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World Eaters' Den
World #07 - Konohagakure.
Uzumaki Ino stood still and channeled her chakra.
Clouds built up, high in the sky above her. She was chakra. She was life.
She knew she could do it. She was Yin. And she was Yang.
Ino tasted an awe-inspiring power. Stability and chaos, at the same time.
Was she even supposed to be using such a thing…? She was just human.
(I know I can use it.)
In between the two opposite forces, she was reminded once more of her own mortality.
But mortality was a relative thing, by now.
'It's my right to use it.' She heard herself think. 'So I will.'
Ino took hold of the powers. The twin forces felt as though they were ready to tear each other apart, and her as well, until nothing was left. But used together, they could create.
And for a moment, Ino thought she might really have become a goddess. She was not stupid enough to actually believe it, of course.
She thought she understood much more in this instant, suspended in time.
The power felt endless.
Ino focused on the task at hand, visualizing what to do and how to do it.
She knew that she did not want to make things too complicated. Ino focused on what she wanted to do.
Ino slammed her hands together.
"Yin-Yang Release: Creation of All Things!"
The chakra within her reached even higher and she directed the power of Creation.
This was something else.
The clouds flew free, once more.
Nothing seemed to happen, outwardly.
Ino smiled in satisfaction.
Uzumaki Naruto, Seventh Hokage of the Leaf, saw lightning crackle in the sky and felt the chakra build up.
It looked suspiciously close to the empty fields behind Konoha he had lent to the Umi group, in order to avoid the strangest of their experiments happening too close to the village.
Hinata noticed, too, if the slight squinting of her eyes was any indication.
Oh, well.
As long as they didn't bring too much trouble Konoha's way.
"Is Uncle here?" Uzumaki Boruto asked, trying to peer into the house.
"Nope, sorry kid." Sakura closed the door on him.
Toru gave her a disbelieving look. "Are you for real…?"
"What?" Sakura frowned.
"…Open the door." He retorted.
She chuckled. "Why should I…?"
"Because there's Boruto on the other side of it?"
"…Did I stutter?" Sakura rolled her eyes.
"He's still waiting—"
And… she was ignoring him. Sighing, Toru went to open the door again.
"Sorry, Boruto." He said.
"Nah, don't worry 'bout it." The teenager said. "It's not the first time, the woman who's your Hanabi—"
"Don't call her that, please."
Boruto shrugged. "Well, the one who's not my aunt… She keeps pretending not to remember my name. Aunt Karin's nice, at least."
Toru winced. He wasn't entirely sure Hanabi was pretending. Now that she didn't have to remember people's names, social status, and who might or not be an asset to expand the Hyuuga's power… She really couldn't be bothered to look at most people twice.
"Ah, sorry to hear that, Boruto."
"Eh, it's fine." He grinned. "I know they're really testing my persistence."
"…Are they?"
"Probably." Boruto nodded wisely, and it looked so much like Naruto that Toru felt something cold run down his spine. This world was doomed, as well. "So where's Uncle?"
"He's kinda far away for the moment."
"Oh, is he in Kumo too, now? When will he be back?"
"Uh… He's not in this world at all — And no idea."
"Ah…" Boruto looked disappointed. His father was out on a date with his mother, and they had left Himawari with his grandfather — something about needing to keep him from killing Konohamaru-sensei. "He promised to help me with… something."
"A jutsu?" Toru asked. "I know most of the ones he uses — don't tell him; Sharingan thing, he gets a bit uh… sensitive about it sometimes."
"Sensitive…?"
"Your uncle is a complicated man, Boruto." Toru nodded wisely.
"He really is." Boruto chuckled. "Well, not always… I still don't understand everything about polygamy yet, but he's really been helping me trying to wrap my head around it."
Toru's smile froze on his face.
"He… He what?"
Boruto grinned proudly. "Well, he says that I need to know what it means at the very least, even if it's not something that I'm very interested in right now — that I won't be thirteen forever. He said that monogamy… polygamy, both are fine for different people. He told me that honesty and open communication were very important—"
Toru nodded hesitantly. That didn't sound too bad.
