A REALLY good friend.

Just his luck.

Out of all places in the village, why did they have to come here…?

Even when they had been children, Ino had occasionally helped her mother out in the shop. Things hadn't changed too much, apparently.

Now that he was more attentive, he could feel the chakra he deduced was Ino's.

Warm, bright, open, with an undercurrent of sadness and disillusion.

Did something happen?

Naruto waited outside the flower shop, arms folded, tapping his foot. He was feeling restless.

He could hear Ino's voice inside. Toru joked around some, and she laughed. They continued to talk, and the conversation grew more subdued.

They were probably finishing up, then. Good.

"All right, I'll leave it to you, then. Later!" Ino said.

Ah, Toru was coming out with flowers, now-

Then Ino came out of the shop as well, carrying chrysanthemums.

Naruto closed his eyes in consternation.

They walked in silence.

Not so much the comfortable kind, but closer to the sort you'd get when you put a few strangers in the waiting room.

Toru considered breaking it. He took a breath, lifted a finger… Then decided against it.

Indra had seemed to freeze up when Ino came out. She was acting a bit strange, too.

Damn… it must have been love at first sight, then.

He couldn't blame either, Ino was pretty hot. And he could grudgingly accept that Indra made him look pretty bland in comparison, what with being a handsome, musclebound giant.

A great fighter, too. He hadn't expected that or his speed, considering his size. Now he hoped they could have a proper match soon.

Thinking about it… Maybe meeting a guy would do Ino some good.

Okay, time to play matchmaker, then. He wasn't the best wingman in town, the title belonging to Chōji, surprisingly. Kiba could attest to it. Anybody who could make dog-breath get an actual girlfriend likely had powers bordering on the supernatural.

How did he do it…?

Ino spoke first. "What is your name?"

"Mine?" Indra asked.

"Well, yes. I know Toru already." She rolled her eyes.

"I am Indra." He said simply.

She frowned, a shadow passing over her eyes. "Indra, huh. Like the Sage's son from legend?"

"Exactly like that, yes."

"That's a loaded name."

"I guess so." Indra shrugged. "What's yours?"

"…Ino. Yamanaka Ino. Pleased to meet you, Indra-san."

"Pleasure's mine. Just call me Indra… Ino."

"Indra's here as an ambassador, of sorts." Toru added conspiratorially.

"Oh yeah, for which village… or city?" Ino asked.

"His own." Toru said, as if this were a big secret.

Indra gave him a flat look. Damn, didn't he get he was trying to help him out…?

"What does Toru mean?" Ino asked Indra directly.

Indra pursed his lips. "…We built a village. Had a lot of help though." He added, seeing her surprised face. "Orochimaru, from your village, is my teacher. He lives there, for the most part. Though I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say it out loud. Can you keep a secret..?"

Ino smiled lightly. "That's basically my job."

"Thank you." Indra bowed. "Umi is a very recent village, so we're still recruiting heavily."

"Umi's the name?" Toru asked.

"Yes."

"As in a village in the sea?" Ino asked.

"Either this, or we just want people to believe that. It's still a Hidden village, after all." Indra winked at her.

Then he seemed to regret being so familiar with her already. Ino seemed to pick up on it.

"Oooh, are you flirting with me, by any chance?" She asked, somewhat amused.

Indra recovered well, flashing her a childish grin. "Absolutely."

She snorted a laugh, blushing a bit despite herself. Toru approved.

"And what are you doing here, in Konoha, today?" Ino asked. "Or is it some super secret thing?"

"Well, if it were… I don't think I should even admit it. But no, I had a message to deliver to your Hokage, from Orochimaru."

"I've only heard about that man in passing. What is… he like?"

Indra snorted. "He's a strange man, and a harsh teacher. I don't think he cares for morality too much, either."

"Must be a Sannin thing, then." Ino added, eyes dark.

"What do you mean?"

"The other male one, Jiraiya, — a friend's teacher — is frequently seen peeping on our hot springs."

"Ugh." What did you say to that?

Ino nodded. "I'm afraid of finding out what Tsunade-sama is like, at this point. She was my hero when I was a kid."

