Hi readers! There is a note for you all at the end of this chapter which is a *spoiler* for readers of my other story 'A Wiser Generation', so you can ignore it if you'd like. I really enjoyed writing this chapter as it gives me room to move away into a small arc that focuses and builds Michiko and Kakashi's relationship (FINALLY).

Enjoy!

Three days later…

Kakashi has spent a considerable amount of time hunched in the Anbu records, trying to figure out why there is no file on Michiko's case.

Hokage-sama gave direct orders in front of him to three masked Anbu, ordering them to keep watch over Michiko's apartment on her return. Kakashi had personally gone to her apartment and checked whether they were present.

He had sensed them himself.

But there is no record of any such orders being given. There is no suggestion on Michiko's file even to say that she has returned to Konoha.

Odd.

Frustrated he tosses the folder across the floor and hits the shelf opposite him with a 'thwack'. It is the only sound in the silent, dingy basement. He glares at the folder with his single eye and breathes heavily as he attempts to calm the wave of frustration that has overtaken him.

What no one tells you about being a jounin is how much, over time, your paranoia of losing your friends grows.

Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, he stretches his limbs and ponders over the absence of the autopsy report as well. Anbu had shown up to collect the body. Had they lost it?

No…That can't be possible. A lost body would have shown up in the records.

That is because before a body is collected, a scroll is marked and taken from Anbu, meaning the record for a body exists when its collection has been marked, before it is brought back. According to the records, no scrolls were taken for the collection of any bodies that day.

Mah…What kind of bullshit is this?

Was Kirigakure so deeply entrenched in Konoha that they had members inside the Anbu?

The thought crosses Kakashi's mind several times. It is primarily why he is here right now. At Michiko's apartment, some of the Anbu had seemed too silent. Their masks were familiar, as was their chakra, but something told Kakashi that they were not truly Konoha's Anbu.

It just doesn't make any sense.

Pushing himself up, Kakashi collects his discarded flak jacket from the corner and picks up the file as well.

"Michiko, Michiko. What is going on?" He sings lowly to himself, going over the details he has noted down of the two bodies in her apartment. 'One had a hole through his chest. Michiko had no blood on her arms- at least not enough to suggest she had made that wound herself.'

He slips on his jacket and tucks the folder inside his jacket. He is more sure than before that someone else was with Michiko in her apartment; he is definite that something is gravely amiss.

Officially, no Anbu can take any of the files out of the records room, but Kakashi decides now is the best time to bend the rules- it is for the sake of a warranted investigation. As he climbs the stairs out of the dimly lit basement library, he glances over his shoulder to ensure he was in there alone. Confirming his observations, he continues to climb the steps silently. His countenance is concealed behind his mask and forehead protector, for which he is very grateful- not that his facial expressions give much away as it is.

As he emerges out into the main corridor of the Anbu HQ, which is quiet and desolate as usual, he takes a heavy inhale of fresh air.

"That library really stinks like bad drainage." He mumbles, shoving his hands in his pocket as he strides to the door, briefly making eye contact with the bored secretary seated at the front desk. She pays him no mind, so he slips out the door as quietly as he has come.

"That is none of your business, Michiko."

Shisui has hardly imagined that he would be speaking to her in such a tone, but he feels triggered and his lashing out, in his opinion, is not uncalled for.

"Why? I'm as much a member of this village as you are!" She yells back, clenching her fists as she shakes her head, "Why the fuck are you being so defensive?!"

"Because Uchiha business is my business. It's not the fucking village's business. It's not your business. Don't try to interrogate me about things that aren't your place to talk about!"

Angrily, Michiko takes her plate from the table between them and hurls it at the wall, "FINE."

As the plate clatters into several pieces, food stains the mint green paint of the kitchen wall in Shisui's home. Furious, he takes a step forward, although to do what he has no idea.

"Why are you asking me so many questions?" Steeling against her rage with his cold fire, he intimidates Michiko enough for her to take a step back.

"You think I'm stupid that I can't see how different you've been acting?!"

"What would you know about different? You've been gone too long to know what has changed. You think everything would stay the same while you pranced around the shinobi world on your little adventures?"

Michiko's glare is softened by the sting of his tempered words.

