A/N: lol, this week has been hectic! So this chapter is a bit different from usual. It has four sections, and they happened around the same time (give or take a few days), but not necessarily in the chronological order. This is like a special chapter that I have always wanted to try, but the narration pov will go back to normal the next chapter.

Chapter 32 - Daydreams

#1: What Sasuke really thinks about his sister's choice of friends.

It was not the first time that Sasuke wasn't paying attention to his teacher's lessons, and he really doubted that it would be the last, considering he had two more years of Academy to get through before he could graduate.

Iruka-sensei was teaching the basics of replacement techniques to the rest of the class, the technique which he had already mastered a year ago. Truly, he saw no point in continuing his education in this place, even if they had a thousand excuses related to standards or procedures. The only reason he wasn't skipping classes every other day was because of his sister, his Mai-nee-chan.

She would be saddened if he had caused any trouble, yet he still did so. Burning down the training ground, electrocuting Shikamaru's koi pond, those were all over the top accidents that he had caused over the years. He would never admit this, but he had always been secretly hoping that Mai-nee-chan would run to him, even if all she's going to do was glare at him angrily.

Sasuke supposed that he was being rather harsh on his sister, it wasn't her fault that she had to leave, that she had to work busily in order to support him. No, it was all that person's fault. It was because of him that everything was destroyed; it was because of him that his Mai-nee-chan was smiling with a hint of lingering sadness.

He remembered all of them. The forced smiles she gave him right after the massacre, telling him that she would take care of things despite the heavy veil of sorrow that draped over her eyes. The desperate smile she had on her face when she showed him the Mangekyou Sharingan.

In the end, Sasuke couldn't tell her, couldn't call out on the fake smile his sister used as a mask. She was already exhausted from her endless string of missions. Even though her placement in Anbu was supposed to be a secret, she never tried to hide it in front of him. Sometimes, those whispers at night when she thought he was sound asleep told him more than he should know.

Whispers, I hate them. The last time his father and the other clan members whispered around him, it was right before the massacre.

"Teme! What are you staring at! The class is over!" Sasuke had never felt this much annoyance before, but that dobe managed to break his limit every time. Sasuke swatted that ball of blond hair out of his view and marched out of the Academy. That usuratonkachi could never know of his small blank out, or he would never hear the end of it.

"Hey, Sasuke! Don't just ignore me!" Naruto quickly caught up to him, despite his desperate hope of being left alone.

"Hn." He grunted because he didn't want to deal with Naruto, but all that got him was an angry war cry. The dobe launched for him like a badly aimed kunai, trying to get him through a surprise attack. Sasuke dodged Naruto's attack with ease. Seriously, he didn't know what happened to all his sister's training, seeing as the usuratonkachi was forgetting every one of Mai-nee-chan's warning on "don't attack your enemy from the most obvious positions while making loud and unnecessary noises".

"Teme, don't just give me that 'hn'! Isn't today your birthday? Can't you be a decent human being for just one day of every year?" Facing Naruto's accusation, Sasuke only glared at him. However, he did stop shooing Naruto away as the dope finally caught up to him.

His tenth birthday, probably the day he had been looking forward to the most in the past month. It wasn't that the day had any symbolic significance or anything childish like that; it was just that if he took it seriously enough, then his Mai-nee-chan would definitely take the day off to be with him.

"Hey, dobe, since you are invited to the meal, you better have something for me." For a lack of better words, Sasuke decided to say something that could potentially stimulate a conversation - or end one. It's only because he is Mai-nee-chan's wannabe pupil that he is invited, Sasuke kept on telling himself. No way in a million years would he ever admit that he wanted the dobe to be there at the celebration. Never.

"Definitely! You are gonna have to wait to find out, but it's going to blow your mind! Dattebayo!" Despite Naruto's attempt to be secretive, somehow, he pulled out the pack of ramen coupons hidden in his jacket and flung it around excitedly. With one unimpressed look from Sasuke, Naruto reverted his attention to his outstretched hands and muttered an 'oops' along with a few embarrassed laughs. Why am I not surprised that it's something ramen related?

With a sigh, Sasuke walked back to the apartment with Naruto trailing behind. It was a path he was very familiar with, considering that he has been living there for the past three years. For a lack of better words, he had nowhere else to be. It was bad, but it couldn't be that bad, he had once told himself. However, he miscalculated. He forgot one person, Yamanaka Shun.

He had never thought much about his sister's teammate anyway, he was just a random nobody his sister hanged out with occasionally, but Sasuke didn't like him. He wouldn't say that he hated him because the word 'hate' could ever only be associated with that one person.

Why didn't Sasuke like Yamanaka Shun? Perhaps it was envy; or maybe it was jealousy, Sasuke couldn't care less. He knew better than anyone else that negative emotions would never need any rationale behind them. He wasn't his sister; he didn't have her level of anger management.

Surprisingly, the apartment was empty when he arrived. With a quick survey around the living room, Sasuke saw the note his sister had left on the table: Out buying food, be back in ten minutes.

