lawly

by footfungus

lawly

37. Chapter 37

It was cute to see his three precious little Genin taking this mission so seriously. Well, it was cute, and then they ran into the Demon Brothers and the C-rank that the Lord Third promised him was a C-rank wasn't actually a C-rank.

Why did this keep happening to him?

To make matters worse, his Genin all had bleeding, bleeding hearts and after hearing the admittedly tragic story of the bridge builder they all decided to help him.

Kakashi had sent a letter to both the Hokage and to Mari, but he knew the odds of back up coming before they ran into more trouble. Like now.

Naruto was eyeing the mist, and unlike Mari who had trained and trained the blonde had been gifted with the Uzumaki natural sensing. His cute little Genin poked at the mist, and turned to his sensei with a confused expression.

"Chakra Mist," he explained before Naruto could voice the thought. "It seems the brothers weren't working alone after all. Stay close."

There was someone out there, but they were hiding, and were skilled enough that Kakashi was having trouble locating them. Still, he eyed the mist, and the building tension in the air.

Naruto tilted his head, and then his bright blue eyes grew wide.

"Down," Kakashi ordered, the flying sword getting too damn close his Genin, and Kakashi resisted the urge to snarl at the Missing-Nin before him.

"Well," the Demon of the Hidden Mist drawled, "if it isn't Kakashi of the Sharingan."

"Wait, wait I know that one," Naruto exclaimed, and Kakashi wondered how after four years of being raised by Uchiha Mari, the Uzumaki acted like he had never heard the word stealthy in his life. "That's one of the Seven Swordsmens of the Mist Suigetsu is obsessed with cause his brother was one, he's Zazu or something."

Kakashi didn't sigh, but he wanted to. Zabuza paused, head tilted as he peered at Kakashi's Genin in an almost befuddled expression. "Hozuki Suigetsu?"

"Don't answer that," Kakashi ordered, because that kind of thing was common ground and once Naruto got talking he wasn't going to stop.

"Yeah," Naruto answered, "bloodline thieves tried to kidnap him but Mari-nee got him first so now he's a fosterling."

"Right," Zabuza drew out, looking at Kakashi judgmentally, which was entirely unfair because Naruto came that way, he had nothing to do with it. "Hand over the bridge builder, and I'll even let you run back to Konoha with your tails tucked between your legs."

Oh good, they were back on track, and Kakashi gave his most annoying eye smile. "No can do I'm afraid, we've got this pesky thing called a contract you see. You know how it is, obligations and all that."

"Kaka-sensei can we give a counter offer?" Naruto asked, and Kakashi wondered what he had done to deserve this. He wasn't sure which god he had pissed off in a past life, but he was so, so sorry.

"No," he replied, and then the implications of that sentence caught up with him, and had it been safe to do so Kakashi would have whirled on his students. "No, absolutely not."

"But why," Naruto whined, sounding suspiciously like that black cat that always followed Sasuke around in-village. "He doesn't seem like a murder-hobo, and since he tried diplomacy first he can't be that unreasonable."

Zabuza laughed, still standing on his sword like a over-compensating prick. "You think so kid? I'm Momochi Zabuza: The Bloody Demon of the Mist. I killed my entire graduation class when I was nine."

Kakashi felt a prickle of fear go down his spine, because he wasn't called a genius for nothing, and he knew where this was going. "No, no, no do not engage with the precious Genin."

"Afraid they'll be traumatized," Zabuza jeered, and Kakashi shot him a look.

"No," he said, because if they were traumatized he could just throw them at Haruki or Inoichi or Shizuka.

"Why?" Sakura asked, and both older nin glanced at her. "Uh, the killing your class thing, we already know what Kaka-sensei's worried about."

Zabuza stared at her like he looked long enough she might start making sense.

Kakashi wished him luck in that endeavor.

"Yeah, good question Sakura," Naruto added, and Kakashi wondered if Zabuza had noticed the Positive Intent leaking everywhere. It settled into his bones like a summer heat, and if the sun had been out he might have had to resist the urge to take a nap. He blamed Mari for this sequence of events, and would absolutely be saying so in his report. "Cause like, that sounds awful, but you were like nine, so the fault also lies with whoever your guardian at the time was, and you can't say it was just for fun because if you just liked killing people you wouldn't have offered to let us walk away."

"One, he could be a coward," Kakashi reminded, because assuming an enemy wasn't out to get you if they stopped to talk was a dangerous line of thinking. "Two, cease and desist this right now, and the two of you stop helping him."

Sakura gave an air of confusion. He didn't look away from Zabuza, but he could feel it. "I thought we were suppose to help our teammates Kakashi-sensei?"

"You said it was a Team Seven rule," Sasuke very unhelpfully added. "Besides, Mari says anyone who leaps into a fight without even trying to negotiate is either mentally ill or brainwashed into thinking attacking is only way to go or a murder-hobo, and you can't tell which one they are unless you talk to them."

Kakashi still had no idea what a murder-hobo was. He could guess, but he didn't want to. Mari had infected him with enough strange terminology as it was.

"You've got some interesting Genin," Zabuza mused, and Kakashi glared at him because he was trying to save the both of them damn it, how could not see the trap?

"Hey, how do you feel about switching sides," Naruto asked, just asked, like they were talking about dango or mochi. This time Kakashi did risk giving his Genin a look, and Naruto made a what? gesture. "What? You guys are just posturing anyway, we might as well be productive."

Sweet Sage help him that was Mari coming out of his mouth.

"He wants to kill a random bridge builder, of course Gato hired him," Sasuke stated, and he had never looked more like Senka when she was about to knock something over on purpose. "The real question to ask is what kind of contract did he accept. If it was upfront he's contractually obligated to see it through but if he hasn't gotten paid yet he can dip out without it affecting his reputation."

"I don't think Gato is the type of person who pays anyone upfront," Sakura added, and Kakashi would wonder how she knew that, but he had foolishly allowed unsupervised time alone in the Uchiha household.

Naruto hummed in agreement. "Good point Sakura-chan, hey Zabuza, uh, should I add an honorific? Whatever, who cares, hey Demon Mist dude, were you paid up front or not?"

Can we please fight to the death now? Kakashi asked in Kiri ANBU hand sign, and Zabuza started.

One, where the fuck did you learn our ANBU hand signs, Zabuza replied as the Genin argued about the use of honorifics on the battlefield. Two, what the fuck is wrong with your Genin?

Kakashi raised a brow. Why would I tell you that and I am not at fault for this, they came this way and also I told you not to engage, this is your fault.

"What's in it for me if I do change sides" Zabuza asked just to be petty, and Kakashi felt a stab of betrayal.

Who made him the straight-man in this scenario? How had he become the normal one? This was terrible.

Well, not too terrible, since no one was dead or dying or scared, but that was semantics.

"Uh that kinda depends on you," Naruto replied, "like, do you want to scam Gato so you get paid and no one gets hurt and we go our separate ways at the end of it or do you want job security as an informant and occasional back up for out of their depth Konoha and allied nin?"

"Mari did set you up to this," He accused, and they wouldn't even be in this situation if Muta hadn't won the pot by cheating. His gifted tanto would have won in any other circumstances, but Kakashi was not going into it's history for a close second.

"Missing-nin are fair game!" Naruto protested.

"Not that one!" Kakashi replied, "he's one of the bloody Seven Swords of the Mist, that was a joke, not a challenge."

"Technically it's not adopting," Sasuke countered, "we're just adding him to my cousin's spy network while also routing a fight before it happens and you end up with Chakra Exhaustion again. Tell him about the benefits, Dobe."

"Oh yeah," Naruto said, "if you sign on you get hourly rates and access to higher education if you want to get out the shinobi business and a retirement fund for when you retire. Plus you get one of those hospital card thingys, so you get like dental and stuff, that's very important. I don't why, but old people love their teeth for some reason. And if you get an apprentice or Genin team or partner they get the same contract if they want."

"Dental," Zabuza repeated slowly, and damn, they had him.

Naruto made some sort of movement, probably a thumbs up or something, judging from Zabuza's face. "Yep! And if you're worried about the contract with Gato it's not like he was going to pay you anyway."

"What," Zabuza said as Kakashi sighed. He was willing to admit he had long lost control of this conversation.

"Sakura's got proof, see?" Naruto said, completely ignoring the flash of Killing Intent. Or, well, it was entirely possible he didn't feel it, considering how much Chakra he had laced into the air. "Here's a whole list of various people he didn't pay or ended up killing or getting killed so he wouldn't have to."

"He can't be that stupid," Zabuza defended, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow, because surely he knew better than that.

"He's greedy," Sasuke countered, "and hunger always trumps logic."

That sounded like a Mari expression right there, and Zabuza paused, glancing between him and his Genin. "You lot could be lying."

"Oh," Naruto said in a quiet tone, "I forgot about that angle. Uhh, I can swear on my clan? That's a thing right? I'm pretty sure we don't have any collateral."

"We don't," Sasuke replied, "we also don't know if Kiri still accepts blood oaths, considering their current genocides."

"He might though," Sakura rebutted, "he is a Missing-Nin so he clearly doesn't agree with the current Kage."

"Assumption," Kakashi corrected, even if that was close enough to what happened. "Also consider that he might lie about his beliefs to two very obvious clan kids."

The kids started arguing about trust versus collateral and Zabuza watched him wearily. Good, he was starting to see the danger. He was a little slow on the uptake, but he was from Kiri; who had never heard of diplomacy in their life, so Kakashi would give him a pass.

Naruto's Positive Intent in the air likely wasn't helping the man figure out words were a weapon just like any other.

Truth? Zabuza asked, and Kakashi sighed.

Unfortunately. He replied. We could still fight to the death, it would just be very messy and make them very upset and then their caretaker would murder me.

Zabuza raised a brow. And just who is this caretaker?

Uchiha Mari, Kakashi finger spelled, Sealing Mistress of Konoha.

The Missing-Nin paled. Their caretaker is the Corpse-Thief?

He eye smiled. Mari hated that nickname. They might deny it, but you're getting adopted by proxy. I tried to escalate when I could. It's too late now.

"It's ok to be nervous," Naruto said sympathetically, and damn, that even made Kakashi feel all gushy. Ugh. Feelings. "Mari-nee says that after a lifetime of being screwed over and distrusted the smallest act of generosity seems suspicious, but like, we really don't have to kill each other cause some meanie wants to starve people to death for money."

Zabuza stared at his cute little Genin for a moment before turning to Kakashi. "He's an idiot."

"He's not the sharpest kuni in the pouch," Kakashi agreed, ignoring Naruto's hey and Sasuke's hn of agreement. "But he's got heart, so it all works out in the end."

And if Kakashi was giving a Kiri hand sign for truce against hidden enemy, well, that was his business.

Zabuza gave a doubtful hum, finally getting off his sword, one arm leaning against the handle. "Tell you what. How about we scam Gato, and if you keep your end of the bargain, I'll take a look at this contract of yours."

"Yes!" Naruto shouted, and Kakashi looked to sky, wondering how he was going to explain this to the Lord Third. "Do you guys still want to fight so it'll be realistic?"

Oh? He looked back back down again. That might be fun, there were a few people he could go all out on after all.

Sakura made a sound of thought. "They should both get injured enough so Tazuna-san has time to finish the bridge without Gato having to worry about being taken out of the equation but is nervous enough that he doesn't attack the bridge before it's done."

Sasuke frowned. "I thought we weren't encouraging Kakashi's reckless tendencies."

"Hey now," he protested, because Shizuka said he was doing great with dealing with his reckless tendencies thank you very much.

Zabuza laughed, pulling his sword from the tree, and really, why did he need a blade that big? "What do you say Copy-Nin, shall we go at it?"

Kakashi gave his most annoying eye smile. "I'm afraid I'm not looking for a relationship at this time, the Genin you understand, they are very time consuming and need my full attention."

The snarl and the near water dragon to the face was very much worth the jab.

Chapter 5: Home Chapter Text

no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark.
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city
running as well.
your neighbors running faster
than you, the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind
the old tin factory is
holding a gun bigger than his body,
you only leave home
when home won't let you stay.
no one would leave home unless home
chased you, fire under feet,
hot blood in your belly.
it's not something you ever thought about
doing, and so when you did -
you carried the anthem under your breath,
waiting until the airport toilet
to tear up the passport and swallow,
each mouthful of paper making it clear that
you would not be going back.
you have to understand,
no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.
who would choose to spend days
and nights in the stomach of a truck
unless the miles traveled
meant something more than journey

Kit, Kurama said from the mindscape, someone's watching.

Naruto grumbled and titled his head away, falling backwards before awareness could creep into his body. He landed in water again, and he frowned at the cool liquid that was more of a wake-up than Kurama's voice had been.

Mari and him were still working on improving the mindscape, but they had made things nicer, so it was less a sewer and more of a canal now, with dabbled trees for a rooftop and clear blue water running through it's floor.

The cage was still there, but they were working on that, and Naruto ducked behind the bars and plopped himself between Kurama's paws.

"How are they feeling?" he asked, and Kurama closed his eyes, head placed beside Naruto.

"Curious, but no malicious feelings yet," Kurama said, then his brows flickered, a hum vibrating in his throat and across Naruto's body. "He feels familiar. Like the paled hair brat, I think."

"Uhh, which paled haired brat," Naruto wondered, cause that could mean a few different people.

One of Kurama's tails swished in the background, sending ripples along the water. "The one related to us."

"Oh, you mean Kimimaro?" Naruto realized, and then paused. "Like, post-Yamanaka Kimimaro, or pre-Yamanaka Kimimaro, cause those were like, two different people."

"Pre," the fox replied, and Naruto made a face at that, because Kimimaro in the early years was all kinds of fucked up, and it was only recently he finally stopped seeing Mari as like, his owner or something twisted like that. Thank the Sage Haruki took in so many of Mari's ducklings when she asked, otherwise Kimimaro still might think he owed Mari anything and everything.

"Let's see what they do," Naruto decided, because pre-Yamanaka Kimimaro hadn't been violent, just alarming subservient.

"That seems unwise," Kurama countered, "Shinobi don't need negative emotions to do great harm."

Neither of them mentioned Mito, or Naruto's father, but they were thinking it.

Still, he took the fox's advice, and thought about it. "You said they felt like Kimimaro, before Mari threw him at a Yamanaka?"

The fox gave a silent huff at the mental image. "They do."

"Let's wait and see then," he said, and Kurama gave him a look, red eyes shining in the light. "Call it a hunch, but I don't think they'll hurt us."

His friend made a sound of doubt, tails lashing, but Naruto petted his ears, and wiggled a little deeper into his fur. Kurama sighed, but he pricked his ears forward and helped Naruto see with his own Chakra sense.

The shinobi moved closer and closer. Naruto could see what Kurama meant, the person's chakra smooth like silk on a blade, sharpened in all the wrong places and wrapped tight in all the worst ways.

For a moment it looked like Kurama was going to be proven right, the shinobi's hand over Naruto's throat, but it turned into a shake instead, and the big grumpy fox grumbled at the attempts to wake his container up.

"You'll catch a cold out here," they said, and Naruto blinked awake, squinting bleary eyed as someone he couldn't tell the gender of. They were dressed like a girl, but that didn't always mean a desire for female pronouns. Oh well, he'd settle on neither until told otherwise.

"Who are you?" he asked, playing up the hapless Genin, and the person tilted their head and smiled. Naruto ignored Kurama laughing at him as a blush rose up from his cheeks.

Done in by a pretty shinobi, the big meanie drawled, just the rest of your linage.

Shut up Kurama, he hissed, and the fox cackled.

"My name is Haku," the shinobi said, "what is yours?"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, son of Ashura. Nice to meet you." Naruto noticed the basket full of green stuff. "Are you collecting the green stuff for herbs or a meal or something? I know some people do soaps and stuff too, want any help?"

Haku tilted their head. "Nice to meet you too. I am collecting these herbs for my friend, he got injured doing something rather stupid."

Kurama snorted, and tossed Naruto a memory of that small Chakra presence that watched both the counter offers and then the brawl with a lot of weariness and confusion.

Ah, he sent down the mindscape, that makes sense.

"Well that's nice of you," he said, "do you want help? You can say no, I know some people like to do things by themselves, and while I'm a great help I'm not really the best at doing things quietly."

"Help would be greatly appreciated," Haku replied, which was neither a yes or a no, no matter how it sounded. "Thank you. I am looking for Ashitaba, more commonly called tomorrow's leaf. Do you know what that is?"

"Uh, kinda?" Naruto replied, because he didn't but Kurama did, and directed him to the best leaves and stems to collect.

He started humming one of Mari's songs as he worked, picking plants to the beat of mama said and high high hopes.

"So is Ashura your father?" Haku asked after about a minute of silence, and Naruto adding another stem to the basket.

"Uh no, it's a clan thing," he explained, "I'm an Uzumaki, so my linage is Ashura."

Should I mention Sasuke? he send down the mindscape, and Kurama hummed in doubt.

Best not, the fox settled on, we don't how they'd take the information.

That was fair enough.

Haku glanced at him, head tilted curiously. "Are you from a big clan?"

"We used to be," Naruto replied, pausing to peer at one his stems. Kurama shook his head, and Naruto put it back on the ground. "Not anymore though, they're all dead."

"Oh." Haku's face was doing a thing. It was a very good thing, but Naruto lived with Muta and Kimimaro and Mari and Akari, so he was very good at reading people who lied with their faces or hid behind masks, and also he was using Kurama to cheat. "I'm sorry."

"That's ok," Naruto said like it didn't matter, because wow were Haku's emotions all over the place. "I wasn't even born when they all got killed, and Mari-nee even found some of my cousins!"

"Is this Mari not a sister?" Haku asked, and Naruto gave a so-so gesture.

"Eh, I mean, she kinda is? She adopted me when I was about eight, and she is technically related to me, even if it's so distant we'd be like twenty second cousins or something."

Haku held some tomorrow's leaf in his hands. "That was kind of her."

"What about you?" Naruto prompted, "Do you have any family left?"

Haku's face did a thing again, like Akari's or Kimimaro's when reminded them of their time with people who did them great harm.

"No," they said at last. "Not anymore."

"I'm sorry," Naruto replied, suddenly feeling very out his depth. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"That's okay." Haku said, and Naruto cringed a bit. Hidden was alright, that just meant they were deciding on their opinion. Blank was bad, blank meant they felt unsafe, and Naruto didn't know how to fix it like he did with Akari or Kimimaro.

The plants, Kurama suggested, and Naruto took a breath.

"So who are you making this medicine for?" he asked, "is it for a friend or are you doing it like a hobby or something like that?"

Haku stared at him for a heartbeat before saying, "it's for a friend. He got injured doing something rather silly."

Naruto grinned, not just at the reminder of Kakashi kicking Zabuza's butt and then looking so surprised when he dropped from Chakra Exhaustion, but also at the distain he heard a trace of. Haku was probably a bit like Tenzo in that regard. "Unless it's serious, that's the best kind of injury."

Haku frowned at him, and oh yes, they were definitely like Tenzo, only Team Four's sensei was totally lying to himself and would one day realize he belonged on the chaos crew, whereas Naruto wasn't sure about Haku.

"He shouldn't have gotten injured at all," the older teen stressed, and Naruto tilted his head.

"Sure, sure, safety and all that," he mused with a wave of his hand, "but did he have fun?"

"Fun," Haku repeated slowly, and Naruto beamed at him with what Mari said was the cutest smile she'd ever laid eyes upon.

"Yeah," he explained, "sometimes you do something stupid and get hurt, but if you had fun and you learned what you did wrong then it's all okay in the end."

Haku was staring him like Mari's strays sometimes stared at her, and Naruto pretend not to notice, hands focused on picking the herbs. The herb smelled like celery, and he wrinkled his nose. Ugh. Vegetables.

"Is that something your Mari says?" Haku asked, and Naruto had never understood Sasuke's desire to have a mini Yamanaka in his pocket until now.

"Yep," he said as he placed more stems in the basket. "she's a big believer in little hurts, like skinned knees and sunburns and blistered palms. Unless it's on purpose, then that's bad, but she thinks it's good for the soul to trip and roll down a hill every once in a while."

Kurama hummed, and Naruto knew the fox was thinking about his own childhood. The Chakra Construct and Mari… talked, sometimes, about Kurama's father, and the things the man had asked of children, as well as the things he had unintentionally passed down from his mother.

It was disconcerting sometimes, to realize for all the Sage's wisdom he had been a subpar father.

"She sounds nice," Haku politely answered, and Naruto wrinkled his nose.

"Kind," he corrected, "Mari-nee doesn't like to be called nice. She doesn't say it, but I think it reminds her of her mother, who was nice because it wasn't safe for her to be anything else."

That was probably more than Naruto should give, but Haku seemed like a give and receive kind of person.

The older teen furrowed their brows. "Is there a difference?"

Oh boy was there.

"Nice is mellow," Naruto explained, focused on picking the best stems with the most leaves. "It's soft and gentle and sometimes used by adults to hide what they really think, or to play a trick on someone. Kindness is, kindness is angry. Kindness is Mari-nee threatening to track down someone's matron when they aren't doing their job or teaching Karin how to hurt people so she feels safe enough to sleep without nightmares or yelling at villagers who judge others for things people can't control. Kindness is Roka teaching me my kanji even though he hates teaching and Muta listening to Fu ramble even though he likes the quiet. Kindness is Sakura helping me with social situations I don't understand even though her parents hate me and Sasuke calling me Dobe because he's determined that no matter what he learns about me we'll always be rivals.

Kindness is, kindness is me forgiving someone who hurt me, because my parents hurt him, and he didn't chose to be stuck with me."

Naruto could feel Kurama flick his tails, nose pressed up against the bars. There was the pungent smell of celery in the air, his hands sticky from the broken stems as he snaps the tomorrow's leaf from its' roots with a wet crunch. Haku watched him, eyes unreadable.

"She's a precious person then," they said, and Naruto gave a snort.

"Mari says stuff like that too," he replied, "though she likes to call it found family instead."

Haku tilted his head in curiosity again. "Found family?"

"It's family you pick for yourself, no matter how big or how little or how much blood your share," he quoted, then paused, and laughed a little, "though Mari takes that a little too seriously, considering she adopts everything that moves."

"Oh?" Haku sounded amused now, and that was good.

"It's not her fault," Naruto felt the need to add, "or at least that's what everyone says. She was raised by cats, so her standards for normal behavior are a bit wonky. Fair warning though, you best look out if you're a sad looking orphan, cause not even being from a different country will save you."

"I thank you for the warning then," Haku said lightly, like they were trying not to laugh. "She's adopted a lot of people then?"

"Oh a whole bunch. We got a lot when Kiri started doing the bloodline purges." He stopped talking then, and not just because of the face Haku was making. Naruto remembered Mari's distress so clearly, how even now she was still trying to reconnect scattered families. "She tried to get as many to safety as she could you know."

"Why?" Haku asked, voice suspiciously blank.

Naruto blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean why?"

"They were dangerous, were they not?" Haku said, and oh that was a load of bullshit. "Or did she wish to have their power, their gratitude."

Naruto wanted to snarl at him, to yell at how Mari would never do anything like that, that she was so, so hurt by all the lives she couldn't save.

He took a breath, just like Mari had taught him, Kurama's focus so steadying in the mindscape. Yelling didn't change anybody's mind, no matter how much better it might make him feel. Haku was young, like him, it wasn't the older teen's fault he had been taught all that horse shit.

He wondered then, what Mari would say if she were here.

Something smart, probably.

Naruto didn't have a way with words, but he did have her stories, and the lessons she had taught him.

"Mari comes from a bloodline clan," Naruto stated, though he still couldn't read Haku's blank face, "and so do her teammates. She loves them, loves what makes them different. She doesn't need power, or gratitude, she doesn't want it. She love Kimimaro when he makes gardens out of his bones and Suigetsu when he dissolves into water and messes with the koi and the cranes and the frogs. She loves it when Guran preserves flowers in crystals and when Kahyo makes sculptures out of ice and when her son Hakuyo makes it snow and when-"

Haku stood up then, face pale and eyes wide. "What did you just say."

Naruto stood up too. "People with bloodlines aren't monsters, and those Kiri clans didn't deserves to be hunted down like they had rabies or something. If you think that they did you can just leave-"

"The last two," Haku interrupted, and Naruto frowned, because this didn't feel like prejudice anymore. "They can, you said ice I, what is their clan name?" Naruto didn't answer, and Haku took a breath, clearly distressed for all he was trying to hide it. "Please?"

"They don't use one," Naruto answered like he was suppose to, because last names could be dangerous things, sometimes.

"Please," Haku begged, "I won't, I'm not, please?"

Kurama? Naruto asked down the mindscape.

The fox's ears were slicked back, and he looked very sad. Tell them.

"Well, since they have the Ice Release, Mari always assumed they were from the Yuki clan, but she never asked, because they didn't want to say." Haku was very distressed to hear this, face hidden behind that porcelain mask of politeness. "Hey, are you okay?"

Haku took a step back, refusing to give their back to Naruto. "I need to leave. Thank you for helping me with the herbs."

"Mari's not hurting them, if that's what you're worried about," Naruto told the older teen, because that's what Akari was always scared of, terrified someone would come and tell her to pay for her existence with blood and pain and tears. "They're under her protection, that means they don't have to do anything they don't want to do. They don't have to marry, or have kids, or be shinobi, or like, anything you're thinking of."

A flash of anger flickered across Haku's face. "What do you know of my fears."

"Nothing," he replied, because Naruto had never feared being taken, or being used like a prized pig, even if he did know what it meant to have people be afraid of something he couldn't help. "Mari does though. She's from a bloodline clan, remember? Someone, they tried to take her once, they did take her, we all thought she was dead. He, he wanted to make her have babies so they could steal her bloodline through her children, and he would have done it too, if someone hadn't saved her. She, Mari won't ever take away people's choices, not like hers almost were."

"We're shinobi," Haku hissed, letting the polite fiction they didn't know each other fall away. "We don't have choices, we're nothing but weapons to be used by those stronger than us."

"No," Naruto countered, refusing to carry on the belief that had hurt Kakashi and Jiji and Sasuke's brother and Tenzo and so many of Mari's strays and ducklings. "We're people, with thoughts and feelings and weaknesses. Anyone who says we're weapons are always the ones doing the wielding, because they don't actually think that, they just want us to do whatever they want us to do. I don't have listen to old men who talk and talk of duty and service but don't ever do those things themselves."

"You know nothing, you are a foolish little boy who doesn't understand how the world works," Haku snapped, trying to use his words to hurt, but Naruto channeled his elder sister and met Haku's gaze with an unyielding expression.

"I know I was told I was a weapon when I was barely a day old," he replied calmly, and Haku flinched. "I know if my elders had their way, I'd be an unfeeling statue they could unleash on their enemies, never opening my mouth or saying a thing against them. I know I'm spiting in their faces by being loud and kind and by refusing to be anyones weapon, even my own Kage's. They can say I'm being selfish, that any trouble I get into is my own fault, but I know the truth, and they do to."

Haku had a hand to their chest, breath shaky, and Naruto had the feeling he knew why Kurama was so sad. He felt sad now too, grief tugging at his throat, and the only reason he didn't cry was because it might distress Haku even more.

"They got what they deserved," Haku said, but the words weren't their own, and they both knew it. "They were monsters."

"I thought so too, once," Naruto admitted, "but I was just internalizing other people's prejudice. I think what the Yuki clan did was amazing, and I'm really sad they're gone now, Hakukyo and his mom didn't deserve to be hunted and cast out like that, and neither did you."

"I would like to leave now," Haku asked, and Kurama sent agreement up the mindscape, so Naruto picked up the basket of herbs.

He hated how Haku tensed, hated the scent of fear in the air and the way his new friend was so, so still.

"Okay," he said, "here's your basket. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"You didn't," Haku lied, taking the herbs with steady hands that did not belay the tension of their owner.

"Okay," Naruto agreed, "if you want, you could come visit Kahyo and Hakuyo, or you could write them a letter or something. Mari would love to have you over, and you could even bring your precious person."

"I do not think he would be welcome," Haku replied, voice and face doing that blank mask again. "Thank you for the offer."

"If they're registered as a bodyguard or caretaker, Konoha can't touch 'em." This was the first and only time Naruto was glad Muta had made him memorize the treaties that made up Konoha, and he thanked whichever of Kakashi's ancestors was a paranoid bastard with family scattered across the Elemental Nations. "It's in our charter regarding visiting family members from different clans, and no one will mess with them because the Hokage and Mari will make everyone else behave."

"Thank you for the offer," Haku repeated, and Naruto didn't sigh, because Haku was scared, so they weren't really hearing the words right.

"You're welcome," Naruto said, "I hope your precious person feels better. Tell him next time not to pick a fight with Kakashi-sensei when he's in a trolling mode."

Haku was silent for a moment, two, before saying, "you are very odd."

"Yes," Naruto agreed, because why would he want to be anything else? "See you around? I had fun picking herbs."

"Maybe," Haku said, still so nervous, so Naruto figured it was a trauma reaction and turned away first, so the older nin wouldn't have to give their back. Naruto wasn't stabbed in the spine or the kidneys, so he took as a win.

How'd I do? He asked down the mindscape, and Kurama flicked his ears, shuffling to cross his paws.

I think that went as well as it possibly could have gone, the fox answered, considering the topic you two discussed. Give them some time to talk with Zabuza and also to fully digest what you told him. I have the feeling they'll accompany us back to Konoha, if only to make sure Haku's relatives aren't being used as slaves or stock.

Naruto thought about how that was going to go. Haruki's gonna kill us.

You mean Mari, Kuruma grinned, we had nothing to do with it.

He snorted, then tilted his head. She'll be sad.

Yes, then she'll be angry, and then she'll set about fixing it. No point in worrying about that whole mess. The fox paused then, and then Kurama's whole posture shifted to amusement. Come on, let's go see if Sasuke and Sakura figured out what their elemental affinities are.

Ugh, Naruto complained, that took all night, why couldn't you just have told us? Or let Kakashi give us those stupid paper things?

Because the Hatake brat is right, Kurama replied, it's more fun to watch you struggle.

Naruto tripped on his feet. Ack! Kurama you meanie! Just you wait, I bet we all figured it out and then we'll be asking for so many tips you won't have time to take any naps!

The big fuzzball raised an eyebrow to this, and Naruto growled, sprinting towards the house. He'd worry about Haku later, he had teammates to gather!

Chapter 6: Ozymandias Chapter Text

I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Bones, by their very definition, shouldn't melt.

Mari watched the pile of white bubble as the ground hissed and smoked. Kimimaro tilted his head, also confused, and Mari blamed it on Tobirama's beautiful, beautiful lightsaber.

Kimimaro then looked up at her, brow raised as if to say shall we continue, and Mari grinned, raising the Hatake blade and the Sword of the Thunder God. There was humidity singing in the air as Mari breathed in and out, Chakra slowly connecting to each water molecule within her radius.

The last Kaguya lunged, and Mari pulled the water down, water whips lashing out as the pale haired boy dodged, one long bone against his arm like a blade. He was good, very good, and Mari tracked her duckling as he moved. He was getting better at keeping his distance, eyes warily eyeing the water she held like she was a water bender from a story she had seen so long ago now, sunlight dabbled at her feet like she was under the ocean.

Roka twitched from the trees, and Mari knew he was annoyed at watching her command so much water without hand signs. See, that was the thing about Chakra, no matter what anyone pretend Logic had gone right out the window and never came back. Nobody really needed hand signs, nobody needed some bloodline to do the impossible, you just had to believe.

Well, that and have a basic understanding about elements and atoms and the general laws of thermodynamics, but Mari wasn't handing out that knowledge out just yet.

Not when she could still make people twitch.

Kimimaro's hands moved fast, and the water converged on the fireball, the younger boy ducking into the steam and darting close. They parried once, and the second allowed the Tobirama's lightsaber to cut clean through the bone. Kimimaro was expected it though, and then he glared at the melting bits of bone and threw his hand out, the calcium drops launching in her direction.

"Oh shit," she said, because that was the kind of sneak attack that got people killed, and also because that meant they were going to have one hell of a tag team. "Holy shit Roka did you see that?"

Kimimaro frowned, darting away as she turned the steam back into its' liquid form, drawing the heat down and out as she launched the whips in his direction, the boy flowing between the column like an air bender.

"I did," Roka replied from the trees, "ten points for confusing me because what the fuck did he just do."

"The melted bone was still bone, and still mine," Kimimaro stated, "I wanted to see if it would respond like a Water Jutsu, and then it did."

Mari dodged a launched bone, the two of them spinning around the training ground, and then Mari darted forward, swords held with Chakra Strings as they trailed behind her. She bit her thumb and reached out, fingers brushing against skin as blood formed a circle on her palm, the seal branding itself into Kimimaro's chest.

The last Kaguya dropped, scowling as his bone sword fell to the wayside. "I think I am going to hate that seal even more than I already do. Yield, I have no wish to lose to Taijutsu against you."

Mari helped him up, "you've gotten better, and also thanks for letting me try out my new seal and my new sword."

"It is impressive," Kimimaro agreed, and Mari put Tobirama's lightsaber back into its' own little seal on her wrist. Sealing was great but Akari had been teaching her how to make them into tattoos. "Same time next week then?"

"If I have the time," Kimimaro agreed, and Mari resisted the urge to hand him one the candies in her pocket. There was pavloving people and then there was being patronizing, and she didn't want to disrespect the Kaguya's progress. He was doing so, so good, and she was very proud.

Roka hopped down from the tree, and the three of them started moving back towards the Den, discussing how their spar had gone and the things they should have done and the things they could improve upon.

She watched her Nara discuss using projectiles as a way to hide moment, particularly if Kimimaro figured out how to recall the bones after he had launched them. His expression was animated, even if he pretended to be annoyed, and he was beautiful, mind going a mile a minute.

Then he tripped her, and Mari went into the Naka River. She rose from the cold waters with a snarl, and Roka laughed as he darted away, running as fast as he could from Mari's red, red eyes.

Kimimaro sighed, like he was surround by children.

Her hair was still wet when she went looking for a lunch partner, though that was from the shower rather than the water Roka had very unkindly tripped her into. Joke was on him though, because she got Karin and Fu to ask him about strategy.

Karin was very good at sensing, which meant he couldn't run away from her like he could the others.

Mari spotted a flash of purple, and recognized that chill of morning dew and moonlight on water ripples Chakra.

"Ah, Hyuuga-san," Mari called, and Hyuuga Tsukiyo turned around, pale eyes taking her in neutrally, and Mari waved at ANBU Eagle.

"Corpse-Thief," Tsukiyo greeted, and Mari's smile was more than a little sharp. On the one hand, there were so little people she both enjoyed verbally sparing with and that were safe to do so with. On the other hand though, she hated that damn nickname.

"Technically," Mari corrected, as she did every time anyone brought up that stupid, stupid title, "I was just ensuring the dead would get back to their families with a proper weregild, there was no actual thieving involved."

"Tell that to the bounty building you broke into," Tsukiyo replied dryly, and Mari twitched.

Mari wanted to snap back bounty's are a scam so it's only fair I'm scamming them right back, or those Kumo Nin gave their teammates bodies to an enemy so they could get the money of a bounty and that was unacceptable or even I'm technically the owner of that building because I'm buying up every bounty house there is so I can end that vile, disgusting, practice.

Mari wanted to say a lot of things, but they were surrounded by civilians and spies alike, so Mari rolled her eyes and gave a huff. "It's Shikaku's fault for giving me a C-rank, I had nothing do with that turn of events."

Tsukiyo raised a single, manicured brow. "You taught his son how to use shadows to move things so he could cheat at shogi. Retaliation should have been expected."

Well, okay, that was fair. Still. "If the Shikaku's son had any motivation to speak of I wouldn't have to bribe him to do things. It's not my fault the brat only wants to learn things to help him win at shogi."

"Of course," Tsukiyo replied with a dip of her head, which was high society for I do not believe a single thing you just said. It was an insult, and a challenge, but Mari grinned at the woman anyway, because Muta's Hyuuga had her forehead uncovered, and there was not a trace of green to be found on her pale white skin. "Believe it or not I was looking for you. I was told by my clan head to pass along an invitation to dinner. Hinata-hime has finally learned the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven."

Mari had long known Hinata was just as good as Neji and Hanabi when it came to learning her clan techniques. Sage, it was only a matter of time before she started inventing clan techniques, just like in the canon. Getting everyone else to see it, now that had been a challenge.

Luckily the Hinata of this world had Mari's little Kunoichi training club to show her that she was actually really good the clan's standards were just bullshit. The little lioness had only gotten better once Kurenai started giving even more positive feed back and a well bribed Inoichi had cornered Hiashi and given the man a nice long talk about all those pesky things like generational trauma and words of affirmation and communication.

That had been a fun day, she and Ino had gone shopping.

Mari gave a hum, considering Hiashi's offer of food. "Will it be the entire clan, or just family?"

"Hiashi-dono's linage only," Tsukiyo answered, "as well as Neji's and Hinata's genin teammates."

Aw, Hiashi no. "Your clan head just wants me there so I can run interference between him and Guy-sensei."

"I am confident he's more worried about Kiba or Shino trying to break his nephew's nose. Again." Tsukiyo replied without tone, and Mari smothered a laugh, because to anyone else she sounded like an asshole but Mari knew, Mari saw. Muta had the same kind of humor.

She waved a hand. "No, no, no, it's Guy-sensei's Positive Intent he doesn't want to deal with. Annoying kids he could handle, but being reminded he has a soft gushy center? It's too terrible to be withstood."

Tsukiyo tilted her head. "Are you insulting my clan head?"

"Technically I'm insulting everyone who can't handle our beautiful blue beast," Mari replied, and Tsukiyo nodded like this was an acceptable answer.

"I can see why my elders hold you in such high esteem," Muta's Hyuuga replied, and Mari snorted.

"I'm sure that if your elders could get away with it they'd murder me in a heartbeat," she drawled, earning a lip twitch, "but you know what, I'm free, so sure, I'll come along to help keep the peace."

Tsukiyo replied in the dullest done Mari had heard outside an Aburame, "I'm sure my clan head will be very grateful."

She laughed, and wove her arm around Tsukiyo, who stiffened slightly at the contact but did not ask to be unhanded, which was a win on Mari's part and a mistake on Tsukiyo's. "Let's go get lunch together, my usual partner is the chicken coop and you don't seem like you're doing anything."

Tsukiyo eyed her only slightly curiously. "Is this a shovel talk? I was surprised when you did not give one at the birthday party. Muta thought for sure you would."

Mari raised a brow to that. "Muta's a big boy, and if you make him happy you make him happy, and if you break up I expect it to be amicable with a few tears shed hear and there. Shovels talks are for people who are not confident in their friends ability to manage their own relationships."

Tsukiyo narrowed her eyes, sensing the trap but unable to see it. The whole of Konoha was finally catching on that words might not be as harmless as they thought. "I am not an orphan you know. I have a mother and a father and our relationship is in good standing."

"Congrats," Mari beamed, and meant it, because that was a lucky break considering Tsukiyo had been branch family a few years ago. Though, they were probably cousins of some kind, so not that lucky. "You're still getting adopted though. Muta is mine, and if you're one of his, that makes you one of mine too."

"I am filled with joy," Tsukiyo drawled, but unlike others who had found themselves in this position she did not try to run away. Smart cookie, she could see why Muta liked her so much.

She grinned, showing teeth. "Come on, I'll even let you pick the where we eat."

"I have heard good things about Jigoku's kitchen inside the Uchiha Compound," Tsukiyo replied, and Mari giggled internally at name.

"Excellent choice," she said, and the two of them changed course, turning west to head towards the compound. Tsukiyo never once flinched at Mari's teeth and she in turn never once grew annoyed with the stoic woman when her words were sharp and without tone.

Oh yes, Mari liked this one, and if later a song bird would report Muta pausing and suddenly sweat-dropping as she and his maybe girlfriend ate lunch, well, that was just another plus.

By the time afternoon rolled around Mari found herself napping on the roof of the den, listening to Akari and Guran and Kahyo argue about what apprenticeship Hakuyo should take. Akari was for the ice sculptors who did arrangements for the Daimyo, where as Guran wanted the more practical and every day merchant guild. Kahyo didn't particularly care, so long as Hakuyo was happy, but she was leaning towards that one shave ice maker who had cried upon seeing Hakuyo make snow.

A crow landed by her side, and Mari activated one of her privacy seals.

"Whatcha got for me jimmy," Mari asked, and Jimmu, the crow Mari currently had babysitting Itachi, gave her a look. She huffed a laugh, and went digging into her many side pouches for the pocket that held fresh fruit. She handed him a pile of blue berries, and Jimmu took them with a sigh. "Any updates on the Sasori plot?"

Jimmu finished eating his blue berry before saying, "the husk did not find anything, though if he did and kept it to himself or was too interested in the Hashirama cells to notice the seal I do not know."

Mari clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Well that was a crapshoot anyway, no harm no fowl. What else you got?"

"The ravens have finally located your orange chick," Jimmu replied, and Mari felt hope rising in her heart.

"Jugo?" She asked, just to be sure, and the crow nodded.

"Orange with Nature Chakra seeping in and in?" The bird confirmed, and Mari nodded, heart aching for how long it took. "Then yes, we found him. He is well guarded in Iron Country, but the rats are watching, and when one of your lone wolves comes to get him, they will have little trouble. The snake has most of his people getting ready for the exams."

Mari hummed. Iron Country, Iron Country. Who did she have in that area, and who had the skill not to get murdered by Jugo when he lost control? The twins were out, and the Ronin as well. Both were close, but neither had the skill to survive that kind of attack.

Hmm. Someone farther maybe?

Oh, he would work.

"How would you feel about swinging east?" she asked, and Jimmu sighed, looking at her like an overworked Yamanaka. "Yeah thought not, I'll get Kumano to swing by Utakata. He apparently threw his headband at his Kage and then booked it, so I need to get him out of that area and on the move until Mei takes the hat."

Jimmu laughed at this, feathers scattering as the bird bobbed up and down. "Oh to have been a fly on the wall when that happened. Was there a fly on the wall? Please say yes."

"Sadly not," Mari sighed, and knowing Yagura was under Genjutsu she had neither the time nor the skills to break dampened some of her joy at the image. "Anything else to report?"

Jimmu's joy also tampered down, annoyance thick in his posture. "The Kudzu is starting to get frustrated at how long his puppet's are taking. He's not suspicious yet, but you know the type, he will start looking for others to blame, and I doubt he will like what he finds."

Mari grimaced at this. "That's not good. Let's see if we can't shift his focus to any corpses or former containers of material origin. I'd really rather not fight the Ten-Tails at any point in time, but if he thinks getting inanimate objects or buried bones with former chakra sealed into them will be easy and cause less fuss it will give us more time. Kudzu is lazy like that."

"Will do," Jimmu accepted with a bob of his head, and then he smoothed some his feathers down. "Senka has a report by the way, Operation Turnabout was a success. The hungry rot is dead and the kits are helping finish the bridge, with two new strays to add to your collection."

Oh now that was some lovely news, and Mari couldn't wait for the details of how that had gone down. "Really? Is something wrong? You don't seem pleased, and you're normally pretty happy when an Operation pans out."

"Figured I'd give you the good news before the bad," Jimmu replied, voice serious, and Mari sighed, leaning back on the roof as the sun pooled on her tar black hair.

"Okay," she said, collecting herself. "What's wrong with Wide-eyes?"

"He's coughing blood," Jimmu informed, and Mari paled, dread sinking in her stomach like a lead balloon.

"That's too early," she hissed, and shit that was not the right thing to say, but luckily the crow didn't think anything of it.

"We know," the bird hissed back, thinking she was referring to his slow decline. "He's, he's not trying as hard as he was before, to find medicine. He probably thinks you are strong enough to kill him after that last mission."

Mari dragged her fingers down her face. Sage damn Sarutobi's denial about godblighted C-ranks. Okay, alright. Mari took a breath, that was bad, but not unsalvageable. She had time, and Itachi did too, the suicidal dumbass.

"Let's get Kisame involved," she said at last, and Jimmu tilted his head. "Have him find out, I don't care how. He'll drag my stupid, stupid, cousin to a medic, if only so he doesn't have to break in a new partner."

Jimmu narrowed his eyes. "They're both getting suspicious of me. This might be the last straw."

"I'm fine with that." Mari had to then dodge Jimmu's beak as he snapped at her fingers, looking angry. "Look, Itachi will be back in the Den by August, I promise. I'll be able to drag him to an actual doctor at that point. At this point it doesn't really matter if they know or not, not this close to the mid-game."

"Not the end?" Jimmu asked, and Sage Mari wished this was the end game.

"No," she told him, and her summons took this better than she expected. Perhaps he saw something in her face, and figured it was best not to ask. "August will be a good stopping point, but we have years before this game is over in any way that matters."

If it ever was, Mari knew the luck of the world. There would be more monsters, more world enders, and heroes rising to stop them.

There was nothing she could do about that, except make sure they were ready.

Jimmu left, and Mari settled back into the evening sun, listening to Akari and Guran and Kahyo debate about Hakuyo. She would relish in their faces when he didn't take any of those options, and instead settled on an internship at the zoo, helping provide the most accurate climates.

That was between her and him though.

Roka joined her a bit later, and the two of them watched clouds until the sun began to lower and duty called her to dinner.

Three months, she reminded herself as she put on her best kimono. One month until the exams and two months until she dragged Itachi back into the fold by the back of neck and three months when Operation Corvid came to a close. One month until she and Shukaku had a talk and two months until the Hokage died and three months Tsunade became Lord Fifth.

Three months and Mari could get finally, finally, get justice for the babies, for the children murdered in the name of Konoha and her family's eyes stolen in greed and fear.

She took a breath, and then went in the direction of the Hyuuga Compound.

Maybe she and Guy could spar afterward, she certainly had the energy to spare. Still, she put away her anger and her fury and focused on the good things. Mari looked to the sky, clouds painted red and orange and pink, and let a smile grow on her face.

Jugo had been found. The era of the Bloody Mist would soon be coming to a close. Muta had given her Tobirama's lightsaber of a Chakra Sword and it was so, so fun to fight with.

The Wave Arc had come and passed, and in defiance of fate, in defiance of a canon she had once watched and loved and cried for, everyone was coming home this time around.

Hiashi met her at the gates, and she laughed at his face, because really, his nephew's sensei wasn't that bad.

Chapter 7: Perhaps the World Ends Here Chapter Text

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.
The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.
It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.
At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.
Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.
This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.
Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.
We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.
At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

Zabuza wasn't sure how he had gotten into this situation. He knew the logistics of it, the train of dominos he could trace all the way to his decision to become a ninja, but if he was being honest with himself the last month made no sense whatsoever.

The blonde brat was chattering like he didn't know how to stop, Haku taking in boy's words in that polite way of his, and he ignored Hatake's fucking eye smile as he eyed the Konoha gate with suspicion.

If Haku did have family here, then it was his job to make sure they didn't need a rescue.

Besides, only a poor shinobi made deals without meeting the contract maker, and the agreement the pinkette had given him was too good to be true. It didn't matter that neither him or haku could find any traps or loopholes, there had to be a trick somewhere, and he was going to sus it out.

Assuming of course he wasn't thrown in T&I and Haku was added to the elder Uchiha's apparent collection of bloodlines.

"Team Seven returning from their first C-rank turned A-rank," the pinkette chirped, and then the tiny kunoichi who inexplicably had a mean right hook slid over the forms the Uchiha brat had given them to fill out.

Haku was glued by his side as the two Chunin looked over the paperwork. One of them groaned while the other snickered, and he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Hatake handed them some visitor passes, little plastic cards that weighed heavy in his pocket.

They sat in a pair of chairs, the Hokage's secretary giving him the stink eye as Haku petted a stray cat that had slipped in. The tabby purred, and even let Zabuza get an ear scratch or two, which was mildly suspicious but he had decided to stop questioning things while he was here.

At one point a blonde man with pupil-less eyes walked in, taking one look at him and Haku sitting with a purring cat between them and the rather angry secretary and promptly turned around.

Hatake was a fucking lier, there was definitely something in Konoha's water supply.

He couldn't help but be nervous when the Chunin with the scar across his nose beckoned them in, and that anxiety when straight into battle anticipation when the Sage damned God of Shinobi welcomed them in with a smile, tension thick in the room.

"I hear you have family in Konoha you are here to visit," the old man said, robes pristine and white and clean.

"Yes Hokage-sama," Haku replied, and only Zabuza could see the fear in his frame. "This is my bodyguard. I have been told his status won't be an issue."

Sarutobi smiled like the lying lier he was, and Zabuza would admit he had the grandfather act down pat, taking in Haku's almost prayer with practiced grace. "I am glad to hear it. Welcome to Konoha, I'm sure you will have a lovely stay."

And that was that.

Zabuza was still waiting for the other to drop when the doors close, and the scarred Chunin whirled on Hatake, jabbing the Jonin on the chest.

"You are the worst," the Chunin snarled, though the Genin looked highly entertained, stifling giggles like the scarred man wasn't asking to die.

"Maa Maa Iruka-kun," Hatake drawled like an ass, "This is Mari's fault. And my cute little precious Genins. And honestly if you want someone to blame we can throw the ANBU commander under the carriage because if he hadn't given a certain someone time off then I would have won the pot and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Zabuza was pretty sure that whole showdown was his Genin paying him back for being a trolling piece of shit, but since it was some of Hatake's political weight he was leaning on in order to keep Haku safe, Zabuza decided not to say that.

He thought though.

Hatake and the Chunin, who was named Iruka, bickered back and forth as the, ha, seven of them walk through Konoha.

It was. Friendly. And not the false friendly either, most the civilians were damn happy to see Hatake and his brats, though a few were oddly cautious of Naruto for some reason, faces drawn like they doing something that scared them but wanted to persevere anyway.

Somehow though, somehow, the Uchiha Compound was worse.

There were murals on the wall and long stretches of various fruits and vegetables and it was like the place was half forest, kids running round as merchants bickered and mothers gossiped and Haku plastered himself close, the noise too much.

Iruka left them at the gates, giving a two fingered salute and promising to return for dinner, and Team Seven waved the Chunin goodbye.

Thankfully they didn't linger long in the chaos, Hatake leading them away from the more clustered houses and towards the edge of the compound, where homes were spread out amongst the trees as the voices of the Uchiha stronghold were nothing but a soft murmur.

The woman waiting for them was pretty. She had long, raven black hair that was braided down to her hip. Her dark grey pants and dark blue shirt looked shinobi made, red spirals on the side, though his eyes were drawn to various pouches she carried on her belt and the mess of tattoos that crept up her arms like sleeves.

The three Genin launched themselves at the woman, who greeted them with a smile and some candy. She gave more affection then he expected for such a shinobi dressed kunoichi, obsidian eyes taking them in with a quiet but steady expression.

Zabuza watched at they scampered inside, leaving him with the woman and Hatake, who had his damn book out again.

"People are going to assume we're rigging bets," she mused with cheer, and Kakashi flipped to the next page.

"I don't think this one is going to enjoy the gardens." The pale haired Jonin then put down his book and patted Zabuza on the shoulder like they were friends and then he just left, leaving him alone with the unknown kunoichi.

"Hello Haku-san, Momochi-san, my name is Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra. It is a pleasure to meet you." The goddamn Corpse-Thief gave them a polite smile, and gestured them inside.

They take their shoes off at the door, and Zabuza took in the mess. Oh it was a contained mess, papers in pile and shoes in a bundle and a half completed shogi set in the corner, but it was a mess nevertheless. He glanced at the weapons rack, and the way Uchiha Mari was watching him with those creepy black eyes of hers, irises eating at the light.

He decided not to part with his weapon, and he wasn't sure the smile she gave him was a good thing or not.

It had too many teeth to feel comforting.

"Why don't you take a seat," she ordered, for all the command was wrapped in a nice tone. "Do you want tea or anything else? We have a various collection of juices and milks."

"We're fine, thank you," Haku replied, and Mari gave a hum and sat down on one of the couches in the living room.

He and Haku sit, and the sound of the Genin rough housing outside was a comfort he didn't expect. Haku was staring at the Uchiha regent, who staring back with an intensity he wasn't sure he liked, his sword placed across his lap so it didn't dig into the sofa.

There was a knock on the door, and Mari stood with a natural grace. She didn't look like she was going to eat them, but he knew first hand how deceptive appearances could be.

The door opened, and Zabuza took in the dark haired woman. She looked a little like Haku, with her dark brown eyes and almost mousy cheekbones. The boy, on the other hand, could have been an older sibling, sharing the same nose and widow's peak and big round eyes.

His apprentice was so, so stiff, and the woman took in Haku with a sharp gaze. Or maybe it was just Zabuza she was taking in with such a harsh expression. He knew what he looked like after all.

Still, she didn't seem too distressed, or shaken, or blank faced, or any of the things he honestly expected from someone 'saved' from the bloodline hunters. She looked normal. You know, aside from the fact she looked like she debating how to kill Zabuza without getting blood on the couch.

"Hi," the boy said with a small wave, expression readable for everyone to see. "I'm Hakuyo, and this my mother Kahyo."

"Hello," his apprentice greeted back, shoulders straight and hands curled on his lap. "My name is Haku, and this is Momochi Zabuza. I am his apprentice."

"Oh that's cool. I'm going to be an apprentice at the zoo, though it won't start until august." The boy seemed to think nothing of it, but Zabuza glanced at Mari, because there was no way in hell someone with that strong of a bloodline was just working in a zoo of all things.

"That's nice," Haku replied, clearly thinking the same thing, and the other boy didn't seem to know what to do with that, half wincing as he glanced at the Uchiha for direction. Sage help him, Zabuza could kill A-rank shinobi and not die trying to take down Kages but he was going to be done in by social embarrassment of all things.

"You're Sekka's son," the woman stated, and he knew Haku suppressed a flinch. The tension in the room slid from awkward to hostile so very fast.

"Kahyo," Mari warned, tone sharp and deadly and the mask of the polite young thing slipped away to reveal the predator behind the eyes just for a moment, before it disappeared and the Uchiha touched Hakuyo's shoulder, smiling softly. "Why don't you take Haku and join the kits in the yard, us adults can make some drinks for everyone."

"Uh, sure," the boy replied, though he didn't move closer to Haku, was still in Zabuza's shadow. Haku looked up him, brown eyes uncertain, and he had never looked so young.

"I'll be fine," he lied, "go trip the blonde brat in some mud or something."

Haku looked at Mari, whose expression was warm but not trying in the slightest to be comforting, and then at Kahyo, who gave a very fake and polite smile. He stood, cautiously, glancing back at Zabuza one last time before following Hakuyo outside to the back, where Naruto greeted his apprentice with good cheer.

At the very least he'd be happy, even if everything went belly up.

"I'll make tea," Mari said, and the Yuki woman sat across from him as Mari collected a tea set from the kitchen.

