Author's Note: I've had some questions about why Mirai scarred when Naruto never did in canon (i.e. when he took a chidori to the chest). So in the anime/manga, it's shown that jinchuuriki CAN scar (such as Gaara and others) and so my best guess is that it's an estimate of how MUCH bijuu chakra is involved and whether the healing is instant or not (I've got a really long, complicated theory about exactly how the interaction of bijuu chakra and injuries works based on about six different factors, but I don't want to bore y'all with that). When Naruto took the chidori, he healed really quickly but had the full force of Kurama's chakra to make it a seamless heal without a scar (not to mention that the seal had 12 years to loosen, as well as Kurama having 12 years to fully gather his strength back after being ripped in half). In the fic so far, Mirai's never had that. It's only ever been part of Yin Kurama's chakra, just enough of his chakra, to hold her together or close her wounds so she doesn't bleed out. Hence, scars.

Fun Fact: In the original first draft, Mirai never killed Fugaku and Mikoto and never encountered Tobi during the Massacre. Originally, she got there just after Itachi killed his parents and he immediately Tsukiyomi'd her to experience the entire massacre, like he did to Sasuke in canon.

Chapter Seventeen - Commensalism

[commensalism—noun : an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm]

"Are you absolutely sure you're going to be okay?" Iruka asked, hands on my shoulders as he knelt in front of me. "I know the Hokage said he wants you here tomorrow, but I'll give you an excused absence if need be. I—"

"I'll be okay, Iruka-sensei," I said, ducking my head and shuffling my feet. After a touch of hesitance, I stepped forward and gave him a nervous hug. "Thank you."

He froze abruptly at my touch. But before I could pull back, his arms came around me. "Of course, Mirai-chan. Now, get plenty of sleep."

I nodded and pulled away, taking the hand Yuugao held out to me. She smiled at Kakashi and Genma. "Don't worry, I'll stay with her tonight. It's . . . probably best if we don't suffocate her with too many people."

"Right." Genma sighed and knelt down in front of me. "Hey, Pumpkin, I'll stop by the apartment in the morning to walk you to the Academy."

"You don't have to—"

"Let me do that. Please."

I bit my lip and nodded. Genma looked relieved and he got to his feet. Kakashi crouched down in front of me. But instead of saying anything, he yanked me forward into his arms and held me tightly. I gripped his shirt like it was my only lifeline and tucked my head against his shoulder. I could feel the way he was shaking, hands unsteady around me. "I'm okay," I whispered. My words just made him flinch. "I promise."

"C'mon, Kakashi," Genma murmured. "Give her some space." He put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and pulled him back.

Kakashi reluctantly released me with a shudder. He rose to his feet and his gaze flicked seriously to Yuugao. "Take care of her."

Yuugao drew me close to her. "Of course." Then she bent down and lifted me up into her arms. "C'mon. I'll walk you home."

I held on to her tightly and closed my eyes, not wanting to have to see that devastated look on Kakashi and Genma's faces anymore.

Mirai.

I opened my eyes and stared up at Kurama. "Hey. Thanks for your help earlier."

He just nodded and lowered himself to the ground, lifting his paw. I hesitated, eyes going wide. And then I scrambled through the bars and into his chest, twisting my fingers in his fur. His paw pulled me closer and rested heavy on my back. I pressed into the heat radiating from him. "Thank you," I whispered.

"Don't make this awkward."

I chuckled weakly and fell to my knees, clutching at his fur. "Sorry." I sank into him and listened to the quiet rumble of his chakra.

The reality of my physical body being shaken pulled me out of my mindscape. I opened my eyes to find Yuugao unlocking the door. She pushed her way inside and then whispered, "The boys?"

"Asleep already," a quiet and hoarse voice responded.

I twisted in Yuugao's arms to find Hayate rising from the couch. He smiled weakly at me and then brushed past us to leave. Yuugao moved to put me down. "I'm staying on the couch tonight, okay?"

"You don't have—"

"I'm staying on the couch tonight," she said again, firmly.

I flushed. "Right. Okay." I reached out to steady myself as she set me down on my feet.

Yuugao smoothed my hair out of my face. "Why don't you take a shower? That will help you feel better."

I nodded and then proceeded to take the fastest, hottest shower I'd ever had. Yuugao was already asleep on the couch by the time I crept back across the hall to my room. I closed my door and locked it and pressed my hand against the doorframe, activating the security seals Shisui had created so long ago. I let out a shuddering breath and leaned my forehead against the door, trying to recenter my spiraling mind.

The coin gave one steady pulse against my skin and it gave me pause, because I felt Shisui's chakra through the seal. But I also felt it . . . .

I whipped around and my eyes went wide. "Shisui," I gasped. "What—" Fear squeezed between my ribs. "What are you thinking?" I hissed, stalking forward and shoving a finger into his chest. "There's a jonin in the other room. If you get caught—"

"I won't get caught," he said firmly. "Don't worry, I put a genjutsu over her. And the boys too. They'll be asleep for sure for a while longer. I just—"

"What are you doing here?"

Shisui raked his gaze over me, red flickering ominously in the depths of his black eyes. "You know, after it took you three weeks to let me know you were okay after . . . . I've had Yoru keep an eye on you. And when he told me— I had them reverse summon me and drop me near the Village." He reached out and wrapped strong fingers around my bicep. "Did you really not expect me to come back for that?"

I swallowed thickly and let him turn my arm so that he could press his thumb into the new scar there. His gaze flicked to my legs and traced the thin scar lining both my thighs. His jaw tightened. His hand dropped to the hem of my shirt and I flinched violently.

Shisui stilled, all the color draining from his face. Then he yanked his hand back. "I'm sorry," he rasped. "I wasn't thinking. I—"

"It's okay," I mumbled. "I know you're just wanting to check." I twisted the hem of my shirt and then lifted it, turning so he could see the angry stab wound scar in my side.

But he barely paid attention to that. Instead, he reached out and pressed his fingers into the kanji. "Kami, Mirai." Then he pulled his hand away. "Sorry."

"It's okay," I said again, dropping the hem and hiding the scar again.

"Yoru said they're dead." His expression held something dangerous. "Are they?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I . . . I think I was pretty thorough."

"Too bad." When I frowned at him, he shrugged. "I would have liked to have a crack at them."

"Well, you're a little too late for that."

"Sorry."

