Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 2: Below the Surface

The sunbeams hit him squarely on the back. He felt the heat on his head, neck, and shoulders. It was a beautiful day; picturesque in its beauty. It was the beginning of spring and the foliage of Konoha seemed determined to outdo itself from last year. The cherry blossoms would be blooming in a couple of weeks. It would be peak viewing season for them. The wind was still cool. The humidity was not a major factor yet. The birds were singing in the trees. It was days like this he wanted nothing more than to be underneath the shade of a hundred-year-old tree enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of home with his family. His heart longed for it but this was his penance.

He had become soft. He almost took it all for granted. Peace was a very fragile thing. It was reliant on vigilance and security. He had wavered. Perhaps he had relied too much on the fact that the Gods had been on their side. They had a literal prophet walking among them that seemed to know when something bad was going to happen before it was even an idea, a threat. Maybe he had become used to the notion that they would be bailed out by what Sakura knew from the world she came from.

He had been foolish. The world changed. Her world was gone. She no longer had a map or template. And he should have realized long ago that it was not her job to avert every catastrophe. She had done enough, more than enough. She had saved the village on more than one occasion. She had saved his life more than once. She had done her part.

The couple hours of sleep that he had managed provided him with clarity. Protecting Konoha, her people, her way of life, and her will was his responsibility. It was what he chose. It was what he signed up for. And he had nearly failed. He was still failing. It was his responsibility and his alone. It was something that he could and would do for her.

The stifling silence in the room was broken by the opening and closing of the door. He slightly dipped his head in greeting the last of the arrivals, Inoichi. The Yamanaka came to stand next to Choza, Fugaku was on his other side. The trio looked at him expectantly. Minato glanced at Shikaku. The raven-haired Nara touched the door, activating the seal. What would now be said in this room would stay in the room. The man took his position near Inoichi.

He took a breath. He gathered and organized the swarm of thoughts buzzing in his head. There was a still. He felt more calm than the situation called for but panic would not solve anything. Level heads were what he needed. And what they needed was for him to lead by example. He would not waste any more time than what was already lost.

"Jiraiya-sama is on a mission to find out more about the attackers. He has suspicions that they are or were from Yukigakure. Based on the jutsu they utilized and their accents. I will share any pertinent updates as they arrive." His demeanor betrayed no additional information. Their grim faces implored him to continue.

"With Jiraiya-sama handling that, it is our responsibility to focus internally." Minato paused. What he was about to say next was not easy for him. It would be even harder to hear. "We have to proceed with the assumption that the shinobi that attacked the village had help. An individual or unknown number of individuals from our end."

All but Shikaku stiffened. They were visibly shocked.

Fugaku's frown deepened. He struggled to keep his voice in check. "That is quite the accusation to make based on what little we know at this point."

"It is not an accusation. It is a theory and it is the only one we have at the moment. They attacked right when the Barrier Team was switching guards. They orchestrated the attack in close proximity to when the ambassador to the Land of Iron is set to arrive. They got past the various alarms and traps they should have encountered through the Land of Fire. They knew how to move, when to move, and where to move. They could have gotten lucky for one or even two of those facts but all managing three make it highly unlikely."

His words sat heavy in the air. He could practically see the gears turning in their heads. The way their minds began to unfold the news in their unique perspectives.

"I can assure you that the Uchiha have no involvement in this." Fugaku broke the uneasy silence. He was not one to wait for others to float the notion. He would be damned if the Uchiha were dragged into this based on history alone. He knew how some still felt about them. When anything went wrong the fingers were quick to point at the 'usual suspects'.

Inoichi snorted. "A little heavy with the protesting there, don't you think?"

Choza took a strategic half-step back. He was not going to be the recipient of anything thrown either way. Inoichi was a professional instigator and Fugaku had a short fuse with regards to this particular subject matter.

"If you have something to say, Yamanaka, say it outright." The Uchiha's eyes narrowed and his voice lowered an octave. He remained rooted in his spot, however.

Inoichi turned so that he was facing the Uchiha. "You, Uchiha, carry on like you're better than the rest of us. You only think about yourselves. You trust no one, you help no one. So it should not come as any surprise when people are suspicious. No one likes armed thugs."