"To make sure that nobody involved tries to suppress their feelings of jealousy or discomfort — to create an environment where everyone is willing to admit they're feeling them and… where they're able to ask for reassurance."
"…Okay."
"And many other things, too — That being polyamorous just for… sex…" Boruto winced a bit at the word. "Was a stupid move, because being single was probably going to be easier anyway, that doing it for the emotional support and love was only a step higher… that doing it for the multiple sources of income was a bit smarter but frowned upon…"
Toru took a long breath. Could Boruto even tell when Naruto was joking or…?
…And was he?
"What did he say he was doing it for, then?" Toru asked, with morbid curiosity.
"He said that for him, it was mostly about not having enough friends to play tabletop role-playing games otherwise…"
"…" Toru stared.
"But that in my case, — should I decide to do so — I would probably do it for entirely different reasons."
"What did he say?"
"'Boruto, in your Konoha's economy, it's going to take seven people to buy a house.'" He repeated, word for word. "And that I should better get started on finding partners early — should I decide to do so."
Toru sighed.
"…Well, okay." He said at last. "What was he supposed to teach you?"
"Well, he didn't want to." Boruto admitted. "But he mentioned soul bonds last time, so…"
"…" Toru looked away. "So?"
"Well, I just got put on a team with Konohamaru-sensei, Sarada and Mitsuki — he's some guy named Orochimaru's son." Boruto noticed Toru's reaction. "Yeah, Uncle told me to tell you about him — that you knew his dad or something. Are you good friends?"
Toru pursed his lips.
"So I figured that since we're going to stick together for a while, I could pester—… Uh ask Uncle how to make a soul bond or something. With my teammates, I mean." Boruto concluded.
Why did life have to be so complicated…? Or maybe Shisui was right and just needed better friends.
…Nah. Shisui was always wrong.
"What makes you think I know how that works…?" Toru asked.
"Uncle told me you learned to make one with your girlfriend because you were jealous of his ability."
"…Your uncle lied."
"So you don't know how to make a bond?" Boruto frowned, squinting his eyes, the exact same way Naruto did when he smelled, felt a lie.
"…No, I do know how to do that." Toru admitted. Indra's power was something that an Uchiha as strong as Toru, who was in possession of the Rinnegan, could manage somewhat easily. He was not Uzumaki, though, so it was a pretty straightforward bond, nothing more. "But I'm not jealous."
"Ah, okay." Boruto nodded. "He said you'd say that."
"What else?"
"That I could choose to believe you or not." Boruto nodded patiently. "Teach me?"
Toru sighed. "You can't do it."
"But you can."
Toru didn't bother answering. Behind him, Sakura gave him an 'I told you so' look.
"Please please please please—"
"What would your dad think?"
"My dad says his friends are his everything, and that if you want something, you have to have the courage to change it the way you want it to be, to never give up because that's his ninja way—"
"Doesn't apply."
"Please please please please please—"
"…"
"—please please please please—"
Toru sighed. "All right, all right… I'll bind your stupid soul to your friends'. Ask your dad to remove the link if you find you don't like it, later on."
"Thank you thank you thank you—"
"…Don't mention it."
"You're the best, Toru-sama!" The teenager exclaimed. Toru felt a rush of fondness for the little idiot — and there was no doubt in his mind about who had told the teenager to call him that. All in order to better persuade Toru. Classic.
"You're just a sweet-talker, Boruto." Toru grinned. "But call me Uncle Toru."
The next day.
World #323 - ?
The pretty woman was still asleep when the sun started to come up.
Gama got out of the bed without waking her. He used his Magnet seal to pull his clothes to himself. He left a short note telling her that as he had warned her yesterday night… he had to leave. Then he jumped out of the window, soundlessly.
He only got dressed once he was down — experience had taught him that much.
Gama yawned, and began walking before he was done putting his shirt back on. Some old man glared at him. Gama just grinned in answer, because he was almost certain he had had a better night than him.
Gama inhaled the sea air.
Ah, to be alive, to be in love… With life.