"Did you think you would come back here and everything would be the same?" He pushes again, taking another step forward, "You broke a perfectly good plate throwing a stupid bitch fit about something you have no place talking to me about."

Guiltily, Michiko glances at the broken plate and the stain on the wall. She wants to apologise, but it is too late for that. The plate is broken, the food is spilled, and Shisui is enraged.

"Tell me." He says harshly, his eyes wide with anger, "Why are you asking me so many questions?"

That is how Itachi finds them; standing on either side of Shisui's tiny dining table, his chair lying on the floor, hers pushed back almost against the wall. Their hands are in fists, there is food residue on the wall opposite them and Itachi wonders which one of them would be stupid enough to throw a whole plate of food.

"Enough." He says coolly, startling both shinobi out of their rendezvous. "Pick up this mess and sit down. I want to speak to you both."

"Kakashi-kun!" A gentle, chiming voice calls from behind him. Kakashi does not have to look back to recognise who it is, it's Nina; the medic.

She is dressed in a white nurse's apron and looks like she is on her way to the hospital.

"Hello, Nina-kun." He responds pleasantly, slowing down so that she can catch up with him. There is a faint pink blush on her pale cheeks and she smiles brightly as she falls into step with him.

"How are you?" She asks shyly, watching the wry shinobi as he glances down to smile with his single eye at her; at least she guesses that he is smiling- there is not much his face gives away. Hatake Kakashi has that singular sense of charm and magnetism that many women find attractive but getting to him is a whole other game. An impossible one, or so Nina has heard.

"I'm good, Nina-kun. How are you? Off to the Hospital?"

She almost gushes when he proceeds to make conversation with her. "Yes, I'm just on my way to work. I've been keeping well. We're handling the seasonal flu these days- it is so hard to convince civilians they don't need antibiotics!" Nina proceeds to launch into a spiel on the dangers of antibiotics, especially to shinobi who are prone to wounds and dangerous infections quiet often due to their job.

Unfortunately for her, she has lost Kakashi's attention momentarily. As they cross the Konoha Cemetery, Kakashi spots Michiko exiting the gate. Her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail and she is dressed in black.

He wonders if today is her father's death anniversary.

"…?" Nina has asked him question and upon hearing silence, she glances up to find that his single eye is focused elsewhere. Following his gaze towards the cemetery gate, she spots the well-known Sarutobi Michiko.

She deflates. All her confidence jumps out the window and into the void of envy.

Sarutobi Michiko is a known face around the village. She is a tall and lean woman, with that kind of beauty that creeps on you with time- wide but sharp eyes, a straight, sharp nose, a perfectly heart-shaped face and soft suggestive lips- Nina grudgingly admits that the girl is beautiful. Before, she was always sun-burnt, but upon her return from travelling with the sannin, Jiraiya, she has become pale and more delicate looking than before.

The scar on her face, although marring, has done little to alter her charm. In Nina's opinion, it has added a formidable air, the kind that makes you curious about people.

Although very distant from the shinobi they treat, the nurses and doctors are all well-versed with who is who and which shinobi is a jounin or a chuunin. In the past, Kakashi and Michiko have been a hot topic at the hospital- mostly because some of the nurses had watched them sparring in the training grounds that are right next door once, some years ago.

Upon watching the Hatake and Sarutobi spar in a dangerously physical match (of taijutsu, obviously), there was hellfire suggesting that the two were more physically acquainted outside of the training fields.

Nina scrunches her nose in disgust at the thought. She never bothered herself with such gossip- she hardly had the time for it. Except now, watching Kakashi watch Michiko like a hound, Nina is more than curious. She knows that Michiko has been close to Uchiha Shisui for the past few years, a well-respected and powerful shinobi. Their coupling has been the topic of many conversations amongst the nurses, especially the ones who fancy the Uchiha.

"Are you two good friends then?" She says loudly, plastering a faux smile on her face as she successfully wins back Kakashi's attention.

"Sorry?"

"You and Sarutobi Michiko, you two good friends? Maybe you should catch up to her, she doesn't look very happy."

Nina isn't lying- although Michiko maintains a straight face, her eyes look inconceivably tragic.

