Yeah, Kunai are cool but have you had dessert?

by Authorship

Okay, I'll admit seeing my new dad's Hitai-ate was a massive kick in the (thankfully metaphorical) balls. Sorry, but I don't kill people! AKA an SI/OC fic where the girl is more concerned with the alarming lack of pastries...and appropriate female role models...and adopting misfits and cinnamon rolls...err, oops? At least, I get to troll people!

26. 26) Passage of Time

As depressing as it sounds, time is always ticking. We grow older every second, take a step further down our paths.

To quote K$sha..."Tik Tok, on the clock-" (*cuts off before the songs takes me down a completely different tangent*)

And, as with everything, this is both good and bad, sad and happy!

Timers on cookies mean that food-bliss is just around the proverbial corner! The day changes into night, meaning you can acceptably drink cocktails...yada, yada. Birthdays meant gifts and gorging on food and, in my case at least, wearing a plastic tiara like the twat I am.

But...childhoods end. Friends leave, as do loved ones and enemies alike. Age sets in. People die and memories fade, anniversaries pass. A loss for every achievement.

But, as I had resolved to live by, it's only when we know the absence of light that we can truly appreciate it.

Grief and sadness...makes the happiness all the sweeter.

When morning came, I'd fallen back into a fitful sleep. Tossing and turning most of the night away, I'd been careful not to wake anyone up.

That dream...why was I thinking of Kakashi's father, Sakumo, after all this time? I'd been regretful to have missed out on helping him - although, I had to wonder if I'd have actually be of any help - but I'd been born too late. I suppose the same could have been said for any of the people I'd dreamed of saving. Like Tobirama and Kagami, Minato and Kushina...Kaa-san and Noko.

Sakumo was on the list but...not at the top.

But...why was I dreaming of him? I'd always been an extremely lucid dreamer, my imagination off the charts. It was one of the reasons I'd never, ever been able to stomach any kind of thriller or horror film. One scene was enough material to throw me for weeks on end.

But...dreams were acts of the subconscious. Was I trying to tell myself something? Not to throw shade at myself but...couldn't my own head be a little more explicit?!

The crow...they were omens of death, right? Jeez, I was drawing on some horoscope shit now. Next thing you know, I'd start an evaluation based on my personality type or 'elemental spirit'!

Not...that I...did those quizzes...of course...

But, anyway. The crow could have meant death. But, well, it hadn't been very intimidating or sinister? And I knew Shisui would sign the crow contract at some point, sharing it with Itachi when he died (in Canon! Just Canon!). But..he didn't have it yet. Then again, I did have those mental connotations already in place. But the bird had sounded female!

Okay, so, saying Shisui was the crow, female vibe or no, I knew full well the wolf had been Akane. Her voice had been the same.

The rest of the dream however...and that reference to Sakumo's act of Seppuku...made little sense.

A heavy exhalation ruffled my hair, stinking of raw meat and morning breath, and I pried open crusty eyes. Huh. I'd barely even thought about the position I was in.

The duvet was kicked onto the floor and I was sweating buckets.

It probably had something to do with the way I was clamped to 'Toshi's chest, like a cuddly toy, with all of his legs wrapped around me. His head rested heavy above mine and his coiled up tail was curled around my bare feet. Hitoshi's fur was glossy, soft and warm like the coziest of quilts. He smelled of cat (nuh duhh), grass and the coconut soap I insisted using whenever he had his monthly bathtime.

Jeez, that afternoon was always fun. (We're talkin' swamped lawn, ending up with the two of us in the tub, and soap everywhere.)

"'Tushi!" I hissed, wiggling around. Unfortunately, Hitoshi was a ninja. And one of the biggest apex predators around. Ergo, bulging cat muscles that could crush me easy. I could barely move!

My head was the only part of me that had any kind of maneuverability and I ended up knocking it against the chest in front of me.

'thump', 'thump'-

A low, rumbling growl vibrated through my entire body as Hitoshi announced his displeasure at the wake up call.

In Cat, it was probably something along the lines of the Tiger Cave in Aladdin. 'Who dares awaken me from mine slumber, foolish mortal,' Yada, yada.

"'Tushi!" I hissed into velvet fur, still squirming. "Lemme go, you bish!"

"...no."

Urgh!

"Kiharu!" My dad's voice sounded from the stairs and, straining my eyes to the side to peer at my bedside alarm clock, I quirked a brow at the interruption. Since when did dad wake me up on a saturday, especially at 9? "Kiharu! You up?"

Well, shit, dad. I fucking would be now, ay.

"Yus!" I hollered back, muffled in the fur pressed against my face. If my stupid summon tried to squeeze me any harder, I'd pop like a balloon. Vaguely, I wondered if 'Toshi had ever actually done that in a fight. Nah… bit bear-ish, right?

"Er, can I come in?" dad's voice sounded on the other side of the door, as hesitant to 'intrude' as always. Considering the fact he could probably hear my heartbeat, a side effect from having such a strong bond (one meant for an entire Pride but condensed between the two males instead) with Hitoshi for donkey's years, I thought the effort was pretty cute.

"Yus, peese."

The door cracked open and I could just about see dad's curious face over the fuzzy lumps of Hitoshi's shoulders.

"Er…" was Tou-san's helpful and intelligent response to the sight of his crushed daughter.

"Hulp?"

Thankfully, dad managed to contain his snickers enough to trot over and place a heavy, tanned hand on the scruff between the panther's shoulder blades. "Up you get, Hitoshi!" two fists grabbed handfuls of fur and started to heave. Needless to say, the carnivore was barely shifted. I decided to help out, regardless.

I was gonna regret this later. Or, maybe, immediately.

Then again, Hitoshi leapt away from me like he'd been electrocuted after I'd licked a big, wet stripe across his nose.

For my part, I sat up and started gagging, tongue hanging out as I choked on my shitty life choices. The things we do for survival...

"What do you think you were doing?!" The insulted panther thundered, hair rising like a spooked alley cat as he crouched defensively in the corner.

Tou-san was still gasping with laughter, hands on knees.

"You were crushing me!" I spat, wiping my tongue with a tissue and then instantly regretting it when a coating of fluff was left behind. "What were you doing?!"

Gleaming fangs flashed as the cat's muzzle wrinkled in a snarl. "I was being vigilant-"

"Oh for the love of-" I threw my hands in the air, "If you're still going on about Naru-chan-!"

"-welcomed a demon into our home-"

"-scarcely stayed four hours-"

"-nightmares all night, kicking me-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tou-san stepped between us, hands held aloft like he expected a brawl and brows furrowed. I tried not to notice the wrinkles slowly emerging around his eyes. "Let's go back for a moment, hmm? Hitoshi, what do you mean 'demon'?"

I flicked my gaze over to catch gleaming emerald and furiously thought 'shut your goddamn trap' as hard as I could. Evidently, my telepathy could use some work when-

"The cub came home yesterday with the demon kid." Hitoshi...I'm going to shave you bald.

Chocolate waves, curling over his scratched hitai-ate, ruffled as dad whipped his head around to stare burning dark eyes into my own.

"What! Kiharu! You were talking to That Boy?"

My eyes narrowed dangerously.

Now, my folks had never scared me off Naruto. And neither had they done a Shikaku and told me to make my own judgement call. They simply...hadn't really said anything. The usual malarkey about avoiding strange people and never going anywhere dark and alone...but, judging by Hitoshi's reaction, they probably figured they didn't explicitly have to.

Not only had my panther responded...a lot, but my own senses should have been tingling.

To be honest, they were. Naruto stank of homelessness, dirt and fox. And I was pretty sure, if my chakra reserves were more used, his presence would fairly burn.

If I'd never known any better, my parents wouldn't have had to worry a single jot. Even without my furry companion, I would've run for the hills. Well, if I hadn't witnessed that disgusting abuse yesterday. I prayed I'd have been a decent enough fucking person to stand up to that, even without my old life.

Tough shit that I knew better than that.

And, honestly, it only made made admired Kiba and Hinata more. Those two, I figured, would know, more than most of Naru's future classmates, how malevolent the young blonde felt. And those two had been close to him! (Well, Kiba had been a good friend and Hinata had crushed hard, so?) And all without the knowledge I had! I was fucking impressed.

"What's wrong?" I blinked blue eyes, channelling innocent Bambi as much as possible. "He was just a little orphan! They were beating on him!"

Dark eyes stared down at me, expression incomprehensible, so I decided to go for broke. Pale, calloused fingers curled around the collar of my sleep shirt and pulled down.

Dark bruises, sore from Hitoshi's 'well meaning' crushing, crept up my clavicle, over my shoulder and to my developing boobs. However, due to layers of medical wrap and my shirt, dad only got a glimpse of my shoulder.

And promptly turned white.

"Wha-!?"

"Three men were beating him up!" I gritted my teeth at the memory, still fuming. The day I stopped caring would be the day I died. "And then, they punched me! Almost broke my collarbone!"

Tou-san stepped over to me, pulling my shirt from my fingers and grazing his own over the nasty bruising. He looked pale, stressed, and I felt a hot knot of guilt nestle in my chest. Didn't he have enough to worry about…?

Without conscious thought, my own eyes wandered up to the angry burn scars just visible at the collar of his flak jacket. It's all Hitoshi's fault for being a snitch…

"You wouldn't have been hurt, hime, if you'd stayed with Hitoshi…" Dad fretted, face pinched with worry as his hands came to rest on my arms.

I lifted said limbs, letting dad's hands slid down the skin until I could catch them in my own. With a squeeze of encouragement, I softly refuted that bullshit. I could only hope he was only speaking out of fear…

"And let a baby be hurt, especially for nothing? He's done no wrong except be an orphan and that's not a crime, Papa! What if it was Ino or me! Would no-one do anything?"

