You know what everyone needs after rampant robotic attacks and another iteration of clone wars? A vacation! That’s right everyone, you deserve this. CERES understands what you need. CERES is here for you all the time, so never doubt that this is a pleasure colony, and they are here to look after all of your needs. Kick your feet up, relax, and let CERES Recreation and Activity Necessity Keepers (Team RANK, that is) set you up with your ideal getaway.
It’s as if you can sense the incoming relaxation and luxury before you even completely finish loading. There’s the warmth encompassing your entire body as your code gets transferred into this particular ViViD Level. A cool, refreshing breeze hits you. The sounds of waves gently lapping against the coast fill you with relaxation. The sun, the sand, the surfs, it’s all there – welcome to the beach, baby!
An echoing greeting message from the ocean comes next, if you can translate it.
 OOOOOOOOOOOOHMAHH GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHD.
YOOOOOOOOOOOORRRALL SOOOOOOOOOOOOO KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT.
KYOOOOOOOOOOOT EEEENAAAAUUUUUUUF TOOOOOOOOOOOOO EEEEEEEEEEEEEEET.
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PHASE I [ 08 00 ] That said, isn’t that breeze a little… too strong? It feels like it’s brushing up against all of you, if you know what I mean. When you open your eyes and look down, it becomes rather clear why. It seems that you’ve found yourself in some pretty interesting attire. Everyone. No exceptions. You appear to have two options – be overcome and scream like the Victorian maiden your heart says you are, or strut like a model in this stuff. Turn some heads! Work that up do!
But don’t worry, we’re also conscious about safety here at CERES! Therefore everyone’s also been provided a pair of super high-tech safety-tested appendage protection floatation devices (STAPFD for short.)
At least everyone around you is caught in the same sort of attire – and everyone around you also appears to be stuck inside a giant sand castle. It’s entirely malleable to what you want it to be! Want to see a fancy sand bidet? Feel like adding a sand statue in your honor? Think that wall should now be a door? Well, with enough perseverance, you can make it happen!
Just uh, be careful about getting sand in your… everywhere.
PHASE II [ 1000 ] Someone broke it. Not pointing any fingers, even though you sure do seem like a prime suspect, but someone broke it.
It almost starts like an earthquake with how the castle starts to rumble, the sand shaking right beneath your feet. And then the walls right next to you start to cave in followed promptly by the ceiling right… above your head. Oh dear. The sand starts to run and fall, losing its structure and shape. The hallway behind you starts to cave in, ceiling first and then the walls follow suit. Now the sand really is getting everywhere – but not just uncomfortable places. It’s in your hair, your eyes, your nose…. this sure doesn’t seem like a pleasant way to go!
Best to start running – there’s a trusty drawbridge to get over the moat (because what’s a sandcastle without a moat?) but who knows how long until that, too, is going to give way? Best to cross over it before it starts to shake and disappear too. Or if you don’t make it, hopefully you can land some pretty impressive airtime to make it to the other side!
If not, well...there'll be the sensation of sand crushing down upon you, filling your mouth and eyes, and you won't be able to breathe at all – and then you're alive again on the beach (but possibly in yet another new, uncomfortable, skimpy swimsuit). Honestly, be more careful, would you?
PHASE III [ 1200 ] However, once you do make it to the other side, it’s all smooth sailing from there! Or is it? Hah, as they say, life sure can be a beach.
Which is what this is.
Welcome to your Beach Episode, folks. Now that you’ve made it out of the collapsing sand castle, you’ve made it to the luxurious, picturesque golden coastline. Sure, you’re coughing up fine, luxurious, sand dust right now and you’ve definitely gotten sand in all of your crevices thanks to your swimsuit, but that’s okay! Go take a soak in the ocean or something or cool off with a smoothie. There’s a smoothie shack off into the distance, complete with a long chalkboard with… well, probably a few familiar names? And some unfamiliar ingredients. Sounds appetizing right?
That said, once you do ingest some of the smoothie with the name of a newcomer, you might suddenly find yourself feeling a bit… different. You’ll be taking on some of their traits, one of the most intense parts of their personality – or you might need to take a second to sit down because you’re suddenly seeing one of their memories. Whoa. What do they actually put in this stuff?
PHASE IV [ 1500 ] For the brave souls that venture out into the water, you have even more adventures waiting for you. Anyone who’s swimming around, wading in the water—hell, even looking at the water is getting scooped up and deposited in one of these giant orbs. But don’t take up too much room, because someone else is getting shoved right in there with you. Time to get cozy with your new friend, because it's only going to get worse as the waves begin to carry you out into this big, blue, virtual ocean. Hopefully the choppy waves don’t bounce you around too much or – well, you could always get really friendly with a stranger! Why not?
