The One Who Won

"Why did you come here?" Uzumaki Nagato asked.

Gama simply scowled in answer. The reason why was very clear. Hebi, next to him, was a mask of detachment.

"Because we were sent here." She said flatly.

"Oh?" Nagato raised an eyebrow. "By whom?"

"Don't drag this out." Gama retorted, jaws clenched. "You know exactly who did. To check up on you and the progress you supposedly made."

It did seem like a world at peace, however. And not simply the peace of Nagato holding it at gunpoint… Bijū-weapon-point.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Nagato nodded slowly. "The one who bears the Jūbi—"

"The strongest of them, yes." Hebi said.

Nagato's eyes, which did not bear the Rinnegan, focused on her. It had been taken from him a little while ago, and he had learned to develop his chakra senses in order to compensate. By now, he supposed he could be considered a good sensor.

"I can hardly believe it." Nagato said, after a long pause. "You, as well?"

Gama's expression closed off even more, and it looked as though he couldn't close his fist any tighter.

"I am one out of many Jūbi bearers, yes." Hebi said. "My loyalty to the Heavenly Empire has been proven, many times over."

Nagato's face went stiff. "Empire? After all his talk of peace, and he—"

"It is a tyranny in this aspect, yes." Hebi said. "As for the rest… I believe it is a world that is far freer, happier than your own. You have no room to judge us."

"Why are you even defending him?" Gama asked stiffly. "The Emperor, really?"

"Shut up." Hebi said curtly. "The more time I spend within the Empire's confines, the more I realize that it is the worlds' best hope. I do not expect someone like you to understand."

Gama tossed his head back and laughed. "Someone like me?" He demanded. "What would you even know of happiness?"

Gama thought of his own homeworld, of blood in grass, in sand, of dead friends lying in both. For that matter, what did he know of happiness? He was slowly finding some precarious balance, with new friends and Jiraiya becoming… admittedly wiser. But any time he was forced to spend with Hebi, and it felt as though all that progress was unraveling, faster than he could understand.

Hebi's face went stiff. Her eyes narrowed, and that ever-present, cold smile that usually curled her lips became a thin line. "What would you know of it? You are nothing but a spoiled little boy."

"Spoiled…?" Gama snapped. "Don't talk to me like you don't know how shit things were, back then. Just… Just shut up and let's move on with the mission."

Her eyes were flat. And cold, too. "Don't presume you can order me around, frog boy." She said, hissing like one of her snakes. "Once was enough."

"I'm not ordering anyone around!" Gama shouted, and there were plenty of insults on the tip of his tongue. All of them, he forced himself to bite back. "But perhaps you should listen to advice from an ally — or are you so used to burning every bridge behind you that you can't even tell what's an order and what isn't?"

"Your advice is not worth half a momme, you piece of shit." Hebi let out. "Just a few months ago, you were a rootless squatter. Hiding away from the real world to play with electronics because it was easier than facing your little fears. There is no one from where you are originally from that would spare you a thought that isn't cursing your name. You had to run away to another world to even find a chance of starting over."

Gama's face darkened. "Perhaps that is true." He said bitingly. "But at the very least, I can say I have found a home. And that's something that includes friends. People who care about you by choice, not because you are bound by blood." He smiled thinly. "Does the concept feel novel to you?"

Her pale face seemed to gain some color. Red and blotchy; it was the color of anger in the day's light. He had struck true. And he had the impression that her cutting words from earlier revealed more about herself than they did about him.

"Fuck off." She spat, movements sharp and angry.

"I wish I could." Gama said. He released an equally sharp, angry breath. "But we have a task at hand, don't we…?"

Nagato was patiently waiting.

He seemed as though he would rather be anywhere but here, in fact. "…Yes." He said slowly. "I… I suppose we can talk of peace measures."

"Right." Gama said. "…You can start with how you managed to fix this whole mess you made in your world, and we can see whether or not we should extend that invitation to you."

"…Perhaps." Nagato seemed wary of them. "…We shall see."

PARTS/ONE MONTH

No one was eating.

The golden light of morning filtered through the windows, and into the dining room of their shared home. The weather was decent too, considering a god had decided to leave them without a true sun. It could have been worse, rather — it could have been a rainy, cloudy day.

But still, no one was eating.

Sakura's gaze lingered on a loaf of bread, her hand hesitating.

"I swear, Forehead." Ino hissed. "If you decide now's a good time to start gorging yourself on bread, I will—"

Sakura let out a weary sigh, interrupting her. "Should I be looking up a domestic violence hotline instead?"

Ino usually loved Sakura's sense of humor, even though she wouldn't often admit it. This morning, it fell kinda flat.

"Right. You'd find that one right next to the one for trying to sneak in new lovers into our arrangement." Ino replied, eyes narrowed.

Naruto blinked. He shifted his gaze from Sakura to Yoisen, who visibly tensed before averting her eyes. Then he glanced at Karin and Hanabi, their expressions unreadable. 'Oh, man.' He thought. 'This can't be good.'

That made all too much sense — the usual amount, which was to say not much.

Ino's voice, now cold and accusing, broke his train of thought. "Why so surprised, Naruto?" She scrutinized him, her disappointment evident when he remained silent. "Are you going to pretend you didn't know?"

"…" He sighed.

"You didn't…?" She repeated, growing louder. Karin glanced at Sakura, and she closed her eyes in consternation right after. "All this bullshit from all of you, and you're in the dark — You didn't even fucking know?!"

"I have to say I didn't." Naruto finally spoke.

It wasn't the right to say, and it had to be the most humiliating way for it to come out in the open, judging by Yoisen's expression.

But even thinking about it right then, Naruto wasn't entirely sure what the right thing to say would have been — if there even was such a thing in the first place.

Karin winced, Hanabi pursed her lips. Sakura looked away. The fire seemed to spread in Ino's gut, too.

"Unilateral decisions for our marriage, and you're not even on the same page?" Ino asked, incredulous. "You're all doing… whatever?!"

Silence.

"You are complete assholes." Ino said, looking at them sharply.

Sakura made a conciliatory gesture, and Ino shut her down right away.

"This must be such an inconvenience for you all." Ino said, glaring at her, then at the others in turn. "Not only do you have to talk things out for once, but your little wife is being bitchy about it, too. All of you are strong enough to erase any obstacle on your own, but you can't deal with this by throwing more chakra at it, and it's such a pain."

"Ino." Naruto said flatly.

