Go forward and don't dare to stop.
Or she'll kill you.
Step. Up.
Twist.
The foot stomps, the concentric ring of chakra invisible to the eye but oh-so-visible to the senses.
The footing. The footing and the balance, because acrobatics, as fun as they were, would make him lose. Solid, like him. Solid, like the center. Solid... and fluid like his power.
The arms move, not really striking, more like lifting, and dragging and snapping.
Atemi.
Not the fist, not crude, not dependent on power alone.
The pulse moves with it. Along it. Fluid and rapid, the earth under his feet, the power in his body and the vector of the force.
And the rock...
...breaks.
It doesn't shatter. It doesn't explode in the orgy of rapid power his body can field - it just... breaks. Smoothly, as if cut.
Many disdained it, the simple power of a well placed blow. He did as well, at one time. It wasn't flashy, it wasn't grand it just looked so damn ridiculously plain!
Aikijutsu.
A simple name for a terrifying power in the hands of a master.
He was. Not completely, no. His mind knew what to do but the body... ah, a different matter altogether. But then he was a cheater. He could burn it into his muscles, tear them, grind it into his bones as he broke them, and soon, the body knew what the mind had mastered a long time ago.
He wasn't like Sasuke, with sharingan spinning, feeding the information directly to the chakra coils, forcing the body to move even if muscles didn't know how. He wasn't like Sasuke, with the instinctive mastery of combat, of pace, of tactics and maneuvers that switched effortlessly from the simplistic Konoha Gouken, through the Uchiha Kasen Ryu, the direct and terrifying might of Koken, the deceptive softness of Taijiquan, the elegant Baquazhang or the styles that he didn't even know the names of.
It was ironic. They were both shinobi, both hardened warriors with experience - gods but did they have experience! But no matter the sharingan, no matter the time, no matter the... motivation... Sasuke was brilliant.
Oh, it wasn't that Naruto himself lacked talent, no.
He had the intuitive grasp of tactics in combat even before, the instinct of a fighter and unquenchable thirst for victory that few could match. But Sasuke... Sasuke was an artist. Fluid and graceful, deadly and skilled beyond what most thought possible. Even if the body wasn't up to it, even when the wheels of the sharingan laid dormant in the onyx eyes... he had it.
As ironic as it was, Sasuke was the better shinobi between them. More precise, more skilled and possessing an arsenal of combat jutsu that few could equal.
Itachi certainly couldn't.
In combat, Sasuke shone brightly, like an edge of a masterwork sword. Luminous, sharp and unstoppable.
Naruto didn't shine. Naruto flickered, like a chaotic flame. Up and down, back and forth, in and out of visibility. Coarser, both more direct and more devious than the Uchiha heir by far. They both knew it.
Where Sasuke was a shinobi, Naruto was the magician. The trickster, the charlatan with very wide sleeves that hid tricks as crazy as they were entertaining. The master of the forge, the prince of overkill, the lord of lore and the king of crazy.
That was what Naruto was.
But even the jester needs to know how to strike when the toys are gone and jokes spent. Needs a fast eye and a coordination of the hand, all taught by that small, smiling man at the shrine in the hind-end of nowhere.
Sasuke gained the sword skills and the wisdom of a priestess from a beautiful miko of grand knowledge and refinement.
Naruto learned the deceptively simple power of atemi from an old man sweeping the stairs.
Overall, he thought he got the better deal.
After all, it all came to power in the end. All who chased it, all who were so enamored with it. True power this, true power that, I'll show you my power, I need power, I crave power, this is the true power...
Utter rubbish.
Really, it almost made him cry. Cry because he was laughing so damn hard he had tears in his eyes.
Power? Poor idiots. There is one, simple lesson to be learned about the ethereal dream the greedy chase after, for whatever the reason.
The so called 'true power' didn't exist. It was an illusion for the greedy, a mirage for the weak and the opium for the obsessed. The simple truth about power, was that all was power. In the end, it only came down how you used it.
Turn weakness into strength. The old shinobi adage that held true, yet one that so few shinobi practiced, choosing mirages and empty promises instead. Besides... power without direction was aimless, and always came back to bite you in the ass. Sometimes even to chomp you whole in one, meaty crunch.
Oh that Naruto knew well.
'Biiiitchy fox...' Naruto chuckled, stepping forward as Sasuke danced, stopping on the top of a rock, balancing like a child that found a new favorite game.
Was the fox his 'power'?
Of course she was! Turn weakness into strength, the burden into a prize and a sad fate into a glorious destiny!
When life gives you lemons, squeeze them and make champagne. Let the morons around you gape like children in a circus at the trick and break their heads how the fuck you did it, while your sexy assistant robs them blind with a smile.
That was how you went about it.
Of course, in this case his sexy assistant had nine tails and was more 'it' than 'she' but then, was he not a charlatan? She was whatever he wanted her as and since he was a he, that meant it was a she. It was more fun that way.
And, really, don't bitch little bitch. Kitsune were the creatures of shapeshifting powers, no? The legends of fox-wives were still told to children far and wide.
Well, save for Konoha, of course. But then the last 'fox-wife' that appeared left more than just a broken hearted man in her wake. No matter, no matter. Water under the bridge and the shinigami's robe, and all that. The debt to the village paid, the threat over - thank you very much.
Now all that remained was the debt of a more... personal nature and bond that would send the seal scholars screaming and running for the hills had they known the true meaning of the 'sacrifice' they pushed onto a child too young to know or choose.
Everything has a price - no such thing as a free lunch, you know. And this lunch was more like a month long imperial feast and was expensive. Oh yes. So. Very. Expensive.
After all, the world wasn't fair, but karma, while a bitch and liking it, always paid her dues.
That, and Lady Benten was one damn hot and fine lady to seduce and leave breathless, moaning your name time and time again. She loved it, the slutty Lady Luck.
But did you hear him complaining? Hell no!
The fists met and Sasuke smirked, pressing the advantage before spinning with a kick that would have taken his head off had he been anyone else.
Remember - go forward and don't dare to stop.
Or she'll kill you.
"Bitch!"
Sasuke's laughter resounded over the small, rocky patch of terrain that claimed to be an island and she came down, feet first even as she spun in a corkscrew maneuver.
'Screw is right! She's screwing me over!'
So step forward, and punch, kick and move like your life depends on it, jinchuuriki. Or she'll crush you. She'll kill you.
Tighten the distance, get the good footing and cut her in the fucking middle distance. And pray that she doesn't go into bajiquan fast enough. That rake palm thing hurts.
Close - that's the only way. Because Sasuke was like a demented rabbit on speed. One that seemed to grow fucking wings, claws and became a dragon with more limbs than he could count.
It was so damn fucking humiliating. All that power, all that 'I'm jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi - hear me fucking roar!' kind of power and...
...and he was thrown around like a ragdoll by a sexy little waif that wasn't.
Bitch... just didn't cut it.
"A point for me." She said smugly, leaning on one of the rocks, almost mocking him with the lazy grace and a 'come hither' gesture. "Again."
"Keep dreaming, bitch." Naruto snorted, cracking his neck. "Do I look like I'm down?"
"Not yet. But then..." The haughty toss of hair that annoyed him and did some goddamn fucking awful things to Sasuke's chest was languid and slow. Painful. Damn painful, really.
Why did he agree to fight her when she was wearing nothing but the rather tight, backless kunoichi apparel anyway?
The apparel that was almost gone now, and of course he was too stupid to surrender or back down, the deviant bastard was too amused to stop and he had a sneaking suspicion - nay, a fucking certainty - that it was all about that tantalizing bit of flesh in the end. After all, he knew her... him... ah... damn, who cared right now?
And still, they fought. Spun and weaved in that dance of skill, tearing muscles and sincere desire to beat the shit out of each other, dominate and go even higher and higher until they broke.
A sort of sado-masochistic re-telling of the entire process of learning that took them from the shattered beginnings to now, a kind of inane 'return to the basics' feel that they both craved.
But in the end, it was all about fun and beating the shit out of each other.
Sasuke-chan smirked, stretching, before entering a dance-like move that ended with a kick that missed his throat by centimeter.
Fun. Fun all the way.
"You want to play?" The blond smirked, as he felt the familiar, oh-so-welcome feeling of feedback from his Kage Bunshin making it back. Oh yes. Honey couldn't be sweeter in this case, all right. "Let's play, BITCH!"
The scroll wasn't needed, the seals were in his memory as if he carved them himself.
Sasuke jumped back as the chakra erupted.
"Kuchiyose, Azumaya!"
And walls rose, even as Sasuke tried to punch, growing straight out of the ground and letting her crash against them.
