42. I've had a pretty restful break writing other things! Won't bore you all here, but if you're interested catch the note at the end. This chapter puts things in place for more plot movement in the very near future. Just a heads up, each break is a change in the POV, no repeats.


Sakura and Tenzo-san are sleeping the afternoon off again, which as Naruto reflects, is an uncommon occurrence for ninjas.

While sensei does wake up late (and so does he), he doesn't know anyone other than Shikamaru who takes afternoon naps.

Because they're sleeping, someone has to stay and take care of them. It's his turn today, while Itachi-san and Sasuke are out training using Kaka-sensei's lightning jutsu.

Rather than watch them, since "Itachi already has a good copy," sensei is lying on the couch reading one of his books. Naruto gets the feeling that the man is trying to read as quickly as possible, especially since the pervy sage is due to reach Suna by tomorrow.

He toys with the Rasengan – summoning it has become much easier. Like when you first learn to swim, moving your arms and your legs in tandem, that's what it feels like.

Naruto imagines that that will be the analogy he tells Sasuke when he teaches him. "Ne, sensei, can Sasuke just learn the Rasengan with his Sharingan?"

Kakashi lowers his book just enough to peer over at him, before shaking his head. "Of course not, the Sharingan memorises hand signs and observes. It doesn't give you chakra or control. Even I can't make the Rasengan for fun."

The blond looks at the swirling mass of chakra in between his palms, shifting it slowly from one hand to another. "But why not? Sakura-chan's chains are like long Rasengans without rotation, and she has the least chakra of all of us."

Sensei dogears his page before placing it on the coffee table. "Because Sakura has very good chakra control. She doesn't lose much, if any, chakra from making the chains."

"A-ah sensei I didn't listen to the chakra theory lessons. Come on! Give me an interesting explanation!" He watches carefully as sensei sighs but relaxes, his shoulders sagging.

"How about with ramen. Let's say you're trying to put ramen into a small bowl. Everyone has a different amount of ramen noodles to start with, and every chef uses different tools, like a ladle, chopsticks or spatula. As a result, sometimes people spill their noodles while filling the bowl."

"Sensei, that's silly, you use a strainer to move the noodles; Teuchi-ojisama never loses his noodles."

"An analogy, Naru-naru. Now imagine that ramen is your chakra. You have a lot of noodles, hundreds of times of the average ninja. You can spill a lot, but you will still get more full ramen bowls. Compare Sasuke and me, I have maybe three times of his chakra, and I use a ladle where he uses a spatula. But compare Sakura and me, I have five times her chakra, but she uses a strainer."

"A fine mesh strainer?" Naruto leans forward, curious. Kakashi smiles, his mask creasing. "Probably the most perfectly sized mesh strainer for ramen bowls."

"Huh. Then sensei, I'm just pouring the noodles out from the pot."

"You could say that. Just think about the number of shadow clones you have running around Suna now, helping Kazekage-sama. I can't make even a tenth of them."

His head is spinning with numbers and possibilities so he launches himself at sensei, "Kaka-sensei, then I know! I can teach Sakura-chan the Rasengan. Or else she can do the control for Sasuke's chakra!"

Kakashi catches him, humouring him and ruffling his hair, "If that's what you'd like, why not?" Naruto bounces off up the stairs, "Sensei! Watch the door, if ero-sennin comes by don't let him run away!"


Sakura knows some of this, instinctively. From the before, things like alternating and direct current were used in different circumstances – it's not too different from how chakra theory works.

Even though there is electricity, most of Konoha has it generated in neighbourhoods, drawn from natural wells of chakra that are converted to electrical energy.

There's no need to step up or step down the current being transmitted, not to mention, it keeps the village safer from a complete blackout.

Suna uses a lot of wind and solar energy, but every home has a backup generator because of how fickle the elements are.

She supposes this makes the Wind Country the foremost experts in green technology. They're good at the survival game because they play it every day.

"Sakuraaaa…" she laughs and apologises because there's no point lying, "Sorry Naruto, I got caught up in my thoughts after you gave me the idea about chakra output."

Still, her blond teammate smiles back at her, "Then come on! Just try it!"

