Recovery isn't linear, it's normal to have setbacks and bad days and whatever relapses you might have, they don't negate your progress! 3

Hakujitsumu XII

"Tsunade, this is completely unprecedented! I have been hearing reports from all across Fire of civilians spontaneously developing chakra! You, as the authority over ninja in the Land of Fire, must take some responsibility over this." The daimyo was clearly doing his best to keep his emotional control, though it was tenuous at best from what Tsunade could see through the monitor,

"I understand, Daimyo-sama, I have not been ignoring this issue, I assure you; I have spent the past several weeks collecting and collating data on all the civilians who have demonstrated the ability to knead chakra; I am in the process of writing a full report with my recommendations to you." Tsunade replied,

"Will you send those willing to the academy? Will you train them as ninja?"

"Certainly not all, Daimyo-sama, not only is the academy unable to support such high numbers, but neither could the village function if even half population become active shinobi. We would lose far too much infrastructure: foods and produce, housing, sanitation to name just a few and the village would be unable to function. Some I will allow to train as ninja if they wish so, but I am still considering and testing out the best ways to deal with the majority. The civilian population is vital to the functionality of the village."

The Daimyo sighed heavily, "What if no one wants to remain as a farmer? Or shopkeeper?"

Tsunade shook her head slightly, "I am not certain, Daimyo-sama, but some will have to, if they wish the village to continue its existence."

The silence pervaded for a while, "When can I expect your report?"

"By the end of next week, Daimyo-sama, I intend to be a thorough as possible."

"Very well. I will be in contact again as soon as I've read it."

"Hai, Daimyo-sama." Tsunade bowed low and the signal died, she flopped back into her seat as Tenga began disconnecting and packing away the video link equipment; Shizune knocked on the door and entered,

"Tsunade-sama, I have the weekly hospital report for you."

"Please don't tell me we've had another spike in chakra-reared injuries?"

"They're still high, but not quite as many as last week." Shizune replied, "Kakashi is still comatose but stable, Gai is still refusing almost all visitors, though Lee did see him once and he hasn't yet responded to your request about the class."

"That's a shame; ask Lee if he will take over."

"Hai. Yamato's status is unchanged, despite Sakura's and I's attempts to heal him, we cannot remove the substance from him; not even the samples you took have helped us hypothesise a possible cure."

Tsunade sighed, she'd been worried about Yamato and had suspected that they might not be able to do anything for him. "That is not good to hear, but please keep trying, I don't want to give up on him."

"Of course not, Tsunade-sama."

"If that's all—"

"Actually, there is one more thing, there was a fight between Hiashi-sama and Hinata, it appears that she has been ostracised from the clan."

"What?" Tsunade snapped, "When did this happen? Do we know why?"

"Yesterday, the gist I got from Ino was that Hiashi-sama caught wind of the fact Hinata was preparing to challenge him for leadership of the clan."

"What!?" Tsunade was on her feet in a flash, "Was Hinata injured?"

"Not too badly, considering, though she did suffer a number of closed opening points, bruising and minor lacerations; Sakura has healed her and she's on bedrest for the time being."

"Where is she?"

"At Ino's apartment, where she'll be for the foreseeable future."

"Have Hinata report to me first thing tomorrow morning… Kami-sama what is going on with this village?" Tsunade slumped back into her chair and fetched her sake bottle. The days just kept getting longer and longer. "You don't have any ideas as to how we could help village cohesion, do you?"

"We missed the Obon festival, what if we hold a belated one? Many people in Konoha lost someone due to the fighting and it might be a good way for people to get together and remember that everyone is still a citizen of Konoha."

"M-me? Us? Are you sure?" Lee asked, sharing a glance with TenTen,

"Yes, Gai-sensei taught you his meditation techniques, right?"

"He did, but… Gai really should be the one to teach these techniques, I mean, these people aren't even ninja." TenTen argued,

"Right and only Gai-sensei can teach the meditations properly." Lee following up,

"Well, Gai is refusing to take up the post and Kakashi is still comatose; Sakura is also trained in meditation and will help you out as her schedule at the hospital allows." Shizune said, taking in their concerned faced, "Don't worry, you'll only start off with classes of about five to ten people and the idea is to help them understand how to control their chakra and themselves in the hopes of bringing down the number of altercations."

