Fun Fact: If a character is mentioned, even if just for a few seconds, they get their own character sheet, as well as a written background, motivations, interpersonal relationships, etc. It might slow the writing down in some ways, but it helps me keep everyone consistent and moving along their own arcs.

Chapter Twenty-Five - Delineate

[delineate—verb 1: to trace the outline of, sketch or trace in an outline, represent pictorially 2: to portray in words, describe or outline with precision]

This time, I didn't re-bandage the wound on Sai's leg. "Look at that," I said proudly. "Nothing but a battle scar now. Tenzo did a good job." As I rolled down his pant leg, I said, "I officially declare you fit for strenuous activity. I'll tell Iruka-sensei that you can do physical training again."

Sai gave a nod and, when I motioned to him, hopped down from the desk. "Arigato," he murmured. "Mirai-san?"

"Hmm?" I asked, sealing away the unused bandages. When I looked at him, his gaze was cast downwards and his face was clouded. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if . . . ." He hesitated, his voice small. "If I could have that hug," he whispered.

My chest tightened. "Yeah. Yeah, of course." I stepped up and pulled him into my arms. Sai didn't do anything, hands awkwardly hanging in the air as if he didn't know what to do with them. Finally, I decided to put him out of his misery. I pulled back and smiled. "How was that? Everything you expected?"

There were tears in his eyes.

"Oh, no," I breathed. "I'm sorry. Was that— Sai, what's wrong?"

He shook his head, blinking rapidly to fight the tears back. "Nothing," he said, voice and expression going blank again.

He was eight. I was getting reminded of that again and again. He was eight. And he was standing here, pretending that he wasn't about to cry over getting a hug from someone. When was the last time he'd gotten a hug, if ever? Danzo didn't exactly seem like the hugging type, and I doubted physical contact from him was warm or comforting at all.

He.

Was.

Eight.

"Shit," I mumbled to myself. Then, louder, I said, "Sai. Sai. Look at me."

His glazed stare flicked up to me, eerily steady. I met it, lifting my chin and squaring my shoulders. "Do you want to get away from Danzo?"

Every bit of work he'd done on hiding away his emotions broke. "What?" he breathed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do you want to get away from Danzo?" I asked again, more firmly this time.

"I don't know what you're talking about." It almost sounded like he was reading the words off a page.

"Do you want to get away from Danzo?"

"I don't know what you're—"

"Sai! Answer the question."

He stared at me. Then his voice warbled. "Yes."

I nodded. "Okay. Okay, we can—" My hands trembled and I opened and closed them several times to give them something to do. "Okay. This way." I reached out and grabbed his wrist, turning to leave the room. Sai followed me blindly out into the hallway and then the yard. I dragged him over to where Shikamaru was sitting with the others. "Maru. I have a job for you."

He blinked up at me. "What?"

"Sai," —I emphasized my point by dragging the boy around and making him sit down next to Shikamaru— "is to stay by you all day today. He does not leave your side until I say so. Got it?"

"Uh." Shikamaru glanced at Sai. "Okay, I guess?"

"Stay with Shikamaru, Sai," I ordered.

Sai nodded, not saying a word. His lips were pressed together so tightly that they were going white. His eyes were still watery.

"Okay. Good."

"Rai?" Naruto cut in. "Is something wrong?"

I glanced at him. "No. I just need to talk to someone." Without answering another question, I turned on my heel and took to the stairs outside the Tower. It felt hotter than usual once I got inside, but I had an idea that it had more to do with the way my heart was beating frantically in my chest than anything else. I passed a few people in the hallway and then stopped in front of the doors to Hiruzen's office. I took a long, deep breath. And I knocked.

"Enter," he called.

I pushed open the door, stepping inside. Hiruzen glanced up briefly before refocusing on his papers. And then he jerked his gaze up again. Frowning, he reached up and removed his glasses. "Mirai-chan. Is something wrong?"

I moved to stand in the middle of the room, just in front of his desk, with my hands folded behind my back. "No. I'd like to speak with Danzo, please."

He lowered his glasses, setting them down on the table. He kept his voice sickeningly sweet and soft as he said, "Now, why would you want to do that?"

"I want to talk to him." I fixed my gaze above Hiruzen's head so I wouldn't have to look at him, staring at the portrait of Tobirama instead. "He offered me something before. I would like to discuss it."

Something in the room shifted. I realized with alarm that it must be—might be—the Hokage's chakra in . . . some form. It was quiet, just barely there, right on the edge of my senses. And it was different now. "You would? What's happened?"

"I want to speak with Danzo," I reiterated. "Where is he?"

There was silence. Then a heavy sigh, and I could hear Hiruzen getting to his feet. "Take a seat," he said firmly.

I glanced at him. Then I nodded and moved to the couch along the wall. As I sat down, I watched him go to the door. He opened it and stepped out momentarily. After only a few seconds, he was back. He gave me a tired smile. "Would you like to tell me what's going on?"

"Not yet." I tilted my head to the side. "If you don't mind, I'd like to wait until he's here."

"Very well. I must say that you've gotten me curious. Has something happened?"

I considered whether or not I really wanted to answer that. "Yes," I conceded. "I decided I want to talk to Danzo about his offer."

"I see. Very well. We'll wait for him, then."

I stayed at my spot on the couch, kicking my feet to pass the time while Hiruzen returned to his documents. Finally, the door opened. Danzo's one-eyed gaze flicked to me and then to Hiruzen. "My presence was requested?"

"Not by me."

