A/N: Only a few chapters, this one included, until everything explodes and the final arc gets into full swing.

This chapter will feature the only OC in this entire fic, but she'll serve a distinct, if small purpose. Will only get a tiny handful of pagetime too. So don't worry. I'm not going to shove another character arc down your throat. Just the suggestion of one.

Time for Chapter 63

Enjoy!


Standing before the office of the Hokage had lost its luster in recent months.

As a green academy student, the concept of meeting with the leader of one's nation had been an exciting prospect. An honor reserved for only the highest of achievements. Even Shikamaru, who had seldom cared for such things, had at least held some level of reverence for the idea of it. The bland truth was, nearly every ranking Ninja had done it, and it was rarely accompanied by any real excitement. Quite the opposite, usually. For all its advertised glory, the life of a Shinobi could be extremely slow. As such, as he reached out for the office door handle, Shikamaru's heart rate was even, and his expression blank.

Opening the door and stepping inside, the Nara was met with the predictable sight of HIruzen behind his desk, but said desk was not merely strewn with paperwork as it usually was. Alongside the stacks of documents, laid in the center of the desk, was a green flak jacket sealed in an airtight bag. Choosing to let the answers come to him at their own pace, Shikamaru offered a customary bow.

"You sent for me?" he asked. The Hokage nodded and pushed aside a document he had been in the midst of signing.

"A bit early for your tastes, I'd imagine, but I think you'll appreciate it." he said. He then laid a hand atop the sealed flak jacket, which Shikamaru's eyes had drifted to a moment earlier.

"As I'm sure you've guessed, this is for you." he said. The Nara stared at the jacket in silence initially. It was an accomplishment to be offered the uniform. He knew as much. Yet, he could not help but feel uneasy.

"Are you sure I should be getting a promotion?" he asked. Apparently, such a question had not been among Hiruzen's expectations, if the look of genuine surprise that briefly crossed his face was any indication.

"I wouldn't be offering it if I weren't. Of course, you may refuse it, but I'd question your logic. Greater freedom and pay are nothing but a benefit to somebody your age." he said. Shikamaru opened his mouth to reply, but slowly closed it again. Images of a broken body beneath a pile of rubble flashed across his mind. The very same mistake that had nearly cost him his job had occurred again, and quite recently. In a way, it felt dishonest to accept a promotion with a straight face.

"If your concerns lie with the strike on your record, I've taken it into account. This promotion would be semi-conditional." the Hokage tacked on as an addendum. An odd, rather obvious realization then hit Shikamaru in the back of the head. HIruzen was not aware of what had very nearly happened. It made perfect sense. The man had more pressing matters to attend to than Shikamaru's emotional maturity. As far as the elderly leader knew, the genin had turned over a new leaf entirely.

"In what way, if I may ask?" he inquired, opting to keep his struggles to himself for the time being. Hiruzen sat up a bit straighter in his chair.

"You'll still be under Kakashi's supervision for a few months, and you'll still operate as a part of your current unit. You'll have the authority to lead your own missions, but with less frequency than you would have with a clean slate. Does that sound reasonable?" he explained. Shikamaru nodded. The limitations were far from restrictive in the grand scheme of things. Months came and went quickly. They always had.

"Sounds fine to me." he replied. Hiruzen slid the flak jacket across the desk, eyeing him intently as he did so.

"So, I take it you'll be accepting this promotion?" he pressed. Shikamaru reached out and picked up the jacket. It was lighter than he had expected it to be.

"Yeah, I will. Thank you, Hokage-sama." he said. Accepting greater responsibility was not favorite activity of his, nor would it ever be, but in the case of his chosen career, he would stomach it anyway.

"You're expected to wear that while you're on duty, and as of yesterday, your team is eligible for assignment again. Try it on." Hiruzen suggested. Shikamaru sighed and did as he was told, removing the jacket from its packaging and slipping into it. The uniform fit well, and as he had noticed earlier, it was shockingly lightweight.

