Chapter 39: Of Dates and Intimacy
Asuma's POV
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You ever have one of those days where everything feels like it's just right?
The sun's warm but not boiling your skin off, the breeze smells like the ocean and mango trees, and the only thing you have to worry about is whether the coconut you're handing your wife has enough juice in it.
Yeah. That kind of day.
While the kids were off doing their cursed sword thing—probably fighting, brooding, and giving emotional advice to dangerous objects—Kurenai and I managed to slip away. Finally. I mean, we were technically supervising this mission, but there's a limit to how much ninja drama one man can handle. And today? I needed peace.
So I went full romance mode. Hand-picked fruit, cracked coconuts with my own two hands, even climbed a tree for a starfruit that I nearly fell off grabbing. (Kurenai laughed. Said I looked like a monkey with a beard.)
She was lounging on a sun-warmed rock, her long hair catching the light, and watching me like I was the most entertaining show on this side of the sea. I wasn't even embarrassed. Honestly? I was just happy she was smiling.
"You're being very sweet today," she said, biting into a slice of mango I'd just handed her.
"Mm," I grunted casually, slicing another one. "Guess you caught me in a good mood."
"Or… is this because I've been bugging Kakashi about getting serious with someone?" Her eyes narrowed in that playful way. "You saw him give flowers to Viola, didn't you?"
"Maybe," I muttered.
She laughed. Full, rich, happy laughter that made everything worth it.
"You men and your rivalries," she said, shaking her head.
I shrugged. "Hey. If Copy-Nin Kakashi starts being more romantic than me, I've got problems."
"You already have problems," she teased, nudging me with her foot.
We eventually made our way to the top of the ancient temple. It was a climb, but worth it—somewhere between ruins and garden, wrapped in vines and time. From the top, the view was unreal. The island stretched in every direction, glowing gold under the setting sun, and for a moment, everything just stopped.
She stood beside me, quiet, her fingers lacing with mine.
"I have something to tell you," she said softly.
And instantly, my ninja instincts flared—ready to defend, fight, act.
Then I saw her smile.
"I'm pregnant."
And just like that, all the wind left me.
I stared at her. At her face. At the way she looked like she was holding the sun in her hands. And for once… I didn't have anything clever to say.
Just… "Really?"
She nodded, eyes shimmering with a mix of pride and vulnerability.
And then I laughed. I laughed like I hadn't in years. Not that cocky, mission-cleared kind of laugh, but the one that comes when your heart is too full and you have no idea how to deal with it.
I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her head.
Two years married. A hundred late nights. A thousand shared looks.
And now—this.
"Guess I'll have to start working on Dad reflexes," I said.
"You already have those," she murmured into my chest. "Especially when Naruto's around."
We stood there as the last bit of the sun dipped behind the water, casting the temple in a gentle orange glow. I didn't need any more missions. I didn't need any more rivalries.
All I needed… was right here.
And a couple more coconuts for the road.
—
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You ever feel like you're standing on the edge of something beautiful… and then the wind changes?
That's how it felt.
The sunset was perfect. The breeze smelled like fruit and salt and the promise of tomorrow. Kurenai was in my arms, her cheek warm against my chest, and I thought, Yeah. This is it. Life might actually be good.
Then she dropped the bombshell.
"Asuma… I've been having dreams," she whispered, voice trembling just a bit. "Nightmares. Of you dying."
I stiffened.
Not because I didn't believe her. Oh, no. If Kurenai says she's got a bad feeling, you don't laugh it off. You pay attention. She's always had that sixth sense. Like that time she knew something bad was going to happen the day Naruto was born. Or the time she pulled me out of that trap before the explosion even triggered.
I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. Crimson, like embers glowing low in the dark.
"How long?" I asked quietly.
"Before we ever came to this world," she said. "Even back in the Leaf. At first, I thought it was just anxiety. War, missions, marriage, everything. But they've only gotten worse since we came here."
