Spies and Family Bonds Part 3

Two days later, Yamato stands on the Tenchi bridge under the guise of Sasori. Nearby, behind a rock stood Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Sai.

The four of them sat there, watching for Yamato's signal. Naruto did his best at suppressing his chakra presence but couldn't. Kurama started to suppress his chakra presence as much as he could. "They're going to discover us, regardless. However, I want to know who this spy is. Share the sight and hearing will you brat." Naruto sighed as his eyes turned red and hearing increased ten-fold.

The spy walks on to the bridge, his identity concealed by a dark blue almost black hood. Yamato initiates contact. "You weren't followed, were you?"

"No. It was hard getting out from under Orochimaru's watch."

"Good. It wouldn't do us any good if the cat's out of the bag. Now tell me, how is Orochimaru fairing."

"Not too well. The Hidden Leaf invasion two years ago had failed and Sasuke never came to him. It's almost time for him to reincarnate and there isn't a suitable vessel."

A random voice sounds off from somewhere. "Hahaha, you didn't do a very good job of getting out from under my watch."

Kabuto jumped, turning around and defending Sasori. "What are you doing here?"

The mysterious voice started manifesting in a pile of snakes. "Oh Kabuto… You really thought that you were going to get away with betraying me?" He faces Sasori smirking. "Although, I really have to thank you for sending him to me. He's proven himself very useful."

Kabuto used the time Orochimaru was speaking to manifest a chakra scalpel and slash at Sasori. When he did so, he ended up slashing at Yamato's arm.

Back with the four of them, Naruto was ready to jump. Sasuke had to talk some sense into him saying "Don't do anything stupid. He hasn't given the signal yet and no jonin worth their title would let their subordinates in on a battle that he can handle unless it was dire."

Kurama switched places with Naruto completely. "While you're right about that, this is Orochimaru and Kabuto you're talking about. Those two aren't just your common shinobi criminals. Either way, you're better off waiting for him Naruto."

Naruto switched back and continued talking with Kurama in his mindscape. "You've got to be kidding me Kurama! This guy is not going to stop until he has Sasuke as a trophy!"

A girlish chuckle rung out in his mindscape. "You know Naruto, I agree with you on that part, but I think you know better than to run in there without a plan. Especially when it comes to Orochimaru."

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance after leaving that mark, princess."

"Don't call me princess! I hate that title. Just call me as Naruto does, jeez."

"Come on, you know I'm for formalities."

"Now is not the time for that." Einjeru finally appears after arguing with one of the most powerful fox demons known to the shinobi world. "I'm surprised you didn't feel my chakra around your neck Naruto."

"B-b-but how are you here? I thought we had to fist-bump for you to be here in the mindscape."

"It's a means of allowing chakra into the body, but the mating mark on your neck took care of that and stores some of her chakra in you. Plus, it helps that I shared mine with her as well."

"Now that that's understood, maybe you can explain why you're saying stay put."

"Naruto, as much as I want to beat those two to a bloody pulp for harming my home and family, I have to acknowledge that they'd beat me senseless. I learned that the hard way when Orochimaru got me with his Grass Longsword. If it wasn't for Yamato, dad, Shizune, Lady Tsunade and Master Jiriaya, we'd probably have been dead."

"But Einjeru! He's going to!"

"He is ANBU Black Ops. Naruto! He is perfectly capable of handling his own!"

"Calm down you two. It does no good to be arguing right now. Also, that guy is a master of wood style to an extent. He'll be fine."

"What do you mean to an extent? What does that mean for us Kurama?"

"Those idiots on the counsel fear your ability to use Kurama's chakra in battle. They fear you might lose control of his chakra and go on a rampage. Yamato is capable of using a jutsu that can restrain his chakra, hence the wood style."

"And Sai, your replacement?"

"I refuse to speak about him. He pisses me off to no end and I barely know him. Something about him is making my skin crawl and…"

"Something is off-putting. The guy can't read emotions."

"He was saying creepy things to us this whole mission."

"Let's get off the subject of my replacement and focus."

It seemed that at moment, Yamato gave the signal for them to come out. The four of them landed in front of Yamato in a crouch. Naruto was still sharing his eyes with Kurama, whom in turn narrowed his eyes at the sight that beheld all of them. Einjeru stood there in Naruto's mindscape, trying to piece together a plan and staring at two of the people that caused some of the grief in her relatively short life from his mind's eye.

