Chapter Forty-Three
Over the next few weeks, things were looking up.
Construction of the Uzumaki clan compound had begun in earnest and was projected to finish between the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, with the Lord Hokage's indirect support in having trusted ANBU agents keeping watch over the construction site for any interference from Danzo. Ken's seal-scribing business was steady, as were missions for he and Tomoko's two-man team. Naruto and Karin's training continued at a consistent pace as Kaori also continued to improve.
It was after one of their missions investigating extortion of rice fields in the southern Land of Fire that the two were summoned by ANBU to the Lord Hokage's office. This wasn't uncommon, and seemed no cause for concern. When they entered the Hokage's office, though, Lord Hiruzen seemed … off. Not cold, but decidedly neutral.
"Well done on your mission, you two," he said, his usual warm tone muted.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," they chorused, a bit uneasily.
"Uncle," Tomoko prompted, her use of the nickname a sign of her concern, "is everything alright?"
"For the village and shinobi corps, it is indeed," Hiruzen replied. "We have a new specialized jonin in our ranks." He rifled through some files on his desk and removed a rolled scroll that he passed to Ken with a strained, congratulatory smile. "Congratulations, Ken Uzumaki. You have been recommended by three jonin and commended on your sealing abilities. As of this moment, you are now a specialized jonin in the field of the sealing arts."
Ken took the scroll and unrolled it to find an official certification document. "Thank you, Lord Hokage," he said. He looked at Tomoko … who looked like someone had punched her in the belly. "Tomoko?" he asked. "Are you alright?"
"She'll be fine," Hiruzen said. "Just a matter of protocol. Speaking of which, perhaps you should discuss that with him, Niece?" He handed her a small scroll of her own, which she took with stilted movements.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Tomoko said, her voice also carefully neutral. "Come on, Ken." She bowed to the Hokage and turned on her heel to leave. Ken bowed to their commander as well and hurriedly followed her out. She remained silent as he followed her toward the Sarutobi compound. A few blocks away, Tomoko sat stiffly on a stone bench with a heavy breath.
"Tomoko, what's wrong?" he asked, the dread that had started to pool in his belly growing heavier by the second.
Tomoko remained silent as she opened the scroll she had been given and scanned its contents. Then she gave a heavy sigh of relief and leaned against Ken … only to gasp and withdraw as if scalded.
"Tomoko?" Ken asked again, now worried.
"Ken …" Tomoko said, her voice small, "what do you remember about the regulations of shinobi relationships?"
Ken blinked and tried to think. "Um, that age, rank, and length of service factor into it. In the lower ranks and younger tenures, it's not as heavily regulated. But once you get into higher ranks-" Ken's train of thought outran his words and his eyes widened. "Oh, great Asura," he whispered and looked at her with wide eyes. "You don't mean-"
"As of your promotion, our relationship is technically illegal," Tomoko confirmed.
Naruto hummed tunelessly as he walked with Kaori through the village streets, his hand held in hers for him to swing back and forth. Karin was hanging out with her friends today, so Naruto had asked to spend the day with his aunty-cousin, as he had recently taken to calling her.
Their destination, of course, was Ichiraku.
"Hiya, big-sis Ayame!" Naruto called as they entered.
"Welcome, Naruto," Ayame called as she finished wiping down the counter. She darted around the bar and gave Naruto a strong hug. "And good afternoon, Mrs. Kaori," she said with a sly smile. "You vixen, you."
"Vixen?" Naruto asked.
"It means lady fox," Kaori said, her eyes locked on Ayame with a warning look. "Don't worry, Naruto — it's a compliment." Her eyes narrowed at Ayame. "At least it had better be."
"It definitely is," Ayame laughed. "I haven't seen Dad this happy in ages."
"Old Man Teuchi is happy?" Naruto asked, eyes bright. "Why?"
Ayame's expression turned bemused and she looked at Kaori with a question in her eyes. Kaori pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head. "That's … something to ask him," Ayame said. "The usual?" she added, darting behind the bar again.
"Yes, please," Kaori replied, while Naruto looked between them with confusion.
"I'll send Dad right out," Ayame called, cackling as she did.
"Why's that important?" Naruto asked, getting suspicious now.
