DISCLAIMER- I own nothing!

…

The cold was so fucking miserable.

I'd not really had colds that much, as strange as it sounded for an 8-year-old. But it was true; any sign of a sniffle, Kaa-san would tuck me up against Hitoshi's furnace-like heat and fill me up to the brim with soup. As I wasn't going out to school or anything, the illness was usually blasted away before it could really take hold. Of course, I'd had some stomach bugs (but they were just 24-hour things you had to wait out) and I'd gotten chicken pox over and done with when I was three (I was glad I was too young to remember it the first time around) but actual colds? That lasted longer and wreaked havoc with your body? Not that common. Of course, there were much worse things out there but, for a kid and also a 20-year-old who'd never really experienced anything bad (the car and nose aside), it really crushed my mood.

That was the worse thing about being sick. You kinda forgot how it felt to be well again, as melodramatic as that sounded. You were just a bundle of snot and swollen, watery eyes.

I lay there for a while, squinting up at the swirling dust motes and trying to find the will to leave my cocoon of blankets. Finally, with a put-upon sigh, I peeled back my heavy duvet, pulling up the woollen socks that had half fallen off during the night, and shuffled downstairs for supplies. A box of herbal tea, some rudimental 'paracetamol', a flask of hot water (ay, look at me, thinking ahead) and a box of crackers with some cucumber. Getting my vits and all that.

Except for pee-breaks and to get more food, I kept myself as snuggled up as possible for just under three days. Sora-oba had been around briefly to check up on me, as she always did when I was home alone, but left quite quickly; she really couldn't risk getting anything or passing my cold onto Ino-chan. After her short visit, she must've immediately brewed some vegetable soup, which she sent around via Inoichi, who thankfully stayed for longer to cheer me up.

Still, the next three days were pretty hazy, even with the daily visits.

Hana popped around too but, as it was during school-time and the days were pretty short, she didn't get to stay very long before it started getting dark and she was due back at the Compound. However, the puppies were super cute for cuddles and Hana had me giggling over how her academy days were going so far. Apparently, it only took the fangirls until the third lesson of the day to sniff out Itachi as the object of their obsession.

I would pay good fucking money to see that boy chased by girls, who weren't even old enough for hormones. Talk about jumping the gun, ladies! (I made a mental note to try and make popcorn before witnessing such entertainment. It was just…corn in a pan, right?)

Anyway, it was after three days of misery that Hitoshi came home.

"And what," a deep drawl had me shooting up in bed, flinging the children's book from my hands in the direction of the intruder, "state have I come back to find you in, cub?"

The panther, evidently deeply unimpressed with my human weakness, leapt up to the bed and slumped beside me. The sudden scorching heat had me curling up into his side, my huddled body easily fitting against his tummy. I ignored the dust from the road that coated his fur, evidence that he'd come straight from the mission, and snuggled into his warmth.

Damn, I was glad he was home. I really did love that cat…not that I'd ever say it to the smug bastard's face.

"It's not like I chose to get sick, 'Toshi," I grumbled into midnight fur, already half asleep when the summon started purring. The vibrations were extremely soothing and I didn't even bother to hum back, way too sleepy.

"You're ridiculous enough to be at blame," he pointed out.

Shifting to encompass me, tail curling up to flick against my cheek, Hitoshi settled his head down on my back.

"Sleep, cub," his voice reverberated through my head, "Seiichi-sama will be back from the Tower soon."

…

"-And I will always loveeeee you-ooooh!" I belted out, wincing when my voice warbled out the shakier notes.

Whitney was super hard, okay? There was a reason why Simon Cowl always looked suicidal when the track started playing on the X Factor/BGT live auditions. And in Japanese? When I tried to sing it the original way, I sounded really disjointed and just plain weird. But like hell I was gonna completely revamp the entire thing.

Part of me felt bad for my neighbours. I was kind of surprised no one had come to see what poor animal was dying in my house but, well, ninja villages and all that. Weirder stuff happened…?

I probably sounded like a yowling cat, anyway. It was, hehe, the feline in me. And I was celebrating my voice returning to normal! Fuck you, cold!

