I have a warning about this update: If you're uncomfortable with murder or you don't like dark themes, then this chapter might be heavy for you. Personally, this was one of the darkest pieces I've ever written (not that I write dark stuff often).

P.S. As usual, there's a POV change in this update as I always do for every fifth chapter since CH10.

P.S.S I have a fat Author's Note on the bottom, so don't get too excited if you see the length of this chapter.

x

No one came to save me.

When I hurted most, when Kabuto and the others cut my skin and broke my body, I reminded myself that no one was coming for me. I had to tell myself to breathe, to get up, to keep moving, because no one else was going to help me. I was alone.

Sometimes the thought burned inside. The truth of it suffocated me until I couldn't breathe. I'd hate it. Hate was all I could think about. I hated this situation. I hated that I had to deal with this when I shouldn't have to. I hated that no one saved me yet, I hated that I was here for so long, I hated that I was in the dark, I hated fighting-

I hated hating.

It was exhausting and wore me down to the bone, it ached inside. I didn't want to hate, but there was nothing to feel so if my anger and bitterness didn't burn, there would be nothing left in me.

At some point, between the dark, the fighting, and meditating, I accepted to have nothing inside me.

I was just so tired of it all.

The dark was my place. It was empty, like how I wanted to be empty. It held nothing and it was comforting. I had forgotten how long I'd been down here in the hole, but I grew to accept my circumstance.

I've been discarded.

The beatings taught me that there was always something stronger. No matter how much I learned, how much I improved, how fast I moved or how hard I hit, someone in the dark showed me how pathetic I was compared to them.

I am small and weak. I cannot afford to be vulnerable and I must take advantage of others' weaknesses.

I learned that I could be less human. Living in the dark with no real interactions with other warm humans starved me. I ate, slept, and fought. There was nothing human about it, I felt more animal at times, but I did it so I could live. I hated fighting, but I wanted to live.

Though it is shameful and disgusting, I will be like an animal even if it makes me less human so I survive.

Silence was a constant companion and I enjoyed it. Any other presence felt intrusive. Meditation was a wonderful hobby in which I would abate the tides of hate and emptiness. The quiet allowed me to have full control. Disruption and noise threatened my control. Sounds no longer passed through my lips even when the fighters in the dark hurt me. Without meaning to, I took a tentative vow of silence. They MinatoJiraiyaInoichi asked for the truth. I told the truth. MinatoJiraiyaInoichi had the truth, but I was the burden. The truth had consequences that put me here. When push came to shove, the truth outweighed me.

In the end, I've said enough and my words don't matter anymore.

I had been discarded and sacrificed to grasp a possibly better future. If the brighter future was attained, then I would be the miserable, wretched and filthy child hidden deep within the depths of the beautiful city of Omelas. This was what Danzo meant when he said that true peace was achieved by those who stayed in the shadows. The Me before the hole would have argued against this, but now I saw a measure of truth. Danzo's words weren't completely acceptable, yet I didn't fully refute them either.

After all, I was living out his belief right now.

Kabuto no longer fought me each time, there were others who reappeared instead so I grew familiar with their chakras and fighting styles. Each one had different focuses: speed, agility, force, and technique. We fought, I learned from their movements, and I learned from my mistakes. They taught me how to mold chakra for when I had to fight while still injured, to dull pain, to bear the force of attacks, to move faster, to strengthen my fists, but they never taught me jutsu. I didn't question it. They were good teachers, strict and harsh, but they were also patient and taught well without words. I was broken down and reshaped by them. The tantō was now an extension of my arm, a forcibly attached limb. I never thought of my body as soft, but I now know that the Me before the hole was soft. I had been soft in every possible way, my skin had been soft, there was a soft curve to my cheek and stomach from child fat, my thoughts were soft and so were my actions. I wouldn't have dared to exploit another's weakness like squeezing a broken bone, but I did now.

I never thought that I'd become this kind of person or think that I would fight like this. I never would have imagined myself to be here.

I never considered the possibility that I could be tossed away.

It was naive. It was stupid. I assumed too many things. I was so overly assured in my safety.

I stretched my arms and bent over to touch my toes, breathing in and out. I appreciated the new clothes that fit me and were clearly made for shinobi. The fabric allowed my skin to breathe even though it was skin tight and didn't restrict my movements. A while ago, one opponent in the dark gave me a bundle of clothes after fighting as the ones I wore were tattered and ripped. Staying clean wasn't an issue since I'd get doused with a water jutsu every so often. When I changed in the dark, I felt the difference in my body, the wiry tight muscles, the calluses on my palms and feet, the loss of fat.

