HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
MAY THE ODDS BE IN OUR FAVOUR THIS YEAR!
Enjoooooy~
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Chapter 13
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Remove the packaging and dispose of it in the trash can. Check.
Pour hot water into the cup of ramen. Check.
Wait three minutes for the noodles to absorb the water and be ready for consumption. In progress...
This was the part of the preparation that Naruto hated the most.
Waiting.
As she sat in the kitchen, her fingers clutching the edge of the table and her eyes glued to the bowl of ramen sitting a few centimeters away from her nose, she couldn't help but fidget, waiting for the timer to ring and tell her that she would finally be able to enjoy her most delightful and beloved meal.
Wasn't there a jutsu that made time flow faster? Or that could make the ramen ready more quickly? She would have to invent one, such an invention would revolutionize the world.
She was so hungry!
While the seconds were running far too slowly for her taste, a soft tingle on her arm diverted her attention, black marks gradually appearing on her skin.
Words.
Oh?
Oh!
How's my favorite little soulmate doing?
It took her a moment of contemplation to make sure that the markings were real... Before a scream so high-pitched that it sounded like an ultrasound echoed through the room.
With her heart pounding, Naruto got up hurriedly, dropping her chair with a crash as she rushed to the counter and grabbed a pen, ditching her waiting dish on her table.
She hadn't received a message in weeks, the dialogues with the best soulmate in the world becoming few and far between. (Yet they never failed to make her feel all warm and tingly, a feeling that she most definitely associated with her soulmate now.)
YOU'RE BACK! I'm doing fine, I'm happy you're back! I'm just out of my shower, I was preparing something to eat.
Bon appétit!
The timer rang, announcing the end of the preparation of her delicious cup of ramen, but she didn't hear it, too caught up in her excitement.
And you? Did you have fun? Did you eat yet?
Haha I'm glad to be home. I haven't eaten yet, and I'm not hungry, I'm in my bed now. Was about to sleep, but I missed you.
Naruto clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes round and her pulse racing, before rereading the last sentence her soulmate had addressed her and squealing with sheer joy.
I missed you, he said.
A deep blush spread on her cheeks and she started running in circles around the table and jumping excitedly.
She had missed him tooooooo dattebayoooooooooooo!
So what have you been up to lately? Did I miss anything?
Well, he had missed her apparently, hehehehehe.
Her brush in hand, she went back to take a seat and answer him.
Oh, she had to tell him about her day!
Today, Iruka-sensei had explained to them the importance of knowing how to express themselves, both orally and in writing. She wasn't sure how that was supposed to be useful; wasn't it better to know how to fight and master great techniques as a ninja? To her mind, it was another waste of time... Until Sakura explained to her that knowing how to express herself was important to be well understood by others, to avoid misunderstandings, and to know how to properly discuss.
Inwardly, Naruto thought that she would just have to let Sakura-chan do the talking if it ever became an issue. After all, didn't her friends understand her pretty well?
But then, Ino had added that speech was essential in politics and the art of expression and writing was indispensable to be a good diplomat and a good leader; and, therefore, to be a good Hokage.
Then, Naruto was utterly sold.
She would become the best at this course!
As a first exercise, Iruka-sensei suggested that they write a poem. About something, or someone; whatever inspired them the most.
That had led Naruto to cross her arms, pondering a bit at first. Should she write about her friends? Ramen? Konoha? Being Hokage? Herself? Her parents? Her soulmate?
Ino had quickly decided to write about all her relationships and the people she loved, comparing each one of them to flowers and their meanings.
(Naruto couldn't remember all the details, but she knew she was a sunflower, because she was family and friendly love, she brightened her mood, and it was yellow and orange, and other stuff, and, anyway; sunflowers were Naruto's favorite flowers now.)
Sakura-chan had decided to write a poem to her soulmate. In other words, about the guy who spent his time pranking her, and, hum, made her equally angry and blushy, and, yeah.
(Sometimes, Naruto thought she understood very well the soulmate concept, but then Sakura-chan would mention hers, and she wouldn't be so sure anymore. That being said, at least, her friend had had fun writing about him, alternating between giggling to herself, blushing and hiding her face in her hands, and breaking the mine of her pencil a few times because of her anger. That summarized pretty well the feelings he elicited in her usually, in Naruto's opinion, which was the whole point of the writing exercise.)
To follow suit, Naruto had thought that she should probably write about someone she liked as well.
