SA: Can you hear me, Murasaki?
(Five second pause.)
KM: I suppose.
SA: That's fine. I'd like to talk to you about what happened at the chuunin exams.
(Four second pause.)
KM: When Tomoshi-san was with me?
SA: When you were performing Gentle Fist.
(Three second pause.)
KM: Yes, that was Tomoshi-san. Not me.
SA: I see. Is this Tomoshi-san like your friend Shusuke, who allows you to hear?
(Ten second pause.)
SA: Murasaki?
KM: Shusuke-kun doesn't allow me to hear. He just tells me things.
SA: I see. Do you think we could speak to Shusuke now, Murasaki?
(Five second pause.)
KM: He can hear you, you know. I can tell you what he's saying, if you have any questions for him.
SA: No, no, we'd like to speak with him directly. Can you let him talk to us through you?
(Seven second pause.)
SA: Murasaki?
(Fifteen second pause.)
KM: I'm here, what do you want?
SA: Is this Murasaki or Shusuke that we're speaking to?
KM: I'm Shusuke.
SA: And how are you today, Shusuke?
KM: I'm all right, I guess. What do you want?
SA: I'd like to know more about you. Are you aware that you're sharing this space with Murasaki?
KM: Well, yeah, I'm with her all the time. She can't hear nothing without me.
SA: I see. May I ask you another question?
KM: Go for it.
SA: Do you have control over when Murasaki allows you to speak, Shusuke?
KM: What's that mean?
SA: Can you take control when you please, or is it entirely up to Murasaki?
(Two second pause.)
KM: I guess it's all up to her. I can't do this unless she's okay with it. Same with the others.
SA: The others?
KM: Yeah.
(Five second pause.)
SA: Exactly how many of you are here right now, with Murasaki?
(Three second pause.)
KM: A lot more than there used to be.
- From the transcript of an exploratory hypnosis session between Dr. Senjin Ayari and the patient Kamitsure Murasaki, September 7th, 17 AU. Patient was later diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder and prescribed further therapy.
ACT 11
TRIAL
Chapter 97 - King Hunt
The chuunin exams were held twice a year for a number of reasons.
The first reason was fairness to and consideration of the students participating. The average age of a participant was somewhere between fourteen and sixteen, though the ones that made it through to the tournament were usually a fair bit younger, for some odd reason—this was something to do with prodigies and statistics. And regardless of the exact age of people, the fact remained: most genin hopefuls were young. And youth meant impatience.
Frankly, a whole year was far too long to wait for many genin, for second attempts. Six months seemed just fine, however; enough time to train up and develop new techniques for the next go-around. And having the exams once a season would have been far too quick a turnaround, considering the month-long recess between the preliminary exams and the tournament. That was the first reason.
The second reason was logistics and statistics. Different statistics from age-specific behavior, of course; this was more to do with weather. And war.
Konoha was chosen as the place of testing because of a few factors: it was the first Hidden Village, it was in a relatively central position and relatively equidistant to the rest of the Hidden Villages, and it had a fairly mild climate, both in winter and summer. In summary: a prime location for such an international event.
But the timing of the exams was also key. The winter exams were always scheduled with the exam portion ending shortly before the celebration of the New Year, when spirits were running high and the hunger for skirmishes and battle was low, replaced by a hunger for partying. And, truly, the battlefields were usually left empty upon the approach of January, and the slight lengthening of the days.
As for the summer exams, their placement was exactly six months after the commencement of the winter exams—logical, of course. But these exams also took place roughly three months after genin graduation, which was an attempt to boost attendance. This proved less effective as the years went on, but with the loosening definitions of "chuunin" that came with peacetime, fresh genin began appearing again.
The third, and possibly most important reason, was to give people an excuse to get together.
After all, the New Year alone got people traveling, but the addition of the chuunin exam gave families something exciting to talk about, and a chance to invite foreign relatives, friends, allies, what have you, for a meal or two. And the tournaments, in February and in September, were even greater excuses to gather, and far less formal, at that.
Truth be told, aside from the great Waveball tournaments over in the Land of Water, and their small-harbor-sized stadiums for the sport, such enormous events were few and far between, in the world. So people booked around them, and purchased seats near each other, and made restaurant reservations afterward, and hung out in hotels after that, and so on and so forth. The whole thing was just wonderful for Konoha's local businesses (and less-scrupulous scalpers and vendors), and for ex patriats and just plain friends to come back together for a grand hoo-rah once or twice a year.