Orochimaru looked at Sasuke and was elated. "So, I see the baby Uchiha finally makes his debut in front of me." Sasuke wasn't as thrilled. He felt his neck to make sure no chakra was flowing in or out of the seal. Orochimaru's look of elation turned to one of disappointment. "How come I don't sense the curse mark?"

Sasuke smirked. "Because I'm willing your so-called power away."

Flashback:

It was a couple of days after Team Seven foiled Sasuke's plan to abandon the village. Kakashi and Jiraiya walked into Sasuke's hospital room to check him out and find out where the mark was exactly. When they found it, Jiraiya, whom had the most experience with seals and Orochimaru, deduced that it was the cursed mark of heaven. "There are a few techniques that we can use, but the main two have some serious setbacks. One: the curse sealing. This technique completely relies on Sasuke's will. Two: The evil releasing method. This needs a piece of Orochimaru's flesh, but then we'd have a second Orochimaru running around. I could definitely say the curse sealing method would definitely work on Einjeru if she had the curse mark put on her because of her strong will, but Sasuke is tempted by power which is why he left in the first place. I think he needs to understand some things; things that you need to explain to him Kakashi."

"I know Master Jiraiya. He's already aware of Einjeru's blood trait for the most part. He also needs to know that she gave him the knockout blow at a devastating cost. He's seen Einjeru as a goal to meet from the academy days. I just need to convince him that he can surpass her from being here in the leaf and that he can do so under his own power."

"All four limbs broken. I'm surprised she isn't screaming and writhing in pain."

"She was the other day. She was running a fever and thrashing against the nurses. She's asleep now."

"We need to seal him A.S.A.P. Lord Third wants me to bring back Tsunade."

"Are you going to seal him, or am I?"

"How about you seal him under my supervision. I know you can use the curse sealing."

"I'll need some time to prepare. This takes a hefty chunk of chakra."

"I'm aware. You have one week to run through everything and explain to him what this entails."

Little did the two of them know that Sasuke was feigning sleep and listening to everything that they discussed. Nor did they notice the same kunoichi that they were talking about, wheeling around in a wheelchair trying to find a bigger bathroom. They would hear a feminine yawn before hearing a twinge of an 'ouch.'

"I thought she was sleep brat."

"She was when I left her."

Jiraiya turned around and sees some black hair with silver streaks. "Are you sure she wasn't faking it?"

All he got was a sigh in return as Kakashi walked over to her. "You're supposed to be resting."

Einjeru chuckled. "I had to go to the bathroom… My room doesn't have a big enough bathroom for the wheelchair to fit. I didn't want to trouble a nurse, so I went looking for a bigger bathroom." She yawned. "I am tired, but as I started to fall asleep, my bladder decided to keep me awake."

Giving a sigh, Kakashi wheels her back to her room and helps her to the bathroom. He got her situated and stood there looking at her indifferently.

"Turn around! I don't want my pervert old man looking at me while I'm going to the bathroom!"

Kakashi's visible eye widened before turning around. "Pervert? I'd like to think I'm far from it."

"You read those books in front of me… That is perverted in itself… Can you help me wipe?" She ended up getting a sheepish smile on her face.
He grabs some toilet paper and gently lifts her to wipe her and pull her pants up. "You know, I'll always help you, even if you don't want me to, my pup."

"I would hug you, but both of my arms are in slings and my motions are limited."

Kakashi wrapped his arms around her before carrying her back to bed. "Now rest. I don't want to have to tell you again." He ruffles her hair before walking out the room to see Jiraiya.

"Kid, your father would be proud of you. Sensei was right in putting her in your care. You've become quite a man in raising her."

"At what cost? She needs a mother in her life and I can never give that to her."

"She doesn't seem to mind it. She loves you, even if you don't see eye to eye all the time. Naruto needs a father, and looks up to you and I. You might end up becoming his father indirectly if Einjeru has anything to do with it. Those two are almost attached at the hip."

Back in Sasuke's room, he laid in his bed, just listening to everything. "Einjeru got strong just by training with Kakashi, but they're related, and her strength lies in their bloodline trait. The sharingan can only take me so far in that case. She sacrificed her mobility to bring me back… but from what?"

Presently:

"She may have caused temporary memory loss, but she helped give me the strength to resist you." Sasuke turned on his fully matured sharingan.

Naruto looked at Sasuke briefly. "Bump fists with me really quick Sasuke. I have a plan."

Upon doing so, his sharingan started seeing Narutos mindscape, and he heard a familiar voice.