However, at that moment, that jerk Sasuke had walked by her, heading to the trash-can to sharpen his pencil, and had given her a mocking smile while he was at it, throwing jabs at her that suggested she wasn't capable of writing poetry seriously.
Hah! He thought so, huh?!
In the end, just like Sakura, Naruto had opted for an inspiration of passion rather than romance, declaring to Sasuke that she would be writing about him. There!
And she had been wonderfully inspired. She was even thrilled with the result.
Deciding that this would be a good anecdote to tell her soulmate -she hadn't written about him, but she certainly would when she got better at writing-, she sat back down and smiled at him.
We had a writing lecture today at school, and we had to write a poem!
His answer was quick to come.
Nice! What did you write about?
Naruto grinned.
I chose to write about my classmate. Wanna read it?
I'd love to.
A warm sensation spread in her chest at his words as her smile widened; he never failed to make her feel nice and happy. With a squeal of joy, Naruto rushed to retrieve her poem from her bag.
She was eager to share her masterpiece!
It's my first poem, but it was fun. Here it is:
'You pretty, pretty annoying bastard
Your morning breath smells of mustard
Your smile is so bright it shines like an egg
It makes my hairs stand up on my leg
Your hair is spiky all the time
I'm pretty sure that should be a crime
Your eyes are dark like the night
To help you see, I'd give you a torchlight
Every day when I see you in class
I feel the urge to kick your ass
Like a badass'
The End
When Naruto had volunteered to read her poem aloud, Sasuke had glared at her, obviously expecting a nasty surprise. After the first verses, he groaned and buried his face in his hands, the only detail betraying his embarrassment being his reddened ears! Hihihi!
Sakura and Ino had immediately congratulated her, telling her that her rhymes were well found and that the message she wanted to convey was well received. Seeing their cheerful and amused remarks, Iruka-sensei conceded that she had been well inspired and that she had obviously understood the exercise... in a way...
However, the topic of reading poetry about Sasuke did not fade right away, as all the girls who had written about him then proceeded to recite their poems (and love letters) to him. Yet, it was Naruto that he continued to stare at for the rest of the class, as if it was somehow her fault that he had so many girls enamored of him.
(She wasn't sure of what he might have blamed her for, but if she had managed to annoy him one way or another, she considered it her victory, dattebayo~)
Her soulmate took a moment to respond.
Naruto assumed that he was taking the time to read it, but she was also looking forward to his reaction.
Maybe he wasn't so familiar with poetry? She should teach him in that case, it was lots of fun!
That being said, her soulmate was so smart, he probably already knew how it was done, right?
She was cut off in her thinking when she saw that he had replied to her at last.
You, Sunshine, are one of a kind.
Naruto was wiggling around, struggling to contain her energy, a wide grin spreading on her lips. And then, she saw the rest of his answer.
I love it.
She erupted into giggles.
Of course! What was she expecting?
He loved it!
A squeal escaped her, and she hid her face in the collar of her shirt.
She loved that he loved it, dattebayo!
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In the living room of a small house within the Uchiha Compound, baskets were spread out on the dining table. Since a family wedding was rapidly approaching, Uchiha Kyoko had offered to help with the decorations. She had crafted several baskets (which would be used to contain sweets and pastries), and was now busy painting them in matching colors and adorning them with ornaments and artificial flowers.
Ever since her early retirement, she had developed a passion for all kinds of manual work.
She was proud to have been a Konoha kunoichi (and she still was, even if she wasn't active anymore), and of course, she was also proud of her son and all that he was accomplishing... But, sometimes, she wondered if Shisui wouldn't be happier if he specialized in a job outside the ninja field, and instead found an activity where he would feel fulfilled; like she was today.
After he had joined the ANBU, all she could do was silently watch his joy of life fade away. He had been in the organization for about three months now, but he didn't seem to adjust to it. On the contrary, she was afraid that it was going to get worse over time.
Even today, he hadn't even wanted to have dinner, just forcing a smile and going straight to lock himself in his room, as if he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And that probably was not a stretch, considering the things he was most certainly being forced to deal with.
She wondered if one day she would have to arrange decorations for Shisui's wedding. He would be there beside her, chatting about his thoughts for his marriage and gushing excitedly about his fiancée and his future happy love life.
She had never imagined that she would ever come to think this way, but how she wished he would be less responsible and dutiful, and that he would be a little more interested in the innocent trivialities of his age. Like falling in love.
