Chapter 12: Shinobi Ball

In which Yuna's reflexes get her into trouble.


Yuna, Raido, and Genma were in the weapons shop on a sunny Saturday morning. The two shinobi were off duty, both dressed comfortably in lightweight long sleeve shirts and their normal ninja pants. Yuna, per usual, had her hair tied back, today simply in a ponytail, and was detailing a sword. Their younger cousin was manning the register, but business was slow. It was unusual, for a weekend, but in the days after Naruto's wedding, many of the village's ninja left on missions, and Naruto and Hinata were away on their honeymoon.

If she could, Yuna would be down by the furnace, working with the chakra steel Shizune had acquired for her, turning it into a new alloy. Instead, she was finishing up a number of orders that took priority. A few foreign ninja had come in before the wedding, looking to purchase some Namiashi steel knives, and she needed to finish those before the end of the weekend.

The shop was stiflingly silent. Raido and Genma were wandering aimlessly, both in a mood. They were not used to boredom. Although they were both being absolutely quiet, their attitudes were grating on Yuna, and she was about to kick them both out when a bird chirped outside the window. The two men looked up simultaneously, wondering what kind of bird it was and which one of them it was for. Different types of birds signaled different meanings. Yuna couldn't differentiate a normal songbird from a messenger bird, but shinobi learned how to develop their senses for it. Genma had once told her that when they were genin, Raido couldn't figure it out, and every sign of a songbird he'd be at the Third Hokage's office, asking for the mission at hand. Finally, after about the tenth time, Hiruzen took it upon himself to teach Raido the difference. That individual attention made everyone else in their class jealous.

"Bluebird," Raido said. "Kakashi is bored, too. He's looking for training partners."

"Training?" Yuna's ears perked up. She had heard of the Hokage's training sessions, in which he enlisted jonin around the village to battle against. They didn't happen often, but whenever he got too restless in his office, he would summon someone to spar with. "Are you going to go?"

"It's a call from the Hokage's office, pipsqueak," Genma said, "so we have to go, regardless." He didn't look too upset about it though.

"Can I come?" she asked excitedly. "Shigeo-kun can watch the shop."

"Hey!" her cousin said.

Yuna gave him a glare. "Who's in charge and who's paying you?" she asked pointedly.

He groaned. "What about the knives?"

"I'll finish sharpening them this evening. They won't take more than a few hours to finish."

"What do I tell your father?"

"He won't come in." Her father hardly ever spent his weekends at the shop anymore. She turned to Raido. "So?"

Genma and Raido exchanged a look and then shrugged. Other ninja often watched the training sessions, so adding Yuna to the mix wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

"We train in the arena," Genma told her. "It'll probably start in half an hour. We'll see you there."

Yuna cleaned up what she was doing and left the shop to her younger cousin, who was sulking over not being able to go. She looked at her watch…just enough time to find Hana and Ayame. Neither of them would want to miss this.


Half an hour later, the three women hurried into Konoha's arena. Typically reserved for chunin exams, the arena was well suited to battle, and Yuna in particular was excited to see the shinobi in action. She loved attending the matches during the exams, in which the full power of each village was on display. The way her heart pounded when she rooted for Konoha ninja, and the celebration when they won…it was a good feeling. It had also been a long time since she'd seen her brother or Genma in action, so this was a treat for her.

A handful of people were in the stands, mostly other shinobi or younger students. Kurenai and her daughter, Mirai, were both there, and Iruka was present with a small crowd of students from the Academy. No doubt they would be analyzing the fighting styles to talk about later in class. Yuna, Hana, and Ayame took seats at the very front of the stands. They wanted to be as close to the action as possible.

In the arena below, a number of shinobi were standing around, waiting. Genma and Raido were both there, along with Shikamaru and Shizune, Seika, and Yamato. Ayame nudged Hana in the ribs when she saw Yamato, and Hana responded with a deep blush.

"He's still in town? I thought he left already."