"Not my favorite shade of green, but I'll make it work." he said. Hiruzen gave a dry chuckle and reached out for a document from his stack.

"Your etiquette is a mess, but I think I like it better than the gibbering messes I talk to daily. You're free to go." he said humorously. Shikamaru turned to leave, but as he headed for the door, he was addressed once more.

"Tell me something, lad."

The newly promoted chunin turned back around. Though his logical mind ruled it out, he still held a slight dread that he would be questioned as to his experience during the invasion. His fear did not come to pass.

"You told me once that he didn't think much of your teammates. Or rather, that you weren't too attached to them. Has that changed? Feel free to be blunt. I'm asking out of curiosity." Hiruzen asked. Shikamaru blinked. He had prepared answers to numerous more predictable inquiries, but he had been caught off guard.

"I understand them better. They actually make some sense to me now." he answered after several seconds. The Hokage stroked his bearded chin.

"Good to hear. How do you perceive them now that you have a firmer grasp on them as people?" he asked. Why exactly Hiruzen was suddenly so curious was lost on Shikamaru, but if nothing else, it was a topic he was fully comfortable with.

"I like them more. Naruto's a lot more mellow than you might think, and Satsuki isn't as prickly as she looks. Both are headcases, though. I'd never hang out with either for more than an hour or two." he said honestly. Hiruzen leaned back in his chair.

"That sounds about right. That will be all. Run along." he said, shooing the teen away with a wave of his hand. Needing no further prompting, Shikamaru exited the room and set out down the hallway. Soon enough, he crossed through the lobby and left the building entirely. As the early-morning sun hit his skin, a tantalizing realization came to him.

'Mom doesn't outrank me anymore.'


Naruto took a deep breath as he closed in on the front steps of Satsuki's dwelling. Three days had passed since their unpleasant run-in on the hospital roof, and he had not seen his teammate in any way, shape, or form in that time. Partially, it had been his own choice to avoid contact. He had needed time to himself to parse what exactly to take away from the encounter, if anything at all. Coinciding with his personal reasons, he had been informed by Kakashi that the girl had requested several days of uninterrupted solitude. Far from surprising, all things considered.

Part of him knew that too little time had passed for the outcome of visiting her to be assuredly positive, but he could not erase the image of Satsuki attempting to crack her own skull on her wall from his mind. He wouldn't stay long. All he wanted was confirmation that she was still physically and mentally healthy. As much as was realistic, that was. He had gone out of his way to buy a small bottle of lemonade from a stand. Ironically, he had learned of her taste for the drink on the very same walk that had led them directly to Itachi.

'No point in walking back on it. I'm already here.' he coached himself as he finally began his ascent up the short set of steps. When he reached the porch, and the door by extension, he hesitated just once more before knocking. Truth be told, he was uneasy. There was a very real chance he would get the same treatment as last time. For a time, no response came. Only silence. It was nearly noon, so the chances of the Uchiha still being asleep were slim, though not nonexistent. Once a full sixty seconds had passed, Naruto took a step back and prepared to leave.

Before he could turn around, he heard the door knob gradually begin to turn. With painstaking slowness, the door opened. Standing beyond it was Satsuki, as expected. Her appearance painted a vivid picture of her current state. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of long pajama pants. Her hair was messy and disheveled, her eyes had distinct circles under them, and her face was gaunt. She was an absolute wreck. Knowing better than to outwardly react, Naruto did his best to keep a pleasant face.

"Too early for ya?" he joked. It was a poor opener, but humor had long been his automatic response to stress of any kind. It kept him sane. Satsuki's expression did not shift even the slightest bit.

"Yes, actually. What do you want?" she asked flatly. She sounded tremendously weary. Both her appearance and voice suggested that she had not slept in some time. She was irritable. More so than usual.

"I, uh, just wanted to check on you. See if you were doing alright, y'know?" the Jinchuuriki said. Once again, Satsuki gave him no reaction at all.

