Power cord? Check. Water? Check. Check for game updates? Check. Snacks and food for sixteen hours? Check!

Sakura eyed her battle array set out in front of her and finally nodded in satisfaction.

"What're you prepping for, Sakura-chan, the gaming apocalypse?" Tenten laughed at her as she packed her school bag.

"We're going to attempt the final couple's mission today," Sakura declared, not at all put off by Tenten's teasing. "It's 16 hours, and no one's ever beaten it. If we beat it, we cap out our intimacy points, and we're all set for the tournament."

"Wh-what about if you don't?" Hinata asked, curious.

"Then I've wasted 16 hours, and we go into the tournament with a serious handicap." Sakura sighed. She perked up again with a fist pump, though. "But we won't fail! I believe in Meister!"

"Good luck, you weirdo," Temari eyed her, "Don't forget about your algorithms assignment. We're convening to compare answers tomorrow, remember?"

"Yes yes," Sakura waved her hand, "I'm almost done, anyways."

"That's our resident genius for you," Tenten teased her from the doorway as she and Temari left.

Sticking her tongue out at the closing door, Sakura finally popped on her headset and logged in. As soon as she appeared at the predetermined meeting place, though, instead of finding her husband, she found Wulf and Old Man waiting for her.

[Here] OldRamenMan: 3SIL!
[Here] Beowulf69: hey
[Here] SakuraBlossom: Hey guys
[Here] OldRamenMan: Sm1rk's has to wrap up a phone call, he'll be here soon.
[Here] Beowulf69: He told us to practice PVPing with you first :D

Sakura frowned. That doesn't sound like Sm1rk. We have a 16 hour mission in front of us.

[Here] SakuraBlossom: Really?
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: No
[Here] Beowulf69: Boo Killjoy
[Here] Beowulf69: You guys are about to do a PVP tournament, you need the practice anyways
[Here] OldRamenMan: he's got a point there.
[Here] Beowulf69: We could give you a good fight
[Here] Beowulf69: Get some practice, you know
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: I see a problem
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: Way only has heterosexual couples
[Here] Sm1rkMeister: Who's taking the sex change potion?

Sasuke didn't even flinch when both of them shot out of their seats, raring for a fight. "YOU BE THE GIRL," Naruto and Kiba yelled at the same time.

"I'm taller than you!"

"I have more muscles than you!"

"I'm a better basketball player than you!"

"You even have a jutsu that'll turn you into a hot chick!"

"Oh yeah?! I can use it on you!"

"Bring it on!"

"I will!"

Chouji rolled his eyes at both of them, "Honestly, you two..."

Sasuke smirked, then looked back down at his keyboard.

[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: We should go
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: It's a long mission.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Ready, mdw?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: ??
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Ready
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: What happened to them?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Just ignore them

Sakura blinked as Wulf and Oldman started fighting furiously, even though she and Meister were walking away. Ah whatever, I'll figure it out later. Time to attempt this mission impossible! How hard could it be anyways?

(*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

Which sadistic bastard dev created this quest?! Sakura wanted to cry when she saw the last puzzle. A chess puzzle?! What the heck is chess doing inside a game about ninjas?! Shannaro!

Sakura had lost track of time. Seven or eight hours must have passed, and they'd done each and every kind of activity the game ever had, from the basic, fend of a mob of several billion enemies, to the sadistic, kill one mob without hurting any others, to puzzles with even less direction than the hagoromo couples mission. There had even been a step to gather a rare kind of moon grass. If Sakura hadn't been a master herbalist with superior chakra control, she didn't know how they would've passed that step in the mission.

Now, with only two steps to go out of the thirty-two steps in the mission, Sakura was about to slowly bang her head on the desk when she saw the thirty first step.

[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I've never really played chess before...
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I don't even know what they're asking for!
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I also don't want to get sent back to the beginning again >.<

That had happened on the seventeenth step four hours ago, when Sakura had accidentally started a music puzzle early. She'd been ready to cry when she'd realize they'd have to start over, but Meister hadn't complained.

[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I know
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Don't worry

Before she could question him further, Meister moved to the chessboard, which only had two white pieces out of place and one black piece out of place. She watched with a bated breath as he picked up one of the black pieces on the back row, and moved it diagonally.

I hope this works...

Sakura held her breath as the chessboard dissolved into a pool of light, and her screen went white. The flash hurt her dry eyes, but when she could see again they were standing outside the battle arena where Meister and Fries had fought earlier.

[Couple] System: Congratulations! You have reached the last step in the [Love Across Time and Space Mission]
[Couple] System: the final test is to see how long your red string of fate will stretch.

Sakura pumped her fists in the air and cheered. Her exuberance startled Hinata, who was just putting away her algorithms homework.

"A-Are you done?" Hinata-chan queried as she stretched.

