"Itachi-san!" Itachi, carrying Izuna in a cloth sling strapped around his body, stepped out of the house to be greeted by his new neighbor. Yoshida-oba lived next door, and her round, chubby face beamed with cheer as she watered her Japanese Quince flowers. They were red as blood, and Itachi's gaze lingered on the florets before moving up to Yoshida's visage. "Good morning," Yoshida waved to him, "Are you headed for the market today?"

Itachi dipped his head. "Good morning, Yoshida-oba-san. I am, as a matter of fact..."

It was warmer than usual this morning—a sure sign that spring was fast approaching.

"Oh!" Yoshida suddenly gasped. "I should tell you that the eggs are on half-price today at Toshiro's grocer!"

"Oh, are they?" Itachi smiled politely. "Thank you for telling me, oba-san."

"Aiyah! No need for all that formal business." She giggled. "You can just call me Yoshida." As he walked off, she waved and called after him, unaware that she was over-watering her flowers. "If you need any other hot tips or help with Izuna-bo, just ask!"

As Itachi took the meandering path down to the market, most of Konoha had already started their day. The middle-class wives of merchants threw futons over balcony railings, smacking the dust and dirt out of it with various tools while their husbands and sons set up stands. There was a little stall that sold barbecued meat that Itachi passed by every morning. Children too poor to afford to attend school ran down the streets, grinning gap-toothed smiles as they chased after hula-hoops and stray dogs, occasionally shooed away by the cranky old man sweeping the front of his grocery store.

"Ah!" The man, Toshiro, stopped sweeping when he spotted Itachi heading his way. "Good morning, Uchiha-san. Got the little one with you today, eh? I was just about to open up shop—your timing is impeccable."

"Impeccable?!" roared a rotund lady dressed in a kimono, her face painted white. "I've been waiting for half an hour out here for some of your two-bit eggs!"

"My two-bit eggs feed those two demons you call children, whore!" Toshiro spat back.

"You're crazy, old man!" The fat woman huffed and turned to Itachi, her face softening. "I've seen you around—you always look so lonely." She slipped a card out from between her bosom. "Here, if you need any sweet release, this is where you'll find me."

It was not the first time he had been propositioned, so he went with it, politely thanking her for the card. It smelled heavily of perfume.

"Stop doing your business in front of my business!" Toshiro shook one aging fist at her. "Get your damn eggs and go already!" As the woman went into his store with a disdainful sniff, loudly complaining about the poor condition of the store, the old man shook his head in exasperation. "My family didn't come to the city all those years ago to be treated like dirt...! Hmph! Not you though," he added when he remembered Itachi was still there, "You're okay."

With a nod, Itachi left Toshiro outside to continuing sweeping, entering the store and instantly gaining the attention of all the female shoppers who had come before him. They all gave him friendly smiles, gathering around him as he collected eggs to fill his shopping bag.

"Hi-ho, Uchiha-san!" One brawny, red-armed woman smacked him on the back. To his credit, he didn't even flinch, instead murmuring a polite greeting in return. "I see you have your kid with you today! The wife's busy, I take it?"

Someone elbowed her in the gut, hissing, "Shut up, Misa! She's no longer here, you know."

"Oh!" Misa blushed. "Terribly sorry, Uchiha-san..."

The women continued to gossip around him as he continued to shop, his patience holding. Eventually, the women left him alone, but not before one last attempt at roping him into a conversation.

"Do you intend on remarrying?" a woman with straw-like brown hair inquired, trying not to sound prying despite the subject at hand.

"Oh, I must know!" another gushed. "I've seen you walking around with plenty of lovely blossoms, all of them brown-haired. Is that your type, Uchiha-san?"

Itachi frowned uncomfortably, his eyes darkening slightly. "I..." Izumi had had brown hair. She had had the longest, most loveliest brown hair he had ever laid eyes on. Something inside him twisted painfully, and he tightened his grip on the egg he was holding, a small fracture appearing in the shell.

"You should consider dating again, Uchiha-san," someone talked over him, "I think I actually know one of the women you're close with—Shimizu-san, was it? She's young and pretty—the right kind of woman for a man like yourself."

