Chapter 9: Small Steps

Hokage Tower, Konohagakure no Sato (0835 hours October, 12 7 AK)

"What is the meaning of this?"

Paperwork flew off the table as Danzō stormed into the Hokage's Office unannounced. Hiruzen grunted under his breath. It was such an amazing morning, and Hiruzen had just finished a coffee cake with a hot, refreshing cup of tea. Feeling pleased with his breakfast, he was actually pretty motivated to complete the day's work. He missed Suzu's presence in the office, as she made sorting paperwork simple and efficient. Alas, he was experienced in this occupation before the girl's arrival, so her departure did not interfere much with the flow of work. The beginning of the day was proceeding so calmingly, until Danzō knocked Hiruzen back into reality with his political games.

Except, Danzō was looking positively irate.

As the infamous "Yami of Shinobi," Danzō held an expression of indifference throughout every aspect of his day. He never allowed his thoughts or emotions leak onto his persona. But now, it was obvious that Danzō was infuriated. There was not much that can affect the apathetic old man, so Hiruzen can only guess what the subject of Danzō's indignation was.

"Do you honestly believe that plan is going to work, Hiruzen?" Danzō said, his frustrations building.

"Have a seat, Danzō." Hiruzen said with a hospitable tone.

Danzō stared at his old rival before accepting his offer. Taking his seat, Danzō took the opportunity to collect him. Engaging against Hiruzen in an ideological dispute while he enraged would not help his cause.

"Would you like some tea?" Hiruzen offered.

"Thank you, Hiruzen." Danzō accepted. Hiruzen gently poured some green tea into a small mug. The tea was made of quality ginseng leaves from trees located in Kusagakure. Hiruzen was a prominent tea connoisseur, not willing to accept anything but excellence when it came to his favorite beverage. "I see at least one of your abilities has not rusted with time. Am I mistaken, but have you added Kamizuru honey as a condiment to sweeten the tea?"

"Indeed so," Hiruzen affirmed with a smile. "Excellent analysis."

"As much as I would rather not consume any food products imported from Iwagakure, I cannot deny the boosted flavor that the honey brings to the tea. The exuded aroma is enticing as well."

"I certainly try, old friend." Hiruzen responded.

"Now, getting back to the subject at hand," Danzō said, taking a sip from the mug before returning to his original topic. "Have you finally gone senile and lost your mind?"

"Danzō, I already warned against becoming involved in the investigation." Hiruzen replied. "Your cynical inputs have done nothing but deter the entire process."

"Realism differs greatly from pessimism, Hiruzen." Danzō retaliated. "I am merely doing what I can to demonstrate to you the error of your way."

"And disclosing Suzu's past to her aided her in what way exactly?" Hiruzen asked.

"You and I both know," Danzō began with a serious tone. "That the girl is mentally unstable. Erasing her memories did not eliminate her violent tendencies; it only served to delay it until a later time."

"And wouldn't detailing a traumatic event in her life hasten her antisocial transformation?" Hiruzen rebutted.

"She committed the murder herself, Hiruzen. In my opinion, she should find it hardly traumatizing." Danzō remarked with a sting. "Besides, there is nothing that can occur right now that can hasten her transformation; she's already antisocial to begin with."

Hiruzen pinched his brows. He really missed how the morning was going.

"What would you have me do then, Danzō?"

"Kill her." Both of the men answered. It was a rhetorical question, and Hiruzen found himself wasting his time for even asking.

"My decision remains unchanged."

"That is not the reason why I came here though." Danzō said, causing Hiruzen to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh? And pray tell what your motivation for ruining my morning is."

"Besides the innate feeling of satisfaction I get when I learn that my rival's cherished morning have been tarnished because of my machination," Danzō said sarcastically. "I came to ask why you would bother to allocate ANBU for simpleminded tasks like delivering her food."

Hiruzen unveiled his beloved pipe, heating the base before taking puffs of his tobacco. "Is there a problem?" Hiruzen asked, unconcerned with Danzō's opinions.

"You already know I disagree with every method you took to handle the situation." Danzō replied. "Isolating her from peers and other members of the community would be an excellent contingency to her death if it included locking her up in a detention center. Instead, you negotiated with the Nara and spent money from the Treasury to build a cabin for her isolation period. Now you are assigning some of the finest shinobi in the village with the task of maintaining her survival. Nothing in this world could even amount to how ludicrous these ideas are."

