Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 33: Strike Three

It was hot early evening. The air was humid. The dampness of his face was a testament to it. He sighed with satisfaction as set down his green and brown teacup on the counter. There was nothing quite like a hot beverage on a hot day. His pre-dinner snack had been just what he needed. He counted the coins and placed them on the counter next to his cup and empty skewers that still had some sticky Dango residue.

He had less than a productive day. His research was not coming along as well as he had hoped. He had hit a roadblock of sorts on how to proceed. He had an ending in mind and usually, that was a good enough place to start. But not this time. He had the ending and he had parts of the middle but he was having difficulty deciding where to begin and how to connect everything. He was facing a writer's most dreaded advisory: writer's block.

Jiraiya turned on the stool he was sitting on. He rested his elbows on the wooden surface of the shop counter. He was the only one in the stall. The owner would not mind. He stretched out his legs and peered at the mass of faces milling about their day.

People-watching was one of his many hobbies. He never knew how or when inspiration would strike. The character archetypes that had used his first three books in his most popular series were starting to feel tired and repetitive. He wanted - no he needed - something new. The overbearing, strong, rash, loud woman falling for a soft-spoken, level-headed man was just not cutting it this time. He needed something fresh.

He stretched his facial muscles as he continued to watch the unassuming and frankly unimpressive people. He was bored. Bored of Konoha. Bored of his day-to-day life. Bored of being stuck in one place both literally and figuratively. It was preposterous given the fact he knew there was something brewing just underneath the surface, that a traitor was walking free among them.

The trial had gone cold. There was not any new information to uncover. There was nothing to act on. They had to wait. He had to wait. Hence his boredom.

His dark eyes scanned the rooftops of the buildings lining the village center out of habit. Realistically, he did not expect the enemy to show up and announce their intentions loudly. But he could daydream as well as the next guy. He was nothing if not an optimist. His black irises lazily came back down to the street. His white brows shot up in mild surprise.

He watched them. They were walking with a respectable distance between them. There was nothing on the surface that should have captured his interest. But he was well versed in reading underneath the underneath. There was something very different about them.

They were both at ease. The raven-haired woman has her hands clasped behind her back and her head tilted ever-so-slightly towards the sky. He could make out the barely-there smile on her face from where he sat. There was an air of contentment to her. Her companion has his hands shoved into his pocket and his face straight forward. Neither were talking. But their body language said enough. The fact they were even together when there was no clear reason for them to be, spoke volumes.

Jiraiya felt around for his notebook on the counter, not wanting to miss a second of the events unfolding in front of him. He pulled it towards him. He began to scribble furiously. There was something about them that kept him intrigued. The ideas were coming to mind faster than his fingers could keep up. A large grin broke out across his face. This was a goldmine. He had his new character archetypes. His next book would practically write itself, he was past the mental hurdle.

He rose to his feet. He followed after the couple, taking great precautions to be discrete and undetectable as he observed them. His pen did not stop moving. Not until Kakashi and Shizune had parted ways at Shizune's doorstep.

"You can come out now," Kakashi did not bother to turn around before addressing him.

Jiraiya shoved his notebook into his shirt pocket before doing just as Kakashi had stated.

"I was wondering why the goodbye was so bland." Jiraiya's grin could only be described as lecherous.

Kakashi let out a small sigh before facing him. The expression on his face was not impressed at the slightest to see the Sannin.

Walking Shizune home was the only time he saw her lately and he could not even do that every day. He had not seen her since the hearing and that was days ago. He was not going to let the Sannin ruin it for him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly.

"You knew I was following you, as expected from the top ANBU Konoha has to offer." Jiraiya crossed his arms and nodded his head in approval. "It's always the quiet ones." His grin was now from ear to ear.

"Jiraiya-sama," he said his name slowly, buying himself more time to measure out his words. "I don't have much time. Was there something you needed?"

"Not here," Jiraiya's expression turned serious. "Follow me," he vanished.

Kakashi closed his eyes and focused on Jiraiya's signature. He teleported himself to the spot. Jiraiya was sitting on a large driftwood log at the edge of the lake. It was empty despite it being a hot day. The time of day might be guilty of why.

"Any updates?" Jiraiya asked him almost gruffly. His gaze was focused on something on the horizon.

"No," Kakashi said with a sigh.

"And Bat?"

"Still the same," the Hatake rubbed the back of his neck. "Salamander and Crane can be trusted."

"Do they know?"

"No, they don't know who they are guarding. They aren't the type to ask questions either." They were loyal just like Bat had been. The perfect soldiers. He ran his hand through his hair. "The only people in and out of the room are Tsunade-sama, Sakura-sensei, and me."

Jiraiya nodded his head. "How is she?"

"Sensei is sensei," he answered noncommittally. While it was not a difficult question to ask, it was very difficult to answer.

"So a pain in the ass then?" Jiraiya asked with a scoff. He crossed his arms.

Kakashi said nothing to either confirm or deny.

Jiraiya looked up at the sky. "How's Minato doing?"

Kakashi looked out into the lake with a thousand-yard stare. His hands found his pockets again. "Stressed," he said after some time. "He's not really himself these days."

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya's lip was downturned in preparation.

"He's distant, guarded around Sakura-sensei. It's almost like Minato-sensei is going out of his way to avoid Sakura-sensei." Kakashi put into words for the first time what he was observing. They cohabited the space but they never seemed to be alone together.

"He has a lot to deal with right now." Jiraiya turned back to the lake. His mind was working through what he just learned. It seemed his talk had not gone over as well as he had thought. He was beginning to think Minato had an even thicker skull than he did.

"That's what I think too," Kakashi did not acknowledge the knot in his stomach. "I need to find out who did this. Who is doing this."

Jiraiya nodded his head. "We'll find them." He said firmly. "How confident are you that no one can go into Bat's room without being discovered?"

Kakashi regarded the question for a minute. "If you had asked me six months ago I would have said one hundred percent. Now I just don't know anymore."

Jiraiya bowed his head forward and closed his eyes. "The ANBU had no intention of killing Bat. killing Bat would have been easier. They chose to keep him alive."

"Why?" Kakashi asked the question that neither of them had the answer to.

"Maybe the ANBU has a connection to Bat. Maybe it's their guilt that prevented them from ending him. Or maybe they just like toying with us, reminding us that they are three steps ahead." Jiraiya thought out loud.

"Or maybe it's something else." Kakashi supplied the alternative.