"Kakashi gave him a few more days…he goes back tomorrow, when Obaa-san and I leave."

Before the girls could probe further, a door to the side of the arena opened. Kakashi walked out next to Guy, who was being pushed in his wheelchair by Lee. Tenten was also by his side.

Down on the arena floor, the shinobi eyed Kakashi and Guy warily. When these two got together, shenanigans typically ensued.

Guy's booming voice rang out across the arena. "I have challenged our Hokage to a friendly competition, one of youth and vitality!"

A few of the shinobi exchanged worried looks.

"This particular challenge shall be competed in teams!" Guy continued.

"How are teams decided, Guy-sensei?" Tenten asked.

"Ah, Guy, you can pick first," Kakashi told him with a wave of his hand.

Guy nodded firmly. "My first pick is Lee! Your turn, Kakashi."

Kakashi surveyed the group in front of him. "Yamato," he said calmly. The wood style user walked to Kakashi's side.

Guy gave a brief chuckle and stared at his eternal rival with a sparkle in his eyes as he called out, "Ms. Seika!"

Kakashi made a brief grunt of surprise, and the whole group looked at each other with interest. Everyone at the wedding saw Kakashi and Seika leaving hand in hand, so it was no longer a secret that they were some kind of item. This rivalry would be interesting.

Seika sauntered over to Guy's side, refusing to look at Kakashi. She appeared peeved that he hadn't chosen her first.

Kakashi called Shikamaru's name next. The man sighed like he wasn't looking forward to the coming challenge and walked over to Kakashi.

"My old partner, Genma!" Guy called.

"Raido," Kakashi countered, an edge to his voice.

Guy chose Tenten next, which meant that Shizune joined Kakashi's team.

"So, what's the challenge?" Lee asked.

"Volleyball," Kakashi muttered.

"Not just volleyball," Guy corrected, "shinobi ball!"

"What the hell is shinobi ball?" Shikamaru asked.

"We'll need a referee," Shizune noted, ignoring Shikamaru's question.

Guy took a quick search of the crowd as Lee and Tenten set up a net in the center of the arena. His eyes landed on Iruka, and he called the sensei down from the stands. Many of the students cheered him on.

Both teams circled up and talked briefly about strategies. Most of the normal volleyball rules applied, except that anything…any type of jutsu…was allowed. The teams took their places on either side of the net. It sparkled in the sunshine, woven from delicate yet strong ninja wire.

Seika started with the ball. She flipped it around in her hands for a moment, testing the integrity and weight, and then threw it high in the air and jumped to serve. The sheer power behind her first strike made the arena shake.

"Woah," Hana said. A gust of wind from the ball's trajectory blew past the girls, but the game had already kept going. Yamato used his wood release to keep the ball from hitting the ground on the other side of the court.

"Ready, Kakashi!" Shizune called, hitting the ball in a perfectly normal way to set it up for the Hokage's next strike. He jumped high, moving his hands through three distinct seals, and kicked the ball back across the court followed by a burst of flames from his mouth.

"That feels illegal somehow," Ayame commented, but Seika had already countered with a wall of water to douse the flames. Lee hit the ball, slowing its trajectory, and then Guy set it for Genma, who jumped for the ball at the same time as Tenten opened a scroll. He smashed it back towards the other side, and Tenten released a barrage of weapons. It all happened so fast that it was hard to see what was what. The ball blended in with a series of shuriken and kunai.

"That…was incredible…" Yuna muttered, eyes wide with envy.

Yamato's wood release formed a shield that blocked most of the weapons, while Kakashi and Shikamaru used their own kunai to stop any strays. Raido went for the ball this time, calling for Shizune to back him up. She was at his side in an instant, using a jutsu to coat the ball with something, and then it was flying back to the other side.

"Poison!" Genma called out lazily, as if the tactics of the other side were too predictable. Seika used her wind release to slow the ball without touching it, and Genma pulled out an anticoagulant to counteract the poison. Lee sent the ball high with a kick, and then Guy propelled himself out of his wheelchair, spinning like a madman. He used his momentum to blast the ball back to the other side. Shikamaru readied himself to get it, but the ball plowed into him and knocked him at least three feet into the ground.

