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1My last silver coin glints in the afternoon light as the shopkeeper flips it between pudgy fingers. 
2
3I tap my foot against the wooden floor, then drum my fingers against my thigh. The shopkeeper squints a bit, examining the face on the coin – some Hyuga lord, long dead. I chew on the inside of my cheek, run my hands through my hair, and try my best to suppress a sigh. 
4
5Apparently I don’t do a good enough job, because the shopkeeper glances over at me. “Quit fidgeting,” he tells me, moving the coin a bit so it catches the sun again. “And keep your hands where I can see them.” Behind him, a shadow flickers ever so slightly, and for a moment he looks like he’s about to turn towards it. 
6
7“They’re right here,” I tell him, holding my hands. The movement brings his attention back around towards me. “And I’m not fidgeting, I’m just waiting. Patiently.”
8
9The shopkeeper grunts. “You call that patient?”
10
11“Pretty patient, yeah,” I say. “Not a lot of people that’d wait twenty minutes for you to decide whether you’re gonna let them pay you.”
12
13“There’s something funny about this coin,” the shopkeeper says simply. He’s still watching me out of the corner of his eye, I can tell. Behind him, a figure shifts in the shadows – I wait with bated breath, but he doesn’t seem to notice
14
15“It’s good silver,” I say.
16
17“Heard that one before.”
18
19I scowl. In retrospect, the counterfeiting scheme was bone of my worst. “But it’s true this time,” I tell him. “Come on, I’ve gotta eat here.”
20
21“We’ve all gotta eat, boy.” The shopkeeper turns the silver coin over one last time, then shakes his head. “Not worth it,” he says, flipping it back to me.
22
23I watch it sail past me and bounce across the floor, too shocked to even react. “What are you doing?”
24
25“Something I should’ve done a long time ago,” the shopkeeper says. “I want you out of my shop, boy. You ain’t worth the trouble anymore.”
26
27“Is it not enough?” I ask. “Cause I can get more. I mean, not right now, but in a couple days I could pay you double. Triple! Uh, whatever comes after triple.”
28
29The shopkeeper jabs his thumb towards the door. “I’ve said my piece. Your money’s no good here, bother someone else for a change.”
30
31I grind my teeth, eyes flickering between the shopkeeper and the door. He eyes me warily, and the longer I stand there the more his hand creeps toward the underside of the counter. He’ll have a knife strapped there, or a crossbow, and the last thing I need is to get stabbed or shot again.
32
33“Have it your way then,” I snarl, stalking over to where the silver coin had come to a rest. I snatch it and hold it up to him. “Perfectly good silver right here, someone’ll take it.”
34
35“Sure,” the shopkeeper says, in a tone that plainly indicates he doesn’t believe a word of it. “Out with you then.”
36
37There’s still faint movement in the back, so I pull the edges of my mouth apart and stick out my tongue. The shopkeeper looks less the amused, but the face buys time for the movement to cease. 
38
39I stalk out of the small shop in a huff and am greeted by the full force of summer. The daily rain came through earlier today, leaving the air heavy with humidity, but the clouds have drifted on, and so the sun beats down in full force. Swarms of bugs move up and down the street, seeking the river. It is, in short, a typically miserable day – made especially miserable by the fact that I have now officially been banned from every establishment in town. 
40
41I walk around to the back of the store and look around expectantly. It only takes a moment for my eyes to find the figure crouching on top of the tiled roof, clutching a small bag in his hand. 
42
43“He didn’t take the money,” I say.
44
45“You didn’t think he would,” my voice replies. The figure drops to the ground, and I am treated to a mirror image of myself – bright yellow hair, sparkling blue eyes, three thin lines running horizontally across gaunt cheeks. A few years ago, I had been cute enough to play the child, begging for food and coin on city corners, but at fifteen I was too much a man for that trade. 
46
47“How come I’m only ever wrong when I don’t want to be?” I ask my double, grabbing the bag from his hand. There’s food in there – enough fruit and rice to get me through the next day or so. 
48
49“His loss, I guess,” the other me says. He gives me a lazy, two fingered salute and then vanishes in a puff of smoke. 
50
51I wave the smoke away with my free hand, careful not to inhale. The thought of breathing in my own body is enough to ruin my appetite, and I can’t afford to skip another meal. 
52
53The food is simple but delicious, seasoned with a helping dosage of victory. Of course, a moment later the triumph turns sour in my mouth. That shopkeeper was officially the last one in the town that would meet with me, meaning…I’m shit out of luck. I’ll have to move again. 
54
55It’s a familiar tune – I have no options, which makes me desperate, which makes me take risks, which inevitably backfire, leaving me with no options. It’s a vicious cycle, but I don’t have time to slow down and build something workable. I’d starve before I managed to lay the foundation.
56
57I sigh. Self-pity brings no reward. There’s a town to the north of here, a fishing village where nobody will know my face or reputation. I can start over there, and try really, really hard not to fuck it up this time.
58
59But I’ll need supplies, and ideally someone to hitch a ride with. The ride isn’t usually all that difficult – at this point, the villagers are more than happy to let me sit in an outbound wagon as long as I promise to never return. The supplies will be harder, given my situation. Wasn’t there a farm not far outside of town? They might not have heard about the silver. 
60
61I’m interrupted from my scheming by the screeching tones of a barfight – a song I am intimately acquainted with. My head swivels towards the source of the noise, a small inn that had banned me early on in my stay. 
62
63They have bigger problems now, it seems. There’s a strangled scream and a man flies through a window, tumbling head over heels through dirt and shards of broken glass. Blood pours from his shattered nose, and he lays still. 
64
65The sounds of fighting continues – shouts, grunts, the rattling of wood. I glance left, then right – a few other townsfolk have noticed the commotion and stand frozen in the middle of the street, their expressions worried. This is a peaceful town, unaccustomed to such violence. 
66
67Luckily, the performance is over almost as quickly as it began. There is a final scream and then a dozen agonizing heartbeats of stillness before a man throws open the door and strides outside.
68
69He is a tall man, with a shock of silver hair that stands up at odd angles. He wears blue fatigues – pants and a tunic designed so as not to restrict movement – and carries a traveler’s pack slung over one shoulder. Blood drips from his knuckles, a steady rhythm against the dirt. His nose and lower face are covered by a cloth mask, but his dark eyes are unobstructed, and they sweep over the scene with the quiet intensity of a large cat. He twirls a long, thin pipe between his fingers and pulls his mask down just enough to inhale deeply, breathing out a plume of heavy violet smoke just a moment later. 
70
71Then, without sparing so much of a glance at the small crowd that has gathered, he walks away. 
72
73>Follow the man
74>Rob the inn
75
76“Hey!” I shout, pushing free of the crowd. “Hey, wait up!”
77
78The man doesn’t even glance back at me. He takes another drag on his pipe and blows a ring of smoke into the sky. 
79
80Ignoring me. The rage bubbles up from my gut, fire in my blood, but I grit my teeth and slam down on it. “Hey!” I shout again. “Shinobi!”
81
82This, finally, gives him pause. He glances back at me, eyes flat, mask obscuring his expression. “I’m not,” he says simply.
83
84I pull up short. “What?”
85
86“You called me a Shinobi,” the man says. “I’m not.”
87
88“You walk like a Shinobi.” Shinobi walk different from men, in subtle ways only apparent after a lot of observation. More fluid, more self-assured, always precisely balanced.
89
90The man glances down at his feet, thinking. “Fuck,” he says after a moment. Then he shrugs. “Still. I’m not. A Shinobi isn’t something you are. It’s something you do.”
91
92I roll my eyes.
93
94He notices. “You disagree?”
95
96“I dunno. Just figured I shoulda pegged you for one of the cryptic ones.”
97
98At this, the man laughs. “You’re a funny one,” he says, pulling his mask down so he can take another hit of the pipe. I can only glimpse his face briefly as he does it, but it doesn’t look scarred, or horribly deformed. Is he trying to hide his identity? “So what do you want? I’m not nearly sober enough for autographs.”
99
100I scowl. “Why would I want your autograph?”
101
102“You don’t know who I am?” He asks. With his mouth hidden by the mask his eyes have to work overtime to convey an expression of deep, sincere hurt. 
103
104“Should I?”
105
106“Probably not,” he admits. Then he draws himself up to full height, which would’ve been rather impressive even if I wasn’t a five foot nothing shrimp. “I am Hatake Kakashi,” he says, spreading his arms wide. “Son of Hatake Sakumo, the Lightning Cutter, Hero of Kanabi Bridge, twice recognized by the Moon and Sun for acts of exceeding bravery. I was a Shinobi, and would be to this day, were they not all enormous assholes.”
107
108I drink that in for a moment, thinking. “I’m beginning to believe you about the whole not being a Shinobi thing.”
109
110“Hey,” Kakashi says, jabbing a finger in my direction, “you approached me. I have better things to do than talking to peasant kids on the road.” He inhaled more violet smoke, as if to emphasize his point. “So if you don’t want an autograph, I’m not sure why you’re bothering me.”
111
112“Did you beat up all those guys in there?” I ask, pointing back to the inn. 
113
114Kakashi glances up. “There’s always idiots looking to make a name for themselves. I tried to talk them out of it, but alas, my tongue is not half so convincing as my fists.”
115
116“So you are a Shinobi.”
117
118“I thought we established this. I-”
119
120I hold up a hand before he could ramble this conversation into a full circle. “Teach me,” I say.
121
122Kakashi blinks once, twice. The fabric of his mask shifts, as if his mouth is moving beneath it, but no words come out. Finally, he manages to collect himself enough to speak. “Fuck that.”
123
124“What?”
125
126“I said, fuck that,” he says, turning around. I watch him walk off for a moment before I get my bearings and jog after him. “I’m what you might call a ronin, which, frankly, sounded like a much better decision before I made it, but the point is that I don’t take apprentices, especially not peasant boys with more balls than sense.” He whirls on me, lightning fast, and then before I could blink he extends his hand and flicks me in the forehead. 
127
128The instant his skin makes contact with mine, I feel it. His chakra is strong, and it filled me with the eerie stillness of the calm before a storm in summer, a heavy spell that could only be broken by the first drop of rain. 
129
130It feels it too. The heat rushes up from my gut, an ancient contempt that lashes at the point of the contact, furious and powerful but unable to break free from my skin. Kakashi’s eyes widen with a hideous slowness, and he pulls his hand back as if burned. 
131
132I can hear the whispers in my mind. The anger, the frustration, the desperation that builds upon itself every time I fails. The fear that drives my every step and word surges within me, pushing against my skin, howling in the shadow of my heart, begging to feel the sun again –
133
134>SHOW HIM WHAT YOU ARE
135>Control yourself  
136
137 My heart is a wardrum in my chest, a frantic thudding that heralds the enemy’s approach. I can hear its thoughts in mine, leaking ever closer to the surface, until I can’t be sure which are mine and which are tainted. 
138
139Let me out. Let me out. Let me out. 
140
141I am a child again, freezing, starving, alone. I leave bloody footprints with every step, thorns tearing at my exposed skin. From deep within the woods, a predator growls. 
142
143It growls. I growl. Is there a difference anymore? I see a form in front of me, as bloody and weak as I am. A girl with orange hair and brilliant yellow eyes, nine tails fanning out behind her. “Help me,” she pleads. 
144
145“Help me,” I plead, dropping to my knees. Kakashi has fallen backwards, confusion and terror in his eyes. In an instant, the fear is replaced with a cold calculation.
146
147Let me out. Let me out. Let me out. 
148
149I have to remember. I HAVE TO REMEMBER. Promises had been made, signed in ink and blood. I look down at my hands and they flicker from mine to a child’s to a beautiful woman. 
150
151There is steel in Kakashi’s hand. It glints in the sunlight, death illuminated. I have to protect myself. Its power surges under my skin, rippling in frenzied anticipation. “I don’t want to die,” she says as I kneel in front of her. “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die.”
152
153No. No, the repetition is a trick. I have to remember. Promises had been made, signed in ink and blood. I look down at my hands and black ink swirls across my skin, out to palms. I hold the key. 
154
155Let me out. Let me out. Let me out. 
156
157I slam my palm into my stomach and scream. I have to remember. Promises had been made, signed in ink and blood. I hold the key. It is alive. It is a prisoner. It is MY prisoner. 
158
159I turn my hand to the left and my body shrieks in protest. Then, in an instant, it’s done. The fire fades, and I fall like a puppet with its strings cut. 
160
161My chin hits the dirt and the salty taste of blood fills my mouth. The afternoon is so still, so peaceful. I close my eyes and breath deep through my nose, relishing the smell of pollen.
