Chapter 19:

The last time she remembered such a scene on her birthday, an atmosphere that glowed with softness and glistened, was when her uncle had still been alive. She didn't remember much of him personally. Her mother might have mentioned that he was a civilian teacher at an academy in the capital and could only come back at most once a month during the weekend to visit them. But he always made sure to come back for her birthday without fail. Her uncle had been working extra hard to save up funds to start a specialized school for children who were less fortunate, tuition free. It was no easy dream to accomplish and to the Sakura who now stood behind her guardian, Kagomori Hyōmaru, as he sifted through the piles of documents at his table and asked for her opinion every so often, it was also a very naively impossible dream.

But her mother loved her older brother dearly and highly respected him for his vision. He, who had taken care of his younger sister through all sorts of hardships that Mebuki refused to elaborate on, took on a noble aspiration of doing the same for other children not his own. If only he was still alive. As to what happened to his belongings and savings, she wasn't sure, but she planned to ask Kagomori for help in tracking and retrieving them if needed. For some odd reason, her mother kept tight-lipped about what happened after his death. She'd been sullen, anguishing over something the pinkette would probably never understand if her mother didn't wake from her coma. And so each year, her birthday passed in silence. Once in a while, her mother would have the heart to order a cake with a single candle on top and perhaps divulge a little about bygone days. Everything seemed softer then.

Thus, it was a surprise for her that she could experience something akin to that once more, but this time, in the shape of a different kind of…. dare she say…. family. That thought both scared and exhilarated her. To have someone- people- she could feel that close to again and acknowledge it in her heart, had her shaken to the bones until it hurt. In that instant, she was reminded of Kakashi, her sensei and secret older brother-figure in turns. Perhaps this was what he'd felt after the disaster that left her mother still lying prone on the hospital bed: yearning yet fearing to draw close- fear that he had become a moth to the flame. And so, while it had been a surprise to discover the birthday gathering they'd all planned for her, Sakura was not surprised to hear Kakashi ask her to stay behind after training the following day. She really wasn't because they had been dragging out this conversation for long enough.

Kakashi hesitated but put a hand on her shoulder. Without a second's warning, the trees and blue sky blended together in emerald streaks with stripes of white before it righted itself again into light gray walls and a familiar ninken laying on a weathered couch. Black spots dotted her vision as she blinked from the disorienting teleportation, still feeling his hand steadying her. It wasn't until she finally looked up at him that he dropped his hand from her shoulder and walked over to the kitchen cabinets to pull out two cups and tea bags.

"Why don't you have a seat with Pakkun? We might as well prepare for the conversation."

"... okay, Kakashi-sensei." She wasn't sure how to address him now. Was he planning to speak with her as her sensei, or as someone who knew her from before? She decided to fall back on the more familiar and simple role.

She walked quietly to the couch, listening to the quiet clink of cups on the counter and steaming hot water hitting the tea bags and bathing it in. A lethargic eye slowly opened as Pakkun watched her sit next to him and then, moved in his minimalistic way to gently drop his head right on her lap and indirectly demand a head scratch. Sakura chuckled and easily obliged.

"You're spoiling him." Kakashi lightly commented, placing a steaming golden brown cup of tea on the table in front of her.

Sakura dipped her head. "Thank you."

"Or simply because you don't spoil me enough…" Pakkun huffed mildly but quickly fell silent and limp under Sakura's ministrations.

He sat adjacent to her on the equally worn out ottoman seat of the same faded blue color. "... I assume you know what this is about."

"I do…", she whispered, her fingers sliding through Pakkun's short fur on autopilot. Her eyes became distant and dull as she stared at the floor.

"There's a reason I brought you here as well." He took a sip of tea and continued. "You've been tailed for the past few days."

Sakura looked up. "Who?"

"People you're not ready to know of yet."

"B-"

"You'll need to know in the future. But not now.

"One day, you'll have no choice but to know. And you'll wish you never did. But that day is not today."

"... I see."

"That's why I brought you here. The Yondaime Hokage helped me set up silencing and protection seals here when I still served him as a personal bodyguard. They won't be able to sense your presence, much less hear our conversation." He set his cup down and watched her. He was no longer concerned with showing his face to any of his students. He had been long past that.

"Can you tell me why your chakra has been so imbalanced?"

