A/n: Wow, I have never written a harder chapter. Getting a blend of prodigal maturity and childish emotion for Itachi was not easy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, FMA, or Vagrant Soldier

Chapter 5- The Festival of Fire

"And so he had to resign," Edward chortled, grinning at the other three occupants of the carriage, "If he didn't want to get trampled by the raging people. For once, I'm glad to be underestimated. Bought a lot more sympathy points for me when the citizens heard what he was wiling to do to an eleven year old. Though… it was annoying getting hugged by random ladies who wanted to be sympathetic."

Itachi snorted. Yes, the aftermath of the whole Grass incident was actually quite funny if one thought about it. The Daimyo had been furious at the incident, but there was nothing he could do about it but resign from his post and past the title of 'Daimyo' onto one of the other nobles- this one elected by the citizens. After all, when the former Daimyo had revealed his true intentions, there was not one citizen ready to stand by him, and a rebellion would look like a true possibility. Then, if the Daimyo had been overthrown, he would have been hard pressed to keep his life let alone his wealth. It was a smart move on the former Daimyo's part to step down and instead live his life as a regular noble.

Hikari frowned slightly, "Edward… Itachi… not that I'm not proud of what you two did, but it really wasn't on our job description and…"

Itachi felt a sad smile flit itself across his face despite himself. Wasn't on his job description to act and pretend to be loyal to someone he was not? Ha, it didn't matter that he had done it at Grass. Itachi acted everyday at home, anyway.

"Please," Katsu cut in, his voice soothing, "We are very grateful for what they have done. But, we will make sure not to mention your involvement in our recent 'rebellion' if you do not wish it. I'm sure everybody in Grass is too thankful to argue much about it."

"That would be nice, thank you," Hikari smiled, "Although our Hokage will approve, our clients sure wouldn't. It would be best if no one outside of Grass knew. But mostly, I'm just worried; boys, that was really dangerous. What if it hadn't gone according to plan? Then Edward… you really would have had all those things done to you…"

Itachi shook his head, "Unlikely. Our plan was perfect. While Edward was sleeping in his cell-" He ignored the indignant cry of 'and who's fault was that?' "-I was peppering up the Dai- former Daimyo and making sure he would respond exactly the way we planned it. Our information was quite accurate, and very trustworthy. Mine and Edward's minds are not to be messed with when we're planning, especially since we had six rebellion elders approve it. There was a 6% chance it would not work, and on the off chance that it didn't, I had planned to rescue Edward myself."

"Geniuses," Hikari muttered, "I'll have grey hairs soon. Really, I hope my Konohamaru is quite average; I have a feeling he'll have a better chance of surviving if he is."

The carriage came to a halt, and Itachi glanced curiously out the window, wondering what the matter was. Edward followed his lead, while Hikari simply smiled.

"Ah," Katsu actually sounded surprised, "It's that time of year already?"

"Yes," Hikari replied, her voice soft, "It's the Okibi festival, where citizens gather yearly in Garan Town to celebrate Fire Country's prosperity and hope for another great year. Edward, Itachi, you've never been to it before, have you?"

Both boys shook their heads, their eyes still fixed on the crowd of bustling and happy people. Though, one of them was being less obvious about it.

"I was the clan heir," Itachi's voice was quiet, coming out a bit more wistful than he would have liked, "I did not have time for these things."

"Well," Hikari's voice was determined, as if she had just made an important decision, "That settles it; we're staying here for one day."

Both Edward's and Itachi's heads whipped around, two sets of eyes staring at the Hokage's daughter disbelievingly. "That's… irresponsible."

"They won't mind if we're a few days late," Hikari smiled, "We'll just say our ride got stuck in the traffic, or something. Come on, live a little. I know both of you are dying to see it."

"I'm not!" Edward huffed, but his straying eyes betrayed him.

Itachi didn't even bother with an answer.

Hikari opened the door to the carriage, and jumped out, "I suspect the traffic's great, and that's why our carriage isn't going. It'd be faster if we walk, actually."

"Ah?" Katsu sounded a little distressed, "I would like to stay but…"

"Duty calls," Hikari smiled as the two boys jumped out after her, "Well you are the new head advisor to the new Daimyo, so getting you off for one day to send us off like this is really enough."

"Are you sure you three cannot stay in Grass for one more day?"

"We've overstayed our due already."

