บท 11: The Finish Line
Kinjo leaned against the wall by the southern gate as he scanned the crowd for a familiar face. It was early on in the winter and traffic into Konoha had slowed significantly, with only a few caravans and farmers passing through to sell their goods within the village. Despite seeing the same sights for the hundredth time, he enjoyed the colorful variety of people entering his hometown and the clashing of sounds, ranging from normal chatter between the chunin guards to the heavy thundering of wagons and horses.
Finally, after waiting for half an hour, a familiar sight graced his eyes. A young boy with black hair, another with grey hair, a girl with greyish-brown hair, and a tall lanky man with dark hair. Kinjo's mouth curled into a grin when he saw the group. "Itachi."
Itachi turned to the shadows and spotted Kinjo in the shade. He raised his head and smiled. "Kinjo."
"Welcome back," Kinjo answered. "How was your trip to the Land of Rivers?"
"Uneventful," Itachi said. He turned toward his jonin instructor, who gave him an uninterested nod. "Just a normal escort mission with a few bandits involved, nothing more. Why are you here?"
"You told me you would be back today, so I decided to wait for you. I'm taking it easy today."
"I see… Then let's head to the compound together."
"After you," Kinjo replied with a grin. Itachi's female teammate, Shinko, smiled at him while Tenma, the other teammate, looked away. Kinjo wasn't sure why, but he felt as though Tenma was… even more cold and detached than Itachi initially was to him. Perhaps Tenma's rivalry with Itachi meant that he disliked those that were even friendly to Itachi.
Itachi's jonin instructor Yuki looked nonplussed as usual. Kinjo noted that the man was doing an excellent Shikamaru expression. As Itachi and Kinjo were about to walk away, Yuki cleared his throat. "Itachi, it's your turn to turn in the mission's report. Do that before excusing yourself from the team."
"I'm well aware, sensei," Itachi pulled a scroll from his pocket and stared nonchalantly at his jonin instructor.
"O..Oh, good. Well then, carry on. Team 2, you are dismissed for today. Enjoy the rest of the week off until our next mission."
With that, everyone went their separate ways while the duo walked toward the Hokage Residence for the mission report. On the way there, Kinjo turned to his counterpart while thumbing toward Yuki in the distance. "Did you scare him or something?"
"Why would he be afraid of me?" Itachi asked, tilting his head.
"I don't know; he sounded a bit nervous there."
"Perhaps he's exhausted after Tenma and I both repeatedly inquired about the Chunin Exams throughout the mission."
"You're taking it this year?"
"Next year. Possibly the one in April. If not, then the one in October. At first, my sensei didn't want us to take it, thinking we weren't ready. But Tenma nagged him while I… asked firmly. He conceded."
Kinjo snorted. "So you did scare him."
"He's a jonin," Itachi deadpanned.
"And you're well due for a promotion to chunin. This is your twenty-fifth C-rank mission this year."
"I'm not concerned with rank or rewards. The missions are for the benefit of the village."
"I know," Kinjo waved his hands dramatically. "The more missions you guys take, the more reliable and valuable our shinobi force is to the general public. Not to mention, more money for the village to replenish from our losses during the… Nine Tails Attack and the war with Kumo."
"I believe you are well due for a promotion as well,"
"Just a few more months. Then I'll get to explore the world a bit as well."
Itachi looked up at the looming Hokage Tower as his eyes flashed. "Then we start to change the world."
"Yep," Kinjo said as he looked away. His eyes drifted to the right side of Itachi's chest, the place where he was stabbed by Tobi. "Soon."
As they entered, they were greeted by the tirade of a middle-aged man with the Uchiha logo on the back of his jacket. "Four years! It's been four years since I was forced to give up my home and business to move back into that place. I lost everything due to that stupid decree. I was told I would be compensated, but I haven't seen a single Ryo!"