He was totally planning to just sit there and wait, like a nice, responsible brother. However, when he saw Naruto already sitting on the couch, looking bored as always, he decided that he wasn't going to do the same. Instead, his eyes landed on one of the closed doors - Yamanaka Shun's room, to be specific.

"Okay, you've got that look saying that you are going to electrocute something just because you can," Naruto yelled in the background, but like usual, Sasuke ignored him. Without an ounce of shame, he pushed open the closed door and entered the room that wasn't his.

"Whose room is this?" Like a creepy gust of wind, Naruto mumbled from behind him, sending a chill down his spine. It seemed that the dobe's short-lived sense of justice was quickly replaced by curiosity. Typical.

A random nobody, Sasuke wanted to say that, but then he realised that it probably wasn't the best thing to say for the sake of his sister's reputation. "An old teammate of Mai-nee-chan," he replied after much contemplation.

The room was neat - very neat. Everything was organised and placed where they were supposed to be, save for a t-shirt thrown on the bed randomly. Disorganised, bad habits, I see, Sasuke noted mentally. The size of this room was the same as his, but it somehow looked smaller due to the fact that there was more stuff.

"Hey, teme, look!" By now, that dobe had completely forgotten the fact that they were invading someone's privacy. He was pointing towards a picture on the desk, situated in the middle of all the notebooks like a prized relic. Four people were in the picture - three children and one adult. These people, without a doubt, were Mai-nee-chan's genin team.

"Your sister looked so small and cute back then!" Naruto, stop talking so I can punch you. "So, which one is the 'old teammate'?" With his curiosity stirred up by Naruto's question, Sasuke looked closer at the outdated photo. The black haired girl, the orange-blonde boy and the brown haired kid.

That person wasn't in the photo, so this must be his sister's team before the brown haired boy had died. Good, because I will make sure to burn everything with his trace.

"That one." Sasuke pointed at the light-haired boy in the middle dispassionately. The much younger Yamanaka Shun was smiling in this photo. However, Sasuke could tell that his polite smile never reached his eyes. But then again, his own sister didn't even bother to put on a smile.

As the dobe marvelled over the picture, Sasuke looked around, hoping to find more dirt. Carelessly, he pulled out one of the notebooks from the shelf. Who knows, maybe the Yamanaka was a pervert. He refused to believe that the guy was squeaky clean.

'Observational study on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder using modified mind-body transmission technique and therapeutic genjutsu in comparison to the traditional drug treatment - an analysis of long-term effects for patients and jutsu users'

What …? It was difficult for Sasuke to admit that even after four years of his academic career, he still couldn't understand the title.

Unfortunately, before he could flip the first page, he heard the apartment door being knocked open. There was no time to put everything back and get out without being caught, not that Sasuke cared. However, Naruto's number one rule for pranks was that he must try his best to hide after doing something mischievous, even though he knew that he would inevitably get caught. So, before Sasuke could protest, the usuratonkachi flopped him on the floor and dragged him under the bed while Sasuke still had that notebook of the observational study on whatever in his hands.

Sasuke wasn't the type to give up even though it was completely dark under the bed. He activated his Sharingan and continued to read on while two sets of footsteps sounded down the hall, walking past the room and all the way into the kitchen.

"I knew it. He's a stalker." Sasuke couldn't help but whisper. To be honest, he didn't understand every word, but he got the gist that this notebook was filled with observations on other people. And that was sufficient evidence that Yamanaka Shun was a stalker.

"Yeah, sure. The guy's got a few dirty socks under his bed, who cares? You need to lay low on the paranormal." Paranoia, Sasuke wanted to correct the dobe so badly, but before he could, he saw two feet just visible outside the slit.

"You do know that I'm a sensor, right? Next time, when you're considering breaking and entering, might want to tone down that chakra a bit." Feeling disappointed, Naruto crawled out with a pout. However, Sasuke felt no remorse when he rose from the ground with dignity.

"What's this?" Sasuke asked accusingly as he held out the notebook all the way up for the tall man to see. Yamanaka Shun squinted his eyes at the evidence with confusion before taking the notebook for a closer look.

"Something you shouldn't have the access to. It seems like you have the same tendency to ignore any form of rules just like your sister." Perhaps Shun thought it was funny, but Sasuke didn't.

"Why, because it's your stalker diary?" Sasuke continued to press on, but the other man just gave him a weird look.

"You mean 'clinical observations'. Seriously, learn the jargon before you start making up names," Shun responded, unimpressed. Just then, his sister walked in and suddenly, the impending conversation was halted.

"What are we arguing about today? Let me join in," she said jokingly. It seemed like she was in a good mood today (despite the cutting knife in her hand) and just that fact made Sasuke happier.

"Your brother broke into my room, stole my research report, and accused me of being a stalker." He deserves it, Sasuke thought silently as Mai-nee-chan gave him a look that asked "really?"

"Well, your hobby does make you sound like a stalker. Honestly, I cannot understand why you got that psychiatrist's licence." When his sister saw Shun's stormy face, she added immediately, "Kidding, kidding, at least you don't judge my life choices."

