Chapter Fifty-Seven
The Truth
June 20, 2010
She was fast asleep when he got home; not that he was surprised, it was well passed three in the morning. She must have been extremely tired, however, soft snores drifted from her plush lips, her lush body contorted gracefully, carelessly lackadaisical across their mattress. But for her dark hair, short stature, and the whole being female thing, it was like looking at himself passed out and strewn across every corner their mattress had to offer.
He leaned down and kissed her delicate jaw, freezing as her scent filled his nostrils. He drew in a breath, then another, and one more after, brow furrowing.
She smelled so...good.
So, so good...
Like sweet nectar wafting from a ripened fruit.
Succulent, enthralling...
Enticing.
He felt...hungry inside; craving some elusive substance he couldn't even begin to put name to. This wasn't a product of new shampoo, or creamy lotion his lover applied to her skin tonight. It wasn't perfume, it wasn't scented detergent radiating from her silky nightgown.
'Her eyes, kit.' Kurama directed.
Shifting, Naruto brought his nose to both closed lids and was overwhelmed.
Power thrummed; vociferously laden, heavily concentrated and denser than a forest; sweet scented with a hint of earthiness. He slipped into senjutsu, narrowing his focus to the chakra collection pulsing in her eyes.
Weird.
The shit felt fuckin...weird.
More than moderately disturbed, he reached out, sliding his hand up and down her pale arm, feeling energy racing beneath her skin. It was her chakra but the sensation was off, not unlike that alien vibe following Hamura's transfer, but a lot less sinister and wrong. Different, but not enough to make the hair at his nape stand on end. Chakra hurtled through her body as though pulled by an outside force, coalescing akin to a swarm of angry bees behind her lids. At the center of each eye, there were deposits, pouches of void that seem to rest at the crux of the phenomenon, functioning as an epicenter; interacting with the voracious chakra.
Unstable, pulsating.
Like a malfunctioning heart unable to regulate its beating rhythm, those voids pumped, pushed and pulled. Irregular and inconsistent, tightening twined coils viciously one moment while struggling to contract another. Her chakra whipped about fiercely, ping ponging inside each orb with more force than he thought those little spaces could or should hold.
Chaos, it was absolute chaos.
"What's happening to her?"
'Evolution.'
"Fuck's that mean?"
'It is buried within my memories, but I recall this scent, this surging of chakra. I am unsure what is causing her chakra to behave in this manner, but her Byakugan is reacting to it and is undergoing a transition, an evolution.'
Unease rose between their connection.
'Calm down, kid, aside from a few headaches, she'll be fine.
"Well the way you explained it all ominous and shit, why wouldn't I worry, dattebayo?" he replied, stroking bangs from his lover's forehead, "anyway, you don't know what's causing this but you know what's happening, so can you tell me what this 'transition' is? What's it doing to her Byakugan?"
'Think of it as a next level, much like the Uchiha brat's Sharingan has evolved over time, however, this is new territory. What capabilities arise from this new dojutsu variant are unknown. '
"Maybe it's that dojutsu that prick Toneri had. The uh..."
'Tenseigan.'
"Yeah, that."
'The Tenseigan emerges when when an Otsutsuki is implanted with the Byakugan of a Hyuuga. Though Toneri acquired his Tenseigan through unknown means through his Otsutsuki cohorts, Hinata has not had that luxury. Unless there are other means to create it within a Hyuuga, her transition will probably not result in the Tenseigan.'
Naruto frowned.
Unless his lover had morphed into one of those chakra hungry aliens, he was damn sure she didn't meet that criteria, nor had one of those parasites touched her.
"So then, if its not the Tenseigan..." his frown deepened, "then what the hell is it?"
'A new dojutsu in the making, at the very least, another variant of the Byakugan. Until this metamorphosis is complete, we can only speculate.'
xxxxxx
June 21, 2010
Sakura sighed, stretching high as she rose from the couch, surprised she had slept so well. Ino's couch was one of those overpriced, fancy, girly girl pieces of furniture reasonable consumers passed by in the display room of the furniture store, but unlike its fellow decked out cardboards disguised as a sofa, Ino had not settled for mere aesthetics. Soft, plush and just enough firmness, her sectional was more than comfortable; however, Sakura was a bit put off that it rivaled the sleep she got from her own bed at home.
Maybe she needed to invest in this brand.
If this is what their couches felt like, their actual beds had to be incredible.
Another exhale left her lips.
Throwing a agitated glance behind her, crackling green orbs fused to the closed door housing her best friend and fiancé.
Nobody could hear her thoughts so what was the point of lying to herself?
Mere sofa cushions hadn't brought ease to her body.
Confronting her worst fears had.
Bringing herself face to face with her deepest trauma to date had knocked an enormous burden rivaling the monstrous weight of a mountain right off her slim shoulders. She felt freer than she had in weeks, like she could breathe and think and feel without wanting to tear her pretty pink hair from her cranium.
And yet still, that relief came at a cost.
She felt so damn guilty that she wasn't paying the price Ino couldn't pay for Yumiko's murder. As illogical as it was, as unfair as it was, the truth was, Sakura felt...better that someone was suffering as a result of that child's death, someone was hurting even if that person was her...
Like it kept the intangible scales of right and wrong balanced, good and evil harmonized, cause and effect realized; as though some cosmic being was satisfied to see not all done in the dark went unpunished.
Shaking her head, she turned from the closed door, stood, and trudged down the hall.
She couldn't keep thinking that way...
It wasn't healthy for her.
As she gazed at her reflection in the guest bathroom, Sakura willed the dark shadows looming in the other woman's eyes to part.
She couldn't take responsibility for what happened.
Destroying herself wouldn't bring Yumiko back to life
It was over...
She had to reconcile herself to reality.
Sucking in a breath, she turned the tap, but paused.
Pink brows bunching, Sakura leaned forward towards the mirror, fingers tracing the thin line on her throat. It was small, a little knick to her skin, a scratch from either a sharp nail or a spring from the oh so comfortable couch.
Using a tuft of toilet paper, she dabbed the dried blood from it, then continued her morning routine.
By the time she finished, the scent of breakfast reached her nose.
xxxxxx
"Please refrain from utilizing the Byakugan. Your eyes are indeed changing, and while the pulsation of power has waned for the moment, it would be best to allow your eyes rest in this down time."
"But she's alright though, right?" Naruto questioned for the third time since his future wife's examination began. Sliding a support arm about her waist, blue orbs meeting milky white of her physician, he continued, "she's not in any danger?"
