Eight hundred and seventy-three laps. It was midway through her eight hundred and seventy-fourth lap that she decided to call it quits. Lee wasn't there to pull her through the final few and she was just too tired to drag herself full around to complete the circuit. Sweating terribly, legs aching and chest heaving, Miho staggered over to a park bench and collapsed. A few nearby civilians gave her pitying looks, most used to seeing her dragged around by Lee for the circuits in the early morning. The sun was only just beginning to peak over the horizon and the morning air was still cool and calm.

She felt a flash of something familiar. Her chakra sensing had only improved a bit over the years, just enough to get by. Genma-sensei lamented it as her blind spot. Then tenpenchii hadn't helped. Still, she knew this chakra signature and he was being somewhat obvious about it. He lingered somewhere nearby, but just out of range. Glancing around, she found a milk carton sitting on the bench to her right. Chocolate milk. Still cold. The brand she kept at home.

"Thanks."

The Hokage hadn't made any moves with Sasuke. Itachi hadn't been contacted yet, as far as Miho knew. And Sasuke had no idea about the truth regarding his family's execution. The truth of the Uchiha Massacre would surely still turn him against Konoha. If the same had happened with the Akimichi, she wasn't sure what she would do, even now.

Miho figured that ANBU was just as much about indoctrination as it was about protection. Telling Sasuke or showing Sasuke was…out of the question.

Was it really though? What was the right path where Sasuke was concerned? Was there a "right path" at all?

The thought made her a bit nauseous.

Once he knew what she, that she knew, small kindnesses like this would be gone.

"I hope you visited Sakura. She was doing that intensive care shift this week. Ino told me that it's been a rough one for her." Miho acknowledged that she likely looked a bit nuts, talking to no one like this. She couldn't feel any chakra signature. It was now completely masked. She very well could have been talking to no one, but she kept talking anyway. "Naruto said he's mastered another technique in his last letter. I bet he did a bit more bragging when he wrote you. Most of his letters to me was complaining about Lord Jiraiya and his cooking."

There was a bit more than that. Sometimes.

Naruto was homesick. Every now and then, it became more obvious. He tried to hide it behind his blinding positivity. Miho knew him though. When he wrote "I miss you," it was usually bookended with so much good energy that he likely hoped she didn't notice how his script shook when he wrote it.

Damn if she didn't want to tell Sasuke about the encounter with Orochimaru, that the threat to him was likely over, and that Itachi was placed between a rock and a hard place. Naruto wasn't faced with losing Sasuke this time around, but she couldn't say that he would never face it.

"Take care, okay? I'll keep putting the usual food out, but if you decide you want something different, just find a way to tell me like last time."

The village was awakening more, and she finished the carton of milk, tossing it with precision into the trashcan about seventy feet away.

Her teacher was a marksman after all.

Miho arrived to the Akimichi compound about half-an-hour later, arms laden with bags of fresh produce from the morning farmer's market. She'd purchased from a number of cousins and unrelated merchants. Akimichi buying from other producers was necessary to make sure merchants understood that there wasn't a monopoly. There was a particular merchant from Wave, who brought some of the best fruit of the season. She'd already dropped a couple bags at Genma-sensei's flat and Shin and Sai's apartment.

"Well now, if it isn't Little Miho coming to visit!" Elder Chojiro called from his place on the en of the ceremonial complex as she stepped through the gate. His shoulder were hunched and his skin had lost a bit of its Akimichi vitality, but his grin was firmly in place. "I heard through the grapevine that you and Little Chōji wore formal robes to meet the leadership of Grass. I am sure you both looked wonderful."

"You really have a thing for formal robes." Miho smiled, moving to sit down next to him on the en, eyes scanning the garden and the moss covering the edges of the stones. Someone must have cleaned them off recently. Elder Chojiro merely grinned, lifting a can of soda to his lips. "Elder Ayumu's letting you drink soda?"

He scoffed, hazel eyes sparkling. "My dearest wife would chastise me to Suna and back if she caught me. So, shhh." So, cheating on his diet then? Miho giggled, shaking her head. "How is that teacher of yours faring? I heard that he was injured. And Tetsuya? How is he?" Elder Ayumu must have been out of the compound if he was going to talk and drink.