162
163Something sharp pokes me in the shoulder. “Hey, kid,” Kakashi says from above me. “You alive down there?”
164
165I look up at him. He returns my gaze cautiously, curiously, and then he bends down and throws me over his shoulder, carrying me like one might carry a sack of potatoes. 
166
167Our skin touches and it growls deep in my chest, but it is distant now, locked behind ink and blood and promises. 
168
169“I want answers,” Kakashi says as he walks. 
170
171I shut my eyes. At the very least, I’m getting a free ride out of town. “And I want a teacher. Maybe we can help each other out here.”
172
173Kakashi snorts. “Only a madman or an idiot would teach you anything, kid.”
174
175“Naruto. My name is Uzumaki Naruto.”
176
177“Oh yeah?” Kakashi asks. “And what is its name?”
178
179“I…” the image of him, steel in hand, leaps to mind. I’m so very tired, and so very defenseless, and he seems willing enough to be reasonable as long as he’s talking. “I don’t know the whole thing. Only a part of it. That was the deal.”
180
181“You know what it is?”
182
183“It’s a kitsune.”
184
185“How many tails?”
186
187>Nine
188>Four [Lie]
189
190“Nine.”
191
192I am falling before the word is entirely past my lips. By the time I hit the ground, shoulder crunching from the impact, Kakashi has readied his knife. He places his foot on my chest and pins me in place, and holds the blade high above my head. “
193
194Nobody moves for an endless, agonizing minute, until a decision finally flickers across Kakashi’s face. He slides the knife back into a sheath in his belt, then bends down an scoops me up again.
195
196Even as he continues walking, the silence stretches on. I’m not exactly sure what to say – should I thank him for deciding to spare my life? 
197
198After a long while, he finally speaks. “How did you do it?”
199
200“How?” Usually people were far more concerned with the why. But Kakashi only nods. 
201
202“Fuinjutsu is one of the three primary Shinobi arts,” he says. “Situations like this are exactly why it’s kept away from the peasantry.”
203
204“My parents taught me.” Not technically a lie, even if it isn’t the full truth. “They’re dead now, though.”
205
206“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kakashi says, though his words sound almost automatic. “Were they Shinobi?”
207
208“I don’t know. It would make sense.” Kakashi is quiet long enough that I’m prompted to speak again. “Are you going to kill me?”
209
210Kakashi rubs his chin.  “I’m still considering it,” he admits. “No good can come from that thing, Naruto. Shinobi have laws against what you’ve done. And nine tails…it’s a miracle you’re still alive.”
211
212I swallow. “I’m losing control,” I tell him. “It was easy at first, but it’s getting stronger and I’m not. I figure…a Shinobi could teach me how to manage it.”
213
214“Probably could,” Kakashi says. He glances down at me and studies my face. “But that’s not the only reason you want to learn.”
215
216“Well I’m poor, I’m starving, I’m weak,” I say. “Everyone I meet hates me and treats me like shit, if they’re not actively trying to kill me. I wonder why I might want to learn how to punch people through windows.”
217
218Kakashi’s chuckles from beneath his mask. “You have more balls than sense, Naruto,” he tells me again. “But you’ve got an awful lot of balls. How old are you?” 
219
220“Around fifteen, I guess.”
221
222“That’s old enough,” Kakashi murmurs. “Do you know what happens in a year?”
223
224“Is this some kind of riddle?”
225
226Kakashi waves his hand dismissively. “No, no, my riddles are far more nonsensical. Every year, during the week of the eclipse, the land’s greatest Shinobi clans hold a hunt.” He pauses, as if waiting for me to ask a question, but I am completely silent. I have heard of the hunt before, but always from a peasant, with the truth of their words (if any) cloaked in a shroud of legend and superstition. “For Shinobi children, it’s the final test,” Kakashi continues. “They emerge from it an adult, a full fledged Shinobi. So it’s a big deal every year…but some years are bigger than others.”
227
228I grunt. “So next year is a big year?”
229
230“The biggest,” Kakashi says. “The Prince of the Sun and the Princess of the Moon, born only months apart, will both participate in this year’s hunt. They’ll be surrounded by a gaggle of hangers on and sycophants – the future lords and ladies of this country – and by the time the week ends, they’ll have come into their thrones fully. Both Daimyos crowned in a single night.”
231
232“Sounds historic, or whatever.”
233
234“I don’t care about the history. My family will be there and…they have something of mine. Something I’d very much like back. Something I can’t get to without you.”
235
236I glance over at him, surprised. Kakashi stares straight ahead, but there is a quiet fire in his eyes. “As a ronin, I’m barred from attending the hunt,” he explains. “I shed my honor and my privilege when I abandoned my duty, and they’ll hang me if they find me there. But.” He looks at me. “There are laws older than Shinobi. As my student – as the inheritor of my art, you would be entitled to participate. And as your sensei, I would be allowed to accompany you.”
237
238“I’d…be in the hunt?”
239
240“Yes,” Kakashi says. “For one year, I will train you. It’s not much time, I admit, but we could get your…your problem under control. Teach you the basics. If you survive the hunt, and impress somebody, they could elevate you. Make you a Shinobi, make it so you’re never poor and starving and weak again.”
241
242“Would I have to call you sensei?”
243
244“You absolutely have to call me sensei.” His eyes smile smugly at me, and for a moment I want to say no just to spite him. 
245
246Then my common sense reasserts itself, and I know there’s only one thing I can say. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
247
248Deep within me, it purrs. 
249
250Satisfied. 
251
252>Kakashi will train you for one year. You will learn to control the beast inside you and receive a cursory education in the three primary Shinobi arts – Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Fuinjutsu – with a specialization in one. Which path do you choose?
253
254>Taijutsu
255By focusing chakra within his body, a Shinobi may perform supernatural feats of athleticism. Stronger, faster, and more precise, a Taijutsu master is a monster in close combat.
256>Ninjutsu
257The external projection of chakra allows a Shinobi to create a variety of destructive effects. Breath fire, spit poison, shit lightning – a Ninjutsu master deals death from afar. 
258>Fuinjutsu
259A promise made in ink and blood is eternal. There are Shinobi laws against the binding of yokai, but not all applications of the art are so despised. Fuinjutsu allows one to seal spirits or chakra into objects, granting the Shinobi a variety of tools for a wide range of situations.
260
261
262Summer. 
263
264The remainder of the season brings with it a miserable, oppressive heat. Even the shade offers no refuge from the sun, which hangs in the cloudless blue like the unflinching eye of god. 
265
266I do my best to ignore the sweat pouring down my face, the stiffness in my legs and spine. I am sitting in a wide, grassy field, and have been doing so for two days. 
267
268In and out. In and out. 
269
270Kakashi lays in front of me, staring up at the clouds. He smokes while he sits, although he is more conservative with the use of his pipe. It has been some time since he was last able to procure whatever foul smelling gunk he smokes, and he’s been forced to ration it. 
271
272In and out. In and out. There is nothing in the world more boring than sitting in one spot and practicing one’s breathing. As the hours drag on, my thoughts turn more and more to mutiny. If Kakashi is as big a deal as he pretends to be, maybe his corpse will buy me a better sensei.
273
274For the first time in hours, Kakashi looks at me. “You’re not focusing.”
275
276“Really?” I ask, the word clawing its way through gritted teeth. “Cause I’ve never felt so focused.”
277
278Kakashi spins himself around, crossing his legs so that we are suddenly seated face to face. “You thought being a Shinobi was all fun and games?” He asks. “Throwing punches, spitting fire, binding yokai?”
279
280“You told me being a Shinobi is something you do. Isn’t that what Shinobi do?”
281
282“Statements like that are why you fascinate me Naruto,” Kakashi says, waggling his finger at me. “You’re far too clever to be so stupid.”
283
284“I know I’m stupid! The whole point of this was that you’d teach me how to not be stupid!”
285
286Kakashi laughs. “The peasantry – and even many Shinobi, honestly – has this idea of chakra as a force that exists within you,” he says. “That’s kind of true, and it will be useful later on in your training, but it also misses the mark. Chakra is the totality of your being. It is the physical strength that exists within your body, the mental discipline that exists within your mind, and the emotional drive that extends from your heart.”
287
288“Okay.”
289
290Kakashi shakes his head. “Don’t say ok if you don’t actually get what I’m talking about. You won’t get anywhere lying to me.”
291
292“Fine then.” I scowl, deep in thought. “I get what you’re saying, but I don’t understand why it matters.”
293
294“Your chakra isn’t some separate, external force. It’s you – your body, your mind, your spirit. To master chakra is to master yourself.” He reaches out and pokes me in the stomach, hard, disrupting the rhythm of my breathing. “If you can’t even master yourself enough to sit and breath – to do absolutely nothing – how can you expect to master yourself enough to do something?”
295
296“I...guess I don’t know.”
297
298“Exactly,” Kakashi says, the smug superiority practically dripping from his tone. “Shinobi children perform breathing exercises as soon as they’re old enough to understand them. You’re more than a decade behind the curve, but who needs experience when you have me?”
299
300I sigh. “If you’re half as good a teacher as you say you are, I’ll pass the hunt with flying colors.”
301
302“That’s the worst part, Naruto,” Kakashi says, flopping back to the ground so he can get a better view of the clouds. “I’ll have to be twice as good as I say I am for you to even have a chance of surviving.”
303
304Fall. 
305
306The rush of the river beneath me would be calming, if not for the fear of imminent death. 
307
308“You’re doing great,” Kakashi assures me. The two of us are perched atop an old rope bridge strung between two cliffs – though bridge is perhaps too strong a word for what is essentially a length of rope threaded around rough cut planks of wood. The wind, funneled into one specific path by the canyon walls, howls in my ears and sends the bridge swaying back and forth. 
309
310I swallow heavily and press down harder on my palms, adjusting my balance. A handstand is difficult enough to maintain in the best of circumstances, but it is considerably harder when there are splinters digging into your thumbs. Every sway and jostle causes the wood to cut deeper into my hands, threatening to break my concentration and sending me plummeting to the water below. 
311
312“Balance is one of the most underrated tools in a Shinobi’s kit,” Kakashi explains. He, of course, has excused himself from this little exercise in favor of sitting and smoking his pipe. “We talk endlessly about how fast and strong a Shinobi should be, but rarely do we discuss his balance.”
313
314I grimace. “Look, sensei, I can either do this handstand or listen to a lecture, but you’ve got to pick one.”
315
316Kakashi ignores me, as he is wont to do. “My point is, Naruto, that a Shinobi is a warrior,” he says instead. “Their core purpose is to defend their lands and massacre their enemies. Some will tell you that whomever strikes first will succeed, and so they praise speed. Some will tell you that whomever strikes harder will succeed, and so they praise strength. Both are correct, but do you know what is more important than hitting hard or hitting quickly?”
317
318“I think I can guess, but why ruin your monologue?”
319
320“Hitting at all,” Kakashi finishes, throwing his arms wide. “Strike quickly, strike hard, and strike true, Naruto, no matter the situation. Keep your wits about you, and always keep your balance.” He reaches out and gives me a shove, and I’m forced to backpedal rapidly on my hands, moving from plank to plank in a desperate attempt to keep from falling. 
321
322By the time I steady myself again, I’m breathing heavily. “You’re really going to hate yourself if you wind up killing me,” I tell Kakashi, as I start the agonizing hand-walk back to where I started. 
323
324“Oh I’m well aware,” Kakashi says, his mask shifting in the way I’ve come to associate with a smile. “Luckily I’m rather practiced in the art of self loathing.”
325
326Winter. 
327
328I could stare at the ocean for the rest of my life. 
329
330When Kakashi first points it out to me, I can barely believe my eyes. An expanse of blue so massive that it rivals the sky itself, endlessly churning, an entire alien world that borders our own. For once Kakashi has no tortures planned, and the two of us spend an entire day sprawled out on the sand, watching the ocean rise and fall. 
331
332“They call it the tide,” Kakashi says when I ask him about it. “A long, long time ago, when the Moon and Sun first fell to earth, the ocean was still. One day though, the Moon was walking along the beach and became inspired. She twirled and leapt and danced across the shore, and so enthralling was her performance that the ocean could no longer contain itself. It too began to dance and move, and its passion delighted the Moon so much that she asked for it to never stop.” He shrugs. “As the Moon wishes, so it shall be. Even the ocean, with all its vast power, bends to the heavenly will. What choice do us mere mortals have?”
333
334Spring.
