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Kushina's POV (Uzumaki Residence - Hidden Leaf Village)
Noon
Kushina and Mikoto both sipped on black coffee calmly. Both sat at the bar separating the kitchen and living room, lounging relaxedly. They enjoyed the heat of the beverage, the aroma of the unique beans Kushina had gotten a deal on, the pleasant drift of air from a cracked window in the kitchen, and, of course, the perturbed state of the others. Mishiro had never suffered a hangover and was a chronic early bird; she had awoken and given Kushina coffee, allowing both to shower and quickly adapt to the morning. The others…
Ino groaned pathetically into the bar and slumped over it as if it were her lifeline. The Yamanaka's usually perfectly groomed and combed blonde strands of hair were frazzled and tangled. Her skin seemed paler than usual, and the agony plainly written on her face made it clear her hangover and late awakening had left her in despair.
Tsume and Anko, as habitual drinkers and experienced ones at that, fared better and moved and acted as if only tired rather than deathly sick. However, the two were both in dire need of a shower, and Mikoto's kindness in waking Kushina was exposed. The Uzumaki home was a humble abode, a single-parent household living off a semi-active Jounin, and was not one of luxury. As such, it held a single bathroom with two assertive women needing it…
Kushina held back a snicker, burying it into her arm as Mikoto rolled her eyes. The two women stared each other down from opposite sides of the hallway that led deeper into the home and, eventually, into the bathroom. The women both postured from their side; intensity and stubbornness wafted off both women in equal measure. It was lucky Ino was much too disabled to attempt to get entry herself. As intense as it all was, the hilarity of it happening over a bathroom when both women could body flicker home in moments made it quite a show for two relaxing women.
"Listen, Mutt, there's a perfect backyard for your business. I have a splitting headache, and momma Anko needs the shower," Anko said, attempting to march into the bathroom. However, Tsume's hand snapped out, pulling Anko back into the woman's glaring face.
"Yeah, no, let's try a deal. I need the bathroom, so I'll go first; you can go after," Tsume offered before attempting to walk into the bathroom.
"That doesn't sound like a deal at all!" Anko roared, now echoing Tsume's reaction. "I need it!"
"It's a deal 'cause it saves me kicking your ass before I go in!" Tsume threatened. Dropping into a low stance on all fours.
"Bring it on, mutt!" Anko agreed, dropping back into her own, now wielding dual kunai, not backing down an inch.
"Do you need aid, Mother?" Kuromaru asked the single-eyed wolf, now standing beside Tsume defensively.
"Need ya dog, aye bitch!" Anko taunted. However, Kushina laughed as Kuromaru visibly tensed. The intelligent canine was a polite and loyal partner of Tsume, but the wolf reacted poorly to the word bitch. The wolf snarled before it lunged into Anko, the two rolling as a ball through the kitchen. Mikoto appeared just before they collided with the screen door outside, opening it to allow the ball of wolf and human to cartoonishly careen to the backyard. "I Meant the human bitch! The human bitch!" Anko cried out.
"Hold her down for me, Kuromaru!" Tsume chuckled gleefully, seemingly forgetting why she and Anko were fighting in the first place. She cackled as she charged outside, eager to join her partner in the brawl.
"They're such kids," Kushina said with a roll of her eyes. "They're lucky they didn't break anything, or I'd have kicked both their asses."
"Anko is, but Tsume is merely looking for a way to vent. Always did seem to want to spare when worried. That being said, I should go out and act as a referee. Last time they spared, they caused some damage." Mikoto said, her tone soaked with amusement.
"A good idea, sure to be a fun fight. But I should stay and help Ino, ya know?" Kushina replied with a smile. Mikoto merely nodded as she stepped out into the growing cacophony of pained curses and threats, and the two women and wolf engaged in a spirited brawl. Mikoto thankfully closed the door behind her.
"Even you are calling me Princess now?" Ino asked in an exhausted tone.
"Only having fun, sweetheart; you look like one; I've seen my share over the years. It warms my heart to know a woman like yourself is pursuing my son." Kushina assuredly rubbed Ino's back as she sat next to her.
"Don't take this the wrong way. Naruto is amazing, but I feel like death. How much did we drink last night?" Ino drawled pathetically.
"Enough," Kushina replied with a shrug. "When having good times to relax after the bad, it's best not to stress the details. You'll get better at dealing with hangovers—they won't get better; you just suffer from them better. However, a shower and black coffee will do wonders."
"I don't wanna move, and I prefer my coffee drowned in cream," Ino complained.
"Trust me," Kushina chuckled as she helped Ino up and motivated the woman to shower. "Besides, whenever they remember the shower is up for grabs, you'll thank me for avoiding them." As the two ventured down, however, she felt Ino pause as they passed the open door to Naruto's room. "Curious?" Kushina asked with a mischievous smile. We can take a small peak~!"
