Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's affiliated products.

Chapter 6

The phrase, 'What goes around comes around' is often repeated as a warning. However, over the years I've often found it to be a blessing.

As ye sow, so also shall ye reap. All one has to do, is plant the right seeds.

The living room was quiet, but I could hear the sound of the Kurama in their room as they prepared for the party. I was alone in the room, and it was the most at peace I'd felt in ages.

It was strange, for someone who so loved human interaction I craved silence more and more lately. Maybe it was a break from the stress of the past week, maybe it was the only time I could actually think and sort out the tumult of emotions and thoughts in my mind.

In either case, these moments of solitude were a balm to my soul and I cherished every minute of them.

It was hard to believe I'd been here a week, it scarcely felt like even a day had passed. But time had marched on and here I was.

My early hypothesis was right, more memories had found their rightful place inside my brain and now I could give a name to, most of my cousins. I wasn't feeling any more inclined to worship Kaguya then I was when I first got here, which meant that if Black Zetsu reprogrammed my brain, he was more subtle then I had given him credit for.

But thinking about all that was a path towards even more mental trauma, so let's keep away from that topic for now.

I had learned a bit about the Kurama Clan, something that was inevitable I suppose, but it was noteworthy nonetheless.

Most of the Clan were craftsmen or traders of some nature, only a handful could call themselves Shinobi. Which fit with what I'd heard from Murakumo back before I was reborn as Asakumo, the clan was small and had few people to spare as shinobi.

No ninja, no prestige.

No prestige, no money.

And that was the root of the problems the Clan had. And not one easily fixed at that, I can't just make new ninja out of thin air after all.

I was pulled from my rather depressing thoughts as Uroko stepped into the room, wearing a beautiful and very expensive looking floral kimono, one that matched mine at that.

Did they cover fashion in the Ninja Academy? I feel like that's something that should be covered, infiltration and all.

The matriarch hummed something under her breath as she stopped in front of a mirror and adjusted her hair. She'd put makeup on, I noted. It suited her well, the makeup accented the lines of her face and the color of her eyes.

Uroko was a beautiful woman, and she knew it.

The reflection of her dark eyes in the mirror looked towards me and she smiled in that motherly way which without fail made my insides feel all warm and fuzzy. "All ready to go, Asakumo?" She asked, her hands never ceasing in their task.

As I said before, I was also wearing a kimono, a very expensive one at that. I'd been given a long talking to about what would happen if I damaged it, and the point came across loud and clear.

I wasn't four mentally, you know. I can keep dirt off of my shirt for an afternoon.

"Yep!" I answered cheerfully, another attempt at keeping up appearances. Maybe one day I'd be able to broach the topic of my past life with my parents but that was not today. I wasn't eager to get handed off to a Yamanaka and have them screw around inside my brain quite yet.

"Very good." Uroko praised as she forced an errant hair into place. "Remember you have to look your best for Lord Fugaku and the other Uchiha." Uroko turned her head to the left and to the right, eyeing the angles in the mirror before nodding.

Murakumo appeared from the hallway leading to the bedroom wing, his bright eyes distant as he murmured something under his breath.

"No, not even he would bring that up." I thought I heard him say before he straightened his posture and cleared his throat.

"Is my lovely family ready to depart?" He asked, the mischievous twinkle I'd come to associate with him in his eyes.

"We are, dear." Uroko said walking closer to him. The two stood close, taking each other in while their eyes had another conversation I wasn't privy too.

Call me nosy, but I hate being left out of the loop. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back! Even if it didn't, cat had eight more lives left anyway. It could afford to lose one.

The Kurama shared a subtle nod and when they turned back to me they were all smiles. I have little doubt that if I was actually four, I wouldn't have picked up on the tension. These two were good at hiding it, probably because they were ninja, it seemed to come with the territory.

"All right then!" Murakumo said jovially with a clap of his hands. "We wouldn't want to be late." And so our family set off, on a journey towards 'dreaded socialization' in the words of my first sister.

It was a quiet morning, few of my other clansmen were outside their homes, and we reached the guarded gate with little fanfare.

The single and rather tired looking guard made eye contact with Murakumo. The Clan Head nodded in response, and the guard returned it in kind. He promptly formed a handsign and the heavy wooden gate creaked open.

It was a fascinating sight. I couldn't see any hinges or levers, the door just moved. This was a fraction of the power of chakra and ninjutsu, and I had to understand as much of it as I could. I couldn't afford to leave any stone unturned for when Kaguya and I have our rematch.

Our group quickly exited the compound, not even sparing a word for the gatekeeper as we passed. Once we cleared its reach the gate slammed shut behind us with at resounding thud.