'Honestly what is with all these shinobi having sad life stories?' Nina is well acquainted with Kakashi's own tragedy, having poured through his father's autopsy report out of curiosity.

She wonders what Michiko's story is.

"We are very old friends." Kakashi quips, then thoughtfully adds, "Since we were little, actually."

Nina can only nod slowly, piecing together what that phrase could possibly mean.

"We started Academy a few years apart, but after graduation we were together through most of the stages." He says, feeling slightly as if he owes an explanation for zoning out watching the other girl.

Michiko has walked quickly ahead, and Kakashi can spot the top of her head on the corner of a turning, just as she disappears.

Having missed a chance to speak with her, Kakashi feels a little defeated.

"Oh, so you two have known each other a long time." Nina comments, "Makes sense then."

"What makes sense?" Kakashi watches Nina from the corner of his eye, curious and uncomfortable.

"How panicked you looked when you came to the hospital for a medic that morning." She explains, "I thought something awful had happened- you were obviously really concerned for your friend."

"Yes. I was." He responds dryly, "She wasn't in very good shape, so I was in a hurry."

Nina nods wordlessly, looking just as deflated as she feels. Quickening her pace, she decides it's time to jump ship, "I'll see you around Kakashi-kun. Take care!" Waving at him once, she pushes herself to walk faster than the tall jounin until she is a good few feet away from him. She resists the urge to look at him over her shoulder.

'Fuck these damn ninja and their hot looks.'

Michiko stares down at her father's grave.

It has been so many years that she almost worries she will forget his face; his light grey hair, and the laughter-lines around his eyes. He inherited the Hatake genes from her grandmother and his shaggy hair was always like silver static. As a child, Michiko loved to pull it when she was feeling mischievous.

Unlike both her parents, who were light-haired, the Sarutobi genes expressed themselves most strongly in her- she looks more like her uncle Hiruzen, complete with the darker lower lashes and the darker skin. When she was younger, people would often confuse her to be Asuma's sister.

Lowering some lilies into the wooden vase by the gravestone, Michiko makes a silent prayer.

The breeze picks up and carries some dust and leaves with it as she turns wordlessly to leave. She intends to visit more often- after all, her father's grave is the only one she can visit out of her parents.

A chill runs down her spine involuntarily as she remembers the mass grave of her mother's clan in Kiri. A true ruin.

The wrought-iron gate of the cemetery has been freshly painted black, so she gingerly pushes it open with her fingertips, grateful that the paint, although sticky, does not stain her skin.

To her left, she spots the silver haired Kakashi. He seems to be walking leisurely next to a short, dark-haired woman that Michiko identifies as the medic that healed her on her return; 'Nina-kun' she remembers Kakashi calling her and she stiffens a little. Wondering why the Hatake is hanging out with her, Michiko turns the opposite way and strides briskly down the street, her arms crossed as she braces the breeze. She hopes to avoid them.

'Wonder what's so interesting about her.' She muses, a little envious of the attention her captain has directed towards her. It doesn't help that she has had a brash falling out with Shisui, right on her return to Konoha. It doesn't help that he tells her he wants a break to think about all the things Itachi has shared.

'I'm probably just…being needy.' She rationalises, having never felt jealous of her captain giving anyone else attention before. She writes it off as rebounding from Shisui's harsh treatment. The last thing she wanted upon returning to Konoha was a break-up of such drastic proportions. She thinks of the plate she smashed; a perfectly good plate gone to waste because of her hysteric temper.

She cannot bear to think of all the psychological damage she is yet to demonstrate after her 9 months in Kirigakure. It is harder because she cannot share it with anyone- she feels frightened even to whisper her experiences to her dead father.

Lost in her morbid reverie, she doesn't hear Kakashi calling out her name. When a hand grasps her elbow, on reflex she grasps the wrist of the person and twists the arm as she turns around.

"Taichou!" Panicking, she releases him and takes a step back with her palms raised, "I'm so sorry, I didn't realise it was you."

Kakashi, who hasn't had enough time to register the lightning quick reflex, nurses his arm and chuckles. "I'm sorry to creep up on you."