"Don't . . . ." I sighed heavily. "Please just . . . don't," I mumbled.

He just nodded. "Right . . . . You know, you're gonna get sick if you go to bed with your hair wet like that."

"I won't," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll be fine."

He reached to the side and snatched up my towel. Then he waved to the bed. "Sit down." He sat, leaning against the wall, and waited for me to sit in front of him, my back to him. Then he combed his fingers through my hair and started drying it out with the towel. "How are you feeling?"

"If I answer that . . . I might start crying again and I don't want to cry anymore."

"Oh." He finished drying my hair in silence. Then he twisted my hair into a braid and tied it off. His arm carefully, slowly snaked around my middle and pulled me until my back was up against his chest. He hugged me tightly. "I wish I had been there."

I snuck my hand under my shirt and dug my fingers into the kanji. "I wish you had been there too. But—" I groaned and dug my fingers in farther. "If I had just used Kurama's chakra sooner, I— I should have used his chakra sooner. I was no match for them, skill or strength-wise, until I pulled his chakra out. But I was still so worried after Inoichi forced himself into my head that I didn't—"

"After he what?" Shisui's arms tightened around my middle. "He did what to your head?"

I scratched at the kanji and bit nervously at my lip. "Hiruzen had Inoichi go in my head to figure out what happened to the Uchiha and supposedly to . . . 'help' me. He never made it all the way in and Kurama and I kicked him out together. But, well . . . that made Hiruzen drag me to T&I and question me about the Kyuubi. Inoichi did some sort of jutsu that made me answer questions." I could hear Shisui catch his breath and I swallowed. "I, uh, I managed to stop it before they made me reveal anything important," I murmured.

"How?"

"I may have bit through my tongue so I couldn't say anything."

"Holy— Mirai," he hissed, hand coming up to grip my jaw. He shifted and turned me so that he could study my face. Helpfully, I stuck out my tongue so that he could see it was back in one piece. He let out a heavy sigh. "Eventually I'm gonna die from the heart attacks you're giving me, Taichou." Then he frowned. "Whoa, hey, don't do that."

He reached down and pulled my hand away, holding it tightly in his own. I blinked and looked down. Shisui flipped up the hem of my shirt to study the angry red skin at the kanji where I'd been scratching. "Look, I don't like it either, but please don't hurt yourself over it. Please."

"Sorry."

"I don't— Look, I just want you to promise me you won't hurt yourself over it. Can you promise me that?"

I looked down at the hand he was still holding, where he was rubbing the tension out of my palm and fingers without even seeming to think about it. I nodded. "Yeah, I can promise you that."

His shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you. I— Thank you." Shisui cleared his throat and shifted off the bed. "You need to get some sleep. That's what you need right now." He pushed me down on the pillows and pulled my blanket up.

I sat up despite his protests. "Are you leaving? Now?"

He pushed me stubbornly down again and tucked the blanket around me tightly. "No. I'm staying. If I left now I'm afraid you'd just get yourself in more trouble in your sleep somehow." He moved and turned off the light. Then he stepped back over to the bed and had me shift. He took the pillow and started fluffing it.

"Thanks," I mumbled, settling down. I watched as Shisui pulled my desk chair over and sat down. I reached out my hand. "Hey."

He slid his hand in mine and squeezed tightly. "What?"

"Talk to me?"

"Only if you promise to try to go to sleep."

I grinned and closed my eyes. "There. Talk now?"

He chuckled and I heard him shift. He smoothed his free hand across my forehead. "Alright, alright. Let me tell you about Obito's first D-rank."

When I woke up the next morning, I was alone.

Iruka caught me as I stepped into the classroom, pulling me away from the boys that were desperately asking questions about why Genma had left so suddenly the night before, why Yuugao had been there that morning, and why Genma had shown up again to walk us to school. I breathed a sigh of relief as Iruka convinced them to take their seats. Then I turned to face him. "Did you need something?"

He shook his head. "I just wanted to tell you that if you're feeling overwhelmed—"

"—I can go to your office." I smiled. "I know. Thank you."

He nodded. "Try to take it easy today, okay?"

"Of course, Sensei." I shuffled away to my seat.

"Hey." Shikamaru leaned over to me with a frown. "Naruto and Sasu-chan said you're acting weird."

"Sasuke," Sasuke corrected with a whine.

"I'm not acting weird," I said firmly. Firmly enough that Shikamaru just managed to look suspicious. I wrinkled my nose. "I'm not."

Thankfully, I was saved by any more of Shikamaru's questions by Iruka calling the class to order. I dug out my things and returned to my neurological studies. I was in the middle of studying the sense of smell's connection with memory when something tapped me. I glanced to the side to find Naruto peering at me. "Rai," he whispered. "Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

I huffed and ducked my head, trying to refocus. But a few minutes later, I felt a tap on my other side. I resisted for a moment, but then he tapped me again. I flicked my gaze over to Sasuke and he gave me a hopeful look. "Well? Did you do something important?" When I ignored him and turned to my studying, he poked me again. "Mirai."

"Stop," I muttered.

They did not, in fact, stop. I put up with their prodding and questions for another hour before finally throwing down my pen and dropping my head into my hands, trying and failing at ignoring their whispers.

"Mirai."

I looked up to find everyone in the room was staring at me. Iruka smiled faintly and repeated himself. "Mirai."

I cleared my throat. "Yes, Iruka-sensei?"

"Why don't you go wait in my office?"

"Oh, thank kami," I muttered, scrambling to my feet and snatching up my things. Naruto let out a cry of surprise, but I just rushed past him and down the stairs. A few students snickered, probably thinking I was in trouble, but I happily barreled out the door and down the hall to Iruka's office. The moment I was inside, I slumped against the closed door in relief and sank to the floor.

Breathe.

I'm trying. I covered my face with my hands and tried to focus on my heartbeat to ground myself. Finally, my nerves evened out and I managed to stumble to my feet and over to the desk. I spread my book and notes across it and climbed into his chair. It was much easier to focus when I didn't have the boys whispering questions in my ear.

I had gotten through writing thirteen double-sided pages of notes when I heard the door click. I froze. The door eased carefully opened. "Mirai," Iruka said, giving me a stressed smile. "It's lunch time. Would you like to go sit with the others outside?"

"Um." I bit my lip harshly.

