The library was warm, and though drinks were prohibited, Karin had managed to sneak in a thermos full of hot chocolate anyway, contentedly drinking from it as she idly flipped through a fantasy tale.

It was a good thing she hadn't drank so much at last night's party, or else she wouldn't have been able to get up at the crack of dawn for moments like these. From the vertical windows, she could see the sun rising over the horizon, spreading its light across the city.

Karin smiled to herself. In Uzushio City, where she now lived with Naruto and Kushina, the sun rose a little differently, and she often woke up to the sights of golden rays over the ocean. The change in scenery was doing wonders for her peace of mind.

Everything was good. The monsters were no longer of any of her concern, and she was admittedly quite fond of Naruto and Kushina now. It was almost like having roommates, except those roommates loved you unconditionally and took the effort not to leave the toilet seat up after use (or Kushina did, at least. Naruto was a wild beast when it came to hygiene and sensibilities, and both Uzumaki women were still working on taming him).

A footfall reached her ears, and Karin looked up from her book to see another woman come around a tall bookshelf, looking haggard. They made eye contact for a moment before the strange woman stalked across to the other side of the open area and plopped down into a beanbag. Behind her glasses, Karin's eyes gleamed when she noticed the tome spread out across the woman's lap—a medical textbook, and a thick one at that.

Normally, Karin didn't consider herself a very social creature, but her interest had been piqued. "Are you a medical student?" she asked, head tilting curiously when the brown-haired woman's head snapped up, eyes wide.

"I..." The brunette's throat bobbed. "I want to be, yes."

"Ah." Karin gave a nod. "Konoha's medical programs are top notch, but only if you know where to study." People often said that the Hokage was a ruthless mentor in the medical arts, but an efficient one. Highly trained medics such as Sakura and Shizune were churned out at a slow but steady flow thanks to Tsunade's teachings.

"Mm." The haggard woman smiled a little sadly. "That's good to hear. Maybe then my dreams had some merit."

Karin frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh... Sorry, it's a long story."

"I've got time." The red-haired girl looked at the window, where the sun was climbing in the sky.

"We're strangers. I could be dangerous."

"No." She shook her head. "If you were dangerous, I'd know. I'm a sensor."

The brown-haired woman's chakra didn't feel dangerous at all. In fact, it was almost harmless, feeling too flat and defeated to be of any danger.

"... I'm Hana. Just Hana."

"Uzumaki Karin. I'm pretty interested in medical arts myself, heh." It was too bad Sasuke didn't seem to appreciate her talents.

"Oh! From Uzushio City?" A nod from Karin had Hana's eyes widening a little. "I've always wanted to go there. Ever since I heard the stories of the old Uzushiogakure Island, I..." She lowered her gaze. "Sorry, that was insensitive."

Karin snorted. "Don't be, seriously. Everything happened before I was even born anyway."

The majority of the original Uzushio population had been wiped out due to a mysterious disease that had rampaged their island. The small handful of Uzushio descendants that had survived were either already living on the mainland or had vacated there before they caught the pathogen. New Uzushio hadn't been able to be promoted to nationhood, and had instead been swallowed and integrated by Konohagakure. Uzushio City was the last remnant of Uzushiogakure's culture, a sprawling city in Konohagakure's north-east ruled by Old Uzushio's descendants.

"If you're sure." Hana cleared her throat.

Then she began to speak.

Sasori had never been good with alcohol. Sake, beer, whiskey—he wasn't a lightweight, but it was best for him to drink with moderation. But when the first sip of sake hit the back of his throat, he was suddenly transported to a time that he had almost forgotten—the night he had drank with Deidara on the rooftops of Akatsuki, talking about nonsense like war flags and colors—

He remembered, with a blink, that her favorite color was forest green.

Konan tossed more paper into the fire, which was contained in a metal barrel. Their shelter was a nondescript warehouse on the outskirts of town. A bad reputation for being haunted had the townspeople keeping away from it.