And it was while Kyoko was drowning in her dark thoughts, that a loud burst of laughter echoed through the house. Her eyebrows raised, and her eyes widened, she glanced towards the kitchen door, as if she would be able to see Shisui through the walls and figure out what could have caused such a reaction out of him.
She hadn't heard him laugh so loudly and without restraint in a long time.
And to her surprise, it kept going! He seemed to have gone into a fit of laughter, and she could hear the faint sound of his voice, but she couldn't make out any other voice - or presence.
As her heart drummed in her chest, Kyoko bit her lower lip as if to hold back a smile, before she began to chuckle gently in turn. Though she had no idea what could have led to this, she was grateful for it.
How she loved the sound of Shisui's joy.
She turned her attention back to her business as she started humming, with a smile on her face and in a much lighter mood.
Her ears informed her that Shisui's laughter had grown softer, but it also seemed to be getting closer.
She didn't react, until arms wrapped around her neck from behind and the touch of a cheek against hers made her skin warmer.
"What are you doing?" Shisui asked in a light voice.
Kyoko glanced at her son, whose eyes were shining with amusement and his cheeks were flushed. A permanent smile had taken place on his face, the tension she had perceived earlier in the evening having almost completely melted from his face. Although the dark circles under his eyes were still deep, and he was looking tired, he seemed considerably more relaxed.
"I'm taking care of some decorations for Shu's and Masami's marriage," she explained with a smile, waving her hand in the direction of the scattered items on the table. "Right now, it's painting-session."
"Oh." Shisui stood up and put his hands on his mother's shoulders. "Sounds nice. Mind if I join?"
Kyoko grinned at him. "How could I refuse such a pretty smile?"
With a faint laugh, her son sat down beside her, grabbing a basket and a paintbrush.
Deep down, she wanted to ask him what had put him in such a good mood, but she decided to refrain from doing so, not wanting to break the bubble of serenity in which he now seemed to be wrapped in.
Nevertheless, she was going to keep an eye out.
She, too, wanted the recipe for Shisui's laughter.
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As she laid on her bed, sheets of paper spread beside her, Sakura gathered her courage and decided to address a friendly message to her soulmate, for once.
Not that she usually didn't want to, but he was so annoying that it wasn't her most innate reflex.
Hello. I wrote a poem about you in class today. I thought I'd share it with you.
As she was about to start copying her personal artwork without waiting for an answer from him, she was surprised to see a response immediately following her announcement.
I'm delighted to learn that I inspire you.
She bit her lips to stop herself from giggling.
Alright then!
'My dear and beloved Soulmate
Our encounter was written by Fate
Before I knew you, I could already picture our fairy tale unravel
Full of happiness, wonder and marvel
And all naturally, between you and me,
Our love would blossom for the whole world to see'
Sakura blushed, her heart pounding like crazy.
She couldn't believe she was really telling her pain of a soulmate all of this...
But after all, she had to share her truest feelings with him from time to time.
So she continued.
She was just getting to the good part.
'That's why, when I first wrote to you
I didn't expect you to be like the flu
Giving me headaches, palpitations, and hurting my throat
Because of how much I shout in rage whenever you write me a note
In the end, you turned to be full of surprises and mischief
So here I am, turning on a new leaf
After all, I know that from now on, you'll be part of my life
Something something something something knife'
With her heart beating profusely, Sakura turned her pen in her sweating hand and bit the inside of her cheek. She was both happy to share her poem with her soulmate, and embarrassed at the same time.
She would have thought that she had lost the ability to feel awkward with him, considering all the things he subjected her to, but evidently, her shyness was still there.
Sakura shook her head.
Anyway, now she was done!
I'm still searching for the last sentence but it's going well!
The answer she was waiting for did not take long to materialize.
I can tell your words come from the heart.
So you liked it?
I actually got scared for a moment
Sakura blinked slowly in surprise, before she giggled again.
Because of the knife part?
No, because of the first half.
That one sentence made her pout and stare and her arm with judgement.
How could he say that? That was the romantic part!
Ugh, he definitely had no taste.
But the plot twist was thrilling. Many feelings overall. You're pretty good at this.
Ohhhhh.
Hohoho!
Sweet!
Thank you!
The conversation ended, causing Sakura to bury her grinning face in her pillow.
In truth, she had already finished writing the poem, but in no way would she tell him what the last sentence really was.
