Chapter 182
Winter Festival: I Declare War Upon You All, The Second Great Snowball War!
Kneeling behind the trunk of a tree, at the farthest border from the combat zone, Shikamaru peered around his cover cautiously, endeavoring to avoid detection from allies and enemies alike. He was grateful for the light snowfall, it added a thin veil of concealment to his tactical position by obscuring their vision, and provided a cold hint of natural camouflage by gathering on his shoulders and in his black hair like a bad case of dandruff.
He scanned the vast white sea and the combatants fighting upon it, watching waves of powder spray through the air, pelting the young warriors as he gathered Intel on the ongoing situation.
Things hadn't gone to plan, to put it mildly. He walked everyone straight into 'Risu's trap, all but wrapped in a bow for his cousin like a box of the Land of the Moon's famous chocolates, and she seized upon the opportunity precisely as she would a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the world's greatest gourmet confectionary—without hesitation, and showing no quarter.
Upon her declaration, a platoon of Crows bombarded them with a flurry of snowballs.
Death from above.
They dashed for the trees to escape, covering their heads, swearing vengeance. Kiba and Naruto both leapt after 'Risu herself, snowballs already in hand. Yet, from the shadows of the bare trees, more snowballs hurtled through space, exploding off the faces of his comrades.
Mimi and Sakura were waiting for them. It's no surprise, really. The whole reason I couldn't find any of the girls, and that Moegi was spared, is because they've been in on it since the very beginning, Shikamaru concluded. They've been preparing for'Risu's declaration of war.
The Second Great Snowball War.
The Nara exhaled a snort, smirking.
Leave it to 'Risu to be overdramatic. Although, if this is the Second, when was the First?
He'd have to ask later. Preferably when they reached a temporary armistice or a permanent peace treaty.
Movement flitted all throughout the trees. Snowballs hurtled about, exploding spectacularly off tree trunks, branches, disintegrating against the white sea and, of course, off the giggling, snickering, shouting kids leaping in and out of leaf-less canopies, flitting about on insect-like wings, or dashing between the tree trunks with the agility of arctic foxes and snow leopards.
A handful of Naruto's Shadow Clones pursued a handful of 'Risu all across the battlefield; his yearning for revenge was unyielding, he wouldn't be satiated until 'Risu paid her debt in full for the terrifying straw dummy she frightened him with first thing in the morning.
Likewise, Konohamaru and Udon were just as relentless and unyielding in their pursuit of Moegi, chasing her between trees no matter where she fled, snowballs flying from both sides. Uncontrolled giggles escaped the young girl without end, nearly drowned out by the betrayed cries, squealing, and hollering of her friends.
Kiba and Akamaru hunted Mimi and Aoko, the latter pair snickering and chortling as they returned fire. There would be no forgiveness for tampering with his shower, not today or any other day. She also had a debt to repay, and Kiba wouldn't stop until she paid it back to the last drop.
Fū flitted through the air, grinning and giggling loudly, happily, and freely as she swooped around. White missiles whipped around her and crashed against her body, thrown by Lee at speeds which defied the basic laws of physics. She flew in low, kicking up powder with her wings, and snatched up snow to return fire.
Chōji and Shino sheltered behind cover to avoid a barrage launched by Ino and Sakura. Tenten and Yakumo ran around, evading Neji's reprisal as they struggled to find an opening against his Byakugan; Yakumo's stamina, the Nara noted, had visibly improved since they first met.
Karin, striking from Naruto's blindside as he, like Shikamaru, tried to locate the real 'Risu, hit the boy square in his back. He whirled around, his expression of betrayal met with a self-satisfied smirk, and a second snowball. Naruto narrowly evaded the projectile with a well-timed duck.
Sasuke, too, was surprised when Hinata of all people emerged from behind a tree like an ethereal sprite, striking flawlessly with a snowball before quickly evading, giggling as she did. Sasuke even seemed to chuckle to himself before retaliating.
Shikamaru heard snow crunch beneath a sandal. It was intentional, obviously.
"You put a lot of thought into this," he said without looking back.
"Of course. A half-baked plan wouldn't have drawn everyone in."
Shikamaru could only nod once. She was right, it wouldn't have.
Some of their friends and comrades were too stoic or prideful to take part in a harmless activity, especially one easily perceived as childish. They needed a motivator. An intense one, frankly. Something which they couldn't ignore, like a kick below the belt or a cold bucket of water first thing in the morning.
And vengeance against a common enemy was one of the greatest motivators for war since time immemorial—especially a Great Snowball War.
Now everyone was caught in the heat of the moment. Swimming in the flow of fun and joy, which collapsed their egos, their inhibitions, their pasts, their futures, and grounded them here, in the most immediate moment, among friends and comrades where the tides of camaraderie and the platonic love they never spoke of could swallow them up. It returned them to innocence.
Right where 'Risu wanted them.
"They've all been tense lately," Shikamaru noted, watching his friends and comrades dash through the snow, leap from trees, slinging snowballs back and forth.
Laughter and shouts for vengeance rang out from every direction. He usually didn't appreciate shouting—too loud, too troublesome. This one time, however, he found it as pleasant as a quiet hill far from the pedestrian traffic and controlled chaos of living inside a bustling Village.
"We've all been tense," his cousin replied calmly. Honestly.
Pressing his lips together, he hummed in agreement. Yeah, they had been. Things were going as expected on the frontlines—that was to say, the Stone and their Waterfall and Hidden Rock allies continued their relentless push against the Leaf's and Sand's shield wall with their superior numbers.
Although they dug their heels, holding and defending their Nations valiantly, the Stone and their allies were still advancing meter by meter, kilometer by kilometer, seizing bits of territory in the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind as they went.
It was troublesome to admit, but…there it was.
"I know this won't take it all away," his cousin admitted. "It won't change the reality of the Stone capturing territory in the Land of Fire and Land of Wind. But it can give us a moment to capture something we'll all eventually lose."
For the first time, Shikamaru turned his head to look back at 'Risu. She, like he was before, watched the harmless snowball war unfold. She did so with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling peacefully.
"And what's that?" he asked.
Her smile transformed, peace drifting off for cheekiness. She looked down at him and said,
"A secret. One I'll tell you later. For now, we're enemies, and I've got you cornered like a wounded deer."
"Hmph," he snorted. "Are you sure about that?"
Then he raised his gaze to the tree branch above her. 'Risu's gaze quickly followed his, just as he'd hoped, in anticipation of a trap from above.
Instead, he quickly dug his hand into the snow, then flung the loose powder at his cousin, simultaneously digging his opposite hand into the white sea to equip a second missile. She raised her arms to block—it was a futile attempt.
"Hey!" she whined while giggling.
"Heh," he exhaled a sharp chuckle, rising and darting off. "I can't believe that worked."
He whirled around once, compact snowball in hand, and loosed it at his cousin.
Direct hit.
"You'll pay for that, Shika!"
"Not a chance." He darted off, lowering to clumsily scoop up another handful of snow. Once in hand he shaped it into an oblong-shaped missile, unleashed it with a grin on his lips and declared,
"You still owe me plenty for that ice shower this morning!"
His cousin evaded with a graceful pivot, giggled. She had two missiles already equipped. In likely his smartest move of the day, he whirled one-eighty and hightailed it for cover.
"Hehe! You should've seen your face!"
"Should've seen yours when I asked if you and Haku tried reforming your Clans."
'Risu's accuracy was perfect. The snowball exploded off the back of his head, and nearly sent him tumbling face first into the snow.
"Take that! And this one too! Troublesome boy! I'll bury you in snow for mentioning that again! Just you wait!"
"Heh! Go ahead and try."
He slid on his knees into cover behind a tree, dug his hands into the snow.
"You've already given up your element of surprise," he said. "Now its time for our counter-offensive."
It all sounded quite bold, he felt. But to actually think of a plan at this stage sounded like work. And working was too much of a drag.
