"I know what that's like; being on your own," Naruto sadly muses. "Only in my case, it was the orphanage that I left. I was nearly six when I started living on my own. How'd you survive?"
Her shoulders sway in line with her rotating head shake as she answers, "I stole a little, did odd jobs, but before it got too bad, I tested into a boarding school. My parents were not educated. They could work the land well enough, but, philosophy, literature, fūinjutsu, ninjutsu, math, science, a number of studies I wanted to know about went right over their heads. As much as I loved them, that place was suffocating for soone as curious as ."
Nodding, he then asks, "so you lived in school?"
"They tested for academics and military aptitudes," Mabui details.
With a competitive smirk, he boldly asks, "how'd you do?"
Smiling, she brags, "in the top percentile for logistics, mory, and clinical & social dynamics, and in the top ten percent for chakra use and control." Impressed, Naruto whistles before Mabui curtsies with a smile and continues. "As interesting as being a kunoichi sounded—and they really pushed toward it—I didn't have high chakra reserves. Ultimately, I decided the pen was mightier than the sword and joined the academic world instead of the shinobi one."
"You must've trained a little," Naruto questions. "You don't feel weak at all."
Mabui easily avoids that land mine by asking, "have you been feeling up without my knowledge, Naruto?"
"That's not what I an," he bellows affronted yet with a small smile. "I'm just saying, I can sense you're at least a strong genin level."
"Well thank you," Mabui cutely bows. "Practicing Fūinjutsu helps but I also do a daily workout regint that an old boyfriend taught . It includes several chakra control exercises. And I was taught from a young age that you shouldn't neglect the body or chakra to train the brain. They're symbiotic and you need to train them rigorously to be the best."
Naruto's smile flattens as he thinks to cautiously ask, "did you ever see your parents again?"
Inhaling deeply, she crosses her arms as she answers, "I did." Feeling a pang of regret, longing, loss, her voice sours as she elaborates, "after I graduated, I went back a few tis... sent them ryō every month. They were... cordial, for the most part, but, it wasn't hard to sense how betrayed they felt."
Sensing her distress, Naruto takes another step forward as he gently asks, "did they ever forgive you?"
Rather than trust her voice to answers, a misty-eyed Mabui simply shakes her head, 'no.' Mabui couldn't ignore the benefit to the mission hugging Naruto for support is, but deeper than that, she simply wanted a hug. His strong arms wrap around her body, making her feel safe and warm. Resting her head beside his, she softly voices, "the last family I had died resenting ... and that was the price I paid to be who I am today."
"...We all pay a price," Naruto voices into her light-gray hair.
After several monts of warm embrace Mabui takes a step back, leaning on the wall as she continues to inform the blond, "the only other thing I rember about my family is my father's brother; I never liked him. My uncle was a shinobi but I don't know where. He visited a couple of tis a year until he died. If anything he's the likely culprit for how that jutsu ended up with my parents. I can only assu he found or stole the jutsu since he was never a big na."
Nodding in acceptance, Naruto then asks, "anything else?"
"If I knew more, believe , I would tell you," Mabui assures him. Having already pondered this conversation, a hopeful Mabui asks, "what would you like to do with your family scroll? I won't lie to you and say I wouldn't like to keep it, but, I know it belongs to you."
"I'll have to talk to my cousin about this," Naruto responds. "I'll let you know what we decide."
Though Mabui didn't like his response, it's to be expected. She can only work to convince him in the future, which is why she's planned for this, calling out, "oh! There was another reason I was happy you ca."
"Oh," Naruto starts, perking up as he asks, "what?"
Mabui pushes off the wall and slowly walks around the curious blond, adding more sway to her hips and keeping her hands clasped behind her back as she slyly asks, "do you rember how I said I'd try and co up with a helpful strategy for you to be a little more confident and polished with the polyamory lifestyle?"
"No way," Naruto gasps, turning in place to keeps his large eyes on her. "You ca up with sothing?" Her beautifully symtrical face nods with a proud smile on her pink lips. "That's great! I actually just told a girl about it and that did not go well, at all."
Though it's surprising he'd try, the result isn't. Quite fortunately for the blond, this mission, Samui, and especially Darui pissed her off. She wasn't normally a vindictive person, but this whole situation was a lose-lose scenario and she was going to share the wealth. "That's to be expected," Mabui answers him, lining up her plan. "This lifestyle isn't for everyone. It takes a special acceptance a lot of people can't approve of on an emotional level."
Nearly hopping in place, his closed hands are in front of him as he rapid-fire asks, "so what is it? Do you have ti? Can you tell now?"
"Yes, yes, and the strategy is very simple," she assures him. "It's called, practice."
His expression flattens before he quirks his brow and skeptically sounds, "huh?"
"Obviously, the big challenge with this lifestyle is how unpopular it is and the stigma behind it," Mabui orates like a sensei. "To many looking in, you would appear as little more than a playboy who only wants to sleep around with many won and is afraid of commitnt. This ans that you have to know—deep down—why this is the lifestyle for you, and that's not going to happen without so good ol' trial and error."
"Okay, that makes sense," Naruto agrees before requesting, "but what's the strategy specifically?"
Pulling on his loose orange sleeve, Mabui looks affronted by his attire as she asks, "do you own other clothes- nice clothes?" Quickly adding, "I an sothing dressy."
Looking down at his beloved orange and blue jumpsuit, Naruto hesitates to answer, "I... I'm going to say no. Why?"
Considering what he likes to wear, she can't imagine his fashion sense has matured enough to dress appropriately for her plans and ntally decides to help him find an outfit as she answers, "because, tomorrow night, you and I are going out on the town."
INO
After telling Naruto he can enter, her blond stud walks into her room, instantly making her rember the last ti he was there and how he forgave her; wrenching a little more happiness to her day. They greet each other casually as Ino stands from her desk and when she settles the wrinkles from her purple mini-skirt and crop top, she notices him sneak a quick look. Fortunately, she always dresses to captivate the eyes, so it's not as if she was trying to seduce him, but she appreciates his quick gaze to her naked midsection. She unfurls her ponytail to give him a better look before taking a seat on the floor ahead of the short table at the center of her room. Taking a seat opposite her, Naruto asks, "what's up?"
Without the third party mber of her plan, Ino instead asks, "did you talk to Karin yet?"
"Yeah and thanks," Naruto replies with a broad smile. "She's pretty excited about the whole thing."
"You don't have to thank ," Ino assures him with a shrug that sways her platinum blond bang. "That's what friends are for. What'd you tell her?"
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