"...the h-" She stopped, sliding down, before spinning on top of it gracefully. "So." The neo-girl eyed the rock slabs covered with seal lining all over. "That is what your horde was cutting the rock for, hmm?"
"I told you I just needed the materials for it, eh?" Naruto chuckled. "Behold - the first in the history, completely independent stone house summoning!"
"Feh. It is just rock." Sasuke snorted, before kicking back, her fingers moving in the string of familiar seals and smirked as the nails of her fingers lengthened, the tell-tale haze of chakra appearing around them. "Eat some Kugi, then!" She sneered, slashing at the wall viciously... only to pale.
"Did I mention it is small enough for me to channel my chakra through it?" Naruto buffed his nails, while Sasuke slid down, cursing and leaving a trail of sparks. "No? So sorry."
The Uchiha heiress lowered her head, shaking.
"Bastard... that HURT!" She screamed, before kicking up a piece of rock, and twisting upside down.
Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the familiar backlash of Initial Gate and he hit the dirt as Sasuke's bare foot made contact with the rock, sending it flying at his previous position. Right through the summoned wall.
"Shit!" The pale blond looked at the hole. "You want to kill me or something?!"
"Shut up and just fucking DIE!" Snapped the kunoichi as the Daitoppa slammed into the rocks, lifting Naruto up, only to be consumed by a rapidly growing silhouette of the Karyuu En Dan.
The dragon exploded, sparks of charred rock showering the ground and Sasuke snarled, turning to the spooked jinchuuriki who just completed his kawarimi.
"Calm down, dammit!" Naruto growled, slamming his fingers into the rock, the columns or stone rising rapidly, only to be nimbly evaded by the neo-girl.
"Calm down? Calm DOWN?!" Sasuke-chan snarled, before pouting and pointing at her hand. "Look what you have done to my nails, you stupid moron!"
Naruto stopped, staring.
"...nails?" He said dumbly.
"Here I spend my days carefully tanning, picking up dresses, planning to look my damn best to the point of avoiding any strenuous activity... and you ruin it?! I am supposed to look sexy, sophisticated and seductive - broken nails do not sexy, sophisticated and seductive make!" She huffed.
Naruto blinked owlishly.
"Sasuke?" He said finally.
"What?!" The Uchiha genius snarled. And, really. He didn't want to know how the fuck did that deviant manage to make a homicidal snarl look both pouty and cute at the same time.
"Well?!" The kunoichi asked dangerously.
"Ah... broken nails or no, you'll still look good anyway." Naruto offered weakly, deciding that, after all, discretion was the better part of valor in this case.
Sasuke blinked, frowning.
"I will, won't I?" She said speculatively, looking down at her body and perking up. "After all I am damn hot, no?"
Naruto just sighed.
"What was that, moron?" Sasuke-chan asked sweetly, her eyebrow twitching.
Naruto took a step back, laughing weakly.
So he was a coward. Big deal. Dealing with the enraged, Oiroke Sasuke-chan was far more dangerous than dealing with male Sasuke. Those hormones could be damn fucking scary at work, especially when her appearance came into play.
"I can't hear you, Na-ru-to-kun." She sing-songed sweetly.
"Yes, you are damn fucking hot!" He said quickly.
"Heh." Sasuke-chan smirked as she leaned towards him. "Point for me. Again." she hummed.
Naruto blinked owlishly.
"Wha-?"
The kunoichi threw her hair over her back, the scented pony-tail sliding over his face like a curtain of silk as she turned on her heel, walking away with the fluid grace dancers would kill to have.
Naruto stood there, a confused look on his face, before an understanding dawned.
His eyebrow twitched.
"Why... that... sneaky... fucking, underhanded, shameless, oversexed, slutty little BITCH!" He snarled finally, managing to find his voice.
"And that's another point for me, you know!" Came Sasuke's gleeful voice from the distance and Naruto cursed, staring balefully at the silhouette sashaying towards the nearby boat with a spring in her step that she didn't bother to hide.
The blond slumped, sitting on a nearby rock.
"...well, fuck." He muttered dejectedly, before a stifled chuckle erupted from his throat. "Goddamn him... her... aww, fuck it...!"
Naruto threw his head back, his body following until he hit the ground, not stopping his chuckle.
"Damn that bitch... man, but she got me and good!" He muttered, before laughing again. "Though you have to give her one thing. She is rather hot."
Still chuckling, the jinchuuriki got up, following his friend to the boat.
It was a beautiful day, after all. And a really hot one.
It would be a shame to waste it.
The beer was cold, the seals keeping it chilly just the way they liked it.
They, because after so many years-that-weren't, some of their tastes and actions were just the same side of the same coin, over and over again.
They... polarized, for the lack of better word. Opposite in some cases, alike in others, and still on the same coin in the end.
They learned to accept it, live it, and even like it a long time ago. The choice or lack of it stopped to matter. The time was no toy, but they could use it in the ways few could. They could adapt to it like few could as well.
When one lost... things, and places, and people and almost everything else with inevitability that was just plain ridiculous, one learned to adapt to the change swiftly.
Go forward, or die.
"Man... that was a great workout!" Sasuke stretched on the sun-warmed deck, not even bothering with a blanket to lay on. On the other hand, when one could use chakra as cushion over one's body, it was kind of redundant.
"Yeah." Naruto took a chug off his beer. "There is always something funny about that time you know?"
"Yes." The neo-girl snapped her arm to the side so fast it became a blur, only to slowly pull it back to her on the very same path. "It is like filling out the kid's coloring book, you know? The shape is there, you only need to add the color, that damn deja vu." She smirked. "Seems like you can get used to everything, no?"
"Almost." The blond frowned, balancing the bottle on his finger. It was more than just showing off - his chakra control was shitty beyond belief for the things he could do and he needed it as fast as he could get it, as much as he could get it. He never liked it, that cursed handicap.
At least Sasuke had it easy - a large part of it being mental, the bastard had a ball of the time controlling the relatively modest amount on a level that would shame some medic nins, while every scrap of control in Naruto's case had to be fought relentlessly for.
"You're overdoing it, you know. Taking a burn like that..."
"Oh relax, relax." Sasuke-chan sighed, pulling her glasses down a little bit. "I'm just using the opportunity."
"You are going full burn, right away, bastard. You want that power that much?" The jinchuuriki frowned, stealing the glance at the gloves on Sasuke's otherwise bare hands.
"Not really but... if I had the burn, it'd be a shame to waste it. And I admit..." She chuckled. "Working on that kind of... meager power level is just so very annoying."
"Don't overdo it, eh?" Naruto took a long swing lazily. "It is bad enough you are locked like that. But you get whimsical, yanno?"
The Uchiha raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
"Whimsical-er, rather." The blond muttered, sighing. "It gets to you, that thing. Don't overdo it, okay?"
"I've been handling it for decades, Naruto." She snorted, taking a swing off her bottle. "Give me some credit." The Uchiha smiled. "Besides, it isn't like you'd let anything happen, no?"
The blond blinked, before snorting .
"Noticed that, didn't you?"
"Your chakra, Kyuubi or not, is very... distinctive." She tapped her chest lightly. "Deep in here, it is all clear."
"If your definition of 'clear' is mingling of three types of chakra over the celestial gates..." The blond shook his head.
"I treat it as a gift." She chuckled.
The blond rolled his eyes.
"Gift, she says." He muttered, draining the bottle with one swallow. "Shit, you're really fucking crazy, you know?"
"Who's crazier - the crazy or the one that follows him?" The neo-girl said cheerfully.
"Ha!" Naruto reached, snagging two thrown - or rather fish-tail batted - beer bottles out of the air - summon usage at its finest in his opinion. Well, almost. And a seal to prevent the bottle from exploding all over when opened - a marvelous invention that took more effort and knowledge than most would believe. "In that case, out of the crew of this most wonderful boat, Hana's the single fucking craziest person period."
"Well said." Sasuke grinned, before blinking as she took a look at the beer. "The Grass country lager... huh?" She looked to the side, noticing Keisei lazily swimming and playing with water around the case of cooling beers.
"What Grass lager?" Naruto frowned. "It is Izaya dark stout! You blind or something?"
Sasuke pointed at her bottle and Naruto blinked.
"Well I'll be damned..." He muttered. "I guess we got lucky on the resupply."
"Not that lucky, Naruto." Sasuke said with an odd look. "I had my lager held in the cargo room, under all the food. I didn't even open that case. Did your Kage Bunshin...?"
The blond shook his head.
"I'd know." He said, scratching his chin. "Now that's odd..."
