DISCLAIMER- I don't own Narutoverse etc or have any rights to the media etc I name-drop, that just me referencing casually.

…..

Why couldn't things be simple, eh? My Kaa-san would've sprouted some sagely advice about how the best things in life had to be earned.
There was a difference, I would then reason, between troublesome-but-worthwhile ventures and things that just took the piss.

...like trying to make structurally-sound gingerbread houses!

…..

Tea country was glorious. The weather had warmed up nicely, leaving the majority of the trip filled with streaming sunshine and baby blue skies.

The two weeks of travel to reach the first town were slow and strangely sedate. I could tell that Hitoshi and Neko-tou were used to travelling fast, jumping between the trees and being on high alert. I, on the other hand, had never travelled the land before. Hikes in the countryside and high-speed travel in cars, boats, planes and on my beloved motorcycle were all experiences from a previous life.

I was, with my short lil legs, quite happy to maintain our comparatively leisurely pace.

The first night under the stars (the sheet of canvas that was the roof of our tent didn't really count), was awesome. Sure, I was lying on what felt like the sharpest collection of rocks this side of Fire country and Hitoshi was meant to be sleeping outside before deciding that I was a better choice of mattress, but it was so exciting! I'd only really slept in tents at festivals before and there was a certain thrill to it!

Maybe it was the uncertainty of a toilet or the constant fear of animals and creepy crawlies mauling us!

Okay, but in all seriousness, I was both excited and squeamish. Not to sound like a spoiled brat but, well…dad and Hitoshi were both boys.

As in, they peed standing up.

I needed a bit, err, more than that and well…the conversation had been beyond awkward. I'd been surrounded by girls in my previous life. In this one, I was always around boys and I'd probably have to prepare myself for more than a few awkward conversations…like periods...and bras…

Oh, hell.

Anyway, after having to remind my companions that I couldn't just take a whizz against a tree, travelling got a bit better when I was allowed to move away from the two and take a bit more time.

When we got into town, I kept an elbow in Tou-san's ribs, a reminder that I wanted the use of a shower before we did anything.

The hot water was glorious, even if the cubicle was pokey and not the cleanest.

I don't know if I've mentioned before but summons…were a bit weird. They were animals, of course, and didn't understand things like privacy etc. but, with a higher intelligence and raised in human households like actual people, by rights they should have been a bit more aware of some social cues. Before, the lady next door to us had had an old tabby that would come in the window. The amount of times I'd been getting changed and feel her curl around my legs… my roommates had even woken up to her laying on their backs. But anyway, Hitoshi was like any animal, albeit an extremely intelligent one, and even if he should have understood by now, he didn't get what humans were always fussing about.

So, when I took a shower to wash the dust from the road, I was soon shoved over by a carnivorous intruder.

"'Toshi!" I caught myself against the wall before throwing my summon an ugly scowl, "I was in here first, idiot! Wait your turn!" The cat, as always, ignored me in favour of wiping his filth along my side. I wasn't even 10 yet but I was still naked and threw the cat a strange look.

"Listen, cub, don't get all self-conscious with me now. By your standards, I'm a grown male waltzing around naked all the time…" He grumbled on a bit more about children and wrong species and I rolled my eyes as I wiped away the mud along my ribs.

Hitoshi was filthy, turning the water brown just by being stood under it, and I shuddered to think he'd maybe not washed since the last time I'd forced him into the bath…a month ago…

It took an age, lathering his fur until it was clean, and I didn't stop until he was sparkling. If he wasn't going to wash regularly, then I'd have to make the most of when I could get him to.

On the plus side, my hair spent ages with conditioner in and was super glossy when it dried.

Once we'd cleaned up, we set off back into the town for dinner. We found a nice little BBQ stand and shared a rack of ribs between us. (After taking one look at the prices and 'Toshi's licked chops, dad firmly shooed the panther to hunt outside of town for his own dinner, lest he bankrupt us on the first night.)

It was…a bit emotional, in all honesty, spending time with just dad. Here, there weren't any family members, friends or missions to drag one of us away.

Dad had been so busy, away almost all the time, but then so had I been. Between helping Yuri-oba, baking for the stand and babysitting, we'd scarcely done more than share dinner and the house.

We talked until late, chatting about the cakes and funny memories as a child. Dad told me a bit of what he'd been like, just as silly and emotional as he was now. He'd been an only child, born to much older parents (an oops-baby or a miracle, I assumed) and an average student. He'd been on a genin team with Inokumo-oji and all but adopted by the two brothers, Best Man at Inokumo's wedding (and vice versa) and worked a lot with my uncle, even when the other two were promoted to Jonin.

