Author's Note: The plan is to take a tiny step back from Samsaric for just a couple weeks (really shouldn't be longer than that, I think?) to actually get some of the Sideshow installments done and published. So keep an eye out for new Sideshow stories!

I just (literally just) started a Tumblr so that I can post when I update/post stupid memes I make about my stories/maybe do the occasional fanfic rant/literally who knows. You can find me on Tumblr under the blog name JJGrace42.

Fun Fact: I'm very excited about writing the upcoming scenes for the person that appears at the very end of this chapter. Any guesses about who it is?

Chapter Thirty-One - Halcyon

[halcyon—adjective 1: calm, peaceful, tranquil 2: rich, wealthy, prosperous 3: happy, joyful, carefree 4: of or relating to the halcyon or kingfisher. noun 5: a mythical bird, usually identified with the kingfisher, said to breed about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, and to have the power of charming winds and waves into calmness]

"No," Inoichi said, looking wholly unimpressed by the suggestion. "I would not suggest you try drowning yourself."

"I'm not saying drowning," I drawled, kicking the chair back onto two legs and propping my feet up on his desk. "I'm saying near drowning."

He watched me for a long moment, tapping his pen against his notebook. Then he paused, leaning back. "Mirai-chan, do you understand what exposure therapy is?"

"Yeah, I do. That's why I'm suggesting what I'm suggesting." When he continued to wait, I sighed and started to pick at a thread on my knee. "It's when someone gets past their fear of something through being exposed to it."

"Correct."

"Like I'm suggesting."

"You're suggesting flooding, which is a method of exposure therapy. A questionable one at best. Dangerous at worst. Especially for what you're saying."

"I wouldn't actually drown. It's not that dangerous."

"Do you know what self-destructive means?"

"Are we playing a vocabulary game today? Of course I do."

"That's good. Because it describes you." He set down his pen and picked up his notebook. He turned back a few pages. "When we met last week, I asked you how you felt about your current situation with Shiranui. You said, and I quote, 'I'll get over it.' Which seems to be one of your two responses to any personal issue you encounter. Either you'll get over it or you'll go through it."

"What else do you want me to try?" I asked flatly. "Going under it?"

He looked disappointed for a split second. Then he smiled, putting the notebook down. "Do you want my current analysis of you, Mirai-chan?"

I stilled. Then I lowered my feet and let the chair legs return to the floor with a thud. "Are you allowed to do that? I wouldn't think that's something therapists are typically recommended to do."

"It depends on the situation and the patient. And you don't respond to gentle guidance."

"No," I admitted. "I don't."

He nodded, seeming to consider something. Then he folded his hands atop his notebook. "Arrogant is not the right word for you. Much of your confidence can be and is justified, though sometimes you certainly do toe the line. I could call you manipulative, certainly. But not arrogant. Anxious, suffering from perfectionism, possessing a complete lack of self-preservation. Above all, however, you're afraid."

I sucked in a breath and narrowed my eyes at him. "Well, apparently my methods for dealing with that fear are too dangerous."

"I'm not talking about the water. Or Shiranui. The thing you're most afraid of is being afraid. You fear the fact that you fear the water more than you fear the water itself. That's why you want to go to extremes such as holding yourself under water so you'll 'get over it.' You have a desperate need to feel like you're in a control, and fear of any kind takes that away from you."

My hands shook. I tucked them underneath my thighs to stop the trembling. My jaw was so tight that I though it might lock up. "Okay," I said levelly. "What would you suggest, then?"

"Not drowning yourself," he responded dully. "Graded exposure would be a better method. For instance, what's the hardest part about Shiranui? Is it his face? The voice?"

"Touch. He tried to hug me when I came back, and that got to me more than his face or his voice ever have."

Inoichi nodded, picking up his pen and flipping to a blank page in his notebook. As he started to write, he asked, "And after that? Is the voice or the face the next hardest?"

"The voice," I said immediately. That was easy. The same voice that pushed me to trust him, to try harder and harder no matter how many of my bones broke. The voice that'd had me eating out of the palm of his hand for months before I realized.

"Good. Then you start with the face. Once you can handle that, you move from there. Okay?"

I thought about it for a long moment before nodding. I missed Genma. Anything to get him back.

"Genma told me that Sai is doing well and that he's thinking about a C-rank soon."

I hummed in response, eyes drifting closed. "Sai will like that. He told me yesterday that he doesn't understand the shinobi abilities he's supposed to be gaining from making lemonade for old ladies."

"Well, they're often as a filler between training for new genin as well as for developing teamwork, but . . . ."

"Sai already has a decent amount of training, and he doesn't have teammates," I finished. "Yeah. He'll like a C-rank."

Kakashi shifted, and I felt him card his fingers through my hair. "Are you going to fall asleep on me?" he asked, sounding amused.

"I just might." I turned a bit to rest more comfortably against his chest, reaching up and adjusting my necklace from where it'd pinched itself just above the collar of my shirt.

Kakashi caught my hand. "I haven't asked about this yet, have I," he murmured. He hooked his fingers around the necklace. "It looks good on you, but I've never seen it until recently. Is it . . . is it from—"

"No. Not Danzo."

"Ah." He dropped the necklace and moved his hand to rub his thumb at the back of my neck. "Where's it from, then?"

I hesitated and moved my hand back to curl around the necklace. "Shikamaru."

Kakashi made a noise of surprise. "He couldn't have just gotten you flowers like that other kid?"

"Flowers?" I sat up and squinted at him. "Wait, are you talking about Tobio? He gave me flowers once, Niisan."

"And his very brief crush was adorable," he said, grinning. "Right up until he became terrified of you."

"He's not terrified of me. He has a very healthy respect for my abilities." I gave him a lopsided grin.

He reached out and snagged the necklace again, studying it. "Did Shikamaru get you flowers at all? Or did he go straight to jewelry? I'm not very well-versed in how crushes are supposed to work, but do nine-year-olds usually go around buying necklaces for little girls they like?"