"More like I have a plan." Einjerus chakra projection folded her arms. "It would be best if Sakura fights Kabuto. She is a medical ninja and was trained by Tsunade whom also fought him. You two and Yamato should focus on the snake creep." A dangerous look crept into her eyes as she got a thought. However, there was no time to voice it. "Do not pull out your trump cards unless absolutely necessary. And watch yourselves around Sai. I don't trust him."

As they finished planning, Sakura lunged in, punching at someone who was originally with their group. "You planned on betraying us from the start!"

"It was my mission to track down Orochimaru and join up with him."

"Who assigned you that?!"

"Lord Danzo himself."
Yamato started speaking, wondering what brought this on. "Danzo is no longer affiliated with the Leaf. He's considered a traitor after what he's done."

"All he's done was try to get a loose cannon under control. That demon has no place among the regular shinobi ranks and she knows it."

Inside Naruto's head, both Kurama and Einjeru were angry. "I swear, if I were here I'd beat him to a pulp myself!"

"Danzo knew before Einjeru did. That's why he kidnapped her back then. He knew that if he didn't she'd become too powerful for him to control, even with a certain sharingan…"

Naruto shook his head and looked to Yamato. "What now captain?"

"We capture Sai, and Kabuto if possible. We will then return to the Leaf for further instruction."

Orochimaru chuckled. "By the way, ask Einjeru how Itachi's been."

Sasuke's eyes set into a glare and inside Narutos head, Einjeru's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? Einjeru hasn't even met him."

Einjeru started to flip out. "How the hell did that snake bastard find out?! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"

"Calm yourself princess. It doesn't look like Sasuke is buying it or is even aware of the events that happened, and it will remain that way until you reveal it."

Einjeru was too stressed out to even reprimand Kurama about her title. "What if he asks? I can't continue avoiding it. I made a deal with the devil here…"

"Relax! The truth will come out about Itachi eventually, however, it would be best that you tell him."

"How can I tell him that the higher ups of our home told Itachi to slay his own clan members? How can I tell him that I knew all this time, and that my mom, Itachi, and I have a pact in the works? Everything that I told Itachi about keeping Sasuke safe is coming undone."

Orochimaru chuckles again. "Oh, there's so much you don't know, Sasuke. You will come to me, eventually. Kabuto, we're leaving."

Kabuto nods, telling Sai to hold them off. "It will be nice crumbling that teamwork and family that you cherish so much."

Yamato caught Sai off guard, wrapping his leg, torso and arms in wood. "You're coming back with us."

Back in the Leaf, Einjeru woke up abruptly, dropping her book. Her chakra started spiking in panic as she tried to calm herself. 'Oh no… It's truly coming apart.' Kakashi put his book down, having noticed her spikes.

"Einjeru? Is something wrong?"

"They encountered Orochimaru… I need to talk to Lord Third about something. It's almost time for my allotted outside walking time anyways." She hops out of her bed and heads to the bathroom. As soon as she came out, she flashed out the window and over to the Sarutobi clan estate, asking if Lord Third was around.

She was led to the clan house he stayed in to hear that grandfatherly voice that she grew so fond of as of lately. She kneeled in front of the door, her voice wavering slightly. "Lord Third? Can I talk with you?"

"Come in Einjeru. You don't need to be so formal all the time. I can sense something is troubling you, just through your voice alone."

"I think Orochimaru knows about Itachi, and about my knowledge as well. I'm nervous that the truth is going to have to come out."

"So, this is why you're nervous. I've seen you face the chunin exams with such abandon that this makes me nervous. Why are you scared about the truth coming out?"

"Aside from Itachi requesting us to keep it secret, I'm afraid it's going to break our family apart…" She bit her lip in an attempt to not shed tears.

"During my tenure as hokage, I have stressed that everyone in the village is my family. Even to this day, I still believe that Orochimaru can change and will come home where he belongs. You must believe that Sasuke will see past why you kept it from him and won't seek vengeance. From a former leader to a future one, believe in those under and close to you. For the most part, they tend to prove you right."

"Lord Third… My replacement… He betrayed them." She gritted her teeth. "He was working under Danzo this whole time! I don't know how to feel about this!" Her unshed tears ran down her face. "This whole time I knew something was off, and yet I was laying in the hospital!"

Lord Third handed her a handkerchief. "The problem is proving it Einjeru. You have exceptional instincts; the problem is backing those instincts up. Now how do you know that he betrayed them?"

"My dormant chakra inside Naruto woke up as I was sleeping… I practically saw everything from his minds' eye… From the looks of things, Sasuke doesn't believe Orochimaru, but I don't think I can keep up the farce."

