DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS/PLOTS. I ONLY OWN MY OC'S.

Some pain shouldn't be washed away so easily. It had to be dealt with, even embraced.

Rick Riordan, The Blood of Olympus

Duties

Hashirama knew something good must have happened on the mission when he saw Izumi walking into his office with a smile on her face while his brother followed behind her with his usual expressionless look on his own. "Hello Hashirama! We finished the mission!" She said cheerily, making Hashirama even more curious of what his brother had done to get the young woman so happy.

He raised an eyebrow at his brother but took the mission scroll that she was holding out towards him. "I am guessing that you guys worked through your argument?"

"Yup." But the happy air around her suddenly disappeared and seriousness replaced it. "But while we were on the mission..." She slightly tilted her head toward Tobirama and Hashirama saw him nod his head. "We ran into Kumo-nins."

He stilled for a few seconds before leaning back into his chair, confusion written all over his face. "How far?"

Tobirama was the one to answer the question. "Not to far from village and well past the agreed territory mark." He fished out the taken hitai-ate from a few days ago and placed it in front of Hashirama. "Izumi took that off one of the shinobis that attacked us."

"The thing that's been bothering me was that they all ran towards Tobirama after they saw us. The only reason why they even attacked me was because I initiated one with them." Izumi said while rubbing her face. "They didn't even recognize me Hashirama."

Now that shocked Hashirama. "What?"

"They knew I was an Uchiha, but other than that? Nothing."

He started shaking his head. "That's impossible, I just got a scroll from the Raikage asking about what had happened with the Uchiha."

Tobirama took a step forward and sat against the corner of the desk. "They knew about the Clan Head changing?"

"Yeah, so I'm confused. He stated in the scroll itself your name Izumi." He raised his hand up at Tobirama's open mouth. "And I know what you're about to ask. For some unknown reason they knew about the changing even before it was publicly announced."

"There is a spy then." Izumi pointed out.

"There are spies everywhere. We have them in other hidden villages and they are bound to have sent some here too." There was silence after that, it was not a pleasant one but a tense one full of worry, of anger. "Well, you two must be tired from the mission. You have the rest of the day off -but Izumi, I got a message from Kazuyo-san about needing you."

The Uchiha matriarch groaned and rubbed her head. "Fine." Turning around, she started walking away. "You know where to find me then." She said while throwing her other hand in the air in a show of goodbye. "That goddamn paperwork. They'll be the death of me." She muttered out the door.

After making sure she was gone, Hashirama turned to his younger brother. "I'm worried for her. With Madara's defection and the Clan Head duties being pushed onto her, I'm not shocked if she's getting overwhelmed."

"She is fine Brother, she said so herself."

"Yes, but in the end she wasn't raised to be the Clan Head." He said while placing the scroll into one of the desk drawers. "She's trying to find her brother Tobirama. It's written clear across her face whenever she comes in to ask for a mission."

"He is beyond saving Madara." Tobirama said firmly. "I know you too have this foolish notion that he can be saved, but you didn't see him that day." His eyes darkened from the memory of the events that happened a year ago. "That man was about to hurt his only remaining family. He was going to hurt Izumi."

Hashirama let out a tired sigh before standing up and looking out the newly built windows that let him look over the village. "He is walking in a dark path Tobirama, that I know. In every man, there is darkness. But while there is darkness, there is always light to balance it, no matter how little." He turned his head toward his brother and gave him a smile. "Somewhere in Madara is something that will save him Tobirama, and Izumi may be the only key to unlocking whatever it is."

Standing up, the white-haired man shook his head and walked to the door. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he opened the door but paused to finish his talk with Hashirama. "There is trouble brewing Brother and I do not care if that man is the cause of it or not. Be ready because whether we like it or not, we may live to see another war again." That was the last thing Tobirama said before leaving the room and closing the door, leaving Hashirama to his own thoughts.

"I know Tobirama." Looking once again out the window, he felt pain in his heart to know that the peace they knew now would never last.

"I know."

Izumi

The moment she walked into the building dedicated to the Uchiha Council, she knew she may have just walked into Hell.

