Somewhere I will find you

Chapter 9

The simply decorated yet elegant mansion in the Fire Capital was seemingly similar his own home in the Uchiha territories. While the property was modestly sized, it was not overly ornate like the fashion that the pretentious lot in this city here preferred. In fact, the structure was fairly similar to the Uchiha Compound, which tended to favour functionality over flair, and it emitted the same sort of homely feeling he felt back home.

Yet, Sasuke was still feeling quite unsettled in this place, even after having arrived for a few days now.

It wasn't that he was homesick. God knew he had been away from it often enough, either on a trip to complete a hired mission outside of the Uchiha territories or to pursue attackers who dared to attack their stronghold and the surrounding areas, and each trip took long enough before he could return. Yet, he had to admit to himself that out of all the places that he had been to, there was not a one that was like the Fire Capital.

The size and scope of the city could only be described as massive, even compared to the larger cities of the other countries that he had been to. While the Konoha of the past might have been almost comparable in terms of size, it couldn't hold a candle to this place in terms of beauty. There weren't many places in the world where the view from almost any angle was beautiful, and if there was, this place would be the top among the list.

Maybe this was why he was feeling ill at ease in such a place, since more often than not, such a perfect façade often hid an ugly truth underneath where one couldn't see. Sasuke would rather be in the place where the evil of it was plain to observe rather than lurking where he couldn't. But the mission dictated that he must be here, and so here he would stay until his mission was completed.

His thought soured a little as it turned towards the mission at hand, for nothing of substance had been accomplished in these past few days since they arrived. It wasn't that they weren't eager to get started. Rather, they could not truly start any action of substance until they made their appearance at the much-anticipated Daimyo's sixtieth birthday celebration.

It had been more than a decade since the clan sent an official representative to the Fire Capital, and Itachi, who suggested that a delegation was sent and planned to use this official visit to stir the Fire Court and hopefully provoke a reaction that would lead to the revelation of the Daimyo's true intent, for the lord of the Land of Fire was one of the suspects who might have had a hand in the attacks the Uchiha had been forced to suffer for the last few years.

For while the relationship between the Daimyo and the Uchiha clan was seemingly neutral, theoretically even leaning toward being almost friendly, the truth was much more complicated than that. For decades, the Uchiha had guarded the western border of the Fire country zealously from the invaders from the Land of Wind and numerous bandit groups that were seemingly impossible to eradicate. This was a service for which the Fire Daimyo seemed grateful, for it saved him a lot of men and expenses to deal with such matter. However, at the same time, it meant letting the Uchiha clan amassing a lot of power, a power that could threaten the Daimyo's control of his western territories. Of course, in theory, the Daimyo controlled everything in the Land of Fire, but in practice, it was the Uchiha who held the reign of the western region. The Daimyo had no power to assert control over the Uchiha, and this made them a target for the Daimyo's suspicion. Even when they were useful to him, he was always aware that they held the power to rebel against his rule at any time.

This was why their relationship had always been strained underneath the tranquil surface. Had the Fire Daimyo been a more trusting man, the strain between might have been somehow lessened and the Uchiha might even consider bridging the gap between them even sooner, or at least keep up the appearance of it. However, considering the Daimyo's personality, Uchiha Fugaku previously felt it was unwise to broach the subject with the Fire Lord at all and let the matter stood as it was, for the Uchiha were too proud to lower themselves into earning the Daimyo's trust, as unworthy as they deemed him. The Daimyo, who did not have enough power to deal with the Uchiha, could only grit his teeth and let his resentment and distrust in the Uchiha festered and accumulated day by day, and wait for the right opportunity to present itself before he decided the next course of action for or against the Uchiha.

So, in a word, the situation was like hiding gunpowder under a haystack. It would only take a small spark for everything to burst into flames in a blink of an eye.

