Chapter 2

The medic-nin declared them healthy, after all the Hokage herself had healed the two boys. They were sent off with warnings of rest and taking it easy for a while. Kakashi just nodded before herding the boys out. He after all, tried to spend as little time as he could at the hospital.

The older boy politely declined his offer of new clothes, saying that he had no money on him. He was sure that he could wash the blood off if Kakashi could point out the laundry. At this point the younger piped up that yes, his nii-chan was very good at that, he always did his own laundry after missions anyway, kaa-chan didn't even have to do anything.

Kakashi's brow rose at that but he just pushed the boys into a shop, reminding them that Konoha had a responsibility to feed and clothe her subjects at their time of need. Shin had streaked inside the shop while Hajime followed at a more sedate pace.

"So Hajime-kun, you came from a large family?" Kakashi fell beside the boy, matching his pace to the boy's.

"Hai, Hatake-san."

Kakashi waited if the boy had more to add but apparently Uchiha Hajime was a boy of limited words or he hoarded information like a miser with his pile of gold.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"There's six of us."

The jounin's lips quirked under his mask. Yup, hoarder it was. "That includes your parents?"

"Oh no, Hatake-san. That's just us kids."

Kakashi's grin widened. He'd been in an interrogation room where more information was gleamed and yet there were something about this boy that he found interesting. "I wasn't aware that there were any other survivors from the Uchiha clan apart from Uchiha Sasuke."

The boy stiffened, ever so slightly, if Kakashi wasn't so close he would have missed the miniscule reaction for sure. "I'm sure Hokage-sama will brief you on that later, Hatake-san. I myself have no real information to add."

"So, you're here with just your brother? Wouldn't your parents be worried?"

"I believed they were both killed, Hatake-san. That's why we were sent here."

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss, Hajime-kun. I know how it feels to lose your parents at a young age." His voice turned somber.

The boy just nodded. His hands were going through the shirts but Kakashi could see how he had pulled into himself. Kakashi remembered Sasuke during their genin years. The boy would brood constantly, letting the fire of hate grew deep in his heart as he pushed himself to be better, to be the best.

He could see that the two was quite different, how they handled what life throw at them for one. However, they were a few similarities too. These kinds of similarities can only come with shared blood so they had to be quite close. Apart from the fact that the older boy was only 6 years younger than the former Last Uchiha made it pretty impossible for any paternal relations. However…

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The Jounin repressed a twitch at the sight of the grinning blonde girl in front of him.

Damn.

Yamanaka Ino.

The muscle behind Konoha's largest gossip mill. He studied the amazed glint in her eyes as she started to notice the boy beside him. He didn't have to be a former ANBU to see what she was thinking. Kakashi thought it was a wise strategy to employ the retreat tactic for the time being. "Oh look at the time. I have to be going, Ino-chan. Gomen… gomen." He put up one apologetic hand and was ready to pull the older boy away when he heard an excited shriek on his left.

"Nii-chan… nii-chan! There's a cat on this shirt! Look… look!"

Ino's mouth fell opened as her eyes skittered from one dark eyed boy to the other. The two boys, undeterred by her increasing interest wandered off to find out if they had a black shirt with a white cat on it, since the one Shin found was green and everyone knew black goes fantastically well with white.

"Sensei," the younger boy's chatter slowed down as they moved further away and Ino started in a scarily mild tone. "Who are they?"

"Uh… Konoha's newest orphans." Kakashi felt compelled to answer but took one calculated step backwards nevertheless when her eyes started to blaze in a fire-ish fashion.

"Sensei!" The glare was undoubtedly intimidating but he had been a shinobi longer than she was alive, so... "They're... they're Uchihas! They have to be... but... how is that even possible? I mean, there could be little Uchihas around if Itachi... or... but the boys are so big! I mean... They could be his younger brothers? But that doesn't really make sense…" Ino's blue eyes widened in emphasize of her brain's struggle to put words to her thoughts. "Sensei," she suddenly started in a startled tone. "Did Sasuke know about them?"

"I'm sure that's on top of the Hokage's list of things to do today." The masked jounin shrugged as he caught wisps of discussion of pairing blue pants with black shirts.

"Seriously, Sensei. How did that even possible? I mean, the boy look so much like Sasuke that it was creepy. It's like we've gone back in time or something, training for our Chuunin Exam."