And if life was a woman, Gama's only dream would be to lose himself in her blue eyes.
He was a simple man, really… And had been a simple child, too, ever since Jiraiya had more or less adopted him. Adventure called to him, and the thrills only the world could offer made it all worth it.
Peace, they had already. Women… he would never tire of. Here was a happy man, one who had everything he could want for. Which meant he had been growing a bit complacent.
Maybe this little impromptu trip would do him some good.
Gama picked up some baked goods and some coffee, too. Not for the men, of course, but perhaps Karin would enjoy some.
He entered their shared lodgings — a beachfront house. Only Jiraiya was at the table.
"Ah, Naruto." Jiraiya greeted him. "Had a nice night?"
"Not bad, not bad… Did they ditch us here?" Gama asked.
It didn't seem too far-fetched. The other Naruto hadn't seemed to care that Gama was trying his luck with Karin, — only out of habit, really — but perhaps…?
Jiraiya chuckled. "Nah, they're coming back. Besides… they left us this thing." He pointed at the pyramid-like structure that thrummed with otherworldly, purple energy. Naruto had called it their backup way to go home, in case something happened to him or Karin.
Gama just nodded dubiously. The energy it emitted reminded him a bit too much of Nagato to feel very comfortable around it.
"So…?"
"Some Uchiha man with an eyepatch came out of nowhere to fetch them a little while ago."
Gama frowned. "An Uchiha with one eye..?"
"Yes."
"Do you think it could be this Uchiha Obito that Karin told us about yesterday night?"
"Maybe this world's…?" Jiraiya mused. "No, probably not. They seemed to be friends."
"So I guess we're waiting for them." Gama nodded. "Well… I got you something to eat." A little white lie.
Jiraiya stared. "I thought you did nothing for other men."
"You're more than just a man to me."
"I raised you well."
"...I raised myself."
"That's how a lesson sticks."
A Realm between Time and Space.
"Ah…!" Uchiha Sasuke, former jinchuuriki of the One-Tail, greeted Naruto and Karin. Evenly. "Guess you decided to show up."
Everyone was here. Naruto, Karin, Toru, Sakura, Hanabi, Akemi, Ino, Yugito and Sasuke.
Karin frowned. "Sasuke…? What are you doing here?"
"Toru probably… forgot to mention that it was going to be an intervention." Naruto said placidly. "Before you start—"
"It's not." Toru rolled his eyes. "And we already know who took Sakura's cookies. Not really impressed, Hanabi."
Hanabi ignored him. Yugito looked away — she had been pretty hungry on some nights.
"Oh…? No reaction, little thief?" Toru frowned. "Well… Did you guys know that she just blamed the other Hanabi for—"
"Stop asking your big brother for attention." She said hotly. "Crawl back to Shisui if you really have to."
"Why you—"
"Alright, alright." Akemi rolled her eyes.
"Behold!" Ino called, standing up, and gesturing at the entire… place.
It was a two-level artificial realm. The floor was covered in hardwood and the spacious room was mostly empty, aside from a few pieces of furniture someone had hastily created.
From their… spartan design, Naruto knew who had done so. Toru would have done better.
"I see you left Sakura in charge of furnishing the place." Naruto chuckled.
"Told you he would notice." Toru shrugged.
"You should thank me." Sakura frowned. "I spent at least five minutes on this. Besides, a chair is a chair."
To think that once upon a time, she had actually put in some effort in building their Umi home.
"It's all hard angles…" Yugito muttered. Toru gently threw her a pillow that he pulled out of his Mindspace.
Naruto took another look at the empty room.
"I assume you got some inspiration from—" He began and Sakura shuddered. "Shade's Realm." He finished.
Ino nodded, proudly. "Kinda. This is going to be more useful now, though. It's—"
"A World in between worlds." Hanabi finished. "Time, too."
"Yeah, what she said." Ino admitted. "A safe meeting place of sorts, since—"
"How is this safe?" Naruto chuckled. "Sasuke's here."
Sasuke just growled in answer.
"Sasuke's more trustworthy than you are." Toru frowned.