"Or maybe it's something else." Jiraiya sighed.

Kakashi eyed him with a sinking stomach. It was instantaneous, the shift in the body language of the Sannin. His dark eyes were sparkling with glee.

"Have you read my third Icha Icha book, Kakashi?" Jiraiya asked him with practically wiggling eyebrows.

"No," Kakashi answered flatly, hoping to nip whatever this was in the bud.

"You should. It's some of my best work yet." Jiraiya was not discouraged at all by Kakashi's attitude.

"With all due respect Jiraiya-sama, no thank you." Kakashi turned his head to the side to look back in the direction of the village.

"Getting a girlfriend is the easy part. Keeping her is where the real work is. Pay special attention to chapter seven, starting from page 113. There's a move in there that is all but guaranteed to make her stick around. If you know what I mean." Jiraiya winked at him.

Kakashi felt the tips of his ears burn. He kept his mouth shut in hopes it would end this conversation sooner and quite frankly, he really did not know what to say.

"My research is impeccable, Kakashi. It's unmatched. Trust me on this." Jiraiya said sagely. "You're Minato's student which makes you indirectly linked to me. Don't be a selfish lover. It will impact my reputation negatively." Jiraiya's face became reflective. "It seems like you side with Minato over me." Jiraiya grinned at him. Kakashi's stomach dropped to his toes. "You're an ass over boobs man."

Kakashi felt his soul leave his body.

She practically had to drag herself out of bed. Even with the extra thirty minutes of sleep, she was groggy and exhausted. Sakura padded over to the vanity. She looked at her face in the mirror like she did every morning only this time she paused to take her reflection in rather than to reach for her toothbrush that rested in the medicine cabinet.

It was not the dark bags under her eyes that caught her attention. It was the seals on her forehead. She did not remember them being translucent. The green was not as vibrant as they once were. Her pink eyebrows scrunched together as she turned her head to see the seals from a different angle. She narrowed her eyes. From this vantage point, the seals looked how they always did.

Sakura yawned loudly. She stared at her reflection.

"What was I doing again?" She asked herself in confusion. Deciding to go back to sleep for the extra thirty minutes was a mistake. She was incredibly disoriented.

"Right, teeth." She shook her head as she reached for her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth. By the time she was done getting dressed for the day the seals were the last thing on her foggy mind.

He stood there with his arms wrapped around his torso. His nose turned up at the prospect. His lip was curled slightly upward. It was the face of uncertainty. He watched as he dipped his toe in the cool water. He shook his head instantly.

"It's too cold!" He shivered for effect. He looked at him with big blue eyes.

He tugged off his shirt. He left it atop a pile of their other things. Towels, sunscreen, snacks, water. A change of clothes. She had set them off like they were going to be gone for days. He walked into the lake. He stopped when the water was at his hip.

"The water is fine, Naruto." He demonstrated.

Naruto shook his head. He was not so easily convinced.

"I already know how to swim!" He shouted out to him. Louder than strictly necessary. He dug his toes deeper into the sandy bank. His dark green swim trunks had orange frogs. Because there had to be orange and there had to be four-legged jumping amphibians.

"I don't remember teaching you." He said lightly. He briefly considered throwing him in. He could be out of the water and behind him before Naruto was the wiser. He ultimately thought against it. He did not need Naruto to be afraid of taking baths.

"I know how!" Naruto said stubbornly. He took turns alternating which arm he moved. "See?"

Minato blinked. It was pretty convincing. He had to admit that.

"If you know how, why don't you show me how it's done?" He challenged. Naruto was competitive. Maybe he could appeal to that side.

Naruto's face fell. "I don't know how," he admitted in defeat.

"That's okay. I'm going to teach you." He said in his best sensei voice.

"Where are my floaties? Mama said I would have my floaties." Naruto suddenly remembered that small detail.

"No floaties, Naruto," Minato said in a flat tone. "You don't need them."

Naruto's face said otherwise.

Minato held out his arms. "I won't let you drown." He vowed. "Try to be brave, Naruto."

"Okay." Naruto took a couple of tentative steps into the water. He gasped as the chill rose up. "Dada! It is cold." He whined.

"It gets warmer the longer you're inside," Minato led him deeper into the lake. Naruto stood on his tippy toes so that he could just touch the floor. He tilted his head back.

"You remember how to tread right?" Minato asked him.

"Am I doing it?" Naruto asked as he splashed wildly.

"You're close," Minato blocked the splashes from hitting him in the face with a hand. "Are your feet touching the floor?"

"Nuh-uh," Naruto responded too fast for it to not be suspicious.

Minato stood up at full height. "We need to go further." He coaxed him.

"I'm scared," Naruto said with panic flashing across his face.

"It will be okay. Grab on." Minato held out his arms. Naruto grabbed at his hands. He walked backward. "Okay, I'm going to put you on your stomach. Are you ready?"

"No!" Naruto looked petrified.

"I'll be holding on." He reassured him. He waited until the panic dialed back some before doing as he said he would. He kept a hand under Naruto's chest to keep him up. "Show me how the arms and legs go." He watched as Naruto flailed. "One at a time on the arms."

Naruto moved his left then his right. "Good," Minato commented. "Keep your legs together. And don't bend your knees as much." He watched as Naruto corrected his form. "Face in the water."

Naruto looked at him. "What?"

"Face in the water," Minato repeated with seriousness.

"I can't," Naruto insisted. "I need air."

Minato chuckled. "We all do, son. You can take a breath when your face isn't in the water. You turn your head like I showed you."

Naruto's face brightened as an idea came to him. "Can you show me again, Dada?"

Minato shook his head. "No more stalling Naruto."

"Why is Itachi-oniichan not here?" He asked innocently.

"He knows how to swim already," Minato answered.

"Oh," Naruto puffed out his cheeks. "Did you teach him too?" Naruto asked him hopefully.

"No. His dad probably taught him." He was not sure, maybe Itachi taught himself. He was a prodigy after all.

"Oh," Naruto said in disappointment. Minato ignored how it reminded him of Sakura.

"Face in water." He said again. "Take a deep breath."

Naruto inhaled loudly. He put his face in the water. He flailed his arms and kicked his legs. He lifted his whole face out of the water to breathe but they could work on it another day.

Minato let go of him. He watched him swing a few strokes by himself. He had to step in when Naruto panicked that he was no longer there when he came for air.

"Dada! You let go!" Naruto squawked in outrage. He wiped the water from his face. He clung to Minato.