They stare each other down, and with every passing second he grew more and more certain it was only because of Mari this woman hadn't tried to freeze his skin off, the cool breeze he felt definitely a threat.

"So this is cozy," he started, because he could sit in silence but he needed to gather information first, and Kahyo clenched her jaw. "Your kid seems pretty settled."

The room grew cold. "Don't talk about him."

Well alright then.

Uchiha came back with a humble looking clay tea set, and he remembered she hadn't been anywhere close to the line of succession until her cousin murdered everyone else. He noted the Kiri tea leaves. A trap, something to put him at ease, or just what she had in stock?

The black haired Kunoichi started to chop up the leaves into tiny pieces, and he still had no answers.

"So, let's clear the air," Uchiha ordered, hands steady as the knife thumped against the wooden cutting board. "Kahyo, Momochi-san isn't like the men who drove you from your home, and we both know if he was I wouldn't have let him into the Den. I'm not asking you to like him, but he didn't kidnap or buy Haku. In fact I'd go far enough to say that without him you would not be meeting your… I don't actually know the relation."

Okay, how the fuck did she know that?

Kahyo took a breath. "Sekka was my mother's first cousin. I am his first cousin once removed. He, he looks a lot like her. We never found out, where she went."

"Some small village in Yamagata," Zabuza answered, and both woman turn to look at him. Kahyo looked desperate, aching for knowledge long denied, matter how ugly. Uchiha's expression told him she already knew.

"I, what happened to her, if you please?" The Yuki woman asked, but Zabuza didn't look away from the Uchiha, black eyes eating at the light. She tilted her head, and he knew then that if he didn't want to reveal Haku's secrets that was fine with her, but she'd tell them anyway.

"Her piece of shit husband killed her after finding out about their bloodline when it manifest in Haku," Zabuza said, twisting his words to hurt, angry at this whole situation. "He and a fucking mob then burned down their house. Kid watched. I found him starving on the street later."

He made the Yuki woman flinch, a hand to her mouth.

It had taken him a long time to get that story from Haku, and he really only got it because of a poisoned Kuni Haku had taken that had given his apprentice some hellish fever dreams.

Uchiha smiled at him, and somehow the lack of teeth was even more unnerving. "Thank you for the information."

Zabuza steeled himself, and braced for a blow. "He's not staying here."

The Corpse-Thief lost her smile, expression soft and sad and grieving, even as Kahyo started beside her, giving him a snarl. "You don't get to tell him that."

"Peace Kahyo," Uchiha soothed with a wave of her hand. "It was a test, not a threat. We've got air to clear too, or did you forget the amount of shit you give me when I first lured you into the Den."

The Yuki woman frowned, but she didn't disagree, and Uchiha Mari turned his way like a fucking shark in the water.

He put his hand on his sword. "Oh it was definitely a threat."

Kahyo tensed, but Uchiha didn't. Her black eyes ate at the light as she stared at him, like she was soaking in his presence. Hell, Zabuza would even go so far as call her expression fond, as if Uchiha Mari was looking at an old friend instead of an A-rank Missing-Nin. It made his skin crawl, and she finished putting the tea together, sliding over a cup.

"Welcome to the Den, Momochi Zabuza." The Corspe-Thief took a sip of her tea, Intent prickling in the air like the sky before a storm. "We leave our titles at the door, and remove the weight of our bloodlines like old coats handed down. Here the gardens grow green with callused hands and the only thing that drips from our fingers are food and ink and rain. You come when you want, and go when you please, but in this house of mine we do not take away each other's choices. We do not demand subservience or ownership or gratitude, for we are a kinship of our own making, and family does not ask for such things. Drink your tea Swordsman, Haku is safe here, and so are you."

Forget shark, the woman before him was like a Sage damned leviathan, ancient and primordial and willing to swallow ships whole.

But not unkind, and Zabuza took a sip of tea that tasted like home.

"I can why you scare the shit out of Hatake," he mused into his cup, and Uchiha laughed, mirth shattering the vestige of a predator.

"He's easily spooked," she confided, lips twisting with amusement. "It's the trauma."

He snorted, then eyed the sudden yelp from outside with concern. That was a lot of yelling, even if none of it seemed hostile. Mari sighed, long and deep and with the kind of self imposed suffering he had heard from Hatake.

"That'll be Team Four," she explained, "come on, let's go say hello."

Zabuza took in the back yard. There was a second weapons rack, a well used training field and a koi pond, and two Uzumaki's rolling around in the mud like they were puppies.

"Eat dirt!" The red headed one growled, while the blonde brat laughed and laughed. The pinkette was chattering a mile a minute with a green haired kunoichi, talking about hair pins as weapons of all things, while the broody Uchiha boy was looking at his teammates in exhaustion as Hozuki fucking Suigetsu bore the exact same expression.

Huh, guess Naruto hadn't been lying about that.

The white haired boy then noticed them, purple eyes growing wide as he twirled around a pulled a broadsword from… actually where had he pulled that weapon from because he definitely hadn't been carrying that when Zabuza stepped outside.

"Fight me," the boy demanded, blade pointed at him, and Mari laughed as she moved between the two of them. Suigetsu sighed, and put the sword back… somewhere. A seal, probably, but maybe his bloodline as well.

"At a later date," she promised, "I'm sure we can all have a sword lesson."

Zabuza peered at the Uchiha regent. Was that an innuendo? She grinned, and he decided yes, yes it was, but not a serious one. She just enjoyed the way the brown haired sensei choked and Hatake made a strangled whine.

They all sit on the back porch while the kids mess around, the two senseis occasionally throwing out some helpful tidbit or drawling musing that only made the kids shriek in anger. They were joined by the red head's mother, an Aburame and a Hyuuga, a Nara who settled next Uchiha, the Chunin from before, a Kaguya of all people, and a blue haired Kunoichi.

It settled his anxiety, mostly because no power hungry collector would tolerate the blatant disrespect her little strays showed her. And also the fact so few of those she had found actually ended up being shinobi, even less being shinobi who were planning on staying in Konoha.

She was, he'd call her a port in a storm but it was probably more accurate to call the eye of a hurricane, and any who wanted those she considered hers had to first make it past what was a dragon wrapped in skin.

The sky was just starting to darken when a different blonde haired and pupil-less man showed up. He looked younger, with hair that was a little darker and eyes that were a little greener, but he was still pretty similar to the man he had seen before.

He took one look at the children rolling around in the dirt, one look at Haku specifically, and then he put one hand to the bridge of his nose. There was something he muttered under his breath, but Zabuza was too far away to hear. Mari wasn't though, and she grinned at the man.

She pulled out a scroll from… somewhere, and spun it between her fingers. "Pleasure doing business with you Yamanaka-sensei."

"You are the bane of my existence," he said as he caught the tossed scroll. "Here or at my office?"

Mari hummed, tilting her head. "Neither, I think. They'd like the Naka River spot, less power dynamics that way."

The Yamanaka looked at her with a deadpan expression. "They as in pronouns or they in multiple people?"

"As fair as I know Haku uses he/him," Mari answered blithely, "and he's still too skittish to go anywhere without his teacher, so it's a double session technically. I've reflected that in the bill."

Now wait just a fucking minute.

The Yamanaka considered this. "Give me a cat and we have a deal."

"Done," Mari agreed, and like hell it was! "I'll see to it they see you on Thursday."

"Good enough." The man said, and then walked down the stairs into the chaos without a hint of fear. "Sasuke! it's good to see you, and your teammates as well. Come, tell me how the mission went?"

Mari smiled at him as the godsdamned therapist extracted Sasuke and his team from the small pile of children, and then the Yamanaka glared at Hatake, who sighed like he was being put upon, but followed them inside regardless.

The leviathan took a sip of her tea, night stained eyes crinkled with mirth, and the Nara napping on her lap snorted. Zabuza glanced to the kids as the red headed child startled a laugh out of Haku, one hand raised to his lips as his apprentice hid a smile behind small fingers. He was covered in mud, and it was the most relaxed he had seen the Yuki boy.

Zabuza met her gaze, and cracked his neck. The rest of the adults gave him the side eye, still nervous of who he was and what he might do, but not the Corpse-Thief. She dipped her head, reading the gesture for what it was, and tossed him a candy, the fucker.

He popped it into his mouth, and it was strange, to find something so close to home so far away from the sea.

They could stay for a bit. Just to see how things worked out.

Haku laughed again, and the toffee tasted like sea salt on his tongue.

Chapter 8: Nurture Chapter Text

From a documentary on marsupials I learn
that a pillowcase makes a fine
substitute pouch for an orphaned kangaroo.

I am drawn to such dramas of animal rescue.
They are warm in the throat. I suffer, the critic proclaims,
from an overabundance of maternal genes.

Bring me your fallen fledgling, your bummer lamb,

lead the abused, the starvelings, into my barn.
Advise the hunted deer to leap into my corn.

And had there been a wild child—
filthy and fierce as a ferret, he is called
in one nineteenth-century account—

a wild child to love, it is safe to assume,
given my fireside inked with paw prints,
there would have been room.

Think of the language we two, same and not-same,
might have constructed from sign,
scratch, grimace, grunt, vowel:

Laughter our first noun, and our long verb, howl.

Konoha was weak, and Mother wanted nothing more than for Garra to grind it up into pieces. She was craving blood, itching with the desire to tear and rip and kill.

Later, he promised, if only so he didn't have to deal with the whining of him not following orders and having Rasa beat him for it. Later. I promise.

Kankuro had grabbed a small child, but then some else grabbed him, a boy with black hair and eyes of steel. "Let him go now please."

"Or what," Kankuro asked, not letting go of the child.

"Or I file a complaint against you and your sensei, and that kind of thing follows a shinobi," the boy threatened, then he smirked. "After I kick your ass."

"Like you could," Kankuro snapped, and Temari sighed, telling her brother to knock it off, not that he listened.

"Kankuro. You're an embarrassment," Garra said, because if he didn't get to start fights then they didn't either. Kankuro dropped the boy like he was a hot plate.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where'd you come from?" A blonde boy asked, and Mother stirred at the sight of him walking up to stand beside the raven haired boy and the whiny child.

Kill him, she hissed, and Kankuro babbled something as Garra debated the pros and cons of doing so. He could, but then Rasa would bury him in the gold dust. Make him bleed.

Soon, he promised, and Mother grumbled in displeasure.

Garra jumped down from the tree just as the… pink… haired kunoichi seemed to have everyone settled.

"Wait," the blonde said with wide eyes, "you said his name is Garra, like Garra of the Desert Garra? Child of the Kazakage Garra?"

"Oh no," the black eyed one breathed in horror, and the pinkette lit up in delight. "Naruto don't you dare-"

"Gah it is!" The blonde yelled, "It's so cool that you're here! I've wanted to met you for like, a really long time!"

What.

"What." Kankuro said.

"It's been like, two months at the most," the pinkette said as the raven haired boy looked at her in betrayal.

"We are not encouraging this," he hissed, and the girl raised a brow.

"Oh man we gotta introduce you to Mari-nee," the blonde, Naruto? said in excitement, and everyone looked him with various degrees of confusion and horror and delight. "You gotta meet her anyway since you're Shukaku's and he's one of Kurama's so in a round about way that makes you one of mine."

What.

What, Mother said.

"No, no, no," the black eyed boy hissed as the kunoichi started cackling, hands hugging around her stomach.

Naruto reached out, and both Temari and Kankuro braced for his sand to tear him to shreds, but it, it didn't. The boy's hand was warm as it gripped Garra's skin, Naruto leading him away from his siblings like they were old friends off on a play date.

Someone was touching him, and he was only half aware of Mother talking to someone else.

"Don't you dare," that strange voice growled.

"Kurama what the hell," Mother snapped back, "you got tamed in the past decade or something?"

"Fuck you," the voice snapped, "at least I'm not making a mockery of all our father wanted for us you utter child."

Mother screamed in rage. "I'm the child, me?! And don't you dare bring father into this, the humans get what they deserve, or did you forget what they've done to us."

"No," the voice intoned, "I just found some who agreed that what had been done to us was a grievous sin and said they would take whatever I decided to give and you break one fucking thing in this place and I will beat you so severely it will take a thousand years for you to reform."

Mother scoffed, "as if you could."

The voice chuckled, low and harsh and mean. "Sure Shukaku, but if I had even a lick of trouble you'd get maybe three second of lording it over me before Chomei came and did the same."

Mother started. "Chomei's here."

"So even if you could somehow beat the both of us, which you couldn't, you'd still have to content with the Senju-Uchiha tag team they've got here, and you'd lose, because I lost to Madara and Hashirama at full strength on two separate occasions, and they weren't even working together at the time you complete half-wit!" The voice argued, and Garra wondered what his Kage would say to that. That did not sound good for the invasion.

"Fuck you," Mother hissed, "I'll do what I want."

"With that weak of a bond with your Jinchuriki? I doubt it," the voice drawled, and Mother bristled.

"Oh I'll show you weak," she snarled, a thousand grains of sand hissing as power filled his hands.

"Hey!" Naruto had stopped walking, looking at him eyes that were so terribly blue, disappointment and annoyance twisting his expression. His fingers were still wrapped around Garra's wrist. "No fighting. You can argue, because family argues sometimes, but no fighting, not unless it's a friendly spar, and even then you don't spar angry."

The voice sighed. "Look, I'm sorry."

Naruto started dragging him away again as Mother sputtered. "Are you fucking apologizing to me?"

"Yes you man-child," the voice hissed, "and you are making it harder. Father made me the eldest so I, no. I was taught might made right, that family meant submission and deference and, ugh why is this so hard? Look, I took out my frustrations out on you, on all our siblings, because you were convenient targets, and I'm sorry. I wasn't the brother I should have been, and I owe you an apology for that."

"What," Mother said, and it was the first time he had ever heard her so… confused.

The voice continued speaking. "So, I am asking, please don't break anything. Sure, a lot of the people here suck, but I've found a good portion of them don't, and just. Just watch, you'll see."

"Are you under a genjutsu?" Mother asked, and the voice sighed.

"No," the voice denied, then added, "Isobu is though."

Mother sucked in a breath. "What."

"Yeah, it's not great," the voice explained, "he's been real unlucky with his Jinchuriki lately."

"I am so confused," Mother complained, and the voice snorted.

"You'll be like that for a bit," he huffed, and Mother growled in annoyance.

"What does even mean," she whined, and then the voice was gone, and Mother was hissing again. "Kurama get back here! You can't run away from me what does that mean?"

She stopped yelling when Naruto led them to a gated community, eyes focused on the murals that coated the wall.

Garra took in the weird looking man talking to a bunch of animals, standing before a campfire with a long staff, and his shadows touch each of the nine creatures in different ways.

Next there was a woman wrapped in the night sky as what looked like her brother held out a hand as he reached for her, snarling at the heavens like he was going to fight the stars themselves for her safety.

The image was followed by a dark haired woman laughing as three kids push a wagon out of the mud, all of them covered in mud. Next to it was a dark haired boy giving a pale haired one a gift, each with one eye closed, blood trailing down like tears, and after that a grinning red eyed teenager sprinting past a duel eyed blue haired man who seemed very mad about the younger shinobi's laughter.

There was a dark skinned red head with a silver wolf-dog on his shoulders and an albino leopard surrendering to a falcon and a civilian looking woman putting on gardening gloves with the same seriousness of a shinobi off to war.

Some of the pictures he wasn't the sure the point of, like a golden tree surrounded by flames, animals hiding beneath it's roots as a grey eyed woman had her hands clapped together in either a prayer or defiance. He squinted at an almost doused torch being pulled towards a whirlpool, then at the red fox carrying an orange kit, the both of them covered in jewelry of clan mons, while others could only mean one thing, like the island bleeding red as waves and and lightning and stones bombarded it.

There were the statues from the Valley of the End, stone harsh and unforgiving compared to the boys in their shadows, a rock skipped between them. Four flowers floated the down the river, two yellow chrysanthemums and two white lilies, and the two founders of shinobi villages had their hands out stretched. Their right hands were held towards each other, while the left hand was held backwards, both founders reaching for the brothers hidden in the shadows and leaves.

The river between them split, and cupped in the hollow of those great waters was a village. It did not look strong, or glorious, or powerful. There were children playing and woman singing and men laughing, not a weapon to be seen.

It looked like a home, gates open and wide for any who might find their way into its' embrace.

There were less skilled drawings, hand painted wolves and spiders and cats and foxes and all sorts of birds, or just straight up hand prints, some tiny and some large, color trailing down and down as far as the eye could see.

Mother took all of it in, and didn't say a single word.

Naruto was still touching him, and they entered through the gates, Garra's gaze on the blue and green dragon painted across the top, red and black pinwheels staring down as it guarded a red eyed white wolf.

"Oi! Fox brat," someone snarled, and Naruto stilled as Garra braced for harsher names to follow, or food, or stones. "The fuck did you do to my refrigerator?"

"Hey I didn't do nothing- no wait I did do that one," Naruto admitted, and he eyed the adult without an ounce of fear or worry. "What? You were complaining about your fruits not lasting, so I fixed it."

The tall adult took a breath, hands pressed together like a clap as he pressed his fingers against his lips. "Kid. Yeast, as in, the thing in bread that makes it rise and is important for the whole baking process, is a fungus. Cheese, which is… not actually a fungus but whatever that's not important, because whatever you did broke both."

"Oh," Naruto said, "well. Oops?"

The adult dragged his hands down his face. "Heavens help me, alright, okay. It's fine, whatever, I don't care, but either take the seal out or have one of your cousins fix it, I don't care which, so long as it gets done before the dinner rush." The man finally noticed Garra, frowning in confusion. "I wasn't aware Mari-san had found any more Uzumakis"

"Oh she hasn't," Naruto explained, "this is Garra of the Desert, did you know he can control sand, it's really cool!"

The civilian paled, looking at Garra with wide eyes, and this was much more normal. Odd, it was around this time Mother started hissing for blood, so happy to see their fear, but she was quiet.

"Sand," the man asked in a tight voice.

"Yeah!" Naruto then eyed the civilian, "what's wrong with you, did you eat something funky?"

The man took a breath. "Has Yamano Hiroshi seen you?"

"No, he's in the forge." Naruto tilted his head. "Do you think I should introduce them? Hiroshi-san is always complaining about the sand mixture."

"No, nope, do not," the civilian ordered, "if he goes into that forge we are never getting him back and I don't want to deal with that. Has Mari-san seen him yet?"

"No," Naruto replied with amusement, "but she's gotta, for like. Reasons. Clan reasons. That kinda thing."

The man looked down at Naruto, and Garra was starting to get confused at how quiet Mother was being, and just confused in general because what where they even talking about. "I expect you to be very firm that no matter how much she wants to she cannot, and I really must stress this, she cannot adopt him."

"Why?" Naruto asked like he was now confused, and the blond boy's hold shifted. Garra stared as Naruto threaded his fingers between his own.

"What do you mean why he's a fucking Kage's kid," the man hissed, "and hey wait a minute did you even get permission to have him here?"

"I don't think we stop Mari if she really wants to adopt him," Naruto said, and the man looked to the sky for strength.

"Sage wept. You know what? I don't care anymore. Not my circus not my monkey. Don't let Hiroshi see him and don't forget to fix my fucking refrigerator."

Naruto gave a two fingered salute. "You got it boss!"

Garra was dragged to a training field far away from the noise and colors, and he sucked in a breath at the sight off all that water flowing in the air like ribbons in a show.

A dark haired woman was in the middle of the half dozen streams, a tanto in one hand and a small half-staff in the other, and she dodged as a man in a tan coat lunged at her. She twisted around him, moving like she was going to attack, only to break away when a purple eyed woman forced her back.

The man in the coat and the purple eyed woman attack again and again, but the dark haired woman always managed to dodge, calling the waters to her aid as she used them like shields or whips, duel wielding with a grace even Temari would envy. They continued this dance until a man with dark brown hair whistled from the tree line, though he didn't move from his spot in the branches, eyes closed as if he was napping in the sun.

The three shinobi stop sparring, and the dark haired woman walked over, a red and white fan earrings clicking in the sudden silence.

Don't meet her eyes, Mother hissed, and she sounded scared, Sage that explains Kurama, shit, shit, shit.

The woman stood before them, head tilted in confusion as she looked at Naruto. "Aren't you suppose to be on a mission?"

"We finished the D-rank and then Guy spotted Kakashi and then Sensei made a run for it," Naruto replied, and then he beamed at Garra. "This is Garra! He's here… I don't actually know what for or how long I kinda just grabbed him."

"I did not believe you could catch madness before I met this team," the purple eyed woman muttered.

"It's less madness and more a way of life," the man in the coat replied, and the dark haired woman sighed like Temari did when Kankuro was being annoying.

The third shinobi snickered, and Garra started, because when had he left the tree? "He's learning all of Mari's bad habits."

"I stand by those," the dark haired woman defended, though she ruffled Naruto's hair. "Even if the fishcake here could learn some patience. It's nice to meet you Garra-kun, my name is Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra. The one in the tan coat is Aburame Muta and the woman beside him is Hyuuga Tsukiyo, daughter of Fujiro. Last but not least is Nara Roka, and he is a menace."

She then reached out as if to ruffle his hair, and Garra took a step back.

Uchiha froze at the grains in the air, but she didn't flinch or grow angry, eyes turning red as Mother snarled in fury and fear. She danced her fingers around the sands, eyes wide as if she was seeing something beautiful.

"Oh that's lovely," she breathed, "just gorgeous, Sage the things you could do, the things you could make."

"Soma said not to let Hiroshi-san see him," Naruto added, and Uchiha laughed, bright and loud and full of genuine cheer.

"That's probably wise," She mused, "and yet? I think I just might introduce them anyway. That's for later though."

She crouched down, and Mother growled as Garra refused to met her gaze, looking down at her sandals.

We need to leave. Mother ordered, but Naruto tightened his grip, blue eyes serious.

Uchiha's hand moved past his sand, and why wasn't she afraid? Her fingers tilt his chin up and up and he had no choice but to look her in the eyes, meeting swirling red and black irises with a gasp.

Mother howled in fury, and suddenly Uchiha was there, standing between him and Mother as the sands fall to the wayside.

"Hello Shukaku, child of Hagoromo. My name is Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra. I am pleased to finally meet you Oji-chan," and then she smiled, expression full of teeth. "Let's have a talk."

Chapter 9: If We Must Die Chapter Text

If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursèd lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
-

Temari stared at the spot where her brother had been… taken? Kidnapped?

Her chest felt tight as the pink haired kunoichi was still laughing. This was, Sage what was she going to tell Baki?

Worse, what was she going to tell her father?

"This isn't funny," the dark haired kid grumbled, and the pinkette wiped away years from her eyes. "She's going to adopt him and then I'm going to have to live with him."

"He's got a family," Kankuro snapped before Temari could grab his arm and squeeze, and the Leaf girl made a face.

"Eh," she replied doubtfully, "having blood doesn't really stop you from getting adopted, particularly if your home life is… ah. That is to say, perhaps not as close knit as it could be?"

The dark haired kid stopped pouting, gaze sudden sharp. "That so."

The girl's eyes widen, and Temari wondered if they were about to fight. "Oh no, Sasuke-kun it's fine."

"Is it," he asked, voice flat, and then the girl got mad.

"Would I fucking lie about that?" she snapped back, "they weren't abusive or anything, they were just a little emotionally neglectful, Mari got all of us in family therapy and we're doing real good so don't go sticking your nose in because your attached now and didn't notice before."

Sasuke took a step back, hands raised in surrender, and Temari saw the lull in the conversation.

"Could you take us to Garra," she asked politely, "he's, not a people person, and I don't want to get him trouble because he said the wrong thing."

More like murder the wrong person, but no, no that was a negative hypothetical and she could still salvage this without getting adults involved just yet. It was fine, everything was fine.

The two leaf Genin? glace at each other, and that didn't bode well at all, some silent conversation in their eyes.

"Sure," the pinkette agreed, gesturing for them to follow as she started to head west. Temari wanted to run, to sprint ahead and make sure no one was dead or the Ichibi hadn't been released. She wanted so many things, but she was well versed in disappointment, so she did her best to hide her tension. "So what brings you guys here?"

Oh Sage not small talk.

"The chunin exams," Kankuro said, and both Genin made faces at that.

The pinkette recovered first. "Oh, I wasn't sure we were hosting this year, that's… nice?"

"Scared to give a go at it?" Kankuro taunted, because he was an idiot who couldn't let things go.

"No, but my cousin's team had a bad experience, and one her teammates lost a leg and had to retire," Sasuke replied bluntly, and Temari took a breath.

"Sorry to hear that," she said before Kankuro could put his foot into his mouth a third time.

"It was a while ago," the dark haired boy gave with a shrug, and his teammate huffed in annoyance.

"You're suppose to say thanks you know," she informed, though Sasuke only rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to enter?" She wondered, memorizing the route they were taking.

The two Genin glance at each other again, heads tilting and brows shifting and then the pinkette turned back to them. "Maybe. We haven't talked about it, so who knows."

"It doesn't really matter," Sasuke added, and she blinked at him, confused, because they were the Chunin exams.

"What, you just, don't care?" Kankuro asked, also confused, and the Leaf nin shrugged.

"We're Team Seven," he said, like that explained anything at all, and the Pinkette snickered.

"That doesn't help them at all Sasuke-kun," the pinkette turned their way. "We're Team Seven, and we have the worst luck. No one's really sure why, though our sensei thinks that someone or something cursed the Lord Second. We've already gone on a A-rank that was suppose to be a C-rank even though we've only been Genin for like, two months, so honestly it's likely the Hokage will just field promote us so we don't create a political incident every time we take the test."

Temari digested this, and came to the conclusion that there was something deeply wrong with Konoha.

Sasuke gave a sigh. "Kakashi will probably volunteer us just for that."

The pinkette wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, you're probably right. Still, Wind! What's it like living in Suna? Mari only went to the eastern tip, but she thought the desert was beautiful."

"She thinks everything is beautiful Sakura," Sasuke countered, finally giving Temari the name of his teammate.

"Uh," Kankuro unhelpfully said, "it's sandy?"

"Wow," Sasuke drawled, "so descriptive, I am in awe."

"Fuck off," her brother snapped, and Sakura laughed.

"Be nice Sasuke-kun, if you don't want to talk about the desert that's fine, how about your sensei then, what's he like?" Sakura turned to them, and she shared a look with Kankuro, how too much say, how much to pretend? Sakura sighed at the silence, and Temari couldn't help the tension in her bones. "Oh come on, this is worse than having small talk with Lee, and that's only because he's too energetic to have a normal conversation."

Sasuke snorted, and then he tilted his head in a very cat like manor. "You're trying too hard."

Sakura frowned at him, and put her hands on her hips. "I don't want to hear that from from you, mister I'll just let Mari do all the heavy lifting."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sasuke countered, "it's great when she does the heavy lifting, just look at you and Ino."

"I'd take offense to that but we were awful," Sakura sighed, and then she turned to Temari again. "Did you ever have a fan-girl phase?"

"No." Her other classmates had, but Temari could never… crushes for girls who didn't have a monster for a brother and a Kage who was trying to kill that monster for a father.

Sasuke turned to Kankuro, "You are very lucky."

"We can go with that," Kankuro drawled, "So your blonde teammate…"

"Naruto," Sakura gave, then added, "he's a son of Ashura, and that's Sasuke, son of Indra. His cousin is going to be annoyed he didn't do that sooner."

"It never come up," Sasuke protested, "besides you're doing fine."

"Sasuke! You don't get to use me to do the heavy lifting in your relationships either, where are you going get back here!"

Sasuke had wisely retreated from his angry teammate, the two of them bickering, though Temari stopped paying attention at that massive wall of color.

It was. It was beautiful, figures dancing and laughing and fighting, so many stories and handprints and colors, and she started, because what that a tiny Ichibi sitting at a campfire with the Sage of the Six Paths?!

Sakura clicked her teeth against her tongue as they stood before the gates of what was obviously a clan compound. "Well, he's in here somewhere."

Sasuke gave a hn, and then he crouched down, and Temari was confused as to what he was doing but then a black cat weaved through the crowd like it had come from the shadows. It's blue eyes scanned them, and Temari knew that wasn't a normal cat, it had too much intelligence, and Sasuke picked it up, letting it crawl up his arm to sit on his shoulders.

"We're looking for my cousin, lead us?" Sasuke didn't seemed to mind the cat licking his ear, and then it hoped down, looking back once to see that they were following, and then it moved deeper into the compound.

"We can't just enter," Temari protested, guest pass heavy in her pocket, and Sasuke turned around, black eyes like tar. "This is clan territory."

The dark haired boy shared a look with Sakura, who tapped something on her leg, and then Sasuke shrugged. "That's alright. As clan heir I give you permission to enter to my people's Compound."

She didn't let her shock show, though Kankuro had grown pale.

Sage Baki was going to kill them. Assuming no one angered Garra into a rampage, then they would all be dead.

The Leaf Genin lead them through a heavily populated area, and Sage please, please let Garra control himself. This was a mass causality waiting to happen, and she took in the running kids and playing pets and plants that seemed to be everywhere.

It was, it was such a happy place, and then she felt a stab of guilt, because they were going to destroy it anyway, did it really matter if it was before or after the Chunin exams?

The crowds start to disperse, and Sasuke and Sakura share a glance at the sound of singing.

"Hello, my old heart, how have you been?" A voice filtered through the trees, "are you still there inside my chest I've been so worried, you've been so still, barely beating at all. Oh, don't leave me here alone, don't tell me that we've grown for having loved a little while. Oh, I don't wanna be alone, I wanna find a home and I wanna share it with you."

"That was fast," Sasuke said, and Temari felt Kankuro bump against her shoulder. She ignored it, watching the two Leaf Genin with everything she had, because this felt important.

Sakura tilted her head, a bit. "I shudder to image what the fishcake would have had to go through without Mama hen, Agate probably went through worse."

Sasuke made a face at this, and glanced back at the two of them. She didn't know what he was looking for, and she didn't know if he found it when he finally looked away.

"Hello, my old heart, it's been so long since I've given you away," the voice belonged to a dark haired woman who was definitely related to Sasuke, "and every day I add another stone to the walls I built around you to keep you safe. Oh, don't leave me here alone, don't tell me that we've grown for having loved a little while. Oh, I don't wanna be alone, I wanna find a home and I wanna share it with you. Hello, my old heart how have you been? How is it being locked away? Don't you worry, in there you're safe, and it's true you'll never beat but you'll never break. Nothing lasts forever, some things aren't meant to be, but you'll never find the answers, until you set your old heart free."

There were three other shinobi in the training ground, and Temari took all of them in, from the purple eyed woman to the shinobi in the tan coat to the dark haired man with a lazy slouch, though his eyes were sharp as he watched them them walk into their line of sight.

They felt like Baki, chakra dangerous and tightly coiled.

Then the dark haired man shifted, and Temari couldn't breathe.

Her knees wobbled, because that was her little brother on the ground with his head in the singer's lap, and she couldn't tell if he was alive or not. Guilt crept into the terror, because she didn't know what was worse, the fact he might be dead or the fact if he was dead she would feel relief, invasion be damned.

She truly was a terrible sister.

"Well, well, well," the dark haired man drawled as he walked over, and Temari noted the stiffness of one leg. She didn't tear her eyes away from Garra. She couldn't. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Roka," Sasuke greeted, "Muta, Hyuuga-san. I see Naruto got here without any trouble."

"Temari-san," Sakura asked softly, "are you alright? Garra- kun is fine, I promise. Mari doesn't hurt kids."

"Depends on your definition of trouble," Roka huffed in amusement, "Sage knows Gemna is going to unbearable now that Mari's got that particular little lamb in her clutches."

"Pup," Naruto corrected, and he swung those terribly blue eyes their way, and she felt dread pull her stomach down, because they knew. "Tanukis are pups, not lambs."

The purple haired woman looked at the one in a tan coat, and seriously how was he withstanding the heat? "You were not joking then."

"I am not sure who or what our great Lord Second offended," the man replied, "but one day I will find out and make proper apologies."

Roka sighed, and then glanced back at the two shinobi. "Hourglass?"

"We will do what we can," the man in the coat said, "but there are no guarantees. Why? Because we are limited in our influence."

"Since has that stopped us?" Roka asked, and the man in the coat tilted his head.

"Fair enough," he replied, and then he gave a small bow. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Temari-hime, Kankuro-dono. Enjoy your stay in the Den. Don't forget your temper fishcake. Come, Tsukiyo, let's go."

The blonde in question grumbled, and the Nara patted him on the head as the two other nin leave.

Temari took a breath. "We'd like Garra back now."

There was something sharp in Roka's gaze, and he tilted his head. "Would you?"

She gritted her teeth, and reminded herself that lashing out would only start a fight she would lose. "We're the Kazakage's children, threatening us is an act of war."

The man hummed in doubt, but before he could say anything Naruto stepped between them with a frown. "Roka. Muta told me to watch my temper, that means you have to too. They don't know any better."

Know what? Temari didn't understand what they talking about, even if the words seemed to impact Roka, the shinobi giving one long and tired sigh. "Come one then, let's go see Mari."

Sasuke was having another silent conversation, though this time it was with Naruto, while Sakura walked up to Roka, expression serious.

"Haku?" She asked, and Temari glanced at Kankuro, but he didn't know what the meant either.

"No," Roka answered, expression almost stern. "More Kimimaro and Akari."

"Oh," Sakura said, and then gave them a look. There was wariness in her expression, sadness and anger and pity. She pretended not to notice, even as she desperately tried to think of that could mean.

"Brought you two more Sika-mine," Roka said, and the singer gave a hum, black eyes rising from Garra to meet Temari's gaze, and suddenly she felt so small, like a child standing in a hospital wondering when her mother was going to wake up.

"Thank you dear-heart," Mari replied softly, and her eyes flicked to Kankuro, something knowing in her gaze. "No need to fret, he's just taking a nap."

"Is, is he," she asked, hating how she stuttered, hating how no one knew where they were and how there were less and less witnesses with each passing moment.

Mari then turned to the the Leaf Genin. "Team Seven, please go find your sensei, ask him about the exams after you give him an update."

"Uh, what about Garra?" Naruto asked, and Temari didn't want them to leave.

"He's fine with me," Mari lied, gaze once more landing on Temari.

The three Genin grumble but they leave. Mari threaded her hands through Garra's hair, not a grain of sand to be seen, and her little brother looked tiny in her lap, looked young and tired and helpless.

"Roka," Mari commanded, the mask of a welcoming and warm kunoichi falling away, and it reminded her of Baki, of her father, of being looking down upon with no where to go and no where to hide.

"You sure?" Roka asked, and Mari nodded.

"I am," she said, "me and the sand siblings need to have a talk."

The singer smiled, polite and friend and her earrings flash in the light. Temari, for the third time today, couldn't breathe. The Uchiha clan mon shined in the light, and she knew her stories, knew her history. The Uchiha could control Tailed-Beasts, and as Uchiha Mari's hands thread through her little brother's hair, her fingers felt very much like a threat.

Temari met her gaze with a raised chin.

This was her family, broken as it was, and she would die to defend it. The Uchiha's smile shifted to show teeth, and Temari readied herself for war, just like Rasa taught her. She was her father's daughter, his heir in all the ways that mattered.

Life had never let her be anything less.

Chapter 10: What Kind of Times Are These Chapter Text

There's a place between to strands of trees where the grass grows uphill
And the old revolutionary road breaks off into shadows
Near a meeting house abandoned by the persecuted
Who disappeared into those shadows

I've walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread, but don't be fooled
This isn't a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here
Our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
Its own ways of making people disappear

I won't tell you where this place is, the dark mesh of the woods
Meeting the unmarked strip of light—
Ghost-ridden crossroads, leafmold paradise:
I know already who wants to buy it, sell it, make it disappear.

And I won't tell you where it is, so why do I tell you
Anything? Because you still listen, because in times like these
To have you listen at all, it's necessary
To talk about trees.

"Let him go," Temari demanded, voice sharp in a way Kankuro hadn't heard his sister speak with in a long time. "Now."

"Hush," the Uchiha replied, "he's sleeping, and I do not want to wake him. Leash that temper of yours Temari-hime, raised voices have no place in my Den."

Temari took a breath, meeting the clan head with jutted chin. "You court war."

Uchiha raised a brow, a patently false confusion on her face. "For letting him sleep? What's wrong with that, unless there's sometime you'd like to share with the class?"

Temari clenched her jaw, and Kankuro glanced around, debating how well it would go if they started a fight. No one was there after all, and he and his sister were Genin, sure, but if they had surprise on their side, then maybe.

Uchiha carded her fingers through his brothers hair, and that maybe dipped a little more in her favor. "Peace, Temari-hime, while your defense of your brother is admirable, it is not needed. Have you had lunch?"

"What?" They asked at the same time, and Uchiha smiled without teeth this time, eyes crinkled.

"Lunch," she repeated, "it's a little after midday, and I am famished. It can be my treat, as payment for dealing with Naruto's rather excitable nature."

She lifted Garra up like he weighed nothing, shifting him so he was slumped across her back, chin resting on her shoulder as she tucked his legs between her arms.

Kankuro stared, and he wondered if Garra had ever been given a piggy back ride before. He thought about some more, and then Kankuro wondered if he had ever had a piggy back ride. Garra's head shifted, breaths soft and steady and slow, and Kankuro felt a pang in his chest at a brother he could never help.

Temari glanced his way, tension growing in her shoulders. "We really should be getting back to our sensei. I'm sure he's concerned at what's taking us so long to get back to the hotel."

"Baki can stew for a little bit," Mari mused in a tone that said they could continue arguing if they wished, it would just be pointless. "Come."

They follow.

Mari was more popular that Sasuke was, various people coming up to talk to her. Some had reports about their day and others had come to complain and more than a few just came up to peer at Garra and then giggle, or give a long drawn out sigh as they looked at Mari in exhaustion.

No one looked at Garra in fear.

No one looked at him or his sister and expected them to be something they weren't.

The Uchiha lead them to restaurant called Jigoku's kitchen, and he wondered if that was a reference to Garra or not.

It was a nice restaurant, open floored so the patrons could watch the chiefs cook, white glad workers moving in surprising tandem. A tan man dressed in black came over, and he looked important.

"Mari, Mari, Mari," he tutted, "light of my life, anchor to my heart, you cannot adopt this one."

Kankuro braced for lashing at the tone, because Uchiha Mari was a clan head, and this was, was just a cook or something.

"That so?" Uchiha drawled, but she sounded amused, and the fun kind of amused, not the elders kind where they were waiting for someone to see the trap and drink in their panic.

The man sighed, "why? Why are you like this?"

"My cousins all thought someone else was looking after me and I got raised by cats and crows, who are communal by nature," Uchiha replied, deadpan, and Kankuro glanced at Temari, because that sounded like she was instinct-raised, and weren't people like that suppose to be… a lot more socially inept than Uchiha was.

The man then muttered something that sounded like damn ninja. "Your fox brat broke my refrigerator."

"Oh?" She didn't sound mad, or angry, or annoyed. Kankuro didn't understand how. "He did, did he?"

"Yes," the man hissed, "I assume you got him throughly occupied, since he promised to come and fix it."

"He going to be busy I'm afraid, and Karin too, before you ask. Hmm," the Uchiha then started digging around in her various pockets and pouches. "I've got a cancelation somewhere in, aha, here."

She handed him a small piece of paper with ink, but it didn't look like any seal he recognized, it was just a bunch of birds pecking at squares.

The man took it. "I'd say you were a gift, but you taught him that nonsense in the first place. Booth in the back?"

Uchiha's smile was soft, fond. "Thank you Sora, and yes please."

"Yeah, yeah," Sora drawled, leading them into the back of the restaurant. "Just remember you do have to give him back by the end of the exams. He is cute though, I can see the appeal."

Sora than reached out, like he was going to ruffle his brother's hair, and Kankuro and his sister took a breath at the grains now floating in the air. Sora paused, brow raised, and then slowly ruffled their brother's hair anyway.

"Now that's a neat trick," he said without a hint of fear or disgust or even greed. "I trust Naruto gave my warning about Hiroshi. We've gotten lucky he's so busy, or else he'd be all over the little guy here."

Uchiha laughed, settling into the booth with Garra relocated to her lap. Temari gave him a small push, and Kankuro took the seat opposite of the Uchiha and his bother. "Fishcake sure did, though I do think it would be good for the pup to engage in some creation. He has seen sand as nothing but a weapon for a very long time, and that outlooks needs some fixing."

He couldn't see Garra anymore, but it clear she was carding her hands through his hair again, and he wondered how she could look at a stranger so fondly? What was the point of her kindness? What did she hope to gain?

Sora raised a brow, though there was something unreadable in his eyes. "Hiroshi would kidnap him and then Suna would never get him back and as one of your civilian council members I'd have to help deal with that."

"Well," Uchiha drawled, fathomless black eyes shifted upward in utter apathy. "That would certainly be a predicament, wouldn't it?"

Sora sighed. "Please, please, do not go poking at Suna because their Kage irks you."

"I make no promises," she replied, and Kankuro wondered how meeting his father would go. For some reason he couldn't imagine screaming, or a fight, just sharp teeth and tea. "So, what do you think?"

"You get your regular," Sora replied, then paused, "is the duckling going to eat?"

"No," Uchiha answered, "he needs the rest."

Sora nodded. "In that case you get a regular, hmmm the girl will get tangine with goat, the boy will get Pastela with bird meat, and I'll get a to go box for the duckling, he'll be having Harira."

Kankuro glanced at Temari, but she looked just as confused about the names as he did, and Uchiha raised both her brows, looking intrigued."Really?"

"Hush now," Sora ordered, ordered! "I don't go questioning you now do I?"

There was a grin growing on Uchiha's face, and Kankuro was very confused. "You do, actually. All the time in fact, you're doing it right now."

"La, la, la, I can't hear you," Sora replied, and Uchiha laughed as he walked away towards the kitchen, and all the little workers greeted him with good cheer.

Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with Konoha, nothing here made a lick of sense.

"So, Kankuro-hiko," Uchiha spoke, and Kankuro dragged his attention back to the current threat, who was staring at him with creepy black eyes. "I hear you're a puppeteer."

"I, yes," he replied gamely, and Temari pinched his leg in warning, which was unfair, because he knew what was at stake, she didn't have to keep reminding him.

"That's lovely," she said, and he blinked, because that was genuine, and most people outside of Suna considered puppets to be unnerving and creepy and looked down at their wielders because of it, hell even some people in Suna thought it was weird. "I tried researching puppets a few years ago, and I did teach myself Chakra String Technique, but I could never come close to the skill of Suna Masters. What kind of puppets do you use? I mostly did research into the Ambroise style, but I believe most Suna shinobi tend to use Chikamatsu style."

"Uh," Kankuro said as he blocked his sister's hand, "I do use Chikamatsu style. Why'd you look into that anyway? Most people don't really like puppets, or care about the mechanics."

"My teammate lost his leg in our chunin exams, and I wanted him to be able to run and fight of his own power. I helped make a leg that was close enough to do the job, but it will never compare to your people's creations." She gave a sigh, and Kankuro remembered Sasuke mentioning something about that. "I tried to start trading with Suna for such things, but alas, talks had soured at that point. I'd still like to try though, since I'm sure your people could make a better one."

Kankuro had never heard about talks with Konoha, and he wondered if her own government had blocked the talks, or if his father had.

"What did you do to Garra," Temari snapped suddenly, and Kankuro sucked in a breath at the commanding tone.

"Temari," he hissed, because you don't take that tone with people in power, and turned toward the clan head, "she didn't mean that."

Uchiha tilted her head, not angry, but not amused either. "She did, but that's alright, I was wondering when she'd ask. Finally gauged my temperament enough to guess I won't hurt him?"

"You already have," Temari snarled, and Uchiha raised a brow.

"He's sleeping," she countered, "that's not a harm."

This was getting worse by the minute, and Temari ignored his pinching as she revealed, "he doesn't sleep."

Shit Temari why.

"Well," Uchiha drawled, looking down at their brother, "no wonder he's so messed up. REM is very important you know, though I suppose it is darkly humorous, Shukaku was the reason he couldn't sleep, but without him your brother would be dead by now."

"What did you do," his sister demanded while Kankuro digested that little tidbit, and Uchiha smiled with teeth.

"Me and Shukaku had a nice long talk about cycles of abuse and taking out ones anger on those who do not deserve it and the things our parents asked of us that perhaps they shouldn't have, because it was unfair. Then I gave Shukaku and Garra a new seal because their last one was atrocious, so now Garra's body is catching up on all the sleep he missed. His chakra control might be a little wonky, which sucks for the exams but alas, such is life."

Oh sweet Sage their father was going to kill them.

"You fixed his seal!" Temari gasped at the same time Kankuro growled, "You talked with that monster!"

"It was hurting the both of them, of course I did," Uchiha replied softly but with steel. "As for the monster part, the Ichibi isn't a demon."

"What," Kankuro blurted at the same time his sister hissed, "how can you say that! Do you know what it's done?"

"I am well aware of the bodies to by laid at his feet," Mari murmured, and they both flinched at the tone, "but how would you feel if a group of tanuki sealed you into one of their own and then used you like a weapon against your own kin? How would you feel if you were belittled and dehumanized for decades with no freedom in sight. It doesn't make what Shukaku did right, it doesn't make it okay, but his actions are understandable, even if they aren't excusable."

Kankuro was trying to find a good response to that other than fuck you when his sister snarled, "you know nothing of what we've suffered."

"I am a sensor Temari-hime," Uchiha stated, and Kankuro didn't understand what that had to do with anything. "This meant I got feel my mother die from the Nine-Tailed fox attack. I felt her fear, her determination, her grief and anger and regret, because she had promised to come home to me, and she died at the village gates just before she was going to retire from being a shinobi. I felt my neighbor's daughter die when her house collapsed on her, she was six years old, and so very scared. I felt my cousin who gave me dango on weekends burn up as he tried to shield his baby brother from the flames. He failed. I felt parents lose their children and siblings lose their family and spouses lose their loved ones. I felt grief rise in the air and never stop, my friends and family burning up and so terribly afraid, and these eyes of mine mean I will never forget that night, it remains here," she tapped the side her head twice, and there was panic clenching his lungs, "in perfect clarity. I do not ask for things I myself am not willing do, and I have long made peace with Kurama, despite his part in that loss."

Temari had gone pale, lips tight, so Kankuro shoved all he was feeling down and look the Uchiha in the eyes. "Do you even know you're asking of us?"

"Yes," she said, and her face was, it was sympathetic, grieving, even as it bore no room for disagreement. "It will be difficult, it'll probably be the hardest thing you've ever done, because it has to be done, otherwise the bloodshed will never end. You are being given a duty you've inherited, and that isn't fair. It's unkind and undeserved and filled with more challenges than you can bare alone, but then, it's a good thing you aren't alone, are you?"

Before either of them could respond to that, plates descend into their line of sight. Temari had some kind of hot plate, loaded with vegetables and what looked like fish, where as Kankuro had some kind of taco looking thing, though the bread looked different than any kind of hard or soft shell he had seen before. It smelled delicious, and oddly enough a little like home.

Uchiha had what looked like a rack of some kind of meat, maybe lamb, covered in spices and herbs.

He took a small hesitant bite, and heat raced up his tongue, strong as any curry from home, and was kind of bird was this? Kankuro chewed it, tasting the kinda tangy meat. Well, whatever chicken this was, it was almost worth the whole political mess.

Maybe they could kidnap the cook.

Uchiha was smiling at them as they ate, and even Temari was looking like she was enjoying the meal.

"This is good," he said, because as much as he enjoyed the silence, they really did need to continue the holy shit you fixed his seal conversation.

"Sora has a gift," she mused around her ribs, teeth sharp as the meat slid right off the bone, grease dripping from her fingers. "He's from Wind, funny enough."

"He is?" Temari asked, still inhaling her own food.

Uchiha nodded. "He wanted to cook. His family wanted him to be a shinobi. He would have bowed to them, had a friend of mine not told stories of the Den. Made his way here with nothing but a bag across his shoulders, like something out of a story. I kept telling him to write a book, or let of my little novelist ghost write it for him, but he's remained stubborn."

"He had nothing to give and you just gave him a restaurant," Temari asked, completely confused, but Uchiha shook her head.

"Oh no," she explained, "he made this all himself. He put in the work, did odd jobs and the like until he had both the cash for the down payment and the skill required to run such a place. I just offered him a plot of land and helped him get the loan for this place."

"How very generous of you," Temari drawled, and Uchiha smiled without teeth, polite and contained and somehow it felt more dangerous than the one with teeth.

"Yes," she agreed bluntly, "Sora took that generosity and now he feeds orphans and refugees with his leftovers, and any one who wishes to learn how to cook gets a bed upstairs and a place in the kitchen, no matter where they come from."

"Why?" His sister asked, and he knew she was thinking of Suna, of their own father, who had never done anything for them unless it was to get something out of it.

Uchiha tilted her head. "Why not? I had the power and wealth and ability to help, why should I hoard that all to myself?"

"We're shinobi," Kankuro countered, "we don't do things like this, we don't, we don't share, we aren't kind."

"Yes," she agreed again, though this time her answer held a little more sadness, a little more grief. "But I am the daughter of a maid and a gardener. We survived on hardwork and the kindness of our community. We helped each other, we had to, if we wanted to survive. I am in charge of my clan now, but I have not forgotten the lessons my parents passed on to me."

They lull into another silence, and the food no longer tasted as good. Still, he ate all he could, until the plate was empty.

Sora came round again, smug like a Jonin.

Uchiha tilted her head, having some sort of private conversation with her face. It was something she must have taught Sasuke, though she seemed better at it, or at the least more practiced, because Sora took their plates without saying anything, leaving only a small paper bag.

Temari took a breath, and her hand found its way into Kankuro's. "What do you want for fixing his seal?"

"Nothing," Uchiha replied, shifting the bag to her side.

"Nothing?" Temari wondered, her fingers tight around his own, and Uchiha gave a shrug.

"If you feel like there is a debt, then carry on the chain of kindness, as Sora has," she said, "but there is nothing your Kage could give to me that I want."

Kankuro frowned, and pointed out, "he could give you access to our puppets."

"Ah, good point, let me rephrase then," Uchiha mused, and then looked so entirely serious. "I want nothing to do with that kin-killer."

There was a moment of silence, Chakra prickling in the air as he held tight to his sister, praying their father never ever heard that.

"Our father isn't a kin-killer," Temari breathed, voice so very quiet, and it was only the fact they were in the middle of a Clan territory he wasn't looking over his shoulder for spies.

"Isn't he?" Uchiha wondered, "Shukaku might have been the weapon used to kill your uncle and mother, but it was your Kage holding the knife. He just blames his son because it's easier than facing the fact he's killed his own family in the name of power."

Kankuro couldn't breathe. You didn't say things like that, it wasn't safe to say that, let alone think it, and he hated her because now he was thinking it.

Temari was so, so stiff beside him, but she carried on, because their father had never let her do anything else. "How do you even know that?"

"Spy network," Mari blithely admitted, "and gossip, and Shukaku. Like I said, we had a nice long chat about all sorts of things, partially the kind of knowledge your father would probably try and kill me for having."

Oh. Somehow this conversation had gotten worse. Kankuro didn't think it could do that, but it just did.

"You know," his sister whispered, and Uchiha's smile was tight.

"Yes," she admitted, and that was, how did they fix this, could they fix this? "And believe me, there are going to be talks about that. With luck, things won't have to get out of hand because some people got a little reactionary and listened to the wrong person, but that's a conversation for us adults, not for you three. All you three should worry about is doing well in the exams, alright?"

"We're adults," Temari countered, and Uchiha lost her smile.

"You're really not, no matter what that hitai-ate might proclaim, now come, I'm sure your jonin sensei must be getting worried. We wouldn't want things to get, awkward, now would we?"

"No," his sister agreed as she slid out of the booth, and then she stood before the Uchiha, looking her right in the eye with a raised chin. "We wouldn't want that at all. How may we be of assistance?"

Kankuro stared at his sister, because that sentence meant she was just going to allow Uchiha to ask whatever she wanted of them, and follow through on it. He understood the why, even if he didn't agree.

Uchiha stared at his sister, before she too stepped out of the booth, Garra once more positioned on her back. She placed a hand on Temari's shoulder, and both of them tensed, waited for the pain or the order or the command, but none ever came.

"You're a good sister Temari," Uchiha murmured, eyes so soft, and Kankuro didn't understand. "Don't let anyone tell you any less."

Then she just, she just walked away, never answering the question.

They followed her back to their hotel. No one stopped to talk to them this time. It must have been her expression, because they took one look at her, and then at them, before giving a wave or a salute or a dip of their head before either letting her pass or going in a different direction.

Kankuro knew Uchiha was dangerous, that she was a clan head, but this, this felt worse somehow, like they had tumbled into spiders den and were being led deeper into the ground by a funnel-web.

Baki opened the door to their room, and he paled at the sleeping Garra, though his expression very quickly went blank when he met the Uchiha's gaze.

"Well hiya Baka of the Sand," Mari drawled, grinning with teeth, "won't you let me in? We got some things to talk about."

Their sensei took in their faces, Garra's soft breaths that sent one of the Uchiha's earrings clinking like a small wind chime, and did the only thing he could do in the face of a threat like that.

He let all of them in, and when the door behind closed shut, it rather felt like how Kankuro imagined a sand coffin wrapped tight must feel like.

Still, Baki would know what to do.

He had to.

Chapter 11: Won't You Celebrate With Me Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

won't you celebrate with me
what i have shaped into
a kind of life? i had no model.
born in Babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did i see to be except myself?
i made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.

Fu was very, very excited. They were doing the Chunin Exams! Oh, they weren't aiming for a promotion; the longer they could stay together, and the longer her and Suigetsu could remain out of public eye, the more it would make their dipping out less noticeable. This was just for fun and messing around with the rest of the Konoha Fifteen.

They were second of the ducklings to arrive, and the only reason Team Three was first was because Neji was a perfectionist who had probably made his team get there fifteen minutes early. She sighed, and like clockwork Karin saddled over the purple-eyed boy.

They had an odd friendship, and if she didn't know Karin was into Hakuyo and Neji was pinning after Tenten she'd have assumed they'd have a decade long enemies to lovers love affair.

The secret pinning was fun too though.

Fu tugged Karin back just before she was about to start talking shit, because the Rookie Nine had entered the building, and boy had they been unsubtle. Naruto soaked it all in, the idiot, and his lack of fear just pissed of people more.

Shikamaru sighed, and pushed Naruto towards their corner.

Thank the Sage for sensible Naras, Chomei mused, and Fu sent agreement down the mindscape.

"Hey, hey!" Kiba greeted, and Lee, the bright lovable idiot that he was, greeted him right back.

