Fate

by PancakeFlying

The Kanbayashi were supposed to die, wiped out and never mourned because in the eyes of the world, they never existed. That is not what happens, nor what should have happened. A black alien creature came for them and burned everything they loved to the ground; Sachi, against all odds, survives when she wouldn't have. This will change everything. [Fem!OC] [Fix-it fic]

9. School days

IX

SCHOOL DAYS

"Hear, nee-chan… Are you really sure Sachi's not a Nara?"

Ashi and Tsume were enjoying a nice autumn afternoon together, rare as they were, while watching Sachi wrestle with Haiiro and Kuromaru. Sachi had been second grade in the Academy for exactly one day before taking the advanced exams to skip the entire year and go right into third grade. She had come back a few hours later, with her report card in hand, and full marks in each subject.

"No, she's not."

"An Uzumaki then?"

Tsume had now a crimson scroll with dark grey edging, which she protectively kept in her belt. Sachi had given her a retaining scroll too for her birthday, and Tsume had blanched at the sight and asked in a panic if she had stolen it from the Uzushio district. Sachi had huffed, offended, before informing her that she had learned how to make seals by herself with a series of shady books in the library that no one bothered to check.

Not that Tsume was complaining.

"No, she's not," Ashi shakes her head.

They both watched as Kuromaru lunged at Sachi, open jaws ready to take a bite from her shoulder, only for Sachi to twist at the last second and shove her entire arm down his throat. Kuromaru reeled back, puking his lunch, while Haiiro cackled.

"Fuckin' hell," Tsume murmurs. "I don't know where you found her, but are there more? Because I want a brat just like her."

"Do the work then."

"Just like you did?" she teases. "Kuromaru, move your ass! You can have her bones if you kill her!"

"Sachi! Don't lose your grip on the kunai! You can stab 'em!" Ashi encourages Sachi, heeding her advice and picking up the kunai she had left behind while tickling Kuromaru's throat, going directly for Haiiro's hide, who was still laughing.

"Nee-chan…"

A howl broke out, the dogs and Sachi stopping in their tracks as they listened. Sachi had gotten better at understanding the dogs, and so she frowned when they were alerting the clan of a group coming back.

"Ah, there they are."

"Who's back?" the girl asks, patting the dirt and fur from her clothes.

"Let me show ya, come on." Ashi gets up, Tsume follows suit as they round the backyard of the house so they're facing the gates of the compound.

At the gates were gathered a group of Inuzuka clansmen with their respective ninken and giant backpacks clinging to their bodies. Sachi tensed, not recognizing them and standing between Ashi and Haiiro just in case.

"Welcome back," Ashi greets, her voice deep and pleased. "Long time no see."

There's a man at the front, with spiky short hair in a light brown shade, dark small eyes and a scar crossing his face from jaw to temple. He has no ninken with him, but he has the red fangs on his cheeks.

"It's good to be back, Ashi-sama, Haiiro-sama," the man bows, and there's something strange in his gait, and Sachi takes out a kunai. "Tsume."

"Kegawa," she answers, and she's smiling fondly at him. "How's the trip?"

"Tiring, but worth it." His small black eyes are warm when they're focusing on Tsume, but harden when he looks at Ashi, and freeze when they land on Sachi. "How's home?" he asks carefully.

Ashi pats him on the shoulder with more force than necessary, he has squared shoulders, but she has a few pounds on him as well as a few inches, every pat rattling him to the bones. "We have new faces. Come on, we can celebrate later, you must be tired."

Kegawa bows his head and lowers his eyes, catching Sachi's and he frowns at her. Sachi bristles for some reason, gripping the kunai harder, but Tsume is already dragging him away.

There are at least twenty new Inuzuka members, all of which are unknown to Sachi. Haiiro notices her hesitance and gives him a long, pointed look, and says "They're pack, pup."

"Where were they?" Sachi asks, keeping close to the giant dog. She felt safe with him, when new dogs that she didn't trust were all scenting the air and focusing on her.

"Doing' what they gotta do, human business. Ashi'll explain it to you, stop frettin', is makin' me sneeze."

Sachi listens to Haiiro's advice, having learned to control her emotions because, apparently, her scent carried them over and unsettled the clan. Taking a deep breath, her chakra settles in her blood, Haiiro leading her into the house.

Kegawa's sandals are by the entrance, and Sachi feels irked in a way that didn't make sense. Haiiro huffs beside her, letting her take off her shoes as he finds the others. They're in the living room, and all of them turn to her as she enters.

The man follows her with his gaze as he talks about one thing or another, a challenge. Tsume, usually oblivious to what crossed through Sachi's mind, reacted before she could ask Kegawa what he was staring at. "This is Sachi, by the way. Nee-chan's pup."

The newcomer nodded at the explanation, although he didn't ease in the slightest. He smiled up at Ashi, who was keeping an arm on Sachi's shoulder besides her and said a strained 'congratulations'. There was tension between Kegawa and Ashi, Sachi noticed, because her guardian was all but keeping Kegawa pinned to his seat like a puppy she was expecting to misbehave.

Tsume, strangely, stepped in before it escalated. "Yeah, nee-chan got her a year or so ago, right, Sachi?"

"Right," Sachi answers, trying to decide what Tsume was doing. "Got adopted… Listen, who are you?" And what are you doing in my house? she doesn't say, but by his glare he got it anyway.

And so did Ashi, because she slapped her up the head. "Don't mind her, Kegawa. She's still gettin' house trained."

Haiiro stops Sachi from taking offense, nibbling on her fingers, and prompting her to look closely. Sachi does, watching them interact.

Kegawa and Tsume were standing pretty close to each other, and—

Oh.

Oh.

Kuromaru snickers besides Tsume, and Sachi feels her cheeks flush for a second. She hadn't considered Tsume capable of having a partner, even though she was a human being despite her monstrous strength, but… Kegawa?

"It's quite alright, pups are like that," Kegawa amends, smirking down at Sachi. "Didn't think you'd get one, Ashi-sama."

"Many people think so, but I think she fits right in," the Inuzuka matriarch answers easily. "How's Grass?"

Grass? Was that where Kegawa had been all this time? Sachi couldn't help but ponder why. She knew that there were long term missions, but they rarely sent a group of twenty people, much less all from the same clan. Then why? Why was he away? And how long? She had been with the Inuzuka for a full year, but she hadn't seen Kegawa. She would've known, since the man was clearly to stay in the main house, and she might not be a ninja yet, but Sachi would've noticed someone new in the house come and go.

"Like always," Kegawa shrugs. "Border's holding up nicely, and there hadn't been worms trying to crawl their way here."

Worms as in Earth nin. Ashi had a profound hate for any shinobi that came from Earth, since her husband had been gutted by them. Sachi had heard the story from Kirasu-jii-sama when she was helping him with the senile dogs.

("Isamu was a good man, the very best for our Ashi-chan… Those bastards split him open! Open! Like a fuckin' fish, right up our noses," he hissed, avoiding a dog mauling his calf with a sharp kick.

"Earth has only birthed demons… demons! All of them! May the gods curse 'em all! You," Kirasu pointed at her, and Sachi knew his rage wasn't directed at her, but his eyes shone with fury.

"If you see a worm, kill 'em. Don't ask questions, don't play nice, don't even fuckin' wait and split 'em open like they did to Isamu. Ashi deserves it."

The elder turned around, grief over his skinny shoulders and his tightened fists. Neither Kirasu or Hisumi were Ashi or Tsume's grandparents, each one of the elders having their own family, but they were pack, nonetheless. Sachi could understand the rage and the pain in his features, and she couldn't even hope to imagine how it must have been for Ashi.

Ashi, who had taken her in despite everything, who is kind to her, gentle and amazing. Ninjas' life was fickle, but they were humans, tools or not.

Sachi mirrored Kirasu-jii-sama's anger. "I will.")

"Sachi," Ashi calls. "Can you fix something to eat?"

"'kay."

She gets up, feeling Kegawa's eyes on her all the while. Haiiro follows her into the kitchen, yawning once before flopping down on the floor while she puts her hands to work. She will need to adjust the proportions, she was assuming Kegawa would eat too, although how much was yet to be determined.

And yet, while doing her task, she couldn't help but feel dismissed.

"Can hear you thinkin'," Haiiro comments.

"Just thinking," Sachi answers, taking the ingredients from the pantry.

"Always a bad idea with ya. Come on, spit it out, you don't like Kegawa, do you?"

"It's… too early to say." Sachi wasn't certain about her feelings. "I can't really say anything if I don't like him. He hasn't done anything to me, maybe I'm just weirded out because… You know."

"Ashi won't tattle, pup," he reminds her, helping her relax somewhat. "Still, I can smell it on ya. Bad for the pack if people don't get along."

"I know, I know…" she mutters. Sachi didn't like all of the Inuzuka, inevitable, since the Inuzuka might have a pack dynamic, but they were still a bunch of people with different ideals and opinions. That Sachi was so outspoken with hers sure did get her into trouble, but at least she took the beatings with grace. "Kegawa and Tsume are together, right?"

"Took you long enough to figure it out," he teases. "But yeah, I keep forgettin' that you can't smell like we do. Don't worry, you'll see 'em together quite often from now on."