At that, Danzo looked to me again as the door closed. I got to my feet, squared my shoulders. "You want to teach me."

He lifted his chin, studying me. When I didn't say anything else, he said, "That is correct."

"You have things I want. I think we can come to an arrangement."

"Ah. A deal," he murmured. "I've heard of your fondness for those. You have my interest. What are you going to offer to keep it?"

"Four months. You gets four months of training me. Four months of me doing nothing but what you say. In exchange, I get your two votes for me to be clan head. You stay away from everyone in my Study Group—no manipulating, no trying to convince them to be trained by you, no secret spying on them." I lifted my chin, clenching my fists to brace myself. "And you hand Sai over to me. Permanently."

His visible eye narrowed. "I see. I am . . . intrigued. The offered time is, of course, far too insignificant for what you are asking. Something more in the realm of two years would be more . . . equal."

"It looks like we have some negotiating to do." I glanced towards Hiruzen. "Though I would assume we need you to allow it before we go any further."

Hiruzen steepled his fingers, glancing between the two of us and then forward at nothing. He hummed for just a moment, closing his eyes. "I will allow the negotiations, as long as they happen in my presence. And I must be involved in final approval before anything is signed. But I will let this happen for now. Understood?"

"Hai. I understand," I said, the tight cord in my chest unraveling and relaxing.

Danzo nodded. "Agreed. Uzumaki, let's begin by talking about these votes."

The third time I misfired my jutsu, Yosu put a hand on my shoulder to keep me from settling back into my stance. I looked up to find him frowning forward at where my wind had disintegrated the moment it hit the trees. "Sorry."

"You were doing well with this last week," he murmured, looking down at me. His expression softened. "You're distracted."

"I'm sorry. I can focus."

"Hey, that's not the issue here." He sat down and patted the ground in front of him. "What's going on?"

I sat down, pressing my hands together harshly so I could focus on the pressure. "Just working on something," I murmured, staring at the grass.

"Does it have anything to do with why you were late today?"

I glanced up at him. "I said I was sorry."

"I know." He reached out and flicked my nose. When I pulled back in surprise, he smiled. "I'm just worried about you, kiddo. How have you be sleeping? Any better?"

I hunched my shoulders. "Not really."

He sat back, frowning at me. "Alright," he said softly. "I think we're done for today."

"What? But—"

"You need to get some rest, okay? We'll try the jutsu again later this week."

"Right." I pushed myself up to my feet. "Sorry."

"And you need to learn to stop apologizing for everything." He got to his feet with a groan. "Alright, Kono. You ready to head out?"

Konohamaru perked up from the pile of leaves he'd been buried in, coloring book in one hand and box of crayons in the other. "Yep! Can we get mochi?"

"Hmm, mochi does sound good. Would you like to get some mochi with us, Mirai-chan? That might help you relax."

I hesitated, tempted to say yes. But I had other things I had to focus on. Higher priorities. "Maybe next time. I have something I need to go work on."

He sighed. "Alright. So long as you take a break sometime today, okay?'

I nodded. "Okay. Will do." I reached out and ruffled Konohamaru's hair as he joined us. "I'm—" I stopped myself before I apologized again. "Thanks, Yosu-sensei."

He gave me one last smile before grabbing Konohamaru and shunshining away. I took a deep breath before shunshining away myself. I made it to the Nara compound without interruption. The shogi house was dark, the door closed, so I stepped up to the front door instead and knocked.

The door was flung open. "It's about time. What is going on?"

I managed a smile. "Hey, Maru. Sai hasn't been that much trouble, has he?"

He glared at me. "He's just, just sitting there. He's not saying anything. He won't even do anything."

My shoulders slumped. "Well, that's not good. Can I come in? I need to tell you what's going on."

He eyed me. Then he nodded and stepped inside. As I took off my shoes, he said, "Is this the idea you've been refusing to tell me about?"

"Yes." I dug in my pocket and came up with a scroll. After unrolling it, I unsealed my notebook and held it out to him. "I need you to help me build a contract. I'll be meeting with Danzo again tomorrow to iron out more details and then revise it as many times as I need to. But I need to start somewhere."

His eyes widened. Then he snatched the book from my hand and started leafing through it. I let him study it in silence, wringing my hands for lack of anything better to occupy me. After several minutes, he said, "I've never made a contract before. And you and I will be no match for Danzo when it comes to making one. We need help." His gaze flicked up to me. "We need to show this to my dad."

I swallowed. "He'll . . . help?"

He shrugged. "This will get you the final two votes, won't it? C'mon. He's in the tea room with Kaachan and Sai." He shoved the notebook back into my hands and turned, already heading off down the hall.

I moved after him, clutching the notebook tightly. I paused in the doorway to the tea room. Those in the room looked up. Sai straightened, staring at me unblinkingly. "Konichiwa," I murmured, bowing my head. "Thank you for letting Sai stay here."

Yoshino smiled. "Mirai-chan. Come join us. Tea?"

"If you don't mind," I said, moving forward.

"Touchan, we need your help," Shikamaru said, sitting down. "Soph, show him."

I glanced at him and then held my notebook out to Shikaku. "I need to make a contract to bring to negotiations tomorrow."

He watched me for a long moment before taking the notebook. He took a minute to look it over, during which I accepted my tea from Yoshino and sipped at it. Finally, Shikaku lowered the book to look at me. "You're making a contract with Danzo."

"What?" Sai asked, sitting up ramrod straight. He stared at me, looking terrified. "What are you—"

"You said you wanted to get away from Danzo," I interrupted cooly.

