"This Is My Family. I Found It, All On My Own. It's Little And Broken, But Still Good. Yeah. Still Good." - Stitch from "Lilo & Stitch"


VvV

(with Obito Uchiha; Akatsuki Hideout in Ame)

"We have all the eyes here now" countless Zetsu clones droned out, emerging from the ground around their master, each holding their own part of the morbid loot from their latest undertaking.

These clones were useful, sometimes very useful, Obito had to admit. Despite their submissiveness and seeming simple-mindedness, these creatures really excelled at taking on the more dirty and mundane aspects of his work. Like, harvesting the Sharingan from the bodies he had left behind.

"Now line up" Obito ordered simply, while taking off his mask to then just rip his other eye out without even a sound or flinch.

Quickly cauterizing the blood vessels with his chakra, the man took a freshly gathered eye from one of the clones and just put it right in his empty eye socket, focusing on the flow of his chakra into the torn out eye.

Grow and connect the blood vessels, flood the new eye with his chakra, so that his own chakra network could slowly envelop it, like a parasite, erasing any trace of the host and claiming it fully as a part of his body. And finally, connect the optic nerve to the eye.

Obito stood motionless for a moment, his grim task almost finished, as he finally saw through both his eyes. With a flicker of chakra, Obito adjusted the image until he could no longer tell one eye apart from the other. Good.

"I can't believe you were forced to use Izanagi by those two brats." he heard Black Zetsu's low voice behind his back, "More than that. You also failed to finish the girl."

"Guess, someone here is losing his touch, am I right?" The white half of the macabre creature offered with an awkward laugh.

Obito just didn't care, instead opting to put his mask back on. Even at his own hideout, he just didn't feel whole without it.

"There were complications." he said with his voice completely emotionless, "but ultimately the plan was a success."

"Yeah, no kidding, what do you need this shitload of eyes for anyway?"

"So he could use Izanagi, of course. With that many eyes the whole Akatsuki could–"

"Quit your bickering." Obito said harshly, while inspecting the lined up Zetsu clones, "I need to focus."

Wordlessly, he took another eye from one of the clones, his free arm going for the clone's own eye.

"Oh, no! No!" he left the creature screaming, clenching their torn out eye.

Satisfied, Obito plucked the Sharingan into the parasite's empty eye socket, implanting the eye firmly before moving on to do the same to the other one. He only needed to do it about eighty more times. Should have been a hundred. Darn Danzo… The old bastard still somehow managed to snatch a dozen or so corpses for himself. But that didn't matter, seeing how Danzo was about to get all of them before Obito intervened. Losing a couple Sharingan, while having that many more barely made a dent.

"So, any information on Konoha's movements?" Obito eventually asked, not turning away from his work.

"Our clones report that the Hokage has moved the girl and the kid to his house. Seems like the Nine-Tails is also there." the black half provided.

"Yeah, but they couldn't really get a good look. The place is swarming with all those pesky ninja." the white half drawled lazily.

"The Nine-Tails? Seems like the Hokage is doing our work for us there."

VvV

(with Obito Uchiha; Kamui Dimension; Several hours later)

Itachi Uchiha had been a sorry sight. Bloodied, exhausted and barely holding on to the last dregs of his chakra and consciousness when Obito decided it was finally time to check on his prisoner.

"Hello, Itachi." he said coldly, crouching to get closer to his level, "I hope you have enjoyed killing me once, because there will be no other chance like that. But I do not hold grudges. I prefer judging people based on their potential instead. Fortunately for both of us, you still have some of it left."

"What do you want from me?" Itachi growled, forcing himself up, but his body failed him, doing no more than a fruitless convulsion.

"I am a man of my word. We had an agreement and I just want you to fulfill your part. Let's leave the past behind us and work together for the future."

"Go to hell…" Itachi whispered clenching his fists, "you have used me enough. You used me to murder my parents, Izumi and my clan… everyone!"

Obito's only visible eye lit up with a glint of twisted glee.

"Not everyone. Did you already forget your little brother? Besides, isn't killing everyone, but Sasuke what you yourself asked me to do?"

"You will never get to Sasuke! The whole village is on high alert! You won't even come near him!"

Obito just smiled behind the mask, lifting Itachi's limp body up by the collar of his shirt with one hand, so that their eyes met.

"Don't be so sure. I know the Hokage hides him at his house, I know the room he sleeps in, I know how many ANBU are watching him sleep and I can do whatever I want with him or that entire village whenever I feel like it."

Obito slammed Itachi down with so much force that there was a sizable dent, made in one of Kamui's smooth gray stones. Itachi groaned and the man seemed to enjoy the echo for a moment.

"I also know the Uzumaki brat is there too. Imagine the look on Hokage's face when the Nine-Tailed Fox just appears in his own bedroom. But I guess doing it the second time loses its charm."

"We have an agreement! Konoha is off limits, remember?!" Itachi looked up at his captor, anger filling every muscle of his body and even overriding the pain.

"Oh. So you finally remembered we had an agreement? Good, but don't you think it is a little late for that? How about some new terms instead? You help me with my plans and while you do, I guarantee Sasuke's safety. I could even protect the boy from Danzo or the likes of him. Together, we can still make sure he grows up happy and safe."

"Do I have your word?" Itachi's voice rang with despair, reverberating through the stone pillars of the Kamui dimension.

"Don't be so hasty. While I am glad you are starting to see reason so quickly, I suggest you think about your decision for some time. I will check on you later."

Obito turned to leave, already opening a wormhole to return back to the real world.

"Wait!" Itachi screamed, desperately reaching out with his arms, as if to grab at Obito's feet, "I will work with you! I understand, I am sorry I broke our agreement and I will honor it in the future. No conditions besides one. Just don't touch Sasuke! I beg you!"

Obito stopped, intrigued, as he slowly turned around.

"No conditions, you say? You beg me? Now, that's intere–"

Suddenly, a cloud of thick white chakra smoke exploded in the Kamui dimension, as Obito took a hesitant step back, tensing for an incoming attack.

It was true that Itachi barely kept himself breathing, but Obito had absolutely zero doubt that he could still be dangerous, when he wanted to. So he grew another sharp splinter of wood from his palm, grasping it in anticipation.

A single black blur cut through the smoke, and the next thing Obito saw was a flash of crimson and black, then the subtle movement of the three tomoe already morphing into a pattern of a four pronged shuriken.

'That's… Shisui's! Oh no you don't!'

In a fit of desperation, Obito hurtled the wooden spike at the crow and heard its gurgling cry, as it fell to the ground limp.

Obito activated his own Mangekyo, prepared to fight the intrusive Kotoamatsukami, but it never came.