This was my first time outside the compound that I could recall, and I couldn't help the exhilaration building.

What was it like outside?

What wonder were right outside our walls?

Turns out, very few.

The streets were clean and well kept, but the buildings lining both sides of the road that lead to our compound, were not quite dilapidated, but they had all seen better days. Paint was flaking in a multitude of places and more than one board had a host of cracks spanning it.

"What happened to all the buildings, Mama?" I asked. I was getting one too many memories of my old hometown, and the many reasons why I left it.

Uroko glanced to the structures, as though really noticing them for the first time. "People happened." She said after a moment of deliberation, "They stopped coming to buy things here, so the buildings stopped having the money to manage their upkeep."

"When I was a boy, these buildings were thriving." Murakumo interjected, something inscrutable in his eyes. "It wasn't the Senju Complex or the Uzumaki Promenade, but this was a prominent location. All these buildings belong to the Kurama Clan, Asakumo. We rent them out to the store owners and they pay us a fee in exchange. It used to be a profitable arrangement, as long as there was money to be had. But somehow, we've both become forgotten by Konoha."

His last words were tense, almost angry, and earned him a sharp cough as a rebuke from Uroko. Her gaze was steady and cold and in response Murakumo cleared his throat sheepishly. "That is to say, maybe one day these buildings will become a destination again." He looked down at me and smiled fondly. "And maybe you'll be the one to do it."

You, might not be wrong about that Murakumo. I hated seeing things looking like this, so hollow and lifeless. I fled to the city to get away from the town dying at my feet, but it seems I've found my way back to that situation again, and I can't run away this time.

The journey was quiet as our footsteps brought us to a thoroughfare where heavy foot traffic jostled their way along. The aroma of fresh spices and incense wafted on the breeze and I couldn't help but smile at the scents. Uroko's mouth twisted in distaste but she hid it quickly.

"Now I know this must be exciting, Asaku, but I need you to stay by me. This is a busy road and you have to be careful." She gently warned, her gray eyes carefully scrutinizing the area.

Murakumo smirked as he knelt down beside me, that twinkle in his eye once again. "Well, seeing as this is his first time out and about in Konoha, it's only fitting we taking extra precautions," He began.

Uroko seemed to catch some hidden meaning to his words and put on a frown.

"Of course, it wouldn't do for anything to happen. Maybe he should hold both our hands?"

I had to bite back a retort at that, I hated being patronized. It was illogical and irrational but I hated it.

Murakumo shook his head with a laugh after noting my clear frown.

"I have a better idea."

The next thing I knew I was in the air, held aloft only by Murakumo's arms. He then gently placed me on his shoulders with the finesse I'd expect from a ninja.

Was I seriously being carried on a grown man's shoulders like a toddler? Granted, I nearly was one, and I was really short and that ticked me off. So having some elevation wasn't all that bad. At least my aching feet could have a break.

I had to say though, it did completely change the way everything around us looked. Before the merchants and pedestrians towered over me, but now I was above them. I can sort of see why kids find this so enjoyable now.

The dichotomy was amusing.

After Murakumo gave a quick glance to be sure I was properly situated, we headed off again. I had to grip on to his shoulders tightly to keep from falling off, which was absolutely mortifying.

Ten minutes or so passed as we walked along with the flow of the crowd, and in the distance I could make out a different colored and shaped building surrounded by a stone gray wall. Murakumo and Uroko shared a glance as we drew near and I was smoothly deposited back on the ground, just when I'd gotten used to it too.

"Now remember Asaku, these are powerful people and you need to treat them with respect." Murakumo reminded me for what felt like the hundredth time as he brushed the dust off his shoulders. Uroko leaned down and straightened the knots of my kimono and fiddled with the seam in multiple places before stepping back with a nod.

The closer we get to this party, the more I think this was a bad idea. My parents are practically nervous wrecks and we're going into the Uchiha Compound.

This wasn't going to end well.

We continued walking closer but at a much slower pace, as though they wanted to postpone the inevitable discourse for a few minutes longer. "Don't talk to an adult unless they ask you a question, and even then let me or your mother answer if you don't feel comfortable doing so." Murakumo said, his eyes never leaving the approaching compound.

"And no matter what happens," Uroko hissed with an urgency I hadn't seen from her before. "Don't look in their eyes. No matter how friendly they seem, don't look in their eyes."

Was this the Sharingan talk? Were parents telling their children not to make eye contact with Uchiha? Even if there was a practical reason for it I can see how this would lead to the Uchiha feeling disenfranchised and hated by the village, they were certainly feared.

We came to the end of the street, and before us the Uchiha Compound stood in all its glory. But unless my memory was horribly inaccurate, it didn't look the same as the one from the anime. Was there a major remodeling that would happen 'soon'?