"The influx of special ops missions have been in a sharp decline during these peacetime years." Hiruzen retorted. "Other than searching for missing-nin and ensuring Naruto's safety, There is relatively little for the ANBU to do. What better way to utilize their skills than providing bodyguard duty to the child of two influential shinobi in this village? In any case, as Hokage of Konoha, I reserve the right to deploy my ANBU in whatever mission I see fit."

"But why Weasel?" Danzō asked, honestly curious about Hiruzen's plan.

"Weasel has experience with younger children, Danzō. More so than Dog did at this point, and Dog is Weasel's senpai."

"Do not tell me you have forgotten the Uchiha crisis, Hiruzen."

Hiruzen stood silent for several seconds. Weasel had informed them recently that the Uchiha had been planning a coup d'état for several months now. It all stemmed from the Kyuubi attack 7 years ago, but the recent death of prominent Chuunin Uchiha Shisui magnified anti-Konoha sentiments within the clan to near uncontrollable levels. In the surface the Uchiha looked as though they are performing their duty to Konoha with pride and without complaint, but following Weasel's announcement, more and more evidence has surfaced in regards to their eventual coup. This, factored with the Fujibayashi case, has been the primary source of stress for Hiruzen these days.

"…I would be lying if I said we were making headway into peaceful negotiations with Fugaku." Hiruzen answered truthfully. "His stubbornness is oddly reminiscent of an old war dog that I know of."

"Do not compare me with that unpatriotic swine." Danzō hissed, catching Hiruzen's attention. "Your failure to obtain a handle on this situation has increased the likelihood of civil war in our soil."

"Danzō, as much as I know you love criticizing me and using me as a scapegoat for all of Konoha's current dilemmas," Hiruzen retorted. "This crisis was in the making long before you and I could get our hands wet in the shinobi world. Ever since Uchiha Madara clashed against Konoha's founder, Senju Hashirama, at the Valley of the End. Our own sensei did not make the situation any better, choosing to further exclude the Uchiha from Konoha's politics and building resentment from their families."

Danzō nodded. These facts cannot be denied. The Uchiha rebellion was not a recent phenomenon, but a culmination of rising tensions built over several decades.

"Nevertheless, using Weasel on these…absurd escapades with the girl is a gross misuse of his capabilities." Danzō argued. "Instead of feeding the misguided child, he should be using his advantages to further spy on the Uchiha menace and report to us."

"I will not allow such a thing." Hiruzen answered. "The Uchiha already suspect him of conspiring with us in an attempt to thwart their schemes. I cannot allow them to discover our true intentions long before we reveal it. Hence the reason why he is being deployed in the Fujibayashi missions."

"Hmm…" Danzō thought. "If that's the case, then I could potentially understand your viewpoint. However, I am still skeptical about his station. It's a complete waste of talent to send him on missions that rank no greater than D."

"Say what you will Danzō." Hiruzen responded. "I will not go back on my word."

Danzō finished sipping his tea. Returning the mug to Hiruzen, he got up and took his leave, having spoken his thoughts. Of course, he still thought of Hiruzen as an incapable, erroneous, and naïve buffoon. But Hiruzen was the Hokage and there was nothing Danzō could do about it. He cut his losses and returned to the darkness that embraced him.

"Oh," Danzō remembered before leaving. "You must know of the contingency should negotiations fail and civil war proves imminent, correct? I do hope that the circumstances do not come around to that. I will personally ensure that your blunder does not spiral out of control, Hiruzen."

Danzō left the room. Hiruzen rotated around his chair and took several puffs from his pipe.

Hiruzen lied to Danzō as to the real reason why he arranged Weasel as the primary caretaker for Suzu. Danzō's indignation would absolutely demolish the atmosphere that Hiruzen worked so hard to form up.

Being an older brother himself, Weasel would know the means necessary to break Suzu out of her enclosed shell. Their relationship would feel even more genuine than the one she had established with Dog.

The arrangement is symbiotic as well. This mission would provide Weasel with an escape from the Uchiha crisis. An escape that wasn't in the form of his little brother. It was something else he could preoccupy his mind with as Hiruzen sorted out the mess.

Hiruzen took a deep puff of his pipe. 'It's unfortunate that this day had to fall so short…' He lamented. 'It was such a wonderful day too…'

Toriyama Creek, Konohagakure no Sato (1954 hours November 23, 7 AK)

Weasel stood atop the largest tower he could find within the vicinity. He had just finished delivering the food to Suzu, who accepted it distantly and without a hint of conversation. Weasel allowed her to enjoy her space. Despite what the Hokage ordered, he was not going to force himself on the little girl. Weasel knew that was not the proper way of forming lasting bonds.