If someone had bothered to look inside tonight, they would have seen a most peculiar sight—Konan and Sasori sitting around the squat barrel, warming their hands; Sai was gagged and bound, abandoned to the cold in the corner. He had not yet woken up, judging by the steady flow of his chakra.

"What did you find?" Sasori sounded uninterested as he focused on the flickering flame, holding his hands close to it.

Konan threw a scroll, a notebook, and a calligraphy brush that had been used very often at his feet. "Aside from your usual weapons, these. It's..." Frowning, she pursed her lips. "Unusual. Especially for a ROOT member."

The alcohol had warmed him up enough, so he neglected the rest in his metal cup. Intrigued, Sasori unrolled the scroll, feeling his stomach lurch at the sight of Sai's impeccable artwork. What the hell is this supposed to be? He angled it back and forth, as if disbelieving the sight. Then he glanced over at Sai, who was still unconscious.

Konan inched forward. "Is something wrong?"

"... Nothing important." At her skeptical look, he added pointedly, "Nothing that would be detrimental to your mission anyway. Or mine. You still have some explaining to do, Konan-san."

"Patience," she soothed. "I will when the others arrive. They should be here soon."

For the meantime, Sasori busied himself with the unnervingly accurate depiction of Yamanaka Ino that Sai had been carrying around on his person all this time. At first glance, he had thought it to be Deidara, but a closer examination had him thinking otherwise. The woman's face was sharper, and her bangs were drawn to partially cover the right side of her face, not the left.

But still, Sasori felt a chill settle around him. Had Sai met Ino before? What was the meaning of this? He snapped the scroll shut and checked Sai's notebook instead. There were various drawings and sketches of all sorts of things, but Ino seemed to be a popular subject. Sai had drawn her from all sorts of angles, as if to capture every delicate detail about her.

Konan was shoving the cork back in the sake bottle when the metal doors slid open with little sound. Konan had taken the time to oil it prior to this. Moonlight spilled into the room like silver water, and two unfamiliar figures entered the room. One was tall and bulky, the other lither with less muscle definition.

"Juugo. Suigetsu." She beckoned them over with a friendly wave, and it was then Sasori got a good look at their faces.

Where have I seen them before?

He turned away.

"Welcome back," Konan was saying as they Juugo and Suigetsu sat down around the barrel fire. "This is Sasori-san. He'll be working with me for the meantime."

"Whatever you say." One of them—the smaller man with white hair—leaned forward, giving Sasori a crooked smile that revealed his filed teeth. His interest piqued a little, Sasori side-eyed him, deducing that he must have been Kiri-born. No other country churned out men with sharp teeth like his. Unless he had them modified somehow, which was unlikely. "The name's Suigetsu. You must be pretty good if Konan-san decided to pick you up."

Sasori ignored the compliment, asking, "Are you her subordinates?"

"Subordinates?" Suigetsu scoffed. "Hardly. We're just helping a lady out, y'know?"

"I see. Subordinates it is."

Suigetsu frowned, though he just ended up exhaling a halfhearted sigh when he saw the barely noticeable smirk on Sasori's otherwise inexpressive face.

Juugo, who hadn't said a word thus far, merely smiled at the interaction.

"Hey, Konan-san, is that sake?"

Konan cocked a brow. "Don't even bother. You're still a minor."

"We're in war; I doubt that people will even care—"

She smacked his reaching hand away. "Child. Don't test me."

"Since we're all here," Sasori ignored Suigetsu's displeased muttering. "Why don't we start discussing what we're going to do from here?" He shot a scrutinizing gaze at the younger pair. "Unless they're going to be liabilities."

It happened in the blink of an eye, like a recurring nightmare coming back to haunt him from the umpteenth time. A surprised hiss escaped between Sasori's teeth as vines burst forth and spiral toward him, water that looked like it could cut spinning along with the hellish tendrils.

