In which Yugito gets seasick, Mei reads a letter, Yagura says goodbye, and Utakata has a very eventful day.

O-O-O-O-O

Despite B's approval and Yugito's eagerness, it took a few days for the Raikage to approve their departure.

B knew his brother didn't like having his jinchuuriki away from the village. However, A also knew that it was critical for Yugito to gain complete control over the Two-Tails. After a week of arguing, A had approved. There was only one condition: taking another experienced shinobi with them. After some consideration, B choose to take one of the newly-promoted chuunin, Samui. Yugito always seemed calmer in Samui's presence. She threatened him less often when she was around.

Even after receiving permission, it took weeks to arrange the ferry that would take them to Genbu. While they waited, Yugito had asked B about the process of taming a bijuu. Not wanting to explain anything, he had told her to wait until they departed.

Now that B was walking towards the docks with Yugito and Samui at his side, however, he had no choice but to explain.

"You see my little kitten, the way this is written, you have to pass, and also surpass! Don't waste your youth, you won't go through, the Waterfall of Truth, you dumbass phony!" he sang.

"The Waterfall of Truth?" Yugito tilted her head to the side and stared quizzically up at him. At her side, Samui's eyes narrowed.

B nodded his head. "Soon you will see, there are steps but three, no need to worry, we don't need to hurry, yo!"

"So the first step is to go through the Waterfall of Truth, right? That'll be easy! I can handle it! What's the next step?" Yugito beamed before asking her next question.

"You then open the seal, and then with much zeal, you fight your tailed beast! You manage to win, your chakra's increased, you dumbass phony!

Yugito clenched her jaw in annoyance as she tried to make sense of his words. She took a few seconds to think. The boat was in front of them when she finally answered.

"So first, I have to pass the Waterfall of Truth," she summarized. "Then, I fight my bijuu to take control of its chakra. What's the last step?"

"For the final step, you don't want to misstep. You take back the seal, and make the beast kneel! Yeah!"

"Is it really that difficult, B-sama?" Samui asked, tone polite.

"The hardest part is your true self, of that there's no doubt. You must defeat, the darkness within." B danced as he reached the dock before he jumped onto the ferry.

Samui and Yugito jumped aboard as well, albeit without the dance.

"What do you mean I have to defeat the darkness within?" Yugito frowned impatiently. He got a sense she was tired of trying to make sense of B's explanations.

"Just what I said, to pass the waterfall, your darkness you shed," B answered.

"Yes, I get that, but how do I do it?" Yugito demanded.

"I can't tell you now, the time won't allow, you must see for yourself, how to find oneself, you dumbass phony!

"Believe me, B," Yugito answered with a smug grin. "This is going to be easy!"

B shook his head. Facing one's inner darkness was not easy. Yugito was only going to end up disappointed. There was nothing that B could do to prepare her, however. She needed to figure everything out herself.

"You say that now." B smiled condescendingly at her. "But you are only a little kitten, who doesn't know what it's bitten, you dumbass phony!"

Yugito groaned and turned towards the hull where the cabins were located. She glared at Killer B before she walked with Samui to find their shared room.

B shrugged at her annoyance and sat on the deck. He took out his notebook and wrote down new rhymes. Within a few minutes, the captain announced their departure and the ferry left in search of Genbu.

B breathed a sigh of contentment. He had always felt most at ease in the ocean. He leaned back on his elbows. He could smell the salt in the air and he heard the seagulls squawking. He felt the boat moving up and down from underneath and found the movement comforting. He settled back to enjoy the ocean breeze on his face.

He was having a good time when, a few minutes later, Yugito came running out onto the deck, Samui behind her.

Yugito ran toward the railing and grasped it before letting go of the contents of her stomach. Samui joined at her side and rubbed her back soothingly. Yugito placed her forehead on the railing and murmured something to Samui.

B shook his head. Not only was Yugito overly optimistic about taming her beast, but she would be seasick for the entire journey. If she didn't threaten his life on a weekly basis, he might have felt sorry for her.

Samui bent close to whisper something in Yugito's ear, pressing her body against hers. She touched Yugito's cheek and pulled a lock of hair behind her ear lovingly, blushing as she did so.

