Fun Fact: Originally, Shisui's nickname of "Taichou" for Mirai wasn't actually in the picture at all. Originally, he was going to call her Sophie or Soph in reference to her name/life Before. That was changed due to the way Mirai's mental break post-Void made her split herself off as a separate person from what she'd been pre-death and even at some points when thinking about Before she refers to Sophie in the third person (I don't know if any of those scenes have been published yet, but they've happened in some drafts for both chapters and sideshow entries).

Chapter Fifteen - Etiolate

[Etiolate—verb. 1: to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor 2: to cause (a plant) to whiten or grow pale by excluding light 3: (of plants) to whiten or grow pale through lack of light]

I'd like to begin by saying that Uchiha Itachi is wholly and undeniably to blame for my aversion to red apples.

Actually, it's probably better to go further back. Let's start with the streets.

They were empty. Normally during this time of day, they would be bustling with Uchiha, but now they were silent. Calm. Forgotten.

You smell that, don't you?

Yes. I took a deep breath and tried not to let the smell of fresh iron clog my lungs. I gripped the straps of my backpack tightly and forced myself to move. I wonder how they got all the Uchiha in their houses. How . . . . Actually, I don't really want to think about that, I finished, stomach turning.

Kurama snickered. Weakling.

I swallowed and continued on towards the main house. My vision blurred and my senses burned, throwing me off balance. I hit the ground hard and my teeth snapped around my tongue. Now I could taste the iron too. Coughing, I scrabbled against the ground for purchase.

"You aren't supposed to be here."

The deep, gravelly voice came with a heavy dose of KI, far worse than anything anyone had thrown at me before. I froze, eyes wide and fixed on the black shoes in front of me. Blood trickled down my throat and my body quivered. Look up, I ordered myself. But I couldn't move. I couldn't.

Move! Kurama boomed in my head, his chakra spiking hot in my veins.

I managed to turn my head and stare up at the man looming over me. Oh my kami. Kurama—

Run! This monster will kill you!

The blank mask stared down at me and my focus locked on the spinning red staring out of it. The heat boiling under my skin was the only thing that kept me from slipping back into that frozen state. I tried to move, tried to get to my feet, tried to flee.

"Wh-what?"

The giant figure—except he wasn't actually giant, was he? that was just my fear, right?—moved and visibly flickered. A gloved hand closed around my throat and hauled me up. "I said you aren't supposed to be here."

I scratched uselessly at the hand, feet kicking as I left the ground. Kurama growled but didn't move to give me his chakra. To risky. So instead I tried to pull at the fingers around my throat. "M-my bad."

The red spun faster. "It doesn't matter. I only need one of you." His hand shifted to grip my jaw instead, palm pressed harshly over my mouth. I whined and twisted in his hold but my weight just dragged uselessly on my spine. His other hand moved.

I shrieked beneath him. His grip tightened and he hissed from behind his mask. I tried to shy away from the sharp metal slicing me open, but all I could do was sway uselessly.

Someone screamed, and it wasn't me.

His hand opened and dropped me and he turned to see the woman standing in the entryway of her house. She paled and slammed the door shut. "Oh dear," he sighed. He vanished. Then the screams came from inside the house.

I curled uselessly in on myself and let out a wet sob, desperately trying to press down to keep my blood inside. My eyes stung and I turned my face into the road to muffle my cries.

Hold still! I can't fully heal without alerting the entire Village to our interactions, but I can at least keep you conscious!

The pain in my abdomen doubled and hissed around the rough edges of my damaged skin. I choked back blood and tears. "Please, please, please," I begged. "Please stop."

And then it did.

There was still pain, burning angrily, but I no longer felt like I was being ripped in two. A shaky breath tore through my lungs.

You'll be fine. Get on your feet.

I let out another sob and pressed my bloody hands down against the ground, trying to find purchase. I shoved myself up and the world swayed as I rose. I looked down at myself, at the red staining my front and the skin barely holding itself together.

Too much strain and you'll tear open again. Be careful.

"Right," I croaked out, the raw sound of my own voice surprising me. "Thanks." I fumbled with my backpack and let it drop, breathing a sigh of relief at the loss of its weight and strain. "Onward." I stumbled a few feet before managing to find my footing, on arm wrapped around my middle in an attempt to keep myself together.

Steady.

I forced myself forward. I could see the main house now. It was in my sights. I was almost there, almost there, almost there.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding when I stumbled up the steps. One more deep breath. I slid the door aside and stepped inside. I could feel chakra, faint and hidden, and I followed it down the hall to the main room.

"You aren't supposed to be here."

It was the third time I'd heard those words, but this time they weren't accompanied by overwhelming paralysis. I tightened my arm around my middle and looked at where Fugaku and Mikoto were kneeling in the middle of the room, their eyes wide as they stared back. Then I shifted my gaze to where Itachi stood in front of them. His tanto was clenched in one hand and his back to me as he spoke.

"Why are you here?"

I took a step forward, only to pause when he tensed at the movement. "Well, I couldn't let Sasuke be the one to find this, could I?"

His head turned slightly and I could see the barest hint of red in his eyes. "You say that like . . . you knew."

"I mentioned it before, didn't I? Shisui told me everything."

Itachi finally shifted enough to face me. His expression remained impassive, but he stared at the red staining my clothing. I shrugged and then hissed as I felt the chakra stitches keeping me together pull. "I met your companion. Nice guy."

At that, his expression did change somewhat and I couldn't describe what flickered across it as anything but fear. His grip on his tanto tightened. "Leave. If you know what's happening, then you know you shouldn't—"

"I don't think I will." I held out my hand. "Give it here."