I'd learnt so much about the man who raised me in a single night and it set the tone for the rest of the trip. The next day (after sharing a bed when Hitoshi refused to move from mine), we explored the market and then left via the road, heading slowly towards the sea. We spent the next few weeks exploring the tea fields (I bought so much tea that dad was forced to seal them into storage scrolls when Hitoshi started looking like a pack mule), before we finally hit the coast.

The sea was a glorious turquoise, like when I'd visited Turkey with an old boyfriend, and scorching hot. The sun, reflected off the sea, was blinding and the heat hit like a wave the closer we got. Travelling south-east of Fire country, I should have expected it. The next few days were spent on the seaside, filled with early morning swims before the sand got too hot to walk on, sunburns and Hitoshi whining about the heat of his fur.

Tough titties, buddy.

Dad got a seemingly-permanent stripe of red across his nose and cheekbones and I had resigned myself to being pink for the rest of my life. My skin, fair from being inside an awful lot and from my mum's genes, slowly had shifted from pale to olive to deeply tanned. The lines were awful and there was a constant pink tinge, but I thought I'd look brilliant when I finally rocked up back home.

On the coast was where I bought the last of my gifts for everyone back home. I'd already picked up a selection of fancy teas for Mikoto, teas for the lungs for Yuri-oba, and a box of mini dango for Itachi (as much as it physically pained me, I gnashed my teeth and told myself he'd love it). Ino got a coral necklace, a dumpling-shaped plushie for Chouji and some badass sunglasses for Shika.

That had me cackling, having flashbacks to The Hangover movie.

Ensui got a selection of shell and natural-remedy pigments. They could be used as paints (he used to paint when he was younger) or as toxin-free make-up. There were also some little tools for crafting, all about as long as my hand and wrapped in decorated leather. After being countlessly forced to fix the tools in the Compound by Yoshino, Ensui had started showing a bit of an interest in building something.

As a ninja who generally destroyed, I thought creative hobbies were an absolute must.

For Shisui, I'd gotten him earrings. Neither of us had any piercings but we'd talked about getting them done together. Ensui, as part of Nara tradition, had had his lobes pierced with studs when he'd been a child and, when he made Chuunin in the winter, Shikaku-sama had given him hoops. But, Shisui and I were going to go get them done together, when I turned 10 (dad's only request). But these were beautiful and I knew he'd love them. They were simple silver hoops but, hanging freely from each, was a single bell. They were heavily engraved with seals and, when I'd asked Hitoshi what they meant, he said they delayed the chime by a few seconds.

I could imagine how awesome that would be when he was fighting, Shunshining everywhere but the chimes echoing just a moment too late, making him even more unpredictable.

They were gorgeous too, which was a plus.

So, after five days on the coast and almost three weeks into our trip, we started moving back towards Fire.

The last week was just as lovely as the rest had been but…it was also melancholic.

We wouldn't be able to do this again for a long time, maybe not ever. Dad would have to save up another twenty years of service to pull off another trip like this. As a ninja, I doubted that would be possible. If he was a Jonin…he could do it in 12 years and if he was an elite? Six.

But, anyway.

Dad would be heading straight out on a mission when we got back and I'd have to make up for any lost revenue whilst I was away, a backlog of orders and a slew of issues that will have happened in my absence. And the trio of my babes could have made a fuss without me around to settle them~

I wouldn't have changed this month for the world though.

…..

When we returned, late at night, Tou-san collapsed into bed with the warning that he'd be reporting for a mission first thing in the morning.

I mentally waved my family time goodbye.

Puttering around the house the next morning felt both saddening and relieving. It was good to be home, the familiar cold floors underneath my padding bare feet, my kitchen (fridge stocked thanks to Sora-oba) and my beloved bed. But…it had been so good to get away from everything, be a kid with just dad and Hitoshi.

It hadn't been that easy since kaa-san died.

So, once I was dressed and armed with all my gifts, I made my rounds of the village. I was eager to see everyone again, even if it was just familiar faces in the street. I'd never felt so short as I had in the crowd of strangers in the different towns, the unfamiliar market places and alien stalls. Even just little things like awkwardly smiling at Iruka as he hurried past, grinning at whoever was on gate-duty at the Uchiha Compound or simply recognising the merchants as they moved through the streets.

