20 DAYS TO PERFORMANCE
Hatake Kakashi exhaled as they entered Konoha's gates. Finally. The mission had taken twelve days more than expected, but then again nothing had gone as he'd expected. C-ranks weren't supposed to involve a S-rank and former Anbu missing nin, an unknown shinobi of jounin strength, a subjugated land, or the making of new trade treaties with a foreign land. He checked his cute little genins again. Sasuke walked between Hikari and Naruto, in the same formation they'd arranged themselves in since leaving Waves. His stride was tired, but that had more to do with the journey and less to do with his brush with death. At his left, Naruto bounced more than he walked. On the opposite side, Hikari's strides were soft and sure. After they gave their registration numbers to the guards, she fell back to walk with him.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"Yes?"
"May I be excused for a few seconds?"
Kakashi cocked his head to the side but shrugged. He was curious. "You have thirty of them."
The girl nodded and strode to one of the first shops. Instead of entering, she knocked on the door-frame and waved at the shop-keeper when he glanced up. She then regained her place by his side and they resumed their trek to the Mission Desk.
"You know him?" Kakashi asked.
"Not personally. Itsuki-san's son married one of the kyokuba-dan's architects, so we've met. Some of our members like to linger in his shop. He'll tell them I'm back. If no one is there and he's able to, he'll pass the message himself."
"Alright." He left it at that, content to speculate on his own. The knowledge of the Fire kyokuba-dan spans from the flames to the embers of our Land. Or it used to. Kakashi didn't doubt his student's words, and they confirmed his own experiences. Her compound didn't concern themselves with shinobi, but despite being a Hidden Village, two thirds of their population was made up of civilians. How many of Konoha's citizens were involved, either directly or indirectly with her family?
He wondered if he'd be reprimanded for continuing the mission after the encounter with the Demon Brothers. They were chunin, and the choice fell within a jounin-sensei's judgement, but... Fire would suffer a deep loss if a hime was killed. From what he'd seen, the kyokuba-dan could make Konoha regret not caring for their heiress on her first mission outside the village. He sighed. It was a good thing he'd already decided he'd personally choose their next C-ranks.
"Hikari."
His genin twirled and walked backwards, even as she smiled wide at the lavender haired boy. Teenager, Kakashi corrected. Hikari was nearly the same height as Sasuke, tall for a girl. The figure approaching was a head taller than her. "Arata," she greeted. "Were you in Itsuki-san's shop?"
"You're late," was his only response. He bowed his head briefly in Kakashi's direction.
Sasuke and Naruto fell back and to Kakashi's side when they heard their teammate's name called out.
"Can you be late if you didn't say when you'd be back?" Hikari questioned.
The teen's lips curled up.
"These are my teammates, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, this is Arata."
Arata nodded to the boys before giving Hikari a glance over.
"You're wearing gloves. Did you hurt your hands?"
Sasuke and Naruto tensed.
His third genin smiled. She took off her gloves and showed her hands one side and then the other to her partner. "Nothing to see, see?" she teased.
Naruto spluttered. "But -!"
Kakashi grabbed his jacket's collar and pulled him back. It was time for him to learn a lesson.
"Hikari, can you go to the Mission Desk and tell them we're back and I'll report to Hokage-sama?"
The girl stared at him for a moment before glancing from the corner of her eye to her lilac-haired friend and back to him.
"Of course, Kakashi-sensei. How long should I take?"
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. He had chosen a sharp little genin.
"It shouldn't take long."
She set off. Her partner stayed.
"Arata-kun, may I ask you a question?"
"You may ask," the teenager agreed. "I may or may not answer."
The jounin's eyebrow rose. Fair enough. "To the best of your understanding, was Hikari injured?"
"She didn't say she wasn't, so it's probable. My best guess would be that either she was hurt and it was minor enough that it healed on its own, or someone healed her." Arata paused and sharp eyes locked on his. "You're Hikari's sensei, and my answer doesn't surprise you. What is this really about?"