Dad sighed deeply, eyes falling shut as his head lolled back, face tilted to the ceiling. Hitoshi was a silently fuming shadow in the corner.

"...a baby?" You sensed nothing wrong?

"Yes, Tou-san. He's just so...lost."

The older man's hands slipped from mine, only to curl around my shoulders and pull me into his arms. A quick hoist and low grunt, and my dad had stood up, cradling me to his chest.

I yelped, throwing my arms around his neck and cringing at the sharp throb in my shoulder, as he started for the door.

"Breakfast time, then," dad proclaimed, letting things be for the time being.

Tucking my head into the crook of his neck, I breathed in the scent of soap and dad. It had been a long while since I'd been carted around like a baby. I'd spent so long, one of my first memories here, in my dad's arms...my throat throbbed without permission.

I was fine...it had just. Been a while.

…...

By the time breakfast was over (feeling mushy and affectionate, I'd made strawberry pancakes and delivered them with a soft kiss to dad's cheek - he'd been tearfully beaming ever since. Hitoshi had milk. I didn't care if most cats were technically lactose intolerant. Bitch could drink it of his own violation and deal with the cramps), it was almost lunch time.

Naruto had left as I was preparing dinner, fleeing at the idea of a parent appearing no doubt. I'd not tried too hard to stop him, not wanting to push and either look like I had a suspicious motive or make him uncomfortable. But I had pressed some groceries on him, insisting that, if he couldn't stay for dinner, he could at least have a nice one of his own.

Now, I was in a mission.

Dad had left pretty quickly, a dangerous look in his eye when they lingered on my wrapped neck, and I wondered if he was calm enough to respect my requests for no retribution outside of the law. Beating people was illegal, if if he was a ninja and they were abusive fucking assholes.

Hitoshi prowled off, probably on a another patrol (He really hadn't learned his lesson from Tobi) and I was quick to follow their example, locking the house up and setting off down the street.

Shisui had been getting progressively better as the weeks dragged on. Physiotherapy seemed to really help him, even if he wouldn't stop complaining about his nurse or The Wheelchair of Doom™. Anyway… I was feeling shit.

I'd been chasing Itachi down for weeks and, between that distraction and the mania of Nekki's, I'd not been a stellar best bud.

Ensui was working at the Station, trawling his way through bigotry and prejudice alongside the cases. He'd been gone a lot, a very different kind of absence when he was on missions, and it had been a bit of a shock to the system to both Shi and I.

I mean, it was most obvious at this age (the gap would scarcely matter in a few decades), but Ensui was at a completely different part of his life than us. We all had full time jobs, yes. I'd been running a business since I was seven and Shisui had been the highest tier of ninja, short of a commander, Head or Kage, for a good while.

But...Ensui was older. I'd not even entered my teens and Ensui was already starting in on his 20s. I mean, he'd be 21 by winter! (Just one more year and I could finally sing that Taylor Swift song to him!) He had different shit going down, like alcohol and rent and stuff. God, I wasn't looking forward to that crap again..

But, anyway. I'd been distracted and busy. Ensui had been doubly so.

And Shisui was left with no training, no missions, wheelchair bound. He'd got around fine, a bit of chakra to the wheels and he'd got himself coasting, and Itachi had never spent so much time with him.

But. But.

That wasn't any excuse.

So, here I was, laden with ingredients for lunch, dessert, and a fucking excellent mood.

"Yo!" I called, sliding open the front door like I owned the place. Shisui's asshole Aunt would be out around now, so I wasn't worried. As for Shisui, he was in the front room, slaughtering his poor ukelele.

"Kami, we need to get you a new hobby." I smirked, enjoying how my best friend pretended to whip around in surprise at my entrance. As if he hadn't heard me coming up the path, despite the racket. "I gave you that instrument so that you could make music, not kill the wildlife and traumatise babies!"

"Ki-chan!" Shisui grinned, expertly swinging his chair 'round to face me. Dark eyes immediately latched onto the picnic baskets in my arms, one hooked on each elbow. "And you came with food! Have I told you recently you're the best?"

Laughing at his apparent good mood, I leaned forward to pick the poor guitar from his grasp and led the way to the kitchen. "It's always nice to hear!"

The basket of groceries were deposited on the table as I went passed, setting up the kettle for tea and plonking myself in a chair. Shisui, just behind me, expertly swung his wheelchair to sit on the same sid, a few feet away and slanted towards me. "Any reason why I'm not being piled with goodies and you're holding my guitar hostage?"

"The greater good!" I laughed, running my fingers down the taunt strings in a random 'thrum'. "Even my songs can't make you a decent musician, apparently. I think I saw several dead birds on the porch-"

A pale hand lashed out and snatched the, er, long bit of the ukelele (the neck? Fuck, I dunno) and a breif tug of war assumed. After a moment, I conceded defeat, being the greater sport and knowing that Shisui was probably going to break it before he surrendered. Wow, I was mature!

I stuck my tongue out. Shisui pulled down his lid like the fucking anime he was, cheeky little-

"It would help," the injured teen snorted, holding his gift with great dignity like the huge dork he was, "if you even knew what you were doing, creating this thing."

"It's like a harp!" I argued, liar that I was. I really, really didn't know how to play the damned thing. They always made it look so easy.

Shisui cast a dubious eye between the stringed-monster and my earnest face. "Harps don't sound like that."

Plushing to my feet, I turned away with a sniff and grabbed the abandoned food basket. "You're the genius, you figure it out!" ("You made it, Ki!"). I didn't waste time dignifying my best friend with a response, popping on the rice cooker and setting about making the tea, now that the water was ready. And no, I didn't bother with the proper technique. "Curry alright by you?" my eyes flicked over to check.

Shisui had his cheek propped up on a fist, ukelele abandoned at the end of the table and a fond, grateful smile softening his recently-frustrated face. I was glad. "Sounds good, Kiharu-sama."

My grin was starting to hurt my cheeks, it was stretched so big. "'-Sama'?" I teased. "That's the proper respect! Extra big serving for you, loyal sir!"

When the older boy chuffed out a laugh, I turned back to the wok.

"What's the news today, then?" Shisui rolled around the table to watch me work (like always) and reaching to snatch an apple from the fruit bowl. A if I wasn't cooking us a meal right this second!

I turned around to quirk a brow. "And what makes you think I have news?"

A deadpan expression was the reply.

"What?" Defensive? No, I wasn't!

"You have that…" Shisui waved a hand around, as if he could physically pluck the answer from the air, "that look."

"Look?" I frowned. "I don't have a look."

"Yeah, you do. It's like you know more than everyone else and are dying to tell someone before you burst. You either spill the beans or-" Shisui smirked and stabbed a finger at me, taking a huge bite of apple. He continued with his mouth full, juice running down his pale chin, "-cause trouble."

"I take it back," I sniffed, stirring the vegetables in the wok. "I'm eating all of this."

"What?!"

A tantrum later, which involved me only setting the table for one, and a nice meal (Shisui whipped out the puppy eyes, fluttering those unfair lashes, and got his serving), and the topic came back around.

"What's with the bandages, then?" Shisui asked around a mouthful of meringue. He had manners. He just liked to piss people off. I was so proud...when he didn't do it to piss me off too. He gestured to the wrappings (pulled higher to cover everything) that were up my neck with his fork. Honestly, my yukata didn't do much of a job of covering them up.

"Fist fight," I dropped the bombshell, innocently digging into my own brownie as he choked.

"Fis-fist fight?!" Shisui's shriek rocketed up a few decibels before cracking at the end. I dropped my own fork and gaped.

Shisui was bright red. "Did...did your voice just break?"

"Don't change the subject!" He yelped. "What fight was this?"

"Oh my god, it did!" I breathed, a slow, evil grin creeping across my face. "Oh, you're becoming a proper teenager!"

"You sound like Mikoto-sama!" The dark haired boy complained, grimacing. Holy shit, that was a story I need to suss out. ASAP. Call it karma and revenge for the nightmare that was my first period.

Then, all humor dropped from the Uchiha's face. "Seriously, Ki. Who hit you?"

I set my fork down again, abandoning it for a quick gulp of lukewarm tea. "I had lunch with Iruka-kun yesterday, at Ichiraku's. A fight broke out outside so we went to go see...there was these men." Shisui's jaw popped as I trailed a finger over the wood of the table. "A little kid, imouto's age, was being beat up and the crowd...noone was doing anything."

"You stopped them?"

I nodded. "Yeah, the Genin took a swing and clipped my jaw and shoulder. Some Officers swung by to split everything up at that point and took them down to the Station. Teuchi-san sent Iruka-kun to fetch Akane-sama from Yuri-oba's and she sorted out my arm as best as she could."

A glance up showed Shisui had turned his face away, staring out into the garden with a frustrated expression.

"Hey…" I frowned. The Jounin flicked me a glance out of the corner of his eye. "I wasn't gonna stand by and let some baby be hurt!"

"It's not that, Ki-chan!" Shisui argued, voice rising. "It's that I wasn't there!"

I pursed my lips. "What? So you could protect me?"

"Yes!"

"I'm not a damsel in distress!"

Shisui finally turned back, whipping his head around so fast I was sure it must've hurt. "I never said you were! Don't be horrible, Kiharu! I said I wish I could protect you because, as you said so yourself, you hate fighting!"

I clenched my fists. "Fighting solves nothing."

Shisui cletched the ends of his armrests and leaned over, furious. "It certainly would've yesterday! And, face it, Kiharu! This is a Shinobi village. We fight."