I almost said something dumb like "I'm too tough to die." Or "C'mon, you know me." But one look at her face, and I couldn't. This wasn't fear. It was something heavier. Something honest.
So I did the only thing I could do—I held her tighter.
"I'm not going anywhere," I said. "You hear me, Kurenai?"
She looked down, silent.
"I mean it," I added, trying to smile. "Ever since that crazy jungle island with the dinosaurs—Little Garden, remember? I've been training my ass off. These kids aren't the only ones getting stronger."
She blinked up at me. "You… have?"
"Look," I said, stepping back slightly and pulling out my trench knives. "Naruto's been rubbing off on me."
Then I slashed both blades in an X pattern. Chakra surged, slicing the air with a sharp whoosh—and out of the movement, a massive hawk-shaped burst of wind formed, at least as big as a tree, wings wide and slicing through the leaves in its path with a sound like tearing silk.
It soared for a few meters before dispersing into harmless breeze.
Kurenai stared, mouth slightly open.
I shrugged, grinning. "Wind Golem? Nah. Wind Hawk. It's faster, meaner, and way cooler."
She stared for a second longer, then cracked a smile. "Show-off."
"Yup," I said, slipping the blades back. "You're stuck with me, remember?"
She chuckled quietly, but the tension in her shoulders hadn't fully gone.
So I closed the gap between us again, softer this time.
"Look, I get it. It's scary. You're not just carrying yourself anymore," I said, gently resting a hand on her stomach. "You've got two hearts beating in there. But we're not alone. We've got Gai, Kakashi, Lee, and even the walking chaos crew: Naruto, Hinata, Ino, all of them. You think we're not going to fight fate together?"
She closed her eyes and leaned into me.
"Still scared?" I asked.
"Yes," she admitted. "But less."
"Good. Because I'm not going anywhere. Not without a fight. And you know me…" I grinned, kissing her forehead. "I play dirty."
The sun had dipped low by now. The last rays gleamed red on the horizon, like the edge of a blade.
But with her beside me, and the wind at my back—I wasn't afraid.
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Kakashi's Pov:
Viola moved like wind over still water—fluid, graceful, playful. The moon caught in her silver hair as she twirled barefoot at the lake's edge, laughing as she beckoned me with a teasing flick of her fingers.
"Come on, Copy Ninja," she said with a wink. "You've watched a thousand jutsu. Surely you can copy a simple dance."
I blinked at her, one visible eyebrow raised. "You're asking me to trade assassination techniques for interpretive movement?"
"I'm asking you to have fun."
The word sounded… foreign. But she said it with such conviction, like it was something sacred.
So I sighed—deeply, dramatically—and stepped forward.
Was I good? No. Was I terrible? Debatable. But did I care?
Not as much as I thought I would.
Because for the first time in a long, long time, I wasn't weighed down by the ghosts.
They were still there, of course. They always would be. Obito, who smiled too wide and talked too loud. Rin, whose eyes always saw the best in us—especially when we didn't deserve it. I could still feel the weight of her in my arms. Still smell the metallic sting of blood on the air. Still hear her whisper, "Thank you…" just before the silence.
Some nights, I woke up gasping, swearing my hands were soaked in blood.
Other nights… I didn't sleep at all.
Then Minato-sensei and Kushina died. My world lost its last lights.
They left Naruto behind—and I knew what they wanted. They trusted me to be his big brother. His guide. But I was too broken. Too closed off. I watched from a distance while the village turned their back on him. I did nothing. Just… stood there.
Later, when I finally did become his sensei, I fumbled that too. I wanted to help, I just didn't know how. I tried. But when Sasuke left, everything fell apart again.
It wasn't until Naruto came back from that near-death fight with Sasuke, all cracked bones and quiet pain, that I finally—finally—started getting it right.
We talked more. Trained more. Laughed more.
And for the first time, I felt like I was really his brother.
Not just his teacher. Not a distant guardian. A real, actual part of his life.
