After a long few months of holidays and otherwise hecticness, I have finally returned. Apologies for the wait, but I'm only ever able to write this story at night before I fall asleep. My schedule, however, has recently left me so exhausted that I've been unable to write at all. Now I'm back, with another chapter for you to read and, hopefully, enjoy. So grab a seat, pop some popcorn, snuggle - whatever! - and get reading!
Uh, before that, I believe I was asked if this would be a long story. If everything goes according to plan, yes. It will definitely be long.
Now read, people. Read!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the characters, or anything else asides for original creations and, hopefully, the plot. Would kinda suck if I stole it too without realizing it.
Chapter 4: The First Day
Tayuya awoke to the gentle ticking of a clock upon the wall. As her eyes drifted open, she became increasingly aware that she was neither curled up in a ball under the shadow of one of Iwa's many rocky spires, nor was she in a sleeping bag somewhere in the woods. Her eyes snapped open, as she shot up to a sitting position; being momentarily constricted by the thick comforter that was wrapped around her shoulders, but breaking free as she threw it down to her waist. The shock of waking up in unfamiliar territory woke the girl right up.
Though her eyes stung from her deep, comfortable sleep, she forced her eyelids to remain open as she examined the bedroom she was in. The room was rectangular in shape, not large yet not so small as to be uncomfortable. The walls were painted a faint shade of green, like that of an emerald, worn and faded with age but miraculously free of scratches. Throughout the room, it seemed every piece of furniture shared the same wood. Dark brown in color with shiny, polished surfaces, it was sanded thoroughly during construction so that it was smooth - yet still maintained the faint remains of its natural wooden texture.
The bed on which Tayuya sat was low to the ground, four short wooden stubs supporting its weight, with the headboard and footboard evenly rising above the mattress only a couple inches. It was a large bed, of what type Tayuya didn't know, but it could easily hold at least two grown adults. The soft sheets, fluffy pillows, and thick comforter all matched the color on the walls - the decorator obviously liked green. Tayuya slipped her legs out from under the covers, placing her bare feet on the cold, light brown hardwood floor, flinching at the sudden chill.
Beside the bed was a short, square nightstand with a single drawer on the front - a golden latch handle hung at its middle. On top was a simple, small, unlit lamp, with a green base and a patternless, green shade - once again, it seemed the decorator had an obsession with the color - over the small bulb inside. On the other side of the nightstand, facing towards the bed with its back against the wall, was a tall, six drawer dresser - golden handles just like the one on the nightstand. Nothing was on its surface.
Then Tayuya's brown eyes drifted to the clock above the door's wooden frame; the source of that annoying ticking that had woken her. Unlike the rest of the room, it was not made of wood. It was a very thin device, probably no thicker than two or three inches, and was round like a dinner plate. The rim was that same emerald green - 'What the fuck is up with that color?' - with a white, internal disk with bold, black numbers. Three black arrows - a short one for the hour, a medium length one for the minute, and a thin, long one for the second - pointed in random directions, all originating from the center.
And with each motion of the longest arrow, an agitating tick filled the small room. Tick, tick, tick, tick. Tayuya scowled angrily at the machine, almost demanding by her very will that it be crushed, burned, smashed, and its leftover pieces disintegrated. She sighed when it became apparent that that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.
Standing to her feet, she realized she wasn't wearing her rags anymore. She now wore a long sleeved, light purple, silky pajama top, with matching pajama bottoms extending down to her heels. Tayuya had never once in her life felt the texture. It was very soft and smooth, if a bit looser than she was used to. The worn out clothing she wore in Iwa was just a tad too small for the girl, and she was unused to the lack of tightness in the PJ's. Still, she realized that it was comfy.
'Thank Kami it isn't that same fucking color!'
A sound from the door took Tayuya's attention away from her attire, as she focused in on the closed entry way. The wooden door matched the color and texture of the rest of the wood in the room, with a golden door knob for a handle. She eyed the press-lock protruding out of the handle's center, but when the knob turned in its latch Tayuya knew she would never make it to it in time. Whoever it was could probably just bust the door down anyways.
On reflex, she stood from the bed suddenly and faced the entrance; as far back away from it as possible. She willed herself to not let the post-sleep grogginess make her stumble. Subconsciously, Tayuya realized that her back was pressed against the sharp corner of the nightstand, which may have sent a blast of pain through that area, but she paid it no heed. Finally the thick door opened inwards, and Tayuya sucked in a sharp breath.
"Oh, you're awake!" a fairly kind voice exclaimed, and the red-head was almost taken aback. It wasn't what she was expecting.
Inside the rectangular entryway was a young woman with a fair complexion, white skin, and a warm smile. She wore a dark blue robe covering her entire upper body and arms, but only coming down to her knees, with white outlines along the rim and a white, small rope tied around her waist. It could not be seen what she wore for upper-body wear, but tight, black pants came down from underneath the robe and to her heels. Her feet were covered by fluffy, pink bunny-slippers - which Tayuya found rather cliche.
Well, not exactly. She didn't quite know the meaning of the word.
The woman had striking black hair, in the front combed evenly to both sides to fall away from her thin eyebrows and chocolate brown eyes and onto her round cheeks. In the back it was held in a ponytail, which fell to the base of her collar, by a black band matching the color of her hair. Her face was smooth and free of blemish, save for a faint scar that spread along her right cheek.
Despite her calm expression and gentle voice, Tayuya still attempted to inch away from the woman. She wasn't stupid. It wouldn't be the first time she had been fooled into thinking somebody was "nice" and "friendly", only for them to try to stab her in the back - literally. Still, there was no where for her to go, so she settled for glaring daggers at her. The woman smiled kindly at Tayuya, one small, tender hand still holding the doorknob while the other hung loosely by her side.
"Did you sleep well, Tayuya?" she asked, not moving from her spot. Tayuya wondered why that was for an instant, before her mouth opened all on its own.
"The fuck is it to you?!" she snapped, before blinking once in recognition. She had never met this person before, so how... "And how the hell do you know my name?!"
The red-head's outburst seemed to stun the woman for a moment, as she stared at Tayuya with wide eyes and a hand drifting briefly by her mouth, before she once again dropped it to her side. Itachi was right, she really did have a sailor mouth. She smiled once again, only furthering the agitation of Tayuya. People were supposed to get pissed when she cussed them out, damn it!