"What?" Ino shot back. "Do you not like being reminded that you can be bastards? Let me make this clear…" She began, voice as clear as crystal. "I knew it would come to this. Because you can get so deep in your own bullshit that boring things like other people's feelings don't even register. You don't get to come here and lecture me about how I should feel about this."

"I wasn't about to."

She stared at him for a long moment. Then she laughed, unamused. "Of course you wouldn't. You are much like her, in the end, aren't you? So above it all." She turned around. "That goes for you too, Hanabi."

Hanabi folded her arms, but there was a tenseness in her.

"You think you know everything, don't you?" Ino demanded. "You can see everything, so you think that the rest of us mortals—"

"I don't." Hanabi said sharply. "You know me well enough to know what I truly think. But if venting helps you, do go on."

Ino's face screwed up. "You're right, of course. Everyone else should just assume you have our best interests at heart and go along with it, Hanabi-sama."

"Don't." Hanabi said flatly. "You're getting things mixed up."

"Of course. Thank you." Ino said bitingly. "I'm so glad you explained that to me so that I could understand."

"Fine." Hanabi snapped. "We are bastards. Happy, now? Can we actually get to it?"

"Get to it? I—" Yoisen began.

"Stay out of it!" Ino shouted, so loudly that the words nearly hurt her throat. "Don't talk to us like you belong!"

There was a chilly silence, coming from Yoisen. "Very well."

"She does." Naruto countered, and there was no room for objection. "Will you calm down long enough to try and untangle this?"

"That's what it's all about, isn't it?" Ino asked coldly. "You three, knowing better." Then, turning to Sakura. "Never giving a shit about how your actions will affect others." To Karin. "Assuming everybody's going to roll around with it because it's something you want."

Karin seemed hurt. "That's not—"

Ino folded her arms. "So. Sure." She said, crisply. "I agreed to your terms. I made my bed, and I will lie in it."

Naruto shook his head wearily. "Nobody was saying that."

"Well, you don't have to say it." Ino seethed. "You all just want for… all this to go away. So that things can go back to the way they were — fun and loose and fast and easy and there is no bitching."

"Ino, please listen." Karin said, voice cracking slightly. "That's wrong."

Ino raised an eyebrow at her. "Is it truly?"

Silence fell over the room again.

"And today, on top of everything?" Ino asked tightly. "Today, of all days? One day before we're supposed to—"

Hanabi sighed, setting down her cup of tea. She seemed uneasy. "We knew that no matter the final decision…"

"I should have warned you, Ino. And everyone else." Karin said, her frown deepening. "I was supposed to."

"Oh?" Ino raised a mocking eyebrow. "And what happened, then?"

Karin hesitated, giving her other wife a sorry glance as well. "…Sakura said she'd handle it."

All eyes shifted to the woman in question, who sighed. And her next words made Sakura feel like the Ring's biggest hypocrite.

"…It never seemed like the right time."

"But I can't afford to wait for the right time, Mom. What if it never comes?"

The twelve-year-old Sakura remembered her own words very clearly, of course.

Sakura had always been told that there would be a "right time" for everything: a right time for her to become good at something that wasn't book-learning, a right time to prove her worth, a right time to stand beside Toru and Sasuke as an equal.

But as she sat alone in her room, kunoichi textbooks scattered around her, it dawned on her that waiting for the right time was the same as doing nothing.

Her eyes fell on a photograph of Team 6. They were nice, all of them. But Toru, Sasuke, and Kurenai — all of them had something that made them exceptional.

Toru had his Sharingan, and for all his loud bragging about it, he never wanted to say how he had obtained it in the first place. Sasuke had his prodigious skill, and nearly endless stamina. Kurenai had wisdom and experience, and her mastery over illusions.

And her? She was just Sakura.

Smart, yes. Skilled in chakra control, certainly. But what did she bring to the table that was uniquely hers? That mattered? Not much, she had to admit.

'You're being too harsh on yourself. Your worth doesn't come from how good you are at the ninja arts, Sakura-san.'

That was what Naruto had said, at least. But even if that was true, what did it matter, when they were shinobi…? When he himself was as good as he was, and second only to Sasuke?

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, like Ino had taught her. Her mother's words echoed in her mind, just like Naruto's had.

'You're a Haruno, Sakura. We're not like them. We're just regular people.'

Ordinary.

The word kinda stung. As though it was something that was set in stone. As though she'd never become a real kunoichi. She didn't trust herself enough to dare dream of becoming like Uzumaki Mito, Senju Tsunade or Tōka.

But… becoming a jōnin, someday…? Was that too much to ask?

Sakura picked up her textbook and started to read, but her heart wasn't in it.

Waiting for the right time helped no one.

But what could one do, besides trying their hardest and hoping for the best…?

"Were you hoping there would be a right time?!" Ino's voice nearly shook with disbelief. "Am I hearing things? Just because you can't deal with talking things out — Aren't you all supposed to be telepaths too, by now?!"

The room fell into a heavier silence.

In spite of her earlier words, Yoisen broke it, deciding to put an early end to it all.

"I… misunderstood you." Which was a polite way to say that Sakura hadn't told her anything. "Do not believe I am saying this solely for your sake, Ino. But had I known what this was about, and the exact circumstances, I would have declined the invitation."

Sakura placed her hand over Yoisen's shoulder. "You're not to blame here." Yoisen only gave her a dry look. Which was a polite way to say 'no shit.'

"You're all to blame!" Ino countered. "Especially you, Sakura, then. And Naruto!"

Sakura nodded. "…Right, right. I guess we can blame Yoisen a bit too, then."

Hanabi snorted in ill-timed amusement. Yoisen removed Sakura's hand, sighing.

"Don't, Sakura. Just don't." Ino warned, her gaze sharp as she locked eyes with her longtime friend. "I can hear it already. Not today."

Karin exhaled a weary sigh — Yoisen had been entirely unaware of the situation. Maybe it was on her, expecting Sakura to do her due diligence when it came to this sort of matter.

"…You're right, Ino." Karin said quietly. "I invited Yoisen to breakfast, hoping for an open discussion. I assumed everyone was aware. My apologies to all of you."

Ino clenched her jaw. "As if I'm not fully aware of where you stand on this issue."

Karin offered a resigned shrug. "Even then." She said, acknowledging Ino's point but standing by her decision. "Reaching a decision was today's goal."

"What does it matter now? Whether this was a planned ambush or not?" Ino's words were sharp, each one dripping with bitterness. "Same shit. You already know what I think of her."

"…Yes." Karin conceded. "That's why I thought it necessary to have a frank discussion, with everyone here."

