lawly

by footfungus

lawly

39. Chapter 39

As within, so without. Light begets plenty, darkness begets famine. The Land and the King are One.

Hiruzen had never so old before, nor had the hat upon his head felt so heavy.

Danzo was arguing with Koharu about something inane, and all Hiruzen could do was rub the sides of his head. It didn't help. The Uchiha Mari in that interrogation room looked nothing like the teenager he had imagined her to be.

When Naruto first mentioned her, he had imagined someone trying to take advantage. That was quickly proven false, as she never asked anything of Naruto, just ruffled his hair and helped pay for him raman, giving out tips for his apartment and for things to remember at the academy.

His impression of her then was that she was simply, kind. A mother hen, like Gemma, who couldn't help the largeness of her heart, or the urge to just, help. She didn't just stop with the raman either. Hiruzen knew that he could trace back Naruto's two newest friends back to Aburame Muta and Nara Roka, who had no doubt somehow convinced their cousins to give the boy a chance.

Said Genin teammates had even hovered over Naruto in the weeks after her death, and oddly enough so had little Uchiha Sasuke. He had then imagined her more like Obito, or Jiraiya. Someone who was bright and brash and pulled those around her like gravity, but the girl who had dragged herself back into the village was neither of those things.

She honestly looked more like Kakashi than he felt comfortable admitting.

"Hiruzen are you even listening," Danzo complained, Mitokoda wisely staying out of the way of his two more argumentative teammates.

Hiruzen sighed, before meeting Danzo in the eye and perhaps a more than a little childishly stating no.

"This is a serious matter Hiruzen," his old friend tried, but Hiruzen was too tired to rise to the barb.

"We wait for Shikaku and Inoichi," he commanded, pulling out his pipe. Biwako would have had his head for smoking, but she was years dead now. Koharu narrowed her eyes at his reply, returning right back to Danzo's side.

"But-" she started, and Hiruzen met her gaze as well. He was tired, and in no mood to play their courtly games.

"We wait for Shikaku and Inoichi." The earthy taste of his pipe entered his lungs, burning along his throat, and none of the council argued.

They waited in silence, and eventually the two men entered.

"Report," he ordered the moment they sat down, and Inoichi made a face.

"Uchiha Mari is clear of any tamping or foreign control," Konoha's Head of Analysis stated, "she will be able to return to duty after six months mandatory therapy."

"That long?" Danzo wondered, and his Jonin Commander scrunched his nose.

"She's fine," Shikaku said, ignoring how his former genin teammate immediately whirled on him.

"She's got a weaponized fracture in her head," Inoichi almost snarled, and Hiruzen almost blinked at the fury in his Yamanaka's voice. "She is not fine."

"She will be fine," the Nara clan head corrected seamlessly, still ignoring his friend as tapped his fingers along the edge of his seat.

"You don't know that," The Yamanaka countered, and Danzo was watching the by-play with perhaps too much interest. Ino-Shika-Cho trio's rarely ever argued, and certainly not with this much venom in the air.

Shikaku turned to face his teammate. "Mari doesn't wallow, there's nothing to worry about."

Inoichi took a breath, like he was reminding himself not to hit his friend in the presence of his Hokage. "A trauma response is not, wallowing."

"I never said it was," the Nara said calmly, "and Mari doesn't think so either, its why she agreed to therapy in the first place. She's not Hatake, stop lumping them together."

"Pardon," Mitokoda interposed, drawing the ire of both men, "but what exactly is a fracture."

Nothing good, Hiruzen knew enough to know that, but not life threatening, not even career ending.

Inoichi sighed. "It's something you see in either repressed children or shinobi who've spent too long wearing certain kinds of masks, if you catch my meaning. Mari split a portion of her mind to protect herself from what was happening around her."

"And weaponized?" Danzo prompted, because of course he was curious about that. Interestingly enough, Inoichi paused for a spilt second, as if debating what to say.

"I'm not entirely sure how she did it," he answered, "but most fractures aren't, well for lack of a better word they aren't stable. They view themselves as separate, and will often take control for the protection of their… host, so to speak. What Mari did is not… that. It fits seamlessly with her, like they are one and the same, and if needed be that fracture had enough power to not only repeal me out of the mindscape, but probably hurt while doing it. If I'm being truthful Hokage-sama, I've never seen anything like it."

"Uchiha," Shikaku muttered in what could only be called fond, and wasn't that interesting. "Well, at least we dont have to worry about Sasuke anymore."

"You sound certain of that," Koharu noted, eyeing up the Nara clan head.

"Mari will make sure of it." The level of trust there couldn't be ignored, just who was this girl to him?

"And her loyalty to the village?" Danzo asked, for once voicing something Hiruzen also wanted to know.

"Absolute," Shikaku answered, not a hint of doubt in his tone, "the colony comes first, always will."

"Colony?" Koharu wondered, visibly confused, and the Nara clan head huffed out a laugh.

"Mari may carry the name Uchiha, but she was essentially raised by the cat summons. She might seem perfectly normal, but her world view is… surprisingly simplistic." Shikaku paused, taking in their faces. "Seriously, whatever's got you so spooked, whatever it is you're worried about, don't be."

"We weren't worried about Itachi either," Mitokoda muttered, and the Nara clan head met his gaze head on.

"Mari was. What she said in that room was true, she told me he'd break under the pressure years ago, and I didn't believe her. No one did, no matter how hard she tried to get them to stop." There was a trace of guilt in the man's voice, as if he was thinking if he had noticed, he might have been able to do something about it.

Hiruzen didn't have the heart to tell him there wasn't.

Danzo narrowed his eyes. "That is-"

"Sir! Uchiha Mari is screaming at the entrance of T&I," a very distressed Ebisu stated as he burst in. All six of them stood, no, five.

Shikaku was still sitting, and effortlessly grabbed his teammates arm to tug him back down. "She's fine."

"She's screaming," Inoichi snarled, and Shikaku met his gaze, expression deadly serious.

"Her genin teammates are here," the Jonin Commander said with the same tone he used to explain to his seven year old son why you couldn't nap in class. "Let her scream out her grief, she'll feel better for it."

"Shikaku, you don't kno-" the Yamanaka started, but his Nara teammate cut him off.

"I do. I've interacted with her enough to know Mari doesn't see the rest of the world the way we do. She tolerates our viewpoints because there's too many of us to disagree with, and because it would be rude, but Mari is not Kakashi. She is not Anko or Ibiki or Itachi. She will scream, and she will cry, and when she is finished she will channel all those emotions into something of use." Shikaku sighed, muttering a troublesome as he dismissed Ebisu. "More to the point, Mari has never felt safe in places. No where is safe, and she knows this. Mari won't mourn with anyone else, and if you interrupt her now she'll probably never get around to doing it properly, because Sasuke doesn't need to see that, and because she is the oldest of the two, he will always come first."

"Shika," Inoichi breathed, something unreadable passing between them, some unknown history Hiruzen could only guess at. The council seemed to be holding it's breath, watching with almost hungry eyes.

"I know, but trust me," the Jonin Commander replied, "Mari will be at your door in no time, you won't even have to drag this one to the water, she'll come of her own accord. Honestly the biggest problem you're going to have is her self-esteem. She's been told for a very long time to be grateful for everything she has, because in her elders mind she did not deserve the things she earned, and while she may be a strong kid, when you hear something like that every day it sinks deep."

Inoichi finally let Shikaku tug him to his seat, hands cradling his face. "Sage, this is a mess."

The Nara clan head just laughed, and Danzo narrowed his eyes.

"Something funny?" His old teammate asked, and the Jonin's smile turned sharp.

"You'll see," he said, and then promptly dug out a list of various papers for Hiruzen to sign, effectively cutting off the conversation.

The you'll see haunted Hiruzen for the next twenty four hours, because there was something about the Nara's gaze that had bothered him. It was like the man was laughing at a joke none of them could see yet, like his trust in a sixteen year old Chunin was a challenge. You'll see, his Jonin Commander had promised, and it was the same faith Jiraiya had once held in Minato.

Still, there really was only one course of action if he wanted to know more, which was how Hiruzen found himself staring at his successor's child attempting and failing to talk his way into the hospital. He couldn't help but be grateful at the sight, because Naruto wasn't alone, and he knew he had the Uchiha Kunoichi to thank for that.

Standing next to him with a bundle of flowers of Inoichi's daughter, Ino. She had the collection of stems laid across her arms, and Hiruzen recognized them. Red carnations, white hyacinths, and blue salvia all tied together with ivy.

On the opposite side of Ino was the Hyuuga heiress, little Hinata, who held a vase in her hands, which looked hand painted. It was a clear glass vase with strips of green serving as grass, with bees and fireflies and dragonflies filling the edges.

It was, without a doubt, entirely heartwarming. Naruto's face when he finally noticed him even more so.

"Jiji!" His successor's son cried, "tell em to let us in! We want to see Sasuke-teme and vegetable lady."

"Vegetable lady," Hiruzen repeated, because while Naruto came up with some interesting nicknames, that one seem just, odd.

"Yeah! Her Nara friend said she'd make me eat my vegetables, and then they thought she died, so they made me eat them so she didn't come back as a ghost. She paid for my raman, like, so many times, so it seemed fair to try and cheer her up, believe it!" Hiruzen almost choked at that, but none of the academy students noticed.

"I see," he said, because he did, in a way. "And your friends?"

"Oh, Ino-chan wanted to see Sasuke-Teme and Hinata-chan's real smart about clan stuff and then one then lead to another so here she is."

"We brought flowers, Hokage-sama," little Ino stated with a bow, and Hiruzen felt a trace of amusement. She was just as clever as her father, though it seemed she was only using Naruto's connection to him to get around the pesky medic-nins.

"Well, it would be rude not to deliver them, don't you think?" The cheer of the children warmed his heart, even as the receptionist glared.

Alas, you couldn't make everyone happy.

The trio of children were a good buffer, Ino and Naruto snapping at each other like puppies, but there was a playfulness in their voices that Hiruzen had the feeling hadn't been there before Mari's teammate's got involved. Besides, Naruto was putting in the work, however unintentionally, drawing Hinata into the debate with a readied ease. He smothered a chuckle at her blush, and made a note to poke Hiashi about that later.

His little shields grew quiet as they got closer to where the Uchiha were located, the soft and hesitant plucking of strings echoing down the halls. It was a pretty song, made all the more so by the confident voice singing to the chords.

"A tiger's waiting to be tamed, singing, you are, you are, confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks. Gonna come back and take you come home. I could not stop that you now know, singing, come out upon my seas, cursed missed opportunities. Am I part of the cure, or am I part of the disease, singing you are, you are." Mari sang like she was putting her entire soul into it, and there was something like longing in Naruto's eyes before his expression hardens into resolve, and he burst into the room.

"Sasuke-Teme!" he shouts, Ino-chan groaning as Hinata hid behind her vase. "We got you some stuff."

"Dobe! How the hell did you get in here," Sasuke shouted back, while Mari laughed, and Hiruzen took the chance to usher the two children in.

ANBU raven sat by the window, though he was dressed in his clan's more conspicuous fashion, full of beige browns and dark greens. In the corner was her Nara teammate, who smirked at Ino-chan's flowers.

"Nice flowers," he said, and the Yamanaka heiress blushed as Mari grinned, delight crinkling in her eyes as she took the koto currently in Sasuke's hands and placed it on the side of the bed.

Hinata-chan tapped Naruto, and the blonde quieted, letting the Hyuuga heiress take point. "We also brought you a vase, Uchiha-san, Sasuke-san."

Mari's smile was smaller, but no less full of joy. "Thank you for the vase Hyuuga-san, and you for the flowers Yamanaka-san, and you Umazaki-san, for getting them in here."

"Hn." Little Sasuke agreed, and Mari looked upwards as Nara Roka snickered.

"Now Sasuke," Mari chided gently, and with no small trace of amusement. "That's awfully short for friends of yours."

"We're not friends," Sasuke and Naruto say at the same time, "we're rivals!"

Mari raised an eyebrow at that, lips twitching like she was trying to hide her smile, and Sasuke blushed, grumbling into his shirt.

The Uchiha Kunoichi then shifted her gaze to him, and the delight lowered, but instead of worry or fear there was just, gratefulness in her expression.

"Thank you for letting them come," she signed discreetly as Ino explained the flower meanings to the room, and Hiruzen gave her a genial smile.

"It was nothing," he signed back, "after all, you and ours have been taking such good care of mine."

Uchiha Mari furrowed her brows, confusion flickering across her expression, and both her genin teammates tense. Honestly, had they truly though he hadn't noticed?

The young Uchiha noticed their tension, her eyes wide.

Really, her expression said, like she never thought they would take over her dreams in the event of death. It was, more than little sad honestly, and he couldn't help but think of Shikaku's words, and how her elders had likely taken every chance to shove her down.

Aburame Muta met her expression head on, like a challenge.

"Operation fishcake," the boy signed, and Mari choked on a laugh, drawing the attention of the children.

Hmm. He'd have to ask her about that.

"Gah!" Naruto shouted, though thankfully not too loud, the boy had been much better recently with his volume. "I gotta give my gift. Iruka-sensei helped me get it."

"Oh?" Mari asked, glancing at the girls, who shrugged.

"Yeah, he said not to tell the doctor though." Mari raised an eyebrow at that, but took the storage scroll Naruto handed her without reservation.

She laid it flat, and in with a puff of smoke a still hot raman to-go cup from Ichiraku Ramen. Sasuke-kun made a face at the gift, while Ino-chan planted her head in her hands. Mari's lip wobbled though, and it was like the entire room froze.

"You don't like it?" Naruto asked, sounding, scared, and perhaps a little hurt.

"Oh Naruto," Mari replied, words cracking, "these are happy tears. It was, this is, you are very sweet boy, tell your sensei I said thank you."

Naruto gave a nod, like he wasn't sure what to do with that response.

The elder Uchiha took a breath. "Now, I believe Hokage-sama has something to discuss with me, so why don't you three all tell Sasuke what he's missed at school."

Sasuke-kun looked up with wide eyes. "You're leaving?"

"It's just a walk around the garden little one," Mari promised, "Green things, remember? Hobbies and sunlight and puppy piles. We won't be long, will we, Hokage-sama?"

"No," Hiruzen answered, curious as to why she listed such things. "We won't be long at all."

"See?" Mari said, untangling herself from the bed, and he had no doubt the Medic-Nin was going to be very upset with the both of them. "Now, nobody snitch to Hakui-sensei, got it?"

The three of Mari's boys nod like this was a serious thing, and Hiruzen withhold a snort. Medics. At least his little shields all nodded as well, moving to talk to Sasuke. Mari smiled at him, and Hiruzen offered his arm, which she took.

They walk in silence, though Mari dipped her head or waved at a great many people as she passed. She was oddly social for an Uchiha. Even Shisui, who had the charisma to worm his way into anyone heart, had never actually liked interacting outside of his clan.

The Uchiha Kunoichi relaxed when they entered the gardens, eyes closed as she soaked in the sun. Her comment to Sasuke made a little more sense now, and he took the moment to look her over.

There was the burn scar that crept up to her collar bone, and her hands were littered with little white lines, the kind that came from learning to carve, but despite the exhaustion that pooled around her eyes Mari seemed, content. The young Kunoichi opened her eyes, and led him into the gardens, eventually leading him to one of the larger trees. Two song birds looked down at them, only be scattered by a crow, no, a raven. The corvid cawed twice, and Mari dug into her pockets as she moved away from him.

He watched as she pulled out a well polished spoon, and the bird swooped down and took it.

"They like shiny things," Mari said by way of explanation, though Hiruzen only raised an eyebrow to that. There was a moment pause, before Mari turned to met his gaze, black eyes almost entirely eerie. "You were going to tell me not to worry about my clans arrangements."

"I was," he admitted, unable to help but think of what Shikaku said about this slip of girl. There was a little of Kakashi in her gaze, and there was even a little bit of Minato too, but the ghost he saw was neither of the two. Instead he saw his wife, who had never once backed down from helping others, no matter the risk to herself.

"I'm going to take care of it," she told him, and Hiruzen dipped his head in acknowledgement. She was sixteen, and a chunin. She had that right.

"Inoichi was worried about your mental state," he said, and Mari took a breath, looking to where that raven had disappeared from.

"I imagine he is," she mused quietly, "and for someone else having to take care of funeral arrangements after discovering the entire slaughter of your clan when you've just returned from a time spent as a POW might be very distressing."

He hummed. "There's a but somewhere in there, isn't there."

Mari turned those onyx black eyes onto him, bathed in the shadows of a very old oak tree, light dabbled upon her ink colored hair. "Some people wallow in their grief. Some need to sit with it, turn it over in their soul again and again before they can let it go. I am the kind of person who puts my hurts into actions, I garden, I cook meals, I do. I am grieving in the best way I know how."

She didn't look like a chunin anymore. "Shikaku said the same."

"Nara-sama has known me for a few years now," the Kunoichi replied, and it felt like he was talking to Koharu all over again, the Uchiha saying things without saying anything at all.

Well, there was one way to fix that.

"The council wanted me to wait to tell you this, but Shikaku argued against it." Oh that did that bring some sharpness to her gaze. She was more Nara than she realized, which was probably why she liked them so much. "Mikoto never changed her will. You're Sasuke's regent until he is of civilian age of majority, and have all the rights and privileges of a clan head until that time comes."

He's startled her, that mask finally falling away. She looked years younger, closer to her age as confusion twisted her entire expression. That too was sad, and he could see the damage Shikaku had hinted at.

Hiruzen wondered what kind of genius she would have shared with the world, if she had been free to do so.

He then wondered what kind of person she was going to be, now that she was free.

"Oh," Mari said gamely, "I uh, I wasn't aware she had put me in her will."

The shadow fifteen feet from their position was no suddenly longer just a shadow, to the amusement of both Hiruzen and his ANBU, and he had an inkling Mari had no clue the power she held with the Nara clan.

Hiruzen thought of his Jonin Commander's excitement for a meeting he called the dullest part of his day. He thought of Shikaku, who rarely got excited for anything other than Shogi or his family. He thought of a sharp smile and a you'll see.

"If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to call upon me," Hiruzen said, because he failed her clan, and Mari's expression hardened, Will of Fire creeping into colorless eyes. His sensei would have liked her, and not for the first time Hiruzen felt his age.

"I will," she replied, the hat upon his head heavier than the mountain that bore his face, but for once there was a spark of hope, of relief.

Whoever Uchiha Mari was, she was going to be her own heiress, not Madara's, not Itachi's.

It's only after he left he realized he never asked about Operation Fishcake.

Hiruzen stared at the invitation in his hands. It wasn't the first time he had been invited to a funeral, and it wouldn't be the last. Still, he couldn't remember the last time he had been to an open one. Most Shinobi preferred more private affairs, clans closing in tight around the loss.

The letter was folded into his pocket. He wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the day, the entire village was squeezed into the clearing behind the uchiha district.

Danzo was waiting for him at the gates, ANBU guards greeting each other with a flicker of chakra undetectable to most. His prediction was right, though it wasn't hard to get to the makeshift stand Mari was standing on, the crowd parting respectfully as he passed. Sasuke was seated by sister, looking sullen, but not lost, like he had only three days ago.

"Thank you for coming Hokage-sama, honored elder," Mari greeted with a bow. "Your support is most appreciated."

"It was no trouble Mari-chan," Hiruzen returned, noting his old friends silence. Mari beckoned them onto the stage, though Danzo opted not to follow, moving towards the side.

There was something hidden under a sheet on the opposite side of the stage, and he wondered if Mari had made a monument, and if she had, how she had gotten such a rush order done in time. Something to ask later perhaps.

The Uchiha Kunoichi stepped up the wooden podium, and Hiruzen blinked again, because this entire set up had been made by wood release. That was definitely something he was going to ask about later.

"I thank all of you for coming here today. Sasuke and I have been incredibly thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers and gifts, and we have all of Konoha to thank for the support." Mari paused, seemingly nervous, before taking a breath. "Seventy-three years ago two boys met by a river. They had many things in common. They were both the heirs of their clans, they were both older brothers, they were the hope for their clans; the strongest any had seen in generations. They also both shared a dream of peace, made in honor of the brothers they lost, and the brothers they still had left. Konohagakure was born out of love, and remembrance.

The Senju are gone. The Uchiha are gone. The Uzumaki are gone. Our blood lines have been whittled down from hundreds to dozens to two. This is a loss, I cannot, and will not, claim it as anything else. We will feel the echos of this falling for generations, but I do not believe in hopelessness. I do not believe going quiet into that good night.

Seventy-three years ago two boys had a dream. They are long dead and gone, but that dream, that promise? It lives in each and every one you, in every sibling saved and spared and protected, in every friend carved onto the memorial stone. The clans and the men who made this village might be only memories now, but so long as one genin wears the Uzumaki swirl upon their head, so long as one Jonin wears the Konoha flack jacket, those boys and their dreams will never be forgotten."

Hiruzen had to give it her, Uchiha Mari was a good speaker. She nodded, and her Aburame teammate pulled down the sheet, revealing a red and black statue. It was a sharingan, though the tomoe were connected to what looked like a wheel, and three unlit candles. Mari gestured at Sasuke, who stood, and walked down the monument.

He lit the bottom left one, glancing once at Mari, who gave him smile. Mari then turned towards him, and Hiruzen stood. Smart, with no Senju left in the village, at least none that she knew of, he was the best thing. He pooled his chakra to his fingers, lighting the highest Tomoe candle.

Mari was the last to go, lighting the bottom right tomoe with a snap her fingers, the the candles starting to spin softly in a breeze Hiruzen highly doubted was natural.

The Uchiha Kunoichi walked back up the stage, the crowd entirely silent as they waited for her next words. "Uchiha Itachi tried to kill our clan. Even if he had struck down every man, woman, and child, he would not have succeeded. Why? Because we would have lived on in you. So long as there is a police force, so long as the Forest of Death exists, so long as there is a village, we are forever.

So, in light of that, and in light of the sacrifices both the village and the Uchiha clan have made for each other, I am proclaiming this. The compound is open to any Shinobi who had Uchiha teammates as Genin, or orphans whose parents had Uchiha teammates as Genin, no matter how long or how short the duration.

There are candles for those who wish to remember a friend, and refreshments provided in the back. Please, do not spend this day in grief, do not spend this day in mourning. The Uchiha clan should be remembered as we tried to live our lives, with love and fire and over the top proclamations.

Tell each other stories, laugh at the silly things my family did as children, and if you feel the need to do more, figure out a dream, or a cause your Uchiha was passionate about, and share it with others." Mari held out her hand, a small flame in her palm. "To remembrance, for the sun will shine on us again, brothers and sisters all."

Brothers and sisters all rippled out amount the crowd. Hiruzen watched as his people mingled, laughing and crying and placing candle after candle by the monument. Mari talked, even if Sasuke didn't, the Kunoichi shaking hands and pressing foreheads and laughing with choked tears.

He watched as Danzo's gaze never wandered, and watched as the one time Mari noticed his gaze, she smiled brightly at him, waving her hand. His old friend turned and left, but Hiruzen didn't move.

It had been a polite smile, her eyes showing no hatred, no weariness. She had no idea at all the man was behind the murder of her clan. And yet? Hiruzen could have sworn it was the nicest fuck you he had ever witnessed, and he had watched conversations between Madara and Mito.

You'll see, Shikaku whispered in his head, and Hiruzen had thought it a playful teasing.

It hadn't been.

It had been a warning.

Chapter 2: The Sole Survivor Chapter Text

Surviving something like that, you go through a lot. Accepting the loss of those who died, what they died for. It's a heavy burden, to be the sole survivor.

Sasuke didn't want to go to the academy. He wanted to sleep late and help Mari with the gardens and the pets and play his mother's koto until the sun set.

Unfortunately, Mari had only to raise her brow for Sasuke to fold, so here he was waking up before the sun had even risen so they could get to school early. Early! The sky was dark and it was torture.

At least it wasn't therapy.

Sasuke hated therapy.

Muta was making breakfast when he came down. Mari's Genin teammates had practically moved in, and he noted that Roka was asleep on the floor. The Nara's head was basically buried into the thick rug. Again. Sasuke sometimes missed his more traditional house, with it's futons and its fusumas, but this open floor plan was nice too.

He wasn't sure which Elder's house this used to be. All he knew was that no one had died in it. At least no one during, that night.

Mari had been very particular about that detail when they were picking houses.

"Ah Sasuke," Muta greeted, the Aburame silhouetted in the kitchen. "I am making omelettes. I assume you would like tomatoes, why? Because they are documented favorite of yours. Is there anything else you would like?"

"Rice," Sasuke grunted, stepping over Roka as he moved towards the dining room table. Muta hummed in agreement, turning back to the stove. "Where's Mari?"

"Talking to spiders," Roka mumbled into the rug. He was pretty sure they had stolen that from the Hokage's office, and Sasuke glanced down at the Nara once the tone registered. He seemed abnormally dejected.

"Spiders?" he asked dubiously, and the Chunin hummed into the rug.

"Spiders," Roka confirmed without moving, "and worms, and a lot of birds I don't know the names of yet. She was busy making all sorts of friends last night."

"Roka expressed concern about her safety," Muta said like that explained anything at all, "and thus went with her when she set out to make friends."

"Spi-ders," the Nara complained, drawing out the word like a plucked string. Sasuke blinked as Muta handed Sasuke an omelet full of tomatoes with a side of rice and potatoes.

"As you elected to go with, I do not see why you are complaining. Now, I will be making your usual. If you do not eat it when I am done, I will feed it to the dogs." Muta went back to the stove, sizzling of fresh eggs filling the room while Roka muttered something about brain bleach. The Nara did a full body shudder on the floor.

Sasuke was still very confused.

At least he had tomatoes for breakfast. Muta was the best cook out of Team Mitsu, probably because he actually liked doing it.

"Is Roka still dying?" His cousin asked, and Sasuke glared at her. Mari was far, far, too chipper for this hour of the morning. Her long hair was in a braid, and Sasuke almost choked on his eggs when he noticed the spider on her shoulder.

The very large, very hairy spider, that Mari didn't seem to notice.

Roka grumbled something into rug, though Sasuke was too far away to hear it.

"Yes," Muta said tonelessly, but Sasuke was starting to get the impression the Aburame found the entire exchange highly amusing. "Who is your friend?"

"This is Vural. He's a bird eater, and was kind enough to introduce me to his rival Daika, who is apparently a very popular lady, which is why yesterday took so long. Vural this is Sasuke, my second cousin twice removed and my charge. You've already met Roka, but Muta is our better half."

"A pleasure to meet you," Muta greeted like this was completely normal, "would you like breakfast?"

"No," the spider answered, also like this was perfectly normal. "I must depart. Summon me again when you have found someone compatible. We shall be waiting."

"Thank you Vural, for everything. It will not be forgotten. Happy hunting to you and yours," his cousin murmured, and the spider nodded before vanishing in a puff of smoke. "Any sign of our stray?"

"He's gone off to the river," Muta answered, and Mari clicked her tongue in annoyance. What was wrong with the Naka River? And why did it matter that one of the Uchiha pets had gone near it? "He took a cat and an eagle with him."

"Eagle?" Roka asked, shifting his head to look at his teammate. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. They probably weren't talking about actual animals. Probably. With so many summons it really was hard to know.

"A very pretty eagle with very good eyes," the Aburame answered in a tone that could almost be called chipper, and both his cousin and the Nara looked much more interested. "Now, come get breakfast."

Mari laughed, helping Roka up before shoving him towards the plate Muta had placed at the table. Sasuke finished his omelet and rice, watching the by-play curiously. They were definitely double speaking again. They seemed to do that a lot.

A rumbling chirp drew his attention away, and he looked to his side to see Kat sitting in the seat beside him, staring with wide green eyes. He glanced at his cousin, who was busy pestering her teammate about the eagle he mentioned, and then slowly fed the black colored cat a piece of Roka's omelet.

"Hey, I saw that!" The Nara complained, and his cousin cooed. Sasuke tensed as his cousin moved towards him, but to his relief he wasn't the primary target. Though poor Kat did get swept up from the chair and held her against her will. Kat, naturally, did not like this, and let Mari know with low growl. Mari just seemed happy at the sound though, holding the black cat like a baby, murmuring nonsense into the feline's ear.

"Mari?" Muta asked, suddenly somber, and the elder uchiha looked up with a serious expression. "You never did explain the safety net failure."

His cousin hummed, looking more than a little sad, swinging to a song only she could hear. "Kat isn't a summons you know, just a kitten I found abandoned by her colony. Safety net was linked to me, and the summons didn't know to inform her. It was a loophole I thought I was covering for, not one I was creating."

Both her teammates grimaced, shoulders tight with tension, and Sasuke glanced at Kat. He didn't know how Mari's pet was a safety net. He didn't know how it had failed, or what it had failed. Judging from the look on his cousins face, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Mari caught his gaze, and chased the sadness from her eyes. He frowned as she meandered over, ruffling his hair.

"Don't worry about it Sasuke," Mari murmured, and he wasn't sure how to feel when she looked at him like he was worth every hurt that failing had created. "It was just an operation that didn't work out. They do that sometimes."

Sasuke nodded, taking in how her both teammates suddenly seemed very focused on their meals. He should probably start conversations with Shikamaru. He was going to need someone smarter than him to figure out Mari's double speak, and he was suppose to be making allies when he went back to class.

Well, Mari had used the word friends, but he didn't need friends, so allies and rivals it was.

"Are you all packed up?" Muta asked in the silence that followed, and Sasuke squinted at the Aburame, because was that a bento box?

"Yes," he said, because he was sensible and had packed up the night before. Muta hummed a sound of approval, which was immediately followed by a bento box being pressed into Sasuke's hands. How long had Muta been awake, when had he made this?

"You should get going, otherwise you'll be late," Roka said between mouthfuls, and Sasuke glared at him. The sun wasn't even up yet! The Nara smirked at him, and gestured to Mari, who was devouring the plate Muta had given her. "Are forgetting your cousin knows more people than anyone else in the village, and she will stop to talk to all of them."

"I do not," his cousin muttered around the eggs she was shoving in to her mouth. Everyone in the room turned to look at her with doubt. "Well fuck you too then."

"Somebodies grumpy," Roka muttered as Muta snorted, though the Nara froze when his cousin smiled at him. It was her I'm going to set you on fire and laugh at your corpse smile.

"Guy-sensei was kind enough to offer his help with getting me back to my standard. I should take a partner, don't you think?" The words were spoken like they were just two friends chatting, but Roka hissed like he was cat. Mari relented, rolling her eyes as she put her plate away. "That's what I thought. Come on Sasuke, I do want to talk with your teacher."

