"Upside Down"


Yugen was born with a birth defect. The doctor had to rush him away as soon as he was born for emergency surgery. They had to make little perforations in his intestinal tract to make it work. There were a pair of drainage tubes that hung from the right side of his body that acted as his liver since he was born without one, and he had tubes implanted in his ears so he could hear. There were more tubes in his nose and throat to help him breathe.

It was a trial; those first two months were exceedingly difficult. He needed around the clock care. It was only due to an unbelievable kindness shown by a widow nearby with a number of kids of her own that I managed to get it all done. Salix was, of course, a little angel. For the most part.

It was hard to tell which parts of her personality came from each of us. There were moments where I could swear that I was not talking to a four year old, but instead to an old man. It was amazing the things I'd hear her say. Then, there were other times when I wished Itachi wasn't an idiot who decided to waste his good genetics on my dumb ass. She could be bright as a light at times, but other times it took all of my self-restraint not to bust out laughing at the weird things she would do.

Here, in our little harbor town, we had some friends and a vague awareness of the war that took place far, far away. I wanted to know more, I needed to know how much of my memory was altered and changed by my psychotic brother. But I was afraid for my children, I couldn't risk taking them across the world to Konoha only to find that we were not only unwelcome, but to find that war had ruined the land I once loved. Life already stole the people I loved, now all I had left were my daughter, son, and Kaz.

We lived there peacefully for a year until a very irate, black haired young man with one purple eye and one red eye appeared at my door demanding to meet his niece and nephew. How he found us, I'd never know. But Salix and Yugen absolutely adored him. Salix loved him because he looked so much like her dad, but she also expected him to have the same personality. She found herself very disappointed when she learned that Sasuke was Itachi's opposite in a lot of ways.

One day, while watching Yugen build a sand castle, Sasuke told me some horrifying news, "Hiruko escaped his cell." My eyes turned to him in a jerky, nervous motion as I awaited elaboration. "I'm helped him."

My heart thumped hard. "Itachi would want you to stay far away from my brother. He's pure evil."

"He is planning to bring him back." Sasuke's dark voice was almost monotonous, but emotive enough to keep my ear. "You need to go back to Konoha. You've been pardoned, the truth is common knowledge by now."

He was right, it was time. Though it sucked, it was definitely time to leave this place filled with serenity. It was too hard to live so far from Kaz, Sora and Yua. And now Sasuke could be added to that list. I watched my son hit the sand with uncoordinated hands, imagining my older brother out in the wild without supervision. The thought was utterly horrifying. "Who is he sacrificing for the jutsu?"

Sasuke didn't pause, not even to ease the blow to my heart. He wasn't one to sugar coat the truth.

"Himself."

...

The day came another year later. Sasuke was twenty and I was 25 with a three year old son and an seven year old daughter. From time to time Sasuke would come to lay low at the house to hide from certain people, especially the slightly terrifying Sakura Haruno.

Poor girl, I knew she was in love with him. I also knew that there were a few very disconcerting rumors about my relationship regarding Sasuke and my son since he looked very Uchiha-esque. What made the rumor worse was the way villager's eyes would watch me once I let Yua and Sasuke tell everyone my kids' true parentage. Then, they started looking at me like a martyr, like I'd sacrificed something and deserved some weird doting. It made me mad. Back when I was first pregnant, when I needed the support, everyone rejected me. Now that I was the mother of Itachi's children, the one who was regarded like a freaking superhero by young shinobi in Konoha, I was being treated like gold. Actually, it didn't just make me mad. It was completely infuriating.

Sasuke was quick to shoot down any one who tried to get close to my son and daughter in the village. He was protective of them to an extreme. I'd say he was worse than Itachi in that way. Even when Yugen had his tantrums and we needed help from Naruto and the others, Sasuke was incredibly protective of the little boy with so much power. Kaz once suggested cutting off his chakra like we had done with Hiruko, and even though I thought about it for a few minutes as a serious option, Sasuke wouldn't even hear of it. He told me to quit being such a baby and take care of my son, no matter how much damage he caused. He was right.

Obviously Kaz was still around, but he flitted from place to place all of the time. He was helping me get a new company started since I wasn't allowed to be a shinobi for Konoha. Going MIA during a war and causing the deaths and eradication of nearly 100 people will do that. We were building something that helped the parents of special children. Kids born with abnormal traits that they didn't know how to control. We gave therapy and counseling to parents who suffered the frustrations my parents did with a gifted child like Yugen and Hiruko.

A soft pit hit my heart. Hiruko was going to die today. Something about that really, really hurt. I wanted to believe I hated him, but I didn't. It was the same fake hate I felt for Itachi when I thought he was evil. It was a kind of hate laced with love. Salix tugged my hand, pulling me from my daydream.