"Wow, okay, a few things. One, I'm not a little girl," I insisted, making a face. When that made him crack a smile, I continued, "Two, Maru never got me flowers. And three, he didn't buy it. He made it."

Kakashi glanced up at me. "A Nara actually put in the time to sit down and do something as troublesome as making jewelry?"

We were moving into dangerous territory, but I knew that word would eventually spread around Konoha on its own. It would probably be best if Kakashi heard it from me instead of through a rumor. "It's a Nara tradition," I said carefully.

At that, Kakashi froze. "Nara tradition," he echoed. "How would a necklace be considered a clan tradition? And why would you have it? Is it like the mark from me? Or being a pledge with the Inuzuka?"

"Kinda. In that it does make me a part of the clan." I reached up and worked at detaching his hold on the necklace. Then I held his hand tightly in mine. "Just not exactly the same way. The Nara Clan doesn't do pledges or anything like that. You're either blood or— Well, Yoshino's a Nara."

There wasn't much of a visible reaction, but something closed off in Kakashi's gaze. He pulled his hand from mine. "Mirai," he said, his voice carefully level. "You're nine."

"Almost ten," I pointed out.

"You're nine. And you need to tell me exactly what that necklace means, and why you haven't talked about it before."

I stared at him, swallowing thickly. "I know what I'm doing," I led with. When that just made his expression tighten, I huffed. "Really. And it won't be for a long time. Did you know that the longest betrothal ever in the Nara Clan was seventeen years? There's no reason I couldn't match that. Then I'd be older than you at that point."

"Mirai—"

"No, I mean it. I knew what I was agreeing to, and I fit there. I make sense with them."

"Mirai—"

"The Nara protect their own, which means it's really just another level of protection for me and Naruto and—"

"Mirai, please."

I snapped my mouth shut, staring at him. He had both his eyes closed and one hand tangled in his hair, shoulders hunched. My own shoulders slumped. "I didn't tell you," I said softly, "because I knew you'd try to stop me. Same reason I didn't tell you about Danzo."

Kakashi groaned and pressed his face into his hands. "Why can't you just trust me?" he asked, voice cracking.

He might as well have stabbed a kunai into my chest and twisted it. "I do," I choked out. "Of course I do."

He didn't respond to that. He didn't really move either.

I shifted forward, reaching for him hesitantly. "Niisan . . . ." I curled my fingers into his sleeve. "I know you'll always protect me, but sometimes I don't want to be protected. Sometimes I need to take risks or make decisions."

"You're nine," he said again, lifting his head to stare at me. His sharingan was open.

"Yeah," I agreed quietly. "I know."

"I promised you, you know. When, when you were—" He reached for me with the arm I wasn't holding and feathered his fingers across my cheek before cupping my face. "I promised that I'd take care of you."

I closed my eyes, leaning into his hand. "You do take care of me."

"Not very well."

I snapped my eyes open and looked him firmly in the eye. "You do take care of me," I repeated stubbornly. "Always have. Always will. I've never doubted that. I'm just sorry that I'm so hard to take care of."

Kakashi made a choked sound, reaching out his other hand to curl it around me. He pulled his legs up as he dragged me forward, settling me between them and crushing me to his chest in a hug. "I love you," he gasped out, tucking his head down next to mine.

I squeezed my stinging eyes shut and focused in on the feeling of his chakra surrounding me. "Thank you."

"And someday," he whispered. "Someday, I hope you'll trust me enough to tell me things. To tell me everything."

I thought about the Void in my head and Shisui's chakra against my chest. And I didn't say anything.

"Speed?" Lee asked curiously.

"Yeah." I shifted from foot to foot, testing the feel of my chakra weights. It had been a long time since I'd worn them. "There's a technique I'm wanting to learn, but all the notes I've been studying say that above average physical speed and reaction time are an absolute must for it."

"I see," Gai said, a hand on his chin as he considered me. "The weights will help, but you can add other methods." He thought about it for a second. Then he struck a pose, grinning as he gave me a thumbs up. "Yes! Let's start with running around the Village! No chakra, just muscle!"

I stared down at the chakra weights on my ankles again. "I have these set pretty high," I said cautiously.

"It's a challenge, then! I will lead you both ten times around the Village before sunset! If I cannot guide you to be successful in this endeavor, I will do it fifty times over! On my hands!"

"That's really not necessary, Gai-sensei," I said, rubbing my legs and already imaging how sore they were going to feel soon. "The running is a great idea, but you don't—"

"Yes!" With a squeal of excitement, Lee took off running. "Let's go!"

We finished before sunset, but I felt almost dead by the time I returned to the house. The pace Gai had set had been punishing. Challenging, yes, but punishing. I just wanted to take a hot shower and sit down to study my notes on Sai's seal.

But Sakura was sitting in front of the house.

I paused, eying her. "Sakura-chan," I murmured. "Can I help you?"

She jumped, looking up at me. Then she jerked to her feet. "Mirai!" She caught herself. "Mirai," she tried again. "You said you'd show me your meditation and chakra exercises."

"I did, didn't I?" I moved past her and opened the door. "Well, come on in. The tea room here is a nice place to meditate." I toed off my shoes at the door and then waved her in. "Go ahead and get some tea made. I'll shower and then come join you."

By the time I was done and made it to the tea room, Sakura was pouring herself a cup. She looked up and poured one for me too. "So where do we start?"

I sat seiza, facing her, and picked up my tea. "We'll start with the chakra exercises. It will give you something to focus and work on while you get used to sitting still. When you're ready, close your eyes."

Sakura blinked at me. Then she nodded and finished her tea before setting it aside. She shifted and put her hands on her knees. "Got it." She closed her eyes.

"Can you feel your chakra?"

She nodded.

"Show me where it's focused."

Sakura hesitated for a second. Then she moved to touch her hand to her stomach. "Here."

