*Insert Intro To Without Me by Eminem*
Guess who's back.
Guess who's back.
Episode 43: The Way We Could've Been
Overall Season Two Theme: Stand Up By J-Min
Overall Season Two End Theme: Slow Dance By Suneohair
Episode Theme: 'J' by Masami Okui
Song One: Dream on by Aerosmith
Song Two: I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At the Disco
Song Three: Maybe Tomorrow by Sterophonics
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. –Norman Cousins
Yeah
Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face gettin' clearer, the past is gone
It went by like dusk to dawn, Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
The gray skies of Konohagakure weep as the darkened clouds remain in a stand still over the normally cheery city. All is quiet on this day as the members take part in the silence to commemorate this fateful day.
Behind a large, ancient palace sits a large field, and on that large field, a crowd of many stand in attendance, dawned in black as the rain penetrates their midnight black umbrellas.
Well I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win
Right in the middle of said field sits a thick, grey, and cracked gravestone with a few small dead candles in front. The gravestone reads:
Here lies Kushina and Minato Namikaze
Great rulers and friends
Loving parents
Half my life's in book's written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know it's true
All the things, come back to you
In front of the gravestone, a blond boy sits on his knees, uncontrollable tears raining as he clutches the wet grass, rain hitting him for he refused the protection of an umbrella. On his right stands a red-haired girl in black pants and a black dress shirt with a black jacket over it, holding an umbrella. On his left stands grandfather, his hands clasped together in a prayer as he dawns black traditional attire while a servant holds an umbrella above his head behind him.
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, It's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord'll take you away
Naruto's cries engulf the silent area. Behind them stand the remaining members of Alpha and Omega, the left over members of Omega with sunglasses over their eyes. The girls look onto the two siblings in dismay as their backs face them.
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, It's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord'll take you away
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi (once a protégée of Minato's) stand near as well, along with close others like the Sarutobi complete the private service.
Megami, who has not lifted her head since they arrived, continues to look down to the gravestone with an expression so blank and unreadable it's as if she's not actually there.
Finally, at the stroke of ten a.m., she releases Naruto's hand and puts both of hers in her pockets.
Listen, dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true
Yea, dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream come blue
Letting the rain hit her as well, she turns around with her head down, to everyone's slight surprise as the service has yet to end.
She begins to make her descent, forcing people to make a pathway for her as she walks down the field.
Naruto lifts his head and begins to rub his eyes, through whimpers, he speaks.
"M-Megami…" he chokes. She stops immediately.
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on
Dream on, oh
After a few painful moments, he finally opens up again.
"Happy b-birthday…"
It is silent for the longest time, Naruto shaking and Megami in a stand still.
Finally, without a word or even so much as a glance, she continues on, leaving them all behind to continue mourning.
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord'll take you away
But, as they turn back, a raven-haired boy fiercely looks onto her as she makes her way down and away to nowhere.
Sing with me, sing for the year
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear
Sing with me, it's just for today
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord'll take you away
(^A.H^)
Ino yawned and stretched her arms out as the girls finally made it back to the Alpha household at eleven o'clock in the morning while the boys had gone home.
"That was a good service," Hinata mumbled quietly. "I'm glad they finally had a proper funeral with Naruto and Megami together."
"That was an early service," Ino sighed, "well, it's worth it now that Gami and Naruto are finally at peace," she said as they stepped up to the house after locking their individual rides.
"I wouldn't say that," Tenten said, her hands behind her head as Sakura unlocked the door. "This isn't any different than last year."
"You mean where Mega holds herself up in her room and doesn't talk to anyone until the next day." Sakura said sadly as they stepped in.
"You know, I wouldn't mind any of that, I really wouldn't, if—"
"If today wasn't my birthday. Yeah, I get it guys, but I already said I'm not celebrating…never again."
The girls faced the front where Megami with her long red hair tied in a disheveled ponytail, deep red blood shot eyes, and faded and torn red pajamas stood with a spoon in her left hand and a small cup of blueberry yogurt in the other.
"Is that all you're going to eat for breakfast?" Sakura questioned, motherly.
She slowly nodded.
"I was going to make chocolate-chip waffles and hash browns Megami, your favorite," Hinata offered hopefully.
"And besides, you hate blueberry yogurt." Tenten grimaced.
"This is all I can choke down…"
The girls stood and stared at her as she slowly turned around and trudged upstairs without another word.
When they heard a faint click from upstairs they instantly turned back to each other.
"Ugh! Even her fashion sense is atrocious today! We're never going to get her out of the house at this rate!" Ino whisper-yelled.
"Relax guys, we've convinced her of worse things before, I'm sure we can convince her to wear something nice and get out." Tenten shrugged.
"Are we sure this is a good idea? She could take it in the worst possible way," Hinata said fearfully.
Sakura sighed, "Well, we'll just have to hope for the best…I sure hope Sasuke knows what he's doing…"
(^A.H^)
"Minato! You were supposed to get red streamers! Red! The white totally throws off the entire room!" Kushina whined.
"Megami said she likes white because of snow," he laughed as Itachi helped him hang the streamers. "I could go get red ones to add to them if you'd like."
"Poo, it's way too late," she frowned, crossing her arms as she directed her attention to the person holding the camera.
"Jiraiya! Are you just gonna videotape the whole time?"
A thick laughter came from behind the camera. "I have to catch every moment, isn't that what you said? Today's Megami's fifth birthday, you're going to wanna watch this in ten years when she's sneaking out and getting tattoos."
"Oh please, my little girl would never get tattoos," Minato laughed.
The sounds of childish laughter forced Jiraiya to direct the camera to the open front door of the ballroom. In came Megami and Naruto, running in as Sasuke trailed closely behind.
"Haha! I'm older than the both of you now!" she teased as they ran around, circling a laughing Kushina.
"No fair! No fair! I wanna be oldest!" Naruto whined as Megami stopped in front of Minato, waving her arms up to him in an effort to get him to pick her up.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
He laughed and bent down, swooping her up as Kushina stepped up and did the same to Naruto who clutched her hair, while Sasuke stood next to Itachi.
"I wanted orange!" Naruto demanded, looking at the streamers.
"You can have as much orange as you want on your birthday my love, I promise!" Kushina laughed as she kissed his cheek and hugged him lovingly.
"Mommy and daddy got the streams' I wanted!" Megami said excitingly.
"Of course," Minato smiled.
"For you princess, anything."
After two and a half hours of sitting in her room, watching old videos and staring at the ceiling, Megami finally turned her back to her TV and pulled her blanket over her head, blocking out the small amount of light left over even though she had shut her windows and closed the curtains.
This would be the rest of the day.
This is how she would celebrate her birthday the right way.
She didn't deserve a birthday.
She didn't even deserve to be—
"Mega?"
She twitched at the sounds of knocking on her bedroom door. Sakura's voice came.
"Hey, Megami, can we come in?"
"Not today…"
"Please Megami? We only want to talk to you about something," Hinata asked hopefully.
She had no energy to block anyone out or listen to them for that matter, she sighed and said nothing.
The girls took this as an indication they could enter.
Ino quickly walked over to her window and opened the curtains a bit as the girls each took a spot of her bed.
She, reluctantly, sat up.
As Ino sat down with them on the corner of her bed, she took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.
"There's a HUGE photo shoot going on at the mansion right now and the guys asked us we wanna come join them."
"A photo shoot…in the mansion?" she said, a little confused.
She quickly nodded. "We know you don't like to leave today and more than anything don't like celebrating your birthday, but come with us? Go out? Just this once?"
"I can't you guys…go on without me…I don't want to bring anyone down…" she said a bit quietly.
"You wouldn't be!" Tenten quickly shot in. "Sasuke said you can stay in his room or one of the rooms while it's going on! We just don't want to leave you home alone, especially today."
"I'll be fine…" she clutched the bed sheets.
"Megami…we just want to get you out of the house, at least, and we want to keep an eye on you…please? Just this one time? And if you're that uncomfortable we'll take you home immediately." Hinata offered.
Megami turned her head and looked to the photo of her parents, her, and Naruto on her nightstand by her bed. She leaned over and picked it up as the girls carefully watched her every move.
She clutched the photo to her heart with both hands and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Okay…"
"Perfect!" Ino instantly yelled, standing up. "I have an outfit already picked out for you! Come to my room so I can do your hair!"
"Why do I need to get dressed up if we're only going to the guys…?"
Tenten and Sakura glared at Ino who laughed nervously and scratched her right cheek with her right index finger.
"You know me Mega! Image is everything no matter what you're doing or where you're going!"
They sat in silence for a few moments as Megami simply stared at Ino with doe eyes, the girl's hearts pounding rhythmically.
"Okay, I guess…" she whispered as she hesitantly pulled the cover off herself.
Still clinging to the photo, she followed a smiling Ino out of her room.
When she was out of sight the girls let out a simultaneous breath.
"Phase one complete…" Sakura smiled.
(^A.H^)
Megami carpooled with Tenten and Ino in Tenten's car while Hinata rode with Sakura in her new pink and black Bugatti.
Ino had successfully convinced Megami to wear a white sleeveless tied chiffon shirt with a loose bright red mid-thigh skater skirt, along with white pumps with a little red bow tie on the front of each foot, a white rose in her hair (that had been curled and put in a high long ponytail) red lipstick and light, soft makeup.
Tenten sat in tight black skinny jeans with green sparkly high heels and a green one shoulder frilly top. Ino sat in a tight bright yellow short strapless dress with shiny black stilettos.
Hinata stood in a tight bright blue high-low skirt with an off the shoulder dark blue top, along with light purple Jimmy Choos.
Sakura stood in a hot pink tube skirt with sharp black panty hose and black high strappy platform heels with a black crossover crop top and a long pink necklace.
"What are all these cars doing here…?" Megami asked after she'd been staring out the window in the back of Tenten's car, still holding onto her photo since they'd left.
Ino and Tenten, who sat up in front, silently cursed to themselves and glanced at each other.
"Um…you know how photo shoots are…it takes a lot of people to put it together…especially since it's out of the studio," Tenten said hopefully.
"Guys…I'm not sure about this…" Megami frowned, her eyes glistening. "I feel like you're hiding something from me."
"What would we have to hide Mega? We know how you feel about today. We'd never try anything to hurt you." Ino said confidently as Tenten found a parking spot behind Sakura and Hinata.
As the girls stepped out Megami anxiously remained in her spot.
The girls knew how she felt.
They'd never do anything birthday related.
They're her friends, they respected her wishes, she believed.
Megami held onto her photo, instantly regretting coming as the girls stood in front of the gates. She didn't want to be anywhere, she just wanted to crawl back under her sheets and wait for the day to end.
Maybe, though, she could at least be with Naruto who she knew fully understood how she felt.
Good, she thought, there was nothing to worry about then.
The girls walked towards the door, the four leading with their backs to Megami in silence as she trailed behind.
Sakura stepped up and rang the door bell. She leaned in so the person could see her better in the peephole, whoever came to get the door though normally, it was Geevs.
As it opened the girls began stepping in one by one to what seemed like darkness. Megami's heart began to race.
She slowly trailed behind Hinata. When she finally stepped into the darkness, instant lights flashed on and her heart fell.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the sounds of many yelled as confetti rained down onto her face that resembled a deer caught in headlights.
It seemed like the entire senior class of about five hundred had piled into the mansion, not that the boys didn't have the room. Not only them, but she caught sight of Jiraiya and Tsunade, Kakashi and Anko, and Itachi and Midori by the steps.
Even so, her expression did not change.
And she did not see one camera.
What she did see though was the large entrance hall decorated from top to bottom in red and white, from large red turtle balloons to the long white table with red embroidery aligned with food.
On the large Omega steps stood the owners of the household.
Neji stood in a gray sweater vest with a white long-sleeve collar shirt underneath, along with gray fit dress pants.
Gaara stood in a black dress shirt with black and white striped khaki pants with a red jeff cap.
Shikamaru stood in a long sleeved blue and white striped shirt with a black short sleeved shirt over it and black khakis.
Naruto stood in a blue and black Blue Stahli t-shirt with a grey unbuttoned vest over it and royal blue skinny jeans.
While Sasuke stood with a white dress shirt with a dark blue unbuttoned blazer and dark blue skinny dress pants.
On their left side stood Itachi and Midori, while on the other stood Tsunade, Kakashi, Anko, and Jiraiya. Even Konohamaru stood with them.
While they continued to cheer, she did not move. She remained, still and frozen.
As if not noticing, the girls stood in front of her.
"Surprise Mega! Happy eighteenth!" Ino squealed, bouncing in her heels.
Naruto, who was smiling wildly, rushed down. The girls moved past to let him through to hug her.
Her shock deepened to find him cheery and excited on today of all days, especially when he was crying with her no more than three hours ago.
"Happy birthday sis!" he beamed as he let her go, his hands still on her shoulder at arm's length. "You're older than me again!" he laughed.
Nothing.
The girls shook a bit with nervousness while everyone else didn't seem to notice.
They quieted though, when he made his way down.
Naruto moved to the side whilst Sasuke walked through the split crowd with a blank expression and his hands in his pockets.
She stared up at him when he stopped in front of her. She watched as he took his left hand out and slowly brought her right hand up. He bent forward a bit, still staring into her eyes as he kissed her hand.
As rhythmic 'aws' swept across the room Megami's eyes remained widened.
"…Happy birthday…princess." he whispered.
"She's just too excited to speak…" Tenten tried to reassure the girls who looked nervously at each other.
Ignoring her expression, he stood up straight and snapped his fingers.
Cheers went around again as, from one of the kitchens, came out a large three tier red velvet with white frosting and red polka dot cake with red stripes around the bottom of each tier, it was being carried out by three waiters. On each tier sat six white lit candles and at the very top sat a red glass turtle figurine.
"Come on Gami! Make a wish before we start this party!" Sakura assured her, practically pushing her over to the cake as the girls and Naruto and Sasuke closely followed behind.
Sakura stopped her in front of the cake they lowered onto a round table in front of the steps so she could blow each one out.
Her ears rang at the sound of the happy birthday singing the crowd did while she stared at the polka dotted cake.
Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru stood on her left, while Tenten, Ino, Neji, and Gaara stood on her right. Naruto stood next to her on her right and Sasuke next to her left patiently waiting.
When they finished they all continued to wait as she simply watched the cake.
"Go on Megami…" Hinata whispered.
Her hands began to shake violently. She twitched a couple times, finally making them notice.
Their eyes widened as she began to sniffle, her eyes glistening with wetness.
The room turned quiet as she hung her head, sniffling uncontrollably.
"She's crying…" Shikamaru mumbled.
"G-Gami…" Sakura said, smiling nervously as she reached out for her.
When she lifted her head the tears were raining furiously and she began wailing, forcing Sakura's hand back.
"Megami!" Tenten yelled.
She continued to cry out, pushing the cake forward. Before Shikamaru, who was closest, could catch it, it crashed to the ground in a splatter.
Before anyone could react she twisted around and ran up the steps, her eyes flowing with salty tears as she ran quickly.
"Megami! Wait! We didn't mean too—"
Before Sakura could finish a door slammed back.
The room and all its entire residents sat in a dead silence, none knowing what to do next.
Finally, Tenten sighed and crouched down to the destroyed cake.
"I knew this was a bad idea…"
(^A.H^)
After locking the door of a random room she'd picked in her rush to get away, she rushed to the plain white sheeted bed and pounced on it, clutching the sheets as she cried in the pillow.
"I can't do it…I just can't…"
She said in her head.
"I know I'm being selfish…but I just can't bring myself to be happy…I can't pretend to be happy…I can't have a birthday ever again…"
She whimpered painfully as the dark purple drapes danced from the open windows while light shined into the room.
"Mom…dad…if you were here…everything would be okay…I would be happy to celebrate my birthday…if you were here…but I could never be happy on the day you died…what kind of person would I be…?"
The drapes shook violently as the strange wind forced its way in. The air blew her red hair to the side as a bright white light engulfed the room, though she did not notice.
She hardly noticed again when the light showered her tear caked face and a brush of cold touched her cheek, almost like a hand.
"Why…you would be human darling…"
She froze. Finally she noticed the bright light forcing its way into the room. Sniffling, she lifted her head and held her left hand over her eyes to block the light out.
"W-who said that?!"
"My dear girl…don't tell me you don't recognize this voice…"
She lightly gasped a bit as the light began to die down, a figure began to form.
"No…no way…" she whispered as a woman finally stood in front of her, grayed hair in traditional attire, smiling down to her in content.
"G-grandma?!"
(^A.H^)
"My sweet girl, look at you. My how you've grown!" she said happily.
Megami slowly stood as her eyes neared close to popping out of her sockets.
"You are a mirror image of your mother!" she beamed, clapping her old hands once. "Aside from the eyes, which you and your brother both got from your father."
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" she yelled in fear.
Her grandmother looked confused for a moment then snapped her fingers once, laughing a bit. "Oh! That's right! I suppose I shouldn't just up and start talking like that without explaining myself first. This situation would be a lot easier without the whole dead thing."
Megami said nothing, though she looked on the verge of falling into a coma.
"Please calm down sweetheart you aren't hallucinating or anything!" she said quickly. "I'm really here…"
"W-wha…wh…what…" Megami stammered.
"I'm a spirit," she said quickly. "Or ghost but I rather like spirit better, it sounds less scary."
"Ghost?!" Megami yelled.
"Spirit." She corrected. "And please, keep your voice down."
"I'm going insane…" Megami whispered.
"This coming from the girl who spent three weeks in an abandoned house so she could find the ghost of a used car salesmen who died there thirty years ago," her grandmother rolled her eyes.
Megami shot her head up, her eyes widened again.
"How did you know that…?"
"Because, Megami Utada Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze. I. Am. Your. Grandmother. And I've been watching over you for a very long time."
"You died when Naruto and I were four…" she whispered.
"Hence the term spirit!" she laughed. "But, I'm only here for a special occasion."
"Special occasion…?" Megami whispered as she walked a bit closer.
Her grandmother smiled and looked down to her as she grew closer.
"Look how much you have grown…your boobs are huge!" she laughed.
Megami raised a brow.
She quickly stopped and cleared her throat, "I mean, you and your brother have become quite the adults…more or less…"
Megami smiled a bit to herself.
So that's where I get it from.
"Anyway, I don't have much time actually," she said, glancing to the clock on the wall above the bed. Megami examined her.
She stood in the clothes she had died in. She had died of pneumonia when she and Naruto were four, just a few months prior she had reluctantly left the Uzumaki kingdom and her husband because of his actions to join the then hokage, Minato and her daughter: princess Kushina.
"I'm only here to deliver a message, I wasn't supposed to talk to you for this long, but I was just so excited to see you again!" she giggled.
"Message?" Megami asked, suddenly alert.
"Yes," she said, facing her again, serious this time.
"Megami, tonight—more like in a couple minutes actually—you will be visited by a few familiar ghosts."
Megami narrowed her eyes.
"What the hell is this? 'A Christmas Carol?'"
"More like 'A Birthday Carol'"
"Who's writing this shit…"
"Although it's quite different, the ghosts will show you some piece of your life but it won't be all you expect. Instead of an angel, Santa Claus—or whoever the hell that guy was—or the grim reaper, you get—"
"Wait a minute! What's the point of this? Am I supposed to learn some life lesson in the end or something? Nothing is going to change the fact that I can't and won't celebrate my—"
"Oh shoelace! I've run out of time!" her grandmother said quickly as the light began to cast on her.
"Shoelace…?"
"Goodbye my sweet granddaughter, it was so good seeing you again!" she said happily. "I promise you your going to get more out of this trip then you ever thought possible!" she beamed.
"Grandma, wait! This isn't making any sense! Plus! I have so many questions—!"
She shielded her eyed as her grandmother's smiling face came through the bright light, then, she was gone.
Megami stood alone in the room, the only sound coming from the wall clock.
She groaned a bit and held her head, walking back to the bed and slowly sitting down.
"Did that really just happen?" she asked nothing in particular as she bent forward and held her face in her hands.
"You tell me, the old lady got in and got out so fast I didn't even have enough time to get ready."
"Get ready for what? You're dead, the most you can do to your appearance is put a hand through your face."
Megami held her breath.
Those voices.
She recognized them.
They haunted her day and night and have done so for six years.
"Oh…my…god…" she whispered as she slowly turned around.
Her heart skipped several beats as her eyes fell on Kai and Sasori, standing in the middle of the room dawned in black, arguing like they hadn't noticed her.
Kai stood in a black button down collar shirt with black slacks and black loafers. Sasori stood in a black t-shirt with a black hooded leather jacket, black jeans, and black Jordan's.
Their clothing simply looked like black versions of the outfits they died in.
Megami stood voiceless. She fell to the floor, finally alerting them. The two boys she'd known so well, who had hurt her so much and hindered her life, turned to her, Kai with a raised brow and Sasori with a dull expression.
"Sasori…Kai…"
"What's up, Gami. Long time no see." Kai smirked as she backed up into the wall by the bed.
"Actually it's only been a couple weeks but there's no concept of time in Limbo."
"Megami," Sasori simply nodded to her. "It's been a while. I think."
"What the hell?!" she yelled. "Both of you are dead!"
"I know," Kai narrowed his eyes, "you killed me. That was pretty rude for your information."
"You didn't freak out like this when you just saw your dead grandmother like five seconds ago." Sasori sighed.
"Oh…my gosh…" Megami whispered. "You guys aren't gonna—"
Sasori nodded, "It's our job to take you on a little trip today."
Megami slapped her hands on her face and ran them down in exhaustion.
Kai put his hands behind his head and leaned on the wall while Sasori stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Don't flatter yourself Gami, we didn't want to do this." Kai sighed. "We're stuck in Limbo, and the only way we can get a better chance of not going to Hell is if we participate in one of these life alteration things."
"What?!" Megami yelled. "Okay! This has gotten way to freaky-weird! Even for me! Not only am I not going to listen to you or do whatever it is I'm supposed to on this trip thing but there's no way I'm gonna stop you jerks from going where I know you should be! Good day!" Megami huffed as she stood and began to stomp past them.
