Chapter One: Sour Milk and Tuna

Uchiha Ao sat on one of the tree branches just outside her village, scanning the area with trained eyes. Her manner was very calm, for being a twelve-year-old ANBU operative, as she leisurely bit sweet dumplings from a stick. The near-pubescent girl was dressed in ANBU garb, with her late father's sword strapped to her back and his mask on her lap.

Six years as a ninja had hardened this preteen, not in body solely, but also in heart. Muscle seemed lean, but was unprecedented by age or gender. Size made for her opponents to underestimate her strength. That is why, she presented herself as not a girl, but a feminine male; by the length of her hair, which was just long enough to hang over her face, many were duped.

When one looked at her eyes, they would see dark pools in which the shine of innocence was dwarfed immensely by death she had already witnessed in her young life. Thinking she was not alert when her actions were at their most listless would be a fool's thought, once seeing that.

A sneer came to her face as she tossed a naked dumpling stick and closed over her face with the mask. She had heard the snap of a twig in otherwise soundless scenery. A possible threat to her village was near, and was about to be taken into custody by her hands.

She stood on the branch and then dashed stealthily amongst the other ones, moving quickly to find her quarry before it moved far. Chakra on the soles of her feet softened the impact of landing, masking most of her movements to where they were nearly silent. Soon, she would come to a crouch as the target came in sight.

Adult male, approximately six feet in height, dark ebony hair. Long bangs framed his masked face, which also hid his eyes, and there were spikes fluffed up in the back. Ao recognized his clothing to be native to the Grass Country, to whom Konoha currently held no alliance. A headband confirmed his homeland.

Ao stayed silent, momentarily, as she watched the man. The fact that he was creeping around the Hidden Leaf Village told her that his intentions were most likely of a foul purpose. Strange, it was, that he was alone then—or so it seemed—but she arrived to the supposition that he, like herself, preferred to work solo. She jumped down and landed silently beside him, belittled by his size.

"The Village Gates are a little more East," she teased in a low voice, "perhaps I should escort you inside."

Just as she spoke those words, the Grass ninja pulled out a kunai and swiped it at her, but she guarded herself with the armor on her forearm. Her other arm quickly jabbed at his stomach, but he caught her fist. He took his kunai and attempted to stab the arm he caught, but she tore it from his grip and distanced herself.

"Who are you? What business do you have here?" she asked, pulling out some kunai that she threw; he threw back the same amount with enough accuracy that they clashed. He did not pause, and darted to her with incredible speed. Ao was able to miss being slammed into by his fist barely. He quickly followed up with another punch as she was backing up, and knocked off her mask; she was not physically damaged by the hit.

At that sight the masked stranger hesitated. Ao stood warily, watching to see if he was simply trying to ruse her. Then, he raised both of his arms in surrender. The young operative looked at him disbelievingly. Grown men did not often surrender to a child, she had come to learn. Few would surrender even to men their age.

So then why was he there, not yet knowing the extent of her abilities, having landed the first punch, and learning she was in fact only child, surrendering?

She kept her guard up as she approached him, taking one hand into her kunai pouch for manacles that were specially developed to suppress a captive's chakra. He did not move; the empty eyes of his mask stared at her passively. The closer she came to him, the more distrusting she became.

When she came close enough, she slid behind him, grabbed his hands, and locked his wrists into the cuffs behind him. He had not struggled one bit. "Well then . . . I'll take you in . . . don't try anything," she warned, and began to lead him into the village.

Beneath bleach-blonde hair that loosely curved and curled in a mass on top of his head, the young boy's brow furrowed in all the deep concentration a six-year-old freshman Academy student could summon. His skin was fair, a smidgen darkened with an apricot tinge, under a black fur-lined, orange hoodie, and shorts of the same color stopped an inch above his knees.

