Corridor of Uncertainty - Leave for the Meadow

Hello, thar. Meinos Kaen here!

And thus, another ending, with another M-Rated scene only readable here or downloadable here! And with this, we learn why it is so important to master patience, padawan! Enjoy!

"...Tsunami-nee-san, as inviting your offer is..." Naruto sighed, already feeling regret for what he was about to do. He slowly removed the older woman's hands from his body, making her sit up properly and stare at him in the eyes. "I have to go. I have to know."

"Hmm... You're a pest." Tsunami pouted, crossing her arms and looking away. "Come on. Go find the young girl with the flawless skin and no stretch marks."

"Nee-san..." He whined. He would have preferred if she had gotten angry at him. How was he supposed to... "... I'll be back, you know." 'I think I've read it somewhere.'

"... I guess I might leave the bedroom's door open." Tsunami let out, rising slowly and brushing her right hand over Naruto’s cheeks as she went back inside, Naruto following the sway of her hips all the way. "I may not be up all night, though."

"... I'll be back as soon as possible." He really would try to.

-I-

“... Seems like she's here tonight as well.” 'Let's hope she doesn't ice me on sight.' Naruto's body shivered as he recalled the impossible temperatures it had dropped to after the blonde's incident with mammaries. The Haku-twin was once again standing in front of the grave, and the shinobi was now trying to gather enough courage to show his face again. 'So, how do I approach her without scaring her or getting turned into a cube of ice? Should-'

“I know you're there, Naruto-san.” Or she could have heard him arrive because of how much in a hurry he was, which caused him to make noise. He froze. “You may as well come out.”

“... Please don't freeze me?” He said, slowly making his way through the bushes which delimited the meadow. She was looking his way, staring warily.

“I may have... Overreacted.” She began as he stopped in front of her. She sighed, moving a stray lock of hair out of her face. “I understand you mistook me for someone else.”

“... Yes. Someone who looked exactly like you... Well, who would look like you if he now was your age... Damn, let me start again.” Naruto breathed in and out deeply. Up close the resemblance was even more unsettling. He remembered when he had thought he was prettier than his pink-haired team-mate. “My name is Uzumaki Naruto, maybe you already know if the mess that happened in town today reached your ears.”

“It was kind of hard not to notice, yes.” She admitted, still staring him down with an inexpressive face.

“Well, I'm the one who they named the bridge after, and... I once knew someone who looked exactly like you." He moved his stare to the wooden cross. "The same person who's buried here." He finally found the courage to look at her in the eyes. "And I can't for the life of me understand how you can know that, nor how you're related."

"... So you knew him." The girl's gaze fell to the tomb, suddenly sad. Then, without saying a word, she sat on the grass in front of the marker. "If I sate your curiosity, could you tell me about him?"

"So, you didn’t know him? Then how-" He paused. He realized that to have answers, he would do better to shut up and listen. He exhaled deeply, sitting on her left side. "... Go ahead."

"... My name is Saori." She began, keeping her eyes on the tomb marker. “How much do you know about his family?”

“... Before he died, he told me... Well...” There was no easy way to say something like that out loud. “He possessed a bloodline limit. Living in the Land of Mist... It didn't end well.”

“Yes... What he didn't tell you, though-or better, he never knew-was about a peculiar characteristic of this bloodline limit.” She held her hand up, steam rising up as the precarious ice crystals she created immediately evaporated upon coming in contact with air. “Males have almost no chance of inheriting it, while females always do.” She rotated the hand, letting a few gathered droplets splash on the blades of grass. “That's why our mother separated us at birth.”

“Separated-!” All the pieces of information in his head clicked together, his head shooting up and staring at Saori. She smiled. “You... You and Haku...”

“... So his name was Haku.” She crossed her arms on her knees and laid her head on them, looking at Naruto. “My foster parents were a couple of refugees who left Mist Country around the time my mother gave birth. They were the one who told me about her and my brother.” She closed her eyelids. “It's sad that he died before we could have a chance to meet. He probably didn't even know of my existence.”

“... No, he only mentioned his parents.” He sighed. Yes, it was sad. “How did you hear about this place?”

“I'm just passing through this town with my parents. They're merchants. I was showing some of the local children my 'tricks' with ice, and one of them mentioned that a few years ago, a person who could do the same things was involved in this country's liberation. A kid a couple years his senior had told him about it, and also about the tomb's location.” He had an inkling of who this older kid may be and from who he could have gotten that information himself. "I've been coming here all nights. I had no proof that this dead boy was my lost brother, but... I just had a feeling."

"I understand... And then I came." She chuckled at that.

"Yes. A blonde ninja who couldn't keep his hands to himself." He turned scarlet.

“W-Well, blame your brother for being prettier than most girls!” He groaned, holding his head. “Seriously, the first time I saw him, I thought he was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen! I still do!”