"You did it!" Minato beamed at him. "You swam all by yourself!" He held out his outstretched hand.

"I swam!" Naruto slapped his palm. Naruto wore a matching grin. "Again!" He pushed off of Minato.

"Don't get cocky now." He said with a smile. He watched closely as Naruto swam a few yards. He really was getting the hang of it. "Don't overdo it, Naruto. You have a whole day ahead of you."

Naruto popped his head up from the water. "How do I turn?" He asked.

Minato chuckled. He swam up to him. He dove under the water. When he was directly underneath him he flipped so that his head was facing down. He sent a burst of chakra through his feet. It propelled Naruto straight up out of the water. He was shot up twenty feet in the air. He broke the surface of the water like a canon. He caught the delighted Naruto in midair.

They landed on the surface of the lake. Small waves rocked underfoot. They moved with them. Naruto stared with wide eyes. His face was flush with excitement.

"Cool!" He exclaimed. "Again!"

"Maybe next time, Naruto. I have to go to work soon." He could not help but feel a little guilty at being the reason why Naruto's face dimmed slightly.

"Again?" He asked incredulously.

"You like eating every day don't you?" He asked him with a teasing grin.

Naruto nodded grimly.

"Then I have to go to work every day," Minato explained. "But maybe if you wake up early enough again tomorrow we can come out here. How does that sound?"

"Yeah!" Naruto said enthusiastically. "Can we Hiraishin?" Naruto asked him with big eyes.

"I was thinking of something better. Climb on my back." Minato waited until he felt Naruto's arms around his neck and his knees around his sides. "You're holding on tight?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Naruto clenched for good measure.

"Alright. Here we go." He broke out into a full sprint across the water. It splashed loudly as it parted. Naruto's giggles filled the sky.

It had been one of those days again. She could have sworn she had just walked through the doors fifteen minutes ago. She blinked and four hours had already melted away. First, she had checked in on Ban. The antidote seemed to be working. There were very minute traces of the poison in his brain. It was a very promising sign. She kept dosing him a little by little every day so that he would build up an immunity to the poison in case it ever entered his body again. She had Tsunade's go-ahead to start him on the memory enhancement regime. The drug that she had developed was a blend of herbs and the lion's mane mushroom. She hoped that it would help bring back his brain function faster. They were still in the wait-and-see phase of things.

She had patched up more wounds than she cared to admit. Summer made people do stupid things. A boy had come in missing a finger because he got a little too close to a paper bomb. She was able to save it. He was saved from having a permanent reminder of the day. She had just finished rounds. She swung by her office and grabbed the last yogurt cup from the mini fridge she had in there. She was feeling social today so she decided to make her way to the cafeteria.

She spotted a trainee who could not have been more than fourteen with the biggest frown on her face. She was all by herself on the long brown cafeteria lunch table. Sakura came to sit down next to her.

"What's wrong Yuki-chan?" Sakura asked the girl with vibrant lime green hair and purple eyes.

"It's horrible Sakura-sensei!" She whined. "I was running late again this morning because I slept way too late last night. Not my fault, Miku-chan said to wait up because she wanted to stop by to talk. Only she never did, so rude. So anyway, I was in a rush to not be late again because the head nurse is such a hardass - don't tell her I said that - she starts docking pay if you're like five minutes late. So I didn't have time for breakfast. And in my rush, I left my lunch on the counter at home. It's probably all ruined by now so I can't even go back. And I haven't gotten paid yet so my wallet is empty." She lowered her forehead to the table. "I'm wasting away." She cried out pitifully.

Sakura rested her head in her palm. She tapped her yogurt on the table next to Yuki. The girl looked up at her much like a dog looked at food that did not belong to it.

"Have at it," Sakura said with a small smile.

"Really, sensei?!" She asked even as she opened up the plastic cap that contained the granola. "Are you sure?" She undid the aluminum seal.

"I'm sure." Sakura flashed her a grin. "Let me know if you're still hungry. We can go walk to the vending machines together." She tapped her fingers on the table as she watched Yuki mix the granola with the strawberry yogurt with a plastic spoon.

"You're the best Sakura-sensei!" She gushed loudly. She took a big bite. "It's so good." She smiled in contentment. "I'll definitely need something else too. Maybe potato chips? Salt and vinegar are kind of my thing right now. "

Sakura smiled as she shook her head. "Sure. Although you should try to eat something fresh too." She pushed up from her seat, her palms were flat on the table. She tried to see the fruit bowl that was right before the food line. "I think there's still some apples. I'm going to grab us a couple." She stepped over the seat that was attached to the table.

"Yeah! That would be so great, Sakura-sensei" Yuki said. She was halfway through her yogurt. "I don't have any allergies. I love all food." She said eagerly.

Sakura chuckled at the not-so-subtle hint. "Good to know, thanks."

"Can you bring some napkins too, please? I'm a messy eater." Yuki licked the yogurt off her fingers.

Sakura nodded. "I'll be right back." She spared the girl one sidelong glance before turning to walk across the cafeteria to the fruit bowl.

She picked out a couple of deep red apples. She looked at the offerings in the fridge. There were a lot of new options that she had not gotten around to trying. She pushed her lips to the side as her eyes darted between the peanut butter jelly sandwich and the egg salad sandwich.

"Decisions, decisions," she uttered to herself as she tapped her foot. "What looks good right now?" She spotted the turkey sandwich just to the right of the egg salad. "Stay focused," she chided herself. She did not need to add a third option to the mix.

"One of each," she finally decided. "Eggs can go with PB&J," she muttered to herself. "I'm a crazy person talking to herself," she grabbed one of each sandwich.

She put the apples and the sandwiches on the counter. "Just a second, Kanji-san," she held up a finger. Sakura walked back to where the fridges were. She grabbed two water bottles.

She doubled back to the pay station. She counted out the bills before the register rang up her total, and she put them in the plastic tray.

"Keep the change, Kanji-san." She smiled at the middle-aged man. He dipped his head in thanks.

Sakura gathered her purchases and slowly walked back to her seat. She set down the water, fruit, and sandwiches on the table.

"Sorry that it took so long, Yuki-chan. I couldn't decide between egg salad or peanut butter and jelly. So I got both. I figured you could take your pick. Or if you're feeling adventurous we can split both of them and have half of each." She looked over her shoulder at the teen. She was slumped forward. "Don't tell me you fell asleep already. I wasn't gone that long."