There was a cat waiting for them on the porch. It was black, like Kat, though the random feline had eyes that were a piercing blue.

"Ah," his cousin greeted, "Sasuke meet Senka. Senka's going to be your very best friend for the next few years, isn't she?"

The cat flicked her eyes, staring at Mari like she was just a speck of dust. His cousin just grinned wider at the expression though, like it was a joke only she could see. Senka snorted, before hopping on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Please to meet you Sasuke-kun, please take of me," Senka greeted, and Sasuke gave his strongest Uchiha hn. It was, not an unpleasant weight upon his shoulder, and Mari offered her hand, which Sasuke reluctantly took.

Still, the smile his cousin gave was worth the baby treatment, even if they did take forever to get to school, Mari stopping to talk to everyone on the way there.

"Alright Sasuke, I've got a mission for you," Mari said just before the school doors. Sasuke felt pride swell in his chest at the words, Mari trusted him! "I want you to invite Naruto to dinner." And there went his excitement, and he ignored Senka's muffled laughter, the cat bastard. "If anyone else shows up that's fine, the more the merrier, but Naruto is a must."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, "he's loud."

Mari smiled. It was the I'm going to eat you smile, where her eyes didn't crinkle and she didn't show her teeth. Both him and Senka froze at the sight of it. "I want to make sure he's eating properly."

His mother had once said Mari had spent too long being raised by cats to ever be properly human; that the summons had warped her view of the world. This was not a new problem with the Uchiha, or even with most clans actually. Any family with summons or animal companions had the probably of producing someone like Mari.

It was a sad truth. Sometimes kids fell through the cracks, no matter how good the clan. Mikoto had been very adamant that letting Mari have her way was the easiest way to deal with it, so long as she wan't hurting herself or others.

Of course, his mother had been telling that to that m- to Itachi, and Sasuke had overhead.

Mari was a mother hen who couldn't help but be concerned when anyone she deemed hers looked too skinny or too sad or even just not clean enough, so Sasuke nodded, and resolved to bring his knucklehead of a classmate to dinner.

His cousin beamed at him for that, and then shoved him inside to hell.

She talked with Iruka-sensei for what felt like hours, droning on and on about this or that. He did make a mental note to tell his sensei to be careful about the kind of stories he told, otherwise he'd find himself and half the class adopted.

Which would be a problem, because half of the kids were clan heirs, or clan spares, so they couldn't be, which would make Mari stressed.

His cousin bent down so they were eye to eye, a small smile on her face. When had they stopped talking?

"Have a good day Sasuke, I'll be back to pick you up when school ends. Be good for Iruka and Senka, and we'll have tomato nabe for dinner."

For that? Sasuke would be very good indeed. His cousin laughed, ruffling his hair before heading off. He waited until she was far enough away before turning towards his sensei. The man had to warned, for his own sake at least.

-

Sasuke got Naruto to commit to dinner. Unfortunately, what Muta liked to call Team Seven Luck seemed to have infected him, because the day ended in all out brawl. Sasuke had, somehow, forgotten that everyone hated Naruto for some bizarre reason.

Interestingly enough, the clan kids joined in, which was how the classroom ended up getting wrecked.

Shino, Ino, and Hinata managed to escape getting caught in the chaos. Sasuke wasn't sure how, one minute they were there, the next they were gone. Though, now that Sasuke thought about it, Shikamaru probably could've gotten away if he had left Choji behind. Still, it had been nice to see support from Kiba and the rest, even if it meant Sasuke had to stay behind to clean up the class room.

Shadows grew along the wall as the rest of his allies and enemies were picked up by their parents or guardians. Some of them glared at Naruto, though some didn't. Kiba's mom just laughed as she entered, eyes sharp in a way that reminded him of Mari when she didn't get enough sleep and had too much tea.

He made a mental note never to become allies with Kiba's mom.

Their numbers were whittled down from a dozen to seven to three. He knew Shikamaru would be picked up by his dad, but he wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen with Naruto. Would Mari count as adult? Maybe, though there was no telling if Iruka would let him.

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure he trusted Iruka. The teacher was ok, and he didn't single out Naruto like others had, or teach him wrong, or give him bad grades on purpose, but he didn't offer help like he did with others either. He was just, there.

Oh well. Mari was working on that. Roka had called it Operation Get People To Fucking Grieve Productively, but Sasuke was only eighty percent sure that wasn't the actual name. His cousin had more class than that.

"My dad's here," Shikamaru said in the middle of rearrange the new desks, though Sasuke didn't how the Nara knew that. Iruka just sighed, and told them to stay put as he left the classroom. Senka stood from where she had been napping on the Sensei's desk, blue eyes sharp. The damn bastard cat at just laughed for the entire fight.

There were muffled voices creeping through the door, and Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand before the blonde could climb out the window. The Uzumaki gave him a betrayed look, but Sasuke didn't care.

He was getting that tomato nabe.

"Sorry we're late Sasuke," his cousin greeted as she slid into the class room using the corner. Behind her was Iruka and Shikamaru's dad, who looked exactly like him. no wonder his cousin called Shikamaru a mini-me. "Some planning for the compound ran late. It won't happen again."

"That's alright," Sasuke said, because her being late meant he could leverage that against the fight, and since he had completed the mission he was definitely getting that tomato Nabe for dinner. "Naruto agreed to come over."

The blonde froze as Iruka glanced at Mari, though Shikamaru's dad just hummed. His cousin smiled like she hadn't been the one to give him this mission on the first place."Is he? I'm glad to hear it. Have you invited Shikamaru-kun?"

"Maybe next time Mari-san," Shikamaru said before Sasuke could reply, and he glanced at the Nara in graditude. One new person was enough thank you very much.

"Next week," Shikamaru's dad said, earning everyone's looks. His name was also Shika something, but for the life of him he couldn't remember it. "It's been too long since my wife has seen Roka, you know how it is."

"Next week then," his traitorous cousin agreed. He cursed all the gods he knew, because he was going to kill whoever had made Mari an extrovert. Why did she have to like people? He glanced at Shikamaru, and he could tell the Nara was thinking the exact same thing. "It would be very unkind of me to deprive your wife her favorite cousin in law, will your genin teammates be there?"

"Of course," the man replied, and Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh.

That meant Ino, and maybe Sakura.

"Now, what's this I hear about a fight?" His cousin asked, tone purposefully light. Sasuke looked down at his shoes. He really should have been better than this. "Sasuke?"

"They started it," he said, ignoring how childish he sounded, "so I finished it."

His cousin hummed, moving so she was standing before him. "Walk me through it cousin mine, how'd it start?"

Sasuke met Mari's gaze. "Daisuke said something mean to Naruto after I invited him to dinner. I told him to shut up, and Miko said something… distasteful about our mothers. Kiba heard this and objected to the terminology, and his presence was enough to make verbal deescalation impossible, so physical violence it was."

"Sasuke-teme why you gotta use so many big words," Naruto shouted, causing everyone but Mari to cringe slightly. There was something sharp in his cousin's gaze as she watched the blonde. "Daisuke started a fight and got his ass kicked."

Sasuke looked towards the sky, praying towards the sun goddess for strength. His cousin smiled her this is bullshit but no one's saying anything so I am forced to pretend this is perfectly normal smile. "It seems to me everyone got their asses kicked. Anything to add Shikamaru-kun."

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, ignoring his glare. "Miko called Naruto and Sasuke's mom bitches with the implication they were whores, which is when Kiba got involved. Itamaru said Sasuke was only seeking to become friends with Naruto because he wasn't actually looking for friends, he was looking for subordinates after Sasuke tried to deescalate. Choji told him that wasn't very nice, and he replied by calling Choji fat, so naturally we all responded with violence to that."

"Shikamaru," Sasuke hissed, but it was too late, the damage had been done. Mari was wearing her elders mask now, the one where she didn't want anyone to see what she was feeling. Sasuke looked down, shame curling in gut. He hadn't exactly lied, but it was good enough to count.

Mari sighed, and he couldn't help the tension in his bones. "Sasuke, why didn't you tell me what they said? I know why Naruto didn't, because he's never had a trustworthy adult believe him or anyone to teach him the implications of what happened today." Both Iruka and Naruto started at this, the Nara's narrowing their eyes. "He gets a pass for that, but you don't. Explain your thought process, did you think I wouldn't believe you, or help?"

"No!" Sasuke blurted, he hadn't meant to make his cousin sound so sad, "you don't weirdly hate Naruto so you would have believed us its just, I, the Uchiha clan head should be strong enough to fight his own battles, and you didn't need to hear what they said, it upset you!"

Mari was quiet for moment, two, before she crouched, so they were eye to eye. "It is not your job to protect me Sasuke. We're family, we take of each other, but you are a child, it is not your job to be strong."

"I have to be," he hissed back, and Mari's expression didn't change.

"Why?" She asked, and Sasuke felt rage bubble in his chest.

"Wh- you know why!" Blood on his hands and copper on his tongue and when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me. "I have to avenge the clan!"

Mari's expression would be scary if Sasuke wasn't so, so angry. Her hands moved, and he didn't flinch, even as he braced for a slap or a flick or a push. Her calloused fingers were so gentle as they moved across his cheeks, though Sasuke knew the strength in which she held his head.

"Now listen to me Sasuke, and listen to me very carefully," his cousin's sharingan flared to life, and that Sasuke did flinch from. "No matter what anyone thinks or says, we are spitting in Itachi's face."

He jolted, frozen in her grip as the whole room filled with tension.

Iruka took a step forward, "ah, Uchiha-san, perhaps we-"

"Itachi wanted you to gain the same eyes as him for very selfish reasons," Mari continued ruthlessly, eyes softly spinning. There were still no emotions on her face. "He want you to throw yourself into training so you could become strong enough to kill him, and bring an end to the Uchiha while you were both at it."

Sasuke couldn't breathe, Itachi wanted him to what? Iruka seemed oddly frozen, Senka tense as her tail flicked side to side, blue eyes narrowed into slits.

Mari's fingers tightened on his skin. "Are you listening to me little-one, because this is important. You are going to spit in his face. You are going to make friends, you are going to play and learn and do everything like what Itachi did hadn't happened, because that's the biggest fuck you of all. He wants you to think of him, and only of him, so you are going to spit in his face with living Sasuke, do you understand? You are going to love and be happy and grow like you were meant to, like the words he said to don't matter, because they don't."

"I-but if," Sasuke's face felt prickly, like his lungs weren't working. "He could come back."

"He could," his cousin agreed in a tone that was far too carefree considering they were talking about Itachi, "but know this cousin mine, nothing in life is safe. Nothing is certain, and only death is free of risk. An S-rank missing nin could decide my bounty was high enough to risk getting caught by Konoha. A meteor could fall from the sky and destroy all life within the elemental nations. You could choke on your tomatoes and die tonight. Everything has its time, and everything dies." His eyes were wide, and the sharingan almost seemed to glow in the growing shadows of the classroom. Mari took a breath, and her face shifted to something softer, something gentler. "Besides, even if none of those things were true, it is, it is exhausting to live your life in hate. There is nothing more draining than letting fear and shame and hurt rule your life. It's awful and ugly and it doesn't do anything but make you and everyone around you unhappy."

"He killed them all!" Sasuke screamed, because he was tired of pretending everything was fine, because his cousin had cried once and then just moved on like it didn't matter! "I don't care if everyone's unhappy, they should be! They should be, there's no one left but us and you don't even care, you're probably glad! You never liked living in our house and you never liked the elders!"

The words didn't land like he wanted them to, and Sasuke struggled to breathe. His body shook and tears blurred in his vision and his cousin never wavered in her gaze. Mari pulled him close, touching their foreheads to each other.

She smelt of wood polish and cherry blossoms.

"I sang to you until I couldn't anymore Sasuke. I screamed so loud I gave the council and my ANBU minders a near heart attack. I have so much energy it feels like I will never sleep again, that any bit of rest feels selfish, even though I know its not. What makes you think all of that is not grief? What makes you think I am not so angry I could burn down the world in my fury? I am doing Sasuke, I am taking all that rage and all that sorrow and I am building with it." The sharingan faded, and Mari looked so much like his mother it hurt. "I am spitting in his face cousin mine, just because it's a different kind of power doesn't mean it isn't strength."

Sasuke couldn't help it, he just burst into tears. His chest heaved because he missed his mom. He missed his mom and his dad and his big brother and Shisui and Izumi and everyone else. Mari didn't sigh, or tell him crying wasn't Shinobi like behavior. She pulled him close, and he could hear her heart beat as he wailed into her chest, her callused hands weaving through his hair.

She picked him like he was nothing, and he could feel her hands moving, like she was signing something. Though if she talked at all, he couldn't tell, he was drowning too much to focus. Sasuke didn't really care anymore. Naruto was coming to dinner, and Sasuke was getting tomato nabe. That was all that mattered.

They start moving, and Mari was singing again.

"Watch that old fire as it flickers and dies, that once blessed the household and lit up our lives. It shone for the friends and the clinking of glasses. I'll tend to the flame, you can worship the ashes. Capture the wild things and bring them in line, and own what was never your right to confine. The lives and the loves and the songs are what matters. I'll tend to the flame, you can worship the ashes. Do you feel heavy? Your eyes drop with grief. Your spirit is wild and your suffering is brief. So never you buckle and bend to the masses. I'll tend to the flame, you can worship the ashes."

There was more to it than that, but Sasuke felt so entirely drained he stopped paying attention. His cousin's heart was beating and beating and her lungs were strong as she breathed. The sound of her voice reverberated against his skull as she sang softly, fingers so gentle as she untangled his hair.

His fucking therapist was waiting for him, sitting on the porch with a tabby cat on his lap, and Sasuke would have snarled at him if he had the energy.

"Not tonight Yamanaka-san," Mari said as they approach the house. "Sasuke's all of out words today I'm afraid."

"Fair enough," the Yamanaka replied with an easy acceptance, and Sasuke wanted to stab him. "Same time tomorrow then?"

No, Sasuke wanted to say.

"Yes," his traitor cousin answered. "Please tell Yamanaka-sama I'll be late to my own appointment tomorrow, and to apologize on my behalf. Some civilians require talks."

That sounded fun for everyone for the civilians, maybe Mari would let him watch?

"Of course," the Jonin murmured, moving away towards the compound entrence. Sasuke watched him go, and finally noticed Naruto. He was holding Senka, and looked more than a little nervous. That was stupid of him, the blonde was one of Mari's, he was perfectly safe here.

Mari gave Naruto a look, and together they all walked in.

"Fight?" Roka asked when they entered, and Sasuke blinked, because was that a black eye?

"Yep," his cousin answers brightly, "first with some civilians and then with me. Figured we'd have a few with both, not this early though. Naruto-kun why don't you go wash up, the bathrooms over there, you can take Senka with you she knows where everything is." There was a pause, and then. "How'd that happen?"

Roka tapped his eye. "What this? Me and a Hyuuga got into an disagreement."

Mari hummed. It was her do I need to murder you hum. "Over?"

"Stuff," Roka replied, and his cousin tensed.

"Cub?" She asked, and Sasuke wanted to groan. Who else had she made hers? Sasuke had been keeping an eye on her, when was she finding the time? Roka gave a snort, shaking his head.

"Lamb's lamb," he answered in his damned double speak, and though Mari didn't entirely relax, she did breathe a little easier. "Muta's smoothing things over."

"Is he?" Mari sounded delighted, and Sasuke thought of their conversation about an eagle. There was a correlation there, maybe. His brain was too tired to really think about it, and his cousin placing him on the very comfy sofa was not helping.

Kat was placed on his lap, the black feline a locomotive of purrs as she rubbed her head against his chest. He felt better, though he didn't know why.

"Ah Naruto-kun, why don't you help Roka move that table over here. The pair of you are doing your homework while we wait for Muta to get back."

Sasuke didn't want to do his homework. Sasuke wanted to set things on fire.

"Routine," Mari said, like she could hear his thoughts. "Hobbies and sunlight and green things Little-One. Naruto-kun if you have any trouble understanding a kanji or concept, please let me or Roka know.

Naruto nodded, oddly quiet, oddly tense. Sasuke would have commented on it, but Mari's excuse to the Yamanaka had been true. He didn't have the words.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. They finished their homework, which Mari checked over and corrected, working with Naruto until he got it. The blonde kept bracing for something, though for what Sasuke couldn't guess. They ate dinner once Muta got back, and the three of Team Mitsu chat with Naruto about the things he's learning in the academy, though the discussion quickly dissolved in to friendly bickering.

The night ended with Mari working on a very large stack of paper work while Roka played one of his cousin's weird songs on the Kota. Muta cleaned up, and then settled into a nice corner to watch, offering tips to either Mari or Roka every once in a while.

Naruto tried to leave at one point, Mari gave him the aren't you adorable smile, and put him in a guest room.

He didn't remember when he fell asleep.

When he dreams, he dreams of Itachi.

There was dirt in Sasuke's nails, but it was better than blood, so he'd take it.

The tomato garden was small, but Mari had a plan to make it larger, and Sasuke was showing he would put the work into it.

If the digging and the dirt and the green things helped, well, that was his business. There was sweat on his brow, despite the pre-dawn chill. It was stupid early again, but there was quiet, so Sasuke figured the morning wasn't that evil.

The door opened, and Sasuke slowed, waiting for whoever was awake to tell him to go back to bed.

"Want some help?" His cousin asked, and Sasuke gave a hn. Mari could take it or leave it. His cousin didn't sigh though, she just walked over, kneeling in the dirt Sasuke was currently deweeding.

"My father was a gardener you know," Mari said, and Sasuke stilled. Mari didn't talk about her parents. "I was too young to really learn under him, but there are bits and pieces I remember, little wisdoms learned over the ages. My teammates hated that though, my experience meant we always got picked for the plant based D-ranks." She hugged a laugh at that, eyes fond. "Mitsu thought it was funny, the way Roka would nag and how Muta would mumble and how much I loved them. Most Genin start chomping at the bits for anything other than D-ranks pretty quick, but I was a child of hard work. I saw the value, the point, long before my boys did."

There was a moment of silence as they worked, the morning air soft and quiet.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down at the pile of weeds he had collected. "What I said was beneath me."

Mari hummed, hands splaying into the dirt, pale fingers bursting against the dark. "It was, but I am also to blame. Don't look at me like that, it was. I was trying to be, to be a pillar. I didn't about how not showing my hurt would upset you, and I'm sorry for that."

"It's ok," he muttered, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Bad enough Naruto and Shikamaru had seen his outburst, but so had Iruka and Shikamaru's dad!

"Just because I'm in charge doesn't mean I won't make mistakes Sasuke," Mari said, and Sasuke blinked at her. She smiled at him, and something curled in his gut. That was her someone is hurting and I can't stop it because it's considered normal smile. "People in power should apologize when mistakes are made. We are not superior because we hold a title, or a linage. We can stumble just like anyone else. Perhaps more so here, because clan heads and Kages are seen as the law, as unquestionable, and so those in power in do not learn, because no one will say anything."

"That's treason," Sasuke warned, just like his father had so many times before. Mari's smile shifted, just like it had with his, with his dad.

It was her I am more patient than you, and one day the world will bend to me smile. "For now, and only because Hiruzen sees challenges to his policies as challenges to him. His successures will like feel very different about such things, considering they've seen the damage of his rein."

"You sound like Father." Sasuke muttered, afraid to say this felt dangerous. Mari smile was tight now, and her eyes looked so heavy.

"We had similar views, in the end, even if our ideas on how to fix it were very different." Mari paused, looking at him. "Do you want continue this conversation, you can no, it's a heavy one, and you're holding enough at the moment."

Sasuke thought about it. Then, in a quiet voice, "can we go back to gardening?"

His cousin softened, and Sasuke hated how relieved he felt. "Of course little-one, here let me show you how to pull up the weeds without hurting the top soil."

Time passed. It felt both like hours and not long enough, the sun a herald for things he didn't want to face, or deal with. He wished he could just stay here and garden, where he didn't have to speak and Mari hummed foreign songs no one else seemed to recognize.

"Something bothering you? His cousin asked as she started collecting tools, and Sasuke looked away.

"I can deal with it," he said. Mari's gaze didn't sharpen, didn't ring with promised violence, expression like deep waters.

"I'm sure you can," she replied, words soft and gentle, "but you don't have to. You are not weak for needing help, everyone does, it's why the Kages have councils and Sannin take apprentices. Two heads are better than one, don't you know?"

"I don't want to go to school," Sasuke admitted, turning on the sink to wash off the gardening tools. Mari hummed, adding her own to his pile.

"Why?" There was no judgment in her tone, just polite curiosity.

"Does the reason matter?" He muttered, scrubbing a spade that refused to let go of its dirt. The cool water felt good on his hands, and Mari shifted so he could see her eyes, expression deadly serious.

"It always matter Sasuke, never let anyone tell you otherwise." He nodded at her words, and together they washed off the spades and buckets and other tools.

"The girls in my class," Sasuke finally breathed, words sticky in his chest like spit gum. Mari's eyes finally grew sharp, expression like a Nara whose interest just walked into the room. "They're… annoying me."

"Annoying how?" Again there was no judgment, no amusement like with other teachers.

He took a breath, and then it was all to easy to lose track of his words. "They're loud and fake and keep talking to me even when I don't want them to and they're mean to Naruto and when I tell them to stop they don't because it's like they just see me as a, as a prize, or a piece of meat, and they fight each other and it's vicious and mean and I don't like it."

He felt like there was too much energy in his bones, and Mari shuffled him into the kitchen. Was that flour?

"Wash your hands, than start kneeding," his cousin commanded. "As for the girls, I can take care of it, but how in their face do you want my help to be?"

"What?" Sasuke said, frozen at the sink, and Mari turned off the water before handing him a towel.

"Agency is important Sasuke. You need help, but I am aware you don't always like it. No one likes to feel weak, and I respect that, even if I want to scream at the heavens everyone needs someone else. So, how obvious do you want my help to be? Be aware though, the more direct I can be, the faster it gets fixed. Dough, kneed, get to it."

The flour was graining on his hands, the eggs slimy and wet, but it was. Good. To shove them together again and again.

Mari left, probably to clean up, and Sasuke took time to think of his answer. He weighed the perceived weakness versus being touched and talked to when he didn't want to be versus the girls ganging up on Naruto.

Muta dragged Roka down at some point, the Aburame heading towards the stove like a man on a mission. The Nara just yawned, and pulled out a stack of papers from, somewhere, squinting in annoyance as he wrote on margins. The dough was mostly completed when Mari carried Naruto down, the blonde complaining about the time.

She settled him next to Roka, who pulled out a blank piece of paper, and handed it over to the blonde.

"Kanji," he ordered, "a Hokage needs to know all his words."

Sasuke watched with some amusement as Naruto threw himself into the work, while Roka glared at Mari. His cousin was filled with too much smugness to care though, and she sauntered back over to the counter.

"How would you do it?" he asked, and Mari smiled. It was her there's gonna be things on fire and I have too much glee about it to hide it smile.

"Operation Black Widow has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" She mused, and across the room Roka shuddered. Sasuke, suddenly remembering the massive spider from earlier, could relate.

"No," he replied as bluntly as he could, and Mari laughed. Sasuke still didn't understand how his cousin could do that, how Mari could be so happy when the need to make it right no doubt burned in her blood.

How could she smile and sing and be so joyous without feeling guilty?

How did she know with such certainty things would end up alright?

He wondered if it was because of her Genin team. His father always did say Mari loved them a little too much, that they were equal to the Uchiha clan in her eyes, which was why they called so strongly to her.

Sasuke glanced at Roka, who was teaching Naruto to read better at Mari's request, no matter how troublesome it was. His gaze shifted to Muta, who was preparing two bento boxes like they were the most important thing in the world.

He didn't think that affection was such a bad thing, not anymore.

"So what do we do?" Sasuke asked. Mari's grin grew, and oh, this was going to be terrible, wasn't it?

Naruto kept bursting into giggles the entire walk there, though he grew silent every time some approached Mari, ducking behind Sasuke like he was scared. The blonde got some interesting interactions on their way to school.

Mari would smile, and some would sputter, while others sighed before greeting Naruto just like they did Sasuke. Some pretended he wasn't even there, while others turned away. Joke was on them though, Mari's gaze was sharp today, and anyone who didn't acknowledge Naruto like they did Sasuke got put on a list.

What Mari was going to do with that list, he didn't know, but it was nothing good.

Sasuke bidded his time when they got to school. Operation Black Widow required the most amount of people, which meant he was going to have to wait for lunch. Naruto kept giggling though, and Sasuke kept elbowing him.

The idiot was going to ruin it. Honestly, he was going to be a truly terrible ninja, just atrocious.

"Attention," Sasuke said to the crowd of gathered girls, and he didn't flinch under the weight of their collective gazes. Mari was honestly scarier, he could do this. "Anyone who wants to be my girlfriend, meet me at training field four after school gets out. I will be taking no questions until then. Good bye."

Naruto fell into a fit of laughter, the idiot, and Sasuke moved to sit next to Kiba and Shino. They were good shields.

"What was that about?" Shikamaru asked, gaze sharp like his cousins, though less so, like he was still learning how do that thing both Mari and Roka did with their eyes.

"Operation Black Widow," he answered, and Naruto was giggling again, grinning like he was so full of amusement he could burst. Kiba looked confused, but Shikamaru just made wrinkled his nose, like he imagining something horrible.

The Nara got it.

The rest of day passed both too slow and too quickly, and by the end of it Sasuke had a pack of about twenty girls all walking behind him. He paused though, when he noticed purple hair.

What the.

"You don't even like me," he said to Hinata, because anyone with a brain knew she had the biggest crush on Naruto there was. The Hyuuga heiress blushed.

"Ah, you know, S-s-shino suggested I come." Hinata pressed her fingers together, looking down. "Said it w-w-would be a good learning e-e-experince."

"Ah, well ok, come along then."

His cousin was dressed in her shinobi gear, green flack jacket and all, though she also froze when she noticed Hinata, confusion visibly flickering across her face.

"She's here for the experience," Sasuke explained, and understanding bloomed across Mari's face.

"Ah," she said, "Shino?"

"Shino." Mari gave a hn at that, and her gaze shifted to the gathered girls, all of them whispering furiously to each other.

Mari stepped forward, went through a serious of seals, and then slammed her hands to the ground with a sharp Doton. All the girls cried out, well almost all the girls. Ino pretend to panic while pulling out a senbon she was absolutely not allowed to bring into school that was so unfair, and Hinata, who just looked like she didn't know if she should what was happening amusing or not.

He glanced at his cousin, not entirely sure how she was doing the dramatic lighting without any Chakra, but it did make her look very scary.

"Ah guests, welcome, welcome. I am Uchiha Mari, and I assure you no harm will come to you while you're here. You're here for my beloved cousin after all, and I am more than happy to to oblige about who we are, and what a relationship with us entails." Mari smiled, and it was her fuck you, come die by my tanto smile. He slowly started to back away, promises of protection or no, Mari took her dramatics almost as seriously as she took people's right to have choices. "Now little ladies, today we will be having the C-conversation. What is the C-conversation you ask, well its a lecture about all things Konoha comrades should have. Today we will be talking about camaraderie, compassion, communication and conversation and most importantly, consent."

Sasuke left before anyone could notice he was still there. He didn't think they would, all of the girls were watching his cousin with wide eyes, but he wasn't taking any chances.

He had a therapy appointment, and a promise was a promise, so he would go to the stupid thing and not shank the Yamanaka. Hn, he should go find Naruto after. Dumbass was probably doing something stupid, he could feel it in his bones, the idiot, and Sasuke was not having that.

The numbskull was going to be on his team, he knew his luck enough to know that, but Sasuke was not having someone that incompetent on his Genin team, he refused.

(Across town Naruto sneezed, before giggling to himself again. Glitter was a beautiful, beautiful thing, and with Mari-san distracted with the bastards shit, there was no one to stop him.)

Chapter 3: The Mama Bear Chapter Text

In society, women are referred to as 'the fairer sex'. But in the wild, the female species can be far more ferocious than their male counterparts. Defending the nest is both our oldest and strongest instinct. And sometimes, it can also be the most gratifying.

You could tell a lot about someone on how they reacted to a dog. You could tell even more by the way someone treated a Ninken. It was a lesson all Inuzuka learned sooner or later, and one Tsume had taught to both her children before they could even walk. Well, she tried to, Tsume's not so sure Kiba had grasped the lesson just yet.

Dogs were safe. Dogs were honest. People were anything but.

Tsume honestly wasn't sure what to think about the new Uchiha regent. She remembered when Mikoto had forced her way into the Den, asking how one parented an instinct-raised, damn near ready to beg.

The young Uchiha entering Tsume's clan compound didn't act like an instinct-raised, especially not one touched by the cats and the crows. Uchiha Mari was quiet, a thin little thing whose few days in recovery had not been enough to put meat back on her bones. She smelt of Nara wood cream and Aburame incense, but it was dull, like she had tried to wash it away. Tsume tilted her head, and wondered if the little kit had done that out of shame or an attempt to be kind.

Uchiha Mari hadn't noticed Tsume yet, and she was going to have to fix that, even if the nervous energy starting to run through the little heiress's ANBU platoon was hilarious.

She watched as Kuromaru padded up to the youngest clan regent in at least two generations, watched as a cat and corvid raised kid looked upon her massive battle partner with wide eyes, watched as the expression shuddered into a neat little mask of politeness.

"It is an honor to meet you Kuromaru-Sama. My name is Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra. I am here to see Inuzuka-Sama." The Uchiha then bowed, and bowed low.

Tsume felt her eyes raise, because that was proclaiming for all to see Uchiha Mari considered Kuromaru worth the respect she would give a clan head. Now wasn't that interesting. Normally honorifics annoyed her, but there was something about the way the kit used them just now, like they were a weapon.

"Welcome Uchiha," Kuromaru greeted, and Tsume blinked, because that was not the greeting they had planned. "Tsume is waiting for you in the Den. I will permit a brief scratch behind the ears, if you dare."

Oh, oh that sneaky little shit. She almost laughed at the tension in the Uchiha's frame, because Tsume had been wrong. That hadn't been fear on the kitten's face, that had been want. The little lady reached up, murmuring something Tsume couldn't hear, fingers giving a soft scratch before lowering her hand.

Now that was a level of respect that directly conflicted with the insult of being the last clan the Uchiha regent visited.

Kuromaru chuckled, and Tsume took the opportunity to shunshin back to the Den, throwing the door open in the Uchiha's face. The kitten took it in like deep waters, meeting her gaze without so much a flinch.

