A/N: Because of my upcoming final term exams there won't be an upload next week, so sorry about that but projects and reading really take some time.

Chapter 57:

He had almost lost her.

Slowly, Sasuke pushed away the clean clothes the girl barely had the energy to change into to show the unblemished skin of her shoulder. It was hard to believe that less than 72 hours ago, there had been a possibly lethal and gaping wound across her left shoulder. Only slight anemia, that was what Kabuto had been forced to admit after insisting they both needed to be checked up right after the snake Sannin dismissed them. With the amount of blood clearly staining her clothing, there had been no way to get herself out of it even though Kagome's healing had already done all the work. In the end, the white-haired medic failed to find anything that needed to be fixed; everything was in working order.

The blood of the Higurashis could perform miracles...to the point they could bring a person back from the edge of death.

To him, Kagome was just Kagome.

The girl who always made sure to keep a smile on her face; who praised him with the same enthusiasm whenever he achieved something regardless of if Itachi had done better. Never asking for anything, she learned to read his moods and offer him comfort when he was too proud to ask for it himself. The same person who hated bitter things and made him stay on the other side of the hot springs for over an hour after she became unable to stand the silence of the compound.

Titles like the Higurashi heiress, the last survivor of a legendary clan, possessor of a unique and highly valued kekkei genkai were things he always ignored...but for the first time, Sasuke was insanely grateful Kagome was born in that family. Rough fingers softly traced the new skin of her shoulder once more in a silent reminder that she was alright.

"It tickles..." Her voice was still somewhat weak.

"No pain?"

"Not really." His hand was pushed away as the girl snuggled into him. "Say, Sasuke..."

"Yeah?"

"...you do know he didn't mean it, right?" What little calmness he'd regained over the last couple of days disappeared. "I don't think he was fully in control at that point anymore."

His grip tightened even as he could feel her arms coming to wrap around him.

Naruto...

He'd purposefully avoided thinking about the blond after they entered this place. Instead, he focused all his attention on either the girl beside him or the Sannin. With how tired she was, he'd needed to be aware enough for both of them, especially considering the place was both underground and narrow. Even he felt claustrophobic at times, there was no doubt the Higurashi girl hated this place. No chance of her ever feeling relaxed or calm here. Allowing anger to fill his mind last night would've been a mistake.

"You struggled to heal it." His voice was tight, fighting for control.

"They Kyuubi's chakra remained inside the wound; it was slowing down the healing, nothing more." Kagome's words were soft, trying to soothe him...and yet it did nothing. "It healed just fine after I got rid of it. Had I known from the beginning, I wouldn't have been as tired, could've stopped the bleeding earlier too."

"It doesn't make it better."

"It wasn't him..." she shook her head. "Did he come back to himself?"

"..after you screamed."

Terror had filled the blond's eyes for a second, but he hadn't cared. Still didn't.

"I see..." Kagome struggled to find something else to say. "Would you have regretted it...had you gone through with it back then?"

It had taken some tie for Sasuke to openly accept the loud, hyperactive stray the young heiress dragged into their lives. In retrospect, he could admit (if only to himself) most of his annoyance had been borne out of jealousy, fear of losing both Itachi and Kagome. Once he did, however, the blond had quickly become someone unflinchingly loyal and undoubtedly persistent.

Uzumaki Naruto would step in front of a kunai if it meant saving him or Kagome...had already risked his life for her before. Even now...he would do the same, Sasuke was sure.

"...I would...probably."

And yet, every time he thought back to that moment...rage threatened to boil over. He knew it...the boy was not the fox. Of that much, Sasuke was well-aware. But it didn't change the truth that, out of all the people they'd faced so far, no one had come closer to actually taking her away from him than Naruto.

"...he almost..." the word refused to leave his throat.

"I'm not that easy to kill."

"I'd rather not rely on that..."

"I know..." she sighed. "I won't ask you to just get over it in a day or two, but it wasn't his fault."

His hand moved to comb through the girl's midnight locks; in an attempt to calm her or himself, Sasuke wasn't sure anymore.

"Have you rested enough?" the Uchiha asked, changing the topic.

"Mmm...I could probably sleep for a whole week." Thankfully, she played along. "But I can make it through the day, no problem."

Before he could argue about it, a knock on the door broke their conversation.