This was also why both Itachi and Fugaku agreed on the suspicion that the Daimyo might possibly be the instigator of the united attacks on the Uchiha territories and perpetrator who infiltrated their other outposts for three years without their knowledge. After all, there was hardly anyone else in the land who had both the motive and the means to carry out such a grand scheme so flawlessly.

However, being as experienced and careful as he was, Fugaku would never break the fragile peace without concrete evidence and sufficient information to make sure they come out on top in this conflict. Furthermore, there were still many others who warranted as much suspicion as the Fire Lord as well.

So, that was why Sasuke was sent here, in the guise of rekindling the stale relationship between the Fire Lord and the Uchiha while uncovering whether there was a connection between the Daimyo and the Uchiha clan's attackers.

Being Sasuke's father, Fugaku knew that his son had no subtlety for such things. But since Itachi was his first heir to the clan, it was too great a risk to send him, and he was required elsewhere to follow other leads anyway. So, Sasuke was the only sensible choice, as he was the only one with a high enough status which could shock the Fire Court and create enough current to stir the suspects into careless actions. Once that happened, he was certain that nothing could escape the watchful eyes of the companion he sent with Sasuke.

Uchiha Shisui was known as Itachi's right hand and best friend. The two were hailed as the most intelligent warrior and strategist of their generation. So, while Fugaku might not entirely trust Sasuke with such a delicate mission, he knew Shisui would have enough sense and subtlety to temperate what Sasuke lacked and hopefully carry the mission through.

While Itachi favoured the silent and deadly way of operating so his enemies never knew what hit them even after defeat, Shisui preferred a little more fanfare to confuse and distract their enemies until the very moment he made the final move and watched the terror on his victims as they realised escape was no longer possible. He knew well how to excite and agitate, how to create tension and wait for the exact moment to strike, so the task of baiting the hidden suspects suited him perfectly, given the Fire Court's tendency for intrigue.

So, ever since they arrived, Shisui had forbidden Sasuke from stirring out of door, planning to lay low to increase the anticipation of the Fire Court until they actually showed up and keep his enemies from guessing his true intent.

Though it irritated Sasuke to no end, Sasuke complied with Shisui's order, as his father had been quite clear he was to take a directive from Shisui. Moreover, Sasuke knew himself well enough to know that he had no such patience for this kind of scheming, and such things were best left to the person who was far more proficient at them.

Still, he suspected that his brother's best friend was having too much fun from seeing his agitated demeanour. God knew how much he hate waiting, and waiting was all he was doing now.

Still, he consoled himself on the fact that tomorrow was the day all this waiting would end.

He was interrupted from his thoughts as he heard familiar, steady sound of footsteps approaching. He immediately knew who it belonged to without turning to see the tall figure coming from inside the complex toward the courtyard terrace where he was previously meditating before he let his thoughts wander.

"Juugo." The tall man bowed deferentially when his name was spoken. "Is everything ready?"

"Everything is ready." With the affirmative reply, Sasuke gave him a curt nod as an acknowledgement and as his own way of thanking him. Juugo, however, had come bearing other news as well.

"Sasuke-sama, the Fire Palace sent an informal representative to greet you and Shisui-sama." Sasuke's eyes turned sharp at this information. "They said they would be honor if you could lend them your presence."

"So, it finally begins." His lips quirked into a rigid smile as he turned to face Juugo. "Let's go see Shisui, then."

Meanwhile, at the innermost sanctum of the Fire Palace, a meeting between the Fire Daimyo and his council was convened with the utmost urgency.

A meeting which he wasn't allowed to attend, despite being one of the Daimyo's sons.

His elder half-brother, Shinichi, was asked to attend, of course. But it seemed the Fire Prince thought this meeting wasn't important enough for him to grace it with his presence. In fact, any meeting that could lead to potentially more work, his half-brother was sure to find a way to avoid.

He thought cynically of how different things would be if the roles between them were reversed. Had he been born to a powerful mother such as the Lady Shijimi, or even had a mother whose family's influence was half as powerful as hers, he wouldn't have to be skulking around here, wishing he was important enough to be included in any council meeting.