"So are we gonna kick everyone's but or what?" Naruto asked, earning the ire of everyone in the room, and several of their cohort slapped their hands to their heads. This was negated by the fact that several others responded with a hell yeah!

We have been here for years, Chomei complained, and I still do not understand what is wrong with this place.

It's the trees, she argued, they're so full of Hashirama's chakra that it seeps into their very souls. Only the ones who get introduced to Tobirama's treated water manage to escape with their brain cells.

That is, Chomei then paused, seemingly thinking it over, not a terrible theory actually, give that to Mari next you see her I want to see her reaction.

Fu sent a mental salute down the mindscape. Will do!

"Uh," someone greeted, ashy grey hair and big glasses and a meek mask that was pretty good but Mari's was better, "you should probably be more quiet."

"Who are you," Naruto demanded, and it was funny to watch the more socially adept members look upwards for strength.

"His name is Yakushi Kabuto," Sakura answered, sounding very annoyed, "he's a competent medic nin who keeps turning down promotions so he can keep competing with Chunin hopefuls who bribe him into getting them into the third part of the exam."

"That hurts me Sakura-kohai," Kabuto replied, not even denying the introduction as he tapped his heart, "right here."

"Is that even allowed?" Choji asked, and Sakura made a face while Shikamaru watched, delighted at getting all this new information.

"The higher ups allow it because it makes Konoha look good and also I'm sure Kabuto-senpai goes out of his way to knock out foreign teams."

Oh now that was mean. Lee clearly agreed, but Neji's hand was on his shoulder, so the excitable boy didn't say that.

"So cruel to me," Kabuto complained, "and after all those lessons I gave you at the hospital."

"It was one lesson you subbed for because Hakui was sick, and you just used me to make the students you were annoyed with cry." Sakura countered, and Ino leaned over so she could sign something.

Is this like Karin and Neji? The blonde wondered, and Fu thought about it.

No, she replied, it's probably more like Suigetsu and Kakashi.

So less friendship and more I hate you because you're an ass but also you are very skilled so I tolerate it because then I get bright and shiny things to learn. Ino surmised, and Fu grinned, because that was exactly it.

"Well," Kabuto drawled, "it's not my fault they hadn't realized their skills had plateaued and needed a tiny kunoichi to show them genius only takes you so far."

"Sure, sure," Sakura said with a wave of her hand, "so what do you want?"

Kabuto looked hurt. "I can't be here to help my fellow ninja?"

Every member of the Konoha Fifteen turned and looked at him for that, blank eyes belaying the fact that they didn't believe a single bit of the heaping pile of bullshit he just uttered.

The ashy haired genin sighed. "Fine, I was bribed to get as many leaf in as possible, and that includes you lot. So! I probably don't need to tell you to avoid Kumo, Kiri, and Kusa but I will do so anyway, particularly the Kusa woman with long hair. See the Suna team with the red head? Avoid them. The Iwa team with the dark haired man glaring at you should also be avoided. Other than that, you lot are a statistical nightmare, so you should be fine so long as you stay with your team. See you fifteen in the finals."

"No we won't you vestigal organ," Sakura snarked back, and Kabuto laughed as he left with a wave.

They all turn to Sakura, but before they could interrogate her Ibiki walked in, and ordered them to take their seats. Karin brightened, waving at the man, and he gave her a brow raise. Fu giggled, remembering her own interrogation at the hands of a man who had a very gushy center when it came to kids. Suigetsu sighed, but considering his own talk, Team Four was a lot more friendly with Ibiki than most people assumed.

Naruto tapped her as they passed. Redhead like us.

Chomei, she asked down the mindscape, and her friend sent back affirmation.

Garra of the Sand has Shukaku, she explained, which really is unfortunate, but Mari handled it. He's still, well, obnoxious, but even if my youngest sibling wasn't I doubt Garra is ready for likes of us. We're, louder than Naruto is.

Fu digested this. Ah, an introvert is he?

Very, Chomei laughed, and Fu gave her a nod.

I'll say hello at some point, she decided, just to have good manners and all that.

Sure thing Nymph, Chomei chuckled, and Garra turned her way with a puzzled from on his lips.

After they had all settled in their seats Ibiki started talking and talking and his Chakra Intent was thick in the air so he was doing some kind of manipulation, so Fu ignored his words all together. If there was something sneaky going on, Karin or Team Eight would catch it.

Hey, Kiba asked in code as he pretend to write down answers on his piece of paper, anyone up for a challenge?

Always! Lee enthusiastically replied, while Neji and Tenten looked like they were dying on the inside. There were a few more replies, most of them positive, and Fu met Ibiki's questioning brow with a wink, before going back to her own paper.

What's the challenge, Sasuke asked, and Akamaru wiggled on Kiba's head, clearly excited.

Well since the purpose of this is to cheat, the dog boy answered, let's see who can get the most people disqualified.

Oh now that was going to be fun.

No Taki, she added, otherwise I'm so down.

No Kiri either, suigetsu tapped out, and soon after him Hinata added, anyone else want to add no goes or aim fors?

Kusa is more than fair game, Karin tapped, and most of them snorted at that.

There was a brief pause before Naruto replied. Don't get the kid in purple paint, the blonde girl with the pig tails, or the red head with the gourd.

Didn't Sakura's genin say to avoid those ones? Shikamaru asked.

Me and Fu and Garra make seventeen, Naruto explained at the same time Sakura tapped, don't call him my genin, he's entirely his own and utterly obnoxious.

Mari's already adopted the redhead, Sasuke added, and half the Konoha fifteen manage to turn their laughter into a cough. The other half did not, and got odd looks from both the contestants and the judges.

Oh good, another one, Shino tapped, and Fu giggled internally.

Well then, Ino mused, let's get to it.

Of the two hundred and seventy-three Genins hoping to make Chunin; which was rather large as Konoha were big softies and Genin were less likely to die or be kidnapped with a fake death report, at least according to Chomei, who learned that from Kurama; the Konoha fifteen managed to knock out half of them. Even Garra and his teammates had been added to the challenge, somehow.

They probably would not have gotten so many but Ibiki seemed to find it funny and allowed it. Thus, allowing Shikamaru win the game with twelve Genin disqualified on his part.

Ino probably would have one more if she hadn't been saving her strength for Part Two.

Alas, Shikamaru won bragging rights and Anko went in through the window. Fu watched the glass shatter, and wondered if Finances and Acquisition had green-lit that.

Probably not.

Anko was very scary to anyone who hadn't seen her be bribed to do just about anything for dango. She was one of Mari's after all, and that meant all the ducklings were safe, no matter how much postering the older woman did in the name of spooking the Genin.

Fu watched Suigetsu stare at the Kiri genin, and Karin glaring down the one Kusa team that had made it, and wondered if she should be looking around for the some Taki genin. She settled against it. Her teammates were having emotions, which meant it was on Fu to be clear headed.

She'd slightly regret that decision later, but at the moment she was more worried Karin would throw caution to the wind and punch the Kusa woman in the face, exam's be damned.

Allies? Shikamaru whistled while they filled out forms.

Konoha Fifteen, Naruto tapped, plus the sand siblings.

Sand siblings? Kiba asked, but Hinata whispered something in his ear. Ah, never mind. Avoid the Kusa woman, Akamaru says she smells weird.

Noted, Karin replied like she still wasn't planning to beat the shit out of the Kusa woman who was looking so very amused at the redhead's glares, meet in the middle on day two?

Collect as many scrolls as you can, Tenten added, let's make a show.

Several people tapped agreement, and Fu stared at the Forest of Death. She could sense the hashirama chakra thick in the air, and she wondered if that was why Yamato-sensei liked this place so much.

"Go!" Someone shouted, and the three of them were off like an arrow. Greenery might a be a problem for most Genin, but Team Four had a Sensei who could use Wood Release, and he did so, annoyingly, pettily, and this was nothing compared to Yamato after having spent an hour trying to avoid Guy-sensei.

Karin looked behind them, eyes narrowed. "Someone is following us."

That was about all she got before a dark shape darted in Fu's periphery, and she went tumbling down away from her teammates, meeting the dirt in a tangle of limbs.

Her kuni missed flesh, and then Fu froze, because she knew the genin standing before her.

"Shibuki?" She asked, unable to determine the bundle of emotions in her chest. Karin jumped down with a snarl, a different Taki nin pushed back by her chains while Suigetsu landed between them, broadsword already blooded. "Wait, wait, please everyone stop!"

There might have been a little more of Chomei's chakra in the command than Fu intended, but everyone froze, before Shibuki took a breath. "I am here to rescue my friend, and you can't stop me."

Chomei sighed, only you Nymph.

"Aw shit," Suigetsu drawled, "this is straight up like the wolf and the dragon and the stag from Mari's ballad of flicker and frost."

Karin groaned. "Are you fucking kidding me! I nearly got killed because some wannabe samurai wanted to play hero?"

"That is the leader of our village and you will treat him with respect," the obviously not a Genin snarled, but Fu could only stare at Shibuki.

"Why?" She asked, because she had to know. Had her friend come seeking to save her, or had the leader of her village come seeking to take back the beast in her belly?

Oh Fu, Chomei breathed, and she felt the embrace of her oldest friend in her Chakra, power wound tight around Fu's entire being.

We're with you, Karin tapped, and Suigetsu gave a nod of agreement. There were tears in her eyes, because this was her team, and they would not abandon her. They did not care about her political power, they did not care about what she might give to them.

"Why did you come here," she asked again, and Shibuki's eyes flickered between her teammates and herself.

"I- Fu, this is a rescue," Shibuki stated, gesturing for her to come to him, but that wasn't the answer Fu wanted. She wanted to go back, she was always going to go back, but not if they wanted the weapon instead of the woman.

"Is it?" She asked, and Shibuki looked at her in shock and confusion and heartbreak. "Or is it reclaiming something you lost."

"Is that what Konoha told you?" Shibuki spat, "that we'd only care about getting the Nanabi back?"

"Her name is Chomei, and she is my friend," her voice cracked, but no one commented on it. "I am here because I chose to be, because if I stayed those who took me would have slaughtered all of Taki to have me, and with the village in the middle of a civil war everyone would have died. So, look me in the eyes Headman-sama, and tell the truth. Are you here for the bug, or are you here for me."

Her first human friend stared at her, dark eyes wide, and then his expression crumbled. "I became a shinobi to find you. Everyone said you'd be dead by now, but I, I promised to take care of you. If that meant finding your bones and burying you next to your mother, then that's what I'd do."

Truth, Karin tapped, and Fu burst in tears.

"There's been a bit of a miscommunication," Karin said while Fu sobbed, Suigetsu shifting over to hold her hand as she cried.

"You- you, one of my people was kidnapped and now she's crying, how is that a miscommunication!" Shibuki demanded, and Fu choked on a laugh, because when he put it like that it sounded bad.

"No," she corrected, wiping away her tears. "Akatsuki is hunting Tailed-Beasts, and Kakuzu would have turned right back around killed everyone if Mari hadn't taken me with her. This is, a fostering, until home is safe to go back to."

"You can't honestly believe that," the not genin replied, and Fu met his gaze with a raised chin.

"My guardian is Uchiha Mari," Fu countered, because she no longer had those fears, her elder sister had long put them to rest. "Regent to the founding clan of Konoha, Sealing Mistress of her people and Fire Country's Colony Queen. She promised me I will go home when my arrival will no longer be an omen of slaughter, and through heaven or hell she will see that promise true."

"And what, you just believed her?" Shibuki asked with a confidence of anyone who had not met Mari in person.

"Yes," she stated, and she did not doubt, she did not waver. "I'm not, I'm not that naive little girl anymore. She died when she watch Kakuzu slaughter everyone around her just because of the spirit she held inside her soul. I learned, and I grew, and Uchiha Mari is many things, but she is not and never will be an oath-breaker. She has not, nor will she ever, take away my choices. I'm going to go home Shibuki, I promise. When it is safe, when Akatsuki no longer prowl the shadows, waiting for a hint of weakness."

"You can't promise that," he whispered, and Fu took a chance, walking across the distance and giving her very first human friend a hug. He hugged her back, fingers held tight in her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry we couldn't keep you safe, I'm sorry it took long so long to find you."

"Talk to Mari," she whispered back, "she's not a thief, no matter what some people seem to think. She's my big sister, and she knew the moment she took me to the Den it wouldn't be forever." She pulled back, looking her leader in the eyes. "When I come home, I expect a feast in my honor, ok? Because when I come home, and I will, it'll be with the titles to all those merchant caravans Mari bought up years ago and a treaty that will ensure the fighting that killed your father will never happen again."

Fu then planted a kiss on his head like she had seen Roka give to Mari, and Chomei cooed in the mindscape, pulling back even as she sent pride and relief and hope along their connection.

Karin snorted, pulling back her chains as the three of them started to back away into the woods.

She gave him a two fingered salute. "Good luck Shibuka-sama, see you on the other side."

And then they were gone, darting into the trees, and Fu handed over the scroll from his pocket she had lifted. It was heaven, and she grinned, because they had earth.

"Lucky, lucky," Suigetsu laughed, and Karin rolled her eyes before focusing on the trees, subtly changing their direction. Her friend then eyed her. "You good?"

"I have never been happier," she replied, and it was even the truth. Her leader had come for her, not for her political power or because of some sense of duty to his father, but because he had made a promise to her.

Karin opened her mouth to say something before her eyes widened and she tripped, catching herself on the next branching and lunging east with panic in her Chakra.

"Shit, Karin what's wrong! No, better question who!" He called as they raced after her, and she felt Chomei still in their mindscape.

Go, she hissed, Team Seven is in trouble.

Fu felt her own eyes widen before she pulled power into her muscles and sprinted forward.

She had never moved faster in her life.

Notes:

Sorry this took so long I was relocated against my will and dragged into some forced family fun. (kidding haha, I am on vacation though, so the next chapters might be a bit slower, but I should be back on track soon)

Chapter 12: A Legacy Chapter Text

Remembrance is a naked blade:
Take care lest I should prove untrue;
For in my will and testament,
My friend, I have remembered you.

My affluence is devised
To predatory moth and mouse;
Let them possess this spaciousness
Since you prefer a narrower house.

I leave to you a curious loom,
That I have wrought my dreams upon;
I beg you lay your hand to it
And weave a pattern when I am gone.

With earlier, patient industry,
Follow no school's rote, frigid, dull:
Give yourself to it day and night
And make it strange and beautiful.

Sasuke was having a no good, very bad day.

It had started off great, plotting with Shikamaru and having the more excitable members pick off Kusa nin and various other Genin. He should have known something was going to go downhill.

It always did, with Team Seven.

He ducked from another giant snake, who was not responding to his very butchered attempts to negotiate, and he put getting lessons from Anko much higher on his mental to-do list. His katana cut through skin, and he avoided the blood as Sakura snarled, and watched as his teammate went through a serious of hand seals that attempted to pull the blood from it's body.

Sasuke shuddered, because Sakura failed at the attempt, that only meant Mari teaching it, which was entirely horrifying. He still wasn't sure where his cousin's water affinity had come from. He and Kakashi debated that sometimes, because most Uchiha were either lightning or wind based when they had a second affinity, not water. It was spooky, and his cousin turned sister was teaching Sakura how to not use hand seals, which was both awesome and entirely unfair.

"Why, why does this happen to us?" Naruto complained as he slapped a seal on a snake that… oh that was nasty, the snake's body curling up into a bloodied ball. Gravity seals were vicious, and Mari had a ban on them unless it was life or death.

"I am going to find a way to bring Tobirama-sama back to life and then I am going to murder him," Sakura snarled, and Sasuke snorted. Now that would be something to watch.

"We jinxed it," he replied, and both his teammates glance at him. Naruto looked confused, and Sakura slapped a hand to her face. "We joked around with the sand siblings and the universe found it amusing."

"Damn," Sakura tsked, shaking the blood from her gloves. "We got cocky, let's not do that again."

"Still doesn't explain the snakes though," Naruto said, poking at one the corpses. "This breed doesn't belong in the Forest of Death, they're the wrong genus."

All three of them digested that, and then they moved.

Naruto closed his eyes while they ran, mouth twisting, then he opened them in shock and pushed Sasuke out of the way just as the Kusa woman Karin had wanted to murder came out of the fucking tree limb like Yamato-sensei when he felt particularly spiteful.

Naruto whistled, lunging at the woman as Sakura darted around, and Sasuke moved towards her, because that been a move to separate them and one on one was not something he wanted to do.

He pulled out his sword, and readied the blade.

All three of them froze at the surge of Killing Intent. It was more powerful than Zabuza's, stronger even than Mari's, and Sasuke needed to move. He needed to- Naruto growled, the surge of Kurama's Chakra settling over them like a cloak, and the Kusa woman tilted her head.

He and Sakura breathed, and then the three of them became a unit.

What Sasuke would never know was that in another world Team Seven had been a powder keg.

In another world Naruto had been ignorant of the spirit in his stomach, and that spirit in question hated him with every fiber of his being. In another world Sakura had been taught she did not need to fight, had been looked over by everyone who could have taught her otherwise, had been useless in every battle until Tsunade had gotten her hands on her. In another world Sasuke was angry, power-hungry and ambitious and broken in all the wrong ways, ripe for picking by Orochimaru's hand.

In another world this moment was the beginning of the end for Team Seven, a family fractured until years later when arms were lost and old grudges were finally put to rest.

But this was not that world.

Mari had long been tossing rocks and moving stones, the garden she had planted finally bearing fruit.

Here when Naruto's aura grew orange there was no burning of his skin, there was no hate in Kurama's Chakra. There was just power, freely gifted, because they were going to build a better world and they could only to that together. Here Sakura bundled herself tight and slipped beneath the fire and flame of her teammates chakra. She was easily forgettable and often dismissed because of her pink hair, because of her femininity, and she had quickly learned to utilize that to her advantage. Here Sasuke's eyes shifted red, and in this world he did not feel fury.

He did not feel shame or fear or remember his brother's words like a haunting.

The sharingan had long stopped being a reminder of Itachi's sins. It was Mari watching a family be reunited, her gaze as she watch Roka playing in the rain with Hakuyo or Muta cooking as he hummed one of Mari's songs and now Tsukiyo as she repaired broken clothes with gentle fingers.

The sharingan was watching Sakura at dawn with rage in her eyes as she lunged at Kakashi-sensei, was Naruto crying after his first birthday in the Den. It was Ino defending Shino from some civilian girls seeking to be mean and Choji sharing his food with anyone who needed a meal and Shikamaru sneaking Sasuke away to watch clouds when people grew too much.

The sharingan was Fu giving him someone to spar with on bad days and Karin sneaking him her tomatoes when the world seemed grey and Suigetsu helping him pick out his first sword, clapping his hands on Sasuke's shoulders like they were brothers. It was Kiba who sat on him when he went too far and Hinata who never failed to tell him when he improved and Shino who always explained without pity or shame whenever Sasuke made some social mistake. It was Lee's excitability and Tenten's quiet sense and Neji's determination to be better than he had before.

The sharingan was the safety net Mari had built for him, and one would have to destroy all of Konoha to dismantle it.

Sasuke's eyes flickered red, and everything grew into perfect clarity. Naruto the bright light meant to distract and Sasuke moving to flank him, the steel hidden in the shadows as the true sneak attack went unnoticed.

The Kusa woman dodged the blonde, and blocked Sasuke's Katana with a smirk, but Sakura slammed her fist into her side, and the woman stumbled with a snarl as she whacked his female teammate away. Naruto caught her, and the two of them were moving to flank once again as Sasuke pressed forward.

It was just like fighting Kakashi-sensei, except if someone had taken all of Kakashi's kindness and replaced it with a body that was far too stretchy and a ruthlessness Mari would look down on because playing with your food gave the food a chance to bite back. The Katana in his hand moved just like Kakashi-sensei had taught him, blade singing in the air as sharpened iron tilted upwards, only to be blocked again.

"You are better than I thought you'd be," the woman mused, and boy did that stink of bloodline hunting. Sasuke would like to see her try, Mari was nothing but meticulously in her protections. "Though you are still weaker than your brother had been at this age."

Sasuke snarled, and Kurama's chakra flooded the area as Naruto processed those words. Uchiha and Uzumaki's had tempers, and only Sakura's sharp whistle of calm the fuck down gave him the presence to dart backwards as Naruto landed in a burst of flame and fury, tree limb slowly starting to rot as the seal Naruto had tried to plant on the Kusa woman ate away at the wood.

"Fuck you lady," Naruto growled, "Sasuke is a thousand times better than that bastard will ever be."

Sasuke's case of warm and fuzzy feelings immediately died as the Kusa woman lunged forward, hands pressed against Naruto's stomach as Kurama's Chakra suddenly disappeared. Sakura screamed, and then a blur of pink blew past as Sakura broke the tree limb they were standing on.

The Kusa woman was making a slightly complicated face as Sakura lunged for her again, roaring like her summons as Sasuke went after Naruto.

The blonde was still alive. Sasuke breathed, eyes no longer burning, and he blinked away the sensation. He was fine, Naruto was fine. They landed on the ground, and Sakura came crashing into dirt. She rolled with it before the Kusa woman could land on her, but he could see panic on his teammates face.

He whistled, and they switched. Sakura was very good, but Sasuke was better. She'd be catching up soon, but he still won most of the team spars. This meant he took front while Sakura took over the medic check. He pulled on the sparks from a lighter of his chakra, separating his two affinities.

Sasuke's Katana hummed with Lightning Chakra, ozone thick in the air, and the Kusa woman ducked. She was just too fast, faster than Lee without his weights, and Sasuke snarled at her.

The woman smiled, a little too wide and far too cruel. "You do have potential it seems, your eyes are better than expected, better even than Itachi's."

It had been a long time since anyone had compared Sasuke to Itachi, and he was reminded viscerally why he hated it so very much.

Life was not a competition.

There was nothing to be gained in physical prowess alone, in racing to become more powerful while neglecting one's family and hobbies and everything that made life worth living.

Sasuke was spitting in his brother's face, and Danzo's too.

The woman suddenly moved faster, and Sasuke was thrown, shoulder burning as he slammed into the dirt and managed to find his foot near Sakura and Naruto. His lungs burned, but still he held his sword.

"Consider this a taste of the power you could wield," the woman mused, and then she burned their scroll. Sasuke wasn't too worried, considering the planned meetup, but it was the principle of the thing.

Then the woman put one hand in the seal of confrontation, and Sasuke couldn't breathe. Sakura couldn't either, and then the woman lunged her neck forward, body too stretchy by half as teeth flashed in his periphery.

He had only a moment to realize what was happening, only a second to feel panic as the woman came too close, unable to move.

Fangs brushed against skin, musk mixing with the smell of cucumbers and anti-septic, and all he felt was fear before... well.

Sasuke had been nine years old Mari had taken him the Naka shrine and painted a seal on the center of their foreheads.

The ink had been cool as the brush had tapped the same spot his brother used to poke, and his cousin's face had been so serious as she painted a lock and a pick and key. It was a reference to a story of thieves who protected the innocent, and punished the guilty with karmic retribution. She never said so, but Sasuke had the inkling the seal would punish based on intentions, and the more malicious one was, the more vicious the return investment.

She had been at the mercy of bloodlines thieves, and their greed had been the only reason Mari had not had her eyes stolen and her throat slit. She had been at the mercy of monsters, and when she had the skill, she ensured neither of them would be placed in such a situation ever again.

The seal had faded into his skin, arcing around his eyes like a pair of goggles once worn by a dead boy, and he wondered if black had bloomed against his skin as the contained campfire in august of his cousins Chakra exploded around him like an overblown water balloon.

The Kusa kunoichi slammed into the tree, black marks flaring all along her body as burns sizzled in the air, and she snarled at them as she gasped in pain, one hand to her chest.

She didn't get to move against them though, as the moment she took a step a golden chakra chain went through her throat. He felt Suigetsu's and Fu's Chakra before he heard their feet against the ground, someone's hands helping him up.

"You don't get to touch my cousins you fucking bitch!" Karin screamed, and the Kusa woman ducked into a tree to avoid Karin's pointed Chakra tips, blood dripping from the bark.

Suigetsu whistled, and Karin lept backwards, the six of them forming a slight circle.

"That do it?" the Uzumaki asked as Sakura started examining Naruto in full, the blonde boy laid flat, and Sasuke took in his breathing once more. Fishcake was breathing, he was fine, backup had arrived and everything was going to be alright.

"Doubt it," he replied, "she's like a invasive species."

"Karin, look at this and tell me if you can get rid of it," Sakura demanded, and Fu's orange eyes were tracking something in the trees.

"Oh that motherfucker," Karin growled, and then did something to his teammate's stomach that made Naruto lunge upright.

"Piece of shit," he shouted, and then blinked at his cousin, who flicked his forehead. "Kurama says snake lady ain't a lady and that he's one of the Sannin!"

Sasuke sighed, because of course when they get an infiltration in their exams it isn't some random nin. No, no they get fucking Orochimaru.

"Now isn't this unexpected," the man in question asked, though his voice sounded strained, and he watched as the Snake Sannin came out of another tree. His injuries were gone, but Mari's seal had definitely hurt him, his Chakra was all over the place.

"You're wrong," Naruto said, and they all glance at him as he stared down Orochimaru, eyes so achingly blue. "Sasuke won't go seeking your power. You're cruel, and mean, and we know better strengths than the one you're offering."

Naruto had learned at Mari's knee, same as Sasuke. He watched her kindness, watched her work and work and work until it was the same civilians who had once thrown Naruto from stores that were now defending Sasuke's blonde haired teammate.

"That so," the Snake Sannin replied, sounding amused, like all the elders who Mari deemed as lost causes. Joke was on them though, once they figured out his cousin was a tiger instead of a kitten it would be far too late to do anything about it.

"Yes," Sasuke agreed, standing by his teammate, his friend. "Why would I ever want the power of a wildfire when I could have a garden. I could not beat you alone, but I'm not alone, and the six of us might not be able to beat you, but we can hold off long enough for the ANBU to get here, and they will be coming now that my thieving seal was activated."

Sasuke was not above posturing to buy more time, and if they could switch this into a debate about philosophies instead of a smack down, then he would do so in a heart beat.

Orochimaru's smile was crooked, "Are you sure about that?"

He didn't get to make good on his threat though, sand lashing around his ankle, and the Snake Sannin shushinned before the grains could bite. Garra walked out of the shadows, expression angry as his siblings flanked him. They were less angry, and a lot more wide eyes as they took in Orochimaru, but still they had their hands on their weapons, ready to defend.

"You will not touch them," Suna's Jinchuriki demanded, the hissing of a thousand grains of sand rising to their defense.

"Now that's naughty," Orochimaru tutted, "first the Kaguya brat and then the last Hozuki and now this, Uchiha Mari is quite the thief it seems."

"So says the body snatcher," Karin snapped, drawing the man's attention away from her teammate, but Sasuke was frozen, because his guardian was Mari, and she had always been paranoid.

"How much do you trust them," he asked Naruto, whose brow flicker in confusion before he caught Sasuke's meaning. His blonde teammate turned to look at Garra, and then back at him.

"As much as I trust the Konoha Fifteen," he answered, "why?"

Sasuke glanced at the snake Sannin, who looked like he was debating how a fight with three in control Jinchurikis, two Uzumakis, an Uchiha with three very skilled Genin for back up, and one extremely angry kunoichi who undoubtable reminded him of his former kunoichi teammate would go for him.

"Because he isn't a part the exams," Sasuke replied, and Fu snorted.

"No," she gasped in false surprise, "really?"

Karin though, Karin got it. She had spent the most time with Mari beside him and Naruto, so her eyes were wide as she turned his way.

"He's not a part of the exams," Sasuke repeated, because that was important. That mattered. "Which means I'm now allowed to do this. Senka."

His sister's safety net melded out of the shadows, padding on silent paws until she was sitting between them and Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin looked amused until Senka's fur started to ripple, the ground at her feet slightly smoking.

"Orochimaru-kun," Senka greeted, and they all turn to stare at the cat because they could not have heard that right. "Last I saw you, you were thirteen and needing to be rescued from your first C-rank."

The Snake Sannin tilted his head. "Senka-san, I would have thought your contract lost with the death of the Uchiha."

Senka's ears flicked, seeming unconcerned while they all digested the fact a Sannin was giving Sasuke's tag along a san honorific. "They are not dead yet, and Mari is a model summoner, unlike yourself. Leave, we need not trade blows today."

"Scared?" Asked Orochimaru with the raise of a brow, but Senka just huffed like he was an annoying dog who had gotten into her garden.

"Hardly," she replied, "but I'd really rather not have to burn the forest down in our fight, or have you summon Manda, whose presence would mean I would have to call Byakko, and we both know how that would go."

Sasuke was now suddenly very curious, because that spoke of a personal history, and he blamed his Yamanaka therapist for the itch to know that suddenly filled his brain.

"And how is your Colony Queen?" The Snake Sannin inquired politely, like they were acquaintances who had seen each other on the street.

"My littermate is well, thank you for asking," Senka answered, "though she will no doubt be having words with Ryuchi Cave. Trespassing is almost as rude as asking for an apprenticeship without first talking to a guardian."

Orochimaru looked delighted at this exchange. "Is your summoner asking to talk."

Senka flicked her tail. "That is rather up to you, but do know that Mari will rip you into pieces if you persist in the seeking of her cousin."

"Hikari's daughter is welcome to try," the Snake Sannin replied, then looked upwards. "Ah, that'll be the ANBU. Give Byakko-hime my regards Senka-san."

His cousin's summon gave a snort. "She won't appreciate them, but I will pass them along anyway."

And then at that, Orochimaru disappeared into the trees. They all stare at where he left before Naruto turned to Sasuke. "What the fuck, Teme."

"Language," Senka chided, moving towards Sasuke. "Time to go Little-one, you should not linger here, nor should you wait for the rest of the teams."

"What scroll do you have?" Karin asked, face sharp. She was the first to grasp what Senka was saying, and Sasuke gave a grimace.

"Uh, we had heaven, snake face burned it." Sakura answered, and Naruto finally caught on.

"Now hold on," he protested, but Senka turned those unnatural blue eyes on to Sasuke's teammate.

"There is nothing wrong with a retreat Naruto," Senka chided softly. "All three teams with Jinchuriki should start moving towards the center where the Jonin are, as all three of you are vulnerable points."

"We have three extras," Temari offered, tense under Senka's gaze but speaking anyway. Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what Mari was doing to the Suna contingent, but their Kage better be careful, otherwise he might find himself deposed while Mari put someone more Konoha friendly in their hat.

"Naruto's luck strikes again it seems," his safety net mused, tail flicking as she surveyed the trees. "Take the scrolls, and the nine of you go to the center. Do not stop until you are with your Jonin-senseis, and even then, stick together when you can."

"Senka," Sasuke started, then paused, because Karin was in the know, but no one else was, and he really didn't want to get into that whole mess right now. His cat didn't need any more though, she padded towards him and jumped onto his shoulders, weight a familiar comfort.

"Orochimaru is many things," Senka explained, "but he is not a gambling man. He calculated you being an easier target than your brother, and he has discovered he was wrong. He will come back at a later date when he has more information, but that does mean he is no longer a threat."

Sasuke nodded, because he heard the underneath of that sentence. The Snake Sannin had gone after his brother, and had lost. Itachi was fine, he was fine and soon Mari was going to drag him home. Senka rubbed her head against his temple, purr vibrating against his skull.

He and Haruki were going to have a very interesting session.

Senka jumped down, still watching the trees, and he met each of his allies in the eyes. Naruto made a face, but then he glanced at the canopy as well, mouth twisted as light dabbled in across his face.

"Time to go then," his one day Hokage commanded, and the nine of them move.

Chapter 13: Still I rise Chapter Text

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
-

Karin was not surprised when it wasn't their sensei who appeared in a puff of smoke. With snake face in the forest, she wouldn't be surprised if Kakashi, Anko, and Yamato-sensei formed a murder squad and were currently hunting down one of Konoha's most famous traitors.

Well, known traitors, but that was a thought for later.

Guran looked down at them with a raised brow, the blue haired woman broadcasting both judgment and pride. "Breaking in international record isn't exactly laying low."

"It's not our fault," Karin hissed, noting that her cousin was greeting Iruka-sensei and the sand siblings were talking to their own sensei. "Team Seven infected us."

"We did go charging to the rescue," Fu countered, "we kinda signed up for whatever shenanigans they were getting into."

"Survival trumped laying low," Suigetsu explained, and Guran nodded at that.

"Expect Yamato to head over once they lose track of the Sannin. He will likely be hovering for the next four days," Guran told them, and they all wrinkled their nose at this. Yamato had a lot going for him as a Sensei, but man did he hover when ever someone tripped over a trauma point. "Come on, I'll show you to your rooms."

Guran then led them upstairs to where they would be sleeping for the next few days, which were conveniently next to Team Seven. The sand siblings were a little further away, but it wasn't long before all nine of them were piled into a room together.

"The rest the Konoha Fifteen have been updated," Naruto said, Inari settled on his lap, the traitor. "Anyone get any updates?"

The sand siblings glance at each other, but they didn't volunteer any information, which meant they knew something, but they don't want to say it in case they got in trouble.

"Does Mari know," she asked the sand siblings, who started, looking tense as the rest of the room turned and looked at them as well.

"Probably," Sasuke added in the silence, "she's been meeting with the entire Suna contingent."

Karin frowned, and took stock of the anxiety and fear and desperate dazzling hope in the three siblings Chakra. She'd poke at that later, when she had more information. "That's good enough for me. Yamato-sensei, Kakashi-san, and Anko-chan are probably hunting the snake face. I'd know more, but this place is sealed up tight, so I can sense inside, but not out."

"Cheating," Sakura explained with a wave of her hand. "We should talk about this partnership though. Team Four and Team Seven already know what we expect of each other, but we can't say the same for you three."

"Oh that's smart Sakura-chan," Naruto complimented, "I think we'll have the same thing we do with the rest of Fifteen. Aid when you can, help when you're able, don't hold back in spars unless you're plotting something. Help each other up when you win, and don't be a sore loser. No keeping of information unless sharing that information might hurt someone, and even then you go tell Mari and let her have the final say. Uh, what else, food is communal and we don't do debts?"

The Sand siblings stared at Naruto in shock, and Karin felt for them. Even in Konoha, the way Mari ran her Den was so very different from how the rest of the world did things.

"You get used to it," Fu said, and Suigetsu snorted.

"You really don't," he mused, and Karin rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm Fu by the way," her green haired teammate introduced, "I've got Chomei, who enjoys the number seven, flying, and myself. What about you?"

Garra stared at her before his sister hesitantly nudged him. "Uh, I have Shukaku, and he doesn't really like the number one, or sand, or anything really."

"We'll fix that," Fu promised, and more than a few snickered at Garra's look of confusion. It broke her heart a little, so see how he still braced for violence, for fear and hate and the worst of humanity.

No wonder Mari was plotting to replace their Kage, he had clearly forgotten his duty of care.

"So, what now?" Kankuro asked, and Naruto grinned at them, pulling out one Mari's pocket dimension seals.

"Now we color and make bread and weave friendship bracelets," her one day Hokage proclaimed, entirely serious even as the sand siblings started at him in total confusion. "Then we'll eat ice cream and other sweets as we watch a movie or something, and then maybe cry if you feel like it. After that we get at least eight hours, and in the morning we plan."

And then that was that.

The second day brought Haruki. He had seen Team Seven first, and then ushered them into a room.

Karin talked about her fear, at how Kurama's Chakra had suddenly disappeared and she had thought her cousin had died. She talked about Orochimaru, and how even now she was afraid he would come hunting her, or her team, her family. Haruki nodded, and reminded Karin she was protected, and not just with anti-bloodline thieving seals, but with the various summons Mari had patrolling and her Sensei as well. Yamato was strong, and he was not alone. She would be very hard to get to, and even if she was taken, Konoha would move heaven and earth to get her back.

She digested this while Fu talked about Shibuki, about how relieved she was that her leader had wanted her instead of Chomei, how he had come for her like some samurai out of a story. She talked about wanting to stay and wanting to go back, like she wasn't allowed either. Haruki took all of it in like he once hadn't hated the spirit in Fu's belly, and gently brought Fu's attention to Mari's collection of strays who didn't stay in the den.

There was a long history of ninja families traveling to see each other, Haruki had pointed out, and then explained how it was only in recent generations that kind of thing had became dangerous, and looked down upon. Mari was already committed to social reforms, he had told them in a tone that brokered a promise, what was one more thing to do?

Fu fiddling with her fingers, eyes narrowed in thought as Suigetsu brought up his brothers death and his abduction and subsequent rescue. How he hated feeling hunted, feeling weak, like somebody's afterthought. That he just wanted to go home, to go back to the sea and feel the power of the water on his face, but he couldn't. It wasn't safe, and as it was, Kiri would not accept him as he was. Suigetsu's issues were a bit of a mix between Fu and Karin's, so Haruki took a bit longer with their male teammate.

The Den, Haruki took the time to repeat, was not an anchor. It was not a claim, or a debt. It was a port in a storm, and there was no shame in taking shelter from greater monsters than one could weather alone. Being hunted was scary, it was a normal reaction to have all of those emotions, even if he didn't like them.

Both Fu and Karin listened with sharp eyes as Haruki informed Suigetsu that having complicated feelings about his savior was absolutely alright, and while he could take as long as he needed to mess around with those emotions, he should always remember that even Mari needed help once.

The Uchiha regent needed help even now, which was why she talked to Roka and Muta and Tsukiyo. It was why she went to the elders, to the clan heads, she was not nor had she ever worked alone.

Suigetsu took this in, and Haruki suggested they all talk to Anko and Mari at some point, about being hunted and about feeling like they didn't belong. They were not alone, he reminded them, and their support network was strong.

The Yamanaka left, and their Sensei hovered until Fu had enough, dragging their stupid teacher into the room, and all of them soaked in the thick humidity of old forests and the greenery after rain of his Chakra. He settled in the corner as they cuddled, leopard summons providing both a sense of warmth and of protection. No one would be taking them as they slept, no one would be getting close.

The third day brought the rest of the Konoha Fifteen, who were very grumpy, but also understanding of why the Jinchuriki had fucked off.

Karin, Tenten, Shikamaru, Shino, and Sakura all ducked out to plot while the rest of the crew traded notes about what happened and who they had run into. To many of them had passed, the last Chunin exams had included twelve people, and that was only because of politics with Kiri and Iwa.

They decided to let the cards fall where they may, and by that they meant the absolutely rigged prelims that were no doubt going to happen.

After Karin had tugged on Shikamaru, and he had followed her to Sasuke.

"This about Suna or Orochimaru?" The Nara asked, and Sasuke put down a privacy seal.

"Both, I think," she answered, "Mari's been making some interesting moves, and from the slow way she's creeping out her influence, they're probably planning something stupid."

"They are in economic troubles," Sasuke said, "and Orochimaru had the sound symbol on his head, and they've been rather annoying, haven't they?"

Shikamaru made a face. "You think someone's planning to do something at the exams."

"I think they already are," Sasuke said at the same time Karin thought of Mari and replied, "well not anymore."

Her cousin's teammate gave her a look, and Shikamaru sighed. "Mari is in the know then, she's been too meticulous with the Suna contingent not to be. If there is an attack, the question is why hasn't she said anything. I wouldn't have heard about it, but we'd have seen the ANBU and Jonin acting differently, and now that I say thought out loud I have the answer, ugh. So, what are we going to do about it?"

"Nothing for now," Karin settled on, and Sasuke gave a nod.

"We need more information. I can ask Mari during the month off, she'll let me know, and she'll be able let us get involved in a way that will let us help without accidentally dripping over something we couldn't handle."

"Sounds good to me," Shikamaru said, "want me to tell Naruto?"

"No I got it," Sasuke said, and Karin had a vision of the future, to when Sasuke was Konoha's spy master and Shikamaru was the Jonin commander. They were going to be so, so strong, they just had to make to adulthood.

The three of them went their separate ways, and Karin collected the kunoichi, the six of them all sneaking off to do some hair care and to destress. Normally Karin didn't care about this kind of thing, but networking was important, and even if she dismissed traditional femininity it didn't make those who enjoyed it stupid or lesser or something.

These were her sisters, and Karin would take them as they were, giggles about boys and all.

The fourth day Mari snuck in friends and family, while also making the rounds of her ducklings. Karin hugged her mom, and they spent the rest of the day talking about seals and what the other strays in the den had gotten up to and how Karin had kicked ass.

Her mother braided her hair in an Uzushio pattern, the kind of war braids meant to protect long hair while also showing off the weavers skill, and Karin soaked in the sensation of foam in the sand of Mama's Chakra. She closed her eyes, and felt for her guardian.

Mari was a campfire with ground water underneath the embers. Gentle crackles and clean water with the promise to burn in the right circumstances. The forest needed fires, to clear away old growth, and let new seeds take root. She was the rain, the storm that started the burning and ended it too, ashes filtered through ferns that in tern gave water to deeps roots when summer ran it's course.

Karin and her mother felt as Mari moved from duckling to duckling, bringing delight and joy and relief wherever she went.

The Uchiha clan regent smiled when she entered, "Daughters of Ashura."

"Daughter of Indra," Mama greeted back, "come, I was just about to start braiding in some seals into Karin's hair. Do you wish to watch?"

"Oh yes," Mari agreed, eyes flashing red as she settled beside Mama.

Inari crawled into Karin's lap, and she wove her fingers through her summon's fur. The fox chittered under the attention, Mama's hands deft as she messed with Karin's head, and Mari broke the silence by asking the occasional question, so very in awe of traditions that were not her own.

That was a good day, and Karin commented it to memory.

The fifth day brought an end to their little reprieve, and Karin took stock of the remaining Genin. There was the Konoha Fifteen, who add two days of rest to their advantage. Then there was Kabuto and his two little Chunin hopefuls who had bribed him to get into the third part of the exam. Last was Oto of all villages, and they only two genin.

Since there were no other genin from other nations, Karin figured Kabuto had been a busy little pest.

He smiled at her, Chakra cool and slimy like pond water that hadn't been allowed proper circulation and the algae had killed everything. Karin resisted the urge to slide a finger across her throat, and instead sent him the sign for go die in a hole.

Kabuto seemed amused by that, but turned his attention away from her team, the fucker.

The Hokage was talking, but Karin ignored him, taking in the rest of the Jonin. There was the Suna sensei, who looked very uncomfortable with Uchiha Mari standing beside him, whose eyes were crinkled in a oh I have not even begun to make you regret your life choices kind of way. Kakashi and Anko looked alright, though entirely put out, like they'd rather be somewhere else. Considering the snake face on the loose, Karin could respect that.

Asuma and Kurenai were chatting like two love birds in denial, and poor Yamato sensei was next to Guy-sensei, who was very excited that both their teams had passed.

Sarutobi asked if anyone wished to withdraw, and Kabuto raised his hand, giving some nonsense about not being ready for a promotion. On the one hand Karin was happy to see him go, and yet? There was something fishy about him that wasn't explained by the bribing. Oh well, she'd bring it up to Mari later, she'd know what was on the tip of Karin's tongue but couldn't really articulate.

They all went up the stairs for the prelims, and Karin cracked her knuckles, enjoying the way Neji paled slightly.

It was time to kick some ass.

Chapter 14: The Friend Chapter Text

The friend lives half in the grass
and half in the chocolate cake,
walks over to your house in the bashful light
of November, or the forceful light of summer.
You put your hand on her shoulder,
or you put your hand on his shoulder.
The friend is indefinite. You are both
so tired, no one ever notices the sleeping bags
inside you and under your eyes when you're talking
together about the glue of this life, the sticky
saturation of bodies into darkness. The friend's crisis
of faith about faith is unnerving in its power
to influence belief, not in or toward some other
higher power, but away from all power in the grass
or the lake with your hand on her shoulder, your hand
on his shoulder. You tell the friend the best things
you can imagine, and every single one of them has
already happened, so you recount them
of great necessity with nostalgic, atomic ferocity,
and one by one by one until many. The eggbirds whistle
the gargantuan trees. The noiserocks fall twisted
into each other's dreams, their colorful paratrooping,
their skinny dark jeans, little black walnuts
to the surface of this earth. You and the friend
remain twisted together, thinking your simultaneous
and inarticulate thoughts in physical lawlessness,
in chemical awkwardness. It is too much
to be so many different things at once. The friend
brings black hole candy to your lips, and jumping
off the rooftops of your city, the experience.
So much confusion — the several layers of exhaustion,
and being a friend with your hands in your pockets,
and the friend's hands in your pockets.
O bitter black walnuts of this parachuted earth!
O gongbirds and appleflocks! The friend
puts her hand on your shoulder. The friend
puts his hand on your shoulder. You find
a higher power when you look.

Sakura planted her feet on the deck of the second story. The Konoha Fifteen might have been a unit, but in this moment, anyone who wasn't a teammate was someone to take down.

Kakashi-sensei sent a flicker of Chakra, but they waved him off. They didn't need to be babysat, and she'd much rather her sensei focused on potential threats. They could all have a nice chat with Haruki at a later date. Still, it was a relief to know her Sensei was paying attention, even if he was pretending to be annoyed at even being here.

She watched the supposedly unrigged name board start to roll, and she wondered who she would paired against.

Temari was first up, and the Suna kunoichi took a breath as she jumped down into the pit. The second machine rolled, and landed on some Leaf Genin named Akado Yoroi. He had a cloth across his face, and Sakura debated if the sunglasses served a purpose or not.

Probably not.

"You should surrender now, and I won't hurt you little girl." The entire Konoha Fifteen grimaced for very different reasons. Some, because they felt Mari sharpen her intent at that proclamation, and others because they were siting next to kunoichi who were all suddenly feeling very blood thirsty.

"Oh he's dead," Naruto muttered, because Mari had taught him little girls could be terrifying, and Sakura loved the both of them that. Mari for teaching it to her, and Naruto for believing it so whole heartily.

Temari listened to Akado reveal his technique for all to hear. Sakura tilted her head, and wondered why people did that. Zabuza had done it, and once he had started Kakashi had too. It was a little like posturing, only it kept revealing things that bit them in the butt.

Sakura then wondered if she could do what while lying, or just making stuff up.

Temari listened, and then unfolded her fan and backslapped the man into a wall. It was awesome, and Akado hit the concrete with a crunch.

"Five, four, three, two, one," the Proctor gave a cough, and then gestured at Temari. "Temari of the Sand, winner."

The eldest of the Sand Siblings walked back up the stairs in a huff, and Sakura watched at Akado Yoroi was carted away. Hopefully he'd learn his lesson for next time, other wise he'd be Chunin hopeful for either a long time, or he'd get bitter and quit.

The board started to spinning again, and the first name landed on Kiba. The Inuzuka got a high five Naruto and then the brash boy was leaping off the railing. She wondered when people would realize there were in fact, these things called stairs.

The second name landed on Kankuro, and the middle of the sand siblings took one look at the boy down in the ring and sighed. He, at least, used the stairs like a normal person.

Straight-man like Yamato, Sasuke signed, and both her and Naruto snickered at the image.

Kiba and Akamaru had gotten a lot better now that they were out of the academy. She could see Mari in that, but for all Kiba's strength, he did lack experience, and poison was a hell of thing for Inuzuka. Kankuro dodged, and Kiba tried to hit him, though the Suna nin had just enough sense to avoid being hit at all. It was cool to watch, and she knew for a fact Mari had her sharingan on, even if it was hidden behind her disguise seal.

For a moment it looked like Kiba would win with his Fang over Fang, but no, it was just puppet, and the younger boy was forced to forfeit. It was close though, and Kiba did manage to thoroughly break one of Kankuro's creations.

Still, it was nice to see the Suna boy help Kiba up, no hard feelings to be seen.

He needs more Chakra, Naruto signed, and Sakura fully without shame replied, it's not the amount it's what you do with it.

Sasuke choked, and then glared at her. Sakura smiled right back, giving him the tiger's grin Mari had taught her. Sasuke wisely turned away, though not before adding, he was a little wasteful. Hinata and Shino will fix that though.

After the coughing Proctor did an Earth Jutsu to smooth out the holes left behind by the previous match, and Sakura swore she recognized him from somewhere, the board started to roll again. This time it landed on Naruto, and the blonde moved like he was going to jump off the railing before realizing the look Sakura was giving him and moved to go down the stairs like a normal person.

It was only when he stood before the Proctor that the other sign landed on a name, and every single adult other than Mari, Yamato, Guy, Kakashi-sensei, and the Hokage paled. Fu, of course, was delighted, and jumped over the railing with glee.

Mari gave a whistle, which was code for please do not break the building. Sakura gave a snort. The only people scarier than Mission Desk nin who didn't get their reports on time were Finances and Acquisition nin who had to deal with broken windows on a daily basis.

"Taijutsu?" Naruto asked, and Fu gave a grin.

"Sure fishcake," she drawled, "we can do that."

They didn't even wait for the Proctor, lunging at each other with good cheer. Fu tended to lean more towards the Maito style, mostly because she had been wrestling with Lee from the moment they met, and that tradition continued into their Genin career. Naruto on the other hand, was a compete mish-mash of different styles, each one painstakingly collected when certain no longer teaching teachers taught him wrong.

The proctor hid his reaction well, but she had the suspicion he was suppressing a flinch every time Naruto dodged and Fu's fist cracked the ground. Unlike with the Suna nin, there was no sense of distrust, no anger or fear or even disgruntlement. Fu and Naruto were siblings in every way that mattered, and the joy on their faces as they blocked each other's blows was easy to see. It was beautiful, and she was sure Mari would agree, the older Uchiha watching them with such a soft expression.

Sakura wanted to be her one day, strong and unbeatable and still holding on to her heart like her gentleness was a strength instead of a weakness to be hidden away.

Sakura wanted, and so one day she would be.

Naruto won, in the end, mostly because he had more experience in terms of brawling and because Fu really didn't want to pass, so she didn't pull out the more serious moves. She and Naruto clapped hands, and then they both helped repair the floor.

The next batch was between some Oto nin named Zak and Shino. It was over in seventy three seconds, and all three of them shuddered when the Genin ignored Shino's warning and his arms blew off. They might have been thoroughly desensitized to bugs thanks to Muta, but still. Ouch.

Next was Suigetsu and Sasuke, which Sakura eyed the Hokage for. Team Four's choices for opponent had been partially suspect. There was no way he supported her plan to return a nation's jinchuriki, or a Genin who knew too much of their operations, so why was he helping Mari get her way?

Mari was also giving her Kage the side eye, head tilted in a cat like manner. They'd talk about it later, back when everyone was safely in the Den.

Sakura turned her attention back to her crush, and cupped her hands around her mouth as she shouted, "kick his ass, Sasuke-kun."

Karin, not to be outdone, yelled, "don't you dare lose Suigetsu!"

The Kiri born boy sighed, though he quickly pulled out his broad sword with smirk when Sasuke unsheathed his Katana.

It was easy to see their teacher's in their moments. Sasuke moved like a Hatake and an Uchiha, quick bursts of speed followed by dodging and an attempt to flank, the smaller blade quickly worming its way into Suigetsu's inner guard. Meanwhile the pale haired boy was using his blade with the same devastation as Zabuza, though she could see Yamato's careful calculation in every swing.

There was Mari in both in them, eyes sharp as they played an unseen game of shogi over each set of blows. For Suigetsu's skill though, Sasuke's style was more suited to weaving around his enemy, and after a burst of speed had a kuni to Suigetsu's upper thigh, and the boy yield so very fast.

Too fast, as Sasuke expected him to dodge, and they both went down in a tangle of limbs, and the boys chuckled, even as they look incredibly annoyed. Suigetsu swore vengeance and Sasuke blithely informed the slightly older boy that he could try.

They walked back up together like good friends, and Sakura wanted the earth to swallow her up at the next match. Hinata and Choji were both sweet natured, and had been written off by their teachers in the academy until Mari had talked with both of them and since then the two more soft hearted of the Konoha twelve were, still soft, but there was steel in their gazes now, so this fight was going to be… something. Both their teachers knew it too, from the way they exchanged glances.

The two Genin bowed to each other, voices soft and warm and gentle. The two Oto nin and a Konoha shinobi she didn't know both scoff. More the fool for them. Just because a river was gentle and a camp fire warm and the earth soft did not mean those things could not kill you all the same.

It was the politest spar Sakura had ever seen, mostly Taijutsu, as Choji and Hinata blocked and jabbed and moved with graceful intent. They complimented each other on their forms, and the other shinobi shut up rather quickly at seeing their skill.

Hinata won, mostly because the Gentle Fist hurt, and because the Hyuuga heiress had been experimenting with what her clan techniques could do beyond just blocking Tenketsu, which was how Choji found himself on the floor unable to move as Hinata apologized profusely to him.

It was perhaps just a little funny.

The next match was even worse. Karin gave a whoop as she leapt over the railing while Tenten gave a hell yeah. Neji was pale like this was his worst nightmare, and just like her cousin Karin didn't even wait for the Proctor who Sakura still not remember the name of before she attacked. To be fair, Tenten didn't either, grinning as Guy cheered on her youth.

There was little grace to be found in this fight. It was a hot mess of seals and flying weapons and wrestling like they were children rolling in mud. There was hair pulling and Fire Jutsus a little too close to the face and was that the Shadow Clone!

Naruto ducked behind Sasuke at Mari's sudden glare.

The older Uchiha had been very firm about not teaching that Jutsu until it was cleared by the Genin's sensei, and judging from Yamato's sudden look of horror, he hadn't cleared Karin for learning that technique.

Karin was panting hard by the end, Shadow clone puffed up into smoke, but she had pinned Tenten with ground and demanded a yield, which Tenten gave. The two got up, clothes ridiculously dirtied, and helped each other limp back up the stairs giggling perhaps a little hysterically. Sakura chalked it up to exhaustion.

The next two matches were completely dull. Shikamaru was a petty bitch with an Oto Kunoichi who also spilled the beans on what she could do and Neji proved that just because one had bendy bones didn't mean anything when the Gentle Fist broke those bones.

They all perked up at Garra verses Lee. Oh, now that promised to be exciting. Garra looked nervous, hands wringing, and Mari leaned down and whispered something in his ear as Lee leapt down, landing with both hands in the air. The redhead nodded, and floated down on his sand, the show off.

What happened next was the fastest came of tag Sakura had ever seen, and even Sasuke had brought out the spooky eyes to see it, eye brows raising higher and higher as Garra tried to catch Lee in his sand and Lee dodged and tried to get past the foreign shinobi's defense.

Things got even crazier when Guy-sensei said Lee could take off his weights. Apparently that was only something he was suppose to do when protecting very important people, and Mari was giving Guy a side eye the older man was currently ignoring. They all watched the weights fall, and- what the hell!

"What," Sasuke said as the dust rose in the air and Lee fucking teleported.