He flicked his eye to Naruto for a second. "Maa, I suppose this is about truths."
"Ah." He faced Naruto. "I asked a question. Hikari chose not to answer. Instead, she offered me another truth." He regarded Naruto's frown. "Wasn't it a kinder one?"
Sasuke's eyes sharpened, while Naruto's forehead creased even further. Whether in anger or confusion, Kakashi didn't know.
The older boy turned to face Sasuke. "If she was injured, what would telling me accomplish? I'm not a shinobi and have no desire to be one. I have no way of preventing it from happening again. I know, and the kyokuba-dan knows, that she may be injured or killed in a mission." Here, Arata paused and glanced at him. This answered one of his questions. Her family knew the risks. They weren't like some naive civilians, who barely remembered the wars. They understood Hikari's choice. He nodded to show he understood the message. "Hikari let me know she could also return late but in good shape. She may have been injured, but she also came back walking beside her team. And the first thing she did was smile and show me she was unharmed. I have no issue with the truth she chose to tell me."
"Thank you, Arata-kun," Kakashi intercepted before Naruto opened his mouth. "Hikari will be along shortly."
"Thank you, Hatake-san," the boy inclined his head to him. "Hikari's teammates'" he nodded shortly and left.
"Naruto," Kakashi called. "As a shinobi, you can never make assumptions. Never presume what you understood from a conversation is the same as what someone else understood. Sometimes, you can't even be sure you understood what was meant. It can get you killed. If you relay assumptions, it can get your teammates killed. Is this clear?" He waited for Naruto's nod before taking out his book. They three of them waited in silence the couple of minutes it took for Hikari to come back. She handed him a sheet of paper with an 'Approved' stamped on it to him.
Kakashi eye-smiled at them. "This was your first C-rank. It went outside the set parameters, so I'll go report to Lord Third. You get a free pass. You have tomorrow and the day after to write your report and rest."
As soon as Hikari stepped inside her house, she was pulled into a hug. She wrapped her arms around her dad's torso, closed her eyes, and clung on. She was home.
A hand settled on her braids and stroked, careful not to go down to the bun. Mom must have told him about the barbs.
"Hikari-chan," her dad rumbled, pulling her up and setting her on the couch.
"I'm dirty," she protested.
"I don't care," her dad's arm came around her and settled her at his side before calling out. "Kotone! Hikari-chan is home!"
Hurried footsteps approached. Her mom settled on her other side and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Welcome home, sweetheart."
Hikari relaxed, letting go of the last of the tension. The mission was done and over with.
After a long moment, her mom spoke. "An escort to Waves shouldn't have taken this long. I take it things changed?"
"Things had changed. And they changed again." It struck her then, how much her Team had done. Whether they wanted or not, whatever the mission started out as, however much they could have done better, they had changed an entire Land. It reminded her, "The Kita family may soon find a steady supplier of mangrove palm sap products and agar. I told sensei about the future head's soon to be wife."
"Alright, sweetheart. Thank you for telling us, but we want to hear about you," her mom gently encouraged.
"I'm uninjured. A little shaken. My teammate... he got really hurt. It could... It could have been worse."
Her dad's arm tightened around her. She cuddled closer.
"Is it a permanent injury?" her mom's voice was kind.
"No, the damage has healed."
"Your teammate was hurt," her dad took over. "It could have been worse, but it wasn't. I'm not trying to diminish that he got injured. I'm saying you and your team can get better, can make better choices, can do your best to ensure it never happens again. Take this chance with both hands, Hikari-chan."
She nodded, grateful to be back with her parents. Her dad was the Head of Movement. Kyokuba-dan training was arduous so accidents didn't happen, but some still did. He knew what he was talking about.
"Sweetheart, go take a shower," her mom encouraged. "We'll have lunch ready by the time you're out. And then you need to figure out what to do and catch up."
"What to do?"
"Arata-kun and Shikamaru-kun have formed a personal alliance that resembles friendship. I believe today was the cutoff date for not freaking out, and Arata-kun's job to settle at Itsuki-san's shop while your friend trained."
