Sayuri sat next to him, sucking on an ice lolly.

"Nara-sensei?"

"What is it?"

"Will I have parents?"

"Why do you ask?"

"They said that if I went with you, I wouldn't get parents because no one will want me."

"You have your friends in my class and you have me. That's fine."

"So are you my papa?"

"Not really… but…" He looked down at her wide eyes and sighed. "If you want."

"Yes!" She cried, wiggling her body side to side and doing a fist-pump. "I knew it!"

"You knew it?"

"You teach me and buy me ice cream and take me on walks and carry me which means you're my papa," she stated confidently.

"Is that so?"

"Yes! Kazuto-kun loses and I win!"

"I see. Are you excited for school?"

"Yes! I'm going to beat everyone!"

He nodded. "Good. That's the attitude you should have."

It was the middle of March when he finally met Yoshiko's parents.

"Happy birthday!"

Yoshiko bowed politely and accepted the gift. "Thank you."

It wasn't really her birthday. Or it probably wasn't. Being an orphan, no one really knew when her birthday was. Her parents had decided that her adoption day would be her birthday and apparently her birthday required a week-long banquet. He wondered if all birthdays need that. If her parents and sister all needed a week to celebrate their birthday, that was a month a year just celebrating birthdays. Yoshiko had heavily hinted that he may want to attend so he'd reluctantly agreed to come on the last two days.

He walked up to her. "Happy birthday," he drawled.

Yoshiko smiled. "Thank you. You look splendid."

"Shut up. Formal wear is stuffy."

"You look very smart."

He raised an eyebrow.

She let out an amused breath and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You look like a grumpy little porcupine who wants to curl up into a ball and die."

"And you look the same as usual. Just with more gold and ten times as much jewellery."

"You exaggerate." She squeezed his shoulder. When he didn't respond, her hand moved down his arm and squeezed his biceps. He sighed and offered his arm, allowing her to hook hers around his. She then begun to wrangle him over to the main table.

"Father, Mother, this Nara Shikamaru, heir to the Nara Clan. Nara-san, this the Head of the Ikeda Clan and his wife, Ikeda Osaaki and Ikeda Atsuko."

Everyone bowed to each other. "Nice to meet you," Shikamaru said.

"I'm glad my daughter has found some friends," her father said. "I was afraid she was too serious to make friends her age."

"She is. I've gotten 12 hours off her weekly schedule so she has more time to have fun." Half-lie. Getting 12 hours of lessons just meant she spend 12 hours on work now which he supposed was her fun.

"Is she that busy?" Her mother asked.

"Yes," he replied. "She had 60 hours of lessons a week before I convinced her to cancel some."

Yoshiko dug her nails into his arm but the damage was done. Her mother looked horrified. "You didn't tell me that!"

Yoshiko bowed her head. "My knowledge is extremely deficient compared to ladies of my peer due to my birth. I must make up for it by working twice as hard."

Her mother shook her head. "It's fine! You're already good enough for me and your father." She turned to look at her husband. "Isn't that right?"

Her father seemed to struggle for a second. "Well, your mother and I really appreciate your effort but you've already surpassed the minimum of what is expected of a lady." Her father's mouth soured. "Which is more than can be said for some ladies. You are my daughter. You will worry for nothing. We will make sure you take your place in court when the time is appropriate and we will find you an honourable and well-bred gentleman to wed. Your future is set and secure. As long as you don't slack, there is no problem with taking a break."

"I will make sure to continue working hard," she said.

Shikamaru sighed. "I will make sure she takes breaks. She hates sewing. She already knows how to make a dress so can she drop that?"

Yoshiko relaxed her nails and started smoothing his red skin as her father considered. "As long as her teacher approves."

"Her teacher has financial interest in expressing disapproval," Shikamaru countered. "Your wife should have a good knowledge of such things. How about she take a look at Yoshi- Ikeda-san's work?"

Her father twitched and looked down at him sharply even as his wife clapped her hands together and smiled. "That sounds good! I want to look at Yoshiko's work!"

"Her painting is impressive as well," Shikamaru continued. "They all look good enough to hang and she's running out of wall space. I think she's painted enough to impress a life time."

Her mother nodded. "Yoshiko has already been good at it. I still have the painting she gave me when we first met! I don't really think she needs classes, right, Papa?"

Her father nodded, seemingly indifferent. "Yes. If you run out of space, just send some over. We'll put it up on the walls."

Yoshiko nodded. "Thank you."