The Hyuuga specialist shook his head, "Hinata-sama is in perfect health. Moderate discomfort, perhaps a bit more sensitive to light, outside of the symptoms she described, she is fine, more than fine. This is an exciting development for Hinata-sama and the Hyuuga clan. A new dojutsu has emerged amongst the main family, it is a development we have not seen since discovering the Tenseigan. Congratulations Hinata-sama."
The physician bowed.
"Thank you," she replied, demurely returning the bow.
"Please return if you experience an increase in discomfort outside the parameters we discussed here today, any abnormalities or concerns, do not hesitate to call upon me immediately. Rain or shine, night or day, I am at your disposal, Hinata-sama."
The couple nodded.
"You are free to train as normal, minus usage of the Byakugan, but during pulsations, you must cease strenuous activity and rest until it has passed. We will schedule another examination in one week; from there, if the transformation is complete, I will inform the proper channels for assessment, demonstration and evaluation of your new ocular ability. Please do not attempt to test your dojutsu before that appointment."
He was sure her clan was salivating over whatever power was gathering behind his fiancée's eyes.
Blue orbs swept the width of the room, touching on several interlopers eavesdropping outside in a bid to hear news of Hinata's evolving Byakugan. He didn't need senjutsu to sense their curious presence; their hushed whispers and silhouette's behind the shoji was hardly an example in stealth.
They'd both expected this considering how fast new had spread about it.
Five minutes into their conversation with her father and a surge of activity flooded the Hyuuga compound. After, they'd crowded his pretty bride, pelting her and the Hyuuga Head with question after question concerning her pulsating bloodline. Naruto would have been a bit creeped out by their scrutiny had he not understood the significance of her development.
To be honest, now that he knew her health wasn't impacted, he was pretty freaking excited himself.
"Your Byakugan is already badass, wonder what its gonna be like when its done upgrading," he pondered as they made their way home, "can't help but wonder what the next level is, maybe shooting laser beams or something."
"Laser beams?" she giggled, "I don't think it'll be something like that."
"Hey, you never know!"
Thirty minutes later, a swift change into ninja gear, Hinata and her future husband made their way to the later's private training area. As they crossed over from forest to battleground, Naruto reached over to a very distinct boulder off the dirt path. Placing a chakra laden palm to its hard surface, the pair watched as the hidden seal flashed twice before encasing them inside a barrier strong enough to contain a decent percentage of destructive force he and Sasuke dished out during a friendly spar.
They spent an hour running through sealing basics, Hinata 'dumbing down' more complex concepts and some not so complex concepts he'd tuned out during his Academy years. Naruto was a hands-on guy, learn by doing was a way of life to Konoha's Hero, so when hour two rolled around, he was more than itching to move on to his most productive phase.
Trial and error; fail, fail, fail until, by some miracle, he got it right.
Having tutored him more than once, aware that fighting his restless need for activity was a losing battle, Hinata-sensei as he liked to call her much to her embarrassment, set him up in three groups, each with a different assignment. Group one, made up of four clones, were tasked with sealing various items ranging in size, weight and shape into simple fuinjutsu scrolls and parchment.
Group two, unfortunately, wouldn't get to escape boredom.
Somebody had to continue hitting the books. Twenty grumpy Naruto's crouched over various subjects regarding fuinjutsu structure; fundamental fuinjutsu kanji, simplistic fuinjutsu theories and practical application, yada, yada, etcetera, etcetera. Basically, he appointed the twentieth clone to make sure the other him's didn't fall asleep. He would definitely have to be careful in which order he dispersed his clones, otherwise he'd have information counter-productively stacked together inside his head.
Lastly, he and Hinata made up their final study group.
After excitedly pouring over a dusty scroll recovered from Uzushiogakure, he jumped right into the jutsu.
Ohirome no Jutsu was a technique his ancestral clan used to uncover innate sealing abilities within their bloodline.
As hype as he was to find out what was hiding in his genes, there were two factors working against him. One, he wasn't a pure blooded Uzumaki descendant, a significant issue considering Ohirome no Jutsu was geared towards his undiluted redheaded ancestors; not that that was gonna stop him. His middle name wasn't 'hardheaded' for no reason after all.
Another hurtle, the scroll was older than Father Time.
Translations were rusty, meanings a bit obscure, and parts of the instruction and follow up explanations had faded and were illegible. He was flying blind somewhat, though Hinata proved herself to be the brains in their duo time and again; reminding him of basics he'd forgotten, bouncing ideas between them in effort to make progress in the absence of information. It was difficult but it certainly wasn't a waste of time, however. Even without Kakashi-sensei's insight that he held a proclivity for fuinjutsu, he himself could feel a whining in his chakra when he ran through hand signs and activated the jutsu, a pulsating beat he strained to latch onto. There was something there, an untapped ability just outside his reach.
Undeterred, he pressed on; determined to uncover every secret running through his veins.
Three hours later, he was barely closer than he had been when he started, but felt good despite his sluggish progress. Carefully popping his clones, sorting through each knowledge avalanche, one after another, Naruto threw an arm around her slim shoulders.
"Alright, Ms.ImGonnaEvolveInTheMiddleOfTheNight Hyuuga," he grinned, "no Byakugan, doctor's orders, dattebayo. So, why don't we try out a favorite jutsu of mine."
"Naruto-kun," she giggled, "I told you, on your birthday, maybe."
"Not that one, jeez, Princess, get your mind outta the gutter," he jokingly admonished, "I swear, its always sex with you. Can't a guy get a break sometimes? I know my stamina's impressive, but even I need time to recuperate."
Pink stained her cheeks, then melded red.
Like a hungry shark, heated blue orbs latched onto the tell tale shade, leaning forward, he moved in for the kill, "ya know, not that I'm complaining or anything, but ever since you admitted to being a pervert, your pussy's been really demandi-"
His flapping lips stung beneath the panicked slapping of tiny hands. Her eyes were wide, scandalized and too damn pretty for his peace of mind.
"N-Naruto-kun!" she squealed, dropping her horrified hands as he bent double and bellowed amusement.
He adored this about her.
He loved how cute and embarrassed she got no matter how nasty their love-making became. He love that she retained her blushing, virginal shyness. That this bashful Hinata was so at odds with the night time vixen that sucked him dry and swallowed his semen with lewd relish, or the lascivious goddess that rode him shamelessly, coated his cock in hot climax and screamed her ecstasy to the ceiling at twilight.
He'd have thought their creative nightly activities would have fucked the shy right out of her.
