming right up, did Mana wake up yet?" ask Shiki.
"I don't know, let me check her up." Sakura then walk her way towards Mana on the second floor, meanwhile Shiki start to put the broth, noodles, vegetables, and some meat like slice of pork belly and fishcake, while she doing this she start to talk with Naruto once more.
"Have you actually considering to talk to her about your condition?" ask Shiki still put their attention to her cooking but let her ears only to do the job.
"No... I can't really, saying how I am will reveal the entirety of it."
"Then don't take my word from earlier for granted, I will still do something if you end up hurting her one way or another, even if you know her for all your life, she is now part of my family." Shiki said finally settle down the third bowl of ramen, and put them on a tray.
Naruto looked down with sad look once more, his head wandering all over place, anxiety almost start to come within him but he can't let that happen, after all he still Uzumaki Naruto, someone who never put his ninja way aside and always going forward no matter what, he will find a way. His expression now changing from sadness to determination in matter of seconds, Shiki notice this and smirking.
'What an intriguing man, Sakura sure is lucky' she muses.
Then finally Sakura show up again with her little sister and Shiki then prepare another bowl for Mana, Naruto smiled at Sakura and Mana with his bright smile and Sakura just smiled back at him and Mana just overjoyed with his cheerful demeanor. They sit at the dining table as Shiki bring a tray of ramen and start to handing it to them one by one.
And finally Shiki put a bowl of beautiful looking ramen in front of him, for a moment Naruto froze a little bit because of what he see, that looks, he knows it everywhere, the look of what Shiki just handed to him.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
He just handed his favorite food, Miso Ramen with a lot of fishcake and pork meat, right in front of him, inside his messy house, as Iruka now sit across his table. Iruka always do this for Naruto when he is in huge depression as if he always knows what his mood is.
"Iruka-sensei...?"
"Eat it up before it's get cold Naruto." said Iruka with huge smile on his face, Naruto knew he trying to cheer him up, and so he eat it up, but each slurp makes Naruto's mind going deeper and deeper, playing a memory of what pained him the most over and over like a broken record.
It's already a week after Neji, Sakura... Kakashi... and Sasuke's funeral, right now Naruto still feel devastated knowing they now no longer here with him, and Naruto now are the only survivor of Team 7, for the first time in a long time he feel like he is 4 years old again, alone, and hurts, in solitude and depressed, a huge number of what he treat, he wish, as his family is all gone now.
And with each bite of this ramen, the emotion getting bigger and bigger to the point he eating while crying. His tears keep flowing but he still eating because he don't want to disregards Iruka's good intention to cheer him up, but he can't hold it at all, it's beyond his power to hold all the sorrow he keep by himself.
Iruka look at Naruto with pained expression, for a long time he finally see Naruto yet again broken, and he hope that Naruto isn't broken beyond repair, he cannot allow that and forgive himself if that happen. Iruka than put his hand on Naruto's head patting him gently wishing he got better.
"Naruto..."
"...I'm sorry Iruka-sensei." said Naruto in shaky voice, "...I'm really sorry, but it won't stop, I don't know why."
"It's alright Naruto, after all I know how hard this is for you."
Naruto then stopped from eating and start to wipe his tears over and over, but they keep coming out and then he give up, his head now hung up staring to his house ceiling, and his tears still end up flowing, coming down to his cheek.
"I have such a bad reputation in my childhood... and I believe Iruka-sensei knew already on how I am back then, in my academy years as well..." this time Naruto's finally get a grip and firmed himself, his voice are now steady once more.
Iruka just look at Naruto with sad eyes, willing to listen whatever Naruto want to say, hoping he let out his emotion and not let him back into his solitude.
"...That's why... when Kakashi-sensei give us that bells test... it's like a miracle for me..." but at this moment Naruto's voice start to shaky again.
