"Where were you?"

Momiji's smile twitched, probably because after all these years, she was still were a horrible liar, "Um, nowhere?"

She couldn't just tell that she had illegally entered someone's house because she finally found the one Death told her when he gave her a chance to have this life, could she? Kushina would probably think she had finally gone wanker or something.

"Honestly, I thought something was wrong what with you suddenly gone off without even telling me," Kushina's violet eyes stared down at her with worry. Momiji made a face at that ― did she have to be reminded that no matter in what world, she would be shorter than practically everyone? "Don't do that again."

She could tell that Kushina was pleading with her eyes and she gazed away from those eyes that somehow reminded her of Ron's. She held in a sigh, frustrated that there was nothing she could do to help her distant cousin's condition.

Momiji knew that Kushina didn't really believe her words that she would finally stay for a long time ― here in Konoha ― because after she had saved Kushina from dying seven years ago, she ran off to find the one who let the Kyūbi out of her distant cousin's seal, to ensure the safety of the village that made Kushina happy.

Sure, she visited Konoha here and there to check on Kushina's health and bond with Naruto, but after she discovered that Kushina couldn't recover completely from the extraction and that she would be gone within a few months, weeks, or even days, she chose to stay in Konoha permanently ― or at least until Naruto was capable of taking care of himself. Naruto, her god-son, would be left orphaned with no one to care for him if she didn't stay, and she didn't have it in her heart to just leave him be.

"I promised, didn't I? I will stay here to watch over Naruto," she pursed her lips, green eyes darkening. "Oh yeah, Nee-san, I think you're neglecting your son over there," she pointed over Kushina's shoulder.

Naruto ― a cute godson she never asked for, but glad that Kushina let her to be his god-mother ― was playing, or running together, with an almost equally cute black haired boy around his age. It seemed to be a game of tag, with a boy a few years younger than her as the 'it'. It looked comical to her that the boy was too tall to play the game with a two short kids.

"As long as they aren't playing rough, it's good," Kushina grinned. Her smile was radiant, like she didn't have the knowledge of how short her lifespan was. Momiji couldn't quite understand how this woman could be this strong, but she admired her distant cousin's will nonetheless.

Eyes wandering to the scenery before her, she watched the kids play. Playing rough in this world meant, using chakra and jutsu. Momiji hummed in understanding. "Mikoto-san's kids?" she inquired. The 'it' and the kid around Naruto's age resembled each other too much to not be siblings.

Kushina nodded her head, "The 'it' is Uchiha Itachi, twelve years old, ANBU captain," Momiji refrained herself from screaming "what" at that absurdity, "and the kid is Uchiha Sasuke, he's in the same age group as Naruto's."

The shock of knowing that someone that young was a captain of an elite squad to kill in the name of this village wearing off, she tried to ignore the hundred questions she had now in her disposal.

"He's taller than me," Momiji muttered while rubbing her chin. "Is the Uchiha feeding him growing potions or something? He's one hundred and seventy centimeters tall, that's for sure."

The Uchiha kid was shorter than Cedric, or Shisui. But Shisui was already sixteen and was over one hundred and eighty centimeters, but she found that reasonable as he was always tall, either in their past lives' world or this world. She concluded that maybe this Itachi hit his puberty earlier than most if by the age of twelve he had already hit his puberty.

Kushina laughed it off, "I don't know about that. I never asked."

"How are Mikoto-san taking the news of, you know?" she quietly asked. Hesitantly, she rested her hand on Kushina's back.

"As you can see, she isn't here," Kushina griped, eyes staring ahead.

"She isn't taking it well," Momiji stated.

Sighing, Kushina looped her arm around Momiji's shoulders, "She offered to take care of Naruto, but I already told her that you will be his guardian."

Momiji shrugged off-handedly, "Well, tell her that any help is welcomed. I could use some help from an experienced mother."

Kushina chuckled and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Momiji."

"Are you a sensor?"

Momiji didn't bother to look back after she asked.

"What if I am?" he responded easily. He sat down beside her, completely drenched in the rain ― like her.

For a brief moment, she flickered her eyes to the side. Shisui was wearing the black garment for the funeral. Did he know Kushina?

Ignoring her curiosity, she resumed her staring into the distance activity and asked, "Why now?" Why now, when she was too emotional to appreciate that he finally approached her now?

A brief humming came from her right, "I don't feel like it before."

She felt the sincerity he gave off. He had a life before he discovered that he had a past life, and she couldn't fault him for not approaching her sooner.

She herself didn't even bother to look for him after that day she forcefully made him remember his past life. She was too busy spending time with Kushina and comforting Naruto, who was unsurprisingly distressed with his mother's sudden death.

"You can cry, you know?" he let out a soft sigh, like he was expecting her to suddenly embrace him and cry.

She didn't know what compelled her to pinch his thigh, but she did it anyways.

"Ouch," she could hear him smile that it made her smile as well. But somehow, the action made her eyes prickled with tears.

A brief moment of silence fell between them.

"Hiding in the rain to hide one's tears isn't that uncommon," he uttered quietly, breaking their illusion of peace.

Like she didn't know that already. She wasn't a child.

It didn't startle her, the sudden wave of chakra coming from her right. She was no sensor, but she knew what that chakra buildup beside her meant. She knew that he was in every country's bingo book ― aside from Konoha and Suna. He was too dangerous with his skill in Genjutsu.

They were first and foremost, shinobi. Not a Wizard and a Witch.

They didn't even have their wands, anyways.

Weakly, Momiji punched his shoulder, "I won't forgive you if you put a Genjutsu on me." He didn't have any intention to harm her that she didn't even consider to run away from him. Maybe he wanted to calm her with Genjutsu or whatever, but she wouldn't allow him.

Rubbing his shoulder, Shisui let out a nervous laugh, "Ahaha, why would I ―"

"Save it." Letting her head fall on to his shoulder, she paid no mind of his complaints. Eyes shut, Momiji quipped to him, "You're asking for this."

At first, he was tense. But in the end, he gave in by resting his head on top of her head.

They were by no means a close friend in their past lives, but somehow, Momiji felt this was okay. That it was okay to do this.

Other than Kushina and Naruto, she didn't have someone to come back to. However, with this, she finally found one more reason to stay in Konoha.

"Shisui."

"Hm?"

She didn't know how she didn't notice it before, but his voice had a calming quality that she let herself drown in it.

"Do you want to meet my godson?"

Reviews are welcomed.

I was motivated to write this chapter and post it as fast as possible because the first chapter has received five reviews! I know I'm over-reacting, but to me, that's a lot. Thank you for the reviews!