At least until it’s made very clear that fresh air does not make it back into these balls. That seems like a bit of a design flaw. Now what? Fight the other person who’s inhaling all your air? Suffer through it for swimsuit-clad fun? Or if you break it…. well, you sure are stranded out in the ocean. Or are you?
After enough flailing, you’ll be met by a giant, dumb-looking creature who will then eat you whole.
Everything goes dark. This is surely the end --
And then you're in Cerealia proper; it seems that was the exit to the level (but why there?) and you'll find yourself either in one of the fountains or the pond in the park. Either way, you'll be very, very well. And this time, that's not virtual. But hey, at least you'll have all of your stuff with you.
BONUS [ xxxx ] Do you hear that?
Anyone idle on the beach will hear a distant melody coming from further out into the ocean. It’s a beautiful, elegant song that automatically makes the listener stop what they’re doing and immediately wander toward the noise. It takes you a moment to recall – it takes a moment to think about anything now, really – but you remember hearing the smoothie shack owner say something about mermaids populating the beach. Could this be their song calling out to you? Whether you would normally abide by this kind of call or not, you find your feet walking further and further out into the water, the shallows lapping up to your ankles and up and up as you are drawn in by the song.
A rather classic song, though the usual instances of French are also replaced with the very enticing, enchanting nonsense promise of omelette du fromage........and then they try to drown you.
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It's okay, she loves you, even if you don't love her /guilt
She let out a sigh.]
Really? Papa? [She couldn't help but call him that in that moment.]
You know that many Sakuras?
It was Haruno.
this is one of those "it's not you, it's me" cases.
Sakura. Pink-haired, annoying, cries over everything, obsessive Sakura.
SOMEHOW something happened (a lobotomy, maybe?) and he ended up with her?! Just how badly does he hate himself? And not even that, he married her, and they have a kid!
And she's here. Not just the kid, but Sakura. She's here and he'll probably never live this one down.
On top of that, if he has a kid, then that means everything he thought he had figured out about this place is wrong. Again. Once again, a whole lot of lies and misinformation because nobody is capable of giving straight answers. Except maybe a kid that he doesn't even want.
...alright, maybe that's a little too harsh. It's not that he doesn't want a family at some point, it's that he doesn't understand why it had to be with Sakura. Because he's not interested in her. He's not really interested in anybody, to be honest. ]
You're joking. You have to be, but it's not funny at all. The only Sakura I know is an annoying former teammate.
one day she'll understand
The joke was surely his!]
Yeah, I think I've heard you call her that before. [Or maybe someone had told her about it. Naruto, perhaps. ]
But she's not, you love her and she loves you. If you hadn't been away on a mission for so long I'd probably have siblings. [This is said a bit defensively, because she doesn't like the way he talked about her mother just now.]
You told me as much! When I asked if you really loved her. You told me I was the proof of your love! [She doesn't realize all of this might not be the best way to get his attention, but this Sasuke is just so unfamiliar to her.] And we love you! Always. Even when you are miles away.
You don't have to be so mean about it! You are acting like you are some kid who thinks girls have cooties! [On top of that, it was only recently she'd been terrified that Sakura had not been her mother, so it makes her extra defensive.]
it's okay, sarada. he's a hot mess.
It's not because he's upset or angry that he raises his voice slightly, just enough to drown her out at first before settling back to a normal volume. ]
What reason would I possibly have to love her, or her to love me?
[ And don't bring up siblings. It's a reminder that something happened between them that created Sarada, and that it might have happened again had he not left.
But at the same time, that's kind of irritating. If he had a child, why would he take a mission that sent him away for however long? Would he really be that distant? Who did he turn into, his own dad? ]
the hottest
What reason do you need!? Papa! Why are you behaving like this? Mama doesn't need a reason to love you. She just does! And you might not deserve it, but she loves you anyway.
[Her face is getting red with the frustration as she snaps at him. It's not the first time she's yelled and she doubts that it's a good idea, but everything is overwhelming her and she's started to get more emotional. She has no plan to stop talking and just leave him alone. This is her father she's talking to and her mother is being attacked.]
I don't understand you Papa. Not at all.
[In the flood of her emotions, her sharigan is activated and further proof her lineage is right in front of him.]
aw yis
--well, that just blows any thought of her not being who she says she is right out of the water. Even with the sharingan, she's still just a fledgling, though it doesn't stop him from responding in turn, his own eyes mismatched and less a threat than just a gut response to hers. ]
That doesn't make any sense!