It was one of the few times that Itachi was simply dumbfounded to the point of speechlessness. They had no idea of his obvious discomfort, did they? They simply knew how to talk, and did not know a single thing about listening. They were not at all like the women back in Akatsuki, who could be loud and boisterous, but were also open-minded and gentle. They were nothing like Izumi. He was grateful when Izuna woke up, gurgling in a manner that had all of the ladies dropping their intrusive inquiries to coo over the boy.

And then they dispersed.

Itachi breathed a sigh of relief, softly poking the forehead of his baby. "I hope they didn't scare you, musuko-chan." I should go home soon. Asagi-san is coming over shortly for breakfast. Since she was busy looking after her mother and son, he had started Izuna on formula, which seemed to be working out well. Today's breakfast was something he thought she deserved for her efforts, and she was good company.

He could never look her in the eye, though.

She looked too much like her.

Itachi paid for the eggs.

Where's Hinata-nee?

Confusedly, Hanabi stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to her school, turning her head left and right. Her older sister was nowhere to be seen, despite promising earlier that she would treat her to lunch. Chewing her lip nervously, Hanabi leaned against a nearby wall, her bag pressing against her back uncomfortably. She was too young to consider wearing makeup; there were dark circles visible under her eyes. The teachers constantly worried about her aloof attitude, which annoyed her to no end. Hinata had been called to the principal multiple times to talk about your little sister's health and Hanabi was sick of it. The problem wasn't her health, it was the fact that she was being lumped in with a group of snot-nosed brats who did nothing but whine! Not to mention that she was so far ahead of the class it wasn't even funny—

"Yo, Hanabi-chan!" Konohamaru stood at the bottom of the stone staircase with his best friends, Udon and Moegi, by his side. "You waiting for your sis?"

"Mm, yeah..." Her gaze met with Moegi's, and their faces both hardened.

They might have traveled together out there, but they were certainly not friends.

"She's not usually so late," Udon observed, sniffling. "Do you wanna come with us, maybe? We're going to buy barbecued pork on a stick for lunch."

"Oh...!" There was a side of her that wanted to go, but the other was unsure. Plus, Moegi was staring at her with uplifted eyebrows. Hanabi grimaced. "Thanks, but I'm good. You guys go without me..."

"Probably hoping she sees Sasuke," Moegi murmured as the three went off, Hanabi showing no sign of hearing her.

Konohamaru looked at her, bewildered. "Huh, Sasuke-teme?" He had picked up the nickname from Naruto's constant bellowing. "What's he got to do with her?"

Moegi let out an exasperated sigh, whacking her friend across the back of the head with her notebook. "Dummy! She obviously likes him, duh!"

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Udon asked nervously. "I can tell you're not exactly fond of her..."

Moegi pursed her lips, ignoring Konohamaru's whining. "Nah. I'm not that mean, y'know. I'm not fond of her because she's a pretentious know-it-all. Her attitude's gonna bite her in the ass one day—I'll just let karma do its work."

None of them noticed Hanabi staring after them longingly before an approaching person made her start. She relaxed when she realized who it was. Her nose was slightly crooked and there was a scar crossing her upper lip, but Tenten still looked mostly the same.

"Tenten!" Hanabi raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here? Did Hinata-nee send you to pick me up?"

Tenten's countenance was grim. "Hanabi... Hinata's with Shizune right now." She hesitated. "Neji... Neji's escaped."

Shogo was running into the house as Asagi took off her shoes, stepping gingerly on the floorboards.

"Good morning, Itachi-san!" Shogo greeted, Asagi echoing his greetings. The whole house smelled of freshly cooked eggs, and the mother and son duo were pleasantly surprised when they entered the dining room to see a fluffy omelette sitting on each of their plates. There were tomatoes, cucumbers, and some ham mixed into the egg.

Breakfast was a mostly quiet affair. Shogo and Izuna were placed close to one another, the older boy entertaining the baby while their parents spoke in low voices.

As Itachi sipped his steaming hot tea, he glanced briefly at Asagi over the brim of his teacup. She wore her hair down today, straight brown locks spilling over her shoulder and back.

"How is your mother doing?" Itachi asked when Asagi finished her meal, letting out a small, satisfied sigh.

She sighed again, this time heavier. "Not so well," she confessed, lowering her gaze. She closed her eyes briefly. "They say she has about a month, but even that's a stretch. I pleaded with Tsunade-sama, but not even she is able to reverse the effects of time."

