Hello there! I come bearing gifts! The gifts of a new chapter! Ahaha! And it's another big one and it's the one you have all been waiting for! The Reality Dating Show Arc! First things first, I know people have been asking about my other stories, what I'm doing with them? And honestly? Nothing to write now. This story is literally the only thing I can think of when I want to write lol. I open up a Word doc and my first thought is "fuck it, let's write another chapter for shattering lies" lol. It's fucking so scary that it's almost automatic. So, I'm going to use that drive to just shot this story into the moon and the stars beyond! Dare I say that this might be my biggest story, ever.

Now, I have taken many liberties regarding how this Arc will unfold. Because the canon events have changed so much, Aquas motives must also adapt to conform to them, you'll see what I mean when you read this chapter. So, I hope you all enjoy it.

And yes, I have seen Across the Spider-Verse before I wrote the last big chapter lol. So, what does that mean? Well, it means that Naruto is the original anomaly! Ahaha! So, in this fiction, the Crow Girl can be considered the Miguel of this universe, but less concerned about maintaining the canon. The Fates idea actually I got from the God of War: Ragnarök, great game by the way, high recommend.

Also, another thing I must bring to your attention. Apparently, there have been people posting this story on Wattpad. So far there are three users that have posted this story but translated, out of the three, only one user was given permission to do so, Danny-Ja.

Now I know that the other two; VICGRACI2002 and AILONKLAT, did not ask, but they did credit me, so it's fine. All I ask for anyone in the future that wants to use my work to please approach me and let me know. I'm not going to say no you know. I'm happy that my work inspires others to make their own based on mine, especially if it's to translate it for people of other languages to read!

With all of that said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, both on this site and on Wattpad or whatever website this is posted on lol.

Yoto High:

They say time flies when you're having a good time. Well, Aqua was inclined to believe that. Every day he spent with his family was a joy for him. So much so that at times he'd almost forget that he was reborn, a reincarnated soul due to his early demise. Life as such had been complicated for him.

"In my past life, I adored Ai Hoshino, and it was Sarina who got me invested in the first place." He thought to himself as his hands balled into fists when he thought about Sarina. He hated seeing her like that, broken and alone in the hospital. She was much too young and the fact that her family had essentially abandoned her…

"I can only pray that you have found peace…" He muttered to himself. He had adorned the girl and watching her suffer and wither away was heartbreaking. Shaking his head, he pulled himself out of those depressing thoughts. That was the past, a different life. Now, he was Aqua Uzumaki, the son of Ai Uzumaki and the adoptive son of Naruto Uzumaki. He now had the family he had only dreamed of in his past.

"Thank god I got over my mother." He thought to himself as he blushed lightly. Sometimes he cursed the fact that he had kept the memories of his past life because in the past he loved Ai Hoshino. So, when he was reborn as her son, the situation was awkward for him. Then his mother got together with Naruto, his adoptive father. His feelings for Ai were conflicted. On the one hand, she was the woman he loved, but on the other hand, she was his mother. Over time, he saw her as the mother she was to him. But he had developed the type of women he was in too.

"I hate this show." He internally grumbled. The Reality Dating Show that he had agreed to be part of was something he needed to do to get close to his objective and he'd tolerate this show and everyone on it, all to drag the scum that was his biological father out of the shadows. He looked around the school hallway; there were cameras, crew, and the whole cast ready to start.

"The first episode is just an introduction of us, but…" He looked down in his hand. The 'script' as they were called did not exist for such shows. In fact, he was quite surprised at how little of a script there was. There was quite literally no script, and everything was pretty much recorded by either hidden cameras or the roaming cameramen. He looked at the cast that was chosen.

"Yuki Sumi, a fashion model, 1st-year high school." He thought mentally as he observed the girl close. She might seem timid and shy, but something about her told him that there was more than meets the eye.

"Nobuyuki Kumano, a dancer, 2nd-year high school." A pretty boy, no doubt to attract the female audience. His gaze shifted to the other boy.

"Kengo Morimoto, a band member, 3rd-year high school." Another pretty boy, well, it's not like he himself had been chosen for another reason. Well, he could think of another reason.

