The next morning, before dawn.
Sayan rose early; Might Duy's youthful vigor was simply too overpowering. He felt he'd barely closed his eyes when he dreamed he was surrounded by a pack of monsters. Especially when he stepped outside and saw two of those "monsters" yelling at full volume every time they jogged past his sleeping quarters "Ahh~ Father! Father! We were wrong~ We'll never do it again!" ×2
Nagato and Yahiko sprinted along, shouting nonstop, hoping to awaken the fatherly love slumbering within Sayan. Except the ground beneath them was no longer firm desert sand but shifting quicksand, rolling backward like a treadmill belt. At the belt's end waited Sayan's prized Satetsu roller. Inside, it worked like a washing machine anyone caught inside came out plated in gold.
"Ahh~ now that's the kind of morning workout music I like to hear," Sayan said with satisfaction, watching Nagato and Yahiko pour their youth into his custom treadmill. Then he returned to his bedroom and drifted back to sleep to that delightful soundtrack.
It wasn't until the aroma of lunch drifted through the window that Sayan finally rolled out of bed.
"They finished eating way too fast!"
Sayan now stood in the mess hall no noisy jostling for food, no orderly queues. Only the clatter of kitchen staff washing dishes echoed.
"Oh! Kazekage-sama, why so late?" a logistics worker sweeping the hall spotted him and called out.
"Late? It's barely ten minutes past mealtime."
"True but look who's eating: those kids fresh off a morning drill. They wolf it down; five minutes is already slow."
Sayan: "..."
"Any leftovers?"
"Kazekage-sama, we fill one trash bin every three days."
"…Fine."
Leaving the canteen, Sayan planned to scrounge some food elsewhere until he sensed two sneaky figures. With a quick spin, he slipped after them.
At that moment, beneath a stand of coconut palms, Yahiko and Ebizō were furtively… tugging back and forth. Judging by posture, Yahiko was the reluctant party.
"Aiya, Ebizō-sama, shouldn't you be with Roka-sama? Dragging me here right after lunch I need my nap."
Having just eaten, Yahiko had wanted a siesta after his father's brutal morning session. But no sooner had he lain down than Ebizō hauled him off to this deserted grove.
"Shh! Keep your voice down," Ebizō clapped a hand over his mouth and whispered. "Yahiko-kun, your Uncle Ebizō needs a favor only you can pull it off."
"Only me? My old man can't?" That single line snapped Yahiko wide awake.
"Right only you. Not even your father."
"Oh-ho! Spill it!"
Yeah, hurry up and spill! Hidden behind a tree, Sayan leaned in, equally eager to know.
"A-hem. Here's the thing…"
And so Ebizō laid out his plan: how he'd come to the beach intending to propose to Roka, how the training camp's arrival had stymied him, and how the Shinkai's mirage ability he'd seen finally gave him an idea. After hearing the tale, Yahiko felt he'd bitten into a huge melon and praised the ingenuity of Sunagakure's wisest elder.
"Brilliant, Ebizō-sama sheer genius!"
Exactly! Brilliant! Sayan echoed from behind the trunk.
"So, Yahiko, your uncle's happiness rests in your hands. When it's done, uncle will slip you a fat red packet deal?"
At "fat red packet," Yahiko's eyes sparkled though he quickly forced himself to stay calm. "Well… your plan is totally doable; the Shinkai can definitely pull it off. Only… keeping it secret? Mother and Father are here, plus Nagato and Konan. Slipping something past them will be tough!"
Ebizō: "..."
What? They can eavesdrop on your mental chat with the mirage? All you need is to ask the creature and release a bit of mist at dawn or dusk.
"A-hem. Yahiko, a proper Ninja must master concealment."
"But, Uncle, I can't hide from family Father always says: be honest with those you love."
Exactly! Good boy! Sayan nodded, deeply moved behind the tree.
"So… you'll tell the Kazekage?"
"No! I mean… the price just went up. After all, Uncle, you don't want Roka-sama hearing about the proposal beforehand right?"
Ebizō: "…???"
Brat! Takes after his old man utterly shameless!
Sayan: Hey! The kid didn't inherit an ounce of my honesty!
In the end, under the witness of three parties, the secret deal closed with Ebizō paying triple the original price one-third upfront. Once the bargain was struck, Ebizō left at once.
Dark way too dark! Just like his old man! Only Yahiko remained in the grove, counting bills, while a certain doting father stayed hidden.
"One hundred, two hundred, three hundred… hehehe, I'm rich!"
"Sure are rich indeed!"
The familiar voice froze Yahiko mid-count; he looked up slowly. Not far off, Sayan grinned at him.
"Heh… Father, when did you get here?"
"Hehe~ guess!"
After a healthy dose of fatherly love, Sayan left the coconut grove satisfied pockets bulging. Yahiko stayed behind, alone, repenting among the palms.
"Boo-hoo~ so dark way too dark!"
Evening of the next day.
Ebizō and Roka Uzumaki strolled hand-in-hand along the beach. As far as they could see, the shore appeared deserted. Of course, that was only from Ebizō's perspective. In reality
"Sayan, don't get so close if you bump into Ebizō we're busted," came the voice of Fusō.
"Right, right, Sayan, stay hidden," that was Yui Ooyashiro.