Irritation grew inside him; because of their exhaustion, there had been no choice but to allow them to rest with a couple full-medical examinations sprinkled in. No point in having a rigid training schedule when both of them were chakra exhausted, after all. Their rest would probably come to an end today after all. His annoyance wasn't helped by the fact that the Oto spy was the only medic Orochimaru would allow to treat them.

"Sasuke-kun, Kagome-chan," Kabuto's voice came in through the door. "I'll send someone to show you around later, but for now, we need to begin with today's examinations."

Not bothering to answer the older teen, the Uchiha helped the girl sit up on the small bed they shared and watched her inspect her clothing for a second. For the last couple of days, neither of them was able to do little more than come back from the examinations change into some clean clothes before collapsing on the mattress. At this point, however, it was clear Kagome was rested enough to care about her appearance once more.

"It shouldn't take too long," Kabuto said as soon as the girl opened the door. "At most, Kagome-chan might need another confusion."

"It's no problem. In fact, we apologize for the disruption." There was a saccharine smile on her face.

"Not at all." Kabuto's voice was just as fake as hers. "Neither of you should've been harmed in the first place."

Sasuke scoffed.

Playing the roles they'd been keeping inside the village would not work this time around. Kabuto had been way too close to them during the second phase of the chuunin exam, the older teen saw the mechanics of their team firsthand, and there was no way he'd buy Kagome's pacifism, nor would he believe her supposed submission to him. But there was still an angle they could play. If they were careful enough, then they'd manage to get the pieces where the two heirs needed them to when they needed to leave.

So, the girl wouldn't bother to hide her poison this time, nor was there any need for him to bite his tongue quite as much as he did within Konoha.

With how much worth they were to the Sannin and whatever fucked up desires the man had. Unlike most of the pawns Orochimaru used, they weren't simple pawns who could be easily replaced. As the valuable bodies Orochimaru wanted to jump into for the next few years and the last of both their bloodlines meant finding substitutes would be exceedingly difficult; ironically, all these massacres had played to their favor. This time, the Uchiha did suppress a scoff as he got up to follow Kabuto out of the room; if Orochimaru really thought Sasuke would be willing to leave Kagome at his mercy and mindlessly give over his own body, then the man was delusional.

Considering the man's talents, it wasn't too surprising to find out that the man was egotistical. And the more he thought they would lower their heads, the blinder he would become to the fact that both of them were moving on their own and even placing their own pieces on the board.

"I assume there haven't been any issues with your injuries?"

"None at all," Kagome answered for both of them. "We're back at full mobility."

"Truly amazing..." The greed in his voice was enraging. "It would be interesting to see how your reiki compares with common medical techniques in a more controlled environment."

"Of course, I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in it, though, without a proper master, I could never make much headway on my own."

Sasuke's hand snatched her own even as she stepped closer to him. The tension in her grip betrayed her actual mental state while advancing in the dark and narrow hallway. Despite it all, her steps refused to falter, her pace placing her right at his side. Hard to endure or not, they would change the rules of this game. Their time of being mindless pawns was over now.

"...say it, again."

The man in front of her was visibly fighting to keep from shaking. And for once, the Taisho matriarch found no amusement in the sight. Golden eyes narrowed despite the smile on her crimson lips. Again, the young shinobi in charge of handing in the reports stammered, panicked eyes moving around the room.

"Now, now, Ginta-kun, perhaps just give us a little more detail?" A soft voice cut into the teen's stammering.

So, her killing intent was spilling out now, was it?

Toga's little lover had been assigned a seat on the council due to the princess' political training, and she'd made sure to attend any meeting she could. That said, Izayoi almost never actually spoke out during them; it was a show of deference to her, the lawful wife and official matriarch, as well as a show that the woman didn't care to gain influence.

Unsurprisingly, if the petite beauty wished to obtain power, it would've been so much easier for her to remain with her family and marry whoever the lord chose for his only daughter and heir of the land.

For Izayoi to decide to try and soften up her words meant the whole room bar her husband and son were probably unnerved right now. Kimi forced herself to take a slow breath, just because she wasn't used to having all of her set up pieces brought down right under her fingers did not mean it was dignified for the Taisho matriarch to lose her temper. No, no, Kimi was better than that, and she would make sure to keep her composure. Reigning back her killing intent, the lady opened her fan and gave a lazy wave.