335
336I sweep my brush along the paper with confidence, with surety of purpose. The long black line that trails behind loops and spins but never runs into itself, an elaborate pattern that I repeat until there is no space left. 
337
338“Good,” Kakashi says, looking over my shoulder. “You have a knack for this.”
339
340I shrug. “I’ve had practice.” The long, grueling night returns in a flash of memory, fingers drawing a far more complicated pattern across my body in bloody ink.  
341
342“Speaking of, how is the prisoner?”
343
344“Quiet,” I tell him, leaning back and staring up at the sky. It’s early enough in the spring that the winter chill hasn’t entirely faded, but the warmth of the sun makes the days comfortable.  “Quieter than I can ever remember it being. Is that a good sign, or a bad one?”
345
346“I have no idea,” Kakashi says. “Your fuinjutsu lessons have made me remember a lot of the basic theory behind this stuff, but the more I look at your seal the more confused I am.”
347
348I nod quietly and glance over towards my pack. The book is nestled in a false bottom, but I have to imagine Kakashi has found it by now. If he has, he refuses to mention it. 
349
350Either way, it gives no insight. The book holds one hundred pages, each bearing a different seal but nothing else. As a child I had poured over it for days on end, seeking some hidden message, but nothing had made itself clear. It is simply a collection. 
351
352“We’re getting close,” Kakashi says. 
353
354I glance up at him and immediately know what he’s talking about. The more time we spend together, the less he speaks of the hunt, but when he does he gets the same look in his eyes – pensive, brooding, uncharacteristically sincere. “I’ll be ready,” I say. 
355
356“You won’t be close,” Kakashi says, shaking his head. “A year…it’s not enough time. I should take you back north. I could teach you so much more.” He looks down at me. “I’m being selfish.”
357
358You won’t get anywhere lying to me. “I don't know what to say to that.”
359
360“You shouldn’t have to,” Kakashi says. 
361
362“Look, we still have our deal. One year of training, and I get you into the hunt. I’m not turning back on that. I don’t break promises.”
363
364Kakashi tussles my hair. “And to think I was going to leave you on that road. If…” he pauses, lost in thought, “when. When you survive, I’m going to make it up to you.”
365
366>One year has passed. 
367
368>Kakashi has trained you in the Shinobi arts, focusing on your natural talent for Fuinjutsu. Over the past year you have constructed two ninja tools which you may choose from the pool below.
369
370>The knife
371Wind extends the blade of this tool up to fifteen feet.
372>The whistle
373Blowing into this tool summons spirit dogs once a day. 
374>The belt
375When worn, functions as a third arm.
376>The chain
377When a willing ally grasps this tool, they are rendered weightless.
378>The lantern
379While held, can create an impenetrable darkness within a 30-foot circle.
380>The cloak
381The wearer is invisible in deep shadow
382>The axe
383When thrown, this tool returns to its thrower’s hand.
384>The bell
385When rung, disorients all who hear
386
387The walls of Konoha tower over me, casting a long shadow across the lush farmland that surrounds the city. Kakashi leads me down a well-traveled dirt road, uncharacteristically somber.
388
389“Sensei?” I ask, still staring up at the walls. They are the largest construction I have ever seen, but something about them bothers me. “What use is a wall against Shinobi?”
390
391Kakashi glances down at me, as if taken aback by the question. “Well, very little,” he admits, adjusting the broad brimmed straw hat he wears. “The wall running technique allows even a novice to scale essentially any surface, and a more skilled Shinobi might have an even more esoteric way around such defenses.” He shrugs. “But a wall, surrounding a city, is a statement. ‘This is where the wilderness ends.’  ‘All within is the domain of man.’ And other such dramatic declarations.”
392
393“Yokai,” I whisper, clutching at my stomach.
394
395“The ability to war against himself is man’s greatest luxury,” Kakashi says. “These walls…they’re from an age gone by, when we still feared the setting of the sun. Put them out of your mind. They won’t bother your prisoner, not from your comfy cell.”
396
397“I see.” Another piece of the taboo, illuminated. I do my best to follow Kakashi’s advice and put the whole matter out of my mind. 
398
399As we reach the gate, we are met by two Shinobi guards in white cloaks. The first, a stocky looking man whose brown hair covers a single eye, holds up a hand. “No closer,” he calls when Kakashi and I are about fifteen feet away. “You approach the holy city during a most auspicious week.”
400
401“Ah, shit,” Kakashi murmurs under his breath. He takes a moment, to think, then shouts, “look, how much do I have to pay you to skip all the codes?”
402
403I smack my forehead with my palm hard enough that it stings. “You don’t remember the passwords?”
404
405“Hey, it’s been a long time,” Kakashi says. “I can’t be expected to remember all the formalities.”
406
407The guards exchange a look. “You can’t bribe us,” the first calls out. “If you cannot remember the passwords, we cannot grant you entrance. Turn, and walk away.” At his words, the second guard lets his hands rest on the hilt of two swords that he wears on his belt.
408
409“Ah, I see,” Kakashi says. He removes his hat, then sweeps his travelling cloak off his shoulder and hands both pieces of clothing to me. “You just need a reminder.”
410
411“Walk away, stranger!” the first calls. He’s settled into a fighting stance now, knees bent, feet apart. “We don’t want to shed blood here.”
412
413“So theatric,” Kakashi groans. “Naruto, step back for a moment.”
414
415“Wait, I can help!” My hand flies to the knife at my belt, its handle warm to the touch.”
416
417“No, this will be good for me,” Kakashi says, stretching out his arms. “Clearly I’ve been away too long.”
418
419At this, the two guards reach the limit of their patience. The first charges, a blur so quick that I never would’ve been able to follow it a year ago. In the blink of an eye he closes the distance between himself and Kakashi, his fist cocked back. 
420
421Kakashi spins to one side, and the guard sails past him. He raises his hands and meets the second guard head on, grasping the man’s wrists so that he can’t bring his swords to bear. 
422
423Kakashi pivots, and with a grunt lifts the second guard bodily off the ground and tosses him at his friend. The first guard leaps into the air to avoid collision – but once in the air, he can’t change direction. Kakashi leaps, plowing into him, and the two exchange a rapid-fire burst of punches, blocks and counters as the plummet to the ground. Just before impact Kakashi slips a blow past the guard’s defenses and plants his knuckles into the man’s cheek.
424
425Kakashi lands with the grace of a large cat, eyeing up his opposition. The first guard is bloodied and disoriented but still alive, and the second is holding his swords in a defensive position, way. Without looking away from the second guard, Kakashi reaches out and grasps the first one by the throat. 
426
427The man’s fingers scrabble weakly at Kakashi’s wrist, even as he desperately tries to draw in air. But it’s no use – Kakashi’s grip is like iron, and as the seconds pass the man’s struggle become less and less effective. His face turns red, then blue, and he sags.  
428
429“Izumo!” The second guard shouts. He throws caution into the wind and charges, his swords held at ready, but in an instant Kakashi has released Izumo’s throat and readied himself for the attack. The first sword lashes out and Kakashi ducks under it – the second swings for his neck, and he meets it with the back of his fist. 
430
431There is a spray of blood – but there is also a ringing so sharp that it hurts your ears, and the blade of the sword snaps in half. Its pointed end soars up into the sky, spinning wildly, and then embeds itself in the earth. 
432
433For a moment, there is stillness. Then Kakashi retreats, springing back onto his hands to gain distance. The first guard, Izumo, is recovering from his brush with death and begins to work his way to his feet, but the second guard stands frozen, looking down at his broken weapon. 
434
435Kakashi presses his hands together in an array of complex patterns, flashing hand signs so quickly that I can’t keep up. As he finishes, he points his left palm to the ground and grips the wrist with his right hand, focusing. 
436
437There is a flash of blue light, and the street is filled with the sound of chirping songbirds. The eyes the guards are wide with fear and awe as Kakashi’s chakra coalesces around his hand, so potent it has physical form. And then he is gone. 
438
439A moment later he reappears, skidding to a stop nearly fifty feet behind the two guards. Only a thin blue line of chakra, quickly fading, marks the path of his attack – right between the guards, but never touching either of them. 
440
441Kakashi snaps his fingers, and I hurry to his side. The guards don’t attempt to stop me. Kakashi dons his cloak and hat, and glances back at the two Shinobi. “So, friends,” he says, eyes smiling, “I suppose you’ll be letting us in now.”
442
443--
444
445I have never seen a city like Konoha. 
446
447Buildings stretch off in every direction, a tightly packed mishmash of various architectural styles. The only unifying theme seems to be the rooftops, which bear tiles painted in bold, bright colors – from above, the city must look like a field of flowers.   
448
449And the people! Never in my life have I seen so many people in such a small place. I see beggars, huddled tightly in their corners, pleading for pennies. I see half-clad women run their fingers along the arms of entranced men. I see merchants pitch their wares to anyone that will listen, swearing up and down that today’s catch is fresh – real fresh, not the three day fresh you’ll find across the street. The narrow streets are so crowded that even walking is an endeavor, forcing me to push my way through crowds of passers by. Everything is so vibrant, so loud, so alive. 
450
451“Well, make yourself at home,” Kakashi says, coming to a stop. “Find some food, find some fun, just…find something to do that doesn’t involve me.” 
452
453“What?” I ask. Kakashi merely turns away and begins walking down the street. “Hey, sensei!” 
454
455Kakashi doesn’t turn around, but he raises a hand to acknowledge that he heard me. “I have things to do, Naruto,” he calls. “I’ll find you. Enjoy the city.”
456
457“But what am I supposed to do?!” The city is already overwhelming, and I’m barely through the gate. Lost in thought, I don't notice the rush of people coming towards me until a small girl, maybe 8, slams into me, knocking us both to the ground. 
458
459“I’m so sorry!” She screeches, scrambling to her feet. She reminds me of me, when I was her age, and my hands instinctively find my purse – but it is still looped securely through my belt. 
460
461“It’s no trouble,” I assure her, pulling her out of the way of another onslaught of sprinting bodies. “Where is everyone going? Are city folk always in such a rush?”
462
463The girl looks at me like she’s not sure if I’m serious or not. “Do you even know what week it is?” She asks. “The Prince and Princess are here. They’re here! At the shrines!” She clasps her hands together. “The Prince is so handsome…I keep meaning to go see the Princess, but…oh!” She seems to realize that every moment she spends talking to me is a moment not spent booking it towards the Shrine, and without another word she takes off. 
464
465I check my purse one more time, just to be sure. Still full. “City kids are weird.”
466
467>Visit the Sun Shrine
468>Visit the Moon Shrine
469>Tail Kakashi
470>Get something to eat
471
472“When the breath of life first came to man, there was naught but darkness!”
473
474The entrance to the Moon Shine is marked by a large, freestanding gate, white wood embellished with silver. On a normal day it might be quiet, peaceful, but today it is even more crowded than the rest of the city. The crowd spills out past the gate into the street, and children even sit atop it, their legs dangling in the air. 
475
476It isn’t easy, but I’m able to push my way through the crowd enough to get a glimpse of what’s going on. A priest stands in the center of the shrine in robes of pure white, speaking to the crowd. It is his voice that I heard from the street – it is clear and strong, and carries easily. “A wise man knows that the dark is the time of beasts, and in this darkness man was nothing more than beast!” He shouts. “He lived a brief life of savage cruelty, hunted by the yokai, the shadows of a dark god! And when he died his bones lay forgotten in the dirt!”
477
478It’s a solid performance, but the energy of the crowd seems restless. Impatient. I creep forward a little more, doing my best to remain inconspicuous. It’s not easy – people really don’t want to give up their place – but I’m small and quick, and it’s easier to let me through than to start a commotion. 
479
480“Far above, in the Endless Kingdom of the Celestial Heavens, the First Mother cast her eyes down and saw the plight of man!” The Priest says. He stands in front of a large crescent moon, carved from crystal. “At once her heart brimmed with pity, and she longed to bring order where there was naught but savagery, kindness where there was naught but cruelty, light where there was naught but darkness. Her compassion birthed two children, and though the First Mother loved them dearly, she knew they had a duty beyond her. She cast them down to Earth, and as they fell the sky shone bright with their radiance!” The Priest holds out his arms, imploring, waiting. 
481
482The men and women around you answer. “In this radiance the sins of man were exposed, and he was ashamed!” They roar, each voice a single raindrop in a storm. “He fell prostrate before the Children of the Celestial Heavens, and through submission his wickedness was cleansed!”
483
484A flash of white light emanates from the crystal moon, sudden and blinding. I raise my arm to shield my eyes but I’m too slow, and spots fill my vision. I feel a flurry of movement around me, but blinded as I am, I can’t see what’s happening. 