And they weren't alone: Kana, Sami, Chiyo-sama, Konan and more tailed the couple like wolves, eyes locked on the pair, waiting for the moment. Naturally, Ebizō and Roka couldn't see them; the Shinkai cloaked the entire entourage so long as no one made contact, they'd stay invisible.
The beach was unusually quiet today, a stark contrast to the youthful clamor of the past, and even Roka Uzumaki found the silence unsettling.
"Ebi-kun, why is it so quiet today?"
"Haha, Duy-sensei is explaining the principles of the Hachimon Tonkō to them, so those little rascals are listening attentively no time for noise."
"Really? No wonder you asked me out at this hour."
"Well~ those kids are usually so rowdy. Now that it's finally peaceful, I dragged you out for some alone time."
Hearing Ebizō's explanation, Roka Uzumaki gave a meaningful smile. "Oh~ is that so?"
"Of course, I'd never lie to you."
And so they strolled along the beach for another half hour.
"Seriously how much longer are those two going to walk?" Sayan's impatient voice rang out. But his complaint only drew the ire of the women.
"Ugh, what do you know? Not everyone is as shameless as you," Sami was the first to retort.
"Exactly! It's Ebizō's first proposal of course he's nervous, unlike some people..."
Sayan: "..."
[I'm doomed, I've angered them all. Curse that evil Ebizō!]
The women were right. Ebizō was a bundle of nerves, palms already slick with sweat. Though he had rehearsed in his mind countless times, the real moment felt completely different.
"Ebi-kun."
"Ah! W-what is it, Hana?" Startled when Roka Uzumaki called, the daydreaming Ebizō stammered.
"Are you feeling okay? Your palms are soaked."
"Ah! Are they really?"
"Feel for yourself."
Following her cue, Ebizō found his palms drenched his back was equally sweaty.
"Ebi-kun, are you all right?" Noticing his back was soaked too, Roka Uzumaki asked at once.
"Ahem, I'm fine. Maybe the tide's rising tonight, humidity's high."
"Oh~ is that so~? Then let's head back."
"Ah! W-we're going back already?"
"Well, the sun's almost gone and there's nothing left to see. Why stay?"
Realizing this was his last chance, Ebizō threw caution to the wind. "Who says sunset means nothing to see! Hana, close your eyes I've got something amazing to show you."
"What good thing? Eww, Ebizō, it's almost dark, but if someone comes by "
Ebizō: [??? I think your mind's in the gutter!] "No, not that. Just close your eyes."
"Really not?"
"Really not!"
"All right, I'll trust you once."
With that, Roka Uzumaki closed her eyes, a faint smile still playing on her lips. She wasn't the only one smiling several peeping toms grinned even wider.
Heh-heh-heh, it's finally starting.
Sayan and the others watched Ebizō prance about alone on the beach. For secrecy, the Shinkai didn't show them the scene Ebizō was setting up, so they had no idea what he was gesturing. They saw him point right, then mime stretching something large.
[Bigger, bigger yes, perfect. Now move that a bit right exactly.] Ebizō was mentally coordinating with the Shinkai, fussing over details.
About ten minutes passed.
"Ebi-kun, are you still there?"
"Yes! Hana, almost done, just a moment longer. All right, Hana, open your eyes!"
"Wow!" ×N
The moment Roka Uzumaki opened her eyes she gasped, as did the hidden onlookers.
"Tsk~ never knew my little brother could be so romantic!"
In the sky, the sunset had risen again, gilding clouds and sea in red-gold. But this time it was different. The sun itself was heart-shaped crimson at the center, fading to gold at the edges. Even the clouds formed hearts, with Ebizō's and Roka's names on either side.
Across the rest of the sky played scenes from their life together. Their first date, strolling hand-in-hand, snuggling together on this very beach. Ebizō clasping a pearl necklace around Roka's neck. Every moment filled the entire sky.
"Hana! I once believed someone like me devoted entirely to Sunagakure, ruthless for intel, steeped in darkness was doomed to be alone... until I met you. Your vitality, your grit, your hope in adversity like warm sunlight blasting into my frozen heart. I was captivated. We're already together, yet I still want to ask you properly: will you marry me?"
"Hana! Will you marry me?"
He dropped to one knee and produced the sweat-soaked bouquet from behind his back, holding it toward Roka Uzumaki. By now Roka was crying too hard to speak. Yet she still managed a proud huff.
"Hmph~ you think one bouquet is enough?" She extended her right hand to him. "At the very least... you'd better give me a ring, a bracelet, and a kilo of gold bricks."
Ebizō: "???"
Meanwhile, among the peepers
"Agh! Stop pinching! Chiyo-sama, stop! I'll give it I'll give it!" The instant Roka made her demand, Chiyo-sama seized Sayan by the neck, shaking him and wailing.
"Kazekage-sama! Ebizō's given so much to Sunagakure would you let him die lonely for a few bars of gold? Waaah..."
Sayan: [...I think I've been conned!]
In the end, Sayan sent gold sand underground, up through Ebizō's pant leg, to condense into proposal-ready gold in his pocket. Feeling the sudden weight, Ebizō froze.
[Damn it! We've got voyeurs!]
But when he caught Roka's knowing glance, he caught on at once. "Not enough! I've prepared ten kilos of gold for you!"
Sayan: "!!!!!!"
[Dark so dark! Has Sunagakure's top brass really sunk this low?]