Civil Affairs

Chapter 11

Breakfast At Tamaki's

I was shaking quietly despite myself.

At first I had been fine, but the longer I stood there with my eyes glued to the familiar Konoha Military Police uniform, the more rattled I became.

Why were they here? Where was Genma? Was he okay? Had he...had he done something?

I was doing my best to metaphorically reboot the rational part of my brain, desperately hoping that my logical mind would kick-on and sooth me. There was a reasonable explanation for this; there was no reason for me to assume a worst case scenario. But beyond that thought, I was consumed with fear and I could do nothing but quietly shake with wide eyes, staring at the group of ninja outside my door.

Raido was suddenly in front of me and he seemed to purposefully move so he could block my line of sight. He reached forward and I felt his hands firmly grasp my upper arms. The grip was not so tight that it hurt but it was enough to show me that he was demanding my attention.

"Kiyoko…" He began slowly and I noticed he was keeping his voice to a gentle whisper, "calm down."

Something about the way he said it halted the shaking immediately. I couldn't put my finger on it but he sounded almost like...like he knew something. And like what he knew wasn't nearly as bad as what I had imagined. That was comforting to me in a strange sort of way.

My rational mind was given an opening and it came forward with a vengence.

Genma was still on his mission and I knew that he was completely loyal to Konoha. He was a former bodyguard for The Hokage after all and was probably considered high on the least likely to betray Konoha list. I was sure such a list existed somewhere amongst the mountains of Lord Third's paperwork. So that meant it was unlikely that they were here to arrest Genma.

Similarly, if Genma had been KIA or was even simply MIA, I would have been sent a 'Widow Letter'. Widow Letter was, of course, a slang term for the official statement Lord Hokage sent to the families of those who were killed. What the formal name for them was I couldn't remember, it was called an 'Acknowledgment of Honorable Service' or something to that effect.

Despite being called a Widow Letter by the general populace, it didn't just go to spouses. It was given to the closest living relative of the deceased; so I knew very well that until such time as Genma got married and had children I would be the one to receive his letter. Genma had been the one to receive our father's but he had hid it in the picture frame of our family photograph. It seemed like a suitable place since that way all three of us would know where it was if we wanted or needed it.

Widow Letters were, however, delivered by ninja courier. Not by the Military Police, although they had been known to accompany the messenger if it was one of their own. It was an Uchiha Clan thing.

But Genma wasn't an Uchiha.

I thought it was better to be safe than sorry, so there was no harm in asking.

"What's going on?" I asked, "Is Genma okay?"

Raido released me and slowly adjusted back to his full height, as he'd had to bend slightly to hold my arms. At 5.0ft, 5.2ft with heels, I was not a tall woman.

"I don't know for sure about Genma because he hasn't reported in from his mission yet." In a strange way, that was a relief because it meant that whatever was going on likely had nothing to do with my brother. Which meant that it had everything to do with me. I was less concerned about me because I knew for certain I hadn't done anything wrong.

I nodded in response but waited for him to continue.

"Well, when Genma went on his mission he asked me to keep an eye on you." I nodded again, it wasn't uncommon for my brother to request that his friends check in on me. Even if he hadn't specifically asked, I had no doubts that when he happened to be in the area Raido's eyes would have drifted up to our apartment out of habit. "Earlier, when I was getting my groceries I noticed some movement in your bedroom window. I thought it was you but immediately after, I saw you at Asai's and when I asked you, you mentioned that you'd been out all day. I was concerned so I decided to look into it."

A home invader. This morning when I left with Uzumaki I had forgotten to lock the door. It was my own fault.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked levelly although even as it left my mouth I realized I already knew the answer. Raido knew I understood as well, simply raising an eyebrow in return.

If there had indeed been a home invader and I had decided to investigate it on my own, I ran the risk of being harmed. Even if they were a simple thief attempting to steal from me, if I caught them in the act, their fight or flight response would kick in. When someone was in that state of mind, there was no predicting what they would do. They could have attacked me.

There was also a less likely but still plausible chance that this mystery invader was an enemy of Genma's. In which case I would have been killed without hesitation. Even if I had been accompanied by the jonin back to my apartment, in the later scenario I would have only served as a liability and distracted him from engaging the enemy. When he analyzed all possibilities, Raido decided it was best to ward me away from the apartment and investigate on his own until he knew for certain what was going on.

"I hoped to have this all sorted out before you came home," The jonin confessed, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the police force officers, "but the Police Force are dragging their feet. They say that they can't let anyone in until they track down whoever is responsible. They don't want their crime scene contaminated."

"Why can't I go in? I can help them figure out what was stolen much better when I can actually see my apartment." I informed him. If they wanted to know what had been taken, I was the best person to ask. Not that Genma and I had much worth stealing.

Raido sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Kiyoko...nothing was stolen." He replied.

I was quiet for a long moment before speaking.

"How do you know that?" Raido was a close friend but he wouldn't have been able to recognize whether something had been stolen or not. He and Genma were close, but not close enough for him to have an intimate knowledge of the items in our apartment.

"Because well...let's just say it's a little obvious that whoever broke in wasn't after your stuff. Your place is a mess, but it doesn't look like they were looking for anything in particular. They had a...different purpose." He looked uncomfortable mentioning it, refusing to meet my eyes.

Raido had moved now so he was leaning up against the wall, no longer blocking my view of the apartment doorway. The door was wide open, and the police force ninja had moved back inside. I could still see the corner of a flak jacket in the doorframe. What had been done to my apartment? Why?