So, Shikamaru didn't bother to concoct a serious plan. He just flowed with the moment like a drifting cloud, letting the wind guide him wherever it desired.
He returned to innocence, just like his friends and comrades.
And, for the moment, the shackles of stress no longer bound him.
It was the first time he could remember laughing and grinning like he had in the Academy—like that lazy, innocent kid he used to be. A lifetime ago, it felt. A completely different life, in a way. Long before he understood the weight of responsibilities and stress of shinobi life, before Invasions, Incidents, and wars became events outside of a dusty old history book.
As his cheeks began to hurt beneath his grin, blocking snowballs which exploded off him, and trying to outrun them, he realized he wasn't alone in the feeling. That they all felt it on some level.
It felt good.
"I can't believe you betrayed us!" Konohamaru's voice rose an octave on its own.
Moegi giggled like a mad jester. She scooped up more snow, patted it into a snowball, then threw it as a white blur whistled past her ear, sailing over her shoulder and exploding harmlessly on the battlefield.
She could barely speak, let alone breathe in the crisp winter air as her two friends chased her.
"You were already sitting down when we arrived, you even had your colored pencils opened," Udon said, ducking her snowball. He was still piecing together how she skated beneath suspicion while everyone else fell prey to Amaririsu's perfectly executed pranks.
"How could you, Moegi!" Konohamaru demanded, betrayed.
"How could I not?" she giggled. Then squealed as a snowball exploded off her back.
"Traitor! The whoopee cushions were too far! Some of our classmates may never recover!"
"Like you? Eeeee!"
"I'll never sit down the same way again!" Konohamaru declared dramatically.
"The whoopee cushion wasn't so bad," said Udon.
"It was terrible— gahh!"
Two snowballs exploded off her friend. Moegi giggled triumphantly.
"Why you! I'll get you for that!"
"Well, I was one of the last ones to sit down, so it wasn't such a big deal by then, I guess. Not like when Konohamaru sat down," Udon considered.
He'd been the first, the poor boy. His face flushed redder than fresh cherries the moment the whoopee cushion unleashed its powerful flatulence—it couldn't have been more brilliant.
She played it off all so innocently, no one ever guessed she was an accomplice to what her classmates would eventually deem a crime against humanity.
"I'm not sure I'll ever trust my crayons after that prank," Udon admitted.
Moegi covered her face and ducked, far too late to be effective. The snowballs impacted against her forearms, showering her in white powder.
She giggled anyway. Because the memory of nearly everyone simultaneously being sprayed by ink, paint, or whatever washable dye Amaririsu used was almost too much to bear. Especially when her classmates broke out into wails of horror, as though a skunk had sprayed them instead.
"There's no way I'm letting you get away with this!" Konohamaru declared, forming another snowball. "This is only the beginning, Moegi! I'll extract vengeance upon you and Big Sis, you'll see! Starting with this!"
He drew his arm back, snowball primed. Moegi was nearly finished creating her own, but it would be too late Or, rather, it would've been.
A Shadow Clone of Amaririsu suddenly leapt down from the trees, snatching the snowball out of his hand before he could throw.
"I need to borrow that," she said.
Konohamaru finished the motion. He blinked, dumbfounded, realizing the absence of the cold missile as he finished the followthrough.
His wide eyes snapped to his empty hand. He didn't see Amaririsu hop away, twisting one hundred and eighty degrees to face the Shadow Clone of Naruto, who also leapt down from the trees.
The white snowball whistled through the air. Naruto evaded his head out of the way, snatching the snowball Udon created as he prepared to throw.
"Sorry, Udon, I need to borrow this. You're not getting away from me, Amari!"
"Just try and catch me, slowpoke!"
Udon finished his followthrough, then processed the snowball's absence.
"Huh?" Her friend with the perpetual runny nose gasped.
"Hey!" Konohamaru whirled at the teens, clenching a fist and shaking it. "Don't steal our snowballs! We had Moegi right where we wanted he— gahhh!"
Two snowballs exploded one after another off of Konohamaru and Udon, respectively. Again Moegi giggled triumphantly. Then, seizing the opportunity, she rushed off with her sides and cheeks aching.
"Hey! We're not done! Moegiiiiii!"
Big Sis Amaririsu really was the best.
Today has certainly taken a strange turn.
Standing in the shelter of a tree trunk, Shino kept calm despite the abject chaos surrounding him.
To be honest, finding even a solitary moment to catch his breath required a surprising amount of effort. His enemies were showing no quarter, as expected. Nowhere was safe. Shadow Clones of Amaririsu and Naruto leapt through the trees. Shouting and laughter created a constant stream of noise pollution, snowballs flew from all directions.
So much stimuli, it pulled at every corner of his brain, trying to grasp and divert his attention to everything, and thus sense nothing at all. He had to be careful not to lower his guard, he had to stay focused.
Much like a real war, the lines of battle weren't always distinct, nor were your enemies. He was allied with Chōji what felt like mere moments ago, battling Sakura and Ino in a valiant effort, he felt. Yet the battlefield and his enemies changed quicker than the snapping of a mousetrap.
Now Kiba and Akamaru were his allies. Naturally. Ino and Sakura shifted positions; the former joined Amaririsu in a battle against Shikamaru and Chōji—the Nara and Akimichi were also natural allies and comrades; the latter followed Mimi and Aoko, once pursued by Kiba and Akamaru, into a new battle. Against who, he could not say. Not yet, at least.
Taking the place of their past enemies were none other than their sibling students—Hinata and Yakumo. They were better prepared for the shift of battle, ambushing him and Kiba and Akamaru quite admirably.
Glancing to his left, across a gap of open white sea to an adjacent tree, he saw Kiba kneeling as he formed a small pyramid of snowballs. Next to him, Akamaru was digging up snow, creating a mound for Kiba to create more snowballs.
He likely should've been mirroring his teammate's behavior. He should've been creating new weapons to combat their enemies. This was a Great Snowball War, after all. A strange version of war he never anticipated to fight. Yet, strangely, he was pleased by it.
Why does this war please me? Hmm. It's strange. I've never taken part in something like this before, so I have no nostalgia to draw upon, as others might. It's also a strange activity, throwing snow at those you consider friends and comrades. Yet there's no denying that I, like the others, am enjoying myself.
Shino peered around the trunk. Across the battlefield, Hinata and Yakumo kneeled together in the snow. They were building more snowballs, too. Smiling just like Kiba and Akamaru. He could hear their faint giggles.
Hmm. Why does this war please me? I would say that it is because seeing the delight of my comrades and friends, even in an activity as strange as this, feels good.
Kneeling down, he prepared a snowball. Then another. They were misshapen, proportions too small or too big on one side; he was still working on the basics, most of which he observed from the others. They would do.
Something exploded off his left shoulder. He paused, turned his head to look across the battlefield to his attacker—Hinata. His teammate was smiling.
"I got you that time, Shino," she said.
"You did," he acknowledged. "That is because you changed your position to create an opening. But this war isn't finished yet."
"Yeah," Kiba echoed him. "We're not through by a long-shot! Right, Akamaru?"
Akamaru agreed, of course.
As Shino picked up his snowballs, he sprang forward and whirled around, throwing one as he did.
Yakumo, attempting to sneak in on his rear flank, raised her arms and squealed as the snowball exploded off her torso. A small volley whistled by his left arm—Kiba. Yakumo covered up, trying to protect herself from his comrade's retaliation.
More snowballs rained in from Hinata. Shino spun on the snow, caught a snowball in his right shoulder. He flinched. A rookie mistake in this odd form of war—it threw off his attempted retaliation by the length of a hand. Hinata ducked and scrambled away from the missile all the same.
Simultaneously, Yakumo recovered. She moved behind the cover of a tree, then reemerged in its canopy to rain another snowball onto their position. Shino quickly procured another from Kiba's pyramid as his comrade moved to outflank Hinata.