"Mem-Cho, a Youtuber, 3rd-year high school as well, but…" His gaze lingered on the blond girl. For some reason, something about her seemed…off. He couldn't pinpoint it, but behind her smile, something else was there. He lightly shook his head before his vision turned to the final member.

"Akane Kurokawa, actress, 2nd-year high school." His eyes looked over at her longer than the others. Unlike the others, she wasn't socializing with the others. No, much like him she had been observing the others as well. Just like him, she was discreet about it, as if she was studying everyone, just like him. Aqua hummed as he gave the cast one last look over. He had done his research prior to arriving. He had been the first chosen cast member before the show had even begun to set things up. So naturally he had been provided with constant updates on the cast members that had been selected.

He had managed to learn as much as possible about all of these people; however, he found that digging into people's personal lives was a lot harder than he had assumed, in-fact; there were times that he had to stop himself from digging deeper.

"Aqua, people that have secrets often keep them to protect themselves or the ones they love. Just like your mother and I kept my secret from you and your siblings and the world. To protect you." The words of his father had echoed in his mind, and it was those words that kept him restrained, kept him grounded. He shuddered at the thought of what he could have become had Ai actually died that day.

"All right, we'll be filming shortly! Everyone be ready!" The announcement ran down the hall, breaking him out of his thoughts as he prepared himself. This would technically be his first great showing.

"Time to get this show on the road." He thought to himself as a faint smirk appeared on his face, his right eye shining like a star in the deep blue.

Uzumaki Household:

The Uzumaki household was buzzing with activity. The reason? Aqua's first official work in a, relatively speaking, reality dating show. While Ruby was a bit peeved that Aqua managed to get a role with such ease, while she was still getting her own work in order.

"You look so cute when you're annoyed." She blushed in embarrassment as she turned to her father.

"Papaaaa." She whined to him while Kana snickered at her fellow Idol in the making. Ruby had decided that she'd swallow her pride and invite Kana over; his little sister had apparently become fast friends with the girl, so much so that she called her a sister.

"First Minato-kun and now Sap-chan!" She tried anime tears. Her sweet little siblings, in her words, were being corrupted!

"Look look! The show's starting soon!" Sapphire spoke up as she excitedly pointed at the TV. The entire family had gathered to watch the first episode. Naruto himself was excited to see Aqua act. Despite what his son said about acting, he could tell that the boy enjoyed it.

"You know, I remember when Aqua was young he said he wanted to be an actor." Ai recalled fondly. Maybe it was because of the small role played in that short series when he was a child, but after a while, he had lost interest.

"I remember watching that small work. Aqua seemed pretty good at acting." Naruto pointed out as the two chatted in the kitchen as he looked towards the living room, the three girls had their eyes glued to the TV.

"Oh, you watched it?" Ai looked at him in surprise. She'd never have expected Naruto to watch that old bit. Naruto nodded at her as he gave her a foxy grin.

"Why wouldn't I? You looked beautiful in it." Naruto admitted causing Ai to blush but gave him a smirk of her own.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere." She pointed out as Naruto walked over and leaned down next to her ear.

"It got you to marry me." He whispered into her ear causing her to shudder and grumble. She both hated and loved it when he did that. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine and made her weak in the knees.

"Oh hooo, teasing me in front of children? That's bold of you, Naru-kun." She whispered back to which Naruto chuckled.

"Is that coming from a woman who made love confession on national live television?" Naruto asked her to which she hummed and nodded.

"You loved it." Was her short response before she was pulled into a hug by Naruto.

"And you loved it too." He responded causing her to giggle. While the two engaged in their flirting, they didn't notice that they were being observed by the three girls in the living room.

"Ahhh, mama and papa are so romantic~!" Sapphire watched with fascination as she gushed at the display her parents were putting up. Ruby muttered some words as she looked away, slightly embarrassed by the fact that her parents were doing their daily routine with a guest over!

"Your parents sure love to show each other affection in the open." Kana whispered to Ruby, who buried her face in her hands, thoroughly embarrassed now. Oh, she loved seeing her mother and father getting all romantic with each other, but have they no shame?!