"Do you have somewhere to go tonight?" Raido asked and I felt my brows knit together.

"Yes." The voice that answered the jonin's question wasn't mine. It was gruff and had come from behind me, startling me. My head snapped back so quickly that it was almost painful and I was surprised to see Ibiki Morino standing at the top of the stairwell.

The truth was that I had never actually met Ibiki in person but his imposing height, lightly tanned skin, short crop of black hair and brooding expression were unmistakable. The man also had a distinct, diagonal scar that spanned the right side of his face. He was dressed in casual black which indicated to me that wherever he had just left from, it had been unexpected.

Most ninja over the rank of chunin rarely went anywhere without a flak jacket of some kind: Genma once told me that after enough years of service flak jackets became like a second skin. Ninja tended to feel naked without them, even if they were just going down the street for groceries. There were few exceptions; one of which was when they were in the safety of their own homes.

I also noticed that he had a small paper shopping bag clenched in his left hand, the top of the bag being crinkled by his fingers just enough that I couldn't make out the name of the pharmacy. The symbol and lettering wasn't familiar to me so wherever it was, it wasn't anywhere near the Kamotsu District.

"Morino? What are you doing here?" Raido was equally surprised at the other man's appearance.

"Police Force isn't being quiet about the fact that they're looking for someone. I overheard them banging on doors in the Namui District. I'm sure by now even the dead know what's happening." He pinned his gaze on me and continued with an irritated tone, "The woman would torment me to an early grave if she found out I knew what happened and didn't come check on you."

I assumed by 'the woman' he meant Tamaki.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I still don't understand why I can't stay in my apartment." Was my only response. I was confident that given some time I could negotiate with the police force. It was a trashed apartment - surely if I didn't touch anything, and they took some pictures it would be fine. It was going overboard to tell me I couldn't stay there.

"No, no. I agree with them. It's best if you don't go in there." Raido urged, looking like he was even ready to grab me if I started moving toward the door.

"I can't even get clothes?" I asked, a little taken aback at the thought. Even if my apartment had been burned to the ground I still would have intended to go to work tomorrow. I certainly didn't want to turn up at the office in dirty, wrinkled clothes.

That stopped the jonin and he seemed to be weighing his options. I could almost see the gears turning as he processed whether he valued keeping me away from the apartment over having the decency to let me get a change of clothes.

"I suppose I could go get some for you." He finally offered, attempting to look for a compromise.

"If you want to tell Genma that you were rummaging through his sister's panty drawer be my guest, " Ibiki cut in, causing the other man to flush a brilliant shade of red and then purple - likely at the thought of being strangled by his former teammate. "But getting a change of clothes isn't necessary. I'm sure Tamaki has something in that bottomless pit she calls a closet that you could wear."

I didn't want to point out that the other woman and I physically had very little in common. She was 5.7ft, had a generous bust and an equally generous buttocks. Compared to her I was a twig and would likely look like a child wearing my mother's blouse if I had to resort to borrowing. However, besides the obvious cosmetic factor, which ultimately wasn't that important, I didn't have an argument. I wouldn't look my best, but I supposed I could borrow clothes from Tamaki.

Ibiki was eyeing Raido in a manner that told me he was also in agreement that I shouldn't be going into the apartment. What was so awful that they didn't want me to see? What was it that they seemed to think I couldn't handle?

I glanced at the empty door frame to my apartment one more time and as I did so suddenly felt...drained.

I didn't want to fight anymore. I'd had a very, very long day and I was ready for it to be over. I needed to pick my battles.

"Fine."

XxX

I'd never actually been to the Morino household, although I'd heard it described by Tamaki with enough detail that I had recognized it as we approached in the night.

According to her, the house was among the oldest in the village and had been passed down through the generations of the Morino ninja family, finally being inherited by Ibiki following his parent's untimely deaths. At almost 100 years old it's age was apparent, but it had been maintained so it had a quiet class instead of looking run down like I would have expected.

Despite its age, the house was very much ahead of its time architecturally. While it appeared to be derived from the minka architecture, having a wraparound veranda and being slightly raised off the ground, Tamaki had told me it was three stories. This was confirmed as I approached, and the building seemed to loom ominously over the food stalls and shops that lined the road below. It was a large property and around its entirety there was a six-foot wooden fence, clearly built to provide the house owners with some privacy from the bustling district.

The Saiten District, now famous for holding spring festivals, had developed with the Morino property at the heart. Tamaki had told me that back when the Morino House had first been built, this area had been considered the outskirts of the village, but slowly it had been consumed by the evolving Konoha.

Ibiki walked up to the tall gate and pulled it open, standing to the side so I could enter the property first. Once inside, I was in awe. Tamaki had made a point of telling me that she didn't have a green thumb but when Idate was little she had spent a great deal of time tending to the property's garden. Her descriptions hadn't done it justice - it was gorgeous. The front garden had beautiful stone walkways and rounded flower beds with an eclectic mix of flowers from lilies to carnations. To the left of the walkway, not far from the veranda, there was a koi pond with a small rock fountain that trickled soothingly.

In the darkness, I felt a low breeze sweep through the front yard and I heard wooden chimes clinking from the veranda in response. It was then I noticed that the tall fence not only provided privacy, but the sounds from the surrounding district were muted. I barely heard anything going on beyond the wooden wall.

I realized I had stopped moving and Ibiki was looming behind me, just as imposing as his home had appeared from the street. I could almost feel his impatience seeping through his skin - the last thing he wanted to do was stand in his front yard all night. I began moving again, making my way up onto the veranda and towards the large oak door. It wasn't locked and with a quick glance at the jonin to make sure it was okay, I pulled the door open.

