FYI, Mrs/Mr roughly (and I mean roughly) translates to '-san'. I usually use the Japanese suffixes, because their true meanings can't really be carried over to English, but I thought it'd be more appropriate to use the English variations this time.

Chapter 4- A Dangerous Endeavour

Edward drew in a deep breath, and looked at the house in front of him. It was large and yellow, with an amazing garden in the front and a small silver gate before it. All his research had shown that this was it. If there was anyone who would know about the events of three years ago, it would be the inhabitant of this house.

Inoichi Yamanaka.

Edward had come back to Konoha three days ago, and the greeting he had gotten had stunned him. Sasuke and Naruto both had practically burst into tears (though of course Sasuke denied it afterwards). They'd jumped on him, buried him with excited questions and stories, and even tried to kill him! Tried being the relative word of course- Edward knew they couldn't actually even get close to injuring him.

They weren't distant at all, surprisingly, but then Edward supposed that it was because they were children, and as children they did not feel the awkwardness that often arose from long separation. He hadn't visited them once during his two year training with Tsunade, but they didn't seem to blame him for it at all (expect for the one time they attempted to kill him of course).

And they'd become closer, as Edward had hoped. Originally, Edward had been a little worried about how closed off Sasuke was to everyone in Konoha, but after two years the dark haired boy seemed much more even tempered. Edward wondered if it was Naruto's influence. He wouldn't be surprised. The Kyuubi container was surprising, to say in the least.

Now, watching them, Edward couldn't help but be reminded painfully of him and Al, though there was a huge difference in how those two reacted of course. Actually, if Edward were to analyze how Naruto and Sasuke treated eachother, he'd have to say that it reflected more so of Edward's relationship with Itachi. But the sincerity was one that was truly between brothers.

And just as Edward had hoped, Sasuke's techniques had improved by leaps and bounds, accelerated by the presence of a rival. Naruto had even picked up sealing, which Edward had always found fascinating but was too wary of the consequences to learn for himself. Truly, the two did much better in the two years they spent by themselves than the one year Edward had with Sasuke.

But the year with Sasuke was needed. It was needed for Sasuke to get away from Konoha for a bit, just as it was needed for Edward to conduct his research outside of the leaf village's confining walls. Edward had not been competent enough, not powerful enough, to contradict Konoha. He had a feeling that the Itachi mystery was related to someone of high status, and only now was Edward confident that he could find the secret and get away safely.

So, he was here, standing in front of the Yamanaka household- the household he was sure held answers. He took another deep breath, and walked past the gate. When he got to the door, Edward only hesitated for a split second, before he knocked.

The door opened a moment later, revealing a blond haired woman with a kind expression on her face.

"Oh!" For a moment, she looked surprised, "How can I help you, Mr…?"

"Edward Elric," Edward replied modestly, "Um… please don't call me Mister, ma'am. I'm much younger than you, and I'd feel odd."

A small, tinkering laugh met his response, and Mrs. Yamanaka genuinely smiled, "You're rather cute. If you don't want me to call you mister, I'll oblige, but don't call me ma'am either, alright? It makes me feel old. Call me Hiromi."

Edward felt his face heat up. This wasn't what he was expecting when he first came to this door. Edward coughed in his hand, "Yes ma'am- Ms. Hiromi. Is… is your husband home?"

"Such a polite boy," Mrs. Yamanaka's eyes were twinkling with amusement, "If only my Ino were so thoughtful. Yes in fact, my husband is home. Come in, and I'll call him for you."

Edward thanked her, and entered the house. It was even more gorgeous from the inside. Light streamed in from the paper walls, making the living room brighter than any artificial light could recreate. It had a nice, roomy feel to it that made Edward wonder if he shouldn't move out of his apartment and get an actual house. It would be better for Naruto and Sasuke certainly, and Edward was sure he'd soon earn the funds. It was an idea he'd have to seriously consider later.

