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For a while, Shusuke took a stroll around the village, not really in a hurry to find his friend. Memories of the past few days keep coming back and he couldn't help but heave a deep sigh. The tension brewing between his clan and the village is thickening and it won't be long until Ren notices it.

He passed by countless of shops with its owners greeting him with a smile despite his heritage. Not all Uchiha's are being treated too badly, he was relieved. He knew Kanata loves the village just as much as Ren and knows how this is hurting his smartass of a friend.

He perked up when he sensed a familiar chakra exiting a sushi stall, accompanied by a somewhat familiar other one. "Ren!" The Nohara boy looked up, beaming at the sight while he inwardly took cautious glances at the other boy with his friend. He had never seen him before but his chakra felt familiar.

"Ah, Shusuke-san! I haven't seen you for a while. How have you been?" He missed how formal Ren could be. He missed his presence, having had enough of his lonely, dark and cold house. "Great! What about you? I see you've made a friend, brat. Gonna introduce me or what?"

He was adorable as always, Shusuke mused. It seems he has to chase away future admirers from his little brother figure, huh? "Shusuke-san, this is Uchito Ouya-kun. Ouya-kun, this is Uchiha Shusuke-san." Oh, Uchito? He hasn't heard that surname around the village before.

But of course, the person who senses danger less didn't think anything of it and beamed. Ignoring just how familiar this new kid's chakra is (hehasthesamechakraashimohmygodtheyrethesame).

"Nice to meet ya, Ouya-kun. You guys wouldn't mind me joining you two, right?" He questioned. "Likewise. And I wouldn't mind, Uchiha-san." Shusuke walked on thin ice around the mysterious boy as the three of them walked around the village, his two companions talking about medical stuff that he couldn't relate to.

There was something familiar, extremely familiar about the brat's new friend but he couldn't exactly pinpoint out what it is.

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Obito blanched but with the pale skin tone of his transformation, it wasn't obvious. Then again, he was more worried abut Shusuke funding out who he is. Despite his disguise, no matter how good it is, there is still a small chance that Shusuke might recognize him.

Exactly, what was he supposedly to do now?

[Nohara Ren]

Ecstatic is an understatement to what I'm feeling right now. Ouya-kun finally met one of my most trusted teammates and friends. The day was spent hanging out around the village. Oddly enough, Shusuke-san remained silent the whole time, only speaking in short phrases or when he was spoken to directly.

His behaviour worried me. Was something going on? Is the massacre happening tonight? These thoughts keep running through my mind, and they weren't exactly welcome. Oyaji (it's not like he was properly hiding) has the nerve to stalk me and my new friend the whole time. What was the matter with him?

I, for one, knew that my friend wouldn't do anything to me. It's just my feeling and there was something about Ouya-kun's demeanor saying that he can he trusted. and so I will trust him. It's just I've been lonely these past fee days - weeks - because my teammates and friends are bust, even Oyaji is busy.

So, I'm kind of glad I found a friend that I could talk with, even though this friend of mine is no Shinobi. But his medical knowledge surpasses even mine so to say that I was flar, is another understatement. I was absolutely gleeful. Shusuke-san's silence though, is a bit unnerving. I wonder if the relationship between the village and the Uchiha Clan is getting tenser.

Besides that, why haven't I seen Shisui-san lately?

I bid Ouya-kun farewell as he went home. Shusuke-san standing beside me. "C'mon brat, I'll walk ya home." I jumped and landed on his shoulders, making me laugh when he choked on air. "A warning next time is appreciated."

"Noted."

The both of us chuckled as Shusuke-san walked towards my home, where I was sure Oyaji is waiting for me. He had given up stalking us two hours ago when I confronted him myself. "Ne, I haven't seen Shisui-san lately. Where is he?" I asked my teammate, whose shoulders tensed up when Shisui-san's name escaped my lips.

"He's... he's... dead."

And then, everything, the happy atmosphere from earlier, the laughter, the joy, it was all washed away by cold, cold water as dread hit me like waves during a thunderstorm. I... since when? Why didn't I know this? I'm certain that news about the... death of a famous shinobi would be a hot topic around the village, a taboo for the Uchiha. Why didn't I know?

Th-This is the event that tells... a checkpoint of some sort... some clue that the massacre will happen soon. My hands that were wrapped around Shusuke-san's neck tifhtend a bit at the thought. I... I will lose Shusuke-san and Kanata-san. They were going to die and I won't be able to do anything because knowing them, they wouldn't want me to get involved.

"Shusuke-san..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"... promise me that you and Kanata-san will stay safe." He raised an eyebrow, I knew he did even though I can't see his face because I buried mine in his fluffy hair. "Why the sudden melancholic tone, brat?"

"... please."

"Alright, alright. I promise, though, I'm quite confused why but it's you so why not?"

I smiled, that's all I needed to hear.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAuthor's NoteHey guys! So yeah, I haven't been updating this because well, I have a huge writer's block because ideas of another story keeps popping up and I just can't stop it. I know that this chapter is probably — surely — the shortest chapter yet and I apologize about it.I curse my brain for squee,king out different ideas for different anime's all at once. So...I'M REALLY SORRY BUT THIS WOULD BE IN AN UNKNOWN HIATUS AS OF NOW.