Shogo spoke then, glum, "Obaa-chan didn't wanna have surgery."

Itachi downed more of his tea. "Ah. She is old, Sho-kun—because of that, surgery won't prolong her life for very long." He said it with remorse in his voice, one that Shogo easily accepted, but it felt as if he were far away from his guests.

"He gives her kisses every day." Asagi smiled sadly. "Says they'll make her better. And in a way, it does."

Shogo finished breakfast in the next five minutes, and asked, "Can I go play with otouto?"

It took a moment for Itachi to realize that the boy was referring to Izuna. Shogo already saw Izuna as his little brother, something that Itachi was ambivalent about. Honoring Izumi's wish, Asagi was Izuna's godmother, and would be until she died. Wasn't it good, then, if Shogo was already accepting Izuna as his family?

It wasn't... as if Itachi was replacing her with Asagi.

Asagi gave Itachi a questioning glance, and he remembered that Shogo was still waiting for an answer. The back of his throat tickled, the sign of an oncoming coughing fit, and he swiftly answered before that could happen, "Of course. Make sure he doesn't fall off the couch." He nodded to the living room, and Shogo lifted the child from his mat, holding him with immense care. Shogo was a small boy, being only just two months shy of six, but he didn't let his diminutive size get in the way of keeping Izuna unharmed. Itachi knew, from the way Shogo was holding Izuna, that if he dropped Izuna for whatever reason, he would try to cushion him from the wall.

He hadn't been able to save Itsuki from the monsters, but he would not fail Izuna.

"Itachi!" Asagi's voice sounded so far away as Itachi suddenly ran to the bathroom, coughing wretchedly into the crook of his elbow.

His chest ached with every cough, and his lungs were burning.

Itachi was burning. Burning faster than Sasori had ever been.

And he knew it.

The bathroom sink's whiteness became stained with red and sickly yellow-brown as he coughed into it, the tap running.

He became aware of a presence behind him, rubbing circles on his back and muttering concerns that he couldn't quite make out.

"I'm here," Asagi murmured. "Itachi..."

How long had he been like this, she wondered. She knew that he'd fallen sick during the journey, but she hadn't known it was this bad. Hadn't Sakura and Shizune nipped his cough in the bud? Had Itachi somehow been... overlooked?

The blood in her veins chilled as she considered the possibility. There had been others who were sick, others who had been less fit than him. The attention of their medics would have mostly been on them. Asagi would know—she'd seen how much attention Shizune had paid to her mother, constantly monitoring her until she was better.

"How long?" Asagi's voice trembled when Itachi finally stopped, gripping the sides of the sink and panting raggedly.

He did not answer right away.

She handed him a towel after he splashed his face with water, which he took.

"Too long," was all he would say.

Asagi looked him dead in the eye, and she could have sworn he stiffened. "Have you at least seen a doctor?"

"I—"

"Okaa-chan? Itachi-san?"

They both turned to see Shogo at the bathroom door, gripping the doorframe tightly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, dear." Asagi smiled at bent down to kiss her son's forehead. "Itachi-san just drank his tea a little too fast. Why don't you go play with Izuna again?"

"Oh, okay..."

When Shogo's back was turned, Asagi frowned worriedly, wisps of hair falling around her face.

Itachi gave her a look. "Thank you."

They sat back down at the table, watching Izuna and Shogo play in the living room.

"What's on your mind?" Itachi inquired.

"My little boy..." Asagi bit her lip. "He's no longer the child he used to be." She blew a piece of hair from her face in aggravation. "If I could turn back time, I would have never let Mikoko and Masami look after him that day. Then my Sho-kun... maybe he wouldn't be like this." A few tears dripped from her eyes, but she kept a painfully straight face through it all. "And now you're suffering, too, Itachi. I wish you wouldn't cough; I wish you were healthy. I wish that my little boy didn't have to tell me to walk faster whenever there's a shadow in the dark."

Itachi's heart further twisted, if that were even possible. "Aa," he said, barely avoiding having a tremor lace his tone. I wish the same, Asagi. You have absolutely... no idea.

He thought of what Tsunade had told him on the day he had visited the hospital, where the local physician had sent him after being unable to properly diagnose his symptoms.

Then he stood, holding out a hand together. She stared up at it in surprise before slipping her delicate hand into his.

"Itachi?"