Once inside, I began taking off my shoes and allowed my eyes to roam the large entranceway. I immediately noticed that the walls were made of drywall, not washi like I had expected. They had been painted in muted, soothing shades of brown and beige. The floors were polished hardwood and there was an elegant area rug that took up most of the entranceway. There were archways opposite the front door, but from where I was standing I couldn't see where they lead. There only appeared to be dimness in the hallways beyond.

Ibiki had entered behind me and was also removing his shoes with a balance that I envied, not needing to brace himself against the wall or even bend down.

"I'm home." He said in a calm tone, not raising his voice. I learned quickly why. There was no need to, something about the old home seemed to take his voice and carry it, the sound echoing around the entranceway. There was an immediate response in the form of hurried footsteps, indicating someone was running towards us.

From the dim beyond one of the mystery arches, a figure emerged. A figure I was very happy to see.

"Did you get it?" She asked hurriedly. Her green eyes were wide and slightly panicked, trained on Ibiki's every movement and for that reason she didn't seem to have noticed me yet.

This was the first time I'd saw Tamaki in her 'at home clothes'. Even when we went out to eat after work, she would usually wear her blouse and dress pants. Her long black hair had been pulled back into a low ponytail and she wasn't wearing any make-up. She was dressed in a pair of black crop pants and a blue t-shirt. She had a white bib apron and socks, which caused her to slide slightly across the floor. She looked like a young housewife which was something I had to take a moment to adjust to. I wasn't used to apron-wearing Tamaki.

"Yes. I got it." Ibiki told her with disinterest, both handing her the crinkled paper bag and proceeding to walk past her at the same time. "But if you ask me he doesn't need it."

His tone indicated to me that the couple was in the midst of disagreeing on something and I was going to be forced to bear witness to the altercation. I'd heard Tamaki's point of view on hers and Ibiki's arguments many times in the past. From what she described they argued often and it was usually because Ibiki was being a 'fat-headed ninja jerkface'.

I didn't think I would ever find another human being that I wanted to share my life with, but if I did I hoped we didn't argue nearly as much as Tamaki and Ibiki did. To be honest, it sounded exhausting.

"He is sick. He needs medicine, Ibiki. When you're sick you need medicine." Came Tamaki's sharp retort, her sentences halting as if her patience was being grated for the umpteenth time that night. She still didn't appear to notice me.

"He doesn't need medicine. It's a cold. It will pass. He'll have to learn to live with colds; along with all the other boo-boos that you won't be there to kiss better, Tamaki. He's going to be a ninja." Ibiki's tone was mocking and disgusted when he said 'boo-boos'.

I wasn't sure I wanted to stand there while this escalated.

"Um," I tried to begin softly but was ignored, purposefully on Ibiki's part but Tamaki's eyes were fixed on the jonin and it was obvious to me she couldn't hear or see anything else. She was clearly livid which made sense to me when it became clear what this argument was about.

Tamaki had confided in me only yesterday during our walk through the village that ever since Idate had entered the Academy, Ibiki had been purposefully pushing Tamaki away from mothering his brother. At first it had been subtle enough, but over the last few days he had become more obvious and blunt about his intentions. As soon as Tamaki figured out what he was doing she'd become upset, then willfully defiant, and as a result the two had added a fight regarding Idate's upbringing to their daily routine. I had a feeling this argument wasn't so much about medicine and colds as it was about Ibiki trying to get Tamaki to ignore her maternal instincts - at least as far as Idate was concerned.

"Fair enough, but right now he is a child." Tamaki snapped, sounding aghast at the thought of leaving the kid to suffer with a cold. To be honest, if it was just a cold, I was tempted to agree with Ibiki.

Growing up I'd had to learn to weather plenty of illnesses by myself - there was nothing wrong with learning to continue with your life when you were sick. It was what I considered an 'adult skill' and one that you could start learning as a child safely. The sooner you learned that the world wouldn't stop because you were a little uncomfortable the better.

While she tended to let her emotions guide her judgement Tamaki was a reasonable woman who should have been able to infer the logic behind Ibiki's argument. But I had a feeling that right now she was too upset to debate. It was more likely at this point she was simply disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing, not wanting to listen to anything Ibiki had to say. As far as she was concerned, he was trying to separate her from her maternal duties which made him an enemy whose judgement she couldn't trust.

"Um…" I began again, even more hesitant than before if that was possible.

Ibiki t'ched and at first I believed that my presence was still being ignored. I was mistaken.

"Whatever, I got the medicine," He tossed over his shoulder as he seemed to dismiss himself from the conversation, exiting out into the hallway. "You have a guest Tamaki, so quit your nagging."

"Nagging!? Why you…" Tamaki began as the man walked away and I heard the bag in her hands begin to rip due to the tightness of her grip. "Wait a minute...did you just say...guest…?"

I watched as she turned to face me for the first time, her face a slack mask of surprise and confusion.

There was a long silence as she stared at me and I stared back.

She blinked.

"Oh, Kiyoko, when did you get here?" She asked lightly, as if trying to pretend she hadn't just emerged from an argument with her boyfriend mere seconds ago.

"I've been here the whole time." I informed her bluntly, keeping my expression level.

"Oh...I see." I noticed that she flushed at the confirmation that I had witnessed the entire verbal battle between herself and the jonin. I knew Tamaki had said they fought often but she never elaborated as to how long their typical altercation was. Somehow, I had a feeling that it had been cut short.

