Chapter 23. Thunderstruck

"My mind, like the thunder, booms. Your voice, it paralyzes me."

|Hinata|

"Arigato." I thanked the nurse as she handed me a tray with two cups and a pitcher of water.

She nodded before carefully closing the door, and I turned back to Naruto. His head shifted as he tried to sit up, and I laid a hand on his chest as I returned to his side.

"Slowly." I cautioned him as I helped him up, "You have to move very slowly."

With a grunt, he followed my instructions and we gingerly got him into an upright position. As he leaned his head against the headboard, I took the chance to look over him again.

Practically every part of his body was bandaged in some way, and while his left eye had been covered with his head gauze, his right arm was what concerned me the most. It had been placed in a protective cast with a sling, yet the attention paid to it by the doctors and nurses told me it was more than just broken. I hadn't gotten a chance to look at it unbandaged because of the crowd of doctors surrounding him, and by the grim looks on their faces, I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Naruto followed my gaze and looked at his right arm. He stared at it for a moment before offering a "heh" and shutting his eye, and I asked him what was so funny.

"I can't feel it." He smiled uncannily, "It's like it's not even there."

I tried not to let the fear show on my face as I responded, "It's most likely the anesthetics. You're not in any pain, are you?"

"No, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing…" He mumbled as he opened his eye again, "So, how are you? And the kids?"

"I-I'm fine. And the kids were here last night but once it hit eleven, I sent them home to get ready for school."

"Aa, no point having them skip just so they can sit around and stare at their unconscious old man, ya know." He chuckled, but the light laughs quickly turned into a coughing fit.

I gently rubbed his back in slow circular motions before grabbing the water pitcher and pouring him a cup. He tried to lift it up with his left hand, but it shook so much that I was forced to take it from him.

Easing his hand back down before holding the cup to his lips, he drank the entire thing in one sitting, and when I asked him if he wanted more, he nodded.

'They weren't joking when they said he'd be thirsty.' I thought to myself as he finished his third cup.

Just as I was about to pour another, he called out, "No, that's enough."

I set the cup and pitcher down before nodding, and Naruto's eye softened.

"Arigato, Hinata." He thanked me, "I know I'm the last person you want to spend time with but, arigato."

'That's not…' I bit my lip before answering, "I'm just doing what any decent person would do."

"Mm." He looked down, "Something a scumbag like me wouldn't understand, ne?"

Feeling my chest tighten and my nose start to burn, I stepped away and cleared my throat, "W-Well, I guess I'll be heading out now."

"Wait," Naruto grabbed my hand, "Please stay. Just for a little longer, ya know."

Once I turned back, he let go of my hand and leaned back into his pillows. Silence spread between us as I took a seat at the edge of his bed.

"How's Konohamaru?" He questioned, clearing his throat, "He was the first one I grabbed away from the scene so I couldn't really check on him."

"He's fine, thanks to you." I shifted so that I was facing him, "He had some light burns on his face because his face piece wasn't on when the blast went off, but they patched him up pretty quick. Hanabi's with him right now and they're getting ready to discharge him in a couple hours."

Naruto nodded his head, "Thank goodness; I made sure to drag him further because of her. Wouldn't want her to have to raise a kid all alone, ya know."

I agreed with the sentiment but as I looked over his injuries again, I couldn't help but think, 'And me? What if you had died in that building? Would you want me to be alone with our children?'

I was dying to ask him why he had been so reckless, but his demeanor was already oddly bleak. Even though I had been scared half to death when I got the call from the hospital, I couldn't make him, or I, feel any worse with questions that might not have any sensible answers.

But before I could fall further into my internal turmoil, I remembered one tragic fact that I had to share with him.

"He's fine but, um," I looked away as his one blue eye focused on me, "Your lieutenant Mugino, he…didn't make it."

"What?" I couldn't bring myself to look at him as his voice broke, "No, that's not—are you sure?"

I took his left hand and squeezed it gently, "I'm sure. He passed away around 2 a.m."

Naruto took his left hand away from me and used it to hold his head, and I couldn't help but look at him as he released a heavy, shuddering sigh.

"H-How did he die?" He croaked as he shut his eye, "Was he in the building? Could I have—"

"No." I immediately interrupted his line of questioning, seeing what this would lead to, "Naruto-kun, his death isn't your fault. He was already…when the second bomb went off and flipped the truck, he—that's where they found him. There was nothing you could do."

"That's not true." Naruto shakily disagreed, and I could hear the pain seeping into his voice, "I shouldn't have sent them out there, ya know."

"Naruto-kun…" I took a seat on the side of his bed and gave him a light hug.

"Fūma told me not to." He cried, his arm wrapping around my back and pulling me closer, "But I thought that—I didn't know they'd…"

His words trailed off as he cried into my shoulder, and I continued to hug him, knowing nothing I could say would help to turn him away from this line of thinking. Once you started to blame yourself for something, only Kami could help you believe otherwise.

When he had finished his tears, he slowly released me from the emotional embrace before wiping his eye, "Gomen. None of this is your problem."

"Don't apologize." I instantly told him as I moved back to face him, "I still care about you so if you ever need someone to vent or talk to, I'm here."

Naruto nodded before offering me a sad smile and I couldn't help but glance down at his lips. Before I could do something I would come to regret, I got off the bed and grabbed my handbag from the side chair.

"I really should be going."

His eye flashed with pain at my reminder that I had to leave, and he sat back up, "A-Aa. Will you be back anytime soon or…?"

"Um, I can swing by later if you want." I answered after a moment's hesitation, confused as to why he would invite me back.

'Doesn't that other woman know?' I wondered to myself, 'Would you want to call her over after I'm gone?'

"Please, if it's not too much trouble." He hastily nodded again, and I moved to the door.

"Alright, well, I'll be back in a few hours." I hummed and with a quick nod, I left.

As I turned down the hall, I thought I'd stop by Konohamaru's room and tell Hanabi that I was off, but once I got near the door, I heard quiet murmurings and a sniffle that was quickly hushed, and I decided to leave the two be.