"I didn't know Tsume had a partner like that…" For some reason Sachi had pictured the younger woman remaining independent. Not that she would remain a pure virgin for life, gods know that Tsume was confident in her own sexuality enough to debate it with her sister every other day of the week, but someone permanent was…. Huh. "They're like that?"

"Hmm, depends on what you're thinkin'. Kegawa has been up Tsume's skirts on and off for a few years," he retells, his ears always sharp for gossip. "You'll see. What, yours didn't do that?"

"Date?" she asks, unsealing chicken stock from a seal she kept in the fridge. "We did, of course, with other people outside the clan, I mean. As long as we didn't say anything it was fair game… But the children were all taken to the clan."

"Sounds like the Hyūga or Uchiha do with their own bastards," Haiiro huffs, his ears twitching uncomfortably. "You intermarried too?"

"Um, yeah." Sachi grimaces, she might have mocked Tōkuma for the rather round family tree of the Hyūga, but the Kanbayashi weren't that far off either. "We did wait for at least five generations to do it, though. It was kinda obvious it would happen, since only travelers went out and met people that they weren't related to. Mother and Father were close cousins, seven generations, I think."

"Ha! Explains why you're so fucked up, pup," the dog laughs, but Sachi doesn't get offended by it. It wasn't as if she didn't consider it a little bit creepy too, but one couldn't choose one's parents. "Kegawa and Tsume aren't cousins, so there."

"The Inuzuka don't intermarry?"

"Very few people do, and not recently. Not a bloodline to preserve, so everyone's free to shag up with everybody. Maybe not at the same time, you humans have only so much stamina."

"I'm making food, Haiiro, you're going to spoil it with all your bedside manners."

He laughs more. Sachi had caught Haiiro giving some love to one of the bitches, and that had been a day she had repressed from her memory, not that Haiiro was bothered by it. The old dog loved his pups, although many had been sold off or picked up by other Inuzuka members. Haiiro told her that it was something normal, and that it couldn't be helped, letting the pups grow, but Sachi could see he got lonely sometimes.

Just like her.

"Hear, did Ashi kick me out earlier?" Sachi asks as non-committedly as possible, firing up the stove and putting vegetables into the soup.

"I heard she asked you to cook."

"They were talking about Grass…" she looks back, Haiiro not even keeping his eyes open as he placidly lays down. "I haven't seen Kegawa ever since I was here, nor the others he came here with. It seems as if this is normal for you…" Sachi hums, and a thought strikes her. "Outposts."

"There ya go," the dog mutters.

"Leaf has outposts. Damn, why didn't I get it sooner?"

It made sense. Leaf was a big military village, but it wasn't enough to protect the entire country with only one centralized settlement. Sachi needed to get more information about Leaf's regime, anything to see the bigger picture.

So she could leave.

(She wouldn't, until she had to.)

"How many? Where?" she asks, excited. "Grass is one, do you have outposts on every border? Or are they spread evenly? How many people are there? Who rules them—?"

"Pup, darlin', don't worry your pretty head with this," Haiiro says, stopping Sachi's rant. "Also, that's human business. Ask Ashi."

Sachi gives him the finger, her mind already turning with that discovery. She felt a little bit foolish for not realizing sooner, because it was obvious. How could the Hokage defend the whole country by himself from Leaf? He needed satellite villages, or at least garrisons to keep the corners safe.

Maybe she could ask Kegawa later.

When the food is ready Sachi brings it to the living room. Tsume and Kegawa are side by side, while Ashi remains at the end of the table and Sachi takes the opposite side to the couple.

"You let her cook for you, Ashi-sama?" Kegawa asks once the food is served. Sachi frowns at the question, why wouldn't she?

"She lives here, I don't see why not."

"You're really serious about adopting a daughter, Ashi-sama?"

Sachi perked up at the name, but Ashi dismissed it. "Yeah, what 'bout it?

It was a challenge, but Kegawa shut up his mouth and dropped his eyes to his food. "Where is she up in the ranks?"

"Sachi's yet to participate in the contests," Ashi tells him, taking the first bite and allowing Tsume to go after her. "She's still in the Academy."

"Ninja too, hmm?" he mutters, keeping his tone quiet. "I see this tour has been full of surprises."

"You don't know half of it."

Sachi waits for her portion to cool off, a million questions on her tongue to ask him, but he rushes first. "So, what happened for you to end up here?"

She was thrown off by the question. "I was adopted," she says again. "How long have you been in Grass?"

His eyes harden. "Not your business."

Sachi looks towards Ashi to check if he was being hostile or was just another Inuzuka thing that she wasn't yet aware of. By Ashi's too-composed stance, it was the former.

Ah.

Kegawa had a bone to pick.

.

That night the whole clan reunited. The clansmen that were sent to the Grass tour, Waterfall or Rain, had been welcomed into the clan with abundant sake and Sachi's entire stash of cookies that she had sealed for emergencies like this.

Haiiro stayed with her through the evening, since Ashi was too busy fighting off everyone. Sachi enjoyed the show, cheering for her guardian as she stomped on her opponents and made them sorry for ever being born under her reign.

"The head, the head!" Sachi encouraged Ashi. "Twist his balls!"

"Woah there, pup, that's some killin' intent!" Obu snickers. He was going to have a black eye tomorrow and Chaiiro had yet to wake up from her knockout. "Don't you fancy going there and trying again going against the alpha?"

"I don't want to lose any more teeth, thank you," Sachi answers, not looking away as a woman from Rain's outpost flew face first into the ground.

"Hey, at least the tooth grew back!" Obu laughs.

Sachi liked the contests. They reminded her of the festivals they held in the Heart, but somehow… The Inuzuka were more alive, free.

"Oh, there he goes," Haiiro lifts his head, his snout pointed to Kegawa making his way towards Ashi, confident in his stride. "Watch closely, pup."

Sachi does.

Ashi cracks her bloodied knuckles, adjusting her bandages before Kegawa steps into the ring. They don't speak, but it's clear what they're about to do. The fight starts before Sachi can finish blinking, blurring momentarily before Ashi blocks Kegawa's punch.

A shiver runs down her spine, and the compound is dead silent as the match unfolds. There's nothing of the easy camaraderie that the previous spars had, or the taunts and teases between the opponents.

This one was serious.

"Son of a bitch…" Sachi says under her breath, not helping herself.

"Look," Haiiro prompts.

Ashi receives a kick to her stomach, but she takes the hit with grace, her hands knitted together and already coming down on Kegawa's head. It hits him, and his whole body goes down. Ashi doesn't stop, and her approach has changed too, going for highly painful moves.

Sachi doesn't feel sorry for Kegawa at all. That's what you get for challenging the alpha.

The battle ends fast, whatever Kegawa was thinking quickly forgotten as Ashi finishes him with a roundhouse kick to the jaw, effectively knocking his lights out. Ashi wipes the blood from her nose, sneering at the body crumpled at her feet before she puts her chin up.

Ashi is still alpha.

Her eyes sweep the entire clan, and they all bow their heads respectfully. Tsume doesn't move until Ashi exits the ring, dragging Kegawa's corpse from the scrutiny of the clan.

"Good fight," Haiiro comments, licking Ashi's blood from her hands. "You kept him off your back this year too."

"This is a regular thing?"

"Sachi, not now," Ashi warns, taking a seat beside them. "I'm takin' a break. Come on people, get your fun without me!" She yells, the clan resuming their murmur soon enough. "Damn, gettin' old."

"You aren't old," Sachi states. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, darlin', stop fretting," Ashi reassures her, ruffling her hair and scowling when the blood makes her strands stick together. "It takes more than a lucky hit to get me down."

Sachi didn't like seeing Ashi hurt. Contests assured blood and bruises at the very least, and despite understanding the importance of them— and how fun they could be— seeing the aftermath always sat wrong with her. At least, when it came to Ashi and Tsume, Kegawa could go suck a big fat dick.

However, Sachi updates her previous observation. Kegawa did have a bone to pick, but not with her.

"Here," Sachi gives Ashi a cookie that she sneakily unsealed under the sleeves of her haori.

"Thought you said you were out of snacks," Haiiro complains, Sachi yielding and giving the old dog a treat as well.

"Be careful, Sachi," Ashi tells her, but the clan has given them space, Obu and Chaiiro finding a spot with the others as the alpha recovered. "Thanks, though. How's the spar?"

"You could have hit him more…"

Ashi laughs, although she's cradling her ribs tenderly. "Yeah, well, I didn't wanna kill him."

"Why not?"

Ashi stares at her for a hot second before sighing and letting her head fall into the girl's lap. "Oh darlin', he's done nothing wrong. Challenges exist for a reason. I challenged my whole clan after the war, y'know?"

"But why would he challenge you? You're a good alpha!" Sachi pets her, racking the knots free from her short hair. "The very best in my book."

"My, thank you Sachi, if you say so it must be true," Ashi jokes, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes. "You don't have to worry about me. Kegawa will have my title when he manages to put me down, or I die, whatever comes first."

"You are not going to die," Sachi turns her nose. "And he's not going to get your title, I'll make sure of it."

"Aw, look at that, Ashi. The pup's gonna fight for your honor."

"Fuck you Haiiro—"

"Yeah, no, Sachi. Don't fight my battles. Ever. You hear?" Sachi does, but isn't happy about it. "Don't get pissy at me, darlin'. You landed a hit once, and just because you made a recon on me. Kegawa will eat your bones raw if you try to fight him."