"Good. What you're going to do next is called stretching your coils. Listen carefully."

"Mirai!"

I froze. Turning slowly, ever so slowly, I looked down. "Yes?"

Yoshino stared up at me, hands on her hips. "Come down here. Now."

I squeaked. "Am I in trouble?"

"Now, Mirai."

I jumped down from the roof and landed in front of her, biting my lip. "I just wanted to see if Shikaku wanted to play shogi."

"Well, you can do that after." She reached out and grabbed my shoulder, turning me so I was facing the house. "March."

I did as I'd been told and, once we inside, she steered me into the living room. A familiar cardboard box was sitting on the coffee table. "Uhh, did I accidentally forget to put all of it back?"

"No, you idiot. You were meant to keep it. It's not like anyone else is ever going to wear them. And, I had that made for you," she said, pointing at the much smaller box sitting beside the first.

I looked at her. "Made for me?"

Yoshino cocked her head at me. "Well, go on."

I stepped up and opened the box. The first thing I saw was the Nara symbol, black thread embroidered into grey cloth. When I lifted it out, I realized that it was a vest. The Nara emblem was emblazoned across the back, and the front had two large pockets at the bottom and a series of small pouches and d-rings up at the chest.

"It was my idea," she cut in. Reaching out to touch the armhole, she said, "Shikaku was the one that suggested we do a vest instead of a jacket. He said you like showing off your Hatake mark."

I swallowed thickly. "I do," I rasped. "I'd show off my Inuzuka mark too, but there aren't many shirts with the back cut out that would work for training."

She laughed. "No, I can't imagine there are. Here." She took the vest and held it up. I turned and she helped me into it.

I reached up and adjusted the fit. It was a little big. I still had just a bit of growing to do before I fit it properly. I turned back to her. "Thanks."

Yoshino smiled. "It looks wonderful on you. Now." She pointed at the box of Shikaku's old clothes. "Take that with you."

"Yes, Kaachan," I drawled, trying to inject sarcasm into my voice to hide the vulnerability I was feeling. From the way her expression softened, I could guess that I had failed. So I avoided looking at her by focusing on sealing the box away in my forearm.

Yoshino put her hand on my back and pushed me back towards the front door. "I'm sure he'd love a game. Go on."

Grateful, I moved outside and jumped back up onto the roof. Shikaku was still on the flat area at the back of the roof, lying down with his hands nestled behind his head. He raised one hand partway in a lackadaisical greeting. "Mirai-chan," he murmured, eyes closed. "You'll have to be faster next time if you want to avoid Yoshino."

"I'll keep that in mind." I stopped by him, shoving my hands in the pockets on my vest. "Shogi?"

"Hmm? I suppose," he drawled. He opened his eyes and squinted up at me. "It works."

I grinned and did a little twirl to show the vest off. "It does. I like it. Thank you."

With a groan, Shikaku hauled himself up to his feet. "Alright, let's go." He disappeared in a shunshin.

I followed after him. When I got to the shogi house, he was sitting down and had already made his first move. I took my seat and we settled into silence as we played. It was a long time before either of us spoke.

"You're agitated today."

I flicked my gaze up to him for a second before refocusing on the board. "I got all of my parents' old things. A box of Uzumaki things came with it."

"Ah."

I hummed, considering my options, and made my move. "Do you know where the Uzumaki Temple is?"

"Uzumaki Temple," he echoed. He was resting his chin in his hand and watching the board, not even once looking up at me. "I'm not familiar with the location. Why?"

"One of the scrolls talked about it. Supposedly, it's just outside Konoha."

"And you're wanting to see it, I presume." He finally made his move.

I frowned at the board. His move didn't make sense which, ultimately, meant that I was definitely not going to win this game. "It's a Uzumaki Clan location that I've apparently lived right next to my entire life." I bounced my knee in frustration, eying the pieces. "But unfortunately, most of the information seems have been written with the idea that I'll already have a certain level of expected knowledge about the clan. Which I don't actually have."

Shikaku sighed heavily. "Mendokuse," he groaned, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling for a moment. "Alright, let's go." He pushed himself to his feet and cocked his head to one side as he rubbed his neck. "We can finish this game later."

I stared up at him. "You never leave a game."

"I said we'll come back." He did a poor job of hiding a yawn. "I know someone who could help."

I squinted up at him. "Really?" Then I scrambled up. "Where are we going?"

"I'm sure you can figure it out," he said, already ambling out of the shogi house.

He didn't really talk as we made our way through the streets, and that was just fine with me. The silence was easy, and made it simple to focus on listening to the chakra around me. When I felt a familiar cold chakra and a vibrating one, I lit up and looked around. I spotting them standing outside a shinobi supply shop while Gai stared intensely at the nunchucks displayed in the window. I skipped forward. "Niisan! Gai-sensei!"

Gai turned and gave me a beaming grin. "Mirai-chan! Are you ready to join me for another run in the morning?"

"Another run?" Kakashi choked out. "Gai, she's a kid. She can't match your workout."

"He runs for at least an hour before I meet up with him," I reassured.

"That's good, at least," he murmured, gaze flicking past me to Shikaku. "Where are you two going?" he asked, sounding doubtful enough that it made me pause for just a second.

"To see Hiashi," I said. "Try to get some questions about the Uzumaki Clan answered. Of everyone, the Hyuuga are the most likely to have detailed knowledge or records that can help." I looked back at Shikaku for confirmation to find him giving me a look of approval. Pleased, I turned back to Kakashi, taking a deep breath. "I want to see Genma tomorrow, if I could."

He nodded, reaching out to ruffle my hair. "Sure thing. I can get you from the Academy, if that works. I'll check with him to see what he'll be doing around that time."

I beamed up at him. "That'd be great. Thanks."

"Of course, Pup," he murmured. He looked at Shikaku. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Okay?"