Sighing, I went back the way I had come and turned the corner only to bump into someone. Before I could open my mouth to apologize, they spoke first, and I immediately recognized him.

"Careful there." Toneri said, "Leaving so soon?"

'Oh Kami.' I internally groaned and instead tried to walk past him, leaving his questioning hanging in the air.

When he stepped into my path and brought his face to mine, I gave him a look that let him know I was not in the mood.

"So Tou-sama called me for nothing?" He straightened up as he crossed his arms, "You're still married?"

"Don't call him that." I couldn't help but frown at his endearing term for my father, "And my marital status is none of your concern."

"It is my concern if I have to spend time and gas driving to this minefield called Konoha." He returned my glare, "Tou-sama isn't the type to call me up as a joke. If things between you and Naruto are over—"

"Toneri, it's none of your business." I interrupted him coldly, "I don't know what Tou-sama told you, but don't come to the hospital where my husband is resting and make a scene. Although that would be the same as telling a snake not to hiss."

Toneri pursed his lips, "Hinata, I'm different now. I've changed."

"A snake can shed its skin but it's still the same snake." I responded.

"Not exactly."

I groaned, "Please, leave me alone. I've got things to do, and I don't want to let any more time go by because I'm talking to you."

He was hurt by the latter part of that statement, and he let his face show it, but I wasn't about to soften the blow.

"Okay." He lowered his shoulders, stepping aside so I could pass, "Gomen."

Eyeing him warily, I walked by and continued making my way to the elevator.

'He never would've backed down in the past.' I couldn't help but note, 'Still, one positive point compared to the 2000 negatives?'

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him approaching and internally sighed as I braced myself for another confrontation.

"Just…trying to take the elevator." He said, making sure to stay a reasonable distance away.

Once again, I was surprised but I nodded and looked at the floor before deciding to occupy myself with my phone as the elevator hum drew nearer.

When the door finally dinged open, I stepped inside and Toneri followed after me. We stayed on opposite sides of the metal box as it slowly descended, and it was awkward, to say the least.

Reaching the parking lot, I stepped out and brought my keys out of my handbag. It was then that I felt a hand on my shoulder and, knowing who its owner was, I turned around ready to repel any attempts at another conversation. Instead, I found Toneri holding out a card.

"I might've come off a little strong upstairs, but I meant what I said. If you need someone, I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you."

I paused for a moment, wondering if taking the card was in my best interest.

'It could send the wrong message but…it's the cordial thing to do. I can just throw it out later.'

After a quick internal debate, I took the card and tried not to take notice of the smile that spread on Toneri's face as I did so.

"See you around, Hinata." He bid me farewell as he turned to the right to head for his car.

I stared at the card and looked over its information: Otsutsuki Industries, CEO Toneri Otsutsuki 120-XXXXXX. With a shake of my head, I put the card in my bag and made my way to the car.

With a heavy exhale, I put the card in my bag and made my way to the car.

I considered tossing the card in the trash to severe the weak connection he was trying to make. But something told me to hold on to it, that it might prove useful in some dire situation, so against my better judgement, I kept it.

|Sasuke|

I woke up to the sound of a light drizzle and sighed as I opened my eyes. Karin, still in my arms from the previous night, seemed to be awake and staring at me. It only took a few seconds for me to rid myself of the sleepiness I felt, and I realized that while she might've been looking at me, she wasn't completely here.

"Ohaiyo." I greeted her as I removed my hand from her back, "Daijōbu?"

Karin blinked a few times and I watched as she returned to the present, "Hm? I'm fine, I—"

She cut herself off as I shifted and I furrowed my eyebrows before inquiring about the sudden stop, "What is it?"

"Uh," She motioned for me to look down, "You've got—I mean…I guess that's one way to find out you're feeling better, ne?"

A quick peek informed me of my lower region's active status, and I gasped before turning away.

"Gomen." I apologized as I sat up, unable to face her, "I—It gets like that in the morning sometimes. Blood flow and things."

"Mm." Karin hummed, "I understand."

I heard her stand up behind me and continued to speak, hoping to further prove my innocence, "I wouldn't—I mean, without your permission I would never—!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder as she cut off any of my further ramblings.

"Sasuke-kun, it's okay. I believe you." Karin's face showed the slightest hint of red and by her tone I could tell that she wanted to move past the moment.

I got up on my feet and cleared my throat, "So, what's our first order of business?"

"A shower wouldn't hurt." She suggested as she turned away from me, taking a moment to look at the clock before going over to the closet, "Head to the receptionist and ask where the male bath is. By the time you're done, I should be back with breakfast."

I nodded and glanced at the clock on my way out.

'10:30.' I thought to myself as I scratched my head and made my way down the hall, 'Not too bad.'

Just like Karin had told me, I went to the receptionist and learned the location of the male bath. As I stepped into it and found it completely empty, I made a mental note to thank Karin for finding an inconspicuous inn on such short notice.

'I have to thank her for a lot of things.' I removed my yukata and grabbed a bar of soap.

During my sickly stupor, I'd taken the time to consider myself and my progress when it came to the goals I had set for things like my family and my job. It hadn't taken long for me to realize that I hadn't advanced in the slightest.

I hadn't been the best husband or father before I'd started this mission, and there was no doubt in my mind that when I eventually returned, I wouldn't be able to get through the front door without being served divorce papers. My incompetence and emotional ignorance had cost me my family, and I had only myself to blame.

Then there was Karin's outburst from two days ago; she hadn't pulled any punches and had decided to tell me exactly what she thought of my habits. It was safe to say that I wasn't going to win Partner of the Year Award any time soon.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how to act around her anymore. Her sharp criticism of me had conveyed just how fed up with me she seemed to be, and rightly so. I just couldn't seem to do anything right or be of any use.

As pathetic as it sounds, during the rest of the ride to Ame, all I'd wanted to do was crawl into a hole and never come out, but as I sat through my sickness yesterday, I made up my mind to stop being so weak and focus on the task at hand.

Romantic and platonic troubles aside, I had been charged with infiltrating the enemy for the good of Konoha. That bank robbery I had participated in was surely the tip of the iceberg and if I couldn't keep it together, worse crimes would be committed that would eventually fall on my shoulders.