Edward hesitated, then gave Katsu one of his most promising stares, "We'll come visit. Show us a transformed Grass when we go there again."

"Yes," Itachi stated blandly, as if it were an obvious fact, "And now, your leader needs you."

"Yes," Katsu sighed, but Itachi thought it was a rather content sigh, "Well, goodbye then. You must come visit."

With that, the door to the carriage slid shut, and the vehicle quickly rolled out of sight.

"We didn't get the chance to say our goodbyes," Hikari noted sadly.

"Hm?" Edward grinned, "Nah, that's just a man's way of making sure that we'll meet up again so we can repay our debts and finally say goodbye."

Hikari gave Edward a look of amusement, "A man's eh? Well nonetheless, let's get going. We don't want to miss the festival."

Without warning she reached out and grabbed onto the two children's hands. Itachi tensed at the contact, but Hikari ignored it, and started happily walking towards the village. They passed a number of carriages on their way, all lined up to go into Garan. As they drew nearer to the prosperous town, it became increasingly obvious that there was a festival going on. Fireworks exploded on and off, evidently being tested to see if they could be used for the night. Babbles of voices and the background of happy chatter quickly filled Itachi's ears, signalling the festive mood the whole town was in. Itachi didn't even notice that he had relaxed.

Wait hold on a minute… was that onigiri with seaweed on it?

Hikari seemed to have noticed his inattention, or rather, the attention to a certain stall present on the side of the streets. She smiled, letting go of Itachi's and Edward's hands now that she knew that they weren't going to escape, and walked up briskly to the vendor, "May I have three onigiri please?"

The vendor nodded, wrapping up the foods which Hikari ordered and exchanging them for small bronze coins. Hikari came back, pushing one onigiri in Itachi's hands and the other to Edward, having already taken one herself, "Here, this is really good. You two should try some; after all, only the best vendors make it to Garan for the Festival of Fire."

Edward flushed, "I couldn't-"

"Nonsense," Hikari chided, "It's a festival today. It's all about the spirit of giving, isn't it? Besides, wasn't all the money you used in Grass also given to you by someone else?"

"But-"

"No buts Mr. Elric, you will accept my gifts today and that is that. Now eat."

Edward obediently did so, looking a little scared of the woman, but Itachi was not so easily convinced. He was after all, the heir of the most prominent clan of Konoha, and unlike Edward who had came to Konoha with little to no money, Itachi was probably one of the richest ninjas in history. He reached into his pockets.

Hikari's fingers wrapped around his wrist, stopping any further action. She looked at him severely, her voice stern, "What did I say about the spirit of giving?"

"There is no need for that," Itachi replied calmly, not one to give into somebody else, no matter what their sex, "I have money, possibly more than you."

Hikari shook her head gently, "I don't care about money; whatever you two spend today will be less than a day's pay of my salary. Don't worry about such trivial things. Surely you can appreciate that?"

Itachi wavered slightly, thinking about the older woman's logic. It was true, in the long run whatever amount of money Hikari spent on them would hardly matter, and Itachi could pay her back at any time. It wasn't as if Itachi was averse to owing people things, and it would make Hikari happy today…

"So, eat your onigiri, it's getting cold."

Itachi hesitated, but in the end the thought of wasting perfectly good onigiri won out in the end. He tenderly took a bite, abiding by all Uchiha manners, relishing with each mouthful the delish taste of the dish. Smiling at her relatively subdued charges, Hikari once again took off, this time not even needing to grasp onto the two children's hands to make them follow her.

"She's scary," Edward shuddered as Hikari stopped at another outdoor shop to purchase something.

"Well, she is the Hokage's daughter," Itachi muttered through half lidded eyes.

The three of the them spent the next few hours in happy bliss; looking at various items (though Hikari was the only one who bought anything), attending amazing events (Itachi admitted that he'd never even seen a ninja able to bend that way), and tasting amazing treats. It was all things Itachi had never done before, that he couldn't even dream of doing. Why hadn't his parents ever taken him to these festivals? Ah yes… because they had not the time. If he had a spare moment, he was expected to train with it, to be the best he could be. He was clan heir, after all…

Quickly, Itachi snatched his mind out from the traitorous corner of his thoughts. The past was the past, and he was a genius ninja. Of course he could not have the same things regular civilians did. It was a small prize to pay for the ability to keep peace. As for now, it was a true blessing he even got to experience this festival at all.