The man laughed coldly, as he understood what had almost transpired.

"That one almost got me. Maybe if you weren't so exhausted."

Obito walked over to the convulsing crow, taking it by the throat to inspect it carefully.

"You hid it in a crow? Crafty." he admired, breaking the bird's neck with a squeeze of his fingers

"Now I only need to get the other one from Danzo." he mused, plucking out Shisui's eye, "Thank you. And, by the way, your girlfriend is still alive."

"What? You didn't kill her?" Itachi whispered, feeling his consciousness fading after the final exertion.

"Not for now." he tossed away the crow's corpse dismissively, "I was considering leaving her be for some time, but now… Thanks to your little trick, she will die slowly. Try something like that with me ever again and the same will happen to Sasuke. Are we clear?"

With that Obito just disappeared, leaving Itachi alone.

"Izumi…" he whispered, closing his eyes.

VvV

(with Izumi; Hokage Residence)

Izumi's second night at her new house had been marred with restless tossing and turning and even now, as she once again navigated the wide corridors of the Residence, following a yet another ANBU member to the dining room for breakfast, Izumi's mind went back to Sasuke, to her decision to skip the Funeral. Was it the right one? But Sasuke seemed so desperate for some company. The boy needed her, still needs her.

It was with those thoughts that Izumi walked into the already familiar room, taking the same seat she took the day before.

"Morning, Izumi!" Naruto's cheerful voice pulled her out of her thoughts with a subtle startled gasp.

"Still way too loud. Morning." she said almost automatically.

"Sorry, sorry!" Naruto waved her off, taking the seat right in front of her, "I guess I am just excited! I found a scroll, y'know! I think it has a cool jutsu in it! But I can't understand a word of it! It's all so bo-o-ring!" Naruto gestured actively, while waving his legs.

'I wonder why people are so afraid of him…'

Izumi sighed, looking straight at Naruto, shaking her head slightly in subdued disapproval.

"Naruto, look. We've been over this, alright? Still not the best time for friends. These things don't change in a day."

Naruto suddenly beamed at her, his eyes shining with sudden gratitude.

'Oh, come on. What now?' Izumi thought, but, despite herself, she watched the kid with a spark of interest.

"You just called my name! That's the first time!"

"Isn't that what names are for? You call people by them. What's the big deal, Naruto?" Izumi drawled, looking at the boy through her half-closed eyelids. She could feel the weight of the recent events and her last sleepless night melting into an edge of snarkiness to her voice, but how was she supposed to help it?

"Well, yeah, I guess. When you put it like– Wait, you just did it again!"

Izumi let out an exasperated sigh, but Naruto swore he saw a small hint of a smile, playing on her lips. Or maybe he'd just imagined it? Naruto liked to think that he didn't.

"Just tell me how many times I need to call you by name to get you to calm down?"

Naruto took a small pause, falling silent and even doing his best to stop fidgeting and moving around.

Izumi could see the agony on the boy's face, because it clearly went against his very nature. About half a minute of stillness from Naruto must have been the most genuine show of affection he could give.

"Can you do it one more time?" he eventually gave up and just asked simply.

"Okay." Izumi drawled, closing her eyes fully, "Naruto, will you now leave me alone? Please."

"Okay" Naruto wilted, "But you are friendlier today! Believe it!"

"No, I'm not. Please, stop testing me every day. I get it, you're lonely, but... Boundaries, please."

"Boundaries? What's that?" Naruto asked, perplexed.

"Seriously? Okay, I'll just explain it, stay with me. Boundaries are like special lines with other people. If you cross them, they will just dislike you. Like, for example, talking to me even after I asked you not to two times already. Please, leave me be. That makes three."

"Special lines… but for people." Naruto parroted slowly, as if tasting the unfamiliar words on his tongue. He squinted his eyes at Izumi, his little mind clearly boiling, "Nah, still don't get it. All I know is that friends make people feel better! Believe it! If old man Teuchi and big sis Ayane didn't–!"

"Okay, I'll just say it. Stop bothering me. Just… Stop talking to me at all, please." Izumi tried her best to give the kid her hardest direct look.

But if nobody talks to you, it hurts more! Believe it!" Naruto looked genuinely shocked and concerned for his future friend.

Before Naruto could say anything more, he saw Sasuke entering the room quietly, still looking pretty messy and ragged, but also somehow more alive.

"Good morning" he tapped Izumi's shoulder tentatively, picking a seat next to her. He then turned to Naruto, looking at him very intently.

"Back off, loser." he said simply, leaning in, as if shielding her from the boy.

"Why… Sasuke!" Naruto shot up himself, placing both hands on the table, almost touching the other boy's nose with his own.

'There you go. Why me?' Izumi thought with an inward sigh, knowing full well that she'd have to stand between them or forget about any quiet.

Izumi leaned forward, placing a hand at Sasuke's shoulder, as she gently but firmly forced him to sit down.

"It's alright. No need to protect me, okay? I am not going anywhere."

Sasuke turned his head abruptly, looking at Izumi with visible concern, but gave in and just relaxed.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Izumi looked him over, "Do your eyes still hurt?"

"A bit," Sasuke admitted, sitting down.

"Nah, it's probably fine. I remember feeling sore for a couple of days too. Just take it slow. Don't try to use them yet."

Sasuke simply nodded, also settling into silence.

With that, the conversation pretty much died out.

That morning, onigiri were served for breakfast, so Naruto just grabbed one and dug in, while Sasuke seemed to be thinking his own thoughts.

Izumi finally let herself relax a little in the chair, relieved at not having to endure more talking.

"Morning, kids." Jiraiya entered, without the Hokage this time.

"Toad Sage!" Naruto's eyes lit up again, with a slight trace of hurt quickly fading, "Can you show us something cool like yesterday?!"

"Master Jiraiya would have been a little more appropriate… Kids these days…" Jiraiya grumbled good-naturedly, ruffling Naruto's hair

"Aww, come on!" Naruto pouted, "Can't you teach me an awesome jutsu?!"

"Maybe later, kid" Jiraiya smiled, sitting down.

He then noticed Izumi's gaze on him and looked up to face her.

"You wanted something, Izumi?"

"Master Jiraiya… I was wondering if I could go visit the… the graves"

Izumi subtly tensed up at the mention of it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Sasuke doing the same. The kid shot her a quick look, as he shuffled in his seat.

"Of course, it's your right."Jiraiya nodded curtly, "Do you mind if I go with you? I need to run some errands anyway."

"I'll go with you too."

"You sure?" Izumi turned to Sasuke, seeing the pained, but determined look on his face, "You don't have to. Don't force yourself."

"But… they're my family too." Sasuke whispered, biting back the tears, "I want to go with you."