Nope.
She was so contradictory and awesome he didn't know what to do with her sometimes.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," he chuckled when he could stand, pulling her tomato colored face from behind her hands, "can't help teasing you, sweetheart, you're too damn cute not to, dattebayo."
Not only that, but in two days, less if Kiba grew a sack and confessed, Naruto feared they wouldn't be in a place for laughter and teasing innuendos.
Not after he came clean.
He was determined to soak up peace, happiness and harmony right up until shit hit the fan.
With that sobering thought, humor faded from the blonde haired man. He gave her hand a tug, gaining her attention, "so Princess, ever tried Kuchiyose no Jutsu?"
She shook her head, "I've never had reason to. I've only ever engaged in the Hyuuga style of combat and abilities that compliment it."
"Haven't you ever been curious as to what kinda animal would answer your summons?"
"To be honest, I've never really thought about it, Naruto-kun."
"Well, how bout it then? Wanna expand your horizons?"
She thought a moment, then nodded, "perhaps I should. Against the Otsutsuki, we truly need every tool and ability at our disposal."
Naruto nodded, "Kakashi-sensei told me the more jutsu you know the greater variety and flexibility you have on the battlefield, dattebayo. With everything we've been working on, why not see what a summons could do for ya. Maybe you'll get one that'll offer you some senjutsu training, or turn into a some kinda bad ass weapon or something. Here, I'll demonstrate."
He put a little distance between them.
"Should be pretty easy for ya."
Hinata was a very astute student, always had been.
He showed her the proper hand signs, drew blood from his thumb and slammed his hand to the dirt. A giant puff ensued, wind and grit whirled as his summons spawned.
"Yo."
"Yo," the blonde replied, grinning up at the gigantic toad towering above the treeline, "been a while Gamakichi!"
"Haven't seen you since the war, Naruto," Gamakichi remarked, toady eyes gleaming with curiosity as they swept the sage, "well, well, finally got some height on you, ne, Naruto? Finally taller than a tadpole! What happened to your hair? And your arm?"
"Uh yeah," the amputee chuckled, waving his replacement extremity, "lost it later on after the war, its a long story. The arm I mean," combing through his locks, he continued, "long hair didn't really fit well with my new mission gear, made me look a little goofy, so I cut it, dattebayo."
"But you still look goofy."
"Says you! People tell me all the time I look way more handsome and mature with shorter hair, ya know! Even those annoying ass fangirls follow me around a helluva lot worse every time I get a fresh hair cut! Not one of em' thinks there's anything goofy about me so screw you! What the hell do you know about human groomin' anyways," Gamakichi's summoner crowed.
"Enough to know you still look like a goofball," he huffed, before sliding his eyes to the other individual quietly observing their exchange, "speaking of looks...Hey Naruto, who's the babe?"
Uzumaki grinned as the babe in question blushed.
"Oh. This is my fiancée, Hinata," he introduce, sidling over to the woman in question.
"Fiancée?" Gamakichi echoed, insultingly surprised by the news, compounding that exaggerated slight further as he asked, "somebody actually agree to date you, let alone marry you?"
"What the hell do you mean 'somebody actually agree to marry me'? Why wouldn't anybody want to? What's wrong with me?!" the offended blonde growled, glaring daggers at the amphibian as he stretched an arm around his woman's waist as if to highlight his implied of attractiveness.
Ignoring his insulted summoner, Gamakichi gave the woman a once over, surprise melding into appreciation as he traced delicate features and lascivious curves splay beneath skin tight fabric and little black shorts.
"Elegant, stunning, more curves than a bowl of ripened fruit. This beautiful creature is really your fiancée, Naruto?"
"Damn straight!"
Blushing harder than she had all day, Hinata bent at the waist, giving the admiring toad a respectful bow, silky strands sliding forward, surrounding her face in a dark curtain as she did.
"I am Hinata Hyuuga," she introduced as she straightened; giving Gamabunta's eldest son the warm smile Naruto craved more than air, "Naruto-kun's fiancée. Its very nice to meet you, Gamakichi-sama."
A beat of silence passed before the big toad returned the gesture.
"L-likewise."
A vulpine face morphed from curious observation to sly realization. Well aware of how distracting Hinata could be, Naruto gave his personal summons a cat-ate-the-canary smirk, "didn't know toads could blush. What's got you all flustered Gamakichi?"
The darkened embarrassment dusting the summon's cheek deepened, twin black blotches in all its shamefaced glory contrasting sharply against his burgundy skin.
"Naruto-"
"Ahhhh, I see what's going on. Its cool, no reason to get all shy and pissy, I get it. Its not like you're the first to get all smitten around her. Hinata has that effect on guys," he needled gleefully, "even the non-human type apparently."
"Naruto-kun," his blushing bride prodded at his side.
"Awww, 'Kichi's first crush! Cute but as your friend, I gotta warn ya. Hinata's only got one type and its blonde haired, blue eyed, whisker faced, too handsome for his own good Jinchuuriki's and I'm the only one that fits that bill. Save yourself the heartbreak," he continued, unfazed by the toad's twitching eye, wagging his brow, "find another woman, coming after mine will only get ya a brutally compassionate set down, dattebayo."
"Why you arrogant bipedal, mammalian flesh sack!" said smitten toad barked as his mortified human crush sought relief behind petite hands, "you delusional, empty headed fox-faced meat bag- handsome?! Hinata-san may be trapped inside your genjutsu, but I am not! You're no female's type with a mug like that!"
"Man, I hear a lotta insults, but not a single denial," the blonde snarked, " Just admit it! Hinata's hot and you wish you were as good looking as me. With a face like this, I don't need a jutsu to bag Queen hottie herself!" he tossed out, gesturing to his flaming lady with a careless wave, "besides, you know I can't do genjutsu to save my life."
"That's because you're an idiot!"
Naruto snorted and waited.
Sure enough, his fiancée spoke up beside him, "um...Gamakichi-sama, please don't say that about Naruto-kun..."
He wanted to argue, Naruto could tell, it gleamed in his toad eyes, colored his warty skin in annoyance, not at her but the grinning man next to the scolding female. Uzumaki waited for his surrender, knew it was coming; he was sure there were depraved souls that could deny his gentle lover, individuals that weren't completely disarmed by her soothing presence and soft correction, they had to exist somewhere he was certain, but to this date, he hadn't met a single one. Judging by Gamakichi's rapidly melting indignation, the amphibian wasn't gonna break that trend.
"Tch," was his reply.