Sasuke could never understand how these two became such close associates. Mai-nee-chan was a front-line fighter; Yamanaka Shun was a sensor whose combat capabilities would never match that of his sister's. His sister detested anything to do with mental health, therapy and psych evaluations; this guy took on psychology research (or so he said) as a side job aside from his shinobi career. They bickered and threw insults at each other all the time, yet, they were friends - a word so harmonious that Sasuke wanted to gag.

Ah, perhaps, he was envious of Yamanaka Shun.

"Come on, you two troublemakers, out." His sister pointed at the door, but Sasuke stood his ground. "There's mochi on the table," a second later, Naruto betrayed him, "and freshly bought cherry tomatoes." Another second later, he betrayed himself.

As they munched on their respective snacks, Sasuke stared at the pair currently cooking at the counter. Sasuke liked his sister's cooking. It wasn't anything fancy, nor was it anything like his mother's. Simple, practical, straightforward, that was what his sister's cooking tasted like, but Sasuke liked it.

He frowned as he continued to observe the scene in the kitchen. They were just so in sync with each other. When Shun reached up for the soy sauce in the cupboard, his sister ducked down slightly without being told to. When his sister left to check on the rice, the guy instinctively took over the stir fry for her. There was no need for words, it was like they just knew what to do in the presence of each other. Unlike the polite smiles they had in that picture, Sasuke knew that now, the smiles reached their eyes. The more he thought about that, the moodier he became.

"Dude, why are you all angry and annoyed? Not that you are any different from usual." Sasuke gave Naruto an intense stink eye, who was probably so used to it already.

Sasuke wasn't afraid to admit that he thinks that the only person worthy of his Mai-nee-chan's generosity was him. In fact, how could she be so trusting of someone like Yamanaka Shun, or just anyone for that matter, after what had happened?

Perhaps, it was envy; or maybe, it was jealousy; but above all, it was paranoia. If someone of their own blood could betray them; if someone whom they had entrusted their hearts with could destroy everything, then how could there be any hope that this Yamanaka Shun wouldn't betray his sister?

The rest of the day passed with no hitches nor any more craziness, and Sasuke was content. He was always content when his sister came home and took the day off just to be with him. Because he still had the Academy the next day, his sister sent him to sleep at eleven, still a bit early in his opinion, but nevertheless later than what she would have usually allowed him. However, he couldn't fall asleep right away, not after what had happened with the massacre. It always took him an hour or so before he could fall into the tranquil state of dreaming, and he suspected that this was why Mai-nee-chan always urged him to go to bed early, despite his unwillingness to follow through with it.

It was a minute past midnight when Sasuke heard the whispers again.

Sasuke got out of the bed as quietly as he could, hiding his presence and movements just like he was trained to do. When he actually got to the door and peeked through the small opening, he was surprised that the one his sister was whispering to was not Shun, but some silver-haired man he had only ever had a blurred image of.

"When you said that I could have the 'day' off, you really were taking the literal meaning." Sasuke couldn't see his sister's expression, but from her bland tone, he could imagine that she wasn't all that enthusiastic about this man's arrival. "So, what brings you here personally?"

"Mission. I was supposed to tell you three hours ago, but I had to help an old lady find her way back home since it's so dark outside. So now, you only have half an hour to prepare, I suggest you get going." The man said it so nonchalantly despite his ludicrous words. Suddenly, Sasuke understood why his sister wasn't very happy about seeing him. Does anyone actually believe that?

"Whatever you say…" His sister let out a sigh. Apparently, nobody believes that.

"So, what's the mission this time?" His sister asked in a hushed whisper. Sasuke wished that she didn't have to do that, he wanted to tell her that there was nothing he couldn't hear, that there was nothing she should hide from him.

"You're going to have to wait to find out, seeing as you have a little eavesdropper here." With a slight turn of his face, the man locked eyes (well, just one eye) with Sasuke, who was a bit startled and disappointed. With a breeze of wind, the man disappeared out of the room, leaving his sister to gather up her weapons in preparation for her upcoming mission.

Before Mai-nee-chan left, she waved him goodbye. She didn't seem very angry at him for eavesdropping; perhaps, she had always known of his habits. Reluctantly, Sasuke crawled back into his bed. Five years, she promised. Now, three years have passed. He really, really didn't want to remember that, not after how he saw his sister finally settle down in life; not after his sister finally felt like she had built a life together.

If he could, he really didn't want to bring up anything that could shatter this fragile peace his sister had worked so hard for. But I can't. I can't stop the hatred, I can't stop the need for revenge. I can't forget the cruelty and atrocity he committed. I just can't.

Two more years, he could still give her two years like he had promised. He didn't know what his sister was trying to find or prove, but he was willing to trust her until the world ends.

Two more years, Mai-nee-chan, if you still can't accomplish what you wanted to do, then let me do it for you. Two more years, then it will finally be my turn to protect you.

(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

#2: What Shun really thinks about the apartment pricing these days.