Miho pursed her lips, thinking over the past few days since her return to Konoha. "Tetsuya is doing well. He starts training with Uzuki Yūgao soon. I think having that has helped. And Genma-sensei…" She trailed off, eyes locking on to where Elder Torifu had stood and asked if she wanted to become his student. A wave of grief hit her and she swallowed, reaching into one of the bags. She withdrew a small orange and began picking at the skin. "Genma-sensei is healing, but I haven't seen him in a couple days. I don't want…I don't want to push."

Elder Chojiro hummed, but said nothing.

Chewing on a piece of orange, Miho looked out over the ceremonial grounds. It felt different, but Miho couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that was out of place. It felt strange. Perhaps it was the fact that Elder Torifu was gone. The space was still red-tinted. The rock gardens were still there. It just was…strange. Off. She looked over to Elder Chojiro, meeting his eyes.

"Something's wrong."

He smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his hazel eyes. "It's the smell, Little Miho. The smell is different. It will not last forever."

It struck her then. She couldn't smell as many spices. It was muted. Only three or four. The realization made a swell of frantic worry hit her with such strength that she stood up, looking to Elder Chojiro for explanation. He sighed, large shoulders rounding.

"Yes, I expected that no one told you. It's been some months since you last visited."

Since well-before the Chūnin Exams in Suna. She often met her mother at a restaurant or her mother came by her apartment. She rarely visited after Elder Torifu passed away. Her health check-ups with Elder Ayumu were less frequent now that she had a firm handle on her nutrition and weight management. She hadn't visited in three months.

"There is less food in the training buffet. Rice and Eggs. Chankonabe."

Only three foods?

At her expression, Elder Chojiro grimaced, smile falling away completely. "Yes, I expected that they wouldn't tell you."

She should have known. Maybe it was willful ignorance on her part. Her family was well-off. They were a noble clan, after all. That didn't mean that the taxes had no impact. She felt herself shaking before she turned and paced three strides toward the training ground gate. Then, she stopped and turned back around. No, this wasn't— She stopped again, going still. If this was affecting the food...

If this was affecting food, then it was far worse than what anyone was saying.

"It was an action agreed upon by the entire council after the head family began absorbing the costs."

Her father and mother were now paying for the training food for the entire Akimichi Clan, to ease the financial burden on the clan members and branch families. Her mother never told her. Her brother never told her. Miho gritted her teeth. She had the Akimichi name. How did she not know?

Vaguely, in the back of her mind, a small voice wondered if this was what started prior to the Downfall. Were they economically targeted like the Akimichi? Miho swallowed roughly, looking back to Elder Chojiro.

"Who has taken up the Akimichi suppliers in the capital?"

She thought she saw something flicker across Elder Chojiro's face before he shrugged. "In absence of Elder Torifu, your father has taken up the capital suppliers."

Her father was absorbing the costs of the clan expenses, handling both village and capital suppliers, and conducting missions? Chōji handling the trade agreement wasn't just a mission from the Hokage. It was a test from their father. If her father was actively making his presence known in the capital, then…He was building an ally network outside of the village. Securing the survival of the clan and building far more connections than what the Uchiha had established prior to...

Pulling in a breath, Miho fell onto the en once more. The wood popped a bit under her sudden weight.

"Miho?"

Turning, Miho saw her mother standing in the gate that led to her house. Her mother's eyes were wide before a large smile split her face. She rushed forward, throwing her arms around Miho's shoulders.

"Oh, my baby girl!"

Telling Elder Chojiro goodbye, Miho gathered her bags and followed her mother to their house. Elder Chojiro gave her a look when she'd collected the bags onto her arms, raising his brows as if asking what she was going to do. It was that expression that stuck with her all the way to the kitchen of her house. Her parent's house. Her mother was half-way through talking about lunch with Nara Yoshino, Shikamaru's mom, when Miho interrupted.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Her mother let out a weary sigh as she set a stack of cookies on the table. "We're not straining. The only reason the council decided to limit the training buffet was because the clan demanded it as a show of support."

"Is Chōji going to be taking up the in-village trade deals?"