Nope. Gamabunta's eldest son had folded like a t-shirt on laundry day. Naruto couldn't blame him. Hinata's sweetness was lethal.
She shifted, turning those pretty eyes to him.
Yep...
He was next.
"And Naruto-kun, you shouldn't tease Gamakichi-sama, it's not nice."
She's so cute...
"Alright, I'll behave, Princess."
"Not that it matters, I'm outta here! Answering your summons was a waste of time!" Gamakichi declared before turning to Hinata, his flush returning as he muttered, "mostly a waste. While this idi- knucklehead was insufferable, it was very uh, nice to meet you Hinata-san."
Giving him a serene smile and slight head dip, Hinata replied, "likewise, Gamakichi-sama, it was very nice to meet you. Thank you for spending time with us."
"Heh, no problem."
Sending the cackling blonde a vindictive glare, Gamakichi took his leave.
"Alright sweetheart, your turn," he chuckled.
"Right."
She stepped forward, quietly weaving the signs he'd shown her before nicking her thumb and slamming it down below.
A beat passed, sunlight slowly faded.
Naruto gazed upward, unease sliding over his skin as the forest around them darkened.
He barely had time to wonder aloud what the fuck was going on before the light returned. A void opened, air churned, and a creature slowly emerged, parting scenery, widening its entrance between space and time.
Hinata rose abruptly, Naruto crossed the distance between them, inserting himself front and center, bracing to take the brunt of whatever attack this...thing decided to launch their way. Hinata was perfectly capable of protecting herself, but with her Byakugan currently unavailable, a substantial component of her offense and defense was compromised.
"What...what is that thing?" Hinata gasped.
Had she messed up the signs?
What the hell jutsu was this?!
"Don't know. If it attacks, let me take point, don't use your Byakugan if you can help it, 'ttebayo."
Fusing hard blue eyes to it, Naruto traced its strange composition, his brain working overtime trying to identify its different components.
Elegant...
Menacing...
Otherworldly...
Hinata's supposed summons looked nothing like a creature of earth.
Its twining, writhing, mauve chakra felt...alive. Pure but unnerving in a way he couldn't put name to. It made him want to run...it made him want to come closer.
As conflicting as the being it originated from.
A cross between roaring brutality, spine chilling ferocity and absolute ethereal beauty, this beast belong in a child's fairytale.
Innocent doe eyes, steel gray overlaid by shiny azure dominated its bright white sclera; leaving its orbs reflective...hypnotic. Facially reminiscent of a rabbit, its button nose was just as cute as any bunny scenting the wind but for the sharp jutting canine and razor sharp fangs lining its maw, one might mistake it for such a benign cuddly creature. Nestled atop its cranium, pointed ears stolen from a some variant of feline, covered in the same, snowy white, velvety looking fur enveloping its graceful form.
Delicate forelegs tapered into dexterous clawed paws, hind legs far sturdier and no less lethal than the front; all four lithe limbs attached to a torso that was uncertain if it belonged to a large cat or a fragile canid. On its hindquarters, twin fluffy tails, streaked from base to top in the same mauve color of its chakra.
It was its chakra that lent this creature its deep transcendental aura, mimicking fog from dry ice, it oozed and swirled about the beast.
Such a beautiful presentation for a beautiful abomination.
"Who the hell are you?!" he shouted, words roar in aggression as he coated his body in golden chakra derived from both bijuu and Jinchuuriki, their combined power slicing through the sheer force roiling from this summoned animal...thingy, "are you Hinata's summons?!"
There was no way Hinata got the signs wrong, not with him watching while she did it. This couldn't be a matter of an incorrect jutsu; she summoned this thing. How or why, he couldn't answer for sure, but ever since Hamura's infusion, a lotta weird shit had been coming out of her. He could definitely see them chalking this up to weird ass alien chakra influence, but until he knew the threat level of this summons, he'd treat it as hostile until proven otherwise.
'Chimera.'
"You actually know this fuckin...whatever it is, Kurama?" he asked, not once taking his eyes from it as it tilted its head, a move reflecting curiosity, "or is this another one of your weird random memories from the great beyond that never gives us the whole picture?"
'Memory.'
"Great," deadpanned the blonde, "do you at least know if this chimera's gonna try and kill us or not? Does it speak Japanese?" his brows creased, "or at all?"
'How the hell should I know, brat?'
"Because you're the one pulling information out of the air!" he snapped back, "can you remember anything other than what it is? Kinda need more information than that, ya know!"
It moved and the air moved with it, heaving and whipping violently, gusting across their skin, bathing the couple in a searing heat that felt blisteringly frigid; finally raising his hackles and the fine hairs at his nape. A rumble left its furry chest a beat before glinting wings, reminiscent of a dove and painted lilac, rose from its dipped spine. Naruto stilled, readying for action, watching every contraction of muscle, every ruffle of fur, every sway of its lethal body; anticipating, readying himself for a fierce clash with this myth made reality.
The chimera's maw opened, widening in a grimace that was all teeth.
Sound left its throat, guttural, bestial cadences that mimicked speech but held no comprehension to the two shinobi and bijuu in attendance.
At least, not at first.
"Naruto-kun, I think...I think its speaking a very old version of the Otsutsuki dialect," stepping cautiously from behind her blonde lover to his side, Hinata continued, "I recognize some of the speech patterns."
He blinked.
Well shit.
"Can you make out what its saying?"
"Just a few words," she replied as the now silent creature turned its deer-like eyes to her.
On edge, Naruto stepped closer to the kunoichi.
"Realm, service, incomplete," she shook her head, "I may be wrong, and there are a lot of words I didn't understand but, those are the only three words I can understand, at least that what I believe I heard."
"Can you speak that alien shit back to it? Maybe it'll recognize some of your speech patterns too."
"I can try."
She did, and it was so damn weird, Naruto couldn't help but stare at his fiancée. Fluctuating frequencies shifted her natural melodious voice to one that sounded more in line with a chirping bird. She stumbled over each unusual syllable, unsure, uncertain and lacking severely in confidence. She repeated three lines over and over again, repetition unfortunately lost upon her summons.
It hadn't blinked once as she spoke, nor had its features eased into any semblance of understanding.
Giving his blonde head a scratch, Naruto allowed his tense muscles to loosen a fraction, "I uh, get the impression it doesn't know what the hell you're saying, Princess."
"Me too," she agreed, stepping cautiously, crossing the distance between her and the beast.