[ Don't worry, Sarada, there really aren't many people who understand him at all. Half the time, he probably doesn't even understand himself. ]
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I didn't even know you that well and I loved you! [It's the truth, she's always fiercely loved her Papa and the stories that her mother had told her about him. Oddly enough when doubt had crossed her mind, she'd never doubted that he was her father. Of course that probably had something to do with the fact that Sarada was completely Uchiha. Right down to her eyes.
She rubs at her eyes, her glasses slipping down her nose a bit.]
And you can love someone, even if you don't like them all the time! [And she really doesn't like him much right now. Not one little bit. It's bad because it feels a lot like when she had met him previously in the woods. At least she had had some better experiences with him since then.]
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...no. [ Because I don't want to risk losing it again.
And here lies the problem: not once since the massacre has his heart ever been focused on the future. He may have walked with his eyes forward, but his attention was never on what lay ahead. For someone who's always looked back at a past they can't return to, being faced with their future is not easy. This is entirely new territory for him in more ways than one. ]
I tried that once... but it never lasts.
[ Because everyone up and dies on you. ]
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She could recognize him on one hand and though younger, she knew this man was her father, or would become her father. On the other hand, this man was a complete and utter stranger to her. ]
So what!?
You could at least not be a jerk about it!
[She knew it was harsh and rude and she'd never taken quite that tone with him in the future, but she was hurt and frustrated and he had said mean things about her mother. And the tears were falling freely now. ]
No wonder you never became Hokage!
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[ He shouldn't be arguing with children, really he shouldn't. And yet, here he is, snapping at a girl who may or may not be his daughter. Yelling at someone who is very likely the only family he has left. ]
Don't complain because you don't like hearing the truth. Sakura is damn lucky I couldn't see her clearly or I'd have killed her with the kunai she tried to stick in me. [ Just leaving out the fact that at the time, he'd just admitted to killing Danzo and intended to take out Kakashi after a failed attempt to off her with his chidori. Details, details. ] And it isn't my fault she's wasted her life daydreaming about love, she did that to herself! I'm not her teammate, I'm not her friend, the only reason she's even still alive is because she just happened to be nearby when Kaguya attacked, and I don't love her.
[ In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have said it like that. He probably shouldn't have said any of it and just kept his mouth closed, but her insistence was wearing his patience so paper thin that the words were out before he could catch himself. It's certainly not the first time he's said or done something that might come back to bite him later, and it won't be the last.
If he were outright honest with himself, he really isn't sure how he feels about Sakura. He never actually gave it much thought or care because his mind was always focused elsewhere... and now here's Sarada, living proof (if what she says is true) that there's something there... and he doesn't know how to handle it because he can't see any means of getting from point A where he is now to point C where she is. He can't even fathom where, when, or how B would even happen to make C possible.
And so he'll take it out on the kid instead. Yeah, it's kind of understandable how he never ended up Hokage. He'd have probably been killed right away if he'd won that gamble. ]
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She had always thought that her mother was just shy about the whole thing, or that it hurt her to talk about it. And now that he was back in Konoha she had seen them together. She knew that they were in love with one another. He had told her that before and answered her questions. She wasn't going to start doubting that again. Whatever past they had was clearly messy, and this younger version of her father was hardly a man she wanted to look up to. But she was from the future and that meant that of the two of them, she knew what was right and what was wrong.
So why was it hard to trust that?
Her eyes narrowed at him, and she spat her words out bitterly.]
Well I guess for my sake then, it's a good thing you both failed. But whether you like it or not, I'm your future. Even if right now I'm not sure I want to be!
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He's just not good at this.
Sighing in exasperation, he takes a seat on the edge of the fountain, falling silent for a few long moments. It's probably the smartest thing he's done all day. ]
...I'm sorry.
[ The words come easily, partially honest, partially because saying them had worked well enough to make Karin stop complaining, and maybe he should've said it to Sakura as well, but this is something he needs to really consider and think about before he does anything like that.
A glance up at her, a face similar to his own only in her coloring, the headband she wears that he no longer owns. She's mad at him, and he knows well that he deserves it, but damn it he wants to try. It shouldn't be one of those things like with Itachi, where one waits until after they're dead to attempt to make amends. ]
Five years is a long time, so maybe something could change, though... [ He's already met Boruto, and Naruto's name was on that board too. If Naruto is here, and if Boruto is his, then that means Naruto would've survived the war... which would in turn mean... ] I didn't think they allowed conjugal visits in maximum security prisons.
[ Because really, that's the only place he'd be ending up if both he and Naruto survived the war given that he's sort of an international criminal, and if he was really lucky, then maybe he'd have gotten a lighter sentence than the rest of his natural -and unnatural- life. ]
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After everything, an apology was not what she had expected from him. And it made the guilt for lashing out at her father that much worse. As he calmed down, she did too. When he apologized, she stopped her own ranting and watched him. She's smart enough to recognize that her father is not a happy man.]
