Did you miss me?

Here I am, emerging from behind the pile called "adulting"TM, presenting you the latest installment of Joyous Children. I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to tell me what you think! I'd like to see the review count per chapter rising again :P

Thanks to trusty beta NightsBlackRose13 of course, as well all the people who helped me smooth over grammar etc.

Chapter 27: Something Something Politics

I think I'm starting to understand why canon Kakashi spent so much time at the Memorial Stone. It's quiet, for starters. Also, the shape of it is bizarrely interesting. It's probably supposed to look like a leaf from up in the air or something, which is nice and artistic, of course, but – well, we people are down here on the ground, are we not?

Anyway.

There's the thing with the names, too, of course.

It's early in the afternoon. Warm and rather sunny, as Konoha's autumn is wont to be, the sunlight reflecting off the polished black surface of the stone and making it appear as if it was made of glass. The edges of the characters are carved in so sharply, so delicately, that it looks like someone wrote them on with the finest brush, the curves and lines of the calligraphy so naturally elegant that it is almost uncomfortable. Their lightness doesn't fit the occasion.

I wonder how they decided to measure all the space. As in, the size of the characters in relation to overall surface and ergo, the amount of names that can go on it. What did they hope for when they made such a limited monument? That, one day, names would stop going on there? That there would simply be a new stone?

Did they even think about the future at all or is this place only ever meant to face back in time?

I lift my hand and bring my fingertips close enough to the surface that they can glide down the names.

Uchiha Nobuo, Uchiha Kiyomi, Uchiha Fumio.

And further down: Mitarashi Hanako, Senju Nawaki, Sarutobi Regashi.

I cannot stop looking back. I don't want to, either. Suppressing all those thoughts and emotions would not only be a huge insult to their memory but to myself and all I've been through as well. I stand here, able to look forward, because of all of them. What good would it be if I erased all that I'd be looking forward from?

So, no, I cannot stop looking back. What I can do, though, is to make a special place for it. A place to visit and leave, a place that is in the present and carefully marked-off – somewhere I can remember without the memories following and overwhelming me in every other place.

I've decided that this place here, at the Memorial Stone, is just fine.

I sit down.

For a while I just stare at the names, not exactly sure how I should proceed with this, but I'm in no hurry. Now that I have decided to do this, it feels like … I don't know, like I've won back some time, maybe?

Adult Kakashi talked to his dead. Maybe I can try that, too. Without spilling secrets to a potential villain in hiding, of course.

Haha.

I let out a long breath.

If I'm lucky, it might even help clear my head for the clan meeting a few hours from now. Wouldn't that be neat.

)()()(

Wear something formal, he said. It's gonna be great, he said.

OK, to be fair, he didn't say the last part.

I am more nervous than I thought I would be kneeling in front of the most important people of my clan, which is absurd, of course. Why should I be so nervous about some peeps that decide the next couple steps of my life without ever asking what I think would be prudent or preferred?

Ahahahahahaha.

Completely ridiculous, right?

Up front at the altar, Takao-sama sits flanked by a vaguely familiar old man and – well, other old men. There are five of them, facing the rest of my clansmen including me from a slightly elevated dais. And yep, we're in that infamous secret meeting room underneath the Naka Shrine. Apart from it being secret, though, it really is quite plain.

There's the aforementioned dais with the altar and the stone tablet. The rest of the room is rectangular, covered with tatami mats and that's it. Nothing spectacular, I'm afraid.

"Uchiha Etsuko," Takao-sama begins and my spine immediately straightens up.

"You have been brought here today by force of the power you have awakened in your eyes – eyes that have been bequeathed to you through generations of gifted clansmen. Today, you shall be introduced into the clan as one who has been able to achieve what is reserved only for a chosen few. The power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, Uchiha Etsuko, has opened the doors of fate for you."

A shiver runs through my entire body.

He has no idea how accurate his words are, even beyond the usual incredible things the Mangekyou is capable of doing.