"You don't have to," he assured me, moving to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a bento box. "You can stay in here and eat with me if you'd like." Iruka pulled a guest chair up to his desk and sat down.

"Thank you." I opened my bag and pulled out my bento box. "And . . . thank you for letting me use your office."

"You looked like you needed it," he said easily. He glanced curiously across my work. "What are you studying?"

"Um, the brain. For, for some fuuinjutsu purposes."

When I didn't say anything else, he gave me a curious look but nodded. "The class is training outside after lunch. Do you think you'd be able to join us?"

"Yeah, I think so."

We'd been sitting there for five minutes and neither of us had said anything. Finally, Hiruzen sighed and slid a folder across the table. "All throughout history, jinchuuriki have only been formed at an older age, with bijuu being sealed in teens at the youngest. Other than you and Naruto-kun, there's only one other example of a bijuu-since-birth jinchuuriki and it's given me great concern. Enough concern that your behavior in the past year has made me wonder if you were heading down a similar path."

I frowned and picked up the file, flipping it open. And I immediately had to do my best not to show that I already knew what I was reading. The top of the file read Sabaku no Gaara followed by a sketch of a young redhead with a scarred forehead and dark eyes.

"He's the terror of Suna and it's no secret that he's killed shinobi from his own Village on multiple occasions for no reason other than his own bloodlust."

"And what? You thought that I just attacked those men out of the blue?"

"The thought did cross my mind. You have to understand, Mirai, that I have no bijuu-free baseline to compare your behavior to. I'm constantly trying to guess if a way you act or learn or react to something is how you would have always reacted or if it's due to the Kyuubi's influence. As I have no way to know if you would act different or not if not for your bijuu, I have to err on the side of caution."

"Just with me? Not Naruto?"

"None of Naruto's actions have caused me any concern. Compared to the other children his age, he's developing normally. You . . . are not."

I glanced across the rest of Gaara's file and then closed it, setting it back on the table. "I get what you're saying, but . . . you should be careful. You'd be pushing it already with someone who was born with a love for the Village. I wasn't. And you've making it very hard to want to keep it safe even for Naruto's sake. I get that you want to keep me on a leash, but if you keep it too tight it might snap."

Hiruzen's expression tightened. "Is that a threat?"

"Only as much as what you've said to me in the past has been a threat. Are we done here? I'd like to eat something before I meet up with Gai-sensei."

"You can pick something up on your way to the Yamanaka District."

I paused halfway up from my chair. "Yamanaka District," I echoed. "And just why would I be going there?"

"There won't be any jutsu involved, but you will be attending weekly sessions. Therapy is good after trauma."

"No jutsu?"

"No jutsu at all. I promise. Inoichi was very relieved when I shared that condition. He wasn't particularly enthusiastic about using jutsu on you even before you kicked him out of your head. But he's more than happy to do weekly sessions with you. Over dinner on Wednesdays would be an ideal time, I think. Between the Academy and your training sessions."

"Huh." I shrugged and got to my feet. "Alright, fine." Then without another word, I turned and left the room. I hurried down the stairs and marched outside, turning towards Ichiraku.

"Mirai."

I stumbled to a stop and then turned. "Huh? Niisan, what are you doing here?"

"I'm going to walk with you." He moved forward and put a hand on my shoulder, turning me around and pushing me in the direction I'd been heading. "Where are we going?" he asked, falling into step with me.

"I'm gonna get some dinner at Ichiraku's. Then Hiruzen set up an appointment with Inoichi that I have to go to."

"Yamanaka?" His hand tightened on my shoulder. "You going to be okay?"

"He promised no jutsu. We'll see." I reached up and dragged his hand off my shoulder, holding on tightly. "You don't have to wait for me when we get there. I'll be going straight to meet with Gai afterward."

Kakashi choked. "Gai? Why are you meeting with Gai?"

I squinted up at him. "You didn't know? He's teaching me taijutsu. Also, by the way, he's kinda crazy. Did you know that?"

"Yes," he said flatly. "I was already well aware of that."

I rose on my toes and put my hands on the counter. "Ohayo, Teuchi-san! I need four salt ramen to go, please." Then I turned to Kakashi. "Hey . . . Niisan?"

Concern flickered through his gaze and he crouched down to my level. "What is it, Pup?"

"Nothing bad," I said hurriedly. "I just . . . you know I'm okay, right?"

The look he gave me was painfully desperate. "Mirai, you don't have to do that. You don't have pretend for my sake."

"I'm . . . not."

He gave me an unimpressed look.

"I'm not," I said again, firmly this time. "Really. I mean it and I know you don't believe me but please, please stop doing that."

Kakashi pulled back a bit. "Doing what?"

"Blaming yourself."

"I'm not—"

"Ramen to go!" Teuchi announced, leaning over the counter to hold the bag out to me.

I tore my gaze away from Kakashi and took the bag. "Thanks," I murmured. "Which way?"

Without a word, Kakashi took my hand and led me in the direction of the Yamanaka District. I could feel him shaking and I swallowed down my guilt. We stopped in front of a flower shop and he motioned me ahead of him. "Inoichi's family lives above the shop. Go on in. I'll be here when you're done."

I was about to tell him that he didn't have to wait, but the anxiety in his eyes made me stop. Instead, I smiled and squeezed his hand before letting go. "Okay. Thank you." I headed inside.

The woman at the front looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked, smiling broadly.

I studied the burn scars that crawled across over half her face and the distant, glassy grey of her right eye. It was disconcerting, especially since her left eye didn't seem to completely focus on me either. I cleared my throat. "Uzumaki Mirai. Hokage-sama said I have an appointment with Inoichi."

"Oh!" Her smile softened. "Of course. Back through here." She turned and gestured to a door on the back wall to the left. "His office is right through there."

"Thank you." I moved past the counter and through the door. The hallway was quiet, but I could hear the near-silent hum of chakra just past one of the doors. I stopped at it and knocked. "Inoichi-san?"

"Oh! Come in!"

I pushed my way in and found Inoichi sitting at his desk, half-way through a sandwich. He smiled and waved me over. "Take a seat. You brought food?"

"Yeah." I hesitantly took a seat and set my food on the desk. I opened my first bowl and snapped my chopsticks apart. "I don't want to be here."

"That's what I thought. Honestly, I'm surprised you even showed up. I'm glad you did, though. I wanted to apologize."

