Bond

Sunlight filtered through the curtains of a small apartment.

William stirred awake, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and glancing at the clock hanging on the wall. It was later than he intended to get up, and he couldn't ignore that he was hungry.

His gaze landed on his friend Naruto, who was still cocooned in his covers. Without hesitating, William stretched out and poked Naruto lightly in the ribs.

"Hey, Naruto! Time to get up! You can't sleep your life away!"

Naruto groaned in response, pulling the pillow over his head as he said, "Just five more minutes, Will... I was having such a nice dream!"

William chuckled and smiled. He got up, throwing back the covers to fully expose Naruto to the cool morning air.

"You can dream about ramen later! I'm starving here, too, cuzo!"

For a moment, Naruto just mumbled incoherently, muttering something about the best ramen stand in the village being open. William shook his head in amusement and decided to let his friend have a few more precious moments of sleep.

Heading out the door, he took a quick glance back at Naruto, who was now buried deep under blankets once again.

"I'll be back soon, so don't sleep in too late!"

Once outside, the sounds of the Leaf Village greeted him—children playing, vendors shouting, and the general bustle that was always stemming with energy.

Despite it being a beautiful morning, there was an unsettled feeling in his stomach; money was tight, and the lack of high-paying missions lately made him anxious.

The thought of eating out for breakfast did not thrill him. He was grateful for the meals his friends shared, but depending on restaurant food every day was becoming more expensive than he had thought.

He sighed, making his way toward the main street, where several eateries awaited. As he walked, he contemplated his options, already bracing himself for the possibility of yet another bowl of instant ramen.

Just as he navigated through a busy shopping district, he spotted a familiar face.

"Jada!" he called out as he approached her.

To him, Jada was quite the serene individual. Her long black hair always seemed perfectly straight, compared to characters like Sakura.

Jada was leaning against a shopfront. When she noticed William, she grinned as if she had been waiting for him and said, "Hey there, Will! Did you hear the news?"

"What news?" he asked, intrigued.

She stepped closer, pulling out a brightly coloured flyer from her pocket.

"The village received an invitation to a grand tournament in the Land of Waves! They're calling all Chūnin-level fighters or lower to come and compete!"

That was indeed news.

"A tournament?" he asked as she handed him the flyer. "In the Land of Waves? That's incredible!"

"Yeah! But it gets even better," she continued. "It's going to be a taijutsu-only tournament, so no one can use ninjutsu or genjutsu! It's like a test of physical skill."

"Taijutsu only?" he repeated, his gaze darting over the requirements. "And there's a million ryō prize for the winner!"

"Exactly! But…" Jada hesitated, biting her lip. "There's a catch. This is just a screening invitation. Only thirty fighters will be accepted, and you have to sign up to qualify."

William's excitement diminished, and he let out a comical sigh.

"Seriously? I thought this was my moment to finally become rich! I've been training so hard, and now it seems like someone's pulling my leg."

Jada giggled at his over-the-top disappointment, her laughter causing a slight blush to creep onto his cheeks.

"Don't give up yet, Will," she said. "You can still enter and hope you get selected."

He straightened, determined to make this work, saying, "Absolutely! I'll sign up right now! Just think of how great it would feel to finally prove myself, to actually show what I can do!"

Jada's laughter turned into a gentle warning as she said, "Hold on a moment; there's more to it than just entering. We need to discuss this with the others first. It might be a bigger commitment than you think."

He nodded, though clearly impatient, and said, "Alright, but let's hurry! I want to get this process started!"

Without wasting any time, he decided to put his excitement into action and performed the Multi-Shadow Clone technique. In an instant, several copies of himself appeared, each one looking just as eager as he felt.

The original William took charge, directing the clones with swift gestures.

"You all know what to do! Go gather everyone for a meeting—Alice, Marge, Jasper, and Alex. Tell them it's urgent!"

The clones dispersed in every direction as William tried to calm down his excitement. As he watched the clones blend into the crowd, he couldn't help but feel a rush.

One clone headed straight for Margaret's apartment, knocking at the door impatiently.

"Who is it?" came Margaret's voice from inside, her tone slightly annoyed.

"It's me, Will. Er… a clone of Will! There's an important meeting underway!"

Margaret opened the door a crack, glancing at the clone suspiciously. With an uninterested tone, she asked, "Is it really that urgent? I was in the middle of reading."

"Believe it, you'll want to be there!" the clone replied. "It's something real cool!"

"Oh, fine," she relented, rolling her eyes, "but if I hear you ever say that again, you'll be banned from here." Margaret then closed the door to get ready.

Meanwhile, another clone found Alex training in the yard of the Hyūga clan's compound. The clone approached him, knowing he'd recognize the urgency, even from a shadow clone.

"Alex! We need you at a meeting right away!"

Alex paused his training, a slight furrow forming on his brow as he asked, "A meeting? What's it about?"

"Something about a tournament, but will you come or not?" the clone pressed.

Lately, Alex hasn't been announcing any meetings due to something troubling him. No one understood what it was, and he wasn't willing to share his troubles with the others.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there," he replied, still seeming preoccupied with whatever was on his mind. He brushed off the clone's concern, but it lingered as he wrapped up his training.