"You've included a bit more here than just him," Shikaku murmured. "You're going to have to give a lot for this. Far more than the initial four months you offered."

"I know. I was lowballing."

"He's going to ask for a lot."

"He already has."

"And what are you willing to agree on?"

"As little time as possible. But, in the end, whatever it takes."

Yoshino sucked in a breath. "Be careful with saying something like that. What is this?" she asked, already taking the notebook from Shikaku. She glanced it over, frowning. "If he realizes that you're willing to agree to whatever it takes to get these things, he'll end up taking far more than he really needs to."

"Yeah. That's what I'm worried about. Well, that and making sure that the contract actually says what I need it to say."

"If you listen to us," Shikaku said, taking the notebook back, "then neither of those things will be an issue. Rule one: know what your must-haves are and don't waver from them. Rule two: don't let negotiations drag on forever. And rule three: don't let your emotions get the better of you." His gaze flicked to Sai. "Which means you need to ensure that emotional sources aren't vulnerable during negotiation. Where will he be staying for the time being?"

Sai glanced from Shikaku to me, looking just as worried and afraid as he had at the start of the conversation. I wouldn't be able to keep him safe properly with me. If I enlisted Tenzo, or anyone else for that matter, they would tell Kakashi and Genma. And they were the last people that needed to know about what I was doing.

"He can stay with us."

I jerked my stare around to Shikamaru. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Yoshino's expression shift into one of surprise. When I glanced at Shikaku, that puzzled look was back as he watched his son. "With us," he echoed. "Is that so?"

"Well, of course!" Yoshino said, smiling. "We're more than happy to keep him here. After all, Sai-kun appreciates my tea more than either of you two do."

"I appreciate your tea," Shikaku said flatly. "And fine. While this is being negotiated—"

"While this is being executed," Yoshino corrected. "He'll need somewhere to stay while this is all going on."

I straightened in alarm. "But you don't know yet how long that'll be."

Yoshino turned a stern smile to me. "We'll help you keep it reasonably short."

I caught my breath. Giving a nod, I glanced at Sai. "Well? I want you to have a choice here. Are you okay with staying here?"

Sai stared at me. For just a second, his gaze slipped away. Then he looked back and whispered, "Please."

"This is Ikebana," I said, holding out my hand with the lizard resting on my palm. "He's one of my summons. He's agreed to stay with you twenty-four seven to keep you safe for me."

He stared for a moment. And when he spoke, his voice was paper thin. "He's small."

"Not always. He's a size-shifter."

Sai nodded. Then he reached out and let Ikebana scurry onto his hand. Then Ikebana scrambled up his arm to settle on his shoulder. Sai froze, flicking an empty look at me.

"He's friendly," I promised.

"He likes snacks," Shikamaru offered from his spot on the floor. "Are we actually going to play shogi, Soph?"

"Um." I glanced out the door at the edge of the Nara lands. "Sasuke and Naruto should be here soon."

"And?" he asked flatly. "What? Are you worried you'll be so focused on them that you'll lose?"

I snapped a glare to him. "Are you assuming I'll lose?"

He smiled. "Only because you're afraid to play."

"Afraid to— I get first move," I said, sitting down.

His smile sank into a self-satisfied smirk. "Sounds good."

Five minutes later, his smirk has deepened to a frown as I captured yet another piece. Sai was sitting just off to my left, watching as Shikamaru glared at the board. "I shouldn't have goaded you," he muttered. "You're more brutal when you're taking it personally."

"Hmm. Sounds like a you problem. Want to take a pause? The boys are here." I pushed myself up to my feet. "Nato! Ke-kun!" I called, stepping up to the door.

"Rai!" Naruto scrambled over to me first, Chisai perched atop his head. He grabbed onto my arm, grinning. "Are we really doing a sleepover?"

"Yes. You boys have your things?" I asked, eying their backpacks that . . . worryingly didn't look like they were holding much.

"Yep." Sasuke has his thumbs hooked under the straps of his bag. "What's Sai doing here?"

"Hi, Sai!" Naruto said, lurching for the boy and giving him a hug. He moved on to tackle Shikamaru before he even gave himself a chance to notice how uncomfortable Sai looked.

"Sai is staying over too," I said. "Nato, careful. Just— Okay." I reached out and snatched Chisai from him as he bounded back over to Sasuke. And not a moment too soon, as he slammed into Sasuke and sent them both to the ground. I sighed. "Well, someone has a lot of energy," I murmured.

"When I got to them, Naruto was consuming the last of the the cookies you'd prepared," Chisai said, settling down on my shoulder.

"Ah. That's . . . that's a lot of cookies."

"Hey, Soph," Shikamaru said, huffing. "Are we going to finish the game or not?"

I glanced over the board. "Sure. Are you ready to lose?"

"Are you?"

"This is . . . well put together," Hiruzen said, clearly impressed.

I momentarily debated the pros and cons of disclosing the Nara's involvement. As I thought it over, I glanced at Danzo. He was sitting across from me, my proposed contract open on the table in front of him. I cleared my throat. "Shikaku-dono is assisting me," I said, squaring my shoulders. "He is allowing me to lean on his knowledge for this process, given that I do not have the same level of experience as you do, Shimura-san."

At being addressed, Danzo looked up. "Ah, I see. It is . . . only fair. I'll allow it."

"Thank you for allowing something you didn't get to decide anyway," I said dryly. And then I cleared my throat and straightened, recalling Yoshino's directions to not be my usually snippy self. "I would like to talk about time frame first."

