(Author's note: Just in case, in this and the next two chapters, after a magical surge in the Naruto world, all the female characters are now over 18.)
"All right, I get the general idea, but why am I even here?" Sasuke stared at the short straw in her hand, clearly not thrilled to be third in line.
"Because you have to be," the girls answered in unison, all of them scanning the street from the rooftop, looking for their target.
"So, Naruko goes first, I'm second, then Sasuke, then Hinata," Ino said, nodding to herself.
"Hey, don't forget about me," Sakura muttered through gritted teeth, barely holding back the urge to smack her.
"Oh, right, Sakura's fifth. Okay, Naruko, you're up. We'll keep time from here - you've got ten minutes." Ino gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"Eh? Just like that? How am I supposed to start?"
"Hurry up, idiot, I don't have all day," Sasuke grumbled, clearly annoyed at being dragged into their ridiculous game.
"But I… Aaa!" Naruko didn't expect the shove and, with a yelp, tumbled off the roof.
"What?" Sasuke asked flatly, unfazed by her classmates' shocked faces.
****
Who the hell just kicked me? I'm gonna kill her! At least I didn't break anything, Naruko thought, picking herself up and clenching her fists.
"Naruko? Did you just fall off the roof? Are you all right?" Akira, who happened to be walking down the street, couldn't help but notice her.
"Yeah, I just tripped while jumping down," she tried to play it cool, hoping Akira would forget her "accidental" fall as quickly as possible.
"You sure? Nothing hurts? That roof's a good ten meters up." He looked up, trying to figure out where she could have slipped.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…"
Wait, I only have ten minutes! Touches count for points too!
"Oh, I think I pulled a muscle," she said, grabbing her right leg and pretending to wince in pain.
Can you even pull a muscle falling off a roof? Akira gave Naruko a weird look, but still stepped closer.
"Hmm, let's find somewhere to sit. Can you walk?" he asked, slipping an arm around her for support.
"I-I'll try," Naruko stammered, doing her best to limp convincingly.
After about fifteen steps, they reached the nearest café.
"Tea for two, please," Akira told the waitress, who hurried over. He helped Naruko into her seat.
Akira didn't even want tea, but since there weren't any benches nearby and they needed to sit, he figured it would be rude to just take up space without ordering.
"Does it hurt a lot?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I mean, no, not really. It's not so bad now that I'm sitting." Naruko couldn't bring herself to lie to his face, so she answered with a deep blush, looking away.
"You should get your leg checked at the hospital, just in case. You never know, you might have broken something. You've got to be more careful, Naruko." He shook his head and smiled politely at the waitress, who brought their tea in record time.
"Oh, I don't think that's necessary. I heal fast, even from worse stuff." Naruko waved it off.
That's true - in the anime, Naruto's wounds would close up right before your eyes. I wonder if that's because she's an Uzumaki, or is it the Kyuubi's chakra? Maybe both, Akira mused.
"So, you're done with classes for the day? I was planning to stop by your place in a few hours. By the way, I already introduced Kushina to Aika - she's staying with you now," Akira said with a smile.
"I see." Naruko dropped her head, then asked curiously, "Is she pretty?"
"She's really cute, and she makes the funniest noises when she sleeps. I'm sure you'll love her - you two are actually kind of alike."
"Really?" Naruko perked up.
If Akira likes Aika and we're similar, does that mean I have a good chance with him too? she wondered, already picturing their future together.
"Yeah, you're both adorable." That compliment sent Naruko off into her own little world for a few minutes. Only after a while did she remember she was supposed to be racking up points in this competition.
Maybe I should ask him to carry me to the pharmacy? I could buy some bandages and then make my exit… she started plotting her next move.
"Mmm, good tea. I'm not usually a fan of ginger, but sometimes it just hits the spot. How's your leg feeling?" Akira set his empty cup aside and glanced at her leg.
"Mmm, a little better." Naruko massaged her leg, pretending it helped.
"Here, let me help. I pulled a muscle once and a friend fixed me up with a massage. Give me your leg." Akira stood, turned his chair sideways, and scooted closer to Naruko.
"Uh, okay…" Fighting her embarrassment, Naruko lifted her leg and set it on Akira's lap.
"So, it's your thigh muscle?" Naruko barely held back a squeak as his hands gently gripped her thigh.
"Yeah…" She tried to distract herself with her tea.
"All right, I'll start. Tell me if it hurts." Akira began to slowly massage her thigh, pressing gently.
Why does this feel so good? Is it supposed to be like this? Ohhh, every time he presses his fingers, it's like an electric shock… This is so weird, Naruko thought, blushing as she watched Akira focus on her leg.
"Is it getting better?" Akira asked, still massaging.
"Mmm, yes, please keep going, Akira-san." She barely managed to get the words out.
"Good, so you really did just pull a muscle. Where does it hurt the most? Here? Or here?"
