Chapter VIII

The sun blared down onto the Earth, melting the snow on the ground and turning it rich brown as it melded with the mud. Avoiding the puddles, Kakashi made his way to the main gate of the village. Days like these made him thankful for The Land of Fire's unseasonable weather as his cloak swayed in the temperate breeze.

"Kakashi, my Eternal Rival!" Gai's voice boomed from above as Kakashi glanced up to see him standing on the rooftops, grinning down on him like the Cheshire Cat himself. "Late as always, I see."

"I could say the same to you." Kakashi placed his hands in his front pockets and gave his friend a smile through his mask. "Is your team all ready?"

"Of course they are." Gai jumped down and landed next to Kakashi, wrapping one arm around his neck. "They were born ready for this mission. You won't regret this!"

Kakashi tried to wriggle out from Gai's hold, but his rival truly was powerful and he only tightened his grip and ruffled Kakashi's hair with his free hand, his smile widening at Kakashi's horror-stricken face. Gai finally removed his arm and the men started walking towards their destination, the somber silence of the morning filling the space around them.

"What do you think our chances are?" Gai questioned, his voice oddly quiet.

"Hard to say." Kakashi sighed. "We have a good team, but we don't have any ideas on where to start. Itachi and Sasuke are both constantly on the move. Without Naruto's Shadow Clones, we'll have a harder time covering all the ground we need."

"The Akatsuki are a tough group." Gai said. "Is splitting up even a viable option? It took everything out of Team Asuma to bring one pair down, and that was with your help."

"And Naruto," Kakashi added. Gai nodded in agreement. "This is the only option we have. Luckily, Jiraiya has convinced the Sage's to help us. Naruto can be summoned at a moment's notice." Kakashi stopped and glanced at his friend, a knowing glint in his eye. "Gai, you and I are the only ones with this knowledge. It is only to be used when we have found Sasuke or Itachi. Sakura can't-…"

"I understand." Gai stated thickly. "I'll keep it to myself. I swear to you on my life."

Kakashi patted Gai on the back and continued forward, his mind pulling itself apart into a million different directions. What were the Akatsuki planning? What was that chakra in the snow? What if they are too late? Could he have done something differently? Could he have prevented Sasuke from going down this path?

"Finally, Kakashi-Sensei," Sakura huffed, standing up and brushing off her knees. "And you too Gai-Sensei! Taking after your rival, I see."

"I'm sorry, everyone." Gai responded sheepishly, putting his arm behind the back of his head. "I was up training until 2am in preparation for this and ran into Kakashi on the way here. Thought it would be good for us to catch up."

"That is so inspirational!" Lee shouted. "I only trained until midnight last night. Please forgive me, everyone! I should have trained harder to be the best I can be for this mission." Lee's bottom lip began quivering as Gai patted him on the head softly, giving him a thumbs up.

"Can we please not cry before the mission starts?" Tenten chided.

"Yes, let's listen to what we need to do." Neji said.

Kakashi took his place at the front of the group and looked around at the team he had assembled. Without Naruto, he requested that Tsunade let him have two extra teams help Team Kakashi: Team Gai and Team Eight. It took some convincing taking away two of her top teams, but she knew that getting to Sasuke was a top priority. As of now, he hadn't done anything to draw the attention of the other Village's, and seemed only to be interested in getting his own revenge. However, he had walked a dangerous path ever since the massacre of the Uchiha clan. Kakashi would never admit it outloud, but when proposing his idea to the Hokage, he could feel the question lingering in the air: Will Sasuke go rogue?

"Hi, everyone." He gave a small wave, getting grumbles (from Neji and Shino), shouts of glee (Courtesy of Gai and Lee), and nods from the others. "We're here to find and capture Itachi OR Sasuke Uchiha." Sakura raised her hand and Kakashi held his up in response. She put hers down shyly as Sai came over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Save questions until the end, please."

"Each team will consist of yourselves and two of my Ninken. We will utilize the ear pieces you were given as a form of communication. We will each split up and go ten miles in opposite directions. Once you have covered your ten miles, return to the pre-assigned rendezvous point and we will then start over, until we find one of them. Now," Sakura raised her hand, as well as Hinata. Kakashi pointed to Sakura first as he said, "I'll take questions."

