"Chibi-chan, made your decision yet?" Yataka asks as I choose between potatoes and onions. The end of the month is coming, and though I have money tucked away, I am not willing to spend it, and on top of that, I had already spent quite a bit of extra money on the tools, and Ami had spent quite a bit on the tea leaves that she was, to be fair slowly making back selling to Yataka. The way things looked, she might be able to do so in the future for tea and spices. Let's just hope she never mixes up her poison and products. That would be VERY bad.

"Potatoes." I say, nodding to myself. They're more filling, even if they aren't as flavourful as delicious onions.

"You must be excited to see Choji-kun," Yataka says, placing the potatoes with the other food I've bought as I fish out the right amount of coins, as I do so, I see Yataka sneakily add an onion to the bag too.

"I am," I say with a small smile. I can't wait until he's home.

"Well, it looks like they'll be back earlier than expected." Yataka comments, and I freeze, dropping my bag of coins. What? Back early?

"When?" I ask, keeping my voice steady, but I suddenly feel very cold. I want to see Choji, sure, but with their return comes the beginning, the TRUE beginning of my career as a double agent. I am… not looking forward to it. Just the thought makes me feel sick.

"Hmm… then end of the week, probably. Maybe I can get your help making a welcome home dinner. I'm sure they'll be hungry!" Yataka says with a smile, but I'm sure he can see my nerves, he is a ninja, and at the moment, I am not hiding them as well as I would like.

"Ya…. I'll help," I say with a weak smile giving the coins that I quickly pick up off the ground. I don't provide Yataka much time to answer before grabbing my bag and running off.

The more I run, the more I realize I probably need to tell Koharu about this or else my 'cover' will be blown. At the same time, though, Choza didn't give me permission to do so. So what do I do?

I feel my heart rate picking up with my panic as the deep calm soothes it. What do I do? Nothing in my life as Paige could prepare me for this! How was I supposed to be ready or know what to do? If I tell Koharu, I will betray the Akimichi for REAL. If I don't, she'll find out, and I doubt she will be ok with it and will then be suspicious of anything I do going forward.

I want to cry, but the calm holds the tears back. I want to scream, but I don't. I want to keep running past the wall and just keep going until I can't run anymore, but I know there is little use. This is my path, isn't it? Where would I go with just a little bit of money in a world full of people who could kill me in and heartbeat and would do it too?

I mean, there are plenty of civilians out there… maybe I could be one? Yet could I really get away? They wouldn't waste the resources dragging me back, would they? That's assuming I survive to make it to the first village, though… no running isn't an option. I have two options right now, tell Koharu or don't.

There isn't really an option. Choza wants me to feed information to Koharu, probably some false but primarily real. Information is powerful, not just knowing what others don't but knowing what others do. It's useless if all the information is doubted.

A part of me wants to hiss about how that's a good thing. If the data is useless, I am useless, and then maybe I wouldn't be used anymore, but I know it won't be that simple. There won't be a clean break. So I HAVE to tell Koharu.

I head home first, dropping off the groceries. I see Ami out on the platform fussing over her plants. I remember she said she'd be heading out later today to hang out with Fuki and Kasumi. A horrified yet at the same time sympathetic part of me wonders if this is how Itachi feels looking at Sasuke. That even if you feel like you are being torn apart, unsure of what to at the very least, one of the people you care about doesn't have to feel it.

Running my fingers through my hair, I don't alert Ami to my presence at all and slip back out, walking at a far more sedated pace through the streets, headed for the Hokage tower to talk to Koharu.

What if she asks about the Uchiha clan? I can honestly say that I don't know much about anything happening on that end. Hopefully, that will be enough.

I walk through the streets of Konoha. I know the way, so I don't need to ask for directions, and I try not to be noticed. I make my way toward Koharu's office, but only the door is closed, and I can hear voices coming from the inside. I can sense Koharu's chakra and two other chakras that are large and I familiar to me.

Eaves Dropping Proficiency Level has risen X2

Eavesdropping Proficiency Level 40

Ability to listen in on others' conversations without them knowing you are listening. Range 0.1m per level, 100% accuracy. -10% accuracy per additional 0.1m. Current ability range 4 m

Ok, not my intent, but I'll roll with it.

