Menma had not known what C.H.S meant or even that his affliction had a name. He had simply learned to deal with what it entailed: hyper-awareness of his environment, cluttering of his brain processes, scattered to laser-focus attention, parallel and mingling strands of thoughts and fractioned thinking resulting in him often blurting the wrong thing at the right time… or was it the opposite?

The weather was perfect: the sun was out and shining, bathing the world in warm, golden light; the sky was of the bluest azure it could be, the birds tweeted peacefully in the shades of the trees of Konohagakure. Usually, Menma would have been fully conscious of all of it and yet, for the first time in his life - at least the part he could remember - it all was distant, obnubilated by a completely unusual set of sensory inputs: the girl walking alongside him. The way her pink hair was swaying, the manner in which her eyes were sparkling, the slight but hypnotizing pendulum of her hips, the light gloss of her lips; each required at least one entire stretch of awareness.

In the past ten minutes, he had already tripped on his feet thrice and nearly hit two different street signs.

He did not know, literally could not know, what to make of the bubbling feeling in his chest and the butterflies in his stomach. He was grateful for the fact that he did not have to pay attention to the nagging sensation of imposture, of theft, clawing at the far reaches of his mind. He was vaguely aware that he was grinning for the entire world to see, possibly looking like an idiot but he did not have the mind power to care. For the first time ever, the young man wished he could remove one or two of his mental failsafe and expand his awareness by a fraction or two.

"This is the entrance to the Yamanaka clan grounds. Ino, their current heir, was with us in the Academy and she was assigned to team ten. If you ever happen upon her, she has very light blond hair, teal eyes and is often wearing some amount of purple clothes. The clan sells flowers and their special mind-related jutsu."

Menma only vaguely registered what Sakura was telling him, storing the information to be analysed and better processed later. Knowing the names of his ex-classmates could come in handy as he was going to meet them eventually.

The pair journeyed leisurely through Konoha. In the crowd, Menma did not attract nearly as much attention as he had the day before in the Red Tower. The passers-by seemed to know Sakura from reputation - she was the second student of the Tsunade Senju - and a few offered their greetings in passing but they did not inquire about the young man who was with her. The two ex-teammates toured the city, using the various clan grounds as milestones of their exploration, Sakura telling Menma about whatever she could think of, from a few places where she had her habits to tidbits of Team seven's and Naruto's history as she knew it. The young man discreetly (or so he thought) paid for two frozen treats along the way and they ate their iced syrup before settling on a bench, in a park near the Academy.

Menma struggled against every fraction of his mind, which were reluctant to focus on anything that was not Sakura, and observed the building. Like every other construction in the city, it was a patchwork of different styles, with an old-fashioned gate, a round tower and a long, modern wing with wide, square glass windows. Students were playing-training in a spacious yard, under the watchful gaze of a few teachers clad in armoured jackets.

"It wasn't pleasant for you here," said Sakura abruptly, breaking the silence that enveloped them.

The teenage boy hummed noncommittally. His awareness had shifted back entirely on the girl. One stretch dutifully took in her words while the four left were simply drinking in her appearance - she had long lashes and pinched her lips in a certain way when she was upset - and listening to her chakra.

The teenage girl shook her head ruefully. "That's putting it mildly. You were actively bullied. And I was one of the worst offenders."

A stuffy dampness crept up the boy's spine. It had not been him but who he had been. Ever helpful, the worm reminded the young man that he had no history here. After a few seconds of silence, Menma remembered he was probably supposed to say something. "You were?" He prompted.

She blinked, her gaze downcast, her hands balled into first against her thighs. "I have every good excuse in the book for why I did it and… now you don't remember. For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry." She barked a mirthless laugh. "Kids can be cruel and I was one of them."

Menma frowned slightly, reigning in the fragments of his perceptions and focusing them on the conversation. "Losing your memories is really weird because I don't even know if past me would forgive you." A reassuring smile arched his lips, hiding the sickly sensation he felt churning his entire being. "Though, the fact you're sorry is enough for me. We make mistakes. We move past them."

Sakura looked up and Menma heard the note of her gratefulness clash terribly with a clanging, bitter chord.

"What we did to you… what this village did. I don't get how we could be like that. I was just a kid, I did what I was told, no question. Oh, I sure was a good kid. And my parents made me a monster. The teachers made me a monster. We were all so monstrous to you."