His companion, perhaps a year or so older, was less concentrated, but regarded the street below with mild interest, as well. This boy had deep rosette locks piled on his scalp and purple eyes stood against his peach skin. He wore a black tee and white shorts; bandages on his knees and shins led into blue, traditional zori. A beautiful raven, young and healthy with its glossy, stygian coat, perched on his shoulder. It preened its feathers.

The boys hid on a light-green roof belonging to Konoha's Library in the Leaf Village Center. They were low, attentive, in anticipation. Violet eyes averted to the left.

"Hatsumomo," called the pink-haired boy quietly, "when's this man supposed to show? I'm bored!" His bird cawed in agreement.

"Shut up, Pinku!" responded the blonde. "How many times I gotta tell ya t'call me 'Hatsu'? Hate that name." He looked down the street. "An' I don' know . . . but he'll come. He awways gets books 'bout now."

"I see."

"Where?!"

"No, I meanted like 'Oh, I understand' or 'oh okay.'"

"Oh." Hatsumomo continued to scope with his inherited lavendar-white eyes from Hyuuga ancestry. Girlish lashes shadowed over a part of his irises. They brightened with recognition. "There he is! Get the balloons ready!" The boys pulled the bag from behind to in-between them as they sank lower, waiting for their target to arrive at the correct mark.

The man whom they were watching had supernaturally white skin, like a sheet of paper, contrasting greatly with his ink black hair and eyes. His haircut was short and plain, simply covering his scalp, forehead, and part of the nape of his neck. A black Konoha headband tied around his forehead. He wore a black, tight turtleneck with a red zipper down the middle. One sleeve was short, the other was long. His pants stopped half-way down his shin, not quite as tight as the shirt and was held up by a red belt. Black, fingerless gloves completed the rig.

Pinku frowned. "That guy dresses funny. Your mom's going out with him?"

With an expression full of vexation, Hatsumomo nodded. "His name's Sai; he draws lotsa pictures." Although the statement itself was innocent and in-fact, it was said contemptuously as he reached for a balloon. Pinku followed suit. Sai was approaching. ". . . NOW!"

When Sai had reached an imaginary mark, both boys stood and began pelting the balloons from the roof in quick succession. Balloons in gold, reds, and greens with patterns of clouds, symbols, and summoning animals broke against his body and released a foul-smelling concoction that was not entirely liquidated. Sai raised his arms to shield his face, as did some of the passers-by as they were hit accidentally, as well.

Quickly, the boys ran out of ammunition, and their mischievous snickers turned into guffaws as they turned and fell to their rumps, holding busting guts. Their bodies shook as they slapped each other's hands victoriously.

Searching not very diligently for his assailants, Sai began wiping the substance off himself. It was a mush in a milky liquid, possibly milk itself. The mush looked to him like tuna fish.

Expression turning sour like the milk that had sunken into his clothes and still clung to his skin, he glared at the rooftop, knowing the origin of the attack. Two little boys, one whom he knew, peeked over the edge, and then quickly ducked down. He was not one to pay children much regard, so he did not yell or scream at them.

A female chuunin came up to him, wearing a red three-quarter-sleeved top under her vest, black capris, and summery, feminine zori. She had long, dark hair that waved and curled like Hatsumomo's as it fell over her shoulders and back. She also had pearlescent Hyuuga eyes.

"Sai!" she exclaimed, hardly containing a humored grin, "what the heck happened to you?"

On the roof, Hatsumomo abruptly stopped laughing and scrambled to lay on his belly and peek over the rooftop, round-eyed. He tried to remain hidden. Next to him, Pinku also laid down, and his bird left his shoulder, following suit, "What's wrong, Hatsu?" he asked, and was immediately shushed.

"It's my mommy," Hatsumomo whispered with a note of fear. "She can't know I'm up here! She tolded me t'stop pranking him!"

"Uh oh! She might tell my mommy, too!" Pinku ducked lower, as did Hatsumomo. The former looked at his bird and pulled him down; the bird squawked protest. "Tori, you gotta hide, too!"