"Yuki-chan?" She asked with slightly more concern. She moved closer to the unresponsive girl.

Her gut told her something was wrong. She furrowed her brow.

"Yuki-chan!" She called out in alarm.

She grabbed Yuki's head which was resting in her arms. Her purple eyes stared at her lifelessly. There was foam around her mouth and on the table in front of her. Sakura looked at her body in horror.

She was dead.

Someone screamed. Others came to check on her and Yuki. She stood there with her mouth ajar as they checked for the girl's pulse. Her ears rang. It was as if she was seeing everything in slow motion. They moved Yuki. They lifted her to the top of the table. Yuki still had the spoon in her hand. Sakura watched as they tried CPR.

Yuki's dead eyes stared at Sakura as her body jolted with each attempt at revival. Sakura did not have enough presence of mind to tell them it was too late.

Yuki was dead.

She was being shaken. She did not care. She could not tear her eyes from the girl's motionless face. She tilted her head to the side. In all the couple of years of the girl being here, Sakura did not think she'd ever seen Yuki not talking or being expressive through her features. If the girl was conscious her lips were moving. That was just how she was.

Except now.

"Sakura," some called out to her.

"She was poisoned," Sakura muttered. Her pink brows were knitted together. "Someone poisoned, Yuki." She said in disbelief.

"She's in shock." It was Tsunade's voice.

"She was just talking." Sakura broke out the arms that were holding her shoulders. "Why are you touching her?" She asked with wild eyes. "Don't touch her!" She leaned over the girl. She shielded her with her body away from the hands and the arms.

The two men - hospital staff - held their arms up in surrender at the feral look on Sakura's face. They exchanged nervous glances. They took a couple of steps back.

"Sakura," Tsunade was grabbing her again. "Let them do their job." She said firmly, pulling the medic back by looping her arms under Sakura's armpits. Sakura felt herself being turned around.

Sakura looked at Tsunade.

"She's just a kid, Tsunade-sama. She's just a kid."

"Sakura, you need to calm down," Tsunade said in a harsh tone.

"She's just a kid. Why would anyone do that? She's just a kid. How can anyone do that to her?!" She tried to look past Tsunade. She needed to see Yuki. Someone needed to be with her. Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears.

"Am I going to have to sedate you?" Tsunade looked her dead in the eye.

"What?" She asked her, confused.

"Sakura drop the knife," Tsunade ordered her.

Sakura looked first at Tsunade then she looked at her hand. She was clutching the plastic knife that came with the spoon. She was clenching her fist so tight that she was bleeding onto the table.

"Oh," Sakura opened her palm flat.

"She's just a kid," she whispered. She watched as they took Yuki off the table and into a gurney. They covered her with a sheet. Something fell off the table. It rattled and rolled on the ground.

Her eyes widened.

"She was poisoned." Sakura looked at Tsunade with big eyes. "The sandwiches."

Tsunade looked over Sakura's shoulder at the unopened sandwiches that were on the table. They had been crushed.

"She was poisoned." Sakura rambled.

Tsunade nodded. "It was likely cyanide." She said in a grave voice.

"I took too long." Sakura looked at her with unfocused eyes. "The sandwiches," she repeated.

"There was nothing you could have done. Or anyone. It was instant." Tsunade gripped Sakura's shoulders firmly. "The sandwiches still have the wrappers on them."

Sakura shook her head. "No, not the sandwiches."

"Sakura, do you remember what today's date is?" Tsunade peered at her face closely.

"The yogurt," Sakura said hollowly. Tsunade was the only thing keeping her up.

Tsunade's frustration was visible now. She looked at the surface of the table. She did not find a yogurt container.

"The yogurt," Sakura repeated adamantly.

"It could have been. Do you know if she ate anything else?" She placated Sakura by pretending to understand, pretending to follow.

"No, Tsunade-sama. You don't understand." Sakura looked at Tsunade with blank eyes. "I killed her."

Tsunade furrowed her brow. That was the last straw. "You're not making any sense, Sakura."

"The yogurt," Sakura said numbly. "It was mine."

Tsunade's eyes widened. She let out a surprised sound as she caught Sakura who had fainted in her arms.

She sat there with her hands folded neatly in her lap as there was a knock on the door. She watched with disinterest as the Hokage stopped mid-word and rose when Wolf entered the room. She did not move or look back when they exchanged hushed voices. She could feel the frantic energy in the room. Homura was looking with piqued interest. The poor man had no idea what was to come.

She did turn when Minato addressed them.

"Sorry, Mitokado-sama and Utatane-sama. I need to go." He was barely keeping his voice together. She could tell that he was anxious. His calm mask was nowhere to be found.

She frowned slightly. It was not the level at which she was expecting. Maybe she has misjudged him. Maybe the next part of her plan would need to be pushed up sooner than she had anticipated.

"Everything alright?" She asked with the appropriate amount of curiosity.

"I'm sorry. I need to go, it's an emergency." His eyes were wild.

Homura frowned.

"Minato, what is wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice. Homura had a bleeding heart.

"It's Sakura." He said. His eyes darted to the outside of the door, desperately.

"Is she alright?" Koharu asked very well knowing the answer.

"She's fainted. I'm sorry." He barely dipped his head. Both he and the ANBU were gone without haste.

Homura looked at her. "That seems like an overreaction."

She stood up slowly. She kept her face in its familiar lines. She ignored Homura's assessment. She believed it was the opposite. It was an underreaction to an underwhelming situation.

She walked out into the hot sun. She opened her parasol. She walked calmly through the streets of her village.

The village that she loved so much. The village that she had sacrificed everything for. It had not been enough. She had failed her home today. She moved on autopilot for the ten-minute walk that was from the tower to her home. She closed her umbrella. She set it against the wall. She slipped out of her wooden sandals. She stepped onto the first step of her home. She stepped into her indoor sandals. They clinked against the dark wooden floors as she walked.

She moved until she was in her room. She closed the door. She walked to the large shadow display case that was affixed to the wall. It was in a dark cherry stain. It matched the furniture in the room. She looked at the rows of shelves, there were four, that were lined with numerous figurines, pottery, and carvings. She looked at the little bird that was carved out of wood. It was beautiful. It had flowered carved into its belly. They were painted carefully with white paint. It was given to her by her grandmother, she had made it herself with her own two hands.

She loved that little bird. Ever since she was a little girl. It was the only gift she had ever kept.