As it was, he was only assigned to the role of supervising the Royal Archive at Lady Shijimi's behest. By all appearance, it seemed that this role was especially created for him. However, anyone with enough intellect could immediately tell that this was an empty gesture, as the position came without hardly any power or influence. After all, this glorified role was hardly better any librarian clerk, and no clerk in the land could command anything other than the history in the books, and even that was sometimes doubtful.

He smiled derisively as he thought of her smirking face and how her followers kept praising her generosity in grudgingly bestowing him such an honour. It was nothing more than a way to keep her son's competitor out of his way to power and keep up her benevolent appearance at the same time. After all, she had done worse things than this to ensure that her son would be the only one with enough power base to ascend the Fire Throne. If she had even the slightest idea, founded or unfounded, that he had the sliver of interest in taking the Fire Throne for himself, she would have had him secretly eliminated without delay.

The Daimyo had no objections, of course, for he had never been able overruled her in this matter. Perhaps the old man did not care enough about him, or his other sons for that matter, to take an active interest in their future. Nor did he care about his land enough to ensure that there was a suitable heir to justly govern after his rule. Or perhaps he simply feared losing Lady Shijimi and her family's support. Regardless of his reasoning, he had always turned a blind eye to her action in the past, and would likely continue to do so in the future.

A pity, then, that the Lady's son did not realize or appreciate any of her effort to secure his place as the next Daimyo of the Land of Fire. In fact, day by day he squandered the opportunities to firmly establish himself with his people by choosing the drown himself in endless vice and earthly pleasure. Unfortunately for the Fire Prince, his behaviour did not escape the scrutiny of the Daimyo's council and his people, and as time passed, their dissatisfaction and questions grew louder every day. Sooner or later, not even the Daimyo and his wife would be able to suppress the concern and the desire of the people.

It was this which gave him hope that one day, he might have a chance, however impossible it seemed now. All he needed to do was wait. For the right time, opportunity, or perhaps even providence.

Besides, unbeknownst to the Fire Lady, the role she intentionally gave to him did have its perk. His position as an honorary archivist, with a little cunning and bribery here and there, had allowed him an almost unlimited access to the Royal Archive. It meant that while she might have prevented him from accessing the actual control of Fire country's manpower and finances, she had inadvertently put him in a position where he could learn all about it anyway.

They said knowledge was power, after all, and he planned to amass as much of it as he possibly could.

He was interrupted from his thoughts as he felt someone approaching. He looked up and saw a familiar figure hurriedly heading towards the council chamber.

It was Hatake Sakumo.

While he never had much cause to interact with the man, he had heard of him as one of the most skilled fighter out of the Twelve Ninja Guardian, one of the few able to attain Fire Daimyo's admiration and respect, making him one of the most respected warriors residing in the Fire Capital. Even though he may have been an upstart common man in the beginning, everyone had by now accepted by now that he was only one of the few who had the Daimyo's personal trust and had conveniently forgotten his humble origins.

Being as shrewd as he was, he did not think a man like Hatake Sakumo would be susceptible to taking sides in the war for the throne, especially his side if the man had half a brain in his head. Moreover, he knew that being the honorable man that he was, Sakumo was loyal first and foremost to the Land of Fire, not the person he governed it. Everyone knew that a man of such sentiment was the hardest one to sway.

But he could wait. There would be plenty of time ahead where the situation would change, when the only sensible choice for any man loyal to the Land of Fire would be to support him as the next Fire Daimyo.

So, one of the Daimyo's forgotten heirs, let Sakumo passed him by without calling out to him.

As soon as the guards saw Sakumo, they straightened instantly and bowed almost reverently. They made way for him and opened the door to the council chamber without questions. The older man nodded to them slightly in thanks, and if he looked back, he would have seen the obvious admiration in their eyes.