Back on ground level, Uchiha Krystal's barely contained grin had turned cross as she looked at the roof where her son and his friend hid. "I'm sorry, Sai, I told him not to do it again . . . he's too much like his uncle." I don't understand his problem . . . he didn't know Sasuke, so he shouldn't be mad, thinking I'm replacing him. I'd expect it from Ao, but not from Momo.

"It's fine," he replied, but his smile seemed fabricated.

Quite used to this, Krystal drew the corner of her mouth with little enthusiasm and said, "Well then . . . I'd better, er . . . punish him, then, and you should clean up. Should I meet you at your place tonight? We can go for dinner, once I get the kids situated with Dad 'n' Annora, if they get here as soon as planned."

Sai's smile turned real. "Sure. Sounds good."

"Good," Krystal grinned. "I'll see you later, then." She considered giving him a quick farewell kiss, but hesitated to wipe his mouth, in case any excess substance was left behind, and then indulged. Even with the slightly malodorous stench hanging around him, she tasted a spell of his magic, and sucked a little of it in before breaking it. "Bye."

"Bye."

Sai departed in the direction of his apartment, and Krystal turned her attention to the roof again, where she briefly saw a head of blonde and of pink hair before they ducked down again. She sighed and hopped up onto the roof.

Krystal opened the gates of the Uchiha Estate and grinned widely at the couple she met. She moved forward and grabbed the man, fifty-two in his age yet still looking great, in a tight bear hug. He was a brunette, light-skinned with gentle, lazuline eyes. Grey hairs had been dyed over, and crinkles by his eyes and mouth mostly creased when he smiled.

"Afternoon, stranger," she greeted as he returned the embrace.

"Good morning," Yuuta replied, rubbing her back. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you, too." She released him and turned to his wife, embracing her, as well. "Annora." The woman was twelve years junior to her husband at forty, and had taken precautions against showing her age. Her hair was dyed black and came to her shoulders around a heart-shaped face with burnt umber eyes and dark rosette lips. Crow's feet appeared at her eyes, but the elasticity in any other part of her face had not yet been affected. She wore a light-weight dress and a sunhat as she smiled and said, "Mornin', kiddo, long time no see."

"Mhm. Come on in, Ao's not home yet, but Momo'll be glad to see you; he's a little upset at the moment," replied the younger woman. She helped with some of their luggage, for they would be in the Uchiha Estate for an extensive stay.

"Why is that?" asked Yuuta as he and Annora followed Krystal inside.

"Him and one of his friends—Pink? Pinky? Pinku!—attacked Sai with water balloons full of sour milk and tuna—," she was interrupted by the elder couple's snorts and shot them a glare, "—so I grounded him. I'll need you two to enforce that for the next week while I'm gone. He'll come straight home after the Academy, and will have to stay inside, no friends. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, but you never told us where exactly it is you're going for the next three months. Mission, right?"

Krystal nodded. "Britain. Maboroshi-sama asked for me specifically to run his Academy since he'll be severely understaffed. Hayden, who originally runs it and is one of the few people in the country trained in the ninja arts where the classrooms are already too full, is going on a spying mission in the Rain Country."

"Why?"

"Suspicious behavior. It's a long story, but there's reason to believe they want to start a war over lands, and Britain wants to find out with who and if there's any truth to it. Anyway, Britain's one of our allies, and Maboroshi-sama's a friend, so I couldn't turn it down. Oh, and I happen to be most fluent in English, thanks to the two of you."

She smiled, stopping in front of a room and set down a bag so she could slide open the door. "This is where you'll be sleeping," she said whilst showing them inside and elbowing the switch on. The queen-sized bed perpendicular to the left wall, the dresser against the opposite wall, the round table with two chairs in the corner, and the bedside tables on either side were all illuminated.

