Too much work and lack of inspiration for the moment. I'm sorry!

Troublesome. That's the word that summarized the whole day for Shikamaru. He just knew it was bound to be bad since her mother almost knock him out this morning. His favorite spot invaded right now by his blue haired classmate. To focused in punching viciously a tree, Shikamaru thought of going home until he realized traces of blood in her knucles.

"Hey, stop it"

But Kaoru continues punching, he approached slowly and shake her shoulder gently.

"Stop"

Kaoru tensed, just noticing Shikamaru. She blinked a few times, he noticed then how bad her hands looked. A little voice in his head told him that it would be a bad idea to leave her alone.

"Sorry, I.. I was.."

"Bleeding to dead?" He asked, her face was all he needed to guess her thoughts. Shikamaru lifted his arms in a peaceful manner "Look, I don't judge. It just happens you are… painting my favorite spot. Care to follow me?"

"Oh, sorry. Wait, to the hospital? Don't worry I will go later..." He interrupted by grabbing her by her forearm gently and walking out.

"My home is closer, mom should be there"

She didn't say more, for that he was grateful. He wasn't fond of doing unnecesary things however since yesterday some things were bugging him. When they arrived at his house he knew his mother would be in the kitchen so masterfully he announced his arrival and walked away quickly to look for some medicine. Smiling slightly at the panicked voice of his mother and her frantic orders in the distance, her "mood swings" as he liked to name were a force to be feared when mad. So when he returned with the supplies to the living room he observed quietly as her mother made her usual interrogation, cleaning her shy classmate.

"...not sure what you think, is this a habit of yours?"

"No, not at all. I was… distracted. I'm sorry for the trouble" Kaoru replied, making faces when it hurt a bit more but not complaining.

"Manners… how I miss them. Boys aren't that polite, maybe you already know it. Do you have brothers?

"No. Or that is what they told me." Noticing her bitting her lip and avoiding eye contact Shikamaru interrupted.

"Thanks mom, I think it's late so let her go"

"Don't listen to him, you can stay for lunch if you want." she advised finishing with her hands, looking how she moved her hands slowly with surprise.

So, promise to not be so reckless?"

"I will try. Ple-please let me repay your time Miss…"

"Oh it's no need, I'm Yoshino. Mother of this lazy kid" Yoshino stood and took the supplies away,

"I insist, I don't feel… "

"Don't bother, once she made her mind it's impossible to refuse." Shikamaru took a seat besides her and closed his eyes.

"... Thank you." Kaoru said softly, not sure of what to do now.

"I didn't do anything." He waited but she didn't answered, guessing now it would be his chance. Shikamaru looked at her.

"You know… Naruto was worried" She tensed again, looking at him sadly.

"He was?"

"More like sad and tired. Naruto silence was… disturbing today."

The silence didn't last too much when Yoshino came with a plate of snacks for them. Looking at her son briefly before she dissapeared again.

"Why do you care?" Kaoru inquired with curiosity at the boy

"... why indeed." Shikamaru ate in silence.

"You're nice..." She smiled briefly, glancing at him.

"How?"

"Well, you care for him. Now that I think of it, you could leave me to bleed and yet.. here I am. Thanks." Shikamaru analized her briefly before answering.

"It's not like we are friends but he isn't bad. You neither" Again she tried to cover her face with her navy hair.

"You don't mind?"

"What? Changing Uchiha hairstyle? If you ask me, he really need a good pair of scissors"

Her laugh was loud and infectious. Shikamaru wondered if this is what she needed, he didn't mind waiting for her to calm down, he even offered another candy.

"Too bad the girls don't share your opinion"

"Oh I forgot, the Uchiha was really angry with you. If you come tomorrow, you will see."

"I… I'm not sure."

"Then go and look for Naruto, I think he is been waiting for you"

Kaoru stood, Shikamaru let her to the door and was surprised when she bowed to him, a huge smile in her cherubic face "Shika-chan, thank you for everything. I hope we can be friends someday."

"If you stop saying "thank you" every second, I'll think about it" Kaoru blushed and laughed shyly before running away.

His embarassment was painted in red all over his face, literally. He expected to find Kaoru in her apartment but ended doing grocery shopping with Akane instead. Naruto looked at the bags in his hands and smiled. His happiness made him wonder if this is how it felt to have a family. Walking in deep thought for once, Naruto poundered what he could do when Akane interrupted him.

"That's all, I think you can take these two with you" Akane said happily waling outside the shop.

"But, this is more than last time! I can't take it Akane-neechan"

"You want to make me mad?" Akane glanced at him briefly, he couldn't stand her look for much when she smiled again.

