The Pink Blossom Quest Library

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/1284666

[X] Sit there and be lectured at by your father? and other stuff from Turtle King Land~
Haruno Kizashi dot connecting - 8d10 → [3,1,10,3,9,9,8,3] = (46)

You are Haruno Sakura and boy are you ever suffering.

Your existence is suffering. A horrible and unspeakable suffering.

You have mini-clones of your mother practicing taijutsu against your head INSIDE your head... your mouth is dry and HORRIBLE tasting.

And worse... you have to face the music for going out in the middle of the night and ending up in a tanuki party.

Yeah... you're suffering alright.

But it looks like it's going to end soon, judging by the looks on your parent's faces... you're going to get executed, quartered and then buried.

Death was an acceptable way to end the suffering you were experiencing thanks to the tanuki.

As you sit in the study, feeling very contrite... your father just looks disappointed at you, so very disappointed. If your head wasn't killing you, you would wish you could die from the horrible shame. As it was, the shame equaled the agony of the [hangover~].

He sat down with a sigh and handed you a glass of something green. "Here, this will help with your hangover."

"So, now you've experienced one of the reasons why the tanuki contract is not the most sought after contracts," You down the glass of green liquid, it tastes minty. It also makes you feel miserable and want to throw up, you resist the urge.

"I'm not going to lecture you on what you did. I will say that you should read up on the three vices that ninja are not suppose to indulge in as it only leads to ruination," You groan at the thought of reading.

"So, I take it you went out and found yourself in the party?" You nod. "Anything notable happen?"

You point at the crystal flower the tanuki gave you...

Your father frown at the flower, and took it out of your hair before placing it on the table and punching it HARD. Well, not as hard as you or your mother would... but you're sure it's really impressive and ever...

"Auuuuuu!"

Wait...

You blink and rubbed your eyes. Just to make sure you're not being fooled by something or other.

No, where the flower was... was the boy tanuki.

Clutching his head where your father had punched.

You feel this need to hug the poor tanuki and rub his bump away. You're also suffering from the hang over.

In short, you're very confused and thus couldn't react fast enough before your father grabbed the tanuki and go outside of the room.

- - -​

Some time later, and after the sounds of HORRIBLE and CHILLING acts of violence and murder fades away, your father returns to you with the tanuki.

"Congratulations, Sakura," Your father's voice is dry. "Despite not having signed the tanuki contract, you've managed to get a tanuki who wants to help you. And that's all he's going to do, isn't it?"

Your father's killing intent directed at the tanuki was cold and sharp, not instant killing death, more horrible oh god you wish you could die killing intent.

"A... auuuu!" The tanuki nodded frantically at your father.

"If you want to, you can name him... he does have his own name, but you'll want something you can pronounce easily. Just note that you won't be able to summon him until you sign the contract..." Your father sighed. "So, unless you don't want him. You have a pet."

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Pet?​

What do?
Vote Group A on tanuki-kun's fate
[X] You now has a pet tanuki (Write In a Name)!
[X] You are without a pet. Poor tanuki-kun's heart is broken.

Vote Group B For AFTER you've recovered from the hang-over~
[X] Go Exploring in the woods.
[X] Go Exploring on the boat or go swimming... you think you can make it to that small nearby island.
[X] Go Swimming... and maybe... hmmm is it hunting or fishing if you're doing it under water?
[X] Go play with mommy?
[X] Write In?

 

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Sauce is not Danbooru, but google

[X] You have a pet, and his name is...
[X] Go play with mommy?

Your father leaves you alone with the tanuki, having said his piece.

It looks back up at you.... you can feel a need for... yes, you need water.

"Water," you croak at it.

The tanuki nods and runs off, before returning shortly with a glass of water.

You drink it in slow sips before asking for more, and the tanuki complies. You can see a certain attraction to having an intelligent pet, one that was able to help out around the house and other places.

Slowly, your suffering dies down. Looks like your father's cure for hang-overs is... effective. And as your suffering ends, you vow to never do this again; drink alcohol. There is the sensation of the universe laughing at your vow.

Still, you do recover with time...

You did have to name the tanuki. And as you recovered, you pondered upon it. Something exotic, perhaps Dan, Ken or Ryu... those suggestions were nixed by the inner you.

Then you stumbled upon the memory of a companion that your inner you had had in the past.

Blanka. That seemed to work, and it was in honor of an old friend.

"Your name is Blanka."

"Auuuu?!?!" The tanuki seemed surprised, but accepted your decree for now.

- - -​

You discover from your inner voice's musings... that despite vast swaths of time passing, some things never really change.

Such as sand castles.

Your mother and you instead of training as expected, settle for making sand castles.

Your baby sister lies on a towel beneath an umbrella as you and your mother make sand castles, while your father fishes... you try not to think of the solid clone that your parents made to look after your sister.

The inner you had looked at the technique being performed and went fffffff!!!, started to throw paper about in the back of your mind while declaring that this was utter bullshit, it was impossible and so on...

You had asked your parents on teaching you said technique... but was shot down by them.

Something about you not being ready for it. That the technique was actually dangerous to use, especially when it was done by someone too young or possessed a chakra supply that was insufficient, and from what they had seen... you just weren't ready to learn, much less use the kage bunshin technique.

You enjoy the slow day of making a sand castle, and city that surrounded said castle.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Sandcastles​

What Do?
[X] Join Father in Fishing?
[X] Go swimming...
[X] Take a nap with your sister...
[X] Break out the pencils and sketchbook...
[X] Go Exploring in the woods, gah... so hot and humid.
[X] Go Exploring, you think you can make it to that small island via swimming or perhaps if you used the rowboat?
[X] Write In Like A Baus...

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - posts/737275

[X] Take a nap with your sister...

You spend time with your mother making the most elaborate city you can.

You were tempted to ask your mother about the kage bunshin technique, but in the end, didn't do so... after all, your parents had said that you were not physically ready for it.

There likely were actual side effects that one couldn't simply buffer with chakra.

The implications was that they would eventually teach you, when you were older. But they had made no promises to do so.

And did you REALLY want to learn this technique?

Hadn't you really only done the shinobi class thing because your father was trying to shield you or something?

And did you really want to try to explain how to do the walking and breathing to them when you knew how to do it, you just did it. It was literally as simple as walking and breathing. The concepts behind it, the methods to do it safely... those were harder to explain.

After all, it was difficult to explain how one should walk, you just simply did.

So, for now, you play with your mother... taking the time to relax and build the most elaborate castle and city, adding in samurai defenders... after that, it was only natural to add in boss summons.

You sculpt a sand tanuki as the defender of the samurai, forcing Blanka to stand there as you used him as a base.

Naturally, the invader was... well... it was a good attempt by you to make a statue of you... it just seemed to be more cute than fierce sadly.

- - -​

Eventually, you're done. While it wasn't the base sand city with armies and such, it wasn't that bad.

It did, however, consume a fair bit of more time than expected.

You look mournfully at the distant island, you won't have enough time to get there and do some exploring and get back. Another day, then.

Instead, you glut yourself on delicious water melon that had been cooled in the sea water, father had been cool enough to cause the water around the melon when it was being stored in the water to be frozen over with a jutsu.

Still, with a crackling fire-pit as your father cooked freshly caught fish and some mussels he had pulled out of the sea, this wasn't that bad.

A quiet vacation, just relaxing and eating...

After lunch, you find yourself napping with your sister on the towel, after nipping into the water to cool off for a bit. The heat was strong, the meal in you heavy.

Sleep came easily.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Taking It Easy~​

What Do?
[X] Take Things Easy? Painting and Sketching?
[X] Visit the Resort Town with your parents or perhaps by yourself?
[X] Finally take the time to go exploring (with Blanka-kun or perhaps just yourself)?
[X] Where did the time just go? Back to Konoha~ with you.
[X] Write In

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/512451

[X] You and me, Island. You and me.

Day after day passed, and you find yourself taking it easy.

It was perhaps a week into the vacation that you realized something. If you kept putting it off, you would never do it.

And thus, the next day after yet more procrastination... you set forth!

With your parent's blessings, after informing them that you intended to go to the distant island out in the sea, you set sail upon the little boat. While you could swim to the island and might have intended to do so... that didn't mean, you had to.

After all, was it not better to conserve your strength?

And thus, you sailed upon an azure sea away from the sandy beach. Yeap... just you and the island.

"Auuuu?"

You pause and look back at where Blanka had somehow managed to stow away on the boat without you noticing. You briefly twitch as you wonder what it said that he could simply just sneak around you without you noticing. Or at least was sneaky enough that you couldn't notice him until he was revealed.

In the end, you sigh... and looked out at the crystal clear sea and the straight-ish lines th...

Hold on.

You KNEW that nature didn't have straight lines.

Not... like what you're seeing. Squares and rectangles and circular shapes that rise slightly from the surface of the sea floor.

The remains of the Old World. You drily swallowed at the reminder that the old world was still very much around, even if buried in the tides of time.

As you sailed closer to the island, there is that sinking feeling in your stomach that it too was another relic.

You are proven right as you sail up to a level 'dock' that used to be part of a street that led up to a shrine. You believe it's a shrine given that you can see the remains of a torii and steps further up.

This had to have been a fairly tall hill at one point.

Now, covered with overgrown trees and plants concealing what was.

You judge that in a century or so... what shapes you can make on it will vanish as well.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Island Shrine​

What Do?
[X] Climb up stairs to investigate the shrine?
[X] Go wandering in the woods?
[X] Go swimming and investigate the path/street that led to the shrine, and likely the submerged ruins?
[X] Write In, Oh Valiant Investigator.

 

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Sauce is Danbooru /posts/137578

[X] Climb up stairs to investigate the shrine?

It was almost without thinking for you to select the shrine hidden by the overgrown trees and such. At least, you assume it's a shrine based on the torii gate before you leading upwards.

The structure concealed by the trees and such... hinted that if this was a shrine, it was an unusual one.

Still, before you go off... you turn to look at Blanka.

"I'm going to have to trust you to guard our boat, Blanka," Your words are solemn, as is his returning salute.

And yet...

Why is it, as you turn back to look at him a few steps up... he has set up camp, has a small camp fire going in a 'tin' container, paws stretched out over it as if enjoying the campfire and... and... cooking a small eel over it. All in all, it looked like some sort of soldier bivouac.

Down to the little green cap that Blanka was wearing.

"Auuuuu...." He waved at you to go on.

[..... he works fast.] Your inner you nodded with appreciation.

You sighed and shrugged. Did it really matter in the long run? As long as he was there to guard the boat, it'll be fine.

Continuing up the path way was the only path, in truth. You could have dived into the water, to explore the remains of the Old World. But, every instinct trained in you at the academy stated that this was a bad idea. That it was too easy for a mishap to happen and you'll just be another statistic of "poor girl drowned at sea".

Best to do this later, when you're properly equipped to go diving and you do it with more companions... like your parents or something.

And really, why would you waste your time in the tangled overgrowth when you could go straight to the heart.

As you walked up the stairs, there is this aching sense of familiarity.

[I know this... or something like this....] Your inner you mused as you looked at yet another curved metal ceramic shaped wall.

The flash of light from the sun above dazzled you and you... [remember] daydreamed...

- - -​

She strayed into the city out of the wasteland.

Just another refugee.

A faceless face in a sea of faces. Oooohing at the lights.

It had been years [decades] since she had seen the brilliant flare of florescent lights beating back the darkness of light, the warm glow of electrical ads announcing random products on billboards. And warm voices extolling the benefits of worshiping Lord Bison as the First Amongst Gods from speakers and televisions.

She looked like every other 'country bumpkin' who had been drawn in by the reconstruction offered by Shadaloo on the remains of the 'Old World' as those born after Bison's war on the world had called it.

Study clothes kept her warm, or gave the illusion of such... the hooded cloak gave her anonymity, while the hap-sack upon her back carried her worldly possessions.

She had heard and seen the battles some of her peers had waged against Bison or for Bison.

Seen his army of soldiers who wielded ki as weapons, relentless as they fought the armies of the world as well as her former peers.

They had even challenged her now and then when they found her, identified her... there were none left, of course, to truly identify or recognize her... afterwards.

She is even certain that this was true of most of her peers... but one by one, the tales came of victory for Bison. Of warriors falling.

Or simply dying of old age.

Unlike her, unlike certain others.

Rumors and legends, naturally placed her and her peers as rival gods and dreadful demons who waged war upon Bison or upon each other, or simply rampaging upon the world.

She had to laugh at them.

And yet, she wasn't truly human as such around her would consider it... was she?

She gazed up at a circular building and the ad floating above.

<< Come, try out the Katsuyu Memory Archives. With use of the Planetary Energy Network, your memories will be enshrined within the world for all of eternity, in honor of Lord Bison... >>

Here and there, you can see signs for other things all using this Planetary Energy Well or Network that Bison touted as his creation... << Tanuki Banking... because if you can't trust us with your savings. Who can you trust? Really. >>

- - -​

Shaking your head as you stepped up to the highest level, you find ancient ruins worn away by time and the elements as expected.

What you don't expect to find was a toppled statue of Bison abandoned and forlorn as the ages had worn the statue to barely recognizable features.

Instead, looking eastwards towards where the sun would rise was a statue of a man you recognized. Faded by the weather, yes... but still he stood proud.

Dan Hibiki.

The inscription at his foot read simply

D҉̸͝an Hibiki 197̨̧̢̨0̵̵̀҉ ~ 212҉̕͢5͜​

Here lies D҉̸͝an Hibiki, Creator of Saikyo Ryuu​

A true warrior and hero who hated the art of fighting,​

but w͟͢͡a͠͏͝͝n̨̛͝ţ̶̧̕͡e̴̡͟͜͠d̴̶̡͢ ̵̢͟͝t̡̛̀o̶҉̷̀͡ ̸͏b̢͝͏͝ę͜͝ the king of fighters.​

A loving father and husband, and great teacher.​

He has gone on to a better place where his wife waits.​

Faded, and yet there it was.

Another relic of your other you's past.

This likely was where the Saikyo Ryuu manual had been found, given it's proximity to your mother's ancestral home.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Relics​

What Do?
[X] Stay awhile and let the inner you talk to the remains of Dan?
[X] Sketch the view that the statue had?
[X] Do more exploring?
[X] Go back to your parents?
[X] Write In

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/1206947

[X] Stay awhile and let the inner you talk to the remains of Dan?