"I'd say." The neo-girl muttered. "Who stocked that case in the water?"
"Not my Kage Bunshin, I thought you did."
"Are you kidding? We've been getting sweaty since early morning." She puffed her lips. "As if I had the time, or the need to go into that cargo hold."
"So of you didn't...?"
The jinchuuriki paused, and the duo looked at each other, before they looked at the frolicking siren, who had apparently found playmates in some young dolphins, yet managed a cheerful smile and wave at them.
"Naruto...?" Sasuke said after a moment. "How independently intelligent is she, really?"
The blond looked at his friend for a moment, before opening his beer and taking a long swing.
"To tell the truth, I have no bloody idea." He said cheerfully.
Sasuke blinked owlishly.
"...what?"
"No idea. At all!" Naruto grinned. "Remember what I told you about the connection between her and the theory about the Mokuton?"
Sasuke froze.
"You created... a summon. A quasi-sentient, A-class Suiton-capable, tactically advanced, chakra-trident equipped, Kyuubi-powered living weapon... without knowing what she can or can't do?" Sasuke said slowly.
"Not... exactly. It is more to say I gave the blueprint and... ah, kind of had her... cooperate." The blond said sheepishly, before his grin widened. "Awesome, isn't she?"
As if sensing she was being praised, Keisei casually outpaced the dolphins, making it back to the boat with speed that was almost unreal, before gracefully swinging her tail and coming to a stop with a cheerful wave and a wide smile. The blond waved back, chuckling.
Sasuke stared at Naruto for a long moment, before she opened her beer and drained the half of it with one swing.
"Naruto?" She said after a long moment.
"Yeah?" The blond said distractedly from observing the perfectly built silhouette of his siren, who was more than happy to show off for her master.
"There are moments where you really, unquestionably, overwhelmingly fucking scare me." She said calmly. "And, without a doubt, this is one of them."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked, looking at his friend.
Sasuke just sighed, patting the blond mane with resignation.
"Nothing, Naruto. Nothing."
"Sanshu no jingi, hmm?" Naruto squinted, looking at the map. "Not very impressive."
"They don't need to be. Only the name matters." Sasuke sheathed the Majinken, the contained malevolent presence disappearing as if it was never there. In some sense, it wasn't - Sasuke could wear it like a cloak, but in the end, there was only one master in that relationship.
"The three sacred treasures." The blond snorted.
"Exactly." The Uchiha heir said with satisfaction, pulling on her gloves and snapping her fingers even as she trailed them in a half circle, up and down. The brief, violet blaze outlined the shape of the crescent moon in the evening air. "How do you like your legends and fairy tales... my lord?"
Naruto's eyes widened a fraction.
Listen, for this is a story as old as time.
Listen, for this is the story of valor, of love, of treachery and of nobility marred with greed.
Listen, o noble one, to the story of the Great serpent Yamata no Orochi, and the great lord of storms Susanoo.
Listen, o noble one, to the story of virtues and might - of great power and valor, of Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi that was known later as Kusanagi, the sword of wind; the wisdom of Mirror of Yata, and the benevolence of the Jewel of Yasakani.
But... you do know that story already, don't you?
"All right, what has the legendary sword and some ancient story to do with it all?" Hana said sceptically.
"Everything!" Sasuke laughed. "Do you know it?"
"The great god of storms, Susanoo, in return for the hand of the beautiful maiden Kushinada, defeated the eight headed serpent Orochi, recovering Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi." Hana rolled her eyes. "Really, that's a fairly tale, you know."
"Ah, of course. But!" Sasuke said, waving her finger. "There are many, many many versions of that legend, my dear." The Uchiha chuckled. "And one of them states, that Orochi, being as mighty as it was devious and unwilling to accept his loss, called forth servants - eight warriors of great power. Realizing he was outnumbered and seeing that the situation was indeed dire... Susanoo called forth champions of his own!"
The Inuzuka blinked.
What was that demented deviant s-
"Wait... I remember something about this... the Three Thunders - the mortals who helped the gods out of their own will." She muttered, frowning.
"Behold, my dear - the trio were the mighty if brash lord of the nearby lands, accompanied by his calm, yet sharp cousin and the wise, beautiful priestess. Upon them, the grateful kami of the lands bestowed gifts matching their strengths, and names to mark them forever more." Sasuke reached for a blast note, swiftly cutting it apart and detonating it, the scattered pattern forming a brief, blazing circle.
"The brash, yet powerful and courageous lord had been given the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi found in the belly of the beast - the sword known as Kusanagi, forevermore sealing his path. The kind, yet devious cousin, for his benevolence and lost barrels of sake used to make the beast drunk, was given the keen eye and symbol of his benevolence to bring him good fortune - the Jewel of Yasakani."
Her fingers drew a purple, blazing moon in the air.
"And for the priestess, who was as beautiful as she was courageous, was bestowed the Mirror of Yata, so she could see things as they were - be they far or near - in her worldly wisdom."
The kunoichi bowed in a most theatrical manner Hana would found comical, if not for the grace and obvious flair the Uchiha displayed.
"What has that got to do with anything?" The older kunoichi said sceptically.
"What?Why, everything!" Sasuke snickered, unrolling the map, her kunai stabbing a small point on the otherwise clear sector of the sea. "Three islands, once belonging to somebody, now to nobody... save for the wanderers they were recently... given to." Her grin grew a little wider.
"The Kusanagi." She tapped a long, sword-like island.
"The Yasakani." her finger circled a magatama-shaped companion to the first one.
"And, last but not least... The Yata." She drew a circle over a roughly round-shaped and last of the small cluster of islands. "Sanshu no Jingi. Offering the name, giving the land... and granting a title, however humble thanks to a friend most gracious."
The Inuzuka's eyes widened.
"So tell me, my good lady..." The neo-girl suddenly was so damn close that the other woman took a startled step back. "How would you like to come to the city of vice, riches and pleasure in the company of the Sun and the Moon?"
Hana blinked owlishly.
"That is..." Hana didn't know if to laugh, palm her face or just stare in stupor.
She chose a compromise and took a swing of the expensive wine that 'somehow' found its way onto the Enterprise when she wasn't looking.
And it was expensive. Her clan, while not exactly rich, wasn't exactly hurting for money either, but that kind of alcohol she had tasted only once in her life, a few years back and it was a truly grand occasion.
Those two didn't even bother complimenting it, treating the wine no better than water, and just as commonly. Who the hell heard of using real, honest to kami Roushu as a... a... picnic drink?!
She swallowed, absentmindedly reflecting that with her second glass she probably drank through several nice, C-rank paychecks in less than fifteen minutes.
'Though... It is a nice picnic...' She admitted, a tiny bit of a giggle welling in her throat.
Ever since she returned to the boat after fairly nondescript 'mission' and heard of the... idea, things had just been... odd. Not bad, just odd. More than usual, that is - whatever that nice, friendly and so conspicuously absent 'usual' entailed, anyway.
After all, how often can one dine on a private island?
"Hmm..." Sasuke-chan sipped from her glass, looking at the island, or islands, rather. The Sanshu no Jingi archipelago - though it could be hardly called that - was more like a one, moderately sized island cut into shapes by clear lines of water channels than anything else. Still, they were separate, just not far enough for it to be a problem. "A little bare and it really could be bigger, but it is a really nice spot." She decided.
Hana nodded absently. When she heard of the strange 'deal' - and she was damn sure that Sasuke was either lying her ass off or was hiding some stuff she'd rather not know about in regards to it being a 'gift', she expected three patches of dry rock, and not much else.
Instead, what she got were three small, but far from bare islands with their own trees, beaches, and even a bit of a mountain or two. Not much - if any of them was bigger than Konoha she'd be very surprised - but still, not the sad, lifeless bits of rock and gravel she imagined before.
"It's not so bad..." The Inuzuka murmured, looking at it critically. "There is some sweet water around, from what I can smell, and enough ground to farm in a pinch... not to mention the fish."
She nodded towards the fire that had several fishes slowly being roasted to perfection on it - the smell of herbs was getting stronger by the minute and she could barely stop herself from licking her lips.
Naruto caught them in less than twenty minutes, and she had seen enough to know that it'd be a fisherman's paradise. As a whole, the place was a little sparse but...
"Hell... Some work, a little sweat and I think you could build yourself a house here, or something."
"Want one?"
Hana blinked at Naruto's careless question.
"I asked, if you want one." The blond took a sip of wine. "There's plenty of wood, a helluva lot of stone... hell, I could build a manor here, while we're at it. There is enough stuff around. So, want one?"
"What?"