It was at that moment, in the midst of their battle, that the battlefield would shift again. This time beneath the cry of,
"Human Boulder! Varooommmmmm!"
Everyone snapped to attention, gazes drawn towards the cry. Shino furrowed his brow. Kiba recoiled in horror.
Chōji was barreling straight between the trees, a wake of white snow flying off his rapidly rotating body.
Ahead of him, the swiftly fleeing and giggling forms of Ino and Amaririsu flickered by; they had clearly accomplished some grand scheme against Shikamaru. Something that led his best friend to travel at such speeds, the members of Team Eight couldn't evade.
The wake of snow piled over Shino, Kiba, and Hinata, splashing Yakumo in her position in the tree.
"Not again!" groaned Kiba.
Shino pursed his lips.
Today has been quite strange, Father. But, perhaps, this is how it feels to have friends.
And perhaps I am enjoying that, too.
"It would appear they have us surrounded," Neji noted.
"So, this is how it must be," Lee replied, his grave voice betrayed by a smile. He crouched in the snow, Neji at his back, rolling his growing snowball along the white sea, packing it with additional snow.
"To think we would be betrayed by our very own comrades—by friends we held in the highest regard. This is a dark day."
"Hmph," his teammate snorted, smirking. "Don't be so overdramatic."
"Hehehe," he chuckled bashfully. "Come on, Neji. Where is your youthful spirit? Amaririsu and our kunoichi comrades have declared war on us. We must embrace the joy of our friends with all of our hot-blooded passion!"
"I will leave that part to you. Now, shall we launch our counterstrike against these traitorous friends of ours?"
Lee grinned. His teammate did well to feign annoyance, but he could tell Neji was enjoying himself. How could he not? The cheerfulness of their comrades and friends was truly contagious. Their unbridled joy thrummed on the air itself, vibrating through their warm and energetic bodies as though their souls were the plucked strings of the universe's magnificent orchestra.
Picking up a well-formed snowball in his left hand, Lee tucked their ultimate weapon beneath his right arm—a snowball the size of a snowman's head—and rose to his full height.
Now was the time. They had prepared their weapons, heartened their spirits, and fanned the flames of youth. Now it was time to strike back against their traitorous friends and bring them back to the light!
Lee pumped his left hand into the air and passionately cheered,
"All right! Let us launch our magnificent counterattack, Neji!"
"Hmph. All right."
Nothing more needed to be said. Together, as a two-man team, they darted out from behind their cover, straight into the fray. Lee eyed their enemies positions.
Directly ahead, standing on a tree branch, was Tenten. Mimi and Aoko positioned themselves on their left and right flanks; they were already prepared to launch snowballs at them. Finishing the kunoichi team's encircling maneuver was Sakura, who leapt from the shadows onto the branch of a tree, taking the position at their rear.
"Behind us, Lee," Neji warned as they charged towards Tenten.
"Right!"
Spinning an agile one-eighty, Lee blocked aside a snowball with the back of his left hand, disintegrating it into harmless powder falling past his shoulder. He finished a full three hundred and sixty degree rotation, then whirled around again, loosing his snowball at Sakura. The white missile whistled through the air.
To his surprise, Sakura lobbed two snowballs up and ahead while simultaneously dropping backwards off the branch. His snowball whistled overhead by mere inches. She grasped the bare tree, swung herself forward and up, and caught her lobbed snowballs as they descended.
"Take this!" she yelled, grinning.
The first missile was on point. There was only one way to dodge such an accurate projectile.
Lee bent backwards into a flat table. The missile passed by his face, nearly kissing his skin, before striking the ground.
Swiftly, he pressed his freed left hand into the cold, snowy earth and, utilizing his strength and agility, pushed himself up into a handstand then kicked his legs down to stand upon his feet once more. Immediately he hopped back—too late. A solid mass struck his sternum, then exploded. He laughed joyfully all the same.
Unraveling paper—a scroll, his ears recognized the familiar sound—signaled the next step of their counterattack.
Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Tenten unravel a large scroll above her. Mimi and Aoko unleashed repeated barrages upon Neji, who evaded and advanced gracefully through the barrage as though they were shuriken.
Tenten opened the Storage Seals upon her scrolls. From the billowing paper, dozens upon dozens of snowballs descended upon them through the snowfalls white veil. Just as Neji and Lee anticipated. His teammate closed the distance between them and their former comrades for this explicit reason.
Halting suddenly, with Mimi, Aoko, and Tenten all within his range, and white missiles preparing to bury him in an unforgiving amount of snow, Neji made a small twist of his upper body, then threw himself into a rapid rotation. Lee already leapt aside, ducking behind a tree trunk.
"Rotation!"
Blue chakra swirled to life around Neji, shielding him in an impenetrable sphere which deflected the incoming flurry of missiles.
Simultaneously, a white wave kicked up around him. Caught in the whirlwind, long white tails formed and peppered the team of kunoichis, splashing them in unrelenting lashes of snow. They raised their arms up, yelling and laughing.
As soon as the scroll finished its rain, Neji cut off his Rotation and threw two snowballs of his own, striking Mimi and Aoko while they were most vulnerable. Lee dashed out from behind cover.
"Lee, now!" he called.
He was already leaping through the air, spinning a whole revolution with the snowman head sized snowball in his right hand.
"Sorry Tenten!"
Tenten caught the missile in the gut. She cried out in surprise as it exploded and knocked her from the tree branch. Mimi leapt across the battlefield, catching her fellow kunoichi before crashing and disappearing into a mound of snow; white powder ejected into the air like a volcano belching lava all around the pair.
As Lee landed next to Neji, he pumped his fist again.
"As you can see, hope is not lost yet!"
"You may want to rethink that," Sakura said.
Oh no! Lee sucked in a sharp breath of winter air. I forgot about Sakura!
Neji and Lee both whirled around. Lee's eyes went wide. He heard Neji gasp, horrified.
A boulder-sized snowball, unleashed from a scroll, was upon them.
Without thinking, Lee punched it.
Immediately the boulder of snow shattered spectacularly, burying both members of Team Guy within a blink.
"Hehe!" Sakura's giggle was triumphant. "That's what you get for turning your back on me!"
Lee's fist emerged from the snow, thumb pointed to the sky.
"Excellent work, Sakura! But I will not make the same mistake again!"
"Nor will I," Neji grumbled.
"Well, well—"
"Mimi," Tenten warned. It was an enticing threat—one so tantalizing, she was compelled to see where it might lead. Carpe diem, as they say.
She grinned at the girl lying on top of her.
"I should've known Tenten the Great would come out on top."
Nailed it.
Cheeks flushed, Tenten scrunched her nose.
"You just can't help yourself, can you?"
"Me?" Mimi gasped, feigning innocence. And going all in despite the risks. "You're the one so boldly venturing where few have ever dared, disregarding the decrees of men and gods alike to seduce a benevolent and innocent maiden like yours truly."
"Mmhm. Because we all know how very innocent and benevolent you are."
"I'm a blushing virgin. A celibate priestess. And you, a deviant like no other, have now pinned me against the earth before all eyes—even the eyes of children! With little more than a seductive smile and a tender caress you weaken my feeble resistance to these carnal sensations I renounced long ago. I'm helpless."
"Uh-huh."
"And you are so bold. So daring—oh heavens, my knees tremble and buckle at the sight of you. But you are the seductively Sassy Sage of Swords, so perhaps I should've known this would escalate so quickly. I am too charming for my own good."
"Yes." Tenten rolled her eyes. "Very charming. Exceptionally charming."
"See, you understand."
"Uh-huh." She reached up, scooped some snow, and poured it over Mimi's head. "How about you cool off."
"Hey!" the Inuzuka laughed, trying to shield herself from the cold snow.
"Come on, Mimi," Tenten sat up. "Let's get back into it."
"So demanding," she feigned a sigh.