For example, on this particular Friday morning, Sarutobi Konohamaru, fresh-returned from the Land of Earth, was looking for Moegi, as he always did. Since she was the responsible one in the relationship (if you could call it that) and had gotten their seats for them, as well as a place for him to crash after the tournament, since Kurenai gladly took care of the kids.
Yes, kids. As in the plural. As Moegi exclaimed with a difficult sigh upon meeting him, "You had another one?"
"Yeah, isn't he cute?" Konohamaru beamed; the baby was wrapped in what looked suspiciously like one of his scarves.
Moegi pressed her temples with her fingers. "You told me that Yoh was enough. That you would stop."
"I know, I know, but I had a breakthrough! Seriously! No more after this, Moegi, I promise."
"And how do you expect me to believe you."
"I finally got the fertility jutsu to work for women!"
Moegi blinked. "Excuse me."
"You know. I always thought it was unfair that I could figure out how to give someone a guaranteed working womb, but not a working penis, but I managed to get together some volunteers and after a bit of experimentation—ta-da!" He cuddled the infant in his arms closer, his cheeks growing ever-rosier. "I had Hao! You should see his dad, she's gorgeous. Also a total freak in bed, but bam, bombshell otherwise."
Moegi's eyes drifted to Konohmaru's legs, where his five-year-old daughter, Yoh, was holding the end of his scarf with a surly, pinched expression.
"When are you dropping her off at Kurenai's?" she said, in a tone that clearly said "I'm going to ignore what you just said and return to important things."
"Soon as possible. Hao too. Why?"
"I don't want you poisoning your daughter's mind any more than you already are."
Konohamaru laughed. "She's just growing up with a more mature understanding of things than her peers!"
Yoh made a face that clearly expressed how pleased she was to be in possession of this "mature understanding."
"Right. Come on, then," Moegi said. The pair, children included, began to walk. "Yoh-chan's about ready for school, by the way, isn't she? Do you want her to stay with me once the season starts so she can be educated?"
"Oh, Daddy couldn't bear being away from his precious little girl," Konohamaru cooed.
"I want to go to school with Moegi-sama," Yoh said, tugging on Konohamaru's scarf. "She takes me to the library and doesn't leave me alone all day."
Moegi's eyebrow raised. Again. "You leave her alone all day?"
"Not alone! I'm in the house with her, of course. And I leave her with a sitter when I have business. Not that she needs them, anyways. My precious Yoh's an independent individual! She cooks for me and cleans her own bedroom."
"Because you're lazy, Daddy," Yoh replied.
"I think we're going to be making some arrangements this year, Yoh-chan," Moegi said, primly, folding her hands behind her back. "But first, let's drop you off at Aunt Kurenai's."
"Yay," Yoh replied, flatly. Though her cheeks were pink, like Konohamaru's, her eyes were dark and almost permanently-narrowed.
"I can't wait to show Haruhi-kun my new technique," Konohamaru chattered, most-likely in complete ignorance. "I know how much he and Benio-chan want to have kids."
"I'd wait until you have some privacy, first," Moegi said. "For the sake of the children."
"Of course, ma'am," Konohamaru replied, fondly, with a roll of his eyes. "And I'll show you tonight."
"You had better," Moegi said, under her breath. But Konohamaru heard her.
In another part of the city, the Might family was making their arrival.
Loudly.
"Lee!"
They had met up with the Haruno family.
"Guy-sensei!"
They did this with every exam, sharing seats next to each other and, afterwards, dinner.
"LEE!"
Guy, in the wake of Lee's own marriage to Sakura (since Neji had been matched in an arranged marriage and Ten Ten didn't count, apparently), began lamenting his own lack of a wife.
"GUY-SENSEI!"
Almost as if it were fate—which, in all likelihood, they both believed it was—Haruko bumped into his life. Quite literally. He'd been out on a walk with Kakashi, she out on a walk with one of her coworkers. She was a kunoichi teacher at the academy.
"LEEE!" With a hug, this time.
She was as handsome and round as he was youthful and muscular.
"GUY-SENSEEI!" A hug in return, with tears.
They had their first date within a week, and were wed perhaps a month afterward.
"Lee-hee…"
After which they settled down in the suburbs of Konoha and began having children.
"Guy-sensei-hei…"
Lots of them.
At present count, they had nine, with a tenth due to arrive in April. The youngest was two, the eldest, twenty. The goal, Guy and Haruko claimed, was that they wanted to keep on having children until they had an equal number of boys and girls, since it "wouldn't be fair otherwise."