For her part, Yugito seemed clueless, as if hugging someone puking their guts out into the ocean was normal.

B shook his head.

'Yugito really needs to get a clue, and not just about how difficult it is to tame a bijuu.'

'Don't make fun of her, she's only sixteen,' Gyuuki answered.

'I wasn't so clueless when I was sixteen.'

'You were. There's a reason you're still single, B.'

'I don't need a girlfriend, I have more time to spend. No need to be tied down, to someone who'll boss me around, you dumbass phony!'

Gyuuki only sighed in exasperation.

O-O-O-O-O

Mei had no time to rest after she killed Yagura.

As her first act, she had rescinded the order discriminating against holders of kekkei genkai. Then, she had needed to figure out what to do with the jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails, Utakata. Ao and Ameyuri had reported back that the boy was loyal to Kirigakure. The knowledge had released a large weight from her shoulders. She didn't want the death of a fourteen-year-old boy on her conscience.

From there, work had only piled up. She worked almost non-stop, sleeping at her desk in the Mizukage's office for only a few hours a day.

While she complained about being busy, it also came as a relief. She didn't have to process her guilt in Yagura's death when she was busy with taxes and missions. However, after months of constant work and with the help of Ao, Zabuza, and Ameyuri, her workload had eased. She could no longer excuse sleeping in the office. She needed to move into the Mizukage's official residence.

Mei stood at the door of the house anxiously. It had been the home of all previous Mizukage. It had been passed down to the next one upon retirement, or, historically, upon death.

Mei closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe in and out deeply. She couldn't avoid her master's old home forever. Her advisors and friends were already suspicious about her reluctance to move into the official home.

She gathered her courage and turned the key. She stepped through and opened her eyes to look around.

In front of her was a staircase that led up into the bedrooms. On the lower floor, she knew there was a large kitchen, a living room, a small office, and a dining area. She took off her sandals at the entrance and went up the stairs.

She knew it would be painful to go through her master's belongings before moving in. However, she wanted to keep some things for both Anzu's sake and hers. Forcing herself to keep going, she walked toward the main bedroom. I might as well get the worst part over with first.

She forced herself to inhale and exhale before sliding the door open and walking in. Her former master's bedroom was plain and mostly undecorated. There was a large bed on one side of the wall and a desk on the other. A thin layer of dust covered all the surfaces. Mei forced herself not to sneeze.

She walked to his desk first. On it, there were framed pictures. She saw Yagura's smiling face next to Anzu on their wedding day. In another picture, a young Mei stood between Yagura and Anzu, grinning happily. She also saw pictures of Asahi and Kasumi, some as newborns in their parents' arms and others as toddlers playing together. She smiled and made a note to keep the pictures for when Anzu and her children returned.

Mei opened the top drawer of the desk. She knew her teacher might have left something for her considering the situation. Sure enough, when she opened the drawer, there were three scrolls. Two were sealed and labeled with Asahi and Kasumi's name. The third was unsealed but has "Mei" written on it.

With a fond smile, she opened the scroll and read.

Mei-chan,

If you are reading this letter, then I'm NOT dead. This scroll is connected to my chakra and will self-destruct when I die. However, I recommend that you burn it anyway.

Since you are reading this letter, I assume that you are now the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure. Congratulations!

Please take care of my family since I'm going to find Anzu and tell her that it's safe to move back to Kiri. I'm gonna wander around the world trying to find out who put me under a genjutsu.

These scrolls are for Asahi and Kasumi. Please give them the scrolls when they are both jounin or earlier if you think it's necessary. Thanks.

Yagura

Mei's smile froze on her face. She read the letter two more times, trying to see if the words would change. When they didn't, she slammed the scroll on the ground and stomped on it with her foot.

"Stupid sensei! You made me believe I really killed you! I hate you! Die for real!" she yelled.

Panting in anger, she stared at the crushed paper and forced herself to breathe. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and groaned.

Now calm, she picked up the scroll and read the letter one last time. She memorized the words before using her lava release to burn the scroll away.