"Well, you've got your answer. Anything else?" she said in response. Naruto swallowed an odd lump in his throat. She was not outwardly belligerent in the way she had been in the hospital, but she radiated hostility all the same.

"I guess not." Naruto said quietly. An unnerving silence set in quickly, with the Uchiha staring right through him. She did not blink even once.

"Look, I'm sorry for smothering you back in the–" the blonde started, intending to address their prior conflict. The raven-haired girl didn't bother to let him finish.

"Funny, because that's exactly what you're doing right now." she cut in in a hard tone. She then took a short step forward, stopping in the doorframe.

"I asked for alone time. I don't want to see people right now. That includes you. Maybe you think you have special privileges with me, but you don't. Respect my privacy." she said. Naruto looked down at his feet. On some level, he had expected such a rebuking.

"I brought you some lemonade." he muttered, extending his hand out and offering the drink to her. Satsuki made no move to accept it.

"You should find things other than me to think about. Get a hobby. Make some friends for once. I can't be your playmate seven days a week." the girl said, drawing Naruto's gaze back up from the boards of the porch. She looked fully apathetic. He was the last thing on her mind. It made plenty of sense, and it was justified, but Naruto had made the mistake of forgetting how truly cold she could be.

"Just…please don't do anything dumb. Promise me that, at least." he requested. Satsuki stepped back into her home fully.

"What I get up to is none of your business." she shot back, closing her door again and ending the conversation in earnest. Standing alone on the porch, Naruto stared at the wooden door wordlessly for a few moments. He had thought himself prepared for another verbal lashing, but he had overestimated himself. She had not bullied him as succinctly, but she had still managed to hit him right where it hurt most.

She was deeply unsettled by a repressed trauma brought back to the surface. She was filled with vile and explosive emotion. The Jinchuuriki could recognize the very real possibility that her words and sentiments were born of that reignited fury. And yet, it was painful all the same. As was his policy when he could help it, he did not cry. Instead, he knelt down and set the bottle of lemonade down in front of Satsuki's welcome mat. He then walked down the steps and set out for the gate of the Uchiha sector.

'I'll wait for you. Even if it takes a while. I'll be here.'


Gaara brushed a few stray grains of sand from his tunic as he trudged his way down the hall. He usually had few obligations when he wasn't out in the field in some way, but such a rare occasion had wrapped up only minutes ago. The death of Rasa had scrambled the power structure of Suna, as under their supposedly democratic system, a new Kazekage could not be elected without fair election and all of the processes associated with it. In the interim, the council had been granted emergency executive power. Chances were, they would hold onto it as long as they possibly could.

For all that Gaara had despised his father, he had always respected the man's ability to keep a den of snakes under his thumb. Now, with Rasa dead and gone, the council was free to do as it pleased. Gaara knew all too well that he was their ideal choice of successor. His name was recognizable, if not beloved in any sense. He could be marketed by name value alone, and his image could be tweaked. Suna was, at its core, far closer to a soft authoritarian state than a true democracy. Elections were held when need be, but the results were never clean.

Power changed hands by force, nearly always. In a roundabout way, such a system suited the Jinchuuriki. He was a person of action, if nothing else. Despite the comfortable political climate, the office of Kazekage was not one Gaara wanted anything to do with. He was not a leader. He was not an organizer. He was an agent of his own desires, and the chaos that sprouted up from them. He was not without diplomatic skill, being the son of a world leader had nailed a certain level of savvy into his skull, but he had no ambitions of using it.

The topic had not come up directly during the briefing he had been forced to attend, but the orders he had been given were designed to nudge him towards succession. He had considered simply leaving halfway through, but had ultimately chosen to power through the entire hearing. The council couldn't do much to him, but they could still make his life more difficult. Especially with genuine power having fallen into their laps.