"They set up shifts for today?" Hikari asked, incredulous.
"They did. Whoever had information first was to inform the other, so Shikamaru-kun will be expecting you later on. You also need to deal with the favors trade. Arata-kun has been calling quite a few of yours for almost two weeks. He said he should be owed reparation for making him worry." Her mom was having fun informing her of this. Singers were scary.
"What?"
"Yes. Also, your performance is in twenty days, counting today. You'll need to clear the day with your sensei."
"What?"
"Up you go, Hikari-chan," her dad laughed at her. "Shower first, then lunch, then talk to your person. You can think about the rest later."
Nara Shikaku glanced up as someone knocked on their front door.
"Hikari-chan!" His wife exclaimed as she gestured the girl in. She was holding a box and had a small backpack on. "Welcome back."
"Thank you, Yoshino-sama. I was hoping I could visit with Shika?" Shikaku snorted quietly. As if there was any doubt of that.
"Of course!"
"Here you go," Hikari added as she handed Yoshino the pastry box. She took it with a thank you.
"Shikamaru, come down! Hikari-chan is here!"
"Shikaku-dono," the girl offered him a warm smile and a wave as he walked closer.
"Hikari-chan. Thank you for your gift."
She smiled wider. "It's mostly mochi, but it also has some dango."
"Ah," he moved closer to the box, following his wife to the kitchen. It'd also give the kids some semblance of privacy, even though they'd be able to hear everything.
"Shika, I - "
A muffled sound, soft greetings exchanged.
Yoshino's mouth turned up. She set the box on the table and went for some plates. Shikaku opened the box, saw some of his wife's favored ichigo daifuku, and stole a stick of dango.
"What went wrong?" his son's voice rang out, cutting to the chase.
Hikari hesitated for a beat. "A magnate with Wave missing nin at his disposal. It started with the Demon Brothers and ended with Momochi Zabuza."
Silence. Yoshino almost dropped the plates. He took them from her and set them while she went for two more.
"The Demon Hidden in the Mist?" Shikamaru's voice was weak as he voiced Shikaku's own question.
"Yes."
"Dad!" Shikamaru called out as he pulled his friend to the kitchen by her hand. "Someone messed up big! They sent Hikari on an A-rank!"
Shikaku took the dango stick from his mouth, decided against telling his son Momochi was S-rank, and gestured for them to sit. They did so, their joined hands on top of the table. That was new, but he couldn't focus on it. Yoshino set the plates in front of them and sat, too. No one reached for the desserts.
"Alright," Shikaku's voice was serious. "Have you given your report yet?"
"No, Kakashi-sensei told us to do a written one, and he'd report directly."
Shikaku didn't frown, but he wanted to. "Tell me everything from your point of view, Hikari-chan," he encouraged. "Start from the beginning and give a picture as clear as you can make it."
The girl nodded and started out. "The mission was to escort a bridge-builder to Waves and protect him while the project was finished." He nodded. He'd checked the mission when the third week passed and she still wasn't back. "The bridge-builder was cagey, but I thought it was because other civilians weren't happy with him. The same day we set out, we were attacked." From the corner of his eye, Shikaku saw Shikamaru's hand tighten around hers. She wiggled it. His son relaxed his grip and shot her a look in apology. Hikari didn't miss a beat.
"Kakashi-sensei later identified them as the Demon Brothers, missing nin from Water. They went for Sensei, who made us believe they'd succeeded. Sasuke pinned their chains. I pulled Naruto out of the way, and we arranged ourselves to protect the client as they broke free. Kakashi-sensei disabled them, tied them up, and questioned the client. He refused to tell us anything. We resumed our journey."
Alright, Shikaku mused, those were chunin level threats. Kakashi had likely seen his team working well together and had decided to go on. No reason to leave a client unsatisfied, even when they were being unreasonable. And Kakashi was one of their best jounin. No reason to think he couldn't deal with any threats that arose on a C-rank.