Tenten smirked. "So obedient."
"This time," Mimi grinned. "Next time I might turn the tables, if the mood strikes me."
"You can struggle all you like." Tenten, cheeks flushed, pressed her thumb to her chest and grinned charmingly. "But I always come out on top."
The Inuzuka shrugged. "Eh, I don't mind. The view is wonderful down here. Absolutely breathtaking. Might even say its the best seat in the— hey!"
Mimi snickered and cackled, raising her arms again to protect her face and head against a repeated peppering of snow. She didn't bother to turn the tables. Why would she?
Even through veils of white snow, the view of Tenten's flustered and exasperated expression was picture perfect.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Fū's cheeks and sides were hurting in the best way.
She hadn't stopped grinning or laughing since the Second Great Snowball War began, and it was totally shaping out to be her favorite of the Snowball Wars to date. Also the most challenging, too.
Flitting through the air, insect wings vibrating, she evaded up and left at a diagonal, then forward, down, and then up again as snowballs whistled by. Sasuke, Naruto, and his three Shadow Clones weren't letting up at all.
"Missed me! Whoa! Hehe, that one wasn't even close!"
A snowball struck her shoulder, exploding and peppering her hair, neck, and face with cold snow—Sasuke again.
Fū dramatically swirled through the air, falling like a fly knocked aside by a waving hand. At the last moment she veered off, fluttering Chōmei's tails to uproot snow, splashing the boys.
"Gah! That is so not fair!" Naruto complained without any heart in it.
A snowball pelted her in her lower back—Sasuke again. He was really good at throwing snowballs. Probably even better with shuriken and kunai, too.
Giggling, Fū snatched a handful of snow, flew around a tree, and charged the group again.
Sasuke's Sharingan really made evading tough. So did the additional Shadow Clones; they were closing the gaps she had before, keeping the constant flurry possible by maintaining their supply of snowballs.
The Waterfall kunoichi liked the challenge. It just made everything more fun!
She flew low to the ground, then rolled slightly to her left—the side the boys were on—and tried to splash them again. They all evaded, jumping up to the tree.
Fū suddenly darted up, appearing right in front of Sasuke. His eyes went wide, his head recoiled back slightly. Smiling, she stuck her tongue out at him.
Then the snowball exploded off his face, drawing a wordless sound of surprise from the Uchiha. She giggled wildly.
Flitting away, Fū scooped up another handful of snow, snowballs raining in from above all around her. Some struck in dazzling explosions of ice crystals.
As she turned around, hovering and preparing to throw, a head of crimson hair poked out around a tree trunk behind the boys.
There she is! Now I just have to keep their attention.
So she did. Flitting about like a dragonfly, slinging snowballs, Fū devoted herself to being the perfect decoy.
Meanwhile Karin crept closer and closer to the pair, two medium-sized snowballs carefully held in each hand. Finally she lobbed the first at Sasuke's back, which crashed against the top of his shoulders and exploded. He visibly flinched, then shivered.
Startled by the attack, Naruto whirled around. The second snowball, already in flight, struck him in the right shoulder, disintegrating and spraying him in the face.
Both boys blinked at Karin, dumbfounded by her successful ambush. She smirked triumphantly and, mimicking Fū, stuck her tongue out at the pair.
Naruto and his Shadow Clones reacted first, snowballs already in hand.
"No way we're letting you get away with this, Karin!" the real Naruto declared, jabbing his finger at his clan-sister.
Karin placed her hands on her hips, held her ground.
Movement flickered in the reflection of her glasses. Sasuke's Sharingan perceived it. He whipped around.
It was too late.
On the ground, all seven long wings extending out her lower back, Fū grinned and fluttered her wings, uprooting a tsunami of snow. Sasuke paled.
As the shadow fell over them, Naruto and his Shadow Clones glanced over their shoulders, then did what anyone would do in their position.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
They wailed.
The wave crashed over the group, rendering them silent.
"Hehe! Yeah!" Fū hopped and pumped her fist. "Got you with our super-ultra tag team move!"
"Not quite."
"Huh?"
Fū glanced over her shoulder. A snowball crashed against her nose, exploding in yet another dazzling rain of ice crystals. Wailing dramatically, she stumbled back and fell into the snow.
"How?" she groaned.
Sasuke walked by, snorted. "A Substitution."
"Ugghhh. So close."
Next time for sure they'd hit their super ultra tag-team move.
Even on the outskirts of the snowball fight the laughter, yelling, squealing, and tangible joy was warm.
Yakumo stood before an easel bearing a landscape canvas, which she happily applied paint to at her own leisure, smiling as she lifted her gaze now and then for inspiration from the subjects of the painting.
After what felt like a lifetime of isolation, to now be taking part in her first ever snowball fight, feeling the warmth and joy of her new friends, comrades, and sibling students—it was all so overwhelming. Wonderfully overwhelming.
Spreading the paint on the canvas, Yakumo did her best to capture the memory as it occurred in a still portrait; it wouldn't be a perfect rendition, it would be impossible to catch every emotion she felt in a quick painting, but she would try again later.
Later when she had time, when she could snatch the emotions in the calm stillness of meditation, she would create a portrait of this moment. This precious memory she was grateful to have.
For now she had a job to do. A commission to fulfill, provided by her sister student.
Yakumo dipped her palette knife into the white paint, then peered around her easel to the snowball fight. It was time. Their movements were slowing down, the likes of Karin, Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino were sitting or kneeling in the snow, or leaning against trees as they caught their breath.
And now, she thought, wiping the scraper above the gathering of friends on her canvas, for the finale.
With the motion, mounds of snow suddenly formed over every single combatant—all save Amaririsu, at least. Her comrades glanced up. Some grimaced or paled, some gasped. Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi squealed in abject horror. Mimi in particular cursed, loudly.
Gravity appeared to take hold, burying them beneath mounds of snow.
Yakumo dipped her scraper in the paint again. Amaririsu, the final kunoichi standing in the midst of their buried friends, pumped a fist into the air.
"Victory!"
Smiling, Yakumo spread the white paint onto the canvas. Above her rendition of Amaririsu.
Snow suddenly appeared over her head as well. Yakumo heard her gasp, then the younger girl yelled,
"Traitor!"
Once again gravity appeared to take hold, burying Amaririsu.
Yakumo giggled triumphantly, for the end of the Second Great Snowball War had concluded, and victory was hers to claim.
Fortunately, knowing her sister student as she did now, this wouldn't be the last of the Great Snowball Wars. This wouldn't be the last time they all experienced the unbridled joy of this activity.
Yakumo couldn't wait for the next.
Once Yakumo's genjutsu was dispelled, the soldiers of the Snowball War gathered together under a banner of peace to call an end to the conflict. At least for the day. It was nearing dinner time, after all, and the majority were either hungry or tired, or both. Many sported aching bellies and cheeks that wouldn't be soothed for some time after.
So, they left behind their snowy battlefield, returning to the bustling streets of the Leaf Village where colorful lanterns, decorations, and lights adorned the shops, homes, and dangled across the width of the road, where warm food seemed to call from every direction, and adults and children gathered at every store and stand available.
They would have barbecue together, savoring their camaraderie, banter, and their moment of peace for as long as time allowed them. Knowing on a subconscious level, eventually, moments like these would be few and far between.
Eventually Naruto and Fū would leave with Master Jiraiya for training. Eventually the war would call many of them to the frontlines, and Sasuke, Amari, Mimi and Aoko would traverse the shadows, out of sight and out of reach, more often than not.
So they savored their moment. They savored every bit of the normalcy they still had left. The peace they could still grasp ahold of. Because it wasn't guaranteed. Nothing ever was.
After their meal, with bellies full and spirits high, they parted ways, promising to meet later for the winter festival's firework festival.
All in all, the Second Great Snowball War was nothing short of a resounding success.