"If he injures himself doing that Mari's going murder Guy-sensei, friendship or no," Naruto muttered, still hiding behind the younger Uchiha.

The fight was somehow continuing to be a stand still, but when Guy opened his mouth to say something else, Mari's intent flared, red eyes spinning, and Lee's sensei wisely shut his mouth. Judging from the way his brows furrowed, Mari was giving him a very stern Genjutsu lecture about something. Kakashi took a step sideways, giving a little more space between him and his eternal rival.

Then Lee started to do something with his Chakra, and Mari gave Guy's mini-me a look. It was her you can persist in this stupidity if you wish, but there will be consequences beyond the ones of your own making look, and Lee opened his mouth to argue with Mari when Garra's sand grabbed him.

"Aw," the green clad boy complained, completely ignorant of the way the entire Suna contingent was slightly tense. "Still that was a most youthful match Garra-san! We must have another! This technique is most wonderful!"

The redhead let go of the sand, and seemed very confused about what do with the green clad menace being very energetic towards his person. Sakura and Naruto stifled giggles, because it was very much like a turtle meeting a temple dog. Even Sasuke had a slight smirk as Lee followed his new obsession up the stairs with never ending cheer.

Sakura would never know that in another life Garra had crippled Lee. That in another story her friend was so desperate to prove himself to both his village and his rival and his sensei that he was willing to hurt himself just to win. She would never know how Mari had gotten the bowl cut boy into therapy; how her interactions with Neji meant Lee's teammates were a safe heaven instead of something to challenge; that Mari's talks of various kinds of strengths had resonated with more than just her ducklings, and that while Lee struggled, would always have to fight for what he had, he was not dismissed.

He was not looked down upon or laughed at or humiliated at every possible chance by those who should have been his comrades instead of his enemies.

All she needed to know was that Lee was gushing and gushing and Temari was looking at her younger brother with some strange mix of glee and awe as the younger boy stared up at Lee with wide eyes, a slight blush in his cheeks. Across the railings Fu gave a squeal, hands clasped tight, and she laughed as her boys looked so terribly confused.

That was okay, she didn't love them because they were emotionally intelligent.

The board started to roll, and Sakura's good humor ended the moment she saw who she could be fighting.

She and Ino looked at each other from across the fighting pit.

Sakura had always loved Ino a little more than Ino had loved her. It wasn't the Yamanaka's fault, she had her dad and Shikamaru and Choji, had a whole system of girls and Sakura would fully admit their relationship had been unhealthy before their falling out and Mari sitting them down and explaining why their behavior was entirely unacceptable.

They both walk down the stairs, silent as they stared at each other from their respective spots. The proctor coughed, and Sakura took in her oldest friend. Ino had grown in the past two months since they graduated, but Sakura had fought against an A-class Missing-Nin and helped take down a war lord and she was Team Seven.

She was never going to do anything but aim for the stars.

Sakura put her right hand in the seal of confrontation. Ino, whose expression was deadly seriously, did the same. They did not move until the Proctor said go, and then it was on.

Sakura had always loved Ino a little more than Ino had loved her, but the Yamanaka did love her, it was why they were fighting so seriously now. Sakura had never been taken seriously as a Kunoichi. She had been ignored and belittled and this was Ino's love language, even as Sakura found the poisoned senbon to be very rude.

Up above the Hokage laughed, looking at Sakura like she was something delightful as she snarled and broke the earth with her fist, dew in the grass of her chakra thick in her bones like shield.

Ino grinned, and then her fingers moved, and suddenly Ino was in her head. Oh that bitch!

Inner snarled, and Sakura snarled with her, Ino's eyes suddenly wide.

"Oh shit," the Yamanaka hissed, before darting out of her mind before Inner could throw her out. Sakura blinked as she stumbled on unsteady legs, and Ino gave another hiss from the ground. "What the hell Sakura."

"Fracture," Sakura explained, and Ino grimaced. She'd tell her friend what Mari had said, that Inner was integrating with every passing week Sakura no longer kept in her rage or tried to be something she wasn't.

Mari had her own fracture, the older Uchiha had explained once, born from the mission that nearly killed her, as Mari spilt herself between the gardeners daughter with an adoption problem and the clan head's ward who was a kunoichi born and bred. It was mostly gone now, but the scars of that were still there, and likely always would.

Ino spat blood and then the two of them were going at it again. Sakura lost a good chunk of her hair, but it was worth it, because that allowed Sakura to get close enough to touch.

The Haruno's were not a clan. Sakura did not have bloodline. She did not have a thousand years of shared knowledge to fall back upon. What she did have though, was prodigious Chakra control. Mari was teaching her own secret technique, something new, something never seen rising up to meet the old.

Her best friend's eyes were so wide as Ino froze, stuck as if a Nara had gotten her with a shadow, as her blood refused to move and Sakura put her hand on her friends throat, looking at the Proctor to end the fight.

"Winner, Haruno Sakura," he declared, and Sakura let up, Ino taking a gulping gasp of air.

"What the fuck blossom," her bestest friend breathed, and Sakura gave her a smile.

"Now that's my secret Dahlia," Sakura laughed, because she was strong. Sakura was strong, and Ino held out her hand in the seal of reconciliation. Sakura met it, fingers sweaty against her own.

"If you wouldn't mind," the Proctor gestured, uncaring of the glare they both gave him, and Sakura helped Ino limp to where Shikamaru was waiting for. Her boys could wait a little bit for her to return, and Asuma-sensei told both of them they did a really good job.

Someone was going to have do a second match, Sakura really, really, hoped it wasn't her. She was tired. She immediately took it back when the names finished rolling. That was just mean.

Neji stood at the same time Hinata did, Guy-sensei whispering something to the dark haired boy. This meant Hinata was waiting for him when he walked down the stairs, expression sharp.

"Neji-Onii-san," she greeted, and Neji very awkwardly dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"Hinata-Shoumai-sama," he returned, equally polite.

"I will not ask you to forfeit," the heiress informed her older cousin who looked so much like a brother, who should have been a brother, had clan politics and grief not gotten in the way. Ino's hand was tight around Sakura's. "But do not go on easy on me Neji-nii. Do not hold back."

"You do not know what you are asking," Neji replied, and Hinata met his gaze fairly.

"I do," she replied, "that why I asked it."

Neji nodded, glancing at Karin, who meet his gaze with an expression that Sakura took as do not forget what I screamed at you, and then at Mari, whose gaze was soft, warm and welcoming and encouraging, like she was saying no matter what happens, all will be well.

The Proctor lowered his hand, and Sakura wasn't the only one who flinched from the viciousness of the blows. This wasn't serious like her and Ino's fight had been. Their silence had been out of respect, out of treating each other like dangerous kunoichi on the field. This was a silence born from people with too many emotions to name, and not enough skill to speak them.

"You are, stronger, than I thought you'd be," Neji said at last, breathing heavily as Hinata did the same.

"I was being unintentionally sabotaged," Hinata replied, "and even if I wasn't, there are more kinds of power than just physical strength."

Neji's mouth twisted, like he wanted to say something, but after glancing at Karin and then Tenten seemed to change his mind. "Perhaps I judged you unfairly."

"You did," Hinata agreed blithely, and Neji's shoulders hunched slightly. Sakura did not envy the Yamanaka, that boy was a hot mess of various traumas. "But I forgive you. You were sabotaged too, and we were children handed down our hatred and shame. You don't, you don't have to hide away, I really would like you to my brother again, even after everything."

"I insulted you," Neji rebutted as he blocked Hinata's blow, and he looked so confused it broke her heart. Karin's too, if the Uzumaki's face was anything to go by, lips twisting in a scowl. "I beat you down and never gave you a chance and thought you were worthless, I told you were worthless, for years!"

"Yes," Hinata repeated with the same belligerence as Mari when she was debating morals and ethics with older ninja. "You did all of those things, because you were hurting, and you did not know better. So I forgive you, and would like for you stop this stupid self-flagellation. Come back to me Neji-nii-san, your sins are not unforgivable. Stop avoiding me, stop treating me like I am everything and you are nothing, stop taking away my choices! Stop it, I hate it, I hate it! What was the point of getting you free of the bird cage seal if you keep acting like you still have it!"

It was the angriest Sakura had heard the purple haired kunoichi. It was the longest she had heard Hinata speak, now that Sakura thought about it.

Their Katas and motions were becoming more and more sloppy, until Hinata had clearly had enough and took a move out of Naruto's book and just lunged at him. When the older of the Hyuuga tensed up, frozen on the ground, Karin gave Naruto a look, who once again hid behind Sasuke. There wasn't a rule against sharing seals, but when it came to Chunin Exams, that kind of thing was generally discouraged so as to not stack the deck.

Clearly Naruto had decided Hinata crying her emotions at her cousin when he couldn't run away more important than the politics.

Hinata was declared the winner, and her older cousin was placed between her and Karin, who apparently had elected not to remove the seal just yet, letting Hinata talk and talk while Neji tried to ask for help with his eyes at Tenten, who pretended not to see as she talked swords with Suigetsu.

He was delivered to Mari, who did remove his seal, and ushered his two tag-alongs back to their teams, the older boy stuck under Mari's healing hand. Sasuke looked particularly put out by this, as he tried very hard to prevent his older sister from adopting anything that moved.

Try being the key word.

Sakura stared at the bracket as the Hokage talked. Her first match up was against Karin, and after her Garra, who like Naruto was getting a pass for the first round while they whistled down the numbers, but were then going to have to do double matches back to back. Her eyes went up the bracket, after Garra was either either Shino or Kankuro. Then and only then would Sakura get to the finals.

Assuming she made it that far, but she was Team Seven after all, which meant she was aiming to win.

Chapter 15: Speak Gently Chapter Text

Speak gently; it is better far
To rule by love than fear.
Speak gently; let no harsh words mar
The good we might do here.

Speak gently. Love doth whisper low
The vows that true hearts bind,
And gently friendship's accents flow;
Affection's voice is kind.

Suigetsu watched as Mari wove a ribbon of water around her person, sunlight dabbled at her feet as Sakura swore, the pinkette attempting to pull strands of blue away from the elder Uchiha.

"Impressive, isn't," Zabuza asked, handing over jug of water. "I never thought I'd see a water affinity so strong from someone so inland, but she's got a touch of the ocean in her bones, somehow."

"What's scary is pinky," Suigetsu muttered, taking a sip of blessedly cool water. "Chakra control like that is spooky."

Haku was currently giving said kunoichi pointers, not at all nervous about aggravating the girl who could break his bones.

Over across the field Kahyo was talking to Roka about something, the two of messing with a scroll. The Yuki woman had warmed to Zabuza after watching her son ask question after question, though it could have also been his reaction when Karin tripped the elder warrior into the koi pond. He was scary until there were kids involved, and then like Ibiki he showed off his soft gushy center.

Sakura snarled, and then Haku stepped up grabbing Mari's ribbon and turning it to ice. The elder Uchiha raised a brow, and then she was entirely focused as Haku and Mari did some kind of Charka tug of war.

Pinkie watched with narrowed eyes, clearly seeing something the rest of them didn't, which was all the introspection Suigetsu got before his fucker of a teacher was going at him again.

It was about an hour later that Mari stood over him, one brow raised, and Suigetsu was too tired to even give her the finger.

"You know, when I told you to beat him into the dirt, I wasn't being literal," Mari complained, and Zabuza snorted.

"I'm just a dumb Kiri nin, we don't do metaphors," the swordsmen drawled, and Mari gave him a look for that. Then she tilted her head in an amused way, and Zabuza stopped looking so certain of himself.

"That hurts my heart to hear," Mari confided, voice dripping with sympathy, "do you need another session with Haruki? I can get you an appointment, where are you going self confidence is important!"

The elder Uchiha huffed, and then looked at Suigetsu. He did not like the way she was looking at him.

"Don't you have Sakura to train?" He asked, and Mari looked over her shoulder where Sakura was cracking Ice mirrors while also trying to turn the moisture in the air into small ribbons of water.

"I've given her all the theories she needs," Mari said with a wave of her hand, "now she just needs to learn them. You, on the other hand, have been doing nothing but Kenjutsu. Up, up, up, you're coming with me on my rounds and when we're done you're going to give me a run down of the politics and social manipulation I used."

"Ugh," he complained as she dragged him to his feet, "do I have too?"

"Considering you want to go back to Kiri, which is a hot mess on a good day, yes. I did not save you just you could get a knife in the back because you couldn't read the political landscape," Mari replied bluntly, and Suigetsu wrinkled his nose. He wasn't bad at talk no jutsu and what Mari jokingly called politics-bending, he wasn't bad at a lot of things, he just, swords.

Haruki said in their last session Suigetsu had latched onto Kenjutsu as a way to memorialize his brother.

Suigetsu didn't agree, but the stupid comment kept popping into his brain at the worst moments.

He watched as Mari took her sweet time walking around the village, talking with everyone and also their grandmother. To the average person, she was just being social, being nice, asking about people's day and their kids and their goals, but unlike most of the boys in the Konoha Fifteen, Suigetsu was actually fairly socially intelligent.

Having Fu and Karin on a team would do that to anyone.

Mari had built herself a spy network and a gossip chain and if she so wished she could use that popularity to push pressure on the elders. She could start a whisper campaign or learn about a foreign nin the moment they stepped into the village. He recognized the power of small talk, even if he fucking hated how the civilians fucking cooed over him.

Suigetsu tolerated it, because they cooed over Mari too, and the older woman took it with grace, so he could as well.

He still hated it though.

She then took him to the Sage-damned hotel the Suna contingent were at, and Suigetsu gave her the side eye for that.

Mari caught his gaze, and smiled one of her tiger smiles. "You learn by doing, always have. You will be challenging an age old belief that might makes right, one that has ruled Mist for as long as there has been Shinobi. It will not be easy. It will not be quick. You will need every lesson I have to teach, but I have no doubt you will one day make a truly glorious Jonin Commander to whatever Kage you end up having, if you don't end up being a Kage yourself."

Suigetsu digested this. He didn't really have any goals other than go home and not die and get himself one of the swords. Jonin Commander though, that had a nice a ring to it.

He gave Mari a glance, mostly because of the timing. "Have you been talking to Haruki."

"He was a little worried after your last session about your directionless. Not knowing what to do is perfectly fine, but not bothering to make a life plan because you just want to coast is not," Mari replied, and he sighed. She always made things he hated to hear sound so fucking reasonable.

"I hate you," he growled, because ugh, Haruki was fucking right, and that meant he was going to have do some thinking.

His elder sister laughed, ruffling his hair. "Sure thing squirt."

The Suna contingent looked at Mari the same way new comers to the Den, like they weren't sure if she was going to eat them or not. It'd be funny if there wasn't a hint a of tension in the air, and he watched the other shinobi as Mari led him deeper into the hotel.

Someone was wrong.

A man with red tattoos and half his face covered by a cloth answered the door, and his face did a thing. It was a weird mix between relief and hatred and fear, like he was a drowning man unsure if the orca was going to eat him or help him to shore.

Mari entered with a smile, moving towards the man's kitchenette, immediately opening cabinets as Jonin watched her, face unreadable now. "Suigetsu meet Baki. Baki, meet Suigetsu, he's my shadow for the day."

"Should the Genin be here?" Baki asked as Mari made tea and a fruit plate, glancing at Suigetsu like he was a stray dog he wasn't entirely sure what to do with. Rude.

"He's learning," Mari said as she carried over the food and drink to the small living room, and Suigetsu followed her to the couch, because nourishment was both the elder Uchiha's love language and also how she put people off balance.

"Learning," Baki repeated, still standing by the door. Mari slapped down one of her privacy seals, and the smiled a tigers smile at the man.

"Yes," she replied, "he needs more experience with social manipulation and about how to manage bloodless coups when ones leaders or nobles are dangerous to themselves and to other people."

Suigetsu coughed on his tea. Sweet Sage Mari! He thumped his chest, and then paused. Karin, Sasuke, and Shikamaru had disappeared for a bit during the prelims, and oh he was so having a talk with Karin later.

Baki was tense, but moved to take a seat anyway. "No mask to day I see."

"I don't wear it around the ducklings," Mari answered, and Suigetsu felt pride burst in his chest, even as he was internally screaming at being included in more treason. "I don't need to hide what they already know. How goes your investigation?"

The Jonin glanced at Suigetsu for a good couple of seconds, debating something before finally answering, "the Kazekage is indeed dead. I have the proof, but I find myself having to move carefully, as a good portion of the higher level shinobi have either been replaced or converted to Oto's way of thinking."

Oh this was worse than treason, okay, cool, cool, cool.

Mari hummed, and then turned to Suigetsu. "What would you do in his place?"

Really? Really? He fiddled with his cup, because not answering the question wasn't an option. Hmm, what would Mari do, how would she start building a trap no one else could see until it was too late. "Why?

"Why what?" Mari asked, and Suigetsu put down his cup.

"Why have they been converted," he asked, "if they're uselessly sadistic then they should be removed from general forces anyway, but if it's a matter of perspective or a hostage or something, that you can mitigate. Though, if people are at risk, don't you have to move carefully, or the, uh, imposter will know? If he's that integrated?"

"That's a good question," Mari agreed, turning back to Baki. "Do you have an answer to that?"

The Suna Jonin gave a grimace. "A little bit of both, honestly."

"Angry people do stupid things, and hungry angry people do even stupider things," Mari mused into her cup, heading tilting towards Suigetsu again. "Any suggestions?"

"Throw you at them?" He replied, and Mari sighed, lifting a brow as if to say please elaborate. He stuffed a strawberry into his mouth, enjoying the sweetness and the slight crunch. "Fine, engage in philosophical warfare and send in someone with good enough charisma to do the job. Uh, is there a way we can we make them less hungry?"

Food was important. Suigetsu knew that, he had lived too long in the Den not to. Mari's mouth twisted in amusement. "I don't think having Yamato terraforming the land is an option."

He huffed, thinking about Mari had gotten her wealth beyond just the investments the dead had left behind. "No, but like, food costs money. How do we get them money in a way that won't hurt their pride?"

"Not have our fucking Daimyo give Konoha our missions," Baki muttered in his breath, before stating, "It's not that simple."

Suigetsu scowled, because he'd had enough of people saying that to him during the purges. "People only say that when they don't want to admit the situation doesn't have a button they can just push without changing anything about their daily life."

Mari put a hand on his shoulder. The weight was steady, comforting. "Difference in language squirt. He knows things are bad, he just doesn't know where to even begin to start fixing them without having to fight half a dozen elders who want to return to their status and power of before. So, knowing that, was does Suna have to give."

Baki stared at her. "You are not making me the Kazekage."

"No," Mari agreed with a twist of her lips, "but you are going to be teaching one, so I am giving you lessons every advisor must know."

The Suna nin put his head in his hands, sighing heavily before he seemed to accept that. "We have sand."

Oh he wasn't even trying. "So start working on glass art or something. I know the Den's glass blower was foaming at the mouth when Mari brought Garra in the forge for control lessons."

"Hiroshi was certainly excited yes," Mari said with an amused smile, and he knew had the right direction. "Deserts have large mineral reserves, that's something to look into, perhaps we can trade our water table and underground crops plans for prosthetics. Speaking of that, prosthetics built by your puppeteers in general. Puppet shows and traveling theaters and any kind of weaving art. Sand itself has value too, I'm know for a fact there are lots of places that would pay for high quality sand, from beach resorts to places up north seeking to build glass houses. I shouldn't have to tell you a desert is not a barren land of nothing but sand."

"Those are long term things," Baki countered, eyes so tired.

"True, but they are good conversation points. In that vein, do you want me to get rid of your Daimyo?" The Suna nin broke his cup, which was mostly empty anyway, but tea dripped from his fingers like blood. He looked, scared, eyes wide, and Suigetsu felt for him. Mari's beliefs could be startling like that. "If not I can talk to mine, but there's no guarantee the Wind Daimyo won't just go to someone else."

"That is treason," Baki hissed, and Suigetsu felt less pity for him.

Mari looked at him coolly. "As Daimyo he has a duty of care to his subjects. He is failing that duty, and when the system doesn't not allow you to remove him that means you must take matters into your own hands. The man will only get worse, because when leaders in power do not care for those beneath them, excluding extreme circumstance, they rarely ever change their mind about who and who is not worth anything but feelings of annoyance."

"He's my Daimyo," Baki said, voice strangled, and Mari put her cup down as Suigetsu watched, knowing better than to say anything when her eyes got that cold.

"Did he win the country by conquest?" She asked in a sharp tone.

Baki hesitated before answering a soft, "no."

"Did you vote him in?" She wondered, words like weapons, laced with loathing for a way of life she could not change.

"No," Baki repeated slowly, like he could see the trap but had no choice but to keep walking towards it anyway.

"Then it sounds like he's just someone lucky enough to be born into the position, and cruel enough to starve your village after being bribed to do so you would become weaker."

The man started, eyes wide. "Is that a theory or do you have proof."

"Theory," she tutted, popping a fruit into her mouth, "but men do stupid things for power, for money and women and their own sense of importance, but it all comes back into power in the end. It's the only thing I can think of to explain his behavior, because having your village be weak leaves him weak too, unless a foreign power has promised to protect him. So, do you want me to get rid of him? I can even make it bloodless if you like, he'll just disappear to live the rest of his life on a farm somewhere."

"I," Baki paused, taking a breath, "I do not feel comfortable answering for my nation."

Mari hummed. "He'll remain for now then, but his advisers will be getting some warnings, and his wife is fairly smart, she'll be able to read the ripples and act in response. I'll have them start sending reports to you as well."

The shinobi frowned at this. "Why."

Mari's face did a thing. It was her I hate this, I hate my kindness must have a reason, that my aid must an ulterior motive, I just want to help expression, and she turned to him, gaze hiding sadness behind fathomless black eyes. "Suigetsu?"

"Which answer do you want?" he asked Baki, "because there's the politics one, which is that she's setting you up to be an advisor, and a friend to Konoha. There's the paranoid one, in case something happens to her, the network she built won't be completely lost. Though the honest answer is that Mari is and always will be a den mother at heart. She can't help but be stupidly kind and recklessly embracing. You need help, so she will give you all the weapons and shields and tools you need to be safe. She will give you all the information she has, because without knowing what we are choosing it's not really a choice, and agency is important."

Mari handed over one of her oh I'm so proud candies, and he popped the round ball of sugar into his mouth. "Lovely answer Suigetsu, that was some good articulation."

Baki glanced between the two of them. "He's going to a menace one day, isn't he?"

"I sure do hope so." Mari replied, standing up. "If Temari or Kankuro need help or teachers with their training, please do not hesitate to ask."

Suigetsu stood, and Baki made a face. "Should I be worried?"

It was an attempt at humor, but he knew why Mari didn't find it funny. "I've already added them to the Den, but Suna is their home, no matter how unkind it's been. They want to go back to it, and back they will go. I do not take away peoples choices Baki, remember that."

His sister was not a thief. She was not a puppet master or a mastermind or someone playing all her people like shogi pieces. She just, hated the world around her, and so was changing it in the only way she could.

Baki gave a grimace, and then as a half apology said, "I'll bring Temari over with an update in the next few days."

Mari smiled softly, "I am glad to hear it."

"That's going to end poorly," Suigetsu mused once they were out of the hotel. "Suna might seem more put together than Kiri, but their council system is just as convoluted."

"One thing at a time," Mari huffed, fingers tapping invasion, and Suigetsu paled. "This is a mitigation."

He took a breath. "Anyone else know, about, that."

Mari hummed, clearly pleased at the question, and he was really, really, going to have nice long talk with Karin. "Shikaku, the school principal, the Konoha hospital head and the deputy of the police force. That's it though."

"Not," and he glanced at the Hokage heads.

"No," Mari explained, "We must continue like we don't know, least we tip our hand before we've done all we can to prepare. There will be a fight by the end of this, but which side all the players will pick remains to be seen."

"So what next?" He asked, and Mari tilted her head. Damn, this was going to be teaching moment.

"What do you think we should do next?" She asked, and he huffed, thinking. Snake face was likely the head of Oto, he couldn't imagine that man ever following anyone. He was using Suna like a blade, and had a hold over the higher ups of the Suna contingent. His hands itched to hold his sword, because rule one of a knife fight was getting rid of the knife.

"We can't move against them," he started explaining out loud, and Mari nodded, "or start taking people out, because then Oto will know, or figure it out before you've made sure the civilians and non-combatants are safely out of the way. So we need to stall for time while Baki gets his people back on his side, which means we should send you to poke at them, just like you would with any nation that's annoying you. Even if its only a few, you will get turncoats, which will only add to the confusion, and level the playing field for those who are still trying to pick a side."

Mari tilted her head. "Some might not want to fight against their own people, once they are turned."

Suigetsu eyed her. "Would you have made them?"

It was a challenge, and Mari knew it too, from the way her lips twisted.

"No," she answered, "no I would not."

"Then it doesn't matter," he replied, and scowled when Mari ruffled his hair again, she was going to make it frizzy. "What was that for?"

She looked him the eyes, expression so terribly fond. "I had a vision of the future, and Kiri is in for one hell of a welcome home."

He looked down at his sandals, cheeks hot with a blush. He fiddled with the seal on his shoulder where his sword was, raised skin like comfort as he imagined how his brother would have taken all this.

Haruki's stupid words repeated in his head again, and he sighed, looking at a bright blue sky. "Tell me about it?"

"Well," Mari answered, "Terumi Mei's collection of bloodline fighters just took Doto, and it seems she's found herself a rather rich patron who offers her information and the like, so she's been suffering few causalities. She's trying to take Kobe Port, as its location is highly valuable, but it seems the Mizukage has that on tight."

Suigetsu listened to Mari explain the political currents and the traps she either noticed or was weaving herself.

He listened, and felt the seal on his shoulder, the small hammer that was smooth against his skin. Maybe if he asked politely Mari would give him some summons.

He was going to need all the weapons she could give, when Kiri finally called him home.

Chapter 16: Lines to My Father Chapter Text

The many sow, but only the chosen reap;
Happy the wretched host if Day be brief,
That with the cool oblivion of sleep
A dawnless Night may soothe the smart of grief.

If from the soil our sweat enriches sprout
One meagre blossom for our hands to cull,
Accustomed indigence provokes a shout
Of praise that life becomes so bountiful.

Now ushered regally into your own,
Look where you will, as far as eye can see,
Your little seeds are to a fullness grown,
And golden fruit is ripe on every tree.

Yours is no fairy gift, no heritage
Without travail, to which weak wills aspire;
This is a merited and grief-earned wage
From One Who holds His servants worth their hire.

So has the shyest of your dreams come true,
Built not of sand, but of the solid rock,
Impregnable to all that may accrue
Of elemental rage: storm, stress, and shock.
-

Naruto was on the prowl. Stupid Teme had gotten taken somewhere for some special training with Kakashi-sensei, and Sakura was doing something with Mari that involved Chakra control that made Kurama twitch, so he was rounding out his education by picking fights every strong looking shinobi and picking their brains during the spar.

It was working pretty well so far, he had fought a bandana man who had been on his ANBU watch, a man in glasses who was fairly straight-laced but also really good at teaching while fighting, Iruka, and the two mission gate chunin who were really good at teamwork. He had thought about challenging Kiba's mom, but she had looked busy, so he had carefully and quietly backed away before she could spot him.

Kurama had laughed at him, the meanie.

Uh oh, Karuma said the mindscape, and Naruto blinked.

What, he asked, peering around the corner as he looked for either Jonin blue or Chunin green.

Nothing, the fox said quickly, too quickly, and Naruto peered down at Kurama. Why don't we going looking else where.

You're being suspicious, he accused, and went over to the bridge anyway. Kurama groaned, but whoever was over here wasn't dangerous, there was just the sense of second hand embarrassment coming from the fox.

Naruto didn't see anyone at first, but there was someone there, Chakra like water warmed by summer days and the heat of shared skin on a cold winder morning.

An old man was writing something a journal, and Naruto took him in. He had a head guard that read oil and two red lines down his face like he cried tears of blood. The red and grey outfit proclaimed him as a shinobi, but Naruto couldn't tell if he was old or not, because white hair didn't automatically mean old, and he eyed the large scroll on his back.

He poked at the fox, but Kurama refused to look.

Do you know him or something. He asked, and the Fox settled deeper into the mindscape.

Or something, Kurama muttered, then paused when they felt Mari's campfire and ground water Chakra nearby. No wait I've changed my mind please go introduce yourself.

Naruto was very confused at Kurama's sudden sense of malevolent glee. You're being weird.

All will make sense one day, the fox replied, pretending to be wise, and Naruto decided to just ignore that.

"Hey!" Naruto called, and the man jumped in surprise, eyes wide. "What are you doing and are you strong?"

"A brat?" The man wondered with a raised brow, and both Kurama and Naruto bristled at the comment, "yes I'm strong, now go on, shoo, I'm busy."

"Want to fight?" He asked as Kurama groaned, because if the shinobi was really busy he'd have responded in a different tone. There was a hint of challenge there that Naruto at one point wouldn't have noticed, but Mari was persistent when it came to his education.

"Are you just going around asking random people to fight?" The maybe old man asked, and he made a show of looking around, "Where's your sensei brat?"

"Yes," Naruto replied bluntly, "I need more experience fighting people better than me, and Sensei's with stupid teme hiding from stupid snake face. I'd ask smoke dude or spooky eye lady or creepy wood guy, but they've got their own kids to focus on, and Mari-nee is teaching Sakura-chan to be even scarier, so I'm totally avoiding them. So, fight me?"

He shuddered, slightly, remembering last night when they started talking about the chakra in blood and how it wasn't just water, but wind and earth and fire and lightning as well. He hadn't need to know that damn it, and even Kurama thought it was creepy.

"No," the old man said, and Kurama cackled, the little shit, "go away, shoo, I'm working."

"On what?" Naruto demand, moving to peer over the man's shoulder. "Oh are you a poet or something, that's cool. We've got one of those in the den right now, she's really good!"

Naruto was also fairly certain Ryuzetsu was a spy giving a report about the coup Mari had kicked off in Kusa under the guise of a book tour, but that was a secret, so he didn't say that.

"I," the man corrected with all the affront of someone who got called the wrong kind of specialist, "am a novelist, though you could call what I do poetry as well. And I am researching, if you must know."

Naruto frowned. He didn't see any books around.

"No you ain't," he replied, "this isn't the library and I don't see no people you're interviewing."

Kurama plopped his head on the mindscape floor as the shinobi postured, "Alas, this kind of research is more, observed from afar."

The fox groaned, and Naruto finally took in the location next to the hot springs and the shinobi's refusal to admit what he was doing. Well, that certainly explained Kurama's reaction.

He tilted his head, confused. "Do you wanna die?"

The old man choked on a laugh, "what kind question is that brat?"

Naruto shuddered slightly. "Well Inuzuka Tsume is on patrol today covering for a cousin whose sister went into labor earlier and her patrol will be here in about a minute or so and I'm pretty sure she sent the last pervert she caught peeping into the hospital."

"I'm not a pervert," he hissed in denial, "I'm a super pervert."

"That's worse," Naruto said, Kurama making a sound that couldn't seem to decided if it was amused or disappointed or ashamed, "you do realize that's worse, right?"

"Shhhh," the shinobi put a finger to his lips, "they'll hear you."

"They already have," someone else said coolly, and Kurama's ears perked up at the sight of Mari leaning against the wall of the hot spring.

"Mari-nee!" Naruto cried, and then he pointed at the older Uchiha. "I challenge you."

"Later fishcake," Mari said, and he paused, because the last time her expression looked like that she was talking to the chunin she had gotten demoted for sabotaging Genin he felt jealous of. "Come here please."

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, because her face had never been so unwelcoming before, though some of his doubts settled at her open palm, and he let Mari move him behind her, hand curled possessively around his head. He was safe, Kurama would have told him if he hadn't been, so today was probably a bad day.

"You? No. Him? Yes," Mari replied with a hint of a sneer, like she wanted to hit the shinobi before her, and the old man made a face.

"Hey now," the super pervert complained, "is that anyway to talk to Jiraiya, the great toad sage of Mount Myoboku."

Now Kurama's face was doing a thing. Neither of his siblings seemed to know what to do with that proclamation, some weird combination of grief and regret and hate and dislike and forced fondness curling in their eyes, like they cared about the old man only because some else had loved him entirely without reservation.

"You haven't been back for sometime Jiraiya-sama," Mari drawled, and the man tensed at the slight hint of Killing Intent in the air, "so you get this one warning. If you wish to visit the red light district that's fine, but this is a single sex bath for a reason. There are mixed bathing for those who do not mind being looked at, but this is a safe heaven, and if you disturb it again I will do more than just arrest you."

"Listen," the Toad Sannin replied as he waved both hands, "you seem upset, but there's no reason to hostile."

Naruto squinted at the slight change of Chakra in the air, warm like summer in the Den. Is that Positive Intent?

Yep, Kurama grinned, Mari's going to eat him.

He sent accusation down the mindscape. You do know him!

Unfortunately, Kurama drawled, eyes half lidded in annoyance.

Mari smiled at him, and the Sannin had either forgotten or never learned to run away from smiles like that. "Peeping is against Konoha's Reasonable Expectation of Privacy law. It was passed after you pissed off Danzo for some reason or another, and I have fully used it to stamp out the rampent disrespect and misogyny in this village. You get one warning, after that it's six weeks jail time with mandatory therapy, after that six months with a seal that alerts the police force every time you go near somewhere you shouldn't. The third time means I let Tsume cut off your family jewels."

Naruto winced, both at the tone and the image. Kurama on the other hand, was absolutely delighted by this turn of events.

"She can't do that," Jiraiya cried, taking a step back like Mari was going to drag him to the Inuzuka right now, and Mari's smile only grew sharper, showing teeth in a way that implied she wanted to ripe out his throat.

Is she okay, he asked Kurama, and the fox stopped being so happy at all the murder in the air.

Oh, he replied, voice tight, this might get ugly.

"Why not?" Mari wondered in polite confusion tinged with fury. "Because your teacher is the Hokage? Because you're Konoha's spy master? Last loyal sage? Consider me unimpressed with these titles, Jiraiya-sama."

Mari's fingers threaded themselves into his hair, and Naruto took in the hurt on her face, the rage that felt so personal, so grieving.

"There's no harm in looking," Jiraiya replied, and Kurama growled while Naruto scowled at him, because that was not an excuse. "I don't understand what you're that upset about."

"Funny," Mari mused politely, softly and nicely and Chakra so very blank. He flinched at the tone, and Kurama did too. "That's what the bloodline thief who killed my sensei and kidnapped me said too."

Jiraiya finally seemed to catch on the tone, expression serious. "Hey now, I'm not that kind of guy."

"So you aren't," Mari agreed with a shrug, "but you do strip others of their agency. If it was an act I would understand, I wouldn't like it, but I would understand. If you took measures to prevent unwanted distress I would let it be, because the village comes first, even when we wear masks that are beneath us, but you don't. It might seem harmless to you, Jiraiya-sama, but as someone whose been looked at like cattle, like a piece of meat and something to enjoy and an inspiration, I assure you, it's anything but harmless."

"We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot," Jiraiya tried, but Mari wasn't having it.

"Yes," she agreed bluntly, and Kurama's ears were flicked back at the mix of negative emotions in her expression.

"Do you have something against me?" The Toad Sannin demanded, and Mari tilted her head, expression empty.

"You mean other than you completely disregarding my agency or your disruption of what should have been a safe place or the fact you aren't even ashamed or you using your position to get away with things that make others uncomfortable? Hm," Mari tapped her chin, bubbling rage curling in the air, "I wonder what else you could have done Jiraiya-sama, or perhaps what you didn't do, wouldn't you agree, godfather."

Naruto blinked in confusion while Jiraiya went battle blank.

Oh this is definitely going to get ugly, Kurama muttered, and Naruto looked at his elder sister. "Super pervert's your godfather?"

"Uchiha," Jiraiya warned at the same time Mari said, "he's not mine no."

Naruto figured she was pissed because the man had been given a duty of care and then didn't deliver. That kind of thing was real personal for Mari.

No fishcake, Kurama said, voice tight with some kind of emotion, he didn't.

Naruto looked down into the mindscape, at Kurama, who was looking at him the way Mari did when she looked at Kakashi or Sasuke or Karin or Yamato or Akari or Kimimaro or really one from the den who were failed by their protectors. The fox's ears were slicked back, and Naruto looked at the old man in a staring contest with his elder sister.

"Oh," he said aloud, "he's mine. That's why you're angry. If he was just a pervert you'd be annoyed but you got that therapy program running so you'd just toss him into it like you did with that one dude."

Jiraiya looked at Mari with a sharp expression. "What have you done Uchiha?"

"Hey," Naruto yelled, "you don't get to disrespect her! Mari gets me ramen and makes me eat my vegetables and teaches me kanji I don't know and believes I'm going to be Hokage and she never ever takes away my choices! Where were you when people were over pricing me for food or when I got kicked out of the orphanage?" Jiraiya didn't flinch but his Chakra flared with guilt and grief and regret. Naruto turned to Mari. "How'd he even get named to me anyway."

"Don't-" Jiraiya tried, but Mari had been ignoring laws that served no purpose for years now.

Her eyes were so full of hurt and love and fondness as she looked down at him. "He was your father's teacher, and a colleague of your mother, since they were both seal masters at the time. And in terms of your teaching linage he is your great grandfather. You were named after the protagonist of a book he wrote, and not one of his stupid porn ones either. It was good story, a tale of a shinobi who believed in peace, and spared his enemies because of it."

"Oh," Naruto said, and Kurama sent the promise of memories for a later time, and if they hadn't been talking Naruto would have gone down into he mindscape and cried over the big lug's paws.

"You can't just-" Jiraiya tried again, only to shut up at the sight of the sharingan slightly spinning.

"Are you going to tattle Jiraiya-sama?" Mari asked in a tone he'd never heard before, and hoped he never did again, "Naruto here has known the truth for months, both about his parents and the fox in his belly, do you really want to get the one staple in his life executed because you didn't want to face your own failures."

"Jiji wouldn't execute you," Naruto corrected, and even with Danzo pulling the strings Mari had too much power to outright kill, particularly over something Naruto would absolutely spill the beans about to get her out of trouble, and Jiji knew it. The only Mari didn't was because she forgot sometimes that she had made herself untouchable, still thinking herself the lowly ward who would never truly be safe. "You'd get in trouble, but you wouldn't die. He likes you too much to kill, and also he feels bad for, you know, the thing." Naruto then turned to the Toad Sannin, head held high. "You're going to tell me about my dad."

"Kid," Jiraiya choked, but Naruto wasn't having it.

"I wasn't asking," he stated in his Hokage voice, "you weren't there when I needed you, so you're going to make up for it by telling me stories of my parents and teaching me a super awesome jutsu so I can hit snake face in the balls and you're going to grovel to Mari because you hurt her and that wasn't okay."

The Toad Sannin's eyebrows rose to his forehead, and Mari had one hand to her mouth as Jiraiya sputtered. "Are you extorting me?"

"I never promised violence so this emotional black mail," Naruto replied bluntly, and Kurama snorted.

"Naruto," Mari started, then stopped, like she wanted to say something but didn't know what to say, words all jumbled in her throat.

"What?" He asked, "Sasuke-teme got Kakashi, which I totally get, Snake face is being creepy, and Sakura-chan got you, which is also fair since our styles don't really match and also she's still behind us because of the whole kunoichi thing, but he's here and he's strong and I'd be stupid to ignore what he can teach me just because he makes questionable life choices because of a lack of parenting and trauma."

"Lack of parenting and trauma!" Jiraiya complained, and Mari sighed, looking exhausted with too much unknown history in her gaze.

"Take a fox with you," she said at least, and Naruto wondered if Kurama counted a fox. He then thought about how that would go down and decided he would just summon Kuzunoha.

"Yeah, yeah," he said with a wave of his hand, "can I have some privacy seals?"

Mari frowned, but this was a more welcome frown, the kind Mari wore when she sensed her ducklings getting into trouble without adult supervision.

"What happened to yours?" She asked, and Naruto glanced at Jiraiya, who was watching the conversation curiously.

"Uh, Karin," he said, throwing his cousin under the carriage without an ounce of shame, "she doing a thing."

"What kind of thing," she prompted, looking like Senka whenever they got Sushi for lunch.

"I don't know," he said, because he didn't, "it's a Shikamaru and Sasuke kind of thing. If I needed to worry about it she would have said."

"This is karma for my youth," she muttered, running both hands down her face while Kurama snickered. "Fine, here's some seals, don't be late for dinner, make good choices, and don't forget to use the Shadow Clone to your advantage."

"You got it boss," he said as she started to walk towards Jiraiya, and she leaned into the man's space with Chakra prickling with intent, sharp like lightning preparing to strike.

"Hurt him, or any of those I consider mine, in any way, and I will make sure they never find your body," she promised, then started power walking away, unerringly in the direction Karin was. Whoops.

"Where are you going?" Jiraiya asked, half amused, half concerned, and Mari turned around so she was walking backwards.

"To go make sure my other Uzumaki doesn't start in international incident," she yelled, and Naruto tilted his head.

"She's not Team Seven though," he yelled back, "I thought the curse doesn't affect her?"

"She an Uzumaki fishcake!" Mari shouted, and oh, that made sense, "Dinner! If Jiraiya-sama can remember his manners he's begrudgingly welcome, but he makes one sly comment I'm kicking him out with force!"

And then she was gone, chakra sprinting towards to where Karin and Shikamaru were plotting at the shogi park, though they stilled and then scattered, Karin clearly sensing Mari heading in her direction.

"Oh man," Naruto said to Jiraiya, "you got Mari's I can fix you look, good luck escaping that."

"I am very confused," the Toad Sannin said, and Naruto was about to tell him he'd be like that for a while when his danger sense activated. Apparently Jiraiya had one too because they both turned in time to see Kiba's mom slide across the dirt, teeth curled in a snarl.

"Jiraiya!" Tsume growled, showing teeth, and Naruto was picked up by the back of his jacket.

"First lesson brat!" The man said, "here's how to run away really fast!"

The Inuzuka clan head caught up anyway, but that was okay because it meant Naruto got to watch them fight, which was awesome. Kiba's mom fought a Sannin to a stand still, he couldn't wait to tell Mari and the rest of the Den all about it, now if only he or his dozen of clones could get this stupid ball of water to spin.

Chapter 17: Secrets Chapter Text

infesting my half-sleep…
did you enter my wound from another wound
brushing mine in a crowd…
or did I snare you on my sharper edges
as a bird flying through cobwebbed trees at sun-up
carries off spiders on its wings?

Secrets,
running over my soul without sound,
only when dawn comes tip-toeing
ushered by a suave wind,
and dreams disintegrate
like breath shapes in frosty air,
I shall overhear you, bare-foot,
scatting off into the darkness….
I shall know you, secrets
by the litter you have left
and by your bloody foot-prints.

Kakashi had planned to be late. It was going to be great, it would annoy people and allow him and Sasuke to spy on his opponents. Mari, though, had it made it very clear through Senka he was not allowed to do that for so many different reasons, but mostly because he was going to go and show his support for his other two Genins.

Which was why he was currently pouting beside Yamato. The two of them had very much been avoiding Guy, since none of his students had made it into the finals and he was… working through his emotions about that fact.

Privately Kakashi rather thought his rival should blame Mari for that, because if she hadn't taught Naruto sealing then the boy wouldn't have had a paralysis seal to give the Hyuuga heiress, and Neji would have won because the boy had better stamina than his cousin.

He hadn't said that to Guy though, mostly because he had been rather bust with teaching Sasuke Chidori and also maybe doing a little bit of light ANBU training. Just a little, a smidge.

Sasuke tugged on his shirt, and he sighed, leading the last Uchiha to where the contestants were gathering.

Naruto greeted them with good cheer, babbling about a super pervert he met, and Kakashi looked at Sakura.

"Apparently we're Sannin magnets or something," Sakura said with a scowl, and Kakashi squinted at his kunoichi. There was something slightly unnerving about her now, which he blamed Mari for. "The Toad sage is in town."

Kakashi thought about how that probably went down, and winced. "And Mari didn't murder him?"

"He's on thin ice," Naruto said with rather good, and actually now that Kakashi thought about it rather suspicious cheer. "He taught me the Lord Forth's Rasengan after Mari lit into him, and she's been beating manners into him. Did you know he's your lineage grandfather?"

He was starting to get the slightest suspicion Mari had said fuck you to the Hokage and told Naruto about his parents. He didn't have any proof, and Naruto still asked about his parents, but something in the boys posture lacked any real sense of curiosity.

He hummed, and all three of his Genin twitched. "I did know that."

Oh well, that certainly wasn't his problem.

"Do you want to know what I learned over the break?" Sakura asked, and Naruto gave her a side eye that told Kakashi no, no he did not want to know what she had learned over break.

"What did you learn over break, cause I learned Chidori, Sensei's signature technique" his poor, poor, social awkward genin asked, and Sakura grinned, vicious and with teeth.

"Water Release: Heavenly Tears of the Gods," the pinkette said, and Kakashi had no idea what that was, but it sounded bad. "We've been calling it Shoten for short."

"Is that a Kinjutsu?" He asked, because Sakura had done something to her Yamanaka friend that hadn't involved seals, or even a lightning or medial Jutsu he recognized.

"That depends," Sakura drawled, something tight in her eyes like she was expecting him to challenge her on it, like the boys hadn't also learned jutsus that were dangerous and deadly and perhaps beyond what Genin should be learning. "What's your definition of a Kinjutsu."

Kakashi decided he didn't need to know. Nope, not even a little.

"You three have fun then," he eye smiled, "oh, and when the exam's are over, we're going to have a talk."

He shushinned away, rather enjoying the way his kids all sweat dropped. No wonder Mari was so fond of that little sentence, it was rather fun when he was the one saying it. There might have been a part of his heart that clenched at the reminder of his sensei, but there was a lineage tree in the Den, and he was, he was tired of grief.

He wanted to tell the funny stories of Rin and Obito and Minato, wanted to speak of the explosions his Sensei and his wife had caused, the way Rin led everyone around the nose and how Obito was always, always late, because he had no sense of direction.

He rejoined Tenzo and the rest of the Jonin-senseis, settled beside his best friends Chakra. Kakashi took in the former Root's humidity of old forests and the greenery after rain, Asuma's ashy hearth and Kurenai's leaves in floating down stream. The Hokage started speaking, the Kazekage beside him, and he wondered if the mysterious Oto Kage was ever going to make an appearance.

The Hokage was speaking, the usual chunin exam spiel, blah, blah, blah. He looked around for Mari, who was in the northern part of the stands chatting happily with Tsume and her daughter Hana.

The first match was Uzumaki Karin verses Haruno Sakura, and Tenzo sighed when Fu cheered rather loudly for her friend, seated just below Mari.

Tenzo getting kids with so many emotions was the karma he deserved.

Sakura meet Karin in the middle, the two woman grinning with sharp, sharp teeth, and Asuma took a drag of his cigarette. "So, who do you think is going to win?"

Karin started by launching a chakra chain aimed for Sakura's face, and Sakura deflected it, small ribbons of water moving around like her own Chakra chains. Kakashi had the sudden and rather uncomfortable sensation of his brain connecting three different dotes and paling because of it.

"Kakashi?" Tenzo asked, brow slightly furrowed, and Kakashi waved him off. If Sakura could do that as a Genin, he wondered how good Mari was at controlling the blood of her enemies right now, and how good the both of them would be in a few years down the road.

Sage nope, nope not thinking about it anymore.

The two kunoichi started to circle each other, and Kakashi watched them fight. Oh the tone was friendly, the girls were clearly having fun, going all out because they were safe and knew the person across from them wouldn't hurt them, but there was. Hm.

He glanced at Mari, who was watching them with those a slightly spinning sharingan, and he wondered what war she was bracing them for.

He took in the rest of the stadium, took in Tsume's false posture of relaxation and the settled way Shikaku was sitting with his family and the people missing from the stands, higher level administrators and the more heavy brusher style Jonin and Chunin. Kakashi wasn't called a genius for nothing, and now that wind had shifted the greenery he could see orange.

Kakashi looked at the kids, at the way Shikamaru was watching the Hokage and the way Shino was tapped something to Hinata in the stands and how the sand siblings were being both being included and kept a distance, like the Konoha Fifteen were bracing to protect them from a blow and also waiting for some kind of fall out.

Down below it looked like Sakura had gotten the upper hand. It looked like Karin had let her get too close, and Sakura had preformed the same technique she had used to win against Ino, which Kakashi was totally having a talk with Mari about because if she wasn't careful Sakura would be getting tapped for ANBU with a technique like that, but that wasn't the point. The point was that it looked like that, looked like they were Genin who had given their all and were proud of the outcomes.

They were good too, but Sakura was his Genin and Karin was Uzumaki born and bred, and to him they were so very easy to read.

Kakashi tapped incident on Tenzo's leg, the ANBU code that implied foreign powers and the like, and they took in the stadium as Asuma's lazy Nara showed off both his own genius and proved Mari was a rather good wrangler because the kid had better stamina and reflexes than most of his cousins ever got even as they reached Chunin and the like.

He'd be more impressed if his stupid brain was stringing together so many different data points and coming to a rather unfortunate conclusion.

He really, really, didn't want to fight in another war.

Mari caught his gaze as Kankuro and Shino start their fight. Her eyes were no longer red, but she didn't look like the laughing young woman he was so terribly fond of. She wasn't the gardener's daughter, or the clan head's ward, or even the Uchiha Regent. No, she was in this moment the Den Mother, the alpha. I've got it, her gaze said, I've got it.

Kakashi settled back into his own seat. There was going to be fight, that much was obvious from the amount of ANBU hidden the crowd and the way the streets had been so falsely settled that morning, but Mari had it handled. He took a breath, and trusted.

He watched Shino dart around. The Aburame would probably win, mostly because puppet masters were better served by surprise and more uneven terrain. Worse, Kankuro had revealed several techniques in the Prelims, where as Shino had been able to keep more things close to the chest.

Kurenai and Muta had been busy as well, and Kakashi gave her the side eye when Shino did an ANBU move. It was one thing if he taught his precious little Genin some light ANBU katas and techniques. The last Uchiha had his brother and Orochimaru and gods knew who else coming after him. Sasuke needed everything Kakashi could give to him. The same could not be said for Shino. Kurenai shrugged, which he took to mean it was Muta's idea and after vetting it Kurenai had seen nothing wrong with allowing it.

He glanced at Mari again. He hated his brain sometimes, and it seemed his Genin weren't the only people he was going to have a talk with, once this whole thing was over.

Kurenai's Genin won. It was close, but Shibi's mini-me had likely procured poisons from Anko and over the break had gotten himself a slight immunity. This meant the middle of the sand siblings was the first to fall, and Shino won through pure spite and refusal to fall.

Next were the eldest of the sand sibling and Shikamaru. Asuma sighed, and they gave him the side eye.

"Something wrong?" Kurenai asked as Temari tried to smack Shikamaru into the side of the arena with her fan.

"He's going to forfeit," Asuma said, and Tenzo frowned at the man.

"He's made this far," the former Root pointed out, "and he's winning, even if she hasn't realized it yet."

Kakashi snorted. "Ah my sweet naive Kohai, Roka is not an average Nara. He's surprisingly active for one of his clan. Shikamaru will forfeit because if he wins that means he has to fight Naruto next, and that will be a drag, so he's going to succeed in every way that matters and then dip out."

"On the money that," Asuma agreed. "Mari's good at getting him motivated, but if he can take the lazy path, he will." He then shook his head, laughing. "She lets him get away with being lazy if he can do it in a manner that either she doesn't notice or gets the job done faster with the same or better results. So really, this is her fault."

Kurenai gave them the side eye as Temari lunged at Shikamaru and the boy masterfully retreated back to the shadows. "You three blame Mari for things that really aren't her fault."

"You don't spend much time with her, do you?" Tenzo asked, and Kurenai frowned.

"She's helping train my kids, I see her at least once a week," the woman countered, and Kakashi watched out of the corner of his eye as Shikamaru slowly but surely guided Temari to where he wanted her to go.

"She won't believe you," Asuma said, taking another drag of his cigarette. "She didn't believe me when I came home."

"You were fresh off the court," Kurenai countered, "you were being paranoid because kindness is always used as a manipulation in the capital."

Kakashi hummed, and down below Shikamaru had already one, but like with most people unused to playing with Nara, the little Suna Genin had no idea. "She's gotten pretty good at multitasking."

They all turn his way. Kurenai doubtful and Asuma apprising and Tenzo, well, Tenzo knew.

"You want to elaborate on that Kakashi?" The Hokage's son asked, eyes sharp, and he eye smiled.

Asuma had always been nervous around Mari, mostly because he had seen the teeth and the orange in the green and was still waiting for the shoe to drop. Kurenai, on the other hand, had only ever seen the kunoichi fighting for justice and respect and trying to make things better in the only way she had been taught to do so, and while both were valid interpretations, neither were quiet right.

Below them Shikamaru forfeited.

Below them a Suna kunoichi demanded to know why, and Shikamaru shrugged and replied, "because winning means I would have to fight Naruto, and I'd really rather not. If it makes you feel better though I thought you'd be easy to beat and then I'd lose against our sunshine child, so thanks I guess, winning would have been a drag."

Kakashi gave his most annoying smile as Temari looked like she wanted to strangle the Nara. "You're both Ninja aren't you? Look underneath the underneath."

Now it was his friends who looked like they were debating the worth of strangling him in public.

Kakashi stopped paying attention to them though, because next on the field was Sasuke, and Hinata walked up to him. There was a slight tension in the air around them, mostly because the Hyuuga-Uchiha rivalry was infamous.

Joke was on them though, Sasuke and Hinata had put that to rest after bonding over Naruto.

Instead of insults, the two bowed at each other, and Sasuke activated his sharingan as Hinata activated her byakugan. Unlike with Karin and Sakura, this was a match of grace. This was a match of Uchiha katas and Hyuuga martial prowess and Kakashi had the feeling it was very much on purpose.

This was a fight meant to show off just how well two former rival clans worked together, while also proclaiming the other as an heir worth acknowledging. Sneaky, and the only reason he knew Mari hadn't been in on it was because she was grinning like a cat who got the cream, absolutely delighted at her little ducklings practicing politics.

"Did you know they had planned this?" Kurenai asked, and Kakashi shook his head.

"Our precious little Genin are taking such initiative," he said as he pretended to wipe away a tear.

Hinata lost, though Kakashi wondered if the two had really gone at at, who would have won, because that fight had been for show as much as Karin's and Sakura's had been.

Still, he eyed Kurenai again, because two of the three Genin knowing ANBU moves was very naughty, and his former classmate sighed, and then gestured at Mari, or rather the couple sitting to her left. Muta and Tsukiyo were probably going to have nice long talk with Hound over not teaching Genin ANBU techniques unless absolutely necessary.