With a final flourish, which was just a few beats too late to coincide with the song, I finished piping the icing on the last butterfly cupcake. They were simple chocolate and vanilla, decorated with orange and blue dyed icing and in cute little paper cases. Which I made whilst I was sick.

I'd never laugh at my sister's origami again. Not like she was around for me to laugh at her…ahh, you get the point. It took way too long and the house is now basically empty of paper. At least it was something to do when I was sick but it was annoying because I didn't even know how to do it (no glue stick to cheat, cry) and I had to keep them sanitary. Washing my hands and coughing out the window got really old really fast.

Never say I didn't see things through, though.

Humming the chorus, I popped the cupcakes into tubs I'd set out along the countertop before piling them carefully into my red cart. A quick glance in the mirror to make sure my ponytail wasn't stuck up embarrassingly (it had happened before and Shisui, cheeky bugger, didn't even tell me for the entire day), I donned my winter coat and furry boots before leaving the house, goodies in tow.

Wow, I hoped I wouldn't regret this!

Knowing myself, this could go very very wrong.

It had been almost a week since I'd almost killed Iruka and I'd been bed bound for three days whilst the cold raged war with my sinuses. Being miserable and sick had given me a lot of time to reflect on what had gone down between the other boy and I and I'd come to a conclusion.

Older, cinnamon roll Iruka was worth the difficulty of relating to his younger self!

I'd yank the brat out of his funk and then convince him to adopt Naruto! When he was older, of course, ahem.

But, for now, I'd settle for cupcakes at the orphanage.

The wind was bitter outside but, thankfully, the snow hadn't stuck that much to the ground. It was early January, so winter was still in full swing and it could certainly be felt.

"Hitoshi!" I yelped, shoving the cat in question towards the gate. Well, tried to might be a better description of what was going down; Hitoshi was as long as my dad was tall and definitely weighed more. "Please come with me!" I begged. Pride? What pride? I just didn't want to go alone.

"Why would I want to go with you to some orphanage, so some sticky faced brats can pull at my tail?" The bastard didn't even bother opening his eyes. It was winter; why was he on the porch anyway, if not to wait to go with me?

Sucker, I could see right through him.

"Tou-san told you to go with me if I left the house in this weather," I pointed out reasonably, pretty pleased that I actually had a mature retort for once.

One extremely unimpressed side-eye later and the two of us were heading off down the street. Hitoshi was leading, seeing as he knew the village like the back of his hand…err, paw… and I'd never been to the Orphanage before.

The neighbourhood started to looking increasingly, and predictably, rundown, even if the fine layer of snow meant that the blemishes and cracks in the concrete were hidden. It was like some of the alleyways that led from the market place, a bit dodgy but still okay. Was this place similar or better than where Naruto's apartment would be?

If the headcanon about the Red-Light District was right, I'd adopt the boy on the spot, child myself or not.

We'd been walking for about twenty minutes when I saw the sign for the Orphanage.

"Aw, hell," I grumbled, eyeing the stained wooden gates, warped from age until they bent crooked in their hinges. Surely a D-rank fence repair wouldn't break the bank? Okay, maybe now I was just getting judge-y. Sharing a glance with Hitoshi – err, should I knock or…? – the panther shoved his shoulder against one of the doors and strolled right on through.

Right, sorry, forgot I was travelling with the King of the Universe.

Poking my head through the gap to scope out the scene, I gingerly followed my compatriot. Why did I feel like I was breaking and entering? Well, the ninja cat certainly wasn't reassuring on the whole 'legality' front.

The gates opened up to a generic courtyard, half tarmac and half (currently dead) grass. There were a few balls abandoned around the place, dusted lightly with icing sugar-like snow. The building itself was a bit like an apartment block, washed sandstone with empty window boxes (not like anything would survive at this time of year). The noise inside, a muted and constant thrum of chatter, reassured me that there were people about. At least there was less of a chance of this being a wasted trip. Hitoshi had already started the stone steps up to the front door and didn't even glance back at me. Tch, rude.

I wish I could be so self-assured, I grumbled under my breath. (His ears twitched and I knew he'd heard.)

Reaching up to ring the door bell (and knock a few times, just in case), I found myself twisting my free hand into the fur at my guardian's neck, the other reaching behind me to hold the handle of the cart (still at the bottom of the steps).