He hasn't really crept up to her; she just wasn't paying attention. He lets it slide and takes a moment to appraise her. Strands of her hair have broken free to frame her face, her lips are chapped and marked with sores (he guesses she has been chewing her lips, a habit he recounts from her Anbu days). She is dressed in a black kosode and wears a brooch in the shape of the Sarutobi clan symbol on the left lapel.

Definitely dressed for a death anniversary.

While browsing through her folder at the Anbu, Kakashi has learnt that she has Hatake heritage from her grandmother's side and that her father looked very much the part with his silver hair and grey eyes. He wonders if that is why she has such a kink for obeying his orders.

Daddy issues.

He tilts his head, "Is today your father's death anniversary?" His gaze and tone are gentle, so as to not over-step any boundaries. Michiko nods wordlessly, lowering her palms to clasp them in front of her, "I wanted to visit him. It's been a long time."

Both nod at each other, communicating a silent understanding. Kakashi places his hands in his pocket and nudges her, "Why don't we take a walk together?"

The offer is simple but sweet. Michiko doesn't comprehend him for a moment, and slightly flustered, nods quickly as she falls into step next to him, their shoulders rubbing.

Kakashi doesn't really know where they are headed; he has lots of questions on his mind for Michiko but is in no place to ask. Awkwardly, Michiko breaks the silence.

"Shisui broke up with me." Her voice is hollowed with pain, "I suddenly feel so disoriented because of it."

Caught off guard by the statement, Kakashi glances at her with a raised brow, "That's…unfortunate. Can I ask what happened?"

Her voice cracks as she speaks, focusing her eyes on a small family walking ahead of them as her eyes burn with tears she didn't even know she would cry, "He says too much has changed for him since I've been gone- and that its unfair of me to expect things to be the same between us."

She wipes away the tears before they can find their way down her cheeks, but her eyes fill up quickly again.

That's harsh.

Kakashi is in no place to make any judgments; from what he knows of Shisui, the man is quick to place his village and his clan before anything else. He reckons that is where the differences have emerged.

"Shisui has made quiet the name for himself while you have been gone."

He can see that she is wiping tears from her eyes, so he does her a favour and keeps his gaze fixed ahead of them as he speaks slowly, hoping to offer some closure. "He's one of the strongest in his clan now, and he has built a fearsome reputation in the Police Force too. Enemies run away at the mention of his name."

"R…really?" Michiko sniffles.

"Yup. Read it in a report myself. I wasn't surprised though, with the changing political situation people like Shisui really have to build a strong position for themselves and for their clan."

"Yeah…" The girl trails off, blinking rapidly to clear her vision of tears, "I guess that pretty much sums it up then."

"Did he say anything specific?" Kakashi asks, peaking at her.

"N…no." She hiccups, flushing with embarrassment at the amount she is crying. Michiko hardly cries. She can't remember the last time she has before this. Not even when they were tearing her molars from her jaw in Kirigakure. "He just said we have too many differences, and he has more important duties now."

"He probably has a lot of pressure from his clan as well."

"Yeah…"

Their walk continues, as does Michiko's sniffling. Eventually, they are in front of Ichiraku's and Kakashi pauses, his hand reaching out to tap Michiko on the shoulder as she continues walking. She halts and looks back, revealing slightly puffy red eyes. Kakashi feels sorry for her.

"Let's have an early dinner." He suggests, resisting the urge to tuck a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. She nods, and he lets her enter first, glancing down the street before ducking inside after her.

As they take their seats at the front counter, Michiko's stomach rumbles loud enough for Kakashi to hear it. Surprised, she gives him an embarrassed look and they laugh, "Looks like I had the right idea then." Kakashi teases, nudging her with his elbow.

Michiko can only half-smile, her cheeks feeling warm and her nose partially blocked from the crying.

"So, are you staying with your uncle?" Pausing, Kakashi leans forward and orders his ramen bowl and Michiko follows, leaving Kakashi to wait before she can answer.

"Yes. But I have gotten the keys to my father's place, so I might actually move into the house and put the apartment on rent."

"Mah…that would be quiet the change wouldn't it?" Kakashi leans on the counter, peering at Michiko as she eyes the assortment of condiments on the shelf in front of her.

"Yeah…it would be in a quiet neighbourhood away from all this hustle and bustle. And I kind of need that right now…"

"What about Division Hime?"