The Hokage announced a break, and Kakashi excused himself.

Time to go see how much shit they were in for.

Chapter 18: If I can stop one heart from breaking Chapter Text

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Naruto knew things were wrong the moment he and Temari returned to the contestant section of the stands, the Suna Kunoichi giving him hesitant a wave as her brother helped her limp towards medical.

Uzumakis were very good at sensing. Karin was better, but Naruto could sense the whole village when he payed attention, even further, when Kurama helped out. He knew Karin had her own list of people she kept track off, and that a few of their people overlapped, like Sasuke and Mari and Akari. Some didn't though, like Sakura and Kakashi and Jiji. He could feel as Teuchi and Ayame slowly but surely heading towards the Hokage Mountain. Iruka too, with Konohamaru.

It was the same route as the evacuation plan, and though there was no panic in the air, there was tension, quiet and slow moving like a snake.

No one in the Den was relocating, but that was because between Akari and Mari the Uchiha compound would survive an apocalypse. It was the safest place one could be, while in the village.

Sakura gave him a fist bump as she head down to face Garra. Naruto watched her walk away, and it was only when his teammate had disappeared into the shadows of the stairs Karin slid into the contestants corner from somewhere, appearing like a Nara out of the dark.

His cousin's face was serious, and Sasuke was giving them the side eye, but was staying by the railing.

"I know you've felt it," his cousin whispered, "don't worry about it, not until the end of your match with Garra, at the soonest."

Sakura gave a cry of shanyarou, and there was a hiss as Garra's sand shield was sent scattering dozens of feet into the air like a wave breaking against a cliff-side.

"Are you sure," he asked, and Karin gave a nod. Sasuke winced as the crowed ooed, which meant Sakura had done something impressive.

"Yes," Karin replied, and then eyed him, red eyes like blood in the light. "Look, just, go fight Sasuke, have fun, and just, don't give everything, if you catch my meaning. Save what you can, for the next match."

Somehow Naruto had the feeling his cousin wasn't referring to the fight with Garra. "How's Shino?"

"Tired," Karin said with a shrug, "and glad he forfeited, even if it puts you at a disadvantage."

That was fine, he didn't mind his friends doing what they had to do. Shino had his hive to look after, they needed to come first. "My stamina's better than Agate's. I'm not worried."

Karin huffed with a smile, and punching him softly on the shoulder. "Stay safe cousin mine."

"Right back at you vixen," he replied, and moved to stand beside Sasuke, which allowed to see Sakura pull out a scroll and dump out an ocean into the pit. Kurama cackled at Garra's put of expression, looking rather like a wet cat as Sakura raised the water around her like the closing jaws of a leviathan.

"She got scary," Sasuke muttered, but his eyes were red, tomoe slightly spinning as he stared at their pink haired teammate.

"She was always scary," Naruto corrected, "she just didn't think she was allowed to be."

Sasuke gave him the side eye for that, and Sakura snarled as she got buried under wet sand. She probably could have kept going, but Sakura was smarter than he was, and she had fought Karin first, so she was letting the redhead win for reason.

"You ready?" His rival asked, and Naruto grinned.

"Always."

Naruto held out his hand in the seal of confrontation, and Sasuke did the same. This time they waited for Hayate to say go and then Naruto was blocking Sasuke's sword with a palm seal.

The Uchiha darted away as Naruto reached for him, hand slapping onto the ground as the seal was transfered into the dirt. Sasuke responded quickly, hands fast as Naruto darted away from the Great Fire Ball the bastard launched in his direction.

Sasuke held his sword in the sweeping crane position, and he grinned as he met his teammate in the eye, the breath of a wildfire Chakra rising in his bones. They lunged at each other, sword swinging low as Naruto flipped over the blade and gave his feet a boost, hands brushing armor. Sasuke shushinned before Naruto could plant a seal on him, and he let Kurama make a mental note to practice that later.

First things first, Naruto needed to get rid of the sword, and Sasuke eyed him, red eyes spinning, as if debating what move to make next. Hm. That was a thought, and he ignored Kurama's chuckling. Naruto lunged forward, hand missing once again, only he switched what seal last minute. Now he just needed to plant two more.

Sasuke eyed the seal with suspicion, and Naruto darted towards him again, throwing three kuni only for his teammate to knock them out of the air, watching his eyes and op- Kurama growled at the sense of foreign chakra, Genjutsu dissolving into the air as his friend swatted the illusion away.

The younger Uchiha let out a curse, and high above he could barely hear Mari cackling, no doubt being one of the few who understood what just happened.

Naruto grinned, and then slammed both hands to the ground, seals blooming in the dirt as Sasuke's sword was torn from his hand. Unfortunately so were their headbands, and all their other weapons as well.

"Dobe," Sasuke hissed, and Naruto looked at the small pile in confusion.

"Oops?" He said, because he honestly had no idea how that happened, and then Sasuke was lunging for him.

Oh Hatake-brat was naughty, Kurama mused as Naruto struggled to keep up with a Sasuke who was suddenly so much better at Taijutsu, and it was taking everything he had to keep up his blocks, the sound of fist hitting palm like a beating drum, their eyes flickering back and forth as hands constantly reached inward and out. Though, I suppose we got some ANBU training of our own, didn't we fishcake.

Naruto hid his reaction, though clearly not well enough because Sasuke started trying harder. Joke was him though, and he crossed his fingers and pulled on the dabbled sunlight of his chakra, five clones popping into existence.

"Go," he ordered, and by the time Sasuke popped the three sent to keep him busy it was too late, the Rasengan already formed.

The proctor swore as Sasuke smiled the kind of smile that must have made Madara's enemies weep in fear, lightning building and building as chirping filled the air like a cry.

They both lunged forward, and wind met lightning in the middle, power surging all around them as the Chakra connected. It was like being in the middle of a storm, ozone in the air as wind breathed with water and heat, clouds stretching for miles and miles as energy rumbled its displeasure.

Later, after a war and a ghost and a revolution, Naruto would learn about Ninshu. He would learn how Ninjutsu had come from that small religion, and how chakra was intended not only for it's users to know themselves, but to know others as well. How it was meant to be a connection, and how the Sage's sons had twisted it in the rivalry their father set them up for.

That was later though.

Naruto was looking at Sasuke. His teammate wasn't dressed for battle though, or even in his Genin outfit. It was his casual wear, Uchiha blue shirt and white pants that Mari had sealed so they didn't get dirty. There were tomatoes at his friends feet, the Den standing tall behind him as Senka lay draped across Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke tilted his head, and they both looked behind each other at the same time. Behind Naruto was Ramen Ichiraku, the stools all filled with his favorite people. There were even two sets of sandals he didn't recognize, belonging to a man and a woman long gone. Kurama shifted on his shoulders, the smaller version of that grand Chakra Construct wrapped around Naruto's neck like a living scarf, and the Kitsune's red eyes were so, so wide.

Naruto looked down, and at his feet were stalks of wheat, golden grains shifting softly in an unfelt breeze, and he looked back towards Sasuke, whose eyes were also wide, though they quickly settled, and his brother in all but blood reached out a hand, fingers positioned in the seal of reconciliation.

Flowers bloomed in the space between them, White Lillies and yellow Chrysanthemums and dark orange Lillies of the Incas, blue morning glories and red sakura blossoms and the green petal of Peace Lillies.

Mari would tell him, later, what they meant, expression twisting like the image he gave to her was both the saddest and yet also the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Later, he would learn about a rivalry handed down, a blood feud passed from generation to generation, and the cycle that had ended the moment Sasuke had asked him years ago if he wanted to come home for dinner in the Den.

Naruto completed the seal, fingers wrapped around Sasuke's, and then the white shifted, returning to the storm as the vortex of power shifted from inward to outward, kinetic energy exploding like a seal with too much energy and not enough ink.

They were both thrown towards the walls, and Kurama reacted faster than Naruto could, pulling breath of a wildfire rising into a cushion along Naruto's back, but it still hurt. Pain lanced up his back like the clawing of a cat, and Naruto gritted his teeth as his body peeled from the concrete, refusing to yield, to fall.

Kurama was quiet in the back of his mind, ears slicked back and body tight with suspiciously still tails and Naruto wanted to ask what had bothered him so when Sasuke also peeled off the wall, though his teammate fell on the ground with a groan.

That was okay though, it was an Uchiha ugh I don't want to get up rather than a oh that hurt and I need a medic kind of groan, and Hayate started to count, "one, two, three, four, five, winner Uzumaki Naruto."

The crowd roared, shock and excitement and vindication filling the air as Naruto limped his way over to Sasuke, basking in the pride of his people, in Karins cheer and Fu's cry and the Konoha Fifteen's exclamations. Sasuke had rolled onto his back, and it was easy to help the bastard up as Jiji announced another break.

Hakui was waiting for them, and Naruto handed off his teammate to Mari's doctor, limp already gone as Kurama encouraged his already impressive natural healing.

Kit, Kurama called as they went up the stairs, and Naruto stilled, head slowly turning to the man beside Jiji. Do you see?

The soft whisper of overturned leaves and dry scales on dew wet earth and stone prickly hot from the afternoon sun. Oh, oh no.

That's Karin's thing, he asked, suddenly so, so scared, isn't it?

Probably, Kurama said with a tense frame, pick up the pace fishcake, Mari's waiting, and the two of you only have so long to talk.

Mari was standing in the shadows, hidden from view to everyone but him, who had come from the opposite direction as the stands. She smiled when saw him, pride clearly dancing in her expression, and he wondered if she was what like having a mother would have been like it.

Kurama flinched as Mari waved him over, a hidden tightness in her frame as she said, "you did so good Kit, that was amazing."

"Thanks Mari-nee," and then he paused, looking his older sister in the eyes. "Karin's thing is happening soon, isn't it?"

"What makes you think that?" She asked, not saying no, but not saying yes either, and Naruto took a breath, thinking about what to say without saying anything at all.

"Iruka," he replied, and Mari's face tightened.

"Well, that cat's out of the bag," she drawled, then her brows furrowed as she looked at him, head tilted. "That isn't what's really bothering you though, is it?"

Naruto looked at the box where the Kages were, and then back at Mari. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, like he could feel the Snake Sannin sitting right beside Jiji and that wasn't his normal ANBU guard and that Naruto couldn't even feel the normal guard anymore and Jiji's chakra was so tight like he knew who was sitting beside him but he wasn't doing anything why wasn't he doing anything?

Kit, Kurama rumbled softly in sympathy, and Naruto clenched his fist because he couldn't say any of that, he didn't dare.

In the stadium people were starting to return to their seats.

"You were always were too smart for your own good," Mari murmured quietly, and Naruto gave a snort.

"My academy teachers would disagree," he huffed, and the elder Uchiha's smile was tight, twisting with vicious anger and grieving sadness and quiet fondness.

"They would, but I don't mean up here, I meant here," and she tapped his heart, and Naruto looked at her, really looked at her.

"You already knew," he said, because she hadn't been shocked or scared or anything, she had already known.

"It was a logical conclusion," she admitted so quietly, Chakra so small and eyes so heavy, "knowing what I did about the players, and their history."

"He's alone, why are you letting him be up there alone?" Naruto demanded, because Mari believed in teamwork, she believed in back ups and safety nets and helping each other and why wasn't she helping him?

"I," Mari's voice broke, and it was a side of his sister he really ever got to the see, the part of Mari that was broken by the things she had seen. "Do you, do you remember the story I told you a few years back, the constellation conquests?"

"Which one," he asked, because there had been several stories in the constellation conquests, some of them even contradicting.

"The first one," she replied, "the one with the farm boy and the princess and the wizard in exile."

Kurama didn't like where this conversation was going, and not just because of her tone, that scared, hesitate tone, like she was trying to explain herself to her ward of all people.

Naruto didn't like where this was going either.

"I liked that one," he said, because the first three stories really had been the best, and Mari's smile was weak.

"I thought you would," she mused, and Naruto gave a nod. Mari hadn't told that story for him though, it had been for Sasuke, to show what the path of vengeance sowed, to show no matter how fair down the path of darkness one went, they could always, always, return to the light.

Mari took a breath. "Do you, do you remember the rescue, and the confrontation between, between the wizard and the dark lord?"

Oh. Oh, no.

"So why are you still here," he hissed, wanting to snarl, to scream, to race to Jiji and help him.

"Naruto," Mari tried, but he wasn't having it.

"This is about, about that, isn't it," he accused, "you want him to pull the wizard, you, you, you hypocrite."

Mari's expression went blank, desperation and regret and grief and fear all swirling in the air, and Kurama sent caution in the mindscape. "This isn't about vengeance. If it was I would have poisoned everyone's tea and just taken power for myself years ago. That confrontation, in the story, it mattered, it, there were thing in that fight that needed to happen, there were things that needed to be seen."

"Life isn't a story," Naruto countered quietly, "and we do not have parts to play."

Mari took a breath, but she was giving, he could feel it. "It will make things so, so complicated, and even if it didn't, it, Sasuke may never forgive us for it."

Naruto looked his Den Mother in the eye, and he did not doubt, he did not falter, steadfast like the woman before him had taught him to be. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me without a hint of doubt you don't think Jiji might be victim too."

"No fishcake," Mari breathed, voice wet, aching and aching and Naruto didn't know how to help with her grief. "I can't do that."

"Deciding who lives and who dies because it's convenient is how we got into this mess in the first place," he reminded, and Mari closed her eyes, hands clasped together and pressed against the center of her face like a prayer, like a desperate demand for aid from the heavens.

Then she breathed, eyes settled when they opened, and his older sister bent down and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I am so, so proud of you Kit."

He frowned at the gesture, and at the expression on her face. "What that a test?"

"Yes," she said, and he had only a moment of anger before, "but not for you. I forget, sometimes, that I no longer need to follow the path someone else laid out for us so long ago. Thank you, for reminding me."

"That's okay," he said, reaching up to pat her shoulder, "everyone in the Den forgets that, from time to time."

The proctor called the final match, and Mari pushed him forward. "Don't worry about anything other than your match Naruto, I got the rest, even our wizard."

"He's in the best of hands," Naruto grinned as he jumped off the railing, ignoring the heartbreak he was leaving behind.

Garra was waiting for him, hesitate and uncertain, and Naruto waved at his new friend, chakra swirling positively in the air. Garra relaxed, and slowly, as if unsure, did the seal of confrontation. Naruto gave him a smile, matching the gesture as they waited for Hayate to give them a go.

The sand was fast, Naruto would give it that, and he darted away from the ribbon of grain trailing after him, laughing as Garra's face when he reached into his pocket for a seal. Great minds think alike, and everyone from the Den had gotten their hands on a seal full of water it seemed.

Kurama snickered as water filled the stadium once again, Garra drenched from head to toe.

The fight was more playful that Sasuke's had been. Naruto messed around with seals and Garra shook the water from his sands and Hayate looked very annoyed to once more having to stand on water for a match again.

The fight with Sasuke had been about strength, about showing each other what they had learned and how they had improved and the places they were going to go together. This wasn't about strength, it was about play. It was about camaraderie with someone from another nation, about teaching his cousin of spirit that life was not a battle, it was not a fight to the death.

It was about how being a ninja shouldn't be synonymous with violence.

Garra was out of breath when the Suna Jinchuriki moved his hand like he was going to forfeit, and Naruto reached out, grabbing it and turning to Jiji high above.

"Hey Jiji!" he called, "can we get a tie? We could keep going, but he doesn't want to, and it won't be fun after that but he fought really hard so he should get something."

Jiji raised a brow to that, but his lips were twitching with amusement. "You don't want to be the winner?"

Naruto gave a shrug, because what was the point of winning if you had no one to share it with. "We can share it, he's my friend after all."

Garra's eyes were so, so wide. The slightly younger boy was looking at Naruto like Mari's more recent strays sometimes looked at his older sister, gaze the same as a man running from a wildfire stumbled across a river just head of the flames, grateful and desperate and pleading.

Jiji opened his mouth, a soft, sad smile on his face. It was the same expression the Hokage always wore when the older man was seeing the ghosts of his past on Naruto's face, and that's when the first explosion happened.

Chapter 19: I Have a Rendezvous with Death Chapter Text

I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath—
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.

God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear ...
But I've a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.
-

Akita had known something was going to go wrong. He had been ANBU Commander for too many years not to know when something was lurking beneath the surface.

Danzo.

The explosion sent the civilians screaming, and by the time Akita made it to his Hokage, his treacherous student's shinobi had already put up a Chakra barrier. He snarled, banging his fist uselessly against, and then he let go of that anger and took stock.

For an invasion planned by one of the Sannin, it seemed surprisingly weak. At least three fourths of the Suna Contingent were fighting against the Oto Shinobi, to the attackers surprise. There wasn't fear rising in the air either, and he noted the giant snake being corralled away from the city. Konoha was quiet for such a large village being invaded, almost as if someone had gotten the non-combats to evacuate before hand.

Orochimaru twitched slightly, but the traitor didn't seem to mind the turnabout too much, and seemed to be more focused on torturing his former sensei by using a forbidden jutsu and bring the dead back to fucking life.

He did not get paid enough for this, and also how was he suppose to protect his Hokage from that?

How was he suppose to protect his Hokage from Danzo?

"Wait, wait, wait," a voice called, and Akita looked to see Uchiha Mari run up the barrier, eyes wide, "before you all dramatically fight to the death can I ask Tobirama-sama three questions?"

"Mari," the Hokage sighed, and the previous Kages eye her curiously as the Snake Sannin raised a brow.

"What?" Mari defended, "when else am I ever going to have the chance to ask him? No objections? Great, do you hate the Uchiha, can I have you lightning sword, and what supernatural entity did you piss off to give Team Seven the C-rank Curse."

All four S-class shinobi all turned to look at Mari. The Hokage looked exhausted, the Lord First looked confused, Orochimaru looked like he was having a small revelation, and the Lord Second was having what Akita would call a shoving unwanted memories back in the corner of my mind where I don't have to deal with them expression.

"C-rank Curse?" The Lord First asked curiously, and the Hokage sighed again.

"It's a superstition Lord First," the Hokage explained, which probably would have been more believable if Akita hadn't seen the statistics and also the Lord Second being very quiet on the matter.

Mari seemed annoyed at the denial. "So then why does every mission with any member of the Team Seven Lineage end up being anything but a C-rank. Name one normal C-rank mission you went on a Genin, or that you had a Jonin-Sensei, name one!"

"You know," Orochimaru mused as the Hokage was also suspiciously silent, "that explains a lot of about my childhood."

The Lord Second sighed, and Akita felt sorry for the man. Dying had not allowed him to escape the nonsense of his village it seemed. "To answer your question, no, I do not hate the Uchiha, I wouldn't have given them such power in the village if I did. As for the Sword of the Thunder God, if no other members of my clan wish to wield it, than you may."

Mari grinned as the Lord First eyed his younger brother. "You didn't answer the third question Tobi."

The Lord Second just raised an eyebrow to that, staring at his brother who slowly lost his amusement and then paled, in as much a dead man powered by a corspe and another man's Chakra could pale. "You know, that's probably for best."

The Uchiha regent twitched, like she wasn't sure how to feel about the vindication that came with a lack of answers.

"Well that's a pity," Orochimaru drawled in a snake like manner, "alas, I do believe we have something more important to return to."

The demeanor of the previous Hokage changed the moment Orochimaru placed a kuni with a seal tag in their heads, the two Kage's suddenly lunching themselves forward towards their once student, and the Hokage had no chance against the three of them.

"Shit," Uchiha Mari said, and the regent turned to the closest ANBU she could find, which happened to be Ram. "Go get Hakui-sensei and bring her here, now."

"You don't give me orders," Ram growled, "and what's the point of a medic, we can't even reach him."

"Listen to me you dumbass," Mari hissed as she clenched her fist into the man's shirt, "I am about to do something incredibly stupid, and I really, really, want a competent medic here when everything goes to shit."

Akita placed his hand on Mari's, and then he turned to his subordinate. "Do as she says, now."

Shikaku, years ago now, had quietly told him once that if there was ever a power vacuum or a battle going poorly with no clear solution or leader and Uchiha Mari took charge, it would be in his best interest to let her. That Inoichi had the done the same a few weeks later had spoke to something he didn't fully know the extent of, but could guess at easily enough.

Akita, after all, had been on various teams with numerous Uchiha. He knew the kinds of gifts the gods granted to sharingan wielders who'd had their hearts torn in two.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked the Uchiha regent, and the Tokubetsu Jonin wrinkled her nose in dislike.

"It's not a very good one," she replied, "but it's all we got. Guard my back? Also be ready, it'll take a bit to bring this down, but once I do things are going to get messy."

"Will do Uchiha-sama," Akita promised, and he followed Mari as she moved to the southern most side of the barrier, the two shinobi inside were giving her smirks as she slid her hand across the barrier, fingers leaving the slightest hint of a trail.

Mari lowered her hand, and she stood before the barrier, hands slightly raised, revealing two tattoos on her wrists of small black hammers. The woman's head was tilted so, like she was soaking in the sun, and she looked almost out of place as the village burned and their Hokage fought for his life.

Almost.

There was power in the air Akari had only seen once before, campfire Chakra slowly shifting to something so much more deadly as Mari breathed once, twice, and the third time she opened her eyes, revealing black on red pinwheels, triskeles spinning softly as one of the Last Loyal Uchihas raised her right hand, and pushed into the barrier.

Her fingers slowly but surely threaded through the dark purple of the chakra wall, and the two Oto shinobi lost their smirks, eyes so, so wide as Mari made a face of pain but kept pushing. The heavy violet was sliding up the young woman's forearm, and she planted her right foot into the barrier, body shifting almost unnaturally as if she was contorting herself to fit some unseen entrance, pushing and pushing while her lips curled in a snarl of concentration and hurt.

In the span of a breath Mari disappeared into the barrier, and then she was lunging for Orochimaru with a speed that could matched Shisui.

He watched the Uchiha regent almost take the Snake Sannin's head off with the Hatake fucking Sakumo's tanto and the Lord Second's Sage-damned Sword of the Thunder God that she had pulled from seemingly nowhere.

Orochimaru ducked, Mari overshooting and it looked like she was going to slam into the wall, but she spun at the last second, kicking off the barrier and darting towards the Snake Sannin with a snarl. The young woman nearly landed a hit once, twice, damn, almost three times in as many seconds, the two of them weaving a truly deadly dance.

"Now, now, isn't this a surprise," the man drawled, eyes flashing with excitement. "Two of three, aren't I lucky."

Mari raised a brow, expression deadpan as she retorted, "No that lucky, considering everyone you've ever loved is either dead or hates you."

Someone choked on a cough, the atmosphere going from slightly amused and gleeful to icy cold in an instant. Orochimaru's Killing Intent began to fill the air as he stared the Uchiha down. "Little kitten has teeth I see."

Mari seemed unimpressed at the Intent that had brought ANBU to their knees as she duck under a water jutsu aimed at her face. "If you're trying to scare me you're going to have to try harder, I knew scarier shinobi when I was thirteen and a Genin. Honestly, are you even trying, the great boogeyman of Konoha, reduced to a subpar scientist with daddy issues."

Sweet Sage Uchiha Mari had no fear. Someone to his left made a whine as their Hokage winced at the terminology. Orochimaru looked like he didn't know if he should be amused at what he considered a pest giving good insults or furious at the slight. "Are you really trying to bait me?"

Mari smiled, teeth sharp like a dragons, and Akita understood intimately why the shadow of Madara still haunted his village, black triskeles spinning softly. "No, that was just me throwing out some unfriendly banter, this is some bait. They say you're seeking immorality so you can see your parents again, which seems silly to me. What makes you think they would ever want to be reborn into a world with you in it?"

He wasn't the only one to wince as Orochimaru lunged at Mari with a sneer on his lips, cold and disconcerting chakra suddenly brimming with rage and fury. "You will shut your mouth."

Mari dodged under the sword, sending an earth jutsu that the Snake Sannin easily avoided before the two of them were clashing swords again, Orochimaru ducking under Sword of the Thunder God while his blade blocked the Hatake tanto, teeth bared like he was trying to bite out her throat.

"I mean," Mari continued, pinwheel spinning and spinning and if she kept up that level of power she was going to start bleeding, "I certainly wouldn't want to leave the purelands if I had a child like you, though there is the other side of the equation to consider, that they were already reborn so they could meet you and you murdered them when you burnt down their village or when you experiment on them in one of your many labs or even when you let your Oto shinobi run wild with no thought of bystanders. Gosh, who knows how many times you've gotten your parents killed, and that's not even getting into little Nawaki."

Orochimaru slid right past fury and into the cold kind of anger that belonged to a man who had fought Hanzo to a stand still. "You will not speak his name."

Don't continue that line of thought, he thought at Mari, don't do it, I know you're making him angry so he'll be sloppy but that line is going to get you killed.

"You lost twice to two teenagers," Mari continued as she sent a fire jutsu into Orochimaru's face, and the Snake Sannin blocked it with a water jutsu, "no wonder Nawaki died, what with a Sensei like you-" Mari was cut off as she dodged Kusanagi, the black blade accompanied by Orochimaru's hiss of all consuming fury. "You're nothing but a sorry excuse for a teacher, you two bit hack who can't even make a village that won't fall apart the moment you're gone, you Amanojaku, corrupting everything you touch, you Shuten Doji, a Sutoku Tengu. Everything you take pride was built on the accomplishments of others you thieving coward."

"I am going to rip apart everything you hold dear," Orochimaru threatened slowly, each word laced with rage and Killing Intent, and one of the newer recruits fell to his knees as the human batteries sweat-dropped, watching the confirmation with wide, wide, eyes.

"Good fucking luck with that," Mari laughed, "and also I heard scarier threats from a child with pink hair, get on her level."

The Snake Sannin seethed. "Nothing will you love will ever be safe from me."

"Buddy get in line," Mari rebutted blithely, Chakra sword cutting through the earth jutsu Orochimaru sent her way. "I got life long enemies coming out of my ears, what makes you think you'd even rate an afterthought about how the Hokage loved you too much to do what needed to be done. Also while we're on that note, that's a sad threat really, considering everyone you ever loved wasn't safe from you either. No wonder you ended with mommy and daddy issues, I bet they died just they wouldn't have to raise-"

Orochimaru's Chakra went deadly blank, moving faster and faster as Mari struggled to dodge, body growing more and more tense as the Snake Sannin bore down on her. Tears of blood started to trail down her eyes as Kusanagi slammed down and down, teeth curling in spooked snarl, and then Mari mis-stepped, falling with wide, scared eyes as the blade aimed for her heart, and for one terrifying moment Akita thought the Uchiha regent was going to die, but a thick staff blocked the blade, and the Sannin leapt back as the Hokage drove his student away.

"Hokage-sama?" Mari breathed, chest heaving, and she was looking at their Hokage like she had never seen him before, eyes wide and full of emotion he couldn't name.

"Let's swap," the man offered as he held out a hand, and Mari hesitantly took it, glancing between the Hokage's teachers and the man's student.

"We don't have to," she said, like she hadn't almost got murdered, "it would be a cruel thing to do, to ask you to kill a son of the heart."

Orochimaru snorted, but the Hokage just smiled. "You never stop trying to ease my burdens, do you? You've lifted enough Mari, I think it's high time I do what I needed to see through years ago."

Mari's gaze hardened, and she put a hand on his back, a seal blooming out from her palm in the image of the Hokage hat. Something had shifted, some reshuffling of Fate's deck, and for first time since the barrier went it up Akita felt a hint of hope.

This fight wasn't over, it was only just beginning.

Chapter 20: His Stillness Chapter Text

The doctor said to my father, "You asked me
to tell you when nothing more could be done.
That's what I'm telling you now." My father
sat quite still, as he always did,
especially not moving his eyes. I had thought
he would rave if he understood he would die,
wave his arms and cry out. He sat up,
thin, and clean, in his clean gown,
like a holy man. The doctor said,
"There are things we can do which might give you time,
but we cannot cure you." My father said,
"Thank you." And he sat, motionless, alone,
with the dignity of a foreign leader.
I sat beside him. This was my father.
He had known he was mortal. I had feared they would have to
tie him down. I had not remembered
he had always held still and kept quiet to bear things,
the liquor a way to keep still. I had not
known him. My father had dignity. At the
end of his life his life began
to wake in me.

Awareness came back in suddenly clarity, and Tobirama took in the battlefield. An Uchiha, the same from before with a thin trail of blood running down her checks as the pinwheel in her eye spun. She was looking down at her hand confusion, like it hadn't done something she wanted.

"Oops, that wasn't suppose to happen," she said, then ducked out of the way of an earth Jutsu, "fuck you snake face, quit taking pot shots."

"I believe you rather famously told a peer of mine that when you talk shit you get hit," the summoner drawled, chakra still bubbling with rage and fury and a small braided mix of grief and regret and the tiniest trace of fear.

Hiruzen sighed, long and deep and exhausted, "children, if you please."

Tobirama's body moved of someone else's accord, and his hands created a water jutsu that the Uchiha dodged, using the sudden steam in the air to slam a palm against his brother's armor, and he could see when awareness flickered back into Hashirama's face, brows slightly furrowed.

The Uchiha frowned at her hand again, blood going drip, drip, drip, head tilted like a cat.

"Are alright?" His brother asked as he sent a wood beam her way, and the Uchiha darted away, feet sliding carefully on the roof.

"Oh I'm fine, it's the first time I've used this in…" she paused, as if thinking, "well I guess it's the second time I've used it in a fight but the first time doesn't count because I wasn't really lucid so it's a little… uh, weird. Overshot just a little with snake face over there, just a tad."

"Madara had the same problem," Hashirama said with a nodding head, and the Uchiha looked delighted at the information, very obviously breaking the mold of most of her clan, "accidentally set a whole battlefield on fire. It was one the few times our fathers held a truce, since you know, it would have been bad if it had spread to the farms and everything burned."

"Where have you been all my life?" She asked, using a fire jutsu to cancel out his water jutsu, and he tilted his head at her, because the way she was moving the steam around spoke to a water affinity.

"Uh, dead?" His brother answered, and Tobirama resisted the urge to sigh. The Uchiha's, Mari? Charka sparkled with joy at the answer, and once again his brother had managed to charm another one.

One of his brother's vines was about to reach her when she pulled out his sword from no- no, not nowhere, the two little hammers on her wrist were the pockets, and he twitched as she expertly cut away the green, and that wasn't Uchiha bullshit or her eyes allowing her to cheat, that was practiced.

"If you had my sword this entire time," Tobirama demanded as he sent a lightning jutsu the Uchiha dodged, firing one of her own right back at him, "then why did you ask for it."

"So I can tell the council I have your permission to use it when they find out I have it," the Uchiha replied blithely, and the spite was a familiar Uchiha feeling. Kagami must enjoy her company, odd, he couldn't feel his old student. "And also I saw an opportunity to prove a point while being dramatic at the same time."

"Assuming none of my kin want it," he reminded, because Tsunade and Dan must have married by now. He was thankful she wasn't in the village for whatever reason, that would have been, complicated.

Uchiha's nervous and slightly bitter laugh was not reassuring in the slightest. "Oh I'm fairly certain none of the Senju I know want it, none of them are really sword people."

"Oh," his brother said, utterly delighted as Tobirama stretched his Chakra sense throughout out village, unable to sense any of the kids he knew he had left behind, "you sound friendly."

"Well, we are cousins," Uchiha replied, and his brain stuttered to a halt.

"What," they both said at the same time, he racked his brain, trying to remember if any Senju had been courting an Uchiha.

Mari tilted her head, sword cutting through a tree that she then snatched from the air and threw at him, like she was debating if she should explain, the familiar Uchiha tug of war between being petty or not.

She could be petty if she wished, but he, his brother, and his sister-in-law were taking what happened in Lightning Country to the grave.

"I guess that makes sense, considering the feud," Mari mused, "but anyway the Senju and Uzumaki are descended from Ashura, the younger son of the Sage of the Six Paths, while the Uchiha are descended from the elder, Indra, who both made some wild life choices."

"What," he said at the same time his brother wailed, "we're kin killers?!"

"Eh," Uchiha replied with a so-so gesture, tossing a series of kuni at the both of them, "the degree of separation is fair enough away the Uchiha and the Ashura line don't share any genetic similarities, even if we are chakra compatible."

"We could have been family," Hashirama cried, tears flowing down his face while he preformed a wind jutsu that Mari countered with one of her own, the barrier filling with current.

Tobirama sighed, though he did note how the Uchiha took his brother's outburst of emotion with no sign of discomfort. She must have either a family member or close friend of a similar disposition.

"At least you ended the feud in your generation," the Uchiha consoled, "and now the Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Senju are closer than ever! Me and the Senju heir are best friends you know, we're even co-parenting."

Hashirama peered at the Uchiha through his tears, brows furrowed as he looked at her. "Aren't you a little young to be a mother?"

"But not an older sister," Mari replied cheerfully, and Tobirama noted that there weren't that many Uchiha in the village either. Not any he could sense. "And he's less parent and more sensei, but we share."

"Oh that's lovely," his bother replied, and Tobirama wondered if his brother was also starting to grasp the slightly insidious undertones.

Tobirama gave her an aprasring look. "Your elders must love that."

The Uchiha snorted, blood still dripping from her chin, and that had to be annoying. "Oh I doubt it, but they can roll and roll all they like in their graves."

Uchiha Mari was painting a picture. Between the lack of Senju and Uchiha in the village and no mention of elders except in terms of graves and the hints of orphans and co-parenting, it was not a very nice picture.

The village was empty of familiar Chakra patterns, and Tobirama decided he didn't want to know why.

"You must be friendly with the Hatake too," his brother noted, blessedly giving Tobirama something else for his brain to focus on. He took in the steel of the Tanto, and the small carvings on the hilt. He wondered if he should congratulate her on her engagement or not.

Uchiha just looked confused, head tilting like a cat again, and she must have a feline summons, "what makes you say that?"

"Well that's their family tanto, only the main line carries that," his brother explained, and Uchiha's eyes went wide, which meant it was probably not an engagement gift, though it could have been one and her fiancé just didn't tell her the significance of the blade.

Uchiha looked down at the tanto, chakra a swirling mess of bewilderment and annoyance and yet oddly enough grief, a kind of sorrow so cleanly felt, even as she buried it deep and whirled in the direction of the pit below them, where Shinobi were fighting Shinobi of either Suna, Konoha, or some village he didn't recognize and probably belonged to the summoner.

"Hatake!" She screamed, and more than one of the ANBU watching gave a slight cringe. "Did you give me your father's fucking tanto!"

There was a sense of history to the question, and the way both Hiruzen and the summoner winced only raised more questions.

"Look out," he warned as he and his brother combined a wind and water jutsu, elements cutting into the roof. Uchiha dodged, the young woman leaving a trail of blood behind her, eyes still spinning. "You would do well not to lose focus like that again, this is a battle, not a spar."

Unlike most Uchiha, Mari didn't seemed to bristle at his tone, in fact she did the opposite, grinning like he had given her a compliment or something. "I appreciate the concern Lord Second, but I'm a pretty good sensor and everything the two of you have sent my way is dripping with your charka and it's easy enough to dodge. Oh, that reminds me, how on earth were you able to sense across of of Fire country, I do like three blocks and I get overloaded from all the emotions."

Years and years of teaching had Tobirama answering before he could really think about it. "That sounds like you're diving too deep, for lack of a better metaphor. It's a common problem for more Yin based sensors. Just lift a little upwards, like you're skimming instead of diving into waters."

Uchiha stared at him in the same level of offense as she had with the unnamed Hatake who had apparently given her an heirloom as either an engagement gift or some political fuck you to a pushy elder.

"Are you telling me," Uchiha asked, words slow and deliberately chosen, "that I have been doing sensing wrong, for the past thirteen years of my life."

Ah, one of the self-taught then. "Most Yin sensors with no education in the matter tend to stumble into the deep end before they are ready, it's really nothing to be ashamed of."

His brother cooed, and if he could have Tobirama would have hit him.

Uchiha breathed, like she was trying to calm herself, and then she looked at the both them, frustration and suppressed humor twirling up her Chakra.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She screamed in rage, but her anger wasn't the kind he had seen so often on the battlefield. No, this was something much more similar to the kind of emotion Kagami produced, the playful fury he had come to find highly amusing whenever one of his rare Uchiha students succumbed to their inner fire or whatever they called it.

Mari lunged at him, and it was slightly odd, not to feel even a hint of malice. He dodged out of the way of her fist, hand slapping down with a misplaced seal, and he stared at the black popping balloon in affront.

"That is a atrocious," he said, and Mari grinned, like she knew he was utterly confounded by the lack of Kanji or non-euclidean geometries or even any math.

"Are you sure," his brother asked, "it looks just like a pictogram instead of a Kanji or shape or a number based seal."

It was easy to forget sometimes, that between him and Mito they had forced Hashirama to learn about seals through sheer osmosis.

"Math?" She asked, curious, and Hashirama nodded, a wooden beam burning under Mari's fire jutsu.

"They were always the twitchiest," his brother said, like he wasn't the reason they were like that. "Have you not met any of them yet, I know we set up an exchange program."

"Not yet," she replied with a polite smile, and Tobirama had the sinking feeling she never would.

Chakra shifted in the air, and he finally noticed the trail of blood mixing with the seals she had put on the ground, forming the shape of a triangle with three other triangles coming out of each side. The one on the right had a fourteen and the one of the left had a two and the one of the bottom had an eight, while the one in the middle made a twenty, each point held together with either a popping ballon or a snapping finger or an open folder.

"Well that's done, Hokage-sama!" She called, the twenty glowing at her feet as chakra swirled in the air, "Bada bing!

It was nonsense to him, but the code phrase clearly meant something, as Hiruzen's chakra filled with dread.

"Oh no," his student breathed, and Tobirama watched as his brother unwillingly sent a limb faster than he had before directly at Mari's heart, and the Uchiha wasn't dodging.

Her swords fell from her hands, disappearing into the hammers on her wrist, eyes and chakra deadly serious as the pinwheel spun. Her hands moved upwards, like she was going to clap, and tip of her fingers just touched the point of Hashirama's Wood Release.

Blood dripped steadily down her cheeks as Mari's hands flew apart, and water followed her fingertips. Tobirama couldn't help his inhale, his shock. He hadn't ever managed to overcome his brother's Chakra to take the water back, how had she-

Uchiha Mari separated the impurities from the water, shadows dancing at her feet as the floating mass swirled around her head. He darted back from the thin metal spikes, and his brother did the same, eyes wide. The mass spilt into two, seemingly dissolving into the air, only it didn't.

It had been years since he had last visited Uzushio, and their science labs, a still expanding element chart hanging on the wall. He still remembered that older Uzumaki though, the way he had explained how everything flowed from one form to the next, how even water was comprised of different elements. He couldn't see the hydrogen and oxygen, but it was the only thing that made sense, her Chakra thick in the air in a swirling motion that could only be holding various gasses together.

She met his gaze with a manic grin, and around both her and Hiruzen the thick and coagulated Chakra of a grey Susanno formed.

"Bada bing bada boom," she sang, and then her teeth snapped shut in the mimic of the Sarutobi ash jutsu, the single spark igniting into white.

The world around them exploded, the barrier coming down as the lower half of Tobirama's body was shoved down multiple floors. It was an odd sensation. One, because he no longer had a head, or lungs, or a heart, and two because that kind of thing should have hurt, but it hadn't. There wasn't any pain, and Tobirama stood up against his will, so very tired.

Writing down this jutsu had been a bad idea.

He reoriented himself. There was the summoner, in a similar position to himself, clearly peeling himself from the wood, and Tobirama had to give Orochimaru credit, there were few shinobi who could have gotten up from something like that. He climbed upwards, his brother a few floors below him, in a similer state but also moving to the roof. Mari, being closer to the explosion, had been thrown with more force, and had slammed into a wall, getting some kind of medical attention as Hiruzen limped over to her.

Tobirama clawed himself out the smoking pit, taking in the fighting shinobi as ANBU went up against ANBU. Dead ahead was Mari, giggling less like she found something funny and more like she couldn't stop, the kind of laugh that came from sleep and Chakra Exhaustion. Someone had slapped two seals over her temples, containing a lobster with two X's in both claws.

"What did you do," the ANBU Commander, was the mask still called Akita? demanded, and Mari grinned up at him, pride and giddiness and vicious vindication bubbling in her chakra, though before she could answer those swirling black triskele turned his way, joy turning to ash as she caught sight of him, and more importantly who was behind him.

She moved faster than he expected her to, pushing his student out of the way as she took a sword to the chest, and the medic turned in shock and anger, breathing out the Uchiha's name.

"You have been, entirely irritating," the summoner tsked, and Mari flashed him a blooded grin, hands gripping the sword.

"I'd return the compliment but-" she hissed when Orochimaru pulled the sword back, hand immediately moving to hold the wound, but her legs were unsteady as darkness pooled down her dark blue shirt. It was a serious injury, and everyone knew it.

"Mari," Hiruzen called softly, moving to stand between his student and the young woman who had come to his aid.

"Hokage-sama?" Her eyes were wide, confused, as the medic pressed a red stained hand to the wound. He took in her in, her defense of Hiruzen, her vile towards the summoner, the shared reference to being on the Team Seven Linage, the Hokage Linage as it was beginning to be called when he died.

"There are not words enough for what I owe you," his student said, and Mari furrowed her brow, unable to see what everyone else had seemed to grasped, "though I will try none the less. Thank you, for helping me reconnect with my son, for showing me not all was lost, that for all my failures there was at least some good I did, even if it was only in my students, and their students after them. Take after Konoha, Lord Fifth."

"No," she breathed, but the healer held tight as she struggled, and Hiruzen stepped forward, "No! I promised, I promised, Hiruzen-sensei please, let me, I can."

Hiruzen gestured to someone, and the ANBU Commander relocated to Mari's side as she collapsed, blood still weeping from her eyes as she reached for her Kage, begging softly.

Tobirama couldn't help the dark chuckle that escaped from his chest as the summoners shinobi dashed to make another barrier, this one serval times less strong, judging from its light purple color. Hashirama glared at him, having finally gotten up from the wreckage.

"Nothing about this is funny," his brother chided, and Tobirama hummed.

"Not to you perhaps," he retorted, "but Hiruzen knows what I'm laughing at."

"It is darkly amusing," his student agreed, "the repetition."

Tobirama had died, after all, while sacrificing himself to protect his students and to pass on the hat to the next generation. Hiruzen it seemed, was following in his footsteps.

The Hokage of Konoha preformed a forbidden jutsu only three outsiders of Uzushio were ever granted to learn, and Hiruzen's heir watched with anguished red eyes, pinwheels softly spinning. It was the last thing he saw before the Shinigami settled into being and Tobirama was dragged into the spirit's gut alongside his brother.

Chapter 21: My Constant Companion Chapter Text

Grief is my companion,
It takes me by the hand,
And walks along beside me
in a dark and barren land.

How long will this lonesome journey last,
How much more can my weary heart bear?
Since your death, I've been lost in the fog,
Too burdened with sorrow and care.

People tell me my sadness will fade,
And my tears will reach their end.
Grief and I must complete our journey,
And then maybe I'll find happiness again.

Jiraiya didn't think about Mitsu or Takara often. Minato yes, and the Ame orphans often, but the two Genin on his first and only Konoha team had been, self-sufficient. They hadn't needed him the way his other students had, and Jiraiya had never been sure how to close that gap.

Now though, now all he could think about was the kid from the Kohaku clan he had taught decades ago.

"Sit enthroned in white grandeur, but tired and shift a whisper of wayward silver hair from your eyes. I'd never seen you unkempt before, as you whisper "Darling close the door." Well how have I not made a note of every word you ever said, and time is not on our side but I'll pretend that it's alright. She says the Sage has a plan but admits it's pretty hard to understand."

Once he'd had six students, all of them bright and curious and the best the world had to offer, his hope that the next generation would be better than his own.

They were all dead now, killed by a war and a demon and bloodline thieves.

"Before you leave, you must know you are beloved, and before you leave, remember I was with you. Are you afraid? How ever could you not be in this rosy light. This is strange, I see a hand come through the mirror, pointing at the light, pointing at the light we never see, as you put your feathered arms over me."

At least their students still lived. Most of them, anyway. Minato was down to one and Mitsu still had three, but Takara's were all long gone now.

"Before you leave, you must know you are beloved, and before you leave, remember I was with you, and as you leave I won't hold you back beloved. We'll sit, and talk the stars down from the sky, and I'll not forget the chaos in your eyes love, and as you leave, you must know you are beloved. And as you leave I can see the wild has come for you, and as you leave I won't hold you back beloved, and as you leave, see my children playing at your feet."

Uchiha Mari was a good singer. Not overly grand, not so pretty it made people feel out of their depth, but not bad either, the kind of good you'd hear in a tavern, voice asking others to join in.

The not yet Hokage was dressed in an Uchiha blue silk kimono, and Jiraiya had been around Tsunade enough to know the dress his student's student wore was the kind of armor clan heads dressed in when they went to war, ready for battle where words were the weapons, instead of steel and blood and chakra.

She had the entire crowd in the palm of her hand, and he wondered how many felt the chakra in the air, swirling with positive intent and sorrow. Naruto was holding her hand, also dressed in a similar fashion. Even now she was toeing the line, dressing the boy up in a red Nagagi and a white Haori. He looked like the clan heir he should have been.

He looked like a father he would never get to know.

Naruto at some point in the song had reached up to clasp Mari's fingers. Jiraiya had wondered how Naruto would take the Hokage's death, if he would blame Mari for not being enough, but for all he held his father's looks, he was so much more his mother's child. Kushina hadn't blamed Konoha for failing their sister village. She had wept and raged and promised blood, but she had never blamed the Leaf for failing her family so throughly.

Her son was following in her footsteps it seemed, holding tight to his sister of heart with tears flowing down his cheeks, and there was not a hint of hate or blame to be seen in his bright blue eyes.

His sensei, his father, was lowered into the ground, and the sky began to weep. Rain swept down his hair, tangles heavy with water, and he looked everywhere but the coffin. Tsunade should have been here. Minato should have been here. Dan and Nawaki and Sakumo and Takara and Mitsu and even the Ame trio should have been here.

He noted the shield around Mari. Her Genin teammates were hovering, flanked by the Jonin-sensei's of what people were calling the Konoha Fifteen and one lone Hyuuga who was definitely ANBU.

There others too, most he didn't recognize, but they all wore an Uchiha fan somewhere on their person. There was the Kaguya he had heard about, the Uzumaki woman who standing beside three Yuki clan members, and was that one of the Swordsmen of the Mist? Mari had been busy it seemed, and he took in her posture.

It was the first time he had seen her so visibly unruffled, so tense.

Mari laid a single white flower upon his sensei's grave, and then she cried, seemingly uncaring of who saw, and more than one followed in her example. It wasn't the kind of funeral he had expected, and while a few of the old guard were keeping their eyes dry, the soon to be Hokage wept, and all of Konoha followed her lead.

White coated the coffin and beyond, by the time everyone was gone, and it hurt more than he would he would ever admit when his godson breached the gap between them and dragged him to a meal in the Den.

It was still raining later in the evening, and Jiraiya leaned against a tree. The house, the Den as they called it, was full of a quiet comfort, and it made his skin itch. He had never felt so much like an outsider, and if it wasn't for the way Mari and Naruto's gaze tracked him every time he stood up to make a quiet exit, he'd have long left to go get drunk.

"You'll catch a cold out here," a voice said, and Jiraiya turned to see his old classmate, Sarutobi Ibuki. It was odd, to see the man out of his ANBU outfit, and Jiraiya frowned at him.

"Don't you have a kid you should be with?" He asked, Ibuki shrugged, looking back at the house.

"The Den is a fair better comfort than I could ever be," the man admitted easily, and Jiraiya wanted to hit him. Wanted to move and run and do anything about the energy in his skin. "Besides, Konohamaru has got his mother and his brother and the boy he looks up to, he's going to be fine. How are you holding up?"

"How are you," Jiraiya countered, because he didn't want talk about his sensei, or his teammate, or his godson or any of his student's students.

"I've been better, I will admit, but I'm not the one exiling myself out in the cold," Ibuki replied calmly, and Jiraiya always hated that about him, how he could be so calm and uncaring and lacking a hint of passion in his bones.

"Did Mari send you out here?" He asked, and the Sarutobi hummed, a slightly amused expression on his face.

"Not intentionally," he answered, "I just got tired of watching her stare out the window."

Jiraiya snorted. "I'm surprised she went through the effort."

"She does like you, you know," Ibuki said, and Jiraiya turned to stare at his former classmate in surprise. "Oh don't look so shocked. You were always going to be one of hers, between your connection to Kakashi and Naruto, and even more so once she discovers your connection to her Jonin-sensei. It was just your behavior she disliked, mostly because of… well, trauma. She does want you to be a part of the Den, she just doesn't know how to bridge the gulf between the two of you. She's a bit like Mitsu in that regard, he didn't know how to close that gap either."

"She told you this?" He asked, and Ibuki hummed, settling beside Jiraiya. It was good to have some one close. It was good that not everyone in his class was dead. There about five of them now, out of thirty three.

Everyone else was dead.

"Not in words no," his classmate answered, "but I was on her ANBU guard when she returned from the dead, so after about five years of watching her I know her pretty well, and don't make a joke about stalking."

Jiraiya put his against the tree, looking at the grey sky. "Does it say something about him that I'm taking this harder then you are, or are we just broken."

"I think my father touched a great many lives," Ibuki mused softly, brown eyes looking towards the sky, "but he like everyone else was just human. He made mistakes, he was a product of his environment, and for all he was my Kage and my father he was never really much of a dad. I didn't realize how much I was copying him until Mari pointed it out, angry that I was putting Konoha above my own child. You're allowed to have complicated feelings you know, he was a complicated man."

Jiraiya smothered a wince. "I wasn't aware you were a Yamanaka."

His old classmate snorted. "You get a guard rotation in the Den long enough, you end up getting some second-hand therapy. Mari is also, vocal, about the harmful things that were passed on to us, and the harmful things we do not mean to pass onto our children."

"She going to be a great Hokage," he sighed, and Ibuki stilled. Jiraiya turned to look at the Sarutobi, and his expression was serious.

"I wanted to speak to you about that," he said, and Jiraiya felt offended on his grand student's behalf.

"What," he asked, "you don't think she can do it."

"I think if she does she will unmovable and unshakable and she will die a little inside, every day." Well, ouch. "She'll do it, because it was asked of her, because there is no one else, and she's politically savy enough to know that we're in trouble, but to be Hokage is stand alone amongst the village, and that is something she will never be able to do."

"So what, you want me to take the hat?" He asked, wondering if this was shifting towards treasonous.

"I will not undermine her by voicing that, but if there is an opportunity to get someone else to take it who isn't the War Hawk, take it. If not, you're going to have to step up, we all are, because she's going to need us." Ibuki was staring at him, and Jiraiya thought of Mitsu as a child, so meticulous about doing everything right, about Minato's endless sets of questions while Takara poked at everything he could without regard.

He thought of a godson who was happy, who had family, given the life he should have had from the beginning.

"I'll see what I can do," he promised, and Ibuki nodded, before dragging him back into the house, and he allowed himself to be pestered into telling the story of their fight against Hanzo, the numerous Genin and academy students and even a few of the older nin staring with wide eyes.

It was odd, to be so settled on the day his father was buried. It was odd, that no one expected him to be anything, that no one asked for what he did not want to give. Jiraiya did not belong to the Den, not yet, but as he wove his tale and someone handed him a warm drink and more stories were told after his own, he couldn't help but want.

Mari was flanked by her teammates on the couch, and he ached at the sight of them, at their closeness and trust and shared space, knowing in his heart of hearts it was something his team had never wanted to be.

There was a council meeting in the morning after the funeral.

Jiraiya had been invited, though as the Spy Master or as a Sannin, he didn't know. He was seated beside Utatane Koharu and Inoichi. The Head of T&I was sitting across from Shikaku, and sitting beside the Jonin Commander was Mitokado Homura. Sitting on Mari's left was the ANBU Commander Akita, and on her right was Danzo of all the people, and the stupid war hawk didn't even looked pleased by the honor.

Mari wasn't wearing the Hat, she hadn't been confirmed by the Daimyo yet, but she was sitting at the end of the table anyway.

"First things first, we need to rehash a treaty Suna, there's no way to know for certain when Orochimaru took over, and better to help a man up than to kick him when he's down, so we're going to be kind and no one is going to fight me on that, is that understood?"

It burned, that his old teammate had killed his sensei, and hadn't had even the grace to die, escaping with only the loss of his arms. It burned that this once bright young thing had her chakra so bundled, flame narrowed and narrowed because duty demanded her strength.

"Mari," Shikaku said, an unreadable expression on his face, but the Uchiha ignored him.

"We must start reconstruction," his student's student continued, "as well as figure out compensation for any civilians who weren't evacuated in time and got injured, and that's not even getting into the bodies of the foreign nin, or our own nin who deserve field promotions for their work."

"Mari," Shikaku repeated, voice slightly sharp this time, and Mari took a breath, still going like she hadn't heard him.

"We need a show of strength so that Iwi and Kumo don't get any ideas," she stated, the calm, confident facade unable to fit properly around her eyes. "They're both run by men who will look at me and see only the young woman with too big a heart and they will poke at our borders, just to see my reaction, and I reuse to lose anyone else.

"Mari." This time the voice was a command, and the woman bristled at the Jonin Commander.

"What Shikaku," she demanded, and he was surprised he hadn't seen a hint of red yet. The Uchiha he knew always flashed the sharingan whenever they felt angry or stressed or in a mood to threaten.

"You don't have to be Hokage," the Nara promised, and Jiraiya gave him the side eye for that, because she kinda did.

"Yes I do," Mari replied, a hint of a hiss in the sentence. "The Lord Third named me his successor, and who else is there? Kakashi isn't ready and Naruto is too young and Jiraiya and the rest of you won't take it."

"Tsunade might," Jiraiya pointed out because he would take the damn thing before Danzo offered to take the hat, but he really, really, didn't want to.

She'd forgive him for this eventually, for forcing her take on her lovers and brothers dream, but even if Tsunade didn't there was a dark haired man she needed to meet, and this was the best way to drag her back.

"She hasn't returned in years," Akita protested, but Mari was looking at him, Uchiha black eyes swirling with tension and hurt and want. He'd made a terrible first impression, but he wanted to make it right, he wanted to close the gap, he just wasn't sure how.

"I think between Jiraiya and team seven they'll manage," Inoichi added, and the two half of the Ino-Shika-Cho were clearly in cahoots with each other about getting Mari out of the hat before it killed her soul bit by bit like it had the last Hokage. "It might cause an incident, but I think the promise of family will bring the Slug Princess home."

Mari shifted her gaze to the Yamanaka, and then she turned to Danzo of all people, looking at him like she wanted his opinion, and worse, valued it.