"Don't bother. Hiruzen already made it clear you didn't want to use jutsu on me." I shrugged. "I know that you can't exactly disobey a direct order from him, so . . . ."

"I'm glad you understand."

"Still doesn't mean I want to be here."

"I know. Surely we can come to some sort of agreement. From what I've heard, you're particularly fond of deals. So what can I give you in order to make honest participation in this sessions worth it?"

I frowned at him. "Huh. I guess you're smarter than you look."

He looked vaguely amused. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Well . . . I'll give you thirty minutes in exchange for forty-five. Deal?" I held out my hand.

He stared at it. "I've learned from interactions with Shikaku to never agree to a deal until I've heard all the information, down to the smallest details. Nara are notorious for exploiting loopholes."

"I'm not a Nara."

"You're close enough."

I dropped my hand. "Okay, fair enough. You get thirty minutes of honest interaction when I first get here for your session. Nothing shared in said sessions gets reported back to the Hokage without my knowledge and consent. If Hiruzen insists on information from our sessions, you get to remind him just who you're dealing with and that I said not to push it."

Inoichi seemed to consider it for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Alright. I suppose that if he insists then I can pull the line about doctor-patient confidentiality and at least delay it enough until you're informed of the situation. And your forty-five minutes? What happens then?"

"Immediately after your thirty minutes, you'll be teaching me what I want to know about the brain."

"And just . . . what exactly are you wanting to know about the brain?"

"Everything. Physical, psychological, and even jutsu related. I need to know everything."

"Any particular reason why you need to know so much?"

"That sounds like a question you should save for our session." I held out my hand. "Is it a deal?"

He hesitated. "One clarification. If I have serious, strong suspicions that anything you tell me is a threat to Konoha, then I reserve the right to go immediately to the Hokage without your approval."

I considered it. "Only serious and strong suspicions with evidence. Without my approval but not without my knowledge."

"Good enough." He clasped my hand in his and shook firmly. "It's a deal."

"Great." I leaned across his desk and turned his desk clock so I could see it too. "Your thirty minutes starts . . . now."

He smiled. "Why don't you tell me about Naruto?"

"How was it?"

I smiled at him, my storage scrolls heavy with the notes and reading materials Inoichi had provided me with. "Productive."

"Productive? Interesting word choice." Kakashi pushed up from the bench and fell into step beside me.

"We made a deal that benefits me. He gets to do his stupid therapy sessions and I get to learn from him." To derail him from asking any more questions, I reached out and took his hand. "Thank you for waiting for me."

He looked surprised. And then he smiled beneath his mask and I squeaked as I found myself swept up and settled on his shoulders, his hand holding my calves securely to keep me in place. "Of course, Pup. Tomorrow it will be Genma, since you have lessons with him anyway. But he's with Naruto right now."

"With . . . Naruto?"

"You may be the only one that's been attacked in the past, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep Naruto safe."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"And . . . from now on, it would make us feel better if you would summon Tokage or one of the others whenever you're alone."

I absently started attempting to pull his hair into small braids. "I can do that. Especially if it would make you feel better."

"It would," he assured me.

"Okay. I'll make sure to do that." I waved at Tekuno as we passed him on his gate duty. Then I leaned back. Kakashi grunted in surprise and tightened his grip on my legs. Knees hooked over his shoulders, I fell all the way back and studied the world as it was upside down.

"What are you doing, Pup?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I don't know," he said flatly. "All I can see is your feet in my face."

I laughed and pulled myself back up. "We almost there?"

"Yes, almost. You're making this harder with your squirming."

"Sorry." But instead of holding still I made an active attempt to move as much as I could. "Is this better? I—" I broke off with a squeak as Kakashi pulled me off with a hold on one leg and held me up in front of him. I grinned at his flat look. "My bad."

He rolled his visible eye. And then he stilled and the little color in his face drained.

I frowned and followed his gaze up to where my shirt hem had fallen, exposing the angry scar on my stomach. I swallowed and yanked my shirt back in place. "You can put me down now," I said, voice strained. When he didn't move, I tensed my voice. "Kakashi."

That jolted him back to reality and his gaze dropped to mine, eye wide. Then he looked away and turned me over, dropping me on my feet. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine." I dusted myself off. "Um, don't want to be late," I murmured, shoving my hands in my pockets and speeding up. I felt Kakashi's quiet chakra follow.

"Ah, young Mirai, you've made it! And you've brought my greatest rival!"

"Hi, Gai," Kakashi greeted with a sigh. "Can I have a word?"

Gai blinked. "Yes, of course." His gaze flicked to me. "A few laps around the training ground should get you suitably warmed up."

I glanced between the two of them and then nodded. "Alright." I took off at a steady jog and ramped up slowly into a run. After several laps, I found that Kakashi and Gai were still in deep discussion so I kept going to give them privacy.

On my eleventh lap, Gai called out, "Let's work on some kata. Show me the forms we worked on before."

I slowed my pace as I turned back and then came to a stop in front of them. I moved into the first form and held it, letting Gai look it over and make a few corrections. I glanced at Kakashi and found him frowning as he watched me. The moment he noticed my gaze, he straightened and offered me a smile from beneath his mask. I managed to give one back and then focused on Gai's instruction.

"I'll be fine, I promise," I said pulling back from the hug. "Really. Tokage won't let anything happen to me."

Tokage bowed his head to Kakashi. "You have my word, Hatake-san. My summoner will be well taken care of."

Kakashi let out a sigh. "Alright . . . ." He kissed my forehead and then pulled back. "Stay safe."

"I will." With that said, I crouched down and hooked an arm around Tokage. I shunshined away. Then I fell into a steady walk. "How's the Canyon?"

"The Canyon is fine," Tokage rumbled. "Thank you for asking. May I ask where we're going?"

"The Uchiha Compound. To pay my respects."

Except that when I got there, someone else was already kneeling before the shrine. I paused and then took a step back, already mentally rearranging my schedule so that I could come back later.

"You can join me," she murmured, shifting aside.

After only brief hesitation, I nodded at Tokage to fall back and then I moved forward. I knelt beside her and lit my own incense, laying it besides hers. Then I bowed my head and prayed.

I sat there until my knees went sore. Then I pushed myself up and moved to leave. I was interrupted by her cautious question. "Did he really do it?"

I paused. "What?"