The snowfall ended soon after dinner. By sunset the thick blanket of clouds cleared off entirely, clearing the canvas for the impending firework festival capping off the winter festival.
Civilians and shinobi alike crowded the streets, celebrating in their own ways. They entered packed restaurants or taverns deafened by a cacophony of chatter, with cheerful songs and upbeat music provided by professional musicians and everyday people who were taken by the spirit of the season, or held somber gatherings at local bars, where alcohol was poured in honor of fallen loved ones taken far too soon.
Some tried their luck at the gambling halls. Some seized the courage to finally court the man or woman they had fancied since they were children. Elderly couples reminisced of the first fireworks festivals, of joyful time spent together they were grateful for, and enthusiastic for what time they still had left. Younger couples, like Kurenai and Asuma, savored the romantic evening together.
Some savored the company of a friend. Some engaged in conversation with strangers who would become lifetime friends. Some spent their time alone or with pets, perfectly satisfied to stay in on a cold evening. Others spent their money on attentive conversation at the cabaret clubs, sang their lungs out at karaoke clubs, and found carnal relief at the brothels.
Colorful lanterns glowed across the Village, and as night fell, more and more people congregated outside in anticipation of the firework festival.
Beyond the streets, far from the noise on a spacious, snowy hill illuminated by handheld lanterns the members of Team's Seven, Eight, Ten, Team Guy, and Fū, Karin, and Yakumo all gathered together beneath the clear night sky.
They gathered in their winter clothes, with scarves, gloves, and cloaks, settling on blankets they spread out on the hill after kicking aside the snow. They cradled fresh cups of hot chocolate in their hands, the warm aroma of freshly cooked s'mores wafting on the air, cooked and prepared by Amari with her survival equipment. She wanted to cook treats for everyone.
Standing at the top of the incline, Amari first cast her gaze down the hill to her gathered comrades. Ribbons of steam rose from their cups still as white clouds of condensation floated away. The crunch of graham crackers and idle chatter filled the air.
She lifted her gaze to the horizon, dark and glinting with stars. Soon enough it would light up in all manner of colors. They would have a perfect view from here.
"Hey, 'Risu."
Amari met Shikamaru's gaze. He was seated beside Chōji eight long strides from the top of the hill.
"Yes, Shika?"
"Earlier you told me the snowball fight would 'give us a moment to capture something we'll all eventually lose.' You never elaborated, though," he said with a shake of his head. "Said it was a secret. And I forgot to ask while we had dinner."
"Mm," she hummed, nodding once. "I planned the Second Great Snowball War for more than just my own entertainment. And for more than a means to have fun and decompress a little."
"I had a feeling there was more to it," Shino said, standing behind the seated forms of Karin, Fū, and Hinata. "Why? Because: You rarely do anything without purpose. However, I did assume it was primarily to raise our spirits and boost morale. I am uncertain your other motive."
"I had a similar suspicion. Once the Snowball War began, at least," Neji added.
Looking at the others, it was clear they'd all felt an ulterior motive beneath the surface.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you guys saw through me," Amari said, lightly scratching her cheek with a gloved finger. "Over the course of this year we've all become closer. It'd be impossible not to. We've struggled, fought, and bled together against all manner of challenges and enemies. I'm not notorious for hiding my feelings, either."
Quite the opposite, really. Even on a battlefield.
"Hard to believe most our Teams were only created at the start of the year," Naruto said.
"Yeah. Been a hell of a year," Kiba said. "We went from normal missions to dealing with Invasions, Orochimaru and his goons, the Akatsuki, the Foundation, and now this damn war. Just last year we were goofing off in class and getting yelled at by Iruka-sensei."
"A lot has happened," Tenten agreed. "For all of us. But there have been good things, too, you know. I mean, even though we lost Lord Third in the Invasion, Naruto and Master Jiraiya were able to bring Lady Tsunade back to the Village, and she has been a huge boon to the Leaf.
"We've also built bonds beyond the Leaf since then. The Sand, the Mist, Kingdoms like the Land of Snow and Land of the Moon; our work may be far from over, especially with the war, but we've achieved a lot of ground since Lady Tsunade became Fifth Hokage."
"Naruto, Shino, and Amaririsu were also able to rescue Karin and Fū," Chōji added.
"Chōmei, too!" Fū piped up excitedly. "And together we were able to help Yakumo!"
Amari hummed thoughtfully, eyes drawing back to the horizon. Tenten and Kiba were right, it'd been a hell of a year, and a lot had happened through it. Good and bad. Moments of joy and pain.
They'd gained strength, learned more of the world, of their Village's history. So, to put it in Haku's words, they were growing up. From the soil of ignorance they were blossoming. And shinobi life moved fast. Far too fast.
There was a reason men like Asuma, Kakashi, and Guy, women like Kurenai, Anko, and Miss Anbu, were considered old men and women, and why Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya were considered ancient among shinobi.
Because the world of shinobi, the world of war, churned through life at a terrifying speed. It fed itself on the young, killing off entire generations of forgotten people to keep on churning away.
Amari gripped her Clan crest pendent.
"I… I don't know if the Stone possesses the power to achieve their Empire," she said at length. "At this point, though, given the gains they've made in the Land of Fire and Land of Wind, its a possibility they actually do. And if they possess the military power to achieve their ambition, this may be the last winter festival we hold in the Leaf for many years."
"Amari…" Hinata's soft voice was crystal clear in the grim silence that followed her statement.
"That's why it's important to make the most of these peaceful moments," Amari said. "It's why I planned the snowball fight. I wanted us to make this day something worth remembering. Something we could never forget. Something that, in the darkest of times, will remind us what it is we once had. I want— I hope this memory can be something we always feel is worth fighting for.
"And, strange as it may sound, I wanted us to just be…kids. Just normal kids—or at least as normal as we can be as shinobi. Because we don't know how long the war is going to last. If history is any indicator, though, we're in for a rough series of years. In that time it will do everything it can to strip away our peace, it's going to try to feed itself on every piece of light and joy we hold dear.
"Eventually," her voice fell in solemnity, "our childhoods will find their place as a dusty old bookend at the end of a long shelf, buried behind thick books containing precious memories time has smudged into oblivion. Out of our reach. Forgotten.
"So, while there was still a chance, while we're still kids, I wanted us to act like it. Even if only for a little bit. Even if only for that small moment in time so we could capture it, hold it, just for a bit longer. Before we lose it."
"Amaririsu, if I may, I believe you are misunderstanding what it means to grow up," Lee interceded politely.
She tilted her head. "How so?"
"It is true we will all grow older—that is the inevitability of aging. As adults we will take on the responsibilities entrusted to us as experienced Leaf shinobi, one day inheriting the roles our Sensei's and superiors currently occupy for the next generation. Additionally, it would be foolish to deny that what we experience in the war will also attribute to our maturity.
"However, correct me if I have misinterpreted you, but what you wish for us to remember is the pure elation we felt today. You wish for us to always remember the fiery passions of youth, the innocence of joy and love as comrades and friends we shared. And the fun, of course. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
Lee nodded once. "I see. Then, as I said before, I believe you are misunderstanding what it means to grow up. It is true we will take on responsibilities as adults, we will mature and we will likely carry scars from this war, given what we have seen from our Sensei's and what we know from history.
"The innocence of joy we felt today, however, as well as the elation, the passion, and love are not feelings we must shed to become adults. They are apart of us. They always are. Because they are apart of life itself.
"It's true in these dark days we may not always feel it. There is no doubt we will struggle and suffer great pains in our future, and those struggles may make it difficult for us to believe everything will be okay. However, in time, when the worst has finally passed, I know we will all be able to smile again."
Lee, full of light and warmth that every Sensory Type felt wash over them, jabbed his thumb out and smiled in the lantern light.
"So there is no need for you to be afraid, Amaririsu. This will not be the last Great Snowball War we have, nor will it be the last winter festival we share together."