She wasn't so stupid to share all of her truest feelings with this fellow.
('After all, I know that from now on, you'll be part of my life
And that, maybe, someday, I will become your wife')
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"The meeting is over," Fugaku announced in a final tone.
Shisui could not believe his ears.
The coup was put on hold.
He was going to weep. In a terribly unsightly fashion.
For the past few weeks, Shisui had been hearing rumors that their clan leader was working much more and harder than usual, being more secretive and, in general, he appeared to be in the planning stages of something.
With Itachi, they had figured that the setup of the coup must have been accelerated, and they agreed that all this did not bode well for the future. Especially since within the clan, the members were talking about it as if it was an obvious necessity and that there was no way to back out.
So when Fugaku-sama had announced that an important meeting would be held in the evening, Shisui was prepared for the bad news.
Instead, their leader informed the clan that he had received some new information that made him question several aspects of their plan. He refused to divulge any details as yet, but assured them that he was working seriously on the matter, which could lead to a solution even more advantageous to them than all they had planned so far, and that in about a month he would hold another meeting to explain what the situation was. In the meantime, discussions about the coup would be put on hold until further notice, and he didn't want to hear anyone bring up the subject until the next meeting.
Needless to say, Shisui had not seen that one coming.
And although he would have expected his other clan members to display their disagreement and quickly get upset, most likely asking for more transparency from him, none of it happened. He supposed that the promise of a deadline to this decision and the serious tone their clan head had used had persuaded most of them to take his word at face value and wait.
Because, another solution? More advantageous at that!?
They had waited for years, they could definitely be patient for another month.
He just hoped that whatever Fugaku-sama's new plan was, it wouldn't involve any kind of treason.
Once the meeting ended, Shisui left hurriedly and shunshined towards the forest of the compound.
The world started to spin around him, and he had to stop to reign his dizziness, his mind full of a thousand thoughts.
He was scared that he was getting ahead of himself, that he was being too hopeful when the situation was far from being resolved, but...
But what he saw...
The gleam in Fugaku-sama's eyes, filled with authority, conviction and new motivation; it was so different from the resigned look that he had been wearing as of late.
He was sure that he hadn't been the only one to notice it. That at least part of the reason everyone had been so accepting was for that very reason as well.
Something important must be going on.
Something that was lighting up the flame of their clan leader.
And voilà.
The ounce of relief that faintly glowered in Shisui's chest made him break down in tears.
And inwardly, he thought desperately, that please pleaseplease, make this news be something good.
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He had been a ninja for over twenty years.
He was highly respected among his colleagues, and within his own clan.
Not only that, but he was the terror of the prisoners he interrogated for sensitive information that was crucial to the quiet conflicts between the villages.
Yet, when his mother told him that he was going to make himself look pretty and participate in a cocooning session at the birthday party of his beloved daughter, Inoichi obeyed without any objection.
Ino was already celebrating her seventh birthday, and for the occasion, she had invited her two closest friends to spend the weekend together.
Since he had taken a day off for the event, Inoichi had a great time taking pictures of the children who were assisting his mother, Inohime, into baking the birthday cake, while his wife, Yurika, decorated the living room with his sister-in-law. They prepared games and activities for the girls to play later on, and put out sweets, which Inoichi couldn't help but sneak in for himself.
He was really happy to see that his daughter seemed to have made friendships that already appeared to be strong, and to watch her blossom so much warmed his soul.
Eventually, the girls had played through part of the afternoon, before gathering together to enjoy their cake and open Ino's presents.
He had naively thought that he would be able to relax in the evening with Yurika, while Ino would be hosting a sleepover in her room, but no, of course the previous head of the Yamanaka clan would not allow him to get away so easily.
That was how, instead, Yurika and her sister settled in the living-room to stay up together and catch up peacefully, and Inoichi found himself being used as a guinea pig by the children, resting on an armchair with his eyes hidden by cucumbers and an avocado mask covering his face, while one of the girls combed his long hair and the others painted his nails.
He was even starting to doze off, leaving the people experimenting on him chattering between them.
(Yeah, fine, truth be told, he might enjoy the cocooning a little. It was kinda relaxing, okay.)
"I don't know which color to chose."
"Can I put glitters, dattebayo?"
He was most definitely going to ignore the chattering, actually.
"Leave me some for later, I want to surprise my soulmate with it."
"You think the glitter would appear too?!"