"Sasuke," Izumi sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Don't. You stay here and rest, okay?"

Sasuke looked at her intently, his eyes shimmering with determination, but didn't say anything, simply nodding.

"Hey…" Naruto looked at Izumi and Jiraiya, fidgeting in his seat nervously, "Can… I go too?"

"Sorry" Izumi shook her head softly, "It's very personal."

"It's okay, believe it." Naruto wilted, lowering his head, "I… I just… I wanted to find my parents, but… I kinda can't read very well… I thought maybe you could help me?"

Izumi recoiled slightly, as Naruto's blue eyes bore into her, shimmering with moisture.

'They didn't tell him?' Izumi thought, throwing a glance at Jiraiya, 'The village should've known, so why?'

The Sannin nodded faintly, placing a hand on Naruto's quivering shoulder.

"Hey, kid. When the time is right, I'll help you." he said, squeezing his shoulder slightly.

"Seriously? You will?!" Naruto's face lit up, as he looked up at the man before him, "Thank you! Thank you, Toad Sage!"

"The great Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku never goes back on his word, kid!" Jiraiya chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Cool!" Naruto beamed at him, "You know what?! Starting today, I, the great Naruto Uzumaki, won't go back on my word either! Believe it!"

Naruto's mischievous gaze focused on Izumi, growing more intense.

"I said I would be your friend when you feel better." he said seriously, "And I never go back on my word just like Toad Sage!"

Izumi looked up at him, not sure what to say. Her mind reached for some sarcastic remark or a simple nod, but she couldn't shake the image of his blue eyes, the touch of vulnerability shimmering in them.

"Okay" she whispered instead.

"Alright, let's go then?" Jiraiya got up and made to leave the dining room.

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya; the streets of Konoha)

Walking through the village's bustling streets felt different for Izumi. Exactly like he promised, Jiraiya used a subtle transformation jutsu and tried his best to stay blended with the crowd at a safe distance from Izumi to not draw any unwanted attention from civilians and, to a lesser extent, from shinobi too.

Izumi put on a generic shirt with no Uchiha insignia on, hoping that she might just slip through the crowds as if nothing happened. It's not like she had been particularly well-known in the village.

However, as soon as they stepped foot onto the streets, the girl felt as if everyone was instantly focused on her. It wasn't overt, but a few times she'd feel a lingering glance on the back of her head.

'Should I have used Transformation too?'

Was it her face? While she didn't inherit the traditional Uchiha dark hair, her big black eyes unmistakably belonged to their clan bloodline. There could be no hiding it.

"Goodness…"

"Poor girl…"

"To see your entire family and Clan getting massacred like that…"

"Right before her eyes, too…"

Izumi caught the hushed whispers, fading away with the wind, her shoulders sagging lower with each new one she heard.

'Where was your pity before?' she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the road ahead.

Mechanically, she took each step, careful not to run into people, not to trip over a little dent in the road. Anything, to keep her mind off of them. Hypocrites.

She didn't really have to watch the road. Having walked it for so many years, Izumi knew every turn, every little alleyway by heart. She let out a small sigh of relief, as they got farther and farther from the bustling main streets and towards the familiar outskirts.

"Sorry for dragging you all the way down here, master Jiraiya… I… I just need something…"

Her muffled sob didn't escape Jiraiya's notice.

"It's alright, kid. For now, my main mission is to keep you safe. Take all the time you need and I'll be right behind you if you need me."

"Thank you…" Izumi let out a quiet breath, "I couldn't have… done this alone."

With that, Izumi suddenly stopped walking, her eyes drawn to a little building down the street.

It was a completely ordinary one-storey building, so low and tiny it almost looked like a basement. To any other bystander it would be the kind of building, which one passes by without even a cursory glance. Yet, Izumi's eyes were practically glued to the worn down banner above the entrance.

"Hazuki Uchiha's Herbs… Mom…"

The girl took a couple of unsteady steps towards the entrance, her hand already touching the cold metal of the doorknob.

As she opened the door, a little melody of three tiny bells rang in her ears, like it had hundreds of times before. Although this time… This time they did so with a hint of longing sadness.

Izumi could already see it. The neat tidy counter, the carefully arranged aisles with all kinds of flowers lovingly nurtured everywhere in the store.

"Hey, Izumi. How did your lessons go today?" she almost heard her mom's always cheerful voice.

What she heard instead was a burly low voice of a man she didn't know.

"Come on, come on! Move the flowers! We gotta finish this before the owner gets back!"

Everything… was ruined. The carefully arranged aisles her mom made every morning stood there half-empty, being hastily dismantled. The flowers they spent years nurturing lay there in a big pile on the floor, with workers nearly knocking them over every time they dumped a new plant.

"H-hey!" Izumi called out, her voice and hands trembling, "Put them back! It's… it's not your shop!"

"Huh?" One of the men, startled by her sudden outburst accidentally dropped a pot and it shattered with a resounding clank. The man's features contorted with visible annoyance.

"Look, girl. You got no business going around scaring people. Look, I got five hours of my shift left. Do us all a favor… Go elsewhere!"

"But… it's my mother's… it was my mother's shop! Do you have any idea how long she had been caring for these plants… And… and…"

"Oh, so you're Izumi, huh? That girl the village is gossiping about?" the man's eyes flickered with a hint of remorse, "Look, what happened to your mom and clan… tragic, but the shop belonged to a landlord and not your mom… Tragedy or not, business gotta go on. People need to eat, you know… Sorry."

"I…" Izumi paid no heed to her tears flowing freely, "I'll rent the shop! I'll buy it! How much does your landlord want?! I… I don't know how yet, but… I'll find the money! I'll sell these flowers, everything!"

The man shrugged with a sigh.

"I ain't making decisions kid… I am a simple man. They show me what to carry around and where to put it. Nothin' more. Sorry"

"Please… Can you at least give me some flowers? I wanted to plant red tiger lilies on… on the graves… I can find them here, just please… let me…"

"I don't know, kid. That's all… landlord's property too. Maybe they gotta sell em or dump em. Don't know, don't care. But I.. please understand… I can't just give you someone else's property…"

"You're… all hypocrites! We're not even people in your eyes!" Izumi turned around on her heels and stormed out of the shop, but before closing the door for good, she heard the melody of the bells again.

Without even thinking she reached out and took the hanging bells, hiding them inside her closed fist gingerly.

"H-hey, that's not yours… put it…"

"It's okay, Rai. Let her have the bell. It's not like anybody's gonna miss it or anything…" another worker said softly.

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya)

"Hey, you done with your errand, kid?" Jiraiya asked, leaning against the corner of the building, but his tone changed as he noticed her tears.