He didn't move and his sharingan spun into existence. I dropped my gaze from his to the tanto, not daring to look up at him. Not yet. A quiet voice said, "Mirai-chan, dear, you don't have to do this."

"I do, though, don't I?" I shifted my gaze to Mikoto. "You two have to die. If one of us doesn't do it, Tachi's companion will. And I'm not going to make Itachi be the one to kill his own parents. Now give it here, Itachi."

"No."

"Itachi . . . . Give it to me."

"What are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be here," he said again. "This is— Leave."

"Give it to me and let me finish the job." I tilted my head to the side and gripped my middle harder. "Or I can let enough Kyuubi chakra out to alert the whole Village that something is terribly wrong. It's your choice."

"You don't want to do this."

"We hardly get to do things that we truly want to do."

Itachi moved and the tanto rested heavy in my hand. His head was bowed. "Thank you."

If it wasn't for the way my hearing was more sensitive than most, I don't think I would have heard him. I lifted my other hand from my stomach and closed both hands around the hilt. "Of course." I stepped forward, stoically ignoring the shaking in my knees.

Mikoto lifted her chin high and exposed her neck. "Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

I took a breath. "I won't." I moved closer and lifted the tanto. It shook as I settled the blade against her neck.

Mikoto reached up and closed her hands around mine. She pressed into it and blood began to well up against the blade. "Deep," she said again. "Steady. You can do this. This is just another lesson."

"Lesson. Right." I swallowed. "I'm sorry."

She smiled.

I cut.

Fugaku inhaled sharply as Mikoto's body slumped and her head hinged away from the rest of her. I screwed my eyes shut, arms still extended with the tanto out.

"Mirai."

I caught my breath and turned the voice. "Fugaku-sensei."

He was watching me, pointedly not looking down at his wife. He lifted his chin, hands resting on his knees. "I believe it's my turn."

I stepped over to him and adjusted my grip on the sword. His gaze was calm as he met mine. "Just like I always tell you: focus."

I nodded and pressed the tanto against his neck. My hands weren't shaking this time. Fugaku closed his eyes.

And I killed him.

The tanto clattered to the ground and I fell to my knees, stomach heaving. The chakra stitches in my gut tore and I choked on the bile as I whined at the pain. No, no, no, no, no—

A hand closed harshly on my shoulder. "Mirai-chan." There was steel in that voice. "Look me in the eye."

Don't! Kurama screamed. Don't look at him!

I knew why Itachi wanted me to look up. But I knew that it was what needed to be done. I struggled to look up.

The sharingan really was pretty. The black and red swirling around each other in a dance. It wasn't appreciated enough as art. But that was probably because it was really a weapon. A sharp, angry, bloody weapon.

And I was the target.

I screamed, feeling the cut across my body reopening as I fell forward. And then . . . there wasn't pain anymore. I blinked and I was standing. It was a bit like the transition to my mindscape, but instead of ANBU HQ I was standing in a field with colors—green, blue, yellow— so bright it was almost unnatural.

"Mirai."

I stumbled a bit and turned, blinking. "Itachi?" I looked around. "If I'm honest, I expected your tsukiyomi to be a bit more . . . bloody. Traumatizing. Terrible." I shrugged. "Take your pick of description."

Itachi frowned slightly. "Tsukiyomi," he echoed.

I reached up and tapped just under my right eye. "Mangekyo sharingan, right? That's what I just saw, isn't it? Different than the three tomoe?"

He sighed. "Just how much did Shisui tell you?"

"Enough." I leaned down and picked the dandelion by my foot. "So, any reason we're here instead of . . . somewhere worse?"

"I . . . I have a favor to ask of you."

I looked up sharply and tucked the dandelion behind my ear. "Favor for a favor. Eventually, I'll ask you to do something and I'll need you to do it, no questions asked. That's my favor, and it's a condition for yours. Understand?" I held out my hand.

He stared at my hand and wet his cracked lips. "Take care of Sasuke," he said, voice breaking. "Please." He reached out tentatively.

I managed a smile and grabbed his hand, shaking it once. "Deal."

Itachi nodded and his eyes were red and black and black and black and black. His body melted away to black and the color ate up the entire world around me. And I began to fall and fall and fall, except I wasn't really falling, was I? I couldn't be falling because there was nothing there at all. There was just me.

Was this . . . the Void?

Had I died again? Was Obito's attack too much for me?

Was I . . . done?

There was too much black . . . and I closed my eyes.

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

I blinked and stared at the woman in front of me. I stared at the tanto in my hands. I stared as my body moved without my consent. "I won't." My voice, my lips moving. But it wasn't me.

Her hands closed around mine. "Deep. Steady. You can do this. This is just another lesson."

"Lesson. Right." My voice again. "I'm sorry."

She fell. Fugaku gasped. And then he spoke. "Mirai."

"Fugaku-sensei." Why couldn't I stop? I was moving! I didn't want to this again, not again, not again.

"I believe it's my turn." A lift of his chin. "Just like I always tell you: focus."

When I moved, I tried to scream but my mouth wouldn't move.

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

Please, please, don't do this to me.

"I won't."

"Deep. Steady. You can do this. This is just another lesson."

"Lesson. Right. I'm sorry."

Why couldn't I stop? My hands were moving and moving and the tanto was cutting and I couldn't stop.

"Mirai."

No, no, no. Don't talk to me.

"Fugaku-sensei."

"I believe it's my turn. Just like I always tell you: focus."

I did it again. Why did I do it again? I had already killed them. Why was I doing it again? I didn't want to, didn't want to, didn't want to.

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

"I won't."

Back in movies and TV shows from Before, when someone woke up in a hospital it was accompanied by alarms and nurses running about and flashing computer monitors. I didn't get any of that. I opened my eyes from the darkness inside my head to the darkness around me and a faint throbbing in my gut. I stared up at the black. My arms and my nose itched and my legs felt tight, constrained.