"I'm Sumi. Hokage-sama assigned me with taking care of you until you're fit as a fiddle!" she explained in an almost cheery voice, cocking her head to the side with an eyes-closed smile. "Itachi-sempai told me a lot about you. Your temper, mostly." Sumi finished with a playful wink.
Itachi - that was a name Tayuya recognized. He was the ninja who brought her from Iwa to... This was Konoha. Tayuya sighed a relieved breath, now finally realizing where she was. In her daze of suddenly awaking, and then being confronted by a person she had never seen before, she momentarily forgot what had transpired only yesterday. A small amount of stress was relieved from her system now that she remembered, but even so she glared at the seemingly friendly Sumi. She wasn't about to trust this woman with a hundred foot pole.
Tayuya stepped forward, releasing her back from being jabbed into by the corner of the night table. The pain wasn't anything she hadn't dealt with before. "Fuck that! I call bullshit. Why would the Hokage want someone to take care of me? I'm just some kid!"
Sumi's smile dropped somewhat at that. Itachi had included the villager's treatment of the girl in his report. The Tsuchikage didn't seem to care about the children or the homeless of his village. Iwa was very different from Konoha, as Tayuya would learn in time. Sumi would teach it to her personally, if she had to. "The Hokage considers everyone in the village precious to him, Tayuya. Yourself included. He wants to make sure you're nice and healthy, and I do too." she told the girl, smile reforming back into its reassuring self.
Or, reassuring to any other kid. It only served to unnerve Tayuya. "I don't fuckin' believe it." she replied with an angry scowl, glaring at some speck on the ground by her foot. Sure, Itachi was nice and all, in his own way - but a Kage was a leader of an entire village. In Tayuya's mind, nobody in that position had time to be worried about a kid. 'Fucking old geezers in their damn coats and fancy hats...'
Sumi sighed, eyes closing as her smile dropped to a defeated pout. Tayuya almost smirked at her small victory, finally having convinced this strange woman that she would not be taken advantage of so easily! She didn't show her satisfaction, of course - and thinking Sumi would "take advantage of her" was more like a forced thought process. An adaptation to living around the people in Iwa, where everyone seemed to be looking out for only themselves.
"That's fine, Tayuya. I won't expect you to trust us. But..." she perked up again, smiling brightly at the red-headed girl. At that moment, a sweet, savory aroma drifted through the door. Almost immediately, Tayuya felt her mouth start to water as her stomach growled angrily. "...you might want to consider getting something to eat!" Sumi finished with a giggle, before leaving the doorframe to pick up a pair of tan colored slippers. She approached Tayuya, but paused when the red-head obviously tensed.
"Just stay the fuck away from me!" Tayuya demanded, glaring daggers into Sumi's forehead. There was no way in hell Tayuya was letting Sumi or anyone else come close to her. With Itachi, she was desperate to get out of Iwa, so she jumped at the opportunity - and he had saved her life, as well. But this woman, Tayuya didn't know nearly well enough.
Sumi sighed, frowning sadly at the girl's behavior. This was going to be a long couple of weeks, at the rate things were at. She bent down, and put the two slippers on the ground, before straightening and walking back to the doorway. "Okay, Tayuya. You'll still need to follow me to find the dining room. This place is one big maze!" Again she finished with a chipper smile, and Tayuya felt herself become more and more peeved at Sumi's ability to seemingly rebound back from disappointment so quickly.
The red-head cautiously stepped forward, inserting her cold feet into the soft, warm confines of the morning footwear. Thankfully, they were neither pink nor were they of bunnies. That would have been embarrassing - though, Tayuya wasn't sure why she thought it would. Looking up from the slippers, she saw Sumi smiling at her from the doorway. The older woman waved for Tayuya to follow, and walked down the hall. The red-head followed shortly after.
Unlike the room, the hallway had a very noticeable lack of green. The walls were painted a dark red instead, though the hardwood floors and baseboards matched the ones in the room. On both sides of the wall were rows of pictures, each a square about the radius of a medium sized head with brown, wooden casing. On the inside were a series of people who Tayuya couldn't hope to recognize, and a large majority of them were in their grey, white, or downright balding years. They were dressed in very "regal" robes, and we're probably important in some way or another, but Tayuya couldn't give any less of a damn.
Sumi led the way down many winding corridors, Tayuya following just close enough behind to keep up, but far enough away to be out of arms reach should the older woman turn around. Alongside more and more pictures, they also passed golden, silver, and bronze decor of all shapes and sizes. They were very appeasing to the eye, some of the pots even being accompanied by complex paintings colored in around the sides - all were quite expensive. Tayuya wondered why anyone would have so many treasures out for anyone to see, just ripe for the taking.
On that note, she still didn't know who owned the place.
While she didn't trust Sumi, or anyone else for that matter, that didn't mean she was shy in the slightest. So Tayuya had little to no difficulty in asking a simple question. "Who's house is this anyway? The fuckin' place is huge!" she said, continuing to observe the different decorations. The ceiling was at least fourteen feet high, though Tayuya didn't know that exactly. All she really knew was that it was pretty damn tall.
Sumi glanced back to look at her from her place in front, still walking forward. She smirked, and gave a playful wink, before turning right down another hall while saying, "Oh, you'll figure that out soon." with a mocking voice. Well, it was actually spoken in a very sweet, gentle tone, but Tayuya interpreted it as mocking. In response, the red head scoffed with a roll of her eyes, before continuing to silently follow her guide.
The smell of breakfast grew stronger and stronger, each step bringing the two closer to their objective. Without even seeing it, Tayuya's mouth began to water. Such scents were a rarity in Iwa, as most of the only people who had a solid breakfast were rich - and thus lived in the upper area. Tayuya, and most of the other beggars, sometimes were treated with "leftovers" - in reality, only the trash left uneaten. Even then, Tayuya was never fortunate enough to get a bite. She was always chased away.
Finally, Sumi led them to a large, square room with a very long table in the middle. Its wood was a dark brown, as were the eight chairs that lined it on each side, and the larger ones at each end. The table was thick, long, and, most importantly, had several plates of different foods spread over on one side. It seemed odd to Tayuya. There was so much food, clearly more than she could eat on her own, yet there were no other people in the room aside for Sumi and herself, as far as Tayuya could tell. It wasn't like she could sense other presences or anything. Nobody could do that! ...Although, she had seen ninja do some crazy stunts...