Mrs. Yamanaka did indeed go to call her husband, and a moment later she returned with another man in tow. The man was also blond, but unlike his willowy wife he was stocky and had a hard look in his eyes. It softened whenever he gazed upon his wife, but the sharpness in which he looked at Edward gave the sixteen year old the sneaking suspicion that the man had seen through him.

"Shall we go to the study?" Inoichi rumbled, his voice the sound of crushed gravel.

"Dear, be nice," Mrs. Yamanaka teased, poking her husband in the chest and then turning to Edward with a wink, "Don't worry, he's nicer than he looks. He's not nearly as scary as you might think."

"We shall see," Inoichi grumbled, turning heel and heading towards some part of the house. Edward supposed he was supposed to follow the man.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Yamanaka said with a frown as she watched her husband go, "I honestly don't know what's gotten into him today."

"It's fine," Edward said tensely.

Mrs. Yamanaka looked at him, really looked at him, and a suspicious glint entered her eyes. Before she could say anything though, Inoichi called out, his voice coming from a few rooms away, "Are you coming boy?"

Edward gave one last nod towards the mother of the house, and raced towards the direction of the voice. Inoichi was indeed inside a room that appeared to be a study- or at least, it had enough books in it to look the part. The room was small and a little confining, and it set Edward on edge, but he just brushed that off as his natural tendencies to avoid enclosed areas.

He also noticed that the walls were made of a different material than the rest of the house, so that voices couldn't be overheard through the next room. If this was a study, it was meant to help with complete concentration once the door was closed, with no chance of disturbance. Even if someone was being murdered in the next room, Edward doubted they'd be able to hear it.

Inoichi was sitting on the only chair in the room, his back to the wall and a desk in front of him. He gestured towards the wall opposite him, which was coincidently where Edward was standing, "Close the door."

Or maybe, it wasn't such a coincidence. There were literally no openings to attack Inoichi should there ever be the need, but Edward was a sitting duck. Or rather, a standing duck. He knew that if Inoichi had hidden secret weapons underneath the desk, or decided to attack Edward while the boy's back was turned closing the door, Edward was doomed- or at the very least, at a huge disadvantage. It wasn't really that Edward thought these things would happen, but his mind couldn't help but come up with the scenarios. After travelling for a year throughout the ninja world, Edward had come by every trick in the book. Plus, the time fighting homunculus in Amestris had taught him a lot about deception. Added to that, Inoichi had been an accredited ninja, and Edward hadn't exactly come into this house expecting nothing.

But Edward had always been reckless, and somehow he didn't think that Inoichi would attack him. Most likely, this setup was only for psychological unsettlement- something Inoichi Yamanaka was known for. Besides, Edward was confident of his abilities, and his capabilities to get out of any obstacle that was thrown at him. So, he closed the door.

Instantly, Inoichi's eyes sharpened, if that were even possible. "What are you doing here? My wife is just a civilian and she might not be able to tell, but I can see you're an experienced ninja. The leaf forehead protector on your belt indicates that you're a Konoha ninja but I've never heard of you, and your movements suggest that you're jounin level but not ANBU."

Edward whistled, impressed. "I came here... because I wanted to see the previous Head of Torture and Investigation."

There, straight to the point. For a moment Edward wondered if it was wise, but Inoichi seemed to be a man who didn't like to dance around the issue and Edward himself wasn't exactly known for his subtly.

Inoichi didn't even blink, though Edward thought for sure he would be at least surprised. Instead, the older blond searched Edward's eyes for a long time, as if trying to see his very soul. Edward shifted, uncomfortable with the stare, but knowing that it had to be done. Finally, Inoichi lifted his gaze- or at the very least, focused on something other than Edward's eyes, "How did you come by those files? The fact that I was the previous Head is known by few, and nowadays even fewer can find that information."

