Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 10: The Vulnerable

Flashback

She twirled a dark lock of hair between her fingers. The days were getting warmer. Pretty soon the humidity would be unbearable. She took a sip of the cold tea in front of her. It kept the perspiration at bay. Her eyes wandered the path lazily. She was the first one to arrive. It did not happen often. The other two were the picture of punctuality. At least she was under the shade of the umbrella. She would wait a little longer.

She heard his deep voice before she saw him.

"Kurenai-san, it is good to see you!" Guy greeted the red-eyed woman with much enthusiasm. He was holding out his thumb in that signature pose of his. He was a character Kurenai found herself thinking not for the first time.

"Guy-san, it's good to see you too. How is the special training going?" She asked as he came to join her. He sat across from her.

His grin grew bigger. "Great. She has a strong will. I am seeing so much progress from where we started." His face became contemplative. "How is she progressing with your training?"

Kurenai tugged at her sleeve. "Depends on the day. Some are better than others. Her power is like nothing I've seen. It's awe-inspiring." Kurenai's eyes became glossy. "It's intimidating, to be honest."

Guy studied her closely. Kurenai was not one to boast loudly of her capabilities but she was capable. They both knew that. From the concern woven in her features, Guy found himself thinking that he had the easier task.

"We'll figure it out. Yakumo's a good kid. She will learn control."

Kurenai could not keep the apprehension out of her features. There was only so much they could do. "She has the potential to be truly dangerous, Guy-san. I'm not sure any level of training will fix that. She is young now, maybe the right thing to do is to stop feeding her these delusions and face reality. Maybe it is better for her not to learn how to use those powers of hers any more than she already has."

The friendly expression was completely gone from Guy's face. It was more serious than she had ever seen. There was something in his eyes that she could not place.

"I refuse to believe that. It is better for her to know her limits and work within them. She will learn, Kurenai-san. You can teach her. But only if you have faith that you can. How can she have faith that you can help her if you don't believe it yourself?"

Kurenai furrowed her brow. "I was under the impression that we are working as a team on this. I am telling you my genuine concern. You may be seeing some progress with her physical abilities and that is great. But we both know why Haruno-san approached us three years ago. It's her genjutsu, her Kekkei Genkai that is the real problem. I don't know how to help her. I am out of my depth. A positive attitude can only do so much." She slammed her palm on the table as she stood up.

"I may have an idea about that."

The two jonin turned their heads to see the head medic standing there. "Haruno-san, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here," Kurenai said, startled. She lowered her eyes.

Sakura came to sit down next to Guy. Kurenai lowered back down, embarrassed that the woman had witnessed her outburst. "Don't apologize. If we can't be honest with each other then how can we expect to help her."

Kurenai nodded. Guy crossed his arms. "I just wish you told me sooner, Kurenai." Sakura rubbed her forehead.

Kurenai looked down at the water clinging to the glass. The ice has almost completely melted.

"What is your idea?" It was Guy's voice who asked the question.

Sakura felt their eyes. "I think we need to add another person to this team. Someone who is also gifted in genjutsu and has a Kekkei Genkai of their own. They'll be working closely with you Kurenai. I'm sorry. I should have realized sooner that this task was too much to put on one person's shoulders." She smiled apologetically at the genjutsu specialist.

Kurenai's jaw went slack. "You still want me to work with her?" She asked, the surprise apparent in her voice. She thought for sure that after her frustrated outburst, Sakura would relieve her of the responsibility, not double down.

Sakura nodded. Her eyes held a determination in them that rivaled Guy's. "I'm not ready to give up if you're not." She looked at Guy. "Either of you."

"There's no quit in me. It's not even in my vocabulary." He grinned and flashed them a smile. Sakura's eyes crinkled at the display. She had expected nothing less from Guy.

The pair turned to look at Kurenai. She hesitated. She still had her reservations. "Maybe once I've heard more, I'll have more information to make a decision."

The medic made a reflective face. "I have a person in mind for this. Uchiha Itachi."

Guy brought his hand to his chin. Kurenai had disbelief etched in every feature. "An Uchiha?" She looked at Sakura as if she was waiting for the punch line of the joke. Adding an Uchiha seemed like the worst possible course of action for this ragtag group. "You can't be serious. I hear they don't play well with others."

Sakura scrunched her nose. "Trust me, Kurenai, he won't bite." There was genuine amusement dancing in her eyes for a second. Her face turned serious. "Keep an open mind. He might just surprise you."

"I have no problems with this. The more the merrier!" Guy gave his input.

The genjutsu specialist frowned. On one hand, it might be beneficial just to have another realistic personality on the team to balance the endless optimism that was Guy and Sakura if nothing else. But on the other hand, she never worked with an Uchiha before. She did not know him. She did not need yet another variable when dealing with how best to help Yakumo.

She looked at their hopeful faces. She felt her resolve being chipped away. She hated being the bad guy but someone had to be realistic. "Will her parents be okay with this?" The more people getting involved, especially one from a different clan, could make matters all that much messier. Especially given how sensitive and secretive they all were about their precious Kekkei Genkai.

"I'll take care of that." She could be really persuasive when she set her mind to it.

"And I'm assuming you already cleared this with Itachi?" She asked slowly.

To her surprise, Sakura grinned. "I'm not asking for blind faith here, Kurenai. Test him out. I can promise you that he won't disappoint."

She leaned back and regarded the head medic. She was sure of herself almost as much as Kurenai was unsure of this whole situation. "Fine. I'll have my answer for you after my evaluation."

"Great." Sakura's smile was all teeth.

End Flashback

"Where are we going, Mama?" Naruto asked from behind her as she led them through the streets of Konoha. She was running late this morning. The hot water stopped working in the house and it threw a huge wrench in her day.

