Hellooo, welcome to the new chapter!

This time's update finally has the one person that has been listed as a featuring character since forever but never made an appearance up until now. I hope you'll find them to your liking :)

PLUS: I wrote the special! It's become the first chapter of a whole spin-off by the name Joyous Children: Kiyomi Gaiden. Yes, you guessed right, it's gonna be about Etsuko's parents. Since so many of you liked them and were kind of upset when they died, I thought it would be a nice idea to flesh their pasts out a bit. Have a look at it if you can spare some time and tell me what you think of it! I'm excited to read your reactions.

On to the main attraction now.

Of course, beta'ed by the amazing NightsBlackRose13.

Chapter 14: New Game – New Chance

The Sharingan is such a ridiculously overpowered hack, it's not even funny.

My vision is sharpened to incredible heights along with my ability to process the impressions, enabling me to react so much faster and to push my body to as of yet unknown limits. Combined with the instant in which I can predict any movement based on the twitch of a muscle, my fighting prowess has practically shot through the ceiling.

Hell, I've not even tried out the copying feature, yet. And I only have one measly tomoe in each eye. I don't want to know what the fully matured versions can do because it's gotta be terrifying.

OK, maybe I was lying about 'not wanting to know'. I do imagine it to be thrilling.

But also still terrifying.

Anyway, what I want to say is, switch on your Sharingan and boom – training time is reduced to half. At the very least. It's so not fair for any hard-working person who does not have the privilege to be born into the Uchiha clan that I feel kind of guilty. Especially since, usually, I'm a die-hard advocate for that kind of people.

The reason I'm having this epiphany right now is sitting squarely on the ground and glaring daggers at me. Toshiro apparently doesn't take well to being punched in the face. Twice in a row.

"Get up" Yashiro bellows at his son, his voice cutting through the air like a whip.

"Again!"

Toshiro scrambles up with a snarl and lunges at me viciously. He's positively livid, and as I dodge his attacks, I have to admit that I can't even resent him for that. Because just half an hour ago, when we started training – or, "assessment of skills", as Yashiro calls it – I was only a barely four years old, with limbs too short to do real damage, unexperienced and generally no match for a boy two years my senior.

And then, suddenly, I am. All because of two crimson eyes.

I mean, it's not as if my taijutsu itself has suddenly improved. On the contrary, my techniques and speed have stayed pretty much the same. But being able to predict my opponent's moves has done a great job at simultaneously giving me the slightest edge as well as unsettling Toshiro, which, along with a bit of luck, was all it took to get in my first hit.

The second one came soon after, when I'd started to see the pattern of his attacks and him still reeling from the shock of being hit – and now, as he reveals more and more of his style to me, I'm preparing for the third.

His fury is making him more vicious, yes, but also sloppy, and it's almost like an afterthought when I dive under one of his attacks and casually slam my palm into his solar plexus. I'm too weak to knock him fully out, but it's enough for him to hit the ground with a loud "oomph".

Heh.

I try not to look too smug as I crack my knuckles in satisfaction.

To be fair, I probably couldn't fight anybody else and win. Had Toshiro even been just a tad bit faster or smarter, not even the Sharingan would have helped. And I don't mean to say that he's stupid, not at all.

It's just. Ya know.

He's six. And even a smart six-year-old can only go so far against someone mentally more than four times his age.

Even knowing this, though, I can't deny that my success is doing pretty things for my ego and I don't even try to smother the feeling.

"Get up" Yashiro barks at Toshiro, again, and I can see the boy's face heat up in humiliation. I get ready for the next exchange of blows, my body easing into the Uchiha-style fighting stance as easily as if I'd done it my whole life – which, uh, is technically true, I realize.

My Uchiha body has received training in shinobi arts since I was able to move. And I don't only mean training in the strict sense. I'm including the 'tests' Okaa-chan and Otou-san ran on me to see if I was a prodigy.

It's scary how much I didn't realize it until now.

As my opponent gets ready to fight, too, Yashiro turns to me.

"Deactivate your Sharingan!"

My stomach drops.

Well. Goodbye then, bruiseless body.

I have no illusions. Without my Sharingan, Toshiro is so going to beat me up.

I exhale slowly as I let the chakra in my eyes recede, already longing for the sharpness in my vision as soon as it fizzles out. It's becoming addictive alarmingly fast. No wonder the Uchiha feel so superior compared to every non-Uchiha – I mean, even I have to admit that, with this kind of power, it's hard not to.

Let's see then how much I retained from the short trip to the realms of invincibility.

)()()(

At least, I muse as I lie on my back and watch the clouds move one hour later, I didn't make it too easy for him.

My body feels like as if at least a dozen angry rhinos have trampled on it, dragged me through a forest of thorns and trampled all over me again. It hurts in places that I never even knew could hurt and the thought of moving in the near future makes my muscles cramp in dreadful anticipation.

Well, if anything, it was effective. I learned a few important things today:

1) My taijutsu is fairly decent.

2) My throwing aim on moving targets is garbage, with kunai more so than with shuriken.

3) Toshiro positively hates me.

4) The Sharingan puts one hell of a strain on my body.

The last point is kind of worrying. I'm an Uchiha. Aren't I supposed to be attuned to my doujutsu? Or is it because I'm still unused to it? I grimace. Maybe it was not that good of an idea to awaken it so early. How old was Itachi again when he did it?

I huff quietly. Well, it's not as if I'd had a choice, anyway.

"Get up!"

Ah, yes. I think I've heard Yashiro yelling these two words so often today, I'm gonna be dreaming about them. On the other hand – I think I prefer dreaming about him yelling at me than about me stabbing Otou-san to death.

Seriously, it's gotten so bad that I consciously have to remind myself that I did not, in fact, kill him. It'd be nice if my guilt complex could just shut the hell up and let me continue with my life. Because I'm trying. I really am.

Just as predicted, my muscles scream when I sit up with a pitiful wheeze. My legs feel like jelly as I make my way over to my guardian with something more akin to a wobble than a walk.

Yashiro sounds distinctly unimpressed when he launches straight into his evaluation of me.

"Your footwork is lacking. Your blows are weak. Your movements are slow."

Ouch.

And here I thought my taijutsu was decent.

"Your throwing aim is a disaster. Your stamina is abysmal."

Jeez, cut me some slack, my body is barely four years old!

"You show a basic understanding of tactics. You learn fast. You take full advantage of your small size."

Huh. Did we move on to the positive things already?

"You're stubborn. You have an instinctive grasp on the workings of your Sharingan."

It's amazing how he can rattle these things off like they're items on a shopping list. There's not even a hint of a change in intonation to separate the good things from the bad – or any other sort of recognition, for that matter. Amazing.

He narrows his eyes at me.

"There's a lot of work for you to do. The way you are now, you won't graduate anywhere near the top of your class."

My internal commentary stops abruptly.

Wait, what.

We haven't talked about this, yet. I mean, it's not like I don't want to go to the academy or that I have a problem with him wanting me to graduate at the top of my class, because I planned to do this anyway. I am quite ambitious when I set my eyes on something.

It's just.

It wasn't his decision to make.

Maybe I sound childish right now, but I really wanted to tell him myself. I wanted to feel this important decision coming out of my mouth, out of my own free will, and I can't help but feel like I've been robbed. The disappointment is so intense, I'm surprised myself. Because objectively speaking, it shouldn't be a big deal. I mean, he wants me to enroll, I want to enroll, our interests match – there shouldn't be any problems.

But still.

Maybe it's because I wanted to tell Otou-san and Okaa-chan myself.

I know immediately after thinking it that this is true.

I also know that this is a foolish thought.

Yashiro is not Otou-san. It would never have the same meaning even if I'd have managed to tell him about my decision first. Because he doesn't care the same way Otou-san does. And Otou-san is gone. Gone. Gone.

There's the short, sharp sound of air being displaced and suddenly, my head jerks to the side and a light sting blooms on my cheek. My gaze snaps back to Yashiro's face, his jaws clenched in cold anger and his eyes blazing.

"You listen to me when I talk." His voice is dangerously low as he grounds out the words.

I nod hurriedly. "I'm sorry, Yashiro-san. It won't happen again."

No need to antagonize him yet again over something as trivial as spacing out.

For a short moment, he doesn't say anything and I'm afraid that it wasn't enough, that he's still angry at me, and I prepare myself for his next outburst.

He exhales.

"From today on, you'll train hard. Every day. I'll make you a schedule that you'll follow in minute detail. I will train with you occasionally and only for Sharingan training purposes, but most of the time you'll be training with Toshiro for the basics."

At that, there's a strangled noise that surprisingly doesn't originate from me, but from a place a few feet to my right instead.

"Is there a problem, Toshiro?" Yashiro asks flatly.

A short pause.

And then, reluctantly – "No, Tou-sama."

I watch him from the corner of my eye as he clenches his jaw. Toshiro is not a particularly good liar. But he doesn't need to be as long as he intends to be obedient.

Really, Yashiro isn't all that hard to figure out in this regard.

"Good. It'll help your training, too."

Yashiro turns his back on us and is about to march off, expecting us to follow him, when Toshiro bursts out "Tou-sama! Will you let me enroll at the academy, too?"

His father looks over his shoulder. "If you train hard and manage not to be beaten again by a girl two years younger than you, then yes." With that, he walks away in earnest.

Uh-oh.

That was a bit too provocative to be taken in stride by a boy as proud as Toshiro. As any Uchiha, really.

As I cast a weary glance to my side, my fear is immediately proven right. The look in Toshiro's eyes as he glares daggers at alternately his father's back and me promises some painful training sessions in the near future.

I let out a quiet sigh.

Oh my. Here is to fun days comin'.

)()()(

True to his words, Yashiro hands me my training schedule the same evening. It marks the beginning of an intense regime that doesn't leave me much free time, but it's a price I'm willing to pay, even though my time with Obito is also reduced. I resolve to make it up to him by making sure that every minute we spend together is as meaningful as possible.

It doesn't take long for me to realize that it's a rather poor trade and by the time a couple of weeks have rolled around, I'm thoroughly annoyed with it. Not only do I get to spend less time with my brother, but I'm also made to spend most of my days with Toshiro, who thinks of this as a punishment and believes that only making me miserable will make things better. Granted, I'm not happy with this assignment, either, but at least I'm not venting my frustration on him. Not yet, at least.

The only reason I don't turn on my heels and quit is because I know that there's no alternative.

)()()(

On one December night I wake up in the wee hours of morning, my sleep interrupted by particularly nasty nightmares of Otou-san's gory corpse. The same moment I open my eyes, I know that I won't be able to go back to sleep. A glance at the clock on my nightstand tells me that it's just past five in the morning.

Great. What am I going to do now?

Of course, everybody else is still deeply asleep. The silence in the house has a suffocating quality to it and after approximately five minutes of restless squirming, I decide that I can put this time to better use. Training at least promises to drain away this anxious energy that's making me antsy.

I get up and dress myself as quietly as possible, careful not to wake Obito and the other inhabitants of the house. After a few seconds of contemplation, I decide to leave my practicing kunai and shuriken at home since it's still pitch black outside and my aim isn't even properly working in broad daylight. Besides, it's not as if I don't have anything else to practice.

I move through the house, dropping a note about the reason of my absence on the kitchen table in passing, out of the main door and in the direction of my usually frequented training field. It's cold but thankfully not too windy as I dart through the streets, passing the occasional street lamp that provides a little pool of light in an otherwise rather dense layer of darkness. It occurs to me that the silence and stillness lends a certain kind of beauty to the village that's only perceivable due to the knowledge of Konoha by day. At least for me. Something about the combination of contrast and current mood, I reckon.

I arrive at the training field without meeting any other soul. It's not the one that I used to go to with Otou-san but rather the one I train on now, with Toshiro and Yashiro, although it looks pretty much the same. It's not too spacious, with a plain, flat ground and a few wooden posts at one end. I don't know if that's the standard set-up for clan training grounds or if it's specifically designed for beginners, but since I can easily admit that I don't need any advanced features anyway right now, it doesn't matter.

I sit down in the middle and plunge myself into meditating, the first activity of every training session since starting my new regimen.

)()()(

Three hours later, I'm thoroughly spent.

The sun has gone up not too long ago, its weak light valiantly trying to suffuse the air with warmth and not fully succeeding. I don't feel the cold anymore, though, haven't felt it since I started working on my taijutsu, even though I'm sitting down again for my cool-off-meditation.

I don't feel much of anything, in fact.

I had hoped that training would calm me down and clear my head, but instead, I just feel exhausted, my emotional landscape victim of a clearcutting that leaves me too numb to care about anything.

Well. That didn't go as planned.

I slowly open my eyes to let them readjust to the incoming light – and nearly jump out of my skin when I see a man standing just a few feet away from me, his form covering the sun and preventing me from properly seeing his features.

I let out a whelp that very much sums up my feelings of holy shit, where did he come from, is he watching me, oh shit he is, why am I being watched and is entirely undignified for an Uchiha.

Wait. Did I just think that?

The man puts up his hands in a placating manner.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!"

His voice is light, pleasantly so, and most importantly, strangely familiar. I squint to get a proper look at him.

Imagine my surprise one second later when I identify him as none other than Sakumo Hatake.

"Hatake-san!" I splutter awkwardly, suddenly in a hurry to get up. I stumble in the attempt to make a decent bow and nearly fall over as my tired muscles decide to give out under me.

Ugh.

Disappearing into the ground would be really practical right now. Or vanishing into thin air. Or both.

Two strong hands grip my shoulders and steady my fall before I can plant my face in the dirt. I'm on my feet again an instant later, blinking from the sudden change in my field of vision from the brown, hard ground to the pale green of that strange flak jacket that seems to be in vogue right now.

"Easy there, we don't want you to get hurt now, do we?"

I look up. Sakumo's face is set in a concerned expression, his brow slightly furrowed and gaze trained solely on me. I'm momentarily stunned by the intensity and sincerity that emanate from the dark grey pools, not used to this attention since Okaa-chan and Otou-san, and stiffen up on reflex.

Sakumo blinks once in alarm but quickly recomposes himself. He takes his hands from my shoulders and squats down.

"Are you out here alone?" he asks cautiously, watching my every reaction as if he fears that I would bolt like a terrified animal at any given moment.

Which is ridiculous, of course. I'm totally calm and collected. No such annoying things as flashbacks or the likes. Nope, none at all.

"Etsuko-chan?"

I realize that I haven't answered his question, yet, and immediately proceed to give him a jerky nod, even though I have to admit to myself half a second later that I forgot what he asked in the first place. I really hope it doesn't show.

Sakumo's gaze softens again, though the concern doesn't waver. It's fascinating how expressive his face is. So easy to read.

"May I ask why you were training at such an early hour?" he asks after a short pause. "It was training, wasn't it?"

I nod again and avert my eyes to the ground. My voice comes out as a timid mumble when I tell him that I couldn't sleep.

It's strange. I'm pretty sure that Sakumo is one of the nicer guys in Konoha, even though his life is barely mentioned in the manga and I unfortunately don't remember much from what he did on the day we met, but his willingness to sacrifice the success of a mission for the life of his teammates speaks for itself. Even now, his questions show that he feels nothing but genuine concern for me.

Then why is it that I'm so hesitant to interact with him?

Undeterred by my behavior, Sakumo and smiles an open, friendly smile. "You must be really hungry after all this hard work then. I was just going to get some breakfast. Do you want to come along?"

My first immediate reaction is that no, I'm not going to get breakfast with a stranger, quickly followed by well he isn't actually a stranger and then but Obito is still at Yashiro's.

I almost hit myself in embarrassment.

Jeez, Etsuko, he wasn't inviting you to an all-out family picnic!

Meanwhile, Sakumo interprets my lack of answer differently. "Of course I'll pay" he says good-naturedly.

I guess that settles it. Who in their right mind would say no to free food?

)()()(

On our way to the next restaurant and also after sitting down and ordering, Sakumo makes friendly conversation with me. I catch myself speaking easily to him after just a few minutes of constant exposure to his genuine kindness.

He talks a lot about Kakashi and it's heartwarming to watch. His whole face lightens up with joy and pride as he details his son's progress in various areas – and he has every right to, if what he says is true and the boy is already able to sit up without help and discern the different people in the household, because Obito has just begun doing that a few weeks ago and he's more than half a year older. I mean, even knowing that Kakashi is a genius, the speed with which he seems to learn appears freaking amazing to me.

Sakumo also asks me things about my training – without trying to pry secret Uchiha techniques or something like that out of me – about Obito and about what I want to do when I grow up. When I tell him that I'm going to become a shinobi, I can see that he's taken aback, although he tries to hide it.

It puzzles me.

Isn't becoming a shinobi what practically everybody expects from me anyway?

Before my brain has properly caught up with what I'm doing, I'm already calling him out on his reaction.

"You seem surprised about my choice, Hatake-san?"

I wince after hearing myself. I don't think any child sounds like that.

If he notices – and of course he does, he's an elite ninja – he doesn't show.

"Ah, no, not at all, Etsuko-chan!" he exclaims with waving hands. After putting them down again, he adds after a short pause "I just wasn't expecting you to be so sure about it already. But that's a good thing. You will never stray from your path if you know what you want."

Again, my stupid mouth opens without consulting my brain. "I just want to protect Obito."

At that, Sakumo's face melts into a soft smile. "That's a very, very good reason for wanting to become a shinobi."

We finish the rest of our meals in companionable silence after that. Sakumo pays and exchanges some friendly banter with the waitress until we leave the shop where I turn to him and bow down.

"Thank you for the meal, Hatake-san. I enjoyed it very much!"

And I mean it. I feel significantly better than just one hour before.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine! I'm glad I ran into you today." He smiles a closed-eyes smile and lifts his hand to scratch the back of his head in a manner that is so Kakashi that my jaw almost hits the ground.

Jeez. The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Are you going home now, Etsuko-chan? I can walk with you, if you want."

I blink a few times to get grown-up-Kakashi's picture out of my head and shake my head. "Thanks for offering, but it's really not far. Besides, Yashiro-san is probably already wondering where I am and halfway to the training ground."

"Oh, is he going to train with you?"

"Yes, probably. It's been a week since the last time after all."

A slight frown appears on his face. "Be careful, Etsuko-chan. Don't overdo it." His voice suddenly sounds very serious and my eyes widen in surprise.

I haven't heard words like these since I've been living with Yashiro and his family. On the contrary, with him it is always train more, train harder, you'll never make the academy if you laze around like this and – I've grown used to it. I've grown so used to it that I literally thought it was a good idea to come training at five in the morning after going to bed close to midnight the day before.

Objectively viewed, even I can admit that it doesn't sound particularly healthy for a child.

"You know what? If you decide you want to have a break today: I'll take Kakashi to the playground near the Naka Bridge this afternoon. You can come, too, if you want. I'm sure there're lots of children to make friends with and that it will be fun. How does that sound?"

He's smiling again, gentle and warm, and I can only stare at him.

Why does he care so much?

I swallow thickly to get the big lump in my throat out of the way. I sound timid again when I open my mouth to speak, but it's another kind of timid than before and I think Sakumo notices it.

"I have to ask Yashiro first, but I think I … I'd like that."

"That's great Etsuko-chan!" he exclaims delightedly. "So then, I hope to see you again later today!" He lifts his hand for a wave.

I mirror his action and feel a tiny smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "See you, maybe!"

)()()(

I'm still not sure how I even got permission to come, but here I am, standing at the edge of the playground, with Obito practically hanging from my neck. It's a novel experience.

It's not like I've never been to a playground. I've been to some in my first life, though I don't remember the majority of them because I was so small, and even here, as Etsuko, I've been to one with lots of Uchiha kids, perched on Otou-san's shoulders and showing no interest for them at all.

But.

There're so many people here.

The place is bustling with children and their parents, alive with buoyant energy that seems to vibrate in the air. It's such a stark contrast against the perpetual gloom that seems to have taken over life in Konoha since the beginning of the war that I'm momentarily overwhelmed.

How the hell am I supposed to find Sakumo in this crowd?

I'm starting to doubt if it was a good idea to come here after all. He's here to spend time with his son anyway and I'm probably intruding. I mean, he must be so busy being an elite jounin and all that, he probably doesn't see Kakashi as often as he wants. Besides, he certainly doesn't expect me to bring Obito along, oh my god what was I thinking, I'm going to make such a big nuisance of myself –

"Etsuko-chan!"

My inner tirade abruptly silenced, I whip my head in the direction from where the voice was coming from.

Lo and behold, there stands Sakumo in all his tall, lean, gravity-defying-silver-haired glory and smiling the biggest – may I add dorky – smile I have ever seen. There literally is a halo around his head.

Or maybe I'm imagining things.

I think I may or may not be on my way to develop a huge puppy crush on one Hatake Sakumo. It's – ugh.

So.

Embarrassing.

Before I can turn around to run and hide, said person is already jogging over. Up close I can see a tiny person perched on his left arm, just the way Okaa-chan used to carry me when I started whining about that horrible strap contraption.

Something in my chest contracts painfully.

"Etsuko-chan, I'm glad you made it! Ah, and I see you brought your little brother, too!"

He squats down so that we and, most importantly, Kakashi and Obito are at the same level. Seeing baby Kakashi is a shock of the most surreal kind.