I'd scarcely stepped out of the house before I was waylaid by Gin and Hoshiko, who immediately started gushing (in their own ways) about my deep tan and the silken ribbons I'd bought them, as well as all the gossip since I'd been gone. Yuri-oba was seated at the counter at the shop when they ushered me inside, her face still pale and she wheezed quietly when she breathed. She kissed my forehead when I pressed the medical teas into her hands, savouring the scrap of affection from my pseudo-grandmother.

Hurrying to the market place, I quickly swung by Teuchi' s to press some spices into the older man's hands and a red bandana into Ayame's. Then, it was across to Genma's place, knowing full well there was a good chance none of them were around. I could always give the other presents out when I went to Inoichi-oji' s place for dinner tonight. And Shisui and Ensui were away right now.

Surprisingly, Genma answered the door, looking absolutely exhausted.

With his wrist in a cast.

"Nee-chan!" I squeaked, pointing furiously at the evidence of a wound. "This is why we can't leave you alone!" I stepped inside, making myself at home once I'd slipped off my shoes and melted into the sofa. I set out the spices I'd picked up for him, innocuous ones like nutmeg, which could be used as poisons in highly concentrated doses. Good for slow or extra sneaky poisonings (that part I tried not to think of in practice). I also pulled out the pair of mugs I'd bought from a cheap vendor, 'Husband' and 'Wife' mugs. A couples present for my love-birds, of course.

"We?" Genma's eyebrow twitched and I grinned evilly at the trap he'd set himself up for.

"Raidou and I, of course!"

…..

When it was September, Ensui celebrated his 18th birthday.

When we'd met, my 7 to his 16, he'd been in the midst of puberty with long coltish limbs and spots along his jaw. His nose had been long and eyes a bit too small to be considered handsome around here, surrounded as they were in green eyeliner.

With another two years under his belt, as well as a promotion, Ensui had grown up quite a bit. He was tall now, almost my dad's height of 6 foot, and his hair was even longer, falling from the customary high pony to brush his shoulders. He looked…more complete, his jaw firmer and shoulders broader. His skin had cleared up a bit, although from past experience, I could confirm that bad skin could continue far into your twenties. The constant exercise, however, seemed to have helped his complexion and I mourned internally that I wouldn't have that advantage, tucked inside with tempting cream. He wasn't dreamy, like I'd seen girls sigh over Dad, or Sexy like Genma, but he did have a bit of a smoulder going on. I couldn't wait 'til I was older and we could go out drinking together and we'd smash the town with our fierce make-up! Speaking of…

This party was…different from the others I'd attended up to now. Whilst most parties had been either focused on children or much older adults, this was the first year that Ensui really felt much older than Shisui or I.

We'd been invited, of course, but Ensui's various Chuunin friends had been as well. And they were all his age.

And…drinking.

Damn, I missed me a 'Porn Star Martini'.

A bottle of sake had been cracked open at some point and the group, a few girls and more guys, were laughing loudly, jeeringly encouraging the birthday boy to take a swig. Shisui looked as deeply uncomfortable as a social butterfly (and yet, an Uchiha) would let themselves outwardly show and I felt just as disjointed. We'd opened gifts (Shisui had paid for half of the tools I'd bought in Tea – the pigments had been his official souvenir – and we'd given them to him earlier. He'd loved them.) and eaten cake and then the younger Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi 'cousins' had been taken home. I was due to meet Hitoshi just after 9 to walk home, giving us older 'kids' the chance to relax together for a bit longer without any of the adults or children around. I'd just made the cut but, seeing how close I was to Ensui, the adults hadn't thought too much of leaving me with the rest of them. The party was supposed to be perfectly innocent, Shisui not much younger than the youngest of the other Chuunins but, well, the older boys had come prepared.

And that's how we got here.

'Here', as in, huddled in the corner of the furthest sofa, two preteens trying not to kill the mood.

Part of me (the twenty-year-old that had been dying for a night of clubbing after 9 years) wanted to swan right into the proceedings, taking part in the drinking games like there was no issue and teach them all beer pong.

But…I was a fucking kid and an awkward one at that.

One of the girls, a 19-year-old strawberry-blonde named Kiki who was perched on the arm of Ensui's armchair, slipped her arm around his shoulders and tipped her head to giggle in his ear.

Something hot and bitter curled into my stomach and I found myself slipping my fingers into Shisui's.

Was I…jealous?

It was strange, I held no romance in this too-young body and I didn't think I felt anything of the sort for the older Nara, but I knew that feeling well. I felt it when I saw kids with their mums or when Noko had made friends outside of the academy. When Izumo and Kotetsu became close to Mari-chan on their genin team, when Shisui had to leave me for training.

It was the feeling of people moving away from me.