"Did the other Sasuke get to brainwash you too…?" Sakura muttered.
"...Did Sasuke ever corrupt the youth like all of you tried to do?"
"Do you count other-me?" Sakura retorted.
"You're not even a real person." Toru shrugged.
Sakura frowned. "At least I don't cry in front of an animated movie—"
"Shut up!" Toru sniffled, almost automatically. Hanabi chuckled.
"Will you two stop it?" Sasuke groaned. This was even worse than back when they had been training under Kurenai.
"Maybe we should get to the point." Karin yawned. "We have guests, over there."
"Time spent here doesn't really pass outside — or rather, this place exists outside of it, has its own time… complicated stuff. Although you can— Well… Later." Ino waved her off. "Take a seat."
Naruto looked at the almost pointy chairs. Just sitting on it sounded like asking for a good stabbing of the thighs.
"Uh…"
Toru and Akemi got to work. As a team, because only one of them had a Rinnegan — it was too early for her.
Toru was lounging on the comfy sofa — not his best work, which still meant it was way ahead of anything made by human hands, instead of a human mind.
Next to him, on the Created floating glass table, a tea-pot kept some of the worlds' fanciest flavors at the perfect temperature. It emitted steam, but only because Toru found that it added to the comfiness of a room.
Sasuke still looked a bit uncomfortable around them, so he motioned for him to come sit closer. He'd share his sofa if he had to.
"How's Shisui doing, anyway?" Akemi asked, from Sasuke's other side. Both of them rested their heads on Sasuke's thighs. He didn't seem to mind — probably was too used to being drooled on, by now.
"Don't you get his letters?"
"Yeah, we do." Toru nodded. "But letters are letters so…"
"He's doing well — busy with work, though — they're supposed to start running tests pretty soon, so…"
"So Orochimaru's running him ragged." Akemi said.
"Basically."
"I would have blamed Anko." Toru frowned. "She really has no mercy for him."
Sasuke shrugged. "He chose this. And she's a bit calmer, now, anyway. There's something else, though… Itachi's been pretty secretive, recently."
Toru stiffened.
"He just likes to pretend his relationship with the Mizukage is strictly businesslike." Akemi said. "What for… I don't know. Nobody would care."
"Did Itachi mention anything about becoming… disappointed with the clan…?" Toru asked.
Akemi rolled her eyes.
"…No?" Sasuke answered.
"Anything… even remotely negative about me…?" Toru asked again.
"No."
"Any signs of him getting close to burning out?"
"No."
"…Okay." Toru nodded once. "Please keep an eye on him."
Sasuke squinted. "What is this about?"
"Mental health."
"Ignore Toru." Naruto said. "Itachi's not going to snap — he's just petty, that's it."
"My brother is not petty." Sasuke scowled. "You, on the other hand—"
"Sure, sure… I think he's still a bit sour about his administrative duties."
"He's sour about the ones you should be doing." Sasuke retorted.
"Didn't Konoha want some autonomy?"
"There's more to autonomy than paperwork."
"Look, Sasuke." Naruto frowned. "I didn't take over the entire world just to be stuck behind a desk — that's more the Kage's thing."
Sasuke frowned.
"Now… I know that in our world, you never even thought of becoming a benevolent tyrant, but that's not on me." Naruto said. "Sorry I beat you to the punch."
"Why would I want this…?"
"Envy is such a poor look on you, Sasuke." Sakura shook her head, as she lit her pipe. "It is a quality fit for Ino." She said without malice. "Raise above it, Sasuke."
"Ah, yes." Ino said quietly. "More wisdom from Sharingan Sakura. When was the last time you contributed to any group project?"
Sakura said nothing.
"Thought so."
Yugito ignored most of their squabbling with the skill of a natural born politician.
She laid on her back — not by choice, but there were only so many comfy positions at this stage of the pregnancy. Naruto scratched under her chin and avoided drawing any parallels with cats.
"How does this place work?" Yugito cut in the chatter.
Ino snapped out of it. "Ah, yes."
