Work Is Better with Friends

Things in life sometimes came at an interesting time. Sometimes all at once. It could be easy to get overwhelmed if you didn't have somebody close to you to help you work through everything. Even when life was going very well, it could be hard to keep up with all of the changes that were happening in his life.

Lucky for him, though, Yuichi had a friend in the form of Kanara. A fellow Uchiha who had seen her fair share of suffering as well. He wanted to help her, but a part of him still believed that her goals would only make things harder. Yuichi hoped to provide a life of peace and prosperity for every person in the leaf, and this is how he arrived at a conclusion for what he believed was the best way to help her. To give her a place with lots of people who cared about her.

So it was, on this snowy afternoon just days after the memorial for Nyg that Yuichi waited outside her home in the Uchiha district.

He watched as a bird hopped around searching for seeds beneath the snow. He thought that most birds left during the winter, but perhaps different types of bird behaved differently when the cold hit, or perhaps this bird was just slow to get to the point. Yuichi was glad for the company, either way. He tried to remain as still as possible as to not scare it off into flying away. Hopefully, Kanara would be out and about soon, and Yuichi could tell her all about his plans and introduce her to an old friend.

Coming home wasnt something Kanara was too fond about. But standing outside was something she was even less fond of. After all it freezing cold outside, and the restaurant where she ate lunch at closed for the afternoon. Not surprising to be fair, however still sad for Kanara. If it were going after her plans, then she would have sat there and would have ate and drunk untill she was either physicly not able to shove any more food inside of her, or until she was so drunk, that anything else then sleeping would have been impossible.

Walking the street todards the uchiha district she let her gaze wander over the people that were outside on this cold day. Children that were playing with the snow, forming snowballs and throwing them at each other, elderly people sitting on benches, covered in long coats and jackets, probably talking about the cities rumors. As she got closer to her home, Kanara spotted something that caught her interest. Footprints. Relatively new footprints to be exactly, that were leading back to her house, where her stairs were. While she was certain that her worst enemies had larger footprints then this, she never could be too sure about it. Grabbing into her bag she closed her hand as soon as she felt the cold iron grip of a kunai, readying it. Stalking slowly, silently after the path, she peeked around the corner, only to see Yuichi.

Disregarding her prior concerns now, she quickly passed the corner, greeting him in the open:

"Hey yuichi! Long time no see!" As she waved with the hand that held the kunai she grabbed earlier, she added: "What brings you here?" Not waiting for an answer she passed him and went up the stairs, in order to unlock her door. Whatever it was, she hoped it had time until they were inside. Surely yuichi was cold from waiting for her, even if Kanara didnt know how long he had been waiting. As the door swung open, she passed Yuichi another look as she said: "Make yourself at home!"

[1]

Something must have startled the bird, because it flew off suddenly with no warning. Looking around, Yuichi saw Kanara's head peaking around a corner. Yuichi was startled for a moment, and it would seem Kanara was as well. They both relaxed at the exact same time upon realizing who the other was. Kanara greeted him.

"Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately," he told her, hopping up the stair behind her. "I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things."

Kanara opened the door and told him to make himself at home. He wasn't sure how long he was going to be here, so he just sat at one of the chairs in her living room. He had a brief flashback to the night that they had met.

"I have a business offer I wanted to propose to you. After the big checks and everything I thought that the best way to spend all of that money would be on something to really help the village. You know, in my own way."

Yuichi didn't know if any of his future plans were going to work out or if they were realistic, but Yuichi always doubted himself. He had been raised to doubt himself. Yuichi knew that he was not made to do battle, the HE and the recent war had taught him that. This was a compromise between the Yuichi that he had been raised to be, and the person he was born to be.

[2]

Watching yuichi take a seat at a chair in her living room, Kanara opened her fridge and presented a portion of the homemade Lasagna she made just yesterday. Popping it in the microwave, Kanara turned to Yuichi as soon as the timer was set and the maschine went to work.

"So you have got such a large paycheck too... I thought that it was a mistake with the booking for this month, but it doesnt seem so..."