You are Sakura... Haruno Sakura. And you're taking a nap.

No, you are Sakura... Kasugano Sakura.

This has been an odd day for you. You have found the final resting place of someone you once knew.

The years have passed, time has flown. Those that you have known are gone.

All that is left is you.

In a body that you have grown familiar with over time, but one that isn't yours.

Seated upon an island that once was a hill.

Upon one of the buildings that connected to the so-called Planetary Energy Network as declared by Bison when he ran things, but you knew it for what it was... the chi of the world, that was what the so-called Planetary Energy Well that the Network was connected to.

You find yourself resting against the padestal that the statue stood upon, looking out at the sea, the blue heavens mirroring each other.

Words poured out from you.

Speaking of your regret.

Of how you didn't mean to be cruel or mean to him, that your mocking of him and his Saikyo Ryuu had simply happened without thinking.

Hibiki Dan had been a brave fighter when you thought about it. He was strong for a normal fighter who didn't use ki. But amongst the rarified circles that the two of you wandered in, he hadn't been the strongest or the most powerful.

You had heard of the story of how he had been barely taught the basics by Ryuu and Ken's sensei, Gouken. He had been thrown out for having revenge and violence lie at the heart of his reason for seeking out Gouken.

That he had taken an incomplete understanding of the style that Ryuu and Ken had practiced, that he had used that and fought with that.

It spoke of bravery.

That he had adapted what he knew into a somewhat coherent style, it spoke of his determination.

That he had taught others his style, that brings a smile to your face.

Ryuu hadn't formally taught anyone. He, certainly, hadn't taught you and you had followed him for years on end.

Ken, too, never taught anyone to your knowledge.

And you... you followed Ryuu's footsteps and had become more a demon in deed and thus was quite unsuited as a teacher, much like Ryuu had become, and which Akuma was.

That the one that everyone considered a joke, that you had mocked...

That he had a legacy, one which spanned the ages.

A wife, children and students. It appeared that Hibiki Dan had managed to make something of himself.

It is enough to bring a bitter smile to your face, and a tone of nostalgia in the words you spoke. You breathed out thoughts and words that you had kept in your heart before your death.

He had been a friend, of sorts... closer to a peer. One that you mocked behind his back... and yet, he was some one that had over time become familiar to you.

And now... you sat at his grave.

And you spoke to the ghosts of yesterday.

What else could you do?

Were you not also another ghost of yesterday as well? Only bound by circumstances to a new existence?

- - -​

You are Sakura... Haruno Sakura. You are somewhat confused, but then, what child your age couldn't be said to be confused at times?

You've just spent a day sleeping while your other you had spoke to an old friend long gone.

That evening, you return to your parents more sombre than normal. But you also had a new painting. One of Dan looking at the view that you had enjoyed after your inner you was done talking and looking out to the east.

Dinner, as it had been last night, was mostly seafood.

This time, it had been freshly caught eel, cooked to perfection that your mother had was known for in your eyes. That's what you would like to say. But there was a hint that it wasn't your mother's cooking, rather... this was more something your mother supervised while someone else cooked.

Like a certain tanuki maid, who quietly ate where she sat by your father, and who scooped out rice from the rice pot when bowls were passed to her for seconds.

Blanka, for his part, sat beside you and accepted little morsels from you with a certain dignity. Well, as much dignity as a fluffy little tanuki could.

You felt a certain sense of closure from the inner you as you ate your dinner. Perhaps, that talk had helped her in a way that punching things couldn't.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Closure​

What Do
[X] Write In like a boss Sakura? You have 1 week before you must leave.

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/634831

[X] Painting is good for the heart, y'know

During the next few days after the trip out to the island, you contemplate asking your parents to go with you and do some diving into ancient forlorn ruins beneath the seas.

You didn't even need the inner you to raise all kinds of concerns with this notion before you ask your parents.

The main one was when you looked at your mother as she nursed your baby sister. You had a baby sister, how could you even think of bringing her into such an environment. It wasn't as if you could ask you mother to leave her in the care of the maid or some such. And you were unsure if there were issues with the clone jutsu with regards to being sent underwater.

There was also the fact that you weren't sure just how dangerous diving into ancient ruins was. You can easily imagine running out of air while trapped down there.

Having to use techniques designed to destroy the very ruins to get back to surface or... die with whoever went down there with you.

No... ruin exploration was just too dangerous.

Much better to go with your mother as she did her things and went off to the nearby town.

It was a nice town. Very scenic. Had relatively decent shops for little knickknacks and food.

You find yourself sketching it as you and Blanka followed her.

She seemed resigned to your sketching and drawings and doesn't say a thing about it.

There was also the matter of well... you. You keep mulling over how you want to tell your mother about you are reincarnation of the other you and so many things.

In the end, you decide to trap your mother.

Cute puppy eyes were a go! Cunning words were formulated and prepared! Even the very weather was good on the day that you had planned this. There was no way you could fail!

You convince your mother easily to sit still and be the subject of a painting. Against the backdrop of the open seas, and portions of the bay of the resort town to the side, this was going to take some time.

Still, there weren't too many people who used the path to get to the clearing you and your mother were in.

With her pinned down in place, you could start your assault. Okay... you might have taken one too many lessons in your shinobi classes to heart. Still, you talk and speak to her of your past-life, of being Kasugano Sakura, of living in the Old World... of knowing Hibiki Dan, it wasn't Ran.

She nodded at you after you paused. "Yes, I know."

....

What?

But...

....

You twitched and just LOOKED at your mother as she continued to sit all nice and relaxed on the stone bench that someone in the past had carved out and placed here for those who might want to enjoy the view.

All this time... and she had known.

"When were you going to tell me you knew?" You didn't quite glare at her around the canvas.

She smiled back at you. "I just did."

You twitch some more. She was doing it deliberately.

Giving some thought to it, it's plainly OBVIOUS the how and who and so on... your father must have told her.

"When?" She looked at you, and you elaborate on the question. "When did he tell you?"

"Oh, your father told me a few days before your sister was born," You blinked and gap at her.

"Wait... then what was all that about creating my style and so on," your attention was now focused on her.

She sighed and patted her knee, and you find yourself seated on her knee and being hugged. "You must understand that just because reincarnation is real, and not just religious hocus pocus to get people to behave so as to not end up in a bad life after reincarnation..."

"It doesn't mean that you're suppose to remember things," You frowned and looked at her now, the hug... however, it was soothing, and you find yourself snuggling against your mother. "People are suppose to get a clean slate after they die, and meet the judges of the dead and have their sins weighed and cleansed from them before reincarnating. At most, people just get an aptitude at certain things... or have the odd moments of deja vu."

"It's not normal to remember another life," her voice was comforting and that hand that ran up and down your back... it made you relaxed and sleepy from all those times she did that in the past. "I had thought... no, it doesn't matter now."

"Then?"

"No matter what, you're still my daughter, and I love you," She sighed in a chiding manner.

"But... what about me being like daddy and becoming a merchant?" You nuzzled your mother sleepily. It looks like she still knew all the buttons to press to get you all sleepy and lazy.

"I can't say I like that idea," You can hear the sound of rustling hair as she shook her head, it was only natural... given that you had your eyes closed. "But I'll try to help you to the best of mu abilities, I'm just not really sure I can do much to help you there..."

You eventually wake up in a hammock strung up by the trees at home.

Blank was sleeping on your stomach, a comfortable weight... he smelled of smoke and you're not sure what he had been roasting while you slept. You idly resolve to get him a nice smelling shampoo and instructions to take a bath at least once a day. You're not going to have a pet that smells of odd cooking.

Still, you you relax and enjoyed the rest of your day.

Things did went better than expected.

Thus... did the rest of the vacation fly by in an endless haze of sun, surf, good food and fun times.

And thus did your summer vacation end... it is now autumn once more as you return to Konoha.

The leaves of various trees have turned golden and crimson. When you take the time to admire the view from the top of the Hokage monument while painting... it almost looks as if Konoha was amidst a sea of fire.

You're almost ten years old now, and your instructors have asked you what medical field you would like to specialize in, beyond the standard medic nin first aid...

You had the choice of staying the course in learning to be a normal field medic nin, or you could study more in terms of medical sciences in learning how the human body worked, what fixed it and what broke it.

Or perhaps, you were more interested in focusing on command and leadership, Shimura-sensei didn't even bother hiding the purpose of the "advance ninja ethics" class when he talked to you over a game of Go. You were one of the few students who impressed him with being studious, focus and having adaptive solutions to the class work.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Autumn Classes​

What Do?
(1) What Do for Autumn Vote
[X] Do as you have been, and paint and doodle. For some reason, your instructors don't say a thing about you doodling...
[X] Help out your classmates where you can?
[X] Visit your daddy more often, he also introduces you to people...
[X] Write In.

(2) Class Focus Vote
[X] Shinobi Specialization Training [Pick One]
- - [X] Shinobi Command and Leadership [Tactical and Strategical]
- - [X] Standard Field Medic.
- - [X] Medical Science such as poisons, antidotes, assorted drugs to enhance body functions
- - [X] The Wonders of the Human Body, how it worked, how it can be broken, and how to fix it.

 

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Sauce is Chapter 1, Page 20 from Fist of the Blue Sky, and not Danbooru

[X] Connections and Lessons on the human body...
Sakura Event Sakura's First Crush

Your first impression of your instructor in the new class you had been shunted into was..

Large.

This was a giant of a man.

It was as if you had taken a normal person and just made him... larger.

He stood easily at seven feet, and from the way his body moved slowly and gently beneath his clothes... you can tell that he was packing some serious muscles.

[I've seen men like him. He looks slow, but he's going to be anything but. He'll be a challenge to bring down,] The inner you mused as she murmured ways to cripple and subdue someone like your instructor, pointing out weakpoints and dangers involved in facing a giant like him.

Still, despite his muscles, despite his size, despite even the slow restricted and careful movements... you sense that your instructor was a gentle soul who would weep at having to fight and yet... and yet, he would do it.

"Hello, class..." He nodded at you and the other students in the classroom. "Now, as a forewarning... I'm here to teach you about the human body, how it works and how to break it, and the after that... possibly how to fix it."

He smiled. "Now, the human body has limitations on it, and barring usage of chakra, bloodline limits or other such nonsense, it can only move so much in any given way, it can only take so much damage from kinetic forces impacting it, from being cut and other more... energetic and exotic means of hurting someone."

And with that he launched into a lecture on the human body, the typical stress that could damage it, the strict limitations known to humanity without chakra.

You hadn't know just how fragile human bodies had been.

Now, you knew.

And thus did the new class addition go... as the teacher hammered home how fragile human bodies were, just how... EASY it was to break it.

More, he showed you the vital weak points of the body, and where the not so weak points were (oh god, did they hurt)...

Sadly, you were pulled from the basic medical class where you had been learning basic first aid to this class. But you don't mind, it WAS interesting the way he moved, the way he spoke. His gentle and warm hands when you manage to get him to hold yours when pointing out on the model what he was talking about.

There was a cultured demeanor in him. He was refined, but at the same time, you can TELL... he would be an absolute beast to fight.

You also find yourself blushing whenever you look at him.

You also find yourself slightly miffed that he treats you the same as the other students, some of whom also looked at him with blushes.

The male ones that you find looking at him gives you uncertain feelings. Especially when you picture him with them... doing... things. You're not SURE what things, just things.

Blanka is shocked when you talk to him about your feelings for the new instructor. Especially the part about imagining him with the cuter male students.

The inner you just cackles as you talked to Blanka... and saying something about how adorable it was.

There was a horrified and shocked Auuuu at the end... and then he wandered off. You later find him drowning himself in cheap sake. Thankfully, you're able to find him in time and he doesn't literally drown in the tub of sake.

You gave some thought to talking with your mother about this, and got a bad feeling about not doing that. That would ONLY lead to horrified and embarrassed awkwardness, you can JUST tell...

You ponder talking with Lily. It wouldn't be so awkward, right? She, however, was on a mission when you thought to look for her... It appeared you would have to endure this odd feelings.

And eat lots of chocolate and strawberry ice cream... you're not sure why, but it makes you feel slightly better.

- - -​

Thankfully, your father proves to be an excellent distraction when you visited him. He taught you about the relative values of the money in the various countries.

More he taught you about HOW they compared with each other.

And just as importantly, he taught you how changes in the economy in one country could and would affect the economy in another. There was always reactions, nothing existed in a void, there was also a reaction somewhere. You just had to find it.

Beyond models, charts, and simulations of economical domino effects, your father also takes you out to dinner a lot. It is here that you get to meet interesting people.

Well... as interesting as people as could be, one supposes, if one were to classify wealth and businesses as interesting. Which you kind of did.

And thus, you met Old Man Ironshanks the finest chakra metal smith in all of Konoha, indeed in all of Fire Country. The only rivals that he had were considered living treasures in their respective nations.

He was a funny old man with the darkest of skin, white hair and who smelled of metal, soot, and blood. He was also loud with his laughter when you were introduced to him, calling you the little blossom of Haruno-kun that he was finally getting to meet outside of pictures. More importantly, he gave you a small metal flower, a sakura blossom. You can feel the flower react when you hold it.

As you looked, the dark metal slowly changed color... from the blackest metal to a vibrant if dark purple with a hint of innocent pink.

You can feel the inner you's interest as she looked at the metal before you pinned it in your hairband.

There were also the other such dinners, with other people such as the factor of the Konoha branch of Kanza bank. You didn't quite trust him, he was far too... large and corpulent and surrounded by women in far too skimpy clothing and had... foxy eyes. This person who made you feel greasy just by you being in the same room.

Still, he tried to put on a pleasant face while peering at you with tiny eyes hidden behind his round glasses. The introduction felt awkward despite the attempts by him, your father and you trying to keep the conversation going... it just didn't quite work.

It was possible that this was just a bad first impression between you and Pungzhi. You just wish that you didn't have to have dinner with him and watch him consume so much food and drink. You're fairly certain that it was unhealthy.

Still, you endure. Because this was something that your father took you to.

And you know that they were important people that your father did business with...

That introductions were important, that contacts were important... as the people that you had to deal with in the business world could be all that kept your business between solvency and bankruptcy.

Still, time passed by faster than expected.