I stepped out of the bath and dried myself off with a nearby towel before pulling my yukata back on. When I got back to the room, I found a five-star breakfast on the *chabudai, but Karin was nowhere to be found.

Thinking that she might have stepped out to get something, I took the chance to change back into my clothes. I took a quick whiff of them to confirm they had no odor before taking a seat and looking around. It occurred to me that when Karin had informed me we'd be going to Amegakure, she hadn't specified how long we'd be staying, and seeing as how neither of us had brought any clothes to change into, I could only guess that we'd be leaving today or tomorrow.

Before I could spend too long speculating, Karin returned to the room looking refreshed and somewhat happy. She took a seat across from me and brought her hands together before bowing her head. Imitating her stance, I uttered a silent prayer of thanks and went on to eat.

The first few minutes went by with us silently munching, but after I had eaten half a bowl of natto, I looked up at her.

"You never told me what you learned yesterday." I reminded her as I sipped some green tea.

"Right." She finished chewing before she met my eyes, "I went to the address that Pain gave me and while I was looking around the house, there was this woman named Tezuna who…"

I set my chopsticks down and listened intently as Karin recounted what she'd experienced the previous day. At some statements, I wanted to cut in and ask some clarifying questions but when I recalled her mentioning how that irritated her, I kept my mouth shut and nodded.

Once she was finished speaking, I sat back and ran a hand over my head in disbelief. To think that the Pain we knew had been so closely intertwined in our lives since way back was shocking, if not disquieting. I pinched the bridge of my nose and silently sighed as I began to think of the massive headache that awaited the police force once we brought all these facts to light.

As I rubbed my nose, Karin commented on my quietness.

"Nothing to say?" She inquired with a questioning voice, and I shook my head.

"She said she'd give us something in the afternoon, right?" I clapped my hands free of any debris before standing up and stretching.

Karin sipped her tea, but as she set her cup down, she gave me another look, "Are you really feeling alright? You're being strangely quiet."

I shot her a light smile, "I'm fine, I promise."

Although she nodded, I knew she wasn't convinced but she said nothing as we wrapped up breakfast, and I was thankful that she knew better than to pursue a discussion I clearly didn't want to have.

'Maybe I should take a page from her book.' I chided myself as she stood up and grabbed our coats from the closet.

"We've got an hour till we have to meet her." She said as she handed me my jacket, "Let's head to the shack, maybe you'll find something that I missed."

I chuckled as I pulled on the outerwear, "I doubt it. Nothing escapes those eyes of yours."

"I could say the same thing to you." She fed into my attempt at a joke, flashing me a quick smile, "Don't downplay your abilities."

With a nod, we left our room and after informing the owner that we'd be heading down to the town, we made our way to the parking lot and got in the car. Karin offered me the chance to drive but I told her that since she was already familiar with the area, there was no need in me getting behind the wheel and potentially screwing things up.

Since the inn was high up in the mountains, the drive down towards the town was hauntingly quiet, and I attempted to fill in the silence with a bit of radio chatter. After a few fiddles with the knobs led to nothing but static, I gave up and leaned back into my seat, taking the chance to admire the scenery.

Out here where there was nothing but birds, bees, and trees, I got a chance to remind myself of the serenity that was in life. A particularly large black pine tree reminded me of one of the scenes Sakura and I had come across during our week-long honeymoon. Many intimate moments had transpired between us in that time, with the most memorable being our fervent declarations of love to one another amid a passionate embrace.

I blinked away the sensual memory as I sighed aloud, and Karin glanced at me with a puzzled expression.

Against my better judgement, I found myself sharing, "I just…wish I could go back in life, change a couple things."

Karin nodded, "You and me both."

When we arrived at the shack, it looked just as Karin had described it. Although I'd come with the intent to look over every inch of the cabin with a fine-tooth comb, just as I had told Karin, I was unable to find anything new.

Thankfully, by the time we'd concluded our examination of the building it was half past noon. We set out for Tezuna's house and got there around 1 o'clock. A blonde-haired woman with grey eyes answered the door and after she exchanged greetings with Karin, I took her to be the woman I'd heard so much about.

I promptly introduced myself, and as we shook hands, I couldn't help but notice how concentrated her stare at me seemed to be. Before I could subtly call Karin's attention to it, Tezuna brought us inside and led Karin up the stairs to give her what she'd promised. I decided to wait downstairs and took the chance to look around.

When I went into the living room, I found it to be fairly furnished and typical looking but as I looked at the various pictures, I began to spot some familiar faces.

On her mantle was a framed portrait of her and Jiraiya with wide-mouthed smiles. Both of them had an arm around each other, and they seemed to be standing outside of a bar. The other frame held a picture of Tezuna with a teenage Konan, and the latter was holding an award in one hand and a large paper bouquet in the other.

The most remarkable image was the semi-large picture hanging on the wall. In it, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato stood side by side, smiling with what I assumed were their high school diplomas, and hugging them all from behind was a younger Tezuna.

"Time flies." Tezuna's voice called out to me from behind, and I turned around, "Notice anything?"

"Is there anything to notice?" I answered her question with another and quickly glanced over the photos.

She shrugged her shoulders as she turned into the kitchen, and I followed after her. Leaning against the doorway, I watched as she filled a kettle with water and set in on the stove to boil before heading into her pantry and returning with udon noodles.

"Where's Misaki?" I asked as Tezuna filled a pot with water, realizing that she had come down alone.

"She's reading upstairs in one of the room's." Tezuna answered, setting the pot on another burner, "You can join her if you like."

Something in Tezuna's voice told me that the suggestion was not meant to be taken, and I fed into her subliminal message, instead crossing my arms and planting my feet, "I think I'll bother you for a little longer."

She chuckled as she returned to her pantry and moved some things around.

"You were staring at me when we first met." I decided to confront her about her behavior, "Why?"

"Because you reminded me of Nagato-chan." She answered truthfully, returning with a handful of ingredients, "At first I thought it was your eyes, but the more I talk to you, the more I'm convinced."

"About what?"