I was a…fairly possessive person. I didn't try and control people but the emotions still came, nevertheless. It came, I had figured, from losing everything in my previous life. It made me hold on even harder to the things I'd gained in this one. It was also, maybe, because I was a civilian. Even though I'd never wanted to be a ninja, I still felt like I'd been missing out on something. I had only a few civilian friends, the girls from Yuri-oba's shop and the market stall owners. But they were all older, adults for the most part, so that didn't really count.

Ensui and Shisui, and the others, were my best friends, my boys. I felt…a bit left behind.

Maybe it was from being an only child in this life. Maybe I was just selfish.

I wasn't going to spoil Ensui's birthday though.

Threading my fingers through Shisui's, I turned to smile at my best friend, who was staring down at our hands with surprise and pinked cheeks.

"Come on, Shisui," I leaned over to whisper, casting another glance at the commotion of teenagers. "Let's have some fun, ay?"

The Uchiha perked up again, knowing that, whatever mischief I pulled, he'd have a laugh and happily followed along when I pulled him across the room to the table.

Clearing a spot, I started setting up rows of cups facing each other in a triangular formation.

Ensui's friends eventually noticed and moved over, still babbling as they passed the bottle around. I'd already whispered the rules to Shisui and the older boy looked eager to try.

In a house full of ninja and alcohol, this could either go very, very well or very, very badly.

Osamu, one of Ensui's more recent teammates and a tall brunette of 15, was the youngest there besides us. The boy was nice enough, smiley and cheerful as he moved over to where we were setting up.

"What's all this, Kiharu-chan?" he grinned, gesturing at my set up. Thankful I had an easy way of introducing the game, I beamed in return and held up the ball I'd found, left over from one of the kid's earlier.

"Beer pong!" I announced. "You try and bounce the ball into the cups at the other side of the table. If you get it in, you drink and, whichever team gets rid of their cups first, is the winner!" That was the simplest version I knew, something easy enough for me to have 'thought up' and get everyone playing. Shisui and I had cups of juice, to replace the sake I'd dished out between the cups, and I beckoned the others over to join.

A few of the girls cooed over how sweet I was and the eldest boys ignored me, but Ensui had been setting a standard all evening by treating us like equals so, for the most part, no one was too 'I'm older, I'm better' towards us.

The first round was a bit chaotic, no one really remembering the rules, but then Shisui took on all the boys at once by himself and destroyed them, the ball flying so fast I could barely see it, and then the game was on.

Eyes considering, the boys re-evaluated my best friend and then, as I predicted, it all went to fucking hell.

By 10pm, half an hour after I was due to meet Hitoshi, Tou-san had dragged both Shisui and I out by our ears, bellowing about irresponsible teenagers and bad influences around his baby-girl. I think at that point, Shisui was just collateral damage in his eyes. Yoshino was yelling behind us about how she'd never been more appalled and I had little doubt that Ensui would be suffering more than a hangover in the morning.

Shisui was, to put it lightly, off-his-face drunk at the age of 10.

Staggering along before dad slung him like a sack of potatoes over Hitoshi's back, the Uchiha was giggling as he swung our joined hands between us. Two rounds in, Shisui had been out of juice and a few of the boys, who had disappeared for a bit and then come back with a few bottles under their arms, had started refilling the cups. Shisui, still a lone wolf against the others, was playing so quickly he didn't bother with distinguishing glasses.

The noise of the ball being catapulted through the kitchen wall had summoned Yoshino like an angel of vengeance.

At that point, I was being cuddled by Aimi (just a little against my wishes) as she drunkenly talked about her ex boyfriends and lamented over the stupidity of boys. Like jeeze, girl, I feel your pain but can you not squeeze me so hard? She was crushing me quite firmly against her boobs and I was feeling a bit of chest envy, missing my own girls after 9 years. Kiki moved over to us, swaying around as she walked barefoot, and plopped herself down beside Aimi and I, where we were cuddled under a duvet (from who-knows-where Aimi had found it) and on the cold kitchen tiles.

Yoshino and Dad, on separate missions (one for the riot, one as a rescue), burst into the house from two different directions and uncannily at the same time.

Finding me being crushed between two plastered older girls as they told me how to turn a persistent creep down, Tou-san looked apocalyptic. When his eyes drifted around the room – taking in the up-ended furniture and spillage of alcohol, Shisui in the centre of the impressed Chuunins and a ghostly pale Ensui backing away from Yoshino's terrifying visage (my idol) –, he grabbed the two of us kids and frog-marched us out of there.