"Mom, Uncle Sasuke wants us to meet him in front of Hokage Tower."

Salix was really beautiful. She looked like her dad in a lot of ways, but with a dash of me swirled into the mix in there somewhere. She looked down her sloped nose to my phone, texting her uncle expertly. Unlike most of the adults in the village, Salix learned how to use these damned things like a pro over the course of a year. The little thing made a beeping sound and she flipped it open again with a smile.

"Yugen and I are going to meet up with Uncle Kaz and Uncle Sora for dango with Aunt Anko. Do you mind?"

Honestly, I did mind. I minded a whole lot. But I didn't let her know that. She didn't know how important this day was. I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind if we went alone to take care of Itachi, though I would have wanted his children there to see him. I had no idea how this worked, I only knew from the small amount of reading I did on the subject that he would be incredibly weak after rebirth. So, I waved at Salix and shrugged, she smiled brightly and took her little brother's hand, dragging the boy across town.

In front of Hokage Tower was a brooding young man. Sasuke was very tall, taller than his brother. He grew accustomed to wearing a bandanna around his head. I thought he looked like a vagabond, but he liked it. And apparently so did Sakura, who happened to be standing in front of him with her hands knotted together behind her back nervously as they spoke with one another quietly.

I couldn't help myself; I eavesdropped and didn't feel even an inkling of shame.

"Come with me." Sasuke asked (demanded?), trying not to sound desperate.

"I don't know, my shift is later tonight..." Sakura started to say, but her voice trailed as Sasuke's eyes lifted to hers. They paused there importantly. She blushed and looked to the ground, only looking up at him from under her lashes as if they'd shield her from that powerful Uchiha gaze. "I-I can probably shoe it off on Yua for the day. She wont mind."

Sasuke's eyes moved from hers, over her shoulder, directly at me. I waved and his eyes clenched closed, angry at me for interrupting. It was easy for me to tell that he liked the pink haired girl, not that he'd ever admit such a thing. I had a lot of practice determining how Uchiha boys express their emotions. It wasn't always easy to differentiate between hate and love for them.

Realizing his attention was no longer on her, Sakura looked over her shoulder at me, I smiled. She was not quite so warm. Her expression fell into that of a spurned lover.

"What's she doing here." Sakura muttered under her breath.

I rolled my eyes. This was going to be an interesting day.

"She's the idiotic mother of my niece and nephew." Sasuke clarified, glaring at me over Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura's face turned bright red. She was frustrated at the amount of time Sasuke and I spent together. It wasn't shocking that she felt that way. I imagined it was similar to the way I felt when Arashi spent all her time with Itachi. Then I found out they were cousins. So ridiculous.

Sasuke's eyes trained on me when I burst their little personal space bubble. "You're not coming."

My heart twisted. "Yeah, I am. I'm not letting you anywhere near Hiruko alone."

"He's already dead. The jutsu was completed this morning." No sugarcoating. Not even a little.

Mouth hanging open, heart screaming. Was Itachi back? How did he look? Did it all go the way it was supposed to? How could all of this happen beyond my notice!

"Is he alive...?"

"Sort of."

Sakura watched this exchange with a bit of confusion. Sasuke alleviated that quickly. "Itachi was reborn. I need you to keep his new body together."

Ouch. The way he said it seemed like he was totally using her for her medical knowledge. I looked to her expression, it sunk a little, but she was still happy to help her lover. And by extension, she was helping my lover, too, so I wasn't going to complain.

"You." Sasuke addressed me like a stranger. I rolled my eyes. "Kaz was looking for you."

Ugh, that could only mean one thing. Work. Now of all times?! Ugh! Dammit.


…Wait.

What is this?

What is this pain?

My eyes peeled open, sheets of paper flew about rapidly, building and shifting about, recreating my body.

I was standing. There was someone across from me, but I couldn't see, it was too dark. Footfalls were heavy in my direction. What was this? This was not death like it was before. It wasn't bright and calm, but instead it was dark and damp. Crypt-like.

The face and build of the man slowly walking into view was familiar. Blonde with green eyes, his hair was long and wild as I remember.

"How is this possible." I demanded.

Hiruko was amused and chuckled lightly before answering. "It's super complex and I don't feel like explaining in the short time we have, so, hold this." He held out my ringed necklace.

My eyes met his defiantly, knowing where this was about to lead. "No."

Hiruko rolled his eyes and held out one hand, palm facing up with one ring dangling from his fingertip. The other fingers wiggled impatiently. "Don't be stupid, I'm doing you a favor."

