Hello again friends, how do you do?

I'm back with a new chapter which, as you can see in the title, is again the first part of a two-parter - yes, despite it already being at monster length. Thank you so so much for all the messages and reviews for the last chapter and I apologize to anyone who I didn't manage to answer. I'm afraid I can't promise to do that for every review anymore like I used to, but rest assured that I read every single one of them still and that every single one still makes me incredibly happy! If you have specific questions, I invite you to ask me on tumblr. I will answer there as best as I can.

Speaking of tumblr: I'm thrilled to announce that the wonderful tokibun has again worked their magic and made some amazing fanart: Etsuko-chan herself and Hanako! Have a look at my profile for the link. I'm still swooning over it.

Btw, you might have notice that the rating is still the same. Before you rejoice, though, a warning: it is merely a delay. Also, this chapter is a bit special, but you'll find out why as you read on.

And last not least: thanks to my beta NightsBlackRose13, who remains the best and most devoted source of inspiration.

Chapter 21: Take Everything by Storm Part 1

There's no time for thinking.

Half an hour is barely enough time to get home, grab my backpack, and leave again for the village gates. My mind is completely blank, words echoing in the confines of my skull, bouncing around in slow-motion and leaving a bigger void every time the resonance wears off – until there's nothing left but a feeling of white noise.

Amegakure has declared war.

The house is eerily quiet as I mindlessly stuff a few additional things into my backpack. It has been well-stocked ever since Hanako made a surprise trip to the Forest of Death with us, only to leave us there on our own and watch as we survived two whole weeks with zero interference. I'd only survived because I'd been with Regashi and Nawaki, and packing my rucksack accordingly had not been the only lesson on survival I took away from then.

Amegakure has declared war.

Where is my hitai-ate? I should really wear my hitai-ate if I go out into the field, wouldn't want my fellow shinobi to not recognize me and start shooting fire balls or something. That would be bad. I guess. So where is it?

I paw aimlessly at my blanket and pillow, open up random drawers in my closet and stare into the heaps of socks and underwear until I remember that I'm wearing it. Have been wearing it all day, in fact. Silly me.

Amegakure has declared war.

I should … do something before leaving for the gate.

Say good-byes, for example.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

I sling my pack over my back – ahah, backpack, see what I did? – yeah, not funny – and walk out of my room to find the other occupants of the house, only to realize that I am probably alone. Makes sense I guess. Toshiro is either at the academy still or training. Yashiro is at work. And now that I think of it, today is market day, so Naoko is out, too. She's probably taken Obito with her.

I won't be able to say good-bye to him.

I write a short note on my absence and put it on the kitchen table, then turn on my heels and make my way out of the house.

He's going to be sad that I won't be there to sing him a lullaby tonight. I hope he doesn't give Naoko too much troub-

"Etsuko!"

Oh. Looks like I was too fast in assuming I was alone.

"Yashiro-san," I say, my voice sounding weirdly dazed.

He steps out of his office and gives me a careful once-over. A shadow of ... something passes over his face the moment he notices my backpack.

Tense silence.

And then he clears his throat.

"Remember, you represent the clan with every action you take. Think before you act, but when you do so, be swift and thorough. Be proud of who you are. And don't dishonor the clan by not coming back."

His mouth snaps shut the same moment mine falls open.

Did he just …

Did he just tell me not to die out there?

…

I think he just told me not to die out there. In Uchiha-speak, sure, but ... I understand.

I take a step forward, then another, and another, until I'm standing right in front of him. I lift my arms.

And wrap them around his legs in an awkward hug.

"I'll do my best," I croak into his trousers.

He coughs, clumsily putting a hand on my head. "I'll await your report," he says gruffly.

I seem to have a frog in my throat.

It doesn't make the whole leaving thing easier.

)()()(

Hanako is already there when I arrive. She's talking to a tall man with dark hair bound back in a ponytail and a jounin vest. I can't see his face since his back is facing me, but I can see hers.

I've never seen her this serious.

The two of them stop talking as soon as I am within hearing range and the man turns around. It's none other than Uchiha Fugaku.

"Etsuko-san," he nods in greeting.

I give a slight bow. "Fugaku-sama."

It's strange to be called 'san' instead of 'chan'. It has a frighteningly professional ring to it. It makes me realize that I am not a 'child-chan' but a 'fellow-shinobi-san'.

We don't exchange any more words after that.

I wonder if he remembers that his brother sacrificed his life to save mine.

Regashi arrives two minutes later and six minutes after that, Nawaki comes running.

"Sorry," he mutters under his breath. "Couldn't find Tsunade-nee."

He looks unhappy with that. I can definitely sympathize.

Now that we're all together, there's no reason to stay. We turn to look at Hanako, who shakes her head.

"Not yet," she says.

Oh.

Ok.

Another couple of minutes pass.

And then a woman with three children in tow comes running towards us.

"Nee-san," Nawaki says, surprise coloring his voice.

Honey blonde hair bound loosely in two pig tails suggest that yes, it is indeed Tsunade, but my attention is immediately swayed by the kids. One is a girl with bright red hair that goes well below her waist and exotic purple eyes while the other two look like the same boy twice over: exactly the same brunette hair and exactly the same faces with the telltale pearl-white eyes that make a Hyuuga identifiable from a distance of at least twenty miles.

If these kids are who I think they are -

"We have the antidote, Fugaku-taichou!" the girl yells.

Both boys roll their eyes in unison. I blink to make sure it's really two people and not just me being drunk and seeing double.

Never mind that I haven't touched anything alcoholic since being reborn.

"Good," Fugaku responds simply and holds out his hand.

The girl comes forward and hands over a vial with a transparent amber liquid. Fugaku takes it only to turn around and give it Hanako instead.

Hanako grins crookedly. "Thanks. And how considerate of you to bring the chemist right along. We could always use your monster-strength, Tsunade-senpai."

Tsunade doesn't return the grin. "Wish I could join you," she grumbles. "Instead, I'm stuck in-village. Seriously, figure out one antidote for Suna-granny's poisons and suddenly, your 'talents are much more useful in the lab'. Why not let Orochimaru do that instead? He's already practically living in his anyway."

"You countered every single one of Chiyo-san's poisons, Nee-san, not just the one," Nawaki deadpans. "It's practically a sport to you."

"It was." Tsunade nods with righteous indignation. "Before I was made to do it for every other poison, too." She sighs wistfully. "Imagine how annoyed she would've been if we'd been enemies."

Hanako cackles at that. "From what I've heard, she was still plenty annoyed."

Tsunade only answers her with a sweet, cat-like smile.

"So," Hanako drawls, "if you're not here to join us – why are you here, exactly?"

Tsunade's face turns serious with an abruptness that sends an almost physical jolt through my body. "I heard it was going to be your team to deliver the antidote and … I don't know, something feels off about this whole thing. Amegakure suddenly declaring war, the weird disappearances, the silence on the other side of the border – I just …"

Her voice wavers and she turns around to face her brother. "You birthday is still a week away, I know, but I want to give this to you now."

Her hand disappears briefly into the pocket of her haori and reemerges with a glittering crystal on a leather band. She puts it around Nawaki's neck and kisses him on his forehead.

And everything inside me grows cold.

Oh no.

No.

No no no.

This is not Tsunade giving Nawaki the Shodai's amulet. This is something else entirely.

It has to be.

Nawaki's eyes have gone as wide as saucers as he stares up at his sister's face. "Is this." He swallows. "Is this Hashirama-jii's?"

No. No, it mustn't be.

"Yes," Tsunade says and just like that, my desperate hopes are smashed into tiny little pieces.

"Thank you!" Nawaki cries out in unadulterated joy and hugs his sister tightly. "I promise, I'll keep it super safe!"

Tsunade makes a noise that's halfway between a choke and a chuckle. "Just, be careful. All of you."

"Yeah," the redheaded girl pipes in as she shamelessly wiggles herself into the embrace. Holy cow, she's loud. "Be safe, Nawaki-nii."

Nawaki grins. "You getting all soft on me, Kushina-chan?"

Oh.

Kushina-chan scowls. "Don't call me that, 'ttebane." She adds a light punch on his arm for good measure. Nawaki just laughs.

I'm not sure how long I can keep watching this.

There's a light hand on my shoulder and when I turn to look at the owner, I find Regashi looking at me with a questioning glance.

Are you alright?

I give him a shaky nod.

Just nervous.

Hanako thankfully chooses this moment to clap her hands and announce our departure. "Ok cutie-pies, as touching as this whole business is, it's time to get a move on." He voice sounds almost as bright as usual and I only detect the slight undertones of tension because I'm looking for them. "Grab your packs, smooch your sweethearts and shed a tear but move. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Nawaki."

"She's my cousin!" Nawaki yells in complete and utter horror.

Hanako raises an eyebrow and grins. "I thought that was normal in clan-kid-land?" She then proceeds to cackle like a clichéd madwoman and runs off into the Konoha forests.

Nawaki looks scandalized while Kushina's face turns as red as her hair. Tsunade just snorts.

Regashi shrugs. "She kind of has a point, doesn't she?" He looks at me with a crooked smile, clearly hoping that I respond.

I don't feel up to it and turn to face the gate instead.

"Let's go. We shouldn't let sensei wait too long."

I pretend not to notice the sudden drop in temperature – thanks for being the spoilsport, Etsuko, what would we do without you and your indomitable cheer – and a couple of hurried goodbyes later, we're running, Konoha disappearing behind us much faster than I would've liked. And with it, all I have known so far of this world.

I'm terrified to find what's new.

)()()(

"It's a straight job. We have the antidote and are to bring it to Camp Sakana. It is imperative that it arrives there undamaged because it is the only chance of survival for a lot of people, shinobi and civilians alike. Which is also the reason why this is a B-ranked mission."

From next to me, Regashi frowns. "Are we expecting trouble on the way?"

Hanako laughs out shockingly loud. "We're never not expecting trouble, coffee-toffee."

Nawaki shoots me a long-suffering look at that admittedly terrible nickname that I'm meant to return in kind, but the muscles on my face feel like they've turned into stone. It's a good thing that my legs keep on working at least. I imagine that falling off the tree branches from this height might hurt a lot.

Nawaki grins crookedly. "Don't make that face, Etsuko-chan. We'll be fine."

I swallow thickly.

How can you be so sure?

"Come on, it's your first assignment outside of Konoha. Aren't you at least a little bit excited?"

"Oh, on the contrary," I answer stiffly. "I could do with a little less excitement to be perfectly honest."

"It'll be alright, Esuko-chan, just like Nawaki said," Regashi pipes in. "We'll protect you, no matter what."

Oh no, don't you dare. Don't you dare go and die on my behalf.

"I don't need your protection," I snarl, far more vicious than necessary or intended.

Regashi and Nawaki both flinch, their faces wearing twin masks of hurt.

Good job, Uchiha Etsuko, well done. And the award for 'asshole of the day' goes to me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I am … high-strung at the moment. Which is no excuse, I know. I'm sorry."

Nawaki recovers first, surprisingly. "Yeah well, if you prefer we leave you lying in a ditch there's nothing we can do, I guess." He starts grinning again. "Wouldn't want to get in the way of our mighty Uchiha."

I shoot him a weak glare that lacks all venom since I fully deserved that one. I wish the rest of this unpleasant business was as easy to deal with.

We keep running until the sun is so low that Hanako decides to set up camp for the night. Following the practiced steps to secure it has a calming familiarity to it and by the time we're all gathered around the small fire and Nawaki has launched into the tale of how he tricked Jiraiya into believing that Orochimaru was infatuated with the cute waiter from the yakiniku restaurant – which is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, by the way, because Orochimaru? Infatuated? – I can finally say that the almost painful knot in my stomach has mostly settled.

Hanako assigns first watch to me. I'm perfectly fine with that since I don't think I'm going to sleep anytime soon despite being exhausted after a whole day of running. I settle down on a thick branch of a tree that allows me a clear view over most of the area and as the fire burns down to glowing embers, the rest of my team settles into their bedrolls. The silence of the forest descends and my thoughts begin to wander.

I wonder about the people back home. What they've been up to today, what they think about the whole situation. Yashiro and Tsunade are clearly aware of the danger that's inherent to Ame's declaration which alone is cause enough to be thoroughly unsettled – and that is not counting in my knowledge of canon events. Knowledge which I had gladly considered redundant the moment the Sandaime proclaimed peace.

Knowledge that nobody else has. That nobody else can use.

Everything around me stills.

That's right.

Nobody else can use it, but I can. I don't have to sit around and wait for the events to just happen.

Not this time.

I scramble to sit up in a position better suited for thinking while my brain rushes to collect every bit of information relating to Ame's involvement in the Second Shinobi War of the canon timeline as well as everything connected to Nawaki's death.

His death.

I mentally steel myself. If I want to tackle this, I need to be able to face this fact head-on.

OK, deep breaths. Here is what I know, in random order:

1) Hanzou was in charge of Ame. He should still be, as far as I know.

2) Konoha and Suna were adversaries, resulting in Sakumo killing Sasori's parents and Chiyo hating him guts. Also, hating Tsunade guts because of antidotes. This is not true here, fortunately. Well, except for the hating-Tsunade-bit maybe.

3) Ame's uprising in canon happened because Hanzou was sick of his people being punched around between the giants Konoha and Iwa who didn't give a rat's ass that they were hurting mostly innocents. This time around, I can't say for sure why they're picking up arms. Peace has been declared months ago and as far as I know, the Suna-Konoha-alliance managed to minimize casualties in other countries. Frankly, I have no idea what brought this on. It's worrying.

4) The circumstances on Nawaki's death are not clear. There is one thing that is certain, though: Orochimaru was there to pick up the pieces. Quite literally. That scene with him giving the crystal back to Tsunade stuck out as the most human he'd ever been in the entirety of the manga. Which of course doesn't mean that Nawaki is safe just because Orochimaru isn't prancing around, but as soon as that guy shows up, my alarm bells should be blaring. Ugh. As if he was in need of another thing to remind me to stay away from him.

5) Regashi and Hanako never appeared in canon. Which means that, if they existed, they probably died along with Nawaki.

6) Team Hanako had been pretty much doomed. Isn't that a cheery thought. Neither new nor surprising since that was the main reason I didn't want to stay with them at first, but that was before I was lured into believing that the butterfly effect had taken care of the danger. Now is after, and it still doesn't taste any better. Worse, to be honest.

I bury my face in my hands with a quiet groan.

Shit. I'd hoped that the information gathering in my head would end on a somewhat more cheerful note.

Shit, shit, shit.

Shit.

I wish Obito was here. I've been away for not even a full 24 hours and already I'm missing him like crazy. I miss the way he looks at me with his big, trusting eyes, the enthusiasm and unbridled curiosity with which he tackles everything that's new, the kindness and positive energy that is the core of his very being. I miss his eagerness to learn whatever I show him and I miss his ability to make me feel better just by being there.

I wonder, is he missing me, too? Is he ok sleeping alone in that room? How are Yashiro, Naoko and Toshiro treating him? How is he dealing with them?

"If you're hoping to spot any incoming enemies with your hands before your eyes , I'm afraid you might be disappointed."

"Ammmaaoummmnmm," I mumble into my hands.

Regashi flops down next to me with a laugh. "I'm afraid you'll need to repeat that with your mouth free."

I lift my head to look at him. "Eyes are overrated," comes out in a deadpan.

"That coming from a shinobi with one the most powerful doujutsu in the Elemental Nations? How very humble of you."

"Is that sarcasm?" I retort. "From you? How very novel."

Regashi smiles. "Everything to cheer you up."

I laugh quietly. Sometimes, I still can't believe he's real.

We settle into comfortable silence for a few heartbeats until I turn my head to look at him again. "By the way, why are you not still asleep? My shift isn't up for another hour at least."

He shrugs. "I couldn't sleep. And then I heard your wheels turning from across the camp and decided to offer you some company." Here he hesitates. "Are you alright?"

Reassurances as swift as stray thoughts and just as insubstantial are already at the tip of my tongue and I almost let them spill forth as I always do – but something holds me back this time. Something in the earnestness in his voice, in the way the echoes of his hesitation still hovers above my skin, softly calling and reaching out, makes me realize that I … that I don't want to do it anymore.

I am so tired of hiding. Of carrying this burden alone. Of feeling crushed and suffocated while pretending to be fine.

And Regashi, despite being only twelve years old – I think he might even be one of the few people who would understand. At least a little. There're enough reasons not to tell him everything, of course, and him being the son of the Hokage doesn't help in that regard, but.

Is it wrong, not to want to be alone? Not to want to be a stranger by the default of my mind?

Is it selfish, not to want to spend the rest of my soul span screaming on the inside?

"Hey," Regashi says, his hand landing lightly on my shoulder.

And I crack.

"Something big is coming," I blurt out, my breath coming in rapid pants. "Something terrible. We have to stay together. We have to look out for each other and be extra careful. We have to. We absolutely have to."

I let out a frustrated cry when I realize that this won't do. This is not enough for a proper warning, but what can I tell without revealing that I don't really know anything at all?

"Etsuko-chan!"

Suddenly, warm hands are on mine and I look down to see Regashi's there, gently but firmly grasping my hands to stop their shaking.

I didn't even realize that they'd been shaking.

"Deep breaths," he says, his voice sounding close to my ear and so calm that I latch on to it without a second thought. "With me. In. And out. In. And out. Good, Etsuko-chan. You're doing fine."

I close my eyes and focus on listening to his voice and simple commands and slowly, ever so slowly, I feel my breath coming down from levels of hyperventilation to something slightly closer to normal.

For a while, there's nothing but the sound of my breathing, the sensation of his warm hands around mine and the simple reassurance of his presence.

"Feel better?" he eventually asks.

"... yeah," I say quietly. "Thank you."

He gently squeezes my hands in response. I let my head fall against his shoulder.

We stay like that for a while after, neither of us saying anything. Around us, the sounds of the forest weave us seamlessly into the fabric of the night, making us all but invisible. It is almost easy to let the noise of my mind retreat together with myself and blend into the background. It feels strangely good to fall into inconsequentiality.

Of course, it doesn't last.

"Do you want to talk?"

I exhale.

I did just tell him that the apocalypse was coming, didn't I. And now that he's gotten rid of my mini panic attack I do owe him an explanation.

"It's … difficult to explain," I start.

"Take as much time as you want," he says easily.

I take a couple of deep breaths and try to find a good starting point. Something that puts the necessary emphasis on the urgency without sounding utterly ridiculous.

"There's great danger ahead. We – the situation is more than it seems. And we'll end up right in the middle of it. I can't explain it properly, but we have to be careful, watch out for anything that seems off. Especially for Nawaki."

"Nawaki?" I can't see his face in the darkness, but I can hear the frown in his voice. At least he doesn't sound outright dismissive.

"Yes. Regashi, we're all in danger, but Nawaki even more so."

There's silence as Regashi processes what I just told him. Ample time for my hands to become all sweaty and cold again, even though Regashi hasn't moved his away. It stretches on and on and by the time he finally speaks again, I'm sure that he didn't believe a word I said and thinks that I'm crazy.

"How sure are you?" he asks instead.

I swallow thickly. Is this some last minute test to determine my level of craziness?

"Very," I whisper. I clear my throat to make the next statement bolder. "I just – I know."

Regashi takes his hands from mine. I feel the loss of warmth keenly.

"Then we need to tell sensei."

I sit up straight when I feel him getting up from beside me and turn my head to look at him even though it's still too dark to really see anything.

"Wait!" I cry out breathlessly. "You believe me? Don't you have to ask how I know all of this first? Or the exact details of how things are going to happen? The when and where?"

"Would you withhold that information from me if you knew?" His voice is uncharacteristically sharp.

"No!" I splutter. "Of course not!"

"Then a threat to our life that has you in such a panic is reason enough for me to alert sensei at least."

Panic of an entirely new kind creeps up my spine. "And what are we going to tell her?"

That causes Regashi to pause in his steps.

"Even if you trust me and my panic, sensei will require something more concrete. And I can't give it to her. I want to – but I can't."

For a moment, the tension in the silence feels as taut as a drawn bowstring. Suddenly, I am acutely aware that should it break, it wouldn't be solely about this argument.

I would lose Regashi's trust, too.

"So," he says quietly, "what are we going to do?"

I close my eyes as relief floods through me and draw in a shuddering breath.

"We finish our shifts, then go to sleep. Tomorrow, when we move out, we keep our eyes open. There are … there might be signs that I'll be able to identify as warnings. We stay vigilant and prepared."

I can feel Regashi's shoulder slump.

"You'll tell me, right? When you see the signs?"

I reach for his hands. He doesn't pull away.

"I promise. I also promise to explain more when we're safe."

He exhales.

"Ok."

)()()(

Regashi is much better at pretending that the world is not ending than I.

Which isn't too difficult to be honest. Because frankly, I suck.

I am extremely jumpy, even more uncommunicative than usual and my body is so tense that I feel like I could snap in two at any given moment. Nawaki makes exactly one joke about fearless Uchiha that ends with him checking if I have any wounds because apparently, I look like a blood-drained corpse.

He refrains from making any other jokes after that.

In the end, the day is just as uneventful as the first and when we make camp for the night, I feel like an asshole – again – for making the running hours the probably single most uncomfortable experience for everyone involved. The general air of brooding is as stimulating for conversation as one might imagine and I've already resigned myself to a night of misery when suddenly, Hanako speaks up.

"You kids behave like a bunch of boring old farts," she complains. "I feel like the only actual youth for miles around."

She looks at us with a disapproving curl in her lips. It's telling that none of us feel inclined to respond in any way and after a few more seconds of silence, she claps her hands together. Loudly.

"Anybody up for a game? I'm up for a game. It's called 'what do you do before you go to sleep?' and it works like that: we tell each other what we do before going to sleep and then proceed to do exactly that. Like this."

She sits up dramatically.

"Before I go to sleep, I eat two bars of my favorite chocolate."

She proceeds to produce two bars of chocolate from whatever pocket she was hiding them in, unwraps them at a languid pace - and eats them.

I blink.

Was that for real.

"This," Nawaki cries out, "isn't even a proper game! It's just an excuse for you to eat chocolate!"

Hanako grins. "It's not? But I just said it is one, so you're clearly mistaken." She lifts her hands to wipe at a chocolate smudge at the corner of her mouth. And then she turns to me.

"Your turn, China Doll!"

"Me," I squeak weakly.

"You," she beams. "Come on, it's not difficult. I'll help you: before I go to sleep, I blah blah - and that's where you tell us what you do before you go to sleep. Understood?"

"I ... before I do I sleep going," I splutter.

Oh god, I can't even make a proper sentence anymore.

I try again after swallowing thickly. "Before I go to sleep, I ... uh I don't know. I usually sing for my brother and then I just fall asleep myself after that, no big ceremony or something like that."

"Wait," Nawaki interjects. "You sing your brother to sleep?"

Uh.

Right.

Nobody else knew until now that I sing. Well except probably for Yashiro, Naoko and maybe Toshiro, since there's no way a family of ninja wouldn't notice. Oh, and Kakashi and Ume. And yeah, ok, if Kakashi knows, there's no way Sakumo and Sayu don't.

So … my teammates are actually the only ones in my inner circle who really don't know.

Ugh, I'm a terrible, terrible teammate aren't I?

"Yes?" I squeak. So much squeaking lately. Hah. Deconstructing the Uchiha image one squeak at a time.

"Gooooood," Hanako says. "Let's hear it then!"

She pointedly moves herself into a more comfortable position with Nawaki and Regashi both following suit, eyes shining in anticipation and genuine curiosity. In that moment, there is not so much of a difference between them and Obito.

It makes it easier to think myself into mine and Obito's bedroom, to imagine myself sitting on his bed, my hand stroking through his soft hair. I close my eyes, let this feeling of familiarity settle around me like a well-loved cloak – and launch into a song.

)()()( )()()(

China Doll had talent, there was no denying that.

Not that Hanako was a connoisseur of good music, no. There was not nearly enough music in the village to allow anyone in there to gather enough knowledge and make it a science. Music was a luxury since it neither had the sharp edge of a blade nor could it be formed like elemental chakra – and therefore, it was of no use to the shinobi life style. It was rather curious, really, that the girl had managed to find any inspiration at all in an environment such at this and even more curious still that she had managed to imbue this strange dalliance with actual skill.

And Hanako didn't need to be a connoisseur to realize that the way her sweet little voice bent and flowed to weave her lovey tune did not happen by chance. She had trained her voice to do what she wanted it to do, purposefully formed it to produce something that was beautiful and pure and meant to soothe. Nothing else.

It was a marvelous thought: to train something, anything, without the end goal of it being able to kill and destroy. Her little Uchiha was always good for a new surprise, it seemed.

It was already her second one in just as many days.

Hanako had been a bit disappointed of course that two of her cute little muffins thought they could keep secrets from her in the middle of camp while whispering loudly enough to rouse the Shodai from his grave blessed be his soul – it looked like they needed something harsher than a food poisoning and stray kunai to keep them on their toes – but the fact of the matter remained that apparently, China Doll believed herself to have some sort of psychic powers.

Hanako had never had any problems believing any of the more outrageously bizarre aspects of shinobi life. As the child of a civilian family, shinobi had always appeared to her as those People Who Made The Impossible Possible and that outlook hadn't changed that much when she'd become one herself. How could it, seeing the insane power most of them wielded even without having kekkei genkai at their disposal. It really wasn't so far-fetched to think that her own prodigal Uchiha was just another Person Who Made The Impossible Possible with the respective powers.

It was just a pity that those powers did absolutely nothing to assuage her already pre-existing paranoia for this mission.

Right here and now, at this fire, in this camp, in this forest, her three little genin were nothing more than two children listening with rapt attention to the lullaby of a third. It was such a peaceful picture that she could almost forget that out there, a war was being fought over a cause as nebulous as the powers behind it. That they were carrying an antidote to a poison that had already claimed too many lives. That all of these children before her had been trained as killers and were expected to fulfill their duties without hesitation.

People Who Made The Impossible Possible were not to be looked at solely in awe.

"Whoa, that was awesome, Etsuko-chan!" Nawaki whooped, enthusiastically clapping his hands while the girl in question was going all red and smiling bashfully from the praise.

"You have a really nice voice," Regashi supplied.

Hanako joined in with the clapping but refrained from commenting to let the kids have their moment. Ancestors knew, they had been in dire need of one after all the hours running on high tension.

And there were still so many to come.

The night flew by in the blink of an eye and Hanako was not surprised to find that sleep had eluded her for most of the time again. It was a good thing that they would reach Camp Sakana this afternoon provided they could keep their tempo and didn't run into any trouble.

Which was, of course, exactly what didn't happened.

She sensed the squad of enemy nin seconds before they showed themselves, which was ample time to let a shadow clone take her place, slip the antidote into Etsuko's backpack without the girl noticing and position herself behind the first attacker.

Her kunai bit into the soft flesh of his neck with a vicious ripping sound, warm blood spraying out like a geyser and the overwhelming stench of rusted copper assaulting her nostrils. His hands were still reaching for the shuriken in his pouch when he crumpled into a heap and off the tree.

She didn't stay to watch the body fall and trusted her team to know how to interpret the sight, instead darting over to the branch directly above the second attacker, throwing a kunai with a light bomb attached towards the third, and dropping down as soon as the nin underneath her turned around to look at the explosion of light.

Those hikaridama were really useful. Someone should give the Nara an award for that invention she thought detachedly, her main focus on the ugly cracking sound of a neck snapping between her hands. The limp body fell against hers and Hanako whirled around to throw it into the way of a fuuma shuriken aimed to cut through her midsection. Instead, it cleanly bisected the corpse and flew over her crouched figure into the tree, the blades impacting with a heavy thud.

She grimaced and turned her head sideways as bits of innards and blood hit her vest and got into her hair, drenching it again with its rusty smell. She'd need a shower first thing after arriving at camp. After they'd dealt with their attackers anyway.

Two down, the third one recovering from being blinded by the hikaridama and the fourth missing a fuuma shuriken.

Also, going after her team.

There was a faint hissing sound and Hanako escaped with a jump to her right, not needing to look to know that the barrage of shuriken had embedded themselves into the trunk.

Her team would have to brave it out until she had taken out number three.

She landed with her feet on soft moss and kept her run to the forest floor, taking advantage of the thick foliage that would prevent her target from following her movements and relying on her sensing to follow his movements in turn. A sudden rush of chakra informed her about the demise of her shadow clone. Images of Nawaki and Regashi circling the enemy nin with the help of her clone and herding him into Etsuko's Goukakyuu flashed in front of her inner eye before the sensation of a couple of kunai puncturing her vest cleared up the reason for her clone's dispersal. None of her kids had looked too strained or hurt.

She grinned. Her team was doing fine.

She gathered her chakra to summon two new clones without breaking her run and instructed one of them to use a concealing genjutsu. With the now invisible third clone and appearing indistinguishable from her visible one, the three of them arrived at the foot of the tree on which the enemy sat. The invisible clone passed it in favor for a neighboring tree while Hanako herself and the other clone shot up the trunk and launched into an attack.

The nin was prepared and blocked their initial blows, barely matching them in speed and aggression. Hanako and her clone worked in tandem, a blur of arms and legs relentlessly pushing at his defenses and compelling him into increasingly desperate manoeuvers to evade the onslaught. She propelled back and forth, her hands curled into the likeness of eagle talons and striking down at pressure points with near pinpoint accuracy. It wouldn't be long now.

Realizing his predicament, the enemy made a last ditch attempt at evading her. He executed a brilliant backwards flip that landed him on the branch below and started to form hand seals to shoot something nasty at her – which would have worked had there not been her third, invisible clone already waiting for her entrance.

Hanako could see the moment the enemy nin realized the danger he was in by the widening eyes and watched as he whirled around to block the incoming kunai.

"Finally decided to come out of hiding, did you," the man cried out triumphantly as he successfully parried the blow with a kunai of his own. "I know you, Konoha's Violet Ghost! But even a ghost can be killed."

Hanako was hard pressed not to roll her eyes. Melodramatic fool.

She joined the fight with her clone, noting with amusement how much he was focusing on taking out her third, firm in his belief that it was the original.

His surprise when it dispelled on a particularly vicious blow was all the opportunity she needed to send her kunai into the back of his skull. It caved in with a loud crunch upon impact.

Hanako didn't linger with the corpse, deciding to come back after she had checked on her kids and took off in the direction she'd last seen them in via clone memory. She kept the remaining clone with her, confident in her ability to take down the last enemy even with only half her chakra reserves.

She arrived to the picture of a large crater in the forest floor, the enemy skewered on a rock pillar spear and the children huddled together at the edge. There was the noise of retching and Regashi's voice in a low murmur. Hanako dispelled her clone before joining them.