"So," Tsume greeted with smile that showed off her impressive teeth, "saved the best for the last did ya?"

The little Uchiha grinned back, like Tsume's slight malice was funny. "Oh yes Inuzuka-Sama."

Tsume laughed at that, because for all the lies wrapped in the little girl before her, that had been honest. "Well come on then, get your ass in here."

The Uchiha took in the Den with her clan's dark obsidian eyes, and Tsume noted the burn that curled around her collar bone. The girl wasn't showing it off, but she wasn't hiding it either. She had more spine than she was presenting at the moment, and Tsume watched her as the Uchiha took in the Den.

Kitten didn't seem disgusted by the mess, nor did she seemed surprised or put off balance by the clear chaos that was the Den. Those almost creepy black eyes soaked in the sight, and if Tsume didn't know any better, she'd have said the Uchiha was longing.

"You have a lovely home," the Uchiha murmured, voice soft, and Tsume covered her shock with a snort.

"It's a mess is what it is," Tsume replied, and gestured for the Uchiha to sit.

She didn't offer tea, and the Uchiha shifted the satchel slung across her shoulders.

"I have gifts for both Kuromaru-sama and yourself, if you please." Damn, the little Uchiha didn't even acknowledge the insult. For someone who held tight to tradition, she didn't seem bothered when others purposefully ignored it.

"Go for it kitten," she drawled, noting the flicker of something at the nickname.

Still, the little Uchiha carried on, pulling out what was probably meat, and a bottle of perfume. "Nara deer heart, freshly hunted, for Kuromaru-sama." Tsume jolted at that, because what. "And this is an Uchiha clan perfume. Wear it, and it will disguise your scent for about eight hours, making its wearer untraceable via nose based tracking. You can use it for yourself or to lessen scents that might be powerful enough to be uncomfortable."

Tsume stared, and Uchiha Mari met her with eyes that were far too old to belong to a sixteen year old Chunin.

"What do you want," she asked, because those kind of gifts implied the not so harmless Uchiha regent was angling for a favor.

"The police force is my family's legacy," Mari answered, as serious as she was blunt. Another insult, or was she copying Tsume's manner of adressess in kind. "I don't want to lose it, so I'm not going to. I've already convinced the Hyuuga-sama to agree to help, as well as Aburame-sama and the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. I would like to add you to the ranks."

"Why?" Tsume asked, watching as the Uchiha so cleverly lied with her face. It was a good mask, and had probably fooled the rest of her peers, but Tsume remembered Mikoto. Remembered her fear and her worry and the puzzle pieces she had probably not meant to leave behind.

"Why not?" The Uchiha replied like an actor on a script. A good actor, but still a script. "You're some of the best trackers we have."

"True," she agreed, "but not what I was asking. Why should we help you?"

Tsume's heard conflicting stories at the kunoichi now frozen before her. A mouse, a polite little thing, a genin with too much of the cats in her and a chunin with a tongue that's a little too sharp when she's angry. A kid in over her head, with too big of heart to realize she's in a shinobi village, and that somethings just weren't done.

Tsume's heard a lot of different things, but she trusted her own eyes best, despite the contradictions. The kid caught on quick, meeting her gaze despite the killing intent Tsume was so causally letting roll across the Den, eyes like dark pools of starless skies.

"I did not deserve that." Ha, there it was. Kitten hid it well, disguised it under the meekness excepted of her station, but Mikoto had revealed just enough for Tsume to see a strip of orange in the undergrowth.

"Oh don't be a baby," Tsume complained with a wave of her hand. "You still haven't answered my question though. The Uchiha have looked down on us for as long as we can remember, why should I have anything to do with you? And don't give me the bullshit you no doubt did the others."

The Uchiha brat didn't flinch, just stared with a soft scowl. She was debating her next move, and Tsume gave her the time to do so. Her meekness, her politeness, it was no doubt a weapon she honed to survive as an instinct-raised, but the child before her had forgotten that just because a weapon worked well didn't mean it was effective against every opponent.

This was as gentle a reminder she going to get.

"I like dogs," Uchiha Mari said after a minute or so, words chosen so very carefully. Tsume raised an eyebrow to that, because the kid was cat through and through, and her affectation for canines wasn't exactly the rebuttal she expected. "Don't give me that, I had a whole speech planned, it was very pretty, so thank you for that, but I like dogs. I like dogs and people with teeth and I want more of that in my life.

I want this village to be a fucking village, to have children scream in joy when a ninken walks past their playground. I want our people to have nothing but delight in regards to our differences, and if delight can not be had, I demand respect at the very least. I want, I want so many things, but I'm just a gardener's daughter, and for all I am regent there will always be those who will never respect me, or listen to what I have to say.

And for the record, the Inuzuka have been looking down right back! Femininity is not a weakness, traditional ways of living are not stupid. People have a right to live a life of their choosing, who are you to scoff at that? Now, are you going to join my alliance and help me, or you going to make me start begging and barting."

Well damn. Tsume whistled, cracking a smile when Mari bristled. "You got teeth kitten. Show me these plans of yours then, let's see whatcha got."

Her eyes narrowed. "Is that a yes?"

Kuromaru disguised a laugh as a cough, and Tsume rolled her eyes at her partner's amusement. "Kitten, it was a yes from the moment you gave Kuromaru a fucking Sama and bowed to him, meaning every bit of those two things. I just wanted to see your bark."

"That was unkind," Mari replied, her face cold. She was just scared though, for all she pretended not to be.

"And you didn't even given me a warning bite, just a little snarl," Tsume pointed out, because the kitten could have been a hell of lot more vicious. "Sides, you needed the lesson. Still, I'd pay to see you truly angry at someone, you must got that leash on tight."

"Angry kids with access to fire are a poor combination," the little Uchiha stated without emotion, and Tsume barked out a laugh.

"I fucking bet. Now come on, show me these plans of yours, give me the tea on the other clan heads, like how'd you deal with stick up his butt Hiashi."

It took a bit for the kitten to lower her guard, which was fair, even if it revealed more about her former home life than she would ever admit out loud. Mari might have been a skittish little thing, but the right poke, the right drawl there, and the teeth came out again. She'd learn in time Tsume didn't give a rat's ass about politeness, that this would be a safe place to destress, no matter how vicious her tongue.

Besides, the little lady needed the practice. She was too used to getting her way through the underhanded method. Props to her for being so damn skilled at it, but some people needed a good scruff on the neck, and doing that effectively was a lot harder than people assumed.

And it even came with the added bonus of making Hatake twitch from the shadows, which was fucking hilarious.

Tsume let her wrestle with some puppies after they got all the paperwork sorted. The little Uchiha had some things to round out on, but she was a Kage level paper nin. It was sprawling in the mud with toddlers and pups when the Uchiha's mask truly fell away, laugh echoing through out the compound as she wrestled one of the Haimaru triplets like a true born Inuzuka.

"She's sad," Kuromaru noted as a pup threw a mud pie at Mari's face. She dodged, and it another pup, who growled at the sudden mess in his fur.

Tsume snorted. "Her whole clan just got butchered."

"Yes," her partner agreed, "but that's not why she's sad."

She glanced at Kuromaru. "No?"

"Life here is unkind. That's why she's sad. She's trying to fix it, but can't, because it's too much to heal in a life time." Well, ouch. Tsume wrinkled her nose, watching as Mari sang something, the pups all screaming who repeatedly. "What do you think of the gifts?"

She hummed, watching the Uchiha dance with such joy on her face, mud dripping down her skin. "I think she'd explain it away as testing how I would react as well as treating us with the level of respect we deserve."

"But?" Her partner wondered, the puppies howling nonsense. She didn't know what yippie yi yo meant, but it certainly seemed fun to scream.

"But she's just a kid in over her head," Tsume said, "with too big of heart to realize she's in a shinobi village, and that somethings just weren't done."

"You're quoting someone," Kuromaru noted, and Tsume let a bitter smile tug at her lips. It felt so long ago now that the previous Uchiha Matriarch had burst into the Den, full of panic and doubt over her ability to parent an instinct-raised.

"Mikoto," she answered, and her partner hummed, turning to watch said instinct-raised. They hadn't been good friends, but there had been respect, trust.

She deserved better than to be murdered by her own child.

Mari turned around then, smile sharp like a tiger's, but there wasn't malice shining in her eyes, just the petty vindictiveness found in too smart children.

"Who let the dogs out!" She cried, and all the kids screamed who, who, who repeatedly, scattering with mud covered feet in every direction.

Kuromaru burst into laughter as the pups tracked filth everywhere, singing that damn ear worm of a song Mari had taught them. Oh that little shit, testing her temper as well as getting back at her for putting her through the verbal wringer.

She grinned back, showing the kitten some teeth.

Well played Uchiha, well played.

Tsume almost burst into cackles when the little Uchiha heiress walked into the clan head meeting.

She was dressed in an Uchiha blue kimono, but that wasn't why she wanted to laugh. No, no the kitten was wearing a flower crown. To the outsider it would like she was honoring the Uchiha flame, yellows and oranges and red, but Tsume had been forced to take those damned kunoichi classes.

Red Zinnia for loyalty. Orange lilies for revenge, or maybe hatred, but Tsume would bet on vengeance. Yellow daffodils for respect. The small white flowers of Edelweiss connected the entire crown. White for strength. White for power.

Utatane choked on her tea, eyes wide as she looked to Tsume for confirmation. They were the only woman in this grand hall of men after all, which meant they were the only ones to see the declaration upon the Uchiha's head for what it was.

Most of the men didn't get it, and she could see the confusion on their faces at her almost manic grin and Utatane's shock. Mari sat down between the empty seats of the Senju and the Uzumaki, another bold choice, and Tsume glanced around the room one last time. Inoichi was staring at the flowers on the kitten's head, face a little paler than normal, while Shikaku just looked smug.

Interesting, something to explore later.

The Hokage started the meeting with a clearing of his throat, and they were off. Choza started off by talking about Amachiki investments, as well as rumors their merchant branch heard while in various countries. The Aburame were next, stating one of their researchers finally cracked an old forgotten perfume that would help disguise scents, and Tsume didn't glace at Mari. She definitely added that to her list of things to investigate.

The minutes ticked by as clan head after clan head either revealed new investments that bettered Konoha or took potshots at their rivals. Interestingly enough, Hiashi had been partially mum about the very young, very inexperienced Uchiha regent.

She'd have to get him drunk later.

Speaking of said regent, the Uchiha was also being mum. If Tsume hadn't met her, she'd have called her timid, and assumed her silence was just her biding her time. She knew better now. Mari was playing up the meek and diligent young lady, taking notes with a gentle hand. She was quiet, but her eyes were sharp, watching the by-plays like a Nara watching a master play Shogi.

"Before we dismiss," Shimura said in the silence that followed the Kuramas update, "we should discuss the police force. While the Uchiha regent has exceeded exceptions, she does not have the qualifications, nor the staff, to run such a thing."

Oh that rat bastard. Tsume glanced at Mari, whose mask was one of deep water, watching the elder with cool obsidian eyes. She didn't look anything like the sixteen year old laughing in the mud.

The Hokage hummed, though unlike the month before there was a hint of distance between the two. "And what do you propose we do about that then?"

"We dissolve the police all together, let ANBU take on shinobi matters and allow the civilians their own devision." The damned elder was speaking like it was already a done deal, and everyone in the room noticed when Uchiha Mari put down her pen.

Her smile was polite. Soft.

Tsume felt the urge to cackle again.

"While I am grateful Honored Elder that you have spent the last week thinking of how to ease my burdens," Mari murmured like the meek little thing she was pretending to be, "I must inform you and this body I have already taken care of those arrangements."

"Oh?" Shimura wondered aloud, and though the tone was also polite, everyone heard the challenge underneath. "Then please, enlighten us Uchiha-chan."

"Of course!" Mari beamed like he hadn't just insulted her to her face, "I have the paper work if you want to take a look at. You'll have to forgive the notes in the margins, because of the shortened time frame I had to make a few adjustments."

"Adjustments," Utatane wondered aloud, and she had been quiet this meeting. Tsume wondered if that was a good omen or a bad one.

"Indeed, it was an, well it was just an idea I had for improving the police force. I'm sorry to say I never worked up the courage to bring it up, but it's well suited for our needs. I've already talked to rest of the clan heads and some of the civilian council, and gotten their approval. With a few candidates for higher positions picked out already and considering my own council for the police force already decided on at this point it's just a matter of time and numbers." Mari paused, turn towards the Hokage with a slight grimace. "I will need the ANBU and regular forces to help keep order for next six weeks, but after that I will have the first batch of officers tentatively ready, with more on the way, though the speed of this wouldn't be possible without Hyuuga-sama's suggestions."

"I am glad to see the Hyuuga and the Uchiha working together," the Hokage said when Shimura opened his mouth.

"Uchiha-dono's work, while rudimentary, had a good base to build on," Hiashi said blandly, and Tsume blinked at the honorific.

Damn, now she was really curious as to what they talked about, cause that was down right pleasant. Mari smiled at Hiashi, who was pretending not to notice her beaming or the way Shimura had narrowed his eyes.

Tsume didn't laugh at their faces, it would ruin the all the work the kitten had put into this meeting, but damn if she didn't want to cackle until her ribs ached at how she got Shimura to insult himself by insulting her. She settled for a smile instead, enjoying how Mitokado was sweat dropping beside her.

"Well, in that case I do believe we're done for the day," the Hokage stated before Shimura could say anything else. "We will reconvene next month, unless something else comes up. Any other questions before we depart?"

"Yes," Uchiha Mari said, "do we submit things to talk about to you, or do we just bring them? And if we do submit things, how soon before the next clan meeting do I bring it and how much paper work should accompany the proposal."

The Hokage shifted in his seat. "Do you have something you wish to bring up the council?"

"Yes." The youngest clan head didn't elaborate after that, she just met the Hokage's gaze with eyes like dark waters, patient and calm and full of hidden currents.

"We have a few minutes left," the Hokage replied slowly, and there was a subtext there Tsume didn't have enough information to fully understand, "what do you wish to talk about?"

Mari's nose scrunched, breaking the tension as a sense of childishness filled her face, and she opened the leather satchel by her seat. "I should have something ready to go give me moment."

Shimura frowned, like he wanted to protest, but even he seemed surprised by the amount of papers the kitten had in her bag. There was a clear filling system, and Tsume would bet on her partner Mari had that satchel covered in seals, both as storage and as protection.

Her fingers flipped past about a dozen folders, before making a sound of interest as she pulled out a small file of paperwork. "It's a proposal for Suna. I want to start negotiations for non-classified chakra string techniques and puppeteering schematics so we can start building better prosthetics. I haven't been able get access to any treaties we have with other nations, so I apologize if this ends being a waste of time."

The room grew quiet, before Shimura spoke up again. "Suna will never trade such secrets."

"Not for free," she agreed, "but I am sure there is something they want that we can give them for E-ranks and such."

"They will most likely want something of similar value in return, whose secrets are you offering then," Shimura asked, and that spine of steel practically shinned in Mari's eyes as she met his gaze.

"I have yet to ask any of my allies what they would be willing to offer, but if it is me alone, then I would offer Uchiha techniques." The room exploded into small whispers, but Mari didn't seem to pay them any mind.

"You would sell what countless Uchiha have given their lives for?" Shimura wondered, the your elders must be rolling their graves not actually spoken aloud, but everyone heard it anyway.

Mari jutted out her chin, though the expression she was wearing could almost be called hurt, a swirling mix of sadness and fury. "Life is for the living, Honored Elder. The dead have no need of secrets anymore, but my Genin teammate needs a better prosthetic. I cannot return his leg to him, I cannot give him the career he's always wanted, but I can give him something to fight with, and if I must pay with my clan's techniques then I will do so. Hoarding knowledge helps no one, and those countless Uchiha you spoke of were fighting thieves, what I am giving will be done so of my own free will."

"Such knowledge could be used against you," Shimura rebuttaled, and Tsume could see how Mari wanted to snarl. She didn't though, just took a breath.

"Then it will be used against me, and I accept the consequences of that, but how can I possibly look my best friend in the face when I am sitting on a gold mine and refuse to use it because of what, some dead person generations ago didn't want to share? Because our forefathers somehow got it into their heads slaughtering each other was the best way to gain power?"

"This seems a discussion for next time," the Hokage spoke before Shimura could counter that. "Paperwork should be delivered to my office at least a week before the next meeting, so there is time to look over it. We will table this discussion until you can talk to some of your allies and we have a list of things the clans are willing to trade. Is this disagreeable?"

"No," Mari murmured, pressence gone like it was never there to begin with. "This was out of the blue, and I understand it requires more input. That's why I asked."

Tsume was a pack hunter. Dogs had never lost the ability that the wolves had passed down, a snap here, a snarl there. It was a hard thing, to lead a prey much faster than you to the right spot. She watched the Uchiha dip her head, gathering her notes as the rest of the clan heads whispered to themselves, Shimura staring like the kitten was something to dissect. Tsume watched and still she wanted to laugh.

All those meat headed men saw was a house cat, even after today. They assumed Uchiha Mari to be a tame little thing, ready to bow to their so called wisdom because she was only sixteen, only a Chunin, only a woman.

Dogs and cats might be as different as the night and day, but lions and wolves? Well, what was dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn?

The meeting ended, and Tsume let her gaze wander over the gathered heads.

Inoichi was pale, well, paler than normal, so Tsume sauntered over to the teamwork trio. Choza was trying to talk to his Yamanaka teammate, the man staring at Mari like she was a ghost, while Shikaku watched all three of them with amusement.

The Uchiha cub was currently talking to Shibi and Hiashi, hands gesturing and expression wide, she was explaining something exciting perhaps. They weren't the only ones watching. Shimura was pretending to talk to his lackeys, though she did not like the way he was looking at the kitten.

She'd have to do something about that.

"What's got buttercup's all wound tight?" she asked the teamwork trio, though Shikaku was the only one who fully turned her way.

"Tsume," the Jonin commander greeted, and she narrowed her eyes at him. Oh that little fucker, he had details. "Can I help you?"

She smiled at him, showing teeth. "We're gonna being seeing a lot of each these next few weeks, aren't we?"

Inoichi paled even further, staring at her as he breathed a soft no.

Well that was uncalled for.

"Seriously," Choza complained, "what's got you so spooked?"

Tsume hummed, raising a brow at Shikaku. "Buttercup's just figured it out, didn't he deer boy."

It was the Jonin Commander's turn to narrow his eyes. Tsume let her grin widen. "You got Mari to show some teeth, didn't you?"

She chuckled, glancing over at Mari. "Kitten gave a hiss. Took some prodding, considering the manners that were likely beat into her, but once she lets loose the kid got spunk."

"Sage not you too," Inoichi complained, head in his hands, and Tsume raised an eye brow at Shikaku.

"Mari asked him about Yamanaka studies yesterday," the Nara explained, "him, not knowing why she was asking, gave her some studies to look over."

Tsume thought of Mari's police plans, her back ups and safety nets and the way she accounted for everything that could possibly go wrong. She then thought of that satchel, and the dozen folders contained within.

She whistled, "Damn. Things really are gonna get busy then."

"Oh," Choza said, finally catching on. "The satchel."

"Where's your dread Shika," Inoichi hissed, "this is going to be work, this is going to be the most work we've had since the war."

Shikaku grinned, sharp and a touch malicious and Tsume was viciously reminded of her mother telling her never to hunt on the Nara lands. Shadows were hungry things after all, and Tsume was ninety percent sure Nara deer ate intruders. "Oh it's going to be troublesome alright."

The teamwork trio started bickering after that. It was fond kind of arguing, full of amusement and childish pettiness. Tsume quietly withdrew, shifting her gaze back to Shimura.

Utatane met her gaze from across the room.

They didn't like each other, and probably never would, but there was a code between kunoichi, no matter what side of politics one fell under. The adviser's gaze was cool, and Utatane gave the smallest of nods.

Even if it stabbed Shimura in the back, Utatane was going to keep her mouth shut.

He was a shinobi after all, it wouldn't be their fault if he couldn't be bothered to look underneath the underneath.

Kitamaru padded softly to her left. Her mother's partner was getting close to the end now, a hint of a limp in her step as they walked into the Uchiha compound. They both grimaced as they entered, bracing for blood and the scent of fear, but there was just, nothing.

Tsume hummed, and made a note to investigate that perfume a little more seriously.

Her mother's partner had her ears pricked, eyes taking in every shadow, every empty house. There was no blood, no sign of the violence that had happened. Well, almost no sign, she could see the patchwork woodwork from the street.

There were a few houses that looked lived in, candles in the windows and shoes on the porches. Mari was taking the resettlement slow it seemed, rather than opening the flood gates. Kitamaru's ears flicked, and her mother's partner shifted her course, moving away from the clan head's house. Tsume raised a brow, but followed.

The sound of laugher echoed across empty pathways, and nestled in the back of the compound was an elders house, conversation trickling in from the back of the house.

She walked round, and eyed the large gathering of people. There were about a dozen adults, with about twice that number of kids ranging from seventeen to three. Someone had set up a table with various kinds of foods, and Tsume finally found Mari in front of a grill, laughing as she talked to some civilian Tsume didn't recognize.

"Tsume-Sama!" Mari greeted when she noticed, and Tsume gave a wave. The kitten handed off her tongs to the civilian and bounced over, clearly excited to see another Ninken. "Nice to meet you Ninken-san, my name is Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra. Who are you?"

"I am Kitamaru, daughter of Okami," her mother's partner replied, and Tsume gave her the side eye, because that was an old greeting, from the warring clan era and probably beyond. "Tsume-chan is my niece."

Mari made a sound of interest. "We're having a barbecue if you want to join, all are welcome here."

Only Mari could make that sound like both a threat and a promise. "Sure kitten, me and Kitamaru could eat. You've been busy, huh."

The Uchiha twitched slightly. "We've got the land, it would a pity to keep it full of ghosts."

Tsume gave a snort. "Life is for the living, aint it?"

"Yes," Mari agreed with a serious expression, before tilting her head and peering at Kitamaru. "Is Kuromaru-Sama sick?"

"It's his turn to babysit the pups," Tsume replied, and Mari beamed likes the child she should have been.

"Oh that sounds fun," she said, and Kitamaru snorted.

"Sure," her mother's partner drawled, "we can call it that."

The kitten laughed, joy bubbling in her chakra as she moved them towards one the empty tables.

"Sit, sit," the Uchiha gestured, and Tsume did so. Mari's chakra dimmed, expression settling, and Tsume made a mental note to get one of her long term mission specialists in here. The Uchiha was going to need some training if she wanted to disguise her emotions better than that. "So, is this a social visit, or…"

Tsume hummed, head tilting. "Of a sort. You said you wanted to learn how to speak dog."

"Oh yes," Mari said, like it just a common curtesy, like it was their due. "I think anyone who works with an Inuzuka should learn, and considering the amount I'm about to have on my police force, it seemed prudent to know what their partners would be saying."

Kitamaru's ears flickered, and Tsume gave a half smile. "Kitamaru has volunteered to help you learn."

"I will be in your care then Kitamaru-obasama. Do we need to talk about a schedule, or is it whenever we're both free kind of thing." Both Tsume and Kitamaru stared at Mari, who grew hesitant under their gazes. Another thing to tackle then. "Or not? I apologize if I've offended."

"No offense given kid," Tsume replied, because after all Mari had said and done she doubted there was a way the Uchiha could insult them. "We were just thinking something a little different. Kitamaru's joints aren't what they used to be, and her vet suggested something a little lower pace than our chaos of a compound. We'd be willing to pay for her accommodations, if you were worried about it."

Mari's face shuddered into the same mask she had used with Shimura, and Tsume couldn't help the frown that tugged at her lips. "You want Kitamaru-obasama to stay at the compound."

Tsume reached out a flicked Mari's forehead. The kitten scowled at her for it, but Tsume didn't care. "Not as a spy kitten, get that out of your head right now. She's not going to be a baby-sitter either, don't look at her like that. She's going to be a teacher, and not just in your language skills."

"Consider me a safety net," Kitamaru murmured, and Mari glanced at the silvered wolf-dog.

"A safety net," Mari repeated, glancing between the two of them. Tsume wondered when she became the village wrangler for instinct-raised. Then she remembered how Orochimaru was slaughtering his way through life and Hatake kept trying to get himself killed as payment for losing his pack.

Ah. That was why.

Tsume gave a smile. It was not a nice smile. "I feel rather paranoid at the moment."

Mari's scowl shifted to slight confusion. "Elder Shimura won't act against me so soon. He needs to get back into the Hokage's graces, and a whisper campaign would be a useless waste of energy at the moment considering my popularity."

They stared at her for a moment, two.

"I think that's the most concerning thing you've said yet kitten," Tsume drawled, and Mari turned to her with a deadpan expression.

"Give it time," the heiress promised, and Tsume snorted in amusement. She didn't doubt it. Mari opened her mouth to say something else, though not before her eyes widened and she whirled around towards the pond. "Naruto-kun don't you dare!"

Tsume watched in amusement as the regent moved towards the cackling blonde, but took the opportunity given to her. She glanced at Kitamaru, who huffed, before moving to follow Mari, steps soft as her mother's partner padded away.

Sasuke was relatively easy to find. A little too easy for her taste, even with the ANBU hidden in the trees. Hatake wasn't among them, and she resolved to go sit on him for a few days, the brat needed it.

"How are your knuckles," she asked the kid, who looked up from his reading with a scowl.

"Fine," he grunted, eyeing her suspiciously. "What do you want?"

Tsume raised an eyebrow to that. "What makes you think I want something."

"Adults always do," Sasuke replied, "especially after they separate us."

"Fair enough," she gave, because it wasn't like he was wrong. "I'm just checking on how y'all are doing."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further. "Is this because Mari is an instinct-raised?"

Now Tsume was curious, so she shrugged. "What makes you think that?"

"No one was interested in how I doing until Mari met with you," the boy pointed out, "and the Inuzuka are practically instinct-raised from birth. They always recognize others, no matter how well they hide it." Sasuke paused, glancing around before turning back to her. "She's not a danger to me, she won't ever be."

Tsume snorted. Sasuke was safe alright, it was Mari that Tsume was worried about. "Didn't say she was chickadee, it's not just you I'm checking up on."

"Oh," Sasuke replied, glancing at his cousin turned sister. "Is she in trouble?"

"Not at the moment, but I think we both know it won't stay that way for long," Tsume answered, and the boy gave a huff.

"So what do you want." Blunt, and effective in this instance, but the boy had to work on his tone.

Tsume let her gaze drift over to where Mari was holding the Uzumaki brat like a pup, raising one eye brow at the boy talking a mile a minute. "You lot get into trouble, let me know."

Sasuke made a sound of doubt at the back of his throat. "That's it?"

"Your mother and I had an arrangement, years ago," Tsume still hadn't looked away, but she didn't need to look to know Sasuke had frozen. "Consider this me keeping my end of the bargain. You need anything, let me know."

"Ok," Mikoto's youngest whispered, and Tsume left him to his books.

Her feet were silent as she moved round the party and towards the house. She paused at the archway, eyeing the seals. Oh well, Tsume entered, and the carved patterns didn't flare to life.

She took in the open floor plan, the neatness that wasn't too neat and the feel of a house well lived in, scruffs and scraps and all sorts of little things that made a house a den. Tsume breathed deep, taking in the fading grief and moonlight fondness and bondfire love, moving towards the cabinets as she exhaled.

The kitchen was well stocked, good food with plenty of variety, meats and vegetables and was that a fruit salad? She popped one the berries into her mouth, a blueberry, ripe too, a burst of sweetness on her tongue. Tsume closed the fridge, eying the notes and reminders on the ice-box. What caught her attention the most was the neat little calendar in the center.

She snorted, because it was color coded and everything, dates ranging from doctors appointments to playdates to clan head meetings. It would have been adorable if the organization wasn't a vicious reminder Mari had not had the luxury of parents to take care of those kind of things.

"If this is a wellness check, you're about ten years too late." Tsume didn't twitch, glancing to see the Aburame teammate standing by the door. He was Shibi's sixth cousin twice removed or something. "You will leave now."

Ooh that was a murder tone. "No need to get upset, I was invited."

The Aburame didn't budge. "To dinner, not into the house."

"Consider it a wellness check then," she replied, turning back to the calendar.

Kitten's schedule was pretty full, but she wasn't pulling a Hatake, clearing giving herself time to rest. That was good, there were only so many people she could sit on. She blinked, and the Aburame was at her side.

Damn, kid had skills.

"Leave," he commanded, and Tsume raised a brow.

"Or what?" She challenged, "you gonna make a mess in Mari's kitchen?"

"Yes." It wasn't a hiss that came out his mouth, but rather the buzzing of every insect under his skin. Tsume went to flick his forehead, but the kid ducted back, tension thick in his frame, and she couldn't help the scowl.

"Somebody's burned you bad, haven't they?" The Aburame tensed further at her question, and Tsume sighed.

Sage damn other people's elders.

"We are not children in need of protection." Not anymore, he didn't say, but Tsume heard it anyway.

She hummed, head tilted. "So you ain't."

She could test him further, but there was something… fraught, about this conversation, and Tsume didn't know enough to accurately toe the line. She dipped her head in agreement, and moved to the door. The Aburame followed, attempting to be menacing in her shadow, and it would have been cute if he didn't see her as such a threat.

Someone had burned him, and Mari too, and if whoever had made them so afraid wasn't dead, Tsume would find them and bury them in the forest of death.

The civilian cook handed over a small box of cooked meat, excitedly explaining the method and the things that went into it. She pretended to listen, watching as Mari lectured about half a dozen kids, all of them soaking wet. It's a good talking to, even if it was cut by the clear amusement in her Chakra.

Mari's Nara teammate snorted in amusement about something, and then clapped the Aburame on the shoulder, hands in his pockets as he meandered over. It was a distinctive Nara kind of walk, footsteps slow like a predator.

"Nara Roka," he introduced with a lazy drawl, eyes sharp for all the false friendliness. "It's getting late, I'll walk you out."

She eyed him, amused at how they were effortlessly shuffling her out without alerting Mari. She was curious as to how the Aburame planned to get rid of Kitamaru, but that was the Uchiha's problem now.

They walk in silence. Nara was comfortable, more so than the other two, though she wasn't surprised. Full moons were dangerous times for those who considered Nara their enemies, and something told her if the little shadow considered her a threat, he'd kill her and no one would be the wiser.

Or at least, he'd try at any rate. Tsume had lived through two wars for a very good reason, and it wasn't night time just yet.

"You've been poking your nose into our business," Roka drawled, and Tsume raised a brow to that.

"So I have," she replied, letting the kid take from that what he would.