They all watched the War Hawk. Jiraiya wondered if the Darkness of Shinobi would try and take the hat himself, or convince Mari to keep it so he could have a figure-head. Oddly enough, Shikaku and Inoichi were the only ones who didn't seem nervous about that.

Danzo hummed, clearly thinking, before he turned to Mari, and there was a vulnerability in her eyes that hadn't been there before. "Tsunade is world renowned, and as one of the Sannin she would command a respect you would have to earn on the battlefield."

Jiraiya eyed the War Hawk, what was he planning?

"How much time do we have?" Mari asked her council, "it doesn't matter how strong the next Kage is if we take too long."

"The Daimyo won't give a reply until a month from now," Shikaku replied, and Mari took a breath.

"Alright," she said, "that gives Jiraiya three weeks to convince Tsunade to come back and to take the hat."

"We have to find her first," Jiraiya pointed out, and Mari gave him a bitter smile.

"Oh I already know where she is, and where she's going to be. You and all of Team Seven will find her in Tanzaku Gai." If Jiraiya didn't know any better, he'd say she was angling for his job. He wondered who had told her that, one of her gossip chains or one of her summons.

"Sure," he agreed easily enough, "It'll be nice to catch up with Kakashi and his three brats."

"Go then," she commanded, turning back to Shikaku and Danzo, "in the mean time we should continue a dialogue with the Suna elders. With both their strongest shinobi and their Jinchuriki indebted to us I want them to feel the pressure of coming to talk with us next them they get into trouble."

Jiraiya gave her a two fingered salute. "You got it boss."

While he was glad to have escaped the politics, there was little joy in the action. He had a job to do. Jiraiya hadn't been there for Minato, he hadn't been there for Naruto or for any of his student's students, but he was here now, and he could help Mitsu's kunoichi.

He could make sure she could return to the Den Mother she clearly wanted to be, and maybe, just maybe, when all was said and done, it would no longer hurt to remember his students, who had all died far too young.

Chapter 22: The Tide Of Love Chapter Text

The Azul sea, the one of which you see
It withheld a special place in the heart of me
It embraced all with its loving heat
Drowning those who stepped too steep

There were two boys at the door. Kimimaro took them in, and the Missing-Nin from Kiri eyed him as he eyed back. He was tall, with long brown hair, and though both he and the orange haired boy beside him carried an air of danger, the song bird in the younger one's arms told Kimimaro all he needed to know.

"Welcome to the Den," he said, and opened the door, gesturing for them to come in. "Mari is not here at the moment, but she should be back for lunch, if not, then she will be back for dinner."

"We can wait outside," the Missing-Nin replied, both him and the boy seemingly hesitant to enter.

"Nonsense," he replied, glancing around for a cat or one of the mothers, only to find none. He smothered a sigh. "It really is no trouble. If my family name concerns you, know that I was spared the Kaguya… madness as it were. Please, enter, you must be tired."

"I might break something," the boy said, and Kimimaro looked down at him.

"That's fine," he replied, and the boy looked at him like he was crazy, which was fair, he hadn't believed that either, not for years. "I've broken things, and so have many members of the Den. It's just stuff, and can be easily replaced. It is important you get some food, so Mari doesn't fret when she returns."

"Is that a concern?" The Missing-Nin asked, finally stepping into the threshold, the boy in his shadow.

"As an instinct-raised food is, important, to the Uchiha regent," Kimimaro informed, moving towards the kitchen to make tea. "Please, take look a look in the refrigerator, if you any questions or allergies do not be afraid to speak up."

"Thank you for the food," the boy murmured quietly, and the Missing-Nin eyed him like he was a puzzle he couldn't understand.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" He asked the pair, "or should I go first."

"You," the missing-nin stated, holding a sandwich like he was debating on if he should devour it or not.

"My name is Kaguya Kimimaro, son of Riko." Both boys startle at this. "I handle the management of the gardens."

"The gardens," the missing-nin repeated dubiously, and Kimimaro took a sip of his tea, Konoha bitter greens on his tongue. Was that a I don't believe you because that's not how the ninja world works or was that a really? All that power and you're wasting it on plants.

One was acceptable, the other was not.

"You don't, you aren't a ninja?" The boy asked, eyes wide, and Kimimaro smiled at him.

"No. I did not want to be one, so I am not." He turned to the Missing-Nin. "Did you not tell him? I assumed you were one of Mari's strays. Also the two of you have not introduced yourself, if you would like to wait for Mari, that is understandable, but I would like something to call you."

"I'm Utakata, and this is Jugo," Utakata said, still not eating his sandwich, "Mari is, an ally, I suppose. Collecting the boy was repayment for getting me out of Kiri."

Ah, Kimimaro realized, this one is still in denial.

"Well," he said, deciding to leave that topic of conversation with either one of the mothers, a Yamanaka, or Mari herself. "Regardless, it is good to have the both of you here."

They both nod, and finally start to eat. Kimimaro left them in the kitchen, walking upstairs and collecting two welcome bags, containing blankets, clothes, and a few general necessities. Mari had expanded the Den recently, so they could both stay in the new rooms on the second floor, or they could stay elsewhere. Perhaps if they meshed well with one of the other strays.

Though, now that he thought about it, Utakata might want to stay at the inn. He seemed, twitchy, for reasons that might take longer to unravel than Jugo's nervousness, which seemed more focused on hurting others.

"Strays or guests?" Roka asked, hair ruffled as he blinked sleep from his eyes. Between working out the new leg the Suna contingent had given him and recovering from Chakra exhaustion, the not yet but hopefully soon fiancé of Uchiha Mari had been sleeping for most of the last few days.

"Strays. No need to get up, I have it handled," he said, and Roka limped back into the room with a grunt. Kimimaro watched him go, wondering if when the Nara finally proposed he would keep his clan name or not. Though, it was entirely possibly Mari would ask, considering she had the higher status, and also was a member of a smaller clan.

He brought the two bags down, thinking about how it would be entirely possibly the two of them had already gotten married with no one the wiser when he heard a knock on the door, and he set the bags down by the table.

Guran was leaning against the frame, pretending to be uncaring, and he felt a similar mask settle over his own face.

"La fey is here," she drawled, and Kimimaro stilled. He took a moment to breathe, and then another, before he turned to the strays. "The two bags by the table are yours. You can stay here in the house in one of the guest rooms, or you can relocate to the Inn after dinner, either option is fine. If you have any questions Nara Roka is upstairs, he'd have come down but he is resting at the moment."

"Is everything ok?" Jugo asked, and Kimimaro gave him a smile.

"Everything is fine," he lied, "just an old friend we weren't expecting."

Utakata raised a brow at this, but the older boy read the room rather quickly.

Call if a fight breaks out, he signed in shinobi shared code, otherwise I'll hold down the base.

Thank you, he signed back once Jugo's back was turned, and he followed Guran out the door. "has Morgana made any moves yet."

"Not yet," Guran answered, and he gave a nod. That was good. It wasn't great, but no one had died yet, and if they played this right, only one person would.

"Shall we get the Pendragon Trio?" He asked, and his blue haired friend made a face, why was she making that face?

"I was thinking you, as acting merlin," she informed him, and he side eyed her, wondering why they were not involving the big three. "Best not get the adviser and queen involved just yet, with Arthur out of the kingdom. I've already called our new friend as Gwaine, and the rest of the round table, of course."

Ah, well that certainly changed things. "I can do Merlin then, where is Arthur? Last I heard the king was in a council meeting."

"The wolf-dog and deer man," Guran drawled, and Kimimaro snorted. "Apparently since Arthur is the better speaker, wolf-dog volunteered to take her place as temporary Hokage while she was gone. Someone must have given him a talking to, probably one of the flowers, but either way she's out of the village with the Toad and the kits, headed out about three hours ago."

"Not heir-apparent?" He asked, though it did make sense to keep as many of their Jonin's in the village, and it wasn't like Tenzo could have been convinced to leave his Genin behind.

"Hook," Guran said, and ah, that made sense. Still. "That was nice of Deer man and Wolf-dog, the king definitely needed a vacation. Do you think we should get hem something?"

"She did," his friend agreed, and then she shrugged, "the only thing I know how to do is a gift basket. We could ask Tsukiyo later, or Hakuyo, one of them will know."

"I think a favor or two of equal measure would be more appreciated," Kimimaro mused, "though we can ask around."

"Good enough for me. Hey is it true you met Zabuza and his little Yuki apprentice once? I meant to ask a while ago but things got, you know, busy," Guran asked, and Kimimaro looked up, remembering.

"I did, we only exchanged a few words, but it is odd to see them now, they are… softer, than in my memories," he mused, and Guran snorted.

"They spent a few weeks with fishcake, he could change the mind of a god," she paused, making a face, "Sage I really hope I didn't just jinx their mission."

"I am fairly confident it was jinxed from the moment they left the gates," he joked, and Guran laughed, grinning at the jab.

They walk out of the den and into the village. They talked quietly about how Hiroshi had cried when Garra had left and the gossip Hakuyo had heard at her weekly Mom club and what summons Mari had passed out. Suigetsu had apparently gotten some otters and Fu some dragon flies and to everyone's slight horror Karin was given a bear. No one else had gotten any, yet, but there were talks being had, apparently, with some of the clan kids.

They walk and they say hello to various civilians, some known to Kimimaro, and some not. Neither he nor Guran were people-persons, but they had long grasped the important of Mari's social network, and did their best to at least keep the status quo. Luckily most non-combatants seemed to find their awkward attempts at small talk enduring, for some reason.

"You best be careful man-servant," Guran said once they approached Dango-ya, and Kimimaro gave her a nod, knowing the woman had his back.

"You as well lady-in-waiting," he replied, and his friends face was serious as she met his gaze.

He took a breath, ignoring the tightness in his chest as he moved into the cafe, and he did not blink as a black cat with a white patch on his breast climbed onto his shoulders. Kellas was the least seen of Byakko's littermates. Senka was Sasuke's guard, while Maneki watched over the Den, and while Kellas was often seen around the village, it was presumed in the Den that Kellas was the one Mari sent out hunting.

That she called him Sidhe did not help that assumption.

Still, it was nice to know he had more than human back up, and he sat down at a table, taking one of the dango sticks while staring Itachi Uchiha in the eyes, enjoying the sweetness alongside the two missing-nin's incredulity.

"Hello foster brother," he greeted, setting the dango stick on the table, "if you are here because you were concerned about your remaining clan mates, know that both Sasuke and Mari were only minorly injured. If you are here to kill them, we should relocate somewhere else, so we do not involve civilians, or hamper the reconstruction efforts."

Itachi stared at him with unreadable eyes while his partner, Hoshigaki kisame? Grinned with the sharpened teeth of the more vicious Kiri nin.

"I haven't seen one of you in a long while," the tail-less tailed beast drawled, "still crazy I see."

"Kisame-san," he greeted, and it was Kisame, that was a relief, "it probably has, considering I am the last of my clan. How are you?"

Kisame grinned even wider. "I'm doing alright, could be better, but I got a pretty good gig going right now. Don't mind my partner here, he's socially awkward."

Awkward was not a word Kimimaro would use, Itachi's face entirely blank like he was nothing but an empty vessel, and hm. He seemed pale. Kimimaro would know, with all his time in the hospital.

"I take no offense," he replied, "I lean more towards self reflection, though it is hard to live in a house hold with Mari and not learn her favored weapon."

"You are bold," Itachi finally said, "to assume you could beat us."

"Am I?" Kimimaro asked, "see that blue haired woman ordering some tea? That's Guran, and she is a very good Jonin with a very interesting Earth bloodline. Then there's the man reading in the back corner, Kumano Jingo. A rather good ninja, despite his distaste for the lifestyle, and very proficient with a lightning jutsu. The two woman at my back gossiping are Uzumaki Akira and Yuki Hakuyo, both a-ranked level shinobi, and the man to the left of them is a member of the Kamizura clan. Getting their meal is Kurobachi's sister, Suzumebachi. They and the Aburame don't really get along, but Mari met them on a mission and they followed her home, as most of us are want to do. I'm sure you've recognized Zabuza by now, enough to know he's good enough to give a Kage a challenge. Not a long one perhaps, but a challenge nevertheless. Then there's me, who regularly spars with some of the village's heavier hitters and the only people I lose to are those smarter than me."

"So why haven't you started a fight yet?" Kisame asked, and Kimimaro gave him a polite smile.

"We all owe Mari a great many things," he explained, "and though she will never ask for it, we would die for her, if need be. She would hate it though, which would be a poor repayment for all she has so freely gifted. In light of that, if we need not come blows today, then we should not, as there will be causalities and property damage and the Uchiha regent frowns upon such things."

Kisame looked intrigued, while Itachi remained unreadable, silent as the graves he made. "Couldn't that be considered treason?"

Kimimaro shrugged. "I swore no oaths to Konoha. My loyalty is to the Uchiha clan, and her regent, who will have words with this one before he dies from her hand, and we bury his body in my garden where the worms will make use of his bones."

"Wow," Itachi's partner drawled, looking at the younger nin, "you just gonna take that?"

"He will," Kimimaro answered, "because he too knows what she is owed. By her hand or by Sasuke's, the children will get their justice."

"We are leaving," Itachi said, standing, and there was something off about the way he looked at Kimimaro. How bad were his eyes? How much could he see?

"Awww," Kisame complained, "I wanted a fight."

"Itachi knows the both of you would lose," Kimimaro stated, then for good measure added, "and assuming you managed to defeat all of us, Maito Guy is near by, doing one of his challenges with Hatake Kakashi. Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai are taking an romantic stroll, they'll walk by in about two minutes. Then there is Aburame Muta and his girlfriend Hyuuga Tsukiyo, who come here for their weekly date. That's not even getting to the various other Jonin and the ANBU who come at Hatake's call."

Kisame peered at him, and he wondered if the man would start a fight after all. "You're very strange for a Kaguya."

"Yes," he agreed, "though as I had a non-clan father and was raised away from my heavy metal laced clan lands, unless I start taking opioids I have a very low chance of loosing my sense of self preservation."

"You know, that explains a lot," Kisame mused, and Itachi sighed.

"It does. Kellas here will escort you out," Kimimaro then turned to his foster brother and stated, "do not come back except as corpse."

Kisame eyed his partner, but Itachi seemed more focused on the cat on the table than the threat. Smart. Between the two of them Kellas was a lot more dangerous.

Kimimaro watched the pair of ninja leave, the wisp-walker in their shadow, and he took in a deep breath. His doctor was going to be very annoyed with him, this was the kind of stress he was suppose to be avoiding.

Guran sat down with her tea. "I think that went rather well."

Kimimaro hummed, and thought of Itachi's pale complexion, the lack of focus in his eyes, the way he had used his partners voice to orinate himself and the measured way he had breathed, like he was holding back a cough.

He glanced back at Akari, who shared a similar expression. They would have to compare notes later.

"We should tell someone," Jingo said, and Zabuza made a face, settling down beside Hakuyo.

"Give them some time to get some distance," the swordsman said, "if you lot really want to keep the fighting outside of the village, let them leave first."

"This might backfire on us," Suzumebachi stated, "and that's not even getting into letting the Uchiha murderer walk away. We should have just killed him and put his body in the gardens like we do with all bloodline thieves and genocide makers"

"I think there was no winning no matter what we picked," Hakuyo replied calmly and with confidence, "make no mistake though, it is better to let them leave, and prevent causalities, then to a pick a fight that had no guaranteed winner. Itachi and Kisame have very much earned their S-class status. Besides," she paused, glancing at Akira and Kimimaro, "he never answered the question about why he was here, did he?"

Kimimaro looked back. The two Akatsuki members were gone, and he had no doubt they would be followed not only by Kellas but by a few birds and insects as well. If Mari wanted a confrontation, one of summons would let her know now was the time, and she would see it done.

They had made Itachi leave, the rest was in her hands now.

Guran slid over some dango as Hakuyo and Zabuza started to friendly bicker about the Hoshigaki. He inspected the stick as Muta and Tsukiyo entered, the Aburame and the Kamizura staring at each other before pretending not to notice the member of the rival clan. Kimimaro took a bite, and it tasted just as sweet as the fruits from his garden.

Chapter 23: Making a Fist Chapter Text

For the first time, on the road north of Tampico,
I felt the life sliding out of me,
a drum in the desert, harder and harder to hear.
I was seven, I lay in the car
watching palm trees swirl a sickening pattern past the glass.
My stomach was a melon split wide inside my skin.

"How do you know if you are going to die?"
I begged my mother.
We had been traveling for days.
With strange confidence she answered,
"When you can no longer make a fist."

Years later I smile to think of that journey,
the borders we must cross separately,
stamped with our unanswerable woes.
I who did not die, who am still living,
still lying in the backseat behind all my questions,
clenching and opening one small hand.

His sister was laying in the sun, hair like splayed out like dark shadows as she laid across the dirt, soaking in the evening rays as Sakura and Naruto set up a camp with Jiraiya giving mostly helpful pointers.

It was the most relaxed she had been in days, having finally mellowed out from the increasing stressed state she had left Konoha in. Her wound from Orochimaru was mostly healed, it would scar, but Mari didn't care about things like that. What mattered was that neither the patch of discolored skin or her eyes gave her pain every time she moved, that no one was asking her do things and she could do her hobbies in the quiet bickering of her kits.

"Do you need something little-one," she asked, not opening her eyes, and he moved to lay down beside her. Traveling with Mari was the best, mostly because she packed everything with her, and that meant thick blankets. She placed a hand around his head, and he listened to her heartbeat as she threaded her fingernails through his hair.

"I wanted to ask about, him," he said, and Mari stilled, air loud in her lungs as she breathed deep.

"Do you want the long answer, or the short one?" she asked, and he glanced over at Sakura and Naruto, who were keeping the Sannin throughly occupied.

"Long answer please," he replied, and she hummed as she resumed untangling his hair.

"If it was just about killing Danzo," she said, her voice rumbling against his skin, "I'd have killed him years ago, with poison or a seal, might have gotten in trouble for it, might have just teleported him to the realm of the summoners and let them deal with it. There were a lot of plans, in those days, incase everything came tumbling down and I needed to do Operation Corvid as quick and dirty as I could."

"So why didn't you?" He asked, and he didn't know what to do about the grief in his sister's chakra.

"Shimura is as paranoid as I am. Killing him was always going to be twofold, making sure he stayed down, and ensuring in his death throws he did not drag Konoha into another war. And that's not even getting into his secret army, who are loyal to him and him alone, brainwashed since they were children." Naruto laughed while Sakura gave a cry of rage, and Mari's posture did not change, did not shift.

He lifted his head up, moving to look up at his sister. "You want to save them too."

"I do," she agreed softly, "and while I would be a good Kage, I would not command respect the way Tsunade will. They will be loyal to her, while blaming me for killing their leader."

"There's more to it than that," he said, because he was learning to see the underneath of the underneath, and Mari did things for so many reasons.

She huffed, lips twisting in a proud smile. "Good catch little-one, though this reason is a little more personal. I do not want to be Hokage. That's a whole different discussion, but know that I honestly think the position would kill me. I can't, it's too much, and I am, I do not see the world like every else does, and I would get, impatient and want us to move too fast. So, knowing that, getting Danzo executed would mean I would have take the hat permanently, or risk people assuming I did not trust the state to give me justice, or worse, I was using the power given to me to get vengeance."

"And put you in the spotlight more than you already are," Sasuke added, and Mari opened her eyes to look down at him, gaze serious. "You're not just hiding from Danzo. He doesn't scare you anymore, but someone else does."

Mari stared for a moment, two. "That is also a whole different discussion that we will only have at the shrine, but know that some of my choices are based on the fact being the center of attention was never safe for me, while at same time you are not wrong. I am hiding because I do not want to be noticed by some of the more active political players in the world, mostly because once they realize I'm the one they've been playing three-dimensional shogi with, they will start gunning for the Den, and I'd like to keep that place as safe as I can, if only for a little while longer."

"Okay," he said, and snuggled close, closing his eyes as he listened to his sister's heartbeat while his teammates bickered in the background.

"Okay?" It was easy to forget sometimes, that his sister wasn't always steady. She needed people too, she needed to know that no matter what, they would be standing by her side.

"Those were pretty good reason," he said, and then just to make sure, "we're gonna get him?"

"We're gonna get him," she promised, words like a weapon, "and he will suffer as he dies."

Sasuke gave a hn. That was good enough for him. They were so, so, close now, and he snuggled tight into his sister's arms, content until a certain Dobi crushed him with his body weight.

"Hey!" Naruto complained as he laid on Sasuke, the dumbass, "you should have said we were snuggling! Cuddle party!"

"No, no, no," he hissed, "get off of me Dobe!"

Mari laughed as Naruto did not get off, fit snug between them while Sakura got on the other side, and he looked up at his sister.

He hadn't realized it had been so long since she had done that, so he decided to forgive his knuckle headed teammate. Just this once. Sasuke listened to his sister's laugh and his brother's complaining and his kunoichi teammate's attempts for quiet.

It was a good sound to end the day, and he fell asleep surrounded by family.

The city of Tanzaku Gai was not very impressive. It was an unfortunate habit from the Den, and from Mari's Konoha. She had made safety nets so there were very few beggars, and what criminal forces remained in the village knew well to stay away from the Mari and her people, not even out of fear, but because any goons they sent ended up leaving for better pay. And dental. Sasuke didn't understand what was up with adults and teeth, and he didn't think he ever would.

Mari had a look in her eye. Tsunade better get here quick, otherwise the sannin might hear about a bloody revolution and go somewhere else. Maybe not though, Mari tended to get real annoyed when things went to hell in a hand basket. She preferred when her plans went off bloodlessly and seamlessly, like whatever she was plotting up in Tea Country.

Jiraiya left to go to all the bars and casinos, mostly to see if Tsunade was here yet, and also to let the bouncers and cashiers know he was looking for a friend. Mari went to go set up a gossip chain, giving them explicit instructions not to leave the hotel, and if they did only with all three of them and at least one summons. She was being paranoid about something, and considering the last few weeks, they decided not to test that.

Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about the Toad Sannin.

Naruto liked him, but Naruto liked everyone, so his opinion didn't count. Sakura thought he was a hack, but the man was slowly winning her over with stories about Tsunade and giving her half remembered lessons that Tsunade had taken to heart and made her own. Sasuke though, Sasuke was still on the fence.

The man had some bad habits, habits Mari hated, but she too wanted to like him for some reason. She looked at him, when the Toad Sannin wasn't paying attention, and she looked at him like she did Kakashi, or Anko. Like someone damaged she wanted to help, but wasn't sure how.

Then there was the way the adults watched them every time his sister and Jiraiya interacted. It wasn't even a oh are they gonna go at it, more a, I know there's an explosion waiting to happen, and I don't want to be the one to start it. It was odd, and he had pointed it out to Shikamaru. He might not be smart enough to figure it out, but the Nara liked a good puzzle, and this was a big one.

He sighed, and stared at the hotel ceiling. That was probably enough introspection for now. He looked at his teammates.

Naruto was fiddling with a seal, and though the Dobe had promised, twice, that it wouldn't blow up, he had doubts. Sakura, on the other hand, was staring at the bucket of ice that was now water, lips curled in a frown as she struggled to turn the ice back into water.

It was about that point Sakura decided to go get some more ice. Sasuke went with, mostly because he was bored, and also when Naruto got distracted with using chakra infused ink things tended to get… explody.

Somewhere along the way they start talking about one of Mari's stories, and then… well… Sakura had opinions that were wrong.

"I still think it's dumb they just didn't take the eagles," he said, and Sakura looked upwards in frustration.

"That's not the point, yes they could have taken the eagles but then all those places they went to would have just remained the same, and more to the point you're just nitpicking the story instead of enjoying it!" Sakura defended, which was blatantly untrue.

"It's not nitpicking if it's an option that was completely forgotten about," Sasuke reminded, it would be different if the eagles were weak to the ring or something, but no, no mention of them at all until it was convenient.

"One, you're just being petty because you thought they should have been in the story more," and sasuke scoffed, because rude, "two, I think the massive tower of evil would have noticed the big flying birds, and three, if something happened or they got turned by the rings influence, the fellowship would be hundreds of miles in the air, they would die when they went splat on the ground."

"Then the author could have said that at some point," Sasuke complained, and Sakura tossed an ice cube at his head.

"It was implied stupid, I'm sorry you needed a hand holding through a story with wizards instead of just enjoying the beats," Sakura complained, and then they both froze. Sasuke looked at his teammate, and then Sakura dropped the bucket of ice as they sprint back to their room.

Naruto was out in the hallway. He was out in the hallway, standing before black cloaks with red clouds and. And.

Itachi.

Blood on his hands, dripping down his shirt. When you have the same eyes I do, come before me. The bodies left strewn about like they were nothing but trash. Run, hide, cling to your miserable life. Blank eyes staring up, empty and empty and empty-

His sister's cool hands on his face, sharingan spinning softly, I am spitting in his face cousin mine, just because it's a different kind of power doesn't mean it isn't strength.

"Naruto go!" He ordered, Chidori coming to life as he pulled of the spark of his Chakra. He lunged at his at his brother, because he had the excuse, and no matter what his brother did, Itachi loved him too much to kill him.

"Now Naruto! Go get backup!" Sakura commanded, and out of the corner of his eye he saw her do hands signs for a jutsu he knew for a fact Mari told her never do unless it was life or death.

He stopped worrying about her though, Itachi was in reach, and Sasuke snarled at him. It was what the old Sasuke would have done, and he really, really, wanted to hit his stupid fucking brother.

His brother was quick, faster than even Mari, and his back slammed against a wall as the big blue man chuckled.

"Oh fuck," his pinkette teammate breathed as his brother pressed him up against the wall, fingers curling into his skin. He looked strong. He looked skinny.

Breath of a wildfire filled the air, and why was Naruto still here.

"Your brother's got some interesting teammates," the blue man mused, "and so does your cousin. If I didn't know any better I'd say there was something in the water."

"You don't get to talk mister my village is a racist hell hole," Sakura spat, and while Naruto let out an inhuman growl.

"Let Sasuke go," the stupid, stupid, idiot demanded, but Itachi didn't pay the Uzumaki any attention.

His brother's eyes were red, red, red, tomoe spinning softly, and Sasuke didn't want his brother to look inside. There were secrets he had to keep, and even if he didn't, Mari had given him a protection seal, he didn't want his sister of heart to become a kin killer.

He didn't want Itachi to die, because even if Mari's protection didn't kill him, Senka would, she was in the shadows, waiting for his call but he couldn't, he couldn't make a sound.

Chakra flared in brother's eyes, the Mangekyo bleeding into existence, and Sasuke didn't look away, didn't dare. Shisui had given Itachi those eyes, and Sasuke might never forgive his cousin for deciding dying was the only way to handle that whole mess. For leaving them to deal with the aftermath.

It was beautiful. Mari had infected him, but it was. It was as beautiful as it was terrifying, as it was tragic. His brother was dying, and Sasuke couldn't save him, couldn't lead him back into the light.

Not again, oh sage not again, he thought as the pinwheels spun, please not again.

"Itachi."

They both still at the voice, so heavy with emotion, and Sasuke could have cried. His sister was here, she was here, and then Sasuke disappeared from his brothers grip.

Chapter 24: The Mother's Charge Notes:

This is a heavy chapter y'all. There are some very blunt discussions and flashbacks to the Mari's time with the bloodline thieves, so if you don't want to read that it starts from the line "It is you who has forgotten," Itachi drawled, and then were was power in his eyes. and ends at Mary tossed Itachi out, and Mari held the cat close, letting the waters of the lake lap at her feet.

Stay safe, and happy fourth of July

Chapter Text

She raised her head. With hot and glittering eye,
'I know,' she said, 'that I am going to die.
Come here, my daughter, while my mind is clear.
Let me make plain to you your duty here;
My duty once — I never failed to try—
But for some reason I am going to die.'
She raised her head, and, while her eyes rolled wild,
Poured these instructions on the gasping child:

'Begin at once — don't iron sitting down—
Wash your potatoes when the fat is brown—
Monday, unless it rains — it always pays
To get fall sewing done on the right days—
A carpet-sweeper and a little broom—
Save dishes — wash the summer dining-room
With soda — keep the children out of doors—
The starch is out — beeswax on all the floors—
If girls are treated like your friends they stay—
They stay, and treat you like their friends — the way
To make home happy is to keep a jar —
And save the prettiest pieces for the star
In the middle — blue's too dark — all silk is best—
And don't forget the corners — when they're dressed
Put them on ice — and always wash the chest
Three times a day, the windows every week—
We need more flour — the bedroom ceilings leak—
It's better than onion — keep the boys at home—
Gardening is good — a load, three loads of loam—
They bloom in spring — and smile, smile always, dear—
Be brave, keep on — I hope I've made it clear.'

She died, as all her mothers died before.
Her daughter died in turn, and made one more.

Mari didn't relax until Sasuke was safely by her side, and she thanked whatever ninja had created Kamarimi. Itachi stared at his hand, before slowly turned around, eyes already in their Mangekyo pinwheel.

"Well, well, well, if this isn't a big old family reunion," Kisame drawled, drawing Samehada, and he was beautiful. The small of part of Mari that was Mary delighted at the sight of him, in his blue skin and sharp teeth and feral grin. The man titled his head, confused by her reaction no doubt, but that was alright.

She then turned to Sasuke, looking him over.

He was shaken, but unharmed. That was good. She had hoped to intercept them at the gates. Something must have spooked Itachi though, considering they were still hiding their chakra presence, and only Naruto's flare of Chakra had told her anything was wrong.

Itachi didn't speak, he just looked at her with that blank expression, and she hated it. She hated and she grieved and she took a step forward, her own sharingan bleeding to life.

"You can not win," Itachi said tonelessly, and Kisame gave him the side eye for that. Mari smiled, polite and without teeth. He would have to do better than that, if he wished to make her mad.

"I thought you learned not to underestimate women like me," she replied, "we all even out, in the end, or did you forget that?"

Kisame shifted slightly, "your call boss. I think we can take her though. She's just one Jonin."

This time her smile did have teeth, and she met Itachi's red, red eyes. "Orochimaru thought so too. I disabused him of the notion. Did you forget to teach others my lessons wide-eyes? Underestimating your enemy gets you killed, every time."

"It is you who has forgotten," Itachi drawled, and then were was power in his eyes.

Mari activated her Mangekyo at the same time Itachi attempted to cast Tsukuyomi, and her brother of heart was dragged into the flames of a house that was burning and burning and wouldn't ever stop.

She cut the woman's throat, relief shining her big doe eyes, and Mari was tackled before she could do the same to her own neck.

A knife coming down, blood floating in the air, so very slow.

Calloused hands held her down, and then a palm touched her collarbone, a seal carving itself onto her skin, and it hurt. It hurt worse than dying, worse watching her sensei bleed out or Roka's cutting words or even when Kurama was set loose and everything around her burned, her friends and family crying out all around her as she felt their souls slip from their bodies.

A knife coming down, red bouncing up from the dirt, a perfect circle so cleanly remembered.

She screamed as her connection to her summons was sliced away, as someone grabbed her jaw so she couldn't bite off her tongue, a man with an Iwa symbol on his head leaning down, crushing her chest with his weight, grinning with pearly white teeth.

A knife coming down, Takumi's eyes so wide, brimming with shock and terror and helplessness because she knew this was the end.

"Ah, ah, ah," the shinobi tsked, placing a hand on her stomach, fingers creeping along her skin like a promise. "You don't get to die just yet little Uchiha, you've got to repay us for a lost investment."

A knife coming down, injustice sliding deep into her soul, and Mari stood with eyes that wept with blood, ready to set the heavens themselves ablaze as pinwheels reflected in polished steel, black triskeles spinning while the world slowed, and the sky began to cry in grief.

Mary tossed Itachi out, and Mari held the cat close, letting the waters of the lake lap at her feet.

What had happened happened, and one day the memories of Takumi would no longer ache in her heart.

One day that Iwa man would no longer scare her down to her bones.

Itachi fell to the ground with a cough, blood dripping from his fingers as he struggled to breathe, and Kisame stepped between him and Mari, Samehada drawn and pointed.

"What the fuck did you do," he demanded, and Mari took a breath, lifting a hand to wipe away her own tears of blood.

She was alive.

She was alive and they were dead and Takumi lived in all the ways that mattered.

"Tsukuyomi is a powerful tool. All of the gifts the Mangekyo grant us are, but even the gods themselves are not forever. Tsukuyomi put him in my mind," Mari looked up from her still coughing brother to Kisame, letting her eyes show him just how serious she was. "And he wasn't prepared for what he found there. I dragged myself back from the dead. He should have known better to assume I escaped from Izanami's grasping greedy hands without seeing things that no one should have to see."

"Did they touch you," her brother demanded in a ragged voice, and with her Mangekyo still active Mari was not feeling particularly kind.

"Careful now wide-eyes," she warned, power in her bones, and she knew the words would hurt, "you might give the impression you give a damn."

Itachi looked up with eyes that burned. "Did they touch you."

Mari gave him a polite smile, aching and wanting him to suffer as she had, as Sasuke had. "You'll have to be more specific than that, I was manhandled quite a bit."

"Were you," and her brother of heart choked on the words, glancing at Sasuke and his team with anguished eyes, "were you raped?"

"Would it matter if I was?" She asked softly, and he flinched as Kisame's face shuddered into a neutral mask, "they're all dead anyway."

"Mari," he breathed, and then started coughing again, blood dripping from his lips, and Sasuke tugged her sleeve, eyes wide, hurt.

"Nee-san?" He looked so young, and Mari let her Mangekyo fade. She didn't need to be cruel, she didn't need to win.

"No," she answered, and Itachi closed his eyes as his chest shuddered. "It was close, but the woman who gave me these eyes ensured I wasn't. And the greed. Can't forget the greed. They wanted only the best for my womb after all, and that was their downfall, in the end."

Kisame helped Itachi up, and Mari turned to the kits, each of them staring with wide eyes.

"Sakura you're in charge. Stick together, Jiraiya will be here soon, but treat this as like an S-rank until he's here. Naruto, you can explain to him if you want, talk it over before you do, but don't forget to use a privacy seal. Sasuke." Mari melted, looking at her little-one, his eyes so expressive, so hurt and wanting and yet still steady in a way only adult Sasuke got to be. She knelt, so they were eye to eye, and she wove her fingers into his cheeks. "Do not forget the lessons I gave you, let yourself feel, and know that all of it is okay. Know that you don't ever have to forgive him for what he did, even if you want to help him, to let him live. Remember life is not a race, it is not a competition, life is a garden, and we have decades to let it grow."

"We're spitting in his face," he murmured, and Mari planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Always," she agreed as she stood, Itachi looking at Mari with broken eyes, looking at her as if he didn't dare to hope, as if his worst nightmare had come to pass. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go beat the shit of my cousin for his poor life choices."

Kisame only had time to tense before Mari lunged into his personal space, and she was grateful for her paranoia. This might have been a tad more tricky if she hadn't set up her poor man's Hiraishin before she had left the hotel. The campfire of her chakra filled the seal now blooming at their feet, and in the span of a heart beat Tanzaku Gai was miles away, her ducklings safe under a Sannin's eye.

She activated her magnet seal, the two partners flying apart, and Mari moved toward Kisame, slapping a seal on his chest that should keep him busy while she dumped seal after seal of protection and interference and soon she had a nice little ring of shielding that probably rivaled that stupid chakra wall Orochimaro had used.

Itachi had stood, a kuni in his hands, and Mari let her anger rise to the surface, let her fury bleed into her face. He was tall, not as tall as he could have been, has he should have been, face pale with stress line, and she ached, she ached.

"Mari," he said slowly, "I do not know what you have been told but-"

"Unless the next words out of your mouth are I fucked up and I'm sorry don't you dare say another word." She stalked forward, and she could see the moment when Itachi panicked, eyes bleeding as he tried to cast Amaterasu in her way.

It was apparent Itachi hadn't been listening, both when he was a child and only a few minutes ago. The fire of heavens might burn until there was nothing left to eat, but it was still born of chakra, and what were flames if not smoke, and what was smoke if not carbon in gaseous state.

That was not entirely accurate, but she was living in a world with ghosts and talking dogs and a monster had created the moon, accuracy wasn't the point.

The point was to believe, with every fiber of your being.

She breathed, and called the fire to her fingertips, it was like water in that regard, if flowed, it moved, and Itachi watched with wide eyes as the flames sputtered and died when they hissed into smoke, and she let the ring of charcoal drop. She could have weaponized it if she wanted, the black liquid could have been sharper than diamonds if she wanted, but Mari wasn't here to kill Itachi, she wasn't here to win.

"You don't understand," Itachi said, and Mari snarled at him. She did not summon her swords, she did not call the water in the air.

"Fuck you," she snapped as she countered the fireball jutsu in the air, "Fuck you thinking killing everyone was even a viable solution. Fuck you for leaving our families fucking eyes everywhere, ripe for the picking. Fuck you for not listening to me when I told you to stop racing towards the top and fuck you for killing the babies and fuck you for what you did to Sasuke."

"There wasn't any choice," her brother breathed, and Mari missed punching him the face by an inch, and the kick to his stomach did not make her feel any better.

"This is always a choice," she screamed at him as he struggled to get up, "do you even understand what you did? You set him up to be manipulated, you set him up to be turned against his loved ones as he grieved you, you set up him to die, and how dare you use our little brother as the knife, how dare you try to use me? Fuck you for that, fuck you, fuck you for listening to Danzo of all people and fuck you for thinking this was what Shisui wanted and fuck you for thinking the only way to fix it was to die."

His body racked as Itachi coughed, and he slipped on his own blood as Mari stood a few feet away.

"So why aren't you ending it," Itachi demanded, and he didn't look like the villain she remembered. He didn't look strong, or beautiful, he just looked like a scared kid raised for the slaughter.

"Fuck you," she cried weakly, and he flinched as she started walking over to him. "Fuck you for having elders who raised you to die, who walked in to Danzo's trapped with their heads held high. Fuck you for being a kid in over his head, who was never given a sage damned support network. Fuck you for being socially isolated, for being manipulated by Danzo, for being the knife used in the pursuit of greed and power. Fuck you for not waiting for a dead girl to come home."

She blocked the kuni in his hand, and pinned him as she place a hand to his chest, and Sage Wept Itachi. Her tears dripped on his skin, pink with blood, and his lungs were brimming with infection, rot eating and eating.

Cystic fibrosis, probably, though a doctor would know for sure. She snarled at the death in her cousin's lungs, chakra burning at the rot, and Itachi choked, looking at her with wet eyes.

"What are you doing," he asked, and Mari glared at him.

"I'm fixing your lungs you dumbass," she hissed, wanted to hug him and hit him and scream st him until her vocal cords gave up.

"No, no you can't," Itachi panicked, fighting her hold, and Mari reached for his skin, for his blood, hand splayed against his chest, and he flinched at the unintended repetition.

"You don't get to die while I am here," she told him coldly, and Itachi's expression shattered.

"I deserve it," he hissed, teeth curled in a wet snarl, tears falling down his cheeks, "I killed our mother and my father and I hurt Sasuke and all those little ones, all those kids."

"Yes," she agreed, still focusing on his lungs, and her brother gave a whine, chest shuddering.

"Why, why are you doing this," he demanded, and grief tugged at her throat, and she wanted to weep, to cry, tears sliding down her skin. "I am a villain, a monster and kin killer and I have, anyone with an ounce of morality would kill me for what I did."

She stopped healing him, hating he looked relieved, and then he froze when she cupped his too thin face, thumbs wiping away the blood on his cheeks.

"You were only a boy," Mari told him gently, words wet with hurt, "you were a child, status of rank be damned. You were thirteen, it is not your fault you were manipulated by your elders, by a man over three times your age and a lifetime of weaving the village to his demands. It's not your fault you were chosen as the blade."

Itachi stared at her, looking so lost, so broken.

"I killed our mom," he whispered, words laced with grief and self hatred, and Mari pressed her forehead to his.

"I played with you in your cradle," she told him, voice cracking, because she couldn't, how could he ask that of her, how could think she would, "I carried you on my back and let the sun kiss your skin. I taught you how to walk, I helped you learn your kanji and your words and how to hold your first kuni. You toddled in my footstep as I tended to the gardens, so eager to learn. You are my wide-eyes, my brother and child and cousin, what makes you think there is any version of yourself I would not drag back into my den, and what makes you think there is any version of me that would not forgive you for failing to prefect son."

His face cracked, and then Itachi cried.

She maneuvered his limp body into her arms, his whole body shaking as he wailed, holding her tight like she might disappear, and Mari wove her fingers in too thin hair. He was so skinny, and she looked at the sky, tears sliding down her face.

"Slow down you crazy child, you're so ambitious for a juvenile, but then if you're so smart tell me, why are you still so afraid?" Itachi started in her grip, but Mari held him tight, singing a song she had loved, once upon a time. "Where's the fire, what's the hurry about? You better cool it off before you burn it out. You got so much to do and only so many hours in a day. But you know that when the truth is told, that you can get what you want or you can just get old. You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through, Oooh when will you realize... Vienna waits for you?"

There were things she needed to do, a Hokage she needed to get into office and an Elder to kill and a Plant to rip into pieces, but that was for tomorrow.

"Slow down you're doing fine, you can't be everything you want to be before your time, although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight. Too bad, but it's the life you lead. You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need, though you can see when you're wrong, you know you can't always see when you're right. You got your passion, you got your pride, but don't you know that only fools are satisfied? Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true, Oooh. When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?"

Haruka was going to kill her. It was an amusing thought as she went after the infection in Itachi's lungs.

There was nothing she could do about the condition, but she could ensure he didn't keel over and die in this next month or so. Tsunade would know what to do, make it better, and luckily for the both of them, she was going to be here soon.

"Slow down you crazy child, take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while. It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two, oooh. When will you realize... Vienna waits for you? And you know that when the truth is told, that you can get what you want or you can just get old, you're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through oooh. Why don't you realize... Vienna waits for you? When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?"

She had never gotten the chance to give Itachi a song. It felt good to give him one now, as he cried, as he lived, breathing in her arms. Both Obito and Zetsu were going to have to go through Mari next time around, and she vowed then and there no one was ever going to get him again.

He was safe, he was safe, and she held him close.

Mari's brother was finally coming home.

Chapter 25: Great Truth Chapter Text

Great truths are dearly bought. The common truth,
Such as men give and take from day to day,
Comes in the common walk of easy life,
Blown by the careless wind across our way.

Great truths are greatly won, not found by chance,
Nor wafted on the breath of summer dream;
But grasped in the great struggle of the soul
Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream.

But in the day of conflict, fear and grief.
When the strong hand of God, put forth in might.
Plows up the subsoil of the stagnant heart
And brings the imprisoned truth-seed to the light,

Wrung from the troubled spirit in hard hours
Of weakness, solitude, perchance of pain,
Truth springs like harvest from the well-plowed field.
And the soul feels it has not wept in vain.
-

Kisame wasn't sure how he had ended up in this situation.

Well, no, that was a lie, he knew exactly how he had gotten in this situation, it just didn't make any sage-damned sense. He probably shouldn't have said yes to the elder Uchiha's offer of tea after Itachi had passed out from chakra exhaustion and tears, but the offer had been so genuine he had agreed before realizing she was trapping him in societal convention.

At least it was good tea.

He eyed the dark color, wondering if the Kaguya brat was the reason she had Kiri tea leaves. Probably, from what he had seen the elder Uchiha was sentimental like that. He eyed the crow by his side, who was staring at him.

He had known there had been up with that fucking wrong bird

"Leave him be jimmy," Uchiha Mari commanded, and he glanced at the woman. She had finished healing Itachi, or at least going as far as she was comfortable, and had wrapped him in about twelve blankets.

There had been a lot of bets about how the confrontation between Clan Killer Itachi and Corpse Thief Mari would go. No one had guessed this though.

"You really knew this whole time, didn't you," he mused, and the elder Uchiha a small polite smile. Funny, he had never seen politeness as something be weary of before.

"What do you mean my pacifist and very dutiful younger cousin killed the whole clan to test his abilities?" She even put a hand to her breast, pretending to look surprised, "I sure it had nothing to do with the fact my clan elders were planning a coup after Elder Shimura removed us from our traditional lands and was getting us killed on mislabeled missions, no, nothing to do with that at all. I am shocked I tell you, this came out of nowhere, absolutely unpreventable."

He snorted, ignoring the undertone of seriously? Did no one else even bother to look underneath the underneath. "So what now?"

Uchiha Mari settled across from him, sitting at the more vulnerable cross legged position, and he wasn't sure what to with the trust she was offering as she pulled out small table and- was that a sushi roller?

"Well I'm taking Itachi home," she said as she started pulling out rice and fish. "Do you want any? No? Alright, let me know if you change your mind, I've got plenty of food. You though, you have options."

"Do I?" Kisame asked with amusement, wondering if they were about to delve into some of the more polite but highly creative threats he'd heard rumors about. It would certainly be his first time being threatened by a sushi knife of all things.

She nodded though, completely serious as she just, made herself some lunch. "You do. You can go back to Akatsuki, if we need to work out some kind of payment please let Pein and Konan know I am willing to negotiate his contract termination on neutral ground. As he made it while both being a minor and under duress, it is null and void, but I understand if some compensation is wanted for the loss of a strong shinobi. If you do not want to go back to the Akatsuki, are you sure you're not hungry? I've got other meals too, no? Alright, where was I, oh yes, if you don't want to go back there's always Kiri."

"Kiri," he repeated, because she had to know his reputation, and what he done last time he was in his home village. Uchiha didn't even seem to mind his tone, swatting a hand at the same fucking cat from the village.

"Kellas go sit on Itachi like you're suppose to," she told the cat that had definitely not been there a second ago, "anyway, yes, Kiri. Terumi Mei could use someone like you to help with her rebellion, or you could help get Yagura out of the genjutsu he's under and get him out of the country so another victim doesn't get punished but also so the country can heal. If you don't want to fight for anyone anymore you could come back with us. Itachi seemed fond of you, and we have plenty of non-combat roles you could do. Be a teacher, help test chunin and Jonin hopefuls by giving them someone strong to spar against, or if you don't want to stay in the den you could become one of my strays who helps people get out bad situations and relocated somewhere else, honestly it's up to you, and know that you can change your mind at anytime."

Kisame stared.

That was. That had to be a lie.

"I'm one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," he reminded, because either this was a long con or she was more naive than she appeared. "I am the Monster of Kiri and the Tailless Tailed-Beast, you can't honestly think I can just walk into a major village and not get my bounty claimed or get pressed into service."

The Uchiha elder stared at him, and Kisame hated it. It made his skin itch, the way her black fathomless eyes seemed to eat at the light as she stilled in her prep of the fish at her knees.

She resumed cutting the slab of salmon into strips after a too long moment. "Konoha has very clear by-laws about clan rights, and about vassals. You come in with my cousin as a hired body guard or as a traveler visiting family since I'm certain there's at least one Hoshigaki married a Yuki or a Hozuki at some point then they can't touch you until you break a law in-village."

This was, what the fuck was happening here?

"Am I just to suppose to believe that? What's the real reason you want me in your house, you need some more muscle or something?" he asked, because she never explained why she would do that, just that she could.

Uchiha Mari met his gaze, face serious and solemn, and then she looked over to where Itachi was sleeping. It was the cleanest his partner's breathing had been in months, the black cat purring softly on his belly.

"I owe you a lot, for taking care of him. Itachi, he didn't get along with a lot of people, and even those he did, he could count less than five of them as friends." She looked back, and he still didn't understand how she could look like at him like that, like he was something worth memorizing. "Even if I didn't, I lived most of my life doing what other people wanted, because that was the price of survival. Now I'm the one holding the power, and I will not have children robbed of their youth like I was, I will not take away another persons agency for something as stupid and petty as greed. I offered because I wanted to, there is no other reason, no hidden plan, though if you want some political and personal reasons to make yourself feel better, I can give you as many as you want."

He stared. She was serious. She couldn't be. "And what if I want to kill you and drag him back for being a traitor."

The cat stopped purring at the threat, but the elder Uchiha tilted her head, eyes eating at the light. She seemed to come to some decision, shifting her sushi plate to the side as she met his gaze. "If you continue down this path, there will be no turning back from it. I have refrained so far, mostly to respect your boundaries, but if you continue to push I will respond in kind."

He grinned, grabbing Samahada's handle. "I think you'll find I'm a little hard to kill."

She sighed, slapping down a seal with what looked like two hunting dogs smelling a fish while a rabbit bounded away. "Very well. Madara's real name is Uchiha Obito, and when he was thirteen he was rescued from a cave in by Zetsu and the real Madara, and then they broke him with the social isolation and by making him watch the murder of his crush, who also served as the last living member of his original support network."

Kisame froze. "What."

"I doubt even Obito knows the manipulation that went into that," Uchiha Mari continued like they were talking about the fucking weather, "or about the slave seal on his heart, or even about what he thinks is a clan technique is really just a suicide jutsu for everything the moon touches. Zetsu is just using him, as the plant man believes if he sacrifices enough people he can summon a goddess of death, and while I would normally dismiss that, we live in such a crazy world, it's entirely possible it might, considering we do have a myth about it. Well, it's that or he wants to unleash the ten-tails, after all the tailed beasts have been collected and smushed together, and then watch it eat the world. Either or, it's honestly a toss up."

"What," he said again, because that didn't clarify anything.

"The world you were promised was a lie," she met his gaze, and he loathed the pity in her gaze, the grief in her eyes, what right did she have to say those falsehoods. "I am sorry for that. It would certainly be nice if we could just collect some chakra and make a better world, but it wouldn't last. Nothing born out of stolen agency and so called necessary sacrifices ever will. It is impossible to build a better world out of violence, out of the ideal that might makes right, and those who think so have either only ever known the way of the sword, or have never truly worked a day in their life."

She rolled out of Samahada's path, the sword sending her food and tea clattering into the grass. His chest felt tight, and he wanted her to be afraid, he want to see her fear, for her to spill out the truth. "You are lying."

The cat growled, suddenly radiating chakra that felt of fire and ash, but Mari waved it off. He wanted her to stop looking at him like that, with sympathy and seriousness and understanding. "I know you have no reason to trust me, we are strangers, but I do not take away people's agency Kisame. The only truths I will ever withhold will be those kept for the safety of others, but without knowledge people cannot truly make informed choices."

He leveled his sword at her, refusing to hear it. "You cannot be telling the truth."

She tilted her head in a predatory manner, and despite the lack of a weapon she felt entirely dangerous. "Why?"

Because, because, "because if you are then I have spent the last three years living a lie."

"It is not your fault you got manipulated," she said softly, and he sneered at the elder Uchiha.

"Offering me forgiveness?" He jeered, "Your tender embrace?"

"Blaming the knife tends to put sole responsibility on the weapon instead of the wielder," she replied in the tone of someone who was so tired of having the same argument over and over again."Blaming the shinobi means refusing to see the client, the village, and their contributions to the blood that has been split. You murdered your own comrades, you helped slaughter innocents and spread discord and in general went against the very thing you were trying to create, but who paid for those missions? Who decided to give you those tasks?"

"I would like you to stop talking now," he ordered, sword held tight, only she didn't listen.

"Why?" She demanded, "because I'm making terrible, awful sense? Because listening to me means acknowledging that none of crimes you committed had any good end goal in mind? Because the world can't be fixed with a jutsu and actually requires you to put some gods-damn work into it? Because you contributed to making the Elemental Nations worse instead of making them better and you don't want to deal with that? Grow the fuck up Kisame, and face responsibly for your sins."

He snarled, and she dodged away while the cat let out a small growl, but otherwise stayed put. She didn't attack back like he wanted her to, she didn't become frustrated, or angry, she just looked at him with those damned knowing black eyes.

"What do you want from me?" he hissed, wanting the truth, so, so tired of being manipulated by people who just wanted to use his power.

"I want Itachi to still have a friend," she answered gently, sadly, even as passion and fury burned in the background. "I want Hozuki Suigetsu to hear more stories about his brother from someone who knew the man. I have a preteen in the compound who really, really, loves sharks, and I want to surprise her for her birthday, because she is going to be in awe the sight of you. I want the bloodline purges to end in Kiri and I want Sasuke to never awaken the Mangekyo and I want none of the jinchuriki to die screaming in agony, in fear and horror and so far away home. I want to spit in Danzo's face by building a world of peace, and I want the brave, civilian, housewife, who died for me, whose brother did not blame for her death, to watch as I take her sacrifice and I pass it on to as many lives as I can, to save them like she did me, in the hopes it will be enough to honor her memory."

She was being honest. Sage help him, Uchiha Mari was telling the truth. "It was, it was really all a lie."

"The idea behind it wasn't." Kisame didn't understand why she was being so kind, why she was defending the falsehood. "The hopes and dreams and desires behind it, those things did have value. I know it may not seem like much, but that does matter. You weren't doing it out of greed, or malice."

Like any of that mattered to the dead. "So what, you're just letting it go? Like what I did doesn't matter?"

Uchiha Mari looked so tired, so done. "What does hate do? What does holding grudges build? What does punishment and shame and pretending like I have any sort of moral high ground accomplish? If we want things to improve we have to let go, we have to connect with even our worst enemies, we have to give them the benefit of the doubt, and we have to help them improve. We have to offer support so they will want to walk down that path of peace we are making, that they will have someone to lean on when they stumble and fall and fail, because they will, we all do."

"Even if it was the man who killed your clan?" He asked, because she could preach all she wanted, it didn't matter if there was no follow through.

The elder Uchiha took a breath, expression shifting with grief and hurt and uncertainty. "It would, it would be so hard, and I would struggle, I would doubt, but if Shimura Danzo came to me and begged for forgiveness then, then I would try. It would feel like a betrayal, like an injustice, but I can't, it has to be for everyone, otherwise I'm just being a hypocrite."

Kisame closed his eyes. There was betrayal sitting in his heart, there was blood on his hands and failure in his bones and the woman before him was not offering a way out, was not promising to wipe away the slate.

He opened his eyes, and took in Itachi's cousin, a woman his partner had been so certain would kill him. Uchiha Mari was still unarmed, waiting patiently for him to make his choice, and whatever it would be, she would respect it. She might disagree, or disapprove, but she would honor the freedom she had sworn to give.

He lowered his sword.

"So what now?" He asked, and Mari smiled at him.

"Now we have lunch," she replied, and he gave a slight grimace.

"Sorry about the sushi," he said, and Mari waved a hand like it didn't matter, pulling out another small table and sushi roller from somewhere.

"Don't worry about it," and she was smacking Kellas away again, the cat looking particularly put out. "I can always buy more cups, and you were having a fairly normal reaction to some rather shocking views. Honestly you took it better than I expected."