"Lee's right," Mimi spoke up from beside Tenten, looking her way. "Got plenty of life left in us. Plenty of fight. The Stone may advance, gain some precious pieces of dirt, but they won't take us down. They don't have the power to snuff out our Will of Fire. So don't mope. There's only room for one brooding Uchiha in the Leaf, and Broody has that covered," she added, grinning.
Sakura giggled. Amari smiled faintly.
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted. Then he turned slightly to look at her. "If you're so worried about it, use your power as Clan Head to decree an annual snowball war for the Uchiha Clan and its allies."
"Can I… Can I do that?" Amari asked. Because that sounded like a fun decree.
He shrugged. "Probably. As long as its a cooperative exercise, grouping members of varying Clans together instead of pitting individual Clans against each other, it will strengthen the bonds between the next generations. It'll also start them early on building a natural foundation for teamwork and cooperation, instead of isolationism and individual exceptionalism."
And he worked in sincere and practical teachings into something so fun? She really had the best advisor ever.
"Huh. Hey, that's actually a pretty good idea," Naruto pondered. "We could eventually expand it to the whole Village. Yeah! A Village-wide annual snowball war to strengthen bonds, that'd be an awesome way for everyone to have fun and become closer!"
Naruto's sun-like chakra reflected his burgeoning excitement, blazing brighter and brighter by the moment.
"Next time I see her, I'm gonna ask Granny Tsunade about it. Maybe we won't be able to do it this year or next, there's a whole lot security and safety stuff to consider with repairs and the war now. But even she'd have to see the benefits once things settle down. And if she can't do it, I will once I become Hokage."
"A Village-wide snowball war? That sounds totally crazy!" Fū pumped a fist into the air. "Let's do it! Don't you think it'd be fun, Karin?"
"As long as we're all apart of it I think it might be fun. Or just crazy," said Karin.
"There would have to be boundaries and rules to prevent total anarchy," Yakumo considered.
"You have to admit it would be a fun way to strengthen the bonds between comrades and Clans," Sakura said. "Just the thought of it makes me wish we had something fun like that when we were little kids. It would've been a neat way to make new friends."
"True."
"That settles it!" Naruto declared. "When I become Hokage we'll hold an annual snowball war! No ifs, ands or buts about it!"
"You first have to become Hokage, you goof," Ino said, smiling while rolling her eyes.
You guys…
Amari shut her eyes, feeling her tight grip loosened around her pendent. And the tight fist in her chest soothe, even if only a little bit.
Thank you.
A low thump and follow-up pop drew her eyes back to the sky, just as the cherry blossom colors fizzled out into smoke.
Another firework was already whistling into the sky, joined by two quick followers trailing it. One after another exploded into massive spherical shapes colored green, blue, and finally turquoise exploding amidst the first two, as though their colors had fused together.
On the hill illuminated by lantern light the young shinobi watched the fireworks rise and whistle into the sky, fizzling out as new missiles ascended behind cannon-like vibrations. They watched, content, sometimes oohing and aahing as marvelous new shapes, like green leaves and red flowers, exploded into existence along the skyline. And for that small moment there was peace.
Amari swore it wouldn't be the last. Even if she had to claw through hell and back so they could all feel it again.
"I can't believe they made a dragon! The firework went boom! And then—bam! That dragon was there, flying across the sky like a real dragon would! I've never seen anything like that before. It was totally awesome!" Fū declared excitedly.
Amari hummed, smiling. She was right. Whoever organized the spellbinding firework display surpassed all expectations. The finale in particular was breathtaking; an orange-red dragon flew across the night sky amid smaller, rapid-fire fireworks whose shrieks and explosions gave off the impression of the dragon roaring as it unleashed a stream of fire until it, too, detonated in a spectacular flare of orange-red light.
I guess the organizer understands the rule of awesome, the dragon enthusiast mused. Whenever you need something to be that much more breathtaking, add a dragon.
Now the kunoichis were nearly back home now, walking side by side. Amari piggybacked a dozing Karin; all the activity in the day and the late hour had finally caught up to the Uzumaki. She wasn't alone. The Nara, too, couldn't wait to slip beneath warm covers and melt into a peaceful slumber.
It had been a long, eventful day. A wonderful day, truly.
"We should do firework festivals more often!" Fū decided. Then pursed her lips, looking thoughtfully up at the sky. "Well, actually, maybe that isn't a good idea. It wouldn't be nearly as special if we did it all the time. Like if you ate sweets for every meal. Eventually you'd just get sick of it. Unless it was Miss Kurenai's waffles, I could never be sick of those. But we should totally do at least one more firework festival.
"Or, wait a minute…" The Waterfall kunoichi blinked, then looked to Amari. "Does the Leaf have other festivals?"
"Mm," the Nara hummed, dipping her chin once. "There are two major firework festivals per year, actually. We hold one for the winter solstice and the other for the summer solstice.
"There are also days of celebration sprinkled throughout the year for all sorts of holidays; New Year, days for romantic partners, children, parents, the founding of the Leaf, and plenty of others," she said. Then shrugged slightly. "Nothing as big and as extravagant as the winter and summer festivals, though. Now I'm curious, though. Did the Waterfall have festivals or celebrations?"
"Mmhm! Yep! We celebrated the winter and summer solstices, too. I'm not sure we had anything for romantic partners or parents or anything else like that," she added, pressing her pointer finger to her chin as she pondered on it. "Hmm. I can't really remember Shibuki ever mentioning holidays like that. People in the Waterfall didn't like me around so I never got to ask if they celebrated those things."
"Mm. Then like the Leaf Villagers who shunned Naruto, they were too stupid and stubborn to see how bright you would've made their celebrations. And their lives."
"Aw," Fū blushed, rubbing the back of her head bashfully, "you don't have to go that far."
"Sure I do. It's the truth. Right, Karin?"
"Mmhm," Karin hummed tiredly.
"See?"
"Hehe! Guess I can't argue, then," she grinned. Her eyes went wide suddenly. "Oh, wait! We got sidetracked there a little. Back in the Waterfall Shibuki liked to be hands on with planning celebrations for the solstices—oh, and New Year of course! So we would sort of celebrate it together.
"I really should've asked about other celebrations, but it sounds like I would've seen it for sure if we had them. Or, wait, maybe he didn't have a hand in planning anything smaller. Or maybe our customs were different? I'm not really sure. There were definitely no snowball wars—and there should've been! Today was awesome!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Amari replied, smiling. "And I'm glad we could spend this winter festival together. All of us."
"Me too! And I can't wait for the next! Except…"
Fū's usual energetic nature collapsed slowly. Her eyes fell to the ground and even her shoulders hunched slightly.
"I probably won't be here for the summer solstice. I may not even see you guys for the next winter solstice, either," she admitted, voice low and somber. "Pervy Gramps said we'll be leaving to train after you, Sasuke, and Mimi take your Anbu test. He said he wasn't sure how long we'd be gone. At least that's what he told me when I asked. I think he knows we'll be gone a long time, though.
"Don't get me wrong," she quickly added, "I'm really happy Naruto and I will get to spend that time training together. We're gonna get super strong and we'll be, like, the best of friends when we get back. Plus I'll always have Chōmei, and Pervy Gramps is pretty cool, too. It's just that…"
Fū halted completely. Amari paused, half-turned to face her. Karin observed their friend just as keenly as the Nara as the energetic and cheerful girl vanished entirely, replaced by the hurting child hidden behind the glaring rays of warm light.
Shoulders slouched, Fū dug her nails into her palms. She bit the corner of her bottom lip, refused to raise her glistening eyes. Her composure was faltering, but she was fighting to stay strong. Everyday she was fighting—fighting to move forward, even a little bit. Even if only by inches. Just like Shibuki asked.
Amari and Karin sensed the turmoil keenly. The Uzumaki lowered eyes, uncertain of how to help. The Nara withheld a soft, mournful sigh.
