The celebration at Minato and Kushina's apartment was in full swing when Honoka nearly caused a disaster.
She'd been helping Kushina bring out more food from the kitchen, arms loaded with plates of grilled meat and skewered dango, when someone came through the doorway at the exact same moment.
"Oh!"
"No, that was my fault. Here, let me help."
A figure caught the wobbling plates before anything could hit the floor. Honoka looked up and found herself meeting a familiar face. She'd seen this man in the hallway a few times, always with a polite nod, but they'd never actually talked.
"Thanks," she said, steadying her grip. "That would've been bad."
"Yeah, it would've been a waste of good food," he replied, taking half the plates from her with an easy smile. "I'm Ikkaku. We're technically neighbors, I think. I live next door to Kenji."
"Honoka. And yes, I know. I've seen you around."
They carried the plates into the main room together. Kushina spotted them immediately and waved.
"Ikkaku! You came! I was starting to think you'd bail!"
"On your cooking? Not a chance," Ikkaku said, setting the plates down on the already-crowded table.
Kushina grinned and grabbed a dango skewer. "Good answer. Honoka, you've met Ikkaku, right? He's Kenji's oldest friend."
"We just introduced ourselves," Honoka said with a small smile.
"Well, now you can talk instead of just nodding in hallways." Kushina bit into her dango. "Ikkaku, Honoka lives with Kenji."
Ikkaku glanced at Kushina and chuckled. "I know. You should probably slow down on the drinks."
Kushina scoffed. "Please. I'm fine." She took another bite of dango, then added, flicking the skewer toward Honoka, "If it weren't for her, Kenji would forget to eat entirely."
"I believe it," Ikkaku said. "Last time I tried to get his attention while he was working on a puppet, he didn't even notice I was there for ten minutes."
"That sounds about right."
The party flowed around them. Honoka found herself drifting near Ikkaku as people moved past. Everywhere else, the talk felt light and forgettable. He was easy to talk to. His questions actually required thought instead of polite noise.
"So what do you do?" Honoka asked at one point. "In terms of ninja work, I mean."
"Intelligence division," Ikkaku said. "I'm an analyst. Not the flashy mind-walking type like some clan members, but the guy who processes information and makes sure it gets where it needs to go. Coordination, mostly."
"That sounds important."
"It is, but nobody notices when it goes right. They only notice when it goes wrong." He shrugged. "If I do my job properly, missions succeed. If I mess up, people die. So there's pressure, but it's the kind I can handle."
"Better than frontline combat?"
"For me, yeah. I'm not built for that kind of work. I'd rather be the person making sure the right intelligence reaches the right people than the person fighting. What about you? Are you active duty?"
"No. I'm... not really a kunoichi. I mean, I have some basic training, but I'm learning medical techniques right now. Trying to, anyway."
"Medical ninjutsu is useful. We never have enough medical-nin."
"That's what everyone says. The problem is I'm not very good at it yet."
"Yet being the important word," Ikkaku said with a smile. "Most worthwhile skills take time."
---
Across the room, Kenji was talking to Jiraiya about something. Honoka's attention drifted that direction for a moment, watching him gesture as he explained whatever point he was making.
Ikkaku noticed the shift in her focus but didn't comment.
A few minutes later, Kenji extracted himself from the conversation and wandered over to where Ikkaku stood.
"Enjoying the party?" he asked.
"The food's good and I haven't been cornered by anyone trying to set me up yet, so it's going well," Ikkaku replied. "You?"
"Jiraiya's been drinking."
"I noticed. That doesn't answer my question."
Kenji just smiled.
Honoka listened as they fell into easy banter. Kenji's expression was more relaxed than usual, his dry humor coming through in ways he rarely showed around most people.
"How's the new puppet design coming?" Ikkaku asked.
"The joint calibration is giving me trouble, but I'll work it out."
"If you need another set of eyes, I'm available."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The conversation shifted to technical details about chakra conduction and material stress points. Honoka found herself listening, not because she understood everything, but because hearing Kenji talk about his work was familiar.