"Your counter of six months is not enough for what you're asking."

"You haven't agreed to what I'm asking. Perhaps if that is confirmed, you can get more time."

"Very well. My two votes alone require six months. Minimum."

I smiled. "Alright, let's start there, then."

"This is going to kill you, you know," Shikamaru said, looking over the most recent version of the contract that Shikaku had helped me create using my notes from the day's negotiations.

"It won't," I mumbled tiredly, staring up at the stars. "You worry too much."

"Only because you don't worry enough. You— Pay attention," he ordered, punctuating it with a kick to my side.

"Hey, ow," I said, twisting to frown at him. "That was rude. I am paying attention."

"This is going to kill you," he said, shaking the contact at me for emphasis. "There's no way you're prepared for this."

I groaned and sat up. "Listen, I've finished my timer seal. I've figured out how to do the on-skin storage seals. Yeah, I don't have the tagging system down yet, but those two things alone make me just about as prepared for this as I can be. With the timer seal, he won't be able to do anything to trick me into staying longer than we've agreed to. And the storage seals will help me keep his hands off my things so that I can still work on my stuff while he's lording his side of the agreement over me." I fixed him with a frown. "I know what I'm doing. I'm not a child."

Shikamaru's stare narrowed at that. Then he scoffed. "Yeah, okay. If you die, I reserve the right to say I told you so."

"Yeah, go for it," I muttered, taking the contract and storing it away. I stilled when I felt the burning on my collarbone. Finally, confirmation after my request that morning. "I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I reached out and shoved him before getting to my feet.

He barely caught himself. "Yeah, yeah. Tell the boys I say hi," he said, tilting his head meaningfully.

"Sure thing." I shunshined away. I made it up the stairs to the Hokage Monument and then, just to be safe, drew my chakra shields in as tight as I could and used toton. Once that itch had settled over my skin, I slipped into the monument and paced my way down to the right area, the same place where I'd met up with Shisui months and months earlier after finally waking up from Itachi's tsukiyomi. And just like that time, it was empty when I got there.

I sat down seiza and closed my eyes, releasing my hold on the toton jutsu and waiting. Sure enough, a few moments later I heard, "Hey, Taichou. You had me worried there, but you at least seem to be in one piece."

I opened my eyes to find that Shisui was sitting in front of me. I grinned. "Took you long enough to get here."

He gave me a flat look. "I was undercover in Suna. Couldn't just up and disappear altogether. What's going on? Why isn't Shikamaru here?"

"He's with Sai at the Compound. He says hi, by the way."

Shisui frowned. "Who's Sai?"

I cleared my throat. "Right. So, it's . . . . Some plans are . . . changing," I said carefully. I withdrew my scroll and opened it, finding the right seal. "Sai is the ROOT operative that Danzo assigned to spy on me."

"What? Mirai, you've got to tell me these things why they happen. I could have taken care of this right—"

"He's eight, Shisui," I interrupted, my voice breaking just a little. "And that's just it. He's eight, and Danzo has him—" I caught myself forcing a deep breath. "Between that and some . . . other things going on, I'm making a deal." I finally retrieved the most recent draft of the contract and held it out to him.

Eying my cautiously, Shisui took it from me. But he only got as far as the first few lines before he stopped. "No," he said firmly. "Absolutely not."

"Shisui—"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous—"

"Of course I do. I—"

"I'm not going to let you—"

"How?" I interrupted harshly. "Listen, if anything that we're planning is going to work, you can't just be a one man team. I've actually got to do something myself. And this," —I jabbed at the contract— "is me working for the long term. So maybe you could at least read it before you start forbidding me from doing things."

Shisui frowned at me. Then he looked back down at the contract. With a sigh, he started reading again. While he read, I pressed my fists into my thighs to center myself until I thought that my knuckles might break. Finally, he looked up at me again. "This is dangerous," he murmured.

"I know." I felt my lips crack when I said that. "And?"

"And I could come up with a hundred reasons why you shouldn't do this."

"And?" I prompted again, hesitant.

"And . . . it will get you invaluable political power. Protection for those around you. Access to secrets that only the Council is allowed to know. And training. Some of the most inhumane, brutal treatment that anyone could ever—"

"I'm not hearing a no," I interrupted. "I . . . know the danger and risks and— Listen, I know that it's not going to be a walk in the park, okay? But . . . he's eight, Shisui."

He frowned at me, looking more resigned than sad. "That's what's really driving you here, isn't it?" he asked softly. He dropped his gaze to the contract. "When?"

"We're . . . not sure yet. We're at the tail end of negotiations, though. So soon. It will start the moment it's signed."

He nodded. "I— A whole year?" he asked, voice breaking a little.

I pressed my lips together until they hurt. Then I said, "He wanted two. It was a fight to get him down that far."

"That's not— It's fine."

I studied the way that his hunched shoulders communicated that it definitely was not fine. "We've agreed on what we have, but we're waiting until Sunday for any final decisions. It's— A year and I'll be out. That's it. I promise."

"I'm not leaving." He looked up at me, gaze shaky but sharp. "Until this is signed, I'm not— I can't just—"

"Okay. I won't fight you on that. Just . . . stay hidden. If someone were to catch you . . . . I just need you to see be here in a year, okay?"

"Deal."

As Shikamaru stepped inside, I asked, "Sai?"

"With Sasuke and Naruto. They wanted to introduce him to dango." He locked the door to my bedroom behind him. "We've probably got a half hour. Forty-five minutes at most."