"Hey. What happened? Izumi, come here. You can talk to me."

Instinctively, Izumi threw her arms around the man's sturdy wide torso. Jiraiya stood there like a mountain amidst the storm, gently wrapping his own arms around the trembling girl.

"They took it all away… my mom's shop… her everything… Even the flowers!"

"Shh, Izumi… In my years I have seen so much tragedy and destruction. Houses, shops – all of it can be destroyed and burned down. What can't, however, is bonds, memories and emotions. Your mother's most cherished flower was you. That's the only thing that matters."

Izumi sobbed, burying her face deeper into his jacket.

"I only wanted… to take some flowers to plant at the graves… They didn't even let me do that! What do I even have left? My home burned down, mom's shop closed… Even our flowers aren't mine anymore!"

"Hey, I know it's probably not much help, kid, but if you need flowers, I might know the place."

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya; Konoha's main streets)

As the two of them walked back to the crowded main streets, Izumi once again barely looked at the road, instead staring at the three tiny bells in the palm of her hand.

Jiraiya looked over his shoulder at her, but didn't say anything, just silently shaking his head.

"Hey, it's here." the Sannin stopped, beckoning Izumi to look at a banner.

"Yamanaka Flowers?" Izumi read aloud without even consciously thinking about it, "Mom used to always say, for them it was a huge business and we… our shop might not have been as big or grandiose, but he had more soul…"

Izumi stood there, her hand hovering over the doorknob.

"Okay, let's give it a try. Mom, I know you would have liked your own flowers, but… These might be beautiful too?"

"Hello! Welcome!" a little girl's carefree voice rang through the big shop, "Today, I am helping my parents here! My name's Ino! Ino Yamanaka! What flowers do you want?"

Looking at the little blonde girl and her big blue eyes, overflowing with excitement at being at the counter and having her first customer, Izumi saw a glimpse of herself, and heard her own voice ushering in the customers.

'I've done this for how many years now?'

"Hey… you're crying… why are you crying?" the girl wilted, a small pout now on her face, "Don't you like our flowers?"

Izumi shook her head, fighting to keep her own voice

"No, dear. They are gorgeous… Can you help me find the red tiger lilies? And also some asters, please… and do you have pink camelia?"

Ino's face lit up at the chance to help, but her smile quickly faded, replaced with a cute frown.

"Wait… Aster means… remembrance? And… and… pink camelia… oh no, I forgot…"

"Longing." Izumi whispered quietly, "Don't… Don't worry, you still have plenty of time to remember these meanings."

"Is that why you're crying? Because you miss someone?"

"A lot."

"Well, but they are going to come back for you… My parents always do!"

"Ino, honey… Asters are memorial flowers. They are planted on graves." A man with blonde hair in a long ponytail and the same blue eyes as Ino, entered the scene, placing a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Why don't you run along, baby? Daddy'll take care of it."

"Oh… I am sorry…"

"It's alright. You didn't know, okay?" Izumi gently assured the girl.

"You love flowers, don't you?" Inoichi remarked, "I can tell by how you're looking at them."

"We… Mom and I…" Izumi sighed and looked down at the bells, still in her palm, "We used to run a flower shop too. Not as big as yours, of course, but… but we loved it…"

"I see…" Inoichi trailed off, going behind the counter to bring Izumi her order, "You know, Izumi… If you ever miss the flowers, feel free to come by. Or maybe even work here for a time? Ino would be very happy to have someone like you around to teach her about the flowers."

"I don't know… Thank you, but… I don't know if I am really ready… Besides, I can't even leave without someone looking after me."

"Having an older sister would be nice…" Ino hummed, marching from one end of the counter to the other.

"Here are the flowers you need," Inoichi gently gestured to the aisle, "Take everything you need."

He also put a little handheld shovel onto the counter.

"I thought you were also going to need a shovel."

"Thank you. How much…" Izumi reached into her pouch for a wallet, but Inoichi deftly caught her wrist.

"Come on, please, no need for that today. You can give it back later, if you decide to consider our offer. For now, it's on the house."

"Really?" Izumi relaxed her hand, letting her wallet drop back to its place, "You would do something like that for me?"

"Of course!" Ino chirped, "My Daddy's really kind like that! He's the best Dad ever!"

"Yeah, he is." Izumi echoed after a short silence, her gaze going somewhere far into the past, "I'll be going now. Thank you for… for the flowers and… everything else. I can't keep my own Dad waiting."

"Bye, Izumi!" Ino sang

"Bye." the girl whispered softly over her shoulder.

Jiraiya, who was waiting for her outside the shop, looked through the storefront window, a soft hint of a smile playing on his lips. Yamanaka's was a good shop indeed. Although, not only for its gorgeous flowers.

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya; Konoha Cemetery)

Izumi and Jiraiya entered the somber place, immediately feeling the eerie stillness in the air between the neat straight rows of gravestones.

Izumi's legs carried her through the pavilions to the older section of the graveyard.

'In memory of those killed by the Nine-Tailed Fox' the plaque said and Izumi stepped forward, entering the memorial.

"Hey." Izumi whispered, kneeling at the gravestone of Isamu Uwatani. A loving husband and father, according to the inscription on its smooth surface, "I… I am so sorry, Dad… I promised you! I promised to be strong like you! To keep Mom safe… And I couldn't…"

The only thing holding Izumi's sanity together was the familiar sound of a garden shovel digging into the soil.

"I… I brought some flowers… I know they don't make it better, but maybe just a little bit?" the girl sobbed, but focused on her task despite the flowing tears.

"Why did you even save me? I am so useless… I… he killed Mom right in front of me! And I was too scared to do anything! Why'd I train all those years? What for?!"

Izumi fell silent for a moment, focusing all her thoughts on the rhythmic predictable movement of the shovel in her hand.

Jiraiya crouched softly beside her, handing her the flower pots.

"Hey. Don't be too hard on yourself. That man… He's bad news for the entire village. There was nothing you could have done."

Her eyes snapped to him abruptly, glowing with raw intensity and the crimson of her Sharingan.

"But I should have done more! I… I promised to protect mom! I thought… it was what I lived for. But now…"

"Now, you have Sasuke. That kid needs you. And I think you need him as well."

"I watched his parents get killed... I couldn't even save Itachi... Should I have even saved Itachi after... After what he did? But still he saved my life and I couldn't... I feel like I stole his family from him."

"I am not sure if I myself could have saved anyone if I was in your place, kid. This so-called Madara… He's definitely not someone to take lightly…" Jiraya's voice rang with a more somber note, as his eyes went somewhere beyond Izumi, coming to rest on the Hokage Memorial in the distance.