"What is the range of the ear pieces? And if we do find one of them, without Naruto, do you think-"

He cut her off. "Don't worry about Naruto. We will not need him for this mission. Remember, we are capturing them. We are not going to convince, barter, or debate them. The range of the ear pieces is fifteen miles. We will be well within range so long as we stick to ten miles of travel. If you do go out of range, you were each provided two flares. Please only use them if your life depends on it." Sakura nodded, seemingly satisfied for now.

"Excuse me," Hinata chimed in. Kakashi nodded at her to continue. "W-Well, I was wondering… Should Sakura have an escort? In case maybe they need bait to lure out Naruto-kun… They might go after her."

"I will do it!" Lee volunteered enthusiastically. "Sakura, I will protect you with my life!"

"That's not necessary," Kakashi assured. Lee hung his head low as his entire body seemed to deflate at Kakashi's words. "But you bring up a good point, Hinata. That's why Sakura is the only person who will be traveling with two others."

Sakura looked perplexed. "Really, Sensei? I don't think they'd want to capture me."

"You're our only mednin, Sakura." Kakashi reminded her. "And Hinata is right. Without Naruto, you're a target. They will try and draw him out if they notice he isn't traveling with us. So, you'll be accompanied by Neji and Yamato."

Sakura's jaw grew taut, a battle raging in her mind, but she gave a curt nod and glanced towards the sky. Kakashi felt his heart quiver in his chest at the thought of his student being captured by the enemy. He glanced over to Yamato who smiled delicately, and moved his eyes to Neji who looked annoyed but gave no objection. Kakashi wasn't sure if Neji was ever pleased with anything, so he chose to ignore it. Neji was the best sensory ninja at their disposal, and the main reason he requested Team Gai for this mission. He couldn't endure his students experiencing more psychological torment due to his personal failures.

"Right, if there's no other questions," Kakashi summoned his Ninken and assigned two dogs to each person, except for Kiba, who only got one to go alongside him and Akamaru. "Then we can get started. The first rendezvous point will be at exactly 11'oclock from our current location. Let's move out."

"This is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. "I can't believe it took you this long to train me on this, Pervy Sage. This is exactly what I need to beat Sasuke."

"Well, Naruto, Sage Mode is something that even I haven't mastered. I have faith that with Kakashi's new training technique, you'll be far more advanced than I am in no time." Jiraiya said.

Naruto calmed down and grinned up at the Sage with excitement in his eyes. Tsunade cleared her throat and Naruto stood back into attention, glancing between her and the old toad that sat before him.

"Right, sorry Granny." Naruto huffed.

"Jiraiya is right, Naruto-boy," said the old-man Toad. "Sage Mode is not something to be taken lightly. You'll be gone on Mt. Myoboku for a long time, training there with me and Jiraiya-boy."

"I know that." Naruto whined, "I want to learn Sage Mode, really! But…"

"Naruto," Tsunade scolded, causing him to wince. "Now isn't the time to have a martyr complex! You need to rely on your comrades to take care of Sasuke. Right now, your focus needs to be on making yourself stronger. The Akatsuki will stop at nothing until they capture the Ninetails. Is that really something you want to just stand by and let happen?"

"No." Naruto glared at her and clenched his fists at his sides. "I'll never let them harm the Leaf - I'll stop them if it's the last thing I do!"

"Good." Tsunade nodded at Jiraiya before focussing her gaze again onto Naruto. "There's one more thing we need to tell you before you begin training."

"This is sort of a lot to take in…" Naruto grumbled.

Tsunade stood from her desk and Naruto instinctively took a step back. The Fifth Hokage was a terrifying woman. What Jiraiya saw in her, Naruto would never understand.

"Naruto," Her voice was soft like cotton, and Naruto found the courage to look into her liquid gold eyes as she strided over to him. She was smiling at him gently, her light blonde hair highlighted in the yellow rays of morning sunshine. "Jiraiya will need to leave once you get established on Mt. Myoboku. He has an infiltration mission that cannot wait. We have received intel from Zegetsu's mind that we need to act on as soon as possible."