Her calm face twisted in a mask of outrage, frustration, and fury. The transformation was instantaneous. She ripped the shadow box from the wall. She screamed as it came into contact with the ground with a violent breaking of wood and glass. She sustained the pitch and volume of the sound long after the destruction of the shadow box was complete. Until her lungs burned for air. She could feel the hoarseness in her throat.

Koharu closed her eyes and gathered herself. Her movements were calm and deliberate as she smoothed her hair against her head. She straightened the collar and sleeves of her dress. She stepped over the broken glass carefully. She bent down to pick up the small wooden bird. She put it in the palm of her hand. She stared at it for a few seconds. She set it aside on her dresser. She walked into the closet and pulled out a broom with one hand and a dustpan in the other.

She quietly set about cleaning up the broken wood, glass, and ceramic mess.

She heard low voices talking somewhere behind her. She inhaled deeply. She was back home. She could smell Minato. She smiled. She opened her eyes. The horizontal world greeted her. She blinked. She was on the couch. That would explain why it smelled like him. She pushed up onto her elbows. The voices stopped talking immediately.

"How are you feeling?" He was instantly at her side. His concerned blue eyes looked at her.

"Minato," she smiled. "Thank Kami you're here. I had the weirdest dream." She frowned as she tried to remember it. It was coming in pieces. "Tsunade-sama was there. It was at the hospital…wait," she looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

She could see the unease in his eyes. He looked at something behind her. She turned.

"What is Wolf doing here?" She looked at the ANBU. He was missing his aloof stance. She turned back to Minato. "What are you doing here?" She repeated in a hoarse voice. "What am I doing here?" She should be at work.

"What do you remember?" He asked her gently. It was strange they had barely talked for a week. They were in a weird place. Why was he being so nice? So Minato-y? She licked her lips. They were dry.

"I remember being at the hospital," she closed her eyes. "I remember seeing Ban. I remember seeing patients. I talked to Mai. It was lunchtime. I grabbed my food from my office fridge -" she gasped. She stared at him with panicked eyes. "No," she said, so defeated. The look on his face said it all. "No. Don't tell me." She covered her mouth with her hands.

"Tsunade ran tests on the residue from the yogurt cup. It had a lethal amount of cyanide in it." He said tightly. "Someone tried to kill you."

"Yuki is dead," she said.

"It could have been you." He was too close to her. Her whole line of sight was just his face.

"It should have been me." She corrected his statement firmly. She was eerily calm.

"I'm not going to pretend that I'm not grateful it wasn't you." He responded evenly.

"She was a child, Minato." She stared at him coldly. "I killed her."

"She saved your life." He offered the other perspective. "The HVAC system, the bricks we are now operating under the assumption that they weren't accidents. That they were attempts on your life."

"I got a child killed today." Her jade eyes were flat.

"Sakura, someone is trying to kill you." His patience was beginning to wear thin. How many times would he need to say the words for her to get it? Why was it not sinking in?

"I got someone killed, Minato!" She clenched her fists. "I'm the reason why two parents are now childless." Her voice came close to breaking. "She was an only child. Their whole world is gone."

"You didn't know." He tried to reason with her. "It's not your fault."

"It is," she shook her head. "It is my fault." She made to get up.

"What are you doing?" He asked her. His tone froze her in place.

"I need to get to work." She looked at him confused.

"You're not going to work." He said firmly. "Not until we find the person behind this."

"No. That doesn't work for me." She crossed her arms, adamant.

"Sakura," he said her name out of pure frustration. He took a breath. "Someone is trying to kill you." He tried again.

"Someone's been trying to kill you for almost six months now. That hasn't stopped you from going to work every day." She pointed out with narrowed eyes. "And don't give me the-you're-vulnerable crap, I will lose it."

He ran a hand through his hair. He let the first and second thoughts that came into his head go by without verbalizing them.

"What am I supposed to do here, Sakura?" He asked her rhetorically. "Am I supposed to just let you go get yourself killed? What about me? What about Naruto?" He asked her in a barely held-together tone.

"Don't you dare," She warned. "I could ask you the same exact thing Minato."

He clenched his jaw. He counted to five slowly in his head. She was not going to budge. Her heels were firmly dug in.

"You get an ANBU."

"Fine." She uncrossed her arms.

"Can you at least take the rest of the day off?" He asked her.

"Okay," she said. He was being reasonable. "Where is Naruto?" She asked him.

"He's safe. He's at the tower. I think I'll keep him with me for the rest of the workday."

"Okay," she said again. She could be reasonable too when the occasion called for it. "I need your approval for Yuki's package for her family. A year of pay plus funeral costs."

He nodded. "You have it."

"I need to notify her parents." Sakura's voice broke towards the end.

"I can do that for you." He said gently. His cobalt eyes watched her closely.

She shook her head. "No. I need to be the one to do that."

"Sakura, it is not your fault." He sighed. "Can Tsunade-sama do it? Would that be okay?"

She nodded numbly. She would talk to them later. When she had the words. When she had the courage to face them.

"Will you stay put?" He asked her with a nearly pleading tone.

"I will." She relented. "But I go back to work tomorrow." She said firmly.

"Okay." He rose up onto his feet. He looked at Wolf. "I need to head back now."

"Okay." She looked at her hands. She waited for the door to open and close before she got up. She walked over to the kitchen. Her limbs felt as heavy as lead. She filled a glass with water from the tap. She downed it in one go. She put the glass in the sink. She nearly ran into Wolf when she turned around.

She let out a sound of surprise when she felt herself being at the receiving end of a hug. He said nothing. He just clung to her tightly, desperately. She patted him on the back.

"I'm sorry, sensei." His voice came out muffled and shaky. He was hurt. He had lashed out.

"It's okay, Kakashi." Her hand moved to cup the back of his head. "We're okay. I'm not mad." She assured him. "I'm sorry too. For all of it."

His breathing was starting to become normal again.

"I'm okay Kakashi, honest." She said softly. The mask was on the table.

He pulled back. There were tears that he was stubbornly holding back. She pretended not to notice.

"Is the food in the fridge safe?"

He nodded. "We threw out all the food in the house and your office. Minato-sensei did a quick grocery run."

"How long was I out for?" She asked in genuine surprise.

"Not long. He moved fast." Kakashi leaned back against the counter. He watched as she grabbed food from the fridge.

Sakura was not hungry, not anymore. But she knew Kakashi would be. She washed the vegetables and cubed the chicken. She threw the onion into the pan. The whole space was filled with the aromas generated by her cooking.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," she apologized again. She noted that the cut on her hand had healed. She supposed she now had another reason to thank Tsunade.