"I start with that next week; I have time to get my affairs in order before then. I'm just going to be a security detail for the jinchuuriki. He's a really cute kid."

Kakashi hums in response, having kept an eye on Naruto since after the Nine-Tails attack. To think the boy is 4 years old this month. Unbelievable.

Ichiraku-san takes very little time in sliding two steaming hot bowls of ramen in front of the two, eyeing them curiously. Of course, he is privy to village gossip; these two very rarely come in to eat together. Michiko he hasn't seen in some time, so he silently deduces that she is back to the village. Meaning well, as he places a pair of chopsticks over her bowl, he addresses her amiably, "So, Sarutobi-chan, are you back home now?"

The girl smiles politely, crows feet forming around her eyes as she nods, "Yes, Ichiraku-san. It's been a long time, but I am finally back."

"Welcome back then. It's on the house." Ichiraku tosses his dish cloth over his shoulder and shuffles on to the next customer. Kakashi smiles lazily underneath his mask, "So many people still remember you."

"Of course, I used to wash dishes for Ichiraku-san when I was a little girl."

"Really?" Surprised, Kakashi leans away from the counter and gives her a curious look, "I never knew."

"Yeah. Obito-kun used to walk me home every day. We were like…7 and 9 or 10?"

"Oh…You know," Kakashi pauses as he blows on his noodles, "I never really knew how close you and Obito were."

"We were close enough. We used to do everything together outside the Academy- he taught me how to control my chakra and walk on water, and how to throw kunai properly." Michiko muses, "In a way he was like the sibling I didn't have."

She remembers seeing Obito on the day she found out her father had died, he had sat with her quietly, both of them unsure of what to do. All Michiko could do that day was cry until her head hurt and seeing Obito had made things a little easier because he held her hand and patted her head. He stayed with her until she had fallen asleep and Biwako had sent him home after dinner.

"He was there with me when my father died." She says, taking a bite of her hot ramen, "I don't know…I guess I didn't realise how close he was to me until he died, and I didn't have him anymore. It's like I lost another part of my family."

Sitting together in silence, Kakashi mulls over what to say. He never had anyone by his side when his father died. He only had his sweet mother who raised him with all the love she could muster. That didn't stop him from being bitter. It didn't keep the loneliness away.

"Maybe Obito is why you like Uchihas, eh?" He teases, trying to change the topic to something more light-hearted. It works because Michiko giggles. Satisfied, he can't keep the grin off his face as he pulls his mask down. She catches a glimpse of him and her cheeks flush, so she focuses on her food.

"Maybe I need more variety in my life." She muses, good-naturedly, "Too many dark-haired men."

"Are you trying to hit on me?" Kakashi teases again, half-smirking as Michiko is startled into nearly choking on her ramen. She gives him a friendly glare and rolls her eyes dramatically, "Finally, he understands!"

Grinning, she nudges him with her elbow, "You want to come with me to check out my father's place?"

"Oh?" He pauses and stares at her from the corner of his eye, "Why are you inviting me to an abandoned, shady place?"

"You know." She nudges him again, "So I can take advantage of you."

Snickering, she continues to eat her ramen, unaware of the fierce blush that has covered Kakashi's cheeks. Ichiraku is the only one privy to it, and he too, is blushing at the sight of Kakashi's handsome, flushed face. Both men exchange awkward and Ichiraku imagines that Michiko and Kakashi make a far better matched couple than most ninja he has seen in his time.

In earnest, Michiko hopes Kakashi will say yes because she doesn't want to go back there alone.

"I'll come with you. It's not every day a beautiful woman offers to take advantage of you." He wriggles his eyebrows at her, and she splutters, half-laughing half-choking, "Oh my Kami, Kakashi. Stop."

"I thought you liked receiving orders." He teases again, hinting at his captain kink joke from earlier days. They laugh again, Michiko trying to cool her mouth simultaneously as she takes a large bite of noodles that are still too warm.

That is how they continue their early dinner; with light banter back and forth. The restaurant is relatively empty as it isn't really peak hours, and Michiko is glad for it. Crowds make her jumpy and nervous.