Naruto thought back to his escort mission. He remembered Zegetsu crystalizing himself into an ice block - a futile attempt at escaping the Ninetails chakra - but his plan backfired, resulting in Naruto boiling half of the man's face off, his right side now permanently puffy and pink, face muscles fully visible. He thought back to the rescue team, how they were revolted by what Naruto had done, the way they had looked at him as they hauled them back to the village… It was the same way everyone in The Leaf used to look at him, all those years ago - they were afraid of him.

"Okay, I understand…" Naruto replied thickly. He tasted sharp iron in his mouth and he realized he had bit his tongue.

"There's one more thing," Tsunade continued. "If Kakashi or the others find Sasuke or Itachi, you'll be summoned to their location immediately. That means you need to make sure you don't drain all your chakra while training. Do you understand? No matter what - make sure you have some left over."

"Alright!" Naruto felt his heart banging in his chest as his nails dug deep into his palm, his fists still clenched into a tight ball on either side of his body. He hated that he had to be away from everyone while they worked to bring back Sasuke, but he knew how important this training was. If he wanted a chance to take down the Akatsuki, then Granny Tsunade and Pervy Sage were right - he needed to grow up and become a true Ninja. He may not be Chunin yet, but this was the first step to getting there.

"Alright, Tsunade," Jiraiya walked over and put a giant hand on her shoulder. Naruto noticed the way her pupils dilated at the old man's touch and it made his heart flutter in his chest as he thought of Sakura. The expression Granny Tsunade gave to Jiraiya reminded him of the way Sakura looked at him during their escort mission… But, no, that can't be true. Everyone knows that Granny Tsunade and Pervy Sage had a history… Unless everyone didn't know. Now that he thought about it, did Jiraiya tell him that on accident during a drunken rant one time?

"Am I right, Naruto?" Naruto blinked in surprise and looked over towards his Sensei.

"I'm sorry, Pervy Sage," He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "What did you say? I sort of spaced out." Jiraiya's booming laughter filled the entirety of the room as Tsunade's head fell into her hand, exasperated.

"Don't worry about it, kid." Jiraiya said as he squeezed Tsunade's shoulder. "I'll fill you in later." He turned to Tsunade and Naruto had trouble reading the look on the Sannin's faces. They were looking at each other like they had a secret language and were communicating telepathically. Tsunade bit her bottom lip as she quickly turned around to get back to her desk, waving a hand at the pair dismissively.

"That's all I have. You're dismissed." Her voice was hollow and flat. She cleared her throat and began haphazardly shuffling papers around her desk. Naruto could tell she wasn't reading them at all and was just trying to make herself appear busy. He glanced over to Jiraiya and saw that he was completely stoic, like a stone statue, his mouth formed into a tight line as he kept his honest eyes on Granny Tsunade.

Naruto looked down, slightly embarrassed, feeling very out of place as though he wasn't meant to be here. He walked over to the old-man Toad and was about to poke him awkwardly when Jiraiya's familiar jovial voice cut through the tension in the air.

"You heard the Lady," he quipped, a bit more loudly than usual. "Time to get going. Hey, Naruto, don't poke him, alright?"

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets and looked to the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "What? I wasn't going to-"

"That's enough." Jiraiya cut him off. "Tsunade, I'll return to you before I head out to discuss the finer details of my mission."

Naruto saw Tsunade's hands freeze their makeshift paper shuffling for a moment. Her head was turned away from them but she gave a single nod as she moved on to organizing files in alphabetical order. The last thing Naruto remembered was watching Jiraya's gaze lock onto Tsunade before their bodies were transported into gravity itself. He felt as though he had been flattened, inflated, deflated, and pulled apart all at once - his stomach churned dramatically as the world around him came into focus, a dazzling array of vivid greens, purples, and pinks all around him, the usually blue sky now a gradient of blues and greens - he hurled up his Ichiraku ramen immediately upon the beautiful site, as Jiraiya screamed reassurances and laughed awkwardly, rubbing circles on Naruto's back.

"I'll just clean that up later," The Sage said. "Sorry about that. Happened my first time, too, kid - don't sweat it."

"That's okay, Jiraiya-boy," said Old-Man Toad, "The ground will absorb it. Good nutrients."

"Right," Jiraiya responded flatly as Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Well, Naruto, let's get going. You have to meet Gamamaru for evaluation."

"Evaluation?" Naruto questioned, writhing out from Jiraiya's grasp. "I thought I could study Sage Mode already! I didn't know I had to pass a test."

