World #01 - Umigakure
Ino blinked her eyes open, slowly.
Warm sunlight filtered through the window. And as always, there was the smell of sea salt in the air.
Green valleys rolled out outside, stretching far into the distance under the cloudless sky.
Ino yawned and curled up in bed. She stretched slowly.
In spite of the many comfy places they had seen, — and there were some very uncomfy ones, too — she had to admit that she never slept as well as she did in Umi.
Maybe it was the morning light, a time when the sun sometimes reflected a bright red color.
Maybe it was the distant sounds of the crashing waves.
Maybe it was Karin's warm body. Or Sakura's, maybe.
Outside, she could feel that Naruto and Hanabi were sparring already.
Yugito's presence was nearby, which meant that the baby was here as well.
In any case, she didn't feel like waking up.
Oh.
Perhaps she would have to go. The other two in bed definitely were not about to.
Toru and Sasuke had just come back.
"We found Gama." Toru said, in clipped tones. "…And Hebi. Hanabi's Mangekyō ability worked. I guess. Also, I'm not dealing with this shit anymore."
Sasuke, next to him, wasn't saying much either.
"Please find yourself a new right hand, Naruto." Toru finished.
Yugito snorted. "Isn't that Sakura…? His very own Dragon."
Toru rolled his eyes, but his spirit wasn't into it. "That's only when he needs people disappeared. Move with the times… Raikage."
Yūshirō made a grunting sound. As he tended to do.
Naruto read his surface thoughts — or protothoughts, perhaps.
Yūshirō was thinking that he was hungry. As he tended to do.
Naruto gave them the two Uchiha a strange look. "Why do you guys look so off…?" He frowned. "Were they dead or something?"
"I wish." Toru muttered.
Naruto squinted, making Toru notice he looked a bit tired. But well, he seemed more… content than he could ever remember him being. There was something about the way he hovered around his son, entirely relaxed. Of course, Toru kept the comments to himself.
"I don't even have the strength to make jokes about another you being Orochimaru's daughter." Toru continued.
Ino shrugged. She was still sleepy and didn't feel like talking much. "I don't know what happened, but… do remember I warned you about Hebi."
"It's not just about her." Toru said.
"So what happened…?"
Sasuke told them, bluntly. "They were fucking."
Naruto blinked. Then he chortled. Yugito, next to him, shook her head in disapproval. "…Don't be so happy just because you finally found someone more self-obsessed than you." She said.
"I wouldn't fuck myself." Naruto laughed.
Yugito raised an eyebrow.
Toru and Sasuke shared a look. An implicit agreement arose between them. Don't bring up Empress Naruko. The trauma was still fresh.
"I highly doubt that." Toru nodded. "But okay."
"Why didn't you bring them with you?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke stared at him as though he were working with half a brain. "Which part of 'they were fucking' are you having trouble understanding?"
Naruto frowned. "The part where you didn't use this opportunity to capture and bring them back? Weren't you guys like… ninja… at some point?"
"Well that's just rude." Sasuke said. "I just—"
"Say you're squeamish without saying you're squeamish." Ino yawned.
Sasuke grunted but looked away.
"…We didn't think of it." Toru admitted. "It was somewhat disturbing."
"And the truth comes out, at last." Naruto smiled. "Well, let's find the other Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Case closed. Great work, my Enforcers."
"Call me that one more time—" Sasuke began.
Yūshirō grunted again.
"What's wrong with you…?" Yugito muttered at Naruto, lulling their son back to sleep.
"Me?" Naruto blinked. "It's about them."
…
Later.
Karin and Hanabi were lounging on the small conjured boat, under the warm sun.
Looking out at the inviting blue waves, Hanabi was the first to go.
She grinned, took a small step onto the edge of the boat and took a running dive, slicing into the water with ease. The seas were crystal-clear, and still they enveloped her as she disappeared under the surface.
Karin was next. The boat was still swaying underneath her when she did a swan dive. She entered the water smoothly as well.
Greens and blues, painted by sunlight. They passed by rock formations and a school of fish, too. Red corals, oranges flowers made for an incredible display of nature.
Hanabi dove deeper, and Karin followed lazily. They threaded through the dense blue, alternating slow kicks behind them. The vastness of the ocean stretched beyond, pale blue turning darker the further they went.
Far away in the distance, above the surface, Umi's green valleys beckoned.
The rest of the day was spent swimming through the underwater world.
And forgetting about the fact they were supposed to find Gama and whatever was her name.
Yoisen's Interlude
Long ago.