Sakura's fingers trembled and she gulped. She knew this conversation was coming. She knew this day would come, but right now, she found herself feeling wholly unprepared to reveal herself so vulnerably. What should she even say? That she was crazy, that a voice had been talking to her inside her head ever since her academy days? That another, more violence-prone voice had basically dominated her body in the Land of Waves, ready and almost thirsting to let the bloodbath happen? What would happen to her then? Her background was already tarnished with a great sin not of her own doing but was now her's all the same. How much more can her name, Sakura, be stained before everything was entirely stripped from her until nothing was left?

Who would she be then?

Remember, ….that he's Kakashi onii-san. Just like Itachi onii-san. You may have had to address him as sensei during training and Kakashi-san outside of that, but at its core, remember who he is to you.

Pakkun butting his head into her palm brought her back to reality and she looked up to search within Kakashi's eyes. Warmth and concern. And a hint of fear. Not of her, of course, only what the truth meant for her. They were absent of disgust.

She opened her mouth and let the words flow like turning the knob of a rusty tap.

"I…. I hear voices. In my head…" That sounded pathetic. Still, he remained silent, waiting.

"I first heard one of them when I was still in the academy- Inner. Nothing…crazy. I was bullied a lot and I guess it was just my own childish way of venting inside my head."

Her other hand dug into the fabric of her clothing but she made sure not to hurt the ninken because of her fraying nerves. "Everything I wanted to say, everything I wanted to be angry about, she did it for me. And I was fine with that. She even helped me organize my thoughts and focus. She… is benign. Until four years ago, she was the only voice I heard.

"That was during the bell test. I still don't know what happened, honestly. She first spoke to me at the start of it. But one moment, I was hiding under the bushes, you came and casted that genjutsu on me, and then next thing I knew, I was somewhere else entirely." The more she spoke, the faster the words flowed.

"The second voice, she overpowered even Inner. She didn't….. I think she was the one to break your genjutsu without me or Inner realizing it. She said something else then that I can't remember, but she was much more assertive. She didn't make herself known for a good long while after that.

"Then, the whole mission to the Land of Waves and when Gato tried to have all those villagers killed in front of me as a test. Somewhere during that time…. She had completely taken control of my body. Complete. Control." Before she even realized it, her whole body was shaking as she tried to think on when she first realized she had no say over her own decisions. She really couldn't remember, except for the distinct feeling of her cold satisfaction at Gato's reaction to her initial greeting. "She was there already when I- when she- when we met Gato for the first time. It wasn't until she almost let those villagers die, that I managed to gain enough control back. That was when I casted the genjutsu and substitution. I couldn't think of anything else. I didn't know what to do-"

"Breathe, Sakura, take deep breaths in." Kakashi had somehow moved to sit next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders without her knowing. She hadn't even noticed that Pakkun was now fully on her lap.

"Deep breaths in", he steadily intoned.

"O-okay." She shuddered. "Okay."

They stayed like that for some time, until she regained some semblance of calm. A part of her felt ashamed for her loss in composure. What was the use of all that training during the last four years if she couldn't even do this without losing it? But somewhere deep in her heart, she felt like she could breathe again, like she had just climbed up a steep, seemingly insurmountable mountain, only to make it and see the other side. Like the grinding and groaning of fractured bones in her were healing, righting itself again. It was done. It was no longer a secret only she had the keys to. Now, another person knew and it brought her such immense relief.

"I… did notice something was different that day- your way of speech in particular", he finally said, holding her shoulders more firmly as she sagged against him. "The genjutsu dispersement- it wasn't very noticeable then because I had figured you were genjutsu oriented so I let it go. We… also had other issues we needed sorting out. And we did.

"But the Land of Waves, I initially thought your sudden change in demeanor was due to your training in dealing with politics. That changed with the way you pulled the stunt on Gato and the villagers. The calm and calculative you would have casted the genjutsu not on the witnesses who were more spread out and therefore, took more of your chakra, but on the captured villagers instead. Your usual chakra control wasn't entirely there so you wasted a lot of chakra pulling the aggressive substitution on top of that despite your best efforts.

"Sakura, that could have very well killed you, considering your still developing chakra coils. If I hadn't overridden your genjutsu, you'd have had to deal with fatal chakra depletion and jutsu backlash- even the people under the genjutsu's influence would have been in peril. This other identity is capable of reckless abandon and that's dangerous."