"It's not a test, Naruto-boy," assured Old-Man Toad. "It's a sacred tradition. Everyone who learns Sage Mode must get the approval of The Great Elder."

"This place has too many rules," Naruto complained. "I'm never gonna remember all this."

"Just stick to me and you'll do just fine, kid." Jiraiya promised. "I'll show you everything there is to know about this place before I go, alright?"

Naruto nodded in response as the group made their way to a giant, stone structure. He had never seen anything like this before and it made him even more nervous about everything; it was all so… sacred. He took in the unkept moss that grew along the stone walls, the barely-ever used giant staircase that looked like it stretched on for miles, and Naruto hung his head in defeat as he trudged up the steps. Sage Mode better be worth all of this, he thought, taking the steps two-by-two and passing his Sensei and the Old-Man Toad along the way.

"Slow down, Naruto!" Jiraiya shouted. "It's not a race."

"I'll meet you up there, you old geezers!" Naruto called back, laughing. He heard Jiraiya grumble something about a brat as he began sprinting up the steps, showing off slightly, before finally getting to the top and collapsing to the cold floor, panting.

What have I gotten myself into? Naruto thought as he looked around, finally allowing himself to fully take in his surroundings. Nothing about this place was normal, he concluded. The air felt more dense, the temperature cold and warm all at once; the trees were replaced by giant mushrooms, extending out for miles and miles; there were tall plants that looked like they had emotions or cognizant minds, their faces each different and unique, watching him as he loomed over the newly strange world from what he presumed was the highest and most forbidden peak in all the land.

Naruto observed a particularly snooty looking flower that appeared to be glaring at him as it opened its venus-flytrap mouth to catch onto a massive butterfly creature, crunching down on it with a loud thwamp as Jiraiya and the Old Man Toad finally emerged from the staircase. Jiraiya was panting, beads of sweat dripping down his face and neck, his face tinted red from the heat.

"Come along, Naruto-boy," Old Man Toad said. "We're all waiting for you in here."

"All?" Naruto questioned, following him to a giant, stone doorway. It had old etchings carved into the door frames that looked like a story, but the writing was faded and partially moss-covered. Naruto couldn't make out any words as the doors slowly opened with a booming creak, and he was greeted by small gasps as hundreds of frogs sat on the sidelines, the biggest toad of them all at the very end of the massive room, sitting atop of a stone throne with red and green candles lit all around him, a big scholarly hat adorning his head.

Paralyzed by a mixture of fear and imposter syndrome, Naruto felt his body tense up as his legs failed him. Jiraiya placed his massive hand on his shoulder, his dark gaze locked onto Naruto, as he gave him a big toothy grin.

"Don't worry, kid," he whispered, squeezing his shoulder encouragingly. "It's gonna be fine. Just follow me."

They walked down the everlong hallway as Naruto heard murmurs and shushes from all around him, the frogs excitedly exclaiming something about "child of prophecy". Naruto's breathing was shallow, his hands clammy with sweat and his heartbeat banging in his ears, as he stopped just behind Jiraiya, for once very grateful for just how big his mentor was as he hid behind his left shoulder, peeking up at the toad.

"Come forward, boy." The Great Elder commanded. Naruto shuffled forward awkwardly and placed his hands to his side, his entire body rigid. "And so, you are Jiraiya's young student?"

Naruto gulped and nodded as Old-Man Toad took a seat atop of a pillar to the left of the throne. "Yes, this is Naruto-boy. Great Lord Elder, we must know if this child has your blessing to train in the art of Sage Mode."

A large silence filled the room as the hushed whispers and gossip ceased completely and The Great Lord Elder sat as rigid as a sculpture. Naruto felt sweat drip down his neck and sweep across his collarbones, adjusting his shirt collar as he felt like he was suddenly burning up. He closed his eyes tightly, anticipating the worst. No way I'm this prophecy kid, he thought. He was just an orphaned child. A menace and an annoyance to his whole village. He wanted to prove himself, of course, but deep down… how could he believe himself to be destined for greatness the way Sasuke was? There's just no way.

"Ah, I see," Said the Old Geezer Toad. "And you believe this child to be the child of prophecy, Jiraiya?"