She sighed and looked down at her feet. While she was angry that Yagura had made her believe he had died, she was also relieved. So I didn't kill him after all.

With a sigh, she placed the picture frames on top of the scrolls. She would have something to give the Karatachi family later. She slammed the drawer closed. She glared at it as if the drawer had been the one to orchestrate the plan instead of her teacher.

She looked around the room. After months of abandonment, dust covered everything. It was even difficult to see out through the window because of it. I need to clean it up before I move in.

Determined, she tucked her bangs out of her face and headed out to look for a broom.

O-O-O-O-O

When Yagura woke up, he was greeted by Anzu's beautiful face snoring softly in his arms. Rays of morning light fell through the window, illuminating her face with a heavenly glow. From the door, one of his clones watched out for intruders.

He waited for Anzu to wake up, trying to blink as little as possible. It could be the very last time he ever woke up next to her, and he was determined to enjoy every second of it.

When she finally woke up, rubbing her eyes and yawning, he brushed her hair back from her face.

"So it wasn't a dream," she murmured.

"No," Yagura said and leaned in for a kiss, which she returned eagerly.

He broke the kiss first and sighed in defeat. "I think it's time for me to go."

"I know," Anzu said. She sat up, stretched, and looked at him. "I wish we could stay together."

He sat up as well. "As do I. I have presents for you and the kids before I leave, though."

"Why didn't you give them to me yesterday?" she asked, raising one eyebrow in confusion.

"I got distracted," he said with a lazy wave of his hand.

Stretching first, Yagura stood up and walked to the clothes he had thrown carelessly to the floor. He dressed quickly and grabbed his bag, pulling out a scroll. He pulsed chakra into the seal and opened it, causing three gifts to appear in his hands.

He walked back to the bed and sat down next to Anzu.

"This is for you," he handed over a pair of small pearl earrings.

Anzu's eyes lit up. "Oh, Yagura! They're so pretty! Did you make them yourself?"

"I did," he said. "I spent days looking for good pearls. I'm glad Isobu is a turtle or it would have taken even longer."

"Thank you, Yagura," she said before kissing him on the lips as thanks.

"I love you, Anzu," he said in return. He felt her lips twist into a smile at his words.

Almost reluctantly, he pulled back to hand over the other presents.

"The scarf is for Asahi and the necklace is for Kasumi," he said. "Or you can switch it, it doesn't really matter."

He placed a long pink scarf and a small beaded necklace in Anzu's hands. He didn't know if she would tell the children where the presents came from and he didn't want to ask. At least he was able to leave them something.

"They will love the presents, I'm sure," she said. She folded the scarf and necklace together and put them on the bedside table.

"I do want something from you in return," Yagura said. He huffed exasperatedly and frowned.

"Oh?" Anzu tilted her head to the side, perplexed at Yagura's words.

"Do you know how much money I paid last night?" Yagura crossed his arms and glared at his wife. "I'm basically broke. I probably can't even afford breakfast at a street stall right now," he complained.

Anzu laughed. Despite the situation, Yagura took the time to enjoy her laughter.

"So you need money?" she asked with a smirk. "Isn't the man usually the one that's traditionally supposed to provide for the family?"

"Since when have we been traditional?" Yagura retorted with a snort. "But, no. That's not what I meant. I need a bingo book. Bounties can be very lucrative."

Anzu sighed. "Also dangerous."

"You know I like danger." He grinned. "Besides, it's the best chance to find intel on the mercenary company."

"I know," Anzu looked away, face downcast. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

With a deep sigh, she left the bed and headed towards her kimono. She rummaged through hidden pockets before pulling out a small book.

"It's a little outdated," she explained as she walked back to him and placed the book in his hands. "I haven't been active duty since I left Kirigakure."

"That's fine. I'll update it when I have the chance."

Yagura placed the book inside his bag and put on the rest of his clothes. When he was dressed, he looked back at Anzu, who had put on her kimono and was struggling to tie the obi. With a hum of appreciation, he walked closer and began to help.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Anzu said as she lifted her arms in order to give Yagura better access to her waist.