"What is it that you want, Indra…?" She asked evenly. The tears had long since dried. "Is this something you do, usually…? Going around to check how your old students are doing…?"
Indra said nothing.
She tried for a hesitant smile. "I would have believed this from your brother, but coming from you… It is a bit surprising."
Indra sighed.
"Please. Leave my brother out of this." Indra said. "I came here to check on you, Yoisen. Simple as that."
She shrugged, and went back to look at the firepit.
Indra continued. "I heard about your parents. I am very sorry about what happened."
"…They're dead." She said to no one in particular. "You can say the word."
"…If you wish." Indra nodded. "What are your plans, now?"
She shrugged absentmindedly. "I guess I — or Sōichirō — will have to take care of our relatives."
There was a long silence.
"You intended to train in Ninjutsu, did you not…?" Indra asked. "What of it?"
She gave him a dry look. This was more in line with her expectations. "What of it…? There are other matters at hand."
"And other people can take care of them. As you just said."
She scoffed. "What is your game…? Out with it. You are not nearly as subtle as you think you are."
Indra seemed unfazed by the irritation in her voice. "Chakra is a wonder that can change hearts, minds and the entire world." He said. "You have talent, and to ignore that is a waste I cannot abide by."
Yoisen sighed. "You have something planned, and I cannot figure out what it is exactly." She bowed low. "I thank you again for your help, it has been invaluable to me, and knowing I am free to live my life, healthy, is something that I—"
"There is no need for any of that." Indra cut her off. "You are free to do as you wish, Yoisen. But please think it through." His eyes were burning in their intensity. "This world is rotten. Something needs to change, and I am in search of the people who can herald that change." He smiled slightly. "I believe you are one of them."
She didn't speak for a long, long while.
"…I will think about it." Yoisen said at last. "However, I promise you nothing."
He smiled, looking his age, for once. "That is all I ask for."
Not so long ago at all.
'Dear Yoisen,
Hope you're well. Didn't get the chance to reply to the last one yet. We got into some trouble with the guys. Some Sasuke — he's the Uchiha from back home, the one who's not Toru, but Asura's latest spiritual inheritor — became the Lord of the Land in this world — or something. He's every bit the tyrant I always thought he'd be…
He united the whole world against him, and all that. It's a bit of a police state, too. But that's not very interesting, anyway — as most Sasuke things tend to be.
Anyway, to answer your question, I don't know. Because I never read the book. I — well, Indra, not the same thing, as you know already — was definitely lying. He never actually read Ōgawa, despite his claims to the contrary. I would know. Can't blame the man for the not reading part, because that was boring.
My days of pretending to be clever and to like obscure shit are over, in any case. That impresses no one, anyway — unless it does, and in that case, please do recommend a few books that I will pretend to enjoy.
I read a lot of admittedly trashy fiction, recently. Not like Sakura, mind you, because I don't pretend to stay all aloof and ironic about it in public.
I'd rather read a thousand Takemoto Bunko, Go Chika or even Namba Izanami, as bad as it sounds.
Hopefully this clears a few things up.
Ah, also, let's grab a tea sometime when I get back — if you're still into that, it's been a while and a half, since then; close to a thousand years and I'd rather not presume.
Take care!
Naruto
P.S.: Here's a picture of some weird dragons we just stumbled upon, with Toru. They're the reason why he looks a bit… sunburnt.'
'My Dearest Naruto,
I KNEW Indra never read the works!'
'My dear friend,
My sincerest apologies for allowing my enthusiasm to carry me away in my last letter — my emotions got the better of me. What I intended to express was that I was overjoyed to receive your recent missive, and I must commend you for finally being willing to admit to never having read Ōgawa, in this life or during your time as Indra.
Now, I am not interested in discussing Indra's predilections; I am far more eager to hear what you have to offer on this subject.
The idea of becoming overly invested in bad fiction is not unfamiliar to me, as I too have found myself drawn into some whimsical publications. The thought of picking Go Chika, out of all things, however… sends shivers down my spine.
The other choices are nothing short of inspired, however. And they are most cultured choices.
Allow me to express my sincere gratitude for this moment of levity. This correspondence of ours is something I do treasure. Pray, do tell, for the next top five, what might you suggest as the most nefarious villains of all time, encompassing all manner of media…?
Oh, I am most eager to go share a cup of tea! — And I do love it, still.
I eagerly await your next correspondence and the delightful pictures that they shall undoubtedly contain.
Yours truly,
Yoisen
P.S.: Pray forgive my curiosity. I find myself curious about the mannerisms of your Uchiha companion, particularly his apparent penchant for removing his shirt. Perhaps I should have kept silent on this matter, but I could not resist the urge to inquire. Is there a particular reason for it…?