You still do your painting as normal...

And still tested your skills at the Heart of Maya... you were able to make more than a pair of butterflies and an ever distant star.

It can be disheartening, but you were able to advance to being able to create a simple field of grass the size of your room and give it the illusion of movement in a non-existent wind, or create a single sakura tree.

You're still so very far away from what Big Sis Yuyu could do.

But, persistence would pay off. You just needed to keep working at this. There was no simple I win button or I know this button...

And all too soon, it was winter... your baby sister was old enough that Fluffy could be trusted to look after her while your mother trained you.

It looks like it was time to head back to the quarry with mother... have you told her recently how much you love her and how much you HATE stone?

No?

Well... it looks like it's going to hurt...

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 9 Winter First Loves​

What Do?
[X] Focus on Toughening Your Body?
[X] Focus on Chaining Together Special Techniques?
[X] Focus on hitting HARDER and more ACCURATELY?
[X] Focus on Special Techniques?
[X] Write in some bullshit haxx?

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/732054

[X] Perception?!?!
Sakura Event - Oneness didn't happen... lucky~

You find yourself training as you never had under your mother...

And once more, you find yourself confronted with your hated enemy; stone! Stone that moved at your face at far too great a speed.

And thus did you build up a greater ability to simply take hits without flinching.

And soon, you find that your mother's unenhanced strikes... they feel as if you were being smacked by your baby sister. A persistent resistance to being hit... that was certainly useful.

Given that chakra was the mainstay and could be used to enhance your body even further... why, it could not enhance you even more, building off of the base that you had here.

Somewhere along the way, you find yourself being more observant... for a given value of observant, why when the weather got cold, surely it was only natural that ice would form.

And with ice, came danger... like rocks being more slippery and such.

It is now, that your mother taught you an interesting trick. The ability to walk on trees, walls... or iced over and frosted stone.

A regular and persistent release of chakra from your feet and you could cling to anything you wanted.

It is a technique that you took to like a duck to water. This was easy...

Your mother casually mentioned that you shouldn't demonstrate this technique openly at school, but if you wanted to, you could practice it while walking normally... After all, you didn't want to demonstrate genin techniques as a student, right?

Still, you watched the world around you as you practiced Saikyo Ryuu kata with your mother.

Breathing in and out, moving thus... you slowly became one with the world, pulled in the chakra in the air and allowed it to mingle with that of your body.

You can feel...

You are...

One...

Oneness with everything. You could see, feel everything around you, the chakra [Ki] being released by everything that lived in the world.

And yet, you instinctively know that there was a step further, that would allow you to sense everything, be able to predict where things would go once you KNEW where everything was, the flow of the wind, the soft murmurings of the trees.

There was that tickling sense that you were on the verge of slipping off. Of washing away into the world, as you breathed in the chakra around you.

When you mentioned that to your mother, she has you stop and forbade you from channeling chakra as she forced hers into your body.

Palm to palm, chakra flowed down one arm and into your body, and then back out the other.

And you felt real once more.

"Whatever you do, you mustn't pull on the chakra around you," She spoke as the two of you sat in the tent, no garments to better allow the chakra within your body to escape. "It's a good thing you told me because going too far... it is like a chip of solid ink being placed in a large bottle of water."

"It can stay as it is for some time, but the water will make it liquid, will dissolve it," She sighed. "Promise me you won't breath in the chakra around you."

"But... that... that's wrong," You had to frown at her. You knew that what you had done wasn't the same as Walking and Breathing. And yet, walking and breathing was fundamentally the same, drawing in the chakra around you into your heart and making it yours.

Perhaps, there was anot....

Still, she looked at you insistently. "I promise I won't do what I just did again."

That seemed to be sufficient for your mother for now.

You eye the steam that rises from your bodies. You can sense the chakra in them, a mixture of you and your mother.

Perhaps, there was an actual danger to using this nature chakra.

But you know that it could be used safely. The only problem was explaining the hows, and showing it. It was as natural to you as simply walking or breathing. It just was. To explain it... you couldn't do it. And you sensed that if you tried to go over the step by step mechanics of it, you might end up tangled.

[They used to call that the centipede conundrum, where if you think about it, you'll trip yourself up because you've internalized everything,] Your inner voice spoke up. [Think of it as if you're walking, think of what you have to do, step by step, feet by feet... and yet, you don't have to because it's all automated.]

Still, despite the scare you gave your mother, you soon get back into training.

After all, you only had so much time for solid non-stop training.

Like practicing variants of koryuuken...

One of which... was familiar to you, and as you mastered it, you knew it was the shou'ouken that the inner you had created. She... didn't seem to mind her technique being in the Saikyo Ryuu manual.

All too soon, you find your vacation over, and you were once more back in school...

Back to Kasumi-sensei who gave you the flutters the likes of which you still couldn't believe.

Was this... love?

You knew you wanted him to yourself... but that was wrong. You knew that, after all, wasn't he over a decade, perhaps two older than you?

But the fights you could have with him...

You could see it now.

Fighting in the park.

Exchanging punches and kicks...

Using special techniques and ninjutsu and...

You sigh and blush and just kept peeking at him over your textbook as he did his lectures. Certainly, you made sure to keep extensive notes, but still...

It wasn't until spring not too long before your birthday that you find out that Lily had returned from her mission.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Close Enlightenment~​

What Do?
[X] Talk to Naruto and tell him... her... everything and take him to see Kasumi-sensei?
[X] Confess to Kasumi-sensei and then challenge him to a fight...
[X] Talk to Lily and tell her your feelings for Kasumi-sensei...
[X] Talk to your mother... wait... what, oh dear lord... awkward...
[X] Talk to your father... wait, why is he stepping out for a moment and going to the academy?
[X] Write In, because if not you, who will? ^_^

 

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Click on picture for larger version​

Sauce is /posts/552568

[X] Talk to Lily and tell her your feelings for Kasumi-sensei...

Finding Lily wasn't difficult.

Getting her to go out with you somewhat more difficult.

But not impossible.

Getting her to not smile and laugh at you as you devoured ice cream and explained the situation...

That was trickier than expected.

You sulked as she giggled at your explanations of the fluffering feeling in your stomach at seeing him, the blushes. Those dreams of him doing... things with the male classmates of yours, the attractive ones, mind. The urges to... to go up to him and get some of his time.

To be able to fight him. Meeting him fist to fist, kick for kick, and special technique for special technique.

You tell her all this with a blush.

"St... stop laugh, it's not funny. It's serious... serious," you gesture with your spoon at her. A 'small' dish of ice cream sat before you.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't expecting you to have this kind of a problem," She smiled and patted you indulgently on your head. "I guess even prodigies are human enough to suffer crushes too. It's totally adorable."

"Crushes?" You blink and tilt your head at her. "What do you mean crushes?"

"Ohhohohohoho... it looks like big sis Lily is going to teach you so many things," The smile directed at you somehow... manages to give you the shivers. You fear for the innocence of your ears, they might not survive the teaching.

And so, she slipped around to sit by you before leaning in to ask conspiratorially.

"So, tell big sis... which of the teachers at school has caught your fancy?" She smiled. "It can't be old man Danzo. Perhaps Iruka or Mizuki? No, oh... no... it can't be my cute little sister, she's a girl... you know that, right?"

Your face goes red at her teasing. "No... no, it's not. It's Kasumi-sensei."

"Kasu... mi. Hmmm... I know that name. Gentle Giant Kasumi? You've got some pretty high targets there," She smiled at you. "But you know, he's not going to respond to a confession. Or at least, not with a yes."

You blinked at her, thoughts rapidly spinning about. "Is... is he married?"

"Uh huh... he is a very manly man, one of the manliest in Konoha...."

"No... do... don't tell me," You look at her in horror. "He... he's not some kind of... of freak like a pacifist, is he? That would be horrible. What kind of deviant would not want to fight?"

At that, she giggled and smiled. "Tell you what, I'll take you to see something... splendid, it's also why you'll not be able to land him. At least, not anyone of our gender..."

"Haaaaau?" Now you were just confused.

- - -​

Training ground seven, that was where big sis Lily took you.

You know it's one of the training grounds dedicated to taijutsu practice.

As you settled down by a bench, you idly notice a number of... other older ladies scattered about the training ground, talking idly... or exercising or practicing taijutsu lightly.

You're still not sure what you're doing here.

In fact, you could swear you even spotted some of your female classmates hiding in the bushes here and there.

Just what was going on?

It was when you spot Kasumi-sensei in a track suit that you went oh!

You notice how... nicely he fitted the outfit nicely as he jogged, darting around obstacles. The sharp definition of muscles were certainly showing in his movements.

You had to blush and sigh.

It was a very nice day with blue skies and white puffy clouds, and my... wasn't it warmer than that you expected. You lightly fan your face.

It doesn't escape your notice that a number of the females, okay almost all of them, in the training ground were ALSO observing your Kasumi-sensei as he jogged. Lightly fanning themselves as their blushes grew.

You feel anger at those... those women! They should go find their own sensei or something.

There was a flash of motion before something green ending up posing before Kasumi.

"Gai!"

"Kasumi!"

"Gai."

"Kasumi."

"Gai~."

"Kasumi..."

You can feel your face heat up even further as the two men addressed each other by their names and... was there some kind of genjutsu going on? You don't feel it... but people don't just sparkle when they smil. Do they?

[Oh my.] Your inner voice certainly seemed lost for words.

"The two of them, that Kasumi-sensei of yours and Maito Gai the sublime green beast of Konoha, are known as the unambiguously gay duo because of what you're seeing here," big sis Lily whispered to you. You could only nod helplessly as the two of them hugged and patted each other on the back.

"So, Kasumi... it is time." The green spandex clad nin smiled and did a nice guy pose at Kasumi.

"Indeed, it has been a month, hasn't it?" There was a warm smile directed at Gai from Kasumi. The slight curve, the warm emotion on his face. It sends your heart a flutter.

With that, Kasumi-sensei flexed his muscles just so... and the tracksuit exploded off of his body into thin fabric...

Leaving behind him clad in that green spandex outfit with orange leg warmers as well.

It hadn't seemed possible for your face to grow warmer, but it does... you wipe at your nose.

And blinked at seeing the crimson there.

Why... why were you bleeding from your nose?

As you blinked, the pair leaped into action.

Gai with a straight linear punch that was telegraphed as anything could be. But that speed! That ferocity that couldn't be faked. It was a straight thrust at Kasumi-sensei with sufficient power that you could see it pierce the air.

Shock waves, you see little shock waves from the punch.

This was a technique that would kill if used against most nins.

You turned and saw Kasumi-sensei's response.

Knee raised just so to his chest, and then flicked out with a kick that redirected the punch...

You could only look at the smooth, swift and fierce punches directed at each other. The highly defined muscles moving beneath tight clothing, the grunts and exhalation that came from attacking and defending one self.

This.. this was what you wanted. A no holds barred fight.

This had been hidden from you all this time? How had you missed this?

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 That's what Big Sis are for~​

What Do?
[X] Leap into action and jump into the fray between the two men! It's now a threesome! Hahahaha! Take that, old hags!
[X] Keep watching... and keep bleeding from your nose.
[X] I got nothing else and must ask for a write in~...

 

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Is already full sized...​

Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/205145

[X] Where is your sketchpad? Something this magnificent... You can't let it fade away. You must capture it in your heart for all eternity~

No... no words. No words to describe it. Poetry! They should've sent a poet.

That was the thought that filled your mind as you searched for your sketchpad. You curse as you do not find it... only the note book that you had brought from class.

It would have to do.

And thus, you take pencil to paper and let your impressions be captured.

Of menly men! Of fists and hearts meeting and joining as one. Of thrusts! Feints! And counters flying back and forth. This was the romance that was found on the battlefield.

You... had known something similar once.

Yes... your pencils flow over paper, page after page.

Filled with Kasumi-sensei moving with this Gai in an intricate and elegant dance that spoke of attachment and mutual respect. There was an absolute delight in the intimate knowledge shared by those two.

An intimacy... yes...

Sakura once shared that with her peers in that long ago age. An intimacy shared with each punch, with each kick, with each strike delivered with utmost perfection, care and accuracy. And parried, blocked and dodged in equal perfection, care and skill.

You find your world tunneling to just those two as they sparred in the training ground, their blows creating little shockwaves... you don't care that your hair is a mess or that it's sticking straight up...

It didn't matter in the face of what you are witnessing.

Big sis Lily was right... this was something truly splendid.

Much latter, as you walk home with a note book filled with sketches... entirely filled with sketches... you can only feel that you're satiated.

"So... worth it?" Lily's question was only met with a smile and a nod of your head. "Well... I've got to talk to your mother... why don't you tell her about what we did today... later."

- - -​

You are Uchiha Lily, and you are... well, no, not worried... rather, you are concerned about the daughter of Haruno-taicho. She was a nice girl and all, and you might settle for her when she was all nice and mature... but there was a worrying concern that had to be discussed.

Even if it was just with that old hag.

There is a foul taste in your mouth at having to speak civilly to her, but for Haruno-taicho and Murderfist-chan's sake, you would do so.

Thus, you visit the Haruno household, do the usual insulting thing you do with the old hag, because it was habit and customary.

You settled down on a chair. "We have to talk, Mebuki."

Your use of her name, however informally but politely, shuts her shrill harping.

"It's about your daughter," She blinks at your statement before waving you on.

"Now, I'm not one to talk, but I'm actually concern about her. In her own way, she is... twisted," You turn to look and make sure that Sakura wasn't actually listening in. But she should still be on her high from watching the fight earlier.

"What do you mean?" The glare from the old hag could put down a tiger at twenty paces. Thankfully, you're more than a tiger.

"Her world view, her mind, it's distorted. In her own way, she is as twisted as I am," You shake your head. "But where my focus is on pain, she... likes to fight. No, she loves fights as I love pain. Be it by others or by herself... she loves fighting."

You wave off the old hag's attempts to interject. "No, I mean more than normal. This isn't a like that you find in taijutsu specialists like Maito Gai. This is... something more."

There is now a contemplative look on her face. She knew something or suspected something.

"I took her to see Kasumi Kenshiro's monthly fight with Maito Gai. Unlike the others there, her attention wasn't on either of those two or both. But on the fight. If she was older... I swear she would have reached the cloud and rain from witnessing the fight itself."