"Izumi-sama, thank Kami that you are back." Noizumi shoved a pile of papers, scrolls, and important documents. "Those are all the things you need to have finished."

"W-What?"

"That's what you get for slacking, you brat." The sudden voice of her best friend said from behind, causing her to turn around. "Some of those are stuff that needed to be signed yesterday."

"But-"

"Shut it brat, this is your fault. You're not a kid anymore, you got responsibilities to the clan as Clan Head." Kazuyo walked up to her and nonchalantly placed a pen on top of the pile in Izumi's hand. "Get to work."

Sighing in defeat, she walked to the desk in the back of the room meant for her. She carefully placed the pile onto the desk and sat down; she needed to mentally prepare herself for the stiff, boring hours that were to come.

All this paperwork crap, it wasn't meant for her. It was never even supposed to be her. The person meant to be sitting at this desk was supposed to be Madara or even Izuna if her oldest brother died. And despite being a few minutes older than her twin, she was the absolute last resort if the Uchiha was in need of a Clan Head. She knew absolutely zero when it came down to politics.

She just was not suited for this job.

Izumi let out a sigh, one of the firsts of many to come. Grabbing the pen, she set out to finish as much paperwork as she could before she collapsed (because after all, she was in Hell).

A few hours had passed when Izumi was finally finished with most of the pile. The rest of it could be left for tomorrow. Looking up, she realized that only two other people remained. "Kazuyo, where's Kagami?" She asked while standing up. Izumi felt -and heard- the popping of her stiff back.

"He's being babysat by Nozaki." Kazuyo suddenly froze and placed her pen down on the table. "Actually, he should be here soon to drop of Kagami." Izumi nodded her heard and turned it to the only other remaining person. "Noizumi, what about you?"

"Akane will be fine Izumi-sama." The young boy gave her a smile. "She is being watched by my grandmother until I get home."

"Well, why don't you go then. You've been working hard this past week and it's the least you can do."

He quickly stood up and bowed. "Thank you." He raised his head and gave her another of his boyish smiles. "You are all Akane talks about Izumi-sama. She has taken a great liking to you."

"Then tell her I said hi." Giving her another polite bow, Noizumi rushed off, leaving Izumi and Kazuyo.

"That kid is sucking up to you brat."

Izumi shrugged her shoulders before closing the curtains in the room. "Eh, I know. Not like I really care. His little sister's so cute."

"Well-"

"Momma!" Their heads flipped to the front door, only to see Kagami standing there with Nozaki. He let out a happy squeal when he saw his aunt standing there behind Kazuyo. He ran forward into the room. "Izumi-neesan!" Completely ignoring his mother, he ran into Izumi's legs. "You're finally back!" Kazuyo thanked Nozaki while Izumi carefully untangled her nephew's arms from her legs so she could bend down.

"How's my favorite nephew?"

"I'm your only nephew."

She sheepishly smiled before placing her hand on his head. "That's right. But it doesn't mean you can't be my favorite."

"True!" Kagami opened his mouth to say something but his mother suddenly came up from behind him and picked him up.

"We're leaving Kagami, I have to go get some stuff for dinner and you need to come with me."

The boy let out a groan and started twisting in his mother's arms. "I don't want too!"

"Oi, don't start!"

Izumi quickly stood up and placed her hand on top of his head. "Be a good boy for your mother Kagami. I'll be here tomorrow too so I'll see you then."

"...Fine." He agreed and stopped moving which incited a relieved sigh from the person carrying him.

"Thanks Izumi. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." Kazuyo said her goodbye (and Kagami doing the same), which now let Izumi alone in the building.

Now it was her turn to let out a sigh. "I fucking hate paperwork." She muttered to herself before blowing out the candles in the room.

It was time to go home.

One week later…

March

"When is Sensei going to get here?" A young girl asked her.

"Does it look like I know Koharu?" Izumi answered from her spot in the tree.

"Tobirama-Sensei is never late, something must have happened to him."

Izumi groaned. Why did she ever agree to watch his students until he showed up? "For the last time Danzō, I don't-" She suddenly stopped midway through her sentence when a hawk dropped down next to her, a scroll tied around its leg. "Well, speak of the devil. Probably from that teacher of yours." Untying the scroll, she sent the large bird away before reading what was written on it.