"One that will end the life of someone else."

"Ugh you're so annoying." He rolled his eyes and head back like a pouting child; the ends of his hair touched the floor. "If you take the other end of this then you will see."

"Hiruko, I've run my patience dry waiting for explanations."

"Fine." Hiruko snapped his head up and took a deliberate step foreword.

All of a sudden I couldn't move a muscle. Hiruko's eyes bubbled light blue, using his ability to cut me off, even in death. There was nothing I could do until he released that jutsu. He then manually wrapped my fingers around one half, and took hold of the other side.

"For the last several years of your life I've been channeling chakra into this thing. Items aren't meant to accept chakra into them, so in a way I was simply transmitting it to you so we could have this little meeting. When this breaks, it will release that energy into either you or I. I think you know what that means." Hiruko grinned like a madman. I still couldn't move. Everything was entirely beyond my control and that was incredibly frustrating. His grin broadened at my discomfort, "This might hurt a little."

For just a moment I regained control and snapping sound echoed through my consciousness. It ripped and pulled at my mind.

It hurt.

I dropped to my knees, then fell forward. Hiruko fell similarly. The metal rings were broken between us, two remained unbroken right in front of my face.

Hiruko smiled, a different smile, a sad one. "You always have all the luck." He said quietly, "I always hated you for it." He chuckled to himself. I felt my consciousness fading. He whispered, eyes half-mast, smile fading. "Monsters like me need a certain kind of parent, mine weren't right."

"You're human." I muttered. The feeling faded from my face, vision blurring into darkness.

"'Atta boy." His smile widened again then fell as his own consciousness was pulled away. "Yugen is human, too… remember that."

The pieces all snapped into place at once. He was giving up his soul, every last bit of chakra and life energy in his body in return for my regeneration.

"Don't—"

"—It's already begun, kid. You won." Mint green eyes flickered brightly under the shadow of his lashes. "Your life is precious. Nurture it, keep it safe." His words mumbled into disarray. "I'm glad we aren't friends… would have made me a sore loser…"

Hiruko's smile pulled back then drooped, eyes falling half-mast ad dull.

This was the forbidden technique I found during my research. The word forbidden obviously meant nothing to Hiruko.

I wondered how long it would take to regenerate, would I look the same? Where would I regrow? I felt my mind fading away.

Birth wasn't so peaceful the third time.

Each bone of my body cracked; breaking, snapping to reform Hiruko's body into my own. Then, the broken pieces folded over themselves, condensing and remoulding.

I never thought much of luck. Now I could see that I was exceedingly fortunate. I was born with strength, a strong will, a bright mind, and a heart in my chest that lead me to use those traits for the betterment of humanity.

Hiruko was not so fortunate. His mutated blood trait stifled his brilliance, cut away at his will and damaged his heart. He grew to hate his strength and his natural ability because of the way he was treated as a child. It was impressive to see how long it took for him to fall apart. It took twenty years of external and internal devastation to truly lose his way. ASEB could have continued, it was a good idea at the time, but it lacked proper leadership. To watch over powerful ninja, to keep them from harming others. Hiruko took this to an extreme and killed far too many people due to his conviction. With power comes responsibility. In Hiruko's case, he did not respect the responsibility placed upon his shoulders.

I felt a muscle stretch and pull, straining tightly, then release like a rubber band, snapping against bone. I wanted to scream, but nothing came. Not a sound.

It was important to distract myself from the pain. I ruminated deeply for a long time. Many of these thoughts surrounded my new life. How could I reintroduce myself to the life I lead before? Sasuke would surely tell anyone who would listen the truth behind my sacrifices. He would have questions, too, but he would understand my return if it was explained properly. Salix would welcome the change with grace and a little name-calling, Yugen would not remember who I was. It was their mother I feared most.

Would she take Salix and Yugen away? Were they killed when Konoha was destroyed? If she obeyed my will to stay in Ebi, did they? Did she know what Hiruko did? Was I being reborn only to find that I was unwelcome by the family I left behind?

Apprehension and dread swirled my mind. The searing pain that stretched and cracked my body grew unbearable. Bubbling and pulling. Everything felt like it was popping and stretching beyond my control. I had no sight, no sense of body, no voice. I had nothing.

It felt like days, weeks, months even, before I could feel a strange sensation.

It existed beyond the pain. It was electricity. It was something. I could sense the surface of my bare skin. I could control my body, but was far too weak to attempt movement. My eyes were sealed shut, but I forced them open with newly developed muscles behind the lids.

Above was darkness. Shivers ached my newly formed muscles. It was cold. Where was I? Perhaps my eyes were recreated with the same damage as before?