Back in time? Kakashi mulled over the idea but outwardly he gave another one of his lazy waves. "I've been with them for awhile now. I agree they do have certain resemblance," Ino snorted at that grossly misleading fact but Kakashi blithely continued, "But they are nothing alike. I have yet to catch the older boy brooding once and the younger one is too… excitable. Have you seen Sasuke ever excited, over anything, ever?"

"You do have a point, Sensei," she nodded, her blue eyes trained on the two boys. The younger one had found the perfect shorts for his shiny new shirt and he was a ball of compressed energy, practically bouncing in excitement. "I'm sure Sasuke had never thought he'd have this ever again." The kunoichi continued in a slow tone.

"What would that be?"

"Family. However distant or close these two turn out to be, they're the family he had now."

"True, Ino-chan. Maybe now he'll find a new purpose for his life."

The air around the cell was heavy, a smothering blanket that refused to budge. The lack of circulated air made the smell even worse but he had already gotten used to the foul smell after a few days. His hand drifted unconsciously over the mass of twisted scars on his chest, hovering tentatively over the shirt hiding the healed injury from view as his mind drifted.

He had successfully avoided Konoha's hunter-nin for years after his desertion for revenge but he had stupidly put himself on their radar, drunk and passed out. Granted, he had tried to drink himself into oblivion after successfully plunging his katana into his brother's chest. He had thought after avenging his clan's massacre he would be free to move ahead with his life but it seems like Power-Above didn't have the same idea.

With Itachi's last words still ringing in his ears, he had stared with horror at the pool of blood growing on his brother's chest. He had stumbled into the first place he could find, his hands still sticky from his brother's blood before proceeding to drink himself into a stupor. He didn't even moved a muscle when he felt the flare of Konoha's ANBU's chakra. He had recalled ordering another pitcher of sake even when the ANBU moved closer.

He ignored the incoming threat as he studied the smears of blood, Itachi's drying blood, which had transferred onto his white sake cup. The ANBU's hand felt heavy against his stooped shoulder and the flare of chakra signature felt familiar.

"I'd never thought you of all people would turn out ANBU," the words practically slurred against each other as he forced his head to scowl at the mask somewhere over his shoulder.

The room had turned deathly quiet as if someone had stripped all of the sound off. The scattered occupants were staring with wide, startled eyes. Everyone was frozen in mid action when the drunken Uchiha twisted out of the ANBU's grip and stood, surprisingly steady despite of being intoxicated.

"Sasuke."

"You're always a persistent idiot," he muttered before the combination of anguish and alcohol finally succeeded in dousing his senses and he blacked out.

In present time, the Uchiha snorted at the memory of his so-called downfall. After days of solitary confinement, save for his treacherous thoughts for company, he had lost track of time and had no idea how long he'd been here. He had spent who-knows how many days of staring unseeingly, his brother's last words still bouncing erratically in his head.

He was a mere pawn. He was used. The reason his family was slaughtered was to keep him safe.

It goes on and on in a continuous neverending loop.

Time for him was something abstract; it filtered through like sand that slipped through your fingers. Slowly, slowly it trickled away.

He had killed the last person who had cared for him, so what is left for him now? Hauled back to the village he had turned his back on years ago. After days of being drowned in his tumultuous memories, alone except for the constant screams and his brother's stuttered last words for company and the realization taht his whole life was based on lies, Sasuke knew he had no desire to continue with his wretched life. He had no family, no village, no place to call home. He had successfully killed everyone who had any desire to help him, so what did that left him?

His fingers started to shake with the sudden burst of chakra. He stared at the compressed ball of energy with an impassive gaze, a shrill chirping shattering the silence of the cell. He had given the swarm of guards bursting through the doorway -obviously alerted by the spike of chakra- a glance before plunging the volatile ball into his heart.

He had somehow hoped with the end of his life, the pitiful farce he had been force to live would ultimately stopped. Death was always something he thought of as peaceful, a complete change to the chaotic world of living, a constant of nothingness but he was wrong. The red hot pulse of pure torment was suddenly eclipsed by a burst of white before everything disappeared.

Then the Last Uchiha peeled back his heavy eyelids; his eyes assaulted by the bright light, his entire body felt like it was on fire. So this was it. Hell.

"What the hell were you thinking, Uchiha? When you get out of this, I'm gonna kill you all over again!"