You shake your head and stand up. "Well... I've said what I've come to say. Later, old hag. Give my regards to Haruno-taicho."

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Third Strike​

What Do?
[X] Practice Heart of Maya
[X] Focus on classes
[X] Focus on classmates
[X] Focus on time with daddy...
[X] Focus on time with mommy... Mama can cook! and so can you!
[X] Write In~

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/937137

[X] Practice Heart of Maya

With steady practice, repetition, you find that... it's easier to bring forth images. With the image crafting technique born from painting, sketching, visualizing... the details flowed.

While it wasn't still in any state to be used in combat, what you could do...

What you've managed to achieve is something to be proud of.

The visualization of a single sunflower was... easy. Much easier than the attempts you had essayed long ago.

Had it been that long? You mused to yourself as you gazed at the sunflower. Had it truly been years since big sis Yuyu had taught you this?

You breath in.

You breath out.

The matrix of chakra that you used to create the image of the flower, and it was just an image, it had no reality beyond what you granted it, flattened and smoothed itself out. Equalizing to nothing.

Static.

The Darkness of the void surrounded you.

In.

And.

Out.

You were surrounded by potential.

You gesture 'upwards' with a hand, and declared. "Let there be light!"

And there was light above you, the bluest of blue.

Sky blue.

Another gesture, and clouds that you had observed and sketched til you knew them by heart flowed across the blue heavens. White puffy clouds with blue and hints of shadow grey.

It is by your hand that there is light, and it is by your thoughts that there was shadow, shading and all the myriad contrasting hues between light and darkness.

Another gesture, there was soft loamy soil beneath your feet. The best earth in all of the world, perfect for growing things in.

The next part would be... tricky.

You focused on maintaining what you had, and then... carefully, planted that sunflower that you had created before.

And then... another.

One after another... to the infinite distance.

And they gazed upon you, and you knew that it was good, for they were all one and all unique, with their own characteristics. In the surrounding distance, tuffs of green rose up.

Trees, they would be trees beyond the clarity of vision.

Your first attempts to introduce wind and motion to the world you had nearly send it flying apart.

Delicately.

Carefully, the flowers rippled one by one before they moved in waves to a slight breeze.

Still, the effort that you had achieve here.

You stand in a field of sunflowers and breeze in the earthy scent of loamy earth, of sunflowers, heard the soft buzzing of insects and bees. And yet, there was still something missing from the world you had forged, you knew this instinctively. This... this was closer to what big sis Yuyu had done. But it was nothing like it.

The skills that you possessed and she possessed... they were a world apart.

Unleashing your killer instinct within this world should be fine... after all, what was inside, stayed inside...

And the sunflowers gazed upon you and your urge to fight, to hurt and kill. And you felt approval from them. And with that approval, you could feel... something else. You are unsure what...

Perhaps, this was what they called moe?

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Field of Dreams and what comes of it...

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What Do?
[X] Show your parents now.
[X] Wait til your birthday and show EVERYONE?
[X] Test it out on your classma... erm... friends first? And perhaps refine it with feedback?
[X] Write in with all the moe you have~

Note : Heart of Maya is now rank D.

 

Omake / Non Canon Post

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- - -​

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/1055522

[X]Show your parents now.

Surrounded by radiant sunflowers that rustled, you are comforted by the basking and reflection of killing intent from you by the sunflowers.

The sensation of killing intent saturating everything... it gave you tingles and this urge to smile... and just smile.

It felt relaxing in a way.

And you knew that if someone were to harm even the least of the sunflowers here... you would just have to HURT them, so that they would understand how hurt you were by their harming the poor helpless sunflowers.

Never mind that they weren't real.

All that mattered was that they were yours, and those who would trample upon them, trampled upon your dreams.

That just left practicing it so that you can do this properly to show off to your parents.

....

....

....

It took a long time for you to manifest the Heart of Maya. At least, if you wanted to do it properly.

You had to sigh at some of the results you got when you attempted to make it manifest faster than the hour it currently took you to recreate your garden of sunflowers.

It is something you work on, even in Shimura-sensei's leadership class, which is a folly as he did teach the most interesting of classes. He was no Kasumi-sensei... but where you enjoyed that ..... presence of Kasumi-sensei, you loved the thinking that you had to do in his class.

"It is said that out there,
beyond the notion of right and wrong,
there is a field.

In this field,
ninja meet and bare their souls to each other.

In this meeting,
are the purest of friendships forged.
Words are no longer needed."

You blink and focused on the elderly shinobi who had closed the book he had been reading from. "Now, this is a metaphor for what we do. Meeting and baring our souls are just a polite fiction for the battles that we engage in with enemy forces, and yet... it is paradoxically at the same time where we forge our bonds with our allies and peers."

He smiled. "I would like an essay over the weekend about this, and miss Haruno, I would like a word with you after class."

- - -​

After classes, you find your self alone in the class with Shimura-sensei as he finished grading the previous batch of essays.

Placing his brush down, he looked up at where you stood before him with a blink. "No need to be so formal, please sit sit..."

His one handed gesture indicated that you could and should move one of the chairs up by his desk. It wasn't that onerous of a task, and thus you do as invited.

"I haven't had much a chance to talk to you since your selection of the medical class elective as your focus. In a way, I'm glad that you picked the physio-science class, and not the medical-science," He paused as if unsure of how to proced, or at least to proceed with tact. "There are groups, you understand, even within Konoha, who are... extremely patriotic, and feel that Konoha is falling behind certain other villages."

"Groups, individuals, who would do anything... to advance Konoha even if it were to return everyone back to the good old days of the shinobi war," He paused once more, this time in recollection. "I would highly recommend that if you find yourself getting invitations to the medical research departments after graduation or even before, to turn them down. Snakes dwell amongst the roots of the tree that is Konoha. And while their fangs thirst for the flesh of enemies, some times, they get careless and bit that that they shouldn't."

Wait...

What?

Was he implying that there were ultra-patriotic elements within Konoha that might not be entirely loyal to the Hokage or... you would need to think on this.

You nod at Shimura-sensei who was now grading... those looked like a variant of the ninja rules essay that you had to do years ago.

- - -​

That evening, after dinner with your parents...

You coughed and looked at your parents who waited indulgently for you to demonstrate your technique.

Spinning forth your chakra to layer it upon the room wasn't difficult, it was after all necessary to determine the area you were going to affect with your genjutsu.

You had to frown at the tension of having additional people in the technique, you had only practiced it by yourself.

With your attention focused entirely, on maintaining and creating the infinite world of sunflowers, you missed on seeing your parents' eyebrows rise as the world formed around them piece by piece.

You smile at your parents as the three of you stood in the center of the field with its rustling sunflowers, trees and mountains in the distance while above puffy white clouds sailed amidst a blue heavens.

"It's beautiful," Your mother smiled and nodded as she looked around.

Your father's eyes are more critical. "A nice first attempt. And despite their slow formation, the elements of the heart are nicely done. The setting is still a bit unstable, I would not recommend stress testing this in a genjutsu battle against anyone with chakra at this stage."

"The only advice I can give you at this point is practice practice practice. That's the only way, your technique will be usable faster and be more stable," He nodded approvingly.

This... this was when the killing intent flared upon the three of you as your mother lightly stroked the petal of a sunflower. From the bead of sweat on your mother's face, it's clear she wasn't used to this degree of killing intent. At least not by an endless field of sunflowers.

That's when you ended the technique.

"That's an interesting thing you had there," Your father's voice blandly noted. "I hadn't known you had managed to work out how to embed situational triggers, well done."

And so, the days pasted and you studied hard at class, trying to work out what Shimura-sensei had said. And enjoyed the presence of Kasumi-sensei. Played with your classmates, or at least... tutored some of them during breaks...

Life flowed slowly by.

And then one day, a most dreadful thing happened as you were practicing your Heart of Maya in the safety of your room.

You felt someone lightly rubbed your cheeks from behind as if... as if...

There is that faintly familiar and nostalgic sensation of DANGER and DOOM. "Such soft cheeks, you have..."

The technique collapse around as you spin about and hugged with the dreadful speed of a cat-spider or something... "Big Sis Yuyu!"

Right, it's a week before your birthday, wasn't it?

It... it only made sense that your grandparents would visit.

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Snakes and Flowers

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What Do?
[X] Write In.

[embed=425,349]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLs4MGTTXRU[/embed]​

 

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Sauce is Danbooru /posts/1346631

[X] Big sis Yuyu!!!!

Your big sis Yuyu proves to not possess the ability to withstand your tackling hug! and she is soon fell by you and your weight. Not that you're heavy or anything... just energetic.

"Big sis Yuyu! It's been so long!" You lie on top of her content with capturing and monopolizing your grandmother. But wait! If she was here, that meant...

You smile at her and resist the urge to retaliate for the pinch to your cheeks with a pinch to her cheeks!

"I've been working on the heart of maya thing..." You proclaim proudly.

She nods in response and pats your head. "I've heard."

"It still takes forever to get it up and running properly," You sigh and enjoy the head pats before letting her back up.

"Well... the best way for you is to practice being accurate and just gain the speed with practice," she smiled and adjusted her dress. "There are other ways to give you speed with shortcuts, but they're not good in that they'll only slow down your growth."

You nod solemnly. It made sense, given your experience with other things, to do it accurately before quickly.

Still...

"I guess I could show you it? If big sis Yuyu wants to see," You smile shyly at your big sis Yuyu, you felt yourself blushing at this. It was rare for you to want to show off. To demonstrate your skills.

Well... it wasn't rare, it's just that you didn't consider it worth it to show off your skills at beating up people, it wasn't a skill... it simply was.

Genjutsu and such things like the Heart of Maya, they were skills that you had to work at. Had to study and practice. There was something to be proud of.

At her nod, you breath in and then out, letting your chakra fill the room before you used it as your canvass.

You "painted" on that canvass that was your soul and spiritual might an eternal sky with its clouds, an endless plain bordered by trees and an endless sea of sunflowers that gazed upon you and your big sis Yuyu.

"Excellent ambiance," Your grandmother nodded as she examined the environment, uncaring of the killing intent that pervaded the very air. "And you could do with improvements on speed. But that comes with experience."

It felt awkward to be graded. Was this how your classmates felt when you pointed out what they did wrong or could do better?

"The reflexive usage of killing intent, creative. I'm guessing it wasn't intentional. But just something that occurred?" You had to nod at her assessment. "All in all, simplistic but lovely attempt."

did... did she just insult your world with a backhanded compliment? You're not sure you like this grading. You pouted before glaring at her now.

"Still, it's definitely on par with what I made on my first attempt. And much better than what your father made," She noted idly. This was a good thing? You're not quite sure.

"Can I?" she looked at you, as if asking for permission. Oh! She wanted to show off something.

You nodded back at her, and watched... as she grasped the air and pulled... you get a sensation of the... world around being seized and things changed....

And you stand in a room. A square room with no obvious source of lighting.

A room that was four and a half tatami mat in size, the tatami was laid out for a tea room. You are standing at the center of the room upon the half mat.

The shouji walls and doors with their shadows implied lamps behind them, and more... it implied space. You look at big sis Yuyu, who smiled back and gestured as if welcoming you to try things out.

You opened one of the doors and found yourself looking at an identical room. Trans-versing that room, you open the door...

And...

Another identical room.

"Infinity in the span of a tea room. A cube within a cube, within a cube, and so on. Nine upon nine such cubes," your grandmother's voice didn't quite purr. "But it is like your sunflower field, infinite in all directions. A trap that is an an endless maze."

You swallowed drily and return to your grandmother. "This is... this is... or was the first thing you made with the Heart?"

She smiled and nodded. "Indeed... unlike your killing field, mine was an endless maze. Your father's... well... I won't say what it is, you'll have to ask him."

"And it doesn't loop back to here?" You had to ask.

She shook her head. "Not unless I want it to."

"Huh..." You paused and thought about it. An endless maze of empty rooms, one after another with lights and shadows that implied movement... you could see how maddening that could be.

"Can I play?" your question came naturally to you.

She gestured and created a bench to sit upon, as a resplendent noble, before smiling indulgently at you. "Go on and have your fun."

With permission given, you rampage across endless rooms, trying techniques that were taught to you by your mother and which the other you had shown you.

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Maze

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What Do?
[X] Ask big sis Yuyu for tips?
[X] Go see big sis Merry Bell?
[X] Go see Grandpa, who was talking with your father about something?
[X] Wait... your cousin was here. Time to play~
[X] Is that... is that Naruto in a really nice dress?!?
[X] Write In...

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/1111390

[X] Wait... your cousin was here. Time to play~
- - [X] Is that... is that Naruto in a really nice dress?!?

You rampaged across the infinity of Big Sis' maze.

Fists and feet burning with chakra [ki] as you exploded your way down floors and up ceiling. The flickering pink radiance of your Nekketsu Hadouken and the blue flares of Gadouken.

It felt good to just cut loose.

Still, eventually, one's fun must end... and it was Big Sis Yuyu who redirected you back to the room where she reclined on the bench watching you.

"It's time to stop, your cousin is here. I suspect because dinner is ready," her smile as the world around shattered into so many glass fragments had you blinking.

You turn to look at where your cousin stood in the doorway. "But... how? I mean you can't just know she was there... can you?"

"When you can look left and right at the same time, the answer will be obvious to you," She replied with a calm nod. "You bear my blood... two heads are better than one."

Another riddle, you had to frown at this. And thus, you don't resist being guided out of your room by your grandmother. This was a tricky one. [Very tricky,] the inner you nodded in agreement.

Dinner was a boisterous event, with your extended family present and family friends. You're rather surprised to see Fis... no... that wasn't the proper name now, it was Naruto along with a few of her relatives... including that red haired harridan that you suspect was the reincarnation of That Annoying Blonde.

You are also pleased to see Lily and her family, including Sasuke-chan. This along with your classmates and their families made it lively as the adults talked, and the younger classmates and relatives chitchatted.

Admittedly, it did make the dinner a bit of a crowded affair with that many people. Still, that was why your parents had the dinner be more of a buffet and barbeque affair than a dinner at a table.

The meal went by relatively quickly, it was what came after that was a surprise. You're not certain how... but somewhere while complimenting, you end up insulting your cousin's skill or said something that she took offense to.

A challenge was issued....