"Relax Einjeru. It won't do anybody any good to stress out. Leave it to me. Now, why don't we play some Pente, and enjoy a nice cup of tea. You could definitely use some."

"Maybe, but could we go out for some dumplings?"

"Dumplings? I thought you didn't care for sweets."

"I don't, but the dumpling shop has good tea."

"You make a good point, but you must try their anmitsu. I heard it's not as sweet as the dumplings. You might like it."

"It has fruit in it, so it's healthy. I'll give it a whirl." Einjeru started relaxing as they walked and happened by Tsunade.

"Ah Tsunade. Join us for some tea. We have a lot to discuss."

"I'm going to need a drink, aren't I?"

"Of course. However, it's best you remain sober until we're finished."

"Lady Tsunade…" Einjeru averted her eyes, trying to come up with the best way to explain what's coming down the turnpike. "Itachi is going to die soon. This might be crazy, but please allow Sasuke and I to retrieve him." In her head she facepalmed. 'Stupid! Why did I just blatantly ask that?!'

Looking at Tsunade, anyone could tell that grimace equals pain if not treaded upon lightly. "Give me a good reason why, and maybe I will."

Einjeru spilled everything she knew with Lord Third to confirm it all. She felt like she was going to be sick with how much she talked. Lady Tsunade took it surprisingly well.

"Well I didn't expect a whole confession, but I expected something like this. I got an unexpected visit from the queen of shadows last night."

"So that's what mom did after bringing me back to the hospital after my meltdown…"

"She explained that Itachi had full confidence in you to keep Sasuke on his path, and not reveal the truth…"

"That truth has to come out. When Team Kakashi returns, Sasuke will have questions. Damn that snake traitor!" Her tea cup broke in her hands. Einjeru got a grimace on her face and went to the bathroom.

Lord Third gives a smile. "Did Anjera explain everything?"

"Not in as much detail as Einjeru, but I wanted to hear it from her mouth before I approved of it. However, that stipulation of Einjeru keeping quiet, I'm going to remove it and have Einjeru tell it to him under our watch and silencing seals."

"That was Itachi's request."

"Her mind is not in the right place, sensei. Mind and body are the same entity and Einjeru's isn't healthy because of the burden that she's carrying. That's the main reason I haven't released her from the hospital. I'm keeping her under observation."

"Isn't her allotted walk time almost up?"

"I can extend it as I see fit. She likes tea." Tsunade gives a look at the 10 tea cups left in Einjeru's spot. "I feel that maybe if she tells Sasuke, she'll feel better."

Einjeru comes back, heaving a sigh. "That's better…" She looks at the grim look on Tsunade's face. "Did I do something wrong Lady Tsunade?"

"No. I was thinking of your next set of treatments."

"I thought I was fine?"

"Not mentally. You're going to tell Sasuke the truth."

"… … … WHAT?! You're crazy! I made a promise that I wouldn't!"

"And that promise is tearing you apart. You looked like you didn't rest at all and you just had a nap!"

"But… but… what if Sasuke goes berserk? I don't think I can stop him this time… Sasuke had gotten way stronger than I expected."

"And so have you. Did we think you'd come back with the ability to sprout wings at will, or be able to graze Kakashi's face as you have, or a third chakra nature?"

"No. Also, I want to beat Sai…"

"Why?"

"He turned on Team Kakashi. After that point I woke up."

"I figured as much. I only needed evidence. I don't think that will lead to us finding Danzo."

"No." Einjeru looked down. "That trail has been cold for 2 and a half years. Even my mom had her men on the hunt. However, what's the verdict on my request?"

"I'm granting it with a possible double promotion if you pull it off."

Einjeru looked on with shock. "Meaning being a jonin?"

"Exactly. You look a lot better now with that bit of news."

"I feel better… Now that I've spoken about it."

"That's good. I think I'll grant your release from the hospital."

"YES! I'm raring to go roaming around the village without restrictions!"

Lord Third looks at Einjeru with a smile. "Someone's hyper."

"Of course. I've been cooped up for nearly a week and the last couple days there really wasn't anything wrong physically."

"But your mental state affects your physical."

"Alright." Einjeru pulls out her wallet to pay for her abnormally large portion of tea. "I appreciate the time you took to look after my well-being and for the tea…" She sets the ryo on the table and makes her way back to the hospital, running into Akuma.

"Sis!"

"Hey Einjeru. Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?"