An awkward moment later and the door was flung open, startling me so much I almost leapt a foot in the air and let out a short squeak.

Fuck, that was embarrassing!

A kid, maybe 12, stood in front of us, one hip cocked confidently to the side and still grasping the door like she'd slam it on our faces in an instant.

"Yes?" Well, shit, she even sounded in charge. Her brows were raised high on her forehead. Toffee latte skin and charcoal eyes that looked far too old in her face. Well, I recognised that impetuous look anywhere.

"Is Umino Iruka here?" I didn't beat around the bush. With girls like her, you were best off cutting to the chase. Any faffing and she'd cut you down to the quick.

"What do you want?" So that was a yes then.

I narrowed my eyes. "To see him, obviously."

She eyed me for a moment before letting me past. It was a bit awkward, turning around to lug the cart up behind me, but I resolutely ignored her as I shuffled inside. The hall way was considerably brighter, pale wooden floors and neutral green walls. An empty umbrella stand and a few stray toys with a white door at the end of the corridor and a long staircase along the far wall.

Hitoshi seemed to have zero issue strolling in like he owned everything, making a beeline for the door and casually reaching up to pull the handle with one forepaw. The room, obviously the main playroom, was stuffed full with kids. Some were only toddlers, all collected in a pen with cushions and a few carers keeping an eye on them. Most of them must've been around my age, a few closer to Ensui's age but, by then, most had either moved out as shinobi (legal adults) or in with their apprentice Masters.

There must have been 30 kids and I broke a sweat.

Aww, shit, I knew this would go wrong!

Slowly, our loitering in the doorway garnered some attention and then we had a bunch of brats blinking at us.

A little boy, ginger and freckly and 5-years-old, howled in excitement at the sight of the great, fuck-off cat beside me. Well, I'm sure that was a pleasant change for the big cat, seeing as I tried to maim him when we'd met. (That special pillow was safely on my side of the bed, by the way…)

Small hands wrapped around the cat as the kids started clambering to touch the 'Awesome-Ninja-Lion' (when I heard that, I fucking wheezed). The cat looked positively distraught, like I'd announced that dogs reigned supreme and I wanted to genetically alter him into a wolf. One day, I might just suggest that for kicks. He'd probably go grey all over from shock. Or, more likely, curl his lip in disgust.

Well, so much for pleasant surprise!

Glad for the distraction, I picked my way through the mob, relieved that I pretty much blended in with the other kids (if you ignored my outdoor clothing) and made my way to the 'reading corner'.

That bottle-brush ponytail was like a flare and I made a beeline for it.

Iruka was curled up on an old red armchair (worn like ones in Grandma's house), a book in his hands.

"Yo!" I popped up in front of him and he jumped so hard, he almost fell out onto the floor. Oops, but I wasn't too guilty. Anyway, if this kid was gonna be a teacher, he was going to need to develop eyes in the back of his head as soon as possible.

"I brought cakes!" I announced, smiling cheerfully down at the older boy as if we were buddies and not 'enemies' a few days ago. Fake it 'til ya make it, gal.

"I, err. I thought you might like some of my baking. Find out what all the fuss was about, ya know…" I shifted when Iruka made no move to right himself or speak. Strangely flustered, I shoved a couple of cupcakes I'd reserved for him into his arms before stepping back a bit.

Kami-sama, if I wasn't a socially awkward person. I'd been quite popular in my past life and quite the joker. Well, you lose some, you win some, I suppose.

"Ah-er-arigato, Kiharu-san…?" The ponytailed boy fumbled, scrambling back into place and looking supremely embarrassed. Well, that made two of us. He gingerly held the cakes in each hand and I almost made a joke about dropping them. Shit.

"I brought some for everyone else, as well." I continued on, hating the awkward pause. When Iruka blinked in surprise, I hurried on to explain myself, not wanting to sound like I was trying to 'buy' anyone. "I just-! I didn't want you to be the only one getting cake and I always bake in bulk anyway – force of habit, I guess – and this way, loads more people get to try my stuff and, yeah."

"That's…really nice, Kiharu-san." Iruka seemed to recover and he sent me a small smile. Maybe I wasn't so bad at this!

