"Seriously, I taught you guys for four years, why does none of you remember me!?" Iruka moaned, putting his face on his hands. "Am I really that boring?"
Satsuki frowned, giving her teacher a bland look. "I live with Naruko. The fake tears will never work."
Iruka instantly calmed. "She's always been better at emotional manipulation than I ever was," Iruka agreed, straightening up, "sorry about that, but seriously, am I really that forgettable?"
"I don't know. I don't care to know either," Satsuki said. "Do you know where Naruko went, or don't you?"
"Yes, I do. She's in the park just off the academy training grounds. Last I checked she was playing with the first year students."
Satsuki rolled her eyes. "Of course she is. Thank you, Sensei," she said, bowing. She carefully kept the chunin's name out of her speech. Even though he had told it to her a minute ago, she had already forgotten, and she had to admit, she'd almost tossed whatever random name first came to her head, which would've been mighty embarrassing. Something about dolphins and the sea.
When she arrived, only the remains of a great battle of remarkable stupidity were left. She cursed.
Maybe she'd have to go for plan B and ask for the Hokage's help. That could work.
"I wonder if Sakura at least is having fun…" Satsuki mused.
***
"I've lost my shoes. I've lost my hair. I've lost fourteen missions's pay on tools. I've lost valuable time with my friends," Sakura ranted. "Words cannot describe how much rage I am feeling at this moment."
The forest was silent.
"Well at least I was right about the forest being safer?" Kakashi supplied.
Sakura kept a grip on her kunai so tight her knuckles were turning white. She spat on the ground. "This is the last time I ever listen to you," she said, glaring at her teacher.
"Good, you're learning," Kakashi said.
"What, now you're going to justify it by saying how I should never trust anyone and look underneath the underneath or something?" Sakura asked, glaring at him.
"No, that I'm a terrible person," Kakashi said, grinning at her underneath his mask.
Sakura threw her kunai at him. He dodged, but the gurgling sound meant she'd at least hit something. Stupid forest. Stupid trees. Stupid Village Hidden Amongst The Forest ninja, trying to take Konoha's thunder. "I'M A SHOELESS GODDESS OF MURDER, MOTHERFUCKERS! ANYONE ELSE WANT TO DIE!?" Sakura shrieked.
"Stop right there, Konoha Scum!"
Four men leaped at her. Sakura roared and met them mid jump.
***
"She's probably sitting around a campfire with sensei and having a decent dinner," Satsuki concluded, before deciding to make her way to the tower.
***
"I love that song!" Moegi said, turning to listen to the music as the party passed a store that sold radio sets from the antique and classic high fidelity sets to new audio systems designed to have more boom and less sound. It was also a music store, but it was clear that they wanted the hardware they showed to be the most defining part of the store, as it populated the window.
It was a dark, cave-like place with guitars hanging from the ceilings and posters of heavy and loud bands plastered on the walls. From where Naruko stood, she could spy the cashier, a young boy with piercings all over his face and long, curly hair. He wore a black shirt that had an image of a flaming skull with a snake coming out of one eye on it.
For the atmosphere it had, Naruko was rather surprised to hear the song that was playing, at a reasonable volume.
It was a rather cheerful song. It was much more similar to the currently popular trends rather than the more aged metal she would've expected.
The song came to an end, and Moegi sighed. "I wish I knew who's the artist. Her albums sell like crazy, but nobody knows who she is."
Naruko smiled. "I'm surprised she's so popular. She sings in the old language…"
"Yep! Very few understand it, but it's just so… so beautiful! I think it makes it even better!" Moegi gushed. "I mean, I originally wanted to join the R&D department so I could learn the Old Language to translate her songs so everyone can hear them!"
Naruko laughed.
"Ugh, that's so girly," Konohamaru said, making gagging sounds and disgusted faces. "Singing! What good is it? I'd rather learn cool jutsu!"
"Hey, Konohamaru-kun, do you think I'm cool?" Naruko asked, tilting her head.
"Well… you're kinda dumb, but I guess you're alright, Nee-chan, why?" Konohamaru asked.
"'cuz I did singing classes, you know?" Naruko said. "And you know who taught me?"
"…Why would I?" Konohamaru asked.
"'Cuz that's the old man," she said, frowning at him. "He taught me how to sing, dance and even play the piano," Naruko explained.
"Woah. You can really do all that stuff, Nee-chan? No way! How could you have learned all that and trained to be a ninja at the same time?" Moegi asked.
"Not really all that hard," Naruko said. "I did three or four hours a week of each, and I would get bored if I only ever trained! Ask Satchan, her life is really boring because all she ever does is train!" she continued, chuckling.
"Well… I don't believe you!" Konohamaru said.