Soon, Kakashi pays for his meal and the two head out. Michiko fishes out the little post-it with the address: '12-A, Itama Street, Sector 2'

"Oh, Sector 2. That's where all the oldest houses are." Kakashi muses, "That's a posh area Michiko; it's where the Hyuuga residences are."

"At least it'll be clean and quiet."

"You can't escape the crows still." He crinkles his eye at her as she laughs. Michiko is an interesting sight with the dots adorning her forehead. Kakashi has so far kept his curiosity at bay, now he plays to it, "Say, Michiko. Are those dots permanent or can you release them?"

"Hm?" She glances at him momentarily as they weave their way through the gradually thickening crowd of the high street, "I can release them but only into a different form…These are like a basic version of my kekkei genkai."

"What do you mean?"

"So… depending on your style of fighting and the level of chakra you exert, there are different marks to indicate them. These are the most basic- the two dots. They symbolise that you've hit like…ninja puberty." She chuckles at the term, having borrowed it from someone else. Kakashi wonders where she has learnt this information; upon her escape from Kiri her approach to her mother's clan and their abilities has been different. One thing is certain, her angst and bitterness about it is gone, replaced by acceptance and expertise.

Kakashi decides to probe further; "So…is it a bit like the Sharingan then? The basic and Mangekyo look different- like that?"

"Yeah, there's these two dots for the basic, then there's a three-petalled lotus. Those are the only two I know."

"Wow." Kakashi is impressed and he wonders what changes power-levels make to an already morbidly powerful kekkei genkai. "How does the power change your abilities?"

Glancing at him again, although this time out of curiosity over his curiosity, Michiko answers as plainly as she can, "I can't say that I know… I haven't reached any levels beyond this one."

"Ah…" Kakashi spots a lane and gestures to Michiko to follow, "This way, it's a shortcut." He guesses now is a good time to stop pursuing the topic, before Michiko becomes suspicious of his intentions.

"Oh." Michiko hurries after him, "How do you know all these shortcuts anyway?"

"I like to spend my off time on long walks- I've been doing it for years, so I know some parts of Konoha like…my face without my mask."

Michiko chuckles at the reference and they carry on in an amiable silence, occasionally Kakashi will point out some clan's residences or some famous person's home.

"I'm low key worried I won't be able to afford the up-keep of the house." Michiko says, following Kakashi up some steps paved into the grassy hillside as they leave a neighbourhood. The steps here are a little steep, and as they climb up, they emerge onto another neighbourhood, cutting through a small alley between two three-story houses.

"Yeah, I can understand. My family's clan residence is huge. Like it's ridiculous how many wings it has. Part of it has just collapsed- I never go there because I just feel guilty that I can't afford to look after it."

"What about all the old historic stuff?"

"I have that all stored safely. I was thinking I should set up a little museum so Konoha can finally understand the importance of the countryside clans like the Hatake and the Nara."

"That's a really cool idea." Michiko ponders for a moment, "Would the Sarutobi count as a countryside clan?"

Kakashi shakes his head, having been an avid reader of clan histories and anthologies, "The Sarutobi were located mainly in the woodlands very far from where Konoha is now. They mostly had semi-permanent settlements and relocated around the woodlands often."

"Oh…" Michiko feels like she is in an advanced level Academy History lesson, "So their alliance to the Senju is what made them relocate a lot right? They were basically half their army."

"Yes. There were almost more Sautobi soldiers than Senju ones at one point, although that changed shortly after Botsuma Senju married into the Hatake clan. His wife's niece married Sosuke Sarutobi, that made the Hatake and Sarutobi prime allies along with the Uzumaki clan."

"So interesting. Marriage was basically one of the many tools of politics."

"It still is. Look at the Hyuuga and the Uchiha- they never marry outside their clans."

Now well-versed with this concept, Michiko gives Kakashi a side-eye, "Guess it's best I removed myself from that situation early on then."

Kakashi shrugs, playing off the topic diplomatically.

"The Sarutobi can afford to be more relaxed about marriage because they don't have any kekkei genkai, just lots of secret skills they pass on to their next generation through teaching. Same with the Hatake. Also, I've been meaning to ask- I heard Hiruzen-sama is preparing to pass on the mantel. Is it going to be Asuma or his sister?"

Stiffening, Michiko shakes her head, "You really want me to give you the latest scoop on our clan's politics?"