"We shouldn't…" Ino said hesitantly.
"It's okay. He has me go in there all the time when he's gone. It needs attention at least once a day. You'll see what I mean." Kushina assured as she guided the two inside the room.
Ino gasped as they stepped into Naruto's room; Kushina was sure it would surprise most people who knew him. It was a room painted bright orange; a much younger Naruto had done so at the peak of his Orange love. In the center of the room lay messy bed covers and sheets disturbed as if recently unmade. The entire back wall of the room held a series of shelves; upon everyone were several potted plants of various kinds. The rest of the room was littered with training equipment; training dummies, punching bags, targets peppered with kunai, and even a desk covered with equipment to sharpen and clean a blade as well as an ornate holder for such.
"Funny, isn't it?" Kushina asked rhetorically. "No one ever figures Naruto, a plantsman, but he actually had a green thumb. Back in the day, I tried to get him to be a gardener or botanist."
"The idea of him being anything less than a shinobi is weird." Ino snorted in response. "But there are so many different kinds of these plants. I see chrysanthemum, an elemental water iris, hydrangea, even a hairy toad lily!"
"That's right, your family runs quite the garden." Kushina mused with a hum. "As you can see, he has quite the green thumb. When he was younger, I encouraged it, hoped it would become his passion, but just like his father, he seemed determined to become a shinobi."
"You didn't want Naruto to become a shinobi?" Ino asked, and it seemed that even in this diminished state, she was sharp.
"It's not that I didn't want him to. But I won't deny I did hope he wouldn't. I spent a decent part of my life waiting to see if my husband would make it home in this violent life we shinobi live. I waited long enough times for him not to come back… I just wanted Naruto to live a long, happy life and not lose it in some terrifying battle. But here I am, a mother waiting to see if her child returns from facing Kami knows what." Kushina admitted. "Part of the reason I'm willing to help you, Ino, is because you care. Men like Naruto need someone to keep them reigned. I can't shelter him, and I can't always be there to protect him. Soon, I'll talk to him about it, but… I need someone else to watch out for him…"
"I will, Kushina," Ino answered immediately. "I just hope I'll get the chance. It seems like each time we settle down, something crazy happens."
…
"Kushina?" Ino asked.
"I'm sorry. I was just expecting some sort of terrible news as if to spite us, " Kushina said, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish smile. The two giggled for a moment before the moment was fittingly interrupted.
"KUSHINA! INO! NEWSPAPER!" Anko and Tsume called in tandem.
"You really will want to see this…" Mikoto called out as well. The two women raced for the room, arriving to see the three women crowded at the bar, looming over the paper. Seeing the two arrive, they stepped back to let Ino and Kushina read it together.
Neither was ready for what it said;
"Peace Disturbed! Bounties Placed on Shinobi from All Five Major Villages!" The headline read.
"Recent inquiries from the Leaf Daily have recovered critical information from the Bounty Collection Agency. When checking in for the regular updates regarding criminal bounties, we were shocked to discover that some were placed on active shinobi. This directly violates the current ceasefire agreement regarding the five villages. An agreement that was created and pushed by the current Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. These bounties respond to the most recent Chunin Exams, a spectacle we covered in detail in our last issue. They seemed focused on the up-and-coming exam attendees. While the issuer for these bounties is currently anonymous, some party clearly intends to raise the pressure. This is certain to create fallout that we at Leaf Daily will ensure to cover as it develops. The bounties in question, listed in order of village and amount;
Leaf Village:
Naruto "Maelstrom" Uzumaki - 30 Million Ryo
Sasuke "Ghost of the" Uchiha - 20 Million Ryo
Tenten "Weapon Mistress" - 20 Million Ryo
Neji "The Prodigy of" Hyuga - 15 Million Ryo
Hinata "Blinding Light of" Hyuga - 10 Million Ryo
Sai "of the Living Art" - 10 Million Ryo
Shikamaru "Shadow Genius" Nara - 8 Million Ryo
Yuno "Illusionist" Uchiha - 8 Million Ryo
Shino "Living Hive" Aburame - 5 Million Ryo
Ino "Ringmistress" Yamanaka - 5 Million Ryo
Sand Village:
Gaara "of the Desert" - 40 Million Ryo
Temari "of the High Winds" - 8 Million Ryo
Kankuro "of the Black Style" - 5 Million Ryo
Cloud Village:
Samui "Cool Beauty" - 10 Million Ryo
Mist Village:
Magetsu "of Water" Hozuki - 8 Million Ryo
Stone Village:
Kurotsuchi "of the Lava Style" - 8 Million Ryo
Waterfall Village:
Fuu "Juggernaut" - 25 Million Ryo