Rounding a corner, the door to Gaara's quarters finally came into view. Living in an estate had its perks, but the fact that it took several minutes to travel from the front door to his own living space was certainly not one of them. Reaching the door a moment later, Gaara opened it and stepped inside. Once within, he made his way to the couch near the back of the large room and settled. He seldom slept, and rarely felt the urge to, but as of the current moment, he was dangerously close to trying. His eyelids were heavy, and his body was sore from his newly-acquired hobby of consistent exercise.

'Just a few minutes.' he decided after a minute of deliberation, slowly letting his eyes drift closed. They had not been closed for more than ten seconds when a knock came at his door. Sitting up straight once more, Gaara sighed and walked to address his unwanted company. The list of those either authorized or willing to visit him was scarce, and who he found on the other side of his door upon opening it was among those predictable few.

"I remembered to eat today, before you ask." he said, skipping a greeting of any kind. Before him stood his attendant, Akane Morisaki. An albino woman of 23 years, standing equal in height to Gaara, she wore a similar tunic to his own of a lighter color. Her eyes were red, and her hair was white and cut short. She had been assigned to his side five years prior, and while she technically held the rank of Jonin, she rarely performed assignments that did not involve Gaara himself.

"That's good to hear. May I come in, Gaara-sama?" she requested formally. There was much about the woman that Gaara found irritating, but he very much appreciated her habit of disregarding small talk in favor of getting to her points quickly. Stepping aside, the redhead allowed his attendant to enter his dwelling. The first thing she did was switch on the lights, much to Gaara's chagrin.

"How was your briefing?" she asked, folding her hands at her waist as Gaara returned to his prior place on the couch. The Jinchuuriki leaned back against the cushion and squinted to better acclimate his eyes to the new brightness.

"Dull and slow. I've been given a mission, though." he reported. Akane raised an eyebrow at the news being presented to her.

"I would've thought you'd be afforded more time to rest." she said. Gaara shook his head and swiped a fly out of the air in front of his face.

"I don't need the down time. Besides, it isn't combative. I'm being sent to Konoha as an ambassador for a week or so." he said. His feelings were broadly mixed on the assignment. On one hand, he very much relished the opportunity to potentially encounter his old foes once more, but on another, his chances to do so would be slim, and his flexibility limited.

"Just you? With all due respect, sire, I find that a bit strange." Akane said skeptically. It was a fair point to make, but context informed the decision quite succinctly.

"Kankuro would've been sent with me, but he still can't walk. Carrying or wheeling him across a country would take more time than we have to spare." the redhead clarified. Akane nodded in understanding, crossing the room and straightening a generic painting framed on the wall.

"That makes sense, I suppose. I assume Baki will be traveling with you, then?" she asked. Gaara once again shook his head, drawing a look of surprise from his attendant.

"He's still on suspension." he said. Temari's death had not been the man's fault in any meaningful way, but the fact remained that she had been killed under his supervision, and while he had been given leniency by retaining his rank at all, he had been disciplined all the same.

"Your timing is convenient, actually. The only freedom I managed to wrangle out of them was the right to choose my Jonin." he added, allowing the woman to piece the rest together herself. Needing little time, Akane ceased repositioning small knickknacks and turned to face him.

"When will we be leaving?" she asked curiously. Gaara wracked his brain for a short while. He had hardly been paying attention down the stretch of the briefing.

"Tomorrow, at dawn. Does that work for you?" he answered. Her reaction was predictable, as past a certain point, she could not flatly refuse him.

"Of course. Would you like me to pack for you?" she asked, gesturing to the dresser positioned on the room's rightmost wall.

"I'll do it myself." Gaara said, standing up and walking past her to begin the process. He disliked being assisted with trivial things. Being waited on hand and foot appealed to most, but not him. It never had.

"In that case, change your tunic while you're at it. You smell like sweat and blood." the attendant suggested. Gaara shot her a disdainful look from his peripheral vision, but obliged by removing his top and tossing it to the floor. The feeling was freeing. Air conditioning could only do so much in the heat of the desert.