Sasuke could hear the enraged scream as clearly as it was shouted right in his ears, even as he was drifting in and out of consciousness. His last thought was that Hell was really a peculiar place.

He had opened his eyes close to a week later to find a scowling Tsunade by his bedside, much to his adverse disappointment. His entire chest was encased in bandages while his arms and legs were restricted with chakra draining seals. So he didn't die, he was just in a different kind of hell.

He was placed under constant surveillance after that.

The Uchiha flopped on his back, one knee raised with both hands under his head as he blinked up at the ceiling. A few seconds later, the door clanged opened and his guard walked through the doorway.

"Uchiha, we're taking you to the Hokage-sama now."

Sasuke turned his head towards the voice and grunted his agreement. He took a couple more minutes of staring at the wall before he unfurled his limbs and stood.

The news of the sudden arrival of the new members of the Uchiha clan spread faster than the Hiraishin, sweeping through the village with furious haste. Most of it was thanks to Ino who had been proactively and exasperatingly hardworking in spreading the news. But who could've blamed her? The days of post-war for a shinobi consists mainly of rebuilding and repair works around the village. This little information was definitely more interesting anyway.

By the time Kakashi was ushering the boys into his apartment, new clothes bundled under their arms, half of the village was already buzzing in amazement. The next hour they took to clean themselves and eat, the other half had been included into the loop, thanks to the gossipy nature of ninjas.

After they finished their pre-packed lunch, Kakashi pointed to the empty room and suggested they rest for a bit. Hajime took Shin's hand and pulled his brother inside. "By the way, Hatake-san. Is it okay if we go out for a bit later? I'm sure I can find our way around."

Kakashi blinked at the eager look on the younger boy's face, he was practically vibrating with the idea of going out.

"Can we? Can we?"

"We'll be fine on our own, I'm sure you're needed somewhere else."

"Maa… maa… are you already trying to get rid of me already?" Kakashi's visible brow rose with the question.

The younger boy's eyes were wide in his face. "Noooo… nii-chan, tell him we're not!" Shin tugged at his brother's sleeve in agitation.

"I think Hatake-san is just teasing, Shin. My apologies, Hatake-san. I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that being cooped up was not Shin's strong suit."

"You didn't like it too," the boy pouted.

Kakashi didn't say anything when the older boy playfully mussed up the boy's hair and how the young boy glared and pushed the brother off.

"Haji-nii." The boy whined as he jumped out of the older boy's reach.

He has good reflex, Kakashi mused, for a 5 year old. "I need to step out for awhile. Why don't you boys go in, rest for a bit and when I get back, I'll see what I can do."

"That sounds good, Hatake-san. Thank you." Hajime gave a quick bow and Shin blinked at his brother before belatedly following in his example.

"Hurry back and don't be late!" The boy chirped.

Kakashi watched the two boys disappeared into his spare bedroom. He stood in place for a few minutes, unapologetically listening in to the boys' chatter.

"Don't make me take a nap, nii-chan! You're not kaa-chan, you can't make me. I dun wanna!"

His brother's reply escaped Kakashi but he could practically see the mile long pout on the young boy's face.

"I'm not a baby like Sora, I don't need naps!"

Kakashi frowned and inched forward.

"You will? You promised, right? Right, nii-chan? Right? Today… you'll let me train with you, today?"

And then he finally caught the older boy's reply. "Yeah, now go lay down for a bit. I don't want you wilting like a weed when we're training later."

"Yaaaaay!"

A smile flickered at the corner of Kakashi's lips at the pure excitement in that one prolonged syllable.

"Will you teach me a Katon jutsu? I saw you teaching Ryuta-nii and Ryuu-nii. Can you… please… please!"

"Why don't we start with something easier first?"

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled at the disappointment colouring the boy's reply. With a quick seal he puffed out of his house.

"So," Kakashi pushed the window to the Hokage's office apart and nimbly jumped inside. "Why do you put the Uchiha kids with me, Hokage-sama?" After all, what do I know of children was left unsaid.

Tsunade ignored the jounin and started ransacking her messy drawer. She could have sworn Shizune had slipped in a couple of bottles of water in. Her assistant was sneaky in her ways to prolong her sobriety especially if there were Council meetings scheduled that day. But for the first time in a really long time she purposely tried to stay sober herself. She needed her head to be clear to handle today's events.