As she looked around the wide walls of the dining room, searching for any other signs of life, she noticed more pictures strung upon the wall. But these seemed more... Personal. The people within were less regal, less political appearing. Several contained the visage of two men, who appeared to be older and younger brothers. In more than one photo, both wore ninja uniforms and the headband of Konoha upon their foreheads. The younger had dark black hair with long sideburns and a thin trail of whiskers across his jaw and chin. He had a cigar in his mouth, hands in pockets, was slightly slouched, and had a confident smirk in most, if not all, photos.
The older was more clean shaven, and more proper. His hair was dark black, but was visibly graying along the hairline and over his ears - unlike the other, his was kept trimmed, combed, and neat. His posture was straight, his hands at his sides, and his closed-mouth smile was polite and calm. There was an almost obvious case of difference in personality, but even so their facial structure was so similar, it was nigh impossible to not think of them as brothers. Or, at the very least, close cousins.
Then there were two separate photos, including the men, but with an extra addition of two women as well, both of whom Tayuya felt were pretty. One had dark grey hair, red lips in a gentle smile with crimson eyes. She wore a strange garb resembling loose bandages, almost - with a fishnet visible underneath them. She was with the scruffy looking man, with him having an awkward grin, half-wince hybrid smile and an arm wrapped over her shoulder. Her arm was invisible behind the man's back, so Tayuya could only guess where it was.
The other woman was with the trim and proper man. She had brown, shoulder length hair that was finely combed. Her eyes couldn't be seen, they were closed, and her head was cocked to the side with a happy grin. The man, who Tayuya guessed was her husband, had his arm wrapped around her waist, and his other hand flat on a bundle of brown. It was then that Tayuya noticed the third character in the photo. He was a child, probably three or four, with a closed-eye grin matching his mother's. Due to the size of the picture, there wasn't a clear view of what he was wearing, but he obviously had a blue scarf wrapped around his neck.
Finally, there was one last picture that made Tayuya pause. It contained the two brothers, both standing in shinobi gear, and standing on each side of another individual. In the middle, with his hands over the brothers' shoulders, was an elderly man with a proud smile. He was shrouded in robes, a combination of white and red, with a large hat over his probably graying head - his hair couldn't actually be seen, so Tayuya was assuming it was graying because of his gray goatee. While the red-head didn't know the man personally, the robes and hat gave away his identity. He was the Hokage. And those two must have been his sons. All the pictures only suggested one thing to Tayuya, and she almost couldn't believe what she was thinking.
She turned to Sumi, who was patiently waiting next to her, and gave her a scowl. "This place... It doesn't..." When Sumi have her a smirk, Tayuya's eyes widened even more. "...Shit."
"Jiji!" Naruto exclaimed in a pleading tone, wiping dried crust from his blue eyes. He walked barefoot behind the elder man, dressed in a set of linen, black pajamas - long-sleeved shirt and pants extending to cover his ankles. "Let me go to class! Iruka-sensei will kill me if I don't show up!"
The Hokage sighed wearily. It has already been a long night. After fetching an assistant to get Naruto and Tayuya situated, he dismissed Itachi, allowing the exhausted (though he hid it well) Uchiha to head home for some well needed sleep, and sent Kakashi off. Then he had to get ahold of the landlord for the apartment that Naruto previously stayed at, contact a build team to begin reconstruction of the thoroughly burnt property, and pay the three months due rent that Naruto had neglected to pay - or was prevented from paying.
His thoughts were distracted for the rest of the night with Tayuya. He had to consider what to do with her. The Council would discover her existence soon enough, though he had ordered his ANBU to keep her origin and identity secret for the time being. The old Hokage could only imagine the sort of scheme Danzo would cook up. However, Hiruzen was not without his own plans. ...In the end, he never really took care of that mountain of paperwork.
"Your sensei is aware of your absence, Naruto. That won't be an issue." He replied, hands clasped behind his back as he guided Naruto to the dining room. Despite it being the early morning hours, he was already dressed in his regal Hokage robes.
"Please?" Naruto asked again, in one last attempt to get himself out of being stuck at the Hokage's residence. Hiruzen could tell, however, that the blond already realized he wasn't going anywhere.
"No." The old man stated, ending any further begging. The Hokage wanted to give Naruto a chance to actually rest for a change, despite the boy's seeming lack of need to do so, after the incident the night before. Unfortunately, "rest" wasn't something Naruto appreciated. ...Damn hyperactive brats... At least, Hiruzen had thought on some occasions, he wasn't an Inuzuka.
Give the boy a hyperactive dog, and Konoha would face its very own apocalypse.
He wasn't so bad. As he aged, Naruto mellowed out more and more. The blond wouldn't stop moving as a toddler, and never slept except for a few "cat naps". Now that he was older, though the endless amounts of energy - a gift, or curse, of his Uzumaki blood - had not left, it was more controlled. There were definitely worse out there. Hiruzen simply envied Naruto's capacity to keep going 24 hours, 7 days a week.
All digressing rambles aside, the pair walked down a hallway very much like that described far above. A delicious scent drifted through Naruto's nostrils, and suddenly any thought of sneaking out through a window when nobody was looking left his mind entirely. Though he was frustrated that he was apparently stuck here for the time being, he was content to stay put now. A good meal was worth it!
As they got closer to what surely was a feast, Naruto blinked when he heard a faint voice. As they continued on, the blond realized that the voice was yelling. Yelling a whole lot of profanities.
"-telling me that a Kage - a Kage - is so fucking grand that he'd let some damned orphan from a fucking shithole place stay in his own shit infested home? I swear, after all this, if you're pulling my fucking leg, I will kill you."
Well, she sounded like such a pleasant person. Hiruzen stopped at one of the open-entrances to the room, and Naruto peeked from behind the old man's robes. He could see the red headed girl who he vaguely remembered from somewhere, and another older, taller woman who he had seen sometimes when visiting the old man. Which was far more frequent than anyone would expect. Naruto often found himself without anywhere else to stay.
"Tayuya." The Hokage addressed in his gentle, yet authoritative way. "We have other guests as well. Please try to avoid using such harsh words." Naruto looked up at the man, trying to determine whether or not Hiruzen was trying to protect Naruto's predominantly clean vocabulary. The blond didn't see the point - it wasn't like he hadn't heard the words before.
As the old man finished, Tayuya reared in their direction with an angry scowl and a violent flash in her eyes. "And who the fuck do you think you a-re..." Her voice cut, and realization crossed her face as she noticed the attire of the old man. "Holy shit!"