"Enjoy it. You're such a sweet boy, let me spoil you for once" Akane enjoyed watching him blush, since Kaoru brought him to their lives she felt some peace just by looking at him. His laugh and playful demeanor brought good memories of her childhood with her sister. If she were to pick a word to describe both, it would be mischief.

"Can you open the door? My hands..."

His voice made her notice they were in front of his little home. Expecting to see a disaster she was surprised to see it wasn't so bad. Naruto leaved his bags in the table and smiled to her.

"Told you! Did it for real this time"

"I'm so happy, you actually listened. If you keep up like this, I'll teach you how to cook " Naruto started unpacking, frowning at the suggestion.

"Oh, but it's more work!"

"No, if we start with simple things. I'll still cook for you kids" Akane ruffled his hair affectionately, he took a few steps back to hide his embarassment.

"Stop doing that!"

"Bite me! I will do what I want or else..." She leaned closer and whispered. "I won't let Kaoru sleep here today."

"No! That's so unfair! I miss her nee-chan" Naruto leaved the rest of the food aside in panic. Akane laughed at his reaction,she took a package from one of her bags and handled it to Naruto.

"Ok, just promise to take her tomorrow to the academy. Don't blow anything and call for me if something happen. Get it?"

Naruto smiled and nodded with enthusiasm, she stood and make her way to the door. Now looking at the blue sky she sighed a bit tired. Akane stopped feeling someone was watching her, but it was just that blond hair peeping out of the window. Again disappearing in a blur, she enjoyed Naruto's shyness and continued her path to home.

One of the things Itachi enjoyed was his brief interactions with his little brother. He was the first to greet him. The first to complain when he had to go on missions or train with Shisui. The one who occupied his bed when he arrived late in the night. So he was curious when he didn't hear his rushed steps, or his usual greeting. After looking in other rooms he made his way to the kitchen. Her mother was cooking, as usual she offered some food but he asked for Sasuke. Her cheeky smile and her pleasant voice made him suspect something happened.

Itachi finally found his brother in the yard, adding more things to the mental list of "unusual". Sasuke was hectic. Training was not unusual in itself, yet his movements didn't balanced well. His mind was obviously in other things since he spend few minutes there waiting for him. He mumbled and punched, growled and throwed, Itachi was disturbed.

"Sasuke"

Finally, his little brother stopped and regarded him briefly. Sasuke approached with a scowl and unwavering glance.

"Nii-san, teach me some jutsus"

The abruptness in his demand was perplexing, however it was not the first time Sasuke asked for it.

"Why?"

Sasuke was easy to read. However, Itachi wanted answers and this time his little brother didn't acted like himself. So, taking other tactics he lay his hand softly in the top of Sasuke's hair. He waited, surprise was his first clue, suddenly Sasuke shake his hand off and ran inside shouting.

"Just forget it!"

If Itachi wasn't as sharp-eyed he would have discarded the blush in his brother face easily. He mentally set up his schedule to asses this mystery personally.

It was at night when Shisui once again ended breaking his usual schedule, but this time Itachi accompanied him in front of the door of Akane's apartment. Soon the amber eyed woman opened and let them in, evident tiredness by the bangs in her eyes.

The apartment seemed clean, except for the obvious disaster of flour in the kitchen where Hikaru was occupying himself cleaning. Shisui couldn't contain his curiosity, or hide his smile at watching the boy in front of him blush.

"Did something exploded?"

"You could say so, Hikaru tried to cheer up our little princess teaching her to make dangos." Akane responded with a smile of her own, watching his nephew blush deepen and his quick attempts to clean his face.

"I-I… ugh you are so impossible!" Hikaru leave the kitchen with a clean face and a plate of dango in his hands. An angry scowl directed to her aunt, offering some to the ninjas.

"Hey, that was mine!" Her lips curled downward

"None has your name, too late" Hikaru grinned in victory, everyone comfortably sat in the table. Itachi observed in silence, while eating slowly his dango.

"Well, to business then." Akane, took a scroll from her vest, the seal still in place. Hikaru frowned but didn't complained, it was inevitable.

"What is this?" asked Shisui, holding up the scroll in his hands.

"Ichiro-sama left us the last thing of our clan secrets here" Her voice was flat and serious. Shisui paused in his inspection, looked up to them. A pair of worried amber eyes, made him wonder what kind of problem would require to expose themselves like this.

"Listen, I wouldn't let you this so easily but we don't have options. Before you look at it a sacred oath is needed from you… well both"

She reached then for a bottle of ink, Hikaru then noticed the other boy silently munching.

"By the way, who is him? Wasn't this your job alone?"