"Never meet your heroes." Indra quoted. He himself had definitely put Sarutobi on a pedestal.

They continued to walk.

"Are you headed toward the memorial as well, then?" Naruto asked, once they passed the gate. Chrysanthemums were for the dead, usually, so he had assumed so.

Ino nodded. "Yes. These are for my father."

Naruto barely held back a gasp. '…Inoichi died?'

He had never been particularly close to the man, but he remembered him from all the yearly parties the Sarutobi clan used to host. A pleasant man, who also seemed to be very detached from most things, aside from his close friends and his family.

"I see." Naruto nodded. "I'm sorry if this was insensitive."

Ino shrugged, trying to sound casual. Her voice wobbled, if only a little. "Don't be. He died more than a year ago, on a mission. We bring flowers to his grave pretty often."

Naruto nodded.

Shortly after, she bid them goodbye, splitting from them to go to her father's resting place.

That... had been very awkward. Naruto hoped that would be their only meeting. How were you even supposed to pretend to be complete strangers with people you had known for years...?

"I have some flowers to leave, too. I will join you at the shrine right after." Toru said.

"Very well."

He saw Toru head toward the area where he knew Kurenai had been buried. In the distance, he could see some flowers had already been left there.

'They still come here, then…'

It was strange, coming back to the Fourth's shrine. He had already been there as a kid, with Sarutobi. At the time though, he hadn't known that the man had been his father.

Or that Sarutobi actually knew that fact.

He stared at the picture that had been set on the altar, unsure of how he felt, exactly.

In the end, he settled for offering a prayer to his father.

As well as a promise to the wind.

He would do his best to allow his father's soul to rest, free from the Shinigami.

He never found his mother's grave.

Naruto had asked around. Instead, Uzumaki Kushina's name was apparently somewhere on the memorial stone.

Strange. The First Hokage's wife had been buried with him — if they actually buried the corpses, and did not just burn them, because that was hard to tell.

And she had been Uzumaki as well. What had changed?

Did Konoha want to let any remaining ties to Uzu slowly fade out… because of their role in their former allies being wiped out?

It wouldn't surprise Naruto.

And it only solidified his resolve to ask Sarutobi a few questions.

About an hour later, Toru let out a long yawn. The sun was starting to set.

Naruto took this as an opportunity to do a few things he wouldn't be able to do with him around.

"So you have the accommodation part sorted out already?" Toru asked doubtfully.

Naruto nodded once more. "Yes. I found a nice inn that I already booked for the night. Thank you for your concern, Toru." He smiled.

"Ah. Well, okay then. If you're good…"

"I am. Thank you for showing me around the village."

"Don't sweat it." Toru shrugged. "Though if you really want to thank me… I'll find you in a couple days to finish our spar."

Naruto hesitated. "Well… I guess I'll still be here."

"Great! I'll find you then, then." Toru concluded. He left making a victory sign, his Body Flicker leaving a fading remnant behind him.

'Showoff.'

Naruto continued to walk. Night in Konoha was still pretty pleasant.

People walked along the streets, unhurried. The streetlamps and the food stalls lit up the whole city. The air was full of smells, most of them pleasant.

There was one thing he still had to do tonight.

Even five years later, and despite not fully remembering all of the smaller streets, he found his way back to his old home, almost automatically.

The only real difference was that he now had to sneak around to get in, since he didn't want to be seen around here. Luckily, it was a civilian neighborhood, so this was pretty easy.

It… looked close to the way it had when he had first bought it.

Overgrown grass, a few damaged windows, likely no electricity or running water. No one had sold it or moved in.

Whether this was because Sarutobi Naruto was reported as M.I.A . rather than killed or because there simply wasn't that much interest in it, when Konoha still had a ton of land available, he didn't know. Or maybe it was whatever protective seals he had cooked up at the time.

…Which, now that he had more practical experience, really seemed amateurish.

Well, as they said… Miagawa, one of the largest cities in ancient history, wasn't built in a day.

Naruto slipped past his own defenses, feeling almost nostalgic once he was inside the bare-bones home.

'Damn, I really lived like this?'

It seemed like the kind of place a monk would stay in. White paint on most walls, no personal decorations of any sort. Old scrolls he could remember having been in the middle of reading around five years ago.