"It is your island, you know." Naruto shrugged.
"Thanks, but I only have so much time before I need to be back." She said dryly, before her eyes widened. "Wait, what do you mean 'my island'?"
"Well, it is." He unrolled the map. "Kusanagi is me - so it is mine." He pointed at the roughly sword-shaped island."Yasakani's Sasuke's," His finger circled over a magatama-shaped island. "and the Yata is yours." He tapped the round-shaped one. "Haven't you been listening?"
"Well... yes, but I thought you were..." She muttered with confusion, before freezing. "Wait... wait a damn second! Time the fuck out! You mean that the islands are real?"
"Hana... we are having a freaking picnic on one of them." Sasuke deadpanned. "What do you think?"
"So... that talk about titles is..." She trailed off, looking at the grinning Naruto and cheerfully humming Sasuke. "Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me." The kunoichi said slowly. "There is no way... no fucking way having three patches of rock makes you actually a noble."
"In this case? Sure it does." The Uchiha smirked. "See, it had been a leftover of a protectorate of one of the countries that stopped existing in... well, before Konoha was around, anyway. When the wars were over, and the original owners were gone... the territories got assimilated - the islands, technically, never were, since there was nothing of interest here. They just fell under a... protectorate, so to speak."
"So?" Hana said skeptically. "That just means those are pieces of rock with no formal standing."
"And here is where it gets interesting." The Uchiha heir smirked. "You see, those islands changed hands - on paper at least - for decades, being 'a part of territory'. All on paper. But... originally they weren't conquered - they were an autonomous territory because in the chaos of the wars no one ever took time to look at its standing from the legal standpoint. So, when the original daimyo who took the islands under the 'protectorate' way back, was killed and his country assimilated, that territory technically never was, but wasn't dissolved either. Which meant..."
Hana's eyes widened.
"...the title and rights were just in dormancy, for the owner to decide..." She choked out. "Oh. my. fucking. kami. How could anyone be that stupid! That's insane!"
"It is politics, so it is both more often than not." Naruto shrugged philosophically. "More wine, Hana-chan?"
"I wonder if it shouldn't be Hana-sama..." Sasuke said thoughtfully, tapping her cheek. "She is a ruler of her own fiefdom. Technically."
The woman in question stared at the duo, before sighing.
"Ah, whatever. What is a title between equals, eh?" She pushed the glass in the blond's direction. "Pour away, my lord Kusanagi."
Naruto bowed mockingly.
"As you wish, my good lady Yata. And if you might be so kind and grab our good lady Yasakani's glass as well, lest she become annoyed at being passed over?"
"Indeed." Hana said solemnly, reaching for the glass. "By your leave, my lady?"
Sasuke-chan nodded regally, if with a touch of the demure charm that was just so damn weird it made Hana's head spin. Or maybe it was wine?
"As you will it, my good lady Yata, my lord Kusanagi." She murmured. "It is always delightful to be in company of one's peers and away from the common rabble, no?"
"Indeed. Here we have company worthy of ourselves." Naruto nodded solemnly. "Ourselves."
Hana laughed hysterically, falling on the warm blanket.
"Mhmm..." Sasuke circled the girl slowly. "You're too tense."
"What?" Hana blinked.
"You're too tense - no one will believe you have fun like that." The Uchiha heiress lectured. "Relax, let yourself go - hell, drink a little and try to hold on to that slight, mellow feeling."
The fan tapped the Inuzuka's lips.
"And do smile, mmkay? You're sexy, you have your pretty, pretty claws in a handsome, rich guy - you have plenty of reasons to smile at him sexily, and at others with arrogance."
Sasuke smirked, her eyes somehow becoming slightly misty and dreamy but coupled with a shameless smile and a touch of arrogance presented an unexpectedly alluring image.
Hana shuddered.
Ever since she agreed to this idiocy, Sasuke reached a whole new level of disturbing. Twelve year old boys weren't supposed to be seductive women. Or give their seniors lessons on how to seduce people - and not just sexually.
Seducing didn't mean throwing on a 'come hither' smile, sexy strut and winding up in bed to fuck each other stupid before the day was done. A smile, a gesture, a word and a look - a woman could seduce a woman just as well with no sexual intent involved, as Hana was starting to discover. And the fact that Uchiha was not a woman didn't help, since right now she was technically was one. So the point was kind of moot.
And that fan, along with loose silk yukata the disturbing Uchiha was wearing only provoked flashbacks to the Sunflower brothel and that maddeningly erotic dance that left Hana more than just a little flushed and bothered. She was no prude, but the things were a wee bit too close for comfort there.
Hana shuddered again.
If she had a tiny bit less of pride, she'd whimper.
Why did she agree to this again? She couldn't remember - Sunflower was so distant and hazy now, covered with a sweet veil of alcoholic forgetfulness.
Not.
"You know... those Clan marks would actually look very good with that make up." Sasuke murmured. "They would add a certain... feral appeal to the sophistication and silk. A very nice effect, really."
"Forget it." Hana muttered. "There is no way I'm going there as... well, me. Not with what you have in mind."
"Well lookie here, you're catching on quick." Naruto chuckled, taking a swing off his bottle.
"Shut up, you!" Sasuke pointed her fan at the offending jinchuriki but not turning her eyes away from her victim. It didn't escape Hana's attention the Uchiha could unerringly pinpoint Naruto's location every time - senses or no, chakra sensory skill or no, you just couldn't be that accurate unless you were a Hyuuga. She didn't let it bother her, though - those little 'oddities' were filling her daily life now and if she let them pile up they'd drown her. She liked her sanity as it was right now, thank you very much. "No comments from the peanut gallery!"
It took a heroic enough effort of will not to think about her future report to the Hokage. Alcohol went a long way when it came to that - especially given the two pervs were the ones picking up the tab. Or Sasuke was, she had no idea - it got confusing, since the Uchiha seemed to hold the money but Naruto had no qualms about spending it whatsoever and Sasuke was no better.
It was as if the duo simply didn't care and spent on everything and anything that struck their fancy. Like it? Take it. Just like that, no second thoughts. Hana was trying not to think what would happen if Naruto lost those poker games. Not because of the debts, oh no - she was rather afraid of what those two idiots might concoct to get out of it, which might involve simply running, blowing something up or anything and everything in between.
She wasn't stupid, dammit - those yaks in Sunflower were terrified. Not merely cautious - which she'd have understood after the stunt Sasuke pulled in the brothel - but absolutely terrified, the stench of almost gut-wrenching fear hanging over them like a shroud.
And the fact that the pervert duo walked through the docks with lazy self assurance of a prince and smugness of a cat that ate the canary didn't escape her attention either. Nor did it escape her eyes that the rather pale yakuza were treated like a cross between personal honor guard and such a canary.
There was something off with the two, of that she was damn sure. Well, more wrong than what was already wrong. Or something. Overall, maybe it was better not to ask? The pace of things was hectic enough, and Hana wasn't so sure she could deal with the answers - more so with each passing day, not to mention the little pieces of chaos that seemed to come up from time to time, twisting the already rather odd situation a little more.
"Very good job on that make up by the way. With that delicate use of shadow and your naturally smooth hair when you let it go... it accents your eyes, gives them great allure." Sasuke smiled, her fingers tracing the contour of Hana's face almost too softly to be felt. "Why do you hide it so? You look beautiful."
Oh. Yes. Like that.
Hana blushed despite herself.
She tried to remember that it was just a really weird twelve year old that apparently got hit on his/her head one time too many in taijutsu sparring. She tried to assure herself it is just a very confused twelve year old with a jutsu that played havoc with his head even more.
She even tried to assure herself that said twelve year old might be simply a woman at heart and as such, since he was now a she and stayed a she it was okay but...
But she still blushed.
Like a little academy chick straight onto her first crush.
The only good thing about it was that not one of her fellow kunoichi or her friends was here.
'Oh gods... that would make it even worse.' She thought with a wince.
"And you blush so nice!" Sasuke pouted. "It is better than any make up I have, and comes off so naturally, giving you a slightly innocent, yet refreshingly honest sultry shade! Kyaa! I'm so jealous!"
'No. Wait. I was wrong. This is worse.'
"Don't worry. It passes." Naruto said sympathetically.
"Somehow, that doesn't inspire my confidence." Hana muttered, turning away from the Uchiha, only to freeze.
She blinked, rubbing her eyes.
Nope. Nothing changed.
"...Naruto?" She choked out.
The blonde peered over her spectacles, pins in her mouth as she held some piece of cloth in her hands, taking some kinds of measurements.
'And speaking of measurements...' The Inuzuka thought dazedly.