"Got it." I glanced at Shisui as he was still going over the security. "It hasn't been touched since the last time you were here. It hasn't changed, has it?"

"No. Just making sure." Shisui straightened and turned, shoving his hands into his pockets. His shoulders were sagging. "Well?"

Shikamaru sat down in my desk chair with a yawn. "How'd you take it? She wouldn't give me details, but I got the general impression that you don't really like any of this."

"From a strategic perspective, it's good. Personally, though, I've felt better about things," Shisui said flatly.

"To be fair, she's already proven she can deal with a few jonin. Training under Danzo isn't a huge step up from that, danger-wise, right?"

Shisui blinked. "What? What jonin?"

I sucked in a breath. "You don't know," I said in surprise. "I just assumed— When you didn't mention it, I figured it was just because of, well, everything I'd thrown at you."

"What jonin?" Shisui asked again, voice hard this time.

I glanced at Shikamaru, hesitating. "Kiba got himself in trouble with some Taki shinobi that were snooping around just outside the Village. I sent Shikamaru and Sasuke for help while I went after him."

"And?" Shisui prompted, frowning.

"And Mirai killed them," Shikamaru said succinctly. "All three jonin. Dead."

Shisui glanced at him and then back at me, losing a little of his color. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew," I murmured.

"I . . . heard something about Taki shinobi in Hi no Kuni, but that was the most anyone in Suna was saying. And rumors mills aren't exactly the most reliable." As he spoke, he was looking me over as if he would find some injury that I'd been hiding from him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

He didn't seem to relax at my words, but he didn't push the subject any more than that. Instead, he said, "Danzo is good at breaking people. Just knowing that the time is up might not be enough to snap you out of it. Not when Danzo's in the picture."

I frowned. "Okay. I can, I can fix that." I started sorting through my scrolls until I found the right one and unsealed my fuuinjutsu work for the timer seal. I laid it out on the desk and looked it over. "Yeah. I can definitely fix that."

"How?" Shikamaru asked. "It's just a timer."

"Yes, but it has all the components necessary for a delayed trigger." I gnawed on my lip. "It just . . . needs to be foolproof. No matter what state I am in at the time, it needs to work."

Kurama? You in to help me with this?

Of course.

"What would you normally be doing?" Shisui asked, picking up the small scroll I'd just set down. He turned it so he could see the names—to Naruto, from Mirai—and date—October tenth—I'd written out on the band, which was sealed with ink.

I reached out and took the scroll from him, returning it to the stack of other completed gift scrolls. "Now?" I asked, pausing for a minute as I started drawing out another seal on a new scroll. "Poker. Kotetsu is still convinced I'm cheating."

"Well, are you?"

"Cheating? At poker? No. I don't need to. I'm good at poker." I blew on the ink to dry it. "Why?"

He shrugged, moving to instead look over all the notes I'd finally finished for the tagging system. "It's been a while. Just thought that maybe you'd finally changed your routine."

I shrugged and picked up the wrapped gift, setting it on the scroll. I sealed it away and activated the timer seal. "I started training with Yosu. He's pretty cool." I paused and looked up at him, taking that moment to rub some of the cramping out of my hand. "He's— I almost want to tell him sometimes, you know."

Shisui jerked his stare to me in surprise. "You want to what?"

"I'm not going to," I defended immediately. "I don't think— Not yet, at least. If ever. I don't know. But sometimes—" I growled. "I'm not explaining this well. I'm not going to tell him. Not now, and definitely never without talking to you about it first. He just reminds me of someone," I said awkwardly. "That's all. And it makes it really easy to think that he'd understand."

"Who?"

I shrugged. "He reminds me of you. And I just— You're not around. It's not your fault! I know that you can't be here. I know it's safer for you away from me, but I just, just." I swallowed thickly. "I miss you. And, well—"

"Mirai," he interrupted softly. "Breathe."

I caught myself, forcing a long, slow breath. Finally, I managed, "I miss you. And I still have this, for now." I tugged at my coin. "But, but a year? Without even this? I'm . . . . That's going to be the hard part."

He reached out and freed the coin from my grip so that he could look at it. He smoothed his thumb across the surface. "This was your idea," he reminded me gently.

"I know. I know. But I'm still, I'm still allowed to be sad about it, right?" I asked, looking up at him. It was getting hard to breathe again.

His brow furrowed, and he pressed his lips together. Then he sighed and dropped the coin. "Do you need me to help with these scrolls?"

"And . . . it'll snap you out of it?" he asked cautiously. "You're sure?"

I set down my brush and blew on the ink on my left inner wrist. "It'll be painful. Agonizingly painful. And since Kurama's input is needed for me to shut it off, he definitely won't let me stop it unless he thinks I'm in the right state of mind. Right, Ku?"

Kurama gave a low grumble in response.

"Alright, here goes nothing," I said, bringing up my right hand to finish the seal.

"Wait," Shisui said, reaching out and grabbing my wrist to stop me. "It's safe? And when you say painful—"

I looked up at him and frowned at the absolute panic in his eyes. "It's fine," I said firmly, even though anxiety was making its home in my empty chest. "I'll be fine. I need this, remember?"

Slowly, he let go of me and drew back. "Right. Right, right, right. Okay."

I watched him for a moment. Then I nodded. Pressing two fingers against the seal I'd written out on my arm, I pushed out just a touch of my chakra. The ink hummed for a moment before it pulsed and moved, gathering into a dot on my wrist. And then it splintered, separating until it was nothing more than a hollow circle inked onto my skin. I hesitated for just a moment. Then I tapped the circle with just a pinch of chakra. It unfurled, displaying the number 8760. "There," I breathed, tapping it again to return it back to a circle. "And then when we sign, I'll start the count—" I froze, looking up.