"It's foolish adult things," Kaori deflected, ruffling Naruto's reddened spikes. "Don't worry about it, Naruto."
"Orders up!" came Teuchi's baritone, but he stopped in his tracks upon seeing the Uzumakis, his cheeks coloring. Kaori bit her lip, flushing in return as they stared into each others' eyes.
"Hah-hah," Naruto cackled, pointing between them. "You guys look like cousin Ken and Tomo!" His smile faded as he actually thought about that … and then he grimaced. "Oh, come on! Ew!"
"Did you just say technically illegal?" Ken asked, latching onto any possible shred of hope to avoid the horrible conclusion. "W-What does that mean?"
"The rules against shinobi of differing higher ranks dating is to prevent favoritism," Tomoko explained, her voice remarkably steady. "Which means we can either bury our relationship, or we can work to get approval from three necessary parties."
"Okay," Ken said, riding the high of hope, "cool. Let's do that, then! What are the three parties?"
"One is the Hokage," Tomoko said, a smile flickering over her lips. She showed him the scroll she had received and Ken read over it. It was signed permission for their relationship to continue with Ken's promotion.
"Uh, question," Ken said. "Wouldn't the Hokage's word be enough? I mean, he's the commander-in-chief of the shinobi corps."
"These rules were first written by the Lord Second," Tomoko explained, "back when the village was new and the clans were still settling in. The clan heads had a bit more leeway at the time as they got used to living as a cohesive unit."
"Ah, I guess that makes sense," Ken decided. "So who else's permission do we need?"
"The heads of both our clans," Tomoko said, her eyes glittering. She motioned at him, and Ken coughed a laugh.
"I, Ken Uzumaki," he said gravely, raising his right hand, "as head of the Uzumaki clan of Konohagakure, do solemnly permit the courtship of Ken Uzumaki and Tomoko Sarutobi."
"Oh, yeah," Tomoko giggled, "solemnly."
"Very solemnly," he growled and they leaned in for a kiss, only to veer away at the last second with blushing faces and awkward looks. "So your clan head is next, right? Is that … gonna be a problem?"
"I don't think so," Tomoko said. "Lord Nisuke is old-school, but he's a reasonable man. I think we can convince him pretty simply."
"Okay, so that's all three, huh?" Ken said with relief. "Man, the way you were acting I thought we were in trouble!"
"Actually, that's only two," Tomoko corrected, her voice back to small and unsure. "The Hokage is one party, the clan heads count as one other."
"And the third?"
"The third … are the parents."
Ken's face turned bone white.
Oh … shit.
Karin took deep, haggard breaths as she centered her stance and prepared to move in again, twirling the dull practice kunai in her hand. Opposite her, Hatsume did the same, licking her lip with a small, almost unnerving smile.
"Go!" Tenten cheerily shouted, and both girls rushed forward to engage.
There was no time to think or to plan. Only to slash and jab and dodge. Which was the point: the girls were working on their in-the-moment blade work, trying to internalize what they were learning. Tenten had suggested it after a conversation with her Uncle Genma about how real combat doesn't offer time for planning.
Karin yowled like a cat as she struck out at Hatsume, her pulse pounding as she tried to land a "deadly" hit that would end the round. The point was to "cut" your opponent's wrist with the rounded kunai or to get a good jab that simulated a wound to the organs. She and Hatsume were tied at two points each, so the next one would be the match point.
In the end, Karin's balance faltered just a bit for a split second, but it was enough for Hatsume to get in and jab her with the practice kunai … which crumpled like tin foil while delivering a quick electric shock to prove the hit and point.
Hatsume stepped back and stumbled, her breathing even heavier than Karin's as she examined the "practice kunai" in her hand. Really, it was a construct of tin foil kept in its shape by a seal, interwoven with two others that weighted the devices by manipulating their gravity to simulate a real dagger and provided the mild jolt of Lightning chakra, respectively.
"Your cousin is a genius," Hatsume said through heavy breaths. "This is brilliant, and all for his young cousin's practice game."
"He thought it was a fun challenge, apparently," Karin commented, taking a swig of water.