"I don't know? Why not? Isn't it like make-up?"
"Don't complain when you find yourself with facial hair again."
"I'll end up with facial hair no matter what with that idiot!"
He must have been misunderstanding that part.
Sakura didn't have facial hair at all. He would have noticed.
Or did he miss it because it was light pink?
What did it have to do with the glitters?
"Oh, so you've also been writing to your soulmate, Sakura-kun?"
Inoichi clenched his teeth to stop himself from groaning and kept his eyes firmly closed as to not roll his eyes too evidently. Plus, the cucumbers were hiding them anyway.
The twitch of his brows must have given away his annoyance still, but hopefully, his mother wouldn't have paid attention to him.
Of course, she would react immediately if that topic was brought up!
"Yes! Are you the one grandmother who told Ino about the soulmates?"
A laugh that foretold another pretty tale about soulmates and destined ones and her own experiences escaped Inohime's lips, and Inoichi knew then that he'd be hearing some stories he already knew by heart once again.
"That would be me, indeed."
"Really?! Can I ask you some questions?"
"Of course, my dear, I'm all ears. I hear you have trouble in paradise?"
Click of tongue. Since when did children click their tongue? Ino never did. "I wouldn't call it paradise. He's pranking me all the time! I did too by accident, during our kunoichi classes, and he wrote to me and commented on my makeup."
His mother laughed lightheartedly. "I was also fooled back in the days."
"It must have been sooo embarrassing for Naru's soulmate when she painted her whole face," Ino giggled as she tugged at a strand of his hair, which she was evidently trying to style into a braid.
Whine. "I apologized, and he said nothing anyway!"
"By the way, Granny, are there any more surprises we have to look out for?"
Another soft laugh. "I suppose a little lesson is in order. It's true that I didn't give you much information, and your friends must be even more in the dark than you are."
That was it. Inoichi was going to take a nap.
No way was he hearing this again.
...
But he loved to listen to other people's conversations... His curiosity would be the end of him.
"Legend has it that the bond between soul mates has existed for as long as chakra. They can write to each other with ink and paint on their respective skins, and to break the contact spontaneously, they just have to use their chakra. Since makeup has a similar function as paint and ink, it also works as such."
What a pain. For that reason alone, he didn't want such a connection.
"The first contact must be initiated by one of the two soulmates, with a deep desire to connect with the other. Wanting to link up their souls," she explained. "You did it without thinking too much about it, being children, your yearning naturally translated through your soul and reached your soulmates. As time goes on, it becomes more and more difficult to achieve this, because life makes people so suspicious and fearful of being hurt that the connection is not made. Then, they have to be in a particular state of mind, of despair, longing, or to find inner peace, for them to succeed."
Indeed. Especially in a world like theirs.
Inoichi himself didn't to want to play this game, which he considered to be far too dangerous for what it was worth.
Ino's very example was proof enough for him. If Danzo had discovered the link between her and one of his agents... If Ino had been involved more than necessary with his organization... Inoichi was in a cold sweat at the mere thought of such a possibility.
Of course, the children were unlikely to share that opinion.
"But that's so sad!"
"Does that mean that there are people who won't even try to talk to them?"
"But they're soulmates!? Why would they be suspicious?"
"In the old days, clans were at war with each other. It was rare for two people who were bonded to be from the same clan. And even when their families weren't necessarily against their union, there were several instances of betrayal where one of the two was used for... bad reasons. It happened so frequently that the very existence of this bond became much more concealed, if not a secret, over time."
Back during the Clan Wars era, bonded people would have been fine if they were from allied clans like the Akimichis, Yamanakas and Naras. He had heard that the soulmate bonds had actually helped strengthen the relationships between their clans.
But they were to be the exceptions that proved the rule.
Just imagining an Uchiha and a Senju being soulmates during that time...
His mother had told him that there was a rumor the Shodai Hokage and Uchiha Madara had been soulmates.
Look at how that one turned out.
They fought as enemies for decades, founded a village together, changed the whole system of the world, and then fought each other in a deadly final battle.
They probably answered to a few definitions of what soulmates were supposed to be.
"It's not that much different nowadays. Although, now, there are alliances within and between the villages, there remains a risk of conflict and possible deceit. There have been times when soulmates themselves have chosen to betray their other half for their mission."
Inoichi felt some uneasiness around him.
Damn cucumbers. He couldn't even see the expressions on the kids' faces.