"We're going to the hospital, Naruto. But we need to make a quick stop first." She looked back at the Uchiha who was following behind them. She ignored the strange looks she got from some people. She imagined they were a strange sight to see.

She glanced over as they passed the Hyuga compound. She smiled and waved to Neji and Hinata who were out in the courtyard. Neji waved back. At the sight of Naruto, Hinata hid behind him. Her face was as red as a tomato.

Naruto waved at the pair. Hinata fell on her backside. Her mother quickly picked her up and ushered her inside.

"Did I do something wrong?" Naruto looked up at his mother with big eyes.

Sakura shook her head. "No, Baby. She's just shy."

Naruto made a face. "She's weird." He concluded.

She heard Akemi's laughter in her head.

"It's not nice to call someone names, Naruto." She quickened her pace. She heard Itachi's footsteps pick up to match it. She knew that he was only doing that for her benefit. So that she did not need to check back to make sure he was there or rely on her chakra to sense him.

The houses and shops were getting less and less congested as they rounded the corner. The large trees told her that they were getting close.

She tested the girl's range of motion. "Have you had any difficulty with your daily walks?" Her eyes landed on the girl's face.

Yakumo shook her head. "No! I was even able to do a push-up in my last session with Guy-sensei. He was really impressed!" Her eyes glittered with accomplishment.

"That's amazing Yakumo-chan." Sakura smiled at her warmly. She made notes on the girl's muscle mass. The tone and definition of her muscles were much better than where it was even six months ago. She was getting stronger. "Are you sticking to your special diet? No cheating right?" Sakura asked her as she studied the girl closed for dishonestly.

"No cheating. Promise!" She brought a hand to her heart to illustrate.

Sakura nodded. "That's what I like to hear. Can you hold up your arms? I'm going to push down and I need you to keep them up okay?" She waited for Yakumo to nod. Sakura applied slight pressure to Yakumo's extended arms. The girl kept them in place. Sakura grinned, it was a great sign. "How about we go take a walk now? Just to see how you're moving."

Yakumo rose from the seat. "Let me go grab my jacket really quickly."

Sakura watched as the girl jogged to the hooks that hung from the door. She removed a maroon color cardigan and slipped it on. There was a slight redness in her cheeks. She was not too concerned. The girl was excited. She looked more alive than she had in a long time.

"Don't overdo it, Yakumo-chan. You let me know if you get tired, okay?" Sakura reminded her sternly.

The girl smiled at her. "Yes, Sakura-sensei!"

Sakura walked half a step behind Yakumo as they moved through the Kurama clan grounds. They had gorgeous mature trees. The shade was much welcomed on a warm day.

"You brought your son with you this time." She looked up at Sakura with her honey-colored eyes.

Sakura nodded. "I was running a little behind this morning. Didn't have time to drop him off at the daycare."

"He didn't talk the last time I saw him." Yakumo mused. She jumped on a small branch underfoot. It crunched under her sandals.

"A lot has changed since then." Sakura smiled softly. She clasped her hands behind her back. She studied Yakumo's posture. "How are you doing with the voice?" She asked slowly.

Yakumo came to a standstill. "Ido doesn't bother me that much anymore. But he never truly goes away. He just hasn't come out in some time."

She knew on some scale what it was like to have another consciousness in her head. Inner Sakura was harmless but she could completely derail Sakura's control. She was just thankful that Akemi was a much more positive influence.

"Do you think the breathing exercises are helping?"

Yakumo made a face. Her breathing was becoming a little more strained from the exertion of the walk. Sakura gestured for her to sit down on the grass. The girl pulled her knees to her chest.

"Maybe. But I think keeping active, and busy is really what helps. I try not to think about stuff that makes me angry."

Sakura sat down on the grass next to her. She leaned back on her hands. "What makes you angry, Yakumo-chan?"

Yakumo's expression darkened. "Mostly Otosan and Okaasan. They treat me like I'm made of glass. They think I'm helpless. They just want me to focus on my training with Kurenai-sensei and not my training with Guy-sensei!" Her fists shook as she got more and more worked up.

"That sounds really frustrating. I know how angry it makes me feel." Sakura closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

Yakumo looked at her with a surprised look on her face. "You too?" Her brow furrowed. "But you're so strong!" She did not understand why anyone would think that of the woman. She was not born with a frail body.

Sakura chuckled. "I know right? It's crazy." Her expression turned serious. "When I was just starting out as a shinobi everyone always felt the need to protect me. My parents, my teammates, my teachers. It was beyond frustrating. It made me feel so useless. So weak. But one day I met someone who never made me feel like I needed someone to protect me. Instead, she taught me how to protect myself. She helped me become who I am today."

Yakumo looked at her hands. "Like how Kurenai-sensei and Guy-sensei are helping me."

Sakura nodded. "Exactly. And I came to learn that just because someone feels the need to protect me it does not make me weak. It says more about them than me. We, girls, need to be tough. No matter what we accomplish sometimes we will have to remind people, even the ones we love the most, just what we are capable of."

"So we have to keep working hard to prove everyone wrong?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "No more like we work hard to prove to ourselves that we can do it."

"I'm going to get so strong just like you and Kurenai-sensei. Do you think I can join the academy in the fall?'' Yakumo looked at her with hope in her eyes.

Sakura felt a wave of sadness. "Did I ever tell you about my friend and her dream, Yakumo-chan?"

The girl blinked. She shook her head slowly. Sakura thought back to a familiar face with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Growing up all she wanted to do was follow in the footsteps of her idol. She wanted to be just like her. She wanted to be mentored by her. She wanted to be a medical-nin. That was her goal, it was her dream."

Yakumo listened intently. Sakura brushed the hair from her face. There was a small smile on her lips when she spoke again. "She learned that she did not meet the requirements for being a medical-nin. She was devastated."

Yakumo frowned. She did not like how this story boded for her. "What did she do?"