"Is he taking students?" Tenten asked. "I saw his sealing demo a few months back and it was just awesome." She examined the tool Karin had given her. "Makes me want to learn."
"Nah," Karin said, shaking her head ruefully. "Ken's pretty paranoid about clan secrets and stuff." Her eyes brightened behind her glasses. "Which reminds me." She made a half seal, and all three of the practice pieces burst into silvery flames that gave off no heat and left only dust in their wake.
"Whoa, that is paranoid," Tenten said.
"I can ask Ken about starter material, though," Karin offered. "He's also really big on young people learning the art."
"I'll definitely take you up on that," Tenten laughed.
"Where is your cousin, anyway?" Hatsume asked, brushing her hair back, eyes alight with interest.
Karin narrowed her eyes and studied her friend for a very long moment, to the point where Hatsume got nervous. "…Why?" Karin finally asked, slowly and suspiciously.
"Uh … Curiosity?" Hatsume asked in a small voice.
Karin put her hands on her hips and stomped forward, leaning in a little. "Hats, I want you to be honest with me," she said, her voice firm. Hatsume started to sweat, wondering if Karin had somehow found out about her mission from Lord Danzo. "Okay," she squeaked. Karin leaned in closer, almost nose to nose.
"Do you have a crush on my cousin?"
Hatsume's mind went blank, and all she could ask was, "What?"
"Do you-" she asked, "-have a crush on my older cousin?"
Hatsume turned the bizarre question over in her head and shook her head almost frantically. "No, of course not."
Karin stared at her, eyes wide … and then stepped back with heavy exhalation. "Oh thank heaven!" she breathed, clutching her heart. "I'm glad you didn't have to go through that."
"Go through what?" Tenten asked, clearly amused by the situation.
"Having her heart broken," Karin said, flicking her wrist in a "you know" motion. "Cousin Ken's already given his heart away, and it is sickeningly sweet to watch." She snickered. "Not that it stops me when I can manage, but still."
"Who's he dating?" Hatsume asked. "Also, how could you tell I wasn't lying?"
"Sensor," Karin said, tapping her temple. "And Ken's all wrapped up with his team partner, Tomoko Sarutobi." Karin smiled. "She's a great girl."
As Hatsume asked some more banal questions, she tried to commit every word she could to memory. This might be the sort of thing that Lord Danzo wanted to hear. Right?
"I wonder what Ken's doing now," Karin mused.
Ken swallowed as he and Tomoko stood at the front entrance to the Sarubobi clan head's official residence. He blinked as Tomoko took his hand in hers and squeezed, offering him a wane smile before letting his hand go again and knocking on the door.
It slid open to reveal a slight, pretty woman in her thirties with the common dark brown hair tied in a functional bun set with chopsticks with matching dark eyes and tanned skin of a Sarutobi, though her slim muscles under her simple charcoal suit and smooth hands implied this woman was not a ninja.
"Tomoko," the woman said politely with a small smile. "You have impeccable timing. Lord Nisuke was in touch with the Lord Hokage this morning and mentioned you would be here just at this moment."
"Wow, am I really that predictable, Yuka?" Tomoko asked with a stilted laugh.
"Come on in, cousin," the woman, Yuka, said, stepping aside to allow both shinobi entry. "Lord Nisuke is expecting you." Yuka sat at a desk in the building's atrium that was styled in very traditional decor of wooden floors and paper screens, strongly contrasting a computer and several files on the desk that she began working with, politely ignoring them to return to work. Tomoko twitched her head to a hall that presumably ran deeper into the home and led the way.
"Who was that?" Ken asked.
"Yuka," Tomoko said plainly. "She's Lord Nisuke's youngest daughter and assistant. She keeps track of his schedule and meetings, does some political work, and so on. She's really good at her job and has some shinobi training from her dad, particularly in sensory techniques. Plus, she's always been nice."
By now they had reached the end of the hall and Tomoko raised a hand to knock on the paper sliding door. "Come on in, Tomoko," a papery voice said from inside. Tomoko glanced at Ken, who swallowed and nodded, before she slid the door open to reveal an office of wood furnishings, the wood paneled walls lined with antique shinobi weapons from ninjato to elaborately-wrought shuriken.