"As I was saying, the situation is precarious and we must tread lightly." Faint voices from inside the chamber became louder as the councilors argued among themselves, as usual. "The intention of the Uchiha is unclear. Ever since they arrived, they have made no move nor meet with anyone. They brought their own servants and retainers, and so far, we haven't been able to get our agents into their circle to find out more about their situation."

Sakumo almost rolled his eyes at what he heard. Obviously, the arrival of Uchiha a few nights before had been quite a shock to them, and this fidgety lot had since been arguing over and over about their next course of action. The only thing this overwrought group had been able to agree on was to keep their arrival a secret, but after that, nothing solid had been agreed upon.

"Incompetent." The other Councilor snorted. "If this was war we'd have lost already. At this rate, by the time we find out anything, the Uchiha would have already struck against us."

"You spoke as if you do not understand how delicate the situation is. We certainly need information, but at the same time we cannot risk an affront with the Uchiha right now. They are the only thing between us and those barbaric bandits in the West."

"As I said, incompetent."

"Ah, I suppose it is my fault. After all, I should not have expected one such as you to understand such a complex situation, as the only thing you are proficient with seem to be brute force anyhow."

"You…!"

"Aren't you all forgetting about the more pressing issue? The Senju clan's representatives have already arrived as well, as they do every year! There's bound to be a confrontation between them and the Uchiha, and we might not have enough manpower to keep them from fighting!"

Sakumo inwardly grimaced as he leaned back against the wall and waited near the entrance. As the argument between the Councilors continued in this vein, he surreptitiously observed the guards at the door. They kept the expression on their face blank, but the annoyance and boredom in their eyes in their unguarded moments told Kakashi that they had been forced to suffer this ongoing debate for a long time now.

"Silence!" Finally, a firm voice with authority rose to stop all the others. As soon as the Head Councilor raised his voice, the other begrudgingly stopped their infighting. "Remember yourselves! We are the Daimyo's Councilors, not children. Behave with the dignity befitted your station!" Then he turned towards the white-haired man at the back of the room and inclined his head.

"Sakumo." He spoke with an even voice filled with politeness which greatly contrasted the authoritative tone he used previously. "I am glad to see you here."

Sakumo stood up straight and respectfully bowed his head as greeting as custom dictated, while the rest of the councilors turned to look at him. Some looked at him cold enmity as if he was intruding, while others seemed bewildered to find him there. But all in all, none seemed happy to find him here.

It did not surprise him, of course, for in the past, there were many instances where he caused them enough troubles to shake their foundation of power built upon corruption and deceit. Truth to tell, he wasn't quite happy to see them, either.

"Why is he here?" The outspoken Councilor sounded cold as he spat out the question to which he already knew the answer. "This matter should be kept between ourselves and our people. We already have other agents who are better equipped to deal with this."

"Do you have a problem with my decision?" The Head Councilor glanced at him coldly, and although the other man seemed as if he still had something to say, he grudgingly averted his eyes under his superior's cold, hard gaze. The Head Councilor, satisfied that his authority was understood, finally turned his eyes away as he ordered everyone else to leave.

"Leave us now. We will speak alone."

The rest of the council stiffly bowed their head to his order as they started to file out of the room. While they resented being told what to do, they had no real power to defy him, as he was the only one the Fire Daimyo trusted above all others, hence he was given the role of the Head Councilor and the authority above the rest of them. They filed out of the room quickly as to not provoke his anger any further for now, and as soon as they were gone, the Head Councilor turned to him with an apologetic smile.

"Sakumo, thank you for coming here." He made a move to stand up, but Sakumo waved him to sit back down.

"It's no trouble at all." The white-haired warrior waved the other man back to his chair and took a seat next to the old councilor himself. The old man smiled as he mused out loudly enough for both of them to hear.

"How times fly." His face became a little more relaxed as his hands busied themselves by lighting a pipe before bringing to his lips. "How long has it been since the first time I saw you? Was it ten, fifteen years ago?"

"I believe it has been more than twenty years now." Sakumo replied with a slight laugh. "We were both young men then."