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

I jerked up, eyes wide and my ribs breaking in a panic. "No, no, no, no!" I shook my head and my vision went blurry with my tears. "Please no!" I dug my fingers into my hair and hunched in on myself in an attempt to keep my heart from beating its way straight out of my chest. "Please!"

"Mirai! Kami, you're— Mirai, look at me!"

Something pushed down on my shoulders and I screamed, trying to get away. My eyes burned, burned, burned and all I could see was red and black, red and black, red and—

"Stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" Something dragged my hands away from where they were clawing at my eyes. "Nurse! I need a nurse in here!" Whatever was holding me kept my hands trapped against my lap and then fingers pressed against my chin as support. "Hey, look at me, Pup. Please look at me."

"No, no, no—"

"Breathe. C'mon, just listen to me. Deep breath in. There you go. Here, here. Just listen to me. In. Long breath in. And, and out. Just like— You can— C'mon, copy me, Pup, please."

"Hatake-san, please move, I can help."

"Thank kami."

I clutched for the retreating hands. "No, no, no—"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm still here." The hands were back, holding mine again. "Just breathe. Remember to breathe."

I knew that voice. I did, and it was so different from the voices that were instructing me on how to kill them. I tightened my grip on the hands holding mine. "Stay."

"Of course. I'm not going anywhere."

Kakashi. That's why I knew that voice.

"Uzumaki-san, we need you to lie back."

I couldn't really move but I felt hands guiding me and I gave in to them. I blinked. "I . . . I can't see."

"You're blindfolded, Uzumaki-san. Just a precaution for your hypersensitivity. Lie still while I take your vitals, please."

I tried, but foreign chakra pushed against mine and a whine tumbled out of my chest. Kakashi's grip tightened. "They're almost done," he assured me. "Almost done."

Then the chakra finally retreated. "Hatake-san, please make sure that she drinks plenty of water."

"Of course."

The door closed and I flinched at the sound. Kakashi's hands pulled away. "No," I mumbled, trying to hold on.

"Shh. I'm just taking off your blindfold. Hold still."

The tightness around my eyes fell away and I squinted. But instead of brightness, everything was still dim. I blinked and turned my head, following movement until I found Kakashi where he was standing next to me. "Niisan," I mumbled.

"Here." He pressed a cup into my hands and helped me sit up, adjusting the pillows. "Drink some water."

I sipped obediently, even though the water was warm. I finished the cup and stared into it. "Niisan, how . . . long have I been out?"

He sighed and pulled down his mask. Kakashi gave me a tired smile. "Three weeks. The doctors actually said it would be longer." He reached out and carefully ran his fingers through my hair. He was shaking. "You really gave us a scare there, Pup."

"Oh . . . . Sorry." Then my eyes widened and I looked up. "Naruto! What has—"

"Your neighbors have been taking turns staying at the apartment with him. He's fine. He's been worried, but fine."

"And—" I choked on the word and coughed.

Kakashi gently rubbed my back. "Sasuke's . . . okay," he murmured. "He hasn't been back at the Academy yet. He's barely left the Compound."

"Compound!" I shot up again. "What do you— Sasuke's staying at the Compound?"

Kakashi blinked, pulling back. "I— Yes. Why?"

"Why? He's staying at the Compound. Alone. After his entire clan was killed there."

Kakashi dropped his gaze. "The Hokage didn't approve the offers of any of the clans to house him. Something about balance or spread of power."

I let out a shuddering breath and fell back onto the bed. The ceiling seemed so far away, spinning above me. "When can I leave?"

He sighed and took the cup from me, setting it aside. Then he took my hand in his. "I don't know, Pup. Why don't you get some more sleep for now? You definitely need it."

"Right." I hesitated. "Okay." Holding his hand tightly, I let my eyes close. And I drifted off. Sleep welcomed me with open arms, letting me sink into a dream—

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

Air caught in my throat and my eyes snapped open. The ceiling was still, now, and the only sound was steady breathing. I turned my head to look at where Kakashi had fallen asleep, mask pulled up again and his head resting on the bed next to my legs. I kept a tight hold on his hand and closed my eyes again.

"You'll be let out this afternoon," Kakashi said, setting a third plate of food in front of me. "The doctor's orders are to take it easy."

"Why haven't I gotten to see Naruto yet?"

"The doctors suggested to Hokage-sama that your group isn't told you're awake until after the Academy today so they aren't distracted during class." He paused and visibly hesitated. "Personally, I think your brought could afford losing a school day in order to see you."

"Oh." I pushed my food around the plate with my chopsticks. "Well, thanks anyway, I guess."

"Hey, Pup. Please eat." He refilled my water cup and set it down in front of me. "You need the strength."

"How . . . did you know to be here?"

He frowned, pulling at the mask around his neck. "What do you mean?"

"You were here when I woke up. How did you know I'd wake up then?"

"I . . . didn't." He just looked confused now.

"You . . . ." I frowned. My gaze darted to the blanket slung haphazardly on the floor and the small bag hanging from his chair. "Nu-nii . . . have you been here the whole time? All three weeks?"

"Of course." His frown deepened. "I . . . I was the one that found you. I wasn't about to leave your side."

"Oh." My eyes were burning and I blinked furiously. My voice cracked as I said, "Thank you."

"Hey, what's wrong?" he whispered, reaching out and cupping my chin. His other hand rose and he scrubbed his knuckles against my cheek. "Why are you crying?"

"What? Oh." I knocked his hand aside and sniffled, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry."

"You don't need to—"

"You didn't have to stay."