At the back of the room before a whole-wall window was a sturdy, stained wooden desk. Behind the desk was a wiry man with a hooked nose, a faded tan complexion covered in small wrinkles, and sharp, dark eyes under heavy grey brows. His head was bald but for a ring of fine white at his temples, contrasting a long beard that was cut straight at his collarbone. He was dressed in a sky-blue yukata bound by a red-gold obi.
"Lord Nisuke," Tomoko said, bowing at the waist. Ken jerked and did the same.
"I must say," the man said, "it kind of hurts that you call my little brother 'Uncle,' but not me, Tomoko."
"Brother?!" Ken yelped looking up in shock.
"Young Hiruzen," Nisuke said with a faint grin. "Well, young-er, at least." He cackled at Ken's expression and gestured for them to rise.
"Uncle told you why we have come?" Tomoko asked.
"Indeed, he did," Nisuke said. "And while I know you have a level head, Tomoko," he glanced at Ken, "I have yet to meet the new Uzumaki." He curled his fingers inward. "Come, boy. Let's see what we make of you."
Ken looked at Tomoko, who nodded encouragingly. Ken swallowed and drew close, while Lord Nisuke stood from his chair and fixed his gaze on Ken's. Even though the older man was a bit hunched and a head-and-a-half shorter, he seemed to loom with a sense of quiet strength. His dark eyes seemed to bore into Ken's, and he felt as if his life were rolling out like a scroll for examination.
"He is strong in his heart," Nisuke noted. "And determined to serve others." He snorted. "Loyal and devoted, too." He sighed with that same faint smile and took up a folded paper to hand to Tomoko. She unfolded it and scanned the document before sighing with relief. "Thank you, Lord Nisu-" She blinked and smiled. "Thank you, Uncle Lord Nisuke."
"I'll take that," Nisuke laughed, and then flicked his hand. "Go on. Shoo. Hop the last hurdle, you two." His smile turned mischievous. "And good luck, of course." He sat and resumed work, apparently content to ignore them now. Tomoko took Ken's hand and led him away, nodding to Yuka before they closed the front door and she sat on the porch with heavy breath.
"Two down," Ken said, dropping to sit next to her.
"And the hardest to go," she rebutted, leaning her head on his shoulder. Ken leaned his head on hers, and they silently agreed to take a moment to relax beforehand. It was a short walk to her parents' house, after all.
Kato slumped back onto his parents' couch with a weary groan, finally off of patrol duty. He wasn't sure where the idea that becoming a chunin was glamorous came from — it involved more responsibility than anything else, even if it came with more pay and higher clearance.
But if one wanted to get anywhere in the shinobi corps, they had to rise through the ranks. His sister had done it years ago and was doing well for herself. He leaned his head back, hoping to get some quick sleep after the grating cocktail of intense alertness and low-level adrenaline required for village patrol that was made worse by general boredom. He began to fall asleep … and knocking at the door brought him back to cursed wakefulness.
"M'coming," he slurred, wrenching himself to his feet to pad heavily to the door, grumbling under his breath. "This better be good," he finished, and opened the door to find Tomoko and Ken waiting. "Uh, what's goin' on?" he asked, suddenly in higher spirits at seeing the nervous determination on their faces.
"We need to talk to Mom and Dad," Tomoko said.
"They're in the yard," Kato said, gesturing backward. He waited before adding, "Alone."
Tomoko blinked and nodded before pushing past Kato, leading the way for Ken. Kato closed the door behind them and followed, curiosity burning. As they walked through the house, shoes in-hand before they got to the back door, Kato glanced at the couch he had been sitting on moments before.
A couch made up for sleeping. Where their dad had slept every night since that dinner with Ken.
All three emerged onto the back patio to find a sight that Kato had seen more in recent weeks than ever before in his entire life. A sight neither he nor his sister were keen to ever see again. It was the sight of disunity between their parents.
Omasa was in her garden, her hair frazzled and her clothes streaked with dirt and soil as she tended to her hobby project that also served to help feed the family. Her days off were the days she worked on the patch of vegetables, and it usually had her smiling contentedly as she nurtured her plants with tender care. But right now her lips were thinned and her movements jerky as she weeded them.