Kakashi heaved a sigh. "But now that I know what the cause is, we can move on to finding the source of these changes; even if we can't entirely solve the issue, we can learn to control them. Because not only is it affecting your psych, it's also influencing how your chakra is moving. It shows when you spar with Sasuke and Naruto."

He frowned. "I'm sure your observers noticed this too, or will soon."

"He will soon know as well…" He muttered this under his breath so Sakura barely caught onto his words.

"Thank you for telling me, Sakura. Well done. We'll sort this out."

"Okay… n- ni… nii-san….?" Sakura murmured shyly with a grateful yet anxious smile. Kakashi had a look of absolute surprise before he returned it with a hesitant one of his own.

"You're one handful of an imouto." He grumbled lightly and deliberately ruffled her hair, leaving her squeaking indignantly as she tried to grab his hand and stop him.

He was glad. He was really, really glad and relieved that even after all of this, he was able to witness a peek into that shy, brave, little girl he had gotten to know all those years ago. That part of her innocence wasn't lost yet.

And he prayed with all his heart… that it wouldn't be lost any time soon.

.

19

.

The sun was already setting once more by the time Kakashi teleported the two of them back out, as it was still early in the year. The air had become chillier and Sakura could see her breath leaving her in lazy puffs of white, even while her body remained warm. She was thankful she learned how circulating her chakra in a certain way helped her keep warm. Furthermore, doing so helped her mature her chakra coils and expand its core capacity. She used to think that the only way to increase her chakra storage was through depleting it to a safe amount through spiritual and physical exercise, as was popularly rumoured amongst her peers. Kakashi, however, immediately put a stop to it.

Yes, it did work in theory, but the danger it posed far outweighed the benefits. In order for the chakra stores to expand at the speed a person desires, one's chakra must be depleted just slightly above the danger zone each and every time. This triggered a mechanism in the body to rapidly produce more in order to restore equilibrium and prevent severe symptoms of chakra depletion from surfacing, one of which was organ shut down. This method may increase the capacity significantly over a shorter period of time, but the damage one's body endured in the process was directly proportional to the growth.

"It was a war-time method", Kakashi explained solemnly on that day. "It was one of the fastest ways to increase the number in our ranks. The academy teachers used to have students do this as a large group during physical training and under heavy supervision. But even then, training accidents happened often. Haven't you ever wondered why there was a high percentage of early retirements after the war? The cost is not light."

And so he showed them this method he himself used, one he said in a nostalgic tone that was taught by his own sensei. The constant circulation meant the body steadily kept producing more to fill the gap without overtaxing the system too suddenly. Once the body detects that the expenditure was for long-term, it will naturally expand the core to produce more for storage in case it is needed.

To further challenge them, Kakashi had them keep up with circulation even while they sparred- it even helped Naruto improve his chakra control significantly. It took a little longer in comparison but it was a safe method that worked. Kakashi mentioned he had spoken to the Hokage about teaching it in the academy to prevent accidents, but for some reason, it never made its way there and the rumours still upheld the war-time technique as the only best option.

"Would you… like to go visit Mother with me?"

"... Let's go. We're close enough to walk there."

The silence between them was comfortable and it truly didn't take long for them to reach the front steps of the hospital. Having come to visit the same patient so often during the past four years, the front desk nurses took one look at them, nodded, and let them through easily. The white, well-polished halls were the same as always. When they opened the door and entered the sterilized room, it almost felt like returning to a reluctant, second home.

"Mother, it's me again."

"Evening, Mebuki-san."

The returning silence that greeted them was light and through the sliver of open window, the crisp smell of encroaching twilight wafted in and sent the light beige curtains rippling gently, clearing the air of the pungent antiseptics. It felt pleasant enough.

It was not always this way. There were many days when Sakura quietly wept beside her mother's bed even as she tried to carefully massage the swollen extremities that felt too cold to belong to a living, breathing human being. The only constants she had accompanying her was the steady heartbeat amplified by the monitors and the marching beat of the clock. Four years, and it had yet to change.

Sakura quickly checked her mother's hands, now mottled with scars from the burns she suffered, dry and leathery to the touch. Mebuki's hair had slowly grown back but also grayed and was no longer as smooth and glossy as she remembered it to be; her largely undamaged face was now sallow and unhealthily chalky white. The thin covers hung unnaturally on her left side, dipping straight to the mattress from the knee down. The doctors couldn't save it as a sudden, complicated infection in the wound there caused necrosis to set in. Without Tsunade, he'd said, compounded by the shortage of staff, their only option was to amputate or risk sepsis and certain death. So it was sacrificed.