"Sasuke and Sakura... they know how I am, I lost at the test while they manage to get the bell, the punishment for them who fail end up getting tied on the tree log not getting lunch... that time I was poor as a kid who still struggle surviving alone, so I am very hungry that noon I was hoping they somehow share their lunch but I decide it's an empty hope already assuming the output that they hated me." Naruto then chuckle a little bit, " And then Kakashi-sensei told us that if he caught Sakura or Sasuke giving me any food, they will be expelled with me and go back to academy... I don't want that to happen to them but my stomach was so noisy that time telling me that I am starving, but I don't want to eat their food, I don't want to ask them, I even try to insult them so they won't give me any food..."
"...But... even with that they end up still willing to share their food to me... Sasuke without too much hesitation handed me his lunch... And Sakura even about to spoon me hers since I'm tied up..." Naruto once more broke into tears, his face are all scrunched up with sadness.
"It was the moment that really changed me towards them, the moment when I finally break through my narrowed mind thinking there is no hope for me for having a friend..."
"We... work up... together... together... it was harsh but we still end up together... together... Kakashi was like a our guardian, he guide me, us, protected us all he can, always with us when we need him the most..."
"Sasuke is like a brother for me, even of we harsh to each other... insulted each other... punching each other... but we still and actually always care for each other, even that we end up separated mid way... but in the end it's never really change..."
"Sakura-chan... she might be rude at the beginning, but she also the one who end up keeping me back on track, literally beating a sense out of me, helped me on mission countless time, she openly supported me to be hokage, healed me... and she one time even literally bring me back to live, such troublesome woman... she always cared about me but keep masking it."
Naruto rise his hand and start covering his eyes with his arm, "Now all of them gone... I feel lost, drifting didn't know where to go... Iruka-sensei... I don't know anymore."
Iruka fell silence letting the room filled with the sound of Naruto's cry, sobbing on his chair, letting him sink and let out the emotion he pent-up for a whole week after learning that almost everyone that he considered his family died at war. Even though they manage to seal Kaguya after Sakura died, it end up having Sasuke in rage he end up left exhausted fighting Kaguya and Kakashi sacrificing himself making another opening just for one last attack... Now he alone once more.
"Naruto, mourning and feeling at lost is nothing you should worry and you already know to not keep the burden for yourself..." Iruka finally speak up looking straight to Naruto.
"There is one time after that one training Kakashi put you in to teach on element transformation, he and I was having lunch together, and he once told me, 'I'm happy that I manage to be his teacher, seeing him grow is something I always cherish knowing his background is my sensei's son, I've been watching over him since he was born and brought back to Konoha, crying on Sandaime arms, seeing him surpassed me already is something that really makes me proud, and I am proud as his teacher, I believe in him, to achieve his dream'..." Iruka paused as Naruto paused as well, letting all those words sink in.
"There is also that one time when I have a chat with Sakura at hospital when she nurse you back since your right arm injured, she told me 'I will never admit it in front of him, but Naruto are someone that really mean something for me, he guided me, pulled me back up whenever I fall, protected me, and cared alot about me, and me myself also cared about him more than anything for now, he such stubborn kid, but that what makes him special, I always dreamed of standing beside him and Sasuke, together, with his face carved on the mountain as Hokage, till that time I will be with him, always to support him as much as I can'..."
"Naruto, just like with Jiraya-sama, you should know that they never actually leave, they may no longer with us right now, but their hope actually stay with you, Naruto, the feelings are mutual..." Iruka start to tear up a little bit as Naruto start to move his head and look to Iruka with wide eyes.
"The time you cry, is when they also cry with you up there, as the third person, it's obvious how they loved you and how they definitely feel the pain as you drop your tears, and what makes them rest easy is only by knowing you can going through all of this keep moving forward with you still holding their memory close to your heart, and so with that they will still grow and move forward with you as well, never leave them behind..."