Hana took a shaky breath and rose to her feet. She reached to the side and scratched one of her ninken behind the ears. "Itachi likes protecting, but he hates killing. So just the idea of . . . . It doesn't seem like something he would do. Did he . . . did he seem like himself?"

I stared at her for a long moment, unable to get Itachi's exhausted and devastated expression out of my head. "I . . . no. Not really," I murmured. Because at that point he was just so tired and broken and it was like everyone in the world had forgetten that he was just thirteen.

"I'm . . . sorry," she said awkwardly. "This isn't fair. I shouldn't be asking you this."

"I don't mind. If you have question, I . . . could do my best to answer them." I glanced out at the graves. "Not here, though. Not now."

She nodded and swallowed loudly. "Um . . . lunch? I'll— My treat. Tomorrow. I just . . . no one else will even listen to me."

I smiled weakly. "Yeah, that works."

Hana bowed her head. "Thank you. C'mon." She motioned to her ninken and headed away.

I sighed. "Alright, Tokage. Let's go home."

Naruto and Sasuke were hunched over their homework and snacking on cookies when I made it back to the apartment. They both looked up when I locked the door and dismissed Tokage. "Rai! Are you gonna tell us now?"

I froze. "I— Why don't I just help you with your homework, okay?"

Naruto pouted. "My homework is fine. But you've been acting weird all day. And you didn't tell us what happened last night."

"I'm not going to tell you."

"You have been acting weird," Sasuke mumbled, staring down at the floor. "You— Are you—"

"I'm fine. Don't you boys worry about me." I paused by them and glanced over the pages they had left. "Looks like you've gotten a lot done." I looked at the clock. "Why don't you wash up and get to bed? It's pretty late. I'm gonna head that way too."

Naruto frowned. "But—"

"Okay." Sasuke dragged himself to his feet and was the first to disappear into the bathroom.

I moved to help Naruto collect up their homework and arrange it on the table. He set down the last folder and paused. "Hey . . . Rai?"

"Hmm?"

He hesitated and then moved, hugging me tightly. "You're not gonna leave, right?"

"Leave?" I asked hesitantly, hugging him back "What do you mean?"

"Like . . . like Shisui. And Itachi. And Sasuke's parents."

I didn't bother to correct him. Didn't bother to point out that leave had very different definitions for all of those people. Instead, I held him tightly and whispered, "I'm never going to leave, Naruto. Never."

I was still shivering from my shower—the boys had a habit of using up all the hot water—and had my towel wrapped around me over my clothes as an extra layer of warmth as I stumbled into my room, yawning. I closed my door and let the security seals activate.

"No more fights today?"

I stilled and turned slowly. "Shisui. I . . . I thought you left."

He shrugged, raking his gaze over me as if he was checking to see if I'd collected any new injuries since the night before. "I did some investigation around the Village." He glanced away, gnawing on his lip. "You know . . . you'd be safer if you left the Village with me. It's actually more dangerous for you to stay."

I dropped my gaze away from his and sat down on my bed. I didn't say anything as he took my towel and began drying off my hair. Then I sighed. "I know."

"Then—"

"But I'm not leaving Naruto, Shisui. I can't."

His fingers paused in my hair. Shisui sighed loudly. He began twisting my hair up into a crown. "I know. I'm sorry."

"And you can't stay in Konoha forever. I, I know you're worried about me, but the longer you're here the more likely it is that you'll be caught."

"I'll leave tomorrow. I promise." He shifted so that he was sitting next to me. "Itachi made it to the Akatsuki, you know."

I flinched. "I figured."

He narrowed his gaze at me. "You know, this guilting thing has to stop eventually. You need to learn how to forgive yourself." His gaze dropped and he reached out, pulling my hand away from my scar. "And you need to learn how to stop hurting yourself."

I dropped my gaze to the scratch marks across the kanji. "Sorry."

"You know . . . they're scared of you. That's why."

I frowned up at him. "What are you talking about?"

He shrugged. "Demon's just a word that people give to things they're scared of. Things they don't understand. You, the bijuu, a shinobi that's just a little too strong for people to feel safe. It's a common theme. When people are scared and ignorant, they hand out labels so they can feel their hate is justified." He frowned. "It's not justified, though. They're not justified in hating you."

"If you say so."

"I know so."

"Hana?" Kiba asked loudly, voice carrying across the whole schoolyard. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here for you, silly," she said, reaching out and messing up his hair. Her gaze flicked to me as I stopped by the gate. "You ready?"

"Wh— You're here for her?" Kiba squinted at me. "What are you doing with her?"

"We're getting lunch," I said, smiling. "Maybe next time you can join us."

He wrinkled his nose and huffed. "No thanks. I don't want to spend any more time with her."

"Love you too, brat." Hana shoved her hands in her pockets and turned. "What are you up for?"

"Ramen is always good. Besides, if it's your treat, I don't want to break your wallet with an expensive place. But it's up to you."

"Ramen it is. Thank you for this."

"I'm happy to do what I can. I . . . can't promise I'll have all the answers you're looking for, but I'll do my best."

"That's really all I can ask for, I guess."

I hopped up onto the stool. "Ohayo, Teuchi-san! Where's Ayame?"

"Ah, Mirai-chan! Ayame's out doing some deliveries." He smiled and me and my guest. "What can I get for you today? Starting out with your usual?"

"Yes, please."

"And for you?"

Hana hesitated. "Pork ramen, please."

"Right away!"

Hana cleared her throat and tapped her fingers nervously on the bar. She glanced at me. "Do you . . . do you really think Itachi massacred his clan?"

And kami it hurt my heart, but at least I could answer that question honestly. "Yes. I'm sorry, but yes I do." Then I frowned. "Why, what do you think happened?"

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I don't know what I think happened. I know what everyone keeps saying happened, but I know Itachi. At least . . . I knew him. Or I thought I did. I—" She shoved herself to her feet. "I'm sorry. I thought I could do this, but I can't. Here." She dug out her wallet and set money on the counter. "You can have mine. I just— I can't. I'm sorry."

"Hana—"

She vanished.

"Mirai-chan? Has your friend left?"

I looked up. "Oh, yeah. I'll, I'll eat hers." I pushed the money she'd left across the counter. "Is this enough to cover it?"

Teuchi smiled softly, setting the bowls in front of me. "It's plenty. How are you feeling?"

"Better. I heard Naruto came here a lot while I was in the hospital."