Her tone was serious, and Sachi understood. She had no fantasies about her physical prowess, not when Tsume diligently reminded her how easy it was to drag her pretty face into the mud any time she got too cocky; something that happened fairly often for her to forget.

"Yeah, but he's not off the hook yet."

"Sure, sure," Ashi sighs, having run out of energy to argue with Sachi a long time ago. "Don't be rude to Kegawa, 'kay? He's important to Tsume, and he might be a little… driven, but just because you like me you don't get to be mad at others. That's not how pack works, if you have a problem, you talk it out with your fists."

"... okay."

"But take no shit from him either."

Sachi laughs, and everything is right again.

.

The thing about a Kanbayashi's sleep is that it's very deep. The moment Sachi entered her mindspace, her entire body went limp and unresponsive. It took a great deal of noise or movement to forcefully take her out from her suspended state, as the temporal seals, when active, overruled the body's instincts to danger.

However, Kegawa and Tsume fucking at the end of the hallway never failed to wake her up.

"Shut the fuck up!" Sachi howled from her room, knocking on the wall.

They moaned louder.

Sachi groaned, putting the pillow over her head, and praying their stamina ran out before sunrise.

(It never does.)

.

"Welcome back, Tsume."

"Good to be back," Tsume reaches and bumps her forehead against Kegawa's, exhausted from her mission.

Her lover smiled at her, that honest smile that he had just for her, and let her fall on their bed. Kegawa unzips her jacket. She sighs at his gentle ministrations, not able to laugh at watching Kegawa show her some love when he usually bares his teeth.

Well, the heart wants what it wants.

"How's home?" she asks. She has been away for two weeks, called for a recon mission. She had taken it instead of her sister, trying to keep her in the village as much as possible; and with her pup, Ashi was more willing to let it happen.

Kegawa scowls, his scarred face twisting in an awkward expression that told her more than any words would. She chuckles tiredly. "That bad?"

"Your sister is really taken with the girl," he comments. "Like a daughter."

"No shit, love," Tsume says, sitting up so he could take her jacket away. "Nee-chan wouldn't have adopted her otherwise."

"So… a heir?"

Tsume doesn't like that implication, but she can't bother to argue. Kegawa had clear views on what he wanted for the future, which clashed with Tsume's own, often ending up in fights. Tsume didn't want to start up a fight when her lover hasn't been in the compound for more than two months. Their time was limited as it was, no need to add more fuel to the fire.

"Whatever nee-chan does with her is none of my business," she warns him, and his hands stop at the bandages of her feet. "Though I don't think that's what she wants. Nee-chan wouldn't go searchin' for estranged children just so she can collect 'em in the clan." As an afterthought, Tsume adds, "Why? Don't you like nee-chan's pup?"

"She's not one of us," Kegawa says simply, taking off her bandages and patting her leg affectionately.

"So?" she counters, suddenly irked. "Nee-chan took her in, that's that. Sachi's not half bad either, she'll be useful to our clan."

"Is she?" Tsume shoves him lightly. She didn't like when he spoke about clan politics. "She's good with seals."

Tsume controls her temper by taking a deep breath and putting a hand over her eyes, the dim light hurting them still. "You noticed?"

"Difficult not to. She's put muffling seals in her room."

"What the fuck is that?"

"Seals to stop sound coming in, or so she says." Kegawa stops, gathering his thoughts. That was never good. "I confronted her about it."

"'course," she grits. "What did you say to her?"

Kegawa was deeply protective of the clan, welcomed or not. Inuzukas were territorial, but he was also possessive. Not good traits, but he was hardly going to change when he believed he was right. Tsume knew because that was another topic for their arguments, Kegawa oftentimes pointing out her temper.

Still, Tsume didn't want Kegawa upsetting her sister. She might like him… Love him, sometimes, but her sister came first. Ashi would never make her choose between them, not after losing her soulmate, but Tsume wasn't going to let her lover bring shit into their house.

"I asked what happened to her," Kegawa eventually confesses.

God fucking dammit.

Kegawa truly had no tact when it came to the clan; children weren't spared either, it seems.

"And? How did she react?"

"She was… surprised. Got really pale and stared at me for a long time. Then…" Kegawa rubs the back of his neck. "She told me she'll tell me if I told her what happened to my partner."

For fuck's sake.

Kegawa had a troubled expression. Shiromi died saving him in his first deployment to Grass, and he was never the same afterwards. Inuzukas losing their ninken wasn't that uncommon, human and dog would risk their lives to save the other, but those left behind rarely fared well. Shiromi was a good bitch, one of their very best ninken, and she had balanced Kegawa's ruthlessness with kindness.

Tsume remembered the days before his first deployment, when they had little to no fights, and Ashi let him move in the house. Isamu had died some years before, and she had agreed to let him stay in the main house so it wouldn't be so… empty. Shiromi was a calming presence, much needed in a household full of fiery bitches.

Shiromi… She died a very painful death, and Kegawa was reminded of it every time he looked into the mirror. Tsume patted his hand to comfort him somewhat, the thought of losing Kuromaru forming a knot in her throat. She couldn't even imagine how much he hurt for Shiromi.

Inuzuka without their ninken were half of a soul, and Kegawa was doomed to live without Shiromi for the rest of his life.

"She didn't know," Tsume tries to say.

"Oh no, she did." Her lover gives her a rueful smile. "I attacked her first, though. Didn't think she would bite back."

"Yeah, sounds like her." Tsume lets him take her hand and gives it a kiss, soothing her. "Not that it makes it okay. We're working on her attitude problem."

Kegawa huffs. "Every Inuzuka has an attitude problem."

"Oh, so you're defending her?"

"Nah. I got angry at her, took her for a spar. Haiiro-sama wasn't happy."

Tsume stills, blinking slowly. "You did… what?

"Teach her a lesson," Kegawa answers, not seeing anything wrong with what he did. "She might be Ashi-sama's pup, but she needs to learn our ways if she's going to stay. I can't have puppies biting my ankles."

Tsume doesn't answer, figuring that if Sachi had a problem she would find a way to get revenge. Still, Kegawa about two decades on Sachi, and he was so much stronger than her; letting him discipline her sister's pup didn't please Tsume at all. But then again, Kegawa has always been like this.

"Whatever," Tsume relents, too tired to address it; Ashi will do something about it. "Anything else?"

"Hmm, no. How was yours?"

"Like always. Alive, so it's a win." Kegawa kisses her forehead, carefully parting her spiky locks from her face. "Don't stop, feels nice."

"Yes, yes. Are you hungry?"

"Nah. I've been feelin' off for a couple of days."

He gives her a look. "Don't strain yourself. I can pick up your missions, if you want."

"You're on your resting period. Two years of deployment is enough for ya."

"Deployment isn't as interesting as it sounds. I can't have you doing missions if you feel off. Can't risk losing you."

"And you won't," Tsume stares, trying to reassure him. "Don't look at me like that, love, I'm fine. My period should come soon, so maybe that's why."

"You came off birth control?"

She scoffs. "Never. I'm due for a renewal soon, maybe'll make an appointment tomorrow with the hospital."

Kegawa hums, not entirely convinced. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"For what? To see me get a shot?"

"I have to get one too, love."

Birth control came with the job for kunoichi, and even shinobi. Children were a liability in most cases and getting pregnant— or getting someone else pregnant— was a risk that they couldn't take in the field. That's why they had mandatory birth control treatments, the most popular was a periodical injection that avoided accidental pregnancies in women and viable sperm for men. They had different kinds of shots available, although those that had a more prolonged action came with more side effects. Tsume, since she was in-village most of the time, had the one-year variant, while Kegawa had the two-year one.

"Then we go together, like two teenagers that passed the clam between them," she laughs, her head hurting slightly.

Kegawa rolls his eyes at her. "So romantic."

"That's me. I'm gonna take a nap till tomorrow, shoo."

To emphasize her point, Tsume turns around, but Kegawa pinches her ass before leaving the room. Damn, she was really, really tired.

.

"Is that all, Ashi-sama?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Sachi is doing well in her studies."

"I see that," Hiruzen comments, flipping through the Academy reports. "She's been climbing the ladder in a rush, it seems."

"Ah, yes. We've been training her, and the academics part she already knows."

"The librarians seem quite taken aback by her curious mind."

Ashi doesn't know if she should be proud or not. "I was serious when I said that Sachi had already memorized the Inuzuka and civilian libraries. The ninja one won't pose much of a challenge."

The Hokage nods. "That was her goal to enter the Academy, after all." Deep in thought, he adds, "Yes, thank you for your time, Ashi-sama. I hope your clan has adjusted well to her?"

"It's been a year and a half, so I can say yes. Not all of 'em like her… but they've accepted her."

"The cookies helped," Haiiro amends.

"Well, let's hope it stays like that," Hiruzen smiles, slightly amused. "I apologize for making you come all this way, Ashi-sama, Haiiro-sama. Thank you for your work."

"Hokage-sama." Ashi bows and leaves.

They exit the Hokage's office, Sachi waiting for them downstairs. She beamed at them, springing to her feet like an excited puppy.

"Ready?"

"Yes!"