A small smile came to her mother's face. "When your father returns, he'll be handing over the reigns of in-village supply chain to Chōji, yes."

"And Father is taking up the trade deals in the capital."

"Yes."

Miho stared at the cookies. The sugar in them sparkled in the sunlight from the kitchen window. Something decisive clicked into place. It wasn't as if she hadn't been trained for it by both her parents and Master Torifu. After everything that happened, they would never ask it of her. "I'd like to take up the food banks and kitchens."

Her mother's hand darted over the table, taking her own and squeezing it. Her mother's hand around hers felt like an embrace. Her hands were so soft and warm. Miho's were rough with callouses. "Sweet bun, you want to run the Akimichi food banks? Do you have time to do that? You just made chūnin. Can you manage it alongside training and missions? Are you sure?" Her mother jolted, shame flying over her face. "I believe you can do it well, sweetheart. I just…"

"If Chōji is open to it, I'd like to try. I was trained for this, Mama. I want to help."

"I need the help. I can't think of anyone better to handle the kitchens and food banks."

Miho spun around to see Chōji in the doorway. She was a bit startled that she hadn't felt or sensed him approaching. In the back of her mind, she could hear both Genma-sensei and Elder Torifu chastising her for her lack of perception. Chōji was smiling a bit, looking more hopeful than she had seen in a long while. Her mother looked to be close to tears. He moved closer and snagged a cookie off the plate.

It felt so familiar.

Comforting. Normal.

Like something she could so easily slip back into.

"Are you staying for lunch?"

She glanced at Chōji as he sat down next to her, where he'd always sat when they were kids. The space seemed so much smaller now. The whole house seemed so much smaller now. A lot more fragile. She couldn't quite explain the nervousness that pulled at her stomach or why her hands were shaking a bit as she tried to hide the tremble by gripping the hem of her shirt.

Her mother didn't notice. Chōji did.

"I'm sure you've got something to—"

Miho shook her head, cutting him off from giving her an out. "I'll stay for lunch. Is that alright, Mama?"

"Of course, sweet bun! I'll heat up some leftovers."

Their mother stood and bustled toward the refrigerator. Chōji was affecting a calm sort of ease, but Miho could see right past that. He was nervous, as he often was around her. After the poison and the mountain, Miho decided to take a chance. To take a chance on the brother that she'd seen grind Orochimaru into a mountain. To protect her.

Somehow, it'd all come full-circle.

He'd lost her trust to protect her from Orochimaru.

He'd earned some of that trust back the same way.

Now, here they sat.

"Tetsuya has a crush on that guy that works in the bookshop."

Chōji's brows went up and his mouth dropped open. There was a shocked, excited glint in his eyes after he processed what she'd said.

It'd been years since they'd just…talked. Just talked. Not about the future or plans or heavy things. Just them, at this table, talking like they used to.

A smile pulled at her brother's lips, but it was really his shining eyes that made Miho start to smile back. That was her brother there. The same sweet little Chōji that used to help her get her gloves on in winter. The same Chōji that snuck into her room when she had nightmares to comfort her. The same Chōji that would listen with rapt attention as she told stories.

"Is he gonna ask him out?"

"Shin and I are pretty close to blackmailing him into it." Miho shrugged, pulling her hands away from the hem of her shirt. "He's got all this bravado until he's actually faced with the guy and then he's just so painfully awkward…It's hard to watch. It's hilarious, but it's hard to watch." Chōji was easing, relaxing into his seat more as he withdrew a bag of chips from his pocket.

"I heard the Kazekage made you cookies."

She heard her mother drop something in the sink before she cleared her throat. Miho felt heat on the back of her neck and ears. Affecting the same kind of nonchalant shrug that Genma-sensei used when he was trying to act cool, Miho shook her head. "Ino told you, huh? I'm never going to live that down."

"Probably not, no." Chōji smiled around a handful of chips. "Were they good cookies?"

"Kankurō wouldn't have given me bad cookies." Chōji raised a brow and Miho laughed a bit. "Yeah, they were good. The Kazekage can cook. Who knew?"

"Can Kankurō cook?"