I was waiting for my visit today. Though there were no words, I sensed that things were about to change.

I breathed in deeply and exhaled, my shoulders easing. The time alone was precious. No fighting, no expectations, no fear.

Lately, the sessions were no longer intended to train me. My 'teachers' stopped showing up and now complete strangers took their place instead and they fought as though their life depended on it.

The first time I fought a stranger, I was sure I was going to die.

My opponent was strong, too strong. I think it was a she. She fought with a kunai while I had a tantō, and even though I had a longer reach, she stabbed me in the stomach. I poured chakra into the wound like I was taught so that I wouldn't immediately die of blood loss, but it was already over. It was simply a matter of buying time until I could escape, but there was nowhere to escape in the dark so it was my loss. I twisted around her, growing light-headed from blood loss while dodging fatal strikes, dripping blood, and then I sliced her arms in several places. Her kunai arm hung limp, but she switched to her left. I fought dirty. I scratched her eyes with my left hand when I could, I kicked her useless arm, and rammed the tantō into her thigh and twisted the blade. She was still stronger than me in the end.

I remembered breathing shallow breaths, pressing a hand against my stomach while the girl stood above me. Her knife pressed against my throat. My body was slick with blood.

I remembered thinking that this was as far as my life went.

I remembered giving up and closing my eyes.

I wanted it to end.

But someone came and stopped the girl and another healed my injuries.

I suspected that they didn't want me to die and that it had been a test, that I passed despite my loss. I didn't understand why Danzo wanted me to live. They weren't expecting a win. The other girl was much too strong for me to possibly win, so they were looking for something else. I wondered if my acceptance of death was what they wanted.

The second visit was the same, but I didn't lose that one. Or the third. Each time, it was someone just slightly weaker than me, slower, and I could feel their chakra quivering when they sensed me in the dark. They were scared. I beat each one and when I was one movement away from killing them, no one jumped in to stop us to save them like they saved me so I hesitated each time.

Why was I allowed to live when the others weren't?

When it was clear that I wasn't going to fight anymore or give the killing blow, someone would take away my opponent. This made me realize two things.

I was purposely paired with those weaker than me.

They never stopped me because they wanted me to kill them.

I had a feeling my training would stop when I made the first kill.

When I was left alone after my seventh refusal to kill, I thought about it.

If I continue refusing to kill, I'll be punished. I'm sure it'll be painful and I'll be forced to murder someone on the spot with no choice.

Meditating, I quietly contemplated the situation. Though as bleak as my life had become, I still believed that I had choices to make. Very scarce, very limited, and unfavorable choices, but they were available nonetheless and if there was something I still longed for, it was the taste of having some measure of freedom in choice.

My choices, I thought, grief echoing in my heart. If I am to kill, I will do it my way.

I purposely refused to kill the eighth fighter. She was skilled, nearly as strong as me, and she fought viciously to try and kill me. I knew that she wouldn't accept her death, that she didn't want to die, so I didn't offer the choice. When she disappeared, I sensed impatience from the person who took her away. It made me wonder how far I could push their tolerance for my stubbornness before they'd punish me.

I prayed, please send someone who would accept. Please give me a soul that I could carry as a cross.

The ninth opponent was like the others. Weaker than me. Within the first seconds of exchanging blows, I could tell he was smaller than me and from the feeble flow of his chakra, he had already given up. He knew he couldn't win against me, he didn't even want to win. His blows were half-hearted, and I easily caught one of his fists and wrestled him into a full body lock with the tantō steady against his throat. Right away, I knew that it would be him.

I leaned into him, my mouth next to his ear.

"Do you want to die?" My voice was barely a sound, more air than voice. It was the first time I had spoken in a long time.

He jerked, not expecting me to speak to him, but my hands held him down.

"They want me to kill you. It's my final test," I whispered. "If you don't want to die, I'll let you go and they'll take you back. I don't want to kill someone who doesn't want to die, so if you want to die, give me your name."

He was quiet for some time before finally whispering, "I don't want to go back."

I nearly flinched at the sound of his voice. He sounded so young, like a child.

How could he be so young.

"I-," his breath shuddered. "I-I want to stop. Please kill me."