"Megami," Sasori sighed.
"I said good day!"
"Ugh, we're wasting time." Kai groaned. "Let's go already!"
"Right."
Megami twisted around, "I said I'm not gonna—"
She blinked when Sasori snapped his fingers. She felt herself being pulled and stretched as she began to whip into the blackness. She closed her eyes and screamed as the world dulled around her.
(^A.H^)
A slap of cold air brought Megami to her senses. She forced her eyes opened suddenly after feeling as if she'd been in a hundred year coma. She shivered at the bitter coldness she felt and raised a brow as wet droplets touched her face.
When her eyes cleared she discovered those wet droplets to be drops of snow that fell from the cold, gray sky.
"Where I am…?" she asked no one in particular.
"Somewhere a little familiar." The sound of Sasori's voice came.
Realizing she was lying down, Megami grunted and stood up from the concrete she lay on.
She blinked a couple times and quickly wrapped her arms around herself. She looked to her left where the voice had come from. Sasori and Kai stood. Kai leaned against a brick wall just as he had been leaning against the wall of the room and Sasori stared ahead of her.
"What the fuck is going on? Where are we?" she demanded, suddenly feeling the cold chill of the snow wash away from her.
"We are in the South End of Konoha, just about a mile from Ame." Sasori answered.
The three stood on a sidewalk lined with run down stores. The South end of Konoha was a scarcely populated area, a blemish in Konoha, which is normally known for its vast city area and clean, homely neighborhoods.
Megami looked around. A few people walked down the opposite sidewalks, clutching their clothes as they tried to get out of the winter air.
"Wait a minute…" she mumbled to himself.
"There she goes…" Kai sighed.
She froze as the thought came to her. Her hands slowly fell to her side as realization hit her.
"Wait a minute…" she whispered. "I remember this place…"
She looked ahead of her as a man in a large thick coat walked down the sidewalk she and the boys stood on. He glanced to an ally between a fast food restaurant and an abandoned dance studio.
He stared into it for a couple moments before he continued walking.
Megami blinked a couple times as the man completely walked through her.
She gasped and took a couple steps back, then looked down to her hands.
"Relax," Sasori deadpanned. "You're not dead. You just can't be seen."
Ignoring him, Megami slowly began walking forward. She stared ahead, down the sidewalk. When she finally reached the alley, she forced herself to look to her right.
Her heart crumbled when she saw the girl crouched halfway down the alley. Her browned and dirty clothing did nothing to warm her in the cold winter. She hugged her legs and shivered as dirt and grime covered her face. Her yellowed teeth chattered and her shaking hands, blue and red at the same time.
She took slow steps down the dark alley. Her heels crunching against the snow as the chilly wind blew her curled hair.
She stood in front of the shaking, crying girl. She silently whimpered with her dark, stringy red hair in her face.
Slowly, Megami crouched down to her and stared with glistening blue eyes.
The girl lifted her head and opened her eyes, still shaking and shivering. Their eyes met, but Megami knew she could not see her.
She lifted the palm of her right hand to touch her face, only for her hand to completely pass through her cheek and come out of her nose and mouth.
The girl looked to her left and right, when she caught sight of something she quickly became alert.
Megami turned her head to the left as she rushed up and ran farther down the alley. Her expression remained blank as she watched her body crash onto the floor to snag a large rat with a piece of bread in its hand.
The rat wriggled in her hands as Megami struggled to get the bread out of its little hands.
Finally, the rat ended up biting her then jumping out of her clutches. She ignored the bite mark on her wrist and held the bread in her hand.
She pushed it into her mouth and nearly collapsed at the feeling of food. She held her hands to her mouth as she savored the taste and began to cry.
Megami continued to watch as she buckled over and hugged herself, crying into the snow.
Kai appeared on the wall in front of her and Sasori animated, crouching down next to Megami.
"That's me." She whispered, moments after watching the little red-haired girl.
"We know." Kai said plainly.
"The restaurant was closed for the holidays." Megami whispered. "And the trash had already been picked up three days before…I was so hungry…"
Suddenly, she stood up and turned away.
"Why the hell did you bring me here?! More importantly, how the hell did I even—?!"
"Megami," Sasori began, "As hard as this is for you to understand you have to cooperate with us. We still have a couple things to show you, then something bigger. But you have to bear with us, when all this is over, there will be someone you can talk to…"
Megami's ears rang at the sound of her own sniffling.
"Please…" she croaked in a whisper as her a tear fell down her right eye. "I'll listen just…just get me out of here…"
Kai and Sasori turned and nodded to each other. With a snap of Sasori's fingers, they were gone.
(^A.H^)
Megami's eyes popped open. But, just as they did, they narrowed at the blinding sun in her eyes.
"What…?" she mumbled as she put a hand over her eyes. "What is this…?"
"The sun's hurtin' my eyes."
"Then stop looking dummy."
Megami gasped and turned her head to the left. She felt her body draped across a field of shiny grass, her hair spread out below her and her hands on her stomach.
When she turned she found her eyes on a smiling, younger version of herself. She smiled with her too long red hair spread out under her, along with her arms and legs spread out as if she were trying to make a snow angel.
She lay in a bright yellow sundress, and the smile on her face held hopes and dreams.
"I can't Sasi, it's so purty."
Megami gasped a little and lifted her head. Lying above her with his head touching her younger self lay a four year old Sasuke in black shorts and a little red collar shirt.
"Well if ya go blind it's not my fault." He said dully, lying with his hands behind his head.
"You're so mean Sasu-chan!" young Megami whined, sitting up.
"I never said I was nice."
Young Megami crossed her arms and huffed as Megami sat up and hugged her legs, watching them.
"You know! If we're gonna be married someday you gotta learns to be nice to me! Mama says you have to treat me like a princess!"
"You are a princess, dummy."
"See!"
Sasuke sighed and slowly sat up, his back to her. He stared into the distance with his hands on his sides.
A wind casted over the three of them, slowly blowing their hair.
"When we get big, I'll make you my princess. I'll never hurt you, or be mean to you, or tease you, I swear."
"Sasu-chan…" young Megami mumbled, blushing.
"Sasuke…" Megami's eyes glistened. "You fucking liar…"
"Geez what a cheesy little bastard, can we cut this already?"
Megami whipped her head back around to find Kai standing in front of her view of the sun, his arms behind his head and his left leg scratching his right in annoyance.
"I agree, this is becoming unbearable." Sasori deadpanned.
Megami narrowed her eyes, "you fuckwads are just jealous."
Kai rolled his eyes, "can we move along please? We're on a schedule."
"Whatever," Megami grumbled, standing up and dusting off her skirt. "I'm not the one controlling this whole time travel-warp-shit-whatever."
Sasori snapped his fingers once again.
"Don't worry!" Kai smirked as they began to disappear.
"The fun part's coming up soon!"
Megami raised a brow as their bodies illuminated once again, then disappeared.
(^A.H^)
"Still not getting the point of this whatsoever." Megami sighed as their bodies began to appear again. "You showed me when I was homeless, yes I remember that. Then when Sasuke I used to lay on the field by the palace. I know I'm slow but I'm trying to find a point here." Megami sighed.
"Shut up and look around." Kai ordered.
Megami narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then turned to look around. She gasped once again when she found herself back in the entrance room.
The only difference now, is it stood nearly empty.
Kai and Sasori sat on the steps they had appeared on as Megami dropped her arms and looked to the few remaining. The cake still lay splattered on the floor.
"Thank you all again, I'm so sorry. Thanks, thank you for coming." Sakura said sheepishly as the last of the guests left. She sighed when she closed the door behind them.
"What a complete waste." Neji growled.
"Oh come on, we shouldn't blame her. It wasn't fair for us to do something like this after she said gave specific instructions that she didn't want to celebrate her birthday again." Tenten said as they both sat on the floor.
"Not fair? Who wouldn't want to have a birthday party thrown for them?" Shikamaru raised a brow.
"Someone who's parents died on the same day." Hinata answered as she, Ino, and Shikamaru stood in the middle of the room. "I admit, it's been a long time, but we have to understand where she's coming from. To Megami, even remotely thinking about celebrating her birthday is like celebrating her parent's death."
"And she always said she'd hate herself if she ever did something like that." Ino blew out a breath and crossed her arms.
"Shouldn't you go and see if she's alright?" Gaara asked as he and Sakura stepped up to them.
Sakura shook her head, "I think it's best we just leave her alone for now. Maybe someday Megami will want to open herself up to celebrating again, but right now I think she's still picking up pieces."
At the bottom of the steps sat Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto sat with his arms crossed and his legs up with his elbows resting on his knees in front of him, his face within the space. He had a dull expression on his face. Sasuke on the other hand sat up right with his arms at his sides, a dull expression as well.
Megami's eyes glistened for the third time in the events that had unfolded.
"Fantastic. Now my friends hate me and I've disappointed everyone else."
She did not notice as Kai and Sasori glanced at each other and stood up.
Silent tears ran down her eyes as she clutched her skirt.
"I hate this. I hate myself…I hate everything that's happened in the last thirteen years! None of this would be happening if my parents had never died!" she cried.
"That's right. None of this would be happening if your parents had never died." Sasori said.
Megami, having not heard him, continued to whimper.
Kai smirked as he lifted his fingers.
"But, just for kicks, let's test that theory."
This time, Megami faintly heard him. She twisted to the both of them, but before she could catch their eyes, Kai snapped his fingers and the world around her became a blinding flash of light.
Like the first time she had traveled her body began to whip furiously and it felt as if she were being plucked and pulled left and right. The only difference this time is that a strange feeling enveloped her entire body.
She screamed.
In moments the flashing and the pulling stopped, and she saw darkness.
It was a full minute before Megami could feel her body again. She felt as if she were lying on a soft surface which she concluded, in her closed eye state, to be a bed.
"Oh fuck me…" she grumbled.
She groaned as she moved her body and slowly began to open her eyes. She turned to her left side as she weakly began to open her eyes.
Her eyebrows furrowed when she felt a hard surface next to her.
She moved her hand around a bit on what felt like hard skin.
"Well aren't you a little touchy-feely this morning. Well, I'm not surprised…after last night."
Her eyes shot wide open at the sound of the voice. Her blue eyes met that of Kai's own.
He lay next to her, topless as he rested his right fist on his cheek, turned to her. He smirked.
The only difference between this Kai and the one she had come to know (and had just seen) is that his hair was back to its original slightly long state and there was no sign of a tattoo.
Even so, she screamed.
His eyes widened as she continued to scream furiously, twisting and turning until she fell out of the bed.
"You! You jerk! What are you doing in my bed?!" she yelled when she picked herself up. She grabbed a pillow just about to fall off the edge of the bed.
Kai raised a brow, "Don't you mean our bed?"
"WHAT?!" she yelled as she threw the pillow at his face.
"Gah!" he said, just barely dodging it. "Megami! What's wrong with you?!"
"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you?! You said you had something to show me! Not that you were gonna sleep with m—!"
She froze when she finally took in the room. It was familiar, too familiar.
From memory she recalled it to be her old bedroom from when she was a child. The one she slept in when she was still princess Megami, and she lived in a palace.
She looked at Kai who looked genuinely confused. His pure black curly hair touched his shoulders and there was not one scar, tattoo, or dyed blue streak in his hair.
"Megami…are you feeling alright?"
Ignoring him, she looked down to herself and took her own body in.
Her clothing for the party was gone and now for some reason she sat in a dark pink, very short, silk nightie that hung low enough to reveal plenty of cleavage, with thin straps along with a short silk robe off her shoulders.
"What the hell is this…Kai? What's going on? What are you doing in my bed? What are we doing in the old palace? No one's been in here since my parents died!" Megami yelled.
Kai blinked a few times, "Um…uh…last time I checked…um…married couples usually slept together…and uh…no ones left this palace. Actually since we've got married a few more people have moved in! And are you sick Gami? Your parents aren't dead."
The color left Megami's face completely.
"What….did you say…?"
"I think you need to see a doctor." Kai sighed as he stepped out of bed, standing only in black pajama pants. "Or maybe you just had a bad dream."
"What did you say?!" Megami yelled, forcing him to jump. "About my parents?"
Kai frowned, "I said…they're alive and well, Megami. Why wouldn't they be?"
"Because!" Megami cried. "They died on my fifth birthday!"
(^A.H^)
"Megami, I really think you should see a doctor. Maybe you hit your head on the headboard last night." Kai tried to reassure as Megami paced around.
"Kai! Sasori! You bastards better come down here from wherever the hell you are and tell me what's going on!" Megami barked to the ceiling them stomped on the floor with one foot. "Kai! Kai! Sasori!"
"Megami," Kai frowned as he followed her as she paced. "I'm right here, and who's Sasori?"
"Not you, you aren't Kai. Something freaky is going on." Megami grumbled. "This illusion is starting to bite me in the ass."
"Since when do you curse?" Kai asked.
Suddenly, Megami stopped, forcing Kai to stop behind her.
She twisted around with a confused expression on her face.
"Wait a minute…what did you say…about…about me hitting my head…against a headboard?"
Kai looked taken aback for a moment before he sheepishly looked down and scratched the back of his hair.
"I mean…you know…maybe when were…you know…doing it, you might have—"
"Doing WHAT exactly?!" Megami yelled.
"Megami, do I really need to spell it out for you?" he smiled shyly.
She blinked and paled again.
"I think I'm gonna be sick…"
A sudden knock on the door alerted the both of them.
Without thinking, Megami rushed to the door and whipped it open.
"Oh thank goodness! You guys won't believe—"
"Megami, sweetheart. We heard some yelling, is everything alright in here?"
"You guys aren't fighting are you?" the blonde man chuckled.
Megami's eyes turned to saucers. Her palms became sweaty as her right hand clutched the doorknob to the point where it caved in.
Kushina and Minato Namikaze buckled down and held their ears as Megami screamed as high as her lungs could carry.
"Megami! What in the world?!" Kushina yelled over her screaming.
"No! No! No! No!" Megami continued to scream as she stumbled back.
Without looking at them she rushed out the door, forcing her parents to stumble back. Kushina nearly lost her balance before Minato caught her.
Kai stepped out the door and the three watched in awe as Megami ran down the palace hall, towards the stairs.
Running so quickly, Megami hardly noticed the door marked: NARUTO's ROOM.
She rushed down the steps of the palace she had once called her home. Though they had a few, such as the mansion in Furyoka, the palace was the true home of princess Kushina, lord hogake Minato, and their children the crown prince and princess, Naruto and Megami.
Megami whipped her head around, and without thinking, she grabbed the first keys she saw on the stand by the large doors.
This isn't happening.
This isn't happening.
This isn't happening.
She repeated the mantra in her head as she pushed open the doors, barefoot and simply in her nightie, she ignored the two guards standing outside by the doors.
"Crown princess Megami," they bowed. But just as they did they lifted their heads when they found her running down the walk to the opening gates.
"Wait! My lady!" one of them yelled.
Anxiously, Megami pressed the lock button on the keys. A few cars sat in the driveway and luckily, one of them blared and lit when she pressed the button.
She heard familiar voices calling her name but she refused to turn around. She hopped into the dark orange Lexus and prayed she still remembered how to drive a car.
She sped down the street without looking back and headed for the first place that popped into her mind.
(^A.H^)
It was nearly half an hour before Megami reached Konoha High School. She'd forgotten how far away the palace was from society but she ignored that.
She parked in the familiar driveway and her heart skipped a beat when she found all the cars there as if it were a regular school day. She had been heading for the boys mansion when she'd noticed. Last time she checked it was Sunday.
"What in the fuck is going on?" Megami said aloud as she stepped out and eyed the unfamiliar letters on the school:
KONOHA PRIVATE ACADEMY
Her heart raced as she took in the school. Aside from the letters, it looked just the same.
"This is freaky…I have to find the girls…" she grumbled as she rushed to the doors.
Just as she stepped into the doors of the unfamiliar Konoha high she glanced to the wall clock above the front entrance doors.
"First period is in session…perfect." She mumbled.
Barefoot, she jogged down the halls. It took her a moment to realize that the title of the school wasn't the only difference. The formerly red lockers were now green.
"429….429…gotta…get to…Kakashi's." she repeated as she jogged down the hall.
She noticed a girl standing by her locker, putting things away when she turned a corner. Megami stopped for a moment and blinked when she took in her outfit.
She stood in black skinny jeans with matching short heels and a dark purple off the shoulder top.
"Hey!" Megami called as she jogged over to her.
The dark brown-haired girl turned to her for a moment before her expression turned to confusion as she took in her outfit.
"What day is it?" Megami asked quickly.
"Uh, Tuesday." The girl said.
Megami raised a brow, "you're out of uniform."
"Uniform?" the girl raised a brow this time. "Uniforms are only on Fridays."
Megami's eyes bulged a bit before she shook her head and began to jog past the girl. "Um…thanks…"
The girl blinked a couple times, "hey! Aren't you—!"
Megami barely heard her as she rushed down the hall, nearing Kakashi's English class.
"Finally!" she blew a breath in relief when 429 came into her view. "I can get some flippin' answers!"
Without hesitation she flew the door open and beamed.
"Hey! Guys—!"
She stumbled back a bit when the class turned to her.
The class she did not recognize.
She whipped her head to the front of the room where the teacher should be and found a teacher standing there. Just not the teacher she knew.
This teacher stood unfamiliar to her eyes. An elderly woman stood in front, stopping her process of jotting things on the board.
"What…the…hell…" Megami's eyes remained wide.
"Excuse me young woman. Who are you?" the woman spoke, setting down her piece of chalk.
"Ka…Ka…." Megami stuttered.
"Ka?" the teacher repeated.
"Kakashi's senior English class?" she asked.
"I believe you have the wrong room young lady. This is sophomore World History, I am the teacher, Chiyo." She explained.
Okay, officially fucking losing my mind. Megami said in her head.
"I believe you might be looking for our principal Kakashi-sensei, he has not taught English for over six years. Though," Chiyo narrowed her eyes, "you don't seem appropriately dressed for sch—"
Suddenly, she blinked as realization hit her, while Megami still stood in a state of shock.
"Wait a minute…it's…you're…my lady!"
"What?" Megami said quickly.
She paled as Chiyo bowed, just as she did the students themselves began to recognize her.
"Everyone, bow your heads in respect to our lady, the crown princess Megami Namikaze."
"C-crown princess?!" Megami yelled.
The students stood up from their seats. The girls curtsied, whether they wore a skirt or not, and the boys bowed.
"Oh…okay…I feel dizzy." Megami said as she stumbled out of the room.
"My lady! Are you feeling alright?!" Chiyo called.
Megami ignored her as she closed the door behind her and stared to the ground.
"This can't be happening…" she whispered.
"Ha! See! I told you I'd be funnier if we left her alone first!"
Megami froze for a moment before she shot her head up.
Kai laughed with his hands on his hips while Sasori annoyingly crossed his arms.
"Look at her face! It's classic!"
"What the hell?!" Megami yelled as she shot up.
She stared Kai and Sasori dead in the eye with a glare.
"You assholes! What did you do? What's going on?!" Megami yelled.
"Calm down, Megami." Sasori said plainly. "We'll explain."
"Why were you telling me that I'm married to you? Where's Kakashi's homeroom? Why is it Tuesday? Where are my clothes?! Why did I just see my parents?!"
"God damn, I forgot how much you whined." Kai sighed. She shot him a death glare.
"Megami," Sasori began. "This is an alternate universe."
Megami blinked a couple times, "like…like a…like a parallel world…?"
"Not exactly," Sasori continued, "with a parallel universe, everything you see and everything you know would be the opposite of what it actually is, but it would still be current. For example, one person who is genuinely happy but living in poverty in your world, may be unhappy but wealthy in another."
"So where am I right now?" Megami asked.
"An alternate universe." Sasori said once more, "you are currently in a world where a different future has occurred for the people and life around you, because of one or more events in yours or someone else's life."
"So…my…my parents…" Megami mumbled.
"Yep," Kai said, "your parents are completely alive and well."
"The accident that happened on your fifth birthday never occurred." Sasori said, "Therefore, your life is completely different."
(^A.H^)
Megami frowned, "so what you're saying is, that I'm in a world where my parents never died…?"
"Exactly," Sasori said.
"And because of it, everything I know is topsy turvy?"
"You got it." Kai smiled.
"Well take me back then!" Megami yelled. "I don't want to be here! Who knows what I'll see! And who knows what my life is like now?!"
"We can't do that," Sasori sighed. "We can't take you back until you've learned."
"What? Learned what?" Megami frowned.
"Can't say," Kai shrugged. "But in the mean time you're stuck here. But don't worry! You'll get used to being married to me," Kai chuckled.
Megami dangerously narrowed her eyes at him, then they widened as she turned to Sasori. "Wait a minute! Why am I married to him?!"
"Just like I said. You're in a world where everything is different because your parents survived. You never ran away, you never lost your memory, and since you stayed home you were forced to follow the arranged marriage laws by your grandfather, and Kai was chosen to marry you as he was supposed to in your world."
"I have to admit though," Kai said, "I'm not really into this world's version of me, he's kind of a pansy."
Megami narrowed her eyes, "He acts exactly the way you did before you went all psycho-douchebag on everyone."
Kai dropped his hands from behind his head and glared at her.
Megami sighed, "so what exactly am I supposed to do now?"
"Just live." Sasori shrugged. "Experience life with your parents and what could have been. We'll be around but we'll check in on you in a little bit."
"Wait a minute!" Megami said suddenly. "Where are the girls?! The guys?! Naruto, Sasuke!"
"Gonna have to find that out for yourself sweetheart!" Kai called as they faded into nothing.
Megami blew out a breath and slumped on the wall.
"What have I gotten myself into…?"
(^A.H^)
"Megami! Sweetheart! There you are!"
Megami cringed as she closed the door of the orange car. A maid stood on each side of Minato and Kushina who stood in front of Megami in their pajamas.