The last set of clones were off looking for Alice and Jasper, eventually locating them in a secluded area of the village park, deeply engrossed in each other's company.

William's clone felt his face burn as he caught them mid-kiss, instinctively turning away to afford them a little privacy.

"Ugh, get a room, you two!" the clone shouted, trying to mask his embarrassment.

Jasper looked over, smirking, and said, "You're the worst, and now you're a perv? Can you get any more lame?"

Alice giggled as she said, "You doing well for yourself, Will?"

"There's a meeting! You guys need to come now. It's about a—"

"—tournament happening in the Land of Waves," she interrupted. "Yeah, I know."

Jasper raised an eyebrow to ask, "Are you serious? You came here to tell us something like that?"

"The details are important! Just come to the meeting, alright? This could be big!" William's clone insisted.

"Fine, we'll be there shortly," Alice said, shooting Jasper a knowing look. "But only after this."

As the clone proofed away, the real William couldn't shake the annoyance of being caught in such an awkward situation. Everyone knew that when a shadow clone dispersed, all of the knowledge and experience it learned transferred to the summoner.

"Will, are you okay?" Jada asked. "You look like you're burning up."

"I'm fine!" he beamed. "I've gotten everyone's approval."

Jada raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

"Seriously? You managed to rally everyone that quickly?"

"Of course! They're all on board," he exclaimed with confidence. "I think we'll all really benefit from this experience. Plus, it'll be great for a little friendly competition if we're chosen."

Jada nodded in agreement, but she had the expression of something bothering her. Masking it away, she reminded William that they should hurry.

He paused, glancing towards the directions that Alice and Jasper had gone, and said, "Yeah, but I think they're going to take the longest to get ready. I'm starving right now, anyway, so I'm going to grab some breakfast. You know what they say: hungry ninja, slow ninja!"

Jada looked at him, momentarily confused. "Wait, what do you mean by that? Are you really implying that if you don't eat, you'll be slower?"

"Uh, I meant it in a motivational sense!" he laughed, trying to brush off her puzzled expression. "You know, filling up on energy before the tournament prep. It's just—"

"Right, right!" she interrupted, stifling a chuckle. "You don't need to justify your breakfast. I get it."

She then turned to leave but paused when he called out, "Hey, would you like to join me? I mean, we could talk more about this event while we eat."

Interestingly, Jada hesitated before nodding. With a smile, she said, "Actually, I hadn't eaten yet either. Sure, why not?"

William felt a spark of excitement at the prospect of spending more time with her.

They walked together towards one of the modest eateries on the main street, a small breakfast shop that was popular in the village.

When they entered, the cozy ambiance instantly made them feel at home.

William settled down at a small table in the corner, and Jada slid in across from him. They ordered their meals—an assortment of rice accompanied by scrambled eggs—and began chatting about their recent adventures.

"So, what do you think about Sasuke's behaviour?" William asked. "I was thinking we could try to show him the truth with a genjutsu or something."

"Maybe now's not the best time to approach Sasuke," she replied. "Sakura and I have been visiting him to make sure he doesn't try anything like leave the village."

William let out a burst of laughter as to not make anything feel awkward.

"Yeah, you're right about that! You two are quick thinkers."

As they continued to eat and discuss things, the food was as comforting as the camaraderie they shared. William managed to sway the conversation to something less complicated and more natural.

Just as they were finishing up, he noted the leftover broth in his bowl, then reached for his pouch, only to feel a sinking realization in his stomach. He checked again, his eyes browsing past a few empty pockets until he uttered, "Oh no… I think I left my money at home…"

Jada chuckled softly, the gentle sound easing his embarrassment. In an even softer tone, she said, "Will, you're really something, you know that?"

"I'm telling you, I could have sworn I had some left!" he exclaimed, flustered.

"It's alright, really," she said, reaching for her own purse. "I don't mind covering it."

William bit his lip, feeling inadequate. A man should never let a woman pay for their meal if the former had feelings for her.

"No, no! You don't have to do that. I'll pay you back, promise. I can just... do extra chores for a week or something!"

Jada raised a dismissive hand. Her smile was quite warm and understanding as she said, "Seriously, it's fine. This is just a friendly meal. We're friends, remember? Friends help each other out."

Hearing her say it made his heart soar with admiration. Jada had a way of putting things into perspective, reminding him that bonds went beyond monetary value.

"Thanks, Jada. You're really a wonderful friend," he said sincerely.

Once they finished their meals, they stepped back outside into the bustling alleyways of the village. William couldn't shake the warmth of gratitude that lingered from their time together.

"Alright!" he said. "I should go find Naruto and let him know about things. He'll want in on this for sure."

Jada nodded, saying, "I don't see any harm in it. I'll catch up with you later at the meeting, then?"

"Absolutely! See you later!" he waved, running back. When he glanced her way again, he couldn't help but notice a bored expression on her face.

Was spending time with him that uninteresting? Maybe there was something else on her mind.