485
486The Priest’s voice returns. “And so the Sun….” he says, trailing off suddenly. “The Sun and…and the Moon were…”
487
488My vision returns to me in fits and starts as he stumbles through his line. The first thing I notice is the girl. 
489
490She stands before the crystal moon, which bathes her in an eerie, unnatural light. Her dark blue hair, the top of which is intricately braided to resemble a crown across her brow, falls just past her chin. She wears a white kimono, with cloth of silver threaded through it, and a necklace of magatama beads, carved from pearl, decorates her neck. Her most striking feature, however are her eyes – white all the way through. I may be an orphaned peasant boy, but I know a Hyuga when I see one. I may be an orphaned peasant boy, but I know divinity.
491
492The second thing I notice is that the crowd around me has dropped prostrate before their god. I look left, then right, but to my growing horror not a single living soul still stands – none save the Princess and myself, of course. 
493
494It occurs to me that I may be committing heresy.
495
496>Roll with it
497>Fall prostrate 
498
499 “Ah…” I murmur, rubbing the back of my neck. “I guess this is a bad time to mention that I’m not really the bowing type. Me and the gods, we’re not on such great terms.” I glance up and see the Hyuga Princess again, causing me to question the wisdom of that last sentence. “I mean, it’s not an antagonistic relationship, it’s more…I go my own way, and they sort of leave me alone? And obviously that’s come back to bite me in the ass here, but honestly I don't know how I could’ve seen this particular situation coming, because honestly I never really thought I’d live this long but-”
500
501“Enough!” I spin on my heels towards the source of the interruption, and find another Hyuga girl stalking towards me. She is younger than the Princess of the Moon, her garb less formal, her hair longer, but otherwise is the Princess writ miniature, and a barely suppressed rage bubbles in her tone. “Enough!” She says again. “You mock this ceremony with your babbling!” 
502
503“Was I really babbling?” I ask the man at my feet, only to find that the rest of the crowd has given me a wide, wide berth. I now stand in the center of a small clearing, and with every passing moment the Hyuga girl draws closer. “I don’t want to mock anything!” I shout, throwing my hands up. “You guys have all been very accommodating so far, so if you’ll just let me go…”
504
505“Let you go?” The girl echoes, incredulous. Now that she’s only a few feet away, I can see that she’s really quite young – twelve or thirteen at the most – but she carries herself more like Kakashi than a young girl. She raises a hand. “You will be lucky if-”
506
507“Hanabi,” the Princess’ voice is quiet, but it hits the younger Hyuga like a physical blow. My eyes flicker between the two, unsure of whom to focus on. “Mercy, dear sister, please,” the Princess says, a sad hesitant smile on her face. “This is a holy time, a holy place. We shouldn’t taint it with needless violence.”
508
509“One-san!” Hanabi protests, turning to her older sister. “This boy insults you!”
510
511“This man insults you,” I correct her. “I mean, doesn’t insult you. This man is just the victim of a huge misunderstanding.”
512
513To my absolute shock, the Princess doesn’t let her sister off the leash, or smite me with her moon powers, or even wrinkle her nose up in disgust. Instead she giggles.
514
515I look over at Hanabi, and see the young girl wearing a mirror of my own shocked expression. Her face shifts back to anger when she notices me looking, but she doesn’t try to murder me, so I suppose my situation is improving. 
516
517“Does this man have a name, then?” The Princess asks. She beckons me to approach her, and I obey with halting, unsure steps. The crowd parts before me, dutiful worships scrambling to give the heretic a path. 
518
519“Ah, yes, in fact,” I say. “Uzumaki Naruto.”
520
521“Uzumaki…Uzumaki…” the Princess says, tapping her chin. “I don’t recall such a Shinobi clan.”
522
523“Not a Shinobi clan, as such.” Probably not even Shinobi, but I’m still not sure about that one. “That’s actually why I’m here. My sensei, Hatake Kakashi, wants me to enter the hunt.”
524
525There is a collective gasp from the gathered crowd, and my eyebrows furrow. 
526
527“Liar!” Hanabi calls. She follows in my wake and stands next to her sister, still glowering at me. “The Lightning Blade is dead.”
528
529“Oh man, I wish. He’s just an asshole.”
530
531One more comment like that and Hanabi might actually burst. She whirls on her sister, eyes pleading. “One-san,” she says. “This boy is a liar and a fool. Let me teach him a lesson.”
532
533“A fool, I won’t rule out,” the Princess says, hiding a smile behind her hand. “But a liar? Nara-san!” She calls out, turning away from me. “Is Hatake Kakashi truly dead?”
534
535A boy steps out from the shadow of the shrine, black hair pulled into a spiky ponytail. He studies me for a moment with sharp, curious eyes. “Supposed to be,” he says after a moment. “But the body was never recovered…”
536
537“There, see?” The Princess asks her sister. “Perhaps not such a liar after all.” She turns back to me. “You must forgive my sister,” she says. “She is merely very protective of me. But I don’t think you’re a threat, Uzumaki Naruto.”
538
539“Well, you’re the one with the all-seeing eyes, so I’ll trust your judgment.”
540
541Another giggle. “Are you truly the student of the Lightning Blade?”
542
543“Please don’t tell me people actually call him that.”
544
545“Oh, that and more. I have only met him once, when I was very young, but I would very much like to meet him again. If you are who you claim to be, I don’t suppose I could ask for a chance to dine with you both? Tonight, perhaps?”
546
547“You…want to have dinner?” I ask. 
548
549“Are you questioning the Princess of the Moon?” Hanabi shoots back. “This is not a request. You will be at the palace-”
550
551“Hanabi,” the Princess interjects, quiet but firm. “It is a request. I am a Princess, not a tyrant.”
552
553>Accept
554>Decline
555
556
557The Hyuga girls stare at me expectantly, but all I can think as my eyes flicker between them is that palace food probably tastes really, really good. 
558
559In my sixteen years of life, the finest food I’ve ever had is table scraps from a local lord’s birthday celebration. That had seemed like a satisfactory culinary peak, but the thought of actual food, prepared for an actual princess…I have to take care not to start drooling here and now. “Well, my master is a very busy man,” I start, trying not to sound too eager. “But I’m sure he could make the ti-” a glance over at Hanabi tells me she’s still seething, “I mean, I’m sure he would be honored to attend. He speaks very highly of you.”
560
561“He does?” The Princess asks, crimson creeping up her cheeks.
562
563“Oh, of course.” It’s not entirely a lie. Kakashi likes to mention how he was “twice honored by the Sun and Moon,” whatever that means, whenever he’s drunk or high. So it’s either something he’s proud of or something he hates himself for – or, knowing Kakashi, it’s both. “I’ll let him know that we’re to be at the palace at…”
564
565“Sunset,” the Princess says, smiling warmly. “I shall place you both in seats of great esteem, as my honored guests.”
566“You’re too kind,” I tell her, and now I bow – at the waist, not dropping all the way to the ground. It’s a very respectful bow, though it doesn’t seem to mollify Hanabi much. “I should probably go find him…and I think I’ve ruined your ceremony enough,” I say, taking a hesitant step back. “Really very sorry about that…I promise it wasn’t intended.”
567
568“Put it out of your mind,” the Princess says. “I look forward to seeing you tonight, Uzumaki Naruto.”
569
570--
571
572Kakashi smacks me in the back of the head. 
573
574“Ow, fuck!” I shout, flailing my arms wildly. Kakashi is of course entirely unbothered my defense, and lands several more smacks on my head and face. 
575
576“One afternoon,” he says as I vainly try to fend him off, “I leave you alone for one afternoon and you manage to get yourself hopelessly entangled in politics.”
577
578I jump back, out of the range of his freakishly long arms. “It’s just dinner. What’s so bad about eating good food and talking to the Princess?”
579
580Kakashi shakes his head. “Shinobi lesson: Any decisions made with the stomach or dick will inevitably backfire.”
581
582“That's how you make the vast majority of your decisions!”
583
584“And look where I am, Naruto! Do you really want to be me, at my age?” Kakashi begins filling his pipe with herb, glaring at me from over his mask. “Now the Hyuga know that I’m in the city and that I have an apprentice I’m submitting to the hunt. At least tell me you were well mannered.”
585
586I tug at my collar. “Hey, remember when you told me that I’d never get anywhere by lying to you?”
587
588Kakashi kicks a small rock at his feet into my forehead, and I fall backwards with a howl of surprise and pain. We are standing in one of Konoha’s many parks, massive trees rising up all around us. It’s significantly less crowded here than in the rest of the city, and the few people that are out enjoying nature give us a wide berth. “How bad is it?” Kakashi asks me, taking a long drag on his pipe. 
589
590I splay out on the ground, taking the opportunity to enjoy the warm grass beneath me. “I think I kinda killed it with the Princess, actually. She was smiling and laughing at all my jokes. She even laughed at some of the jokes I didn’t realize were jokes!”
591
592Kakashi sighs heavily, violet smoke drifting from his mouth like a lazy, uncoiling snake. 
593
594“But, um, somebody named Hanabi wants to kill me?”
595
596“Perfect,” Kakashi groans. “Absolutely perfect.”
597
598“What?” I ask, a defensive tone creeping into my voice. “Okay, one out of two isn’t ideal, but between the Princess and her little sister I think I picked the right one to charm.”
599
600Kakashi rolls his eyes. “I guess I can’t fault you for that,” he says. “You’re an idiot and a fool, and I’ve hardly been forthcoming.” He sits cross-legged on the grass in front of me, chewing on the end of his pipe. “The Princess you keep referring to is Hyuga Hinata,” he explains. “Firstborn of Hyuga Hisa and Princess of the Moon.”
601
602“Pretty big fish,” I point out. “Not a bad haul for your idiot fool of an apprentice.”
603
604“At sixteen, Hinata is a touch old for the hunt,” Kakashi continues, ignoring me. “But her participation has been repeatedly delayed.”
605
606“How come?”
607
608“I have no idea,” Kakashi says, shrugging his shoulders. “Suffice to say that it’s not a good sign, especially since Hanabi, who is four years her junior, will be participating in this year’s hunt as well. 
609
610I scowl. “You know all this and you can’t even guess?”
611
612“I have a lot of guesses, each wilder and less informed than the last,” Kakashi says. “I’ve been away for a long time Naruto. The last time I saw the Hyuga sisters, Hinata was a young girl hiding behind her mother and Hanabi was a wailing babe. But from what I’ve heard…Hanabi is a warrior. She is fierce in a way Shinobi must be, and Hinata very much is not.”
613
614Thinking back to the incident at the shrine, I find myself agreeing with that assertion. “I’m sorry, sensei. I’ll be more cautious in the future.”
615
616“And I’ll try to be more helpful,” Kakashi says, blowing a few smoke rings. “We’ll figure this master-apprentice thing out yet, Naruto.” He glances up at the sky and frowns – one of the rare glimpses I get at his mouth emoting. “It’s getting close to sunset and we’re still woefully unprepared,” he says, popping to his feet. “We need fine clothes and we need a gift. Which are you equipped to handle?”
617
618“Neither, sensei.”
619
620“A gift it is,” Kakashi says. He tosses me a small purse, heavy with clinking coins. I glance inside and see nothing but gold. 
621
622I stare at him, dumbfounded. “When did you get rich?”
623
624“When I collected on some debts I was owed. Now find a gift, boy. Something appropriate, something that won’t embarrass me.”
625
626“Is that it? I thought you were going to be more helpful!”
627
628“I think I’ll start tomorrow,” Kakashi says, adjusting his mask. 
629
630>You have enough money for a rather expensive gift. What do you select?
631
632>A katana 
633Carefully decorated, but sharp and functional.
634
635>A bottle of sake
636From the fields far to the west. Remarkably potent. 
637
638>A book of poetry
639The collected writings of Senju Hashirama, the first High Priest. 
640
641“There’s something wrong with this kimono,” I tell Kakashi, picking at the fabric. We stand in front of the Hyuga’s palace, a multi-tired fortress of wood and stone. White cloaked guards patrol the walls, eying us cautiously. 
642
643“There’s nothing wrong with your kimono, Naruto,” Kakashi says. He is taking long, fast pulls on his pipe, working through a day’s worth of herb as quickly as he can. 
644
645“It’s too soft.”
646
647“It’s supposed to be soft, Naruto.” Kakashi exhales a truly prodigious amount of smoke in the general direction of the nearest guard, who wrinkles his nose but otherwise refuses to react. “Do you still have your knife?”