From the back of her mind, she wondered on the ANBU-less state of her office. Didn't they noticed that she wasn't alone anymore? She tossed a couple of scrolls, pushing around items in her crowded drawer for that elusive bottle.

"I haven't even had time for breakfast yet, Hatake. Why are you bothering me again?"

"You did ask me to come later, Hokage-sama. This is later. The Uchiha boys, why me?"

"Why not?" One of Tsunade's brow rose as she looked up into Kakashi's waiting gaze but the Copy-nin's lazy stance didn't waver. "Fine. I can't just send the boys off to just anyone. When this gets out, it's possible they'll be targeted. People are associating the Uchiha name with mass murders these days. For precaution I need someone I can count on to be around the boys."

"So I take it you believe their claim?"

Tsunade sets down a bottle and started rummaging for a cup. "What do you know about Time Seals?"

Kakashi didn't even react at the abrupt change of topic. "Time Seal? The Fourth did dabble a bit but he never got far. In his words, it was a prickly volatile subject with subtle nuances that had to be enforced by constantly changing sub characters. Why do you ask?"

"The older boy said his father created a Seal to send them here."

"A teleportation jutsu? What's that have to do with the Time Seal?"

"Their father sent them here from the future."

Future? "Sasuke is their father?"

"That's what they said," Tsunade took a sip and shuddered at the taste of plain water. "Of course I didn't tell the boys I find it almost miraculous that the Uchiha ever got over his suicidal and psychotic tendencies to ever settle down and have two kids."

"Six actually," Kakashi murmured as he sat in the chair in front of the Hokage.

"As in children?" Tsunade's brow followed Kakashi's suit. "I wonder which girl he sweet-talk into that?"

Kakashi tried to hide his smirk behind poorly devised cough, "Sweet-talk? Sasuke? It was more possible that he glared her into submission."

"Hmph.. that's true." They were both silent for a couple of minutes before Tsunade sighed. "I could use Jiraiya's help right about now. He may know more about Time Seals."

Kakashi didn't even bother to voice his agreement. "But Sasuke created a Time Seal? I didn't know he had any interest in Fuuinjutsu, let alone successfully completed a Time Seal of all things."

Tsunade's look told him that she already thought about that. "He must've picked it up sometime in the future."

"It's near impossible to turn yourself into a Seal Master within 10 years, especially in Sasuke's current state of mind," Kakashi pointed out something that was bothering him.

But the Hokage just nodded and turned to stare at the scene out of her window. "The way the older one talked about his father doesn't really remind me of this Sasuke though."

"Maybe he changed for the better. People do do that, Hokage-sama."

The Fifth blew an annoyed sigh. "Maybe. I guess we'll see. What else have you picked up on the two boys?"

"The older one, Hajime-kun is very quiet but for someone who's been through all that, he's surprisingly collected. But I can tell he's got something planned."

"You think their father did really send them here for something?"

"Maybe… maybe not," Kakashi shrugged, "But the boy isn't talking so who can really say?"

"Where are they right now?"

"I left them at my place. Hajime-kun tried to get Shin-chan to get a nap. He resourcefully had resorted to bribery."

"Hmph… bring them over here in a couple of hours."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Kakashi jumped onto the window sill and disappeared from view.

"I have a door, you know!" Tsunade yelled at the empty space of her window. She waved Shizune off when her assistant popped her head in to check after she heard the Hokage's raised voice.

The dark haired assistant nodded. "Gomen Tsunade-sama, for the intrusion."

Tsunade leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes, successfully ignoring the pile of paperwork on her table. "Let me know when the Uchiha is here."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

It felt like mere seconds from the time she closed her eyes to the time Shizune knocked on her door again. She opened her eyes reluctantly and faced her waiting assistant.

"Uchiha Sasuke is here, Tsunade-sama."

"That's fine, bring him in." She turned to the window, the tips of her fingers drumming a muted tempo on her desk. Tsunade noticed that the sun was hanging low on the horizon, it must have at least two hours since Kakashi left her. She tore her gaze away when the door closed behind Shizune.

The Gondaime fixed the man in front of her with unflinching amber gaze and he gave her his dark unblinking stare. It continued on for a few more minutes, silence engulfing the Hokage's office like a heavy, uncomfortable cloud.