Izumi,

I was caught in an emergency meeting with Hashirama and the representative from Sunagakure. I won't be able to meet up with you and my students.

I want you to watch them for the day.

Tobirama

"That fucking idiot!" She burned the scroll and jumped down, literally shocking the glasses off of Homura. "Who the hell does he think he is?!"

"Your boyfriend?"

She shot the boy a glare. "Shut it Sarutobi, he's not my boyfriend." Clapping her hands together, she pushed away her irritation towards Tobirama at the moment and smiled. "Get up my dear students!"

"Your students?" Hiruzen asked suspiciously. Out of all his teammates, he was the one that spent the most time with Tobirama and Izumi because of his past relationship with the Senju. That was the reason why he was slightly scared because he knew Izumi and her sadistic side.

"Well, that idiot teacher of yours asked me politely to be your teacher today." It was obvious that he didn't really ask politely with the reaction from earlier. "So, I'm your teacher!"

Everybody besides Hiruzen let out a relieved sigh, happy that they didn't have to go through with Tobirama's strict training but Hiruzen did pale.

Which Izumi noticed quite quickly.

"Oi Sarutobi, get some life back in your cheeks." She said before a sadistic smile lit up on her face. "This is going to be fun." Motioning with her hands to follow her, the four students followed her to the middle of the training field. "You guys are going to be attacking me."

There was an immediate sound of complaint from Hiruzen. "No way, we'll be dead!"

"Don't overreact, you're scaring your teammates."

"For good reason! I've seen you fight and you can keep up with Sensei!"

Danzo was picking at his fingernails. "We can too Hiruzen. We may not be able to attack him but we manage to protect ourselves."

The young Sarutobi whirled towards his teammate and pleaded with his hands. "He goes easy on us!"

"Hiruzen-kun, don't you think you're overreacting like Izumi-san said?" Koharu suggested.

"But I'm not."

Homura pushed up his glasses and looked at the Uchiha standing in front of them. "Will you be going easy on us Izumi-san?"

Izumi shrugged her shoulders before twirling her hair around her finger. "Maybe, maybe not. But enough chit-chat, here are the rules." She pulled out the string from the scroll earlier and picked up a small rock from the ground to tie together. "This will be your target. The moment one of you guys take this rock," She held the tied rock in the air before tying it onto her pants, letting it dangle onto the side of her hip. "The fight is over and you guys have won."

"That's it?" Danzo asked.

She nodded her head before placing her hand on the other hip. "Yes."

"There are no other rules?"

"No." And with a nod of her head, she started the fight. "Start!"

When Tobirama asked Izumi to watch over his students for the day, he thought that she would make them take a small mission to help someone in the village. Maybe even go through some exercises. That was why he did not expect it when he saw his students laying on the ground with dirt and scratches adorning their faces, panting, while Izumi stood in front of them with a proud grin on her face.

"Guys, your teacher's here." Hiruzen immediately shot up from his spot on the ground and hid behind Tobirama.

"Sensei, that lady is a demon."

"What are you talking about Hiruzen?"

The next person to hide behind him was Danzo. "She nearly maimed us!"

"Please don't leave her with us again Sensei!" Homaru pleaded.

"She scares me Tobirama-Sensei!" Koharu shivered at remembering what happened.

"Izumi."

She raised her hands. "I swear, we just did a spar!" The only thing Tobirama did was sigh before patting his students on their heads.

"Well, you guys can go home. I'll talk with Izumi." They all nodded their heads eagerly before running off without a goodbye.

"Don't get mad at me-"

"I'm not." He suddenly let out a tired sigh before stretching.

Izumi could tell that something bad must have happened at the meeting. "Everything okay?"

"Let's just go back to the house. I'll tell you then." Tobirama grabbed her hand and used his Hiraishin to teleport to their house.

No matter how many times Izumi used that jutsu with Tobirama, she could never get used to the space-time ninjutsu that had made him famous. It was that feeling of falling from a high place, the one where it felt as if your stomach would come out through your mouth.