The Nara hummed, looking at her with narrowed eyes. "I'd be worried, except I don't need to be, do I?"

She met his gaze. "Not from me. It's one of my unofficial duties, to check in with our instinct-raised."

"Why?" He asked, and Tsume huffed at the memory.

"Because once upon a time the Lord Forth was just a Jonin-sensei freaking out over the instinct-raised he had been given for a student, and went to the only person he knew had any clue in how to help him." The Nara actually looked shocked at that, and Tsume felt a flicker of amusement in her chest. Minato hadn't been graceful as a child, for all he pretended to be as an adult. Damn, now she was missing the bastard. "When that Jonin-sensei became Hokage he kept sending other instinct-raised my way, and I helped them reintegrate into the village. Mari is a bit of a special case though, I will admit to that."

"Mikoto?" Roka guessed, glancing at the Uchiha symbol, and Tsume gave him a tight smile.

"Yes. She had flailed just like he had, they always do." Tsume took in the kid standing before her. He was sixteen too, with a prosthetic Mari was doing everything in her power to improve. "Instinct-raised need more than a pack of two and half you know."

"She's got summons," Roka countered, though he folded under her gaze with a sigh. "Yeah I know. We're working on it."

Tsume hummed, that was good enough for now. "You need back up, let me know."

Roka tilted his head, brow furrowed. "You actually mean that, don't you?"

"I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't," Tsume huffed, and something in Roka relaxed.

"That's good," he said, then he grinned. It was just as sharp as Shikaku's. "Muta wanted me to threaten you."

She didn't doubt it, the murderous wasp of an Aburame was a protective little thing. Still, she tilted her head. "You seem to be doing a bad job of it."

"Am I?" he asked with a laugh, and unlike the Aburame she knew that if he came to shank her, she wouldn't see it coming. Nara were obnoxious like that. "You're an Inuzuka, I know you've gotten warnings about what's ours."

Shadows were hungry things. It was a lesson every clan head learned at some point or another. Roka was haloed by the moon, the darkening sky a dusky red, and Tsume would admit after a few drinks that the Nara Chunin was more than a little unnerving.

There were two things Inuzuka feared, left over from the warring clan era.

A Senju-Uchiha fight to the death, and a motivated Nara.

Tsume gave the brat a smile, showing teeth. "Hear you loud and clear pup, no need to posture past that. You can get back to your lover girl now, I'm heading out."

She left the sputtering Nara with a laugh, and Tsume hummed as she walked down empty streets, glancing at the mission tower. She needed to head down the Jonin lounge at some point. There were bets to be made, and also she had find Kakashi before he collapsed from Chakra exhaustion. Again.

Maybe the Hokage would let her kidnap Kakashi like last time. She'd probably only be able to hold for about three days, but he'd get the rest he needed. At some point he was going to just give up and let her sit on him.

Hmm, that was a good idea. She'd talk to her kids as well, the Uchiha's needed more people willing do the same.

For their health, of course.

Chapter 4: The Lone Wolf Chapter Text

That wolf sounds so sad.

It's probably injured.

No, it's been separated from the pack. I understand that pain. It's how I felt when the Water Tribe warriors had to leave me behind. They were my family, and being apart from them was more painful than my wounds.

Kakashi knew something was wrong the moment he stepped into ANBU headquarters. His fellow ANBU didn't stare, would never do something so obvious, but he could feel their looks as Cat and Eagle follow him towards the lockers. He could see the barest flash of hand signs, which was ANBU for whispering furiously.

Dread pooled in his gut as he started to unpack, Cat staying close as he eyed the rest of the unit. Eagle was over by Raven, the two of them signing rapid fire about something. There were a few who were more focused on the two bird masked members, but everyone who pretended not to know his identity for plausible deniability was looking at him, and Kakashi didn't like it.

Tiger sauntered over, but his posture was tight, for all it pretended to slouch.

"Who died," Kakashi asked the moment Tiger was in range, and the ANBU shuffled slightly.

"No one," he replied, and then did not elaborate. The man paused, glancing around the room and the onlookers who were ease dropping without an ounce of shame. Evacuate the premises, he signed, fingers sharp in a way that told everyone it was an order.

The room emptied in a heartbeat, though Cat stayed. Tiger glanced between the two of them, and Kakashi took a breath. "He can stay."

Genma took off his tiger mask, expression deadly serious. "You sure?"

"Yes." Tenzo was safe in a way few others ever managed to be. Kakashi took off his own mask, even as his skin itched at the vulnerability, scents rising up to meet him. Bitter fear and sharp curiosity and copper blood, salty hurt and iron determination. "Whose hurt?"

"No one is hurt," Genma replied, his scent swirling with emotions, too many to name. "It's, nothing bad has happened. No one is dead, or dying, or on the run. It's just, personal, and the last thing I want is to have to go to Tsume to make her sit on you before you take a S-rank year long undercover mission or something."

Cat made a soft noise behind his mask that Kakashi would absolutely get back at him for later, scent torn between amusement and worry. Kakashi reminded himself to breath. "So what. Happened."

Gemma's face twisted, though not out of disgust or embarrassment, more the face one made when given a mission to the Land of Marsh. "So, you know how Uchiha Mari was looking to meet with you."

Kakashi gave a nod. It was why he had gone on the mission the Land of Rivers in the first place. The implications of that sentence caught up quick though, and Kakashi could feel dread clutching at his lungs. "What did she do."

His friend took a breath, and Kakashi hated the way Genma looked at him, swirling hurt and low burning anger in his gaze, scent like a grieving teammate. "It might be easier to show you."

Kakashi grounded his teeth, already disliking the direction this conversation was taking, but he nodded anyway. He took a breath, letting the wind between trees of Genma's Chakra spill over him.

Genma was relaxing in the Jonin lounge when he spotted the muted green of a chunin outfit. He wasn't the only person who started paying attention, over a dozen eyes following Uchiha Mari as she walked over to the coffee station that no one used because communal beverages were not safe.

"I am looking Hatake Kakashi," she stated, and then stood there, like she was waiting for someone to reply to her.

"He's not here," someone said, though Genma couldn't see who.

"Do you know when he will be?" she asked, polite like Minato used to be.

"No," the voice answered, and Genma thought his name was Minazuki or something like that. "Besides, you won't find him around here, bastard's too good for the likes of us."

Uchiha Mari stared at the Jonin, before turning around and leaving without a word.

Genma knew a challenge when he saw one, and made sure to sit at the very same spot. This time he was joined by Radio and Iwashi. The Uchiha regent entered, and though conversations continued, everyone watched as she once more approached the coffee station.

"You again?" Minazuki Yuki complained, "what do you even need him for?"

"Clan business, which means it's none of yours," Uchiha replied, and Genma got the distinct impression she disliked Minazuki.

The Jonin in question snorted. "If you're after that eye of his, you won't get it."

Uchiha's gaze went icy. "I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"No need to be snarky Uchiha-chan," Minazuki appeased, or at least was trying to, every word out his mouth just seemed to make her madder. "I'm only looking out for your best interests."

"Somehow I doubt that," she drawled, and made to leave again.

"Listen," Minazuki called, "you're young, I doubt you've heard the stories, but you really do need to be careful if you're asking around for Friend Killer Kakashi."

The Uchiha stopped walking, slowing turning around with an incredibly cold face. Genma really, really, hoped she punched him. "What did you just call him?"

"Friend Killer Kakashi," Minazuki continued, like an idiot who couldn't read the room. Or hell, maybe he had read the room, he was just misinterpreting. "He got both his teammates killed back during the war, he's bad news kid. Has no one told you? I know you want that eye he stole but-"

"Stop. Talking." Uchiha hissed, lips curled in a snarl. "How dare you, how dare you? Uchiha Obito gave his life for his team, for his best friend. He gave his eye so he could keep watching over his teammates, how dare you take that away by claiming Hakate-dono got him killed, that he stole something that was his by right. No, no you don't get to walk way. Fuck you. How dare you take away Nohara Rin's agency. How dare you erase her refusal to be a bomb against her people, how dare you make light of her choice to use her teammate as the knife because he had promised to protect her, and the village be damned against that promise. Who are you to call Hakate-dono anything, he who has given everything to this village, his parents and his genin team and his clan. Go to therapy if you feel so low about your own life that you take it out on others, but leave his good name out of your fucking mouth."

Uchiha stormed away, breathing ragged, and Genma released the Genjutsu.

Kakashi sucked in a breath. Tenzo's hand was on his shoulder, grounding and real and Kakashi wanted to run and never stop.

How did she, why did she, he didn't, couldn't-

"Did anything else happen?" His Kohai asked. Kakashi wanted to scrub his skin, he could feel blood dripping from his fingers.

"She came back the next day," Genma answered, and Kakashi wanted to whimper. What else did she do. "Someone else said that if she really wanted to find him she could just stalk the memorial stone. I know, and then she told them in no uncertain terms that she refused to disturb his place of mourning, and that they were being very disrespectful for even offering that."

That was good. Kakashi wasn't sure he could handle a conversation about Obito's eye there.

"There's more, isn't there," Tenzo noted, and Genma shrugged.

"A different day someone else pointed out she was training with Guy. At hearing she could just ask Kakashi's Eternal Rival to find him, she told them off for making Guy chose between them, and using one of Kakashi's few friends against him. The person then asked why she was asking for him if she wasn't willing to look, and she respond that they had things to discuss, but that she wasn't an asshole, she wasn't going to force herself into his life just so they talk."

That was nice of her. Kakashi didn't trust it. Talks with Uchiha rarely went well.

"You good?" Genma asked, and no, Kakashi was not good.

He took a breath. "How many people… know."

Gemma made a face, nose wrinkled in distain. "Yeah that took off like wildfire. Your reputation did a complete one-eighty, so expect to deal with some overly sympathetic sheep for a while."

Kakashi didn't, he didn't know what to do with this.

"Anything else we should know?" Sage bless Tenzo, Kakashi's brain was… empty. Empty was good word, nothing in his brain except static.

Genma opened his mouth before his eyes flick up and his mask was back, Tiger shushining between them in a defensive position. Kakashi did the same, dread pooling in his stomach as the blood drained from his face as he watched a Kunoichi drop from the ceiling and land on all fours.

Tsume smiled at him, showing teeth, and Kakashi fully abandoned his fellow ANBU without regret. He shunshined away, sprinting across the rooftops towards the mission tower, she wasn't allowed to kidnap him when he had a scroll.

He didn't make it very far before Tsume tackled him to ground.

"I heard something very interesting about you this week," she said, and Kakashi tensed, staring up at her.

"That so," he drawled, if he could dislodge her he could make it to-

"None of that Hound," Tsume growled, and Kakashi resisted the urge to show his neck. "No ANBU missions till this blows over, Hokage's orders."

"Why?" He snarled, they were making him useless, and Tsume shifted, like she was going to flick him on the head but then remembered he was still wearing the mask.

"Because you sacrificial idiot of pup, we're not risking you getting killed because you didn't want to have conversations about your genin teammates, or how they died." She moved towards his mask, and Kakashi growled at her.

"She had no right to talk of them, and neither do you. I'm not one of your clan members, I'm not your child, get off me." He tried to dislodge her, but Tsume held strong, fingers curling into his shoulders with an almost painful edge.

Tsume showed teeth. "Oh listen to me you dumb fuck, Minato gave me a duty of care the moment he came barging into my Den, no matter how what happens or how many years go by that makes you one of mine."

Kakashi sucked in a breath, because he knew what that kind of declaration meant, especially for instinct-raised. He was quiet for a moment, two. "Why did she do this."

The Inuzuka clan head sighed, releasing her grip. "I'm sure if someone asked her, she'd give a lot of different reasons, all of them changing based on who asked them, but honestly? Uchiha Mari is someone who cannot abide injustice, no matter the form it takes."

"It wasn't an injustice," he grumbled, only to freeze when Tsume took off his ANBU mask, meeting his gaze with an expression similar to the one Genma had worn, swirling hurt and drawn steel fury and weeping grief.

"It was pup," she murmured, surprisingly soft. "both to you and to them. Come on, I got a plate of food with your name on it."

"I don't want to go to the compound," he muttered, and Tsume laughed.

"It's funny you think you have a choice in the matter. You can come walking, or you can come dragging, but either way I'm going to sit on you till you eat enough to get some meat back on those bones."

Kakashi sighed, before attempting to make another break for it.

He ended up being tied together like a trussed pig and slung over Tsume's shoulders as she carried him to the Den, but at least he could say he had tried.

It took three days to escape from Tsume.

Kakashi would never admit it, but being shoved into the mud and covered in puppies and occasionally being sat on was… helpful.

It also allowed him to avoid everyone until he could go back to being Hound on missions and have his wonderful plausible deniability back. Inoichi was probably going to murder him for skipping his ANBU mandated therapy though. Oh well, he would throw Tsume under the bus for that one.

Kakashi settled into the Hokage's guard like nothing had happened, studiously ignoring the looks his fellow ANBU were giving him.

Problem? He signed, and Raven was the only one brave enough to keep looking. He squinted at the ANBU. There was something vaguely familiar about the younger member.

Back up offered, affirmative? Kakashi stared at Raven. Was he asking for back up, or offering it. New onlookers, mission dragging on, waiting for captain's signal. Captain requires back up?

One of the other guard signed at Raven to cut it out, but the bird masked ANBU didn't move. Kakashi didn't, really know what do with that. How was he supposed to respond, what was Raven looking for?

Backup not required, he replied at last, because how else could he reply to that kind of statement.

Affirmative. Raven replied, and Kakashi had the slightest feeling he was giving a fuck you to ANBU Bull, backup in standby mode, waiting for signal.

A knock on the dragged all their attention away. Kakashi stiffened when Uchiha Mari entered, and he pretended not to noice the way the ANBU squad all turned and looked at him.

"Hokage-sama," she greeted cheerfully, looking much more settled compared to the last time Kakashi had seen her.

"Ah, Mari-chan," Sarutobi greeted warmly, and Kakashi twitched. When had they become friends? "You're a little late, any trouble on your way up?'

Uchiha shook her head. "I had extra proposals for the next clan head meeting."

"I'm sure Mirko-chan was excited about that," Sarutobi replied drolly, and Uchiha gave a huff of a laugh.

"That's one word for it," she mused with a sharp smile. "Tea?"

"Of course."

The Uchiha regent somehow pulled out an entire tea set from her satchel. He watched as she pulled out tea leaves, carefully putting them into a strainer. She then pulled out what looked like a portable kettle, messing with the small buttons before settling back into one the couches.

Where was she even keeping all that?

Raven and Eagle start arguing about something as Uchiha pulled out a book, and then colored pencils? He was very confused as to why she was filling in the animals made out of shapes like a child. She hummed as she worked, and Kakashi racked his brain at the tune, but he'd never a song like that before.

The water in the kettle began to boil, and Uchiha put her pencils on the table. She kept humming as she poured both herself and the Hokage a cup.

"Here," she said as she walked over, "have they helped with the headaches?"

"I'm afraid not," Sarutobi replied, taking the cup with more trust than Kakashi had seen in the man before.

Uchiha frowned at the comment. "You probably don't drink enough water. It's the little things that get you. Would you like to join me?"

Sarutobi smiled gently. "Not this time I'm afraid. Too much to do."

The Chunin clicked her tongue against her teeth. "You need to delegate better."

"So you've said," the Hokage replied, eyeing the younger woman with amusement. "Unfortunately there is still not much I can do to change that."

Uchiha stared for a moment, two. "I'll kick up the list then."

Sarutobi hummed, though there was a hint of nervousness in his posture as well. Kakashi had heard about the Uchiha and her lists of things Konoha needed addressing, and her meticulous rebuttals against Danzo's more traditional policies.

It had been beautiful, at least according to Hare, who hated Danzo almost as much as Cat did, though he could never figure out why.

The Chunin went back to her coloring book, and seriously, what was up with that? Raven and Eagle were now arguing with Bull, the two bird themed members tagging in surprising tandem. Kakashi caught a bit of it, something about following livestock?

Odd.

The next few minutes pass in silence as the Uchiha colored and the Hokage worked, his pile of paperwork becoming smaller and smaller.

"I heard an interesting rumor the other day," Sarutobi mused after a bit, and the Uchiha stilled, song pettering off.

"The fun kind of rumor or the why did you do that kind of rumor?" The Uchiha asked, and Kakashi wondered how many times the two of them have had this conversation. More than once, definitely.

"Apparently, there was an incident in the Jonin lounge," Sarutobi continued, half amused, half the leader of their people. "Multiple, even, though I am mostly concerned about the one where you made one of my Jonin cry."

"Talk shit get hit," the Uchiha muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Kakashi to hear it with his enhanced hearing. "Minazuki Yuki threw down the preverbal sword, I just retailed in kind."

"You got him demoted," Sarutobi replied, and there was a flash of fury in the Uchiha's gaze.

"One, there's nothing wrong with being a Chunin, we're not having the curse of middle management conversation again, and two, that man should not be allowed near children, ever. I just pointed out what was already there." She had done more than that, if the rumors were to be believed, and Kakashi glanced at Raven.

Sabotaging subordinates. the corvid masked membered explained. Malicious teacher, infected heart, cut ankles of allies.

Oh that was definitely something that got you demoted.

The Hokage sighed. "With knowledge you should not have."

"Ah," the Uchiha replied, looking suddenly very sheepish.

"Yes," Sarutobi repeated, "Ah."

Uchiha wrinkled her nose. "Well, it's not polite to speak of the dead."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I have the suspicion you're going to anyway."

There was a snort, and Uchiha took a breath. "Elder Naka was a bitch, and not the fun Inuzuka kind. I don't know how she got the information about Hatake-dono, but it's in the clan records for clan reasons I will not be getting into."

"I thought your clan records were destroyed," Sarutobi asked with a frown, and Mari pursed her lips as she looked into her tea cup.

"Not destroyed," she corrected, "just hidden. Hikaku-sama made some sort of deal with Mita-hime, though that conversation was off the books. Mikoto keyed me into the seal when she added me to her will, and Itachi… what he did was perceived as an attack on the compound, so all the records were hidden for safe keeping."

There was something about her story that didn't sit right. It wasn't a lie, but it didn't feel like the truth either. Sarutobi didn't question it though.

He never did, when it came to his favorites.

"Well, that is good news at least," Sarutobi said calmly, and Kakashi felt his shoulders tighten. "And the rumor you're planning to take Kakashi's sharingan back?"

Uchiha choked on her tea, and she spent a few seconds thumping her chest before looking at the Hokage with very wide eyes. "People think I'm planning to do what?!"

She sounded genuinely distressed, though who knew how good of an actress she was. Tsume certainly seemed to think she had everyone eating out of the palm of her hand.

"That would be a no then," the Hokage mused, and Uchiha huffed, looking upset.

"It's his eye," she protested, and he wondered if the ANBU commander had organized the guard so Kakashi would hear this conversation.

"Some would argue it's not," Sarutobi replied, playing devil's advocate, and Uchiha turned sharp eyes on her Hokage.

"Who," she demanded, "they should not say such things. It's his, a gift Uchiha do not give lightly, the last thing he has of his teammate. Even if I had been born the heir, it would not be within my rights to take it away."

Sarutobi furrowed his brows at this. "Fugaku tried."

"Fugaku-san was a clan head raised to submit to his elders," Uchiha paused then, eyes narrowed as if thinking about something. "Wait, is this why Hatake-dono has been avoiding me? I thought it was just because he was emotionally stunted, not because he thought I was going to try and steal his eye!"

"I'm sure he knows you would do no such thing," Sarutobi soothed like he didn't know Kakashi was right here and listening. He dreaded, for a moment, that the man was going to summon him. "Mari-chan, just out of curiosity, why do you want to meet with Kakashi?"

"Clan business," Uchiha replied, and the Hokage sighed. She seemed annoyed at his annoyance though. "You are not an Uchiha Hokage-sama, you don't get know more than that."

Kakashi stared, and wondered if she had thought that statement through. Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. "By that logic Kakashi is an Uchiha."

"Yes," she said, and he could feel all three ANBU staring at him again.

"Mari-chan," the Hokage groaned, and the Uchiha scowled.

"If Fugaku-san and the elders hadn't been so xenophobic then he would've been folded into clan years ago. Obito-nii gave him his sharingan, in the eyes of my clan's traditions that makes Hatake-dono a brother or lover or platonic life partner. I am righting that wrong, and anything else on the matter is clan business, so stop asking."

Kakashi couldn't breath. How could she say that so easily, he had gotten Obito killed, he did not deserve to be taken in by his clan.

Sarutobi put his head into his hands. "The Council won't like it."

"Well then I guess its a good thing they'll be rather busy with a half dozen proposals I just turned in," she snipped, and the Hokage put his hands down to look at the Chunin seated across from him.

"What did you do," he asked, and Uchiha gave him a smile. It was not a nice smile, and it reminded him of Tsume, the one that showed teeth.

Sarutobi placed his head on the table. "Mari-chan you are giving me a headache."

"Yes. Though, if you have one now it's probably just the dehydration."

The Hokage snorted, and returned to his paperwork as Uchiha went back to her coloring book. She was humming again, and Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the faint trace of Chakra in the air. It was like… Killing Intent, except not, because there was no malice in the air, just music, and ease.

It was… positive intent? Was that a thing?

A crow landed on the window, tapping at the glass, and Uchiha sighed, looking skyward. The Hokage chuckled as he let the bird in, and the Chunin groaned, leaning back into the couch.

"Chick, kit, or one the adoptees?" Uchiha asked the bird, which cawed. Raven tilted his head, looking a little too amused. "Sage, ok. Apologies Hokage-sama, apparently Sasuke got into a fight a with a Hyuuga."

"Ah youth," Sarutobi replied, and Uchiha started packing up her things in a huff.

"That's one word for it," she muttered, then a little more chipper, "same time next week?"

"Of course, Mari-chan," the Hokage replied, and the god of shinobi waited until she was out the door to open the secret drawer in his desk. Damn it, they had been doing so well too. Kakashi shifted his neck, and noticed that ANBU eagle was staring at him, Chakra intent on… something.

Backup required? She signed, and both Bull and Kakashi went to face palm, before remembering they were in masks.

Bull and Raven started arguing in the background while Eagle waited for his response.

Sage help him, not this again.

Betrayal, in the end, came from above.

Kakashi got a lot of leeway, being as strong as he was, but even he didn't have the clout to turn down an in-village A-rank. Uchiha Mari had apparently required his presence to take down some "traps" in her clan compound. It was bullshit, and everyone knew it, from the mission-nin to Shikaku himself.

The Jonin commander didn't smirk though, he just clapped Kakashi on the shoulder like they were friends, and he was doing Kakashi a favor by assigning this to him.

Kakashi hoped his kid failed all his classes and that his wife burnt his dinner.

He took the long way to the compound, not caring how late he was. He still wasn't entirely certain this was all some grand plan to take his eye back. It would be a poor political move, but grieving kids did stupid things.

He would know.

Kakashi paused when he reached the gates. The last time he had been to the Uchiha compound, it had been covered in blood and bodies. There was none of that now though, kids ran between buildings as teenagers worked on various projects together, ranging from shinobi skills to civilian hobbies. The adults watched him, eyes narrowed at the book he was pretending to read, but no one said anything.

He reached the new Uchiha clan head house around mid-day, and there was a black cat staring up at him, eyes a piercing blue that was definitely not natural. It's tale flicked to the side as he walked up the stairs, but he ignored it as he went to knock on the door.

Small feet scuffle towards the door, and Kakashi froze when Naruto opened the door. They stared at each other before the boy shut the door in his face.

It didn't hurt. Nope, not at all.

There was a yell, and this time when the door opened it was Uchiha Mari who greeted him, a small smile on her face.

"Ah Hatake-dono, you're just on time," she said, and then she leaned back towards the house. "Naruto be good for Roka. Kiba, break anything and I tell your mother. Sasuke, no sneaking tomatoes while I'm gone, the ban is still in effect even if I'm not at home." She then turned back to him. "Shall we get to it Hatake-dono."

"Maa Uchiha-san, it's your mission." Perhaps that was a little petty, and the elder Uchiha looked up at him with the almost creepy obsidian eyes of her people.

"I suppose it is," she replied, "this way then."

They didn't talk on the way to the shrine. Well, Kakashi didn't talk, nose in his book, but Uchiha sure did. He watched her as she gossiped and chatted and there was something, off, about the whole the thing. He wasn't sure how, or why, just the way she talked reminded him of a predator, like he was standing on open waters and there was something in the water, shadows a little too sharp to be safe.

The houses slowly get more and more sparse, woods getting a little thicker, and he spotted the torches before he spotted the stonework that led down into the dark.

"Maa," he drawled, putting his book down, "I don't see any traps here."

Uchiha glanced back, sparks of torchlight flickering across her iris. "I'm sure we'll run into some soon."

"Of course," he drawled, and she smiled at him, lips tight.

They enter into the shrine, and Uchiha started humming. It was yet another song he didn't recognize, though this time she wasn't throwing around that positive intent.

"Throw yourself into the unknown," she started to sing, words echoing down empty stone corridors, "with pace and a fury defiant. Clothe yourself in beauty untold and see life as a means to a triumph. Today, of all days, see how the most dangerous thing is to love. How you will heal and you'll rise above, crowned by an overture bold and beyond. Ah, it's more courageous to overcome."

He wondered if the song was for him or for her, maybe both. He remembered the strange and foreign songs she had sung to Sasuke after all, each lyric like a lesson.

The stone corridor opened up into a square room, a single tablet in the middle with lit torches on either side. Uchiha wrinkled her nose at the sight of it, but Kakashi felt… small, like an intruder who didn't and never would belong.

Uchiha did a sharp turn, heading towards the wall on the left, and when she got close seals bled to life, black lines growing with overstep she took. He recognizes far too late the barrier aspect of the seals, a wall of energy filling the hallway behind him. The regent turned to him, face impassive as he discreetly palmed a kuni.

"Now Mari-chan," he started, "I thought we weren't going to try and take my eye."

The Chunin didn't move, and he twitched under her gaze. It reminded him too much of Genma, and Tsume. "I meant what I said in the Hokage's office Hatake-dono. That eye upon your head is a gift I have no right to take away, not unless you start abusing it's power or it starts to kill you. The seals are for privacy, and so you can't run before we finish our conversion."

That was, not what he had expected her to say. "A little paranoid are we?"

Uchiha snorted. "It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you. And to put you at ease, if anyone is listening in, all they will find is an easily bypassed privacy seal, allowing them to listen in as I inform you of Uchiha traditions and religious ceremonies I except you to come to if in the village. After that, we will have a rather long and drawn out argument about you moving into the compound."

"That's not happening," he told her sharply, but Uchiha didn't seem discouraged.

"Which is your choice, but we can have an actual argument about it later." She stepped away from the wall, torch light casting long shadows upon her brow. "We have more important things to discuss at the moment. Let me see your sharingan."

Her shoulders tensed at his sudden flaring of killing intent. "No."

"Hatake-dono," she replied sharply, and he couldn't help the small flinch at the name, thinking of the last time someone had called his father that. Uchiha took a breath, then looked a little softer, a little kinder. "Kakashi-san, you are not the only person in this room with eyes that were awakened on the battlefield. You are not the only one who was asked to see the world with these terrible, beautiful eyes of ours. I will not take it, and I will fight to death against anyone who tries. I am not asking to be petty, I am not asking to be mean, this is important. So please, let me see it."

"Fine," he spat, pulling up his hitai-ate and letting Obito's sharingan spin with with his chakra. Uchiha didn't look triumphant at the sight of it though. She didn't look disgusted or angry or even greedy.

She just looked sad.

"Can you see my chakra?" She asked after a few seconds had passed, voice soft with an emotion he couldn't name.

He took a breath. "Yes."

"Good. Now, do as I do." He watched as she pooled her Yin Chakra around her eyes, into her eyes, the sharingan bleeding into something else. Black spilled outward, forming a slowly spinning triskele. He wondered if she had gotten it after her sensei died, or if it had been someone else, someone he didn't know. She hadn't gotten after the Massacre, that kind of Chakra flare would have definitely been noticed. "Kakashi, please, I would not ask if it didn't matter."

He pooled his Yin around obito's eye, and he tried not to think of Rin.

Moonlight and dark shadows, copper on the tongue and ozone in the air. The beat of a heart against his skin, blood pooling down and down and-

There was a cat purring against his legs, rubbing it's head against his calves. A summons, chakra too tightly bundled to be anything else. It was the same black cat from the house, purr rising in the silence.

When had it gotten in here? How had it gotten in here?

"All Mangekyo have names," Uchiha spoke, voice so far away, "but we do not name them. The eyes awakened in grief see all, even gods long gone. What is it's name?"

"Kamui," he replied, though he didn't know why.

Uchiha made a face at that, and moved towards the wall again, tracing her fingers along the seals. He watched as her Chakra seeped into the ink, power moving through out the stone, and from the grey a book base unfolded out of the walls.

She ran her fingers down the books and scrolls, clearly looking for something. The cat chirped at him, and Kakashi glanced down, not sure what the summons wanted from him.

"Mangekyo is the second stage of the sharingan," Uchiha explained, which was information Kakashi already knew, thanks to Shisui. "Some of our older scholars claim it's awakened by killing the one you love the most, though I can definitely say from personal experience that's bullshit. Luckily, there's at least one contemporary historian who believed like I do that the Mangekyo is born in times of high stress. A very specific kind of stress, when all the mind can think is no, anything but this, please not this. Genetics play into it some, but most it comes down into the trauma that creates that desperate bargin we make with the universe, as we demand the very heavens bend to our grief."

She pulled out a few scrolls, and her eyes bled back to normal. Her obsidian gaze seem to bore right though him, and Kakashi slid his hitai-ate down over Obito's eye, releasing the Chakra he had been pooling into it.

"I don't want to talk about Rin," he said, and Uchiha met his gaze.

"Good, I don't want to talk about Takumi either, neither of us are good enough friends for that kind of talk." She took a breath, looking down at the two books and three scrolls in her arms. "Kamui is born out of… betrayal isn't the right for it. Broken promise would be better, but still not right. It's, something difficult to describe, more emotive than anything. The last known user was an Uchiha from the warring clan era whose lover was a spy who attempted to sell her to slavers. Here are her notes on it, as well as some chakra exercises to help with the strain the both the Mangekyo and the sharingan produces."

"Ah. Thank you?" This was not how Kakashi though this conversation was going to go, and he felt, off balance.

"Do you have questions?" She asked in a tone that reminded him far too much of medics, so he shook his head.

"No," he replied, then hesitated, because he just knew he was going to regret asking. "Do you?"