Where does it hurt the most? It doesn't hurt at all - it feels amazing. I'm a genius! I'll tell him to massage where it feels best!
"Right here," Naruko pointed to the upper inside of her thigh.
"Okay, since I've started. Just let me know if the pain goes away."
Oh wow, is it supposed to feel this good? Or is it just because it's Akira? Why does it feel so hot down there? Mmm, I wish this would last forever… I think Mom once told me about butterflies in your stomach when you're in love… Am I really in love with Akira-san? Ugh, Naruko, you always mess things up - why do I have butterflies not in my stomach, but… lower? Is it because I eat too much ramen?
"You're making a weird face - don't force yourself. Tell me if it hurts." Akira paused for a second.
"No, no, the pain's almost gone. When you press harder, it feels even better."
"Like this?" Akira pressed his fingers into the inside of her thigh and started making slow circles.
"Yesss…" she half-groaned, half-whispered.
Kami, what's wrong with my voice? Why is there this weird pulsing down there? What is this? What's happening? Is this what love feels like? Is love supposed to feel this good? Oh, I need to go to the bathroom, now!
"Ow, a little too much," Naruko faked a jump.
"Oh, sorry. I'm not the best at massages. Maybe we should stop and go to the hospital."
Weird, I suddenly don't need the bathroom anymore… Oh, right, I went before leaving the academy, it's only been twenty minutes. Maybe I imagined it?
"No, no, Akira-san, you're doing great. I barely feel any pain now - maybe just a few more minutes?" Naruko's face was burning.
"Well, all right, but if it starts to hurt again, we should stop - I don't want to make it worse." He resumed the massage.
Oh, those feelings are back. It's all tingly down there… My head's spinning. Oh no, I really am going to pee myself… No, that's just an illusion - you can't need the bathroom that fast after one cup of tea. And if I stop him again, he'll quit the massage, and right now it feels so good. Kami, why is he so handsome? I just want to throw myself at him and kiss him nonstop… with tongue. Just picturing it made Naruko's whole body heat up. She felt like she was melting, unable to move, just sitting there, lost in the strange, overwhelming sensation.
Naruko was scared, trembling inside - something was about to happen.
Damn, too late - even if I leave now, I won't make it to the bathroom. And my body won't listen to me, I feel like I'm melting.
"Whoa, Naruko, you're shaking - are you having cramps? Hold on, I'll press harder, it'll hurt for a few seconds, but the pain will go away fast." Akira started massaging more firmly, working up and down the muscle.
Naruko sat there, teeth clenched, eyes shut, for another thirty seconds, then let out a satisfied sigh.
Seeing her suddenly relax, Akira closed his eyes for a moment in relief and switched to a gentler massage.
"There, the cramps are gone. I told you I'm not the best masseur."
"No… it's fine, Akira-san, my leg… doesn't hurt anymore."
Oh no, did I just pee myself? Naruko's eyes went wide and she jumped up.
"Oh, you're right, it doesn't hurt anymore. Thanks for everything, Akira-san, see you later, I've got to go." She bowed quickly and dashed out.
Whew, I didn't pee myself. Thank Kami, Naruko thought as she ducked into an alley.
What just happened to me, dattebayo? I've never felt anything that good in my life. I need to find the girls and see how many points I got.
She didn't have to look far - her classmates were waiting at the alley's exit. Turns out, they'd been in the café the whole time, disguised with henge.
"Naruko…" Sasuke stepped forward, head down in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't think it would go like that. How's your leg?"
"My leg? Oh… hehe, I'm a genius, I even fooled you guys. My leg's fine. I was faking."
Ino's eyes went wide, as did everyone else's.
"So you cheated!" Sakura accused, pointing at her.
"Nope, there were no rules against it." Naruko wagged her finger, grinning with pride.
"Still, that was a dirty trick," Sasuke said, crossing her arms.
"Come on, we're ninja - whatever works, right? Didn't Iruka-sensei teach you that?" Naruko laughed. Right now, she felt like this was the best day of her life.
"Pff, I guess not everything goes in one ear and out the other with you," Sasuke muttered.
"So, how many points did I get?" Naruko asked eagerly.
"We counted two smiles, and touches adding up to five minutes. That's 130 points."
"Haha, yes!" Naruko pumped her fist in the air. "Wait, why only five minutes? That massage lasted way longer."
"Idiot, we had a ten-minute limit. You took up more than twenty-five minutes of our time," Sasuke said, turning away.
"Oh… right, sorry, hehe." Naruko scratched her head, embarrassed.
"All right, let's not waste time. I'm next," Ino said, and left the alley. The girls nodded to each other and jumped onto the roof of the next building.
"Hey, Naruko, what happened to you in the café?" Sakura asked.
"Um, honestly, I don't know, but I think it's some kind of secret Akira-san technique. I feel like I've been reborn." The others' eyes lit up at the mention of a secret technique.
"Oh, there he is," Sakura said, pointing at Akira leaving the café.
"Huh, where'd Ino go?" She started scanning the street.