"I remember." The councilor inclined his head as he let out a breath of smoke. "I just started working at the central ministry, and you were a fresh, young soldier in the Fire Army, ready to take on the world."

"You were such a stuck-up noble at the time, as I recall." Sakumo smiled as he recalled the bygone times. "We traded fists over a brawl in the old sake house, but I can't remember what we fought about."

"Me neither." The old councilor shook his head as he laughed heartily. "It did seem important at the time."

The two men chuckled and enjoyed a companionable silence for a little while before the old councilor turned serious and spoke again.

"Sakumo, you have heard about the Uchiha's coming?" Sakumo nodded as his gaze turned serious. His friend's voice turned grim and tired.

"The Uchiha clan, after more than a decade of blatant disregard for our liege, has decided to finally make an appearance in the Fire Capital to attend the upcoming celebration. You can of course imagine the Daimyo's reaction. He has been so agitated over this and had been going back and forth in his opinions nonstop. One minute, he was saying the Uchiha finally learned obedience, and in the next he couldn't stop accusing the Uchiha of plotting against him."

"So his paranoia is acting up again." Sakumo sighed wearily at his friend's grim expression. "You should be able to convince him to settle down. I know you do it all the time."

"I can certainly do that. But truth be told, I myself also found the Uchiha's arrival more than a little suspicious." Then, he looked up at his long-time friend meaningfully. "This is why I'm asking for you here today."

"So," Sakumo unconsciously squared his shoulder. "What is it that you want me to do?"

"I don't need you to do anything." The Head Councilor's lip quirked into a small smile. "It is your son, however, who can help me in this matter."

"My son?" Sakumo repeated, surprised at the mention of Kakashi, who had just currently returned from his campaign of eliminating bandits in the north. "Why him?"

"Because he is your son." The older man replied as he lowered the pipe in your hand and looked into Sakumo's eyes. "And it made him much more trustworthy than any other agents I have at my disposal at the moment."

Sakumo remained still as stone as his friend continued to speak.

"You know how delicate the current situation is. The peace between us and the Uchiha is fragile at best, and we cannot afford the Daimyo becoming paranoid enough to start a war with them. At the same time, we have to be certain that the Uchiha isn't here on some agenda that could harm our country and our people."

"Surely it cannot be that serious!" Sakumo protested, a little startled at the gravity of his friend's words. "Our Lord wouldn't start a war without reason, even as paranoid as he is!"

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you." The older man took a draft of his pipe and exhaled deeply. "I have never before seen him as agitated as he is now. As of late, he is easily provoked for the slightest reasons. He cannot seem to make up his mind with anything and cast his suspicions all around so wildly that his councilors are wary of speaking to him at all.

The Head Councilor rubbed his temple tiredly. "Luckily, for now, the anticipation of his coming celebration keeps him happily distracted. Otherwise, we would have had a much more difficult time dealing with this matter."

Sakumo's mind raced as he digested this information. Even though the Fire Lord that he remembered had never been a person of strong character and great strength of mind, this behaviour still sounded so unlike his usual milder self. No wonder his friend, the shrewd old fox that he was, could not help but be anxious.

Resolved to help his friend however he could, Sakumo gave him a firm nod. "What do you need my son to do then?"

"I want him to be our formal representative and emissary to the Uchiha clan. He is to welcome them on behalf of our liege and be at their disposal for as long as they are here."

Sakumo looked at his friend straight in the eyes as he asked yet another question.

"And your ultimate objective is?"

"Find out why the Uchiha's here, and whether they mean any harm in coming here. If they are not here to cause trouble, then all is well. However," The Head Councilor's gaze turned hard as diamond once more. "Should their intention be anything other than peaceful, I will do what I must to protect this country and her people."

"This healing balm of yours are pretty amazing, Sakura!" Rin said excitedly as she watched Sakura gently rubbed the cool substance onto her arm where Tora left its claw marks a few days ago. The cooling balm was stored inside a tiny, lacquered casket which was beautifully painted by Tenten, whose hands were steadier than anyone. "They help so much with scar and bruises! Even the old scar of mine has completely vanished!"

