ADOLAS

by Lazydaily

F

24. 31

30 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hatake Kakashi stumbled to the wall, letting it take his full weight.

"Well, since the mark is gone, I'm off. You know how it is: onsens to explore and a novel to write."

By the time he turned, the window was open and Jiraiya was gone. Shikaku hands shaped Rat, Ram, Dog. A white orb formed between his hands. Kakashi resisted the urge to tug up his hitaiate and copy it. At this point, using his Sharingan would knock him out. He probably wouldn't be able to use it, anyway. Medical ninjutsu didn't only require fine chakra control. Complete understanding of how cells worked was vital. Kakashi could heal muscles and bones but nothing more complicated.

He made an inquiring noise with his throat. Even that took too much effort.

"The mystical palm focuses Yang release, stimulating the patient's cells into regeneration." The commander explained. "This is uses Yin."

"Everything seeks balance," he mumbled.

"Exactly. The patient's body responds to the technique by increasing the Yang energy in that area."

"You make the patient do the work," Kakashi was too tired to chuckle, but he wanted to.

The sphere passed over Sasuke's neck and up to his head. Shikaku frowned. "Sasuke seems fine. He'll sleep for two or three days while his body and chakra system regain their own equilibrium. Someone should keep an eye on him, Kakashi."

He grimaced. "Not the hospital." It was too difficult to protect since there were countless people going in and out.

"He can't go to the Uchiha district alone," Shikaku drawled, posture going lax. Kakashi straightened, recognizing the warning.

"No. He'll stay in my apartment." He disliked people in his space, but he wasn't going to fail Sasuke again. After his student had recovered, he'd train him to survive against Dosu and Gaara. He hesitated. What about the other two? They didn't have to train for the final. But if he let Naruto and Hikari go their separate ways now, the team would rupture. Even if he forced them to train together, Sasuke had been a bridge between them. He rubbed a hand over his face. He didn't know what to do.

"I'll stay with him while you walk your genin home. Consider this a reminder that you are responsible for the life and future of three promising genin, Kakashi."

He nodded and walked out. The rest of his team and Shikamaru were sitting on the chairs in the hallway since visiting hours were over. Hikari had her legs up, hugging her knees. She was asleep.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whispered-yelled. "How's Sasuke-teme? Did you get it off? Can we see him?"

"Yes. The mark is gone. Sasuke is unconscious. Give him a couple of days, Naruto."

The blond slumped in relief and then glanced at the clock and fidgeted. "Hikari's going to be late for dinner!"

He nodded and gestured to Shikamaru. He shook her awake. She came awake in an instant, legs dropping to the floor. Her eyes found him.

"Sasuke-kun? Where is he?"

"He's recovering in his own room. We got the mark off. Shikaku is standing guard."

"Can we see him?"

Kakashi thought about it. The medical staff didn't like him, but he could swing it. He gentled his tone. "If you need to, but he's asleep. The proceeding went well. I'll keep my eye on him until he wakes up in a couple of days. In the meantime, I'll escort both of you back to your homes and then take Sasuke to mine."

Hazel eyes narrowed. "You'll tell us as soon as he wakes up."

He ignored the fact that it was more an order than a request and nodded.

"Alright."

Kakashi nodded to Shikamaru and nudged his genin out of the room. They walked in silence.

"Are you... is the guy from earlier your brother? You don't look alike. You're so pale and he's got lilac hair. Why not dinner with your parents? Are they nice?" The questions burst out of Naruto, one after the other.

"Arata and I don't share blood ties," Hikari corrected. "Our families regularly dine together. My parents are wonderful, thank you for asking."

Naruto brightened when Hikari's answers didn't cut him off. "So, so. Is your dad a king?"

She blinked. "No."

"But you're a hime, right? How come your dad isn't a king?" Naruto was frowning.

"I'm a hime by choice and birth, like my mom before me. Sakasu Kotone is the leader of Fire's kyokuba-dan."

Kakashi cut in because if Naruto offended Kotone, Hikari would never forget it. "Kotone-sama has political prerogative, Naruto."

"What's that?"

"It means she has the right to be consulted in political decisions, the right to be heard, and the right to keep silent." He'd done his homework after Hikari's performance. "For example, should the Konoha's Kage-ship be passed, she'll have a voice on which candidate should be elected, along with the jounin commander and the daimyo himself." Which meant Kotone had been involved in choosing Minato as Yondaime. It also made the Nara's alliance with the kyokuba-dan formidable. Shikaku had to consult along the jounin forces, but his voice carried a lot of weight and had the Yamanaka and Akimichi support.

"So, everyone has to listen to your mom, Hikari?"

She shook her head. "The daimyo must hear her out, not agree or even listen. Our prerogative is limited by the daimyo's law. We can object or advice against a choice. But it's the daimyo's choice to make. It is only if it'll destroy Fire's integrity that we can summon the court. Then the daimyo would have to argue his choice in front of his subjects."

Kakashi's eyebrows raised. He hadn't known that. It was a boundary, and one that gave the kyokuba-dan a lot of power. They could delay if not obstruct the daimyo.

"Has your mother ever called the court, Hikari?" he asked.

"No." Hikari's response was frosty, and she didn't turn to look at him as she uttered it.

Naruto glanced widely from him to his teammate, but he didn't breach the tense silence. Inside of his pockets, Kakashi's nails bit into his palm. He deserved this. They turned the corner.

"Hikari-chan!" A figure draped in rich teal exclaimed. She had been pacing the road that led up to the kyokuba-dan gates.

"I'm back, mom! Hi, dad!" Hikari trotted up to her mother, who enveloped her in a hug.

Akio walked up to them. "Good evening, Hatake-san. And you must be Uzumaki Naruto? I'm Sakasu Akio, Hikari-chan's father."

"Yes! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!"

Kakashi returned the pleasantry and handed him Jiro's unused plastic apparatus. He didn't know when the boy would need it.

His genin and Kotone came to join them. Akio put his hand on Hikari's forehead, over the hitaiate, stopping her from coming closer. "You're all stinky, sweetheart."

"Dad!"

"Oh, alright, alright," he dropped his hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. "But you're showering before dinner."

Kotone greeted him cordially before introducing herself to Naruto.

Naruto stumbled over his own greeting. "Hi, Hikari's mom."

The woman smiled, but sharp almost gold eyes catalogued every detail. "And your third?"

"Sasuke-kun got hurt protecting Naruto-kun and I," Hikari answered. "Kakashi-sensei nullified the effects, and he should be alright in a couple of days."

"I see," Akio said somberly. "Can we do anything to thank him, sweetheart?"

Hikari looked at him, giving him the responsibility of answering.

"Ah, no. Sasuke will be staying with me until he recovers." Tiredness was seeping into his bones. It was time to wrap things up. "Hikari, remember that you're not to use chakra for a week. You might feel like you're coming down with a cold. It should fade as you recover." He turned to the parents. Even if Hikari was unhappy with him, he was her jounin-sensei. "I have a summoning contract with nin-dogs. I understand that I'm allowed to come in if it concerns her training or well-being. Does this extend to them?"

Kotone fingers drummed her thigh. "They will be allowed in after they identify themselves and vow not to reveal, report, or seek out any information that does not directly and fully impact Hikari-chan's shinobi training and/or health."

"Hikari's training." Kakashi countered. "She uses a lot of skills she learned from you."

"Hikari's training pertaining to Movement or the Ninja Arts."

He nodded. "The pack will abide by these terms. Hikari, expect either Pakkun or Bisuke. I'll send word as soon as Sasuke wakes with a training schedule."

Kotone inclined her head. "Thank you, Hatake-san, for bringing back our daughter safe."

He shifted and swallowed. Hikari hadn't been safe because of him. It'd been in spite of him.

"Good night, Uzumaki-kun," Akio added.

Naruto returned the sentiment, and then they were on their way.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei!" Hikari called out.

He turned.

Hikari held his eye before fixing them a meter in front of her. She bowed thirty degrees in a perfect keirei. "Thank you, for coming up with a technique to help Sasuke-kun," she said as she came up. Kakashi blinked. She sounded genuine, and he guessed she was, but- "And thank you for your teachings."

Kakashi fought not to flinch but couldn't help his hand going to his vest, where he kept Hikari's note. He'd read and re-read those words until the paper was creased and fragile, but he still couldn't bear to put them away.

(...)

If done right, it is an astounding display of teamwork - your first lesson and demand from Team 7.

I do not remember your exact words, but the spirit of them remains: you never abandon a teammate.

Thank you for your teachings,

Hikari

He held her eyes. "Thank you for learning, Hikari." She had upheld his nindo even when he hadn't, first in the Forest of Death and then in Ino's match. "Come on, Naruto." He needed to make sure the boy had something to eat beside ramen. His supplies were so bad that Kakashi had begun bringing him vegetables weekly. His blond genin had gotten him Mr. Ukki for his troubles.

He sighed. Naruto, then relocating Sasuke, and finally watering his new plant and setting up guard.

29 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Nara Shikamaru's exit was halted by his father's voice. "Shikamaru, explain what Masaru-kun meant about you and Ino."

Shikamaru laid it out as a mission report. "I didn't help her," he finished quietly. "But she didn't need me to defend her."

His father sighed. "The fact that none of her friends spoke out forced her into a tight corner. It was her word against Naruto's. From that point on, she had to convince everyone of her character."

Shikamaru winced, and he told his father his disagreement with Hikari in the Forest.

"You're not wrong," Shikaku said. He glanced up sharply at his father. What? "But neither is she. We both know how little Hikari thinks of shinobi rules." He nodded. "But they're there for a reason. To prevent things like this from happening. You have no authority over Team 7, so it wasn't your place to say anything." He slouched lower in his seat. "But Team 7 is a mess."

"They did alright in Waves," he defended.

"No, Shikamaru. They crumbled in Waves. Team 7 left more or less functional, and it came back with clear lines drawn between them. And yet, no actual lines were drawn. Who is their leader if Kakashi isn't there?"

He tried to figure it out, but it wasn't very clear. "Sasuke?"

"Why?"

"Because Naruto and Hikari don't listen to one another," he cringed.

"That makes Sasuke the tie-breaker. Is he their leader?"

"No, but he could be."

"Maybe he could. But right now, no one in that Team can give an order and expect it to be followed without justifying it. And Kakashi hasn't helped. He never said anything about the boys not identifying a threat or Naruto going into the ice prison. It left a void. Hikari filled it in the worst way, at the worst time. Why?"

Because she'd been scared and frustrated, and Naruto woke up questioning her decisions. He told his father so and got a disappointed stare for his troubles. He thought harder. "Because we were there. Team 10, that is. Survival training for team bonding only works if the team is on their own, dependent on one another."

"Yes. Hikari knew you weren't going to leave her on her own. She didn't need Naruto anymore, so she could lash out."

He grimaced at the blunt assessment.

"Son, you need to be able to see Hikari objectively and not just as your friend." At his blank look, he continued. "Without your own and Ino's observations of Kabuto, would you have labelled him a spy?"

"Yes. Hikari is a good judge of character."

"She is, but she doesn't like anyone new."

"Dad!"

"Name someone she met on her own, outside of the kyokuba-dan, that she liked."

Kiba came to mind, but Hikari had liked Akamaru at first, and then she'd accepted they came as a package deal. He'd been the one to suggest she approach Ino. Sasuke? But she hadn't made an effort until she'd been forced into his proximity. Some of the Nara? But again, he'd vouched for them. She was more intrigued by Neji than she liked him. "I can't."

"Her family isolates itself, Shikamaru. That sort of thinking bleeds over. Hikari also doesn't do anything that doesn't benefit her. No, listen to me." He reprimanded when he turned away. "She trades. We are, you are, lucky that she's decided your friendship is invaluable. But from others? She'll always weight how much it will cost her against what she'll get in return. It doesn't make her a bad person. But you need to see her as she is, not as she is with you."

He nodded slowly. To him, Hikari was half girl, half dreamer. Whenever she went behind the painted gates, anxiety crawled through his throat. He'd wake up one day, trying to grasp his best friend and she'd disappear like the memory of a half-forgotten dream.

"Let's leave aside that. What do you know of Kakashi?"

