Itachi Uchiha's team sat scattered from each other. The chunin exams were closing in, and Itachi wanted nothing more than to participate. It would make him one step closer to becoming a powerful shinobi who could protect those around him. Yuki, his sensei, droned on about the results of their last mission. While they got excellent results, the team dynamic needed more refinement. Itachi held in a heavy sigh.

"Alright, that's all for today. You-"

"Sensei," Itachi interrupted.

He crossed his arms against his chest, and his dark eyes narrowed at the boy, "What is it, Itachi?"

"Are we going to participate in the chunin exams this year?"

Shinko and Tenma stared at Itachi. Their eyes darted back at Yuki and once more toward Itachi. An intense silence lingered in the air. "No," Yuki said.

Itachi's heart dropped into the pits of his stomach. He clenched his jaw tightly, "Why not?" He gave the same curt tone his sensei used.

Yuki Minazuki held back mocking laughter. A smirk spread across his face, "Because your teamwork would never get you guys past the second exam."

"All of our missions are successful," Itachi argued.

"Mostly 'cause of you," Shinko muttered under her breath.

Not being too far from her, Tenma heard her comment, "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"Itachi does most've the work! Y'know it's true! You're always gettin' on his case that you mess things up!"

Shinko and Tenma continued to bicker, "This is exactly what I mean, Itachi. So no, I will not nominate your team for the chunin exams this year."

Itachi knew he could pass the exams. He also knew deep down he could carry both of his teammates toward passing the second exam. Yuki just needed to give them a chance. He pursed his lips together, snatching his kunai pouch in his hands, and turned to leave. ". . . I trust your judgment, sensei."

How frustrating. He should probably go find Shisui and train with him this evening. That would make him feel better.

Yua and Tsukiko's father, Kamaye, sat on the other side of the table from their daughter. Ayaka hung around, but the parents urged her to play outside for a while. Megumi was the only other child in the room. Tsukiko had called on her parents for a meeting of the sorts. These past two days, she mainly spent in her room reading all the material she grabbed from the library along with the books Itachi had handed her.

"Mom, dad . . . you're probably wondering why I wanna talk to you both alone."

Tsukiko did not want her siblings around since this concerned just her and her future here in Konoha. Yua lightly tapped on the table with her free hand. Kamaye sat with both his arms crossed. "It's a little odd . . ."

She loved her siblings, and most family matters were never discussed without everyone present. Tsukiko just knew this topic would make him upset since their mother had never even considered him to become a shinobi. "So what is it?" Kamaye grumbled.

Tsukiko nervously rubbed her knuckles together, "Momma mentioned a while about me becoming a ninja . . . and well, you two were fighting over it and never asked my opinion on the matter."

Yua balled her fist together, knuckles going white. "We haven't really settled on the issue yet, dear. I don't-"

"I want to be a ninja. That should end the discussion. It's my choice; I want to attend the ninja academy."

"What do you even know about being a ninja?!" Her father proclaimed.

Her mother grabbed her husband's arm before it slammed on the table. She muttered something under her breath. "I know a lot, actually. I know what it requires to become one, the different types of techniques used for fighting. I know what classifies missions by their ranks and the fact that doing these missions earn you money. If I become a ninja, I can help bring income in to care for my family. It will take a while for our crops to even bring in any kind of money. Plus, on top of that, I would be able to protect my siblings. That's what I want. I love my family, and I feel like this would be the best way for me to contribute to us."

Yua and Kamaye silently looked at each other. Their stares offered conflict, perhaps a wordless argument amongst one another. "Please, dad. I really want to do this."

"Kamaye, dear . . . you should respect her choice. She has obviously done a lot of research."

Tsukiko watched as he took a few breaths in and out. He calmly gazed at his wife. He Kamaye gave her a one-over. His daughter not catching that glint of disappointment in his eyes. Her father took one deep breath in, "Is that why you holed yourself up in your room these past couple of days?" and out.

She nodded her head, "Yes! I got tired of you and mom fighting about it. I wanted to take matters into my own hands . . ."

Tsukiko felt so excited that he had taken notice of her absence. All she desired was her parents' approval on this matter so they would finally stop their bickering. "And you're sure about this?"

"100 percent!"

Kamaye hummed and finally uncrossed his arms. His entire body relaxed, and he threw his head back. It took a couple of moments before he groaned, "Fine. I give in Tsukiko; you can attend the academy."

Her eyes widened, "R-Really!?"

He nodded his head. Tsukiko jumped to her feet, "Yes!" she shouted, bouncing around in the kitchen. "I can be a ninja! I need to go find Itachi!" She paused when he felt her parents staring at her, "I-I mean cause I need to return his books." Of course, she wanted to tell him the good news too.

"Will you be back in time for dinner?" Her mother questioned, raising her brow.

Tsukiko paused, "Uh . . ." she looked outside to see the sky turning darker out. "Probably not. I'll eat whatever you set aside for me, mom."

"Alright, be careful out there."