"Point for Team Guy!" Iruka called out.

"Damn it…" muttered Shikamaru, extracting himself from the hole in the ground. The ball went back to Guy's side, and Genma took the next serve.

Tossing the ball high in the air, he sent it at a high speed towards the other side of the court. Raido stopped its trajectory, but then cried out as something sunk into his arm, which dangled at his side. Genma's senbon had followed the ball, hidden in its shadow, and lodged into a pressure point that made Raido's arm useless.

"You asshole!" he cried, but Shizune was at his side in a second, removing the senbon and placing her hand over his wound. "Just you wait," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Yamato dove for the ball and got it set for Kakashi, who used lightning style to blast the ball back across the arena.

"You're better than that, Kakashi!" Seika called, releasing wind at the spread of her fingers. Something looking like a human figure twisted up out of the dirt. It absorbed the lightning in a limb of swirling wind and stopped the ball for Genma, who set it for Lee. A spinning whirlwind kick sent it back across the arena.

Shizune got the ball easily, sending it to Kakashi, who got it set for Raido. He looked directly at Genma and sent the ball almost lazily back.

Genma dove, but to everyone's surprise, in the wrong direction, and the ball fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Genjutsu!" Iruka called. "Point for Team Kakashi!"

"Better?" Kakashi asked, giving Seika a taunting look. She stuck out her tongue.

Gameplay continued at this level of intensity for quite some time. Team Kakashi earned another point, thanks to Shikamaru's quick thinking and shadow possession jutsu. The receiver of the jutsu, Tenten, was rightly annoyed, and managed to retaliate by cloning a number of her weapons as volleyballs and sending them with the real one back to the other side, resulting in a point for Team Guy.

Points flew back and forth, each team neck and neck, until a fire release jutsu from Kakashi's side met a wall of water from Guy's side, and gameplay paused because everyone managed to get drenched. And then, the heat in the arena really started to increase.

Genma started first, stripping his shirt off.

"Daaamn," Ayame said, staring at Genma's sculpted torso. "Yuna, has Genma always been this fine?"

"Oh be quiet," her friend retorted playfully, but she had to agree, and found herself having a hard time looking away. His chest was glistening with moisture, highlighting his pectoral muscles and a perfect row of defined abdominals. It was that chiseled athletic build that most shinobi had, built by years of both training and use…they were muscles honed by necessity rather than built solely for show. With only pants and his bandana on, he was a pretty picture. Genma turned around. His back was as well-defined as his abs, a broad canvas of rippling muscles that spoke of countless hours of training. He had a long scar on his lower back, some piece of history that she'd never seen before. She made a mental note to find out more.

The rest of the players on Guy's team followed Genma's lead, stripping down because of the heat, while Kakashi's side removed outer layers of wet clothing.

Tenten unbuttoned her top and tossed it aside, revealing nothing but a sports bra. Raido's chest was bare, while Shikamaru had a short-sleeve mesh armor on underneath his shirt. Shizune and Seika were both wearing mesh armor tank tops. The armor hugged every muscle and every curve, and everyone's toned bodies were on full display.

Guy took off his flak jacket and stripped his jumpsuit off down to the waist, tying the arms around to keep the bottom secure. His body was riddled with pure muscle, exhibiting such definition that the other shinobi looked merely average. Lee followed his sensei's lead.

"Does Guy-san have…a ten-pack?" Yuna asked, staring at his abdomen.

Ayame counted quickly. "I count twelve."

"How is that even possible?" Hana asked, poking at her own tummy with a finger.

"He's putting Genma to shame," Yuna laughed.