"Uchiha, sit." Tsunade finally broke the silence, nodding at the chair in front of her. "How do you feel?"

"You pull me out of prison just for that?" His face was still devoid of any emotion as he pulled the chair and sat.

Tsunade waited a couple of seconds before she linked her fingers and rested her chin on top of them, eyes never waving from the pale man. "You used Chidori on yourself. That's a fair question. So, what now, Uchiha?"

Sasuke's brow rose at the question but he didn't answer.

"Itachi is dead. I need to know your future motivation."

"Afraid I'll just lose it one day and kills everyone in sight before killing myself?"

Tsunade ignored his remark and continued on. "What's the plan now?"

"What's the point of having any plan when you're only going to toss me back to prison?" The Uchiha asked drily. "Or when I finally succeeded in ending my life? I'll just take the day as it come for now."

"Fine," The Hokage sighed, fingers started massaging on her throbbing temple. It wasn't even technically noon yet but it seems like the day had dragged on forever. "The other villages had been screaming for your blood, as well as other parts of your body but since you didn't actually went on a rampage and killed too many of their people, I can just turn a deaf ear, so thanks for that at least."

Sasuke just grunted sarcastically, "You're welcome."

"The Council demands jail time before we re-evaluate the situation," She stopped and just continued to stare at him.

"But?"

Tsunade sighed, "I've been told I may be making a mistake if I go with that. One option is that, you'll be confined to your house until I've procured a guard of some sort to escort you around the village."

"So, that's it? The Council will scream how it's only a slap on the wrist."

"Let me handle the Council. You are and still a valuable member of Konoha but mark my word, Uchiha, you will still pay for your crimes," her eyes narrowed into suspicious slits.

"You just want to keep the Sharingan in Konoha. That's what my value is to you, isn't it?" He didn't even bother to hide his disgust.

Tsunade just shrugged and leaned back in her chair, "On that note, I've come across an interesting fact today. There was a family that survived the massacre that night, I've been told they were not in the village at the time. During the confusion, they were noted down as missing before for some reason it was changed to be deceased."

"What did you say?" There was a slight flare of shock in his dark eyes but that was it.

"The parents settled somewhere else but the village they were staying was attacked a few days ago. The sons made their way here as per their father's instruction."

"No," Sasuke shook his head, the movement sharp and stiff. "That's not possible."

"My words exactly," Tsunade huffed a pent-up breath and took a quick sip. "I'll continue with the investigations nevertheless but for the time being, you're no longer the Last Uchiha, Sasuke."

Sasuke's mind whirled frantically as he explored the possibilities of this new fact. "Sons?"

"Two boys. Twelve and five. Brothers."

'Brothers,' Sasuke thought. "What happened to them?"

"There were some injuries; broken ribs, nasty slashes… the older one mostly," the Gondaime shrugged as she emptied the cup. She took her time refilling the cup to the brim before she continued, studying the Uchiha from the corner of her eyes. "I healed them and sent Kakashi to feed and shelter them for the time being."

"You let Kakashi take care of two boys?" His tone was less scathing than he would have wanted. He blamed that on his shock.

"He took care of you guys, they should be fine."

"If you think leaving us to our devices most of the time as taking care," Sasuke muttered but for some reason his tone was without malice. He blamed that on the shock as well.

"You all turned out well," Tsunade just brushed it aside but she scowled at the one in front of her. "Most of you did, anyway."

"How can you be so sure they're Uchihas?" Sasuke ignored the barb and turned the question back to the issue at hand.

"Oh, I'm sure. I'll be ordering a blood work later just for paperwork's sake but I'm sure."

"So, what's next?"

"I'm still deliberating." The glower on his face darkened but she was getting good at ignoring it by now. "So go back, sit tight and I'll let you know what I decide."

"Try to deliberate when you're not drunk out of your mind," the Uchiha's eyes narrowed to a disgruntled slit.

Before she could toss him out on his sorry ass, the door banged opened and the white-haired nin appeared in the doorway.

"We're here! Gomen… gomen… I'm not too late, am I?" Kakashi was looking abashed as he pushed the two boys in. "Shin had just fallen asleep so I have to wait…"

"That's why I didn't want the nap, Haji-nii," the boy mumbled, his smooth brow crinkled in sheer embarrassment. Hatake-san just had to tell everyone about it too.