Her father swerved his attention onto Shikamaru. "The Nara are certainly an important clan in Konoha. Its heir must be impressive."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Not particularly. Other than convince Yoshi-" He sighed, scratching his head. "Other than convince Ikeda-san that there are more efficient ways of doing things, I haven't really done much."

He could tell her parents were somewhat taken aback at his response and Yoshiko reburied her nails into his arm. Shikamaru re-examined what he just said. There was nothing wrong with it but in these circles, he was probably just supposed to nod. But Yoshiko always lowered herself, right? What was wrong with him doing that?

Yoshiko smiled. "Nara-san is very humble. Thank you for receiving our greetings. I should introduce him to big sister now."

The moment her mother voiced her agreement, Yoshiko tugged him away from her parents, slowly removing her nails from his arm when they were a safe distance away. He pulled his arm away from her and rolled up his sleeve to check his arm. Two of her nails had broken skin.

"We should come up with a better communication system," he commented.

"I'll leave that to you."

He slid his sleeve back down. "In the meantime, don't press them so hard. I can take it but it still hurts."

"I was afraid you were going to get my math classes cancelled."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Do you think I'm dumb? There's no way in hell I'm touching that."

"Don't touch calligraphy. That's the most important 'lady class', as you like to put it."

"Why? It isn't particularly lady-like."

"Having a high writing level is very important. Don't touch it."

"Fine, fine. But you are cutting painting and sewing. Dance can be shortened."

She didn't reply, merely re-hooking her arm around him and dragging him away. "Take refuge with my sister."

"Why?"

"You'll see," was the vague answer she got as she hunted her sister who was sulking with a glass of sake in a corner table.

She bowed her head to her sister. "My honourable big sister, this is Nara Shikamaru, heir to the Nara Clan. Nara-san, this the first daughter to the Head of the Ikeda Clan, Ikeda Mika."

Her sister slowly stood up and returned his bow. "Nice to meet you."

Shikamaru returned the empty greeting. "Nice to meet you. I'm curious to meet Yoshi-" Nail dig. "Ikeda-san's sister."

Mika swerved her eyes between the two of them. "You're friends?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I guess. She's technically my boss but she doesn't mind if I smack her over the head a few times."

Mika gaped. "You'd hit her?!"

Yoshiko's nails were intent on slicing his arm open. "Ninja have a very different way of showing friendly affection," she said pleasantly. "I know a ninja who greets his friends by trying to kick their heads."

"…"

Yoshiko bowed her head. "It seems as if the two of you have something to talk about. I shall attend to the other guests."

Just like that, Yoshiko slipped out of his arms and glided over to the nearest group of guests. Mika and Shikamaru looked at each other for a few moments before Mika sat down and Shikamaru sat opposite her. Mika sipped her sake, periodically glancing at him while he tried desperately to stay awake.

"What's being a ninja like?"

Shikamaru jolted at the sudden question. Crap. He couldn't fall asleep. "I'm not a ninja yet."

"But you know what it's like, right?"

"Depends on what field you go into. If you're a bodyguard, you mostly just wait around. If you're an escort, you get to travel everywhere at a snail's pace. If you're an assassin, you gather information, plan and wait for the right moment. If you're a tracker, you can go in circles or have to travel harsh terrain to get your target."

"Isn't it exciting?"

"Not really. You get a lot of paperwork and unreasonable customers. Even combat-focused ninja spend an inordinate amount of time travelling and waiting."

"But it's an honourable job, isn't it?"

"Most of the time. Sometimes you get the wrong guy."

"You are… not very sunny."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Someone has to counter her optimism."

"You call her by given name."

"Not uncommon in Konoha. It's like a different world here."

Mika's face was flushed with alcohol. "Is that so? I want to go there."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"…"

"… Do you like Yoshiko?"

"I guess."

"Why?"

"She's smart."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What does she do?"

"Lessons, business, charity."

"I can do that."

"I don't know you."

"I can," she insisted.

"Then why don't you?"

"…"

"…"

"… I don't want to."

"What do you like?"

"… I don't know."

"…"

"What about you? What do you like?"

"… I don't know."

Mika drank more sake and flagged a servant down to get her more. "Being smart is useless. If you want to succeed, you have to be like Yoshiko. Beautiful. Quiet. Graceful. She always has just the right words to say." She drank the rest of her sake. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Drunk, disoriented and depressed is typically not a nice look."

She snorted. "You're rude."