"I wonder if I'd ever find someone like papa." Sapphire said dreamily while Kana and Ruby snapped their heads towards her as if she had spoken something forbidden.

"What?!" The both of them said with shock as they looked at the younger girl, who giggled before she crossed her arms under her bust. This caused the two girls' eyes to twitch as they looked down at their own assets and then at hers.

"No fair…" Ruby muttered about what she and Kana were thinking. While Ruby also had a stunning figure, thanks to the training that their father had instilled in them, Sapphire was the one that truly benefited from it. She literally had the body of a classic Amazonian goddess and was also blessed with…assets…that would make any mature woman green with envy. Of course, with the looks of an Amazonian goddess, Sapphire also had the strength of one and that scared a lot of people away.

"I feel like I have failed as a woman…" Kana muttered as she looked at her own petite figure and her eye twitched again. She looked more like a child than Sapphire did, and she was older too! Though she wondered if Aqua preferred petite women like her.

"Hime, where is Minato?" They were broken out of their thoughts as Naruto walked over to them, carrying some snacks over. Sapphire looked around and noticed that Minato wasn't with them.

"I think he's in his room working on something." Sapphire responded as she discreetly threw Kana a glance. She couldn't just say that he was working on some seals with Kana around. Naruto understood what she meant and left it at that as he took a seat on one of the couches. He had opted to allow his daughters and their friend the main couch so they could enjoy the show.

"I suppose Minato isn't much into acting like his brother." Ai spoke up as she sat down next to him, to which Naruto nodded.

"He's still young, he'll find out what he wants to do on his own." Naruto responded. The conversation was picked up by Kana who sighed in slight depression. She wished her family was like there's. She wished her mother wasn't so pushy with what she wanted her to do.

"Shh, it's starting!" Sapphire shushed everyone as she pointed at the screen. Sure enough, the shows changed to that which they were all anticipating.

"My Love?" Naruto commented. He'd never seen a dating reality show before, so he wasn't sure of what to think.

"My Love with a Star Begins Now!" The announcer spoke in the intro.

"The curtain rises on a new season! A new season of love will soon bloom!" He continued as Naruto sweat dropped. There were more of these?!

"Hello!" The four casts of students greet a girl with long black hair that entered the classroom as they are at the table sitting in respective chairs.

"Uh, I'm Yuki Sumi. I'm a 1st-year in high school." A fashion model, she introduces herself to other cast members. Ruby and Kana were quite surprised by the girl, instantly taking a liking to her.

"Oh! She has an amazing figure!" Ruby pointed out to which Kana nodded, agreeing with her. Sapphire pouted as she looked down.

"I wish I had an amazing figure like that." She complained in jealousy, causing the two other girls to sweat drop.

"Truly takes after her father." Ai thought to herself as she giggled at Sapphire's comment. She might look like her, but personality wise she took after Naruto down to the letter. She was sure that if Sapphire cut her hair, she would fit the stereotype of being a tomboy.

"I'm Nobuyuki Kumano! Dancing is my specialty." A young man with black semi-long hair named Nobuyuki introduces himself as a dancer. Ruby and Kana didn't find anything special about him, but like all the other guys he was a pretty boy.

"I'm Akane Kurokawa, a 2nd-year high school student, and actress." A beautiful girl with shoulder-length purplish hair with blue highlights introduces herself. Kana narrowed her eyes as she tried to recall something.

"I…I think I know this girl…" She tried to remember but was drawing up a blank. Ruby raised an eyebrow at that. Maybe this Akane girl was popular?

"Ohhh, she's so pretty!" Sapphire chimed in. Something about this Akane girl just drew her in and she couldn't explain what it was.

"I didn't know they were going to use their actual names," Naruto whispered to Ai, who nodded. She had a brief stay within the acting industry, nothing major, but she didn't work there for long.

"Not a lot of actors these days use aliases, especially if they want to land major roles. They want to get their names out as much as possible. In fact, depending on how well-known the actor is, they might even get more screen time." Ai explained to him to which dumbly nodded. Sure, he had dealt with actors and such given that his novels were adapted into drams or in some cases movies, but he never delved too deep into that aspect of it, mainly just the story aspects.