What was I saying, the Nine Tails attack was a thing. Odds were this places gets trashed by it.

That was a sobering thought.

At the gates to the compound, two armed shinobi stood steadfastly, their dark eyes surveying the crowds and their shoulders proudly displaying the Uchiha crest. The woman on the left looked up as we approached and analyzed us with a world weary gaze that seemed almost out of place on her face. She couldn't have been much more then thirty five but her eyes looked decades older.

"What business do you have with the Uchiha?" She asked brusquely, her voice sounding as tired and drained as she looked.

Murakumo stiffened a bit, whether from fear or irritation I couldn't tell though.

"I am Murakumo Kurama, head of the Kurama Clan and this is my family. We are here for Young Lord Itachi's birthday party." He said in a deliberate tone I hadn't heard before. Every statement was measured, every word chosen. He knew how to speak, that was for certain. The guard narrowed her eyes again before nodding.

"Welcome Lord Kurama, you are the first of the guests to arrive. I would direct you to the pavilion near the center of the compound, that is where Lord Fugaku will be expecting guests."

Murakumo nodded in acknowledgment before taking my hand in his and walking forward. The lack of a 'thank you' hung in the air, but the guard didn't seem to care enough to say anything.

"Do you know who that was?" Uroko whispered softly once we were out of earshot of the guards. Murakumo gave a slight shrug and she continued. "That was Masumi Uchiha, my brother went to the Academy at the same time she did. Her son was on Minato's genin team. I believe he was killed in action on a mission to the Land of Grass." Murakumo frowned as though reliving an unpleasant memory.

"Damn. We lost too many good ninja during the Third War."

"During the Second as well." Uroko reminded him, and the two slipped into a moment of silence.

Which was fine by me, because I was still trying to process what I just heard. I knew Minato had a genin team, Kakashi was on it and I knew everybody but him died. Didn't one of his teammates give him his Sharingan?

Damn, I wish I watched more of Shippuden.

The differences between the Uchiha and the Kurama Compounds were stark, and not all of them could be chalked up to numbers. There were more houses here then in our compound sure, but there were shops and stores mixed in with the homes and the air seemed, if not jovial then at least content. There was life here, and the Kurama clan lacked that.

The somber mood that thought brought about had only began to lift as we neared the pavilion.

Underneath its wooden roof stood Fugaku Uchiha in the flesh. He looked as stern and grim as the anime portrayed him, but he bore a polite smile for the moment. Beside him and only reaching up to his thigh was chibi Itachi. It was hard to think someone with so innocent eyes could be a mass murder in the future. The kid even had dimples for Pete's sake!

Fugaku bowed slightly, showing just enough deference to be polite but not enough to show weakness.

"Honored guests, we are pleased that you could attend this event." He said with a deep and rich tenor. Itachi bowed, his long dark hair falling over his eyes as he did so. "Thank you for coming." He echoed in his high pitched voice.

Murakumo bowed in response, his words once again sounding as sweet as honey. "We are honored that you would have us here, Lord Fugaku. We are glad to take part in such momentous festivities." At that the tensions loosened a tad, this was a diplomatic affair and should be treated as nothing else, but that was a decent icebreaker as far as the introductions went.

But my eyes narrowed in on something I can't believe I didn't notice. Sitting a ways back under the shade of the gazebo, was Mika, Moko, whatever Itachi's mom's name was. And even from my angle I could clearly see she was very very pregnant.

Was that, Sasuke?

That's, not great.

If Sasuke was days away from being born, I'm no doctor but that's sure what it looked like, and he was what, a few months older then Naruto? Almost a year? I have much less time then I thought until the Nine Tails attack.

No one was ready for that, especially not me.

The woman noticed my intent staring and gave a gentle half wave with her hand, a graceful smile upon her lips.

There were those warm and fuzzies again, I waved back sheepishly, but I noticed the way Fugaku's eyes darted towards me at the motion. It was almost reflexive, I think, probably a habit developed from a lifetime of war.

Uroko placed my hand in hers before slipping off to the side and heading towards the Uchiha woman while Fugaku and Murakumo discussed some faint political topic I knew nothing about.

"Mikoto." Uroko smiled as the tension she had in her shoulders faded for the first time since we entered the compound. "How are you?"

Mikoto, that was her name dang it, gave a long suffering smile.

"Well my feet have had better days." The women laughed at some inside joke and Uroko shook her head fondly before turning to me.

"It's been a long time since you last saw each other, so you might not remember her, but this is Mikoto. She was my genin teammate when I was younger." Mikoto smiled down at me and gave the 'patronizing adult smile'.