"Hinata," he exclaimed, gripping her upper arm, halting her progress, "one wrong move and I'm snapping its neck. It hasn't attacked us, but its chakra's weird, there's something else weaved into it, a creepy ass energy I've never felt before. Its dangerous, dattebayo."
Whatever that extra 'weaved' in shit was, it felt absolutely intrusive, smooth like a disembodied caress from a being that could only have originated inside the unexplored pits deep within Hell itself. There was a permeating wrongness, a unnaturalness that left him so unsettled and anxious.
He knew one thing for sure.
That beautiful mythical skin disguised a monster...
Deadly cerulean and determined lilac met. Maybe not as deep and clear as he did, but, he knew Hinata felt it too.
She gave him a nod, "I know, I can feel it too."
He didn't doubt her, he could see the goosebumps pebbling her milky skin.
"I'll strike to kill if I have to," she promised as she neared, "even without the Byakugan, but I summoned this...chimera. Its...strange and frightening but I don't think it means us harm, at least not yet. It wants to communicate with us."
He watched them both more intensity than a hawk, reading its every inhalation and exhalation as Konoha's Princess gestured back and forth, plush lips spewing unearthly verbiage and her own given name.
Clear as day, one rumbled word reached his ears.
"Elvira."
"Hinata," the dark haired beauty said again, pointing a single finger at her ample chest before turning that digit back to the beast.
"Elvira," it repeated.
Elvira.
The chimera's name was Elvira.
The creepy alien animal had a name...
It spoke again, bowed its head, sunlight once again fought darkness and Elvira disappeared.
"I'm starting to wonder which one of us is really Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja, Hinata," a reeling Uzumaki commented two minutes later, "we got company."
Dropping his golden shroud, he gazed off towards their expected guests.
Four Anbu awaited the engaged couple. They stood with unsheathed weapons, taunt at attention, their energy tense and expectant as the barrier dropped, and following a brief explanation, Naruto and his fiancée received a speedy escort to the Hokage's office. By the end of their impromptu meeting, a plan of action was put together; one in which Hinata would bring an interpreter with her during her next summons, a Nara clan member with a very advanced understanding of the Otsutsuki language. Naruto fully heartedly believe if anybody could bridge the language gap, it was Ensui Nara for two reasons.
One, the Nara clan harbored an intelligence that was down right scary.
Two, Ensui spent months pouring over the information that hadn't made it to the briefings. Information that had not been redacted due to any secrecy, merely pulled out, because at the time, nobody knew what the hell any of it meant.
There were documents left untranslated by the Otsutsuki.
A language they claimed was spoken from the lips of their God Cyilo.
That strange, ancient language referred to as Oa'teti hadn't been updated into the most recent iteration; Oololuri.
From Hinata's explanation, Ensui Nara believed Elvira had spoken the outdated Oa'teti.
With his help, perhaps they translate the chimera's Oa'teti to Oololuri and figure out a way to open up a dialogue with it.
As the meeting drew to a close, Hinata's next pulsation started up. He took her home, fed her, then settled them both on the couch. He spent a nearly an hour stroking her hair, massaging her temples, smooching her lips until the pain meds the Hyuuga specialist prescribed kicked in and she drifted off to sleep.
Now, he sat in their slightly dimmed living room, sliding his thumb rhythmically over one of her lax hands as he read his latest correspondence from Sasuke.
'Lovesick Idiot
As annoying as you are rambling on and on about your obsession with Hinata, I'm glad you found the one woman on earth that actually likes your suffocating affection and doesn't find your idiotic personality insufferable. You'd have driven any other female to the psyche ward, or found yourself on the wrong end of kunai with the way you carry on.
You really lucked out, dobe.
About Kiba; do what's best for you and your relationship. You're about to be married, stop worrying about situations outside your control. You can't save Kiba and Hinata's friendship, that's up to those two. All you can do is maintain your own relationships; the one between you and Kiba and the one between you and Hinata. I'm not even going to ask which is more important to you, the whole damn world knows; whether they want to or not since you'll talk the ear off of a deaf man about Hinata.
Focus on keeping that relationship healthy and happy, everything else is extra. I know how you are, bonds are important to you, more than anyone else I realize that, but some bonds are more important than others and if you're still not convinced, ask yourself this; is Kiba's situation worth lying to your woman about? Is it worth keeping things from her? We both know the answer to that.
Do what you need to do.
What you should have done from the start.
When we were kids, Hinata was always kind to a fault. She was gracious and empathetic and would always strive to keep the peace on the rare occasions she spoke up. When I stayed with you two, she still had those same qualities in her. I agree, she's going to be upset with the both of you, no matter the reason behind your fight, but ultimately Hinata will want to resolve the situation as peacefully and compassionately as possible. Considering the way you are with her, no punishment she dishes out to you will be worse than what you dish out to yourself for upsetting her, so don't strain your puny brain stressing about this.
Tell the truth, beg for mercy and move on.
Plenty of other life and death situations to panic about.
Sasuke.'
True enough.
Tons and tons of problems on their plate.
His gentle grip tightened on her little fingers.
And Hinata was the most forgiving person he'd ever met. As that Uchiha jerk said, no sense stressing his gigantic, really smart brain worrying about it.
He'd take her penance and his own for whatever upset he caused her.
After, they'd press on and put it behind them.
He sat his letter back on the coffee table and reached for a scroll. Getting comfortable, Naruto delved into fuinjutsu fundamentals, thrumming excitement flooding his chest as he absorbed the information.
xxxxxx
June 23, 2010
"I'm alright now, Naruto-kun."
Gentle fingers battled the deep frowns between his brows, unsuccessfully attempting to manually smooth over frustrated wrinkles.
"The specialist warned us some of the pulsations would be worse than others."
That was a hell of a pulsation though...
She spent all day writhing in acute pain, her medication barely taking the edge off. Now, ten minutes after sunset, she finally felt well enough to sit upright.
Couple that with today being truth day, and Naruto was more than a little stressed right now.
He had hoped to spend a nice, calm, day buttering his fiancée up before dropping his bomb on her head, but after the day she had, he was loath to open his big mouth about it.
He sighed.
Nope.
Not gonna bitch out.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Princess. Lot's happened in just a few days, ya know?" he frowned, ran frustrated fingers through his locks, then pushed on, "listen...I uh...have something I need to tell you. Probably woulda been better to do this after your eyes are done upgrading, and we understood Elvira a little better, and everything around us wasn't so fuckin crazy but who the hell knows when that'll happen, dattebayo. I'm not gonna do that though, I'm not gonna hide behind life drama or use these weird ass 'life events' as an excuse not to do what I swore to myself I'd do."