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I made him order some other things every once in a while."

"Thank you."

"Of course. As much as I enjoy you two eating my food, there's only so much ramen a person can eat at a time before it becomes highly unhealthy."

"No, I mean . . . . Thank you for caring, Teuchi-san."

His smile softened. "I can't do much, but I do what I can."

When Neji and Choji finished their spar and sat down with the others to join in the meditation, Shikamaru and I rose and moved away to start our own spar. As we settled into our beginning stances, he said, "I have a few more questions, if you're still willing to answer honestly."

I frowned and then took a step back, blocking his first attack. I realized what he was talking about. "Since I disproved your clairvoyance theory?"

"You didn't disprove anything. But you at least weren't lying when you said you aren't clairvoyant, so yeah, I moved on to other theories."

"Alright." I swept his legs out and pinned him. "I'll answer one today," I said, holding him down. "Go ahead. What's your theory?"

"Oh, I'm not sharing my theory prematurely this time." Shikamaru's gaze was sharp, clever. "I just have a question."

I let him up. "Okay, what's your question?"

"When did you learn geometry?"

I pulled back. "Geometry?"

"You heard me. When did you learn it?"

"I . . . just got a head start on studying it, like I did with everyone else."

"Who taught you?"

Anxiety was pressing against my ribs but I kept my expression even. "I taught myself. I asked for help where I needed it."

"From?"

"Shisui, mostly."

Something dangerous flickered through his gaze. He nodded. "Alright. That's all I wanted to know."

"That's it?"

"For now."

Not even Kurama's familiar voice rumbling in my head telling me to calm down could soothe my nerves. My anxiety was high, my heart pounding, as I followed Shino farther and farther into the Compound. I pressed my hands against my thighs to steady them. "Um . . . do you know where we're going? Just, just how big is the Aburame Compound?"

"The Compound covers a total of a hundred forty-one acres," Shino responded easily. "We are almost to the meeting spot. Elder Manzo is the one that has agreed to your instruction for today. Here we are." He stopped and unlocked the door.

I eyed the large building. "Is this a greenhouse?"

"It is. It's Elder Manzo's greenhouse, specifically. This is where he breeds many of the clan's insects, as well as maintains his own hives." He opened the door and bowed lowly at the entryway. I hurried to copy him. "Elder Manzo. Uzumaki Mirai is here."

The Aburame looked up from the glass case he was tending to. "Ah, thank you, Shino. Uzumaki-dono, why don't you join me?"

Shino bowed yet again and backed out of the greenhouse. I glanced at him as he closed the doors and then moved to stand beside the elder. I tilted my head to the side, watching the domed glass enclosure and the plants inside, crawling with minute insects. "What are they?"

"Thrips. Have you ever seen thrips before?"

I leaned a bit closer to the glass, squinting at them. "I don't think I have. They're tiny."

"They're pests," he said simply. "That's what they're best known as. They eat crops, spread diseases to plants, and reproduce asexually at a rate that's nearly impossible to stifle. But they're unique, you know. Unique for far more than being an annoyance. Their flight mechanism is very rarely used and yet is powerful and takes full advantage of their small size. Instead of upstrokes and downstrokes to press again the air, they quite simply create vortexes."

I looked up a him. "Vortexes?"

"It's called the clap and fling. Most flight insects don't use it."

"Why not?"

"It's typically only practical for smaller insects, such as thrips. Everything about their existence is small; their size, their lifespan, their brains. Everything except the damage they can do. When they feed, they completely destroy their food source." He moved several steps away and stopped in front of another glass cage. "These are one of our tiger beetle subspecies."

I stared at the wide and long, yet short, containment. I jumped when one of the beetles slammed against the glass. "They're . . . fast."

"They can't fly, but they can run up to well over a hundred of their own body lengths in the space of a single second. This specific breed is often known as the manticore breed."

I crouched down and studied their giant pincers, watching as two of them ripped each other apart. "I can see why. They're pretty violent."

"Purely predatory. They're popular within the world of superstitions as a sign."

"A sign of what?"

"Death. Tell me, Uzumaki-dono, if you wanted to utterly destroy an enemy country, which would you release?"

I glanced back at the previous domed enclosure and then back at the beetles that were tearing each other apart. "The thrips."

"Why?"

"They might not directly affect the people, but the enemy country wouldn't be able to do anything but starve if the thrips destroyed their crops. If you want to bring a nation to its knees, you don't attack just the shinobi. The citizens, the economy, the trade routes. They're all targets if you really want to win."

Manzo watched me and I couldn't tell his expression from behind his mirrored sunglasses. He nodded and turned. "Over here are the crane flies."

Anko hummed around her dango skewer as she looked over the genjutsu seal I'd created. She nodded. "Yep, that's it. We're done."

I blinked. "We— Wait, what?" I stared down at the seal as she shoved it back into my hands. "What do you mean we're done?"

"I mean that's it." Anko shrugged. "Sorry, Red, but I can't teach you anything else. I'm not a seal master. And this?" She waved at my seals. "You've already gone above my pay grade. It looks brilliant, it really does. But I can't confirm if it works or not just by looking at it. You're good, kid, but . . . you don't play by the rules for fuuinjutsu and it shows."

"I'm . . . sorry?"

"Naw, it's not bad. You just think outside the box. You're breaking fuuinjutsu rules and creating your own, which makes your seals not only unique but also hard for other people to understand and break. The last person to do that was Jiraiya-sama."

And . . . that was actually the first time I'd ever heard my godfather mentioned by name. I swallowed thickly and tried not to show that I knew exactly who she was talking about. "Jiraiya-sama? I've read about him in some books."

"Hmm, yeah, you would have, ya nerd. He's pretty famous. Seal master, sannin, teacher of the Yondaime, porn author—"

"What was that one?"

Anko grinned. "Porn author? Oh, don't tell me I'm gonna have to give you the Talk."

That was definitely not the one I'd wanted her to go back to, but I forgot about that in favor of immediately paling. "I don't need you to— I'm fine. Thanks. I—"

"Aw, but it's an important thing to know about!" Anko slung an arm around me and pulled me up against her side. "You see, when a man really loves a woman— Or you know, they don't even have to love each other. They might just be horny. But anyway—"

"Do I even want to know?"

I looked up. "Genma! Save me!" I tried to escape from Anko's arms but her grip on me was tight.