"He has a point, you know." I informed her and she went even redder, although I suspected it was for a different reason.

"Do you want some tea?" She spat out, obviously trying to distract me.

Even though her tone was less than inviting I chose to accept. I didn't really have much choice in the matter.

Two hours later, I was still sipping a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

The Morino's dining table was antique and clearly made for large family gatherings or parties. There was seating for eighteen people but with only Tamaki and I seated, the dining room had a lonely feeling. There were old tapestries lining the walls giving it a cool, formal aura but the longer I sat there, the more I could see the small influences that made it obvious Tamaki lived there. A neat vase of freshly picked flowers in the center of the table and warm colored placemats were small touches added a much-needed warmth.

So far, our conversation had been lengthy and entirely about the strangeness of what could have happened to my apartment and why all involved seemed to think it was none of my business. Tamaki had, of course, agreed with Ibiki's assessment of the situation and had informed me that I was more than welcome to stay for however long I needed.

I had changed into a pair of Tamaki's long sleeved, flannel pajamas which as I had predicted were large on me. Where Ibiki had disappeared to I wasn't certain, but I made note that I hadn't seen him since we had arrived. Tamaki too had disappeared for a few moments and had returned changed into a short nightdress with a long, thick bathrobe.

"Ugh, it just gets me that they wouldn't even let you know what happened. They should have told you something!" Tamaki finished, leaning back in her chair. It wasn't the first time she had said this in our conversation, but she seemed to feel the need to repeat herself.

I was suddenly weary of the subject, especially since after two hours we had just begun to repeat ourselves. We hadn't had any new insights.

"I don't really want to talk about it anymore. There's nothing more I can do, anyway. At least not tonight."

Tamaki was quiet for a moment before releasing a long sigh.

"Yeah, I feel ya, I guess." She grumbled eventually, "You're right. Nothing we can do...as usual…"

We lapsed into silence as we both chose to stare into our tea cups, the room grew heavy and sullen for several long minutes. Somewhere in the background, an analog clock ticked away. I vaguely wondered what time it was but at the same time didn't particularly care.

Even as emotionally exhausted as I was, in the safety of the Morino household I was getting a second wind and I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon.

"So, how'd your day with the Uzumaki kid go?" Tamaki finally broke the silence, "Did the furniture turn up alright? It wasn't much but it was the best I could do with that budget...bosom or no bosom."

My thoughts were quickly turned from my own misfortunes to Uzumaki, who just a few short hours ago I was purposefully trying to push from my mind. It seemed to me that he was now the least of my worries.

"Dismal." I said in a deadpan, "He's completely illiterate and can't tell time. He can count to ten, which I suppose is something I can work with."

"Wait what do you mean by completely illiterate?" Tamaki asked, having picked up on my overemphasis.

"I mean completely. He doesn't appear to be able to read anything...I didn't have an opportunity to test it but it's unlikely he even knows how to read and write his own name." I rested my head in my hand and went back to staring into the green depths of my tea.

I'd been purposefully trying not to think about it because I knew it would keep me awake all night trying to produce a solution or ideas on how to teach him. But with everything that had happened tonight the damage was done, and I may as well take the time to run this newest discovery by Tamaki.

I'd never had to spend time around children, let along teach one to read and write. My ebony-haired friend on the other end had raised Idate and before her CAO days was a full-time nanny. Since he had recently been able to enter the Ninja Academy, I figured it was reasonable to assume that Tamaki had taught Idate how to read and write. Hopefully, she would have some ideas.

"You're kidding me," She began in obvious disbelief, "not even his own name? Well, that's going to have to change. No way that kid is going to be able to go to a civilian school."

Despite the obvious emphasis on 'that kid' there wasn't any vitriol in her tone, just an insinuation of what she meant. I understood her concern - it was the very thing that plagued my mind. Naruto Uzumaki would have to be a ninja if there was going to be any hope of him keeping the nine-tails at bay. If he couldn't make the cut to enter The Ninja Academy, that would be a huge barrier towards keeping not only his but the village's future secure.

"I don't know how to teach him. Any ideas?" I inquired softly, letting her know for the first time that I was beginning to feel a little in-over-my-head. For once time was on my side, but my skill-set really didn't lay in teaching.

"I have some but to be honest I'm not the most patient when it comes to stuff like that. Short of reading Idate to sleep every night and doing some flash-card work, Ibiki actually did most of his early education." Tamaki said, although it appeared she was loath to admit it to me.

I tried to hide the fact that my facial expression was threatening to move from neutral to hopeless. I hadn't expected that idea to be a bust.

As I did that, Tamaki stood quickly, held up a finger in a signal to wait and hurried out of the room. She was gone for a few moments and I heard some mild thumping from somewhere else in the house. When she finally emerged, she was carrying a medium-sized cardboard box that said 'IDATE 4/8' on the side in bold characters. Completely disregarding the fine placemats, she set the box down with a thump.

"What does the 4/8 stand for?" I asked as I watched her begin to pick at the tape sealing the box.

"Fourth box out of eight. Those boxes are mostly all his 'baby stuff' but this one is full of early readers and beginner books. I think there might be some flashcards for numbers and time in here too...I kind of forget to be honest. I packed this thing almost three years ago." She continued to rip at the tape, peeling it off the top as it screeched faintly in protest.

I stood up and made my way over to stand next to her, watching as she unfolded the top and started to pull out stacks of small books, setting them in neat piles on the dining table.