He pulled back and practically looked like he'd been struck. "I—" He swallowed loudly. "I wanted to." He reached his hand out and waited.

I stared at his hand. He was trembling. "Thanks," I mumbled, putting my hand in his. I tugged as much as I could until he moved forward. Kakashi leaned down and dragged me into a hug.

"I love you, Pup," he murmured. "Of course I stayed. I wouldn't leave." He drew back just a bit and pressed a kiss against my forehead. "Now, why don't you finish eating and then take a shower. It'll help you feel better."

"Right . . . . Okay."

I managed to finish the plate and then I stumbled into the bathroom, clutching the bag Kakashi had given me. I hung it awkwardly on the sink and turned on the cold water. Shivering, I pulled back and started slipping out of my clothes. My muscles groaned sorely and I shuddered, turning to hand my clothes over the sink. I froze and stared at my pale face in the mirror. Swallowing thickly, I forced myself to look down.

It was an ugly, pink-white scar bisecting my midsection and curling just under my ribs. With a shudder, I reached down and ran my fingers over it. Then I jerked my hand away, shook my head, and stepped under the cold stream. Scowling, I turned the knob.

You should probably contact the Uchiha.

I jerked in alarm and my eyes widened. Of course! I fumbled for the cord around my neck. My hands shook and slipped in the water before I managed to press my fingers against the coin and code out my message.

Are you okay?

The coin burned immediately in response, not letting up and burning again and again and again and again, chakra hotter and brighter than I'd felt from him before.

ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU OKAY?

A sob wound up my throat and I didn't even try to keep it back. I hunched in on myself and pressed out my chakra into the coin.

I'm okay.

The mess of chakra that came tumbling through the coin then was overwhelming, a string of pulses with no pattern or code. Just his chakra burning through against my skin. I sobbed and fell against the wall, slumping to the ground. The water hissed over me, sizzling against my skin, but I didn't care. All I cared about was the point of focus his chakra gave me.

It was when the shower ran freezing cold that I snapped back to reality to stare at the water swirling down the drain. Sniffling, I scrubbed at my eyes and forced a long breath. I clutched at the still-burning coin and coded my message.

I'm okay.

His chakra trailed off almost immediately. And then he came back with a message of his own.

I'm okay.

I could finally breathe properly and I stumbled to my feet, scrubbing myself down with soap as quickly as I could. Then I shut the water off and stepped out. I snatched up the towel and started drying off.

"She needs more time!"

I slowed, dropping the towel.

"She's had three weeks."

"She hasn't even been conscious!"

I listened carefully as I dug out clothes and started dressing.

"She won't have to attend for the rest of this week. Just starting Monday."

"That's— Hokage-sama, that's just three days. Surely—"

"Kakashi. My decision is final."

I clutched my bag to my chest and opened the door, shuffling out. "Hiruzen," I greeted flatly. "What a surprise."

He looked towards me and nodded. "Mirai-chan, I'm so glad to see that you're up and about."

"I'm sure you are." I moved to the bed and passed my bag off to Kakashi before climbing up. "Can I help you?"

"I can't just be here to check up on you?" he asked, smiling.

I wrinkled my nose. "We both know that's not why you're here."

He sighed. "Of course we do." With a groan, he lowered himself into Kakashi's chair. When I glanced at the jonin, he was stubbornly glaring out the window. Hiruzen cleared his throat and took off his hat. "I need you to tell me what happened."

I crossed my arms. "I went to the Compound to get Sasuke's things so he could stay over. The streets were empty, which I thought was pretty weird. When I made it to the house, Itachi was standing over . . . them." I shook my head furiously and winced in an attempt to dislodge Mikoto's voice. "And he attacked me. I, I think that when I screamed he realized he didn't want to attract attention. So he . . . ." I blinked and I wasn't quite sure what I was staring at, as long as it wasn't Hiruzen. "He put me in a genjutsu."

"I see. That is what we had gathered in our investigation."

"And Itachi?" I forced myself to meet his gaze. "What happened to him?"

"You don't need to worry about him. He won't hurt you again."

I frowned. "You say that like . . . he's dead?"

Hiruzen sighed and pushed himself to his feet. As he settled his hat back on his head, he said, "He isn't dead. But he is gone. Nuke-nin like himself are not welcome in Konoha. Eventually, we'll be able to bring him to justice: for what he did to you and what he did to his clan." He tipped his head to me and then Kakashi. "Good day. I'll go announce your status to your class at the Academy. I'm sure they'd all love to see you when you're discharged today."

As soon as he left, Kakashi was at my side again and smoothing my damp hair away from my forehead. "How do you feel?" he asked, mask down around his neck again and his brow creased with worry.

I looked up and flinched at the sight of his sharingan. I jerked my gaze away. "I'm okay."

He froze, fingers stilling against my scalp. Then he touched my chin. "I'm sorry."

I looked up to find that he'd closed his left eye. I tried to smile. "Thanks."

"Of course."

"Rai!"

I grunted as my brother's weight slammed into me before I was even fully through the door. I tried to catch him, but my legs shook and gave way and I hit the ground. "Nato," I gasped out, clutching at his jacket. "Hey there."

"Rai!" he sobbed out, twisting his hands in my shirt and burying his face into my chest. "You're here! You're here!"

"Whoa, whoa. Yeah, of course I am." I struggled to sit up and then drew my arms around him. "I'm sorry for being gone so long." I crushed him against my chest and peppered kisses all over his face until his cries melted into giggles. "There you are," I mumbled. "I'm okay, you know."

"Okay," he muttered. "Okay, okay."

"Can I . . . can I get up, now?"

"Oh." He sniffled and scrambled off of me. Naruto grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. "Sorry."

"Mirai-chan!" Tenten yelled, throwing herself at me. "You have no idea what you put us all through! We were so worried!"