Genma gave me an amused smile. "Looks like I got here just in time, huh?"

"She was about to start teaching me about porn," I whined. "Get me out of here."

Genma rolled his eyes at Anko. "Okay, Mitarashi, how 'bout you don't corrupt her."

"Where's the fun in that?" she asked, pouting and finally releasing me.

I scrambled away to Genma's side and wrapped my arms around him. "Can we go, now? I don't think she's gonna stop."

Anko laughed loudly. "Alright, alright, Red." She waved at the papers all across the table. "Get your crap. I'll talk to the Hokage. Tell him that at this point you should be teaching me."

I gathered up my things and sealed them away. "So are we not meeting anymore?"

She shrugged. "Probably not. I don't have anything left for you to learn, at least as far as fuuinjutsu is concerned." She raised her hand to flag down a server. "I'll take two dozen boxes of dango, every kind, please!" Anko grinned at me. "If this is my last day to have the Village pay for my dango, I'm gonna make it count."

I tucked my storage scrolls away. "Alright. Well, I'll see you at poker nights at least." I tugged Genma's hand into mine. "Are we going?"

He smiled. "Yeah, sure. We're gonna work with your tessen today. Does that sound good?"

"Yep."

Three hours later, I'd never regretted a training session more in my life. "My arms," I whined, collapsed onto the ground in a heap. "How is it possible for one training session to cause so much pain in my arms? I never want to do this again."

Genma grinned down at me, plucking his senbon out of her mouth. "It's good for you, you now. A fan is a great weapon for a fuuton use like you. It'll be important in the future."

I groaned. "Yeah, I know."

He crouched down. "Once you've got all the basic forms down and have some decent nature manipulation up your sleeve, you'll be pretty damn intimidating."

I just managed a tired moan in response.

He chuckled. "Alright, c'mon. I'll make you dinner at my place, okay? You've gotta get some of your energy back." He hefted me up into his arms.

I squeaked. "Hey! I can walk you know!"

"Yeah, I know. But someday you're gonna be too big for this. I might as well enjoy it while I can, right?"

"Well, you could at least not hold me like a baby," I pouted.

"Aw, but you're so cute when you're upset," he cooed.

I started squirming, trying to get down. "Alright, that's it, I'm gonna walk!"

"Okay, okay," he said, laughing. "I'll stop." And then before I could say anything else, he shunshined us away until we landed in front of his house. He carried me inside and dropped me on the couch. "Alright, cozy up. I'll throw something together." He turned towards the kitchen.

I grinned. "Thanks, Genma-nii."

He stopped and jerked his gaze to me at that. Then he smiled. "Of course, Pumpkin."

I woke up screaming and already reaching for where Shisui sat beside my bed, despite logically knowing he'd left weeks ago. Instead of grabbing him or even grabbing air, I hit the floor. The next scream was thrown out of me when I lost all of the air in my lungs on impact. Before I could even try to breathe again, someone was dragging me into their arms.

"Whoa, hey, Pumpkin, breathe for me. You're okay, you're okay. I've got you. Listen to me. Focus on me and just try to breathe."

"G-ge—"

"Shh, don't talk. Just breathe."

Listen to him, Kit. Don't suffocate yourself.

I gasped desperately for air and reached for my throat. The person holding me jerked away and then my hands were pulled away from my neck. "Don't hurt yourself. Breathe. Just—"

"S-sorry. I'm trying."

"It's okay. I know you are."

It took me a moment to realize I'd spoken aloud when I'd meant to just say that to Kurama. Head still spinning, I clutched at Genma's shirt and shuddered. "I, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay. You were tired," he murmured. "I let the boys know and Izumo's staying with them. Everything's okay. They're safe. You're safe."

I choked back a sob and finally figured out how to breathe. "Thank you . . . . Thank you."

"Shh, I've got you." His arms tightened around me. "Just take a moment."

I leaned into him and focused on calming myself, focused on reminding myself that the dream wasn't real. That Naka River was empty of Shisui's body. He was safe in Suna. I just had to believe that.

"Better?" Genma whispered.

"Y-yeah. Thanks."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

I shook my head furiously. "No. I really don't."

"Okay." He shifted so that he could look down at me, brow creased in concern. "Do you want some more sleep? Or do you want to eat? You didn't stay awake for dinner."

"I . . . I just wanna stay here. Just for a little bit," I said, closing my eyes. "Could I?"

Genma dragged me back to his chest. "Of course. Whatever you need."

"How are your sessions with Inoichi going?"

"Fine." I took out his king. "You're not being very subtle about fishing for information."

Hiruzen smiled tightly at the board. "Inoichi has been very strict about patient confidentiality."

"Plus, him saying anything to you would go against our deal. And if he breaches any part of that deal, he knows that he won't get a damn thing out of me."

"A deal? You do seem rather fond of those."

"Win-win situations benefit me twice. I get what I want and I get a potential ally." I sighed and pushed myself up from my chair. "I won. Can I go, now?"

"Actually, we need to discuss the change in your lessons with Anko. Instead of meeting with Mitarashi at the dango café during that time, you will instead be meeting with Akame Iwana at Training Ground 9 for instruction in fuuton jutsu."

I frowned, trying to think of if I recognized that name. I didn't. "Okay. Starting Tuesday, then?"

"Starting Tuesday."

Which was why Tuesday I stormed into the Hokage Tower and, despite the loud protests of his secretary, slammed open his doors. "You set me up for lessons with a fucking asshole, you know that?"

Hiruzen pulled back from his conversation with the shinobi standing in front of his desk to frown at me. "Mirai, I'm in a meeting."

"I don't particularly care. Maybe you should care about the fact that you have a chunin in the hospital because I didn't exactly react well to his not-so-subtle attempts at staging a training accident."

He sighed heavily. "You put Iwana in the hospital?"

"He tried to put me six feet under," I said, crossing my arms and lifting my chin. "I feel like it's a decent trade."

Hiruzen pinched the bridge of his nose. "What happened?"

"He 'accidentally' slipped up when demonstrating a wind jutsu." I thrust out my arm so he could so the long welt forming across the front part of my forearm from where I'd used it to protect my face. "He wasn't very convincing about it being a mistake."

"And just what is he in the hospital for?"

"Broken leg."

He groaned. "Mirai . . . . He may have just been a chunin, but Iwana actually has one of the largest repertoires of fuuton jutsu in Konoha."