"Um, Shizune-san, that sounds like a lot of responsibility… you're asking me to stop all of the animosity in the village in an afternoon?" Lee asked,

"Yeah and you know that this guy isn't exactly known for being the calmest guy in Konoha, right?" TenTen cut in, earning an irritated frown from him,

"No, no, Lee," Shizune smiled amiably, "You only need to instruct the new civilians on the importance of learning emotional control."

"Shizune-san, Tsunade-sama, I do not wish to sound rude, but I have only had chakra for a few weeks myself… even though I was employed as a shinobi, I have had it only a fraction of my career, less than a fraction! How am I supposed to adequately instruct others on something I am still trying to understand myself?"

"You still sat in on Gai's meditation lessons, didn't you?"

"I did."

"And have you tried any of his meditation techniques since discovering your chakra?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"Lee, you have always taken Gai's teachings to heart — even those that aren't so shinobi-like." Tsunade rolled her eyes, "But it is Gai's mentality, his enthusiasm, and patience for instruction that is really needed here and I think that is what you will have little trouble imparting."

Lee breathed a deep sigh as stood outside the classroom door, recalling the conversation he'd had with Hokage and Shizune the day before. They'd made it sound very simple but now that Lee was stood outside of his first ever class and he could feel his nerves creeping up on him. He had felt such uncontrolled anxiety since his first C rank mission, when he'd been cornered by a skilled fire user; after several long seconds of hesitating, he'd heard Gai's shout of encouragement and it had been enough to snap him into action. But the problem he faced here was very unlike any other: his enemy here was a disinterested audience meeting his insecurity; there was nothing to fight here but himself. It was a battle Lee thought he should have long been used to, but all the times in which he'd faced this doubt before, the solution had always been to just try harder and he sensed that here, that would not help. Meditation was not something one could force into being — Gai had stressed as such on many an occasion — Lee had to find something to inspire.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, my name is Rock Lee and I will be your meditation instructor." He spoke clearly looking around the room, there were only six or so people in attendance and one of whom was Shun, the young man Lee had run into a few days prior. They looked at each other momentarily and Lee could easily read the flicker of derision which narrowed Shun's eyes. "Do any of you have any experience with meditation?" He received only blank stares in return, "Meditation had a part to play in all areas of life, but when it is used in conjunction with chakra training, it allows you to control the chakra and not let it control you."

"Oh come on!" Shun said, unable to keep quiet any longer, "What kind of horseshit is this? It's chakra, if we now have it in our bodies or whatever, then it's ours to control and I don't get how any of this is supposed to help. Tsunade's only going to turn around and tell us that we can't be ninja anyway."

"That is not true Shun-san, some of you will be allowed to become shinobi if you wish, but not everyone can be accepted as ninja — this was the case, even when only a certain percentage of the village had chakra. But as I said some of you, if you meet the required standards, will be allowed to train as ninja." Lee patiently explained, "But even if you do not wish to be ninja, you might still want to use your chakra to help in your daily life: and in order to do that, you need to have control over it. Say if you wish to use chakra to lift a heavy box, if you do not control the chakra, you might end up crushing the box instead of lifting it."

"Then we can just not use our chakra, right? I don't care about using chakra for lifting things or moving things, I just want to know how to use it." Another of the class, Seirra, butted in, frustration clear in her tone.

"Chakra and emotions are very closely linked, it is very difficult to control your chakra when your emotions are heightened. Meditation will help you to control your emotions, in turn controlling your chakra, which will help you whether you intend to use your chakra or not."

"Then why weren't you teaching this to us when we were just civilians?" Another shouted out,

"'Cause they thought we weren't no threat then." Shun shouted back. "But now we've got chakra and all you supposedly hardened ninja are scared of us."

Lee opened his mouth to reply, but the door opened and Izumo popped his head around the door, "Sorry to interrupt, Lee, but we've got to run some checks in these rooms, you'll have to cut class short."

"O-oh, I was told we'd have the rest of the afternoon?"

"Sorry, we weren't supposed to start until tomorrow, but Tsunade-sama brought it all forwards; we'll be done by the end of the day and you'll be free to use the room from tomorrow morning as usual."