I nodded and moved back to Shikaku. As we walked away, I squinted up at him and tried to figue out how to ask what I wanted to ask. Shikaku glanced at me, looking amused. "Kakashi-kun came by to talk to me yesterday."

A sinking feeling started in my chest. "Oh?"

"He wanted to raise his concerns about us manipulating you into an engagement."

"Mani— I'm sorry," I mumbled. "He didn't take it too well when I talked to him about it."

"Obviously."

"How did . . . . I'm guessing he didn't leave happy?"

"We came to an understanding."

My shoulders slumped at that, and I sighed. But as we approached the Hyuuga Compound, I straightened up and squared my shoulders. The guards nodded to us and let us inside.

Once we were in, Shikaku looked at me. "Well?"

It took me a moment to realize what he was waiting for. "Oh." I closed my eyes and listened. I wasn't very familiar with Hiashi's chakra, but I certainly knew it better than most of the Hyuuga there. I took the time to sift through them. Neji wasn't there, but I could feel Hanabi's chakra inside the main house with another one that was vaguely familiar. Natsu, probably. But there were also three in the training dojo that I recognized.

I turned and led the way, Shikaku close behind me. When I hesitated at the door, Shikaku took the initiative and slid it open. "Hiashi," he called.

Hiashi held up his hand, stopping the kata between Hinata and Ko. Hinata lit up when she saw me but didn't say anything, taking the opportunity to catch her breath. Hiashi's gaze paused on me briefly before focusing at Shikaku. "This is unexpected."

"Maa, Mirai-chan has a question that I thought you might be able to help with."

"Does she?" Hiashi murmured, glancing at me. Then he nodded. "Ko, continue." He moved out of the dojo. Once he'd closed the door, he turned to me. "Well?"

"I received information and memento's about the Uzumaki Clan that I've been looking through. There was a location mentioned as being on the outskirts of Konoha—the Uzumaki Temple—that I'm trying to find without wandering aimlessly out in the forest."

"I see," he murmured, frowning lightly. "The Uzumaki Temple. I'm . . . not familiar with such a place. I could speak with the Elders. Take a look into our records. If I find any information, I would be happy to bring it to your attention."

I smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Hiashi-dono."

Shikaku gave a kind of mumbled acknowledgment and then dropped his hand to my shoulder. "Alright, let's go finish our game."

Kakashi bumped my arm and turned his hand towards me. "You seem nervous."

"I am," I admitted. Some of the anxiety in my chest uncurled when I slipped my hand in his. "Inoichi said I need to work my way back up, and that I should start by working on being able to look at him again."

"Inoichi?"

I glanced up at him. "I'm getting therapy."

He paused and then smoothed his thumb over the back of my hand. "Okay. And?"

"I've slept through the night five out of seven times this past week."

Kakashi's grip on me tightened and some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed. "That's good," he said softly.

"The boys are helpful too. They're staying with me most nights. I think it's good for Sai, too. Helping him figure out what I mean when I say family." I cleared my throat. "Where is he, by the way? Genma. Where are we meeting him?"

"My place. That's okay, right?"

"That's great."

"Good." He tugged on my hand until I looked up at him. "So you're starting with being able to look at him again?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah. Graded exposure therapy," I recited. "Face, voice, and then finally touch. I want to be able to hug him again. I just—" I bit my lip. "I'll get there."

"I know. Take your time. It means enough to him that you're trying." He reached out and opened his apartment door, herding me inside ahead of him. "He'll be here in a few minutes. Tea?"

"Please." I released him and knelt down in front of where Guruko was lounging on the floor. I started scratching him between the ears, earning me a grunt of surprise. I grinned. "Morning."

Guruko huffed, closing his eyes again.

I kept petting him as I watched Kakashi busy himself making tea. Before he finished, I heard a knock at the door. Kakashi made a move to answer it, but I got to my feet and shook my head. "I got it," I mumbled.

Kakashi frowned. "If you're sure."

I opened the door, immediately focusing in on the way Genma tensed when he saw me. I steeled myself and dragged my gaze up. Kami, I'd missed his face. My chest squeezed when I looked at him, and it was getting hard to breathe. But then he realized that I was actually looking at him and he started to grin. I'd missed that. I'd needed that.

I frowned. Genma's expression faltered. I looked down at my forearm and tapped a seal. A senbon landed in my hand and I held it out to him.

Genma visibly pulled back. He brought his hands up, and I focused on them instead of his face. "WEAPON YOU NERVOUS."

I shook my head, still holding the senbon up. "He didn't have one of these. Said it was because of Danzo's rules, but I'm pretty sure now that he was just worried about choking on it."

Genma still hesitated.

"Please?"

At that, he reached out and carefully plucked the senbon out of my hand, making sure not to touch me. After another second, I forced myself to look up at his face again. It was a clear, visible difference from Not-Genma. A way to draw a solid wall between them. I could work with that.

I managed a sort of smile and moved aside to finally let him into the apartment. Genma lit up, throwing Kakashi a victorious look as he stepped inside.

"Tea," Kakashi said, setting the kettle and cups at the table. And then he announced, "I have a mission in the morning, so I won't be able to be here to translate until I get back."

"Well, I'm getting good at sign," I murmured. "When are you getting back?"

"Should be around a week. Maybe more. Technically, I shouldn't be telling you."

I scoffed. "Yeah, like that's ever stopped you." I leaned forward and picked up the kettle, pouring out tea into three different cups. I reached across the table to put one in front of Genma, my hands only shaking a little. I cleared my throat. "The other day, Niisan said you're thinking about a C-rank. Sai hasn't mentioned it, so I'm guessing you haven't said anything to him."

Genma didn't answer right away. Then he nodded, seemingly determined to keep eye contract with me no matter what now that I was looking at him again. "YES THINKING. SOON." And then a moment later, he grinned again. "I LIKE SAI."

