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"What happens when people open their hearts?"

"They get better."

― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

The ANBU stationed outside of Tatsuya Hinowa's home immediately bristled at the flare of chakra that came out of the apartment. It wasn't enough chakra to be considered an immediate danger but enough for something small, like a summoning jutsu. Either way, it was something that brought attention to the petite, dark haired woman. One operative that wore a mask depicting a cat nodded their head at the other ANBU crouched low next to her. Together, they peered into their charge's window to examine the situation.

It was crucial for ANBU to gather as much information as possible before heading off to warn the Hokage. This particular woman was a liability for the village, no record, no information on her other than what she had given them earlier. Besides making sure that she would not cause trouble for the other villagers, their mission instructed them to gather intelligence on her and determine whether she is a spy or not. It's not just luck and coincidence that a kunoichi who is capable of dragon summons and medical ninjutsu just stumbles into Konoha's gates. Especially when the village was short on actual medic-nins at the moment.

If she proves to be innocent and wishes to join Konoha's ranks, however, that would be another story. Due to the short supply of medic-nins and her unusual summons- which would be a military advantage for Konoha's armed forces if they turn out to be effective for combat and offensive use- the woman would be gladly accepted into the shinobi ranks. The Sandaime may even go so far as promote her himself to speed up the process and make herself useful for the village. But until then, the two ANBU assigned to keep watch over her must make sure she passes the preliminary requisites that would be the first step of proving her loyalty to this village. That is: not be a spy.

The cat-masked operative took a good look into the apartment as a fine mist slowly disappeared inside, revealing a long haired man in traditional clothing. The woman must have used a summoning jutsu because the sigils were still apparent on the floor below the man that had appeared. Both ANBU noted that the woman summoned a man instead of a dragon, which is different to what she had told them before. It seems that a silencing jutsu was also used because neither could hear what the two figures inside were speaking about. Just before the other ANBU leapt off to inform the Hokage of what they've seen, the one in a cat-mask raised their hand to tell them to halt and nodded their head towards the woman and the man. The woman had been bowing on the floor but had looked up at what the man had said. Soon after, he dissipated into a fine mist while the woman continued to look on towards where the man stood.

After that, the two ANBU chose to head off and give their reports to the Hokage.

Ryuujin-sama seemed to stand behind me because of the way that his voice spoke so closely to my ear, however the actual dragon-man stood off at the pier, looking towards the sunset. "Tell me what is troubling you, Hinowa-hime." He said softly. In my mindspace, I have complete control over what can happen from the scenery to the form that I take. Usually though, the space takes up the look of this beach. I think I had been here once as a child and it had somehow engraved itself into my memory. Subconscious thoughts and desires certainly do play a role in how we perceive the world around us.

"I'm lost." I said, a little breathlessly. My grief followed me all the way here it seems.

"Do you wish to be found?"

"I think so." I blinked. Then the scenery changes to one where there is a sukiya zukuri, a traditional Japanese styled home, in front of me and I can feel Ryuujin-sama's warmth off my back. Faint recognition sets in as I look around until I realize that we were standing in front of the main house of the Tatsuya clan compound.

"Why are we here, Ryuujin-sama?"

"You said you were lost, Hinowa-hime. The best way to find something is to go back to the beginning. This is where you began. You can retrace your steps here up to the point where you you feel you have become lost." The taller man's voice was deep and seemed to undulate like the waves on the shore we had previously stood on. His words held merit, though I had to ask myself: When did I become lost? When did I lose my sense of self, my belonging?

The world around us shifts in a flurry, changing again. This time the sun is setting once more behind the rigid peaks of Iwa's mountain. I was standing on a pool of blood and through the reflection, I could see that Ryuujin-sama was standing in front of me. When I looked up however, he wasn't there. I turned my head around to look but he was nowhere to be found.

Once more his voice seemed to echo between my ears, as if he was behind me, in front of me, all around me despite his physical presence being absent.

"Do you see now, Hinowa-hime?"