"It's everything." She set the ingredients down on the counter and turned to me, "You have the same…somber aura around you. Like you've experienced a lot of pain."

I paused before responding, "So has Misaki. So has everyone."

"Ah, but Misaki-san knows how to hide it, just like Konan did. You, you're just like Nagato-chan. You can't hide how you feel." She touched my shoulder as she said this, and I fought off the urge to jerk away.

This woman seemed to be looking right through me when we had only spoken for less than five minutes, and I didn't like it one bit.

Looking away, I cleared my throat, "Well, I'm not him."

She lifted her hand away from me as she turned back to her cooking and laughed, "Of course you're not. Still, maybe I should've given the book to you first. You seem like you might've understood him better."

"What is there to understand?" I tossed out at her, "He lost someone he cared about and he's hurting the only other person that can share his pain…"

I trailed off as the familiarity of my words dawned on me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tezuna steal a glance at me.

"Would you happen to know about something like that?" She quietly asked.

I shook my head and stood up straight before turning and heading for the stairs.

"Misaki!" I called as I got to the second landing, "Let me see that book!"

I looked to the right and through an ajar room door I saw a focused Karin sitting on the edge of a bed with a black journal in hand, reading intently.

"Misaki." I called again as I approached and knocked on the door to get her attention.

Karin's head snapped up as she was pulled from her immersion, and she gave me a look, "What?"

"The book, let me see it." I held my hand out.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm reading it. If you let me focus, I can—"

"Give it to me." I repeated firmly but as a fire flared up behind her eyes, I quickly resolved to put it out, "Please. I—there's something I want to confirm."

The two of us stood there for a moment, staring at each other in silence and I began to lower my hand, realizing how stupid I was to think I could just come in here and interrupt her progress when she had already settled in.

"Gomen." I apologized as I scratched my head, "I have no right to…gomen."

I turned to leave and that's when she called out to me. When I turned back, she was on her feet and holding the book out to me.

"I don't know why you want to read it so badly all of a sudden, but I'm going to bet you didn't come up here just to piss me off." Karin said as I took the book from her, and she walked past me, "I guess it's your turn to fill me in. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Ka-Misaki." I grabbed her hand just as she stepped out the door and turned her around to face me, "Arigato, hontōni. I'll explain everything later, I promise."

She waved her hand as she continued down the hall, "Take your time."

Once she was gone, I shut the door and took a seat on the bed. The journal felt light and heavy at the same time, but I chalked that up to my nerves messing with me and opened the first page. Sure enough, there was a dated entry, and I began to read.

1990. January 1st. Monday

It's the start of the new year, a time for change, for improvement and yet I've already ruined it.

We're in Iwagakure for what's supposed to be a fun vacation. I can barely write because my hands are shaking, and thanks to what happened there's some blood on this book. It's not mine, it's from some random guys who came out of nowhere. We were just cutting through an alleyway when they attacked us, and one of them tried to stab Yahiko but he missed because Konan pushed him out of the way.

The two of them were knocked to the ground and when it seemed like the guys were going for the kill, I…I lost it. I don't remember what happened but…

*A chabudai is a traditional short table used for those who sit on the floor

|Sakura|

"Uchiha-sensei?" The mortician called me again, "Is this her?"

"Yes." I answered with a slow nod, not removing my eyes from the sight before me, "This woman is Haruno Mebuki. My mother."

She scribbled something down on her clipboard before touching my shoulder, "Gomennasai."

I said nothing, unable to peel my eyes away from Mom's lifeless figure. Laid out on a gurney in nothing but the standard white underwear for the departed, I was able to fully look over her body.

She was noticeably paler, an obvious sign of her deceased status, but on her right shoulder was a faded red discoloring that suggested she had been slightly burned. I noticed a similar mark on her upper chest, but my attention quickly switched over to the large bruise that spanned her abdomen and upper legs.

"What killed her?" I turned to the mortician, wanting to know the official cause of death.

The woman pursed her lips, "Uchiha-sensei, I don't think—"

"What. Killed her." I cut her off by repeating the question, undaunted by her attempt to turn me away from learning the truth, "And don't call me sensei. I don't practice anymore."

"But you…" She let out a quick sigh before answering me, "There were a number of contributing factors, but the main cause was smoke inhalation. The bruise you're seeing was caused by the pillar of concrete she was found under. As you can see, it landed on her torso and most likely immobilized her. Pair that with the rising flames that surrounded her and…"

As I imagined my mother pinned under a block, struggling to breathe, my eyes began to sting. I shut them and turned away before beginning my fight with the urge to cry. In the end, the tears won out, and I excused myself before heading for the bathroom. With the tears clogging my eyes and making my sight blurry, it wasn't a complete surprise that I managed to bump into someone in the hallway.

I looked up to apologize to the individual but with a few blinks, their face came into focus, and I realized that I knew them. In the hallway stood none other than my brother-in-law, and with his lips drawn into a thin line he looked like Sasuke when he was upset but I saw no trace of the negative emotion on his face. Instead, sympathy and compassion graced his features.

"Come." He said gently before taking my hand and leading me further down the hall.

Once we were a considerable distance from the room, Itachi dropped my hand and turned around to hug me, and I swiftly returned the embrace before sobbing into his chest. Try as I might, I could do nothing to stop the physical manifestation of my grief, and with Itachi's broad hands rubbing my back in slow up and down motions, I saw no reason restrain myself.

Itachi pulled back to look at me as I hiccupped, and it was in that moment that I noticed the bandage over his nose. Before I could begin to wonder about his injury, he spoke.

"Gomennasai." He apologized tenderly, his onyx eyes swirling with warmth as he offered his condolences, "To lose your mother in this way must be…gomen."

I shook my head and sniffed as my tears continued to flow, "Arigato, Itachi-nii. I'll assume you're also here on Sasuke-kun's behalf, even if you haven't seen him in a while."

"Sakura…" He began before sighing, "What Taiko told you when you came by that day—"

"It's fine." I interrupted, waving a hand as I swiped at my eyes, "Don't let me ruin your relationship with your brother. I've managed being alone all this time, what's two more months? Just tell him…tell him I hope he's doing well."