"And what good does that do anyone?! War after war, if you fight fire with fire then everything burns. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind!" On a roll, I found myself pacing the length of the kitchen whilst Shisui watched with dark eyes. "Why must we fight? We can't-"

"Ki-chan." Shisui interrupted, casting nervous eyes around and I abruptly came back to myself. I...said too much. "You don't wanna fight, fine. But I do fight. And, what I was trying to say, was that I'd fight for you. So that you wouldn't have to."

The kitchen was deafeningly silent after that brief shouting match.

"Oh." It's not what I want, for others to fight my battles for me. I don't want fighting at all.

"Yeah. Oh." Shisui unwittingly quoted my summon. "Just listen, would you?"

Arms falling limp from where I'd defensively crossed them, I moved to lean over the back of my best friend's chair, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and squeezing when his hands came up to hold my forearms.

"...sorry." I know you mean well. I shouldn't...take it out on you. You can't help it, it's all you've ever known, Shi...

"Yeah. Well." Was this dork blushing? Unwittingly, I felt myself soften again. "I'm glad we got that cleared up. What...what happened after that?"

"Oh," I smiled hesitantly, relieved for the change in topic. "I took the cutie home. He was so lonely and shy. 'Toshi didn't like him much, but Naru-chan-"

"Wait!" Shisui's curls tickled my neck as he threw his head back with a quiet chuckle, grinning at me upside down. "Naruto? The kid from the woods?"

"...yeah?" I drawled curiously.

"I completely forgot to tell you! I found the little guy when you were, er, gone. Took him out to ramen...let me tell ya, for a brat Sasuke's age, he sure knows how to eat…"

My expression, mouth gaping and eyes popped wide, must've been hilarious as Shisui immediately started roaring with laughter.

My dream from the previous night was long forgotten...for quite the while.

…...

Ensui was...exhausted.

His new job was draining. There were very few other words to describe it, synonyms notwithstanding.

Detective Osamu-senpai was a good man, fair and just. The Nara was certain he wouldn't have lasted a week without him.

As it was, with one outstanding ally in the entire Force, he wasn't too sure he'd make it to the 3 month marker.

That's not to say he was fucking giving up but, rather, things were getting so out of hand, everything was going to come to a head. And soon.

Like this, for example.

A witness report, an assault early this morning, with pages suspiciously missing. Osamu-senpai was out all day, looking into another missing person's file, so he couldn't go to him for a hint.

Osamu was an interesting man. Only in his late twenties, he'd shot through the ranks to be, essentially, Fugaku's right-hand man. Despite his nervous tension, he was a pretty good leader and very observant. When Ensui had arrived, he'd been hesitant to openly support the 'invading' Nara, merely pointing him in the, vaguely, right direction. But, after Ensui had successfully arrested that tricksie burglar, the older man had started to warm up to him. Just a bit.

It had started off small. And, honestly, stayed that way.

Cups stopped disappearing whenever Ensui went for some coffee, the archives were slightly more accessible. The older Detective, he couldn't have been thirty, started tossing in a few tips, pointers for interviews or writing up reports, whenever he checked in on Ensui. Small stuff. But...Ensui noticed all the same.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be happening today. Shit.

But...this time it was different. He'd been here a while, worked most cases by himself because, fuck, no-one wanted him on their team, so his track record was already much stronger than it should have been. Sure, his teamwork/squad skills must've looked abysmal but it couldn't be helped. He'd be forced, or, rather, the Force would, to rectify that eventually. But, the difficulty of this case wasn't because of experience or poor data.

The file had been tampered with. It wasn't just desolate. Someone within the Force had stolen from it.

And Ensui could actually do something about that. The case, as things stood at that moment, was fucked. But...the circumstances themselves allowed for action.

'tap', 'tap'-

The young Sergeant rapped a single knuckle to the wood of the door, hyper aware of the eyes burning into his spine.

"Come in." Uchiha Fugaku, the man who had enlisted Ensui in the first place and Chief of Police, called from inside his office.

Ensui straightened his spine and went inside.

"Sergeant." Mikoto's husband, sat stiffly behind his desk, inclined his head. "What is it?"

Cutting straight to the chase? Ensui could do that.

The slap of the folder on the desk echoed in the spacious office.

A tolerant expression in those dark eyes (Ensui was certain Kiharu and himself had been spending far too much time around the stoic Clan to read them so easy), Fugaku flicked the file open and barely scanned the page. "An assault? Why is this being brought to my attention?"

"It's been tampered with, Chief."

The smallest furrow appeared between Fugaku's brows. "Your proof?"

A tan finger traced how the report jumped between pages, sentences half finished. "It's hasty work, nothing like the others I found."

Black eyes snapped up. "Others?"

"Five cases of assault, all targeting women, in the past six months. It's much more subtle there, this one is from this morning and, so, undoubtedly rushed. They altered sentences, the ink only slightly different. The Sharingan would pick it up but...they were 'simple' cases, nothing worth such a perusal. They were banking on that, Sir."

"If so...why risk such a sloppy job as this?"

Ensui grimaced. "I'm still a newbie, Sir. Most case files that come my way aren't the most… helpful… they probably reasoned I was so used to the lack of material, they could risk such a two-second snatch."

The Chief leaned back, tucking his hands into his sleeves and scanning Ensui's eyes for something. "I see," he mused. "An internal issue…"

Ensui carefully clasped his hands behind his back, stood comfortable but ready.

"You have…" Fugaku reluctantly started, "made good progress here, Sergeant. Your file is strong, you have proven to be smart and resourceful," he dipped his head at the incriminating file, acknowledging the difficulties Ensui had faced with the resources made available to him. He'd been aware, perhaps. Ensui wouldn't have put it past him. But...if he'd interfered...would that have not made it worse? Begging for attention or needing to be protected, from the perspective of his fellow Officers. Bullshit but still relevant. "The ramifications of that file are not to leave this office without my say so." Ensui didn't so much as twitch. Fugaku's eyes turned somewhat droll regardless. "My wife is an exception unto her own."

Well. That was embarrassing.

"I will fully examine the background and possible guilt of my Officers before bringing anyone else in. Until then...you have a witness to interview. Dismissed, Sergeant."

….

An autumn chill had settled over the village, late in coming, as the last of summer stubbornly held on in the form of blue skies and sunshine. Amber leaves surrounded Konoha; the Will of Fire, Fire country itself, burning in all its splendor.

He'd never had so much time to appreciate it.

The last few weeks, months really, had been...turbulent. His father had been incensed when Hokage-sama rejected his petition to allow Itachi to compete as a solo competitor in the exams.

Training had kicked up several notches and Itachi had found himself sparring with, what felt like, Uchiha from all walks of life. The Gate Guards, the Officers at every rank, the retired, and Elite...Itachi had fought them all.

He had not won every match. Less than two thirds, with luck and resourcefulness. Some could say they were just luck. But that in itself was a powerful factor in a Shinobi's success.

His father had been gravely disappointed and, Itachi would admit, he'd thought his success would have been higher. Especially for those who had retired.

It wasn't though. He'd faced Danzo and lived but that had been completely different situation. He's been desperate then, to save his cousin and against a superior foe. One who'd been toying with him. And Itachi had…

He couldn't even think of it.

Ninja always had new tricks, to survive and progress, and it was only the lower ranks, Officers and Chuunin, that had given Itachi the easiest time. After all, there was no such thing as dirty fighting with ninja. They weren't samurai.

But...he still had a lot to learn. Even if he was just...there. A Genin with no team, no true sensei. Not part of the corps, not really part of anything.

He couldn't even train with Shisui, their little lessons cut short before they'd even really began. Sure, his cousin could still help him with his forms, throwing kunai and teaching him tricks, but it wasn't the same.

His progress, which had always seemed so fast (and yet, never enough for the Clan), felt like it had faltered. He...didn't know what to do now.

He had no goal. There wasn't an exam to prepare for. He didn't have a team to train with, grow with. His cousin was on sick leave and unable to really help. His mother was busy at the shop and, in her spare time, hesitantly guiding his otouto. Sasuke...was happy, glowing in the attention, and Itachi could never intrude on that. His little brother had been sidelined already, far too much.

But...what now?

He'd finished that morning's exercises early and found himself wandering the village. He'd swung by Shisui's place but, from the laughter he'd heard even from the street, it was obvious Kiharu was over.

It wasn't that he was avoiding the older girl except...he was.

That night Ensui had confronted him...he'd wanted to talk to her, have her on side. But things had changed. There were new factors involved, things she couldn't know, and it was hard, harder than he'd anticipated, to keep quiet. Kiharu was, above all things, clever. There was something there, he could see it now he was older. A knowing look in her eyes, familiarity when she met someone.

It made him wonder.

Was she...involved...in something? It seemed strange that some little, albeit prodigious, civilian girl could garner so much attention. She'd personally known the Yondaime, her business almost built around the man, and had been involved in so many plots.

He'd known something was up when his mother started stretching out, forming bonds within the village like no Uchiha had bothered with in years. Elder Akane had gone from a distant, virtual stranger, to a common visitor in both the Dazai household, the civilian district, and his own home. And with Danzo, the mysterious intruder at the shrine who had attacked Hitoshi...everything had some form of connection to Kiharu. Whether that was because she was involved or had involved herself.

It made Itachi...pause.

She couldn't be a spy, too involved with Inoichi-sama and the Yamanaka. He...hoped. But, that didn't mean she wasn't involved in something.

Considering everything he'd gone through, Itachi felt it was improbable that she'd evaded every attempt to snatch her up. Surely, she was part of something. Maybe her shop was a cover, part of her job. Maybe she was supposed to watch-

"Itachi-kun!"

"Genma-san," The Heir turned and offered a pleasant, if nigh-invisible, smile.

The Tokubetsu, hands casually stuffed into his uniform's hip pockets, took his time strolling to catch up the the Genin. Itachi didn't mind the wait. Genma was his superior, extremely well earned...and Itachi didn't really have anywhere to go now, regardless. "What's up, kid? You've been busy."