Sakura was terrified. It was as if pieces of her mother were slowly disintegrating away before they could find Tsunade. The Hokage's hands were tied as rebuilding their forces took on a higher priority than sending even more out to find one person, even if that person was the 'goddess of medicine'. Unless he had a valid reason, his answer was 'no'.

Seeing that everything else was fine, the pink-haired young girl finally took a seat beside her mother, hand in hand, to engage in a one-sided monologue about her day while the silver-haired Jounin remained standing, a hand on her shoulder while offering his input here and there.

As she still had a curfew, the two headed back out with plans to return straight home and prepare for the following day. That was until they crossed paths with Uchiha Fugaku who they saw was in the midst of his physical therapy out of their periphery. The masked Anbu guards standing outside straightened themselves immediately, stepping closer to block Sakura's view of the door.

Kakashi cleared his throat and nodded. "At ease. I have clearance to report to Hokage-sama after."

The guards slowly stepped aside and allowed the both of them to pass but not without pinning their eyes on Sakura with wariness as she trailed behind the older man.

"How do you do, Uchiha-san. You seem much healthier than before."

Fugaku paused mid-step in his exercise, sweaty arms straining to hold his body upright above the rails that paved a short and straight path before him. His atrophied legs shook minutely under his equally emaciated upper body; it had been too long since he did any of the strenuous exercises a regular Shinobi would complete to remain fit for duty and the time he spent at the hospital had not been kind to him. After having only fought his way out of a four-year coma, he now had to fight his way back into any semblance of physical independence- though no one spelled it out, it was very unlikely he'd ever be able to fight at the level of a seasoned Chuunin much less as an elite Jounin and Patriarch of the powerful Uchiha clan.

The look Fugaku gave to the silver-haired sensei could have been described as mildly sheepish if not for the other less than familiar people also present in the room. "Hatake-san. Not surprised to see you here."

"Of course you aren't, are you…." Kakashi didn't turn his eyes in any particular direction but it was clear who his next words were meant for. "Fall back for now. I'll let you know when I'm done."

Soon, there were only three people left.

"Kakashi. How...have things been? Any leads?"

"...no, unfortunately. Fugaku-san", Kakashi looked directly into Fugaku's eyes, the color of which was as dark as it seemed impenetrable, "Hokage-sama labeled them as KIA a while back. They are listed as KIA in the records and their names etched on the monument…"

They remained silent for a short while, neither looking away until Fugaku finally blinked. He turned his head to the side. Sakura respectfully kept her distance.

"I see."

"I'm sorry for being the bringer of such news."

"Anything else I need know of?"

"Mikoto-san remains at home recuperating though how the Southern Gate Massacre reinvestigation turns out may give her confidence to step outside once more. The race to decide on the next clan head demands she be present. The position of Matriarch still belongs to her after all."

"No doubt the remaining old men are clamouring over each other to see if Sasuke is a suitable puppet to be thrown into the mayhem or someone else needs to take that seat. They have yet to change, I see."

Kakashi closed his eyes. "Indeed."

It was then that Fugaku finally turned his gaze towards the pinkette and addressed her. "The Chunin exams should be approaching soon."

"Ah, yes, that is correct, Sir. Kakashi-sensei has given us permission to participate so we have been making preparations."

"It will be a fascinating study of international interests as this is the first time Konohagakure no Sato drew the winning lot to host this year." The black-haired man nodded his acknowledgement towards Sakura. "I have high expectations of your team."

"I will surely convey your sentiments to our team, Sir."

"Well", Kakashi turned towards the door, "we'd best be leaving, Sakura. Your curfew doesn't wait.

"It was a pleasure to see you've progressed in your treatment, Uchiha-san. I still have high hopes for your full recovery yet."

Fugaku lightly snorted as he waved a hand towards his own sweaty and ruffled appearance. "The pleasure's all mine, Hatake."

"I'm sure."

.

19

.

"So it's being called the South Gate Massacre now." Sakura murmured aloud rhetorically as she and Kakashi neared the Kagomori residence.

The death, chaos, and anguish so many experienced that day four years ago was now reduced to three words to be written down with capitalized first letters like it was tragic enough to earn a title.