And during those three years he was gone with Jiraiya, I missed him. More than I let on.
Jiraiya gave him what I couldn't—warmth, family, stories, and love. Yeah, I was jealous. But not bitter. Grateful, even. Because when Naruto came back, he was stronger—but lighter too. Like the darkness had been scraped off his soul and replaced with gold.
That healed something in me, too.
And now… here I was. Dancing. Badly. At a moonlit lake with a woman who liked to laugh at my expense.
Viola twirled close and placed her hand on my chest. "You're not half bad."
"Liar."
She smirked. "You have rhythm. It's just… buried under thirty years of emotional repression."
I might have snorted. "Says the pirate princess."
"Says the pirate queen," she corrected with a bow.
The night was still, but my heart… wasn't. It didn't ache. It didn't tremble. It beat, steady and calm.
Maybe I didn't know love. Maybe I'd never get there. But maybe that wasn't the point.
I didn't need to chase love like some mission objective. I had this moment. I had friends. And I was learning to open up again.
Maybe I'd never be whole. But I was healing.
Viola rested her head on my shoulder as we swayed in slow circles. No more teasing. Just silence. Peace.
And for once, the ghosts stayed quiet.
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Teen Naruto's POV
If you'd told me a year ago I'd be walking hand-in-hand with Ino through a flower field on a tropical island after fighting a cursed sword spirit—and that it'd be part of ninja training—I'd probably have laughed in your face. Or made a dumb joke about "training" being code for kissing.
But here I was. Ino and I, standing in the middle of Asuka Island's flower fields, surrounded by swaying petals and the scent of sun-warmed blossoms. It felt less like a battlefield and more like a dream Jiraiya-sensei would have scribbled into one of his pervy novels. Except with less steam and more… peace.
She turned to me with that familiar Ino grin, half mischief, half dare. "Alright, dummy. I need your brain."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"Depends how much you cooperate."
Heh. Fair.
Ino had been working on this wild technique—something to do with projecting mental clones of other fighters into her mind. Like, she'd mentally recreate someone's chakra pathways, instincts, muscle memory, and fight style. The idea was that she could spar with them in her mind to learn their strengths—and weaknesses. Classic Ino—part strategist, part psychic, all sass.
I guess it was kinda like what I did with my shadow clones—except hers happened inside the brain. Less punching, more… psychological judo.
And apparently, I was the perfect training dummy.
"Why me again?" I asked, plopping down in the soft grass as she sat beside me.
"Because you've done the same thing," she said, brushing her fingers through the petals. "You use shadow clones to study other people's styles. Plus, you've fought so many people now, your brain's basically a ninja library."
"Aw, you think my brain has books in it. That's adorable."
She rolled her eyes. "It's got scrolls, at best."
We laughed.
Then she turned serious. "But I want something more than just copying. I want the strongest solo fighting style. Something I can use when no one else is around. When it's just me."
That hit me in the gut a little. I used to feel like that. Back when it was just me.
"I dunno, Ino," I said slowly. "My style's kind of chakra-heavy. Clones, rasengans, chakra shuriken… Not exactly lightweight."
She leaned closer, eyes glinting with challenge. "Then give me some of your chakra."
I blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. Draw one of your backup chakra seals on me. Like the ones you use for emergencies. You've been doodling them on scrolls all week, don't think I didn't notice."
"You want me to seal my chakra in you?"
"Mhm."
"I-Ino, that's super intimate."
"I know," she said, grinning as she pulled her shirt slightly down her shoulder to reveal a cluster of neat little tattoos—storage seals, protections, enhancements. She was basically a living art project.
I took a breath, steadying my hands. "Okay. Hold still."
Drawing on someone else's skin is... not easy. Especially when that person is Ino and she keeps wiggling on purpose.
"Stop moving!"
"Your hands are ticklish. And warm," she teased. "You like touching me, don't you?"
"W-What?! I—You—You're impossible!"
"Flattering, isn't it?" she winked.