He hummed, eyeing Kellas, who was eyeing him right back. Summons shouldn't be able to mold their chakra presence like that. "Just out of curiosity, what would have happened if I or anyone else had gone after Itachi?"

Mari's smile was bright with false cheer. "Kellas would have eaten you while Jimmu teleported my cousin to the summons realm, where someone would sit on him until I could collect him."

He eyed the cat again. Would it be rude to pick a fight with a feline? The cat stared back, amber eyes almost daring him to, and Kisame decided to experiment with that later.

He turned back Mari. "Aren't you worried about not having a spy in the Akatsuki anymore?"

The elder Uchiha snorted, rice laid out. "No. I've got that handled."

Kisame frowned. "How? Anyone who gets close tends to die."

Mari smiled, it was not a nice smile. "No one cares about the secrets the nightingale hears, just the pretty song it sings. No one notices the flys in their kitchen or the spiders in their dark corners or the rats in the walls. No one notices the little birds in the trees or the moths flittering around the light or even the worms beneath their feet. No one notices servants either, though I have been meticulous about not involving civilians in the Akatsuki mess."

Kisame was suddenly very aware of every living thing in the field around them. "Ah."

"Yes," she agreed brightly, "ah. Do you want a roll or nigiri? We can do sashimi too, I've got a whole assortment."

"Sashimi," Kisame said, deciding it would be best not to poke that with a ten foot pole. He still wanted a fight though. Maybe later, when things were a little more settled and less, tense. "You said I had time to decide, about what I wanted to do."

She nodded, entirely serious about her non-combat options. Not that Kisame wanted them per say, but still, it boggled the mind that he could just, not. "Take as much time as you need, there's no rush. Hey, how do you feel about fighting Orochimaru within the next few weeks. He's going to need a good smack in the face whenever he shows up."

Oh, well now she had his attention.

Chapter 26: Change II Chapter Text

Change
Said the sun to the moon,
You cannot stay.

Change
Says the moon to the waters,
All is flowing.

Change
Says the fields to the grass,
Seed-time and harvest,
Chaff and grain.

You must change said,
Said the worm to the bud,
Though not to a rose,

Petals fade
That wings may rise
Borne on the wind.

You are changing
said death to the maiden, your wan face
To memory, to beauty.

Are you ready to change?
Says the thought to the heart, to let her pass
All your life long

For the unknown, the unborn
In the alchemy
Of the world's dream?

You will change,
says the stars to the sun,
Says the night to the stars.

Sakura cursed her luck, and Tobirama while she was at it.

Of course, of course, Tsunade spotted Sakura before she could slip away to find either Naruto or Mari. Of course neither of them were close by, because Sasuke wanted to talk his brother and Naruto wanted to mess around with seals so he could figure out his father's technique so he and Jiraiya were also out of the city in case things exploded.

At least she had Senka.

"Where's your sensei kid," Tsunade asked in a tone that unfortunately had Sakura standing a little straighter and answering before she could think better of it.

"Kakashi-sensei is back in Konoha being temporary Hokage Ma'am," she answered, then took in the Sannin's face, "Which, uh, oh no, shit I really hope I didn't just break the news to you like that would be an awful way to learn I'm so sorry and uh, yeah, I'm shutting up now."

"I already heard," she said tightly, and Sakura sighed in relief, that would have been terrible. "They're really making the Hatake brat Hokage."

"Hey," she protested, suddenly angry on behalf on her sensei, "he's come very far from the person he used to be in ANBU. He's going to be a great Hokage once he takes the hat for real, he's just, you know, in denial he will be taking it and also because he wants us to be older when he does take it cause he's scared someone will come after us like they did with him and his teammate when his sensei took the hat."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, and her assistant? took a step forward, "so why are you here then?"

"No," the Sannin said before Sakura could open her mouth, "we're leaving."

"You can't," Sakura cried, moving to follow the woman, "you have to take the hat so Jiraiya doesn't, or worse, Mari does."

Tsunade stopped, head slowly turning to look at Sakura, "they're going to make Jiraiya Hokage."

"I mean, uh," Sakura was suddenly very aware of the people watching and the lack of a privacy seal, "he's better than the only other candidate, if you catch my meaning?"

Privately Sakura thought Shikaku would take the hat before letting Mari martyr herself for duty so the War Hawk couldn't get it if Jiraiya didn't step up and take the title. She didn't say that though, one because of the lack of a privacy seal and two because for some reason Mari wanted Tsunade to be Hokage, and Mari was never wrong about this kind of thing, which meant Sakura was going to have to channel her inner Naruto and stall for as long as she could until Mari got here.

"Well, that's not my problem," the woman said, walking away again, and Sakura growled because it was her problem, she still called herself a Senju, Tsunade could grow the fuck up.

"Yes it is you coward," she spat, which might not have been the best choice of words as Tsunade turned around quicker than Sakura could react and had her fist clenched around Sakura's shirt, lifting her up like she was nothing.

"Coward?" Tsunade hissed softly, "you dare call me coward you embryo, do you have any idea of what I've lost?"

"Yes," Sakura said, because she did know, she had read her histories, but Mari had lost everyone too and she didn't act like this. "It still doesn't give you an excuse to use the Senju name so you can wallow instead of trying to make it better!"

Mari had lost everything, Sasuke had lost everything, Kakashi had lost everything, and each of them were still trying.

Tsunade gave her a good shake, which Sakura would maybe be more worried about but Senka was here somewhere. "Fuck you brat, wallowing, I'm not wallowing, how dare you!"

"You've stopped doing any of your hobbies and you've been engaging in self-destructive behaviors for years now," Sakura countered, using the words Ino had taught her, "you refuse to move on from your losses and confront your grief, running away is the definition of cowardice."

The Sannin snarled, fingers filling with the promise of movement, but then there was the sudden presence of smoke and shadows.

"Tsunade-chan, please put down the Genin," Senka commanded softly, "Sakura, please remember you're suppose to relocate before you start trash talking with higher level Shinobi, so as not to disturb any bystanders."

"Oh," Sakura said, she should have let Tsunade walk outside, that would have been better, "sorry Senka."

Tsunade didn't let her go, but she didn't move either, staring down at Senka with an expression similar to the one that both Orochimaru and Jiraiya had worn. It must be an odd thing, to be so suddenly reminded of the years where you were small and vulnerable and needed people to save you.

"This one isn't strong enough to have summoned you," Tsunade stated, and Senka's ears flicked.

"Correct Tsunade-chan, now, put down my charge," the cat replied, then didn't say anything else, blue eyes cold.

"Uh, Senka's here as safety net Tsunade-sama, since it was highly likely the Team Seven Curse would strike while we were here," Sakura said, trying to defuse the situation, and the Sannin finally put her down, looking confused.

"The Team Seven Curse?" Tsunade repeated slowly, and Sakura nodded, because it really didn't sound real unless you were on Team Seven.

"I am sure you know from experience that missions rarely ever go normally for us, something unexpected always happens," she told the older woman, who looked up like she was suddenly shown something she should have noticed years ago and was annoyed by it. "You know, I honestly thought Mari was joking about the whole Tobirama-sama probably pissed off some priest or wondering spirit but then he totally didn't answer when she asked him about so he totally did."

Tsunade looked down, throughly confused again. "She… asked him?"

Sakura gave another nod. "The Lord Second thought writing down a jutsu that would allow people to fight a skeleton war would be a good idea."

Senka huffed quietly, "that's rather a simplification of what happened. It is good to see you again Tsunade-chan. Now, are you going to listen to what we have to say like an adult, or are you going to continue any childish behavior?"

On the one hand, Sakura was really glad Senka was there, because the conversation was back on track, on the other, Tsunade was now looking her to start talking, and there was no where to put down a privacy seal without being completely obvious, which was bad, because there were so many people watching them.

"Well? Go on then," Tsunade said, "what, cat got your tongue?"

Ahaha I wish it was a cat, Sakura did not say, because that would admitting she knew. How to change the topic… Oh! "When you come back can I be your apprentice?"

Tsunade raised a brow to that. "Trying to get ride of Hatake already?"

"No," Sakura huffed, "it's just everyone else on my team is getting a Sannin, I want one too, and you're like, the best of the lot."

"What," the Sannin said, and Sakura thought about it, a hand on her chin.

"Though, I don't really think Sasuke wants his," she mused, and Senka snorted, moving to jump up on to Sakura's shoulders.

"Orochimaru-kun has learned some bad habits over the years," the cat said, and it was still wild that someone called the snake sannin that. "Why don't we all sit down, we're causing a scene."

"Uhhhhh," Sakura glanced at Senka, than at the woman who had totally planned to throw hands just a few seconds ago with a thirteen year old. This woman was not going to take an elder stealing from her grandfather's grave in any sort of peaceful manner. "Why don't we go to that tea cart by the castle place, they have outdoor seating."

Tsunade huffed, "trying to trick me into getting near your team?"

"No?" Sakura said, because that hadn't even crossed her mind, shoot. "They're both outside the city anyway, you know, doing, uh, stupid boy stuff."

"Stupid boy stuff," the sannin repeated dubiously, and Sakura shrugged, hating the way she could still feel all those eyes on her.

"I really just like the outdoor benches and also I don't want you to break the casino? We might be financially obliged for that." Mari's friendship with the ninja from Finances and Acquisition meant she was very aware of just what a window cost, and a table, and boy were there a lot of breakable things in this establishment.

"Oh no," Senka drawled, "anything but the financial obligation."

Sakura shushed the cat, whose tail lashed in amusement, and Tsunade gave a heaving sigh. "Ugh, fine, but you're paying."

The things Sakura did for her team. Well, at least the woman wasn't a pervert, or a mad scientist. Seriously, Sakura really lucked out with her Sannin, Tsunade just needed a little therapy and also some better coping mechanisms and maybe a pamphlet about how gambling addictions could actually be genetic and all that stuff Ino was learning about it.

The walk to the tea cart was awkward. Finally Sakura couldn't suffer the silence anymore, and she turned to the apprentice. "So how long have you been Tsunade's apprentice? Oh, I'm Haruno Sakura by the way, I don't think I caught your name."

"Oh I'm Kato Shizune," the woman answered, "and a few years now."

Senka gave an amused hum at the answer, and Tsunade gave the cat the side eye as she said, "you're smaller than I remember."

Mari's summons rolled her eyes. "If me and my siblings stayed as large as Manda or Katsuyu nothing would get done because we wouldn't be able to fit into most human places."

Sakura hid a laugh. Senka could pretend along with the rest of the cats all she liked, but the real reason they never liked to stay big was because then they couldn't join in on the cuddles. Sakura could relate, there was something very special about being picked up and cradled like you were little again.

"Most boss summons can't shrink themselves," Tsunade countered, and Senka's ears flicked in annoyance.

"That's because most never see the point of learning such things, after all, humans are beneath us, why should we change to accommodate them, ugh, the assholes. Manda is the worst of the lot you know, he still thinks bigger is better. My sister should just pounce on him, but Queen Byakko is too dignified for that."

The slug sannin gave an amusement hum, "there's a joke to found in there somewhere you realize."

Senka gave Tsunade a dead stare. "I wondered sometimes, how you could stand to be on a team with Jiraiya."

"Patiently," Tsunade replied pleasantly, "and with a great many broken ribs, noses, and hands. It was good practice for learning how to fix such things."

Ouch, and she ignored Senka digging her claws in to get a better grip as the feline chuckled slightly menacingly. The cats did not like Jiraiya, which Mari seemed to find hilarious.

"You really should consider this one as an apprentice," Senka mused once she stopped laughing, and Sakura glanced at the cat with wide eyes. "She's got perfect chakra control and the temper to match."

Tsunade snorted, "most kunoichi do."

"Tsunade-chan," Senka called, and all three of them tensed slightly at the tone, "I do not mean good chakra control, I do not mean above ninetieth percentile. I mean perfect chakra control."

The sannin stopped walking, and even Shizune seemed shocked, going so far as to say, "truly?"

"Kabuto-sensei says I'm really good, and he never praises anyone," Sakura boasted, then remembered Kabuto was a traitor, "though, he turned out to be a spy for Orochimaru, so I'm not sure how much of his attention was to try and get close to Sasuke."

Ugh, that was something she going to have to unpack later, and Senka took pity on her and started talking again. "She learned tree and water walking on her first try."

Tsunade gave a sound of consideration, and Shizune turned to Sakura, "that really is very impressive Sakura-chan."

"Thanks!" She beamed, and Tsunade snorted.

"Still not taking you as an apprentice," the woman said, but that was alright, Mari would convince her. The tea cart came into view like Sage given miracle, and Sakura squared her shoulders. She had a job to do, and she was going to get it done, with or without her teammates.

"Well that's not suspicious at all," Tsunade said the moment Sakura put down one of the privacy seals. Then she squinted at it. "You know, I haven't seen picograms in a good long while."

Sakura took a breath. "You need to take the hat."

"I don't need to do anything kid," the sannin replied, "you've got the Uchiha survivor, you've got Hatake brat, hell you even have Jiraiya, if you think the war hawk is going to be that bad."

Sakura bit her lip, and glanced at Senka. She felt really, really, out of her depth, but someone had to have this conversation, someone had to let her know. "I think, I really think you should talk to Uchiha Mari."

Tsunade raised a pale brow. "You think?"

"Yes. She's, she'll be able to explain everything so much better than me and she knows all the secrets and lies and crimes and, and, we need you Tsunade-sama. We don't need a spy master, we don't need a war hawk, we don't need a jonin commander or a clan head or a even a sensei. We need a Senju, we need a healer, and the only other member of your clan we have can't be that. Don't you see," she said, "it has to be you."

"Kid, I don't know what world you're living in, but I'm the last Senju." By the Sage, Tsunade, she was serious, and Sakura glanced at Senka again, who just looked sad.

"I," she started, the stopped, what did she say? "I, did the Hokage never tell you?"

"Tell me what?" the sannin asked, "if this is about the Uzumakis in Konoha then they aren't Senju. They might be related to my grandmother, but that doesn't make us kin."

"Yes it does!" Sakura cried, "Naruto and Karin and Akira are your cousins, by the very definition of the word that makes them your family, and that's not even getting into the Uchiha and the Hyuuga and the Hatake and the Kaguya, just because their distant cousins doesn't mean they aren't related to you too."

"What," Tsunade said, but Sakura was too angry to register the word.

"And even if you don't consider them family, Tenzo is a senju," she defended, "he just can't bare the senju name because he can't access the clan registry even though he literally has the wood release because finding that out means proof the Hokage let a Senju get kidnapped and experimented under his watch and that would like, damage his power base so Tenzo's in a, a weird in-between space and the only reason he's not still in ANBU was because Mari did like, a three fold manipulation to get him out of it."

"Lier," Tsunade shouted, "no one survived that, I was told no one survived, there's nothing left of my family except graves."

"Danzo lied," Sakura replied, "and by the time the Hokage found out about it I think it was too late to matter."

"To matter," Tsunade repeated quietly, and oh was that a dangerous tone. Sakura pressed on though, cause if the Snake Sannin had been cautious around Senka, then Sakura would bet the Slug sannin couldn't touch her.

"There's a reason we need you," she said, "and it's not just because of your family name, though that will help. Shimura Danzo orchestrated the Uchiha Massacre, and currently has an arm comprised of your grandfather's cells and a sharingan in his head that is capable of a Mangekyo that allows him to brainwash people without anyone noticing, maybe even permanently."

"Oh by all the gods," Shizune breathed, staring with wide eyes, and Tsunade's face was, expressionless. Somehow that was worse than the anger.

"Talk to Mari," Sakura begged, "please. She has proof, and I think, I think its worse than just that. She doesn't talk about it, because she doesn't want to upset Sasuke or scare us, but, but men like that, they don't stop at one crime. They push and push until they are discovered."

There was fury in Tsunade's face, and the table they were sitting at cracked down the middle. "Are you telling me one of my grand uncle's students might have killed off my clan."

Oh. Oh shit. That had not been something Sakura had even considered. "No I was, you really should talk to Mari about that she'd have more details, but I meant, I was referring to Naruto not being allowed to be raised by anyone so he'd be loyal to the state and the slightly creep grandfather vibe Danzo has but uh, no, that. Yeah."

Oh man, why had no one thought it strange the entire Senju had been whittled down to one person in less than three generations?

"Give me one good reason not to just walk into the village and ripe off Danzo's head and then never return," Tsunade said, and Sakura didn't have a good answer to that.

Senka hopped off Sakura's shoulders, landing on the cracked table. "Because it's time for you to come home Tsunade-chan, and not just because you are needed."

"They took everything from me," Tsunade cried, standing with almost wild eyes, but Senka looked unimpressed.

"That is patently false," the cat replied, "You are still here. Shizune-chan is still here. Your teammates are still here and your family through the Uzumaki are still here and your gifts of helping others are still here. Dan and Nawaki would hate what you've become."

"What would you know of my losses," the sannin snarled, "what gives you any right to speak of them?"

Senka's fur started to ripple, fire at her paws as Killing Intent leaked out. "Byakko was the one who formed the contract with the Uchiha over five centuries ago now. The rest of my siblings were on the fence about it, we still remembered the stories our father told us of how Indra and his kin had treated our mother and her siblings, but Byakko saw something in little Kaida, and would not budge. That little Uchiha girl grew up, and the she married, and had kids, and we have watched them go to war time and time again. We have watched kids stuffed into armor that did not fit them and once small kittens give into greed and bitterness and pain.

And even with all of that, it did not compare to the pain of all those babies slaughtered in a single night. You could not imagine the grief at knowing all of Kaida's kin were gone, just like that, and for what? So an old man could steal their eyes while patting himself on the back for getting rid of an enemy he created by telling a child destroy his clan or watch his little brother be executed? Can you imagine what that felt like, to have every connection, every summoner, every child cared for and every baby slept with in their cradles to be just gone, and no way to find out how, or why? What is the loss of one brother and one fiancé compared to that?"

Sakura picked up Senka. Her flickering fur was warm, and she held the feline close, threading fingers through fire like fur as she thought of what Mari would say. "Loss isn't a competition Senka-nee, and her whole family is gone too, even if that pruning happened over years instead of a night. It's not her fault she didn't have a good support network and it benefited the establishment if she broke. She is allowed her hurt."

"She is a child compared to me," Senka hissed, "she does not get question my grief, she does not get to wallow while my kitten needs help, and she is refusing to give it out of self pity and selfishness and the general senju attitude of doing whatever the hell they please with no thoughts for the consequences, young Tenzo does not deserve this husk of a woman."

"Senka, Senka please, we want her to come back with us," Sakura reminded, and the feline gave a sniff.

"Politness and begging didn't seem to be working, so I will try spite." Sage Senka no. Why couldn't Naruto or Mari have been here? They would have known what to do, what to say.

Sakura took a breath, channeling her golden teammate, her older sister in all but blood. "It's true, there are others who could take the hat, and they'd be ok, but they'd all break for different reasons. Jiraiya because he can't stay in one place for too long, it's not in his nature, Kakashi-sensei because we will be his weak points, and the moment he losses one of us he will crash and burn, and Mari because she loves too much to ever be a long term Kage. She'd take every loss as a personal failure, and she'd die, bit by bit, and I don't, my sister of heart is so bright Tsunade-sama, she laughs and she smiles and she always makes time for me, and she couldn't do any of that when the Lord Third named her Hokage. Please, I just, don't do it because duty calls you to, don't do it out of spite, do it because you're an older sister too, and you know the weight older siblings carry."

"My brother died a long time ago," Tsunade countered softly, and Sakura felt tears prickle in her eyes, because that was so sad to hear.

"Uchiha Mari will never have any siblings of blood," Sakura stated, meeting her soon to be Hokage in the eyes, "but that doesn't make either of you any less a sister."

Tsunade covered her face with her left hand. She breathed in, once, twice, and third she lowered it, eyes like steel as she looked to Shizune for, for something. The woman softened, putting on an unconvincing smile.

"I think they'd like it Shishou," Shizune said softly, "you taking on their dreams. It'll be nice, to see Konoha again, and to terrorize the hospital once more, and to kill a bloodline thief as viciously as we please. I think I'd rather like to say in one place for a bit."

Damn, Shizune did not play around, and Senka snorted softly in Sakura's hold.

"Fuck," Tsunade cursed, "fuck, fuck, fuck. Alright, okay kid, lets go see this Uchiha of yours."

Sakura's elation only lasted for a second, because that's when the castle next to them exploded.

Sage damn Team Seven's luck.

Chapter 27: I am! Chapter Text

I am—yet what I am none cares or knows;
My friends forsake me like a memory lost:
I am the self-consumer of my woes—
They rise and vanish in oblivious host,
Like shadows in love's frenzied stifled throes
And yet I am, and live—like vapours tossed

Into the nothingness of scorn and noise,
Into the living sea of waking dreams,
Where there is neither sense of life or joys,
But the vast shipwreck of my life's esteems;
Even the dearest that I loved the best
Are strange—nay, rather, stranger than the rest.

I long for scenes where man hath never trod
A place where woman never smiled or wept
There to abide with my Creator, God,
And sleep as I in childhood sweetly slept,
Untroubling and untroubled where I lie
The grass below—above the vaulted sky.

Sakura seemed much more excited to see Kabuto than he figured she'd be, the pink haired kunoichi going so far as to wave her hand.

"Hello again Kabuto-sensei," she greeted, smile perhaps a little too sweet, and he wondered if she was trying to mess with him or the black haired woman standing next to her.

Oh well, in for a ryo as the expression went. "Ah, it's nice to see you Sakura-kohai, how are you?"

"Oh you know," Sakura replied as Tsunade gave a scream of rage in the background and threw a boulder at Orochimaru as she told him all the reasons he was an idiot for even thinking medical jutsu could fix his arms, "cursing Team Seven's luck, wondering why the higher level shinobi just tell each other things like that."

Kabuto paused as Orochimaru told Tsunade that as the granddaughter of Mito and Hashirama, she was the only expert left alive, and then Kabuto stared to wonder when he had just, explained things.

That was, hm. He'd have to do some thinking later, that was certainly an interesting pattern.

"We could blame it on the truly impressive amount of cumulative concussive force shinobi get that they then don't see the medics for," Kabuto theorized, and Sakura gave a nod, a hand to her chin as she seemed to think of other reasons why ninja were just, like that.

"The lack of milestone tracking as infants could do it too," she said, and Kabuto paused, because what was milestone tracking? It wasn't watching out for geniuses, Mari had been very vocal against skipping grades and the kind of behavior that the old guard took at face value.

"Uh," the slug sannin's assistant said as Orochimaru snarled something about the Lord Third and his reading habits that had all three of them wincing, and the ground shook as Tsunade's fist missed and broken open the ground, the woman screaming that at least their sensei hadn't spat in the face of everything they once held dear. "Are you two like, friends or something?"

"No," Sakura said at the same time Kabuto answered, "Yes."

They looked at each other, Sakura wrinkling her nose in annoyance but oddly enough not disgust while Kabuto put a hand to his heart, pretending to be hurt. "Must you continue to wound me, Sakura-kohai?"

"You really want an answer to that question?" Sakura asked, cracking her knuckles in a mimic of the slug sannin while the moisture in the air suddenly becoming very disconcerting.

Did Kabuto want an answer?

Probably not. Besides, Orochimaru was only here to- Kabuto paused the sight of a black cat with bight blue eyes that had carved through a great deal of Oto nin.

"Hello Kabuto-kun," the summons greeted, and Kabuto couldn't help the sweat-drop.

See, Kabuto was good, Kabuto was ridiculously good, an undeniable genius. He also had the very rare shinobi gift of having a fucking survival instinct, and he knew damn well how he'd fair against a summons that was one tier removed from a sage damned boss summons.

"Ah, hello Senka-sama," he greeted, because never let it be said Kabuto wouldn't throw pride out the window when it came to keeping power entities inclined to not murder him, and they all winced as the toad sannin came barreling in, both Tsunade and Orochimaru turning him with surprising viciousness. Wow, that was some drama right there, and he eyed the Genin walking up with a pep in his step. "Hello to you too Naruto-kun."

"Oh hey Kabuto!" Konoha's jinchuriki waved, entirely at ease even as three sannin did their damn best to beat the shit out of each other, snarling out old insults and vastly different interpretations of events. "Totally sucks that you were a spy and everything, you were like, really good at the hospital, and hey! You found her! That's great Sakura-chan, I knew you could do it!"

"Damn straight I did," the pink haired kunoichi agreed, and then she winced at something happening behind Kabuto. "Uh should we, get involved with that?"

Naruto squinted at the fight, head tilted slightly as Orochimaru accused his teammates of abandoning him to the mercy of the civilians, and Tsunade countered by asking how that made it okay for bloodline theft while Jiraiya noted that maybe the snake sannin should have done some self reflection as to why that was. Tsunade then immediately turned on the toad sage, stating that no one should have to conform to social norms to feel accepted, let alone safe.

"Nah," the blonde finally said as the ground rumbled again, and Tsunade demand her boys stay still. "That's probably the only way they know how to communicate. Think us without Mari or like, any of our friends."

Sakura made a face of disgust. "Ew."

"Yeahhhhh," Naruto agreed, "it's not great, but at least they're talking?"

Sakura eyed the three fighting Nin dubiously, and Kabuto shifted slightly to stop Shizune from trying to sneak into the fight. "I don't think that counts as talking. Hey are we gonna be liable for the castle? Snake face was the one who broke it as some fucked way of saying hello."

"Setting power dynamics," Naruto said with a nod of the head, and both he and the apprentice eyed him for that, "and I don't think we're liable, as a Missing-Nin destroyed that, though they can ask for financial assistance as we can take it out of his bounty to pay it. Or direct them to Oto."

"You two need to leave," Shizune command, and Kabuto wondered if things were going to get interesting, before Naruto turned to the older woman with a familiar expression, and Kabuto knew things were going to interesting, just not the kind where he could maybe kill someone.

"Why?" He asked Tsunade began to cry about some letter the Lord Rhird sent before his death, and Kabuto glanced back, just to look at the face her teammates were making. Both looked like they'd really rather be anywhere else, and then Kabuto wondered if the Lord Third knew about Orochimaru's plans, and only let him succeed when he saw Uchiha Mari was strong enough to battle on her own.

That was an interesting thing to maybe bring up later to both the Sannin and Uchiha Mari.

"What do you mean why?" Shizune demanded, "these are dangerous nin, and you are not safe."

"No I got that," Naruto replied, looking less like a twelve year old Genin and more like the clan heir he should have been, "you want us out of the blast radius so you and Kabuto can go at to figure out who can go help their Sannin, but like, they're all fairly evenly matched so there's really nothing to worry about until someone gets injured beyond normal scraps. So, like, we don't really have to anything until that, and Kabuto is obviously here to run interference so it really doesn't make any sense to start a fight since if we don't shit he won't either cause he knows if we throw down he's gonna catch either Team Seven's hands or Senka's paws, and he's self serving enough to not do that."

Kabuto eyed Konoha's jinchuriki, who had been dead last in class and had been rumored to be dumber than a box of rocks. "You are more intelligent than you look."

"Thanks!" Naruto beamed, and ugh, there was the sense of a warm fuzzy feeling in the air. He wasn't sure who had taught the blonde that, but it was gross.

"I, what," Shizune said, and Kabuto agreed with her.

"You get used to it," Sakura lied, she was in on the madness, "besides, when you think about it, we're challenge the system by pointing out that useless fighting between nin really only benefits the rich and the elite, who both have a lot of pies in the bounty system as a whole."

Naruto frowned at the comment. "I thought we weren't suppose to say that without one of the seals cause we don't want em to know we're coming for them."

Okay, Kabuto knew Uchiha Mari disliked nobles but there was a difference between dislike and actively plotting their downfall. Shit, Kabuto needed to up his spy network.

Sakura snorted, "I think anyone who would take offense or give a damn is long gone."

Naruto eyed the Sannin as Tsunade cracked the earth again before nodding. "You know what that's fair."

Shizune looked at him, half asking if he knew what the fuck was happening, half out of please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is crazy. Kabuto gave both a shoulder raise of I honestly don't have an answer for you and a smirk of oh honey, if you think they're bad, you've got another thing coming.

Kabuto leapt backwards, chakra surging defensively at the sudden arrival of Uchiha blue in his vision. There was red trying to draw his attention, and Kabuto kept his eyes firmly on Uchiha Mari's mouth.

"Report," the clan regent demanded, voice cold, and Naruto bounced up with far too much cheer.

"Tsunade's probably gonna take the hat," Sakura said, and what, at the same time Naruto reported, "The G2 Team Seven is taking some time to discuss some past grievances and long buried grudges. I think it's progressing rather nicely, snake face only tried to seriously kill Jiraiya once and slug lady seems mostly intent on frustrated strangulation, rather than really trying to beat her teammates to death."

Uchiha Mari gave a hum, the sharingan turning off as those fathomless black eyes focused on the hot mess behind Kabuto's back. "Senka, take them back to the hotel please, you should meet up with Kellas, once you do tell him he's back on his previous job."

On the one hand, Kabuto was thrilled at the number of enemies going down. On the other hand, the removing of Genin meant things were going to get violent, and Uchiha Mari was not looking particularly merciful at the moment.

"On it boss," Senka said, and started rounding up all three shinobi, "lets go kittens, you too Shizune."

"But," the older woman protested as Sakura turned to Uchiha Mari with narrowed eyes, hissing out, "you aren't allowed to adopt him. I am drawing a line. I don't care what secret sob story he's probably got tucked behind that stupid face."

The fact that Uchiha Mari's lips twitched was not reassuring.

"Come on," Naruto defused, "let's go sit on Sasuke, Sage knows the poor bastard is going to need it."

"It'll make sense eventually," Senka lied to an increasingly confused Shizune, "come, I would like another adult with me."

Now, Kabuto had some choices to make, because he had watched that fight at the Kage box. He knew damn well who would win if it came to a straight match, because the sharingan was bullshit, but if he didn't at least try, Orochimaru would be pissed at him, or worse, be mad enough to take away his funding. Uchiha Mari watched right back, though the older woman seemed slightly amused.

Odd, most adults looked at traitors with hatred, or disgust. Uchiha Mari had the look was a cat watching a partially dumb puppy.

He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that.

The Uchiha regent put two fingers in her mouth and then whistled. It was a sharp, sharp noise, and Kabuto loathed whichever Inuzuka taught her how to do that.

He watched out of his peripheral as all three of the Sannin turn and looked at her. Orochimaru had an expression that was half displeasure and half rage, with the tiniest amount of horror mixed in. Jiraiya looked like he couldn't decided if he should be relieved or concerned or vindicated, though there was some obvious trace of guilt on his face that Kabuto absolutely wanted to know the cause of. Tsunade's expression was perhaps the funniest, and that was mostly because the woman was giving Uchiha Mari a I probably know who you are because I've interacted with a lot of people who do know you and that's affected me, but your face pings absolutely zero things in my brain look.

Uchiha Mari grinned, showing teeth, and Kabuto did not like he was in the middle of the two forces. "So before I let all of you go back to beating each other into the dirt like children, mind if I ask just a few questions?"

"Yes," Orochimaru said with no small hint of pettiness, and the kunoichi's grin only grew wider.

"Great thanks, please confirm for the other sannin here that Danzo was the one to provide the orphans and the Lord First's cells and told you to complete it against the Lord Thirds orders while giving himself a nice new shiny arm, also Kabuto-kun if you wouldn't mind telling about how your mother figure was pressed back into service against her will and then you were conscripted before the age of majority and then Danzo tried to tie up lose ends by having you kill each other that would also be helpful."

Kabuto couldn't breathe for half a second, and half of his brain was noting how neither of two sannin looked surprised while the other half of his brain was screaming because she could not know that, there was no way she knew that.

"What," Orochimaru said, and Tsunade turned slightly to her former teammate.

"Oro," she called, and Kabuto eyed his teacher, because that was some softness he had never, ever heard directed at the man, no matter how much steel underlined the name.

"What, Tsune" the snake sannin hissed, and Kabuto wondered if the man knew Tsunade was going to take the hat.

"Answer the Uchiha's question," she demanded, and Orochimaru's face curled into a sneer, even as his shoulders curled slightly.

"Why should I?" He asked, voice low and vicious and cruel, and he wasn't entirely sure how to interpret the way Uchiha Mari was looking at the missing-nin.

It wasn't pity, it wasn't hate or grief or disappointment, it was just, black eyes eating at the light, wishing things were different.

"He was probably behind the ambush that killed Senju Nawaki," she stated, and everyone in the clearing sucked in a breath for different reasons. Tsunade in pain and Orochimaru in rage and Jiraiya in disbelief. Kabuto, because one did not talk about his teacher's first student, not if they wanted to keep breathing.

"Probably," Tsunade gasped out, and now there was grief in Uchiha Mari's expression. Grief and sadness and hurt.

"I don't have proof of it," she said with a shrug, "it's just a theory, but look me in the eyes and tell me it's not suspicious that anyone who could have taken the hat, or even had the potential, has been either killed on a mission with bad intel or disgraced or denied mental health services so they don't ever become strong enough to pose a threat."

"Dan?" Jiraiya asked, and Tsunade choked.

"I don't know," Uchiha Mari answered softly, "I really don't, but probably. I do know he got your Ame kids into that ambush with hanzo though, and that he sabotaged the peace talks during the last war, and let's be honest here he probably started the second one. That whole thing with Sakumo is still, less then clean."

Kabuto ran the numbers in his head. Danzo was strong, and would require a Kage to take him down. Uchiha Mari was a known over planner who believed in being over prepared, in teamwork and cooperation and justice. She probably had all the proof she needed to take him down, this was just, a cherry on the top, and honestly out of some misguided sense to give them a little bit of justice, a little bit of closure.

He could respect that, so without a care about the consequences he blithely broke the silence. "Danzo, after threatening to deny Konoha assistance to press my caretaker back into service and after I tried to volunteer in her place, slowly gave Yakushi Nono different pictures so she didn't recognize me. I was sent to spy in several different nations before we were suppose to get each other killed. My surviving was not intended."

Mari smiled at him, but the expression was soft, sad, and uncomfortably genuine. "I'm sorry that happened to you, thank you for the information."

The kindness made his skin itch, and he waited for, something. He had learned long ago people didn't do things just to be nice. They did it because they wanted something or they felt guilty or it was some kind of game, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find any of that.

"Oro," Tsunade asked softly, quietly, voice seething with fury. "Does Shimura Danzo have an arm comprised of my grandfather's cells?"

His teacher seemed to debate answering, glancing from Jiraiya to Tsunade to Mari, who was again watching the man with that unreadable expression, black eyes eating at the light, all of them waiting for his answer.

"He does," Orochimaru finally answered, then as if to cover up the sudden vulnerability doubled down on his viciousness as he said, "the elder got a nice little Wood Release user out of that experiment you know, cute kid, I am curious, how did you get rid of the silencing seal?"

Uchiha Mari's smile was polite and contained and the fact it didn't reach her eyes made it more terrifying than the grin with teeth. "Same way I got rid of Anko's curse seal. Seals are, at their core, Intent, Chakra, and the Matrix that binds them together. I just made a Seal Eater."

Jiraiya made a high pitched whine. "How?"

"Well," the Uchiha drawled, and then she tapped her temple twice. "The eyes awakened in grief see all, even gods long gone. For the eyes born from injustice, even the heavens hold no defense."

Orochimaru made a hum of interest, and Jiraiya whipped his head around to face his former teammate. "Don't even think about it you snake bastard."

"So defensive," his teacher hissed while Tsunade was staring at the Uchiha, the two of them having some kind of silent conversation, "did dear old precious sensei ask you to watch over her?"

"You don't get to talk about him," Jiraiya snarled, moving to take a step forward, and Tsunade lashed out an arm to stop him, still staring at Uchiha Mari, who dipped her head.

"If it makes you feel better," she said, voice cutting through the tension like a kuni through skin, "he literally couldn't touch me unless he somehow figured how to make a Seal Eater. Being tossed through a tree teaches a well learned lesson."

Ah, well that explained why Orochimaru had been so pissed after the second part of the exams. His teacher turned that sharp expression onto Uchiha Mari, who didn't even flinch. "Think of everything, don't you dear?"

"After my experience with bloodline thieves, I figured it was better to be over prepared than dead," she replied cheerfully, and they all smothered a wince at the reminder, because even if both Kabuto and Orochimaru couldn't care less about the so called morality of the village, there were lines even they'd never cross. "I still don't see why you even want a pair, the higher stages require massive amount of trauma and sure, you remember everything, which is great when the kids do something cute, but it's way less so for all of the awful, awful things I will be forced to remember in perfect clarity for the rest of my life, and that's not even getting the blindness."

"The blindness," Orochimaru asked, while Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, who made a complicated face.

"Everything has a cost Orochimaru," Uchiha Mari replied unflinchingly, expression serious and calm and unmovable. "Even the Wood Release has it's flaws, it's imperfections and draw backs, and if a user isn't careful the greenery will come calling, and they will collect their due. You are searching for something that will never exist."

"And what is that?" His teacher asked, torn between not wanting the answer and wishing to see if she was right or not.

"The safety you felt when your parents were still alive," she answered bluntly, and yet with such compassion, a kindness Kabuto couldn't comprehend. "You want the certainty they provided, the protection their very existence implied. The dream of immortality is how you lie to yourself, you just want a return to the time before, where pain and death was something that happened to other people."

"I rather think it's time we stop talking," his teacher rumbled, low and certain and Kabuto took a step to the side, just in case things started to get violent like they had with the Kages.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She asked, and both the Sannin shifted with him, the formation more an arrow now, and Kabuto very much disliked he was still in the middle. "If my tongue grew quiet and the doubts I placed in your head returned back to the dark corners you bury them in, but that's the thing about doubts, about ideas, they are so much harder to kill than genin and preteens and babies."

Kabuto decided Orochimaru could punish him later, he fully stepped out of the blast radius of the sneering Sannin. "Do you have a death wish or something, because if so I will happily oblige you."

"Try it," Jiraiya hissed, and Orochimaru turned that viciousness on to his former teammate while Tsunade glanced at the toad sannin, something calculating in her gaze.

"What is so special about this one?" He asked, and Kabuto noted the tension in the man's posture, the guilt, and Uchiha Mari gave a snort.

"I made him feel guilty about his poor life choices," she drawled, which seemed to be true, but not the heart of his tension, no that was something a little more personal. Maybe he knew one of her parents?

Tsunade's expression went icy. "Jiraiya."

The white haired man took a step back, hands raised, "I'll have you know I haven't peeped in over two months, you really don't have to look at me like princess, I'm a changed man."

Uchiha Mari watched him, expression amused, and Kabuto turned his attention on to her. There was none of the urgency from the last time she and Orochimaru had exchanged blows, and even without her summons there was just, something slow and lazy about the way she seemed to be directing them to talk. She noticed his gaze, lips twisting slightly.

"You're stalling," he realized, and the fact she was smiling at him was not reassuring, "that's why you're keeping them talking."

She gave a huff, and then ruffled through her belt pockets, looking for something, and then he caught the small object she tossed his way. He glanced at it, a little candy resting on his palm, and Kabuto didn't understand.

"What's this for?" He asked, and her grin shifted to something sharp, something petty and mean and vicious.

"For looking underneath the underneath, good job!"

Orochimaru hissed, dodging out of the way from a flock of crows, and what, was that Uchiha Itachi? It was, the missing-nin standing beside his cousin while Tsunade twitched and Jiraiya looked pained. His teacher opened his mouth, before he dodged out of the way of a sword, and figuring Uchiha Mari wouldn't let her cousin stab him in the back he darted back to Orochimaru, chakra lashing out at a grinning Hoshigaki Kisame, who effortlessly block his blow, the fucker.

"Now, you might be one hell of a Tardigrade," Uchiha Mari drawled, walking forward to stand between the two still loyal sannin, and Kabuto wondered what the hell a tardigrade was, "but even you would struggle against five s-class ninja."

"I'm surprised he's still alive," Orochimaru replied, and Uchiha Mari's expression was tired, aching and angry and black eating at the light.

"If you think about it for about twenty seconds you really wouldn't be," she told them, and what was she talking about he- oh.

"Ah," Orochimaru said, and Kabuto wanted to laugh, because Danzo had died the moment he let Mari live, he just didn't know it yet. He was dead and there would be justice for Nono and the Uchiha would make it hurt, would make the man suffer as much as she could.

"Yes, ah," Mari mimicked, and Tsunade was now eying Itachi, who was very much ignoring her gaze. Hm, he did look pale. "Run away Orochimaru, we can play another day."

"Is that a promise?" Orochimaru hissed, and there was a flare of Killing Intent from Itachi, which the elder of Uchiha seemed amused by.

"Sure," she replied, "we can arrange a play date and everything, get you thinking about some science that would actually be helpful and isn't just with people who hold half assed doctorates on a power trip."

The two sannin choke, but Orochimaru just gave a hum, head titled as he called Kabuto once before disappearing.

They move quickly, both their senses strained on the five ninja behind them, but the remaining sannin were much more focused on Itachi, which Kabuto supposed was it's own blessing.

Orochimaru shifted slightly as they ran along the tree line. "What did you think of her."

Hm. What answer was he looking for? "She seemed calmer than the last time."

"True," his teacher agreed, "but not what I asked."

Uchiha Mari was kind hearted, but would slit the throat of someone she felt was a threat to those she considered hers. She was someone who collected power like she was drowning, only she never used any of it for herself. She had dozens of people ready to die for her, and she refused to call them to service, to use them like any good shinobi would have.

There was no angle he could find, no hidden agenda, no secret dark side. She was just, kind. "I think she has arranged to political board so Danzo will walk into a trap with his head held high, never seeing the trip wire until she snaps it shut, in a mimic of the way he took down her clan. I think she is someone who can, and will, be brutally cunning, but I don't think she likes it. I think it might be a little interesting, to give a few of her policies try."

She had taken the uchiha district which had long been dying even before the slight genocide and turned it into a thriving community, it's own little army ready and waiting. She turned a name that had been dragged in the mud into one of Konoha's darlings, dark history practically forgotten.

Orochimaru hummed, but he didn't ask anymore questions.

They both travel in silence, the both of them trying to shove down doubts they desperately wished hadn't been spoken.

Chapter 28: Praise song for the day Chapter Text

Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other's
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.

All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.

We encounter each other in words, words
spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what's on the other side.

I know there's something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,

picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

Traveling with two Sannin and Two Akatsuki members was… awkward.

Mari was trying her best, but between the Sannin's history and the hot mess that was the Uchiha clan, Naruto could see she was beginning to get stretched a little thin. He knew that Mari knew she wasn't responsible for fixing years and years of arguments and trauma and pain, but the cat of part of her brain wanted to try, wanted to fix the argument in her colony before it fractured and spilt and turned inward.

He wondered if the Uchiha clan's previous familial dynamics also played a part in that internal struggle, and if Mari even realized.

Naruto watched, and then decided their current path was unacceptable, which meant he was going to do something about it. Sakura was sent to distract the Sannin with medical questions regarding seals while Sasuke either pestered his cousin into mandatory cuddle time or swords or something else, Naruto kind of left that up to Sasuke. They'd flip flop in a bit, because while his godfather already got the please do not stress out Mari by doing xyz conversation, Tsunade had not.

At the moment he was more focused on Itachi though, as the wayward Uchiha was definitely the bigger problem of the two.

Kisame watched him come over with amusement. "Head's up Itachi, you're about to get another garden talk."

Garden? "Oh yeah, you met up with Kimimaro, he does those when Guran wants to make a point. He won't really put you in the bone garden though, not unless Akari also approves, and she won't if I don't."

Itachi stared at him for a moment with damaged eyes, which Naruto met because between Kurama and Mari no one was getting into his head, and also it was a sign of trust the elder Uchiha didn't really know what do with.

"What do you want from me?" Sasuke's brother asked in an emotionless tone that was less lacking in emotion and more I don't what to do or feel about this so I feel nothing at all, which was so fucked up Haruka was going to weep after their first session.

"Why are you running away?" He demanded, and Itachi tensed, face doing a thing. Naruto kept his own posture loose, a challenge and a statement. He and Kurama had Itachi pretty well read, and the elder Uchiha took a breath.

"I am not," Itachi replied in that same emotionless tone, and Naruto scowled at the man.

"You are," Naruto said, "Mari and Sasuke keep inviting you to do things and you keep declining."

Itachi's jaw clenched, the only hint the man felt something behind his mask of politeness. Naruto didn't feel the need to tell him he could sense the guilt, the rage and grief and self hatred.

That would give the game away.

"That is none of your business. Leave." Itachi tried to end the conversation there, but joke was on him, Naruto never left anything half finished.

"I live in the Den," Naruto countered, and then kept countering, "Sasuke is my Brother of Heart, and you are my cousin, even if it's so distant we'd be like thirty second cousins or something crazy, and even if we weren't Sasuke is on my team, so it is my business. Stop running away!"

Itachi went through a lot of emotions all at once, before settling on the last bit. "I am not, running away."

"I mean, you kinda are," Kisame added, and Itachi glared at his friend, who raised his hands in a I give gesture. "Just a little, it's the truth."

"You're hurting them," Naruto stated, hating how the older Uchiha flinched, but this conversation needed to happen.

"I seem to do that," Itachi mused softly, and Naruto wanted to hit him.

Don't do that, Kurama added, before the big meanie went back to whatever he was doing with his siblings.

"Yeah, because you don't listen," Naruto hissed, "they want to spend time with you. They want to try to build a relationship again."

Itachi glanced at Kisame before saying, "they shouldn't."

Okay, Naruto was getting into that with all the viciousness Ino had taught him. "That's your opinion. You don't get to decide how your victims feel or what their forgiveness looks like. That's not how it works. If they're upsetting you, talk to them, explain why, use your words like the sage-damned adult you're suppose to be."

Kisame raised in his brow while Itachi frowned. "You are a child, what do you know of it?"

"You were around when things were bad for me, I'm pretty sure you were one of minders," Naruto reminded bluntly, "Mari got a lot of people to change their minds, but it doesn't change the fact that some of the people who now pinch my cheeks are the same ones who tossed me out of their stores with a broom. I think I know plenty, and just because I am younger than you does not mean my experiences and contributions I might make to the conversation are worthless."

Those were Mari's words coming out of his mouth, but she had gifted them to him and now he was giving them to others.

He was young yes, and there was no denying that he had things to learn or that his opinion might change or that the facts he held as truth could be wrong, but he had worth, he had value, and he had something to say that deserved to be heard.

"He got you there," Kisame said, not unkindly, but the slight amusement had an edge to it. It was probably some reference or history he didn't have access to yet. Itachi's face was complicated as he looked at his partner, mask wavering between the dutiful son and the desperate older brother, and Naruto took a breath.

"Sasuke and Mari know you can't be the brother you were, but also like, have you considered that no one is?" He asked, and Itachi started at the words. "Everyone's relationships change and shift as they get older, and like the relationship I have with Sakura now is way different than the one we had when we were eight, and like, Mari's relationship with her teammates was probably super different than it is now, cause we change and grow and there's nothing wrong with that, you just gotta talk when things aren't vibing."

"Vibing," Itachi repeated dubiously.

Ugh, explaining slang. "Like, connecting? Running smoothly? Listening to a song that makes you want to dance? That kind of thing."

"I don't," Itachi started, "they're just pretending it never happened."

Naruto tilted his head, looking at the older nin. Itachi seemed distressed, unmoored. "What does forgiveness mean to you, cause I think that's where the trouble is."

The elder Uchiha took a breath. "It, when someone acts in a way that helps undo what they did, and their actions are recognized as such."

He hummed. Naruto had known the Uchiha clan was fucked up, but it was thing to know it and hear it and another to see the damage. This was the shinobi world Naruto was inheriting, this was the shinobi world he and Mari were going to destroy.

"Mari doesn't see it like that," He explained, "and neither does Sasuke. Forgiveness is giving people the freedom to make new choices. They will never forget what you did, but there is no such thing as a good act that washes out the bad Itachi, they stain our fingers in equal measure. Sasuke and Mari are letting you make new choices, they are giving you the freedom to be their brother again, so stop throwing it back in their faces with your own self hatred and regret, you save that for therapy."

Itachi stared at him for long time, so terribly broken, before, "therapy?"

Naruto nodded. "It's mandatory, just like eating your vegetables and seeing a doctor for teeth and other stuff at least once a year. You're probably going to get Haruka, since he handles the fucked up geniuses and genocide kids, but also like if you don't like him you can have someone else. Kakashi took forever before he finally decided on Shizuka."

Itachi digested that, slowly, from what Naruto could see. "I am not going to therapy."

Naruto grinned, and then patted the elder Uchiha brother on the shoulder. "It's cute that you think that."

He walked away, letting Kisame decide he should sit on Itachi, for his health and no other reason. He signed at Sakura, who dragged Jiraiya towards Mari and Sasuke.

Tsunade watched them, and Naruto sat by her side. She didn't look like someone her age, and he wondered if that was either internalized misogyny or some kind of maladaptive coping mechanism so she would always hold the face her brother and lover would recognize. He'd ask Ino later, she'd probably know.

They sat in silence for a bit, watching Mari and Jiraiya get into a debate about seals while Sasuke and Sakura relocated to the small campfire, probably to start working on dinner before things got late.

"She's made him better," Tsunade mused as her teammate stared down at a seal in absolute befuddlement. "I don't even know how, when not even our Sensei could."

Naruto knew, the answer was just depressing. "If you yell at someone and they don't change their behavior, yelling at them more or whacking them upside the head is probably not going to work."

Tsunade looked at him. Unlike Itachi, she took the information, held it against her own world view, then took the bits that made sense and tossed away what no longer seemed alright. She sighed, and there, now her eyes held their age. "Is it my turn to get a shape up or else?"

Naruto huffed, watching Mari's eyes light up in delight as Jiraiya showed her something in one of his seal notebooks. "I don't believe in threatening people."

"Oh?" His cousin asked, curious and lacking judgment, which was better than how most shinobi reacted to that statement.

"Yes," he said, "if you force someone to change, then they won't want to keep that change, and they will resent you and the thing you are trying to get them to do even more. If you want someone to be better, you have to give them an reason to do so."

Tsunade gave him the side eye, still curious, and she was a bit like Mari in that regard. "Shouldn't people just be better?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Yeah I guess, but we don't really work like that. Mari says we're pack animals, we need people just as much as we need water and grass and moments of awe."

"Moments of awe?" She asked, and the two of them watch as Mari started pulling out papers, showing the toad sannin one of her larger seals.

"Yeah, it's when you feel small, but like, in a good way," he explained, "it's a feeling you get when you think I am tiny and small and the world is so wonderfully big and it's beautiful because I am here to witness it. Those are important, even if it means going something boring like going to the opera or a museum. Mari likes star gazing, the more she can see the better, one time she took a mission to snow and they had clear spell and she talked for weeks about how she could see a whole galaxy. Stuff like that."

His soon to be Hokage gave a hum. "She is very odd."

"Well she was raised by cats and crows," he joked, and Tsunade gave a huff, "but I think even if she hadn't been, she'd have always been like this. They just give her an excuse to ignore certain social exceptions cause she doesn't like them."

Tsunade gave him another side eye. "You are a very interesting mix of your parents."

He turned to look at her. "You think?"

She nodded. "Minato was smart, but he was always more analytical than not. Charming yes, personal yes, but, hm, he didn't always see what people were hiding. He took them at face value, at their best, for better or for worse, but it was your mother who always saw behind the masks people wore. It was why they were so effective as a team, they were battle couple who saw everything their enemies tried to hide."

There was flicker of guilt from Kurama that Naruto ignored. "People always seem to think I'm like my dad, no one really seems to point out my mom, except Akari. I don't really see why though."

"You don't?" She asked, so softly, and Naruto gave a shrug.

"I like to think I'm clever like Iruka-sensei and kind like old man Teuchi and confident like Ayame and social like Mari-nee and forgiving like Jiji. I think I'm good at seals like Akari and steadfast like Muta and comforting like Roka. It's nice that I have something of my parents, but I don't, I never see the resemblance. I might have their faces and the genes but how can I be like them when they weren't the ones who raised me?"

Tsunade was quiet for a moment, two. "Nurture instead of nature huh."

"Mari would like that," he mused as Jiraiya made a choking sound, walking over the circular seal with sharp eyes while Mari laughed, grinning at his confusion. "It's good to see her like herself again."

The next Lord Fifth watched him, amber eyes dark and serious before lifting back to Mari. "Sensei seemed to think she'd be a great Hokage."

Naruto gave a hum. "Jiji never understood that just because you could throw yourself on the sword of duty and toss everything else to the way side, doesn't mean you should."

"Do you hate him?" She asked, like Inoichi had asked him, after everything, and the answer was surprisingly easy to give.

Not easy fishcake, you're just you. Kurama said, and Naruto send amusement and warmth down the mindscape.

"No," he said, "I think Jiji tried his best, it was just his best wasn't good enough."

Tsunade sighed. "So, what do I need to work on then, my gambling or my temper or both?"

"You already know what you have to work on," Naruto replied, "I just came over to tell you to stop fighting with Jiraiya where Mari can hear. It stresses her out, as she feels the need to fix it. That is one of the things she can't really help, as being raised by the clan's summons did leave its mark."

Naruto decided then and there he liked Tsunade, because she nodded and just accepted it, unlike so many others. "Well, now that you've got your get your shit together conversation out of the way, why don't you tell me about this however many great uncle of mine, or is grandfather? He was present when Mito had my dad after all."

Kurama choked in the mindscape, and Naruto grinned, "oh first thing you need to know is that he's a big meanie."

It was raining when they finally make it back to Konoha, and Mari let Tsunade and Jiraiya storm the gates while she led the rest of them back into the Den. Kurama was very put out by the rain, and it was funny to watch because for someone who was so cat like Mari loved the rain, never more at ease then when water was clinging to her hair.

Tension slid off all of their shoulders when home finally came into view. It was good to be back, good to feel safe, and Roka was waiting for them on the porch, shadows almost threatening. The Nara's eyes flit from Mari, with her head held high, to Sasuke, holding his brother's hand with an expression of protective fury, to the Kiri Missing-Nin and the not sure how to feel Sasuke tag-a-longs.

"Hi honey," Mari said with a grin, "I'm home."

"Forget Haruka," Roka drawled, "Kimimaro is going to murder you."

Mari snorted, moving towards her teammate while Naruto moved to Sasuke's side, holding his hand. "That might be fun."

Roka rolled his eyes. "For you maybe. You going to come in, or are just going to stand in the rain like a bunch of strays?"

The eldest Uchiha tilted her head, "I like the rain."

"Yes I know Mari- no, no I am dry don't you dare get me, ugh." The Nara looked skyward as Mari gave him a hug, happiness bubbling in her chakra as she dragged her now soaked Nara inside, gesturing the rest to follow.

