A Pep Talk with the Future Hokage (probably)
“Kie—Hey, Kie! Slow down would ya?”
The girl in question laughs, as she jumps from building to building, speeding up if anything. She finally settles atop the roof of the Hokage’s mansion, with one last bound, perching herself precariously on the tiles like a cat with a death wish, far above the rest of the village.
After a minute, which stretches into five then ten, she is finally joined by her pursuer. Blonde hair sticking up in every direction and slicked with sweat, Naruto’s eyes are brighter than ever.
“About time!” Kie teases as he clambers onto the tile beside her, with a great deal of panting. Hearing him struggle is music to her ears, considering it’s usually him who runs her ragged from constant training with his stupidly large supply of energy.
His own ears are flushed, an unflattering red, and she is unsure whether it’s from overexertion or embarrassment.
“Come on! You totally cheated using that clone,” he grumbles and Kie grins. “That was sneaky.”
Yup, embarrassment.
“A ninja should be prepared for anything,” she responds, mimicking Iruka’s nagging, teacher voice. “Plus, it was practice for our graduation exam which,” she pokes his shoulder, “you should really be training for right about now.”
Naruto groans dramatically, collapsing, back against the roof. “A genius like me doesn’t need practice. I mean, how hard can it really be?”
Kie sends him a pointed look. “Pretty hard considering I still haven’t seen you produce three, solid clones. And more importantly, neither has Iruka-sensei.”
“Whatever!” Naruto crosses his arms over his chest and huffs. “I’ll just wow him with my new and improved Sexy jutsu. That idiot won’t stand a chance.”
The mere mention of Naruto’s infamous jutsu has Kie burying her head in her hands. Hope was already looking slim but all would be lost if that jutsu was what came out come exam time.
“You are so going to fail,” she groans. And if he failed using the sexy jutsu, she would have to pretend not to know him. In public, at least.
Naruto yelps indignantly. “Hey! At least have a little faith in me. I’m going to be Hokage one day, ya know? And then you’ll have to take orders straight from me so you better be nice.”
Kie’s eyes drift from his confident expression to behind where the ludicrously painted faces of the stone monuments leer down at her. He had dedicated all of yesterday to defacing rather than working and she snorts. She really did try to support him but the results of how he spent his free time never failed to shake her faith.
However part of her does believe him, wholly, making her one against the world. But first he would have to pass his exam and the fact she couldn't help him was driving her crazy.
She frowns. Naruto did have everything he needed to pass-the chakra, the ability, he was just lacking in the finer technique. She just couldn't figure out what wasn't processing with his clone jutsu and Jun had refused to help, spewing his "some things you have to figure out on your own" bullshit.
“Fine,” Kie says decisively, clapping her hands together. “How about this. You practice super hard for tomorrow’s exams and, if you pass, I’ll get Jun to take us out for dinner at Ichiraku’s.”
A grin spreads across Naruto’s face and Kie can already feel her brother's pockets emptying as Naruto shouts, “It’s a deal!”
His declaration echoes across the rooftops.
“And no takebacks because I’m going to pass tomorrow and empty out your old man’s pockets," he adds quickly.
“Hey!” Kie squawks. “Jun isn’t an old—” but before she can finish defending her brother, Naruto has vanished. Hopefully somewhere to practice his clone techniques.
A small smile crosses her own face. She really did hope he passed the next day. He more than anyone else understood the sacrifice of being a ninja, even if he was a little stupid at times.
After a few more moments of idling, watching the clouds drift by, she too jumps down from the roof. Gravel crunches beneath her sandals as she sticks her landing, dusting off her hands before straightening up.
Another blonde is quick to join her side.
“Where did you come from?” Ino asks as she falls into step with the brunette, a little sweaty, having just left the training grounds after finishing up her own practice for the day.
“Oh just checking out the views,” Kie responds, nodding to the fresh graffiti on the stony faces. “Some real good artistic interpretation if you ask me. Think it brings out their eyes.”
Ino snickers but her voice is serious and drops just enough so only Kie can hear when she says, “You really should stop encouraging Naruto’s antics. He only causes trouble around here.”
Kie shrugs.
“I mean people only treat him like trouble around here,” she points out. “Is it really a surprise that he causes so much?”
Her words are stolen straight from her older brother's mouth, from when she had eavesdropped in on a conversation between him and another, older white-haired jonin, who dropped by to loiter around their house their house from time to time.