648
649I pull the knife from my belt and flip it into the air. “You’ve only asked me twenty times. I still feel weird about bringing a weapon to dinner. Aren’t we supposed to be guests?”
650
651“Yes, and that’s exactly why you need a knife,” Kakashi tells me. “Now come on, and stop picking at your kimono.”
652
653The pipe vanishes into his kimono, and the nearest guard leads us inside. The interior of the palace is soft and plush, with enough knick-knacks lying around to feed me for a year. My fingers itch, and I stuff them into my belt before I do something stupid. 
654
655Heavy wooden doors open to reveal the dining room, a collection of tables surrounding a small, well tended garden. Hinata is seated at the middle of the table, Hanabi seated directly to her left. To her right is a tall, severe looking man with the Hyuga eyes, and further along the table I can see the Nara boy with the spiky ponytail from the shrine. The food is already set, a spread of rice, fruit and fish the likes of which I’ve never seen, but it remains untouched. 
656
657“Ah shit, we’re late,” Kakashi murmurs.
658
659“You are indeed,” the severe looking Hyuga says. “But what else should be expected from the infamous Hatake Kakashi?”
660
661“It is you,” Hinata says, pressing a hand to her chest. “They said you were dead.”
662
663“Oh man, I wish,” Kakashi replies. “No, I just needed an extended vacation.”
664
665The severe Hyuga makes a face like he’s just swallowed poison. “The Shinobi lifestyle is not one which accommodates vacations,” he says. “I find it more likely that you finally succumbed to your genetic cowardice.”
666
667“Father!” Hinata whispers, her face beet red. “Hatake-san is our guest!”
668
669“It’s quite alright, Princess,” Kakashi says, dipping into a deep bow. “Lord Hiashi and I are old friends. Why, I remember our mission to Suna like it was just yesterday.”
670
671“Then you are a fool as well as a craven,” Hiashi growls. “It was my brother who accompanied you to Suna.”
672
673“It was, wasn’t it?” Kakashi asks, his eyes smiling. “My deepest apologies. It was always so difficult to tell the two of you apart.”
674
675There is a loud crack as Hiashi slams his fist into the table, and the wood beneath it shatters. Buckets worth of food spill to the ground, and before I’m entirely aware of what’s going on he is stalking towards us, eyes burning with barely suppressed fire. 
676
677“Father!” Hinata screams, but Hiashi shows no signs of stopping. 
678
679>Draw your blade
680>Defuse the situation
681
682Hiashi stalks towards us, a cold fire in his eyes. Kakashi bends at the knees, settling into a defensive stance. 
683
684No. This is my fault. I was the one that got entangled with Hinata, I was the one that accepted the invitation to dine here tonight. All my life I have heard stories about how the Hyuga are gods, but all I see here is a man. 
685
686My hand finds the handle of my knife, still warm to the touch, and with a single smooth motion I pull the blade free. A sudden gust of wind, crisp and cool as autumn, fills the room, and I swing the knife in Hiashi’s direction. 
687
688The kamaitachi is a weasel spirit that inhabits the mountains of the Sarutobi prefecture. A cunning and malicious thing, it is often responsible for the deaths of travellers – but when bound to the cutting edge of the blade it makes for a formidable tool. As I swing my knife a gale of wind swirls around it, extending the blade just enough to catch Hiashi across the face. 
689
690Hisashi’s head snaps to the side, and his advance halts. For a moment all the room is still, each person frozen in shock and disbelief. Hiashi is the first to move, touching his fingertips to his cheek. They come away stained with red. 
691
692Hanabi vaults over the table, howling with rage. There are no weapons in her hands but her skin glows with power, and I am suddenly reminded of the stories they tell of the Hyuga – how a single touch can cause a man’s heart to burst in his chest. I backpedal, expecting Kakashi to follow me, but he is occupied by an assault from Hiashi. The two men trade blows almost faster than I can follow, and though Kakashi appears to be holding his own, I can't help but notice that he is entirely on the defensive. Kakashi is turning all of Hiashi’s blows aside, but it is taken all of his concentration, leaving him unable to counterattack.  
693
694As much as I would like to help my master, however, I have slightly more pressing problems. Hanabi charges, far too fast for a girl her age, and I swing my knife again. Unfortunately, there is very little in this world that can catch a Shinobi off guard twice, and she flips over the wind blade, which cuts instead into the dining table behind her. I barely have time to pull the knife back before she’s on top of me, fists a blur. 
695
696I roll backwards onto the ground, planting a foot in her chest and letting her momentum carry her forward. The instant she loses her balance I kick out, sending her sailing through the air over me, and leap back to my feet. Hanabi pinwheels her arms for a moment before her fingers catch the ground, and her skin flares with chakra as she sticks herself to that spot, arresting her momentum in an instant. 
697
698I can’t let her touch me. I can’t let her touch me. I slash at her with the wind blade and scramble backwards, trying to put enough distance between us that I have time to think – but Hanabi seems preternaturally aware of my plan, and doesn’t let up for even a moment. Options rapidly dwindling, I fake a slash and wait for her to dodge, then point the tip of the blade directly at her chest and let fly. 
699
700Miraculously, she is quick enough to avoid the worst of it. She twists her body at the last second, and though the blade sinks deep into her side it is not as punishing a blow as I would like. Hanabi gasps, pupil-less eyes widening, but when the wind  fades she cspringts forward and strikes me in the shoulder. Though the blow is careful, almost gentle, pain explodes from the point of contact. I reel back and howl, clutching at the injury, and Hanabi lands three more blows across my body. As I collapse to my hands and knees, fighting the urge to vomit, she places her foot on the back of my head and presses my face to the cold floor. “My Lord Father,” she pants, pressing a hand to her injured side, “will decide what to do with you.”
701
702“Kakashi is gonna kick your dad’s ass,” I growl, which earns my face another painful grinding into the floor. Strong hands, too large to be Hanabi’s grab my wrists and force them into iron manacles. 
703
704Hanabi bends down so that we are nearly face-to-face. “Even in his prime, Hatake was no match for my father,” she whispers. “And now he is nothing but a wastrel and an addict. Look at him.” She grabs my hair and forces me to look up at Kakashi, who sure enough is getting more and more worn down by Hiashi. Eventually a blow slips past his defenses and he crumples, blood pouring from his mouth like a waterfall. 
705
706I scream and struggle against my bonds, but to no avail. There is no rage, no heat, no surge of strength within me, and after a moment I sag, defeated. 
707
708“Throw this one in the dungeons until I can decide what to do with him,” Hiashi snarls. As he draws closer I can see that he sports a variety of shallow wounds, and the cut on his face still bleeds freely. He bends down and picks up my knife, examining it curiously, then tucks it into his belt. It is only then he notices the katana, lying forgotten on the floor.
709
710“A gift?” He asks me, picking up the sword. He slides it free of its sheath and examines it in the light, a curious look on his face. “A pity you did not lead with this,” he says, handing the sword off to another guard. “Perhaps if your master were better mannered, this evening could’ve gone more smoothly.”
711
712“Fuck you!” Hanabi drives a palm into my back, and I spasm as overwhelming pain rushes through me. “Fuck you too!” I scream at her, and then my eyes find Hinata – gentle, beautiful Hinata, her face white, still seated at the head of her table. “And fuck you most of all!” I roar in her direction. “Is this how a Princess treats her guests? Fuck you! Fuck you!”
713
714A guard drives the butt of his spear into my head, and the entire world goes black.
715
716--
717
718When I finally awake, I can’t be sure what time of day it is. 
719
720I am in a small cell of wet stone, my arms and legs chained to the wall with manacles of heavy iron. Bars of crisscrossing iron form the wall in front me, old but sturdy looking. A ceaseless drip, drip drip of water is the only noise other than my breathing, which grows increasingly pained as I discover the extent of my injuries. 
721
722My head pounds. Likely a concussion. I focus my breathing and the world comes into sharper relief, allowing me to ignore the worst of the fuzziness. 
723
724My shoulder aches. I roll it back and forth, testing its mobility. Whatever Hanabi did to it, it hurts like a bitch but seems to have left no permanent damage. My chest, however, remains unnaturally tight. Breathing exercises will let me ignore the worst of it, but I’ll need to see a healer. A proper healer, not just Kakashi with some-
725
726Kakashi. My heart skips a beat as I remember my master slumping to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth. He can’t be dead. The bastard was too stubborn to go out like that. 
727
728“You’re awake.” 
729
730The voice shakes me from my thoughts, and I instinctively move chakra to my eyes to hasten their acclimation to the dark. A face appears, hiding in the shadows on the other side of the iron bars.
731
732It is the Nara boy, from the shrine. I recognize his sharp eyes and spiky ponytail immediately, and the rage boils up inside of me. “What, come to gloat?” I ask him, ignoring the pain that spikes through my chest. “Want to get a few laughs in before you kill me?”
733
734“Sounds like a pain in the ass,” the Nara says. He reaches behind his back and produces a knife – my knife, still in its sheath. “This is good work,” he says, placing the knife on the ground and sliding it through a gap in the iron bars. “Hatake taught you that?”
735
736“Most of it.” I grab the knife as soon as it’s close enough and look at the boy, eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”
737
738The boy exhales, leaning against the wall. “That’s question of the week, isn’t it?” He asks. “My name is Nara Shikamaru.”
739
740“Uzumaki Naruto.” He already knows that, but I’ve always been told it’s polite to return introductions. 
741
742Shikamaru inclines his head. “I’m one of Hinata-denka’s nakama,” he explains. “I-”
743
744I hold up a hand. “You’re going to have to talk stupider,” I tell him. “I have enough trouble with all your Shinobi titles and bullshit when I’m not beaten half to shit.”
745
746“Ah,” Shikamaru says. “I understand.” He thinks for a moment, pressing his fingertips together. “-Denka is an old honorific denoting non-sovereign royalty, while-”
747
748“Stupider.”
749
750Shikamaru’s eye twitches. “Denka means Princess,” he says, talking with exaggerated slowness. “Whereas nakama is an official title given to the closest servants of nobility. I am the Princess’ most trusted advisor, and closest friend. I carry out her will.”
751
752“What, like luring us here so you can jump and murder us?” I ask, unable to keep the heat from my voice. 
753
754Shikamaru looks pained. “That’s what I’m trying to get to,” he tells me. “Hinata-denka had no part in what happened to you and Hatake-sama. The fight, and you and your master’s imprisonment, was entirely her father’s plan.”
755
756Relief surges through me as I realize Kakashi is still alive, but I don’t let it show on my face. “Well I didn’t see her jumping up to defend us,” I shoot back. “She’s the Princess, isn’t she? Royalty. Divinity. She could’ve stopped…” I hold up my hands, emphasizing the manacles. “This.”
757
758“The situation is…complicated, “ Shikamaru says.
759
760“Complicated how?”
761
762“I can’t say.” He must see the anger that flickers across my face, because his next words come quickly. “It’s the truth, I swear. It’s not my desire to keep secrets from you, but I must protect Hinata-denka, and a loose tongue is the greatest folly a Shinobi in my position can have.” He sighs. “It was Hiashi-hidenka’s intention let your master throw the first punch, so that his imprisonment could be carried out lawfully. Obviously things did not go as planned, but as long as you and Kakashi-sama are imprisoned here, there is no-one to question the official narrative.”
763
764“So?”
765
766“So we need to get you out of here,” Shikamaru says. “Hiashi is planning something, and cannot be allowed to solidify his position.”
767
768“Great,” I say, holding up my wrists. “Let me out then.”
769
770Shikamaru produces a key from seemingly nowhere spinning it between his fingers. “I need assurances.”
771
772“Fuck you, and fuck your assurances.”
773
774“I’m going to ignore that, because you’ve been treated remarkably unfairly,” Shikamaru says. “But look at it from my perspective. I’m taking a very big chance, letting you out of here. I need to make sure this little maneuver works for me, rather than against me. 
775
776“Fine,” I mutter, settling back against the wall. “What assurances?”
777
778Shikamaru holds up two fingers. “First,” he says, “that if we cross paths during the hunt, you will at least sit down and listen to what I have to say. Second, you tell no-one what happened here.”
779
780“What?”
781
782“It’s not for all time,” Shikamaru assures me. “I just need to make sure that certain revelations line up.”
783
784>Agree
785>Agree (Lie)
786>Agree if Kakashi is freed 
787
788
789“I can’t leave my master here.”
790
791Shikamaru shakes his head. “A noble sentiment, but I can’t do that.”
792
793“Can’t, or won’t?”