I could tell from his chakra he wasn't lying. "Will you tell me your name?"

He began sobbing and then I wasn't holding him down anymore. His bruised hands held tight onto my waist with his head buried in my shoulder.

"I-Isamu. My name was Isamu," he choked out.

You are brave, Isamu.

I pressed my forehead against his. "Isamu. I promise it won't hurt."

I meant it.

"Okay," he breathed.

"I'll remember you, Isamu."

I waited until his breath evened before pulling the blade fast and sharp. His blood burned my skin and felt like a stain. Isamu's death was now a permanent stain on my heart.

I felt his chakra fade slowly. Isamu's chakra was soft. It was so soft. Tears fell down my face.

Oh God, why did it have to be him.

I asked for someone who would accept, but why did it have to be him. Him whose chakra was so soft to feel, who didn't deserve this, who I killed-

His chakra was so soft and kind, I shouldn't have-

He should be living, he shouldn't be down here in this shitty hole, he didn't belong here.

What have I done-

They came right after, picking up Isamu and disappearing.

I was alone for a while after that, dried blood crusted over my face and clothes. I didn't sleep. I meditated, waiting for what would happen next while Isamu's whispers floated around me in the dark.

I don't want to go back. My name was Isamu. I-I want to stop. Please kill me.

Isamu.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I hope you didn't hate me. I hope you didn't hate me when I gave you that choice.

I'm sorry I was selfish.

I thought it would be the only way, that it was the best thing I could do, but I should've let you go.

Maybe I should've killed that other girl.

I don't know. It wouldn't have been the same.

I shouldn't have killed you.

You don't deserve this.

I'm so sorry. I owe you my life. I promise to always remember you.

Guilt. Misery. I've never felt so dirty in my life.

I grieved silently. I didn't care if my handlers were watching me. If I was going to be punished for crying, then so be it. I refuse to regret my tears because it was all for Isamu.

I deserved to be punished. I deserved to stay in the hole. I wanted to stay in the darkness, it's where I belonged.

I killed someone-

I hated myself so much.

I was taken out of the hole.

Akemi POV

Akemi has never disliked anyone. Sure, she thought some people were annoying and maybe mean, but her mom has always told her to act like a lady no matter what kind of company might be around. Not one to disobey her mother, Akemi did that and treasured the advice because the words brought her a lot of attention in the forms of praise and compliments from her peers. It was easy for Akemi to be in the spotlight. Growing up as the youngest of three children and the only daughter to boot, attention came naturally from everyone in her family and she knew how to reap it from people. All it took was a bright smile accompanied with a cheerful greeting, a few genuine questions and compliments, and a proper good-bye to draw people close to her. Akemi also knew that her looks played a factor in her constant popularity wherever she went ever since childhood. Her mother was the one of the most sought after marriageable candidates because her looks matched her wit, and it's a good thing that Akemi took after her mother in both. With fluffy honey brown hair and blue eyes, Akemi just needed to put a twinkle in her smile to get someone to notice her. It felt natural when people admired her and as a little girl, she lived for the attention. The Academy was no different.

The Academy had been fun while it lasted. It was every kid in Konoha's dream to go to the Academy and pass the genin exam, one that Akemi's parents indulged in each of their three children though it was never fully expected for any of them to graduate. It was the norm among civilian parents to allow their child to attempt the career of shinobi. However, no knowledgeable civilian parent held high expectations because they knew that even if a child can pass the Academy entrance exam, the kid would face reality sooner or later. The civilian child might be able to follow along in the first two or three years, but the gap between civilian-born and ninja-raised children would inevitably widen and separate the two groups by the fourth year at the Academy. The civilian child would notice how they couldn't keep up with physical training, they didn't have enough chakra to perform the basic Academy jutsus, and worst of all, they'd see how their other peers succeed almost effortlessly as if they had been trained for it since the moment they were born (which was true, but civilian children didn't know). Dropping out of the Academy was always a tearful and bitter affair. Yet, children were young and therefore, the matter of failing to reach their dream would escape their mind when they latch onto something else. Their parents would simply pat their child's backs, soothe their tears, and wait for the child to move on. It was a phase.