She was confused.
Absolutely bewildered.
Pretty pearl eyes stretched wide, plump lips slightly parted.
"Naruto-kun, I don't know what you're talking about. An excuse? An excuse not to do what?"
"I have something I need to tell you," he repeated, "something I should have told you the night it happened."
Now she was worried.
Dark brow drawn, smooth hand reaching for his rougher one, she searched his gaze for answers. Unable to discern any, she sat up higher against their pillows pushed behind her back, their bed sheet sliding from her cherry nightgown.
"What's wrong Naruto-kun?"
A lot.
"I don't...really know how to say this all...delicate and shit, you know how I am with words so I'll just come out and say it."
He took a breath, straightened his spine and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Kiba's in love with you."
Her eyes widened, gleaming with surprise, disbelief and so absolutely incredulous he half expected her to laugh as though he'd told her a joke that was terrible enough to qualify as funny. He gave her a moment to absorb his words, to read seriousness in his eyes, in the hard, flat line of his lips.
Slowly, her brows furrowed, dark head subconsciously shaking, tumbling dark strands in silent denial.
"What?"
Threadbare and soft, her question was spoken in a tone of someone waiting for the punchline to a joke they didn't understand.
"Kiba's in love with you," he repeated, "and has been for a long fuckin time apparently. I'm not exactly sure how long, wasn't exactly looking to get an answer to that question but from what he's said, probably as long as you two have been teammates. I knew he had a crush on you, Ino let it slip that he liked you a couple years ago, right after we got together actually, shocked the hell outta me, 'ttebayo. I've never seen him act like he liked you that way; but I considering I was fucking oblivious to you for so long, guess that's not really saying much."
Oblivious was a gross understatement. As Shikamaru said, it was like he had gone through their growing years with his eyelid nailed shut.
"Anyway, I guess I was looking as shocked, disgusted and jealous as I felt at the time, cuz he told me to wipe the look off my face because it was only a crush, and the way he said, you'd think it was some harmless attraction, like even he didn't take it seriously, but he after he said all that, he told me he'd swoop in and sweep you off your feet if I was ever stupid enough to fuck up our relationship, and maybe I should've read more in to it when he said it, but at the time, it just seemed like he said it to save face, so he could get the last word in yet another one of our pointless arguments we never take serious. Like normal. I've done it, he's done it. Why the hell would I think he meant anything by it, ya know?"
A rhetorical question, one she couldn't answer even if she wanted to.
His poor Hina was frozen in place, a bystander observing a terrible accident, appalled but unable to look away, compelled by morbid curiosity to watch this tragic collision to its doomed conclusion.
"I never thought about it after that, never had a reason to. Kiba's kept his feelings to himself, he never let on that he was anything other than happy for us, and don't get me wrong, he is happy for us, but ever since we announced our engagement, he's had to face the reality that what he felt for you wasn't just a crush, he...loved-," his lips twisted as he corrected himself, "loves you."
God he hated saying that.
Made him itch to wash his mouth out with soap and water.
"All that sulking and stupid shit he's been saying ever since I told him we were getting married, that's what was eating at him. He has feelings for you and can't stand that you're about to be someone elses wife."
Not a word, not a single response, her mouth opened then closed, repeated without sound and yet, her face said it all.
What in the actual fuck...
Maybe not in those exact terms, his Princess was everything proper, well-mannered, patrician and prudish, outside of the bedroom at least.
"I found out that night me and the guys were drinking at Choji's."
She stilled, knowledge of what he was about to confess flooding her stunned countenance.
With a resigned exhalation, he pressed on, "we got into a fight that night, about his feelings for you, well more like the way he told me his feelings."
A pause, then...
"S-so his bruises-"
"Came from me," confirmed her unrepentant lover, "he said some shit I didn't like and I threw the first punch. We both left with marks, I had Kurama heal mine so you wouldn't see them and before you get upset with him, Kurama was against it. He only did it because I told him I planned on telling you the truth, which was always the plan, dattebayo, after I had a non-violent conversation with Kiba and knew where we stood before involving you in this whole thing. I would have told you sooner but I didn't feel like I had a right to tell you his feelings. If he wanted you to know he'd have told you, ya know, and if we hadn't fought I would never have told you. That's his secret, that's for him to confess, but I had no choice but to tell you because his secret carried over to me. I had a secret that I was keeping from you and that's not something that I'm okay with. Not now, not ever. I don't want any lie, any deception, any untruths between us. Not through our engagement, not our marriage, not our life and relationship."
He straightened, took her gentle hands in his and trapped her gaze with his own.
"So here's my confession, dattebayo. I hit Kiba at the party, I covered up my injuries the morning after. I'm not sorry about the fight, and I don't feel bad about it. Maybe I should but I don't. It wasn't the alcohol, it wasn't the heat of the moment, it wasn't anything other than a reaction to what came out of his mouth. Kiba is still my friend, I don't care any less about him than I did before, but what he said crossed a line for me. I know that upsets you, I know you're disappointed in me for saying that, but I won't pretend to feel regret when I don't. I'm a jealous, surprisingly obsessive, slightly possessive, short tempered guy and I'm not gonna take anybody, man or woman, running their mouths about you like that, no matter who they are to me. I'm not an angel, I'm not a saint, certain things piss me off and when it comes to you, I'm not gonna turn the other cheek."
Sorry, but not sorry...
It was unfortunate that a close friend had found that out the hard way, but he regretted nothing on that front.
"You...lied to me..."
He didn't need to look at her face to know she was upset. He could hear it in her voice, see it in the way she haunched her shoulders.
He wish he couldn't see her face.
He wasn't prepared for that face.
Those confused furrowed brows, wide incredulous eyes, lips slightly parted in stunned belief. Her melancholy disappointment slammed into him harder than a raging tide.
"Yeah," his eyes closed a beat, "I hid my bruises from you, I knew what was happening with Kiba and pretended I didn't so, yeah, I lied to you. I never planned on keeping this from you, I swear I wasn't sweetheart, I just...needed time to figure out what the hell I should do. Not making excuses, not at all, I knew it was wrong when I did it, no matter what reason I did all this for, I still wasn't honest with you, I just want you to know where my head was at. What my plan was when I did it, 'ttebayo, like I said earlier, I don't want to bring any secrets into our marriage. Whether Kiba came clean or not, I had to come clean."