"Man," Edward glanced at Itachi, looking as if he were fighting down a grin as he walked, "I love this place. I've seen… things I never had before."

"I agree," Itachi nodded as he licked his lollipop, not quite understanding what was so funny, "It's a very interesting experience. I have never-"

Just then, Hikari tensed.

Itachi turned to her, immediately turning serious. He himself was not the chakra sensing type -very few people were- but Hikari was. "What is it?"

"Chakra signatures," Hikari hissed, "Three of them. Just on the outskirts of this village; in the forest, I think. And… I think I can distantly hear the clashing of jutsus. They're fighting."

"Do we want to get involved?"

"Perhaps it is best to check it out. This is after all, Fire Country, and if there is a Leaf nin there, we need to help him."

The three nodded to each other, and raced off towards the direction of the sounds. Finally, they arrived at a small clearing not too far from the town, but still far enough to be unheard. Hikari jumped to a tree, and Edward hid himself within nearby bushes. It was almost odd how quiet Edward was being, since he wasn't ANBU like Itachi and Hikari was, but Itachi was glad for it. With a quick glance upwards, Itachi jumped to a high tree branch, looking down on the scene with a critical eye.

The first thing he noticed was the young boy, probably just a little younger than himself. Ash blond hair framed an angled face, which although hadn't lost all its baby fat yet, showed the face of a well-trained ninja. The shadowed green eyes seconded the opinion, though now they were filled with fear. Tied to a tree, the young ninja struggled frantically, as the two older men battled in front of him.

One was wearing a simple peasant robe, but his movements were anything but peasant-like. With a mixture of wind techniques and furious slashes with his sword, Itachi already knew that the peasant-like man would be a hard ninja to face. The other was wearing a dark red cloak, covering his body from head to toe, and sported six swords at his sides. They were definitely jounin level, and Itachi even had to activate his Sharingin to keep up with them. He had to admit, their sword techniques were amazing.

Just then, the dark haired peasant ninja lunged for the boy, distracting the other adult with a spray of shuriken. The robed one didn't give him a chance; jumping up, the robed ninja dodged the weaponry completely and let fly one of his swords, "I can't have you trying to save your apprentice already!"

The sword whizzed past the dark haired man, who dodged just in time. The blond boy bit his lip, and lurched forwards as if he could do something, "Master, don't go to your right, it's a patch of thorns!"

"Too late!" The robed man shouted, kicking Kiron soundly on the chest, and knocking the dark haired man backwards. The plainly clothed man fell into the patch of thorns, letting out a grunt of pain.

"You- you bastard!" The kid cried, his expression a mix between anger and helplessness, "You call yourself a human being!"

"You should be more careful from now on," The robed man warned, ignoring the kid completely as he uncapped something in his hand and brought out a long string. Using the two clips at both ends, the robed man attached the string to two of his swords, holding it delicately like nunchucks. He brought up one hand, looking like he was taking aim, when suddenly-

Blue lightning flashed, and four spikes of earth arose from the ground around the robed man. The robed man jumped back, startled, and looked around for the source. Obviously, he'd been too occupied with the peasant man before, but now he was sure to notice the three Konoha nin's presence.

Uchiha did not swear. They had been brought up better than that, and although Itachi had plenty of partners who had colourful mouths, he himself had never been brought into their midst. Right now though, Itachi could actually see the attraction in using profanities. There were really, no other words to describe Edward's stupidity.

He had interfered in a fight that was not Konoha's.

Itachi decided to contend himself with a sigh. Edward was much too impatient. When they got back to Konoha, he'd have to make sure somebody taught Edward the actual values of being a ninja. It was more than just picking a fight. It looked like the blond hadn't learned anything from their three month stay at Grass's academy after all.

The robed man's eyes finally fixated on a spot in the bushes, "You- who are you?"

The bushes ruffled, and Edward stepped out, his arms crossed and his expression fierce, "Someone who has a heart, obviously. Fighting somebody and winning- that's okay. Fighting someone and winning through threatening his family? That's not okay."

The robed man sneered, "Who are you to dictate what's okay and what's not?"

"It's just common etiquette bastard," Edward's eyes flickered to a spot behind the robed man, but they quickly focused back on the swordsmaster. Still, it was too late, and the robed man noticed.

Spinning around, the robed man sent a sword flying towards the peasant man, who was dashing towards his apprentice, "What did I say about rescuing him, Kiron?!"