But Suzu was always hostile to Weasel's presence. Ever since the day he introduced himself, Suzu had distanced herself from him at every waking moment. She refused to talk to him, other than sarcastic praises of gratitude from receiving her food, and she closed herself off at the cabin for the remainder of Weasel's time there.

Truth be told, it was starting to grate Weasel's nerves. This was the only mission he was assigned to and his client would not even offer him any opportunity to complete it.

Yet somehow Weasel could relate to the girl. Her taciturn attitude greatly reminded him of himself. In fact, the only humans Weasel ever communicated with were his deceased best friend and his little brother. His family life was becoming strained because of his career choice and his rejection of his clan's traditional beliefs, but that mattered very little to him. All that mattered now was the protection of his little brother and the village he held so dearly in his heart.

He had thoroughly reviewed Suzu's case file. Bursts of violence and gazes that appeared to pierce through you were telltale signs of antisocial personality disorder, and Suzu's recent actions only helped cement that diagnosis on her. What he did not understand was that Suzu was also formerly diagnosed with schizophrenia, which was subsequently written off the records. Apparently she had commented on an ethereal figure known as "Dhaos" that tormented her and led to motivation for the murder of her family.

Suzu showed no signs that would be typical of a person afflicted with schizophrenia. She never once mentioned, talked to, or heard voices from a person by the name of "Dhaos" while he was on shift, nor was she paranoid to a fault. It was understandable why Inoichi would write this diagnosis off the record, but Weasel was more of a realist here. He believed that Suzu's condition was not cured, but had gone into gradual relapse. But with no evidence supporting his theory, and with Suzu in isolation for another several months, there was nothing he could do to argue his case to the Hokage.

So for now he just waited patiently. He waited for the day that Suzu would finally open herself up from her own shell and try to be friends with Weasel. Weasel would be more than happy to be friends with the enigmatic little girl. Indeed, he already thought of her as a sister in spite of the short time that he was assigned to her.

Weasel had detected some movement within the vicinity and concealed himself from the naked eye. Two figures were walking towards a pier; a middle-aged man that was about 170 centimeters and a much smaller child who could have been no older than seven. Weasel already knew who these two people were. He has been keeping an eye on them for several years now, before his assignment with Suzu.

The taller one was Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head of the illustrious Uchiha clan. He was also the man planning the Uchiha coup d'état against Konoha after the village failed to reciprocate for their unjust treatment following the reign of the Nidaime. He was a cold-hearted man who thought of nothing else other than personal gain and the pride of the Uchiha. He would be an ideal shinobi if his pride did not blind his path.

The young of the two was too naïve for his own good. He worked tirelessly to impress his father to no avail. His father could care less about the lack of talent his younger son was displaying. However, circumstances forced his hands, and he found himself being a pseudo-mentor for the child. He would rather not squander his time with the young one since Uchiha Itachi, his eldest son, was the greatest prodigy to have ever graced the Uchiha clan. But Itachi had strayed from the flock, leaving only his younger son, Uchiha Sasuke, to inherit the clan along with his hopes and dreams.

Weasel was not one to display his emotions openly, but seeing Sasuke being used by that cold-hearted man angered the ANBU greatly. Weasel worked diligently to provide for Sasuke, but because of his time commitment with the ANBU, he could not spend much time with the fledgling Uchiha. As a result, Sasuke had no one to support him growing up in his clan. A distasteful father that treated his son like the dirt below him, an indecisive mother who hanged on her husband's words as if her life depended on it, and a laborious older brother that spent little time at home or in the Clan Compound. It was no wonder why Sasuke clung to his father's deceitful intent in training.

An accomplished shinobi in his own right, there was little margin for error with whatever Weasel did. Weasel fully matured his Sharingan at the ripe age of 8, was promoted to Chūnin at 10, and had just recently promoted even further to the rank of ANBU captain. He had an illustrious career ahead of him, but Weasel was racked with regret. Regret that his accomplishments only diminished the time he spent with his little brother. Indeed he deeply cherished Konoha with his heart, but his brother was the only person he loved more than the village he was willing to die for.