"You can have them if you think they'll help. They were just collecting dust in one of the closets. There's too many. I swear this place probably has closets I still don't know exist. I found a closet I didn't know existed inside the kitchen pantry a few weeks ago." Tamaki was still counting and thumbing through the books as she spoke.

"Really? I can have them for Uzumaki?" I asked cautiously, ignoring her rambling about closets for the time being. Perhaps asking Tamaki hadn't been a complete bust. There was no guarantee that I would be successful in using the books but not having to search for the age-appropriate materials would certainly be a plus.

"Of course." She sent me a small, crooked smile.

There was a silence between us as we both took another few moments to look through the stacks.

"A closet inside the kitchen pantry?" I finally breached the silence, "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah, there's a false wall in there." Tamaki said with a lighthearted chuckle, "Don't get me started on the hidden room in the linen closet. Or the secret panel I found in the shower. Which reminds me...don't lean on the wall while you're taking a shower. I climbed in there hungover one morning, leant on it, was swallowed by the panel and was stuck in the walls for three hours. I don't know what Ibiki's ancestors were doing in this house and frankly I'm terrified to ask."

Somehow, I felt that was wise on her part.

XxX

Breakfast with the Morino household was an interesting affair.

Tamaki was fluttering about in her standard dress pants and blouse, but she had tied her apron on over top. This was for practicality I discovered, as before I had even considered waking up that morning she had been awake and making what I considered to be an elaborate breakfast. It was just a traditional breakfast of steamed rice and pickled vegetables, but to me (who didn't normally eat breakfast at all) it was quite the feast. It appeared that on top of serving the rest of us breakfast, she was also simultaneously cleaning and packing bento.

I had offered my help but had been viciously forced into the chair to Ibiki's left. At first, I was concerned she wasn't eating with how much she was moving around, but on occasion I would blink and she would be standing across from me, devouring some rice. Then I would blink again and she would be back in the kitchen, asking if we wanted more to eat.

Ibiki was fully dressed in his uniform and was sitting at the head of the eighteen-person table. He primarily kept to himself, having only uttered a few polite 'yes pleases' and 'no thank-yous' when Tamaki would stop her flittering to ask whether he wanted more coffee or more food. He had a pile of scrolls next to him and throughout the meal was sifting through them and holding different ones in front of his face while he read. I assumed they were mission briefings or low-level intelligence that he could have in the presence of his family. It certainly didn't look like pleasure reading as whenever he would shift between scrolls and I'd catch a glimpse of his hardened frown.

Considering their row last night, I had expected the man to be cordial with Tamaki but nothing more. I was surprised. While his attention clearly occupied, there didn't seem to be any indication that he was angry with her. Which was an attitude that Tamaki appeared to share: the way the two were behaving it was like they had never fought in the first place.

To my left was Idate who had obviously already recovered from his cold and had decided to play a game of 121 questions with me. I didn't know a person could be asked so many questions in one sitting. Just like with Ibiki, I'd never met him before, but I'd heard enough about him that I felt like I did. What Tamaki failed to mention, although I felt it was because she hadn't noticed, was that Idate had inherited her personality. He was spunky, vibrant and could be a little moody. Sudden mood swings were one of Tamaki's specialties and it appeared to have caught on. The boy's attitude had changed at least three times between waking up and sitting down at the table for breakfast.

After almost an hour of this circus Tamaki called a morning routine, she finally emerged from the kitchen for what I discovered would be the last time. She was balancing two neatly boxed bento under her one arm and had a pot of freshly brewed coffee in her opposite hand. She rounded the table, pouring Ibiki another cup of coffee as she passed (receiving an absent but genuine 'thank you' in return) and finally settled into the seat across from me. She set the bento down next to her, sighed and picked up her chopsticks.

Idate wasted no time switching his inquiries to someone else.

"What's for lunch?" He asked curiously, his mouth still full.

I couldn't believe it. How could he be thinking about lunch when he was still eating breakfast?

"Idate, don't talk with your mouth full." Ibiki's voice floated from around the scroll he had his nose buried in.

Idate took a moment and swallowed but wasn't deterred.

"What's for lunch, Tamaki?" He asked again, now his mouth absent of any food.

"Well, I made; salted salmon, rice, there's some sweet peppers in there too…" She was looking upwards, as if she was physically searching her memory. She was holding a clump of what was now cold rice a few inches from her mouth as she responded, and I watched while she did it agonizingly. Couldn't she just eat her breakfast? If Tamaki didn't eat soon I was going to be tempted to force feed her. Was this what her mornings were always like? Is this what having a traditional family and a child was like? It was so…demanding.

"There's no broccoli this time, right?" He asked, interrupting her.

Tamaki started for a moment before her face went blank. Somehow, I got the feeling this was a recurring subject between the two.

"No, there is broccoli, Idate. I know you don't like it but it's important for your health. Broccoli is good for you." She appeared to be attempting to explain with a tone that indicated this wasn't the first time.

"You're lying," Idate accused his mood flipping to what felt like a brewing storm, "That's just a lie that grown-ups tell kids. It's not that great."

"Idate..." Tamaki began, although her voice lacked conviction. She sounded like she knew she was supposed to be scolding him but just couldn't bring herself to do it properly. It was like she didn't care to have the argument anymore. "I don't understand where this attitude is coming from. I'm not liking it."

During this exchange, I was focused on the fact that Tamaki had put her chopsticks back down without even taking a bite. The fact that she had yet to sit and eat properly was beginning to distract me.

I was so distracted that I failed to keep the look of shock off my face with what happened next.