"I was heading back there now. I had tea with Lord Third and Lady Tsunade."

"So that's where she is. Lady Shizune had been looking for her at the bars thinking she was out drinking."

"She was drinking, just not her typical drink. Gotta go before Lady Shizune does something to stun me for being out the hospital."

"Alright sis. Promise me you'll talk to dad. The tension between you two has been growing even if the two of you haven't realized it."

"Alright. See you later Akuma." Einjeru flashed to the hospital, ready to test the strength of their bond.

At the hospital, Kakashi laid in his bed, reading. Einjeru came in with an unsure look on her face, the tension between her and him now showing. "H-hey dad."

"About time you came back. I was starting if you were beaten to a pulp and being dragged by Lady Tsunade or Lady Shizune."

"Actually, I just had tea with Lady Tsunade and Lord Third. We need to talk…"

Immediately Kakashi straightened himself up and looked at her. "I was wondering when you were going to open up."

"It took the doing of our kage to get me to this point."

"I wasn't about to pull the teeth if I didn't have to."

"Well I guess I should talk about what I didn't report during my guard duty on our way to the Sand village…"

"I'm listening."

"I ran into Itachi… We talked…"

Kakashi's eyes immediately darkened. "You're treading on thin ice here Einjeru. You're on borderline treason for doing what you did."

"I'm aware, and so is Lady Tsunade. I told her everything." She pulled a chair over and sat. "Since my 16th birthday is coming soon, I have to pick someone to tether my powers to and they act like an advisor of sorts."

"And you chose Itachi above everyone else you know? Including myself?"

"Trust me, I thought hard about it and literally weighed the pros and cons of everyone I know of on a set of scales. Itachi was most logical. I'll have you to advise me regardless, since when you pass on you're going to head the demon branch of our clan anyways. Grandpa is one of mom's advisors and he's the demon branch head…"

"What about Sasuke? He'll take it as a betrayal of his trust."

"I intend to tell him when he comes back. Itachi is dying anyways, hence another reason."

"To be honest Einjeru, you somewhat turned your back on everyone with this choice."

"I'm willing to do that to protect those I care for."

"What about Naruto? What will he think?"

"I don't know. I still must deal with how I'm going to confront Sasuke and Lady Tsunade is making me do it. I figured I might as well air it out with you first with how alike you two are."

"What does that mean Einjeru?"

"Ask mom. She told me what she noticed when you guys were younger, and I noticed those similarities in Sasuke. Sorry about this dad, but I had a choice to make and I made it. Lady Tsunade and Lord Third support me on this, but it won't make a difference if I don't have my family backing me. Mom doesn't know about Lady Tsunade making me talk to Sasuke about this."

"It's best she doesn't. I noticed you relax when talking to me about this, so I'm willing to let you do it, but you promise me something."

"At this point, anything."

"You tell me when something like this is bothering you. Even if I don't agree with you, I will always listen to you, and help you weigh the consequences."

Einjeru relaxed completely. "You got it dad."

"Now come here and relax. We need to talk about some things."

"I had some questions about clan successorship since Akuma is in the mix."

"Well we can talk about that. It typically goes to the eldest, you, but if you get married or mate, it will go to the next eldest unless they get married in which case it goes to the first eldest. This is because of gender, if you were boys, you'd get it hands down."

"So, if Akuma mates, the clan would go to me?"

"In normal circumstances. However, yours is beyond normal. You'll have a whole kingdom to run. Plus, if and when Naruto becomes Hokage, communication will be key. I have a bad feeling your moms' power is fading."

"So, I'm not the only one feeling that… I was truly afraid of this."

"That means she'll disappear completely. I felt it when she was healing me but couldn't bring it up."

"I felt it when we were training… her hits weren't packing as much of a punch as they first did."

"If that's the case, she's fading fast and…"

"Won't make it to my birthday, hence why she's trying to speed up my decision. If this is the case, I need to train. I'm nowhere near ready."

"Try meditating some. Your mother wanted you to try that to prepare you for what's coming."

"I will. Grandpa gave me some incense to help relax me while I meditate. I'm heading to the clan compound."

"Train hard Einjeru. Things are only going to get harder."

With her back turned to Kakashi, Einjeru gave a thumbs up. "This is training that only I can go through. I will not back down when there's too much at stake." She walks out the room and heads to the clan compound.

Akuma walks in with a smile on her face. "I see the conversation went well. How are you feeling dad?"

"I'm able to move some. Let me guess you're on my detail?"