The basement actually didn't smell musty at all, which he was very thankful for. He had enough memories of that for a lifetime.

Now that he was alone in the privacy of his home — well, some missing/dead guy named Sarutobi Naruto, technically…

He summoned three Kage Bunshin. They quickly set up a few more seals, soundproofing the rooms, and putting some rudimentary alarms. Then he went back to the basement.

There, he placed a permanent Thunder Gate.

He appeared in the middle of Umi's lake, in the stone circle.

Naruto let out a long sigh. What a long day this had turned out to be. It was the middle of the night already. He had seen some light in the central hub, likely people gathering in the first bar that had opened in Umi.

Despite the amount of trouble he'd probably get in the next months, what with being the official founder of it… He had no regrets. He had already come to consider this place home.

With one Body Flicker, he crossed the lake, appearing next to their house.

Karin was probably sleeping. It was probably better to let her think about yesterday's discussion, anyway.

Then the door slammed open.

Karin grinned at him.

"Hey there, stupid!"

He couldn't help but smile back. "Hey there, dumbass."

"Did everything go well?"

"Well, I'm here, alive and all." He laughed. "Everything went well, yes." He grabbed her in a hug that she returned.

They went inside, where they sat down.

"Naruto…" She started hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I've… thought a lot about what you told me yesterday."

"Oh. Okay." He turned a bit more serious.

"So…"

Silence stretched for a few seconds.

"I don't think this is going to work." Karin sighed.

Naruto nodded. He hadn't expected anything in particular to happen. When he had told her that he'd be with her no matter what… he had meant it.

He grinned at her. "That's alright, Karin. More than enough for me. You're my best friend… No matter how much you attract me."

She blushed a bit and gave him a very fond smile, her eyes crinkling. "Friends, then?" She held her hand.

"Friends. Always." He shook it.

Then she tackled him, pushing both of them to the ground once more. She tried to get him in a body lock.

"Ah, you coward!" Naruto laughed... then he stopped.

She was sitting on top of him. He could smell her soap, and he felt her long red hair spool around his face. Her breath on his throat, her lips caressing his neck.

Her chest pressed against his. Only now, he realized how little she was wearing tonight, her bare legs around him. And the way her flushed face gleamed under the moonlight that filtered in the house.

Maybe this 'keeping things platonic' thing was going to be harder than he had thought.

"You can give up already!" She laughed, grabbing a hold of his wrists, her soft ass rubbing against his stomach.

"Never." He shot back, rolling from under her. Now, the roles were reversed. He held her own wrists together, pressed against the floorboards, with a single hand.

He was on his knees, Karin in front of him, facing down, her legs still locked around his.

Naruto was pretty sure his blood was not only pumping in between his ears, right now.

He noticed Karin's curves. Her short shorts weren't hiding much, pale flesh peeking out from under them. He had never seen that she had tan lines before.

He watched her ass bounce as she tried to free herself, mesmerized. What were they doing…?

She laughed. "Is that the best you can do?" Karin threw a mocking glance over her shoulder. "You barely-"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lemon alert!!!

Naruto couldn't resist. He gave her backside a firm slap.

'I'm a fucking idiot.'

She let out a moan, as he stood there, watching her cheeks jiggle.

"…Yield?" He rasped out.

"Certainly not!" She looked back at him, face red, her eyes half-lidded in pleasure. "You're barely even trying." Karin bit her lip.

"God… You…"

"I'm not giving up so easily." She said, her voice hoarse.

She stuck her ass out even more, not bothering to look at him anymore.

They shouldn't-

He put both hands on her strong thighs. She definitely had gained some muscle over the last months. Karin panted.

Naruto's hands slowly moved up along her legs.

They slid under her shorts. Karin almost thrust her ass into his palms, breathlessly. He grabbed her thick ass, marveling at the shape of it, the way his fingers seemed to sink into her flesh. Naruto squeezed, his thumbs going around in circles.

Karin was definitely not wearing anything under these shorts. His cock felt constrained by his pants.

"Remove them." Karin moaned, head thrown back.

"…Which ones?" He panted.

"Mine… Yours. Either. Both."