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Challenges

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What do?
[X] Accept the challenge
- - [X] Full Power! Maximum Destruction!
- - [X] Start out slow and test your cousin's limits and skills!
- - [X] You don't need any SPECIAL techniques, let's keep it chakra [ki] free.
[X] Decline the challenge.
[X] Write In.

 

Kawarimi no Jutsu : This technique is the "quick escape" or "no, you did not hit me" technique as used by ninja. Typically, the ninja is hit, there is a puff of smoke and the ninja is nowhere near where he or she was.

This is a two part technique. One is an enhancement to speed, allowing one to simply move up to a certain distance from where they were. Movement that was almost like teleportation, given the speeds involved. The other is the creation of a substitution object using an extremely limited solid clone technique; every single variant of this technique has a single object embedded into the design of the clone, be it a log, bone, boulder or something, and it can not be changed without making a new Kawarimi variant technique.

This technique is D rank.

Shunshin no Jutsu : A variant of the Kawarimi no Jutsu technique is the Shunshin no Jutsu, otherwise known as the Body Flicker technique. Thie technique is a high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To someone watching the ninja, it is as if the ninja had simply teleported.

Occasionally, there is a puff of smoke or flutter of leaves to disguise the user's movements. This is more a customization of said technique, and sees variations based on the village said ninja is from.

Most genin figure out this technique on their own. For those who don't, their instructors tend to teach their genin this technique if they haven't figured it out by a certain point.

This technique is D rank. There are more powerful versions of this technique, one of which was claimed by some to have been used by the Fourth Hokage of Konoha to deadly effect, earning him the title of the Yellow Flash.

 

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Sauce is not danbooru, but a certain Squirrel on the Questionable Quest forum

[X] Start out slow and test your cousin's limits and skills!
- - [X] Don't underestimate her; she's been training, just like you have.
since Invisible Castle is down, no online dice rolls

You bounce in place and did some stretching. You did want to see just how much Softy had grown in skill. To compare your growth to hers.

Off to the other side, you see Youmu conscripting Naruto and having her hold her swords, while she tested out a pair of bokken. Satisfied with her weapons and slipping one into the side of her obi, she smiled at your blonde classmate before patting her on her head and calling her a good girl.

For some unknown reason, you found yourself twitching at that.

Her smile only grew at your twitching. "So, how about a little wager? If I win, I'll be the big sister of Naruto here."

At those words, something snapped inside you... and you find yourself not quite flying at your cousin, fist first and charged with chakra. Pointed straight at her tummy. Your speed wasn't that much greater than when you had last sparred with grandfather. The only difference was that back then, you had enhanced yourself... now, not so much.

Your cousin just smiled at your charge, and closed her eyes and calmly breathed in... that was the only warning you had that things were not going the way you would want it to.

A light tap against your fist, redirected your punch just so, and the follow up was your cousin shifting her stance just so as the wooden blade of her bokken glided up your forearm.

There was a light tap on the back of your neck as you stepped past her and she turned.

"You just lost your head," There was a not quite mocking tone in her voice.

You pause and twitch.

Spinning about, you start a flurry of kicks and punches at her. Swift! blows with sufficient power in them to stop one of your classmates cold.

And she stepped back a single step and lightly tapped your attacks away from her body. There wasn't any power in her defense, nor was she faster than you.

And yet.

And yet.

It was an inescapable truth that she was defeating your attacks. You were moving faster than she was, and you could feel that her skill at playing with swords wasn't overwhelmingly better than your skill at taijutsu.

And yet...

She saw past every single attack, and had her bokken placed just right where it could do the most to simply stop your punches and kicks.

It wasn't possible. It couldn't be.

It was insulting that she kept her eyes closed as she fought you.

As you battled your cousin, or attempted to hit her, you blinked as you caught sight of an entranced look on Sasuke's face for a moment, along with a worried look on Naruto, but only for a moment as your movement took you out of position to see more.

There was another pause as she lightly tapped your arms out of position before resting the tip of her weapon on your belly button. She smiled at you before taking a step forward and guided her weapon upwards over your tummy, between your breasts and stopping under your chin. "And you just got gutted...."

"Why, at this rate, you should be called Soft-chan, the softest of softs," She said with amusement and had a hand before her mouth as she lightly laughed. There was a malicious amusement in her eyes now as she opened them and looked at you. Wait, was she calling you the nickname that you had given her.

That.... that was insulting!

It was a perfectly good nickname that you spent time thinking up before giving it to her.

Very well, if she could stop your attacks as they were... clearly, it was time to kick it up a notch and go bam!

You stepped back and brought your hands together and flicked the seals for Ram, Boar, Ox, Dog, and Snake.

A brief poof of smoke and a log floated where you stood before falling.

You, on the other hand, had already moved into position not quite behind your cousin, but out of her peripheral vision. You charge at her again.

This time inside her blind spot. Not a very nice thing to do, but you are going to so tummy punch her with a shou'ouken. Youmu totally deserve...

Oh come on, this was bullshit. Completely and utterly bullshit was the only thing you could think of as you found that she had simply swung her sword over her shoulders to guide your punch away from her before turning to just look at you before placing her bokken under your chin and wagged a finger at you.

"And here, I thought you would have been a challenge," That mocking lilt in her voice was there again. "Very well, in light of this fight, I dub you Soft-chan, for you truly are the softest of softs."

Mother would completely wash your mouth with soap if she heard the words you were using in your head. They were not very polite or elegant, but they fit your feelings as tears didn't quite make it to your eyes. This... this wasn't fair, you were suppose to fight and there would be a spirit of bonding and stuff.

But she was so cold and mocking. And you were losing.

"Th... this isn't fair," You look at her, unsure of just how she could do this.

"Mmmmh... I believe that wasn't it you who said that life wasn't fair when last we sparred?" You breath in and out and calmed yourself. Anger wasn't a good thing to have in a fight, and she had been dictating the terms of the fight from the very start with her mocking words.

And yet... there was something in you that wanted to hit her face so very hard. Or at least her tummy.

So, you tried to do so, and your fist was met by her sword.

[You know, I get the feeling that she can somehow see more than she should, to be able to sense our attack,] your inner voice spoke up. [She has to be using some sort of sensing technique, and using that to predict your blows. It's annoying, but not unbeatable. Follow my lead.]

You mentally nod and attacked with the guidance of the inner you... and find yourself pushing your cousin back, as the edge of your strikes drew closer on her and she was unable to parry as she freely had.

Eventually, you find yourself using countless feigns and strikes at her within a single strike.

And she parries as you did, with a thousand and one parries, each guiding away your phantom blows.

Her final strike lands on your shoulder as you rest your elbow against her tummy in a perfect tummy elbow strike.

"So a draw?" "I guess, it's a draw... Soft-chan."

You twitch at the nickname she had given you but step back. For now...

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 7 Ethics

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What Do?
[X] Watch in horror as Sasuke hits on your cousin and asks her to teach him....
[X] Watch as a blushing Naruto gives your cousin her weapons before coming to patpat you on your back.
[X] Oh, hey... it's time for dessert.
[X] Talk to your two big sis and try not to whine about the fight.
[X] Talk to grandfather and find out just what did... Youmu learn?!?!
[X] Talk to your cousin [about what]?
[X] Write in like a boss.

 

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Sauce is an illustration on danbooru /posts/546930

[X] Watch in horror as Sasuke hits on your cousin and asks her to teach him....
- - [X] Naturally, you had to respond.

It was when you were enjoying the cake that had been brought out after the spar that you discovered something horrifying; Sasuke chatting with your cousin.

Okay, talking wasn't so bad. Really.

No, it was the cheerful way that Youmu, you couldn't really call her Soft-chan when she had now passed the nickname to you, responded to the questions that Sasuke had for her.

Stupid Sasuke and his far too interested in your cousin, and looking cute and... stuff. You could admit that Sasuke could look cute and attractive for a boy. But still, it wasn't like he was Kasumi-sensei or that jounin Maito Gai or Lily...

For a moment, you pause in a far too active imaginary fight between the three of them. That would be something to watch and... and possibly join in, wouldn't it?

You had to shake your head to get rid of the blush that had formed at the thoughts you just had. You were a horrible pervert, you could tell... what with the way you want to slap your cheeks and wanted to go Kyaaaah~.

Still, you focus on what they were talking about. Yes, yes... he was praising her skill with a sword and... wait... was he actually asking her for tips as well as how she did that amazing thing... and... that... that stupid Sasuke. How could he do this to you?

He was asking her for help. He should ask you for help.

That was totally a horrible thing to see.

Still, it's clear that Youmu's superior... technique has won the heart of your wife Sasuke. You had to admit defeat. There was only one thing left to do.

Yield gracefully.

"Youmu..." You weren't sniffing or anything. You were going to have to defeat her and make her have the Soft-chan name again. "You goaded me this whole fight and I let myself charge in blindly. This was a loss for me. You have won the right to my wife. I hope..." You hold in your tears before placing a hand on Sasuke and Youmu's hands to clasp them together. "That you are very happy together."

Youmu smiled and patted you on your head in response. "Silly Soft-chan. Of course, I'll look after your Sasuke-chan."

"Next time. Next time," You look firmly at Youmu. "I'll beat you. Just wait.... next time, you'll be Soft-chan and I'll win back Sasuke-chan!"

"Hey!" The boy in question just looks at the two of you with irritation. "I'm... I'm not a prize to be fought over."

He gets a smile and a pat on the head by Youmu, asked to go sit down as the girls are talking.

At the looks from both you and Youmu, he's forced to go sit down.

"I'll be waiting for you Soft-chan," She smiled. "Try and catch up, if you can."

As you walk away from your cousin and Sasuke, you blink at the sight of your Big Sisters giggling and chatting with Lily and lady Uchiha... there is this vague suspicion that you're the subject of said conversation. At least you, your cousin and Sasuke.

And thus did your birthday end with cake, and assorted snacks.

- - -

​

And so did classes and your normal resume... what were you going to focus on.

And why did the girls in your classes giggle when they looked at you or Sasuke... well, outside of Naruto and Hyuuga-hime.

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Cake

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What Do during school time?
[X] Investigate the scurrilous rumours running rampant in class.
[X] Try and help your classmates.
[X] Focus on lessons, and pay no attention to those giggles. Nothing good can come of them.

What Do after school time?
[X] Play some more with your little sister and mother.
[X] Try and help your father at work.
[X] Practice on the things your Big Sisters showed you after your birthday party.
[X] Ask your father and mother for help with your school lessons and homework.

 

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Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/1149774

[X] Try and help your classmates.
[X] Practice on the things your Big Sisters showed you after your birthday party.
Sakura Event - Naruto nee-san spotted~

Despite your attempts, you find yourself with little free time, but what free time you did have in school... you spend tutoring your classmates. Well, your classmates in your assorted classes.

Busy in school and busy afer school... there was no rule that stated that one could only study jutsu in school. Indeed, you and your classmates have always studied after school, secreted here and there in your little hideyholes or training grounds; woe awaits the student who ruins a classroom or worse their own bedroom at home.

But where your classmates played with the ninjutsu or genjutsu or even taijutsu taught at school or by their parents, you were playing with something more... potent.

Magan Sakarau no Akumu was the single technique your Big Sister taught you. A simple technique in application, it even had handseals unlike the Heart of Maya.

And yet, it was a technique designed to present a mirror, a reflection technique. Not to reflect a genjutsu technique or such, that would be too mundane. Rather, it was a simple illusion technique that allowed you to create an opponent for your opponent, one that was suited perfectly to face him; after all, what better opponent than themselves?

Naturally, you practiced it on Blanka. He could use with some fighting practice, given the way he kept losing to his own reflection.

As you practiced the Sakarau no Akumu technique, you discover to your delight that it was literally the simplest thing you had ever done. More than taijutsu that you lived and breathed. It was as if you could do it in your sleep.

Still, there was a single downside to this technique taught to you by your Big Sister. It was a technique that was based on finesse, and thus would be nearly useless against someone with more skill at genjutsu or was smart enough to realize they were in a genjutsu. As once someone knew they were in a genjutsu... it wasn't difficult to escape you.

That is, if you weren't layering a secondary level on top to keep them ensnared. But even this could be beaten, thus... you would need to practice until you were able to make an endless maze of genjutsu layers with your technique, such that it would take a prodigious amount of chakra to escape your techniques.

THAT was the true homework that she had provided you. The Heart of Maya required conceptual imaging, the endless maze of genjutsu took the skills you developed with the Heart of Maya and brought them higher another level, you would need to instinctively craft an infinite shell with every single genjutsu technique by reflex.

Then, there was Big Sis Merry Bell's gift, if such could be called it, was a single scroll with instructions on the basics of sealing techniques. There was even an example in it for practice; instructions on how to make low grade exploding tags, such as what was provided to students at the academy to practice with.

The theory was simple. The practice not so much as you had to develop a fine and careful eye and hand to write out the inscription, while ensuring you were channeling the correct amount of chakra down the brush and into the ink as you did so.

While the tag was inactive while being created, that didn't mean it wasn't nerve-wrecking as you practiced crafting exploding tags at home before taking them out to a training ground to... play with your results.

While your life after school was one of intense study, you noticed that at the academy that things were changing without you noticing. Such as the looks of pity and the occasional giggles by your female classmates. Or you eventually finding yourself being called Haruno-hime instead of the more familiar Big Sis Sakura or just Big Sis.

Given how busy you were, was it any surprise that you soon find yourself elevated to the position of the class "princess" as it were and thought of as the one likely to take the top spot when you graduate, or at least having a good chance to do so. It's just that you find yourself not interacting much with your classmates beyond your mutual classes and tutoring sessions.

You also find Naruto somehow ending up being the Big Sis to the younger classes, or at least the orphans in said classes. It was nice to see Naruto taking over your position and helping out the orphans.

You think you've even heard some odd rumors of mysterious donations to the Orphanage that made things easier for the orphans. At least beyond the normal magnanimity of the Hokage and the Daimyo.

Still, time slowly flies as you refine the techniques taught to you by your Big Sis. Your hand growing steadier at the art of calligraphy and seal making, while you find it gradually easier to add layers to the genjutsu taught to you. It is still a matter of thinking about it as you weave the genjutsu.

And thus, you find yourself nearing summer once more.

This time, however, there is a choice before you.