"Hai, then I think we should end the class here. Please return here after lunch tomorrow and we will begin lessons proper. See you tomorrow." The class gathered their mats and were out of the door before a full minute had passed.

"Tough crowd?" Izumo asked as he began wheeling in a little cart of electrical equipment,

"I guess you could say that." Lee sighed, slowly rolling up his own mat.

"Have you talked to Gai? He was always the go-to guy for meditation." Izumo had meant it kindly, but if Gai was in any state to instruct or even give advice, then Lee would probably not be in this position.

"Hai, but he isn't doing so well these days."

"I heard, but I'm sure he'll help if he can, Lee, you were always his favourite."

Lee bid Izumo goodbye and found himself meandering towards Gai's apartment despite his trepidation; he hovered outside for a few minutes. Torn between barging in on Gai again and risking pushing him further away or giving Gai something to consider to take him mind off his troubles. His back-and-forth went for a few long minutes until he heard Gai's shout, interrupting his thoughts, "Lee! How long are you going to hang around outside my door?"

"I'm sorry Gai-sensei, but I really need your help! Trying to teach people meditation is just so difficult… how did you make it look so easy? And feel so important?" Lee hurried into Gai's apartment and prostrated himself before his paraplegic former sensei,

"Lee, I have asked you repeatedly to give me some space."

"I'm sorry Gai-sensei," Lee pressed his hands together in front of himself, "Please help me!"

Gai sighed heavily, "You need to inspire your students, Lee, and you cannot do that if you do not earn their trust first."

"I've tried, but they hate shinobi… I don't know where to start with them…"

"You must speak with them, learn their hearts. People, ultimately want to learn new things, they want to engage with others and share but the world has made us closed off. If you want this to be a success, Lee, you find a way to reach them, one person to another."

"Good work, today, Ino, the Intel department is almost back to the way it was under Inoichi. Enjoy your weekend." Ibiki offered as Ino nodded a goodbye and walked home. The intel department would likely never return to what it had been; the world was quite different and it certainly seemed that the ninja villages had must less to fear from each other than they had done in the past. All eyes had turned inward with the loss of the civilians and the friction that such a change to balance of power had caused. Ibiki had spent a lot of time in meetings with Tsunade-sama — probably helping her to make projections about the future of the village — he was, after all one of the finest analytical minds in Konoha. But work these days for Ino was a pleasant distraction from what awaited her at home.

Hinata had been staying at her place for over a week and she'd barely spoken ten words to her; the only thing Hinata did was sleep and eat and, on the odd day, wash and Ino was worried. She wasn't going to push her, but she was largely at a loss for how to even help her. Hinata didn't want to talk about anything and didn't appreciate Ino's attempts to rationalise. All of the reading Ino had been doing hadn't helped so much and even Sakura and Shizune could only recommend giving Hinata time to process and keeping an eye on her in the mean time… which wasn't easy. Between Ino's day job setting the Intel department back up (real-life Ibiki had even less of a sense of humour than her dream-Ibiki had) and Hinata's depression sleeping meant that she only saw her for some half-an hour a day. Ino herself had never suffered with depression, but she'd certainly known those who had; namely her mother, under the Tsukikomi, who'd been devastated by the loss of Inoichi.

Ino had handled things the wrong way with her mother, she'd tried too hard to just push her out of it and ignored what her mother had really needed: someone to listen to her. Her mother had eventually gotten past it, but Ino's ignorance and unkindness at such a difficult time for her mother, had created a rift between them that had never fully healed. If anyone might know how to help Hinata, it was no doubt her mother… if she'd even be willing to help Ino. She hesitated outside her parent's house for several long minutes until she gathered the courage to knock at the door.

"Ino?" Her mother answered after a moment,

"Hi… how are you? I'm sorry it's been so long since I've visited."

"I—I'm surprised, why now? I thought you said that you were ready to move out and—"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Mum, I was being selfish and I didn't get what was going on with you. Even though we've been woken up from that jutsu and everything's different now, but I still didn't really get what I did wrong… but I think I do now, I really do and I'm so sorry!" Ino said as she looked into the brown eyes of her mother, who gave no reply for what felt like an eternity, until eventually she stepped aside and allowed her daughter into her house before pulling her into a hug.

