AN: Thanks a lot for all the favorites/reviews/follows guys! I honestly was not expecting it at all holy shit. I'll reply to all the reviews at the bottom so you guys don't have to scroll down a bunch for the actual story! (Sorry for rambling back guys haha) Also, just curious, do you guys like the different perspectives or do you prefer I stick with one perspective? (And whose POV do you personally like best?) I quite like writing multiple perspectives but I struggle with making each perspective sound like a different character I guess?

Also, this is the last of my prewritten bits, so updates are going to slow dramatically, I'm sorry. (If I ever update again ahahAhHA)


She didn't know when it happened, but happen it did, and the evidence was right in front of her.

She didn't like it. Hated it, in fact.

Shikamaru, Choji, and Setsuna sat together at the back of the classroom, as was the usual, according to those she had subtly interrogated. But when did it become the norm? And why hadn't she noticed?

Well, that part she knew. Shikamaru and Choji were boring and stagnant. So she had assumed that they would always be the same, and barely paid them any attention. They hadn't showed signs of changing in those brief moments they made themselves noticeable, hadn't shown signs of leaving her behind. She had complained about them every time they were together, but in a way their stagnation was comforting. It was safe. They were safe. Or at least, the idea of them was safe.

Ino watched them interact with jealousy burning away at her gut.

They looked like a trio. A true trio, not like when she hung out with them and it was a duo and an intruder. It was as if Setsuna was the one who had grown up with Shikamaru and Choji, Setsuna who was expected to be in a team with them when they graduated.

It wasn't even like she was that close to them (though wasn't that the problem? Hadn't she watched her father with his friends with a sense of envy? A sense of longing? Hadn't she thought to herself, deep inside her heart, I want this for myself?) that she could feel possessive of them. (Somehow, that made things worse.)

And yet, that feeling that feeling inside her, that mixed bag of angerlossenvyMINEwas still there. (accompanied by something that felt like inadequacy squeezing her heart and tumbling in her chest and she couldn't breathe- )

Somewhere down the line she had become complacent. Complacent about their friendship. Assured of her placement in their trio. Confident from the knowledge that even if her other friendships didn't work out (Sakura- !) her spot as the motivator, the leader of their little trio, was for forever. Safe in her irreplaceability. (Stupid. She'd forgotten that even forever had an end.)

Shikamaru laughed and watched Setsuna with a fond look in his eyes he'd never had with her. Choji laughed as well, adding something she couldn't hear, and the trio laughed together. Setsuna smacked the both of them with a gentleness that Ino had used on the duo; her smile, so utterly content, was one that Ino had wanted to wear with them. Because of them.

Before she knew it, before she was really conscious of it, the rashness she hadn't quite gained control over prompted her to do something and she was walking over to them, something in her aching for a fight.

Something about the way she strode purposefully over to their direction must have drawn attention to her, for some part of her (the part that yearned to be the "Ino" in the "Ino-Shika-Cho" team, her bitter mind provided) noticed the quieting of the room, the hushed whispers of gleeful gossips. She would have been one of them - eagerly hunting for the latest bit of news, gathering information the way she was bred to - in another time, another place. She could feel the burning gaze of Sasuke, but for once she didn't pay him any mind.

The quiet no doubt clued the trio in on her approach, and they looked up, curious and waiting, tensed subtly for a confrontation. Her satisfaction was spoiled by the fact that Setsuna, the one she had most wanted to intimidate, only glanced up for a brief second before looking back down at her notebook. Ino could have made the mistake of interpreting her actions as fear or nervousness had she not been trained since birth to read body language like one might read a book. (Crossed legs. Relaxed shoulders. Unfurrowed brows.) No, Setsuna wasn't afraid. She was completely and utterly bored.

Ino's nostrils flared at the blatant dismissal, and judging from the sharpening of his gaze and brief glance to his companion, Shikamaru had picked up on her tell.

"Shikamaru, Choji, you're far too kind for your own good! But I think sometimes you guys need to learn the difference between kindness and pity," Ino began with a saccharine smile, that same part of her mind pushing her to hurt like she'd been hurt. "The only reason one would hang out with a freak like her is because she's just so pitiful, after all, and I wouldn't want you to get that poor girl's hopes up. I would hate for her to think you guys are actually friends."