You had received a letter of invitation from the Hyuuga, well... more Hyuuga-hime had invited certain members of your classmates and you to join her at a summer getaway on the island of Goa located off the shores of the Fire Country in the Hanguri Gulf. Naturally, those invited would need to have their parents do the paperwork necessary.

Your mother also had an offer to do some light backpacking with her to visit various shrines for the summer. Something about ancient taijutsu and blessings for your baby sister.

Then, there was your father... who hinted that he might like it if you were to go on a little business trip with him.

And there was the small matter of the letter of invitation from your grandparents, to join them on a little vacation to the country of Hotsprings.

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Haruno-hi~me?

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What do you pick?
[X] Let's join Hyuuga-hime on the summer vacation to the southern shores of Fire Country.
[X] Go backpacking with your mother and little sister across Fire Country.
[X] Go on a business trip with your father? [If this vote wins, there will be a 2nd one for destination]
[X] Go on a vacation with your grandparents to land of hotsprings~

 

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Sauce is Danbooru /posts/370146

[X] Let's join Hyuuga-hime on the summer vacation to the southern shores of Fire Country.

The invitation was carefully replied to, the preparations not too arduous.

The thing that took the most time, really, was the journey given that most of the other students simply weren't as skilled as you were at jumping trees. That and the journey itself took two weeks due to it being done on a small caravan of wagons. A very long and boring two weeks as you and the other children invited played cards, guessing games and just enjoyed the scenery in general.

Well... at least you were prepared for the mind numbing boredom of the journey. Most of the other children not so much. They ooohed and ahhhhed at the for the first few hours and then boredom set in with the heat from the sun and the incessant cries of cicada.

Where you put pen to paper and drew and sketched, you could see Hyuuga-hime writing. Her small careful words fulling the air with your sketches.

Days passed beneath blue skies, white clouds and a sun.

Even the momentary bandit attack didn't prove to be TOO exciting. Not when there were three teams of jounin sensei with genin watching over this little caravan.

And even if they had gotten past those guards, there was the 'small' matter than you knew with absolute certainty that those you were with? They would have been able to make the lives of the bandits very short and very, very uncomfortable.

Still, there was something that had been nagging you about Naruto during the school year and now... on the trip. You knew she had done something.

It was on the final day of the journey, on the ferry to Goa island that you discovered the horrible truth. An unspeakable and unthinkable truth.

Naruto was wearing a simple sun dress over her swimsuit, and a simple shirt unbuttoned on top.

Fishcake, the shrimp of the class, no... Naruto... she was taller than you were. And...

You had to resist poking there.

Just what was she eating or drinking to be able to develop there so fast?

It wasn't just her. Rather, she and Hyuuga-hime were both developing.

You looked about and compared heights and the chests of your female classmates.

A mortifying discovery.

You... you were the shortest and flattest, out of all your classmates present. True, it was down to the assorted heirs and spares of the various clans, but even so.

- - - ​

Year 10 - Horrifying Discoveries​

- - - ​

What Do
[X] Badger Naruto about just what she had been eating to develop like that.
[X] Make mental notes to ask your Big Sis when you got back home.
[X] Try not to think about this, it would only lead to shenanigans!
[X] Write In.

Writer's Notes : Gotta apologize for the short post this time.

 

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Sauce is not Danbooru, but the interwebs.

[X] Try not to think about this, it would only lead to shenanigans!
Sakura Event 1 - Enemy Nins
Sakura Event 2 - Village

As you struggled to come to terms at being the shortest and flattest of the students present, you were hit for the briefest of moments with this temptation. To corner Hyuuga-hime and Naruto, and make them give up the secrets that they possessed to growing taller than you!

You couldn't be the shortest, Fishcake Naruto was suppose to be the shrimp. Not you.

There was also that little voice that was in envy of Naruto's... budding 'talents'.

But no, that temptation and the little voice in your head that urged you to do so was taken aside and had her head pushed under the water and drowned.

There would be no shenanigans on this fine and balmy day. None. No fun in that kind of manner. Why you could see the misunderstandings that would just spark from you questioning Naruto. That didn't even come into consideration of the notion that you would appear weak and vain to your peers.

Unacceptable!

Besides~, you could always ask your two Big Sisters the next time you saw them. Yes, you can.

You looked out over the side and didn't quite laugh to yourself. It was all in your head. You would show them. You would show them all.

With a stiff wind from behind and just off the side, the ship continued to move forward, the steady creaking of wood and of the cloth, you can hear the sea splashing against the hull of the ship.

[Well... this is boring,] You had to agree with your inner voice. There wasn't exactly a lot to sketch on a ship at sea with no scenery beyond the sea and the ship itself. You couldn't even really practice your jutsu for fear of affecting things or people you didn't want to. How... frustrating.

"You know you could join us for cards. Cards and gossip," Naruto's voice slyly spoke up from behind you. "We could even share tips on clothing and stuff."

"...."

[Naruto, are you trying to make it even tougher for us to avoid those shenanigans?] Your inner voice spoke up and didn't quite glare at the blonde as you turned about to look at her.

"...." You had to arrange your thoughts for a moment, before shaking your head. "Maybe some other time?"

Yeap, you weren't going to be drawn into any shenanigans.

Which was when Naruto spoke up again. "So, pirates or ninja, which is better?"

"Huh?" You blinked at the non-sequitur question. "What do you mean, which is better? Isn't it obvious, given that pirates are basically sea bandits, and ninja always trump bandits?"

"Well~," She seemed mischievous as if she knew something you didn't. Annoying. "While I was coming to get you, I overheard someone mention that they spotted an unknown ship... we could find out very shortly."

"..... you are the worse, Naruto. The absolute worse," You sighed.

She beamed and didn't quite laugh, and dragged you behind. "Well, how else was I going to get you out of your funk, come on... let's go see the jounin we've got guarding us deal with some pirates."

- - -


​

"Tch, looks like a military ship," You listened without looking at the jounin standing on top of the ship's navigator cabin at the prow. That's what they called the front, right? "Won't be able to outrun it even if we got the motor started. And look it's cutting an intercept course. What can you make of it, Hyuuga-hime?"

"Ahhh... there are nins inside. But no headbands that I can clearly see," Your classmate sighed. "No, wait... the headbands have... clouds. Kumo nins. I can see sixteen kumo nins."

That flat tone of voice. It sounded as if Hyuuga-hime didn't like kumo nins.

"Ahhh," The jounin tched once more. "Well... looks like we're going to be earning our pay. If those are jounin with genin students, we should be able to handle it. But for them to know our heading... this doesn't bode well, and it's likely not genin on that ship. They just need to avoid witnesses, after all."

He didn't say a thing about the obvious problems here. Spies.

Somewhere, someone had leaked information about the vacation.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Pirates and Ninja


​

What Do?
[X] Watch and wait. Naruto seems to be handling the information front with your classmates. That Kumo ship might be harmless.
[X] Trust in your jounin guards.
[X] Start making plans with your classmates on what to do. Shikamaru was good with plans and such.
[X] Full power! Maximum Destruction! Wait for the ship to enter your range and start with the Nekketsu Hadouken to hole the ship's hull and stuff!
[X] Write In~

 

Sauce is the Naruto manga and not Danbooru

[X] Start making plans with your classmates on what to do. Shikamaru was good with plans and such.

"But... but we have to do SOMETHING!" You sputtered at the unimpressed and quite lazy look directed at you by Shikamaru. He was currently lazing in a comfortable chair, and had somehow managed to convince Ino to feed him grapes while he petted a cat.

It was a VERY fluffy cat with immaculate white fur.

There was only one small problem here. There were no cats aboard the ship before.

Which... which meant either it was Naruto playing at being a cat at the behest of Shikimaru. Or... or it was your pet who had at least betrayed his presence.

Well, it wasn't as if you couldn't deal with it later. One way or ther other, you were going to have harsh words with that cat. But for now, you had to deal with Shikamaru who was sitting in his comfortable chair, being fed grapes by a pretty girl, and petting a cat.

Wait...

There was this sensation that you should be getting something or other. Still, you settle down and looked at Shikamaru desperately, he did after all have the better grades in class at planning both tactically and strategically. His grasp of insidious plans was unspeakable.

"So... Haruno-chan," There was also the way he was speaking to you as if he was your superior or something. You really wanted to be in a formal dress on hearing him talk to you, for some stupid reason. "Here is the situation, imagine we are currently in class and have this hypothetical situation."

"Assets, a civilian ship. Two jounin with genin teams. A group of unknown variables that the jounin teams are escorting. The jounin teams are fully equipped, the unknown variables have assorted equipment but are not combat effective," He spoke before sipping at a glass of water that Ino held to his mouth.

"On the other side at slightly less than an hour's worth of travel time, we have a combat capable war ship of unknown make, fully equipped and capable of running down the civilian ship. On board are sixteen nins of varying power and skill levels, presumable we are looking at three jounin with genin teams. Worse case, sixteen jounin grade nins."

"In this situation, it is clear and obvious that unless the civilian side has some jutsu or technique that can per-emptively hit the war ship and completely take out the ship and everyone on board, it is a bad idea to form any aggressive actions to do so," Shikamaru shook his head. "I don't know about you, but the power to hit something that far out and take everyone out... I don't see any of us having that. And an incomplete attack that doesn't remove all witnesses?"

"The forth shinobi war might start from this incident," he leaned back in his chair and looked lazily at you once more. "Thus, I will put my trust in the jounin and see what happens."

Tch, he was absolutely useless. Oh, sure, he made some sense... but even so. It didn't sit well with you that you couldn't do anything without causing some kind of incident.

With that, you took your leave and left Shikamaru to his devices.

- - - ​

An hour later, and the kumo ship drew close. Flags were waved. You have some vague notions that it likely was about coming to a stop and such.

The good news was that the kumo nins didn't appear to be out to do evil things. At least, that was what you noted from what you could see from the boarding party.

It was surprising that your jounin guards weren't doing a thing to fight them off and such. Instead, they were talking to ther rather bored kumo nin.

This was odd. What kind of nin would look BORED... well... beyond Shikamaru when he grew up, or his dad... perhaps bored nins were some kind of genetic thing? Still, you kept an eye on the nins who wre talking and...

Wait, did those Kumo nin just pull out shafts of paper and presented the jounin with them? Paperwork no jutsu?

This was when things went strange as the jounin guards got out the ship's manifest and started to talk with the kumo nins. A look of distaste on their faces.

As you got close enough to listen in.... you discover to your horror that they weren't pirates or maaruding missing nins. No, this was customs. The natural enemy of merchants who wanted to spread free trade.

How horrifying, that River country and Tea country would hire third party nin with no "conflict of interests" to patrol the Hanguri gulf, and do inspections. They should have hired good Konoha nin.

Which was when you and the other students and assorted passengers were brought out for inspection by the kumo nin. It felt odd for you to be looked over, as the jounin marked down things and... wait.... oh no, they didn't.

It looked like they did! The Kumo nin just wrote a chit for tariffs on you. Something about bloodline users and such.

And judging by the way the jounin guards were paling, it was a hefty tax.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 The Border Control and Customs​

What Do?
[X] Argue and dispute tariffs! Taxation based on bloodlines were nonsense! Passengers are not cargo.
[X] Sit quietly and let the adults handle the taxes and assorted paperwork. They must know what they're doing, right?
[X] Look, I would appreciate write ins~. Write ins are nice.

 

In the realm of animal summons, there is a tanuki missing. It is not where it should be. It is instead tied to a chair in a dark room with a spotlight shining in its face.

"Auuuuuu... please, I didn't do anything to deserve this..." it whimpers in terror.

There is movement in the darkness that the tanuki can not see. "Exactly. Was I not promised a post once a day? Did you not slack off to a post every other day, and then to a post once every few days, and then to once a week? But this time, you go too far!"

Pink eyes flare into existence and continued to glow a bright neon pink. "Auuu!!!"

"Once every few weeks is not acceptable," the tanuki now looks around in desperation as the pink eyes moved forwards. "And I've see how you've been sniffing at other quests like a shameless raccoon dog... oh yes... even now, even now... I've noticed you plotting out a Dalek Quest and a Dark Kingdom Kwest..."

"Shun Goku Satsu!" "Auuuu......"

A spider comes over with a siren on its back and carries off the tanuki. "Make way for delicious... erm... mostly dead tanuki."

Is this the end for the poor Tanuki? Or will some miracle miko come by at the last minute and save the Tanuki?

- - -

​

Sauce is Naruto anime and not Danbooru.

[X] Taxes and tariffs?
Sakura Bureaucracy - 8d10 → [3,3,5,1,1,10,8,10] = 5 suxx
Accountant Nin - 9d10 → [5,7,8,5,9,6,6,7,1] = 4 suxx

You couldn't let this stand. No, you couldn't.

This stood against everything your father showed you, taught you. Taxation and tariffs were the most vilest of things that strangled trade. More to the fact, they were foreign nins bullying Konoha nins... such a thing was reprehensible!

Breathing in, you focused your mind on what your father had taught you.

This was something you had to do.

Could do.

Would do.

For are you not Haruno Sakura?

Daughter of Haruno Kizashi, the merchant of steel? Were you not trained in the arts of merchanting by your father? Had you not expressed interest in the art of wheeling and dealing with your father alongside the fighting arts by your mother?

You could totally do this.

"E... excuse me," You attract the attention of the jounin who had been talking to each other. "But I think there's been some mistake here, as you appear to have misconstrued the purpose of this journey. You can see this, yes? You are, after all, applying a form related to the importation or exportation as it were of bloodline blessed individuals during a business trip."

"It's fairly obvious that this is a vacation. And as is clearly evident here and in our paperwork, we are on a pleasure trip. As such, every one of those individuals here with bloodline limits are passengers, not crew or active nin, and are thus naturally exempt from taxation as citizens of the Country of Fire. In fact, if you look at the trade treaties between The countries of Fire, Tea and River, you'll see that sub-paragraph B in section 5 and..."

The Kumo nin cuts you off with a sharp wave of his hand after a too quick set of handseals. It's a literal negation of sound from your mouth as you talk, but your words are not heard. Not even by you.

You looked at the Kumo nin in surprise. Was this where hostilities would break out?

The answer appeared to be no as he waved at the ship. "Hey, new girl... looks like you're going to get a chance to shine."

