Naruto: Mind over matter

-1 month later-

I am kneeling on the floor- well Nezumi is kneeling on the floor and giving a debrief of our latest mission... nothing bad, like nothing I wouldn't do, what I have been doing is mostly training which is more awkward then anything.

Like they break your bones and reset them... but I'm in manual operations. Its like watching someone go really, really aggressive on a mannequin and you have to hold them and say 'whoa calm down man' you know?

The missions we are doing is 'spying' on all my friends... you know the heirs to many households, I just tell Danzo some made up bullshit and he complements me... its a shame how much he trusts that eye and tattoo of his, for him that is.

Everyone outside of Sasuke believes that Riku has... stopped for now, no one believes me when I say anything anymore- which is odd, its like they are treating me like a person to coddle and care for rather than the man, Riku.

Admittedly I'm on bad terms with everyone, Hinata doesn't like that I'm trying to get back onto the active ninja roster, Eiko hates it when I push my training too far and Shikamaru is telling me to take the chance to rest.

Only people I have on my side are Naruto- who is only clued in through letters and Sasuke who understands that I cant just stop, Anko-sensei doesn't know what to do with me and Yamato-sensei has gone off the map entirely.

I'm also getting help with my new model of not-puppets, by who? Danzo! The man who sees me as a weapon that can fit in a thousand sheathes, oh yeah. He saw my memorization capabilities and the fact that I will always correct any mistake in posture or pose pointed out and thought I could be his 'super weapon'.

How is he helping? He has a lot of debts and favours to call upon, and he also has a lot of interesting ideas.

He asked if I could split myself into a liquid... you see where he is going with this? He is making a unique alloy that with control chakra is able to harden and liquify instantly... its taken a month and is going to take more to study and make, he has assured me that it will be ready and powerful soon.

In the mean time I get to make my next minion Augmenter, because whatever Danzo is cooking is almost certainly the 'boss'.

'I am done with the report Riku, we have left- take control back from me. Also we are to steal Sasuke's hair or blood. Our choice'

What a fucking critter Danzo is... how do we convince Sasuke of that? Or rather how do we convince Danzo we cant do that?

'I tried to secure an excuse but it fell short, perhaps we tell him he has a secret Uchiha seal that denies any DNA being stolen?'

Then why wouldn't the Uchiha's use that for when he stole there eye?

'Hmmm. Perhaps we should try a switch? Find someone else's DNA that can keep him busy?'

Then who? He is not going to mistake Uchiha blood for a randoms... he loathes that shit so much I think he has a sixth sense for it...

'Hmmm. What is he going to use it for? We could plan ahead if we know"

Hm? Well he definitely has enough Uchiha stuff from the massacre or before... maybe he- Nope I got it. He wants to make a tongue tattoo for him.

'What, why? No. I understand, we just found out he has dealings with the snake... if we gave him Sasuke's DNA without poking through those files...'

This is good. We caught on, he trusts us... we can give him someone else's DNA and when it fails me and Sasuke will kill him- that's the deadline for this operation, when Sasuke is summoned for a tattoo... lets make sure to complete it before then.

'Alright. For Konoha'

...sure...

---

Pov: Ace

I walk into the Yamanaka flower shop, I'm looking for a new formula to put in Almighty, everything I have is too weak and I never updated- I especially could have used that when fighting the Earthen Dweller.

Looking around me I find the few seeds that I need for my next poison and I head to the counter... right Ino.

"You ready to apologise yet?"

I flash her my most annoying smirk.

"Nope~ not my problem you guys have cold feet for the ninja business~"

She grabs my items and starts checking there prices.

"We have worry. And you want to jump back into-"

"Don't care. We had this conversation and you have locked me and my not-puppets from training at any location and even asked the Hokage to deny me any chance I have at booking a private training ground. I am not apologising for being me, for training and wishing for strength"

She snarks.

"We don't want an apology for that! We want one for you deciding that its fine to throw yourself at brick wall ten times and keep going back at it!"

"..."

"Fine. I'm charging you extra"

"Joy"

I take my things and leave the shop, walking back home I bump into Neji, great I'm just meeting everyone today...

"Riku" he stops in front of me.

"Neji" I walk around him.

He grabs my wrist and I stop.

"This is the stupidest argument, can you let go?"