"Gramma! Grappa!" called a young voice excitedly. Moments later, Annora felt a collision with her backside as little arms and legs wrapped around her; Hatsumomo's face buried into the small of her back. She laughed and tried to twist in order to see him, but soon gave up and brought her hands back, barely able to reach his head to pat it.

"Hey, youngun', ya lookin' forward to spendin' time with us old timers?"

"Yeah!"

"Good, because we'll be having a lot of fun while Mommy's away!" Yuuta injected as he gently pulled the boy from Annora and hugged him tight, swinging him about a bit; the boy laughed.

"Watch it, Old timer, you'll throw your back out."

He snorted and set his grandson down before turning to his wife, crossing his arms. "You ought to holster those age jokes a bit, you're not exactly jail bait anymore, dear. Actually, you're reaching the age of a cougar, if you so choose."

Annora gasped.

"Dad!" Krystal covered Hatsumomo's ears. "Don't say things like that in front of Momo! He's only six!"

Hatsumomo frowned. "Hatsu! 'Momo' is so . . . girly."

"I'm your mother, I'll call you whatever. Room. Now."

"But Mommy, what's a cougar? What's jail bait—?"

"Room!"

He did not require being told a third time.

Krystal sighed. "For old timers, or whatever you are, you sure act like children . . . with a colorful vocabulary. Unpack" She did not wait for their responses, and walked away. If Zakuro and Gai had not taken a second honeymoon, she would have them watch her children, hoping not to return home with Ao and Hatsumomo wearing garish green jumpsuits and shouting "the power of youth!" Now, her worries were of a lack of censorship and having to give many explanations . . . which she would prefer right now was a toss up between the two.

She turned a corner and soon found her daughter walking outside of the kitchen. She was now in her normal wear, including a dark blue elbow-sleeved shirt that fit close to her skin under an open, light-weight, short-sleeved, button-up, colored a lighter blue and loose white shorts held up with a yellow belt. An Uchiha symbol adorned the back of her shirt. In this outfit, though a close look at body shape would have made one realize she was a girl, she looked like a boy.

"Hey, Ao, when'd you come home?"

"Approximately ten minutes ago, I think," she responded. "I would've stayed a bit later, but my captive's unconscious. Found someone near the Gates, acting suspicious. He was . . . interesting, to say the least. Grass." The preteen walked into the kitchen.

Krystal followed with an inquiring brow. "Interesting how?"

She did not answer right away, but stepped to the cupboard and obtained a glass. That in hand, she went to the refrigerator and withdrew a carton of orange juice, pushing the door closed with her bare feet. Krystal watched from the other side of the island counter, slipping onto one of the stools and putting her elbow on the counter.

Ao paused in-between the island and the fridge, staring off into space. "Many ways. He was completely alone, did not speak a word at all. Something about him felt . . . familiar. Especially his movements." She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders before bringing the carton and the glass to the top of the counter. She began unscrewing the lid.

Krystal looked thoughtful as she watched the juice pour into the glass. "You've fought a lot of ninja. If he's a common one from Grass, it's likely his movements are familiar because they're that—common."

"That's not it, though. I know common Grass arts. Those movements weren't them. . . ." She stopped pouring the juice and set the carton aside, pausing in her speech. There was a theory of where she had seen them, but a protective part of her mind told her to hold her tongue. Her eyes searched her mother. Once averting them, she slid onto a stool opposite of her and took a drink. "Well anyway, I don't know where I've seen it, before."

"Oh." Krystal took the carton which Ao had failed to cap, and closed it before circling the corners of the island to return it to the refrigerator.

Ao held her cup with both hands, stroking the side with her right thumb, staring ahead with her thoughts masked behind a concentrated brow. She lifted that hand and began tracing the tip of her finger along the rim. "He knocked off my mask . . . saw that I was a child . . . hn, he had amazing speed, and totally had the upper hand . . . yet, when he saw my face . . . he surrendered."