"On our fifth day, we reached Waves by boat. Sensei demanded answers, saying we'd consider the mission over if Tazuna-san refused. He told us Gato, of Gato Company, had taken control of the shipping routes a year before, and Waves had fallen to poverty. The client threatened Konoha's reputation if Kakashi-sensei refused to continue the mission."
Shikaku's eyes hardened at all the implications in that handful of sentences. Gato Company. Fire had heard some nasty rumors, but they were never confirmed. More importantly, a land had been taken over for a year and no one had noticed. Unacceptable. The mission could have gone to a chunin-only team. And they would have had no chance against someone like Momochi. As it was, a jounin had been put between a rock and a hard place.
"While walking the client to his home, Naruto-kun's instincts kept going off. Momochi Zabuza showed up and mist enveloped us. Sensei had to protect us, and he got caught in a water prison. Zabuza set a water clone on us," Shikamaru's breath hitched. Hikari shifted so she sat closer to him, but kept going. "Naruto-kun used his clones to distract him while he threw me. Sasuke-kun aimed a giant shuriken at the real Zabuza, with Naruto-kun henged as a shadow one. Zabuza avoided both, but let Naruto-kun at his back and got nicked. I dropped down and sliced him with my neko-te. His jutsus dispelled." Shikaku's eyebrows rose. Unconventional, but it had worked, even if it had relied completely on being underestimated. With Kakashi out of the battle, Momochi had likely been enjoying taunting them instead of finishing them off quickly.
"Zabuza and Sensei fought, using the water for their ninjutsu. Sensei had him pinned. A hunter-nin came, put senbon through Zabuza's neck, and went off with the body. Kakashi-sensei collapsed from chakra exhaustion. We went to Tazuna-san's house." Her retelling could do with more details, but it gave him a general idea.
"A hunter-nin?" Shikamaru questioned.
"A fake one, but we didn't know yet. We were wary, so we set up watches and a perimeter of traps." That was smart and showed initiative, even if genin-level traps wouldn't work on any threats above chunin. Still, they'd deter attacks from civilian thugs. "On the seventh day, Kakashi-sensei woke up." Shikaku tensed. Kakashi had been down for most of two days, then. How much had he had to use his Sharingan? "He explained that the fake hunter-nin had put Zabuza into temporary death, which would have made my paralyzing agent linger." Ah, yes. Hikari had managed to pierce skin. Because she had jumped down on an S-level missing nin. "He estimated two weeks of recovery and started to teach us tree walking and how to upgrade our traps."
"On day nineteenth, Zabuza showed up at the bridge with the fake hunter-nin, Haku. I set off the signal for Naruto-kun, who had stayed at the house, to make his way to us. Sasuke-kun and the nin fought. Sasuke-kun was faster, but Haku had a bloodline limit and trapped him inside an ice prison. They were mirrors, too."
"Mirrors, Hikari-chan?" Shikaku interrupted her for the first time.
"Yes. About fourteen of them at ground level, evenly spaced out and forming a circle. Taller and a wider than a person. The second tier held about nine, angled down towards the center. At the top laid another one, like a roof. There was no escaping the structure. The nin could go... into the surfaces. And move between them at the speed of light. It looked like he was in all of them at the same time." His eyebrows rose. Impressive. And very, very concerning. Hikari's tone remained even, but this time it was she who tightened her grip on Shikamaru's hand.
She addressed his son. "Can shadows move as fast as light? Do mirrors cast shadows?"
"Not as fast, not at my level. The other... I don't know. At a certain angle and with no mist, perhaps," he answered.
Shikaku's blood ran cold because this could have been his son. Bad enough that it was Hikari's C-rank. But Team 7 was meant to be a combat team, and had Kakashi as their jounin. Team 10's skill set would have been useless against mist and mirrors, where Ino and Shikamaru's jutsus didn't work well. Chouji was strong, but his techniques required an immobile target. Asuma had been one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, was undoubtedly skilled with his blades. But against someone like Momochi, backed with a bloodline, and with three genin and a client to protect... He didn't like those odds.