A twitch and clench. Every muscle of my body froze and contracted at once, painfully, crushingly. A sound gasped from my throat when my lungs pulled in their first breath in their new body, it echoed close to my face.

No.

Was this a coffin? Was I buried? Hiruko wouldn't be that cruel, right?

I was yet to control my own twitching motions. My throat tasted of blood and chemicals. I took a breath. Oxygen tasted like liberation. My body stilled and I blinked a few times to clear the blood from them. I was in some dark container. From what I could smell, I was covered in blood. This had to be a coffin.

Shakily, I lifted my newly coordinated hand and pressed against the cold, hard wood in front of my face. I knocked, the sound was hollow and light. I was not under ground. Relief flooded my limbs like a cool breeze. There was so little chakra flowing through me that I felt useless. It was frustrating, but if I was yet to be buried I was sure I could break the coffin lid.

Each breath seemed to improve my body control and strength. I could calm the shaking twitches of my muscles with some concentration. In the small space I had, I could only use my fingers to push against the coffin's lid.

A hollow cracking sound surrounded the edges of my body. A bright light shone through the thin cracks framing my container. My eyes closed.

Quiet breathing above was apparent. Easing my eyes open slowly, I looked to see Sasuke standing above, looking at something parallel to him, above my body, angrily. I could barely believe what I was seeing. The ceiling was stone. It was damp and cold. I was in the Uchiha family crypt. I cleared my throat of some blood. Sasuke must have thought it was his imagination as his eyes did not deviate from the wall across from him. I felt a weak smile twitch the corner of my lips and somehow found my voice,

"Hey."

Sasuke dove away wild eyed until I could no longer see him over the edge of my coffin. I smiled, curling my fingers over the coffin's hard edge to pull myself up. White burial attire was soaked through with blood, black and crusted.

Turning to face my brother, the smile on my lips didn't move. He stood tall, weary, and calculating. He was taking in every detail as a pink haired kunoichi held his elbow, pulling him backward with a weary quirk to the very corner of her lip.

I felt weak, body and soul. Chakra was virtually nonexistent in my body, my lame strength followed suit. I watched Sasuke slowly calm his own nerves.

I swallowed again; there was still quite a lot of blood in my mouth and lungs. I looked to my hands, turning and flipping them, clenching and unclenching. They were deep red, as I imagined my whole body to be. My burial attire was dyed red from the blood expelled during my reincarnation.

Using my hands, I rubbed and flaked the caked mess from my face. My hair was matted into strands of dried black crust. Sasuke came toward me, no malice in his slow, quiet manner; expectantly. Sakura followed timidly behind.

I was tired, but I was alive. Really, truly alive. My chest did not feel tight with pain and constricting tumors. I opened my mouth and took the deepest breath I'd taken in over a decade. It felt poetic.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked from above as I wiped blood from under my eyes.

It suddenly occurred to me; for the first time in my life I could be completely honest. I could tell him everything with my own mouth. I could tell him I love him every day. I could answer any question he had about my time as a felon. About my time with Kisame. And the time we saved those people trapped on Heiwa. I could tell him how Hiruko tricked me. How he made a game of his death and my consequential rebirth. I could tell him about his niece and nephew.

I needed to see my kids.

Without speaking a word, I lifted myself from the coffin and promptly crumpled to the ground. Sasuke took my upper arm and helped me to my feet. Each muscle felt new and wobbly. My whole body was reformed and unused. I felt like a newborn fawn, shaking gangly legs and no coordination. Sakura had me by the shoulders instantly, a blue aching glow hovering about my face and chest as she examined my new body.

"Itachi." Sasuke's eyes searched me from head to toe, reaching around Sakura to touch my upper arm to see if I was real. The blood likely frightened him. Then again, I've underestimated him before.

I couldn't think of what to say first, so I simply acted on something I wanted to do for an extraordinarily long time. I hugged him. Or more, collapsed onto him after pushing Sakura away with my meager strength.

I let him hold me up, being too weak to do so myself. I trusted him to keep me from falling at my weakest moment. We remained like that for some time. He had grown a little taller. His hair was getting long. I clutched the back of his shoulders as tightly as my weak arms would allow until the sudden contact made him uncomfortable. He continued to hold my upper arms but pushed me to arms length.

"I have two children. A daughter and a son." Sasuke stared at me like I was insane and rambling nonsense. "Their mother's name is Katsue. She's not dead." I added that last bit hoping to see confirmation of the claim in his eyes. Instead he looked like he wanted to hit me, but I couldn't stop shaking and speaking, it felt so liberating. "Her brother gave his life to bring me back," I said breathlessly, "to care for them."