Silence, again, but this time it hurt. Even Jiraiya didn't believe that Naruto was the child of prophecy, his hesitation said it all. So why even bother? Naruto thought. Why put me through this?

"I've had a lot of students." Jiraiya said solemnly. "And I admit, I have had a fair share of who I thought could be the child of prophecy before. However, those students have all died." The crowd murmured in surprise. "But none of those students have made me more confident in the prophecy than Naruto himself."

There was another stir amongst the crowd as Naruto felt his eyes widen in surprise. He clenched his fists to his sides and hung his head low as he bit his lip in a bid at suppressing the tears that welled in his eyes from fully falling. Pervy Sage did believe in him. He felt ashamed for doubting that.

"Then, this boy must train in Sage Mode." Geezer Toad concluded. Cheers from all around erupted as Naruto felt himself being hoisted up into the air. He looked down to see Jiraiya smiling at him as he gripped onto his waist and held him high for all the toads in the room to see.

"Behold," Geezer Toad shouted, "The child of prophecy!"

The palms of her hands were deep crimson, her blood burning up under the skin of her arms as she released another burst of energy and tried to maneuver the iron within the fish to its fins, desperate for any sign of flailing life. She screamed, defeated, as she punched the table and blood rushed out of her battered knuckles.

"Sakura!" Tsunade yelled, wrapping a strong arm around her chest and pulling her away from the training table. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Why can't I get this?" Sakura moaned, clawing at Tsunade's arm in an attempt to run forward to try again. "I suck! I'm never going to be of any use to anyone."

Tears welled in her eyes as Tsunade dropped her arm. Sakura fell to her knees, cold tile stinging her skin as she let her head fall into her hands. Her body was shaking with adrenaline and rage as she cried into her burning palms, the tears cold against the scorching flame of her body.

"You are useful," Tsunade assured, rubbing Sakura's hair reassuringly. "This isn't something you can just pick up in a few months. They don't call it a forbidden jutsu for nothing."

"Why was I assigned to Team Seven?" She wailed, digging her nails into the skin of her thigh as she cried helplessly on the tile floor. "I'm nothing compared to them! It shouldn't have been me."

"Sakura-"

"Look at me!" Sakura shrugged her shoulders and looked to her mentor. She felt her mascara sliding down her face as snot dripped from her nose; could feel the way her hair stood upright and the bruises that formed along her arms. She felt like death - a useless husk of flesh and bone - as she continued to mentally scold herself. You don't do enough, you don't read enough, you don't train enough.

"Sakura," Tsunade kneeled down next to her and used her two thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Those boys would never be able to do any of this." She pointed around to the table, the forbidden jutsu scroll that laid out against the floor, slightly bloodied and wet from tears. "Only you can figure this out. I know you will."

"It's taking too long." Sakura scoffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "Naruto and Sasuke have been gone two years now, and so far I've learned a few water-techniques, some medical ninjutsu, and… can't even push the blood inside of this stupid fish!" She waved her hand towards the table, exasperated.

"How am I ever supposed to push blood aside on the battlefield? I need this to work, I-" She sucked in a breath and adjusted herself, standing up and dusting off her knees. "I will get this to work. For them."

"I think that's enough for tonight." Tsunade stood up and kissed Sakura's forehead lightly. "Please go home and get some rest. I will see you tomorrow to work on your water ax."

"Yes, M'Lady." Sakura waited until the sweet sound of Tsunade's heels had disappeared and the door had shut, before rolling up her sleeves and dipping her finger into the fish's blood, drawing the sacred symbol onto the table, breathing in heavily. She hovered her hands over the fish once more and released her energy, gritting her teeth, the force so powerful she felt as though she might pass to the floor, just as the tailfin twitched.

"Sakura!" Yamato's shout dragged her from the memory. She shook her head and turned to give him a wry smile, her eyes creasing sweetly.

"Sorry about that," she replied sheepishly. "What is it?"

"It's Sasuke," Neji responded, nodding toward one of the Ninken assigned to their team, Urushi. "He's close."

She clenched her fists at her side as she glanced at the dog in front of her. He was sniffing the air frantically, the tip of his long tail twitching, before he abruptly stopped. The team screeched to a halt behind the hound as he pointed his nose West, his body taut. Sakura glanced around to her team, shock in their eyes, as she smiled widely and pulled her hood up.