I'm sorry too. I didn't mean it Papa. [She stares down at the ground, trying to figure out what to say next. But there is a fresh set of confusion when he mentions prison. She's been so left out of the loop of everything from the past.]
Prison? But...you...never went to prison. Why would you have gone to prison? Konoha knows you are a hero and together with Uncle Naruto and Mama you helped save everyone. And Mama says that you are always gone because you have to protect the village and everyone in it, including us. No one ever told me you could have been locked up.
[She lets out a little sigh, knowing much is kept from her.] Then again, no one tells me much of anything.
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[ Or maybe he really was locked up and they just fed the kid stories so that she'd believe he was something better than what he really was. If that's the case, then oops. But to be brutally honest, he's not ashamed of what he did (yet) so he'll totally own it. ]
My team broke into a Five Kage Summit to take out Danzo who was named Hokage after something happened to that woman and now I've got every one of them wanting me dead, with the exception of Danzo himself because I killed him. For a little while, I sided with Akatsuki, which was Madara's organization, and he's the entire reason the Fourth Shinobi War happened. Up until... well, I suppose back there it would have been only a few hours ago, I'd intended to wipe out every last person in Konoha. And you're asking me why?
[ Then again, nobody in Konoha had ever told him anything either. Hey, at least he left out the part about the massacre and Itachi? ]
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The rest doesn't make a whole lot of sense to her either. Madara isn't a name that rings a loud bell in her. Maybe she'd heard it in school, never from her parents. Danzo...well there was never really any reason for her to hear about him. The Akatsuki had been mentioned during lessons on the war, but never any detail except for the fact they had all been wiped out. Many of whom by the present Hokage. The mostly blank and confused look on her face shows that this is pretty much new information to her. ]
It's hard to imagine you wanted to protect the village, if you hated it so much. Yet you do. I do know you saved everyone during the Fourth Shinobi War.
Why do you hate Konoha anyway? [And there it is. That loaded question.]
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And I haven't lived in Konoha in years. Why would it matter to me what happens to it? That entire way of life can burn for all I care. As long as the villages and the people in them stay the way they are, nothing will ever change.
[ Okay, so maybe he's still a little bitter about getting stuck here instead of getting to take out Naruto and the bijuu. He was hoping for a revolution... but he's not getting it so long as he's stuck here. Either put an end to things the way they are or put an end to the Uchiha line -those are the options Naruto has, and from the look of it, that line didn't end so something had better have been fixed. ]
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Yeah, Mama did say that. She says you weren't around much when you were younger. Not that you are around that much when you are older either. [The last bit is said with a hint of bitterness, she misses him badly when he's away and she's spent so many years envious of the other children having their fathers to raise them. ]
I guess something changes your mind. Since no one tells me anything, I couldn't even begin to tell you what.
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Regardless, he can't say what he wants to because he isn't sure he wants to just up and accept all of these things without proof. ]
She can't tell you anything because she doesn't know anything. None of them do. [ Except maybe Naruto.
But at the same time, he knows what happens when people don't tell you things, and while sure he might not have been old enough to handle it, it should've been up to him to decide that. He can't imagine what it'd be like to know absolutely nothing about why there's nobody else like him left in the world... but not right now. He needs time to get used to the idea of being a father and not-yet-husband first, but the very least he can do is make a promise to tell her someday.
With that thought in mind, he lifts one hand to wave her closer. ]
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She also wasn't surprised that he wasn't going to tell her anything, she wasn't expecting him to suddenly be honest with her. Eyeing him nervously, she gave a little nod. She had a feeling whatever it was, it was not good and something that she was probably happier not knowing. She'd always been content enough to live in the present anyway, and focus on her training.
When he motioned for her to come forward, she wasn't quite sure what to do. He seemed to her to be more calm, but she was nervous around this man who was and was not a stranger. All the same, she told herself that she knew him and so she took cautious steps closer to him until she was standing in front of him.]
Yes Papa?
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But when she takes that step, moving closer, stopping within reach...
It's not something he's ever said or done before, part of a memory he won't let go of, of a person he genuinely wishes could have been a part of his life again (or part of hers, for that matter), but it's the one thing that left a lasting mark on him. Reaching out toward her to tap two fingers to her forehead, a gesture he's been the recipient of time and again. The only sign of affection he really knows how to give. ]
Sorry, Sarada. I'll tell you another time.
[ ...except he knows all too well that he can't be what she needs, so that time may never come. Better to let her down now with the promise of a later that he won't make good on. ]