"Enjoy, Iruka-kun!" Nope! I was still stupid, and, with that smooth ending, I all but fled back to my increasingly-pissed off feline.

The chick from the door had taken the initiative and pulled my trolley through into the room and the hordes had descended. One of the matrons, Suki-san, rushed over to thank me for my little gifts and some kids – the older ones who had enough presence of mind to remember manners, were willing to or weren't stuffing their faces – gave me smiles and quick 'thank-you's as well.

Hitoshi looked like he was on a new level of 'so done with this shit' and seemed to be resisting natural instinct's call for violence by sheer force of will.

It was time to go.

We left in a flurry, assuring the kids that Hitoshi was busy as a ninja and the matrons that they could drop the boxes off at Ichiraku's next time they were in the market. I most definitely didn't look back at where Iruka was standing.

Nor did I wave at him as we left. Pfft.

(He looked bewildered, face pink and scowling with one hand raised in a weird little wave.)

….

When it was nearing the end of February (two months filled with snow, and rain, and Ino's migraine-inducing teething shrieks and Ensui crashing at ours to avoid Yoshino's nagging-), Hitoshi dragged me, screaming, to our back garden.

I feel it is only fair to note that the bastard was pulling me with his gross hunting-slobbery-crotch-licking mouth by my fricking ponytail.

"It," He dropped my head without care as he swaggered to sit in front of my corpse, "Has been almost a year, you wasteful lay-about."

"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes, rubbing my abused scalp as I sat up. "Whoopee, I'm almost 9."

"And you've yet to summon me." He was evidently insulted that I wasn't absorbed in the magnificence of his gift.

Honestly? I thought the idea was awesome. The idea. I could have Hitoshi around all the time and, when dad eventually died of old age, Hitoshi could still stick to me. But, at the same time, I was really nervous. It was hard to learn, okay, and a part of me still didn't feel like I even had chakra. I'd never known it and, whilst the horrible spine-shivers-'some-one's-walking-over-my-grave' feeling I got when my nose was healed touched on something, I'd never felt it. Aside from roof-hopping, Hitoshi occasionally disappearing/appearing in a cloud of smoke and some other stuff, I'd yet to really see any chakra-y thingies, like jutsu.

"You're going to try it, now." Hitoshi growled.

With a put-upon sigh, I slowly signed through the finger twisting shit I'd memorised before slamming one hand on the ground. All I was rewarded with was a smarting red palm. Oww-eee~

Hitoshi, now sat at the end of the garden so I'd be summoning him 'to me', sighed and ordered me to focus and do it again.

And so it continued.

For three weeks.

At this point I'd become aware of pins-and-needles in my wrist and worried that I was damaging my hands. Shisui told me that his chakra felt like it crackled in his veins, as his fire-nature was really strong. I asked him if my hand looked swollen to him before using it to yank his ear.

By my birthday, Hitoshi looked ready to spend the rest of his life making me do this. Whilst he was getting impatient (could you get impatient if you'd never been anything else your entire life?), the cat also seemed to be taking a sadistic pleasure in my pain. He probably thought we were suffering together somehow.

It was at the end of March when the pins-and-needles flared like an oil-burn on my palm and Hitoshi half-way landed like a sack of potatoes (170 pounds them) on my shoulders.

My first summoning! And the fat shit landed me back in Akane-sama's living room with a dislocated shoulder.

"AAHHHHHhhhrghhh-!" I screamed when the joint was forced back in. I wasn't sure, blinking away tears, what was more painful; the broken arm or the 'fixed' one. By the end of the day I'd make sure it was Hitoshi's balls that hurt the most, though.

My horrible summon, smug as fuck – despite my suffering and being yelled at by Dad, scolded by Akane-sama and almost strangled by an Ensui-Shisui tag-team –, told me to suck it up.

He shut up quickly when I asked Akane-sama if she knew any tips about purposefully botching a castration.

After that, there was truly no rest for the wicked. Whilst I was forced to practice every day (once was shoulder was healed…I milked it for as long as possible, of course, until Shisui wondered if I should go back to Akane-sama and I had to let it go), my summon was now at my beck and call like a good little minion.