"A few. How do you feel about a seal to turn off Obito-nii's eye?" He sucked in a breath, and Uchiha continued speaking before he could spit out a denial, words frantic. "Not like that, I promise not like that. If you require a demonstration I will show you, but it's only purpose is to turn off the eye so you can rest. I only have prototype patches, but once I figure out how, I will be making a seal that gives you the control to turn the sharingan on and off just like a true born Uchiha would be able to do. This is not a trick, it is not a trap, I swear it on the ashes of my parents, on Sasuke and my summons and anything else you want me to."

Kakashi had been too many emotion over the past week, and he did not like it.

He sucked in a ragged breath, thinking of Tsume and Guy and Shikaku. They trusted her. They would not do so without reason, without cause.

"Show me how the patch works," he choked out, but Uchiha didn't comment on his small break down, she just set the books and scrolls down as she dug into her satchel.

It looked like one of those nicotine patches Kurenai kept trying to get Asuma to use. They were small for a seal, about the size of his temple. On one side was what looked like a calligram of foreign words, the letters forming a circle with a cross in the middle. There were animals dancing on the edges, two toads and three foxes and a wolf. Two cats and three crows and two turtles, one very different from the other.

On there other side there was a tree, branches bleeding into sakura blossoms, petals disappearing into the edges. The Senju crest was painted onto the trunk by an ink brush that almost looked like incense, roots spilling off the patch like rivers swollen from rain.

Uchiha Mari activated her sharingan, eyes bleeding red as she let the tomoe spin softly. She waited a moment for him to pull up his hitai-ate, gaze serious as she placed the patch on her left temple. He watched the sharingan in her left eye fade to black, heart pounding in his throat with too many emotions to name.

This was not a trick. It was not a trap.

"I don't understand." He couldn't, it made no sense. She gained nothing by defending his name, what was the point in giving him this gift?

"It was for Itachi, originally, but after the first prototype I realized there were others it could help as well." Uchiha pealed off the seal, and put the ink faded patch in her pocket. She then pulled out a small box from her satchel, and put it on top of the books and scrolls she had picked up. "They're a one hit wonder, so you'll have come back for more at some point."

Kakashi took the box and the books and the scrolls, the gifts cradling against his chest. "Something else to work out I see."

"Oh no," the chunin corrected, "that's entirely on purpose. I will fully admit I'm black mailing you into visiting every once in a while, if only to make sure you're still alive so I can bully you into taking better care of yourself."

"Why?" Uchiha Mari looked at him when asked the question, and she looked so much older than a seventeen year old chunin. There was depth to those eyes, black like starless nights, and the summons moved over to her side, twisting between her legs with a rumbling purr.

"You were very kind to me, that day," she answered softly, voice quiet and grieving and hurt. "You weren't required to be, but you were, and truthfully the sight of you set me steady. I was reminded viciously that even if everyone else was gone, we had done good, we had saved lives and made an impact and no matter what happened we would be remembered. You were, you were one of mine the moment I saw your eye, and knew within my heart that not all was lost."

Kakashi didn't knew what to say to that. Kakashi didn't know how he felt about that, the knowledge sitting uncomfortably in his chest. Uchiha Mari didn't seem to mind though, she just smiled softly as he collected himself and remembered he was suppose to deny the fact he was Hound.

"Maa, Maa Uchiha-san," he said, "you must have me confused for someone else."

"Of course," she allowed, "and you can call me Mari you know, I don't mind. Do you have any other questions for me?"

"Ah, no." Kakashi's reply was perhaps a little blunt, but Mari didn't seem to mind, lips twitching in amusement.

She then returned to the wall of seals, and called back her chakra from the stone and ink. He watched with interest as the wall of books dissolved away like it had never been there in the first place.

"Escort me to my therapy appointment? She asked, and Kakashi twitched, a laugh escaping from her smile. "It's not a trap I promise, I just, I don't walk through the village alone, after today."

Kakashi sighed, thinking of Rin and the blood that once dripped from his fingers, and gave in. He shifted so they could walk out together, and Mari walked forward with little fuss.

The cat was gone, like it had never been there in the first place.

"We should do this again," she said when they exited the shrine. "I'm looking for someone to teach me the tanto, and who knows, you might learn something."

Kakashi gave her the side eye. That wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. It was a convenient cover for any Mangekyo training they did together.

"I think I can teach you a thing or two," he drawled, and Mari beamed at him.

"Excellent! Same time next week?"

"If I'm in town," he allowed, because he had no idea what his mission schedule was going to be.

"That's acceptable," she replied, "I'll be at Elder Shimura's house next time if you want to pick up me."

Kakashi's brain stuttered to a halt. "What."

Mari gave a laugh at his reaction. "Why do people keep acting like he's going to eat me or something? He's been mostly respectful so far."

"And you're meeting with him because?" He drawled, and the Uchiha regent dipped her head.

"Well after the first few clan head meetings got derailed with arguments between the honored elder and myself," Mari explained like this was nothing to worry about. "We came to the conclusion it would be best to discuss some of my ideas and philosophies in private so as not to take up to much of the others time. Tea time allows us to understand where the other is coming from in regards to ideas about polices and such. We didn't meet this week in case I had to wrangle you down into the shrine, but it's becoming a thing."

"I see," Kakashi replied, voice only somewhat strangled. Damn, he was going to have be consistent about their meetups now.

"You don't have to be so nervous Kakashi-senpai," Mari noted, "Do you need me to reassure you that the Yamanaka aren't actually out to get you, and that I'm not delivering you to their evil clutches?"

"That's debatable," he replied, because there really wasn't a safe way to explain Danzo and Root and that entire mess.

Mari laughed at him, a small bounce in her step as they walked, and Kakashi couldn't help but see the should have beens. He wondered if Rin and Obito had lived, would they have had a daughter like Mari? A child who was bright and happy and so terribly kind, even when she had no reason to be, even when she shouldn't be.

He watched her as they walked towards the Yamanaka district, greeting civilians and shinobi with a smile and a touch. Be it a hand on the shoulder or a shoulder bump or even a kiss on the cheek, she was reaching and reaching and honestly it was rather impressive how many were reaching back.

There was… something important about that. Something about their walk across town that put his hackles up. Gods he was going to have to Tsume, wasn't he? She'd know what his instincts were trying to tell him, and she got all of the underhanded woman talk Mari was using, even if the Inuzuka clan head never used it.

The Yamanaka all twitch when they enter the therapy department. Mari and Kakashi were currently engaged in a conversation on who was the better summons, cats or dogs, but he noticed their stares as he walked with Mari up the stairs towards Inoichi's office. The Yamanaka clan head might be unreadable, but the rest of his people? Not so much.

"Next week then?" Mari asked, and there was a small fear in her gaze, like she was afraid of his rejection. There was a hint of Obito in the expression, a hint of Naruto, and the comparison hurt.

"Sure thing Kohai," he replied, and then he shunshinned away to escape her beaming.

He hesitated outside the department, before he opened the box full of patches. He took a breath before he put it on, and Kakashi almost stumbled when the seal activated.

It was. It was like a pain he had never noticed was just gone, like he had been holding up a mountain and then suddenly that weight was had been lifted without warning, rock and stone melting away to gentle rivers.

His hand was on the wall as he breathed, taking in the world for first time with Obito's eye as it used to be.

It was, odd, for the left side of his vision to slightly blurry.

Across the street he noticed a flash of green, and Kakashi was moving.

Guy charged after him with a cry, and Kakashi allowed himself this one flicker of hope. He needed to drop the books off at his apartment, but after? Well, if Guy was still in pursuit then maybe, just maybe, he'd let his eternal rival catch up.

Just this once.

Chapter 5: The Empath Chapter Text

I see the pain of everyone who has lived. Everyone who lives now across so many worlds. I see the pain inside you. The pain of being abandoned. The hatred at being suborned by something you do not understand. I see it and I understand it.

Something was wrong with Inari. Mama said the fox was just being skittish, and was a wild animal and not actually a pet, but Karin could tell.

Normally Inari was all cuddles and chitters and chirps, but the orange canid was watching the window with sharp amber eyes, tail swishing every time someone walked past. Inari was never this alert, this weary.

Mama sighed, fixing her outfit, and ruffled Karin's hair. "Be good, ok? I'll be back later in the day." Karin nodded, but before Mama could leave, Inari jumped between her mother and the door, tail swishing. "Karin, what I have said about letting that fox inside."

"I didn't! Inari just does it," Karin replied, and Inari flicked one ear backwards, tense like something was wrong. Mama moved to go around the fox, and Inari moved with her, blocking her.

Something shifted on the edge of her awareness, and Karin looked south. Inari growled, and she blinked at the feeling of something tugging her pants. The fox was trying to drag her towards the back door.

"Karin, what drew your attention?" Mama asked in her serious tone, and Karin stopped paying attention to Inari.

"There's a lot of wounded people coming back," she replied, shuddering slightly. Mama was going to have so many bites. She might have to have bites. There was a scuffing sound, and Inari was getting into their emergency bag. "Inari, Inari no. Don't get into that!"

"Karin," Mama said, voice empty but chakra curled tight in terror and determination. "Pick up the bag, and anything else you want to take with you."

"Mama?" Inari let go of the bag, hackles raised as she look unerringly towards the wounded party coming back.

"We're leaving," Mama replied, and Karin sucked in a breath.

Well ok then.

Fleeing Kusagakure was a whole lot easier than Karin thought it was going to be. Though, it probably would have been a lot harder without Inari, who stopped them or tugged them in a different direction every once in a while. It was less nice having to run for what felt like forever, but Karin knew what was waiting for them if they got caught, so she didn't complain.

Things got easier once they got a river, and Inari dragged them into the waters. Karin knew the basics of swimming, but her mother was really, really good at it, and they floated the entire night. Inari dragged them out once the river started to curve north, green leaves filling the horizon. Karin didn't like it, the shadows left behind by the trees made her nervous.

Who knew what they were hiding.

Inari seemed happy though, and brought them a few rabbits to eat. Karin wasn't entirely sure how the fox had so much energy, but she wan't going to question it.

Things were better when she didn't.

It was on the fourth day from the Kusa that their luck ended. It always did, and Karin tripped when she felt the hunger/bull's hooves/creeping vine of Zosui's Chakra.

"Zosui," she breathed, and Mama's Chakra spiked in terror.

"Run," she commanded, and so they did. Karin knew she was dragging her mother down, knew that it was because of her Zosui was catching up.

He got closer and closer and once he entered Mama's range Karin knew it was over. Mama didn't let her stop though, they keep going. Inari's ears flickered back, and then the fox let out a scream. They both clapped their hands over their ears because that hurt, the sound echoing out and out and out.

Mama tripped, body tumbling down, and Karin stopped running, trying to breath as her heart pounded in her throat.

"Keep going," Mama pressed, but Karin shook her head, she couldn't out run them, and they both knew it. "Go, Karin. Go."

Inari growled, hackles raised, and Karin moved to stand above her mother. Zosui stepped out of the shadows, grinning with malice in his eyes. She didn't flinch, even if Mama did.

"You've been very, very annoying," he said, and Inari showed teeth. "But don't worry, we won't hurt you. Much."

He stepped forward, hand reaching out, and this time Karin did flinch, because Inari was going to bite him, which meant Inari was going to die, and her mother would be hurt and there was nothing she could-

Something whistled through the air, and Karin gasped as Zosui slammed in tree.

Standing between the Kusa shinobi was a man in a green tracksuit with horribly clashing orange leg warmers.

"That was mighty unyouthful of you," the man proclaimed, Chakra a very weird mix of excited-ohlookaball-Iamaverygooddog and the slow but steady unsheathing of a sword in the hands of a master swordsmen.

"Konoha!" Zosui spat, "you can just fuck off, this is Kusa business."

The stranger hummed, glancing at Inari, who was licking away at Mama's tears. "I do not think I will. I see no hitai-ate upon their heads, and they seem most distressed by your presence."

"Die then," Keito snarled, "it's one to seven, we can take him, easy."

A flicker of amusement flashed through the stranger, and there was an easy stance to this shinobi she had only seen on the kind of ninja everyone else avoided.

"How about two to seven," someone else said, and Karin jumped as a young woman slid out of the shadows, red triangles tattooed on both cheeks and Chakra like leaves through rapids. "Or better yet, five to seven."

Three very large dogs ducked around the trees, teeth bared in a silent snarl.

Wind danced through the canopy, and without making a sound yet another person Karin hadn't sensed dropped through from above, feet silent as she landed between the man and the dog woman.

"Six," she correct softly, and Karin remained very, very still. The woman before her felt like a small campfire in summer, one stray spark from setting the world ablaze.

"Now let's not get violent just yet. There is a small misunderstanding happening here. This woman owes Kusa a debt," Zosui explained, "she tried to run away without paying it."

"And the bite marks?" The campfire woman asked with a slight drawl, all three Konoha ninja feeling sharp like wind before a storm, waiting and waiting and ready to strike.

Zosui smiled, and it was a lie. "Part of her clan technique, and none of your business. Leave, things don't have to escalate between our nations."

"Well captain," the tattooed woman drawled, "that don't sound rightly diplomatic of us."

The captain snorted, and the man rocked on his heals. "I agree, a fight between our nations would be most unyouthful."

Dread pooled in Karin's stomach. They had been so, so close.

"My thanks," Zosui said, and the smile the captain gave him was… cold.

"You know, Zosui of the Green Grass Sea, it really was a shame you and your team exhausted yourselves chasing after your query." The hunting party froze, and Karin didn't dare hope. "Bad luck, running into Kakuzu of Taki. He considered your bounty just high enough to be worth the effort of killing your entire team. We only missed your party by a breath, which is such a pity, maybe together we could've taken him down. Oh well."

"What are you talking about," Zosui shouted, "quit speaking nonsense."

Mari's smile shifted, showing teeth. "You heard the man. Let's stop speaking nonsense. Sic 'em."

The Konoha party moved, and Karin picked up Inari so she wouldn't bite anybody. She didn't know how these new shinobi would react to the fox's posturing. She was starting to get concerned that Mama wasn't getting up, emotionless eyes watching the beatdown happening at Karin's back.

She repositioned herself to better guard Mama, stiffening when the captain broke off from the carnage. It was a bad day, so that meant she had to step up. The dark haired woman crouched, making herself lower than Karin.

"Hello Vixen-san," she greeted, and Inari twitched in Karin's arms. "Me and my team heard your call. My name is Mari, daughter of Indra. The man with the terrible fashion sense is Guy, and the young woman with the three very lovely dogs is Hana."

"Indra?" Mama asked with a furrowed brow, and Mari's smile was bitter, chakra curled tight.

"Might I have your names Uzumaki-san?" The woman didn't feel greedy, or hungry, but Karin still felt fear clench her chest. "It has been far too long since I have known a daughter of Ashura."

"I am, I am Akari, and this is my daughter Karin," Mama said, then she glanced at the fox in Karin's arms. "She's named the fox Inari."

"That's a good name for a vixen," Mari agreed, Chakra easy and soft and something about it felt very dangerous. "Do you need a medic Uzumaki-hime?"

Mama shook her head. "I'm not of the main line, I don't deserve the honorific."

"You didn't answer my question Uzumaki-san, do you need a medic." They both flinch at the almost cold tone, and there was a flicker of grief and fury so strong Karin sucked in a breath.

Mari closed her eyes, hand pinching the bridge of her nose as she exhaled, and then the emotions gone like they had never been there in the first place. Her face had gone serious when her hand fell away, and Karin watched her carefully. The captain shifted her shirt, revealing a large but mostly healed burn that curled around her collarbone.

It hadn't come from a Katon. Someone had lit their hands on fire and then pressed down on the bone.

"Someone once tried to take away my choices," Mari stated, voice soft like Mama's when speaking to young shinobi who snuck into their cabin. "They wanted to own me, body and soul, because of my family name. I swore then on my village, on my clan and my summons and my Chakra, that I would never allow the same to happen to anyone else. I will make that promise as many times as I need to. You and your daughter are safe with me. Now, do you need a medic?"

"Yes," Mama whispered, and Mari shifted the small bag slung across her shoulders.

"Would you like Medical-Chakra, or Non-Chakra medical aid?" She asked, and Mama stared. "Some people are sensitive to Chakra, and Medical-Chakra can feel invasive when one is chakra exhausted, or so I am told."

"Whatever's easiest," Mama replied, "we are very grateful for the aid."

Mari nodded. "I am going to approach you now Uzumaki-san. Please tell me if you want me to stop." Karin shifted back, watching as Mari's hands turned a faint green. "I'm not the best at this, Hana is better, but neither of us are true medics. I know just enough to get someone to hospital, mostly because my boys kept injuring each other, or themselves. No sense of self preservation those two, and no matter how endearing their fearlessness is, I am starting to get annoyed with the medical bills."

"Your sons?" Mama murmured, already looking less pale, and Mari shook her head with a laugh.

"No, no, my cousins, though I very much consider myself their older sister, considering how much trouble I get them out of." The other Konoha kunoichi meandered over after hearing this.

"She says that like she doesn't get into trouble," Hana drawled, not a hint of blood on her. She seemed, both amused and put upon and a little sad. "It's just hers is always verbal or political, so very few people realize what a chaos gremlin she is."

"That is lies and vicious slander," Mari hissed, though her chakra was bubbling with happiness. "I'm telling your mother."

"Please do," the dog lady bantered back, "with Hatake on a mission she needs someone to sit on that's not me."

"Yosh!" A voice shouted, and both her mother and Karin flinched as the man bounced over. "All done Mari-san, a pity the Kusa nin did not wish to learn the springtime of your youth, it was a mighty lose on their part. How are our new friends?"

Mari hummed. "Better, though as joyous as spring is, I think our new friends might appreciate the end of summer a little better, just before the sky gives to autumn, where the earth is warm and wind is cool, don't you think?"

"An astute observation Mari-san," Guy replied perfectly normal, and Hana twitched at this. "I see our friends need sometime to recover from how unyouthful their former comrades had been. Shall I finish the deception?"

"You are a gift Guy-san," Mari replied, and then handed over a seal? It wasn't like any seal Karin had seen before, comprised of a single central calligram encircling a pictogram of a laughing fox and a giggling tanuki sitting on a pile by festival masks and kimonos. Odd, and Mama agreed, Karin could tell by the way she was squinting at the seal. "Head on a swivel beautiful blue beast."

"Like the owls of legend," the man agreed, then much more excitedly proclaiming, "I will catch up to you before you reach the gates, or I will run around the village a thousand times on my hands!"

Then he was gone. Karin blinked, and then glanced at her mother, just to make sure the man hadn't been a chakra exhaustion induced hallucination. Hana made a sound at the back of her throat that sounded almost like a whine.

"How the fuck did you do that," she asked, like something crazy had happened. Though, she was on a team where someone thought green and orange went together, so who knew what she considered normal.

"Language, there's a child present," Mari chided, lips twitching as Hana rolled her eyes. "Besides, me and Guy have an understanding. I'd tell you, but then I'd to kill you."

The dog lady snorted. "You could try, but we both know you're all bark, no follow through."

"Hana," Mari scolded, "not in front of the guests. Uzumaki-san, I've done what I can, but I am hesitant to go beyond my skill. We have time to take it easy on the way to Konoha. Do you want come with us to the village, or do you want me to smuggle you somewhere else."

Mama stared. Inari licked Karin's chin, but it didn't help the shock she felt. Was this a trap? Mama searched Mari's expression, paling more and more when she couldn't figure out the answer Mari wanted.

"She'll respect whatever choice you make," Hana promised, hands weaving into one of her dogs like she needed the comfort. "And if you do come back with us to the village, neither you or your daughter have to give any sort of aid to Konoha."

"Your elders would never agree to that," Mama spat, then tensed. Hana snorted, though there wasn't any amusement in the gesture, just sadness. Karin didn't understand why they were so sad.

"As a clan head regent to one of the founding clans of Konoha well seated and well connected there is very little they can do to stop me these days," Mari admitted, then she paused, before adding, "I'm also one of the Hokage's favorites, so I could probably bring home one of the seven swords of Kiri and inform Sarutobi-sama that he was going to be my personal gardener and he would just sigh and tell me I was giving him headaches."

Hana gave a bitter laugh. "You did bring home that Kaguya kid from Kiri and informed the council he wouldn't be a shinobi unless he wanted to be."

"If Kimimaro wants to grow flowers for the rest his life then he will grow flowers for the rest of his life." There was something sharp in Mari's chakra, and Hana raised her hands in surrender. Mari scowled, but was seemingly mollified by the gesture. "Besides, I got someone who would love to meet you."

Hana frowned, and Mama glanced between the two of them.

Karin ran her own calculations, and honestly she would take the fire village with Mari hovering and asking for favors later than the ambiguousness of everything else.

Mama clearly agreed because she squeezed her eyes shut before saying, "I would, we would be honored to settle in our sister village."

Mari didn't seem happy with Mama's words, but she gave a nod, and moved to hold out her hand. "Thank you for the trust you are giving me, daughter of Ashura. I will not betray it."

Mama took her hand, and was settled between Hana and Mari as they helped her walk. One of the dogs laid down before Karin, and she glanced at the tattooed lady.

"Get on his back Karin-chan," Hana ordered, "Rekka won't mind carrying you for a bit. He does the same for my younger brother Kiba, and occasionally Mari whenever Ma feels the need to shove her in some mud."

Inari wiggled out of Karin's grasp, landing on all fours and shaking her fur out. She eyed the dog up and down before giving a sniff, which was as good a sign as Karin was probably going to get. Her fingers held tight into the scruff as the dog stood, the canine's long legs allowing him to easily catch up to the adults.

Mari gave Karin the side eye, and she duck her head, looking down.

"Hey kid," Mari called, something Karin would call petty and bittersweet joy swirling in her chakra. "Wanna learn a traveling song?"

The dog woman sucked in a breath, though there was no actual terror."Oh no, no Mari no don't you dare give her one of your damn ear worms!"

"Repeat after me," Mari said as Hana hissed threats upon her person, "tell everybody I'm on my way. New friends and new places to see. With blue skies ahead, yes I'm on my way, and there's nowhere else that I'd rather be. Tell everybody I'm on my way and I'm loving every step I take. With the sun beating down, yes I'm on my way, and I can't keep this smile off my face!"

Mama was nervous when they entered the gates.

Mari, on the other hand, strolled right on in like she owned the place. It was a very cat like swagger, and for all her kindness and playful manner, there was a sharpness to her Chakra Karin wasn't ever going to forget.

The two ninja at the gates took one look at Karin and her mother and sigh like they were exhausted just by their presence. Mari grinned at them, sliding over a stack of papers she pulled out of her satchel. One of them hissed at it, while the other poked it like it was dangerous. Karin slid off Kohono, and gave a small wave to Rekka and Kako, who gifted her with a tail wag.

One of the gate nin grumbled something, and Mari beamed at him, Chakra bubbling with vindictive joy.

"I shall debrief on our behalf," Guy volunteered once they were away from the gates. Karin wasn't that scared of him anymore, he was like a big happy dog, even if he was really, really weird with horrible fashion sense.

"A gift Guy," Mari mused, waving her hand at some people approaching, though they give her a wide birth once they noticed Guy. "A god among men even."

"You flatter me Mari-san! I will endeavor to be worthy of this gracious compliment, and if I do not, I will climb the Hokage mountain with a blindfold and no Chakra a hundred times!"

"If he's going to the mission desk, then what are we doing," Hana asked as Guy departed in flash, and Mari gave a tiger's kind of smile.

"You're going to Shikaku-san of course," Mari replied, "we have to report Kakuzu of Taki in Fire Country. Spooky that, considering the collective worth of our three bounties."

Hana made a face at this, nose wrinkling. "I did not need that reminder thank you. Academy?"

"T&I actually," Mari corrected, and both Karin and her mother faltered slightly at hearing this. The two Kunoichi didn't seem to notice, though if they did, they didn't comment on it. "I need to go bribe Inoichi-san to fast track their assessment. For the fishcake."

"He's going to murder you," Hana said very bluntly. "Like I'm not even kidding, he's literally going to murder you and hide the body."

"Shikaku-san knows all his hiding spots," Mari countered like this was perfectly fine, "and I keep getting Jonin to go to therapy, so he'll fantasize about it but ultimately decide it isn't cost effective."

"You know, I don't have a good comeback for that so I'm just go now and we can all pretend I had an awesome reply to that," Hana said, and Mari snorted.

"Sure Hana-chan, I think I can grant you that." They were being playful. They were acting like friends. There was no danger in their conversation. Still, Karin couldn't help but shift closer to her mom. "Give Tsume my regards?"

"You got it." And then she too was off, moving like a ninja on a mission.

Mari turned and gave them a small smile, gesturing for them to follow. Mama took a breath, hand curling around Karin's shoulders. They had probably traded one cage for another, but so long as no one bit Mama, Karin figured that was ok.

They were led into a very nice building, and Karin noted money changing hands while other shinobi scattered quickly, Chakra intent with either determination or fear. Mari paid this no mind, walking them to the third floor and to a very big office that overlooked the village.

Mari knocked, leaning her head. "Hiya doc, can I keep 'em?"

The man sighed, weary and tired and with his head on the desk. "Sage, not more. Tell me it's not another Missing Nin."

"They aren't Missing Nin," Mari said, then paused, brow furrowed. "Well, technically."

The man, Inoichi probably, shifted his head to peer at all three females in his office, and Karin blinked at his pupil less eyes. She wondered how they checked for concussions if they didn't have pupils… actually now that Karin thought about it how did they see?

"Mari," he groaned, and Mari's chakra was a false kind of happy, the type that was so angry it pretend to be joy.

"They never swore service," she explained, "trading clan techniques for food and shelter, but if Kusa ever asks, we didn't know that."

Inoichi's Chakra twitched at the wording, just like Hana's and Guy's and Mari's had, a similar flash of fury that immediately dissipated the moment he saw her watching.

The blonde then turned to Mari. "I want you to know you are the bane of my existence."

Mari beamed at the words. "Great! Now that's settled; Santa-san for the elder and you for the younger as I supervise since she's a minor and her mother has named me in loco parentis during the review process?"

"Listen Mari you can't just- you already got the paperwork in, didn't you? Sage, ok, Santa's on a mission and I have conflict of interest since you brought them in." Mari raised an eyebrow at this, and Inoichi shifted so he was sitting up, his Chakra suddenly feeling much more dangerous. "Do you want this to air tight or not?"

Mari clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Morino-san free?"

"He should be," Inoichi mused, and Karin glanced at her Mama. Her knuckles were white and her chakra curled tight, lips pressed thin. "So Ibiki for the elder and let me see, Oyone for the younger?"

"I want Morino-san for the younger," Mari corrected, "he's good with kids and he's too similar in stature to the elder's previous handler. Hm, oh! Is Mitarashi-san still doing her rounds through the department?"

Inoichi squinted at Mari. "You want Anko."

Mari's smile was bright and happy and full of vicious fury. "They can trauma bond over men in positions of power leaving lasting impressions upon their person."

The man grimaced at this, sighing as he ran a hand down his face. "Sage, alright, your people your call. You owe me for this though."

"Sure," Mari agreed fearlessly, and Karin didn't how she could do that so easily. "Watcha want?"

Inoichi was silent for a second, two, eyes narrowed. "Ino wants a song."

"Does she?" Mari drawled lazily, and Inoichi's Chakra felt very put upon.

"She has been very upset that every girl in her friend group has a song but her," he explained, and there was a trace of smugness in Mari's chakra.

The black hair shinobi tilted her head, one hand on her chin. "I've already got one in mind. Next barbecue sound good?"

"Don't give her a war anthem please," Inoichi asked in a tone that was slightly strained, "Sakura's was enough."

She laughed, this one full of fondness. "Sure thing boss, no war anthems for little Ino-chan."

The man sighed, long and deep and like he wanted to be anywhere but here, but he stood up anyway and gestured for them to follow. Mari led them down stairs to the second floor, and opened a door a grey looking room. Mama took a breath, shoving down her fear, and Karin looked down so she didn't have to see her mother's face.

"Akari-san," Mari said, voice like steel, and Karin looked up. "Do not forget what I promised when we met. You will never be asked to do what you did in Kusa. You will never be asked to give your body to this village, and neither will Karin."

Mama stared, and neither of them believed her, they couldn't. It wasn't safe to believe her, but there was doubt in Mama's Chakra.

Maybe, just maybe.

Karin would wait and see, and then she would give Mari a chance.

The room Mari took Karin to was much nicer. There was a couch and a table and a very fluffy rug. Karin wasn't fooled, but at least Mari was willing to bribe her with coloring.

Mari worked in silence on some kind of paperwork, and Karin half-hearted drew the triplets. She wasn't the biggest dog fan, but Hana's partners had been very nice.

There was a knock on the door, and a man with two long scars across his face entered. His Chakra was like water over a knife, smooth and sharp but not, actively seeking to harm.

"Uchiha-san," he greeted, and Karin squinted at him, because was that weariness in his Chakra?

"Morino-san, it's good to see you again," Mari replied softly, the epitome of politeness. Karin gave her the side eye that deserved. "This is Uzumaki Karin. Karin-chan this is Morino-san."

"Hello Karin-chan," he said, and she glanced up at him, dark eyes cool and unreadable. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," she murmured, ducking her head. People like it when she was quiet, though both Mari and Morino had a flicker of something flash across their chakra.

She glanced at Morino when he moved further into the room. Mari handed him a pack of colored pencils, and he snorted before sitting down across from Karin, sliding one of the blank pieces of paper away from the pile Mari was using.

She watched as he started to sketch someone, and he gave a small smile when he noticed her watching. "So rumor has it you're from Kusa."

"Yes," she replied, glancing at Mari, who gave a similar smile. It was too tight to be from happiness, and Karin didn't understand what she was doing that was making them so upset.

"That's pretty neat," Morino said, hand steady as he started to draw what looked like a snake. "What made you decide to come here?"

Karin took a breath, holding the pencil tight. "I felt a bunch of injured people coming back, and Inari got scared, dragged us out of the house, so Mama decided it was probably time to leave. She was the one who led us here."

Morino hummed in interest. "And who is Inari? I haven't heard about her yet."

"She's," Karin stopped, glancing at Mari, who was still smiling that fake smile. "She's my pet fox. She went to do her own integration into the village, so she's not here right now."

"She sounds like a good friend," he mused, though he was looking at Mari with a very annoyed expression. They started signing something back and forth, Morino's hands sharp and jagged while Mari replied with slow and languid gestures. Eventually he sighed, and turned back to Karin. "And you were happy to leave?"