"I don't have to listen to you. You're just a skirt." The little boy said smugly, crossing his arms and glaring at Tamaki, clearly very pleased with being able to use the (hopefully new) term in his vocabulary.

I couldn't immediately retrieve my stony Shiranui visage, instead I sat there with my mouth slightly agape and my indigo eyes widened. My chopsticks hung loosely in my hand. I couldn't believe what I just heard; he couldn't possibly understand the gravity of what he had just said.

Tamaki's face was fluctuating between shocked, angered and absolutely horrified. Her mouth was opening and closing as she seemed to struggle between trying to come to terms with what she'd just heard and formulate a response. She looked a bit like a fish. Not that I blamed her; I wouldn't know how to respond in this situation either.

I was, not for the first time, suddenly very thankful I didn't have children and it was not my responsibility to respond to this behavior.

The word itself was innocent but the meaning behind it was something an eight-year-old couldn't possibly understand. While he'd probably meant for it to give him an air of superiority, I found it hard to believe that he'd purposefully meant to suggest that the woman who raised him was a useless slut. I supposed it made sense that when a child got a new word in their vocabulary they'd want to use it: but that was hardly an appropriate term to be thrown around the breakfast table.

I felt a cold shiver suddenly run up my spine and the temperature dropped significantly to my left. Ibiki, abruptly stood up, abandoning his half-finished food and still open scrolls.

"Let's go, Idate." He said with a stern tone, "I'm taking you to school now. We're going to have a chat on the way."

"What?" The boy began in confusion, not seeming to understand that he had done or said anything wrong. "But school isn't for another hour."

"Let's. Go." Ibiki emphasized again, his expression hardened.

Idate finally seemed to realize that he was in trouble, his eyes darting to Tamaki pleadingly who in turn refused to meet them. Instead she wordlessly picked up his bento and went back to the kitchen with it, her face blank.

It looked like Idate wasn't going to be having broccoli for lunch. In fact, he wasn't going to be getting anything at all.

At that point I realized I was still sitting there with a shocked expression, so I schooled it back into my usual passive one.

Tamaki didn't return to the dining room until a few minutes after I heard the door slam, which indicated that Ibiki had finally ushered the sulking Idate out onto the street. During that time I was left to sit there awkwardly for several minutes, staring down at my half-finished rice and cold coffee. When she finally returned, she plonked down into her seat, sighed heavily and rested her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Kiyoko." She muttered, "He's a good kid...really. He's never said anything like that before. Ibiki certainly has never said it and his friends don't say stuff like that when they hang around here either. I don't know where he heard that."

I wasn't offended. I did wonder who thought it was okay to say something like that around a child who had clearly been raised by a civilian woman. It was clear that this was something he had picked up at the academy though. I could sense that Tamaki really didn't want to talk about it further - at least not right now, anyway. So instead of voicing my suspicions I chose to imply what had been bothering me all morning.

"Don't apologize to me," I told her, "just eat your breakfast. Please. You've gone to eat and put down the same clump of rice at least three times."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips and I sipped my coffee as she went to begin her meal. She'd just begun to open her mouth when there was a knock on the door.

She sighed at the interruption and was about to put her chopsticks down again when I stood up.

"I'll get it." I said quickly, "Just eat. At this rate you're going to wither away."

Despite my deadpan attempt at a joke, I was serious. After witnessing the chaos that was Tamaki's typical morning I began to wonder when exactly she got the chance to eat. Now I was beginning to understand why she asked me on dinner dates or wanted to go out to lunch with me so frequently. From what I had witnessed so far it was the only chance she had to have an uninterrupted meal. Then again, maybe Tamaki was like me and had adapted to barely feel the pangs of hunger.

Either way, it was unsettling for me to see her not be able to sit down and enjoy a meal in her own home.

I made my way back towards the entrance, making sure to straighten and tug my skirt as I went. No matter who was at the door, I didn't want to answer it with my skirt hiked up. Thankfully, there hadn't been any need to borrow clothing from Tamaki as I had learned this morning that she had washed my clothes.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a tall form with, short brown hair and a white porcelain monkey mask.

"I'm looking for Kiyoko Shiranui." The monotone voice asked as soon as the door was fully opened. I'd barely had time to take in the rest of the visitor's appearance, which only consisted of a black trench coat.

"That's me." I responded, wondering if the ANBU appearing at the Morino household had something to do with my apartment being trashed. They were the eyes, ears and arms of Lord Hokage. Given my new position as Uzumaki's caseworker, it wasn't impossible that Lord Hokage wanted to speak with me. Perhaps he was worried that I wouldn't be able to perform my duties effectively after what happened? Maybe he was thought I wasn't going to keep to my commitments to see Uzumaki this week? I, of course, had every intention of following through with them but it was reasonable for him to be skeptical.

"Come with me." He commanded, turning and moving towards the gate without waiting for an answer.

"You could at least say please." I heard a shrill voice behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see Tamaki standing there, a grain of rice on her cheek and a frown on her face. She seemed to have regained a bit of her usual vigor and was staring at the ANBU's back with crossed arms, tapping her foot on the ground. "Honestly, common courtesy is dead nowadays. Where did all the gentleman go?"

I didn't bother to point out that he was ANBU and they weren't usually supposed to talk to anyone period let alone use their manners. The assessment was a little unfair, I'm sure when the mask was off he was a perfect gentleman.

"Move it, Shiranui." The ANBU said in response, a little less monotone and a little more gruff.