You've not spent any time with my little sister recently. What's your excuse?

"Otou-sama has increased my training since the Exams."

Genma nodded and Itachi abruptly remembered that his own ward, Iru-ka (?), had passed and received the promotion.

A sharp brow was quirked. "Oh?" Genma's teeth clicked slightly as he rolled the senbon to the other corner of his mouth. "Thinking about specialising?"

His father wouldn't let him be anything but a weapon for the Uchiha. There wouldn't be a specialisation to choose from. As the older ninja herded him down the street, Itachi found himself answering anyway.

"Yes."

Why...did I say that?

Something in Genma's eyes made him feel as if he was being laughed at. It really was bizarre to think Kiharu and him weren't actual siblings.

Absently, Itachi wondered if this man was to blame for Kiharu's snarkiness or if she'd been born that way. And if he'd trained his two wards, Izumo-san and Kotetsu-san, to be that incorrigible.

"Medical, weapons, Taijutsu...?"

Oh, Genma-san was most definitely laughing at him. Itachi hadn't known Hazel eyes could be so sharp.

...that was a lie. Seiichi-san and Ensui had proven otherwise. Many times.

"Genjutsu and assassination most likely, Genma-san."

Itachi had known for a long time his father wanted him to enter ANBU extremely early, had expected him to awaken his Mangekyou since his Sharingan had activated so young.

The older man steered them towards a dango cafe. As one, although they didn't realize it, Itachi and Genma glanced around, half expecting Kiharu to jump out behind a stall or plant, screaming about betrayal and poor taste. Their fear was not unfounded. She'd done it before, once even going so far as to 'sob' loudly, pulling on Genma as she wailed how he was sick of her.

Nineteen at the time, Genma had been sent into a panic, terrified that Seiichi was going to appear, see his daughter in tears, and scalp him. Father and daughter were scarily similar like that. Also...he really did care for the younger girl.

The dango stall was, mercifully, Dazai-less and not too busy either. Itachi hadn't even been able to open his mouth before Genma was ordering for them both and paying. Ninja, as a general rule, tended to pay before eating, lest they be summoned whilst eating and rush away without settling the bill.

Well. For the most part. Itachi was pretty sure he'd seen ANBU tuck cash into the till at Nekki's at seemingly random times. Paying for old bills, the Uchiha had dubiously reasoned. Unless it was all connected-

The dango, two sticks of heaven each, arrived quickly. A pot of cool peach tea was also set down between them and, this time, Itachi was quick enough to serve them both.

"Genjutsu, eh?" The bodyguard picked the topic straight back up. "Bit...boring, right?"

Itachi sipped his tea. Hmm, it was good. He nodded.

Then paused.

"Ah," Genma huffed, smug. "So you admit it's boring…"

"I meant I will be specialising in Genjutsu, Genma-san."

The grin did not abate. He obviously wasn't going to let that little slip go.

Itachi was a genius, yes, but he was still pretty young and there was something extremely disarming about the older assassin. He was affable and relaxed...it was very easy to reply without truly thinking his answers through. Undoubtedly why he was so good at his specialisation. If it was someone like Genma asking questions instead of everyone else...

His father would've been appalled.

Absently, Itachi remembered that Genma's Jounin-sensei had been Chouza-sama. The Uchiha Heir wondered if the Akimichi Head had ever asked his best friend, Yamanaka Inoichi, to help with the brunette's training...

"Who's taking you on, then?"

This time, Itachi was careful about revealing too many details. His Genjutsu would, after all, originate from his Sharingan.

"Otou-sama has been training me."

Another raised brow. "Fugaku-sama, who's been running the Station with an iron first every day for a decade?"

Itachi bit into his dango, eyes falling half-lidded from pleasure. It was excellent, had been far too long since he'd last been able to indulge (yesterday)...mouth full, it was unfortunate he couldn't answer.

"Why not ask Akane-sama for some extra training, then?" Genma showed no signs of dropping the topic any time soon.

"Elder Akane-sama?"

"Yeah," Genma bit into his second stick, tearing off the first ball in a blink. "She was famous in the Second War for using her Dojutsu during delicate surgeries. When she lost her hand and the nerves in her other arm were damaged by a lightning jutsu, she retired to a consultant position. She can still do the healing techniques but her steadiness is long gone."

Itachi...hadn't known that.

Uchiha Akane was simply known for being one of the few Clan women to never marry or bear children, an ex-healer who cut an intimidating figure as an Elder. She was his mother's godmother but had always been distant. No-one dared gossip about her.

Except Shiranui Genma, apparently.

Regardless...it was food for thought. After all, Elder Akane-sama could intimidate even his father and, surely, her expertise would only help his Sharingan. It...wouldn't hurt, would it?

…...

I was singing again.

I noticed I'd gone through stages over the years, when translating old songs from before had been all I'd really wanted to do. Other times, I'd barely hum a tune for months.

I'd once been desperate for technology again, itching for electronics and pop music and everything I'd once taken for granted like that.

I'll be honest. I still wanted it all, badly.

But, I'd come to appreciate the charm of a life away from such consuming things. Our house was TV-less and it wasn't so unusual for being so. I mean, there are only a handful of shows and very shit films.

My wireless radio wasn't very often used, the songs weird and not very good, so I often filled the silences with my own music.

Shisui still had that ukulele from his promotion and, god, if I didn't pity his neighbours. He'd only continued with renewed enthusiasm with every complaint, especially since I'd laughed at him a short time ago. Dork probably took it all as a challenge. Sharingan or no, that boy was not musically talented. At least he wasn't annoyingly perfect like that.

Out of the three of us, I'd have pegged Ensui as having the nicest voice. Where mine was reedy and Shisui had a habit of freestyling a tune when he couldn't hit the right note, Ensui's smooth tenor wasn't anything awe-inspiring but nice nonetheless. He could hit all the notes, aside from the super high ones (which I was convinced were only included to troll everyone), and he never lisped or sounded out of breath. He didn't sing often, especially in the past year, but even his humming was a pleasant sound.

But, anyway. The reason I was reminiscing over music?

Some kid in the street, when I was walking back from the usual delivery to Teuchi's (and customary lunch, of course), had been humming a nonsensical tune.

The issue?

I could swear to fucking god I knew it from somewhere.

That's not to say he was somehow singing a song from before , otherwise I'd have fucking entered the Twilight Zone, but, rather, it reminded me so strongly of one. But I couldn't remember! It was on the tip of my tongue, a memory just out of reach! Gah!

"Dum, dum, dumm…" (I'll admit, this is lost in translation but bear with me.)

My pencil tapped impatiently against my song book, loud and persistent as a woodpecker. "Dum, dum-dum, dumm duhhh…"

"If you keep up that incessant humming and tapping, you're dead to me." Hitoshi rumbled from behind me, spread out like a throw on my bed.

I responded without missing a beat. "You love me too much, liar."

The panther yawned obnoxiously loudly and, when I turned to shoot him a smirk, he licked a slow, wet stripe up the middle of my pillow. No, not my baby one. If it had been...blood shall be spilled this night*.

I still lunged to snatched the now-wet pillow away, ripping off the linen cover and throwing it to the corner to be washed. "You're disgusting!"

Hitoshi's nostrils flared. "Says you-"

My mouth dropped in undisguised affront. "What! Are you still going on about that nose thing? It was a month ago and completely justified-!"

"-a cat's nose is extremely delicate-"

"-strangling me-"

Needless to say, the aggravating tune was long forgotten.

….

By October, I'd met up with Naru-chan a grand total of…*drum roll*...three fucking times.

I didn't know if I'd come on too strong, if he was just shy or something else was going on. Maybe he just didn't like me! Maybe five-year olds were just super busy!

Come to think of it, I'd been a pretty busy five year old. Not that I was the best example of course.

But, anyway. Naruto was pretty scarce. Sure the kid had met up with Shisui and I for ramen (two days after I'd gone over to Shisui's to make lunch, after I'd closed up Nekki's for the day) but it wasn't the contact I was looking for.

Shisui and I were just down the street from Ichiraku's when a blonde head popped around the corner.

Far from his boisterous appearance and attitude from the academy, Naruto was dressed in a simple shorts and tee combo, stuff that was a couple of sizes too big for his small frame. He was quieter too, still loud and eager when he was comfortable but, out on the street, he was almost eerily shy.

"'Evening, Naru-chan," I smiled, lips widening into a grin when blue eyes flashed over to us. In front of me (I'd browbeat Shisui into letting me push), my best friend mirrored my friendly greeting, albeit a tad louder.

"Naruto! Long time, no see, kid!"

I rolled my eyes. Way to not scare him off, Shisui.

I ate my own words when Naruto abruptly grinned back, scampering over to Shisui. Was...Shisui...his favourite?!

"Hiya, Curly!"

How. How in the ever-loving fuck was that fair?! Oh, my god, I was the fan here... Naruto, do you have any idea how much I'd loved you, you orange idiot, in Canon?! (Boruto didn't exist. Nope, not listening~!) I didn't give a flying fuck that Naruto was an innocent lil tyke and Shisui had probably gone and been adorable and given him one of his famous piggy-backs and…

Naruto and Shisui were having a great time. I was internally wailing.

The evening had been nice, filled with laughter and Shisui had ended up pooling his money with mine to cover the ridiculous amount Naruto had packed away (I wasn't going to use up my tally in one evening!). Thankfully, Shisui was still as sensitive as always and hadn't let the conversation linger too long on ninja-stuff. We talked about food quite a lot and I'd told Naruto about my imouto, not wanting to linger too long on family but I'd also...well...I wanted Ino to be his friend this time.

