Hello there! I am back! And once more I come with a massive chapter! I know that it has been a while since this story was updated. And that's because I was waiting for the chapter last week to drop before writing this chapter. I thank you all for your concerns about me and the story, and no, it's not abandoned. I love writing for this story way too much lol.
Anyways, with that out of the way. I'll say this now. Updates for this story will slow down, like max two chapters a month, and before you all get your pitchforks out, it's because I want Manga to advance further enough and finish so I can have a clear vision of how I want this story to end in my own way and the best way for that to happen is to see how the Manga will end, which isn't that far off honestly.
The second reason is that I got a promotion, so I'll be moving states and thus will naturally have less time to work on it. But the trade-off is that I can write massive chapters like this one, so I consider it a win-win. Plus, I need to start focusing on my other stories.
Also, I saw that many of you were concerned about the whole Minato and Kana situation. Don't worry. There is a plan in place to develop their relationship. This chapter will explore just that. She isn't going to suddenly start going out with him because he is Aqua's brother. Kana as a person does not understand the concept of friendships or even relationships on a personal matter.
Her childhood was mostly dedicated by her mother and her own arrogance prevented her from making friends. Like how Akane as a child tried to approach her, but Kana laughed her off. So don't worry, Minato and Kana's relationship will take time to develop.
Anyways, I got some surprises for you in this chapter! The next chapter will most likely be put out in mid to late August next month since I'll be moving soon! As always, thanks to my Beta writer/reader altajir95 for putting up with my antics lol. Anyways, enjoy.
Kana didn't want to be here; she didn't want to be anywhere. She wanted to just go back home, crawl into her bed and cry. The only boy she had ever felt anything for was out of her reach because he liked another girl. It was a gut-punching reality check. The fact that Aqua never liked her in such a way, the fact that her feelings were one-sided.
"Are you ok, Kana-san?" She blinked as she looked up from her food, she had barely touched it. Looking up she saw Minato across from her, looking at her with concern. She cracked a smile, but Minato could tell that it was fake.
"I'm fine." She answered. She wasn't fine. She wanted to scream, she wanted to lash out. But she couldn't. She was never the type to do that. She always held her emotions inside, after all, what good would it do? Her mother had always told her to be the perfect nice girl, to smile no matter what.
"You don't look fine." Minato countered as her hands balled into fists. Why must he be so insistent? Did he not know? Impossible. Aqua was his brother and with the way the two were, no way they didn't tell each other things like that.
"Minato… have you ever liked someone that never liked you?" She questioned him flatly. She was never the one to beat around the bush. It was one of the qualities that Minato liked about her.
"I… guess you could say that…" Minato answered with a slight smile. Kana hummed as she rested her face on her hand, the elbow on the table.
"Then… how would you feel seeing that person proclaim their love to another?" She questioned him, taking him by surprise.
"Kana-san likes Nii-sama, Nii-sama likes Akane-san, and Akane-san likes Nii-sama." Minato thought, his head already connecting the dots. Today, something happened on the show regarding Akane and Aqua, causing Kana to act like this.
"I'd be crushed." He answered truthfully. Whenever he saw Kana admiring and looking at his older brother, he felt like someone was stabbing his heart repeatedly. Kana chuckled in response as she lazily played with her food.
"And that's how I feel." She answered, her voice dull, her expression downtrodden. She felt defeated, she looked defeated. And the worst part was she never even got her shot. Why. Why can't things for once go her way?!
"Minato… am I not pretty?" She asked him out of the blue causing him to spit out his drink. He blushed at the question. How could he tell her she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen? Kana seeing his lack of response sighed.
"Well, who am I kidding? I'm a teenager who looks like a freaking kid. I don't have the appeal like Ruby or even Sapphire, and the latter is younger than me." Kana lamented. A failed child actor and a petite figure to boot. There was never a chance that Aqua could ever like her, he was out of her league. She was just another washed-up actor that –
"I think your pretty cute, Kana-san." She was broken out of her thoughts as she heard Minato's answer, her eyes widened ever so slightly before she cracked a small smile. Right, Minato. The ever-polite and formal Minato. She had never heard him bad-mouth anyone, so why would he say anything but that?
"You're just saying that to be nice." She pointed out almost bitterly, but Minato shook his head.
"No, I really do think you are. I actually find your red hair and eyes to be quite b-beautiful." Minato blushed slightly as he complimented Kana, who in turn blinked her eyes before she broke out in a fit of giggles while Minato's blush increased. He was just saying what he thought was true. In his opinion anyways.
"You know, you're the first person to compliment my hair or my eyes. Typically, people find them to be too foreign." Kana commented as Minato slightly frowned. He could relate to that. His own blond hair was the source of much discrimination from his peers who thought he dyed it, despite it being his natural hair color.
"Ah well, guess I should just quit now while I am at it. I couldn't even be a real actor, let alone an Idol." She waved her hands dismissively. Aqua was the only thing that had kept her going. She saw being an Idol as a way to get closer to Aqua, but she was wrong.
"Don't quit." Minato spoke up suddenly as she looked at him.
"Why?" Her voice was hushed, but he could hear the desperation in it. She wanted to know, she wanted to know the reason why she shouldn't. Minato smiled at her.
"Because… I really think that you'd make a great Idol, Kana-san. You might not consider it, but you are cute." He stated as she shook her head.
"You're just saying that, so Ruby doesn't have to go look for another member and start over." She spoke, frowning at him. However, Minato shook his head.
"I'd never do that. While I love my Nee-sama, I'd never use anyone in such a way for her sake. And I'm sure Nee-sama wouldn't like that as well." He countered as Kana grew silent at that. Seeing her silence, he continued.
"Kana-san, growing up I never really had any friends. I consider you as my first real friend. We are friends… right?" Minato questioned as he tilted his head slightly, his hand extended outwards her. Kana looked at his hand.
"Growing up, I never had friends of my own… My mother was always forcing me to take one job after another… I never really got the chance to have any friends…" She thought to herself as she looked down sadly. Aqua was the first person she considered a friend and someone she had developed feelings for.
"I… I don't know much about being a friend…" She muttered, embarrassed that something as simple as friendship was such a foreign concept for her. Minato smiled slightly as he raised his hand slightly.