Without thinking, Izumi followed his gaze to one of the memorials.

"Here lies Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf Village." she read the inscription, "You… you were his sensei, right?"

Jiraiya got up, a somber expression on his hardened face.

"That's right. I was. That kid… I haven't trained or even seen someone as determined and kind as Minato… I honestly thought he was the… Nevermind."

"But" Izumi clenched the shovel in her hand, trying to stop the subtle trembling, "If… Even Lord Fourth couldn't stop Madara, then how can we?!"

Jiraiya's gaze hardened, as he gently took Izumi by the shoulders looking at her, a mix of experience and stern weariness on his face.

"All I know, kid, is that we can't run from him. The moment we run, the moment we decide to hide, we lose."

Izumi stumbled backwards, dropping her shovel onto the ground.

"But, Master Jiraiya! He massacred my entire clan! He controlled the Fox! Itachi even killed him once! Struck right through his heart! And he just got up! We can't win…"

"Remember this, kid." Jiraiya leaned closer to her, almost whispering into her ear, "To be a true shinobi, you don't need deadly jutsu or fancy eyes. All you need is guts. Guts to get back up and fight no matter the odds. Even Minato was just a regular orphan before he became Hokage. Kind of like you. So decide. Think about what you want to do and then go for it. The moment you doubt it's over."

"I don't know…" Izumi lowered her eyes under the intensity of the Sannin's gaze, "I feel like there's nothing! Nothing left! My family – dead, my home – burned down, even our flower shop… I don't know if… if I can live like that!"

Jiraiya gently distanced himself from her, letting go of the girl's shoulders.

"I know it's hard." he said with a sigh, "I am not asking you to decide right now or tomorrow. It's your choice. You'll make it when you're ready. Just know that Lord Third and I will do our best to protect you, kids. You're not alone."

Izumi gave her father's gravestone one more long look, her fingers clenched once again around the shovel's familiar handle.

'You protected me with your own life. If I gave up, you would have died for nothing, right? But… I don't know how to be as strong as you, Dad!'

"I'll remember. I promise I will! Dad, Mom, I promise you haven't died for nothing… Because I… I will…"

'I will what? Fight? Try to protect Sasuke? Train to get stronger? I don't know…'

"...find out? And then I'll do it, whatever it is! Sorry, it sounds pathetic, I know. I am sorry you died for a daughter like me…"

"It doesn't sound pathetic, kid." Jiraiya whispered softly, smiling faintly, as he gazed once again at Minato's memorial, "Not at all. All of us adults, me, Lord Hokage, every shinobi in this village. We are always ready to protect kids like you even with our lives. And I am sure your parents were too. They must be proud."

"You think so?" Izumi looked up at the Sannin, a hint of childlike hope shimmering in her eyes.

Jiraiya's answer was interrupted by the soft jingle of bells. Izumi glanced in astonishment at the three tiny bells, now laying on the ground.

"Must've fallen out of my pocket…" Izumi managed a quiet whisper, as he gingerly picked up the tiny trinkets, slowly closing her fist, as if someone could have taken the bells away.

'You think I should try protecting Sasuke too? But what if I just fail again? What if… he dies just like you? But… Yesterday it felt like he needed me. I can't just abandon him, right?'

"There you go…" Izumi sobbed, looking at the newly-planted red tiger lilies, blossoming in a defiant beacon of color against the gray of the gravestone, "These flowers should help you find a way to the afterlife. Just please, when you go, don't forget about me, okay?"

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya; the Uchiha Clan Memorial)

Izumi looked at the inconspicuous rows of graves. They didn't even have gravestones yet, instead adorned by fresh soil and a small plaque with the name of the deceased person.

Fast. Utilitarian. Over seventy people were processed and buried just in one day. Konoha had just dealt with the situation and moved on, it seemed. Put the dark secret of the Uchiha Coup six feet under, together with the people who carried it.

Before Izumi could dwell on it, though, her mother's name caught her eye.

'They couldn't even bury you close to Dad…'

"I… I am so sorry I couldn't protect you, Mom… Please, whenever you are, don't leave me. I need you… Please, just watch over me, okay? I am scared and tired… I just don't want to be alone."

The familiar sound of the shovel and the smell of fresh soil, mixed with tears and the sweet aroma of the flowers filled the stale air.

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya; on their way back from the graveyard)

Izumi and Jiraiya were walking quietly. The Sannin still tried to maintain his distance and be as inconspicuous as possible, but Izumi now didn't even notice all the whispers and occasional stray glances. Why should it matter now?

"Hey." Jiraiya's gruff, but kind voice snapped her out of her thoughts, "Is there anything else you needed to do? If you don't mind, I have a couple of errands I need to run while we're in the village."

"No, that was everything."

"Don't worry, kid, I won't take long. Just a couple of things to stock up on, while I am in the village."

With that, Jiraiya turned into one of the alleyways and disappeared into one of the smaller shops. A small glass storefront and an old wooden facade, adorned with decorative patterns, albeit the paint was already a little worn down and bleak.

"Must be really old." Izumi pushed the door, following the sage.

"Ah, Master Jiraiya!" A pleasant old man called out in a soft, well-mannered tone, "Welcome back! I will let you know that your order is ready."

"Thank you." Jiraiya nodded curtly, observing the man place stacks of paper and fresh ink on the counter.

While he and the shop owner were exchanging pleasantries, Izumi took the liberty to look around the old store. The very air here was filled with the scent of old paper and fresh ink. The girl looked at all the thick old books and scrolls on the shelves, at various quills and brushes.

"Excuse me, is this a bookstore?" she asked the old man, while still looking around in astonishment.

"Indeed it is, young lady. The oldest in Konoha."

"Found something interesting yet, kid?" Jiraiya smiled, while taking out a small scroll out of his pocket and unfurling it on the counter.

Izumi watched from afar, idly trying to discern the meaning of various patterns and symbols adorning the scroll.

Meanwhile the Toad Sage stockpiled all the items at the center of the scroll and lightly pressed his fingers against the ink of the rim of the seal.

With a gentle poof of smoke, all the items were gone. With a satisfied click of his tongue, Jiraiya folded the scroll and placed it back into his pocket.

"Wow…"

"Oh, that was just a storage scroll." Jiraiya explained, noticing Izumi's subtle curiosity, "You can carry all sorts of things inside, if you make a special seal."

"I've heard about them, but never saw one... They are very expensive, aren't they?"

"Well, not if you make your own." Jiraiya gave her an eye smile, placing money on the counter, "Keep the change and have a good day. Kid, let's go."

As Izumi walked out of the store, a little ornate box caught her attention. According to the price tag it was a set for a game of Go.