I was pretty sure I could throw them together enough that they'd atleast get on, but you couldn't make people like each other. Personalities clash or whatever. However, Naruto was a little ball of sunshine and Ino was extremely protective. I really, really wanted to make an awesome trio out of them, with Sakura, of course.

Huh? Playing God, little ol' me? Pfft.

All week I'd kept a sharp eye out for the little blonde, jumping whenever golden hair entered my vision (Ino had been annoyed when I'd seemed disappointed to see her. I'd spent all day making up for that slip). But, the days had dragged on. And no Naruto.

It hadn't been until Saturday evening (the last day of September), when I'd been coming back from playing cards with the boys at Nee-chan's. Nekki's had been busy again that day, as it was wont to be on weekends, and Mikoto had been just as glad as me to call it a night. She'd been training Sasuke even more recently, probably due to the weird situation Itachi was in. Shisui had started trying to walk again in his physio sessions, using the bars to stagger a few steps. The slow progress had...unfortunately, predictably...sent Shisui right back into his grump mood swings. Joy.

Dad was back on his normal missions again, hesitantly (for me, for himself he couldn't have been more grateful to get out and about again) assigned an escort for the end of the following week. Just after the Kyuubi anniversary.

My shoulder was pretty much back to normal, the purple bruises fading to the vaguest yellow. I was grateful; alongside the pale white scar, where ROOT had tried to kill me, I'd looked a bit like an attempted strangling. Fuck my life for my bruise-easy skin. At least Shisui and dad had stopped staring at my throat like it had personally offended them.

Come to think of it, it had.

It was then, lost in thought (as per usual), that I'd spotted the much sought-after Uzumaki.

"Naruto!" I cried, blinking in surprise.

The kid in question swung around to look at me. "..Hi Ki'aru," He smiled, nose crumpling adorably when I walked over and flicked his button nose. Lightly, of course.

"How have you been?" the market street was pretty empty, it was after 8pm and pretty dark out. Hitoshi was on patrol with Papa tonight - not that I'd told the boys that - so I was walking home alone. Well. Until that moment.

(Paranoia was a downward spiral into distrust and a fuck tonne of issues. I was shitting myself, staring into the night shadows and feeling ghost-eyes stare back, but I was determined to move on. It wasn't the best way but I'd never been the most patient. I was far from perfect.)

Minato's son just shrugged and I'd floundered. What exactly do you say to a five year old boy when you've socially exhausted yourself? "Lovely weather"? How about "where do you live?", deffo not creepy. "Hi, I knew your dad?" nah.

So, somehow I'd ended up being escorted home by a five year old. One who'd promptly scampered off before I could ask him to come in, where he lived, his emotional and physical well-being-

October had arrived and my third, and most recent, meeting with the protagonist had passed in silence.

Jeez, maybe he really didn't like me.

These days, it felt like I could count the people who did on my fingers.

With some left spare.

…...

The day the Kyuubi attacked had been the worse of his life.

It eclipsed every terrible moment in battle, his father's death, the loss of the Pride.

Dazai Soushi had been a strong man. Proud. To see him fall...his body pierced with countless senbon...it had been terrible. One of Seiichi's first real losses in war.

It hadn't been his last.

One by one, the Tigers had fallen. Ko, the only Lion and with the first tufts of his mane only just coming in, had been point on a Hunt (when the Pride, Seiichi in the middle, would spearhead an attack into the enemy camps and massacre-) when he'd been bisected by a chakra-powered enemy katana. One second, he was fine. The next...dead.

Things had fallen apart so quickly.

The final stand, a tiny panther cub in his arms, had been when Seiichi had staggered back into the village. When they were the last.

Hitoshi had been so small back then, an armful of shivering black fur. Old enough to understand, to insist on helping his Master, but young. Far, far too young to witness the harrowing gore of his Pride, as species-mixed as it had been, cut down before him.

He'd not left since, after all those years.

It had been a time of peace, when Seiichi had finally allowed himself to relax. When a waitress had swung at him (and hit) for being an asshole and the only thing Seiichi could think, staggering back a few steps, was that she was a beautiful kind of terrifying. She was a civilian, had never learnt to fight.

Seiichi hadn't really thought about the red of her dress or her blonde hair or her long legs. He'd been mesmerized by the pale clench of her fist, the righteous rage in those blue eyes. Her casual quitting. How she'd seen two rowdy drunks and stepped up to deal with it. Regardless of how everyone, himself unfortunately included, had told her it wasn't her place to.

Her eyes had stayed with him for weeks.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

(It wasn't, really. It had taken years of slow-building friendship and mutual friends until Aki had grabbed him by the collar of his flak jacket and shoved him against a wall.)*

And they built a life. In Aki's parents' home, silk merchants caught out by disease in Wave, they'd started anew. A redecoration, done almost completely by Aki herself and a few Genin teams (Oh, to think Aki had hired the future Yondaime to retile her bathroom pre-wartime and now she wanted it redone?!).

And then, a baby.

Seiichi hadn't known he could be this happy.

Their baby was beautiful, so like her mother but with his hair. No matter how much Aki insisted Kiharu was his split, except her eyes.

But Seiichi, all he could see when his baby-girl giggled or smiled was his beloved wife.

And Kiharu was clever. Her personality was so strong, unapologetic, it was almost a shock. To think that their love had created another person, one who made her presence so well-felt, in ways other than the usual baby things like screaming and sleeping odd hours.

She'd grown, shining and lovely. With a wicked humor from her mother. With a warm gaze from her mother. With open arms and a mischievous streak three miles wide. Just. Like. Her. Mother.

And then the air had burned with Chakra, terrible and poisonous.

And, suddenly, Seiichi was in the dark.

He'd come back eventually, cradled Kiharu and Hitoshi so carefully close in his heart. He's not lost everything. He still had his daughter, his partner, his brother and friends. A niece and comrades and the Village.

There was so much to live for.

But...Aki had been the cornerstone of his world.

What do you do when the ground is gone? When the world moves on, passing you by and shining so unbearably bright as you flounder and fall?

Seiichi was never going to move on. And he was never going to love again. And that was okay.

Because he'd been blinded by the sun. He wasn't going to be the same and the world would never be the same. But he'd still live and love, if only for his precious people. But grief and loss, when one had known Heaven and lost it, stayed with you.

The day he'd lost Aki had eclipsed all others.

Five years. Five years.

Her grave was still flawless, well maintained between Sora, Kiharu, Yuri and himself. Flowers would barely be touched by a whilt before they were replaced. Offerings were replaced every few days and the smooth stone was polished until it shone.

Yuri came here every Sunday, oftentimes with Akane stood a respectful few feet back. Sora came every few weeks, stopping by with an armful of fresh blooms for her friend and her niece, who's empty grave rested in the next row.

Seiichi had restricted himself to a single visit a fortnight. Any more and he'd feel like he was living there, like that poor Hatake kid at the memorial stone. Any longer...and he was back to square one in his cowardice.

Kiharu came weekly, staying for hours with Hitoshi dozing in her lap as she carded fingers through his fur and chattered on about the rising price of sugar.

At Inoko's grave, Kiharu was silent. Like a memorial Statue of her own, she'd stare down at her childhood friend's plaque without any expression. She'd barely stay more than ten minutes.

And, every time she turned to leave, she'd run her fingers over the cluster of faded glass beads she'd strung there, the day her Noko had been 'buried'.

On the fifth anniversary, Kiharu did the exact same thing. Except, this time, as she turned to leave, she pressed a single kiss to the middle of the cool stone. As one would to a sleeping forehead.

Seiichi was sure Sora hadn't been crying until that moment.

Two days after the memorial, Seiichi found himself in Inoichi's office in T&I when he was supposed to be preparing for his mission in a couple of days' time.

"And they're sure? Absolutely sure?!"

The messenger, a young Chuunin Intern, swallowed hard and somehow bowed even lower. "Yes, sir. There was no doubt. Hokage-sama has already sent out a squad to search for evidence of foul play."

Foul play aside from the fact he'd been murdered? Then again...such was the life of a Shinobi.

A wave of a hand. Seiichi was absently impressed to see it was steady. "Dismissed."

The intern fled.

"Dammit." Inoichi scrubbed his hands over his face, skin pale and eyes bruised purple from exhaustion and stress. Helpless, Seiichi could only clasp a hand on his 'brother's shoulder. The blonde leaned into the support slightly. "I knew it. I fucking knew it. That idiot."

The KIA file hit the closed door with an almighty bang. It was thin, Inoichi having thrown it with all of his pent-up emotion. Anger, grief, helplessness…

The file fell the the ground and the single sheet inside slipped out.

The dead face of Inokumo, his Genin teammate, stared back at him.

"Will she...is Natsuko-"

"She's all but comatose, Seiichi." Inoichi bit out, teeth clenched and eyes screwed shut as he buried his face in his hands, elbows on his desk and shoulders hunched. "She only responds to Sora now. Inokumo hasn't seen her since last winter."

When Inoichi started to weep, silently, Seiichi could do nothing but wrap an arm around his shoulders.

…..

The Saturday after the anniversary, Nekki's was having some down time. Mikoto was off that day so I was grateful for the lull. She was spending time with her sons; Itachi had taken to loitering around Akane, I'd noticed in recent weeks, but nobody was saying anything on the matter. I was glad though, that Itachi seemed to see a role model in the older woman. I'd not really seen much of the two Uchiha boys recently, Sasuke having always been a bit reluctant to indulge his brother's 'weird civilian friend'. Now that Itachi was busier and spending less and less time in the stall, Mikoto's youngest had naturally come around less too.

I'd been a bit sad but, well, not everyone stays thick as thieves forever. And Sasuke had never been my BFF to begin with.