"Then… why don't we learn together what it means to be friends?" He questioned her causing her eyes to widen slightly before she closed it and raised her own hand and clasped it around his.
"I'd like that." She answered, initiating the start of a beautiful friendship between the two.
Uzumaki Household:
Aqua sighed as he made his way back home. It had been an exhausting long day and after Mem-Cho's excitement of meeting his mother and being an Idol, he was positively tired.
"I'm home." He announced as he reached down to take off his shoes. As he took them off and straightened back up he almost jumped backward as he saw his mother staring at him, a massive grin plastered on her face.
"So… when are you bringing your not-my-girlfriend over for dinner?" Ai questioned, wiggling her eyebrows as Aqua blushed and looked away. Must she really tease him like this?
"Ai-chan, let Aqua rest. He just got home, and he had a long day." His father came to his defense as Ai turned around and pouted at Naruto, her arms crossed.
"But Naru-kun! I want to meet my future daughter-in-law!" She whined. Aqua's blush only increased at that while Naruto just shook his head.
"They haven't even gone on their first date yet and you're already considering her as a daughter-in-law?" Naruto questioned. Ai giggled as she nodded furiously.
"But she is! Did you see how she imitated me?! She looked better than even me!" Ai pointed out as Naruto nodded at that. That Akane girl really nailed Ai's character and how she behaved. Naruto blinked as a mischievous idea came to his head and he walked over to her and leaned down next to her ear.
"Well, she didn't get all of you down." Naruto whispered hotly causing her to shiver and blush.
"That's because that side of me is only for you." She whispered back causing him to chuckle. Aqua sweat dropped at the two.
"How is it that every situation around these two devolves into them flirting with each other? And with no shame whatsoever…" Aqua thought with a blank face. He used the opportunity and slipped past his parents and headed up to his room. Hopefully, with this distraction, his mother wouldn't –
"And you better use protection until you're eighteen!" His mother shouted causing him to almost trip.
"Ai! He's only sixteen!" Naruto yelled at her as she raised an eyebrow.
"Are you forgetting that I was sixteen when I had the twins?" She questioned him as Naruto stopped and nodded at that.
"Good point, your mother's right!" Naruto shouted as well causing Aqua's eye to twitch. Those two did know how to either tease or traumatize their children.
Strawberry Productions:
Day later, Aqua sighed as Mem-Cho sat stiffly in her spot on the couch while Miyako flipped through some paperwork.
"You wanna come to work for me as a scout, Aqua?" Miyako questioned him as Aqua shrugged and shook his head.
"No thanks, I'm not too big into scouting people." He responded to which she chuckled.
"And yet you brought Kana and now are intent on bringing in Mem." Miyako pointed out.
"I didn't scout them out; I met Kana at my school, and Mem-Cho at work. Call it a coincidence." He stated as Miyako sighed before turning her attention back to the girl.
"A popular YouTuber and influencer, Mem. I must say though, I'm surprised that you are interested in even becoming an Idol. You have 370,000 subscribers on your YouTube Channel and 638,000 followers on TikTok. It seems you're quite popular online." Miyako listed off. "To start with, what agency are you affiliated with?"
"I'm operating as an independent streamer; I do work with an agency called FARM. But I'm not directly signed with them; rather, we're business partners. I'm free to take on other work under my contract with them." Mem-Cho answered truthfully. Yes, she was affiliated with an agency, but with her work being mostly self-made and published, she had a lot more freedom and free reign than most people who had channels similar to her size.
"If that's the case, then Strawberry Productions would have no trouble acquiring your services for our idol group. We manage a lot of internet-based talent, so we have experience in that aspect. However,… the look on your face tells me you want to tell me something?" Miyako questioned with a raised eyebrow. Having worked with Ai, and having helped raise the children, i.e., babysitting them, she had become pretty good at picking up the fact when someone was lying or trying to hide the truth.
"Uh, well, you see…" Mem-Cho started, trying to find the right words, but couldn't. She was now sweating bullets. It was her chance at being an Idol, at finally being able to follow her dream! But… would she live with her knowing that she lied to get to it? No. She wouldn't. She had too much respect for Idols to do that.
"Well, that's simple Miyako, she's faking her age." Mem-Cho's eyes widened. That voice. She knew that voice very well; after all, that was the voice of her favorite Idol! Turning to her left her jaw dropped. There, in the flesh, was Ai, the Ai. Mem-Cho did the only thing she could do; fainted. Aqua and Miyako gave Ai a blank look, who only giggled at the reaction.
"I already figured she was lying about her age, it's a pretty common thing to do in this industry. Despite her physique, no way she was going to fool me." Miyako chuckled slightly while Ai hummed at that.
"And she's a lot older than she appears." Ai chimed in as Aqua raised an eyebrow. It seems like his mother knew something that he didn't. He didn't realize that Mem-Cho was lying about her age at all! He broke out of his thoughts as Mem-Cho finally returned to the land of the living.
"Aqu-tan, I just had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that Ai Uzumaki was right here!" Mem-Cho stated to which Aqua pointed to his left. Mem-Cho followed and once again was shocked to find that her dream wasn't a dream.
"A-A-Ai Uzumaki!" Mem-Cho shouted as she pointed at the woman, who raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"Yes, that is me," Ai responded as Mem-Cho quickly approached her and bowed.
"It is an honor to meet you in person, Ai-san! I'm your biggest fan!" Mem-Cho exclaimed as she looked at Ai, stars in her eyes as she gushed over finally meeting her idol. Ai looked at her in amusement.
"I must say, you have grown since the last time I saw you at one of my concerts," Ai commented as Mem-Cho blinked at that. Wait, she remembered?!
"You remember me?!" She shouted in surprise. How? She was but a child back then in a sea of people! How did Ai remember her? Ai smirked as she pointed at her devil-like horns that Mem-Cho wore all the time.
"Well, it's pretty hard to forget a young girl that wore devil-like horns and looked like a cat screaming and jumping during the concert," Ai answered with a giggle. Yes, she remembered this girl. She stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of generic fans. Mem-Cho was baffled. To learn that Ai remembered her after all these years…
"I'm twenty-five." She blurted out catching both Aqua and Miyako by surprise. The fact that she not only said how old she was truly but also the confidence behind it…
"Oi Oi, you went on a high school show claiming you were eighteen?! Is something wrong with you?!" Aqua chastised. If people found out about that, things would not end well for her.