I looked back at the reflection below me, however this time the dragon-man wasn't there. Just me. I stared hard at my own countenance, the features in my face, the wisps of my hair.

I looked like I had in my previous world, when I was 34 years old and with Kakashi. My mouth formed a thin line as I thought that though I left my previous world behind and my outward appearance has changed, I am still the same. On the inside, I haven't changed. I know my name, my identity, and that my existence is real.

In a voice just above a whisper, I answered Ryuujin-sama, "This is who I am."

"And who you will continue to be," I felt covered arms wrap around my waist and I sighed as I leaned back onto Ryuujin-sama's chest. These gestures were completely platonic, both of us were mature enough to know that there were times where physical comfort was needed. For a shinobi, physical sensations made up our entirety and could bring death, or comfort like this.

"You will continue to be who you always have been. This new world may have stripped us of many things, but they have not taken away your psyche. All is not lost, the people you have known may be different, they may change as this timeline progresses, but that does not mean you cannot salvage past relationships. There must be some remnants of those you left behind in this world and how you act upon that is your own choice."

I felt the rumble in Ryuujin-sama's chest as he spoke to me, his voice and advice providing a much needed anchor. Besides Kakashi, Ryuujin-sama would always know how to ground me and clear my mind. Like many times in the past I felt so, so grateful to have my summons in my life...lives.

"How will I know what to do? Who do I decide that gets to live or die? With the information that I know of, it'll be impossible to live a life guilt-free." I murmured. I have the chance to be able to save people who were trapped by their situations. I also wield the power to condemn those to die.

"Whether you choose to act or not act will bear its own consequences. Reflect on your previous life, that itself was riddled with acts and choices that have brought down guilt, yet you still found happiness. It would be best to take each milestone one at a time, haste will do no one any good," The strength in his words gave me confidence to believe that I will make the right choice. "And attempting to shoulder the burden of creating change for a better future will lead to an inevitable ruin."

As he finished his cryptic warning, the scene around us blurred once more. When I blinked, I found myself still on my knees and alone in the apartment I had been given. A small sigh left my lips as I stood up and headed back into the kitchen to get another glass of water before heading to sleep.

I've been in Konoha for two weeks now. My apartment isn't so bare, I've managed to buy some civilian clothing with some money I had "borrowed" (mainly from Gai, jounin's get paid the big bucks so I didn't feel that bad), and I haven't run into Kakashi again at all since then. Don't know if I genuinely feel good about that last thing however.

I had just thought about buying a plant from the Yamanaka's flower shop to have something to care for- no pets, apartment rules- while I'm idling about until I can apply for a rank. Maybe by the end of this week, I thought as I slipped on some flats and head out the door. I checked the seal that Gai helped put on my door before leaving (though that "help" came in the form of walking into a ninja store I couldn't shop at and buying the damn seal for me). Seeing as everything was in order, I began my journey to the quaint flower shop near the civilian districts.

The pale yellow shop boasted a a large sign that said Yamanaka Flowers in large, red font. I looked inside one of the large windows to see the various flower arrangements on display for passing customers. With a smile, I walked in.

"Hello, I'm Ino! Can I help you with anything?" The blonde girl happily chirped at me as I entered the shop. Ino was a girl I didn't know much of until she had taken an interest in medical ninjustsu where I then found out that she was an enthusiastic person who knew exactly what she wanted. I've always admired that sense of self-confidence in her, even when she came off a bit too strong at times.

The blonde woman who I had met while teaching some basic medical ninjutsu however, was now a cute, little girl with an air of innocence around her.

I've never really noticed it back then, granted I had recently become a jounin around this time, but the people who will one day lead this village are so adorable as children, my maternal instincts had me cooing in my head. Hopefully I wasn't making some weird face at Ino, don't want to be kicked out of the only shinobi-owned flower business in Konoha.

"Actually, I was looking for something that I can tend and raise that will also be able to take care of itself for long periods of time." I asked. In my previous world, me and Kakashi had two cactuses named Momo and Mimi but both had somehow died while in our care. Hopefully, I can do it better this time around.