"Told you!" Sumi added cheerfully, still pissing Tayuya off every second. People just weren't supposed to be that chipper... By Tayuya's experience. It didn't seem like there was a single "chipper" individual in all of Iwa - that she knew of. Given the economic condition of that village, it wasn't a surprise; but Tayuya was hardly concerned about that. Least of all now.
The girl's attention was brought back to the geezer, who watched her with what could be considered a far-away gaze. She was no mind reader, and couldn't very we'll know what the Hokage was thinking. If she was, she'd have learned that Hiruzen was remembering another redhead who had a very similar temperament.
The sudden appearance of a mop of blond hair popping out from behind the Hokage's robe distracted Tayuya from forming a proper glare at the old man, as she looked at a familiar set of cerulean eyes. Naruto wasn't really trying to hide behind Hiruzen, it was just that he had stopped dead-nut right in the center of the hallway archway, blocking Naruto from passing. It was frustrating. Truly.
Finally, the blond managed to squirm out from his "hiding place", briefly giving an exasperated glance at the Hokage before returning his stare to Tayuya. As the girl glared, scowled, and whatever else, Naruto observed her curiously. He knew just about every kid in the village - not because he was friends with any -, and, though Tayuya seemed familiar, Naruto didn't think she lived here, in Konoha. If she didn't live here, or was new to the village... Maybe, just maybe...
"I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. Can... Can we be friends?" He asked with a smile, one his eyes betrayed. He was hopeful, but wasn't about to form any plans. Sucky friends list was sucky, and he wasn't confident in that changing anytime soon. But, there was, at least, a chance.
The sudden introduction, and subsuquent question, caught Tayuya off guard. Friend? She didn't have any - never had any. The few she thought she had, turned out to not even be actual friends. The collection of hurt and betrayal gained over the years had hardened her. She wasn't sure if she even wanted friends anymore. Then there was his smile... It wasn't like Sumi's. Something about it was... Off.
The two adults watched the exchange, Sumi grinning while Hiruzen held an indifferent poker face. The elder shinobi had his suspicions of where this was going, but was also amused by the clearly evident gears churning in Tayuya's head. Finally after an admittedly short period of time (that felt much longer to Naruto), Tayuya answered.
"Fuck no!" She blurted, mind finally forming enough coherency to create "proper" thoughts. "People don't just become friends just like that! I barely fucking know you!" Her voice wasn't exactly loud, but was definitely berating.
Well, there went that. Hiruzen quietly hummed to himself, as things went just as he predicted. Sumi's grin turned into a concerned frown; she knew that such a reaction would hurt Naruto. However, the blond took it surprisingly well. In fact, he laughed.
With a hand reaching back to scratch his neck, Naruto's head cocked to the side as he chuckled. "Oh well. Was worth a try, at least." The boy turned to look at the table, eyes locking on the fish specifically. Meat? Oh hell yes. He glanced to the Hokage, ignoring Tayuya's confused expression entirely. He just... Dropped it? Just like that? "Jiji?"
"Hm?" Hiruzen mumbled, breaking a dramatic eye-conversation he was having with Sumi, on whether or not to berate Tayuya for her reaction. "Oh - oh yes! Go ahead and sit. Eat to your heart's content!" He said with a smile. Normally, saying that would be a mistake. But, the Hokage already knew full well what Naruto's appetite was like. Thus the insane amounts of grub.
What he didn't anticipate, was that Tayuya's was similar. Despite her malnourished state, she wasn't about to let any food go to waste! And thus began a rampage never before seen on a Konoha table since the notorious reign of Kushina Uzumaki.
Within minutes, over half of the food provided was devoured as if a pack of wolves had come for a feast. Both children went straight to work, stuffing what food they could into their mouths whilst gathering up more. Content didn't matter. Even the vegetables were gobbled. Hiruzen knew that Naruto rarely had the opportunity to eat a full meal. That Tayuya kept up with him spoke much of her past in Iwa.
By the time they were finished, there was little left for anybody else. Unless you counted the scraps that had been left behind in their wake, which were only crumbs and bones. Fit for wild dogs, maybe, but not for human beings. The servants would have a wonderful time cleaning up this mess.
Tayuya sighed, arms reaching up into a stretch as she leaned back in her chair. "That was so. Fucking. Good!"
"Thank you for the meal!" Naruto said, the smile on his face confirming that he thought the same. Hiruzen silently hoped that they didn't eat like this every day, or else his kitchen's food stores would be annihilated - as would his budget. The mere idea almost brought a migraine upon the old man.
"I'll be sure to give the chef your compliments." The Hokage said, rising from his chair. "I have some work to do, however. Naruto, you can go where you wish, but there will be no class for you today. Remember that."
"Yes, Jiji..." The boy muttered in response, with an expression that was something between agitation and disappointment.
"Sumi, as we discussed, Tayuya is under your care. I trust your judgement."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" The woman replied with a grin from the corner. She hadn't sat down to eat what little food would have been left. While sweet and innocent to anybody else, Tayuya saw the wide smile as an image straight from hell.
"Just fucking perfect..."
"Don't worry! We'll have lots of fun together, you and me!" Sumi assured with no shortage of glee. The only effect, however, was to enhance Tayuya's still-rising agitation. Fun, in a place she didn't know, with a person who seemed to be a never ending pool of chipperness. Oh yes, lots of "fun". Naruto, having an idea of the kind of thing Sumi found "fun", made the most logical decision he could. He said a quick good-bye, and bolted.
It was already morning.
The bright morning sun crashing through the cracks of his window's dark brown blinds dragged Itachi away from his slumber. As his dark eyes drifted open to a squinted glare at the intruding light, the teen forced himself to sit up in his bed. Judging by the angle of the golden rays piercing through the shaded window, it was roughly eleven in the morning. He had missed breakfast. On a normal occasion, this would seem unusual to the ANBU. They were trained to be on-time, all the time. However, Itachi knew the cause of his sleeping-in.
As he twisted his legs out from under the black comforter, Itachi could feel his muscles groan in rebellion. He was stiff, sore, and, even after sleeping, drained. Chakra exhaustion. It happened to everyone eventually, even those with extreme amounts of Chakra, or skill in using it - or even both. Thankfully it was only a mild degree in this case, but was still enough for Itachi's inner-clock to not notify him when it was time to rise.