"We're okay, sensei." He said airily. "I'm sorry for not believing you." He lowered his gaze to the mask, his mask.

"It's okay, Kakashi." She sighed. "It was a pretty crazy theory. I'll admit." She filled the rice cooker and turned it on. She stirred the chicken and onions in the pan.

"I should have believed you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And I'm sorry about the girl, Yuki?"

Sakura nodded. "Thank you. Her poor parents. I can't imagine." Yuki was yet another mistake that she would have to live with. Another dead body was now attributed to her.

He closed his eyes. He pushed back memories of his own childhood tragedy.

"You can't blame sensei for feeling relieved."

She shot him a dirty look over her shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Sakura loved being told what to do and how to feel. "I just meant that I feel the same. I'm not proud of it. Someone died. It's awful. She was young. It was not her time. I'm just really glad - really thankful - it wasn't you."

She sighed. It reminded her of her last conversation with Naruto. He had said something similar. She could not hold it against Minato or Kakashi for feeling the way they did when she let Naruto off for the same.

"I know." She added the bell peppers to the pan.

"He was scary. It was a good thing you were out. Sensei looked like he wanted blood." Kakashi rubbed his face tiredly. "I've never seen him like that before."

"Have you been getting enough sleep? You look a little skinny." Sakura said without looking back.

"I'm fine. We're all worrying about you right now." He reminded her not too subtly.

She smiled. It had been too long since she talked to Kakashi. He was in a chatting mood.

"So what's going on with you and Shizune?" She half-turned as she wiggled her eyebrows in a teasing manner.

"Nothing," he deadpanned. "I hope your food burns." He cursed her.

She grinned. "Aww don't be like that Kaka-kun. We just made up." She turned down the heat just in case the fire gods were listening. "She seems really happy. Extra peppy and smiley. Tsunade-sama thinks it is nauseating but I think it's kind of sweet."

His cheeks and the tips of his ears burned red. He regretted being the one to offer to watch her. Not that he would have been satisfied with anyone else.

"I like her. A lot." He offered simply. Hoping Sakura would grow bored.

"Yes. But do you love her?" Sakura asked him obnoxiously.

Kakashi paused to ponder it. "It is starting to look like it." He admitted for the first time.

"Oh shit." Sakura looked at him in surprise. She had been kidding. She had wanted to make him squirm a little more as retribution for all the times he teased her and Sasuke. She did not expect him to give in so easily.

"Ah!" She turned back to her chicken. "Kakashi, if this chicken burns I'm never forgiving you."

"Can you not say anything? She should probably hear it from me first. That is how that works right?" He asked her.

Sakura smiled. "Your secret is safe with me. Kami, I feel so old. You all are so grown up." She checked the timer on the rice. "Can you grab three plates, please? The biggest ones."

Kakashi walked over to the cabinet.

"Are your hands clean?" She asked him.

He sighed. He walked back to the sink and washed his hands. He dried them off before walking back over to the cabinet. He brought down three plates. He anticipated and went back for three glasses.

"Why three?"

"Itachi," she said simply. "He'll be back soon." Kakashi filled the water pitcher from the tap and put it on the center of the tabletop. He grabbed the utensils next.

He turned his head to the door. Someone was banging loud enough that five houses down could hear.

"Baka," he muttered under his breath. He opened the door to find a red-faced Obito.

The Uchiha pushed past him. "Sensei!" He pulled her into a bear hug. He nearly squeezed the life out of her. "I'm so glad you're not dead!"

"Obito," she wheezed. "Too tight."

"Sorry, sensei!" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, hey Kakashi." He finally acknowledged his former teammate.

Kakashi, being as slick as ever, held up a hand. "Wash up. Sit down." He instructed Obito so that Sakura did not have to.

He did so. He wiped his wet hands on his shirt. "What are we having?"

"Chicken." Sakura and Kakashi said in unison. "Bring your plates over."

"Sweet! I want extra chicken. Go easy on the rice, sensei. I'm trying to cut back on carbs." Obito was the first to approach her.

She rolled her eyes. "Carbohydrates are important too, you know. It's not all about protein!"

Obito made a face. "Can we skip the lecture?"

She whacked him on the head. "This is why Rin is my favorite." She scowled. She handed him his plate. She took the one from Kakashi. "Any requests?"

He shrugged. "Whatever is fine."

She loaded it fully. "What? You burn it off." She said dismissively in response to the look on his face. She was worried about him. He did look leaner than the last time she had seen him.

They both sat at the table. They tucked in. "I'm staying the night sensei," Obito announced as she came to sit in the chair across from Obito.

She rubbed her forehead. She traced the shape of her Yin Seal. "That's really not necessary, Obito. Besides, we don't have the space right now."

"I don't care. I'll sleep on the floor." He said in between shoveling spoonfuls into his mouth. "This is so good."

She made the right call in not eating. "You could sleep through a battle." She paused. "Didn't you actually sleep through the attack?" She asked him.

He paused. "I had too much to drink that night. It was one of the guys' birthday and well you know." He cleared his throat. "I won't sleep. I'll stay up. I'll make sure the bastard doesn't touch you." He looked around. "Where's Little Man?"

Sakura sighed. It took him long enough to notice Naruto's absence. "Minato took my baby away." She pouted dramatically. She ignored Kakashi's eye roll. "He's with Minato. I can't really keep him safe right now." She admitted sadly.

Kakashi and Obito exchanged looks without her noticing. Kakashi looked at her hunched frame.

"I'll be your personal guard. I'll keep an eye on you."

Sakura looked at him. "Who will watch Minato then?"

"Spider. She's more than capable." Kakashi assured her.

"Give me Spider. You stay with Minato." She said with authority.

Kakashi furrowed his brow in response. He was caught off guard by her demand. "Why?"

"It's nothing personal, Kakashi. It will just be easier. Naruto likes her more than he likes Wolf. If I want to spend time with Kushina and the girls. And to be honest I will rest easier if you're with Minato. Whoever is after him is really competent. He needs the best we have to keep him safe and that is you. If Spider is good enough for Minato, she's good enough for me."

Kakashi sighed. He knew that face all too well. "Ok," he gave in reluctantly. "We'll make the switch tomorrow." She nodded. "I'd feel better if Itachi also kept an eye on you."