The nine children were presently greeting Sakura and Lee's two, as they usually did, with many hugs, like their fathers. Sakura and Haruko just politely greeted each other, smiling at all the youthful nonsense.
Lee wiped off his happy tears on his sleeve. "It is so good to see you again, Guy-sensei! And your family as well! Growing finely!"
"We're hoping for the best!" Guy replied. "Four beautiful girls and five handsome boys. Another daughter would be perfect, especially to balance out those twins of ours."
Said twins, hellions of eight years, were currently clinging to both of Kenji's flexed, firm arms, swinging like little, black-haired monkeys.
"I truly wish you the best, Guy-sensei!" said Lee, clenching a fist. "I wish nothing more than for you to be blessed with another pretty girl."
"I hope you're not too overwhelmed, Haruko-san," Sakura mentioned, aside. "Handling all these kids with the next one on the way, and at your age too…"
Haruko just waved a hand dismissively. "I have the older ones to help run the house, the only thing that I worry about is how torn-up my darling Guy will surely be when our oldest finally leaves to settle down with someone. Fuka is getting to be of an age…"
"Ah, yes, my Sakari too…" Sakura said. "No sign of settling down for a while on her end, though. So I think we have nothing to worry about. Kids these days tend to wait, it seems."
The women smiled and laughed warmly.
"We can't stay long, now, my dear student," Guy was continuing. "We must be getting to our box. Rascals to wrangle and all that. Should be quite the ordeal!"
"Ah, yes, young children," Lee said, fondly. "Well, we will be sitting near you! So my family can offer our usual assistance."
"You remain a star pupil even now, Lee," Guy said.
"Oh, Guy-sensei…" Lee was starting to get tears in his eyes again.
Haruko and Sakura, however, had been waiting for them to get to their conclusion, like they did every exam. Besides, it was highly unlikely that the twins were going to let go of Kenji's arms any time soon, and Kenji more than had the stamina to put up with them.
The sizeable band continued together to the stadium.
And on the way, they ran into Kakashi. He was with Yamato.
Of course, Guy had something to say about it.
"Kakashi! Look at you!"
Kakashi was holding Kotoji, with a patient, half-closed expression in his eye. "Ah, hello Guy."
"I didn't know you had settled down!" Guy continued, breaking away from the group to be closer to Kakashi. "Why, I'm so happy for you!"
"Hm?"
"How long have you been together?" Guy's grin sparkled like finely-polished porcelain. "Of course, I've had my suspicions for a while, but you have my wholehearted approval, Kakashi. Whether you're a man or a woman shouldn't get in the way of love, after all!"
Yamato had grown slightly flushed. "Uh, Guy-san, I believe you're mistaken…"
Kakashi hadn't. "I'm just helping Yamato today with his son, Guy," he replied. "It's something friends do for each other."
"Ah, friendship, indeed…" Guy said.
(In Guy's contemplative pause, Kakashi's eye met with Sakura's, and he waved slightly, but dismissively, with his free hand. Everything's fine.)
(Of course, not everything was fine. But Kakashi couldn't let this get in the way.)
(Sakura could only smile uncomfortably back, returning his wave with one of her own.)
"Your hair's pretty!" Kotoji was pointing at Sakari.
(Sakari had touched up her dye job for the occasion—her hair was naturally a soft brown, but her admiration for her mother brought her to dye it pink, to match.)
"Oh, thank you!" Sakari replied, grinning, tucking a lock behind her ear.
"You want a flower? Your hair looks like a flower," Kotoji continued.
"Kotoji, no. You can't do that here," Yamato said, pointedly.
"Aww, okay…"
"So, Kakashi-sama, where are you and your friend sitting?" Haruko butted in, politely.
"Nowhere special, just standard seats," Kakashi said.
"But away from the rail. We don't want a certain someone falling over the edge," Yamato added.
"Yamato, he won't fall."
"I know, but he's three, you never know…"
Through careful manipulation from the wives and older children, the band began moving together. Guy's smile, misplaced yet knowing, did not disappear.
Of course, not everyone in Konoha was nearly so prepared. Nor as happy.
"What the hell are you wearing? Pajamas? Your hair's not even brushed. Hasn't your father ever heard of discipline?"
"Hi, Mom," Shikake replied.
Her father was, of course, absent. Like he always was. Shikake had left the house on her own to meet with her mother's side of the family and go with them to the tournament. Shikamaru would find his own seat without her.