As he slipped out of bed, standing in bare feet, Itachi heard his stomach growl angrily. When was the last time he had a decent meal? On the trip back, most of the food was given to Tayuya. There was little time while he was in Iwa, or while he was on his way to and from. It had to have been before he left. That was over three days ago. Shinobi were trained to go long periods of time without sustenance, and though Itachi could go a whole week before his body began shutting down, he disliked pushing it.
First priority, get some food.
He was quick to redress out of his old shinobi gear, which he had fallen asleep wearing. Now he wore his favorite black t-shirt and sweats. Which, incidentally, were the only clothing type he had in his wardrobe, not counting his ninja attire that was set aside for washing in a nearby basket. He considered briefly traveling to the market to browse new clothes, but thought against it. He had work to do, after all.
He walked out of his room and down the stairs which were only a short distance down the hallway. Dragged a hand across their house cat's white fur, he walked into the kitchen and saw his mother hard at work cleaning the brown, counters. She turned and gave a smile, probably hearing him walk in. It wasn't like he was trying to be stealthy.
"Good morning, Itachi. I saved some biscuits and eggs for you if you're hungry." She stated, before returning to wiping rigorously at a rather stubborn stain in the wooden counter.
He saw a plate on the table, and sat upon the low-to-the-ground bench. The meal was well cooled by now, but Itachi didn't really mind. Food was food, and it was already cooked anyways. As he ate, Mikoto moved on from the counter, throwing the white clothe she was using into a nearby hamper.
"Your father had some business to take care of, and Sasuke is at the Academy. Fugaku had something to speak to you about, but agreed to let you rest." She explained, sitting down at the table, across from Itachi. "Poor Sasuke was so disappointed that you didn't wake up. He was excited to see you were home."
Itachi smiled at his little brother's antics as Mikoto spoke of them, almost able to picture Sasuke performing them as if Itachi had himself seen them. "I don't know if I'll be here when he returns. I have to report back to the Ho-"
"No." Mikoto stated firmly, putting on the face that Itachi knew was the "this is for your own good", and "do as I say", and "because I'm your mother, that's why" expression. "I know the shape you're in right now. You know full well that shinobi suffering from category two or higher chakra exhaustion are put on temporary leave until they've recovered." Her expression and demeanor softened, to that of someone concerned. "You're suffering from stage four chakra exhaustion, Itachi. Hide it all you want, but it's evident. You need your rest, or else you could cause serious, permanent damage."
"The Hokage-" Itachi began, but was cut off before he could argue.
"-Has been informed, and agrees with my assessment."
Itachi stared at his mother for a moment, wondering whether she was keeping him here for his own personal safety and health, or for some far more obscure scheme. Knowing her, it could very well be part of something bigger. While she lacked the raw power and chakra Itachi's father had, Mikoto more than made up for it with her brains.
"Very well." He agreed with a scowl, hiding it behind another bite of biscuit. There was little he could do to argue. If the Hokage himself recommended Itachi stay home, it must truly be worse than he thought. Indeed, the ache had only intensified since he left the confines of his bed. He could only sit, rest, and wonder what his father wanted to discuss. While the elder Uchiha often showed an interest in the progression and timeline of Itachi's missions, Mikoto rarely told Itachi that his father wished to talk about that. It must be more important.
Itachi didn't like the implications he was getting from it.
The market was, perhaps, a little more busy than Sumi had suspected. After finding some more "proper" day clothes for Tayuya to wear, as an alternative to running around in PJ's, the pair had quickly gone off to have a tour of Konoha - Tayuya more reluctantly than her enthusiastic guide. She now wore a plain, blue sweater, comfortable sweat-pants, and sandals.
Their first stop was the market courtyard, which hardly left Tayuya surprised. Sumi seemed like the shopping sort. However, upon arriving, they found most of the stalls in total disarray. Items were being hurriedly recovered and either put back in their appropriate places, or robbed. Some of the stations were tipped over entirely. As people scurried about trying to save their business, Tayuya couldn't help but be reminded of Iwa after a rockslide.
She looked to Sumi, who was observing the scenario play out with a grin. A very evil, diabolical grin. "What the fuck happened here?" She asked, to which Sumi looked down at her, grin turning into a smirk.
"Just a little payback."
Tayuya scowled at the older woman, wondering what she meant, but was forced to drop the unasked question when Sumi continued on. Thankfully, all of the dedicated stores were left unharmed - the stalls had little that Sumi was interested in anyways. Her target: Fair-Weather Fashions - a small corner store on the outer edge of one of the many exit streets from the market. While tiny, it was very much popular among the women of Konoha, and was within the top five places to gather gossip.
A ding from the glass door was all the indication the desk-keep needed to realize someone had entered. As Tayuya peeked in from behind Sumi, she found, to her great displeasure, rows and rows and rows of clothes. The only good part of this place was the current lack of costumers. They were too busy helping clean up the mess outside.
"Sumi!" The woman behind the counter gasped, quickly running from behind the wooden piece to greet the Hokage's aide with a hug. She was dressed in relatively plain clothing in comparison to the fancy attire hung along the premises. Brown eyes, dark brown hair hanging down to her shoulders, and a bright smile upon peachy skin.
"Mayumi!" Replied Sumi with equal glee, the names causing Tayuya to become briefly distracted with how they rhymed. Was it just a coincidence? Had to be. "How's your day?"
Mayumi gasped, making a dramatic show of clutching at her long strands. "So slooooow! I've had only two customers come in today, and they're you two!" She finished, pointing at them as if to emphasize the statement. Then her brow quirked, as she noticed the little red-head. "Who's this?"
"Go on. Introduce yourself!" Sumi said, looking at Tayuya with a smile - which only earned a glare a return. A glare, and another outburst.
"F-fuck off!" She exclaimed, stepping back away from the two. There was no way in hell she was just going to "introduce" herself! Maybe she did with Itachi, but that was different! ...Somehow!
"Well!" The store-keep suddenly replied, hand covering her open mouth (without actually touching her own lips), as she blinked numerous times. Sumi sighed also, perhaps having now realized she should have expected this sort of reaction. Finally, seconds later, Mayumi dropped her hand to reveal a smirk. "Someone's got themselves a tongue. At such a young age, too! Where's she from, Sumi?"
The woman made an "erk"-type of sound, and Tayuya almost did a double take when she realized Sumi had almost lost her seemingly endless composure. Her giggling composure from hell. However, Sumi was quick to cover it up, grinning at Mayumi. "Now how did you...?"