"This is gonna take some getting used to…" she mumbled shakingly. "Hey! Mom…dad…"
"What happened this morning, sweetheart? Where did you go?" Minato asked as Megami wrapped the short robe around herself and crossed her arms.
She smiled nervously as the three, along with the two maids, began making their way back into the palace.
"N-nowhere important, I'm sorry for running away so suddenly. I…uh…had a bad dream."
"Well are you okay now?" Kushina frowned. She stepped up and put a hand on Megami's shoulder as they stepped inside.
"Kinda feels like I'm still dreaming…"
"Well, we're glad you're okay." Minato smiled, "We'll let Kai know once he gets back from his meeting. He's worried about you."
Megami visibly shook, "So…so we're really married?"
Kushina chuckled, "Well of course you are! Two months now, you know that."
"B-but I'm only eighteen…and it's Kai…" she mumbled the last part as they stood by the golden curved steps."
"Well you aren't eighteen yet honey. You still have your birthday ceremony next week." Kushina smiled.
"Birthday ceremony?" Megami frowned.
Both Kushina and Minato gave her perplexed looks.
"That's what you want, right? Just a tea ceremony to honor your birthday like every year."
"Tea ceremony…?" Megami grumbled but then quickly shook her head. "Uh! I'd better hurry and get myself cleaned up! I'm late for school!"
"School?" Minato and Kushina said at the same time, halting Megami in her descent up the stairs.
"Yes…" Megami said slowly.
"Megami you don't go to school. You have a private teacher right her at the palace." Kushina said, as if she should know.
"Seriously?!"
They nodded. "Remember when you were five? We asked you and Naruto if you wanted to go to a school with other kids. Naruto said yes, you said no."
Naruto!
Megami blinked, "Uh…w-well…I've decided I want to go where Naruto goes!" she said confidently.
"Konoha Private Academy? Why? You'll be done with your own lessons in two weeks, then we were going to hold a little graduation ceremony for you." Kushina said.
Megami rapidly shook her head, "N-no! I want to spend my last few weeks with other students! I wanna go to Konoha high—er, Konoha Private Academy!"
Kushina and Minato looked at each other, wide-eyed a bit for a few moments before they turned back to Megami.
Minato shrugged, "Well alright Megami, if you really want that, you can start there tomorrow—"
"No no!" Megami yelled. "I have to start today! I…uh…want to start today!"
"But classes have already started." Kushina raised a brow. "But if you really want to we won't stop you. You'll just have to start properly tomorrow."
"Perfect!" Megami nodded.
I have to find the others! I have to know what this world has done to them!
(^A.H^)
Megami grumbled to herself as she rummaged through her large walk in closet, wet and in a towel.
She tossed traditional dress after traditional dress aside as she struggled to find clothing wearable to school and normally her style.
"What is this place? Do I not wear pants in this world?" she whined.
"My lady! I've brought fresh towels!"
Megami stepped out of the walk in closet in what was apparently the room she shared with her husband, Kai.
She smiled at the maid who set fresh towels onto their bed.
"Hey! What's your name?" Megami asked.
The girl bowed for a moment then lifted her head back up, still staring at the ground.
"Miyako, my lady."
"Hi Miyako, it's nice to meet you!"
The girl blinked a few times, but did not move.
"How fast do you think someone could get me a specific outfit?"
"Your stylist is currently in the west wing ma'am. I can let him know what you want then have it back here within the next ten minutes."
"Awesome! But before that, could someone throw out all those dresses? I'd do it myself but I'm already late for school! You know what! I can help you while I wait for the outfit!"
"Ma'am you don't need to—"
"So here's the thing…"
(^A.H^)
"What do you think made Megami suddenly wanna go to school? She's acting really different too. She's talking to us a lot more than normal, and she seems to have more emotion." Kushina hummed as she scooped a spoonful of chocolate chip ice cream, still in her pajamas, while Minato drank a cup of coffee, dressed in a plaid dress shirt and black slacks.
Minato shrugged a bit as he sipped a cup of coffee, "Must be a puberty thing."
"Minato, she's almost eighteen."
"Let me dream, please."
The two stood up straight as the sound of rapid clacking on the stairs.
"I'm leaving!" Megami's voice came.
Minato and Kushina stepped into the grand entrance to meet her.
"Wait, Me—"
Kushina stopped in place as both she and Minato gaped at her.
"Huh?" Megami turned around abruptly.
She stood before them in baggy black sweatpants and a dark blue crop top with nothing beneath that hung off her right shoulder.
Her hair sat in a high ponytail and a galaxy print canvas backpack hung on her left shoulder.
"Megami!" Kushina gasped.
"Y-yeah?" she frowned a bit, still trying to get used to the idea of seeing her parents face to face.
"Your…your outfit…" Minato gulped.
"What's wrong with it?"
"You never dress like this. I've tried to get you to wear more casual things but you refuse them."
'That would explain all those godforsaken dresses.' Megami grumbled in her conscious.
"I'm just…uh…making some changes to my life…that's all…" she laughed nervously. "I gotta go! Mom! Dad! I'm already super late! I should get there by just after third period!"
"O-okay…" Kushina said as Megami grabbed the same keys she'd taken when she left and rushed out.
"Wait! Don't you want to take the limousine like always?!" Kushina called.
"No thanks!" Megami yelled back.
"Did she just take the keys to one of Naruto's cars?" Minato raised a brow.
(^A.H^)
Thoughts ran rapidly through Megami's mind as she locked the orange car then quickly jogged to the school. The bell would ring in a couple minutes and she still had to rush to get her schedule. Not that classes mattered to her right now, all she cared about was finding Alpha and Omega and who they could possibly be in this backwards world.
She pushed the doors open and avoided scanning the building, lest she see something that would make her lose her mind.
Luckily, the main office remained in the same place as it always was, and after a short walk, she finally made it.
Megami cringed when she pushed the doors open, and instead of seeing Shizune at her desk, she instead saw Anko sensei seated in her space. The plaque on her desk read: SECRETARY: ANKO MITARASHI, instead of Anko Hatake as she had come to be known.
Megami gulped as Anko looked up to her with thin glasses. When she realized who stood in front of her she smiled and stood up, promptly bowing.
"My lady, crown princess. Welcome, it's an honor to know you'll be attending Konoha Private Academy."
Okay.
That is not how Anko would greet anyone.
"Yeah…uh…uh…" Megami stuttered. "Yeah…"
"I have to say," Anko spoke as she gathered her schedule and other documents. "It was pretty sudden when my lord called in, saying you would start attending today. We had to prepare papers for you as soon as possible. The last hour has been hectic."
"I'm really sorry it was so last minute!" Megami yelled, bowed to her, to Anko's surprise.
"Oh! No! My lady it's fine! It's a pleasure to have the crown twins at Konoha Academy! I'm sorry though, Principal Hatake is currently out at the moment, but he said he'll give you a proper welcome once he returns."
Megami nodded as Anko handed her the needed papers, just as the bell rang.
"What bell is that?" Megami asked quickly.
"That is the bell signaling the end of third period. It is fourth now. You are all settled my lady, you may head to class."
"Thank you Miss. Mitarashi!" Megami called as she turned to rush out.
"Have a wonderful first day here princess!"
Though, Megami just barely heard her as she pushed open the door and rushed out, only to take a couple steps back before she bumped head first into someone, falling to the floor along with the person.
"Ow…ow…ow!" Megami whined as she rubbed her head.
"I-I'm so very s-sorry! I-I should have looked where I was going! I-I'm so clumsy! Sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"It's cool." Megami sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "Are you okay?"
"Are y-you okay?"
Megami laughed a bit as she lifted her head, "I asked you fi…"
She blinked as her mind finally registered the voice that spoke, and her eyes fell on the person before her.
The dark, blue-haired girl sat on her knees in front of her. Thick black horn-rimmed glasses sat on her pale face, while she herself sat in a dull brown ankle length cotton skirt with a long sleeved white cotton sweater dotted in mysterious stains. Old, torn black Mary Janes sat on her feet and her hair sat in an unruly, unflattering bun.
"Oh my lanta…" Megami whispered.
"HINATA?!"
(^A.H^)
Hinata burned red, "H-how do you know my n-name…?"
Megami didn't answer as she continued to stare at her with wide eyes for the longest time.
This couldn't be the Hinata she knew and loved. Ino would sooner die a thousand deaths before she let Hinata walk out in public looking the way she did right now.
Then it dawned on her. This isn't her world.
Megami quickly laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head.
"U-um…a-as the c-crown princess, I-It's my job to know the names of each and every one of my…subjects?"
Hinata blinked a couple times, "C-crown princess!...now I recognize you!"
Megami gulped and stood up, she offered her hand out to Hinata who reluctantly stood up with her help, holding onto her large black backpack and her pile of books.
She quickly bowed and Megami slumped.
"It is a pleasure to s-see you a-again!"
"Again…?" Megami whispered then cleared her throat, "Uh! Y-yeah!"
"H-Hinata Hyuga, at your service. I-I doubt you'll remember me from last time, but that's alright…" Hinata whispered.
Megami glanced around as students passed by up and down the hallway, getting to class.
"Of course I remember you!"
Hinata shot her head up and blinked a couple times.
"We're friends! Aren't we Hinata!" she smiled broadly.
"S-since when have we b-been…?" quickly Hinata cleared her throat.
"See Hinata, I'm new here and I've come to Konoha high—um, academy, to get to know the students! I know we've met before! So I would love it if you'd help me around!"
Hinata frowned a bit, "I don't mean any offense by it but…y-you might want s-someone else to be your guide…my lady."
Megami slumped again, "why?"
"Look who it is girls!"
Megami twisted to her right as Hinata lowered her head.
Three girls stood across from Megami and Hinata by a row of lockers. In tight shirts and waist high pants, they laughed and pointed directly at Hinata.
"Who the hell are they." Megami bit coldly.
"D-don't mind them. They're n-no different from anyone else…"
Megami shot her head to Hinata in utter shock. She seemed to forget that this world was different than her own. She wasn't used to a Hinata this completely unconfident. Since the sixth grade it had always been her and the girls to back her up until she had the confidence to defend herself.
Megami smiled sadly a bit, "What've you got for fourth period Hinata?"
Hinata, who had been temporarily lost in her own thoughts, almost didn't hear her. "Um…I-I have Advanced Placement History."
Megami slumped a bit, there's no way she would have that class. She could barely get herself in general classes let alone advanced placement.
She looked down to her schedule and nearly choked on the bile already rising in her throat. Her entire schedule was advanced classes, and even a couple honors classes.
Just what kind of a person is she in this world?
"I have that too." She gave Hinata a broad, fake smile. "Let's walk together!"
"A-are you s-sure?" Hinata stuttered nervously as she put her arm around her shoulders.
"You have no idea how happy I am that I ran into you Hina."
"H-Hina…?"
(^A.H^)
"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our newest student, our crown princess Megami Namikaze."
Megami smiled broadly as the class and the teacher, Mr. Iruka, took her in.
To them, she looked nothing like the princess they had come to know. Normally dressed in fine gowns and casual long dresses and who hardly left the palace and always had a scowl on her face.
Iruka and the other students stood and bowed, to Megami's chagrin.
"Megami's just fine. It's really nice to be starting Konoha hig—Konoha academy with all of you today. Please, treat me as just another student."
"As you wish prin—Megami, welcome to AP World History." Iruka nodded.
Megami barely listened as he explained to her basics of the classroom. She examined the room in the hopes of seeing familiar faces. She did in fact see familiar students, but not the ones she was hoping to see. Her eyes fell on Hinata who sat with her head hung as she wrote rapidly in her notebook. When she pushed her glasses up Megami glanced to her side.
But, she did a double take to the two seats next to Hinata who pushed up her glasses.
Sitting next to her, with his head flopped onto the desk, not paying any attention to the current situation in the classroom whatsoever (as well as dressed in a button down collar shirt and baggy blue jeans.) lay Shikamaru Nara.
Megami examined him.
His hair was the same.
His clothing of choice was the same.
Even the position he drooled on the desk was the same.
Megami twitched with an uncomfortable smile.
"Well, it looks like he hasn't changed much…" she mumbled out loud.
"—So if that it alright with you, princess, you are free to take any seat that is available. I hope you enjoy your time in Advanced World History."
"Huh?" Megami said suddenly as her eyes still remained on Shikamaru. "Yeah, sure."
She wondered though, even if Shikamaru didn't seem to harbor any noticeable differences, if he was still in a relationship with Ino. She wouldn't know until she found out.
She took the empty seat in-between Hinata (who quickly became uncomfortable) and Shikamaru.
When she was seated, Iruka proceeded to get the lesson started. Megami watched Hinata in full concentration for a few minutes as she listened to Iruka give the lesson of the day.
Normally Hinata would be calm and cool, she still concentrated on her school work, but about as average as every other student. Here, she was about as dead focused as Sakura.
After a couple minutes, Megami turned her attention to her right and a still sleeping Shikamaru. She smiled a bit as Iruka continued his lecture. She leaned over a bit and tapped his shoulder. He shifted.
She tapped his shoulder gently a few more times, he groaned in annoyance.
After nudging him a couple times, he finally sat up a bit and grumbled.
He turned to Megami who smiled sheepishly at him.
"...What?...do I know you…?" he said sleepily.
"Uh, I-I guess not. I'm Megami, I'm new, nice to meet you Shikamaru."
She nearly bit her tongue for saying his name, but he didn't seem to notice, or care.
"Hi Megami, I'm sleepy, nice to make your acquaintance." He said sarcastically.
She frowned a bit, "sorry to wake you."
He sighed and said nothing as he plopped his head back on the desk.
Megami sighed and slumped in her seat.
Well, there was a small change to Shikamaru. He's not as tolerable to those who disturb his sleep as he is in her world.
(^A.H^)
"Hey Hinata! Wait up!"
Hinata noticeably jumped and nearly dropped her books as Megami rushed over to her, just as she stepped out of Iruka's class.
Megami raised a brow as Hinata quivered a bit, she assumed it was because of all the books in her hands.
"You need help?" Megami asked.
"N-no, I-I'm fine." She smiled nervously. "P-pardon me, did you need something?"
Megami beamed, "I just thought it would be cool if we sat together at lunch, you're my only friend here, plus I wanna…get to know you better!"
At least this version of her.
Hinata frowned as they began walking with the other seniors towards the cafeteria.
"Excuse m-me for saying this princess—"
"I told you! Call me Megami!"
Hinata cleared her throat, "Um…M-Megami…but you're the princess of Konohagakure…why would you want to s-sit with…someone like…me?…y-you could be with any g-group you want…especially with—"
"I don't want to hang out with just anyone Hinata!" Megami frowned. Why in the world was this Hinata like this? What happened, or in this case, didn't happen to make her more shy and un-confident than she's ever been? Megami wondered.
"I want to hang out with you! And I won't take no for an answer!" Megami nodded confidently.
Hinata's cheeks burned red in embarrassment as Megami laughed aloud and skipped a couple feet ahead of her.
"Please s-stop, people will laugh…" Hinata whispered as Megami twirled around.
She stopped mid-twirl and eyed her as she walked backwards. The Hinata now hasn't cared about people's opinions of her since the sixth grade.
Megami really needed to know what the hell went wrong.
Hinata shielded her face a bit as Megami burst the cafeteria doors open. Many students looked at her, seated and walking around in the large lunch-room, with tables returned to their previously long state instead of ovals.
"Don't be shy Hinata!" Megami huffed as she stomped forward while Hinata tried to hide her face with her books as some girls giggled. "Walk with confidence!"
Had it not been for Ino, most of the girls wouldn't have the will to be as wild and crazy as they acted in school.
"Where do you normally sit?" Megami asked, stopping in the middle of the cafeteria to look around.
"I-I usually sit b-by myself…at that table…in the corner…over there…"
Megami looked over as Hinata weakly pointed to a long, empty, table by the window.
"Sitting by yourself?!" Megami yelled, to Hinata's embarrassment again. "Why would you do that?!"
"W-well," Hinata mumbled as Megami scanned the loud cafeteria, "I-I don't really have…frie—"
"HEY!"
Hinata jumped suddenly at her outburst, as did a few kids sitting beside them.
"I can't believe it!" Megami beamed.
Hinata turned her attention over to where Megami was looked towards and her heart nearly fell into the pit of her stomach at the sight.
"O-oh! N-no! W-we c-c-can't sit there!" Hinata said as quickly as she could as Megami took her hand and began rushing her over to the familiar people at the table across from them.
Seated at that table, was Kiba, who talked and flailed his hands animatedly. Shino sat beside him, playing with an ant on his plate.
Across from them, Shikamaru struggled to listen, his right fist under his right cheek. While on his right, Choji sat, snacking on a bag of barbecue Lays.
And finally, standing at the head of the table, his hands leaned on the table as he smiled and listened to Kiba talk rapidly:
"NARUTO! HEY! NARUTOO!" Megami waved rapidly with her free hand as Hinata whipped her head around, trying to find a means of escape or a hiding spot.
Confused, Naruto lifted his head. Though, he smiled broadly and sweetly, the sun shining on his blond hair and sparkling teeth, he stood in a red t-shirt over a black long sleeved shirt, along with black cargo pants.
But when he realized who was waving at him, his smile dropped and a more confused and shocked expression took over his face.
"Megami?!"
"Hey little bro!" Megami said excitingly as she caught up to Naruto who stood straight. The rest of the boys at the table looked up to the two girls.
Naruto's expression remained the same as Megami ruffled his hair, though he was still a few inches taller than her.
"I'm so glad I finally ran into you! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Megami laughed.
"I uh…saw you at dinner, last night…" Naruto mumbled, still staring in confusion.
Megami frowned a bit and tilted her head to the side at his tone, "What's the matter Naruto?"
"What are you doing here Megami…?" Naruto said quickly as if she should understand his confusion. "And…what are you wearing…?"
"Huh?" she quickly glanced down, "I always dress like this!"
"No, you don't." Naruto frowned. "I don't remember the last time I saw you in pants."
"Seriously…?" Megami grumbled, then quickly shook her head. "It doesn't matter! I'm going to Konoha academy now! Because apparently I've always been homeschooled!" she laughed.
Naruto took a step back, "Yeah, because you said you hate outside schools…Megami, are you feeling alright? Your hair looks lighter, and you're actually smi—"
"Hey guys!" Megami said suddenly, cutting him off as she turned to the boys seated, watching the scene. "You may or may not know me and we may or may not have met before! I'm Megami Uzumaki! Naruto's big sister!"
"Don't you mean Namikaze?" Shikamaru raised a brow.
"Huh?" Megami frowned.
"Your surname is Namikaze, isn't it? Just like Naruto's, and we know who you are." Shikamaru deadpanned.
'Oh yeah.' Megami said in her head.
"Y-yeah! Whoops!" Megami laughed nervously.
"Do mom and dad know about this?" Naruto raised a brow.
"Of course!" Megami nodded.
Naruto sighed, "does…Kai…know about this?"
"Who cares? Who gives him the right to tell me what school I can go to?" Megami huffed.
She did not miss Naruto blinking in shock.
"But you always listen to Kai!"
"I do?" Megami frowned.
Naruto gave her an alien look, "I think you might have come down with something Megami…"
"Don't be silly nii-chan!"
"Nii-chan…?"
"I just thought it was time I spent time with my little brother!"
"Spend some time? Since when—!"
"Hey, I don't mean to interrupt your little one-sided reunion, but I think that friend of yours is attempting an escape or something."
Naruto and Megami turned to Shikamaru who tiredly pointed behind Megami. Megami turned around and Naruto looked behind her to find Hinata trying to silently sneak away.
"Hinata!" Megami yelled. Hinata jumped at the sound of her voice.
"Y-yes…?" Hinata whispered without turning around.
"Where're you going? Let's sit here!"
Hinata weakly and slowly turned around, staring at the ground. "I-I don't t-think that is…such a good idea…"
"Don't be silly!" Megami smiled. "You guys don't mind! Right?"
The boys shrugged in turn.
"Whatever." Kiba said. "We could use some chicks at this table. That cool with you Namikaze?"
The girls watched as Naruto hesitated for a moment, before he nodded a bit.
"Sure…it's…it's no problem!"
"Awesome!" Megami beamed. She planted herself in the empty seat next to Choji and Hinata sat down next to her.
As the boys continued their talk (Naruto still a little skeptic about Megami being around) Hinata leaned into Megami.
"U-um…Megami?"
"What's up Hime?"
Hinata blushed at the nickname, "I-I don't mean to come off as…rude, b-but you should be careful who you interact with s-so easily…even though you're the p-princess, there're still many people who w-won't be so keen on you being here."
Megami shrugged, "I'm not looking to be everyone's friend. I'm just trying to find certain people. Speaking of which, do you by any chance know—"
Megami jumped a bit at the sound of a slam. Upon hearing it, Hinata simply lowered her head.
Megami frowned and twisted around to the double doors leading out of the cafeteria, "Yo! Loud mu—"
Megami blinked in surprise when a familiar face caught her eyes. Shining long blonde hair glistened in the light that flickered into the cafeteria through the windows while powerful and confident light blue eyes swept across the room in hot pink stilettos, a tight black mini skirt, and a white low cut one shoulder crop top with a matching white and gold Gucci handbag over her right shoulder.
"No way…" Megami said under her breath as the girl, with three others following behind her, strutted into the cafeteria with most eyes on her.
"Don't tell me…is that…" Megami said aloud.
Hinata cleared her throat as her head remained down, "Ino Yamanaka."
"INO!"
This time Hinata (and many other students) jumped up in their seats at the loud call to the platinum blonde who herself stopped in her tracks. On cue, her followers stopped behind her.
Megami, to Hinata's shock, rushed up from her seat next to her and ran over to Ino, halting in front of her abruptly and forcing Ino to take a few steps back in shock.
"Ino! I can't believe it's you!" Megami yelled with a wide smile as Ino stared at her wide-eyed. "Wow! You don't look much different clothing wise! But it looks like you're wearing a lot of makeup! Kinda clownish if you ask me, but, you're the 'pretty-people' expert right?!"