"I could totally prove it if we had a piano," Naruko said. "But I can tell you that the old man keeps his in the third room from the left past his study on the second floor," Naruko said, matter of factly.
"H-How do you—" Konohamaru began.
"Where do you think he taught me?" Naruko said. "I'm surprised he didn't teach you, said it was great for finger agility," she said, tapping her chin.
"I'm learning how to play the guitar from uncle Asuma," Konohamaru said, shaking his head. "It's way cooler!"
"Pooh, you young children and your inability to appreciate the good things in life," Naruko said, in her best impression of the old man's voice.
"Yeah, that's what he said exactly," Konohamaru said, grinning widely. "Anyway, if you really know how to sing and dance, then do it!"
Naruko frowned. "I'd need music to accompany me, it'd be silly to dance and sing to a tune only I can hear," she said.
"Well, you could always ask the shopkeeper," Moegi said. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind…"
"I hope he doesn't. I really want to hear Onee-sama sing!" Udon said, grinning cheerfully at her.
"Fine, fine, you cheeky brats," Naruko said, sighing.
They went into the store.
Turns out that the pimply youth was actually the owner, having inherited it recently. He was intensely bored, so on the promise that Naruko would buy something from him, he agreed to put on a karaoke version of a song. They were lucky he happened to have karaoke machines for sale, he said, because he was trying to make the store more of a hardware for audio in general than an actual music store.
"If we're gonna do this one, I've gotta dress the part," Naruko said, and she grinned as she put her hands together. Her pirate attire was replaced by an immaculate white short dress accented by pink bows. It was clearly designed to be reminiscent of a wedding dress, though cut in such a way that it would allow ease of movement and given the typical Naruko touch. That is, it was more similar to sexy wedding dress cosplay than it had any right to be.
"Ninja?" the shop owner asked.
"Yep!" Naruko said. "Henge's the bestest jutsu ever!"
"I can see how it could be hella useful," the man had said. "Okay then, tell you what… let's make an event out of this. Do you have the guts to sing outside?"
"That would be awesome!" Naruko said, grinning and giving him a thumbs up.
The man nodded.
After a couple moments of fine tuning, the song started.
Naruko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew this song very well. Her voice came out of her without her needing to think, she formed the sounds automatically. No lyrics yet, but she knew the exact second they would begin. She didn't need to look at the machine to tell them to her.
"Asa me ga samete, massaki ni omoiukabu kimi no koto…"
The children turned their full attention to her, as did the shop owner.
"Omoikitte maegami wo kitta, 'doushita no?' tte kikaretakute…"
***
Satsuki was passing a music store when she heard something that caught her attention.
"Onegai jikan wo tomete nakisou nano,"
It stopped her entirely.
"Demo ureshikute shinde shimau wa!"
Music was something she normally ignored completely. Other than using it to block out the voices in her mind, she didn't see much point in it. Besides, she got too much exposure to it as it was, what with Naruko humming to herself whenever she was doing pretty much anything.
Thankfully, Naruko had never thought it was a good idea to sing in the shower. That would've gotten really annoying really fast.
Still…
The sound captivated her attention. The song was cheerful, upbeat and clashed completely with Satsuki's average mood, but she instantaneously recognized the voice.
She knew it very well, having heard it countless times.
She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, across from the store. She could see the crowd gathering already.
When her eyes opened again, she could see past the crowd. None of them registered in her mind. All that she saw was Naruko, her dress shining brightly as the world around her faded.
"Meruto eki ni tsuite shimau… Mou aenai chikakute tooi yo dakara Meruto te wo tsunaide arukitai!"
Naruko extended her right hand, and Satsuki extended both of hers.
The tips of their fingers touched.
Satsuki's hand closed around Naruko's, and the blonde pulled her close.
"Mou baibai shinakucha ikenai no?"
Satsuki felt a knot form in her throat. She knew the words, she knew their meaning. Her education didn't allow her to speak fluently, but she understood, just a bit.
They pulled apart, connected only by one of their arms, almost as if they were being pulled away by unseen forces.
"Ima sugu watashi wo dakishimete!"
With a flourish of movement, the distance between them was eliminated. They were so close, as they looked into each other's eyes. Almost as if compelled by Naruko's voice, Satsuki did exactly as ordered, wrapping her arms around Naruko and holding onto her as tight as she could without breaking the flow of their gliding movements.
"… Nante ne,"
The sound of clapping brought Satsuki crashing back down to Earth.
"I found you, idiot," Satsuki said, her cheeks gaining a slight red dusting to them as she realized their position, and in front of how many people she'd just danced with Naruko.
Naruko grinned. "Hi, Satchan!"