"Well, there you have it, then!" Ino said, giving them a bright and brittle smile. "Let's discuss, let's listen to each other, why won't we…?"

Karin dropped her head slightly.

Another pause in the conversation.

"Forehead, if you even think about teleporting out of this—" Ino began, voice rising.

"Don't worry, I wasn't thinking of it." Sakura lied.

"Yes, you were." Yoisen's mother said flatly.

"…No. I wasn't about to do anything at all." Yoisen lied, shaking her head. "…Nothing drastic, at least. There is no need for worry, Mother."

The dull ache at the back of her head was still there.

The woman looked at her daughter, her expression unreadable. "You have always been headstrong, Yoisen, much like Naotora."

Yoisen smiled slightly, but it didn't really sound like a compliment.

Her mother sighed, crossing the room to a small table adorned with a vase of freshly cut chrysanthemums. "Being strong-willed is a virtue. But being vindictive? That is a different story."

Yoisen felt her cheeks warm up in embarrassment. Her mother had always had a knack for seeing right through her. "It's not about vengeance. It's about… standing up for oneself." She tried.

"Asserting oneself does not mean plotting revenge, especially not on a family member." Her mother picked up a single chrysanthemum and twirled it in her fingers. "And not over something as trivial as a knock on the head."

"What, because we're women?" Yoisen felt the heat of indignation rise within her. She knew Mother's 'lessons' all too well.

"Absolutely not." Her mother's voice was laced with steel.

"Would you say the same thing to Kin if he were in my shoes, then?"

"Yes." She said firmly. "It has nothing to do with gender. It is about our place in the world."

Yoisen made an irritated noise, and she likely sounded like a frustrated teenager, if the slight amusement in Mother's eyes was any indication.

"It is about duty, Yoisen." Her mother shifted her posture. "As your sister marries into the Sage's house, there will be more eyes on us. Influence comes with weight. A single misstep could have far-reaching consequences."

Yoisen growled. "We're just talking about that fool Yuzuriha."

"That doesn't matter."

Yoisen rolled her eyes discreetly — where Mother couldn't see. "So, we're prisoners in a golden cage now? Free to look at everything from afar?"

Her mother replaced the chrysanthemum in the vase and walked back to stand in front of her. "No. Power demands responsibility, Yoisen." Her mother stood resolute. "Choose paths that bring honor, not fleeting satisfaction."

Yoisen exhaled a resigned sigh. "Fine. I promise not to seek revenge in petty ways, like setting fire to her house."

Her mother smiled warmly. "That is all I ask of you." Her eyes twinkled with subtle mischief. "Although, I've heard Yuzuriha has quite the distaste for durian. Perhaps an anonymous, overly ripe gift in her quarters would be less conspicuous?"

"Although she might have considered it, Sakura would not do it." Yoisen spoke up, a bit more hesitantly. "…My apologies, again." She exhaled. "This entire situation…"

Ino glared at her, but it seemed that most of her frustration was for Sakura and Naruto, today. Most.

Naruto closed his eyes, a wave of frustration washing over him. He felt rightfully guilty, because that was a mess he was as responsible for as Sakura was. He couldn't shake the feeling that he might indeed be an idiot.

"The apology should come from me." He said.

Sakura nodded in agreement, earning herself a pointed look in answer.

"…From you?" Yoisen asked, avoiding his eyes. She assumed it bode badly for her, as selfish as she considered the thought was.

"I made a mess of things." Naruto said. "And I owe you two clarity."

Yoisen wanted to ask him what he meant exactly, to try and make things right between them if they had been wrong in the first place. But she wasn't certain whether she was ready to hear that answer yet, and so she remained silent.

There was silence, thicker than before, and Ino was still seething.

Naruto, even as he searched for words, expected this to begin spiraling down for real anytime soon. It had been a long, long while since their last real fight.

The only problem was that his stance on the matter wouldn't help, at all.

Yoisen stayed silent, her expression resigned, as if she already foresaw the outcome of this confrontation; as though she knew exactly how this dance ended.

Naruto weighed his next words carefully. "So, we've made missteps here—"

Ino interrupted sharply, her gaze piercing. "What misstep did I make?"

"Some of us made missteps." He conceded, and further words did not come. He was not Toru, wasn't Sasuke. For someone like him, blood often flowed easier than words. "...Where do we go from here?"

Ino folded her arms, her stare unyielding. "As always, it depends on what you want, Naruto." Her tone was laced with bitterness.

"Ino…" Naruto started, but she cut him off.

"Isn't it the truth?" She challenged.

"That's…" He sighed, and dragged a hand through his hair. "No. You are not wrong. I am sorry."

Ino knew that sorry he might be, it didn't mean he would budge on an issue. His next words sealed it.

"That's why I was upfront about the nature of our relationship from the beginning."

"That you were." She retorted sharply. "And yet, it feels as though what few wishes I made were ignored. By all of you, this time."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Yoisen's eyes met Ino's for just a moment, brimming with a discomfort that only deepened the tension, and the atmosphere was thick with it.

"It's not…" Karin began. Then, more weakly. "…Like that."

"Well then, what is it?"

The atmosphere was thick with tension, in Kusa.

The scant bowl of rice she held seemed to taunt her — a meager offering from the village's leadership, a temporary reprieve from the harshest drought the village had faced in recent memory. Rice. Not meat, which was a luxury in such days.

Things would get better for the village soon, but none of them knew it, at that time.

"I'm just not really hungry, Mom." Karin murmured, her voice so faint it almost got lost in the stillness of the room. Her stomach betrayed her words with a low growl.

Her mother offered a fragile smile. Karin noticed how chapped her lips were, how pale she looked in the light. "You're still growing. You need this more than I do."

Karin avoided looking at her, at the frailty which was becoming more pronounced each day. The village leadership called it a necessary thing for the greater good.

What did Karin care about the greater good, what did she even care about a village that gave them nothing and expected everything?

She didn't care about their big heroes, didn't care about these faceless men that used her mother as a blood bag. None of that mattered.

Her mother did.

"But — you need strength to recover!" Karin pleaded. "Otherwise — otherwise…"

Her mother's smile, weary but filled with tenderness, did little to ease Karin's worry. "Don't fret over me, dear. I've faced worse."

That didn't make it alright. None of it felt alright.

"You care too much, Karin."

"Of course we care about your wishes, Ino." Karin cried out.

"Oh, yeah?" Ino snapped back. "Sure doesn't feel like it, right now."

Right now, Karin felt lower than an ant.

'Care too much…?'

