Crossposted from archive of our own! link here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11966772 - This was originally posted in 2017 but i've since found the forum and decided to post it here! (i've made some minor edits bc this is from a Very long time ago). AFxBDxCFxMBxSB; T Rated

Summary: 6 weeks after Midnight’s 18th birthday, he loves his friends and they love him too. They've been boiling for so long, they finally come together.

Names: Breeze Dancer - Kazue Tachibana (he/him); Azure Fang - Hiroko Oshiro (she/her); Scarlet Blade - Takashi Uchiha (he/him); Crimson Fist - Rikuto Yama*a (he/him); Midnight Blade - Shun Nakamura (he/him)

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Takashi is the one to hint at something happening on Shun’s birthday. He’s excited about it. He has a great time but there’s no real life changing gift or news that shocks him. The others are all constantly whispering to themselves in the days that follow. He’s a little bit confused and he hates that he’s not being included but he can wait until Kazue breaks or Takashi tells him outright (he’ll wait it out even though it hurts to be excluded).

Kazue is five minutes from pulling all his beautiful long blond hair out, all of it. The preparations for the surprise have taken too long. The packages that were meant to arrive three weeks ago haven’t arrived (let it be known that any and all grass trading services should be stopped if this is the kind of thing that would happen) and Shun has been really shifty and Kazue is finding it hard to not kiss him and be over with it. Hiroko knows and she always glares him down from doing anything “st*pid”.

Hiroko thinks that this is a fantastic idea but honestly she feels really bad about not telling Shun things, like what a fantastic start. Shun knows the four of them are in a committed relationship but he probably doesn’t suspect that they’re planning a huge ‘go out with us’ party. It’s going to be fun, and such a big moment that Hiroko will be so happy to finally be together with her team. Properly. They'd finally be together. She loves them so much.

Takashi is extremely sure that the Uchiha Clan from Before are supremely disappointed in him. He doesn’t really care though. He, at 19, has everything he could possibly want. He has his team. They have each other’s backs and they’re so strong together. Shun is the last of them to turn 18 and everyone already knows (villagers of Konoha included) that something would happen and they’d go from four to five.

Rikuto is so pleased. He’s made a huge feast, the package from Kusa had arrived last night and he’d hurried to hide it away from the others so they wouldn’t spoil the surprise (he honestly wouldn’t put it past them so he’s taken this into his own hands, Kazue and Takashi had already done most of the preparing. Rikuto is planning to get Hiroko to help him set the table with food). He tells Shun and Kazue to go shopping for some supplies, because Takashi has run out of ink and Hiroko had expressed interest in the really pink flowers at the Yamanaka's Flower Shop!! Kazue knows what they look like go, GO!

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Kazue and Shun walk to the stationery store first, Kazue goes for the sparkly pens and Shun goes to the ink. He’s in front of the home brand ones that are always significantly cheaper when Kazue starts squealing with delight. He has a huge eraser, it’s pink and the size of his hand. Shun is impressed despite himself and lets Kazue bring it to the counter. Shun grabs three bottles and pays for the ink and eraser. Kazue talks animatedly about one of the kids at the academy that had found their way into the training ground and how Kazue showed the civilian-born how to properly do the Henge, I don't understand why they slow it down for the kids! They're so talented!!! Kazue has opinions about the education system and he often makes them known, loudly and in front of the Hokage.

Ino is the one behind the desk at the flower shop. Which is unusual, because her mother is normally in store. Ino greets them with a cheeky grin and asks questions about how training is and giggles with Kazue about her latest squeeze is. Shun is Uncomfortable so he looks around the shop for a bit. He finds a cute cactus that Hiroko might like as well and picks it up, inspecting it further (it’s so small and cute and green with little spikes in strange pentagonal patterns).

Kazue laughs loudly at something Ino says and their voices soften to whispers as they talk conspiratorially about the daimyo and his new consort, and what it would be like to replace the previous one. Shun withholds a sigh and looks around for the pink flower that had caught Hiroko’s eye. She no doubt wanted to draw it or something, or it would look pretty on display. Shun doesn’t think he finds it inside the store (the pink flowers are a lighter pink and are a really big lily species and since Shun knows what they are they must not be it).

He wanders back to where Kazue and Ino are now talking about how Sakura has no tact and will always be unable to win the heart of the boy that sells the woven baskets in the marketplace and honestly, Shun, have you seen her she never shows interest in anything but work and when she flirts it's terrible ugh. Kazue has opinions on this and Ino apparently shares them. Shun knows that Naruto has been gearing up to ask Sakura out for a very long time, but he's being a bit of a wuss about it because the three of them are rarely in village for a long time.

Shun manages to get them away from gossiping about everything under the sun and reminds Kazue about the flower Hiroko wanted. Ino, standing up, glides to the backroom with a flick of her hair and comes back with a huge flower pot and dark pink flowers flowing out of it, Shun doesn’t really get the appeal but he pays for them and the cactus with groans from Kazue (he complains that Shun spoils them too much and that he should allow some of Kazue’s money to go towards the happiness of his teammates, Shun likes to ignore this and always swats Kazue’s hands away with increasing difficulty each time).

Kazue and Shun walk home with a small plastic bag and two flower pots. Sometimes Kazue likes to pretend that he’s a normal non-shinobi and wander around the village with an air of nonchalance, even though they’re both well-known to be part of team 20 and are quite the bounty hunters. Almost hunter-nin but not quite there yet, too young Tsunade says.

It’s almost dark by the time they actually reach home, Kazue had gotten distracted by a playground and they’d stopped to sit on the swings and push each other down the too-small slide.

Rikuto opens the front door, taking the flowers and the plastic bag from Kazue’s hands and ushering them in.

“I made dinner and everyone else is ready to eat.” He says pushing them gently inside, the two allow themselves to be guided into the dining room. The room is candle lit, Hiroko and Takashi are talking quietly and smile at Shun as he walks in. Kazue and Rikuto are grinning at each other and Shun moves towards his seat when he sees Kazue fist bump Rikuto.

“Hey, Shun, Shun,” Hiroko says gesturing him at the food. “Eat up!” She says with a wink. Shun looks at the food on the table and it’s all of his favourites. Rikuto laughs heartily.

“This was the surprise but it’s really late.” Takashi says with a huge smile and Shun honest to gods giggles a little hysterically. He’s definitely surprised and he doesn't expect Kazue to come up behind him and hug him. He rests his chin on his shoulder.

“Nakamura Shun, would you like to date us?” Kazue asks. Shun smiles harder and turns his head to kiss him. Rikuto hands him a box, it holds a chain with a ring on it. He audibly gasps, the intricate engraving matches the rings the others have.

“Of course.” He says and Hiroko cheers and Takashi whoops, throwing his hands up. Shun is really happy, he realises that this was the thing they had been keeping secret and he can’t help but laugh. He loves them, he really does, he has since he was sixteen and they’d become a team.