"Come on, come on! Don't give up. That's my little shinobi girl!"

She heard his strong, but warm voice again.

"Always take your time to think. Don't rush, Izumi… Sorry, but daddy won't go easy on you just because you're his favorite little girl!"

"Someday I am gonna win, you know! Rematch?" little Izumi asked hopefully, as her dad was already packing up the game, "Please. Just one more game…"

Isamu laughed softly, teasingly clapping his daughter's cheeks and getting her to drop the pout.

"Alright, alright… I guess boring adult stuff can wait just a little more."

"Hooray! You're going down, Dad! This time for sure!"

"Whatever you say, kiddo. Just don't blunder like last time, 'kay?" he booped her nose playfully.

"Hey, I am a kid and you're a ninja!" kid Izumi pouted again, laughing at her dad's loving teasing.

"Don't let that stop you, honey. If you keep at it and never give up, you'll beat your old man one of these days…"

"You bet!"

Izumi stood there,at the antique store, together with the echo of their past laughter, and the short snappy sounds of the Go stones being placed on the game board.

"Excuse me, could I get this, please?" Izumi finally mustered her words with a subtle shake of her head.

"Of course, young lady. Sometimes, a simple game of Go can make all the difference. I do hope you enjoy it."

VvV

(with Izumi and Jiraiya; Hokage Residence)

Izumi watched the village from the height of the Hokage Mountain. She saw the day bleeding into the evening, with the red hot disk of the sun slowly melting into the ground.

The girl turned away with a faint, but tense shudder. The crimson of the setting sun – the crimson of the single Sharingan behind the mask.

Izumi could have sworn she saw Madara's shadow hanging over the Hokage Residence. She felt herself clutching the ornate wood of the little box in her hands. Momentarily, she might have heard the faint echo of his heavy footsteps, together with a sickening sadistic sound of the tip of his sword being dragged through the floor.

"Hey" Izumi felt a grounding grip on her shoulders, "It's okay, he can't hurt you here. We won't let that happen."

Reluctantly, Izumi turned away from the sight, focusing on picking out the details of the Residence's facade. It was a simple, but gracious building and while her mind couldn't grasp the finer details, Izumi found herself absentmindedly counting how many windows she saw.

'One…. Two… Three'

"Ah, admiring the view, I see?" Izumi jolted at a soft, but unexpected voice of the Third Hokage. Despite his age, the man still moved silently and gracefully and Izumi found herself struggling to even remember how he got there.

"I can see something is different about you now, my dear. I am glad this day has brought you what you needed."

"I… I don't know…" Izumi admitted silently, looking into the murky evening sky; a faint trace of crimson, woven into a heavy gray blanket, "I still don't know what I should do, honestly… I mean, can I really take care of Sasuke? Lord Hokage, maybe you're making a mistake?"

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, silently enjoying the near-perfect ring of white smoke he let out.

"I think you are doing quite well, Izumi. I may not know exactly what you did for him yesterday, but I can see the boy change."

Izumi looked a little lost, trying to study the Hokage's face for any context.

"Well, I… He was crying and I just… hugged him. I… That's not… very important?"

"Oh, but it is for him."

"I took his entire family from him… I saw them die! Mrs. Mikoto, Mr. Fugaku, Itachi… They all died protecting me and I… was just worthless! If I come and give Sasuke a small hug, how is it going to change this?"

"You weren't worthless, kid. And don't let your fears distort things. Madara took your families from both of you. What happened to Sasuke's family wasn't your fault." Jiraiya interjected softly.

"Why did Itachi do it?" Izumi sobbed quietly, "Why didn't he warn anyone? What made him turn on us? I thought I knew him… with a coup I thought he knew bloodshed wasn't a solution… If only he told anyone… And then he went and saved my life… Now I can't even hate him…"

Jiraiya sighed, squeezing her shoulder slightly

"You want to forget him, but you can't. To be honest, your connection might never go away completely."

Izumi looked up at the setting sun, her eyes now glowing too. It's crimson against hers.

Jiraiya and Hiruzen looked on in silent contemplation, as the three tomoe in her eyes changed and gradually morphed into the shape of a flower, blossoming against their red glow.

"I'll try to protect Sasuke," she said, nodding slightly, "He shouldn't have to deal with all this."

"Good" Jiraiya whispered, "You're doing the right thing, kid. And we'll help anytime."

"But…" Izumi's voice faltered for a moment, as she clutched her chest, trying to force the words out, "After all my training… Even after I got the Mangekyo Sharingan… All I could do was watch… No matter how many years I train, I am just that useless, aren't I?"

"Mangekyo Sharingan is an extremely rare gift, Izumi." Hiruzen interjected softly, but there was an undercurrent of firmness in the Hokage's voice, "In the entire history of Konoha we only know one person, who has achieved it. That was Madara Uchiha."

"Itachi had it too… But even that wasn't enough! No matter what I do, no matter how much I train… I think Madara will still find me and kill me. And Sasuke…"

"Hey." Jiraiya crouched in front of her, giving her trembling body a gentle shake, "Hey, kid, look at me. You're not dying, not today, not tomorrow. This place is swarming with ANBU, watching every square inch of the Residence. Those shinobi are some of the best in our village. Not to mention Lord Hokage and yours truly…"

"It doesn't matter…" Izumi recoiled from Jiraiya, the crimson of her Sharingan burning ever brighter against her pale skin, "He can't die. Itachi stabbed him through the heart and… we thought we'd won, but he got up! Like nothing even…"

"Izanagi…" Hiruzen put the pipe out of his mouth, absent-mindedly chewing on its handle, as his gaze flickered with recollection and pensiveness.

"What?" Jiraiya got up, his eyes now fixed on his sensei, "Do you know anything, sensei?"

"Not much." Hiruzen conceded, "The Uchiha Clan has always been very protective of its secrets. Izanagi is a forbidden Sharingan jutsu. It is known as the 'ultimate genjutsu' for its power to survive one death at the cost of the caster's eye"

"If it's just a jutsu…" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, flickering with determination, "Something he can only use once, not to go completely blind… then it can be overcome. We'd just need to kill him twice. Difficult, but doable." he patted Izumi on the back, "Don't worry, kid. If he can die we'll make sure he does."

"I had no idea our clan had jutsu like that…" Izumi whispered with a hint of reverence, "Cheating death? It's… crazy."

VvV

(with an ANBU operative; Hokage Residence)

"Lord Hokage?" An ANBU operative appeared before the Hokage, genuflected.

"Yes, report." Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, turning his attention to the man.

"Dinner has been served, sir."