"Aqua." He flinched at that. His mother and father rarely took a stern tone with them, but when they did they let it known, and right now looking at his mother's face she was taking a stern tone with him.
"People have their reasons as to why they do things. I'm sure Mem did what she did for a reason." Ai sympathized with the girl, who looked at her in utter shock once more. To have the Ai come to her defense…
"Right, Mem?" Ai questioned her as she looked away, a sad smile forming on her face.
"I always wanted to be an Idol, it was my dream, you know? But my mother is a single parent, and I have two younger brothers. I wanted to work for my family, so that I could send my brothers to college, but my mother wanted me to follow my dream." She started with a smile on her face. Her mother had never forced her to do anything she didn't want to do. She was a loving mother who wanted to take care of her children.
"So, I applied for auditions, and I even made it to the last round of a major company! But, when I was in my third year of high school, my mother was hospitalized due to overworking herself. With her hospitalized, and with no income, I dropped out of school, turned the audition down, and went straight to work. I… I never wanted to see my mother in that position again. So I worked part-time jobs to earn money, which enabled me to send my younger brothers to college, and my mother recovered too. But…" She trailed off. Time had flown by her in the blink of an eye.
"You aged," Ai stated causing Mem-Cho to nod.
"I was twenty-three by then. And in this industry, girls over twenty are old ladies. When it finally came time to pursue my dream, I had become too old. And with never having finished high school, and nowhere else to go, I turned towards streaming. I acted like a high schooler, and it garnered a lot of subscribers and views! And before I knew it, I had crossed the line of no return." She reasoned before she chuckled, it was a sad chuckle.
"But I guess it's no good, is it? Who'd want a twenty-five-year-old girl to be an Idol? It'll cause all sorts of trouble if I'm found out, won't it? I guess it was hopeless after all." Mem-Cho said sadly. How cruel was life that she'd never get to pursue her dream? Maybe in another life, she could have been an Idol. Before her thoughts could continue any future, she felt herself being pulled into a hug.
"That's not true, Mem. Being an Idol has nothing to do with age. After all, I managed to be an Idol for three years with Aqua and Ruby, so who's to tell you that you can't be an Idol?" It was Ai who had hugged her and said those words, to which Mem-Cho's eyes widened.
"You're a strong girl, Mem. Very few people would do what you did. Put your own life on hold, looking after your brothers, and your mother? It takes someone of an extremely kind and gentle heart to do so. To me, you're already an Idol." Ai proclaimed as Mem-Cho felt her throat dry up, her eye's growing wet. To hear those words from someone she looked up to…
"Yeah! Mama is right! I think Mem-Cho would make a great Idol! And as she said, being an Idol has nothing to do with age! Right, Kana?" It was Ruby who had burst in as she walked over to Mem-Cho had patted her on the back. She was happy to know that someone wanted to be an Idol as bad as her and that she wouldn't let her age stop her. Kana followed in after, but threw a glance at Aqua, feeling her own heart churn at that. She still felt heartbroken, as if she had been betrayed.
"Because… I think that you'd make a great Idol, Kana-san." Minato's words echoed in her head. He believed in her, Ruby believed in her, and so did Miyako, Ai, and Sapphire, and she was sure even Aqua did. She wouldn't quit. No, she'd look out for her group, no matter what. She would be an Idol.
"People used to talk about my age before as well, so I understand how you feel, Mem-Cho." Kana sympathized. When she was young, everyone raved about her and now that she was older they called her washout, no longer the star she once was.
"Kana…" Ruby muttered. She didn't know much about Kana's history, but as she worked with the girl she began to understand Kana a little more day by day. And the more she learned, the more she realized that Kana never had a normal childhood.
"My company fired me the second I entered high school. To them I had become too old, so I understand. Miyako-san! You must let Mem-Cho join!" Kana said adamantly to which Ruby joined in and nodded. The two were resolute and determined. It wouldn't be fair to give Mem-Cho a shot.
"Me three!" Ai chimed in as well happily. Mem-Cho was a sweet girl who never got her shot and now she would make sure she did.
"Everyone…" Mem-Cho muttered. She thought that they'd say no, and that would be the end of it, but instead, they were vouching for her. She felt… incredibly happy to know that people were willing to stick their necks out for her. Up until this moment, she had stood alone.
"You know, while you three's opinions are fine and all, I was never going to turn her down," Miyako stated with a sweat drop. It seemed that Ai's flare for the dramatic was rubbing off on not only Ruby but Kana as well. The trio broke out in celebration at that while Mem-Cho was still in shock. She was going to be an Idol. Her dream could, no, would become a reality!
"Seriously, you three can be a handful at times," Aqua commented as his mother and sister blew him raspberries. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Kana.
"Kana, please look after Ruby and Mem." He asked of her but was surprised by her sharp glare directed at him. Did he do something wrong?
"I don't need you to tell me what to do. I'll take care of this group without your concern." She replied coldly, taking him by complete surprise. He knew that she could be foul-mouthed at times, but she had never talked to him in such a manner.
"Did I do something to piss her off?" He questioned to himself, trying to figure out why she might be so angry, but came up blank.
"Why don't we go get dinner?!" Kana's personality did a one-eighty as she smiled at her group. A group dinner always tended to bring the group closer.
"Yeah!" Ruby agreed. She was always up for good food!
"I have a better idea, why don't you two come over for dinner tonight?" Ai offered as Kana agreed while Mem-Cho, for a second time in a day, fainted. Dinner at Uzumaki's? And food made by Ai no less? She could die happily now. He broke out of his thoughts when he felt his phone buzz. Fishing it from his pocket, he pulled it up to see who was calling him.
"Kaburagi." He thought before he excused himself. Seems like Minato's findings were going live. Heading out to the balcony, he accepted the call.
"You wouldn't happen to know who is behind these slanderous posts, would you?" Kaburagi questioned. Aqua almost cracked a smile at that. The man didn't waste any time and went straight to the point.
"Slanderous posts? What are you talking about?" Aqua feigned ignorance.
"Don't play dumb with me. After that video you released, surely you must know something about this?" Kaburagi pressed on, but Aqua shook his head.