"No, last step now. But we're almost there!" Sakura grinned. This time, an NPC Sakura had never before seen appeared near the arena, a pale man in a white kimono and bottomless eyes.

[Couple] Toneri: So it's you this time
[Couple] Toneri: You think you can change my mind?
[Couple] Toneri: Fine
[Couple] Toneri: Show me true love across time and space
[Couple] System: A strange old man has started making weird demands of you and your significant other. Do you wish to humour him? Type Y to begin the last step of the [Love across Time and Space] Chain Mission
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Y
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Y

Sakura had her eyes glued to the screen, not wanting to miss a second that might prove crucial to the outcome of this notoriously difficult mission, but all she saw was her screen suddenly going black.

She waited, ready to be done with this diabolical mission.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Her screen was still black.

"What the heck is going on?!" Sakura muttered to herself as she tabbed out of her window to make sure it wasn't her system freezing or anything.

"E-everything okay?" Hinata asked.

"My screen went totally black. I can't see anything at all," Sakura frowned as she checked her task manager, "This is very strange."

"W-would milk tea help?" Hinata offered, bringing over a cup.

"Milk tea always helps," Sakura grinned, "Thanks Hina-chan. You're the best! Hey, you're done with Algo, right? You should play for a bit - Wulf and Old Man should be online."

"I-I think I will then," Hinata smiled shyly and opened up her computer at her desk. She knew better to sit next to Sakura in the middle of an intense gaming session.

[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Sakura
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Are you there?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Are you okay?
[Couple] System: SakuraBlossom has woken up! Sm1rkMeister must find her in 7 hours and 48 minutes, otherwise...
[Couple] System: The only link SakuraBlossom will have with the outside world is this chat box. Use it well...
[Couple] System: Show us a love that reaches across time and space.

All of a sudden, a pool of light fell on her character and only her character appeared on her screen, alongside that flashing chat box that suddenly came alive. Sakura blinked, surprised, but quickly responded.

[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Still here
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Not sure where here is, though
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I'm in a dark hole and all I can see is the bare ground around me.
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I don't even have my gui,
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Not even my skills
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: just this chat bar.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Interesting
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Do you have any other clues?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: What about sound?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: ...
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Nothing, I can't hear anything
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: ...
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Hm
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Wait
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I think I hear a bell?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Very far off in the distance though
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Okay, just sit still then
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: We have time
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: I will always find you

Sakura felt her cheeks grow hot. Shannaro! If he's not careful, I'm going to misunderstand him... No, no, no, I can't just sit there like some princess waiting to be rescued. Let's see if I can find more info on the forums.

To her chagrin, though, there wasn't a single word about the mission on the forums. The only post she could find was one obscure sentence: "The red string of fate draws lovers together across time and space."

That can't be it! Sakura stared at her screen. But it really was all she could find, even using multiple keywords and combinations of searches. She even used an external search engine. The only other hint she could find were a couple of players complaining about deleted forum posts and another external strategy page declaring that the guide was no longer appropriate, since the company had reprogrammed the mission entirely.

So that's why no one's beaten it yet. Sakura mused, raising her eyebrows. With that, she gave up looking and just reported the scanty information she'd found to Meister.

[Couple] SakuraBlossom: The only thing I could find was a forum post
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: It said "The red string of fate draws lovers together across time and space"
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Does that mean anything to you?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Maybe Jiraiya?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Maybe
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Just leave it to me.
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Don't you have studying to do?
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Yeah, but I feel guilty leaving you with all the work
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Besides, don't you have studying, too?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: No

Sakura cocked her head at his last message. But Old Man and Wulf have mentioned classwork, and I know they're all roommates. I didn't think the school let you stay on campus if you weren't enrolled...

Before she could think more about it, though, Meister asked another mission.

[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Nothing re: Jiraiya
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Do you remember if any of the couples missions mentioned a red string?
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: or ribbon, or anything long and tieable
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: Maybe that's our starting point
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Hmm...
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Let me check my notebook

Sakura reached for her ever-present red notebook and started from about midway through, where she and Meister had met. Keeping a gaming diary was strange, even by super nerd standards, but Sakura considered her little red book part of her professional development and since she'd started it after she and Fries had done many of the couples mission, her notes with Meister were extremely detailed.

She stopped at the last entry, of Heitaro and his Willow wife - the last mission they'd done. Her fingers gently traced over the rough sketch of the willow with the long red rope tied around it marking it as a sacrifice to the imperial court. I remember, I sketched it down because the red ribbon made me think of someone cutting a woman's throat. It was good symbolism. She frowned at the note she'd made beside it, though. When I did this with Fries, the ribbon was white. Maybe... Sakura jumped to her keyboard.