"Sorry for that," I mumbled, patting her back awkwardly. I smiled as Lee joined in on the hug, sobbing out his own exclamations of how worried he'd been.

"Alright, give her room to breathe," Kakashi groused, hauling them off of me. "Pup?"

"I'm okay," I assured him.

"I'm glad." Shino held out his hand. "You survived."

I smiled and grasped his hand, shaking it. "I did, didn't I?"

Choji pushed forward, wringing his hands. "Mirai," he mumbled. "We thought— They weren't completely sure if you were going to wake up. If—"

"Hey, hey," I soothed, reaching out and closing my hands around his. "I'm okay."

Neji scoffed, drawing our attention to him. Beside him, Hinata looked up cautiously. "Neji-niisan?" she asked carefully. "What is it?"

He shook his head. And just like that, he turned on his heel and stalked away. Hinata threw us a panicked look. "I— Um— Mirai-chan, I'm so glad that you're okay, but—" She hesitated and then scrambled after Neji.

I watched them go, frowning. And then I realized who was missing. "Sasuke is at the Compound, isn't he?" I murmured. When they all nodded, I sighed. "I'm gonna go see him."

"No," Kakashi said sternly. "Absolutely not."

"I won't be long," I promised. "Just take Naruto to the apartment and—"

"No. You can't go alone to—"

"I'll go with her."

I blinked and glanced to the side. Then I grinned. "See, Niisan? I'll be fine. Maru will be with me."

Kakashi's jaw was clearly tense under his mask and I eyed the way he clenched his hands into fists. Then he sighed. "Be quick. Don't linger."

"Of course." I turned and hooked my arm through Shikamaru's. "Let's go, then. Thanks for coming with me."

"Eh, it's not too far to walk, I guess. If the hospital was any farther away, you wouldn't be worth it."

"Endearing, as always."

"Yeah, well, I had to be able to talk to you alone somehow."

I frowned and glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

He stopped short as we reached the yellow-taped Uchiha Compound gates. Then he twisted his arm so he was holding my wrist tightly. "Mirai, I have a question and I want you to tell the truth for once."

I stopped and turned to face him. I was pretty sure that I would be able to get my arm away no problem if I really wanted to, but I didn't even try. "I'll try, but that depends on the question."

"It's just a yes or no. I've done plenty of thinking and it might sound crazy, but my curiosity is legitimate." His gaze darkened and the stare he pierced me with was almost intimidating. "Uzumaki Mirai, are you clairvoyant?"

That was . . . so far off all the possibilities I had been expecting from him that for a few seconds all I could do was stare at him, open-mouthed. Then I caught myself and my mouth closed, teeth clicking. I stared at him a moment longer. And then I barked out a laugh. "No! Ha! As if!"

Shikamaru wrinkled his nose and studied me. "You aren't lying?" he asked sternly.

"No. I'm not. Really."

"Huh." He squinted. "Okay. So that hypothesis is a bust." He released me and turned, ducking under the tape. "Let's go find Sasuke."

I blinked. "That's it?"

"That's it."

I don't believe him.

I frowned and started after Shikamaru. Yeah, I don't either.

There were bloodstains in the streets and I had to wonder how they'd gotten there. There hadn't been blood before. Had they tried to escape and Obito and Itachi had cut them down as they tried? I shook my head and hurried after Shikamaru. He was already at the door to the main house, waiting for me. For a brief moment, I considered taking my shoes off.

I didn't. I didn't want to step barefoot on blood-stained floor.

Shikamaru slid the door open. "Need me to go first?"

"No." I pushed past him and into the house. It was quiet, just like it had been— "This way," I said, heading down the hall. I hesitated in the main room before pushing on through. When I glanced back, Shikamaru had stopped in his tracks and was staring down at the blood stains on the floor. "Maru?"

"Was some of this your blood?"

I stared down and for just a brief moment I saw Fugaku and Mikoto kneeling there. I swallowed. "Yeah, probably. Are we going?" I turned and walked down the hallway to my left. I stopped in front of a door and slid it open.

"Go away!"

I ducked the book that was thrown at me. From the sound of his pained moan, it seemed Shikamaru wasn't so lucky. I frowned. "Hey, Sasuke-kun. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I watched the empty bed and waited.

"Mirai?" Sasuke peeked over the edge of the bed, red-ringed eyes wide. His voice was raw and shaking. "Is— Are you—" Then he sniffled and rose up, rubbing his eyes. Without preamble, he burst out sobbing. "Mirai!"

"Whoa! Hey!" I dashed across the room and dragged him into my arms. "I've got you." My legs were still weak and shaking so I shifted and climbed onto the bed, dragging Sasuke with me. "There we go." I glanced back. "Shikamaru, could you find a bag?"

He squinted at me. "A . . . bag?"

"Right. A bag. We've gotta pack some things up for Sasuke."

Shikamaru kept squinting. And then he shrugged and moved to the closet, digging around for a bag. Sasuke sniffled. "For, for me?"

"Of course. You're going to come stay with me and Nato. At least for a little bit. I think it's . . . better if you don't stay here for now." I ran my fingers through his hair in an attempt to straighten it out. "Why don't you grab what you want to bring. Maru, did you find a bag yet?"

"Yep. Here ya go, Sasu-chan," Shikamaru said, tossing a duffle to him.

Sasuke caught it and rubbed his eyes, hopping down from his bed. Pouting and moving to open his dresser, he said, "Don't call me that!"

"No promises. You got a toothbrush and stuff for me to pack?" he asked, heading across the hall into the bathroom. "Ah, here we are."