It was hard to reconcile with the current situation. Ino was her wife. And in spite of how upfront she could be about things, as well as her own words, Ino had ended up learning, possibly from them, to swallow some emotions and never let them leave the surface.

The practice was not new to Karin. In Kusa, it had been because few people truly wanted to know what Karin felt — most were hoping for a quick 'I'm fine' and moved on right after hearing it. In Konoha, Ino had been part of the Yamanaka — emotions didn't always need to be expressed, when anyone could read them with a glance. And so they rarely bothered to hide them: Ino had never been particularly good at it, and likely never would be.

There were things that weren't meant to be buried, and emotions were some of them.

To Karin, the whole matter with Yoisen had been pretty casual. It hadn't been, to Ino.

Really hadn't been. Unlike a simple physical thing would have been — if that. And Karin felt as though she really had dropped the ball, here. Why had she thought the two were even remotely comparable, to her wife…?

Karin took a deep breath, and the pang of guilt twisted inside her. She felt shitty. "…You're right."

Ino slowly tensed. "What?"

"We've all been dismissive of your feelings." Karin admitted. "I wish I had a good excuse, but…"

"She's right."

All eyes turned toward her as she said it and so Sakura took a deep breath.

"My bad, girls." She said, and her words hung in the air, unadorned. "I…" There was a long, awkward pause. "Look, I'm bad at this, okay? I… Have trouble communicating clearly when it involves sensitive topics like this. I just threw everyone under the carriage and hoped for the best."

No one spoke.

It wasn't a true apology, but considering it was Sakura, perhaps—

"…No. Let me rephrase. I'm sorry." Sakura said quietly. "Like, actually sorry — not just pretending because I know it would be the smart choice. I messed up."

Her admission caught everyone off guard. Hanabi went so far as to check herself for any illusion.

Naruto took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking — and forced himself not to add this to the short tally of times Sakura had ever apologized.

But Sakura went on, even as Ino looked away. Sakura nodded once. "We haven't taken into account your feelings on the matter, Ino." She said. "For that, I'm truly sorry."

Ino's gaze snapped back to Sakura, her eyes ablaze. "Don't you dare patronize me."

Sakura bowed, stiffly, awkwardly — as though she had never really done it before. "…I can be a real piece of work, sometimes. I'm sorry, Ino. I never took this seriously enough, I messed up…"

Ino shook her head. "I said—"

"…But I never meant to hurt my best friend."

"…Are you saying you're sorry?" Sakura asked.

In front of her, in the clearing behind the Academy, Ino paced back and forth, her small hands clenched tightly into fists. Leaves rustled overhead, as the wind weaved through the trees.

Sakura's eyes were wary. "Is that it?" She asked again. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ino took a deep breath. "Yes. Sakura, I… wanted to apologize."

Sakura's eyebrows lifted in cautious surprise — Ino never apologized — but she remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I got so competitive that I got really mean." Ino paused, taking a shaky breath. "And when I made that joke about you being… being useless… I just — I saw the look on your face, and I saw how much it hurt you. And it made me feel awful because I never wanted to make you feel that way."

Sakura's eyes softened, but she still looked hurt. "You can't just say stuff like that, Ino."

Ino nodded, feeling every bit of Sakura's words. "You're right. I was mean —stupid. I get it if you're mad at me, but I — I promise I'll be a better friend, from now on."

Sakura looked at Ino for a moment, studying her face before nodding slowly. "Okay."

"Okay?" A wave of relief swept over Ino, like finding shade on a hot practice day. "Thanks, Sakura. I won't let you down again. I messed up…"

The tension seemed to lift some. As Ino looked into Sakura's eyes, she felt her own misting up.

"…I mean it — I'm really sorry."

Ino's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her voice was tight with suppressed anger. "I warned you — don't make this worse."

Karin looked at her, sympathy etched on her face. "I'm sorry too, Ino."

Hanabi apologized.

Ino's frustration boiled over. "Fuck — Fuck all of this." She burst out, her eyes brimming over. "Your apologies don't change anything. They don't fix this mess."

Naruto met her gaze squarely. "You're right." He said. "This… Us. Well, it was never going to be easy, was it?"

"And why not?" Ino's laugh was bitter, dissolving into a choked sob. "It was all good, honestly. It's just that—"

She cut herself off, leaving her sentence hanging, fraught with unsaid words.

"I…" Yoisen said, closing her eyes briefly. She hesitated, looking at them. "I know this mustn't be easy for any of you. I never wanted to be a source of conflict for you all." Then, she stared at Naruto. "I know I… had designs on you."

It was the first time she admitted it openly to him.

"But that you have found happiness with people that could give it to you matters more." She continued. "And that is true for all of you."

Ino clenched her jaw, a storm of emotions swirling behind her eyes.

"Say it. No matter what your thoughts, your words are, that is fine, Ino." Yoisen said, her voice composed, and soft too. "I—"

"I don't want to hear it." Ino said. "Not from you. Get up — Step outside. Now."

Yoisen shook her head. "We are not fighting. Not again. Not today. Not ever."

"You've got to be kidding me." Ino said, cold and low, but rising. "Why the hell should I listen to you?!"

But Yoisen didn't react to Ino's outward aggression. And Ino wasn't fully sure where to direct her anger anymore.

"How can you say that?!" Ino growled. "It must be so easy, for you — Do you expect me to ever trust your words?!"

"If they are not enough, my thoughts should be." Yoisen said.

Ino's jaw tightened, emotions raging like a tempest in her eyes.

Her chakra surged, a vivid manifestation of her inner turmoil. The air around her crackled, charged with invisible but palpable energy.

"I don't need your thoughts — I need you gone!" Her voice escalated, and with it, her chakra spiked, a vivid blue aura radiating fiercely around her.

A nearby vase trembled, shattered, spilling its contents on the floor; water and flowers.

"Ino."

It didn't come from Yoisen, who remained motionless, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern... and something even worse: understanding.

Ino spun around before she could decide to punch her in the face, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel. It was Naruto who met her fiery eyes. His expression was very serious. "I think that is her point."

There was a tense moment in which she considered asking him to get out and fight her.

"Sure." Ino said tightly, instead. "You can say that. You're calm. No wonder. Bastard."

"Ino." His face was guarded, and carefully neutral. "Please."

Something about his tone disarmed her. She hated that he could do that.

Ino took a deep, steadying breath, and fell back on her mind arts training until she felt the whirlwind of emotions slowly subside some within her.

Ino closed her eyes, letting the tension in her shoulders ease. The chakra that had flared around her began to recede, becoming a tranquil flow rather than a turbulent storm. She opened her eyes, now clear and composed, if slightly cold. With a calm, even tone, she addressed Yoisen. "I'm fine. Go on."