I broke my chakra chains and let them disappear when I felt the still chakra approaching. With a grin, I turned. "Neji-kun!" I called, shunshining over to him and beaming. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

He smiled faintly and bowed his head. "Mirai-sama. I was told to give this to you." He held out a folded piece of paper.

"Told to? By whom?" I asked, taking the paper from him.

"Hiashi-sama."

I straightened. "Oh! He must have found something!" I unfolded the paper to find that it was a map of Konoha with a spot off to the east circled in red. Grinning, I looked up at Neji. "Want to go on an adventure with me?"

He frowned. "Adventure?"

"I asked him to help me find an Uzumaki Temple that's supposedly around here." I turned the map around to show him. "He found it. I wouldn't mind having someone with me when I go look at it."

"Ah."

"Well?"

Neji nodded once. I grinned and hooked my arm through his. "We're off, then!" I looked at the map again, tracing the path from the training ground we were at to the temple. Tucking it away in my pocket, I started walking. "Thanks for bringing it to me."

"Of course. What is the . . . temple?"

"An Uzumaki Clan location. It's partially marked as mask storage."

"Mask storage? What does that mean?"

I shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

When we got there, my heart sank. "Wow, it's . . . not exactly structurally sound," I murmured, eying the half-collapse doorway and leaning walls.

Neji's chakra flared slightly, and when I looked at him I found that his byakugan was on. He glanced at me. "It's still open inside."

"So not completely done for, then." I slipped my arm from his and patted him on the shoulder. "It's probably safer out here, in case it decides it's done when I start moving things."

"I want to go in with you."

"Alright. We'll be careful, then." I stepped forward and put a hand on one of the pillars, staring up at the Uzumaki spiral etched into the archway. "I wonder when was the last time someone was even here." I tested each of the steps before putting my weight on them as I moved up the stairs. It was the first time I'd ever been grateful for my childish height as I barely had to duck in order to get through the door. I brought my hand up, illuminating the area in bright red.

"It's large," Neji commented. He tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling. "Tall, too."

"I think it probably used to be gorgeous."

It really had to have been. The wooden walls and pillars were carved and shaped and stained in faded colors that had obviously once meant to be artistic but now were just old. And at the back of the room?

"Well, I suppose that's what mask storage meant," I said, moving towards the standalone wall near the back of the temple. Flames were burned into the bottom of the wall, arcing up towards the masks hanging there.

"What are they for?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Probably best not to touch any of them until I figure it out."

I woke to the feeling that something was wrong. I felt for my coin. It was cold. There was no lingering chakra, no residual warmth. With that settled, I swung my feet out of the bed and sat up. It wasn't Shisui that'd woken me, then. But if not Shisui . . . .

I could feel Sai's chakra—quiet, slow—across the hall. Naruto's off to the left, burning bright. And Sasuke's—

Sasuke's chakra wasn't with Naruto's.

I scrambled up and threw open my door. When I stumbled outside into the fresh air, I finally felt the whisper of Sasuke's chakra again, off in the distance. I sighed in relief and used a handful of shunshin to arrive at the gates. I stopped in the middle of the road, the last of the panic in my chest unwinding when I saw him.

Sasuke was kneeling in the dirt and working by the illumination of his flashlight. An empty container was at his side, and he was packing dirt in around the base of a bush that we weren't supposed to be getting to until the next day. I stepped up and picked up the flashlight, turning it to properly shine on his work.

Sasuke flinched and then looked up at me with wide eyes. "Neechan?"

I smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair. "What are you doing up, Ke-kun?"

He looked back down and finished his work. Then he sat back and looked up at me again. "I had a nightmare."

"Ah." I sat down and put the flashlight aside, turning it off. Then I drew up a chakra light in both hands. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

He reached out and waved his fingers through my red chakra. "It was a repeat."

I frowned, turning off one of my lights and reaching out with that hand to cup his chin. "A repeat? About what?"

He shrugged. "You were gone because he killed you too with everyone else."

My chest tightened. I didn't need to ask who he was talking about. So instead, I ended my other chakra light and framed his face with both hands. I kissed his forehead and then held his gaze. "Someone would have to try very hard to kill me. I'm not going to die easy. And that's a promise, okay?"

"You don't always keep your promises," he pointed out.

I tried to smile. "I know. I'm sorry. But you can believe this one. Really."

"I'd stop him first, you know. I've been training. And getting stronger. Naruto, too."

I sighed and rested my forehead against his. "Thank you, Ke-kun. I love you."

Sasuke gave a sniffle and leaned into me. "Love you too, Neechan."

"A quick fight is the safest fight. If you can end it in one minute, don't drag it out for six. The more time in a fight, the more opportunities there are to get hurt. The more opportunities there are to make a mistake. Take your opponent down before they take you down, and do it fast."

Ino nodded. "Got it."

"That means no more stopping to explain what you're doing."

"Yeah, I've got it," she said again. "I'll do better next time."

"Good." I glanced over the others there, ready to ask if there were questions. I paused, blinking at Ami. "What are you doing?"

"You say a lot of stuff that doesn't sound completely stupid," Ami said, clicking her pen and tucking it behind her ear. "I write 'em down."

"Like . . . what?" I asked, almost afraid of the possibilities.

Ami started flipping through her pages. "Like 'a weapon not mastered isn't worth using in battle' and 'if you punch someone in the nose, make sure to break it.'"

Shikamaru snickered. "Sounds about right."

"Yeah, not everything you people do here is useless, I guess." Ami closed her notebook and tucked it away in her bag. "Are we done?"

"You don't have to be here, you know," Ino said, crossing her arms. "'specially if you find it so annoying."

Ami curled a lip. "It's not as if I like coming here and having to look at your faces."

"Don't come next time, then. It's not like any of us would miss you."

"Ino-chan!" Naruto gasped. "That's not true!" He turned to Ami. "I like having you here, Ami-chan," he said, beaming.

"You're the only one. I don't even like being around you people," she spat, lifting her chin.