"Not as much as I would like," Yagura said, eyes focused on the task. "Anyway, I made Mei promise that you would be safe in Kirigakure, so you should go back soon. She will keep you safe."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Mei promised," he answered with full confidence. "I left her letters for her to give to Asahi and Kasumi. The kids probably won't be receiving them until they are jounin, though."

"Is this our last time together, Yagura?" Anzu asked as she lowered her arms.

"It probably is," he admitted as he pulled on the obi to tighten it.

He looked pensively into her eyes and saw resignation. He wanted to stay with her, watching Asahi and Kasumi grow up. But it couldn't happen. Anzu needed to return to Kirigakure and Yagura needed to collect critical intel. He could not ask her to join him in his mission either, not when Asahi and Kasumi's lives were also on the line.

He moved his face closer and placed his forehead on top of hers. He leaned forward, placing one hand on the back of her neck, for a final kiss.

"You should find someone new," he told her when they broke apart. "You are still young. Find a new husband and forget about me."

Anzu shook her head. "You know I can't. You are too extraordinary to replace. Where else am I going to find a jinchuuriki who is also a Kage?"

"Well, the jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails might become Mizukage after Mei," he speculated. "He's only fourteen though, so you need to wait a while."

Anzu laughed before she answered. "I don't think I could ever love anyone the same way I love you."

Yagura grinned at her one last time. He made the ram hand seal and transformed back into a grey-haired Roshi. From the door, his clone disappeared, its role fulfilled. With a heavy sigh, he walked to the door. He turned around to look at Anzu for what would probably be the final time. She stared back, her jaw clenched and eyes downcast.

"I love you," Yagura said before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him, leaving his wife alone.

Before he could do anything he would later regret- such turning back- he walked down the hallway to the exit. He saw no one else until he arrived at the reception desk. He saw the old woman from the night before tending the front.

"Did you have a good night, sir?" she asked with an award-winning smile.

"Yes, madam," he answered immediately. It's the truth, after all.

"Well, if you ever come back, we have a frequent customer discount," she said. "Please consider using our services again next time. Our girls are the best in the city."

"Thanks," he said, imitating Roshi's gruff speaking style. "I will keep you in mind next time I pass by." I'm never coming back here if I can help it, though.

Without any other word, he stepped outside and into the morning streets of the red light district. His stomach grumbled in hunger and he checked his wallet. He only had 300 Ryo left- barely enough for one day.

Frustrated, he decided to catch his breakfast at the river instead.

O-O-O-O-O

Utakata looked in gratitude at the gates of Kirigakure as the morning sun rose behind him.

He had been on an infiltration mission in the Land of Lightning. After weeks on the mission, he missed the daily comforts of life, such as good sleep, fresh food, warm baths, and Harusame.

Utakata dashed through the gates by brandishing his identification card. The kunoichi at the gate gave him a reproachful look, but let him inside. Utakata ignored her. He was used to being dismissed.

Now inside Kiri, he wanted to run to Harusame's estate immediately. However, he had to give his mission report at the new Mizukage's office first.

With a sigh of annoyance, Utakata leaped over the roofs, moving as fast as possible. He arrived at the administration building within minutes. He jumped through the window to enter Mei Terumi's office.

Utakata frowned when he saw the woman under the Mizukage's hat.

She's younger than I expected. The woman looked barely older than Yugito, who was sixteen. She was working furiously, writing something at her desk. She glanced up when he entered the office but turned her eyes back to her paperwork. Silent, she motioned for him to walk closer.

The man and the woman who had visited him at Harusame's estate stood behind her. They looked at Utakata over the Mizukage's shoulder. The man held up a hand to tell him to wait. Utakata stopped and stood in front of the desk, waiting impatiently for the woman to finish her task.

The Fifth Mizukage finished a few seconds later. She looked up and smiled kindly, crossing her arms on top of the desk in front of her. Utakata suppressed a shudder. Smiles could be deceiving and he didn't know what the newest Mizukage was truly like.

"How was the mission?" she asked as she focused her attention on him.