Itachi rubbed his forehead, "Sakura…there's something you need to know. But you can't tell anyone."

I gave him a confused look as I my tears came to a slow, "What do you mean?"

"It's true, Sasuke isn't at the precinct." Itachi confessed, "But he's not on some romantic getaway with a mistress either. The truth is, he's actually—"

The entrance door swung open and in stepped Shisui, who offered me a curt nod before turning to Itachi, "Sakura. Sorry to interrupt you two but, Itachi, we've got to go. The Six are being summoned."

"I'll be right out." Itachi assured him over his shoulder before placing a hand on mine, "Like I was—"

"Itachi." Shisui's voice hardened, with a firm undertone that all but ordered Itachi to stop talking.

Itachi squeezed my shoulder as a silent promise that we would speak again, and I had to resist the urge to grab his hand and force him to tell me whatever he knew now. The last person who had pledged to talk to me in the future was my mother, and after her sudden passing, I became all too aware of the inescapable fact of life: tomorrow was not guaranteed.

The two Uchihas turned and exited the mortuary, and I watched them hop in the car double parked in the road before driving off. My mind was in a chaotic haze, but I managed to tune out the thousands of thoughts rushing through my mind to focus on the original reason that had led me here in the first place.

I returned to the mortician's main room and found her poking and prodding my mother while making little notes on what she saw. When I cleared my throat, she looked up and set her hands at her side.

"Would you like some time alone with her?" The mortician questioned, and I nodded as I approached the gurney, "I'll be in the cold storage room so whenever you're ready, come find me and we can discuss the next steps."

She left through the operating room styled double doors on the right, but it wasn't until the sound of her heels had completely faded that I leaned over my mother and rested a hand on her forehead.

"Hey Ka-san…" I began weakly, "Bet you didn't expect to leave so soon, ne?"

I choked back a sob as I closed my eyes, "I shouldn't've—I should've reached out to you sooner, but I was scared. The last time we'd met, you mentioned Suna, and I wasn't sure if you blamed me too or if you…I didn't know how to handle it. I still don't know how to handle it."

I peered my eyes open in a misguided hope that this was all some terrible nightmare, but it proved to be reality as I found myself still hovering over Mom's spiritless corpse.

"Ka-san, please…" I begged, "Please, come back…I need you. There's so much I need to tell you, so much you need to tell me. I—"

I sniveled pitifully as another torrent of tears destroyed all my efforts to remain composed, and I couldn't bring myself to say anymore. All I could do was rest my head on her chest and weep. I cried for so long that I exhausted all the tears my body could currently muster.

That was my wake-up call to pull it together, and as I straightened up, I wiped my nose and planted a kiss on my mother's forehead.

"I love you." I whispered before scrubbing under my eyes and heading for the double doors.

I found the mortician at work with another body, a man by the looks of it, although I couldn't be sure as the corpse seemed to be burned beyond recognition. For a second, I swapped his and Mom's conditions and almost vomited at the thought of my mother burning to death.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I asked if this man was another one of the victims from yesterday's explosion.

"No, but he looks like it doesn't he?" The mortician shook her head, "This guy was found in the wreckage of a small store. The whole place went up in flames but get this, that wasn't even the cause of death. It's actually right here, the slash across his neck."

It took a second for her words to sink in but once they did, I spoke weakly, "He was murdered?"

The mortician nodded, "Just look at that; even with all the chaos and carnage yesterday, criminals are still finding time to spill blood. Is anywhere even safe anymore?"

"Yeah…" I nodded in agreement as Fu suddenly came to mind.

It was in that moment that I realized just how naïve I had been to open the door for him. He might've been Ino's cousin, but he wasn't my friend or my colleague. I had to be more careful, not just for my sake but for my family's as well. Yesterday had proved that as beautiful as the world was, it could be as equally cold and cruel.

"But, enough of that." The mortician returned the body to its box and turned to me, her voice becoming more tender, "Have you said your goodbyes?"

Another nod.

"Okay." Her tone lowered empathetically, "Did you and your mother ever discuss after-death procedures? Was there anything she might've wanted in particular?"

I shook my head, "No, we never…we never had the chance."

The mortician's voice melded together as she continued to speak, and I felt the room start to spin as it sank into me that my mother was truly gone.

"Uchiha-sen-san?" The mortician calling my name vaguely floated into my ear, and I felt sick just from looking up at her, "Is everything alright?"

"I don't…" I pressed a hand to my forehead in an attempt to fighting off the dizziness that had come about, "…know."

"Uchiha-san?" The mortician's voice became more panicked as I felt myself sway from left to right, "Uchiha-san!"

The last thing I saw was the floor rushing up to meet me.

|Naruto|

"If it isn't the couple of the hour!" I grinned as Konohamaru and Hanabi entered my room, "What are you rascals up to?"

Just like Hinata had said, with exception to the bandages around his head, Konohamaru seemed just fine.

"Not much." Konohamaru admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Getting ready to head out, thanks to you."

"Arigato, Naruto." Hanabi bowed her head before me, "Hontōni, arigato. When I saw the news, I was so worried and when I heard about the third explosion I…if I would've lost him…"

She wiped her eyes as she trailed off and I smiled lightly.

"Oi, Hanabi, don't sweat it! How could I let anything happen to him when I know about you two, ya know?"

"Speaking of which," Konohamaru cleared his throat, "After everything you've done for us, we hope you'll say yes."

"Say yes to what?" I asked, tilting my head.

Hanabi wiped her eyes and laughed with a sniffle, "We started talking about it yesterday, but we only agreed on it this morning. We want you to be our child's godfather."

I couldn't stop myself from blushing at the request.

Scratching the side of my cheek, I looked at the floor, "Godfather? I guess I did a pretty good job of whipping Konohamaru into shape, ya know. Sure, I'll be the kid's godfather."

Hanabi gave me a hug and I gently patted her on the back before releasing her to fist bump Konohamaru.

"Oh, and—"

"Hey!" A familiar voice interrupted him from the doorway, and I turned to see Akita standing in it with a bunch of other people behind her, "What's with the emotional display? Save some hugs for the rest of us!"