"He's a genius." Hatake Kakashi had been a legend for his skill with the Sharingan even when the Uchihas lived. "He became jounin at twelve and invented his own technique. He takes risks. Not even Azuma-sensei, with his own blades, would have imagined Hikari could do such delicate chakra flow."

"Hikari managed to create her technique with his help, yes. But why hasn't he created more jutsu?"

Shikamaru thought it over and over. Why did he plateau at twelve? Kakashi wasn't a jounin his father regularly interacted with, which mean he'd been Anbu. High ranking, and his survival spoke of his skill. But he'd mastered his Lightning technique and could use his Sharingan by twelve. Why not go farther? Why did he get captured by Zabuza? The three genin had weighted him down, but he'd had the same handicap in the bridge and won.

"What changed at twelve?" he thought out loud.

"Think it over, Shikamaru. Now, tell me about the competition."

He settled himself in the chair to bounce ideas off his father. Neji would be a difficult opponent to beat, and Shikamaru didn't want to fail the exam and have to do it again.

28 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari paused between two bookshelves. She took a deep breath and took the last steps to the corner of the kyokuba-dan's library. Masaru slouched in the sofa. She cleared her throat gently enough that he wouldn't hear her if he was absorbed in the text.

"Hikari-chan." He closed his book.

"Hey, Masaru-senpai. Do you have time? I can come back later."

"No, no. I haven't finished writing my part of your friend's gift, though." Sasuke's birthday was coming up. She'd asked people who remembered the Uchiha to put their recollection into a page. She'd organize and bind them together.

"Thank you again for volunteering. That's not why I'm here. You said I only needed to ask for your help."

"Is this you asking?"

"Yes."

He closed his book and gestured for her to follow him. "Let's go to my house. My mom is out scouting and my dad has an appointment." Hikari nodded. Masaru's adopted parents weren't performers. His mother coordinated the small team that searched out talent, and his father was a physical therapist.

They settled in on the living room. She opened her mouth and closed it several times, not knowing how to start. He waited her out.

"I can't work with Naruto-kun!" she blurted out.

Calm grey eyes regarded her. "Do you want to?"

"Maybe," she hedged before sighing. Masaru's loyalty was to her, not Naruto. "No. Not really." She grimaced. "Even if I wanted to, I blew my chance. I..."

"Tell me from the beginning?"

"Yeah, I can do that." She explained how she'd never cared to pay attention to Naruto besides ignoring him in class. That had been her first mistake. Her whole approach had been off from the very beginning. She gave him a brief rundown of the rest, glossing over anything dangerous or confidential. She ended with her verbal attack.

He whistled low. "You went for the throat."

"No, I didn't! I didn't say anything about his sad excuse of a mask that does nothing to hide his desire to be loved."

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tear it out, but you did grace it with envenomed fangs."

"Fine. Yes. I guess." Naruto's flimsy little dream was his comfort. He clutched it like Ami had clutched her favorite blanket when she was a toddler. Hikari hadn't been nice, but she didn't owe him kindness.

"What do you want me to do, Hikari-chan? Did you want me to listen? Do you want my advice for making it work?"

She shook her head slowly. "I think I know how?" At his soft enquiring noise, she explained. "He has selective but intense empathy. He... likes mirrors. If I could start over, I'd play to that. Portray vulnerability. Confiding being called a circus freak should do it. But... I messed up too bad, didn't I?"

"Yes. You'd have to go from aloof and condescending to vulnerable. It'd take a lot of time and talent to even begin to make it believable. And you can't change yourself too much since your sensei and other teammate would notice the discrepancies. And..."

"And I don't want to."

"And you don't want to, so it won't come off as authentic. What's the plan?"

"Ino told me I can transfer teams, but I don't want to. Sasuke-kun is my friend. And I was incredibly lucky to be assigned to Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi hadn't come to them when they'd needed them, but this exam had proved that he was the best teacher she could hope for. Sasuke, Naruto, and she had all won their first match after fighting to get to the tower. And in the preliminaries... None of the others from Konoha knew a new jutsu that weren't from their family's repertoire.

Tenten was right. Shinobi respected combat more than other fields. She needed to be part of such a team to make it to the position she desired. If she changed teams, there was no guarantee she'd be reassigned to combat. Even if she was, no other teacher would be so willing to let her experiment with her art and chakra. She didn't want to change team and then be stuck under someone like Maito Gai.

"So Uzumaki-san is the one who needs to go."

"Yes."

The older artist straightened in his seat and pinned her with his gaze. "Have you figured out why people avoid him?"

She fidgeted. She'd been determined to find out and then hadn't. "No. I can understand the dislike since his pranks destroy or deface private and public property, but... Some of them hate him, Masaru-senpai."

"There's a Konoha-wide secret. The kyokuba-dan has to keep it, and we have and will. But civilians haven't been so careful, and it has trickled down."

A generational thing, then. And Masaru wouldn't reveal it to protect the kyokuba-dan. "I'll look into it." He'd say they had to keep it. Something legally binding? But what contract was as wide as a village? A decree? A law? What made Naruto so special? How did his familiarity with the Hokage fit into it?

"See that you do," he murmured.

27 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hatake Kakashi knocked on his student's window.

"Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here! Where's Sasuke-teme? Is he awake?"

"Maa, Naruto. I'm well. Thank you for asking." He stepped into the apartment.

"Whatever!"

"Sasuke is recovering. I'm here to talk about the exam."

Naruto crossed his arms and frowned. "What about it? I didn't make it to the finals."

"I told you at the tower that we'd discuss what a chunin is." There. Getting Naruto to think about what a chunin was would make him realize what characteristics he lacked.

"I know what a chunin is, dattebayo! Iruka-sensei is one!"

He hummed. "Do you think you deserve to be a chunin?"

"I totally could have beaten Shikamaru, dattebayo!"

Kakashi thought he was missing the point. "Alright, then. Let's start at the bridge in Waves. I was proud of the first encounter with Zabuza. You three worked together, got me out of the water prison, and poisoned a stronger and smarter opponent."

Naruto beamed. He looked away from blue eyes and blond hair. His genin wasn't Minato-sensei.

"That's why I was shocked and disappointed at the bridge. You do realize, Naruto, that Haku nearly killed Sasuke?"

"But he didn't! Haku was nice!"

"You can't rely on your opponent's mercy!" He growled, making the genin go quiet. "Your teammates had a strategy, and you didn't support them. Sasuke almost died inside that prison. The water clone almost decapitated Hikari a couple of times. By not helping, you endangered your teammates."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth.

"Being unpredictable can be an asset against your enemies. But it will always be a liability if it works against your team."

Naruto looked down at the floor. Kakashi forced himself to go on.

"Hikari and Sasuke had a strategy against Orochimaru. To run." The genin's face scrunched up in disgust. "You forced them to choose between staying to fight a lost battle and leaving you behind. They had to pick between almost certain death and being worse than trash." The blond flinched back. "And both of them opted to stay by your side." He finished solemnly.

"I... I... but... They don't..."

"Sasuke took a mark that poisoned his chakra so Hikari could get to you. When both of you were down, she carried you somewhere safer. The Sound team had her on her knees with a kunai to her throat, and she still refused to say where you were." She could have revealed where the boys were to buy herself some time.

Naruto looked shaken. But he'd also looked shaken at the bridge, tears streaming down his face when he thought Sasuke dead. It hadn't been enough.

He bit his tongue not to tell him he'd disrespected his team and everything Kakashi had tried to teach. "Friends won't flock to someone who abandons them. Glory won't help fill the hole in your heart. And a comrade who doesn't support his team is not a comrade at all. If you keep doing this, Naruto, they eventually won't have your back."

Naruto sniffled. Kakashi hoped he'd gotten the point across. Now he needed to do damage control.

"Hikari said something to you in the forest, right?"

He nodded. "That... that I don't know what a Hokage does."

"Do you disagree?"

He scrubbed the tears off his face with his arm. "I don't know about the lords and the villages and the hospitals. Did I... Was it because I skipped class?"

"Some, yes." He stated bluntly. "Most of your class mates are clan heirs," or Hikari, "so they were taught more."

"It was boring. History and all those classes," he mumbled.

And there it was. Naruto worked hard towards a goal... for a time. For a day or a week. If he didn't get it or it didn't hold his interest, he jumped to something else.

"But they don't help you out in a fight." Naruto said haltingly.

That would be fair enough usually. Many nin didn't need to know how the world worked to fight. But Naruto wanted to be Hokage. Still, this could help bring the conversation around and drive the point home. "What helps you out in a fight? Why are chunin and genin different?"

"They're stronger!"

Kakashi deflated. They hadn't done any progress. "Even if you could beat a chunin, it wouldn't make you a chunin, Naruto. That's not all there is to the ranks. Do you remember the riddle at the tower?"

"Yeah, it was to seek what you didn't have."

"Exactly. Chunin don't have a particular strength like a tokubetsu, but they have less weaknesses than any genin. They know how to work with others. They can take on stronger opponents if they have a team with them." Or if they had time to plan or outsmarted them, but that wasn't the point. He was oversimplifying. Naruto couldn't go on winning by brute force like with the girl from Suna. He'd lose anytime he fought someone smarter, and his team would refuse to work with him.

"Okay, okay, Kakashi-sensei. I get it. I need to read the boring books."

Kakashi drooped. He glanced at the clock. Genma couldn't stay all day with Sasuke.

"You need the books if you're serious about being Hokage. But to be part of a team, you need to work with the team instead of against them. If you let them, Sasuke and Hikari will shore up your weaknesses. They'll lend you their strengths. That means you listen to them. That means that you create situations where they're safer instead of in danger."

"But they don't listen to me!"

"Don't forget that they've been willing to sacrifice their lives and well-being to protect you. You need to give them a reason to listen to you. Listen to them first."

Naruto grumbled a bit before looking down at the floor. "Is the bastard really okay? The mark was hurting him in the forest."

"He'll be okay," he said firmly.

"I... I am sorry, Kakashi-sensei. For the bridge and the forest."

"I believe you, Naruto." Was a sorry enough? Kakashi had lost count of how many times he apologized to his teammates' names in the Memorial Stone. Could ghosts forgive you? He shook the thoughts off. Unlike him, Naruto could still turn things around. "You'll have to prove it'll be different."

He patted the genin on the top of his head and shunshined through Konoha back to his apartment.

Genma greeting him and got up from the couch. "I know you'll train this one," he pointed his senbon to the bedroom's closed door, "for the finals. But what of your other two genin?"

That was a perfect opening. "How kind of you to volun-"

"No. You need me where I am."

Kakashi blinked twice. Genma was usually more easygoing than serious, and he could spare a few afternoons.

"Listen," he glanced at the opposite wall. "You need to step lightly. Sandaime-sama is concerned over some odd coincidences."

He hummed lightly, inviting the tokubetsu to go on.

"Orochimaru's attack doesn't make sense. It would have been easier to bite Sasuke outside of the village. Or when he was younger." Genma took a deep breath. "Orochimaru disabled the jinchuriki but left your other student alone."

"This is about Hikari?"

He nodded. "She discovered a spy with ties to Orochimaru that T&I didn't detect, wasn't attacked by him, and wasn't harmed by the Sound team. And a genin shouldn't have been able to do anything to that mark."

"What are you insinuating, Genma?" He asked, a warning fighting with a growl in his throat.

He put his palms up. "I'm not saying I agree. But this whole exam is making Hokage-sama look bad. Your genin hasn't helped."

"Because she called for help." Three genin teams knew about the mark. Sooner or later, it'd become common knowledge.

He nodded. "And it comes after the kyokuba-dan allied themselves to Shikaku."

"He thinks this is about Kage-ship? But it was because of Shikaku that we knew to send for Jiraiya-sama and we're on alert."

"Ah... about that. Jiraiya is facing charges."

Kakashi's mind blanked. Whatever his sensei's sensei was, he was no traitor. "On what grounds?"

"Civilian, not shinobi charges. He got caught spying in the onsen. A kyokuba-dan lady was inside, and, well, their lawyers are formidable. He's facing several charges of not just misdemeanor, but breach of trust." Shinobi took an oath to protect the civilians. Breach of trust happened when a shinobi knowingly endangered a civilian's well-being and sense of safety.