For Yamanaka Shun, there were very few things that could truly get on his nerves. Call it a professional trait or something, but when you work at the Intelligence Division and you deal with unwilling 'information providers' every day, it was hard to get riled up. However, there were two things that could really get on his nerves: the ever-rising apartment pricing, and a certain temperamental ten-year-old who just didn't seem to know the importance and necessity of being polite.

The former of his problems, he had to admit he had no control of. Apartment prices went up like it was high on adrenaline, then it dropped like a hangover after the high. He was lucky to haggle down the current rent he had, but unfortunately, the contract will be expired in a little less than a year. So, as preparation for the future, he had to get back into the apartment market to scout for places. Some may call him to be overly obsessed with money, but he would say that it's the basics of survival. After all, a good bargain requires thorough preparations.

The latter of his problems, however, was something he would be rid of soon. This made him wonder, how the hell did he contract that particular problem in the first place, because clearly, he had many chances to say 'no'.

But you see, Shun didn't, for that Uchiha Maiko was the single biggest contradiction in his life.

Talented people often have charisma - a weird thing that draws people to Maiko instinctively. Fortunately, that wasn't the case with Shun. When he was first placed on a team with her, he was at best, courteous. She had many positive traits, sure, but that was it. She was so distant and unrelatable that she felt like a myth instead of a person. And Shun, who had always had a knack for psychology, preferred to study humans rather than a stone wall.

But that had changed since that fateful day. No, it wasn't the day that Daichi had died; it was five days after that - the day of Daichi's official funeral.

No shinobi was to be invited, that was what Daichi's parents had told them. So no one on his team could go pay their final respect. Shun had been angry about that, so he was sulking on the training ground, wearing black clothes, yet having no reason for it. Then, Maiko showed up. Black shirt, black pants, black jacket, she looked no different from usual, except for the single daffodil in her hand. Interesting choice of flowers.

Without the single word, she dragged him away from the training ground. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Shun had realised where she was taking him - Daichi's funeral. They weren't supposed to be there, Akira-sensei made it clear that they shouldn't do anything that would worsen the conflict between shinobis and civilians. However, Shun didn't protest when Maiko placed the doorman in a genjutsu and walked right in.

They sat in the back row and watched Daichi's body - cleaned and dressed - being sealed in the casket. At one point, Shun was sobbing in sorrow and anger. However, Maiko didn't shed a single tear. She kept her eyes on the body until the casket was carried away to be buried.

When they were following the hearse to the burial site, Shun had asked her why she had come here. Without even looking at him, she answered: "You wanted to come here, didn't you?" Yes, he did. He needed a chance to say goodbye, to properly greet the death that had taken his teammate so unexpectedly.

After the funeral was over, they stayed at the burial site for a little while longer so that Maiko could place that daffodil on the freshly made grave - 'Tokugawa Daichi, beloved son', they should have put 'brave shinobi' on there as well - Shun had asked Maiko again, "Why did you come here?" This time, she gave him a different answer.

"Did you know, the fastest way to evolve my kekkei genkai was to experience traumatic emotions. The Sharingan feeds on negative emotions, and the sorrow of losing someone close is its favourite dessert. After Daichi's death, nothing has changed with my Sharingan. Nothing. I was abhorred by myself, so I came here to see if I am really a monster."

"And are you?" Shun had asked for the last time. She never gave him an answer, but she didn't need to, because Shun could clearly tell from that moment that she was, without a doubt, a human.

Uchiha Maiko was a huge contradiction. She repels people, but then she attracts people. Over the years, Shun had learned that she could be the most caring person towards her brothers if she felt like it. Uchiha Itachi, the man who had betrayed her trust, was the prime recipient of her affection. And from what Shun could see, she gave him all of it.

This was why Shun despised Uchiha Itachi (not that he ever really liked him that much): he destroyed everything Maiko trusted, smashed it all to pieces, and forced her to carry the heavy pieces as each broken shard stabbed her until rivulets of blood flowed down her skin.

Right, back to the apartment pricings, Shun thought bitterly as his eyes flitted over to the package full of information stuffed in his bag. Yes, he did use some resources from the Intelligence Division to analyse the direction in which the apartment rents would be going for the next one or two years along with lots of other details that could only be accessed through the Intelligence Department database. And no, he did not feel guilty about it, because like he said, basics of survival.

Shun looked at the clock, it was only nine o'clock in the morning, and he was already having a headache. He supposed that he should get ready for the mission at noon. Despite common beliefs, people in the Intelligence Division do take missions, although definitely not on the same level of craziness as his roommate's. Shun had long accepted that his path would be different from Maiko's, and any comparison at this stage would simply be pointless.

However, he still thought that the rents were too high for a one bedroom apartment. It unsettled him and Shun decided to take a look at the report again. When he pulled out the first page from his bag, he immediately realised the reason why.

There were data of two-bedroom apartments mixed in the analysis.

At that moment, he wanted to smack his face for his own stupidity. This is so ridiculous. I can't believe I didn't notice this. Well, I just wasted a perfectly good morning. And like Shun had always believed: Time is money.

He guessed that it couldn't be helped. His perception towards Maiko could be summed up in two words: Admiration and curiosity.