"Let's go for a walk," he told her. He glanced to where Shogo was teasing Izuna by making faces at him, causing the baby to warble with glee. "All of us."

The doors burst open, and Hinata turned around with worry in her eyes as Tenten and Hanabi ran inside, the latter's schoolbag practically flying through the air after her.

"Nee-chan!" cried Hanabi, throwing her arms around her big sister. She quickly broke the embrace though. "What happened?! Did they find him?!"

Tenten caught up to them, her cheeks flushed red as she regarded the uniformed men practically surrounding the scientific facility. The military police... of course they're involved. She could see Shizune urgently relaying information to an important-looking officer, her coal gaze darting to where they were standing every once in a while.

It was only the passes around their necks that allowed them entry into the facility. Tenten's one was green, while Hanabi's was yellow. Hinata's, too, was yellow, indicating that they had higher visitation rights than Tenten when it came to Neji.

Hinata looked around skittishly. "I'm not s-sure what's e-exactly going on, b-but I've been called over because N-Neji-nii's escaped." She paused. "Allegedly, t-that is. I haven't had the c-chance to talk to Shizune-senpai." She'd met Tenten on the way to the facility, and had asked her to pick up Hanabi and bring her here.

"This doesn't make any sense," Tenten muttered, rubbing her chin in thought. "Why now of all times? And how?" Her sharp mind immediately considered inside help, but that couldn't be easily proven, even with the countless security cameras in the place. There were plenty of scientists coming in and out every day to take a prod at him, and surely he couldn't have waltzed out the front door, right?

It was then that Shizune had finished her talk with the police officer, and hurried over to where they were standing. "They've pretty much barricaded the entire downstairs basement for investigation," she informed them. "At first, we thought that he'd escaped, but right now... that could easily be proven wrong." Her eyes flashed with uncertainty. "Why don't you come down to my office? It's one of the only places where we can access."

Hinata nodded. "R-Right!"

The four women headed down to Shizune's office, passing through a side corridor with pictures hanging on the sides. From the way they were dressed to the haughty looks on their painted faces... Tenten instinctively knew that they were portraits of the distinguished scientists of old. Men and women who had contributed revolutionary theories and evidence to the field of science, and—

"We're here." Shizune unlocked the door to her office just as Tenten's eyes widened at the final portrait that hung at the end of the hallway.

"N-No way..."

Hanabi and Hinata, who were halfway through entering Shizune's quarters, paused in confusion.

"Shizune," Tenten said slowly, gaining the attention of the older woman. She shakily lifted up a hand to point at the picture. "Care to explain why Orochimaru's hanging on the wall?"

Shizune seemed to deflate. "Now that... is a story for another time."

"He's a murderer!" Tenten snapped, remembering his menacing form leering over her. "He would have killed us all if Deidara and Sasori didn't save our asses!" She turned frantically to Shizune. "How much time do we have? I doubt those guys are leaving anytime soon," she jerked her thumb toward the lobby, where dozens of military police were milling about, "so please... Tell us why."

At first, Shizune seemed to be unmoved. Then she sighed, opening the door even wider. "All of you, inside. Now. If you really want to hear this, Tenten, then be my guest. I don't know what he did to you, but you wouldn't be the first person to hear about the fall of Sennin Orochimaru, or the last, so let's get this over and done with."

The door closed behind them with a click, locking automatically.

There was a lukewarm cup of coffee on Shizune's desk, which she took a sip out of as she pushed important-looking papers to the side. Tenten noticed a photo on her desk, one that was angled so that all of them could see who was in it. A younger Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya smiled back at her (though the snake-man seemed a little shier than his fellow Sannin).

It was almost eerie.

Shizune noticed her attention. "Oh, this?" She chuckled. "Tsunade-sama threw it away one day, and I picked it up when her back was turned." A pause. "I guess... I couldn't let it go to waste. It doesn't mean anything to me, but its Tsunade-sama's memory. One that I couldn't let her throw away like that." She took another drink of her coffee.

Hanabi tapped her fingers impatiently on her thigh, while Hinata squirmed in her seat. Both desperately wanted to hear about Neji, but were equally curious about Orochimaru. They'd heard of the deeds he'd done in Akatsuki—hell, he'd even left their father in a defeated heap on the floor. Orochimaru had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and nobody had ever bothered to question it.