It's easy to forget because she's so bright, so full of life and pure, Amari thought, but beneath all her smiles and laughter… Fū is grieving. She acclimatized to a new home, made new friends, and now…
Now she had to leave it all behind. All because of the Akatsuki.
"I'm really gonna miss you two," Fū said suddenly, a slight waver in her voice. "And Miss Kurenai and all our friends. And Waffle Day. The Leaf… Even though it isn't the Waterfall and even though Shibuki is… I finally feel like I'm sort of at home. I don't want to go."
"I know," Amari replied gently. "We'll miss you, too. Every day. Especially Waffle Day. I wish things were different—we all do. But Master Jiraiya's training will prepare you both for the challenges ahead of us, so give your training everything you have. When you get back we'll get everyone together and celebrate with waffles. Maybe we'll even steal some fireworks."
Fū's sullen expression broke for a surprised and horrified giggle.
"You wouldn't!"
Amari smirked. "Sure I would. If it meant making you smile, I'd even prank Lady Tsunade."
"Bu- but Lady Fifth will kill you!"
"She'll have to know it was me first, and even if she does discover I pranked her she'd have to catch me."
"Can you even outrun Lady Fifth?"
"I'll leave a Shadow Clone behind and take a vacation. Queen Koyuki or King Michiru said I was always welcome to visit, so I can shelter in one of their Kingdoms until she cools off."
A bright light burst through the somber cloud hanging over the Waterfall kunoichi. Just as Amari hoped.
"You're crazy!" Fū giggled.
"Definitely crazy," Karin muttered against her shoulder, a smile in her voice.
"Maybe," she giggled. "I prefer thinking it's just a unique sense of humor."
Briefly, Fū glanced away. She pressed her lips together, shifted on her feet. Finally she met Amari's gaze again.
"…Do you promise we'll celebrate when we get back?" she asked.
"I promise," the Uchiha promised. "Until then, whenever you need us on your training journey just remember we'll always be a thought away. We'll be waiting for yo— whoa!"
Amari staggered a step, assaulted by sudden force crashing into her side. She felt her foot slide on the snowy street. Hastily, she braced herself, nearly tumbling over as Fū hugged her arms around them.
"I'll be a thought away, too," their friend promised. "And I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise. Just…stay alive. Okay?"
Amari leaned into the girl. Karin wrapped an arm around her back.
"We will, Fū. Don't worry," she assured.
I'll make sure of it. No matter what hell I have to crawl through…
Fū was back to her cheerful self after they detangled. Sniffling now and then, but smiling, giggling, and talking a mile a minute with the same bombastic energy of the firework finale.
As they were approaching their home, Amari lifted her head slightly.
Miss Anbu is inside. I wonder what's going on. She wouldn't reveal herself so casually if she was on duty.
Was there something they needed to discuss regarding their upcoming test to join the Anbu?
Was she finally stopping by without her mask?
Was their an emergency of some kind?
Amari knew she would find out soon enough.
Fū opened the door when they arrived and ushered them in first. Out of habit, as the wall of warm air struck her, Amari called out,
"We're home."
She then set Karin down as Fū joined them inside, shutting the door and sealing the winter air on the other side. All three kunoichi's removed their sandals and snow boots, in Karin's case.
Fū, noticing how the Uzumaki appeared ready to fall over and sensing the presence of Miss Anbu, helped Karin onto her back with little convincing and took the lead.
"I'll make sure Karin gets straight to bed," she said. "We may both be asleep before you come up, so in case I don't get to tell you tonight, good night, Amari. Have sweet dreams."
"Good night, Amari," Karin mumbled.
"Good night, Fū. Good night, Karin. I hope you both have sweet dreams as well," Amari said, following the pair as they entered the living area.
Miss Anbu was in the kitchen. Kurenai wasn't home yet.
Mom must still be out with Asuma-sensei. A romantic rendezvous, a wholesome walk, or a friendly gathering with comrades? I'll have to ask later. And tease her if its the first or second.
As Fū ascended the stairs, Amari diverted for the kitchen, crossing the distance soundlessly and knocking her knuckles lightly against the doorframe as she entered.
"Would it be funny if I made a joke about a cat prowling into our home?" she quipped.
Seated at the dining table, with her back to the entryway, Miss Anbu's shoulders shook behind her waterfall of purple hair with a soft, short chuckle. She was attired in a navy long sleeve and black pants; a black wool pullover lay folded on the glass dining table. No weapons, and although she couldn't see her face, Amari presumed no mask, either.
Curious, she moved to approach the table. Miss Anbu raised her hand in a silent gesture, indicating to pause. Drilled instinct caused Amari to halt.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing." Miss Anbu's voice wasn't slightly obstructed by a mask. "I suppose I'm…anxious. Afraid."
Amari examined her hand as it fell, noticed a light tremble to it.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," she said. "You're family, I already know that. Even if by some stroke of tragedy my memory fails me, I'm happy to get to know you all over again. We've already started that."
"Mm. You're right. Then…"
Hesitantly, Miss Anbu rose and turned around.
When the young woman's warm brown eyes fell upon her, and Amari was fully able to take in her face, a wave of emotions suddenly washed through her senses without warning.
Flashes of memories passed through her mind within an imperceptible moment until, finally, one sucked her into the out of reach past. To a time long before either of them had known such tragic loss…
Haya peeked around the open sliding door to her family's backyard beyond. Her onyx eyes darted side to side, struggling to track the four forms flitting to and fro like energetic fireflies; two of the four always phased through one another while the other two collided.
"Whoa-ho!" Shisui laughed.
His Sharingan eyes widened slightly as he made a hasty sidestep, evading the purple-haired kunoichi. Her outstretched hand passed in front of his chest by a narrow margin.
"Almost got me that time, Yūgao." He then tagged her shoulder with a light, friendly shove. "But you'll have to be little a quicker than that to catch me!"
Yūgao stumbled a step. Then those once corporeal forms phased through one another as the kunoichi attempted to tag Shisui. At the same time the other pair regained mass for yet another close-call.
Standing off to the side, supervising their training, was her Mama. Long black hair tied back in a high ponytail, she attired herself in a sleeveless blue kimono-styled blouse tied shut by a black sash and black pants.
"Yūgao, you're allowing your eyes to trick you. Trust your senses," she coached. "Shisui, your focus has slipped; you're allowing too much chakra to go to waste in the Body Flicker. Tighten up your control."
Shyly, Haya watched their training with fascination, peering through the open slider door while concealing most of her body behind it as they and their Afterimages raced about. She could never quite tell which ones were the real ones and which were the Afterimages. Not until they physically interacted, at least.
They were amazing. So fast, too. She wished she could move as quick as them, she wished she could join in and keep up. Because even though this was serious training, she could tell they were having a lot of fun. They looked like a brother and sister playing an intense game of tag.
Because they are, she thought. Ever since Yūgao became Mama's student, she's become more involved with all of us. She even comes over for dinner. So, in a way…
Haya nervously curled her fingers tighter. It was becoming harder to pretend she didn't feel a bond like that. But… Was it okay to feel that way? What if she was the only one who did? Was she wrong about how Shisui felt?
Haya's eyes fell away from the yard. She stared at the space where the slider door and the floor met without really seeing it.
Did Yūgao even want them to feel that way?
Would she even want someone like her—a little kid, a…half-breed—to see her in such a light?
So consumed in her thoughts, Haya didn't see the tall shadow climbing the wall over her. She didn't hear their bare feet on the floor. She didn't know they were right beside her until they rested their hand on her head and asked,
"Is their training going well, little shadow?"
"Eeep!" she cried out, nearly jumping out of her skin.
The deep chuckle drew her wide and frightened gaze around to the source and their gentle onyx eyes.
"Papa," she whined, clasping her small hands around his powerful forearm. "You scared me!"
"Hmhm," he hummed another short chuckle. "It appears I have."