A nearby chunin approached him and stretched his hands while backing off. "Sir, if you can come back at a later date after we check your records…"
"My records?" The Uchiha man roared, his eyes glowing red. The chunin cowered at the sight and backed away further. "I sent those in three times already. And yet, nothing! Not even a word of recognition!"
"I promise I'll look into it right away, sir, now if you will…"
"No," he growled. "I will stay right here until I see my promised payment."
Kinjo felt Itachi stir next to him and watched as he marched up to his clan man with a frown. The man looked down at Itachi, and his eyes widened with recognition. Itachi crossed his arms and looked up. "You are embarrassing our clan, Yasushi."
"Itachi… Surely you understand. We are being slighted for our heritage, and I will not take this lying down!"
"I know," Itachi said, his tone relaxed and calm. "However, throwing a tantrum here won't change anything. We need to show we are better than this."
"They don't care. I am not the only one that's been insulted this way. Our complaints always fall on deaf ears," Yasushi hissed. "They ignored us when we needed to expand the compound to accommodate the influx of new residents after that decree. They've refused to allow us to travel outside the village without those stupid permits..."
Itachi's forehead creased, "I will discuss with my father about this and find a solution. For now, leave."
Yasushi's face reddened, and it seemed as though his lid would blow. However, the man backed down at the last possible moment and sighed. "Fine, but this is the last time I will endure this insult. Next time, I'll bring a crowd to demand answers."
"Of course. I will see you later."
The two bowed to each other, and Yasushi walked out without another word. Itachi handed his mission report to the frightened chunin and gave a small bow before walking out. Kinjo looked back at the chunin, who glared at Itachi's back and shook his head. "Is everything alright with…"
"Yes, everything is fine," Itachi replied automatically. "Yasushi is… hot-tempered. He's usually prone to outbursts."
Kinjo's face darkened as he walked silently with Itachi to the Uchiha Compound. The symptoms, the anger, they were already there.
The coup would begin in earnest half a year after Itachi became chunin, around the time he joined ANBU. From that point onward, it would be even more difficult to reverse the tide as Konoha would be well aware of the situation and plan to destroy the Uchiha due to their treason. With Itachi planning to take his chunin exam soon, that left him with about a year to either slow down or prevent the coup.
He had less time than he originally thought.
If nothing was done, then… that would happen.
And there was no way in hell he would allow such an atrocity to happen, not under his watch.
As he was busy with his thoughts, he barely noticed a flying projectile slamming into Itachi and tossing him to the ground. Kinjo turned with his gunbai at the ready but slackened as he realized the "projectile" was merely a small boy that looked strikingly similar to Itachi. The boy giggled as he hugged Itachi with all his might. "Brother!"
"Sasuke," Itachi chuckled and rubbed the boy's head. Kinjo had never seen Itachi look so… vulnerable and affectionate before. It was unsettling but also adorable. "Don't you have lessons with Father in the morning?"
"Already finished!" Sasuke boasted. He pointed to Kinjo. "Who's that?"
"Of course, you two have never met since Sasuke always stayed at home. Kinjo, meet my younger brother Sasuke. He's four. Sasuke, this is Kinjo, my friend."
"Cool fan!" Sasuke chirped.
Images of a Uchiha and a Uzumaki fighting at the Valley of the End played out in Kinjo's mind. He silently mused as he considered looking for the other half of the pair.
Kinjo stared at Sasuke, who looked up at him with a bright smile. He bent down next to the boy and shook his small hand, "Nice to meet you, Sasuke."
+++++
"Four hundred and twenty-four, four hundred and twenty-five…"
"LOWER! Do not cheat yourself from improvement by cutting corners! Lower yourself all the way down."
Kinjo let out a breath as he pushed himself down and up. He felt some soreness in his arms and chest, but not a single drop of sweat was visible on his skin.
"Four hundred and ninety-nine, five hundred," Kinjo announced as he finished the last of his pushups.
"Yell it out!" Gai hollered while squatting next to him.