"I didn't blame you, you'd just returned from war and instead of appreciating that my daughter had returned, I could only mourn the fact that my husband didn't."

"Oh Mum, no… I was devastated that I couldn't protect Dad… I was just an asshole, I'm still sorry."

"No, Ino, you were suffering too, let's sit down." Sora guided them into the kitchen and set the kettle to boil, "Is this why you didn't come and see me as soon as we'd all woken up?" Ino nodded, "Didn't you think it changed anything?"

"Not really… It was certainly a shock but everything I said or did or experienced under that jutsu wasn't anything I wouldn't have done anyway, even if we'd defeated Otsutsuki back then, I think I might well have acted exactly the same… I just didn't get it then."

Sora nodded in understanding, "Then what's changed?"

"Hinata."

"The Hyuuga heiress? I hadn't thought you two were friends."

"Yes… well, sort of, she's been going through a rough patch, she was kicked out by her father and in the process lost a close friend; she has been severely depressed ever since and I don't know how to help her… and I didn't exactly succeed in helping you, but I was wondering if you could tell me what I should have done, what would've helped."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, she probably still just needs time to process; that's what took me so long. I was used to your father going off on dangerous missions — and he'd been away during the Third War, of course, though we weren't married then, but something about his loss during that war caught me off guard. I'd stayed behind in Konoha and even fought off those sumo wrestlers who though they could catch the village unawares, not that they were prepared for us of course!" Sora grinned, "But I think that made it worse, that was the first time I'd really felt part of his world, and I'd assumed he'd be safe up at HQ, so I spent more energy worried about you, on the front line and then… you returned and he didn't. I felt guilty, like I hadn't worried enough for him." She rubbed a hand over her eyes, as if trying to keep fresh tears at bay, "And, and I think it was that sense that I hadn't done enough for him, that I hadn't thought enough about him and he was just gone… felt like such a betrayal…"

"…And the one you did worry about came home ungrateful and selfish." Ino finished, feeling the weight settle in her chest, "I didn't want to think too hard about that fact Dad died, like it would disrespect his memory or something stupid… we're taught, even from the academy days that ninja should expect to give their life for the village and be honoured for that." Ino could feel her own vision beginning to blur, "And I was selfishly angry with you for not understanding that… but it was Dad, not some unknown allied shinobi I didn't personally know." Ino sobbed, "I don't know why you would forgive me."

Sora got to her feet and walk around to Ino's side and pulled her daughter into a hug, "I always knew you'd become a shinobi after your father and I was always proud of you for doing so, but I knew that it would take from you as much as it would give. It's never too late to apologise or learn to do better, Ino, you made that mistake with me, but luckily for you, I'm your mother and I'll always be willing to give you a second and third chance… don't make the same mistake with Hinata. All you need to be is there for her, listen to her whilst she processes. You need to be there to help her back to her feet and regain her strength. If she's without her family now, she needs her friends more than ever. Don't leave her alone at her darkest time, no matter what you think of it, it isn't about you: it is about Hinata dealing with something her experiences up to this point have not prepared her for, she's going to be a bit of a mess and that's okay."

…

Ino meandered back towards her apartment, the evening was already long with the sun set and the village alight with lanterns and only a few milling civilians. Or rather not-civilians. Ino wasn't even sure what she was supposed to call them anymore, they had chakra, but they weren't trained as ninja… would they take being called as civilians belittling? Or was it still normal for them? Ino shook her head, it really wasn't something to be worried about anymore. She stopped by one of the grocery shops, pickings were still a little slim, but the basics were back in supply and Ino needed to pick up some extra bits for dinner. If only she knew what Hinata's favourite meal was. Miso soup and onigiri was everyone's favourite comfort food, right? Easy to eat and filling, so it should be close enough… She grabbed the ingredients and took it to the till, everything was a good deal more expensive now though it was hardly a surprise.

"Evening," She greeted politely, "Just these please." The owner didn't reply as she tallied the price,

"Two thousand Ryou."

"Here. How are things going?"