Sakura reaches out a hand, a few chains wind together forming the ball shape he's looking for. "What next, now that I have a solid ball of chakra?"

"Add the rotation! I imagined looking at the centre of a swirly fishcake and adding chakra to it, but you can think of anything that helps."

She nods, before telling them to float. And they do. With her hands on both sides of the floating chain ball, she imagines the chain links turning into rotating rings. Focusing on the image of the writhing, pulsing mass of chakra, telling them to now move.

When she gently opens her eyes, Naruto looks absolutely delighted. "Sakura-nee! Look! You've made the Rasengan too!"

The pink-haired teen observes the slightly misshapen ball of pale blue chakra in her hands before humming, "I don't think it's powerful enough though, Naruto-chan. Form one of yours and we can have a look."

And he does, forming his humming, living ball of chakra in twenty seconds flat. Even by the five-second mark, they can both see the clear difference. For one, Sakura's is much more transparent.

A smile tugs at her lips, "Looks like my effective chakra output is much, much lower."

Naruto pouts a little, before telling her to "Put more of your chains in, Sakura-nee!"

And she does, gradually calling on more chains to meld in with the ball one by one. "You want me to make the ball this size, right?"

The blonde only gives her a confused look, "What do you mean, nee-chan?"

She demonstrates, "Well, for example, I can get my chains to make a smaller ball, a larger ball, a frisbee disc. But is there a reason why you like a sphere that is the size of your palm?"

His jaw drops, "Nee-chan, I'm going to make a huge Rasengan! I didn't think of that!"

Sakura just laughs, allowing her chains to reform and dissipate. She feels more assured knowing that her chakra is not going to melt into the air. "Alright, show me tomorrow okay? I'm going back to sleep, Naruto-chan."

He hugs her quickly before bidding her goodnight in the later afternoon, running out the room she and Tenzo share. Thank goodness he sleeps like a tree.


Usually, ninjas don't take afternoon naps. When they're on a mission, they sleep at odd hours, depending on their watch shift, the timing of travel, degree of danger. It's not a 'nap' but blessed shut-eye.

However, it is incredibly luxurious to sleep in a nice bed in the middle of the day. Because of that, Tenzo doesn't complain even when Naruto-san barges into their room unannounced to jump on Sakura's bed.

Frankly, it's the Lady Haruno's problem. It's a nice feeling, to stretch out on the bed in half-sleep. Waking up and knowing that you can continue sleeping and that you have a perfectly valid excuse to not wake up.

At the same time, Tenzo thinks in reflection that the drug the Elder Chiyo gave both of them is the most interesting. Originally formulated as a rapid action knockout drug, the mechanism of action instead impairs the body's ability to produce serotonin upon exposure to light.

They spent the night using force of will to stay awake under clinical blue light – Sakura-sama explained the chemicals and then some as part of her method to stay awake.

She also apparently used chakra to stimulate her hypothalamus, murmuring something about the neural circuit and the natural circadian rhythm. Tenzo doesn't remember that much.

But upon hearing her voice and yawn as she entertains her teammate in their room, some thoughts are filtering back into the forefront of his mind.

He's trained in staying up late, working at night, sleeping on command and waking at the drop of a pin – the ANBU lifestyle leads many to burn out. He can't help but feel lazy as a 'normal' jonin.

They're experimenting with chakra in a confined area, metres from where he's sleeping, but he can't muster the will power to feel tensed. It's odd and perhaps even lethal, to feel like his survival instinct has been turned off.

The two jinchuuriki within ten kilometres, including the one next door, are being hunted. They are mildly on guard, but Tenzo feels uneasy at the back of his mind that there has been no more news.

Which brings him to the next person of consideration, Uchiha Itachi. One-time possible clan killer, young genius, also an ANBU compatriot. Root is gone but a part of it lingers inside as part of the desire to protect the Leaf.

To do anything for the village.

With his eyes closed, he concentrates to find his tracking seeds. Visualising the rough layout of Sunagakure, he finds Sasuke and Itachi near each other, five kilometres away. The other seeds are on a plane below him, all accounted for.

He can't feel senpai's chakra like Sakura's next to him, and part of it is how the youngest member of the team dispatched to Suna glows bright.