"Sandaime-sama will make him pay some fines, and it'll blow off," Kakashi grimaced. Orochimaru had gotten away with human experimentation for years, after all.

Genma bit his senbon and shook his head. "It's going to the daimyo's court since they're concerned of favoritism. Sandaime-sama got it delayed until after the exams." The tokubetsu shrugged. "Look, I thought Shikaku and you should... be aware."

Kakashi nodded, indicating he'd tell the commander. Genma inclined his head and made for the door. He turned back.

"For the record, I don't have anything against the kyokuba-dan. Neither did Minato-sama."

He blinked twice. Of course. Genma had been Minato's bodyguard. When he'd died, he had fallen back into the ranks. It was only for special events that the Sandaime required guards.

"They had plans for Konoha, you know? Your genin's mother and Yondaime-sama, I mean. The kyokuba-dan is not required to report anything other than who leaves and comes into the village. But Minato-sama wanted more. He said they were part of Konoha, and he'd sworn to serve the village."

Kakashi nodded woodenly. That did sound like his sensei. Genma must have read something in his face, because he opened the door.

"Thank you, Genma."

"Bye, Kakashi. If you need help teaching basics, you should talk to Ebisu."

Right. Not only was he a tutor, but he'd been part of Team Chouza. And Chouza had an alliance with the Nara and Yamanaka, who would be willing to help out Hikari.

26 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hatake Kakashi glanced up when his bedroom door opened. "You're in my apartment," he informed the wary genin. "You passed out in the hospital and have been sleeping for the last couple of days."

He nodded in acknowledgment.

"I am worse than trash, Sasuke." The genin froze in his way to the door. "But I'm still your sensei. And as your sensei, you are my responsibility."

"Until I make chunin," he crossed his arms.

"It doesn't stop there." Even in Anbu, he'd known Minato would have his back. "You're my responsibility." He repeated. "And I'll do better from now on."

"You'll train me for the fights."

"Yes. You need to worry about the second match, the one against Gaara. Your biggest obstacle is his armor. Earth is weak against Lightning, so I'll teach you an A-rank technique I developed." He thought about making him swear he'd never use the Chidori against a teammate, but it'd be an insult. Sasuke wasn't him. "It will be different from other techniques you've learned. Fire can take many forms. But Lightning always snaps. It's fast and brutal, like a whip of power. You'll have to be just as fast."

"And then?"

Kakashi shook his head. "You could go against either Shikamaru, Neji, or Shino. There's no clear winner there. We'll focus on your first two matches. For Dosu, I think it's time you learn Sharingan genjutsu." Both of them had to start using the doujutsu to its fullest capability.

His genin's breath caught. "He... that man used genjutsu. I can find another way."

"Plenty of people use genjutsu, too," he pointed out gently.

"That's different!" he snapped.

"This is, too. Itachi has a Sharingan and used genjutsu. So did a number of Uchiha," he said firmly. Wicked-eye Fugaku was still feared from his feats in the Third War. "You can't let Itachi define your life. The fate of those who seek revenge is grim, Sasuke. If you go down that path, you will end up suffering and hurting yourself. Even if you succeed, the only thing that remains is emptiness."

"You say it like it's a choice, but I have to! I'm the only one who can destroy that person!"

"Why?"

"What do you mean WHY?" Sasuke roared, standing up. "He killed my family! He is alive and no one is doing anything about him!"

It'd been almost half a decade, and Itachi hadn't been caught. "Revenge is not justice. It will not bring you closure. Killing Itachi is not the same as building up the Uchiha name again." Sasuke remained unconvinced. He sighed. "If you must absolutely walk the path of revenge, then don't do it alone."

"I AM ALONE!"

"You are not alone," he said firmly. "You're not the only one who knows what it's like to lose somebody. You and I... neither of us has led a charming life. I'll... tell you someday about my genin teammates, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin." He raised a hand to stop him from talking. "Not now, Sasuke. My point is, both of us have been lucky enough to find new comrades to help fill the void."

Sasuke looked away. "Hikari and Naruto -"

" - and me. I have your back. And you'll find other people who have your back, like in the forest." Sasuke had managed to work with Team 10 and Team Gai, even taking directions from Neji. He could find his place in Konoha, surrounded by his comrades.

"Hn."

"Do we have an agreement? I'll train you and be a better sensei. You'll learn and think about other paths to accomplish your goals."

"Fine. It's not like I wanted to go with Orochimaru."

"Was that what he wanted?" he asked, keeping his tone light.

"He said I'd join him. I won't, but I want - No. I need Itachi dead."

Kakashi hummed to show he heard him. He decided not to push. "Let's talk about the exam."

He crossed his arms.

"Congratulations, Sasuke." He crinkled his eye into a smile. "You conducted yourself admirably from start to finish. You demonstrated that you can be both a competent leader and a teammate. When Hokage-sama asks, I'll give my full recommendation if you want me to."

"If I want you to?"

"Most chunin don't stay with their genin team if they don't all get a promotion."

"Hikari and Naruto both won their first match!"

"It's not only about the matches. Naruto has a lot of strength. But as it is, he cannot be trusted to lead or follow orders."

"And Hikari?"

"She has the mental capabilities, but I won't recommend her until she can fight and win most one-on-one matches."

Sasuke nodded and frowned.

"There's a third choice. I can recommend you but request that you stay in the team. It will limit the number and rank of missions that you take."

"Hn. Fine."

25 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Uchiha Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and stopped in front of the painted gates. There were no guards. He poked his head in. An elderly couple sat in the grass, talking. He scuffed his foot to make some noise.

"Shinobi-san." The lady greeted him coldly before relaxing. "Oh. You're Little Light's friend. How may I help you, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke's brain stuttered. He hadn't been expecting the nickname. But it was the unseeing eyes that settled somewhere near his shoulder that had his attention. The man was blind. "Evening. I'd like to see Hikari."

"Wait here." She strode off with more speed than her age suggested she should be capable of.

He shifted, uncomfortable. What was she thinking? She shouldn't have left him with a vulnerable member. "I am standing beside the gates, sir."

"I know, Uchiha-san," the old man tapped his ear. "You sound well. Do my ears deceive me? Hikari-chan has been worried."

Warmth seeped into his skin. He had forgotten what having someone worried about you felt like. "I'm fine. Hikari helped. So did Kakashi." He frowned, thinking about his sensei. He didn't know what to think of the jounin. He'd left him in the forest, but he'd also created an unheard-of technique to get the mark off. He'd brought him into his home, when nin didn't like people in their safe space. He'd refused to talk about Uchiha Obito, but he'd asked Sasuke about his future. The man was a walking contradiction.

The elder came back. Instead of Hikari, her father came to stand in front of him. Akio, he remembered.

"Uchiha-san." The man smiled, and it was so like Hikari that some of the tension left him. "I invite you to walk with me." He gestured inside the kyokuba-dan. Sasuke fell into step. "My daughter is not here right now. I believe she is visiting Ino-chan."

He nodded, recalling that the Yamanaka had been poisoned. It didn't explain why Akio wanted to talk.

"Kotone and I are civilians. Hikari-chan can't tell us much, but some things are rather obvious." Sasuke said nothing. "Twice she has come home upset because you were hurt. Twice she has returned home unharmed. I speak for myself and Kotone when I thank you for protecting our daughter."

He shifted, uncomfortable. It hadn't been like that. It's not like he had shoved her aside to take a hit, either time. "You don't need to thank me."

"I disagree," Akio said simply. "This is not a discussion over whether our gratitude is warranted. This is me informing that you will have our support, should you ever need or want it."

Dark eyes regarded him until he nodded. He didn't think he could speak. What was it with the kyokuba-dan? First Hikari claimed him as his friend, without warning, without discussing it first. And now this. How could he refuse when they weren't demanding anything?

"Feel free to stop me at any time, Uchiha-san. I'm about to give you some unsolicited advice."

Sasuke steeled himself to hear all over again how revenge wasn't a worthy ambition. All adults repeated the same thing.

"If you seek to answer a question," Akio started. "I have found that it is helpful to rephrase it." The man frowned and then clarified. "I don't mean you should modify it. I mean that asking more and different questions adds nuances. If you want to know why, it may help you to ask how, for example."

He tried not to think of 'Why, aniki, why did you do this?'. "I know how." Seeing brown eyes, so different from Hikari's and yet in a similar face, he added. "I saw him kill them."

The man flinched and sorrow clouded his eyes. "An ordeal I cannot possibly imagine," he murmured. "Knowing in what manner does not mean understanding how it was possible. If someone targets my family tonight, many will not be here. Some are on tour, others live elsewhere, and handfuls may be travelling or on vacation. For years before the destruction of the Water kyokuba-dan, restrictions had increased. That's one of the reasons the tragedy was even conceivable."

"Tragedy? You mean the civil war?" Kiri had turned on its own shinobi, trying to purge all bloodlines. Had the circus been caught in the cross fire?

"Unlike us, our counterpart held shinobi secrets. They guarded bloodline records. In an effort to find out where those with a kekkai genkai hid, the compound was seized."

Sasuke froze, recalling the blind old man. Disgust and rage rose up in him. These were civilians. They made art and had never held a blade. Even one genin could kill the adults. The Kiri nin had betrayed everything a shinobi stood for. He sneered.

"Do you recall Hikari-chan's performance?" He refocused, wondering if he had missed part of the conversation. What did that have to do with anything? "Shikaku-dono had some time to recall most of his family. And yet, some still couldn't make it."

A film of noise fell over him. Sasuke didn't remember how he made his excuses. By the time he could think somewhat clearly, he was setting a basket full of tomatoes and dark chocolate in his kitchen and collapsing on the couch. Itachi had killed everyone in one night. Had no Uchiha been out on a mission? Even if they were all in the village, were all of them in the police station or compound? He didn't remember Itachi being capable of making hundreds of Shadow Clones, like Naruto. He couldn't remember anything of that night except the terror, the bodies, running, his sandals squelching over puddles of blood, his heart hammering, spinning red eyes, seeing everything and wanting to claw his eyes out as it repeated over and over again, and 'Run away… run away… and cling to your pitiful life. And then some day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me.'.

It was time to find out more because Sasuke didn't think he could handle getting those eyes.

He patted his pockets, but it seemed he had at least managed to return the vial of antidote.

24 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Shikamaru clenched his jaw as he faced Hikari.

"I DON'T CARE! I don't care about Naruto-kun!" Furious hazel eyes locked on his. "And I don't need a reason not to care, Shika."

I need a reason to care. And Naruto hadn't given her one. Instead of opening his mouth, he took a deep breath and locked eyes on Hikari. It grounded him. She wasn't leaving. He had time to think about what he wanted to say.

"I know he's rough around the edges. And he's wronged you. But he's also my friend. I really think you could help him."

"When he doesn't listen to me?" She snorted. "And even if I could, why would I want to? Why is he even your friend?"

He stiffened. "I don't abandon people just like that."

"That's not...I'm not saying you should choose between us." Her words were quieter. "I mean, why do you consider him your friend? Why do you cherish having him in your life?"

The words were cold even if the tone wasn't. "He's... he's not a bad person, Hikari. He has a good heart. And he has so much potential. He could be great."

She looked away from him. "Then why haven't you helped him?"

"What?"

"You said I could help him. You mean, I can explain how the village runs."

"Yeah. He'd need it to be Hokage. And you understand it more than anyone I know."

"You don't know a lot of people." She offered him a wan smile. "You know things that I have no idea of. More than enough for the Academy tests. Why did Naruto-kun fail the Genin Exams? He knew two of the three jutsu. Lee could do none, and he passed."

Naruto had failed theory, genjutsu, cooperation, and attitude. Positivity and taijutsu hadn't been enough to boost the grade up when he failed ninjutsu. He shifted his weight, uncomfortable. He could have tutored Naruto at least on theory. But he hadn't cared about his own grades, much less about Naruto's.

"I get your point."

"Do you, Shika?" She shifted closer to him. "He was assigned as my teammate. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Troublesome. I get it. Let's spar?"

Hikari's expression brightened. "You're going to win, then. Against Neji-san."

