Shibi sat in silence mildly concerned, but mostly exasperated. Noel was complaining again and it actually sounded like he had a very good reason to.

"I don't know how the ass hole did it, but he got the council to overturn my request to go back to T&I. He was pushing for me to go into fucking seduction corps." Noel growled into his tea. "You are now looking at the division head."

Shibi's brow rose in shock.

"They just made you the leader?"

"Apparently I have a reputation and they were dying for a chance to pull me on board."

"You did dress in drag a lot during our genin days." Shibi pointed out.

Noel shrugged not caring too much for their D rank fiascos at the moment.

"At least they approved my nomination for Ibiki. The Hokage is promoting him to special jonin status." Noel smiled. "I think I should inform Orochimaru sensei about everything going on now. He has been helping Xanxus and me with our little side project."

Shibi still found it surprising to hear about Noel's relationship to the only sannin left in the village. Not long into their squad days, Noel sought out the man to learn everything he could about poisons. Noel was plenty proficient in them beforehand, but he was also an ambitious kid. Shibi knew that his teammate stalked the man for well over a month before the sannin caved. The mentorship worked out in more ways than one for the pair. The village eased up on their judgmental view of the two when they constantly had to see the two mock and hiss at one another like a petulant child to their parent. Orochimaru was also more open to accepting his second apprentice Anko, once Noel was promoted.

"I bet he was trying to throw a cog in Xanxus and I's marriage. We really pissed him off when we showed up in the middle of his 'meeting' with Shisui."

"What?" Shibi asked in confusion.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure we prevented something horrible and gained some respect from the Uchiha clan somehow. Itachi actually graced me with a hug." Noel said ending with an excited squeal.

Shibi put his head in his hands. He really needed to have a talk with Noel about his doting on the Uchiha heir.

"Anyway Fugaku wanted to accept Xanxus back into the clan, but the elders are still old dicks and rejected his proposal." Noel snorted. "Fugaku has gained some brownie points with me, however, because he has started to treat Xanxus like family instead of a dirty secret. He's still a douche though."

Shibi just knew Noel was about to go onto another rant.

Naruto hummed as he refilled his water can and set about watering his garden. It was one of the few things he asked for and his surrogate parents did not deny him the use of their mostly unused backyard. Noel kept a few potted plants for some of his poisons, but not much else considering their basement was converted to a training room.

Noel stood vigilant from the porch with a soft smile on his face. The little ball of sunshine may look like Minato, but he was defiantly Kushina's kid. If he wasn't in the calm of his garden he was out pranking the residents of the village with elaborate and often genius traps. Noel was so proud of all the effort the kid put in that he couldn't ever bring himself to punish him. Right before he started the academy, Noel sat the blonde down and told him the truth about his parents and the Kyuubi attack. Xanxus and Kakashi filled in any blanks, and they all made sure Naruto understood how much he was wanted and loved. Noel never wanted to see this child cry again. Naruto was a tiny sun that they all orbited and basked in the light of. Xanxus already threatened half the village for the kid. Noel and Tsume got a majority of the clans on Naruto's side whenever the civilian council reared its ugly head to spit venom at them. It was a rough and continuous battle. Noel wouldn't give this up for anything. Their comfortable silence was broken by the loud call of the only female in their family.

"Papa! I brought my team home to meet you guys!" Noel heard his daughter call out from inside the house.

Naruto looked up from watering his vegetable garden with curiosity and excitement in his eyes. Noel felt out for the chakra signatures and froze up. Naruto grew confused at his sudden stillness and tugged on his guardian's sleeve.

"What's wrong Papa?"

"Oh, nothing." Noel sighed in resignation. "Just an unavoidable situation is all."

"Okay." Naruto nodded with a huge grin.

Noel smirked at the boy pulling him into a one-armed hug.

"Want to help with the snacks?"

"Yes!"

They made their way inside and were greeted with the sight of a smiling TenTen, brooding Hyuuga, and…

"Oh shit, he reproduced." Noel whispered in disbelief. "Kashi is going to freak-out."

"Language!" TenTen and Naruto shouted in unison.

Noel rolled his eyes and walked to one of the nearby bookshelves to place a few Ryo in a 'swear jar'. He turned back to the team and gave them a forced smile.

"Welcome to my home Gai, so nice to see you."

The green-clad ninja gave a blinding grin before jumping into one of his tangents. Xanxus was lucky he left to visit Mikoto.

"It's always good to see you Xanxus." Mikoto smiled setting some tea on the table before them. "Fugaku wanted you to know that he was sorry he is missing our weekly tea. I almost thought you wouldn't make it."

Itachi had a rare day off and was settled across from the red-eyed male with a pouting Sasuke snuggled into his side.