"You could say I'm-" Aw what the heck, Inoichi would probably find out anyway. Besides, it wasn't as if Edward's position was a secret. "-I'm a special jounin, who specializes in research. So, there's a lot of information available to me that even ANBU captains aren't cleared to get."

Inoichi's lips twitched, "Abusing your power, aren't you?"

Edward smiled guilty.

Inoichi shook his head, "Well then, are you satisfied with what you see?"

"Yeah." And no. The older blond was impossible to read, which would make it difficult for Edward if he had to discern truth from lies. Oh well.

"Good." Inoichi nodded stiffly, "Then let's get out of this stuffy little hole. My wife is probably preparing some dinner- she likes you, and I do too. Stay."

That said, the previous Head of Torture and Investigation made a move to get up.

"Wait!" Edward exclaimed, and the older blond sat back down. "Actually, I wanted to ask some questions too."

The middle aged man blinked, then gave a sigh. He shook his head, muttering. "I should have known that it wouldn't be as simple as that. Nobody visits me anymore because they'd just like to see their idol, huh?"

Edward shifted guiltily, but this was too important for him to put it off.

Inoichi leant forwards, steeping his fingers together across the table, "I'd like to help you, I really would, but if you've really researched me then you should know that I've given up my position for a reason. I won't do anything related to that again."

What? Edward furrowed his brows. That couldn't be right. If he remembered correctly, Inoichi had retired eleven years ago, but he had come back to the field at least once. If… if Inoichi really didn't want anything to do with his previous position… "But three years ago-"

"Because the Hokage asked," Inoichi said in a stern voice, interrupting Edward but making it seem as if Edward was the one who interrupted him. "Hm, so you know about that too, huh? Well I, like any other ninja, cannot refuse my Hokage. But the Sandaime does not ask unless it is vitally important, and only then can I make an exception. If the Hokage needed my help, he would have come personally, so don't bother saying you're here on the Hokage's business."

"I would never drag down the Sandaime's name," Edward said, affronted. Besides, it was way too easy to check. "But Mr. Yamanaka please, I just want to ask some questions. I won't even ask you to do anything, really."

"That's what they all say," Inoichi said tiredly, "But what they don't see is that it all starts as questions, then slowly builds up to favours, and before you know it you'll be back in the place you wanted to avoid."

"Really!" Edward said seriously, "I won't ask you to do anything more than answer a few of my questions. I'll swear on anything."

"I don't doubt that you'll keep your word Mr. Elric, but please try to see things from my point of view. If I let you ask a few questions, wouldn't it be unfair for me to refuse others? Even if you keep your word, would everyone else?"

Edward opened his mouth, and hesitated. He wanted to say that nobody would ever have to know that Inoichi answered a few of his questions, and that Edward knew how to be discreet, but something about that scenario tugged at Edward's mind. It wasn't in his character to purposefully keep secrets, and though he might not want to tell some people things, he had never been the one to initiate it. All secrets had been made because of necessity, and Edward was loath to have them.

Besides, even if no one else knew, Inoichi would know that he had given into someone after all these years. Inoichi would know that he was being unfair. Could Edward really demand that of him?

The golden eyed boy smiled bitterly, "Alright then, I understand."

Weeks wasted- but at least, not completely. Edward had spent weeks trying to find out who had a connection to the Uchiha Massacre, and Inoichi Yamanaka had simply been the first on the list. The other research Edward had done wasn't invalid. There were still others Edward could visit.

He turned towards the door.

"Wait."

Now it was Edward's turn to find out that the conversation wasn't apparently over. Blinking, Edward turned back around, the question clear on his face.

"You really are planning on leaving just like that, aren't you?" Inoichi asked, his voice wondering. "After you did all that research to find out who would actually know the answers to your questions, and then to actually come find me."

"There's no way to convince you, there's no help for it."

Inoichi let out a dry laugh, "You decided that after ten minutes? You're not very persistent are you?"