But one day of bloodshed like that incident never remains a singular, isolated case without lingering consequences. Mikoto's house arrest and postponed exile to the Fire Temple, Fugaku's overturned execution verdict and subsequent new sentence, and the fate of the Uchiha's name were all dependent on the result of the reinvestigation and a retrial that came afterwards. Not to mention her own precarious standing with her village and country.

"When will the officiation ceremony for Tazuna and the island take place?"

"It will be taking place next week." Sakura continued looking ahead, the Kagomori residence now just peeking out from above the budding treetops. The official arrival of spring also brought along a full array of vibrant colours associated with the season. Soon, brown, lifeless branches will be hidden and heavy-laden under the weight of pink, white, and yellow flowers. The central road that all major streets connected to will be especially lovely lined with a mix of dogwood and pear trees in full bloom. "With the Chunin exam coming up in less than two weeks, our schedules will be full to the brim."

"Indeed."

"... Is there a particular reason behind this question?" Sakura furrowed her brows lightly at Kakashi. "Could it be that… Inu will be commissioned to attend the ceremony as Daimyo-sama's guard?"

"Thankfully no, since the team will need every last minute preparation it can afford. Hokage-sama anticipated the Daimyo may ask for Inu's presence not only for this upcoming ceremony but also when he visits for the final phase of the Chunin exam; yesterday, he sent Inu on a 'mission' outside of Fire that will take at least two weeks to complete. Perhaps he will make it in time for the exam opening ceremony. The Daimyo cannot interfere and commission agents already on assignment."

"That is a relief." Sakura murmured a thanks as Kakashi helped open the front door and the two stepped into the main foyer. "But that doesn't answer my question, Kakashi-sensei. I know you're not one to ask without a reason outside of simple curiosity."

"Whatever reasoning Hatake-san has behind his question, I believe may be answered once we take this conversation inside, Sakura."

There stood Kagomori Hyōmaru at the dining room entrance, hands tucked stoically into the sleeves of his signature forest-green haori. "Will you keep your guest standing at the foyer for the duration of his stay here?"

"Oh! My apologies… Kakashi-san, Kagomori-sama." Sakura had been wondering why Kakashi actually followed her inside and was just about to ask him too.

"Please do come in and pardon my lack of a better welcome into this humble abode." Sakura eyed the Kagomori Patriarch, then lightly bowed to Kakashi like she would any formal guest of the house. It seemed Hyōmaru had asked Kakashi to come. "It would be our honor if you stayed for a meal with us."

"I will happily oblige, Kagomori-san, Kagomori-sama."

.

19

.

"You've worked hard today, Uchiha-sama." The hospital nurse and physical therapist both steadily guided an exhausted and sweaty Fugaku into his wheelchair. The physical therapist scanned the file in his hands and smiled encouragingly. "Based on today's assessment, there's been significant progress made since having only started rehabilitation four months ago.

"Once you retain enough muscle mass, we must immediately begin increasing your range of complex motor skills and improve long-term brain function to maximize the percentage of recovery. It will take some time but we'll get there soon enough."

"Thank you, I will continue to leave myself in your care." Fugaku quietly received the towel offered by the nurse and tried to make himself more presentable. The door to the exercise room opened just as the nurse wheeled Fugaku towards the exit and the two masked Anbu took over escorting him.

The way back to his room was largely silent until the three entered the private room and secured the door. One Anbu immediately activated a silencing seal as the other assisted with getting Fugaku back onto his bed.

"Hokage-sama has need of your expertise once again, Uchiha-sama. Are you willing to take up this new assignment?"

"Hokage-sama knows my loyalty to this village will not allow me to remain idle when he calls upon me", replied Fugaku with a subtle smirk. "How may I serve?"

The Anbu with a ram decorated mask wordlessly handed him a sealed scroll. It was marked with the highest grade of classification a mission could be assigned. Fugaku furrowed his brows and quietly unfurled the parchment.

An unsettling wind is blowing within the village and I sense Root's movement within the hospital. Something is amiss. Use anything at your disposal to covertly investigate their activity and report directly back to me. The Anbu I personally assign will provide the means to meet; they will show undeniable proof they come from me. Sanrensei fuseki*.

Fugaku handed the scroll back to Anbu Ram who burned it on the spot.

"Will you be able to accomplish the task?"

Fugaku pinned the two with unrelenting eyes as hard as obsidian. "The rest of me may be weak and incapacitated", ink-like irises swirled into the infamous blood red of the sharingan. "But don't underestimate me. I have my means."