She looked at him confused. Obito's spoon had stopped halfway to his mouth. "Itachi is a child, Kakashi." She said firmly.

"He is the same age as we were when we first met. We were tasked with blowing up bridges in a war." Obito pointed out.

"He's good enough to be an ANBU," Kakashi added offhandedly.

Sakura looked at him with a down-turned lip. They were ganging up on her.

"The blowing up bridge mission was a damn near disaster. We barely made it out of there alive. Itachi turned down ANBU. I am not going to make him play it for free." She looked at the two of them disappointed. "That's too much to put on anyone. Much less a teenage boy who is clearly working through something right now. Also, I'd appreciate it if we wrap up all talk of the attack and murder before he gets back."

They avoided her eyes. Obito pushed food around on his mostly finished plate. Kakashi was staring into his plate as if it had all the answers to life. She sighed. She felt bad for effectively killing the conversational mood.

"No Rin?" She asked Obito hoping the mention of the brunette would lift their spirits.

Obito shook his head. "She said she had a lot of work to do. She wanted to be here." Obito offered her a small smile.

Sakura frowned slightly. "I feel like we're excluding her." She knew how sidelined she felt with Naruto's and Sasuke's love-hate bromance. Obito and Kakashi had a less toxic version of the dynamic, albeit only slightly.

"She'll be fine," Obito said between bites. "She gets to see you the most. She basically has a monopoly on your time."

Sakura looked at him impressed. "Monopoly," she whistled. "I'm surprised you know that word."

"He even used it correctly," Kakashi said as he took a bite.

Obito scowled at them. The effect was ruined by the presence of rice right below the corner of his lip on the right side.

"I read!" He said in a clearly offended tone. "I don't like it when the two of you pick on me."

"Being tag-teamed is no fun, is it Obi-kun?" She asked him with a raised brow.

Obito's expression became broody. He got up. He began to fill his plate with seconds.

"Are you not going to eat, sensei?" He turned back to look at her.

She shook her head. "Not all that hungry."

Obito shrugged and turned back to the task. "I'm surprised Kushina is not here freaking out," Obito said.

"It would be redundant. You have that part covered." Kakashi shot at him.

Sakura sighed.

Obito's eyes narrowed. "I was just trying to say that maybe they are trying to keep this thing under wraps."

Sakura rubbed her forehead. "Someone died. It is hard to keep that quiet for long."

Kakashi nodded. He crossed his arms and leaned back.

"The details are murky at best. The cafeteria was not at capacity. Only a few actually saw the body." He softened his tone when he noticed Sakura flinch. "We probably have a few hours before the rumors spin out of control and the whole village knows."

"Could one you let her know I'm okay? I don't want her over here. Not until the person is caught. I can't risk her or the girls becoming collateral. Or any of them." She thought to her friends.

Obito nodded. "I will let her know." She smiled in thanks.

"Hokage-sama did say minimal visitors." Kakashi's eyes flickered to Obito.

The Uchiha bristled. "I'm not a visitor! I'm family." He said with an air of indignation.

Sakura patted the back of his hand to calm him down. "Of course you are Obito. You both are." She said firmly. They both were.

Obito's expression darkened. He looked at the eyes around him. "Do we think it's the same person? The one responsible for the attack?"

Sakura and Obito looked at Kakashi expectantly. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"No. It was too crude. The first two incidents were made to look like an accident. The poison used was basic. Anyone could get their hands on it."

Sakura nodded. "It's not the same person."

Kakashi shook his head. "It does not look like it."

"What? What are you saying?" Obito hated feeling like he was the last one in on something,

"He's saying that there's no connection between the person who has been targeting Minato and now this person targeting me. They are unrelated. Two different people want us both dead for different reasons." Sakura said in a low voice.

"And we don't know what either of those reasons are," Kakashi admitted tightly.

Obito swallowed audibly. "Is it bad that I was kind of hoping they were the same person?"

"No," Kakashi answered distractedly. "It would make things easier." His mind was thinking about the unthinkable if Naruto was next.

By the looks on Sakura's face, she was right there with him. All three heads turned when the doorknob rattled. It was Itachi. He looked at them all impassively. He stood there with his hand still on the metal sphere.

"Grab a chair, Itachi-kun. You're just in time." Sakura smiled warmly at him.

Obito settled into his chair. "Hey, Itachi," he greeted.

"Obito-san, Kakashi-san," Itachi greeted them with a nod of the head. He washed his hands and took the empty plate from the table and began to add food to it.

Sakura watched as he quietly pulled the chair and sat down. He looked at her.

"Thank you for the food." He said before he began to eat.

She looked between Kakashi and Obito. "I think Itachi is my new favorite," she announced.

Obito scoffed. "Itachi doesn't count. He's everyone's favorite."

Sakura smiled. "For good reason."

Itachi said nothing. He would let the teasing slide for now. She seemed to be in a good mood. It was nice to see her smiling again.

"I'm going to miss this," her sultry voice called out just loud enough for him to hear.

"Watching me do paperwork?" He asked her, only half paying attention to either of them. He needed to get through as much as he could before Shikaku and Naruto came back from the park. The blond had been getting restless.

"That and just talking." She admitted. "I'm surprised she asked for me."

"Maybe she finds you easier to talk to." He said as he turned the page. "Wolf is hardly forthcoming."

"Do you find me easy to talk to?" She asked him in a tone he had not heard before. She seemed almost uncertain.

He pondered the question. "Talking to you is easy. I just miss talking to Sakura this way. Everything is an opportunity for another argument or misunderstanding. We've both kept so much from the other. We can't stop fighting and hurting each other. Nothing is easy anymore with us." His tone was filled with melancholy.

"Have you tried to tell her that?" Spider said slowly.

"I wouldn't know where to start." Minato sighed. He had gone off on her. He had gone after her and she let him. She took everything that he said. Fairly or unfairly.

Spider looked over her shoulder. She could just make out a head of black hair along with blond headed back to the tower.

"I'm sorry." She said blankly.

"It's not your fault." He muttered in response. He smiled as the door opened. "Naruto," he greeted his son.

"Any word?" He asked with crossed arms and a serious tone.

The brunette shook his head.

"So far nothing. Out of the people I questioned no one saw anything. The first two incidents were a while ago so those were long shots from the beginning." His jaw clenched the moment he finished speaking.

Shikaku tugged at the goatee. "Nothing from the sensory ninja or the dogs either." He let out a long sigh. "Whoever this was knew how to disappear without a trace."