There were three seals on Sasori—two from Danzo and one from the ANBU Commander. The Commander obviously had ins with Danzo; Sasori's ANBU tattoo, which was inked on his upper arm, was a variation of the standard ANBU seal that allowed for a distinct chakra connection between all members of the force. Unlike the norm, however, his seal also allowed for a connection between his fellow ROOT members. The seal on his Zetsu arm was meant to suppress his instinct to disassemble it and use it as a weapon; if he wanted to use it, he'd have to channel a substantial amount of chakra into it.

The last seal was certainly a bother... though not enough to limit his options.

Anyway, there was something missing from the sudden assault.

So Sasori merely stood still, as if his hairs weren't standing on end.

The vines stopped right in front of his face, and the water splashed onto the floor, only wetting his shoes.

There'd been no killing intent.

"Is that enough for you?" Suigetsu smirked. Juugo's vines retracted back to his body, twirling until it was an arm again.

"Look down," Sasori instructed, keeping his gaze fixed on them. "Eyes only, or you'll cut your jugular."

Suigetsu did, eyes widening. "What the fuck—?!"

A poisoned-covered blade was held at their throats, an unseen puppet having sneaked up behind them during their demonstration.

"Kkhh..." Sasori let out a breath, a smile—most certainly not a kind one—growing on his face. "You should make sure not to abuse such a crutch. You think you're hot shit or something? You're not the only monsters around. But unlike you," his cloak rippled as he revealed his artificial appendage to them, "I'm not a one trick pony."

"Bullshit!" the white-haired boy blurted out. "We would have killed you before you even—"

"You're wearing out my patience. Are you sure you want to test me again?"

"Who even are you?!"

Akasuna no Sasori. But he had abandoned that moniker long ago; that man had long died. "Me? I'm just a man from Ame."

Konan sighed, though there was the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Stand down, Suigetsu-san. You won't win against him. Besides—we're all allies here."

Huffing and crossing his arms, Suigetsu glared at Sasori. "He sure doesn't act like it."

"If I weren't your ally, you'd be dead by now."

"Is that a threat? And don't you dare say it's a promise."

Sasori shrugged, his puppet backing away with its blade. "It's neither. Rather, it's an uncomfortable truth." He looked to Konan. "Enough of this. Tell me what's going on."

"It's a long story." Konan frowned. "I'll give you the abridged version of things. I am not a spy for Tsuki. Rather, it's the opposite—I'm Nagato's second-in-command." She paused, realizing something. "It's the Ame Emperor's real name. 'Pein' is used to strike fear into the hearts of enemies."

"Before you continue," Sasori interrupted. "Who instigated this war?"

She blinked. "Kaguya, of course. How could you not know that?"

Just as I thought the first time. Not hearing her disbelief, Sasori thought about the conversation he had had with the old witch-woman in Rootbell Town. So why does she so insistent that it's the opposite? Senility? That's too convenient... Not to mention, her grandson seems to be under the same impression that it was 'Nagato' who declared war on Kaguya.

"Moving on," Konan continued when she never received an answer from him. "You're going to have to take my word for this, because it will sound impossible."

In this world, nothing is impossible, he silently argued, glancing down at his arm.

"We are in war with Tsuki... because their leader, Empress Kaguya, intends on taking over the world."

Sasori blinked once. Twice. A bit cliche, but it made sense; she would have to work hard on that, though. Once the other nations caught wind of this, they wouldn't be happy. Unless...

"She's already reaching out for allies, promising them power. The last report I received—from another spy, who is now dead—was that Tsuki diplomats are already on their way to Sunagakure." Konan let out a frustrated breath. "That's not the most concerning part, however. She does not intend on sharing her rule with the other nations; an alliance with her will only ever be considered if they remain in the dark about her methods."

At that, Suigetsu and Juugo tensed. They had heard this story before.

"Some weeks before the war started," Konan lowered her gaze, a shroud of sadness enveloping her slight body, "Yahiko—a... friend of Nagato and I—traveled to Tsukigakure to propose a treaty. He never sought anything but peace with the other nations... At that point, we'd already gone everywhere else, and our negotiations with the other nations were going well. But then..." She blinked, her eyes cloudy as if she were looking at something far away. "He never came back from his diplomacy mission. His last report to us was an SOS as well as a report on Kaguya's background, ancestry, and intentions, acquired from a member of the Kaguya's branch family.