"Did Tsunade tell you why?"

"Yeah." Sakura shook her head. "I don't buy it. We're supposed to be ninja. We follow the nindo. And instead of enduring, instead of mourning and moving on, we clung to our fears and resentment and-"

"Stop." Menma interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't do that. You said it yourself: you're a ninja, so endure what you did. Mourn. Move on. A bad action yesterday does not prevent a good one today and another tomorrow. You cannot amend the past, the future is mostly vague so focus on the present."

The girl looked at him, eyes wide. She laughed and Menma decidedly felt his heart skip a beat as his stretches of awareness were flung out of his control once more. The worm, thankfully, was silenced.

"That's very sage-like, I didn't expect that from you."

The boy blinked, mentally fumbling to anchor his lines of thoughts where they ought to be. He scratched his head when Sakura's words clicked. "My Master is wise. He also told me you can't be forgiven by someone else. Asking for forgiveness is a matter of morality: it shows your consideration for the one you wronged. But only you can forgive yourself, truly reflect on what you did and absolve yourself from any action you regret. That's why Naruto's dream wouldn't have come to pass anyway: it seems as if he thought he could just ignore what the people did and it would go away but that's not how it works. At best, he was only letting go of what he was feeling."

"Wow." Sakura clicked her mouth shut and blushed. "Sorry. This… Previous you was so…"

"Immediate?"

"Yeah." She chuckled. "Yeah, it fits. Though it's no surprise, with untreated C.H.S… Gah! I'm so angry! Why didn't they scan you for it!"

Menma shrugged. "What's done is done. I don't think I need to be fixed and Master helped plenty so… better late than never, I guess."

"I have no idea how you aren't angry."

"You are angry enough for the both of us. I'm sadder that past me had to go through what he did. I'll admit, it's not encouraging me to try and love this place."

Sakura nodded sadly. "Yeah. Kind of a terrible first impression, isn't it?"

Menma chuckled. "You said it, not me," - his voice lowered to a whisper that Sakura did not hear -, "there are good things too."

The girl swallowed thickly and the boy could hear the tones of her anguish before she was fully aware of her own question.

"Are you really not becoming a ninja again?"

"Tsunade told you?" Menma asked in surprise before he shook his head. "No. I'm not. The reason is part selfish, part conviction. I like my freedom and wearing a hitai-ate means I'd need to obey the Hokage and carry out actions I don't really believe in. I also think that ninja should not operate in the way they do now."

"The way they do now?"

"Well… you're a medic so you probably mainly save people but… have you ever thought beyond the walls?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Konohagakure - every village, really - does a lot of indiscriminate damage to those who live outside her walls. Maybe you've never been on one such mission but Kakashi Hatake is a famous hitman. His main line of work is assassination."

"Of people who deserved it!"

Menma offered the girl a sad smile. "You can't believe that, can you? Or is that what you are taught? That Konoha only fells the bad apples? According to whom? What laws?" He shook his head. "No. The truth is that, with the right amount of money, Kakashi Hatake will murder almost any target of your choice. No question asked."

Sakura gaped like a fish out of water for a few seconds, her mouth opening and closing, before she looked askance.

"You must think we are horrible."

"Horrible? I wouldn't say that, no. Missguided? Yes. I know why Konohagakure was founded. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha dreamed of peace. Now try to look critically at the result; can you really say it's a success? They built a wall around a minuscule piece of paradise, looked at it and decided all was good. And honestly, I get it: everyone deserves a place to live in peace. But they institutionalized buyable violence. Meaning that, as long as it happens outside of Konoha, the people with enough money to buy the violence crush everyone else."

"T-the Daimyo… there are laws in Fire Country!"

Menma scoffed. "Please. What even is Fire Country? The Daimyo is a fat, cardiac middle-aged man with more chins than I have fingers. He is weak-willed, constantly drugged up to his eyes and at the mercy of the sharks swimming in his court. You think anyone respects his laws? I can assure you, large companies like Gato Incorporated or Teijin Metalworks do absolutely whatever they want, and they pay Konoha generously so that they can continue to do whatever they want."

"How are you even so sure of all this?!" Sakura blinked. "Wait… did you say Gato?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"My question first. You're saying all… all this but how are you so sure Konoha is involved?!"