P.P.S.: Also, I find myself curious as to why you do not seem to follow in his footsteps. Is there a particular reason for this as well?'
Demon World.
Unlike the Human world, the Demon World didn't seem to conform to any sort of particular rule.
(Although the human world's sort of order was up for debate as well.)
In short, nothing about it made any sense to Yoisen.
Naruto had told her about Naraka, of course, and…
This was not it.
Certainly, there had been what seemed to be levels to it. Icy rains and slush; a wind-buffeted section. Some things that were a bit more ordinary in their nature, things that resembled various depictions humans had made of the underworld.
Some levels were more confusing, so convoluted that it felt as though she had scrambled her brain. Unsurprisingly, the creatures that lived down there were as mad as she had ever seen. Geography was off. Physics were off.
Such was the one she was currently in.
It was… an arduous journey. Constant onslaughts of demonic creatures, no days and no nights… time blurring away. The hardest part was keeping your sense of self centered. But well, she had had plenty of time to do just that, over the years.
The air crackled with power; reddish light that shone like lightning bolts. Nonsensical staircases seemed to stretch into eternity, or perhaps it was just a gigantic hole in the sky. Who was she to decide, really…?
Yoisen hoped that Naruto hadn't gotten stuck anywhere close to this place, because it seemed as though this sort of thing might just play a few unpleasant tricks on one's sanity.
There was a strange mist swirling around her too, something that looked halfway between a corrosive haze or perhaps mosquitoes, but she ignored them as well. It was useless, anyway.
Instead, she kept her awareness to the outside world, where the heavy air required more effort to breathe than it should.
She took a leap forward, ignoring the void below — under?
Yoisen landed hard, and rolled to soften the impact. She felt something at the edge of her vision, and once she made sure that it was a threat, her blade whipped through the air. Her fingers hurt some, by now.
The statue-like gargoyle fell, cut in two.
She continued to walk the steps, under — above? — the gray sunless sky.
It was not the most pleasant of times, but the promise of better times had always been enough to keep her going through the lows.
The Worst Chūnin Exams?
World #01 - Umigakure.
"And so the One-Set-To-Be-Emperor, in His infinite wisdom, set off from His ruined homeworld to wander the universe, far from His sociopathic species — aliens, we would call them.
"He wandered through the vastness of space, past worlds long dead — and worlds who turned Him away in justified fear. And then… He found Earth and the marvelous delights it held.
"The One-Set-To-Be-Emperor wandered through the desert, the oceans and the lands. From the mountains to the rivers, from the rivers to the heavens.
"He came across the first Men. As they were very skeptical of this stranger from a strange world, they roared: "Here be a witch! A foul sorcerer!"
"The One-Set-To-Be-Emperor falsely cried, in a display of sociopathy that would only become more frequent over time. He also cried, because it put a wrench into his plans of worldly conquest.
"He said: "A witch… I am not!" The One-Set-To-Be-Emperor shook his head, for he knew his own Truth, and that was foreshadowing on how flexible the concept was to Him. "I have come from space, to teach you my secrets!"
"…And also to plant a World Tree.
"And so the One-Set-To-Be-Emperor taught the miracles that were His to the people. Magics from far beyond, upon which He bestowed a name. Chaku-ra.
"And so the people learned the Art.
"And so they decided: "Chaku-ra is a true marvel. Let's make war with it!"
"And He said: "You do not know how to wage war. Let me teach you."
"And so He did. The people learned how to wage true, destructive war and the skies bled red.
"The One-Set-To-Be-Emperor nodded peacefully and He said: "Yes. Now wage war for a thousand years in My name. Then I shall come back."
"The One-Set-To-Be-Emperor wandered the land again, sleeping for eons, through the searing heat of the summers, and the blistering cold of the winters.
"And the people waged war in His good name.
"And the One-Set-To-Be-Emperor slept fitfully.
"And then, many years later — a millenia, perhaps. The One-Set-To-Be-Emperor woke once more. Thunder and Storms. He said: "This bores me now. Let us have peace."
"And the people waged peace in His good name."
Toru bowed, once he was done.
Sakura clapped. Hanabi clapped.
"Huh." Naruto blinked. "Did you steal part of Kaguya's story, or am I dreaming…?"
"A good artist has an eye for this sort of thing." Toru nodded. "And space-grandma probably would enjoy staying somewhat relevant in folklore. Perhaps not in this form, though. So, what do you think?"
"I loved it." Hanabi admitted.
"Same." Sakura smiled.