He said nothing when I retold the story, only moving to help me sit down when Sakura asked him to. How I was commanded to kill Katsue's brother, Hiruko. How he tried to end all kekkei genkai. How I didn't kill him. I told Sasuke everything. I haven't the slightest idea how long we sat there in that cold vault, my legs and back trembling from the weight of gravity, his grip holding me up. I wondered if he minded that I was so weak and he was so strong. Was he ashamed of what I'd become?

No. He wasn't.

Sakura gave the OK for me to stand, deciding from a medical standpoint that I was healthy enough to survive. The only difference was that I was riddled with twisted scarring over my face, arms, chest, throat. Every surface was warped with twisting flesh from where my body shifted from Hiruko's frame to my own.

From the tomb Sasuke brought me to his home where the medical nin left us with a wave. It was dark; I was unable to see the reconstruction of the village I once called home.

Sasuke commanded me to take a shower before I could stain his furniture with blood.

I did so gladly. It gave me the opportunity to let it all sink in and run my scarred fingertips over my face. Once I was satisfied with the knowledge that I'd never look the same as I once did, I rested on the white tiled floor and let hot water pull the blood from my skin, hair and eyes. I needed rest. My body was entirely exhausted from the small effort of walking from the crypt to this house. But I was wired. I couldn't stop staring at the world around me.

Eyes round as coins, I took in each detail, every fine scratch, every black streak of invading mold around the caulk. I could see more clearly than ever. I could breathe fully without pain. I was reborn. But part of rebirth meant weakness. My body was soft and fragile. My chakra level was useless.

Katsue, Katsue, Katsue.

This gentle mantra came and went with endless nimiety. I needed to see her. I needed to make sure everything was all right. But before any of that could happen, I needed to ask for help.

I was slow and uncoordinated with this new body. This did not cause me distress. I spent my first life as nothing less than perfect. I'd given everything for my village. This time, I would do things right.

Sasuke informed me that Katsue knew about my regeneration and that he told her to stay back. Whether he admitted it or not, I knew it was to save her from the pain if I was unable to return. He also broke the news that she was working with her brother until the following day. Disappointing as this news was, I knew I had time. All of the time in the world.

It was amazing how many hated me once the truth came out. It was more amazing how many entitled my actions as 'heroic' or 'martyrdom'.

It wasn't until the next morning, after the most peaceful night of sleep I'd ever experienced, that I was able to see my family again. Kakashi was kind enough to coerce Katsue into visiting his office.

"...Respectfully, sir, I'm on a time constraint. I can't wait around all day for some silly form. There's someone expecting me somewhere very soon." A woman's stern voice emanated through the wooden door.

"My assistant should be here any minute now."

My heart pounded, I didn't even try to slow it. The door creaked when I pushed it open.

A kunoichi with white hair pinned tightly back into a bun, long bangs fell to the top of her stomach. She stood beside Kakashi, glaring daggers at the new hokage. She tapped her foot impatiently. Lips tight, irritated little lines under hard blue eyes. That familiarly intense gaze didn't leave Kakashi's bored expression as I stepped through the tension, it seemed any sound might set the highly strung woman into a frenzy. I wondered if I'd be the catalyst for her rampage. Judging by her straight shoulders and clenched jaw, it was very much a possibility.

Kakashi held up one hand to greet me as I moved slowly across the floor. "Hey, Itachi. Have you met ASEB leader Katsue Kyusho?"

My eyes lifted gently to the woman. At my name her exposed biceps clenched hard and released. Her expression of confused bewilderment mimicked mine exactly as recognition set in.

"Katsue?" I stuttered dumbly, perhaps for the first time in my life.

Her lips parted to speak then clamped them shut to face the kage with this expression like she might hurt him. "Is this your idea of a joke? You do realize the kinds of people under my command, correct?" Kakashi held up his hands defensively, single exposed eye a little fearful of the far smaller woman. Her piercing blue eyes cut to mine sharply. "I don't know why he put you up to this, Sasuke, but you can stop now." Katsue's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It's time, Kat. The kids are with Kaz..." A familiar voice dragged to a halt in the doorway. Sora glared at the back of my head, I could feel its intensity as he passed around my back. "What's he doing here?" Sora let his eyes lower. We appeared to be thinking the same thing.

Katsue rolled her eyes as she took a short stack of papers from the lanky man. "Just a bad joke."

From the corner of my eye I could see her eying my appearance, looking for a flaw beyond the scarring. Her eyes then jumped to Sora. Kakashi looked increasingly uncomfortable at how poorly his plan came together. Katsue stood for a moment staring, trying to compute exactly what was happening. She looked a bit overwhelmed. She knew that I was reincarnated. Perhaps she wasn't expecting to see me to look so damaged.