Choza and Shikaku exchanged glances. Choza was disappointed that he did not have a bag of chips on him. Shikaku looked just about ready to mentally check out of the conversation.

"A Yamanaka talking about trust. That's rich. It makes as much sense as having a fox guard the henhouse." Fugaku spat out.

"That's enough." The low voice caught their collective attention. The expression on Minato's face promised that they would not like it if he got up from his chair. "Now if you're done. I'd like to proceed."

"I'm done if he's done." Inoichi crossed his arms.

The Uchiha merely let out a grunt.

"If Hokage-sama suspected any of the clans we represent, we would not be in this room," Shikaku desperately attempted to get them back on the right track. Fugaku gave Shikaku a measured look as he contemplated what he said.

"Does that mean there are potential concerns for those clans that are not represented here?" Choza was the one to ask the next obvious question on everyone's mind.

Minato shook his head. "No. There are no concerns at this time that there was any clan involvement. While the attack was coordinated enough there is simply not enough evidence to make that conclusion." There had to be other signs if that was the case. "I want to keep the circle as small as possible for as long as we can."

"Why is the Hyuga that fought alongside us not present?" Fugaku asked.

"While my trust in the Hyuga clan has not been impacted by the recent events, there is history with the clan. They are not, let's just say, as supportive or forthcoming as they could be." He punctuated his remarks with a small sigh.

"The not-so-caged-bird seal." Inoichi retorted.

Minato nodded. "Hiashi is not my biggest supporter because of how I handled that. And now this potential leak would only weaken his opinion of how I go about things."

"If you wanted to keep the circle small, why are Inoichi and I here? We weren't at or anywhere near ground zero." Choza expertly navigated away from what seemed like another touchy topic before anyone else decided to test Minato.

"Inoichi would have been involved sooner or later in the process. Once we have a suspect in custody a mind walk would be necessary to gather the depth of the breach." Minato's tone made it clear he was not happy about it.

"Standard procedure." Inoichi punctuated with a whistle.

"You work well with Shikaku and Inoichi. Your teamwork could be invaluable here. And you have a face that people trust." A wry smile formed on Minato's face.

Choza was agreeable and well-liked by all. He was also not born yesterday. He knew that Minato knew there were no secrets amongst the Ino-Shika-Cho trio especially when at least two of the members knew something the other did not. He was skipping ahead. Sparing Shikaku or Inoichi from having to go through the effort to retell everything. He was hearing it straight from his mouth.

"And besides you all have first-hand experience of fighting someone who was after the bijuu." He added almost as an afterthought.

The air deflated from the room. Four pairs of eyes widened.

"The Akatsuki?" Shikaku managed to work out the words. The hair on his neck stood on end. This just went from bad to a whole lot worse.

"Too soon to say anything. It's one of Jiraiya-sama's theories. We won't know more until he knows more. But we cannot rule anything out. Madara had a lot of sympathizers. The Akatsuki has even more so. Many idolize their mission. They see riding the world of the tail beasts as the ultimate equalizer for the shinobi world. Capturing the beasts and sealing them away for good makes a lot of sense to some people."

"It would certainly level the playing field for the Five Nations." Inoichi absentmindedly mused.

"Have there been rumors? Signs? Anything?" Fugaku cleared his throat before asking. The memories associated with the black cloaks with red clouds were painful ones. He had nearly died. He thought he would never see his family again. If he never heard the name Akatsuki again it would still be too soon.

"No, not that we know of." Minato clenched his jaw. He should have sent Jiraiya out more frequently. There was so much they did not know. He was fairly confident that they were still dead and gone. The Kazekage would have reached out if he heard anything. But they could not be too careful. It was better to verify than to hope.

"What do you need from us?" It was Choza who asked the question.

"Stay ready. Stay close. Shikaku and I will devise a more concrete plan of action. How to gather information from the various divisions without raising suspicions. The plan is to start with ANBU first. Maybe we have not completely rid ourselves of Danzo loyalists like we previously thought. As of right now do not breathe a word of this to anyone. Try to keep the interactions of the four of you to a minimum. We do not want to raise any suspicions."

They nodded. Now the full picture hit them. It was not out of the ordinary to see Ino-Shika-Cho together. In fact, the opposite was true. So the three of them working together would not be difficult at all to do. The Uchiha worked best alone. And he could continue to do that. When he handed in his bi-monthly police report to the Hokage none would be the wiser that additional information would be discussed.