She was tall - taller than Sasuke, and more voluptuous. Not that she was fat, oh no. The body was built just as perfectly as the female Uchiha, only more... curvy. Very curvy. She was a complete opposite of her companion - where Sasuke was lithe, pale skinned (at least before the tan) and her hair were inky, Naruto was voluptuous, with an arrogant curve of hips, legs and bosom that was almost lush.
Coupled with the faded straw of the hair held in a manner that was almost naggingly familiar, a comfortable shirt and pants that fit him just fine but stretched quite a bit on her, Naruto - or Naruko rather - looked like a sex kitten straight from an erotic fantasy.
Sasuke, as Hana found, was right. Naruko put them both to shame.
"Hmm?"
Hana swallowed.
Even Naruto's voice was almost unnervingly... lush. Where Sasuke's was smooth, melodious and she at times expected to hear the ancient-sounding speech of tayuu in her mouth, Naruto's was darker, lower and had a slight rasp that only contributed to the overall, smoky allure. Hell, give it a slight seductive note, and it was as perfect a 'bedroom' voice as it came!
"What are you- Ah." She looked at her bosom. "That."
The kunoichi nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Naruko has a better eye for the color and shape of kimono than Naruto." Sasuke shrugged.
"Shut up. Not like I know why it happens, dammit. It is like you and chocolate." The blonde grumbled, though when Naruto made it look grumpy, Naruko looked so seductively cute it was just criminal.
"Just remember to do the old style kimono, all right? And don't be stingy on silk." Sasuke demanded, only to be waved away lazily. "Not everyone can do it like you, you know."
"Are you implying something, you little bitch?" Naruto said sweetly.
"Well, I certainly can't compare to you in size." Sasuke smirked. "But it is about quality, no? Ohohohohohoho!"
Letting go of her pride for a moment, Hana allowed herself a tiny whimper. Somehow, some way, she knew it wasn't going to get any better anytime soon.
The interior of the impromptu workshop was dimly lit, but it was a deliberate action - any chakra bleed off was easier to notice this way, and Sasuke knew that there would be some. It was too much of a rush job not to.
Naruto stood, crafting the bits and pieces of arrays on the cards floating around him, from time to time extending his hand, only to have one of them flow into his hand and be an object of intense scrutiny and some furious brush and knife work, often eating one or two blood seals before being returned to the rest.
The cards looked to be floating, but it was nothing but an illusion. Sasuke knew that if she looked with the sharp wheels of the sharingan, the array of overpowered chakra strings that held it all together would be revealed.
Still, it was an interesting sight. The tiny vibrations - after-effects of Naruto's somewhat poor chakra control coupled with recent forceful overburn of Kyuubi's energy - made it seems like the rectangular pieces of paper floated on their own.
Sasuke quirked an eyebrow looking at a number of items strewn around, on the nearby table and on the floor. Some were fairly ordinary, like a number of fine kunai, senbon and other throwing implements, some swords that she was sure he didn't make due to their rather ordinary quality.
Naruto, as amusing as it was, was a perfectionist when it came to his mundane weaponry - he often said that if it couldn't be shiny enough, then it should be at least badass enough. Which wouldn't be so bad if the blond didn't go overboard - his 'ordinary' swords could withstand cutting boulders without chakra enhancement. Most ninja would love to have that kind of weaponry.
Weapons weren't the only things - there were, oddly enough, rocks - or stone pillars rather - fairly small, but still weighing quite a bit, she'd hazard a guess, a whole roll of rather nice silk, another roll of linen, wood and... a tree?
The Uchiha blinked.
Yes, she wasn't wrong. It was a perfectly fine, young tree with its own bucket of soil.
Before she could ask, Naruto tapped one of the strings attached to his hand, dragging one of the floating cards from the rack and tapping it. A hiss and some smoke later, the card was gone, leaving a large scroll in its place.
Two Kage Bunshin took the scroll, efficiently coiling it around the tree, and in a flash, there was nothing but the scroll, that was soon re-sealed again into a card and returned into the rack.
Sasuke's eyebrow arched even higher as the procedure was repeated, this time with the stones.
"You are using your arsenal for... trees?" She asked incredulously.
"You never know when one might get handy."
"I know, but trees?" The heiress looked at her friend with bemusement.
Naruto nodded, before snapping his finger and flipping something red that appeared in Sasuke's direction.
The neo-girl frowned, looking at the rose. She sniffed it gently.
It was real, and quite nice at that, if not spectacularly large. It was quite a charming little flower, though.
"I have sealed a perfectly nice bush of blooming wild roses that I found on the Kusanagi island as well." The blond grinned.
"Ooh, and partial retrieval." Sasuke sniffed the rose again. "I'm impressed."
"It's shoddy. I didn't have enough time." The jinchuuriki shrugged, dispatching several clones to cover the leftover objects and seal them into their respective cards. "I even had to use the snap seals for that." He peered at his fingers critically for a moment, flexing them. "There goes my ability to do full five-point elemental seals quickly, I guess."
Sasuke let the sharingain flash for a moment, noticing the fresh lacerations on Naruto's thumb and middle fingers, as well as on the index one and winced.
"Nasty. You carved them directly into flesh? Couldn't you have simply altered the storage ones?"
"It was faster this way." The blond shrugged. "Not like I have a whole day and five elemental storage scrolls to attune it, you know."
"It is still nasty." Sasuke muttered. "Barbaric stuff, that."
"But very effective." Naruto swept his hand, breaking the strings, allowing the cards to fall back and form a neat deck, before stabbing his fingers into it, and letting it seal itself fully until it was gone. "Well, at least this works as it should." He murmured, before yelping and grabbing his hand as a flash of pain hit him. "Holly fucking SHIT BUT THAT HURTS!"
"I told you so." The kunoichi sighed, before tapping his spine, momentarily leaving the arm limp and cutting the pain away.
"...shit. Thanks, Sasuke." Naruto winced. "Speed sealing is a bitch."
"Why do you do it anyway?" The heiress huffed. "Usually you spend a week at the least creating any arsenal."
"Yeah, but..." Naruto winced, looking at his smoking palm. He was really going to feel it after the numbness wore out. "We're limited on jutsu right now. If something happens..."
"If something happens, we'll handle it." Sasuke's face was impassive. "Naruto, you are probably one of the greatest sealmasters the world had ever seen, but you can't create something out of nothing. You don't have an access to a proper workshop or lab, just a smidgen of your usual materials, and only a very limited time table. Whatever you create won't help much if we face something that we can't handle with brute force alone. You are not a god and you have limits. Give it a rest."
"Says the guy who absorbs the half-filtered bijuu chakra boost." The blond deadpanned, only to cringe as Sasuke glared at him.
"The difference is, I do it on regular basis and won't hurtmyself." She said darkly.
"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" The jinchuuriki rolled his eyes. "I get it. No more dangerous science."
Sasuke's glare turned into the patented 'How stupid do you think I am, dead last?' look.
"Well, much, anyway." The blond corrected himself, before grabbing a matte-black, thin bundle off the table. "Come on. I have something to give to our favorite bitch."
Sasuke's eyebrow quirked.
"Is that a sword?" She asked curiously.
"For us? Yes." Naruto said flippantly, spinning it in his palm. "For our sweet bitch? Depends if I am right or not. It's gonna be interesting no matter which way it goes."
A second eyebrow joined the first. Sasuke knew that tone very well. Too well, actually.
"Should I-"
"I will not blow up the boat!" The blond snapped. "Some faith in me wouldn't hurt, bastard!" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, it is not like I blow something up every time I work!"
"Of course you don't." Sasuke nodded. "One needs to also mention the burning, corrosive substances in astounding variety, the chakra array backlash, an attack of giant marshmallows-"
"It was just one time!" Naruto protested. "And it was a honest to gods accident! I didn't know they'll get so big or they'll start to walk out of the lab!"
"-and the ramen golem, that little ice age, that incredibly colorful mushroom episode - where did you get that amount of hallucinogenic mushrooms I have no idea by the way - the tentacle lemon jello..." Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "Really, I have to give it to you - you don't blow up stuff every time. Oh no. You go for variety."
The jinchuuriki glared at his friend darkly.
"Yeah, well. Fuck you too." He muttered.
"Promises, promises."
Naruto's eyebrow twitched.
Hana was no stranger to things like make up, fashion or the other typically 'feminine' skills. She might have been an Inuzuka, she might have been a war shinobi and as fierce as any of her clan, but she was still a woman and could appreciate the fortune she currently wore, not even counting the absurdly expensive jewelry and various cosmetics.