The strikingly beautiful creature faced her Hokage, chin still turned to speak to Sora, eyes avoiding mine entirely. "I'll meet you back at the house in an hour, make sure you pick up the kids. There's a lot that we need to discuss."

The two then disappeared, my eyes were no longer capable of keeping up with their movements, leaving only Kakashi and myself to ogle at their sudden evaporation.

"Guess she doesn't recognize you after all." I heard Kakashi shrug at his own words. I wasn't so comforted.

Yes. She recognized me. Recognition and acknowledgement were entirely different concepts. She was infuriated.

Dull aching pain wormed its way in tendrils through my heart. Perhaps she had taken my advice. Perhaps she replaced me and found another person to help raise Salix and Yugen. The very thought sent a white hot bolt through my stomach. Was I jealous? No, it felt different from jealousy. It was a protective feeling, like the one I felt when I feared for Salix's safety on Hiewa. I was far too weak to fight with Katsue; she came across as a different person than the one I left in Ebi.

Walking Sasuke later that day helped me hold it together, but there was nothing I wanted more than to see my children. He recommended that I go to her house. I wasn't sure she would react well to that. I didn't want my children to fear me in any way. I needed to have a clear path in mind when I saw them again.

Surely the years without a father were hard, if Katsue had them in some kind of comfortable rhythm then I couldn't bring myself to disrupt that. Sasuke highly disagreed. They called him "Uncle Sasuke", they knew their relationship with me and that I would be coming home from my 'long trip' soon. It was just a matter of settling myself into their lives. My brother reassured that Katsue was still unmarried, that she raised them all alone. That was heartbreaking in its own way.

On our walk I found myself in a new part of the village. Sasuke lead the way. There was a lonely, cylindrically shaped house with a fence around it and lighthouse style windows lining the bottom floor.

Before I could stop him, Sasuke went up and knocked on the front door.

"One sec!" A high pitched voice came from inside. My breathing hitched. It was her. I'd never forget that voice. It was my daughter.

The golden doorknob jingled a few times then flung open. A silver haired little girl around seven years old stood in the doorway with this expression like she just stole the last cookie from the jar. "Hey Uncle Sasuke, mom's out with Yugen and Uncle Sora."

Sasuke looked to me from the corner of his eye. I swallowed to wet my dry throat and followed him up the stairs. At the sight of my disfigured face Salix's dark blue eyes sparkled like fireworks across a midnight sky.

"Dad!" She could barely choke before leaping onto me, cinching her arms around my neck and legs around my waist. I stumbled a little, still barely strong enough to hold my own weight. Though I shook from the effort, I could do nothing but hold her and feel her little face bury into my shoulder.

"You remember." I gasped.

Salix sat back and gave a grumpy face. "Duh!" Then her dark eyes fell into hesitance. "Mom knows you're here, right?"

I gave a fake smile to reassure her, but she didn't buy it. Her little round face grew slowly horrified. "Yugen." She let go and slid to the floor with a little gasp. "Oh man, he's gonna be so scared."

"Yugen is smarter than you think," Sasuke explained to the little girl, assuring me as well in the process. "Your mother won't let anything scare him." A sound came from inside the house. Sasuke looked up, one eye pinwheeling into a familiar red pattern, the other a swirling lavender. "But if he is, we will keep him from making a mess again."

My eyes widened. Making a mess? What was my son that Sasuke was preparing to use sharingan on him?

"Salix?" A woman's light voice called from inside.

"Coming!" Salix disappeared from between my brother and I and we followed her through the door, into Katsue's home

It was meticulous. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place. A flash of white hair fluttered into a well lit room across the main living area. Sasuke touched my arm, holding my gaze significantly. The fear drained through my feet and I found myself following a low voice as Katsue spoke with our children.

She was holding a little boy whose black eyes caught mine before she detected my presence behind her. I had this small pportunity to really look at him. He was very pale, like Katsue, but he looked identical to me otherwise with dark hair and eyes. When she finally turned, that hard, intense expression she wore earlier evaporated into something delicate and vulnerable. I could see her throat tighten minutely as her chin crumpled.

"Mom? You look sad." Salix worried her brow at her mother then her little brother.

"I'm not sad, babe." She said with a big fake smile. "Why don't you and Yugen play with Uncle Sasuke for a bit?"

My insides twisted when Salix obeyed her mother, snatching the little boy's hand, running away without a moment's hesitation. Leaving me alone to face her mother's inevitable wrath.