"Do you think so?" Sakura turned to Rin and beamed brightly at the compliment as she carefully examined the faded scar she got from Tora before. She purposefully refrained from healing the scratch and tested her healing balm on them, with a seemingly satisfying result.

"Of course!" Rin smiled as she continued working on her new piece of embroidery. "I've tried using many remedies from all over, but nothing else is as effective as yours, or smell as beautiful. Besides, isn't this why Hayate-san and Genma-san want to sell these things in their new shop?"

Sakura smiled as she remembered meeting with the two men again recently. She heard from one of the court ladies that there was a new shop opening in town, so she and Tenten decided to go browsing, and when they arrived, they saw both Hayate and Genma there. Apparently, they had been saving up the profit from their trade and finally had enough capital to open an opulently decorated shop to attract a richer customer base. After the initial surprise, both parties were overjoyed to be reacquainted again, and once both merchants learned that the girls were permanently situated in the Capital for the foreseeable future, they had been keeping in touch regularly and became frequent guests at the Hatake Mansion. Upon learning that Sakura had been training in medical ninjutsu and studying medicines, they came up with a prospect and an offer to sell her medicines in their shop.

At first, Sakura was sceptical, as their new store mainly targeted the rich ladies. They sold luxurious items such as embroidered fabric, which they still bought regularly from her parents, rare cosmetics, precious gems and jewellery, and a highly selective variety of items that might interest rich and noble female population. But Genma, ever the brightest mind when it came to making a profit, assured her that such things would sell well, provided that it was beauty-related and came in an easy to use form and beautifully packaged.

Thus, Sakura had spent some time developing the healing balm while Tenten, who was great with handicraft, helped her designed a beautiful painted and lacquered palm-sized casket as packaging. As soon as they showed it to both men, they immediately took a liking to it and Genma suggested that they add a scent to make it even more appealing to use. With a few more tries, Sakura finally came up with the new balm with a more noticeable scent of sandalwood and Myrrh to induce a sense of relaxation. Genma was ecstatic with the result and predicted that these would sell like wildfire in a matter of weeks.

'But aren't there so many of these things already being sold here? Every medicine shop has something like this by the hundred.' She remembered asking Hayate, feeling a little bit worried about the investment they were about to make on their behalf, for it was they who brought her all the materials to make the balm for them. These things were very costly to attain, and they had brought them in bulk and already started talking about how to establish a reliable production process.

'Don't worry, Sakura-san.' Hayate, ever polite and kind, smiled reassuringly at Sakura's worry. 'I'm very confident that this will become quite a sensation. Otherwise Genma and I wouldn't put so much money and effort in it. We are experienced businessmen, remember?'

Hayate's words managed to assuage Sakura's concern and they finally came to a deal. While Hayate and Genma would be responsible for selling the healing balm, Sakura and Tenten were responsible for making the balm and packaging them into finished products that were ready for selling. The businessmen set the price of the balm at a ridiculously exorbitant price and decided they would split the profit in half after the cost. It was quite generous of them that Sakura and Tenten felt like protesting, but both Genma and Hayate wouldn't hear any of it, insisting that it was only fair that the girls received half of the profit.

Both Sakura and Tenten were grateful for such kindness, and proceeded immediately in planning the production of the healing balm. They did not need to look further than at Iruka's school for a solution. Since so many people in the Gate District were looking for any work they could find, it was ideal to hire them to help them mass produce while helping them make a living at the same time. She had asked Iruka's wife, Masami, to help her set up the operation and handle the management on their behalf whenever they were away. Having been a merchant's daughter, Masami knew the art of management as well as the back of her hand, and she was extremely honest just like her husband, so Sakura could trust her explicitly to handle things. Moreover, knowing how much Iruka like to help the poor out of his own pocket, hiring Masami was a great way to ensure that the Umino family had another source of income to fall back on.