Yoisen slowly nodded. She took a deep breath of her own and spoke, not looking anyone in the eye. "That was it." Her voice a soft murmur. "I have little else to say."

No one spoke, and Yoisen ended up continuing anyway, hesitantly.

"As for the rest of you, including you, Ino, should you ever want it…"

Ino drew a breath, something hot on her tongue.

"You have my friendship — or an offer of it." Yoisen smiled softly. "Do come and see me, once in a while."

Yoisen stood up to leave.

Someone was about to say something. Ino could feel it in their thoughts, and she closed her eyes in simmering frustration.

Maybe it was going to be Naruto, whose feelings were all too clear to her, or perhaps Karin, who had always hated these tense moments, maybe Sakura, who had made the other half of this mess, maybe it would be Hanabi with some outlandish idea…

Ino's gaze hardened. "Don't make it all about yourself."

Yoisen blinked, seemingly puzzled. "…Is it not about me?"

A muffled chuckle escaped Sakura, quickly stifled under Ino's sharp glare.

Yoisen was aware of the circumstances surrounding Yugito's own joining, which definitely made her think that Ino's dislike of her was the main reason, not truly the notion of an additional partner in itself. Which was valid as well, she knew.

Ino hesitated, and then admitted. "Yes, part of it is you. Scratch it, it's a lot of that. But even then..."

Naruto interjected softly. "What is it, then?"

Ino remained silent for a while.

"It's just that…"

"…I don't get it." Naruto asked, looking up at the older man, frustration clear in his eyes. "Old—… Sarutobi-sama."

The two sat in Biwako-sama's austere clan head office, where an array of organized papers and scrolls lay scattered across the large desk.

"What exactly are you struggling to understand, Naruto?" Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, his eyes meeting the young boy's.

"People." Naruto's reply was curt. His expression shifted to annoyance. "Why are you laughing?"

Hiruzen stifled his chuckles. "Ah. Many share your struggle. There is nothing easy about understanding others, Naruto. Unless you're me, of course."

Naruto's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What's eating at you?" Hiruzen leaned forward, an air of sage wisdom about him. "Is it a girl? Ino, perhaps?"

Naruto shot him a look of pure distaste. "I'm seven."

"And your point?"

"I know enough to know they have cooties." Naruto countered.

Hiruzen nodded sagely. "Ah, yes, of course."

Naruto hesitated, his face clouded with uncertainty. "At the Academy, they say we'll lead teams or make decisions for others."

Hiruzen nodded noncommittally. "Does that worry you?"

"Yes — I don't want to do it!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice tinged with desperation. "I'm just me! Why should I—"

Taking care of himself felt hard enough, in truth. There were moments when he felt completely isolated, and others when he felt overcrowded even in his own mind.

"Taking no decision at all often leads to worse consequences." The old man said.

"What if I screw up? What if I make a mistake? What if I mess up and people get hurt?" Naruto's voice wavered.

Hiruzen regarded him solemnly. "Then you learn, and you do your best to set things right. Mistakes are waypoints, not endpoints, Naruto."

There was a long silence. Naruto squinted, pondering whether a genuine lesson lurked in the old man's words, for once.

"…What if I don't?" He asked. "And I keep making the same mistakes?"

Hiruzen shrugged. "You're free to do that, of course. That is a lesson I had to learn the hard way." He said, seemingly deep in thought. "And there is something else I learned the hard way."

Naruto waited. "Yes…?"

"Remember, Naruto…" The old man took a long drag from his pipe. "Remember that not every backdoor is an invitation. No matter how appealing they might look."

A pause, and Hiruzen let out a dirty chuckle.

"See?!" Naruto roared, pointing fingers. That he wasn't entirely sure he understood didn't matter — the laughter was enough. "You're doing it again — I don't get it — You're trying to confuse me! I'm still dropping out of the Academy!"

"You do realize I am not in charge of that, right?" Hiruzen replied with a hint of amusement.

"…I think I get it." Naruto said.

His smile carried a touch of fondness as he set aside his tangled emotions, in remembrance of one of the most dickish old men he had known.

Well, perhaps it hadn't been the intended lesson, but he certainly had learned a lot about selfishness since then. And it was about time he took a decision, too, in spite of the feathers it might—

"I don't get it, if it's not about Yoisen." Sakura said. "Look, Ino, if it's any help — I think the therapist said to start with 'I feel like…'" She trailed off, knowing exactly how it would be received.

Ino let out a bitter, sardonic chuckle. In spite of Yoisen finally offering to leave them alone... she felt defeated, if it made any sense at all. "Therapist advice, from you?"

With a shrug, Sakura conceded the point.

"Do you think this has anything at all to do with therapy? Do you think I—" Ino began.

"You made me go, didn't you? Time to pay up."

"Among all fucking things…" Ino muttered, clenching her teeth. The words burst out of her, then. "Suit yourself — I feel like you're making decisions without me. I feel like my voice isn't heard here. Like I'm just a passive part of this relationship, only here to bitch and moan and complain."

To Sakura, it came entirely out of left field. Not simply because this was the sort of thing she herself simply couldn't do.

"You've never been a fixture to any of us, Ino." Naruto said, frowning. "Never a nagging voice. You have always been, always will be our pillar—"

"That's dumb." Sakura interrupted, earning a glare from Naruto. "What you said, Ino. How can you even think that way?"

Ino opened her mouth to speak, and it felt like opening a furnace. She settled for shooting Sakura a heated glare instead, taking a long breath before talking. "…Why don't you try seeing it from my perspective for once?" She snapped back.

"But…" Sakura shook her head, genuinely confused. "That's what baffles me. You're…"

"What am I?" Ino challenged, her voice rising.

Sakura paused and decided that most things Ino could do, she could do too, even opening up. Probably better, even.

"…Ino, since we were kids, you've been my hero. I think the world of you." She admitted. "You, me, and Naruto — I always saw us fighting together, forever."

Ino's expression softened slightly, in spite of herself. Her eyes felt slightly too wet.

"…That's why it hit me so hard — when I got injured back then." Sakura continued. "I thought I lost all that."

With a quick wipe of her eyes, Ino choked out a laugh. "So it wasn't about losing an eye and an arm?"

Sakura shrugged. "Well, that too. But…" She glanced at Karin, Hanabi, Yoisen, and thought of her friends.

Sakura nodded, smiling. "…Yeah. Definitely worth it." She said. "I'd hack my arm off again any day."