"It'd be a drag to have to take the exam again."

She grinned. "Yes, of course we can spar. I can't use chakra yet, but you can. Let's see what we can do with your shadows?"

He nodded and smirked. If he got his shadows quick enough to grab Hikari, he could catch Neji. But also... Hikari's treatment of Orochimaru's mark had inspired him. If she could focus on him, they could probably find a way to connect shadows to ribbons. They'd find out in a couple of days.

23 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Uzumaki Naruto flopped down into his bed. Kakashi's dog, Guruko, joined him. Naruto let him. The ninken had first come to his house three days ago with a note from Kakashi saying Sasuke-bastard was awake. The next day, he'd gotten a note filled with directions and a time stamp. They'd led him to Konohamaru's tutor.

It was just him and Ebisu since Hikari couldn't use any chakra and Sasuke was getting a one-on-one training. Naruto had pouted and contemplated refusing. He didn't want to be dumped with the closet pervert when Sasuke got Kakashi. But he remembered Hikari telling Shikamaru about him missing classes.

He'd stayed, and it hadn't been awful. The closet pervert... well, Naruto was sure Ebisu didn't like him because of the demon. But he'd still taught him. It was like having a class with Iruka-sensei, with careful instructions and corrections. And no Sasuke or Hikari to watch him fail at something they could already do. Ebisu had told him that, if he followed his instructions, he'd be able to do his clones and transformations while standing in the water by the end of the week. Naruto hadn't believed him but today... today he'd finally gotten two clones to stay on top of the surface for a fight.

He'd get all of his clones before the week was up! And when he met again with Hikari and Sasuke, he'd show them!

22 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Shikaku contemplated Kakashi's oral report. It shed some light on why the Hokage wasn't requesting his input. It was also a first. He had never been suspected of a political take-over.

"Thank you, Kakashi. Is there anything else?"

The jounin pulled out his orange book. "You never took a genin team," he remarked lightly.

"Too troublesome." He matched the jounin's tone.

"Maa, maa. Don't I know it," he complained. "If I'm still sane by the time I finish their training, it'll be a miracle!"

A corner of his mouth pulled up. It was as he suspected. Those three genin were pulling Kakashi out of his years-long stupor. The jounin had booked some of the harshest training grounds. He was starting to train again. "Too little time?"

Silver hair bobbed up and down. "Say, you wouldn't be interested in taking them in for a day or two in a couple of weeks?"

He considered the request. "I'm teaching Shikamaru."

"What's three more, then?"

Shikaku wasn't blind to the opportunity presented, even though the jounin himself was. Kakashi was Konoha's most versatile shinobi. And, apparently, the only competent teacher. Shikamaru was languishing with Asuma. Shikaku wanted better for his son.

"Your boys sound like too much trouble." He put up one more token protest. It wouldn't do to make Kakashi suspicious.

"Sasuke won't be a problem. He's too tired with speed drills and figuring out Lightning nature and Sharingan genjutsu. Naruto... I'm failing him. He needs a better teacher. My ninken say he's progressing well with Ebisu."

Right. Kakashi was powerful, but not a frontline fighter. His biggest weakness was stamina, which Naruto had in spades. Kakashi's weakest element was Wind, Naruto's affinity. The jounin was limited in what he could teach Minato's son.

And the boy needed to be spoon-fed information. Kakashi was a genius. From Hikari's recounting, he considered a good teaching technique to demonstrate and then have them figure it out. It worked for her because she had discipline and was used to many styles of teaching. It worked for Sasuke, who was used to training by himself. And it would work for his son, who didn't appreciate being spoon-fed anything.

"I'll mind them, and then you'll return the favor." He heard himself and wondered if he'd spent too much time with the kyokuba-dan. He shrugged. He was a father, and his son would have the best sensei he could arrange.

21 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hatake Kakashi had left the hardest conversation for last. He couldn't, wouldn't, justify leaving Hikari alone with Sasuke and Naruto injured. She had been puking-scared, and he hadn't argued with the Sandaime's decision.

"Do you understand that your outburst in the forest didn't help the situation, Hikari?" He asked, keeping his voice gentle even if the words weren't. "It accomplished nothing but harming teamwork. Inside the mission, you do nothing to harm the mission. You should have spoken up either sooner or later, but not while you still could be in danger."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to speak up. She took her time, until the silence stretched so much it was like an itch under his skin.

"The way I spoke to Naruto-kun is inexcusable. And the way he endangered both the mission and us is also inexcusable. But I should have discussed things with you first, Kakashi-sensei."

"It's not me who needs to hear that apology." He pointed out. Her narrowed eyes told him Naruto wouldn't be hearing 'I'm sorry' from her. "I am willing to listen now, if you still want to talk to me."

She nodded and folded her hands in her lap. "My actions and words were less than ideal, but I want to make this clear. I refuse to die for someone's pride. Holding the line, delaying an enemy, protecting civilians... those have meaning. Naruto-kun's refusal to back down doesn't."

"Understood. I have talked to Naruto about the exam already. Now it's your turn." He waited for her nod to continue. "First of all, congratulations on your written exam. Those questions are designed to be unanswerable to genin, and you managed a few."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"You demonstrated polished teamwork, coming up with how to cheat and fighting with Sasuke. Calling for help was the best and most admirable thing to do. What else? You are clever about how you use your techniques. You can take orders, but you always delay so you don't have to take the lead."

She shrugged. "I won't lead when someone is more able to."

He sighed. "That can be a fine philosophy for life. It is generally a terrible one for combat. Great strategists, like Shikamaru, are few. And your friend still needs time to come up with a plan. More often than not, what saves your life in the field is how quick you respond. You pick up cues fast, Hikari. You can be the difference between life and death in those moments."

"I had never thought about it like that." She looked down. "And I already know my one-on-one combat needs to improve."

Kakashi re-calibrated. He always forgot how different the roles he needed to embody were. He had to knock Naruto down to earth, be gentle with Sasuke's inferiority complex, and give Hikari feedback to help her learn.

"Your first match was almost spotless, and you'll continue to get better with the ribbon. The second was well fought, but it was a bad match up. For those, you have to go straight to your last strategy. The first genjutsu made his advantage useless. Trying to blow him up was a good plan. But the third, taking his strength and twisting it into his downfall, that is how you win. Experience will help you with that."

She looked at his face for the first time. "Alright, Kakashi-sensei."

"I wanted to warn you. I will not be recommending you to chunin."

"I understand."

He didn't think she did. "You'll be learning offensive ninjutsu and refined genjutsu. In the next exam, I expect your combat matches to be what everyone talks about." Ninjutsu creation was rare. Regardless of where the exam was next held, he was sure he could convince the Sandaime to send them to show it off. "Water release can be molded into a sturdy shield or, if you can get it thin enough, it can work as sharp knife. I thought you could mix both with your ribbon."

Hazel eyes turned covetous as he made a wolf out of water and then made it dissolve into small birds. The technique required both nature and shape transformation. She'd need both to use water release with her apparatus.

He showed her a simple Dog hand seal. "Focus your chakra and figure out how to transform it into water. The shape comes second."

"And it can be anything?" Despite her best attempt, excitement bled over the wanted stiltedness and distance.

"Any beast you can imagine. The size and duration depend on the amount of chakra. The rest is control." Kakashi was glad his mask hid his smirk. It was not a coincidence that he'd picked a technique that would appeal to Hikari.

He'd show her the next three seals later. He felt no guilt at holding a technique hostage. It'd give him time to gain her forgiveness and prove to her he was a better sensei than Suzume. He'd keep this team together, and that couldn't happen if she asked to be reassigned or took the apprenticeship.

20 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Kakashi rubbed his temples where his genin couldn't see him. First, Naruto had been late and stumbled his way through warm up, boasting at his one-on-one training with Ebisu. Next, when he'd tried to pair off Hikari and Naruto to set up an exercise with Sasuke, she'd hedged and delayed so they wouldn't practice throws. Finally, Sasuke's frustration at not getting the genjutsu right had turned his sneers sharp. None of them wanted to work with any of the others, and he couldn't blame them.

He sent them off in a three-sided match.

One of Naruto's clones hit Sasuke, who lashed out with a kunai to pop it. The smoke from being dispelled blinded Hikari temporarily. Another clone's fist smashed into her temple. She went down. Naruto, or another clone, tried to help her up. She swiped his legs off and jumped up. Before she could press her advantage, she had to dodge and spin to avoid Sasuke's shurikens. Naruto drew the fight into the water to show off his clones. It left Hikari with a slight advantage, since she had the best control. But as the battle kept going, she started to flag. Sasuke pressed on, but he was going up against dozens of Naruto and another teammate who knew his moves. Finally, Naruto's edge came through when he didn't run out of clones, stamina, or chakra. The field filled with smoke as the other two's focus shifted into dispelling as many clones as possible.

By the time Kakashi called off the battle, Naruto had been crying foul at being ganged up on, Hikari was shivering, and Sasuke resembled a wet and angry cat.

19 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

She sped up when she saw her friend.

"Hikari. We're going early?"

"Sasuke-kun! I know we have a meeting with Haruno-san scheduled, but we should run an errand first." Before she thanked Sakura for teaching her. She couldn't do medical ninjutsu, and at this point she was unsure if she ever could. But she'd listened, and she'd learned what she could. And Sakura's words had helped her help Sasuke in the forest.

"Hn." He put his hands in his pockets but gestured for her to walk.

"You have a real chance at being chunin," she explained as she led the way to the hospital. Kakashi would recommend him. "But... Lord Hokage doesn't seem to like either of us. Your lowest note was Cooperation at the Academy, right?"

"Yes. You think that will be a problem?"

"It shouldn't. You worked well with two other teams aside from us in the Forest. But... you need a symbol, just in case. Something visible no one can argue with."

"And the errand is a symbol?"

"You remember Rock-san? His medical prognosis is bad. He won't be able to resume his life as a shinobi. We'll bring him this bouquet on behalf of Team 7." She waved it around. Some days earlier, she'd given a similar one to Hinata. "The gesture speaks for itself. And if he doesn't know Hanakotoba, the hospital staff will. People will remember you wished well to someone who attacked you."

"Hn. Thanks, I guess," he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"No problem."

"After we do that. I am piecing together some of the days before..."

She frowned before freezing, understanding what Sasuke was alluding to. "I don't think I know anything about that," she said slowly, cautiously. Sasuke rarely brought up his family.

"You could help me look at records."

She blinked. "Of course? If you want me to."

"Hn."

18 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

"That was mine, Hikari." Shikamaru grumbled, watching the snack in Hikari's hands.

"It was. And now it's mine." She laughed and took a bite. "Truths change, Shika."

His eyes narrowed and he shaped the Rat seal. His shadow stretched up to hers. She rolled her eyes but didn't fight his hold. He tossed the snack back towards himself. "And now it's mine again."

"Fine, fine." She moved his hand from the grass to her shoulder. "Let's go again?"

He nodded and waited for her to pour chakra into the blue ribbon that stretched out in front of them.

She closed her eyes and flavored the chakra she fed into the ribbon like him. "Try now, please?"

He reached out with his shadow, joining it gently to hers and trying to feel the connection up to the ribbon. It was like trying to grasp air in his hands. Air or... a shadow. He closed his own eyes and tried something different.

So far, he'd been trying to follow the feeling he got when he stretched out his own shadow. It was an extension of him, but it was also the place where his insecurities and the certainty that he'd do anything, anything at all, to protect the people he loved dwelt.

This time, he reached for something far bigger. He was more than his shadow, especially to Hikari. He grasped for the certainty he'd do anything, and also the love he held for his family. He gripped his memories of spending time with Hikari. The good and the bad.

The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow. They were stronger together than apart. He clutched that truth and followed it.

"Shika."

He opened his eyes. Half of the ribbon was no longer blue. It was black, and Shikamaru could... yes, he could move it.

Hikari laughed. "We did it!"

He smiled back and glanced at the kitchen window. His father had been lazily monitoring the new technique. He received a nod and a small smile. Shikamaru's own smile grew even bigger.

"We did it, Hikari."