She cleared her throat. "You know how we gave Orochimaru that date, one month in the future and how we avoid sending things back home twice on the same day…?"
In order to minimize possible… complications. It was hard enough to send things through with precision. Locating the realm itself and homing on to it was simple enough; time-meddling was a bit riskier.
"Yes."
"Well, this place exists on its own time. Anybody linked to us will be able to access it — once we finish the preparations. It will act as a gathering place, because communication is already hard enough without having some people going off on their own." She gave Naruto and Karin a pointed look.
"There won't be any time-meddling in here, either." Ino continued, staring at Sakura this time. "You will only be able to access this place on its own time, no matter where or when you came from. Exiting is a bit different, though and it's fine to go back to the place you came by picking a later point in time — advised, even. I'd say exit five minutes in the future, just to avoid any sort of fuckery."
"Okay but what's outside?" Toru asked, knocking against the wall.
Ino blinked. "Outside what?"
"Outside this house."
"What does it even matter — Nothing. There's nothing. This realm is restricted to this house."
"But…" He frowned. "If I cut a hole in this wall, for example, what would happen?
"Nothing. There's nothing out there."
"Are you sure…?" He asked, eyes dark. "No undulating malignancy within this mysterious nether mirror realm?" Toru began pacing the room.
"No."
"No eldritch abomination long forgotten…" He said, low at first. "Ones far too liminal in their nature; ones that will punish us for breaking the constraints that bind us; those of time and space?" His voice was getting louder, filling the room. "Creatures of eons past and future, hatched on the frond of the Underbelly of the Universe, creatures that have devoured leaf, stalk and root at first. Then burning stone as they grew. Then all of their sibs! And now… they find themselves hungering for more!"
Sasuke stared at him. 'Too many comics', he thought.
Hanabi though… Hanabi nodded slowly, as though Toru was making any sort of sense. Yugito fell asleep, feeling supremely cozy on Naruto's thigh. Akemi was getting closer, too — undoubtedly having heard similar musings before.
"No." Ino groaned.
"No non-geometric sideways stairs that are so incomprehensible that they will make me lose everything that matters to me as I slowly, inexorably go insane?"
"For the last time, no." Ino repeated.
"Ah, okay." Toru nodded. "Just making sure."
"This is going to be the Treasure Room." Ino announced. "We're going to store anything useful or interesting we find in here — might have to expand it."
"Might have to expand the entire house at some point, too." Sakura said.
"Later, later." Ino waved off. "You can get started whenever you want — I know Sakura has been hoarding a few things."
"I just took these extra eyes for Sasuke." Sakura nodded kindly.
"That's a lie — Give him a pair, then." Ino retorted. Sakura did so, grumbling.
"…I don't want your eyes." He shook his head. Which made Sakura grin.
"Take the eyes, you pussy." She pressed the naked eyes into his hand. He grimaced at the feeling. Sakura smiled even wider.
"How else are you going to come here, otherwise?" She laughed. "Plus that's a lot of added strength for Konoha, right?"
That probably sealed the deal. Or maybe he'd give them to Itachi. Whatever. He wasn't squeamish.
"He's linked to us, he won't need the eyes, it's closer to using a Gate — same goes for Akemi and Matatabi." Ino declared. "…Where is Matatabi?"
No answer came.
"Oh come on!" She groaned. "I did enough of that finding Tora shit, I don't want to—"
"Yugito will help you." Hanabi offered. "...Once she wakes up."
"Whatever. As long as she does the explanations — I hate repeating myself."
"Hey!" Toru suddenly realized. "Sasuke can grow some plants for the place."
"Anyone can, Toru." Naruto blinked.
"No, I mean he can actually grow them, with his Moku—"
"I can't use Mokuton yet, Toru." Sasuke shook his head. "Fire and Wind are opposite—"
"Figures." Naruto shrugged.
"…What did you say?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
Toru caught on easily. "Ah, that's fair. I just thought that as Senju Hashirama's spiritual descendant, you would be able to do so already. Forget that I asked."