"Great!" Toru grinned. "So can we—"
"…We're not doing this propaganda thing, Toru." Naruto said. There were enough strange rumors floating around about him. "…I liked the story, though."
"Fine by me." Toru nodded, shrugging. "It was a bit rough around the angles. Let me polish it."
"...That's not really what I meant."
A couple of days later.
Using the Byakugan felt natural to Hanabi.
And how could it not, when she had been using it for longer than a decade…? Now, it was not like the Sharingan, which — according to Sasuke — felt almost more natural to keep on than not. But still, it was her birthright.
Using its evolved version was a bit stranger, still, something she had to force herself to do. In time, she was sure that would change as well.
Now, using the True Sight ability… that was something that didn't feel very natural at all.
They used a leftover Rinnegan as a channel. The superimposed visions that came, of every possible world they were currently in — or pockets inside pockets, sometimes — never failed to give her a throbbing headache whenever she gazed through them.
The world disappeared around her.
Hanabi forced herself to see more and followed the strange rifts. It felt like shards of a mirror, reflecting into eternity.
It was hard to guide the ability, and the fact that she knew where most Eyes were — so, in their possession — didn't help.
Hanabi tasted an awe-inspiring power.
Was she even supposed to be using such a thing…? She was human, still.
('Or so they think. I know better.')
In between the shards, she was reminded of her own mortality.
But mortality was more of a guideline, really.
'Let me see.' She heard herself think. 'So that I can find these fuckers.'
Hanabi peered through the cracks.
It was as intoxicating as it was disconcerting.
And for a moment, Hanabi thought she might really have become a goddess. For real this time, not mostly, as she usually was.
She thought she understood much more in this instant, suspended in time.
She—
"You in there, wench number four?" Sakura called. "Masturbating, I'm sure."
Hanabi blinked. She exhaled slowly, bringing her mind back to the room.
…And she had a pounding headache, too.
Sakura climbed the stairs the way she tended to do — jumping over all of them in a single leap. "You practicing that parallel vision thing again?" She laughed, making her eyes go cross-eyed. "Who cares if Kaguya's better—"
"You can stop right here." Hanabi grunted.
"Alright, alright." Sakura grinned. "Are you coming?"
"…Where are we going, again?" Hanabi asked, rubbing her temples. "Also, I think I just found where that other Jiraiya and Orochimaru got stranded."
"Oh, nice." Sakura said, sounding as though she could hardly care any less.
Hanabi couldn't help but laugh.
"What is it?" Sakura asked.
"Never mind." She shook her head. "Is it about Noruto's Chūnin Exams?"
"That's right." Sakura grinned. "And my apprentice, Haruno Sarada, is competing as well."
"Shouldn't Noruto have been practicing some more, then…? With his father, with Naruto… or hell, even Toru…?" Hanabi squinted. "I'm pretty sure I saw him walking around the islands, the other day."
"I guess that means he trained enough already." Sakura shrugged. "I see no point in beating yourself up, perhaps it's that for him too."
"…Guess we'll see."
…
"Will you be able to take care of him on your own?" Naruto asked.
Yugito glared at him. "Are you trying to piss me off?"
"No, otherwise I would just — Never mind. I meant this in the best possible way." He smiled. "Considering I've been doing most of the child-rearing these last days—"
It was the truth. She still rolled her eyes. "Of course I will."
Naruto frowned.
"Go see Boruto's thing." Yugito shooed him away. Naruto stared at her, stared at his son.
"Hmm…"
"Leave a Shadow and go."
"Mmmh."
"…Show me the memories later?"
"Alright, deal — also, I think he wants to eat, still. Or so he thinks, at least."
"I know already."
"Hungry little fucker, that one." Naruto shook his head.
"…Says you."
He kissed his wi—… lover goodbye.
…
"We're counting on you to protect this world, Sasuke." Naruto nodded, very solemnly.
"Fuck you."
Naruto chuckled. "Now now… was this needed? I took care of the big boy problems, so you should be able to manage."
"You're such a condescending ass."
"Am I wrong, though?"
No answer came.
"Well, considering there's a little bit of Hashirama in you, I know you won't let us down this time — mostly because there's no Bijū to enslave and give as weapons of war to other villages."
Sasuke closed his eyes in consternation.
"I do hate you, you know that?"
"Come on, it's just a bit of brotherly ribbing." Naruto frowned. "You were better at this, last time around. You think you had it hard, dealing with past selves…?"
Sasuke grunted something that he didn't quite get.
"Well…" Naruto pretended to think. "What you got from it… Huge chakra reserves that work very well with your other bloodline… and gardening abilities."