Setsuna's eyes had snapped up at the word 'freak', giving her a cold glare Ino had never seen before on the normally dreamy girl's face. Ino tamped down the sudden spike of fear with the feeling of triumph, throwing out a confident smirk and a toss of her hair for good measure. She'd pressed a button, she noted gleefully.

"Ino." The word was sharp and cutting, but nothing hurt more than the gentle look Shikamaru gave Setsuna, making sure she was alright. (What about me? Why don't you care about me anymore?)

"Oh, you're going to choose the friendless freak that no one likes over me? Your childhood friend?"

The bitterness in that statement shocked even herself. It wasn't even like she liked Shikamaru and Choji that much, really. It was the fact that they preferred a loser - who, despite being the ward of the Yondaime through some convoluted story, was seen as little more than an orphan - over her. (And didn't that say a whole lot about Setsuna? That even the Yondaime, one of the nicest people in Konoha, didn't seem to care that much for her?) It was the fact that she had tried - had wanted - once upon a time, to have the same relationship with them that Setsuna seemed to have so easily.

It was the fact that she had believed, despite their differences, they were going to be team. Not just a duo and an intruder, an honest-to-god trio. The realities of being a ninja were slowly but surely seeping into her thoughts, but she had pushed the thought aside because they would get through it together. And suddenly it seemed as if there was no longer any room for her, and every insecurity, every worry she'd ever shoved aside came bursting out of the woodwork.

The worst of it all? Ino knew she was being ridiculous, every bit of the troublesome that Shikamaru liked to launch at her. Just because they gained a new friend who they liked and relaxed with (that's what friends were for, after all) doesn't mean that she was suddenly launched out of their future team. Ino-Shika-Cho was a team that had been decided upon ever since she was born, probably even before that. Furthermore, her actions were completely irrational. If she had truly wanted to know her place on the team, her place in their trio, the best way to find out would be a private chat. Not in front of all of their peers, trying to intimidate a girl that she knew but didn't want to admit wouldn't be intimidated. Would never be intimidated by her. (For those eyes were too old, too familiar with the world's horrors to be intimidated by Ino.)

But Ino was a preteen girl who had never learned how to share before. Had never really needed to know. (Just look at what happened with Sakura.) And all she could feel was hurt and a vague feeling of why?

"I'm not choosing anyone over anyone. What you said was uncalled for. Setsuna-chan probably has never even spoken a word to you before." Shikamaru's gaze was like a banked fire. Calm, measured, but with enough heat to burn. She hated it. Hated him.

Ino couldn't help but glance back at Setsuna, only to find her staring back with no malice in her eyes. It caught Ino off-guard, because there was a calm understanding in that gaze and it was such a 180 from her earlier stare that what had started as a brief glance turned into a long staring contest.

Not for the first time, Ino was struck by how pretty Setsuna truly was. She was almost otherworldly - her normally dreamy gaze (Ino ignored the goosebumps erupting down her back from just a calm stare) and the ever present kaleidoscope of butterflies only added to her fae-like appearance. There was something coldly untouchable about her beauty despite her fiery red hair, made all the more vibrant by the multitude of colours trailing down the strands. Her eyes were a striking purple that was sometimes almost too blue to be called violet - and compared to that unique shade, how could Ino's average blue-coloured eyes compete? Even though she was so, so proud to have inherited her father's blond hair and blue eyes, sometimes she hated looking so similar to her clan members when people like Setsuna existed.

"Shika, it's fine." That dreamy gaze was back, and Ino wondered if that stare that had cut right through her defenses was a mere figment of her imagination. "I think it was all a misunderstanding. Why don't we talk about this some other time? I hardly think this is the right setting for a talk such as this one." Setsuna smiled a little, and with a rush, Ino became fully aware of all the whispers around her. She fought down her embarrassment as Shikamaru tsked before laying his head back down on his folded arms.

Ino managed a sneer and strode back to her seat just as quickly as she had strode away from it. She was not running away from that stare (that had unsettled her, raised her hackles like nothing else had). She was simply choosing her battles.

Ino was smart - even if she didn't always appear that way - and she understood that sometimes you had to lose a battle to win the war.