"Yeah." Xanxus replied nodding in thanks when she handed him a cup. "I just got back from Suna and I really needed to spend some time with Naruto after the shit I saw there."

"Oh? What happened?" She asked worriedly.

"Saw this kid there. He was all by himself. Everyone isolated him and called him a monster under their breath." Xanxus started before letting out a snort. "Noel wanted to kidnap him and add him to our family. I said no since it was technically the Kazekage's kid, but I managed to slip one of Noel's little hairpins to him before I left."

"What would that do?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Xanxus smirked.

"It means I marked the kid with the symbol of The Green Fairy."

"Who's that?"

"The hallucinogenic ninja assassin guaranteed to wreck your mind before taking you out." Shisui informed dramatically upon his entrance. "He also happens to be known as Noel the deus ex-machina of Konoha."

"What's a d…"

"Please leave it be Sasuke. He doesn't need any more air in his head." Itachi smiled at his baby brother.

"Okay!" The boy chirped forgetting all about his cousin in favor of his beloved brother.

Shisui sulked as Mikoto giggled and Xanxus grinned.

It was later that afternoon that Xanxus heard knocking at the door. Noel stood from his chair and went to answer.

"We have been summoned by the Hokage." Orochimaru smirked as the door to his former pupil's home opened.

"Why are you playing messenger?"

"I was told it was a personal matter."

"Well, that's not suspicious at all."

"Subtlety was never sensei's strong suit. Not like us."

"You're awfully catty today? What gives?"

"Our little hobby gained some fruit and lead me to a few revelations we can use."

"Sounds promising, do we have a set date yet?"

"Not yet. There are still far too many variables to consider."

"Then I guess we will continue to bide our time."

Teacher and student were interrupted by the irritated voice of Xanxus.

"Can you two stop plotting in the doorway? I'd like to get this shit over with before dinner time."

"Just when I thought you had a redeemable quality." Orochimaru sneered.

"I don't give a fuck." Xanxus deadpanned.

"I can tell."

"Stop acting like you two don't like each other." Noel grinned leading the two nin away toward the Hokage's office.

"I'm sorry could you repeat that?" Noel hissed.

Orochimaru stood at the younger's side with a smug grin on his face as he stared down the Hokage in amusement.

"Yes, sensei, repeat it."

Hiruzen really wanted a bottle of sake at the moment.

"I said, and I know you heard me, that a mission came in from an elderly woman who lives on the border between fire and grass country. She claims that her daughter gave up a child here years ago for fear that they would be harmed. At the time the woman's family owed a great debt to a group of bandits. The bandits threatened to take her daughter's firstborn. The daughter lied and claimed the child was stillborn and buried."

"Skip to the last bit please." Noel gritted out as Xanxus rubbed soothing circles into the small of his back.

"The woman stated that the bandits were dealt with a long while ago and her daughter went on to have another child about 12 years later. Her daughter unfortunately passed in childbirth and the husband on a mission to Iwa. She has raised the child for the past 19 years on her own. The client came across a bingo book a week ago with your picture inside and believes that you are the baby her daughter gave up."

"Is there any truth to her claims?" Xanxus asked.

Hiruzen pulled three photos from the packet and slid them toward the three nin. Orochimaru picked them up and glanced over them. His eyes widened as he quickly handed them to his former student. Noel nearly fainted in shock. The first photo may as well have been him with shorter hair and makeup. She smiled in the picture with a hand on her pregnant belly. The next was a young boy with a bored expression on his face staring into the camera. He too had the same hair, complexion, and eyes as Noel and the pregnant woman. The last was a clipping of his latest bingo book entry with a photo from his chunin exams. His entry had yet to be updated from the time they entered him in the first place. He pissed a lot of people off that year, hence the bounty.

"Can't argue with that resemblance." Xanxus huffed.

"She also informed us that your supposed brother would be arriving soon to get to know his family." Hiruzen added.

"And just when did you receive this client's request ?" Noel asked in a strained voice.

"A week ago."

"Are fucking serious!?"

A knock sounded interrupting what could have been a homicide in the making. Iruka popped his head in with a strained smile on his face.

"Lord Hokage, there is an unaffiliated ninja here to see you. He claims that you were informed about his arrival already.

"Send him in."

The door was pushed open allowing a willowy male of average height into the office. The blank-faced young adult glanced around the office in disdain before his teal pupilless eyes fell on the gaping face of what could have been his long-haired doppelganger.

"Yo." Fran said casually lifting a hand in greeting to his long-lost elder brother.

"Well, I guess there are two of you now." Orochimaru laughed in sadistic amusement.

Hiruzen paled and suddenly felt that this idea would bring far more trouble than it should have.