The parade honestly isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Instead of armed soldiers parading as a show of military force, we got musicians and performers. There's even a paper dragon floating around the village, no clue how they actually managed that since examining it with the sharingan reveals no chakra. The streets are full of stands, food, snacks and games present everywhere. The atmosphere is pretty lively, so we've decided to at least go and check out some food stands.
I dodge a gaggle of rushing kids, all yelling about some sweet that's gonna run out, only for them to accidentally hit a grandpa in their rush, causing him to fall over. They help him back up and apologize, with him giving them candy after assuring them he's fine.
I tap Hinata on the shoulder "So, think you can decipher how that floating dragon works?"
She does not even bother turning on her byakugan "They're using string and pulleys. It's floating because it's full of helium." is her deadpan response.
That's neat. We browsed the stands for a while. Once I get bored I decide to do a little trolling. Using Henge I turn into a feeble old man. Crooked back, shaking hands, the works. After getting out of the alley I hid in I then choose one of those tourist traps that have you throw kunai at moving ducks (they're wearing kumo headbands).
I slowly limp towards it, unnoticed. Once I get there I buy ten attempts and proceed to score ten bullseyes, walking away with ten giant stuffed animals. I don't even bother to keep up the disguise afterwards, just letting the henge pop and going back to Hinata and Sakura, giving them my ill gotten gains.
We continued exploring like this, occasionally taking a look at some stands that managed to catch our attention. Slowly the crowd started to disperse, with everyone slowly going to sleep. By the end of it Hinata bought like seven icecreams and Sakura some plants. We even got a kitten! Mr Fuffleton (Sakura and Hinata vetoed Bushybrows) is all black with thick white eyebrows.
—
The next morning we are all back to our usual routine. Physical training in the morning followed by more diverse training after lunch (Fuinjutsu, Medical Ninjutsu, Research, The works). Right now I'm currently getting my ass beat by Hinata in Taijutsu. We're doing a hard spar now. A heel kick landing right in my stomach when I try to lunge at her sends me flying and ends the spar.
Right now she is undeniably the strongest of us. In close quarters combat she is a nightmare to face, the combination of gentle fist, chakra scalpels and byakugan combining into an unrelenting offensive where a single mistake will lead to defeat. She is even more dangerous at range, that ungodly bow is more like a super-charged ballista. Sakura can barely draw it fully, let alone actually aim and fire the thing.
I can't use the damn thing like her either. She can see her target from over a kilometer away with the byakugan regardless of anything in between them like foliage, trees, buildings. With her learning enough wind-release to infuse the arrows she can even hit her target regardless if there's like seven concrete walls between her and it.
My landing ends up leaving me breathless. Hinata comes over and helps me up. I take a few minutes to get my breathing back in order, then we both start training our elemental release, well, our clones get to training that, we personally begin training the eight gates. Sakura is instead getting the final kinks solved on that healing tattoo of hers.
Both Hinata and I open the first gate simultaneously. What our training basically consists of right now is opening the first gate and trying to keep it open for as long as possible without actually wounding ourselves. The gates are a kinjutsu for a reason, each gate gives great power when opened but also comes with significant risks. For the first one you gain the ability to use all of your body's muscles instead of the 30-40% one would usually use, more than doubling your speed and strength.
The problem is that there's a reason we subconsciously only use 30-40%. Other than just tiring much faster you run the risk of breaking your bones from how strong your muscles are. So to safely use the first gate you need to have your bones significantly stronger than they would usually be for your physical ability. The best way to do this is ironically just actually using the first gate.
Eight minutes later Hinata stops and starts panting from exhaustion. I last three more minutes before I also call it quits. It takes us another quarter of an hour before we finally get our breathing in order. I spend the rest of the day going through a Fuinjutsu book I got from the library. Sakura and Hinata just watch some reality tv-show. Our clones are the real heroes, training chakra control and elemental release so that we can laze around.
-one month later
All three of us are currently sitting at the edge of training ground 13, waiting for the explosion to happen. Right now we're testing the Seal-Bomb MK2. Like its predecessor its a cluster bomb, unlike its predecessor this has two weeks worth of jutsu stuffed into seals. One major change this one has is the removal of the earth jutsu, having only fire and wind. There isn't really a point to shrapnel when the bomb just vaporizes everything around it.
Soon enough the bomb goes off. A gargantuan fireball appears, with multiple large fireballs then appearing in the surrounding area. After the large fireballs, medium-size fireballs start appearing in the area around the large ones. Once the bomb has run its course, with all stages having fired off successfully, we go and survey the damage.
The main destroyed area has a diameter of a hundred and fifty meters, with some smaller circles of destruction scattered around. Underneath the main explosion there is a crater with a diameter of fifty meters. It's a good thing I asked the Hokage before trying this, doubt explaining why one of the training grounds now has a giant-ass crater in the middle of it would've been enjoyable.