"If it isn't the happy couple." Udon stepped in after her, slapping Konohamaru on the back, "Did you come here to seek his blessing or what?"

I looked at Konohamaru, "Blessing? For what?"

"That was the other we were going to tell you." Konohamaru held Hanabi's hand and squeezed, "We're getting married. Not exactly sure about a date but we're set on a summer wedding, so it'll be sometime in July."

"And I'm the best man!" Udon interjected with a large grin.

Moegi grabbed Udon by his ear and pulled him aside before scolding him with a sharp tongue while Akita caught Hanabi's attention and began to talk to her about venue locations. That left me and Konohamaru to ourselves and I didn't waste the chance to talk to him.

"So, marriage?" I looked at him in a different light, "That's a pretty big commitment."

"Yeah, well…not as big as a kid." He scratched his head sheepishly, "And the whole almost dying thing yesterday really put stuff into perspective. I don't want to live with any regrets, you know?"

"Aa." I nodded, the statement resounding with me on another level, "I hear ya."

The room became noisy as more people shuffled into it, and I was unable to expand on the idea in my head as the new arrivals approached me.

Shikamaru sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets, "Come on Naruto, running headfirst into a burning building? I thought you left the life-threatening stunts in high school."

Temari smacked him in the back of his head before offering me a supportive smile, "Ignore him, Naruto. You're a hero."

"Yup!" Lee agreed, "Looks like you're still in your springtime of youth, Naruto-kun!"

I had a good laugh with all of them, but I couldn't stop my eyes from checking the doorway every now and then as the time passed.

When the last visitors had shut my door, I wondered where Hinata was. A glance at the clock told me it was 3:43 p.m., so assuming she had decided to pick the kids up from school or run some other errands, she should've been here at least a couple minutes ago.

"Heh, as if she'd be in a rush to see me." I shook my head and laid back down.

I had noted the hesitation in her voice when she'd told me she would be back, but I'd chosen not to call attention to it in hopes that it had just been my imagination. Perhaps she wasn't so ready to be around me after all, and who could blame her? We weren't married anymore.

Even with that thought in mind, I couldn't help myself from sitting up when a knock came at my door.

"Come in!" I called as I pushed myself up and against the headboard.

The door swung open but instead of Hinata, two men walked in. I recognized Fūma, but I couldn't tell who the other one was because of his white cat mask. As they shut the door behind them, I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face.

"Ohaiyo, Nanadaime." Fūma gave me a quick salute as he stepped forward, "I hope you're doing well."

"As well as I can." I shrugged, turning my gaze to his colleague, "Who's this?"

The man removed his mask and my mouth almost dropped open, "It's a been a while, ne Naruto?"

"Sai?" I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping open, "What are you doing here?"

Sai's smile slid off as his face turned serious, "A member of your crew, I believe his name is Haguruma? He was found dead in his apartment this morning."

Time came to a standstill as I processed what he said, "W-What? No, that's…that can't be true."

"The cause of death was determined to be suicide thanks to a note and gun recovered beside him, but I think this was staged." Sai drew nearer, "I came here to learn more about him from you. Would Haguruma kill himself?"

"I-I—"

Sai cut me off and continued, "In the note, he confessed that he had a hand in the bombings that occurred yesterday. He said that he was the creator of the bombs, and his writing had an undertone of remorse after having seen the results of his work. Does that sound like him?"

"Kind of…" My stomach lurched as something dawned on me, "Buddha be merciful, he's dead because of me."

"No he isn't."

"He is." I insisted, swallowing hard, "He told me the explosions were his fault, but I couldn't—I didn't have time to sit down with him, I was so focused on going to help the others…oh Buddha."

"Naruto, look at me." Sai placed a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look him in the eyes, "You're not to blame for any of this. You did what you could with the information you had, but I need to know: would Haguruma commit suicide?"

Blinking, I focused on his words and repeated them in my mind, "No…no, he wouldn't do that, ya know. He wouldn't just cower out like that. He told me that he only did it for money, and he said he was sorry."

"Arigato." Sai thanked me before nodding to Fūma, "Let's go."

As he pulled his mask back on, Sakura's call from yesterday came to mind and I called for his attention, "Wait, there's something else I have to talk to you about."

"It'll have to wait." Sai turned his back on me as he went towards the door, "We've got a lot to do."

"It's about your family." I said as he opened the door, and Sai froze.

With a wave of his hand, he motioned Fūma out the door before turning back to me. Once the door clicked shut behind Fūma, he crossed his arms.

"I know about you and Ino." I rubbed my throat.

"If this is what you held me back for—"

"It's not." I cut him off, making sure to look him in the eyes, "I wanted to talk to you about your son but before I do, swear to me that you're not trying to hurt your family."

He sighed as he removed his mask, "Naruto—"

"Swear." I hardened my voice as I maintained eye contact.

"I swear." He put a hand over his heart, "I would never."

Seeing the sincerity on his face, I decided not to harp him about lying and moved on.

"You need to get back in your family's life, in your son's life. Yesterday morning I caught him in an abandoned building trying to get some drugs out from under the floorboards." I continued, "And if that's not bad enough, I'm pretty sure he was high last night at Sakura-chan's birthday party."

"Drugs?" His eyebrows scrunched together, "No, Inojin's smarter than that."

I rolled my eye, "The kid was sweating bullets in a room colder than a deep freezer, ya know. I gave the drugs over to the police because I thought it was coke, but even they have no idea what it is."

Sai cursed as he wiped his hand down his face, "So what did you do?"

"What do you mean what did I do? I gave him a talking to and warned him not to try it again but who am I? He should hear that kind of thing from his father, not some family friend, ya know."

"No, I mean—" He shook his head, "You didn't tell Ino?"

"I didn't get the chance." I failed to see what he was getting at, "And after I heard about you abusing her—"

"That's not what happened."

"—I didn't think it'd be necessary to add another item to her list of worries." I glared at him as I finished my sentence, "If that's not what happened then tell me what did. Explain to me how she was hospitalized for an injured back and you're not to blame."