"And if that leads nowhere?" Inoichi asked in a measured tone.

Minato's blank mask faltered for a second as a grimace contorted his features. "Let's hope it does not come to that. That's all for now."

They nodded again. They all knew what it meant. If they did not find the traitor in ANBU or the other various governmental agencies that meant taking everything one step further. Spying on individuals, spying on clan members. Actions that could not easily be walked back. Trust that they may not get back. The trio shuffled out of the room quietly.

Shikaku waited for the door to click behind him before he spoke in a low tone. "What should we do about the ambassador for the Land of Iron?"

Minato leaned forward on his elbows. He cracked his knuckles. "Nothing. He is already en route. We proceed just as if nothing happened."

"Is it really the best course of action to have a high-rank official mulling around the village while we try to sort things out?" Shikaku asked as he tugged on his goatee.

"Probably not. But the potential for this trade treaty is huge. Konoha would benefit greatly from both the weapons and raw materials they could provide. And Iron from the medicinal and agricultural knowledge we have."

"The possibility is great and all but the timing of it could not be any worse." Shikaku rubbed his face.

"I found myself thinking the same thing." Minato's eyes had a far-off look to them.

Shikaku furrowed his brow. He had the impression that they were now no longer on the same page.

"For all intents and purposes, Konoha is united. Konoha is strong. It is one. We project that out into the world, and as far as we know it is still the truth. We keep sight of that and the talks should go smoothly. We'll be fine." Minato concluded his thoughts on the matter with a firm tone.

Shikaku wished that he shared Minato's optimism. "Why does it feel like you're not giving me the whole story?"

Minato flashed a grin that did nothing to assuage his concerns. "You worry about what you know. I'll worry about the rest."

Shikaku frowned.

Sakura blinked. In her tiredness she was convinced she was seeing things but after the third set of rapidly blinking twice when the scene in front of her did not change she gave in to the possibility that maybe she was not in fact seeing things. The door swinging closed behind her seemed to jolt Sakura into speaking.

"Kushina?" She asked her, a half step away from bewildered.

"Are you having a stroke or something, Sakura-chan?" Kushina studied the pinkette closely for a droopy face.

"No." She looked down at the file in her hand. She was in the right room number but Kushina was not the patient she was expecting to see. The Uzumaki swung her legs back and forth from the raised exam bed. "What are you doing here?"

Kushina rolled her violet eyes playfully. "You're working yourself too hard." She tapped her index finger knuckle against Sakura's forehead in an 'anyone home' gesture. Sakura whacked her hand away. "It's that time of year again," Kushina said with a scowl.

Recollection worked its way across Sakura's face. Her eyes shone with understanding. She knew that. She had prepared for today. The attack just left her a little discombobulated. "You know the drill." She waited for Kushina to swing her legs ninety degrees and lay back. The woman moved one arm behind her head and let the other lie loosely to her side. "You ready?" Sakura waited for Kushina to nod before she rolled up her white shirt. Her hands became engulfed by blue light. Dark black markings appeared on her skin under the glow of chakra.

"How did your mission go? I've been meaning to check in on you but things got a little crazy." Sakura did not look up from her work. Scanning the intricacies of the seal to check that there were no vulnerabilities required attention to detail. It required focus.

"You can say that again. The mission was fine. I think I found the perfect home for the twins. A couple in Yumegakure had been trying to conceive for a while and had been looking to adopt for the past couple of years. They were ecstatic by the possibility of having one of each. Kami knows they have a big enough house for two toddlers. The mother seems like a bit of a clean freak, though. Everything was so meticulous in the house. Like a place for everything! I thought she might actually have an aneurysm when I didn't use a coaster for my tea. She'll get over it once the twins come. They were nice though. I don't want to jinx it but I have a good feeling, ya know?"

Sakura hummed and made the appropriate sympathetic sounds while Kushina spoke. That was the beauty of having a conversation within Kushina. She did not have to do much work on her end. It was perfect for when she needed to concentrate. "What's the timeline looking like?"

"A couple of months at the earliest. The next step is to have them come to Konoha to actually meet the twins. And see if they are still interested. I'm hoping for early June for them to be outta the orphanage." Kushina watched the side of Sakura's profile while she worked. She had barely changed in all the years she had known her.