Edward felt a spark of anger ignite inside him. And here he was thinking the old ninja was actually very nice! "You're not the only one who can judge someone with a glance. I know it'd bring a lot of trouble for you if I kept pressuring you, and in the end it wouldn't even do me any good, would it? The only ways I can think of to force you to help me would bring both you and me a lot of grief. I do have other ways of finding the information I want you know!"

Inoichi huffed, crossing his arms. "But your 'other ways' would take a lot longer, right? That's why you came to me first, despite knowing that I probably retired for a reason."

"So what?" Great, now he was getting all defensive. Well, there wasn't much help for it. Edward didn't particularly see the point in being calm at this point.

The older man chuckled, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he wheezed in genuine mirth. "So I suppose I'll have to answer a few of your questions, or else my conscious won't leave me be. After all, this young man came all this way, and if I don't even listen to him, won't I be the world's meanest man?"

Edward opened his mouth, then closed it, and then it just opened again all by itself. Edward stood with his mouth agape, staring at the laughing man incredulously. Was he serious? Then all this time...!

"Hey, hey, don't get angry." Inoichi said as he caught onto Edward's mood, "I wasn't playing you. You simply jumped to your own conclusions. Let me guess; you're considered a genius, right?"

Mutely, Edward nodded.

Inoichi's good humour suddenly disappeared completely, vanishing as if they had never been there. He was completely serious. "Well then, listen close. I know that geniuses have a tendency to underestimate us ordinary people, but please remember that we can be surprising too. I know, I know, you don't mean to of course, but I think it's a thought process that's just formed subconsciously. Even the Sandaime does this sometimes.

"Normally, this type of subconscious thinking is fine, so long as you don't act arrogantly. Nobody can tell the difference really, but there is one. Since I've been studying body language all my life, I can tell- but rest assured, most people can't. Normally, nobody would ever think you're looking down at them. The fact is though, you are. Only ever so slightly, and not enough to be noticeable, but dangerous when you're a ninja.

"Take my warning to heart little newbie. If you don't view everyone as a tough opponent, you'll find yourself in a sticky situation one day."

There was a time when Edward would have scoffed at this, but that was before Konoha and before the Homunculus. Instead, he simply nodded, trying to absorb all of it and soak it all in. It was probably good advice.

Inoichi sat back, smiling again. "Alright, good. So, what was it that you wanted to ask me about?"

Finally. Edward took a breath, "Actually, I've mentioned this before. I wanted to ask you about... the events of three years ago. The Uchiha Massacre."

This was apparently, completely unexpected by Inoichi. His smile vanished, and his back stiffened. It was only for an instant, but an instant was all Edward needed to catch it. Inoichi immediately went back to looking relaxed, but Edward already knew that something was not right.

And Inoichi seemed to know it as well. He shook his head, giving a small laugh, though this time it was more sour than amused. "Damn geniuses. I suppose there's no point in pretending that nothing's wrong, is there?"

As soon as he finished those words, the tenseness entered his eyes again, almost as if they had never left. Inoichi gazed calmly at Edward, his eyes serious, "I hope that you realize what a sensitive subject the Uchiha Massacre is. If this is to satisfy some curiosity-"

"It's nothing like that," Edward interrupted before Inoichi could convince himself that Edward was a total trout. "It's... personal."

"Personal," Inoichi muttered, "Even worse. Alright, let's hear your reason."

"My best friend... was an Uchiha."

For a moment Inoichi was silent, but then he finally nodded. "Very well then. The public heard that a terrible freak accident occurred near the Uchiha District, thereby wiping them all out bar one. However, the truth is that one of the Uchiha went insane- completely wiped out his own clan. Under the cover of night ANBU Captain Itachi Uchiha murdered every single member of the Uchiha clan expect for his brother, and from Sasuke Uchiha's testament we can determine that Itachi Uchiha did it in able to 'test his capacity'."

Edward's lips twisted into a grim smile. If he wasn't who he was he would have believed Inoichi and left it at that. The older blond was that good at lying. "I thought you said you were going to tell me the truth."