"Th-the report from our Konoha informants came in just a few minutes ago, and they say that...that Uchiha Sasuke decided to, ahem, accept Orochimaru's offer, and...and took Higurashi Kagome with him." Ginta finally managed to stammer his way through a longer explanation this time. "A team was sent to bring them back, but the recovery mission failed...and the whole team came back injured, some of them severely so."

Bullshit.

Oh, there was no doubt that was the story that was circulating around the village, and those reports accurately depicted what everyone on the outside would accept as truth. But the Taisho matriarch was not one to take rumors at face value.

"Out." The one word was enough to freeze most people in the room. "All of you, out."

For once, the amusement she felt at watching the heads and leaders of the major families do their best to pretend they were not currently running away was waning. The new accord with Konoha wasn't anything extremely radical; taking into account what she knew of the Godaime Hokage, there was a good chance they'd be called back into the village to further negotiations. Even if there were some areas the woman wished to change, they would've been able to enter Konoha to start moving the pieces to get the Higurashi heiress and the Uchiha boy under their wing. Now, however, things had become far more difficult to deal with.

"What should I tell the recon team?" The Taiyija head was the only one who dared to stop in front of the door.

"We'll keep our plans as they were for now," Toga said with a sigh. "Make sure there are no leaks with that message."

"Understood, then."

Golden eyes scanned the people who remained behind. Her husband, her son, and her husband's lover. Idly, Kimi played with the idea of sending half of the remaining people out before pushing the idea away with a wave of her fan. Sesshoumaru would probably have to act as their proxy. Having him listen to both of their arguments would probably work for the better, and considering how stressed both her and Toga were, the little princess' soothing presence would help them all keep their cool. Perhaps her different point of view could open up new avenues too.

"Do you think it's true, then...?" As before, it was the noblewoman who spoke out first.

"Oh, I'm sure they think it's true."

"...and yet?"

"I destabilized them, took both of them out of their comfort zone when I went to see them." At this point, she was speaking to herself more than she was to the others. "And she was the one who took charge. There was no hesitation, no awkwardness. Uchiha Sasuke simply stood back, waiting for a potential threat."

There was too much ease in their motions, too much familiarity. Those two had been switching control of their dynamics for a long time now. In a way, it reminded how Kimi worked with her own husband, taking over the political areas while Toga managed the military aspect of their clan. No resentment; it was simply a recognition of strengths and weaknesses. Sure, there was obvious codependency shown in the girl's actions, but Miroku's reports hinted it went both ways. No, Higurashi Kagome wasn't taken, nor forced, nor blackmailed.

"The decision to leave was mutual." So, her son caught it too.

"We don't have any treaties with Oto. No one should complain if we were to take one of the assignments asking for Orochimaru's head, if they went on their own, however..." Frustration bled over Toga's words. "...if they were so desperate for power, then..."

"Are they, really?" Izayoi's soft question interrupted her husband.

"Huh?"

"Well, it's just that...there is a lot of risk involved in this, isn't there?" Unlike the others in the room, the princess' musings were spoken with more innocence. "If they care for each other as much as we think they do, then they wouldn't place the other in danger, right?"

"Well, normal people probably wouldn't, but the Uchiha were known for being ambitious..." Toga trailed off, clearly unsure how to deal with how to argue with his lover.

"Would you have put me in danger had we not had a way to calm tensions down back down when we met?"

"Of course not!" At least the man's flustered panic was still amusing. "I would've never thought about it if I didn't think we had several ways to settle things down! Even if we hadn't, then I would've made sure to keep you safe!"

"But isn't power everything to the Taishos?"

"You are not a kunoichi, Izayoi." At last, Sesshoumaru decided to stop the innocent questions only to get a delicate laugh in response.

"I wouldn't think emotions worked all that different between people, even shinobis."

"Well, what Sesshoumaru wanted to say is..."

Things worked differently when both members in a relationship were raised in the kind of environment Toga, and Kimi were. The sort of family the Uchihas were reputed to have been things just didn't work like that...or perhaps...

So far, the matriarch had been thinking about the heirs as if they were the same as her and her husband. Dedicated shinobis with clear ambition and used to power. Yes, there was a deep emotional attachment between the kids, but if they could keep a cold head when fighting a jinchuuriki, then safety likely did not place above their goals in their priority list.