"She adapted. She focused on the thing that made her different and unique from anyone else in the village. She trained, she practiced and she became a master."

Yakumo felt her irritation grow. "Why are you telling me this? You just said that I need to work hard, be tough! Prove to myself that I can do it!"

Sakura spared her a knowing look. "I'm telling you this because I want you to realize there's more than one way to do something. There is more than one way to help your clan and your village. If my friend focused on what she could not do or was not good at, she never would have turned to what she was good at, what made her special. My point is she stopped trying to be something she was not so that she became who she was meant to be."

Yakumo's mouth hung agape as she considered the perspective.

"Managing expectations is really important, Yakumo-chan. It does not mean that I do not believe in you. I do. I do believe in you. You are getting stronger. You are learning more about your abilities. You're working hard. I see all of that. I just wanted to remind you that sometimes life does not turn out the way you think it is going to, no matter how hard you work. It was true for my friend and it is true for me."

She registered the girl's shocked expression. It was true. She thought she would love Sassuke until the day she died. She thought she would grow old with her friends. She never thought she would be only the handful to survive a war. And the thought of being thrown back in time never occurred to her.

"And that's okay. My life is pretty great. Life is about adapting, and adjusting. It's about finding who you are and not forgetting that, ever. "

Yakumo was silent. Sakura could almost see the thoughts racing in her head. "So I should want to be like me and not you or Kurenai-sensei?"

Sakura put her hand on Yakumo's head. She smiled at her. It was full of pride. "Exactly."

Yakumo clenched her fist. She nodded in determination. "I'll learn to control my powers, Sakura-sensei. I never want to see Ido again."

Sakura smiled at her. "I believe you." She paused. "Yakumo-chan I wanted to talk about your training a little bit. I think it is time for you to meet someone new. Someone who wants to help you, like Kurenai-sensei and Guy-sensei."

"The other boy you brought with you?" She asked Sakura tentatively.

Sakura nodded. "His name is Itachi. He's a few years older than you. He's really good at genjutsu too. And hopefully, he can help with controlling your abilities and with Ido."

Yakumo made a face. "Will the other sensei still be helping?"

Sakura squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "Yes. They will continue to help you."

Yakumo nodded. "Okay. I want to meet him."

They both got up onto their feet. They walked chatting about this and that. It did not take them long to find the spot where Naruto and Itachi were lazing about waiting for her.

"Yakumo-chan, this is Itachi-kun. He will be one of your sensei." Sakura introduced the two older children. Yakumo held up a hand and Itachi dipped his head slightly. "And you remember Naruto."

"Hi!" He grinned at Yakumo. She smiled back at him.

Sakura looked at the trio. "Okay, I need you all to stay here while I talk to your parents, Yakumo-chan." She looked at Naruto. "Behave yourself." Naruto puffed out his cheeks. A scowl formed on his lips when they deflated.

Naruto looked at Yakumo once his mother was out of earshot. "Did you draw those?" He pointed to the open door of the wooden studio.

Yakumo nodded. "I did."

Naruto's eyes brightened. "They are so good!" His face fell. "Mama doesn't let me use paint." He grumbled.

Yakumo's shoulders shook slightly as she laughed. "Maybe when you're a little bit older. I can even show you some tricks if you want?"

Naruto's face lit up. "Really?" He grabbed her hand and began to pull her to the studio. "Please! Please! Please!" He begged her emphatically.

Yakumo laughed as she allowed herself to be led. Itachi followed behind them at a slower pace. The door had been open and Naruto being the kid he was had snooped around. The two of them had already seen the paintings. Itachi half listened as she explained the various tools and how to mix color. The blond was making excited noises as she brought the brush to the canvas.

Itachi's eyes came to focus on the painting in the center of the room. Unlike the others, it was sitting on the easel. It was not finished yet. Only half of it had been colored in. One red eye stared at him fiercely. The woman with raven hair stood in the middle of the canvas. Her hands here holding the tiger seal. She was emerging from a Sakura tree. She was a sight to behold. It reminded him of his spar with the very subject of the painting. The attention to detail was astounding.

He wandered to the paintings in the back. He rooted through them until he found the one that had caught his eye. The background was done in a mix of red and purple. The heavy brush strokes spoke to the anger of the piece. There was a figure in the center of it. He focused on the left half: the face of Yakumo. She captured her likeness well. But it was not her face that made the painting stand out to him. It was the horned beast that was on the right half of her. The duality of it all. The darker skin, the larger teeth, the bloodthirsty eyes. He found himself unable to look away.

He heard Naruto inhale sharply. "Scary!" He clutched Yukamo's leg, hiding behind it.

She looked at the painting with a far-off look on her face. "He is. That's Ido."

"Is he a monster?" Naruto asked her.

Yakumo nodded. She wrapped her arms around herself. "He lives inside me."

Itachi turned to see her start to shake. He lowered the painting onto the floor slowly. He did not want to set her off any more than she already was. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the air shifted in the room. His dark eyes landed on Naruto. He was still clinging to her leg. His face was marred with concern for the girl. It was ironic, Itachi was more concerned for him because of the girl.

She was rocking back and forth now. The room was starting to change around them. The floor and the ceiling switched places. The situation was escalating.

"Yakumo?" Naruto's voice called out, unsurely. His blue eyes were wide as he looked up and down, utterly confused as to what was happening.

His brain worked quickly to determine the best way of getting Naruto as far away from her as possible without either alarming Naruto or bringing out Ido. He blinked. His eyes were crimson when he opened them.

"Naruto, backup." He ordered the boy calmly as he slid into a defensive stance. His hands hovered over the kunai holster on his thigh. His body was ready to react in a second. He just needed Naruto to cooperate.

Naruto shook his head. "No!" Naruto all but shouted.