Pausing for a second Kanara thought. Back then, she thougth that Yuichi had been joking about it, but it certainly wasnt a joke, as she realised now. Asking now she said:

"So, what is this offer you have for me Yuichi? You know, i trust you and ill likely say yes anyways, but i wanna make sure..."

Thinking about it, Kanara liked the thought. After all, she had enough ryo at the ready that she could probably make something that even generated profit for her, so it wasnt too far fetched for her to see the value in it. That and that she likely would spend more time with Yuichi and had a purpose. Three things she saw as a welcome change of pace. As the lasagna was done, she pulled out the plate and got a fork as she carried Yuichis food to the table. Wether he ate it or not, it was fine for Kanara, but she wouldnt let a guest in her house be hungry.

[2]

Kanara had prepared some kind of pasta dish that Yuichi had never eaten before. It smelled pretty good, though, and Yuichi had been strangely hungry lately, so he picked up the fork and cut into it, talking to Kanara as he did so.

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised myself, but the check came with perfect timing." Yuichi took a bite of the food. It was pretty good. It tasted like garlic and tomato and beef. How had Yuichi never had this before? He took two of three bites before he started speaking again. "I met up with an old friend of mine, from before I even joined the academy. I think I was, like, eight or so when I last saw them. We talked a little bit about what we should do..."

Yuichi took a break to eat a little bit more, before too long, he had eaten over half, which was a lot for him. "Did some research. already know a bit about medicine, and I think we could open a fairly successful business. I want you to join me. Essentially, the concept is to create a business that creates all kinds of useful things for the leaf. Medicines, helpful machines, complex materials, I have the funding, and I spent the last month learning everything I could. It's not a lot of time, but it is enough."

He wasn't finished speaking but stopped to eat the last of his food. Once he was finished, he carried his plate to the sink and washed it. "Thank you for the food, by the way." He sat back down at his seat in the living room. "This business will also assist both of us in our goals. I'm offer you the position of a founder. What you do exactly is up to you, but I do need somebody to run the store for me."

Watching Yuichi eat the food, Kanara felt somewhat proud. He seemed to like it after all, and even if the few friends that had eaten at her place before always said that they liked her cooking, and Kanara knew that she was a good cook, it was nice to see her friend enjoy something that she made. Listening patiently to him she only spoke when he was finished:

"This sounds great to be fair! So how much money should i invest into all of that? I mean i barely need any money anyways except for a little project id like to see myself having, and then i still have a lot of money left..."

Thinking further she got thoughtful however, all of a sudden. More quietly asking, Kanara said: "How will this help me with my nightmares though?" Maybe this buisness had a way of making nightmares disappear, or Yuichi had found a medicine to do so... As she paused for a few seconds her eyes suddenly widened before mumbling: "Or... or do you mean her with my problem?"

Waiting for his answer, her answer to joining was allready clear. Unless it was an ungodly amount of money that he needed, one that Kanara couldnt provide, she would join this buisness of his. Her head filled allready with dozens of questions and ideas for the buisness ranging from the looks of it till the things they would sell.

"What kind of buisiness will this be anyways? I- I mean the one i am going to oversee..."

"Well, the idea is to create tools, weapons, and poisons that incapacitate an opponent instead of killing them. I think that a lot of methods shinobi use can be a bit too extreme, which is understandable. For generations, being a shinobi meant being a killer. I would like to change that."

Yuichi cleaned out dirt from under his fingernails as he spoke to her. "I would also like to create a peaceful environment for people in Konoha to enjoy themselves in. All of the clans are pretty isolated from one another, and I think a method to change this would help the leaf overcome many of their struggles. Either way, a unified leaf village is better than one that is not unified."

He leaned in closer. He had entirely forgot to mention his plans for helping her. "I will still assist you with your nightmares, I only need a bit more time. As for your other problem, I am creating a specialized team to track people. First, I must find Haru, but once all that is done this team may assist you in any way you see fit. Money is not a problem at the moment; however, I believe it would be wise of you to hold onto the cash that you do have for now. We may need it down the line."

"There you are right! Tensions between our allies seem rather high some times... Making them hold together would certainly make the village nicer and stronger..." Kanara never understood the tension between the clans, especially the senju and hyuga versus the the Uchiha. After all, they all had their strength and weaknesses.

