A thankfully waffle-free post

[moonsheen]

These days, he can haul in a small net by himself. The boat rocks an inch from overturning, and by the time the roiling mass is all the way in he has to flail to keep from falling backwards, but it’s worth it. The men will be pleased, and there’ll be plenty of fish for dinner. Super job, Inari, they’ll say. And then they’ll give him a friendly clap on the shoulder and send him on his way. Inari feels good about that. Sure, he’s still got a long way to go but he’s getting better every day. And even if he falls out of the boat, something he’s done on more than one occasion, he can always find his way back to shore. People are sometimes surprised at how a skinny kid like him could be such a strong swimmer.

Inari just laughs and tells them his dad taught him.

That ends most of the talk. People remember his dad, these days. Not like they ever forgot him; it just took some time for them to realize they hadn’t. Some time and a few ninja who, Inari likes to boast, occasionally still come to visit him when they’re passing through. That’s a special occasion that warrants a bigger net, and he’ll charge dripping wet through the door with an armful of fish just so they can look--Just so Naruto can get an especially good look—at what kind of man he’s growing up to be.



Inari's a cute kid. He'll grow up all right, I think. Not going to ask where he learned to use that crossbow, though.