"We will be there shortly, thank you" Sarutobi waved him off, focusing on the conversation at hand again, but the operative didn't leave, "Is there something more, hm?"

"It's Sasuke Uchiha, sir. He has been at the training grounds the entire day and refuses to leave."

Izumi closed her eyes with a sigh, turning away from the setting sun to face the ANBU. With a reluctant swipe of her hand she brushed away the remaining tears, taking a deep breath.

"Alright… can you show me the way?"

"Of course. Please follow me."

She looked back at Hiruzen and Jiraiya over her shoulder.

"Thank you for listening. And for reminding me…"

Jiraiya smiled back softly.

"You got this, kid. Go take care of him."

VvV

(with Izumi and Sasuke; Hokage Residence: training grounds)

Izumi followed the ANBU into a spacious inner yard inside the Residence. Despite the whole building residing on top of a mountain, there was a nice garden with natural young grass tickling Izumi's sandaled feet, as she made her way across the decorative stones and even blossoming trees towards a sizable clearing where all kinds of training targets and equipment were set up. Absently, Izumi wondered if it was hard to move all the soil up a mountain, but her thoughts were quickly dashed as soon as she saw Sasuke. Panting and exhausted, he still picked up his shuriken and threw them at the wooden target pole, almost losing his own balance in the process.

"Damnit!" Sasuke screamed out, picking up another shuriken, "Why?! Itachi did it first try!"

"Sasuke?" Izumi whispered softly, looking at the grass at her feet, "Come on… They say dinner's ready."

The boy's back straightened sharply, as he stopped mid-throw

"Did… did you visit my family too?" he asked shakily

"Sorry." she sighed, "I only had time for my parents today… But we could go see your family together someday. We could plant flowers or something like that…"

"Plant flowers? I don't know how…"

"It's okay. I'll show you how, alright? Just… please let's just go with me and have dinner? You need to rest."

Sasuke threw the shuriken instead, growling subtly as it too had missed its mark. His hand reached for another, as he prepared his throw.

"Why?! Why can't I hit?!" he lamented, letting another shuriken fly completely astray.

"Sasuke, please…" Izumi's own voice trembled, "You're tired… of course you can't hit it."

"But Itachi could!" Sasuke retorted, raising his voice slightly, "and I can't! I need to… I need to train! You go eat!"

"I am telling you… you won't hit it! Sasuke, stop. You're only making it worse, seriously…"

"I… You don't get it! I need to… be strong… What if my family is still…"

"Sasuke. We talked about this yesterday, didn't we? They died. They wouldn't want you to hurt yourself like that."

"I don't care! I have to hit it! I am not going anywhere! You go!" Sasuke exploded, trembling with tears, as he struggled to even see the target clearly.

Izumi backed away slightly, her own small silhouette suddenly replacing Sasuke's at the training pole.

"Izumi, honey… You've been training for so long already. Why don't we go lie down? I could read you a fairy tale?"

"You don't get it Mom! I need to protect you because Daddy can't anymore! I am training to be the strongest!" little Izumi called out defiantly.

The real Izumi blinked, chasing away the unbidden memory.

"I get it…" she said softly, her voice slightly steadier, "Throw."

Without thinking, Sasuke threw the shuriken, watching with wide eyes as it flew towards its target, but fell too much to the right, losing balance.

Suddenly, Izumi put a hand into his pouch, taking one of his shuriken and threw it with a flick of her fingers.

Sasuke watched in disbelief, as her throwing star speeded past his own, grazing it slightly before falling to the ground. That small impact was enough, though.

The boy held his breath as the subtle force of the collision changed the trajectory just enough for Sasuke's shuriken to hit, lodging into the wood of the pole.

"How did you…?" Sasuke turned towards her, looking at Izumi for the first time.

"I'll explain. Tomorrow. Sasuke, I'm tired… Let's go eat and rest, please…"

"How did you do that?!" Sasuke demanded again, his little frame unyielding.

"I trained too. When I was about your age and up until now. Every single day. I thought… I thought if I got strong enough I could protect mom from anything… Well, I couldn't." she sobbed, catching her own breath, "So… let's go eat. This won't matter anyway."

"Show me."

"We're both very tired… I promise I'll show you later. Let's just call it a day, alright?" Izumi's voice rang with a note of desperation

"Izumi, please!" Sasuke's eyes shimmered with moisture, "I need to hit it! Just show me how!"

"Alright, you'll hit it, then what? This is useless, just stop… Let's rest and–"

"It's not useless! Itachi showed me this move because he wanted me to be strong!" Sasuke's tears exploded, as he accidentally dropped the shuriken from his hand, paying it no heed, "I… need to hit it! Why don't you get it?!"

Izumi sighed and ran a hand through her slightly unkempt hair. She felt a little tremble in her own hands, as she looked down at the desperate boy.

"I get it! I am asking you to stop because I get it! I know how it feels, okay?! You train until you pass out, just to not think about… About how much you miss them! Well, here's a little secret for you…"

Izumi reached again into Sasuke's pouch for a handful of shuriken and proceeded to throw them one by one, until all of them hit the targets on every pole there was.

"...It doesn't help! I can hit it with my eyes closed, but so what?! Did it help me save any of them?!"

Sasuke stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock

"It doesn't? But… What should I do?! Train my fireball? Until it's as big as Dad's!"

"Go have dinner. You're not hearing me."

"But! Itachi knew I could do it! That's why he showed it to me! And… I can't. I… let him down…"

"You're letting him down by being a stubborn and reckless little kid! Have you ever seen Itachi..." her voice hitched at his name and she shook her head to drive it away, "... ignoring everything like you are?"

"You think… you think I failed him?" Sasuke's shoulders slumped as he barely kept himself standing straight.

"I know what he would have done." Izumi whispered firmly, "He would have dragged you out of here. And that's what I will do, if you don't listen to me."

"Itachi would… want me to rest?" Sasuke reached out carefully, an uncertain frown on his face.

"Yes, finally…" Izumi sighed, her own shoulders slumping, "Of course he would want you to be smart enough to know when to stop and… take a step back. Are you?"

Sasuke paused for a moment, clearly thinking it through.

"If that's what Itachi'd want…" he muttered with a slight nod, "Did you know him well? Are you sure that's what he'd say?"

"Alright…" Sasuke said, eyes downcast, "I'll go."

With that the boy allowed himself to be led out of the training grounds by the waiting ANBU.

VvV

(with Izumi; Training Grounds)

As Sasuke's footsteps faded into the distance, Izumi allowed herself to slide down against the target pole they used.

She didn't move a muscle, simply taking in the young grass, the aroma of blossoming trees as a backdrop for her exhaustion.