The Hokage Tower's staff feigned their indifference, Ashi not bothered by them as she had better things to do. Sachi had just passed her finals, officially beginning fourth grade at the end of winter break. As promised, Ashi and Sachi were to do something together to celebrate.

"Come on then."

Sachi had bargained for seals. Ashi had accepted on the condition that she was to make sure they were safe. It was a small price to pay to see Sachi so happy, blooming after their disastrous first encounter. She was truly a happy kid, if one listened to her rants, and Ashi was willing to overlook a few things if only to keep her that happy.

(Happiness was rare in shinobi. They were selfish with any crumb that their lives allowed them, treasuring them, protecting them. Ashi was no better; Sachi neither.)

"You've done well in your exams."

Ashi hadn't thought of a day that an Inuzuka would bring home straight 100's. It was a little unfair, with Sachi's memory, but Ashi found she didn't really care. Sachi was hers, and she would be proud of her like one of her own.

However, when they get to their home, the house is eerily quiet. The cheer dies down because of the suffocating atmosphere, and Ashi's mouth dries as she recognizes the feeling of bad news coming her way.

The Inuzuka matriarch wasn't superstitious, but she would swear that anytime something bad was about to happen, the world came to silent stillness. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and her first thoughts were about her sister.

"Sachi, stay here."

Tsume was in the house, her scent recent. Ashi follows it until she gets to her own bedroom, with Tsume lying on her bed, which makes her stomach turn. Tsume only came to her older sister's bedroom when she was heavily distressed, something that hadn't happened ever since she lost her teammates in a mission.

"Tsume…" Ashi calls with the little voice she has.

Her sister turns to her, and her eyes are red around the edges. She can scent tears in the room, and distress coming off her in acrid waves.

"What happened?"

Kuromaru gives Ashi a meaningful look that she misses in their panic. He's curled protectively around Tsume's feet, his ears flat to his head and tail tucked under him. He doesn't look that good either, and Ashi's hackles rise.

"Tsume."

"... nee-chan."

Her voice is raspy, almost as if she had been screaming at the top of her lungs for a good while. Ashi takes a step forward and Kuromaru bares his teeth. The room is shocked by the display of aggression towards the alpha. He was protecting Tsume, but there was no danger in sight.

"Nee-chan," Tsume calls again, and her eyes fill up with tears again. "I… I'm pregnant…. fuck."

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

"Wha," Ashi mumbles.

"Fuck! Nee-chan!" she yells. "I'm fucking pregnant, fuck! Fuck!"

"R… really?" Ashi asks, lost, her mind blank.

Pregnant? Where? Why was the room spinning?

"Yes! Dammit! I went to the clinic for my shot, and they told me that I was pregnant!" Tsume wails, inconsolable. "I can't keep it, right? I can't. My career…"

"Oh… Tsume," Ashi sighs, going to her. Kuromaru doesn't react, but he keeps an eye on her. "C'ere."

Tsume buries her face in her sister's chest, shaken. Ashi pets her hair, letting her vent. Pregnancy was a complicated matter for kunoichi. They were soldiers first, not women. Motherhood was not an option, not when they were still bound by duty first.

"What do you wanna do?" Ashi asks her after a good while when her trembles stop.

"... dunno."

"You have some time to decide," she amends. "What did Kegawa say for himself?"

Tsume scowls. "... dunno. I threw him out when we got back. Don't care."

Oh my.

Ashi sighed into her hair. Kegawa took all of Tsume's rage, poor bastard. He did do this to her, though, so he is to blame too.

"You were on shots, didn't you?"

"O-of course! Nee-chan, you… you know me! How can you…?"

"Woah there." Ashi pats her head to calm her down. "I trust you not to get knocked up, Tsume, but I'm just making sure your shots were good. So, I ask again, were they good?"

"... maybe? Don't look at me like that! I stopped listening when that nurse told me they couldn't get me the next shot because I was pregnant. Fuck. I'm… I'm pregnant…"

The process of getting a shot to avoid pregnancies had the side effect of abortion in women. Normally, it wouldn't even be noticeable except for a heavy period, but Tsume was already pregnant. That's why they did pregnancy tests before administering the next shot.

In her worry, Ashi wanted to laugh. For Tsume, her little sister, to get pregnant because of not one failed shot, but two, was something to tell at parties.

"Okay. Listen up." Tsume looks up, her eyes red and a dangerous frown on her face. She looked exactly as she did when she had a nightmare, and begrudgingly made her way to her room to sleep. "You're pregnant, so what? You've got two options. Either end it or go with it."

"It's not that simple!"

"Your life won't end because you have a kid."

"Don't talk about kids! I don't have a kid! I'm not!" she hisses. "I'm a kunoichi, and a damn good one at that. I can't play housewife!"

"Mom didn't play housewife, did she?"

The mention of their mother brings Tsume's panic to a halt. Their mother, Suzue, had been a frightening kunoichi. She was from one of the outposts, civilian background, and she managed to climb to the very top with her own hard work and skills. Ashi could still feel the earth tremble when she fought, or how her expression was enough to command the clan into submission.

And yet, she had been a good mother. A kunoichi first, but a mother too. Suzue was a ninja, and so she taught them how to fight before they learned how to speak. Her lessons served them well, and absent she had been, to some extent, but at least Ashi could look back and feel loved in each and every one of their memories.

"I'm too young to be like mom! And that was dirty as fuck, nee-chan."

"There, there," she ruffles her hair, feeling her anxiety simmer somewhat. "Your body, your decision, Tsume. I won't tell you to end it just because you're a good kunoichi."

Ashi would never enforce that power. As Clan Head, Ashi had to see for the clan first. If Tsume, as her second in command and one of their best the clan had to offer, was compromised due to pregnancy, Ashi could force her to abort. There was no say on what the future was going to be like, and if a conflict or, gods forbid, a war broke out and Tsume had to stay behind to give birth or to care for her child, then their clan could suffer a great blow.

Tsume understood this, because she was her little sister, but her role as second in command was just as essential to the clan as the alpha. Tsume would not hesitate to end the pregnancy if she believed that the clan could be harmed by her decision, and never feel guilty for it, but Ashi would.

Ashi treasured her sister, and despite asking too much out of her from the beginning, she was not going to cut away her happiness.

The Inuzuka alpha smiles down at her, Tsume relaxing at the kind grin. "The clan is always happy to have a new brat around, and the house is big enough. Unless you don't want Kegawa as the father, in that case I give you my blessing to get a kid from anyone else less ugly—"

"Nee-chan!" Tsume complains, but some color has returned to her face, instead of that sick paleness. "This is serious!"

"Yes, it is," Ashi agrees, somewhat serious. "But it's not worth it for you to cry in my room. Make sure you pick the decision you won't regret, and I will support you, as alpha and as sister. I can give you that much, but I won't tell you what to do."

"You're too nice to me…"

"Am I?" Ashi challenges. She won't have Tsume try to please her just because she's her alpha, and certainly not have her resentment if she thinks she pities her. "I would have had kids too." Tsume seems surprised, her eyes widening.

"Really?"

"Yes. It came up, sometimes."

But Ashi always turned it down. They have all the time in the world, she would say, they don't need to rush...

"Anyway. Do what you wanna do, you can kill Kegawa, hell, I'll do it for ya."

"... I won't marry him."

"What?"

"I won't marry him," Tsume states, raising. Kuromaru stays close but says nothing. "I won't marry him just because I got knocked up."

Tsume and Kegawa's relationship had always been strange to Ashi. They were close at times and then clearly hostile. They cared for one another, but Ashi couldn't help but feel a prickle at the back of her neck when he was home.

Ashi shrugs. "Your life, Tsume, do what you want with it."

.

In the end, Ashi and Sachi didn't get to spend the day together. Tsume's rather dramatic pregnancy announcement took the Inuzuka main house by storm, and so the following days were spent enduring the constant bickering of Kegawa and Tsume.

Sachi was getting annoyed, losing sleep.

"I'm going to put muffling seals in their room," Sachi threatens.

Ashi, who had rejected any mentions of seals, agreed. Go ahead."

"You're tired too, huh."

"We have sensitive ears, pup," Haiiro complains. "Just neuter Kegawa and be done with it!"

"Tsume has castrated pigs before," Sachi nods. "Kegawa won't stand a chance."

"Pigs will eat Kegawa if he gets near them. His balls—"

"Although it's cute to see you two getting along," Ashi praises. "I have to get done with the taxes, so unless you help, shut your snout."

Sachi and Haiiro grumble, the girl looking through the open door into the patio. It was the middle of winter, but no snow was in sight.

The absence of snow was still something she was getting used to, along with the heat. Her body was still heated up, but there was a breeze to keep her cool when she trained with Ashi or the clan.

At this time of year, she should be busy with the Heart, managing the supplies, studying and making sure Michiko and Harumi didn't kill each other. Rie would've been with her House, tailoring the clothes for the clan…

Sachi lets out a sigh. She had other things to do now. Graduating, for example.

"I can help you with that, if you want."

"Hmm, what?"

"The taxes," Sachi offers, sitting up and Haiiro falling off her lap. "You need to submit the clan's revenue from the clinics, right? Along with the clan tax you take from your working shinobi, as well as the bonus from the clansmen that came back from the outposts. I can help you with that, if you want."

Ashi stares at her for a hot second before shaking her head. "Sachi, if you're that bored then you can train some more."

"It's not that. You said that I could speak if I could help you with taxes; I can, so I'm speaking."

"Do you always have to have the last word in everything?" Ashi comments, used by it but not any happier. "I don't need help with taxes, darlin', I just wanted you to shut up. You hang in my office a lot, but I can't focus with you and Haiiro talkin' shit about Kegawa."

Ashi needed to do something about Sachi's habits. Ashi knew Sachi's mind would be useful, but she was still a child, not a secretary. "Go out, make some friends, be a kid, Sachi. You'll spend enough time doing taxes, stop trying to rush."

Sachi takes the advice as she always did, staring blankly but absorbing every bit of it. Ashi doesn't know if she understands, but she can only try. Sachi helped around often, from cooking to teaching the younger kids, to helping with the pups. She had too much energy, and even sparring wasn't enough to keep her busy anymore.

Ashi worried about her pup's mind, brilliant as it was, because of that restless streak of hers. If Ashi let Sachi take a look at her taxes, then she would take over and go from there. Ashi had yet to decide if she did it on purpose or if she was just that bored.

"You said you wanted to put seals on Tsume's room. How are you going to do that?"

Sachi snaps to attention and begins a long rant on her favorite subject. It seemed that fūinjutsu was the only thing that kept her occupied for long periods of time, and somewhat sane, but it was a fine line she was walking. Ashi hadn't thought about the challenges of keeping Sachi grounded, but here she was.

"— see? I can design seals that can block out sounds that go over a certain limit or block them completely. If I have the chakra impression, I can even block out certain voices! Tsume could scream bloody murder and even you wouldn't hear it."

"Yeah, maybe not." Sachi deflates. "We Inuzuka are very picky about our territory, can't you do something that will block out the sound in certain cases? Shut it off and on? We still need to keep an ear out in case something happens."

"... oh, that's right. Then… I can make the seal activate when the door closes. Tsume keeps her door open, so if I can manage to… yeah. I can do it."

Sachi's eyes are glowing again.

"Good, then go do it," Ashi waves a hand at her. "Let's see if you can finish it by dinner."

The girl doesn't even say goodbye, all but dashing out of the room to start her work. Ashi rubs her shoulders, tense. If Tsume decided to have a child, she would need to be prepared for this kind of thing.

"That was good," Haiiro praises, coming to her now that he didn't have constant pets. "Her chakra was buzzin' again."

"Yeah… it would be easier if she had a partner of her own."

Inuzuka children tend to be energetic, and having a puppy helps them tire themselves out, as well as create a bond that would last a lifetime.

"She doesn't want one though," Haiiro sighs. "Death as a companion, or something like that?"

"I don't want to have death as my companion, I think she said."

Sachi was fine with Haiiro and Kuromaru, and the other sentient dogs, but it was still a work in progress. Sachi's fear of dogs was deeply rooted, and she still regarded them as death harbingers. Ironic, considering she was in the one clan that always had dogs with them.

The dog shakes his body, straightening his fur. "She could get some partner of her own, a human one."

"... Sachi is too young to be dating, Haiiro."

"Fuck you, I'm not stupid," he snaps his teeth at her. "I know you humans are very picky when it comes to age. She could use some friends, keep her busy."

"We can't force her."

"And keep givin' her tasks instead?" Haiiro chuckles. "I can bet you the pup's gonna climb till jōnin just so she can end that damned library in the upper level, and then what?"

"Becoming jōnin isn't that easy. She's still far behind her physical conditioning, and her chakra…"

Ashi's head hurts. Motherhood was a difficult job. Tsume should get away while she still could.

"Oh, Ashi. You keep ignorin' the problem, and it's gonna bite you in the ass."

"Go take a walk, Haiiro."

The dog flops down for a nap. "Nah."

.

"You knew this would happen," Tsunade tells Sachi, wrapping her hands in bandages. "Your little game ends now."

Sachi failed her exams.

"I'll find a way."

"How? Do you know how to heal better than I do?"

Her tests were impeccable, she got top marks in physical conditioning, had an outstanding performance in Logic and Ethics and yet—

She failed the most important test.

Ninja arts.

"Sachi-chan, you have been pushing your pathways for a long time, haven't you?"

How couldn't she? She needed to practice the hand seals sequence. It was the very test that she failed, despite having the necessary muscle memory. Her hands cramped up anytime she made a hand seal, and her blood rushed with chakra that it left her in so much pain that made her dizzy.

Tsunade knew, because her cold stare was as unforgiving as her healing. She had healed her, difficult not to when she came into her hospital holding her arms and leaving a trail of blood behind her.

"You only performed the basic hand seals and look how it turned out."

She's harsh, but she speaks the truth. Hand seals were used to allow a certain amount of chakra to flow through the pathways. Depending on the way the fingers and hands were positioned, the delicate pathways in the hands would constrict and relax, building up the chakra and driving it from the third gate to allow the jutsu to take place.

For example, the tiger and dragon hands seals were used in powerful ninjutsu, allowing for more chakra to rush down the arms; whereas the rat and the boar let out a tiny trickle of chakra that needed great concentration to maintain.

The test required to pass ninja arts in fourth grade was to do the basic hand seal sequence. Such sequence was made specifically for practice, beginning with the rat seal that was the easiest to perform and intercalate with the most difficult, letting the chakra pathways to recirculate the chakra to the system when no jutsu took place, avoiding a buildup and an eventual chakra leak.

Which is what happened to Sachi.

The proctor had noticed something during her exam, maybe how she struggled or how sweaty she had become, and so he demanded to do it again. Sachi was used to taking tests twice, but this time she couldn't. She still did, her pride didn't allow for any less, but it had cost her greatly.

"You are lucky your bloodline limit has extra pathways in the arms, and that they are quite flexible, or I would need to amputate your hands. The damage of your pathways is too great for your system to handle, and even a basic hand seal is going to blow up in your face. I'm serious."

She knew, because it has happened before.

But she had been so close… So close!

("Again," Mother says. "Until you bleed, again.")

"Thank you for healing me, Tsunade-sama."

"Ah, so you're going to be polite. Very well, but be warned, Sachi-chan. I can't heal you forever, and the Academy won't let a student who can't do basic ninjutsu graduate." Tsunade gets up, adding, "You're wasting your time."

When Sachi doesn't answer, Tsunade leaves. Sachi looks at her hands and sees the image of burnt skin in her memories. Her tiny, little fingers had been blown up, the chakra in them managing to cut her skin and cause a minor explosion. It was just her luck that she failed to do the tiger seal, one of the most powerful hand seals.

What is she going to do now?

("Inuzuka Sachi," the proctor announces. "Fail.")

She clenches her fists, feeling the stretch of newly healed skin and the lingering chakra in her arms.

"I'll win," Sachi whispers to herself. "I always do."

.

Ashi notices something is wrong when Sachi comes back after dinner. She should have headed home before she finished her exams, bouncing and bringing home yet another full mark.

But she hadn't.

Instead, she had come at nightfall, hiding her hands under the singed sleeves of her haori, and went straight to her room.

"What's up with her?" Tsume asks, frowning. "Should be flexing her grades."

"She didn't greet either," Kuromaru comments.

Ashi can't hear anything, Sachi's muffling seals proving to be useful. Something was wrong.

"She'll come when she wants to," was Kegawa's answer.

Haiiro gets up and leaves without a word, and Ashi can hear him go down the hall and rasp at Sachi's door. She lets him in, and when she shuts the door, it grows quiet once more.

Her exams didn't go well, then.

Ashi gives her a week to pull herself together, and when she does, her eyes are blazing.

"Pushing yourself will only hurt you," Ashi warns Sachi, catching her in the clinic while cleaning her wounds. "It was just a test."

Sachi doesn't look at her. "I will find a way."

Ashi is sure she will, that drive was the motive which she adopted, after all. And yet, Ashi doesn't like seeing Sachi too caught up in her head. Sachi had told her what happened, because she knew better than to withhold information from her alpha, but she had assured again and again that she would graduate at the top of her class.

Sachi's mind had carried so far as fourth grade, impressive, considering her condition, but ninjutsu was the pillar in which the Academy was based. Very few exceptions had been made to allow students that weren't able to use ninjutsu to graduate, and most of them had particular skills that were recruited before they were given their hitai-ate. Sachi didn't have that support, the Hokage wouldn't allow it, and so she was stuck.

"Sachi, look at me." The girl does, and Ashi fights the challenge in them. It has been a while since Sachi has questioned her, but it still sours her mood. "You failed one test. I know you're smart, but it's not worth sacrificing your happiness over it."

A chance to get away. Sachi didn't need to become a ninja, she could do something else, anything else.

Sachi tilts her chin up. "I can do it."

.

The little mishap is forgotten when Tsume announces she will keep the baby.

"Whatever, might as well," is her justification.

Ashi smiles. "I'm glad. And you, Kegawa?"

The man who has been beaten roughly for a month, just nods his head. He wasn't too bad, and he might change as a father. Well, he could try harming Tsume or their kid, but it would be the very last thing he would do.

"I will take care of them."

Ashi's smile turns into a sharp grin. "Good. You'll stay this tour home, won't you?"

Kegawa was quite the important fellow in the Grass Outpost, which he was using to gain support from the other Inuzuka that were deployed nearby. Ashi was the alpha of the whole clan, but those that were far away from her influence might start to get ideas of their position in the hierarchy.