For a moment, Kakashi is silent as if he were calculating. Then firmly, he responds: "Yes."

Amused, Michiko matches her pace with his so that she can walk a little closer to him as she speaks in a low voice, "It's going to be neither of them. Asuma isn't interested in the responsibility and his sister is looking forward to her marriage in a few months- she says those duties are not in her portfolio of skills."

"Wow, that leaves you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Turns out Division Hime isn't the only reason my uncle was so dead-set on me coming back."

Kakashi revels in this information, "It's like…fate."

"What do you mean?"

"If your mother was still alive, as was her clan, you would have claim to the mantel of clan head because their leadership is matriarchal. In the Sarutobi structure you didn't have a chance because you're technically third in line."

"You're more excited about it than me." Michiko jokes, "Do you realise how many awful, stingy old people I'll have to deal with? How much land-related mumbo jumbo I have to keep up with?"

"Oh, but it will be pretty cool." Kakashi sounds a little giddy, but for Michiko's sake he tries to hide it. He fails. Slightly annoyed and a little stressed about it, Michiko changes the topic.

"Fun fact, the house I'm inheriting now basically belonged to Tobirama Senju. Can you believe it? I don't know how my father ended up with it."

"Well…considering that your father was basically his nephew, it makes sense that he would leave it to him. He never had any children."

Michiko is silent for a little while, mulling over how young the second Hokage was when he passed, "He had Tsunade-sama and her parents."

"Maybe he thought they already had enough inheritance." Kakashi shrugs, "The Second was a strange man, according to history."

"He was just married to his work." Michiko shrugs, "I can name plenty of people now who are the same."

Soon they arrive at the large wrought iron gates to the Hyuuga compound; the gates are wide open and the entrance is lined with large, blooming sakura trees. Coupled with the grassy hills of the area, Michiko finds that the area is pleasant, slightly drowsy and serene.

"This place is way too fancy for me." She whispers, as they peer through the gate walking past it. Kakashi chuckles but says nothing, silently agreeing with her.

Itama Street is only a few minutes away, and as they pass an unmarked, empty house with large shuttered windows, Michiko shudders from the creeping sense of nostalgia. The sign for Itama street looks ancient- it is a large rectangular piece of stone resting on two smaller stones, slightly green from the moss growing across it. 'Itama Street' reads faintly on the rock, the white paint dulled with time.

Michiko remembers running past the rocks several times when playing out in the street as a child.

"Here." She leads the way, turning onto the slightly uphill street. The road gradually climbs further and further, become quiet steep before levelling out onto a rather high hill of these uneven neighbourhoods.

Set in the middle of two very homely looking houses, is the dark mahogany of the Sarutobi Residence. She stands at the waist-level gate, tracing her fingers over it as she remembers it being a very vivid shade of green that her father had painted. Now it is faded and rusted.

"Here it is." She whispers. She can feel Kakashi standing behind her and he amiably points out the first marker that this was first a Senju residence, "Look, the gate is shaped like the Senju Clan symbol." He points out the shape with his fingers, and Michiko is amused.

Unbolting the gate, she pushes is open and steps up into the garden that covers the entrance. It is fairly overgrown and lichen covers the old worn out stones placed across the garden towards the door. She hears the creak of the gate as Kakashi shuts it behind her.

"It's quite beautiful." He says, admiring the variety of wild-flowers and unkempt bushes littering the garden. In the far corner he spots a large stone pond that is still full of water and lotuses, possibly refreshed and maintained by the rain that frequents the hillsides.

"It feels weird being here." Michiko mumbles uneasily, "I don't know if I want to go inside."

Kakashi nods, "Lets have a wander outside then."

Before Michiko can protest, Kakashi passes her easily and hands in his pockets, meanders slowly across the lush garden. The grass is high enough to reach past his ankles and he can feel the damp on his toes. He spots a gathering of snails under one of the bushes, feeding on the decaying leaves beneath.

"This place has its own ecosystem now." He calls to Michiko, attempting to ease her into exploring her childhood home. He guesses that she has not spent much time here.