"I'm restraining myself. It's compromise."

"Why does she keep someone like you around?"

"… In all honesty, I don't know."

Mika seemed to take this as a joke and laughed. "Do you really hit her?"

"It was figurative. But she does do some stupid things sometimes."

"Stupid things? Like what?"

"Not exactly stupid but she's still human. She's not perfectly rational or efficient. It took a while to convince her to hire a lawyer instead of trying to untangle Fire's law code herself."

Mika rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. What, does she think she can be a lawyer?"

"She could be."

"Why does everyone think she's so great? There are a million other girls just like her. She has no personality. She's a little doll."

"That's the most amazing thing about her."

"What?"

"None of you really know anything about her, do you?"

"I know what I need to know. You seem to be pretty taken with her."

"I don't really know that much about her."

"Then?"

"Having perfect manners and a pretty face is not so much a personality trait as it is a tactic. Being liked by everyone is not a natural thing. It's a skill. Take Hokage-sama as an example. She's on good terms with him through one of his soft spots. If the VIPs here don't like personality, then she will display no personality."

The new bottle of sake arrived. Mika's hands shook as she tried to pour it into the small cup before she gave up and decided to use the soup bowl as her cup. "Aren't you reading too much into it? If she's all for the children and doesn't do anything wrong, no one is going to say they don't like her even if they do. She's a main house Ikeda who was born a peasant. She has a lot of people who don't like her. Lots of people also don't really like the clan. Besides, she's boring to talk to. She refuses to say anything even a bit controversial. She has no guts."

"You don't have much interest in talking to her."

"Why would I?"

"She's your sister."

"Not my real sister. She just got lucky and stole the name."

"I think I remember something about you being adopted."

Mika quickly gulped her alcohol to glare at him. "I'm a proper lady."

Shikamaru pointedly glanced at the bottle and bowl full of alcohol.

Mika's face turned inwards on itself and she stood up and threw the bowl at him. The bowl shattered on the floor, spilling the liquid all over the carpet and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. He easily got out of his seat and dodged, not a drop of sake hitting him.

"You're just like everyone else!" She screamed, speech slurred and sake dripping from her fingers and lower dress. "You look down on me! You don't care about me! No one cares about me!"

She turned to stomp away only to trip and fall. Shikamaru sighed, walked over and roughly hulled her up.

"No one has to care about you, Mika," he whispered to her. "No one has to care about anyone. If that's what you want, you have to make them care."

It hurts.

It hurts.

It hurts.

Mika awoke for the fifth time but this time, her body refused to go back to sleep. She glanced at the clock. How long had she been drifting for? 28 hours? No one had tried to wake her up. She rolled to the side but her head and eyes pulsed with pain. She wanted to sleep.

She wanted to sleep.

"What is the meaning of this?! This is your sister's birthday and you tried to attack her friend! I even allowed you to drink after all your childish whining and this is what you give me?! I told you to stay in the corner and shut up and you can't even do that! You are a disgrace to our clan! If you weren't Shigeo's daughter, I would've kicked you out a long time ago! Go to your room and do not come out until I tell you so!"

She wanted to sleep forever.

She missed her family.

"Your people finding abilities are something," Shikamaru said as he shuffled through the papers. "Every random staff member that you've picked off the street has performed exceptionally well after some training."

"I picked up quite a few people from the capital last year. It's bearing fruit."

"On your vacation?"

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity, could I?"

"Anyway, your marketing team is amazing. I didn't know things could be marked up so much."

"It's all in the packaging and branding. I've seen how my mother shops. She doesn't look at the price tag. There are already so many zeros. Add one or two behind and most don't notice. Many of these people will buy anything that looks expensive and nice, wear it once and then forget about it. The restaurants carry themselves by being 'exotic'. They'll drop a lot of money for a unique experience."

"That's good but there aren't a lot of people that rich. How about something more large scale? Your biscuits are easy to make and tasty. Open a cookie and sweets shop. Everyone likes those and you can expand much more easily. It's hard to find chefs skilled enough for your current restaurants and the contracts and seals you put them under to prevent recipe theft is very off-putting. You can have cheaper biscuits and more expensive ones to cater to different people."

"Then, we'll do that. I don't have that many sweets recipes but I can do that. It's not hard to compete with the local sweets."

"You always complain about the local food."

"Hmm."

"You also waste a lot of time. You don't have to meet and interview every single one of your employees."

"I want to see their talents."