I barely had time to say bye, waving back at Osamu's drunkenly-happy wave as the door slammed shut behind us.

After that, Ensui was grounded for, seemingly, 'life' and Shisui had nursed his first hangover at our place. He'd been very dizzy before bed and, taking pity on his growing bewilderment, I tucked him in between Hitoshi and I, a bucket at hand. Not wanting to make the poor boy uncomfortable (and feeling the laser stares of Neko-tou and 'Toshi), I'd only stripped him of his jacket and sandals and dressed in my full-length pyjamas.

Shisui slept solidly, slobbering as per usual, until 11am. Thankfully, I'd already been up and showered, dressing in a casual pinafore and crawling back into bed. Shisui was snuggly and smelled amazing (if you ignored the smell of spirits), can you blame me? But anyway, Shisui came-to with a croaky groan and I easily tipped the bucket under his chin just in time. A messy few minutes later, the older boy sat back with a groan and I wiped his forehead. Shisui looked around my room and turned scarlet when he noticed where he'd spent the night, never mind the fact the Hitoshi was still dead to the world beside him.

"K-Ki-chan, did I sleep in your room?" His voice was the squeakiest I'd ever heard it and I smiled in amusement. Shisui was planning on going for Jonin in a few years, did he really have to ask such obvious questions?

"Of course!" I ignored his bluster, leaning over to press a cold glass of water to his lips and tipping it before he'd recovered, successfully spilling it all down his face. "You were really sick, I didn't want to leave you alone," My smile turned more tender, thinking about if Tou-san had let him go home to that cold and empty house, waking up alone and sick with no one (his Aunt, what's-her-bitch-face, would have surely ignored him so long as he wasn't dying. I got that she was an old crone who was resentful for never having activated her Sharingan, but what a heartless cow-). My mind came back to find my fingers had passed the glass to Shisui and were now sweeping back the curls sticking to his clammy forehead.

"Do you want to lie down again? Or would you rather have some breakfast?" Shisui, obediently passing me the glass when he'd finished and downed the meds I've given him, asked if it would be okay to sleep a little longer and I gladly pulled the covers back up. Unable to resist (I'd been good for years), I pulled Shisui closer, pressing on his shoulders until he confusedly rested his head in my lap.

"Go back to sleep, Shi-kun," I smiled as I happily sank my fingers into his curls and my best friend, red-faced and flustered, gradually relaxed back to sleep.

His curls were beautiful, springy and soft and I promised myself I'd insist on this again.

When he woke up after noon, I made a big breakfast and made him choke it down. And for Shisui to groan at the sight of a platter of my cooking? Boy must've felt like death, ha-ha!

He'd thank me later~

…..

It was just after I'd finished my Christmas dinner, months later, that ninja burst into the house.

I was alone again, Dad and 'Toshi two days into an escort to Iron, and I decided I hated growing up basically alone. I was feeling strangely resentful, remembering a childhood filled with cousins and siblings and a cul-de-sac that always had kids playing on the curbs.

Shisui had turned 11 in November, a party that had not been a disorderly mess but a stuffy tea-party of Uchiha elders (Shisui was, after all, the current clan favourite. Itachi, taking the academy by storm and blitzing through grades, was still an academy student), peppered with a few of us kids. I'd finally given Shisui the earrings and he'd been delighted, tucking them into his breast-pocket and then swinging me around in a hug.

He'd been doing that a lot since he'd grown a bit, now just a hairs-breadth taller than me, to my disgruntlement.

But anyway, Shisui had turned 11, the kiddies were now 2 and Tou-san was still gone all the time.

I was cleaning the dishes, some from my duck roast dinner and most from my earlier cooking. Stress cooking, I'll admit. I'd made two massive gingerbread houses (and cried over them when they wouldn't stick- it was stressful) and I'd end up delivering to them Teuchi for lack of anything better to do with them (I'd never introduced ginger before, let alone two mansions of it). So, I'd been stuck at the sink for a while.

It had been silent all evening, nothing but the padding of my socked feet and the sounds of cooking, eating and washing echoing in the house.

I was humming at some point, then mumbling. Soon I was singing, belting out 'Best Thing You Never Had' (slowly, I was no Beyoncé) when there was a small explosion of smoke and Shisui appeared in the middle of the kitchen.

I screamed, throwing the soapy rolling pin in his direction and staggering back.

"Kiharu!" His face scared me, something panicking in his eyes, and I wondered who was injured. What had come to ruin this week further?