"Fine. Change." She place the coins beside her goods and turned away, clearly not in a chatty mood. Ino took the hint, put her change in her pocket and grabbed her purchases; she really wished things would hurry up and settle down, the whole town felt like one big powder keg waiting to explode and kill everyone. Since when did the end of a war bring greater tension? When the loosing side were forced to live with their victors, but they had won, they were free of the Akatsuki and the Mother… but perhaps the non-shinobi had never seen it that way, they'd probably never heard of the Akatsuki or thought that their threat extended beyond shinobi. All they had known was some distant war that had been won and they remained safely in Konoha getting on with their lives… only to be awoken and told it was all lie and left to pick up the pieces of a shattered world. Only, they had now been granted a power on par with the shinobi they had all been told they could not use. No wonder tensions ran deep.

"I'm home!" Ino called as she walked in through her door,

"Hey."

"Hinata? You're up!" Ino was surprised to see her sat on the sofa, still in her pyjamas, "I was just about to make some dinner, how do you feel about miso soup and onigiri? I managed to find some umeboshi, but I could only get the packet-stuff for the miso." Ino slipped off her sandals and lowered everything in her ams onto the kitchen counter, just managing to catch said umeboshi as they threatened to roll right off the counter and onto the floor. "I really wanted to get some beers, but with everything being out of operation for so long, I doubt we'll see any for a few months more yet." Ino was conscious that Hinata hadn't said anything as she tuned back to face her; Hinata merely offered a wan smile,

"Yeah."

"Will you help me wash the rice?" Ino walked over and held out her hand, Hinata slowly grasped it and she pulled her to her feet, "It'll only a take moment or two."

"Hey, Ino! Are you home?"

"Idiot, I was just about to knock, there's no need to shout!" Sakura's voice from the far side of the door, shushed him,

"It's open." Ino called and the two came in,

"Hi, sorry for just dropping by, but I found my old stash of beer safe and sound in my apartment and though it only fit to share my friends." Sakura explained, holding up the large case,

"Sakura you read my freaking mind! Come and get those bad boys in the fridge!" Ino held open the fridge door on cue,

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto greeted shyly, "I heard you haven't been well and I brought you some cookies, I had them in my cupboard, they haven't been opened, but I hope they're not stale." He held out the crinkled packet from his bag,

"Thanks, Naruto." She replied tentatively, not seeming to know what to do with the gift,

"Hey, Hinata, how've you been this week? Have your injuries healed?" Sakura asked as she set the beers which wouldn't fit in the fridge out of the way.

"Yeah, they still—they are fine."

"Would you like me to take a look?"

"No, its okay, they always take time."

"Well let me know if they still ache by mid-next week, I can heal them in no time. You don't have to be in pain." Sakura said gently, but Hinata merely turned back to her rice washing, not wanting to believe Sakura's words. She let her be and turned back to Ino,

"What are you cooking? I brought some extra rice with me and Naruto caught a duck earlier, fancy some?"

"Oh my god, duck? Yes! Real meat again!" Ino exclaimed, grinning at them, "I feel like I'm back under the Tsukikomi!"

"Kami-sama don't you even dare!" Sakura shot back, "But what can I do to help?" She asked, nudging Naruto to dish out the food they'd brought.

"Ooh, you got some veggies, too? Where do you find this stuff?" Ino asked, her spirits instantly lifted by the promise of a good meal and cold beer.

"Haha, I might have found some wild vegetable garden?" Naruto raised a hand to scratch at the back of his head,

"So you stole these?"

"Hahaha."

Ino rolled her eyes, but wasn't going to refuse them, "You might as well wash them, then, if you're done with he rice, Hinata?"

"Uh, yeah."

Before long, they'd sat down to a veritable feast and cold beer, toasting it,

"I missed days like these, almost feels like old times, huh?" Sakura asked, taking a swig of her drink,

"Ahhh! We've gotta figure out brew our own beer, I can't go all that time again without drinking any!" Naruto said, having guzzled half his bottle in a single chug,

"Steady on, or you'll be drunk in no time." Sakura chided as she dished Hinata out a large portion of duck and vegetables, before handing over her bowl of rice and another full to the brim with miso. Nobody spoke for a good long while whilst they all ate, the surest sign of good food, until at last every single scrap had been eaten.