A long, cold silence drifted between Megami and Ino as Megami continued to beam and Ino continued to give her an alienated stare. After a few moments, Ino finally spoke.
"…Excuse me…what are you?"
Megami's smile slowly dropped at her harsh and bitter tone. Ino regained her composure and gave her a nasty 'I'm-above-you' look keener to the former members KITTY.
"You're in my face tomato-girl. Don't you know you're not supposed to stand more than five feet in front of me? Ugh! And look into a mint would you?! Your breath smells like cheeseburgers and French toast! And what's with that drab you've got on? Did you pull that out of a five year old lost and found box? And lose the smile, you're teeth look like something out a bad Dracula movie."
Megami blinked at least thirty times as she continued to stare at Ino who smirked after just completely tearing her apart. Her voice, which had always had a hint of 'valley-girl' sounded completely full out it.
Ino huffed in disgust as she brushed past her. The girls behind her laughed as they walked past Megami who stood stalk still.
Not because of the horrible words she had spoken to her.
Not because of the unrecognizable tone and appearance.
But because she hadn't recognized her one bit.
Not even a little.
Megami casually walked back to the table and sat down next to Hinata as if nothing had happened.
"I told you…" Hinata whispered, "there are some people…w-who…who don't care who you are or where you come from. Although I do believe had she known your title…"
"That stuff doesn't matter to me Hinata!" Megami frowned. "What I'm concerned about is Ino's attitude in general…what's with the queen bitch status?"
Hinata frowned and shuffled in her seat, "I don't understand."
Megami watched carefully as Ino laughed and tossed her hair back, seated in a lunch seat with a fluffy purple cover over it that she hadn't noticed before.
"Nothing…never mind."
"Alright! I'm shipping out!"
"Are you serious Namikaze?"
Hinata and Megami looked up at the same time, just in time to see Naruto standing up, half-smiling, and Kiba barking at him.
"You guys know how it is," the blonde laughed nervously. "They're here now, so I gotta switch. I'll see you guys after lunch!"
"Yeah yeah," Kiba waved him off as he turned back to his conversation with the rest of the guys.
Before Megami could grill him on where he was going, Naruto rushed over to a few tables next to theirs.
"Where's he off too?" Megami asked, cutting into their conversation. The boys turned to her, confused for a moment as they had forgotten she was sitting next to them.
"Oh, forget him, he always switches when they come in. With that guy, he's friends with everyone, but I know they come first." Kiba explained, rolling his eyes as he threw his thumb towards where Naruto ran.
Megami, confused, navigated her eyes to where he pointed. In a moment, they nearly shot out of their sockets at the sight of two new familiar faces.
It wouldn't have been such a huge shock. It wouldn't have been like a punch in the face, had the two new faces not been locking lips.
Her own lips felt dry as her eyes stayed fixated on them, just as Naruto sat down and barked at them for what she assumed to be the kissing.
"Oh my gosh…" she said breathlessly.
"Sakura…?...and Sasuke…?!"
(^A.H^)
Megami visibly wobbled as she walked out of the lunchroom with Hinata in tow, following the other seniors out to get to fifth period. She hadn't blinked in what seemed like forever and her mouth sat agape.
"Excuse me…for asking Megami," Hinata finally spoke after twenty minutes of lunchroom silence. "But why is seeming S-Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura H-Haruno putting you under shock?"
It was a moment before Megami finally composed herself and blinked rapidly.
"They're…are they…d-dating…?"
Hinata nodded in a beat, "Y-yes, Sasuke and Sakura have been dating since freshman year. Ever since Ame high school closed down and half the students were transferred here, the girls have been fawning over him…It-It's surprising, but Sakura was the one to finally win him over." Hinata explained.
Megami frowned, "Ame closed down…?"
"Like I was saying before," Hinata continued casually, to Megami's surprise. "There are…people who don't care where you come from…Ino…Ino had half the school…Sasuke has the other. That is how things go around here."
Megami frowned and stared at her feet as she and Hinata walked. It was quickly becoming apparent just how twisted around this world was from hers. At the very least, she had Hinata.
(^A.H^)
"YOOOSH! Everyone I have great news for you today!"
Gai-sensei boasted unlike any other day. Many students shut their ears in annoyance, sitting on the bleachers in their blue and white uniforms.
Sixth period gym class. Megami cringed as she stood on the court with Gai-sensei, dressed in a newly pressed girl's gym uniform consisting of the average blue short shorts and white sweatshirt with a white headband around her hair. If the fact that her entire uniform wasn't already ready and waiting for her didn't creep her out, then surely Gai-sensei's unchanged personality did.
She crossed her arms behind her back and rocked on her gym shoes as the entire gym class eyed her.
And to her unrelenting surprise, most members of what she knew to be Alpha and Omega sat scattered in the lot of students…with the exception of a few she could not pin point.
"We have a great addition to our classroom starting today! Everyone please welcome our lady princess Megami!" Gai cheered.
"Excuse me what, princess?" Ino said towards her followers, aghast.
"Megami's really just fine." Megami said towards her fellow students. Glad to be here." She smiled brightly as she searched for familiar faces.
Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to Sasuke and Sakura.
"Since when does your sister go here?" Sakura asked.
"I don't know, news to me…" he grumbled.
Sasuke stared down to her.
"With that said everyone, as promised, enjoy your regularly scheduled free day!"
The students rose from the bleachers and began to maneuver around. Megami moved through the clutter of people to find Hinata sitting on the bleachers in a sweat pants with the same sweatshirt version of the typical girls uniform.
"Hey, Hinata."
"Hi Megami…" she smiled faintly as she pushed up her glasses and closed her books. "We seem to have quite the lot of classes together."
"Yeah, looks like it!" Megami laughed, scratching the back of her head. "So, Hinata, I was thinking if you weren't busy today we could maybe hang ou—"
"Heads up!" a faintly familiar voice yelled.
Before Megami could move or react, a thick basketball collided with the back of her head. Hinata's eyes widened in shock as along with the impact, Megami spit-taked an unnecessarily large amount of blood.
The gym went quiet.
"Megami! A-are you alright?!" Hinata gasped as she bent down to Megami who had fallen on her face.
"Yo! Sorry about that! I don't know where I thought I was tossing that! You alright new girl?"
Megami sat up and cleared the blood from her mouth.
Towering in front of her with her hands on her hips, in the girls uniform with the same athletic white band across her head that Megami had, stood none other than Tenten. Tenten Sento
"Need some help?"
She hesitated for a moment before she put her hand in hers and allowed Tenten to help her up.
Whispers rained across the gym about the infamous Tenten signing her death certificate by striking the princess of Konokagure. Megami ignored them.
"You alright?" she smiled.
"Yeah, yeah I'm cool." Megami frowned, scratching her head as she eyed Tenten. She didn't seem particularly different.
" Sorry again! Name's Tenten, and as I'm sure you'll find out quickly, I'm the top female athlete in this school!"
So that was it. Not much of a change…at least as she could see thus far. She had a hunch that if Tenten maintained her personality, she would either find her in the gym or in a group of boys.
Speaking of boys, there were a few she lacked to have seen.
"Top athlete huh?" Megami said as she looked down to the basketball.
"That's right!"
"What would you say if I challenged you to a one on one basketball game?"
(^A.H^)
Megami's expression did not falter at the laughs that surrounded her, brought on by the students. Tenten stood hunched over a bit, trying to contain her own laughter.
"Megami! What are you saying?" Hinata asked fearfully.
"Well, princess." Tenten said snarkly when she regained her composure and put her hands on her hips. "I'd say you're pretty darn cute."
Megami reddened and fidgeted, embarrassed. "y-you…you think I'm cute…?"
Tenten narrowed her eyes. Megami shook her head and looked her dead in the eyes again.
"Anyway…so you haven't been here for more than five minutes and you actually have the nerve to challenge me?"
Naruto looked on to the both of them with the rest of the students who watched the standoff.
"Megami…what are you doing…?"
"Tenten holds the championship for almost every sport in the school. She even holds the record for most school championships won by a female athlete." Hinata whispered in Megami's ear as she continued to glare.
"Thanks for the facts." Megami grumbled, not taking her eyes off Tenten. "Well, you say you're top dog around here!" Megami called. "Show me what you got!"
Tenten chuckled, raising a brow, "you're serious?"
Megami nodded firmly.
Tenten looked around to the students watching them in the gym, then turned back to Megami and shook her head.
"You work fast princess…but you've got a lot to learn."
Tenten tossed her the ball and Megami swiftly caught it in her left hand with barely any movement.
"Please don't send me to the dungeon or whatever when I whoop your butt, my lady." She smirked and bowed mockingly.
Megami gulped a bit. In her world, she and Tenten were evenly matched in basketball, but it seems as if this world's version of her has no athletic skills whatsoever.
She just hopes that her skills and footwork haven't changed.
"Let's play."
"Try not to cry if you break a nail girlie!" Tenten called out loud as both girls stood in front of each other in the middle of the court.
Megami grimaced, "who am I, Ino?!"
"Excuse me?!" Ino gasped.
Megami rapidly shook her head, "I mean!...t-try not to bruise those…! Actually decently sized breasts." She titled her head and stared down at her chest.
"What the hell?!" Tenten burned red, standing up straight and holding her chest just as a senior boy blew the whistle and tossed the ball up.
Megami jumped up a second before Tenten regained her composure and jumped for the ball.
In midair Megami stuck her tongue out with the ball in her hands.
Tenten growled, chasing her down the court as Megami laughed triumphantly. "You always get so easily distracted Ten!"
"Don't call me that!" Tenten yelled as she jumped in between Megami and the basket. "I don't even know you! And I don't know who you think you are but—"
Megami tossed the ball above her. But swiftly, Tenten jumped and caught the ball, racing to the other side of the court.
"You gotta be quicker than that to beat me red!" she smirked, turned back to her.
"Trust me! I always am!" Megami smirked back.
"What the hell do you mean by always?!"
The students of Gai's class watched in awe as both girls ran back and forth across the court.
Hinata hugged her hands to her chest and fumbled with her glasses as she watched Megami, the closed in princess of Konohagakure whom she had only known for a few hours, take on Tenten, the champion.
"What's going on?"
Hinata froze in place and her cheeks burned red as a familiar face came and stood next to her with his hands in his pockets.
"I've never seen her like this. Yesterday she was reading War and Peace and staring at a wall with the same dead look in her eyes she's had since we were five. But now, she's like a completely different person." Naruto frowned. Hinata did not breathe. He was talking to her (at least she hoped.)
He'd never spoken a word to her, maybe a formal hello whenever their parents and her father hosted or attended a party but never anything casual.
"Has she been like since you've known her Hinata?"
It felt as if her insides were forming icicles and spewing lava in her stomach all at the same time. Then, she said something that made her bite her tongue.
"Y-you know my name…?"
She made the mistake of turned to him, when she did she found his eyes on her, smiling kindly. "Of course I do." He gave a small laugh. "Why wouldn't I know you Hinata? I sure hope you know my name dattebayo!"
Feeling dizzy, Hinata turned and stumbled like a drunk to the exit doors.
Naruto blinked, confused. "Hey…uh, Hinata?"
"E-excuse me…" she said like a church mouse as she weakly stepped out of the room.
Shrugging, Naruto turned back to watch the two girls fight up and down the court. The Megami he saw at the moment, compared to the one he's known, was not shy of a complete stranger. He was determined to know just what in the hell happened to her in the last twenty-four hours.
(^A.H^)
Seven to Seven. A solid tie with five minutes left in sixth period. Megami and Tenten lay draped on the floor in odd positions next to each other, completely burnt out.
"I…gotta admit…" Tenten said breathlessly after a few minutes of heavy, exhausted breathing between them, "I…didn't…expect any of that...no one's ever gotten that close to me…" She smirked. "Let alone a princess…"
"You haven't seen anything yet…" Megami laughed, out of breath. "Told you I was a match…"
"Yeah," Tenten turned to her. In tune Megami turned to her. "But I made the first shot."
Megami rolled her eyes and sat up, completely sweaty as the students of sixth period gym began to exit, talking amongst themselves about the shock they had seen.
"Quick question, red."
"Shoot."
"Are you a lesbian?"
"I'm not too concerned about labels."
"What?"
"What?"
Tenten shook her head and sat up.
"Hey, Sento!"
"Oh geez," Tenten rolled her eyes. Megami looked up as Tenten stood up straight, just as two boys made their way to her.
Megami gasped a bit.
"I heard you were in a one on one game with the princess? And she tied with you? Tell me this is some kind of joke. That girl won't feed herself let alone pick up a basketball." Neji said, his hands in his pockets as Lee stood by him.
Tenten cleared her throat, "Hyuga. That's Megami. Namikaze."
Both Neji and Lee looked down to Megami who sat with her elbows on her knees. She waved a bit, smiling, "What's up."
"And yeah, she did tie with me, but that doesn't mean she beat me." Tenten laughed a bit. "The girl's got some skill after my own dear heart. But, you know whose still top dog around here."
"Yeah, I am." Neji smirked. Tenten rolled her eyes and punched his arm as Lee laughed at the both of them.
Megami perked up, "Hey! Are you two dating?"
Tenten and Neji instantly twisted to her with mixed looks of shock and disgust on their faces.
"You're joking right?" Tenten chuckled.
Megami slumped.
"Me and Hyuga?" she laughed. "Whoa, never in a million years."
"Right, she's like a little brother." He smirked, ruffling her hair. "Or a little student who still has a lot to learn from me."
Tenten turned and glared, whipping his hand off, "Guy has a few more championships than me then suddenly thinks he's God's gift! I'll catch up to you Hyuga!" she snarled. "Matter of fact! Lee's got more leverage than the both of us!"
Neji's eyebrows furrowed as they both turned to Lee who smiled triumphantly. Though all three of them were under Gai's training and watch, Lee always came on top.
Smiling nervously as the three began to bicker about who was the best, Megami snuck away to change and hunt down Hinata.
(^A.H^)
"Great, not one of them is together. What's happened to everyone…" Megami grumbled as she walked down the busy hallway, her head hung and her hands in her sweat pant pockets. She sighed and looked up, scanning the hallway.
"Where the hell did Hinata go—"
"Hey! You!"
Megami jumped back when a smiling Ino suddenly popped up in front of her. She blinked as Ino stood tall and confident with her followers behind her, students avoiding crossing her as they passed by the hallway.
"Ino…" Megami mumbled.
"So, I hear that you're the hogake's daughter." She blew out a breath and tossed her hair back.
"So they tell me…" Megami mumbled to herself. "Yeah." She forced a smile.
"Well if you had said so before I wouldn't have minded that whole confrontation earlier in lunch. I mean, no one walks up to me like that. No one."
Megami's smile curved into an irritated smirk, "really…"
"Sorry, um…princess. I hope I didn't offend you. You're welcome to sit with us at lunch. It's a lot better than hanging out with that Hyuga-loser. If you want a good rep you'd better stick with me, princess or not."
Megami's expression finally formed a frown. She sighed.
"Uh, thanks for the offer, but, I'm gonna have to pass. I don't need your kindness if it's just because I'm royalty. And I don't need you to save my rep." Megami stated firmly.
"What." Ino bit, standing straight and glaring at her. Hinata appeared from behind her locker. Clutching her many books, she slammed it shut and directed her attention to their confrontation.
"And for your information, I like hanging with Hinata. She's a much better person than you are."
Ino burned red, "are you kidding me? You're saying no, to me?"
Megami blew out a breath as she caught Hinata's eyes behind her thick glasses. She began to turn around to walk out the exit doors, following the other students.
"Yeah, I am. Excuse me." Megami smiled as she brushed past Ino who stood frozen. Her followers watched as Megami rushed to catch up to Hinata, then turned back to a still Ino.
"Hey Hinata! Wait up!" Megami called as she caught up to her, just as they stepped out of the doors.
"You're going to regret that…" she mumbled as they walked down the steps. "Ino doesn't tolerate anyone who talks back to her…"
"Ah! She'll be fine!" Megami waved her hand. Trust me. I've seen her in a worse state.
"Did you mean that…?"
Megami blinked as she turned to her. Hinata walked with her head hung. Both girls stopped in the middle of the walkway.
"Did you mean…what you said about…m-me?"
"Course!"
Hinata looked up. Megami smiled brightly at her. "I know it may sound strange coming from someone you barely know! But I really consider you a friend, Hinata!"
Hinata blushed a bit and hung her head, "t-thank you…"
"Yo! New girl!"
Both girls turned to the doors where Tenten, dawned in the soccer uniform jogged over to them.
"Hey, Tenten." Megami waved a bit as she caught up to them.
"I forgot to say back in the gym, I wanna rematch with you at some point." She smirked.
"But we tied." Megami frowned.
"I know. Next time, I'll beat you."
Both Hinata and Megami raised a brow. Megami smirked and nodded.
"Alright Sento, we'll see."
"Awesome." Tenten nodded to her.
"So hey, you guys feel like hanging out?"
Tenten shrugged, "Can't, I've got practice. But I'll see you around Namikaze!"
Megami nodded as Tenten waved to the both of them, jogging off.
"What about you Hinata? You wanna hang out at the palace with me? We could do our homework, watch movies, and Naruto will be there!"
Hinata smiled a bit up until the mention of Naruto. Her cheeks colored and she quickly shook her head.
"I-I have to get home actually! M-maybe a-another time?! Y-yes! Goodbye!" she bowed rapidly three times before running off to her waiting driver by a black car.
Megami slumped as she watched her rush in. she made her way over to the student parking lot where the orange car she had taken in the morning sat waiting.
Just as she pulled out the key, she caught sight of a couple standing across from her car, intimately kissing and embraced.
She joked down bile when Sasuke and Sakura finally stopped locking lips after a few moments. Sakura smiled sweetly as she let go of his hands and walked around to enter his black maserati convertible.
She locked eyes with Sasuke for half a second before she quickly turned around to the sound of a voice calling her name.
"—Gami!"
She twisted around in self defense, only to face a confused and concerned looking Naruto.
She laughed, scratching the back of her head, "Oh! Hey little bro! What's up?!"
"What're you doing with my car?"
"Huh?"
He motioned to the orange Lexus. "My car. This is one of my cars."
"Oh! Uh! I just wanted to borrow it for the day since I don't seem to have any of my own—!"
"—You hate driving."
"—I hope that's okay!"
Naruto stood silent for a few moments, simply staring at Megami as she smiled nervously.
"You're acting really weird today Megami. Just yesterday you were avoiding me and refusing to wear anything but silk. Now, you're actually having a full conversation with me for the first time in months and you're driving."
Megami's expression fell to a serious tone.
"Naruto, listen." She said firmly. "I don't know what happened to our relationship, and I'm not sure what kind of a sister I've been in the last eighteen years, but I know it hasn't been a good one. If it's all the same to you, and if it's not too late, I'd like to start over, because I truly, really, want to be close to you."
"We used to be close Megami, really close." He smiled a bit. "But you're the one who stopped it…I'm not sure what's going on but, if you really want too, we can start over…?"
"Give me a chance, I swear I'll surprise you!"
(^A.H^)
Megami rode back in Naruto's Lexus while he in turn drove back in the orange Camaro he had come to school with.
They stepped into the palace together, Naruto, still visibly uncomfortable.
"My young lord and lady," stated a butler standing by the door. "My lord and lady regret to inform you that they have been called to a meeting, and will return come morning."
"Thanks." They said in unison, surprising each other for a moment.
"Megami! There you are!"
Megami cringed noticeably as Kai walked over to her, his arms wide.
"Oh no…" she grumbled.
"What do you mean 'oh no'?" Naruto whispered.
"I was worried about you!" Kai laughed. "You didn't seem yourself this morning, and your parents told me you've started school? What's gotten into you?"
She slipped out of his way before he kissed her, to his surprise she stood firm, glaring at him.
"Yeah, I have. No, I'm not sick. I just did what I felt like doing. I want to finish high school with Naruto, with people."
Naruto's brows shot up.
Kai laughed nervously, "But I thought we agreed that you would heed to my better judgment. I always believed outside school would not suit you, and you never wanted to anyway. No one of nobility should be subjected to that."
Naruto glared at him. He mentally sighed, anticipating Megami to fall to her knees and heed to his demand.
"Who says I have to listen to you?!"
Both boys paled and the foyer seemed to quiet.
"Listen here!" Megami snarled. "We may be married or whatever but that doesn't mean I take orders from you! So you had better not step over your boundaries mister or so help me I'll throttle you! Megami Uzu—Namikaze, takes shit from no man!"
With a nod and huff, a satisfied Megami walked past a Kai with his mouth agape and Naruto with his eyes nearly pushing out of their sockets, in the foyer.
"And could someone get me a new wardrobe?! Preferably with sweatpants, crewnecks, tank tops, and anything that isn't a traditional dress?!" Megami yelled aloud as she stormed up the steps. "I'm sleeping alone tonight!"
"D-did I do something…?" Kai whispered, shaking.
"I have no idea…" Naruto mumbled.
(^A.H^)
"You shouldn't talk to this world's me like that. You'll regret it."
Megami rolled her eyes as she climbed into bed in one of the rooms down the hall from her and Kai's room. With the moon up in the sky she dawned white silk pajamas and her hair sat up in a bun.
Kai and Sasori leaned on her door, watched as she made herself comfortable.
"Oh please, I'll talk to you the same way I did in our world. It doesn't make a difference. Besides, you're even more of a pansy here then you were before." She smirked.
Kai tsked as Sasori shook his head, "He's right. Though he may be more tolerable he is still your husband and still the same Kai. Though now that he has you he would never consider hurting you, it doesn't mean he won't turn around and be a tyrant."
Kai burned red and turned away, "Who says I'd never hurt her! I don't care about her!"
"Yeah," Megami mumbled. "The beatings, stabbings, and…taking advantage of me made that pretty clear…"
Kai navigated his eyes to her. Without her noticing a pained and saddened expression crossed his face.