She was quiet, her lips turned down and frowning, he could see the wheels turning in her head, could read various emotions fluttering across her face.
He reached for her, smoothed big hands down her arms, and ducked his head, catching her eyes, "I'm sorry."
She nodded, "I know."
Another pass along her arms, "how much trouble am I in?"
He lost his best peek into her thoughts as she looked everywhere but at him.
A quiet exhalation left him.
"That much huh?"
"Its just...what's bothering me the most is the lying...," she met his searching eyes, "honestly, Naruto-kun, I understand what position you were in. These...circumstances are...incredibly disconcerting and really should be handled as delicate as possible, and I know this isn't something you've ever experienced before, neither have I, so I can't fault you for taking measures to organize your thoughts and...feelings before coming to me, its just...the dishonesty. In all the years we've known each other, its not a word I'd ever associate with you. Not ever...and its...jarring that you were anything but honest no matter what the reason...especially with me."
Giving his neck a shameful rub, he moved to explain, "I didn't want you to be upset about the fight...or the reason behind it."
This time, he knew why she was staring at her their bed. He reached for her chin, tugging up until he could see her guilt-ridden face.
"That," he sighed, "that right there is what I didn't want. Don't do that. Don't start blaming yourself for anything Hinata. Our fight had nothing to do with you, not the way you're thinking. You didn't come between us, you didn't instigate the fight, and you bear absolutely no responsibility for it. We did what we did because we're two men with the same feelings for one woman. That's it. That's all it was. Pride, ego, jealousy and really bad fuckin tempers. You know how easy it is to piss us off, Princess. So wipe that look off your face. Be mad at us for being idiots if you want, I'll gladly take my place in the dog house for it, but don't try and take responsibility for it. Alright?"
She looked pensive, but nodded anyway.
"I mean it, stop."
Another nod, this one nearly empty of self recrimination.
Nearly...
"You're not gonna let it go until all this is settled and done with Kiba," he muttered, stroking a stray lock behind her ear, "knew that from the start, 'ttebayo."
It was that soft heart of hers, that soft heart he loved.
"I'm sorry I hid stuff from you. I just really didn't want you to blame yourself," his frown deepened, "or feel awkward around Kiba after finding out how he felt. That doesn't justify not telling you but I just...I wanted to protect your feelings and your friendship with Kiba and I didn't wanna put Kiba out there like that. I hate that he..." his jaw tightened, "feels the way I feel about you, I hate the shit he said that night, but I don't hate him. It may not seem like that because of the fight but its true. He's still my friend, I'm still his friend, I may have been angry with him, uncomfortable with how he feels about you, but I don't care about him any less than I did before, ya know?"
He knew she hadn't even begun coming to terms with Kiba's feelings for her. She looked a little stricken, a bit panicked when he mentioned how he feared her dynamic with her teammate might be effected. It was gone a second later, replaced with upset but also, understanding.
"That sounds more like you," she replied quietly, placing her hands over his, "you always go above and beyond for people you love, me...Kiba...I love that about you."
Pale purple met oceanic blue.
"I understand why this happened...why you made the choices you made, and I forgive you but you have to promise me something," she murmured, "if there's ever a time where you...know something that would upset me, no matter what it is, but for whatever reason you're not able to speak about it right as it happens, just...tell me that. We're shinobi, there are things we can't share with each other, this will be even more so when you become Hokage, and there are things our friends confide in us that we keep to ourselves, but, if you ever find yourself in a position where certain circumstances are...preventing you from telling me right away, let me know that, Naruto-kun. I can't promise I won't worry, but I'll understand. I just...I'd rather worry than have you feel like you have to be dishonest. I don't want deception between us either. No matter what it is, what we encounter, I want us to open and honest with each other, always. As much as we can. Promise me?"
"I promise. This is the first, last and only time, dattebayo."
xxxxxx
June 24, 2010
"He told you."
Hinata nodded, a shallow tent to her cheeks, pale eyes staring hard at his welcome mat. It took her all morning to muster up the courage to knock on his door, she wondered how much gut it would take to meet her his gaze.
Not as long as it took her to get here, she decided.
With a quiet gulp, Hinata straightened her spine and raised her line of sight.
He looked embarrassed...combative.
Even if she didn't believe a word her lover told her yesterday evening, she knew Kiba. She knew how the feral man behaved when confronted with an uncomfortable truth, a secret he wasn't comfortable seeing light of day.
It was true...
Kiba Inuzuka was in love with her...
"Why didn't you tell me, Kiba-kun?" she questioned quietly.
Dark eyes turned pensive, staring at the ground with a mixture of shame and anger. His jaw clamped then tightened, "how the hell was I supposed to tell you that?"
Stepping back, he widened the door.
In the apartment hallway was hardly the best place to discus this.
"Any way you could have," she replied when he shut the door behind her.
"It's not that easy."
"Kiba-kun...you're my friend," she told him, as though he didn't already know, "you can tell me anything no matter what it is...I would never-"
"Its not...its not just that. You and I, we were never gonna happen, and I knew that, I still know that, amd I can live with that...what I can't deal with, what I didn't want was for you to look at me the way you're looking at me right now..."
"How am I-"
"Sad...hurt for me, fuckin uncomfortable just standing near me like I-"
She wanted to deny it, that she was perfectly at ease right now, that she wasn't hyper aware that one of her best friends wanted with her, what she had with Naruto.
She didn't...know what to say...
How to act.
How to respond properly.
She loved him, he was her childhood friend, her precious comrade, but his attraction was as strange for her as if her father had expressed such a thing, or her sister, or Neji. Kiba was as brotherly to her as the flesh and blood brother she never had.
"Look just... can we just pretend this never happened. Forget all of it. Now that you know the truth, I can...move on...like actually move on instead of pretending to."
She reached for his hands, discomfort taking a back seat to her need to soothe his mute pain.
"I'm not...sure that's possible, for me or you," she admitted, "and I don't think we should go back to that. You've been hurting this whole time, suppressing the way you feel, putting on a happy face for our sake and that's not fair to you. I'm...not really sure where we should go from here, how we should interact, what would help you, but...I want to try. We've been friends too long not to."
She gave him a comforting squeeze.
"Please try with me, Kiba-kun. This is a lot to...come to terms with, for both of us, but we've been friends too long not try and sort through this. If you need space, if...you'd rather not come to my wedding..."
Just the thought of not having him there hurt worse than she imagined.