Shisui stilled. "What?" And then as soon as he'd said it, he winced. A tiny hint of chakra told me that one of his lookout jutsu had been disrupted. "Shit, someone's coming."

"Kakashi," I said, already able to feel the chakra. "Go, go, go!" I scrambled up, gathering up my things and sealing them all away into a scroll. "If he finds you here, he—" But when I turned around, Shisui was already gone. Taking a breath to steady myself, I unlocked my door and pushed out into the main area. As soon as I'd done so, I saw the front door open.

"Pup?" Kakashi called, pushing his way inside. His gaze immediately found me. The visible part of his face was marred by a worried frown. "Hey, Pup," he said softly. "I stopped by your Study Group to say hi, but you weren't there." He moved to stand in front of me.

"Oh." I scratched the back of my neck, dropping my gaze a bit to make my story more convincing. "I'm tired, so Shikamaru said I should probably come back here and take a nap."

Kakashi caught my arm. "What did you do?" he rasped, eye wide. He pulled my arm down, turning it so he could more clearly see the four numbers inked out on my right forearm.

"I've been working on making on-skin storage seals. I, um, figured it out," I finished lamely, watching as he brushed his fingers over the first one. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

He huffed out a sigh. Finally, he released me and reached up to pull his mask down. As he tiredly slid off his hitai-ate, he said, "So, you haven't exactly been napping, have you?"

"No," I mumbled. "I guess not."

His hand came up to cup my chin. "I'm worried about you," he said firmly. "You need to, to learn how to—" He glanced to the side, as if searching for the right words. Finally, he settled on, "Slow down. And this," —he took up my arm again and looked over the seals— "this is incredible, but you push yourself too hard. Especially recently. Can you tell me what's going on? Naruto said you haven't been at the Academy all week."

"I've been working on this." I turned my wrist and tapped the first seal, focusing. It unsealed one shuriken and one kunai. I grinned up at him. "See? I finished my tagging system, too!"

Something like curiosity flickered across Kakashi's expression. But then he shook his head. "Put it away," he directed, sounding tired. "If you're not going to get some rest here, then how does Yakiniku sound?"

I sealed the weapons away. "It sounds great."

"It's agreed, then," Hiruzen said, looking both tired and relieved. "Tomorrow morning, you will sign the contract and the year will begin. For the duration of the year, Inoue Sai is to remain under the guardianship of the Nara." He looked down at the contract, paging through it as he spoke. "Upon completion of the year, you, Mirai, will receive two votes from Danzo supporting your application to be legally recognized as Uzumaki clan head, as well as the authority of guardianship over Inoue Sai and a political barrier between Danzo and those you identify as members of your Study Group. During this year, you agree to operate as a trainee under Danzo's authority with full obedience, as if functioning as a Konoha shinobi. Correct?"

I swallowed, steeling myself and squaring my shoulders. "Yes."

Hiruzen glanced at me, pausing for a moment. Then he nodded and looked back down. "Failure to adhere to this agreement on your part would result in the use of a muffler seal, contractually forbidden except as a consequence for the violation of terms, and permanent placement under Danzo's authority. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Danzo, failure to adhere to this agreement on your part would result in Mirai's demands being forcibly met as well as the removal of the muffler seal currently on Inoue Sai. Do you understand?"

He sounded almost amused as he said, "Yes."

"Very well." With a sigh, Hiruzen closed the contract. He looked to me. "Mirai-chan, you wanted to discuss parameters for young Naruto and Sasuke while you are gone, correct? As per section nineteen?"

"Yes." I stepped up and held out a thin, stapled stack of papers. "It's all here. My list of seven approved shinobi, as well as the previously discussed rules."

He took it, glancing it over. "This is sufficient. I'll have Hayate pick the boys up from the Academy tomorrow. As for us, we will reconvene at eight. Agreed?"

"Hai." I glanced at Danzo when he said the same. Then I bowed my head to Hiruzen and was the first out the door.

When I reached the Nara Compound, the sun was already getting low. And all four were waiting for me in the shogi house. As I stepped inside, I closed the door. Shikaku didn't even look up from his game with Shikamaru. "Well?"

"We're going to sign it in the morning," I said, sitting seiza and gratefully accepting the tea that Yoshino offered me. "I'll just make sure to get to the Academy early with the boys." I glanced towards Sai before focusing in on where Ikebana was sitting on his shoulder. "Last chance," I offered, giving him a final out before he committed to what might honestly be the longest babysitting job ever given to a summon.

But in response, Ikebana just huffed and laid his head down, closing his eyes.

Sai looked . . . blank. It was eerie. But when he spoke, his voice was trembling. "And me?"

"You're staying here," I assured him. "You'll be fine. Just don't say anything about any of this to anyone, understood?"

He snapped his jaw shut, giving me a nod.

"Tsumi." Shikaku made his last move. "Well played," he said, although he just got a huff from Shikamaru in return. He looked to me. "Fukurokuju be with you. You will do well." And then he rose to his feet. "Sai, why don't you come inside? Yoshino and I would like to discuss any possible changes you want to make during your stay here."

Sai looked up, looking almost terrified. But then it smoothed back out into the blank look again. Without a word, he got up and followed Yoshino and Shikaku out of the shogi house.

Shikamaru slid the door shut with his foot. "Well?"