"Dangerous…." An old voice says deeply and definitely male.

"Don't be hasty." Another voice admonishes, and I know this time the voice is most definitely Koharu.

"It seems we have company." Another voice says, and I save the situation by knocking on the door. It swings open the moment I do, and I gulp. Like life isn't difficult enough? I see a man with grey hair and square glasses, Hamura. I am pretty sure. He wears a long white robe, and though he doesn't look dangerous at first glance, I can feel chakra beneath the surface, just waiting to emerge.

The other man, though… that man makes me freeze, my body screaming run, my senses overwhelmed beyond compare, and suddenly I am THANKFUL that the Hokage always keeps his chakra concealed if it is anywhere close to this. It's deep and intimidating, dangerous. However, there is something more to it, something unnatural. It feels volatile and compressed, weaving inside of his regular chakra, which is frightening enough. A man with a single eye, the other one covered by white bandages and a scar on his chin. Dark hair and a cane… Danzo Shimura.

"Did I come at a bad time, Koharu-sama?" I ask, gulping down my fear but not entirely. Just enough for it to be appropriate for a child to interrupt something they see must be important and not someone who who knows they are in a room with a mass murderer/kidnapper/silent dictator. His chakra feels bitter, like biting a lemon and reminds me of the type of wind that stings your eyes, forcing your gaze away. It sits there, dark like a night with a new moon with an icy chill that is an eternal reminder of why children need night lights.

Koharu's composure never falters, even as her eyes shift subtly toward Danzo. "No, dear, we were just wrapping things up, weren't we?" She asks with a friendly smile toward the two other elders.

"Yes." Hamura says, moving towards the door, but Danzo pauses a moment.

"And who might you be?" Danzo asks, and I wonder if he already knows the answer, I hope not, but it's not impossible. If he doesn't know my name, I certainly don't want to give it to him, yet at the same time, not answering will probably be more suspicious.

"One of my charges." Koharu answers quickly before I say anything, and I feel a surge of relief for that fact. The way she says the 'my' part is a little different than the rest of the sentence in a way that both creeps me out and reassures me. If I am Koharu's, then Danzo will keep away from me, right?

"I see." Danzo says, and the two remaining elders' eyes meet, having a conversation. I cannot begin to guess what about with only the look. "We will discuss matters later." Danzo then says and begins to walk away, walking right past my stiffly rooted-in-place body. His steps are entirely silent, but his cane's tapping echoes loudly down the corridor as it grows softer and softer, suddenly disappearing completely along with his chakra. The sound is intentional, then.

"Now, dear, what was so important for you to barge in?" Koharu says, and though her voice is even, there is some emotion hidden beneath it, obscured like the sea floor through raging waves.

"I… I found out some… stuff… but I wasn't sure…." I begin to say, measuring my words, letting my insecurity on the matter show. If I were perfectly ok with it, she would know something was up.

"Oh?" Koharu says a measure of praise in her tone that I do not like. I don't want to be praised for this. I want to be scolded. I want to reassemble some measure of the black and white, right and wrong I am sure only truly exists in fairy tales. "What might that be?" She asks in a bored tone but also contemplative.

"The… Choji and everyone are returning early… from their trip." I say, my voice steady even though I can feel my own chakra fluctuating up and down and try and smooth it out.

"Hmm… interesting." Koharu says, writing something down. "Anything else?" Koharu prods, and I wonder if she is now looking for information on the Uchiha. I breathe out in a controlled manner meeting her eyes.

"No." I say and expect some rebuke, even if only an eyebrow raise or a questioning look, but it doesn't come.

"Good job. I expect these reports regularly. However, to keep a measure of a distance, you will come through the academy entrance to the tower. I'll have you approved for access to this floor and the basement from which you will make your way to my office. Am I clear?" Koharu says, and I blink once, then twice, nodding, both confused and relieved she doesn't push matters with the Uchiha clan. Maybe they simply thought that Shisui and Itachi are spies enough? Or that the Uchiha wouldn't reveal anything to an outsider? Whatever the reason, I feel both horribly guilty and wonderfully relieved simultaneously. Now I will just have to keep lying to everyone I care about for… well, the rest of my life. No biggie.