"Hikari-chan," Shikaku called her attention back.
"Sorry, Shikaku-dono."
"It's alright, Hikari-chan," Yoshino interrupted. "Take your time, but tell the interaction with as much detail as you can."
"The nin threw senbon from every mirror. Sasuke screamed." Yoshino winced. This wasn't what she'd meant, but it made sense for it to be what had stood out to Hikari and what she remembered most vividly. "Zabuza had Sensei at a standstill, so he couldn't help. I moved the client and myself at an angle and threw a kunai. Haku came out of the mirror and caught it." What an interesting bloodline limit. But why not let the weapon glance off the structure? "Naruto-kun arrived and knocked him down with his own throw. I threw a ribbon at Sasuke-kun. It was long enough for him to have a meter to move."
Three blank gazes met her declaration.
"I've been practicing infusing them with chakra," she explained. Like Asuma's blades, Shikaku ventured. But those were made with chakra-conductive metal. How had Hikari managed to infuse such a delicate fabric? "Never that much of a surface, and they had never been tested out. But senbon aren't heavy, so I thought it could work. It... was the only thing I could think of." Hikari hunched her shoulders, clearly unhappy. She was right to be. You never went into the field without knowing your full arsenal. But her entire team had been unprepared and outclassed. It was a last measure move, and she had known it.
"Haku attacked again. I put chakra into the satin and Sasuke-kun put it in front of him. The senbon glanced off, but it couldn't protect him from all directions. Naruto-kun went inside the prison."
"What?" Shikamaru asked sharply. She continued as if he hadn't spoken.
"Sasuke-kun used the Giant Fireball, but the mirrors held." Alright, so the mirrors couldn't be destroyed easily. "He picked up the ribbon, and I put chakra on the satin again. The hunter nin took his time attacking. It got harder to hold." She glanced up and tried to explain. "The moment it overloads, the ribbon shreds. I didn't have another as long." Her voice took on a tinge of self-recrimination before it went back to neutral.
"It got harder, and I got stuck somewhere around eight meters. Zabuza sent a water clone after me. Haku attacked. The clone attacked. I shredded the ribbon. The mist thickened." The situation had gone from really bad to even worse. Two genin trapped with no protection and no way out. The third protecting the client and facing a clone of one of the deadliest assassins the Bloody Mists had spawned.
"Kakashi-sensei sent two of his ninken to me. One of them and three clones guarded Tazuna-san. Pakkun-sensei," If this were any other time, Shikaku would have been hard-pressed not to smile. He'd met the ninken, and his small figure normally didn't draw immediate respect. "and I drew the Water clone away, with me following his directions and using chakra to enhance my movements. When he said so, we made our way back, using the bridge's underbelly." His son had tensed completely. Shikaku understood. Moving under the bridge was a good move, but how many close calls had she had?
"Then there was something worse than Killing Intent, and I heard the prison break." Shikaku tensed. Something worse than Killing Intent? The Kyubi, his mind whispered. So, this was why Kakashi hadn't dragged them for a verbal report. "The mist cleared. Sensei's ninken held down Zabuza, and Sensei had his hand through Haku's heart and stretched towards the missing nin. I could see Naruto-kun, but not Sasuke-kun."
She swallowed and twisted her wrist. Shikamaru didn't protest and even made to draw back, but she wasn't protesting the hold. She interlaced their fingers instead. Shikaku knew he couldn't tease them for it today. In this moment, it was pure comfort.
"Sensei had Zabuza handled. I left the client with Naruto-kun and went to find Sasuke-kun. No pulse." Yoshino and Shikamaru stiffened. "I pulled out senbon from his arms and legs. Pakkun-sensei couldn't find any vital signs. I didn't think I could harm him further, so I went to pull out one of the senbon in his shoulder. He protested. He was alive." She closed her eyes and got back to her report. "Gato and Zabuza were dead. The thugs made to attack, but fled before the villagers' united front and Kakashi-sensei's clones."