It was Miho's turn to raise a brow. His tone was baiting, teasing. There was a twinkle in his eyes that seemed to make him look younger. More his age. "Were you the one that had Shikamaru warn him off?"

He choked a bit on a chip. "Shikamaru did what?"

"Little Shikamaru did?" Her mother questioned sounding so fond. Miho smiled, the force of it closing her eyes a bit. Her mother had said before that they would always be 'little' to her. "Chōji, did you? Have Shikamaru warn off the Kazekage's brother?"

"No, no. I didn't."

"Huh. I didn't think you would do that, but I figured it was worth asking." Miho shrugged, taking a chip as her brother offered it. It was a good enough subject change, it seemed. Chōji didn't circle back to Kankurō's cooking, which she happened to know nothing about, quite honestly. "Doesn't seem like Shikamaru's style though. I thought for sure Kankurō was joking or maybe someone asked Shikamaru to—"

"Oh, it's definitely Shikamaru's style." Chōji snorted, smiling around a chip. "I bet it was something to see, too. He usually is pretty intimidating when he gets like that."

"Like what?"

"Protective." Chōji grinned around his chips, looking like he wanted to jump out of his chair to go give his best friend a hug. She'd seen that protective side a few times over the years. He was vicious when he was riled. Vaguely, she wondered what it was that riled him. "He thinks of you like a sister. Kankurō's not really his first choice." Miho narrowed her eyes at that. It wasn't really his choice to begin with. "We know we don't have any right over who you date. We just…" He trailed off and shrugged. 'We' implied that they'd talked about it. Miho lifted a brow. "Should I warn Shikamaru you're gonna scold him for trying to warn Kankurō off?"

"I'm not gonna scold him." Miho waved her hand as if batting away the notion. "I've plenty of opportunities since then. Besides, there's nothing actually going on between Kankurō and me. We're just friends. And he likes to piss off Genma-sensei. Now, he's probably gonna start aiming for Shikamaru, too. Something could happen, but we've kind of accepted that it's a not right now."

Chōji's lips opened to respond before he snapped his mouth shut again. There was a flash of understanding there in his eyes before he nodded. "Ah, well...maybe that's why."

"Food's ready!"

Two large plates of sweet potato noodles with beef were set on the table, steam rising from them and the smell of sweet spices wafted into the air. Miho sagged with the sense of peace that settled over her shoulders at the smell of her mother's cooking. It made her stomach rumble and her muscles loosen. Their mother sat down, smiling as she watched Miho and Chōji dig into the meal. There was a sweet look of absolute care and love on her face, making her cheeks rosier. Her mother seemed to glow with happiness.

"My two babies…" Her mother trailed off. "Eat as much as you like. I can always cook more."

Chōji caught her eye across the table, a cautious smile on his face. The same careful smile he wore when he was hopeful.

Just for a little while, Miho let herself just be.

Just eat.

Just sit.

Just talk.

Just for a while.

"Kid, come with me." Miho turned, two more bundles of flowers and a bag of baked goods hanging on her left arm. The Hokage eyed the flowers and the bag, lifting a brow when Miho didn't immediately come to her side. "Well? I don't have all day." Jerking at the reprimand, Miho hurried to walk behind the Fifth as she turned on her heel to storm down the hall. "Did Iwashi give you a hard time over the flowers?"

"No, Lady Hokage, ma'am." Miho narrowly avoided a medic that exited the stairwell, shouldering the bag of baked goods. The Hokage was ploughing through with absolutely no regard for anyone in her way. Miho just followed in her wake. "Genma-sensei told me the best way to get Iwashi-sensei to accept the flowers was to butter him up."

Lady Tsunade snorted. "And how did you do that?"

"Told him I'm really excited to learn from him and brought him special corn cakes because he—"

At the bottom of the stair well, they came to a stop at a set of double-doors. There were no windows on these metal doors, unlike those at other levels. They had to be at least two floors underground. The Hokage placed her hand on the wall next to the door. It glowed a purple-blue color as the chakra seal surged. Miho could feel the pulses of chakra ebb against her own.

"Lady Hokage?"