Menma sighed. "While I was travelling with Master, I met a lot of people. Once, we happened upon a small village that was distressed by the disappearance of a number of children. Me and my big mouth offered to solve the mystery." The boy chuckled. "Needless to say, without my master, I would have made an idiot out of myself. Anyway, we tracked down the abducted children and found a man, torturing them."

Sakura winced. "Why?"

"To kickstart a type of chakra reactor. It's not that important. His main objective was to activate a weapon that would have been used to destroy Konohagakure."

"But… why?"

"Can't you guess?"

The girl frowned and looked down. "Konohagakura hurt him?"

"Konohagakure, taking a contract from the Tanzaku United Corporations, killed all his employees, his entire family and put the work of an entire life to the flame."

"Oh, Sage," whispered Sakura. "But… how do you know he was telling the truth?"

Menma hesitated. "Master can tell if you are speaking the truth." He said, opting to keep his own abilities under wrap for the time being. "Or at least, he can tell if you're lying. I don't know how he does it," he forestalled. "But anyway, this man was telling the truth, at least the truth how he knew it."

"So… he was at least convinced that Konoha had ruined his life."

Menma nodded. "Exactly."

Sakura stayed silent for a long minute before she buried her face in her hands and sighed.

"I… I never ever considered that… Fuck!"

Menma patted her on her back. "Many people wouldn't even want to hear it so at least, you had the guts to listen."

"B-but! What can we even do?"

The boy shrugged. "Spread ideas, convince the different Kage that their way is not right. Try a different system."

"A… A different system?"

"You mentioned Fire Country earlier and I told you it wasn't really a country." Menma smiled. "But just imagine if it were!" He explained animatedly. "Imagine if there was a strong central government that had the authority, the means to make sure that laws are upheld everywhere on the territory. Ninja would cease to be mercenary and become policemen, out to enforce the authority of the state! A nation where everyone would be equal and able to participate in the lawmaking and money wouldn't be able to buy violence with impunity."

Sakura blinked before a smile blossomed on her lips. "Wow. You've been thinking. Does this system have a name?"

Menma nodded eagerly. "Minshu! That's what m-y books called it. The books I've read, I mean."

"Ninshuu?" Sakura asked, not picking up the way the boy's voice had cracked mid-sentence.

"No. Minshu."

"Minshu," mused Sakura out loud. "People's sovereignty?" Menma nodded. "What kind of books were these?"

"Very, very, very old things! Written super long ago! Master had a full treasure trove of them. Actually, there was even one book mentioning minshu that was written by the Sage himself. Allegedly."

The girl's eyes went wide and sparkled. "You don't have them here, do you?" She asked, every fibre of her being vibrating with curiosity.

The boy shook his head, scratching the back of it apologetically. "No, sorry. Master absolutely refused to let me borrow them. Though… I could probably write it down."

"Write it down?"

"When I really put my mind to it, I've got a really good memory, you know?"

"But... an entire book!?"

"It is a really fascinating book!" Menma asserted with conviction. "Like, I know I have the attention span of a butterfly but this one book, I devoured it without letting it go!"

"Well, if you would, I'd definitely like to read it."

"It won't be word for word but I'm definitely confident I can put it on paper. I just need a bit of ink and a clean notebook."

The pair fell in companionable silence before Menma snapped his fingers.

"You mentioned something about Gato?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. On the first serious mission of team seven, we went to Wave Country. We were supposed to protect an old man called Tazuna. He was building a bridge and… Well, it's kinda complicated but basically, Gato, the Gato, had taken over Wave Country and Tazuna was slated for assassination. We fought against his hired blades and eventually, Gato died. What a mess that was", muttered the girl with a mirthless chuckle.

"I'd say it's another point for my argument."

Sakura shrugged. "Gato's men were nuke-nin."

"It doesn't invalidate it. You didn't go because it was the lawful or even the right thing to do, did you?"

Sakura's features fell. "No." She smirked. "Though we weren't paid much: Tazuna had lied about the mission because he didn't have the money to- oh." She grimaced. "Yeah, okay, I see your point."

"Don't torment yourself over it. As I said, my goal is to spread the idea that something else is possible. I don't want you to feel guilty, I want you to think. We make the world what we want it to be. We aren't doomed to this system."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Naruto dreamed big. I'm glad this hasn't changed."

Menma inhaled sharply, doing his best not to stare at the girl's smile. "Thanks. I guess?"