"That is the truth."

"Not all of it- or maybe, something only the ninjas were told. Something that could be true, but wasn't- like the public believing the Uchiha tragedy was caused by natural causes."

"There is no more to-"

"My best friend," Edward started again, and Inoichi immediately stopped talking, sensing that something was wrong. "Was Itachi Uchiha."

There was a moment's of silence.

If it weren't for the fact that this subject was so close to Edward's heart and that he really could not find anything funny about it, he would have probably burst out laughing. Inoichi was completely and utterly stumped. The older man had probably never suspected that Itachi would have a best friend- especially one that was outside of the Uchiha clan.

And why should Inoichi suspect? The Yamanaka was after all, a retired ninja, and as such hadn't heard head or tails of ninja affairs in the past eleven years. Yes, Inoichi had been pulled in by the Hokage during the Uchiha Affair, but that was for one incident and it would have been impossible for Inoichi to gather everything for the investigation.

Edward's relationship with Itachi hadn't been exactly public. After all, that would defeat the whole purpose of most of their joint missions- espionage. Not only that, but Edward himself hadn't been very public. Only a few people knew of his existence as a ninja. If anyone connected Edward to the massacre he'd be very surprised. Besides, Edward had a feeling that the Sandaime had been trying to leave him out of it, especially with Edward's sudden request for a year's leave.

Finally, Inoichi spoke again, his voice coming out as calm as ever. "Ah. So that is why you are so interested in this topic. Why did you wait three years?"

"Sasuke," Edward replied immediately, "At first, I needed to keep Sasuke out of danger. But then, when we travelled around the world, I realized that compared to most ninjas I... I didn't compare at all. I needed time to build up my skills, so that if the time came for confrontation I would be ready for it."

"And you think you are ready for it now?" Inoichi asked, his voice still that same, unnerving calm.

Edward shrugged, "Maybe not, but I'm getting impatient."

"You are not ready for it. You are still young; you do not know how high the sky is or how deep the sea. Perhaps if you give it ten more years you could challenge the powers that govern that of which you seek, but as of now it'd be best if you back down. You cannot hope to win."

Edward narrowed his eyes, "So you do know something about it."

"That isn't the point! The point is you should just give up!"

"I never give up."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"So I guess you won't help me?"

"To get yourself killed? No. I like you- I like your spunk, your character. It's hard to see that in good ninjas nowadays. I want you to stay for Konoha, to help protect it and to help it grow. You have a valuable life, and I don't want to see you throw it away carelessly."

"I would never throw away my life carelessly," He thought of the people who had sought to protect him. Thought of that day in the rain when he had first experienced true fear. Thought of Scar standing over him with his arm of destruction held high. Thought of Al and his furious words... "Never."

Inoichi snorted, "You might think you're not kid, but trust me, you are."

"So you think of me as a kid after all." That was annoying, being called a child. He wasn't- hadn't been since he was eleven years old. Briefly Edward couldn't help but wonder if Itachi was with people who were just as ageist.

"Because you are one." Inoichi's eyes were hard, harder than stone. "You might think you're mature, but I can see in your eyes that you haven't killed yet- haven't become a murderer."

Edward's eye twitched, "What is it with this? How in the world does killing someone make you mature?"

Inoichi actually looked amused by this. "Killing someone is certainly not the only way to become mature. In fact, lots of kids kill and are still at heart, kids. But... this is the world of ninja, and killing is practically the initiation. If you don't like it, retire like I did. I find that this type of peaceful life actually suits me better- it'll probably suit you better too."

This was getting nowhere, and if Edward stayed then this conversation was going to end up like the one with Tsunade's. He turned towards the door, his voice clipped, "Thank you for your time Mr. Yamanaka. I'm afraid I must go now."

Inoichi sighed, "Boy, promise me that you won't continue this fruitless search. It'll take you places that you never expected to go."