It made perfect sense to her then and it seemed to make enough sense to Ino now because she doesn’t pursue the subject. Instead, the blonde changes it completely.
“So you know billboard brow,” she says and Kie suppresses the urge to sigh. Boy did she know Sakura, Ino brought her up at least twice a day if not more. “Well she’s still following Sasuke around like some sort of lost puppy. As if he would want babies with a forehead that big!”
Kie snickers. She usually would try not to but those two tore at each other with equal force, whether mentally or physically, so she felt like a little laugh was fair game. Plus, it was fun getting to see Ino this riled up about something other than Sasuke himself. Those two would honestly have better luck with each other than with him.
Still, she does make some small attempt at peace. “I think the size of his babies foreheads is for Sasuke himself to decide,” Kie says. "Plus you follow him around too. God knows why."
Ino groans like she’s been mortally wounded. “I always forget you’re a non-believer.”
“I just don't understand,” Kie says defensively. “I mean, he’s stand offish all the time. It’s a bit off putting.”
“But it’s in the dreamy bad boy kind of way,” Ino gushes. “Where he’s mean and cold to everyone else except for you.”
“Except he’s mean and cold to you too!”
“You don’t get it,” Ino humphs and Kie shakes her head.
Ino was completely right, she didn’t get it. Not even a little bit.
“Well Kiba's cute too but I don’t see you guys swooning over him.”
“That’s because Kiba drools. And I’m pretty certain he does his business outside too,” Ino says, her nose wrinkling and honestly, Kie can’t even argue with that.
The boy does drool, like way, way too much to be healthy, and she couldn’t recall having ever seen him enter or leave the boy’s bathroom—not that she was checking.
“What about Shikamaru then?”
“A complete and total drag.” Ino mutters in Shikamaru’s bored tone and Kie laughs at the impression. Spot on.
“Choji?”
“He once licked the chip dust off his fingers and then grabbed my arm.”
Ok, ew. Gross.
Kie racked her brain before perking up, struck by inspiration.
“Shino’s pretty normal.”
“Who is that.”
“You know Shino. The guy who sits by Kiba. Pretty quiet most of the time but super smart. He has a high collar and wears these funky looking sunglasses.”
Ino stares at her blankly and Kie groans, defeated. In all fairness, their year’s pickings were slim to none. She didn’t even bother to bring up Naruto. The only other girl who didn't seem to think he was cursed was Hinata. Although maybe she did too. The poor girl was always tomato red around him.
“So you admit it, Sasuke is the best option.” Ino says, raising her eyebrows.
“I admit to nothing,” Kie responds stubbornly.
The bar really was on the ground.
“Well,” Ino giggles “Less competition for me!” Then her eyes narrow as inspiration strikes. “I mean, seriously. I’m going to put a tracker of Sakura. She’s practically a stalker with the way she follows my Sasuke around.”
Kie refrains from pointing out that this too would make Ino a stalker. Instead she echoes one of Ino’s own words with slight confusion: “Your Sasuke?”
Ino nods with completely confidence. “Yup, mine! He just doesn’t know it yet,” she trills and a shiver runs down Kie’s spine. Girls with crushes were scary. Girls with infatuations were scarier.
She still hadn't had her first crush but she was already frightened for who she may become. Or maybe it was a Sasuke girl thing; She shakes her head. Thank Kami she would never be one.
“Just curious but,” Kie tilts her head. “Do you guys ever try to talk to Sasuke? Just like a regular old conversation.”
“No silly,” Ino says, laughs lightly. “How would he know we like him if we don’t show it. I want to be his girlfriend not his good pal.”
“Well you could start by getting to know him,” Kie points out, trying to suppress her own, much more obnoxious, laughter and failing miserably.
Ino smacks her lightly. “You just don’t get it; you haven’t been in love.”
“Fortunately,” Kie says tartly.
A minute passes. Then they break down into giggles simultaneously. It wasn’t really all that funny but in that moment, it was the funniest thing in the world.
The rest of the evening passes the girls by in a blur of laughter and warmth. The sun dips from the clouds to the horizon as they wander the village for the last time, free from responsibility. Kids just being kids. No obligation, death, or war. Tomorrow the world would not be so gentle, so warm, so sweet, but today; Today was good.