Karin nodded, and she didn't even have to lie. "Mari didn't make us earn food or stuff or anything, and she promised that no one will bite us ever again."

She glanced at Mari, testing to see how the woman would react to the answer, and Karin tensed when she noticed how tight both their expression were.

"Biting?" Morino asked with a raised brow, and Mari sighed, chakra a very condensed bundle of rage and grief.

"You can ask," the kunoichi muttered, "but honestly it's as bad as it sounds. But nobody is going bite either of them because biting is bad, and not allowed."

Morino gave Mari the side eye, then with a half smirk gave a doubtful hum. "The fishcake must not have learned that rule yet."

"I am not responsible for what the Inuzuka teach him when he's at their compound," Mari hissed, though Karin couldn't feel any real offense in her chakra. "and I swear if you've just jinxed the clear spell we've been having I will set Guy-san on you."

Karin shuddered. That sounded very mean. Morino only seemed amused at the threat though. "Not going to threaten to turn my clothes pink?"

Mari snorted. "One, I had nothing to do with that. Two, even if the fishcake did turn all your clothes pink, you're too settled in your masculinity to feel unsettled by something as silly as a color. You'd rock it, and unsettle everyone else."

Morino rolled his eyes, but he seemed, fond of Mari. Unlike in Kusa or with Zosui all the banter seemed playful, the Konoha shinobi poking at each other like puppies. Karin felt some curiosity when he pulled out the purple pencil, and took a breath for courage.

"Whose that?" She asked, noting that the purple was going into the air. She looked like a pretty cool lady, though the snake she was riding seemed a little scary.

"This is my friend Anko," he replied, and Mari raised a brow.

"She's talking to your mom right now Karin. I'm sure they're going to be very good friends." That last sentence sounded like a threat, but also not? Morino was looking skyward, like he asking the heavens for aid, and Karin took another chance.

"Is she going to make Mama work at the hospital?"

"No one does anything they don't want to do here," Mari replied in a bright tone that was laced with steel, and Morino seemed very focused on his drawing. "If your mother wants to work in the hospital she can, but if she wants to raise dogs or sing songs or paint then she can do that too. Her choice."

"Besides," Morino added, "we have enough doctors, we don't need anymore. That said, what do you want to do, now that you're here?"

Karin glanced at Mari, not entirely sure what they wanted out of this conversation. "I want to protect Mama, and I can, I can work, so Mama doesn't have to."

"That's a good goal little vixen," Mari agreed, Chakra choking with a sadness Karin didn't understand, "but like I said, neither of you have to work if you don't want to."

Mari kept saying that, but Karin doubted.

It was too good to be true, too nice a promise from a shinobi, from the heiress of one of the strongest villages. So Karin nodded and went back to her drawing, because she didn't want to get either Mama or herself in trouble.

Morino picked up the red pencil. "You have time to think about what you would like to do. I hope you've like Konoha so far, I'm told we can be off putting."

"Everyone has been very nice and we are very grateful," she replied just like her mother had taught her too, but unlike the Kusa nin the Konoha ones seemed to dislike every word of gratitude that came out of her mouth.

Morino stared at her for a moment before flashing hand signs at Mari again. His face was cold, chakra a bundle of rage, and irritation was starting to creep into Mari's mask as she signed back, hands no longer giving lazy replies. Karin pretend to color, watching with all her senses, because if a fight broke out she was a very convenient target.

There wasn't violence in the air yet, but there was something sharp, rage shifting into grief and then back again as they bickered back and forth like hail across rooftops.

Morino finally sighed, hand pinching the bridge of his nose. Mari was watching him with a serious expression, obsidian eyes seemingly eating up the light. Her chakra didn't feel like a campfire anymore, more like a welding torch, everything about her narrowed down to this one choice, this one moment.

"Shikaku going to murder you," he said at last, and Mari only laughed, grinning with teeth.

He can try, her expression said, and the black haired Kunoichi was… entirely unafraid. Karin watched the two of them banter, watched Mari talk about men in power like they were nothing, and Karin didn't care what she had to do, one day she would be that fearless too.

The Hokage sighed when Mari entered, and Karin gave her the side eye. People seem to do that around her a lot, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing just yet.

"Look at the bright side," Mari said cheerfully, "at least they aren't a Missing Nin this time."

"You've taken them under your wing then," an elder asked, and Karin ducked a little behind Mama, his Chakra cold and unwelcoming.

"They are daughters of Ashura," Mari replied, like that meant something. "As a child of Indra I would be honor bound to give aid even if I didn't want to."

"The Uchiha and the Uzumaki once had a blood feud," a different elder pointed out, and Karin glanced at Mari, who looked annoyed at the reminder.

"Once, but the moment the village was founded and peace achieved the covenants of old should have been reinstated." Karin glanced at her Mama, but she didn't seemed to know what Mari was talking about either. "They just weren't because my elders were children when the feud finally winded down, and were biased against it."

"Righting old wrongs I see," the Hokage said softly, something heavy in his gaze, and Mari gifted him a bittersweet smile.

"Yes." They stared at each other for a minute, something unspoken passing in their faces. This was more than just their last name, or the fact Karin and her mom came from a dead sister village. Mari broke first. "Please Hokage-sama, let me have this. You know what a gift it will be."

The Hokage peered at Mari through interlaced fingers, gaze sharp and Chakra dangerous. Karin wondered how he was going to handle the disrespect. She knew how the Kusakage would, how Zosui would, but Konoha seemed to operate on a different standard.

"No new proposals for this month, no Jonin coming to me crying because you've verbally eviscerated them, and no complaints from teachers about you meddling with their lesson plans," the Hokage ordered, and more than one Elder felt a flicker of amusement and despair.

"One proposal Honored Elder Shimura-san and I have already agreed upon," Mari countered, "and I will tone down my arguments with the teachers, but if the Jonin aren't confident enough in their skills and their purpose it's not my fault. Hmm, if they keep bothering you though, just redirect them to Inoichi or Shikaku."

"Acceptable." The Hokage agreed, and he smiled brightly at Mama. "Welcome to the Konoha Akari-san. If you or your daughter wish to become shinobi, please let us know. Otherwise its good to have Uzumaki back in the village again. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you Hokage-sama," Mama replied with a bow, "we are very grateful for your hospitality."

The Kage gave a doubtful hum. "Tell me that after you've stayed with Mari-chan for a week."

Mari only laughed at the insult though, Chakra bright and bubbling and excited. "I am a delight Hokage-sama, I have no idea what you're trying to imply. Now come come come, we're going celebrate." Mari herded them out the door, pausing just before she excited. "You're welcome to join Honored Elders, Hokage-sama."

"We would," the Hokage drawled, "but alas, someone has to deal with the letters Kusa keeps sending us about their missing Jonin."

"It's not our fault they ran into Kakuzu of Taki," Mari shamelessly and effortlessly lied to the Hokage. He didn't look like he believed it though.

"Go Mari-chan," he ordered, and Mari bowed low, but not too low, spinning around with a flourish as she shepherded them towards the outside.

The moment they exit the building Mari whistled a little tone, and a few seconds later a raven landed on her shoulder. It nipped at her ears, and she grinned at the gesture, offering the bird a blueberry, which it took.

"Alright Aka, I have a very special job for you. I need you to go tell Roka that Operation One In The Hand Two In The Bush was successful, then tell Iruka to bring the boys home early, afterwards make the rounds, we're having a potluck tonight." Mari then turned towards Mama. "Now, do you want your own house, or do you want to stay in mine, either's fine."

"Whatever is easiest," Mama breathed, because had Mari really just offered them a house free of charge?

Mari's face did that thing where she clearly didn't like the answer Mama gave her because it made her sad instead of angry for some reason. "We can do a trial biase then, a few weeks at my house while you tour some of the places we have available."

"That is very gracious," Mama murmured, and Mari's smile was small and tight.

"It's no trouble," she said, and the words felt sharp.

Mama didn't get say much after that though, because there were a lot of people who wanted to talk to Mari now that Guy was no longer around to be seen. From the outside looking in it was like people were just drawn to her, from shopkeepers to Jonin and everyone in-between.

They all seemed very excited about Karin and her mother, but not like Kusa nin were, no vicious hunger or singing malice.

It was definitely an odd thing to experience because Mari was nice. She was sweet, remembering this person's child was sick and that person was working for a promotion and the kid who finally got their apprenticeship. She was kind, offering touch and encouragement and gifts like they were nothing. She was a perfect little lady, but all Karin could see was teeth, see every interaction like the weaving of a spider's web.

Mari was someone powerful, and people in power were dangerous, no matter how gentle they seemed.

The Uchiha compound was like someone took Konoha and then turned it to up to eleven. There was noise and food and children running across the street while neighbors bickered fondly and colors were everywhere. Every house seemed to have a mural or a bed of flowers or some kind of plant.

There was no hunger or disgust or hidden pain.

There was no fear, no sharp terror or churning shame.

The people here were just, happy.

A boy with light grey hair and green eyes greeted them. His Chakra felt both dangerous, and yet somehow familiar, like the wind whipping across the plains. He felt absolute delight at seeing Mari, and he bowed low. The white haired and purple eyed boy just glared at all three of them.

"Mari-sama," the bowing boy greeted, "Suigetsu was skipping class again. I apprehended him."

"Any particular reason why?" Mari asked, "or were you just getting frustrated with your classmates again?"

"Fuck you," he snapped, and Karin flinched. Mari just raised an eyebrow though.

"Kimimaro, I think Suigetsu could use some time to cool down," she said calmly. "Why don't the two of you go help Guran-san with the gardens?"

"You can't tell me what to do you ain't my mom," the boy hissed, and Mari looked down at him. He hunched his shoulders at her stare, gaze suddenly at his shoes as he kicked some dirt. She stared for even longer, and the boy clenched his jaw. "Sorry."

"I understand this week is hard for you," Mari said softly, the words sending grief and rage through the boy's Chakra. "Thank you for the apology. Now, go with Kimimaro and help pick some vegetables for tonight's potluck. If you don't miss any school this week I'll bully Kakashi into giving you some Kenjutsu lessons."

"Really!" The boy, Suigetsu, beamed. Mama's Chakra was doing all sorts of swirling, and Karin glanced at her.

"Yes really," Mari replied, "now go on, get."

The two boys scampered off, and Mama watched them go, something unreadable on her face.

Mari eventually led them to a house near the back of the compound. It wasn't elegant, or ostentatious. There were a few bone and fish shaped bowls on the porch, glassblowing wind chimes that sent a mess of colors all over the wood. Karin focused, and it appeared there was only person inside the house, Chakra like shadows on the forest floor.

"Hi honey, I'm home," Mari said cheerfully, though her cadence suggested she was quoting someone.

"Welcome back," a voice called, and stepping into Karin's line of sight was a dark haired man who was probably Mari's age. He took one look them and then raised a brow, turning to Mari with a hint of judgment. "Hakui is going to murder you."

Apparently a lot of people wanted to maybe? murder Mari. Unlike the last time though she grimaced. "Oh, yeah that one would be deserved. Uh, I got excited?"

The man snorted, and Karin noticed he had a prosthetic leg. "I take it fishcake's already on his way?"

"He should be, but you know him, and his luck," Mari complained, putting down her satchel and grabbing a teapot. "Roka would you mind fetch Hakui for me? Our normal meet up spot might a be little off putting, like whenever Kakashi gets Chakra exhaustion."

Karin narrowed her eyes at the vague wording, but the man's Chakra just felt sad. "Will do, get me a snapshot?"

"Oh you know it, I'm going to use it to bribe our favorite wolf-dog." Mari replied, and Roka gave a small bow as he passed them.

"Enjoy the quiet while it lasts," he warned with a grin, and Karin watched him leaving, wondering if that had been a friendly jab or not.

Mama tugged her hand, and Karin followed her into the backyard. There was koi pond, with a weapon stands and a small training field and what looked like pretty long row of tomatoes.

She paused when she felt a massive Chakra source, bright like sunshine and sunflowers, and Karin took in the small spark of a lighter and babble of a river beside the Chakra embodiment of joy. One of was older, and one was younger.

A Chakra fluctuation drew Karin's attention away, and Mari's eyes were red, three tomoe spinning softly around her pupil. Mari put a finger to her lips, grinning with sharp teeth. There was excitement bubbling in her chest, joined with grief and rage and petty vindication.

"Oi, Bastard get back here!" A voice echoed across the house, and the spark of a lighter darted around the house. The black haired boy paused when he saw the three of them, and was promptly tackled by a blonde in orange.

Mari laughed as the two started wrestling, and a man in a Chunin vest came huffing over. "Honestly what is wrong with you two! Have some sense of decorum!"

The Chunin picked them up by the back of their shirts like they were puppies, and the look he sent Mari was long suffering.

The black haired boy who looked similar to Mari gave them a look over. "I thought Muta said you weren't allowed to take in any more strays after you brought home a missing-nin from Kiri."

"Kahyo-san is a delight and Muta ain't the boss of me!" Mari hissed, "and technically these aren't strays. But! Not important. Naruto!"

"I didn't do it," the blonde defended, and both the man and Mari stared at him.

"You probably did," the Chunin muttered as he put the boys down, and Mari's expression was both pained and amused.

"You do know saying it like that only makes you look more guilty? Whatever, come here," she ordered, and the blond bounced over, the man and the black haired boy at his heels. "I've two very cool people who want to meet you."

Mama had gone very still, and Karin wove her hand into her mother's, holding it tight. Here was the real reason they had been brought here.

"They're- from the coast," the man said, eyes wide, and he looked down at Naruto like he was scared of the boy's reaction. Mari smiled, and it was sad, sad and angry and bittersweet and longing. It was happy, joyous even, eyes suspiciously wet.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Mari said softly, and oh. "Meet your third cousin once removed and your fourth cousin, Uzumaki Akari and her daughter Karin."

Mama was shaking, hand to her lips. "You mean he's-"

"A fellow Uzumaki," Mari interrupted, a sense of warning her voice. "If you have any questions about the family tree you can ask me."

Mama seemed to understand what that about, even if Karin didn't.

"I have family?!" Naruto cried, energy suddenly bursting all around them, so terribly, wonderfully bright. "Where did you come from, did you know I was here, did you know my parents, did Mari adopt you, did you fight a bunch of ninja's was that how you got-"

The man clapped his hand over Naruto's mouth. "Let's have them answer one question at a time."

The raven hair boy looked north, and Karin noticed the equally black cat on his shoulders. "Enemy incoming."

"Sasuke," Mari sighed, a hand pinching her nose, and Karin watched as a very tall and very wild looking woman came around the corner. She had red triangles just like Hana, who was in fact right behind the wild looking woman, a boy with the same triangles by their side.

"Hey hey," the maybe enemy called, holding up what looked like bottle of Sake. "I brought the good stuff."

Mari brightened immediately. "Tsume you shouldn't have!"

"Come on," the man gestured, "my name is Iruka by the way, I'm Naruto's teacher. It'll be a bit before everyone gets here, and the Inuzuka should keep the Uchiha busy, so let's talk before things get too hectic."

"Ah yes," Mama replied, hand to her chest like she wasn't sure what to do next. "Of course."

Karin noted that Naruto looked nervous, so she reached out to the suddenly quiet blonde. He looked at her with wide eyes as she held his hand, and there was… something swimming beneath the sunshine of his Chakra that felt angry and vicious and, and hurt, like Mama, on her bad days.

She gripped his fingers and held tight. Whatever it was, it felt like a fox. That was good, Karin liked foxes. Naruto held back in equal measure, like he was afraid that if he let go she would disappear. Karin met his gaze and gave him a smile.

He was hers now, and she was never letting go.

Iruka ushered them inside, the man's Chakra warm and safe and like the gentle river that had carried them to freedom, and for once, for once, it finally felt like it was going to be okay.

Karin would keep an eye out though. Just in case.

Chapter 6: The Warrior Therapist Chapter Text

There are times I think about the cruelties of the world, of things that have been put upon me and my family, and I would hate for that to be a plan. And there are times when, like today, I'm very grateful for being in the right place at the right time to make sure that the right people are becoming strong in the ways they need to be. And I don't think it excuses the pain, I don't think you have to not care about it or fight it with everything you've got, but I think the world is shaping you into something important, and I want to make sure that you get to wherever you need to be.

Mari was sixteen when Inoichi realized just how much the Uchiha was hiding herself, and just how far the depth of Takumi's sacrifice had gone into her heart.

"You want to what." Mari hunched her shoulders slightly at his tone, another thing to blame her elders for, but she didn't look away this time, meeting his gaze with steady obsidian eyes.

"I want to try to dismantle Mitarashi-san's curse seal," Mari repeated, chin jutted like she was afraid she was going to have to fight him on this. "Between the Fuinjutsu knowledge I've been working on and… my clan's techniques, I believe I can do it. I tested it on some explosive tags, and… Takumi's gift worked on those."

"No, I got, I got that," he replied, taking a breath. Mari's brow furrowed slightly, and he could almost see the thoughts flashing across her face as she tried to figure out what he was upset about and how to fix it. She was hiding, and he didn't know if this was related to Itachi, or her fear of disrupting the status quo. Well, in for a ryo. "You do realize that if you manage to get Anko's curse seal off, you would be considered a Sealing Master. So why hide from that?"

Inoichi was working with an incomplete profile, which mean he knew the second stage was something both sought after and feared but not why. He knew she was so afraid of Itachi learning about them, but not why having them would mean his return. He knew she hadn't even told Sasuke, so unready to talk of Takumi and the sacrifice she gave beyond her life. That he did know why, and he knew in time those memories no longer ache in their remembrance.

"I'm sixteen," she said, and he tilted his head, not understanding the answer. Her lips pursed, and she looked, disconcerted. "I'm sixteen and I'm drowning in the Uchiha Estate taxes and investments until I can find an account I can trust and I'm wrangling Sasuke in therapy so he doesn't go on a murder bend when he's fifteen while also cleaning up the compound as fast I can so whoever moves in doesn't have to see the blood. I am sixteen, and a chunin, and I don't, I have enough on my plate already, I don't want anymore responsibilities, not until I'm certain I can handle to them."

Inoichi gave a hum. He should talk to the Chunin Corps Head. Maybe he could get Mari a discount or something. "That sounds like a lot."

"Yes," she hissed, before taking a breath. "I'm not, complaining, or wallowing. What I'm doing right now is doable it's just, if I add anything else to my workload it's all going to come tumbling down. Worse, if what I think I can do gets out, it will drag the attention of every nation and missing nin worth their bounty. I am not putting Sasuke in danger like that, not until I'm strong enough to fight off whoever comes knocking on our door."

Still no regard for herself, but that was a longer conversation that could be pushed aside for later. He tapped his fingers on the desk, how to help in the short term? "Have you asked Shikaku for someone to help you with the accounts?"

Mari looked down, shoulders hunching again. "I don't want to be seen leaning too much on the Nara."

"I see," he said, because he did. Mari had a good grasp of the political field, better than most clan heirs did at her age, she just need the occasional nudge whenever she got tunnel vision. "What about an Inuzuka, or a Hyuuga, one me and Shikaku both recommend? That way you can have your politics while also having someone to actually support you."

She stared at him like she hadn't thought of that. "That would, be helpful. We got off topic though."

He withheld a sigh. "So we did. I assume you already have a plan in place?"

Mari smiled at him, soft and small and for all it's cheekiness he could see the damage her elders had left behind, noting the way she ducked her head and pulled her shoulders tight, like he would be annoyed she planned and planned and seemingly never stopped, shining with the potential to be unstoppable once she got a good power base.

Sage, Shikaku hadn't been kidding about her self-esteem issues.

"When Morino-san and Mitarashi-san come in for their monthly report we will have gone over our scheduled meeting," she explained, "We will then get into a discussion about flowers that double as poisons, before I remember I have to pick up Sasuke from the academy, and make a graceful exit."

"Mari." His hand was on the bridge of his nose, where had she even gotten Ibiki's schedule? When was she finding the time? "And what would have done if I had said no."

"Gotten myself a mission with Anko, preferably one close to Uzushio where I would claim she activated a long forgotten trap." Inoichi leveled a look at Mari for that answer, and she scowled at him. "What? It would be believable, I got Team Seven's mission luck, so it wouldn't be that odd if my mission went completely bonkers."

She wasn't wrong, but the confidence in arranging that was a tad concerning.

He withheld a sigh. "Do you have the supplies you need then?"

"Yes." Every once in a while the Kunoichi came out, who was confident in her skills and did not doubt what she could do. It made Mari look years older, and so he gave in, and started to shuffle some papers around.

"Well okay then. Let's see if we can't find someone to help you with the accounts while we wait."

She moved to the other side off his desk, peering over his shoulder to look at the photos and folders before him. These sessions had started out as just therapy, but Inoichi quickly learned that a lot of Mari's problems and anxieties were centered around her lack of knowledge, so he had done the only thing he could do, which meant giving Mari the same leadership lessons he gave to Ino.

Unlike his daughter though, Mari soaked in his words like a sponge, taking his words and lessons and making use of them, clawing at any weapons she could to make herself on more even ground with the rest of her peers. He still felt a pang of regret every time they started these lessons, not only because it should have been Mikoto teaching her these things, but also because this slip of a girl had been thrown in to the deep end with very little training, and everyone had expected her to drown.

She was ridiculously good at faking the necessary skill, but only because Mari had been living with her clan head for a few years, and had enough knowledge to extrapolate on how a clan head should act. It was still guesswork though, hense the anxiety.

Mari was going to be a menace when she older though. If the last few clan head meetings were any indication, she was going give all of them grey hairs before their children graduated from the academy.

He hoped Fugaku and Mikoto were looking over her with pride in their hearts. Their little stray was taking every expectation and spiting in the face of it.

About an hour later there was a knock on the door, and Mari's relaxed state went right back behind a mask of neutrality.

Sage damn her elders.

"Come in," he called, and Ibiki ducted his head in.

"We can come back later," he said, and Inoichi gave him a smile.

"Ah no we were finished earlier in the day, we were just discussing some flower arrangements Mari-san was thinking about it. Do come in," he replied, and once Ibiki and Anko could get a good view of his hands he signed confidential information. Ibiki frowned, but closed the door behind him anyway. "Morino Ibiki, Mitarashi Anko, meet Uchiha Mari. Uchiha Mari, meet Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko."

Mari gave a small bow, Chakra presence curled in tight as she glanced at him. She was nervous, and it was half amusing to see her act like a shy teenager uncertain about meeting new people, and half sad, because the girl who had left the village had been as socially confident as Ino.

Inoichi put a little more Chakra into the privacy seal, and Anko narrowed her eyes, a miniature mirror of Ibiki.

"What is this about?" His head of T&I asked, and Mari took a breath, answering before he could.

"I would like to take a look at Mitarashi-san's seal," she said, "I believe I can remove it."

Anko scoffed, peering down at Mari like she was an obnoxious puppy. "You? Really?"

Ibiki placed a hand on Anko's shoulder, eyes calculating as he glanced at Inoichi before turning fully to Mari. "What makes you think you can?"

Mari met his gaze unflinchingly. "How much do you know about the sharingan?"

"It's a bullshit cheat is what it is," Anko complained, clearly expecting Mari to take offense.

"Yes," Mari agreed with a small huff, though her face grew serious again. "It becomes even more of one as it develops. What I am about to tell you is considered a clan secret, an open one technically, but I am not seeking to advertise just how developed my sharingan is at the moment. If you want those details, I will share them, but if I do you will need to be sworn to secretary, and if this succeeds then officially you accidentally activated an old Uzumaki trap on a mission close to Uzushio."

"Why?" Ibiki asked, hand tightening on Anko's shoulder before she could reply. Inoichi leaned back in his chair, willing to let Mari have a shot at handling this on her own.

"Why the secrecy or why the knowledge?" Mari asked, and Ibiki raised his brow, clearly stating both. "Because these eyes of mine are worth more than their weight in gold, and because Mitarashi-san deserves to know what I am doing. She deserves to know why I failed if this attempt does not succeed. She deserves nothing less as her due."

"Fine," Anko spat, "secrets first, then you look can look at the seal."

"Thank you for the trust," Mari murmured, moving towards the center of the room as she opened her satchel, pulling out ink and paper and brushes. "The first stage of the sharingan is awoken in moments of high emotion. Fear, love, determination, fury, it doesn't really matter, so long as it triggers your fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response. The second stage one the other hand, requires more specific circumstances."

Hmm. Inoichi leaned forward. "Is that why Itachi killed Shisui?"

"He didn't," Mari hissed, teeth curled in almost protective snarl, which Inoichi filed away for later. The Uchiha regent took a breath, calming herself down before she talking again. "The Mangekyo, despite the rumors and hearsay, is not actually gained through killing the person you love the most. If it was, I wouldn't have it. It's, it's born out of grief, when you watch the knife of injustice slide into your soul and you are helpless to stop it, when you are the last man standing, and there is nothing left to do but bloody your sword and weep. A, a psychopath wouldn't be able to unlock it, because at the end of the day the Mangekyo is born out of love, out of loss, as you dig deep into yourself and say give to the heavens themselves me vengeance or give me death."

"Mari?" Inoichi asked, because this was the most she had talked about that hidden stage, and the more she did the more he could give to Shikaku regarding their wayward Uchiha.

"He loved Shisui," Mari explained, hands so carefully placing down blank pieces of paper, her words filled with grief. "He loved him as much as he loved Sasuke, and I'm not, entirely surprised he went completely off the rails once I died, because these eyes of ours, they are such heavy things, and when everyone holding you steady is gone there's nothing left to do but let the madness take hold."

Oh this was fascinating. Terribly sad if Mari was right, but fascinating nonetheless. "You think he had a psychotic break?"

"It's the only reasonable explanation for his behavior," Mari replied, and Ibiki and Anko were signing something discreetly to each other as Mari finished her circle of sealing paper. "And honestly? I'd had the intrusive thought before all this. Wouldn't be better if all the elders just died, wouldn't it be better if we just, took all the good bits and carved everything else away."

Sage she sounded so tired, and Inoichi wanted to reach out, to put a hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault Mari. Hakui-sensei said if you had rushed any bit of your journey you probably would have caused your ribs to snap inward, and without medical attention you would have died."

"I know," she snapped, and then a little softer, a little quieter, "I know, but the heart and the head can disagree on such silly things."

There was a moment of silence after that, before Anko broke it. "So, you can you set things on fire forever like Madara?"

"No, I didn't awaken Amaterasu," Mari answered, though she noticed their confusion. "Mangekyo is a reflection of the soul, and just like there are a thousand different kinds of loss, so too are there a thousand variations of the second stage."

Anko nodded, watching with sharp eyes as Mari pulled out her brushes and examined them. "So what do your eyes do?"

Mari lowered the ink brush, eyes flashing sharingan red, before black bled outward, and in it's place was a triskele. "The eyes awakened in grief see all, even gods long gone. For the eyes born from injustice, even the heavens hold no defense."

"Well that was vague," Anko replied, and Mari gave a snort, dipping the brush into the ink as her eyes spun.

"My ancestors liked to be dramatic, but in laymen's terms, I see weakness, be it physical, verbal, or mental. I was able to find the weak points in multiple tags and seals, though I only experimented on a few."

She glanced up again, eyes focused unerringly on Anko's shoulder, and Ibiki narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" he wondered, and Mari switched to one of the smaller brushes, the circle slowly becoming more and more cluttered with images Inoichi didn't recognize.

"Because everything has a cost," she replied, fingers smooth as ink seeped into the white, "and the more one uses the Mangekyo without fixing the cellular degeneration the quicker one goes blind."

What. "What."

"Mari," Ibiki said slowly, though the Uchiha in question seemed purely focused on the square she was creating. "Are you telling us that Itachi is one day going to go blind?"

She nodded, looking at Anko before moving down the circle, taking out the big brush again. "Sooner rather later if the reports of his usage are accurate. Though, if he can find a compatible genetic donor from the Otsutsuki family branches he will be able to stave off the blindness for a few years. He'd need a Senju or Uzumaki if he really wanted to work on healing the damage though, since they come from the same branch, unlike the Hyuuga or the Kaguya or the Hatake. It's either that or hope his brother gains the Mangekyo, which would allow them to swap. Why that works I have no idea, so don't ask. Hm, you know, we do share a great great great grand parent, so we could probably do a swap too, if that situation ever arose."

Inoichi was pinching his nose again. Somehow he had the feeling this was just going to be his life for the next few years, Mari tossing out life-changing tidbits like they were candy. "And you know this how?"

"Oh, uh," Mari paused in her brushing, like she had just realized what her theorizing while focused on something else had revealed. "Well you see, I have some really, really, interesting clan records that only clan heads were allowed to read and didn't because they weren't interested in the experiments of grief-mad Uchiha scientist from a hundred years ago."

Anko smothered a laugh. Poorly. "Sage kid, you're going to be handful when you're older, aren't you?"

"One would hope so," she murmured, every inch a polite young thing, and both Inoichi and Ibiki snorted. "Now Mitarashi-san, if you wouldn't mind stepping into the circle."

"What's it going to do," Anko asked, not stepping into the massive ink-drawn circle. It was impressive, and not a kanji to be seen. Interesting.

"Well all seals at their core are based on three things. Intent, Chakra, and the Matrix that binds them together," Mari explained, "I can't get rid of the ink based Matrix, but what I can do is focus on the other two things that comprise your seal. The swirling mark eats the Nature Chakra, which then channels said Chakra into the circuit breaker there so it doesn't overload in your skin, and then that seal there transforms that energy into light. The Intent was a little tricker, considering how meshed with your Chakra Coils that seal is, but that mark there acts like controlled EMP, while that one there is in essence a faraday cage, protecting you, body and soul, from being burned out."

Damn. That was, an entirely different approach most took to the seal, if Inoichi had his types of seals right. Anko stared at Mari. "This is a Seal Eater."

That seemed like a specific term, and Mari nodded. "Yes. If anything on your person is Fuinjutsu based, either removed it now or have it be eaten as well."

"Will it hurt?" Anko asked, handing off various weapons and scrolls to Ibiki.

"It shouldn't," Mari replied, "though it will probably feel odd."

Anko paused, still not stepping into the circle. "I was told if I ever untangled this it would leave a mark on my chakra system."

Mari made a face at that. "If I was just ripping it out, then yeah, it would. I'm not ripping it out though, I'm eating it, and leaving the hollow shell in place. There will be an adjudgment period, where you feel weak and tired and like you have the flu, but in time your own system will fill in that hollow shell, and while you will have an interesting biochemistry and nervous system, it will be no more different than the Inuzuka or the Sarutobi clans."