"I'm Mem-Cho, a 3rd-year high schooler. I stream on YouTube! Nice to meet you!" A young girl happily introduces herself with cat-like smile as her appearance has dyed blonde hair with brown on top and with small devil horns on her head, aqua-colored eyes. Ai blinked at the TV before she chuckled to herself. Oh, this girl was bold, that was for sure.

"What? Did something happen?" Naruto questioned, but Ai shook her head.

"Oh nothing." She replied with a smile. It wasn't her place to tell to begin with.

"I'm Kengo Morimoto. I'm in a band. Nice to meet ya!" A young man with short grey hair introduces himself.

"So, what grade are you in?" Yuki asked both Nobuyuki and Kengo.

"2nd-year." Nobuyuki replies.

"3rd-year." Kengo also replies to Yuki's answer.

"Oh, so you're all older than me," Yuki replied to the two students.

"Oh! It's Aqua-nii!" Sapphire shouted in excitement as everyone turned their attention to the TV. Sure enough, Aqua appeared on the screen, which instantly threw everyone off balance.

"I'm Aqua! Whew, I'm feeling really nervous. It's nice to meet you all!" Aqua introduces himself in a cheerful manner. This caught everyone who knew Aqua off guard.

"UH, WHO'S THAT?!" Ruby and Kana shouted as they pointed at the TV.

"Wow, Aqua-nii…smiling and blushing?!" Sapphire shouted as well. He never smiled that much or blushed!

"Seems like Aqua still knows how to act," Ai said as she smiled at her eldest. She knew for a fact that Aqua loved to act but had lost interest in it. She still wasn't quite sure why exactly he took an interest in it all of a sudden.

"I knew he was good, but this is just amazing," Naruto added. The Aqua he knew, the real Aqua, was someone who seemed disinterested in most things, kept to himself, and only smiled like that with his family.

"How did he go from doom and gloomy aura to this?!" Ruby questioned a look of shock and slight anger on her face. This was NOT Aqua!

"He's taking putting on a character too far!" Kana was also shocked by Aqua's introduction.

"Aw, you're handsome! I really admire actors." Mem-Cho greets Aqua and compliments him in a cute manner at the same time.

"Now he'll show his true colors. Aqua doesn't fall for that kind of stuff." Ruby declared confidently, to which Kana nodded.

"Yeah, that girl doesn't stand a chance since she's not his type," Kana added, so sure of Aqua's character. The boy was simply far too critical of people, especially this Mem-Cho girl.

"You're cute yourself, Mem-Cho. I'm feeling all bashful now." Aqua replied to Mem-Cho in a cheerful manner, causing the said girl to blush slightly. Ruby and Kana looked at the TV with blank faces, as if their reality had just been shattered.

"Drop dead." Was all the two girls said which threw Sapphire into a fit of laughter as she rolled around on the couch.

"Aqua-nii looks adorable!" Sapphire said between her laughs as her parents chuckled at her antics. Kana crossed her arms and pouted.

"What's his deal?! He only called me cute to get me to join your Idol group." Kana complained, internally jealous that Aqua was so charmingly calling another girl cute when he wouldn't even spare the time of day for her!

"Must be nice surrounded by pretty girls. In the end, he's just like other men." Ruby spoke before she realized what she said.

"Hear that Naruto-kun? I guess you're only nice to me because I'm pretty." Ai sniffled, the tears coming out almost naturally. Naruto panicked as he tried to comfort his wife.

"N-No! That's not true!" Naruto countered, which caused her to bring a hand in front of her face.

"You think I'm not pretty?" She questioned him as he shook his head.

"No! I mean, yes! I think you're the most beautiful woman I have ever known! But I don't like you just because you're pretty! I like you because you're kind, gentle, strong…" Naruto went on and on with all the things he loved after her, and as he did the blush on her face grew in intensity before it finally gave as she fainted.

"And... Ah! Ai-chan!" Naruto once again said in a panic as he caught her as began to fuss over her. The three girls' sweat dropped at the sight before Kana turned to Ruby.