The woman turned, a small smile on her face as she gestured to the wall. "Not explaining just yet, kid. Press your hand there and channel chakra into it." Miho did as she was told, watching as the seal activated again and glowed green. The Hokage set her hand upon the seal again and the green changed to the same purple-blue. Lady Tsunade jerked the door on the left open and charged through it. Miho followed, a nervous rumble in her stomach.

They entered a long, quiet corridor. "That was a security seal, Akimichi. You now have access." At the far end of the hall, Shizune stood with another medic, a clipboard propped against her hip as she spoke to the nurse. The click of the Hokage's heels alerted the two women to her presence and they both quickly fell into a bow.

"And how is that stubborn boy doing now?"

"He's stable. He should awaken in the next thirty-six hours." Shizuned commented, lifting the clipboard to Lady Tsunade. "Hello there, Miho."

Miho bowed in greeting. "Hi. I, uh…"

"Okay, kid. Listen up." The Hokage turned on her heel as the nurse walked away, toward what looked to be a medic station at the end of the hall. "Access to this level of the hospital is limited to Hokage discretion. Your chakra is coded for entry. Just come down the same way. See that room there? That's where Yamashiro Aoba is currently languishing." Miho jolted at the word 'languishing' but the Hokage waved her off, then gestured down the hall. "There's another room down there, Room Seven, where you'll find a friend."

"Seven, ma'am?" Miho couldn't help but to find it…ironic. Fū housed the seven tails.

"You think I'm going to jinx a lucky seven?" The Hokage lifted a brow. Her arms crossed. "No one in your circle has access outside of your teacher and Hatake Kakashi." Was Kakashi-taicho considered 'in her circle' now? "You are to tell no one. Regarding 'Seven,' I am allowing you access to ease their transition. They have been awakened one time since their arrival. It was only your name and your gift that calmed them. They are currently unconscious, but they'll be waking in the next day or two. Your goal is to convince them to work with us. We are currently working on a plan for their release into protected custody."

Miho nodded, not quite sure what to say as she shifted her weight. "Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Kid, I can't stress this enough…You will be key in convincing Seven to stay here. Once it's all over, they'll be free to go back, if they wish to. I will keep them sedated if I have to. They didn't treat them right there, but she could return. After."

Miho nodded, biting down a comment about how Konoha treated Naruto. "As you say, Lady Hokage."

"As for Yamashiro, Shiranui missed his physical therapy yesterday. Your task there is to convince your stubborn ass of a teacher to take care of his damn self like an adult." With a put-upon grumble, the Hokage straightened her stance, meeting Miho's eyes. Miho jolted, realizing for the first time that she was now taller than the Hokage. "I'll be summoning you for a meeting tomorrow. Regarding Orochimaru." Something like regret flashed in the woman's eyes before she turned on her heel. "Handle your idiot of a teacher first."

With that, the Hokage stormed down the hall toward the nurse station.

Miho swallowed, turning to the door of Room Three. She'd brought flowers and baked goods, hoping that she could somehow find a way to get it to them. She hadn't expected the Hokage to bring her into such a high security area. Straightening her stance and rolling her shoulders back, Miho drew a breath and opened the door.

Genma-sensei was sitting in chair next to the bed, body coiled toward Aoba-sensei. His eyes had been closed and his head dipped forward. As she stepped inside, his eyes opened and she saw the shock register there before he relaxed. His senbon rolled from one side of his mouth to the other. Miho smiled a bit, pushing the door closed.

Aoba-sensei was sleeping. There was no breathing tube, which was a good sign. However, there were cables and IVs running this way and that. On the poll to the right of the bed, a nearly-empty bag of blood was trailing with an IV to either arm. He was pale and his cheeks a bit more hollow than they had been before. Still, he looked better than he had arrived. His fingernails were there. There were no cuts or bruises. Miho eased forward to stand next to Genma-sensei.

"Those for me?"

Miho snorted at her teacher's question. "As if I would buy you daises. I'd get your favorite."

"What's my favorite then?" Genma-sensei questioned, eyes trailing back to Aoba-sensei as if the man might have moved in the few seconds he'd glanced away. Miho knew the feeling.