Mari could make Tokubetsu Jonin with that kind of knowledge, easy. Ibiki placed Anko's items on Inoichi's desk, focusing on the Uchiha. "What's the chance of a rebound?"

This time was Inoichi who made a face. Sage he really, really hoped his office didn't explode. That would be so hard to explain.

"Uh, zero?" Mari hedged, and Ibiki raised his brow at that, which Mari took as a challenge, shoulders straight and chin jutted out. "My seals are based on calligrams and pictograms, so when they go wrong they either don't do anything or they do the wrong thing. This is not a kanji based seal, because kanji based seals have no natural circuit breakers in place, which is why they tend to explode when things go wrong."

"Thought of everything, haven't you," Ibiki mused, and Mari's face shuddered.

"A grave injustice has been done to Mitarashi-san," she replied, face cold and tired and so very old. "It would unkind of me to give her another."

"Well then, let's get this party started," Anko demanded, stepping into the center of the ring. Ibiki glanced at him as she did so.

What was the cost for this? He signed, fingers curling to make it more a demand than a question. Inoichi thought of a housewife, and the brother who had planned to walk into a camp full of bandits to demand her body back.

Let me feel the age in your bones, and the bittersweet aftertaste of a life well lived.

Nothing, he replied back as Mari double checked her seal on last time, eyes still spinning with that black triskele.

Nothing? Ibiki was doubtful, and Mari put her right hand in the seal of confrontation, eyes fading back to black as she met Anko's gaze. Her Chakra flared, and a near blinding light filled the room, golden like flames, golden like a demon set loose.

She saved your life Bright-Eyes, don't take away that choice by claiming it was fate, or destiny, or because you were not strong enough. You want to honor her? Then live like she did, without hesitation or fear, with kindness and grace and humility.

Nothing. Inoichi repeated once the light faded, and Ibiki frowned at him for that, and Inoichi explained the only way he could. The dead have already paid for it.

Anko fell, gasping as she held the seal on her shoulder, and she stared at it before she started to laugh. Inoichi grimaced, because it wasn't long before the laughing turned to sobs, and Ibiki moved to put her on the chair while Mari stood very still, like she was uncertain what to do next.

"What do you want for this," Ibiki asked when Mari seemed to regather herself, moving towards cleaning up the seal, and Inoichi wanted to groan. Mari froze under the man's gaze, brow furrowed as she glanced at him in confusion.

"He's asking for the price," Inoichi explained, and then Mari was just sad, looking so battle weary.

"There isn't one," Mari replied, and Anko quieted, shifting so she could meet Mari's gaze.

"There isn't one?" The older Chunin repeated, and Mari… well, Mari no longer looked like the uncertain teenager or the confident soon to be Sealing Mistress.

"If you feel there is a debt, then go to therapy and heal," said the Colony Queen,"if you feel the need to repay me then just, be kind. Be giving, especially when you don't have to be. Be welcoming, stand without judgment in the face of the world's strangeness without hesitation or fear."

"That's it?" Anko hissed, because she didn't understand. Inoichi did though, Inoichi remembered a sister who was too kind and a brother who did not give blame.

"What promise is worth more than the promise of change, of healing and acceptance and peace?"

Shikaku had told him months ago that Mari didn't see the world like the rest of them did. He hadn't understand then, what his old friend had been trying to say.

Mari packed up her seal, all evidence of it ever being there gone.

"See you next week," he said, noting how her hands curled into her satchel. Gone was Colony Queen, and in her place the uncertain teenager.

"Right," she said, glancing at Ibiki and Anko. "It was nice to meet you Morino-san, Mitarashi-san. Thank you for the discussion of flowers, I will do my best to remember it."

"Well," Ibiki drawled once the door was closed, "she seemed… cautious."

Inoichi snorted. "Considering the threat her cousin made last time he was here, I'm surprised she's being… weary. Come on, we've got go convince Shikaku to give Anko a mission somewhere to close to Uzushio."

"Ugh," Anko complained, sinking into the chair. She looked both exhausted and the healthiest she had been in years. "Do we have to?"

Yes Anko, yes they did.

Mari was eighteen and Inoichi in his darker moments regretted how much he had encouraged her to step out of her shell.

He had underestimated just how small Mari had made herself, how unobtrusive she had forced herself to be. So Inoichi, being the caring, duty-bound, and perfectionist kind of therapist he was, had done his job well. Too well, because Mari had left on a C-rank and returned having stolen another nation's Jinchuriki.

"I would like to reiterate this is Shikaku-dono's fault," Mari said like she hadn't brought back a green haired preteen with a tailed beast in her belly with a grin and laugh.

Shikaku had one hand pinching the bridge of his nose as he gave a long and weary sigh. "How."

Inoichi would feel sympathy, but Shikaku had been laughing at them for years now, and Karma finally decided to pay the Nara his due.

"I told you about Team Seven Luck," Mari replied, "it's a curse."

Was that a twitch from Hokage-sama and the elders? Shikaku leveled a glare at the Uchiha. "You are not cursed."

"We are! I've talked to Kakashi and enough of the Sannin and the Lord Forth's peers as well as the Lord Third's generation to have proof. If someone on the Team Seven linage is given a mission, especially if it's a C-rank, than that mission goes to hell in a hand basket faster than a Nara can mutter troublesome."

Oh the elders were definitely giving each other the side eye now. Shikaku took a breath like he too was regretting his life choices. "Correlation doesn't always mean causation."

"Statistics don't matter when the gods are laughing at you," Mari rebutted cheerfully, "and if you want to see the charts I made about Team Seven assignments deviating from the mission scroll just let me know. I have dozens."

"She is not," and Danzo looked incredibly pained to be even be admitting this, "entirely wrong. But that is something that can be argued later. Explain what countermeasures have you put into place to insure Taki does not go to war over this."

"Well when you ask it like it you make it sound like I planned this," Mari grumbled, and Danzo stared her down.

"I think you saw an opportunity," he replied in a cold tone, "and after ensuring it would not come back to harm Konoha, after calculating everything that could go wrong and anticipating what measures you would need to counter those things, you took it."

Mari made a face at the elder for that, nose wrinkled in annoyance. "To be fair, Taki was already primed for a civil war before I got there. I just, you know, accidentally threw some oil into an already boiling pot."

"Accidentally," the Hokage repeated, pipe held between his fingers. "How does one accidentally set off a civil war, let alone in three days."

Mari shrugged. "Well I really only need two days of gossiping with the housewives to get the lay of the political landscape and then about twelve hours after that to give supplies and information to the dissents who wanted Taki to be less isolationist. Fu wasn't even a target at that point, I was just trying to get some leadership who would be more welcoming towards Konoha a few years down the line."

Yes Inoichi had done his job too well. He had taken Mari's natural tendencies to help and collect information and convinced her she was safe enough to use it for others if she wanted.

"So what. Happened." Shikaku asked, and Mari for the first time since she returned to Konoha looked serious. Tense.

That didn't bode well.

"My information got passed around, like I expected it to. What I wasn't privy to was some of the shinobi internal politics that coincided with a centennially occurring historic event. This meant my information was heard by some… extremists, we'll say. They hired some mercenary nin, and using my information kickstarted a civil war years before either side was ready for one. Said extremest went after Taki's headman and his family, and I felt honor bound to intercede since it was my meddling that started this in the first place.

While some of Taki's ANBU equivalent managed to relocate the family to safety, Taki's Jinchuriki had been taken by the mercenary nin as payment. I managed to recover her from said shinobi, and then I booked it before they could catch up. I ran the numbers, and figured she would be safer in a larger village than one recovering from a civil war. Also, there was a very high likelihood said mercenary group would just come back and take her after killing everyone in Taki."

The Hokage's eyes sharpened. "Did you recognize them?"

"They were probably Akatsuki, judging from the black coats with red clouds, but it's also possibly they were using that as cover. One was definitely Kakuzu of Taki though, who seemed happy enough to engage in some slaughter of his former village, and the other was a missing nin I didn't recognize. Finding out his identity didn't seem important after Kakuzu murdered him in a fit of rage once I got away with the Jinchuriki."

"Did he recognize you?" Shikaku asked, suddenly concerned, but Mari shook her head.

"Sage I hope not," Mari muttered, and she frowned at the look the Jonin commander was sending her. "He took on the Lord First Shikaku-san, the only reason I engaged at all was because of the crying preteen who also doubled as a weapon of mass destruction he was currently kidnapping. I used on my henge seals to make myself look like a Kumo nin I met during the Chunin exams, grabbed the Jinchuriki and then once out of sight used a summons to lay a false trail towards Kumo. I then ran very fast and very hard towards Konoha."

"Your safety net?" Danzo asked, clearing getting annoyed at the side tracking that was happening.

"Well once Taki gets it's shit together, they will discover Konoha owns almost every merchant caravan that heads in that direction, so they can pick a fight if they want, but it'll be over in about a month or so when the people either starve to death or revolt."

There was, not a vicious streak, but Mari could be ruthlessly pragmatic when she wanted to be. It was part of the reason he hated her tea times with Danzo, for the longer she interacted with him, said streak appeared with more and more frequency.

Shikaku, the useless lug, did not help him keep them apart.

Danzo hummed, looking, not pleased, but not annoyed either. It was probably as positive an emotion he could feel, the ass. "So what do you think we should with the Jinchuriki, give her over to you?

Mari blinked. "Uh no, actually, I was going to have the Aburame take her in."

Shibi was going to murder her. And then the rest of them for allowing it, and they would, because despite what Mari claimed this was entirely planned, right down to the rebuttals.

"You do not think you would be a good fit?" Koharu asked, and Mari shifted her gaze to the female elder.

"Well I figured the clan with bugs sealed inside them wouldn't judge someone for having a bug sealed in side them against their will," she said with a bit of bite to her words, and he knew that every year Mari asked the Hokage to let her tell Naruto of his parents and every year on that awful October day the Hokage said no. "Plus they could probably help her with her techniques, since I'm fairly certain the Aburame evolved from priests of Chomui anyway. Even if that weren't the case, having two Jinchuriki in the same place is just asking for trouble. The fishcake doesn't technically live with me, but he's over often enough for it to count."

"Chomui?" He asked in the silence, because like most of his clan once he had an itch to know something he had to know it.

Mari smiled at him. It was not a nice smile. "Did you know all the tailed beasts had names? Cause I had a very interesting conversation on the way back."

Why? Why did she have to be like this.

Danzo frowned. "You talked to it?"

"Eh." Mari gave a so-so motion. "Fu, Taki's Jinchuriki, has a seal designed to allow more communication in their mental landscape without putting her at risk, so we had a fun time playing telephone on the way back. She needs some time get the basics down, but her tailed beast isn't an ass so I have the feeling she'll be giving Kumo's Jinchuriki a run for their money in a few years."

"Well, I am satisfied," The Hokage said, and thank the gods for that because there was an almost manic energy in Mari that he recognized as please ask me for more details, please let me break your brain with information I somehow gained and just can't wait to shatter your perception of the world with it.

Danzo gave his former teammate a sharp side eye. "There is still more to discuss."

"I am satisfied with the report. The Jinchuriki will move in the Aburame. I've already recalled Jiraiya to double check the seal." Mari's face made an interesting expression. He made a note to bring it up at their next therapy session, because it was the first time in a few years he had seen her so disconcerted. "Now, Mari, would you like to go tell your newest stray about her accommodations on our way to see Shibi-kun."

"Of course," she said as she stood, giving a bow before leaving. Inoichi watched her leave, and wondered what safety net she had created for Fu, because there was no way in hell Danzo was letting an extra Jinchuriki slip through his fingers.

"The Jinchuriki would do better in ANBU," Danzo said the moment Mari closed the door, predicable in his greed. The Hokage didn't reply right away, putting more tobacco in his pipe.

"I think I have had enough of children in the shadows." Sarutobi's voice was cold, sharp and harsh and though there was no killing intent it was as good as. Inoichi glanced at Shikaku, who was watching the interaction with narrowed eyes, and no one dared to breath, let alone speak against him. "The matter is settled, and you will not bring it up again. Good day, Danzo."

Go with. Shikaku signed the moment it became clear the Hokage was walking away. Inoichi frowned, because he could feel a trap, he just couldn't see one. Please.

He sighed, and followed the Hokage out of his office.

Mari was sitting in one of the waiting chairs with the preteen Jinchuriki in her lap. She looked about Ino's age, with green hair, amber eyes, and tan skin. He flicked the small amount of fear he felt away. He had been friends with Kushina, it wasn't this little girl's fault someone had put a monster in her stomach. He noted how she immediately grew quiet when they entered her line of sight.

"Hokage-sama," Mari greeted cheerfully, "this is my newest, bestest friend Fu. Fu, this is the Hokage, he is a very good friend of mine."

"Hi." the Jinchuriki shuffled of Mari's lap and gave a small bow. "My name is Fu, please take care of me."

Sarutobi's lips twitched. "It is nice to meet you Fu-chan. Mari told me you'd like to stay with us for a bit.

"Yes," Fu agreed brightly, then paused, glancing at Mari and then at him. "If that's ok, I know, I know I'm trouble."

Sage damn that child's caretakers.

The Hokage gave a false show of confusion. "So is Mari-chan, and yet somehow she is still here."

Mari let out a playful gasp, hand to her breast in false shock. "You wound me Hokage-sama. Ah, Inoichi-dono, I was hoping you'd come too."

"Did you?" He asked doubtfully, because Mari was the trap, he just didn't know how yet. Fu ducked slightly behind Mari's legs at the tone, and Inoichi hated the world just a little more.

"How do you think about Haruka would feel about a new patient?" Mari asked as she put a hand on Fu's head. "He doing such good things with Sasuke after all."

Ah. Never mind then. This was the trap. He ran the calculations of how Haruka giving therapy to a Jinchuriki would probably go, and then he cursed Shikaku for not warning him, again.

"I think he's a little busy," he said instead of Haruka had lost his parents and a baby sister during the nine tail attack you really want to give him a Jinchuriki or Sasuke's therapist doesn't have anywhere close the clearance level this requires or I am going to murder Shikaku because he knew you'd ask for a therapist and the only who could do it was me Sage damn it. "I've got the time though."

He didn't, and Mari knew it if her smile was anything to go by, but he'd make time. Which, Sage help him, this meant he was going get Naruto once Mari figured out a way to make it happen without Danzo interfering. He sighed, hand on the bridge of his nose as he tried to ward off a headache, and Mari laughed at him.

"Don't worry about it Nymph, he's just figured out something that's going to tedious." Inoichi met Mari's gaze, obsidian eyes ageless and unyielding as she regarded him, and he remembered what felt like years ago her promise to keep pushing towards improvement. "Worth it though, when all is said and done, don't you think?"

"I learned a while back to stop arguing against you," he mused, and the reply earned him one of Mari's smaller smiles, the kind that crinkled her eyes as they shimmered with fondness. The Hokage cleared his throat, and they both blushed. "Come on then, let's go inform Shibi of his new ward."

Fu, as Inoichi found out, was a naturally energetic child. Rather like Naruto, but unlike Naruto someone had drilled manners into the preteen, and probably not kindly, if her weariness surrounding adults was any indiction. Though, she had just been through a civil war and technically two kidnaps and a forced relocation, so he wasn't entirely surprised by the shyness as a survival tactic.

Luckily, they had Mari to bring the little girl out of her shell. He was starting to feel an itch in his bones as he wondered just how Mari had gained the Jinchuriki's trust so easily, and it probably had something to do with the conversation she'd had with the Nanabi. Nope, he didn't want to know, it was going to break his brain.

They get a few odd looks as they walk through the village, and he noted more than one pair of shinobi exchange money. Betting on the Uchiha and her ever growing brood of children had become something of past time for the Jonin, and betting on which Jonin Mari would make cry and/or get demoted was something of a pastime for the Chunin.

The Genin, sweat summer children that they were, had no idea how insane their higher ranked seniors were.

Inoichi spent most of the walk observing Fu. She ducked behind Mari's legs when nervous, but wasn't shy about asking questions to someone Mari deemed safe. She liked bugs, and making friends, and oh Sage they were about to give an extrovert to a clan full of introverts, which was either going to be best thing to ever happen to the Aburame or there would be explosions within the month.

He honestly wasn't sure which option he preferred.

That was a lie. It was the first. If anyone could drag the Aburame into being social, it was going to be this hyperactive ball of Chakra and excitement.

They were at the edge the Aburame compound when one of Ino's classmates stepped out of the shadows, nearly giving Inoichi a heart attack. "Hokage-sama, Yamanaka-Sama. Ah, Mari-nee. Muta told me to tell Sasuke to tell you not to do anything stupid while he was on his mission. This appears to have failed. Why? Because you have adopted yet another orphan."

Inoichi turned a laugh into a cough at Mari's vexed expression. "It's good to see you too Shino-kun. Fortunately for Muta we're looking for Shibi-dono."

The boy gave a nod. "I will take you to him, why? Because he is overseeing a new bee colony, and you do not know the way."

"Oh?" Mari's annoyance fell away like it had never been there, and the Hokage watched her with an unreadable expression. "That's pretty cool, have you said hello yet?"

"No," Shino replied, "They are not old enough for me to understand them yet."

"You can speak to bees?!" Fu asked, almost brimming with excitement even as she stayed behind Mari.

Shino looked at Fu, glancing at Mari, who smiled softly with a hint of steel. The boy seemed to read something off it though, because he turned back to Fu with an odd sense of confidence. "Yes. I can also speak to many kinds of beetles native to Fire Country, and have recently started to learn how to speak to butterflies."

"That's amazing!" Fu shouted, and Shino tripped as Fu bounced over to his side, asking him about the bugs he could speak to and the kind of things they liked to do.

Mari shifted back, letting the two talk and talk and it was most animated Inoichi had seen both Fu and Shino, and for an Aburame he was pretty animated. Mari watched them with an interesting expression on her face, a hint of grief under her humor and pride and glee, and he knew she was seeing all the ways the shinobi world had hurt the two kids before them.

She always the saw the damage, and she never let herself look away.

"That was nicely done," the Hokage murmured, and Mari grinned at him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the Uchiha denied, and neither of them called her out on the lie. "They both just needed a little nudge is all."

"Why can't you be that nice to Ino," he complained fondly, remembering the last time she had been over to his house. Mari had the nerve to look amused at him, a small smile twisting her lips.

"Ino-chan has known nice her entire life," she replied, "she doesn't need another source of it. What she needs is someone to push her in the mud."

The Hokage gave Mari a side eye for that comment. "That sounds rather petty of you."

Mari's amusement fell away. "Failure is something everyone should learn. Slipping face first into the mud after getting your ass handed to you every once in a while is humbling, and good for the soul. I push Ino down and she growls and gets right back up to try and push me back, learning to be better each and every time. I'm just helping her learn to fall in a safe environment."

"That's a real nice way of saying she's a little spoiled and needs to be knocked down a peg or two occasionally," Inoichi drawled before this conversation could shift into the Sannin, because once Mari felt comfortable she stopped pulling her punches, and he didn't want to have that argument where the kids could hear.

"You said it not me doc," Mari snorted, letting him drag the conversation away about things Sarutobi did and didn't in regards to his students. "She learns quick though, I'll give her that."

"How is your little Kunoichi club going," the Hokage asked, and Mari beamed as she launched into a lecture about how the academy was still setting the girls up to fail and the lessons she had started teaching them.

Mari was leading a revolution, and he knew it wouldn't be long now before the heirs started following in her footsteps.

Inoichi had done his job a little too well, but on days like to day, when the sun was shining and kids got to be kids, all that paperwork and upheaval she left in her wake was entirely worth it.

And hey, at least he got to Shibi's face when the Aburame clan head got told he was being given a Jinchuriki.

Well, most of Shibi's face.

Mari was twenty she finally, finally, got a taste of her own medicine.

Inoichi would be laughing if this whole mess hadn't dragged the rest of the clan heads into it.

He didn't understand why Hiashi felt the need to call a clan head meeting when he could have just done this in the Hokage's office, but no, he had to call all of them up one the one day they had off so they could watch the new Jonin sensei's make complete fools of themselves, both as they interacted with soon to be teenagers with knives and when Mari heard they weren't taking teaching seriously.

Do you know this even happened? Choza signed discreetly as Hiashi and Mari went at it. Which, yes, unfortunately Inoichi did know how this happened.

See, it went a little like this. Uzumaki Karin, after a few sessions with Haruka, decided she wanted to be a shinobi just like Mari. She, alongside Fu and that Suigetsu boy, all joined in the year above Ino after taking summer classes to catch up. This meant they were in the same class as a one Hyuuga Neji, who was a neat little bundle of rage and unprocessed grief that Mari had not been able to sink her vicious little claws into yet.

Sasuke's breaking of Neji's nose while burning bits of his hair a few years back had not helped matters.

Karin, both as a product of her environment and as a female Uzumaki, meant she aimed at the top and demanded nothing less. Neji, being the kid to beat, found the similar bundle of rage and unprocessed greif who got in his face and refused to back down no matter how many times he knocked her on her ass to be extremely aggravating.

To make matters worse, Karin didn't just stop at the spars. See, unlike Sasuke, who had never quite grasped Mari's gift for verbal evisceration, Karin had taken to Mari's lessons like duck to water. And just like Mari she didn't pull her punches either, not when facing down a bully.

This meant that after about a full year of being attacked physically, emotionally, and verbally, Neji apparently hissed a whole bunch of clan secrets in an attempt to get Karin to shut up about beating him after he had managed to win top shinobi through the skin of his teeth.

Which, to be fair, Karin had shut up. Even if was only for about a minute or so.

Uzumaki had tempers, Inoichi lamented while Hiashi and Mari bickered back forth about which kid was really at fault for this whole mess. Well Hiashi was trying to blame Karin, Mari was full on going for the Hyuuga elders with the viciousness of a child also hurt by the traditions of her clan and elders. Uzumaki had tempers, and Karin was a kid whose childhood was mired in injustice. Her primary role model was a woman who would never turn her gaze for the sake of another's traditions, especially when those traditions were nothing but cruelty wrapped in permission.

In that minute of quiet, Karin, being a rather brilliant child, stared at Neji's seal as she figured out how to dismantle it. Then she slapped her hand to Neji's forehead and shattered the bird cage seal, screaming at the downed Hyuuga to go to therapy because while he had legitimate hurts they were no excuse to take it out on others.

Inoichi wasn't the only one who smothered a cringe when Mari full on stated Neji's attitude of knocking down those below him could be traced right back to the Hyuuga traditions. Shikaku, on the other hand, grinned like he was watching a shoji match between masters.

Mari's made mini-me's, Shikaku signed back to Choza, and Inoichi wanted to plant his head in his hands. And they don't have her skill for long term planning yet.

"She's put the entire Hyuuga clan in danger!" Hiashi yelled, and Mari visibly rolled her eyes.

"Oh please," she countered, lips curled in a snarl, "if you really cared about that everyone in your clan would have a seal, not just the branch house. And I can name at least three instances where enemy nin went after the main house because they lacked a seal and succeeded, with varying levels of casualties, as I'm sure you remember. We both know this isn't about protection, the elders of your clan just like their second class citizens."

Oh Mari, Mari no, bringing his twin brother in this was just mean. Even Danzo winced a little at that.

"How dare you," Hiashi spat, "you ignorant spoiled child."

"Spoiled?" Mari repeated in outrage, "I was cleaning houses when I was three. I was babysitting when I was four. Ignorant I'll give you, for there will always be more to learn, but I haven't been a child since my father left to go to war and never came back. If anyone here is spoiled, it's you."

Hiashi turned to the Hokage. "I will not tolerate this kind of disparagement to both my elders and my clan's traditions-"

"When traditions hurt those who carry their legacy then they no longer deserve to be passed down," Mari interrupted, voice terribly tired, and not for the first time he cursed her elders to hell and back. "It's just peer pressure from people long dead and gone, and there are betters ways of remembrance. You, as a clan head, have a duty of care to everyone who holds your name. You have failed that duty for as long as you have been in power."

Sarutobi met her gaze, and this time Inoichi did cringe, because now was not the time to be throwing stones Mari.

"I will not hear this from you," Hiashi snarled, and Mari shifted her head just so, looking so much older than she was.

"You can hear it from me," she replied calmly, "or you can hear it from your daughters whenever they grow strong enough to overthrow you so they can stop the enslavement of their people."

Checkmate. Shikaku signed and Inoichi looked skyward for strength. ANBU Raven gave him a little wave from the rafters, and ANBU eagle smacked them for it.

At least Mari wasn't arguing with Danzo about the age of graduation again. Last time had gotten vicious, and she kept dragging his clan's records into it, which meant he had been obligated to back her up in challenging Danzo, the sly fucker.

Hiashi breathed silently, jaw clenched. Mari took a sip of her tea, watching the Hyuuga clan head through the rim of the porcelain.

"We are at an impasse then," Hiashi said slowly, and Inoichi narrowed his eyes at the stubble change of tension in the air.

Mari put down her cup with an unimpressed look. "Clearly."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, and no one dared to move.

"The Uzumaki child did me and mine an insult," Hiashi started, "and regardless of her intentions, she did put Neji at risk by dismantling a seal with limited knowledge."

"I'll give you that," Mari agreed, taking another sip of her tea. "Karin will be receiving a lecture about time and place and consent. She should not have removed the seal without his permission."

She should not have removed it all, but oddly enough Hiashi didn't say that. "Since your student has proven the bird cage seal is not as much protection as it should be, you will make us a seal that will prevent the stealing of our eyes, the same ones you made for yourself and the Uchiha boy."

"Sure," Mari drawled, cool as cold water. "That's doable."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes, then added, "you will teach whichever Hyuuga wants to learn sealing."

Mari tipped her head, a half smile on her face. "Another fair request. Anything else you want to add?"

Now wait just a damn minute.

"My eldest needs lessons in verbal sparring," Hiashi replied, "you will teach her how to do so."

Mari hummed, "make Neji go to therapy and we have a deal."

"Witnessed by this high table, it will be done," Hiashi snapped. "Hokage-sama I drop my request of censure against the Uchiha and Uzumaki clan."

"I apologize to Hokage-sama we could not settle this without witnesses," Mari murmured, and he twitched, because he knew that tell.

Inoichi didn't even pay attention to the rest of the meeting, and he waited until everyone was leaving to drag Shikaku into an alley.

"This is going to restart some rumors," Shikaku drawled, and Inoichi wanted hit him. There wouldn't be rumors if Yoshino didn't find them hilarious.

"Be serious," he snapped, "did Mari just use Karin as a way to dismantle the bird seal and did Hiashi just let her, or did I just imagine that whole undertone."

Don't be ridiculous," Shikaku said, and thank the Sage. "Hiashi's youngest used Fu as a way to set up Karin's and Neji's rivalry, knowing Mari would be able to bail out the older girl once she got rid of the caged bird seal and would be able to get her clan a better seal of protection without undermining her older sister while also side stepping her own elders. Mari found it amusing, so she scrubbed her own plans for the Hyuuga she had probably made with Hiashi a few years back and allowed the whole thing play out."

Sage damn it Shikaku. "How do you even know that."

His friend grinned at him, the fucker. "Same way you get most of your gossip. Shikamaru's closer to Mari's strays though, so I get more than you do. Come on, you look like you need a drink."

"I need several," he hissed out, because how was this his life.

They go to Shushu-ya, and Shikaku got them one of the back booths that came with privacy seals. Inoichi frowned at it after his second cup of sake, because Mari's slight paranoia about being overheard was catching.

He then thought of Danzo, and figured there was no shame in being overcautious.

It was about six cups in that Inoichi slumped down on the table, tired of everything. "Is it bad that she scares me sometimes. I know she's got a good heart, and I know she's not collecting power for the sake of power, but every once in a while she'll do something and I think if she ever becomes like Danzo she'll be unstoppable because she doesn't dismiss the power of human emotion and we'll have no way to stop her."

Shikaku stared at him, his cheeks slightly flushed. "You need a break."

"I haven't had time to garden in weeks," he complained against the cool wood the table. "Mari keeps dragging me into her age war with Danzo. Worse, my civilian clan members are helping her, they keep doing surveys and questionnaires and I am so tired."

He couldn't even complain, they were doing good! They were helping people! Mari slightly unnerved him when he mentioned someone in administration blocking a policy and she either got that person removed from office or got them to pass the new procedure without anyone being the wiser but she was allowing them to get things done they had wanted to see for years!

Shikaku hummed, downing another cup of Sake. "You should tell Mari you need a break. She'll focus on something else for a bit, like the academy or something."

Inoichi squinted at his Nara teammate. "I don't understand you."

"Wow," he drawled, "I guess all those years of friendship mean nothing to you."

"Fuck you," he grumbled, the sake burning down his throat as he downed another cup, and Shikaku snorted.

"Not without Yoshino's permission," he jabbed, and the two of them fell into a fit of giggles. Hmm. He should take a break, spend a few weeks helping Ino in the shop. Konoha would be fine without him for a month or so.

His brain itched, and Inoichi sighed.

Sage damn his curiosity. "Why do you trust her so much?"

"My wife?" Shikaku asked, confused, and Inoichi raised a brow. "Oh, you meant Mari. I forget you get tunnel vision too, happens to the best of us, so don't feel bad. Mari's nindo makes everything so much clearer you know."

"Shikaku," he complained, and his Nara teammate peered into his cup.

"Don't ever think the words she says to get what she wants hold any meaning. We're ninja, look underneath the underneath. Every action she takes is for the betterment of others. Mari doesn't care how callus she has to pretend to be so long as it get's done."

"Even when taking morality out of it, it's simply not cost effective," he quoted, and they both smother another round of giggles as they remember the face Danzo had made when she said that.

Shikaku blinked at his drink, like he was wondering where it had gone, mouth twisting. "Do you really want to understand?"

Did he? His brain itched again, so Inoichi put down his cup so he could focus. "Yes."

He watched as his friend went through a variation of his clan's Genjutsu hand signs, fingers steady despite the flush of his cheeks, and the shifting shadows of moonlight filled Inoichi's brain.

Mari was fifteen and the youngest regent ever to grace the clan council. Shikaku watched from the shadows, observing how she acted away from Sasuke and the other Clan heads. Her burn was still bandaged, and her breathing was slightly off, most likely from the rebroken ribs, but her hands were steady.

The Uchiha hummed as she played with Roka, a click, click, click, echoing through out the empty room.

She took a breath, and then started to sing. "Well you are my accuser, now look in my face. Your oppression reeks of your greed and disgrace. So one man has and another has not. How can you love what it is you have got when you took it all from the weak hands of the poor? Liars and thieves you know not what is in store. There will come a time I will look in your eye, you will pray to the God that you always denied, then I'll go out back and I'll get my gun. I'll say, 'You haven't met me, I am the only son.'