Yakumo started to shake even more violently at Naruto's outburst. The temperature dropped significantly in the room. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

A cold bead of sweat made its way down his back. He was hoping to avoid anything messy. He did not want Naruto to witness it. Children of shinobi were only children for such a short amount of time. He wanted to preserve Naruto's innocence as long as he could.

"Naruto. Back. Away. Now." His tone was cold and authoritative. He watched as Naruto's eyes widened. He had never heard Iatchi sound like that before, much less address him in such a manner. The air was getting thicker and thicker.

The shock only lasted for a split second. "No! You can't hurt Yukamo! She's my friend." He grabbed her hand. She turned to look at him. For a sickening second Itachi thought that she would strike the boy. Or much, much worse.

He moved.

"She's looking better, Haruno-san." The kind eyes of Murakumo met hers.

"She has more energy and she goes on her walks twice a day without help!" Uroko, the girl's mother, added eagerly.

Sakura nodded. "She's doing really well. The training, diet, and exercise regime is working wonders. She needs to keep up with the therapies every three months."

Murakumo nodded. "We'll do that. We'll make sure she does. Does this mean she has a chance? To catch up to children her own age?" She saw the same hope she had seen earlier in his eyes. The couple was holding onto each other's hands for dear life as they waited for her verdict.

She could not imagine what they must have been through having to watch their child struggle and suffer every day only to be given hope three years ago. They were finally seeing the results of years of hard work. Now they were looking at the possibilities that they once thought impossible. Hope could be a dangerous thing. It was like she told Yakumo, she needed to manage their expectations.

"She's making incredible progress. She is getting stronger. She is becoming more independent." She took a breath. "We do not want to get ahead of ourselves. She still has a ways to go before we can think about having that conversation."

Just like that, the hope was gone. They instantly deflated. The guilt she felt in her being did not care that it was not her fault. They were doing everything they could. They all were. They were working hard to give Yukamo her best chance. But at the end of the day, that was all it was, a chance. Not a guarantee.

She saw the tears well up in Uroko's eyes. She felt her own heartbreak right alongside Yakumo's mother's. Giving bad or even disappointing news was always her least favorite aspect of her job. It only became harder the older she got. Being a mother herself did not help matters.

The couple looked at each other. Their expressions became reserved. "We understand, Haruno-san."

"Things are moving in the right direction." She paused to give them a moment. "Are you sure you're okay with Uchiha Itachi joining in our efforts?" She had to give the brooding Uchiha something to do. The thought of leaving Itachi with too much time on his hands did not sit well with her. Besides, from where she stood it was time for him to actually do what he was always saying he would do: help Konoha. He needed to back up all the talk.

The Kuramas exchanged glances. Uroko cleared her throat before speaking. "Yes. We trust you, Haruno-san."

Sakura smiled. "Great. I really think it will help."

'Sakura.' Akemi's voice sounded the alarm.

The three Jonin looked at each other. They had all felt the spike in chakra. Sakura turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could. The Kuramas were right behind her.

Itachi blinked. His eyes went back to their standard dark hue. Yakumo was sprawled on her knees panting slightly. Her breath was coming in ragged puffs. She was calming down. Naruto was carrying on telling her how they all got mad sometimes. He was particularly emphatic when he announced that he got mad most when someone, usually Sasuke, was being a bully. He was maintaining the one-sided conversation happily. He watched as the young boy patted Yakumo on the back.

It was strange. He had reacted out of instinct. He was ready to subdue Yakumo by any means necessary to protect both Naruto and himself. But he did nothing. Instead, it was Yakumo who blinked and looked shell-shocked. She looked at Naruto and repeated a single word: friend.

The blond had nodded his head. The girl had then collapsed to the floor. The room had gone back to normal. It was as if nothing had happened. He did not fully understand it himself. He watched as the two interacted. Yukamo was laughing at something Naruto said. The boy was beside himself with pride. The warmth that spread through Itachi hinted that he felt the same way. Naruto had defused the situation. It did not matter if it was intentional or unintentional.

"I've never had a friend before," Yakumo admitted to the blond.

"It's easy." Naruto rubbed the bottom of his nose in a very Obito manner. "You just have to be nice."

Yakumo nodded. "I can do that."

Itachi watched as she got up onto her feet. No sooner had she done so, when six pairs of feet hurried into the room.

"Is everyone alright?" She asked as she struggled to catch her breath. Her emerald eyes searched their faces frantically. When she saw they were not visibly hurt, she brought a hand to her chest and let out a relieved sigh. Itachi thought she might be the one to end up on the floor next.

"What happened?" Murakumo asked as he gathered his daughter into his arms. His wife quickly joined him.

"I made a friend," Yakumo grinned up at her parents. The look of surprise on their faces only added to the giddiness she felt. "Okaasan, Otosan, I'm getting tired." She looked at them. They in turn looked at the stunned Sakura.

"Mama?" Naruto came to squeeze her hand. She looked down at the boy. She tried to regain control of her rapidly beating heart.

"I'm okay, Naruto." She assured him as she lifted him into her arms. She held him close. "I'm okay." She said against the side of his head. Her eyes were fixated on Itachi. She asked a silent question. He nodded his head in response.

Kushina weaved through the crowd of the marketplace. Obito was right at her heels. She fanned herself with her hands. A thin layer of sweat clung to her skin. She let out a small relieved sound when she ducked into the shaded structure. The marketplace was crowded. They could use it to their advantage. With so many people, no one would pay them any special attention. She spotted the stall from the corner of her eye.

She turned to Obito. "Stay here. Just listen for once, please." She all but hissed. Something in her expression must have conveyed for Obito to obey because he did so without a complaint.

Kushina slowly walked over to the produce stand. She discreetly looked in all four directions to ensure that the only one watching her was Obito. She picked up an apple and pretended to contemplate it. She watched from the corner of her eyes as the woman in the seafood stall next door finished serving a customer.