"Itachi is the next heir of the Uchiha clan, we can't approach Fugaku-sama with this predicament directly so I had to ask him for help. With his permission we could avoid to let this matter be of public knowledge." replied to Hikaru's inquiry seriously, he really didn't want to involve Fugaku with the problems that were arising in their council, not to mention that it could attract undesirable attention. Glancing at Itachi he nodded, quietly eating the rest of the candy.

Akane finished painting in another scroll a seal unknown to Shisui, briefly glancing at Itachi whose eyes were critically analysing the pattern.

"The oath is simple, you have to sign it with your blood print. Once it's done this seal will recognize you as allies and furthermore print a small mark in your wrists."

"Why the marks?" asked Itachi, talking for the first time.

"Since we have to let few of us leave, this oath ensured our secrecy. If you were to break the pack, basically you die."

"Is this necessary?" Shisui asked, he didn't want to involve Itachi in something so risky needlessly.

"If it make you feel better. We don't have the upper hand, once this seal is active both of us could die." Akane told honestly.

"Could you explain?" Itachi waited, perplexed with the implications.

"This oath works just once because both individuals are marked, both had to share something important, everytime you add information to the oath you had to apply chakra to the seal. If one were to reveal the secret of the other then both marks will answer, both will die briefly after the judgment of the oath is passed." Akane sighed, looking briefly to her hands, she let the memories of the past flow.

"That was the reason we discovered of the ambush, my sensei died in the middle of the ritual, Ichiro-sama did the best he could to ensure our safety after that."

"Sorry, I didn't want to bring up..." Shisui said

"Don't bother, ask now that you can" Hikaru interrupted a bit angry, tapping the table with a stick, glancing to both ninjas. The taller hesistated a moment, before he asked.

"If this ritual have been performed before, what is different this time that requires our help?"

Itachi smooth voice conveyed his curiosity. Hikaru stopped tapping and looked at him, Akane crossed her arms and sighed.

"Because Kaoru is not… from our clan. I mean, she wasn't supposed to be a candidate. Her origins and the interruption made the transition inestable."

"The thing is, you need to read that so we can move on and resolve this" Hikaru ended, pointing at the scroll in the table. Biting his lip, looking at the window and growling in frustration.

"Please we need your help. It had to be done" Akane implored sadly.

Itachi blinked and silently assessed the situation, it was to much at stake for both sides. No signs of deception but anxiousness in their amber eyes. This put an edge in his plans, if he were to take the oath, he would have to think of new paths to ensure the safety of his village… of Sasuke. He could not determine yet if he can do something. However he had to be sure of their intentions.

"This is for your own benefit?" Silence, Hikaru act of indifference cracked immediately. He stood up, eyes burning with anger at him.

"Of course not! You don't understand. I-I want Kaoru to have a second chance to have a place she can call home. We are already screwed up. " Hikaru was furiously looking at the stoic Uchiha boy besides Shisui, highly offended by such accusation.

"She isn't like us, I just want her to be happy. Would you really leave an innocent child suffer alone? Kaoru is… is already scared of something she doesn't understand. I can't stand by and watch her like that" He was losing control of his emotions, he knew. But he was scared as well because if things didn't change now… she could die. Tears were already forming in his eyes, his voice lost it's force and his hands were shaking. He can't watch the last strands of his past disappear again, then what purpose would he have to live? He felt so useless at the moment, her aunt was so confident to put her life in the table for them.

"She is the only hope we have to heal… It it was supposed to be me who suffered this."

Akane was surprised beyond belief, she knew Hikaru didn't liked to talk of what happened but watching him broke down in front of her was…. unbearable. Before she have the chance to stop him, Hikaru was already walking to his room. Leaving the three in silence, deep in their own thought, then Shisui bit his finger and put it in the scroll. Itachi silently followed his cousin, Akane couldn't contain her relief, forcing the tears to disappear and do the hands signs needed, focusing her chakra to her fingers she wrote two kanjis 盟夜. She felt the tug of two strings in her wrists.

The seal in the paper spinned and turned red, she could see now what the two other ninjas couldn't. A white hand surrounded in a long cap approached them, slowly it took a bulky man, gray long hair and black eyes, he took their hands one by one until every mark was done and disappeared slowly in the air.

Shisui and Itachi were looking at their wrists, oblivious of the shinigami that was there. So she broke the seal in the scroll and handed it to them.

"Thank you" was all she could say to them.

"No need, we have to go now but we will talk later" Shisui was already approaching the door when he heard Itachi voice and stopped.

"Tell him, that he is truly a kind child "

Akane stood there after they were gone, glancing at the window at their figures walking in the moonlight. For the first time in so long she let herself cry, the weight of the situation didn't seem as bad now that she let herself feel hope.