"It's our lucky day, ladies," Ayame said. "What a good-looking group of people." But she was hardly ogling at the players. Her eyes followed Iruka, who had also gotten unfortunately drenched in the last round. He had patiently removed his flak jacket and was now wringing out the bottom of his shirt. He looked towards Kakashi's side of the arena and saw where others had laid out their clothes to dry in the sunshine, so he walked over and carefully peeled off his own shirt, laying it flat with the others. Then, he took off his headband, which was also dripping with water, and shook out his ponytail.

"Oh…" she breathed. Iruka's body was no less defined than the others. He slicked back his wet hair, sending sparkling droplets of water to the ground. He closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sun, and she nearly whimpered. His dark skin looked so warm and inviting in the sunshine, and she shrunk down in her seat just a little bit, trying not to blush too hard.

Poor, innocent Hana had pulled the collar of her shirt up over her nose in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. Her eyes just barely peeked out, and she kept stealing glances at Tenzo. He had removed his head protector and laid it to the side to dry along with his flak jacket and his shirt. He was still mostly covered, wearing a tight-fitting sleeveless undershirt that rose to cover just the bottom of his chin. It did little to hide every chiseled muscle, and she couldn't help but admire his well-built shape.

"Wow, Hana," Yuna said drily. "You never told us Yamato had a nice ass."

Hana was too embarrassed to answer. Without the bulk of his flak jacket and his shirt hiding this asset, she noticed for the first time how firm and shapely Tenzo's behind was, and she blushed even harder. He was a little stockier than the other ninja, his body more broad and muscular than slim, but she liked that. A lot. She realized that little bit of extra bulk was why he was so comfortable to sleep next to…or on, in her case.

Kakashi's lean and toned body was covered with the same type of tight-fitting shirt as Yamato, except his mask obscured his face. His arms were particularly beautiful…defined sinews of muscle in his shoulders down to his forearms. Even from the stands, she could see protruding veins in his forearms, an intricate pathway that spoke of his strength and endurance. What a Hokage, she thought, but she was quite pleased to find that she preferred Tenzo's body type over Kakashi's.

Hana noticed that both Kakashi and Tenzo had a tattoo on their shoulders, a red swirl. Glancing across the rest of the shinobi, she saw that Seika had one, too.

"This is like a scene out of Icha Icha Paradise," she said, her voice high pitched.

"This is real life though," Yuna said stupidly, still staring at Genma. She couldn't believe she'd made out with that after Naruto's wedding.

Gameplay began again, but this time the three women could hardly pay attention to the jutsu that flew back and forth…they were distracted by the sheer athleticism displayed by the raw bodies in front of them. Each shinobi was giving it their all, and the flexing of toned muscle combined with unhindered power was a beautiful combination to watch.

The ball went back and forth, faster and faster. Finally, Lee wound up a powerful kick to send it back to Kakashi's side, but the angle of the ball was off and it was sent to the stands instead.

"Look out!"

The ball was coming towards them rather quickly. Hana and Ayame both ducked immediately, but Yuna's reflexes kicked in a different way. Without thinking, she reached out to catch the ball, and in that split second realized it was a mistake. She caught it – and miraculously stopped it – but the force of the ball nearly ripped her arm off.

"Yuna!" came a cry of concern from the arena below. Genma reached her first, followed by Raido, Shizune, and Seika. The others weren't far behind. Yuna was cradling the ball with her left hand, panic rising because she couldn't feel her right arm at all.

"Why the hell did you try to catch that?" Genma said angrily.

"She has good reflexes," Seika butted in.

"Damn it!" Raido said, shaking his head, as upset as Genma. "I knew nothing good would come out of trying to train you."

"Are you kidding?" Lee said, clearly upset that this had been his fault, but also impressed with this civilian. "That catch was incredible!"

"I can't move my arm," Yuna said quietly.

"She's going into shock," Shizune called out, moving into action. She was at Yuna's side, steadying her and assessing any damage. "Dislocated shoulder, possibly broken bones. We should treat her at the hospital."