Itachi sighed again, and released the chakra needed for his jutsu. He had already made the seals, in anticipation of when the robed man would just get impatient at Edward and attack, but he supposed using it to save this 'Kiron' would be just as good. After all, wasn't he the reason they were in this situation in the first place?

The string of fire looped around the string, burning it away. The sword lost its control, and buried itself far from any harm. Whipping around, the robed man glared up at Itachi's hiding place as Kiron finally made it to his apprentice, "How did you burn that? It was made from steel."

"Not very strong steel then," Itachi commented lightly as he jumped down from his tree branch, casting a bored look at the robed man, "That was only a B-classed fire jutsu."

"Hm," The robed man seemed to be scrutinizing him. Underneath the hood, two fiery red eyes gleamed, but somehow Itachi knew that they were not the same grade as his Sharingin. "I see… you're Konoha nins; so why then, are you helping him? Kiron of the Whirlwind, surely you've heard…"

Ah, so that was why he sounded so familiar. Itachi nodded, thinking back to the bingo book he had read so many times before, "The Kiron from Kirigakure (Hidden Village in the Mist), who was known for his deadly wind jutsus. He was one of the Seven Swordsman, but he retired just six years ago, though no one knew why. The Mizukage was so pleased with his work that he gifted Kiron a precious sword, one of the most valuable swords in all of the Land of Water."

"Your knowledge is not bad kid," The robed man sneered, then turned to face Edward as well, "Heh… it looks like I'm meeting quite a bunch of interesting kids today. It's a shame that all your hopeful futures will end here!"

"No, it will not." The one who spoke wasn't any of them. Itachi gazed beyond the robed man's shoulder, meeting the eyes of Kiron, of the Whirlwind. The plainly dressed man was walking amiably towards the robed one, his apprentice freed and ready by his side. The black haired man raised his brows, "I will not let it."

"Big words," The robed man cocked his head, "For one who has not fought in six years. Or perhaps, you're feeling confident now that you outnumber me?"

"No," Kiron shook his head calmly, his voice gentle, "Young men, please leave. You are no match for him. I only ask one favour- take Ares with you."

"No! Master!" The blond boy clutched onto the edge of Kiron's pants, "I don't want to leave you! I can fight too!"

"Ares…"

"We're not leaving," Edward snorted, "I mean, this robed dude's impressive, but not that impressive. We can take him down."

Itachi frowned slightly. Yes, he was confident that they could defeat this man, but it would never do to underestimate the enemy. Arrogance spelled disaster.

The robed man let out a low chuckle, "Kid, do you know who I am? I am one of the current Seven Treasures of Kiri- the Red Eyed Swordsman!"

Edward shot Itachi a questioning look, obviously not knowing if this was bad or not. Itachi didn't pay the blond any attention, too intent on the information the robed man had just revealed. One of the current…? His mind flashed back to the bingo book, trying to scourge any knowledge on the Red Eyed Swordsman. This man was a ninja who collected treasures from anyone he killed, and killed for those treasures.

"So you've figured it out?" The robed man sneered, "Heh, looks like you're too scared now to attack. Tell you what, since you've got nothing that I need, I'll let you guys live if you run right now."

"Were you sent here by Kiri?" Itachi asked, raising his eyes to the heavens. Edward shot him a startled glance, but Itachi also ignored that.

"Eh? No. I just heard that Kiron was last seen here, and I wanted his sword. I'm not here on any diplomacy meeting."

"Good," Itachi clasped his hands behind his back, his face expressionless, "Then that means that I can kill you without worrying about starting a war with Kiri."

"Why you-!"

The swordsman put his hands together for a jutsu, but before he was able to create any seals at all, Itachi once again released his. He hadn't been idle while the robed man was talking, and the fingers behind his back had been quick in making their correct moves. The earth beneath the robed man rose before he could react, enclosing the swordsman so that he couldn't escape. A split second later, a shower of senbons rained down from the treetops, hitting every inch of the robed man. The Red Eyed Swordsman stiffened, then slumped over in unconsciousness.

Itachi dispersed his A-class jutsu, watching dispassionately as the Red Eyed Swordsman fell forwards, every inch of his upper body covered with senbons. He wouldn't live, Itachi knew that. He and Hikari would have to get rid of the evidence later. After all, it wouldn't do for Kiri to start blaming Konoha on the loss of one of their Seven Swordsman. With a sigh, he turned to Edward, the one who had dragged them into this mess in the first place.