"Then do it once a month with all employees you haven't met. It doesn't take much time, right? You don't have to book 30-minute time slot in your schedule and spend 29 minutes doing pleasantries before getting to the point."

"Fine. I'll invite them for lunch every month."

"You don't even need to do that. You're the boss. Just say you want to meet them, meet them and send them away."

"It seems rude to get them to come so I can lay eyes on them for a minute. Besides, treating them nice and courteously is a good way to inspire loyalty."

"Fine, fine." He put down the files. "You know, I thought you'd be more rational about some things."

"I'm rational. I just don't prioritise efficiency over all else."

"You care too much about what everyone thinks."

"I have to. I'm here at the mercy of my father."

He roved his eyes over her straight back, made-up face and dainty hands. "… Do you love them? Your adoptive parents."

"They're not bad people."

"… Troublesome."

"I can't help it. Love isn't something that can be owed. No matter how much you force it sometimes… love just doesn't come."

"Is there anyone you love in this world?"

"…I think I'll try my hand at caramel pudding."

"What?"

"Caramel pudding. It's a sweet."

"… I see."

It was around 10.30pm when Naruto finally collapsed from exhaustion and Gai had to carry him back to his home. He opened the door to Naruto's apartment to find the lights on and a woman cleaning the room.

She looked up and tossed the cloth aside, clicking her tongue in disapproval as she walked forward to gather Naruto in her arms. "You are Naruto-kun's sensei."

"Yes. I am Maito Gai, a jounin. You are?"

"Sachiko. Ikeda-sama's servant."

"Why are you here?"

"Ikeda-sama sent me to make sure Naruto-kun is alright." Sachiko looked up at him accusingly.

"Sorry. But Naruto did well today."

"Training until he faints can't be healthy for a growing boy."

"Naruto is strong. He'll be fine."

"This has nothing to do with strength! He's too thin."

"I'll make sure he gets proper meals. My student's health is very important." He tried to flash a smile at her but the glare he got back dissuaded him.

"I assume you're not the lazy one?"

"My rival may seem like that but he's really trying hard."

"Your rival?"

"Yes. We go back."

The air tingled as it grew colder and sharper. "You're friends? Close friends? Naruto-kun really likes you so I'd hoped you weren't a good-for-nothing."

"Good-for-nothing is going a little too far-"

"What else would you call a man who shows up at least 2 hours late to everything and reads degenerate 'books' around children?"

"Well, he's not good with children and Naruto is a bit… difficult for him-"

"So it's Naruto-kun's fault now? He's an adult and a teacher! He has a duty to lead by example and teach the children around him what is acceptable! Not reading porn in public and being punctual are common human decencies that shouldn't need to be explained! What if Naruto-kun learns from him? How is he going to take responsibility if Naruto-kun's reputation is ruined? As it stands, he's leading by bad example! If I'm not around to tell him not to follow that deadbeat of a man, who knows what Naruto-kun would've picked up?"

"He's been through a lot. He puts up a persona. It may not look like it but he's suffering so-"

"So what? I don't care. I don't care about him. He's an adult. He should've had all of this sorted out. I care about the children. I care about Naruto-kun. No matter what he's been through, he shouldn't push it onto his students! It's not fair to Naruto-kun! If he can't be a good role model then he shouldn't be around children! The adults around someone's childhood is one of the most important things in their development!"

"You're being very harsh on him."

She walked forward, pulled Naruto away from him and half-dragged him to the bath. Gai would've offered to help but he knew it'd make things worse. "I'm not harsh. You are too soft. That's why that piece of garbage turned out the way he did. If someone had taught him right from wrong as a kid, he won't be that way."

"Kakashi… had no parents."

She paused in her dragging. "Then he should feel their importance the most."

"I don't know if he does. Kakashi has always been alone."

"Always? How long have you been 'rivals'?"

"… A long time."

Sachiko scoffed. "Then instead of defending him, fix him. You're his friend, aren't you?"

"Kakashi."

Kakashi looked up from his book to see Gai uncharacteristically serious. "What happened?"

Gai hesitated for a moment- hesitated? "Come with me."

Half expecting this Gai to be a poorly done disguise, Kakashi followed Gai to a remote training ground.

"I booked it," Gai explained. "No one will come."

"What is this about?"

"… I haven't been a very good friend."

"What are you talking about? You're always there when you can."

"Are you coping well?"

"I'm fine. Is that all?"