Admiration, because Shun was also a shinobi and Maiko was the depiction of true strength and tenacity in his mind. Curiosity, because Shun came from a heritage that analysed human minds, and Maiko, with her cracked yet still functional psyche, was truly a mesmerising case study to analyse.

Resilience, the ability to successfully adapt to trauma, social disadvantage or highly adverse conditions. It shouldn't be a surprise that the most investigated topic in the psychotherapy department was resilience. In the career of shinobi, resilience was the key to a functional life. What kind of shinobi village would Konoha be, if it didn't actively try to research on methods to build resilience?

As much as Inoichi-shishou liked to complain about Maiko as a difficult client to work with (Shun definitely knew this, since he was the prime recipient of his shishou's complaints), they both recognised what a valuable case study Maiko was, in terms of studying the mechanism and formation of resilience.

Shun had always considered himself as the observer; the impartial researcher who could stay out of the destructive spiral Maiko made. He wanted to claim that he could witness it calmly like an outsider, and therefore, he could be the sane one when everything regarding his friend was spiralling insanely out of control.

However, at that moment, when he begrudgingly thrust the papers back into his bag (even though he would like to burn the embarrassing evidence, paper costs money), he realised something: He was already swept up in the spiral the moment they became teammates nine years ago; already in the storm when they acknowledged each other as friends. It was arrogant and irresponsible of him to believe that he could still get out of this.

Ah, he supposed that the case study named 'Maiko' has just been invalidated - too many researcher biases and subjective emotions involved. After all, moving past all that admiration and curiosity, Maiko was, above all, his friend.

(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

#3: What Kakashi really thinks about stray puppies.

It could only happen so many times before Kakashi realised that whenever he was called into Hokage's office, it was usually about one of three topics: mission assignment, late mission report, or a stray named Uchiha Maiko.

So when he was summoned today, he thought back on any mission reports he might have forgotten to hand in and he couldn't remember any. It was at that point that he was sure that this was about either a new mission assignment or Uchiha Maiko, or maybe even both if he were lucky enough.

"Ah, Kakashi-kun, you came on time. Shikaku and I were just having a bet on how late you would be. It seems like we've both lost some money," the Hokage joked with a pleasant smile. Kakashi liked to defy people's expectation sometimes, it was always very amusing.

"Do you still remember that a month ago, I asked you to submit the names of potential candidates for captaincy from your team because we seem to have an influx of new recruits this season?" Kakashi nodded at the amiable man. He had submitted a grand total of two names. The first one, he had put down without thinking, but the second one, he only wrote it down after much debate.

"I believe that your first choice was Bear?" Would you look at that, it's not topic number one, two, or three today. Sometimes, Kakashi liked to have his expectations defied as well. "Well, I have evaluated his records and I have to say, he is indeed very impressive. If I remember correctly, he performed very well on his mandatory evaluation last month."

Every Anbu agent had biannual evaluations on their skills and strategies. They were usually given a team assignment in their capability and it was the only time that team captains like Kakashi get to sit back and let their subordinates direct the team, all the while judging them as harshly as they could (and every captain freaking loved doing it). It was a way of ensuring that these agents could think on their own when they return to the normal shinobi force, instead of being mindless puppets under the rigid Anbu power hierarchy. Of course, it was also a way for the Hokage to pick out potential captains.

Kakashi hadn't had a doubt in mind that Tenzō would pass with flying colours. He was a good choice for captaincy through and through and he was glad that the Hokage had recognised that.

"I have already talked to him and offered him a captain position. However, he seemed inclined to refuse. He told me that he was still searching for something and he asked me if I can give him more time to stay on your team." Ah, that sounds exactly like him.

Tenzō would never directly refuse an order, so if the Hokage were to order him to be a captain, he would comply without further protest. Kakashi didn't know what his kouhai was searching for, but he had guessed that it had something to do with that cursed seal on his tongue.

It wasn't quite about the social stigma that Kakashi was afraid Tenzō would receive because supposedly, no one should know about Root. It was deeper than that. Tenzō had always had this internal shame about that mark on his tongue - a sign of betrayal to the Hokage. Perhaps, unless he could get rid of that brand somehow, he could never trust himself in taking on a position of power.

Kakashi thought that was just dumb. Reasonable, but still, dumb. Kakashi trusted him, and the Hokage obvious did as well. It was just Tenzō himself who couldn't see it. Perhaps it would go away with time, but to be honest, Kakashi wasn't sure that staying on his team was the answer.

He understood full well that for Tenzō, and perhaps Maiko as well, he was the safety umbrella. Problem number one with taking on strays with complicated pasts: you somehow become the saviour and get imprinted on.

Maybe one day, someone would come along, disband Root, and free them all. One could only dream. Shimura Danzō's Root was like an insurmountable and invisible barrier. Some people couldn't see the damage it was causing, others either didn't care enough to take it down or just couldn't. So all Kakashi could do was to defend against it, but never attacking it.

"Would you like me to talk to him, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi never liked to push people into doing things they didn't want to do. It was always better for Tenzō to realise this kind of things on his own; Kakashi was not a failsafe for psych counselling.