"That's really great, Kushina. The seal looks good." Her hands had stopped glowing. Kushina pulled her shirt down and sat up. "The twins are the last of them right?"

"Yep. Tomo went to his new home right before I headed out for my mission. There were some tears. Mostly mine." Kushina gathered her long hair in her hands before letting go so that it would fall neatly down her back.

"I'm going to miss Tomo. He was a sassy little guy." Sakura said with a small smile.

"Yeah. He was a good kid. They all were. I'm just so happy we were able to find his uncle out in Amegakure." Kushina patted the empty spot next to her. Sakura did not have to be asked twice.

"You're doing amazing work Kushina-chan. These kids are really lucky to have you." Sakura squeezed her hand. Kushina lowered her head onto Sakura's shoulder. Sakura tilted her head to the side so that rested against Kushina's.

"Honestly I feel like the lucky one. I get to be able to spend time with all these pretty great kids and to be able to see how happy they are to either be reunited with family or find a new family, there is nothing like it in the world. It's like the worst thing that ever happened to them when they come here but when they leave it's like they won the lottery. They're so resilient. They are so happy. It's nothing short of life-changing."

They sat with Kushina's sentiment. Sakura closed her eyes and let herself have a moment of peace from the chaotic thoughts of her mind. Moments like this did not come by too often.

"Anything on the other thing?" Sakura asked Kushina once the thoughts started poking at the still again.

Sakura felt Kushina shake her head. The women straightened. "No. Nothing yet. They haven't been in the Land of Tea for years from the looks of things."

Sakura tried not to let the disappointment feed into her sense of foreboding. She knew it was a long shot. The last she had heard of their whereabouts was from Masaki all those years ago. She chewed the corner of her lip.

"Why are you asking about them anyway?" Her inquisitive eyes bore into Sakura's.

"I don't know how to describe it. I just have this feeling. Like something is not quite right." She put her hand to her chest. "It almost feels like a phantom limb. There's this ache that wasn't there before. I just -"

"Have a feeling." Kushina sighed deeply. Sakura nodded silently.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I won't give up. I'm looking. I'll find them."

"Thanks, Kushina." She felt marginally better. It was the Kushina effect.

Since the war ended years ago Kushina took it upon herself to find orphans or those children displaced by the war and to give them new starts. She worked tirelessly to either find their parents, any living relatives who were able and willing to take them in, or new families for them. As both word got around of her mission and reputation, her network grew and more and more kids ended up at the orphanage's doorstep. Over the years she had helped no less than sixty-three children. She had earned a new nickname for herself: The Princess of the Lost or Lost Princess for short. She was every bit as incredible as the rumors and legends said. Sakura was beyond grateful to her as a person and not just as a symbol. Kushina represented hope for those kids. She was their light.

"I missed you." She had only been gone a few days but with their vastly busy schedules, it had been weeks since they had a chance to see each other.

"I missed you too. I'm glad you're okay. It came out of nowhere." There were traces of unease settling into her voice. It made Sakura's stomach lurch.

"It really did. We were lucky that no one was seriously injured." Sakura's heart fluttered just at the memory of it.

"It's over now," Kushina said with finality. Sakura merely hummed. She could not bring herself to say more. She wished she could believe it.

A mischievous look crossed Kushina's face for a fraction of a second. It was what she had dubbed as 'Naruto's prank face' long before she had met the redhead. Sakura leaned back out of pure instinct.

"Is it just me or are you rounder around the edges? Is all that good home cooking finally catching up with you?" Kushina teased her. She poked Sakura's sides for good measure.

Sakura did not fight the smile. It reminded her of simpler times. She planned on waiting but the opportunity was here. "Actually there is something I need to tell you."

"The anticipation is killing me here!" Kushina whined dramatically.

"I'm pregnant." She waited for the squeals and the jumping up and down. The reaction Kushina had years ago when she had said those very words to her.

"That's great, Sakura-chan. I'm happy for you. Truly." Kushina smiled broadly. She even closed her eyes.

"Thanks, Kushina-chan." Sakura returned the gesture. She tried not to read too much into the way the light seemed to dim slightly behind Kushina's eyes when she opened them again. She tried not to think too much about how the air around them shifted, becoming awkward.