17 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari rubbed her temples. Training hadn't been going great. She could manage only small animals with simple movements. For now, she'd given up on the hummingbird and other small birds, as well as anything aquatic. At home, she focused on technique and flexibility since Ryu-sensei was touring, and finishing up homework.

Meanwhile, Naruto had been crowing of a Pervy Sage. It's not like Hikari wanted to have extra lessons with a sexual predator. She didn't. But it rankled that Kakashi had arranged for him to be tutored by a tokubetsu jounin and a Sage, and she'd gotten Pakkun. She liked the summon, and his silence was strangely encouraging, but... She shook the thought off. Kakashi was right to focus on Sasuke, and she appreciated that he'd made sure she could still practice at home.

And Sasuke was absorbing everything like a sponge. Genjutsu was the only thing giving him real trouble. Electricity came to his fingertips when he called it, although he still had to be careful not to get electrical burns. She was sure he'd manage to get Kakashi's technique by the time the matches came around. His speed was trickier since it involved pumping up your muscles with chakra. Kakashi had made her try it, but without the Sharingan, the only reason she hadn't crashed face-first into a tree was because of her sensei's save. He'd told her not to worry about it, that he couldn't do it either until he'd gotten the Sharingan, but still. She was being left behind, literally and metaphorically.

She went down the stairs for a snack, leaving behind musical theory homework. She paused on the edge of the kitchen to watch her parents. They were making dinner, moving around one another with easy familiarity. Her mom was in the middle of a story. From what she managed to untangle, Masaru had made a funny mistake today. Her dad was the first to notice her, opening his arm in invitation.

She went, and he hugged her to his side briefly. She passed the vegetables to her mom, who thanked her warmly.

"I love you," Hikari told them.

"We love you more, sweetheart."

She smiled and thought that for once her mom was wrong. More seemed impossible.

16 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Shikamaru ducked into an alley and shoved his hands in his pockets. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for yet. He always gifted Hikari an experience for her birthday. He tried to plan it around something artsy that didn't involve the performing arts. Last year, they'd both failed at sculpting a passable pot out of clay.

He went into a bakery and asked if they held classes. They didn't. He walked past a tea house and ignored the incense house. He paused next to another bakery and did a double take. That wasn't a cake. It was a soap that looked like a slice of red velvet cake, complete with frosting. He went inside.

The shop didn't seem to have any sense of order. One corner held boxes. Was this a new business? He glanced at the products. The cake-shaped soaps seemed to be a theme, but there were others: tops textured like flowers, colored like the night sky, and one that he thought was inspired by unicorns. It was the last one, covered with glitter, that convinced him.

"Hello?" He called out.

"Give me a mo!" A woman called out. She came bustling into the front room. "Welcome to the Suds Swamp! No - Don't look at that batch! They're ugly. See? The colors are all smudged."

Shikamaru nodded placidly and didn't remark on her very dubious orders. Was he supposed to not look or to inspect it? That answered whether this person was the creator.

"Do you offer a one-time class to make a batch?"

15 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari stopped breathing for a second. Haruno Sakura's face got increasingly red as she got angrier.

"And then that stupid baka made me think he was Sasuke-kun! I was going to kiss him!"

This was... so big she couldn't make it sink in. Naruto had henged into Sasuke to kiss Sakura. She must have made a sound because Sakura whirled on her. "So yes! I was furious and-"

She cleared her throat. "I didn't know."

"What?" The pink-haired girl deflated.

"This is the first time I'm hearing about this. I would have never... I would have done things differently."

Sakura's laugh was bitter. "You put a poisoned blade to my throat."

Hikari swallowed hard. "I didn't, but I made you think I did, which isn't any better. I apologize. I regret my actions."

She hadn't even thought she could have been defending the wrong person.

Naruto had tried to assault Sakura. He had only stopped because Sasuke had gotten there. And Hikari had made Sakura doubt her safety when she'd lashed out against her would-be-attacker. She'd protected Naruto against Sakura. If she'd been Sakura, she would have done a lot more than taken a swing at Naruto. She would have ruined his life, starting with his reputation.

She made to bow, but Sakura's nails dug into her arm.

"What are you doing?!" She hissed. "Stop it! You're making people look at us."

Hikari fixed a pleasant smile on her face. If Sakura wanted discretion, she'd give her it. She lowered her voice but kept the tone mild so nobody became curious. "Did you tell someone?"

If Sakura had reported this, why had Naruto faced no consequences? They'd already been assigned teams, and nin who went into combat teams were held up to stricter rules. Sexual assault was not tolerated. It should have ruined his whole career. As far as she knew, he hadn't even been reprimanded.

Hikari froze for a second. It could still ruin his whole career. This was the kind of thing she'd been looking for between listening to the civilian rumor mill. Even if what she'd started to suspect was right, if Naruto was somehow a container for a Tailed Beast, this couldn't be excused. Naruto would still need to be trained, but people would never accept to work with him.

Right? Or would it be just like the Sage? Rage filled her when she thought about the man. He didn't want sexual gratification. He could get that by watching porn. He wanted the power. He wanted to watch women without their consent. He violated. He was a predator.

She dismissed the thought that it was fitting that the man was teaching Naruto.

She made herself stop thinking about what would happen when this came out. This wasn't her truth. It was Sakura's, and as long as she wanted to keep it a secret, Hikari would act as a secret keeper.

"Who would I tell?"

Hikari explained softly how the report process would go, what steps it entailed. "I could go with you. And whether you choose to report it or not, you should tell a friend."

Sakura looked away from her. Hikari wanted to cringe at her unintentional cruelty. Before Ino, the pink-haired girl hadn't made any friends. She doubted the bullies would have continued ignoring her when Sakura, without Ino's protection, outshone them in training.

"I think Ino misses you," she said softly. She'd always been angry - furious - at how Sakura had dared to dismiss Ino's friendship. But the pink-haired girl had been outside of Ino's room both days she'd been in the hospital. She hadn't gone in, but she'd listened to everything the medics said. She still cared. And Ino had always cared. "And I remember that your mom loves flowers."

"I'll pick up some flowers on my way home someday?" Sakura started out confident and got more uncertain until it sounded like a question.

"Tomorrow?" Hikari suggested. Ino would be working there.

"Yeah."

14 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari blinked when she saw Masaru striding towards her. What was he doing in this part of town?

"Am I terribly late?"

"Not at all." She replied with a smile while scanning behind him. A man in intricate clothes had turned the same corner. She gestured to the next shop. "Shall we?"

They went in and perused a shelf. "He's been following me for a while now. I think he wants an update on his daughter, but I don't even remember her name, much less her project."

"I didn't get a good look at him," she whispered.

"Lord Kita Taro."

She hummed. His daughter, Kita Takara, was a fashion designer. She was finishing her master in thermoplastics in textiles. It wasn't surprising that a Lord of the South of Fire didn't have direct easy contact with the capital.

"Do you know what we think of her?"

"We like her." The kyokuba-dan had taken notice of her with her latest project, a corset that looked like it was made of porcelain. The customs expert was waiting on the prototype to consider becoming her financial backer. "If her father is associating us with her, then we're her first choice for a contract. Mom will want to know," she murmured before smiling up at Masaru.

He did the same. Now that they seemed more approachable, she could see the lord coming closer. She made it easier for him, coming off of the shop and into the street while focusing only on Masaru.

"On your count, senpai."

He smiled wider, letting no sharpness into the curve of his mouth. "Five, six..."

She laughed as if Masaru had told her a joke and spun on her feet. The lord tried to swerve to avoid crashing into her. She widened her eyes in surprise and wobbled. Masaru's hand settled on her waist, steadying her. Kita dropped some of his shopping bags as he caught himself on a wall. She made herself blush as she leaned over to help pick up the bags. They held trinkets. She didn't let her disappointment show.

"I promise I didn't set out today to crash into people!" She apologized with a nervous smile as she handed them over. "How embarrassing!"

"Ah, it's no trouble, young lady."

Hikari introduced herself and Masaru before noticeably brightening and pretending to only now recognize him. "You're Kita Takara's father! Her designs are lovely."

He preened and smoothed down his clothes. She found herself liking the lord more for his pride at wearing his daughter's art. "Yes, yes! Takara-chan is finishing her masters. My wife misses her loads."

It was obvious that the man missed her as well. "Well," she shared a conspiratorial smile. "It's only a couple of months until the corset is presented, right? And then maybe the travel times will be cut down and you and your wife can visit often."

There, she didn't compromise the kyokuba-dan but their interest was clear. The lord beamed and glanced at the clock.

"How have you found Konoha, lord Kita?" Masaru asked.

"Can we offer a tour?" She added. If he was checking the time, he had somewhere to be.

"Oh, it's a pretty village. More exotic than home, but pretty. Made for young people like you. I appreciate the offer, but I actually have to head to a dinner party."

They let him make his excuses.

"What were you thinking, offering up our time?"

"He wasn't going to accept the tour. You need to relax."

"You need to stick to the plan, which was to give him an update and maintain good terms. Not everything can be improvised," Masaru hissed out.

"And not everything can be planned out." Hikari returned, scowling and crossing her arms.

13 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hatake Kakashi could almost hear what Obito and Rin would say to him if they were still alive. Most likely, he was putting words in their mouths. Kakashi had talked to their names more than he ever did to them in life. His eyes trailed over the next lines and settled on Minato's. I'm failing them, Minato-sensei, and I don't know how to fix it. Jiraiya trained you. Would you have liked him to train your son?

Time drifted until a figure appeared on the edges of his awareness. It stilled and turned to go back to where it came from- Kakashi glanced over. It was Hikari. His thoughts flashed to the one name that haunted him and wasn't on the stone. His father had committed seppuku to clean the Hatake name of his shame.

Samurai and shinobi don't agree on the meaning of honor, Hikari had written on her test. Shinobi find it by following the Hokage's directives, while samurai seek it by being honest while living. This is coherent with the word's etymology, since 'honesty' derives from 'honor'. For shinobi, honor is earned externally, and it can be taken away if they betray their orders. For samurai, honor cannot be taken away as long as they remain loyal to their way of life.

He wondered if his father would have taken his life if the Hatake had been a samurai line. He dismissed the thought and shunshined next to his student.

"Kakashi-sensei," she startled but caught herself on the trunk of a tree. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were paying your respects. I thought you were training."

He waved his hand to dismiss her apology and caught her curious look back to the stones. "Yes?"

She shook her head.

"This place makes me think about the mistakes I've made in the past… and I've made so many of them." He offered quietly. "What can I do for you, Hikari?"

"I need your signature," she handed over a sheet of paper and a pen. "It's so I can access genin-level archives in the library."

He scrawled out a Henohenomoheji. "What do you need the archives for? Are you done with the jutsu?"

"Not yet, but I want to see the records."

Why did she want to see the decrees and historical accounting? "Sure. Let me know what you find, huh?" His student didn't answer. He narrowed his eyes. "Hikari?"

"I didn't know red eyes were a pre-requisite for being a member of Team 7."

He made sure his step didn't falter at the change of subject. "The fact that Sasuke would likely develop the Sharingan was a factor in the Hokage's decision," he hedged. Of course the Hokage insistence on Naruto's eyes not changing to red would catch Hikari's interest. Having the Kyuubi leak through Naruto for a second time in as many months worried him. Jiraiyia was looking for any reasons Minato's seal was failing.

"Was your Sharingan also a factor in Naruto-kun being assigned to you?"

Kakashi spun around to face her. Why was Hikari asking about this now? He'd never gotten the feeling that she knew about the Kyuubi.

She managed to stop before she crashed into him. "Was that why the Uchiha relocated, Kakashi-sensei?" She asked quietly.

He narrowed his eye. How could she possibly suspect that the Sharingan could control the Tailed Beasts? She shouldn't know that the fact had been leaked and people had started to see the Uchiha with suspicion and hostility.

"Your silence says a lot. The archives will reveal more. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

12 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Pakkun trotted outside of the gym, leaving the genin to make her goodbyes. He'd meet her back at her house, but he wanted to make a detour and satisfy his curiosity. There were too many interesting scents to explore. He ducked down an aisle and entered a long building. He sniffed. Clean clothes. Some people turned to look at him, but he'd become a common sight.