"If you would like to do so. However, he did promise me that he would take on the position most definitely after a year should he be needed, so I'm not too concerned." Ah, that's good, this way, I don't have to boot him out myself to wake him up. A year was a reasonable amount of time and whether or not Tenzō could find whatever he was searching for (Kakashi really hoped that he could), he would still be choosing to take on the responsibilities and moving on.

Wait a second, if the Hokage had already talked to Tenzō, then why was he called? Uh-oh, damn it, so it's back to topic number three now…

"So, for your second choice, you put down Rabbit, otherwise, known as Uchiha Maiko," the Hokage looked down curiously at the piece of paper which Kakashi had submitted.

Yes, Kakashi had put down her name as a second choice. Why? Because he couldn't find a reason not to, not a legitimate one anyway. However, he had never thought that the Hokage would actually skip to the second choice. Maybe I should go talk to Tenzō right now …

It seemed that the Hokage had realised his uncertainty, because he questioned, "Are you sure of your choice? Are you certain that you've thought this through?"

Now, this could go either way. It was certain that someone had to take on the post, so he could either say that he wasn't sure, and the Hokage would most likely ask Tenzō for the position again, or he could give his confirmation and let the Hokage consider her candidacy. Unlike Tenzō, Maiko would really be facing the social stigma. Her age, her last name, her past … No one wanted to see another Uchiha Itachi, who had been normal one day and a terrifying murderer the next.

Internal shame and external stigma, Kakashi detested them both. Tenzō and Maiko, they were strays with dark pasts, but they were still his strays.

"I'm not uncertain," Kakashi finally answered, albeit the fact that he had used double negative which gave a pretty uncertain impression. "She has all the objective requirements such as skill sets, strategies, and leadership mindset fulfilled. However, there are some subjective ones that I don't feel comfortable deciding."

"Let's hear your doubts, then," the Hokage proposed as if they were just gossiping over the tea. Perhaps, he was the one making this way too complicated. Strays, they were way too complicated.

"She lacks experience, three years is not very long," he voiced out the most fundamental problem.

"You were promoted after two years in Anbu if I remembered correctly. Besides, no one comes to a promotion with full experience, ready to go, not even you." Well played, Hokage-sama.

"She …" blackmailed me into giving her sensitive information. Kakashi was pretty sure that this was one of the less legitimate excuses, so he changed his sentence half way. "... isn't the most mentally stable choice of the bunch." The Hokage raised an eyebrow at his lame excuse. To be fair, he felt like that most of the girl's problems were very relatable. So combined with the fact that he had pretty much been there and done that, he didn't particularly feel like judging her.

"Getting protective, I see." Kakashi swore that his eye just twitched at the Hokage's suggestive tone. "Shikaku has already pointed that out to me given her past traumas. However, Inoichi, along with us and the others, all agreed that it's not leaving a long term effect on her psyche that would influence her career. That or Inoichi has finally given up on her."

"She tends to make rash decisions when dealing with emotional situations," Kakashi tried again. This was one of the more legitimate points, or so he had thought.

"All of her previous assessments records are impeccable except for that one incident with Orochimaru, which I believe to be an exception under very rare circumstances." At this point, it was quite clear to Kakashi that the Hokage was having much fun destroying his arguments.

"However, you do bring up a valid point. She has a scheduled assessment soon, doesn't she? I've decided to reserve the decision after her latest mandatory evaluation. I even have a mission picked out for her already." The Hokage handed him a file folder which he took reluctantly. "All the standard evaluation protocols apply and only step in if she is about to fail. Please inform the rest of your team about the purpose of this mission, but tell Maiko-chan that it's one of the standard Anbu evaluations."

Kakashi opened the file, and immediately, he frowned. It was a relatively difficult A-rank mission, a bit challenging, but that wasn't why he had frowned. It was the location; a location that definitely fitted the purpose of this assessment well. Truly, Hokage-sama, this is kind of mean.

"There's no need to give me that look. Shikaku was the one who chose it." As if reading his mind, the Hokage pointed towards the Jōnin Commander by his side who looked very disinterested by the blatant shift of blame. Of course, Commander Nara was never the kind to do things by half.

With a deep bow, Kakashi excused himself from the Hokage's office. As soon as he stepped into the hall, he let out an almost inaudible sigh. He wasn't usually the indecisive type, but when it came to the Uchihas, he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. In that sense, Tenzō just became his favourite stray.

"Don't worry too much about your subordinates. Look around you in Anbu, hell, even in the regular shinobi force, we all have some sort of psychological problem simply because it comes with our profession." Kakashi turned around immediately at the source of the voice, his eye settling on the laid-back figure of Commander Nara. He looked like he was delivering some documents for the Hokage, as he had a stack of files in his hands as he left the office.

"The judgemental looks were already on her path the moment she debuted as the new Uchiha Clan head, and she will need the rank to help her along the way," The Jonin Commander said in a relaxed voice as if they were just discussing the market price for kunai. "As for whether or not she can get it, it will be up to her, not you." The Nara Clan Head let the words trail off behind him as he walked away.