[Couple] SakuraBlossom: Go find the willow wife
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: from our last mission
[Couple] SakuraBlossom: I think she has a clue
[Couple] Sm1rkMeister: OK

She blinked. He's just going to go, just like that? He didn't even ask me why? Then again, this is a timed mission. Maybe he just doesn't want to waste time. Oh well, I guess I should just trust him too. At least this way I can get some algorithms done. With that though, Sakura pulled out her homework like a responsible scholarship student.

A couple hours later, Sakura had finished her algorithms homework and was well into the advance reading and assignment for the next week. She hadn't wanted to navigate away from Way on her laptop, just in case Meister needed to ask her another mission, but since she didn't have a phone, she didn't have much else to do sitting at her desk. Beside a couple of questions about their old missions, though, Meister had maintained radio silence, and she didn't want to distract him from whatever he was doing. She glanced at the mission timer and made a face at it. 4 hours remaining. Well, at least I have snacks.

Just as she was about to reach for another strawberry daifuku, though, another chat started bombarding her with messages. She jumped, thinking it was Meister with something for her to do, but frowned when she saw the name of the sender.

[Whisper] MightyEbisu: SakuraBlossom you have some explaining to do
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: I didn't think you were this kind of person
[Whisper] MightyEbisu:I didn't think one of your statics would do something so reprehensible
[Whisper to MightyEbisu] SakuraBlossom: Woah woah woah
[Whisper to MightyEbisu] SakuraBlossom: Meister and I are in the middle of attempting the [Love Across Time and Space] Couples Mission
[Whisper to MightyEbisu] SakuraBlossom: I've been locked in a dark room for the past three hours.
[Whisper to MightyEbisu] SakuraBlossom: What exactly are you accusing me of?
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: Some of your new static members
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: Stole a drop from Kasumi
[Whisper to MightyEbisu] SakuraBlossom: Who?
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: I made allowances for you since Fries broke up with you
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: I haven't even complained that you haven't been supporting the clan as much
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: But there's no need to bully his new wife and her friends
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: They're
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: We're all adults, and it's just a game
[Whisper] MightyEbisu: I expect you to return the drop and apologize to Kasumi

Sakura sat there with her mouth agape from disbelief. The nerve of this guy! Does he have a delusional disorder or something? I didn't even know the UWU family joined the clan, anyways. Sakura's anger started to boil over. He's the clan leader, not my mother. I gave them fair warning that I was going to be busy with the couples tournament and levelling up my intimacy with Meister. He doesn't get to dictate how I play the game!

A sudden thought occurred to her. I don't even have a static right now, anyways, unless you count Meister. But he's been even busier than I have. Who the heck is this numbskull talking about? Then she saw Hinata's screen out of the corner of her eye. Hinata-chan maybe? But how would he... Oh right, the video!

"Hinata-chan, are you, Old man and Wulf playing together right now? Are you doing an open world mission?" Sakura asked

"Y-yes, the Shukaku world boss in the Land of Sand. Is something wrong?"

"Did you guys steal someone's drop? Not you, but maybe Wulf or Old Man?"

"N-No. C-can you even do that?"

"Yeah, if something really rare drops for a world boss, the system will announce it and allow players to fight you for it if they pay a big enough penalty. It's considered pretty rude to do something like that to one of your allies, though."

"O-Oh. Th-the system did announce one of Ramen-san's drops. D-Does that help?"

"Did it announce anyone else's first?"

"N-No, I don't think so," Hinata frowned, "Wh-what's the matter?"

"My clan leader is accusing him of stealing a rare drop from one of our clan members. Did you see anyone with a name starting with "uwu" around?"

Hinata thought hard about it before she remembered something, "L-Like the girl who stole your ex-husband? I-I think Wulf might have mentioned it. B-but we definitely didn't fight them or anything."

Sakura scoffed and smiled at Hinata before she turned back to her computer, "Thanks Hina-chan. I'll take it from here."

Hinata watched the battle light shine in Sakura's eyes as her roommate rolled up her sleeves, ready to go to war. Turning back to her own game, she blinked at the barrage of messages she was receiving.

[Party] Sexy OldRamenMan: Sola-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan
[Party] Sexy OldRamenMan: Sola Sola Sola Sola
[Party] Sexy OldRamenMan: Do you have time for another world boss or no?
[Party] Tournesola: Oh, sorry
[Party] Tournesola: Yes I do have time.
[Party] Tournesola: I was just talking to Sakura-chan
[Party] Sexy OldRamenMan: 3SIL?
[Party] Beowulf69: What happened?
[Party] Tournesola: I think Sakura-chan got accused of stealing a drop
[Party] Tournesola: or
[Party] Tournesola: no
[Party] Tournesola: She got accused of us stealing a drop
[Party] Tournesola: Anyways she was just asking me about it
[Party] Beowulf69: WHAT?!
[Party] Beowulf69: By WHO!?
[Party] Beowulf69: Bull *****
[Party] Sexy OldRamenMan: That's