After a few minutes, Kenji excused himself to refill his drink. Ikkaku turned back to Honoka.
"You're patient. Most people zone out when we start talking shop."
"I'm used to it. Kenji explains his projects sometimes when he's working through problems. I don't always follow, but it's interesting."
"Hahaha. That's generous of you."
"Not really. He's teaching me medical techniques when he has time, so listening seems like fair trade."
Ikkaku's expression shifted slightly, something thoughtful crossing his face, but he just nodded.
---
The party continued for another hour. When it started winding down, Ikkaku found Honoka again.
"I know Kenji's been helping you with medical training. But he's going to be swamped the next few weeks with that puppet project he mentioned. If you want to keep practicing basics, I could help. I've been assisting him with some of the precision work, and the fundamentals overlap with medical ninjutsu."
"Really? You'd do that?"
"Sure. I'm right next door anyway, and honestly, I don't have much to do while he's buried in work. Might as well make myself useful, right?"
"That would be wonderful. Thank you."
"How about tomorrow evening? Around seven?"
"I'll be there."
---
The next evening, Honoka knocked on Ikkaku's door at exactly seven.
He answered immediately, welcoming her into an apartment that was nearly identical to Kenji's in layout but completely different in feel. Books lined shelves, mission reports sat in organized stacks, and photographs covered one wall.
"Make yourself comfortable," Ikkaku said, gesturing to the low table where he'd already set out practice materials. "Want tea?"
"Yes, please."
While he prepared tea, Honoka looked at the photographs. Most showed Ikkaku with various people, some she recognized as Yamanaka clan members. A few included a younger Kenji.
"That was our Academy days," Ikkaku said, following her gaze as he returned with tea. "Feels like a lifetime ago."
"You've known him that long?"
"Since we were six. We ended up in the same classes, and we just stayed friends. He doesn't let people in easily. But once you're in, you're in. He's loyal to a fault." Ikkaku settled across from her at the table. "Anyway, show me what you've been working on."
---
For the next hour, they focused on chakra control exercises. Ikkaku broke down complex concepts into manageable pieces, patient when she struggled, encouraging when she succeeded.
"You're overthinking," he said at one point. "Your control is solid. You just tense up right before you think you'll fail, which disrupts your flow. It's a confidence problem, not a skill problem."
"It's confidence problem? How... how do I fix that?"
"Practice. And being less hard on yourself." He refilled her tea. "Take a break."
They sat drinking tea.
"Can I ask you something?" Honoka said. "Why did you move next door to Kenji? Most people want their own space away from work friends."
"Practical reasons, mostly. When he got injured years back, he needed help but wouldn't ask for it. Being next door made it easier to check on him without making it weird." Ikkaku shrugged. "And honestly, the apartment was available and the location worked for me."
"That was kind of you."
"Kenji would've done the same."
"He would have," Honoka agreed with a soft smile. Then, after a pause, "He took me in too. Practical reasoning, but it meant everything to me. I didn't have anywhere else to go."
"You're Uzumaki, right?"
"Yeah. It's just me and Kushina now."
"I'm sorry."
"It was a long time ago. I've had time to accept it." She looked down at her tea. "That's why having a place with Kenji matters. It's not just housing. It's... having somewhere I belong."
Something flickered across Ikkaku's expression, but before Honoka could identify it, he changed the subject.
"Why do you want to learn medical techniques?"
"Kenji suggested it. The village could use more medical-nin, and it just made sense."
"…He suggested it?"
"Yeah. He said I had the right temperament for it." A small smile crossed her face. "I think he was just being practical again, but it felt good that he thought I could do it."
Ikkaku's eyes sharpened slightly. "Does he give you feedback on your progress?"
"Sometimes. Mostly corrections when I'm doing something wrong. But last week he mentioned I was improving faster than he expected, which was..." She trailed off, the small smile returning. "It was nice to hear."
"I bet."