"Nonetheless, you should watch what you do and say." Sasori ordered.
When a sudden knock appeared on her door, the boys disappeared.
"Who is it?!" Megami called.
"Megami! I-It's Kai!" his meager voice came from behind the door.
She rolled her eyes.
"Megami! Someone said you're sleeping here tonight! T-that's fine and all but…but, I just want to let you know that if I did anything to offend you I'm truly sorry! If there's anything I can do—"
"I just want to be alone tonight Kai! I'll…" she sighed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow!"
There was silence for a few choice moments before Kai finally spoke up again.
"A-alright! I'll leave you to your space!...I…I love you!"
"Yeah…" Megami said back, nervously. "Me…uh…too!"
Silence rained again.
"Goodnight!" she called.
He said nothing more, but she listened to his footsteps as they faded down the hall.
"Well that was brutal…" she mumbled, turning to her left side to watch the moon shine in her room into the sky.
Her eyes glistened as she stared into the dim light that came through.
"Sasuke…" she whispered.
"I miss you…"
(^A.H^)
"Yo, Gami! You want a ride?"
"Megami, do you want me to drive you to…um…school?"
Megami blinked as her galaxy bag dangled off her shoulder, dressed in red and black plaid skinny jeans, black canvas shoes, and a black sleeveless button up shirt with her hair up in a high ponytail.
She looked between Naruto, who dangled the keys to his Camaro in the air in blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a red sleeveless jacket, and Kai, still wearing his cotton black pajamas, smiling.
"Uh, you know, I think I'm gonna ride with Naruto." Megami smiled confidently, politely rejecting Kai's offer. "He's knows the way better, he's ready and he…asked first.
Kai's smile faltered, "I understand. Please, have a good day."
Megami maneuvered around his kiss once again and quickly walked out with Naruto.
"I don't know what's been going on with you," Naruto smiled as they walked on the walkway towards his waiting car. "But I hope whatever's changed you sticks around. I like this you, dattebayo!"
"Oh trust me, she's sticking around." Megami smiled.
"I've never seen you talk back to Kai like that…" he went on as she stared up to the sky, smiling before stepping into the car.
(^A.H^)
"So I'm gonna guess the tea party is still in order for your birthday?"
"My what?" Megami blinked as they drove towards Konoha Private Academy.
"Your birthday," Naruto spoke again as his eyes remained trained on the road. "You do the same thing every year. But it's your eighteenth. Any expected changes?"
Megami faced front and stared at the road. She remembered Kushina saying something about her generic birthday celebration. Even though she hadn't celebrated her birthday in years this world's version of her's idea of a birthday celebration still sounded like a bore.
"I'm having a party."
Naruto nearly pushed the breaks on the car. He blinked in shock, "Really? You? Party?"
She nodded firmly, "I'm gonna talk to mom and dad about it after school. I want a party with everyone from school. I want a dress, I want to get my hair done, and I want everyone to be drasual."
"Drasual?"
She bit her tongue. Dressy/Casual. A term Ino used to describe casual-formal. Suits, but not complete. Dresses, but short and cute, like homecoming.
"It's a term a friend of mine uses. I'll explain another time."
"No offense sis but…since when do you have friends?"
Before she could answer, he parked in his usual spot in the student parking lot.
"We're here!" she said quickly, as if he couldn't see.
Upon stepping out of the car, she waiting for Naruto to gather himself as she looked around. Once again, her eyes fell on an apparently infamous couple.
She wasn't the only one.
It seemed most eyes (mainly female) fell on the Uchiha and Haruno couple as they walked hand and hand into the building. From where she stood all Megami seemed to see was a mix of awe (directed to Sasuke) and glares (to Sakura)
Even Ino stood by her shiny pink Ferrari with her friends, dressed tight blue skinny jeans, a blue cowl scarf and a black tight long sleeved shirt, glaring and talking trash.
Megami then directed her attention to Hinata, who stumbled with her many books across the courtyard in a faded yellow floor length skirt with a black camisole and red cardigan.
Her outfit really would bring Ino to tears.
An array of light bulbs flashed in Megami's head. With a Chesire Cat smile, she turned to Naruto.
"Hey Naruto, walk me to my first class would you?"
Naruto raised a brow, "Isn't that a boyfriend thing?"
Megami rolled her eyes, "Don't be weird. I don't know where it is, I started school yesterday third period. Please?"
(^A.H^)
"Well, here you are, AP Physics."
"AP Physics huh," Megami chuckled. "Sakura and Gaara must own this class."
"How'd you know Sakura was in this class?" he raised a brow. "And who's Gaara?"
"What do you mean who's—" then it occurred to her. Megami stood, shocked.
Naruto stood in thought for a moment, "You wouldn't mean prince Gaara, would you? That prince kid from Suna we met with mom and dad a couple times?"
"Uh…n-no…" Megami mumbled. "No…I wouldn't…"
"Well then who—"
"Hinata!" Megami suddenly brightened up, turning to her left.
Hinata stood like a deer in headlights once again, dangling three heavy books in her arms. Her glasses slipped off her face when she caught sight of Naruto standing beside Megami. She quickly pushed them back up and shook off the redness on her face.
"Naruto, you know Hinata, right?" Megami smiled deviously, moving over to Hinata who remained stunned.
"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "We've been to the Hyuga manor a few times. Your Neji Hyuga's sister, right?"
"Cousin…" Megami deadpanned.
"Yeah! Right! Cousin!"
Hinata's lips moved a bit, but no words came out. Megami racked her brain.
"Uh…um…hey! These books look heavy Hinata! Don't you think you should have someone 'strong' carry them for you?" she said obviously, shifting her eyes to Naruto repeatedly.
Naruto smiled, "Yeah those do look heavy!"
Hinata made an incoherent noise.
"Want me to carry those in for you?"
When Hinata did not respond, Naruto took a step forward. She took a step back. He took another step forward. She took two steps back.
"T-that's alright! I can c-carry them!" she yelled quickly, hunching over.
"Hinata…" Megami frowned.
"Are you sure? You look like your about to fall," Naruto assured. "It's no trouble!"
"N-no! P-please it's alright—" she said quickly as she backed up. "M-my c-class is r-right there! Yy-you d-don't h-h-have too—!"
"Hinata watch out!" Megami yelled.
Hinata made a loud 'eep' sort of noise as she backed up straight into a waiting large trash can. Her books, papers, and bag fell from her hands and onto the floor as her legs up to her knees dangled out of the can.
Megami shot glares to the surrounding laughter of students passing and those who stopped to watch. Before she could move forward, Naruto stepped up and helped her out.
"Are you okay, Hinata?" he half-smiled.
She rubbed her head as he held her left hand, helping her out. He removed a banana peel and a few papers stuck to her clothing before she realized he was the one touching her.
She gasped and took a few steps back, gum in her hair and a couple small milkshake stains on her camisole. She looked around at the laughing students.
"Look," one of Ino's followers called aloud. "She's so pathetic, it's so obvious she likes him!"
"Like he'd ever go for her!"
"What a freaking loser!"
Megami burned red with rage and clenched her fists with the urge to punch their lights out.
Both Hinata and Naruto heard the girls, Hinata looked up to him for a moment, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Wait…" he chuckled a bit. "Do you…do you like—"
Quickly, Hinata bent down and gathered her things in a mess. Without looking at him she turned around and ran down the hall, just as the bell to get to class rang.
"Wait!" he called, confused. "Hinata! It's okay!"
Megami held her hands in her face.
"No no no…this is so wrong…"
(^A.H^)
"Hinata! Hinata!" Megami called for umpteenth time, flustered as she walked the hallways. She'd checked every bathroom in the building, but Hinata was nowhere to be found.
Skipping first period, she'd gone in search for her after the disaster that had occurred half an hour before. Worry and guilt caked Megami's face.
She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she walked an empty hallway, with the left side completely ceiling to floor windows all the way down, showing a few of a courtyard in the middle of the building.
"If this is what you assholes meant by messing with this place it's not funny!" she yelled out to Sasori and Kai. "Don't think you've got me beat yet!"
She sighed, breathless as she looked out the courtyard, staring at it for a moment as the sun shined on the one large tree, circled by large rocks. A bench sat out as well. As the wind blew the trees, she found herself distracted by the thought of home, and what the Alpha and Omega she was familiar with could be up too.
"I wonder…" she whispered. "Do they even know I'm gone…?"
A chill went down her spine as she finally heard footsteps close behind her.
Turning around, the chill grew deeper as she found herself face to face with the person who held her heart.
Her eyes widened as he stood facing her, his hands in his pockets.
As the wind blew the tree once again, her long red hair seemed to blow with it.
"Sasuke…"
(^A.H^)
He raised a brow a few moments after she said his name.
"Princess Namikaze…"
She smiled a bit, though confused by the formal greeting, "Sasuke! It's me! Megami!"
His eyes seemed to darken, "I know who you are…"
"Oh I'm so glad I finally get to talk to you! Things are so weird around here!"
"Public school can be like that."
She resisted the urge to run up and hug him, "It's really good to see you, I've missed you so much."
A chill ran down her spine when he glared at her, "Since when? That's a bit random to say to someone you haven't talked to in thirteen years.
Thirteen years?
"What?" Megami laughed nervously. "What are you talking about…? Aren't we…at least…friends…I mean I know you're dating Sakura—"
"That's none of your business. And no, we aren't friends. I don't know where your head is right now but you made that pretty clear a long time ago."
"Sasuke…" her eyes glistened.
He tsked, "I'm not comfortable talking to you. I'm leaving…Naruto did saw you were behaving odd."
Megami hung her head as he began to pass by her.
"Whatever act your putting up right now, just cut it out, it's damned annoying. You know what kind of person you've been all these years, don't try to pretend as if you're…" he growled. "Human."
Megami listened as his footsteps went off, leaving her in the dust as a single tear fell down her right eye.
(^A.H^)
"There you are! I've been looking for you since first period!" Megami whined as she sat down across a clean Hinata at an empty table halfway through lunch time.
Hinata looked up and sighed, "I…I was hiding in a freshman science room upstairs…"
"But why?" Megami frowned.
Hinata hung her head, "Megami…I…I-I appreciate what you tried to do but…I can't…" she clutched her skirt with both hands. "I just can't be around Naruto-kun without freezing up or saying something stupid…I get scared, and he makes me so nervous I just…people don't make it an easier—"
"Don't listen to what those dumb girls said! They don't know anything!" Megami said firmly over the buzz of the lunchroom.
Hinata smiled sadly, "No…but they're right…I do like Naruto-kun…I like him so much I…I think I may even love him…but…" she shook her head rapidly. "He'd n-never go for…or notice someone like me…that's why I'm pathetic for even thinking so…"
"Don't you ever say that!"
Hinata looked up, her eyes glistening.
"Hinata you're smart, pretty, and an amazing person who deserves everything! But you only know half of yourself!" Megami said firmly. "I'm going to show you that you should never think low of yourself because of where you come from or what you look like or who you are inside! You —someone…someone dear to me once said that!
Hinata smiled sadly, "Thank you for the compliments Megami…but you don't know me…you don't have to be nice…"
Megami sighed, it would take a lot longer to build her confidence than it did in middle school, seeing as years without the girls made Hinata vulnerable.
"Hey red!"
Hinata and Megami looked up as Tenten, in knee length basketball shorts and a white loose tee with a blue baseball cap, made her way over from the table filled with the soccer team, including Neji and Lee, the boys, playing with their food.
She took a string of noodles out of her hair as she sat down next to Megami.
"Hey Tenten," Megami half-smiled.
"Hey," Tenten nodded and smiled to Hinata who nodded a bit to her.
"So I was over with the guys and Hyuga and I were talking about your performance yesterday, you sure put on a show!" she laughed and slapped Megami on the back, to her shock. "You'd sure make a pretty good addition to the girl's basketball team!"
Megami sighed, "Oh I don't know Tenten, I—"
"Hey!"
Tenten and Megami turned around as Hinata looked up to the sound of a familiar voice.
"Oh no…" Hinata dropped her head.
"Hey Naruto," Megami said casually as he nodded to them.
"Hey, Hinata," he looked over to her. "I just came over to make sure you were alright, I haven't seen you all day!"
"I-I'm…okay…" the three barely heard her as she led out a meager response.
"I hope I didn't upset you or anyth—"
"NARUTO!"
All four students jumped at the sound of a raging voice.
Naruto gulped, quickly attempting to hide behind Megami's hair as the girls looked up to the girl who stood in front of the table.
With her hands on her hips, the young girl with pink hair stood in a sky blue layered mid-thigh skirt with a royal blue off the shoulder top. She sported short heeled open toed black shoe, a handmade pink friendship bracelet on her left wrist, and to Megami's shock: The Silver Uchiha necklace.
"You idiot!" Sakura yelled. "You were supposed to meet Sasuke and me in the library after fourth period!"
"I-I'm sorry Sakura! I needed to see someone first! I-I was going to show up! Honest!"
"Yeah right! You'd better move your butt to the library because it isn't our fault you're failing Calculus! You wanted the help! You're not bailing now!"
"That necklace…" Megami whispered.
Sakura blinked, upon realizing and noticing the three other people.
"Oh, hi." She blushed a bit, "sorry about that!" she laughed and scratched the back of her head. "If I don't reprimand him, who will, right?"
Her words fell on Megami's deaf ears as she continued to stare at the necklace.
"My name's Sakura Haruno! You're the princess, Naruto's sister Megami, right?"
Megami finally blinked and looked back up to her smiling face.
"Uh, y-yeah." She finally spoke. "You can call me Megami. Nice to meet yeah."
"Yo, name's Tenten, you're the chick dating Uchiha, right?" Tenten said aloud.
Sakura shrugged nervously, "That's pretty much what I'm known by around here. You're not too hard to recognize, you're the Female Champion."
"That's me!" Tenten said proudly.
Sakura smiled and turned her attention to meek looking Hinata.
"I don't think I know you, sorry."
She hung her head lower.
"Um…m-my name is—"
Hinata's introduction was cut short as an empty carton of milk collided with the back of her head.
"Hey! Condiment girl!"
Naruto stood up and the rest of the girls eyed the girls standing behind Hinata who had frozen.
Ino smirked as she sat turning around in her seat, her legs crossed with her followers sitting around her.
"She does look like condiments doesn't she?" one of the girls snickered. "Wearing red and yellow together, who does that?"
"I heard you like digging around in the garbage. Now that's just no way to get Naruto's attention!" she laughed. "Like he'd ever look your way!"
"Will you just cut it out Ino?" Naruto yelled, angry.
"Oh! I didn't see you there! Hi Naruto!" Ino called sweetly. "What are you doing with those losers, come hang out with us!"
"Like he would ever." Sakura snarled.
Ino narrowed her eyes when she directed her attention to Sakura. The two seemed to have a stare down.
"Forehead."
"Pig."
Their insults for each other no longer held their affectionate demeanor.
Ino huffed and tossed her hair back as the girls tossed a couple more items of garbage at Hinata then laughed.
"Stay out of my business Haruno, why don't you go run to Sasuke-kun like you always do? Without him you wouldn't be anything any way."
Sakura bit her bottom lip and glared.
"Ino!" Tenten yelled. "Would you shut your mouth?"
Ino scoffed, "Oh look, it's the tomboy. You know the only reason you hang around those guys and act like one yourself is because you know they would never go for you if you even attempted to act like a real girl."
Tenten grinded her teeth and clenched her fists.
"Which brings me right back to my little trash-girl." She smirked as she directed over to Hinata. "If I've said it once I'll say it again. You're nothing but a—"
In that moment, the entire lunch room saw nothing but red. They gasped and watched in horror as Megami, who they had barely seen get up, beat the life out of two of Ino's followers.
The others stood up and ran, screaming as she punched and kicked two repeatedly. Ino watched in shock and horror as she tossed them aside. The girls coughed, one even a little blood, and collapsed.
Megami, with fury and a blood lust written in her eyes and face, turned to Ino who backed up into her table. She shielded her face and shook as Megami raised her fist, ignoring Tenten, Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata's screams for her to stop.
Just as her fist began to fall down, it stopped an inch from Ino's shielding and shaking face.
Breathing heavily, Megami stood frozen as she watched a scared and vulnerable Ino.
Flashes of a smiling fashionista ran through her mind. Images of annoying dress up moments for all the girls and Ino's happiness when an outfit turned out just the way she wanted it too, and her also annoying whining when someone's outfit wasn't up to par.
She couldn't do it.
She couldn't hit her.
It didn't matter that this was a different Ino, one of a different reality.
She was still her best friend. A best friend she would never lay a hand on in brute, unbridled, malicious, anger (unless there was love behind it.)
Megami dropped her hand and stood up straight, breathing heavily, she wiped a little bit of a girl's blood off her cheek.
She turned around in the dead silence of the lunchroom and walked out, just as the bell rang.
(^A.H^)
"Holy shit! That was insane!"
Megami sighed as Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and Naruto caught up to her.
Tenten waved her hands wildly as she imitated Megami's punching.
"Damn red! I didn't know you had that in you!"
"Me either…" Naruto mumbled.
"Did you go through some kind of like, princess boot camp or something?" Tenten laughed. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
Megami smiled weakly.
You taught me.
"You shouldn't have done that."
The four looked up to Sakura. She half-smiled.
"While I admire what you did and think that it's cool to come to our defenses like that, you shouldn't use your fists to solve problems. Princess or not, you're going to have to face the principal."
Megami sighed.
Yeah. Sounds exactly like something the real Sakura would say.
Then she'd turn right back around and use her fists more viciously than the rest of us.
"Yeah…probably…"
"Hey I gotta run! But we should totally hang out today red!" Tenten winked as she turned back around.
"Yeah sure, I'll see you sixth period." Megami smiled.
Tenten nodded as she rushed back to a waiting Neji and Lee.
"Well—" Sakura said as she stopped, issuing a stop from Megami who noticed Naruto and Hinata had stopped a couple feet behind them.
Both girls looked up. Megami kept a blank expression as Sasuke stood waiting in black jeans and a dark blue button down shirt, a few feet ahead of them.
"I've gotta run, but I'll see you around, Megami! It was great finally meeting you!" Sakura beamed.
Megami stared down to the sparkling Uchiha necklace.
"Yeah…you too."
She watched as Sakura waved as she jogged over to Sasuke, to whom she swiftly kissed. When they released, both Sasuke and Megami's eyes met.
"You sure you're alright?" she heard Naruto say behind her.
"Y-yes…t-thank you…Naruto…I'll be f-fine…"
"Let me know if she bothers you again, alright? I'll be here for you!" Naruto said confidently.
Megami could practically sense Hinata blushing.
"A-alright…"
Megami did not turn as Naruto brushed past her. Her eyes remained trained with Sasuke's as he caught up to the both of them. Finally, he turned away.
Megami watched in envy as Naruto nodded to her, then turned around, the three of them, walking together.
(^A.H^)
Megami sighed as she rocked her feet back and forth, seated on a bench in the girl's locker room, the only one left to change.
"You do realize this is the girl's locker room, right?" She blew out, staring at the lockers.
"Well, we're dead. So it's not like we're perverting." Kai rolled his eyes as the two of them appeared behind her, leaning on the lockers.
"Dead or not, it's still weird."
"You seem down." Sasori said. "What's the matter?"
"I can't figure out why Sasuke hates me." She said dully as she rocked her feet. "What did I do to make him so cold? And why's he dating Sakura? She's wearing the necklace…my necklace. If Gaara were here—"
"It wouldn't matter if he were he," Sasori began. "Because they still wouldn't know each other. Sakura and Gaara, like the rest of you, found each other with the entire group. Without Omega, Gaara has, and had, no one."
"I don't understand." Megami frowned as she turned around. "Please, explain. What went wrong? Why is everyone the way they are?"
Sasori sighed and Kai leaned farther into the lockers.
"I'll start from the beginning. So, as you can see, your parents never died. That means they never got in that accident with Sasuke's family the night of your birthday. That means you never left, and you were forced to follow your grandfather's law. Ergo, marry someone of his choosing."
"Aka, me." Kai said.
"Seeing as your parents never died, Sasuke's parents weren't too devastated to go on their trip. They're plane crashed."
"Oh my gosh…" Megami whispered.
"Itachi and Sasuke were broken. Madara took them in and sent Itachi to military school before he could meet Midori. So, they never met. Sasuke, alone with Madara, became a shell of himself. For a while he tried to take comfort in you and Naruto, but you had just been taken under your grandfather's wing. He changed your views, your personality, and even your tastes in things when he took you from your parents. You left without saying a word to Sasuke. Naruto, being younger, was allowed to stay. But you had to begin training as the first crown child. Your grandfather tried to put the same training on Naruto, but it didn't work. With your parents, he became too good of a person. Nothing broke him."
"The next time you saw Sasuke was a few years later. When you left he was in a bad state, but he needed you. With you gone, leaving him, as if you'd never had a relationship, he developed a hate for you, the same which he would develop for Itachi. When you came back, you didn't speak and you yourself closed yourself off from people."
"What happened to Itachi?! Where is he now?"
Kai blew out a breath, "After military school he enlisted when he was eighteen. He died in battle last year."
Megami's eyes glistened.
"Seeing as the man who attacked you when you were homeless never found his way to Tenten's house, she was never raped. Her parents continued to ignore her and without you, she didn't meet or interact with Sakura, Ino, or Hinata. She hung around boys mainly in middle school and joined every sport so she could belong somewhere. Without Ino, she didn't have anyone to add a 'girl touch' to her. The same goes for Hinata. Without you guys around she was never able to gain the confidence to make friends and never made friends in general. With a neglectful parenthood and her mother gone, she was alone. Without Ino, or any other female influence, she took up her own dressing style and made her studies her main priority."