He was sure that this news had cast a chill over the happy fantasy the girls had made for themselves.
Did she really have to bring up such a serious subject on Ino's birthday?
With the silence becoming awkward, Inoichi decided to intervene. "We already know Sai is part of Konoha. At least there won't be any trouble with him."
That was, as long as Danzo was far away from them.
"Huh," Ino reacted. "That's fair."
"It makes no sense, though, I still don't get why soulmates would betray each other." Oh. Naruto's voice was so sad.
He almost rose from his position and let the cucumbers on his eyes be damned, but Ino beat him to it.
"If there's one person who doesn't have to worry, that would be you! Your future husband is so nice and sweet and charming, I'm in love with him!"
Wait, what, no, wait, Ino already had Sai and that was too much already, not another crush again please-
"I agree, there's no way he'd ever betray you, don't you even think about it Naruto!"
"If anyone should be worried right now, that would be Sakura," Ino added wisely.
Click of tongue. Sakura clicked her tongue a lot when her soulmate was brought up, it seemed. "Huh, please. He betrayed me the moment he started drawing on my face! There can't be any betrayal when I'm gonna attack him the moment I first see him!"
Inohime snorted. "Oh my, you seem to already have a very special relationship there. But don't you forget," she said softly, "your soulmate is meant for you. They could be influenced negatively by their environment, but if you take the time to build your relationship, there's no reason for things to go wrong."
If Inoichi had had his eyes open, he would have glared at his mother. What was this load of bull- There were ten thousand ways for things to go wrong!
"That being said, remember never to reveal information about your ninja profession, your location, or your last name. And of course, don't reveal any secrets about Konoha," she concluded with a light tone.
The girls cheered. "Yes!"
Oh, silly him.
Of course, Ino's birthday, positivity, be nice, don't be scary, but give them fair warnings, etc.
Inoichi relaxed his shoulders and made himself comfortable on his armchair.
"Is it okay if there will be marks on your soulmate? I put a bit too much nail polish and it touched your skin too."
It took him a moment to realize that Sakura was talking to him. "Ah, I never contacted my soulmate, so there's no problem."
"Oh, really?! Then how do you know she's your wife?"
Uh-oh... How to explain... In front of Ino, no less...
"I forgot to add," his mother and savior and abductor started, "soulmates aren't necessarily romantic. They can also be your greatest friends, while your lover would happen to be someone else. In some cases, they can even be someone who helps you grow and become the best version of yourself, without having any other significant place in your life. And they'd be just that. Your soulmate."
Gasp. "What?! So that's why?" Sakura screamed. "My soulmate can't be my future husband then! We'd end up divorcing everyday!"
Silence.
"Ah," both Naruto and Ino said in unison.
His princess apparently couldn't help but add a comment in her adorably sassy tone. "Can't see how he's bringing the best part of yourself, either."
"Sakura-chan is always at her best, duh."
"I guess he does make you more lively."
"Maybe Sakura-chan's the one who'll make him a better person?"
"Ohhhhhhhh." Everyone sounded like they agreed with that statement.
"Makes sense," Ino confirmed.
A sigh. "I have a lot of work ahead of me, then."
And that was when he decided, while Inoichi was curious about Sai, and had already heard from Ino that Naruto's soulmate was a real-life prince charming, this whole conversation made him the most curious about Sakura's, definitely.
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To be continued
Sooo, here is the 'official' explanation about the soulmate bond... for now èvé Which, reminds me, I know I said in the comments that the soulmates were the actual pairing, but, uh, that was like, two years ago and my brain is playing tricks on me. So I am telling you today that NaruxShisui is the only official pairing for now and... who knows where the story will take us. I already know this news might upset some of you, but I'd rather not force myself to write a pairing when the story's leading me somewhere else. It is also entirely too possible that they WILL all end up with their soulmates, I just don't want to hinder myself when other ideas seem to pop up in my head UvU
Also, viki . com: Sure, you can translate this story as long as it's credited! And do send me the link for it so that I can put it on my profile, for people who'd prefer to read in russian :D
On a side note, if I'm taking time updating (like I usually do, oops) and you're wondering when I'm coming back, you can check my profile. I usually update it whenever I write a bit so that you know how much of the following chapter I've written yet.
I hope you did enjoy the chapter though :) Thank you all for your sweet messages, I wish you the best for this year, may all the roads and doors open to you ❤ Until next time~