"Most of my things are sealed away. Things I'm taking with me—nothing I wouldn't regret losing forever—are in here." I showed him my storage seals. "Everything else is being put into the separate scroll."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

I couldn't look at him. And then I murmured, "I know." My hands shook a bit. But I forced myself to reach up and grip my coin. I finally fixed him with a stare. "You don't ever let it leave you, okay? No one can know about it. No one can touch it. No one can see it. No one—"

"I know."

I pressed my lips together. Then I nodded. I slipped the coin off and held it out to him. When he reached to take it, I didn't let it go. Shikamaru gave me a sharp look and I relaxed my grip so that he could take it from me. "Be careful with it," I whispered.

"I will be," he said, slipping it on around his neck and hiding it under his shirt. "Anything else?"

I tapped my fourth seal and two scrolls landed in my hand. I held them out to him. "One is for you. One is for Sai. They won't open until the timer is done."

He looked them over before taking them. "Fancy. Anything else, or are you just stalling now?"

I huffed out a laugh. "Stalling," I admitted. But then I pushed myself to my feet. "I'm going to go find Genma and Kakashi before I head home and . . . finish everything."

"Okay." He tilted his head to consider me. Finally, he said, "Good luck."

"Pumpkin!" Genma said excitedly, sweeping me up into his arms before I could even get a word out. "I missed you!"

I squirmed in his arms until he set me down. Then I frowned up at him. "You just saw me a few hours ago at training."

"He's drunk," Kakashi said dryly. "I figured the least I could do was keep him company."

I glanced at him, eying the bottle he was holding in his own hand and the unbalanced slant to his body. Between the two of them, they were taking up the largest couch in the Jonin Station. "Uh-huh. Is there room for me?"

Kakashi blinked at me slowly. And then he at least had the presence of mind to snatch up Genma's bottle and his own and set them aside. "Course."

I climbed up onto the couch between them. "Did something happen?"

Genma immediately drew an arm around me, trapping me against him. "No," he said, drawing out the word. "Just happy to see you!"

I tried to turn in his hold, but to no avail. I glanced at Kakashi. "Um, what's wrong with him?"

Kakashi shrugged. "He keeps saying something about being lonely. But he also keeps saying he's going to buy me a diamond eyepatch, so I'm really not sure of anything at this point."

Oh. I thought about how Anko's return from her mission had been extended indefinitely. Of course he was lonely. I reached up and did my best to try to fit my hand into Genma's. "You feeling okay, Genma-nii?"

He hummed in response, resting his head down on mine. But his humming then evened out into gentle breathing. I blinked and glanced at Kakashi, who looked amused. I sighed. "He just fell asleep on me, didn't he?"

Kakashi snickered, leaning back as if to get his bottle again and then rethinking it. Instead, he reached out and poked Genma. "Yeah. He did."

"Right." I reached out with my free hand and grabbed his hand as he pulled it back. "Hey, Niisan. I love you. Can, can you tell Genma that I love him too? When he wakes up?"

Immediately, Kakashi zeroed in on me. He was still listing to one side and his voice wasn't quite clear, but nevertheless he said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just feel like I don't say that to you enough."

He looked unconvinced. "Mirai." He shook his hand loose from mine and started extricating me from Genma's hold. When he finally got me out, he framed my face with his hands. "You would tell me if something was going on, right?"

I held his gaze. "Yes."

He watched me for a moment. And then he looked sad. He sighed, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "C'mon," he murmured. "We should get him home." He got to his feet, swaying unsteadily for a moment. After stabilizing himself, he hauled Genma up onto his back. "You coming with?"

I hopped up and grabbed onto his loose sleeve. "Of course."

I followed him out of the Jonin Station and towards Genma's house. After a minute of walking in silence—well, more of a swaying lumbering for Kakashi—he said, "Did you get some sleep last night?"

Last night? Last night I'd been finalizing my things, going over the Den plans for Shisui to finish once he finished testing the splicer seal, finishing up the gift scrolls, making sure— "Yeah. Some."

"Good. Try to get some more tonight, okay?"

When we made it to Genma's house, Kakashi jostled him until he got ahold of his hand. "Hey, wake up," he said, pressing Genma's hand against the door.

Genma muttered something, lifting his head a little before putting it back down. The door clicked, and Kakashi pushed his way inside. "Wait for me out here," Kakashi murmured, nodding to the living room. "I'll get him settled." And then he carried Genma away into the bedroom.

I glanced around, tapping the four on my arm to unseal Genma's two gift scrolls: one for December and one for his birthday. I stepped over to his bookcase and slid the scrolls in beside a picture of his genin team. Then I unsealed Kakashi's scroll and tucked it into my pocket before sitting down to wait. Over the next few minutes, Kakashi was in and out of the room, retrieving things like a glass of water, a wash cloth, and pain medicine. Finally, he stepped out and swayed for just a second before giving me a smile.

"Alright, let's get you home so you can get some sleep, Pup." He moved to the door and opened it.

I followed him out and then paused, looking up at him expectantly. Kakashi froze. "Did I . . . forget something?"

"What? Genma got to be carried and I don't?"

Kakashi's shoulders drooped and he chuckled. "My bad." He turned and crouched down to let me get on his back. Then he hooked his hands under my knees. "How's that?" he asked, voice dragging more than it had been earlier.

"Good." I tucked my head down against his shoulder. "You gonna be able to make it home tonight?"

"Me? Course. Why wouldn't I be?"

I snickered. "No reason."

"Hmm. Want to finally tell me more about those storage seals of yours?"