Of course, he's without mask or Sharingan, his dark grey eyes having a slight bluish tinge to them that I never noticed in the anime, his gaze surprisingly attentive. He doesn't move, doesn't make any sounds – instead, he simply watches and takes in Obito and me while clutching the sleeve of his father's jounin shirt.

He looks so baby-ish.

I mean, yeah, he is a baby, but in the series he'd always been a soldier, even in his childhood – and thinking about that suddenly makes me so very, very sad again – and I can't seem to find it in me to merge that adult with this baby. There was never any softness or vulnerability in chuunin- or jounin-Kakashi – and certainly not in ANBU-Kakashi, either – just the certainty of innocence lost.

"So, this is my son Kakashi. Kakashi, meet Etsuko and Obito."

Kakashi doesn't react too much and I don't know if that is because he's shy or if he doesn't like what he sees. Or he simply doesn't understand. He is only around four months old, after all.

Obito, however doesn't have any such reservations.

As soon as Kakashi is in touching distance, he loosens his grip on my neck, trusting me to carry his weight on my arms, and reaches out to poke the other boy on his cheek with a happy coo. That gets a startled reaction out of Kakashi who turns to bury his head in Sakumo's shoulder.

Sakumo laughs heartily.

"Ah, I already see a beautiful friendship forming!"

I feel my own lips quirk in amusement, particularly at the pout that Obito is sporting now as he watches Kakashi ignore him in favor of his father's shirt.

"Yes" I say with a smile and the certainty of a person who knows the future. "I'm sure they'll become the best of friends."

And if they need help, I'll be there to watch over them.

)()()(

This day has had the worst beginning and the best ending possible, I think with a sated kind of exhaustion as put I put a sleepy Obito into bed. Tonight, he won't need a lullaby to sleep.

He spent the whole afternoon in the sand box with Kakashi, both fiercely building something like castles in a competition and trying to outdo each other until Obito's … pile of sand collapsed and became even more pile-y. I don't think I'll ever forget that smug look on baby Kakashi's face after that or Obito's indignant cry.

Or the way he gleefully yelled "Neee-jaaaa!" when his heap of sand was finally bigger than Kakashi's and, most importantly, not collapsing after trying for the umpteenth time.

I think my heart just might have stopped there.

His first word. His first word and it was solely for me. I can't imagine something that makes me more happy, a million times happier even than me meeting toddler Genma, Aoba and Raidou or the lengthy chat with Sakumo.

I'm so happy. Have I mentioned that I'm happy?

I'm so drunk on this pure, positive feeling that I don't even notice the small parcel on my bed until I'm lying on it and something quadratic digs uncomfortably into my back. I take it out from under me and notice that it's wrapped with white wrapping paper, a note scribbled on one corner that simply says 'Etsuko, Dec 27th'.

It takes a moment before realization hits.

Today is December 27th.

Today is my fourth birthday.

Does this mean that this is a gift? From … Yashiro?

I don't know what I'm feeling as I slowly start to unwrap the parcel. It feels flat on one side and a bit bumpy on the other, and what I finally hold in my hands after the last bit of paper is removed exceeds everything that I could've hoped for.

It's a photo frame, the picture showing Okaa-chan, Otou-san, Obito and me.

We're all dressed in formal kimonos, Okaa-chan holding Obito and Otou-san having one arm wound around her waist and the other carrying me, and when I notice the sourpuss expression on my face, I get an inkling on when this must've been taken: Obito's introduction ceremony, probably sometime after Yashiro made his infuriating comment, which explains my face.

I don't remember it being taken or displayed anywhere in our home – and I would probably have been vehemently against that anyway – but right now, it seems like the most perfect photo in the world.

My hands are shaking when I prop up the stand to put the frame on the nightstand next to the hitai-ate and a small piece of paper flutters to the ground. It must have been held in place by the stand. I pick it up and fold it open. It's another note.

'Etsuko,

this was found in the remains of your father's office.

Happy Birthday'

My eyes are all watery when I put the paper away.

Yashiro is so emotionally awkward, it's almost painful. But thanks to him, Obito won't have to solely rely on my narrations of Okaa-chan and Otou-san anymore.

He'll just have to look at this picture and know that they loved him from the bottom of their hearts.

That's it for this time. How did you like our new silver-haired addition(s)? As always, I love to read your thoughts!

And don't forget to check out Joyous Children: Kiyomi Gaiden. It would make me insanely happy to see you there.

Peace out.