"Sakura and Ino were friends in elementary school." Kai continued. "And continued for a while into the sixth grade. But, after some time they began to grow apart. When Ame schools closed down because of lack of funding, due to no one being able to provide it, seeing as you girls never participated in it to win the money every year, most kids were transferred to Konoha schools or others. There, as you may guess, a lot of girls took an interest in Sasuke. Their mutual infatuation with him is what broke Sakura and Ino apart completely. Ino, who was second to Meki, who attended a different school, moved up the ranks in Konoha middle school and pretty soon took Meki's place. With no one around to make her feel like she wasn't inferior because of her dyslexia, Ino grew to hate a lot of things and a lot of people, and never wanted anyone to feel like they were better than her, which is why she's the way she is now. Sakura developed her own circle of friends but eventually would befriend Naruto and Sasuke, and eventually would begin a relationship with Sasuke, other reason why she and Ino dislike each other so much."
"With the student exchange program never put to order by your grandfather, who put more focus on the royal family, Gaara and Neji never transferred to Konoha schools. Neji went to a private academy until the eighth grade, then transferred freshman year. Gaara stayed in Suna, so Omega never formed. Sasuke and Naruto remained friends, while Shikamaru stayed friends with Choji and befriended Kiba and Shino later on in high school. Everything is your life is wrapped around in the event that one or more things did or didn't happen. Your parents death began that. Everyone you know that has died, is well and living, including me and the rest of the guys. All the situations you and the girls found themselves in, never happened. No one knows what Omega is and no one knows what Alpha is. There is no Alpha and Omega."
Megami struggled to keep herself balanced on the bench. The realization of everything that had occurred and didn't occur because she got to have her parents finally settled in.
"Then…then I'll change it!"
"What?" Kai and Sasori said in unison.
Megami stood up firmly. "I'm going to show you guys that there can still be, at the very least, an Alpha in this world, no matter what it takes! And I'm going to fix our relationships and put them where they belong!"
"Megami, you don't know what you're saying." Sasori narrowed his eyes. "You can't mess with this world's order. You'll only end up getting hurt and hurting everyone else."
Megami huffed and turned away, walked out of the locker room in uniform.
"You'll see! I'll show you things can be just as they were!"
(^A.H^)
"Wow, I can't believe I actually get to see the palace. I think I went one time for a field trip in the second grade, but this is cool!" Tenten laughed as she, Megami, and Hinata walked though the courtyard with other students in the end of the day.
"Are you sure it's alright?" Hinata asked meagerly.
"Of course!" Megami said, her hands behind her head as they headed for Tenten's truck. "The old place could use some excitement! My parents won't care if I have a couple friends over! But are you sure it's okay for you to skip practice, Tenten?"
Tenten waved her hand off nonchalantly, "Don't worry about it, one miss won't kill me. Neji'll cover for me for sure!"
"If you say so," Megami nodded as she and Hinata climbed into her dark green ford pickup. Megami in the passenger seat to give directions.
"Didn't you ride with your brother today?" Tenten asked as she stared her car. Megami looked over to where Naruto had parked his car.
"I already told him he can head home without me. I'm sure I'll see him there. Come on, there's a bag of M&M's in the pantry calling my name."
(^A.H^)
"Hey you got whip cream in my hair!"
"Well then don't put too much sugar in the—hey! Hinata! Those are my cheetos!"
"Lay off Ten!" Megami laughed and yelled as she tossed flour in her face. Hinata, with cheetos stuffed in her mouth, laughed and pointed at Tenten as Megami tried to wipe the whip cream from her hair.
"Ugh! I'm gonna get you Namikaze!" she yelled, chasing her around the mess that had become the large kitchen island.
I Love Rock n' Roll blasted from the kitchen all the way to the second floor as the three girls sat in the messy, junk food filled kitchen. After a half assed attempt to make cookies, the girls ended up with sugar and candy covered cookie dough and piles of junk food from the various pantries in the house.
The girls were practically drunk on sugar and coke.
Hinata laughed, sitting cross legged on top of the island as Tenten tackled Megami to the ground in a mess of flower and broken chips. For the first time, she did not care how she was behaving. For the last couple hours, she had been having more fun than in all her life.
"Well," Minato said as he and Kushina watched from across the room in the living room as they had been. "At least she's made friends."
"Is that really our daughter or am I aging faster than I thought?" Kushina said, holding her head.
The girls laughed as they stood up. Megami danced in her lose blue Number 14 jersey with jean shorts as We Will Rock You came on. Hinata rocked her head with her hand in a bag of Cheetos as she, without her realization, sat in Naruto's white t-shirt (which was two sizes too big for her) with RAMEN KING across the chest in bright orange letters, along with light blue short shorts, her glasses tossed aside.
Tenten rocked her head and chugged a two liter, swaying her hips in her own red tank top and knee length gray sweatpants.
"What the hell?!"
The girls seized their actions and directed their attention to the doorless kitchen exit and entrance.
Naruto blinked as he stood in his school clothes, his backpack slung behind his left shoulder behind. On his left stood Sasuke, his hands in his pockets as he dully looked at the girls.
Sakura pushed past Naruto and walked into the messy kitchen.
"Whoa, what happened here?"
"Hey little bro, you're back late." Megami laughed as she scratched the back of her head. "We were just making a little snack."
The girls giggled, knowing their little snack had turned into Hell's Kitchen.
Naruto navigated his attention to Hinata who nervously rocked her legs back forth on the kitchen island.
"Is that my shirt?"
Hinata shot her head up, her eyes widened. she shot her head to a laughing Megami.
"Y-you told me this was yours!"
"Hey! Don't worry about it!" Naruto laughed. "It looks good on you."
Tenten caught Hinata as she fell backwards, but thankfully, remained conscious.
"We're done here," Megami said as she gathered junk food. "If you needed to use the kitchen, we're going to head to my room."
"Mind if I join you?"
They turned to Sakura in surprise. She smiled with her hands behind her back. "I could use a break from this dorks, I'm sure they're just gonna want to play video games and talk about celebrity girls they'll never get."
"Hey!" Naruto yelled from behind her.
"Sure! The more the merrier!" Megami beamed.
Sakura's smile brightened with a hint of surprise. She nodded as the girls began to make their way out of the kitchen. Naruto and Sasuke moved out of the way to let them out.
"Bring whatever you want with you, there's plenty of nonsense in the pantry!" Megami said as they stood outside the kitchen.
They waited as Sakura gathered a few choice items of food. She quickly rushed out of the kitchen, stopping to kiss Sasuke, then ran laughing with the girls up the stairs.
"Oh! Wait! One second guys!"
The girls stopped on the stairs as Megami ran back towards the living room where her parents sat, relaxing in.
"She's so weird…" Naruto mumbled. Sasuke, staring as she ran in, said nothing.
"Mom! Dad!"
They turned to her in surprise.
"Remember when I got home, how I told you how I wanted a birthday party?"
"Yes, we're fully willing to put a party together for you sweetheart." Minato smiled.
"Speaking of it, I have a few requests and specifics I want to talk to you about. Also, there's a certain person I would like to invite. If they can get here by tomorrow and stay until the end of the party, I'd really like that."
"Sure honey," Kushina said. "Who?"
Megami smiled.
(^A.H^)
Megami stared at the magazine headline. Her face remained blank as she examined it and the text around it, including the front picture of the smiling girl, shyly looking at the camera with her curly white hair, standing next to an unfamiliar man.
HEIRESS MIDORI SUNDAKO TO BE MARRIED TO WEALTHY BANK CEO IMORA SUZUNO THIS SUMMER
"Itachi…" she whispered as the girls talked around her as they sun had just set, seated on her bed in a mess of empty bags of junk food. "That should be you…"
"—Yes well, it's isn't as if Neji really likes me, or much of the family that is. That's why we never interact." Hinata smiled sadly, her glasses back and her hair tied once again. Though, she couldn't bring herself to take off Naruto's shirt, at least for a little while longer.
"I always thought it was weird," Tenten said, her hand in a bag of chips. "But I never asked Hyuga about it because it's not really my place. We just don't have that kind of relationship. I mean we're teammates but, it's not like I can talk to him about personal stuff."
Megami set down the magazine as Sakura turned to her, "What about you Megami? It must be exciting to be married young. Are you close with Kai?"
"Ugh, I hate him."
The girls blinked and Megami bit her lips at her bad choice of words. She hated her world's Kai. She was so supposed to (at the very least) tolerate this world's version.
"I-I mean, I don't necessarily hate him. He's a nice guy and everything but you know, arranged marriage and all."
"That's right." Hinata smiled sadly. "You were forced to marry him…a lot of people are still condemned to the law…"
"What a dumb law," Tenten huffed.
"But is he easy to talk to?" Sakura asked.
Megami shrugged, because she really didn't know the relationship she had with this world's Kai (which she was beginning to find more annoying than the original.)
"What about you and Sasuke?" Megami asked casually.
Sakura sighed and leaned against Megami's pillows.
"It's…complicated. Sometimes we can have a completely comfortable relationship, sometimes I don't even know who he is. But, I can't blame him. His brother just died last year. Although, it isn't much of a change from the person I've always seen him to be. Sasuke's had a hard life. It may not be obvious what with the wealth and all of the Uchiha family and he being the nephew of the police chief, but he's still, in a word…lost."
Megami clutched her sheets and looked down.
"You know, it's actually been really nice talking to you guys." Sakura half-smiled. "Because I go out with Sasuke, I can't really make any girl friends. No one really likes me because I'm dating him and when I try to talk to people who don't care, they still won't speak to me because others lead them away. It sucks but, I still have Naruto and Sasuke at least…" she shrugged.
Tenten laughed, "I know what it's like to be stuck with guy friends. I've never really been much for girl things so I couldn't make girl friends, and even with girls who liked and acted the same way I did, it was hard, because it always seemed like I was just a guys guy."
"At least you've had friends in the first place." Hinata giggled, then fell into a sat smile. "I've never been able to bring myself to talk to people…I'm too shy…Megami's the first person to directly make an attempt to be my friend, instead of bullying me…"
"You like Naruto, right?"
This time Hinata did not freeze, or even blush as she stared at the moon pushing into Megami's windows.
"I'm in love with him. I've been in love with him for as long as I can remember."
She sighed, "but please don't tell him!"
"Like I would ever!" Sakura laughed. "But he's a really good guy. Stupid. But a good guy."
Hinata smiled.
Megami smiled softly as she watched the girls talk and interact. Finally, they were finally starting to look like the real Alpha. They just needed a few changes.
And an added member.
"Hey! I have an idea! Why don't we give each other makeovers! I've always wanted to do that with some girl friends!"
Tenten rapidly shook her head, "Oh no no no, there's no way, I don't mess with makeup."
"I-I don't know…" Hinata whispered.
Megami frowned. A makeover might do some good for Hinata's confidence and Tenten's female confidence. Plus, Sakura could use the female companionship.
Suddenly, a light bulb popped in her head.
"Hey! You know what! That is a pretty good idea!"
"Really?" Sakura smiled.
"Really?" Hinata and Tenten said in unison, grimacing.
"Yeah! But I wanna upgrade it! I want you guys to meet me back at the palace tomorrow at five a.m.!"
"Five a.m.?" Sakura frowned.
"Why?" Hinata asked.
"You'll see! Just make sure you get some sleep and come in sweats! I think I've got a big morning planned!"
(^A.H^)
"A party?"
"Yes my young lord. At the request of the princess of Konohagakure, you have been invited to her eighteenth birthday party."
"She…she invited me?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Why…why would she want too…I don't even know her…"
"My lord?"
He looked up from his study table and turned to the young servant holding the white envelope with red curly script writing on it.
"When?"
"Saturday, m'lord. But the princess has asked that you join her at her palace tomorrow and through the weekend."
"But…I don't understand…why?"
"She would like to 'spend some time with you' as she stated, m'lord."
He looked back down to his papers. His study table light shined on assorted papers as he ran a hand through his red hair.
"Fine…pack…pack some things and ready a driver for me…we'll…leave by dawn…"
(^A.H^)
Sakura yawned loudly and Hinata rapidly rubbed her eyes. Tenten stood awake and firm as Megami led the girls down a hall in the darkness of early morning. The girls, dressed in sweats as Megami had ordered.
"How are you not exhausted? I went to sleep at nine and I still feel dead." Sakura yawned as she and Hinata turned to Tenten.
"I'm always up at four a.m. to practice or go running every morning." She smirked. "This is nothing."
"Where are we going Megami?" Hinata called.
Suddenly, Megami stopped in front of two large double doors. She turned to the girls with a devious smile on her face.
She leaned on the doors.
"Ladies, we all agree we could use a little girl time. Now I'm no expert on fashion or makeup…" Though I know one person who is.
She pushed the doors opened. A bright light shined from inside. The girls stepped next to Megami who smiled. They gawked as they stared inside.
"But these guys are!"
They looked into a pink room decked in two rows of styling chairs and shiny glass mirrors. In the back sat a walk in closet filled with brand new outfits complete with shoes and accessories.
Bright dressing room lights hung on the mirrors and the ceiling, along with a glassy chandelier.
Standing on each side of the row of styling were ten stylists, men and women alike. Five for each of the girls. They stood in pink and white uniforms. Four held a towel and a white robe in their hands.
"This is the palace's makeup and fashion crew. There always around for parties and they're my mom and her friends personal spa day. On the other side of the walk in closet is a sauna and a bathhouse. Massages, a ballet studio, and a facial studio are also around." Megami explained.
"Wow!" Sakura said in awe.
"There's a lot of pink in here." Tenten mumbled nervously.
"M-Megami, is this for us?" Hinata gasped.
Megami nodded firmly.
"I know we only have three hours until school, but I thought we could use the girl's day. Or at least, girl's morning."
"My lady." A burly man came and bowed down to her, smiling.
"This is Tono, he's head of his department."
"Ladies, we have a great morning planned for you." He said, a hint of his own excitement.
"Your mother has laid out a fine schedule for you ladies today that will get you to school just in time. First, we'll have you soak in the sauna a bit to help your pores, then we move onto massages. Then we'll do seaweed face masks and mani pedi's. From there we move onto, hair, makeup, then finally, your outfit for the day!"
"Can we do this every morning?!" Sakura yelled, excited.
"This is definitely a change from my morning run…" Tenten mumbled.
"I'm not much of a morning person myself, but we can do this again before my party." Megami smiled nervously. "Come on, we don't have much time until school!"
The girl's (even Tenten) giggled as they collected their towel and rushed down the long, large room.
(^A.H^)
Naruto parked his car in his normal spot and stepped out in a state of confusion. He hadn't seen Megami that morning.
When he asked Kai he just brushed him off and stated he hadn't seen Megami in a while, under her own requests.
Naruto shrugged, assuming she would just arrive on her own.
"Have you seen Sakura?"
He turned around to where Sasuke stood, his hands in his cargo pant pockets. "She said she'd get to school on her own today, but I haven't seen her yet. I tried to call her cell phone a few times but she hasn't picked up."
"That's weird," Naruto frowned. "I haven't seen Megami around earlier dattebayo."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "I couldn't care less about her." He said as both boys walked onto the courtyard.
Naruto shot his head to Sasuke after glancing around. Though, he said nothing. He knew full well his opinion of Megami.
A sudden loud honk alerted both senior boys and most if not all of the students standing outside as they arrived for school and waited for classes to begin.
They watched as a shiny white Lexus (the exact same kind Naruto had) pulled into the student parking lot. Many students moved out of the way of the fast car as it quickly parked in the space next to Naruto's camaro.
What came out, shocked everyone.
First, Megami stepped out. Her blue eyes glistened with soft, very light blue eye shadow. Red lipstick brightened her smile as she strutted out in a bright yellow loose one shoulder top with a long necklace made of an array of black diamonds. Tight navy blue skinny jeans covered her legs and led down to shiny black strappy high heels. Her hair sat in a high ponytail with tight curls to her mid-shoulders, just above her elbows, with her curled bangs out, but to the side.
Sakura stepped out after her from the passenger seat, her straight pink hair made wavy with pink eye shadow and hot pink lipstick as she walked out in a tight red mini skirt with a loose pink blouse and black tights. Diamond earrings and a silver wrist watch sat on her right hand. Bright red high open-toed wedge heels sat on her pink painted feet.
Tenten stepped from behind Sakura, standing in tight black waist high skinny pants with a black long sleeve mesh shirt crop top with a pure black breast cover made into the mesh shirt. Black high heel ankle length combat boots covered her feet, while black smoky eye shadow and red lipstick sat on her face, and her brown hair was pulled into high updo bun with dark green hoops.
Finally, came Hinata.
Her white ankle strap platform high heels led up to her waist high royal blue knee length bandage skirt. That led up to a tight, figure hugging elbow length white crop top that touched, but did not go over, her skirt. Her dark hair lay curled and fixated over her right shoulder. Soft pink lipstick touched her lips, while her curled lashes and soft blue eye shadow sat above her now visible, with no glasses apparent, lavender eyes.
The girls laughed as they each took their bags. Tenten's a green shoulder bag, Sakura a pink tote, Megami a red satchel, and Hinata a blue saddle.
"What…in the hell…" Naruto gaped, along with every other student that stopped to stare at the unfamiliar girls.
Many shocked members of individual sports teams stared at the unrecognizable Tenten. Most others, aware of the Hyuga heiress, were completely caught in a loop. Including, and especially, Ino Yamanaka.
"E-everyone's staring…" Hinata whispered as the girls began walking together.
"I can't breathe in these pants." Tenten groaned, used to sweats and shorts.
Megami's goal was not to catch the schools attention, but to bring out the girls she knew was hidden inside them. They could still be themselves, but she knew (for one) Ino would want them to appreciate their beauty and ability to be 'fabulous' at the same time.
And as an added factor, she wanted to catch Ino's attention.
"I feel amazing, thanks so much for this morning Megami!" Sakura beamed happily.
"Yeah, the dressing up was my favorite part." Megami giggled. "I didn't know you had boobs Hinata!"
She quickly burned red and covered her rather large chest, "T-that's not funny!"
The girls laughed as Tenten stumbled for a moment in her heels, then quickly caught herself. "Who knew makeup and girly stuff like that could actually be entertaining. I always thought that stuff was just a waste of time! But it was fun!"
Megami smiled, "glad you liked it!"
"Yeah," Sakura said, "You seemed to like your seaweed facial the most, you didn't have to eat it when we were done!"
"Hey! The dude said it was all natural! At least I didn't eat the one on my face!"
"Yes you did." Megami and Sakura said in unison.
Tenten gave a tooth filled smile, "only a little."
The girls laughed, including Hinata, who still tried to get used to walking in heels.
"Thanks again for the contacts Megami, but I don't know if I can get used to them." She smiled shyly.
"No problem!"
"My face feels heavy!" Tenten whined.
"Oh will you relax, they barely put any makeup!" Sakura reassured.
"What do you mean barely?!" Tenten shot back.
Megami laughed. She laughed as if she were standing with Alpha at Konoha high, walking to school to the building to meet their counterparts, Omega.
"Wow. You girls sure look different!"
The girls stopped and turned around. Naruto stood smiling brightly with Sasuke but a few feet behind him.
"N-Naruto…" Hinata whispered, quickly looking down to herself.
"Hey guys!" Sakura said as she walked over to Sasuke, her heels clacking as she gave him a morning kiss.
"How do I look Sasuke? I spent the morning with the girls in Megami's mom's styling studio, it was so much fun!" she giggled.
He smirked, "you look great…I'm glad you had fun…"
Megami turned away from as Naruto 'wow'd' again.
"Tenten, I've never seen you in girl stuff before, it's kinda trippy!"
"I'm getting used to it too." She rolled her eyes.
He directed his attention to Hinata, who shied away.
"You sure look pretty Hinata!"
She burned red as he stepped up to her, his hands in his pockets.
"T-thank you…Naruto-kun…"
"But where are your glasses?" he frowned.
"Oh! Uh…" she turned and dug around in her purse, finally pulling out black thick lensed hipster glasses. "I-I uh, M-Megami got me new ones, b-but I'm wearing contacts now."
"Hm, you kinda don't look like you without your glasses!"
She froze as he took them, brushing against her hand. He put them on her then smiled cheekily.
"There! That's the Hinata I know!"
The redness never left her cheeks as she slipped the glasses off, "s-so…I don't look…okay w-without them…?"
"What do you mean? You look good no matter what you wear!"
"Okay, we better get her in before she goes into shock." Megami mumbled.
"Agreed." Tenten nodded.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata said barely incoherently as the girls dragged her to the doors. Sakura, seeing them go off, quickly rushed after them.
"What was that all about?" Naruto raised a brow.
(^A.H^)
By lunch time the girls had become the talk of the school. Their new styles and tendencies to always be around each other had made it apparent to everyone that they a new kind of what they would call species.
Even when Megami was called down to the principal's office during passing time, the girls came with her for moral support. Luckily, said principal did not arrive to scold her.
Come lunch time the girls sat together, Tenten went off for a moment to discuss the practice she had missed with her team.
The boys she normally sat with remained at their usual table, laughing and poking fun. At the sound of her heels a few of them raised their heads and looked in awe. It wasn't until she tapped Neji, who's back faced her, did they all look up to their unrecognizable teammate.
Neji turned around in confusion that quickly turned to shock.
"Whoa."
"Hey Hyuga," Tenten said casually. "I wanted to ask you—"
"So they weren't kidding." He chuckled. "You went and got all dolled up."
"Huh?" she looked down to herself. "Oh this, it's nothing."
"Damn those legs go on forever. Never knew you had it in you Ten!" one of her teammates on the soccer team called.
She glared at him, "Shut up, it's just an outfit."
"You look smokin' Sento!" another from her karate team called.
"Get a load of those knockers, has she always had those?" another from baseball said out loud
She blushed and crossed her arms over her semi see through shirt. "Ew are you hitting on me? What's the problem I can't wear a damn outfit? You punks forget I'm a girl?"
"We did…" another said out loud.
Tenten glared.
"Alright alright, would you guys shut up?" Neji sighed, turning around.
Tenten blinked as he gave her a sexualized once over before standing up.
"You look uh…different…"
"Thanks, I guess." She mumbled, her head down.