"Figure it out? Please! There's not a kid in this village who talks like that." She replied, almost, Tayuya guessed, with a touch of pride in the form of a slightly raised chin. "Adults here are way to stingy - you know."
At this Sumi visibly slumped, and groaned in a clearly dramatic, fake fashion. "They are! No one knows how to have fun anymore!"
Meanwhile, Tayuya watched the exchange, eyebrow twitching. While she refrained from stating her thoughts out loud, which was shocking on its own, she practically yelled them inside her head. 'You are adults!' Hypocrites these days.
Sumi stood straight then, and shrugged with a light sigh. "No point in hiding it, I guess. You'd find out eventually. Tayuya is the daughter of a noble from a small town close to Kumo." She lied, and Tayuya, though at first confused and surprised, had to admit that she pulled it off well. Better than most could. Still, what was the point in lying? Was it so bad that she was from Iwa?
"Kumo, huh?" Mayumi interrupted, looking thoughtfully at Tayuya. "That explains the temperament."
'I'm right here! Fuck you, don't talk like I can't hear you! Even if it's true...'
The woman nodded, and looked back to Sumi, causing Tayuya to scowl. What, could she read minds now? "So how did she get here?"
"Well, this noble apparently got into some pretty big trouble. He came here with Tayuya to hire shinobi to take care of it, and left his daughter here to keep her safe while everything was taken care of." Sumi explained, still lying as if she was born for it. At this point Tayuya was starting to get really impressed - although she was still confused as to what her plan was. Why lie? Tayuya supposed she could ask later. For now, though, she played along, by dipping her head down in a sort of lonely pout.
"Hire shinobi from here?" Mayumi questioned with a frown. "Why not from Kumo? They're closer, aren't they?"
At this, Sumi hummed, bringing a finger up to her lower lip in thought. "I don't really know the specifics, but I'm guessing it was too risky to go to Kumo. Since Konoha is farther away, whatever trouble he was, or is, in probably wouldn't follow this far. He was so worried about Tayuya!" She finished by pulling Tayuya into a side hug, worried frown on her face.
Tayuya was tempted to go "bat-shit crazy" and squirm out of the way, but, for now, continued to the the obedient little "noble woman" with a temper, unless thinking about "Daddy". What a life.
"Certainly doesn't sound like your typical noble. What was his name anyways?" Mayumi continued, walking back behind the counter and leaning on it with her elbows. If Sumi was a liar, than Mayumi was an interrogator.
Sumi sighed, shaking her head side-to-side with a disappointed expression. "Hokage-sama never told me. Probably so I wouldn't tell you - then everyone would know!"
"You know me too well!" Mayumi exclaimed with a giggle, before sighing away her excitement and turning to the recently turned-silent Tayuya. "So Miss Noblewoman in the making, what kind of dress do you fancy?"
Before Tayuya could answer, or at least attempt an answer (as she had no idea what to say in reply in the first place), Sumi intervened once more. "Actually, we didn't come here to shop."
Almost instantly Mayumi groaned, almost banging her unblemished face onto the hard counter, but stopping just short of impact. "Not a single customer! I'll be bankrupt by the end of the week! Closed! Out of business! The horror!" She ranted in a voice indicating nothing but dismay - before she raised her head to show a playful smile. "You've been a nice distraction at least. So what did you come in for?"
"What else is there to get here? Information, silly!" Sumi replied once more. Tayuya began to seriously wish she had demanded staying at the Hokage's home. One permanently chipper person was bad enough - but two? Her stomach lurched in indignation.
"Oh, of course. About what's going on outside, right?" Mayumi nodded to herself, before her smile dropped and she exhaled. Her eyes closed as her expression visibly softened. "Pretty sure you don't need me to tell you. Nobody's talking about it, they're too scared of the shinobi, but it's obvious."
Sumi's hands rested on her hips, as she too dropped her smile, scowling at the counter her friend leaned upon. "So it was that...?"
"Seriously, what the fuck are you talking about?!" Tayuya demanded, glaring at the two. She knew it was about the mess being cleaned up outside, but all she got about what happened was "payback" and "frightened villagers". That wasn't much to go on.
The two adults glanced in her direction, but only Sumi answered. She had regained her smile, and seemed to lack any of the seriousness she, if only briefly, had. "Just some village drama, Tayuya. You shouldn't worry about it."
'I'm not fucking worried, I just want to know what the fuck happened, damn it!' She mentally bellowed, but settled for an indignant huff. It probably wasn't a big issue anyways. Still, at this point, Tayuya's curiosity was killing her.
"Well!" Sumi suddenly started, turning to and grinning at Mayumi. "It's been fun, but I'm showing Tayuya around the village! We've got a lot more to see!" The fact that they were getting out without actually browsing just then hit Tayuya, and her mood lightened - if only a tad.
As they exited, Mayumi shouting a farewell over the chiming bell, Tayuya became suddenly aware that there was a commotion occurring just a short distance away. While a crowd had refrained from gathering, they still made it difficult to determine the source of the noise, what with the couple hundred of people walking to and fro. However, the sound was distinct - someone was shouting.
Just over the chattering, Tayuya could make it out. It was an enraged man, and he was making very clear his annoyances. "I told you to stay the hell out of my shop, brat! If you walk in so much as one more time, I swear, even the ANBU won't be able to figure out what happened to you!"
"What did I ever do to you? I didn't even do most of this, it was the mob that did, but you won't even let me say sorry for it?" Another voice, a familiar one, shouted back - also with a tone, though less so, of anger. Suddenly Tayuya realized Sumi was leading them towards it.
"You didn't have to do anything! Your kind isn't welcome in my store - hell, any store! Now, before I get violent, get the hell away from my property!" The older voice replied, Tayuya now hearing it distinctively above the background noise, due to their closer proximity. They were close now, only a few feet away.
"You don't have that right, Sanjuro." Sumi interrupted, finally squirming passed the edge of bystanders and standing in the clearing around the shop entrance. The man was older, probably upper 50's, balding grey head of hair, scruffy mustache, and held a harsh sneer directed at a child standing but five feet away.
That child was the blond from earlier that morning, with the whiskers. What was his name? 'Naruto?' Tayuya scowled at the situation. Naruto seemed normal enough, despite his strange way of combining a smile and downcast eyes. And the whiskers, obviously. 'Why the fuck is this geezer kicking him out? Did he do something?'
