Disclaimer: Neither Drake nor I own any Naruto characters. We own Joshua and Arlene and future characters owned by us will be noted.

Joshua stared at the ceiling of his home, briefly wondering if Arlene was asleep. She had been as quiet as him since they had decided to fall asleep at roughly two in the morning after discussing the events that had taken place.

"Arlene, you asleep?" he ventured.

"Nope, you?"

Joshua narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Yes, I'm just mumbling in my sleep and happen to be answering your replies…"

"Oh. Kay."

Joshua groaned softly and then asked the question on his mind. "You think we're somehow sharing the same dream? Like… fell asleep and are somehow linked?"

There was a pause and he knew Arlene was thinking the idea over. "No, I don't think so, that knife felt real… really real."

"And Itachi's punch…" Joshua rubbed his stomach, wincing when he felt the bruise. "So… they're real, how?"

"No idea… lets check my dimension jumping book! Oh wait, there's no such thing… I should write it."

Joshua nearly face palmed. "Sure.. .good luck with that." he paused, listening. "they've been quiet, think they're gone?"

"Don't know, wanna go check?"

"Hell to the no!" Joshua said, he might have admired Itachi to the point of being a fanboy, but he wasn't about to approach the Uchiha at this time. "You check…"

There was a subtle shift in the house and the floor creaked, both pairs of eyes travelled to the door and waited for it to open to reveal one of the two ninja who were in the house. The knob turned and the door opened…

No one entered.

"Well that's creepy-"

A monster roared and entered, it's claws tearing into a screaming Arlene.

Joshua woke up and said. "Holy shit on a hot summer day in November!" he glanced around frantically, gripped the book at his bedside and held it at the throwing ready.

Arlene was soundly asleep on the floor on her mattress, not eviscerated. He was alive and well, and the house was still standing. But, was it a dream? He thought. Standing he moved over Arlene and opened the door to the hall, poking his head out he observed it.

It seemed normal.

"Morning."

Joshua leapt back, falling onto the floor with a crash and his head hitting Arlene's ankle, causing him to yelp in pain and rub the back of his head while waking the sleeping woman up in the process.

"Ow! The hell?" Arlene cried, sitting up and beating Joshua with a pillow.

Itachi stood at the doorframe, his hair was wet and small droplets of water around his face and neck indicated he had taken a shower, his cloak was on as were everything beneath it, or Joshua assumed, and he watched the display with mild amusement.

When Arlene noticed the older Uchiha, she yawned and said. "Morning…" though it was a grumpy tone.

Joshua grunted, sitting up and saying. "So you are here." to Itachi.

Itachi nodded, blood red Sharingan glinting in the morning light and Joshua had to look away to not get mesmerized by the beautifully dangerous eyes he knew could summon black flames, deadly illusions or Susanooo.

Itachi noticed this however and asked. "You fear my eyes?"

"I know what they're capable of," Joshua stated, standing and dusting himself off. "I'm taking a shower, if that is fine with you?"

Itachi nodded. "I do not care, however, your supplies are running low, you and Arlene must go replenish them, me and Deidara will accompany you both so that you do not try anything."

Arlene pouted. "I call Deidara to accompany me!"

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Alright then, well, guess your watching me then," he said to the Uchiha before grabbing some spare clothes, then stepping into the washroom to shower. Soon the sounds of running water were heard.

Arlene and Itachi stayed in the same room, both silent. Until Arlene broke it. "Sooo… what did you and Deidara talk about last night?"

"How to effectively kill you should we need to," was the blunt reply.

Arlene laughed nervously, wishing she hadn't asked. "Oh… well, lets hope there's no need in the future…" she said, then quickly changed topics. "Why are we out of food so quickly?"

"Me and Deidara were hungry."

Arlene just stared. "The fridge was half full."

"Now it is empty," Itachi said simply. "You and Joshua are going to change that."

"How do you know our names?"

Itachi tilted his head. "I was listening in on you two last night."

"…creeper."

Before Itachi could inquire what a 'creeper' was there was a blonde behind him. Deidara grinned from ear to ear when he withdrew a spatula in one hand and a large frying pan in the other. "I found eggs! girl! Make us eggs!" he commanded, mouths dripping with drool at the prospect of eggs.

Arlene huffed. "You can ask nicely, you know?" she retorted, glaring at the blonde.

"I could, but then my little friend would be angry!" Deidara grinned maliciously as a small clay spider climbed up Arlene's shoulder and presented itself.

"I bet it's small," Arlene snickered.

The blonde narrowed his visible eye and stepped forward, "Say that again, you little-"

"Deidara, enough…" Itachi said, putting his hand up. "She is going to make us breakfast, now, go ready the eggs…" he said to Arlene, Sharingan swirling. She gulped, stood and saluted then went to work in the kitchen.

All the while no one noticed Joshua singing in the shower.

When Arlene finished the eggs for the two S-ranked missing nin she set two plates down at the table in front of both, feeling hungry herself she decided to makes some for herself, and Joshua if he wanted any when he got out.

The three ate in silence.

Deidara broke it this time with a small burp. "That was very good… hmm," he grinned at Arlene. "Better then anything I have tasted in a long while."

"Aa," Itachi agreed.

"Thank you," Arlene smiled, glad they appreciated her cooking as she dug into her own eggs.

Soon the washroom door opened and Joshua's voice came down the hall. "I'm don- hey, I smell eggs…" there was a pause. "Can I have eggs?"

Arlene chuckled. "No! too late!"

"Aww! Please!" Joshua said, walking into the kitchen and pouting at her. "Pleeeeeease?"

"Nope."

"Your mean."

"I know."

Deidara and Itachi stared at the conversation a moment before the Uchiha cleared his throat, a signal they pay attention to him. They did, "Now, Arlene, clean yourself, Joshua, be ready to leave when she is done, or supplies need to be refilled."

Once all was said and done, Joshua having ate a single apple and Arlene having taken her shower, they both stopped and stared at each other when the realised a simple fact.

They had to take these two out into the world…

"Oh shit…"

"I know…"

"There there?"

"…Not this time…"