Sasuke scowled. Naruto continued.
"What I got from it…?" Naruto asked. "Dissociation."
Sasuke couldn't prevent a slight chuckle from escaping him. "…An invasive mind link, too."
"Don't downplay the multiple personality thing." Karin quipped. "That was a wild ride that I try to repress, on most days."
"Yes, exactly." Naruto nodded. "So… You're in charge of Earth, Sasuke."
He made a displeased sound.
"Well… It's either you or Orochimaru." Naruto shrugged, letting the last word hang in the air. "Your choice, really. Ah, Kaguya should be somewhere around, too."
Sasuke pursed his lips.
World #07
The exams were held in the Land of Water.
The whole event was supposed to take place in Konoha, but there had been some trouble with 'some guy named Momo', who Naruto now assumed to be Momoshiki the alien. Kage greeted them on the southernmost island.
It wasn't a big one.
And the Land of Water seemed somewhat… dreary, in a way. Perhaps it was because of its rotten history — particularly when it came to Kiri. The air was hot and humid, but the ocean was not particularly appealing to Naruto. Or at least not when compared to Umi.
It seemed too endless, in a way that probably could make him feel melancholy, on another day. A bit too dark, too, even though coral reefs glowed in its darkness, swaying from right to left. Then left to right.
"You made it on time." Kage smiled. "Hinata had her doubts."
"Of course not, dear."
Kage frowned. "You just said that if Indruto couldn't make it, we could just replace him with another monster of a man, let's say my friend Sasuke."
"I did not say that." Hinata said demurely.
On Kage's other side, Sasuke - this world's native - grunted.
"I said 'should the dictator you call a friend come in late, we should just have Sasuke stand in for him, as they are very similar.'" Hinata clarified. "It is not the same thing."
"I know what you meant, Hinata." Kage chuckled.
Sasuke grunted. "We are not similar."
"I agree with your right hand." Naruto nodded. "Not the one you lost, but your Danzō, I mean. Then again, didn't you lose that one to him…? The hand, I mean. Not the previous Danzō — although…"
Sasuke's eyes could have burned ice.
"…What did you just call me…?" He asked flatly.
Naruto blinked. "Is there some history between Danzō and you or something…? I killed that man. You said something about killing him too, right...?"
Something like approval almost passed through Sasuke's eyes, but cold anger quickly resumed. Hinata pursed her lips, as though this was just the confirmation she hadn't been looking for.
"I finished the job, really." Ino intervened. She then frowned. "And as far I can't remember…" She thought about it. "No, there was not much about Sasuke in his memories."
"Back home." Naruto added.
"Back home." She nodded. "Aside from... Well, the closest thing would be sending both Itachi and Shisui on a few high-risk missions, along with a few of his trusted men, which definitely sounded like a setup, in hindsight. Well, maybe he trusted them, who knows."
Sasuke was frowning. Harder.
Toru, sensing an impending problem, greeted him. "Is your daughter competing, too?"
Sasuke smiled and opened his mouth. "She—"
"Of course she is." Sakura laughed. He gave her a long look, but didn't say anything. She misunderstood it. "Oh, the eye? Pretty sweet, huh?"
Sasuke ignored her. He did not need a Rinne-Sharingan.
"Let's go." He said.
Naruto was unsure why they followed that guy, but they all did, in the end.
"Yeah." Sakura nodded, as though she suddenly had realized something. "I don't like him."
"He doesn't like you either." Toru said.
"Why are you defending him?" Sakura stared at him.
"…What? I'm not."
"Why are you defending him, Toru?" Naruto asked, shaking his head. "I thought we were in this together."
They reached the ferryboat they were to take to cross — now, why they were supposed to go through that entire process, when most decent ninja could simply walk the distance, he wasn't sure. This sounded too much like an opinion Madara would have, so he discarded it.
"Hokage-sama." The officer greeted. "Hyūga-sama. Uchiha-sama."
Sakura chortled at the last one. "They actually respect him."
The officer gave the rest of them a dubious look. "…Who might they be?"
"Ah." Kage smiled. "It's fine, they're with us."
"…There was no mention of that." The officer frowned. "Let me check with my colleague—"
"I'm sure Chōjurō is fine with it." Kage continued.
"Mizukage-sama wouldn't be."
"…What is your name?" Kage asked.
"…I am Kei. Hok—"
"Kei, I need them to go through." Kage said.
Toru frowned. "Couldn't we just—"
Hanabi cut him off. "I want to see it in action. I didn't get to, last time."
"Don't worry." Kage continued. "We'll bunk up with them in our quarters."