A few minutes later, Sasuke slung his full bag over his shoulder. "You . . . you're sure this is okay? The Hokage said—"

"If Hiruzen has a problem with this, he'll have to go through me. Got it?" I hooked one arm around him and the other around Shikamaru. "C'mon, let's go."

"You're so touchy," Shikamaru whined.

"Yeah, well, there's a large chance my legs might give out. You two are extra support for me in case that happens." I steered them out of the house. "Let's go."

"Thanks for the help," I whispered, closing the door to the boys' room softly behind me. "And for the bed."

"Of course." Kakashi was laying out a blanket on the couch. "I couldn't have you giving away your own bed, now, could I?" He hesitated. "The Hokage might not like it when he finds out."

"I'll deal with Hiruzen," I said, shrugging. "You . . . don't have to stay. Doesn't your pack need you?"

"Pakkun's got everything under control. Besides . . . you're pack too." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, anyway . . . are you going to get some sleep? You need it."

"Right. Okay." I smiled and reached up, turning off the light. Then I backed away into my room. With a heavy sigh, I climbed into my bed for the first time in three weeks, though it didn't feel nearly that long. I stared down at my hands empty, clean hands.

They didn't feel clean though.

Taking a deep breath, I reached up to the coin and pushed my chakra into it.

I'm okay.

Maybe if I said that to enough people, I would actually start to believe it.

The coin burned with Shisui's chakra, steady and though one single seal. I blinked and looked down. The fifth seal was burning. Then he stopped. I hesitated. A location request. The apartment. I glanced at the door. Kakashi was on the other side. The risk of him finding out . . . .

But I needed to see Shisui.

After a long moment of hesitation, I sent back my own message, my own location request, through the third seal. Then I got to my feet and changed into some decent clothes. After toeing on my shoes, I stepped back out into the apartment. "Hey, Niisan," I whispered.

"Hmm?" he asked, shifting from his spot on the couch. He saw me and frowned, sitting up. "Pup, are you going somewhere?"

"I just . . . I need some fresh air," I mumbled, shuffling my feet. "I need to clear my head."

"Oh. Okay." He reached for his shoes. "I'll come with—"

"No, I think I just need to be alone. I have to . . . ." I swallowed and looked down. "I just need to think about what happened, okay?"

Kakashi looked stricken. "Pup, you shouldn't go alone. Let me come with you."

"I won't be alone. I'll, I'll bring a summon." And with that, I bit my thumb, ran through my seals, and focused on the lizard I wanted to bring forth. "Kuchiyose no jutsu."

In a puff of smoke, Tokage appeared. "Summoner," he greeted, bowing his head. "How may I be of assistance?"

"I just need someone to accompany me. So I won't be alone." I gave Kakashi a pointed look. "I'll be fine. Stay here with the boys. Please."

He stared at me for a long moment. Then he sighed. "Alright. Fine. When will you be back?"

I felt the third seal burning against my collarbone as a confirmation. I shoved my hands in my pockets. "I dunno . . . . It's not like I have to go to the Academy tomorrow. But I'll be fine, I promise." I nodded to Tokage and then headed out the door.

As we started down the street, Tokage said, "Is there something I can do to help?"

"Ah, actually, you can go home. I'll be fine. I'll probably summon you again when I head back so he won't know the difference."

Tokage bowed his head and vanished in a puff of smoke. I looked towards the Hokage monument and executed several shunshin until I found myself at the base of the stairs. Taking a deep breath, I started the long journey up them.

This is dangerous. You could be caught.

And yet, it took you until now to speak up about it.

Kurama sighed loudly. I know you won't stop.

I took the entry away from the stairs into the back of the monument and followed it to the second head. After trying—and failing—to calm my nerves, I pushed my way inside. The door closed loudly behind me and I stared at the empty area.

Empty.

The anxiety inside me roared and I stumbled against the wall, sinking to the ground. I curled in on myself, hugging my knees to my chest and doing nothing to stop the sobs that welled up. Empty, empty, empty. He wasn't here. He wasn't—

"Whoa, hey, careful."

I jerked, head snapping up and eyes widening. My tears blurred my vision and I rubbed them away, trying to focus on the blurry figure in front of me. "Sh-shisui?"

"Hey, Taichou," he rasped. "Try not to be too loud. I put up security and auditory dampening seals, but let's just not risk it, okay?"

I stared at him for a long moment, studying and memorizing every aspect of his appearance. He was . . . different. He wasn't wearing any of the blues of his clan, instead clothed in a mixture of browns and murky greens in a foreign style. Iwa, maybe? He was a bit scruffy, as if he hadn't shaved in several days. And—

I dove forward and grabbed his face in my hands, studying his eyes. "Kami, what did he do to you?" I rasped. "You said you were okay!"

"I am okay," he said softly. But he didn't move, letting me study the grey marks cutting straight down through his iris and pupil. "It's just scarred. I can still see." He kept still as I traced my fingers down the angry scars scratching down from his left eye to his jaw, still an agitated red. I screwed my eyes shut and knew that I failed to keep my tears back when my cheeks burned. "Hey, don't do that. Careful now." One hand moved to cup the back of my head and his other arm curled around me, dragging me to his chest. "I meant it when I said I'm okay," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," I gasped out. "I'm sorry. Please for—"

"Do not finish that sentence," he warned. "Just . . . don't. Please."

I fell silent at that and turned into his chest, trying to keep back my sobs. He adjusted his tight hold on me. "It's okay," he murmured. "Go ahead."

That broke the damn and I started to cry. A real, honest cry that I hadn't been able to achieve since he left. Shisui didn't say anything, just rubbing circles across my back and holding on to me. Kurama was saying something, but I couldn't quite hear him as anything more than a distant rumble. In fact, all I could really hear was Shisui's breathing and the sound of his heartbeat.

