Ippan struggled to stay awake at the table as her family ate breakfast together. Her skin was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her short lavender hair was a bit more frizzy than her parents were use to. Not to mention that she was about to fall face first into her plate. Ippan's father instinctively held up her head as he spoke.

"Hey kid, wake up. You're about to face plant into your food." He said as she lazily craned her neck in his direction. Her eyes blinked slowly, almost one at a time.

"Hm?" She tilted her head propping her cheek into her palm.

Her mother spoke up in a concerned tone. "Ippan, you're practically dead on your feet."

"Well, technically dead in my seat." She grinned tiredly. Her mother was not amused. "Okay, sorry. I'm fine, just a bit tired is all."

Her father raised his left eyebrow. "You almost drowned in your breakfast, kid."

"I'll be okay." She assured. "The fifth just has me working really hard and I had to stay late all this week."

"What could be so important that you're barely able to stay awake?" The woman stared at Ippan with wide green eyes. She pursed her lips, keeping her head down and pushed around the food on her plate.

"There's a group of people doing some bad things that could potentially put everyone in danger and I have to do my part to keep that from happening." Ippan explained as vaguely as she could. Ippan knew that if her mother found out who these people were and what they wanted- she'd do everything in her power to keep her from it. After all she was a civilian, people like her shouldn't be working in the Hokage's office.

"A group of bad people?" Her mother repeated.

"The Akatsuki." She heard from her father direction. Ippan's eyes widened as she looked up at her father with a surprised expression. He drank from his coffee as if he hadn't said anything profound.

"How did you know that dad?"

"I've heard the name going around." He stated evenly. His dark eyes didn't portray a lie of any sort which left her confused. Ippan glanced to her mother wondering why she didn't ask the same question he did. She shifted between her parents before sighing. She decided not to question it anymore.

Standing to her feet, she threw her backpack over a tired shoulder. "I should get going." As the girl walked to the door her mother spoke.

"Ippan, I don't want you getting caught up in this shinobi business, so please be safe."

"I'll be fine mom." She said with an easy going smile. "I don't do anything really significant. I'm under the radar, so I promise you I'll be okay." Her mother still looked uneasy, but there wasn't much more to say. "I'll see you guys later."

The girl closed the door behind her with a slow inhale. When Ippan was a child she would always joke with Naruto that her father was a ninja, but now that suspicion was becoming more realistic. One day she was going to out right ask him. As for her mother she knew that there was nothing to worry about. Ippan was behind the scenes, only to file papers and run simple errands around the village. What terrorist group would target her specifically? She was average at best. The thought that she was normal didn't make her feel bad despite being surrounded by so many extraordinary people. Frankly she was puzzled how none of her close friends were civilians.

Speaking of which, she spotted a familiar dark haired boy walking down the street by himself. "Hey, Belly shirt!" She called as he turned to her, waiting for her to catching up.

"Hello, glutton." He said with smile. People that passed by looked insulted for her. However, Ippan didn't particularly care. She learned that this was how Sai showed he liked you. He tilted his head at her, placing a hand on his chin. "Might I say you look..."

"Epic? Amazing? So good you'll let me touch your abs?"

"Horrible." He finished.

"Well then."

"Forgive me, it's just you look fatigued and a bit wrinkled." Though he was referring to her clothing Ippan took it a different way.

"You calling me old? We're the same age, Sai."

"No, your appearance just looks unkempt." He states. "Are you not feeling well?"

The girl yawns. "I'm just tired."

"Perhaps you should rest more."

"Aw, look at you caring about my well being."

"That is what friends do." He says with a quirk in his lips before looking as if he remembers something. "Speaking of, Ino tells me that intimate physical contact is not a simple act of friendship."

"Well it's not, but you could still let me do it."

"I don't think I want that."

"You'll come around eventually."

"What?" He asked now turning to her.

"Nothing, how is Naruto doing? I haven't seen him in a while." Ippan had been so busy that she hadn't been in contact with the boy. He'd been on a few missions, but that's all she knew.

"He's working hard to train his wind chakra abilities and has been at it for quite sometime." Sai explained.

"Really?" She replied. Though she didn't know anything about chakra types so there wasn't much else she could say. "Knowing him he'll probably train until he's exhausted or in the hospital again."

The raven haired boy smiled. "You and Naruto are very close."

"I've seen him as a naked woman." She said with a shrug. Probably not appropriate, but she decided to say it anyway. "You can't get any closer than that."

Sai furrowed his brow in confusion. "I don't understand, is that some sort of quote or metaphor?"

"No, it's not." Before the boy could speak Ippan turns to him. "I gotta get going, but we can talk more later. Kay?" She pivots on her heels and starts walking away.

The boy blinked at her receding form with a lost expression. Every time he spoke to Ippan he was always left confused.