Masaki's expression became even more stony. "Or they know how to cover their tracks. They could still be in the village."

Minato turned around and stared at the village down below them from the vantage point of the top of Hokage Tower. He gripped the metal railing. Spider was downstairs in his office. Naruto was down for his nap.

Masaki cleared his throat. "How is she?" He asked almost hesitantly.

Shikaku's dark eyes darted from Masaki's face to Minato's back. The air was thick. It was awkward, to say the least.

"She's fine," Minato said in a neutral tone. His grip on the railing tightened. "Keep asking around Suzuki-san. Maybe someone saw something at some point."

Masaki nodded his head. "Right." He still had a handful of people who were in the cafeteria to question and a list of staff to get through. Anyone who had access to Sakura's office.

Minato turned around slowly. He leaned back against the railing. "Be gentle." He pinned Masaki with a look.

Masaki's lips twitched upwards. "It's my specialty."

Minato nodded. Masaki vanished. Minato's cobalt eyes met Shikaku's.

"We'll get them." The advisor stated.

Minato glared at the monument to his left, specifically at his own visage carved into the rock.

He covered his eyes with his arm. He could make out their breathing. It was steady. They were safe. He had added more seals and traps. No one was going to get into the house without him knowing. They had ANBU stationed outside. They were covered. They were being watched. They were not alone.

None of that brought him any solace. It had been bad enough when it was just him who was the target. Now she was being targeted. That was harder to stomach. That was harder to live with. He was not afraid of dying. He was not. He was terrified of her dying. Or he did not even want to think about the other thoughts that raced through his mind. He did not want to entertain it for fear that he would wish it into existence.

He felt Naruto wrapped around him. The kid was a Grade A clinger when he slept. There would be more dried drool on his arm when by the time morning rolled around. He did not care about any of that now. Individuals were trying to kill his parents. They were trying to shatter his whole world. He needed to be protected. His way of life needed to be preserved.

He was not scared of dying. He would readily lay down his life for them. He would not even need to think about it. If someone could guarantee no harm would come to them if he died today, he would make that deal in a heartbeat. But there were no such guarantees in life.

He could not fail. He could not be that version of himself that existed before. He would not let the people he cared about the most pay the price for his failure. He lowered his arm from his face. He looked at Naruto. He rested his hand on his head. His blond strands were soft under his calloused fingers.

Naruto babbled in his sleep. Sakura stirred instinctively, she turned in her sleep to face Naruto. The fingers of her hand twitched.

Minato stared at her hand. He was obsessed with them. It was the very pair of hands that healed, protected, and devastated. They were so versatile. They were so capable. They were so strong. It was like she said they were steady. They endured. They kept going.

The village would be fine without him. His family would be fine with him. As long as they had her. As long as her hands kept moving, his world would keep turning. He could not fail her. Not like he did before. He would not be that man. It was not an option. They had to stay alive. He was optional.

He breathed deeply even though it was near impossible. It felt like a hand was pressing firmly down on his chest with so much force that his lungs could not fully expand. He was being crushed from the outside in.

He tried to breathe through it.

He liked his routine. His day was structured. Every morning he woke up and made his bed. Went on a walk through the trees before having breakfast. The same breakfast: toast, eggs, and half a grapefruit. He had his coffee while he read the newspaper. It was simple, it was consistent. It was his routine. He needed it before he faced the unpredictability of the day. He counted on it for the days he was not out on a mission.

What he did not care for was unannounced, uninvited company breaking him from his structure. It simply was not done. It was sacred. But he was forced to deviate from it. He stared at the man with long brown hair and eyes so light that they were almost white.

Hiashi brought the cup to his lips. He looked at the liquid in the cup. He lowered it down to the coaster.

"I realize the timing of this is not the most ideal." He prefaced his statement. "Haruno Sakura is a problem, Aburame-san. For years she has gotten away with doing as she pleases. She involves herself where she is not wanted. The Hokage allows her to go unchecked. It is unacceptable." He finished with a frown.

Shibi stared at him from behind his dark glasses. His eyes drifted to a ladybug that was resting on the green leaf that was part of a leaf and branch arrangement on the table. He could not help but feel like all of this was unwanted, from his end anyway.

"There was an attempt on her life just yesterday, Hyuga-san." Shibi pointed out impassively.

Hiashi nodded slightly. "Hence my comment about the timing." He said flatly.

Shibi saw no emotion on his face. He supposed the same could be said about him. He did not think that Hiashi had anything to do with it. His dislike for her was not a secret. But Hiashi was a man of honor. He would not stoop so low to go after her physically. Politically it was a completely different beast.

"The last Clan Council meeting was a spectacle. One that I did not appreciate. The hearing did not help my overall sentiment." He admitted in an even tone.

"I am here to ask if I have your support in the future if an opportunity arises to oppose the Hokage," Hiashi said boldly.

Shibi blinked behind his glasses. He lowered his chin. The bottom half of his face became obscured by the collar of his shirt. The ladybug had taken off in a flurry. The sudden heaviness in the air must have spooked it off.

"Just think about it," Hiashi added after some time. The man was as impassive as he. He had no idea how he was leaning. It was risky to come here but needed to press while everything was still fresh.

The Uchiha were unhappy. He saw it at the hearing. Fugaku did not complain when the sentence was read but that was just who Fugaku was. He did not complain. He was a good soldier but he had seen something in his eyes. He was conflicted. It was promising.

"You do not have enough votes. "Shibi pointed out the obvious.

Hiashi nodded. "Do not worry about that. I am a patient man, Aburame-san. I will wait." He sighed. He waited nearly a decade to get one, just one more clan to see things from his perspective. Now he potentially had two. "Haruno-san can't help herself. She will make more enemies within the clans. They are her allies now but they will turn on her when they realize the truth."

"What truth?" Shibi asked in a guarded tone. He was curious.

"Haruno-san only has loyalties to herself. The Hokages have been cleaning up the messes she leaves behind. A day will come when he stops. And I'll be ready." He said with certainty.

Shibi watched him take a sip of his tea nonchalantly as if he did not just share his intentions of trying to vote out a sitting Hokage. He certainly was motivated enough and it appeared as if circumstances were building to move him closer to his goal.

From where he sat it would only take something truly catastrophic for the other clans that had close ties with the Hokage to stand against him. It would take a failure of a monumental level for them to question if Minato was truly good for Konoha. A swarm of bees buzzed in his stomach.