"I told you before, everything in that video was legal and no contracts were violated. As for these posts, I have no idea what you are talking about." Aqua reaffirmed. Kaburagi couldn't do a thing, legally speaking, against him, Strawberry Productions, or any of the other cast members.
"You're telling me you have no information or had any hand in the release of LoveNow's Director's personal information leak, along with the various other crew members?" Kaburagi questioned as Aqua shrugged his shoulder. Oh, he had a part in it, but that was all Minato's work.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, to begin with. What kind of information was leaked?" Aqua questioned him, curious as to what his brother had found. Sure, he could go to the internet and find out, but he wanted to hear it from Kaburagi. The line went silent before Kaburagi sighed.
"The director had a… thing… for young high school girls. And his crew wasn't immune to that. He's been terminated without question, along with a majority of the crews that were aware but didn't say a thing. I'm sure several lawsuits will follow." Kaburagi elaborated causing Aqua to almost gag. He figured that sexual harassment was an element within this industry, but this was just sick.
"Not to mention all of his more private information was also leaked. His address, his bank account information, all of his private files, chat logs, etc. His days working in the industry are over. No respectable company will hire someone with that kind of stain on their character." Kaburagi grunted at the last bit. Aqua knew why he sounded frustrated. Not only was the man working for Kaburagi, but they had allowed him access to minors no less. Anything he said and did reflects the company he worked for.
"I see. Would that be all?" Aqua questioned as Kaburagi sighed.
"I may not have proof or evidence that you were behind this, but don't do something too reckless again." With that Kaburagi ended the call as Aqua chuckled a bit. Kaburagi couldn't do a damn thing to him or anyone. He had no proof and Minato covered his tracks.
"I think it's a safe bet that LoveNow is going to be canceled for the foreseeable future." He muttered to himself. With its director ousted, possibly facing arrest, and the crew out of work, it would take time for LoveNow to reboot.
"No wonder Minato looked pissed. He didn't hold back. This practically amounts to social execution." Yes, Minato had just ruined the life of many people, but if they were guilty of their actions, then they had it coming.
"I wonder what he is doing right now," Aqua questioned himself, wondering what his brother was up to.
Uzumaki Household:
"And let me drain these accounts really quick." Minato hummed to himself in his room as he withdrew all funds from the director's personal banks, along with the crews.
"And let's throw them in here." He continued typing and clicking, sending small amounts into various off-short accounts located in the Caribbean that was known for their lax laws. He knew that what he was doing was highly illegal. Money laundering was a big crime, added to theft? He'd be facing a long jail time.
"Once these clear, I'll donate all the money to charity," Minato said to himself. Apparently, that shroud director had been the cause of four other young actors and actresses death in the past seasons. While he didn't actively seek to kill them, his role in pushing the narrative in a certain direction, subtly painting some of the actors in bad faith had led to at least four of them taking their own lives, and Akane would have been a recent casualty. And the fact that the man was a sexual predator? No way was Minato going to let him off easily.
"He's going to rue the day that he crossed my path." Minato chuckled darkly to himself with stars in his eyes glowing black. Sure, that director had never met or seen his face, but he had crossed Minato via Aqua and Akane.
Tokyo:
Sapphire hummed as she made her way back home. The sun had begun to set as she finished up her club activities, which she had begun to find boring as the days went on. Ever since she had found out about Chakra, why she was as strong as she was, beating her opponents was child's play for her. Once the seal had fully come off, and found her Chakra, she had become even stronger physically. Her speed, reflexes, awareness, stamina, etc., had all increased tenfold. It was like getting a power-up in an anime!
"Damn, all my opponents are weak!" She lamented to herself with a huff. There was only one person who was stronger than her, her father. And there was only one other person who could also be as strong as her, her younger brother. But Minato was content with learning about seals rather than the more physical aspect of fighting. That is what Sapphire loved to do, to fight. She wanted to be strong, no; she wanted to be the strongest, in order to protect her family.
"P-Please let me go!" Sapphire stopped as she turned left and saw a gang of thugs surrounding a lone woman.
"Come on pretty lady, why don't you come out and hang with us?" One of the thugs asked her with a grin, a bad kind. Sapphire narrowed her eyes as she walked toward them.
"P-Please, I just want to go home." The woman begged but the gang of the thugs just merely chuckled as they tried to lay hands on her.
"Didn't you hear her? She doesn't want to hang out with thugs like you." Sapphire spoke coolly as she crossed her arms over her chest, drawing the thugs and the woman's attention.
"Wow boss, look at that bombshell!" One of the thugs whispered to his boss as he nodded. Forget about the woman they were hackling; this one looked even sexier! Sapphire's eyebrow twitched at that. Having excellent hearing was also a thing she began to develop lately. The woman they had cornered took her chance and ran. Sapphire took note of that and nodded to herself. Good, she wouldn't have to hold back as much.
"Why don't you come with us, and we'll show you a good time?" The 'boss' of the group offered as he invaded her personal space. Sapphire made the first move as she cocked back her arm and in a switch motion launched it forward. The fist landed on the man's gut and sent the man launching down the alley before he hit the wall.
"Boss!" One of the thugs shouted.
"Why you little bitch! You're gonna regret that!" Another thug shouted as they began to surround her, ready to fight. Sapphire frowned at that. Their forms were sloppy, but what could she expect from thugs? With a sigh, she slid into a boxer's stance. A thug on her right charged at her with a sloppy right hook, but she dodged by ducking down right before she delivered two brutal punches to the man's left side.
"Gah!" The thug shouted as the breaking of bones could be heard. He fell to the ground and withered in his own pain. Her ribs on the left side had been utterly crushed, his left lung had ruptured, and she was sure that she had damaged his other organs as well.
"Damn you!" Another thug tried to get her in the back, but she swiftly turned around and delivered four consecutive punches, two to the man's face, and two to his chest. The first two had broken his nose; the second had broken his jaw along with the majority of his teeth. The last two cracked his ribcage and no doubt damaged his organs. She turned her attention to the last thug standing, who was now shaking in his boots. She took a step towards him causing him to fall back and push himself away from her.
"M-M-Monster!" He shouted in absolute shock and fear. She had utterly dominated his boss and two compatriots without breaking as much as a sweet. Sapphire stopped as she looked at him with contempt.