Apparently, Tamaki had managed to get under his skin. Go figure.

I nodded.

"Tamaki, you have rice on your face." I pointed out as I bent down to grab my shoes, sliding them on and fastening them as quickly as possible. Tamaki went a little red and proceeded to rub her cheeks with the corner of her sleeve, which occupied her attention while I grabbed my briefcase.

With that now in hand, I stood there quietly for a moment, watching as Tamaki still desperately rubbed at her face. The grain of rice was now long gone, but it seemed that she hadn't realized that yet.

"Tamaki..." I said after a few moments of silence, watching as the woman abruptly stopped her ministrations in response, "Thank you."

Her gaze softened, and she mumbled a response that sounded like it may have been a 'don't mention it'. It only took her a moment to get over her embarrassment at being thanked.

"Don't worry about those books." She informed me, "I'll drop them off at your desk when I get in this morning. I'll probably be a little late though…Ibiki forgot his lunch and knowing him he won't come back to get it himself."

"Thanks again."

"Would you stop thanking me and go already. It feels like that ANBU's about to pick you up and carry you there." She said, glancing at the ANBU from the corner of her eye. He wasn't, and she knew that. She probably couldn't help herself; it wasn't often a civilian got the opportunity to tease an ANBU and get away with it. He'd already shown he had a short fuse. Which made him an absolute delight for someone like Tamaki to toy with.

Even though I knew she was kidding, the idea of being carried to Lord Hokage's office was mortifying and enough to finally get me to leave.

When I reached the gate that lead out to the street, briefcase clenched in my hands, I glanced back once.

When I did, I caught my friend's concerned and knowing expression.

An expression that she had obviously been trying to hide.

XxX

The worried look on Tamaki's face haunted my memory all the way to the Hokage Tower.

It occurred to me that last night after I had gone to bed, it was likely Ibiki had told Tamaki about what had happened to my apartment.

I had a wave of bitterness at the thought; why was it that everyone else could know what went on in my apartment yesterday except me? I did my best to show the world that I was strong and capable. I thought I was doing a respectable job of it but apparently not.

It didn't take me long to squash the contentious thoughts and force them from my mind. I shouldn't take the good intentions of those around me negatively. That wasn't right. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. Even though it was an irrational thought, I was starting to feel like everyone else in the village knew what had happened.

On our way up to the Hokage's floor, the ANBU had allowed me a moment to drop my briefcase off at my desk in the currently empty Children and Youth Services department.

When we arrived at Lord Hokage's office, the ANBU stood to the side and tilted his masked head at me. He was silently encouraging me to knock. ANBU apparently didn't knock, in fact I wasn't even sure they usually used the stairs. Or the door even. I had a feeling they usually just climbed in through Lord Third's window since when I thought about it, I'd never actually seen the ANBU using the stairs that went past the office. Regular forces ninja? Sure. ANBU? Never.

I glanced left and right at the two regular guards, but it seemed like I was being ignored because I had an ANBU escort.

I did as silently instructed and knocked lightly on the door, a couple of quiet taps that I was confident were heard. Growing up in a place like Konoha, with people around every corner who could hear a pin drop, one learned that they didn't need to be loud to be heard. Some people, like Tamaki or Atsuko, disregarded this lesson in favor of being the loud, vibrant personalities they naturally were. Others, like me, embraced the encouraged reserve.

"Enter." Came the familiar voice of the Third Hokage.

I never thought I would ever find anything about Lord Hokage to be familiar but after that long meeting a few days ago, my ears had become attuned to the sound of his voice.

I did as instructed, coming to stand in front of The Hokage and bowing quickly in greeting. I made sure to maintain my passive expression, especially after I realized that I had been so busy stewing over the apartment incident that I had forgotten to prepare something to say.

Well, being honest had worked well so far.

The elderly Lord Third didn't waste time.

"Miss Shiranui, it has come to my attention that yesterday afternoon your home was broken into. I hope you're doing well and this incident hasn't caused you too much distress." He said, taking a moment to puff on his pipe, "I had assigned your brother to temporary duty on the border. I sent word to have him recalled to the village a little early. With what that has happened I thought he may like to be home with you."

I did my best to stifle my relief. It was comforting to know that Genma would be home soon and I would have his support in dealing with the latest fiasco. It was also good because that meant I didn't have to explain what was going on. I had hoped that should Genma return Raido or one of his friends would let him know what had happened but to be honest having the Hokage send a formal letter was better. He'd have more time to prepare himself.

It was obvious to me however that Lord Third was giving our family a courtesy; I doubted he typically called ninja home in these circumstances. Not being around your family in times of celebration and crisis was, unfortunately, an occupational hazard for a ninja. My brief stint in the Registrations office had taught me that most shinobi were rarely even present for the birth of their children.

"It has also come to my attention that by assigning you to care for Naruto Uzumaki, even in a professional capacity, I unwittingly provoked this incident."

It took me a moment to digest what he was saying and then I started. Someone broke into my apartment...because of Naruto?

I mean...Uzumaki...

I wasn't stupid. I was aware that Uzumaki was hated by most of the village and that any interaction with him could be misinterpreted and used as fuel for that hatred. I had been expecting some dirty looks, maybe some gossip but I hadn't expected someone to be bold enough to break into my apartment and...well, goodness knows what they did. I wasn't fully aware of what the extent of the damage was yet.

Raido's words came back to me.

"Your place is a mess but it doesn't look like they were looking for anything in particular. They had a...different purpose."

