"Hey! Big Bro is back!"
"Big Bro's back!"
"Dad's back!"
"Daddy!"
He was welcomed to the house by a number of shouts, a number of feet running out the door and from the grounds and to him.
"Hello." He smiled at the familiar routine. The children he had been training for years came out in mass to see him, wide smiles on most of their faces. Even the ones who weren't smiling were happy, Sai had long since noticed how they, at times, put up fronts of indifference and the like.
It wasn't hard to see the truth for the Jonin.
He welcomed each of their arrivals with a hug, a ruffle of their hair if they liked it, some simply just wanted a hello. He knew which ones would want him to see the fruits of their training while he had been gone, others would be curious about his mission and want stories, others would want to know when he would bring his squad by again.
Most of them liked when Sakura took them for rides, liked when Naruto trained with them, and others liked when Sasuke showed off his Kekkei Genkai and made any number of ice structures for them.
A glance to the yard showed the slides were still there and the snow the Uchiha had somehow created to be unable to melt in the summer heat.
From the door, Shin only smiled at the sight of Sai, the love he had to show the children under his care on full display.
"I guess I'm chopped liver then?" He lightly taunted the children that were now as much his as they had been Sai's originally.
"No you're not! You're Uncle Shin!"
"No! He's Other Big Bro!"
Some of the children promptly entered into a familiar lighthearted debate over what to call Shin, some went with Uncle, others with Big Bro 2, a few even called him Dad.
He couldn't help but smile, could see why Sai had come back to life once they had come under his care.
"I'm sure they all value you just as much as me." Sai had joined him, the children running off with promises to see him later, others peeking through windows and waving, earning a wave in return. The two ROOT agents headed inside, going up the steps and into a room they would normally see Danzo Shimura in during his few visits, had seen more use as a private meeting room between the two of them.
"Don't lie." Shin patted him on the shoulder, laughed. "It's not hard to see that you're their world. They love you."
Sai didn't know what to say, a pleased smile on his face at the thought, that his tireless work to keep the children out of the ROOT program, let them maintain their humanity, had succeeded so well.
"I'm just happy to see them have this chance." Sai settled on saying those words, Shin only nodding. The two made sure the door was closed once they were in the room, made sure none of the children they now both cared for would try to eavesdrop anymore than they usually did.
Within moments, Sai had drawn and released a handful of his Tomoe Lions, each no larger than a housecat but no less effective. They silently slinked off, would occupy any children that came to eavesdrop on the two with any number of games of tag.
From the excited shouts coming from not only outside the door but from outside the windows as well, the children were now very occupied.
The two shared a smile at the rush of feet around the house, the growing game of tag between the children and Sai's creations.
Their humor, and their smiles, slowly faded.
It was time for more serious business.
"Your mission to Kannabi Bridge was deemed a success?" Shin asked the obvious question.
"Yes." Sai set the travel pack he had worn on the table in the middle of the room, opened it, and withdrew a simple picture book. The still ink on the pages swiftly came alive, spread out onto a wide sheet of paper Shin had laid out before he had arrived from his debriefing. The ink mice raced to the paper, dissolved into it, and painted a picture. "The Kannabi Bridge will remain a ROOT target in the emergence of war. The explosives have all been set." He sighed. "I have provided the detonation seals to the ROOT agents stationed nearby. At Shimura's command, they will detonate the bridge."
"Rokuro will certainly see to it." Shin shook his head. "I'm surprised he was given such an assignment. He's not as radical as Shimura would normally like, far from it in truth."
"Then he'll exercise restraint if given the order." Sai could at least be satisfied with that. "From my visit to the Hidden Stone, things seem fine at least. The Tsuchikage doesn't seem eager for a new war or to break the balance that's already been established from the last one."
"Hopefully his successor remains the same." Shin looked to the now detailed map, another target marked as completed and another objective removed from the ever-growing list. "I'll be on a mission to the Land of Iron in the next few days, will be occupied for at least a month scouting one of the samurai clans. Shimura fears that, if left alone, they'll grow to power, possibly be seen as an alternative to the Shinobi the Hidden Leaf provides to guard the Daimyo."
"The war mongering fool." Sai looked to the map, felt the familiar frustration building within him. "I…" His hands tightened into fists.
Shin's hand landed on his shoulder.
"Let it go." Shin knew how his brother felt. "We have bigger things to worry about now."
"Yes…" Sai felt the tension building in him release, calmed himself. "Much more important things."
He returned the ink to the picture book, handed it to Shin to store away on the shelf.
Without the release seal, it would be just a normal book like all the others on the shelf. All of them holding the information they were gathering for the numerous ROOT operations they took part in. As Danzo's must successful agents, they had also been appointed as unofficial record keepers.
"I'm sure the children want you to join their game." Shin selected another book, this one detailing operations in the Land of Iron. He set it on the table. "I'll be busy with this for the rest of the day so I'm afraid I can't join you."
"I'm sure they'll miss Uncle Shin." Sai's smile returned, Shin's the same.
"I'm sure they'll be fine with their Dad." Shin opened the book, released the information within. "Have fun."
Sai left the room, closed the door behind him.
One of his Tomoe Lions bounded down the halls ahead of him, had grown to a much larger size to accommodate the two children currently hanging on to its back. They both let out excited shouts, homemade armor of cardboard on over their normal attires.
"Big Bro!" One of the children chasing after the lion smiled at the sight of him. "We're playing Lion Tag!"
"I see." Sai was quick to draw another pack, released them into the house. "Would you mind if I join you?"
"That would be awesome!" The child raced off. "I'm gonna go tell everybody!"
Sai only smiled as he headed down the hall, the excited shouts of children all around him.
'Yes. This is much more important.'
