Sakiya brought Ino to her home.
As they pushed open the door, they found that almost everyone had already arrived.
The group of fifteen friends sat together, chatting, laughing, and sipping tea.
When they walked in, everyone greeted them.
Naruto was the first to stand up and wave. "Sakiya! You're finally back!"
Shikamaru, holding his cup of tea, smirked. "Look at that, Sakiya and Ino arrived together."
Sakiya grinned and pulled Ino to sit beside her.
"Of course! She's my number one magician—I have to stick with her!"
Ino rolled her eyes and poked Sakiya's side, making her yelp.
"Knock it off, Sakiya."
Sakiya surrendered instantly. "Okay, okay! Mercy!"
Ino just gave her a knowing look before sitting down.
The others chuckled at their usual antics.
"You two are still the same," someone commented.
Sakiya grinned. "Of course! She's my—"
She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Ino's sharp gaze.
Ino simply raised an eyebrow.
Sakiya gulped and quickly sat down. "I mean... let's just drink tea!"
She picked up her cup, taking a sip to save herself.
But just as she sat down, she suddenly remembered something and sprang back up.
Hands on her hips, she declared proudly, "Hah! You all need to see how I decorated Nanako's room!"
That caught everyone's interest.
"Oh?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
"Now I'm curious," Choji said between bites of his snack.
The rest of the group exchanged glances before standing up.
Ino asked immediately, "You arranged Nanako's room?"
Sakiya grinned proudly, tilting her head up. "Yep!"
Immediately, Ino imagined a room filled with eerie symbols, strange glowing circles, and an assortment of creepy decorations.
Shikamaru and the others had similar thoughts. Their curiosity grew—just what kind of room had Sakiya put together this time?
However, what they didn't notice was Kira and SakiNoko exchanging knowing smiles.
Excited, Sakiya led them toward Nanako's room.
She grabbed the doorknob and looked at everyone with bright eyes.
"Prepare to be amazed! Behold, the most incredible magical sanctuary!"
Her enthusiasm only made everyone more eager.
"Just open it already!" someone urged.
"Alright, here it comes!"
With a dramatic flourish, Sakiya pulled the door open.
A bright golden light burst from inside.
And then—
A pink wonderland was revealed.
The walls and floor were covered in soft pink designs, decorated with cute animated pigs.
A dainty white crib sat in the center, next to a tiny square desk. A charming little chandelier added warmth to the cozy space.
Everything screamed soft, adorable, and overwhelmingly girly.
The group stood in stunned silence.
"Wow... it's actually..."
"Surprisingly neat and stylish."
"It's all pink and cute!"
Sakura felt a pang of envy as she compared it to her own room.
Meanwhile, Ino beamed and grabbed Sakiya's shoulders.
"Sakiya! Have you finally awakened to reality? See! The power of family is real! This is love!"
But Sakiya's expression remained frozen.
(⊙o⊙)
"No! This is not what I designed!!!"
Her sudden outburst made everyone go quiet.
Ino quickly let go, stepping back as Sakiya slammed the door shut with force.
Boom!
She turned to face it, fists clenched.
"I must have opened it the wrong way!"
The group exchanged glances, not sure what to say.
Silence.
Then, Sakiya turned to them with unwavering determination.
"This time, there won't be a mistake!"
With exaggerated caution, she grabbed the doorknob with both hands, her face serious.
"Alright, for real—behold! The ultimate magic lair!"
She flung the door open again.
...
It was still pink.
No change…
Sakiya gripped the doorknob tightly. She refused to believe it. She wasn't giving up!
So, she slammed the door shut again.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, she pulled out a marker and quickly sketched a strange-looking symbol on the door.
One minute later—finished!
Taking a deep breath, she dramatically flung the door open again.
Click—
Still pink.
She slammed it shut.
Opened it again.
Still pink.
Sakiya stood frozen, staring at the overwhelmingly cute, pastel-colored room.
"How did it turn into this?!"
Then, a thought struck her.
"I got it! We must have slipped into a parallel world! A shift in space-time! We've crossed into another dimension!"
Convinced of her own theory, she grabbed Ino's hand and shook it frantically.
"It has to be this! We've traveled to another reality!"
"What do we do, Ino?! What do we do?!"
Ino, dazed from the sudden arm-shaking, glanced at the others.
The group looked at her expectantly.
After a brief moment of silent agreement, they all gave her a firm nod.
Understanding her role, Ino sighed, took a deep breath, and—
Raised her hand.
Swift motion. Precise aim.
Smack!
"Ow~!"
Sakiya clutched her head, tears welling in her eyes.
"But I'm telling the truth! Parallel worlds exist!"
At that moment, Sakinoko smiled as she cradled Nanako in her arms.
"No need to be dramatic, Sakiya. It's not a parallel world. Your dad just made a few adjustments to your setup. After all, Nanako really liked it."
She gently rubbed Nanako's tiny cheek, prompting the baby to giggle.
Sakinoko grinned. "See? She loves it."
Sakiya stood frozen for a moment, processing the revelation.
"So… Dad just changed my layout?"
She turned back to the pink-filled room. It was cute…
"Well, if Nanako likes it, then that's all that matters."
At that moment, Kitahara Kira walked over and cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Sakiya, I put some of your things in the storage room."
Sakiya blinked at him.
"That's fine! Since Nanako prefers this setup, my things aren't important!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"So… what now?"
Sakiya clenched her fist with determination.
"Now, we keep celebrating Nanako's full moon!"
"Yeah!"
"More dango! More barbecue!"
"Any fun activities? Something Nanako can enjoy?"
"Of course!"
The excitement in the room rose again as the celebration continued.
Sasuke, who had been quietly watching, seemed more at ease than before. A rare, almost imperceptible smile flickered across his face.
He was still the avenger he had chosen to be, but he was no longer alone. This time, his world didn't revolve around revenge or a singular bond with Naruto—he had everyone now.
Meanwhile, Naruto's training had become more refined under Jiraiya's guidance. He wasn't just recklessly charging into battles anymore. His skills had improved significantly, and his power was already nearing what he had achieved after returning from his past training journey.
The rest of their friends were improving too.
…Well, most of them.
Tsuchiya and Sakuragi, Sakiya's teammates, were lagging behind. Their physical and basic ninjutsu training had advanced, but they hadn't yet mastered any powerful techniques that could turn the tide of a battle.
Sakiya understood—being a regular ninja without shortcuts was tough. Without an edge, progress was slow.
So, she made a promise to herself.
"I'll train them when I get the chance."
The Five Kage Summit
But there was no time for that right now.
Because the Five Kage Summit was about to begin.
As in the past, the neutral Land of Iron would host the gathering. Its neutrality ensured the safety of the meeting, and Mifune's reputation as a fair and honorable leader made him the perfect mediator.
Tsunade would be attending with Kakashi, Shizune, and—unexpectedly—Sakiya.
Each Kage was permitted to bring a guardian.
But with Tsunade still newly reinstated, she didn't have an official bodyguard.
So, she simply pulled Kakashi in to fill the spot.
And just like that, the stage was set.
The Five Kage Summit was about to begin.
__________
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