"I think your father isn't like most men." She pointed out to which Ruby sighed but smiled.

"You're right. Unlike Aqua-baka." She responded as she threw the TV a glare. How dare Aqua act all chummy with those girls?!

"I'll have to give him a stern talking when he gets home!" She stated while crossing her hands, her mind made up on correcting his behavior.

"Nee-sama, please, he is simply acting for the role." Minato's voice caught the three's attention as he entered the living room. Minato blushed slightly as he saw Kana before he collected himself.

"That doesn't mean he should be getting all close up with those girls," Kana spoke, a frown on her face as she watched Aqua laugh and charm the girls, much to her annoyance. Minato shook his head as he took a seat.

"It's a reality dating show at the end of the day, Kana-san. Nii-sama is just getting into his character. I'm sure if he presented his actual self on the show he wouldn't have become so popular. I can understand how seeing Nii-sama flirt with some random girls might make you feel." He finished as he gave a quick glance to Kana, who was too busy looking at the TV, at his brother.

"I'm such a hypocrite." He thought to himself with a sigh. He liked Kana, but Aqua was his brother. If Aqua liked Kana as well, then who was he to stand in their way?

"Don't they like, kiss and do stuff towards the end of most of these shows?" Sapphire pointed out as Ruby looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"How did you know that?" Ruby questioned as Sapphire chuckled nervously.

"I may have watched some of the older seasons." She answered sheepishly to which Ruby's jaw was left ajar. Sapphire watched the reality dating show's previous seasons?! Seems like the day was full of surprises!

"Kissing…" Kana whispered to herself as she looked down with a saddened expression and hugged her legs. The thought of Aqua doing that with another girl was… heartbreaking for her. She had been crushing on him since the day they met but didn't know how to explain her feelings because of his attitude.

"Baka…why did you decide to do this show…" She muttered to herself.

Yoto High:

"Why did I decide to do this show… oh, that's right, to find some clues about my biological father and bring him to justice." Aqua thought as he tried to control his eye from twitching. It wasn't that he was bad at acting; on the contrary, he was pretty good at it. It's just that he hated to lie, to put up a front, a mask. But this was the business. If he wanted to make more connections and get closer to the truth, he'd need to endure this.

"Oto-san told me that Shinobi endure. I'll just have to be like one." His father had told him many stories from his past, and one of the lessons he learned was that people weren't just tools to be used and tossed aside.

"Aqua-kun, may I call you that?" He was broken out of his thoughts when Yuki walked up to him. Aqua quickly donned his charming smile.

"Oh, that's not an issue, Yuki-chan." He answered with a light chuckle, his personality changing quickly. The said girl giggled before she sat down next to him.

"You know, I'm kind of surprised that the son of Ai Hoshino was chosen for this show." She started to which he raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He questioned, maintaining his smile.

"Well, I'm sure there are other agencies out there that are much larger and have more pulled just dying to get their hands on the Hoshino twins. Your mother's fame is still considered legendary." Yuki pointed out as Aqua blinked and thought about that. While it had been over a decade since his mother was in the entertainment world, he knew that she left her mark on it. Her Idol group was an underground Idol group that came out of nowhere, took the world by storm, and as quickly as it rose up, it went down.

"I guess you could say, she was like a supernova. A star that shined brought at its peak before dying." Yuki finished with a chuckle, not noticing that Aqua had stiffened at the last bit. Yuki didn't realize it, but she was so close to finding out the fact that Ai was almost stabbed to death over a decade ago.

"And even after that, she still has a massive fan base after all these years. If only I could shine as bright as her for a single moment." Yuki sighed. Aqua took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Then why don't you use this show as an opportunity to do just that?" He questioned her to which she chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, I'm timid and not much of a conversationalist either. Compared to the others, I bet I'll be overlooked." She listed off her flaws, which caught Aqua's attention. If she wasn't fit for a show like this, then why bother?

"Then why take this job?" He questioned her with a curious look. Yuki hummed as she looked up.