On the far side of the yard, Daichi sat in a chair and whittled. His motions were slow and mindless, his eyes almost empty as he slumped in his seat. What he was making was a mystery, and it looked like he was in no rush to finish.
"Oh no," Tomoko whispered, clutching Ken's hand. "Bro, why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I thought they would work it out," Kato said, almost pleadingly. "I never thought it would last this long." This very scene had come up a few times in their childhood, but it had never lasted more than a day or three. Weeks like this, when a disagreement hung between their parents — always so loving and supportive to each other — was unheard of.
And very, very worrying.
"Maybe we can fix this," Tomoko said, and stalked toward their mother.
"Go back inside, Kato," Omasa said absently as she yanked a particularly stubborn weed from the vegetable bed. She parsed the clinging soil from the roots and then tossed the plant into a wheelbarrow to the side, to be dried with its fellows and used as tinder for their fireplace when winter came back around.
"Mom?"
Omasa jerked her head up to find not her son, but her daughter standing over her. And with her was her beau, Ken. Omasa felt herself flush and rose to her feet, brushing her hands on the apron she wore when tending her garden.
"I'm sorry, Tomoko," she said. "It's been-"
"You don't have to explain," Tomoko said gently, but firmly. She glanced significantly over her shoulder and Omasa got the message.
"Not that I'm displeased to see you, sweetheart," Omasa said, her tone more brisk than she would have preferred, "but what are you doing here? I would have thought you'd avoid us after … what happened."
"Well, about that," Tomoko said, offering her a scroll. Omasa took it and unfurled, scanning the document before arching her eyebrows.
"Well, I can't say I didn't expect this," she said with the faintest chuckle. She produced a pen from her apron pocket — one could only wonder why she had one in there to begin with — and signed with a feminine flourish. "Of course you have my support."
"Thanks, Mom," Tomoko said, then turned to face her father. Kato was standing beside their father, talking with him to draw him from his stupor. Daichi looked over and started, apparently having been so deep in his funk that he hadn't even realized they had guests. For a long term ANBU veteran, this was even more concerning.
Tomoko led the way to him, her steps tentative as if approaching a skittish animal. "Dad," she said, with a tone much like her pace meant to keep such animals calm, "are you alright?"
"Tomoko," Daichi said with a longsuffering air and the faintest twitch of his mouth into a smile, "I'm not made of glass. I-" His eyes flicked briefly to Ken and he cleared his throat. "What's going on?"
"Dad, I need you to, um-" She handed him the unfurled scroll and he looked it over, expression barely changing as his gaze passed over the contents. "Look, Dad, I know you're-"
With a quick movement, Daichi produced a pen and scrawled something over the bottom of the scroll. He passed it back to Tomoko, who looked at it … and found his signature in its place. "Wha-? Dad, I-! You-!"
Daichi stood, tossing his mangled lump of a whittling project away, and placed his hands on Tomoko's shoulders. "I'm sorry about how I acted the other night," he said solemnly, then he turned to face Ken. "I'm sorry to both of you." He stepped back from Tomoko and bowed at the waist. "I apologize for how I treated you that night, Ken Uzumaki. It was rash, petty, and inexcusable." He straightened and took a slow breath, eyes closed. "I assume Tomoko has told you about her, erm, previous engagement?"
"Yes, sir," Ken replied.
"Then I can only hope you might see why I slunk into such foolishness," Daichi said, lips tight with regret. "I love my children, and seeing Tomoko hurt so terribly left its mark on all of us, too. As such, I reacted out of suspicion, when I should have trusted my daughter's judgement." He glanced over Ken's shoulder. "And my much wiser wife."
"I-" Ken blinked and tried to order his thoughts. This was far and away from anything he had expected. "I can try to understand that, sir," he decided. "If someone hurt Karin, my young cousin who has become more like a niece, I'd probably do much the same."
"Don't sell yourself short, Ken," Omasa said, stepping around him to face her husband. "I think you would have more sense than my hotheaded husband." The words would have been harsh, but her voice was soft and wry, the speaker's eyes misting. Omasa lifted her hand and Daichi took her fingers in his own, age lines around his eyes deepening with relief instead of exhaustion.