He groaned, "I hurt her, I admit that but I…I wasn't myself."

I raised an eyebrow, "That's your explanation? What next? You gonna tell me you were drunk?"

"No, no. I can't explain it, I just—I'm working on getting better. On fixing myself." He tightened his fist, "I should've apologized to her, but I didn't think we had any time and I just needed her to come with me—"

"Come with you where?" I questioned, hoping he would fill in some blanks, "What are you so afraid of, Sai?"

Sai bit his lip before glancing up at me, "Someone…someone dangerous has their eye on Konoha and because I'm on their radar, Ino and Inojin are at risk too."

"Who?" I couldn't help but inquire about this deadly individual.

"I don't even know his name." He admitted to me, "But if he gets here before we can find him, before we can stop him…what he can do will make yesterday's explosion look like amateur hour."

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on me as Sai's voice quivered, and I couldn't help but also feel a bit fearful. Yesterday had been the worst crisis Konoha had faced in a long time, so if something worse than that was on the way, we were in for a long haul.

With a sigh, I rubbed my forehead, "Why didn't you explain this to Ino when you had the chance?"

"I was panicking." He answered sorrowfully, "I'd just gotten a letter telling me that he'd be here in two months and the source wasn't exactly on my side. I—Kami, I fucked up."

"Yeah, you did." I agreed with him, nodding, "But it's not too late to fix things, ya know. Take everything you just told me and pass it on to Ino. She loves you, and she wants to trust you. You just have to show her she can."

Sai rubbed his eyes before wearing his mask, "I will. But first, let me take care of this drug problem."

"Oi." I called him back and held out my left fist, encouraging him to bump it, "Be careful."

"Aa." Sai fist bumped me, "I will."

Once Sai left the room, a sudden tiredness came over me so I laid down and stared up at the clock.

"4:15…" I murmured the time before sighing, 'She's probably not coming anymore.'

I tried not to let Hinata breaking her promise get me down, and instead shut my eyes and thought of another person who I had also expected to come visit me.

'Sakura-chan, where are you?' I silently wondered.

Although I knew it was extremely dangerous, part of me had hoped that she would have shown up with the others and maybe stayed back a bit after they left. It also occurred to me that today was the Wednesday of promise and I sighed again.

"Not like I'll be able to do much like this." I ran my hand along my bound right arm and shut my eyes.

With no company or task to hold my attention, I did what anyone would do and tried to sleep.

|Sarada|

"What's wrong?" Mitsuki asked as he wiped his mouth, "You've barely touched your bowl."

With a sigh I set down my chopsticks and turned to him, "Gomen, I'm not really hungry."

"Hm." He hummed as he waved to the waitress and brought out 200 yen, "We should get going then."

I nodded as he handed her the money, and the two of us stood up.

Pulling on my jacket, I tossed my purse over my shoulder before following him out of the restaurant, and as we walked up Tea Avenue towards Sage Street, I noted that he hadn't looked back or made a motion to take my hand.

"Mitsuki, wait." I called out to him, having stopped in my tracks.

He did the same and turned to look at me, an eyebrow raised, "What is it?"

I took a deep breath resolved myself to end things, "I…I think we should break up."

He blinked and I watched his face twist with confusion as my words dawned on him, "What? Why?"

"I just don't think we're working out." I explained as he approached me, "It feels like you don't care about me."

His mouth dropped in shock as he closed the distance between us, "What makes you think that?"

People shot us looks as they brushed past us, and I became aware of how we were having this conversation in the middle of the sidewalk, but the realization must've hit Mitsuki at the same time because he grabbed my hand and tugged me into a nearby alleyway.

I couldn't help but stammer and look away now that he was so close, "I-I mean you didn't call me once while I was grounded, and you've been pretty far away this whole date, I—"

"You're kidding." Mitsuki cut me off with a sigh, "Sarada, your mom specifically forbade me from being around you for those two weeks."

"But—"

"And I'm kind of sick if you couldn't tell." He motioned towards his runny nose and sniffed for an added effect, "I wouldn't want to infect you."

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't think of anything to counter his explanations. They made sense, and any outsider listening in would probably see them as sound and rational arguments. Still, I had to end this relationship for both our sakes.

My time without him had taught me how I had subtly become dependent on his presence to be somewhat happy, and I didn't like that. It also didn't seem fair for me to continue playing the perfect girlfriend after what I'd done on Mama's birthday.

"Hey." He gently held my cheeks and lifted my head to up look at him, "Don't say something like that again, alright? You scared me."

'I have to come clean.' I pulled his hands away from my face and shut my eyes, "Gomen, but we have to break up."

"Why?" He didn't bother to keep his bewilderment out of his voice, "Look, I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you in those two weeks, alright? I'll call you every day from now on if you like. And I hold your hand anytime we go out."

He grabbed my hand as he said this, but I shook my head, "It's not about that anymore. The truth is that I…I cheated."

I swallowed hard, the weight of my infidelity bearing down on me as the words left my mouth. The silence that ensued was devastating, and all I could do was wait for his response.

When Mitsuki finally spoke, the quiet fury in his voice didn't escape my detection.

"When?" He asked, "And what did you do?"

"Two days ago." I bit my lip as I recounted the details, "We kissed and did…other things."

He let out a frustrated breath, "What do you mean other things? Did you fuck him or not?"

I was startled by his sudden use of crude language but managed to shake my head nonetheless, "N-No, I didn't."

"Why?" His yellow eyes glowed eerily as he questioned what had stopped me from going all the way, "It sounds like you were having a good time."

I found my voice becoming increasingly weak under his hardened gaze, "I thought about you and I—I felt guilty."

"Yet here you are breaking up with me." Mitsuki laughed uncannily, "Is that why you're ending things? So you can go back to him with a clear conscience?"

"No." I quickly denied his accusation, "I just…I couldn't lie to you and pretend I didn't do anything. You deserve better than that."

"I deserve better." He repeated bitterly, and I tightened my fists by my side.

Sure, he might have been distant at a time when I needed him, but that didn't warrant a betrayal. Nothing did, and I told myself that I would have to accept his anger since I was responsible for his heartache.