Which was hard not to appreciate considering she currently wore more money on her than she made in a year. Or would have, if not for the fact she had a sneaking suspicions just where the amazingly sewn kimono, or its several equally exquisite looking cousins, came from. After all, one doesn't simply buy the perfectly tailored clothes off the rack. And these were tailored, down to every detail.
All of her womanly instincts warred with her mind about wearing the simple yet elegant masterpiece on the deck like some common, ten ryo rag. The fact she had several equally fine ones in her bags didn't ease her mind one bit.
Though she had to admit, the one she wore now was a bit odd. While lighter than any full furisode, it was still elaborate, if simpler and with a touch of archaic, almost unseen save for shrines or extremely formal functions among the high courts. It was also fairly sturdy, which she noticed with surprise, despite its seemingly frail look and wide, billowy sleeves.
It was blue, with a faint pattern that seemed almost floral, until one looked at the larger representation on her sash, where the 'flower' quickly proved to be the traditional octagonal representation of the Mirror of Yata.
'Those idiots.' she smiled a little, despite herself. Sure, it almost felt like dress up, considering the fairy tale elements contained within the whole charade, but than who didn't want to play the part in a gallant fairy tale, at least once?
As such bearing the Yata mon - as ridiculous as it sounded - was both an embarrassment and a rush that made her feel like she was six and listening to her mother telling stories during the winter evenings. Embarrassment or no, it did invoke a childish sense of awe and wonder she remembered from then clearly.
Despite herself, Hana couldn't stop a giggle escaping her mouth. No matter how much she'd want to deny it, she could see why the two idiots did what they did. It was a strangely pleasurable rush, to do something as outrageous like that - and they didn't even start yet.
The Inuzuka groaned softly, as she caught the direction here thoughts were heading.
"I'm going to kill those two idiots." She muttered, not quite able to stop the slight grin tugging at her lips.
The young woman shook her head, straightening the sleeve of her kimono yet again, only to freeze.
If her own clothes had a touch of archaic weaved into them, Sasuke's were on the other side of the spectrum completely, archaic with a minor, but fairly scandalous nods towards the modern. Save for the deep violet color and the rather elaborate nature, Hana was sure that it wouldn't raise too many eyebrows in a shrine
Of course, priestesses didn't wear such rich, violet-themed make up, nor expensive earrings, or an even more expensive crescent moon choker from pure silver, with the elaborate obi marked with the very same crescent moon.
Hana was also damn sure that no priestess robes that slid down the shoulders slightly so that present the generous upper part of the cleavage, nor carrying a long, thin pipe, presenting an image that was a three-way cross between a rich noblewoman, an expensive courtesan on a stroll and a shrine maiden with a touch of wild in her.
The combination was both jarring like a stab towards Hana's sense of decency and aesthetics, and incredibly alluring in the 'forbidden fruit' kind of way, that was both dark and tempting.
If Sasuke wanted to convey an aura of sophisticated, yet brazen lust, she had succeeded beyond Hana's wildest imagination, or worst nightmares. She would be surprised if the Uchiha heir (currently heiress) wasn't swamped with invitations and propositions from the rich men the moment they stepped on the shore.
The Uchiha, as if reading Hana's thoughts, turned slowly, letting the speechless Inuzuka see every inch of the expensive attire with a flourish of a tayuu that moonlighted as an actress, snapping her moon-marked fan open with a smirk.
Hana, for her part, just stared with sheer disbelief, her mind refusing to even dare to speculate just how 'loud' this whole spectacle was going to be considering the femme fatale Uchiha nutcase in front of her.
Still, she expected something like this. Somewhat. Sasuke was crazy, of that there was no doubt, and she delighted in the brand of disturbing that left Hana's sanity on rather shaky ground. After that, nothing was going to surprise her.
Or so she thought, until she looked at Naruto and simply froze.
'Oh. My.'
The formerly short blond was now taller than both of them, if not by much. His previously already untamed mane was now a long - very long in fact - mass of spikes that smoothed somewhat towards the back, held in a simple, slightly wild ponytail that manged to look roguish instead of scruffy.
The whisker marks were gone, leaving the smooth, unblemished skin with sharper features of an adult, though sharper and more vulpine than she'd have expected, if still rather captivating coupled with sharp blue eyes tinged with violet.
That wasn't the biggest shock, however. What he wore, and how he wore it...
Contrary to Sasuke, Naruto was bereft of ornaments, but the deep crimson and burgundy of his hakama and gi served to serve the flash in an almost hammer-like manner. The same mix of old and new, but with a lazier, almost relaxed flair of someone who had money and flaunted it but didn't feel like dressing up.
Loud, flashy and noticeable to the extreme - he wouldn't be able to be more in-your-face and at the same time maintaining the air of casual elegance if he tried. It was Sasuke's job, of that Hana was sure - thanks to their shopping trip and time spent on the boat Hana knew how Sasuke's tastes towards clothes ran very well.
The loud haori with a flashy outline of a burning sun on the back was pure Naruto, though, Hana decided. She had seen an almost identical symbol before on the temples of Amaterasu, though this one was different in several ways so as not to mistake the two.
"The breath of the archaic, the kiss of the fairy tale, the bite of modern practicality, the touch of temptation, the pinch of scandal and the aura of money." Sasuke snapped her fan open elegantly. "Perfect."
"Almost." Naruto nodded, tapping the scroll.
"For me?" She cocked an eyebrow, only to blink as a very nice, if simple bamboo umbrella took the place of the sealing scroll.
Sasuke looked at Naruto curiously, picking it up, only to smile as she noticed the strangely shaped handle, which turned out to be a hilt as she twisted it, drawing a straight blade.
"A shikomizue with a floral pattern and held inside an umbrella?" Sasuke laughed. "It is perfect!"
"I saw that little thing it in Konoha, though without the blade." The blond smiled. "Thought you'd like it, and I saw a nice one in the Sunflower. Enjoy."
"I intend to." The Uchiha smirked, sliding the blade back, before drawing it again several times in various directions. "Thanks, dead last."
"And now, for our very own cruelly cold, yet so undeniably sexy Inuzuka Hana..." Naruto grinned, throwing the bewildered woman the black bundle.
"...huh?" Hana caught the bundle, feeling the unmistakable weight and shape of a sword under the cloth. "What's that?" She asked curiously, taking off the covering to uncover a fairly simple, though strangely wide kodachi.
"Oh, just a little something I've... found." Naruto grinned. "The previous owners had no use for it. Indeed if they so much as tried..." The jinchuuriki chuckled darkly. "Well, whatever would happen would have been... interesting, to say the least."
"Hmm. Strange... Looks a little bit like a long kodachi or a short katana but..." Hana drew the blade, only to blink at the identical, matte black color shared with its hilt. It didn't look like paint, too. "Wide... and a little heavy but..."
Her fingers curled around the hilt, the material under her fingers fitting her palm as if tailored. There was no awkwardness she would have expected handling a new, unorthodox and fairly heavy weapon. In fact...
She swung the blade slowly.
It wasn't heavy. It had its weight, but it was just right. Ideal, even.
Hana cut the air, up and down, before lunging forward with a stab and slashing to the side. It was perfect - the balance, the handling, the feeling... No kunai, blade or shuriken she had trained with for her whole life - none of them felt as good, as right as this.
"It is magnificent." She breathed. "What is it?"
"Oh, just a little something I thought you'd like." Naruto said innocently, and Hana paused mid-swing, looking at him suspiciously.
The jinchuuriki smiled sunnily.
Hana cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, I do, thanks." She frowned. "But if it turns out to be another of your little fucked up ideas, I'll make your life hell, you hear me?"
"Oh yeah?" The jinchuuriki grinned cockily. "Bring it on, bitch! Wherever, whenever - I'm always up for spanking your doggy ass nice and red." He waggled his eyebrows. "Who knows, you might like it and ask for more."
The Inuzuka woman blinked, before looking at Sasuke.
"You know, somehow I am not surprised by that answer at all." She sighed.
"You are approaching wisdom, grasshopper." Sasuke nodded sagely.
The older kunoichi snorted.
"Yeah, aren't I the lucky one."
Hana looked on in fascination as the breeze pushed them closer to their destination.
The city was an odd mix, a little bit like Konoha - with old and new meeting halfway, one overpowering the other at some points that had to be districts, or at least so she thought. The combination was more jarring than Konoha, though, both because the city was much bigger, and because there were additions that looked unlike anything else she had ever seen.
Also, the city was...
"...is it... red?" Hana blinked.