"The mission was a success," Utakata answered. "The Land of Lightning has been working on some kind of video recording technology. They will use it first for their shinobi to improve long-distance communication. The technology will most likely be released for the public in a few years."

"That's good to hear," the Mizukage leaned forward and placed her chin on her hands. "Were there any difficulties on the mission?"

"None."

"Good, in that case, you are dismissed," she said as she turned her eyes back to the documents in front of her. "I expect a fully detailed and complete mission report on my desk before noon tomorrow."

Utakata blinked. Well, that was fast.

Before, he had been forced to recount every detail of the mission to Yagura's assistants and advisors, no matter how inane. He turned to leave, but the man with the eyepatch leaned forward and interrupted.

"Mizukage-sama, don't you think we should ask more?" he asked. "I know there are more important matters, but it's necessary to know every detail."

"We have more important things to worry about, Ao," the Mizukage answered without looking up. "We will have a written report soon, anyway."

"Yes, but since you have a lot of free time right now, I thought it would be good for-"

At his words, Mei snapped her pen in half. Ao froze and the short woman covered her mouth with the palm of her hand.

"Are you saying I'm too much of a loser to find someone to spend time with?" Mei asked coldly, ink dripping through her fingers.

"What? No! Mizukage-sama, I just think that since you don't have anything to do, you could-"

"One more word and you die." The Mizukage turned to look at the tall man with a smile. "Now, get me another pen. Something has happened to mine."

"O-Of course, Mizukage-sama." The man shivered before he left the office to look for a pen. The red-headed woman snorted while Mei let out an angry breath.

"Utakata-kun?" the Mizukage said.

Utakata froze where he was standing.

"Yes?" he asked reluctantly.

"Remember, before noon," she told him with a vicious grin. "You are dismissed for now."

"Ah, uh, y-yes, thank you," Utakata answered.

He bowed deeply and escaped from the office. Once he had jumped out of the window, he heard the red-headed woman laughing maniacally.

Glad to be out of there, he wanted to head home immediately. However, his stomach, which had survived off ration bars during the mission, protested. He hadn't had a full meal in a month and he missed hot food. It was still very early in the morning, but some stalls would already be open. With a new goal in mind, he made his way to the commercial center instead.

When he arrived at a small alley, most of the stalls were still closed for the night. However, he saw a few people selling typical breakfast staples. With a growling stomach, he approached the nearest one and drooled when he smelled the food.

"I would like the eel breakfast, please," he said to the man behind the counter. "How much will that be?"

The cook stared at him scornfully, making him feel like a piece of meat. Utakata tried not to shrink back. He was a chuunin of Kirigakure and a jinchuuriki. He couldn't be intimidated so easily. The man gave him a familiar glare and his heart sank.

"For you, any price is too low," the man answered with a growl. "I don't want you or your kind anywhere near here."

"I just want to have breakfast." Utakata tried to reason with the man but he already knew that it wouldn't change anything.

"I said no," the man replied, voice full of scorn.

Utakata clenched his fists in annoyance but he backed down. He knew from past experiences that it wouldn't be worth it to argue with the man. He turned and searched for somewhere else to eat. He wandered through the different stalls as they set up for the morning rush. However, as soon as anyone looked at him, they glowered at best and spat at his feet at worst.

Dejected and with an empty stomach, Utakata accepted defeat. He leaped onto the roofs and ran back to Harusame's estate. The meal wouldn't be anything special, but at least he would get to eat more than a ration bar.

He arrived back home and headed straight to the kitchen. He served himself a bowl of rice and fried two eggs. He salivated as he added a little soy sauce. It wasn't amazing, but it would do.

He took his simple breakfast to the dining room. He was unsurprised to find his master lounging there as he read a book.

"Hello, Harusame-sensei," Utakata said. He greeted him with one hand while he balanced the bowl and chopsticks with the other.

"Utakata-kun! You're back quickly this time." Harusame looked up from the book to meet Utakata's eyes.

"Yes, master." Utakata sat down at the table and started eating ravenously. After a long mission, anything was delicious.

"How was the mission?" Harusame asked.

"It was good," Utakata mumbled with his mouth full of food. Harusame lifted up an eyebrow. Embarrassed, he swallowed and cleared his throat before repeating himself.