It was the same for Akemi and she had absolutely loved her time at the Academy. Her older brothers had gone and even though they didn't pass the genin exam, they encouraged her to go, saying that they learned a lot. She made friends and got to see clan kids up close, which was one the best parts of going to the Academy. Civilian people didn't interact with shinobi clans that much, especially not the noble shinobi clans like Aburame, Uchiha, or Hyuga. Akemi was lucky because she got a lot of big name kids in her class. There was a kid from the Akimichi clan (her family loved that clan's restaurants), one from the Nara clan (their clan head was the Jounin Commander, how cool was that?), a Hyuga (their eyes were really scary), and two Uchihas!

Since the beginning, Akemi easily got along with her year and wanted to be friends with the clan kids too, but they were sort of hard to talk to. She quickly learned that Hyuga Shin was unmannerly and avoided him, Uchiha Shisui was nice and she liked talking to him whereas Uchiha Itachi was quiet, and Akimichi Kenta and Nara Takeshi were nice too but none of them sought her out like most people did. It didn't bother her, but Akemi noticed that all of those clan kids talked to one girl and she couldn't help but be curious about her.

Though civilian born, Nobuyuki Haruka transferred into the Academy four years later which was an anomaly. Akemi remembered that everyone had been expecting the new girl to be some sort of genius, but her scores turned out to be average which disappointed their classmates. Haruka looked nice at first glance and she seemed particularly close to Kenta and Takeshi. Later, Akemi learned that Takeshi and Haruka were childhood friends and within the first month, Haruka was surrounded by the clan kids. They normally kept to themselves, but Haruka was already a childhood friend of one and easily gained access to other shinobi friendships. Even Shin, the mean Hyuga, willingly talked to Haru.

Haruka was actually nice and pretty so Akemi tried to get Haruka to join her group of friends, because if she was friends with Haruka then she could talk to the clan kids too! Even though it shouldn't have been a problem, it became clear that Haruka wasn't interested. Akemi was only ten years old at the time with considerable amount of pride, so her childish reaction was understandable. She got jealous. A jealous girl usually resulted in some unkind actions, which looking back, Akemi now wasn't proud of, but she's glad that she's friends with Haru now.

She left the Academy a year before they were supposed to take the genin exam. She didn't drop out because she couldn't keep up with her classmates. Her old Academy teacher, Bato-sensei, had even attempted to persuade her to stay in the Academy for a bit longer since he thought she had potential. She had decent physical scores, her chakra stores were average yet she had good control, and her test scores were in the top percentile. No, Akemi decided to leave the year the Kyuubi Incident took away her best friend at the time, Kaori. Akemi remembered that awful night vividly, but returning to the Academy and hearing how Bato-sensei treated death made her realize that she didn't want to follow the life of ninja. Shinobi encountered death more than any civilian in Konoha which was something she didn't want. So, she quit.

Akemi went to a different academy called Konoha Gakuen to finish her schooling just like her older brothers before they started working for dad. Just like in the Academy, making new friends was easy and her parents were rich, so she didn't get outright bullied though the old money and noble students snubbed her once in a while. Her days at Gakuen went by with normal routines and the usual people, but Akemi's life changed when Haruka came to Gakuen too.

Akemi remembered being completely shocked when Haruka arrived as a new student. She had expected for Haru to graduate the Academy and form a team with Kenta and Takeshi (after Haru's family name changed to Yamanaka, Akemi learned about the special clan relations between the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka). Haru should've been a genin and not a student at Gakuen.

This time, Akemi and Haru actually became close friends and classmates, and Akemi learned so much more about Haru that broke expectations. Haru didn't want to be a ninja, so she skipped the genin exam. Haru was close enough to the Yondaime to have his recommendation in order to enroll in Konoha Gakuen. She no longer spoke to any of her Academy friends, not the Uchiha, Hyuga, Akimichi, and most strangely, not even Nara Takeshi. Akemi sensed that it was a sensitive topic for Haru, so she never pushed to ask.

Through the lens of true friendship, Akemi saw the real Haru. People saw only an image of Yamanaka Haruka: a model student with perfect manners and respectable family lineage, a bright mind with a knack for building relations as evident with her connections to the Hokage. The real Haru was an orphan still bitter about her changed family name and forced guardianship along with a sadistic streak of subtly barbing the people she disliked. She weighed her classmates' values and was a two-faced schemer with a love-hate relationship with authority figures, and she was on a mission to build a following. Haru hung out with the gang of orphans and though they were friends, Akemi knew that Haru was using them. Akemi knew that Haru was using her as well, but she didn't particularly mind because Haru never hurt her. In the end, Haru never hurt her friends.