Finally, the world seemed to right itself in a way it hadn't been before. I pulled back and rubbed my eyes. "Thanks," I mumbled.

"Of course." He reached out, brow creased with worry, and thumbed away a few of my tears. "Alright, you got to check me over. Now it's my turn." He cupped my chin and his sharingan swirled into existence. "Are you hurt?"

"Just mentally scarred for the rest of my life, but that's not new."

His expression tightened. "Mirai."

"Right, right. Um, no. I'm all healed up now. I feel a little weak still, but the doctor says that's normal. Because of my 'condition' it should pass faster for me than for normal people."

His sharingan were spinning slowly and he moved back a bit to look over the rest of me. "You're healed up now? So you were hurt before?"

I blinked. "Oh. Right." I lifted the hem of my shirt to show him my stomach. "It's just a badass scar now."

His eyes widened and his sharingan spun faster, expression paling. Shisui reached out and touched his trembling fingers against the scar. "Did Itachi do this?" he asked hoarsely.

"No," I said firmly, quickly killing that idea before it could develop. "He didn't."

"Then . . . who—"

"His companion."

"Oh," he mumbled, shifting to press his palm against the scar. "The masked man? From—?"

"Right. Him."

He swallowed thickly and then tugged my shirt back down over my stomach. "Are we going to kill him?" he whispered.

"Are we—" My eyes widened. "Why?"

"He hurt you," he said stiffly. "And he's with the Akatsuki. Are we going to kill him?"

"I . . . ." I looked down. "I don't know," I mumbled. "I'd prefer if we didn't. He's— Um— I just— You should know, but I don't think I— Kami, why is this so—"

"Hey." Shisui took my hands. "You know you don't have to tell me. I trust you, remember."

I stared at him, watching as the red drained from his eyes. Then my shoulders fell and I shoved his hands away. "You shouldn't."

"What?"

"Shisui, you saw it all, didn't you? What happened to the clan? I thought, I thought it was the only option, but I should have done something. I should have—"

"Stop. Just . . . ." He sighed and dragged a hand down his face, sitting back. "I . . . think we were both wrong. Just because something might have the best end result, it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. We were so focused on not screwing everything else up that we didn't really think about what the right option was, just what the best option was."

I hunched my shoulders and dropped my gaze. "I know. I should have done better. I should have—"

"Stop. I told you to stop."

I bit down on my lip and stared at the ground. "Sorry."

Shisui groaned. "I'm not— Okay, just— I've never told you about my first C-rank mission, have I?"

I shook my head and looked up at him.

He looked away, studying the stone walls. "My father was my sensei. I didn't have genin teammates. I graduated in the middle of an Academy year, and so there weren't any other new students to join me. I was apprenticed." He paused to let out a long breath. "I was cocky. I loved Obito to death, you know. He wasn't the best shinobi but he was a great brother. I looked up to him. But I was just . . . naturally better when it came to fighting. I was overconfident because, I don't know, I guess I just thought I was the family prodigy.

"Because it was war time, genin moved on to C-ranks faster. I was a genin for two weeks before my father and I accepted a mission to remove bandits that were terrorizing a cluster of towns near the western border." He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "They weren't bandits. When we got there, we found out they were a group of B-rank and A-rank missing nin. They didn't know we were there and my dad planned to send a message to Konoha for back up but they were in the middle of a raid already. I told him that we had to help then, no matter the consequences. I wouldn't listen when he told me chances of survival for us and for the townsfolk would be better if we waited for more shinobi because I wanted to do something right then."

I frowned at the sudden stop in the story. Just barely hesitating, I reached over and took his shaking hands in mine. "And?"

He swallowed. "And I attacked. My dad had to fight to protect me. He beat them but . . . ." He shrugged. "I got my mangekyo that day. And a new sensei the next. Obito never looked at me the same way after that."

"Oh." I tightened my grip and he turned his hands over, holding me loosely. "I didn't know."

"Yeah, well, you couldn't have. My point is that, well, this was kinda like your first C-rank. The craziest, most wild C-rank in existence, but still. And everyone makes terrible decisions on their first C-rank. It's just . . . how it works, I guess."

"Right. Okay."

He sighed and then reached out, flicking my nose. "Alright, come on. Tell me what all happened. If Itachi didn't do that to you, what did he do? I didn't hear from you for three weeks, Mirai."

"Right, yeah, sorry about that. Um . . . ." I shrugged. "He used tsukiyomi on me. I'm . . . I'm not sure why, actually. At first, he used it to talk. I promised him I'd take care of Sasuke. But then . . . . Um . . . ."

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

I jumped in alarm, glancing sharply to the side. But there was no one there. Of course there wasn't, because Mikoto was dead. It was all in my head.

"Mirai!"

I jerked, blinking to discover that Shisui was right in front of me with his sharingan on and his expression pulled taut. "Shisui?" I asked cautiously.

His shoulders slumped. "There you are," he breathed. "You had me worried there. Where'd you go?"

"I— Sorry. My head's just all messed up now, I guess. I keep, I keep hearing Mikoto."

"Oh." He managed a faint, sad smile. "I'm sorry you had to watch that."

"Watch . . . that?"

He frowned. "Itachi kill her. I'm sorry."

"Itachi didn't kill her." The words were out of my mouth before I could really think about them. And then, as I watched Shisui pale, I wished I could take them back.

"Mirai . . . you didn't, did you?"

"I wasn't . . . planning on it. But once I was there I couldn't just— They were his parents, Shisui. What he already had to was bad enough. But his parents? I couldn't I couldn't let him do that."

"And what? Itachi just let you?"

"I . . . may have threatened him with the Kyuubi a bit, but." I swallowed thickly and looked down. "Do you know what tsukiyomi is, Shisui?"