Michiko hasn't, having only spent the first 7 years of her life living here with her parents. She frequently dreams of this home and its occupants but being back here is a different sensation. As she watches Kakashi roam around the garden, her eyes flit to the large window overlooking it. Although partially shuttered, she gets the strange sensation that someone is watching from inside.

The keys jingle in her pocket as she attempts to follow Kakashi, lurking more towards the edges of the garden and as far from the door as possible.

"I'd have to do a lot of work to fix up this place." She says, "No wonder my uncle never touched it."

As Kakashi nods, he crouches down in front of an old patch of vegetables that has overgrown. He recognises the plants as tomato vines that have wildly taken over the patch. A little marking in the ground with a small placard says in childish writing 'TOMATO'.

"I wonder if Tobirama likes gardening, considering this garden is pretty huge." Michiko comments, "Look it stretches out around the house to the back." Kakashi follows her pointing hand, spotting the path and making his way towards it. Curious, he follows it, leaving Michiko no choice but to follow after him.

He is greeted by the shocking sight of a gigantic, thick tree. It stretches far above the house, it's ancient trunk dark and aged, marked with dead vines that attempted to climb it. He stops so suddenly that Michiko nearly walks into him. Peering around his shoulder, she spots the tree too.

"Holy shit."

"I reckon that's the tallest tree in Konoha." Kakashi comments, "I don't think this grew here on its own."

"What do you mean?" Slow to catch up, Michiko realises he might be referring to Hashirama's ability with Mokuton; inherited by his genetic descendant, Tenzo. "Oh." She says dumbly.

"Let's climb it." Michiko suggests, feeling slightly nostalgic as she recalls a fuzzy memory of practicing her chakra skills on walking up the tree. She approaches it and easily climbs up, peering down at Kakashi as she gestures, "Come on."

He follows.

The two climb for about 10 minutes before Kakashi calls out to her, "Hey Michiko, look." Climbing over to his side, she is surprised to find her name carved into the tree by an expert hand, possibly her father's.

"Hmm…" Michiko glances further up and climbs another couple of meters to find Hiruzen and Hayashi carved into the tree, the latter being her father's name. "Oji-san and my dad's names are here too!" She says excitedly, recognizing Hiruzen's writing and the familiar script of her father's.

She continues to climb, Kakashi following her with interest. She finds an unfamiliar name, 'Kagami' that she reads out loud in confusion.

"Hey, that's Shisui's grandfather."

"Why is his grandfather's name on my family tree?" She glances down at Kakashi with a perplexed look, but he simply shrugs.

"Look further up, maybe the Senjus left their names on it too."

Michiko obeys, climbing only a few branches when she spots an unfamiliar name again.

"Ch…i….Chie…ko?" She squints at it, as it is less legible than the others, "Who the fuck was Chieko*?"

Kakashi shakes his head, "Maybe they were friends? I know Kagami Uchiha was part of Tobirama Senjus squad, he was one of Danzo's teammates."

Humming in curiosity she glances up to find, at last, the names her and Kakashi were looking for. In neat and precise writing, carved deeply into the tree is a full name: 'Tobirama Senju'

"You were right!" She calls to Kakashi victoriously, as he climbs up next to her to read the name.

"He's the only one who wrote his full name…" He comments, amused by the suggestive arrogance of the gesture. Not too far above it, carved a bit more creatively and a bit larger than the others, is 'Hashirama'.

Kakashi and Michiko stare at the names in awe, silenced by the ancient marks left behind by the founders of the village.

"I think you'll have fun moving back into this place." Kakashi says softly, looking at Michiko's awed expression with a measure of tenderness.

"Will you help me?" She asks, climbing a bit lower so that she is level with him. Overcome by the openness and warmth in her dark eyes, Kakashi reaches out and brushes a strand of hair off her face, "Of course."

*Spoiler! If you read 'A Wiser Generation' you can turn back now!...So the Chieko mentioned on the tree is Tobirama's lover, an Uchiha who is mother to none other than! Kagami Uchiha! Yay! The family is all together now! This means that although very distant in relation, Michiko and Shisui are actually related. Yikes.

I really enjoyed writing this scene so I think the arc will focus on this ancient home and Michiko moving back with Kakashi's help. For fun: is the home haunted? Will Tobirama be our resident ghost? What do you think? I'd love to hear from y'all!