"Definitely a compliment."

"Thanks then. I'd like to say something nice to you but…" He shrugged. "Memory loss."

"Oh? You can't find anything nice to say to me anyway?" She teased.

"No, no! I could say plenty of nice things," the boy protested with a blush. "Just not- like…"

"Like what?"

"I mean, related to how you were!" - and that was why he had no right to say anything, screamed the worm - "I could say plenty about you!"

"Well go ahead then! I wanna hear one."

Menma wrestled for the control of his vocal cords. He wanted to say it. He was him, damn it! Tsunade had said so herself, that his name did not matter. Having finally clamped down on the perfidious fraction of his mind, he went to say something. His throat choked and he seemingly ignited from his collarbones to the root of his hair. Looking askance he mumbled something.

"What was that?"

"I think you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen!"

It was Sakura's turn to turn crimson once she registered the boy's words.

"Thanks," she said after a few seconds of silence. She cleared her throat. "So. Anyway. Err…" She coughed.

"Y-yes?"

"What are your plans for the coming days?" The girl squeaked, still awkwardly looking to the side.

"O-oh! Well, you know I'm going to meet our old classmates. Probably go visit our old teacher. I wanna know who Naruto was. You told me a lot of good, I need some of the bad now, to get the full picture. Then Tsunade insisted I should be trained to… You know about Akatsuki?"

"No."

"They are people who hunt jinchuuriki. For what, Tsunade doesn't know."

"And because you used to be a jinchuuriki, they'll come after you."

"Yeah, at least Tsunade thinks so. I refused to allow Konoha to defend me so she cut the pear in half and offered training."

"And then?"

"I don't really know. Depending on how things go, I could stay in Konoha or not. Like, as a home I mean. I wanna keep travelling the world for a bit though."

"You could go to Sunagakure. Naruto made friends with people from there." Sakura suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh, I have an idea! You should meet Temari of the Sand! She's on a diplomatic mission in Konoha for a few days and she hangs out with Shikamaru. They are totally dating, by the way, even if they don't want to hear it."

"I see. Thanks, I'll definitely do that. By the way, any ideas on how to occupy my time while I'm in Konoha?"

Sakura hummed. "Well… honestly, if you don't like shopping, it's gonna be a tad boring. There is a museum of art and a museum of local history but honestly… meh. Not my thing. The nightlife is brilliant though."

"I'll endeavour to enjoy it to the maximum," Menma said solemnly. "You go clubbing?"

"Sure, when I can. I'm a full iryo-nin so my shifts are a bit hectic but if I have the opportunity, I like it. I'm gonna be honest though: clubbing is more Ino's thing. Like, I don't go alone. I prefer a nice bar with some music and some space to dance."

"Duly noted," muttered Menma. "And shopping?"

"Why, I am a girl. Don't you know we are vain creatures?"

The teenage boy shrugged. "Prejudices aren't my thing so I try not to be prejudiced."

"Yeah, once in a while is fine."

"You sound to me like you're an avid reader, you don't shop for books?"

Sakura blinked. "That… that doesn't really count as shopping."

"Why not?"

"Well, it's just… just… I don't know. It's just not."

"If you say so."

Sakura had a contemplative look on her face. "Does it? Ino always drags me along when she goes to buy clothes so it's always clothes. I never considered just… doing the same with books. I always have what I want in mind when I go to the bookstore."

"How about we go raid a library sometimes? I mean. If you want. When you're free."

The young woman nodded eagerly, visibly enticed by the idea. "Sure, it sounds fun!"

"Cool!" grinned Menma. "Say, I meant to ask..."

"Yeah?"

"What's this diamond shape on your forehead?"

"It's a jutsu."

"Can you tell me what it does or is it a secret?"

"It's a power boost," she answered with a smile. "I'll keep it at that."

Menma pouted for an instant before his easy grin returned and his eyes shone with a sly spark. "You're an iryo-nin so I bet it's a chakra seal… containing… healing chakra?"

Sakura bopped him on the head. "Don't go guessing the abilities of others. Plus, it's not fair, you aren't showing anything. What did you train in with your master?"

Menma beamed a smile at her. "Wanna know what I can do?"

Before Sakura could even nod, the young man clapped his hands together in a praying gesture. And Sakura - who, for the life of her, was absolutely not a sensor - felt chakra well up.