Yuichis explaination about the buisiness however was somehting that she was uncomfortable of. After all, capturing enemies alive would leave them helpless to their captors, which could have very bad effects further down the line for both sides. However Kanara didnt like warfare too much in general.

"Well, it would probably be wise if i invested a bit of the money right now... at least i will be able to make some use out of it then..." chuckling shyly Kanara added: "I mean i woudlnt use it too much otherwise anyways, you know? So where is this buisiness going to be located and what exactly will i be managing? Peaceful enviroment almost seems to me like a restaurant or a lounge or a bar..."

After hearing about the part that Yuichi needed more time however, Kanaras shoulders sunk down a bit, even if only so slightly. For a split second the tiredness was seeable in her face, a steady memento that she only got a few hours of sleep every day, if any at all. However as quickly as it was to be seen, it also vanished again and made place to the warm smile that Kanara often would offer her friends as she stated: "Oh... I see... Thats fine."

"That works I suppose, I just don't want you to feel obligated, I guess," Yuichi told her. It was the truth; Yuichi didn't want his plans to get in the way of other people's dreams or to make their lives more difficult. He struggled sometimes to put words to his feelings, but he liked Kanara far too much to start making things difficult for her. "UEs, you will be managing a bar, serving drinks and whatnot. You'll get to choose the aesthetic; however, I may make alterations if I think I need to."

Yuichi was ready for Kanara to meet his friend, who was waiting for them at his home. So, he stood up once more and told Kanara, "If you wouldn't mind following me to my place, I want to introduce you to somebody you will be working with. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot!"

Yuichi excitedly removed an envelope from one of the pockets on the white coat he wore today. "I got you a present! It used to belong to Haru, but I want you to have it. It's not fancy, but it is supposed to promote healing. " The envelope contained a bracelet with a small, polished amber stone. The bracelet itself was made out of silver and was in the shape of some type of bird. Yuichi always like birds and insects. Anything that could fly. Somehow, watching them made him feel free from the concerns of the modern life.

"Oh it's no big deal for me.. The only thing i am really in need off is a weapon, but that one shouldn't cost so much...", Kanara said, in a more happy voice once more. After all she didnt mind too much about the money and more about the fact that she could help Yuichi and spend more time with him.

As Yuichi elaborated further, it became clear that things were exactly like she expected them to be. While she didn't like spending time with people she didn't know, the thought of managing the bar certainly seemed nice for her.

As Yuichi got up, so did Kanara as she followed him when he walked out of her home. "Sure... just lead the way..."

As she walked behind him, she noticed that his hand went into his pocket, only to present a small envelope. As he gave it to her with the statement of him wanting her to have it, multiple things in Kanara clicked. Dumbfounded she stopped and started to blush as she muttered: "I- b- but we are going to find him right? I mean i promised i would help you..."

While the bracelet certainly was a craft of art and would fit Kanara nicely, it was also so much more. It could be anything from just a gift to the start of something more intimidate, or a sign that he had lost hope in finding his brother. Most of all it however was also a responsebility. If she would took this bracelet and ever lost it, she ould never be able to forgive herself.

Kanara blushed. It would seem that Kanara maybe misunderstood the meaning of the gift that Yuichi had given her. Kanara meant a lot to Yuichi, and the gift was meant to show a kind of familial attachment. Perhaps in some ways, he had placed some of the feeling that he had never dealt with toward Haru onto her. He knew it was something that he had done in the past. This time, he was aware of the fact that he was doing this and allowed himself to feel this way. Kanara was an Uchiha, and she was willing to help him.

"Of course I still want to find Haru." Yuichi smiled wise thinking of how offended Haru was when he gave it to him. He insisted that it was meant for girls. "It really wasn't Haru's style. He'd probably never wear it."

With that, Yuichi opened the door and stepped out into the cold winter air. Something about the winter always made him feel relaxed. He hopped down the steps leading to Kanar's front door an turned around to say one more thing. "He says it's too girly."

Standing still in her doorframe for a few seconds, Kanara stared at the bracelet in her hand for a few second, before staring back at Yuichi. Taking it and puttig it on finally Kanara left her home, closig the door behind herself as she went after yuichi who had walked a few meters ahead of her by now.