The orphans were a very interesting group of kids. Akemi was fairly comfortable with them, Misaki was the older sister she wished she had, Isao was wonderfully kind and they got along perfectly fine, and the twins Jun and Aiya were cute. The oldest, Eiji, was the one she sometimes warily held at a distance because he spoke sharply and hit sensitive points in a conversation without remorse. The one thing Akemi never got over was how similar Eiji and Haru looked, they were like twins. She brought it up to them one time, but they only glanced at each other and made faces at each other, gagging at the thought of being related.

With Isao and Haru in her class, Gakuen was fun and she looked forward to each day because they were fun and made things interesting. She only wished that they wouldn't pick on Yuzu so much since Yuzu actually wanted to be close to them and desperately did anything to attract their attention. Akemi thought her days in Konoha Gakuen would never end and stay forever peaceful. Between Isao's cheerful chatter and Haru's sarcastic remarks, Akemi loved spending time with them in class and growing closer with the other orphans. She wished their time together would last as long as possible.

But one day, Haru disappeared.

Hitomi-sensei said that Haru was with the Hokage for diplomatic business and would be absent for some time. It was weird that the amount of time wasn't specified and that Haru hadn't mentioned it before leaving, but Akemi merely shrugged and hoped that Haru would return quickly. She wanted her best friend back. Isao missed her too.

The days turned into a week. And the week turned into multiple weeks.

Akemi wasn't the only one who noticed the extended absence. Everyone in the grade knew Haru, everyone had some sort of relationship with her as all wanted to be her friend. Haru's absence was heavy. Unbeknownst to her, the class had looked to Haru for leadership as she could make decisive and thought-out verdicts even though Isao was technically the class representative. She had the kind of charisma among kids that almost commanded respect with her indifferent yet keen personality. The entire Intermediate School regarded her as the ideal student ready for court gatherings for her wit.

So Akemi grew worried, as did Isao and the rest of the orphans, but the weeks turned into months and with quiet horror, Akemi realized that no one was looking for Haru. Also, what kind of diplomatic business lasted so long?

A full year passed.

The graduation ceremony for the third years of the Intermediate School would have been special if only Haru was there too. Akemi knew that her own family worried about Haru. They knew of Haru because Akemi always talked about her at home, and they knew that her friend had been gone for a long time without explanation.

The hot summer came and it was the most horrible time of her life.

On the first day of the new school term, Akemi entered her new classroom in the Upper School building. She had been looking forward to this day ever since her third year at the Intermediate School. The new campus was distinguished in its painstakingly manicured gardens, luxurious lounges, and private tea ceremony chambers. It was everything she thought it to be, but Akemi didn't want to start her first year like this by herself without...Haru. In the spacious classroom with rows of paired desks, she picked a seat next to the window; her mother wouldn't approve because the sun would freckle her pale skin, but Akemi found herself not caring as she felt the warm sunlight dance across her face. She watched the Upper School students milling in the front courtyard, excitedly talking to each other. There was still plenty of time until the first bell rang, so her classroom was empty.

"Hey," a subdued voice greeted her to the side.

Akemi looked up and saw Isao, who appeared to have a rough sleep the night before. She had a bad time sleeping last night too, but Akemi had makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes. She pulled out her makeup pouch from her personal tote bag and gestured for her friend to sit down and share her desk.

Isao's tired eyes didn't waver as her fingers gently smeared concealer over his shadowed eye bags. After a few additional brush strokes with a lighter powder, Isao no longer looked like a panda, but Akemi could see the suppressed agony swimming in her friend's eyes.

"I miss her," Isao said. His voice shook.

Akemi patted his cheek. "I do too."

"She should be starting the year with us," he nearly whispered. Akemi sadly watched her friend.

"I know," she said. She would cry, but she had cried out all the tears she could have during the past summer.

It was all because it had been announced that Haru was killed in a violent skirmish with the Kumo shinobi diplomat.

The story was tightly wrapped but the only details available were that after the Kumo diplomat attempted to kidnap that Hyuga heiress and got imprisoned, there was an escape attempt in which Haru was caught in the crossfire. Haru had been amidst the treaty efforts as an assistant to the Yondaime. Apparently it was a fatal strike, a freak accident.

It was labelled simply as the 'Kumo Affair'.