794
795“Can’t,” Shikamaru says. “The only reason I’m able to extend this offer to you is because Hiashi-hidenka believes you no threat. He leaves you in a peasant’s cell with no true guard. Hatake-sama is different. He is watched at every moment by Hiashi-hidenka’s most loyal servants. His cell is specifically designed to hold hostile Shinobi. Breaking him out of there would be a suicide mission.”
796
797I grind my teeth. “It’s my fault he’s in this situation.”
798
799“You think you’ll be more help to him in a prison cell?” Shikamaru asks. “If so, then I salute your confidence. I don’t know what Hiashi-hidenka wants your master for, but the fact that he hasn’t been killed yet tells me that there are plans for him. You won’t be abandoning him.”
800
801“Hm.” I chew on Shikamaru’s words for a moment, evaluating my options. He isn’t asking much of me, if I ignore having to leave Kakashi behind. The thought makes me sick to my stomach, but what choice do I have? “Fine,” I whisper. “I’ll agree to your conditions.”
802
803“Can I trust you, Naruto-san?” Shikamaru asks, sharp eyes boring into me. 
804
805“I’m not your Lord Hiashi. I don’t break my promises.”
806
807Shikamaru inclines his head. “I believe you,” he says, sliding the key into the door’s lock. “Let's get you out of here.”
808
809--
810
811Under normal circumstances, climbing through the window of the room Kakashi rented would be a simple feat. But with my head pounding, my body aching, and my nerves fraying, I barely manage to pull myself through the window before I collapse to the floor, exhausted. 
812
813I long for rest, but sleep doesn’t come. The thought of Kakashi locked up in that fortress makes me want to vomit, a sickness born of self-loathing. Even that, however, is nothing next to wave of fear and uncertainty I feel. Where do I go from here? I am in the middle of a hostile city with no master and no clue. I’m an orphaned peasant boy in so far over his head that he no longer knows which way is up. 
814
815Kakashi was right. I am an idiot and a fool – and a coward too, it seems. I should never have agreed to leave without Kakashi, the odds be damned. What use am I without him? My chances of surviving the week were slim enough with him by my side, but now…
816
817The hot sting of tears fill my eyes and I leap to my feet, suddenly enraged. I have not cried since I was a small child, since before I found the kitsune on that forest path. But I cry here, now? Am I really that pathetic?
818
819I whirl and slam my fist into the wall that borders the outside, and the wood splinters beneath the force of my blow. I pull back and punch again, and with a mighty crack my fist goes through the wood until it meets the cool evening air. 
820
821I stand frozen for a moment, breathing heavily, and then pull my fist back inside. I inspect my knuckles, but they are undamaged.
822
823Unbidden, a smile stretches across my face. 
824
825I grab Kakashi’s pack from the bed and dump its contents on the floor, wrapping my cloak around my shoulders. Kakashi may be in danger, but he is not gone – his teachings remain with me, strengthening not only my body but also my spirit. 
826
827I need to evaluate. I am in a city I do not know, surrounded by people with every reason to hate me, and I’ve earned the ire of roughly half the land’s divinity. I don’t have Kakashi, and I don’t have friends. I am entirely alone.
828
829No. That’s not quite true. “One is never alone when one has enemies,” I whisper, “for your enemies will have enemies, and it is there you will find your friends.”
830
831The Hyuga must have enemies. But who? The Hatake, perhaps? Kakashi has remained tight lipped about his family, a habit I’ve been more than happy to let him keep. But the only reason I’m even here is because the Hatake are. Whatever bad blood exists between Kakashi and his relatives, it can’t be so bad that they would ignore his imprisonment – right?
832
833Still, that’s not enough. I pluck a few materials from Kakashi’s things and set to work rubbing a dark, thick paste through my hair. It smells like shit and sticks to my fingers, but successfully turns my hair from bright blond to dark brown. When that’s done, I take a moment to regulate my breathing and start stretching and contorting my face, checking my progress periodically in a small mirror. It’s an old Shinobi technique, one of the first things Kakashi taught me – by relaxing certain facial muscles and tensing others, one can appear to be an almost entirely different person. A few touches of powder help me complete the illusion, and with some face paint across my nose and forehead I can practically alter the color of my eyes. 
834
835When I’m done, I hardly recognize the face that gazes back at me in the mirror. It’s not a perfect disguise, but it should let me pass all but the most exacting scrutiny. Over the next hour I bandage my wounds as best I’m able, and change back into my normal clothes. 
836
837The inn Kakashi chose for us to stay at has a common area downstairs, a place where patrons can gather to eat, drink and socialize. By the time I trudge downstairs it’s late, and the room is abandoned except for the man working the counter, a portly, balding older man with a well-worn apron. 
838
839“Evening,” the man says as I take a seat in front of him. “What’ll it be?”
840
841“A drink, please,” I tell him, flipping him a silver. “Something strong.” The man slides a cup of sake down the counter to me, and the alcohol helps calm my nerves. “Much appreciated,” I tell him, signaling for another pour. “I was beginning to think I couldn’t find a half decent drink in this city.”
842
843The man laughs, refilling my cup. “Not from around here?” He asks. 
844
845“I’m a…pilgrim,” I tell him, taking my time with the second drink. It’s hot and sweet, and burns going down my throat, but it’s actually not bad at all. “I’ve traveled to the city for the holy week.”
846
847“Ah, a noble calling,” the man says, nodding. “And one you’re not alone in. Many come around this time of year, to pay their respects to the Sun and Moon.”
848
849I drum my fingers against the counter. “Well, my family has always been pious. My father was sworn to the Moon, and his father before him, and so on, and so on,” I wave my hand in a few quick circles.
850
851“That’s too rare nowadays,” the man says. “Men are forgetting God, I think.”
852
853“It’s funny you mention that,” I tell him, taking a deep breath and wincing at the pain in my chest. “I had a run-in with some men not long ago who were…less than thrilled about my piety.”
854
855The man stops, as if seeing me for the first time. “You’re injured,” he says. “I’m sorry to hear that. These men…” he thinks for a moment. “Did they have tattoos across the chests, arms, maybe faces? Did they reek like dogs?”
856
857Ah, I have him. “Right on all accounts,” I tell him, leaning closer. “You know them?”
858
859The man’s face darkens. “Inuzuka,” he says, and then he spits on the ground to his side. “Barbarians. A Shinobi clan from the far west, troublemakers all of them. They claim to worship the Sun and Moon, but it’s lip service, I’ll tell you. They still keep to their savage gods.”
860
861“Inuzuka,” I murmur, committing the name to memory. “I’ll remember that, thank you.”
862
863“It’s no trouble,” the man says, shaking his head. “It’s important to give them their space. They’re rowdy, quick to anger. And their dogs…no mere beasts, I’ve heard. Yokai. 
864
865“Well I’ll certainly avoid them.” I finish my drink and slam another silver on the table. “And their friends as well, I suppose. If such savages can truly have any.”
866
867The man inclines his head in thanks, snapping up the coins. “Friends? I find it unlikely. But they treat with a clan called the Akimichi. Gluttons and layabouts, no true servants of the Sun and Moon.”
868
869“May the Celestial Heavens curse them all,” I say, suppressing a smile.
870
871>There are three days until the hunt
872
873>Find the Hatake
874>Find the Inuzuka
875>Find the Akimichi 
876>Remain in your room. Hide and recuperate
877
878It’s not difficult to find the Inuzuka – all I have to do is follow the dogs. 
879
880Truth be told, stray dogs are great guides to a new city. They congregate where there’s food, avoid threats, and are particularly sensitive to the presence of spirits and yokai. Today, however, they’re even more useful, as they move in great waves towards the edge of the city.
881
882I know I’m getting close when the dogs start looking healthier and…bigger. The first one that truly stands out looks more wolf than dog, with knife-like teeth and eyes glowing with an eerie intelligence. The next one is the size of a small pony, resting with its head in its paws, and when I find the dog the size of a large horse I know I’ve found the Inuzuka. 
883
884They are gathered in a bar of the most disreputable sort, all broken windows and hastily scrawled graffiti. Even from outside, the place is raucous – when I throw open the flimsy wooden door, its damn near earsplitting. 
885
886The noise doesn’t stop when I take a step inside, but a dozen pairs of eyes flicker over to me. The bar is filled with rough looking men and women, all missing substantial portions of their clothing and many engaged in what might be very public, very shameless sex. Dogs ranging in size from small puppies to moderately large wolves lounge and fight over scraps, their barks and yowls an unceasing cacophony. 
887
888The Inuzuka Shinobi are surprisingly easy to pick out. Of all the bar’s patrons they are the leanest, the most scarred, and they bear intricate tattoos all across their exposed skin. I try to identify a pack leader, but if there’s some kind of hidden ranking in their tattoos I can’t identify it. 
889
890Luckily, it doesn’t take long for one of them to approach me. I adjust my cloak around my shoulders, but avoid going for my knife as he draws closer. 
891
892The Inuzuka is around my age, but tall in a way I’ll never be thanks to shitty nutrition in formative years. His chest is bare, covered with interlocking tattoos of snarling dog heads, grinning skulls, and provocative silhouettes that extend past his shoulders and up to his knuckles. His cheeks are decorated with tattoos of red fangs, and shaggy brown chair hangs past his chin. “Don’t know you,” he says, crossing his arms and looking me up and down. “You lost?”
893
894“Don’t think so.” I meet his gaze and hold it, willing my face to remain flat and apathetic. 
895
896The Inuzuka frowns, thinking. “Hey, Asuka!” He calls, looing over towards a girl splayed out in the corner. “This one of yours?”
897
898The girl, Asuka, pushes aside one of the several men attending to her. “Never seen him before,” she says. “But I’ll take him. He’s cute.”
899
900“Appreciated,” I say, giving her a wave, “but I’m going to have to pass. I’m looking for whoever’s in charge.”
901
902The Inuzuka in front of me smirks. “Well thankfully I don’t see my mom or sister anywhere so…I guess that’s me.” He holds a fist out to me. “Inuzuka Kiba. Son of Inuzuka Tsume. the red dog, the man who caught Runner Shin.”
903
904>Be direct
905>Be ambiguous 
906
907“Then I’m in the right place,” I tell him, bumping my knuckles against his own. “My name is Uzumaki Naruto. No fancy titles yet, but I’m the apprentice of Hatake Kakashi.”
908
909That draws attention. I’m keenly aware of how the Shinobi in the room perk up when they hear Kakashi’s name, their food, drink and lovers temporarily forgotten. 
910
911Even Kiba seems intrigued. “Big claim,” he says. “From what I’ve heard, the Lightning Blade wasn’t much interested in teaching even before he went ronin. But…I’ve heard whispers. That he showed up the other day and scared the shit out of some Hyuga guards. That he has a student he’s looking to showcase.”
912
913“All true.”
914
915“So why are you here?” Kiba asks. “I mean I love a good Kakashi story as much as the next guy, but he and my mom were never exactly buddies.”
916
917“Yeah, I’m starting to notice a pattern,” I murmur, frowning. Is there anyone from Kakashi’s old life that he hasn’t completely alienated? “Truth is, I need help. And discretion.”
918
919Kiba looks around. “Lucky for you, we’re a discreet bunch.”
920
921“Really?” I ask, dropping my voice low enough that only Kiba can hear. “You’d trust everyone here with a plot against the Hyuga?”
922
923Kiba’s eyes widen, and for a moment I’m worried that I’ve made a grave mistake. Laying all my cards out on the table is a risky move, but I’m low on time and the Inuzuka don't seem like the sort that appreciate tip-toeing. Besides, subtlety isn't exactly my style. “Then Kiba raises a hand. “Everyone out!” He shouts, loud enough that all the activity in the room ceases. “If you’re important, stay. You know who you are.”
924
925“But I’m not done!” One Inuzuka calls from his entwinement with a variety of both women and men. 
926
927“Fuck in the street then!” Kiba shouts back. “I said to clear out!”
928
929It only takes a few moments for all the non-essential personnel to filter outside, egged on by Kiba’s barked threats. When all falls still, I find myself surrounded by six Inuzuka, including Asuka, who watches me carefully from her seat atop the bar. 
930
931“There’s a lot of lips,” I tell Kiba, sizing up each of the Inuzuka in turn. Of all the Shinobi that had been present in the bar, these are the least civilized looking, the most heavily tattooed. Now that I’ve had a chance to pick apart the varying patterns, I’m beginning to notice recurring themes and images – skulls, dogs, and knives feature prominently, but there are also a number of chains, stars, and scripts in a language I don’t recognize. 
932
933“These are my nakama,” Kiba says, gesturing. “I trust them with anything.”
934
935“Death before disloyalty,” Asuka snarls. 