The pain was starting to settle in. "I'm sorry," Yuna told them, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"You'll be alright," Genma reassured. With Shizune's help, he carefully picked her up, being extra gentle with her right arm. He then jumped out of the arena, followed closely by Raido and Shizune.

"We should follow, Ayame, and make sure she's alright," Hana said.

"We can take you," Yamato told her. "I don't think we should continue playing until we know she's okay."

"I don't think you can continue playing," Ayame told them. She pointed to the ball, which, as a result of the beating it had taken, was now completely deflated. She was surprised it had lasted this long.

"Well, who was the winner?" Guy asked.

Iruka rubbed the back of his head abashedly. "Well, if that last play was considered out of bounds, then a point goes to Team Kakashi, and they win. But if we stop at the last point, it was a tie."

Kakashi looked at Guy, raising his eyebrows. "We'll call this one a tie."


Over at the hospital, Tsunade had some sharp words for the three half-naked shinobi that showed up with an injured civilian.

"Shinobi ball?!" she practically shouted at Shizune as the woman tried to explain. "Honestly! I don't know what goes on in Kakashi's head sometimes." Her eyes shifted towards Yuna. "Although it's impressive you were able to stop the ball from Lee's kick."

Tsunade and Shizune popped Yuna's shoulder back into place and splinted her broken arm. Thankfully, the break did not require surgery, but recovery wouldn't be fast. Genma and Raido remained with her, although they left briefly to collect the clothes that had been forgotten at the arena. Shizune scheduled her to come in for a series of healing chakra treatments, and a few hours after arriving, she was cleared to leave.

Yuna walked out into the waiting room of the hospital with her brother and Genma, only to find her friends waiting for her. Hana and Ayame threw their arms around her, both glad she was okay.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ayame asked.

"Just a little embarrassed and tired, that's all," she replied.

"Can we walk you home?" Hana asked.

Yuna nodded. She was honestly tired enough that she hoped one of the shinobi would carry her home, but Hana was leaving the next day with her grandmother, and this would be Yuna's last chance to spend time with both of her friends for at least another couple of weeks.

"Glad you're alright, Yuna," Genma told her, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. This gesture made Hana and Ayame giggle, which only made Genma grin.

"We'll catch up with you at home," Raido told her, and then he and Genma disappeared.

On their slow walk back to the shop, the three women were able to laugh about the afternoon and recap everything. Yuna didn't contribute much, and instead listened to her friends go back and forth about the afternoon's events. After the game, Yamato had walked Hana to the hospital and waited with her, while Ayame helped Iruka wrangle his class and return to the Academy before joining Hana. Yuna was glad that the afternoon had been profitable for everyone, even though she'd ended the day with a less than useful arm. But, it could be worse.

Her friends said goodbye at the entrance of the shop, and Yuna was alone again, thinking about the work she had left to do. She could probably get Shigeo-kun to help her out with the last of the days' orders. She couldn't keep those waiting, even with a bum arm. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open, but something made her pause. She smelled smoke. Someone was working in the forge. She walked down the steps to see what was going on. As she rounded the corner, her heart sank. Her father was there, smithing a blade and polishing the series of Namiashi steel knives that she was supposed to finish.

"What are you doing here?" she asked timidly.

"Word travels fast. I heard you were injured." He glanced at her, his eyes falling to her sling. "Seems the report was right. That means you can't keep up with the shop orders."

"I had a plan for those…with Shigeo-kun's help I can still—"

Her father slammed the hammer on the anvil, and the loud sound shut Yuna up and made her jump. "How long will you take to heal?"

"S-Shizune is going to be giving me treatments—"

"How long?" Her father growled.

"At least a month," she said quietly, staring at her feet. She hated feeling like a child caught red-handed. "Maybe longer."

"A stupid injury like that, what were you thinking, Yuna?!"

"My reflexes—"

He scoffed. "Reflexes. You're not a kunoichi. It was a mistake to think you could take over the forge."

That stung, and Yuna looked up defiantly. "I'm not trying to be a kunoichi. But my weapons are good, Dad. Have you seen the new blades I've made? They're stronger than Namiashi steel!"