He didn't have to be told twice.

Karin's firm, soft ass was exposed. He let out a groan, feeling whatever was left of his rationality leave him. One of his thumbs rubbed around his best friend's cute asshole.

"More…" She squirmed.

"…Raise your hips for me." He managed.

Karin obeyed, and he spread her legs, staring at her. She was already dripping.

"Inside… Your fingers. Please." Karin moaned.

Naruto wasn't about to deny her. His fingers ran across her lips, sinking them shallowly in and out of her with a wet sound.

She let out a long moan.

"Karin…" He grunted.

"Aaah…yes..?"

"You had no intention of simply remaining friends, did you…?"

She half-laughed, half-moaned. "Nooo… I just wanted to see if you… ah. If you meant what you said aaah… yesterday. About… keeping things as they were."

He snorted. "How… devious of you. You really are a good little shinobi, huh?"

"Mm yeah… I guess I am." She moaned, feeling his fingers making a come-hither motion inside her.

"…What did you really want?" He grunted out.

"Ah…. I think you know." She gave him a dirty smile that made his stomach flutter.

"…What do you mean?" He said, innocently. "My fingers, then…?"

"No… Not enough." Karin groaned. Despite her words, she was still rubbing herself on his fingers.

He continued to finger Karin, her pussy clasping around his digits. With the other hand, he caressed her mound, playing with her pubic hair — red, too, he was sure.

She was soaked. Every time she thrust her hips back, Naruto could hear squelching sounds. And she couldn't care less, apparently.

"Tell me what it is you want, then." Naruto said, his voice low.

She let out a shuddering breath.

"Want you… inside me, Naruto. Please." She gasped. "Your cock."

"...That's it." He let out. How he had waited so long, he couldn't tell. He lined himself with her quivering cunt, slowly sinking himself in, thumbing her asshole with his other hand.

Karin was making a mess on the ground. She apparently didn't feel like waiting. She pushed back, moaning wantonly, as he filled her.

"Ah…" Karin breathed. "Finally..."

Naruto groaned as Karin moved her hips back and forth, her cunt clenching around his cock, warm and wet.

Slow, shallow strokes at first. Then deeper… and deeper, until he could feel every ridge, every bump of her pussy.

God, she was a natural at this. He was supposed to be the one with experience — not even that much, to be honest —, but right now… she was driving him crazy.

"You're filling me…" She panted.

"Karin… I love the way you feel."

"Only for you." She moaned.

She was going to come, he felt it. Her thighs were shaking. Her walls tightened around him.

"Karin, I'm… Ah." He moaned.

"Me too." She whined in pleasure as she felt his cock clench.

"Need to… pull out."

"Don't." Karin grunted as he pounded her. "Give it to me."

They came at the same time. She spasmed as he filled her, holding on to her hips tightly.

"Ah… Karin." Naruto let out, staying inside her, feeling her pussy clench. Karin said nothing, lost in rapturous joy.

He pulled himself out of her, leaving her cunt wide open, full of his cum and her own wetness. She was a sweaty mess, and still shaking. Naruto stood there, watching it, fascinated.

Karin slowly started to come out of her trance, watching him with the most satisfied expression he had seen on her face.

He gave her ass another slap. She yelped.

Karin glared at him. "You love my ass, don't you…?"

Naruto grinned. "And you love my cock, don't you?"

She grinned too, cheeks red. "Sure."

Karin turned around to face him. She finally removed her shirt, letting her tits fall free. Naruto could see her in her full naked glory.

She was beautiful, dripping his cum down.

"Again." She half-ordered, a hungry gleam in her eyes.

His cock sprang back to life.

"Gods. You're such a horny little thing, Karin." He laughed.

"It's your fault." She glared at him. "Now… come fuck me again, Naruto." She said, with a small grin… and hooded eyes that told him that she definitely had felt the same tension he had over the last months.

His cock twitched in approval.

"And I know you're the same." Karin scoffed.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Now… I have one question."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXEND OF LEMON

Naruto paused, and she looked at him curiously.

"…Friends?" He asked her, extending his hand again.

She let out a belly laugh. "The best, even."

Karin shook his hand.