"Yeah I can definitely find something for you!" The little girl replied. She turned her head towards the person behind her who had a very distinct pink head of hair. "Sakura! Remember that plant I showed you earlier?"

Sakura blinked towards Ino until her face lit up in recognition. "This one, right?" She said as she reached for a potted plant sitting on the table beside her.

These two are still friends? Or perhaps they've already made up?, I thought as I questioned these two's relationship. Sakura had told me once, in my previous world, how she and Ino had a major falling out until they made up after the chuunin exams. Could it be that because I did not "exist" they had stayed friends? Was it even possible for my existence to affect these two in such a way? I felt even more questions rise up in my head until Ino spoke up once again.

"Uh-huh, that one!" She confirmed. Sakura handed her the plant which Ino then held out to show me. "This here is a desert rose!"

The plant had flowers that bloomed with varying shades of pink and fuschia, hiding the pale green leaves behind each flower. Its greenish-grey roots gnarled at the base of the plant, making it seem as if it was made of a fusion of multiple different plants.

Ino continued speaking as I took the plant off her hands, "The desert rose is similar to cactuses because they don't need a lot of water. However! They need a lot of sunlight so make sure to put them near a window! Oh, and just as the name implies, the flowers are a beautiful red like a rose!"

From the back I could hear Sakura grumbling that they were a beautiful pink, not red.

Ino then stared up at me with big, sea foam green eyes that seemed to ask me, So? Do you love it or do you LOVE it?!

I blinked twice at the desert rose in my hands and then once at the girl beaming up at me, "It's," Ino and Sakura leaned in closer, "...fantastic! Just what I was looking for, thank you."

Both girls were delighted at my words and spoke their respectives "All right!" and "Cha!".

Smiling widely at the both of them myself, I couldn't help but be thankful that these two were lively and happy, just as children should be. I didn't realize how much I should have appreciated those who were like these two young girls, that not everyone had a tragic childhood filled with trauma. Not everyone needed some savior or needed to be fixed. Bright moments like these were what made Konoha known as the kindest shinobi village in all The Five Great Nations. It's the reason why I would lay down my life for this village.

Paying for the plant and having it wrapped up by Ino- which Sakura then tied a pink ribbon on of the smaller branches- I was headed towards the entrance with the large plastic bag between my arms when Ino yelled out, "By the way, miss, I'm Yamanaka Ino! I haven't seen you 'round, sorry for not introducing myself earlier!"

Sakura also added sheepishly, "Um, uh, I'm Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you..again." She blushed as she looked away. And dammit, these girls are too cute! I can't wait to tease them about how innocent they were as children...when they grow up. And they will grow up, to a future that they deserve. I'll make sure of it.

"My name is Tatsuya Hinowa, but call me Hinowa. And you're right, Ino, I'm pretty new to the village. I'm actually a kunoichi, so I hope I can see you two again soon." I added. Then I bade them goodbye with a short wave and left the shop.

"...How did she know we were kunoichi too?' Ino asked after a few beats of silence.

"Duh! She saw our headbands, Ino-pig!" Retorted Sakura.

Ino then glared comically at her pink haired friend, "Really? I could've sworn she was just looking at that forehead of yours, Forehead!"

Sakura flared a vein on said forehead before butting heads with Ino, "Oh so you wanna use fighting words, haa?"

When I returned home with new plant in hand, I checked the seals again and opened the door. I had only wanted to drop the desert rose off and go back out to find something to eat for lunch. Unwrapping the plant and pulling out a stool from the dining room, I ambled over towards the fairly large window in my living room. With one hand, I placed the stool right up next to the curtain-less windows and with the other, I put the plant right on top of the stool.

That should do it, I thought with a grin.

"You're not gonna die on me, you hear? In fact, I'm gonna name you Sei, life. So keep on living, alright? For me?" I whispered at the potted flower. I stroked the dainty, pink ribbon on its branch with a finger as I spoke. I heard it was good to talk to your plants every once in a while.

With one final look at Sei, I turned around and headed for the door once more.