"You and the Hokage are no better, Sumi. Sympathizing with that." Sanjuro almost spat the word, pointing aggressively in Naruto's direction. The blonde's glare only intensified. Tayuya once more found herself questioning - was Naruto so bad that he wasn't even considered human? From what she'd seen, that didn't seem possible.
"Stop right there, Sanjuro. Me, you can accuse. But talking like that about Hokage-sama is borderline treason." Tayuya was shocked to see the cheerful Sumi suddenly replaced by this new, serious woman. It was like she was a completely different person. She held a fierce scowl at Sanjuro, and her tone was almost authoritative.
"Oh please. What are you going to do? Arrest me? You're just one of his servants. You have no power here!" The old man replied, his voice just as loud as ever. Tayuya was beginning to grow a distinct dislike for the man. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she completely missed whatever Sumi replied next. She turned, and saw Naruto, and he looked just as annoyed as she felt. However, the angry tone she thought she heard was completely betrayed by his expression. He looked annoyed, yes - but lacked any sense of direct anger.
"This is only gonna get worse." He said with a frown, before throwing a thumb over his shoulder. "Playgrounds over that way. I'm heading there, so if you wanna come with, I won't mind." Tayuya weighed the options in her mind for a few seconds. Either go with Naruto, who she hardly knew, to go to a place probably much quieter and less crowded (aside for other kids), or stay here with Sumi, get dragged around Konoha all day, and deal with shit tons of people. Tayuya wanted to see what the playgrounds were like in a richer village, but then she was also concerned about getting in trouble with Su- 'Oh fuck it, playground it is!'
With a nod, she followed as Naruto carefully went around the crowds. She noticed almost immediately that he was able to completely avoid going into the large groups themselves, but found routes around them instead. It reminded Tayuya much of the way she often travelled in Iwa, so as to avoid getting mauled. It was strange that he used the same tactic, but Tayuya dropped it.
They worked their way out of the market, Naruto moving slowly and stopping every so often to make sure Tayuya was still following. Finally, they came to a clearing, a square void in the middle of a bunch of buildings with a mini-forest, lots of grass, and the promised playground.
All things considered, it wasn't much different than she had seen in Iwa. A small slide made of metal, a simple collection of a short ladder and the ramp itself; a swing set with three wooden seats, and ropes to swing from, hanging off a tall metal bar held up by two sturdy poles on each side. One of those fancy spinner things that made you dizzy and was a fitting torture device for when you hated a kid's guts - which, incidentally, she forgot the name of. All of this on top a wide box of collected sand, in a rectangle in the middle of a small grassy plain.
The biggest difference, however, was the overall condition. She didn't trust any of the play equipment in Iwa, all of it looked about ready to collapse. Here, however, despite not being used by her personally, it all seemed strong and sturdy, more than capable of use.
"Nobody ever comes here. They all like the one by the Academy more. Well, I mean, I come here. It's the only place I can go without being thrown out." Naruto explained as she stopped beside him, and Tayuya observed a solemn look that was more fitting than the forced smile she had witnessed that morning. Forced. She had come to that conclusion when she realized that his eyes did not join his mouth in joy - but argued for sadness, rejection, and loneliness instead.
"Why the fuck would they throw you out? Don't your parents do anything about it?" Tayuya asked, though demanding would be a more accurate term for her tone. She noticed, however, that her question hit Naruto somehow - his nose and eyebrows twitched. He hid it well as he turned and gave her a grin.
"It's nothing, really. They just don't like the - um - the whiskers." He said, although Tayuya half suspected it to be a lie. Though unusual, she didn't believe the three whiskers on each side of his face to be something worth the reaction she had seen the shop owner give. She didn't push it, however. It wasn't like she cared.
Tayuya began to realize one thing, however. Though he was far more mellow and used a much less... violent... vocabulary, Naruto reminded her of something. It was strange, and Tayuya didn't quite know why - although, perhaps it had to do with how the store manager was treating him - but, it was true all the same. For whatever the reason, be it his actions or his expressions, he reminded Tayuya of herself. Lonely, shunned, tired. Lost.
It only aided in making Tayuya more curious about this blond by the minute. Perhaps children, who hadn't been left vulnerable to the harsher layers of society, wouldn't think twice about such things - but Tayuya was more matured than that. She knew, even at her age, what it was like to be abandoned and abused and scorned. She suspected Naruto knew the feeling too.
That was why, despite Tayuya's internal denial of caring, she stayed at the playground. They would quietly sit on the swing set, Naruto silently beaming with a small measure of joy - while Tayuya struggled horribly with the damn swing. Why. Wouldn't. It. Work?!
Unbeknownst to the two, a short distance away, Sumi stood leaning against a building wall overlooking the small park. Arms crossed in front of her, she watched the seen in front of her unfold. And her lips widened into a gleeful grin.
The day had been awfully un-eventful. Even though Itachi was easily able to recuperate the Chakra needed to perform his duties normally within half the day, Mikoto had still insisted that he stay inside and rest. Inaction was, despite his calm and stoic demeanor, never one of Itachi's strong points.
Finally, however, the sun was setting. Sasuke and Fugaku would be coming home soon - Sasuke probably first. Mikoto hadn't explained where their father had gone, but Itachi knew that whenever he left the estate, it was for very important business. Important, meaning Fugaku most likely wouldn't be home until after the moon was bright and visible.
Itachi was sitting Indian-style in the center of a mat in one of the many meditative rooms of the estate, eyes closed as he was in deep concentration and focus. Even though he had recovered most of his Chakra already, he knew that he could still channel more into his reserves. Unlike the mystical Nature Chakra, which Itachi knew very little about, over-loading on normal Chakra would only result in severe pain and a mini-explosion - rather than full-body mutative transformation.
Then, he heard the front slider open, and a voice he knew better than any in the world. "I'm home!" His little brother announced, the cheerful way which he did so bringing a smile to Itachi's otherwise stoic expression. He wished sorely that the innocence which Sasuke possessed would never disappear, but knew that it inevitably would. He was training to be a killer, after all.
He rose from his spot, carefully to avoid triggering his still present aches, and walked out of the moderately empty room and into the hallway leading to the house's main entrance. He knew very well the greeting he would receive. The boy was always ecstatic when Itachi came home, and always asked for tales of distant lands and adventures. Fairy tales, perhaps, which is why Itachi often refrained from telling them. It wouldn't be good to manipulate Sasuke's perception of the world that way.