"He needs you, you know, not me," she whispered to the sky, "I am sorry I couldn't help you, but… Was there no other way? Only bloodshed? And here I am babysitting your brother and telling him how smart you were! But were you? What can I even tell Sasuke about you? That you loved him?! That you were strong?! Should he even look up to you? Oh, what would Itachi want? What would he do?! Try to kill everyone, that's what!"

"Or maybe we were all stupid... We could have proven we were innocent... We could have at least tried to! Maybe the village would have seen we only wanted to help! But no! How about pride? The Uchiha don't bow! Fine! Now that you're all dead, you won't ever bow! But, Itachi... I thought you were better..."

A glimpse of Itachi at her doorstep, the darkness swirling around him, the glint of his blade, pointed at her own mother. All of it had flooded back.

With a deathly whistle Izumi's kunai flew through the air, embedding itself into the target with a resounding thump, followed by Izumi's heaving breaths echoing in her ears.

"I can't even hate you right! Why the hell did you save my life?!"

"Did Madara blackmail you into massacring your own clan? Or did you want it yourself?! Too proud to ask for help! Of course you would know better! Of course your father wouldn't get it, he isn't a fucking 13-year-old ANBU prodigy! You know what?! You're just like them! Arrogant and stupid! So why... Why the hell can't I hate you?"

"Hey." a soft voice interrupted her, as another ANBU materialized behind her back, "I am sorry, but dinner. Don't forget you need to rest too. Besides, I still need to escort you."

"How long have you been here?!" Izumi spun around, her tears still flowing, as her crimson eyes bore into the unbidden eavesdropper.

"The entire time." The ANBU shrugged, "I can't leave you alone. Lord Hokage's orders."

A hint of recognition crossed Izumi's face, as she noticed one of his eyes glowing crimson as well.

"It's… you." she said pointedly, "You didn't let Madara kill me. Why?"

"My friend once said that those who abandoned their comrades were worse than trash." he said in a calm and measured tone.

"Maybe…" Izumi jerked back from him, "maybe I didn't want to live…"

"I know. It never really passes. Let's go? Your dinner will get cold."

"Dinner? How can you even put it into the same sentence?" Izumi asked, pulling her kunai out of the wood with a grunt of effort. She brushed its surface with her fingers, feeling the sharp deep gash, left by its blade.

"Well," the ANBU shrugged, "No matter what you want, life goes on and you go along with it. Let's go."

"But it hurts." Izumi retorted, crouching down to pick up her Go set from the ground. She looked straight into his eyes, "Does it get better?"

"Not really." he answered, turning to lead the way, "It fades into the background, so you can do things. But it's always there. You do learn to live with it though"

"I don't want to." Izumi sighed, falling into step behind him, "If only I could turn everything back… I would take Mom and leave as soon as I found out about that coup! I thought there was no way… No way they wouldn't talk it through! No way something bad would really happen."

"Try not to think like that. It leads nowhere, trust me."

VvV

(with Izumi, Naruto and Sasuke; Dining Room)

Izumi took a seat near Sasuke, barely making a sound. The Hokage and Jiraiya have already left and now it was only the three children left.

She looked over to Sasuke, who was silently stirring his food without eating it.

"Hey. No, no, you can't do that. You need to eat, come on."

Sasuke looked back at her for a brief second

"You aren't eating too." he pouted, "and I am not hungry anyway…"

"Yeah…" Izumi admitted with a sigh, resting her head on her arms, "You got me…"

"Hey, guys… You can't just give up, y'know!" Naruto perked up, "our bodies need to eat… ugh… to be healthy and stuff! Believe it!"

"Shut up, loser." Sasuke fixed Naruto with a tired, but sharp look, "whoever asked you…"

"Wha–? I was just trying to help! Why are you like that?!" Naruto's temper didn't take long to ignite, "You don't eat and you die, idiot!"

Izumi only shook her head slightly, silently picking up the chopsticks to place a little chunk of meat into her mouth.

"Thank you." she looked at Naruto, "I am trying, okay?"

It was like chewing on a piece of week-old rubber, but Izumi practically forced herself to swallow.

"See? See?" Naruto gestured at Izumi, "Is it so hard to be nice for once?!"

Sasuke just got up, without bothering to even look at Naruto this time.

"I'll be in my room." he whispered to Izumi and made to leave, but found her hand on his shoulder.

"Wait up. Don't be so stubborn, please."

Sasuke sniffled quietly, as Izumi felt his shoulders tense up and just walked away, leaving Izumi behind. Naruto's gaze lingered slightly on her still outstretched hand.

As Izumi and Naruto were left alone, the conversation slowly fizzled out. The girl pushed her plate slightly away, but wasn't leaving either, just returning to her sprawled posture.

"Hey," Naruto eventually perked up, "What's that?"

He gestured at the wooden box Izumi just absently put down near her.

The girl didn't react and Naruto too turned away, burying his head in his arms to match her posture, his eyes never leaving her.

"It's just a little thing I bought today." Izumi's whisper startled Naruto, but the boy immediately bounced back.

"Wow! What kinda thing? So interesting!"

"Shh. An old thing. If you behave, I'll maybe show you someday. But only if you promise to stay quiet."

"I promise! Believe it! Can't I just see it now? Please!"

Naruto fidgeted at the edge of his chair, the glint of curiosity glowing ever stronger in his eyes.

"Sorry." Izumi said quietly, already getting up to leave, "I am tired, I'll probably just go to sleep."

Naruto's enthusiastic demeanor faded somewhat, as he sat back down.

"Okay. Night, Izumi. If you have any nightmares, I could maybe… help you fall asleep? You just call me, okay?"

"Goodnight." Izumi made to walk out of the room, but turned around to give Naruto one last look over her shoulder, "I really hope you find out about your parents. It's… important to know your family…"

The door silently came to a close.

Author's Notes

Lilthug: Sure. Izumi's feelings towards Itachi are definitely not clear cut. She kind of equal parts hates, admires and misses him / feels guilty for not saving him. Since Itachi's still alive, we might see the two of them work through it all someday, maybe. Izumi will decide, though, so no promises here yet.

Al-Rex01: Thank you for the kind words! I do remember you! Saw you posted a couple of new chapters, but didn't have time to read through them just yet, but I'll come back. Thanks for your feedback on my story! Best of luck in your own writing!

HalfBloodPrince: Thanks for the motivation boost, man! (:D)

This one took a little longer to write. Finished it a while ago, but something still felt slightly off, so I took my time. Changing jobs was a little taxing on my mental health, that also made it a little worse, but I am sorry for the delay! Now, I am feeling a little better!

Please, let me know what you think about this new chapter! Love all your comments and the love you give to my short story!

Peace to everyone.