He grew quiet and his countenance changed, his face growing grave. "Be honest with yourself. They're one offs. Besides, you can't make them if you don't have use of your arm, and you'll never be able to work with chakra steel anyway." He paused, as if he knew his next words would devastate her. "I can't in good faith give you the shop, Yuna. This incident has shown me that, at least."

It took Yuna a moment to realize what he had just said. "…What? But I've been managing the shop by myself for months now."

"You're a good blacksmith. I can't deny that. And when you've healed, you can still use the forge and make weapons for the shop, but I'm going to start training Shigeo-kun, and ownership will pass to your cousin."

"What?!" Yuna's anger began to grow, seeping out. "He's sixteen! And he isn't even a chunin yet!"

"More reason for him to take on a different profession. But he can work with chakra steel, and he won't be a liability."

That really stung. She had a hard time finding her next words. "A liability? Is that all I am to you?" Her voice was shaking. Yuna felt a sensation inside of her chest, an ache like her insides were being torn in two. It was sudden and felt more painful than her broken and dislocated arm.

"My decision is final."

Yuna stood there, shocked. Tears sprung into her eyes as she tried to figure out what to say in the confusion swirling within her. She watched her father work as she processed what was happening. She'd spent years in the forge with him, soaking in his lessons, trying her best, trying to prove herself to him, and now she realized that it was only her father's ambivalence about the shop that had let her stay at the helm for so long.

"Did you know," she said, recalling the origin of her love for the forge, "mom is the one that encouraged me to start working in the shop in the first place? I didn't think I'd like it. I wanted to work at the Yamanaka flower shop instead. But she told me to try. She actually thought that you'd be proud of me for even trying."

Her father kept working at the anvil, the pounding of his hammer consistent. He said nothing, and his silence tore her apart even further.

"If she were alive, she would be so disappointed in you," Yuna said.

He paused, and his eyes flickered to her. "Don't talk about your mother," he growled.

She'd struck a nerve, she could tell, so she continued, her voice breaking in her anger and her heartbreak. "For the first time in my life, I'm glad she's dead, so she can't see you act like this."

Her father stood up suddenly, rage caught within his heart, as well. Yuna knew which parent she got that from. He took a few steps towards her.

"You think I don't miss her?" he asked.

"I know you miss her," Yuna retorted, unable to stop herself now. "You miss her more than you've ever loved me. I see it in your eyes sometimes, when you look at me and wish I'd been taken instead of her. But I was eight when she died. Who wishes an eight-year old dead?"

Yuna was sure her father would never hit her, but the flash of anger in his eyes told her he was coming damn close.

And in the blink of an eye, another body was between them.

"Namiashi-sama, don't become someone you'll regret." It was Genma, and Yuna's heart failed her again, this time for a different reason.

Her father stood tall. "This is a matter between family members, Genma."

Yuna felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to find Raido present as well. He addressed their father. "Then I'll say it. Don't become someone you'll regret. You must be blind, if you can't see Yuna's talent. She's by far the best option to take over the shop."

"If only you had picked up smithing," their father told him with a shake of his head.

Anger flashed through Raido's face as well. "You think that would make you proud? I would never be as good as her," he said. "I don't know how you can't see that. You only see—"

Yuna cut him off. "Stop," she said, subdued. The three men turned their heads to her. She felt very tired. "There's no point in arguing. I'll never be good enough, so it's okay. I'm just sorry to be a disappointment."

"No, Yuna," Raido said, shaking his head. "It's not okay. Dad is the one who has disappointed us. Maybe he'll have another kid with his third wife, and that child will finally meet his expectations. Come on."

Yuna followed her brother out of the forge. They didn't make it far before she had to sit down, overcome by everything that she just lost, most of all the hope that she could make her father proud. She started sobbing.

"I miss my mom," she said through her hiccups. Why did this heartache and longing for her mother feel suddenly so fresh?