936
937“Death before disloyalty,” the others echo. 
938
939I nod, thinking over the best way to formulate this. I promised Shikamaru that I would keep quiet about what happened at the Hyuga palace, and while I intend to keep that promise, I don’t want to do too much lying. It’s better to keep things simple and honest – that way I don’t end up tripping over myself later. “Sure, sure.” I say. “Down to business then. My master is being held in the Hyuga palace. Interrogated, probably. Tortured, definitely.”
940
941“Hatake’s been ronin for over a decade,” Asuka says in between sips of something dark and cloying. “What could he know that would interest the Hyuga?”
942
943I have no fucking idea. “My master has many secrets,” I say instead. “But they’re his, not mine. Death before disloyalty, neh?”
944
945The other Inuzuka nod. “Neh,” Asuka says, although she doesn’t look entirely convinced. 
946
947“He’s in there because of me,” I continue. “So I’m going to get him out. I have to imagine the whole thing is going to be a metaphorical blood nose for the Hyuga, and I heard that might be something you’re interested in.”
948
949“Rescue the Lightning Blade? Fuck the false Moon while we’re at it?” Kiba asks. “We’re not against it.”
950
951“But we’re not stupid neither,” Asuka says. “You got a plan?”
952
953“I’ve got a plan. But it needs firepower.”
954
955“Fire?” One of the Inuzuka asks, looking up eagerly. He’s a boy, several years younger than the rest, with flames tattooed all across his upper chest and shoulders. The others laugh, an old familiar joke shared between them.
956
957I give them their moment, not wanting to interrupt, or draw attention to my outsider status. “Lots of fire,” I promise the boy. “Because in three days the hunt starts.” Kakashi hasn’t told me much about the hunt – whenever I asked he would get sarcastic and evasive – but he’s told me enough that I’m not going in blind. Enough that I have a plan. “In three days the Princess and her little sister go into the forest. No guards, no daddy, no rules.”
958
959Asuka snorts. “That’s your plan? The hunt? You think nobody’s ever thought of that before?”
960
961“The sisters won’t be going in alone,” Kiba says. “They’ll have nakama, allies, each other. They know we’ll hurt them if we get the chance, and the forest limits our mobility way more than it does theirs. They won’t let us close.”
962
963“Maybe not. But they’ll let me close.” I can see them being drawn in, leaning closer. “I have a contact in the Hyuga’s organization. Somebody close to the top who’ll sit down and speak with me.”
964
965A rabid grin stretches across Kiba’s face. “You want to be bait.”
966
967“I’m bait, you’re the pincer,” I tell him, returning the smile. “We capture one of the sisters and leverage them for the release of Kakashi.”
968
969“I like it,” Kiba says. The other Inuzuka voice wordless agreement. 
970
971All except Asuka. “I hate looking a gift bitch in the mouth,” she says, “but how do we know we can trust you?”
972
973“I think what I’m starting to realize is that you can’t trust anyone in this city,” I tell her. “I have something you want. You have something I need. Mutual benefit is better than trust, neh?”
974
975In one smooth motion Askua moves onto all fours and leaps from the top of the bar, bestial and impossibly quick. I barely have time to yank my knife free of it’s sheath before she’s on me, pushing me back until I slam against the wall hard enough to rattle the ceiling. The handle of my knife grows hot to the touch, but before the wind can come I stifle it, waiting. 
976
977Asuka doesn’t gut me. Instead she pins me in place, eyes searching. She is very close – she smells of sweat and blood and alcohol and dog. Her gaze pierces me like a dagger, and as I watch her nose twitches slightly, smelling me. None of the Inuzuka make a move to help her, but neither do they demand she back off. 
978
979After a moment she steps back. “He’s not lying,” she says, “but I don’t like it.”
980
981“Too bad you’re not in charge then,” Kiba says. “Because I like it a whole lot.” He extends a fist to me, and I move to touch it with my own. 
982
983Before I can make contact, however, his other hand flashes out and grabs me by the forearm. “Most of it, anyway,” he says, leaning close. “I’m not the bloody someone’s nose kinda guy, Naruto.”
984
985My eyes find the skulls tattooed across his chest. “Yeah, I figured.”
986
987“We’ll get your master back,” Kiba says, oversized canines gleaming in the dim light. “But I want one of the sisters. I ain’t gonna be picky about it, but I want one of them. Deal?”
988
989>Following votes will be tallied as a pair, not independently. 
990
991>Deal
992>Deal (lie)
993>No deal
994
995>After leaving the bar, Naruto…
996
997>Finds the Hatake
998>Finds the Akimichi
999>Waits for the hunt
1000>Other?
1001
1002I pull my arm free of his grip and touch my knuckles to his. “It’s a deal then,” I say. 
1003
1004“A deal!” Kiba gestures towards one of his friends, and they toss him a bottle of sake. “I knew this hunt was going to be interesting!” He says, taking a swig from the bottle and offering it to me. “And to think I almost didn’t come.”
1005
1006My stomach is dangerously empty to be getting into heavy drinking, but it would be rude to decline. I gulp down a mouthful of the stuff and hand it back to Kiba. “You can not come?”
1007
1008“The hunt’s an eastern tradition, not one of ours,” Kiba says. “An Inuzuka comes of age when he gets his first ink. “He gestures to his chest. “But we like to send a couple every year, to keep track of what’s going on with other clans. And since the Princess of the Moon is a little old for this…” he shrugs. “We gotta send people a little old for this too.”
1009
1010I nod. “Well, it was really great doing business with you guys, but I’ve got a lot to do and very little time. We’ll be in touch before the hunt.”
1011
1012Kiba glances over at his friends and then shrugs. “I’ll come with you,” he says, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “I was getting tired of this scene anyway.”
1013
1014“I’m not entirely sure that’s a good idea, but Kiba seems insistent. So I shrug and allow him to accompany me back into the street. Kiba throws on a cloak to guard against the cold and allows the various hangers on to reenter the bar, and then we’re off.
1015
1016It’s not long before I notice that we have a tail – one of the dogs I saw when searching for the Inuzuka. The size of a pony, it bears shaggy white fur everywhere but its ears, which are brown. On its back is slung a saddle, well worn leather and brightly colored cloth. 
1017
1018“His name is Akamaru,” Kiba says when he notices me looking. “He’s where I got the nickname.”
1019
1020Akamaru. The red dog. I get it now. “He’s huge.”
1021
1022“He’ll get bigger,” Kiba says, grinning. He holds up a hand and Akamaru dutifully places his chin upon it, receiving scritches in return. “Probably not much though, I want to cap his growth soon. We have some truly massive ones back home, I’m talking dogs the size of elephants, but it’s not good for them to get that big.”
1023
1024I’ve never seen an elephant, but from what I’ve heard an Inuzuka dog the size of one would be terrifying. I remember what the man at the hotel had said the beasts, and my curiosity drives me to speak. “I’ve heard…and sorry if I’m putting my foot in my mouth here…that your dogs aren’t natural. That they’re yokai.”
1025
1026Kiba laughs. “They’re not natural, no. You ever see a dog get this big on its own?”
1027
1028“There are a lot of crazy things in this world. So it’s true? They’re yokai?”
1029
1030“Ah, maybe,” Kiba says, a contemplative expression on his face. “We define yokai differently than you easterners do. Give me a refresher?”
1031
1032“It’s fuzzy,” I admit. “All yokai are spirits, but not all spirits are yokai. Mostly, it’s a question of tradition. Spirits born from the souls of the dead are all yokai, technically, but they’re a little different than most. We want to help them, not destroy them. Then there are certain kinds of spirits we’ve named yokai because they’re malicious. They despise humanity and want to see us burn, like oni.”
1033
1034“Right, we get those sometimes in the fields.” Kiba says. “My mother and sister hunted one once, when I was too little to ride with them. They don’t like talking about it.”
1035
1036I shiver. “Few people do.” I fought an Oni once, travelling with Kakashi. It was…a distinctly unpleasant experience. “But there are worse types out there. Any spirit that can take the form of a man…that’s a yokai. They can’t be trusted. They must be eradicated on sight.” My hand drifts towards my stomach, but I quickly return it to my side. 
1037
1038Luckily, Kiba doesn’t seem to notice. “Oh, I get it now,” he says. “Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. My clan has these things called taberu-taberu. Little worm spirits that eat the bodies of the dead. The more they eat, the bigger they get, and once they’ve had a hundred corpses they can take the form of any body they’ve eaten.” He shrugs. “We take them and raise them in these big…hives, I guess? Iron balls filled with rotting meat. When a dog is ready to be bound to a kid, we take one of the taberu-taberu and seal them into the dog.”
1039
1040“Really?”
1041
1042“Oh, yeah. It’s pretty interesting to watch. But we – well, I guess we lobotomize them first. We do something to them to fuck them up, so that the dogs only get a part of their power.”
1043
1044It hits me. “The power to grow.”
1045
1046“Right! A dog with a taberu-taberu sealed inside it gets bigger by eating the corpses of the dead. But there are more seals, for when you want to cap the growth. A way to inhibit the spirit fully.”
1047
1048I miss my next step and stumble forwards, arms flailing. “You can do that? Inhibit a spirit further by adding seals?”
1049
1050“Yeah, I think that’s how it works,” Kiba says, shrugging. “I’m a warrior, not a guru.”
1051
1052I nod, my mind racing a thousand miles per hour. Kakashi has never mentioned this, which could mean it’s a dead end – or that he doesn’t know. Either way, once I free him from the palace it’s a conversation we’ll need to have. 
1053
1054It doesn’t take us long to reach the Akimichi compound, a collection of buildings owned by the clan so that they have somewhere to stay when they come to Konoha in numbers. While my knowledge of the Inuzuka is next to nonexistent, Kakashi’s actually told be a bit about the Akimichi. They’re a middling clan, their techniques focused around a supernatural toughness that allows them to use their bodies as human wrecking balls. 
1055
1056“So what’s the plan?” Kiba asks. “Just gonna knock on the front door?”
1057
1058“I guess.” I scratch the back of my neck. “The Inuzuka have good relations with the Akimichi, don’t they?”
1059
1060“They’re respectable,” Kiba admits. “Proud warriors. Not happy with the current status quo. They feel like the Sun and Moon have been ignoring them for a long time.” He taps his chin. “I know a guy, around our age. Name’s Choji. Low birth, but an up and comer in the clan. Lotta the younger Akimichi listen to him. We get along, I could introduce you, but…” 
1061
1062“But?”
1063
1064“I don’t know. He’s had some spats with clan leadership. We’d have to be discreet.”
1065
1066>Meet with Choji
1067>Meet with the Akimichi leaders
1068
1069“I’ve always wanted to try being discreet.” More seriously, it will likely be easier to get Choji on my side – as an up and comer, he has more reason to take risk than the established leadership. 
1070
1071“Follow me then,” Kiba says, rolling out his shoulders. He motions for Akamaru to sit, and the massive dog flops down onto the street, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Kiba places his hands on the wall that separates the Akimichi compound from the rest of the city, and a moment later he’s halfway to the top. His hands and feet stick to the sheer surface like a lizard.
1072
1073I stretch my fingers and toes, warming them up, and then follow suit. My own wall cling technique isn’t quite as steady as Kiba’s, but I don’t slip, which I count as a win. Once at the top, it’s a simple matter to cut the chakra flow just enough that I slide effortlessly down the other side of the wall. 
1074
1075Kiba sniffs the air, and then motions for us to move. The interior of the Akimichi compound seems to consist mostly of tight, circular sparring rings separated by well-trod footpaths, and Kiba leads me down one of those footpaths towards a small building on the far end of the yard. 
1076
1077Before we can make it there, however, my ears catch the faint shuffle of footsteps moving our way. Kiba and I exchange a brief, panicked look, and I dive for the deepest shadow I can find. 
1078
1079The moment I enter the cover, I can feel my cloak work its magic. Bound within it is a betobeto-san, an invisible spirit known for stalking travellers at night. Kakashi had used it as a chance to teach me how to hone my sense of hearing, but it had been a bitch to subdue and seal nonetheless. In an instant I’m completely invisible, and by holding my breath and slowing my heartbeat I can’t really be heard either. The source of the mysterious footsteps – an older man so tall and wide that he could probably fit five of me inside him – walks right by me without even realizing I’m there. 
1080
1081Kiba is not so lucky. Though he attempts to take cover behind a nearby tree, the plant simply isn’t large enough to hide him entirely. “Who goes there?” The man says, sliding into a wide stance, arms outstretched. “Show yourself!”
