Chapter 71 - Arc X: True Form- Chapter 5

Asuna had to be careful where she aimed her head after ‘falling up’ through Azami’s shadow. She wondered if it would have been better to just take the full day trip. Thirty seconds of that jutsu was thirty seconds too long.

The two females looked at each other, eyebrows raised. They had landed right near Naruto and Sakura in mid-kiss. A jubilant Sakura was wearing a new necklace, and was feeling very affectionate at the moment, as she had taken the lead in making out with Naruto in a semi-public area.

“Want to wander around a bit? Yuji will spot us eventually,” Azami asked/stated, looking around longingly at the festival. This was the same festival she had first met him at, come to think. That made it special to her. She still remembered how she picked his pocket for fun and to test her skill, and how he caught her. He was so polite and sweet!

“How do you know?” Asuna wanted to know, calling Azami back from her trip down memory lane.

Azami pointed upward, toward the Hokage Faces. “He’s up there, being antisocial as usual. He’s got his eye on the whole place.”

“Why not go join him?”

Something like pity crossed Azami’s pretty features as she considered her answer. “Well, Yuji probably has a good reason for being alone. He’ll come down when he’s ready.”

“You know him pretty well,” Asuna stated in an even voice that didn’t sound completely natural.

Whoa, THAT sounded like a jealousy-tinged challenge! Azami thought, noting the crisp tone that went with Asuna’s words. Grinning despite herself, Azami couldn’t resist saying:
“Don’t worry; I’m not out to jump his bones. He knows that, too. Means he’s a free man…”

Asuna waved a hand in a negative swipe. “No, no, he was married…almost married to my master. I could never replace her.”

“You’ve given this some thought, then,” Azami noted teasingly.

“Sh-shut up!” Asuna snapped in an un-Miko like manner. “Of COURSE it occurred to me; Yuji’s a desirable and clearly single guy! But it’s just…well…not a good idea.”

“For you or him?”

Again, an instant answer, but this time with absolute conviction behind it.
“Both. As Uzume, I should not be involved…’romantically’. If he could be my husband without ever touching me, that would be another thing. But neither of us have the discipline for that! Second, every time he looked at me, he’d see Miko. And that just isn’t fair to him. Or to me,” she finished sadly.

Azami agreed, and had known all this before Asuna had said anything. But she couldn’t let it go peacefully.
“Aw, c’mon, you should let your hair down. Tonight, you’re Asuna, not ‘Lady Uzume’. Besides, we’ve all got impulses; we wouldn’t have them if God or nature or whatever didn’t want us acting on them.”

With that, Azami began to move her way through the crowd.

Asuna gave a small sigh as her companion left. Azami was so gorgeous. With her long hair, a figure that not even the best artist could sculpt (men and women alike would be drooling over her too much to finish), and an incredible strength on the battlefield, she could have any man she wanted.

So why doesn’t she want Yuji? She’s plenty interested in him. She brings him up all the time when we talk. Even when she’s teasing me, it’s easy to see she’s got the hots for him. So why not make her move? It’s not like Yuji wouldn’t jump at the chance.

Asuna suddenly felt very inferior in her dark red kimono, decorated with bright blue butterflies outlined in gold, tied closed with a gold obi. She was a tomboy and a priestess. She was good at what she did, but she knew the adage of ‘it’s lonely at the top’ was a truism.

Focus, Asuna! No self pity! You’re here because you know something Yuji doesn’t, and you need to act fast to help him. You’ve got a small window of opportunity; miss that and Yuji either becomes a murderer, a corpse, or insane. There’s no room for error!

Her resolve stiffened, Asuna decided to enjoy the festival. Her services wouldn’t be needed yet. She prayed that she had interpreted things wrong. It was very possible. Never before had she seen such a clouded future. The cloud wasn’t ominous; it wasn’t good or bad. It just was. And that was the worst part.

Pray he doesn’t need you to step in. If he’s successfully acquired the power of Ten no Kishootsu; Heaven’s Temper; then it’s likely he won’t need me.

Her lips jerked into a smile at that. That wasn’t quite true, if she was totally honest. Yuji was nothing if not loyal, and he didn’t desert a friend. And they were most certainly friends.
--
--

Yuji had enough quiet reflection after about a half hour. He could do no more to organize his thoughts or prepare his mind for the upcoming conflict. The prophecy was what it was at this point. There was no point in debating the semantics of the damn thing. Either it was true and there was no escape, or it was not true. Which would soon be evident.

But how nice would it be, Yuji mused, To stand as their equal, rather than kneel at their feet? This position prevents us from being true friends, at least in my view. And yet, who else do I have to trust? Being a loner gets old sometimes.
…
Maybe I should have taken Kuroko up on her offer. She’d look really cute with pigtails.