"Better go find help for your scumbag friends; otherwise, they won't make it through the night." She spoke before she turned and left heading back home paying no mind to the three thugs on the ground rolling in pain.
"Serves them right." She thought to herself. Her father always told her to help those in need and today she saw someone that needed help and she helped them.
Uzumaki Household:
A few minutes later after beating up the gang, Sapphire returned home, and she entered the house.
"I'm home!" Sapphire announced her arrival at home and took off her shoes, as her mother rounded the hallway from the kitchen. She was about to greet her daughter when she quickly ran over to her.
"Sapphire, are you ok?!" Her mother questioned her frantically as she looked over her daughter, much to Sapphire's confusion.
"Uh, mama, why are you so worried?" Sapphire questioned her. Ai stopped as she took hold of her daughter's hand and lifted it up for her to see.
"Your hands are covered in blood!" Ai explained as Sapphire blinked before she chuckled sheepishly.
"Uh… it's not mine." She tried to explain as her mother frowned.
"Young lady, did you get into a fight again?" She questioned her daughter who shrank a bit. None of the Uzumaki children liked to see their mother angry, more so for Sapphire who never wanted to disappoint her mother.
"B-But mama. Some thugs were trying to take advantage of a girl! I couldn't just stand there and watch when I knew I could do something! Papa has always taught me to help someone in need!" She defended herself as Ai's features soften before she sighed and lightly bonked her daughter on the head.
"Just like your father, always rushing in headfirst." Ai started causing Sapphire to pout before her mother smiled and ruffled her hair.
"But I'm proud of you. If you defended someone, then I have no reason to be mad at you." She added causing Sapphire to smile brightly, happy that her mother was proud of her.
"Now go clean your hands, I don't want blood on my dinner table." Her mother stated. Sapphire nodded and quickly ran upstairs to her room. If Sapphire wanted to make a list of things she liked, she'd put her mother's cooking as one of the top five things.
"What was that all about?" Naruto chimed in as he walked over into the hallway. Ai gave him a smile causing him to blink.
"Your daughter just saved someone." She answered as Naruto hummed at that.
"Seems like all our kids are saving someone these days," Naruto said with a chuckle as Ai joined in.
"Then you taught them well." Ai pointed out as Naruto sighed.
"So did you." He added as she tilted her head at that.
"Me? But you're the one who trained them." She spoke as Naruto shook his head and walked over to her.
"You taught them love and compassion." He stated as she blushed at that. Even to this day, he'd say things that would catch her off-guard.
"B-Baka! Don't say things like that!" She chastised him weakly as Naruto chuckled before he gave her a quick kiss.
"No." He answered causing her to pout and cross her arms. Seeing this Naruto gently pulled her into a gentle hug.
"You know, when I met my mother for the first and the very last time, do you know what she told me?" Naruto questioned her as she shook her head in his chest. She'd met Naruto's parents once and she could say for sure that they loved their son.
"She told me that for a Jinchūriki to counter hate, they need to fill their life with love. For my mother, it was my father. For me, it was the knowledge that they loved me so much that they died for me that was enough for a long time, but now it's you, Ai. You are what my father was to my mother. You, the children, and this family we have created. Every one of you means the world to me. So, never doubt that you had no part in shaping our children." He whispered into her ears as she melted into his hug and smiled.
"There you go saying such embarrassing things." She half-heartedly said, but Naruto just chuckled knowing that she loved it. While Ai did have a perverted side in bed, being flattered with romantic words from the heart still left her blushing. She wiggled her way out and spun around him and blew him a raspberry.
"I better go prepare dinner; we have guests over Naru-kun, so behave!" She ordered as Naruto gave her a one-handed salute.
"By your command, my lady." He replied causing her to giggle before she headed off to the kitchen.
Later that night:
"I'd rather fight Madara and Kaguya back-to-back than this…" Naruto thought to himself as he looked around the table. Ai had invited Ruby's Idol group's newest member, Mem-Cho if he recalled her name. She's… interesting type. Whereas Kana was serious and blunt and Ruby was cheerful and optimistic, Mem-Cho was in-between the two.
"That's to be expected. She is a lot older than the two." He reasoned. With age came maturity and no doubt that Mem-Cho was far more mature under that façade she put up. Not that he thought it was fake mind you. Mem-Cho genuinely felt like the bubbly type.
"And then there's the other issue…" He turned his attention to the other guest, Akane. Well, now she was Aqua's girlfriend and Ai was wasting no time in teasing to two.
"I loved how you managed to pull off my looks!" She praised Akane, who chuckled sheepishly, not sure how to react. Ai grinned mischievously as she employed Aqua a bit.
"You know, typically they say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I think with Aqua being a 'mommies' boy' you did well to get his attention." She reasoned as Aqua almost choked on his water.
"Kaa-san!" Aqua shouted at her to which she giggled.
"What? It's true! Your my little baby boy and you have always preferred me over your father." Ai pointed out as Aqua blushed in embarrassment as he brought his head into his hands.
"Wow! Aqua-nii is a mommy's boy?!" Sapphire exclaimed in surprise, not aware of this. Aqua threw her a light glare.
"Not like you have any room to say anything, you and Ruby are daddy's little girls!" Aqua pointed out as Ruby huffed at that.
"And?" Ruby questioned him, her arms crossed as she glared at him. She loved her papa and she wouldn't deny that. Aqua grumbled at how unfair it was that he was the only one embarrassed by it.
"What about you, Minato?" Kana whispered to Minato who just smiled at the events playing out.
"Hmm? Well, I guess I'm neither. I love and respect both of my parents." He responded causing her to sweat drop. Yeah, that's about what she expected.
"Wow, Aqu-tan, your little sister is so cute! She's like a mini-Ai-san!" Mem-Cho gushed over the girl, who blushed at being compared to her mother.
"I-I'm not that beautiful!" Sapphire tried to dismiss such a claim. Many times, people that saw her only saw her as a younger Ai. While she blushed at the comparison, she wasn't her mother. She was her own person and that's how she wanted to be viewed as. It's one of the reasons why she was so attached to her papa. He always saw her as Sapphire.