"Yuna…" Raido knelt beside her, not quite knowing how to comfort his sister, only knowing that he understood the feeling. "I miss my own every single day."

She just nodded through her tears and flung her uninjured arm around him. He picked her up off the ground. They might have grown older, but he was still her big brother, and right now he was the only one who could comfort her.

Genma jogged up to them.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Not good. Where were you?"

"I had some words with your father." Upon seeing the look on Raido's face, he added, "Don't worry about it. Your old man can handle what I had to say."

Raido put his hand on Yuna's back in a comforting gesture. "Hey," he said softly. "Let's go home. You can stay with us tonight."

Yuna only nodded and squeezed her brother tighter.


Yuna sat on the couch in the apartment her brother shared with Genma. She had carefully showered and now sat dressed in one of Genma's long-sleeved shirts and a pair of his soft pants. Both were baggy on her, but they were comfortable and she liked the way they smelled.

Raido had stepped out to pick up food for dinner, and Genma was finally showering after all the activity of the day.

The bathroom door opened up and a cloud of steam poured out from the humid space. Genma appeared, rubbing a towel over his head to dry off his wet hair. He had put on a pair of pants, but his torso remained bare. He came over and sat down next to her.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

Yuna reluctantly met his eyes, feeling tears rise to the surface again. Instead of meeting her still raw emotions head on, she ignored them by asking, "Do you normally walk around your apartment half-naked?"

Genma's eyebrows raised, and he gave her a half-grin. "Normally I don't bother with pants. Why? You like what you see?"

That pulled a reluctant smile out of Yuna, causing a teardrop to slide down her cheek as her eyes crinkled. She wiped it away and just nodded. She gestured for him to turn around. "I wanted to ask…what's this from?" She touched the scar on his lower back. It looked old, like it had healed over years…and yet it stretched from the left side of his sacrum all the way up to just below his scapula. It was faintest there, but she could see its length now.

The grin on Genma's face fell. "You haven't seen it before?"

"No. I don't often see you without your uniform. What mission did you get this one on?" She thought she would have remembered.

Genma was quiet for a while. "I didn't get it on a mission."

"Then how—"

"You and I are both similar in that we have fathers who aren't really fathers," he told her. "Had, in my case."

Yuna met his eyes, the recognition on her face betraying her own concern. "When?"

"I was still a student at the Academy…so before my genin days. Pretty soon after my mom left."

Her next question came with great hesitation. "How?"

"Don't worry your pretty head about how. It was that dangerous combination of alcohol and anger."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. All of life's suffering can teach us something, right? In this case, I learned that some people carry demons they can't fight."

He looked away, not desiring to think back on that time in his life. "You probably don't want to hear this right now…but your father stepped in after he saw what mine had done." Genma looked conflicted. "I'm not saying your dad is a good guy, but he's dealt with a lot of shit in his lifetime, too, and those types of scars, the ones that are left on the mind? Those are far worse than any physical scar we bear."

Yuna looked down at her hands. Her dad had faced loss, but she'd faced the same loss, and when she needed him, he disappeared. Every single time. "What did you tell him tonight?"

"I told him it's a shame that he's been a better father to me than he's been to you and Raido. And that he needs to start paying attention, because his kids are making Konoha proud in spite of him, not because of him."

At that moment, the door opened, and Raido walked in carrying a handful of containers. "Look who I found!" he said. Ayame and Iruka walked in after him, carrying more bags. "You've got good friends, Yuna."

"We thought you might like a home cooked dinner after everything that happened today," Ayame told her. She set down what she was carrying and immediately went to the couch to give Yuna a hug. "Raido also told us what happened with your father. I'm so sorry. I know how much his opinion means to you."

"It shouldn't, but it still does." Yuna felt herself start to choke up again. "So what did you bring?"

"One of your favorites…curry! And Iruka made the katsu. It was a good first attempt."

Raido and Genma gave Iruka an appreciative stare. "You're learning how to cook?"