Edward took a step, and placed his hand on the door handle, "What can I say, life's an adventure."

"I'm warning you, boy."

He twisted the knob. "I was never very good at listening to warnings."

"Edward..."

The golden eyed boy pushed open the door, walking with crisp steps towards the entrance of the house. He didn't want to hear the rest of it- he knew it'd be ineffective warnings that would only make the both of them miserable. "Goodbye Mr. Yamanaka."

Inoichi let out a long suffering sigh, his next words murmured so softly Edward wasn't sure if he didn't just imagine it. "No... I suppose I can't stop you."

The next day, Edward was called to the Hokage's office.

Omake: Alternate version of Naruto learning seals

"Alright, I think we've finally done enough chakra exercises. What? Why're you guys giving me that dumbfounded look?"

Edward had taken his two charges to his regular training grounds, ready to surprise them with his new revelation. He didn't expect them to look at him in disbelief, though he had to admit the fish look was amusing. To be honest they weren't exactly perfect at chakra control, but they were close enough. They'd never be medics, but they could give a chuunin a run for his money. It really was time to move onto ninjutsus.

"I… I thought we'd never be done," Naruto said weakly, falling on his butt with a faint plop, "We've been doing nothing but chakra exercises for a month!"

Edward scowled, opening his mouth to say something but Sasuke quickly interrupted, "We know why they're important Aniki! You've pounded that lesson in our heads. But you've got to admit, chakra exercises are just a little bit boring, and we're nine year old boys."

"Right," Edward sighed. Well, he supposed he should have seen that coming. After all, he hadn't exactly been too thrilled to do exercises when he was first learning, either. But, it was vital to learning and successfully using ninjutsus. Thankfully for Edward, he was a natural at controlling chakra, hence why he was so successful at medical ninjutsu, but he supposed he could be a little more understanding of the boys. "Well anyway, we can move onto-"

Naruto suddenly jumped up excitedly, bouncing over to Edward and clutching onto his leg, "Can we learn that clappy thing?"

"Clappy… thing?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto bobbed his head up and down, then clapped his hands together, "Like this! Then, you raise the earth or something! It's so cool! I want to learn it!"

Oh… alchemy. When had it been butchered to the level of 'clappy-thing'? Weakly, Edward shook his head, "I'm sorry, that's something… only I can do."

"So it's a bloodline limit?" Sasuke inquired curiously.

No, it wasn't. But if Edward denied it, how else would he explain it away? Alchemy required life essence itself to perform, and Edward just happened to have the life essence of half a country of people? Psht, that'd go over well. So, Edward simply nodded.

Naruto backed off, looking crestfallen, "Aw what the heck? Why are all the coolest things bloodline limits?"

"It's not the coolest thing," Edward interjected softly. No, it was just what he was used to. "I actually find my medical abilities of far more use. Hm… but if you guys want to learn something that's been so far unique to me so badly…"

Naruto perked up, and even Sasuke couldn't hide the excited gleam in his eyes.

"…how about my chakra-sensing abilities?"

Naruto blinked owlishly, "Chakra-sensing abilities?"

Oops, had he never told them? Well, the technical term for it was 'alkehestry', but they wouldn't know the relevance of that. Plus, it wasn't like he had ever mastered the whole thing before he'd been sucked away to this world; he'd only learned the basics. And of course, due to its similarity to alchemy, he'd only improved on the energy-sensing capabilities of alkehestry. In a world like this, it meant he could always sense it when ninja were around. "Yeah, didn't you guys ever wonder how I always knew when you were going to sneak attack?"

"I thought that was just your abilities as a ninja," Sasuke pointed out accusingly.

Edward shrugged, "It is. It's just that my abilities also comprise of 'chakra-sensing'. It's an extra edge in battle."

"And you're willing to teach it to us?" Naruto asked, wide eyed.