"Kakashi. I've been given off for a long time. If you try to run, I will find you and I will never give up."

"… I don't doubt it."

"Kakashi. Are you really fine?"

"… As fine as can be expected. I don't know what Hokage-sama was thinking."

"Naruto-kun is nothing like his father."

"Looks like his father, acts like his mother. I know. I figured that out. It doesn't help."

"I can ask the Yamanaka-"

"No."

"Kakashi."

"No."

"You can't continue like that."

"I can."

"You're smarter than this, Kakashi."

"…"

"I don't know what to do. You don't know what to do. We should get someone who may know."

"Anything but the Yamanaka."

"They are experts for that reason."

"… You know why I can't."

"Hokage-sama will make an exception."

"I don't want to be an exception."

"You already are. He gave you Naruto."

"… Everyone else is dealing with it alone. Why can't I…"

Gai stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "They are not alone. No one is alone. Maybe I can't solve everything. Maybe I can't make you better. But I want to make you feel better."

"…"

"I'll be back tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and the day after that and I'll be back stronger and brighter every day. I won't give up on you, Kakashi. You are worth fighting for."

In the Country of Meadows

Hitoshi opened the door to see the King of Drugs, Killer of Cholera, Shadow Ruler of Meadows and Saviour of Waterfall bawling his eyes out while carelessly waving a bottle of sake back and forth as he hugged and babbled to his golden retriever. Cocaine and heroin in its various forms were dumped carelessly on the ground. He was going to die of an overdose any day now and everyone would be glad of it.

"Reo-sama?"

Leo looked up. "Hiiiiiitoooooshiiiiiiiiii," he wailed. "Princess told me she hates me!"

"She always does that."

"But I think she really, really hates me!"

"You… didn't realise? She's tried to kill you at least 20 times!"

"But that's just how things go sometimes right? You get into a bit of a spat, you fight and then you make up! We always make up!" He sniffled. "But she told me she hates me and never wants to see me."

"She always says that. What's different?"

"She deleted me from her friends list!"

He had no idea what the friends list was and Leo's explanation of it was always nonsensical but Hitoshi knew enough to know that it was very important and powerful. "Then, make up."

"What do I do?"

"What did you do?"

"I killed Mohamed."

"Who?"

"The boyfriend."

Hitoshi let out a long, growling sound of exasperation and frustration. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"I wanted her back and I thought that would speed things up! I didn't think she'd be that mad!"

"You killed her boyfriend! Of course she's upset, you fucking psychopath! Why didn't you consult me before you did something like that? I would've told you not to do it!"

"I didn't think it was that big a deal…" he mumbled. "Mi alma agrees, right?" The golden retriever perked up at the mention of its name and Leo smother its face with kisses.

"Aruma is a dog. He doesn't know anything."

"Alma is my beautiful baby girl."

"That's not important!" Hitoshi sighed. "Can you resurrect the dead boyfriend?"

"Impossible. I don't have his DNA."

"Why didn't you collect it?"

"Collecting it is impossible!"

"How? If you can kill him, you can take a sample from his body!"

"The body disappears!"

"What? What jutsu did you use?"

"That's just how things are."

He hated his boss sometimes. He detested his boss, always. "I heard that she is doing huge trade deals with the Fire Daimyo over food. You have so much money you don't know what to do with it. I'm sure you can find a way to help her."

"Huge trade deals? Hmm…" Leo put down the bottle and snuggled further into Alma. "Maybe… no… that won't do… hmm…"

"She has a lot of deals that involve running a huge trade deficit. You could-" Leo perked up. "-lend at a very low-"

Leo jumped up. "That's it! You're a genius, Hito-chan! I'll pay off the national debt of Waterfall!"

"Wh-what?! No! Lending should be enough to-"

Leo turned around and scooped Alma up, twirling around the room and occasionally planting a kiss on its belly. The retriever looked squished and unsure of whether to escape. "Do I have money to pay off the debt?"

"… Most of it if we leave the personal stash untouched-"

"Great! Let's do that!" Leo looked down lovingly at Alma. "Don't worry, Papa will always love you! You'll always love me too, right?" Leo put on a more squeaky voice. "Yes, Papa, Alma always loves you! Now, feed me!" Leo's voice returned back to normal as he kissed Alma's face. "I love you too, my sweet little girl. We will be together forever! Nothing can make me hate you! Come on, let's go get lunch!"

"… … … … …" Hitoshi sighed. "Fine, fine. She had better forgive you."