"FIVE HUNDRED!"
"Excellent! You're looking much better than when we first started months ago. Now we will continue our warm-up with five laps around Konoha! We can not waste such a beautiful day on strength training alone!"
"Beautiful day?" Kinjo looked up at the dreary, cloudy sky. Even when he squinted into the distance, he was unable to see a single ray of sunshine beaming through the endless blanket of clouds. It was late December, with only a few months separating him from his graduation exam. Even Konoha experienced downcast weather during the winter months.
"Yes! We must enjoy the clouds while they are here, as they will cool us while we train! Now forward, young Kinjo! We must get through our training regimen for today!"
He was familiar with his mentor's style and knew the man would never take "no" for an answer. As such, he wordlessly jumped to his feet and jogged before Gai could yell at him.
He maintained a brisk pace for his run around Konoha while trying to ignore Gai, who was up to his usual amusing yet astonishing antics. Instead of running with his pupil on foot, he was running with his hands as they circled around the perimeter of the village. "If you can not keep up with me, then I will have you run another five laps to improve your speed and stamina!"
"I'll keep up," Kinjo answered, increasing his speed to match the upside-down Gai. "In fact, I'm going to go all out to beat you!"
"Exactly what I wanted to hear! Now run, Kinjo! Let us brighten up the village with our youthful energy!"
With every lap, they passed by several shinobi positioned on the walls or civilians carrying out their business. Many waved at them as the duo ran, while others rolled their eyes at Gai's form. Kinjo gave them a small nod as he ran past them, his eyes zoned in on the path ahead. His worn sandals pounded the ground with a steady rhythm as he used every step to push himself faster.
Just over an hour later, the pair returned to Training Ground Fifty-Two after finishing their five laps. Kinjo wheezed as he drank some water while Gai was filled with vitality and spirit. "Another excellent run around our beautiful village! I'm sure the villagers and shinobi we saw were invigorated by our display of passion and youth!"
"I'm sure they were Gai-sensei," Kinjo mumbled as he straightened his posture and took in a sharp breath.
"Come, we have no time to waste! We must spend every minute improving ourselves!" Gai dragged him to the center of the training ground. He tossed him into the pond, forcing Kinjo to flip and land on his feet. "Now, let us spar."
In an instant, Gai's posture stiffened as he leaped onto the pond's surface with only a slight ripple to signify his entrance. His eyes bore into Kinjo with fiery intensity as his mouth settled into a confident smile, and his hand rose in front of his torso. Kinjo stared back with squinted eyes and frowned, taking up an open form with closed fists.
"Remember, you are not allowed to use your… Tataki." Gai pointed to Kinjo's gunbai, which was strapped to his back. "Such an unyouthful name for a graceful weapon."
"Because it's meant to pound the enemy, Gai-sensei."
"No matters! As always, your goal will be to hit anywhere but my arms and legs. I will only use one hand to fight you. Begin!"
Kinjo rushed forward without hesitation, teetering on the edge of Gai's range. He lashed out with a swift jab, water spraying up into his eyes from the speed. Gai blocked his jab easily, smirking as his eyebrows wiggled with encouragement.
He followed his jab with a diagonal kick aimed at Gai's hips. Instead of his intended target, Kinjo's foot slammed into an iron wall, a loud crack that echoed through the empty training ground. He winced as he looked down, his foot numb after hitting Gai's shin.
"You'll need to do better than that. You have too many openings!" Gai laughed as he grabbed Kinjo and tossed him again, causing him to bounce and then sink into the water.
Kinjo rose back onto his feet with a scowl, loosening his posture and jumping back in without missing a beat. "Dynamic Entry!"
"Too predictable!" Gai rose into the air and slammed his fist into Kinjo's side, his eyes widening as he ducked to dodge a spin kick by an upside-down Kinjo. He backed away and watched as his student landed on his hands and sprang backward like a trained gymnast. "Hah! Better."
