"It won't work," Leah says, invisible and standing atop the highest point in the Uchiha district. It's Mikoto's roof.

Shisui clings to the roof behind her, and Yahiko is standing on solid air a few feet away. Kushina's down closer to the gutter, her gaze on the village she hasn't visited in years. Her eyes are fixed on a point in the distance that the rest of them can't see; there is no idealistic mother's instinct that will let her find Naruto from here, but she was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki for most of her life, and has been the Head Demon Handler since she died. She can find the bijuu anywhere, and that keeps her focused on her son.

A portal opens up behind them, and Rin steps out with a clipboard in hand. "I have the files you asked for."

Leah takes them and flips through, lips pursed. She hasn't been here for long enough. If she had been, she might have had more people to reference, but a decade and change simply isn't enough to have a holistic view based solely on the souls she's collected.

She looks up and traces through the horrid tangle of fate strings that have grown over the past year or two, all collecting on Itachi in the end, and then stretching out towards the northwest in a woven tangle.

"Shisui. Everything you know about the current situation with the Uchiha. Now."

He's silent for a long moment, and then Kushina says, "Listen to her, kid. You're dead. As far as anyone's concerned, Leah's the highest authority in your existence unless Death herself shows up. No Hokage, no clan head, nothing. She's Queen of the Dead."

"…I don't… the clan is planning a coup," Shisui finally says. "I was hoping that… listen, Danzo stole one of my eyes, so I gave the other one to Itachi and told him to brainwash the elders into dropping the coup, but if he hasn't…"

"He's thirteen," Leah snaps. "Prodigy of a shinobi or not, he's not an adult, and he's too traumatized to be mentally healthy. Logic isn't going to be his forte, especially if there are as many adults trying to manipulate him as there seem to be."

"But… he's Itachi," Shisui says, like that should explain everything.

"He's still a kid," Yahiko retorts, though far more gently than Leah did. "One who's gone through enough mental trauma to be very, very open to the manipulations of someone like Danzo."

"And what do you know about Danzo?" Shisui demanded.

"I mean, he's the reason I'm dead," Yahiko says lightly. "Held a friend of mine hostage and told me that if I didn't let my other friend kill me, he'd kill her. So yeah, I know what he's like."

"…shit."

"Yep!" There was a noise like Yahiko had jumped back and slung an arm around Shisui's shoulders. "Chill out, kid! You're dead now, so you've got us."

"Uh… the only ones I really know are Kushina-san and, ah, Leah…sama?"

Leah nods, near imperceptibly.

"Right. Leah-sama. That's going to take some getting used to."

Leah's eyes narrow as Mikoto comes into sight, Sasuke clinging to her arm. It's been a few days since Shisui's funeral, and Sasuke is young enough to have already recovered. Neither of the two notice the ghosts and goddess that have taken up a residence on their roof.

Leah steps forward and drops to the ground just as they reach their house. She watches them pass, no emotion on her face, and then steps up behind Mikoto as the woman searches for her keys.

A sigil builds at the tips of her fingers, and Mikoto whirls around, Sharingan blazing and a kunai in her free hand.

Mikoto cannot see her. None of the living can, not right now, save perhaps Nagato.

(Leah has no love for the doujutsu of the hidden continent.)

"Kaa-chan? Is something wrong?"

Mikoto stays motionless for a few long moments, and then forces herself to relax. The kunai disappears, and she turns to smile down at Sasuke.

"Nothing's wrong. Kaa-chan's just a little on-edge today."

"Because of Shisui?" Sasuke asked.

Mikoto didn't let any crack in her façade show. "No, but I've been a shinobi for a very long time. Sometimes things feel dangerous even when they aren't."

"…that's that false positive thing, right?"

"Yes, Sasuke, it is."

Leah steps forward when Mikoto turns away and presses the sigil to the nape of her neck. It burns, to Leah's eyes, bright and unmistakable, but none will see it unless they are more-than-human themselves, or have somehow gained the favor of a god.

Mine, Leah thinks, eyes narrowing. Mikoto's a good friend, and no matter how she dies, Leah will ensure that she ends up in Hel.

Mikoto's death is coming, so soon that Leah can practically taste it, and Leah can't wait.

o.o.o.o.o

Next Time:

Oh no... Mikoto's dead... what a tragedy...

Leah's TOTALLY grieving, right?