What had driven a supposedly revered scientist to pursue martial arts? And why had he become so corrupt?

Or had he always been like that? Tenten wondered with a grimace.

"The story of Orochimaru is... not a happy one, so to speak."

Not many stories were happy, they figured. Not real ones anyway. An unhappy story was not uncommon in this world, they'd come to find.

"Little is known about his parents—he was simply found one day by a farmer who was hunting snakes in the tall grass by his farm. But the farmer was very old, and couldn't take care of him, so he traveled to the city and dropped the child off at the orphanage. I don't know what Orochimaru did, but he managed to get the then-Hokage to notice him: Sarutobi Hiruzen." Shizune looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I wasn't even born yet at that time, but he ended up growing up with Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama—both were children of influential families. They became friends, and eventually launched themselves martial arts under Sarutobi's tutelage, and then into fields that they ended up becoming masters at. Jiraiya-sama with sealing, Tsunade-sama with the medical arts, and Orochimaru... he was a mad genius. He chose the field of science, though many say," she chuckled dryly, "that it was science who chose him. He became obsessed with... improving the quality of life of the people around him.

"I think it started around the time my uncle Dan died. Tsunade-sama loved him very much, and she fell into a depression and developed a fear of blood. She stopped coming to the hospital, stopped helping people... it was around the time of the Suna-Konoha trade war as well, so death tolls became immensely high. And Orochimaru... I think he got sick of it all. The death. The pain. The hunger. He threw himself into his experiments, and was eventually stripped of his role as a head scientist in the facility when..." Shizune exhaled. "It was discovered that he had kidnapped children and experimented on them. His then-assistant, Yakushi Kabuto, was involved as well, but charges were dropped against him. I don't know where he is now—I don't even know if he's still in Konohagakure, actually. He disappeared in the southern frontier on day, and never returned."

The southern frontier... that was where they had entered Konoha—Amegakure was located south of Konohagakure.

By now, Tenten was trembling in righteous anger, and Hinata was pale. Even Hanabi looked disgusted. "How did he get away with it?" the youngest Hyuuga asked the question that nobody else wanted to.

"Simple." Shizune finished her coffee. "He had connections, namely to one Sarutobi Hiruzen. He couldn't bear to punish his favorite student, so he sent him away, telling him to remember their martial arts lessons, and the principle of benevolence and understanding behind them. If you thought Sasori's trial was bad, you should have seen Orochimaru's!" She slammed the cup down on the table, the only indication that she was equally angry as Tenten in this matter. Her brow furrowed. "The backlash the Hokage got was so bad that he was forced to step down. Tsunade-sama became the Fifth Hokage, and, well, you were there when Orochimaru went to Akatsuki City. We all were."

"So that's it, huh...?" Tenten, Hinata, and Hanabi all exchanged a glance. It was Hinata who asked, "T-Then wh-what about Neji-nii-san? Did... did he really escape?"

"Honestly?" Shizune leaned forward. "I only had a look at the crime scene once, but..."

They inched forward, too.

"I think he was taken."

"Oh~! What a lovely couple. And their children are so beautiful!"

"My, my, they have another one on the way, it seems. Ah, young love!"

Asagi's heart sank with each comment, even if none of them were degrading. She glanced sideways at Itachi, who showed no indication of being uncomfortable or offended about the obvious whispers being passed around in the small community park. Shogo was utterly oblivious, dashing toward the playground equipment as soon as it came into sight.

She called after him to be careful, and he held up an arm in acknowledgement before claiming a swing for his own.

"Do you really not mind?" Asagi blurted when Shogo was out of earshot, keeping on eye on him as he played by himself. None of the neighborhood kids knew him, so that was to be expected. "They have the wrong idea about us..."

Itachi turned to her, and she couldn't help but think he looked adorable carrying Izuna in a sling that was wrapped around his body. He smiled at her, the gesture a little forlorn. A little bitter. "It doesn't matter to me. It would only matter if she would ever hear it."

They meandered around the playground, making small talk.

Then Asagi said, "It was hard when my husband died, too. I couldn't stop crying for ages. Then my brother passed as well, and now my mother is... I understand loss, Itachi. If you ever need anyone, I'll be here." They sat down on a park bench, and Asagi folded her slim hands over her protruding belly. A few more months, and her baby would be born.