Ino made a frustrated, amused, sniffling noise. "…That has to be the worst thing I've heard today, Forehead."

Sakura grinned, her eyes twinkling. "Yet."

"The stupidest plan you've heard, yet." Hanabi grinned at Neji's words.

Neji offered a faint grin, his stoicism never wavering. "You've caught my interest, but the plan seems far from foolproof."

"Well, yes!" Hanabi beamed. "That's because you're in it."

Neji rolled his eyes. He was a Genin now; breaking into the Academy to play along his cousin's whims could easily be construed as poor judgment.

The plan was simple: slipping an unsigned, flirtatious note into Sasuke's Academy locker, leading him to believe he had a secret admirer waiting on the rooftop.

It was a childish plan, of course, perhaps even petty, and there was not much thought put into it, which Neji did not bother pointing out.

It was obvious why Hanabi was acting out.

(That would teach Sasuke to hang around her sister that much, she thought. Who was Hanabi supposed to hang with… the little idiots from her class? At least the biggest idiot of them all had somehow managed to skip a grade ahead.)

"We should do it now." Hanabi leaned toward the classroom door. "He's gone. Just stepped out. I'll go and distract the teacher."

Neji nodded, sighing. "Time to move, then."

With the Byakugan, it was child's play to sneak in and slip the note into Sasuke's locker.

Sasuke, predictably, took the bait.

He spent a good chunk of his afternoon waiting for his invisible admirer — only to receive another note explaining her absence, a few days later. Then another, a week later, detailing her "sudden bout of illness."

A fair amount of his time was wasted, all in all.

What the two Hyūga hadn't accounted for was Sasuke's brother, Itachi. Or maybe it was Shisui… or Toru, even. Either way, matching written samples was trivial for the Uchiha clan. Neji had written all of the letters for consistency's sake, and it didn't take long for them to connect the dots.

Neji never ratted her out, though. However, he would shoot her pointed looks whenever they crossed paths with the Uchiha.

("If their next clan head decides to kill me, it's on you, Hanabi.")

By that time, she had been resigned to her sister's fate.

("I'll just get Hinata to ask her future brother-in-law to end you quickly.")

Years later, after Neji's untimely passing at her very own hands, Hanabi would think back to that day for the first time.

The shared glances, the unspoken but understood messages; timeless keepsakes of a precious relationship that only existed in her memories, now.

"You know." She choked out, when only Naruto could hear, and his arms were wrapped around her. "It just hit me that I'm never going to see him again."

"I know — You're safe." He said softly. "…I'm here."

"This doesn't change anything — Doesn't solve anything either." Ino said, dabbing at her eyes. The silence was a little less stifling, this time. "You're just making me cry — or manipulating me, at worst."

Hanabi chuckled. "Sakura doesn't really have the sort of emotional depth required to pull it off on you."

Ino managed a weak smile. "Maybe I am overestimating her, yes." A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. "You assholes must hate this. It isn't fun or sexy at all."

"It's pretty bad, yeah." Sakura admitted, and a wet laugh escaped Ino.

Karin's gaze was soft. "Want to hear me say how much I love you? I'll give you the poems and the roses and the world."

Ino reddened a bit. "No, thank you — you're too mushy for even me. And you, Hanabi, don't even think about making some snide remark just because you're a dick."

Hanabi smiled slightly. "Am I that transparent?"

Naruto and Ino's eyes met, and there was an undeniable warmth in his gaze. Ino had to look away, her emotions a mix of fondness and frustration.

Yoisen's smile was a warm, fragile thing, tinged with a familiar sadness that seemed to say she was already distancing herself, preparing for an exit.

Ino caught the look in Naruto's eyes when he turned to Yoisen. He wasn't about to let her walk away, even now — especially now. And it stung.

There had never been a choice, to him. It was always all or nothing.

Because he was that much of a greedy, selfish bastard. And she must have poor taste in both men and women, given that the other three were probably about to weigh in once more.

Ino closed her eyes, sighed, and prepared to say something she would likely regret.

…

"…Where am I going, you ask?" Yoisen's voice was tinged with more than a slight hint of resignation. "I suppose I am headed home."

Her eyes were on Ino, and for a while, no words came to her at all.

"I have caused enough tension here." Yoisen said. "I do not want to be the source of more. You were right. I do not think I had grasped the full picture, Ino — although I thought I did. What you have here is something quite unique." Her smile was wistful, envious.

To Ino, it was strange, being on the other side.

"And?"

"And…?" Yoisen continued. "And that is it. I told you all there is to be said. If stepping back is all it takes for you all to find harmony again, then I am more than willing to do that."

Ino's eyes scanned the faces around the table, lingering on Naruto's silent form before returning to Yoisen. "But it's not only about you."

"What is it about, then?" Yoisen asked.

"It's about some of us…" 'Being complete bastards, and idiots who don't take their partners' feelings into account, too. And me being too damn patient.' Ino closed her eyes and decided to take one for the team. "…failing to communicate."

Yoisen didn't nod. "Even then."

Ino exhaled deeply. "…Let's not rush into any decisions."

Yoisen looked up, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Wait." Ino said sharply. "Stay at our table a little bit longer."

There was a moment of hesitation before Yoisen slowly sat back down, her movements tentative.

Turning her attention to the others, Ino continued. "And as for the rest of you — we need to talk, right now. No more of that shit. Speak openly. Agreed?"

Sakura, who had started to sigh, checked herself under Ino's firm gaze. Naruto met Ino's eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.

One by one, they all nodded or voiced their agreement.

…

Sakura spoke first.

"…In that case, I have something to say."

All eyes turned toward her.

"I've been evasive about my time in Susanoo." Sakura admitted. "Maybe it's important, maybe not. But avoiding it doesn't help anyone. I just…"

Yoisen finished for her. "Did not want to relive those memories."

For a moment, Sakura looked as though she wanted to deny it. Then she nodded.

"…That's right." Sakura acknowledged, her gaze momentarily drifting to a faraway place. "It was… Susanoo-Arashi was a world of perpetual storms. The sky churned with dark clouds, and the air was thick with the heat from constant lightning strikes. The rain felt like shards of glass on my skin, and the wind seemed to want to tear me limb from limb… as did the dark waves below.

"And in there, your sense of self — my sense of self, that is…" Sakura shrugged. "Well. The worst of it was borne by the Jūbi's mind. And luckily, I had a few notions to hold onto — most of them are here, in this very room, in fact."