That's how it felt for her.

"The Suna representative had to leave and return back to his village." Tobirama stated after they were settled down on the couch in the living room.

"Why? That man just got here a few weeks ago." Izumi asked. "I thought he was planning on staying for a few months."

"He didn't say much." Tobirama ran his hands across his face. "Something about Iwagakure getting too close to Suna's borders."

"This doesn't sound very good." She sighed and rubbed her arm. "Something big is going to happen Tobirama," She turned her head towards the Senju. Her gaze was dark, yet sad with what she was about to say. "And I don't think we'll be alive to see the end of it."

One month later…

April

Izumi finally realized something.

She hated -no, despised- wearing a formal kimono. She was fidgeting with the obi wrapped around her waist but soon stopped when Tobirama shot her a glare from next to him. "Stop it Izumi."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why don't you wear a kimono then?" She hissed at him. "Then you would know how uncomfortable I am."

"I'll pass." He said with his usual smugness and smirk which Izumi so desperately wanted to smack off his face. But she held back her violent urges and instead sneered at him before turning her head back forward. Today was not a day she wanted to be in a bad mood -despite already being in one- since today was that day.

The day that Hashirama would get married to the Clan Head of the Uzumaki Clan's daughter, Uzumaki Mito.

Their marriage was purely political, with Hashirama married to Mito, Uzushiogakure and Konoha would have an alliance.

In a way, Izumi felt bad for Hashirama because she knew he was a hopeless romantic, he was always talking about love and how he wished to find "the one". But Hashirama must have known that for him, love would have to come second to marriage.

Looking around, she could see many of the prominent figures from the clans that now resided within the walls of Konoha. On her right was Sarutobi Sasuke with his wife and in front of her was the Clan Head of the Yamanaka Clan. Over on his left was the Akimichi and Nara, who had brought along their children who were too young to leave at home. That also included the Inuzuka Clan, who had brought their child and their canine partner.

Izumi thought that they were one of the louder -if not loudest, Clan in Konoha

There were just...so many clans now compared to a year ago. There were large clans like the Hyūga with their famed kekkei genkai that could rival the Uchiha's and smaller ones like the Hatake Clan who were elite trackers and canine summoners.

"Uchiha-san."

Turning her head to the voice, she gave the man a polite smile. "Sarutobi-san, it is a pleasure to meet you." She said with a small nod. "And please call me Izumi, being called Uchiha-san makes me feel old."

"Then you can call me Sasuke, Izumi-san." Sasuke brought his wife next to him and introduced her. "This is my wife, Mai."

"It is nice to meet you." Izumi greeted.

"My, Hiruzen is always talking about how pretty you are and he was right!" Izumi let out a laugh, sightly embarrassed. "I hope he does not cause too much trouble for you and Tobirama."

She shook her head. "I just tag along with Tobirama but from what I have seen, Hiruzen has great potential."

Izumi wanted to ask more but was rudely interrupted by someone ramming into the back of her legs. She was somehow able to not trip and fall on the Sarutobi couple, surprisingly shocking herself.

"When does the wedding start?" Large grey eyes looked up at her.

"I told you that you need to be on your best behavior today." She smiled apologetically to Mai and moved Kagami next to her.

"My my, who are you?" Mai asked, looking down at him.

"I'm Uchiha Kagami!" The four year old introduced himself, standing quite proudly.

"Izumi-san, is he yours?" Sasuke asked.

Her eyes widened before she quickly denied it. "Oh no, he is my nephew. His mother is one of my close friends and is currently on a mission. I promised her I would watch over him."

"What of his father?" He knew that his question was the wrong thing to ask because he saw a quick flash of pain before it was quickly replaced with small, sad smile.

"My brother died three years ago."

There was an awkward silence after that, no one was sure how to continue the conversation or to lighten to mood.

"Izumi-nee, I'm bored." Kagami suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Happy for a change of topic, she pointed to Tobirama. "Why don't you go bother Tobirama?"

"Can I really bother Tobi-nii?"