Eventually, I finished the seal. It shimmered faintly on her skin before settling into a soft blue glow. I looked up at her, and before I could say anything, she pulled me into a hug. Forehead to forehead.
Then—bam. She activated her technique.
And suddenly, we were standing inside my mind.
It was... weird. Beautiful, even. Like walking through a memory museum. Every training session, every fight, every moment of pain, pride, and power. She was silent at first, just walking with me through it all. Seeing the raw, unfiltered version of me. Not the goofball. Not the hero. Just Naruto.
"You remember everything," she whispered, watching an image of me training with Jiraiya under a waterfall.
"Yeah," I said softly. "I don't like forgetting stuff. Not anymore."
We stopped by a memory of me perfecting my wind-style rasengan, a younger version of me screaming triumphantly.
She turned to me. "You've come so far."
"So will you," I said. "That style you're chasing? It's already inside you. You're one of the strongest people I know. This—what we're doing now—it's just the spark."
She smiled. Not her usual smirk. A real one. Quiet. Grateful.
And for a second, I forgot about fights and missions and cursed blades.
We were just two friends. Standing in a field made of memory and light.
Closer than ever.
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I was still adjusting to having someone else inside my mind when Ino started wandering through specific memories—ones with her in them.
And of course, she noticed.
"Ohhh~ what's this one?" she said with a sing-song voice, pointing at a hazy memory of her training in the Hidden Leaf training field. "Wow, Naruto. You watched me train way longer than I thought."
"W-What? That was just— I was waiting for my turn!" I protested.
"Mhm. Totally." She gave me a sly grin as she walked into the memory like it was a scene in a play. "Hmm. I looked good in this outfit. You were staring at my legs, weren't you?"
I flushed. "I—no—well—I mean, not on purpose! You were in front of me!"
She gave a mock gasp. "Naruto Uzumaki, are you saying you've been checking me out this whole time?"
"You're doing this on purpose!"
"Oh, absolutely." She winked.
She strutted past another memory—this time from a mission briefing. She and Sakura had been arguing about strategy while I'd been quietly watching. In the background of the memory, I could hear my internal thoughts narrating: "Ino's way of thinking is always sharp… but man, she's loud. Still kinda cool though."
Ino stopped mid-step and turned toward me slowly. "Kinda cool?"
I slapped a hand over my face. "Can we not go through the embarrassing ones?!"
"Too late. I'm already in your head, remember?" She gave a little twirl, her long ponytail swinging behind her. "Ooh—what's this?" She paused in front of a more recent memory: the time she had helped heal my arm after training. She was scolding me for overdoing it, and I had muttered something like "she smells nice" under my breath when I thought she couldn't hear.
"You thought I didn't hear that?" she said, grinning like a fox now.
"Okay, I surrender! Stop teasing me!"
She walked over until we were toe-to-toe again. Her expression softened just a bit. "You're cute when you're flustered."
"And you're terrifying when you're in my brain."
She laughed, brushing her forehead against mine again. "I'm only looking because it's you. I wouldn't do this with just anyone."
"Yeah?" I said, a little quieter now.
"Yeah," she replied, voice softer, almost a whisper. "You're real with me, Naruto. And even if I mess with you a little… I like that we can be this close."
We stood there, in the quiet bloom of thought and memory. Even the teasing felt different now—less of a game, more of a dance. A playful back-and-forth between two people who knew each other's hearts, even if neither of us dared say it out loud yet.
I reached out, touched her shoulder. "You got what you need? From the memory stuff, I mean."
She smiled, eyes still locked on mine. "Plenty. But maybe I'll come back again sometime."
I grinned. "Just knock next time."
She tilted her head. "Where's the fun in that?"
And with a laugh and a flick of her hair, the jutsu ended.
We were back in the flower field. Birds chirping. Sun low in the sky. I blinked like I'd just woken up from a dream.
She leaned over and poked my cheek. "Still blushing. You're hopeless."
"I'm gonna get you back for that."