He nodded, keeping his expression in check. It was useless, as his scent carried out his true feelings. He cared for Tsume, but he had other plans as well. "Yes. I'll take care of Tsume and our baby, and it's best that I stay," the bastard says, sly. "I'll fill for Tsume's responsibilities, since she's pregnant now…"

Tsume huffs a laugh, warning him. "I'm pregnant, not fuckin' invalid. I can take care of myself just fine."

"That's right. Tsume might be pregnant, but she's still my second in command," Ashi adds, avoiding Tsume getting angrier. "Unless you want to change that?"

Kegawa glares but backs down. Not even him would go as far as to take his pregnant lover for a spar to climb the social ladder.

Good, because if he did, Ashi wouldn't hold back.

"You've been quiet, Sachi," Kegawa observes, changing the subject. "How's the Academy going?"

Sachi glances up from her meal but doesn't rise to the bait. "It's a challenge. I like it," she smiles, and Ashi feels proud at seeing her bared teeth. "How about you? It's been a while since you've been in-village, I hope you settle nicely."

Tsume rolls her eyes, giving up on helping Kegawa and Sachi on good terms. Ashi wouldn't let it go too far, since Kegawa would beat her to a pulp, if need be, but it was fun to see a little girl try to browbeat a soldier like him.

"I'm glad you decided to keep the baby, Tsume," Sachi turns to her, smiling kindly this time. "Children are a blessing."

"Like you are, pup?" Tsume teases.

"I don't think you want to compare your kid to me, Tsume," she laughs. "You'll have a legacy of your own, right? I'm sure your kid will be a good alpha."

Kegawa tenses.

"Oh? Legacy, you say? Isn't that a pretty word to say that I'm gonna pop out a pup in a few months? Didn't think you thought that way."

"Alpha?" Ashi echoes, amused. "Am I that bad of one that you're sweetening up Tsume already, Sachi?"

"I'm just saying…"

Ashi catches the smirk on her lips, and how Kegawa's chakra flutters. Good play; that'll teach him.

.

Failing ninja arts meant that Sachi couldn't graduate from fourth grade and go into the fifth directly. Because she did pass her other exams flawlessly, she was stuck in fourth grade until she managed to pass the ninja arts exam. Her situation was a peculiar one, since she had demonstrated that she was above the class level but lacking in ninja arts, prompting her to be upgraded to the Class Five.

The Academy harbored students from all kinds of backgrounds, but the shinobi clans were prominent. Those kinds of clans started instructing their children very early, leaving a gap between the students that didn't have that kind of help and those who were halfway through to becoming a ninja. Each grade had up to five classes, and each class had a certain kind of students.

The classes weren't separated by number of students, but by their skills. Sachi had been put in the Class One in first grade, meaning that she was on par with the lowest of the students. Class One in spite what its name might suggest, was only a place where the fuckups and the least likely to graduate students were put. Sachi noticed this by the majority of civilian children, as well as children from minor clans that had some sort of disadvantage. Mental handicaps, disabilities or were just unfit for shinobi life.

Those students needed an education, and they might be laid off before completing the Academy's curriculum, but it was better than anything the Guilds could offer. Leaf wouldn't invest in useless students, and even if they spend their lives as cannon fodder for the next war, they will live better than those that didn't attend the Academy.

Now, Sachi is in Class Five. It had fewer children than the other four, the main difference being that now major clans were present. The teachers were better formed too, as Sachi attended the classes just to see the contrast between the education offered to the civilians and that targeted to real potential shinobi.

And much to her chagrin, they focused a lot on ninja arts. It made sense, it was an Academy for ninja taught by ninja, but still.

"Does anyone know what the horse hand seal is used for?" The teacher calls. He's not like Miku-sensei, that was softer around the edges while still feeding the children lies. This man, Gentaru-sensei, was severe and strict. If not rather aloof.

He didn't like his job, Sachi observes.

His cold eyes sweep the class, all the children silent. Their eyes meet, and Sachi raises her hand, bored.

"Sachi-kun."

"The horse hand seal functions as an amplifier, the chakra pathways in the fingers connecting and overlapping, while leaving a window for it to control it. The gap left between the index fingers is a fixed window that allows the release of chakra in a controlled burst," she explains, remembering the books she found in the ninja library. "Because of this, the horse seal is often used in dispelling genjutsu, disturbing the chakra of the enemy meant to alter reality. It can be found in various sequences of jutsus from all elemental affinities, as well."

Gentaru-sensei nods and goes along with the lecture. The teacher wasn't impressed with her knowledge because he already tested it a month ago. And he failed her.

"... of course she knows this," a girl a few rows down whispers to a friend. "She failed the exam!"

Students were more troublesome than the teachers.

Sachi's presence had turned a few heads. Her reputation as an Inuzuka bastard had settled on her, but then she was regarded as a genius, a rather annoying one at that. The teachers knew they were dealing with a prodigy, at least where academics were involved, but they couldn't allow for a love child of a foreign sympathizer that was taken pity upon by a Clan Head to interfere in their grooming. Sachi had other plans, and so the battlefield was set.

Sachi had made no efforts to gain support from her teachers, since she believed that her intellect would be enough to carry her out the Academy doors as the top student. She was a Kanbayashi, after all. However, after literally bombing the exam, she was left in hostile territory where her only weapon was useless.

Maybe she shouldn't have been so cocky.

"Let's end for today."

First period ends, the class emptying to the backyard to have their recess. Sachi would rather stay in the classroom, but Gentaru-sensei wouldn't let her, saying it was forbidden for her to stay behind unless it was raining outside.

Fuck him.

The first two grades have another recess period, while third and four have it together; yet another way to separate them. Sachi squinted at the sun, it was still winter, but the sun was persistent.

"Hey, you!"

She recognizes the voice enough to frown at it. Another girl is calling her, none other than Uchiha Arisu. She has short black hair and the trademark dark Uchiha eyes, rather tan for an Uchiha, and a crooked tooth.

"How come you're so smart and haven't graduated yet?" One of Arisu's friends, Tamako, sneers.

"Oh right, you failed it!"

Arisu was one of the top students.

"We met there, didn't we?" Sachi says, uninterested. "But you weren't there to take the advanced exams… But the extraordinary ones, right? How did you do in them?"

But not in academics.

Uchiha Arisu began picking on Sachi ever since the news of her failing the ninja arts exams got out, and when she was assigned to her class, her domain, she was labelled as a target. Sachi didn't have time for petty arguments, but something about Arisu's remarks just made her blood boil.

"W-what?!"

For all her ability to perform ninja arts, Arisu was dumb as rocks.

"You're still in this class, so maybe you got by?" Sachi wonders out loud. "The exams were rather easy, weren't they?"

The extraordinary exams couldn't compare with the advanced ones, and Arisu bristled beautifully. "But you failed yours!" she threw back.

"Only one," Sachi shrugs, not giving her the satisfaction of seeing her getting angry. "Can you say the same?"

Arisu's friends take offense for some reason. Sachi can't help but look down on them, so young and filled with so much free time that they sought out fights with others just to feel reassured.

Sachi has dealt with many bullies in her life, she won't let hairless rats try to take her down.

"So mean!" One of them calls.

Another shouts, "No manners!"

"... she's a bastard after all…"

Arisu stands in the center, surrounded by her allies and Sachi stares into those tar pit eyes of hers. The sharingan was there, Sachi was sure of it, and it was a dangerous enemy to have.

The sharingan was one of the three great dōjutsu, and on par only with the byakugan. Sachi had felt on her own skin what a Hyūga could do to her at any moment, an Uchiha will be no less, and yet...

"Stupid mutt," Arisu mutters under her breath.

"You talk big for a bastard, Arisu-kun," Sachi remarks, a sly smile on her lips. Sachi stares her down, her chakra fanning around her with her intentions crystal clear. "Why are you in fourth grade? Shouldn't you have graduated by now?"

Arisu takes a step forward, her fists clenched. "S-shut up! I'm an Uchiha!"

"On which part?" Sachi drawls. "Your mother or your father?"

Had Arisu been a true Uchiha she would have received the education of a noble clan. It was difficult to find Uchiha or Hyūga, even Aburame or Akimichi in the first four grades, their clans' teachings enough to buy them a seat directly into fifth grade. The last two years were mandatory to become a ninja, since it's where the true basics of being a shinobi were taught, but…

Arisu was in fourth grade. The conclusion was easy to reach.

"Shut up!" she shrieks.

Sachi relishes in Arisus's her anger and presses more. Let her hurt, let her be sorry that she even dared to face her. "You use the Uchiha name, but have they even acknowledged you?"

As expected, it ends in a fistfight.

.

Ashi gets called to the office the following day.

"It's been a while, Ashi-sama, Haiiro-sama."

Indeed, it has.

Ashi had thought that Sachi would stop getting into fights after the Hyūga incident, but she should have known better.

"Yes, Shun-san. I wish it was under better circumstances…"

"It can't be helped, you were busy." Ashi doesn't know what to make of that comment, deciding it was best to tackle the problem head on. "Shun-san, I know why you called for us. I've already spoken with Sachi and delivered a punishment for her behavior."