But Edward wasn't where he was a moment ago. The blond had already run over to the two other ninja, checking them over with a furrowed brow. Kiron had collapsed, and the little boy was wringing his hands desperately, shooting his master worried looks.

"Can you- is it possible to- can you heal him?" The boy stuttered, giving Edward a pleading look.

Edward frowned, "I'm not a healer…"

"But I am." Hikari jumped out from her treebranch, landing gracefully without a sound. She was in ANBU for a reason, after all, and she was not the Hokage's daughter for nothing. Hikari moved to the Red Eyed Swordsman's side, and picked out all her senbon needles. Then, without wasting a moment, she flashed to Kiron, and immediately commenced operation.

They were in an inn now, having moved to a more appropriate place to heal the sick. It was a small little room, but it had a large window and was clean enough for a woman's tastes. A basin of water sat beside the chair, water warm from the amount of time Hikari had changed the head cloth.

Kiron was lying on the only bed, face pale but with even breathing. It had taken Hikari a while just to get him like that, but he had a strong body and perhaps an even stronger will. Even deadly Mist poisons couldn't seem to keep the man down. Finally, he stirred.

Black eyes opened, blinking the sleep from their lids, but they made no moves to check the surroundings. Slowly, the man arose from bed, moving to a sitting position.

Hikari shifted on her chair beside his bed, smiling, "So, you're awake."

"And you are?" His voice was mild, mannered, bored even. Hikari could tell that he was indeed an old warrior, and was already assessing her, even though he was... "Although I thank you for the help you have leant Ares and I, I cannot help but wonder your motives."

"They're nothing evil," Hikari replied in a kind voice, smiling slightly at the thought of exactly why they had interfered. Edward was a good boy, and she hoped that Konahamaru would grow up to be like him. "One of my young charges couldn't stand watching injustice, and so we decided to back him up ."

"Ah yes, I thought I sensed..." Kiron stopped, tilting his head to one side, "You are ninja."

It wasn't a question. Then again, Hikari hadn't expected it to be. "Yes, we are, and so are you."

The man tensed, so slightly that Hikari almost missed it, but in the end it couldn't escape a trained medic nin's eye. His voice was again, almost a monotone, "Yes, that is true. Have you come for my bounty too?"

Hikiar shook her head, her smile growing wider, "We have no need for things like that. Though I admit, this was the last place I expected to see Whirlwind Kiron."

Known for his highly destructive wind techniques and breathtaking sword skills, which made him one of the Seven Swordsman of the Hidden Mist. S-class ninja, went missing not long after the last Great Ninja War, presumed dead. Now, that was obviously not the case.

She couldn't help but recognize him when he fought, her mind flashing back to all those examination days where she had to dutifully note the ninjas that she had to avoid at all costs. When Hikari had seen the forest covered with wind marks, the familiar face from the bingo book, and the all too recognizable sword which Kiron carried... perhaps young ninja like Itachi couldn't tell, but Hikari remembered, and remembered well.

Kiron sighed, looking far older than he actually was, "So you have also heard of that name? Well, I'm not that Kiron any longer. I'm simply Kiron, the poetic hermit who learnt a few skills from a friend."

Hikari couldn't fight down the smile that threatened to break her face at that statement. "You've given up fighting... could it be for Ares?"

Kiron blinked slowly, as if contemplating something, then shook his head, "No, I retired before I met Ares. The Mizukage despatched me after I requested retirement, saying I have done enough for Kiri."

So he was not a missing nin then. That was rare. And, Hikari had a pretty good idea about why he had retired, if not for family. Although, something still didn't make sense with his statement... "Then why are you teaching Ares the ninja arts? Surely that is forbidden?"

A wry smile stretched across Kiron's lips, and he turned to fully face Hikari, black eyes staring unblinkingly at hers. "I've learned to fear women during my days; they're almost too sharp for their own good. Since you have healed me and requested nothing in return, despite knowing who I am and what I could give you, I will answer your questions truthfully. Yes, it is forbidden for me to teach Ares, and if Kiri found out about it I am sure they will hunt us down. However, I have found myself becoming strangely fond of that boy, and I wanted to teach him something to remember me by. Sadly, all I know if fighting..."

Hikari felt a pang through her heart. It was so sad. "So... are you planning to die, if the Mizukage ever sends hunters after you?"