Kumo as a result had to double their efforts in establishing a treaty with Konoha because the whole village roared in outrage. Not only did the Kumo nin try to kidnap the Hyuga heiress, but he also killed someone. One of Konoha's own had died at the hands of a foreign jounin sent to establish peace and the girl who died wasn't even a shinobi but a civilian. Kumo's reputation severely deteriorated in a span of a week and there was a whole fiasco between the Fire Daimyo and Lightning Daimyo in which the latter had to submit an apology and request to continue negotiations between the two hidden villages. There were talks of politics flying for the entire month, but Akemi hated listening to any of it because all she could think about was how her best friend died.

The funeral was awful. Haru's two younger brothers wouldn't stop crying the entire time and had to be held by the adults. Akemi personally thought that the twins, Ryouta and Yuuma, had it the worst. They lost their parents at a young age and now they lost their older sister who was their entire world, both times to foreign ninja, both incidents related to Kumo. Akemi went with Eiji, Misaki, Isao, and the twins. She broke down when she saw a framed picture of Haru smiling next to a cremation urn on the platform and held onto Isao, choking back sobs. Misaki had tears trailing down her face while taking care of the bawling Jun and Aiya, but Eiji was quiet the whole time. He didn't say a single word, but the anger in his body was palpable. Akemi saw her old Academy classmates for the first time in four years and they looked miserable. Takeshi looked absolutely shell-shocked while Kenta had tears. Shisui and Itachi were there too, but both had blank faces, carefully devoid. Akemi spoke to them briefly, about how Haru was at Gakuen, what she barely knew about the Kumo Affair, but that was all.

Even though Haru might have been a civilian, there were notable people who came to pay their respects. Predictably, Akemi spied the Yamanaka clan head as well as the Nara and Akimichi heads. Even the Hokage was there with his wife. None of the adult shinobi cried, but they were solemn and Akemi thought that as shinobi, they were familiar with this kind of death. Seeing how they stoically accepted Haru's death reminded Akemi bitterly that their reaction was why she left the Academy. She didn't want to be so worn down by death that she would accept it so readily if it happened. Only the Yondaime's wife, Kushina, showed some emotion other than being gloomy, like she was angry which comforted Akemi to a certain degree. At least Akemi wasn't the only one feeling like the entire thing was unfair.

It wasn't fair, Akemi thought heatedly. Her hands curled on top of the desk.

Haru should be here, with her. And Isao. And Eiji, Misaki, Jun and Aiya. She wanted to hear Haru's whining and strange mutters. Akemi missed the sarcastic smiles and the teasing. Thinking of Haru ached so much. It hurt most to know that she never got to see Haru before she left to work for the Hokage. She didn't get to see her best friend for a whole year and the only news that came was about Haru's death. It was so messed up. It wasn't fair.

Akemi recalled that she at first had gotten so angry at everyone involved in the Kumo Affair. Haru wasn't even a shinobi but a civilian and she was the only casualty. Why was Haru killed of all people? Where was the Yondaime during the whole thing? Were there no proper ninjas standing guard near Haru? What could have possibly allowed something like this to happen?

Akemi closed her eyes, covering her face with a hand, and sighed.

In the end, there was no use feeling this way. There was nothing she could do.

Haru was gone.

"Yuzuru?" Isao said next to her.

Akemi lifted her head to say hello to her friend, but she paused at the sight of her pale classmate.

Yuzuru, like all other nobles, was very pale because of their distaste for tanned skin. It indicated labor in the sun, a lower class occupation. His unblemished skin contrasted greatly with his long black hair, however, his pallor wasn't one that looked healthy. He looked like he was ill instead.

"I heard about Haru," he said.

Ah, so he was grieving as well, Akemi thought.

"But…I have something I need to tell you," Yuzuru's face twisted, like he had a bitter pill in his mouth. "I heard about the Kumo Affair from my father."

Akemi stared at her friend. His father, Diplomat Shoyo, was one of the most distinguished noblemen in the Fire country and privy to a lot of inside knowledge that shinobi would envy. Though many passed off Yuzuru for his flamboyant personality, Akemi knew that half of it was simply an act, one that even Haru fell for sometimes. All nobles put on an act of overdramatics, it was in their blood and necessary to survive in the daimyo courts so Yuzuru was no different. His spoiled brat antics were naturally ingrained in him. Despite this, Yuzuru overheard a great deal about politics and other pieces of gossip that he shouldn't know, yet he never revealed any of it. If Yuzuru said that something didn't make sense, then it must be something important.