"I already told Naruto, so I'll tell you too, I'm still gonna be at the wedding. I know I've been acting like an idiot-"
"No, Kiba-kun-"
"I have," he insisted, "and I'm...sorry about that. I need time to get my act together and let shit go so just...for now and until the wedding, unless its a group party or something, I'm not gonna be around you guys much... Gimme that time to sort my shit out before you walk down the aisle. That's what I need."
Sadness flared, and she struggled to keep it from her expression, but from the way his own face tightened, she knew she failed completely.
She nodded anyway.
"Thanks," he muttered quietly, gazing off over her shoulder.
She had offered him space, and would give it to him. One last topic bothered her. Though she wasn't really a regular amongst their group, one woman in particular had been just as worried as Hinata had been about Kiba.
"What about Tamaki?" she asked quietly.
"What about her?"
"Have you-"
"No! I would never-" turning from her, he glared angrily at his feet, "this has nothing to do with her."
"Kiba-kun...if you...don't actually-"
"Don't!" he snapped, jaw tight, "I...I love Tamaki."
Eyes blazing, he looked at her as though she'd said otherwise.
"I do."
"Kiba-kun..."
"I'm not just saying that, I do love her. My feelings for her are real, despite how I feel about you. Is it really that far fetched to believe I'm in love with two women at the same time?"
Her stunned blink was answer enough for him.
Cheeks burning, his dark eyes found his feet again, "don't look at me like that, I'm not the first fuckin guy to be in love with two fuckin women. Not the first and not the last, it is a thing Hinata."
"O-of course I...realize that," she mumbled.
Of course she knew loving two people in that way was a thing, she just...had never had any run ins with a polyamorous situation, certainly not one where she was...indirectly involved. Free love, amongst three, four or however many people agreed didn't bother her, not at all. Life was too short, too precious, too hard not to spend as much of it as possible with whoever you loved; barring those people were willing to enter such a...dynamic of course. Who was she, who was anyone to judge such a union?
"I don't mean to look any sort of way about that, not at all, please don't misunderstand. Love comes in many different forms, this is one of them. I'm not judging you or anybody that find themselves in a love that society would call unconventional," and truly she meant that, she wouldn't dream of imposing her concept of love on anybody else, of making anybody feel less than about a relationship that contained more than two people. That wasn't her place, that wasn't what she was about, that wasn't the type of person she wanted to be, "I just...am surprised is all. All of this is...very surprising," she replied carefully, "nothing more, nothing less."
"I know," he admitted quietly, "I know you're not that type of person, I'm just..."
Feeling defensive.
Guilty...
"However you wish to handle this is your choice, Kiba-kun. If you don't want to tell her, then-"
"Why?" he snapped abruptly, eyes flashing dangerously, "why hurt her like that? For what?"
"Because your heart doesn't completely belong to her..." unable to hold his gaze, hers slid to the floor, "and...I'm worried that...this isn't...this isn't just a crush...you're hurt over it, acting out," sadness filled her heart, "angry enough to fight, to feel that deeply for someone else when you're in a relationship with someone...at some point, if you aren't able to deal with this better, she's going to want to know what's really going on...like I did."
She shook her head.
"I can't make you tell her and I won't tell her either, that's not my place, but...would it truly be a bad thing, Kiba-kun? Being honest with her? She's been so worried about you ever since all this started. She wants to help you, to be there for you but how can she if she doesn't know how to? Tamaki-."
"Just leave it alone, Hinata! Alright? I'll admit Naruto was right, he had a right to tell you about my feelings and come clean, it was the right thing to do for his relationship, I don't fault the guy, but me and Tamaki, our relationship, that's for us to decide not anybody else. So just let it go."
'Us...how can there be an 'us' if you're not giving her a choice to make that decision, Kiba-kun?' she wondered despondently, voicelessly.
Secrets in a relationship were poison, fast acting or slow acting, but deadly all the same, at some point, its corrosive nature would claim a victim.
She wanted to tell him that, wanted to make him understand this but...
But...this wasn't her relationship.
Her man had come clean to her, Hinata couldn't make anyone else's do the same. It was up to Kiba to make or break whatever connection he held with Tamaki.
It was up to her to maintain her own relationship with her teammate and husband-to-be.
"You're right, Kiba-kun, it is a decision that belongs to you and Tamaki."
She left him soon after; wrapping her arms around him, whispering an apology he didn't want, offering support he needed from anyone but her right now.
It hurt her, his hesitant return of her embrace.
xxxxxx
Sorry about the delay, I've been having "episodes" lately; feeling out of touch with my body, attention all over the place. I keep forgetting pieces of my personality, like I'll think about the nuances of my identity and come up blank. Like losing my train of thought, its on the tip of my tongue but I can't connect the dots. Been taking my meds as per normal, but medication can only go so far. I'm sorta stable? Maybe? Dunno. I keep losing myself at random moments and I don't know why really. I'm not hitting any of my triggers that I'm aware of.
Idk.
Anyway, this was the author's note I wrote before reality decided to wig the fuck out:
1.1k stars ;-;
Ya'll some beautiful ass people for real. Thank you for the support!
Suryass put me on game, told me about the Uzumaki vacation episode. Watched it, enjoyed it, but I think I'd have liked it more if I wasn't such a stuck up, Shippuden elitist bitch >.> everything I hate about the Boruto series kept running through my head! I loveddddd seeing Naruto and fam all together and having a good time (don't really know much about Kawaki tho) but in my head I was thinking about how a certain 9 tailed family member wasn't with them on the vaykay and it just... V_V every time I seen whiskers I flatlined for real...I was too pissed off to enjoy it fully and that really sucks. Animation wasn't great either >.> a recurring theme for that series apparently, (inconsistent quality from what I heard) it made me laugh though, Naruto and Hinata was doing the MOST! I was like, yo chill, them ya'll kids ya know?
Lmao. Anyway, thank you for bringing that to my attention suryass AND providing me the episode number, was very easy to find! Now it got me wanting to write a Uzumaki vacation right now(WITH ALL FAMILY MEMBERS INCLUDED AND YEAH I'M THAT PETTY) but noooo, I gotta wait cuz my Naruto Blank Period/Boruto Era fic aint nowhere near ready yet <.< gotta control myself unfortunately. Can't have too many open fics otherwise I'll never finish any of 'em.
So yeah, that's my note. Ummm, gonna try and work on my mental, though, hopefully I can get myself straightened out soon.
That's all for now. Please don't forget to comment and star! Thank you all that have, we hit 1.1k! Thank you all so, so much! It keeps me pushin when shiz tries to stop me.
Laters
Sessakag~