It wasn't 'just' red either - it was rich crimson that she had yet to see used for buildings, and it didn't look like paint, though she could be wrong.
"The Akasango." Sasuke nodded. "The Crimson Coral, the capital of the Coral Country. Yes, it is red. The buildings are built out of the particular type of stone that can be found around here."
"Yeah, but... even the wooden ones are red." The Inuzuka murmured. "And those roofs look like... damn, polished or something?"
"Ah, that? That's because the trees are also red." Naruto laughed. "In fact, Akasango was named because of that, and every building in the 'new' city is red."
The older kunoichi looked at the blond curiously.
"Around fifteen years ago, after the first capital burned almost to the ground - the palace included - in the aftermath of the destabilization in the region 'cause of the Bloodlimit Massacre, the daimyo was so pissed that he lost the palace to fire - yet AGAIN - that he decided to have one built completely out of stone. He was also in love with the daughter of a local pirate lord, and in a crazy idea to show how serious he was, he built the palace using local red granite that was her favorite color. It cost a fortune, but the guy was both fantastically rich, and crazy as all get out about her."
Naruto chuckled.
"Which wouldn't be so damn funny, if said daughter wasn't the one who burned his previous palace in the first place. Still, she must have been impressed, because she actually came by to see it. Some sources say that she actually wanted to burn it down but decided to was far too nice to do so, or that she couldn't because it was a fortress. The end result is the same - the pirate princess married the slightly crazy daimyo."
"Really?" Hana blinked.
"Yes." Sasuke nodded, smirking. "The daimyo's advisors had kittens, as did the father of the 'blushing bride' - who is a very beautiful but very amazonish woman who can wrestle mountain bears, crush rocks with her bare hands and prefers ninja armor and a sword larger than she is tall to the court finery."
Sasuke's smirk widened.
"Considering that the daimyo - aside from the fact he is somewhat crazy - is a slender, gentle man with a heart of a poet and love of arts who disdains violence, you can imagine how funny it must look. His wife is taller than him by good margin, could break him in half with her one arm and her approach to courtroom is to bring out the sword and casually polish it when she finds the discussion not to her liking."
Hana looked at the duo incredulously.
"You're kidding me."
"No. Really." Naruto chuckled. "Shasti is cool that way. A surprisingly good marriage, too. A bit of a flake Shinji can be, but she really loves him. And he, well..." Naruto pointed at the large red structure. "As you can see. He is crazy about her to the point of insanity."
"I'd say." Hana eyed the palace. It was both large and quite nice, though very unorthodox with strangely round, dome-like designs of the roofs. Still, it was fairly pleasant, overall. "Which still doesn't explain why the most of the city is red."
"The nobility was quick to accept the new fad, considering how... unstable the young daimyo seemed. Which prompted the excavation of the red granite, only to discover that a nearby island has a LOT of it. And, well, the 'Crimson Roofs of Akasango' became a part of the local folklore, along with the incredibly romantic love story and..." Sasuke chuckled, pointing at the city. "They needed to rebuild it anyway. The locals are kind very proud of it, really."
"Talk about civic pride." The Inuzuka women shook her head. "Crazy people..."
"Oh you don't know the half of it." Naruto rolled his eyes. "The Akasango, aside from being called the City of Wine, is called the city of fast, loose, and easy."
Hana quirked an eyebrow.
"Fast life, loose rules, easy women." Sasuke smirked. "And all the statements are interchangeable, really."
"Don't be fooled, Hana-chan." The blond leaned on the railing. "This city is where the rich and powerful gather. They come here for the loose laws and for the fast life, they don't want to be obstructed overmuch and are willing to pay for it. This city, while nice, is very chaotic and has a seedy underbelly like you wouldn't believe. If you have money, anything and everything can be bought in Akasango. You can get the rare jewelry or art pieces as easily as you can acquire a horrific poison or a completely conditioned sex slave. Everything has a price here, and anything can be bought if you look hard enough and have enough cash."
Hana's eyes widened.
"And the daimyo permits this?"
"Why do you think he is so rich?" Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.
"...oh." The Inuzuka nodded slowly. "I see."
"That ain't no vacation resort with nice beaches and tropical drinks." Naruto halted, frowning. "Well, it is, but for the guys who play hard and can afford it. Get me?"
"I get you, all right." The older kunoichi nodded. "I'm curious how you know about it, though." Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"The ramen festival, poker and living on the fringe of the society. I'm enough of an outcast to hear all sort of stuff like that." Naruto shrugged, walking to the back of the boat.
"...ouh." Hana winced. "I messed up this one, didn't I?" She muttered to Sasuke.
"Not really." The girl smiled sadly. "But he was right. People usually thought he was a hooligan and good for nothing, the 'demon brat' and thinking badly of him was easy. Considering the part of Konoha he lives in..." Sasuke trailed off. "Well, you need to be friendly with neighbors when you're alone. Even if they are thugs and prostitutes - you play the cards you're dealt."
Hana's eyes widened.
"You're kidding me!" she muttered ."I mean... he was just a kid how can anyone-"
"And who do you think will let the 'demon brat' live in his building?" The neo-girl snorted. "Certainly no 'upstanding' citizen, that's for sure. Oh don't worry." Sasuke added quickly, noticing the rising snarl on Hana's face. "He wasn't abused - no one hit him or anything - the Hokage made clear what would happen if someone so much as dared to move a finger in a wrong manner. But still... it is hard when people... forget."
The Inuzuka woman winced, feeling a bad taste in her mouth at the mere thought.
While she never knew much about Naruto, she had occasionally seen the overactive blond urchin running around - some of Naruto's pranks were simply too big to ignore. Not to mention he brought an injured kitten to the clinic once, when her uncle Tano was still the one running it, if she remembered right.
Still, she never questioned why the adults seem to just... ignore. He was just some kid, no one really important. Even after, when her brother told some stories about Naruto's antics from time to time, she never really paid attention. Just a brat, like many others, right?
"But still... that kind of people..." She muttered. "I mean, how old could he be? Nine?"
"Six." Sasuke said calmly and Hana just froze. "Or almost six."
"And you're telling me he grew up around... around people like that since he was six?!" She hissed, an acidic bile rising in her throat.
"Next to, not around." Sasuke corrected with a shrug. "But yes. It isn't as bad as it seems, and a fairly interesting neighborhood when you come down to it." She chuckled. "Though people get a really weird expression on their faces when he calls the girls from the Kaen by name."
Hana stared at the Uchiha incredulously. She might not be the most worldly Inuzuka, but she knew of Kaen - anybody in Konoha did, as it was one of the best brothels in the red lights district.
"You're shitting me."
"Hana, the only reason that Naruto knows how to take care of plants and cook is because Ritsuko-san lives one floor down and she taught him." Sasuke quirked an eyebrow with amusement. "Where do you think the Oiroke no Jutsu came from? Naruto knew about the 'birds and the bees' since he was eight, and more than most teenagers twice his age did, I'd bet."
The older kunoichi looked at the Uchiha without a word, before sighing.
"You know... that explains so much." She said contemplatively.
"Doesn't it, though?" Sasuke nodded cheerfully.
"That must have been some... colorful education." Hana murmured, wincing slightly.
"Well, let's just say he can make both a beautiful flower arrangement and knows his knots well." Sasuke-chan smiled mysteriously and Hana blinked, looking at her incomprehensibly, before paling as the understanding dawned.
Sasuke-chan... giggled - which only served to make Hana's glare darker.
"I'd call you disturbed, but somehow, I have a feeling you'd only take it as a compliment."
Sasuke just smiled, nodding.
"You're enjoying this far too much, you know." The older kunoichi said accusingly.
"Why yes, I do." The Uchiha heiress blinked innocently, her dark eyes large and so full of darling naivete that it made Hana physically ill. "You mean you don't?"
Sasuke was a master of genjutsu. While it might seem like nothing really impressive, considering the sharingan had the ability to trap a person in a direct illusion simply by looking at them, it went far deeper. Sasuke, in a fit of pique, boredom, anger and a mix dozen of other reasons mixed with pure curiosity, decided to learn advanced genjutsu without the crutch of the sharingan, and found himself (and occasionally herself) entranced.
Genjutsu was supposed to be the no brainer for an Uchiha - one look from a fully evolved sharingan could cast one over anyone, one look could also break any of them like glass.
Or so most of the Uchiha liked to think. The truth, as Sasuke found, turned out to be a far more embarrassing and bitter pill to to swallow.
The Sharingan could break the genjutsu - true. Go, look, notice the chakra pattern - poof. And then when you are confident in your sharingan-induced arrogance, you suddenly feel that cold kunai picking through your gut because it was just one layers out of many, and the trick's on you.