Ah, youngest. And too many redacted sections in the files – he should have applied to get access to the less censored versions, there wasn't enough time before they left.

Being in a team that cares is also another thing he's not used to. ANBU live solitary lives, commit suicide when cornered, place the mission above the team.

From Sakura's anecdotes, Kakashi-senpai teaches the same mantra of the team above the mission. If he could go back in time, Tenzo supposes he would have liked a genin team.

The trip to Suna is also a mission. A mission to test Uchiha Itachi more than it is to protect the Kazekage. While he wasn't given any specific directives, the implied 'protect Uzumaki Naruto' is clear enough.

Mission priorities are always difficult, still, senpai has imbued his teachings into his students. Sakura will not 'let' the Uchiha fail the test, that much is clear to Tenzo.

What he cannot tell yet, is why she will not. Some of it is genuine concern that the younger Uchiha will be hurt, another portion that the Kyuubi jinchuuriki will be kidnapped. There's more to it, he knows he should have reported these back to Hokage-sama, ninjas live and die based on suspicions.

There's nothing concrete, the girl is too open with him, letting him look through her personal communications, offering to room with him all the way up to placing her life in his hands.

Even if Sakura calculated well, he can't help but think that he's missed something big, she trusts him too much. That isn't a problem on its own, it's good for the progress of his mission since she confides in him her concerns regarding his principal charge.

The two of them go back long enough, not that the Lady Haruno knows. He and senpai were the ones to pick up the girl and the youngest Uchiha from the wreckage of the Uchiha Compound.

If she knew it was him, she wouldn't trust him so much. That thought is almost crippling. She is a bleeding heart, and he is the one who has stabbed her.

He really shouldn't have told her how he had the Wood Release.

More than that, he hopes the mission will never end. Tenzo really isn't looking forward to returning to a Konoha with Orochimaru.


He stretches a hand out for his crow to land on his fore guard. The bird pecks at him, the closest it gets to affection. He forms a shadow clone to go back and join Sasuke, before untying the message from Konan tied to the bird's leg.

Itachi knows he can't leave too long, the clone will run out of chakra within the next ten minutes if all they do is practice the Chidori.

The bird caws and hops away to peck at a centipede which has emerged from a crack in the rocks.

Sasori will make a move in the coming week. He has orders to capture the Ichibi. Expected to use the base further from the Sand. Aware of the Leaf team, Kyubi is a secondary priority. Deidara undecided if he will go. They are unaware that you are present. Avoid if possible. Let Sakura know so she can help you.

A quick note he burns after memorising. It goes without saying that he would want to avoid Deidara if possible. Still, the former Iwa-nin represents a possibility.

If Konan wishes to retain his skills, it is possible. After all, if they kill Sasori, they can fake Deidara's death for the rest of the organisation. The bomb specialist never wanted to join Akatsuki, staying not out of loyalty but out of an awareness that they would hunt him down.

He clears his head of such thoughts. Deidara, however, hates him for his role in the recruitment process.

Sakura. The merchant heiress is not a bad choice. And if she decides against the plan, they will just have to kill Deidara as well.

All roads lead to Rome. If he declines later, he would also have to die. He looks around the boulder and makes eye contact with his clone. With a quick substitution, the clone changes with him and disperses, giving him back the memories.

There's a flash of faint sorrow in Sasuke's eyes that he can only smile to dispel.

"I won't lie to you, Sasuke. But I'd rather tell everyone at the same time."

His little brother makes a duck face before accepting it. "Okay, nii-chan. I trust you." And that is his salvation. His brother's unending faith.

They practice the forming of the Chidori over and over, eventually morphing it into what Hatake-senpai calls the Raikiri. To the untrained eye, there is not much difference.

To the Sharingan, the Raikiri is smoother, sharper. Both still result in tunnel vision, and the chaotic lightning nature makes it a two-handed technique. Unwieldy and noisy, the chirping of a thousand birds indeed.

Sasuke finds it cool though, so Itachi has no complaints. Not to mention, it is Sasuke's affinity. If he were petty about it, he would have been upset that his younger brother's jutsu is more controlled and stronger than his.