From his vantage point, he saw his little brother attempting to succeed at the Uchiha rite-of-passage; the casting of a massive Gōkakyū no Jutsu over the creek bed. Weasel remembered his own rite-of-passage. In fact, he was just Sasuke's age when he captivated his father with a moderately sized Gōkakyū on his first attempt. Most Uchiha youth would take months or years of practice to get a Gōkakyū to match the size of their heads. Fugaku had been so overwhelmed by his son's apparent talent that he neglected to see him nearly dip into the creek from chakra exhaustion.

So Sasuke repeated attempt after attempt to release a fireball worthy of his father's praise. Yet, what blasted out from his signs were just puffs of flare as opposed to a grandiose pyre storm. Fugaku's mounting frustrations were clearly evident in his facial expressions. He had hoped that Sasuke would have the ability to surpass even his brother and earn the leadership of the Uchiha. He learned only now that his hopes have been dashed by what appears to be "yet another nameless Uchiha peon."

Sasuke was becoming ever so desperate. He knew that his father was getting disappointed at his lack of progress, and he struggled even more hectically to activate the technique. In his haste, he failed to realize that his signs were becoming sloppy, being misplaced, in the wrong order, or just entirely different signs altogether. Even from a distance Weasel could see Sasuke fumble. He wanted to go down there and provide tips for the young Uchiha. He was preparing to head down and do just that when he noticed his father gently tapping Sasuke's shoulder.

"Son, try to relax." Fugaku told Sasuke. Although Weasel was far from Fugaku's location, his advanced training with the ANBU made eavesdropping from his point relatively easy. "I can tell that you are not providing the necessary amount of chakra for this technique, and that is most likely because you do not have a clear mind."

"I-I'm trying, Otou-sama." Sasuke stuttered.

"Look at me." Fugaku ordered. His son hesitantly obeyed, looking up to the cold, detached onyx eyes of his father. "You need to concentrate. Take deep breaths and empty out your mind. Clear your conscience of your heavy thoughts, then try to perform the seals."

"Y-yes…" Sasuke obeyed.

He dropped his hands and shoulders and took deep breaths. His torso rose and fell rhythmically as he tried to lose all of his thoughts. When he felt he was ready, Sasuke smoothly went through the hand seals at a slow pace and held the Tiger seal over his mouth.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

In a flash of light, a magnificent fire ball was ejected from Sasuke's mouth. From behind his mask, Weasel was earnestly surprised at the size of the Gōkakyū. It was not large enough to be deemed satisfactory for passing the rite, but it was definitely worthwhile, considering Sasuke's earlier flops.

Weasel was also surprised that the fire ball spawned from his detestable father's advice. Initially, Weasel perceived Fugaku as the kind of man who would not lift a finger for any one below him, or anyone he considered not worth his time. It was a welcome surprise from Weasel, and he was actually glad that he was wrong about his father.

"…Very good Sasuke." Fugaku commented. "But not good enough. We'll try this again next week. I hope you would have improved by that time."

Sasuke nodded vigorously. He was ecstatic that he managed to unleash a fire ball. He had his doubts, but seeing his own progress reassured the boy. He wished that Itachi could have seen what he had just done. Then he would have been the happiest boy in the village.

Only, Itachi did saw what he had accomplished.

Undisclosed Location, Konohagakure no Sato (1547 hours November 30, 7 AK)

The deluge rushed violently, clapping at the windowsill at an astonishing rate. The window was clouded with condensation from a mixture of the heavy rain and rapidly cooling temperature, making it very difficult to see what lied outside.

Suzu couldn't remember what happened. She recalled being outside, practicing her swings as according to the katas that Cat so generously loaned her. The cloudy forecast heavily implied that it was going to pour later in the day, but Suzu didn't care. When the light drizzle indicated that she should return to the cabin, Suzu continued to practice vehemently without a thought on the weather. Soon, the brunt force of the rain was upon her, yet not once did she waver in her training.

She continued to practice swing after swing despite her clothing get denser from the accumulated water and her sight being hindered by her wet hair. She practiced mechanically, without much concern over her own surroundings. To her, this was a sort of escape from the horrors that seemed to plague her life.

Everything that she cared about managed to find a way to disappear from her life. Naruto was not allowed to see her, "Jiji-chan" could no longer be trusted, Gama Sennin had to return to his spy network, and Dog had retired and left her for herself. She was tired of everyone leaving her. So she decided that this new person, Weasel, should never get close to her.