Two quick steps and Shisui launched himself at me, ignoring my soapy arms and sweeping me tightly against him. Another bang and Ensui burst in the front door, breathless and tense. He looked extremely relieved when he caught sight of the two of us in the kitchen, immediately moving to join in the embrace.

"Come on," he encouraged, spread arms shepherding us towards the back door. Shisui slung me over his back into a piggy-back, which was so weird considering the fact we were the same height and, by rights, he shouldn't be able to lift me so easy. Not missing a beat, they both ran out onto the lawn before leaping up onto our roof and then making their way to the Yamanaka Compound. Just two streets over, I caught sight of Chouza a few rooftops away, his arm raised as he signed to Ensui, sweeping us in the direction of the Yamanaka's.

What the ACTUAL fuck?

"What's going on?" I demanded, only to be just as ignored as I had been this entire time. I wasn't a fucking bag of potatoes, some commodity to be slung over shoulders – what was happening?!

I racked my brains for an event, anything, but, after almost 10 years, all memories had started fading and canon had started to blur. I'd already sacrificed so many memories of my previous life in order to focus on remembering the plotline and there wasn't much more I could do. I easily remembered Naruto's story the most, as the protagonist it was only natural, but the rest was much more difficult.

"Stop, STOP IT!" I yelled, snarling at Ensui beside me. We paused in a tree and I leaned into Shisui's ear to snarl, "I'm not some scroll you can pick up and take somewhere; tell me what's happening?!"

Hands, hard and too strong, gripped me from Shisui's back and then Ensui was all up in my face, looking truly pissed for the first time in a long while. Shisui, whipping around to face me as well, looked just as angry, looking around warily like this was fucking covert-ops.

"Shut the fuck up, you idiot!" Ensui hissed, faced pressed right up against mine. "We're trying to look after you, okay?" My expression dropped in shock as Ensui roughly grabbed me up and continued leaping, not even bothering to get me settled. We dropped into the Compound in a stony silence and I'd not failed to notice that they'd not given me a real answer. Sora-oba already had the door open when we reached the steps, thanking the boys with honest relief and gathering me under her wing.

"Kiharu," Sora-oba pressed me into a sofa, "Thank god you're alright."

"What's happening, Oba-san?" I growled, sat on the edge of the seat and severely pissed off.

"There was a breach in security, Nekki," My Aunt sighed, settling in beside me, "The family and the boys were worried for you, alone in the house, and these two insisted on going to get you, so that I could stay with Ino."

In a sudden flash of clarity, I remembered.

Kumo and Hinata, the kidnapping. She was three now, wasn't she?

"Kaaaaa-san~" A small blonde head bobbed around the corner before blue eyes caught sight of me.

"Neee-kiiiii!" and Ino clamped herself onto my legs. She was tall for a two-year-old, walking shakily and with burningly bright eyes. I swung her up into my lap, glad for the excuse not to have to look at the two boys sat stiffly opposite me.

I'd been a brat and, in all honesty, I wouldn't look so much like a horrible bitch if they'd not slung me up like a carpet.

"Imouto, hey-ya," I smiled happily, tucking her head under my chin and purring without prompting. "Shall I, err-" I glanced at my aunt and then down at my limpet, "-put her to bed, Oba-san?" when Sora nodded, I clambered to my feet and sneakily glanced at the two boys.

Who were ignoring me.

I wondered how it was that Shisui and Ensui had known my aunt wanted me moved here and, suddenly, guessed that they'd both ignored the alarm and come for me instead and Oba-san was simply giving them an alibi. Maybe. Perhaps.

Idiots, I thought guiltily.

Setting Ino into her bed, I rubbed her back in time to my purrs, feeling her fists unclench and breathing deepen as she fell asleep. She nuzzled into her pink pillow when I lowered her down, sighing happily as I reached to turn on her soft yellow night-light. I pressed a kiss into her forehead and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

I wasn't in any danger from Kumo; not a ninja, important, rich or in possession of a bloodline. But, then again…fear made you paranoid. I was home alone, one of two holders of the Big-Cat summoning contract, whose origins were uncertain, and a ridiculously easy target. I could be used to put pressure on the Ino-Shika-Chou leaders, the Uchiha, a large part of the Market-place and business owners and had been a favourite of the Yondaime.

Aw, shit, I had more political impact than I'd ever considered.

The boys had probably just been scared, thinking the village unsafe, and wanted to make sure I was firmly in their sights.

I suppose I'd have to apologise.

…..

They'd been avoiding me for a few days before I caught them, shamelessly using Yoshino and Mikoto to corner them at a quiet spot on Yamanaka land.

They froze when they caught sight of each other and, then, of me.