Kushina's eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "I should get going soon. I promised Mako-chan this wouldn't take too long. The tornados are probably giving her more than she can handle at this point." Kushina stood up from the exam bed. Sakura followed suit.

"Of course. So we should be good for another year. I'll mark it on the calendar. And please Kushina let me know if there's anything I can do to help out with the kids."

"The checkups and mental health check-ins that you do are plenty enough for right now. I'll keep you posted once I get a lead on the next wave coming in, as well as the other thing." Kushina grabbed the door handle and was halfway through the door frame.

"Thanks. You're welcome to come over for dinner. We can get ramen." She tried to keep the overeagerness out of her voice.

"Thanks but I think I'm going to turn in early tonight. Bye, Sakura-chan. Give Naruto a kiss for me!" Kushina spared her a smile that did not reach her eyes and left without so much as a backward glance.

Sakura stood there rooted in place. The gnawing feeling grew inside her belly. "What the hell just happened?" She asked the otherwise empty room.

"He's finally down." Minato yawned into his hand and rubbed his eyes. He watched as his wife wound down her bedtime routine. She was finishing rubbing lotion on her hands. The last step. She slipped under the covers. Her pink hair was held together in a very loose side braid.

"What's the count?" She asked him with an all-knowing smirk on her lips.

"Three." A pink brow shot up in disbelief. "Okay, five. We read Jumpy the Jumping Frog five times." He admitted with ample reluctance.

Sakura sucked her teeth. "My condolences, Hokage-sama. That is a steep price to pay."

"He drives a hard bargain that kid. He gets it from you." He pulled his shirt off and hung it on the hook rack hanging on the closet door. He signed deeply when his stomach made contact with the cotton fabric. He let out a content sound as Sakura's hands worked themselves into his blond locks. The familiar scent of jasmine and sage filled him with ease.

"Long day?" She asked him softly. It was mostly rhetorical. Her hands had moved to his shoulders working out the knots. She could feel the tension in his muscles melt away with each touch.

"You have no idea." He said without thinking. He chanced peeling one eye open to see if she would let it slide. The look in her emerald eyes said otherwise.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked him casually. She knew what she was doing. She lulled him into a false sense of security and he had fallen for it like a sucker.

"Not really." He turned onto his side. He propped his head up on his hand. "I'd much rather talk about your day."

Sakura lowered herself onto her side as well. Her fingertips barely brushed the skin of his face as she traced the faint line of his scar. "My day was fine. Saw patients. Saw Rin. She's doing great. Itachi babysat the boys. Kushina's seal appointment was today. She's also doing great. I told both Rin and Kushina today. So that makes five people total that know. All things considered, it was a pretty good day." It helped that he did not die but she kept that to herself.

"Does the twelve-week rule still stand?" He reached out to cover her stomach with his palm. Her hand came to lie on top of his.

"Yes. We should also wait until twelve weeks to tell Naruto. Once he knows, the whole village knows." She could not muster up any annoyance in her tone. Naruto was who he was and she had long learned to accept that fact.

Minato chuckled. "Agreed." His cobalt eyes were doing things to her. She had to force herself to not let her mind drift off. "How far along?" Minato asked her airly.

"Eight weeks." At the confusion on his face, she preemptively answered what had to be his next question. "I've known for about three. I was going to tell you sooner. It just never felt like the right time."

In the dim glow of the light, she could not be absolutely sure that his eyes had darkened, by the time she blinked they were back to their normal hue. "So that puts the due date in the last week of October?"

"October 31st is what Tsunade said."

"October 31st." He repeated more to himself than her.

"Are you happy?" She finally gathered up the courage to ask him the question that had been dancing in her mind all day. It was one thing to think, plan and try for a child and quite another when facing reality. She did not have to wonder much longer.

He pulled her close to him. "Yes. I'm happy." He held her, cradling her head.

"Are you okay with waiting until the baby arrives for finding out the sex? It's still too soon to tell anyway." He felt her breath against his skin as she spoke.

"I am," he answered smoothly. "I still have my list of names from the first time around."

Sakura sighed deeply. "You're going to make me regret it, aren't you?" She tilted her head back so that she could look him in the eyes, there was genuine mirth in them.