Sasuke was starting to protest.
"Well…" Kei hesitated, looking at his fellow officer, as if to try to regain his countenance. "…If they have the proper papers, it should be fine."
"See?" Kage smiled. "Papers, please."
Naruto shrugged and gave him his paperwork.
"…These are fake." Kei declared, seemingly very hesitant in doing so. It was because of Kage, though.
"Of course not." Naruto chuckled. "They're real. I made them."
"…This man is not Uzumaki Naruto. Also, Umigakure is not a real place — as far as I know. And… I'm certain that there has been no Shogun in centuries—"
"Things have changed a lot, shinobi." Naruto nodded once. Then, with more gravitas. "It is true, all of it. You may let us through."
The man hesitated.
"He's me, but a different me." Kage nodded, too. The officers started to sputter. "Can we go through?"
Sakura gave Toru a wink, pointing at her left eye — reminding him gently that she would do the job, if needed.
Hinata closed her eyes in consternation.
"Please call Mizukage-sama. Video should be enough." She said, with the practiced ease of someone who had to do this sort of thing too many times already. "He… will sort the situation out."
…
Naruto sighed in contentment as he sank into the ferry's seats.
"This is pretty decent, actually." He said out loud. "Compared to the sort of accommodation we usually get around these parts of the world."
Karin raised an eyebrow. "Sakura took the ferry to Water, not you."
"So?"
"It was a shitty trip." Sakura confirmed.
Sasuke left their quarters without any explanation.
"Rude." Karin frowned.
"He probably is going to go kill aliens now." Naruto remarked. "He was always pretty jealous of me. And he doesn't even know half of it yet."
"You really don't understand him." Toru frowned.
"And you do?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Just because you're Uchiha…?"
"…Not only."
"Sasuke is skittish." Sakura said.
"His social batteries probably need recharging." Toru explained. "Itachi is a bit like that, too. Uncle Fugaku was not very good at communicating either. To him, a good kid was a quiet kid. So… Yeah. Probably didn't help."
"Perhaps he just wants to enjoy the sea air." Hinata smiled daintily. "Or perhaps he minds some of our present company."
"Dear…" Kage winced.
"My, my…" Naruto scratched his chin. "I can't recall what I ever did to you." She just gave him a flat look. "Didn't you enjoy your stay in Umi?"
"Umi was very nice." Hinata admitted.
"I would say she resents your methods." Karin said.
"Oh, that." Naruto laughed. "Here I thought it was about something important." Then, to Hinata. "Don't be, ruling the free world is what your husband and I do best."
"Naruto isn't a dictator." Hinata said sharply.
"Of course, of course." Naruto nodded. "Not officially, but does his word just so happen to have much more weight than the other rulers, because he happens to be near invincible to most humans…?"
"Of course not." Kage laughed. "The other Kage are my friends."
"Friends that wouldn't dare betray you."
"Yup." Kage gave him a thumbs up. "'Cuz that's what friends do."
"Except Sasuke." Hinata reminded him gently. "…But he came around, too."
Naruto just shrugged. "For now."
She chose to ignore him entirely.
It was a pretty long ride.
An hour or so later. On another small island.
Uzumaki Boruto waited, alongside his team.
Genin squads filled the entirety of the beachfront. Some were very young, some were old enough to make Old Man Sasuke look like a baby.
Tensions were high, too. Some looked as though they were out for blood.
He nudged Sarada — mentally — and pointed out a vicious-looking Kumo genin.
"I think he wants to kill you." He muttered.
"Oh?" She asked with a cool smile. "He's welcome to try."
"He might just want your eyes." Mitsuki said, without a hint of sarcasm.
"So what?" Sarada frowned. "Plenty of people want the Sharingan."
"I don't." Boruto said.
"I meant smart people."
"Because all the idiots have it already?" Boruto smiled.
Sarada chuckled and punched his shoulder playfully — for her. "…Alright, that's on me. Good one."
"Thank you." Boruto rubbed his bruised shoulder.
There was a loud announcement.
"The Chūnin exams are about to start!" A Kiri jōnin called. "It is now time for you to demonstrate the fruits of your training! And your will to power!"
The Kiri genin in the assembly raised their fists.
"Good!" The jōnin nodded. "Some of you have the right spirit! The first exam shall be a simple task." He paused, letting the tension rise. "But first... Let me ask you a question."
He waited for silence to spread, before talking again.
"What is the one attribute that makes a ninja?"
"Power!" A Kiri genin screamed. "And the will to seek it!"
