Naruto: Rise and Wrath of the Emperor

Interlude: Diary and Journal Entries

{Naruto's Journal}

Entry 1:

Can't believe that it's been a year since Hinata and I had granted the eight clan heads, the Ino-Shika-Cho's wives, Shizune, Anko, Ibiki, the Jounins and Chunins asylum, and a lot has happened since then. Where to begin? In the six months since they had arrived, the Hyugas, Inuzukas, Aburames, Harunos, Mikons, Shizune, Mitarashi, Morino, and the Ino-Shika-Cho integrated themselves into the Western Empire without incident. First off is the younger Ino-Shika-Cho. Just like a Nara, Shikamaru, and Ino had become a couple. Once Inoichi found out about this while inspecting the Suna Consulate with Temari and her new boyfriend Eiji Ito, a Suna Jounin, Shikamaru led him on a chase throughout the Imperial Capital, with Inoichi trying to catch him so that he could crush him.

It took Temari, Eiji, Ino, and Shikaku to calm him down, with Ino explaining that both she and Shikamaru were dating, and had been for quite some time, since he and Temari broke up mutually because Temari had her career and Shikamaru had his, but they remained good friends. Even I did not know about them being a couple until recently, which did not surprise me in the least. Like I said in the meeting regarding the refugees, the Naras are attracted to - and can attract - feisty women. Ino, Mina, and Shizune enjoy being medics. The two girls, Hikari Kamiya, Joe Kido, and Karin had struck up a friendship while Ino and Mina studied under Hinata and Shizune. What was more surprising was the fact that Mina is now dating Kiba. I already mentioned that Ino is dating Shikamaru, which led to Inoichi chasing down the lazy Nara throughout the streets of Kimon when he found out. It took both Shikaku and Choza to calm the Yamanaka clan head down. Shikaku and his wife would be very displeased if their son ended up with irreversible brain damage.

Choji works with his dad in the Shinobi Affairs Division alongside Shikaku. The Akimichis also reopened their restaurant in Kimon, which has become a popular eatery in the Imperial Capital. Inoichi and his wife also reopened their flower shop, with Inoichi's wife running the business while he was away working with Zabuza, Anko, and Ibiki.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the Ino-Shika-Cho has broken up. Far from it. The younger team has made a name for themselves in the West. As it turned out, Mamoru Kawasaki had taken an interest in the trio following a shogi match inside a parlor house in Kimon with Shikamaru and became the de facto sensei to the Ino-Shika-Cho. Honestly, I don't know what Asuma has been teaching them, but under The Tengu, their teamwork has drastically improved tenfold. The Azura Merchant House has them on call when it comes to escorting caravans all over the Western Empire when they defend it against a group of bandits in the Southern Region.

Tenten and Sakura Haruno are now members of the Hellcat Unit, having survived the hell of Hellcat Training (trust me, I know, as Yugito is a certified sadist). Tenten is now the Ninja Weapons Expert of the Hellcats. She also works at the Himura Weapons Shop and spars with Emiko Himura on occasion. Following the six-month probation period, in which Hinata, the Imperial Council, and myself had formally welcomed the eight clans, Tenten, Rock Lee, Ibiki, Anko, and Shizune into the Western Empire, she and Neji had got married. Sakura, on the other hand, became the Hellcat's medic-ninja and is romantically involved with a member of Zabuza's Demon Brigade, a young man named Kazuya Watanabe. Kizashi ended up chasing Kazuya around the Imperial Capital several times before he finally relented. Following his divorce, he even met and married a beautiful woman named Yua Hamasaki and she was everything Mebuki wasn't. Creative, intelligent, kind and she treated Kizashi a whole lot better than that banshee of an ex-wife of his. She is also a wonderful stepmother to Sakura.

Following the two-on-one match against Takashi Chiba, Rock Lee was approached by a retired ninja who had fought alongside me and Hinata in the Unification War. His name was Quan Zhou, and he was a Taijutsu expert in the Goken style. Rock Lee was very interested in learning the advanced style taught to him by Might Guy. Even though Rock Lee still sprouted his 'Springtime of Youth' schtick on occasion, he had developed into his own person, and not into a mini-Guy clone. He still wears green, but thank the gods that it's no longer spandex.