"Never," he grinned at her.

"Just remember nothing too long or old-timey or ridiculous." She could not help but add.

"You worry too much. It'll be a good name, have a little faith."

"If you say so," she rubbed her tired eyes. She appreciated the warmth he was giving off along with the steady pressure his hand was applying to the small of her back. "I'm glad you're okay," she said barely above a whisper. "I was so scared."

"I'm sorry," he lowered his eyes momentarily from her face but not before she registered the guilt in them.

"For what? Making me worry? You have nothing to be sorry for," she said gently. "You came back. That's all that matters."

"I'm not going anywhere." His cobalt eyes brimmed with promise. "You don't have to worry about me."

"I will always worry about your well-being, Minato," she told him firmly. It was just a byproduct of the nature of their relationship.

He felt a lump form in his throat that made it impossible to push any kind of sound out of his throat. He settled for holding her closer. That way she could not see the conflicting emotions swirling in his irises.

Sakura closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the moment. He was alive. He was with her. He knew. It had been a fairly decent day especially given how it had started in the early hours of the morning.

Right now was almost perfect. She could only hold back the intrusive thoughts and the looming threat hanging over their heads for so long. The darkness was now at the forefront of her brain. Her stomach was tight with unease and her patience was gone.

"Something else interesting happened at work today." Sakura began lightly. She kissed the skin right below his left pectoral muscle before she pressed her palm to the same spot. She measured out eight inches from that spot on a diagonal with her hand. She kissed his skin before placing her palm where her lips had just been. She stared at the distance between her hands. She visualized what it must have looked like. She had a very active, graphic, and detail-oriented mind. She could see the gash, the giant wound. She could picture the way his skin must have turned purple around the edges as it hung on for dear life.

Minato closed his eyes and prepared himself for where this was headed. He should have known better.

"I read a report about a laceration eight inches in length about two inches wide caused by a blade fortified with chakra." She felt him stiffen underneath her hands. "I also heard something about a meeting this afternoon at the Tower?"

"Sakura, I'm fine. It's being handled. Don't worry about it." His voice was incredibly reassuring. It was almost as if he forgot who he was married to.

"You were injured badly," she contradicted his statement. "You could have died."

"I didn't and I'm fine." His blue eyes held an edge to them that she did not care for.

She searched his face with a look full of scrutiny. "I'd worry less if you just told me." She said adamantly. "Just tell me, Minato." Her hands were still holding their positions. "Please," she added after she recognized that he was no closer to budging.

"Then you'd find something else to fixate on with new information." He countered.

"So there is new information." He did not like the way her eyes seemed to light up at the prospect.

"No." He said firmly. He circled her wrists with his hands.

"Can you tell me anything?" She asked him gently. "Anything at all?"

"It's an active investigation," he said with a tone that was bordering on frustration.

"I can help," she offered.

"Sakura." His eyes were hard.

She knew that tone. If she pressed now it would unravel into a full-blown argument. He was tired. She was tired. She would let it go for now. For both their sakes.

She pulled her arms back. The warmth from his hands was gone. She swallowed back the words in her throat before they could become airborne. Instead, she forced out what she really did not want to say. "Good night." She turned on her side. Her back was to him now.

"Good night." He shifted onto his back. The sheets momentarily stretched before relaxing back into place.

It did not take long for his breathing to become less frequent and deepen. So far she had managed to strike out twice today with people she cared about. She closed her eyes.

"Hime?"

"Yes, Flower-chan?" Relief flooded through Sakura. It really was like having a comforting force surrounding her. Just her voice had that effect on her.

"What am I missing here?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Earlier with Kushina and now with Minato. It feels like something is really off. And I was hoping you could provide some perspective?"

"I think maybe you're reading too much into things. Everyone is tired and stressed."

"Hime?"

"Yes?"

"Am I being crazy?"

"Who's to say who's crazy and who's sane?"

"Oi, Itachi!" The Uchiha peered down from his perch on the rooftop to see a grinning face looking up at him.

The mid-teen was shielding his eyes with his hands from the sharp sun even with the added shade he only had one eye open, the other closed tight. "Come down from up there!" He heard the sound of his sandals making contact with the gravel underfoot just as soon as the words left his mouth.