She ignored his very presence as best as she could. When he arrived, she took her food and locked herself in the cabin, never speaking even a word to him with the sole exception of "thank you" for the food. Be it as it may, Suzu was still a kind, appreciative girl, and she would not leave any thanks go unspoken. Nonetheless, she avoided him to the best of her abilities, and it seemed to be working. If anything was to give her solace in these dark times, it was that she was successful in isolating herself from Weasel.

Now here she was inside the cabin, when she should have been outside training vigorously. She was feeling extraordinarily hot and her nose was stuffed, making it difficult for her to breathe. There was a wet, cold tower on her forehead, and her breaths were deep and elongated. She wanted to rise up from her futon and get back to training, but her body was adamant about relaxing in the futon. Besides, all of her strength had left her, and she was unable to move any part of her body other than her head.

So she looked around. There was a small, controlled fire warming her up. The flickers of the flame were enchanting to look at, and she soon found herself mesmerized by the dancing pyre. If her awareness was any better, she would have noticed her neighbor soaking in the steady stream of heat from the flame. Then again, all of her senses were dulled from the fever she was afflicted with.

Weasel was drenched entirely as well. He left his clothing to dry, along with Suzu's, at a clothesline suspended above the fire. He had no qualms about undressing the little girl; her figure had not begun to develop so it was difficult to distinguish between her and another child her age (unless you checked her genitalia, which Weasel had no intention of doing).

Weasel had found Suzu collapsed at the grove outside of her cabin. He had assumed she had been in that condition for several hours, considering how drenched her clothes were. He concluded that she must have lost consciousness from developing a fever, and he rushed to bring her back in the house before her condition got any worse. Her skin was scorching hot when he touched it, confirming his original assumption. He cursed under his breath about not arriving sooner; he could have prevented her from staying too long in the rain in the first place.

The temperature was cold enough, in spite of the heat from the fire, to see Suzu's breath in water vapor form. It had stabilized into steady pants from her hectic inhalation during her initial sickness, a sign that Suzu was slowly recuperating. But it would be a week a best before she returned to the practice ground in fit condition. Weasel knew how eager Suzu was to train. Really, it was the only thing Suzu had to look forward to these days. She was unable to leave the premises for another several months until registrations for the Academy began in March. For the time being, training and reading would be the only form of entertainment should have access to. And the only people she would meet on a daily basis were ANBU agents, shinobi who closed their hearts to all those around them, and as such were not good partners for social interaction.

Weasel sighed. He could not understand what the Hokage had hoped to accomplish with this punishment. It was cruel beyond reason, especially for a kid of Suzu's caliber. In Weasel's opinion, the Hokage should have opened her up more in opposition with isolating her for an extended period of time. Weasel could only guess at the repercussions for the child's psyche. Yet, no one could truly understand what went on in Suzu's mind.

"Hanyuu…" Suzu muttered. She shifted around in her blanket a bit, finally aware of the stranger that was lurking in her cabin. She turned her head around to meet eyes with the stranger, who wore an eloquent weasel mask.

"T…tou-san?" Suzu said. "Tou-san!"

'Delirium caused by a disturbance of her metabolic process as a result of her unnaturally high body temperature.' Weasel deduced. 'She must be thinking that I am her father.'

"Tou-san…" Suzu said gently. She took some time to inhale. She could not talk and breathe at the same time, so she needed to take it easy with one or the other. "Neh, Tou-san…"

Suzu held out her left hand from the blanket. Her palm was much smaller than Weasel had thought of it, but Weasel never took the opportunity to closely examine her hand. He never was interested in noting the cress and troughs of her hand, from the lines to the small crevices.

He stretched out his own hand. His hand was reasonably larger than Suzu's own, so he offered his index and middle finger instead.

Suzu gladly accepted the fingers. Her hand closed weakly around Weasel's fingers, and Weasel returned the favor, closing his fingers around her hand.

Weasel found the warmth being emitted from Suzu's hands to be welcoming. Their embrace lasted longer than a couple of minutes, with Suzu looking curiously at the two enclosed fingers. She looked up once again at Weasel and smiled gently. It may not look like it, but because of the fever's effect on Suzu's body, even trying to smile was excruciatingly difficult.

"You are not Tou-san." Suzu concluded. She turned to look at the ceiling, thoughts coursing through her mind very quickly. "Tou-san isn't here anymore, isn't he?"