I grinned. As I filled him on my most recent fuuinjutsu success, I took my gift scroll for him out of my pocket and twisted a bit to tuck it away in his back kunai pouch.

"Whoa," he interrupted, tightening his grip on me. "Careful back there. Don't want to drop you."

"Sorry." I draped myself back on his shoulders. "The boys should still be up. You going to come in to say hi?"

"Hmm, maybe some other time. Genma's got the right idea about sleeping. You should do some of that too." He climbed the stairs, adjusting his grip on me.

"Alright," I said quietly. As he set me down, I gripped at his hand. "I love you."

"Pup," he murmured, crouching down and pulling me into a hug. "Tell me what's going on. C'mon."

I shook my head but leaned into his hold nonetheless. "Nothing."

"Don't do that. Talk to me." He pushed me out at arm's length to scrutinize me. "I didn't drink so much that I can't tell when something's bothering you."

I pressed my lips together. Then I offered him a smile. "How about tomorrow? We can get some dango."

"And you'll talk to me?" he asked doubtfully.

I nodded. "Yeah. And I'll talk to you. Tomorrow."

He sighed. "Alright." He got to his feet with a groan. "Get some sleep." And then he disappeared.

I pushed my way into the apartment. I could hear bustling in the boys' room. After toeing off my shoes, I went to their door and knocked.

"Rai!" Naruto cried. And then the door was thrown open. He grinned, arms thrown out to the side. "Look!"

I blinked and leaned in to look around. They'd moved their beds so that they were both up against the same wall and the rest of the room was more open. "Redecorating?"

"That's okay, right?" Sasuke asked, pausing in the middle of stacking pillows on his bed.

"Of course it's okay. It's nice to see you're ready for bed, too. Mind if I sit with you two for a bit?"

Sasuke lit up. "Really? Yeah!" He scrambled into his bed, waiting expectantly.

I moved across the room and sat next to him. Naruto crawled in on my other side. "You've been super busy," he mumbled.

"I know," I whispered, wrapping an arm around them both. "I'm sorry. I love you. Both of you. You know that, right?"

Sasuke shifted to look up at me. "Well, yeah. You say it all the time."

"Okay. Just making sure."

"Hey, relax, we took care of everything. You need to get some sleep." Shisui tugged the scroll from my hands. "Gift scrolls, delivered. Your stuff, sealed away. You don't have anything else you need to do."

I watched as he pocketed the scroll that held all my things—my fuuinjutsu notes, my momentos, everything. Then I took a long, shaky breath. "I can do this. I can do this. Oh, kami. I'm doing this, aren't I." I looked up at him, eyes stinging. "I can't do this. Tell me I can do this."

His expression folded with concern and his shoulders sagged. "Hey," he murmured, pulling me into a hug. "You've got this. Take it by the hour, okay? Bit by bit."

"Bit by bit," I echoed. "Okay."

"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning back to frown at me.

I nodded. "I'm okay."

"Rai, why do I have to keep—" Naruto paused, frowning. He looked up, straining to see the anole on his head. "What's your name again?"

"Gozen," he rasped. "If you would like to see me, I could move."

"Oh, uh, no. Sorry. That's okay." Naruto looked back at me. "Why do I have to keep Gozen with me? And why does Teme get Chisai?"

I glanced at him, smiling. "They just gonna keep an eye on you while I'm gone, okay. I have to go talk to the Hokage."

Sasuke pressed up next to me, grabbing at my hand. "I can switch if he really wants."

"That won't be necessary, dear," Chisai said soothingly. "Gozen is wonderful. I'm sure he and Naruto-kun will hit it off in no time."

I paused at the gate to the Academy. "Alright, you two. C'mere." I pulled them both into tight hugs. "I love you. I'll be as quick as I can be, okay? I promise," I said, doing everything I could to keep my voice from breaking.

"Okay. Oh! I see Kiba!" Naruto wriggled out from my hold and scrambled into the yard.

I watched him go, catching my breath. But then I focused in on Sasuke, who was still hugging me back. "Don't worry. You'll have Chisai to keep you company."

He frowned, nodding. "Okay. Um . . . . Do you think Hayate-sensei will let me start using a real tanto today?"

My chest tightened. "I don't know. Maybe. We can ask him later, okay?"

He nodded again. Then he pulled away to race after Naruto. I took a moment to watch them. But as more students started to arrive, I knew I was out of time. I moved to the stairs and took them up the side of the Tower. When I got inside, the doors to the Office were already open. Danzo and Hiruzen were waiting for me.

"Close the door," Hiruzen directed. He was sitting at his desk, a stack of paper sitting in front of him with a pen atop it. Once I'd done as he asked, he steepled his fingers. "Anything either of you would like to say before signing?"

I didn't say anything. Neither did Danzo.

"Very well." He reached out and tapped the contract. "I will sign as a witness. Here it is, as agreed upon yesterday. Danzo?"

Danzo stepped forward, leaning into his cane as he picked up the pen. He scratched out his name and then moved back again.

"Mirai-chan?"

I stepped up. My hand trembled as I reached for the pen. I took a deep breath and wrote out my name. Hiruzen reached out and took the pen from me, as well as the contract. He wrote his name out below ours.

"It is official. Legal. Binding." He steepled his fingers again and leaned back, glancing between us.

I turned to Danzo, pulsing chakra into my left wrist. I felt the seal shift as it activated. It almost felt like it was going to break my wrist, as heavy as it was with what it meant. I took a deep breath. "Danzo-sama," I murmured. "What do you want me to do?"