Krystal looked at her. "Surrendered . . .? Maybe he got a good look at your cute little face and got sweet on you," she teased, chuckling to herself. Then, she frowned. "On second thought, how old is he?"

The girl shrugged. "Body structure suggested adulthood/late adolescence. But I didn't see his face. He wore a mask, and if it's still on when I capture the suspect, I always wait to unveil the face until Ootoji-sama's there 'cause we like unmasking them together. On my way, taking him in, he tried getting away from me when we were somewhere near the Library, so I put an electric charge on my fingertips and poked him, forestalling him and rendering him unconscious. I prefer seeing my captive's angry face when unveiling him—otherwise it's no fun—so Ootoji-sama agreed to wait 'til he's conscious."

"Ah . . . sounds like real fun."

"Yes, actually, he ought to wake up by morning, so I'll get to interrogate first thing. Might be interesting. Grass shares borders with us and Rain, and is allied with Rain and River. Isn't the whole reason you're going to Britain because they're checking out Rain? Maybe there's a connection."

Krystal stood next to her and placed her hands on the counter. "Well, I hope not. If there is, we could be looking at an attack, or worse, war. Those countries are land-hungry."

Ao grinned. "Don't worry, Mom, I'll protect you and Momo. Plus, it'd be strategically irresponsible for those three countries to start a war with us. We've got Sand on our sides, and since River's sandwiched between, they'd be at a great disadvantage. Moreover, we're allied with Waterfall and Britain, too. They'd have to be completely daft."

Her mother smiled back. "Whatever you say." She leaned over and pecked her daughter's crown. "Speaking of my mission, I'll be leaving Konoha after a few hours with Sai, so I'd better get started now. Be good for Grandma and Grandpa, stay out of trouble, do as Naruto-kun says, try to be nice to your brother."

Ao rolled her eyes and returned the two-armed hug from her mother with one arm. "I always follow his orders . . . just not always yours." She returned a look with a smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be good, won't change anything drastically, protect everyone, the works."

"Good," Krystal laughed. She left the kitchen.

The girl watched the doorway for a few moments before turning her gaze to the counter, eyes hard. Her thoughts were unreadable, but she tapped her thumb and then drummed the rest of her fingers on the table in one single succession. Her eyes narrowed. Then, she shook it off and drew the glass to her lips once again.

A darkness had befallen Konoha with a turn of the Earth, illuminated by far away points of burning gases and a full circle reflection of light. Lanterns hanging from the corners of shops, edges of roofs, and the glow of signs made the village alive in the child night. Most children were home, and when the children are tucked away, the adults will come to play.

While some men were drinking and chasing skirts, and some women slouched over men's shoulders, pressing the swell of their breasts against their backs, Krystal and Sai were just outside his apartment. Her back was pressed against the door as he trailed kisses from under her earlobe down her neck, sweet and soft with the occasional nibble. He had one hand on the slender curve of her hip, and the other fumbled in his pocket for his key.

He found them around the time his bottom lip nicked her cleavage (she was wearing a red dress for their date) and raised his head to kiss her mouth as the key was inserted to the lock. She giggled a little and placed her hands on his shoulders. When the door was unlocked, he looped his arm to the small of her back and opened the door, guiding her inside.

Kicking the door closed, he lifted her by her thighs, placing himself between them as she yelped delight. Her arms held tighter at his shoulders as he effortlessly carried her toward the bedroom, withdrawing her mouth from his momentarily to place her forehead against his. Her right hand traveled to the back of his head, petting through his hair.

They tumbled onto his bed, facing each other, on their sides. Sai's touch gently slid from the outside of her thigh over her hip, the slender curve to her chest, until he reached her left bicep. The journey had sent plentifully pleasant shivers down Krystal's spine. He gingerly pushed her arm until he could touch her hand.

Suddenly, he stopped kissing her, and brought that hand up, looking at the bare fingers. He did not have to say anything; Krystal sighed. "I'm sorry, Sai. . . ."