"The main face of my agency never turns down a job offer by principle. She hoards all the job offers that my agency receives herself. My schedule is pretty much empty throughout the year. Somehow, I wanted to struggle my way out of this... At that time, Kaburagi-san..." Yuki explains to Aqua. He slowly nodded his head in understanding. This was the entertainment world. Behind all the glamor was a dark world that the public either willingly ignored or was ignorant too.

"I see…" He answered, understanding her reasoning. Growing up before his adoptive father was in the picture, he knew just how hard his mother worked for such little pay. It took time for her to get to where she was before she gave it all up.

"You can say it's good timing. I have never been in a romantic relationship, and I never had a lover." Yuki said with a smile causing Aqua to raise an eyebrow. Her? Never in a relationship?

"Liar." It was almost automatic. His response came before he even realized what he had said. He was about to apologize before she waved her hand.

"Stop it. It's not a lie. I'm just a first-year high schooler, you know? You're hugely mistaken if you think everyone in Showbiz has been in a relationship. Although I can see why you would think so. Your mother had you and your sister when she was around our age. Such things aren't really all that common. Are you not interested in romance?" Yuki questioned him to which he hummed and thought about that.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm a guy, after all. But I have had a past love." Aqua answered, his thoughts going to his mother. Yes, he had loved her. In his past life, he had loved her, but in this life, his feelings had changed, no, rather evolved. His love for his mother wasn't romantic, it was of parental love. His love for his mother was the same love he felt for his adoptive father. The two had given him something that he never really had in his past life, a family. In that sense, he hadn't really loved anyone romantically.

"No... now that I think of it, I'm not sure if I can consider that love. At least, not a romantic type." He added to which Yuki gave him a coy look.

"Hmm, the complicated kind? Ah! Like unrequited love?" Yuki asked him to which he shook his head.

"Getting colder." He responded coolly to which she giggled.

"Then, you have actually experienced it, no?" Yuki questions, both smiling and blushing. "Did you know that the couple from the last season kissed in the end?" She excitingly asked him.

"I was the first to be given a spot on this show; I know pretty much everything about the past seasons." He answered. He'd done his research beforehand and he was not going to be caught flatfoot.

"Knowing is half the battle." Another lesson he recalled that his father taught him. Yuki smiled as she closed the distance.

"I was worried about whether there'll be any nice people here, but..." She whispered in his ear. "I might be able to do a kiss if it's with you." Now THAT caught him off guard. For someone so timid and shy, she sure took a bold move. Before he could speak up, Yuki spoke.

"Behind me. The cameraman's recording us. Don't look right at the camera." Yuki whispers to Aqua as the cameraman records them from behind her. "I'm sure they'll use this cut. Let's get along." She gave him a wink as she stood back up and walked away, leaving him puzzled.

"Look underneath the underneath, eh?" He recalled another lesson from his father. Nothing was always as it seemed and if one was to learn they had to look closer.

"She's got a good personality, but shy and timid she is not. This is the character she is choosing to be." Aqua mumbled to himself as he realized the game she was playing. While he could tell that Yuki wasn't malicious, she definitely knew how to play the part of the timid and shy one. With a sigh, he stood up and began to head back into the school. On his way there he came across one of his fellow actors, Akane.

"Her nerves are shot to hell." Aqua thought as he observed the girl. She looked totally lost, not sure what she wanted to do. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Dammit Oto-san." He thought as he approached the girl. His father had always taught him to help those in need and it looked like she could use some help.

"Hey, you ok?" Aqua asked her, not realizing that his facade had fallen. Akane jumped a bit at being called out as she looked at Aqua.

"U-Uh, yes." She answered, not sure what to say as she looked at the blond.

"You don't look ok." He responded as he now stood right in front of her, causing her to blush and look away.

"Uh, Uzumaki-san…" She started but Aqua raised his hand.

"Just call me Aqua." He said. Although he didn't show it, he was happy that she referred to him as Uzumaki and not Hoshino. Akane nodded at that.

"Aqua-san, I…I don't really know what to do." She confessed to which he raised an eyebrow.

"You're an actor." He stated, which drew a blank look from her, which caused him to sigh.

"I understand that this might be a challenge. People assume that because we are actors, we are naturally good at this kind of stuff. Reality is there are different types of actors. Some perform well when there is a given script, a direction to follow." Aqua explained as he pointed at her.