But maybe she was wrong.

Perhaps it didn't matter that none of them were civilians for them to be so overprotective. Staying with Orochimaru would place them on the edge of danger at every turn; if their relationship was what she now thought it was, then that just couldn't be the destination they were looking for. Codependent as they were, they wouldn't go down a path they didn't have several ways out of...and Kimi herself had offered them one before leaving Konoha, hadn't she?

"No, no..." Kimi said. "Sesshoumaru, dear, they never got injured while training, did they?"

"None of them were going all out."

"The girl, did she check up on him after his sparring matches?" Her firstborn nodded at her further questioning. "What about the Uchiha; did he do the same?"

After a silent moment, the teen nodded once more.

"I see...we shall wait, then."

"Wait?" Toga's confusion was just as adorable as it was entertaining. "Whatever for?"

"Why, for them to contact us, of course."

Once more, the woman could feel amusement at the concealed confusion in the two silver-haired males' faces. So many pieces in the board had been changed and moved with no warning. At last, Kimi could feel herself starting to grasp a hold of the game again. There were still some things that escaped her, but Izayoi's words gave her a clue on the direction those two were trying to go. And with this on her hands now, she could begin to make her moves once more.

"I think a longer explanation could prove useful."

"Even if it's just for the sake of power, those two will end up contacting us sooner or later." With a flick of her wrist, she waved her fan in a careless gesture. "Whether they want it for revenge or something else, they will come to us. After all, no matter how much of a genius Orochimaru may be, he won't understand the little heiress' unique talent. She will end up falling behind without the scrolls we have in our possession, and none of them will ever allow that."

"That...makes sense...so staying out of this for a while could work in our favor." There was still some tension there, but Toga sounded calmer now. "Regardless, we need to up our intelligence about Akatsuki, about Orochimaru and Oto as well."

"Well, now that it's all settled down," Izayoi said, standing up. "Rin-chan asked to show her some of my new flowers, so I'll have to leave for now."

As always, the princess' ability to read a room and gracefully take her leave was something to admire. Silence reigned in the room for a second after the door closed. Taking a moment to let the last deductions they'd made with the other woman's help. Now the real question was what they'd do about the two teens after they contacted them.

"Sesshoumaru," Her husband turned to look at their eldest. "What is your impression of those two?"

"They have...potential. If Orochimaru takes this training seriously, they will only grow stronger." There was some respect in her son's voice, though he clearly hadn't made a decision yet.

"So the problem is to know how far they'll be willing to go."

"Does it matter that much?" Kimi asked.

"The alliance..."

"Was made generations ago," she waved her fan around carelessly. "I'm not saying to forgo it altogether, but everything goes stale when time passes."

"Konoha will retaliate."

"That they will." There was no point in denying Sesshoumaru's comment. "But if forced to, our alliance with the Higurashi is older and holds priority. The real question is, can your team keep those two in line if required?"

"As long as they keep up with our regimen." The young heir arched a brow at her. "The details of this alliance...am I to suppose they'll remain a secret."

"Everything in good time, darling."

A loud crash had his eyes opening in a heartbeat. Ignoring the lingering pain in his body and the early hour, Naruto rushed to the window. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find, but it certainly wasn't the sight of a toad big enough for its head to reach the third floor of the Konoha hospital with one eccentric white-haired old man sitting on top of it.

"Ero-sennin?!"

"Hey, Naruto," Jiraiya said, his voice oddly serious. "I came to talk to you today about an important matter...from now on, you're officially my apprentice. I will train you one on one for three years." With a jump, he perched himself on the window sill. "When I was investigating Orochimaru's immortality jutsu, information concerning Akatsuki came to light."

"Information?"

"They won't be after you for at least three or four years from now."

"I see..."Three years...Hinata was right; they would be safe...and they would probably get stronger training. If he wanted to be able to find his answer, then... "I need to find a way to keep the Kyuubi under control fast. We've no time to waste!"

"What do you mean?"

"I have to get that fox under control before going after them." Whatever he chose to do after finding them, it would be his decision and not the demons.

"Not gonna give up on chasing them, are you..." the toad Sannin shook his head. "Well, this might not be all that useful, but...he can't use Sasuke's body as a container for his soul for another three years at the minimum."

"H-how do you know that?!"