At first, people had tensed, but when he hadn't snapped at the first toddler who'd reached out to pet him, everyone had settled down. The small kids who weren't babies had understood that he was a nin, and they talked to him and made sure to ask before they touched him, but the babies were newborn puppies and didn't know any better. Their job was to sleep and grow, not recognize predators.

He went into another building and cocked his head. There was too much silence. He peeked into a room and saw some musical instruments. The rooms must be insulated. A door opened, and he paused as he heard raised voices. He picked a spot where he couldn't be seen.

"- wasting it!"

"Careful, Hanae."

"You can't deny it! She mastered three disciplines. Sure, all of them are of the same art and two of them belong to the same niche, but still! Some of us are still trying to get a single one right."

The male voice turned softer. "We all go at a different rhythm. It doesn't have to mean anything."

"Yeah, easy for you to say. You hold as many as she," Hanae countered, sounding bitter before regrouping herself. "Imagine what she could do if she wasn't splitting her attention with playing ninja."

Pakkun fought down the growl. They were talking about Hikari. The pup wasn't playing at anything. She was training hard and learning, just like pups should.

When the male voice didn't reply, Hanae continued. "See? Even you know it. All that time you two spent on a gym, and you'll never go on stage with her again? And for what? She failed the test, the one that would prompt her up a rank. She won't be great there, but she could be great here."

Pakkun scowled. So what if it was taking Kakashi's student some time to sharpen her teeth? Not all pups were born with fangs and smarter than the rest of the litter, like the Hatake.

"It's her choice." The male, Arata, said.

The woman scoffed. "Right, but let's not pretend you don't hold some kind of sway. She doesn't like aerial and she still trained because you wanted her to. Think about it. She'd be one of the greatest. She could make us reach new heights if she just committed to our stage."

"Hikari's choices are her own, and I'll support her. It's fine to state your opinion, but be careful, Hanae. Make trouble for my partner, and I'll pay back the favor with interests."

Pakkun made his way to Hikari's home with silent paws.

11 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

"Come on in, Hikari, and happy birthday." Yoshino congratulated with a fond smile.

Hikari grinned wide as she thanked her. By the time Shikamaru came down the stairs, his mom was asking about her day and presents.

"It's been wonderful! The best ever."

"You always say that." Yoshino laughed.

"It's always true." She shrugged. "But this time, it is especially true. Mom took me to the Graveyard after training."

Yoshino froze. She cocked her head, confused.

"The Graveyard of Dreams, mom," Shikamaru clarified. "It's between a coffee and dessert shop, and the owner is like an art-keeper. Whenever someone wants to get rid of an unfinished piece or even one that's complete, they go there."

Hikari nodded, trying to un-freak out Shika's mom. "It's where dreams go to die, or rest for a bit. Geto-san holds them until the artist or someone else is ready to breathe life into them again. Everyone is a bit picky about it. Like, you can leave a song and demand that whoever finishes it has to keep the texture, or the lyrics, or a particular melody. Mom is extremely picky about it. But she let me choose a song to interpret in dance! And dad told me he'd make sure I could book a studio to practice when mom and I finish the music."

"It sounds... great." Yoshino didn't sound very certain.

"It really is!" She reassured her. She'd never helped to make a song before, and she was sure it'd be incredible to do it with her mom. And then she'd get to choreograph it first, before anyone else. And Dad had gotten his own mom's permission to give her her diaries. So now she also had her grandmother's diaries to read and his dad's promise to tell her more stories. She felt like she might burst they had given her so much. What else could she even ask for?

"Let's hope your gift can measure up, huh, son?" A voice called out from behind them,

She turned to Shikaku. "Of course it will!" Shika's gifts always did. She didn't know how he always came up with such great days.

"Troublesome," Shika muttered as he guided her to the door. "We need to go or we'll be late."

"Should I make space for another bowl, Shikamaru?" Yoshino asked, laughing as she looked at the, admittedly, very ugly fruit bowl. Hikari snickered, safe in the knowledge that her own hideous bowl was in her bedroom holding her ribbons instead of in a public space.

"What a drag!" Shikamaru complained as his parents laughed at him.

When the door closed, she turned to her best friend. "Are we going to come back with something like last time?" She was very unsure she'd manage to smuggle it past her own parents, who were waiting for blackmail material.

He shook his head. "We'll pick it up in a month."

She tugged his hand, curious. What was made that needed a month to be finished? Painting didn't need that long to dry. "What is it?"

"A surprise."

Hikari startled at the answer/non-answer before laughing.

10 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Uchiha Sasuke got to the training ground and found Hikari already there. She was doing a handstand and arching so her toes grazed her head. She released the position and walked up to him. "Happy Birthday, Sasuke-kun!"

A small package poked his breastbone when he didn't make to grab it. "I didn't get you anything." He shifted, uncomfortable. He'd forgotten that her birthday was just before his until Kakashi had congratulated her. He should have gotten her something for all those hours spent over weird contracts and official documents.

"What does that have to do with anything? I'm giving you a gift because I want to give you a gift. That's it."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but she looked like she meant it. He took the package. She shifted her weight. Was she nervous? He looked down. It wasn't a package. It was a book with a stark white cover and red seams. No title. He opened it to the first page and saw Hikari's handwriting. Each of the letters of each of the words was carefully penned in a different shade, spanning the rainbow.

"A handle

On the moon

And what a splendid fan."

As we remember, so we don't forget.

He scowled and flipped the page. I met Uchiha Hotaru on the... He glanced up, not understanding.

"It is a recollection of memories, of how my family knew yours. Some of them are very detailed, others are short." She sounded apologetic.

Sasuke's throat felt tight as he flipped the pages. Some handwriting spanned pages. There were drawings, too. Renditions of Sharingans that didn't seem very accurate but were done in bold charcoals and swirling watercolors. There was a comic, a poem, and then a story, followed by a collage, and... His hands were trembling. He hugged the book closer to his body so it didn't slip his grasp.

"When in mourning, we wear white because it is the sum of all colors. It is a symbol of our promise to remember our loved ones in all the colors of their life. I know you wear black, and I know we can't hope to capture all the colors of your family, but..."

"Shut up," was all he managed to grit out. Shut up. Don't you dare apologize for this. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

She leaned back. He swallowed and realized that didn't come out right.

He reached out and squeezed her forearm. Thank you. He swallowed and tried again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Happy birthday."

9 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari swiped sweat off her forehead. "Is your dad trying to kill us?" she whispered to Shikamaru.

Shika finished his own set and collapsed on the ground, not bothering to reply. She thought that was fair. Shikaku-dono's murderous intent was clear.

Shikaku glanced at them from the papers in his hands. "Good." He set up the next drill, which relied a lot on speed. She and Shikamaru finished well after Sasuke and Naruto, panting. Shikaku was frowning. She crossed her arms defensively.

"What is one jutsu that all chunin and above know outside of the Academy Three?"

"Shunshin," Shikamaru answered for all of them. "A nin imbues his muscles with chakra, making them temporarily able to move so fast it looks like a space-time jutsu. Normally, a smoke or leaf is used to disguise their movements."

"But not always." Sasuke added.

Shikaku nodded. "No, not always. Nin pour chakra into their body to move faster or be stronger. It happens subconsciously. Explain why the technique is not part of everyone's fighting style."

"You need to have a destination clear, and you generally can't change direction. In combat, there's too many risks of running into an enemy's blade. Better save your chakra for other stuff." Shikamaru lectured.

"But it can be done. Uchiha Shisui." Sasuke paused before going on. "People called him Shunshin no Shisui. He didn't need to mask his movements. He was so fast you were still seeing him when he was behind you."

"Could he do it because of his Sharingan?" She asked Sasuke.

He shrugged.

Shikaku sighed. "Sharingan users do tend to have faster reaction times and great instincts. Shisui also had impeccable control. He used the minimum of chakra, leaving no smoke, and letting him repeat it over and over. But the shunshin is not like the Chidori that Sasuke is learning. It does not give you tunnel vision. You have as much visibility as usual, but everything moves fast. It's useful to know. The seal is Tiger. Hikari and Shikamaru, go on. Naruto and Sasuke, we'll work on genjutsu."

"Ah, um. Shikamaru's dad?" Naruto rubbed the nape of his neck. "I sort of need to go? I'm supposed to meet The Pervy Sage for a super cool ninjutsu."

It was only because she knew Shikaku that she saw annoyance flash in his eyes. "Go, then. But tell Jiraiya a super cool ninjutsu won't be useful if someone catches you in a genjutsu and you can't break out."

"Ah, yeah, sure, I'll tell him, dattebayo!"

8 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Shikamaru watched the stage with a grin tugging at his lips. Apparently, once a show was over, the stage was set one last time to be dismantled. Or wrecked, whichever came first. Hikari had sat him down amidst the crew from Production. He had to admit, watching everyone on stage try to be the last ones standing as the people around him systematically tore them down was great. He pulled the attention of the guy next to him to a sneaky person who'd gone to the least lighted part. A moment later, the guy was blinded by the lights and lost his footing. Another one down. Instead of sneaking or hiding, Hikari and Arata's strategy seemed to be to keep moving. So far it was working more than those who'd chosen a spot. Those who'd settled near the top by the aerial apparatus had found that Production could pull them down easily. Those on the ground had found themselves competing with other people for the best spots.

The music sped up and so did everyone on stage, and the people from Production stepped up their game. Lights flashed on and off in different colors. Apparatus were pulled up or down, dragging people with them. Some levers made compartments hit the competitors.

Hikari climbed on Arata's shoulder to get on a solid platform and pulled him after her.

"Me too!" Ami's voice rang through the stage as she stepped on the stage and hurried after them. "Me too, Hikari-senpai!"

Ami's mom, who'd been making sure none of the falling stuff hurt the little girl, received a nod from Hikari and went off, leaving the stage to the teens. And Ami, apparently.

Arata sighed but he obligingly held Hikari's feet as she swung down head first. Ami took Hikari's hands and climbed her up like a monkey. Once the three of them were on the platform, the game resumed.

Shikamaru watched as everyone on stage went down either because of the producers or their competition sabotaging them. Hikari and Arata only had to worry about the producers now that Ami was with them, and even then, nothing fell on them. They'd forfeited, Shikamaru realized. The moment they took on Ami, they couldn't compete, or win, fairly.

He wasn't surprised when they announced a winner and Ami ran around the ruins to celebrate her victory.

7 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari's world swirled and then she was in the same place, but the edges were blurry. Sasuke was next to her, looking around and frowning. "It still needs work."

She nodded but thought it was great. There were two types of genjutsu. The first one was like hers, where the illusion was cast like a net, and directed at anyone looking at it. The second required far more control, as it targeted the victim's brain. Sharingan genjutsu fell into the second category. She wondered if anything she did here, she also did in the real world.

"Why are we here?" She hadn't expected to be pulled into an illusion when she met his eyes during warm up.

"In case the dobe comes early. How far do we need to go? The October Attack? Right at the founding?"

Oh. He was talking about the documents they'd been reading, trying to piece together the Uchihas' movements. "I know it seems like a huge amount of time, but Konoha is very young. Our families' time here is very small compared to before. But you're right. We do need to narrow it down." She hesitated. "The one thing that keeps coming up is the police station."

He nodded. "My father spent most of his time there. So did a lot of my family."

She hesitated again.

"Spit it out."

"Right, it's just... No other family has ever had complete control over an institution. It was the Nidaime Hokage who established it, right? And it was complete control? Funding, budgeting, report structure, administration... all of it?"

He nodded.

"But why? I get that the Uchiha were a founding family, and after the two Hokages were Senju, they had to hold a symbolic position, but why policing exactly?"

Sasuke shrugged. "The Elders said it was because the Senju were afraid."

"You don't entrust the peace to someone you're afraid of. Right? No, wait. We said it already. It's weird that there weren't Uchiha out on missions. So, it did keep your family apart from other nin. Was that the goal? It also kept you inside the village. Why?"

"Protecting a bloodline limit?" Sasuke offered but he didn't sound very convinced.