After standing there like an idiot for a few seconds, Kakashi decided that it was best to take another look at the mission first. When he opened the first page for the overview, he frowned even more. The recommended time for departure was 2200, but he clearly remembered that Maiko had asked for a day off in advance for her brother's birthday.

Well, he supposed that he could wait until midnight to get her and leave at one. Three hours, they could very well make up for that time on the road.

The Jonin Commander was right, everyone here who has been in a B-rank or higher mission had some sort of psychological problem; Tenzō and Maiko were just very unlucky and had a few more to deal with than usual.

Also, no more strays. Absolutely no more strays.

(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ fuwa~fuwa~desu~~~

#4: What Itachi really thinks about life as an S-rank missing-nin in a circle of international S-rank criminals.

Life as an S-rank missing-nin was definitely not filled with freedom and adventure, not that Itachi ever thought of it in such a romanticised way, considering that he himself had once made a living off of hunting the missing-nins until he was thirteen.

But that was almost three years ago, and since then, Itachi had already reached a conclusion that he often recalls nowadays: He chose this and there was no turning back. To say that he didn't regret his actions would be a lie, but it was just that the justification outweighed the regrets.

Peace, what he had always yearned for ever since he stepped onto that field of corpses at four as part of Father's lesson. He didn't and still couldn't understand why peace had to be fought with bloodshed and death.

Family, what he had always yearned to protect ever since he knew the existence of a baby sister. He had tried so hard to understand why the only way he could protect them was to hurt them and break them first.

Itachi had been called a genius or a prodigy all his life, but sometimes he felt like such as fool when it came to the things he cared about the most.

It was the only option. The coup d'état had to be stopped. Maiko and Sasuke had to be protected. Shisui gave his life to help me protect what's left of the clan, but I bet he never thought it would go this way.

Whose fault was it in the end? The Uchihas who wanted to rebel? The senile council whose distrust pushed the Uchihas to the brink of insanity? Shimura Danzō, who had issued the kill order under the Hokage's name, who took Shisui's eye and therefore took their only chance of reversing the coup peacefully? Or perhaps even himself, who obeyed the order and decided the final course of action on his own desire to trade the clan for his siblings' future.

From time to time during the last three years, Itachi would find the question to be painstakingly simple. They were all to blame, and thus none of them was to be blamed. Because this event was not caused by a single factor, thus there would be no point in establishing a cause and effect where one would simply just blame someone or something. The peace was maintained through this way. All were to be blamed, therefore none should be blamed.

However, other times in his life as a missing-nin, Itachi agonised over this question in order to justify his actions. He couldn't be content with that answer because the world didn't work in this idealistic way of thinking. People wanted to blame someone, and if none were to be blamed, they would simply find someone or something to be blamed.

So think, Itachi, which one should be blamed that would result in the smallest damage to the peace? It was Itachi himself. Maybe this was the justification he sought, or maybe he was already biased from the beginning of the deduction.

The murky air in the underground pub invaded Itachi's senses, threatening to overwhelm his consciousness. He had never been good at resisting the drowsy stench of alcohol, but he guessed that with enough time, he would get used to it eventually.

Despite the dim light that lit the room in a sinful colour, Itachi was not here to drink. When people say that most sinful places are connected, they were not wrong. This underground pub that sold alcohols to criminals and passersby all the same also provided bounty hunting for those who didn't want to earn a living the legal way.

"You gotta give me something that's worthwhile, and anything less than twenty million ryō is not considered worthwhile." Sitting beside Itachi, was a man covered from head to toe in cloth, only showing a sliver of his face that included his unusually coloured eyes. Like Itachi, he wore the long black cloak of Akatsuki decorated with red clouds. This man was Kakuzu, a member of the criminal organisation Itachi joined up shortly after he had massacred his clan.

"Look, it's not like I don't want to give you anything, but high-value bounties are hard to find. These are all the bounties over ten million ryō I have right now, pick whichever one you like." The bounty collector responded with exasperation as he placed a stack of paper in front of the impatient man. He was smart to walk away quickly before Kakuzu decided to kill him, but Itachi knew that if Kakuzu really wanted to kill the bounty collector, walking away would not help at all. However, if there was one thing that could keep Kakuzu from killing someone, it was probably money related.

"Be careful of what you pick, we want to finish the mission as soon as possible." On the other side of Itachi, a woman with short blue hair said emotionlessly. Itachi supposed that she, Konan, was probably the most normal person in the organisation, well, if one defined normal as being able to turn into papers at will. She didn't speak much, but when she did, it was usually about keeping the objective in mind.

"Trust me, I have been at this a lot longer than you, so just let me do my job, girl." With a murderous glare, Kakuzu sneered at Konan with contempt before he returned to his process of picking out the highest bounty in the stack.

Akatsuki's premise included mostly three parts from what Itachi had figured out. Get funds from high bounty missions. Gain the dependency of countries by offering them lower prices. Obtain the tailed-beasts. Right now, Itachi's mission was part one, and who was better for the job than Kakuzu, the self-proclaimed-and-objected-by-nobody treasurer of the organisation.