As the days shortened, I swapped up the menu a bit too, dropping most of the ice-cream options and up-ing the emphasis on hot desserts and cake. Ever faithful, Nee-chan and Raidou-nii still came in for their regulars whenever they could, whatever the weather.

The colder weather was firmly gripping Fire country, the mild days becoming less and less frequent. The Village had been settling down, the reopening frenzy long gone and the paranoia A.D. dropping a few notches as the months passed and nothing else happened. All was quiet on the roads, besides the usual, and Danzo appeared to have just...vanished.

Now accustomed to my new edge of awareness, I wondered how it was that a village of murderers, assassins and child-soldiers could be so naive as to think it was over. (and if I slept with a carving knife I'd never have the heart to use under my pillow, that was no-one's business but my own.)

So, the Village was quiet.

Ensui was off for the day, holed up in the corner of the stall with Shisui and ducking his head low every time someone came in. Honestly, Shika was here because Yoshino wanted the day off, no need to skulk around like a criminal because you'd avoided her dinner invitations one too many times.

Speaking of, the future InoShikaCho were crowding around the bar, Ino on the stool directly across from me with a tub of rolled strawberry ice-cream (despite the menu change, I was a sicker for the little demon and she well knew it). Chouji, the adorable cherub, was rolling out some pretzels for me behind the counter. I'd yet to move on from the soft version, unable to find any non-toxic brine that I could use to coat them before baking. That's what made that gorgeous dark shell on the traditional German ones. Regardless, Chouji was always such a willingness little helper and a ray of sunshine to boot. Have I mentioned recently that I loved him?

Shika was asleep, sprawled like a ragdoll over Hitoshi. You'd have thought the boy was nocturnal, jeez.

I was in the middle of flipping a pancake when ANBU Neko stepped into the stall and my wrist jerked in surprise.

The pancake stuck to the ceiling.

Sarutobi entered behind them and, by now, I was pretty sure the pancake was going to choose that moment to land on my head. When a blonde head peeked around the flowing white robes of our Kage and the pancake started peeling, I was just. Done.

I mentally threw my hands up into the air when Shisui coughed on a snicker. Just to spite him, I side stepped the ruined dessert as it fell to the floor next to me. He had no business looking so disappointed!

"Good afternoon, Kiharu-chan, Ensui-kun, Shisui-kun, children."

I plastered my best smile on as Ensui rose to bow and Shisui dipped his head from his chair. "Good afternoon, Sandaime-sama! This is a pleasant surprise…"

The old ninja smiled genuinely, moving further inside and resting a hand on the back of Naruto's head to guide him along. Absently, I wondered just how many ANBU were stationed around my shop.

Remembering those assholes who'd beat on us, not enough. Either that or they were just neglectful dicks. But that thought just left a nasty taste in my mouth.

"Hello to you too, Naruto-chan," I smiled down at the small blonde as Shisui wiggled his fingers eagerly.

Ino had twisted around to watch what all the hullabaloo was about and blinked faux-innocently up at me with I rested a hand on the crown of her head. "This is my imouto, the one I was telling you about? Ino, this is Naruto!"

Pupiless aqua met sapphire.

"Your not as pretty as me."

I facefaulted.

Dammit, Ino!

Any shyness in Naruto was annihilated. "Oi! Am too! At least my eyes aren't creepy, like yours!"

Tiny nostrils flared as Ino puffed up like an offended cockatiel. A small, fluffy baby one. The boys all leant forward as if watching a good action movie. Even Shika cracked a curious eye.

"Creepy!? Papa says they're be-beautiful like gemstones!"

Naturo's face scrunched up as he squinted up at his adversary and he let go of an amused Sarutobi's robe to scamper even closer. "Gems?" I could practically see the question mark above his head. "Why would you want hard eyes, then you can't see or anything!"

Only just recovered, I facefaulted for the second time. God, I was becoming my dad-

"Now, now, Naruto-kun, you should be nice to your future classmates," The Sandaime attempted to intervene, patting his 'charge's head with a grandfatherly demeanor. Palms flat on the counter as I pulled myself upright, I tried not to glower too obviously.

Judging by the way Ensui was deadpan staring at me, I wasn't 100% successful. It was a learning curve, okay.

"Her?" The recently-turned five-year-old jammed a finger at my sister. I mentally waved away the possibility of those two becoming BFFs from the get-go. Insert frowny face.

Ino looked about a second away from skinning the legacy of Minato and Kushina so I quickly intervened, all but jumping over the counter to shove Shisui's chair at the jinchuuriki.

"Cake!" I shouted, desperate. "You turned five a few days ago, right, Naruto? Let's all have some cake!"

Naruto stared at me like I had antlers, Ensui had his face in his hands with shaking shoulders, and Ino looked like I'd disowned her.

Vaguely, I got the impression Neko wanted to laugh.

Sarutobi, however, smiled. "What a thoughtful idea…"

Those dark, beady eyes were uncomfortably knowing. I turned away, reaching into the back storeroom and grabbing the Victoria sponge I'd baked last night, incase we'd run out of the brownies today.

"Ensui, can you grab that jug and get some juice? Shisui, everyone gather around the counter!"

Mercy of mercies, there were a handful of candles under the till, from when a few customers had admitted to it being their birthday and I'd decorated their order (free) with the things. I popped them into the soft sponge, disturbing the icing sugar dusted over it. Internally, I rolled my eyes that the candles, a complete mash up of different types, just happened to include a frog-shaped one. That one I popped in the centre before lighting them all.

"Happy Birthday to you~" I started slowly, narrowing my eyes until Shisui and Ensui awkwardly joined in, and we massacred the simple tune.

Naruto, sat in the middle with a beaming Shisui on one side and a huffy Ino on the other, stared like my hurried creation was the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen. The candle flames flickered in his blues eyes and I wondered if I'd imagined them shinier than normal.

"Happy Birthday..to...youuuuu!~"

Sandaime-sama careful guided Naturo's small hand to cut the cake, a huge slab for the birthday boy himself. Despite the fact he'd been in since opening time and had eaten enough that I was sure I was giving him diabetes, Shisui quickly swallowed his own monstrous slice.

When Ino got one that was just as big, stuffed with whipped cream and the homemade strawberry jam we'd made together a few weeks previous, I could almost see her soften towards him. Crikey, was that hope on the horizon?

Ensui didn't even get a slice (I saved him one for later) as I frantically waved him out of the door,the motion of my hands hidden under the counter.

He came back a few minutes later, when Chouji was hesitantly contributing his own favourite foods to the conversation, with a jacket.

It was bright blue and cut like a bomber, with ribbed elastic cuffs and a rounded collar. The material was pretty plain but fleece-lined and well made. God, Ensui was a godsend. If I'd sent Shisui? He'd have either come back with food or weapons.

He was such a hopeless, endearing dork-!

"Naruto-chan," I grinned, nodded my chin to the approaching Nara behind him. Sarutobi, calmly sipping his way through a pot of tea in the corner, smiled into the rim of his cup. "I do believe it's present time."

The boy in question blinked up at me, uncomprehending. Heart? What heart?

Ino, forever with an ear out for gifts, twisted in her chair and her eyes widened at the blue fabric in the Chuunin's arms. "Hey, you got a present, idiot!" an elbow was jammed into Naturo's ribs and I ratted a knuckle on Ino's skull. I'd told her that stuff like that wasn't nice. Her arm dropped. "Sorry-"

But Naruto wasn't listening anymore. Because he'd finally turned to see what we meant and, now, had thrown himself off his stool.

"What is it? What is it-!" he chanted, eyes popped wide and hands half-raised to reach. Ensui, grinning wryly, dropped the coat over Naturo's head.

"Happy Birthday, kid."

Small fingers curled, hesitant, into the strong fabric. Marvelling for a moment before arms slipped into the sleeves and fingers dug into the fleece lining.

I flicked my eyes around the room.

Shisui was grinning, smug as anything, but I saw my own sadness echoed in his eyes. Ino was frowning. Chouji looked quietly happy, a sweet blush on his cheeks from his earlier laughter.

It was Shika my eyes stopped on. The young Nara was frowning, eyes far too intelligent as they took in the way Naruto touched his new gift, as if it was going to disappear before his eyes. I slipped an arm around his shoulders and smiled when dark eyes flicked up to meet mine.

I felt Ino move to my other side and lowered my voice, so that the others wouldn't overhear.

"Naruto is an orphan, guys. I don't think he's had a birthday party, cake and presents before."

Shika only looked like I'd confirmed his thoughts. Ino, rather, stared down at the glass-bead bracelet I'd given her for her own fifth birthday a few weeks prior.

Teal met navy and I smiled in approval.

"Oi, Naruto." Ino called, only tearing her eyes from mine when the boy in question jerked around to look at her.

Small fingers undid the knot of the simple leather bracelet and the beads, ranging from white to the deepest blue and lily-pad green, clattered softly against each other.

"You don't look right."

I rolled my eyes skyward when Naturo's face crumpled. However, before the other boy could react further, my little sister was already reaching for a strand of spikey golden hair. The first end was tied near the his temple and, when Ino struggled to get the leather to hold, Ensui moved to help.

Naruto was shock-still frozen.

I popped Shika back into Hitoshi's side, who'd been passive aggressively sulking in the corner since the other blonde's arrival, and moved to lean on the back of Shisui's wheelchair.

"There," Ino declared, scarily like Hitoshi with her prideful tone. She leaned back, allowing the rest of us to see the string of beads, looping from Naturo's left temple to tie near the crown of his head, almost like a line of bunting. The beads caught the afternoon light, lovely aqua shades that picked out the blue of his new jacket and those incredible eyes. "Now, you look better."

Naruto hesitantly raised a hand to touch his new accessories and his eyes seemed to pop even wider. "My Nee-chan gave me them for my birthday and Ensui-nii made them with Yoshino-oba. That means they're special, okay."

