Hello everyone,

I'm trying to publish at least 2000 word chapters with a regular schedule on this story. Wish me luck with that ^^

A few questions I'd like to answer:

Since you're changing the story, will the Kannabi Bridge still happen? Yes the Kannabi Bridge will still happen. And Obito will still "die".

Minato died at 24 during the Kyuubi attack and Kakashi was 13 at the time of Gaiden, meaning about 14 during the attack. Correct, though I'll probably make Minato and Kushina a bit younger (people tend to have children early, and they have fallen in love since they were 13)

Please, please have Orochimaru be the good guy! Currently I am really into Sakumo x Orochimaru stories. But even if you don't do male pairings. I really want to see him as a good guy. Wasn't he Nawakis teacher? He won't be a "ggod guy" per see, but he'll behave more or less since he'll have some nice ties with Honoka, but I can't tell more. As for being Nawaki's teacher, I don't think he was. He just send him to the war. I didn't know about this pairing, however Sakumo in y story is straight, and so is Orochimaru, so no bonding between these two.

10 to 12 month

Bless the people who invented furniture! Now that she could change positions at will, albeit slowly, she could push herself on her butt wherever she wanted (using some clothes to go faster on the hard floorboard). When it was too hard she could lift herself up on her wobbly legs and "walk" the last herters.

As a bonus, she could always steal some on Akiye's shawl to work on the ground. With a little twist of chakra, she could glide on the ground with ease. She had worked how to use a little bit of her own energy. It didn't burn as much as when others used it.

Well the old crow would always get her revenge afterwards. She always did. Hopefully Honoka had learned how to fall. And she still had the near four-years-old Chomaru to have her back. He seemed the happiest kid ever to help her stand on her wobbly legs, or be her new horse.

She missed Nawaki, though. The teenager was easier to work with, for he had more experience. She wondered where he went. There seemed to be troubles in the country, but no one dared to speak of it near the kids. Honoka understood. Chomaru was that kind of child who liked to repeat all he heard, but he wouldn't be of any help if the adults refused to say anything around him.

Then came the translation of what he was saying. It was hard to have him explain the situations with 3-word sentences when he had just come to understand the notions of "tall" and "little". But it became very useful to keep watch on Akiye's movements. Her only problem was to reward the little guy. She could do even less than he did, because she was still fumbling with all the syllables. But it was getting manageable.

Honoka thought there was something fishy going on around her mother. She seemed happy and unhappy to have her daughter taught with the second son of the clan. Not everyone had the opportunity, right? Plus, Nawaki seemed like an important figure or maybe he had an important family or whatever? Yet, here she was, daughter of a Wind Country immigrant and a father of the low branch of the Akimichi clan. How did she get to that position?

This position seemed interesting to keep for now. How should she keep it? Being friends with Chomaru would only do the trick for the beginning. He was a whiney kid. They'll just stuff him with candies then he will forget all about her. she was nothing. She was worth nothing.

Question was: how could she get a price tag on her back in this world?

She didn't solve this riddle right away. In the way most secrets people kept with a plastered smile, this one was intricated, layered. Actually, this secret contained a great amount of this man named Danzô. He was the one who got Senju Nawaki and his teammates to take care of her. He was a family friend. It seemed that he and her father fought together in a war, another war than the one occurring right now. People never seemed to stop fighting in this village. She wished she knew why.

Her mother just started dressing her nicely one morning. More nicely that when she went to Akimichi Akiye's house. Baby clothes were a language of their own it seems. Nice kimonos that were impractical to move with were for the Akimichi clan. Nice simple dresses with mesh shirts and lots of pockets were not.

She was led to a nice restaurant or café where her mother worked. She wasn't 1 yet, but Summer was coming around, darkening her mother's skin to a pretty gold. Honoka's birthday was due somewhere in July. Kami only knew when.

That day, though, was due to something else. It started with "look at my cute little baby", and she was then exposed in a high chair for everyone to see. It's not that Riho Suki was a good mother. Honoka would be unable to grade her. However, she was a show-off. There was a reputation to keep. Why it was so important to do it was at work escaped her totally.

That day went on with Suki continuously checking on her daughter, at an alarming rate at that. She seemed stressed by something. She was almost on her knees by midday. She was having so much troubles her manager, an Akimichi, had to ask her if she wanted to go home. She refused.

Then, when all the costumers were gone and the restaurant about to close until dinner time, a man came in. The one who had glared at her and showed her parents how they could behave around her. The one that made her parents angry at each other for whatever reason.

No one told him the kitchen were closed. He seemed like a man nobody said "no".

And Suki smiled bright.

"Danzo-Sama!" she greeted. "I wasn't expecting you."

A cold silence met with her sentence. I saw her hands twitch with nervousness. She had no idea what to say to this man.

"You have already met Honoka." Suki said.

His grey eyes shifted on her and paused. Honoka straightened her spine under his glare. Her eyes grew cold. She never liked being glared at. Just like the first time, she swore she saw a light through his eyes, but it died too fast to be sure.

"She looks her age." he said at last.

It felt like the words strained him. In fact, it almost sounded like a disappointment to her. Honoka puffed her cheeks in annoyance and crossed her arms. She was sorry she couldn't meet his expectations.