"My, look how big you've gotten." She said with a surprised hand covering her mouth.

I just smiled and nodded. I had to get used to this, I had to get used to this. I was what, four going on five? This was gonna be an issue I'd have to deal with for a long time. No use letting it sink in.

But it rankled.

We could hear the next guests long before we could see them. Loud and boisterous conversation echoed through the streets as another party approached.

It was a woman and a young girl, probably her daughter given the event of the day. Judging by the large dog loping along beside them, these were the Inuzuka that Murakumo mentioned would be arriving. The older woman gave a laugh that sounded half like a bark before smiling up at the pavilion. Oddly enough, she was also pregnant and not long from giving birth either, but she defied that thought with how easily she moved about.

I guess this is what a baby boom looks like? A whole bunch of families having kids at once? I guess the Third War being over was something worth celebrating.

"Fugaku! It's been ages since we last talked." The woman smiled again, flashing her sharp incisors as she did so. Fugaku faintly chuckled at the scene before clearing his throat.

"We welcome you, Lady Tsume Inuzuka." Itachi stepped forward again and bowed once more.

"Welcome."

This kid was a cinnamon roll, I don't know how he has a murderous bone in his body based off the way he was acting.

Tsume grinned at the boy before looking up at us and gave the barking laugh. With ease belying her state she stepped up onto the pavilion and came close to us, her daughter lingering near the steps alongside Itachi.

"Mikoto, looks like you're almost as big as me." Tsume said playfully. Mikoto smiled back, but it was strained at the edges of her mouth.

Was I always so observant?

These are ninja for Pete's sake, I shouldn't be able to read them so easily, but yet here I

was. Was it some sort of Kekkai Genkai, 'Eyes of the Kurama' or something like that? I don't know, but it deserves looking into. I needed every advantage I could get for when I face Kaguya.

"It seems so, Lady Tsume. I wish the two of us and our unborn children good health." Mikoto said politely. Beside her, Uroko's smile bore a similar tenseness. Bad blood between Tsume and them perhaps? Tsume's nose twitched as her eyes focused on Uroko.

"The three of us you mean?" She asked, that almost predatory smirk reappearing in her face. Uroko's smile grew even more strained and Mikoto's eyes darted to her former teammate quickly.

"I haven't an idea of what you mean, Lady Tsume." Uroko said, the levels of forced politeness painful to listen to.

Tsume's eyebrows raised before she nodded with a growing smirk.

"Keeping it a secret are we? Well, there's no need for all of that between us, we're friends, aren't we?" She asked with the cold gaze of a wolf studying its prey. They made me feel very, very small underneath their weight. Sometimes it seemed like the Inuzuka were more beasts then man.

"The best." Mikoto interjected, her hostess smile firmly plastered on but her eyes hard. "So let's please refrain from questioning the guests at my son's party, shall we? I'd hate for there to be an incident on such a happy day." Tsume caught a hidden meaning in those words because she frowned and stepped back slightly. I felt the air start to flow freely again and I couldn't do much more then breathe for a few moments.

That, that was unsettling. But was that because they were shinobi having a duel with their words, or was it because I was four and more easily intimidated? I don't know, but I'd rather not have to test it further.

To avoid making eye contact with the three Jonin my eyes lingered on the large dog standing beside Tsume, although calling it a dog was a misnomer, this thing was a wolf, a dire wolf at that.

And then it scared the crap out of me when it spoke.

"What are you staring at, whelp?" It asked in a deep and gravelly baritone.

I didn't scream.

I did not scream.

But I won't deny a loud gasp of surprise as I stumbled back into Uroko's grasp.

The Kurama matron stared daggers at the dog as her grip on my shoulders tightened and Tsume gave a warning growl to the dog.

"Play nice, Kuromaru." She chided sternly. The wolf just rolled its eyes and huffed.

"This is me playing nice, I could've bit him."

Uroko's grasp on my shoulders clenched as she started to pull me along.

"I'm afraid we must be going, if you will excuse us Mikoto." She bit out in pseudo- politeness before practically dragging me back towards Murakumo. I stumbled over my feet but barely managed to keep upright as I struggled to match Uroko's pace.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" Tsume muttered faintly, but Uroko heard it all the same and increased our pace.

"I never should've expected manners from dogs." She hissed softly, so soft I don't think she meant for me to hear it.

I think I was right on the bad blood thought, but what did Tsume mean when she said 'the three of us?' The context was of motherhood, could that mean? My eyes lingered on Uroko's stomach as we walked away.

Yakumo?

It's come time for the Uchiha Party, and not a moment too soon for Asakumo. We're approaching the end of the first arc, and things are only picking up from here.

Hope you guys enjoy!