Naruto pulled back, eyes widening. "But—"

"I think we are done for today," I cut in coldly. "We're meeting at the Inuzuka next week. Right, Kiba?"

"Uh, right," he said, glancing between me and Ami.

Ami huffed and stooped to snatch up her bag. "Have fun with that," she threw out, turning and marching off.

"Wait, Ami!" Naruto yelled.

I put a hand out to stop him. "Let her go, Nato. I don't think she wants to listen to anyone right now."

He frowned. Then he sighed. "Fine. I'll talk to her Monday."

It was the steady, repetitive knocking that interrupted my dream about Sasuke dressing like Gai with Kakashi's tilted hitai-ate and woke me up. I pried my eyes open and squinted into the darkness. With a groan, I rubbed my eyes and sat up. I could feel a quiet chakra outside the door, and so I hit around until I found the wall and lowered the security. "What?" I asked around a yawn as my door opened.

"Kakashi-san said to get you."

"What?" I asked again. I dragged myself up so I could sit. "What's happening, Sai?"

"Kakashi-san is here. He said to get you."

I blinked, focusing in on where Sai was standing my doorway. He wasn't anything more than a dark figure against a dark room. But then what he was saying finally registered in my sleepy haze. "Wait, Niisan's here?" Now that he'd mentioned him, I could focus past my tiredness at the cold chakra a little farther away.

"Kakashi-san is our brother?"

"What? Um, same way Genma is." I got up from my bed and swayed for just a moment. "When did he get here?"

"I found him three minutes ago."

"Found him?" I squeaked out. I pushed past Sai and towards the living room. "Niisan?" I called, feeling around for the light switch. I flicked it on, squinting against the bright.

"Hey, Pup," Kakashi rasped. He was sitting at the table, hitai-ate already off. "Want to learn how to set a bone?"

"Set a—" I lurched forward and honed in on the arm that was resting awkwardly in his lap. "Niisan, you really should go to the hospital for that."

He winced. "Yeah, probably."

"Did Tenzo let you go like that? Really?"

"He wasn't exactly on my team this mission."

I frowned. Then I looked back. "Sai, could you do something for me?"

Sai straightened. "Yes. Please."

I bit my thumb and summoned Chisai. "Chisai, could you show Sai to Tenzo's place? And Sai, could you bring him back for Niisan?"

Sai nodded and held out his hand, letting Chisai climb on to him. Then he disappeared out the door.

I tapped a seal on my arm and set the resulting medical supplies out onto the table. "Here," I said, retrieving a bottle of water. "What happened?" I opened the water and pressed it into his non-injured hand. Then I reached out and tugged his mask down for him.

Kakashi took a sip of water and then a deep breath. "Nothing I can talk about beyond the broken arm."

"You really should just go straight to Tenzo for these things. I know the theory of how to set a bone, and I've seen it done, but if I set it wrong I would have no real way of knowing."

He gave a hum, letting his head fall back. "I suppose." He reached out with his good hand and ruffled my hair. "You see Genma while I was gone?"

I shifted. "Didn't really think I could do it without you here. Not yet. I had to ask Sai to give him the invite. Was hoping you'd be back in time for that."

"Ah. I am," he pointed out. "I wouldn't miss it. Decade's a big milestone."

I smiled, glancing towards the door as I felt Sai's chakra returning on the very edge of my sensing range. I picked up a mask and fit it over Kakashi's face. "They're here. What's the pain like?"

"It's annoying."

I snickered. "Yeah, I can imagine."

The door opened. "I brought Tenzo-san," Sai announced, stepping over to me with Chisai outstretched in his hand. I took her back and, instead of disappearing, she climbed to my shoulder and settled there.

"Taichou," Tenzo said, sounding frustrated. "This is getting ridiculous." He glanced towards me. "Thank you, Mirai-chan." He looked across the medical supplies on the table and gave an approving nod. "Alright, you remember how I set and healed Sai's leg? We're going to do the same thing here." He moved to the kitchen and started washing up his hands. "Sai, have you set a bone before?"

Sai glanced at me briefly before looking back at Tenzo and saying, "I've broken them before."

I had to snap a hand up to my mouth to muffle a laugh. Tenzo looked back, expression blank. "I see my mistake in asking."

"Ami wasn't here today," Naruto mumbled as we cleaned up.

"Fine with me," Ino said, packing away the last of her shuriken.

"You could be nicer to her," he said. "I know she's mean sometimes, but she never has anyone be nice to her. You'd be mean too!"

"You're nice to her," Sakura pointed out. "And she's still mean."

"I'm the only one who's nice to her. You didn't even try."

Sakura shrugged and then glanced at me. "Tomorrow at twelve, right?"

"Hmm? Right." I eyed Naruto. "If she doesn't want to be here, we can't make her come," I said softly.

He hunched his shoulders. "I know."

"Hey! Would playing with the puppies help you cheer up?" Kiba asked, grinning and slinging an arm across Naruto's shoulders. "C'mon."

"Can I come?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, I guess. This way!"

I watched as Kiba dragged Sasuke and Naruto away. Someone elbowed me, and I looked to the side. "What?"

"You don't even want Ami here," Shikamaru pointed out.

"I don't particularly care for her, but Naruto likes her."

"You brought him around when he was still acting like a bastard," Shikamaru said, jerking a thumb at Neji. "Don't see why Naruto can't bring a bastard of his own."

"That's fair," I murmured. "I'll keep that in mind."

He scoffed. "Yeah, okay. C'mon, let's go get in a game of shogi."

"Sure thing." I clamped down on his shoulder and activated a series of shunshin.

When we stopped, Shikamaru clung to my arm for support. "Don't do that," he gasped out.

"Then learn shunshin yourself so that I don't have to drag you along in mine," I said, half-dragging him to the shogi house.

"Not so fast, you two."

I stumbled, and Shikamaru didn't stop quickly enough to keep from slamming into me. "We were just gonna play some shogi," I said, turning to face her.

Yoshino was standing in the doorway of the house, arms crossed. She looked us over and raised an eyebrow. "Good training today?"

Shikamaru huffed. "Yeah, I guess."

"I can tell." She waved a hand at us. "You each need to wash up. Mirai, do you have a change of clothes with you, or will I have to see if I can dig something else up again?"

"Uh." I blinked, thinking of the box of Nara clothes in my arm that I hadn't unpacked yet. "I have some."

"Good. Shikamaru, go take a shower. Mirai, you can use the one downstairs. And then you'll be done just in time for dinner." She looked at us expectantly. "Well? What are you waiting for?" She clapped her hands together. "Chop chop!"

Shikamaru and I scrambled over each other in our rush to get inside. I moved quickly, making it to the bathroom and retrieving a new set of clothes from my seal. It wasn't until I actually stepped under the water and it rained onto my face that I froze. I sucked in a breath, only to choke on water. Stumbling out from under the shower head, I coughed until I could breathe again, but even then my chest stayed tight and the world was narrowing. I fumbled for my coin.

Are you okay?

His response was almost immediate. I'm okay. Then he sent a steady pulse of his chakra through the seals. And I could breathe again.

"Took you long enough," Shikamaru groused as I finally made it to the dining room.

"Maru," Yoshino said sharply. And then she glanced at me. "It did take you a while. Everything okay?"

"I just have a thing about water now," I said, hoping that if I sounded dismissive enough then she'd leave it alone. I knew I had to give her something, because otherwise she would definitely dig. "Inoichi's helping me. You didn't wait for me, did you?"

"We tried not to," Shikaku said, finally picking up his chopsticks. "But apparently eating before you got here would be rude."

"Oh, stop complaining," Yoshino said. "Go ahead and eat. Sit down, Mirai. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I said firmly, sitting down. "Itadakimasu."

"Uh-huh. And what's this about Inoichi? He's helping you with what?"

"I was told I need therapy," I said flatly. "So I'm getting it."

She considered me for a second. Then she nodded. "Good. Eat your food."

When Shikamaru stepped into the kitchen the next morning and saw me, he stopped short and stared. "What are you doing here?"

I gave him a wave as I finished off my eggs. Then I yawned. "Well, apparently I fell asleep while watching shogi last night instead of going home. Thirsty? I just made tea."

He shrugged and shuffled past me for the plate Yoshino had left for him. "Don't you have stuff to do with the Hyuuga?"

"Not today, since they're invited to the party."

He sat down and squinted at me. "I'm trying to imagine Hiashi at a party."

I shrugged. "I did it for Hanabi, really. Kono-kun will be there, and I honestly don't think she's ever made a friend her age. Or made any friends at all for that matter. But we have a few hours until then, anyway. Boys will probably be over here soon, too. Want to get a game in before then?"

"You gonna fall asleep during it?"

I scoffed and hopped up to my feet, taking my empty plate to the sink to rinse it off. "If I do, you can count it as a victory in your favor by default. Maybe that way you could actually win for once."

"You're the worst. I hate you."

It was an hour and a game and a half later when the boys arrived. "Rai!" Naruto yelled, barreling into the shogi house and throwing his arms around me. "I missed you." He sank down, settling against me. "Are you winning?"

I wrapped an arm around him. "Of course. Morning, Sasuke, Sai."

"Morning, Neechan," Sasuke greeted, yawning and slumping down against my other side.

I moved a piece and then looked down at Sasuke, frowning. "Did you sleep okay last night?"

He shrugged and turned to leaned into me more. "Can I stay with you tonight?" he mumbled.

"Yeah. Of course."

Shikamaru didn't look up from the board, but he said, "Sai, sit down. Seriously. Stop hovering."

At that, Sai sat down where he could see the board clearly. "Mirai, you're winning."

"I've noticed."

"Yeah, so have I," Shikamaru muttered. "Doesn't matter. I won the first one."

"You won one?" Sai asked.

Shikamaru shot him a look. "You don't have to sound so surprised about it. I win one for roughly every three she wins. Used to be one to ten. My ratio is getting better." He moved a gold general. "Your turn."

"Mirai-sensei," Hanabi greeted, her voice level but her eyes bright. "Thank you for inviting me." She bowed.

"Thank you for coming, Hanabi-chan." I glanced at Hiashi and Natsu and gave a shallow bow of my own. "Hiashi-dono. Natsu-san. Thank you for coming as well." I reached out a hand to Hanabi. "Come with me. I have someone to introduce you to."

Natsu shifted forward a bit, frowning.

I glanced at her. "Hokage-sama's grandson is a friend of mine. He's Hanabi's age, and will probably be in her class at the Academy. I thought they might get along."

Natsu faltered for just a second before settling back into her position at Hiashi's side. "Have fun, Hanabi-chan," she murmured.

Hanabi lit up. "Thank you." She took my hand. "Where is he?"

"This way." I pulled her over to where Konohamaru was sitting with Kiba and Lee in front of Shino, all three of them squinting at the latter's bugs. "Kono-kun, I want to introduce you to someone. C'mere."

Konohamaru blinked up at me and then scrambled to his feet. "Yeah? Her?" he asked, eying Hanabi. Then he stuck out his hand. "I'm Konohamaru! Does your dad teach Mirai too?"

Hanabi stared at his hand for a few seconds before shaking it. "I'm Hyuuga Hanabi. Yes, he does. Mirai-sensei also teaches me. Does she teach you?"

His eyes widened. "She teaches you? Mirai!" he whined, whipping around to me and pouting. "Why don't you teach me?"

I laughed and ruffled his hair. "Do you want me to teach you, Kono-kun? I doubt there's anything I could show you that your dad doesn't know."

"Yeah, but I asked him to show me the clone thing you do and he said I'm not ready. Did she teach you the clone thing?" he demanded, turning back to Hanabi.

"I— No. Mirai-sensei had me master the basics first. We recently moved on to do tree-walking. She said I'm learning it faster than she did."