Ino's expression was one of sadness. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? It's been months — We could've—"

"Done what, Ino?" Sakura interrupted softly. "There was no way to reach me there. And honestly, I've had enough therapy for a lifetime."

Sakura sighed, a weight in her voice. "That place left its mark on me, I suppose. Even though I had Kamui, the memory of it — At night, sometimes…" She trailed off, then added. "I don't think I'll find peace until we…"

Her voice faded, leaving the thought unfinished, but the implication was clear.

Until we end this.

She left the sentence unfinished, but everyone understood.

Karin leaned in, her expression laden with concern. "Are you really okay, Sakura?"

Sakura paused, considering not just the question but also the memories that it conjured. Of unending battles against creatures she couldn't even fully recall now, under the malevolent influence of the Jūbi.

Of the terrible strain in her eyes, as if they were struggling to see through a veil of fury and pain, tearing themselves apart and reconstructing in the same breath. Pushing higher, higher, ever higher…

Of days not unlike her time on the road as a teenager, when her Inner self seemed to wait to take over, making her feel less like a whole person and more like a fragment of a larger, angrier self.

She met Karin's eyes and told her honest answer.

"Yes."

…

Hanabi's eyes flitted from one face to another.

"If we're confessing secrets, I have one too." She said. "And Naruto, you can go next. Though I'm guessing you'll mostly be apologizing for being... well, you."

Naruto let out a sigh. "That's not exactly my plan, but you can go ahead."

Ino knew what he was about to say, in any case.

The room's atmosphere tensed slightly. Hanabi could be a closed book, inscrutable and composed even in moments of high emotion if she felt like it. Very Hyūga of her.

Karin, sensing the significance of the moment, gently placed her hand over Hanabi's. "We're listening."

Hanabi exhaled deeply, the weight of her confession evident in her voice.

"I've been secretly reading Jiraiya's novels." She said. "And, believe it or not… I read them for the plot."

A pause.

Naruto began chuckling quietly, and he relaxed enough to take a sip of his tea. That was classic Hanabi.

Ino's growl sliced through the room's atmosphere. "Are you joking right now, Hanabi?"

"I assure you, I'm not." Hanabi's expression remained unflinchingly serious. "The man is on to something. Although what exactly, I cannot say."

Ino's irritation was palpable. "If you don't have anything meaningful to contribute, then you can just—"

Hanabi cut her off, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Actually, I do have a suggestion."

Ino's impatience was evident. And Hanabi's thoughts were closed off to her right now. "Well, let's hear it then."

"Let's cut to the chase, then." Hanabi smiled, and sipped her tea with deliberate calm. "I propose a trial period for Yoisen. A chance to see if she meshes well with us, without any long-term commitments."

Naruto choked on his tea, coughing and sputtering as he struggled for air. That… was also classic Hanabi.

Yoisen, who would have usually come to his aid, was likewise preoccupied — choking on her own disbelief.

"I heard you, Ino. I think I know what you're fine with, and what you're not." Hanabi continued. "That's why we shall proceed with it only if everyone here is fine with it. So unless I'm wrong... Starting and ending with you, then, Ino."

"That's a terrible idea."

"Please! I want to join you next time." Yugito declared, gripping Raika's arm with youthful excitement. Raika, her idol, had just returned from another mission — undoubtedly perilous, as she was among the Raikage's most trusted. "I want to master everything you know — You don't have to make me your apprentice or anything — Or let's call it a test!"

Raika chuckled, ruffling Yugito's hair. "You're certainly enthusiastic. But the missions I undertake are far from child's play. You're not ready."

"I've been training non-stop!" Yugito's eyes gleamed with resolve. "I might even be chosen to host the Two-Tails soon!"

She wasn't even sure why she said it; the idea brought with itself a tangle of emotions.

Raika's expression sobered, the lightness in her demeanor fading. "That's another reason why you cannot join me. The possibility of you becoming the host is too great. You're needed here."

Yugito's expression deflated, her eyes meeting Raika's in a silent plea. That had been foolish of her, she should have known better.

"So I'm sidelined because of a power I might get, now? Instead of because I'm no one at all…?" She asked bitterly. "For something I don't even have yet?"

Raika sighed, her eyes a blend of pride and concern. "If you become the host, you'll be a target. You're not ready for the weight of that, nor the changes it will bring to your life."

"I'll learn faster if you mentor me." Yugito countered, desperation edging her voice. She didn't have many people she felt close to. "I can grow stronger — I will show you."

Raika studied Yugito closely, weighing her words carefully. "This isn't about proving yourself. It's about being truly ready. And you're not there yet. Do not rush ahead."

Yugito looked away, a bitter taste rising in her mouth. 'Why am I always the one who's left out?'

"Your destiny might surpass any mission I could take you on." Raika thought some more. "I… believe that the Bijū is just the beginning. Kumo needs someone with your spirit."

Yugito clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"Why should I…?" She muttered, more to herself than to Raika, as she stormed out of the room. 'Why should I care?'

Perhaps she would have chosen different words, had Raika's maternal tone not made the rejection even harder to bear.

But that was how things were, back then.

Karin sat on the edge of the veranda when Yugito joined her, her eyes tracing the intricate patterns of the garden below.

The redhead's presence was a quiet comfort, especially outside of the shitshow that their shared house usually was. Yūshirō was in a jovial mood, apparently: he was doing his best to try to get Matatabi to play with him. And managing, too.

The air was thick with the scent of cherry blossoms made strong enough to resist even the snow, and the false sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

"Yugito." Karin broke the silence. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Yugito glanced at her, her eyes a calm sea. "Go ahead."

"It's about Yoisen." Karin hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "She's been around a lot lately. There's talk of her joining us — if she's a good fit."

Yugito squinted, but she remained silent, prompting Karin to continue.

"I know you're not technically part of this marriage, but you're important to all of us. Sakura is going to speak with the others, and I assumed you'd like to know."

Yugito looked away, her gaze settling on the setting sun.

"Given your relationship with Naruto, I thought you might have an opinion." Karin pressed gently.

Yugito turned back to Karin, her eyes meeting hers directly. She smiled. "My… relationship with Naruto is my own business. It doesn't need anyone's approval or validation. Whether she joins or not, it won't change how I feel." Then she shrugged. "Besides, that man will do what he wants, regardless."

Karin hesitated, then asked. "So, you have no objections?" She could only hope the chat with Ino, the next day, would go this smoothly.

Yugito chuckled, genuine amusement lighting up her eyes. When she said the words, they were free of bitterness — she meant them, in spite of the ridiculousness of it all. That was how things were, now.

"Why should I?"