Kushina placed the shiny red apple back with its brethren. She approached the woman. She smiled easily at her. "Hello."

"Hi!" the girl with dark chin-length hair smiled at her. Her brown eyes were both warm and inviting. "How can I help you?"

Kushina leaned forward slightly. "I'm looking for my cousin. I was hoping that maybe you could help me. She works here."

She saw the woman's eyes focus on her red locks. For once in her life she was thankful for having such distinctive hair. Kushina could see the hesitation on her face.

"I haven't seen Kohana-chan in years! Or Obachan! Gosh, even Tukiko-chan must be out of diapers by now. It's really been too long. I keep telling myself that Hancho is not that far away and that I should visit more but you know how things go, life gets in the way. But I told myself not this time. I will see my cousin and that's that. But I totally forgot where she lives! With her moving around so much it is so hard to keep track. Thankfully, I did remember the fish stall at the market. How could I not? The best salmon I've ever had in my life came from this stall. So here I am." She smiled warmly at her, finishing her rambling.

The woman blinked. She looked completely rattled by both the volume and velocity of words being shot at her. "I'm so sorry." Her face became a mask of remorse. Kushina felt her insides twist into a knot.

'Not again.' She thought to herself. She braced herself for what surely was another disappointment. Kohana and her family were probably long gone from this village by now. A had dated information.

"Kohana and your aunt were killed over two months ago." The woman said remorsefully. "It was awful. In their own home. Throats slit."

Kushina exhaled sharply. Her eyes went wide as made sense of the words. "Kami," she brought her hand to cover her mouth. "Tukiko? Where is Tukiko?" She asked in a near panic.

The woman looked at her with pity. "No one has seen the girls since."

Kushina's stomach dropped. "Girls?" She asked in a whisper.

The woman looked horrified. "You didn't know? Kohana had two girls. Tukiko and Karin. Karin is four."

Kushina grabbed the side of the stall to steady herself. Guilt raced through her. "Those poor girls. I should have come sooner." She muttered to herself.

"I'm sorry for your loss ma'am." The woman offered her condolences.

Kushina looked at her with a stunned expression. "What happened? Why was she killed? Do you have any idea where the girls might have gone?" The questions were leaving her mouth as soon as they came to mind.

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. I really don't know more." She looked over Kushina's shoulder. "I'm sorry if this seems insensitive but I have customers waiting."

Wordlessly, Kushina looked behind her. A line had formed. She furrowed her brow. "Do you know who might know more?" She needed information if there was any hope of tracking them down. She needed to find the sickos that took them.

The woman's expression became too complex to read. Her lips were pressed in a firm line. "You should get lunch at the noodle shop down the street. You can't miss it." She looked at the person behind the red-haired woman. "Next!" She called out in a loud voice.

Kushina walked back to Obito looking like she had just seen a ghost. "What's up with you?" He asked her. His hands were behind his head.

"Nothing," Kushina muttered under her breath. "Are you hungry? I'm feeling hungry. Let's go." She grabbed his arm none too gently and all but dragged him behind her to the black and white building.

"Hey! Are you going to tell me what's going on or what?" He broke out of her grasp and glared at her.

Kushina stepped up to him. Her eyes were wild. "Obito, I'm hungry. I need to eat. I'm feeling noodles." Her tone was low and controlled which made her aura all that more menacing.

"Yeah. Okay. Noodles sound good." He fought back a gulp. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Great." Kushina focused her gaze on the black tiled roof. She heard Obito trudge behind her.

"Such a nice couple." The woman's face had more wrinkles than Obito's shirt. Her wisps of white hair were gathered into a small bun at the top of her head. She was about half Kushina's height as she was doubled over with a severe hunchback. She placed the teapot in front of them. The rest of the restaurant was dead. It was the benefit of having a later lunch.

"He's my brother." Kushina smiled. The gesture did not reach her eyes. She rotated the wooden chopsticks in her hand. She had definitely gotten a vibe from the fish stall lady. She knew something. She looked at the old woman in front of her. Despite her loud nature and her friends' teasing, Kushina had gotten really good at reading people. She had to. Being a jinchuriki did not leave a lot of room for error. If she trusted the wrong people, she could pay the price with her life. She knew the woman's type.

Obito was watching Kushina closely. Kushina smiled at the woman. "I was hoping you could help me, help us." She gestured to Obito. "We're looking for our cousin, Uno Kohana. She lives here with my Obasan and her two daughters Tukiko and Karin. Do you know where they live? I get so turned around with directions." She chuckled sheepishly, ignoring the look Obito was giving her. "You know how we are with directions."

For a split second, there was a gleam in the woman's eyes. Obito and Kushina watched as the woman brought a hand to her throat in a dramatic fashion.

"Oh, you poor dears. You don't know?" She looked at them with pity. Her bottom lip trembled.

Obito instantly sat up straighter in his seat. His eyes were alert. "Know what?" He all but demanded.

"It's unspeakable." The woman covered her face.

Kushina could see that Obito was getting visibly frustrated. This was exactly what she was counting on. She reached over and grabbed the woman's hand. "Please, ma'am. Please tell us. We've come all this way."

The woman leaned against the side of the table. Obito steadied her by grabbing her at the elbow. She took a deep breath. "I am so sorry to be the one to have to tell you this. Your aunt and cousin are dead."

The color drained from Obito's face. Kushina did not have to do much. She brought a hand to her chest. She let the words sink in for a second time. It was all still so fresh.

"What happened?" Obito asked. His eyes filled with sympathy. Kushina was not sure she could rely on his acting but she did know she could count on his big heart. His reaction was genuine. It was believable. It was what they needed.

"They were murdered in their own home! Could you imagine? It is unthinkable. Their throats cut open. Gutted like fish." The woman covered her eyes as if trying to push the image from her memory. "Horrible, horrible, horrible," she tutted.