"Not that beautiful?! Look at you! You're practically a Greek goddess! And you're super strong too!" Mem-Cho stated. She should know. When Mem-Cho first arrived, the girl had given her a bone-crushing hug; something she was not expecting from a girl of her size and stature, but upon closer inspection Mem-Cho realized that Sapphire had muscles.
"She thinks I'm super strong?" Sapphire thought to herself. She could tell that Mem-Cho meant it as a complement; after all, all her life people other than her family told her that she was a freak with freakish strength. Other than Kana, Mem-Cho was the only other person to say that as a complement. She felt… happy.
"My little spitfire has always confidence issues, so please take care of her, Mem!" Ai chimed in as she wrapped her daughter in a hug but to Sapphire's embarrassment.
"Kaa-san, stop embarrassing all your kids," Aqua spoke up again, his eye twitching, but Ai shook her head.
"Why wouldn't I embarrass my little babies?" She questioned him while Naruto sighed.
"Dear, please don't embarrass our children." Naruto came to Aqua's defense. Ai turned to him and gasped.
"Betrayal!" She said dramatically while Naruto gave her a flat look.
"Didn't she tell me to behave a while ago?" Naruto thought to himself. Ai was truly the eccentric type, and, in a way, it was calming for him. He could watch her do her antics all day and be amused every single time. As the group had their dinner and antics, Kana and Akane were fighting a mental war.
"I won't give up to… to… her for all people!" Kana grinded her teeth. Oh, she remembered Akane now. She remembered how the wannabe tried to come up and tried to outshine her!
"Keep calm. I'm over at Aqua-kun's parents' and having dinner with his family." Akane thought as she shot Kana a glare, fire in her eyes. The two locked eyesight sparks could be seen flying. Akane at one point in her life idolized Kana, she wanted to be like Kana, but the said girl shot her offer of friendship down. Akane wasn't the one to hold grudges, but Kana really rubbed her the wrong way.
For Kana, the girl was now a rival. LoveNow's director and crew's reputation might be in the gutter, but the stars were still popular and Akane had been tied in popularity with Yuki. Someone like that was dangerous. She wouldn't lose. She might have lost Aqua, but she would try her hardest to win him over. Akane saw the way she looked at Aqua and frowned.
"He's mine!" She shouted mentally as her hands balled into fists. Kana had everything in life, she had fame, beauty, and glory. She only had herself, her mother, and her work. She had tried her hardest to shine as bright as Kana for even the briefest of seconds and while she didn't know if she could, she could say one thing for certain, she was happy. Happy that she had fallen for Aqua, happy that he was the one to ask her out. To her, she felt like no matter what so long as she was with him everything would be alright.
"You ok, Akane?" Aqua's voice broke her out of her thoughts as she turned to look at him. To most, his face didn't look any different, but she could see the small features. His mouth was in a slight frown. His eyes held a concern directed at her. He might not look like it, but he did show concern in his own way. She was about to respond before she got an idea, a bold idea. Having made up her mind, she leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before she pulled back and smiled.
"I'm fine." She answered, enjoying the stupefied look on his face. He was caught totally off guard. She threw a glance at Kana and smirked slightly as the redhead was now looking ready to commit murder.
"Oh ho. How daring." Ai commented as everyone had seen the intimate interaction between the two.
"I approve, baka-nii!" Ruby gave him thumbs-up while insulting him slightly. Her first choice was Yuki, but Akane was pretty nice too. In a way, she did remind Ruby of her own mother.
"KAWAII!" Sapphire and Mem-Cho shouted at the scene. Out of them all, Minato was the only one to give Kana a concerned look. He knew that she had feelings for Aqua. And while she had somewhat cooled off from her earlier state, it was understandable that she would react in such a way.
"Kana-san, are you ok?" Minato whispered to her as she snapped her head towards him, her eye still burning with rage. Minato slightly recoiled at that before he smiled at her. She was hurting, he knew that. And as a friend, he wouldn't abandon her. Kana saw him recoil before she slowly took in a deep breath and calmed herself. She had almost snapped on Minato, her first real friend and someone who hadn't done anything to incur her wrath.
"I'm sorry." She muttered an apology as the boy shook his head.
"No, there is nothing to apologize for." He responded as she smiled slightly, having cooled down a bit. To her, it seemed like Minato didn't have a single mean bone in his body.
"Thank you." She muttered once more as Minato nodded. While this was happening, Naruto was keenly observing the events on both ends of the table.
"Wait a minute… Aqua is dating Akane, Kana is definitely jealous of Akane… wait wait wait, does that mean Kana likes Aqua?! How could I have been so blind?!" Naruto shouted mentally as he felt to urge to hit his head over and over again against the table. How could he not see this?!
"Oh god, this is like when I was chasing after Sakura, and she was chasing after Sasuke and… oh shit, I completely forgot about Hinata!" Naruto thought as he facepalmed himself. How could he have been so oblivious?! He sighed as he shook his head. Not like it mattered now. He was sure that everyone had turned to Chakra long ago unless Kakashi and Sakura found a way to release them.
"Naru-kun?" He heard Ai call out as he looked at her. She was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he did what he did.
"I'll tell you some other day." He answered. While he had shared many things about his past with her, him chasing after Sakura was not one of them. With another sigh, he smiled and looked around the table. He was glad that his children were finally making friends.
"The twins have always been so guarded since that day, and Sapphire and Minato have their own issues, but I'm happy knowing that they are making friends." He thought to himself. He and Ai both knew how lonely life could be and neither wished that for their children.
"I wish you were here, Kurama." He sighed at that thought. He could only imagine what the giant fox would be saying. He chuckled to himself, something outrageous most likely.
"Why did you kiss me like that?" Aqua whispered to Akane, who raised an eyebrow.
"We are in a relationship, correct?" She questioned him.
"Yes." He responded, a light blush on his cheeks. She then smiled.
"Then I can kiss you whenever I want." She claimed boldly, a slight blush settling on her own cheeks.
"Unless… you don't like my kisses?" She questioned him, her head tilted slightly, a small frown on her face as she gave him her best puppy dog impression.
"No, I mean, yes! I mean, what I want to say is..." Aqua stumbled on his words, completely caught off guard by the way she was acting.
"Oh, look dear! Aqua is acting just like you!" His mother gushed at the scene while Naruto gave her a flat look.