The examiner nodded proudly. But this was not the full answer, this time. He prepared to speak again but was cut off.
"Bloodlines!" A Kumo genin roared. "Whether they were yours from the start or obtained otherwise!"
"Strength in numbers!" An Iwa genin bellowed. "One ant alone is a small thing, but an army of them can move the universe itself!"
"Having something to protect." A sand genin with strange purple tattoos on his face said, his quiet voice somehow carrying over the noise. "That is what makes one's strength." He said, making a fist to accentuate his point.
"Friendship!" A Konoha genin yelled, and Boruto pretended he didn't know him. "Is the magic that turns dreams into reality!"
The genin from the smaller villages were not heard, of course. As always.
The Kiri jōnin sighed. "Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered with that one." He mumbled to himself. "Resiliency! And that is what we're going to test today!"
He pointed at the distance.
Boruto squinted, but didn't see anything at all.
Sarada shook her head, before he even asked. "I don't see it either."
"Same here." Mitsuki added. "Perhaps it is an invisible item?"
"…What?" Boruto frowned.
"Far, far in the distance is an island called Solitude." The jōnin announced grandly. "That is where the second part of the exam will take place."
Boruto felt dread well up inside him. Oh no.
"You will be provided small ships, as well as a special 'compass', which will point you towards your destination — we had a few accidents happen when we did the same without a compass for the Genin exams, last time. Genin quality really has gone down — Back when I was a kid… Never mind."
Oh, no.
"For the slowest of you — I didn't say anyone in particular, settle down before I kick you out, you there in red — The goal will be to reach that island."
There were many mutters of protest.
"We've never been at sea! How are we supposed to navigate a boat?!"
"This favors Mist too much!"
"Bullshit!"
"Dolphin fuckers!"
"The Tsuchikage will never stand for this!"
"Ugly ass rock-head! No one cares what she thinks!"
The examiner waited for them to settle down a bit, yawning.
"Yes, yes…" The Kiri jōnin nodded, rolling his eyes. "Complain some more, and I'll definitely care, at some point. The last exams took place near Suna. Survival in the desert. How is this any more fair?" No answers came. "I thought so."
More angry noise.
"In any case, we will also give you scrolls that you can use to be reverse-summoned to the island, in case… something—" He laughed a bit at this, and gave the Kiri genin a wink. "In case something happens. Drowning, for one. Please attach the scrolls to your person, because it's all too easy to lose them, and drowning really sucks. Of course, that means forfeiting. Also, they will double as cameras, so that people can watch this shit-show. Any questions?"
More protests.
"…Didn't your dad say something about trying to get the written test canceled?" Sarada asked Boruto. "That's probably why we have to do this, now."
Boruto groaned. "Guess he managed after all. Thanks, dad."
On the ferry boat.
Kage, watching the start of the exams on a large screen, nodded.
There was no point in having yet another paper test… that was what the Academy was for.
"…Huh." Karin said. "That's uh…"
"Controversial?" Hinata asked. "There has been some discussion about the possible exams, but it was Kiri's turn to host. It is not so different from forcing Iwa genin, Kumo genin to undergo the trials that only the Forest of Death can provide."
"You went through that, too?"
"Yes, we did." Hinata barely repressed a shiver. "…I know Gaara is a very nice man — now — but still, back then…"
"Right?!" Toru exclaimed. "Well he — Ah, no. It was not him, thinking of it. The Seven-Tails jinchūriki ate a piece of Shino and killed him. It was horrifying."
Hinata raised her hands to her mouth, horrified.
"Yeah." Toru nodded somberly. That was the face she had made back then, too. Naruto wisely didn't add that he had dug the hole they had buried Shino in with Kiba, which surprised Toru some. "We got her back for that." He finished.
"…I — That's good." Hinata nodded wearily. "What did you—"
"We let her walk around the world, entirely free, so that she can atone for her sins." Sakura said.
"…Are you serious?" Hinata asked tightly. Sakura chuckled.
"Ah. No. That's your Sasuke. We get things mixed, sometimes." Naruto laughed and gave Sakura a high-five. Toru scowled at them. "We bound her to a few oaths."
"Like… a promise?" Kage asked, frowning.
"Somewhat. But… tighter."
"…Focus on the exams." Sasuke just said, scowling. Not because he cared about what either of them said about Shino — who he was not entirely sure he even knew in the first place, by now; perhaps it was that guy he had… learned the Lion's Barrage from.
No, he was scowling because whoever was recording the live exams was not focusing on Boruto—… on Sarada's team.
"…Sasuke?" Hanabi blinked. "When did you get here?"