She sensed it come to the fore; like lava climbs up the chimney of a volcano or maybe like the Sun shining after the rain. It had been there all this time but she had not sensed it, as it had been hidden behind a veil. There was more chakra than she could conceive, so much chakra she thought the teen in front of her was going to explode and obliterate her and the village. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. A light breeze made her hair sway. The sensation of being sat right next to the Sun disappeared. She saw Menma extend his right hand, closed in a fist, smoke filtering through his clenched fingers. He opened it to reveal a green, tear-shaped crystal. His face was radiating how proud he was.

Suddenly, his features twisted in a grimace for a second, his eyes aflame with a war only he knew the ins and outs of. After a while, determination set his mien before he blushed.

"Here." The teen said meekly, head turned sideways. "It's for you. It'd mean a lot to me if you were to wear it."

"H-how?" Sakura, wide-eyed, observed the jewel. "W-what-How did you- What?" She suddenly registered the boy's words and delicately took the green stone. "What is it?"

"A good-luck charm. And a symbol," answered Menma, still looking sideways. "Of… of our bond. Not… you and Naruto." He focused his gaze on the girl and smiled tentatively. "You and me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura."

Sakura suddenly found her heart beating right in her throat. She offered the blond teen a smile. "All the pleasure is for me."

Without warning, both teens' stomach growled. They chuckled awkwardly.

"Uh. We didn't have lunch."

"I know a place," offered Sakura.

Menma nodded eagerly. "Lead the way!"

In the highest office of the Red Tower, Tsunade Senju and Kakashi Hatake were busy with an activity perfectly unworthy of their respective position, more so given their relationship with their victims, namely: peeking. Tsunade had wiped out a crystal ball and activated a jutsu she had sworn never to use and was now observing how her two charges were reuniting. Because people could say what they wanted, Sakura and Menma were both her charges. Absent-mindedly, Tsunade acknowledged that she now understood her sensei better. Across from her, Kakashi whistled.

"Well, he isn't one to lose time, huh? What a player."

The woman chuckled. "He is sweet, certainly. And I mean," - she gestured at the ball - "what's not to like? He is tall, blond, blue-eyed and he lost his baby fat. He is a looker." She said proudly.

"Hm hm," answered Kakashi noncommittally, unsure whether or not he was supposed to acknowledge his Hokage had just said that. He decided to classify it as motherly pride. "What was that, though?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No clue. You'll ask him tomorrow. You heard him: he'll get training here and you'll be the one to test him."

"I don't know if he needs training if he can do that."

"Being able to do… whatever he did doesn't mean he knows how to fight. Akatsuki are S-rank ninja, Kakashi. I want Menma alive. And if he is already powerful, then all the better: if he ploughs through them, that'll be that taken care of."

Kakashi nodded. Overwhelming, crushing force was a sound method when coupled with a solid strategy.

"Aren't you afraid he is going to attract attention?"

"From whom?"

"I don't know. A certain cripple, for example."

"I'll deal with Danzo."

Kakashi sighed. "Sometimes, I think we should just get rid of him."

Tsunade massaged her eyelids. "Yeah. But who knows what failsafe he has created. Killing him means we take the risk of activating who knows how many dead man schemes with who knows what objectives."

"I still believe it would be a net good."

"He isn't immortal. He won't live forever and his own stupid methods ensured he has no heir. Just emotionally retarded puppets. None are more than solid chunin. And I've been disarming him slowly." She barked a laugh. "He thinks he has me distracted by a few baits he laid out like breadcrumbs but I have disabled much more of his network than he knows."

Kakashi blinked. "That's good progress, Hokage-sama. I didn't know you had that much success."

Tsunade smirked. "Danzo thinks he is the only sneaky bitch around. But I'm the bitchiest of them all. That's why I'm the Hokage and he isn't. Dismissed."

Kakashi choked on his laughter and bowed before hurriedly exiting the Hokage's office. Once in the corridor, he finally chuckled heartily. It was a hoarse sound, one not heard enough and a passing clerk gaped when he realized that Kakashi Hatake was laughing - not giggling at his porn, but laughing- quietly but happily. Whipping out his favourite piece of literature, he opened it where he had abandoned it last and started reading. His mind was only half on the book, however; he was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of teaching Menma. He did not know it but, as he climbed down the Red Tower, his gait was lighter than it had been during the last three years.