I lower my upper body until my forehead touches the tatami mat I'm kneeling on and speak the ceremonial words I've been taught to say by Yashiro.

"I humbly accept this gift and vow to honor it with my life. I shall be a servant to the clan's best interest and ask for nothing but to be of use in return."

"Stand up and step forward," Takao-sama commands.

Ok, I can do that.

The line of men on the dais has stood up, too. They have parted left and right to form a short corridor leading to the stone tablet. Takao-sama is standing on the right side, facing me and beckoning me to come closer.

I swallow.

Ok.

I'm totally not close to peeing in my figurative pants. You know, since I'm wearing a kimono, so no pants.

Ahahahahahahahah.

Ahaha.

Haaahhhhh.

Keep breathing.

It's gonna be awesome. The famous stone tablet. You're gonna see it. Woohooo!

My walk up that dais feels like I'm moving through water, plus cotton balls stuffed into my ears and a prickling sensation on my skin. It begins at the tips of my fingers, a hundred tiny, heated needles pressing in at the same time, and travels up my arms, down my back – I'm suddenly acutely aware of the silk of my kimono – and further down, until it ends at the soles of my feet, making me stop in my steps to curl my toes.

I've only ever felt that way when I've been sick.

Actually arriving at the tablet takes ages and I honestly don't remember the details of the walk. I'm just there at some point, Takao-sama's voice coming in fuzzy through the thick of my confusion.

"The Sharingan, as powerful as it is, serves an even more powerful purpose: it is the key to unlocking the true legacy of the clan." From the corner of my eyes, I can see him gesturing at the stone tablet, the swing of his arm fittingly grave for the occasion. "Activate your Sharingan."

Wait.

Am I not supposed to read what I can already see without the special hack first?

On the other hand.

Might be a good idea not to question my clan leader in front of the rest of said clan for something that trivial.

I shrug internally. I can still come back for it some other time, I guess.

It takes quite a bit of willpower to focus and channel my chakra into my eyes. Thankfully, though, it helps to clear up the strange cottony feel in my head for a bit.

The by now familiar sharpening of my vision settles in quickly and I blink a couple times to recalibrate my visual focus point. Takao-sama nods approvingly and again gestures at the tablet. I comply with the unsaid command.

Huh.

The kanji on it are doing something really strange.

Have you ever seen any of those optical-illusion-thingies where you think you see stuff that's at the fringe of your field of vision but as soon as you focus on it, it disappears?

That. Just in reverse.

The characters are in a latently glimmering state, but I'm pretty sure that they still make up the original text – at least until I focus on them with my Sharingan. Because then, woosh, new text.

Amazing.

I wonder if anybody has ever tried to find out how it works exactly. In a scientific way, I mean. Seeing that this happens without even actively using the Sharingan as it is used in a technique, I bet the findings would be extremely useful in uncovering some fundamental truths about its inner workings.

And this isn't even everything, yet.

"Activate the Mangekyou."

This is gonna be.

A not-unsubstantial pool of dread forms in my stomach and I swallow once, twice to try and get over it. I close my eyes. Boost their chakra supply.

Until the pressure becomes too much to continue delaying the inevitable.

The photographic quality of my memory of Regashi's still face is as unfailing as it was the last time.

I clench my fists as the dread in my stomach surges up into a crushing wave, flooding my chest, pulling and squeezing at my heart at the same time, and my breath comes out in a shaky exhale as I can feel the chakra finally spilling into my eyes.

The visual stimulation when I open them almost knocks me off my feet, because -

The kanji have, quite literally, transcended their earthly confines.

They are everywhere in the room, hanging in the air, pulsating, arranged in lines, curves and spirals of living, breathing text and it's so freaking beautiful that my words could never do them justice. I make a slow full rotation, my jaw dropped in awe at how all-encompassing it is and how it literally creates a second layer of reality. Like, my clansmen are still there and at the same time, they aren't, because the text is. I have no idea if it even makes sense, but - this is how it is. And I can see both realities simultaneously.

How is something like this possible? I'm not even looking at the tablet itself!

I decide to start reading the closest paragraph. The characters are arranged in the form of a dense spiral but the moment I focus on it, there is a gentle ripple that uncurls and smoothes things out, making it instantly ten times more readable.

This is so awesome.

Truly, virtual reality headsets have nothing on this.

… the holder of such overwhelming power could easily be corrupted. So, seeking stability, one god was divided into yin and yang. These opposing two forces acting together obtain all things in creation -

The jarring sensation of a hand landing on my shoulder interrupts my reading.

"That is enough for now. Deactivate the Mangekyou."

What, why? I've just started!

Then again. Maybe it's not such a bad idea since he's alerted me to the fact that I can quite literally feel my energy draining away. Rapidly.

I need to reassess my statement of the Mangekyou not actively engaging with the text, apparently.

The writing in the air abruptly disappears and for a moment, I feel a sharp stabbing pain in its wake, a feeling of loss that is completely irrational but real nonetheless. I shake my head to try and get rid of it.

Phew.

That was way more energy consuming than I thought it would be. Good on Takao-sama to interrupt me, actually.

I guess that's why experience is so nice to have, huh.

I'm facing the small crowd of clansmen from on top of the dais, a sea of faces mostly unfamiliar and yet close. I'm pretty sure that only a fraction of the ones present are in possession of the Mangekyou themselves, but sharing that moment a few heartbeats ago has been a strangely intimate act. Even if they do not truly understand, they … they still somehow do.

They belong. Just like I do.

I snap back to attention when Takao-sama and the other elders go back into a line. I kneel down directly in front of them for the second part of this ceremony.

It's time for the interrogation on my Mangekyou's abilities.

"Uchiha Etsuko," the vaguely familiar elder says. Where do I know him from? "Report what happened after you awoke the Mangekyou."

Ok, here it goes. Actor me, on!

I lower my upper body into a deep bow, my forehead touching the ground in a display of utmost submission.

"Forgive me," I say. "I am afraid I cannot say anything on this matter."

"Why is that?" His voice is tinged with surprise.

"I," a pause for theatrical purposes, "do not know how it works, yet."

There's a short, baffled silence after that admission.

I'm relieved that this isn't even a lie. I'm pretty shitty at lying, for anyone who hasn't noticed.

"You used it against the enemy nin at Camp Sakana, didn't you?"

My forehead is still pressed against the tatami mat. There's probably going to to be a nice pattern imprinted on the skin when I finally get up again.

"I do not remember any details of it. I apologize."

There's an impatient huff from the right side of the line. "How can you not remember? You wiped out almost a dozen enemy nin, how can you -"

"Usui-san," a new voice interrupts him. "Let's not be like that. It's not that strange to be a little fuzzy on the details of an occurrence more than two weeks ago."

"It's not just some details! It was the awakening of her Mangekyou!"

The new voice sighs. "Let me ask you something, Usui-san. What did you have for dinner one week ago?"

"I don't - what does that have to do with anything?!"

"You don't remember? Strange. You always eat so much and so heartily, I'd thought you would. And you didn't even almost die in the aftermath or spent time at a field hospital in the middle of the war."

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh.

I can't help but lift my head and sneak a peek at the person who's handing out burns like a scout handing out chocolate cookies.

Two men are locked in an intense battle of stares, the familiar one named Usui looking distinctly more incensed than the other who is relaxed to the point that it almost seems like he's smiling. That man … seems oddly familiar, too, now that I'm looking at him? Like. Huh.

Am I starting to confuse my clansmen with one another?

The smiling man looks at me. He has light lines going down at the corners of his mouth, short, curly hair with grey streaks in between and eyes so youthful and alert that I immediately want to take back that offhand comment about only old people on the dais from before.

"Takao-sama, allow me to make a suggestion."

Takao-sama clears his throat. "Speak, Kagami-san."

Wait, what?

"I suggest we postpone this second part of the ceremony to a later point. It would be prudent not to forget that all things related to the Mangekyou are extraordinarily taxing, especially since Etsuko is still of such a young age. Let us all rest, Takao-sama - except for the eagerness of our curious hearts, we are in no hurry."

My clan head takes a moment to ponder this. I'm slightly surprised that Usui isn't protesting, but he's probably too busy licking his wounds. His opponent didn't even get reprimanded, after all.

Which brings me to the next point.

Uchiha Kagamiiiiiiiii.

Hmph.

Rude.

He could've at least introduced himself before I walked in here. Knowing that I have an ally in my back would have taken a considerable amount of anxiety off my chest.

Uh, a late discovered ally is still better than none, I guess.

"A reasonable suggestion. We shall delay the second part of the ceremony and continue with it in a fortnight. Let us move on to the next issue, then."

Oh, nice. That was easier than expected. Good to know that Kagami's opinion is so highly valued.

Takao-sama signals me permission to return to my place in the crowd. I get a last close up look at Kagami before I turn around. He's looking at me, too, his eyes more serious again.

Methinks we're going to have a conversation after this whole affair is over.

I settle down next to Yashiro who gives me a short expressionless nod, the Uchiha equivalent of an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

It's ok, I understand.

The meeting continues with surprisingly mundane concerns: Uchiha Blih's contract with the trader who supplies the fabric for every single piece of clothing that has the Uchiha fan on it is close to expiring, may it please be renewed. Uchiha Blah notes that training field x's target posts need to be replaced again. Uchiha Blubb reports that crime rates have stayed stable since the last meeting.

Also, the new Police Force building next to the prison is making good progress.

Ouch.

Nice reminder for the fact that, although a lot of things are starting to change, we're still very much in the core realm of canon Narutoverse.

After that, I admit that my attention wanders. It's not like my clan is going to ask me to weigh in on administrative matters anyway. Which will have to change at some point, of course, just - not yet, thank you very much. Blissful is the person who can hide behind the protective armor of childhood innocence. Sometimes, at least.

Apparently not when it comes to marriage.

"At last," Takao-sama announces, "it remains to decide our course of action regarding the situation with the Uchiha-Nara marriage contract."

Ugh. I should have known that this issue did not dissolve into thin air just because I ended up in a genin team and hoped it would be so.

The real question is: why are they coming after me only now?

"We have confirmation now that the parameters have changed drastically. Uchiha Etsuko indeed is a wielder of the Mangekyou Sharingan. As such, the original intent behind the marriage contract is no longer valid. Her abilities are too valuable to be given away in an arrangement like that."

What.

"Yashiro-san, your attempts at delaying the finalization of the contract have proven, although unwelcome at that time, to be quite useful. Annulling the contract now would have been much more dolorous, not to mention disastrous reputation wise, than modifying it."

What.

Did I mishear? Delaying the finalization of the contract?

Yashiro?!

"Now, for the question of how to modify it. Essentially, we have two possible ways to deal with this: either we find a substitute with comparable value for the marriage contract itself, or we find a substitute for the marriage candidate. Within the frame given by the contract draft, of course. Thoughts?"

Wait, they're going to discuss this in front of me?

I mean, of course I'm super relieved that I don't have to marry Shikaku anymore, but, like, we are friends. That ... thing torpedoed our whole friendship into a huge turmoil. It would have been the worst if it had ended up broken because of all this. And now, they're not even throwing me some, I dunno, some acknowledging bone? Like I'm a person with actual feelings that might've - definitely - gotten hurt by this?

I guess that's the crucial point right there.

Well. It's not as if I hadn't had an inkling before.

Still doesn't stop me from feeling hurt, though. What a bother.

You'd think that with a clan full of people that freak out so often over anything emotional, someone would have thought about this problem before and done something about it. I don't feel like I'm asking for too much here, am I?

"What we promised to the Nara with this contract was the potential for future cooperation, maybe even an alliance," one of the other old men on the dais says. "It was a daring step for us to take in the first place, which is why we made a rather big deal out of it. I fail to see another offer we could make that promises the same weight. In that regard Nara Shikarui thinks a lot like us."

That would be Shikaku's dad, I take it. His mentality seems to be made of warring-era stuff if he still thinks that marriage is the only way to form lasting alliances.

Seriously, where are we, in the middle ages?

Same goes for my clan of course.

"Agreed," Uchiha Blah says.

"That leaves us only the option of offering a different candidate, then," Takao-sama concludes.

Oh, exciting. I'm pretty sure they already have an idea who they want to send instead. So, who's it gonna be?

And indeed, Uchiha Blubb bows down so that his forehead touches the tatami mat.

"Takao-sama, I would be honored to offer you my granddaughter Yoshino."

Oh my god WHAT?!

"She is an obedient girl and will gladly fulfill her duty."

This can't be true.

"And as a close member of your own branch, she will make up what she lacks in ability with her social standing."

Is this the way of the elasticity of time to rub it in my face? That there's no outrunning the original order of things?

And also.

HOW THE FUCK IS YOSHINO AN UCHIHA WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!

"It is a sound suggestion," Takao-sama announces. "If there is no one that wants to suggest alternative candidates, we shall take a vote."

I can't believe this. I just can't. WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY. Somebody explain, please?

The meeting ends with a unanimous vote in favor of putting Yoshino forward in the upcoming negotiations with the Nara and I'm just -

AAHHHHEKGPWLQJFO

How is this entire second life thing so surreal?

I move like a robot as the people around me start to get up and either leave the room or form little groups to discuss stuff, the primary focus of my mental energies not able to unglue itself from the latest revelations.

Yashiro, my secret protector? Uchiha Yoshino, the sacrificial lamb? No offense to Shikaku here, if anything, he's just as much of a victim here, but damn.

I barely register Kagami coming over and suddenly, he's right in front of Yashiro and me.

"Yashiro-san," the older man says, "do you mind if I borrow your ward for a bit? I promise I won't keep her out too late."

Yashiro bows down. "Of course, Kagami-sama." With that, he retreats.

Kagami smiles at me. "Would you accompany an old man for a walk, Etsuko-chan?"

I nod and we exit first the meeting room, then the shrine.

The night air has cooled down quite a bit while we were sitting inside and now, I'm glad that the silk of my kimono is warm and snug against my skin. Funny how the usefulness of a material's properties can be perceived differently according to the situation, isn't it?

"It's a beautiful night," Kagami says. "I always find the night air most refreshing after clan meetings in that stuffy room." He looks at me with a boyish grin which omg he must've been so handsome when he was younger. "I hope we relics from times long gone don't seem too outlandish to you, Etsuko-chan."

I hope my face isn't too red as I answer. "Not outlandish. Just ready for … some fresh air, too, I guess?"

He throws his head back and lets out several strings of deep, throaty laughter that take off into the sky like colorful balloons. It's the sound of someone who has had both opportunity and determination to practice it - a conscious choice made at some point of his life.

Amazing what kind of insight a simple thing like laughter can offer into a person's mind, isn't it?

… or maybe I'm just projecting.

Yeah, that's most probably it.

"Naori never told me that you have such a witty brand of humor," Kagami remarks after he's calmed down again. "Then again, I do understand that the things you were able to talk about were not of a particularly humorous nature."

"Um," I answer eloquently. "Yeah, that's true."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to start droning on it now. I think we're both too exhausted for that." He pauses shortly, his eyes briefly taking on a far-away look.

His face is shockingly expressive.

He turns his face to look at me again. "I do want you to know, though, that my door and ears are always open if you decide you want to have a talk. About anything, really."

I'm about to open my mouth and say thank you, when he adds another thing.

"In return," he says and oh, here come the conditions, "I want you to meet someone."

… OK?

"Sure," I say. "When and where?"

"Does dinner a week from today sound good to you?" He grins. "And be so good and come to an old and frail man's house, would you?"

Pfft.

"Yeah sure, no problem," I answer with a deadpan voice.

"Perfect. Maybe Naori can make it, too. We'll see." He lets out a small chuckle.

We stop walking and I realize that we've arrived at Yashiro's house.

He crouches down in one fluid motion - old and frail my ass - and taps my shoulder. "Have a good night, Etsuko-chan. I'll see you soon."

I give a quick bow. "Good night, Kagami-san."

He watches as I enter the house and smiles when I give him a last wave before closing the screen.

Phew.

Tonight was rather dramatic, looking at all the stuff that I learned. Even through all the drama, though, I have to admit that it actually wasn't too bad. The attending clansmen were not unreasonable, I have people standing not too far from my own corner and most importantly, thanks to my being a child I have the luxury of staying in the back and doing what I do best: observe and practice.

It's not a bad place to start.

)()()(

"Go, Nagato-nii!" Obito yells. Nagato runs, rapidly gaining speed and Obito squeals with glee.

"Yahiko-nii, faster!" Kakashi commands in response to his challenger. His knees wiggle in an attempt to encourage the older boy to move according to his wishes and Yahiko complies with a loud "Whoooooop!"

I look at Konan. "Who do you think is going to be faster?"

The girl frowns a little. "I don't know. They're pretty much the same speed. Though, Nagato is more ok with losing than Yahiko. Yahiko can get really competitive sometimes."

We watch the two boys race down the training field, each of them carrying one of the toddlers on their respective backs, touch down at the target post and come right back. It's tough to say who's going to win until the last few yards and two heartbeats later, Yahiko cries out triumphantly and pumps his fist up into the air.

"Wiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

He bends down to let Kakashi climb off his back and stays like that to catch his breath. There's a huge grin on his face, complementary to Kakashi's pleased expression.

Heh. Out of all the things they could've chosen to bond over, it's their aversion to losing that comes up first. These two are just made for each other.

Nagato has let Obito climb off his back by now, too. He crouches down in front of him and gives him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Obito-chan," he says, still out of breath.

Obito is bopping on his feet. "It's ok," he announces brightly. "We'll do better next time!"

Nagato gives him a happy eye-squeezing smile. "Ok!"

Ahhhhhh, heart eyes for all of them.

Someone taps my shoulder. "Etsuko-chan," Konan says. "Someone's coming our way. He … looks like the man from the camp. The one who came to say goodbye the day we left for Konoha, I think?"

Sakumo?!

I turn around to look and indeed, there's Sakumo, walking up to our training field. He looks tired, but the moment he catches sight of us, a smile appears.

"Otou-chan!" Kakashi exclaims, surprise evident in his small voice. He runs out from the gaggle of kids and launches himself straight into his father's arms.

Behind me, Yahiko asks in a rather loud whisper "… Otou-chan?"

Oh right, they don't know.

Sakumo must've overheard him, too, since he turns to face us fully after setting Kakashi down again - who by the way looks like he'd rather stay on his father's shoulders.

"Yahiko-kun, Konan-chan and Nagato-kun, is it?" He smiles. "I see you've made friends with my family already. Let me introduce myself properly: I'm Sakumo, Kakashi's father. Obito's and Etsuko's, too, if we disregard formalities."

Aaaand my face is red again.

I don't think I'll ever get used to him calling Obito and me his kids.

"Hello, Sakumo-san," the Trio choruses.

Yahiko, of course, has something to ask already. "So, Sayu-san and you are married, right?"

His eyes light up even more at that. "Indeed we are. Speaking of, is she here, too?"

I shake my head no. "No, I rounded everyone up after Konan, Yahiko and Nagato finished the academy. With Sayu's permission for Kakashi, of course."

"I see," he says with a pensive nod. "I'd hoped to talk to her since I just arrived, but that will have to wait." His gaze lands solely on me. "Etsuko-chan, I'm sorry for cutting this short but 'll have to ask you to come with me right now."

Kakashi has the corners of his mouth turned down in a disapproving pout. Very cute. "You're leaving already and taking Etsuko-nee away?"

Obito doesn't look too happy either, for that matter.

"I'm sorry kids. I promise I'll bring her back as soon as I can. In the meantime," he bites his thumb and places his hand on the ground, "I'll leave my trusted companions with you."

There's the poof a moderately big smoke cloud that dissipates quickly to reveal a twin pair of dogs.

Obito squeals in delight.

"This is Haruka and Misaki," he says, pointing first at the one on the left and then the one on the right. "Ladies, may I ask you to look after these children for a couple of hours?"

Misaki cocks her head. "Your pack has gotten considerably bigger again, Sakumo-kun," she comments.

Sakumo grins sheepishly and scratches the back of his head. "Is that a yes?"

Haruka smiles sweetly. "Of course, Sakumo-kun. Anything for our little pup."

Both lady dogs stand up in one graceful move and head over to the kids who are staring at them in awe.

"Alright, mini pups," Haruka barks, "we need to learn your names."

And so the tale of the two dogs and the starstruck children takes its course.

Sakumo turns to me. "Shall we go, Etsuko-chan?"

I nod. We set into a run.

)()()(

On the way, there's just enough time for Sakumo to tell me that we've been called for by the Hokage himself. When I ask him if this is about my new team assignment he just smiles apologetically and says that he cannot really tell me.

I'm pretty sure that this is about my new team assignment.

My excitement is rather … limited, to be honest. It feels like it was only yesterday when I went up to the roof of the academy to get myself tested by Hanako and I …

I'm becoming acutely aware that I'm absolutely not ready for a new team.

A wave of something hits my chest and I have to struggle to keep my breath steady. Tears are threatening to spill out of my eyes and my heart is beating fast.

"It's ok, Etsuko-chan," Sakumo says from right next to me. "I'm here. It's ok."

I exhale.

He's right.

Having him with me for the meeting with the Hokage can only be a good sign, right?

We arrive at the Hokage Tower and walk up the stairs to the office. Sakumo puts his hand on the door handle and gives me one last reassuring smile. He pushes the door open.

Sarutobi Hiruzen has grown old within the span of three weeks.

His hair has turned almost entirely grey and there are lines in his face that haven't been there before, but the most jarring difference lies in his eyes. There is a hardness to them that makes my skin crawl and I'm abruptly reminded of the fact that he, too, like Hashirama, carries the moniker "God of Shinobi" which has been coined for his feats in the First Shinobi War, among others.

Right now, there's nothing that would prompt people to call him soft.

"Sakumo-kun, Etsuko-chan, thank you for coming on such short notice."

Sakumo and I bow down in greeting.

"Hokage-sama," he says. I'm about to echo this, but he doesn't stop there. "Danzou-sama. Hello, Orochimaru-kun."

Wait what.

Why are there so many people here?

…

And Danzou?!

I can see that Sakumo is surprised, too, but that's not helping at the moment.

Oh god.

I can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

I want to leave. Get as far away as possible.

Oh my god.

"Uchiha Etsuko," Sarutobi begins with gravitas in his voice, "as a genin of Konoha it is your duty to carry out missions that befit your status as an active shinobi. However, I, as Konoha's representative, have the duty to provide you with the means to ensure that you do not walk your path alone. You will need guidance in all that matters to the way of a shinobi, so that you can blossom, unfold your full potential and stay true to the Will of Fire. For this, I have chosen a mentor for you out of the people present, who have all expressed a keen interest in your development."

My eyes dart wildly between Sakumo right beside me and the two others standing close to the Hokage's desk. Orochimaru is upright, his stance relaxed but attentive, following Sarutobi's every word. And Danzou …

There's a glint in his eyes that I'm straight up terrified to think too much about.

Please let it be Sakumo.

It has to be.

It just has to.

"The decision I have made after careful considerations is as follows: as of today you, Uchiha Etsuko, are assigned the student to a person who has not only earned my full trust and confidence in his skill as a shinobi as well as his devotion to Konoha, but who has also grown dear to my heart."

He lifts his hand in a grand gesture.

And points -

"My very own student -"

OH GOD

"Orochimaru."