"Gomennasai." I apologized as I willed myself to meet his eyes again, "I didn't mean to hurt you. None of it was supposed to happen but I got—"

"Caught up in the moment." He finished for me, "I guess that means anyone will do for you."

I tilted my head at the hurtful comment, "…What?"

"The same thing happened when we first met, didn't it?" He asked as he drove me back until I was up against the wall, "All a guy has to do is get you alone in a room and…"

Mitsuki snapped his fingers and smirked, and I furrowed my eyebrows at his insulting tone.

"Listen, I'm sorry that I hurt you, but you don't have to say stuff like that. And could you give me some space?"

Scratching his head, Mitsuki backed off and nodded, "You're right. Why should I get myself worked up over a girl with daddy issues who'll give it up to any guy who shows the slightest interest?"

His response stunned me, but my shock promptly turned to anger, and I shoved him, "Y-You know that's not true. I never…never did it with you."

"If I really tried, I could've convinced you at the party, but I wanted to be a nice guy and do things the right way." He snickered as he recovered from my push, "And what did I get in return? Cuckoled."

I felt my eyes begin to sting at his insults, but I blinked the early tears away as I argued back to him, "I told you we didn't go all the way."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because…" I fumbled for a logical reason, and he laughed again.

"Aa, that's what I thought." Mitsuki shook his head as he turned and walked further into the alley, heading for the other side, "Well, don't let me hold you back. Go jump on that guy's dick to your heart's content."

I turned on my heel as well and headed back out on the street, brimming with rage as well as humiliation, only to find myself being jostled back into the alleyway by a hooded figure.

"Fucking found you, snitch." The figure snarled, and I stopped clawing at the offending hand around my neck as I recognized the voice.

"Kū?" I called uncertainly, but my suspicions were confirmed as he removed his hood.

"Yeah, it's me." He hissed, tightening his hold on me, "Why'd you do it?"

Realizing that he was seriously trying to strangle me, I kicked him in the stomach and forced him to let me go before moving back, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Stop playing dumb!" He yelled as he grabbed me again, this time putting me in a chokehold, "Why did you sell us out?"

"W-What?!" I exclaimed as he compressed his arm, "I…didn't!"

Kū swore and panic began to set in as I realized I couldn't breathe.

"P…lease…" I choked out, my vision going dark, and I wondered if this was how I was going to die.

Alone, in some random alleyway, the day before my birthday. The realization that I was losing consciousness destroyed me, and I felt a tear slip down my eye as I accepted my fate.

The next thing I knew, I was on the floor taking deep gulps of air and struggling to move. As I focused on breathing, I raised my head to find Mitsuki pounding away at the pinned Kū beneath him.

"Don't. You. Ever. Touch. Her." Mitsuki told him in a chillingly calm voice, and each syllable was enunciated with a powerful hit that even made me wince.

"M-Mitsuki…" I called out, raising a shaky hand, "T-That's enough…anymore and he'll…"

Mitsuki turned to me slowly and I held my breath at the murderous look in his eyes. For a second, I feared I'd done the wrong thing by speaking up as he got off Kū and approached me, and when he reached down for me, I flinched.

I only opened my eyes when I felt his hand grab under my back and pull me to my feet. As he helped me stand upright, I couldn't help but look at Kū, and the sight I saw made me freeze in my tracks.

How Kakō had looked after Hidan had finished with him couldn't hold a candle to Kū's current state. His face had been battered beyond recognition, with blood seeping out from various cuts all around. His eyes were sealed shut; no doubt from the strength in Mitsuki's fists, and I stole a glance at the hands in question.

They were in an equally scary condition, his knuckles red, although whether it was due to blunt force trauma or the blood he'd drawn from Kū, I couldn't say.

"Are you okay?" Mitsuki softly asked, and I looked up at him.

His yellow eyes were now the filled with the delicate warmth I'd been enamored by, and I nodded to him as my body relaxed. I turned our attention back to Kū.

"Is he…?" I trailed off, not wanting to speak it into existence.

Mitsuki kicked him with his foot, to my displeasure, and Kū groaned as he rolled onto his side. I motioned for Mitsuki to stop before I went over to Kū and crouched beside him.

"Kū, what were you saying before?" I questioned as I recalled his accusations, "You said I snitched?"

Kū coughed up a bit of blood as he struggled to respond, "Police…hit the house. I-I came…to drop off a payment…next thing…smoke, lights, yelling…"

"They killed…Kakō. Sekiei got…shot a bunch. K-Kirara got…arrested, and…Kokuyō wasn't in…the house." Kū croaked, "You're…saying it…wasn't you?"

"No!" I hurriedly shook my head as I tried to impress my innocence upon him, "I would never!"

"Then who—" Kū choked on his next words, "Fuck, cuzzo…really…did a number…on me…"

Kū went still as he finished speaking and I was filled with dread at the thought of having witnessed somebody die.

"Sarada, go home." Mitsuki's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, "I'll take care of this."

I turned to him, "No way. I'm not leaving you to—"

"Go. Home." That menacing edge crept back into his voice as he repeated himself, but his tone quickly softened, "Please."

I shook my head again and hugged him, "I told you, no. You saved my life. If it weren't—if you hadn't come back, I would've—"

My lamentations were cut off as he pulled away, but before I could mourn the absence of his body heat, his lips were on mine in an instant.

While my mind told me to move back and not let things get anymore muddled than they already were, my heart fed into the kiss. I slid my tongue against his for a moment before I pulled away, and he followed me for a few seconds before coming to his senses.

"Sarada, you stubborn girl..." Mitsuki grabbed my hand and made me look him in the eyes as he spoke, "I…I love you."

My cheeks turned red as I slowly nodded, and he released my hand before reaching into his pocket for his phone. While he made a call to someone, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and stared at my feet in a silent daze.

My brain took the pause to remind me of the conversation that had transpired between us just moments before, and I shut my eyes as I realized how complicated that kiss and confession had made things.

I let out a silent sigh as I looked to the sky, 'Kami, please don't lead me to the wrong path.'