"That him?" She asked Urushi.

He turned to glance up at her. "I'm certain of it. He's over that way. In a big crowd."

"I have a plan," Sakura said, turning to face her teammates. "Neji and Yamato, this might cause a commotion." They stayed silent as they watched her. Yamato nodded for her to continue.

"I'll keep my hood up and walk with Urushi to try and not draw any suspicion. I'll need you two to stay back, at least a couple of feet behind me. Neji, you'll need to keep your hood up as well - he knows your face." Neji nodded. "Yamato, you know what Sasuke looks like. You can be our eyes if we can't see him over the hoods."

"Right," he agreed. "But how will we catch him?"

"I'm going to get as close to him as possible, using Urushi. He says there's a crowd, so we'll use that to our advantage. I'll try to grab onto his wrist as he passes me. I'm stronger now, so I should be able to hold him long enough for you to cage us with wood style."

"No!" Yamato protested. "He'll hurt you if we do that."

"I agree with Sakura." Neji said. "It's a good plan, and we don't have much time for another. I'll be close by. I will try and get close enough to be in the cage as well."

"He's moving fast." Urushi remarked. "Are we going?"

The team all sat for a moment, the tension in the air palpable. Yamato clapped his hands and they moved out, Sakura following closely behind Urushi towards a small fishing town. It was crowded - judging by the time of day, Sakura assumed there was a market operating - as dozens of people lined the streets. Fishermen and craftsmen all shouted from their booths, trying to draw in interested customers with fragrant scents or beautiful gems.

They were probably fifty miles outside of Konoha. Sakura walked through a bustling crowd, pushing her way past large groups and maneuvering around children, Neji and Yamato a few feet behind her, as the Ninken sniffed the streets in search of Sasuke's scent. This was the closest any of the groups had come. Sakura felt her hands shake as Urushi announced each time they got closer to Sasuke's scent.

"Just head," Urushi muttered. "Sakura, do you see him?"

Sakura adjusted her hood slightly to take in the crowd, but saw no sign of Sasuke at all. She saw no hooded figures, no familiar dark hair; no signs at all of her former comrade.

"No, nothing at all." Sakura husked, tugging her hood back over her face. She kept her eyes down as the air stirred around her and she felt her arm brush against someone. She sidestepped away just as Urushi growled. Sakura spun around quickly, seeing only a blur of magenta as she felt someone grab her arm and yank her to the side.

"Don't say anything." Neji whispered, his grip on her arm tightening. Sakura's breathing was ragged as she yanked her hood back and wildly scanned the crowd, but she still didn't see any signs of Sasuke.
"What the hell, Neji?" She pushed his hand from her arm aggressively. "We were so close!"

"That girl," Neji pointed to a woman with messy, bright hair dressed in a plain black trench coat walking away. "She's a sensory type. I could see her scanning the area. When you passed her, she nearly caught on to us. That was when I pulled you away."

Urushi growled again as he approached from the floor to Sakura's right and said, "That's the girl with Sasuke's scent. I'm sure of it. She passed right by us as his scent did."

Sakura's heart fell to her stomach. "You can't mean-"

"Yeah," Neji agreed, a knowing smirk forming on his face. "If we follow her - we'll find Sasuke."

A/N: Thank you all for your patience waiting for this chapter! My life has become sort of chaotic and I had to put this story on the back burner for awhile, so this chapter came out a bit later than I would have wanted. I will be continuing with the monthly updates for now. If something changes, I will post updates to my tumblr if you are interested in following me on there (azurelyy dot tumblr dot com). You can also follow me on AO3. I have some different stories on there if you would like to see other works of mine, including a lemon ShikaIno story. Anyways, thank you as always for reading! Please let me know your thoughts. It was so fun finally adding all the new chars to this story! This is going in a totally different direction now - I hope you're excited for what's to come.

Reviewer Notes: Mastercheif1229, thank you very much! Glad you're still enjoying it. TheShamanMaster, Ahhh, thank you! Glad you like it so far. Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and story follows. I see the notifications in my email and I am very grateful people are still liking the story despite the sort of unorthodox updating schedule. I know slow updates suck for fics, so I appreciate all of you reading and sticking with me despite everything. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait!