Ch.40. What a milestone. I've never done a fanfic this long…lol ASiT still has a lot in store, and thank you for some of the beautiful reviews that have helped carry us all to this point.

What point is that? Just to refresh everyone's memory it's time to begin the third major arc of this story. The "Heavens' Forge Quest". Just as the pair that received the majority of the attention last arc was MadaSaku, this arc's lucky couple is TobiSaku. Tobirama has probably been the most elusive so far, as prickly as he is, but he can't keep his distance forever. Well, probably not.


The change in weather was most certainly not subtle. Tomorrow was the last day of the year and there wasn't a trace of snow anywhere in the village. It had melted, the puddles absorbed by the earth. The sky was a pretty blue with stretches of impressively fluffy clouds floating by.

If anything, it felt like a mild-weathered fall day, and not the end of December as everyone knew it to be. Konoha residents were probably baffled, speculating yet again on what the cause of the random fluctuation in weather might be. Only Sakura knew the truth.

She took it as her sign to commence the plan she and Mizuchi had devised. Her first trip before the journey was to the seamstress in search of a new outfit for combat. For months she had made do in the light yukata and at times, a thick kimono when weather required.

But nothing could beat the comfort of the outfits she had worn at home in her own time. And so, even if it was a bit unconventional, the kunoichi was determined to get something reminiscent of her old clothing fashioned. After a little searching, she located a shop, finding the owner and her daughters chattering excitedly about new fabrics they had gotten.

There were finished yukatas in every shade and palette on display. Casual men's wear and even a wedding kimono. There were also half-finished pieces hanging up, scraps of fabric scattered across the floor.

Sakura surveyed the different colors of the cloth they had, trying to determine which material would be best, but in the end she decided deferring to professionals was the way to go.

"Ah, a new face to the shop!" A woman with her hair in a blond bun and the beginnings of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smiled at her. The two girls at her sides did the same. "These weather changes are dreadful, aren't they? I hope it isn't an omen," she tisked.

"Mother! Perhaps you shouldn't ponder over morbid things in front of our guest," The girl who looked to be the younger of the two said sheepishly. "Is there any clothing in particular you'd like us to make?"

Sakura nodded, stepping closer. "Yes, I'm traveling soon, and I'd like something suitable for combat. Something a little different than," she plucked at her current yukata, which was yellow and loose, "this."

"A ninja?" The seamstress circled her slowly. "Yes, well we have our fair share of ninja for clients. I'm sure we can make you something versatile. Any preference on colors?"

Sakura considered leaning toward red, a color she had always worn well, if she said so herself. But, maybe it was time for a change… "I…what would you suggest?"

An eager smile lit up the face of the elder daughter. "We've got just the thing!" She rushed off to a shelf stacked with folded fabrics, rummaging around before coming back. "This color will really bring out your skin."

"Ooh!" her sister hummed. "We haven't gotten to make any garments with those yet."

Sakura eyed the fabrics they were proudly showing her: fuchsia, crimson, pink. The material looked breathable, light. Just what she needed. "I'll take it." she declared. The women broke into excited squeals.

"Now that we've selected colors," The seamstress tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "Tell us what kind of design you'd like,"

Sakura paused, not for the first time wishing Ino was there to advise her. It wasn't that she didn't have a fashion sense. She wasn't the one who trained in orange jumpsuits… But she'd never essentially designed her own clothing, and she wanted it to be perfect. Taking a deep breath, she slowly began to describe the kind of outfit she was hoping for. "I'd like something a little fitted at the waist but breathable around the bust. Something where my arms can move around. It can't be too long, because I'd like to wear shorts under i—"

The looks they were giving her made her stop midsentence. "I'm sorry. This is too strange of a request, isn't it?"

"On the contrary this is exactly the kind of challenge I've been hoping for!" The seamstress cheered. "A little vague perhaps, but all the better. Leave it to us, dear. And you'll have a one of a kind outfit so pretty you almost won't want to wear it into battle." she winked.

"When did you need it by?" Her younger daughter asked, a gleam of excitement in her eyes that mirrored her mother's.

Here Sakura dipped her head sheepishly. "T-Tomorrow if that's possible."

"Tomorrow?!" the trio exclaimed. "This is the kind of design that we lovingly make with time. I was thinking next week at the earli—"

"No!" Sakura lowered her voice when they jumped. "It's…an urgent mission. I didn't know I'd have to go so soon or I'd have come to you sooner but, please," she took out her money. "I'll pay you double whatever it costs." Her face must've been absolutely pitiful, because the seamstress softened.

"No need for tears," she sighed. "We'll simply have to work expediently." She turned to her daughters. "Alright girls, this is a tall order but I expect both of you are up for this challenge?"

They stood at attention, nodding. "Yes, mother!"

A smirk curling her lips, the older woman pointed at Sakura in a way that made the kunoichi take a step backwards. "H-Hold on, what are you—"

"Let's get those measurements!"

She squealed as they descended on her in a flurry of fabrics and measuring tape.


The start of a whole new year was upon them and here he sat, cooped in his office. He'd made good progressive, all things considered, but at times like these, Hashirama almost wished he had someone to delegate paperwork to. …Not that Tobirama would allow it.

'Although he's not here right now,' he pushed the stack of completed documents away, resting his elbows on the desk. 'Off on some adventure.'

He cringed, reprimanding himself for taking it so lightly. Tobirama wasn't out amusing himself sailing the seas or tracking down rogues to beat up for a bounty. He'd gone to investigate a very dire matter. One that struck uncomfortably close to home.

Things must have been changing between them for the better, because Tobirama entered the office normally through the door. "You're unusually late," Hashirama smirked, not looking up from scribbling a response to the Nara clan's request. "I hope you didn't have a long night of drinking." Finally peeking up from his work, he studied his brother's sullen countenance. "I guess it'd be hard to tell regardless. You always look like something's giving you a bad headache."

"Something is always giving me a headache." The younger Senju turned away, arms folded. "And you're normally involved somehow."

The Hokage grinned. "I prefer this kind of scolding to you flat out ignoring me."

If not for the small huff, it would have been difficult to say if Tobirama even heard at all. "I was able to enjoy the hot springs in solitude once again." he said, as if that were the only thing that he cared about. His brother was at once a simple and complicated person. Something he tried not to dwell on. "I also don't have time to waste on scorn for your antics."

Hashirama sat up attentively. Whether he'd ever admit to it or not, Tobirama always found time to make him aware of just how exasperating he was. "I'm not following." Then he took a good look at the way Tobirama was dressed. Gone was the black turtle neck and heavy armor. Dressed comfortably in black pants and a navy kimono shirt with meshing visible underneath secured with a yellow obi, he looked casual. Almost incognito… Most noticeable was the absence of his happuri, snow-kissed hair falling across his forehead. "Are you…going somewhere?"

"To Tenryu." he declared. "It's time we received answers about the spread of that pox."

Hashirama blinked slowly. "They're just a little farming village, and they've been allies in trade with us for some time. I hope you don't intend to just go there, weapons drawn, flinging accusations—"

"Can you really afford to be so naïve, even now?" Tobirama's cold glare cut to the quick. "Do you really believe a pox transmitted by an insect that shouldn't have even been alive through the dead of winter was coincidental?"

It was a valid question, and the longer he thought on it, the more the uneasy feeling he had discarded back then began to resurface.

"The pox, which generally has an incubation period of about a week under ideal conditions, should never have lasted long enough to reach the village." Hashirama found his own brow drawing down hard. "Do you understand the seriousness here?"

"You're saying it was a cultivated attack intended to wipe out the clan with bio-warfare. But why? Shouldn't it have worked then? We didn't have a single casualty. Who would—"

"Questions I intend to see answered." Tobirama vowed. "I leave tonight." He turned to go, but Hashirama was a little too out of the loop to just leave it there.

"Tobirama, wait," he stood, his brother glanced over his shoulder. "You can't go alone. I'll go too. Together we can—"

"Out of the question." It wasn't like he expected the idea to be well received, but before he could even argue his point his brother continued. "The village cannot afford to be without the both of us now. And I don't need help. This is a task I've assigned myself, and it's a task I can complete alone." Slowly, Hashirama sat back down.

Stubborn. Stubborn the day he was born and stubborn now. But his words weren't empty talk. Tobirama knew how to get information and get out. His sensory abilities made him as skilled at spying as he was as a front-line combatant.

"You'll write in once you have a handle on the situation?"

"If I feel its pertinent information I'll consider it."

Hashirama smirked, feeling a little nostalgic. "I guess that's all I can expect from you."

"If that's all, then I need to get back to the compound. I've entrusted monitoring you to Toka, so don't think you can shirk working while I'm away."

Huffing, he threw his hands up. "Fine. I saw this coming anyway. But Tobirama, be careful out there. There's no telling what's going on."

A beat passed between the brothers with Tobirama's unreadable mask still securely in place. Until he let loose a small noise of amusement that wasn't quite a laugh. "Don't flatter yourself into believing your impulsive behavior has rubbed off."

In a roundabout way, it was as good as a promise to be careful, to be safe.

A series of polite knocks echoed in the still room, and Hashirama knew immediately it wasn't his brother. Tobirama had left the day before and would have to be well on his way by now. His brother certainly didn't waste time knocking when he was around.

It was possible it was Toka, come to take up her post as the unofficial Tobirama in the real one's absence. In which case it was better he appeared as on task and productive as possible. Hurriedly rearranging a few documents, dipping his quill in fresh ink and moving Bukkai to a better spot, he nodded to himself. "Come in."

The door swung open, but the woman who walked through wasn't Toka. The hair and eyes were impossible to mistake for anyone else in the village.

"Lord Hokage!" Sakura bowed, shuffling into his office. "Is this a good time?"

She looked so different in an outfit he'd never seen before that he almost forgot to respond.

"Yes, now's fine," he croaked, managing not to swallow his tongue. She smiled gratefully, moving even closer. While her shoulders were covered, triangular strips disappeared into her fitted magenta bodice, exposing her collarbones and a careful amount of cleavage. The outfit had detached sleeves reminiscent in style of a kimono—long and loose.

Enough of her arms were visible from the sleeves to see she was wearing long crimson gloves that covered her knuckles but tapered off to expose her fingers. Her clothes had the effect of looking layered, but he could tell just how much mobility they allowed for, even as his eyes wandered to the sliver of black meshing between her waistline and navel.

Her magenta skirt ended inches above her knees, three shiny brass buttons all in a row down the front. Tight black shorts unlike any material he'd seen peeked from underneath, covering her upper thighs. From her knees down were black tabi socks, thin-strapped sandals more like a civilian's than a ninja's on her feet. Where had she gotten such a unique outfit? Why did the colors compliment her hair and skin so well?

"Lord Hokage?" Sakura asked, as if she was hesitant to interrupt his daydreaming.

"I'm sorry," he flushed. "I just noticed your outfit's very…suited to the change in weather." It was a lame attempt to cover his ogling, even to his own ears.

Luckily Sakura only plucked shyly at her skirt. "I can't explain it but I feel more like me wearing this than in anything I've worn lately."

If that was what was worn where she was from then it was nowhere in the Fire Country he'd ever visited. It suited her perfectly though. Sakura looked every bit the competent, dangerous yet feminine warrior he knew her to be. "Well, as nice as it is on you, I'm getting the feeling there's more to this visit."

Her eyes widened, a small blush dusting her face. Hashirama could have smacked himself.

"Oh, y-you're right. It's actually, uh, about a somewhat personal request…" Her eyes lowered demurely, and then she was looking at him through her eyelashes.

'Personal request…Sakura-san hasn't asked me for anything like that before. If anything she's done the Senju clan more than a few personal favors.' As out of the blue as it was, Hashirama had to admit that he felt a little chuffed. If she was coming to him to make a personal request, then that meant she saw him as reliable, that they were closer to being true friends.

"I'd be happy to help, if it's something within my power of course."

Her face brightened, encouraged. "I know it's short notice, and usually I'd put in a notice but…" Sakura squared her shoulders before blurting, "Could I take a vacation?!"

Vacation. The word bounced through his head, the last request he'd been expecting. Truthfully he thought whatever she'd ask from him might have been something challenging. 'A…vacation…she just wants some time to herself away from the village?'

"I don't see why not." The relief that fell over her was palpable. Although, the timing of the request was disappointing to a degree. On the last night of the year, the Senju had an abundance of honey wine. They told stories around a bonfire and toasted to another year of victorious battles and bountiful food.

Tobirama wasn't much for festivities but he was family, and not having him around was going to make things a little amiss. Secretly, Hashirama realized he had hoped Sakura would be willing to join them in revelry. She could talk and drink among them as an honored guest.

There were plenty in the clan who wanted to know more about the remarkable woman who had helped tend to the sick not so long ago. Word had also spread quickly that it was thanks to her doing that no one had to suffer through the pox and the blandness of Tobirama's cooking.

"Thank you!" She fist pumped, almost floating toward the door. "I…may have already counted on you saying yes, so I'm all packed up."

She was that anxious to leave?!

"Sakura-san!" he called, reaching out a hand. The kunoichi stopped, her face full of question. "I understand the excitement but not the urgency. Couldn't you leave tomorrow at dawn?" A trickle of hope filtered into his voice.

For just the briefest moment something flashed in her eyes. …Nervousness? There was definitely more to the request than a simple need for relaxation. And she'd chosen not to tell him.

That…stung. He'd thought they'd been moving more toward mutual trust and understanding. They'd shared so much on the academy roof that night, and again while repotting Bukkai.

They had made up after the embarrassment that ensued from the hot springs. Every interaction made their camaraderie feel more effortless. At least to him it had. But it still felt like to some degree she was keeping him at a distance.

"Ah, I guess so…" Her eyes darted to him, before looking at the door in silent longing. "But I actually feel like being in the village tonight, with everything going on, might be kind of difficult. This is my first year away from my old home a-and I thought getting away for a while could help."

An unpleasant stabbing sensation started in his chest and spread outward. While he'd only been thinking of reasons to keep Sakura close, he hadn't stopped to consider what she might be going through. Hashirama had over a hundred relatives waiting for him at the compound, even with Tobirama away.

To his knowledge, Sakura had no living family. Maybe…she wanted to return to wherever her old village was and pay respects. Doing it quietly and alone was reasonable. "I understand. The more it grows, the more stressful the village can be."

Sakura giggled, motioning at him. "I think you'd know that better than me."

There it was! The light-hearted banter that indicated things between them were alright. Still, whatever she was going off on her own to confront, he couldn't help but worry.

Hashirama didn't think it was her fault, but Sakura's arrival to Konoha had brought plenty of new revelations about the world. Gods roaming among them…plucking up people and bestowing them with terrible, burdensome power to do their bidding. A part of him wanted to warn her not to go, but if anyone knew what lurked out there, it was her. She had been the one to inform him. "…Sakura-san, be safe on your travels."

Her face softened as a warm smile graced her lips. Lifting an arm, she flexed her bicep, cupping it with the opposite hand. "I'll be back before you know it!"

Hashirama knew that probably wasn't true, but she sounded so reassuring. If he worked hard enough at it, there was a chance he could make himself believe it before the end of the day.


Although she hadn't seen hide nor scale of her for a few days, Mizuchi's impact on the environment was everywhere. The forest wasn't the backdrop to a winter landscape the way it had been when she'd tagged along with the Uchiha brothers. She could feel animals tentatively poking around, some probably roused early from hibernation, some already back to foraging.

It even looked like the plant life was growing in reverse, slowly springing up instead of dying away as it should this time of year. Sakura cupped her hands in the stream she'd stopped beside and splashed her face with the clear water. All things considered she felt she was making the most of the remaining daylight hours.

If she had to guess she was already a half day's trip from the village and she'd only set out a handful of hours earlier. Flicking the lingering droplets from her hands and watching in wonder as they drifted through the air languidly like dandelion puffs under her control, Sakura did a mental rundown of everything she knew about her latest objective.

She was out in search of a god who made divine weapons. The only ones capable of actually maiming or even killing the deities that threatened the world. And Mizuchi assured her that the weapon's maker himself wasn't interested in fighting for the Heavens so it wasn't likely that he'd be an enemy.

No, the real issue was convincing him to lend his aid at all. The river goddess had emphasized that he was elusive, the kind of hermit often found in his profession of blacksmithing. He'd been cast out of from the heavenly realm long ago and lived a reclusive life on earth, hidden among mortals. Even now, the little she'd been told rang through her head. "He's so well removed from the workings of the gods, and so unconcerned with garnering worship from the humans, his name must be all but forgotten now. No doubt by design. He is the one known as Ame no Me-Hitotsu no kami. The One-Eyed God."

Sakura carefully committed the name to memory. "But if he's that hard to find, how do we even know where to start looking?"

Mizuchi crossed her legs. "A dilemma to be sure, no?" Except her pleased smile didn't seem too concerned. "There is a very…promising rumor I have come across. Not far from your precious Konoha, in the village of Chosu, there is a forge believed to be ran by a spirit of sorts."

Unconvinced she'd heard correctly, the kunoichi's eyes bulged. "A ghost? I'm tracking down some ghost?!"

"Unlikely." Mizuchi smirked. "Hitotsu would do near anything to be forgotten. Masquerading as a spirit isn't beyond the realm of possibility. But he was created to forge. He cannot escape his nature any more than I can quell the spirit of the river dragon that defines my own."

Shaking her head, a hand drifted up towards her throbbing temples. "You sound really pleased with yourself, and I admit a little information is better than nothing…but—"

Mizuchi's head turned so sharply it was a wonder her horns didn't cause it to tip. "I sincerely hope a complaint isn't going to fall from your lips, hm? This quest will require you to leave no stone unturned, but you're a resourceful girl, Sakura." As gracefully as a swan landing on a lake, she dove into the river they often met beside. Sakura sighed as she leaned over, confirming only her reflection was there now. She was starting to feel that the goddess quite enjoyed leaving her with the grunt work.

Scooting away from the stream, the pinkette took the peaceful moment to turn her eyes to the sky. The sun would be setting soon, though with her steady pace Sakura still felt inclined to keep her momentum and travel a little further before making camp. And…maybe the more distance she put between herself and the village, the sting would lessen a little. Absently, she touched the sea-glass necklace around her throat, idly musing that this was her first time wearing it. It would have been nice to be able to stay for the celebrating. But here she was out on her own, all because duty called. Urgently, Mizuchi opined.

But then in an odd way maybe leaving when she had was for the best. Single-mindedly focusing on another new goal was better than letting all the thoughts specifically pertaining to her last encounter with a certain Uchiha churn around in her head.

Pulling out the map she'd brought along, Sakura checked the route she'd marked to Choshu, satisfied she was on track. No sooner had she tucked it away then a slight rustling had her cautiously looking to some bushes on her left. The presence was no human, and as a highly trained shinobi she didn't think she had much to fear from most of the forest creatures. Still, she'd rather not encounter a disgruntled bear confused about why its hibernation had been cut short.

The small white paw that stepped through the emerging greenery didn't belong to any big, lumbering beast. Sakura gaped openly as an alarmingly familiar animal parted the shrubbery, a narrow, half-gray face watching her.

"Mrwar..."

"Usamaro!" The cat broke free to strut toward her at a leisurely pace, as if their meeting was pure happenstance. Sakura waited, disbelief becoming slight irritation. "What do you think you're doing out of the village? Did you follow me this whole way?!" The naughty feline sat at her feet with large, beguiling eyes. If he expected her to pat his head with pride…well, he just happened to have another thing coming!

"This is a potentially very dangerous mission I'm on."

"Meo?"

"You wouldn't understand," Sakura muttered before she could stop herself. "I even lied to the Hokage…partially…"

Usamaro stood and sprang in one fluid motion, forcing her to catch him reflexively. Staring with half-lidded eyes, he leaned his head into her chest, the telltale rumblings starting up.

She'd been blessed with such a loyal cat, who was also very intuitive to her feelings. Not long ago, even if in her head, she'd been complaining about being alone. As if summoned, Usamaro appeared. His fur was feather soft as usual, almost beckoning her to hold him closer.

"Oh, no you don't!" she scolded, not sure if she was directing it at herself or her cat. Regardless, she opened her arms and he landed back at her feet with a grumble. "This isn't the kind of mission you need to come with me on." As if in defiance, Usamaro flopped onto her feet and stretched his body as much as possible.

Sakura growled in frustration, convinced she didn't have time for something like this. Seeing her cat had lifted her mood, but she needed him on his way. "Any way I could convince you to head back home on your own? I don't have time to take you there." Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was run right into the festivities and see everything she was missing out on. Knowing the way her emotions had been lately, Sakura didn't trust herself not to get weepy when she thought of past festivals at home in her own time.

Usamaro got to his feet, contemplating her request. Slinking to the stream, he paused just at the edge, hunching forward. Sakura assumed he was ignoring her, parched from his busy day of stalking.

Instead he went still as rock, his nose hovering just over the clear water. Curious, she trailed closer, wondering what could be holding his attention. Surely he hadn't picked now to get entranced by his reflection?

Tentatively stretching a paw, he splashed it through the stream. Meowing pitifully, he turned to look at her, then back down to try again, splashing up more water and managing to hit himself in the face.

"Usamaro, what's gotten into…" A fish swam frantically in the vicinity the cat had been splashing, out of reach but close enough to be temptation. That temptation happened to prove too great. Usamaro dove in with a yowl, mouth agape, snapping and scratching.

It wasn't graceful by any means, but he caught the fish's tail in his jaws, hauling it up as it thrashed for the safety of the slow moving stream. Paddling as he gripped his prey tight, her determined cat hauled both himself and the catch onto shore, shaking water everywhere.

Sopping wet but victorious, he trotted over to drop the fish near her toes, and Sakura watched it flop across the ground taking its last gasps. "Brwar," he trilled, nudging the offer at her eagerly.

Incredulous, the pinkette bent to pick it up, trying to determine if her cat had really just caught a fish to convince her to let him stay. Or maybe Usamaro just wanted his dinner grilled and needed help from someone actually capable of making a fire. "You really want to stay with me that much?" He rubbed his damp face across her tabi, and she pulled her leg away. It didn't deter him, his wet face still adorably hopeful.

'This isn't fair! I wouldn't leave him out here and he knows it! If he won't go back to the village and I can't take him…' She swore he could tell the exact moment she gave up, because his ears flickered in interest before she said a word.

"Come on…you went through so much trouble catching this it'd be a waste not to cook it." Usamaro darted around in energetic circles, chirping at the top of his lungs in what could only be thought of as success.

Sometimes, Sakura thought she was being played like a fiddle.


The compound was abuzz with activity, everyone in their most festive yukatas, and the scent of nishime and cooked prawn lingering. While the clan's events always had a sort of dignified solemnity even in the midst of celebration, there was also no mistaking the undercurrent of excitement. The sun was setting on a pleasantly mild day, and heading into what many felt would be a clear, perfect night. A starry sky for the last night of the year.

Considering the year it'd been, Izuna perhaps had more than most to reflect on. Months ago he had nearly met an untimely end, only to be saved by what he now knew to be supernatural means.

Since then the Uchiha and Senju had put aside their differences and made peace, now calling Konoha home along with many more clans and a growing number of civilians. One highpoint of the year he couldn't forget was that he met Sakura, and that might have been the single most important meeting in his life, because ever since nothing had been the same.

Ups and downs had come from it without question, but he couldn't say he completely resented the ways in which his life had changed. Sat by himself on the porch of his home, he watched the streets filling with his clansmen. A few, like Hikaku and some other young men, had called on him to come and drink with them, recount battles of the year.

In the past the offer would have been graciously accepted, and considering how he'd turned them down, Izuna was just thankful none of them pressed much. Maybe they thought the melancholic air circling him would bring down the mood. Nevertheless after asking only once, they'd left him be when he declined. Izuna had been hoping all day, possibly in vain, to run into Sakura somewhere.

They'd been interrupted before she could give a clear answer, and he felt a bit foolish for putting himself out there so hastily. Albeit, he certainly didn't mean to. The prospect of spending the passing of an eventful year with the woman who captivated an admittedly large part of his attention, had just been so…

His pensive stare fell to the painted toenails on the feet making their way up the stairs, before a bowl of kurikinton was unceremoniously pushed into his face. Jerking away, he regarded the grinning Naoko with a quizzically arched brow.

"What?" she sat beside him, her hair pulled up off her neck and sporting a crimson yukata with a pattern of golden leaves. "Fine. I need a rich suitor more than you anyway." Pulling the dish she'd handed him away, she replaced it with a plate of susubu. "So you take this."

Izuna grudgingly accepted. "A time like this one, I'd have expected you to be a little too preoccupied for me," She was already starting on the potatoes, cheeks stuffed. He gestured with a nod at the brown-haired woman walking by with a sway of her hips, who had slowed down to eye his companion.

Lifting her head, Naoko waved, but otherwise kept eating. Disappointed but seemingly understanding, the rejected woman went on her way. "Eating kurikinton with you, dearest Izuna, comes but once a year. I'll gladly break a few hearts for that."

Izuna lifted a piece of susubu to his lips and took a half-hearted bite. "I'm flattered."

Pausing in her eager consumption of the sweet potatoes, Naoko leaned in to look him directly in the eyes. "Mind telling me what has you so glum? You're breaking a few hearts yourself by not mingling. There are plenty of ladies who were hoping to be on your arm tonight."

"Since when?" he scoffed. "I haven't been approached once today."

Naoko gave him a bland look. "I'm beginning to suspect no one I know possesses a shred of awareness." Izuna thought about asking her to elaborate, but knowing her, she wouldn't bother even if he did. "Anyway, of course you wouldn't be approached. Not with the dark cloud hanging over your head."

Izuna ate another piece of the susubu, despite not having much appetite. "Did you bother Madara like this?" His older brother had done everything expected of a clan head on the eve of a new year. Normally, a portion of the day would have been spent in war council, discussing strategies going forward to thin the enemy numbers, keep a strong hold on Uchiha territory, hearing griping about the way the younger generation still wasn't hardened enough.

The formation of Konoha had made all that a thing of the past, though. But the surface-level pleasantries were still something the old wardogs that once fought with their father expected of their current leader.

They wanted to know Madara hadn't gone too soft. That he was still devoted full-heartedly to the "Uchiha cause" in the long-term. The vast majority of the clan just wanted to enjoy the newfound peace and stability.

"Not yet," she laughed. "But I assure you it's on my itinerary. Right now I thought I'd sit and tackle one sourpuss before I move onto the next."

Here he rolled his eyes outright. He was not a sourpuss. Was it so wrong to quietly keep to himself for a day?

"I don't think so," Naoko mused, finishing the last of her sweets and setting the bowl down. Izuna blinked in shock. Had he said that aloud?

"But this just seems a lot more like a sulk to me."

"I-I'm not sulking!" he sputtered. "Why would I be?"

To his utter mortification, she reached over and tugged at one of his cheeks. "Sometimes I feel like I looked away and now you're all grown up. When we met you were probably no more than seven,"

"I was eight!" he snapped.

"Ah yes," Naoko released him, patting his cheek in apology. "My mistake."

Izuna glared.

"As I was saying, you seem a little lonely for me to believe you're sitting here in a sulk because you want to be."

One thing he'd come to know for sure about Naoko, she was always more observant than she let on. Rubbing his arm self-consciously, Izuna leaned away. "I…I asked Sakura if she'd join us tonight."

"Join us?" Naoko cooed.

"Us." Izuna insisted. Feeling the conversation was going nowhere he felt like heading, he lifted up onto his feet, slowly descending the steps. "I'm going to go see if anyone still needs help with their stall preparations."

Cupping her cheek in hand, Naoko waved him off. "Sure, sure…"

A good attribute to balance out all the teasing was that she was willing to give others space when they needed it. Space alone wasn't going to do much for him though. If anything it just gave him an excuse to get lost in his own head.

Hard as it was to admit, Naoko might have been spot on. To some extent. Izuna shouldered by two lovers holding hands and sharing snacks. The woman blushed as she reached up to feed the man.

Unbidden thoughts of the way he'd blurted out his request to Sakura ran through his head. Admittedly he hadn't done the best job trying to clear up his intentions…Had she gotten the wrong idea and thought he was seeking something more intimate than a friendly night of talking and snacks?

'I can't really afford to be thinking of problems I caused myself. Not tonight.'

More than likely when he bumped into Madara, his brother would be on edge and wanting to slip away and spar. That tended to be what happened in previous years after he spoke with the council, which held staunch traditionalists very vocal about their displeasure at the direction the clan's future was headed in.

Some even went as far as pressuring Madara into choosing from some of the more conservative single women to find the next matriarch. They weren't fully satisfied with Izuna being Madara's heir apparent in the meantime, knowing he held and supported much the same philosophy as his brother.

If anything happened to either or both of them, a child would be much easier to control. Izuna wanted to implicitly trust his relatives—his eyes scanned the crowds one last time for a glimpse of pink—but until the last of those like Maro had been brought to the light for the scheming he was sure they did, he had to be vigilant.

He couldn't do that if he was distracted by the trivial flutter in his chest over a shade of pink swimming in a sea of deeper, more somber colors.

However, upon a second glance, it wasn't light pink hair but a pink yukata, worn by a blonde young woman who was stumbling her way through the crush of bodies. Izuna didn't need any enhanced eyesight to see how utterly lost Yurine looked, torn between bolting and asking for assistance. He watched on as several times she reached out as if to stop someone that walked by, only to retract her arm last minutely.

It got to be pitiful, to the point where Izuna thought he should go and see what help he could offer. Unlike the way she had nearly been walked over by Uchiha who didn't spare a glance at the outsider, no one stumbled into him, or stepped on his feet. He got nods of respect, sometimes hopeful smiles from a woman or two. 'I guess that clears up what Naoko meant before.'

Yurine had stopped to fix a strap of her sandal that had come loose, so Izuna approached cautiously. Her head lifted sharply, gasping when she saw it was him. "Oh, Izuna-kun, hello!" She smiled, and he returned it with a bemused grin as he reached down to help her up.

"A little turned around?" he asked lightly.

Yurine flushed, playing with the end of her ponytail. "N-No…I actually came because I was hoping to speak to you for a little while."

Her hand slipped from his as he drew back. "Is everything alright?" Izuna wouldn't say he knew her particularly well enough to understand what it could be about. They were mission partners during the events of Sekkai, and she and Kureno were both pleasant toward him.

He in turn thought after sharing the experience of all being caught up in such a strange turn of happenings, something like friendship had to have been fostered. They spoke occasionally when he would make checks to the academy, to ask the instructors if all children from the Uchiha clan were behaving—almost always in Manabu's case the answer was no—and if there was anything he should work with them on during his training.

"My heart's speeding more than I want it to right now," she admitted, "But otherwise…" Whatever she wanted to say, she swallowed down, her eyes shifting to their surroundings. "Is it possible to talk somewhere more private?"

As puzzled as he still was, Izuna didn't think there was any harm in obliging. "I think I know a place."

ASiT

Why had she picked now to be so bold? Yurine berated herself over and over in the confines of her head. She'd gotten the insane idea to do what she'd been putting off on the last night of the year.

Partly because it lent a certain romantic atmosphere to the occasion and partly because if she didn't say what she needed to, she might not muster up the courage again.

Naoko had vowed to help her, and they'd spoken since the hot spring on a run in at a teahouse. The older kunoichi gave her some coaching, but she hadn't known who Yurine was going to pursue.

The blonde was determined to see the self-given mission through, no matter what followed. Sure, it would have been nice to have her friends support her, but it was all already happening. She stood with Izuna on the far edge of the Uchiha compound, practically deserted when the center was where everyone was busy setting up and socializing.

Izuna looked almost bashful. "I hope this isn't too far removed. You're not…you're not uncomfortable here?"

Yurine melted at how considerate he was, as always. "No, no! This is fine. I did ask for privacy. So…thank you." It was nice having a man be so kind to her after the horrors of living with the Kaguya, in constant fear of unspeakable cruelty. She'd heard and seen enough to know only the tastes of their captors kept her "safe" (if it could be called true safety) from being cornered. She was fortunate enough to have only known their leers and the rough shoves or grabs at her wrists.

It was only a matter of time, or so she and Kureno had feared, before she joined the many of women and even men who hadn't been so lucky. Sakura and Toka coming when they did was their salvation, and she never regretted choosing to follow them to a new life. A new life with new opportunities…like, resuming her quest for true love, the way she had been in her small village before…well, things went to hell.

Here she was, now or never, feeling almost empowered by the serenity entwined in the anxiety of the moment. "That's good," The Uchiha said with relief. "Although if it's alright to confess…I'm not really sure what comes next."

Yurine giggled, not because he'd said anything particularly funny, but out of nervous reflex. "I…I'm not sure myself. I've never done this but it just felt like telling you needed to happen today." She twisted her yukata between trembling fingers, then released it in fear of creasing the material.

Izuna's distractingly plush lips fell in a thoughtful frown. Irritation broke through the panic. She'd hoped that would be enough, that he'd follow along from there and they could get on with it. He was a smart one, but that didn't apply here.

Sucking in a deep breath of air, Yurine pasted on a bright smile. "We haven't known each other very long, have we? Maybe over two and a half months?"

He paused, thinking about it, then nodded slowly. "There about, yes,"

"A-And I know we're not terribly close. Not the way you are with…w-with Sakura." It made sense that they were good friends, as far as Yurine could see. She'd wished more than once to have something similar with him, but a true bond wasn't something rushed or forced, so she patiently cultivated a friendship through fleeting chats when he came to the academy.

"We don't see each other much outside of when I check on the kids," he agreed. "And since you mentioned it, that's a little unusual since we are both friends with Sakura."

"Right…" she trailed, hit with a sudden rush of doubt. The fabric of her kimono was back in her clenched fists, and Izuna looked down at her in concern.

"Take your time," he soothed.

"T-Thank you. You've been kind this whole time, Izuna-kun. I don't know if you're aware, but before Konoha, I was held captive with my brother by the Kaguya. It was really awful there…definitely not the sort of place where you find caring people like you. And everyone else…they were scared and just trying to keep their heads down." She bit at the inside of her cheek, but he waited in silence.

"Maybe that's why I feel a gravitation to you. You're patient and easy to talk to. I wanted…" Yurine forced herself to look directly into his face. "I wanted to confess how I feel about you, th-that maybe it's not love now, but it's…" Squealing, she buried her head in her hands. Not even her mother's stories of finding true love could give her the courage to finish. She'd utterly failed. Imposed on his time celebrating with his family and dragged him away for nothing. She probably appeared so selfish in his eyes, she certainly felt that way. It was all—

Through the buzzing of woes that filled her ears, she could dimly hear Izuna speaking to her, and his hands rested on her shoulders. Yurine timidly pulled her face from the shelter of her palms. "That was really brave, you know," he chuckled, looking impressed. "You don't have to hide your face away."

A weak smile tugged her lips, and Yurine raised a sleeve to swipe under her eyes. She was so soft, it didn't take much to get her emotional. In the fading light, Izuna's clear face was full of compassion and understanding. There wasn't anything more to it than that. He didn't…he didn't feel the same.

"You're right," she lifted her chin. "I…"

"No," he shook his head, squeezing gently at her shoulders. "I know that wasn't the answer you came for. I'm sorry, Yurine."

She sniffled, "For what? I just wanted a chance to be true to my feelings, and you gave me that." A little light-headed, she shoved a hand up into her hair. "I already knew…I knew there was a possibility it would turn out this way. But I had to say it because I didn't want to go into a new year with old regrets."

When she felt ready, she backed away, relinquishing the comfort of his touch. "The last night of the year can be for friends or lovers. One night, I'll spend it with someone who means as much to me as I do to them. But for now, I'm really glad I told you, even if it h-hurts."

"You're a good person. A good friend," Yes, it stung to hear it, but already she knew she'd be alright. That time healed all wounds. That someday her heart would be so full of love for the one she cherished, this pain would be worth it. "And I hope you don't see it as strange that I'm glad you told me."

"No, I'm glad too." The sun had sank completely, and far off, the din of many voices congregated in one spot floated gently on the wind. "I hope we're both lucky in love." Yurine was proud to be able to say it and mean it. "You know, whenever you tell her…I think…I think things will be different for you."

The smile slipped, his eyes going comically wide. "Tell h-her?"

Yurine nodded, unable to contain her wide grin. "Something's clearly there, right? You should follow it and see where it goes."

"I can't follow it because I'm not following this."

Yurine lifted a hand halfway to her face to smack herself, then dropped it. Izuna wasn't there yet, and she couldn't be the one to make him see it if he wasn't. She had a feeling the result would be much better if it happened in its own time anyway.


If there was one grievance he held against his brother above all others at present, it was that, whenever he got good and ready, he could slip away from the passing niceties with the war council.

How was that fair? If Izuna was his second shouldn't he be required to stay for the entirety of the arguing and the droning and the less than subtle pushes to marry some councilman's daughter?

No. Apparently being the heir meant you shouldered all the headaches, and being second-in-command meant you threw your brother to the wolves and then slipped off to brood about a woman standing you up. Izuna was probably teetering between optimism and every doubt in his head being given life. Things wouldn't go any better when he learned Sakura was no longer in the village.

They had that in common. Slipping out discreetly.

Madara sat overhead on his tree branch, trying to decide what he thought about the taste of datemaki. So far he would've preferred some inari-zushi, but he hadn't found any stands preparing that yet. The festivities were getting into full swing now that the sun was down, and someone was probably going to be looking for him to show his face. But he had some problems of his own to deal with. The others could handle the celebrating.

When he lifted the snack roll up, the shape of the beads around his wrist came into view. 'Heh. If this is supposed to help improve my memory so much, why hasn't it worked yet?' The better question was why hadn't he taken it off? It was a gift from Haruno, and their somewhat…volatile encounter earlier in the day probably should have soured his view of the bracelet, but—

He arrived in time to find her exiting her home, packed for a trip and, much to his surprise, sporting an outfit he'd never seen before. It managed to be tasteful and tantalizing at once, and he eyed her from collarbone all the way down to covered toes.

Her cat spotted him and went on the offensive, raised hair and exposed claws. Haruno shut the door and his nails hit the wood with a thunk, sparing him a maiming. She must have been in too much of a hurry to scold him for turning up unannounced again, because she tried to side-step him. Madara shuffled into her path. "Is this a bad time?" he taunted.

"It's getting to be a bad time every time you invite yourself over." she replied.

"But it's alright when you do it?" he challenged, knowing just what would get a rise. "As I recall, you're the one who tagged along on our last hunt, despite doing no hunting yourself."

"As a favor to you!"

"Yes," he leaned in, resting his arm against the frame above her head. "And what about the other favor I requested? Asking your goddess to get involved."

"I did," Haruno straightened herself up to her full height. There was no point when the height differences between them was still so pronounced. "She told me the risks, and as a medic I decided it wouldn't be a method in your best interest."

Madara could feel the tiny embers of his temper sparking up. "That seems like a weighty decision to be making with no input from the patient, medic."

She pushed her way forward, until their chests met, blazing green eyes meeting his own defiantly. "You're starting to recover the core traits of your personality, but you'd be willing to jeopardize all the progress with something so experimental it could obliterate your mind! All out of impatience."

She dared to act as if he were a petulant child sneaking sweets before dinner! Had she no idea of the indignity being without his memory caused him. The flickers he saw in his dreams some nights…he was forced to question Naoko and Izuna, unsure what was a stray conjuring with no relevance and what was an actual part of his past.

Protecting him from himself and the snakes he knew were hiding among the war council had nearly driven his brother to insanity, something she had been there to witness. Haruno had seen every misstep, had acted as his reluctant healer, the most familiar with the situation. But she couldn't possibly understand the maddening wait.

"Impatience?" he repeated, lowering his voice even as his rage rose. "I've been patient for more than a month. I've followed along with your every directive, endured your every laugh at my expense,"

Her face blanched. "That was—"

"And you say I'm more like who I used to be? That I'm…healing. But who I used to be blurs as much as it sharpens. If there's a means to end this cycle of uncertainty, then who are you to stand in my way?"

"I'm someone who's trying to deal with this situation as carefully as you aren't!" she fumed. He could taste her breath, nearly, they were standing so close. To a passerby maybe they looked like lovers speaking quiet but fervent declarations of passion at each other.

"Then we've reached an impasse, Haruno."

She said nothing, just shoved his arm away, blew past him like a tempest. His mind and his body were ever conflicted, because even as her refusal to submit to whatever they shared pricked at his proud nature, it also excited the hunter. There was a freeness to falconry, a primal enjoyment of the hunt. What stroked his inner fire when it came to Haruno wasn't much different right now.

Had arguing with her been in his best interest, when he still required someone who could be discreet and was familiar with the situation to heal him? Time would tell, he supposed. Leaping down from his tree, he discarded the unfinished food for the crows to find. The issue, as he'd told her, was that time was what he didn't have.

Soundlessly he slipped from the compound, toward the forest. There was a way to achieve what he desired shrouded in the gloom of the trees; he could sense it.


Day two of her investigation was going no better than the first. Sakura felt like a hapless civilian as she wandered through the quaint village, Usamaro never far behind, and asked for any information on the local blacksmith.

No one had seen him in at least one moon cycle though, and even though he was a resident of Choshu, he hadn't always been. No one could recall when he had blown in and set up a forge in the sleepy village in the valley. And the descriptions they gave…bizarre. Plain bizarre.

Not a soul had ever seen his true face. He hid it behind a metal helmet with a single hole for his eye—a chillingly deep green, one old man claimed. Others said he remained covered from head to toe in black, moving like a wisp of smoke. The only sign he was around was the acrid smog rising from his forge some nights. While the tidbits she picked up were fascinating, nothing was concrete enough to be of use, and so she was stalled. Stalled and…hungry.

At high noon, with the weather still pleasantly mild, Sakura broke for lunch. What Choshu lacked in size or wealth, it made up for in its fertile farmlands and the scenic proximity to the Jaifuku mountain range.

The people were friendly and used to travelers, graciously extending their hospitality with smiles on their faces. The local inn where she had purchased a room was staffed by an older couple with an abundance of laugh lines carved into their wrinkled faces, and their excitable young grandson.

Sakura ate the bowl of potato and leek stew and fresh bread in her room, letting the calm atmosphere soak into her skin. Usamaro lapped at some minced fish meat they'd given him, content with just that.

From her window she could see the great, pretty valley beyond, where a wide river flowed through the mountains, to the village on the other side. Tenryu.

Amicable to her bones, the chatty old woman had told her the Senju often came and visited Tenryu to get medicinal herbs not grown anywhere else. They didn't stop in Choshu as often, she giggled, but were very courteous and paid well for services when they did.

As it was only fair, Sakura told them a little about why she was there (nothing to give rise to any suspicions of course) and they laughed and said many were in awe of the beautiful weapons the blacksmith made when he was around, though no one quite understand the withdrawn man. He had no family, and he preferred his work to socializing. So far, everything more or less matched what Mizuchi had said about this god called Hitotsu. Though it could all just be some coincidence, in which case he'd be no help.

That had been what she was starting to think, that was. Until little Shou came to refresh her tea. Usamaro jumped when he burst in without knocking, nearly tripping on his own feet. Only Sakura's shinobi reflexes allowed her to save both tea and boy from disaster. "You've got to be a little more careful," she gently scolded as she set him on his feet. "And always remember to knock."

"Awright," he lowered his head, though the shame lasted a mere minute. "Is what obaa-chan said true? You're tryna find the blacksmith?"

Sakura savored the floral taste of the tea, nodding. "I am."

"Ah! But you gotta go up in the mountains then." He exclaimed, flailing his arms in emphasis.

"What makes you think he'd be there?"

Shou puffed his chest, beaming. With amusement the kunoichi noticed he was missing three baby teeth in the front. "He always goes there when weather gets good. And! It's cause I was playing in the woods by the river earlier," He had the grace to blush. "Don't tell, okay?"