Water dripped from his face as Kinjo coughed and ignored the water clogging his nose. The smell wasn't unpleasant, but the taste made him cough. He blew his soaked hair aside and charged in again. This time, he jabbed and kicked from a distance and pulled out his attacks moments before Gai could grab him.
Now it was Gai that rushed in to attack, punching hard enough for a slice of wind to streak past Kinjo's ear and deafen it. "You still rely too much on keeping your opponents at an arm's reach! What if someone faster or stronger breaches your guard and gets close to you?"
"Then I'll break off or use what you taught me to force them to back out," Kinjo shouted. He sliced the ground with a leg-sweeping kick and forced Gai to jump. "Leaf Gale!"
An elbow into Gai's guard, followed by a side punch to pry aside Gai's arm, gave Kinjo an opening to bash a knee into his groin. Gai dodged by a hair, but Kinjo noticed his eyes had widened for a split second as the strike caused his pants to flutter.
They continued to spar for an hour more, with Kinjo pounding away at Gai's guard while Gai only countered if he overextended. Each hit resonated with a satisfying thud, yet neither side stopped as their bodies blurred and created whirlwinds.
Finally, Gai batted away Kinjo's fist and shoved him away with a jab to the chest. Kinjo wheezed and fumbled back onto his feet as Gai towered over him. "I have felt enough of your youthful energy! Your guard needs a bit more work, but I assume your weapon will help you with such."
Kinjo drew his gunbai and nodded. "But I shouldn't rely solely on it; it's a tool, not a crutch."
"Excellent! You still remember!" Gai gave a thumbs up. "Now, let us continue our training with your gunbai."
Gai was a taijutsu master, but his bukijutsu was impressive as well. However, he preferred fighting with his fists as his taijutsu was superior to his bukijutsu, and he claimed that "he broke the weapons he wielded too easily." Thankfully, Gai did know how to wield a gunbai, or well enough to teach some forms and techniques to Kinjo.
And they continued their training once more, this time with Kinjo's gunbai merging into his close combat form to complete the puzzle.
+++++
"I'm home!" Kinjo shouted as he trotted up the stairs and entered the dining room. He sported a few bruises, and his gunbai displayed new scratches, but he scrambled to the fridge for a cold drink without any difficulty.
Mika ran up to him and hugged him. "Big brother! Welcome back!"
"Is mom still at the tailor shop?"
"Yep! Satoshi went with her, so I've been watching Maki on my own." She held up Maki, who laughed when she saw him.
The tiny child was gurgling happily in her crib, causing Kinjo to smile in response and coo at her. He stuck out his finger and poked Maki's tiny cheeks. "You're my fifth sibling; you know that?"
"What?" Mika asked with a puzzled expression.
"It's nothing."
"Ok! Is Izumi coming to play today? Can I watch your shinobi training? I want to play with your fan!"
"She might drop by later today, but she's also busy with her own training Mika. Besides, what did I tell you about shinobi training?" Kinjo asked with a raised eyebrow.
His sister pouted and crossed her arms, "That it's dangerous, and I shouldn't be near you when you're doing your cool jutsu stuff."
"Exactly. Besides, you need to watch Maki."
"Daddy can watch her! He's downstairs!"
"He's running the shop; he can't take care of her and work at the same time. The shop is busier 'cause it's winter."
"But I want to watch!" Mika whined.
"No," Kinjo said firmly. He placed his hand on her small shoulders and sighed. "Look, Mika. Being a shinobi is hard and dangerous. I don't want you to become a kunoichi and get hurt for something I chose to do. If something goes wrong, I need you to care for mom and dad."
"Did you do something bad, big brother?"
"I'm just saying hypothetically, if things went badly."
"What does that mean?"
"Never mind, but no shinobi training."
Mika huffed and pulled out some menko cards from her pockets. "I'm six now! You were six when you joined the Academy! I want to join too! I want to be on a menko card and breathe fire!"