Neither was she. There were other kekkai genkai and another doujutsu in Konoha. What made the Uchiha's Sharingan unique? Copying jutsu? But that should have made them more valuable in the field, rather than inside the village where it could create resentment. Remembering? But everyone remembered even if it wasn't as precise as the Uchiha. She was missing something, something that made the Nidaime want to keep the Uchiha inside Konoha.

"We go through the police-office documents first." Sasuke determined.

She nodded.

6 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

"I personally think Fate does nothing," she stressed, moving her hands to emphasize her point. "It does not create. We do. Fate is not some great shogi-master, moving us around and giving out cues. Destiny is whatever the creators decide. It is the consequence and not the beginning." If everything was preset, then how could art even exist? Creativity could be born in a burst of inspiration or lovingly grown, but it was never static.

"But how do you know that? How can you be so certain?" Neji scowled.

"That's not what you asked me to answer!" She protested. Neji was proposing the biggest story ever, the story that enveloped all the stories. It couldn't be disputed against if you assumed it was true. So, she didn't have an answer to that, but she didn't have to. That wasn't the deal.

"What? Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't. You asked me how I knew a choice made a change, and how I knew it was mine and not destiny's. They're two questions. The first one's answer is art. We choose to create, and we decide to let the world see it. That's it. That's all we do. In a sense, we don't actively interact with others. It's our art, our choice, that does and it can change a person's life." They sometimes got letters of people thanking them and saying their art helped them through a hard time. Or inspired them to make a different choice.

"And how do you know you weren't meant to help that person?"

She shook her head. "I couldn't figure that one out. But I realized that we were making a wrong assumption. We said it's either my choice or what destiny set it out to be, but why can't it be both?"

"Free will side by side with fate?"

She shrugged. "Why not? It ties into my own question. If fate exists and it's making us do what we do, does it matter?"

"When I thought about the results, no. It doesn't. Even if you don't accept your destiny, it will still come to pass. But then you asked me if we need to be ignorant. I don't think the weak can handle knowing."

"And those who aren't weak?"

"By being born into the branch family of the Hyuga, I will never be considered an equal to the Main Family. I don't get to be ignorant of my cursed fate. I can only resign myself to it."

"But you didn't settle for a tie," she blurted out. "If you wanted to be Hinata's equal, why take her down like that?" Neji had wanted demonstrated that he was a better fighter than his cousin. She tried to imagine Arata, older and more experienced, almost killing her in an aerial competition and couldn't. Arata had her back. Together or not at all. Neji had asked Hinata to give in, sure, but he could have avoided striking her in the chest in the first place.

"I... what?"

"Do you want to take her place in the Hyuga birthright hierarchy? Why?" Maybe she was being unfair. But... She wouldn't want to be Hinata. A lot of days, she didn't want to be Sakasu Hikari. There was a price to be paid for being an heir, and she hated that she wouldn't be the one to pay it. If she made a mistake, her whole family would have to face the consequences. She swallowed and dismissed her unease. There was no reason for her mom to step down anytime soon.

"The whole thing is wrong! Subjugating - " he cut himself off and panted heavily.

Hikari leant back. She hadn't intended to poke her fingers into this. It seemed ugly. She wondered if turning the conversation around would be too rude.

"I read. About you and your family. You value freedom."

She nodded warily.

"What if I were to tell you that people have been caged for no wrong other than being born?"

Panic crawled up her throat. She could not, she would not, put her family in danger for someone she barely knew. For people she'd never met. "The kyokuba-dan does not hold shinobi secrets. I cannot help you."

Neji's eyes went cold and his features contorted into an ugly rictus. He jumped to his feet and strode off.

5 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

" The sun shone as they forced Water's kyokuba-dan's gates open.

Birds took flight into the cloudless skies, carrying love and art, holding letters and music sheets, bearing greetings and final goodbyes.

The sun shone on the path they took to the main house. The bolts shattered beneath chakra and strength.

The leaders greeted the traitors, trying to buy time. But Time had grown angry at being killed every day. The humans had chained Him into clocks. They had cut Him up into fictional compartments. Now Time refused to take bribes, and He would not be kind.

The sun reflected off their blades.

The heirs kissed the brightest lights and shoved them into the darkest tunnels. Dusk had come to the circus, and it was no place for those who carried the hope of dawn.

The heirs bolted the doors, set paintings straight, and went upstairs. They walked into the song of Treachery, knowing they could not change the tune. They heard them rejoicing as they slay their parents. They listened to the ghosts as they walked through their crimson trail. Their steps did not falter.

The traitors took the heirs to the cells where no sun shone.

You will break. Their jailers' voice rose above their screams. The heirs were secret keepers, and they refused to die as anything but themselves.

They took the prince and made him plead. His sister cried and said not a word. The heirs locked eyes together, and they chose their final act. It was called Forgetting, and it was a voiceless song.

For even in breaking, there are choices to be spun. How are you going to break? What will your greatest lie be?

The heirs vowed that they did not know about the brightest lights and the darkest tunnels. They sang Forgetting and rewrote the truth. They forgot the truths in order to not forget themselves. They were secret keepers. They would die as they had lived.

The heirs lied to themselves and one another until they could tell the traitors the truth. There had never been brightest lights and darkest tunnels.

The music stopped, and the curtain was drawn.

In another country, the windows let the sun's warmth in and the birds followed it. The dancers stopped to read the letters they held and lost their smile. They wept, and they made their biggest promise yet. The musicians had had to forget, so the dancers would remember. The brightest lights would one day be strong enough to come out of the deepest waters to shine once again. The dancers would carry the warmth of memory and then pass the torch onto them."

Hikari's chest heaved as her mom finished the tale. Her eyes stung as she ran. She ran through the Halls of Music and into the Room of Strings. She had come here countless times, to gaze upon the harps and violins and guitars. She had come here to hear music and craft dances. It was a lovely room, more lavish than the rest. It was a tomb, holding the Water kyokuba-dan's unfinished art instead of corpses.

She didn't know if a second or an hour had passed when her mom sat next to her.

"What happened next, mom?" she whispered.

"We guarded the art they managed to send, and we paid shinobi to scour the shores. We retrieved anything and everything that managed to get out of the island. Some came by air, some by water, others by summons of the bloodlines Water had protected."

"But we never held any of Konoha's shinobi's secrets, so why did we distance ourselves?"

"We didn't at that time. But Konoha learned from Kiri. Shimura Danzo noticed how far we will go to keep the secrets entrusted to us."

She blinked, not seeing how one of the Hokage's advisors had become a character in this tale.

"He saw how well we could lie, and he was filled with greed. He asked to tutor a kyokuba-dan child."

A shiver ran down her spine. "And after we said no?"

"My father had to make it very clear that no kyokuba-dan child would ever be shinobi unless they chose to. And that even if they did, they would never study under a program that separated them from the rest of the us. When Konoha signed a treaty with Iwa, the Sandaime stepped down. Shimura wanted the seat, but my father remembered his greed. He and my mother set out to the capital to advise the daimyo to choose Namizake Minato as The Fourth. My parents never made it back."

Hikari froze. She had known, of course, that her grandparents had died on their way back from the capital. But she'd always thought they died attacked by others. Not Konoha's own shinobi. "Did...?"

"I believe so. The official report said -" Her mom's voice hitched. Something froze inside of Hikari. Her whole life, her mom was a pillar of wisdom and poise. Even in her vulnerability, there was strength. Her mom took a deep breath before going on. "It said it was an ambush by civilian bandits. But the team escorting them made it back. They didn't check into the hospital. I stepped up to speak for the kyokuba-dan, and the first thing I did was tighten up our separation. I've tried to keep an eye on Shimura, but he's got too much range to know where his focus is. I know he took an interest in the orphanages."

Hikari shot up. "And you let him? Did he take them!?"

"I don't know, sweetheart."

"And you've never found out! Why?"

"Because I had a choice to make. My parents' - " she broke off. "It should have been impossible, Hikari-chan. But they didn't even bother to cover it up. It was a blatant symbol of how much power Shimura had and how much the Sandaime would turn a blind eye to. I was scared - no. I was terrified. And I chose to protect us. I chose to isolate the kyokuba-dan and never seek out any shinobi secrets. I chose to never dance to the tune Water had tried to toe."

"You chose to leave children vulnerable!" She shouted.

"But not ours," her mom whispered. "Our lights are safe."

"AT WHAT PRICE?" Hikari roared.

Her mom blinked, and tears fell down her cheeks. "At any and every price."

Disgust swelled up inside of her until it twisted her features. She would never, ever - she cut herself off. She already had. She'd made her mom's choice, too.

4 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Hikari paused when she finally found him in a training ground, but she walked in. She was most likely going to work with Neji in the future. Leaving a bad note to linger wouldn't help her any.

"I didn't answer your question, Neji-san." She called out. "Hypothetically, I would tell you that you must be mistaken. And if you're not, I would say that the Hokage must be unaware. He must."

"What do you mean?"

"Every and all clan members are citizens of Konoha and under the Hokage's protection. If he knew, he'd be obligated to do something." In theory, but he should hold the correct person responsible. Hinata wasn't in a position to do anything about it right now. If Hyuga-dono refused, then the one person who could and should do anything about it was the Hokage.

"If I were to make evidence very public, then...?"

She shook her head. It would be a big scandal, and then it would fizzle out unless someone stroked the flames. She doubted Neji had the skill to keep the rumors going and control public outrage. No, with something like this, you had to hold accountable a single person to see change. "My dad told me once a story, about an old man struggling under a heavy burden. People passed him by, shooting him concerned glances, but no one stopped. A woman went by, and she hesitated. She could help, but so could others. Surely someone else would help, someone stronger and better equipped. She passed the old man by. A man went by, and he hesitated. He could help, but so could others. Surely someone else would help, someone kinder and with more time. He passed by. The old man's burden remained heavy, and it rested solely on his shoulders. He made it home. The next day, he made the same trek, only much earlier, to avoid the crowds jostling him. A woman went by, and she hesitated. She could help, and there was no one else. She couldn't lift even half of the burden, but she grabbed what she could and walked with the old man."

Neji was frowning, but he nodded. "Alright. But how can I...? Oh. The Hokage calls up everyone personally for their promotion. If you'd excuse me, Hikari-hime, I... I need to go."

3 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

"Sakasu-hime."

Hikari turned, surprised to find the Suna jounin. Her hand hovered over her hip before she remembered she wasn't wearing any weapons. It was nearing dusk, and she'd been heading to a fundraiser her family hosted.

"With whom do I have pleasure?" She tried to cover up her lapse, but she was sure the man hadn't missed the movement.

"I'm Baki. I wanted to congratulate you on your use of dissonance. It was quite clever."

"Thank you." She tried to study the half of his face that wasn't covered by the turban, but she couldn't figure him out.

"Perhaps a tritone will be fitting in the tournament."

She blinked twice, confused.

"Good night, Sakasu-hime."

She blinked once more and the jounin was gone. A tritone was a perfect dissonance made up of three tones. The minor second she'd used was a half-tone. Was he saying Sasuke would need something far more complex to win? But Sasuke wouldn't be using any.

She bit her lip and smoothed down her dress. What was it supposed to mean? Should she tell Sasuke or Kakashi? Would she be playing into what Baki wanted? She shook her head. She was being paranoid, seeing threats everywhere. Baki wasn't a missing nin interested in Sasuke. He was a jounin and a sensei of an allied village. He just wanted to congratulate her or smooth things over. It was fine. She put it out of her mind and started walking again.

2 DAYS TO THE TOURNAMENT

Nara Shikamaru paused and set down his cutlery. "Dad, is there something I should know?"

His father regarded him. "Why do you ask?"

"Inoichi isn't happy even though they caught the spy, you've been pulling long hours, and there's more security than in other exams. Do you think Orochimaru will target Sasuke again?"

"Not unless there's another spy. He shouldn't know the mark was removed. But the exams are always a risk. Too many new people, too many places to hide something brewing."

"And it'd explode tomorrow?"

"It could. If it does, your priority is to stay next to Hikari-chan and keep an eye on Team 7. In all the commotion, someone could try their hands at kidnapping."

He nodded slowly, readjusting some of his plans. He needed to have plenty of chakra leftover, just in case. "What about the kyokuba-dan? Have we warned them?"