Naruto nodded. "Indeed, as my… counterpart, I assumed that we would both have learned from our ancestors…" He sighed. "But I guess that these things take time. Right?" He put a hand over Sasuke's shoulder, almost looking genuine.
Sasuke stared.
"…What sort of plants?" Sasuke asked tightly. He did enjoy taking care of plants. That it would get Naruto to admit defeat was an added bonus.
Toru nodded in approval. Naruto and he bumped fists when the other Uchiha wasn't looking.
"I don't want our bedroom anywhere close to Naruto's!" Toru declared.
"…Build it yourself, then." Ino retorted.
"I was about to anyway." He said, heading to the second floor with Akemi.
"Uchiha really are squeamish, huh." Naruto mused.
"I can understand where he's coming from." Ino said dryly.
Karin gave her a long, hungry look. "Where is our room, again…?" She asked.
"…Yeah, that's exactly why."
"And that's how to exit." Ino declared; her hair was a mess and a half. "Hanabi and Toru helped me."
On one of the side walls was something that looked like a clock, right next to a door. Instead of numerals, each of their names were engraved.
"We might have to add a few more in the future, but that's then. So if I tap Sasuke—"
"Rude." Toru frowned. "You're a married woman."
She rolled her eyes. "If I tap Sasuke's name…" She did, and it lit up. "He becomes the destination. Right now, he's here, of course, so nothing will happen. You will arrive at the time that is his present. If I turn the hand… I can arrive there, but later."
"What's the limit?" Karin asked.
"…I don't know." Ino admitted. "Please don't break it."
"Sure, sure."
Ino gave her a long look. "Well… that's basically it. Ah, you can use the engravings to send a thought through as well. Very helpful, considering we're working on… different times. We should probably synchronize our sleeping cycles, at some point and—"
She went on for a while.
"Well, that's about it." She concluded.
"It's great work." Naruto grinned. He had shown his appreciation earlier on, but it never hurt to express it.
"Did you expect anything else from us?" Ino grinned proudly.
"…It was either this or destroying the entire space-time continuum, so I'm glad you decided otherwise."
"Well…" Ino finished. "Time to go. See you tonight, or in a few days!"
She kissed him goodbye and left first, entirely confident in her project. So did Hanabi after her.
Toru was about to leave — without a goodbye kiss — but Naruto stopped him.
"No man please, I don't want to kiss—" He began.
"Not that."
"Ah."
"Did…" Naruto hesitated. Toru's eye closed in mirth.
"Yes..?"
"Did Yoisen send something back? Is it safe to come with you?"
Toru laughed condescendingly. "She didn't send anything, you're good."
Naruto grunted. "That's where you're wrong. It's unsafe, right now, then."
"Whatever." Toru rolled his eye.
He reset the settings on the clock and stepped through the door, returning to the moment he had left — which meant he would arrive five minutes before Ino, who was more careful about these matters.
Once Sasuke saw the rest of them leave, he did the same. Not before sending a long look toward Naruto.
"You want a kiss too…?"
He grunted something rude in answer and left. The clock, still left on zero, with no destination set, brought him back home to his homeworld.
Naruto and Karin were the only ones left.
"Time to go." She declared, setting the clock to twenty minutes. "We got two… degenerates to keep an eye on.
"…How exciting."
They were about to step through.
"Oh, right." Naruto suddenly realized. "Boruto. I'll send a Severed Clone to him, or something. Later, though."
World #01 - Northernmost Peak
Yoisen regretted sending her last letter as soon as she had sent it.
It had seemed like a wise move, at the time.
Yoisen could readily admit she was somewhat… romantically-impaired. As would anyone who had had the distinct… pleasure of falling for Indra in the first place — or at least, they would be impaired after that, undoubtedly.
…Perhaps she had gotten a bit caught up in the moment.
She groaned, hiding her face. Where to go from there…?
Saying it was just a joke would make her look like a bumbling fool.
Not saying anything would also make her look like a bumbling fool.
Apparently… courting had changed a whole lot more than she had thought, in the last thousand years.
More importantly.
…Why in the sixteen hells' names was he not answering?