"Are you prepared? Should I even ask? Why do I even bother," Temari continued.
"I got everything sealed up into scrolls." Shikake opened her jacket, where a few scrolls were held in with cloth loops. Others were sticking out of the pockets of her cargo pants. "I did it all ages ago, calm your tits."
"Where the hell did you get that mouth from. How old are you, anyways? Thirteen?"
"I'm almost fifteen, Mom."
"That makes no difference."
Shikake sighed deeply. Her father cared too little, her mother cared too much. At least she only had to see Temari for a few weeks every year. Spending most of the year in apathy was far better than the concentrated criticism that came from her holidays in Sand and the chuunin exams.
(Though the company of her uncles and Morizuru made things a little better.)
"I think you'll do fine, Shikake," Kankuro offered. "You have any puppets prepared?"
"Yeah, a few."
"Good, good."
"Hey, you wanna use me?" Morizuru added.
"I think we should be heading out," Gaara said, fixing his Kazekage Hat on his head with purpose.
"Great idea," Temari said.
"Excellent," Kankuro said.
"About time," Morizuru said.
But Shikake said nothing. She just wanted this to be over.
Especially because Temari started on about how many times she had failed before, barely ten feet out of the hotel.
Shikake didn't even want to become a chuunin all that badly. She just wanted people to leave her alone.
But nobody really ever listened.
Oh well.
Things were at least somewhat peaceful at the Uchiha house. Presently, Ino was helping Inou get dressed.
He had managed to recover well, following his ordeal with Ooda. And she knew this because he was fussing.
"Mom, seriously, I can do this myself."
"Oh, hush, I'm almost done."
She had gotten him and Karai new clothes for the occasion. Inou was dressed in—or soon to be, anyways—a smart, tailored sleeveless shirt in bluish, almost purple, gray. There were fasteners all the way up the front, which Ino was presently attending to, and a high, tight collar. She had small chainmail sleeves set aside for his arms, to match the shirt underneath the one she was fastening.
Karai was dressing herself, in her own room, sliding on her new elbow and kneepads. Ino had gotten her a violet romper, loose-fitting, perfect for movement.
"Now don't you worry, dear, you're going to do just fine," Ino said, as she neared his neck.
"I know, Mom. Stop telling me that."
Ino pursed her lips. "Chin up, just two more."
Inou raised his chin, looking away from her. She got the last two snaps, and smoothed his hair when he looked back down again.
"Oh, Inou, you look so handsome," she said.
"Mo-om…" Inou whined. His shoulders tensed from the extra attention.
She smiled kindly back, running her hand over the back of his head. "Now, now. None of this when you head out into the arena, okay? You'll want to show your best face to the world."
Inou made a mildly annoyed noise in return, not looking at her. She sighed. "Hand me your necklace, please." He did, and she leaned in closer, putting her hands behind his shoulders.
"Remember, Inou." She pressed her forehead against his. "No matter what happens today, I will always be proud of you," she whispered.
"Is Karai ready yet." Sasuke, like an enormous magnet of shadow, was coming down the hallway.
Ino pulled herself away, keeping her hands on the clasp of his necklace as an excuse. "I don't know, she should be."
"Good. We should get going already." Sasuke went to go put on his shoes.
Ino sighed. "Of course, dear. Karai, honey! We're heading out in a bit, are you ready?" she called, picking up the chainmail sleeves and handing them to Inou, so he could put them on himself (in the view of his father).
Karai's door opened and she was at the top of the stairs moments later. "Yup, all ready to go!"
Sasuke had gotten his shoes on and opened the door without a sound. Hajime was coming down the hallway behind Karai, from his room.
Takeru, however, wasn't going with them. Even though several days had passed since the incident with Yakata, Sasuke was still angry.
(And there was no way he'd try to sneak away, because he knew his father would find out, this time.)
(Nadeshiko wasn't going with them, either, but that was a given.)
"Come on," Sasuke said, jerking his shoulder while everyone else was getting on their shoes. "You all took long enough to get dressed, let's go."
"Give them a break, Dad, it's just shoes," Hajime said. Sasuke glared back at him, and crossed his arms.
"Let's go, now," Ino said gently. She closed the door behind them as they left.
A while later, Nadeshiko left her room and knocked on Takeru's door. There was no answer. She went in.
Takeru was sitting on his bed with his hands folded across his stomach, fingers interlocked, thumbs touching. It meant that he was thinking. He wore a set of headphones connected to the stereo on his desk.