The unkindness took to the skies in a flurry of black. The sound of their croaks filled the previous quiet sky.

"That's not creepy at all," Shisui muttered under his breath. "Feeding the crows again Itachi?"

"They're ravens." The younger Uchiha corrected dryly.

"Didn't your father tell you not to do that on account of the poop on the rooftops?" Shisui asked with a frown.

Itachi shrugged with disinterest. "Otosan says a lot of things."

"Oh is that right?" Shisui shook his head. It seemed Itachi was in one of his moods. Not to say that Itachi did not prefer the company of his ravens over most people, even on a good day.

"How did your mission go?" Itachi asked him just loud enough for Shisui to hear as they made their way through the village using the side streets. He appreciated that Shisui understood his aversion to crowded places.

"Uneventful. We were able to deliver the client to where they needed to go. They did teach me this though." Itachi's facial expression did not change in the slightest when Shisui reached behind his ear and pulled out a coin. "Keep it." He grinned, quite pleased with himself.

"Thanks." He turned it over in his hands. It was currency from the Land of Cloud Forests. Itachi shoved it into his pocket without a second thought. "The village was attacked while you were away."

Shisui winced. "I know. It was all the guards could talk about. Was it as bad as they made it out to be?"

"No one from Konoha died. Otosan was there."

"Glad to hear that everyone is okay." Shisui tilted his head back and stared at the clouds.

"Can I ask you something?" Itachi spoke after some time.

Shisui turned his head and looked at Itachi. Surprise colored his expression. "Shoot."

"Do you think it is possible to be part of a collective and loyal to it but still be true to yourself?" He felt the full weight of Itachi's gaze on him.

"Shit, Itachi. Give a guy some warning before dropping something so heavy on him." Shisui held up his hand before Itachi could point out that he had given him a warning, he had explicitly asked for permission. The older Uchiha rubbed his chin.

"I think you can. The only way you can truly be part of a collective is if you're honest and true to yourself. If you can't be honest about who you are and your principles then what good are you to anyone else?" He squinted his eyes as if he could see the words he had uttered and he was scrutinizing the way they came together.

Itachi let himself process the words and the perspective they were tied to. He felt a hand on his head. He felt his hair being ruffled.

"But that's just me off the cuff. You gotta figure the answer out for yourself. Don't be too in your head all the time, Itachi. There's a whole world to learn from out here." Shisui held out his arms to gesture to everything around them and grinned at him. "Let's go train."

"Okay."

"The traps and seals are all still intact at the border," Wolf concluded his oral report.

The information did not surprise him in the slightest. It only made it that much more obvious that they had intel. There were various traps and seals laid out in the Land of Fire. Their sole purpose was to alert neighboring villages if there was a charka signature above that of regular Jonin. It ruled them unaffected by nearly ninety percent of the population. But they should have been triggered or at the very least have signs of tampering but neither was true. It meant that they knew their locations.

Minato nodded. "Thanks for the summary. You have until the end of the day tomorrow to hand in the written report. Just highlight anything that you may have forgotten to mention here."

The man in the white and navy mask nodded. "Is there anything else?"

Minato resisted the urge to smile. It only seemed fitting that the only one that thought he moved too slowly through meetings was one of his former students. Minato lived for optimization. Minato worked tirelessly to ensure that every aspect of his day that could be cut down was, whether it meant saving seconds, not having to decide what to wear for the day, not having to look for things because he knew exactly where they were, to using just enough words to get his point across. It was not enough for Wolf.

"Yes. We need to snuff out the leak. I need you to be my eyes and ears in ANBU." He knew the ask. Even if ANBU did not have the same level of camaraderie as genin teams and even jonin teams, he still relied on his team to watch his back. If it ever came out that he was a mole for the Hokage it would completely alienate him from the ranks. Even if they all claimed to have the same purpose and intention which was to protect the Hokage and Konoha.

Wolf nodded his head without hesitation. "Done." His tone was firm.

"First vet the ANBU in the inner guard. I need to make sure that they can be trusted around my family."

"Does that include me?" Minato detected the trace amounts of amusement in Wolf's voice as he asked his question. It was all very tongue-in-cheek.

This time Minato did not fight the smile. "Use your discretion. Although I'd imagine investigating yourself might get a little awkward if you choose to go down that path." His expression hardened. "Tact is of the utmost importance Wolf." Minato reminded him.