It didn't take long for Katsue to suck in a slow, quiet breath, inflating, then deflating her entire body. As the air left her lungs, she turned to face me, eyes closed gently, lips a small 'o'.

We both changed again. The strangest thing was how normal it felt to become reacquainted with each other. There was never a time in the past where we spent enough time together to watch each other age. To see the differences was terribly common. From this day on I knew that I would never spend a day without her. Whether she liked it or not, I would be a part of her life, part of our children's lives. Stiff and anxious, I awaited my punishment. Surely there would be hate in those eyes. I deserved it. I left her a single mother, twice. If it took a lifetime, I'd spend it all making her see that she was more important than I'd ever made it seem in the past.

I could hear Sasuke speaking to the kids in the other room with the dotted speech of Salix and a few squeaky words from my small son. It was muffled through the wall of what I presumed to be Katsue's bedroom. She stood tall and straight in a doorway to a bright white bathroom, eyes closed.

Only now I could hear that heartbreaking sound. The sound of her throat tightening miserably as she held back tears with a small whimper. That sound was terribly familiar. Too many times I was the reason for her tears, I never wanted to be their cause. As if on instinct alone I took a quiet step toward her.

Blue eyes flew open, wide and fearful. My heart twisted into knots, I stopped moving. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to say so many things to erase the pain. But nothing came.

In an instant Katsue went from standing across the room to being no more than a breath from my chest. She looked up at me, lips tight as they tried not to tremble. The years aged is both.

Her hair was a little duskier; it was shorter in the back as well. Pale violet, nearly bone white and falling raggedly to her collar bones, and incredibly short in the back until it angled sharply to those longer points that hung near her stomach. A hand lifted from her side, careful to avoid my touch until her fingers floated to the center of my chest, disbelieving. I watched the realization finally reach her expression. Each small muscle of her face relaxed, relieved.

Her voice was low and hoarse. "What took you so long?"

Her fingers lifted to my chest and spread until her hand was flat, sliding slowly upward before touching the skin at my clavicle. Another small whimper hummed, but it didn't stop those fingertips from running behind my head. They tangled themselves there. And with no warning, Katsue closed the gap, pressing her lips to mine. They tasted like years of love and pain.


I needed him, but he died. Then, he was alive again. It was all too confusing! There were only so many times a girl could mourn someone.

This time, when he regenerated, I was just lost. I wasn't sure what to do.

Right now, with his lips on mine, my hands smoothing over every scarred ridge of his new flesh, I felt everything. I wanted everything.

Pushing him onto my bed I climbed on top of him, gripping his pants and jerking them to his knees. I smiled at the sight of nervous confusion on Itachi Uchiha's face. It was not an emotion he was meant to express. The tip of my tongue met the inside of his thigh, leaving a cool trail up to his pelvis. Kisses trailed across his neck, then along his jaw until his hands pulled my clothes away.

It had been years since we last had sex, this was going to be very interesting. Impatient to feel him inside of me, I ran my tongue over his length to wet it. He twitched and groaned unabashedly. Surely this was all new in this wonderfully new body of his. Relishing the image, I popped him in my mouth, swirling the tip with my tongue. One hand clenched the sheets hard, the other dove into my hair, pulling me up to kiss him, unable to restrain any longer. Both of his hands were at my sides, tearing at my clothes. I made quick work of his traditional black shirt, dragging it over his head, nipping at his lower lip. Warm, soft hands roamed my body, relearning my every curve. It was strange that he was no longer covered in callouses. I rubbed his tip to my opening, sliding over him to envelop his whole length in one painfully tight stroke. I silenced his gasping groan with a deep, soft and persuading kiss. We had to be quiet or else Sasuke would give me a ration of shit later.

For a long time we just stayed like that, my forehead pressed to his. Bodies joined. Though my eyes were closed, I knew he was looking at me, I could feel the electricity of his stare.

"Katsue." He whispered between breaths, "look at me."

For once he didn't sound harsh as he asked this. He was asking, no, begging me to let him see my eyes.

A smile came over the scarred image of his face when my lids slid open. I pressed a kiss to every surface I could reach before sitting up, lifting my hips, then sliding back down. His hands fell over my hips, one arm traveled up my back, easing my weight back until he hovered over me, curling into my body. Each deep thrust tightened the coiling spot right between my hips, he knew exactly the right places to touch and kiss. Itachi's lips pressed to my ear, pulling the lobe between his teeth, one hand groped my backside to the point of pain. My legs wrapped around his hips, angling him to hit that one spot. So deep that it was raw and over stimulated. So deep that I couldn't hold myself back any longer, humming against his lips with pleasure. A whimper escaped my lips as I came undone around his hard anatomy, twitching and releasing the sensational tension. His release joined mine, letting out a low moan against my neck as he fell gently over my overstimulated body.