You could have sliced a hair in two with the razor-smirk he gave her. Shivers went on Honoka's back. Who was that man? That Danzo guy had power. Did her mother want that? Was this why she behaved so strangely? Honoka couldn't tell.

"Behave, girl. Do what is asked of you."

Though she was still shaking, Honoka had the strength to raise a brow at that. What was expected of her exactly? This man seemed very authoritative. She had always had troubles with that type of person. Although, she might need to keep her temper in check. In this world, violence was prompt.

"I'm glad you like her." her mother said.

"I asked favours for that child. I ought to know she's worth it."

"You know she is. Her father is a great man."

"He is."

Honoka was confused. Why was her mother so happy with such a sinister man around? Why would he asked favours for her when this was their second meeting?

Suki waltzed her out of her chair to hold her on her hip. She was warm. Did she smell like perfume? This one smelled expensive. It was a tad bit too spicy for her. It suited her mother and it didn't at the same time. This Danzô folk must have been even more of a big gun than she ever thought.

They sat around one of the tables. There was this vibe in the air, she could almost touch it. It was… lukewarm. As if there was one tiny path to walk to avoid the wrong answers. This man seemed hard to please. He threw one or two sentences about paperwork keeping him busy and promising ninjas. Honoka was surprised her mother knew enough to give him meaningful answers in exchange. In comparison with the boisterous Torifu, this man was withdrawn. Yet, the conversation seemed fuller despite the long silences filling it.

Once or twice, she saw the man examining her. Honoka had this urge to put down her baby fork and sit straight when he did so. She didn't see every time he observed her, but she could feel a shift inside of him. As if the energy that made him changed of shape. He was keeping it low for her comfort. But when he looked at her, it went up, like a flame. It was a fire, but a gentle one, one that didn't burn her. Maybe it would have hurt a few months ago. But Honoka dared Akimichi Akiye and paid the price for her arrogance and build a resistance to this world magic.

"The girl has grown well." Danzô said. "I'll schedule another visit to the Hyuuga for her development."

Her mother bowed to Danzô and thanked. Silence stretched, long and nerve-wracking. The man thanked for his meal and stood. His gaze stopped at Honoka, and she felt his energy shapeshifting again. His face showed no emotion, but she definitely felt his energy move. He must have shown something because Suki smiled brightly at him. He deadpanned in answer.

"Would you like to hold her?" Suki asked warmly.

Danzô deadpanned at the woman, as if it was the most incongruous idea he ever received. Honoka cocked her head to the side. She quite like hugging. She had become a hugging whore lately. It probably had to do with the steps of her development. Plus, it seemed to please her mother, and she grew quite attached to her.

The man was hesitating. Huh, he probably was a tough client. He was resisting Riho Suki, the woman before any living man drooled or shyly stuttered. But this man seemed unable to have this range of emotions. Hell, even a genuine smile would look out of place on his face. But if he could resist my mother's charms, maybe was he sensitive to a baby's appeal.

I made the smile and doe-like eyes I trained to do in front of the mirror. Most of adults would turn into a pile of goo before that kind of face. Even Akiye did it, and she was an evil witch. Danzô flinched before her and went for my head. My victory was short-lived, for he looked at her with calculating eyes.

"You will have an interesting future." he said.

She was unsure of what it meant. Maybe he meant politics. He seemed to deal a lot with it.

Her mother was cheery when they got back home. She was humming an old song when cleaning up the house and making meals. She was bouncing on her feet. She didn't seem to get that much of the man, though. He seemed like a hard nut to crack. However, it looked like some serious work to wrap such a man around her fingers. She was probably using Honoka as a bait, since the man had an odd interest in her.

The girl was fine with that. As long as she could use the network her mother build on her behalf later.

Although, she would have preferred a day with Chomaru. Speaking of an important person to sway her way, having the second son of the Akimichi clan work for her seemed ideal. From what she understood from Akiye's lessons to her little prince, their clan was the third strongest clan in Konoha, behind the Hyuuga and Uchiha who fought for the first place. The Akimichi strength was trade. Every food trade was Akimichi. Plus, they had two main vassals: the Nara clan, and the Yamanaka clan.

These two clans acted like support, though they didn't possess the physical strength of the Akimichi. The Nara were fine strategists, and they did research and manufactured medicine. The Yamanaka clan was more suited for reconnaissance and interrogation work. These clans could only grow thanks to the support of their liege clan.

A day without the 4-years old was fine, but Honoka would prefer to know beforehand.

"Mama, why no Chomaru?" she asked.

Her mother went on her knees with a sigh and looked at her.

"You should have spoken before him. He would have like that."

"Grumpy man?" Honoka asked to be sure.

"Don't call him that."

There was something passive-aggressive in her mother's behaviour, but she didn't know what. Well, was it that important to look so much interesting in that Danzô's eyes? Shouldn't she be seducing other people, like the Akimichi clan leaders or something?

The days went again, then the weeks and the months. They send her to the long-haired doctor again, and he prodded several parts of her body, injecting energy. Her "chakra sensibility" was still there, but it wasn't life-threatening anymore. The good news didn't make that Danzô man come to them, though. Her mother wanted something from him, but what?

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