"Dedicate your dream for them, dedicate your hope for them, change the world for the better dedicated for them, by that for every person you will save in future, every change you made in this world, every smile you get, is also a fraction your friends and family, as you plant the seeds of their life from that memories you hold within you, in the end you make an impact as a whole, you, Sakura, Kakashi... and Sasuke will be immortal live through the Will of Fire you carry with them."
Naruto finally stopped crying, for the first time after war he manage to see a light again, a new form of hope, a goal with new meaning, he don't want to disappoint their soul, not anymore, he smiled, his eyes burning with will of fire he carry, finally everything doesn't look gray anymore, Iruka saw this and then smiled at him brightly.
"Will you?" ask Iruka.
"Definitely will, thank you Iruka-sensei, no matter what I will carry them with me."
Iruka then put his hand on Naruto's head and then give his brightest smile he ever have.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"I'm counting on you."
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Shiki said with her gentle smile, patting Naruto's head gently after she put a bowl of ramen in front of him, Naruto froze as what she just did remind him of his 'father' back at home, he feel really blessed that even here, in unknown world he still able to feel this feeling, something he always treasure with deep down inside his heart, his eyes teary a little bit but he manage to hold it up, with that he beamed the brightest smile, just like his 'father' and said...
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Believe it!"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Hmm... Sakura-chan."
"What is it?"
"Your mother really can cook, because that ramen was holy..." said Naruto with silly face plastered on him.
To Be Continued
Nodachi/Ōdachi: A sword like katana that as equal as claymore, it's famous of it's oversize and length that some are longer than it's own user height.
Hakama: a lower clothing that used to be paired with kimono and resemble like an oversized pants...? err.. google it up, not expert on this. (You know if you watch Rurouni Kenshin, that red half is called kimono I think, and the lower half with gray color is called Hakama... Argh! You know how Assassin looks like that damn Sasaki Kojiro)Btw, Holy shit I never thought there will be more than 10 people who will put this story as their fave, and more than 20 people follow this story knowing my absurd grammar and silly english, Im not fluent yet so this is beyond my expectation, plus no one criticize me on it yet, I feel blessed, so I guess rock on guys...?
Alright, anywah I never thought this chapter will end up like this, as you can see I made a fict on the go so it's just happen, and I feel like if I add more to this chapter, it somehow ruin it, so the next one we gonna finally continue on where we left, speaking of the music fit so well on the flashback, it looks better in my mind, idk how it's actual result is up to you, now onto for he reply!
Lightningblade49: honestly... I actually haven't plan on it, or more like it's undecided as I have quite few idea on that one, but yeah what you said is also pop up in my mind, already considered, now if I gonna use it or not is still... undecided, let's hope for the best.
Zenchi to Zen'n no kami: Alright first, I don't know spanish at all, idk what do you expect when you send that review, I tried google translate and it was disaster, thankfully my cousin actually know someone who speak spanish so I ask her to ask her friend please translate your word, and this is what he said, please correct me if I'm wrong
So you saying that: "I'm quite doubtful on how this siblings relationship between Naruto and Sakura will go, but keep in mind that I just dislike Sakura, but so far the story are attracting enough for me" is what you saying?
If yes then I'm glad that you actually give this story a chance, I'm happy that it's quite appealing for you right now, but sadly there probably more thing you will hate later on in upcoming chapter, because this fict actually might be what people call "SakuraCentric" in the end, it's kinda all around Sakura I guess... But honestly idk myself, but I already put Sakura as main character so there is possibility, as I am quite new myself I believe I can leave the judgement to readers if this considered Sakura Centric or not. Once again I'm happy you still give this story a chance, tho I concerned a little bit since you said you hate Sakura which happens to be the main heroine here, idk how you will enjoy this story better for the next chapter
Also I don't understand spanish, I only fluent with 2 language, Indonesian and Sundanese, then I still learn english and having intention to fluent on it as my 3rd language. Next time you review in spanish there is no guarantee I will understand you as Google Translate is quite messy and I can't ask my cousin to bother her friend over and over, I'm very sorry for that.
I guess that is all, see you next chapter.