Obito was quiet. He was too stunned to speak.

"Who would do such a thing?" Kushina asked. The anguish in her voice was real. It was what she felt for that family.

The woman crossed her arms in anger. "That no-good husband, who else! Kohana had horrible taste in men. Did you know that she wasn't even married to the father of her eldest daughter?" Her lip curled up in disapproval.

Kushina could see the anger rising in Obito. She did not need Obito to snap at the woman for coming dangerously close to victim blaming.

"How do you know it was him?" She asked before he could put his foot in his mouth. "Kohana never mentioned any problems with him." She hoped the woman would not catch her in a lie.

The woman's face pulled into a grimace. "She was probably too embarrassed to say anything. He was a lowlife. He was abusive. He had gambling debts with some bad people. She left him years ago but he kept finding her when he ran out of money no doubt. She would give him more - the amount she had saved away - to keep him busy and off their backs. It worked for a while but he kept digging a deeper and deeper hole. Everyone's guess is that he sold off the girls to clear his debts and pocket a little extra."

Kushina's stomach twisted. Now she was the one who was struggling to contain her anger. "Where is he now? Did they catch who did this?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"They found his body washed up by the river. The word 'Greed' was carved into his forehead. His hands were cut off." The woman explained solemnly. "That's why we think the girls were able to get away. Their mother and grandmother were not so lucky."

She was a good actor. Kushina could see it. The woman was putting on a show. She wondered how many she did prior and for how many she would again. She knew this type of woman: the type to relish in someone else's misery. She was enjoying it. If Kushina did not need the intel she would have given the psychotic old bat a piece of her mind.

The girls had gotten away. Hope returned to her as she focused on that fact. There was no reason to kill the father if the girls were in the bastards' possession.

"And the murders?" Obito pressed.

"Gone. There were rumors of a Konoha ANBU in the surrounding area. They probably got spooked and left."

'Kakashi.' She recalled Sakura telling her he was patrolling the border towns around that time. "And the girls?" She asked, unable to keep the hope out of her voice.

The woman nodded her head sadly. "No one knows where those poor girls are. We've all been keeping an eye out. We take care of our own here in Hacho Village."

Obito slumped in his seat. Kushina could tell this was weighing heavy on him. If she had the bandwidth for anything else she could have felt guilty for not warning him. But right now, her focus was solely on the girls.

She looked up at the woman. "I need to use the bathroom."

The woman blinked at her, caught off guard. She pointed. "Behind the curtain. It's the first door down the hall to the right."

Kushina nodded. She slid out of the booth and walked towards the curtain the woman had gestured. She waited for Obito to pull the woman's attention no doubt to ask a follow-up question. She ducked behind it. As she made her way down the hall it was the door with a slide lock on the outside that caught her eye. She looked around.

She took the silver padlock on the door in her hand. It was nothing more than a mere hindrance. Hacho Village was a tourist town. They did not have shinobi and it truly showed. She had broken into locks stronger than this before she was even knee-high.

The old lady was cheap, just like the lock. Kushina procured two bobby pins from her hair. She held one with her mouth while she pulled the other completely open. She swapped the pin in her hand with the one in her mouth. She pressed the pin against the doorframe until she fashioned a lever of sorts. She bit off the rubber at the end of the pin for the end that was straight.

Kushina slid the more or less flat pin into the lock, the textured end was closest to the floor. She pushed up until she heard a click. She kept the pressure applied as she slid in the looped end of the second bobby pin to the bottom of the keyhole. She turned it clockwise.

She moved the top pin up and down until she heard no more clicking. She grinned as the lock sprung open. She removed it from the door. She slid the lever open as slowly as she could, she did not want to make any more noise than strictly necessary. She let out a small gasp at what she saw.

She watched as the soft green glow around her hands vanished away. Sakura focused on her red fingernails. During her training, she has always wondered how Tsunade managed to keep them so perfect. She could not get a manicure to last to the end of the day if her life depended on it. She had come to understand that they were part of the illusion. There was no other explanation for it.

"Everything is right where it needs to be. Welcome to the second trimester, kid." She helped Sakura into a sitting position. "Anything I should know about?"

Sakura shook her head. "The nausea is finally down, thank goodness. And nothing too out of the ordinary to report." She took in the downturned lip on the blonde's face. "What?"

Tsunade's face pinched into a mask of impatience and annoyance. "You know what. Where is that husband of yours?"

Sakura kept her face schooled. "I'm more than capable of handling these appointments on my own."

Tsunade clicked her tongue. "Don't do that. Don't turn this into one of your strong-independent-woman spiels. It's painfully obvious what you're doing. I'm a little insulted that you thought I would fall for it."

Sakura smiled at her abashed. "That obvious, huh?" Sometimes she forgot how well Tsunade knew her. "He's got a lot going on. He must have been pulled into a meeting."

Tsunade snorted. "So do you and you still showed up."

"Kind of hard to have the appointment without me," Sakura pointed out. "You would have dragged me here regardless of anything."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. She ignored Sakura's retort. "He's too busy to send a note?" She brought her hands to her hips. "What good is all that speed if he's not going to use it?"

"He takes his job really seriously. It comes first." She said without having to think about it too much. This was not life and death.

"I distinctly remember him being Hokage the first time around and he still made all the appointments." Tsunade's face was not impressed in the slightest. "He was a real pain in my ass too. With all his questions, asking me to repeat myself so he could take notes. The nerd regurgitated a whole textbook trying to convince me of something, me."

Sakura chuckled quietly. Tsunade could tell that her heart was not in it. Sakura was smiling but her eyes told a different story.

"There was no looming threat back then," Sakura said with a heavy sigh.

"He's a kage of a major village in a major land. There's always a threat. Not a good enough reason." She shot it down much like the others.

"Maybe the novelty has worn off?" Sakura joked as she rubbed her elbow. It did not take long for her to fall deep into thought.