"Seventy-two hours in a genjutsu and only three seconds in reality," he answered easily. "Why? What . . . what did you see?"

"Seventy-two hours of me killing Mikoto and Fugaku. And it wasn't . . . . I couldn't get out. I couldn't get away from it. I—"

I nearly bit my tongue off as Shisui jerked me forward and practically crushed me against his chest. I scrabbled for a moment before twisting my hands in his shirt. His breath was shaking and his heart beating fast. I gave him a moment to collect himself before whispering, "Shisui? What is it?"

"What is it? What is it? How can you even ask that?" He shoved me out at arm's length, gripping my shoulders tightly. "I don't know if . . . . Look, I get that in the shinobi world people have to do hard things. But there's this idea of selective forgiveness."

"Selective . . . forgiveness?"

"Yeah. Where something might be understandable, excusable, forgivable unless committed against a specific individual." He released me and rubbed his forehead. "If someone took, say, Choji's lunch and ate it, you'd be upset. But eventually you'd, well . . . get over it, right?"

"I . . . guess?" I said hesitantly, not quite sure where he was going with this.

"But I know you. And if someone did that to Naruto, you probably would never forgive them for that. You'd hold a grudge forever."

"Of course I would. But—"

"Naruto is your selective forgiveness person." He shrugged. "And you're mine. I don't, I don't know if I can . . . look at Itachi again. I'll have to— I don't know."

"Oh." My chest burned. "Thanks, Shisui. That . . . means a lot." I frowned. "But I do think Itachi deserves forgiveness. At least . . . at least someday."

"I'll try." He cleared his throat. "Um, hold on." He dug in his kunai pouch and came up with a storage scroll. "I brought you a treat from Iwa." He unsealed a box and held it out to me.

I took it and opened it up. "Peach cobbler! I haven't had cobbler in . . . ." I faltered, blinking. "Oh, wow. Like nine years."

Shisui pulled back. "So . . . Before?"

"Yeah, I guess." I took the fork he offered me. "Thanks. You gonna share it with me?"

"Of course." He moved so he was next to me and twirled his own fork around his fingers. "How's Sasuke?"

"I moved him into the apartment. Hiruzen had him still living at the Compound, which is the last thing he needs right now. Kakashi's with them right now."

He paused, fork halfway to his mouth. "Kakashi's at your apartment?"

I frowned at him. "Yeah. Why?"

"You probably shouldn't stay here too much longer," he mumbled. "If he gets worried and comes looking, he's one of the few that I think could get past my security."

"Oh, that's— Oh." I swallowed thickly. "But I don't want to leave you."

"Hey, I know." He reached out and tapped my nose. "And I don't want to leave you. But we don't have much choice, now, do we? Besides, I'll try to keep us in touch more using Yoru. It'll be a little tricky to make sure he doesn't get noticed, but I'll make it work."

I stared down at the cobbler and cut out another bite. "I'll miss you."

He tugged out my ponytail and began working my hair into a braid. "I'll miss you too."

After Naruto went to the Academy and I managed to convince Kakashi that I would be okay if he left for a little while, I dragged Sasuke onto the couch with me and settled in for a long hugging session. "Talk to me," I ordered.

Sasuke curled his legs up and leaned his head against my shoulder. "About what?"

I considered that. "Why haven't you gone back to the Academy?"

He huffed. "There's no point. I'm gonna die anyway."

"You— Why would you say that?"

He shrugged and glanced away. "Kaasan and Tousan were both real strong shinobi. And they still died, right?"

I flinched. "Sasuke . . . that wasn't a normal situation. You know that right?"

He huffed. "Ani—" He broke off. "Itachi is just crazy strong. I know. And, and I want him to pay for what he did. But—" He hunched his shoulders. "He's so strong. I'd never get that strong even if I tried."

I considered that, hesitating at how to approach the conversation. "You could," I said carefully. "With training and experience, you could get incredibly strong. But I just want you to get strong for the right reason."

"Right . . . reason?"

"You motivation should be something good, I guess. Not . . . not revenge. Especially not against your own family."

"But shouldn't you want that? After he tried to, to, to—" His voice got wobbly and he resorted to pointing at my stomach instead of speaking.

"You know, I started training because I wanted to keep Naruto safe. And as I've gotten older there's other people I want to keep safe too." I reached over and poked him in the chest. "You're one of those people, Ke-kun."

"Really?"

"Of course you are."

"I . . . I want to keep you safe. I don't want you to get hurt again."

I smiled. "Then I guess we should both train, huh?" I hopped to my feet. "But first, food! It's a nice day outside. Why don't we go eat on the roof?" I collected some food in a bento box and turned to find him waiting by the door.

Sasuke smiled, bouncing on his toes. "Ready?"

"No shoes?"

He shrugged. "It's just the roof."

"I guess you're right." I followed him out the door and up the stairs.

Sasuke immediately spread out starfish near the edge of the roof, heaving a sigh. "Naruto kept talking to me all night," he whined. "I didn't get any sleep."

I chuckled and sat down, swinging my legs over the edge. "The novelty will wear off eventually and he won't bother you anymore. Eat."

"How long until then?" he pouted selecting a tomato.

I shrugged and picked up an apple. "I have no idea."

"Cut deep, Mirai-chan. Please don't let me suffer."

I froze, staring at the apple in my hand. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't—

The red apple swirled with black and then I was standing back at the Compound, holding Itachi's tanto against his mother's neck. She was smiling. I couldn't breathe. I didn't want to be there.

Mirai!

I jerked back from the edge of the roof, stepping away from where I'd almost walked right over, and the apple fell far down below. I stared down at where it had hit the ground six stories down.

What the hell was that?