At the sound of his voice, the room's two other occupant turned towards him. "At least you used a door this time." Tsunade huffed.

Beside her, Sasuke stiffened when he caught sight of the boys in front of his former Sensei. His black eyes widened at the pair of dark haired boys. Hajime and Shin stopped dead in their tracks when they realized who was with the Hokage. Instantly their faces lit up. Shin's eyes were shining as he took one excited step towards the stricken Avenger but his brother clamped one hand on the boy's shoulder, pulling him back to his side.

"Haji-nii," Shin whimpered but Hajime didn't say a word. He kept his hand firmly on Shin's shoulder and turned towards the waiting Hokage.

"Hokage-sama. You requested our presence?"

"Who are you?" Sasuke snapped out, his jaw taut.

"Tou-..." Again, Hajime increased the pressure of his hold on his brother's shoulder, making the boy trailed off in silence.

"You must be Uchiha-san. Nice to meet you." He gave the former Last Uchiha a bow and beside him his brother copied his lead belatedly, somewhat bewildered.

"Who are you, kid?" Sasuke grounded out the question in one biting tone.

"Now, Uchiha. Stop trying to bite their head off," Tsunade drawled, waving her hand at the ANBU by the Uchiha's side. Immediately, the masked man shimmered out view. "These are the two boys I was talking about. Their parents survived that night."

"You expect me to believe that? I knew every single Uchiha in this village and…"

"They have been living outside of this village for over ten years, Uchiha. Of course you did not know them."

"Who are your parents?" Sasuke turned his blazing eyes to the boys and the intensity of his scowl plastered Shin even closer to his brother's side. His small fingers fisted around the hem of Hajime's shirt while his other arm circled his brother's leg as he stared upwards at Sasuke. His dark eyes were wide and unblinking.

"Their new village was attacked and they were the only survivors. Their father sent them here, he believed we'd be able to help his sons."

"That didn't answer my question. Who are your parents?"

"Why the questions, Sasuke-kun? I thought you'd be ecstatic to find your clan has been revived. And also a couple of long lost relatives," Kakashi interrupted lazily from behind the boys.

"Ecstatic, Kakashi? You expect Sasuke to be ecstatic? Have other emotion other than brooding?"

"Well then," Kakashi mused, "Maybe mildly interested?"

"Uchiha, stop being so neurotic and suspicious," Tsunade ignored Kakashi and glared at Sasuke when she could see the Uchiha was slowly unraveling at the seams. "Everyone sit down and stop scowling, Uchiha. You're scaring the boy."

"Hn." But he didn't move from his position.

"Okay, you know what. This is not gonna work out," Tsunade glowered at the man in front of her. "Kakashi, take the boys back. And you," her amber eyes narrowed. "I'll deal with you later. You are so going to regret this."

"Well then, boys. That's our cue, let's go then. See you later, Sasuke," Kakashi started herding the boys out of the Hokage's office.

Tsunade didn't wait for the door to close before she turned on the former Avenger, "What is your problem, Uchiha?"

But Sasuke's attention wasn't on her. The dark eyes were fixed on the two boys.

The two Uchiha boys.

Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin. Hell, the boys even look like him. His thoughts were derailed when the younger boy pulled on his brother's arm. Sasuke could see how the taller boy responded to the young boy's distress with a quick ruffle of the hair. His heart clenched at the memory of him and his brother, a lifetime ago.

"Haji-nii, why is tou-chan so angry at us?"

The words were whispered and the boys were hurriedly ushered away but Sasuke had heard every single word from that bewildered murmur. He stiffened at the implication. Father? Who was the boy referring to? There was no way it could've been him, could it?

"If this is how you'll react to the Konoha residents, I don't know if I want to let you off. I have half the mind to toss you back in that cell and throw away the…"

"I'm sorry," Sasuke grounded out. He had to get to the bottom of this and the only way was to be out of jail. "I was surprised."

"Hmph," the Gondaime glared at him distrustfully. "That's your excuse? That you're surprise?"

"Yes, I was. If you want me to apologize to the boys, get them back here. I'll do it." His tone was flat but there was a tenseness to his profile. His chakra restraining seals pricked agonizingly as he fought the need to blast his way out of the office and possibly started an interrogation on the two boys.

Tsunade didn't bother with a reply but turned to address the ANBU who had just shimmered into view. "Get him back to his cell."

To be continued..