I took malicious pleasure in summoning him into spaces he wouldn't quite fit or when I was around small children. I'd never walked past the academy and playgrounds so much!

…..

My fun was cut short when, half way through April, Yuri-oba-san got sick.

I'd known Yuri-oba as long as I'd been alive. Kaa-san had helped out at the dress shop for years, lending a hand when business was particularly stifling or she wanted something to do. After Kyuubi, Yuri-oba had always kept an eye out on me and I'd made it a habit to get the latest gossip from her dress-shop/seamstress boutique. When I felt down or bored, I'd always end up browsing her store and, despite calling her Auntie, Yuri-oba was the closest I'd ever had to a grandmother in this life. She was in her late sixties, not too old, but still starting to get on. Her hair, fading slowly from auburn to pepper-grey, was always in a high twist and I'd never seen her without her jade beads.

On a Tuesday morning, Yuri-oba collapsed in a coughing fit in the middle of a dress-fitting. Whilst she wasn't taken to a healer, I'd insisted on bringing Akane-sama to check her over. The two women, despite circumstances, got on rather well and, when I'd left to bring my washing in off the line, the two were talking easily.

It was a nasty chest infection, not great for anyone, but there was no use crying over spilt milk.

Yuri-oba had been a little girl when the village had been founded, her parents moving here when she was a little older than I was now. In my eyes, she was as much a fixture of the village as the streets themselves and I spent all day making chicken broth to prove it. She'd never had a family of her own after the death of her parents and I wasn't going to leave her alone when she was unwell.

My days got considerably more stressful.

Yuri-oba had closed the shop for almost two week at this point, but I knew it couldn't go on like this. Whilst she'd been slowly getting better, the cough in her chest was still nasty and there was no way she could go work at the moment. She'd had two shop assistants, Gin and Hoshiko, who'd started their apprenticeships a while ago (Gin, two years, Hoshiko, eighteen months) and, the following Saturday, I asked them to come in the next day. Sundays were always slowest, when everyone was lazing around and buying off the rack. The shop was only open 10-2 on a Sunday as well, so I felt it was a safe bet for what I had planned.

Now, I'd be in deep shit if I wasn't reincarnated. I'd worked a few Saturday jobs in café's and then in Zara so I wasn't going in completely blind. And I'd been around Yuri-oba's store from a very, very young age. I knew where everything was!

Except, apparently, the keys for the till.

"Just go and ask, Ki-chan," Gin patiently explained. I ignored her, rummaging beneath the countertop with blindly fumbling fingers. "Yuri-oba-san is asleep! She was coughing all night and only just settled down so it's super important she gets her rest!" I parried back, ignoring the blonde.

Twirling one wavy strand around her finger, Gin moved towards the stairs herself and I resisted the urge to throw something at her head. She was all 'cool-girl' at 15 and it was a bit grating on my nerves.

How dare she cheek me when I was the one running this show. At least Hoshiko was sweeter, if a bit quiet. In all honesty, they were both nice girls and I got on okay with them. I was understandably a little tense.

After locating the keys (in her room, you idiot), we opened up shop and our first customer arrived.

Kobayashi-san was a merchant's wife, plump and a bit on the well-off side of life. She wanted new shoes and I graciously led her over to browse the selection, helping her match a pair of red heels with the scarf she'd brought. After that, a few more women came in, either for advice or to browse and it was just like helping friends shop, if a little nerve-wrecking. We closed up just after 2pm, shooing out a few teenagers who'd been giggling over a lilac kimono for a good fifteen minutes. With a sense of satisfaction, knowing that Yuri-oba wasn't going to run out of money if we could keep this up, we split for the rest of the day.

I'd hurried back home, sorting out the washing with practiced ease before quickly starting my daily baking criteria.

This week's special was lemon meringue pie and it was flying out the fridge! (I'd had to awkwardly use a Bunsen burner as a bow-torch on the top…hehe.)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday went fine. The regulars asked about Yuri-oba and I took great pride in loudly chatting about how wonderful Akane-sama was, also mentioning how she'd so easily fixed my nose. When I saw Akane-sama smiled at by most of the shopkeepers in the Market on Wednesday evening, I patted myself on the back and treated myself to a slice of torte for dessert.