Tsukiko skipped out of the kitchen. Unknowing of the firm stare her father had set on Yua. Clueless to the fact he had only given in because he could not win this fight. She happily put her shoes on and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, "Mom!" she called out.

Silence. Tsukiko pursed her lips, "Momma!"

"Yes, dear?" her mom finally called out.

"Could I take Ayaka with me!?"

Silence again. "Pleeeease!"

"No, honey. Maybe next time, okay?"

Tsukiko huffed, "Fine!" It would be a miracle the day her mom would agree to allow Ayaka to accompany her without parental guidance. "Could I at least get some money to bring home some deserts?!"

"That's fine! Just give me a second, okay?"

She had the door open. The warmth of the evening brushed against her skin while she waited for her mom. There was a soft buzz of the village that she heard off in the distance. It made her realize just how far away their family was from the rest of the town. Little Tsukiko did not think much of it, though. She looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes in her sandals. "Mooom!" she called out, wondering how much longer it would take.

"Sorry, sorry! Just had to look for my wallet." Yua came rushing out of the kitchen. Her mom's eyes were slightly bloodshot. The bags under her eyes are a little puffier than Tsukiko recalled.

"It's okay, mom." She took the money that her mom handed her, "Thank you! I'll try not to take too long." She tapped her large bag beside her, full of some of the books Itachi had given her.

"Take all the time you need, honey. Dinner will be a little late tonight anyways."

Tsukiko found it challenging to ignore the sensation of her heart being pulled into the pits of her stomach. A little bit of nausea set in. "Oh-okay, mom." She gave one last glance to her mother before heading off.

"Are you feeling better?" Shisui Uchiha asked.

He stood crouched over with sweat beading down his face. A little droplet had formed under his chin and wobbled there momentarily. Moments later, it finally dropped from his face. Itachi also stood crouched over both hands on his knees. He attempted to catch his breath. "I'm a little hungry . . ."

Shisui grinned, "Then let's go get some tea and dango, my treat."

After such a rigorous training session, Itachi was more than happy to get one of his favorite things. He didn't feel nearly as angry as he had prior. Receiving the news that his sensei refused to put his team through the chunin exams left quite a bitter taste in Itachi's mouth. "If you don't mind, I can pay for my own."

"No, no, really. I think you would pass the chunin exams effortlessly, Itachi. So let's hope next year will be the case."

Itachi merely nodded his head. There was not much else he could say. Not without working himself up again, of course. He and Shisui ended up having an overall casual conversation. There were a lot of feelings stirring up within the clan that they had discussed prior but right now did not feel appropriate to discuss. Besides, they were out in public. Time seemingly passed by like it was nothing. The tea house grew more prominent the closer they approached. Both Uchihas were greeted once they stepped in. "Do you wanna sit over there?" Shisui pointed over to an empty table towards the wall.

"Sure,"

Itachi did not see the familiar face that lurked in the corner. He only saw Shisui grinning before he heard the eager pattering of feet approaching their table. "Itachi!"

"Oh. hey Izumi."

"Hey," Shisui greeted, giving Itachi a coy smile. Itachi chose to ignore Shisui's meddling.

Izumi waved back. Itachi leaned forward on the table, "I wasn't expecting to see you here, Izumi. Everything going fine?"

Chestnut-colored hair bounced with her head nodding, "Yeah. I should be graduating from the academy soon." Though she wished it would be sooner, "How about you? Are you going to the chunin exams soon?"

Itachi looked away, and Shisui looked down at his tapping fingers. The silence told Izumi everything, "Oh." her brows furrowed deeply, "But why not? You're an amazing shinobi, Itachi!" She huffed and puffed her cheeks out.

"It's not a matter of me, apparently. He doesn't think my teammates are ready . . ."

She glanced to stare at the corner of the table. Izumi spoke in a bit of a mumbling voice, "Honestly, you could probably do the chunin exams without them anyways . . ."

The waitress wandered by their table. Shisui decided to order them since he knew what he liked anyways. Itachi caught most of what Izumi said, "Perhaps, but the rules are the rules."

Shisui had been kind of peeking around the corner a bit. A huge grin spread across his face. He began to wave his hand excitedly. Izumi and Itachi looked in the direction Shisui was waving at. "I thought I heard a familiar voice!" A head of white hair tousled around when Tsukiko peeked around the corner.

Shisui immediately caught her attention when she entered the teahouse with his waving. Tsukiko had taken a moment to approach. Perhaps deciphering the voice, she heard the girl standing at the table's end, along with another one. She did recall Shisui pretty quickly. How could one forget the person who nearly scared the soul of your own body? So seeing Itachi when she finally peeked over the booth, she was pretty happy.

On the other hand, Izumi looked between the girl with startling white hair, lashes, and purple eyes. She had never seen anyone like Tsukiko before and could tell that this girl did not grow up here. When their eyes met, Tsukiko turned her stare to her hands or feet. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt. I wasn't expecting to run into Itachi here-"

"No, no, it's fine. I just didn't think Itachi had any other friends."

