SUMMARY: The arc ends.
Ra flees.
Her heart is beating so fast against her chest, she thinks it's going to burst.
She wouldn't blame it.
Ra wants to burst right now.
She never thought this day would happen.
She never wanted to have to face it.
Because somewhere far, far behind her lies a man with pink hair and a woman with green eyes.
Ra cannot handle it.
She really can't.
All this time...
Ra has always believed they were dead.
But she really should be so surprised - people can be monsters.
The truth is, Ra remembers being given away.
She always thought it was because they were dead.
It was an assumption.
Ra should know better.
Has she learnt nothing from the District?
From her job?
From her traumatising childhood?
Because Ra knows there is something wrong with her, knows she is not normal.
She isn't going to do anything about it.
Re doesn't understand the ANBU's stupidity.
Maybe Orochimaru has sealed off the rooftop but no one has even tried underneath yet.
It doesn't work.
But still, Re doesn't understand how they went so far up the ranks.
Actually, she does.
She wishes she didn't.
Because it is all too obvious once you actually think about it.
ANBU don't need imagination.
They don't need much cleverness.
They only need to be able to do the job.
They are weapons.
Like Ru.
If Re was holding a kunai, it would snap right now.
Because Re is angry.
Ra is clever with her anger, she smiles and you never see her until there is a senbon in your back.
Ru is chaotic, erratic and unpredictable.
Re prefers a more straight up approach.
It is the advantage of being the well-spoken one, the teacher's pet.
Because when Re is angry, she burns like no one has ever seen before.
And so does everyone else.
She tries so hard not to for that precise reason.
But when she gets the opportunity...
Ru sees them.
And he understands.
He wants to run after Ra.
But now is not the right time.
He uses all the instincts he has honed to help the civilians evacuate.
He will focus on Ra later.
Perhaps it seems callous.
But Ra understands.
She would be shouting at him for not focusing on his self-appointed task.
The civilians aren't too pleased by his presence, still seeing him as the 'demon boy' but he doesn't care.
The Uchiha's presence helps too for once.
Ru is only half clinging into his mask now.
It would make sense that Naruto, the class clown would falter at such an event.
That he would fall silent.
That he would not smile.
Except Naruto always smiles.
So Ru smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
It's not like the Uchiha will look close enough.
Ru has been fake-smiling for years.
He hates it.
Ra hates it too.
Re hates it most.
But they have to survive and a few fake smiles a day are worth it.
They are all worth it when Ru comes home to Re and Ra on their rooftop, basks in Kurenai and Anko's presences and gets the occasional message from Haku.
Zabuza writes to them (Re mostly) sometimes.
Apparently, they are considering returning home, to Mist as the government has been overthrown.
Ru doesn't have a head for politics but he is well aware how messy that could get.
So he makes sure to warn Haku of the danger.
He doesn't want his friends to die.
Ru is selfish and he doesn't want to let them go.
But sometimes, there is nothing wrong with that.
Anko makes it.
She never remembers much about battles but she can still feel the rush of adrenaline.
She has been fighting back to back with Kurenai for hours and she is surprised she hasn't passed out from chakra exhaustion yet.
Perhaps training with the brats has helped her improve.
There is three of them after all.
Perhaps if she wasn't a Tobektsu Jounin, it would be unfair.
But their is no such thing as unfair in this world.
Honour is useful, preferable, not necessary.
And Anko has lost whatever she had of it.
It will serve her well.
The Sandaime Hokage is dead.
Orochimaru has fled.
And the Snake Sannin apparently animated the bodies of the first two Hokages.
Suna wishes to re-negotiate their Treaty.
Sound flees with their tails tucked.
But the damage has been done.
And they allow themselves to shed some tears as they dig mass graves for all those they could not save.
But the air is almost relieved.
They have been so tense, so nervous ever since the Exams started.
They can finally relax.
Somewhat.
There are still so many things to deal with but they can allow themselves a short reprieve.
Can let themselves mourn.
Because Konoha is the 'nice' village.
They must keep up appearances.
And if all their Shinobi are secretly getting a rest, who will tell?
Gaara doesn't think he has ever been so scared before.
Not even when his uncle tried to kill him.
Not even when he couldn't keep a leash on his powers.
He approached Sumire about a possible adjustment to his seal but she told him she was nowhere near advanced enough.
So Gaara has to live with it.
But that is okay.
Gaara knows how to live with it.
He won't know how to live with it if Temari goes and gets herself killed.
And it is looking more likely by the second.
His sister fights well but she simply isn't Sannin level.
Maybe he would be.
Why hadn't he tried this instead of her?
He might win.
His sister had little chance.
And Gaara didn't know what he could do.
But then, miraculously, it worked.
But now Gaara has to leave his friends.
Still, Suna is home so he follows Temari.
She is his new Kazekage.
She is also his sister - a fact which she proves by coming up to him one day and handing him a scroll.
There, printed, is the word that immediately grabs his attention and determines his fate.
Ambassador.