Looking around as if in caution, Sakura extended her hand and Shou took it happily. "It's a promise."

"Yay! Cause obaa-chan thinks spirits are in the woods…so she doesn't want me goin' alone. But I wasn't alone. I had Taro." The inn's faithful mutt. "And we found…funny footprints," he whispered.

"What was so funny about them?" Usamaro had finished his meal and come over to bat at the too-long hem of the boy's pants.

"It was only one." Shou informed her, holding up a pointer finger. "Like somebody hopped on one leg all the way up in the mountains. Ippon-Datara only has one leg. I know cause I got fussed at lots the last time I stared. Jiji-chan said blacksmiths lose legs sometimes,"

"Ippon-Datara?" It was an unusual name. A memorable one.

"That's what everybody calls him!" Shou said. "Some people think he's a ghost too, but it's rude to say so to his face…" The boy tapped his chin as if trying to remember more. "I think ghosts wouldn't have footprints, but my friends said they might. I would have looked for more, but me n' Taro couldn't follow that far, cause then I'd get in trouble for sure!"

Although most might dismiss his words as the rambling of a child, each syllable filled Sakura with renewed hope. The tale had to be significant, and she was hardly one to reject it just because it came from the mouth of a talkative little boy.

"Thanks for sharing all that, Shou," she patted his head. "You'd better get that teapot back to the kitchen."

Shou looked down at the simple, well-loved pot in his hands. "You're right," With a final wave he skipped off, none the wiser to the crucial things he'd told her. Sakura let the door click shut before glancing down.

Usamaro waited at her feet as if to ask what she planned to do.

"Footprints all the way up into the mountains? Maybe I can close in faster than I thought."

"Mrrpt,"

She stood and fluttered around the room, gathering everything she thought she'd need. There was no telling what was truly off in the woods or the mountains beyond, but Sakura wasn't going to be going in unprepared.

ASiT

If someone was going to be a recluse, in this particular river valley was probably the place to do it, Sakura had to admit. She and Usamaro had been trekking through the forest, near the river's banks for close to an hour.

There'd been no sign of strange activity just yet, but they had spotted some of the footprints Shou talked about. The boy was correct that if she had to determine, she'd think someone had hopped through the soft earth on one foot.

The trail unfortunately ended near the bank of the river, making the pinkette question if the trail continued on the other side. She'd been slightly blindsided by how lush the valley was, how wide and strikingly blue the river. Usamaro cried out as if he wanted her attention. Sakura nearly crouched to pick him up, assuming he wanted to ride on her shoulders again.

The young cat was really more of an older kitten, every bit as needy as he was playful. He'd rode on her pack or her shoulders more than he'd walked in the two days it took them to arrive in Choshu.

But bending allowed her to see what had likely captured Usamaro's attention. Multiple blobs, bobbing just above the surface. Contrasting brown, beige, and silver, so out of place that she paused for a closer look. One floated right by, turning to stare up at her with big, bewitching eyes and a flick of its whiskers. That's when she knew what they truly were.

Otters! They swam by, nearly a dozen, all of them headed upriver. 'What's that about?' Sakura thought. Animals often sensed disturbances in nature long before people. But with the essence of dragon flowing through her, she should have felt something preternatural.

The only thing she felt was compelled to follow them. They were swimming fast, and she had to break into a sprint to keep up. Though he yowled a complaint, Usamaro ran right next to her, his long ears flickering like radar.

As she pushed aside hanging branches and leapt over roots in her way, Sakura noticed the numbers of creatures in the water increasing. What had been dozens were becoming droves, and fast. None of them paid her much attention, too focused on whatever it was they were all headed toward. Sakura squinted against the sunlight falling along the river's surface, trying to guess what could be ahead.

"Wait, I think I see something!" she cried to Usamaro. "It's...someone!" At a bend in the river, the otters at the foremost of the group were hopping from the water and scampering across the grass. Someone stood facing a tall, ebony wall of the mountainside. Someone with shockingly white hair...

They wore a royal blue outfit that hugged a trim waist, and when they raised their arms and water whipped out of the river in a spiraling drill to strike the rock, Sakura froze. She'd have gone tumbling into the water if not for the branch that helped her catch herself. The closer she was, the more there was no mistaking.

Tobirama Senju was in a stare down with a mountain. And despite his attack having made no real dent, with the glare he was giving it, Sakura wasn't sure the mountain was winning.


Sakura has a brand new battle outfit! Pictures to follow. Someone is drawing her look for me and they're not done yet, but the rough sketches look incredible, that's all I can say.

You may recall that last time Sakura went on an extended missqion, Usamaro became moody and acted out (more than usual) until she got back. This time he decided to take matters into his own paws and tag along. So yes, he's going to be around a lot in this arc because hurray animal sidekicks. lol

And yes, Sakura is also finally wearing the necklace Madara bought her a while back, while he's wearing the bracelet she gave him that's supposed to help strengthen memory. Any significance to that?

All the food the Uchiha serve at their celebration are traditional New Year's dishes and most are highly symbolic of something. Nishime is a dish of boiled vegetables in a beautiful arrangement, prawn/ebi are eaten for longevity, kurikinton is boiled mashed sweet potatoes with sweet chestnuts and the characters in its name translate to "group of gold", symbolic of a wish for wealth and financial success. Hence Naoko's joke about needing to eat it more than Izuna since she wants to find a wealthy suitor. The dish she offers him instead, subasu (or seasoned lotus root with vinegar) is full of holes in the slices of the root, offering someone an unobstructed view of the future. There's a lot on Izuna's mind he's hoping for clarity about: his growing feelings, the intention of people who pose possible threats to Madara's leadership, when Madara will be back to normal, etc.

Datemaki is a sweet, rolled omelet that is mixed with either shrimp or fish paste. Depending on its shape it can either mean celebration or luck with academics.

And, maybe to no one's surprise, while on the trail of the blacksmithing god, Sakura finds a wild Tobirama! XD Stay tuned to see what becomes of this unexpected encounter.

I just finished up a really rough move that got stalled by some months several times, and so this is the first chapter I'm sharing in the aftermath. My life's still pretty busy and I have a lot of unpacking I'm still doing, but hey, at least I got this arc started before next month rules in. This chapter is fresh off the press, so further editing may be done later when I'm up to it. For now it's as is.

Reviews are much appreciated.