"Need I remind you I act like that because of the way you behave?" He questioned her as she pouted and crossed her arms.
"What? You don't like enjoying time with your wife?" She questioned him as Naruto shook his head.
"No! I mean, yes! Gah! You're unbelievable." He threw his arm up in surrender as she giggled before giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
"And you're such a goof." She stated. Kana had already gotten used to the two acting like that with each other; she had been over to the Uzumaki house plenty. For Akane, it was still an experience to see just how open the two were with showing affection to each other, while Mem-Cho was left utterly baffled.
"Aqu-tan and Akane are like Naruto-san and Ai-san! It's kind of scary how Akane and Ai-san are so similar in their behavior and how Aqu-tan acts like his father." Mem-Cho observed as ate her food. The Uzumaki Family were not what she thought they would be like, heck, Aqua was far more open than she had ever seen him! Dinner would soon come to an end, and it was time for the guests to head back home, that is before Sapphire had an idea.
"Hey! Why don't we have a sleepover?!" Sapphire suggested as Mem-Cho nodded furiously at that. Ruby and Kana sweat dropped at that.
"Aren't you too old to have a sleepover?" Kana questioned Mem-Cho who just shrugged.
"I never got the chance to have one before, so I'm making the most of it while I can!" She answered causing Kana to sigh.
"Still, it's not a bad idea. We can also strategize on what we can do next. I'm sure that with Mem-Cho, we can pull subscribers from her channel and add them to ours as well." Ruby suggested as Mem-Cho nodded.
"That's a great idea! I can definitely bring subscribers over!" Mem-Cho stated as Kana grinned at Ruby.
"You know Ruby, sometimes you have a great idea in that dumb head of yours." Kana pointed out causing Ruby's eye to twitch.
"What did you say?" Ruby questioned as she gave Kana a pointed glare. Kana just chuckled as she waved off the angry blond.
"Well, I'm down." Kana agreed as Sapphire cheered. Finally! A sleepover! She always wanted one of those with her friends!
"Minato, you're coming with us!" Sapphire proclaimed as she hugged her little brother and began to drag him, much to his confusion.
"But Nee-sama, I don't want to." Minato refused. Clearly, it was an all-girls thing, and he would feel out of place, but Sapphire wouldn't take no for an answer. While the girls were chatting away about their business, in Minato's case being dragged away by his sister, Aqua and Akane were conversing with each other.
"You know, you could stay the night over too," Aqua spoke, looking away. Suddenly the ceiling was very interesting to him. Akane looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I wouldn't wanna be a burden." She answered as Aqua shook his head.
"You'll never be a burden to me." He countered as he smiled at that.
"I… guess I can stay the night. I can stay in one of the guest rooms." She spoke as Aqua blushed and looked away.
"I was thinking about… my room?" He questioned. Now it was Akane who was blushing along with him. Staying in Aqua's room? With him? Well, it wouldn't be the first time, but the situations were different.
"He couldn't mean... no, he wouldn't. Aqua-kun is not that kind of guy." She reasoned with herself.
"What about your parents?" She questioned him, surely they would object? Aqua gave her a blank look before he laughed. His parents? Odds are, they would want this.
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind," Aqua answered. While the two were talking, Ai was peaking around the corner.
"Grandchildren! Give me grandchildren! I wonder if they will have blond or blue hair?" She shouted mentally as the stars in her eyes shone brightly. She wanted grandchildren to spoil dammit! Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt someone tug the back of her shirt.
"No~! Let me imagine my grandchildren!" She resisted as Naruto sighed as he dragged her along.
"Come on, leave the kids alone. And you are too young to be a grandmother." Naruto said as she pouted and crossed her arms all the while being dragged to their bedroom.
"You're such a meanie Naru-kun! I remember that on our wedding night, you were much gentler." She finished with a huff while Naruto raised an eyebrow before he smirked as he turned around and spun her around before taking her up bridle style with his single arm, taking her by complete surprise.
"Oh? Kind of like… this?" He whiskered in her ears as he began to give her butterfly kisses causing her to moan slightly.
"B-Baka! The kids are still here!" She shouted in a hushed tone, but Naruto chuckled as he closed their room's door.
"And? I have seals all over this room. They can't hear you screaming." He said with a grin as she blushed even further.
"I-I do not scream!" She denied it, but she knew the truth. Naruto chuckled as he set her gently on their bed before he played with the hem of her shirt.
"Oh really? I seem to remember how you screamed my name. I never imagined that you were such a pervert, Ai-chan." Naruto commented as his hand made its way to her pants, just barely gliding over her loins. Ai bit her bottom lip at that.
"S-S-Stop being a tease already!" She shouted as she brought her hands around his neck and pulled him into bed before rolling him over so that she was now straddling him. Naruto chuckled at her action, not having put up any resistance.
"Oh my, is the great Idol-sama going to give me a show?" Naruto questioned as she grinned and began to grind on him.
"Sorry, but I don't perform anymore." She teased much to his amusement before he ran his hand up and down her slim waist.
"Even after all these years, you're as sexy and beautiful as the first time I met you." He complimented as she blushed before she leaned down and captured his lips with hers.
"And you are just as handsome and dashing as the first time I met you." She whispered as she broke the kiss before she pulled her shirt off of herself, leaving much more exposed skin.
"Now, about that show..." She teased much to Naruto's amusement.
Sapphire's room:
"And so, began the tale of Sapphire the Gallant! The girl who defeated all Kendo clubs in Tokyo!" Sapphire claimed dramatically as she recounted her tale of being all her opponents. Ruby shook her head at her sister's antics, while Kana and Mem-Cho were impressed. Kana already knew that Sapphire was strong, very strong. But for Mem-Cho this was her first exposure to the youngest daughter of the family.
"Wow, Sap-tan! You must have trained a lot!" Mem-Cho pointed out causing Ruby to chuckle nervously.
"More like that's all she ever does!" Ruby thought to herself. Her sister would get up early, do a long run, then she would begin her daily workout routine followed by training with their father and only after that did she go to school. And even in school, she was part of various martial arts clubs. Sapphire's stamina was endless.
"Oh, you can train with me, Mem-san!" Sapphire suggested as Mem-Cho nodded. With a body like Sapphire's, surely the girl had an effective workout! Ruby gulped at that.