"Hydrangeas." As gently as she could, to not startle him, Miho sat one of the bags of baked goods on his lap. "Eat something, sensei. I'll put these in water." Turning, she walked to the small counter and sink, drawing a metal pitcher from one of the cupboards. It certainly wasn't a flower vase, but it would do. Setting about arranging the flowers, Miho listened for the rustling of the bag. After a few moments, she pulled in a breath. "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry, Miho."

"Just one muffin. I'll leave you alone after that. I promise." In the mirror over the sink, Miho watched as her teacher sighed before looking down at the bag on his lap. He seemed to consider it for a moment before he gave in and pulled out one of the wrapped muffins. Turning, Miho moved to the table on the other side of the bed, setting the flowers down. It did very little to liven up the room, but it did something. "You didn't go to physical therapy."

"The Hokage seriously gave you top secret clearance to nag me?"

"Yep. Pretty much."

Smiling a bit, Miho reached over to brush a couple hairs out of Aoba-sensei's face. "He would pitch an unholy fit if he found out you skipped." Moving back, she sank into the awful hospital chair that squeezed on her hips and made her back instantly ache. Genma-sensei gave her a look that both sympathized with and enjoyed her discomfort. Jerk. Just because the Hokage sent her in there to nag him. "How's he been doing?"

"Stable. They're giving him infusions of Jūgo's stem cells. It seems to be working. His body isn't rejecting it, anyway, and the seal is holding. The Hokage said she'll bring him out of the coma in the next day or two." He shifted, leaning back in his seat to look at her over Aoba-sensei's body. "Did you speak to the Bears?"

"This afternoon."

"Tetsuya?"

"With Yūgao-sensei."

"Shin?"

Miho resisted the urge to tell him that he needed to leave the hospital by withdrawing a protein ball from her pocket. She focused on the salt of the chocolate spread melting on her tongue before she answered around her chewing. "Shin is fine. He's off on a mission with Neji and Shino, which is as odd a team as I've ever seen." Genma-sensei chuckled a bit. "I know you need time, sensei. I'm not going to nag you. Just…know that we're here for you and Aoba-sensei, okay?"

"I know. I'll go home and rest tonight. I promise."

That settled Miho's mind somewhat and she relaxed into the chair as best she could. Genma-sensei wasn't a difficult man to convince and he hated when people tried to manipulate him. Even if she nagged, it wouldn't do anything but make him more stressed. The best she could do would be support him. If he felt supported, he would see the impact his actions were having on others and correct himself.

"We're having hot pot tonight, if you're interested."

He shrugged and then shook his head, eyes going back to stare at Aoba-sensei. Or a place just beyond him on the wall. Miho didn't know for sure. "Sounds too heavy."

"I left some fruit from the farmer's market in your delivery box. They had fresh oranges and peaches from Wave."

He nodded, but said nothing.

"I volunteered to lead the Akimichi kitchens and food banks."

That got his attention. Genma-sensei jerked upright, both feet coming to rest on the floor as he pulled himself out of his haze. Miho felt a flood of affection for her teacher. "You what? Did you go to the estate?"

"I did. It was…nice. Good. Taking over the philanthropy…I…It felt like something I needed to do. Chōji agreed to it. He's taking over in-village supply chains and trades. Father has taken over Master Torifu's capital interests. I figured that was going to happen." Miho smiled at her teacher's worry. He was so obviously concerned, senbon rolling from one side to the other. It never seemed to stop moving. She knew how he felt about her father. "Genma-sensei, I—"

"You don't need to justify anything to anyone, Miho. Least of all me. You follow your instincts and your heart. I'll back you regardless. You know the boys will, too."

Nodding, Miho shifted on the uncomfortable chair, eyes trailing to Aoba-sensei again. "Has anyone spoken to Aoba-sensei's mother?" Genma-sensei deflated, slouching as if the life had been drawn out of him. Miho tried not to laugh at his put-upon expression, and it came out as more of a snort than a laugh. The glare he sent her could melt metal. "That bad, huh?"

"That woman hates me. The last time I visited, she gave me an hour lecture about being a flirt. Says I flirt with anything that moves. Which just isn't true. She thinks I should've made an honest man outta—" He stopped short, looking at Miho with a raised brow. Miho just waited, amused at how her teacher's mouth snapped shut. As if she didn't know. It might've been a normal moment if Aoba-sensei wasn't laying between them with a Curse Seal. He cleared his throat. "I've been keeping her updated."