I was stood in a cherry-pink yukata with a fur coat and a trolley of their favourite treats parked behind me. I was nervous, unsure if they would just leap or Shunshin away before I could even open my mouth. When they simply stood there, I felt slightly better. Coughing awkwardly, remembering their disappointment when I'd violently refused to do this for the past 6 months, I took a deep breath-

"Let it go,

Let it roll right off your shoulders.

Don't you know,

The hardest part is over-"

My voice was the only noise as I shakily made my way through 'Little Wonders' from that Meet the Robinsons movie, hands nervously grasping the sheet of translated lyrics in my hands. I stuttered and stumbled, trying to fit the foreign words into the familiar tune and also, when I made the mistake of risking a glance upwards to see the two boys in front of me. It was easier when I pretended they weren't there, burning me with their eyes as they gaped, and I slowly relaxed. The notes came easier and the long verses didn't seem so bad anymore.

When I finished, belting out the last few lines, I cracked my eyes and immediately remembered that I was performing.

My violently red face felt like it was steaming in the cold.

Ensui was smiling, face still surprised, but eyes smug as he understood just what I was doing.

Shisui was catching flies.

"I, err," I choked, coughing awkwardly, "I'm sorry for screaming the, the other night. I don't like being treated like I'm something pathetic, lifted and laid, but I'm sorry I didn't trust that you were just trying to watch out for me."

Ensui stepped forward and hugged me with one arm. He was so tall now and I easily slotted in under one arm. The thought made me warm, for some reason. "I'm sorry, too, Ki-chan. We shouldn't have just grabbed you like that, without explaining and scaring you."

He ruined the moment by leaning behind me and swiping a mini Yondaime's. Tch.

Turning hesitantly towards Shisui, I took in his wide eyes and rolled mine.

"It wasn't that bad, right?" I slowly walked closer, snagging his hand and pulling him towards the trolley. "It was meant to be an apology, not shock you to death!"

"Ignore Shisui," Ensui mumbled around the entire tart he'd shoved in whole. "He's incompetent; you have a good voice, Ki-chan, and your song was very well written."

"Y-yeah!" Shisui jerked back to life, like the little dork he was. "I was just surprised, you said you'd rather shave your head than sing for us!" he eyed my hair nervously and I prayed no one would hold me to that-

"-in fact, you should sing for more people!" Ah, ha ha, cute! No.

"-I'll mention it to Mikoto-sama-"

I shoved the slice of tart in Shisui's hands into his mouth, effectively shutting him up before he got the idea of a concert or something in his head.

I was going to kill these two if I had to, in order to keep this as under wraps as possible.

"Anywayyyy," I drawled, pretending I wasn't choking one of Uchiha prodigies, and turned to Ensui. "What's happening with Kumo, now?"

The older boy sighed, taking the handle of the cart and leading us back towards the main house and out of the cold.

"They have demanded that Hiashi-sama is turned over to them, as compensation for the murder of their ambassador."

"What! They can't say something like that, wasn't he trying to steal that little girl, the Heiress, right?"

Ensui sighed again and I could almost hear the 'troublesome'.

"The only one who could confirm that is dead, the would-be kidnapper himself."

…

Itachi graduated the academy at the record-breaking age of 7, spending only a single year within its walls and I was at home, screaming into my pillow, within an hour of hearing the news.

Fuck, fuck, shitty fuck fuck-

Dammit, Itachi! The village was buzzing!

The Uchiha were beyond smug, Fugaku one of the worst. The rest of the village, especially the civilians? Words like 'wary', 'suspicious' and 'intimidated' worked pretty well.

I'd been so fucking busy trying to make them look good, making a spectacle of myself in the market place when I waved like a loon at any Uchiha I recognised. Akane-sama was one of the most appreciated for her help with Yuri-oba (and their slowly growing friendship since then) and I'd always stood out for running around with my arms looped with a brightly beaming Shisui.

Itachi was an unwitting difficulty. He didn't mean to make me suffer this way~

But I'd been trying for so long to try and make the Uchiha look more approachable, integrate them slowly back into the village. And then here comes Itachi, the son of the Clan Head, a man known for having his head shoved so far up his ass like Hiashi-sama, and a genius that leaves his peers in the dust. He was a 'natural' shinobi and, in being so, a threat.

To the Uchiha if he favoured the village. And for the village, if he moved in the interest of the Clan.

My poor baby, what the actual fuck was I going to do?

….