"I felt bad for killing that duck, she was so cute! But I am glad now, that was awesome! Thanks for cooking it, guys!" Naruto spoke, the satisfaction clear in his voice as he set down his bowl on the table and leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah, that duck was really good, thanks for sharing, Naruto." Ino replied,

"No prob." He grinned and rose to his feet, "Anyone want another beer?" They all nodded, bar Hinata, but he fetched her one nonetheless; he began to gather up the plates and bowls. They drank and chatted away the night and, through Naruto's drunken stupidity and laughter of the room, they eventually managed to tempt a chuckle out of Hinata. It was little more than forced breath out, but it seemed to be enough to break the dam and Hinata began to talk. About everything that happened on that day, what she's spoken about with Hanabi and Hiashi, about how Yiro had died and utterly stupid she'd been to underestimate Hiashi's information network. The conversation had been deep and long as they each took turns baring their souls and by the time Naruto and Sakura left, at almost three in the morning, they'd all cried at least once.

Drunken heart to hearts rarely failed to build bridges.

"Shun-san, may I speak with you?" Lee asked his primary troublemaker a few minutes before his class was due to start,

"What?"

"You aren't really keen on being here, are you?"

"What gave you that impression?" Shun mocked,

"My only intention is to help you get better control of your chakra."

"You mean suppress it?"

"No, Shun-san, I do not mean that, I sincerely want to help you learn how to control this new power you have; I am also learning."

"What?"

"How to control my chakra."

"…. But you're the one teaching us?" Shun said as if he was speaking to an idiot,

"It might surprise you to hear this, but whilst I was an active shinobi, I've never had any chakra."

"What? You've got to be kidding me."

"No, Shun-san, I achieved my rank as Tokabetsu-Jounin through taijutsu alone, I have never been able to use any ninjutsu or genjutsu."

"Is that true?" Another voice interrupted them, it was Seirra, another of Lee's students,

"Hai, Seirra-san."

"Then… how come you were let into the academy?" She asked, not unkindly; all of his students had now gathered around them, their curiosities piqued,

"I don't think they knew then that I was unable to wield chakra, I didn't know then either, and when I learned that I would never be able to I despaired and almost quit the academy."

"Why didn't you?" Sierra asked,

"I'm surprised you weren't booted out." Shun spat,

"Oh shut up," Seirra shushed him,

"I stayed on at the academy because I decided to work hard — I was inspired to work hard, I was determined to be a shinobi and I found a way to do that by focusing on what I was able to do: taijutsu. Gai-sensei, who'd inspired me initially, became my Jounin instructor when I graduated from the academy and he always believed in me, he always supported my goals and helped me to achieve them, even if I lacked what everyone else had: chakra." Lee patiently explained, as he took his seat on his mat and folded his legs, followed by his students, "I had been mocked and belittled a lot as an academy student and even through my years as a Gennin and Chuunin, from enemies and allies alike, but I knew I had the support and Gai-sensei and that meant that I never stopped supporting myself either, even when I came up against enemies I thought I would never be able to defeat. All I'd ever wanted was to be respected as a skilled shinobi and I believe that is what I've achieved, but I've never forgotten what it felt like to feel lacking or to feel powerless.

"None of you are powerless now, you never really were even without chakra, but now that you have it — as I do, for the first time in my life — you also now have a responsibility, whether you want to acknowledge it or not," Lee glanced to Shun, "Just because you might be able to beat someone in a fight does not mean that you should go looking for fights or hurt others needlessly. Things have now changed, but 'right' and 'wrong' have not." Lee looked around his class to find them all focused on him and silent, "We should begin today's lesson, please close your eyes and feel your chakra, concentrate on it until it is calm and steady."

The fog was thick and low, only the odd rain droplet grew large enough to break free and fall to the earth with a great splat, few were out and about at such an early hour and Suzuru was grateful for it. She cared not for her sodden clothes, or the encroaching damp into her shoes as she stood in the knee high grass that had grown thickly over her sister's grave whilst she had slept on none the wiser. They had been twins and inseparable despite the fact everyone had seen them as polar opposites: Suzuru two minutes older, diligent and worried about everything and Ensei, artistic, friendly and blessed with chakra. Their parents had tried hard to dissuade her from following the path of a shinobi and stop Ensei from even demonstrating her talent for chakra in front of others and she had happily agreed, preparing to follow a life of the arts rather than battle.