"Mirai."

Konohamaru jumped in surprise, squeaking. "What! Who are you? Where did you come from?"

I laughed and reached up to mess up Sai's hair. "This is Sai. He's my new brother. Sai, this is Konohamaru."

Sai stared at Konohamaru for a long moment and then glanced at me. "Okay. Genma-sensei is here."

"Oh! Okay. Alright, Hanabi-chan, Kono-kun. Why don't you two hang out for a little bit? Maru said that Choji and his dad are going to be here soon with lunch." I hooked my arm through Sai's and turned, pulling him towards where Genma was standing with Kakashi.

When Genma saw us approaching, he lit up and grinned around his senbon. He brought his hands up. "HI MIRAI. I MISSED YOU."

I smiled, tightening my hold on Sai in order to steady myself as I held Genma's gaze. "Missed you too. Thank you for coming."

"HAPPY HERE."

Naruto had abandoned all of his new gifts in a pile in exchange for joining the game of Ninja that Choji had put together. Even Sai had joined the others when Sasuke dragged him away. I stayed behind, sorting through Naruto's things and sealing them away in a storage scroll for him. When I felt that cold chakra, I tilted my head back and smiled. "Hi, Niisan."

"Pup," he murmured, crouching down and ruffling my hair. "You aren't going to play with the others?"

"Not today." I finished sealing away Naruto's gifts and slipped the scroll into my kunai pouch.

"When's the last time you played Ninja with them?"

I turned to wrinkle my nose at him. "What? Why?"

"Just humor me."

I frowned. "Um, okay. The last time?" I leaned back and squinted up at the clouds as I thought. "Dunno. Um . . . sometime before Shisui—" The word died got stuck in my throat. It wasn't quite right. I couldn't say it. Didn't want to say it. "Left," I rasped out, finally. Kakashi winced. "I think. Maybe a while before then." I straightened and ran a hand through my hair. "Why?" I asked again.

Kakashi shook his head. "Just . . . wanted to know. Just think you should play games more."

"I do play games," I defended. "Here, c'mon." I climbed to my feet and pulled on his arm. "You've never played shogi with me before. We should play a game."

He got to his feet but didn't let me move him, eying the shogi house. "I'm not sure I should."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "It's fine, you know. The shogi house is meant to have shogi played in it. They won't care that we're the one's playing it."

He glanced from the shogi house to Shikaku and back. "Maybe we can play at your place sometime instead, okay?"

I frowned. Then I turned and stalked over to Shikaku. "Touchan, can Niisan and I use the shogi house for a game?"

Shikaku blinked down at me, pulled suddenly from his conversation with Yosu and Hiashi. "Of course."

"Great." I looked back at Kakashi to find him watching me, wide-eyed. "See? C'mon. I want to play a game."

Kakashi cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, okay," he rasped. "You'll probably win."

I nodded, walking to the shogi house. "Yeah, probably. But sometimes it's more about who you play it with than who wins." I took the spot farthest from the door and settled down on the floor. "You can go first."

"Okay," he said softly, sitting down across from me. He moved a pawn. "Who's your favorite to play with?"

I moved a pawn of my own and then drummed my finges on my knee as I considered the question. "Shisui's my all-time favorite. I like playing with Shikamaru, even more than I do with Shikaku and Yoshino. Shino is good." I wrinkled my nose. "Hiruzen's my least favorite."

"Huh."

I looked at him to find him frowning at me. "What?"

"I just— You never talk about Shisui, but you've already mentioned him twice today." Then he straightened and reached for me only to hesitate. "Which is good," he tried to reassure, seeming to fumble with his words. He jerked his hand back. "It's just— I— It's good. Really. I don't mean to make you think that I want to avoid— I just—"

"It's okay," I interrupted, dropping my gaze to stare at the board. "You asked an honest question, so I gave you an honest answer." I shrugged. "Shisui was the one that taught me to play in the first place. So whenever I play, even if it's with Hiruzen, it's a bit like playing with Shisui again."

He was quiet for a while before finally moving a piece. "You play a lot."

"I do."

"Is it . . . is it because . . . . Sorry."

"No, it's alright," I murmured. "I miss him. This helps."

Kakashi didn't seem to have anything to say to that, and so we continued the game in silence. Finally, I moved a lance. "Tsumi."

"I'm not exactly surprised you're so good at this, but still. Impressive."

I smiled, but somehow it was more difficult than it had been just an hour earlier. "Thank you." I glanced past him at where the others were all still gathered. "Do you think Genma would play a game with me?"

Kakashi caught his breath. Then he smiled. "I think he'd love to play a game with you."

The hardest part was that there was absolutely no one who knew anything about the technique. There were texts, but they were clearly meant to be supplemental to in-person lessons, and I wondered what it was like to grow up in the instruction of the Uzumaki Clan. Not that wondering would do me any good. Because here I was with no clan, unhelpful notes, and chakra chains that wouldn't form a barrier.

I scowled. My wrists were aching, and the two chains I had wrapped around the trees didn't seem to be getting any closer to cooperating with what I wanted. So I shattered the chains and took the opportunity to try to rub feeling back into my arms.

You can't remember anything helpful about the barriers?

Neither of them exactly let me see as much as you do.

I sighed. Yeah, I figured as much. Trial and error, then. I lifted my hands back up and snapped chains out, wrapping one chain around one tree and the second around another. I knew the theory behind it all, and I knew I had to weave chakra in a shield between the limits of the chains. So I tried. And tried.

And nothing.

I growled in frustration and shattered the chains again. I dropped to one knee and tried to catch my breath. I was exhausted, and maybe that was just it. Maybe I was so tired that I missed the chakra. Maybe it was hidden well enough, like Genma's, that I wouldn't have been able to hear it in the first place. Either way, it didn't matter, because in the end I didn't expect the voice.

"I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to accomplish, but it sure looks impressive."