Her desire to join the Academy and become a kunoichi had only worsened as of late due to his looming graduation. He was certain that if he had never landed in this world, she would've never formed an interest in the shinobi forces. Perhaps it was selfish and even hypocritical for him to be this opposed to her becoming a kunoichi, but he did not want to place his sister at risk.
"What's all the ruckus about?" Makoto asked as he entered the room.
"Isn't the shop busy right now?"
"I closed it temporarily to restock the shelves." He looked around to see the menko cards in Mika's hands and smiled. "Ah, it's about that again?"
"She's safer at home," Kinjo replied. "You know that, dad."
"So were you, but you chose to become a shinobi. You can't blame your sister for wanting to follow in her older brother's footsteps." Makoto ruffled Mika's long hair as she giggled. "Besides, if she did join the Academy, she would have the best teacher in the world."
"Dad."
"I know, I know. Just… think about it. I've already made some inroads with your mother on the issue. That's why she took Satoshi to her work today."
Kinjo blinked. "You… used Satoshi as bait?"
"Well, more like "kindled his interest in something other than being a shinobi." He was never like Mika, partially due to your mother wanting some normalcy in the house."
"It's the same thing."
"You're a shinobi; don't you have tactics for distractions or the like?"
"Not by using our family members, no."
"Good," Makoto grinned. "If you promise to let Mika follow you the next time you train, I'll give you the thing that you were asking for."
"You have it?" Kinjo asked as he bolted toward his father.
"I do. But promise me."
"... Sure."
"Kinjo, if she changes her mind, she can withdraw from the Academy. Sure, your mom might not like it, but I want Mika to do what she wants to do as well. If it means sending her there to see if she really wants to become a shinobi, then that is what I'll have her do. It's a bit unfair that only you get the opportunity, no?"
"Right."
"If she does make it all the way, I'll make sure to instill the same discipline and values in her as I did with you. So you won't have to worry about your sister zipping around the village firing off fireballs at every stray cat she sees."
"Of course, now can I have it?"
Makoto rolled his eyes. "It's downstairs; let's go get it. I'm not sure why you want something that's used for starting fires while camping when you can breathe fire, but..."
+++++
Kinjo barreled into Izumi's defenses with relentless energy, forcing her to take a step back and redirect his strikes. Each blow left marks on her arms, though her face was only mired with a slight grimace.
She flipped away from him as he brought up his leg, separating them by several feet instead of mere inches. His steady tempo of pummeling her was offset by the sudden break, and he scrambled to redirect his stance.
Before he could collect himself, she jumped in and pierced through, landing a staggering blow on his shoulder. He jerked away from another punch and slammed into her with a flurry of kicks, "Leaf Hurricane!"
She dodged the first back kick, but his second kick outsped her maneuvers and rammed into her stomach. The blow sent her sprawling onto the ground, leaving behind a trench of sand and dust as her body screeched to a halt. Kinjo remained in place and waited, a smile curling at the edges of his lips.
Izumi coughed and pushed herself up with her shaking arms. However, instead of looking at him with a malicious glare, her eyes lit up as she grinned. "This is the first time you've broken through my guard so easily."
"We haven't had a serious spar in months since I've been busy," He mentioned. "The fight isn't over yet."
"You really want me to?"
"If you don't practice with it now, how will you use it when we're fighting someone outside the village? Besides, I'm pretty sure I can beat you when you're not using it."
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Her Sharingan spun into existence and motioned for him to attack. The two tomoe in each eye bore into him like an all-encompassing darkness.
He obliged and raced forward, holding back the smallest of movements as he ran. After faking a twitch on his right arm, he twisted his body and barreled into her.
Whatever she expected from him, it wasn't this. A kick, sure. A punch, expected. But a full-on body tackle? Unpredictable, even with a dojutsu that could read movements.