"Oh no." Ruby thought. No way was Mem-Cho coming out of that fine. Kana shook her head at Mem-Cho's enthusiasm. The younger girl had offered to train with her as well.
"Never again." Kana thought. How Sapphire managed to do a workout that could put some military workout regiments to shame was beyond her understanding. If it wasn't for her long hair that she inherited from her mother, she was sure that Sapphire would be considered the typical tomboy.
"Why am I here exactly?" Minato spoke up as he crossed his arm. Sapphire had elected to choose her room as the sleepover spot and Minato felt totally out of space. Sapphire grinned as she poked her brother's cheek.
"That's because… you're going to tell us who you like!" She declared catching him off guard.
"W-W-What!?" He shouted with a blush. No way was he going to do that! Especially not with Kana right there!
"What?! I forbid it!" Ruby interjected. Her baby brother going out?! Having a girlfriend!? Not if she could help it.
"And she says she isn't a brocon," Kana said flatly, but she was also interested in who Minato liked. Out of all the Uzumaki siblings, Minato was still largely a mystery to her. Minato's blush increased as he saw Kana looking at him intently. He had to do something to get the attention off of him and then he saw Mem-Cho.
"Sorry, Mem-san." He thought as an idea came to his head.
"U-Uh, well, I recall that one-time Mem-san flirted with me," Minato said offhandedly. This earned a variety of reactions from the group. Sapphire and Kana looked surprised by that, while Mem-Cho was left horrified by that. And Ruby...
"Mem…" Ruby muttered, the bangs of her hair covering her eyes as the temperature of the room dropped. Mem-Cho looked at the girl and shivered as she saw the specter of some… demon behind Ruby.
"How dare you flirt with my little brother!" Ruby shouted as she lunged at the older girl, taking her down onto the floor as they rolled around.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Mem-Cho apologized as she cried anime tears. She really didn't know!
"I do not approve! No! I do not approve! You're way too old, you old hag!" Ruby shouted as she wrestled with Mem-Cho, whose eye twitched at that.
"Who are you calling an old hag?! I'm in my mid-twenties!" Mem-Cho shouted back as she began to fight back as well. She wasn't that old! Sapphire couldn't hold it anymore and burst into laughter. Kana sighed at their antics but smiled.
"This is… nice…" She thought to herself. Maybe this is what it means to have friends. She glanced at Minato, who was also chuckling at the chaos he had caused. She suspected that he had intentionally done it to take away his attention.
"Who do you like… Minato?" She questioned herself. Surely there was someone that the youngest Uzumaki liked. She shook her head and smiled. Whoever it was, she would be a lucky girl she reasoned, and she'd support her friend all the way.
With Ai:
Ai opened her eyes and blinked once, then twice.
"Eh? What am I doing here?" She questioned herself as she looked around. She was in a dark damp tunnel-like place. She remembered this place. Naruto had brought her here once years ago. He called it his mindscape, a reflection of his mind. She smiled sadly at that. Naruto had explained to her that his mindscape, the reflection of his mind, was influenced by his childhood.
"Your childhood was hard, Naruto-kun." She said to herself as she began to walk through the tunnel. Flanking both sides of her were entrances to other small tunnels, his memories. She dares not wander into them. She trusted Naruto. If he wanted to keep some of his secrets, she was fine with it. After all, even to this day, there were elements of Naruto's life and world that she couldn't understand, like fighting a literal goddess.
She soon came to a stop as she saw a massive open gate. Beyond the gate was a massive ball of orange Chakra. She knew who this belonged to. In his own words, Naruto considered Kurama his friend. Someone who had been with him since his birth. And even though they weren't on the best terms, they eventually came to an understanding during the war. To Naruto, Kurama was like a brother.
"Naruto once told me he considered all the Jinchūriki as his brothers and sisters, even the tailed beasts he considered as family." She thought sadly. They all shared a common burden in life, a burden that neither of them asked for. Many of them had been made as Jinchūriki as a means to become the ultimate weapon for their respective villages.
"Naruto misses you, Kurama." She spoke to the floating orb of Chakra. Naruto talked about the fox from time to time and she could tell that he missed him. She knew that the love she and Naruto shared was intense, so it hurt her when she found him depressed from time to time.
He was a newborn when he lost his parents. He was a boy when he was isolated, ignored, and glared at by the village. He was just entering into his teens when he began a Shinobi, and he was only a teenager when he had to fight in a war. That kind of life… takes a toll on one's mind. Especially for someone who has been ripped away from his world, never to see his friends or those he considered family ever again. To know that they all died while he survived.
"I will be there for you, Naruto-kun. Remember the vows we took? Till death do us part. Well, I never want to part with you, even after death." She proclaimed to herself with a smile. Yes. Their love would transcend time and death itself. She turned to leave but stopped as she felt a pulse of power.
"What the…" She couldn't finish as she turned around and saw the orb of Chakra pulse with power as sections of it began to expand before a good chunk of the orb had split. The smaller of the two began to expand, contract and began to take shape as a single tail began to form. Ai's eyes widened as her head began to travel up as the mass of Chakra began to grow taller and taller before it finally finished taking shape. It looked like a creature made out of sand, in fact, it looked like a giant tanuki made out of sand!
"I'M BACK!" The creature roared in laughter as Ai finally realized who this was. Naruto had told her of all the tailed beasts, and this was the…
"The mighty One-Tailed Shukaku returns!" Shukaku said in-between laughter as Ai looked at the sand tanuki with awe before she turned around and saw Naruto looking at the one-tail with his jaw ajar.
"Oh! Hey, there Naruto! I see you made it as well! Who's the girl?" Shukaku questioned casually as he took note of Naruto who looked at the tailed beast in shock before he fell back, fainting. Ai ran over to him, and she checked him to make sure he was fine. She shot the one-tail a glare as she set Naruto's head in her lap.
"Look what you did!" She shouted as the tanuki gulped and took a step back. Hell, hath no fury like a woman's scorned.
And Shukaku is back! The first tail returns! What do you think about that plot twist in the end? Now I know what you are thinking, "what about the other ones?" In time. They all won't come back at once and Shukaku will explain what happened to them and why it took them so long.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, bye!