Kiron shrugged, "Ares is a quick study, a prodigy some would say. I feel that soon, he will learn everything from me, and all that is left is to perfect things on his own. He won't need me anymore. I will only drag him down."

"Surely he won't think that way!"

"No," Kiron smiled wryly, "But that doesn't change the fact that I will."

"You won't! You're not that old, 30 at most, so age would not be a problem. And…" Hikari steeled herself for this response, "Ninja do not need eyesight to fight."

Kiron froze, for a split second it looked as if he couldn't move, but then slowly he relaxed, "I should have guessed you'd know. You are a medical ninja, no?"

"Yes," Hikari replied in affirmative, "But don't worry, it wasn't that obvious. If I hadn't seen cases similar to yours, and examined your body while I was tending it, I would not have known. You hide it very well; at a glance no one would be able to tell that you were blind."

"Not yet," Kiron corrected, shaking his head, "Not completely. But, I will be soon. If you wish for my bounty then, you may come and collect it, but I wish to finish teaching Ares everything first."

Hikari narrowed her eyes, "I said I didn't want your bounty."

"Yes," Kiron smiled that wry smile again, "But how can I be sure of words in this world of deceit? One year, two years, come three years things may change, and Konoha may very well be forced to hunt down every last Mist nin, including the ones that had retired."

Hikari hesitated, but she knew she couldn't argue against that. It was true, after all.

Kiron cocked his head, "But you see why I would be dragging Ares down?"

"Surely he doesn't think that your blindness-"

"He does not know."

He…didn't?

"You should tell him," Hikari said softly. She had a feeling Ares knew anyway. Just before he had left, he had warned her to tell Kiron that he was wearing a green sweater should he ever ask, because his master was colour-blind. It was a cute little story actually; apparently Ares had seen the sweater in a window display, and later on Kiron had gone back to get it for him. By that time, they were out of stock for the green which matched Ares's eyes, but Kiron didn't realize it. Ares didn't want to hurt his master's feelings, so he happily pretended that the sweater was green. Itachi and Edward had taken it at face value, but Hikari didn't forget the way Ares had warned Kiron about the thicket of thorns.

"Bah," Kiron shook his head, "That child is much too soft hearted. He would never leave if he knew that I was blind."

"Why are you so adamant that he leaves? Why cannot he stay with you? He loves you."

"…maybe, but every parent needs to see their child leave, do they not? And I do not fool myself with thinking that I am as high as any parent."

"I believe that you are," Hikari argued, "You care for him as much as any parent would. I should know; I'm a mother myself."

"Ah… mothers. " Kiron had a slightly wistful tone in his voice, "Their love is something that cannot be replicated. No, please do not compare me with Ares' mother; it would be an insult to her."

"Surely not. You're-"

"She gave her life for him."

…oh. Hikari's mind flashed back to Tezuka, his strong and invigorating presence, his kind smile and inspiring laughter. His red red blood they day he had died, his horrid gurgling as she failed to save him. Oh. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I did not know her."

Hikari blinked, not sure what to think of that. She didn't quite understand, but then again, it looked as if she would soon. Kiron looked as if he was about to explain. Hikari quickly pushed the thoughts of Tezuka to the back of her mind, instead focusing on Kiron's words.

Kiron tilted his head up, his face gazing over memories of a night long ago, "It was a bright night. Full of moons and stars; a peace filled night. I was heading back to my home town, Mendigris, when I suddenly heard a loud yell. A child's voice. 'Mom' it screamed. I went to investigate.

"Ares was lying on the bottom of a cliff, though of course he wasn't called that at the time. There was blood everywhere, but he was alive. I brought him to my camp and tended to him, and that's when I felt another's presence. It was a missing-nin from Kiri, who no doubt was sent to kill the child and his mother. I despatched of him.

"When that child awoke, he had no memory of his past life, no memory of his mother's sacrifice for him. When we went to find and bury his mother, he did not know why. I decided that it would be better if he didn't know. He said a name 'Sebastian', but didn't connect it with himself, and I thought it would be better if he had a fresh start altogether, and waited until he was older before remembering the past.

"He wanted to be called the strongest guy in the world, Ares. At the next village I left him at an orphanage, but he didn't stay there. So now, he is with me."