They grappled in the sand, scrambling for an advantage as dust and wind whirled into their face. Sand caked onto their skin from the sweat, with each grain pressing into them like thorns. He pushed his elbow into her already injured stomach, earning a pained gasp from her.
Amidst the dust storm, she bashed her knee into his groin and pushed his chest as he howled. His head spun from the pain, and his previous plan shattered as she kept her distance with precise strikes aimed at his torso. Her style went from her usual form to a more advanced Uchiha one, then back to a style that resembled judo. There was no pattern, only a mishmash of styles that united into one fluid chorus.
His only advantage now was his superior speed, a fact both of them knew. He launched a storm of punches and kicks to wear her down, but her dojutsu and the distance allowed her to parry them with pinpoint accuracy. A few strikes slipped by, but their effects were minimal compared to before.
A small gap opened as she missed a punch to his head, prompting him to lash out with a punch. As she moved to dodge it, he smacked her hips with a kick and dashed forward.
She parroted his movement and rushed in, leaping and whipping with both of her legs, "Leaf Hurricane!"
"What?" He screeched to a halt and dodged the first kick, focusing his attention on her lower half.
His head was rocked by a punch, and his legs went slack as a kick knocked him onto the floor. Her foot mounted his chest as she peered above him with a smile, "I told you."
"Throwing me off guard by shouting "Leaf Hurricane," baiting me to look at your legs, and then punching me down… Smart."
"You were faster, so I had to be smarter."
Kinjo chuckled as she helped him up. She was talented in canon, but her constant training with him and her drive to study had changed her. He had no doubts that she was ready to be a genin; perhaps she was better than some genin already.
The crowd of students watching from the sidelines started clapping as he dusted the sand off her. Taku came up to them and nodded curtly. "Excellent spar, but I expect neither of you to use "Leaf Hurricane" or the Sharingan during your spars with other students."
"Wasn't planning on it," Kinjo answered. He looked around and gave Shin a thumbs up. The Akimichi responded by waving.
Taku stared at him with a blank face. "Good. While the Academy is a place to learn and grow, you must also show restraint, especially against your fellow Leaf shinobi. Step out of the ring and let the next pair take their turn."
As they headed into the crowd, Kinjo noticed a few girls looking at him with rapt attention. When he walked past one, she giggled and ran to her friends. Izumi noticed and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
He was a bit shorter than Izumi after her recent growth spurt, but he was also growing. And his facial features were more prominent than before. Combined with his spiky brown hair, he looked… pretty good. He was still a child and nowhere near as good-looking as Itachi, but his calm demeanor and above-average looks meant he warranted some unwanted attention.
Kinjo groaned. Thank god he was graduating in two months. The thought of a child looking at him with romantic interest made him nauseous.
+++++
"How?" Kinjo's jaw slackened as he watched his sister giggle and run around with enhanced speed.
"Look, big brother! I'm going super fast!" Mika shouted as she zipped around the pond of Training Ground Fifty-Two. She was moving fast enough to make him a bit dizzy from watching.
"When did you teach her about chakra and using it for running?" Izumi questioned. After her spar against Kinjo at the Academy, she had decided to tag along and join him in his afternoon training. She glanced at Mika with a lopsided grin, amused at her antics.
"Two days ago? I didn't teach her about the "using chakra to run" part, though."
"Maybe she's just a natural?'
Kinjo laughed hysterically while collapsing onto the ground in a heap. "It took me weeks to get that far, and she gets it… just like that."
"I mean, you're smart. She's… talented? Seems like a family thing." Izumi shrugged.
"Right, right…"
"Don't get discouraged now! Come on, let's train and show her why we're almost genin!"
"Give me a minute," Kinjo responded. "I'm still coming to terms with this. Hey Mika!"
"Yes?" Mika zoomed in and stood next to him in record time, making him topple over. "What is it, big brother?"
He pulled out a Chakra Induction Paper that he had at hand and handed it to her. "Put some chakra into this."