“... So, by proxy, I'm the prettiest woman you've ever seen?” His jaw went slack, paleness appearing on top of his blush. Saori chuckled some more, understanding that he feared another sub-zero treatment. “Compliments are okay, Naruto-san. I'm not going to freeze you solid for that.” She raised her head, and again, a flashback. Haku also had the prettiest smile ever. On a clearly female, grown up version, it was just dazzling. “I believe you promised me an exchange of information, Naruto-san.”

“... True.” Grateful for the change of subject, Naruto stood up. Seemed like the mystery was solved. He offered his right hand to Saori. She accepted it, grasping it gently. “Mind if we go back to the house where I'm staying at? It's a bit depressing talking about him in front of his grave.” As he said that, Naruto felt his messenger vibrate on the inner pocket of his jacket. As they travelled to Tazuna's house, he'd find out he had collected another Hazel.

-I-

*chime* An out of season flower! How rare!

-I-

“-And that's how... Well, there's no easy way to say it.” They had reached Tazuna's house an hour or so before, and after pouring themselves something to drink-no alcohol-they had spent it in conversation, Naruto telling Saori of everything he knew about Haku, and of the events that ultimately led up to his death. "I... I accepted. I wasn't the one who actually did it, in the end, but..."

"It's okay, Naruto-san. No need to be so skittish." Saori rewarded his uneasiness with a warm smile. "I can't hold against you something which happened before I even knew I had a brother."

"... Still, I feel like-"

"Someone with memory problems." A different, slurry voice echoed from the stairs. Naruto only had to lift his head while Saori had to turn around to lay eyes on the source, who was descending the stairs to the upper floors with a pout and a red flush on her cheeks. "Bedroom door open? Remember?"

"T-Tsunami-nee-san!" Naruto flushed just as red as he stood up, an expression shared by Saori as the older woman made her way to the table, her robe as revealing as before he left, if not more.

"Honestly. Wasn't I enough? You're quite greedy, for a virgin." Saori turned back to Naruto, who lowered his head. He now found himself with the predicament of having to explain what the hell was happening in the room to Saori without letting it slide that Tsunami had offered to get familiar with him, thus avoiding becoming Naruto On the Rocks again.

“KYAA!” The choice was taken out of his hands. He raised his head. His eyes bulged out. “W-W-WHAT'S WITH THIS TOWN AND MY BREASTS?!”

“Hmm... Typical. All pretty and doll-like, but you ain't packing.” Haku gasped in outrage as Tsunami retrieved her hands from the recesses of her kimono, throwing her hands upon to close the garment around her chest. Tsunami pouted a bit more, sauntering towards Naruto till she leaned on the table. With her chest. “You're not into pettanko only, are you, Naruto-kun?”

“... Tsunami-nee-san, are you drunk?” He stated, all his self-control going into not looking at Tsunami.

“I was wonewy!” She let out, sprawling on the table with face, chest and arms. “You were so late coming back, and the bottle looked soooo inviting...”

“N-Naruto-san, who in blazes is this mad woman?” Saori commented as she struggled to put together the front half of her kimono again.

“Someone who was being denied hanky-panky by you, flat stuff.” Tsunami deadpanned, raising her head up from the table and smiling sultrily at Naruto. “Not anymore, though.”

“T-T-Tsunami-nee-WAH!”

-I-

Two Days Later

“So, you're leaving?”

“Yes. My parents are done with their business, so we're going back home.” Saori bowed, the bustling activity of carts being loaded providing a background to their goodbye. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Naruto-san. Thanks for what you've done for me.”

“Ehm... No problem.” Naruto blushed, and then Saori realized that what she said was really generic. Blushing, she straightened her posture.

“Let's... Not get carried away. I have a fiancee, back home. Let's just not mention that any more, alright? Goodbye, Naruto-san.” Naruto had the decency to look guilty, even if he didn't really feel as such. Saori turned around, her parents calling for her. She suddenly stopped, though. “... My parents are going to open a new branch in Konoha, next month.”

“Huh?” Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. Saori said nothing and just resumed walking, eventually disappearing into one of the carts. He scratched his left cheek with a finger. “... Was that an invite?”

“Of course it was, Naruto.” Tsunami chuckled, walking and stopping on Naruto's left said, pushing him playfully on the shoulders. “Seems like she was really appreciative. I kind of feel sorry for that fiancee of hers. Although it's probably an omiai. Merchants do that kind of stuff.”

“... I guess.” Naruto smiled, crossing his hands behind his head. “Well, I guess I'd better start preparing. I leave tomorrow morning.”

“Hmm, no, not really. You're going to leave after lunch.” Tsunami corrected him, earning confusion from him. Smiling, she latched onto his left arm. “Believe me, Naruto. With what I've prepared for you tonight, you're never going to be able to get an early rise, tomorrow morning.”

“... We're talking about food, right?” Tsunami chuckled and started dragging Naruto away, who just grinned sheepishly, thinking how, for once, his life was good.

Good End

Congratulations!

You completed the Hazel Route!

And thus, we reach the completion of this Interactive Web Novel's First Route! But the story is not over, not by a long shot! So, where will you go back to? The first day, to start anew? Or will you use a saved file, keep your cockle, and go back to choosing a mission? As always, you choose!

Meinos Kaen out!