As she caught up, she notified Yuichi: "Its not girly... its beautiful. I cant take it if its your brothers. But i will keep it until we have found him. You can count on me!"

As the two were walking to wherever they were going, their destination was, Kanara couldnt help but to think about Haru. He must have been an awsome person if loosing him made Yuichi so sad. But then again, when Kanara lost her sister, she was in even worse shape for a long time.

Yuichi intended to lead her out of the Uchiha clan district and to his own house, where he hoped that his friend would be waiting. If she wasn't, they could wait for a little while. They had several things they needed to discuss anyway.

During their short time in Kanara's home, it began to snow much harder. A slight breeze blew the snow right into his face as he was walking. The streets of the Uchiha district were now a crisp, bright white and people had cleared the street to stay out of the snow. Yuichi marched through the ancle high snow it with and exaggerated stride.

"There should be a jutsu for walking on snow," he said. "I recently heard of a clan that uses Ice release. It sounds kind of scary. I hate the cold." He brushed the snow out of his hair. "Snow is pretty, but also horrible."

Exiting the Uchiha district the walked by a few rows of trees, not enough to be called a forest, but enough to create a sense of distance between the Uchiha clan district and the rest of the village. First, they were hit by the smell of food, then they were walking down a street near a restaurant, which seemed just as busy as ever despite the snow.

Following yuichi, Kanara thought about mulitple things. How she liked snow for being so cold... How she once nearly died by slipping on it as she ran. How she would use her money and how she would design the interior of the bar Yuichi and her had in mind.

Question after question, paired with though after though were loosely in her head until she noticed Yuichi speaking, to which she answered:

"I like snow... It shows me if others walked the same path before me, and hides my tracks... I feel alone while outside and its snowing... the good kind of alone, you know...", meaning her nightmares, she didn't elaborate any further. Yuichi had seen what had happened back then and knew how she felt. What she felt. Every single night for hours at a time, the same thing repeating in her head hundrets of times.

Shaking her head slightly she continued o follow Yuichi until they came near a restaurant.

"I suppose that makes sense. I guess I've always kind of been invisible anyway, if you know what I mean. Up until I got arrested, really."

He dragged his feet a bit as he walked. Even though the snow was a pain, it could be fun to play in. It made Yuichi miss a childhood he never had, somehow. For a moment, he completely zoned out as if he was somewhere else entirely. For some reason, he was imagining the rough texture of a carpet in his childhood home.

He snapped back to his ordinary self and spun around to face her. "I got to my third tomoe. I wonder what finally triggered it. I had so much trouble for the longest time because I just couldn't use it and now it's like it's nothing. Trauma, I know, but I mean, why not when my mother died or something. Makes your think."

Huh, that was the first time he had been able to talk about it since his mother died without feeling completely heart broken. Maybe enough time had finally passed. "You know, Haru managed to get his sharingan no problem. I was actually pretty insecure about it. Funny, huh."

"Me too to be honest..."

As she said this, Kanara thought back and remembered about her childhood after the incident. Often hiding in the woods outside of Konoha. While the first few times she was sneaking out, she actually was let through the gate, seeing as she always returned at nightfall.

As Yuichi spun around, telling her about his trauma, Kanara did the same thing he did to her in the allyway when they first met. Coming closer she hugged him and held him as she started:

"I dont think its funny... You are allready incredibly powerful, you know? And its kinda sad to be honest... how we only get stronger the more we get hurt..."

After she said this, slowly letting go of him, she told him: "Lets go... we will only get cold if we stay here longer."

As they continued their way, Kanara produced a notepad and a pen, writing a few clearly readable sentences on it. As she handed Yuichi notepad and the pen. If he read it, he would discorver that it was a contract, making him egligeable to recieve a sum of 1.2 million ryo from the bank in her name, in exchange for 50% of his company and therefore equal rights as him, ready to be signed.

[EXITED FOR 1/2]
[Loosing 1.2 mil ryo in exchange for 50% of https://gladiusnarutorp.forumotion.com/t5705-oosukashiba-society, making her equal to Yuichi]