"I was sent for recon as Yaobami-san. But someone ratted me out," she frowned at Sai, "Someone with the same affiliation as that boy."

Sasori's brow lowered. "You spoke with ROOT members?"

"Konoha and Ame are allies in this war. Or did you forget that as well?"

"You fool!"

It was as it thunder had cracked in the room, leaving every individual shocked with their hackles raised.

To her credit, Konan did not spare him a reaction, her face unreadable. Obviously, she had come to the same conclusion as him long ago; and she had learned it the hard way—ROOT were not to be trusted, even if they were Konoha.

He supposed he couldn't entirely blame her—she really couldn't have known the treachery of that organization.

Sasori didn't need to berate her for this—that would be a waste of time. "Who did you speak to?"

"Their leader, Danzo-san. I made the mistake of not realizing how deeply their corruption ran. But surely..." She looked out the one of the high windows where moonlight spilled in, pensive. "That doesn't mean Konoha has turned on us, does it? I refuse to believe it."

That's probably not the case, no. The Hokage is too soft for that; Konoha is always preaching righteousness from their asses. Gears turned in Sasori's head. Then is it just Danzo? What the hell is his game in this? Is he working for Kaguya? But Danzo was one of Konoha's most trusted councilmen. He already had substantial power. It is the nature of men to hunger for more.

Konan shook her head. "My mission was to infiltrate Tsukigakure. But now that my cover's been blown, I'll be killed on sight if I even attempt to enter. I have no doubt Kaguya's already begun exacting her final moves against Konoha."

"Ko... Konoha? What about Tsuki?"

"Us?" A bitter smirk was twisted on her features. "We're nothing. Just a distraction. A thorn in her side by pure chance; only because Yahiko poked his nose where it didn't belong. For an island nation, Tsukigakure is very powerful. Their forces are overwhelming ours—it is only thanks to Konoha that we're even resisting at this point. But no. We're not the prize. The real prize... is Konohagakure. Once Kaguya has swayed at least two of the other nations to her side, she will gather her remaining forces alongside them to invade Konohagakure. I am certain of that much."

"Iwa and Suna," Sasori hypothesized. "Out of the Great Nations, they have the most reason to attack Konoha."

"Indeed. Also, Kumo are generally neutral, but they've had at least one major incident with Konoha from many years ago. If Kaguya plays her cards right, she'll have those three nations in her palm. And if that happens..." She grimaced. "All hope is lost."

"But why Konoha?" Suigetsu spoke for the first time for a while. It was evident that Konan had not divulged this part to them yet. Juugo nodded with him, also wanting to know. "Do Tsuki have history with Konoha, too?"

"I... No, I don't think so. Not that I can recall. They've mostly stayed clear of one another, despite the island being just an ocean away. All I know is this: Konoha's lands are the most fertile."

It was a vague metaphor at best.

"Huh..." Suigetsu hummed thoughtfully. "Wonder what the hell that means..."

"So what are you going to do now?" Sasori questioned. "What's your backup plan?"

"I have others on my side," she informed him. "People in Suna and Iwa to stall the negotiations with Tsuki. But for myself... I'm relying on rumors and legends. But who's to say they aren't true? The last known man with ties to the samurai—"

Sasori stiffened. Don't tell me...

"—was Hatake Sakumo." Konan's stare pierced into his soul. "He murdered your parents and committed suicide after to regain his honor."

"Honor?" Sasori scoffed, venom dripping from his voice. "Don't make me laugh. Though I assume you have a reason for bringing this up."

"It is laughable, isn't it? Especially to those who do not understand the ways of the samurai. According to Bushido, a way that a samurai can regain his honor is by committing seppuku. Before the samurai isolated themselves entirely from Konoha and disappeared, a new code was added. Anyone of good character wronged by a samurai means that every other samurai in existence are obliged to repay their debt. They are like a family, you see. The family is always more important than the individual."