After celebrating my 10th birthday, Hana insisted we had a sleepover at my house, citing that we'd not hung out in ages. She was 300% correct, I'd not spoken to her for three weeks before my birthday and we'd been gradually moving apart as the years passed.

I was eager to reconnect with my only close female friend.

We chose the weekend afterwards, as dad and Hitoshi would be out of the house and, in preparation, I'd stocked the house with all our favourite things. Whilst I did make a lot of stuff, I treated us to a fuck tonne of garbage processed food as well. In my defence, recently the fridge at Ichiraku had been growing and I was tuckered out from churning out so many goodies. On top of that, this increase had started after I'd started leaving gift baskets of bite-sized treats on Genma's doorstep, labelled "For nee-chan's friends, xxx".

Teehee.

I was pleased that the hidden elite seemed to be boosting my sales, albeit so discreetly that Teuchi had been worried some of the stock had been stolen (they were nabbed straight from the shelf, with the money left under the empty dish on the sideboard behind the till).

Anyway, Saturday morning brought Hana and the Triplets, a duffle bag of equipment thrown over the 8-year-old's shoulder, to my doorstep. I beamingly let them all in, sweeping the Inuzuka Heiress into my arms and lugging her over the doorstep before squatting and gathering the three excited pups into my (tragically non-existent) bosom, happily smothered in doggy kisses.

I may be part feline but I would never say no to puppy love. Speaking of being part kitty, when in Tea Tou-san had explained that Hitoshi's chakra had become so entwined with his – because, as the summoning contract dwindled, their personal bond increased –, and had been mixing with dad's for so long, it had started to change my dad physically, which had then passed on, via genes, to me. Dad's effects were more obvious – a deeper growl/purr, sharper canines and increased senses – whilst mine were less so, a purr and sharp teeth with keener ears. Regardless of my alliance with the 'enemy', I happily collapsed under the combined adoration on the Triplets.

We had a feast of sushi for lunch, lounging on my bed with our hair wrapped in hair honey-masks and giggling over the trashy magazines Hana had picked up on her way over. She 'ooh'-ed appreciatively over my new piercings, simple blue gems I'd gotten on that Wednesday. (Shisui had yelped like someone had 'trod on his tail' but the earrings looked incredible, as I knew they would). In return, she told me all about how the academy was going; she was one of the best but Itachi, my sweet little baby bird, was so far ahead of the pack that Hana was starting to get a bit pissed off.

Hana, who had to work so hard to be special, saw Itachi's natural intelligence and resented him for it.

Disregarding the fangirls, I worried that that jealousy would only grow. It would be annoying detrimental to my master plan. Which was going swimmingly (well…regarding the recent peak in popularity of Akane-sama…).

So, I listened to all her issues and, by god, Hana was pouring out some shit. She pretty much unloaded everything that she'd worried over for the past few years, since Noko had died and her dad left. We spoke for hours, sometimes laughing, mainly talking, and crying a bit too.

Mainly about Noko, Hana a bit about her dad.

It was like a tension I didn't know I had had been released.

We talked late into the night, passing out on the covers with our hair in crazy braids and surrounded in empty food packets.

The next day we painted our nails before packing a picnic and heading towards the Naka.

After setting out our gear, I stripped off my sandals and tucked up my three-quarter linen trousers before running into the shallows. The river here was lax, the exact reason we'd chosen this spot, and spread out into inviting pebble-riddled shallows. A few larger stones acted like natural stepping stones and Hana and I danced across them as morning turned into late afternoon. The dogs panted blissfully, soaking themselves (and then, inevitably, us) as they threw themselves into the water.

Interrupting Hana as she moaned about Itachi's early graduation for the millionth time, I waggled my eyebrows playfully, even as I swept my hair back from where the latest splash had plastered it to my face.

"Are you sure, Hana, you're not just sad to see him go?"

"I-err-Nani?" Hana gaped and I enjoyed the flush on her cheeks. Sweet kid probably didn't realise that most would take that as a confirmation.

Like me!

"Do you fancy him, Hana-kouhai~?" I sang, only to swallow a mouthful of water when she splashed me.

Grrrrr, brat-!

Whilst I made a, erm, tactical retreat, I pondered over Hana's attitude to her year-mate. The issue still stumped me though and I was chillingly reminded of how quickly the time had passed.

What more could I do?

…

A/N- Happy Easter! Things are getting tense! Itachi has graduated and the countdown has started! In other news, am I the only one who thinks the Ensui/Shisui/Kiharu combo is precious? And Yay for Hana actively repairing her closeness with Ki-chan! Hope you enjoyed and had a great Easter! As always, thank you for reading! X