Sasuke had an epiphany and the idle curiosity turned into a fascination, one that quickly progressed into the realms of epic, if occasionally stormy, romance.
Many curses, battles, mistakes, bouts of impotent fury and countless hours driving herself crazy to be able to drive others crazy, Sasuke was a genjutsu master.
A bored genjutsu master.
Bored Sasuke was a bad thing. Bored, gender-shifting Sasuke with an arsenal of genjutsu Yuuhi Kurenai would happily kill, strip tease or pole dance for was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
For others, that is.
The violet-clad woman let a small grin tug at her lips, as a passing noble man and his entourage, two undercover shinobi included, slowed down as the man tried to be discreet in his interest.
The Uchiha heiress let the smile widen a bit as she let the bamboo umbrella roll a little over her naked shoulder, letting the shade hiding her face disperse that one, critical bit, which made the man almost stop in his tracks as he tried to pretend he wasn't staring and failing miserably.
'And now... for the finishing touch...' She thought, letting her step carry her a tad slower, even as she let the tiniest smidgen of chakra tussle her free-flowing curtain of raven silk. She tugged at one unruly strain, tucking it back in a smooth, elegant motion, turning her head just a little to give the man a fleeting look.
It took all she had to keep from laughing as the richly garbed man simply froze, all decorum and pretense long forgotten as he stared at her as she passed by.
The Uchiha heiress let the smile linger, as she dismissed the lord, not even bothering to remember his face. Just another piece of floating deadwood in rich robes.
'Still, it was amusing,' she admitted with that tiny spark of satisfaction. It was vain, but she really didn't give a damn. As long as it was amusing, it didn't bother her one bit. Not many things did, as a matter of fact. Not anymore, at any rate.
Her eyes lingered at one of the shinobi - a kunoichi, actually - that accompanied the man. A short, lithe woman in a nice, though not spectacular kimono one would expect of attendant of lower rank. Nice, if slightly sharp features, the dark eyes hidden behind the lenses of simple glasses, yet not hidden enough for Sasuke not to notice the faintest glimmer of chilly arrogance coupled with minor... contempt?
'Oh, now this is interesting...' The Uchiha heiress thought, standing by one of the countless shops of the alley, the vendor comically torn between jumping up to her with his usual salesman prattle and intimidation of her looks and the obvious wealth of her garment.
She could feel trace the eyes, still following her, from the corner of her eye, the contempt only growing stronger as the kunoichi observing her eyed the gaudy jewelery on sale, settling on full-on contempt when the woman looked for guards or attendants, finding none.
This was more than just a habit or shinobi training, Sasuke decided. There was a certain poise in the woman observing her, along with an understated elegance that was hard to achieve even for professionals and told much if one knew what to look for. Not to mention, for a simple attendant, her 'simple' kimono was of excellent quality, and her jewelry of very graceful make. Nothing rich, but it was fine. A little toofine, indeed.
'A noblewoman. The jewelry is obviously her own, but sensible yet marking status, and the way she moves... jounin.' She decided. 'The pattern and style of the kimono could be from anywhere but... hmm. Light but solid footing, very graceful movement but not flowing and quite straightforward... ah. Hishigata. An adept of the Diamond Shape, here? My my. Iwa, then. Quite combat-capable from the looks of it, if not terribly subtle. A rookie?' Sasuke let her mind wander as she idly picked up a small, if quite nice looking earing that looked to be out of place among the other pieces on sale. The vendor tried to offer her something else, obviously disappointed until she casually threw a large, golden coin - easily worth half of his stand - on the table.
The Uchiha noted with amusement as the eyes narrowed slightly in clear disdain and silent disapproval, the corners of the kunoichi's mouth tightening almost unnoticeably.
'Dismissing me as a sham, aren't you? Oh you poor thing... this won't do at all.' The heiress thought with amusement, a smile tugging at her lips, which widened when the kunoichi stiffened, almost unnoticeably, her eyes unfocusing that tiny, slightest bit.
It was a little known fact - almost completely so, aside from few high-level shinobi who had chosen to dabble in the technicalities - that the infamous 'killer intent' was actually a very primal, instinctive genjutsu.
A mix of hostility, confidence, an absolute certainty you can, you will and you won't hesitate to slaughter all in sight - cumulated, and with those experienced enough, mixed with the blood of their battles, the cold confidence of a killer and the arrogance of a warrior, coupled with subliminal intimidation, body language and even scent. All of that getting so much more kick when you can radiate your psychic imprint all over the place - your enemies included.
In that way, genjutsu might be thought of to be the first, oldest and most instinctive of all arts. Which was ironic, considering it had been - next to advanced (and in Naruto's opinion real) seal arts - thought as the most difficult of them all.
Sasuke, who had observed the effects of Naruto's Kyuubi-enhanced killer intent, had an epiphany. Fear was a primal function, but it wasn't the only one. What if one could use the same principle that was attributed to the 'killer intent' for something... else?
And thus, the dangerously bored Uchiha 'gender identity is optional' Sasuke created something as ruthlessly effective as its predecessor, if far more amusing.
Something called 'lust intent'.
Sasuke turned away from the stall, looking at the earring in her hand for a moment, as if admiring it. Which was a perfect occasion to notice the kunoichi, who was looking at her, face steely but eyes tracing each of Sasuke's moves with fascination.
The violet clad woman smiled with satisfaction, tugging one of her unruly strands back.
The grin only widened as the Iwa kunoichi licked her lips lightly, probably not even noticing her action as her spellbound eyes almost devoured the Uchiha.
"Having fun, my dear lady Yasakani?"
"Always, Kusanagi." She said slightly, smirking as Naruto, accompanied by remarkably relaxed-looking Hana, approached the stall.
"Earrings?" Hana quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that a slightly too simple for your tastes, Yasakani?"
Sasuke was impressed. While far from the smoothest operators, the Inuzuka woman slid into her role well. Though some coaching, a little bit of sake and the careful massage helped. Pressure points and chakra acupuncture were a wonderful thing - Tsunade was going to get a hug and a big thank you the next time Sasuke met the genius medic. Which she got each time, but oh well - what was the life without its pleasures?
"Oh, sometimes simplicity is what you need. It is all about class in the end, no?" Sasuke smiled, turning her back to Naruto as she handed him the earring. "If you would be so kind...?"
The blond quirked an eyebrow as the brunette slid her curtain of hair away from her neck.
Naruto smiled with amusement, snapping his fan shut and skillfully using it to tug at the silver chain with one end, before sliding it to his palm.
The delicate chain stopped, tugging at Sasuke's throat slightly and the Uchiha let her head move back slightly.
"Do be gentle, hmm?" She murmured with a faint smile.
The jinchuuriki chuckled, unfastening the claps, before sliding the ring on it and closing it.
"I'll let you off the leash..." He murmured, letting the chain slide back slowly. "For now, anyway."
Sasuke chuckled, and Hana decided to be absorbed in the nearby vendor a moment before, thanking the gods for the experience to know when the two freaks were upping the ante, self control to keep the facade and sake for that slight bit of mellow numbness.
And Sasuke, the little deviant pervert, who probably did more than just slid her hands in a disturbingly innocent yet maddeningly arousing fashion down her oiled back this morning - without her calling the perv on it.
If that didn't indicate the gender-confused Uchiha did something, she didn't know what did.
She knew two things, however. One, she was going to burn some incense for the gods in thanks for that, and two - she was sure as hell going to make Sasuke do that again come the next morning.
Because if she knew one thing about those two, things were sure as hell not going to get any better around here.
Sasuke smiled, feeling the chain slid down her silken skin, the cool of the metal a pleasurable touch over the burn and that little excitement welling inside her.
She felt the earing coiled on the chain brush over her skin, throwing one, last look at the now-blushing, wide-eyed Iwa kunoichi.
Oh she had plans for that earring... and that little Iwa sweetheart, though those could wait. After all, the moment of anticipation between reaching and getting for the prize was so pleasantly entertaining. Like a feeling of freefall.
The little kunoichi and her earring could wait until the right moment. Meaning when she felt like it.
Sasuke chuckled.
This was getting better and better. Naruto's idea was excellent, and exactly what they needed. Perhaps her blond friend needed a reward?
She threw him a shrewd look from under the long lashes and the blond eyebrow quirked in response.
Naruto smirked, his whole posture relaxed and slightly mocking.
'Bring it on.' was said without words, not that they were needed, with that infamous, gleeful spark lighting his eyes.
'Oh yes.' Sasuke thought with a smirk. 'Things just keep getting better.'