"She likes me a lot. I like her tiny tea cakes. She likes talking recipes. I'll start keeping her updated—"

Genma-sensei grumbled something under his breath before nodding. "I appreciate it."

"— if you go to physical therapy."

His dark eyes narrowed. "You've never been a good negotiator."

"Oh, please." Miho rolled her eyes. "Take the deal, old man."

If he were any less tired, he would have likely flown into hysterics at the nickname. Instead, he just deflated further into his chair, letting it curve his spine at an odd angle. "At least you're not Tetsuya. He would've somehow managed to get more out of me. Manipulative little…Fine, fine. I'll go to physical therapy. I'll go home. I'll eat. I'll shower." Miho pursed her lips in answer, raising her brows. "I'll sleep, too."

"That wasn't so hard, Boss."

Nearly an hour later, Miho stood and stretched, trying to get feeling back into her hips and lower back. Genma-sensei was dozing a bit, which Miho knew meant that he felt safer. She would've stayed longer, just to let him sleep, but this day was a busy one. As she started to move around the bed, Genma-sensei woke, eyes bleary and exhausted. Pulling in a breath, Miho moved to wrap and arm around his shoulders from behind his chair. His head fell forward, chin resting on her forearm.

"I'll come by for hot pot."

Smiling a bit, Miho nodded and stepped away. "Okay."

When she entered Room Seven, the first thing Miho noticed was the silence. The quiet hum of the air conditioning was hardly enough to cut through that silence. Instead of approaching the bed first, Miho set to arranging the flowers in one of the metal pitchers as she had in Aoba-sensei's room. She'd made sure to get some particularly bright flowers for Fū.

"I know you're probably really scared. I would be. I would be really…freaked out. You wake up somewhere unfamiliar and you've got people poking and prodding at you. You don't know any of them. You were just attacked." Pulling in a breath, Miho picked up the makeshift vase and walked to the bed, setting the flowers on the bedside table. Sinking down into the chair by the bed, Miho watched Fū's unconscious face.

The seals around the room were thrumming with energy. Even being in the room felt like entering into a hornet's nest. The chakra seemed to vibrate. Even as a terrible sensor, Miho could feel it trembling. It felt like…anxiety. The seals were meant to contain and dampen the chakra of the patient when activated, Miho knew. Particularly for those recovering from damage to their chakra coils.

A similar seal had been placed on Miho's room after…Danzō and Fuu.

Miho wondered if this is what the Seven Tails' chakra felt like. Buzzing.

She seemed paler. Her darker toned skin still contrasted with the stark white of the sheets. Her orange hair clip was gone. Laying across her chest, folded neatly, was Miho's scarf. Miho lifted the hem, rolling it between her fingers.

"You told me that Shibuki taught you to take care of your friends. I'm asking you to please…let your friends take care of you." Miho reached forward taking Fū's hand in both of hers, grasping to them as tightly as she could. As if that comfort and energy might reach past unconsciousness. "I am begging you. Let me help protect you. As your fri—"

Miho's throat felt tight as if it was swelling. She sucked in a breath, wheezing a bit when pin-needles seemed to prick their way through her lungs. The room seemed to flash. Red. Black. Red. Green. Black.

As one hand went to press against her throat, the other held to Fū's hand.

She blinked and, suddenly, the bed, Fū, and the room were gone.

Miho was standing. In front of her, a waterfall fell into endless water. She stood on top of the water. The rushing sound was deafening, reverberating around the space. Miho shifted, the tight feeling in her chest easing. The waterfall was beautiful. Crystal clear water. The water rippled as she moved, turning to look around at the black horizons. "What…"

"My little Fū was lucky to encounter you, Bear Cub."

Jolting, Miho turned.

The tailed beast was gigantic. Easily larger than the biggest building in Konoha. Easily bigger than Lord Ki. It was almost breathtaking. Miho felt her anxiety skyrocket as the large moth-like creature shifted, angling it's head in a way that communicated curiosity. A curious cataclysm. Miho shook a bit.