The Uzumaki's mouth flapped open helplessly. "Wh-wh-why are you giving it to me, then? If it's so important!"

When Naruto raised a hand, face screwed up in determination, to rip the beads from his head, Ino unapologetically slapped the hand away. "Baka! Don't touch it, we just got it perfect!" Naruto looked dumbfounded. I knew the feeling. "I told you that so you'd look after it, idiot, not to get it back."

Work apparently done, Ino sniffed and turned up her nose, spinning around to leave. And was promptly stopped by the hand on her arm.

"If your sister made it you shouldn't just give it away!"

As the two blondes descended into another fight, I smirked down at Shisui, who tilted his jaw to grin knowingly up at me.

Another slice of cake in hand, the Uchiha scooped up another bite. "See what I meant? You had that look-"

I grabbed the fork before Shisui could raise it to his mouth, shoved it into my own and grabbed the plate.

Shisui looked devastated. "500 they get married!" he blurted, eyes on the stolen cake.

My own narrowed. I didn't think Ino and Naruto would mesh like that. Like candy from a baby… "Deal!"

….

It took two weeks for me to realise what had changed.

In the days following the anniversary, the entire village had been subdued and rightly so. Five years was a significant milestone. It felt...both too long and too recent.

I could almost see that night behind closed lids and it felt almost impossible to think that I'd been without Kaa-san and Noko for so long.

At the same time...so much had happened. And, the most terrifying part was that I'd been so young when it all happened. Another few years and I'd have lived longer without my mother than with. And those years would only continue to grow, until my mother was nothing but a distant memory.

I prayed that there was an afterlife and I wouldn't be reborn again. I had so many people to see and I'd be...scarily unrecognizable after so long.

Regardless, Inoichi-oji had been extremely grey, in both demeanor and complexion, for the rest of the week. Sora-oba's eyes had been red-rimmed for days and Ino, poor, poor Ino had looked so confused.

I'd tried to explain it to her but I wasn't sure she'd completely understood. But she'd been good, recognising that we were all very upset and now wasn't the time for tantrums etc.

I'd taken her to see Noko's grave the following week, explaining on the way that her oba-san was very tired after our cousin had 'gone' and that's why she'd never met her. That her uncle was busy outside of the village.

I'd rather have pulled out my own teeth than tell her that she had met Natsuko-oba. Once. When she was just a baby.

But...I hadn't been exaggerating when I'd noted how similar Noko and Ino had looked, especially as children.

One look at her niece and Natsuko had started screaming.

Ino hadn't been allowed to see her since.

"Here's where Noko sleeps," I pointed, fingers entwined with Ino's as I led her between the rows of graves. I hadn't told her that the grave was an empty one. There wasn't much point and the explanation would only prove painful.

"Beads!" The small blonde noted, smiling as she trailed her fingers over the strands I'd hung.

"Uh-huh," I nodded, fingering one too. "Noko was the one who showed me how to make them and that's why I still make them, so it's like she's still giving gifts too."

Blue flicked up to meet mine. "Does that mean the beads I gave to Naruto were from Noko-nee too?"

Noko-nee. God, if only she'd been around to hear those words herself. Ino had been all Inoko had really cared about in her last few months, ecstatic beyond belief that she'd finally have a cousin who was both younger than her and a close relation. "Sisters!" The cheerful rosette had giggled. "We'll all be sisters!"

"That just means it was from both of your sisters and Ensui, yeah?" Yeah, Noko. Sisters.

"Okay, I guess it's okay then," Ino rolled her eyes. Was I that sassy that age? Wait, that was a moot point.

"And who's that?" Ino pointed.

"Hmm?" I dragged my eyes from the white stone to follow the smaller blonde's finger.

Yamanaka Inokumo.

I went white.

"I...I've just remembered that Sora-oba wanted you back sharpish, Ino-chan. We'd better...get going."

Ino's surprise fell on deaf ears, my head ringing with strange, buzzing white-noise.

Somehow, somehow my feet carried me out of the graveyard and back towards the Yamanaka Compound.

"Girls?" Oba-san called from the Kitchen. "Back already?"

Ino ran off, shooting me a weird look over her little shoulder as she scampered around the corner towards her mother.

I left without a word.

When? When had my Uncle died? And why had no-one told me? Fear shot like a spear of ice down my spine. Did...did Natsuko-oba know? I mentally slapped myself. Of course she did, they were married. She was probably the first person to find out.

Absently, I tried to remember the last time I'd seen the two of them and struggled to bring up anything.

But. But life didn't only exist where I could witness it. They had probably lived their lives together, Natsuko-oba still unwell but living for her equally-devastated husband.

I'd like to think I was an honorary Yamanaka. Had I really not noticed when Inoichi-oji had lost his younger brother? When my own dad had lost his Genin teammate?

My feet had taken me to T&I. I ignored the receptionist, as per usual.

'Rap', 'rap', 'rap'.

A long moment later, the door was pulled open to reveal a tired Inoichi.

I know he'd told me to never let my emotions show if I ever was to enter his building. Not to show weakness or cry or laugh or chatter. Anything. But…

Without meaning to, my eyes grew itchy as tears started to gather along my lower lash line. Pupiless teal eyes closed in resigned pain.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

My uncle rested a scratchy, calloused hand on my shoulder and pulled me inside, closing the door behind me. I fell against the familiar chest, inhaled the scent of tea and roses. Noko's beads, Natsuko's wails and Inokumo-oji's pinched expression of denial flashed through my head. My neck felt as weak as a pipe cleaner and the tears finally spilled over.

I wept.

The barely-there shudders that trembled Inoichi's frame told me I wasn't the only one.

….

In the weeks following Inokumo's death (I wasn't told the circumstances but I was betting on a mission gone awry), the Yamanaka Compound felt terribly still. Held in a state of suspension.

Noko's house, now empty of everyone besides Natsuko-oba and her friend Haki-san, was in the middle of the cul-de-sac. A pretty home, summer-y with a generous lawn like all the others, I'd spent a lot of time there as a kid.

I hadn't been in there since a week before Kyuubi attacked.

Natsuko, Sora had reluctantly told me over tea, was extremely poorly and had been bed-bound for a long time now. Sora was the only one, besides Haki-san, who could get a response from her. She's just...lost the will to live.

(I hoped, so much it hurt, that my own family before had handled...everything...better.)

Sora went 'round whenever she could, even if she ended up drinking all the tea and basically talking aloud.

In the stillness of the Compound, I found myself taking Ino to visit a now-showing Kaiya more and more often. Sometimes leaving my little sister to play with Chouji whilst Sora ran the flower shop and I was at Nekki's, sometimes on my days off. Those times often ended up being either a strange girls-day with Ino, myself and the InoShikaCho mothers or as a babysitting gig for the terrible trio.

'Terrible', pfft. As if I wasn't whipped. So much so I probably should've felt embarrassed to be so thoroughly wound around the fingers of three five-year-olds.

I was shameless though. Beat that, Fandom!

"Alright, guys!" I clapped enthusiastically, feeling about like an overly-preppy councilor at those summer camps kids would rather die than attend. "Today we're making...bread!"

Ino shot me a look of disappointment, Shika just wanted to sleep and looked profoundly betrayed that, for once, I wasn't going to just let him. Or, better yet, let him cling to my back like a baby koala and purr him to sleep. Better than a lullaby and warm milk, he'd once admitted. Sleep deprived, of course. Taciturn little grump.

Chouji nodded eagerly, clambering up from where Ino had been showing off her colouring book on the living room carpet, and toddling over. Soft baby fingers shyly slipped into mine and, beaming, I clasped his hand more firmly.

Chouji was so my favourite!

We were in the Akimichi Compound again, Kaiya having taken the afternoon to indulge in a long soak at the onsen. The new baby was absolutely brutal; I'd never seen someone so sick, even Sora-oba at her worst hadn't been so bad. Maybe it was because Kaiya was always so intimidatingly On Point or because the first part of the pregnancy had been such smooth sailing. Whatever it was, I really hoped it passed soon.

Kaiya on a normal day was scary enough to make Shinobi wet themselves. On a Bad Pregnancy day? Fucking duck-and-cover, run for your lives.

"Now, now, Ino," I wagged a finger at her mullish pout. "Bread is a girl's best friend!"

Her little button nose crumpled adorably as Ino slowly moved closer, curious despite herself. "Why?"

Er. I'd never had to clarify the love between a girl and carbs before. It simply was. So I fucking dodged that bullet as best as I could. "It's a Big Girl secret! You'll know when you're older!"

The angry glint in Ino's eye did not bode well for my peace of mind but, seeing how her interest was most definitely captured, I decided that small losses were always part of a larger victory.

Outnumbered, Shika found himself hounded into actually actively participating (unlike just enjoying the show from the sidelines, as I could tell he'd intended from the glint in those clever eyes) and, half an hour after introducing the activity, the kids were finally gathered in the kitchen.

Hands were washed, 'apron's (neither Kaiya or myself owned any small enough so I'd just tucked a teatowel into each of their collars and secured with a piece of string around their little waists) tied and hair secured back.

"Right!" I chirped, showing them all the line of ingredients on the counter. "Today we're making honey bread! It's sweeter than normal bread so it's nice by itself for a snack. I'm sure," I cast a sly eye at Ino, "Ensui and all of our parents would appreciate them at work…"

Stars ignited in three sets of eyes and I mentally tooted my own horn. Ka-ching!

(Ino was at an age where she was desperate to sneak a peek into her dad's mysterious office. If a delivery at lunch time could get her past the front desk…bread was sticky and bothersome. But… for a ticket to her Papa's secret-spy-lab, she'd do it!)

