Author's Note: I apologize for the delay in these. Our internet was out at the house (yes, for more than a week - I kind of live in the country) and I kept forgetting to take my laptop to work to try to post there. So to make it up to you, here are the two chapters you would have gotten last week and this week. Even if I couldn't post I tried to write so that I could get you guys what I owed you. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Twenty

Sasuke had a strange feeling. He felt like something somewhere was happening that was going to cause chaos.

Normally, he'd just shake the feeling off and go back to what he was doing, but he was pretty bored and he figured it was partly his responsibility to mitigate chaos in the village if he could. He was determined to protect what his brother had held so dear. That, and if Kakashi ever caught wind that Sasuke had an inkling there might be some trouble and didn't do anything to stop it he would get one of those annoying lectures. And Kakashi was too damn insightful. He'd definitely know that Sasuke knew something was up and ignored it.

Grumbling, Sasuke put on his weapons and cloak and left his apartment. He was mostly sure that going out on a hunch was a stupid thing to do, but it'd probably save him a headache later.

Once he stepped out of his apartment, Sasuke leapt up to the roof of his building and kept climbing until he was at one of the higher points in the village. Konoha had been expanding since they started rebuilding, and things were growing up as well as out, so it was a little harder to look out on everything, but he figured if there was something obvious happening he'd be able to see it from there.

He closed his eyes and centered himself, trying to sense any noticeable commotion in the village. When after ten minutes his senses turned up nothing, he decided he should make a round or two about the city. If nothing had presented itself at that point, then Sasuke could say he'd tried and could go back to spending his evening in peace inside his apartment and away from people. He had grown used to the stares and distrustful looks of some of the Konoha citizens since his return and he didn't really blame them. Honestly, if everyone just accepted him with open arms like Naruto had wanted them to Sasuke would have worried for their intelligence. Sure, he wasn't a threat anymore and would work to protect the village for both his biological brother and his brother in spirit, but he could raze the city to the ground pretty quickly should he feel the desire.

So the stares were fine with him. It's not that he cared what most people thought about him, anyway. But there had been more stares recently. And more whispers. And for someone as antisocial as him, he didn't like extra attention. So aside from the occasional mission (never far from the village as the council didn't trust him that well yet) and his training sessions and meals out with the few friends he had, he preferred to stay holed up in his apartment. Where it was clean. And didn't change. And was filled with stuff he liked. And was away from the general population.

Maybe he was a bit neurotic. Just a bit. Though there shouldn't be anything wrong with wanting things to be just so. Controlled environments were comfortable. And he was just fine. More than fine. He was an Uchiha, thank you very much, so he was actually amazing. His family had just had some bad luck. If you could call going from one of the most powerful clans in the shinobi world to one lone member bad luck.

Sasuke took a deep breath in and out. He was zen. He was in control. He no longer wanted to murder the council for what they did to his brother and family.

By the time the Uchiha had finished his thoughts, he'd already made it around the village once. He decided it would be more thorough if he stopped by each district instead of only sticking to the perimeter of Konoha and started towards the city center. As he neared one of the smaller marketplace areas near the old Uchiha district and the Hyuga compound he noticed a bit of agitation below. It wasn't a large commotion, and there were no obvious fights or explosions, but he could feel a collective nervous energy and there was more movement and whispers than any other area he'd passed. It didn't seem like anything serious, but he thought it was his duty to check it out just in case.

Once on the ground, he stuck as best he could to shadows and alleyways without seeming too suspicious. He wanted to check things out, not make everyone think he was there to murder someone.

"Can you believe - "

"- with the hero of the Shinobi World!"

"I swear to you I heard she was with that U - "

"- what her clan is thinking letting her carry on this way. Surely they'd know about it!"

"- the biggest scandal since everyone found out the Hokage was trying to write his own smut novels!"

Sasuke wasn't usually one for gossip, but the street was filled with whispers and conversations and whatever it was about seemed to be the cause for the nervous energy. He tried to get a little closer to a small group of older women, knowing from his time on the run that they usually had the most information. Though he also knew not to take their gossip as gospel.

He began to edge closer, not moving quickly so as not to startle the women out of their conversation. He abandoned that objective, however, when he saw two familiar figures walking down the street. Their chakra was erratic and they were discussing something heatedly. Were they here on a mission? Was he right in thinking something dubious was going on?

He figured confronting - er, talking - to them might lead to more reliable information than some old women's gossip. So he made his way towards them quickly. When they caught sight of him, however, both stopped abruptly. He very clearly saw one with wide eyes mouthing the word, "Shit."

Just what kind of mess had he come across?