She continued, steadier now that she was done narrating the altercation. "The day after the fight, Sensei handled the foundations of a new trade agreement between Fire and Waves. I suggested sugar and agar." Shikaku made a note of it. After being tricked, the next negotiations were going to be heavily skewed.
"The day after that, I found out Haku had made it inside our perimeter of traps, and my teammates hadn't thought it odd. He was slender, had long hair, and looked like a cute girl." Her voice was completely even, which was a dead-giveaway to those who knew her of her opinion on the matter. "On the twenty-fourth day, the bridge was finished, and Sasuke-kun was well enough for travel. We made our way back. There was no trouble on the roads. We arrived today past midday."
Yoshino got up and made tea for everyone.
Shikaku broke the silence. "You were wrong, Shikamaru." Hikari looked up at that, confused. Shikaku let her hear the steel running through his tone. "It wasn't someone who messed up. It was more than several someones. Hikari-chan," he waited until she looked him in the eyes. "We didn't know of the situation in Waves, which is concerning since there's trade agreements between us. Frankly, the lack of information is more than concerning. We'll have to see what else we have overlooked and find out why."
"Have you and mom had a chance to talk? We will help, if it's information within Fire or in a Land that has a kyokuba-dan standing and allied to us."
"What do you mean, Hikari?" Shikamaru asked. "A kyokuba-dan standing?"
"The Lightning kyokuba-dan is the opposite from Fire's. It has mostly merged with their shinobi and can be vicious. Wind's stands separated, but some members intermingle. They have a reputation for ruthlessness within their own Land. Water's is diminished and mostly underground. Earth's stands strong, but no one knows much since communication is hindered."
"Thank you, Hikari-chan. We haven't had a chance to talk, but I'll make sure we do." He would, especially with the chunin exams nearing. How much were they unaware of? Why and how? Who had slipped up?
"Shikaku-dono, Yoshino-sama, Shika," Hikari started, pulling everyone's attention back to her. "I still have to clear the day with Kakashi-sensei, but barring complications, consider this an invitation from us to the Nara clan." She smiled wide. "It is my pleasure to invite you to Arata and I's coming of age performance, twenty-one days from today."
"Are congratulations in order, Hikari-chan?" Yoshino asked as she placed steaming mugs in front of them.
She shook her head. "In twenty-one days, and only if you deem us worthy of it."
Shikamaru frowned. "In twenty-one days, then."
Hikari beamed.
"In twenty-one days," Shikaku agreed. It should prove to be very, very interesting. He also had no doubt congratulations would be given. "Is everyone in the clan invited?" If not, things could get ugly. Most of the compound had met Hikari, and were curious about the kyokuba-dan. The interest had only heightened after Kei had been allowed to and from. Getting someone to supervise the tumbling lessons had been ridiculously easy. Adults and teenagers were willing to babysit in order to accompany him. Shikaku was sure Abe-san and the other teachers knew they were trusted to spot Kei, but they were willing to indulge his clan's curiosity.
"Yes, but we'd like it if you could give us an estimate of the number as we get closer to the day."
"We'll do so, Hikari-chan. We thank you for the invitation," Yoshino intoned clearly.
She bowed her head in thanks and then refocused of Shikaku, letting go of her cheerfulness.
"Hikari-chan, we're not at war. You and your team made mistakes, but that is expected and even wanted in C-ranks." It wasn't his place to say more, even if he wanted to. She was Kakashi's genin. "You're genin. C-ranks aren't supposed to shove you off the cliff. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
But there was one thing he had to make sure. Chakra infusion could go wrong, especially if it entered untested territory. "I have to ask, Hikari-chan, has Kakashi been helping with the ribbon?"
"Oh," she paused, surprised. Shikaku almost smiled. That surprise told good things about Kakashi. "Yes. He supervised the first attempts. Since I've proven it can be done, I've been using training time to get it better. He told me I could try the handle, but that he'd oversee the first times I tried them together."
"Good." Not completely hands on, but supervising each new step.