Meaning, Ashi really didn't want to have the Uchiha on her case either. The Hyūga she could deal with, as family tradition goes, but the Uchiha were another matter completely. Hiroto was known to execute those he deemed a threat, but Tsurugi was a very business-oriented coot. If he got an opportunity to ruin a clan, he would take it, and then claim everything they had for himself.

Yeah, maybe not.

"Did it work?"

Ashi blinks. "Excuse me?"

The old man pours a cup of tea for Ashi and asks again. "Did it work, the punishment?"

In reality, Ashi had just forbidden Sachi to go to the library and upped her training. She wasn't going to pull Sachi's teeth out for getting into a fight, since it was more important for her to understand that fighting a comrade had more consequences than a few bruises and a wounded ego.

"Shun-san, I respect your wisdom and I might not be a mother, but I know how to take care of my child."

The director shakes his head. "It was not my intention to offend you, Ashi-sama. I am genuinely curious, do any of the punishments you give Sachi-kun work? Or is it just a stall for time until she finds a way to get herself in trouble again?"

"... I believe we aren't understanding each other, Shun-san. We're here to avoid a political conflict between the Inuzuka and Uchiha, because children may fight and get petty, but it can turn into something much worse if left unchecked," she states, dead serious. Ashi respected him, but she wasn't a child to be scolded. "Sachi is still getting used to living here, it's normal for her to get into trouble."

"I believed Sachi-kun had already settled. It has been a while since she came here, and I do believe she understands her environment, foreign or not," he smiles. "Forgive me if I overstep, but I think Sachi-kun just does not care."

For the second time of their five-minute conversation, Ashi says, "... excuse me?"

"Let us not play dumb, Ashi-sama. I am the director of this Academy, and my job is to oversee the education of every child that comes through my doors." Shun takes a sip with unbothered movements. "I have been overseeing Sachi-kun's case for some time now."

Ashi didn't like how that sounded. At. All.

Shun had the authority to recruit children, and if pressed, he could take them away. It wasn't uncommon for talented children that had a civilian background, and no matter what their parents did or said, ultimately, they were taken and enlisted into the ranks. That was the price to pay for living in a military village, and even though clan children were almost fated to become shinobi, they could very well be taken away too.

They could fucking try with Sachi.

"Don't stare at me like that, Ashi-sama. If I wanted to recruit Sachi-kun I would have done so, but as it stands, I believe it is not the best course of action." Ashi doesn't relax at his words, but he continues regardless. "I do not need to tell you that Sachi-kun is intelligent, but it is not in the way you think."

"What do you mean?"

"You are well acquainted with the Nara brand of intelligence," he points out. "It is public knowledge that the Nara clan has the trait of a photographic memory, very useful to retain large amounts of information and recall it at a later date."

"... yes?"

Tsume would often complain how unfair it was that Shikaku got to have that kind of advantage when she had to study hard. He only needed to look at something once and then it would be forever ingrained in his brain. Shikaku would only shrug and take naps, further annoying Tsume.

"Sachi-kun has the same condition. Now, you might think that this is why Sachi-kun, or any Nara clansmen, perform well in academics. But ever since becoming director, I have created tests that do not rely on memorization. My questions have the purpose of testing not only the knowledge of the student, but how they use it."

"I see…" Ashi muses. "And you also make students take the tests twice, too?"

Shun sets down his teacup. "Let me finish, Ashi-sama, and then you might bring up your concerns." Being brushed off was not something Ashi appreciated, but she swallowed her pride to get to the bottom of the issue. "Sachi-kun's brilliance does not come from her memory, but how she processes information."

"... so?"

"Ashi-sama," he sighs. "There are various types of intelligence. I could explain them to you, but you are not here for a lecture. What sets our Academy apart is that we nurture two types of intelligence; kinesthetic and interpersonal," he puts two fingers up. "The way we move our bodies are essential for a shinobi, which is why we emphasize physical conditioning, and the interpersonal is, in other words, teamwork."

"I am well aware of what you're saying," Ashi nearly growls, not willing to be taken for a fool. "And I know what you're hinting at."

"Interpersonal intelligence is needed to become a ninja of Leaf, because creating bonds with our peers is what separates us from being senseless thugs. Putting value in our comrades assures that everyone is looked after, and sacrifices are made only in the direst of situations. A good ninja is not driven by their emotions, but empathy between equals is essential."

The director leans forward, making sure to bring his point across. "Interpersonal skills are what makes Leaf shinobi great, and what the Academy teaches beyond academics and conditioning."

Ashi stares him down, and he leans back in his seat. "Sachi-kun's intelligence is purely logical. In all my years of service, I haven't seen a mind like hers. I am sure that you have noticed this too, but Sachi-kun often has the last word, doesn't she?"

"How did you…?"

"Sachi-kun analyses everything," he concludes, fixing his glasses. "She absorbs information in such a manner that it is bewildering. Her mind takes that information and processes it at great speed, if not instantly, and comes with observations that any normal person would take quite a while to reach, if they ever do. When Sachi-kun speaks to you, does she seem like a child, Ashi-sama?"

It's quite a strange question. Ashi knew that Sachi's mind spined differently, her eyes were frightening when focused. When they talked, Ashi had to mind her words, because Sachi would find out anything that she tried to hide.

"No," the Inuzuka matriarch agrees eventually. "But what has to do with anything?"

"Logical intelligence comes with the burden of prediction. I have five children, all grown now, thank the Sage, but they were not born saints. Nara, very much like Sachi-kun, understand the world differently. I am not telling you this to undermine your intelligence, but to state that there are people that are on a different level than the vast majority." The old man adds, "I know that whatever punishment you inflict on Sachi will not curb her behavior, do you know why?"

Ashi takes the bait. "Why?"

"Because she does not care," he says bluntly. "Sachi knows that if she gets into a fight she will be scolded and made to swipe halls or run laps. She knows that if she insults a classmate, she will be forced to leave the class, and that if she gets on the teacher's bad side, she will have to take tests twice. And yet, she continues to do so; because she knows what will happen, and she does not care."

"... are you implying that Sachi is acting out on purpose?"

"What I'm saying is that Sachi-kun has already predicted the outcome, weighed the pros and cons, and still went with it. I do not say that Sachi-kun is a mastermind that is trying to receive attention, or stand out, but that she is a child that requires a different approach to bring up."

"What do you suggest, Shun-san? Because you seem very sure that I am not doing a good enough job at taking care of her."

"Again, no offense is meant. My children went through something similar during the Academy because the curriculum was hardly challenging for them and they found it a waste of time," he chuckles dryly. "However, my children understood the importance of teamwork."

"And Sachi… doesn't?" Ashi questions.

"Oh no, she does. She has just decided it is not worth it for her."

"Ha… does Sachi think she's better than the others?"

Oh, that brat. She was going to hear it when she came back—

"Although ego might come into play, I believe Sachi-kun does not include herself with the others. Her mind cannot be hindered by others, and because she is so far ahead from her peers, she has discarded them. Does Sachi-kun have any friends, Ashi-sama?"

"... no, she doesn't."

"Not even inside the clan?"

"She plays with the other children… but she prefers to stay in the house most of the time. She takes her training and studies very seriously."

"I thought so." Shun rubs his temples, thoughtful. "Interpersonal skills are important because it forces people to interact with others. Your clan does this very well, since you take in consideration most clues that others overlook, such as scent and body language. It allows for people to understand what is allowed and what it is not when in a social setting. Genin teams are used to teach new shinobi how to fight alongside others, as well as care for comrades and thrive to protect them…" he trails off.

"I understand, Shun-san."

"I know you do, Ashi-sama, which is why I brought this issue with you. Sachi-kun has great potential for becoming a useful shinobi, putting aside her medical condition, but a mind like hers has the potential to become very dangerous."

(It already was.)

"Sachi-kun is still a child, and has the opportunity to change, but you must understand why I am concerned. A logical way of thinking is a death sentence for those around her, because when people become pawns, what stops her from sacrificing them to reach her goal?"

Sachi was attending the Academy because she had successfully twisted the world in her favor. She had no business there, and yet there she was. Ashi was in that office, getting a lecture about how smart Sachi was, but how she could very well become a threat to others if not taught how to be a human being.

Ashi knew Sachi was fucked up in the head, she knew, knew, knew; still, Ashi tried to help her, to teach her, but it wasn't working.

Because Sachi thought it was bullshit.

"This wasn't how I pictured this meeting to go, Shun-san."

"A necessary evil," the director reassures her.

"Yes, yes… but what about Sachi getting treated differently by the teachers? And why does she take tests twice?"

"Ah… we have not dealt with someone like her, Ashi-sama. Some teachers believe Sachi-kun is somehow cheating in her exams."

Ashi crosses her arms, pissed. "Is that an excuse to humiliate her in such a way?"

"No, it is not."

"Then why wasn't she promoted to fifth grade? She did perform the hand seal sequence once, and with her exam results that was more than enough."

"... yes, she did; and the second time it exploded halfway through. I understand why you are upset, but I am giving Sachi-kun more time to change. Sachi-kun has jōnin level knowledge, if not more, but she has failed to go along with another test."

"Empathy."

"Yes, or the shinobi version of it. The Academy lets students interact with their peers in a secure environment. If Sachi were to graduate right now, and be put in a team, she would find a way to escalate the ranks but her teammates…"

Might be lost in the process.