"I get the feeling you aren't familiar with a show like this that has no script." He started to which she slowly nodded; a bit ashamed of how quickly he had deduced that.

"Without a script, I don't really have an idea on what kind of role I should assume." She said causing Aqua to nod before he looked around, seems like there were no cameras here.

"Kurokawa-san, truth to be told, you don't necessarily need to follow a trope, you can BECOME the trope." He said before he turned to leave, letting her ponder on that. He wasn't a teacher at acting, he could only advise her. She'd have to figure the rest out on her own.

"Aqua-san!" He stopped as he heard her voice and looked around and just for the briefest of seconds he saw it, stars in her eyes, her smile, the sincerity of it…

"Kaa-san?" He thought in mild shock.

"Thank you." She gave him a bow, showing her apparition. Aqua blushed slightly and turned around.

"No worries, I couldn't leave someone in need of help hanging." With that he turned and left, not seeing the girl rise back up and give him a smile.

Uzumaki Household later that night:

Night had come just as Aqua had made it home and his twin sister was giving him a verbal shake-down. All the while Sapphire and Minato watched in amusement.

"At the end of the day, I'm still your sister! I won't allow you to date the kind of girl that I dislike!" Ruby declared as she folded her arms and glared at her brother, who could only sweat drop at the situation.

"First Minato, and now me?" Aqua let out a tired sigh. Ruby just pouted before she pulled out a tablet.

"Therefore, I will decide which girl you should date," Ruby stated as she began checking the internet about the girls in LoveNow show rapidly.

"Talk about being self-centered." Was Aqua's response before Ruby stopped at a picture and shoved the tablet into his face and pointed at it.

"My top recommendation is Yuki Sumi! I bet she's a pure-hearted girl!" Ruby said excitingly as she shows Yuki's profile from her tablet to Aqua, who stares with a poker expression.

"Ah, Nee-sama, I don't think Nii-sama likes her." Minato tried to reason, while Sapphire raised an eyebrow.

"What's not there to like? She seemed pretty down to earth!" Sapphire came to her sister's defense while Aqua looked at his siblings.

"You two really don't have a good eye for character, so you should avoid relationships for now," Aqua said before he turned and left for his room, turning in for the night.

"Huh?!" Ruby and Sapphire shouted in surprise as they looked at Aqua's retreating form. What did he mean by that?!

"Ruby-nee-sama, Sap-nee-sama, I think Nii-sama might be tired from the day." Minato reasoned with his two sisters, who turned their glare on him causing him to jump.

"Minato-kun! Do I have a good eye for character?!" Ruby questioned him as she got up in his face, followed by Sapphire.

"Yeah! Yeah! Do I have one too?!" Sapphire also questioned as Minato raised his hands up in defense and took a step back and then another and another before felt the wall behind him. He was boxed in. While Minato had been left to face the wrath of his sisters, their parents were looking at the situation with amusement.

"Our little babies are slowly growing up," Ai spoke as she leaned her head onto Naruto's shoulder, a smile on her face, while Naruto grunted.

"Ruby and Sapphire can take a few more years, actually, a few more decades to grow up." He added causing her to giggle.

"Oh, hush you. Eventually, they'll find someone that they will love, just like you and I." She said as she held his left hand interlocking their fingers as she sighed in contentment.

"Not if I can help it! No one touches my princesses!" She chuckled at his response. She couldn't be any happier.

And cut! So, we got the best girl Akane in the story now! Let's gooooo! As you can see, Aqua and Akane will have a lot more of a closer relationship, and unlike canon, Aqua isn't going to be using people and disregarding them. No, Naruto's influence has essentially beaten that out of him, and one of the things Aqua fears the most is disappointing his adoptive father. We'll discuss that in the later chapters.

Things are going to start to pick up, especially after what Akane goes through in the coming scenes. God, that's gonna be gut-wrenching to write considering that at one point in my life, I was in a similar situation, with the whole ending it all. Seek help if you need it people. We're humans, we're not made out of stone.

With all of that said, see yh all next chapter! Bye!