"It was good," he said. "I collected some intel on Kumogakure's newest communication technology." He shoveled more food into his mouth while his master processed the information.

"So Kumogakure is developing technology?" Harusame asked and Utakata nodded, mouth full of food. "Have you already given your mission report, Utakata-kun?"

That time, he remembered to swallow before answering. "Not yet, master. I only had to give a short debriefing and she told me to submit a written report tomorrow instead."

"Oh, and what did you think of the new Mizukage?" Harusame asked curiously. "I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Mei Terumi yet."

Utakata took his time to chew, swallow, and think before answering. "She's terrifying," he admitted, "but she seemed nice enough. She only wanted a brief report."

"Did she say anything to you about-"

"No," Utakata interrupted before Harusame could ask about the Six-Tails. "She just treated me like any normal chuunin. The people of the village weren't so kind."

"What did the villagers say?" Harusame asked, his shoulders tensing.

Utakata shrugged and took another bite before answering. "I don't know. Nothing really. I wanted to eat breakfast in the village since I was hungry, but they said they didn't want me there. It was easier to come back instead of trying to argue with them about it."

"Still, they shouldn't say that kind of stuff to you," Harusame said with a frown. "You're a valuable shinobi of Kirigakure."

Utakata shrugged again and continued eating in silence. He had gotten used to dealing with the hatred that the villagers gave him. As long as he had Harusame, he didn't care what anyone else thought about him.

When he finished eating, Utakata told his master that he would train for the rest of the day. Harusame nodded distractedly and Utakata cleaned up after himself.

When he arrived at the training grounds, he stretched before doing a basic taijutsu kata. However, instead of the usual calming effect of the warm-up, he felt incredible sadness.

Why the hell am I sad? The villagers aren't worth getting upset over. So what if they were mean? Who cares?

Despite his self-reassurances, the sense of grief didn't leave. He struggled to concentrate as he went through the movements. In the end, he cut the warm-up short, hoping that practicing his normal routine would make him feel better. However, when he began his normal kata, he couldn't concentrate either. His movement was clumsy and he made simple mistakes. When he blew bubbles, the blobs that appeared burst within seconds. Utakata felt foreboding in the pit of his stomach and he groaned in exasperation.

Oh, fuck. I hope the stupid Room isn't interfering again.

Utakata stared up at the sky and frowned. The last time he had trouble with jutsu, he had gone to the Room to find out the Fourth Mizukage was a jinchuuriki. Somehow, that had escalated into a complete overhaul of Kirigakure's political system.

Utakata sighed. He hoped whatever new crisis wasn't as dramatic as encouraging the Fourth Mizukage to fake his death.

Suppressing a whine, Utakata left the training area to take a warm bath instead. Besides his master's cooking, he missed hot running water the most. After a month on the field, he felt grimy. He entered the tub and tried to relax, but the sadness in his subconscious made it nigh impossible.

With a grumble, he left the bath within minutes, unable to enjoy it. He dried off and got dressed, changing into his normal loose yukata.

He flopped down onto the futon and looked at the early light of the afternoon through the window. Despite the time of day, Utakata was exhausted after the long mission. Within minutes he fell asleep.

He automatically let his mind lead him into the Room. He already knew that something was happening. He tried to prepare himself for anything. He hoped no one was fighting or injured. That would be troublesome.

When his subconsciousness appeared in the Room, Utakata was ready for a fight. However, when he saw the little girl curled up with her face on her knees sobbing, he paused.

The girl was leaning on a Door marked with the kanji for the number seven. She didn't seem to notice his arrival, because she continued crying without glancing at him.

Utakata wanted to disappear. He wasn't good at dealing with crying or children. He was especially terrible at dealing with crying children. However, he knew that if he didn't try, the Room wouldn't let him concentrate on anything until he did something about it.

With a sigh, he walked toward the girl, wishing someone else was there. He squatted down and sat cross-legged a foot away from her. She tensed slightly at his approach but didn't otherwise react.

"Hey," he said, but the girl only continued to cry.