To think that Sachi would be capable of using people in such a way twisted Ashi's heart, but she knew she could. She had seen how easy it was for her to manipulate, not only people, but the circumstances around her. Her goals were made for herself, by herself, and others were tools for her to achieve them.

"Ashi-sama, do not look so dejected. I believe Sachi-kun can truly change, but the only way that she will is if she is taught to."

"I will see to it."

"Glad to hear it. Although, I have to remind you, there is no shame in asking for help, Ashi-sama."

The implications were clear.

"It would be a shame to lose Sachi-kun," the director finishes.

(A really big shame.)

.

Ashi finds Sachi in her office. She must have finished the fifty punishment laps, wearing a simple long necked shirt with long pants, freshly bathed.

Her smile was warm but hesitant. "How did it go?"

"We need to talk, darlin'," Ashi tells her, closing the door behind her. Haiiro stayed behind, knowing that it was something between them.

Sachi noticed it but didn't say anything. What was she thinking, Ashi wondered? Did she believe she would scold her? Punish her further? Pat her on the back?

Sachi was a good girl, Ashi was sure of it, but Nara Shun said otherwise. Someone with such a mind wouldn't feel for others, it was impossible. The Inuzuka alpha tried not to think about those ANBU soldiers that creeped around the corners, those that did not feel at all, that behaved like death in human form.

But Sachi was very much alive, so, so warm and so, so bright.

Ashi takes a seat on a cushion in front of the girl. "The director and I have talked…" she begins. "But there's something that's been botherin' me for quite a while. Say, why haven't you made a friend?"

The question takes Sachi by surprise, judging by how wide her eyes went. A second later she comes up with an answer, not one to be caught off guard so easily. "I don't want to."

"You know they're important, right?" Ashi presses gently.

Ashi wouldn't scold Sachi, she wouldn't punish her. That girl would probably take it because she saw it as the price of her freedom. Ashi didn't want that, she didn't want to teach her like that.

"Socialization is important for development and creating lasting bonds," Sachi says, a text-book perfect answer. "Is something wrong? What did the director tell you…?"

"Nothing's wrong, darlin'. I'm just worried. I know you're a smart pup, yeah? But I just want to know, and please don't bullshit me an answer." Ashi asks again, "Why haven't you made a friend?"

Sachi opens her mouth, but Ashi stops her. "Don't tell me that friendship will hold you down, because you know that's not true. You have another reason, and I wanna know why."

She looks down, Ashi seeing right through her. Nara Shun had been wrong about his assessment, because Ashi knew Sachi better than she knew herself.

"... my friends are dead," Sachi quietly admits. Ashi reaches a hand, and Sachi pushes her head into it. "Michiko, Rie and Harumi… they're dead."

Logical intelligence she had, but Sachi was also a kid that had a family, friends and a home. She had feelings too, rationalized or not. Ashi might not understand heavy math, or the meaning of life, but she knew pain. "C'ere."

Her thin body wraps around hers in an awkward hug. Ashi pets her head, feeling the grief coming out of her in thick waves. "Fear is what's holdin' you back, isn't it?" Her pup doesn't answer, but she doesn't need to. "You don't want to see 'em die again."

Sachi hugs her tighter, and a pitiful sob breaks out. Ashi didn't want to hurt her, but it was necessary. "... I-I miss 'em," she says into her chest. "Everyday. I miss them."

"I know," Ashi soothes. "But they won't come back."

Ashi wasn't one to coddle people, but she could let them hear the words in a tender way, and cry on her. She wasn't as cruel as to tell Sachi to begin a new life without getting over her first one, but there was a limit to how much ghosts could influence you.

"When Isamu died… I swore to never date again," Ashi confesses, hearing her sniffle. "I could have, but I was too caught up in grief to let it happen. Who knows, maybe I missed my soulmate because of it," she chuckles, coming out dry.

"Sachi... ninja lives are short, and we can't let fear say what we can have or not. You don't want to make friends? Sure, go ahead. Ah, you don't want to make friends because you're afraid? Then that's not great. You get what I'm sayin'?"

She nods. "I can't tell you what to do because you have your goals set and planned out. But hear me out in this one, you can't be happy just by yourself because you are afraid that others might hurt you. Don't stay alone because it's easier."

Ashi could have dated again, shared the pain of losing her husband and begun a new life; but she didn't. She wouldn't regret it, because it was her choice, but she recognized the chances she missed because of grief. She wouldn't let Sachi go through the same.

Luckily, Sachi was a smart girl, and so she didn't need to say anything else.

"Okay," Sachi agreed, raising her head. "Okay. I'll… I'll try to make a friend… but don't be sad."

Ashi quirks a brow. "Sad? Me?"

Her keen eyes, shiny with tears, are clear and sharp. "I love you, Ashi."

"... huh?"

That was not how this was supposed to go. Ashi wanted to make sure her kid didn't go and dig herself a grave because of what happened to her; she wasn't expecting a declaration.

"I love you," Sachi repeats, determined. She puts her hands on either side of her head and brings them close, Ashi going along with it because of her surprise. "You're kind to me, Ashi, and I have a debt towards you. I— I will do anything for you, I swear it upon my name."

"S-Sachi? Darlin', what—?"

"I will give you the world, if you ask me." Sachi had been crying a second before, but now she was resolute. "If you ask me to make a friend, I will."

"That's not what I was trying to say!" Ashi protests. "Don't go makin' friends because I said so, that's not honest."

"Ashi," she stops her. "I don't want you to be sad."

"Not something you should worry about, darlin'," Ashi pats her, but Sachi gets closer.

A strange feeling sweeps through. Sachi was open with her affection, in her own way. The Inuzuka matriarch knew that pup liked her, to the very least, but Ashi had stopped seeing her as a threat a long time ago. A lost kid, a good girl with a sucky past, that now was hers to have. Sachi hadn't left when she could've, and she didn't need words to confirm what they both knew.

Still, hearing it so plainly put made Ashi flounder. Good Sage, she was a grown woman, she had no business feeling so embarrassed.

But Sachi's love had turned oppressive. Desperation shone in her eyes, as if a wrong move would make Sachi lose Ashi, and no reassurances will comfort her. Shun didn't know what he was talking about, because Sachi wasn't a heartless sociopath, but a survivor with a knack for manipulation.

"Nara Shun," and the way Sachi said his name was the very same an executioner listed his next victim. "He told you something that made you sad."

This was dangerous. Ashi shifted, putting Sachi down to break her intensity. "Sachi, listen to me." She did, with every inch of her being awaiting orders, like a trained dog. "Don't even try to pick up a fight with the director because you think he made me sad."

"I can't fight him, Ashi."

"Don't bullshit me, darlin'. Look," she sighs. "Shun-san only said he was worried 'bout you because you haven't been hangin' out with your peers. Do you know why?"

"Because of teamwork?"

"Yeah. Let's try this, what's your plan for after you graduate from the Academy?"

Sachi seems suspicious, but she tells her anyway. That much trust was flattering, if not terrifying. "Have a genin team and become a tokubetsu jōnin in seals."

"So… you're waiting to get your team before you make friends?"

"... yes."

Ah-ha!

"Okay, that's nice. Thing is, no one's gonna want to be with you if you don't reach out."

"Teams are elected randomly."

"Are they?"

The question makes Sachi freeze, her mind gears turning. A while later, she frowns, vexed. "I... see."

"Good, now you get it."

"... I'm sorry, I should have thought about this."

"Nah, darlin'. Not something we like to be out in the open, but you're smart enough to use this, right?"

Shun had said that she didn't care, but Ashi thought differently. Sachi cared too much, and that's why she didn't involve herself with others. The Inuzuka alpha was far from a good person, and she was not above using others for her own benefit, but it was fine as long as Sachi focused on anything else besides her grudges.

The last thing they needed right now was crossing the Nara too.

"Yes," Sachi nodded. "Thank you."

"Not a problem, darlin'. I want you to be happy, 'kay? It's okay to be sad some days, but don't let that stop you."

"I will."

"And if I hear the director suddenly got fired, I'll let the dogs eat you."

"... you wouldn't."

"Try me."

Sachi lowers her eyes first. "Okay. But I won't forgive him for making you sad."

"Darlin', he didn't…."

Well, it did disappoint her that she was doing a bad job raising Sachi, but she didn't need to know that. Sachi's favor was a fickle thing, and if any of her interactions with Kegawa were to be taken seriously, then Shun had retribution coming his way.

Her expression had turned from emotionally devastated, to love-struck, to mischievous. Ashi didn't have energy to keep up with her, and so she said as a last measure. "Don't do anything harsh."

.

A week later, Sachi came to Ashi's office like a storm.

"Ashi!" The girl yelled, excited. "I made a friend!"

Lo and behold, she did.

"His name is—"

.

Have some more of character study. As you can see, Sachi doesn't have all her marbles, and it shows. This will be important throught the entire series, but it's nice to see people acknowledging it.

Inuzuka Kegawa, not my favourite of all of OC's, but he's kinda necessary, y'know, for procreation's sake. I had half a mind to not include him, but I wanted to show that not all Inuzuka accept Sachi that easily, as well as introducing the concept of satellite hidden villages.

Not every character is perfect, and their perception changes between perspectives. Who knows what that Nara Shun is up to, but something doesn't add up, right?