At first he considered the notion. Then, at last, Sasori said plainly, "I am not an honorable man. They would never accept me, even if I begged." And if it ever came to that... would I ever allow myself to do such a thing? Even now...

"You speak of your past. And it is true—they will not. Not at first, at least. But that's only because they are not aware of your present. I am not so closed off from the world. I've heard news of your trial, and you've been practically acquitted by the Hokage. That has to mean something. Sasori-san—I'm asking for your help."

"Enough." Sasori's gaze slid to the corner of the room. "He's awake."

Even though it was dark—the moon and the barrel fire being their only source of light which didn't stretch too far—and he had a cloth stuffed inside his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue off in a suicide move, Sasori could have sworn that Sai was smiling at them in that horrible, plastic way of his.

Deidara awoke to a pounding headache and a desert in her mouth. Hangover. Shit. Groaning, she rolled out of bed, grumbling when the blankets got tangled around her leg. Her prosthetic leg was propped up against the closet, and she reached for it before realizing it was too far away.

There was a thump as she knocked her elbow on the floor, and then a gentle footfall. The door opened, revealing Chiyo.

"Finally awake, I see," the old lady said, putting her hands on her hips. "There's water in the kitchen, if you're able."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "Thanks."

Chiyo smirked. "Have fun, Deidara-shonen."

"You're more evil than you look, baa-san."

Drinking away your sorrows was never good, Deidara had learned. You always ended up remembering the next morning. But she couldn't help but do it anyway, for that temporary relief.

When she threw up in the toilet, panting, she silently cursed Kisame for pouring her glass after glass. Never again, you stupid shark-man. Once she had rinsed out her mouth, she chugged down multiple glasses of water in the kitchen. Breakfast was waiting for her on the table, and she sent Chiyo a thankful look.

One bowl of porridge and a hot shower later, Deidara was dressed in casual wear—a short sleeved shirt and long pants—and her headache had dulled to a barely noticeable ache.

"Where are you going today?" Chiyo asked.

"Asuma's," she answered, tapping her thigh. "Got to get this checked out, it's been creaky."

She snorted. "With all the running about you do, I'm not surprised. Be sure to visit others, too. I'm sure Rin misses you especially. You haven't seen her since you left for your first client."

"Will do, yeah," Deidara saluted her, a small smile on her face. "Later, baa-san."

Deidara took it slow on the walk to Asuma's, not wanting to agitate her leg contraption any further, lest it break down and she'd have to suffer the humiliation of hopping the rest of the way to his workshop. Hitoshi would never let her live it down.

She caught a few stares in the Market District, which wasn't too surprising. After Sasori's trial, her face had been plastered all over gossip tabloids. They were all regurgitation of the same old narrative—how she she had been seduced, how she was his immoral lover, how they had fostered a demon child together. It was ridiculous, and she couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh as she passed two gossipy old women.

"That's her," one loudly whispered.

"Poor thing," said the other. "She'll be eating for two now."

They scuttled away when she sent them a frosty glare, her lip curling.

Seriously, do these people really have nothing better to do? she thought, her temper flaring up faster than ever. And I thought Akatsuki's grapevine was impressive.

"Ehh? Deidara-nee-chan?" She turned at the sound of her name to the sight of Konohamaru holding plastic bags. Asuma had sent him out on a grocery run again, it seemed. "It is you! Long time no see, huh?"

"Konohamaru-kun, right?" Deidara smiled at him, amused at the sight of the boy with multiple bags hanging off his arms. From the look of it, snacks made up most of the purchase.

"Yep! I'm surprised you remembered."

She chuckled. "I'm not that forgetful, kid. Do you want me to help you with those? From here, it looks like there's more bags than boy, hm."

Konohamaru grinned sheepishly. "Could you, kore? Thanks!"

She took the majority, leaving Konohamaru with only two bags as they walked to Asuma's together.