Thursday, I had my first nasty customer.

Now, I know, I know, 'the customer is always right~' but, let me say; that cow was so fucking wrong, okay?

"This is so tacky-" she whispered really loudly, fingering a green dress by the door. She didn't even have anyone with her to whisper to! And that signalled the start of her long tirade at the quality of the clothes. When Hoshiko went over to see what her issue was, she started in on her as well. My fellow brunette was only calmly explaining that most of the clothes were made within the shop when the woman started picking a fight.

We ended up asking her to leave, but she'd already made a scene and the other customers looked super uncomfortable.

I would never understand the thought processes of people like that! Ahh, there were always problem customers though, ones that were unnecessarily rude and acted like they only went shopping so they could vent some frustration of their next clueless victim.

Well, honey, not in this shop!

Other issues, however, started to crop up; women coming in, desperate for fittings and then leaving when we said we weren't skilled enough to help them. I was feeling pretty miserable about the whole thing (man, I fucking hated retail) and eventually Yuri-oba started working again, just with the fittings etc.

She was still weak and spluttering out the occasional cough but, sometimes it couldn't be helped. Whilst the girls and I had kept the money coming in, we weren't qualified for a business venture like that.

I wasn't going to be available at the end of the month anyway; Dad, turning a grand old age of 35, had been rewarded for 20 years of service with a month off from missions and, the sneaky minx, had kept it aside for when I was a bit older.

Like now, for example.

"Err, so where are you going again, Ki-chan?" Shisui inspected the knapsack bag Tou-san had bought for me and, when he tried to open it up for a peek, I batted his hands away. No way on this earth was I gonna let that boy glimpse my panties.

"Tea, or do you not pay attention?" Ensui replied on my behalf, lounging on my bed, as per usual. He looked well rested for once, finally caught up on the sleep he'd lost on Thursday's escort mission. And, of course, his eyeliner was sharp as his kunai.

Hot damn, what goals.

The Uchiha in question, now poking around on my desk, cheerfully tossed "Only when forced!" over one shoulder as he snooped. I didn't think too much of it, too busy holding up a mint green yukata and it's forest green twin up to Ensui (ignoring me and half asleep-I kicked him about a bit, of course) to decide between.

Well, up until Shisui (endearing thorn in my side) held up a music sheet and asked innocently what it was.

I swear to kami, I'd never moved so fast in my brief life. Flying through the air, Shisui knew better than to move; he could control the impact if I was allowed to hit him; whereas, if he dodged, there was a chance I'd break my nose for real this time.

I vaguely appreciated the effort.

With a loud thump, I sent us flying, hands already reaching before we'd even hit the floor. We landed in a heap, Shisui barking out a surprised laugh but I was all business.

"Give-that-here!" I punctuated each word with a thump of my fist and whined when Shisui flapped the page just out of my reach. Sitting on top of the boy, I used my longer reach to pry at his fingers.

And then he Shunshin-ed away.

"Cheater!" I yelled, jumping upright, looking a mess and breathing hard. Shisui was curled behind Ensui's bored form, using the older boy as a meat shield. Ensui didn't even look bothered, neither annoyed or disturbed by our rough-housing. What a weird 17-year-old, sometimes, not at all phased that his best friends weren't even teenagers yet. Loved him for that though. And I was his favourite, I reasoned.

"Ensui~" I grinned wickedly, "Please grab him." My smile turned smug when the older Nara sighed and rolled his eyes but still reached around for the other boy.

And then I went sour when he simply pulled the paper closer, eyeing the words with interest.

"Well? What's all the fuss?"

Levelling both boys with a frosty glower, I cut the moment short. "I write songs, sometimes."

They blinked in shock in union, sharing a look before glancing between the paper and my face.

When they started grinning, I started throwing things.

….

A/N- Hey! This one was pretty sweet to write, and ironic since I caught a cold in Stockholm and was just as ill when I wrote it, haha. Hope everyone enjoys the dynamics and has a great Easter, if I don't post before then! Also, thanks all for your wonderful support, I read and laugh (when appropriate, obviously) at every comment :)

Thank you! x