"There, at the corner, with a bag… of apples," Hinata spotted the blonde quickly. "I wonder what she's planning."
"He's about to turn onto that street," Sasuke noted.
"Tch, sneaky bitch," Hinata muttered. Sakura and Naruko still didn't get what was going on.
"Whoa, they bumped into each other and almost fell," Naruko gasped, then realized, "Wait, she did that on purpose?!"
"Heh, she forgot about the height difference - a kiss on the chest doesn't count in our game, only five seconds of contact."
The girls watched in silence as Akira helped Ino pick up her fallen apples.
"Hinata, can you read her lips?" Sasuke asked. "I can't see clearly from this distance, and she's standing sideways."
"I'll try, but I haven't practiced much." Naruko and Sakura looked at their classmates in surprise - no one taught lip-reading in their class.
"Okay… she's saying she wants to thank him with apples and ask about something… something from a book. What book?"
"Oh! I know, I told you about it, didn't I? Akira wrote a book, I read the whole thing, I loved it, though some parts were confusing." Naruko was excited.
"I think I remember… what's it called?" Sakura asked.
"'The Path of Truth.'"
"Got it, I'll have to buy it," Hinata nodded.
"Naruko, can I borrow it?" Sakura asked shyly.
"Huh? No way, it's the first edition, I'm not lending it to anyone." Naruko answered proudly. Today, she felt like nothing could go wrong.
None of the girls noticed Sasuke's eyes widen for a second at the book's title.
That's oni-chan's favorite book - now I want to read it even more.
"They're heading to the park, let's follow," Hinata said, leaping to the next building. The others followed a few seconds later.
A few minutes later, they found a good spot to watch.
Crouched behind some bushes, they watched as Ino chatted animatedly with Akira, sitting so close their knees touched. She never took her eyes off him.
"She's being way too forward," Hinata said, annoyed.
"Totally," Naruko agreed, forgetting her own thigh had just been massaged for ages.
"Still, she's only got three and a half minutes left. If nothing else happens, she'll only get ninety-two points."
"Oh, Hinata, what's she saying now?" Naruko asked, seeing Ino point toward a clearing. Akira, munching on an apple, turned to look.
"She's talking about the flowers growing there and their uses… Wait, is she really forming hand seals?" Sasuke said, using her eyes to see better.
"What's she up to?" Naruko asked, worried.
"I think I get it… Oh, that's not fair," Sakura sighed.
They all saw Akira suddenly jolt, dropping his apple, while Ino slumped back on the bench as if she'd fainted.
"Ugh, that's cheating! I'm going to give her a piece of my mind," Naruko said, getting up to storm over, as Ino, controlling Akira's body, moved him toward her own unconscious body.
"Don't," Sakura grabbed her arm. "Any sudden interference with the Mind Transfer Jutsu could be bad for both Ino and Akira."
"What a bitch," Naruko and Hinata said at the same time, watching as Ino, using Akira's body, kissed her own forehead, then her cheek, and finally her lips.
"If anyone else sees this, Akira-san could get in trouble," Sasuke noted.
"The nearest person is five hundred meters away, on the other side of the park," Hinata said. "What a slut!" she added, unable to hold back as Akira's tongue explored Ino's mouth.
"Ew, that's so weird - she's kissing herself. That's just wrong," Naruko said, cheeks red.
"Pff, narcissist," Sasuke muttered, turning away.
"She's even groping her own chest. If anyone asks, I don't know Ino," Sakura said, watching the scene with mixed feelings.
****
Mmm, I really liked that. I never thought kissing could feel so good, even if I was kissing myself… Ino thought.
"Oh, did I fall asleep?" Akira blinked, coming to.
"I must be really boring, sorry, Akira-san. I thought you'd be interested in hearing about Haoli flowers," Ino said, lowering her head in embarrassment.
Mmm, my mouth tastes so sweet - is that his saliva? Or is it just the apples?
"No, no, I've just been so busy lately, I must have dozed off from exhaustion. By the way, where did you get these apples? They have such a unique aftertaste - really delicious, I've never had apples this good." Akira licked his lips.
Ino blushed, realizing exactly what aftertaste he meant.
Heh, my first kiss was worth it. Too bad it had to be with a jutsu - I'd love to do it for real… she thought, staring at Akira's lips. [ image ]

****
"Finally! We were about to start throwing shurikens at you," Hinata said, folding her arms under her chest, which was already starting to make the other girls jealous.
"I couldn't just get up and leave, that would've looked weird." Ino walked over, flipping her bangs with a proud stride. "Well, girls, I think it's safe to say the game's over - you're not beating 152 points." She stood with her hand on her hip, radiating smugness.
"Ugh… you cheated, Ino-pig," Naruko accused, pointing at her.
"Hey, we never said jutsu were off-limits. So, are you giving up?" Ino's bright smile made every girl want to slap purple eyeshadow on her - no makeup required…
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