"So what have you been up to?" she asked.

"Eh, not much. School, mostly. I'll never get used to it, but it's actually kinda fun, kore." He scrunched up his nose. "It'd be better if Moegi and Udon were in the same class as me. What about you, Deidara-nee-chan? I heard you went somewhere."

Deidara hummed. "You heard right, hm. It was just a job thing in the islands. Nothing special." Or it wasn't supposed to be anyway. "The weather over there is warmer."

When they arrived, it was only to the sight of Hitoshi sitting hunched over one of the workbenches and working on something fiddly. He looked up. "Yo. Asuma's gone out to the side for a smoke."

"Again?!" Konohamaru huffed. "I told him to stop doing that, kore!"

"Did you really expect him to listen?" Hitoshi rolled his eyes. "Hey, explosion-bitch."

"Yes, meat-head?"

"Take a seat or something; he'll be back soon."

She did, dropping the bags off to the side. Konohamaru followed suit before hopping over to Hitoshi. "What'cha doin'?"

"None of ya business, kid, that's what I'm doing!"

"Come on," Deidara called as she got comfortable on the single patient bed, rolling up her left pant leg. Hitoshi gave her an annoyed stare, but she was unfazed. "No need to be a an uptight asshole about everything, hm. He was just asking a question."

At that moment, the door opened once more, and a wind blasted through the workshop. Hitoshi shouted as his clumsy hands jostled the glass which he had so carefully rearranged, sending it spraying across the floor.

A photo frame? Deidara blinked at the peculiar sight, spotting the wooden frame when Hitoshi bent over to retrieve the glass. The oaf must have shattered it. Typical.

"A-A-Asuma-shishou!" Hitoshi began to sweat, trying to cover the sight with his large bulk. "Already done?"

"Yeah." Asuma looked around. "What's going on here? Deidara-san? Konohamaru-kun?"

Konohamaru decided to play the brat. "This big lug broke your picture, kore!"

"You brat! I was trying to fix it before you interrupted me!"

Thankfully for Hitoshi, Asuma didn't seem too bothered about the wanton destruction ("It was an accident, not deliberate!") of his property. He nudged Hitoshi aside and picked up the photograph that had been left undamaged. "Throw this in the trash," he instructed Hitoshi. "Don't hurt yourself, pal."

"Y-yeah..."

As Hitoshi ambled off into the back room, Konohamaru grabbing one of his newly bought snacks, Asuma tucked the photo into his shirt pocket. He washed his hands before putting on gloves and grabbing his tools. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Nothing huge," Deidara reassured him, stretching out her leg toward him. She made a thoughtful sound. "I've just been straining it a little too much, hm. Do you think you could do something about it?"

"I can certainly try." Asuma cocked an eyebrow. "But do I even want to ask what you were up to with this?"

She snorted derisively. "It's a long story."

Asuma knelt to remove her prosthetic; the photo slid out of his pocket, but he didn't notice, too engrossed on examining the outer damage—there were small dents where Akamaru had bit down on.

When his back was turned, she picked it up, staring at it curiously. Holy shit. She's beautiful. A black-haired woman with eyes that reminded Deidara of Itachi's Sharingan was smiling at her, the smile reminding her of a gentle ray of sunshine. There was a little girl in a puffy dress that stood close to the woman, the top of her head barely reaching her hips. The child was beaming at the camera as she hugged her mother's leg. This must be his family. Deidara snuck a glance at Asuma, who was opening his toolbox. She never would have suspected that he had had a family of his own. He just seemed so much like one of those life-long bachelors.

Asuma made a few tweaks before deciding that it was good enough. "It should be good to go now—ah."

"Ah," Deidara echoed, returning the photo to him. "Your wife and kid?"

He grinned. "Absolutely. Haven't seen 'em in a while, though."

"Why not?" Divorce, maybe?

In the backdrop, she was vaguely aware of Konohamaru throwing a biscuit at the back of Hitoshi's head, but she was more focused on how Asuma's countenance seemed to dim a little.