"Don't make light of my information network!" For a second, the old man laughed. "Since he can't use his immortality jutsu more than once within three years of each use. While waiting impatiently for those two, he made his move."

Despite it all, Naruto could feel himself sag with some relief.

"Listen...forget about them, both of them...Sasuke himself decided to go to Orochimaru; no matter what you do, he won't change...as for Kagome, there was a decision for her to make, and she made her choice." Jiraiya wasn't wrong...but he wasn't right either. "From having seen many shinobi, I understand, Sasuke's the same type as Orochimaru, and Kagome won't change her mind either. Don't think about bringing them back..."

"I know that already..."

Had it been any other moment, maybe the blond would've laughed at the shocked expression on the old man's face. Whatever it was Ero-sennin expected, it wasn't this.

"I know that already..." He could feel his blunt nails digging into his bandages. "But I won't just forget about them...whatever happens from now on it, doesn't matter...I need to hear it from them...why they left."

Not the official story or the fabricated narrative they pushed into the village. But the real reason behind this whole charade.

"And then?"

"...I'll figure it out then."

"You do realize that if you insist on this, I refuse the training." The tone in his voice was almost threatening, but Naruto refused to look away. "You'll be followed by ANBU whenever you leave Konoha...you're not a normal kid. Because you carry the Kyuubi...if you don't listen to what I say, if you follow your own way, that's what'll happen.

"Someday, you'll die against opponents that are more troublesome than Orochimaru, answers or not, just forget about them. If you want to live as a shinobi, you must be wise..." The man trailed off. "If you're a fool, it will be a world of pain. That's reality."

It was undeniable that the old pervert's techniques were what allowed him to keep growing stronger during the last couple of months. Had it not been for the kuchiyose or the rasengan, there was a good chance he could've died at any point. For him to catch up to them, it wasn't just about getting the fox under control. Sasuke would not just nod and start talking if he just asked nicely. Fighting was going to happen for sure. Trying to train on his own could very well make it impossible, and yet...

Naruto always managed to get himself afloat, even if the methods were far from conventional.

"If that's what it means to be wise...I'd be happier living as a fool." Because even if they left him behind, he would not allow it all to just fade away. He would face them, no matter what it took. "By myself, I'll find a way to keep the stupid fox quiet. I'll invent cooler jutsu on my own, and I will catch up to them!"

"A fool is a fool, but...only a moron would do something like that." There was something different now about the Ero-sennin's sigh as he jumped back into the toad. "When you leave the hospital, get ready...see you."

Really, Kagome would probably have stepped on his foot for his little speech. Whispering about how sometimes information was more valuable when it wasn't known while Sasuke scoffed out loud and called him an idiot for being so honest. Verbal promises were not binding; it would've been easier probably smarter to just keep quiet and nod his head.

But that wasn't Uzumaki Naruto's way.

He would keep going on in his own way, make his own decisions. No matter how hard it would be or what he'd find at the end of this path, but Naruto would not back down or stop moving forward...painful or not.

He couldn't react.

He couldn't move.

No matter what else was said, the slightest movement could betray his reactions, and right now, slipping up was not a choice Itachi had. No matter how much he wanted to turn back and get those two away from the snake Sannin.

"Wait, wait!" Deidara's loud yells were directed at him. "I knew you had a brother, but did you also have a kid sister, yeah?"

"...she was just...my family's ward." The words had to be dragged out of his throat by sheer force of will.

"Woah, can't imagine you dealing with children, yeah."

Truthfully, any kind of response had a high risk and would likely place them in danger. Thanks to the Chuunin examination exam, the information blackout on Kagome's name was gone, and he knew for sure that at least a couple of the nuke nins here would be all too happy to go and check out if the legends of the Higurashi were true. And if he reacted strongly, that would certainly mark her as a target, a weakness they could employ if they ever started to distrust him.

"Thanks to that, it's not only the sharingan that Orochimaru obtained but the Higurashi blood as well." There was a warning in their leader's words.

"Oh...now that's a name I didn't expect to hear."

"Should we really leave that in his hands?"

The reasoning behind it would be different, but there was no denying both Kakuzu and Sasori would gladly hunt down the Higurashi survivor if given the chance. Those two...would they be able to win were they to be faced with any member of this group right now?