"What did you want to ask me?" he smirked.
She shook her head, "whatever, it's nothing. I'll see you in class."
"You're not sitting with us?" he raised a brow. "I saved your seat."
"No um," she smiled awkwardly. "I'm sitting with the girls today."
"The girls?"
She waved her hands, "I'll explain later."
"Alright," he said as she turned on her heels. "Just make sure you show up for practice today, Gai was having a fit about you not being present yesterday. Oh! And!—"
She turned to him.
"Keep the shirt on, it'll give the guys something to focus on."
She burned red as the table laughed. She stormed over to the girls table as the guys slapped and high fived Neji.
Sakura glared at the table as Tenten sat down next to her with Megami and Hinata across from them, "were they making fun of you?"
"Worse." She bit. "They were hitting on me."
Megami chuckled, "seriously?"
"Making fun of I can handle, but they've never done stuff like that before." She grumbled. "It makes me feel…weird…especially with Neji! He's like an older brother."
Sakura coughed, "Or a potential boyfriend…"
"As if!" she nudged her as the girls laughed.
"Speaking of weird…" Hinata mumbled to herself. "Look at Ino."
Sakura and Tenten turned around and Megami looked up. Behind them Ino sat in a short black peplum dress that seemed to match her mood. Facing them, she sat alone at a table, her hands on her cheeks as she stared down at said table.
"Why's she by herself? Where are her clones?" Tenten said.
"Who knows, maybe they finally figured out how much of a bitch she is." Sakura grumbled.
"C-come on girls, that's not nice…" Hinata mumbled.
"What are you talking about Hinata?! She's been bullying you for like forever! Don't defend her." Sakura frowned.
"Well…" Hinata looked down. "You seem to be aware…I never saw you or anyone else come to my defense…"
Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and looked down.
Megami looked at the three girls who were just laughing moments ago. If she didn't do something they'd slip.
She already knew what she had to do.
She stood up, the girls looked up to her as she maneuvered around the table and walked to towards Ino's.
"What's she doing?" Sakura asked.
She walked over to Ino and stomping in front of the table that stood between them. Ino looked up and frowned.
"What the hell do you want?"
Megami took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Though she hated this Ino, remembering the old version would push her to befriend her.
Though they had a lot of similarities: Taste in fashion, vanity, judgment of others. But the real Ino's judgment was always justified, and her overconfidence is what made her herself. Besides, the real Ino would never belittle someone for who they are and choose to be.
Megami smiled and held out her hand.
"You wanna come and sit with us?"
Ino stared at her hand for a few moments before scoffing, "you're joking, right?"
Megami shook her head, "I'm sure you don't want to sit here by yourself. Where're your friends?"
She huffed, "After your little fiasco yesterday they're afraid to come near me. But, they'll be back. Besides, it's not like anyone's been paying attention to me today."
"I am right now." Megami's smile did not falter.
Ino's face calmed, "What…why?"
"You look like you could use a friend, and I'm sure there's a few girls over there who'd be willing." She smiled.
"You feel sorry for me?" she raised a brow. "I said my friends are coming back. And besides, you really think Sakura or that Hyuga girl want me at that table? I wouldn't dare sit with them in the first place."
"Ino, I see what you're doing. But why don't you try putting down the walls for a little while? Have some fun, talk to them, start new. I'm sure you'll be surprised at the kind of people you'll meet. You'll surprise them too, I'm sure."
Ino's expression finally turned blank and somewhat vulnerable.
She stood up.
Sakura's brows raised as Ino made her way over. With her head held high she sat down next to Hinata who instantly shifted uncomfortably.
The five girls sat in silence for what seemed like an hour. They constantly looked at each other and shifted their eyes across from one other or kept their head down, looking at their lunch or tapping their hands on the table.
Finally, Ino was the first to speak up. She cleared her throat and the girl's looked up.
She looked at Hinata who shifted her eyes to her lunch, awaiting the fire of insults.
"I um…I like your hair."
It seemed as if time stopped.
Ino laughed nervously, "I can never get my hair that curly, it's a disaster. It eats the curling iron every time."
Hinata smiled a bit, "thank you…it took almost an hour actually."
"I always did like your hair though." Ino mumbled a bit.
Hinata's eyes widened.
"Was that a compliment I heard, Yamanaka?" Sakura smirked.
"Yes, I give those, Haruno. I'm not inhuman." She narrowed her eyes.
"Are you sure? I can't see any past all that bitch."
"What did you say?!" Ino snapped, slightly standing.
"You heard me!"
"I'll tear into that forehead so help me—!"
But, before both girls could continue, they heard laughter.
The four turned as Megami tried to stifle her laughter. Unable to, she let go and laughed out loud.
When she snorted a bit she held her mouth, but continued to laugh.
Slowly, Tenten and Hinata began giggling. Sakura chuckled a bit as Ino smiled and giggled a little.
Before the girls knew it they were all laughing together. Ino hid herself in Hinata's shoulder, her own shaking with laughter as Tenten put her hand on Sakura's arm to steady herself as the girl's buckled over.
None of them truly knew why, but they just kept laughing every time they looked at one other. Soon the lunch room silenced to listen to their loud, dorky laughter.
Then, the bell rang.
(^A.H^)
"Someone open a window, I think the temperature just boosted. It's smoking hot."
"Now Yamanaka's with them?" another boy groaned. "What do you call that?"
"I don't know, but I'd kill to get one of those under my sheets."
The boys snickered as they admired the five standing by the bleachers.
"Imagine what I'd do to that ass…"
Naruto grimaced, "Aw come on you guys! One them is my sister."
"Hey! Hold up Hinata, one of your curls is sticking out!" Ino said as the girls stood in uniform with the rest of class in the gym on a free day.
Many sat on the bleachers, including many boys to sit and admire the new faces that had become popular the entire day, including that of most of the members of the soccer team, Neji, and near them, Naruto and Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino.
Hinata stopped, though still getting used to being around Ino, she appreciated her semi-kindness the last few hours.
One boy whistled at Tenten as the girls stood near the bleachers. For today instead of her normal sweats (the boy's uniform) she wore the girl's sweater and shorts.
The boys of the soccer team turned as a member sitting one bleacher in front of Neji had made the call.
Tenten turned on her side and tsked, giving them a disgusted look.
"Hey Ten! Nice get up! You look like a real babe!" he laughed.
He cringed as Neji kicked him in the back of the head casually.
"Ow! What the hell!"
"Knock it off." He said blankly.
"Hey Hyuga!" another boy called, sitting behind Naruto and Sasuke.
"Just ignore them, they're pigs." Ino huffed as Hinata looked down and shifted.
"Why don't you come over here and make use of those amazing legs!"
Naruto twitched. He clenched his fists.
Hinata whimpered.
"Oh man is she about to cry?" another laughed. "She's so cute, she'd probably start crying if I stuck my—"
"Would you shut the hell up?!" Naruto shot bitterly, standing in an instant and fisting his hands in his shirt.
"What's your problem Namikaze?!"
"Would you guys just shut your mouths?!" Megami yelled angrily.
"Maybe you should put that mouth to good use princess!"
Tenten held Megami back as the boys laughed. No one noticed, however, Sasuke turn and glare at said boy.
"I've had enough." Sakura sighed as she walked over and collected a basketball from the ball case. The boys however, knew better than to mess with Sasuke's girlfriend, at least when he was around.
"What are you doing Haruno?" Ino asked, standing by Hinata as Sakura stood back with them.
She aimed the ball at the boy who had cat-called Hinata. She smiled and threw it violently, not realizing a boy passing through the bleachers to take a seat on the empty side.
He passed right in front of the boy who hit on Hinata, taking the ball to the face instead.
"Oh my gosh!" the girls yelled. Most stood up and Naruto released the guy's shirt as the boy who had been hit fell over.
"Oh shoot! Shoot!" Sakura yelled.
"Nice going Sakura! I told you to ignore them!" Ino yelled as Sakura ran up the bleachers.
"I am so so sorry I was not aiming for you at all I was aiming for these assholes she growled at the boys behind who held up their hands in defense.
She helped the boy up, she stumbled a bit as his towers height took up most of the space they stood on between the bleachers.
"It's…okay." He said coldly, sending a chill down her spine.
Megami narrowed her eyes as she looked at them.
The boy held his bleeding forehead and scratched his red hair with the other.
Faintly, she could see, on the part of his forehead his hand did not hold, what looked like a red tattoo of kanji, but of a word she couldn't see well.
"Oh no! You're bleeding!" Sakura said frantically.
He released his hand from his forehead, a little blood . Jade black rimmed eyes looked dully down at the short girl.
"I said I'm okay."
"Gaara!" Megami yelled out loud, to everyone's shock.
(^A.H^)
Tenten and Ino stepped into the palace, a pocky stick dangled from Tenten's mouth as she walked with her hands behind her head, her eyes closed as she listened to Ino whine about, waving her hands rapidly.
Naruto stepped in, talking to Hinata who was slowly becoming more comfortable around him. Following behind came Sasuke, who walked with Sakura, then next came Gaara, with a bandage on his forehead, and Megami walking with him.
Around them servant and maids were walking around getting ready for the upcoming Saturday party.
"I'm sorry to intrude." He spoke darkly. "I came to your school under the impression that I would be able speak to you. I came sixth period. I was informed you were in gym class. I didn't realize I'd be…" he trailed off.
"I'm sorry!" Sakura yelled from ahead of them.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Megami beamed.
"Nothing of any importance. I only wished to thank you for the invitation." He said so dully, as if he didn't truly appreciate or care.
But she knew him.
"No problem! It'll be losts of fun! You'll see!"
"I'm not much of a party person…or, people person."
A light bulb flashed in Megami's head.
"Come to Konoha academy tomorrow! You can see the students! I know you've been homeschooled most of your life so it'll be a chance to know what real high school is like before you go home! And—"
She ran up to Sakura and twisted her around, to Sakura's surprise, "and Sakura here will give you the grand tour!"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked.
"What." Sasuke bit coldly.
Gaara stared at her. Sakura's cheeks burned a bit, she shot her head down.
She stumbled a bit when Megami pushed her forward.
"Uh yeah, I can give a tour." She smiled shyly. "It could be my way of apologizing."
"You don't need to. Especially if you don't want too." He closed his eyes and began to pass her. Quickly, she grabbed his shirt.
"N-no! I want too! Really! As a formal introduction, my name is Sakura Haruno." She smiled sweetly.
They stared at each other.
"Gaara…Sabaku…"
(^A.H^)
"You're making a mistake. Pretty soon everything that's building up around you is going to fall apart." Kai sighed, seated on her bed.
"Oh what do you guys know, you both planned to fuck me then kill me, how'd that work out for you?" Megami said coldly as she searched her room for the Uchiha necklace.
Sakura had taken it off for her outfit and had forgotten where she left it. While everyone watched a movie and Gaara fixated himself in his room, she searched for it upon Sakura's request.
"That's beside the point." Kai said. "Just you wait. Everyone's life that you've twisted, it's going to come back to you."
"I know what I'm doing and what I'm doing is right. Before I go back to my world, I'll going to put things where they belong in this one. So I can go back to my normal routine and my normal life."
"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe things are better they way they are? The way they happened?" Sasori said, leaned against her wall.
Megami stopped at her dresser where she saw the Silver Uchiha necklace lying.
"No one was every killed. Raped. Hurt. Your parents are alive. There's no drama."
"Not everyone's happy." She said in a dark tone, her back turned to them.
"And yeah, things do seem better this way. It's great to have my parents. But that's not the life I know."
Without her realization, both Sasori and Kai turned to one another.
Kai smirked.
Megami clutched the necklace when a knock came on her door. She turned and went to answer it as Sasori and Kai disappeared.
She opened it, and when she did, surprise covered her face.
"Sasuke." She said casually.
He stood, glaring at her.
"What is it? Did I do something?" she frowned as he stepped in, pushing past her without asking permission.
"What?" she asked again.
"What was that all about?" he demanded calmly. "Offering Sakura up to that guy."
She chuckled bitterly, "Are you serious? I was being nice."
"Then why didn't you do it?"
"Because she said she wanted to apologize anyway." She shrugged. "Sakura knows the school better than I do anyway."
That's a lie. But he doesn't know that.
"I'm starting to get sick of seeing you around…" he mumbled.
Her blood boiled, "Than why'd you come to my room?"
"Don't act smart. I don't know what game you're pulling, but this whole act better not be going on for much longer."
"It's not an act!" she yelled. "People change, Sasuke! People move on from things too!"
Why haven't you? Her sub-conscious questioned.
She laughed coldly, "It was thirteen years ago. We were kids. Things happened. I wasn't there for you and I will spend every day of my life being sorry, but I can't change what happened."
He raised a brow, "You think I'm still mad about that?"
She frowned and calmed. She shifted when he took a few steps forward to her, she backed into the door.
"Yeah, it sucks that you ignored me and left when my parents died. It sucks that you weren't there when I needed you most. But we were five. I've grown past that. It's the person you continued to be after that I hate."
"Sas—"
"What are you doing with Sakura's necklace?"
She glanced down to the necklace she clutched in her hand.
"S-she left it in my room by accident. I was going to give it back to her."
"She took it off?" he said through grinding teeth. He cursed under his breath.
"This…" Megami began in a whisper. "You…originally gave this to me…right?"
He turned back to her, rolling his eyes. "Yeah. When we were five."
"But still…you gave it to me…on my fifth birthday…when—"
"Everything changed."
"Jog my memory…" she said in a whisper. "Did I give it back…?"
He opened his mouth but then slowly closed it and tsked, looking to the floor.
"No…I…I asked for it back."
"So I ruined our relationship?"
"Me asking for it back isn't what broke our relationship. You didn't seem hesitant to give it back."
"Maybe if you had let me keep this." She looked down to it. "It would have given us a chance…it's supposed to be a symbol of hope…for the one you want to be with forever…right?"
"Does it really matter now? It's Sakura's. And above all other things, you're married."
"Arranged marriage." She corrected sub-consciously.
They stared at each other for a few moments in silence.
"What would you tell me…" she finally said. "To my face right now…if I told you I still...if I never stopped loving you…"
He made no move or reaction.
She took a couple steps forward.
"Sasuke…I don't know what it is…but under that hate for the person I used to be…under all of it…you love me…"
She got on her tip toes and closed her eyes, leaning into his lips.
"If you truly don't…" she whispered a couple inches away. "Tell me stop…"
She leaned in a little further, hesitant.
He clutched her shoulders to keep her from falling. For a moment she believed he'd push her away, but slowly, he closed his eyes and leaned into her lips, a breath away.
"Did you find it, Megami?!"
They separated quickly. Sasuke cursed and grabbed the necklace out of her hands, pushing past her and out the door.
She stayed in place, breathing heavily as she stared to the floor, then towards the door he'd stormed out of.
(^A.H^)
By lunch the next day the girls acted as if they'd been friends for years. Like they truly were. Though things were still a little edgy with Ino in the mix, they were making progress. The girls planned to spend the night at the palace then come Saturday, spend the day getting pampered before the party at eight.
Ino was delighted to be invited.
Being Friday, it was a uniform day, which was simply the original Konoha high uniform.
Megami stepped into the lunch room with a megaphone.
"Megami, are you sure this is alright?" Hinata asked as the rest of the girls (excluding Sakura) and Naruto and Sasuke (who she had been avoiding all day and vise versa) stepped in with her.
"Of course! This is the fun way to invite people to a party, invitations are boring!" she laughed. "Unless they're in like Uruguay or something."
"Hey!"
The lot turned around as Sakura jogged in, dragging Gaara along with her by holding his hand.
"What's up guys?" she smiled as they stopped in front of them. She let go of his hand.
"Where have you been?" Tenten asked.
"Giving Gaara here a tour, except I actually got lost on the second floor," she laughed nervously.
"We were able to find our way back." He said monotone.
"Well he was," she poked him in the arm.
She turned and smiled at Sasuke who narrowed his eyes at her. She cleared her throat and took a couple steps away from Gaara.
"So what's happening now?"
Ino sighed, "She's about to make an announcement. In a rather prude way if you ask me."
Megami scoffed, "The real you would love this…" she mumbled.
"Hey, Sento!"
Tenten turned to her call, watching Neji jog up to her as Megami climbed onto a table.
"What's up?"
"Look, we have to talk about all the practice's you've been miss—"
"Hold that thought Hyuga." She smirked as Megami raised her megaphone.
"What the hell is going on?" Shikamaru yawned as he cleared one ear, coming to stand by the group.
Ino sighed, "She's about to make an announcement."
"With that? Sounds loud…and troublesome…how hard is it to write it on paper?"
Ino rolled her eyes, "It is but, well, she's loud, we couldn't convince her out of it."
"Since when do you run with the underdogs?" he raised a brow, turning to her.
Ino scoffed and huffed, "I'm not a brute, Nara. You'd know if you knew me."
"You know my name?" he said in confusion.
"Why wouldn't I, you're the smartest kid in our year. Actually, school. Do you know my name?"
"Why wouldn't I, you're probably the most irritating person in this school."
She smirked, "So I've been told. But I'm also the prettiest."
He rolled his eyes, "If you say so…"
She scoffed and turned to him, he gave her a lazy smile. She blinked a couple times but then giggled a bit as they turned back to Megami who finally figured out how to turn on the megaphone.
Before she began, she looked below her at what she knew to be Alpha and Omega, standing together. Though they stood in different positions, different classes, different backgrounds, and different lives, they still stood together, right now, at the moment.
And she had brought them together without consequence.
"Yo! Everyone listen up! My name is Megami Namikaze! Many of you know me as the crown princess-shit-whatever! I'm here to tell you I'm eighteen this Saturday! Which means I'm throwing a kick-ass party starting at eight! Details and shit will be posted on the auditorium and gym doors! Everyone's invited! Tell everyone! Show up or I'll freaking throttle you! You got that?!"
(^A.H^)
The girls laughed, sitting in a circle in their pajamas late in the night as Tenten told them stories of sports fails in her basketball days. When a knock came on Megami's door, she stood, giggled, and went to answer it.
She opened the door and almost instantly her smile fell.
"Kai."
He didn't look the way he did the first moment she saw him. Now he looked more distraught, tired, and bitter.
"Megami, can we speak in private?"
"Uh…sure…" Megami mumbled, stepping out.
In white panda pajamas, she closed her door behind herself and walked a couple feet to the next door with Kai. They stepped into the empty room and Kai closed the door behind him.
She crossed her arms and sat on the bed.
"What's up?"
"What's up is the way you've been acting lately." He said coldly. "I feel like I don't know you anymore. You're cursing, acting out, throwing parties, and these girls—"
"Those girls are my friends." She glared. "And I haven't done anything wrong."
"You've known them for what, a week?" he said rudely. "I don't know where all this came from! Monday night you were just fine! You were just fine with me! We finally had sex—"
She cringed.
"And now you won't even look at me," he bit. "See, you're doing it right now. Why is the idea of being near me suddenly so disgusting? Tuesday morning you acted like you didn't even know who I was."
She sighed, "Kai…look, it's complicated. I'm not the girl you used to know. And I don't know if I'll ever be that girl again." She said firmly. "I'm making changes to this—my life, and…and you're one of those…"
The dark bags under his eyes made his glare more menacing.
"What are you saying…?"
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I didn't want to say this until after the party but…I want…I'm…I want a divorce."
She froze as he laughed coldly. It was the same dark, cold laughter he had in Furyoka.
Some things never change.
"You think you can just say 'I want a divorce' and that'll be it? This is an arranged marriage dear and there's nothing you can do change the fact that we're married for life. Besides." He laughed. "Why would you want to? We've had enough time to contemplate this arranged marriage thing. We've known each other for so long. You told me you love me. I love you, Megami." He smiled and raised his arms in a hug.
"I don't love you, Kai." She whispered painfully, her eyes glistening.
His smile became weak, "…w…what..?"
She turned away. This situation felt all too familiar. "I don't love you…"
She gasped as her back hit the bed. Before she could contemplate it he climbed on her and his lips crashed on hers. She struggled as he fought to keep her locked in, kissing her furiously, forcefully. Tears streamed down her eyes as the situation became completely and painfully familiar now. Like déjà vu.
She whimpered and cried as he kissed down her neck, slowly pulling down her pajama pants with one hand.
Straddling her, he raised and took off his shirt, a dead look in his eyes.
He kissed her again as more tears fell. She cried aloud, begging him to stop as his fingers met her underwear.
"Kai…please…" she begged through furious as he stared into her eyes.
"I don't want this…I'm begging you…don't do this to me…"
"Why don't you want me…?" he whispered, pain in his voice. "Don't I make you happy?"
She cried when he stuck his fingers in her light blue panties.
"Haven't I done everything?"
She struggled more, trying to push him off and his hand out. He used his other to trap her arms above her head after moments of struggle.
She screamed in bitter tears when he played with her, the same dead look in his eyes.
"Everything…for you…all these years…" he whispered, heartbroken.
"Kai, please!"
"I'll stop…" he whispered. "If you tell me you love me…"
"I don't love you!"
He stuck a finger in her. She wriggled.
"You used to love this…" he frowned. "You used to love it when I touched you…" he whispered. "Why…?"
"I don't want you to touch me! I'm afraid when you touch me!" she cried like a child. "I'm pleading with you! I don't want this!"
He laughed bitterly, "why do you act like I'm taking advantage of you…we're married…aren't we…"
She shook and whimpered as his fingers played with her, he dropped his head, using it to push up her shirt as he licked upwards until her naked breasts were visible.
"Don't cry…" he begged almost painfully, kissing her breasts. She rocked her head from side to side crying violently as he continued to toy with her and lick her sensitive areas. "Please don't cry…I love you…"
She cried harder, "please don't hurt me again Kai…"
"Again…?" he whispered. "I'm not asking for trouble Megami…I love you…tell me…"
He quickened his fingers.
"Tell me…"
"Stop…"
He deepened his fingers. She cried out.
"Please…just stop this…" she said barely.