Hikari closed her eyes, sending a silent prayer to Ares' mother. It was so very sad, and also intensely private. She almost wished she hadn't heard it, but stories like that were common in the ninja world, and she had asked for it. Now all she could do, was try her best to allow Ares to experience a tiny bit of the love of a mother in the coming week.

Privately, Hikari made a wish that should the time come, she would be as brave as Ares' mother.

But… for now she smiled. Kiron was rather adorable with his stubborn refusal to see his own good, "You are very kind. You could have left him easily with your skills."

Kiron smiled humourlessly, "It would have been kinder of me to leave him."

"Do not say that," Hikari scolded, "You have done a priceless thing by caring for him. Do not insult the value of taking time to care."

This time, Kiron's smile was a little more genuine, "I suppose I cannot argue with a mother. Tell me, where is Ares now?"

"He went to enjoy the rest of the festival with my two charges." After he had made absolutely sure that she wouldn't mistreat His Master. She still smiled at the thought. Ares was no more than nine, and when he tried to be intimidating with that adorable little frown of his- well.

Kiron closed his eyes in a contented expression, "Ah, so he's made friends."

Hikari giggled at that, thinking back to the past few hours, "Yes, Ares is quite the little typhoon. He practically dragged Edward and Itachi off when he realized that they didn't care that much about the festival."

He'd be good for them, she hoped. Edward and Itachi were both so serious, not at all like how children should be. It bespoke of a hard past, and Hikari's heart went out to them. Ares on the other hand, despite being a ninja was like a little bucket of sunshine. She hoped that Konohamaru would grow up like that.

Kiron's lips curled upwards ever so slightly, "Yes, Ares does seem to have endless energy. Nothing gets him down for long. I'm glad that he is able to enjoy a festival."

"Enjoying it he is," Hikari said teasingly, her senses picking up three approaching chakra forces, "Well, why don't you see for yourself?"

"Hm?"

Just then, the door burst open, revealing a dishevelled but smiling Ares, a scowling Edward in one hand and a carefully emotionless Itachi in the other. Still, Hikari noticed the twinkle in both Konoha ninjas' eyes that bespoke of delight, even when they didn't show it. Obviously, they had fun.

Hikari smiled, rising from her chair in a welcoming gesture, "How was your tour?"

Ares beamed, letting go of the two boys' wrists and bouncing up to the tall woman, "Mr. Blank-Face and Mr. Growls-A-Lot didn't want to do anything at first, but then I-"

The boy suddenly stopped, eyes widening as he caught glimpse of the black haired man who was now sitting up. The boy stood there for a long moment, looking as if he were unable to move, and then suddenly he lunged, arms stretched towards the former swordsman, "Master!"

Kiron stopped Ares just before the boy could engulf him in a hug.

"Ares," Kiron's voice was mild, "What did I teach you about manners?"

"Ah," Ares pulled back, scratching his head sheepishly, "Sorry Master."

"And such displays of affection is-"

"Good practice for espionage missions," Itachi cut in, his voice as impassive as ever. "If you were trying to avoid authorities, there is no better way than to act as father and son. Father and sons should be comfortable with a certain degree of affection."

Kiron's face didn't change, but this time when Ares went to hug him, the former swordsman didn't resist. Edward laughed. Kiron shot a glare at the blond (which was surprisingly accurate considering that he was blind) and the laughter instantly died.

Hikari giggled. All was going well.

A/n: I know it's weird that I use some Japanese words, but I can't seem to get around it. Some things like -kun, -chan, etc just don't have direct translations, and some things like nii-san just sound plain weird in English. So, I'll now have a little translator thingy at the top of every page, detailing what Japanese words I'll use in the chapter, and their meaning. I'll try to avoid Japanese whenever possible, because this is an English fic (I'm even using the English way of writing names, though I might forget sometimes) but some things can't be avoided. I personally think Konoha sounds better than 'Leaf', but as you can see I've been referring to Kusa as Grass this whole time. My reasoning is that all of you should know what the Five Great Ninja Villages are called, but not necessarily the small ones. So, I'll refer to Big Five with Japanese, and any minor places that I'll use for missions with English. Sounds good?

Just to clear things up, Ares & co are not mine. They are in fact, from another manga (which deal with swordsman by the way, not ninja). I wanted to write something with them too, but I didn't want to write a whole story, so I'm just giving them a mini-arc in this fic. That won't be until later though, and this chapter's more for transition than anything else but... the next chapter is my favourite of this arc, and I can't wait for it :)