Itachi stared at the dark wall of the tavern as the silence persisted among the three of them. He was never a conversationalist, and to be frank, he believed that in an organisation of S-rank missing-nins, the best way to stay alive was to remain silent like some aloof king who kills everyone around them. I wonder how Maiko and Sasuke are doing. Not too well, probably, but they should be doing better than before.

Despite their silence, different voices chimed in the chatty background of the tavern. "Hey, have you heard, there is the risk of Konoha and the Land of Snow going to war?" A few tables away, a man said in a not so quiet voice. Itachi was never the gossip type and years of training had allowed him to have minimal reactions to almost anything that happened. However, it didn't mean that Itachi's interest wasn't piqued by the word "Konoha".

"Your information is outdated! Nothing's happening, no one will go to the war for a misunderstanding!" A few tables away from the bar where the Akatsuki members were currently sitting, a second man called out before he chucked a cup of sake down.

"Wait, what happened?" A third man joined in, looking a bit confused at the conversation, but that could also be because of the alcohol he was currently ravaging.

"Konoha and the Land of Snow apparently had some misunderstanding on the metal trade, but that's all sorted out now, unfortunately." The second man proceeded to answer with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Itachi understood his desire for conflict; there were not a lot of jobs for missing-nin, but a bit of conflict and battle always opened up opportunities.

"Wait, that's not what I heard. They say that the Land of Snow attacked the Konoha diplomats and that's why everyone is pissed." The first man argued quickly but that just invited more debates to arise.

"Hang on, I heard that it was the Konoha shinobi who attacked first. Apparently, they slaughtered the entire Snow army before they left. Seriously, everyone saw it on the ship, they burned the whole coast into nothingness. Hellfire, they said." Suddenly, another voice yelled out from a nearby table. Soon, more than half of the tavern was debating on how the conflict started and how it was resolved. Gossip, one of the best ways to immediately turn a room of strangers into acquaintances. However, the problem was that no one actually knew what had really happened.

"Hah, I think that it's the Konoha who attacked first. They say that one of the shinobi they sent was an Uchiha. Who in their right mind sends an Uchiha for diplomatic missions unless they want to screw the country over with their dojutsu?" Over the chorus of arguments, Itachi vaguely picked out this sentence. Now that's just not fair, putting 'Uchiha' and 'Konoha' in the same sentence. Suddenly, Itachi felt very glad that Kisame - his new partner after the last one was killed during their last mission relating to the Yondaime Mizukage - wasn't here. That guy always liked to take a jab at his history of massacre, claiming that it helped with team bonding since he had also killed his fellow countrymen without any sense of guilt. Oh, and Kami forbids if Tobi were here…

That man, the most mysterious person in this organisation full of mysteries. He is an Uchiha, but what does he want? What does he hope to accomplish? And most importantly, is he really who he claims to be? His identity seemed so absurd that Itachi had had to go back to the drawing board multiple times and had still yet to reach a conclusion.

"Seriously, Uchiha? Haven't heard that name for a while."

"Everybody there swore that they saw red eyes, crimson like the colour of blood! Who else would it be but an Uchiha?"

"Nah, who cares? If there is a conflict, so be it. I need a few more jobs anyway and the one time that's never in shortage of manpower is a war…"

These strife-seeking people, that's why the world continues to revolve around war … Itachi only continued that thought for a second before he remembered that he was in no position to judge. He was a shinobi, be it in Konoha or in Akatsuki, and his life would always be filled with violence. This was the sad story of life, the one he and Shisui tried to get out of despite knowing that they could never abandon the way of the shinobi. It was ingrained too deeply into them the moment they were born with the Sharingans as Uchihas.

"Come on, we are going to move, next target is in the Land of Hot Springs. Apparently, our target killed everyone he saw, including all the previous bounty hunters. We take care of this, we get 18 million ryō, so try to get it done within five days." Suddenly, Kakuzu spoke up as he finally decided on a bounty. Itachi had no doubt he had just ripped out the highest one and only read the information afterwards.

Silently, Itachi got up and followed Kakuzu and Konan out of the tavern. The tables of criminals and passersby were still arguing, but their topic was already onto something other than Konoha and Uchiha.

Life as an S-rank missing-nin was definitely not healthy on so many levels, but Itachi could argue that he had never been healthy, to begin with. Maiko and Sasuke, he wondered if they still held that immense amount of hatred like he expected? The last time he had talked to them, it was painful, very painful for all of them in all kinds of ways.

It's fine, though. I don't need them to be forgiving or merciful. I just need them to be safe.

A/N: yeah, as you can guess, the mission next time. Confession time: this chapter originally was only supposed to have the first three sections, because Itachi's section is kind of like an omake (yeah, it's going to take a while for him to resurface). However, if you look at the character tags I put on the story, you will realise that with Itachi, I've got all four characters covered in this chapter (kind of like reflective interludes), what an amazing coincidence! (XD, jk, don't hit me).