"You can try, Naruto," she said, walking ahead with a confident sway in her hips. "But I play to win."
Yeah.
Ino was dangerous.
But in a way that made me want to follow her into every mind maze and memory trap she had.
And somehow—I didn't mind.
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Shino's POV –
The village air was unusually calm for once.
No marines.
No pirates.
Just the three of us—me, Kiba, and Lee—lounging near a sweet shop, devouring mochi balls and chilled coconut juice like we had all the time in the world. Tenten was off researching curse techniques from the sword's seal, and the adults were off having their own little "romance break," except for Master Gai, who had declared he'd go train atop a tree until someone challenged his youth.
I broke the silence.
"Do you think I'll ever experience love?"
Kiba choked on his mochi.
Lee blinked. "Love?"
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the sky. "Yes. Romantic connection. Mutual vulnerability. Emotional resonance. That sort of thing."
Kiba cleared his throat. "That's… kinda deep, man."
"I've been thinking," I continued. "My body houses insects. My entire clan follows this path. And even back in the village, we struggled with this. We aren't considered… approachable."
Kiba scratched his cheek. "Well… I mean, yeah, bugs are… y'know, bugs."
I raised an eyebrow.
"I mean—cool bugs! Super useful! Strategic! Just… maybe not what someone thinks of when they're picturing their dream guy." He grinned awkwardly. "But hey! That doesn't mean it won't happen!"
"Exactly!" Lee slammed his hands on the table. "Naruto carries a tailed beast feared across nations, yet now he has friends—romantic interests, even. Gaara, too! He once had only hatred and pain, yet now look—he's admired and cherished."
Kiba nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Like, Naruto has girls all over him now. Even Hinata's around him again like they were meant to be. And he literally has the Kyuubi in him!"
"Your point being," I said, "If they can find companionship, so can I?"
"Damn right!" Kiba said. "Even Gaara had it worse! He used to be a full-blown psycho—and he still gets letters from fangirls now."
Lee put a hand on my shoulder, firm and earnest. "Shino, do not fear. True love does not come from appearance or public perception—it blooms from the soul. Your calmness, your precision, your strength… these are qualities someone will treasure."
Kiba leaned back and grinned. "Besides, we're still young. Gai-sensei and Kakashi haven't gotten with anyone yet, and they're ancient."
"Not ancient. Just… seasoned."
"Same thing," Kiba snorted.
I didn't laugh, but the corner of my mouth twitched.
Lee smiled wider. "And now we're in a whole new world! This pirate sea has all kinds of people! Maybe you'll meet someone who loves insects. Who finds them fascinating. Maybe even someone whose fighting style works with yours."
Kiba leaned in. "Imagine—bug duo combo attacks. That'd be wild."
"Maybe a botanist," Lee offered. "Or a poison master. Someone who appreciates nature in all forms."
"Or a really weird girl," Kiba added, grinning. "But like… the good kind of weird. Y'know, like Naruto's girls."
I looked at the two of them.
Kiba was chewing again, mouth full of sugar.
Lee had his hands clasped like he was praying to Youth itself.
And both of them… they meant what they said.
I looked down at my hands, feeling the subtle shift of kikaichū beneath my skin. They'd always been part of me. My strength. My family. My identity.
Maybe… they could be part of someone else's world too.
"…Thank you," I said quietly.
Lee grinned. "Any time!"
Kiba raised his drink. "To Shino finding a bug-loving babe!"
I didn't respond to that. But I let the smallest, rarest smile curl on my lips.
Maybe there was someone out there.
And in this strange new world, anything was possible.
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A.N. These are the pairs I have thought of. You guys can give suggestions and if they are better I can change them except for Neji and Tenten, Asuma and Kurenai, Shika and Temari.
Kakashi: Viola
Gai: Robin
Lee: Koala
Gaara: Conis
Kankuro: Perona
Choji: Charlote Pudding
Kiba: Carrot
Shino: No idea yet