Weasel looked at the girl, hesitant as to whether he should answer the question or leave it be. Ultimately he decided on shaking his head in the negative.

"I knew it…" Suzu said. She coughed lightly, covering her mouth with her small palms. "He couldn't be here. He's dead."

Suzu turned to look at Weasel. She tried her hardest to look through the mask and see his eyes for what they truly are. She knew it was impossible. But she wanted to see an actual person right next to her, not just some guy in a mask. She settled on returning her gaze towards the ceiling.

"I…I killed him, you know." Suzu confessed silently. "That's why he shouldn't be here."

Weasel did not respond. The Hokage had confirmed that, for whatever reason, Danzō had enclosed that information to Suzu shortly after her second incarceration. Still, it was…disturbingly unnerving to hear that from Suzu herself. It brought a sense of realism to the crime she committed. He had to admit, he was initially somewhat skeptical as to her accusation, but orders were orders and he must abide by them without complaint.

"Weasel-san…" She said weakly, "Do you have a father?"

"Yes." Weasel answered. He did not know why he was giving her that information.

"What was he like?"

Weasel thought for a moment. Two weeks ago Weasel would have responded with "conniving, manipulative, cold-hearted, and selfish beyond reason." But witnessing firsthand his willingness to tutor Sasuke, in spite of the child's shortcomings, Weasel has brought everything he thought about the man into doubt. Was he capable of delivering acts of paternal kindness? Could he bypass the barrier he set on himself to provide his family with love and affection? Weasel wanted to believe in these possibilities. However, Weasel was a shinobi by trade. He needed to be realistic, and his overwhelming opinion dictated that his father would not change.

"He is…He is a complicated man." Weasel decided to answer. "I'm certain that, if he were to start thinking about people other than himself, then he can be a great father. But right now, he…"

"Why don't you just kill him?" Suzu pondered out loud.

"Pardon?" Weasel asked.

Suzu began coughing. She covered her mouth to contain her coughs and then took several deep breathes.

"He's not a good father…so why not just…" She coughed again. "…kill him…?"

Weasel chose not to answer that question. The answer seemed so obvious; he was his father, so he couldn't kill him. Well, that's what he wants to think, but the harsh reality was that he was planning a coup d'état against the village. Soon the village will need to decide what to do with the man. Danzō appeared to have plans for Weasel, and Weasel had a good idea what they are.

Noting the sudden silence between them, Suzu decided to change the subject. Maybe discussing patricide with an ANBU agent was not as good an idea as she originally thought.

"Why did you save me?" Suzu asked.

"It is my mission." Weasel merely replied.

"No, I don't deserve to live anymore." Suzu said. "You should have just left me to die. Just like that old man with the bandages wants."

"Suzu…" Weasel said.

"I…I miss everyone…" Suzu lamented. "I…I don't feel like living anymore. Why did you save me?"

To her surprise, Weasel just grabbed the wet towel from Suzu's forehead. He placed his hand over her forehead, causing Suzu to flinch in anticipation.

"You're steaming up, Fujibayashi-san." Weasel said in a matter-of-factly tone. "You should really get some rest, we'll talk again tomorrow."

"But…why Weasel-san…? Why did you-"

The kunai came faster than Suzu could ever dream of expecting. Apparently pulled from out of nowhere, Weasel arched his kunai at Suzu's jugular. Suzu's entire body recoiled in response to the impending demise descending upon her. She felt a sharp pain coming from her neck, but nothing more. When Suzu opened her eyes, she found the kunai lodged tightly between the floorboards besides her. There was a light wound on her neck, with blood streaming delicately down to the ground. She touched her cheeks to get a feel for herself; she was not dead.

"You noted your reaction, didn't you?" Weasel asked Suzu while he dislodged his kunai from the floor. "In my years as an ANBU, I've noticed a couple of patterns throughout my numerous missions. One of them is that those who have the strongest desire to live will cower in the face of inevitable death."

Suzu couldn't help but shiver in fright after the "near-death" experience she just felt. Did she…did she really want to live?

"Your flinching proves that you want to live. So do not talk as though you are ready to die. You are but a child; you have not lived long enough to truly value the precious people around you. Live, and cherish the ones who you will swear to protect."

"Live…" Suzu said as she took a moment to ponder the question. She wanted to live…but for what reason? What was her driving force to continue the struggle of survival? Especially when her life tended to go under quickly.

"Neh, why do you want to live?" Suzu asked Weasel.