There was one place in mind that I had wanted to go to eat lunch at. With its red colored lettering, great service and delicious food, I couldn't resist wanting to eat at that place. It was a local, family-owned business to boot.

Ramen Ichiraku was a favorite for all kinds of people, from the average civilian to the most eccentric shinobi, you could find them lounging and eating inside the shop. The place had an aura that just attracted multitudes of people.

As I pushed back the flap that also doubled as the shop's main sign, I noticed a certain orange-clad boy chugging down a bowl of ramen by himself. He was eating so quickly that some broth started to drip down to his clothes. Always have been messy, always will be, I thought as I also recounted how in my previous world, the boy was a Hokage known for his disorganized paperwork. Shaking my head at those memories, I sat next to Naruto and grabbed some tissues out of the tissue dispenser on the table.

"Looks like you'll be needing this, Na-ru-to-kun." I said smugly with a small smile.

The boy choked a bit on his ramen, a bit surprised at someone talking to him, but then put down the bowl to look at the speaker. With a loud gasp, he sputtered, "H-H-Hinowa-chan! Don't scare someone like that! You're almost as bad as Kaka-sensei!"

My smile faltered a bit as he brought up his name. Back in the original world, Naruto would also complain about how Kakashi and I were similar in all the "bad ways" as he'd say: we sneaked up on people, made lewd jokes (Kakashi more often than not) and told lies with a smile on our faces- white lies, albeit, but still lies. We both shared similar habits because we've spent a lot of time together, and we were married, but it seems we were similar people on the most fundamental level. Perhaps that was why we got along so great despite our outward appearances. Though I genuinely hoped I wouldn't come off too similar to Kakashi in this world, as to avoid suspicion, but it seems some habits were too hard to break.

I swallowed my sudden anxiety down to focus back on Naruto who was red-faced and had bits of ramen all over him, "Sorry," I laughed. "I thought big, tough ninja like you would be able to sense me coming."

"Not when I wasn't ready! You caught me at a bad time, I was eatin'!" He whined.

I continued to tease him just a bit more, "So when is a good time then, huh?" Naruto's eyebrows shot straight up as he blushed even harder. He looked ready to pass out and I was laughing into my hands at the sight.

We continued to speak after I ordered from Teuchi-san- who unfortunately, just like everyone else, does not know me. I had to reintroduce myself to him and his daughter, Ayame. Me and Naruto's conversation mainly consisted of me asking what "ninja things" Naruto liked to do and he would go off on tangents that would go on until he was out of breath. Just as what Ryuujin-sama had said, it really wasn't impossible for me to regain these relationships with these people.

When we finished I paid for both our meals- what kind of adult would let a kid pay for a meal, not a good one that's for sure- and then we thanked Teuchi-san and Ayame and ducked out under the same flap from earlier. Once out on the street, Naruto suddenly stilled beside me and I questioned him with a look out of the corner of my eye.

"Ehh, thanks...Hinowa-chan. For stayin' and eatin' with me, I mean. Not a lot of people do that but, uh, thanks." He said with eyes that were downcast and a bit distant.

I had almost forgotten how Naruto was treated as the village pariah because of his jinchuuriki status and chided myself for being so stupid. Of course he would be flustered when a stranger suddenly wanted to speak with him and eat a meal together. Naruto had all the right to ignore me or chase me away though, since some people of this village were capable of lying and hurting this child, but instead, he welcomed me with open arms and a radiant smile. The boy had a knack for seeing the good in others.

This was yet another thing I wanted to protect, I thought with a grim determination. To protect Naruto's happiness would mean a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Something I would have to give even more thought to when I get home later.

I placed a careful hand on the boy's slender shoulder, "It was my pleasure, Naruto. Thank you for staying and eating with me, as well as telling me all about your amazing stories."

Shiny, azure eyes bolted towards my face, "Y-you mean that?" He said with a face of disbelief.

"Believe it." I echoed Naruto's own signature line back at him. In return, a smile that glowed with such dazzling glee twinkled at me.