.

19

.

"The Underground has begun moving." Hyōmaru sipped at his hot cup of shincha* as the three sat around the low table of his study. Illuminated only by the desk lamp behind the Kagomori clan head, the room was cast in disembodied, elongated shadows extending to the wall of books on the opposite wall. It was that much harder to read Hyōmaru's expression and something about this image unsettled Sakura in the back of her mind. "I've reported as much to Hokage-sama but you and your team must be prepared for what is to come. There's a high probability that the target is the upcoming Chunin exams- as to what extent and their purpose, we're not sure.

"To make matters worse, shinobi have involved themselves in our civilian side of the political mess, as if hosting an international competition for ninjas at the same time isn't chaotic enough."

Kakashi shook his head with a grim look on his face. "I believe it's precisely because of the Chunin exams and what it entails that civilian politicians and the Underground have joined hands with these shinobi in question. In truth, our mission to the Land of Waves may very well have been the trigger and the officiation ceremony next week will be the opening move to a longer reaching battle.

"To answer your question, Sakura, the problem begins with the fact that your entourage will not be attending the ceremony with Anbu as escorts. Those who had been in the last large meeting those years ago will be preoccupied by 'missions' to keep them within the village in preparation for the Chunin exams. Someone else volunteered for the role."

"I'm assuming those filling in will be from one none of us are pleased with." Sakura gripped her cup of cooling amacha* tighter. "He's beginning to see me either as an eyesore… or a potential game piece for his own use. Because of what happened in the Land of Waves."

Kakashi nodded. "He'll be observing you: what you'll be doing in the ceremony as a civilian with political influence and as a Konoha shinobi during the exams. It's no coincidence that both of these events and their respective problems are happening so close to each other."

"Seems like our information networks will need to be joining hands in more ways than originally planned, Hatake-san. My contacts will be converging here to lay out plans four days before the exam opening ceremony. I assume you will be there to join us and Hokage-sama in the meeting?"

"If Hokage-sama deems it necessary."

"I see. Sakura, you should go rest now as you'll have much to prepare for. I still have some things to discuss with Hatake-san."

"I'll take my leave then. Have a good night, Kakashi-san, Kagomori-sama." Sakura rose from her place in one fluid, practiced motion, bowed and left the room. A servant came swiftly to collect her cup and left in a matter of seconds.

"She still addresses you as Kagomori-sama."

"She believes the environment she now lives in allows no room for such soft sentiments." Kagomori Hyōmaru stared into his now cooled cup of tea, his face schooled. It was still half full. "In a way, that is the truth. I do not have the power to offer her anything else. At least not yet."

"It's more than what she could have had."

"Engi-san's will was effective enough and with the right stipulations, I was able to exact what influence I had. At least for that, I'm grateful.

"However, let's first deal with our current predicament. Time does not wait." Hyōmaru and Kakashi exchanged knowing, solemn looks. The night will be long for them.

.

19

.

"Isshi, it's time."

A Root agent with dark brown curly hair turned around at the mention of his code name. "Numa. You're here."

"Danzo-sama summons you. Take this."

Numa threw a scroll in Isshi's direction who caught it with cat-like ease.

Target: Kagomori Sakura, Land of Waves Officiation Ceremony

Escort team:

Noboru

Hakumei

Mihari

Isshi

8th - 0700 - West gate - observe target potential and report

Isshi burned the mission scroll with a sealless fire jutsu, gray-blue eyes locked with Numa's deep brown behind their mutually white porcelain masks. And then, they were gone.

A/N: It's been a long and hard road coming back here. I lost the momentum with this story and it took me a while to get back onto this bandwagon. I think I've worn out the words 'Thank you for your patience' by now but I can't help but say it again and still ask for more of it. Covid has been hard on the body and I'm still working my way around the long-term effects. It hasn't been the same. Thank you for sticking around with me and I hope to continue this story well!

Special thank you to the following reviewers and their continued support 3 :

Scarease

ByakugoSeal

Childe's English Is Broken

Sanrensei fuseki- A type of opening move in an igo board game.

Shincha- The highest quality of green tea leaves available in the spring. The first picking of the harvest season, often interchangeably called Ichibancha, meaning 'first-picked tea'.

Amacha- Meaning 'sweet tea', made of fermented, dried hydrangea leaves and popularly drunk during Buddha's birthday celebration on April 8th. It's often also called Buddha's Tea.