Red sign flashed, burly men passed by their work clothes smeared with tar and the dust of a day not yet over. The car horn did nothing to hasten the scene, but it eased Konan's tension. Stop sign lowered may as well have been the opening signal to the grand prix. No sooner did the engine get up to speed then the brakes had to be applied to stop at the red light. With a grunt, she tightened her grip on the wheel and down-shifted the engine. Reaching over she tapped the clock on the dashboard."Stop worrying about the time Konan. My meeting with Principal Tsunade isn't for another twenty minutes and Konoha is already in sight. Being stopped at a red light isn't going to be a problem." Nagato already had his briefcase in his lap, as though ready to get out of the car that instant. His words did little to ease her concerns as the road construction and traffic of students departing from school would easily use up those twenty minutes. Sure enough, by the time they finally parked they were a good five minutes late."Nagato, you have to remember to address the concerns of the alumni association. They're in the light blue folder behind the zoning forms…" The glare in Nagato's eye bordered on frustration, but eased into understanding. With a nod, he motioned for her to follow him halls of Konoha Gakuen were full of mixed feelings. Konan was never sure whether she admired or hated the campus; for despite its fine academic programs, too many ruling from the School Board had favored it when other schools were in the right. Though she tried not to be bitter about it, a couple of recent cases had made things even harder for Ame Gakuen to continue operations."Konan, I'm going to need you focused today." Nagato said as he stopped before the Principal's office. "I know you do not appreciate Principal Tsunade's positions-""Her positions are one matter. It's the way she manipulates others to get what she wants.""Now Konan, is 'manipulate' really the right word?""How else would you explain the budget meeting last quarter? She argued for a twenty percent budget increase at this school."Nagato quietly coughed out a laugh and smiled thinly. "And you were the one telling me not to get off topic today."The meeting went by smoothly, Tsunade was as forceful as ever but Nagato was in top form. Ame was one-tenth the size of Konoha, but it was the top High School in the Tri-District area. Recruiting top students was always a priority, but other schools longed for such students to bolster their student body as well. The mere threat that Ame would pursue such students often put the Principals Nagato visited on defense, and open to suggestions that were the real goal of the proved to be not quite so easy to trick, for she knew what it was that Ame needed as well. "So, you promise not to pursue the Sarutobi and Hyuuga families for your school and in return you want me to give you my word that I will speak to our sponsors to include you.""There are so many things I think which can bind our schools together. It is our students and faculties that hold our campuses together, funding is merely window-dressing. I'm sure you agree.""Of course." Tsunade leaned forward in her chair making a crisp sound as her dress-suit shifted position. "So what is it you really want?""Something the Alumni Association suggested a while back. Ame is a top school, but we don't have the same exposure that Konoha does; we don't attract the attention of the same 'circles' as it were.""Nearly seventy percent of your students become CEOs or high-level administrators. What do you expect? Konoha has some solid programs, but we are still primarily a local school."Konan's wristwatch beeped and she put her hand over it to suppress the sound. Whether it was psychosomatic or not, Nagato pulled out a handkerchief and coughed into it. Opening her handbag Konan realized that she had forgotten the medication in the car. "Please excuse me," she said as she got up to leave, "continue the meeting."The walk to the car may was done in quiet shame. Konan had always done her best to remember Nagato's condition and have his medications on hand. She felt like punching the walls of the school, an empty feeling for they had not been the true cause of her were still leaving when she reached the parking lot. The uniforms had changed over the years, but the colors were still the same. That dark green stained red in a back alley, frantic yells, and hands too slippery to hold a wound medicine was in a small case that Konan found easily enough. Nagato nodded when she came back. Tsunade was signing her name to the forms and an air of tension seemed to lift from the room. "We'll need to polish out more details on this exchange program, but I see some good potential here." Tsunade stood and formal goodbyes were made once Nagato had taken his prescription. Konan was beginning to get bored with the walk from the office to the parking lot."I know you don't like coming here Konan," Nagato said as they sat back down in the car. "But that was years ago, we were living a different life then.""Yeah." Konan didn't argue when Nagato took the keys from her and drove them back to the other side of town. Her thoughts were lost in a violent, reckless past. One she had left behind but could never be removed from. As the sky began to darken her attention came back and she realized they had stopped. "Why did we stop?""I have an errand I need to run. And I need you to help me." Helping her from her seat, they walked to the store."A pet store?""I was thinking about the past a lot Konan. About ourselves, our old gang…""Yahiko?" Konan whispered breathlessly."We've spent a long time trying to make our dreams come true Konan. But there is one thing that is missing.""And you think a pet is going to fix it?"That odd all-knowing smile crossed Nagato's face as he said, "Just come inside." They were shown into a room that looked like a cross between a hospital and a kennel in the back. Several small enclosures each held a mother with a new litter of puppies. Nagato asked questions about breed, health, and growth rates to the owner as they were shown one family after was a small litter of four puppies that caught Konan's attention. An assistant was holding a small brown dog that was sleeping quietly in her hands. In spite of herself she felt the need to ask if she could hold it. It was small, but warm. It moved in her arms as it breathed and squirmed. Its skin was ugly and wrinkled now, yet by the look of the mother it would grow to be a fine didn't say a word as she asked about when the dogs would be ready to leave their mother, or for taking home, or any of the dozens of follow-up questions. As it turned out, all of these dogs had one thing in common; their mothers had been captured by animal rescue while pregnant. In any other case they would have grown up on the streets, wild and homeless."I think we're getting that one." Nagato whispered to the owner. Konan stroked the back of the small puppy. It was delightfully… chibi.