"When I married Kurenai," Deidara sat up straighter at the name, "we decided to raise Mirai outside of the city. We bought a house in a small town to the east, where she was born. It was going fine until..." Asuma sighed heavily as he fixed the prosthetic to the stump of her leg. "The war started. Those living in smaller country towns aren't as lucky as those in big cities like this. The men are conscripted into war; if they refused, they would face capital punishment. It's an outdated law, but it hasn't been rewritten yet."

Mirai? Mirai. Her name is Mirai... "I see. How did you escape, hm?"

"Pure luck on my side. The Third Hokage is my father, you see, so when I heard the news, I came back to the city and this shop, which my father left for me. So long as I'm residing here and paying my taxes, it'd be fine. But I couldn't take them with me. My shop is the only thing I have here. I have no house. No other land. Just the shop. At this point, I'm just waiting for the war to stop or until I make enough money to buy a place to live."

Deidara considered him, meeting his gaze evenly. "You could start by not wasting money on your cigarette habit, hm."

He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "You sound just like her. I stopped when Mirai was born, but old habits die hard. The stress started getting to me when I came back to this shithole, and I'm pushing through a pack a day now."

It was a struggle not to let a knowing smile slide across her lips as she thought about the list that Fatso had given her. It hadn't been a very long list; he'd been aiming for quality rather than quantity. And if Kurenai was the same one who was scrawled beneath Inuzuka Tsume's name—

"If I ever see her," Deidara started. "Do you want me to pass on a message?"

Asuma paused. Then— "Tell her that even if it takes a long time, I'll come back to her. Even if Mirai is already grown up by then, even if she doesn't recognize me anymore, I'll be happy with them. Because they're my family."

"You..." Deidara let out a small laugh, one that wasn't meant to deride. It almost sounded bitter, but she went on swiftly, "I'll make sure she knows if we meet, hm."

Family.

Deidara left the store with a cheery wave back, even if the wind bit into her skin.

Okaa-san.

Kou.

Otou-san.

... Kurotsuchi.

My family...

Asuma was a lucky man, she decided.

In the library, Karin and Hana had talked until the afternoon after finding out that they actually did have quite a lot in common. After Hana had shared her story, the atmosphere had become heavier before lightening once more, like a rainbow coming out after a storm.

"It's that intense?" Hana's jaw practically dropped when Karin told her of Konoha's medical program.

"When you're competing for an opportunity to study under the Hokage, it has to be." Karin grimaced. "At least, that's what I've heard. There'll be many..."

A girl with dull purple hair huffed as she heaved dough onto the flour-covered bench, her hair unevenly cut—one side was short, the other long. "Otou-saaaan! I have another batch ready!"

"... who have dropped out with nobody else to blame but themselves."

She grumbled, brushing her hair out of her face. "Otou-san! Hurry up!"

When her father still didn't come, she could have screamed in frustration. Leaving the dough on the table, she marched over to the window, and slammed them open. Chest heaving, she breathed in the fresh air that chilled her skin.

Her rage disappeared, as if the wind had carried it away as she looked out upon the town without men, where only downtrodden women roamed now. When her anger was gone, there was nothing left, merely hollow disappointment in her chest.

"When," Ami asked aloud, her eyes at half-mast, "Did everything become like this?"

The Town Without Men would have been a fitting nickname.

But Ami thought it was more like the Town Without Color.

The refugee center was just as Deidara remembered it. It was a plain building with a single entrance blocked by double-doors. The florist next door was bright with pinks and greens, and it was there she found Rin. She was watering the plants on display, a content expression on her face.

"Oi!" Deidara lifted an arm. "Rin!"

She looked up. "Deidara!"

The two women embraced tightly, Deidara chuckling into her shoulder. "Did you get my letters?"

"I received them yesterday." Rin swatted her arm, letting out an exasperated sigh. "It sounded really dangerous over there! That old woman didn't try anything, did she? Is Kiba safe?"