He used his cordial, fake smile. "It's alright. After a week since I proposed to you, though, if you aren't wearing the ring yet, I suppose I've been rejected."

She frowned. "If you're going to smile, use a real one. Smiles don't always make a line sweeter, no matter how many times you read it in a book. People want reality, not a fabrication." Next, she let her eyes avert themselves in guilt. "And I'm not rejecting . . . or accepting, yet. I need time to think it over—more time."

After her comment about emotion, Sai's expression had turned to one of mild irritation, as Krystal saw when she looked at him again. It was almost broody, the way he scowled to the side.

"Look . . . I'll take the time on my mission to think. I already know how everyone else feels, I know how you feel, and I do love you . . . but I need to see how I feel about marriage—with no one else trying to influence my thoughts. My first husband died . . .," tears began welling in her eyes, "and I . . . I don't know. . . ."

Sai's scowl had softened with contrition when he looked at her. If he could not completely understand her reluctance, he could fathom lamentation for death of someone who held importance in one's heart. Before she said anything else, he leaned over and held her firmly, but comfortably. They both closed their eyes.

The ANBU operative rubbed her eyes sleepily, suppressing the urge to yawn hugely as she drug her body to Konoha's prison. Skilled as she was, she walked with poise, despite the tiredness of being awakened when the Sun's rays had barely warmed the soils of Konoha.

She had combed her hair, but as she had not been very thorough, it seemed a little ragged. She was in her normal clothing, despite this being official business, as she felt it futile to hide her identity when the captive had already seen her face. Since he had also been scared enough to surrender to her, knowing she was a child, she did not feel it necessary to flaunt her status, either. She simply wore a Konoha headband around her neck.

The girl soon caught sight of her destination: a large, forbidding building that she knew to be Konoha's prison. It was on the far outskirts of Konoha, a long distance from the Village Center, on the other side of a water-filled ravine that ran through. She crossed the bridge to the prison and entered.

Shortly, she found two men standing outside of an interrogation room, both to whom she nodded respect. "Hokage-sama, Ibiki."

"Ao," both men nodded. The first one she had addressed, Sixth Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, with a black Konoha headband over his forehead, under his spiky hair. He had a healthful shade of peach skin and three whisker-like tattoos on either cheek. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt from his throat to the baggy black capris that tucked into bandages half-way up the shin down into the black zori. An orange overcoat, short-sleeved and left open, had a fiery black trim and the kanji for fire on his back written in black.

The second man was Morino Ibiki, the most skilled man in torture and interrogation, particularly when he played the game of psychological warfare. Scars ran across his face, over his nose and near small black eyes. He wore a bandana-style hitaiate that covered his entire head. He stood tall, imposing, with a long black coat hanging on strong shoulders. It would be nice if he were not necessary, but suspects were not always willing to fork up their information. "A ninja must know how to keep secrets, even when being tortured."

"So . . . let's get a look at this guy's face, shall we?" Ao stretched, peeking through the small, square glass window of the door. Her captive sat on a wooden chair, slumped, with his masked face staring to the ground. Movement of his cuffed hands was the only thing to suggest consciousness.

Naruto grinned and nodded, possibly not exclaiming because he was a little drowsy. Ibiki turned the knob, and allowed Naruto, then Ao, to enter first prior to closing it behind himself. As the three filed into the small room, the man raised his mask and then put his shoulders to the back of the chair.

Fear? Ao wondered. She followed the line of sight by his mask's eye sockets, seeing that they followed Ibiki. But then, he relaxed. More wonder. Maybe he realizes the situation . . . Ibiki is well known. She reached forward to him, Naruto flanking her left, and Ibiki flanking her right, and held the bottom of the mask. Anon, his emotion would be known.

"You've seen my face . . . now let's get a little looksie at yours," she whispered, and slid the cover from his face.