"Welcome home, Sasuke!" Itachi heard their mother greet happily, as he approached silently. He contemplated what to say first, as he always did after coming home from missions, no matter how long they were of how far away. It was often difficult for Itachi to peel away the shinobi he was, and rejoin society - even with his own family.
"Where's brother?" The young Uchiha asked, which basically gave Itachi an easy response to say. As he stepped out of the hallway and into the entrance, giving himself an easy look into the kitchen, he saw Sasuke give Mikoto a quick hug.
With a gentle tone, one far different than the serious one he usually portrayed, he attempted to get Sasuke's attention. Which, admittedly, wasn't hard. "Come now, Sasuke. Hasn't your teacher taught you to observe your surroundings by now?" Even as he was finishing his sentence, Sasuke had whirled around and was charging at the teen. The broad smile on his lips spoke more to Itachi than any words could - though he was expecting this sort of reaction. The younger brother tackled - or, rather, attempted unsuccessfully to tackle - Itachi, wrapping his arms as far around as he could.
"Welcome home! How was your mission? Did you defeat the bad guys? Can I come with you nex-" Sasuke began rambling, in a series of questions that Itachi doubted would end anytime soon unless he was interrupted.
With a soft chuckle, Itachi patted a hand gently on Sasuke's raven-colored hair. "Slow down Sasuke. I'll tell you all about it over supper." He assured, though he knew it wasn't entirely true. 'Rather, I'll tell you the parts that aren't covered in black ink.' Still, he could at least tell the shortened version, adding in some twist to it to enhance its realism and satisfy Sasuke. Again, it wasn't actually as hard as it sounded.
"Alright..." Sasuke grumbled with a frown, showing both his willingness to comply and his frustration at the same time, and releasing his hold on the elder brother's waist-line. Itachi sighed at his brother's behavior, looking to Mikoto for help. She was standing by the sink, watching the two with a smile.
"How was class, Sasuke?" She asked, registering Itachi's unspoken plea via either reading Itachi's face - which was stoic as ever asides for his smile - or "mother's instinct", which Itachi was partially convinced was actually a cleverly disguised way of saying ESP.
"More practice. Iruka-sensei wants us to get basic taijutsu and ninja tool use perfect before we do anything else." Sasuke explained, with a look that practically declared that the boy was fed up and wanted to learn something new. Like, now.
"Practice is good! The groundwork of every shinobi is in the basics. Getting good experience with the techniques you know now will help in the future." Mikoto stated, perhaps also picking up on Sasuke's disappointment. Again, ESP.
"I know... But I'll never be able to catch up to brother like this!" Sasuke stated, staring at his bare-feet. Itachi suppressed another sigh. He wished Sasuke wouldn't look up to him like he did. He didn't want Sasuke to live the exact same kind of life. After all, Itachi knew full well that he wasn't fit to succeed his father, like Fugaku wished. That only left the younger brother - but Sasuke wanted to be like Itachi. It was one big mess just waiting to happen.
Still, Itachi had to encourage him for one reason. While on a personality stand-point Itachi was horrible, strength-wise it was acceptable. "You have a long way to go yet, Sasuke. Don't worry. One day, you'll be as strong as I am - maybe even more so."
At that very moment, the door slid open once more. The sun was just setting on the horizon, and he had left early that morning - at least early enough for Itachi to have been sleeping when he headed out. Whatever he had been doing took most of the day, but now Fugaku was home once again. Their father held a grim expression, though it lightened as he laid eyes on the two brothers.
"Welcome home father!" Sasuke exclaimed with barely contained enthusiasm, once more trying to emulate what he knew Itachi would do by bowing at the waist.
Itachi, however, did not bow to the man, staring at his father intently. His mind flashed once more to what his mother had said, that Fugaku had something to talk to him about. What was it? Could their father be making his move so soon? "Father..." He greeted, which he noted earned a mild frown marring Fugaku's features, indicating that he wasn't pleased. Whatever it was, couldn't have been good.
"Sasuke, would you give Itachi and I a moment to talk?" Fugaku requested, rather than demand. This simple irregular behavior raised an alarm in Itachi's head. Something was bothering Fugaku, but what was it? Was it related with whatever he wanted to talk about? Itachi couldn't tell for certain, and he likely would never know unless Fugaku told him what the problem was directly. Itachi could see many things with his eyes - but when his father wanted to hide something, it was hidden.
"But I want to be with Itachi! He just got back and..." Sasuke began, not on the verge of tears but clearly hurt by his father's command. Even though it wasn't an order like normal, Sasuke still treated it as such. Unfortunately, Itachi knew that defying Fugaku meant a "talking to" - and not in a friendly way -, so he was quick to intervene before a stressful situation developed. He just got home, and didn't really feel like dealing with family drama just yet.
It was almost instinctual by this point, he had done it so often. His hand rose, and he planted two fingers on Sasuke's forehead. He gave the most apologetic smile that he could muster, and spoke in an assuring tone. "Sorry, little brother. We'll talk later." It was a phrase that was familiar to every member of the house, one Itachi used frequently when he was busy with his assignments. While Itachi understood Sasuke's frustration, he also knew that the mission always came first.
Sasuke, like always, wasn't particularly happy, rubbing his forehead to wipe away the impressions of Itachi's fingers. He frowned, but only nodded as he turned to walk to the kitchen. He would be pouty for a little while, which the teen hated to see, but it was necessary in this case. Judging by Fugaku's current behavior, whatever it was he had to say was definitely important. Itachi turned to his father, who was overlooking the situation with an unexpected amount of patience. Sure, he was a patient man - but when he was serious, he was serious. The head-Uchiha turned, and made for the slider door again.
"Walk with me."
There you have it. Chapter four is done and dusted! I plan to have the next chapter up by the end of February - I know, that's a long time to wait, but as I said, I only have a short amount of time before I go to bed to actually write. Please bear with me.
Also, while I have most of this story thought up already, I could use some help from you people. Some things I want to consider - asides for Naruto and Tayuya, what pairings would you guys like to see? Not basing it off majority here, but I'd like some ideas. Either include it in your review, or send me a private message - though it's easier for me to keep track if it's in a PM.
If you liked this chapter, please say so! Remember to leave a review so I know what you guys think! Any thoughts, questions, advice, or concerns are well appreciated. If you didn't like this chapter, screw you! ...Just kidding.
See you next time!