Utakata scratched the back of his neck. He didn't know what had happened and he didn't know how he could make her happier. He tried to remember what Harusame used to do when he was much younger and needed comfort. He remembered his master trying to make jokes. They were never funny, but Utakata enjoyed the effort anyway.

"Hey," he repeated, "your name is Fuji right?"

The girl cried harder. She mumbled something, but Utakata couldn't understand what she was saying. Reluctantly, he scooted closer and placed the palm of his hand on top of her shoulder. He patted her awkwardly and hoped that she felt comforted in some way.

"Not Fuji, then?" he asked. The girl shook her head.

"Then let me try to guess," he continued. "Your name is... Mei."

The girl shook her head again but it sounded like her sobbing had lessened slightly.

"No? Then maybe Yugito?" he asked. She shook her head again.

"Wait, I know! Yuki!" he guessed. "Miyako? Aki? Akito? Kagura? Kairi? Sachiko?" he used random names.

She shook her head but her sobbing was almost nonexistent at that point.

"Naruto?" he asked.

At the last suggestion, she giggled through the tears. Nevertheless, her voice sounded strained.

"No," she finally whispered, her throat struggling to say that simple word.

Utakata looked down at her and frowned. The girl had seemed very cheerful and talkative the other times he had seen her. Watching her fight to say such a simple word was... difficult.

The girl started crying again. Utakata scooted closer.

At the closeness, the girl placed her head on his knee and started to cry into his yukata. Utakata tensed but didn't pull away. Awkwardly, he put his hand on top of her head and petted her. They sat together like that for a few minutes. Utakata had no idea what to do. Nevertheless, the girl seemed comforted and her crying started to peter out.

"Fuu," he said once her sobs had turned into hiccups.

"What?" she whispered.

"Your name is Fuu, I remembered," Utakata said.

"Oh."

The girl looked up briefly at him before turning her gaze toward the floor. Her head was still resting on his knee and Utakata was starting to feel numb.

They sat together in silence before Utakata spoke again.

"So why were you crying?" he asked.

Fuu flinched before answering. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay," he replied and the two fell back into silence. He could understand needing to keep everything bottled up inside. He leaned on her Door and sighed.

My leg is getting numb. At the thought, Utakata tried to shift his leg. Immediately, Fuu lifted up her head and sat up. She pulled her knees up to her chin and hugged them close. He took the opportunity to stretch out his legs in front of him.

They sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes more, with neither of them knowing what to say.

"My mother is dead," Fuu finally admitted.

"What?" Utakata turned to the girl in alarm. Before he could react, she had thrown herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Panicked, his first instinct was to throw the girl across the Room, but he stopped himself. She cried into his shoulder and, not knowing what else he could do, he wrapped his arms around her tiny body. Her tears soaked through his yukata within seconds and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

"I'm sorry," he said, not having anything else he could say. "You must have loved her."

He felt Fuu nodding into his shoulder and he patted her head again. He held onto her, not knowing what else to do. He only had Harusame, and if he died, Utakata would feel the same way.

He let her cry into his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed together until he could only hear her sniffling. When she stopped, he shifted in order to make Fuu sit on his lap instead.

"Do you like bubbles?" he asked her. He had never been good with words but he remembered Harusame making bubbles when he was her age to cheer him up.

"Bubbles?" Despite the situation, she sounded curious.

"Yeah, I can make cool ones. Watch."

With her attention on him, he conjured his pipe and bubble solution. He blew many bubbles, adding a small amount of chakra to make them glitter more than they normally did.

Fuu looked at the results with eyes wide open. Her eyes were red after all the crying but the bubbles keep her attention. One floated nearby and she raised a hesitant finger to touch it. It popped immediately, releasing a small explosion of blue sparkles like a firework.

Fuu gasped and looked up at him in wonder.

"What else can the bubbles do?" she asked, her voice raw and strained.

"Many things," he answered. "Watch."

He sent a small pulse of chakra. All at once, the bubbles burst, showering the Room with lights of a thousand colors. He looked down at Fuu and was glad to see she was enjoying the show, the bright colors reflected in her eyes.