"… hey, it's ok, you're ok …"

Upon coming closer, she saw that it was Etsuko making those noises. The girl was bent over, with one hand against the crater wall for stability and Regashi standing by her side, patting her back. Nawaki was nowhere to be seen.

Her insides grew cold.

"What happened here?", she asked, her voice sharp and commanding. "And where's Nawaki?"

"Sensei!" Regashi turned his head to look at her. "Nawaki is just over there, he got injured in the fight. I think his ankle is broken."

Hanako looked in the direction Regashi pointed at and indeed, sitting with his back against a tree was her little Senju, waving at her with a sheepish smile. A boulder fell off her shoulders at that sight.

"The crater happened because the enemy nin made one and Etsuko-chan decided to copy it. And the Ganchuusou is mine."

"And China Doll is retching because …?" Hanako arched an eyebrow.

"Because intestines," the girl answered glumly. "Lots of intestines spilling out and ugh."

Hanako shrugged. "All part of the job. Oh, and an advance warning: that blood is gonna get disgustingly sticky in a few. Do try not to be distracted too much."

Etsuko scrunched her cute little nose at that.

Hanako walked over to the skewered corpse to inspect it further. It was indeed a bloody mess, in the most literal of senses, and she almost turned around again when her glance fell onto the hitai-ate that had fallen off the shinobi's head. Two stylized boulders were etched into the metal, telling her what she needed to know about their attacker's origins.

Iwa.

This war was with Ame.

So what the fuck was Iwa doing here?

This did not bode well.

She walked over to Regashi and Etsuko in a brisk pace.

"The antidote?" she demanded, looking directly at her Uchiha.

The girl gave her a puzzled look. "But I don't …" And then realization dawned. "Oh."

She hurriedly pulled the pack from her shoulders and reached into it. Her hand came back with the undamaged vial.

"Good," Hanako said. She gestured for the two to follow her to Nawaki and crouched down to look at his injury. His ankle had already swollen to an impressive size and was sporting a rather ugly purplish color. She frowned. "Can you put weight on it?"

Nawaki nodded. "I can manage, until we arrive at camp at least."

"Good." Hanako took a deep breath. "Those were Iwa scouts. They were probably after the antidote, thinking us easy targets. There's a chance that back-up will arrive shortly, so we better hurry. The camp is not far away anymore."

Etsuko looked at her with a confused frown. "Iwa? What's Iwa doing here?"

"Good question," she said. "If you can figure out the answer, I'll give you chocolate."

She didn't have to look to know that her youngest team member was rolling her eyes. She still couldn't relax, her mind prepared for more trouble and her body full of adrenaline. She couldn't shake the feeling that this had been too easy.

And how she wished it would've stayed a feeling.

At least a dozen chakra signatures appeared out of nowhere, surrounding them not even twenty minutes after they'd taken off again, this time staying close to the forest floor out of consideration for Nawaki's injury. Hanako had barely enough time to slam her hands down to create an earthen dome against the kunai aimed at them. She gritted her teeth.

She was a sensor.

These people had evaded her sensor abilities completely. All of them.

These people were fucking dangerous.

There were a lot of them.

It took only a split second for her to make the decision.

"I'll create a diversion that will give you the time and opportunity to run. Which is exactly what you're going to do. The antidote has to make it to the camp, is that clear?"

"But," Etsuko interjected, her black eyes huge and skin pale as snow.

"No buts! A lot of lives are depending on that antidote. Regashi, you have command of the team until I catch up with you."

The boy nodded, his ashen face set into an expression of determination.

She let her gaze sweep over her charges for one last time. Her genin team.

Ancestors, the children were terrified. And they were still so tiny. So, so tiny. All of them.

Just another reason for her to do this.

"As soon as the wall crumbles, you have to leave. Do not linger, no matter what you hear or what happens. I'll try to draw off all potential pursuers, so you only have to concentrate on running."

Her kids nodded, Etsuko most hesitant.

She pulled out a small scroll from the breast pocket of her vest, tossed it into Nawaki's hands and gave them a crooked grin.

"Do try to save a few bars of chocolate for me. You'll get fat if you eat all of them."

She turned away from their faces and began the sequence of hand seals that would form the basis of her distraction. Suddenly remembering something, she paused.

"Etsuko," she said in an even tone. "Don't get entangled in the roots of the tree. There's a reason why they grow in darkness."

The last hand seal fell into place and the dome around them started to crumble, chunks of earth hovering in the air before suddenly shooting off into different directions. Cries erupted as one by one, enemies were hit and fell.

"GO!" she yelled over the sound of crashing stone.

And her team obeyed.