"There's no need to be impatient, yeah?" At least, Deidara remained as simple-minded as always. "Sooner or later, Orochimaru will be killed, and it won't matter who he got or not, yeah? Shouldn't we focus on other things; we only have three years. If we all do it together, our success rate will be higher, yeah?"

"Yes..." It didn't sound like Pain was too happy to allow the bomber to change the topic. "Our ambition. It will all come into our hands once we get them all. Now, make sure none of you mess your assignments."

An array of agreements was the signal for the others to let the jutsu dispel one by one. Not that Itachi's situation would change much. After all, once he let go, Kisame would be right there, waiting for him to rejoin him as a dutiful partner would.

"Itachi."

Pain's voice stopped him before he could move; the disgraced Uchiha simply waited for the other man to continue."

"Your brother...will you be able to handle him?"

It took some effort, but somehow, Itachi managed to keep the confusion out of his expression. Thinking strategically, the one who should be attracting everyone's attention should be Kagome, not Sasuke. After all, Akatsuki already counted with a sharingan user. It was painfully evident that this question didn't come from their leader but from the one pulling the strings behind this organization. And yet, it didn't make sense; the matter of Sasuke's survival had already been cleared as it was, suddenly abandoning the village or not shouldn't have changed that at all. In fact, he'd been expecting him to show an interest in the girl.

"He is still...far too weak."

"I see," Pain said. "Do not forget what our objective is."

With a silent nod, the teen allowed the technique to dispel, crimson tainted eyes opening right back where his body had been resting for the last hour.

"Anything happened?"

"Not at all..."

Not waiting for his partner to reply, Itachi stood and started walking, mind whirling with the information he'd just received as well as the frantic need to revise his plans. There was too much information to analyze.

Their sudden change of allegiance to begin with.

He'd trusted Kagome to be the voice of caution, to keep his brother grounded and away from being entirely consumed by becoming obsessed with power. Even if rarely seen, the girl had a temper and wouldn't allow him to walk all over her. With her temperament, he'd felt sure the girl would always place her safety over anything else...had he put too much on her shoulders?

Bitterness spread through him. Of course, there was too much pressure on the girl. Just as much as there had to be on Sasuke's. They had been kids when he left them all alone. It was a small miracle they were functional after that. But his hands had been tied, and no matter what he chose, blood would've flowed all the same, so he chose the one that would keep them safer and plunged himself into a sea of blood with no regrets.

And now, it all lingered on the edge of a cliff.

It wasn't just about the lack of protection they had or the danger they'd placed themselves in. Now, for an unknown reason, there seemed to be an interest in his brother too. Did he mess up at some point during the meeting?

No, no, he shouldn't have.

With a steady pace, Itachi kept walking; there was nothing he could do about the number of outsiders who would try and get their hands on the girl, though the most dangerous were probably inside the organization anyway. Most of the low-level vultures would be way enough of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, to actively try to get to them. Even with this, as long as they didn't directly attack the village, the Council would probably try and let things die off. At the very least, not until Itachi was properly dead and took the truth to the grave with him. As long as the two of them made it back to Konoha after that, the village would gladly take them back, if only to save their bloodlines. As long as he could make sure they would actually go back once everything was said and done.

They'd been quite closed off as children. Those kids mostly kept to themselves, and he doubted that had changed much ever since. Did they even have a single meaningful bond outside of each other? Any chance of having them open up when they entered the Academy had been essentially blown away thanks to the fact that most of their classmates liked to make fun and bully the village's jinchuuriki...but the kid had been a friend to them, right?

Yes.

It may be just one, but Uzumaki Naruto was certainly an important bond to them. Precious enough to face him while knowing they were outclassed. Perhaps it hadn't been strong enough to keep them in the village, but with the right conditions...it may be what he needed to make sure they remained safe even after he was gone.

In hindsight being assigned the blond might have been a stroke of luck.

A/N: And now the pieces are moving into place. It took some time to properly set things up for the big departure from canon but finally here we are. With things how they are now Kagome and Sasuke are now basically doing the same thing Itachi did by keeping quiet and leaving for "Naruto's own sake" which is something I want to explore a bit here. Also, Itachi is probably going to have a worse time not panicking since it's not one kid who just jumped into the lion's den, but two.

As always, thank you guys so much for reading (and sorry for the late hour) and any and all review/criticism/comment is greatly appreciated.