Yuji knew that it was thanks to the ‘Heaven’s Temper’ state that he could think like that. It was as if part of his personality, long occupied by only a void, had dropped into place. He had grown a sense of self worth, and a burning desire to have others acknowledge his newfound strength. Yamato and Kakashi certainly had upon viewing his genjutsu paradise.

As quietly as he could, Yuji rejoined the festival, eventually sliding into the gambling hall where he had spoken to Tsunade last year. It was no surprise to him that she was here yet again. This year, the circumstances were different.

Yuji kicked off his sandals and took a place at the low table next to Tsunade. She noted his presence with a nod, as she was concentrating on her bet. Yuji wondered what there was to concentrate on. This was simple game of Han or Cho- evens or odds. But with that thought came another.

“Han,” said Tsunade.

“Han,” Yuji agreed. Tsunade turned to look at him. He gave her an impish grin.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

The dice rolled.
“HAN!” said the dealer.

Tsunade and Yuji’s faces drained. Whenever Tsunade won, something terrible happened. Yuji had hoped to use this as a gauge as to how things would go in the near future. Indeed so, really.

“I guess it’s really going to happen, huh?” Yuji murmured, bowing to the congregation and leaving quickly.

Tsunade scrambled up her winnings and followed him.
--

“I’ve made my peace with it, My Lady.”

A small, mostly empty teahouse was their meeting place of choice. A cute, young waitress bowed respectfully, setting their drinks down in front of them with a nervous smile. They both nodded, with Yuji remembering to try to smile kindly so as not to frighten the poor girl.

“…I’m glad to hear that. I really am. Because it looks like things will be as we feared,” Tsunade intoned, looked darkly into her Darjeeling tea.

Yuji gave a small smile. His voice was tinged with a touch of sadness as he replied “Maybe not.”

Tsunade made a small sound of question at that, prompting Yuji to continue.

“I’m always prepared to die in combat. But I’ve never been prepared to take a life…” Yuji told her calmly, his eyes studying his reflection in his tea. “I’ve come to value my life. It may hurt Naruto and Sakura, but I will not bow to Sasuke and admit defeat. Not without a fight. If the prophecy is true, even if I DO surrender, he still must kill me. That-”
He shook his head, his grip tightening on his tea cup.
“-I will not allow. I aim to find peace in death or meaning in life.”

The cup in his hand shattered, cutting his hand and spilling it’s contents. Yuji didn’t seem to notice.

“…I’m glad you’ll be fighting,” Tsunade said finally, breathing a small sigh of relief. “Even if you kill Sasuke, it will have been for the right reason. Your right to life is no less sacred than anyone else’s, and it’s time you realized that.”

Yuji looked at his hand for a long time, blood streaming from the cuts.
“Yes…or maybe it’s that I have something to live for now.
..
But…”

Tsunade made a motion for him to continue, though she had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say next.

“Naruto and Sakura. If I kill Sasuke, they won’t ever forgive me. That makes my decision more difficult. But it doesn’t change it.”
His eyes narrowed on his hand as he closed it into a fist, showing determination.
“This time, I’m going to do what I think is right. This is not an instance where I’m serving them. This is my fight.”
--
--

It never occurred to Yuji to be selfish like that. It just seemed like the right thing to do in this case. He wanted to be counted among the strongest. He wanted to be the third of the ‘legends’ that Naruto and Sakura were fast becoming. And now, for the first time in his life, he believed he had the ability.

He returned to the hustle and bustle of the festival, pretending not to notice Naruto and Sakura attached at the lips as he walked by. He still felt a ripple of jealousy. Hell, he felt downright pain. He had lost that battle without ever fighting. Maybe that was why he was so set on fighting Sasuke. Even if the fates damned him to losing, he would do so with the best fight he could give. And if he was to win, so much the better.

Up ahead, he spotted Azami and Asuna. He called out, then hurried to catch up to them. Boy, did he have something to show them!
-

Naruto and Sakura leaned even closer, their shinobi abilities forgotten. Today, they were two teenagers in love. Their hands were intertwined tightly, not any less a romantic gesture for the sweat on them from anticipation and nervousness. They each fed off the others body heat, as if that alone drew them in closer.

Their lips met in moist embraces, a mix of childish innocence and adult depth in the kiss showing the mix of their growing responsibilities that contrasted their youth. Tonight, they belonged to each other.

Naruto’s hand wandered toward Sakura’s waist. Sakura thrust her pelvis forward, encouraging Naruto. She actually suppressed a moan of desire at this point. She felt so safe and protected; so warm. It was such a wonderful feeling, and all that she wanted.

Naruto wasn’t acting out of lust. He just wanted to be close to her; to have their relationship progress. This was the girl he wanted to protect; the girl he wanted to protect him. In a world where you could count on so little, he had one certain ray of happiness.

Without realizing it, their thoughts had even crossed over each other, solidifying until they were of one mindset. Their emotions were pure and innocent; deep and terrifying. They both relished this moment, knowing there would never be another like it.

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