Also, it would help as well to have another steady source of income without having to always rely on Kakashi, for although he was a noble with a sizable income, his fortune wasn't unlimited. Unlike his peers, he never resorted to any kind of corruption or bribery, so this certainly put a limit on the size of his wealth. While a little help here and there wouldn't hurt his fortune too much, Sakura knew he could not keep up indefinitely with all the helps required by those in need, and even though he did not seem to mind in the least, she had no wish to impose upon him forever.

All in all, the project was like killing many, many birds with one stone, should it succeed. So Tenten and Sakura had been devoting their time and energy into making sure that the chance of the much-coveted success was maximized. The three women put their heads together and worked harder than ever on this project, which became a goal for all of them.

With the arrival of this project, they began to feel as if they could finally do something truly helpful that really affected the livelihood of the people for the better. They began to feel like they had purpose once again, and they had been feeling happier than they ever felt in a long time. Even the people in the gate district, who had been dissolute and aimless, began to feel the zeal and fire they had never felt previously, and to Sakura, the burning passion in their eyes reminded her of how the people of Konoha used to look like.

That, above anything else, made everything worth it. Now, all she could do was wait, since the first lot of healing balm were already safely delivered to Hayate and Genma's shop in the trade district. Knowing that both men were talented merchant and silver-tongued salesperson made her breath a little easier, but the anticipation was still there in force.

"Where is Tenten, by the way?" Rin asked as her hands moved expertly over the embroidery. "I haven't seen her at all after breakfast."

"She went to the trade district earlier." Sakura replied as she started putting the casket of healing balm into her medicine box. "She said she wanted to look for inspirations for new weapon designs."

Rin nodded at the information. Tenten always liked to be by herself when she looked for inspiration for new weapon designs, which was understandable. Even Sakura herself preferred to be alone when she made medicines in order to concentrate on the task at hand.

Before Rin could return to work on her embroidery, a young maid gently knocked the door and came into the room. Rin looked at her questioningly and the young girl gave her a note with a seal she recognized as her husband's.

"Mistress, Master Kakashi's man delivered this note just a moment ago." The young girl said respectfully and bowed before leaving Rin to read the note. She carefully scanned for any sign of tampering on the seal, and once she was satisfied that there was none, she opened the note and quickly read through.

'Rin,

Got a summon from the court. Won't be home tonight. Don't wait up.

K.'

Rin sighed at the rather concise note and felt determined to be a little stricter with Kazuhiko's writing lesson from now on.

Author's Note

Hello, long time no see! I hope everyone who's reading this has been doing well!

It's been a long time since I updated this story, for several reasons. To put it bluntly, the main reason I lost my motivation was because the disappointment I had with Naruto's ending and what followed thereafter. I felt like the story strayed too much and we ended up with characters who did not resemble their old selves any longer. Plus, some of you may know I started my job at that time, so there was a lot to learn and do. So, it took a lot out of me and I was mostly too tired to write.

So what made me come back to this story after all this time? Some of you might wonder why I decide to pick up the pen again (or rather, keyboard).

It was because recently I've been getting reviews for this story again, much to my surprise. A few readers have been reading my story and they like it enough to let me know about it, and for me, reading their thoughts and opinions on my story was exactly the thing I need to get my motivation back again.

So I promised myself I would start writing again, for the love of this story. I lost that feeling for a while, so I would like to thank those reviewers for bringing it back to me.

I can't promise to update very often due to my work. It's not easy to find the time nowadays, but please know that every word, every kind thought and encouragement pushes me towards writing. You cannot imagine how much those reviews/comments mean to me.

So, thank you. I'm not sure how many people are still reading this story, so I guess I will see. If there's still people interested in reading this, please let me know in the review section, and if there are enough people wanting to read this, I will try my best to update this story as regularly as possible.

So, I hope to see you again :)

PS. Chapter 10 will feature something you all have been waiting for since the beginning of the story.