"Understood. Hokage-sama." The man in the white and navy mask bowed before disappearing out of the office.

Sakura cursed quietly and rubbed her head. She had not been careful and hit her head on the desk in Naruto's room. She has been on her hands and knees trying to chase down the carrot sticks her son had so thoughtfully left for her. It turned out his love for orange did not extend to carrots or actual oranges. It was only because she loved him to death that she stubbornly held on to the desire to have her son eat a well-balanced diet. He fought her tooth and nail but while he was stubborn in his own right he was still years behind her. He had a lot of work to do to catch up to her. Not that she was advocating that he should make it a goal of his.

She had put Naruto down for his nap forty-five minutes ago. If she was lucky she had another fifteen minutes to herself before the peace was disturbed. She triumphantly held the carrots in her hand. She made a face at the amount of hair - blond and pink - and fuzz clinging to them. She really needed to clean under furniture more often while she still could. She threw them in the trashcan next to his desk and grabbed the plastic liner of the can with her. She was about to turn and leave the room but the piece of paper on his desk caught her eye. Sakura bent down to get a better look. There were two stick people. One significantly shorter than the other. The shorter one had blond hair and two blue lines which could only represent eyes. The taller figure was a black triangle. A white oval was right under the point of the triangle. In the oval, there were purple lines haphazardly drawn. She grabbed the drawing. She looked over her shoulder at the sleeping form of her son. He had not moved since she put him down.

Sakura turned her attention back to the drawing. Her instincts were screaming at her that it was all wrong.

"Mama?" He came out of his room rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I woke up." He announced with a yawn.

"You sure did. Come here." He walked over to the navy sofa and climbed into her lap. She kissed his temple. "Did you have any dreams?"

He shook his head. His blue eyes were clearer than the sky. "That's my drawing!" Naruto pointed to the picture on the coffee table in front of them.

"You drew this? No, I don't believe it. It's too good. You? No. Can't be!" She hammed it up for him. The more of a show she made to deny it the more riled up he became.

"I drawed it. Dattebayo, Mama!" He assured her.

"Oh wow. It's really good Naruto. So good. Like a professional."

"Really?" He asked her his eyes sparkling.

"Really. Is that Dada?" She pointed to the smaller figure.

Naruto giggled. "That's not Dada! That's me!"

"Oh. Silly me. I see that now. Is that me?" She pointed to the triangular figure.

The question elicited another round of giggles from him. "No. That's not Mama, that's my friend!"

She took a breath. "Naruto, you remember the difference between pretend and the truth right?"

He nodded his head. "Is your friend in the drawing like Jumpy the Jumping Frog? Is this friend from a story?" She asked him carefully as she watched his face closely.

"No, Mama! That's my friend, Spider. I told you about her. She gave me stickers." Naruto explained excitedly.

Sakura felt her insides freeze. Conversely, the blood was pounding in her ears. "Oh, I remember now." She kept the anger she was feeling out of her voice. Naruto was not old enough to differentiate between genuine cheeriness and fake cheeriness in Sakura's voice. "When did you first meet your friend Spider?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Long time ago." She fought back the feeling of frustration. That could mean anything from thirty minutes to months.

"Do you remember where it was? When did you first see her?" She scrambled to find ways to get some sort of timeframe.

Naruto nodded. She tried desperately to reign in her expectations. "Park," Naruto said with confidence.

"Okay, so you met Spider at the park. Do you remember who took you to the park, that day you first saw her?" She encouraged him.

Naruto scrunched his face as he concentrated. He was trying really hard to remember. He shook his head. "No."

Her heart sank. "That's ok." She bit the inside of her cheek. "Do you remember if it was a cold day, did you have a jacket, or if it was a warm day?" She knew it was a long shot but she could not help but let hope color her words.

Naruto closed his eyes. He covered his ears. She knew what was coming next. "It's okay, Baby. You did so good. You remembered so many things." She rocked him back and forth until he calmed down. She rubbed his back.

"Can you tell me the next time you see your friend, Spider? Mama wants to meet her and thank her for being your friend." Sakura looked at him. He nodded slowly. "That's my good boy." She held him close.

The rage built inside of her.