Outofthisworldgal: I'm sorry that I disappointed your hopes! (Or well Minato did haha) I hope that I did a good job with making Minato's perspective and reasons for neglecting his daughter (emotionally, at the very least) believable and somewhat relatable, though. Every person has complex feelings, desires, and ambitions, and that's one of the main things I'm trying to convey in my story. Her placement in the class is very high (haven't decided if I want her to be rookie of the year yet) considering that she has memories of previous lives aiding her. As for the Third and what Setsuna calls him… That should all be revealed soon! :)

Merlenyn: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Hmm… To be honest I haven't planned out when exactly he's going to find out yet (A lot of the plot is going to be me flying by the seat of my pants haha whoops) but I do have part of that confrontation written already (even though it won't be for a long, long time). The thing about Setsuna/Harry is that when she fully steps into her role as the Master of Death, she abandons every emotion except for logic, and usually the only determining factor will be how her decision will affect the good ole "BALANCE OF THE WORLDD" (yes caps were needed). It's kind of hard to explain but hopefully you got a glimpse of that in the first chapter!

Mysticsoldier1715: Thank you for your extremely kind words! It means a lot, especially because having depth in my characters is something I strive towards. I agree with your point of going overboard on the abuse/neglect thing, and it's been hard trying to find that line where it just isn't believable anymore. Keep in mind that Minato may be exaggerating/underestimating the extent of the neglect towards Setsuna, as he really only has one perspective of her situation. The weird cocktail mix of emotions he possesses as well as his position in the village both factor into that as well. I'll leave it up to you to figure out whether he's over- or underestimating the neglect!

Lunary: Thank you, and I hope I didn't disappoint!

Xiu: I'm glad you enjoyed my story so far! I hope this chapter satisfied the suspense, sorta? Haha.

Dreamscapeillusion: Thank you! Let's hope there'll be an amazing plot and end as well haha (my fingers are so crossed they've switched spots)

Lat: Thanks! Hopefully you'll continue loving it!

Infra: I had to google translate your review, sorry haha. I hope this story continues to be an amazing one! I also google translated this next bit, so sorry if it says some weird thing like "flies are butter" or something like that. Dziękuję za przeczytanie i mam nadzieję, że będziecie nadal cieszyć się moją historią!

Twinbuster2: Thanks for your review! I'm glad my story has started off well. Your questions will hopefully all be answered in the future. (To be honest I'm still trying plan it all out.. But at this point I'm going to say that I'm planning for it to deviate from canon, though how much has yet to be determined. I've always admired those authors that can create an entirely new universe from a single change, and hopefully I can live up to that!) And imagining Sasuke as a flirt… I can visualize many hilarious omakes from that but it's most likely not going to occur. At least, not to an extreme extent. Hopefully this chapter lives up to your expectations at least a little!

Pri-Chan 1410: Thank you! I hope this chapter satisfies you at least a little bit! :)

Rosie . com: (Sorry had to save your name from disappearing) Thank you! Here you go haha. Were you expecting an update this quickly?

Lu: Thanks for your kind comments! Minato doesn't really want to hate his daughter either, but he can't help himself. It's too easy to place the blame on her, and a part of him is still shying away from thinking deeper about it because a part of him doesn't want to know. It's easier to hate. And Harry wouldn't be Harry if he wasn't self-sacrificing all the time! Hopefully this chapter satisfied you at least a little!

917brat: I've actually given some hints about the butterflies already, but you'll find out more about them soon! And a part of why Minato doesn't understand (though guessing that his daughter is the Master of Death is a pretty big leap) is because he doesn't want to understand. Once he gets over his grief (which will be a long time coming, most likely) a lot of things will change in his relationship with Setsuna. You make a good point about something shocking him out of his grief (the whole "you don't know what you have until it's gone" shebang) but if it will happen… We'll see won't we? :) Thanks for reading!

Alia00: Thank you! I hope you keep enjoying my story!

Stubs1101: Haha I'm glad you like it! There are reasons she acts the way she does, and one day it'll all be revealed!

AN: Sorry for this extremely long section… It ended up longer than I was planning since I was responding to everyone… Whoops.