"Why don't you two report to the Lord Hokage?" Omasa suggested, not looking away from Daichi. "Get this all ironed out once and for all."
"Yeah, we'll do that," Tomoko said, her voice a little strained. She took Ken's hand and dragged him away with surprising force.
"Thanks for-!" Ken began calling, but Tomoko cut him off with a harsh whisper.
"Don't talk, just run." Ken looked back again and saw Kato, who had seemed dead on his feet earlier, racing away as well. The elder Sarutobi, however, were running into the house, hand-in-hand.
"Oh, right," Ken said, running to catch up with Tomoko. It seemed her parents were going to … make up.
…Among other things
When Tomoko and Ken returned to Hokage Tower to report, they were surprised to find Lord Nisuke there, both of the old men bearing trays of fruit, cheese, and bread.
"Ah, the two lovebirds," Nisuke chuckled dustily. "Hello again."
"Can you believe the coincidence?" Hiruzen said wryly, his eyes glittering. "That my elder brother would visit for lunch on this exact day?"
"I … cannot believe it," Ken said flatly. He shared a glance with Tomoko, who snorted and rolled her eyes.
"I doubt I have too many years left," Nisuke said. "I might as well stay in touch, yes?"
"Can't argue there," Tomoko said loftily, and placed the scroll upon Hiruzen's desk. The Hokage unfurled it and placed a pair of pince-nez on his nose to examine the documents inside. He hummed in thought as he did, seemingly drawing the moment out to make the younger ninja squirm.
"Everything appears to be in order," Hiruzen declared. He removed his pince-nez and placed the scroll in a drawer. "Go enjoy the rest of your day, you two."
"Though not too much," Nisuke warned, wagging a finger at them even as he did nothing to hide his grin.
"Good day, gentlemen," Ken said.
"What he said," Tomoko giggled. "Uncle. Uncle-Lord."
As they left, Tomoko's smile widened as Hiruzen asked, a touch petulantly, "Why does he get to be called 'Uncle-Lord'?!"
After quite a while, I finally got the surge of inspiration I needed to complete chapter forty-three after intermittent work on it since I last updated. I felt pretty good about myself until I checked the date of the most recent update... and found that it is now three days past TWO YEARS since I last added to this story. Needless to say, I was gobsmacked! I knew it had been a while, but not that long! For those of you who have waited so long, you have my utmost appreciation. I can only hope that I will not force such a wait upon you all again.
*For those who want the note - such as myself, as I had to look back at several chapters to pin this down - the time in which this chapter takes place is about seven weeks into summer, so about five weeks until the next Academy year begins.
*Lord Nisuke's name could have several translations, my favorites being "lucky," "help/aid," or "divine assistance." It's more relevant inspiration is an actual Nisuke Sarutobi, one of the historical figures believed to have inspired the legends of ninja Sasuke Sarutobi whose name was used for Sasuke and for Hiruzen's clan - and who was indirectly adapted into Hiruzen's father, as mentioned by Mikoto Uchiha as Sasuke's in-universe namesake.
*It is never clarified if Hiruzen is simultaneously the Hokage and head of the Sarutobi clan - mostly as we meet so few Sarutobi - but I figure that couldn't be right. Having a clan head as the leader of the village would likely lead to at least accusations of favoritism, so in my mind - and therefore this continuity - a clan head cannot be Hokage without appointing someone else as clan head.
*Yuka's name can mean "reason, cause, origin" or "excellent, beautiful, good." All fine names for a secretary or administrative assistant.
*A bit of worldbuilding that didn't make it into the chapter: Nisuke is indeed Hiruzen's older brother, who was destined from birth to lead the Sarutobi after their father Sasuke became too old. Nisuke has no problem with his younger brother leading the village, content with his role as clan head. He carved out a respectable reputation of his own before his appointment, and is a master in particular with staff and shuriken, as well as the Fire, Earth, and Wind elements – he gained prominence for using a shadow clone to use Wind techniques that he would merge with his own Fire techniques to make them more powerful – and has a strong grasp of medical ninjutsu.
Thanks so much for everyone who continues to pick up this work! Leave a review if you like! And may your own inspirations be open and awesome!