She cried out and tossed her head back, crying in a completion she did not want. In tears, she shook her head.
"There's someone else…isn't there?"
She stared at the ceiled as he released from her and sat up.
"You never used to be like this."
She said nothing.
He leaned in and straddled her again, staring into her dead, pain filled eyes.
"Don't make me the bad person Megami."
She turned to her side, distraught as he kissed her neck.
"I hate you…" she whispered.
He froze for a moment. The world seemed to go completely silent.
"No you don't…"
She covered herself with her hands as he stood, darkness over his eyes, as he turned and left her in the darkness.
(^A.H^)
"How do I look?" Ino posed as she turned in her yellow sparkly short dress. "As good as I feel?"
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Sakura rolled her eyes as she herself stood in a knee length pink number with thin straps and lose straps on her waist.
Ino huffed as the girls stood in the styling studio, preparing themselves.
The day of Megami's birthday had finally arrived. All day the girls had undergone makeovers, facials, getting their hair ready and picking out dresses. Ino was in pure heaven.
Outside, nearly the entire school stood in homecoming like style, or drasual, as directed by the information sheet.
"You look great Hinata!" Megami beamed in front of a mirror as Hinata looked down to her dress, a light blue one shoulder sparkly tulle dress.
She giggled, "thank you."
"What about me?!"
"You too Ino," Megami laughed.
"It feels so weird wearing a dress…" Tenten mumbled in a short dress with a black top and light green sparkly bottom.
"You get used to being a girl." Ino sighed, sitting down next to Megami.
"Happy birthday." She held her arms out. Megami smiled shyly in a white loose one long sleeved shoulder sparkly white dress as she hugged her.
"Watch the makeup!"
"Thank you guys so much for coming," Megami smiled to all the girls, their hairs in different updos with different sets of earrings and shoes.
"Hey, we haven't known each other very long, but I have this weird feeling that we've been friends for longer than I think." Sakura laughed.
"Yeah…" Megami laughed. "Me too…"
"Well, you have a crowd waiting." Ino smiled confidently.
"And plenty of food!" Tenten said deviously.
"We shouldn't keep them."
The girls nodded and stood, but suddenly a knock came forward.
"Anyone naked?" Naruto's voice called.
"No!" the girls answered, giggling.
"Cool!"
He opened the door and stepped inside in black dress pants, an orange tie, and a white dress shirt. Following behind him came Sasuke in black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a blue tie. As well came Kai, in black dress pants and a black vest over a white dress shirt.
"Mom says to come down the steps, remember like you did when you were five?" Naruto laughed as he walked over to the girls. "You guys look…" his eyes fell on Hinata who shied away.
"Amazing…"
"Thank you." Ino cooed. Sakura nudged her.
Megami sighed, "Alright then, you guys will have to go on ahead of me…" she trailed off as her eyes fell on Kai and Sasuke standing next to each other.
Kai walked forward and passed Naruto to stand in front of Megami.
She stared at him coldly.
"You look fantastic…" he smirked.
Megami looked down, "thank…thank you…"
He lifted her chin back up with two fingers to look at him. She shifted her eyes away.
He leaned in to kiss her. She backed away. He raised an annoyed brow.
"Lipstick." She deadpanned without looking at him.
He pulled her back roughly.
"You can fix it."
She grimaced as he pressed his lips on her, slipping his tongue into her mouth and forcing her to cooperate to keep face.
Ino sighed dreamily, Tenten and Sakura shifted uncomfortably. Naruto tsked and glared at nothing. Hinata looked to the floor.
"We should get going." Sasuke's clearly annoyed voice came.
Kai released from Megami. She looked down, clutching his shirt as he licked his lips and gave Sasuke the same dead look he was giving back to him.
"Right. I'll meet you in there." He kissed her cheek and released from her.
Megami's eyes met Sasuke's for just a moment before they all began to exit, leaving her to make her way to the steps, but first, fix her lipstick.
(^A.H^)
Megami smiled shyly as she walked down the steps in her ankle strap white high heels, her hair in a high updo bun with wavy loose strands and white gold hoops. The crowd sang happy birthday and camera's and phones flashed with pictures as she slowly walked down, just as she had done at five years old.
She looked below her. Naruto, Minato, and Kushina stood smiling brightly on her left side. To her shock, Sasuke stood the same place he had stood when she had done this same thing thirteen years ago, but Kai stood next to him. While the girls stood in front of the large crowd in the large foyer/entrance hall.
She remembered what she had asked Sasuke at the bottom step where he stood in front of once again (the only difference being Kai next to him.)
She had asked him like a confused child if she looked pretty in her poofy white dress and tiara. Now she stood as a young woman in a figure hugging dress and fully developed.
But, that did not stop her from stopping at the final step as she had done before. Sasuke stood almost directly in front of her.
The singing stopped and claps rose for the princess. She held the railing like she had done coming down.
Sasuke himself, remembered the situation fully.
Thirteen years. Without realization, she spoke. They seemed to see each other, five years old again.
"Do I look pretty," now, he saw her as the eighteen year old she was, asking him the same question. "Sasuke?"
He smirked.
"…yeah…"
She smiled weakly before Kai took her into his embrace, but she did not take her eyes off Sasuke.
(^A.H^)
As the party went on, things seemed to run their course. Although Megami was trapped with Kai, the girls enjoyed themselves.
Naruto and had Hinata had spent all night with each other, talking and dancing. Tenten found herself in crowds of admiring boys, respectfully rejecting their offers to dance. She had seen Sakura and Sasuke for a while, but after some time, Sasuke had disappeared.
Ino, tired of walking around, came and took a seat at a table. She sighed, noticing herself that all the others seemed to be having fun, she was lost with no one to talk too.
"Bored yourself…?"
She shot her head up and directed her attention to Shikamaru, the only other person sitting at the round white covered table. He sat in black dress pants, a green dress shirt and a black tie.
"No, I just need something to do." Ino huffed. "What about you? What are you doing sitting here?"
"Parties have never really been my thing…my parents wanted to come…" he sighed.
"Nothing's really your thing is it?" she giggled. "Except sleeping. Oh! And school, even if it looks like you don't try."
"You pay attention?" he raised a brow, turning to look at her with a fist under his right cheek, leaning on the table.
She shrugged, "from time to time. I've tried to copy your paper a few times freshman year but your face was always buried under it."
He smirked, then yawned. "Weird. But cute."
She blushed, blinking. "You think I'm cute?"
"I said it didn't I?" he sighed in boredom.
Ino shifted in her seat, for once, at a loss for words.
That is until, a familiar face came to stand in front of her, with a few followers behind.
(^A.H^)
Sakura sighed as she walked around the ballroom for umpteenth time, pushing through people and being careful not to bump into anyone, so not to smear her makeup.
She's been looking for Sasuke for the past twenty minutes. She'd called his cell phone, searching up and down the palace, and asked around, but no one had seen him, she was practically limping after jogging around in her pink open toe high heels looking for him.
She sighed, leaning against a wall, exhausted. She bent down and rubbing her ankle a bit before standing.
"Where in the world is he…?" she frowned, clutching her necklace.
"Is something wrong."
She jumped. Even with the music and the noise of people, the sudden chilling voice next to her surprised her. She turned to the person and sighed in relief.
"Oh, hey Gaara." She smiled.
He stood against the wall, his hands in his black slacks. A white dress shirt under a blood red tie.
"Are you looking for someone?" he asked dully.
"Just Sasuke," she sighed, glancing around once. "What are you doing back here?"
He shrugged a bit, shifting in his dress shoes.
"I'm not much of a party…or people person, like I said. I am not used to any of this. I shouldn't have come."
"Don't be silly!" Sakura smiled warmly. "Megami wanted you here! And we all think you're great. You'll have fun once you start talking to people."
"I'm not really used to that either…"
Sakura giggled, "what's up with you?"
"I've had a…" he hesitated. "Different childhood."
"Being a prince must take a toll." She smiled, nudging him. "Don't worry, I'll hang out with you."
"You don't have too—"
"Gaara!" she groaned. "I want too! I'm not trying to repay you or anything. I just want to hang out, you know." She shrugged. "Talk to me."
He stared at her for a moment. Her green eyes held excitement and laughter as she smiled warmly at him.
"Alright then…"
(^A.H^)
"There you are. I've been looking all over for you."
Tenten looked up from the dessert table, almost groaning as she thought it to be another boy. She smiled when Neji stood before her in black slacks and a light purple dress shirt with a white tie.
"Hyuga, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Tenten laughed, a plate dangling in her hands.
"You haven't. You haven't been to any practice in three days. Not soccer, baseball, karate, judo—"
Tenten groaned, "I'm just taking a little break. I practice every day, lighten up, it's no big deal." She shrugged.
"It is a big deal, Tent—"
"Do you wanna dance?"
He paused and raised a brow, taken aback.
She looked down, blushing.
"What?"
She sighed, "Don't make me ask again…d-do you…want to dance…? With…me?"
He stayed silent for a moment. She looked up to him and their eyes met.
"Tenten. You're getting kicked off the teams."
(^A.H^)
"Hinata!"
At the sound of her name being called, she shot her head up from Naruto's shoulder, where they had both been dancing.
They directed their attention to the person who'd called her.
Her blood froze.
Hiashi stood before her, Hanabi by his side in a dark blue strapless dress.
"Daddy…" Hinata whispered.
"What in the world are you doing?" he demanded.
This was the first time he had spoken to her in months. She knew why he directed her now.
"Dad w-we, we were just dancing…" she barely whispered.
Naruto looked at her in confusion, "Hinata, is everything alright?"
"Get away from him this moment. Are you trying to make a fool of yourself?"
"What?" Naruto said, confused.
"Dad—!"
"You heard me." He said coldly. "Just think, if your fiancé were to see you—!"
"Fiancé?" Naruto questioned.
They stopped on the dance floor. Tears glistened in Hinata's eyes as she stood in the moment she knew was inevitable the moment Naruto finally began speaking to her.
"Hinata?" Naruto asked. "What's going on?"
She looked up to him, her eyes glistening.
"I…have…something to confess…"
(^A.H^)
Megami felt annoyance at her own birthday party. She danced with Kai, against her own wishes. To give him credit he was trying to appear nice, but she knew him now.
Whenever he saw that he was losing her, or power over her, he would become a monster.
She sighed as she wondered what the girls were doing at the moment. Probably enjoying themselves, hopefully with the boys.
She wondered where Sasuke could be.
Kai stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Megami looked up and her heart skipped a beat at who stood behind him.
"May I cut in?"
Sasuke and Kai stared at each other for a few moments before Kai put up a false smile and let go of her.
Sasuke took her in his arms and into a dance, pulling her away from Kai.
"You're my hero…" she mumbled when they were at a safe distance.
"What? Don't like the husband?" he raised a brow. "You seemed pretty fine with each other a while ago when you were sucking face."
"Don't be petty." She growled. "I hate him."
"Why'd you marry him."
"I didn't choose him."
They parted a little to look at each other. Slowly, he looked her up and down.
"All my life it seems people, especially my grandfather, have told me one way I should and shouldn't act. They've never let me choose, to the point where I became a shell of a person. Heartless." She whispered, staring into his eyes.
"What about now…seeing as you seem to be able to think for yourself."
"I can choose…" she whispered, leaning into him. "The person I truly want to be with…"
It seemed as if the entire world had disappeared around them. They stood dancing in darkness until they finally slowed to a stop in the middle of the ballroom.
Sasuke tilted his head as they leaned in. in that instant and with a breath, their lips met. He kissed her roughly, but intimately at the same time, and she returned with the longing for him she had in her heart.
The entire ballroom fell into gasps.
"Oh my gosh!"
They released, finally realizing where they stood and who they were.
Megami shot her head to where she had heard the voice. Sakura stood in front of the crowd next to Gaara, a shocked look on her face that matched the one on the one of almost everyone else, except pained.
"Megami!" she yelled, tears falling down her eyes. "How could you?!"
Gaara looked at Sakura in confusion.
"I knew there was someone else!" Kai's angry voice came from behind. "Guards! Seize him!" he yelled.
"No…" Megami whispered.
She looked to her left, where over by the dessert table she could see Tenten in tears as Neji stood, confused of what to do in front of her.
She whipped to her right, where Hinata stood in violent tears as Hiashi scolded her. Naruto leaned on a table, his hand on his face.
She looked behind them, where Meki stood in front of Ino with her former followers. A vulnerable Ino stood with fear on her face. Shikamaru, confused of what to do.
Breathing heavily, Megami shot back to face Sasuke who had just been handled by guards.
"What! No! Stop! This is all wrong!" she yelled as the world seemed to break around her.
Whispers went around as Sasuke struggled and all the girls cried while the boys stood weakened.
"STOP IT! THIS ISN'T HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE!" she yelled furiously.
She fell to her knees. Screams and flashes of her past covered her eyes in a blinding light. Familiar voices cried out to her in pain and suffering. Blood and lost souls covered her eyes.
"Make it go away!" she screamed in pain, covering her ears, pleading. "Please! MAKE IT STOP!"
"It's okay, Megami."
Megami shot her eyes open.
The party was gone. The people gone, all the tears, screaming, and pain,
Gone.
She stood in what seemed like a blinding white light.
Slowly, breathing heavily, she removed her hands from her ears, but she seemed to have a little help.
A warm hand touched her own as she found herself dawned in a knee length, simply plain white sun dress. Her hair sat in its normal red straight state. She sat on her knees, barefoot with not a sign of makeup or jewelry.
"Where am I…?" she asked, raising her head.
To her surprise, she met her mother's smiling face.
"Hi Megami." She said warmly, a voice seemingly different from the mother she had in the world she had just been in.
"We've missed you."
"Mom?" she asked as Kushina helped her stand.
Kushina stood in a white version of the floor length sun dress she had died in.
Behind her, stood Minato in a white version of the button down shirt and jeans he had passed in.
"Hi Megami." He smiled warmly.
"What's happening?" Megami asked, looking around to the nothingness.
"Megami, you know your father and I love you very much." Kushina said. "And we want nothing more than to be with you and Naruto again. But, we can't. We've been gone a long time, and it's time to move forward. You have a life you must live sweetheart. A legacy you must leave."
"But I can't just forget you." Megami said absent mindedly. "I love you…I miss you guys so much."
"We're always here. We've always been here." Minato continued. "We're going to tell you the same thing we told Naruto. Remember us in your hearts, but live as if we are right here with you."
"Mom…dad…" Megami whispered, silent tears falling down her lost eyes.
"Go Megami, and remember." Kushina said as she let go of her hands and stepped next to Minato.
"We will always be with you." They said together.
(^A.H^)
Megami!
Megami shot her head up, stumbling with wide eyes as tears fell down her eyes.
Alpha and Omega stared at her, all silent in anticipation. The crowd of Konoha high seniors watched and waiting as she stood in front of her three tier cake.
"She's crying…" Shikamaru mumbled.
""G-Gami?" Sakura said, smiling nervously as she reached out for her.
Before she could, Megami threw her head back, tears pouring down her eyes.
"Megami!" the girls yelled.
But before anyone could comfort her, or stop her from running up the steps, her furious crying began to mix with laughter.
She brought her head back down, laughing and crying as if she were insane.
The crowd and most members of Alpha and Omega shifted their eyes and looked at one another.
After a few moments Megami's laughter continued, but she began to rub her eyes.
"Are you…alright?" Hinata asked hesitantly.
"Yeah…" she smiled, calming as she rubbed her eyes.
"You're smearing your makeup!" Ino yelled angrily.
"I know, I'm sorry Ino." She smiled. "I know you worked hard on it."
Megami looked up to everyone.
"I must look fantastic right now." She said aloud to the crowd of people and her friends. "But I don't care! Thank you!" she yelled, beaming with glistening eyes.
The girls were shocked.
"Thank you everyone for coming to celebrate my eighteenth birthday with me! And thank you to my friends for this party! I know I was skeptic to celebrate my birthday because I haven't done it in thirteen years! Because I was afraid! But now! With all my friends!" she smiled to the girls who beamed back, then over to Itachi and Midori, who leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling.
"Family!" she smiled cheekily at Naruto who gave her a thumbs up.
"And the love of my life!"
She turned to Sasuke who simply smirked at her.
"So thank you everyone!" she said through more tears. "Thank you so very much!"
Claps came around as the girls rushed up and hugged her tightly. Her sisters, smothering her in the love she needed, and they all needed.
"Hey! Stop those tears sis! We've got something for you!"
They looked up as Naruto and the boys stepped over to the side where a small stage and waiting instruments sat.
Naruto beamed as he sat at drums, Shikamaru to bass, Neji to guitar, Gaara to a guitar and mike, and Sasuke to a mike.
The crowd cheered at the excitement of a performance from the one and only Omega.
Sasuke took off his jacket and stepped up to the mike.
"This goes out to my best girl."
He turned to Megami who smiled at him.
He winked at her, "Happy birthday princess."
Sasuke: Oh,
Well imagine,
As I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor,
And I can't help but to hear,
No, I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words:
"What a beautiful wedding!
Sasuke/Gaara: What a beautiful wedding!"
Sasuke: says a bridesmaid to a waiter,
Sasuke: "And, yes, but what a shame, what a shame the poor groom's bride is a whore."
I'd chime in with a
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality.
Sasuke and Gaara: I'd chime in,
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?!"
Sasuke: No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of...
Sasuke: Well in fact,
Well I'll look at it this way,
I mean technically our marriage is saved
Well this calls for a toast
So, pour the champagne
Oh! Well in fact,
Well I'll look at it this way,
I mean technically our marriage is saved
Well this calls for a toast,
So, pour the champagne, pour the champagne
I'd chime in with a
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality.
Sasuke and Gaara: I'd chime in,
"Haven't you people ever heard of
Sasuke: closing the goddamn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality again.
I'd chime in,
"Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality.
Sasuke/Gaara: I'd chime in,
"Haven't you people ever heard of
Sasuke: closing the goddamn door?!"
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things
With a sense of poise and rationality again.
The crowd cleared as the boys closed off. Megami standing in front, smiling up to Sasuke who hopped off the short stage and stood in front of her.
Nothing needed to be said, he simply wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly as cheers and chants of OMEGA went around.
From a distance, Tenten's voice yelled out.
"I knew this was a good idea!"
(^A.H^)
Late in the hours of the night, as the party had died down and many had left, Megami sat at a table in the outfit she had arrived in, watching and smiling. A few guests remained, some slow danced to no music while the rest being Alpha and Omega, hung around. With darkness outside and an orange like light in the party room.
I've been down and
I'm wondering why
These little black clouds
Keep walking around
With me
With me
She smiled at Sakura and Gaara leaned against the wall talking about heaven knows what. She guessed something intellectual.
To her slight surprise, she saw Deidara, standing next to Sakura, leaned against the wall, next to him stood Matsuri's own spirit, dawned in white.
It wastes time
And I'd rather be high
Think I'll walk me outside
And buy a rainbow smile
But be free
They're all free
Deidara rolled his eyes and yawned, Matsuri poked him and he shrugged her off casually. She smiled before they both disappeared in a slow beam of white light.
Megami turned to where Ino and Shikamaru sat on the steps. She scolded him as he tried to keep awake.
Hidan looked down on the step above, leaning on the railing while Kin sat cross legged next to Shikamaru. She looked up and smiled at Hidan who smirked and rolled his eyes before they both disappeared.
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
Megami looked to Neji and Tenten, sitting on the small stage. He rubbed her stomach as she complained about something she assumed had to with food, though she had a piece of cake in her bare hand.
Kaede sat next to Tenten as opposed to Neji, while Pein sat with his eyes closed behind Neji. Ami sat cross legged, leaned on him as she toyed with her fingers, smiling sadly at Neji.
Kaede, smiling warmly, sat on her side, looking at Tenten's stomach for a few more moments. She looked up to Pein and Ami before all three disappeared.
I look around at a beautiful life
Been the upper side of down
Been the inside of out
But we breathe
We breathe
Megami looked over to Naruto and Hinata who sat at a table. Hinata giggled as Naruto kissed her cheek. Their foreheads touched lovingly while Suki sat cross-legged on the table while Tobi skipped around it.
I wanna breeze and an open mind
I wanna swim in the ocean
Wanna take my time for me
All me
Suki frowned at him to stop when he circled back to her. He beamed and she blew out a breath silently before they disappeared.
A soft wind blew Megami's hair into her face a bit. She smiled softly and turned around to where Kai and Sasori stood behind her, dawned in white, like the rest.
She mouthed something to them.
Sasori nodded blankly at her as Kai smirked and saluted her.
She saluted him back as both boys stared at her and she stared back for a few moments.
I forgive you.
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
Kai took a deep breath and let it out, though it came out silent. He stuck his hands in his pockets like Sasori and nodded to her once more before both boys turned around and began walking.
As they walked, their spirits slowly disappeared.
Sasuke came and sat next to Megami, smiling. She smiled back as she leaned in and kissed him.
She knew her parents and her grandparents had long ago taken their place in the afterlife, and she was okay with that.
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
It was best now that everyone took their place, because now she could finally come to peace with her own self and move on with life. With what she had seen, she was content with the life she had, and finally understood what her grandmother, Kai, Sasori, and her parents were trying to tell her on her little trip.
She leaned on Sasuke's shoulder and looked out into the night sky from the large window, the stars glistening.
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
She closed her eyes. Silently, she wished everyone a wonderful afterlife.
T.B.C
(Birthday party dresses in profile)
Thank you so much for being patient with me! I promise! The next won't take so long, I'm back babes!
If you haven't voted for your prom king and queen of choice do it now! I'll be removing the poll to collect the final results in a couple weeks or so since prom is the next episode! YOUR VOTES WILL DETERMINE WHO WINS.
After the next, only two episodes remain!
Some one-shots will be coming up (especially in honor of our canon babies Naruto and Hinata…! Including others)
Hope you all enjoyed, and thanks for sticking with me!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A NEW YEAR!
*Wishing you a Beautiful World*