"You're free to agree and participate, to agree and not participate, of course… To refuse." Hanabi delicately sipped her tea. "Not much will change for you then, aside from an extra seat at our table."

The room lapsed into silence.

"Do you think anything about your words makes sense?" Ino asked quietly.

"To me, yes."

"…Are you stupid?"

"I'll forgive you this time." Hanabi said, magnanimously.

Ino's anger was rising again, fast. "Did you listen to nothing I've said—"

"I have." Hanabi countered, as flat as she could be. "That's why the only thing you have to say if that's your final decision is 'no.'"

"What makes you think I won't, then?" Ino hissed. Did she think she was that much of a bleeding heart?

"I haven't said anything." Hanabi shot back. "But taking part in a proper, unanimous decision is the least we owe each other. And, just in case you forgot, we are in the sort of marriage where—"

"I haven't forgotten." Ino said sharply. "How could I...?"

They stared at each other for another moment.

"As I was saying." Hanabi continued, as though nothing had happened. "A trial period, whose terms we will decide together, could be fair, if everyone agrees. No guilt-tripping, no nothing. You girls just decide — oh, you too, I guess, Naruto."

Only silence answered her. From Ino, she had expected it. Hanabi frowned and pressed harder. "Isn't this why we're here? To discuss this very matter?"

Karin spoke carefully. "…I guess."

Yoisen finally managed to clear her throat. Ino couldn't see much of the composed woman who had asked her to consider a similar enough arrangement, just a few months ago. Couldn't see much of the aloof woman who had helped them on the boat, and left them to confront the worst threat they had ever faced at that point in time.

All Ino saw was someone who became visibly awkward when faced with the possibility that it might actually happen. A shift that rendered the moment uncomfortably tangible for both women.

"Even without taking into account that it's her — A trial period? For a relationship?" Ino echoed, disbelief tingeing her voice, and Hanabi nodded. As though it made sense, outside of her erotica. "Like adopting a stray cat? — I beg your pardon? — A trial fucking period?"

"No, I meant a regular trial period." Hanabi said, shrugging. "What you choose to do or not do during it is up to you."

Yoisen palmed her forehead. Sakura was laughing, her shoulders shaking quietly — of course she'd find this sort of shit funny, Ino thought.

Naruto felt torn between exasperation and gratitude toward Hanabi — it was always hard to tell, with her.

Then again, it was probably going to land better with Ino than what he had been about to say.

Yoisen glanced back at him, seemingly lost for words. He looked into her wide open eyes, searching. They distracted him, and she held his gaze with intent tenderness.

He tilted his head, in askance. Then a slight, timid smile quirked up the corners of her mouth. And she nodded, tentatively.

Ah.

He understood her hesitation, her quiet boldness.

Naruto decided to take pity on them all, to make things right, to finish digging the hole he himself had started digging, perhaps.

"What Hanabi means, I think, is that Yoisen would stay with us temporarily. We'd reassess after a month, and only continue if it still suits everyone involved."

"I understood the concept very clearly, yes." Ino said sharply. "And—"

"If you say no, we drop the idea." Hanabi said. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Naruto continued. "Should you agree, and she wants to stay with us—"

"With you guys." Ino corrected, in flat, even tones. "I have no interest in her."

"Right." Naruto nodded. "If she still wants to be with us after dealing with the whole circus for a month or so, then we'll talk again. If this works for all involved." He glanced at Hanabi. "Is that right, Hanabi?"

Hanabi appeared unfazed. "Sounds good to me."

"It's pretty clear what you mean by all this." Ino fixed her sharp gaze on Naruto, then Hanabi. "How is this any better?"

Hanabi shrugged. "The fact you can simply refuse altogether?"

"Oh, yeah?" Ino asked mockingly. "What if I just said no? Right now."

"Then that's that."

"Tch. And what of her?" Ino asked, pointing at Yoisen with her chin.

Yoisen inhaled deeply. "…I told you before. I would accept that. I would not insist."

"That's would be a first." Ino said flatly.

Yoisen smiled a little. "Experience and age shouldn't limit new endeavors."

In spite of herself, Ino's lips twitched slightly, almost imperceptibly.

One by one, they quieted down, mulling down Hanabi's proposal.

One by one, they nodded.

"Shall we vote, then?" Hanabi asked. "Yoisen? How about you start, since my answer is 'yes'...? Are you in agree—"

"Yes."

"You sure?" Karin asked. "If you want out, don't hesitate to do it now, too — this was pretty messy, even for our standards. Y'know? Before the sunk cost fallacy really kicks in and all that—"

"What do you mean?" Yoisen asked.

"No one would blame you if you called it quits, either now or then—"

"I am not 'calling it quits.'" Yoisen answered. "My answer is yes, I am sure."

"As you say." Karin smiled. "I personally think it's a decent compromise. And well, you all already know what I think."

Sakura nodded, careful to not appear too overly enthusiastic — Ino was on her ass already, today. "Same."

Yoisen's gaze was fixed on Naruto, her stillness almost palpable. Ino, too, awaited his decision, though by her knowing look, it was obvious she knew his answer already.

Naruto offered a reassuring smile to Ino before addressing Yoisen. "Of course I agree."

Yoisen's lips parted slightly, her face reddening slightly. She nodded once.

And finally, all eyes turned to Ino.

Ino exhaled, visibly conflicted, and met Yoisen's gaze. Searching.

For a full minute, she said nothing at all. The clock ticked, stretching the silence. Small, fleeting expressions flashed across Ino's face while she grappled with an internal struggle.

With another sigh, more resolute this time, Ino spoke.

"…I can't say I expected anything different from you all." She remarked, eyes not leaving Yoisen — who was always around, and would undoubtedly continue to be.

"But let me be clear." Ino continued. "This is the absolute last time I tolerate such nonsense. Ever. Any future… endeavors of this nature should remain completely separate. I hope you are certain of your choice."

"Entirely." Naruto said, without the slightest trace of doubt. Yoisen, close by, stood very still.

"Got it, Naruto?" Hanabi asked him, nudging him. "Side pieces will have to be kept on the side."

He gave her a very unimpressed look. "Do tell me when such a thing ever happened."

Yoisen remained silent, replaying Ino's words in her mind.

"One month, then." Ino said, looking each of them in the eye in turn. "Let's try planning this... arrangement out."

lensdump:

i/3ALXD2 : Afternoon Meetings

AN: Hey there!

We're going to finish on chapter 102 — give or take.

Ah, it's probably worth saying I posted the first chapter of Crimson Horizons!

It's on my profile.