Because they've only detonated one each, his baby brother has taken it to be a fluke. Itachi knows from the bottom of his heart that this is his brother who will surpass him.

The two dents in the boulder are very, very different.

A long time ago, someone said they were both a chip off the old block – there's no one left to be laughing anymore.

When Sasuke finally throws in the towel, he slings his brother across his back and carries him home.

Even though the boy whines, and the villagers point at the young Uchiha hanging over the Kakashi-henged Itachi, the older brother takes comfort in knowing that Sasuke is secretly pleased to be carried.

And he knows this because Sakura has said so.

'he loves you, you know that?'


"Deidara." He arches an eyebrow in response to the call, fingers preoccupied with the clay in his hands.

Konan can't help but smile. He never really warmed up to the organisation, maintaining his fierce defiance and pushing boundaries wherever he could get away with it.

"You will not go with Sasori?"

Their explosives expert pauses with his fiddling for a moment to look at her. "Is that a question or an order, un."

She leans against the doorframe before replying that it's a question. "It is up to you, after all."

"You're here to tell me to go, un."

She inclines her head, before slowly rolling her neck. "We usually work in pairs."

Deidara rolls his eyes in reply. "Danna won't defect, un. Besides, he's excited to go to Suna again, wants to see their puppets, and I won't have much chance to blow up anything, un. Why should I go?"

The paper angel only tells him to, "Think about it. Humans are as fleeting as your art."

She doesn't threaten him, which is a very Konan-thing to do. The implication makes him uncertain if she is offering him a choice.

If Sasori is counted as a puppet, then he's not human. Therefore, the fleeting human is… him? But if Sasori is not, then he is the fleeting human with his eternal art. What an irony.

"Fine, I'll go, un!" he yells after her even as she walks away.

Not like Sasori can reach Suna without his help. Even if they are in Rain Country and just neighbours to Wind, the desert is unforgiving.

He's asked before if Sasori wants to go back. The answer has always been 'no' but the puppet maker is a homebody who hates moving more than necessary.

On their last outing, the time they went to the Ceramic Village, Sasori insisted they avoid Sunagakure – they took a long-ass detour over the Land of Rivers. Without his clay bird, it'll be an extra half a month this time for the former Suna nin.

The thought of being confined in this damp and dreary country is unbearable. Nothing catches fire well, and he can't go out without a chaperone for fear that he defects.

He would if he could.

He dreams of it – the fleeting taste of freedom if he could just make a break for it. Before they send the Uchiha after him again.

Perhaps he'll try it soon. Afterall, Fishface left somewhat peacefully. It's too bad Iwa will never take him back, not that he'd choose to go back to them of all people.

In the meantime, it seems Akatsuki members are dime a dozen. Leader-sama already has plans to make the idiot Tobi a full member. Since Itachi is undercover back home, he can't have a partner. No one else is missing a partner… except…

Deidara doesn't laugh. The leader is no pushover, even if he didn't manage to capture the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. Konoha will take to recover from his attack, they were just unlucky in that the jinchuuriki was actually out of the country.

To think that the Uchiha didn't return when he had a chance to… a loyal bastard. The same loyal bastard who will drag him back by the collar.

Tobi can't be left alone. He's too much of a child to go off on his own. He certainly doesn't want the orange-masked bubble of sadistic joy as his partner though. Danna suits him all and well.


And that's another chapter done in a day. Specifically left very open, but I'd still like to know what you all think. Would you all rather Sasori, Deidara, both or neither die? I have a plan, but you know, all the best-laid plans go to waste.

In other news, if you were curious as to what I've been writing for the past month, and been following my profile (which I doubt HAHA) I've been working on a two-language fanfic on Archive of Our Own.

If you happened to watch Joy of Life (Qing Yu Nian) and you are looking for English fics, there are some on AO3, but not many. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it as a new category over here, which is one of the reasons I've been posting there.

Quick synopsis, it's a do-over with a mistaken 'time traveller' who was a doctor. So if Ye Qingmei was an engineer, Fan Xian a literature student, then now we have a doctor.

All the same, thanks for reading, and wow we passed the 700 follows mark!

Next I'll be writing Links before coming back here.

Kayo.