None of this felt right to her. Sakura was acting stranger than usual and that was really saying something.

"Is everything okay?" Tsunade asked her almost gently. Sakura has been spinning out since the last time they spoke of Minato. She had blamed the hormones but his absence was inexcusable. If he knew what was good for him, he would stay the hell away from her. She had no qualms about breaking him. She could put him back together just as easily.

Sakura looked at Tsunade and smiled. "Everything is fine." Sakura got off the exam bed.

"Will I be wasting my breath if I told you to take it easy? To avoid stress?" Tsunade's almond-colored eyes studied Sakura closely.

The woman grinned. "I'll try to keep that in mind. Thank you, Tsunade-shishou." She squeezed Tsunade's forearm as she walked past.

Tsunade's frown deepened as she watched the woman leave.

The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room. The silence was deafening. Shikaku had long gone home. Minato had sent him. He did not know how much more of the concerned looks he could take. He wanted to be alone. He was at a loss for what to do next.

He did not want Inoichi's mind to walk to find anything. In fact, he was all but counting on it. He had the same mindset as Wolf. Bat was being framed. The theory worked for him because the alternative was too bitter to swallow. Bat was a traitor. He had a traitor who wanted him dead protecting him. And in his mind that was not even the worst part. He trusted Bat with his world, his son, and his wife.

How could he have been so blind? How did he miss the signs? How could he trust his gut, his intuition again? What else had he missed?

The longer he thought the more questions pestered him. Just how careless did he let himself become? This time they had managed to get away virtual scot-free, from undoable damage anyway. Through the skin of his teeth, he was able to manage it. No one died.

They had gotten lucky. He could not rely on luck the next time. He thought he would feel something when he confronted Bat in his cell. The man had been unable to look at him. Ban, a tall, broad-shouldered orange-haired, yellow-eyed tan man, looked so broken and defeated by his capture. He almost looked heartbroken. Like he did not believe he could have done such a thing either. He had remained mute to all the questions Minato asked him. Starting with why.

It went unanswered so he moved on to the hows. How does someone born and raised in Konoha become radicalized to the point that they try to kill the Hokage? How did he decide to choose those men? How did he manage to stay undetected? How could he do this to him? How could he be okay with leaving two children fatherless?

He had said nothing. So he asked him the whats. What was his motive? What did he hope to gain? What did Minato do to him that would push him to this? What was going on in his mind? What was he thinking?

Like the previous barrage of questions, it went nowhere. He simply endured the onslaught and said nothing. He did not move. He did not make a sound. He did not raise his eyes. Not once. Minato knew the definition of insanity. He was mindful enough to recall it when he kept asking question after question even as they all went unanswered. His need was too great. He had the man responsible for it all before him and he needed to know.

But Ban kept quiet and Minato kept descending further and further down the rabbit hole. Hours had passed before he came up for air. It had been Shikaku who floated the idea that they let the professionals handle it. He shot it down. A mind walk, that he could stomach. Interrogating one of their own, no that was where he drew the line. He was desperate for answers but he would rather have no answers and his humanity intact than answers and no humanity.

He did not care if the council would find that decision weak. The gathered evidence would have to be enough despite the various serious allegations. Ban was still a Konoha citizen. He had worked tirelessly and admirably the last six years for him. If not for anything else, that would be the reason why he did not hand him to Ibiki and Masaki.

There was ruthless and then there was cruel. He did not see himself as either. And he hoped to whatever higher being that listened that those closest to him did not see him that way either.

He sighed loudly as he dug the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Hokage-sama?" A smooth voice called out filling the space, drowning out the sounds of the clock momentarily.

He lowered his hands and blinked. He had completely forgotten her presence. He was still not used to her. Prior to this, she was always in the shadows. Hidden away. If her presence was sensed she was not doing her job. Wolf and Bat were the ANBU that were seen. Wolf and Bat were the ones to be interacted with. Spider and Ox were the ones to be forgotten about. But he supposed things were different now.

He sighed deeply again. He ran a hand through his hair. His locks became tousled. "Just the situation with Bat. I can't help but think about what else I missed." He admitted.

"Bat fooled us all, Hokage-sama. We all missed the signs." Her voice was velvety smooth.

"It is different for me, Spider. I let him come close to my family. To my wife and son. To my unborn baby." He could not keep the edge from his voice.

"I can appreciate how awful this must feel for you, Hokage-sama. We only worked with him. You relied on him to keep your most vulnerable safe. It is a great betrayal." She was standing behind him. Her voice was coming from his left.

Minato paused. Naruto could understand being described as vulnerable. He was a child. He did not know how to defend himself. He did not even know how to use chakra for an S.O.S. much less defense. But he supposed there was truth to Spider's words. Sakura was vulnerable. It was temporary but true nonetheless. His only motivation to keep her away from this as much as possible was not to add to her worry, her stress. He was preoccupied with her mental state. He never truly considered her physical limitations too. It would only be a matter of time before she could cease to manipulate chakra. It would be difficult for her to defend herself much less Naruto.

He swallowed the lump that was threatening to form in his throat. His mind drifted to Sakura. He gripped the edge of his seat. She was relying on him to keep her safe. To keep their family safe. Her smiling face was never far from his thoughts.

"Hokage-sama, is everything alright?" The voice called out.

Minato's eyes hardened as he pushed down the emotions that were threatening to overcome him. They needed him to have a clear head and be in full control of his faculties. He could not afford to be distracted. He did not have time to think much less process what he was feeling. It was not about him. His priorities were elsewhere.

The presence was gone from behind him.

Itachi watched as the Namikaze household ate dinner together. It was a different affair than he was used to. Not only did Naruto speak whenever he felt like it, but he was also encouraged to. His parents seem to hang off of his every word. He was rattling about his day. How he described the experience at the Kurama Clan Estate was vastly different than how Itachi remembered it.