The thrum of his heart against mine was cathartic bliss. I kissed the side of his head and he smiled against my jaw, laughing a little. He was probably totally thrown that I didn't kill or maim him, and instead tossed him on the bed and had my wicked way.

But to be honest, I wasn't angry. I told him to give up his life when Yugen was still inside of me, I couldn't hold it against him for completing his life long journey. Just like he couldn't hold my involvement with the newly reestablished ASEB against me.

Rolling my eyes like the teenager I reverted back to in his presence, I cut up a piece of fruit for Yugen who stood at my knee with his hands extended expectantly.

"Tank yuu momma!" Yugen's voice was raspy from the tubes in his throat. I blew a kiss and shooed him away to play with Salix.

Itachi held back exactly what he wanted to say until our son tottered out of the kitchen after his sister.

"ASEB?" He narrowed his eyes, voice deep and accusing. "Don't you remember what that place represented?"

I cleaned the knife and placed it in its block before tossing the remaining melon rinds in the garbage. Itachi kept me waiting for three years, he could wait two minutes for an answer as I cleaned up the kitchen.

"He was misguided." I shrugged against the counter, his concerned gaze tried to pin me in place. A smirked. "The concept itself is actually gorgeous." I pushed away from the counter top and passed him to open a window. "Under my control it's working the way it was supposed to. We don't hurt anyone. Every day we go out there to keep tabs on those born with powers exceeding the average person. We offer support to parents who don't know how to handle gifted children." My eyes crossed the field to catch my dark haired son throwing rocks. "Kids like Yugen."

If eyes could have lasers, Itachi would be burning me alive. Turning, I leaned my butt to the windowsill to face him, arms folded. His face straightened instantly as if I couldn't feel his nerves swirling inside. His whole being was asking the question, but I needed to see how he would choose to ask verbally.

Kids like our son were gifted. They were special. Some still considered Yugen dangerous, just like my older brother once was. But, that couldn't be further from the truth. Those people, the ones who hurt and used him, they were what made my brother become what he was. It was part of ASEB's training to see how the child's parents speak of them. Many parents distance themselves because they're scared. I needed to know where our son stood with Itachi.

"Is he healthy?"

My focus sharpened when his smooth voice whispered into the space between us. I nodded, stomach I twisting happy knots. His eyes slid lazily over my shoulder to the children running in the yard. "He is gifted." A concerned note hitched his voice as his voice lowered to ask, "like his uncle, or his father?"

My heart sang, but I didn't smile. I didn't want him to know I was proud of him until I knew he could accept our son for how special he was. "Hiruko adjusted his genetics until he could replicate his own prowess. What he didn't expect was that he'd be born with an altered version of your Sharingan as well."

Itachi's eyes snapped to mine.

"He's a smart little boy, not quite like his big sister, but he's special in his way while she's special in hers. I tell them that every day. I don't want them to be equal. I want them to grow up believing that their own talents are more important than envy."

Itachi was still, barely even breathing for a time. Then he finally found the words he needed to ask, "Let me stay, Katsue." His dark, feathered eyes dropped away from mine to some spot on the floor. "I need to know them. I'll do anything you ask. Just allow me to prove that I'm not what you once thought I was."

A sad little pang resounded through my chest. "I always knew who and what you were. You're always so blind to how perceptive I really am. Even now I know that you want what's best for us, for your family."

The front door slammed open and a crying little boy ran uncoordinated into my arms. I dropped to a knee and scooped him up as he squirmed. I hushed and rocked and he slowly calmed down. Across the room Salix was standing, hands on her hips, explaining what happened quite adamantly to her father who dropped to a knee to be at her height. My heart swelled with happiness as he listened with dark eyes focused as if she was all he could see.

That night, Itachi tried to leave. He didn't understand that I wouldn't let him leave.

"What will Salix think if she wakes up and you're gone again?" I quietly berated him as he released the doorknob, shoulders drooping.

"I haven't earned this."

"Itachi." I sighed. "Love isn't some prize. You and I built this, we made Salix and Yugen."

"We didn't create Yugen together." He corrected, then realized how cruel it sounded with tightness around the edges of his eyes. "I love him the same as Salix." He felt the need to reassure that fact. Even though I could feel exactly how much he loved that energetic little boy.

I just smiled at him. "Stop being an idiot and come to bed. There's so much I need to catch you up on. Salix just started the academy a year early, and she already has the highest marks in class. Scary how much she reminds me of you..."


A/N: One more chapter and we are done forever! Woo!