They sat in silence.

Then—

"Thank you," Itachi said honestly. "I'm glad you are."

She hummed under her breath. "I just wanted you to know that I am. Have you heard the saying that 'it takes a village to raise a child'?"

He looked at her inquisitively, wondering where she was going with this. "I believe so."

"I may not be a village, but I'll be glad to look after Izuna as well. I think I can speak for all of our friends," she smiled a little shyly, "we'll be there for you. When you think you can't handle it, don't stress it. We'll be here for you."

How could you say such a thing to me? Itachi thought, his hands starting to feel numb. Why would you ever say something like that? It just felt like he owed her now, owed all of them. In a way he did, but he felt like he would never be able to pay back their kindness—pay back Asagi's kindness. He wasn't the only one suffering in the world, but she... cared. She cared that he was hurting, even when his story wasn't particularly uncommon. Sad stories tended to be prevalent in real life.

No one should have really cared.

But she did.

Unless she was an expert and masking her true feelings, she did.

At that moment, another woman sat down next to Asagi, beaming. "Is that you, Shimizu-san? I haven't seen you in weeks!"

"Oh! Rifuta-san, hello!" Asagi turned her attention to the newcomer.

Rifuta noticed Itachi immediately. "Oh...! Is this your...?"

"Oh, no," Asagi laughed a little nervously, "It's not like that, Rifuta-san. He is a good friend of mine, and nothing more."

"Ah, I see! Forgive me for assuming," Rifuta apologized to both of them; Itachi nodded—he was glad that there was at least one polite Konoha-born woman in this city, if her city accent was anything to go by. She was a refreshing change from the ladies at the market. She talked mostly to Asagi, and Itachi kept an eye on Shogo while they talked, Izuna sleeping soundly in the sling. It was time for his afternoon nap, and the park's atmosphere was calm today.

He listened with one ear to them until Rifuta brought up something that piqued his interest.

"Say, Shimizu-san, do you ever plan on enrolling Shogo-kun to school? He's nearly six, isn't he? The perfect age to start kindergarten."

"Oh, er..." Asagi smiled, trying to deflect the question. She looked down at her hands instead of Rifuta's piercing stare. "I do want to—and he wants to as well—but I'm afraid I don't have the money to enroll him. My only income right now is the refugee's stipend, which I'm currently saving. Once my baby is born, I'll get a job, and hopefully be able to raise enough for him to stay at least a term at the local schoolhouse."

She's tight on money. Of course. Itachi didn't show any sign of hearing them talk about the delicate subject. Asagi was solely responsible for Shogo, who wasn't even six yet, and in a few months time, she would be blessed with a baby son or daughter. She would have two mouths to feed, and she would have to take up a job to make sure they got an education when her body would still be recovering after a birth...

When Rifuta was gone, Asagi let out a deep, drawn-out sigh before lifting her arms up and stretching.

"Asagi-san?"

"Oh? O-Oh, sorry, was I ignoring you? I'm sorry, Itachi, but she wouldn't let up."

He shook her head. He didn't care about that. "The school semester's only recently started. Sho-kun's smart—he'll be able to catch up even with the others getting a head start."

Asagi stared at him confusedly before going wide-eyed with horror and... a glimmer of hope. "I-Itachi... You can't possibly...!"

"It takes a village to raise a child," he quoted. "I may not be a village, but I'll do everything I can to make sure that Sho-kun has a good life."

She held his gaze. Then she crumbled, burying her face in her hands and weeping. "Thank you," she choked, "thank you, Itachi."

A seagull flew overhead as the sun rose over the horizon, turning the sky pink and purple. It squawked as it was joined by more gulls, and then dived toward the ocean before pulling up again in a peculiar display.

Leaning against the deck railing, Deidara yawned, feeling the brush of the sea wind against her face. For now, there was nothing but ocean, but in a few hours, land would be visible.

She took another look at the list that Fatso had given her.

Inuzuka Tsume, hm? Deidara read the rest of the names, even though she had done so many times already. The name Inuzuka Tsume meant nothing to her, but she had no doubt it would soon. She turned her back against the railing, blowing her hair out of the way, a ball of nerves twisting in her belly.

She hoped that this Inuzuka Tsume wouldn't judge the dark bags under her eyes.

She hadn't slept well last night.