How many times could she face a natural disaster and survive?

"You know what I am."

"Yes…I do." Miho tried to keep her voice calm, focusing on the feel of the beads beneath her fingertips as she rolled them. "I— I— I'm sorry this is happening."

"That what is happening, Bear Cub?"

"That you're being hunted."

The tailed beast moved faster than Miho could think to escape, surging forward until it was only a fifty or so strides away. Their voice was not-quite male and not-quite female as they rumbled. It sounded like rushing wind and water. "So it is true. As I suspected." Miho nodded, hesitantly looking up at the large leaf-like wings that twitched behind the beast's body.

The racing of her heart was familiar. Instead of letting her nerves throw her mind into memories, Miho kept her attention on the roar of the water, the splash of it under her feet, and the faintest scent of moss and churned earth in the air.

"I…I don't like thinking of you as 'seven-tailed beast' in my head. May I…have your name?"

The moth's wings fluttered and Miho braced, squaring her shoulders to her feet. Then, Miho felt completely out of her depth when they laughed. They laughed and laughed. The volume of it was louder than the waterfall, making the air itself seem to vibrate with the force. It became huffed giggling after a few moments before they settled down again, wings still rattling.

"Oh! Oh! I see why my dear Fū likes you, Bear Cub! My name is Lucky Seven, Chōmei! You are the first human to ask my name in such a long time!"

"It's polite."

"It is, it is! What is your name, Bear Cub? We will be even and then, we will talk!"

"Akimichi Miho."

Chōmei fluttered their wings again, seeming to vibrate with energy. It reminded Miho of the way Fū was near-constant movement. "Akimichi Miho, I knocked you out with spores. It is a defense mechanism. While Fū is unconscious, I remain awake. I can encase her in a cocoon. I can release hypnotic spores. To protect her and myself. I released the spores when I recognized you. I brought you here."

Miho could remember a similar sort of mindscape with Naruto standing in water, black ink trailing from his stomach. His eyes, so sad and defeated and hurt. The Fourth Hokage appearing to stop Naruto's hand as he reached for the seal. The Nine-Tails locked behind the gate. Golden chakra. Pulling in a breath, Miho closed her eyes for a moment to center herself. When she opened them again, she looked up to Chōmei's many eyes.

"Is this your seal?"

"The seal is here, yes. The seal that was used on my host was quite intricate and is invisible across her entire body. I am quite lucky that this has not made our relationship antagonistic like my siblings. Her seal is good and strong." Chōmei sounded as if they were rather proud of the sealed space, even if it was a prison. Miho shifted and looked around to the waterfall, which, now that she looked closer, was erupting from a glowing green seal matrix. The green energy of the seal was shimmering if it were water itself. "Yes, Bear Cub Miho, that is the seal."

"How did I arrive here?"

"The spores are a genjutsu of a kind."

Miho hummed, looking back around to Chōmei. "The people who attacked you are part of Akatsuki. Have you or Fū heard of them?"

"No, but their mission was easy to understand. Just one of them would have been powerful enough to take down my little Fū. She would not release me for anything. Not to keep me trapped, oh no no, but to protect me. Fū would use the last of her energy to keep me within her to protect me. The child is a kind one. A very kind one. She was lucky that your shinobi arrived. I was lucky that your shinobi arrived. They would have killed her and done what they wanted with me."

Chōmei adjusted their stance before lowering their head more almost as if seeking not to scare her. Her wings lowered a bit. Miho…didn't feel scared anymore. Instead, determination settled in her gut. This was her mission. To convince Chōmei was the first step.

With the way Chōmei spoke, they were already fond of Fū.

"Tell me, Bear Cub Miho. What else do you know?"

What else do you know? Staring up at the literal manifestation of chakra created by the Sage of Six Paths himself, Miho felt something inside her shift. Something roiling and wild and barely contained. What else did she know? How could she get Chōmei to understand? To get Fū out of this alive? To reach for a positive change? Swallowing, Miho squared her stance again. "I know way too much, Chōmei."

The moth's wings fluttered a bit before they lowered them entirely, folding them close to their body. "May I know what you know, Miho?"

Miho hesitated for just a moment.

"It's a long story."