1082
1083I see Kiba groan as he holds his hands up. “Peace,” he says, “peace. It’s Inuzuka Kiba.”
1084
1085“Inuzuka-san,” the man says, relaxing his stance. “You shouldn’t frighten an old man like that. What are you doing here?”
1086
1087“Just visiting Choji, Akimichi-sama,” Kiba says. He sounds entirely different now, and not just because he’s started using honorifics. “I’m sorry for sneaking around. I know not everyone here would be happy to know Choji and I still talk.”
1088
1089“True enough,” the Akimichi says. “Yet still you come.”
1090
1091Kiba shrugs. “I like Choji. He’s a true Shinobi.”
1092
1093“That he is,” the Akimichi admits. “Alright then, hurry on. And be quick about it. If you’re caught by someone else I’ll throw you to the wolves.” He frowns, contemplative. “To the wolves. Does your clan have this saying?”
1094
1095“Not exactly, but I get your meaning,” Kiba says. He casts a quick glance around the yard, clearly looking for me, but when he can’t find me he simply waves and moves on. 
1096
1097It takes a moment for the Akimichi to continue on his way, but luckily Kiba hasn’t gone far. I prowl out of the shadow and follow him, meeting up with Kiba at the door. 
1098
1099“There you are,” Kiba whispers. “Where the hell did you go? One minute you were there and the next…”
1100
1101I give a noncommittal shrug. “You have your techniques, I have mine.”
1102
1103Kiba knocks on the sliding door in front of us. “We're going to get along, Uzumaki Naruto,” he says. “Do you know how many times I’ve wished for a friend who knows how to make himself scarce? It’s not an Inuzuka specialty.”
1104
1105“Really? You don’t have stealth dogs with little black collars?”
1106
1107Kiba looks like he’s about to retort, but before he can he’s interrupted by a voice from inside. “Come in.”
1108
1109I slide the door open, revealing a house in miniature – a bedroom and a kitchen mashed together in a space only large enough for one person to live comfortably. Seated with legs crossed on the floor is one of the biggest men I’ve ever seen, bigger even than the Akimichi who confronted Kiba just a moment ago. At a little more than six feet tall he must weigh near five hundred pounds, but from the way he shifts at the sight of us I can tell that it’s not all fat. His light brown hair is pulled into a topknot, and laid out on the table in front of him are massive helpings of stew, rice, and beer – enough to feed me for a week or more. 
1110
1111“Choji,” Kiba says, stepping inside. “Still bulking, I see.”
1112
1113“Always,” Choji says with a smile. “It’s good to see you, Kiba. You made a new friend?”
1114
1115Kiba grabs me by the collar and pulls me inside, closing the door behind us. “Meet Uzumaki Naruto. Apprentice to Hatake Kakashi.”
1116
1117Choji raises an eyebrow. “Really. I’ve heard a lot about you recently.”
1118
1119“Good things, I hope,” I tell him, still eyeing the food. “Sorry to interrupt your meal…did the other five people step out or…”
1120
1121Choji laughs, slapping his ample belly. “First time seeing an Akimichi eat?” He asks. “You get used to it.” He picks up a bowl of soup and starts pouring it down his throat, hardly stopping to breathe. 
1122
1123“Choji eats nearly twenty thousand calories a day,” Kiba explains. “Most of the Akimichi Shinobi do, to maintain their figure. They’d be the richest clan east of Suna if they didn’t have to spend it all on food.”
1124
1125“Ah, but gold won’t bring you happiness,” Choji says, picking up one of the half dozen bowls of rice he’s laid out for himself. “Not like a good bowl of chankonabe will, neh?”
1126
1127“I don’t know whether to be impressed or frightened,” I tell him. “Mind if I sit?”
1128
1129“Any friend of Kiba’s is a friend of mine,” Choji says, motioning for me to sit down. I take a seat across from him and can’t help feeling like a doll in comparison. “As I was saying, if you truly are Hatake Kakashi’s apprentice, you’ve been making waves.”
1130
1131I grimace. “I’m learning the value of anonymity.”
1132
1133“I assume you’re here regarding your master’s imprisonment, then?”
1134
1135I snap to attention at his words. “You know about that?”
1136
1137“Oh yes,” Choji says between mouthfuls. “Hiashi-hidenka announced his capture to the rest of the clans not long ago. He claims the man attempted to assassinate him.”
1138
1139I open my mouth, then shut it again. I made a promise to Shikamaru, and it’s not one I intend to break…yet, anyway.
1140
1141“I suppose you have your own version of events,” Choji says, shrugging a single shoulder. “But I’m right, yes? That’s why you're here?”
1142
1143I nod, and launch into my explanation of the situation. It doesn’t take long to bring Choji up to speed, although he does take some time to think through his response. 
1144
1145“It’s a bold plan,” he says finally, finishing a pint of beer. “I can see why Kiba was attracted to it.”
1146
1147“Come on, you like it,” Kiba says. “Think about what it would do for you, to be one of the men who humbled the Hyuga.”
1148
1149“That’s assuming we succeed,” Choji points out. “I find it more likely that the Hyuga sisters and their allies murder us in the forest.”
1150
1151“So it’s us,” I say. 
1152
1153Choji holds up a hand. “I’m thinking things through. Even if we do succeed, what next? I can’t imagine you and Kakashi will be staying, and the Inuzuka will return to their far-flung home, but I’ll remain well within the Hyuga’s reach. They won’t take such an insult lying down.”
1154
1155“What if you could help us without being overt about it?” I ask. “There will be people in the hunt looking to gain favor with the Hyuga by taking down the people that bother them. Could we trust you to keep them away from us? Make sure we get quality time with the sisters, no interruptions?”
1156
1157“You could,” Choji says. “But then what would I be gaining from this? If my involvement is deniable, it won’t grow my reputation.”
1158
1159“There has to be something you want that I can get you.”
1160
1161Choji ponders that for a moment. “There is,” he admits. “Hatake Sachi.”
1162
1163I keep my face blank. “More specifically?”
1164
1165“Her hand in marriage,” Choji says. “I’m getting about that age, and if I don’t propose a wife soon the clan leadership will take the opportunity to marry me off to the daughter of some vassal.”
1166
1167“And you'd rather have Sachi.”
1168
1169“She’s strong. Ambitious. We’d be a good match. And…I care for her. I would prefer not to be married to a woman I’ve never met. We’ve discussed it before, but her clan sees her potential. They’re eyeing a bigger catch for her. That’s where Kakashi would come in handy – I imagine he still has some sway with the Hatake.”
1170
1171Given the way Kakashi talks about his family, I wouldn’t bet on that. Still, it’s not completely impossible. And at this point, I need all the help I can get.
1172
1173>Deal
1174>Deal (lie)
1175>No deal
1176>Other
1177
1178I need Choji’s help, but he seems like a solid guy. “If all goes well, I’ll speak to Kakashi about you and Sachi,” I promise. “Get him to do all that he can to help. But I have to be honest, I don’t know how useful he’ll be.”
1179
1180Choji strokes his chin, pensive. “That’s not much.”
1181
1182“It’s not,” I admit. “But we’re not asking all that much of you. Just for you to do what you going to do anyway, a little more…strategically.”
1183
1184“Fair enough,” Choji says, nodding to himself. “Alright then. You have yourself a deal.” He holds out his fist, and the two of you rap knuckles to seal the agreement. 
1185
1186“That was too easy,” Kiba says after a second. “You’re desperate as shit, aren't you?”
1187
1188Choji hides behind another bowl of rice, but at the speed he eats that can only delay for so long. “I might be running out of time,” he says finally, slapping his stomach and eliciting a large belch. 
1189
1190“Have you tried kidnapping Sachi? It worked for my mom,” Kiba says. Then he frowns. “Mostly.”
1191
1192“Things aren’t so easy in the civilized East,” Choji says, shaking his head. “The only reason the leadership has waited this long to betroth me is because I still haven’t gone through the hunt. Hinata-denka’s weakness is my gain, I guess.”
1193
1194“It’s going to be all of our gains, soon enough,” Kiba says, canines peeking out the edge of his smile. “They’ll sing songs about this. The men who cut the moon.”
1195
1196“Three brave, reckless fools,” Choji says, staring off into space. “Aim high above their station. Moon shines on three graves.”
1197
1198Kiba shakes his head. “I said songs. Poems don’t count.”
1199
1200“Music matters naught,” Choji replies, and the second time around I can better identify the cadence to his words. “Art immortalizes us. Whatever the form.”
1201 
1202I count the syllables on my fingers. “Hey, you’re pretty good at that.”
1203
1204Choji shrugs. “It’s not hard when you get the hang of it. It just requires thinking with different priorities.”
1205
1206“See, this is why the rest of Choji’s clan is so scared of him,” Kiba says, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “He’s not a mindless killer. Well, not just a mindless killer anyway. He’s a gentleman. A scholar. An artist.”
1207
1208“A Shinobi,” Choji says quietly. “From before we forgot the meaning of the word.”
1209
1210“Me, I’m just a big dumb animal,” Kiba says. “I fight, I fuck, I run. But Choji? He thinks. Listens.” Kiba taps the side of his head knowingly.
1211
1212“What are you aiming at, Kiba?” Choji asks. 
1213
1214“Aiming? Didn’t I just say I don’t do stuff like aim?” Kiba chuckles. “Look, all I’m saying is that the three of us could make a damn good team.”
1215
1216Choji glances over at me, and I meet his uncertain gaze with a flat expression. “I’m willing to explore possibilities,” he says. “But let’s see if the hunt goes well first, neh?”
1217
1218“Neh,” I murmur. My lack of food and proper sleep is beginning to catch up with me, and I am so very, very tired. 
1219
1220>Approach the Hatake
1221>Wait for the hunt
1222>Other
1223 
1224The hunt begins with prayers at dawn.
1225
1226The great Shinobi clans assemble at the edge of the forest, their children dressed for war. The Inuzuka prowl the edges of the crowd, whispering to their massive hounds. The Akimichi gather towards the back, courteous enough not to block anyone’s view with their freakishly tall and wide bodies. The Aburame, wrapped in heavy cloaks that leave not an inch of skin uncovered, stick close to one another. If I squint I can pick out other clans as well – the Yamanaka, the Sarutobi, the Yuhi. And then, of course, there are the Sun and Moon. I recognize Hinata, of course, standing on a platform above the crowd. She is flanked by a boy I have to assume is the Prince of the Sun – tall, confident, his blue-black hair frames a face that’s angular and almost feminine. When the early morning light catches his eyes just right, I can see the legendary Sharingan red. 
1227
1228As impressive as the great Shinobi brats are however, I can’t help but notice how many clanless  Shinobi are present. They mill about alone or in pairs, clearly unsure of how to carry themselves for the ceremony, clearly nervous about the hunt to come. There have to be at least the same number of them as there are clan Shinobi – all totaled, there are nearly two hundred participants gathered. 
1229
1230The prayers are monotonous and largely dull, especially considering I lack maybe ninety percent of their context. There’s a lot of droning history and repeated pleas for strength and wisdom. Finally, just as I am beginning to think that I can’t take it any longer, the Priests indicate that it is time for the hunt to begin. 
1231
1232The participants move hesitantly forward, instantly on edge. All eyes are locked on the lead Priest, who raises his arms to reveal a scroll clutched in either hand – one white, one black. “The scroll of the moon,” he says, indicating the white scroll. “The scroll of the sun,” he continues, indicating the black. “Only those who emerge from the forest with both of these scrolls will be deemed worthy of the title Shinobi.”
1233
1234A relatively simple exercise. No wonder there are so many contestants, if only half at most can pass. I fall into line and wait almost patiently for my turn to receive a scroll. It’s hard to see exactly how they’re being distributed – everyone is very quick to hide their scrolls the instant they get their hands on them. 
1235
1236As I approach the Priest to take his offered sun scroll, I inadvertently glance up at the platform and catch the eye of Hyuga Hiashi. The Lord rapidly, as if surprised by the sight of me, but then a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. 
1237
1238I snatch my scroll from the Priest’s hand and return Hiashi’s smile with a hard one of my own. If this display of bravado causes him to pause, he doesn’t show it, but it makes me feel better. 
1239
1240I have a plan, I have allies, and I have everything Kakashi taught me. I know I can do this. I know I can survive. 
1241
1242After the scrolls have been passed out, the Priests begin spreading us out around the perimeter of the forest. I watch as Kiba and his nakama are moved to the west and consider following – but then I notice Hinata and Shikamaru being led off to the east. 
1243
1244>Try to be placed near Hinata
1245>Try to be placed near Kiba
1246>Other?