"Lady Tsunade thought it would be best to start me on something easy. Well, we should be able to move you to eating solids."

"I think it's good you and Einjeru will be on the same team."

"She's reckless. She always needs a medic with her. However, mom won't move her to the next stage until she masters her meditation."

"I think she's going to do just that."

"You think she can do it dad?"

"You don't know your sister without her mask, do you?"

"Emotional?"

"She's like Naruto with her mask off."

"Ah… Determined."

"Exactly. During her chidori training, she focused on nothing more."

"Well, I guess she'll be in a dark room for a while."

"Yes, she will."

At the clan compound, Einjeru took in a deep breath and coughed up some dust. After cleaning up, she lit some incense, changed into her wolf form and sat with her eyes closed. 'Focus…' Her chakra inside of Naruto woke up again. "Well well well… When I meditate, I end up in Narutos mindscape."

"Welcome back. You disappeared abruptly."

"Well I woke up abruptly. However, I'm meditating. How did everything go?"

"We captured the traitor, but Orochimaru and Kabuto escaped."

"Expected that. Sasuke?"

"Reverted to before training. Do you intend to tell him?"

"I'm not given a choice. Lady Tsunade ordered it."

"That's going to be fun princess."

"Please don't call me that… Make I look through Naruto's sight?"

"We have to pull him in and can't really do that now."

"What happened?"

"He pulled too much of my chakra and lost control. Your master had to use the 10th edict of enlightenment on him."

"Idiot… Is he okay?"

"He's in another plane of his mind, but nothing totally severe. I probably won't trust him with my chakra for a while."

"As expected. How's our medic?"

"The best out of everyone. She managed to do what her master couldn't."

"I'm impressed. Well either way, I'll see myself out and continue with meditating."

"You're trying to get to the next plane of your mind and ready yourself for the next phase of training, so you don't end up stuck where your mother is?"

"Yeah… She's fading faster than I expected Kurama. I'm not the only one who noticed. Dad can feel it."

"Any demon can feel it. The problem with that is anyone could challenge for the throne. If you can win it in your human form, you can continue to live in the Leaf village while your mom acts in your stead until you're ready."

"If this is the case, I have no time to stand here."

"Hey brat, here's a tip. Relaxation only gets you so far, you need to think of where you want to go."

"Thanks, Kurama." Leaving Narutos mind and re-entering hers, her eyes fluttered a little bit. Within her mind, she saw a sign. One direction says, 'The mind.' The other says 'The heart.' "The mind and the heart huh? Where do I want to go?" Her eyes closed, and the mind sign faded away. "Hmmm…" Walking in the direction of the Heart, she sees everything she experienced to this point in her life, the decisions she made. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, she pressed on, seeing a golden glow at the end.

Walking through it, Einjeru sees her mother looking at her in a surprised fashion. "Mom? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I didn't expect you to make it here so soon."

"Ye of little faith mom… Either way… You're—"

"Fading. I know. I've stretched myself too thin. Hence why it's best you undergo this training as soon as possible."

"Grandpa is near…"

"Go, you can now get to this plane without intense meditation."

"Alright." Einjerus eyes fluttered again to open to see Shiro. "Hey gramps, why are you in Shirobuki form?"

"I'm in the village full time, gathering information and making sure you don't hurt yourself."

"Ha… Ha… Ha… I was only meditating. Has Team Kakashi returned yet?"

"No. They're still about three days out…"

"It's going to be a long three days, but that gives me time to think about what I'm going to tell Sasuke."

"The truth is coming out?"

"It's come out two times, to the hokage and to dad. To be honest, I never felt so light."

"It will be easier to tell since you've said it twice already, just tell him how you told Kakashi and the hokage."

"I'm still nervous. Sasuke probably won't respond that well. I requested that Sasuke and I go after Itachi."

"Just you two alone?!"

"Itachi is dying. He wants Sasuke to smite him, and I'm there as support as well as to make sure everything goes right so we have no snags."

"Do you really think its best to tell him the truth now?"

"No choice. Lady Tsunade ordered it."

"Oh… Well that's going to be fun."

"Tell me about it. I hope the bond is strong enough that Sasuke will see the reasoning behind it. If he doesn't, I'll smite both myself."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Same. I want this to go smoothly as possible." Her wings came out and gave a silver glow.

"I see your wings are getting stronger and you rarely use them."

"I may have to use them quite a bit."

"Well that's enough training for now. You need to learn to relax some."

"Let's go to Ichiraku then. I'm the mood for Chashu ramen."