In her office, Tsunade stored the crystal ball and took a few pieces of papers on which she scribbled a summon for a few select members of her force. She had already sent a recall order to Jiraiya, she would inform Shizune when the woman would be back from her mission and she had sent a discreet letter to the Ichiraku ramen stand. For a few moments, she considered sending out the summons and organizing the playdates but then thought better of it. She would ask Menma for his input. Finally done with the letters, she leaned back in her seat and threw a dirty look at the paperwork waiting on her desk.

As the Hokage, she personally oversaw all A and S-rank missions. Only she had the authority to greenlight them. She frowned. Her eyes were not loaded with the usual annoyance, however; instead, the words of Menma were echoing on a loop inside her head. With a heavy sigh, she wondered how much misery she had been spreading "for the good of Konoha". She had killed during the war but it had been a war and she had been following orders. Now, she gave them.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of her office. Before she could contemplate whether or not she wanted to see anyone, it opened. In came a pair, an old woman with dry, strict features and an old man with a more mellow air and glasses.

"Sure, enter without me giving you the authorization," barked Tsunade, her annoyance spiking. "Who the hell do you think is sitting in this chair?! Homura, Koharu, I'm not your old friend. It's time you get up to date with who the Hokage is!"

The old pair ignored the younger woman's remonstrances.

"Word has it that Naruto Uzumaki is alive and back."

Tsunade's eyes widened a fraction. Slowly she rose from her seat and circled around her desk before she planted herself firmly in front of her aged visitors. She stared icily.

"Rumours do not interest me. Now, out."

"If he is back," said Koharu dryly, seemingly not impressed, "he must be properly reintegrated into our ranks, princess Tsunade, he-"

"Hokage-sama."

"What?"

"It is Hokage-sama to you. Let me reiterate. I'm not your friend. You are not my advisors. You have actually no official position within the hierarchy of Konohagakure. I was very clear, after I was instated, that it was time that you retired. You. Did. Now, the last time one of you called me "princess Tsunade", I told you something. For the sake of assuming I'm not being cruel, I want you to repeat it to me."

Homura grimaced distastefully. "We are to give you the respect due to your position and give you your proper title."

"Good, you remember it, which means I'm justified in laying out some punishment. ANBU, escort these two people out of this office. Do not let them in this tower again unless they bear an official summon signed by my hand."

Four shadows materialized in the room around the old pair.

"I don't care how you do it but shove it inside your brain." Tsunade glared in annoyance. "You. Are. Retired. Stay in your fucking corner and stop bothering me. Your advice is not needed."

"You're making a mistake, Hokage-sama!" Koharu spat. "The boy-"

"Naruto Uzumaki is dead. The jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi is no more. That is final and all you need to know on this matter. And remember: you made me the leader of this village, so don't ever come bitching about my leadership." She pointed at her door with an authoritative finger. "Now, out."

Without uttering a word, the ANBU led Koharu and Homura out of Tsunade's office. The woman returned to her seat and groaned. She did not know how her sensei, the Sandaime Hokage, had been so weak but he had never established any kind of boundary for his old teammates. Distance and time had a tendency to rip apart the veil people spin about those they know and recently, when she thought back on her sensei, Tsunade found the man to be generally weak of character. She had loved him, almost like a father but he was a very flawed father.

Her thoughts returned to Homura and Koharu. The two old relics thought they were owed a voice in the affairs of Konohagakure, simply because the previous Hokage had allowed them to badger him constantly. Weak-willed people who had a taste of power were most dangerous because they had a tendency to try and do anything to get another shot of it. Tsunade contemplated getting rid of them entirely but ultimately decided against it. Konohagakure had been created as a haven of peace. If the very leadership meant to preserve it started assassinating the citizens, their society would crumble.

"Maybe it needs to," she mused, thinking of Menma's and Sakura's conversation. She shook her head. "But not like that."

Taking a few sheets of paper out of the pile of paperwork waiting for her, she began her work, wishing not for the time that her apprentices had not become so good at hiding her stash of sake.


AN: hello all. A few words: I do not want anyone to "overidentify" CHS with ADHD. CHS is not ADHD, it is a fictitious condition loosely inspired by real ADHD. Hence, do not be surprised, disappointed or angered if CHS does not make Naruto act as if he had ADHD. He does not have ADHD.

Feel free to leave a review.