His father made moue. "The Hokage doesn't want to announce anything and create panic. But I made sure Kotone was aware, and Kei will have a large escort the day after tomorrow. They're pulling all the children to a single building for the day."

1 DAY TO THE TOURNAMENT

"I'd have thought you'd given up that trash since taking up three impressionable genin, Kakashi."

Hatake Kakashi hummed and flipped the page. He was almost at the part where the lovers reunited. This baby-faced chunin couldn't spoil that.

Anko cackled across the room. The chunin took one look at her and fled the lounge. Kakashi hiked up the book. Hopefully everyone would take the hint that he wasn't up to socializing. He wanted to hear some gossip and get a look and who was off on the borders. He needed to know who was stationed where. Something was wrong, even if the Sandaime refused to hear it.

TOURNAMENT

Shikamaru shook off the genjutsu but kept his eyes closed and his body slumped. His wrist got squeezed. He returned the pressure, letting Hikari know he was awake, too. He gritted his teeth, rearranging his plans. He'd have liked to let the genjutsu the teen with the flute was crafting intact. But that wasn't an option anymore. Hikari was waking up Ino, who'd wake up Chouji, who'd wake up Naruto.

Steel flashed. Before any of them could react, Kakashi was there, shielding them. Right, he was stupid and Hikari had the right idea. Unconscious people couldn't protect themselves.

"Maa, maa-"

"Sasuke-kun went after the Sand siblings." Hikari interrupted him.

"He's gone, dattebayo!"

The jounin glanced at the arena briefly. Maito Gai joined them. Neji was one step behind with Kiba. The Hyuga didn't glance at him, but Shikamaru hadn't expected to be after beating him only to forfeit against Shino.

"Someone took Hinata-sama."

"I'm assigning you A-rank missions. You'll go in four-nin cells." Kakashi's voice was even as he and Gai took out enemies. "Hikari, Shikamaru, and Naruto, Pakkun will lead you. Your mission is to come back with Sasuke, and your secondary objective is to stop the Sand siblings. Kiba, where's Shino?" At Kiba's shake of his head, he went on. "Neji, you'll lead Kiba, Ino, and Chouji and go after Hinata. If you manage a capture, take them straight to a cell in T&I."

They all nodded. Gai threw an enemy into a wall, making a huge hole. The pug that had hung around Hikari was summoned and everyone dashed outside.

Shikamaru evened out his breathing as they leapt up from tree to tree. Hikari kept glancing back.

"What is it?"

"Genin are supposed to evacuate civilians."

"I'm not scared of an A-rank, dattebayo!"

But Shikamaru didn't think Hikari was scared. "There are nin everywhere. They'll take your family to a safe place."

She nodded but her jaw was tight.

"Kei had an escort today, Hikari. My family will protect yours."

The tension left her. "Thank you."

"Hurry up, kids!"

"What is it? Have you seen Sasuke-teme?"

"There's two teams behind us. Speed up."

"You've got to be kidding. How troublesome."

"They haven't figured out where we are, but we need to lose them."

He nodded and pushed on. They raced faster until Pakkun stopped.

"Why are we stopping? What's the plan!?"

"Shut up! Let's go back, stepping on our prints. They'll think we disappeared."

"Will this really work?" Hikari asked dubiously as she stepped back.

"It'll give us time, pup."

They went back a couple of trees and then veered off.

"Prepare for an ambush. They're eight. No. There's a ninth behind them."

"Great," Shikamaru muttered. "With our luck, they'll be jounin."

"Listen! Let's ambush them first, dattebayo!"

"No." Shikamaru cut in. "To work, ambushes require two conditions. First, the ninja must be calm and find the enemy first. Second, they must catch the enemy unaware in a place where they can cause a lot of damage fast and hide equally fast."

Naruto was frowning. "So what?"

"If these are Orochimaru's nin, they know the village as well as we do. We don't meet the second condition."

"And they are better than we are." Hikari added.

Someone had to act as bait, draw them out and give the rest of the team time to lose their trail. But... nine jounin against a genin was a death sentence. He glanced at Hikari. He imagined what she'd say when he volunteered. After all, the base Shadow jutsu was meant to delay until a Yamanaka caught the enemy. She'd call him arrogant for thinking he could take all of them out by himself. She wouldn't think he knew it was the ending. If she knew what she was to him... But no, she'd rather someone lived than died for her.

If one of them was bait, they'd be killed. But if two of them were bait, they stood a chance. They'd set out traps. Hikari could poison them while he held them. He hesitated. He didn't want to die, but if he took the second option and was wrong, he'd as good as killed them both.

He looked at his best friend and found her already staring. She asked him what the plan was. Her trust steadied him.

"Pakkun, where is Sasuke heading?"

The pug pointed a paw.

"Alright. Go on. Hikari and I will catch up."

Naruto hesitated but he finally nodded.

"Naruto-kun." His best friend called out. "Remember that the first mission is to bring back Sasuke-kun, not fight."

"Of course!"

Shikamaru nudged Hikari and they both sprinted away. As they recollected wood to fake Pakkun's paw prints, they schemed.

He stood in the middle of the road, clear bait.

He didn't have to wait long for them.

He caught the first eight and let loose his shurikens. The ninth defended them, giving his position away to Hikari. He waited with bated breath until she materialized behind the eight nin, a blood-stained kunai steady on her hand. She slit the throat of one of the eight. His next handful of shuriken struck another on the chest. The other six struggled in earnest. He let three go instead of draining his chakra. He walked the three he held to a trap, and it exploded, taking them out. He turned to the fight.

Three left. Hikari kicked one in the head and slashed down on the second. Poisoned with her second neko-te, this one imbued with a fast-acting poison instead of a paralytic. She somersaulted away, and her hands were already moving. Her feet touched the ground and she went into the Earth. Shikamaru took the third while Hikari sank the first one into the earth. As he kicked out, he lashed with his shadow, enough to make his enemy's movements to stutter. His foot connected, but the kunai went into the shoulder instead of the neck.

He spotted the poisoned one staggering up from the corner of his eye. Hikari was focused on the other one who'd escaped the Headhunter jutsu.

She wouldn't notice him in time. He kicked his opponent away from him and desperately shaped the Rat sign.

His shadow stretched, but he was too far from the Sound nin. He went for Hikari instead, praying she wouldn't fight him. It connected with hers, and he felt her surprise but no resistance. He pushed his arm backwards, and Hikari's kunai went into the nin's eye. He let her pull back her arm and winced at the resistance. The kunai was embedded deep. Hikari ditched it. A flash of steel made him focus on his own opponent.

By the time he'd dispatched the enemy and glanced back, she had slashed the one who'd almost killed her again. Two doses of poison did the trick, and he was face down on the ground. She was facing the last one, her wrist wrapped in ribbon. As he watched, she poured chakra and pulled.

The explosion took the Sound nin's arm and half his chest.

She turned to him and relaxed when she saw he was unharmed.

"Let's go."

"Let's go."

They dashed off and sprinted across trees, trying to gain back the ground and time they'd lost.

"Stop!"

He caught himself on a tree and turned. "What is it?"

Hikari was looking at the bark of a trunk. It was scratched. "This is Naruto's. He wants us to go around."

Sasuke was supposed to be straight ahead, chasing the Suna nin. He tried to extend his senses. Hikari was already on the next tree to their side when he called out.

"Wait!" A bug, no, a kikaichi had landed on his arm. "There's an Aburame near."

The bug was flitting forward and then back to him constantly.

"I think it wants us to follow." Hikari came to stand next to him. "But Naruto-kun is expecting us, and our mission is to go to Sasuke-kun."

"If we have to fight the Sand sibling, I want an Aburame on our side." He argued.

The bug was getting more frantic. It was the deciding factor.

It wasn't long until the kikaichi guided them to Shino, who was sweating and panting as he laid on a branch. Kankuro's puppet was beside him. They guided Shino to sit. Hikari took out the antidote of Kankuro's deadliest poison. If his puppet was destroyed, the nin wouldn't be holding back. While Shino drank it down, he found Kankuro. He was almost dry of chakra. He picked him up, ignoring his weak struggles, and carried him to the rest. Hikari took one look at him and sliced him with her neko-te.

"Paralyzed." She announced. "Let's tie him up."

"I'll take him back. Why? Because you should continue your mission." Shino offered. He couldn't even stand.

"Are your kikaichi alright?" Hikari asked.

"Yes. Why? Because I'm sharing the antivenom with them. My horde will replenish with time."

"Then you'll stay here and keep him immobilized by draining him of chakra." Hikari decided. "Having him hostage will be an asset against Suna. We'll come back and escort you and the prisoner back."

Shino agreed, and they were off again.

Shikamaru tried not to sigh. He needed his breath to keep this speed, but this was getting far too troublesome. By the time they could see Naruto, Pakkun, Temari, and Gaara, Shikamaru was done. Team 7's luck was the worst.

Half of Gaara's face was grotesquely deformed into sand that vaguely shaped the outline of a beast. His arm was as thick as a tree trunk, and it was trying to crush Sasuke, who kept dodging but seemed tired. Naruto was getting the same treatment from the tail. Temari was off by the side, making herself smaller.

Pakkun was yelling something. But Gaara's cackles and Naruto's shouts were louder. Shikamaru grimaced at the sound of his friend's voice talking about power coming from protecting the people you loved. He agreed, but he wasn't going to be shouting it at enemies anytime soon.

Hikari's water margay jumped at Gaara's face and got blasted by the arm. Sasuke took the opening to blast a fireball, but the hand blocked it easily. Naruto made hundreds of clones, but Gaara's sandstorm made them disappear. Shikamaru saw the tail and hand both focusing on Sasuke. And why were all the creeps focused on the Uchiha? He substituted with an exploding tag and tackled him down. Sasuke struggled until he saw his face.

The explosion didn't face Gaara much. The sand shifted until it covered him completely. Sasuke tugged him behind a tree trunk to avoid the next strike from the arm. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he saw the tail coming down. He closed his eyes. Nothing. When he opened them again, Kakashi was there, a ball of pure lightning in his hand as he cut the tail.

The eye-smile paired with an A-rank technique threw him. "You four focus on Temari, okay?"

"Kaka-sensei! I've got a super cool jutsu that will help! I can summon the Boss toad! Look!"

Shikamaru cringed when a small cranky toad appeared.

Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair. "I'll take a look later."

He finished tying Temari and turned to find that Kakashi had knocked out Gaara. Shikamaru waited for orders. After brief reports, Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and asked Pakkun to bring Jiraiya. Then they waited.

In the end, Gaara was sealed by Jiraiya, who looked much more subdued than last time he'd seen him. The Kazekage was dead, and Suna's Kageship was hereditary. Holding all the siblings hostage could be perceived as an act of war. Since Konoha hoped for peace, they'd let the oldest go, but not Kankuro or Gaara. They'd keep them for leverage. Temari wasn't happy about leaving her brothers behind, but faced with Jiraiya and Kakashi, she didn't stand a chance.

As they got closer to the village, Hikari tensed up. Shikamaru swallowed when he followed her gaze. Fires. Toppled buildings. Destroyed streets.

Jiraiya took Naruto apart. Kakashi just broke the news to the three of them without artifice. The Sandaime was dead, killed by Orochimaru, who'd been impersonating the Kazekage.

"Maa, Hikari, this is important."

"I heard. Hokage-sama is dead," she repeated distractedly as she scanned the crowd. They were near in the administrative side of the Academy. "When are they going to make a public statement?"

Kakashi sighed. "Not until everything is more stable. For now, communication will be basic: telling the civilians where to go, what buildings are and aren't safe, that sort of thing."

She nodded. "Excuse me."

And then she was shoving through the crowd. Shikamaru followed her, trying to see whatever or whoever she saw. Everything was too confusing. They passed barrier teams, a handful of genin, panicked civilians, a couple of jounin, lost people looking for direction, and -

"Hikari-chan!"

Shikamaru focused on the older teen. Masaru. He vaguely registered that both Sasuke and Kakashi had followed them.

"Masaru-senpai! How is everyone? Where are they? Why are you here and not Arata? Where is he?"

Silence.

"Where is Arata!?"