It was a high-horsed sneer that met them instead of the frustrated countenance Ao had been looking forward to. She was very unconcerned with that factor, as her eyes widened as largely as possible and the mask slid from her grip, clattering on the floor. She backed up.

It was clear now why his movements had seemed so familiar, why everything about him made bells ring symphonies in her head. Her back and palms met the wall. "Impossible. . . ."

Their eyes were the same shade, hers and the captive's, and their shape was similar, but not congruent as his were a little smaller and narrower. She fully recognized the long bangs falling on either side of his face, the color matching hers, and the spikes. His skin was pale. "You . . . y-y-you're supposed to be . . . Mom told me you . . . and Ootoji-sama told her you . . .!"

Naruto rubbed his eyes, making sure he was not hallucinating. They were big, as well. His expression was unbelieving. That visage, the one that faced all of them with a smirk he remembered all too well, had haunted his thoughts and dreams over six years of his absence. ". . . Sasuke . . . !"

He snorted. "Somewhere between memory and reminiscence, eh loser?"

End of Chapter One

Next Time on .:Violets are Blue:.!! Chapter Two: Back From the "Dead"

Surprisingly, Hatsumomo was very silent, presently, in his excitement. His smile was straining, and his tummy was fluttering. Perhaps it partly was Ao's doing, for her unplayful demeanor had made the procession through the home quite unnerving. The man he was about to meet was his idol, the Hokage's, best friend and had even trained on the same team as him. He had also trained for years away from the village to became an outstanding, skilled shinobi. He had been the sole Uchiha survivor (though what had made it so was not to Hatsumomo's knowledge) before he met Krystal and she gave birth to a boy and girl. And, in a glorious death, the last of crimson fluid was shed from his body just after he had tracked and killed a notorious S-ranked criminal of the infamous Akatsuki.

Only, now the part about dying was not true. In a heroic twist, he had arrived "back from the dead." Hatsumomo gulped as him and Ao stopped in front of a door. He looked up at her, and she stared back. Just on the other side of this door, was the man whom had lived.

"Ready?" she asked.

Hatsumomo nodded. "Mhm."

Aki's Author Corner

Hola!! Now, what'd I tell ya guys? The sequel has already arrived!!! -dances- :D Thanks for being patient. In writing this sequel, I rise to the challenge of exceeding .:Roses are Red:. and plan to make it a longer running story! Buahahahahaha!!!

Also, I want to hear from you guys, a bit more :( I love love love getting reviews, but .:Roses are Red:. only got about fifty-six. I don't wish to sound... for lack of a better term at the moment, "bratty," so instead of ransoming chapters like some authors do (which, by the way, never ultimately work in the end) I shall give rewards!

How might this award come about, you might ask? Weeeeeeeeeelllll.....

All you must do, is be the fiftieth reviewer! And once we reach that goal, it will then go on to the 100th, 200th, so on and so forth :D (If we get that far!)

Now, what shall be the prize for being the fiftieth reviewer? A one-shot, written by me! (Yes, I obtained this idea from Chibiruju88... :D) It can be any type of one-shot you wish, including any character pairing (within reason) though it does not have to be romantic. It can be angsty, family--anything. If you do not know what type of one-shot, I shall come up with something :) Once the request is inputted, I shall try with all my power to get it out as soon as possible!

The only rules I have... no lemons. Keep the character pairings within Naruto, unless there is a pairing within another anime you'd like, however it's have to be one I'm familiar with XD The one-shot can relate to any of my existing stories, including this one, and can even be an OcXOc pairing....

Yeah... so that's it! If you're stumped about what to write in the review, then here's what you can write! (I like 'em lengthy and constructive, but others will be accepted, of course, as well :D)

1) How did you like the chapter?

2) Why do you think Sasuke was away from home all od these years?

3)Did you read the original .:Roses are Red:. on Quizilla? (Just curious)

4) Anything else you'd like to say!

Whelp, leave your reviews, love to hear from ya

Thank you for reading!! God bless you!!