But Ensei was a hot-headed dreamer and her emotions flowed through her as stronger than anyones and, after their mother had died, she got herself into a bar fight in which she best six men, four of whom had been shinobi. She'd been drafted in to fight off an attack against the Akatsuki having received lip-service training of a few short weeks, a pouch of kunai and a haitai-ate. Mist forces had been low for a long time and they knew war was drawing in, they hadn't the time to send people through the academy, had been the bullshit answer Suruzu had been given when asked; she'd been told that if Ensei had wanted training, she should have attended the academy program when she'd been of age. In other words, it was Ensei's own fault for not being well enough trained to handle a mission.

Suruzu had cried bitter tears at the news of her sister's death, a death she had not gone in search of and done her best to avoid throughout her short life. But it had been the trigger to Suzuru really looking at her life in Kiri, what a twisted, upside down system it had bred. Even after they changed from the old days of the Red Mist, their blood thirsty and callous natures had not been washed away so quickly. Most problems were settled with violence and little justice had been found for those wrongly killed; even after the Sixth Mizukage had taken over things hadn't seemed to change that much for the better. Suzuru had never desired to become a shinobi nor morned her lack of chakra but as soon as news of Ensei's death had reached her ears, she wanted nothing more from life than the ability to exact revenge on whomever it had been who sent her sister out there with no training and no hope of return just for the sake of saving his own skin.

Suzuru had never considered herself a vindictive person, but clearly she was; she'd immediately applied to work as an aide in the administration building and spent the months leading up to the war earning for herself a name: in her skill, her organisation, quick wit and reliability. Good thing for her, Mist ninja tended to miss what was right in front of their noses. Though it was probably a product of being perpetually short sighted by barreling fog: they looked long at every opportunity. But then the Fourth War had come and before she could strike into motion her own plans, some strange sentient plant had come and snatched her from reality.

"Suzu?" A voice drew her from her thoughts,

"Etsuko? What are you doing up at this time?"

"I was going to ask you the same question… it's barely five am and at least I have a reason, I'm off fishing."

"You better be quick or all the best spots will soon be taken."

"I know, but you weren't there when I woke up and I was worried, you've seemed so… stressed lately and I know you aren't sleeping well."

"I'm fine, Etsuko, I really am; I just had a weird dream and couldn't get back to sleep again." Suzuru finally turned around to face her old friend, "You should get going, I'll make some tea for when you get back."

Etsuko offered a small smile, "Okay, see you in a few hours." And she was gone; they'd been friends since childhood, but not even Etsuko knew of what Suzuru had been planing for all those long years and some part of her hadn't wanted to drag her friend into it. She wanted no implication on Etsuko nor for there to be any reason for her to fall under suspicion. But Etsuko was as strong willed as any and had not let Suzuru withdraw from her. Even after she'd tried to end the friendship, Etsuko had just marched right into her home, helped herself to the leftovers from dinner and chatted about her day as if nothing had happened.

Suzuru walked herself slowly home, resisting the urge to scrub at her irritated eyes; as wary as she'd been to awaken and realise that she had been granted the power that her sister had died for, her eyes had begun to itch and ache quickly after, as if there was some infernal particle of grit lodged in them. Not enough to cause her pain, but just enough to blur her vision and break her concentration at vital moments. But still, she now had her chakra and put as much time of her day into practicing as she was able, or rather, as much time at night as she was able: she had no intention of making the same error that her sister had. So she worked in admin during the day and practiced her chakra at night; her long years of training her mental discipline had given her a strong head start and inside a week she'd grasped the basics of sensing her chakra and directing it around her body. The only small hitch was that everyone knew everyone had chakra now and getting her hands on any instructional notes would not be easy.

But at least it was everyone and she wasn't singled out alone and for the craftily constructed image of an honest civilian that she'd steadily carved over the years, it was all too easy to pretend that she was just as afraid of what her new powers meant as everyone else.

..

.

A/n - I had intended a much longer segment for Suzuru here, but it made more sense to divide it up a little and give you a chance to get used to her! XD