"She didn't, and he's fine, yeah." The blonde woman glanced at the florist, admiring the sight. "Ne, I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

Rin looked around. "My boss is out for lunch. Why don't we just sit and talk for a while? I'll bring some juice."

Five minutes later, they were sitting on the front step of the florist, a cucumber sandwich sitting on a plate set between them. It was cut into two triangles—one for each of them.

"How are you?" Rin asked as Deidara bit into her sandwich, chewing slowly. "You seem a little down." Her gaze grew concerned. "Deidara?"

She swallowed. "It's a long story," she said for the second time that day.

The older woman smiled. "I have time to listen."

Deidara held her cup of juice up to her mouth, hesitating. Then she took a sip, put it down, and reluctantly she said, "I'll tell you. But first," she stared blankly at the ground, "I need to ask you something, hm." At Rin's nod, she continued, sounding calmer than she had expected, "Could you ever forgive yourself for killing your own family?"

"I... Where is this coming from?"

There was no point in beating around the bush. "During my stay in Sickleleaf Town, I was reunited with my brother. He was a misunderstood madman at best, hm. When we were younger, I abandoned him to die so I could save myself. And then... I killed him again to save a boy I barely knew, hm. Objectively, it was probably the best choice, but..." Deidara exhaled sharply, tearing another chunk out of her sandwich. "He was family." The only one I had left at that point.

A heavy silence stretched between them.

"What happened in the past?" Rin inquired eventually.

It wasn't quite the response Deidara had been expecting. She blinked, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Nothing that important. There was a fire, and we were trapped. The building collapsed, and as soon as he disappeared from my sight, I ran for it, hm."

"Did you ever mourn?"

What?

"Did you ever mourn?" the brown-haired woman repeated.

"I got over it," Deidara answered, her voice tight. I'm already mourning. There's not a day that goes by that I'm not thinking about the people that didn't make it to Konoha.

"That wasn't what I was asking." Solemnly, Rin turned her head to the side to meet her gaze. "When Obito died," Deidara stiffened at the mention of her late friend, "It was not a convenient time for grief. I was forced to bottle it up for the sake of not hindering survival. But when we finally arrived in Konoha, everything caught up to me. Most of the time, I felt like I was going to die from the crushing weight in my heart." Her voice broke a little, and she cleared her throat. "If I didn't have my children... if I didn't have you, Itachi-san, Kakashi-kun, and everyone else... I think I would have. Even now, I find myself not knowing where to go or what to do anymore, even after mourning."

Deidara swallowed a lump in her throat, an uncomfortable weight settling in her stomach.

"So I can't imagine," Rin uttered, "What it would be like to hold it in for so many years. Deidara—did you mourn for your brother when you thought he died? What about your mother? Your father?"

"They have nothing to do with this!" she abruptly burst out, feeling as if hands were wrapped around her throat and choking her. Suddenly needing something to do, she picked up her glass and drained the rest of her juice.

Rin stared at her. Then she closed her eyes, a defeated smile on her face. "Then that's fine. Just know this: The situation with the boy and your brother... You did the right thing, for him and yourself. It feels terrible, but it would feel even worse if you let that boy die. I'm certain of that." Rin glanced up at the grey clouds that were slowly giving way to blue sky. "In a way, you've become a soldier."

A soldier? "What makes you say that, hm?" She tried to sound lighthearted, as if the notion weren't tearing her up on the inside. "I'm just a glorified civilian." If anyone was a soldier, it would have to be Sasori no Danna.

"Because a true soldier doesn't kill what's in front of them because they want to." Rin dipped her chin. "They do it to protect what's behind them."

Deidara said nothing.

"What are you doing?"

"Maa, how could I ignore a lost puppy?"

"Next you'll be naming him."

"I'm thinking 'Pakkun'."

"You are an odd fellow, Kakashi."

A/N: The Bushido I made slight alterations for my own purposes. This is a transition chapter, but I made sure to drop important plot devices everywhere. We'll be getting back to the meat and fat of the story soon...