"Ok!" She placed her fingers on the paper and closed her eyes. It took a second to see the results.
The paper was soaked.
"Look, big sis, big brother! I made water!"
Izumi walked over and patted her head. "Your brother has a Fire affinity, which means you… beat him?"
"Water… Itachi also has a Water affinity…" Kinjo mumbled as Mika clapped. "Do all geniuses have a Water affinity?"
"Does that make us dumb?" Izumi asked, tilting her head.
"… Don't think about it. Let's go practice our Fire jutsu…"
"And since your sister has a Water affinity, Itachi can teach her!"
Kinjo blanched. "I think he would die from the combined energies of Mika and Sasuke annoying the heck out of him."
+++++
Sunshine blanketed Konoha in a pleasant embrace as its inhabitants enjoyed the warmth on an afternoon in April. Kinjo was one of them, resting on the tire swing in front of the Academy's entrance with the sun reflected on the shiny shinobi protector on his forehead.
"I expected nothing less from you, son," Makoto declared as he slapped his son in the back. "Great work."
"Thanks," Kinjo answered, rubbing his back. "Where's mom?"
"With Satoshi and Maki, you know how she is."
"I still expected her to…"
"She'll congratulate you at home. She's been more sensitive since Mika started the Academy."
Mika had started her term as a student at the Academy just a month prior. Kinjo didn't know the full details of the events leading up to that moment, but he did know that his mother and father had fought over the issue multiple times. While he had steered clear from their arguments, he was almost certain that one of them had turned physical, though it wasn't due to his father. The man had the patience of a saint and instead endured and defended the choices of his eldest children to the end.
It had gotten better since Mika's first day at the Academy, but things were still a bit frosty at home.
While the two spoke, Mika sprinted out of the Academy's entrance and tackled Kinjo, embracing him in a bear hug. "I knew you could do it, big brother! You're the best!"
"Thanks, Mika," Kinjo replied with a smile. "Did you pay attention in class?"
"Yep! My teacher even said I'm one of the smartest kids she'd ever seen!" Mika boasted as she placed her hands on her hip. "Are you proud?"
"I am."
Mika looked giddy as she ranted about the things she had learned during her classes when someone dropped from the branches. Mika and Makoto both jumped back in a similar fashion, but Kinjo only raised an eyebrow. The figure placed its arm around Kinjo's shoulders. "Did you forget about me?"
"'Course not. But was that really necessary?" Kinjo questioned.
"Duh." Izumi jabbed her elbow into his ribs, her forehead protector gleaming into his face. "Let's go to my house to celebrate! Mom made all my favorite food for today!"
"Sure thing, sure thing. Dad, is it ok to…?"
"Of course. Have fun with your girlfriend."
Kinjo sighed while Izumi rolled her eyes, "He's not my boyfriend."
"Ah, right, that would be the Uchiha boy I met that one time. Where is he?" Makoto mused.
Izumi was stunned to silence, but Kinjo answered in her stead. "He's on a mission but should be back soon."
"He's going to stop going on missions after this one to prepare for the Chunin Exams in October," Izumi stated after regaining her cool.
Makoto nodded and waved his hand. "Hopefully, we can invite him over for dinner after things cool down between me and your mom. Now go on, and have fun."
As Kinjo was dragged away by Izumi, he spotted a small boy from the Hyuga Clan speaking excitedly with a man. When he passed by them, he overheard their conversation for the briefest moment.
"It was fun, Father! I made another new friend today! She only talked about her older brother and the Fireball jutsu, but she was interesting."
"That sounds a bit like Hinata with her new younger sister," the man chuckled. "I am happy you are doing well at school, Neji."
Kinjo's head snapped back, and he stared at the father and son pair. The two were smiling, without a care for the world. It was an impossible sight.
"What is it, Kin?" Izumi asked.
Instead of approaching Neji, Kinjo turned around and shook his head. "It's nothing."
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