(Chouji was actually a nice kid. He just wanted to be the one making a bento for his parents for once, not the other way around. And his Kaa-san had been really sick recently! Kiharu-nee always said honey was med-icinal, healing! He didn't know if it would help his mama but the older girl always said she felt better after licking the spoon-!)

(Shika knew his mother had a weakness for carbs, just like his older sister. Maybe an offering would smooth over any of his neglected chores…

...his father was also easily embarrassed. Kiharu would be ecstatic to know that, while she hadn't passed down her exuberance for mischief-making, Shikamaru did take a droll satisfaction from seeing his old man rattled. And leaving a sticky roll in the middle of a pile of documents, hopefully taken into an important meeting, was the easiest way to do so. Minimal effort, too.)

I didn't mention that they weren't, as they no doubt imagined, rolls filled with honey. I loved honey but, jeez, that was a bit extreme. Not to mention that straight out of the oven, when bread always tasted it's best, the center would be like soul-scalding lava!

"Okay! Ino-" I pointed, "-you measure out the butter. Chouji, can you sieve the flour, sweetheart? Shika…" my fellow brunette rolled his head around, lolling in his propped up hand, to face me. "...2 eggs from the carton, please."

I grinned when my little minions-er- helpers did my bidding without complaint.

…...

"Urgh," Shisui groaned, wiggling his toes as he plopped himself onto the grass. "I can't wait until I'm free of that stupid chair."

Behind him, hands dropping from where they'd helped Shisui lower himself from his wheelchair onto the meadow floor, Itachi allowed his lips to soften into an amused smile. "Hmm."

"Then we can practice in the woods again, catching fish, tracking animals. Sounds good, right?" Black eyes sparkled as Shisui twisted to grin at his cousin.

"Ah," The Heir lowered himself to sit beside the older boy and tucked a long strand, that had escaped his low ponytail, behind his ear. "You're healing well, Shisui."

The patient in question ripped up a handful of grass and starting shredding the sun-bleached lawn in his lap. "Heh, it's not been easy. Itachi," he glanced up to meet his companion's eyes. "You've been awesome, so, thanks."

The Genin's smile became that bit more visible. "Any time."

Shisui smiled back warmly but then a shadow seemed to fall over his eyes. In the low light of the late afternoon, his inky curls shone auburn and his eyes seemed more red than black. "Thanks...but something's been wrong, hasn't it, Itachi?"

The comfortable atmosphere suddenly felt cold.

Itachi almost opened his mouth to ask why but thought better of it. He might've been the one lauded as the generation's genius but...Shisui was a Jounin and smart. Smart enough not to show it, too. He...decided to wait.

"You've been on edge, twitchy, for ages now. Kiharu-" Shisui's eyes glinted when Itachi shifted minutely at the name, "-has noticed, Mikoto-sama has noticed. What does Ensui know that no-one else does?"

The breeze picked up slightly but, sat on top of 'Kiharu's Hill'/ 'Shisui's Hill' (privately, Itachi thought of it as belonging to them both) as the October evening drew in, neither boy shivered.

Suddenly, Shisui's eyes shone Sharingan red and Itachi automatically activated his own.

"I knew it," Shisui breathed, lips parted in horror. "You-"

"Don't." Itachi cast his eyes, now back to black, down the valley. "Please...don't."

At his side, his older cousin sounded helpless. "Don't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me?"

A beat.

"Ensui." A warm hand, not much bigger than his own but far more calloused from years of service, grasped his. Itachi didn't shake him off. "Ensui knows, doesn't he?"

The 9-year-old's chin dipped minutely in agreement, as if anything but the most discrete of answers would be broadcast to the world.

Inside, Shisui had never felt so...helpless.

"I'm here, Itachi." Shisui spoke fiercely, his hands squeezing and face pinched. "I'm here. We're in this together." Slowly, slowly, the younger boy turned to look back at his cousin. Loyalty and resolve shone like a beacon in his eyes and Itachi released the breath he hadn't known he was holding.

"Tell..tell me everything, Itachi."

And he did.

…

"Tell. Me. Everything!"

Hoshiko, her cheeks so red they practically steamed, sunk even further behind her sewing station and I internally marvelled that she hadn't completely disappeared under it yet.

Gin, beach-blonde waves pulled back into an annoyingly-pretty-yet-messy top knot, slammed her palms on the table between them and leaned even closer so the older brunette couldn't escape her piercing gaze.

"What's this?" I drawled, moving from where I'd stopped in the doorway to watch and setting Yuri-oba's knitting in her chair. She'd left it at mine when she'd been over for dinner the previous night.

"Kiharu!" Gin smirked over her shoulder - a sly look I had no problem returning - as Hoshiko seemed to melt even more at the audience. Of one. Who was the kid she'd known since starting her apprenticeship donkey's ago. Right. "Long time, no see, squirt. You've not been 'round in a fortnight." A manicured palm, nails glinting orange, was pressed against her slim chest in faux-hurt. "Sick of us?"

I grimaced. Gin had always rubbed me the wrong way, patting my head like a puppy when I was younger and constantly filing her damn nails. She was good at her embroidery, Oba-san wouldn't have taken her on and kept her if she wasn't, but it didn't mean we got on.

I ignored her. "Hello, Hoshiko-san, how have you been?"

The shy brunette, who'd always reminded me a bit of Jane from Pride and Prejudice, exhaled shakily and picked her needlework back up. "I'm good, thank you, Kiharu-chan. How is the stall?"

Moving to the teapot, I opened my mouth to reply but Gin interrupted, evidently done with this tangent. "Hoshiko! Don't lie," she laughed and turned to wink at me, "tell Kiharu about your Hot Date last night!"

Nevermind about the recovery, I think the older girl was on the cusp of fainting this time. Crikey, she looked mortified. I poured her a cup of tea in consolation because I was a bloodhound for gossip and romance, so yeah. Ha, there was no way in hell I was missing out on this.

"-I doubt Kiharu wants to kno-"

I flapped a desperate hand and told myself I wasn't a rude Bitch and would stop at the slightest sign Hoshiko was truly upset. "No, no! Don't mind little ol' me, what were you saying?"

Gin hopped up on the desk and her brunette coworker finally dropped her stitching, resigned to an unproductive afternoon. "Hoshiko went out for dan-" my eyes sharpened like the glint of a knife, "-dessert last night with a handsome guy and she wasn't going to say anything, little minx!"

Gin spoke with a relish that completely undermined the description 'insufferable' but I was too intrigued to mock her for it.

"Jealous, Gin?" or not.

Violent pink burned her high cheekbones and Gin gnashed her teeth. Kraken distracted, I placed the tea before our tag-teamed victim. "So you had dessert? Was he nice?"

Hoshiko looked relieved I hadn't started grilling her on the nitty gritty and I honestly wondered why she thought a 12-year-old could be so crude. I mentally backtracked, thinking about everyone else my age. Okay, point.

"Yes, Kiharu-chan, he was very sweet."

I waited a beat. Um...continue, please?

My expression no doubt revealed my mounting expectation and the 19-year-old giggled slightly. Kami, was there something on my face?

"His name is Jun and he's a blacksmith's apprentice…"

I abandoned all pretences when she shyly bit her lip.

"Age, height, eyes, dimples or no-"

Gin, apparently no longer in a strop, burst out into a loud cackle of laughter. It was a sound of evil. (It wasn't actually, in reality, a very nice laugh, but I never said I got on with everyone so surely I was allowed to be a little biased.)

"Like a wolf on the kill, Kiharu! Your Inuzuka friend would be proud!" She wouldn't actually, Hana isn't really one for gossip. I mentally stuck out my tongue and didn't even feel bad about it.

Gin and I demurely sipped our tea in a mirrored motion (Urgh) before fixing the other girl under our expectant gazes.

"Well?"

Hoshiko spilled.

….

*Lord of the Rings quote

*The full story of Aki and Seiichi is available in 'Tulip Fields'!

A/N- YOSH! 'Tis I! No, I didn't die, I was just on holiday, travelling around Europe with only my docs app, an annoyingly compelling muse and no laptop in sight. Ergo, plenty of writing but no updates. I can't believe it's been over a month since my last update but, well, I finally got back into my BNHA fic, so I'm not too regretful. This chapter was inspired by several things. I re-discovered 'Hey There Delilah' by Plain White T's and it's my current SHIHARU tune. Regardless of how musically inept Shisui is, shhhhhhhh~

I also watched the new version of The Orient Express, that Poirot detective my folks adore with the actor who played Lockhart (never forget, I'm sorry to the rest of his accomplishments), and #spoilers, but I felt like Noko's 'death' was rather like that of the girl it in. Don't know what the fuck I'm chatting about? Google it, sweetie. Long story short, a little girl is murdered and her loved ones never recover. It's not that serious here but I feel like Noko's 'death' really broke Natsuko and Inokumo (and, to a subtler degree, Kiharu). Not everyone can recover from a loss, that's just the way it is.

Third motivation? I've reread this chapter so many times simply because I've been jumping between WIPs so much I need to remind myself. I was getting rather sick of it and, as much as I love it, I'll be glad to see it laid to rest. So, yeah, the editing was like blood from a stone and, boyyyyyy, can I procrastinate. BUT THEN. LAST NIGHT (whilst I was actually on a night out and drinking, Friday night so no judging), I received the most gorgeous SHIHARU fanart ever! SQUEEEEEEE

I don't know your pseud on here but check out my Tumblr (x-authorship-x) for a-terrible-person-honestly's gorgeous work! Ask the Discord chat (message me on Tumblr if you want an invite), but I was a squealing wreck. I say it was the vodka, they'd probs say I'm just that excitable.

Anywho! Enjoy the chapter and, because I was so productive on holiday, don't be too surprised if the next update follows very quickly 3 3 3