"Yeah…" Now Edward knew what Izumi must have felt like when she took them on as pupils. Really, despite himself, he wanted to teach everything he knew to these kids. He still didn't quite understand why, though. "It'll be like a clan technique. This way, you exactly be at a disadvantage because some of your peers learned special family techniques from their parents."

"Wow… I can't wait to show this to Sakura-chan! She'll be so impressed!"

"Idiot!" Sasuke shook his head at Naruto, but there was an excited gleam in his eyes, "Since this is like a clan technique, that means it'll be our extra edge. We aren't allowed to show others, right Aniki?"

Er… well actually, Edward didn't much care what they did with it. But if the look Sasuke was giving him was any indication, Edward knew he had to agree. "R-right. But um… you can tell people you can do it, just not how to do it?"

Sasuke nodded at the answer, and Edward breathed a sigh of relief. Okay, good, he hadn't messed that up. Last time he had upset Sasuke, somehow all his shirts had turned pink. All of them. Even the black ones. He still hadn't figured out how the black haired Uchiha had done it. While Naruto may be creative in his pranks, Sasuke was way more efficient, and way more merciless about it.

And so, he slowly started vesting them in the arts of sensing chakra.

Sasuke seemed to get it right away, much like Edward had. After a few days, if Sasuke sat completely still and did nothing but concentrate, he could feel a little flicker of energy from Edward's direction. It was slow going, but very good progress. After all, it wasn't like alkehestry was something easy to learn.

Naruto on the other hand, was another story entirely.

"I can't do this anymore!" Naruto shouted, jumping up from his sitting position, and ignoring the slight glare the Uchiha sent him, "Edward nii-san! I'm just not getting it! I don't… I don't think I can learn our clan technique..."

Edward sighed, squatting down beside Naruto and trying to think of a way to help the upset blond. Edward had tried explaining chakra-sensing in every way to Naruto, but it seemed like the younger blond wasn't meant for it, just like he wasn't meant for medical jutsus. Well no, Edward was sure Naruto could get it if he really put his mind to it, but then with Naruto's excellent sense of smell and hearing, it wouldn't be that necessary.

"It's not a clan technique," Edward explained slowly, "I said it's like one, because it's so rare. Well at any rate, you don't have to learn it, especially since Sasuke is on his way to mastering it. Hey- don't give me that look! It's not a competition! Your sense of smell and hearing is better than Sasuke's, so you can detect enemies that way. Plenty of other jounin do. Really, it's better for you to compliment your partner's skills, not have the exact same."

Naruto looked on the verge of tears, and Sasuke looked rueful. No doubt, the Uchiha was upset that his best competition would be no competition for him in this new exercise. But, it was time that they started branching off anyway.

"Did you…" Edward sighed; he couldn't believe he was going to say this. But… but it was as if something compelled him, even if he knew this was a really bad idea, "Did you really want to learn my clappy-thing?"

"Yeah," Naruto sniffed, "It was way cool how you fixed this area in less than a second. But I thought you said it was your bloodline limit?"

"It is but… there is a skill very similar to it." It had sounded extremely interesting, but Edward couldn't look past the basics for fear of confusion. Learning alkehestry had been hard enough with all his preconceived notions of alchemy, and learning a third variation would be near impossible for him. All the blond jounin would end up doing if he'd learnt it seriously, was confuse himself when he needed to perform alchemy. If he imagined the circle even a little bit off from what it was supposed to look like, he could very well end up losing an arm again. "However, it requires extreme discipline to master."

"Eh?" The light reappeared in Naruto's eyes, "What is it?"

"The Art of Sealing."

A/n: Dun, dun, plot is picking up (sorta). As for the omake... well, I wrote it a long time ago, like it, but can't find a place to put it with all the changes I've made. (So in case you're wondering, it's not 'cannon' Never Let Go. If Naruto and Sasuke learn anything in the omakes, they'll probably learn it a different way in the actual story) Anyway... here it is! Actually, there's a lot of scenes I have to redo, but would you guys like to see the old ones?