There is a pause and an explosion of smooth before you which rapidly cleared to reveal another Kumo jounin posed in what you were sure was an intimidating stance. It certainly looked impressive. "It appears that there is a merchant who desires..."

She paused in her speech as she turned around and saw you. "Wait... what?"

There was a frown on her face as she turned to look at the Kumo jounin who you had been speaking to. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Nope," He shook his head. "She started to do that inane babbling that merchants are wont to do, and as you're the certified accountant of the assigned nin, you get to handle this."

"No, seriously, are you telling me that just because I'm the only one who could be arsed to sit through the accounting and general taxation law classes, I have to deal with some mouthy merchant kid," The look the blonde nin directed at the older nin was one that indicated that she wasn't impressed.

There was a simple tiger seal and a wash of chakra from her later, and you found yourself able to talk once more. Or at least be heard. There was an apologetic look from the jounin guards, a quick pat on your head and you were pushed forward to deal with the bureaucratic nin.

Well... you can't say you were expecting this, you had to admit as you looked at the nin with dirty blonde hair gathered into a single braided pig tail at the back. You've heard of going mano-a-mano, in duels between two nins, you just weren't expecting it to be one of words, and over tariffs at that.

"So," She looked at you with lazy eyes. "First generation nin daughter of a merchant?"

You shook your head. "My father is a merchant who used to be a nin, same with mother."

"I see, fair enough," She nodded regretfully. "I don't suppose I could convince you to back down and not dispute the taxes and tariffs? It would make things a lot simpler for everyone, really."

"Well... you could not try to tax everything," You tapped the receipt and went down the inventory. "I mean, you guys even listed the... the... the cat?!? as an luxury and exotic beast worth way more than it could possibly be... There's taxes with skimming and stuff, but this is beyond what you would expect."

"True true... on the other hand, I should note that I could invoke a certain newly passed law in Fire Country," You blinked at the nin, not quite sure where she was going. "I don't think they intended foreign nins using it on a would be merchant from Fire Country, what with it being nins doing border patrol can treat attempts to smuggle precious goods like now, and disputes with a duel."

She looked at you in your eyes. "And miss 'smuggler', you don't get to pick a champion to do the fighting."

Oh... that law, you heard about it and really what kind of asinine idiot would pass it without provisions about it being Konoha nins and foreign merchants, really? Wait... they would need to have it appear fair, you suppose. But they had made... oh right, you were still technically in the border zone between Konoha and those two other countries.

- - -​

Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Accountant Nin​

What Do?
[X] Back down and let Hyuuga-hime and the Konoha jounin get raped by taxes and tariffs?
[X] Continue the tariff dispute, she had to be bluffing. What kind of fool would want to fight a little girl like you?
[X] Try to talk her out of smuggling and tariff dispute. Use your puppy-eye technique!
[X] Write In with some Brilliant Plan!

 

​

Sauce is not Danbooru, but the internets

[X] Continue the tariff dispute, she had to be bluffing.
- - [X]What kind of fool would want to fight a little girl like you?
Sakura Event - 26 = Not So Good

What kind of evil fiend would do this? Really. To invoke the perfectly good, if not full thought out, laws of the Country of Fire and use them on its citizens.

This... this was madness!

Besides, what kind of fool would invoke such a thing and use it against a little girl like you, after all, it would involve fighting you. And no matter how one sliced it... that meant fighting an academy student. Either she won and came off as a bully, or you won and her reputation would be shot. No matter how the fight ends, she'd lose.

You blinked and looked at her. This had to be a bluff, if you could see this, so could she. Which meant a bluff. You just had to call it.

And you could win, it wasn't as if the ships were immune to destructive jutsu and there were no nearby islands to fight on. Yes... you would win.

"I'm not afraid. I'll continue to dispute this because it's not fair or right," You nod with a not so hidden smirk at her. Worse comes to worse, you get to fight against someone who wasn't holding back...

"Very well, just don't cry," She shrugged at you, before speaking up loudly. "I, Nii Yugito, jounin of Kumogakure, accept your right to dispute the taxes and tariffs assessed upon this ship as is the right of the countries of River and Tea under the border taxation law as decreed by the daimyo of the country of Fire."

It was loud enough to be heard by the jounin standing a distance away on the ship from the two of you. Wait. What? She was willing to do this?

Wait, you get to settle merchant disputes with a fight? Was this going to be a thing? It looked like it was.

This was when you had the feeling that something wasn't quite right. She smirked at you. "By the right of being challenged, I pick the method of combat..."

Something in you sank at the way she was smirking. "Hanafuda Koi Koi."

​

Wait... what?

A card game you hadn't played in years? This... this wasn't fair.

The look of dismay must have shown on your face, for this Nii Yugito smiled at you now. "I suspected that with a case of being good with merchant stuff and being an academy student, you wouldn't have had time to do normal things normal children would do. I mean even normal academy students would be somewhat conversant with normal things like hanafuda koi koi. And I'm right, aren't I?"

The more she said the word normal, the more you could feel metaphorical arrows hitting you and striking deep. Each and every twitch you made at the word normal made that smile on Nii's face grow larger.

That smug air of smugness and satisfaction around the jounin only made you want to punch her in the face. But that wouldn't solve anything, would it?

It was with dismay as you and the jounin walked into the cabin, accompanied by your classmates and the respective nins to watch the... duel.

What made the affair even worse was Naruto betting against you actually winning. Not that you could fault the blonde for doing so, it wasn't as if you had played koi koi in years...

"I'll try not to be too mean to you," That cocksure smirk on the blonde seated across the table from you would normally get your blood boiling. But you're in despair at the moment.

You turn to the other you in desperation.

The response there brought your heart even lower. [Don't look at me, it's been even longer for me since I last played Koi Koi...]

So much so that the card game flew by you with cries of koi koi from you and Yugito. Tears didn't form as the losses mounted, because you kind of expected it.

Losses after losses. What would your Big Sisters say? That they told you so, that you should have taken the time to relax and play games now and then?

"And that's game," she leaned back against her seat with an indulgent look at you. "So, lesson from this, miss Haruno? Everyone has weaknesses, and we're not really going to beat up some poor helpless merchant when we can use other methods of making them eat crow. Also, know when to eat your losses."

You couldn't really acknowledge her words beyond a weak nod and just look at the table with its cards. Horror and mortification colored your face.

The further interactions between Hyuuga-hime and the kumogakure nins shaking her and the ship down for taxes and such, you didn't hear or see. But the ship did continue on its voyage, so that wasn't too bad.

Even if Naruto tried to comfort you with a patpat on your back for trying, even if it was obvious to her that it would be a lost cause.

Hyuuga-hime's softly murmured of thanks for trying to help wasn't much comfort. This was a complete defeat for you.

Eventually, the ship reached Goa, and more importantly, the very nice estate that the docks were attached to. Despite the despair that filled your heart, you still joined your classmates in ooohing and ahhhing as the ship approached the docks.

It's clear that the island was once the site of an old world city with ruins rising out of the ocean, as well as what could be seen on the island. And if your keen eyes weren't deceiving you... some of those ruins appear to have been modified for human habitation.

- - -


Sauce is danbooru.donmai.us/posts/864118

- - -
Pink Blossom Quest - Year 10 Bitter Defeat​

What Do?
[X] Check out the library in the Hyuuga estate?
[X] Get dragged into shenanigans by Naruto?
[X] Spend some time exploring the woods and go swimming in the sea?
[X] Go shopping with Naruto-neesan, Ino-chan, and Hyuuga-hime? Also explore the nearby city~
[X] Write in of summer fun!

 

Click picture for original pic​

Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/752579

[X] Go shopping with Naruto-neesan, Ino-chan, and Haruno-hime? Also explore the nearby city~
- - [X] And some variations and shenanigans.

You are Hyuuga Hinata, the nine year old (almost ten) heir to the Hyuuga clan. And you are without equal in being a perfect clan princess of Konohagakure.

You have been described by many as unfailingly polite, delicate, studious and other flowery words because you tend to keep quiet and just smile. This is, of course, complete and utter horse manure. Not that you tell people that, because that would be stupid and silly.

It is true that you do like to keep quiet, but that didn't mean you didn't have opinions or such. Yes, you weren't as good as Neiji with the usage of the byakugan. But that didn't mean much, not when most of the clan weren't as good as he was. He earned the title of prodigy with his blood, sweat and tears. You will not deny him the effort that he had put into the clan taijutsu.

You were good at fighting, it is true that you weren't as good as father or Neiji. But then... outside of the adults or certain prodigy, you were considered an exceptional close combat fighter. Some might say a tad too brutal in your style, going for raw damage or developing your variant of clan techniques for a viciousness that you didn't display outside of your clan's training grounds.

Father had said that he was proud of you and your skill at the clan style, but you could tell he was worried about something. What you don't know, but it was there. Still, his approval was enough to have you confirmed as the clan heir and delegated your younger sister to be the... spare. You didn't like that, but it wasn't as if she would be demoted to a branch family member. Well, not less she married into one of the branch family lines.

But that was beside the point. What the point was, was that you and the other "princesses" of your class were currently in the city of Goa. You could tell your escort was following in the background, and that there were another fifteen friendly Konoha nins in a mile radius, in three man squads patrolling the city.

There were also nearly two hundred civilians in that mile radius going about their own business. Of which one hundred had signs of some mastery of their chakra, and thirty of those civilians were nearly genin level in their usage of chakra. There were currently nine hundred sixty five rodents of assorted sizes and subspecies, one hundred birds of various species, and seventy five cats. Ten of which you considered to be cute kitties. There were also twenty dogs, none of which were cute puppies.

It was, perhaps, wasteful of chakra to continiuosly maintain your byakugan in a low level, but it helped trained your eyes to maintain your bloodline limit despite the strain of channeling the chakra and blood. It also helped train your chakra circulatory system and slowly increased the efficiency of your chakra usage.

The area around you was relatively safe, barring random circumstances and really skilled infiltrators.

And thus, you permitted Ino-chan to drag you from stall to stall as she laughed and smiled, and tried out assorted little knickknacks. After all, there wasn't anything wrong with such. Not when you were here to have fun. As opposed to you studying your peers and taking mental notes.

You would get the sordid details out of Haruno-san of what happened between her, Sasuke and her cousin... you could tell this was going to be good.

Absolutely good material for the novel you were working on currently. You're still amused that no one else seemed to have caught that you were the writer "Lavender Blossom", that you scribbling in your notebook were notes on this and that instead of ideas and shorthanded paragraphs that you would expand and continue on after classes.

The story of a girl of "destiny" as she suffered the slings of fortune with all of the world arrayed against her as she struggled in a school in country X. And you're sure with the right spin, and refluffing of the situation... you had a nice little romance subplot between cousins and a boy they both had a crush on.

To that end, you had invited Haruno-hime on the summer vacation, and for a protective coloration, the rest of the heirs and spares of the various clans in your class.

Admittedly, you hadn't anticipated the presence of those kumo scum to show up as part of the border patrol. What kind of stupid nation would hire such filth to guard borders or handle taxes. Thankfully, you had been able to have the taxes be passed on to your clan to handle. Even if Haruno-him had tried to help before being tricked into a card game.

You weren't fooled, your classmates might think that that Kumo blonde had been kind and nice to treat your classmate to a card game, but you weren't followed. You had saw how devastated she had been at the defeat. No, you were right in thinking that the only good kumo nin was a dead kumo nin.

Shaking your head, you exited your thoughts and paid attention to the Uzumaki girl as she showed off the dress in the old world fashion style. It was a rather nice dress and could substitute as formal wear, you suppose. You just can't imagine wearing formal wear in such a humid climate as Goa. Still, she did look rather cute and moe.

Comparing the girl as she was and from when you first noticed her, it is a world of difference. She was less of a tomboy, especially now that her family had found her and someone was teaching her the little things about formal and noble society.

Still, you spend the afternoon buying knickknacks and helped the blonde and Haruno-hime find formal wear clothing. The local temples were holding an obon festival, after all, and she would need extra formal wear given that she hadn't brought any of hers on the vacation. Nor had Haruno-hime.

You had to shake your head at those two. They really were far too tomboys, after all.

- - -
Lavender Blossom Quest - Introductions


​

What Do?
[X] Write in of summer fun!

 

​

Click on picture for larger version

Sauce is Danbooru - /posts/1150600

[X] Chat with Haruno and Uzumaki.
- - [X] See if you can get a look at those sketches Haruno's always making, can't hurt to line up a good artist for future possible illustration work.
- - - - [X] Maybe check out the local sights, for inspiration?
Hinata Event - 1d100=59

The discussion with Haruno is something that doesn't appear to be one that is easily done. What with Yamanaka and Uzumaki running interferrance in the form of dragging you or her to various stalls.

How annoying.

Still, you managed to distract the Yamanaka girl by virtue of pointing her at a store that sold music instruments. You knew of her enjoyment of music and it wasn't as ....

The rather loud squeal from the store, which you could swear that animals with more sensitive ears would have been incapc.... wait, why was Uzumaki clutching her ears and curled up on the ground whimpering.

Oh. She must have more sensitive ears. Animalistic sensitive ears, given the way the seven hundred animals and two Inuzuka nins in a rather surprising range were reacting to the squeal.

Wait... Yamanaka had stopped squealing over the string instrument that she was fawning over in the store. The reverent manner that she was now stroking that instrument brought a frown to your face. Who or what was Marlene that the Yamanaka was murmuring. Perhaps, she had already named the instrument or it was made by some craftsman by that name?

Ah well, you shook your head and helped Uzumaki with Haruno and made your way into that store. You would have to question your classmate later.

Perhaps, you could sequel asking her for a sketch into said questioning... yes, that would work. You can see it all come together now. Even with the unexpected squealing from the Yamanaka.

Even as you entered the store, you could see her smile triumphantly as she paid the store keeper with far too much money for her to just be throwing away. Wait... was she impulse buying a music instrument you haven't seen her play or practice before?

This was just going to be a big headache, you can tell.

You sighed as the Yamanaka showed off the instrument to your pink haired and blonde classmates, the polished aquamarine surface of the curved body to the darker neck along which strings ran. It resembled a rather modified biwa with more strings and a body that resembled an exaggerated female form.

There was the notion that you could have Yamanaka show off the... what did Haruno call it, the guitar... the only question was where would be a good place to sit and listen to music.