I begin writing the report on this thing. While overall I would call it a success I'd rather not make another. It's pretty nerve wracking having the seals for that thing around you. A single one going off somehow would set all the others off. Then you just get instantly vaporized, at least it would be a quick death I suppose.
After dropping off the report we just all go home and pass the time playing poker. Hopefully i can finally finish mastering lightning release this month, afterwards comes fire and earth.
-five days later
It's Sakura's twelfth birthday today, so Hinata and I are trying to figure out what gift to get her.
Hinata comes with the first proposal "Do you think she would like jewelry? Or should we get her jewelry tools instead?"
I think for a bit before replying "Probably the jewelry tools. I haven't seen her wear any jewelry, but she'd probably really like something for really fine work. Another thing we could get for her would be a high-end tattoo setup".
Hinata nods "Good idea. She would probably enjoy the tools more than anything else we could really get for her"
I nod back "That girl really needs some hobbies"
Hinata declines a response.
—
We're preparing the house for Sakura's surprise birthday. I got Kiba, Shino, Naruto and Shikamaru to come. Hinata brought Choji, Ino and Arahaku (that one rando). Sakura is at the library checking out medical and fuinjutsu books.
Hinata, Ino and Choji are baking the cake while I'm trying to wrangle everyone else into decorating the house. Naruto is making origami decorations, Shikamaru is supposed to inflate balloons but he just went to sleep instead, Kiba and Arahaku are helping Hirogi and the sisters in making the food.
There's a bit of a time crunch going, since Sakura doesn't usually spend much time searching the library. We have around one hour in total to get everything ready and are already half an hour into preparations already.
—
"SURPISE!!!!!!!"
We startled Sakura hard enough for her to actually make a chakra scalpel. Oops.
After we calm her down a bit we finally get her towards the cake. It's just a simple Strawberry caramel cake. Still tasted amazing. After eating everyone just kinda forms their own small groups. Hinata, Sakura ,Ino and Hirogi are having a girl-talk. Choji is cycling through the food, trying one of everything before starting over. Kiba is telling Naruto about that time he supposedly saved a princess. Shikamaru is sleeping. Arahaku left early, apparently he forgot about some meeting he's supposed to have. Kurari and Karari just went to their room when no one was looking.
First things first. A trip to Sakura's lab has me taking some modafinil. I go back into the living room and put it in Shikamaru's pocket without waking him. From here I just join Choji in binge eating. Five minutes into our bonding exercise we are interrupted by Ino. It's Catan-Monopoly time.
—
By nighttime we're all giving Sakura our gifts. Ino got her jewelry, Choji got her an Akimichi-cookbook, Kiba a manual on training ninja pets, Shikamaru got her a book on the benefits of relaxation and Naruto gave her his and Arahaku's gifts, a stack of Ichiraku ramen coupons. Hinata and I's gifts are given last. A set of good quality jewelry tools and a high-end tattooing setup.
Once the gifts are given the guests leave and the three of us go to sleep.
-one month later.
An excited Sakura just dragged Karari into the living room, her arm full of tattoo's. "I am finally finished! Watch!".
She cuts Karari's arm deeply from one end of the tattoo's to another. The cut tattoo seals then glow green and heal the arm back. "I finally finished the healing tattoo! The seals all hold healing chakra and-", Aaand she's yapping.
I interrupt her tirade "English?"
She sheepishly simplifies "The tattoo is made of really small seals. When they are broken by a wound the healing chakra held inside is released, healing the wound. You have to redo the tattoo after heavy injuries, which is why I am using temporary tattoo ink until I make it reusable."
I examine Karari for a bit. Other than looking somewhat traumatized she's looking alright. "Just don't actually break them, if you're desperate for test subjects we can just take a mission somewhere remote. Then you'll be able to do crimes against humanity to your hearts content"
The way that actually gets her thoughtful lets me know she didn't consider doing that.
After thinking for some time she asks Hinata and I "When do you want to go on a mission then?"
Hinata gives her response first "I can go anytime either of you want. It's not like we are doing anything other than training"
I nod in approval "Pretty much, whenever you feel like it just let us know. Actually there's something I've been meaning to ask you"
She nervously asks "What do you want to ask me, Sasuke?"
"Can you transplant some of Naruto's flesh in me?"
"W-what? Why?"
I then tell her and Hinata the truth about myself ,thankfully they don't distance themselves afterwards. After that discussion I essentially summarize the entire plot of Naruto.
"Well shit."
Well shit indeed Hinata.
—
Apparently she has to get some things prepared beforehand, so we're going to take a mission in around two days. The Naruto transplant won't work, Kurama makes his chakra too volatile to be viable for transplant. If I want to get the Rinnegan my options are either Hashirama cells or pulling them from Nagato's dying body. Danzo has Hashirama cells, so he's our next long term objective.