"No, Shikamaru's house. Tonight"

"What you guys planning an intervention? Sure hope you don't ask me to quit it while wearing your ninja attire again~ really sets an example"

"You know I'm almost entirely certain this wouldn't be 'a thing' if you just stopped making a joke of it, you are capable physically yes, but mentally you are convincing no one"

He is entirely right, I have been antagonizing everyone on purpose and for two reasons.

Danzo wants information and wants something substantial, I want to make sure that if everything does go down that I don't involuntarily give information that I shouldn't know.

And that the closer I get to convincing these guys the further away I get from being Danzo's 'super weapon'.

Am I making more sense than my friends? On Earth? God no. Here though? A ninja is a ninja, the only reason I'm not back on missions is because I'm making myself out to be an uncooperative asshole and Konoha is pro teamwork.

I shrug off Neji's hand and wave.

"Later loser!~"

He makes an unimpressed face as I run back home...

I owe everyone a big apology... later.

---
-1 month later-

Pov: Riku

How about- *Cathunk* nope... okay lets stop trying to apply pressure there...lets try- *crack!* shit. Now I have to make another prototype...

"Ace give me a hand here"

"You know we are connected right? You are talking to yourself?"

"Shut it dumbass!"

I- Ace nods and does the zipping his mouth motion.

We pick up our prototype and throw it in the trash pile that's collecting in my basement.

"Alright, prototype 36 was a bust, way too weak... should I place extra supports into the base?"

Ace does a 'meh' pose.

*creak*

"Oh! Sasuke what's up?"

He sighs and points behind himself.

"Eiko found out... that you have been 'Ace' for a while"

"How!?? What? When??"

"Found her... watching you with her Byakugan from just outside you house... she proceeded to panic, tell me that she isn't a pervert and that she found something out... she then told me she caught you placing a split self in Ace then saw Ace mimic you perfectly...."

I rush up stairs and enter into the Livingroom, she isn't there?

"Where is she?"

Sasuke shrugs and then leaves.

"I left her here, I'm going to make sure no one else has listened to Eiko and you can make sure that Eiko doesn't ruin your plan"

I nod and expand my senses to find her... hiding under my bed? Why there Eiko?

I walk upstairs to my room and lay on the floor eyes meeting hers.

"Ehehe... forgot you could just find me..."

"Why did you hide?"

Her eyes tear up.

"Because you are doing something that you have to hide from everyone else so of course its dangerous! You!- You... I don't care... I miss you..."

She hugs her knees and hides her face.

"Eiko... I'm sorry. Truly sorry... I didn't want to involve you with what I'm currently doing and I may have been extra annoying lately... but more importantly..."

I take a breath and place my hand on her knee.

"I'm sorry for coming back home injured and without a care in the world. You are terrified for me and I have no clue what that is like... in fact I'm completely clueless to what that is like, I'm going to keep coming back with more and more injuries.. I'm probably going to die a few times too... so can I spend this time with you? Can I hug you? Cherish you? Can we be together even when it is certainty that I will die and you may never see me again?"

She whimpers into her knees and I crawl under the bed with her and brush her hair.

"I want to live with you, and die without worry, knowing that this life was lived as best as I could and have no regrets. I want to be together and know that I never missed out on this beautiful opportunity. That is what I want out of this relationship... are you willing to live on after? To accept me as the suicidal maniac who keeps throwing himself at that brick wall...? This is the make or break right now... I'm certain that there are hundreds of men willing to have you, the question is... are you willing to have me?"

She sniffles and crawls into a hug with me... we sit here for a while and just hug.

"Can I... stay over? I want an amazing apology dinner and for you to wear only underwear while I hug you to sleep..."

...

"Anything else...?"

"I also want... you to let me know when you are Ace or not... so I can spend time with you and hug you and not you not-puppet"

I nuzzle my forehead into hers.

"Of course... ill make sure you know"

"Can you sleep without underwear at all? Ill do the same..."

"... I feel like you are taking this a step too far but... I do owe you one, so this one time okay?"

Her nose starts bleeding and she looks up at me with the creepiest blood covered smile.

"Hehehehehe... I cant wait till we are sixteen..."

I gulp and chuckle nervously..

"Maybe lets not do that..."

"No! Wait! Im still angry! Apology cuddling!"

I laugh and mutter okay into her neck as we hug under my bed.

---

Thanks for reading :)