You flickered your perspective about your sight before smiling.

"Ah... ah anno, Ino-chan. I know of a place where we could listen to you play," Your lips curved upwards in a slight and shy smile in response at the boisterous smile that Yamanaka directed at you.

- - -



- - -


​

Thus did you lead your companions, up the various towers and crosswalk bridges. Ever upwards did you venture, every now and then... the four of you had to utilize chakra enhancement to leap from an outcropping to another.

With your vision, it was... easy to ensure that no human or animal crossed your path, even if they could be seen.

The end result was that you led them to the top of a tower that looked down upon the ancient city, while a crisp breeze kept you cool and refreshed.

"Thi... this is pretty nice," You had to smile as Naruto looked out into the distance.

While you and Haruno settled for cleaning up areas to sit on, Yamanaka started to tune her instrument. With her eyes closed, she seemed to be more calling upon memories and instinct than things that she had learned. "I gotta agree with Naruto here, it's pretty nice up here. Makes for an appropriate place to give Marlene a try and make her cry out her sweet voice with my hands."

"Let's see how this goes," She eventually nodded after finishing up with the tuning as the three of you settled down before her to listen. "This is a song from the Old World..."

With that, she tapped her feet before strumming the strings. Somehow, despite the instrument not having sufficient space in it to reverberate properly, music surrounded you. A quick examination revealed that while there wasn't much chakra surrounding you. At least beyond the normal background chakra, Yamanaka was radiating minimal amounts of chakra and letting the sound echo and build up with it.

That was when she started to sing. "Deep down in Louisiana close to the New Orleans,
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens.
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode,"

As she sang, you found yourself nodding along and tapping your foot.

"Who never ever learned to read or write so well,
But he could play the guitar just like a ringing a bell."

[embed=425,349]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8JULmUlGDA[/embed]

- - -

Lavender Blossom Quest - Johnny B Goode


​

What Do?
[X] Talk to your classmates, but dare you tell them what secrets you had? Would they speak of their own secrets?
[X] Just listen to Yamanaka Ino play her guitar and enjoy the music before going down for dinner at the mansion.
[X] Just listen to Yamanaka Ino play her guitar and enjoy the music before going down for dinner at a restaurant.
[X] Write In.

 

[embed=425,349]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo8U20LicdU[/embed]
Just this once a youtube music thing​

[X] Talk to your classmates, but dare you tell them what secrets you had? Would they speak of their own secrets?
Hinata Event - 1d100 → [54] =
Hinata Event - 1d100 → [53] =
Hinata Event - 1d100 → [96] =

With Ino's music in the background, it was surprisingly relaxing where you were with your classmates. In a sense, they were your peers.

And yet, each of you held your own secrets. You know you had your own, and surely the others had their own.

For the nonce, you enjoyed the music and the nice breeze.

"You know, I've been wondering. Why is this island called Goa," Uzumaki-san spoke up. "It doesn't sound like a Fire Country name, or like the name of any other countries or islands."

You blinked at the question from the blonde. That was an interesting question that you had to think about. "I... don't know. It's always been Goa. Even before the Hyuuga settled here or the ancestors of the Hyuuga"

"I guess we're closer to the Indian ocean than I thought," Haruno's comment made absolutely no sense to you, even if Yamanaka shook her head in reply.

"Nope, we're too far east. This is more likely New Goa that got created back in the early hundreds from some fight or other," You had to blink at Yamanaka's reply. What was she talking about? And why did Haruno just nod thoughtfully as if it made absolutely perfect sense.

"That doesn't make any sense at all, you two know that, right?" Thankfully, Uzumaki still seemed to have some grasp of her sanity. "I mean, fights don't just create islands. I don't think there are any jutsu that could do that outside of those used by the Sage of Six Paths. And those have been lost long ago..."

"I have to agree with Uzumaki here," You speak up. "The two of you are not making any sense."

"Mmmmh.... I suppose it would seem that way to the outside, wouldn't it?" The blonde murmured over the strumming of her instrument. "Sakura, I can call you Sakura, right? How much do you remember?"

The pink haired classmate of yours blinked at the Yamanaka. "A fair bit. But most of the memories after Bison took over are rather... vague."

There was a nod from the blonde. "Fair enough... I guess in a way, you're from the time before, and I'm from after."

There was a huh from Haruno before she looked at you and Uzumaki speculatively. "W... what? I'm not some kind of delusional school girl like the two of you..."

"No... it's not that," She looked down before opening her mouth as if trying to think on how to explain something. "Well... is it really delusional if there is evidence that what you remember, what you know is real?"

Here, you had to pause before you whipped out your notebook. "Start talking."

And so, she did... struggling to organize her thoughts with Yamanaka chipping in every now and then... it's clear that those two remembered their past lives. Which wasn't exactly unheard of, wasn't that how prodigies typically came about? Experiences from life after life aiding one in the development of skill?

Still, to be reincarnated from an ancient demon god... She didn't say as such, but you could infer who or what she had been. The one that your family spoke of, one of the murderous demons who wandered the world after the fall of the old world, bring ruination and destruction to all that she encountered. The one that your ancestors killed in righteous battle long ago.

This was delicious. You can see the possibilities here for your novels. Reincarnation lost across time, misunderstandings... yes, a new mini series of possibilities open before your eyes. Still, you scribbled down notes of what she spoke of... they could prove useful.

Still, the conversation roved all over the place beyond Haruno's past life and that of Yamanaka being some kind of musician or something. Uzumaki just shook her head and murmured about not having any secrets like those two had, only saying that she had an aniki who gave her advice every now and then.

For your part, you eventually confessed why you were so secretive about what you wrote down. You even gave them your pen name.

As the sun descended in the west, you sighed at the way the temperature slowly dropped. Dinner sounded like a good idea now, especially with the way that Uzumaki... no, Naruto's belly was growling.

- - -
Lavender Blossom Quest - Airing of Secrets


​

What Do?
[X] Go to a restaurant for dinner, a meal out "just" for you girls.
[X] Return to the mansion for dinner with your other classmates.
[X] Before you head down, Naruto raises the idea of an oath of friendship, nay an oath of sisters or something...
- - [X] "Though not born on the same day of the same month in the same year, we hope to die so."
- - [X] Admittedly, she did sigh and mentioned a lack of peach gardens to do this in...
[X] Write In

 

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Sauce is not Danbooru, but the internets

[X] Before you head down, Naruto raises the idea of an oath of friendship, nay an oath of sisters or something...
Hinata Even = 1d100 → [73] = Interesting~

Looking down the height of the tower you were on, you had to blink at the sudden and momentary sense of vertigo you experienced. It vanished quickly, but it was surprising that you had this... urge to reach down and pick the distant moving dots that were people, to just lean over and see if you could fly.

That you just needed to know how to do it, and you could fly. You could touch the sky... you blinked, stopped and leaned back away from the edge. That was just ludicrous, it was fortunate that you recognized the self-destructive thought there. After all, it was patently impossible to fly without specialized tools and jutsu to enable such activities.

As the four of you stood there, Naruto spoke up. "You know, we probably should do something to show our solidarity and the import of the sharing of our secrets."

"What?" You had to blink at that, as did the others.

The blonde smiled almost indulgently. "Well... why not? After all, we've shared our secrets and should have some kind of sisterly bond, right?"

You had to nod slowly at this. This was kind of typical in such stories. But... wait... did that mean you were in one of those stories? "I suppose you have a point in that."

The others gaped at you agreeing with Naruto. At least on this.

"Well, we don't exactly have sacrifices to give to the gods, like animals to sacrifice or incense to burn..." She frowned now. "And there's a distinct lack of peach trees in a garden to give a proper atmosphere, I guess mixing our blood and an oath should do us good, right?"

You had to raise an eyebrow at her. "Aneue was pretty clear about it, besides it's not like we're martial artists in one of her stories. And doesn't this feel... right?"

You suppose that was true, that an informal oath sworn upon blood beneath the heavens, witnessed by the gods had a certain romantic air to it.

The others had to nod at what Naruto was saying. It made a certain odd sense.

And thus did you slash your palm as did the other three, to mix your blood as one. Naruto coughed before speaking up, and the three of you find yourself following after her. There was a sense of vague familiarity to her words.

"We four maidens, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, though born to different families, swear sisterhood, and promise mutual help to one end. We will rescue each other in difficulty; we will aid each other in danger. We swear to serve the Daimyo and the Hokage. We ask not the same day of birth, but we seek to die together. May Heaven, the all-ruling, and Earth, the all-producing, read our hearts. If we turn aside from righteousness or forget kindliness, may Heaven smite us."

With that oath spoken, you blinked and watched Naruto lick her palm clean... wh... which was no longer cut or even scarred. "What? Did you hold our on us, Naruto? I mean... some sort of jutsu to heal so fast?"

"W... what are you talking about?" She blinked at Ino and her question. "I mean... don't your cuts and bruises go away when you lick them?"

"....."

"....."

"....."

There was a cough before Sakura spoke up. "Naruto... you do know that people don't normally heal that fast right? It takes days for a cut like that to heal."

"..... you guys are joking... right?" She blinked and looked at the three of you. "You... you mean to tell me you guys heal slowly?"

"I don't believe it," With that she took your hand and licked it clean of blood... leaving unmarked skin. "See."

"What the..." "Is this for real, you've got a bloodline limit based on licking people?!?"

You blinked at that, and reached for your note book once more, to scribble down notes.

"You mean, you really heal that slowly?" She just looked horrified at such a notion. "But... I just licked the cuts away?"

"Naruto... that's... that's something you can do," You had to shake your head at her. "It's a special ability granted by your ancestors, just like my eyes were a gift from the Sage of the Six Paths to my ancestors."

"Well... huh..." She blinked, taking it in before reaching for the other hands to lick away the cuts. "I guess that makes some kind of sense."

For your part, you just nodded and scribbled in the new notes. Licking based bloodline or perhaps... yes... a blood drinking bloodline. A hidden clan with special powers. Perhaps enhanced speed, strength and physical durability and... some kind of weakness. And arrayed against them, another hidden clan of nins whose bloodlimit involved shapeshifting.

This was golden material.

"So, let's have dinner!" Naruto's statement was punctuated by the sound of low growling, and not just from one belly.

You nodded and flickered your perspective about, there had to be a place that served good food within a mile of you four, right?

- - -

Lavender Blossom Quest - Oath Beneath the Heavens


​

What Do?
The next few days...
[X] You interview your new blood sisters.
[X] What if those three, unlike you, were not the only ones who remembered their past lives? Investigation~
[X] Go exploring of the nearby forests with your new sisters.
[X] Go exploring of the nearby seashores with your new sisters.
[X] Continue exploring the city with your new sisters.
[X] Sakura wanted to have an out all spar with... everyone, someone...
[X] Naruto seems to have vanished again... where did she go?
[X] Write In

 

Don't ask me where this came from... but just know that IF you had opted for ninja path at the choice thingy, and gone thru stuff and training... this would have replaced the Wave Mission.

Or it might still yet happen if you manage to lock yourself into the Wave Mission. I'm assuming the canonical teams for some reason or other~.

- - - Omake Time - - - ​

"Here's your noon appointment, lord hokage," the secretary letting in the businessman seemed somewhat unconcerned that he was permitting the client to enter with his body guards. But that could be assumed to be caused by the fact that this was the hokage they were meeting, and to be able to pose a threat to one such as he...

No, it was fine for the client to bring in his samurai body guards.

"Lord hokage, thank you for taking the time to see me," the client spoke politely, respectfully even. A far cry from his normal way of speaking. But then, he was also missing one of the arms that he would normally have.

"Please, sit," the raspy voice of the hokage came in response. "I must admit to some surprise that you would come to me. After all, isn't your normal way of doing things include hiring missing nin?"

"Th... that is true, yes," the business man sighed and settled into the chair. "However, there is only so much one can do with missing nin when the issue is what it is."

Sarutobi nodded and gestured for his guest to continue, as he breathed in the smoke from his kiseru pipe.

"Tell me... what do you know of the Sun Moon cult?" The business man asked after a moment of silence.

"It's a minor religion that sprang up in Wave, right?" It was clear that the hokage likely knew more than just that. After all, intelligence was a vital matter, especially for a ninja village about to take on high paying clients.

"Yes... that is somewhat true," The short business man sighed and sagged into his seat. "As you well know, Gato Corp has effectively gained control of the Land of Waves for the last few years and that we started work on a bridge to connect the island to the mainland."

"Things were proceeding as well as they could be, when a few months ago, a charismatic woman started up a cult. Promising miracles and teaching magic to those who followed her," The hokage nodded at that. "We thought it wasn't a concern and as such allowed it to continue on."

"We... we were wrong," He swallowed drily. "So very wrong. The cult leader, this Tohou Fuhai, started to teach her followers how to use chakra. But... no one should be able to learn how to use chakra that fast or to the degree that the Sun Moon cultists did."

"That was when dissatisfaction was shown to the construction of the bridge between the Lands of Fire and Wave," He shook his head. "I assigned more guards, at first, to guard the bridge and the workers. They got killed. I hired missing nin. They got killed and the more powerful ones were... subverted."

"And thus, I come to you... please, I... I would be willing to commission multiple jounin teams to deal with this cult," The slight raise of the hokage's eyebrow indicated his surprise, at being told of how severe Gato corp held this affair to start bidding as a start at multiple jounin teams, which mean an A rank or higher mission profile... to start.

"Is it truly that bad?" The question was met with a simple nod.

- - - ​

"Hey, could you come in?" With that, team seven and eight were introduced to their client. A rather short and rotund businessman. "I thought that the scouting teams would be more... older?"

"It's true that age is usually a good mark of skill and experience," The hokage smiled. "But in this ase, despite their youth... you'll find that there is no better infiltration and assault team than these two."

"Wait... aren't you Haruno's girl?"

A certain pinked hair girl blinked and nodded. "Yes? Oh... I remember you, you're one of father's friends."

"Something like that," He had to look at the hokage again. "You're sure about this? I mean I wouldn't be able to look at Kizashi in his eyes if his daughter died because of me, you know."

"Trust me, if not for the fact that she's not skilled enough in certain areas, miss Haruno here would be a chunin if not a jounin already."

"Ah..." That was all that needed to be said.

- - - Owari~ - - -


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