Itachi seemed to pause at the threshold, letting go of Sasuke's hand, like he was worried that his very presence might spoil the very foundation or something stupid like that. No one had to drag him in thankfully, as Kisame pushed his partner inside. Naruto waved at Muta and Tsukiyo, who were frozen on the couch.

"Ah," Muta said in typical Aburame deadpan, "Operation Verin finally worked out then."

Tsukiyo turned to her partner in surprise, "what in the hells Muta."

"Anything to report?" Mari asked, moving to get the secret box at the back of the tea cabinet.

"That's, what, someone explain what is happening right now," Tsukiyo demanded, and it was the most discomposed Naruto had ever seen the Hyuuga.

"Kakashi did adequate as temporary Hokage," Muta gave, ignoring the poke his partner gave him, "I take it Tsunade's taking the hat?"

"She's going up there right now and calling the clan heads to be confirmed." Mari then put all of the papers in the secret box into her satchel of war as they all jokingly called it, but it didn't feel so much like a joke anymore, not right now.

Roka hummed, expression sharp. "That'll be two operations then, that's good. Want us to hold down the den?"

"If you wouldn't mind?" She asked, "I don't exactly trust the rest of the compound to have calm and rational reactions to wide-eyes or his new friend."

"I'm not having a rational reaction," Tsukiyo hissed, "the fuck Mari."

"Think Kurapika from the Kurta clan combined with Martin from the wizard files," Mari replied with a dark tone, and Sasuke flinched beside him.

Neither of those were happy characters, and both the boy trying to find his family's stolen eyes and the man who who killed every friend he'd ever known in order to take down an ancient evil had crossed lines in the name of justice that they really shouldn't have.

Tsukiyo's change in posture was immediately serious. "Do you need me to get my clan involved?"

Mari waved a hand as she stood. "Hiashi already knows. Everyone who needs to be in the know already is."

Akari came down the steps, a basket of laundry in her arms. "I heard you came back- oh."

"Think Aang and Sozin if Sozin had pulled a Palpatine," Mari said, and his cousin sucked in a breath.

Kisame gave Mari the side eye. "You have a lot of stories that involve genocide."

Mari's smile of polite, and cold. "Humans killing a group of people simply because they are different or they want power is a sad fact of life, but considering most of the people in the room are the children of genocide in one form or another, is that truly so surprising?"

Akira put down her basket, expression cold. "You're going after the Lamashtu then?"

Naruto glanced at Sakura. That was what they called the person behind all those child kidnappings. That was a lot of kids Danzo was going through, and that was a bad, bad sign.

"Get them settled?" Mari asked, head gesturing to the two Missing-nin. Itachi seemed to freeze under Akari's gaze, while Kisame gave a little wave. Oh, that might be a problem, considering the sword Kisame held was one of the ones that brought the Uzukage down.

"I can do that," Akari replied softly, and it was odd sometimes, how she was almost an entirely different person than the one Mari had brought back. "I suppose it's a good thing we expanded then."

Mari huffed in amusement, before turning to Itachi, threading her hands into her cheeks. They were about the same hight, but the elder brother always seemed so much smaller when compared to Mari.

"I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no," she told him, and Itachi sucked in a shaky breath. "Trust me Itachi, let me carry that burden. Go, pick out a room, take a hot shower, then help Muta make dinner. You don't have to be strong, not anymore."

"Alright," he whispered back, and followed Akari up the stairs, Kisame in his shadow, the Kiri nin giving one last glance to Mari before disappearing to the second floor.

Sasuke turned to his sister of heart, and she smiled at him. "No."

"I haven't even said anything yet," Sasuke protested, and Mari moved so she was standing beside her cousin.

"Sasuke," she said softly and with steel, "no matter what rank you hold, you are still only thirteen. If I'm not bringing Itachi, what makes you think I would bring you."

"We should be there," his teammate hissed, and Mari crouched down, so they were eye to eye.

"I understand that you want justice, and you want justice now, but one day you will understand why you and Itachi are so removed from what I am about to do. You are my kitten, my little-one, and the only victims I am asking to face him today are adults. I will be the youngest person there, and honestly I wish I didn't have to be. You don't have to see his corpse to get closure Sasuke, I promise." Sasuke looked down at his sister's words, frowning before he looked up.

"I don't want to be useless," he said, and Mari melted, planting a kiss on her cousin's forehead while Naruto squeezed his fingers tight.

"Staying out of a fight you can't win isn't being useless," she replied, "staying safe so I can do my job isn't being useless. Giving me something to come back to isn't being useless Sasuke, and don't let anyone tell you any different, okay?"

"Okay," Sasuke muttered, and then she left.

They moved to the window, and Naruto ignored Roka moving upstairs as Akari ducked out of the second story, heading towards where Tenzo lived.

Sasuke held tight as he watched his sister walk into the rain, and even Kurama stopping whatever plotting he was doing with his siblings as all three of them watched until her figure disappeared into the hazy gray of the storm.

"She's going to come back, right?" Sasuke asked quietly, and Naruto gave a nod.

"Yeah Sasuke, she's coming back, she promised after all." And Mari always kept her promises.

Sasuke took in a breath, accepting that, and then he turned around to where Sakura was setting up the TV. She had already put in the bastard's stupid romance show, and all three of them squeezed into a pile on the couch, blankets bundled tight.

The rain pattered on the roof while Muta and Tsukiyo started to get into some food, whispers hissing back and forth like an old argument. Roka was walking around on the second floor, footsteps like a familiar song.

The sword of Damocles might be swinging, but Naruto knew the work was only just getting started.

Konoha was a forest after all, and there was more than rot in the roots.

That was for later though. For now there was only Sasuke, and making sure he and his brother stayed safe. Mari could handle the rest.

Chapter 29: Hangman Chapter Text

Look me in the eye
Admit that all your promises are a lie
Look at me
Look at what you made of me
I'm nothing
Nothing but shattered dreams and broken will
Ruined spirit and unknown future
But i cannot be
I'm engraved in history, you see
As the bravest warrior ever lived
I am the wisdom of my father
I am the firmness of my mother
I am the clever and creative genius
I am the legacy of my ancestors
I am the glory
Of the past days and the future
I am simply your hangman
I rise to your destruction
Because this time is mine, I will have no other
I will write history

Koharu had once Danzo was going to solve everything. She had once thought Hiruzen weak, and Konoha in dire need of some course correction.

She watched him talk with Homura, the two of them softly arguing about how the civilian council was getting uppity again, and wondered how she could have ever been so stupid.

Across the room Tsume was giving her a smirk, the brat. She sighed, and left Danzo to his posturing and Homura to his brown nosing.

She had better things to do.

"I heard a rumor you and Danzo had a fight," Tsume mused, and Koharu huffed, knowing that telling the younger woman to mind her manners would be pointless.

"A disagreement our youth, nothing more." It wasn't her best lie, and Tsume even raised an eyebrow. She withheld a sigh. "One could say I am tired, of attitudes from the past."

Tsume gave a hum. They rarely saw eye to eye on anything, but as one of three woman on the clan council, they had to support each other. What was the point, otherwise. "I thought he had gotten better about that kind of nonsense?"

"I think he was just saying that so Mari would stop pestering him," she mused, and Tsume grunted, handing Koharu with a tea cup that had a little more than sugar in it's content.

At least it was good alcohol.

There was a commotion outside the doors, and the small amount of clan heads already here stilled.

Tsunade walked into the room, doors slamming into the sides, looking as young as the day she left. She was flanked by Jiraiya and Akita, with Shikaku in her shadow. Now that was a statement, the spymaster and the two commanders proclaiming their support. Koharu watched her stalk up to the Hokage seat and place the hat on her head, looking out with a gaze made of molten steel.

She didn't look anything like the broken young woman who had left, and Koharu glanced at Danzo, wondering if this fit into his plans or not. He had agreed to let Mari go, yes, but she knew him, knew he would have preferred what he assumed the Uchiha regent to be.

The rest of the clan heads trickled in, and Koharu took in Tsume's languid posture and the way the shadows seem sharp around Shikaku and how Inoichi was whispering to Hiashi and Shibi, words passed back and forth like a volley.

Hm. Today was the day then.

Uchiha Mari walked in like she was dressed for war, and not one of words this time. She was in the dark blue Jonin undersuit, the green flak jacket snug around her chest, leaf head band bright and visible on her forehead as her Uchiha clan mon earrings glittered in the light. Koharu wasn't the only one who sucked in a breath at the sight of Sakumo's tanto strapped to one side, Sensei's sword strapped to the other.

Mari met her gaze from across the room, head tilted slightly as if to say, will you tell him?

Koharu met her gaze, posture perfect, and there were few ways one could imply if I was going to do so I would have by now, but she managed.

The Uchiha clan regent nodded her head, and there was a hint of gratefulness in the movement. Koharu didn't take any joy in it. How could she? One of the three classmates she had left was going to die.

The young woman was flanked by Uzumaki Akari and the Wood Release Jonin-sensei. They were both dressed in kimonos, the kind clan heads would wear, and Yamato was wearing the colors and clan mon of the senju.

They sat when Mari did, taking the long empty seats that accompanied the Uchiha's chair, and Danzo narrowed his eyes. She watched him, because while he could see something was wrong, he had not yet figured out that his leg had long been caught in a snare and this was just his death throws.

Pity, if only there had been any indication of Mari's true feelings until now.

"This is a clan council meeting, and they are not clan heads," Danzo said, though the man seemed uncertain what to make of the cold way Mari was regarding him, their once sense of familiarity replaced entirely with steel and ice.

"They should have been," Mari replied softly, "and their seats demand representatives."

Koharu turned away from the Danzo and Mari stare down, instead focusing on the way Tsunade and Yamato were looking at each other. There was longing in their gazes, fear of not being enough, of being too much. It was sad really, what should have been a joyous reunion overshadowed by doubt and trauma and a soon to be execution.

"Now is not the time for a power grab," Danzo warned in a low tone, and Mari looked at her former teacher like he was nothing.

"I think this is perfect time," she rebutted, and before he could reply Tsunade flared her Chakra.

"Enough, does anyone have any objections to my taking of the hat?" There were various murmurs of no, some spoken louder than others, and Koharu glanced across the gathered clan heads. The Ino-Shika-Cho was in the know, as well as the Hi-Shi-Inu. The founders trio, obviously. Hm, it seemed the only people out of the loop were Danzo, Homura, Kurama Murakumo, though Sarutobi Asuma was looking at Mari like he knew fairly well this was going to end in blood. "Great, does anyone have anything they want to bring to me."

"Yes," Yamato said, and Danzo glared at the boy, who stared right back, unflinching.

"You are not a clan head," Danzo interrupted before the boy could get anything else out, and she glanced at her former teammate, wondering when he would realize he couldn't bully his way out of this.

"No," Yamato agreed, "but that is because you stole me from my family. I accuse Shimura Danzo of treason against Konoha's citizens, kidnaping children for his experiments and still maintained Root division."

"That is ridiculous," Danzo calmly replied, but Koharu could see his nervousness, his confusion at why Mari was letting this happen, the fact he was having to lie at all. "This child obviously is trying to make up lies about me as a foolish bid for power."

"I accuse you of treason against Konoha's citizens," Uzumaki Akari said next, face like steel, so very different from the nervous and terribly afraid woman Mari had brought home, "spreading rumors so my cousin would spend his childhood alone and with no one to help him as you waited in the wings for when everyone else abandoned him, leaving you to be able to pick up the pieces and take his power for yourself."

"I do not have to listen to this nonsense from an outsider," Danzo huffed, clearly disconcerted at the tension in the room, at the lack of allies and the silence surrounding this moment.

"I accuse you of pressuring my cousin into killing his clan," Mari's voice was quiet, like silk over a blade, "of going behind the Hokage's back when a peaceful alternative had been chosen, of destroying any attempt of reconciliation that could have been made."

Koharu closed her eyes for just half a second, taking the time to mourn what she had long suspected but had never had the heart to believe. Oh Danzo, why? What did Kagami's clan do to deserve that?

She looked upon her old teammate, who was staring down Uchiha Mari with fury and a small hint of betrayal in his eyes.

"Liar," he hissed, and Mari smiled with teeth, emotion never touching her eyes.

"Yes," she agreed politely, and Koharu wanted to laugh, because Danzo had forgotten his history. Shinobi were liars, pretenders and thieves and assassins, and they had been born from a woman's mask of false fondness. "But not today."

"I accuse Shimura Danzo of extorting me into giving up my son and kidnapping my ward behind my back instead when that proved easier," Shibi said with more viciousness from a Aburame than Koharu had heard in her life, staring daggers like he wanted to leap across the table and kill the man right then and there.

"I accuse Shimura Danzo of branding ANBU members with a slave seal," Akita said, and Danzo's brow furrowed just barely, and she didn't sigh. Her teammate had made his bed, it was time for him to lie in it. There would no second chances, not this time.

"I accuse Shimura Danzo of sabotaging the third shinobi war peace talks and worsening the Ame rebellion," Jiraiya choked out, voice tight with fury and grief and malice. Sage, she wondered how many of Jiraiya's students he had lost because of that, how many Konoha shinobi had died because of what? Her teammate needed to be seen by a sensei who was long dead.

"There is no proof of this," Danzo said, growing tenser and tenser with every passing second.

"I accuse Shimura Danzo of bloodline theft, and pressuring Uchiha Shisui into suicide," Hiashi drawled softly, and she could see the moment it dawned on Homura that not only were their accusations true, but that their teammate wasn't going to be walking away.

"I accuse Shimura Danzo of using a sharingan to commit more treasons," Inoichi stated, but Danzo wasn't looking at the Yamanaka clan head, he was staring at Mari, who was staring right back, the mask of a pretty young thing long shed away to reveal the ruthless kunoichi who was willing to wait years for her justice.

"I accuse Shimura Danzo of ensuring the only Hokage candidate left standing would be himself," Shikaku added softly, and that was the final nail in the coffin.

Danzo was pale, and he stood, but none of his agents came to his aid. They were not here, and the only ANBU up above were ones loyal to the village. Mari was an over achiever like that.

"She's seeking power, do you not see?" He gestured wildly, looking for anyway to grasp a foothold, for any hint of doubt. "The Uchiha were behind the Nine-Tail Attack, they had to be stopped."

Mari rose slowly, the epitome of grace. "I think every person in this room has been extorted, browbeaten, or personally insulted in the most of unforgivable ways Shimura-san. You will find no allies here, and for the record, I would not have had to seek power if you had not been a power hungry war-monger!"

"I did what I did for Konoha!" Danzo protested, and Koharu watched Mari seethe, even if there was no Killing Intent, no flash of red.

"You did what you did for you!" Mari snarled, "what good did having your root trainees kill each other to get rid of their emotions do? What good did wiping out my clan achieve? What good was continuing the war suppose to give us, other than coffins of shinobi who died far too young?!"

"Your clan was going to commit a coup against Konoha, it would have been civil war," Danzo snarled, and Mari growled, the sound almost inhuman, something only an Inuzuka should have been able to produce.

Tsume went from languid to tense faster than a kuni.

"My clan elders would have never come to that conclusion if you hadn't segregated us!" Mari cried, "and even if my elders had been bitter old men seeking bloodshed, what gave you the right to demand the death of the babies, the toddlers and students and genin; the innocent of any wrong doing? Why did you have use my fucking foster brother as the knife?"

"You are a weak, foolish child." Danzo's tone was harsh, and Mari seemed to recollect herself, the firestorm of rage and fury pulled back tight behind gates of ice.

"Always," she agreed softly, and Tsume relaxed again. "I would not want to be anything else, and guess what Shimura-san? This weak and foolish child has won. I will have justice for my clan, and then I will take the soldiers you have created and I will break them anew. They will garden, and paint, and become proponents of a peace you would loathe with your entire existence."

Danzo snarled at the image. "My soldiers will always be loyal to me."

"For a time, but why would they continue to do so, when you have never given them the same regard?" Mari tiled her head, her voice cold, cruel. "History will not be kind to your memory Shimura-san. You will be remembered as a thief, a war seeker and a dishonorable apprentice whose hunger for power could not be quenched. You will be remembered as a comrade killer, a child snatcher, someone who made Konoha weak."

"I will not hear this," he roared, wrapped hand snaking out, but nothing happened. He looked at his fingers, and for the first time fear finally showed on his face. Mari smiled again, and this time her eyes did wrinkle, even as she held all of winter in the expression.

"I told you during our first tea meeting I was aiming for your postion, to one day stand where you stood," Mari mused softly, and Koharu finally noticed the hint of Chakra in the chairs, the seal that wrapped round and round the entire chamber. "You really should have thought about what that meant. Hound, restrain him."

Kakashi lept down from the rafters, hands quickly and effortless twisting Danzo's behind his back.

There had been a Hatake seat, once.

This was probably as close to some form of justice as he could get.

"So it comes to this," her teammate asked, and she met his gaze. She had been Tobirama's student the same as him, how could he honestly have thought any of this was what their teacher wanted? How could he think she would side with him after what he did to Kagami's family. "Murdered in the dark by my own people."

"Murder? What murder?" Mari asked, words almost chirped like one the many birds she called summons. "The Hokage and all the clan heads have seen the evidence. This is your trial, and if there are any who wish to speak up for you, they may do so now."

She held out a satchel, and Koharu knew if she asked for the evidence it would all be there in black and white. There would be files and testimonies and dates. There would be corpses, bones of too small bodies. Danzo was waiting for them to speak up, for her to speak up.

Koharu thought of Kagami, bright, beautiful Kagami, and said not a word.

No one did.

Mari stepped into the center of the circle, turning to Tsunade. "With your permission?"

"So impatient for vengeance?" Danzo asked, trying to get out of the hold, trying to cling to anything he could.

Tsunade gave a nod, face tight with fury, and Mari pulled out Sakumo's tanto. It was the blade that had started the second shinobi war, the blade that plunged into the White Fang's belly. "I told you once I did not believe in assassination. Whoever passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you cannot look your enemy in the eye and hear their last words than that enemy does not deserve to die. This is my sentence, and it'll be by my sword."

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," her former teammate hissed, and Mari smiled with teeth.

"Yes you really should have," she agreed, and she met his gaze with black, obsidian eyes. Mari walked forward, placing the blade on Danzo's throat, and she did not linger in the moment, she did not soak in her monster's growing terror. "Thank you for all your lessons Shimura-san, I will ensure they are forgotten with me."

Koharu didn't looked away as the blade opened Danzo's throat, even as Homura did. Blood coated the Uchiha regent, a small pile of red growing at her feet as Kakashi let the corpse of her former teammate drop.

Hiruzen was dead, and now Danzo was too.

She looked to Tsunade. How did one of Mari's stories go?

The king is dead, she remembered, Tsunade's expression like steel, long live the queen.

Chapter 30: Four-Leaf Clover Chapter Text

I know a place where the sun is like gold,
And the cherry blooms burst with snow,
And down underneath is the loveliest nook,
Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

One leaf is for hope, and one is for faith,
And one is for love, you know,
And God put another in for luck—
If you search, you will find where they grow.

But you must have hope, and you must have faith,
You must love and be strong – and so—
If you work, if you wait, you will find the place
Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

Shibi watched the blood spread across the floor, feeling nothing but vicious satisfaction. Danzo was dead, and there was no grandness in the deed, no final words left to hatch into doubt. He itched to leave, to get his ward and hold him tight and never let Torune leave his sight again.

Mari was staring at the pool of blood, uncharacteristically still, and before anyone else could stand Inoichi was already moving to her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him, eyes tight.

"I propose we end here," he said, and Mari shook her head.

"I'm alright," she replied, and even Shibi could see that she was very much not alright, and even if she was, letting that blood stay on her face was probably not a good idea. "I'm alright, we don't have time to take a break, there is, there is so much to do."

"Mari," Inoichi murmured, and her face flickered at the soft tone, "you've been holding on to this for a very long time. It's okay, I promise it's okay, you can take a moment to breathe."

Her breath was ragged, and Mari put a hand to her lips.

"Granted," Tsunade said, and she turned to the ANBU Commander, "gather who you need and go. And someone clean up this mess."

"Don't," Mari choked, "I need to burn the eyes and if you take the arm out of the circle it'll turn into a tree."

Their new Hokage sighed, long and tired and deep. "Sage, we'll put it in a storage scroll then."

"With your permission Hokage-sama," Yamato asked, "I would like to join the mission to disband Root."

She stared at him for a brief second before stating, "that is your call, if you wish join Akita, you may. Anyone else?"

Tsume, Choza, and Shibi all stood up. Mari shifted like she was going to join them, and Inoichi stepped in her way. They had some kind of silent conversation, micro-expressions entirely unreadable until Mari visibly relented, and moved to where Akara was waiting.

"Great," Tsunade said, "no other comments, questions, or concerns?"

"Can you pardon Itachi now?" Mari asked, voice soft, and Inoichi wheezed. Shibi felt his own knees weaken, because Sage, Sage he had not thought of the implications of her accusation. Mari's smile wavered with sadness, the kind of dark humor Tsume would appreciate. "I'd apologize, but it's kinda your family business."

"Haruka is going to kill you," Inoichi hissed, and Mari managed a weak, wet laugh.

"Yeah I think he might," she mused, and then Akita was moving and Shibi made to follow, noting how over half the clan heads were coming with.

Mari caught up with him just before he left the building, the Uzumaki woman like a red shadow."Shino asked for something, once."

Shibi wasn't sure what to make of the sentence, and then Mari was handing him a seal the size of his palm. It was one of her own, a shield with a cross in the middle with three symbols on each corner. He took in the bottle with a small lump that looked like charcoal, a scorpion being milked, and two hexagonal shapes latching onto a circle with a symbol for metal in the center.

He took a breath, because there could be only one thing this seal was meant to do. "Is this?"

Mari nodded. "Bring him home. Bring all of them home."

Even the ones I couldn't save, went unsaid, but Shibi heard it all the same. He gave her a light bow, and then followed the rest of his fellow clan heads out of the building and towards the Hokage Mountain.

It was time to bring his son home.

Shino padded softly in the shadows. They would never truly be his friend, but Shikamaru was someone he respected, and so the dark was something he found a comfort in now.

He watched the people ahead of him, and it was odd, for two people with such bright hair and clothes Ino and Naruto blended into the background even better than he did. All three of them stopped when Naruto held out a hand, his chakra shifting to as better hide them in the ambient chakra all around them, and they watched as two shinobi in a bull mask and a tiger mask, arguing in sign walked past.

They waited until Naruto gave the signal to move, and the tree of them were dipping down the hallway, rows and rows of shut doors with clipboards on the wall.

Here, Naruto signed, and Ino moved to pick up the chart, eyes shifting back and forth as she read it over.

All good, she told them, and Shino would have felt relief if he wasn't so tense, hive practically buzzing with excitement and anxiety.

Shino went in first, only to freeze at the kuni thrown at his feet. He looked up, and Torune was shock still, black eyes wide. Shino took in his missing brother, the bandages wrapped around his entire chest and the Aburame approved prescription sun glasses on the table.

"Shino?" Torune choked, and Shino lunged for his brother, who tried to back away, expression scared. "Wait no, don't!"

Shino ignored him, holding his brother tight for the first time since, since ever, since before Mari taught him it was okay to hug and before he had friends who weren't scared of his bugs and before he knew anything about the world. He could hear his brother's heart beat, pulse skipping against bandaged skin, and he felt his brother hesitantly hug him back, so clearly afraid, but Shino wasn't.

He had asked, years ago, for something he never thought he would have, and Mari had delivered.

"Shino, Shino you gotta introduce us," Naruto whispered, and Ino hushed him.

"Quiet, you're gonna ruin the moment," she hissed back, and his brother finally seemed to notice the extras in the room.

"Going to introduce me to your, to your allies?" Torune asked, and oh right, Shino had been going through that phase.

"These are my friends," he said, "Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino."

Torune was quiet before admitting, "I know a Yamanaka."

"That's good," Ino replied, "I know dad was worried about him.

"Dad?" His brother asked, and Shino glanced a look at Ino, who seemed to be debating her answer, before shrugging.

"You probably know him as Inoichi," she explained, looking at her nails like she couldn't care less, but Shino could see the nervousness in her posture.

"Ah, I see, that's, nice?" Torune murmured, and it was an odd thing, because when they had been separated Torune was the one knowledgeable in social skills, and now it was Shino who was more practiced.

"Do you want to hear about my other friends?" He asked, and Torune gave a nod while Ino and Naruto pulled out a piece of paper and started working on something. It wasn't a seal, but it was definitely something Mari would squint her eyes at.

Oh well, that wasn't his problem.

Shino told Torune about the Konoha Fifteen, about his team and yes that included loud mouth Kiba who was still a loud mouth but he had a few redeeming aspects and at least he had Hinata on his team, because she was a gift. There was Team Seven, and Naruto gave a wave at that, and he told his brother how he and Sasuke discussed social problems and how he and Sakura discussed poisons and how his bugs could be used in the medical field. Ino chimed in at that point, because they also talked posions. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were very helpful, particularly the boys, were not as loud as their female teammate.

There was Fu, who was probably his best friend and lived with them as Shibi's ward, a sister he never knew he needed, and how she was a minion alongside Suigetsu to Naruto's cousin Karin, who was very, very scary, no seriously, she was terrifying.

It was only when he started talking about their cousin Muta and his teammates that Torune tensed.

"Mari, like Uchiha Mari?" He asked, and Shino was debating when Naruto piped up.

"Yeah she's our Nee-san," the blonde boy said, and he could feel Torune confusion.

"Our," his brother repeated dubiously, and Ino snorted.

"She has an adoption problem," the Yamanaka explained, "once you Root peeps get released she's gonna be all over you, making sure you're eating properly and getting enough sunlight and skin contact and green things."

Shino shifted away from his brother, still sitting on the bed but now he could see the slight hint of puzzlement in Torune's face.

"Why?" His brother asked, and Ino and Naruto shared a look, while Shino debated asking Mari for that reanimation jutsu so he could kill Danzo over and over again.

"Cause those are things that keep you healthy," Naruto explained.

Torune frowned. "Danzo-sama never let us have those things."

"Danzo-sama didn't believe in learning new things," Ino said darkly, and Torune looked at Shino, then down at his lap, body tight.

"He is, they said, he is a traitor now, isn't he?" Torune whispered, and Shino grabbed tight to his brother's hands.

"Yes. Why? Because he stole you," Shino hissed, and Torune's shoulders tightened.

"I volunteered," he countered, and Shino was too angry to explain so Naruto did.

"Technically it was extortion cause he was threatening your caretaker and kidnapping because you weren't at an age to give consent to conscription," the Uzumaki explained, sounding like a mini-Mari.

"No more talking about Danzo," Ino declared, and that was smart.

"That's fair," Naruto agreed, "so what's your favorite food? We gotta make you something when you get to go home and stuff."

"I do not have a preference," his brother answered, and Shino didn't expect that to hurt, but it did.

"Oh we gotta fix that before Mari hears you say that," Naruto said, "food preferences are important."

"Why?" Torune asked, voice blank for all Shino heard the longing and the confusion.

"Because it's communal," Ino told him, "and one of her love languages, and because when people don't have favorites it means something is either wrong in their household or someone is being too shy to tell the truth and that makes her sad."

His brother frowned. "I still do not understand."

"That's alright," Shino told him, "why? No one else does either, we just roll with it."

Torune hid his nervousness. He knew he wasn't suppose to have emotions, but apparently that wasn't true anymore, and also there was no telling how the Hokage would react to him asking questions. Danzo never liked it when they talked, but she might not like his silence.

He stayed very still as the Hokage did her paperwork, grumbling every so often. Better safe than sorry, or so the expression went.

He started when the door opened, but it wasn't an enemy, it was just Inoichi. He felt a slight panic, wondering if the man knew about his daughter sneaking about the Root holding, but then his focused shifted much more onto the two shinobi behind him. Torune pulled back on his instinct to greet Fu first. He had been worried about the Yamanaka ever since he tried to enter ANBU Raven's mind and got, stuck, or something.

Fu looked like he was suppressing a similar reaction, though the younger trainee with dark hair and paper white pale skin just looked blank.

"Finally," the Hokage muttered, looking up at Inoichi. "I assume you already know each other?"

"I am called Sai," the dark haired boy introduced, and Torune stood to stand next to Fu and Sai.

Alright? He tapped as Inoichi handed the Hokage a thick folder.

Fine, I was not harmed. You? Fu replied, and Torune felt something inside him uncurl.

Same. They both then glance at the new comer, not sure his purpose or how trustworthy he was.

"Right," the Hokage said, "the three of you are being put on a team."

That was fast. From what Torune grasped, those in Root were slowly being reintegrated back into the village. They must need them for something.

"What is our mission?" Fu asked, taking point as he always did, and Torune didn't understand the look the Hokage was giving them.

"No mission," she told them, voice almost soft, "think of this as more learning how to integrate into the village. The rest of Root is doing the same."

"The older ones aren't," Sai pointed out, and they both side eyed him for that. There was getting information and then there was asking questions that got you in trouble.

Luckily for all three of them the Hokage didn't seem the mind the question. "The older ones, due to their age and time spent in Root, are having a different and more drawn out kind of process. The three of you at this moment are going to form a Genin team."

"I see," Sai said, sounding put out at the demotion, but Torune read between the lines, could see what the Hokage wasn't saying.

They weren't getting a teacher, they were getting a watcher, and Torune took a breath. "Who will be our sensei?"

"Me," a voice said, and all three of them stiffen at the new comer. Uchiha Mari looked very different from the last time he had seen her. She was taller, more graceful, body sharpened into a weapon Danzo had long wanted at his side. "Hello Torune, it is good to see you again. Sai, Fu, it is a pleasure to meet the two of you."

He dipped his head. "Hello again, Mari-sensei."

"Come on," she gestured, let's go get some ramen and get to know each other, it's a Team Seven tradition. Are we Team Seven?"

Both the Hokage and Inoichi twitch for some reason.

"Technically you're Team Mari," Inoichi said, and Mari shrugged.

"Good enough," she decided, "come on kits, let's go."

"As primates we would be either babies or infants," Sai rebutted as they exited the Hokage's desk. Torune tensed, but Mari didn't seem annoyed, in fact she even seemed amused, which was good?

Mari patted Sai on the head, who looked like he didn't know what to do with that interaction. "We'll work on that, but nope, you're either a pup, kitten, or kit. Maybe fowl or fry or nymph, but probably not."

"Fu is a nymph," Torune remembered, and his Fu frowned, and Mari's brow furrowed.

"Oh that's going to be confusing," she mused, "alright, Orange Fu is the Yamanaka and Green Fu is the Aburame. But yes, Green Fu is called Nymph."

Mari led them across Konoha, to a small stand where an old man looked down at them with a look of maybe pretend horror.

"Oh no," he breathed, "they've made you a Jonin-Sensei."

"Entirely against my will I assure you," Mari drawled back in what Torune hoped was a playful tone, "but with the influx of jonin needed to be teachers in any capacity and the fact their integration was my own design, I was beat browed into it."

"Why?" Sai asked, and he was probably one of the orphans Danzo collected at a young age. The one's recruit- taken at an older age knew better than to poke at the authority figure. "This method seems inefficient."

"To you maybe," Mari poked back, and he glanced at Fu, but the Yamanaka didn't seem to sense any kind of danger yet, "but your social skills suck and you have no sense of self preservation."

"We are tools for the village," Sai countered, and they both watched with baited breath, because this was one way to test her temper. She probably wouldn't hurt them, or punish them, but Torune didn't want to test that half remembered person just yet. "We do not need friends or the need for survival."

There was a flicker of anger in her face, quickly hidden in her single raised brow of exacerbated. "One, you're human, you absolutely need friends, it's good for your mental health. Two, living is very, very important both from a moral stand point and an economical one. And lastly, shinobi need to be able to blend in and of the three of you, I'm pretty sure only Fu here could do that."

"I am glad to have met your exceptions," Fu said, mostly to show he was paying attention, and Mari looked not at him but at the stand owner, who was making a face Torune wasn't sure how to describe.

"Don't say it," she half ordered, half pleaded, "I already know, don't say it."

"This is karma for your youth," the old man said bluntly, and Mari sighed, long and deep.

"I know," she dragged out, and then glanced at the three of them, "so what are the three of you ordering?"

They spend most of lunch talking. He and Fu already knew each other, what they could do, but they learned Sai could use some kind of ink Jutsu. He was an orphan taken young, and though they didn't talk about it, it was clear he had gone through the final graduation already, something Mari seemed tense about, they way they talked around it.

Her hint of feralness was still there, it was just, sharper, more refined, and Torune had no doubt she was very, very deadly. Sai didn't seem to think so, and Mari was letting the younger trainee continue with that judgment, though her amusement gave the game away.

That kind of thinking was going to stab Sai in the back if he wasn't careful, so Torune resolved to tell him Mari's mask was purely fake and only held together because of social expectations.

"Come on then," she said when they were finished with lunch, "we've got a training field to destroy."

"Why?" Sai asked, and Mari held up two bells.

"Tradition!" She beamed, and Torune withheld a sigh.

It was the start of a long, long day, but not a bad one.

Chapter 31: Still Life With Ladder Chapter Text

Today, the sky saved my life
caught between smoked rum and cornflower.
Today, there is a color I can't name cruising past

the backdoor – it is the idea of color.
Cloudscapes evaporate like love songs
across lost islands, each a small bit coin of thought.

Today, I am alive and this is a good thing—

clams in the half shell, a lemon rosemary tart.
I live in the day and the day lives past me.
If I could draw a map of the hours, a long

horizon would travel on indefinitely ~ a green, backlit thread.

The sky? It is never the same – it is sour milk
and whipped cream, a sketchbook and flour-dusted jeans.
Today, I am in love with the sky.

It doesn't care if my father is dead,
or that I live by myself with his Masonic watch.
I sew time with my mother's button jar.

I've improvised my life ~ let the sky pull the strings.

Tonight, I will borrow the golden ladder from the orchard,
travel from this sphere into the next and expunge
the leftover sadness of the hemispheres, to move beyond

the beyond which is here, present, alive in this hyacinth room;

time leaps over itself, after and out of the tangled past
over shadows of weather falling across a back window~
to forgive one another; to try once more to live it right.

Mari had gotten herself three little precious Genin, and watching her interact with them was a blessing Kakashi didn't know he needed. It was highly amusing, it had to be, otherwise it would just be sad, to see her try and teach one kid who too blunt and said what he was thinking without prompting and two others who said whatever they thought she wanted to hear.

It was karma for the hellion she had been in her youth, and Kakashi was here for it.

"Kakashi!" Gai called over, behind him Karin and Neji were wrestling in the dirt while Teams Three and Four cheered the pair on. Well, Karin was wrestling, Neji looked like he'd rather be doing anything else.

"Gai," he greeted, "Kurenai, Asuma, how are you?"

"Alright," Asuma said, which Kakashi could relate to, that had been a hell of a meeting even knowing what was going to happen, still Asuma had weathered it pretty well.

"I'm good, did you hear they've even called in the clan heads to teach again?" Kurenai asked, and Kakashi twitched at the idea of Tsume with impressionable young Root agents. That was either going to best thing for those agents chosen, or the worst. Probably both.

"I did not hear that," he replied, ignoring her amusement at his reaction. "Where's Yamato?"

"His most youthful sister is here," Gai explained, "So our most valiant friend went to introduce her to his cousin."

Good for Tenzo, Kakashi though, he deserved more family. He hoped Yukimi got along with Tsunade. The last time he had seen Tenzo's sister she had looked him at him and at then at Gai and he knew for a fact if Yukimi made a comment about Tsunade and Jiraiya there would be some sudden remodeling to the Uchiha den.

Kakashi settled down next to Gai, watching as his own precious little Genin started to poke around Mari's new team. The Uchiha regent tilted her head before she left her students to the mercy of Team Seven, which was frankly rather mean, that was like pushing a toddler into the deep end.

"A hundred ryo one of them says something and get's punched," Asuma said, and Kurenai snorted.

Kakashi just watched though, honestly it was a fifty-fifty chance.

Sakura was twitching in a way that certainly hinted at Asuma's outcome, though the arrival of Shino seemed to calm things down. His eyes followed Mari as she cornered Shikamaru and Ino, who were wearing their I wasn't planning anything what are you talking about faces.

He glanced away, eyes finding Kiba and Hinata talking Haku, Zabuza attempting to hide from Guran. Kimimaro was talking to Hakuyo, eyes similarly watching the party. Hm. Something interesting must be planned then.

Shikaku was playing Shogi with Inoichi, while Choza, Hiashi, and Shibi all watched as Tsume bantered with a slightly flustered Akari.

The party stilled at the arrival of two new shinobi, and Kakashi stood, moving over before anyone else could.

Itachi had grown, in his years away, only he no longer looked like the drowning boy Kakashi remembered, expression so sharp and tense. The young man before him was broken, tired, and looking entirely out of his depth, body tight with tension as Kakashi approached.

Kakashi knew that posture. He had worn it himself once, after Mari had maneuvered him into the den. Kakashi had expected nothing but violence in return, even as he had gone anyway, as duty demanded.

"Hello Itachi-kohai," he greeted fondly, and the emotion was only half faked. "It is good to see you again."

"Kakashi-senpai," Itachi returned hesitantly, looking so lost, and he gestured at the very tall and very muscular swordsmen standing to his left. "This is Kisame."

"She's found another swordsman to add to the collection then, should I be worried?" He drawled softly, and Kisame grinned.

"Oh most definitely, that little leviathan of yours probably won't stop until she has the whole set." Sadly Kakashi could believe that, Mari had some sort of fascination with Kiri nin that he just did not understand, and he watched at Itachi grew tense again.

"Nii-san," Sasuke greeted, the younger boy ignoring the way everyone was watching as he reached for his brother. It was a statement, he knew, that the both of them were completely at ease, even if Itachi wasn't. "Come, I want to show you the tomato garden."

Itachi was soon surrounded by Team Seven, the three of them happily chatting away with the former missing-nin, creating a bubble from the stares of the many, many eyes that followed him.

"They're more protective than I thought they'd be," Kisame mused, and Kakashi shrugged.

"He's one of Sasuke's," Kakashi explained as Team Eight and Nine joined the shield around Itachi, "that makes him one of theirs."

"Simple as that?" the Missing-Nin asked, something in his voice Kakashi didn't have enough references to properly guess at, but it was probably longing.

"Simple as that," he repeated, then glanced at the swordsmen, whose posture pretended to be relaxed, but was definitely not at ease with all the stares. "Come on, you can come sit with me, the Kiri quartet will probably come drifting over, and you definitely want a friend for when that happens."

"And you're a friend?" Kisame asked softly, like the words were a challenge, and Kakashi gave him his most annoying eye smile.

"Well, you are one of Mari's, so that makes you one of mine."

After using Kisame to distract Gai, Kakashi meandered into the kitchen.

He found himself staring at the calendar on the fridge, with the birthdays and playdates and meetings, both for fun and for business, an explosion of color across white pages.

"What's the long face for?" Akari asked, and for once the sight of her didn't bring a pang in his chest as he remembered Kushina.

"It's funny," he replied, "when I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to get older, for time to pass me by. Now I want these too short days to linger for as long as they can."

"I remember that feeling," Akari mused softly, and Sage he bet she did. "Adulthood wasn't as cracked up as I thought it would be. Karin though, Karin made me want every day to last a century, as I breathed in every small change, every discovery."

They weren't his children, weren't his siblings, but they were his pack, and they were already getting taller, getting smarter and wiser and stronger.

"They used to be so wide eyed," he reminisced fondly, thinking back to their first missions.

Akari stared at him, expression warm. "They're still going to need you you know, they will be needing you for the rest of their lives, even as their dependence wanes."

Normally he'd curse the Uzumaki emotional intelligence, but it was nice, to have his worries soothed. "You think?"

She hummed, "did you ever stop needed Minato?"

"No," he admitted, not wanting to get into his forced early independence and that whole mess. "I was, I was so young though, when he died. I didn't think so at the time, but I was."

Fourteen had been, a time. He wondered if Mari would ever forgive Minato, for putting him in the special forces. Probably not.

"We never do, as teenagers," she agreed quietly, tone only somewhat bittersweet. She smiled at him then, putting a hand on his shoulder. "That was nice of you, what you did."

Kakashi shrugged. "Itachi needed help, I was never in a position to give it, until now. And it made Mari happy."

"I never knew him, but I think your father would be so proud of you," Akari said, and Kakashi took a breath, thinking of a man he had so many things he wanted to say to.

"You think?" he asked quietly, and the Uzumaki nodded.

"Yes," she told him, "I think anyone would be proud to have you as a son."

Kakashi looked away, feeling a blush rise in his cheeks. He didn't remember his mother, and Kushina had been more sister than mom, but there was something about Akari's quiet acceptance that settled warmly in his chest.

His eyes scanned the calendar, and the point where the gold started to disappear. "Things are going to be different, and soon."

"That's life though, is it not?" She replied, "everything changes, sometimes little by little and some times in sweeping brushes. Nothing to do but accept it, and find what joy we can, in the moments both big and small."

He side eyed the Uzumaki. "Now that sounds like something my therapist would say."

Akari laughed. "Considering all our therapists were trained by the same people I'm not surprised. Now come, tonight is not a night for such maudlin thoughts. Someone let Tsume into the Mari's alcohol collections and it turns out Shibi is a surprisingly good bartender."

She grabbed his hand, and Kakashi protested up until Gai spotted him, and then he was challenged to a drinking contest and well, one thing lead to another after that.

Kakashi found Mari on the roof after he had cheated to sober up. He privately thanked Hana for teaching him that trick, he'd have to get her something nice later. The Uchiha regent was looking up the stars, the soft murmur of those still awake rising like a lullaby, and he settled down, looking up at constellations his father had taught him so many years ago.

They sat in silence for a minute, the bonfire's soft crackle joining the ambient whispers of kith and kin, and then she turned to him.

"Naruto will be going on a training trip with Jiraiya," Mari said, and Kakashi gave her the side eye for that.

"I know," he replied, not sure where this conversation was going to end up, but entirely certain he wasn't going to like its ending.

Mari's mouth twisted slightly. "Did Sakura talk to you?"

Oh he definitely wasn't going to like where this was going. "She did. Are you going to get to the point or we going to keep dancing around it?"

She rolled her eyes, but her fingers were clasped tight, which belayed her nervousness, no matter how calm her voice was. "I have an idea, and I wanted to run it by you first before it got serious. Naruto's getting a Sannin, and Sakura is too, and judging from your face you already know who I want to get Sasuke for an apprenticeship."

"Mari no," he breathed, because Itachi was one thing, but Orochimaru was entirely another.

"The village needs more time to come to terms with what Itachi did," Mari said like that had any bearing on sending Sasuke to the man who had killed their Hokage. "People either see him as a hero or a monster, and it's really not healthy for him either way. Sasuke wouldn't be going alone, he'd have at least two very competent S-class ninja with him."

"Why," he asked, because she would not be attempting this if she didn't have a very good reason.

She gave a shrug, and then lied. "I like the symmetry, and call it a hunch, but I think it'll be good for them. He was a teacher once you know, and a good one, before, well, everything."

"I thought you believed people shouldn't use kids to heal," he countered, and her nose wrinkled.

"And I still don't," she replied, "but I do think giving Orochimaru people who don't fear him or want to use would be, helpful. He was screwed over just as much as Itachi was, and it doesn't make what he did okay, it doesn't make it right, and I'll be visiting every month with Haruka, so it's not as if Sasuke won't have a safety net."

Kakashi eyed the Uchiha clan regent. "Mari. Does Haruka know you're planning on having him give Orochimaru therapy."

A small grin twitched on her lips, "oh I'm sure he'll figure it out."

"He's going to murder you," he told her, and Mari hummed, looking out, and Kakashi followed her gaze to where Naruto was circling Sai, both boys seemingly poking at each other. "If he goes, I'm going with him."

"Sure," Mari agreed easily, too easily, "and while you're there you can snoop around Kabuto, he might be kin, might not be."

What. "What."

"Silver hair and black eyes. It's not outside the realm of possibility," she said, still looking at their kids, and Sage she looked so old then, so tired.

"Mari," he started, but he wasn't sure what he wanted to say, what he should say, how to help her like she had helped him.

"I haven't told Tenzo yet," she murmured, voice so quiet, "he's, he's happy, and him getting adopted by Tsunade is, I don't want him to think we're just, shoving what Orochimaru did under the rug. I don't think he'll ever regret what he's done, but if we can bring him back into the fold, then I'd like to."

Kakashi gave a hum, watching her face. "Tell me why, the real reason, not any of things you think I want to hear."

Mari's face slowly turned to look him in the eyes, a tension threading across her entire body. She stared with black eyes that seemed to absorb the light better than any winder pond, wind sending strands of hair across her brow, which she ignored. "What would you say if I said these eyes of mine let me more than just weakness?"

He took a breath, deciding to get more answers before he reacted. "What do you mean?"

The kids cheered about something, Tsume laughing with Shibi and Akari, a fire crackling in the distance. The Mari before him was one he had seen only the once, when she had clawed her way back to her family only discover they were all gone. This was not the Den Mother, nor the Sealing Mistress. This was the Kunoichi, ready to fight even the heavens themselves for her family.

"We are going to need him, one day," she whispered, voice like steel and grief, "and Sasuke is going to need the lessons he teaches. My little-one has to be just as strong as Naruto and Sakura, or he's not going to survive."

"Why," he asked, dread starting to build in his chest, "what's coming?"

"A war," she told him, and his chest was so tight, "but not with Kumo, not with Kiri or Iwa or Suna or any of the nations."

"Then with who?" he demanded, and Mari opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked at him again, an internal debate practically flashing across her eyes she ran the calculations of telling him, the consequences versus his right to the knowledge, her promise about always letting her people make truly informed choices.

"It's not a very believable story," she said slowly, hesitantly, reading every micro expression he might make, "and time has weathered so much of its proof away."

Sage please let this not be another Danzo.

Kakashi gave a shrug. "We're Team Seven, our sense of believability is a little higher than everyone else."

"Fair enough," she mused softly, fondly, and then Mari put down a secondary privacy seal, which was over kill in his opinion considering how many secrecy seals she had lining the house. "Once upon a time there was a woman who came from the stars to plant a tree. It was suppose to eat the world, and it did, after a fashion, but Kaguya found she enjoyed the planet she had landed upon, and the people even more so. In time she even fell in love. For a brief period she and her husband Tenji, the Emperor of the Land of Ancestors, were happy, but then Kaguya destroyed an army seeking kidnap her, and as men in power often do, her husband found her power too unnerving to allow. He plotted to kill her, and led their own people against her. He'd never know she was carrying his sons, and about nine months after his death the Sage of the Sixth paths was born."

Chapter 32: Ring out, wild bells Chapter Text

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Inoichi's feet were silent as he walked across the Hokage monument. He ignored the crows hidden in the trees, moving towards the carving of the Lord Second. He had a pounding headache, and a resolve to never let Shibi and Tsume make drinks ever again, the sky slowly starting to lighten.

Mari was sitting on Tobirama's head, and though she gave no indication she had heard him, Inoichi knew better than to assume she wasn't aware of his presence.

He settled beside her, and she watched him a wariness he had long thought they were past.

"I heard you had fun with Fu and the rest," he spoke, because that was nice, easy ground.

Mari huffed, fondly bittersweet as she looked out at Konoha. "It wasn't a true bell test, but I enjoyed it all the same."

"I think the training field would disagree with you," he jabbed, and she laughed lightly, still nervous, still tense, but starting to unwind.

"They needed to let loose," she mused, still not looking at him. "I think that was the first time in a long time they had been free to just, do whatever."

"You're doing a lot better than the rest of the new Jonin-sensei's," he praised, and Mari tilted her head slightly.

"Yes well," she murmured, voice belaying an undertone of hurt. "I've had a lot more practice."

Yes, he supposed she rather did.

"Speaking of, Kakashi came to see me," he started, and Mari hummed, eyes on the village as she placed down one of her privacy seals. "He wasn't sure he could talk to Shizuka."

"I'd have made her safe, if that was what he wanted," Mari replied softly, but it was no less a promise, no less a threat. "I did the same for Haruka after all."

"Mari," he started, then stopped. Was this even a conversation she wanted to have? She folded her legs, chin resting on her knees as she stared at where the Uchiha Compound lied.

"You didn't really think about what weakness means, did you?" She mused, looking so aged, and sage, she was only twenty one. "I don't just see physical vulnerabilities, I see what I would need to say to shatter their world beliefs, I see what I need to say to win any argument. I see old injures, hidden secrets, doubts that have never breathed to anyone. I saw and I saw and there was nothing to, not with Danzo and Sarutobi at the helm."

Her voice cracked in the end, she held tight to her legs, for the first time in a long time looking small.

"Sounds like that was a heavy thing. It must have been hard, to have carried that at such a young age." Mari turned and looked at him, brows furrowed in confusion, and he leaned on one arm, giving an amused hum. "Me and Shikaku talked it out already, I've got all my panic already out of my system. We should talk about the story you told Kakashi though."

"He took it better than I thought he would," she muttered in her knees, and Inoichi mostly agreed.

"I'm pretty sure he butchered its retelling," he confided, "particularly when he started to get to the parts and theories about his Genin teammates."

Mari didn't join in at his attempt to lighten the mood. "He deserved to know."

"So he did," Inoichi agreed, taking a breath before, "Mari, how long have you known, about Obito?"

"I saw him once," she confided, "he was stalking Kakashi, and after what I had seen from Kakuzu and his partner, everything fell into place. I could, I could feel his seal."

"The one on his heart?" He asked, mostly for clarification, and she nodded, looking so tired.

"It is," she took a breath, "it is such an ugly thing."

Slave seals usually were. He could only imagine what Danzo's seal must have felt like to her.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," he told her, and Mari gave a hum, shifting her head to glance at him.

"How is Kakashi?" She asked, and Inoichi sighed.

"He was very upset that Rin might not have wanted to kill herself, and at Obito being brainwashed into killing their sensei." Inoichi was upset about that, because Sage Minato had not deserved to die by his student's hand, but that was for later, that was for later, Mari didn't need his panic or pain.

"I wasn't sure when to tell him, but now seemed like a good time. Team Seven is breaking up, and I want him to spend the next few days surrounded by his team, so he can see that not all is lost. I wanted him to know now, rather than on a battlefield."

The way she said with such certainty was absolutely something they'd be talking about later.

"It was a risk," he noted, "if this Zetsu character is truly half as scary as you seem to find him."

Mari shrugged. "He's not scary, I'm just terrified he's going to escape if I don't do this right, because if he gets away he's patient enough to go to ground and stay there until my descendants assume we made him up, and he will go about undoing all my hard work."

"That's a valid concern," he mused, and Sage, to have carried that along side the whole Danzo business, it was a wonder she was so stable. "I assume you already have a plan?"

"He's going to think everything is running smoothly until the very last second," she drawled, and Inoichi gave her the side eye for that.

"That's not a plan," he stressed, and she huffed a little, a slight hint of amusement on her face.

"Yes it is," she said, "everything surrounding it is just, contingencies."

"Why do I get the feeling there's more," he replied, and Mari hummed in response, looking at the village and all its softly sparkling lights.

She sat like that, for a moment, the amusement slowly draining away. He let her think, let her formulate what words she wanted to use, if she wanted to use them at all. Inoichi had learned a long time ago Mari was very much like her first summons. If he truly wanted to discuss a topic, he had to hand it out to her and see if she wanted to discuss it, otherwise they'd just talk in circles.

"If you knew you could unite the elemental nations like never before," she finally spoke, "but it meant people would die, and someone close to you would suffer, would you still do it?"

Sage wept Mari. He leaned back, looking up at the fading stars, night slowly giving to the day. He tossed the question around in his brain. What would he do? "Are the people dying civilians?"

"No," she told him, "they're all adults, and have been told of the risks."

He hummed, and then glanced at Mari. "I assume the person suffering is Obito, and by extension Kakashi."

She took a breath. "Yes. I could, I could free him, next time he comes to stalk Kakashi. We'd still have to deprogram him, and it would be messy. No matter when we do it it's going to messy, but I could do it now, if I wanted."

Inoichi thought about it, and there was really only one problem with that. "But you don't know what Zetsu would do in response, and knowing what we do, it would likely not be pleasant."

"No," she agreed softly, voice creaking, "we don't."

He took all of that in, thinking of a bright boy and a quiet girl and a sullen preteen. He thought of Minato, of a fox he was slowly starting to call his friend. He thought of Mari, who planned and planned and never stopped, trying so hard to make the world a better place, trying so hard to help her lost ones find peace within themselves again.

"I trust you," he said at last, and Mari glared at him.

"That's not the answer I was looking for," she replied with a scowl, and Inoichi gave her a soft smile.

"No," he agreed, "but it's the one you need. If you think this is the best way, if you think this will ensure my daughter and not yet born grandchildren will never know war, then I trust you. You've never steered me wrong before."

Mari took in a ragged breath, looking so young. "I could have, I could have done something sooner, and all those kids in Root might not have died."

He hummed, thinking about all those probabilities. "You could have, that much is true, but answer me this, was there ever truly a certain chance of getting Danzo, and getting him permanently, with Sarutobi at the helm."

She frowned, refusing to answer, but they both knew what she would say, in the end.

"No," she finally whispered, and Inoichi reached out an arm, planting a hand on her shoulder.

"Then you did what you needed to do. Those deaths are not and never will be on you. Danzo decided to do what he did, and it is because of you we even know about it at all. It's not on you to save the world." Mari looked at him, eyes shinning with vulnerability at those so cherished words. Inoichi gave a small smile. "He made a lot of good remarks for a monk."

Her laugh was choked, wet with the weight of all she carried. "He told me not to hold the world on my shoulders."

Inoichi remembered so cleanly the burning house, the lake with the stars reflected on dark waters and the flames that held so many memories. He remembered Yoshi, and every bit of wisdom he had passed to Mari, words like cold water over a burn.

One day Inoichi would meet that man, and thank him for the kindness he so freely gifted.

"So he did," Inoichi agreed, and he pulled his hand away.

They watch as the lights below start to dim, as the sky shifted from violet to indigo to cerulean, the sun just starting to peak over the horizon as the clouds were bathed in soft pinks and cream colored oranges.

"So what are you calling this one," he asked in the silence, and Mari ducked her head, lips twisting with shy amusement.

"Project Vinegar," she admitted, and a small chuckle escaped his chest. Mari had the worst names for things, so entirely on the nose that no one noticed until after it was over. Her smile grew, and she looked more like the Mari he knew, like something in her eased with the dawn, black eyes crinkled with a welcomed mirth.

The sun rose, and Inoichi rose with it, wiping away the dust off his pants as he cracked his legs, enjoying the feeling of his bones popping back into place.

"Well then," he said, holding out a hand as he helped Mari stand, the small smile she gave was entirely worth the headache, and the many, many migraines that were sure to follow. "We best get to it.