"Your chest still hasn't healed." Akane commented as Gaara sorted through his drab selection of folded clothes. The redhead took a glance down at the large mark on his sternum.

"It's just a scar." he said, stacking several different kinds of shirt atop his dresser as he spoke. He then moved on to another drawer.

"That must be a first for you." his attendant said. The Jinchuuriki slowly dragged his vision upward, his line of sight landing on the mirror above his dresser. The scar was deep. Despite his natural regeneration, and the many procedures he had been put through, there was still a distinct depression in his skin. It would never heal fully.

"It is. I'm not sure I like it much." he said, his frown deepening the longer he stared at the wound's ghost. He could almost feel the long-gone ache.

"You have no one to blame but yourself. You picked the fight." Akane pointed out, not bothering to mince words. Gaara rolled one of his shoulders.

"I think I had good reason to think I'd win." he shot back, picking out a clean tunic to wear for the remainder of the night.

"And you didn't. What have we learned this month?" the attendant said with needling humor. Gaara sent her a drab glare over his shoulder.

"You talk too much." he retorted. Akane, looking rather amused, retained her quietly confident posture.

"My job is to keep you grounded, Gaara-sama." she said. Her lack of fear had always been something of a double-edged sword. It could, and often did, greatly test the Jinchuuriki's patience. On the flipside, however, her gall was exactly why he had never requested new help. Smirking slightly, he strolled across the room and came to a stop just short of her.

"Maybe you need a different job." he said, laying a hand on her hip. Akane met his sudden advance with apathy.

"Well, if that's an order, then certainly." she said professionally. A staring match ensued, and it resulted in a stalemate. Sensing the futility, Gaara rolled his eyes and stepped away. He promptly threw on the tunic he'd selected.

"You're no fun." he complained lightly, returning to his dresser to continue organizing. Akane straightened her own tunic.

"Am I ever?" she said with a shrug of her slim shoulders. The Jinchuuriki rubbed his still-heavy eyes.

"I can dream." he muttered tiredly, beginning a slow search for a suitable travel bag to use.

"You never sleep." Akane said only half-jokingly. Gaara ignored the comment for the sake of his sanity. She was an utter impossibility to trade barbs with.

"Is there something you need? If not, you're free to go." he asked. The attendant paid his silent command to be left alone no heed. Instead, she walked up in front of him and pinched the fabric near his neck.

"It's on backwards." she revealed. Gaara's eye twitched slightly. A quick glance down revealed her words to be truthful.

"Nitpicker." he grunted. Akane let the hint of a rare smile show, retreating back out of his space again.

"I'll leave you to pack, Gaara-sama." she said with a short bow. Moments later, she was out of the room and down the hall. Now by himself again, Gaara breathed a sigh of relief.

'Exhausting. Every time.' he thought to himself. Over the following ten minutes, he found his travel bag, loaded it with clothes and several flasks of water, and turned his tunic around to wear it properly. With his business firmly in order, and arrangements made, the Jinchuuriki made the short journey across the room to the small kitchenette his quarters featured. Upon arriving at the counter, he made a horrible discovery.

'I'm out of coffee.'


A/N: Alright, so I know this chapter is on the much shorter side for recent updates, but I had to do a lot of rewriting here. I originally played the Naruto/Satsuki scene very differently, and it just felt way too dramatic for the actual tone of the situation.

Not super eventful, but I think that second scene hits pretty hard on its own.

And yes, I'm aware that many of you are panicking because I introduced an OC. Akane will have 3 scenes at absolute most, and all of them will be in tandem with Gaara. She is here to serve a purpose. Is that cheap? A little, but I think the concept is interesting enough to warrant exploration.

Would love a review if you're able. I read 'em all. Super close to 2200!

ALSO: This fic hit 2,000 followers this week! That's wild, and I'm blown away by the support :)

I love you all

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