"Let me show you a different type," he said before he blew a new set of bubbles.

The new bubbles floated up into the air, a few moving in their direction. Fuu touched one that drifted near. That time, instead of bursting at the touch, it bounced away. With a squeak of surprise, she watched the sphere ricochet away. She looked up to him and smiled for the first time.

"Wow, Utakata nii-san, you can do so many things with bubbles," she said. She beamed up at him, although her eyes still looked full of grief.

"You haven't seen anything yet, Fuu. Just keep watching." With that, Utakata showed her some more of what he could do.

At first, Fuu was hesitant, only interacting with the bubbles that happened to float near her. However, after some time, she stood up, running around the Room and trying to touch every single bubble.

Utakata stopped thinking about the time, too mesmerized watching Fuu. They must have spent a long time together because other jinchuuriki started to show up.

The red-headed man joined them first, raising an eyebrow when he saw Fuu. Fuu waved and the man walked to stand in front of her.

"Hi, Mama," Fuu greeted the man with a sad smile on her face.

"Hello, Butterfly, you haven't answered us in a while," the man said as he squatted down to meet Fuu's eyes. "Is everything okay?"

At the question, Fuu's eyes fell and she looked away. "No, Mama," she answered. "Hisen-sama told me my mother died."

"I'm sorry," Roshi replied as he ruffled her hair. "That must have been difficult for you."

She nodded and looked up at the man. "I have a question though, Mama."

"What is it?"

She bit her lip and looked down at the ground before meeting the man's eyes. "Mama, did you ever meet my mom?"

"Your mom? Why would I have known her?" the red-headed man raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Hisen-sama told me she was a jinchuuriki. I wanted to know if you ever met her," Fuu explained. Utakata gasped in surprise. He had never heard of jinchuuriki becoming parents before.

The red-headed man kept his gaze leveled on her for a few seconds before answering. "No, butterfly. I didn't know her," he said. "Before you came along, the jinchuuriki never talked. The only ones I ever met were Kushina and Han and I still barely talked to Kushina. Everything changed when you came along."

"Me?" Fuu tilted her head to the side as she looked at the older man.

"Yeah," the man said, scratching the back of his neck. "In the past, we would ignore each other, but you made it better. Everything changed when I decided to comfort a crying little girl. I don't regret it."

"Really, Mama?" Fuu's eyes filled with tears, but they looked full of happiness instead of grief.

"Really." The man smiled and nodded. "I will never regret meeting you, Fuu."

Fuu started to cry again and she jumped up to hug the man around his midsection."Thank you, Mama," she mumbled. "Thank you."

At the hug, the man picked up the girl and hugged her close. Utakata looked awkwardly at the exchange before turning his gaze to look the other way. He waited for their moment to end.

After what felt like hours of hugging and crying, the red-headed man placed Fuu back on the floor. He greeted Utakata with a small wave of his hand before going to do some sort of stretching exercise by himself. Utakata made more bubbles for Fuu, trying desperately to remember the man's name. He didn't want to call him "Mama" by accident.

The little boy, Naruto, entered the Room soon afterward. Like Fuu, he was instantly mesmerized by the bubbles. He joined her in the quest to catch as many as possible, but not before giving Fuu a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. He talked to Utakata as if he had always been there before demanding that he make specific types of bubbles. He complied with the boy's requests, if only to make Fuu happy.

Later on, another boy joined them. Just like Naruto, he gave Fuu a hug and a kiss before he talked to Utakata. The boy introduced himself shyly as Gaara, hiding behind Fuu as he did so. He joined them in their quest to capture all of the bubbles. He didn't stay for long as he left only a few minutes later, saying something about a Shukaku.

Utakata waved goodbye to Gaara and he watched as Naruto, Fuu, and the man said goodbye to the boy as well. He made more bubbles and watched the kids try to capture them.

That night, he was the last one to leave the Room.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: This fic should actually be called "Crying Jinchuuriki Friends."

You can follow me on Tumblr at waffledogwrites.

Thanks to the Fanfiction Discord server. Y'all are very helpful people and I love you.

Next chapter: Yugito struggles with romance.