"Papa," she whined again, puffing her cheeks in a pout.
With a loving smile, the man she saw as a giant kneeled onto one knee, entering her smaller world. He rubbed her head.
"I'm sorry for scaring you. Forgive your troublesome father?"
"Hmm," she feigned deep thought, pursing her lips. Finally, she smiled. "I forgive you. It'd be troublesome if I didn't."
"I am grateful. Now then." Lowering his hand from her head, after she relinquished her hold on it, her Papa gestured his chin to the backyard. "Is their training going well?"
"I think so." Haya turned around and peeked around the door again. "They're both amazing, and fast, and strong, but Mama says Yūgao is letting her eyes trick her and that Shisui is wasting too much chakra when he uses the Body Flicker. I can't tell that sort of stuff."
"You will. It takes time and experience to keenly sense the ebb and flow of chakra like your mother and I do. Time and experience the three of you have yet to gain."
Shisui and Yūgao may not have possessed the same experience yet, but even so…
"They're getting stronger," Haya said.
"They are," her Papa nodded. "Shisui's and Yūgao's abilities are maturing, just as they are. We mustn't blink now. Quickly—perhaps far too quickly—they will mature from young children in need of guidance into the strong and wise guardians we dreamed they would become. So we mustn't blink. If we do, we'll miss their precious moments of growth."
Haya pursed her lips. "Do we have to grow up, though? Mama says adulthood is a drag."
"Hmm," her Papa hummed, amused. "Well, your mother isn't wrong. Adulthood is an undertaking of never-ending responsibilities, many of which can feel stressful, tedious, or downright boring," he added, sighing as though the wretched throes of boredom had grasped him.
Haya giggled softly.
"But must we grow up? Hmm," her Papa pondered. "Now that depends on how you define it, little shadow. Growing older is the inevitability of life—none can evade it, nor should precious time be wasted fearing it. However, I believe growing up is optional.
"You see, far too many adults eventually become boring or troublesome. They forget the wonder of childhood. They allow this world of ours to sharpen their edges and dull their patience, their empathy, and their altruism. They forget their manners and come to believe their sharp edges and dulled virtues are what define 'growing up.' As a result they become grumpy and bitter."
Haya scrunched her nose. "I don't want to be like them. People like them are mean."
"Mm. Agreed. Now there is also the inverse—or, rather, the opposite of these bitter and grumpy adults. These adults do not grow up; in fact, they forgo any semblance of maturity. They remain as schoolyard bullies, class clowns, attention seekers, or brats. Generally to mask a hurt they've never been able to untangle or confront."
"Is it possible to untangle it?"
"Any hurt can be untangled, little shadow," he said, rubbing her head. "However, some hurts, even if you untangle and confront it, will still hurt. Such as the loss of a loved one."
Haya hummed, flattening her lips together. "…So we either become troublesome adults or immature children in adult bodies?"
"Not necessarily," her Papa smiled. "I believe there is a middle ground. It's a challenging path, I admit, but all great undertakings are."
"What do we have to do?"
"Well, first we must tend to our inner child. We must water it, as we would a garden, cultivating the natural sense of curiosity and wonder we all share. In doing this we will maintain our natural propensity for unrestrained love, empathy, and fun, and never become bitter or jaded.
"At the same time, we must also open ourselves up to knowledge and experience. We must allow ourselves to mature while tending to our inner child. If we do not, then we will never be capable of bearing the responsibilities entrusted to us.
"We cannot allow hurts to stunt our growth, to sharpen our edges, or dull our patience, empathy, and altruism. We cannot keep looking to the past for mythological days of glory when our actions in the present will affect the future of those who follow us."
"So… We need a balance of both, right?" Haya concluded. "It's sort of like the garden you mentioned. We have to…tend to our inner child so it doesn't wither away, but we also have to allow the flowers to bloom. Because a mature flower is when its prettiest."
"Yes, that's right. A balance of both childlike wonder and maturity is the perfect recipe to avoid becoming a troublesome adult."
Haya nodded silently. She'd like to be like that. She didn't want to be a troublesome adult, it would be a total drag. She could feel it.
The four figures were still racing around the backyard. Their faces were flushed. Flecks of sweat whipped off them, breaths came laboriously. They were slowing down, too. Tracking them was getting a little easier.
Haya's eyes lingered on Yūgao for a moment. Again the pang of what she wanted and the uncertainty of how to achieve it struck her.
"Papa?"
"Yes, little shadow?"
"Can I ask a weird question?"
"You can ask me, your mother, or Shisui anything."
"Is Yūgao happy around us?"
"Always."
Haya pursed her lips uncomfortably. She shifted on her feet a little.
"Do you think she… Do you think she would be upset if I hugged her?"
"I think she would cherish a hug from you. Why do you ask?"
"…Because she feels like family, but I'm not sure if that's okay. I wasn't sure if she was just Mama's student or if she actually…"
"If she actually enjoyed our company? If she was apart of our family or desired to be?"
Haya nodded.
Her Papa ruffled her hair. "There's nothing for you to worry about. Your mother has claimed Yūgao like a mother bear claiming her cub. Likewise, Yūgao has finally relaxed and steadily lowered her walls and opened her heart to us, abandoning the rigid conformities of military. Do you know why?"
"Because she likes us?"
"Yes. However, it is because she feels the same as you. We feel like a family to her—we are family to her, and she is family to us. And that is perfectly okay. It is perfectly natural to feel that way. After all…"
Haya was suddenly back in the Yūhi household kitchen, not a breath or blink passing from when the memory started to when she returned. Her wide eyes were stinging, locked on the familiar face as she heard the last of her Papa's words.
"Blood may dictate who we are related to, it may tie us to ancestors or biological relatives we may hold little in common with or who cause us pain. However, that does not make them family. Family cannot be determined by something so simple, something left to a genetic roll of the dice and chance. What truly makes a family, what connects you, Shisui, your mother, Yūgao, and myself are our bonds. We are tied together by our shared and boundless love for one another.
"Love—yes, love is what connects us all. Love is borderless. Love is not limited by Clan or Nation or Creed. It is not limited by invisible borders drawn on a map, a crest, or even by gender. Love knows no limitations set by man. Love exists in all creatures, all beings. It connects us all, large and small, no matter where we are or where we come from. Love transcends these mortal shells we inhabit, it transcends life as we know it and connects us to what lay beyond the horizons of mortality. Never forget that."
"I won't, Papa."
He'd seen it before, she could hear it in his deep and calming voice. He had slipped from life into The Beyond. Or at least found himself at the precipice of it, even if only for a moment. She could feel it in his words, transcending from past to present.
"So I can hug her?"
"Hmhm!" She couldn't see him, but she felt his shoulders shake with his chuckle. "Of course you can. If she feels like family, that means she feels like your big sister, right?"
"Mmhm."
"Then there's no reason to be afraid. Hug her with all of your heart and soul, and she will know how you feel. And you two will cease to feel like family. You will be family."
"Yūgao, you're…"
Yūgao's expression shifted from anxious fear, to surprise, and then joy as her eyes glistened.
Heart pounding, breaths sharpening as layers of emotions overwhelmed her, Haya suddenly vanished, reappearing only as she tackled the young girl who had grown into a woman when she blinked.
They crashed to the kitchen floor, Haya's arms wrapped around the back of Yūgao's neck and faced buried in her collarbone. Her tears soaked into her navy long sleeve. And she cried quietly, hugging her big sister with all of her heart and soul. Hugging her for all the times she hadn't been able to, for all the pain they'd endured while separated, and for the hurts they now harbored that would never go away.
Once she had her bearings and air back in her lungs, Yūgao embraced her tightly. She rested her hand against the back of her head, nuzzling her cheek against her as she, too, cried. Because Haya remembered her. Because they were finally reunited. Because they both had wounds they couldn't heal.
But for that moment, despite the pieces they lost, they were whole again.
Because once again they had each other.