"It is because I love this village, Fujibayashi-san." Weasel answered.

"Even after what the people have done to Naruto-kun?" Suzu asked, slightly enraged. "Oh, I'm sorry…You don't know Naruto-kun…"

"I do know of him, Fujibayashi-san." Weasel answered, surprising Suzu. Did all of the ANBU know who Naruto was? "However, how I know of him is strictly confidential. I apologize, but I cannot speak any further on the matter."

Suzu returned to her futon and covered herself in her blankets. 'Drat…' She thought. 'I almost found out how everyone knew Naruto…'

"…It is as I said when I was discussing my own father." Weasel spoke after a brief moment of silence.

"Hmm?" Suzu muttered.

"Humans are born with the capability for change, Fujibayashi-san. That is why I love the village I was born into. Although there are bad people out there in our world, even those people can seek redemption if they truly put their minds into it."

"…The Will of Fire…" Suzu whispered, remembering her conversation with Hiruzen. The ideal behind the Will of Fire was respectable to say the least, and Suzu could see how people can rally behind it. But the Will of Fire is also what had gotten her into this predicament in the first place. She wanted to believe in the Will, but by believing would that lead her to the…happiness she has sought for so long?

That was irrelevant at the moment. For now, she realized that Weasel was not as bad as she made him out to be. He saved her, and looked after her while she was suffering from a fever. At the very least Weasel cared about her safety and well-being. She would try to open herself up one last time. Hopefully Weasel will leave like the others.

"Neh, Weasel-san." Suzu began, gathering the courage to ask him. "Will you…will you promise to stay with me? Please…please don't leave me alone…"

Weasel reached over and pat Suzu on her head. Suzu felt that, under his mask, Weasel was smiling.

"I can't guarantee any promise."

Hey Y'all!

SURPRISE! This is one day sooner than what would normally be expected, am I right?

Well, this month is actually my 1-year anniversary of joining , and I am thrilled to celebrate it with not one but TWO releases!

On April 15, 2013, I released the first ever chapter of my fan fiction True Paths to Power. It was an experiment that I am mainly proud of, and I do plan on finishing almost all of my fan fiction. But on April 15, 2014, instead of releasing the next chapter of True Paths to Power like I should, I'll be going ahead of my schedule and releasing the next chapter of Phact Phantasia in advance. Truth be told, I was very much excited to bring you this next iteration, because we are heading ever so closer to the Academy Arc! That's when the story begins to pick up. Sorry for those who enjoy action, but you are going to have to wait a little while longer before I get to the juicy, amazing fight scenes.

Along with the next chapter of Phact Phantasia, I plan on release an idea that I have been brewing in my mind for quite some time. The planned title for the new fan fiction will be Heterochromia Iridum, and the general plot will be about an original character who has access to both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. Now, before anyone can complain, yes, it does sound played out. HOWEVER, from a short search of the website, I have not found any fan fiction that delve into this topic. Which is odd, since it seems like an idea people would be willing to abuse. (There are other fan fiction from other series with the same name as this one. I have not read them since I am not really interested in any fan fiction other than Naruto ones).

Heterochromia Iridum is planned to be worked on during Saturdays, where I can spend most of my creative powers molding the plot and the characters. For the rest of the week, I'll be primarily focused on Phact Phantasia. Now, I should be clear. HETEROCHROMIA IRIDUM WILL BE A SIDE PROJECT AND NOTHING MORE. On Saturdays I'll be working on the story, but I will not release chapters until I feel they are ready for release. As such, unlike Phact Phantasia, Heterochromia Iridum will not have an established schedule. I apologize for any person that may have new-found interest in my WIP, but this is for the best.

As for my other fan fiction, they are in indefinite hiatus until the completion or gradual disinterest of this current one. I will be primarily focused on Phact Phantasia and trust me, the plans I have for this fan fiction are going to be extra juicy.

Anyways, congratulations Blackrazgriz on a successful year in , and here's to another glorious year of reading and writing fan fiction.

On another note, my reviewers are freaking awesome. I really like the predictions you guys are providing for the progress of this fan fiction. Some may be right, most are wrong. Won't say which one are which, but you should definitely keep your eyes peeled in the coming chapters.

Update on story stats: 28 Reviews, 23 Favorites, 33 Followers, 1 Communities, and 2,491 Hits.

Next week, we will be returning to our regularly scheduling programming. Until then,

-Blackrazgriz 4/14/2014 10:49PM EST