They talked for another thirty minutes before Honoka glanced at the time and stood. "I should get back. Kenji will probably work through dinner if someone doesn't make him stop."
"Thanks for coming by. Same time in a couple days?"
"That would be great."
As Honoka gathered her things, Ikkaku walked her to the door. "Hey, I was thinking of checking out that new bookshop near the market tomorrow afternoon. Want to come? I need a break from reports, and you mentioned you like reading."
Honoka blinked in surprise. "Oh. Sure, that sounds nice."
"Great. Meet you at the building entrance around two?"
"I'll be there."
---
The next afternoon, Honoka met Ikkaku outside their apartment building. The weather was pleasant, and they fell into easy conversation as they walked through the village.
The bookshop was small but well-organized, packed with everything from basic civilian ninja manuals to fiction. They browsed separately for a while before reconvening near the medical section.
"Find anything good?" Ikkaku asked.
"A few basic medical technique guides I haven't seen before. What about you?"
"History texts. I like reading about the formation of the village system." He held up a book. "This one's about the First Hokage. Probably half propaganda, but still interesting."
They browsed for another twenty minutes before leaving. Ikkaku bought his history book, while Honoka reluctantly decided to save her money for necessities instead of the medical guides.
"I'll lend you mine when I'm done," Ikkaku offered as they walked back. "I've got a few medical texts from when I was helping Kenji understand biological systems for his puppet work. You're welcome to borrow them."
"Really? That would be helpful."
"No problem."
They stopped at a dango stand on the way back. Honoka ordered the sweet kind, Ikkaku went for the savory.
"So," Ikkaku said as they ate, "how did you end up living with Kenji? I know you said you needed a place, but I'm curious about the details."
"It was pretty straightforward. I didn't really have anywhere to go at the time, and I needed help adjusting to Konoha. The Hokage suggested we stay together. It worked out for both of us."
"And you've been there ever since?"
"Yeah. It's comfortable. Kenji's not around much because he's always training or working on puppets, so I have plenty of space. And when he is around, he's easy to live with."
"Do you ever feel like you're just his housekeeper?"
Honoka paused, considering the question seriously. "No. I mean, I cook and clean, but it's not like he demands it. It's just... what I can contribute. He gave me a place to stay, so I want to help however I can."
"Fair enough."
They finished their dango and continued walking. The conversation drifted to village gossip, recent missions people were talking about, and Kushina's enthusiastic attempts at matchmaking.
"She tried to set me up with three different people at that party," Ikkaku said with amusement. "I think she's determined to see everyone paired off."
"She means well. She and Minato seem really happy together."
"They are. It's nice seeing that kind of relationship work out, even in the middle of all the ninja chaos."
As they neared their apartment building, Ikkaku glanced at Honoka. "Can I ask you something personal? And feel free to tell me it's none of my business."
"...Okay?"
"Are you and Kenji together?"
Honoka stopped walking, surprise crossing her face. "What? No. Why would you think that?"
"Just checking. I work in intelligence, so I'm used to being careful about assumptions. I didn't want to overstep if there was something there."
"We're not. He's like..." She paused, searching for the right words. "Like family. A brother, I guess. It's not romantic."
"Got it. Just wanted to be sure."
They reached the building and headed upstairs. At Ikkaku's door, he turned back to Honoka. "Same time for training in a couple days?"
"I'll be there. And thank you for today. It was nice having someone to browse books with."
"Anytime. See you soon."
Honoka walked to Kenji's apartment, letting herself in to find him exactly where she expected: hunched over his workbench, surrounded by puppet parts.
"I'm making dinner," she called out.
Kenji paused, turned around, and said, "Thanks, Honoka."
She smiled slightly and went to the kitchen, comfortable enough not to think twice about being there.
---
Given the timeframe, this was the best I could come up with. Romance isn't my strong suit, so it might feel a bit cliché or even cringey to some readers.
Chapters 90-95 were written based on a poll. Why include it there? Honestly, romance wasn't part of the plan, but a lot of readers wanted it.