Gently, Nadeshiko sent out a mental message. Brother.
Don't interrupt me.
I'm not trying to. I'm going to the tournament now. Would you like me to relay to you what's going on as it happens?
Fuck off, freak.
Nadeshiko blinked, slowly, and left without another word, spoken or thought. She slipped on her black flats and began on her way to the stadium. She would be sitting with her grandfather and the rest of the Yamanaka clan in their box, a fair distance away from where the rest of her family would be sitting.
She normally did not attend chuunin tournaments.
(Too many bad memories, too much guilt, too much hurt.)
But this year was different.
She told herself she would probably never go again. Not because it would prove too difficult to bear.
(She had tolerated far more painful things.)
But because she had utter belief in her siblings, and their success.
Slowly, the boxes around the arena began to fill. Once there had been three, constructed atop the high, circular walls of the arena. But now there were seven; there were calls for more seating during the stadium's reconstruction, following the Day of Pain, and year after year the decision proved to be more and more sound. Nearly every seat was taken, by the time the festivities were scheduled to begin, at 1 PM.
The eight finalists and the white-haired Hyuuga Hakkou, the third chief examining officer, took their place at the center of the arena. Hakkou was sporting a new wrist brace and bandages on his neck and cheek this time around, though his smile was no less bright for it.
"You kids ready for this?" he said, tapping his pen good-naturedly against his clipboard. "Smile, now. The world's watching."
And indeed it was. A great cheer rose up across the arena as Naruto stood up and stepped to the edge of the central Kage box, where the Kages, their bodyguards, and guests sat. His orange jacket was visible from almost anywhere.
"Hello and welcome, everyone! Once again, I am honored that you all came to my village's hosting of the bi-annual chuunin exam finals!" Another great cheer. Naruto waited it out with waving hands. "This year we have eight super-worthy finalists representing five different countries, and I wish all of 'em the best, y'know! Though some of us more than others. But, hey, I'm gonna shut up now, so we can let the tournament BEGIN!"
The applause grew and died with hard, scattered echoes, and Hyuuga Hakkou cleared his throat. "Right, then, let's all of us have a look at the roster before we get started, shall we?"
He turned the clipboard around, where a tournament bracket had been filled out in clear, black ink. "Okay, then, first up we have Uchiha Inou and Senritsu Go'on, followed by Nara Shikake and Chouso. You guys got that?"
The parties in question all nodded.
"Okay, then, after that we have Garyuu and Uchiha Karai, and finally Kashiwa Ichii and Natsuhaze Hari. Now, I want you all to remember the rules: it's the same as the preliminaries. Use whatever means you can to suitably disable or knock out your opponent; I'll intervene if I sense any killing intent or if things get too dangerous. But... hopefully it'll never come to that, hm?"
Garyuu's fingers danced over the handle of the knife on his belt, with its curved, fang-like blade.
"Also, at any point before or during your fight, you are free to surrender, so long as you can let me know. Sound good?"
"Yes, sir!" Ichii replied. There were no other replies.
"Right, then. Uchiha Inou, Senritsu Go'on, you have the arena. The rest of you may observe from the deck over there."
Inou did not watch them leave, concentrating only on his opponent.
He still couldn't quite place where he had seen the boy before. Something about his eyes was especially familiar, even unsettling in their largeness. Perhaps they had met in the Forest of Death, during the exams? He'd been in the preliminaries, so that might have been it, but something was scratching at the back of his mind that kept him from settling on one possibility.
But, no, this couldn't bother him. Inou swallowed, gathered his concentration, eyes zipping over limbs in pre-analysis.
Senritsu seemed to be a stringy, brown boy. Flexible, with tight muscles. Not strong, but fast, in all likelihood. He would probably rely on evasion and non-physical techniques.
What luck. That was Inou's specialty, too. Only, Inou was older, and more experienced. And he could do things that he was certain Senritsu couldn't even dream of.
The completion of the S-Rank mission barely a week before had only filled him with confidence in his stronger abilities. See, this was what he was good at. This was what he could use to win. That was where he had failed, before. He had tried to be too much like his father.
He had his new technique. But he wasn't going to use it on this boy, oh no, not yet. He was going to wait.
The examining officer stood between them with his clipboard. "Are you ready?"
Senritsu swallowed and nodded, shakily. Inou, for a moment, flicked his eyes over the crowd, to try and find his family. But he gave up after a moment and nodded, instead, far more firmly.
"Begin!" the officer called.
Barely a second after his announcement, Senritsu disappeared.