Over and over, she found herself back in the cell. Only Suigetsu and Juugo hadn't rescued her—had merely walked past and left her to rot—left her to become nothing but a puppet of that bastard Kabuto.

He'd healed all her wounds only to cut more into her skin, until she was nothing but an unrecognizable patchwork of flesh and limbs.

Shivering, Deidara squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her arms, assuring herself that it was only the wind that sent goosebumps up her bicep. From the sleeve of her new shirt—she'd gotten baggier clothes with her new income—a clay centipede crawled out and wrapped itself comfortingly around her arm like a sleeve with many legs.

Briefly, she envisioned tossing a C3—or even a C4—into the waters and watching it detonate, sending an explosive geyser spraying up into the air before a great, gushing whirlpool formed, so vast that even the ferry would be sucked into the vortex and left to rot on the seabed. Danna would call her crazy, and he wouldn't be the only one.

She supposed she was a little crazy, though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

A part of her wanted to see the world go to hell for all the hell it had put her through.

I think Fatso might have been a little too hasty in picking me for the job, hm. If she were to be honest with herself, Deidara was probably the last person she would have picked if she were in Fatso's position. Empathy was something required a great deal in this assignment, and she wasn't sure if she could produce that—especially when she knew that their suffering and her own might not necessarily click. What had she even cared for anyway, before all this? Her art, her taijutsu, her friends... She'd lived a self-centered life. Her heart had already had no place for strangers before the torturous journey to Konoha—who was to say that it had any room for more now, especially how much it had hardened overtime?

She must have been standing there longer than expected, for the first sign of land appeared as people started to trickle out of their cabins, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"Good morning," a woman murmured to Deidara.

Deidara gave a two-fingered salute in return. "Yo."

The boat docked half-an-hour later, and the crew members directed the passengers off in a neat and orderly fashion. All around her, Deidara was jostled by luggage and limbs, but she was too tired to care. After three hours of light sleep, she found that there was little she could care about at the moment.

I must look like a damn mess. Scowling, Deidara tightened her ponytail. Let's just get this over and done with.

So Deidara took her hardened heart and stalked into town with a sour mood and a sour expression that morphed into bored, languid indifference when she left the docks for the small town. What was it called? Ah, yes—Sickleleaf Town, named for their peculiar trees, which bore fang-shaped leaves. At least the food was good, as far as she could tell, but she had never been too picky. Strangely, though, it reminded her a little of Iwa-style food—warm, hearty, and meaty with plenty of sauces and soups.

The citizens of Sickleleaf Town were just starting their day, and merchants called out to her—an obvious foreigner—when they caught sight of her. She ignored all of them—all she wanted to do was interview Tsume and leave this cursed town (the town that reminded her too much of home) as soon as possible.

She didn't know what she was thinking when she stopped for a puppet show.

They weren't even real puppets—puppets like Danna's killing machines, which could cut a man in several pieces using several extendable blades. No, these were hand puppets, and a small crowd of village children were gathered around the entertainment box, watching a male puppet comically beat another male puppet with a club.

She hated to admit it but...

It almost reminds me of Iwa's theater... Hmph. I should go. Deidara forced her feet to keep moving, but not before she realized the belt she wore around her waist—the one which her clay pouches and other things hung upon—suddenly felt lighter. "Son of a bitch!" she hissed as she checked all of her pouches. Her clay was still there, but...

Somehow, her money purse had been snatched off of the belt without her noticing. She glared at the back of the heads of the children, wondering if one of those brats had done it. But they were still engrossed in their puppet show, laughing and pointing with glee at the appropriate times.

That was all the money she had borrowed from Fatso—it was worth a whole two weeks' worth of lodging. Ignoring the shocked gasps around her, Deidara jumped onto the roof of a low-standing building, scanning for any suspicious figures.

She found one.

"GET BACK HERE!" Deidara bellowed as she spotted a lithe figure—clearly male, despite the narrow build—running down the cobblestone path. She ran along the rooftops, unwilling to let the thief escape.

When I catch you, she vowed hatefully, I'll skin you alive, you brat! That's a promise, yeah!

Then the so-called brat had the audacity to turn around, pull down his furry hood, and show her his face, sticking out his tongue in a taunting manner—

And Deidara almost stumbled when she found herself looking at a male version of Hana.

A/N: GUESS WHO AYY?