A different purpose alright. I could only begin to imagine what they had done to my apartment to communicate their displeasure with my new position. Displeasure for what I had been doing for Uzumaki.

I felt my face flush a little in indignance. Complete strangers...upset with me...for doing my job. How in the hell was that anyone else's business? What made them think they had the right?

"I, of course, thank you for all of your hard work. I admire the strength, innovation and determination that you have displayed." He said, taking another long puff from his pipe. "With your efforts, Uzumaki's life has improved more in the last week then it has in the last six years and for that I will be always be grateful...as will he."

I couldn't or rather didn't want to understand where he was going with this. Why was he thanking me right now? Why did he sound like...like he was…?

"You are a citizen of Konoha and you have a right to feel safe in your own home. I may be Hokage, but I am first and foremost a ninja, and one of a ninja's priorities is to protect and see to the safety of those who live in the village he serves. It is a duty that I have always taken very seriously." He continued, his eyes hidden from me underneath the wide brim of his signature hat.

I had a feeling I knew where he was going with this and I didn't know how to react. Even with all the chaos and change that my life had gone through in the brief time since I became Naruto Uzumaki's caseworker, I had never felt so...helpless. Was there even anything I could say? Or was I doomed to stand here in wordless shock while he...

"For this reason, I have decided that it would be best if ninja are assigned to meet Naruto's needs going forward. I have already spoken to The Director and she has already stated that you may return to your former position. I apologize again for everything that has happened, Miss Shiranui." He said my name with a finality that told me I was now dismissed.

He did.

He just fired me.

I was stunned.

I heard light footsteps behind me and glancing over my shoulder saw that one of the regular guards had come into the office and was gesturing to lead me out of the room.

I was fired and dismissed for my own safety?

I turned and began to follow the chunin in a daze, I kept my eyes glued to the wooden panels of the floor, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. While my face remained in what I knew to be a passive mask, I'd begun to wring my hands together in front of me in distress.

Then, as quickly as I had been escorted in, I was escorted out.

Suddenly, it was just me standing outside the Hokage's closed door, staring into space while the two chunin guards successfully ignored my presence. It took my mind several long minutes to reboot while I breathed deeply and consciously attempted to stop myself from ringing my hands.

I'd been fired. No, not fired, just transferred. Reassigned.

Still...something about the whole thing hurt my pride. I'd worked hard. I'd done a good job. It just didn't seem fair that I was transferred, regardless of whether it was for my own safety or not. I certainly hadn't expected it and it had all happened so fast. As quickly as I'd gotten the position it was whisked away from me and I wasn't entirely sure where to go from here.

I suppose logically, I could just continue like it never happened. I would go back to my desk in Immigration, next to Tamaki, and spend my days perusing case files, rejecting, approving, helping with settlement…

I'd be lying if I said that the idea didn't appeal to me. I liked immigration work. I was suited for it.

"No offence, Kiyo, but it's not really playing to your previous experience."

Genma's words from the other day floated back to me. He was right, I wasn't suited for working with children. I didn't know anything about them. I had doubted myself every other minute ever since the Nine-Tailed Fox boy's case had been dropped in my lap. That likely wouldn't change.

I'd admitted myself that I didn't know what I was doing. I was just pretending to know what I was doing. It occurred to me that Moemi still hadn't formally provided me with any caseworker training.

I supposed it was back to Immigration for me.

I was just about to leave the area in front of the door, no doubt relieving the guards who had begun to stare me down to make me move, when I remembered something.

Something I couldn't believe I'd forgotten.

I immediately spun back around and knocked on the door, barely waiting for the acknowledgment before I walked back in. I approached where the elderly man was sitting behind his desk and waited for the door to click shut behind me.

Lord Third looked intrigued at my return to his office but chose to silently puff on his pipe in raise his eyebrow. He was inviting me to speak.

"Lord Hokage," I began slowly, "I fully understand why you want to remove me from my position however I am formally refusing the transfer back to Immigration."

I was met with a long, slightly stunned silence. I don't think I was allowed to refuse. But I just did.

"I can't leave any task unfinished - it's just not in my nature. There's so much that I had planned and not only that…" I trailed off, thinking of all the things I still had to do.

I still needed to come up with a solution to work towards improving his early education and preparing him for the academy. I needed to teach him how to tell time and how to manage his money. It couldn't hurt to work on his manners either. He was a smart kid and he deserved a chance. Demon container or not he was a child who deserved to have someone try for him.

I remembered that first meeting with Lord Third, when he'd told me that the village had failed Naruto Uzumaki and how he had said with such conviction, that we weren't going to do it again. Maybe it was arrogance for me to think it but I had decided that I was going to try for this kid like no one had before and Hokage or not that old guy didn't have the right to tell me that I couldn't.

He couldn't make me stand on a rug and then pull it out from under me.

Now I realized why my pride had felt so hurt earlier; he was convincing me, no, ordering me to give up. To fail. All because there was a very slim chance that some coward who didn't know how to mind their own business might harm me for my trouble.

No. I refused. I had pledged that the village wasn't going to fail that kid again and while I had been uncertain in my abilities at the time, I had accepted the challenge and meant it.

"Well?" Came the Hokage's imploring tone and I realized that I had accidentally paused.

"Not only that but I just remembered something I'd forgotten. Last night I promised him that I would be back to check on him. I even helped him mark his calendar." I made a point of looking into his eyes, hoping to convey my sincere desire to continue as Uzumaki's caseworker.

No...as Naruto's caseworker.

"Lord Hokage, don't make me a liar."

After all, being honest had worked out well for me so far.