"How was the rest of your day, Itachi-kun?" He paused from raising the last of his food to his mouth to look at the three of them staring at him.

He finished chewing. "It was fine. I trained." It was not a complete lie. He had gone looking for Shun or Uito. He found neither. So he went to the training ground and blew off some pent-up frustration with how slow things were moving. He was meeting with the red-eyed genjutsu specialist tomorrow to give her his thoughts on Yukamo.

"That's nice." Sakura smiled at him. She looked at Minato. "I saw Wolf for his checkup. It was nice to see him." She mentioned it pleasantly.

The blond nodded his head. "Thank you for taking such good care of the ANBU."

The smile stayed on her face but there was a strain in her eyes. "Of course. Just doing my job." She turned to Naruto playfully. "Speaking of jobs, when are you getting one, Naruto?"

The boy giggled. "Mama!" He said in playful indignation. "I'm four. I'm not big enough to have a job."

Sakura smacked her forehead. "Oh right, silly me." She rose to her feet and began to collect the plates. Itachi got up to help. She gestured him back down. "I've got it, Itachi-kun. You've had a long day."

Minato turned to Naruto. "Say good night to Itachi and go pick out a book."

"Good night, Itachi-oniichan!" Naruto slipped out of his chair and ran toward his room. Minato got up and followed after him.

"No running in the house, Naruto!" Sakura called over her shoulder from the sink. "Geez, that kid." She muttered under her breath. The smile on her face took the bite out of her words. Itachi sat at the table as she did the dishes. She turned off the tap and dried her hands. "It's a beautiful night, Itachi-kun. But don't stay out too late."

He looked at her with mild surprise slipping into his eyes. She pointed her thumb to the green seal on her forehead. "It's sneak proof." She winked at him. "Be sure to take a jacket. It gets cold."

He watched as she was practically out of the kitchen before she turned back to look at him. "Good night, Itachi-kun."

"Good night, Sakura-san." He mumbled when she was out of earshot.

He rose to his feet. He pulled on the jacket he took from the coat rack and slipped into his shoes. He took the rooftops. His footsteps were soundless. He made sure to mask his chakra completely. He moved along the tiles until he found what he was looking for. He stopped. The pitch of the roof obscured him from view. He watched the slow rise and fall of Sauke's chest as he slept.

"Good night, Sasuke." He whispered into the still air as he watched his little brother sleep peacefully.

Sakura moved slowly to carefully extract her fingers from Naruto's sleeping grip. It was almost as high stakes as any surgery she had performed. He muttered in his sleep as she lowered his hand onto the pillow, she was free. She shivered as she slipped onto the balcony. She gently closed the doors behind her. She breathed in the cool air deeply. There he stood gripping the wooden railing. Starting off into the distance. His eyes were not focused on anything in particular. Deep in thought.

She came up behind him and hugged him around his torso. He was warm. She was not. She did not feel him move or acknowledge her presence.

"You must have had a busy day." She commented quietly. She had thought he would have been the one to bring it up on his own. He must be a lot on his mind for him to still not mention it.

Minato made a noncommittal sound. "Not any busier than yesterday." Even his voice sounded distant.

Sakura frowned. She did not remind him about the appointment this morning because she did not think she needed to. She never had to in the past. He was organized. He had two calendars. One at home and one at work. She had seen the appointment listed in his home calendar.

'Maybe he did just forget?' She shook her head to free herself from the thought. That was not her Minato. He was attentive. He showed up. That was her husband. There had to be something else.

"Is everything okay, Minato?" She asked him carefully. She felt him stiffen against her. She pulled away.

His gaze was intense when it settled on her. The butterflies in her stomach grew restless. "You know that I'll do whatever is necessary to protect our family. You know that, right?"

Alarm bells were sounding off in her head. She did not know where this was coming from. She was finally feeling like they were getting back on the same page. That he understood her and she understood him. And here he was yet again completely catching her off guard.

"I know." She said firmly after searching his eyes. She brought a hand to the side of his face. She caressed it slowly. She missed him. She missed them. Just being. "And you know that I would do anything to protect our family."

He looked at her. Her heart fluttered in her chest. "I know." He said with equal firmness. His gaze set her on fire. She needed to be close to him. For too long the arguments, the misunderstandings, the conflicts had pushed them away. She just wanted to bridge that gap. She wanted to leave it behind them.

Her eyes drifted down to his lips. They traveled back slowly to his eyes. She made her request as clear as she could when only eyes did the talking. She closed her eyelids halfway in preparation. Goosebumps that had nothing to do with the chill broke across her skin. She could feel her heart beating in her chest, painfully. She was certain that he could hear it too.

"It's getting cold out here. We should go back inside." He took a step to the side and before she knew it, the sliding door was being opened. She looked at him stunned.

"Minato," she began trying to explain herself. She did not care about the cold. Not when he was standing right there. In all the madness they finally had an opportunity to be alone together.

He sighed. "Not tonight. Can we please not fight for one night?"

Her brows furrowed. She did not even get the chance to tell him that was the furthest thing from her mind. The look on his face killed any hope the words had of being airborne. She lowered her hand to her side. She recovered. She looked past him.

"Okay." She stepped into the room and slipped into her side of the bed without so much as jostling Naruto.

She waited for his breathing to slow down before she let the tears leak from her lashes. She fought back against the silent sobs from rocking her frame. The slightest movement would wake him. And she wanted to honor his request even though he refused to even acknowledge hers.

He had forgotten. Minato had forgotten about the appointment.

She covered her mouth with her hand. A silent scream ripped through her throat. It left her more exhausted than she had felt in some time. Her pillow became damp with her tears. She sniffled.

'Oh, Flower-chan. My sweet child.'

Even Akemi's soothing voice and words could not drown out the sounds of her heart breaking in her chest.