"Arata-san showed me a choreography. Is that what you want?" Shikamaru interrupted, sensing the serious discussion was mostly over.
"The general idea, but dad and I have been working of getting rid of the flourishes. It has been difficult, but we think it's progressing well." Shikaku didn't doubt it. She'd said something similar when she'd decided the Academy taijutsu didn't suit her.
"Hikari-chan," Shikaku continued. He'd say this and close the matter. "Your sensei has a veritable arsenal of techniques learned. He is feared by our enemies not only because of his abilities, but because of how he wields them. He's versatile. I'm not surprised he's open to letting you experiment." Kakashi had developed his personal technique when he was twelve, too. Hikari would never have an Uzumaki's chakra reserves, but it would be a mistake to refuse what was becoming more obvious. Kakashi could teach her a great deal of things, because Hikari knew what to ask for and was willing to figure it out if she was pointed the right way. "You have been given a great opportunity. Continue appreciating it, alright?"
"Of course, Shikaku-dono."
Shikamaru stood, swiping a kusamochi on his way up.
"Perhaps when you learn nature transformation, your ribbons can be more than a shield. It'll likely depend on your affinity. I doubt you have Kakashi's."
"Affinity?"
Right, this was no longer covered in the Academy. "Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water. Each person has one that comes easier to them, that resonates with their personalities. Even then, it can take years for them to truly master it."
"Oh." Hazel eyes brimmed with curiosity. "What's Kakashi-sensei's?"
"Lightning."
Hikari's eyes widened. "And yours?"
"Ah. Affinity can be individual or common to a family. Aside from elemental transformations, there's two others. Ying and Yang."
"Nara techniques use Ying," Shikamaru added, gesturing for them to go out to the backyard.
Hikari smiled at them both before standing and following Shikamaru. He and Yoshino traded a long glance. She nodded. He smiled back, grateful. He'd have his hands full figuring out where their information had holes and trying to ensure most of the clan was in Konoha in twenty days.
Shikamaru didn't know whether to be grateful or not that hadn't imagined how wrong Hikari's mission had gone. She settled cross-legged in front of him and put her backpack in front of them.
"I brought you a gift!"
"Oh?" He reached for it, curious and amused. Hikari never wrapped her presents. Ino had once remarked on it, and Hikari had put a bow on her next one. The ones after that were pretty hit or miss. He put his hand in and felt something soft. Threads. He fisted it and drew it up. It was netted in an intricate design and was big. She helped him extend it. A hammock. He groaned, embarrassed but pleased.
"We can set it here, but you'll have to take it down if it rains. It could go in your room, or wherever you want to nap."
"Thank you, Hikari."
She smiled wide, a glint in her eyes. "I'm glad you like it."
"I really do, but it must have been expensive." Without income from commerce, the local prices in Waves must have soared.
"It wasn't."
"I'd like it if I could pay it back," he said, cautious but serious. Hikari loved giving gifts, and inviting him to her compound, and he appreciated it, he did, but he also understood it was a lot. He also wasn't sure about Hikari and money. He knew tickets to see kyokuba-dan shows were very expensive. Her family was wealthy. But inside her compound, deals weren't made with money, and he had rarely seen her spend it. It was probably because she disliked most of the snacks that he and Chouji bought, but… there was no way he could stop her from trading favors to invite him in. He could give her this. "Please."
She tilted her head to the side. "You want to give me the money I gave to the artist?"
"Yes."
"That's the deal?"
He straightened and thought it over. "I'll give you the money you gave for the hammock, either to the artist, the shopkeeper, or whoever sold it or handed it to you." There, that should cover all his bases.
"And you'll accept the hammock. No take-backs?"
"No take-backs," he agreed.
"Alright," she said and smiled, sharper than before.
Shikamaru knew he had done something wrong, but he had to try. "So? How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing!" She laughed. "It was gifted to me, and I promise I never gave any money for it."
He groaned and let himself fall back so he stared up at the sky, a hand still holding the woven fabric.
She laughed harder.