World #323 - Beachfront.
"Where the hell are they?" Karin asked in frustration. "It's been twenty minutes."
"…In a local bar, I think." Naruto nodded.
"It's early morning… Are you sensing them?" She asked. They were blending their presence with the natural world, apparently.
"No."
"How do you know, then?"
"Call it instinct."
"—Would you consider having sex with your shadow clone to be masturbation or incest?" Gama asked Jiraiya. They were sitting in a local bar.
"My answer has not changed since last time, Naruto."
"Stubborn old fool." Gama grunted, smiling.
"Foolish young upstart." Jiraiya said, fondly.
They both grinned. Jiraiya and Gama slammed their glasses together and drank them in single, massive... identical gulps.
Karin stared at them. Naruto did, too. The Sages noticed them.
"...Hypothetically, of course. That question, I mean." Karin said. "Right?"
"…I was just asking for a friend." Gama muttered.
"Of course."
"You guys never stop…?" Naruto shook his head.
"What with?" Jiraiya blinked.
"The women?" Gama asked, grinning. "No. The world's not enough."
…Was this what people thought about him? Naruto wondered. Was this why Toru kept commenting on it?
"The alcohol, I meant."
"The alcohol…?" Jiraiya asked. "That's beer, it's a soft drink."
"Want some?" Gama asked.
"No."
"All right." Gama nodded sagely. "Perhaps later."
"I'm not going to be carried by a man." Gama declared.
Naruto stared at him as though he was the lowest form of insect. "…Then Karin will create clones."
"…I won't be carried by Karin, either."
"I don't even want to touch you, frankly." She retorted.
"You can touch me anytime." Gama laughed.
Naruto closed his eyes.
"Then I'll make a boat that you will row." He could make one that didn't need to be rowed, but at this point… he just felt like making the man row.
"There will be no need for that." Jiraiya offered. "Why don't we just hop on a cruise and leave midway?"
Naruto stared.
Gama unfurled a map. "Point me on the map where the bad man touched— Alright, alright, I'm stopping! Please put this sword away!"
Naruto pointed to the spot where they were supposed to get down at — approximately.
"Perfect!" Jiraiya grinned. "I think I can find us a ship to get there."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're paying for all of us."
"My adopted son will." Jiraiya said.
"Fine by me." Naruto accepted. Gama stared at him defiantly.
"No I won't." Gama snorted.
"Alright, alright, I'm paying!" Gama begged.
Karin saw the huge cruise ship and suddenly wondered what the hell the two Sages thought this trip was supposed to be about.
"My treat." Gama offered graciously. "Only the best for a cute lady such as you." He grinned.
"Naruto made you pay." Karin simply said.
Gama frowned. "Stop twisting reality to your advantage."
"Whatever. Hop on." She muttered.
Karin thought she could feel something in the water. Far, far away from here, but there, nonetheless. So close to the mainland? Well… if night suddenly fell, that would confirm it.
Naruto misunderstood her silence.
"Is it about… the two people already on the boat?"
"No." Karin shook her head. She relayed the thought of what she had felt to him directly and he nodded a bit more seriously.
'We'll see then.' He sent.
'Yes.'
"Who's on the ship?" Jiraiya asked, frowning.
"You'll see." Naruto shrugged.
Jiraiya saw right away, in fact. As soon as the ship departed.
"How… good to see you, Jiraiya. Me and my disciple arrived here yesterday night — for the same reason as you, I believe. I simply knew you would not be able to resist… The ruins themselves… or this extravagant sort of fare. So of course… She and I could not miss it either."
"Orochimaru…" Jiraiya growled out. Something felt strange about Orochimaru's chakra.
Orochimaru… who began to laugh, low and menacingly.
So did Naruto and Karin, in a pitch-perfect imitation, down to the part where they threw their heads backwards.
Orohimaru stopped then.
"So?" Jiraya asked flippantly. If they were about to fight, he was very confident in their chances. "Why don't you bring your student out?"
"She's already here." Karin shrugged, tilting her head toward a woman.
One with long, black hair. And whisker marks.