"Doesn't change the fact that he's an asshole."

The shinobi in front of the desk cleared his throat, drawing my attention to him for the first time. He looked . . . vaguely familiar. Very vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place exactly why. "You know, Tousan, if you wanted someone to help her with her fuuton skills you shoulda just asked."

"Tousan?" I echoed blankly. I squinted at him. That . . . wasn't Asuma, was it?

He grinned and bowed his head. "I've heard a lot about you, Uzumaki-chan. Sarutobi Yosu, at your service." He glanced towards Hiruzen. "Or at least, as long as you approve."

Hiruzen's gaze flicked between us. He dragged his hand through his hair. "It would save me from having to find another fuuton instructor for her. Though you're not exactly known for your numerous wind jutsu."

Yosu shrugged. "There's far more to nature manipulation than rote memorization of jutsu." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Is this your normal training time, kiddo?"

"Tuesdays and Thursdays. Um, four to eight now. At Training Ground 9."

He whistled. "Four hours?" He glanced sharply at his father and then dragged his gaze away. "Alright, well, I'll have to grab my kid but then I'm up for throwing some lessons at you."

"Your kid?"

He grinned. "Don't worry, you'll love him. C'mon, he normally waits downstairs for me after I get back from a mission. Should be there now." He threw a wave to Hiruzen and then headed out. I followed him down the stairs.

"Touchan!"

"Ah, there's my little man!" Yosu grunted as he was tackled. He hefted the boy onto his shoulders. "Konohamaru, this is Mirai. Why don't you say hi?"

The chubby-cheeked boy squinted down at me and I stared back in shock. Logically, I should have known that Konohamaru being Asuma's nephew meant that Asuma had to have had a sibling. But I guess I'd just never thought about what exactly that meant.

"Hi," Konohamaru said, still squinting. "Your hair looks like ketchup."

I blinked and Yosu visibly winced. But then as he moved to apologize, I burst out laughing. "It does kinda look like ketchup, doesn't it, kiddo?"

"I'm not a kiddo! I'm three," he said confidently, holding up five fingers.

"Ah, right, my bad." I nodded sagely. "Three is a good age. You're probably smarter than me now. In fact, your dad is gonna teach me some things. You want to come with us? I'm sure you can help me understand."

He lit up. "Yeah! Touchan, I wanna help!"

Yosu laughed. "Alright, that sounds like a good plan." He led the way outside, ducking through the doorway.

"I wanna race!"

"I'm not sure—"

"Okay." I grinned up at him. "Let's race." And with that said, I shunshined away.

And yet when I landed in the training ground, Yosu and Konohamaru were already there. Konohamaru grinned. "We beat you!"

"You sure did," I said, taking a moment to catch my breath, hands on my knees.

Yosu set Konohamaru on the ground and messed with the boy's hair. Konohamaru responded by hopping up and snatching at Yosu's scarf. The man made a show of gagging as he snatched it back. "Hey, watch it." He slung off his scarf and passed it on to Konohamaru. "Alright, what do you know as far as fuuton nature manipulation at the moment?"

"I can split leaves and Yanagikage-sensei taught me daitoppa."

He frowned. "He went straight to a jutsu?"

I tilted my head to the side. "What should he have done instead?"

"Well, like I said before: there's far more to nature manipulation than rote memorization of jutsu." He stepped to the side and snatched a handful of leaves off the tree. "We'll start with this. Instead of wind just as a destructive force to split the leaves, I want you to float them." He held out his hand and I felt the very faint sting of chakra. The leaves lifted from his palm, swirling lazily in a counter-clockwise direction several inches above his hand. He held his hand out to me. "Your turn."

I reached out and took the leaves, shivering a bit at the feeling of the invisible wind against the back of my hand. I put them on my palm and focused and . . . .

Nothing.

Yosu just grinned. "Try again."

Two hours later, I'd succeed in accidentally tearing seven leaves and floating absolutely none of them. I groaned and collapsed on the grass. My new instructor just smiled down at me. "Giving up?"

"Never," I muttered. "Just . . . taking a little break."

"A break sounds like a good idea. I'll go grab some food. You mind watching Konohamaru for a bit?"

"No prob."

"She doesn't need to babysit," Konohamaru pouted.

"Oh, he's just saying that to make me feeling better," I said, sitting up. "Really, you're just here to make sure I don't get into any trouble while he's gone."

"Really?" Konohamaru glanced at his dad and gave him a clumsy attempt at a wink.

Yosu grinned. "I won't be long." He disappeared.

"Psst, hey," Konohamaru whispered, glancing around. "I can help you with the leaves."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Just blow on 'em and they'll move."

I couldn't hold back my smile. "See, and that's why I need you here. I would have never have thought about that."

I sent the boys off with Kakashi and, after a sharp look from him, summoned Tokage to accompany me on my walk to the Yamanaka District. Just was I was heading through the gate, someone loudly cleared their throat. I glanced to the side. "Oh, Maru. I thought you already went home."

"I will. You should stop by after . . . whatever it is that you do all day after school."

"And why's that?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Dunno, just thought you'd want to know that I figured you out."

"Figured me out?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yep. I thought maybe you'd want to hear about my theory, exchange a few jokes, maybe munch on some cookies, talk about what it's like to remember dying."

My heart froze and the cold spread through my chest like a disease. "How . . . how'd you know?"

His lips curled up into a smirk. "I didn't. Like I said, it's a theory. Or at least it was until you confirmed it for me." He shrugged and turned away. "I'll see you at my place." And he left.

I let out a shaky, trembling breath and walked numbly the rest of the way to my appointment. I didn't say anything as I reached the flower shop, or as I dismissed Tokage, or as I entered the office and sat down.

Inoichi frowned at me. "Mirai? Is something wrong?"

It was all I could do to shake my head.

"Well . . . okay." He cleared his throat and glanced through his notes. "I left you with a question last week and asked you to think about it. Did you?"

I thought desperately back to what he was talking about, but suddenly every possible answer I'd come up before with didn't seem real anymore.

"Alright, then." Inoichi's gaze was still clearly worried and his voice was careful. "If you could give me an answer, then, that would be great. Just one, that's all I'm asking for." He looked back down at his notes. "What's something you're afraid of?"

I swallowed thickly and focused on the ice in my chest. "Nara Shikamaru."