"Trying…" Iruka replied bashfully.

"Damn," Raido said, envious. "That's one thing I wish we learned in the Academy…we didn't get a whole lot of life skills in school."

"Does anyone?" Ayame muttered.

The mood lightened considerably during dinner. Genma put on a shirt, and they all sat around the dinner table as Ayame set bowls of curry and rice in front of each person. She was about to pass Yuna a spoon, but Yuna reached for the chopsticks in the center of the table and deftly went to work on her food, feeling ravenous.

"Yuna!" Ayame cried. Everyone paused.

"What?" Yuna asked, her mouth full of potatoes.

"Since when are you left-handed?!"

Yuna looked at the hand holding her chopsticks. "I'm not," she said. She was right-hand dominant, but smithwork required a lot of arm strength, and growing up she had taught herself to use her left when her right arm got tired. It was the only way to keep up with her father. Now, with her right arm in a sling, she had automatically started using her left.

"Are you ambidextrous?" Iruka asked.

She explained herself. "It was all kind of out of necessity. That's how I was going to finish my work tonight…if I have an assistant I can still smith."

"Wait, wait, wait…" Raido said, "does Dad know that?"

Yuna shrugged. "He should, based on how much time we spent together in the forge, but I'm still nothing if I can't smith chakra steel."

She ignored the bubbling feelings of hurt rising within her and instead took another bite of her curry, but she missed the look that Genma and Raido gave each other across the table.


Later that evening, after Iruka and Ayame had left, Yuna sat on the couch absentmindedly watching television. Genma lounged next to her, but Raido bustled around the apartment, tidying up his room. Finally, she flipped off the TV and yawned.

"Yuna," Raido said, "you can have my bed tonight. I'll sleep on the couch and–"

"Nope!" Genma butted in, picking Yuna up off the couch and carrying her towards his bedroom. "She's sleeping in my room tonight!"

"Genma!" she exclaimed, her face turning bright red as the door closed in Raido's shocked face. "What are you doing?! Raido's out there…we can't–"

"Let me make this absolutely clear," he said quietly as he set her down on the bed, a grin plastered on his face. "I don't expect anything from you, and I'll sleep on the couch tonight. I just know how much you love to make your brother uncomfortable, and I'm starting to see why. It's entertaining."

Yuna relaxed. "So…he knows about us?"

"Oh, he knows."

"...And he approves?"

"Yuna, if he didn't approve, do you think I'd have you alone in my room right now?"

"...Oh…" She laughed. "I suppose not."

Genma pulled down the covers for her and propped up pillows for her arm, making sure she was comfortable. "Besides, do you know how many times Shizune has slept over?"

Yuna's grin grew wider. "Really?"

"I didn't sign up for a third roommate, but if things keep going like that, she might have to pay rent. Now, get some sleep. It's been a long day." He leaned down and found her lips, that slow and unrushed sensual kiss bidding her goodnight. "Yuna," he said, meeting her eyes. "I'm glad you're okay." Then, he grabbed a pillow and took it with him towards the door, flipping off the lights as he went.

The door shut, and Yuna heard Genma and Raido talking in hushed tones just on the other side. Thirty minutes later, the lights went out. But an hour after that, Yuna still couldn't sleep.

She pushed back the covers and got up, carefully opening the door and making her way to the couch, where she knelt next to a slumbering Genma. She pushed his hair out of his face, and he opened his eyes slowly.

"What's up, Yuna?"

"I can't sleep." Reality was, the trauma of the day was getting to her, and although she was exhausted, her heartbreak made it difficult to find unconsciousness.

He pushed himself up on the couch and wrapped his arms around her. At his touch, silent tears fell down her face. He picked her up off the ground and took her back to his bed, this time climbing in after her. "You're not alone, Yuna," he whispered, kissing the back of her neck protectively and curling his body around hers.

"I know," she said.

But long after he fell asleep, she remained awake, comforted by Genma's arms, but still longing for her father's love.