". . ." Itachi sunk deep into his seat. He could not refute that statement, and he did not really feel much shame. Just a little embarrassed.

Tsukiko chuckled, "So his dad really wasn't just exaggerating then."

The young Uchiha girl's eyes widened, "You've met his dad?" her voice sounded in awe with a slight hint of jealousy.

Tsukiko vigorously shook her hand, "Oh no, it's not a huge deal or anything. Our parents are getting to know each other, so meeting him was no big deal."

"Oh! So you must be from the new family that moved in next door to the Uchiha compound, yeah?"

"Are you an Uchiha too?" Tsukiko's jaw nearly dropped.

Shisui sat in his seat with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. Itachi wondered what could possibly be going through that head of his right now. "Yeah," Izumi held her hand out, "My name is Izumi! What's yours?"

"Tsukiko Takashima. Nice to meet you, Izumi."

She firmly grasped Izumi's hand, and they both gave a firm shake. Tsukiko thought that Izumi seemed pretty nice, and suddenly she felt excited. Could she be the first girl she made friends with here in the village? Oh, she hoped so! "Nice to meet you too, Tsukiko!" She glanced towards the entrance, "Oh shoot, it's getting late." She turned her sights to Itachi, "I should get going. The two of us need to catch up sometime soon, okay?"

"See you around, Izumi." Itachi waved her goodbye.

When Izumi disappeared from both sight and sound . . . he felt this odd sensation within his chest. He could hear his own heartbeat, and the tips of his fingers numbed. Both ears would feel a little warm. He swore he felt it in his face too. Itachi never really felt like this before. "Good to see you, Tsukiko." Shisui broke the bit of silence that had settled between the group, "What brings you to the teahouse?"

"I was just grabbing some sweets for my little sister and, of course, me."

The waitress had come by to place Itachi's and Shisui's orders on the table. She leaned close to Tsukiko to ask, "Would you like to place an order, miss?"

"Mhm, can I get a dozen dango for takeout, please?"

The waitress nodded and dashed off, "I honestly didn't expect to run into you guys here. Though, that makes my search for you a little less difficult." Tsukuiko laughed.

Itachi held one of his treats in his hand. He scooted over a bit to allow Tsukiko to sit down. It took her a moment to realize he made room for her and sat once she did, "I was just taking Itachi out for a nice treat."

An entire piece of dango protruded from the side of Itachi's mouth. His deep black eyes were wide and innocent, and his cheeks turned pink. He quickly looked away. Tsukiko also looked away, but she was trying to stifle her laughter, "I did not take you to like dango,"

"It's one of his favorites," Shisui said.

He grabbed the tea and took a sip once he finished the piece in his mouth. "So you were looking for me?"

"Oh, yeah!" she swung the bag between them, "I wanted to return some of your books I finished already. Oh! And I wanted to tell you some good news."

He glanced down at the books between them. They were some of the larger ones with several hundred pages. Did she really finish these within a couple of days? He met her opulent eyes. They glowed brightly, along with the rest of her expression. "Your parents allowed you to join the academy?"

"Yeah!" She nodded excitedly, "Thanks to your kindness, I was able to research and learn more about being a ninja." Even though she didn't need to use all the points she was going to bring up . . . it was nice to have the knowledge in the palm of her hand now.

"Oooh, congratulations," Shisui spoke between sips of his drink.

"I'm surprised," Her father had been so upset when her mother had even proposed the idea, "But I'm excited for you. So you will probably be going to the next orientation then?" Then he wondered if she had come up with a goal or reason for wanting to become one.

"Thanks! I believe so. My mom seemed pretty excited to get things going."

Finally, the waitress came by with Tsukiko's order after some time had passed. Tsukiko paid the amount while the waitress slipped the bill to Shisui. He then asked, "None of your family members are shinobi, correct?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah, that's right."

The eldest Uchiha leaned his cheek in the palm of his hand, "So then why do you want to be one?"

Tsukiko took one of the dango from the box, "At first, I looked into it because my dad was so against it. Why were my parents arguing about it so much? I don't like it when my parents make decisions for me." After all, she was perfectly capable of making her own choices, "So once I really started looking into it, I saw I could help out my family. We have never had a lot of money, nor have we lived comfortably. If I could help provide for them in any shape or form then, well . . . I'll go to any lengths that I can."

A family . . . or a village. One or many. Many ideals Itachi has questioned himself, especially lately. He loved his family dearly, especially Sasuke, and would ultimately protect them. What he wanted to achieve overall would protect them. He wanted to create a world without fighting so he would no longer have to fight. However, he did not find himself judging her answer because her reality was different from his. How many dead bodies has she seen? Probably none. Were there any wars that she got caught in the middle of as a civilian? Her family is really all she knew. Itachi genuinely smiled at Tsukiko, "That is a rather noble reason."

Tsukiko placed her hand over her heart. "I don't know what kind of path lays before me, but . . . I will walk it no matter what."