"What do you mean?" Isao asked. "Is it about Haru? Do you know something? What did your father tell you? Is it dangerous?"

Akemi squeezed Isao's arm. "Isao, calm down. Yuzu, what are you talking about?"

Yuzuru twisted his hands tightly, he was nervously glancing around the classroom even though there was no one else here. "I-I need all of you guys to hear this. Eiji, Misaki, too."

"What about Jun and Aiya?"

Their friend shook his head frantically. "No! Not Jun and Aiya, they're too young, I mean they're only a year below us, but I can't afford to tell too many people at once-"

Yuzuru was nearly twitching in fear and his agitation was starting to affect Akemi.

"Yuzu, Yuzuru, calm down," she said, almost scared at how he was acting.

Even though Yuzuru hated frowning, it created wrinkles in his skin, his brow was deeply furrowed together.

He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I need to tell you guys something about Haru and the Kumo Affair," Yuzuru said tightly. "After class today, get Eiji and Misaki and meet me at my house."

"Eiji hates your house," Isao said.

Eiji certainly did, only because all of the servants in Yuzuru's mansion didn't acknowledge any of the orphans when they visited the first time.

"There's no other choice," Yuzuru snapped. Isao and Akemi raised their brows at their friend. Yuzuru has never snapped them like that.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap," he muttered. "It's because my place has fuinjutsu that prevents eavesdroppers and intruders. It's the only place I trust to say what I want to say."

Akemi's eyes sharpened. "We'll be there."

She wanted to hear this, especially if it has to do with Haru.

If there was strange business going on, she wanted to know exactly what it was and why it involved Haru.

x

That wasn't too dark was it? I've never written something like this before, so I'm unsure just how "dark" this is considered to be. Thanks for the compliments on the previous chapter! It was pretty hard to write something like that.

Anyway, thank you as always for reading! I seriously love the reviews and your thoughts and reactions.

Okay, here's the fat Author's Note aka Ramble:

Anyone remember my OCs? I love Akemi and my orphans and even my spoiled Yuzu, I'm so happy to finally bring them back. A few people were asking why I put them in the story and that I shouldn't bother writing them, but it's my story and I have a purpose for them. They're also my precious baby OCs so I'm going to write about them as much as I want lol. They have pretty big roles in the future so if you want a reintroduction of all the OCs, let me know.

So, I took off the Kushina and Itachi tag in the story description. When I first started the story, I thought they'd be more present, but for where the story stands now, it'd be like false advertising to put their names there. I also added "OC heavy" in the description. If that's not your cup of tea, I'm sorry for the change in direction of character focus and thank you for reading up to now.

I reread a few chapters and wow I cringed lmao. The grammar….the plot holes….the pushovers….the writing…. I'll forgive myself since I began this story in...2014 (omfg I uploaded this DECEMBER 2014 WHICH MEANS IT'S BEEN ALMOST SIX YEARS), and it was the first time I had ever started writing a fic. I hope I've improved since then.

Confession: I'm tempted to rewrite the story, but the rewrite would be so different and I'd hate to rewrite something that I didn't even finish. That rewrite would be in a distant future. Maybe it'll be an 'Extra'.

Q&A Time

Is Haru joining Root?

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. No.

Did Minato and Jiraiya do it to lure out Danzo?

:D Another question is will they pull her out?

Haru has a lot of self-deprecating thoughts. Do you have them too? Are you okay?

I was actually touched when a few asked this, but I'm perfectly fine! I was just being a dramatic teenager when I wrote the first ~20 chapters of the story and dipped into my inner emo whenever I wrote Haru's depressing internal monologues haha.

Some Comments/Responses to Reviews

flame reviews - lmao, you can attack me for my grammar and plot holes, but if you don't like the story then don't read~ ty for adding to the review count tho :D

Cloudywithachanceofninja - *DJ Khalid voice* I appreciate you too and every reader. I mean it.

drmsqnc - I'm in such a big "I said that I would finish this story and I'm going to finish this dang story even if it gets the crappiest ending ever" MOOD.

ManticoreBlues - Your review hits home and that's exactly how I felt when I reread my own story lol.

I want to congratulate the Guests and others that guessed the orphans' patron was Gato when it was first mentioned (I think CH15)!

reviews asking me to come back/update after a freakishly long wait - thanks :)