Sasuke ignored the woman who looked just like her older sister, Neji.
"How did you miss his gloomy presence?" Sakura chuckled.
"I don't know — It's like he's invisible and my Byakugan can't see him, which is a first." Hanabi said, shrugging.
Sasuke ignored their jabs. His incredible eyes roamed over the screen, trying to get a glimpse of his student(s).
The first boats were pushed into the water.
The camera kept switching points of view, which was very jarring.
"Look!" Kage exclaimed. "It's Boruto's team!"
Hinata grinned proudly, too. "They're doing so well—"
The camera switched to a random team.
"…Who's in charge of the recording…?" She asked.
The first boat capsized, spilling three children into the water, barely five minutes after the task had started.
"…Is no one going to check up on this?" Toru asked. "They could be stuck under."
"They're fine." Kage said.
"What if they pass out?"
"Ninja don't pass out so easily." Kage laughed. "It's just water."
"...You do realize not everyone has a demon in their gut, right...?"
"Don't worry, they would use the scrolls we provided them if there was any trouble." Kage nodded. "I insisted on them — Chōjurō kept saying that he did the exams without them and that he turned out just fine, but y'know… That's a guy who sharpens his teeth."
"See?" Naruto asked Hinata. "Tell me again he doesn't wield a little bit more influence than the other Kage."
"…"
"And that is the Mizukage's Land." Naruto reminded her, almost gently.
"Please watch the exams." She said tightly.
Privately, Naruto wondered how Sasuke's wife could like him better than his alternate self's wife.
"As you say." He shrugged. "Have you ever been on a boat yourself?" Naruto asked Kage.
"Me?" He blinked. "Yeah, of course. Several times. Why do you ask?"
"…No reason."
Boruto puked, ten minutes in.
The first waves had rocked their boat a little, and it had proved to be enough.
He was pretty sure that no Uzumaki was meant for the sea.
…
One of the boats detonated.
Boruto whirled around. "That is Enko's boat!" He said worriedly.
"Oh, I know it was Enko's boat." Sarada nodded.
It had been a small explosion, luckily. Still, the other Konoha team's boat was capsizing, quickly.
"…What do you mean?" Boruto asked slowly.
"I mean that I placed the explosives." Sarada shrugged.
"What?!" Boruto asked shrilly.
"Don't scream so loud — also row harder, I think this might be a test of endurance, after all." She said, turning her attention back to the sea. "The wind is not helping much, right now. I think I'm going to fold the sail up entirely."
"Why did you do that?!" Boruto asked. "They are comrades!"
"Not today they aren't." Sarada chuckled. "What did your teacher even tell you about the exams…? It's a free-for-all. In any case… yeah. It was pretty easy to get close to them, because they're also from Konoha." Sarada did not have time for guilt, so she crushed it under her metaphorical sandal.
Mitsuki nodded, with a cheerful smile. "Very good. I was unsure whether I should offer to do something like it or not. My parent says that some people might take offense."
"…Mmh." Sarada thought. "Perhaps you should send some snakes through the water, this Taki team is getting a bit too close to us."
Mitsuki nodded.
"What the fuck is wrong with you two?!" Boruto asked, pulling at his hair.
Sarada made a seal.
Another boat detonated.
Boruto chuckled worriedly.
"That should be one of the Suna teams." Sarada nodded, pleased. "There should be three more explosions, normally. If they didn't find the tags, I mean. Maybe I should start right away, we're far enough."
She made another half-tiger seal.
Boruto pursed his lips and rowed harder.
Toru gave Sakura a long look.
(They had figured how to switch camera angles — and also figured that Hanabi had been the one fucking the video up, likely on purpose.)
That thing… smelled too much like something she would do. Or instruct someone else to do.
Her eyes were riveted on the screen, and she had never looked so much like a proud aunt.
Thunder rumbled across the dark afternoon sky.
Boruto shivered and pulled the hood of his cloak up, hoping to keep the cold raid off his back. The hood, which was sodden already and hung low on his head. Next to him, Sarada sniffled as well.
"This sucks." She muttered.
"…It kinda does."
"It really sucks." Sarada repeated. "Rain and the ocean…?"
Boruto agreed, once more. Perhaps it was still time to join up with the samurai. Or get an office job — one that wasn't being Hokage, because that seemed like asking for a lot of complications.
Mitsuki, on the other hand, did not complain. He just sat there, with an almost peaceful expression on his face.
The sea breeze turned heavier, cold with a hint of cold to come.
img: 6YYqtCN png
Also, drawing tablet kinda died on me, so I'll have to replace it before I can get to drawing anything again...