She gave him a grin that he didn't understand. "Of course you can." Giving him a little shove towards the Senju, Kagami ran off. "I'm sorry for him, he is always like that. Cannot seem to stand still."

Mai waved her hand and laughed. "Don't worry, most boys are like that at his age. You should have seen Hiruzen. He was everywhere." Izumi could just imagine that boy at Kagami's age.

It made her want to cry just imagining how annoying he must have been.

"Well, he is a very active boy even now." She agreed. From the corner of her eye, Izumi could see Tobirama being flustered at what to do with Kagami, her nephew was currently trying to get the Senju to carry him.

Mai saw where she was looking at and turned her head, just in time to see the white-haired man awkwardly pick up the four year old. Izumi heard her sigh. "That man just never learns."

Sometime during their conversation, Sasuke left to talk to a blonde man -probably the Yamanaka Clan Head, judging by his hair.

"Learn what?" She asked, curious.

"He's known Hiruzen since he was a young boy and watched over him quite a lot but yet he doesn't seem to grasp the concept of carrying a child." Mai pointed at Tobirama. "Look at him, he's holding your poor nephew in front of him like he's some...animal."

The only thing Izumi could do was shake her head at how stupid he looked. "I guess that is Tobirama for you." She quietly chuckled. "He's always like that."

"That's true." The Sarutobi Matriarch agreed. "Well, it was very nice to talk to you and I wish we could continue, but it seems like it's almost time for the wedding." Looking at the entrance Izumi could see the Uzumaki Clan Head walk in with his wife, indicating that Mito and Hashirama would be making their entrance soon.

Bowing her head goodbye, she walked over to where Tobirama was standing while holding a giggling Kagami. "Are you ready for your older brother to get married?"

"No, I fear he's going to be too...childish." He answered. The young Uchiha boy had somehow managed to get Tobirama to hold him properly, letting Kagami to wrap his arms around his neck for support. "Like a certain someone that I know."

"Shh." She patted her nephew on his head.

He lowered his head to her ear. "Why did you send him over to me?" He whispered angrily.

"Because," She patted him on his shoulder. "I know you just love children." He moved away from her but not before she gave him a sickly sweet smile that he associated with the word evil. "My dear little nephew just loves his Tobi-nii, ne Kagami?"

The boy nodded his head excitedly. "Yup!"

"Well Kagami, you are going to have to go down because the ceremony is about to start." Tobirama said.

Kagami let out a sad groan before releasing his arms, letting the Senju place him on the ground. "Will you play with me later or tomorrow? Momma's not coming back until next week and I wanna play..."

The white-haired Senju's eyes widened. "What about um…Izumi-neesan?" He seemed to struggle saying her name like that and for some reason it amused her.

"She's busy with import-ta-tan-"

"Important." She helped without looking at him, she was trying to make sure her obi didn't get messed up in the hour she's been here.

"Yeah, that word! She's working on important stuff because of her job." He said, proud of being able to say the word.

"W-Well…"

Kagami grabbed his hand and started pulling on it. "Please?"

Even the usual cold Tobirama could not say no to the eyes the little boy in front of him was giving. "I-I guess it would not hurt if I came over for a bit."

"Yay!" Kagami then grabbed Izumi's hand and smiled. "Tomorrow's gonna be a fun day!"

She shook her head and scoffed. "We need to survive this day first."

Mai looked over and saw Izumi and Tobirama holding hands with her nephew and for some reason, her heart felt warm watching them interact with one another.

'They look like a real family.' She thought amusingly to herself.

Her husband caught her smiling and raised an eyebrow. "What are you smiling at?"

"Oh nothing, just a happy thought."

A/N: Well, I finally finished this chapter, I hope you like it! For some unknown reason I'm really proud of it too… lol xD

I don't know what to put in this A/N really, there's like nothing to say.

Oh, the reason why this chapter's pretty late was because I probably had a really bad case of writer's block for the past few days. It was the same for In Time too.

So I recommend Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck and Harriet Parke. I got hooked into the story within the first few pages and finished it within like two hours. It was that good!

So other than that, please please leave a review! When you do I kinda get motivated to write… *cough cough*

Please follow/fav. if you haven't already!

Until next time!~