So seal my heart and break my pride, I've nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide. Align my heart, my body, my mind, to face what I've done and do my time. Well yes sir, yes sir, yes it was me, I know what I've done, cause I know what I've seen. I went out back and I got my gun. I said, 'You haven't met me, I am the only son'"

A warning. Mari had taken to using songs as either a comfort or to serve a point, and this felt very purposeful. At first glance one would think Itachi, but it felt off, the words not matching what her cousin had done to the clan.

No, this was for someone else, but who?

"Going to join us Shikaku-sama?" Mari asked, eyes focused unerringly where he was hidden.

"I think as a fellow regent you don't have to use that honorific," he pointed out as he walked over. Shikaku tilted his head as he took in the board, and the by-plays currently happening. "You've gotten better."

"I had to," Mari deadpanned, words curling like she wanted them to hurt, though at her teammates flinch she softened. "Besides, Roka is a good teacher."

"I normally wouldn't disturb you," he explained, because it was easier not to beat around the bush with Mari, "but I heard you took tea with Danzo yesterday."

"Yes," Mari nodded, "after we derailed the last meeting with our arguments he reached out. It should be helpful, having the discussion before the clan meeting so we can get some actually work done."

Shikaku eyed her up and down, taking in obsidian eyes that looked far too old for a child of peace. Huh. Now wasn't that interesting. "You don't need me to tell you to be weary, do you?"

"I'm a girl Shikaku-dono," Mari replied, and what did that have to do with- "we learn to be weary of old men long before you lot figure it out."

Ah. Roka cringed at that, and Shikaku bit back his own grimace. "Right. Just to give you fair warning though, he's not be underestimated."

"I know that," she grumbled, and then paused, turning to peer up at him. "You're going to keep prodding until you know what I'm doing, aren't you?"

Shikaku gave a half smile and a shrug. "I will admit I'm a little worried about a fifteen year old chunin with limited political experience taking on the Darkness of Shinobi."

Mari wrinkled her nose, looking very much like a child. "That's such a stupid name, who let him keep that as a title that's just helping him fall into delusions of grandeur. Seriously, though, I know what I'm doing."

"When you play the game of thrones," Roka quoted, ignoring his teammate's glare as he moved another piece, "you either win or you die."

Okay, now that was alarming. "Mari."

"Roka's just being dramatic," she hissed, but then she saw the look on his face, and sighed. "It's like this Shikaku-dono. Danzo views politics like he's playing Shogi. He thinks I think we're playing Go, and everyone else thinks we're playing topple the castle."

Oh wasn't that an interesting sentence. "So what are you really doing."

Mari turned to him, expression almost unnerving in it's sudden seriousness. "I am not playing at all. I am planting seeds to grow grasses and flowers to hold in the top soil. I am protecting the wolves so they can make sure the deer don't over graze, allowing birds and bees and all manner of smaller creatures an environment to grow abundent in. I am encouraging foxes to make dens and badgers to make hollows and hawks to roost on high. A forest is more than just roots and trees, and if you forget about the little things there will nothing left but husks when the years go by."

Did Mari know about Root, or was she just taking the metaphor to it's logical conclusion? Either way he tilted in his head in acknowledgment, because she deserved that at the very least. Her shoulders relaxed at the gesture, and a nervousness he hadn't noticed before seemed to dissipate.

"So," she drawled as she moved another piece. "How am I doing?"

Shikaku hummed as Roka looked up at him with wide eyes. "Pretty good, even if Roka-kun will win about ten moves."

Mari looked down at the board, childish indignation on her face, and the Genjutsu faded from Inoichi's system.

He felt that memory both cleared up a lot of questions and left him with more.

"That's a lot of trust in you," Inoichi said instead of oh I think I know exactly who that song was for, and Shikaku shrugged like it was just Mari being weird.

"Roka was hers," his friend mused to his Sake cup, "and since I'm his clan head that makes me one hers too."

"No," Inoichi corrected, ignoring his teammate's frown. "You were hers the moment you walked her home that night, and she thought you were a better clan head than her people had produced in generations. You were probably the first bit of safety she had felt in a while, that's why you're hers."

Shikaku made a face at that. "The Uchiha were fucked up."

"Yeah," he agreed, then softer but with no less emotion. "Yeah."

"Well," the Nara clan head mused as he poured the last of the bottle into their two cups, "at least there's no way the next graduation can top this cluster fuck. Next one is going to be breeze, even if it's our kids graduating."

Inoichi felt a shiver run down his spine, and he been around Mari enough to know that feeling, like his soul could hear the gods laughing at them.

Sage damn it Shikaku.

Chapter 7: The Heart Chapter Text

You wait a moment, Doctor. Let's get it right. I've got a few things to say to you. Basic stuff first: Never be cruel, never be cowardly, and never ever eat pears! Remember, hate is always foolish, but love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind. Oh. And you mustn't tell anyone your name. No one would understand it, anyway! Except... Except... children. Children can hear it sometimes, if their hearts are in the right place, and the stars are too. Children can hear your name. But nobody else. Nobody else. Ever! Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind! Doctor, I let you go.

"The rule forbids anyone from revealing that you are actually the demon fox spirit," Mizuki said, and Naruto couldn't breathe. That wasn't, that couldn't, Iruka shouted something but it was like his words just passed through Naruto's brain. "You are actually the Nine Tailed Demon, the Kyuubi who killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village."

Iruka growled, and he was injured because of Naruto and what if it was true, what he had killed- a slow clap echoed out from the dark.

Uchiha Mari was leaning against a tree, giving one of those fancy claps they gave at plays as she looked Mizuki dead in the eye, one eye brow raised in judgement.

"Wow," she drawled, and forget the Hokage or Iruka, Mari was going to murder him, "Eleven out of ten for delivery, that was some very believable bullshit you just spat out. You really should have been an actor, that performance was better than any lecture you've ever given."

"You," Mizuki hissed, "I should have known you'd show up you meddling bitch."

Naruto cringed because that had not been the fun Inuzuka nickname, and Mari's smile promised blood.

"You know, I should thank you before you die," she mused, and Mizuki frowned as Iruka flinched at Mari's almost manic grin. "You spilled the beans! Let the cat out of bag and now it's running free, which means I get to say this. Naruto, you aren't the nine tailed fox, you just have him sealed in your stomach because the First Hokage thought tossing out the living Chakra Constructs of enormous power would be great for mutually assured destruction and didn't account for the fact it would be the daimyo sending the shinobi to war not the Kages."

"And I'm the treasonous one," Mizuki muttered at the same time Iruka planted a hand to his face and sighed, "Mari."

"What?" Mari asked with a raised brow, and Naruto wondered how she just, she didn't even care. "Mizuki broke the rule of secrecy first, I had a duty to correct the misinformation. Besides, even if Naruto was the demon fox, it wouldn't matter."

Everyone turned to stare at her, because how could it not matter.

Mizuki's chuckles broken the sudden silence. "Now who's speaking bullshit. You were orphaned that night too, don't lie and pretend you don't feel hatred for the demon that murdered your mother."

Mari stopped leaning on the tree, meeting Mizuki's gaze with a serious expression. "You see thats the thing, I don't hate the nine tailed fox, and I don't think I ever will."

Mizuki scowled, a sneer on his face as he shifted all his attention to Mari. "It killed your mother."

"Sure did," Mari chirped cheerfully, "felt it happen too. Sensing really is the worst, especially when these eye of mine will never let me forget it. But I don't blame the Kitsune for what he did that night, because if I had been prisoner for the past forty three years I would have tried to attack the people who imprisoned me too."

Naruto stared at Mari. Iruka and Mizuki stared at Mari. The crickets chirped and wind blew the trees and Naruto wondered if this was why Ino's dad always looked like he had a headache after talking to Sasuke's cousin turned sister.

Iruka pulled another Kuni out of his leg, and Naruto was pretty sure you weren't suppose to do that, but he didn't say anything because his teacher's face was… heavy.

"Mari," Iruka started, only to stop when she turned her gaze to him, and her eyes were so sad, so full of grief.

It was the face she wore on anniversaries, when she mourned a housewife and a clan and her parents and everyone she would never be able to save.

"It doesn't make it right Iruka," Mari explained in the same tone she did to Sasuke whenever the occasional urge to murder his older brother crept in. "It doesn't make what the nine-tails did that night okay, but what happened twelve years ago was a tragedy of our elders making, and I can and will blame them for it."

Mizuki opened his mouth, eyes shining with malice. "Hear that-"

"Did I say Naruto?" Mari snapped, and Naruto almost shouted yeah. "Stop trying twist my words around you bigoted Incel. I don't nor have I ever blamed people who don't deserve it. He was a fucking baby that day, he had no choice in the matter!"

"What's an incel?" Naruto whispered Iruka, who was wrapping his bleeding leg and looked very, very, annoyed.

"A man who doesn't think women are people," he answered back, and Naruto wrinkled his nose.

That was so dumb, and also who thought it was safe to even think that? Women were Kiba's mom and Sasuke's cousin turned sister and that one elder who totally made people who annoyed her disappear. Women were Ino and Sakura and Karin and Fu and Tenten and Hanabi and even Hinata now that Mari was teaching her to be scary.

"You just want to control it," Mizuki hissed, and Iruka grimaced as Naruto remembered when the Uchiha were still alive and people watched them with sharp eyes every time they interacted with him. "You just want the power of the Kyuubi for yourself."

Naruto sucked in a breath. That wasn't true, he knew it wasn't, Mari hated liers and she always so happy to see him.

Mari didn't rebuttal him though, she just burst into giggles, laughing and laughing and then she grinned with sharp teeth and red eyes. "Honestly Mizuki, what makes you think I even need that power to get what I want."

Mizuki paled, before he narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha. "Ah, I see. Nice try bitchia, but I've been watching you for a while now and I know all your tricks. You might have bought your rank, but we are equal in strength."

Damn Mizuki for destroying such a great insult, Naruto would never forgive him for that. Also Mari didn't bribe people, things like that left a money trail.

"Wow," Mari drawled, entirely deadpan, "didn't take you for a pervert as well a traitor."

Mizuki let out a snarl of rage, and lunched himself at Mari, who cackled as she dodged, the two of them ducking and weaving like something out of a novel.

He let out a squeak when his shirt tightened around his throat, and he tried to shake loose from whoever was dragging him away from the fight. Iruka just shook him though, and Naruto hadn't felt so much like a puppy since Kiba's mom found him hiding from Mari last October.

"Ah! Hey!" Naruto shouted, "where are we going?"

"To the Hokage so can return that scroll," Iruka growled, "and then to the hospital."

Naruto wiggled some more. "But what about Mari? She's fighting all alone!"

Iruka gritted his teeth. "You're an academy student and I'm injured, we're retreating so you can be safe and so Mari doesn't murder the both of us when we get injured trying to help her!"

"You don't care about me," Naruto hissed, and Iruka let go of him in shock, eyes wide. "You're just doing your job, and-"

Iruka grabbed Naruto's shirt and pulled him close. "Now you listen to me Naruto, I was you once upon a time. I don't take you out to raman when you do well on tests because it's my job, I don't hunt you down when you do pranks because it's my job, I don't love you and want to see you succeed because it is my job, I do it because I love you and I want to see you become Hokage one day."

Naruto stared at his furious teacher, eyes wide. "I- you love me?"

Iruka was wearing one of Mari's faces, the one that was sad and hurt and guilty and so, so tired. "Yes you hyperactive knucklehead, now lets go."

"But about Mari?" He cried, the clashing of kuni ringing out in the forest, and Iruka took a breath as he limped away from the fight.

"I'm sure she's having a very fun time playing cat to Mizuki's mouse," his teacher muttered, "and it doesn't matter because we need to get the scroll back to the Hokage-"

"So you take it," he shouted, shoving the scroll into Iruka's arms and darting back towards the house. He didn't need that stupid thing anyway, he had already memorized the hand signs needed for the jutsu.

Mizuki was throwing another one of his giant shuriken at Mari, who dodged it with a laugh. "Honestly, how did you even make Chunin, you suck. I'd say you cheated, but then that would give people who can do that competently a bad name."

"Fuck you," Mizuki hissed, and Mari raised a brow.

"Not even for a mission," she retorted, and his old sensei screamed, lashing out with kuni that Mari dodged.

Okay, so maybe Mari didn't need help, but Mizuki had tricked him so maybe Naruto should hit him with a stink bomb and then book it back to Iruka so Mari could keep hurting him with words.

"You might be fast Bitchiha," and seriously that was such a good insult, he could have given to Ino and let her run with it and it would have been awesome. "But you have one glaring weakness."

"Mizuki if this is another sexist comment I can not and lets be honest will not be held liable for the state of your corpse," Mari complained, and Mizuki laughed, sharp and angry and full of rage.

"No, no, not this time," he said, "your weakness is and always will be the kids you have taken under your wing, and I've got one line up all neat and pretty."

The giant shuriken swung wide, and there wasn't any time to move, steel hissing out before- Mari was in front of him, taking the weapon to the back. Her face spasmed with pain, and Naruto couldn't breathe again.

He had done that, he had gotten her injured and listened to Mizuki and how could she look at him like that? Like he had just gotten caught after a failed prank, like he was something worth being fond over.

She flicked his forehead, and he scowled at her.

"You're thinking too much Fishcake," she declared with a smile, "now, if you excuse me, I am going to decapitate your former sensei."

"You can try bitchiha," Mizuki laughed, but before he could say anything else Iruka tackled him to the ground.

"You! Don't! Get! To! Threaten! Him!" Iruka yelled after each punch, and Mari launched herself at his old sensei the moment Iruka was dislodged, hissing like the cat that followed Sasuke wherever he went.

Naruto watched his big brother and big sister fighting for him, and then Naruto decided then and there he'd had enough.

"Hey!" He yelled, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage one day, so quit picking on my precious people!"

Mizuki laughed, teeth curled into a sneer. "Got something to say before I kill them demon fox?"

"Yeah," Naruto growled, putting his hands together and pooling his chakra. "Shadow Clone Technique!"

Mari cackled in the dirt as over a hundred clones filled the clearing, and Mizuki and Iruka stared with wide eyes. All his clones looked at each other, and no one had to even utter a word as they all charged at him.

Sasuke's cousin turned sister was still giggling by the time Mizuki fell, beaten bloody, and Iruka was starting to look concerned.

"Did he poison you?" Iruka-sensei demanded, "answer me Mari, what's wrong with you?"

"Eh!" Naruto cried, moving over to the dark haired woman, "are you poisoned, do we need to take you to the hospital?"

"No, no, I'm fine. I just got some words for Iruka-sensei," Mari sat up with a grimace, even as mirth shined in her eyes. "Waterfall to spoon."

"Oh my fucking god," Iruka complained, putting his face in his hands, and Mari started giggling again before she winced, twisting to try and see the wound on her back. "This is a whole mess, and I don't even know who to blame for it."

"You can blame Shikaku if you want," Mari said brightly, "according to Inoichi he was the one who jinxed it."

Iruka sighed, and then he sighed again, looking over at Naruto. "Hey, come here, I got something for ya." Naruto went over, and he frowned when Iruka took off his headband. "Normally I give you your own, but I'm a little short on extras, so this will have to do."

"Oh." Iruka placed his headband around Naruto's head, and the metal was warm against his skin, and he ran his thumb against the cloth. "I won't let you know down Iruka-sensei!"

"How could you," his teacher asked, "you're going to be my Hokage."

Someone cleared their throat, and all three of them looked to see an ANBU in a raven mask holding the village scroll. Oh yeah, Naruto had forgotten about that.

"Wow Raven-san, that was so cold hearted of you, ruining such a touching moment." Mari complained, and Raven turned to look at her.

"You are injured, why? Because you decided to play with your food, and this time the rat bit back." Oh man, Muta- ahaha, Raven was pissed enough to forget adding whys to his sentences immediately gave him away as an Aburame.

Mari's face morphed to one of offence. "Hey! Don't give rats a bad name like that, he's like, like kudzu! Yeah, he's like Kudzu."

Muta looked deeply unimpressed, and a second ANBU in a cat mask picked up Mizuki while a third in an eagle started signing someone to Raven, who twitched like he wanted to face palm but couldn't because he was in a mask.

"Report this to the Hokage, we will take of everything else." ANBU Cat ordered, and Mari gave a salute that looked entirely genuine.

"This could have gone very poorly," Raven said, and Mari gave him a small smile.

"While I see your point, alls well that ends well," Mari countered, before she turned to look at Naruto. "Hey Naruto guess what?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, sensing a trap. "What?"

Mari smiled, and oh was he in trouble. "Guess who's going to be getting so many lectures on not questioning orders from superiors who have it out for you and for not listening to trustworthy ones when they order you not to engage and then after those many, many lectures guess who's doing Chakra control exercises until they drop from exhaustion."

Iruka's hand grabbed Naruto's shirt before he could run away. "Oh no you don't, Naruto. Besides, I do believe I promised you ramen."

Ramen? Naruto stopped struggling and looked over to Mari.

"Hakui is going to murder us," she said with a laugh, "but sure, let's go get some ramen."

ANBU Raven sighed long and deep, and Naruto felt like he was missing something. Oh well, he was getting Ramen!

"Congratulations Naruto!" Old man Teuchi said, "first bowl's on the house."

"As many bowls as he wants, it's not every day you graduate from the academy, even if you did it by the skin of your teeth." Mari ruffled his hair, and Naruto glared at her. He wasn't a kid anymore, he was a Genin of the Leaf!

"I still can't believe no one noticed the pool to control ratio issue," Iruka complained, and Mari gave him on of her signature judgmental eyebrows. Iruka met her gaze and then he groaned, head in his hands. "Damn it, I'm going to have to issue an investigation of my peers, aren't I?"

"I should have focused on the academy last year," Mari grumbled, and Iruka paled, eyes wide for some reason.

"Oh no you don't," his teacher hissed, "Hakui still complains about how you tried to restructure the entire hospital."

"It was being inefficient!" Mari defended, pointing her chopsticks at Naruto's teacher. "And what do you mean tried, I got exactly what I wanted out of that mess."

Iruka sighed, hand on the bridge of his nose. "When you set your sights on us, at least give me some warning."

"Sure Iruka-sensei," Mari replied with a smug sort of smile, "I'll do that."

"Here you go Naruto," Ayame said, handing Naruto his usual as Mari and Iruka bickered over what would or would not be acceptable target for retaliation. Naruto mixed around his noddles, and the smell was so good he just.

All his hunger curdled in his stomach, wondering who else was just like Mizuki, who else pretended to be his friend but really just hated him.

"Naruto?" Mari asked, looking concerned, just like she had eight years ago now, and Naruto didn't understand.

"Do you," Naruto started before looking away, moving his noddles around. "Do you really not blame me?"

"No Naruto no," Iruka replied as Mari's hands reached out and shifted his chair so he had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"Never," Mari hissed once she had his full attention. "I meant what I said back there, no matter where you came from or who your parents were, you were mine the moment I saw you, and I'm never giving you back, got it?"

"That's a little possessive," Iruka muttered, "but I agree with the sentiment. I miss my parents, I always will, but I don't blame you for what happened, and I would not trade them for you, not in a thousand years."

Naruto burst into tears, and Mari patted his shoulder as she redirected him to his ramen.

"There there," Mari murmured, "could we get some water Teuchi? No need to get dehydrated."

"You have the weirdest priorities," Iruka mused, and Mari raised a brow, and then they were bickering again.

Naruto ate seven bowls while Mari nettled Iruka into giving her a more fleshed out feel of the academy. That was going to bite him in the butt later, since Ino's dad was taking off to spend time with Ino and Mari was clearing eyeing the academy as her next target for the Yamanaka three month break.

He had just put his head on the bar to rest when he felt Mari's hand on his shoulder.

"He tuckered out," Iruka whispered, and Mari gave a snort.

"It's been a long day." She paused then, like she was thinking about something. "We met in this restaurant you know."

"Did you?" Iruka asked, and Mari hummed in agreement.

"I remember that," Teuchi chuckled softly, "Your Nara teammate asked if Naruto seemed skinny, and out came the red eyes. I thought for sure you were going to murder his matron."

"He was too skinny," Mari growled, and then in a slightly happier voice added, "I did get her blacklisted though, so there's that."

Oh man, Naruto would pay so much to see how that had gone down with his last matron.

"You what!" Iruka sputtered quietly, "Oh my god you were Naruto's mysterious ramen benefactor, weren't you?"

"He was too skinny!" Mari defended, and Naruto felt something warm in chest.

"Yeah," Iruka-sensei agreed with feeling, then he snorted, like he had remembered something funny. "When you got declared KIA your teammates broke into his house and force fed vegetables and then made him do his homework while also making him clean his room."

Mari huffed in amusement. "I head about that. Apparently they threatened I'd come back as a ghost if he didn't."

Iruka chuckled. "It was the only week he was ever well behaved."

"Oh my," Mari replied, "I can't imagine what that must have been like."

There was a pause, and Iruka sighed. "I'm going to miss him."

"You're still invited to dinner," Mari pointed out, "its even a standing one, remember?"

"I know," Iruka said, "but that's not what I meant."

Why did he mean then? It wasn't like he was going anywhere. Mari made a noise of understand. "Oh. Yeah, me too, for all of them really, but this is good too. Hey kit, come on, let's get you to bed."

Naruto grumbled when Mari relocated him to her back, and he rested his head on her bony shoulders. Iruka was saying something to Teuchi and Ayame, though he was too tired to listen in.

"All settled in?" Mari asked, and Naruto gave a non-answer. His body was tired, even if he didn't want to sleep. He was just resting his eyes, and listening to what his siblings thought of him when they thought he wasn't listening.

"At least there's one good thing about him graduating," Iruka said as they walked away from the ramen stand.

"Oh?" Mari asked, and he could feel her shoulders ripple once with amusement.

"I won't have to worry about you meddling in every other class," Iruka mock hissed, and Mari snorted.

"Iruka you're getting Hanabi next year," Mari pointed out, "and she's been one my ducklings for a bit now."

His teacher was silent for a moment, two, before he groaned. "Yamanaka-san was right you do have an adoption problem."

Mari laughed, chest moving as the sound bounced outward, so very full of joy. It was nice that Mari felt so happy. She hadn't been for a while, for a long time really, but that's what Ino's dad was for.

"See you round Iruka," Mari said when she finally regained some decorum, "and give the Hokage and Hakui-sensei my best, I'll see them in the morning."

"They're going to murder you," Iruka complained, and Naruto could feel the smile she was giving his sensei.

"They can certainly try," she chirped, and then up they went.

Naruto shielded his face from the wind as Mari started jumping between rooftops. He could feel the vibration of her humming against his skin, and he breathed as she moved across the village like he was the easiest thing to carry in the world.

"I once knew your father well," she started to sing, and Naruto jolted at the words. "He fought tears as he spoke of your mother's health. I guess a part of him just couldn't return. Forgiveness is the lesson he cursed you to learn. As your guardian, I was instructed well to make sense of God's love in these fires of hell. Now I don't expect you to understand, just to live what little life your broken heart can. Maybe your light is a seed, and the darkness, the dirt. In spite of the uneven odds beauty lifts from the earth."

Even in the dark the Uchiha compound was bright.

He could see the painted murals and rows of plants and blown glass wind chimes that reflected the moonlight in a kaleidoscope of colors. There were a few cats on the roof tops, and a few ravens too.

Iruka called it a zoo, where foxes and raccoons and possums and all sorts of creatures lived in harmony within it's walls.

Mari voice carried out softly into dark shadows. "As the years move on these questions take shape. Are you getting stronger or is time shifting weight? No one expects you to understand, just to live what little life your mended heart can. You'll always remember the moment God took her away, for the weight of the world was placed on your shoulders that day. Maybe your light is a seed, and the darkness, the dirt. In spite of the uneven odds beauty lifts from the earth. You're much too young now so I'll write these words down: darkness exists to make light truly count."

She didn't say anything as he cried, as he held on tight and never wanted to let go. She just sang, the chorus repeating over and over until Naruto ran out of tears, and Sasuke's Den welcomed them home.

He waited as she settled him into the couch on the outside porch. Her fingers were weaving through his hair, the chains groaning slightly as she rocked the bench back and forth, and he knew if he opened his eyes she would be staring at the sky in a mix of awe of and grief.

"Mari?" he asked, and her fingers slowed, but they didn't stop.

"Yes kit?" She asked, and he wondered how she could stand foxes after what the one in his stomach had done.

"Mizuki said you could control the Kyuubi." That time Mari's fingers did still, if only for a moment.

The Uchiha elder hummed before she restarted weaving her fingers through his hair again. "You can't tell anyone this Naruto, and I mean it. This knowledge could get you, me, and Sasuke killed, but yes, I could. Does that bother you?"

Naruto didn't understand why it was so dangerous, but he shook his head. "No, I- if you could control it, does that mean you could talk to it too?"

Mari's nails ran along his scalp, and he could feel her entire focus on him now, like she was debating how to answer. The chain whined against it's hinges as the wood creaked, Mari's feet silent as she ensured the rocking of the bench.

"Do you want to talk to him?" She finally asked, and Naruto resisted the urge to fidget.

"I don't know," he admitted, "maybe."

"I can talk to him," Mari said, "with you there or without, though if we do talk to him, there will be some ground rules."

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I'm not going to do anything stupid."

"I know," Mari murmured, "but this is for him as much as is it for you. He's been a prisoner for the past fifty five years, he deserves what kindness and respect we can give him.

He sucked in a breath, "he killed your mom, he made you an orphan."

"Yes," Mari agreed so, so casually. "He killed a lot of other people that day too." she paused then, bench stilling as she focused on him. "Do you remember, what I told Sasuke the first time he invited you to dinner?"

Oh man did he remember that. "You're spitting in his face?"

Mari snorted. "A good lesson, but no, the other thing I said."

He raked his brain, and then froze. "Hate is exhausting."

"Yes, and grief is too." Mari replied, the couch rocking again. "I forgive him, the Kitsune that is, and I understand if he cannot forgive us for the trespasses our village has done upon him, but to quote a very wise woman I admire, the world remains the same if you do not try, and I very much want to give talking a chance."

Naruto let that settle in his brain before asking, "what are the rules?"

"If he asks us to leave, we will," Mari answered seriously. "It's one of the few things he can still have a choice about, and we will not take it away from him. Next, we will not demand things from him. We can ask, but what information he gives us is entirely up to him and we will respect his agency on the matter. Lastly, we will not call him a demon, because he isn't one. He is a powerful Kitsune, and while he might be called a tailed beast, he was born from the Sage of the Six Paths. This means he is more Myōbu then Oni, and we should honor that."

"Okay," Naruto agreed, that seemed simple enough.

"Okay," Mari repeated, and she shifted a bit on the couch. "Hey Naruto? Look at me."

He opened his eyes, and Mari's irises were red, but it wasn't the sharingan he was looking at. He watched the three black spirals spin around the pupil like a pinwheel, and he thought they looked pretty cool, even if he was really confused as to what happened to Mari's eyes.

They spin once, twice, and on the third Naruto fell backwards, landing in a small puddle. He frowned up at the sewer walls, and Mari was downright scowling as she looked around.

"Oh we're fixing this," she muttered, expression slightly vexed as she offered him a hand. "Not sure how, but I'm gonna."

Naruto pulled himself up, and then frowned at the fancy Uchiha kimono she was wearing. Her hair was in a crowned braid, flowers like flame all along her head. He squinted at her, wondering why she was so dressed up. "When you'd get fancy?"

Mari raised a brow in judgment. "It's a mindscape fishcake, you can appear however you- ah no no no stop that, Genin uniform only mister."

"Aw," Naruto complained, letting the armor fall back into Genin orange, "but you look pretty."

"I am meeting the spirit of immense spiritual and physical power currently sealed upon your person as your guardian and as the Uchiha clan regent," Mari stated, "this is my uniform."

"Oh." Still, Mari's face softened as she held out her hand, and Naruto took it.

They walk down the sewer together, and he tightened his grip as the hallway expanded to an open room with a cage spilting it in two. He squinted as they got closer, and over the keyhole was a paper tag that read seal. Ripples trailed out from their position, and Naruto took a breath when red eyes opened in the dark.

He was scared, but Mari was holding his hand, and she wasn't scared, just sad.

"Kitsune-sama," she greeted with a bow, and Naruto hastily copied her. "My name is Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra, and this is your Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, son of Ashura."

"Leave," the de-Kitsune hissed, and Mari moved to do so.

"Wait," he begged, tugging at her hand, and his elder sister gave him a look.

"I told you we would respect his agency Naruto," she informed him, and he withheld a cringe, "and we will do so. I know you want to talk, but we will not take away his choices. We will try again a different day."

The fox laughed, and it was a bitter kind of chuckle, the one people gave when they wanted to be mean. "What would an Uchiha know of respect?"

Oh those were fighting words, but Mari squeezed his hand and Naruto ducked behind her, because that was the face she made when someone was mean to him at the market. She let go of his fingers and walked right up to the bars, meeting the Kitsune's gaze fearlessly.

"As the current Uchiha clan head, regent until Indra's heir becomes eighteen, I offer the apologies of my clan upon your person. We have wronged you grievously twice now, and for that I am so sorry." And then she did the apology bow, the one Iruka made him do to the Hokage where they had bend the full ninety degrees!

The fox snarled, claws slamming down on the bars, but Mari didn't flinch, didn't move from her apology. Kitsune then leaned in close, eyes narrowed as he took Mari in. "What would you even know of the wrongs done to me?"

"I am a woman, Kitsune-sama," Mari explained as she righted, and what did that have to do with- "And a very long time ago someone once tried to do to me what my village has done to you, my fatherless children stolen and forced into foreign headbands and set against their kin."

The fox's tails lash in the background as he stared at her, and Naruto took a breath at the reminder of when everyone thought Mari had died. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize," she answered, "and to ensure my kit, who wished to speak with you, did not commit any social blunders."

"And what does he want?" The Kitsune demanded, glancing at Naruto, who froze under his gaze.

"I don't know," Mari replied calmly, "Naruto, what did you want to say to Kitsune-sama?"

"I-" he paused, because he had known what he wanted to do when he first got here, but after Mari had apologized, he wasn't so certain anymore. The Uchiha smiled at him, and he took a breath, marching right up to the bars. The Kitsune was orange with black marks around his eyes, and he was… not healthy. He wasn't sleek like Mari's fox summons, wasn't lithe or cleanly kept or bearing a shiny coat. He was skinny, and scared, and Naruto knew in that moment what he was going to say. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, son of Ashura, what's yours?"

The fox reared back, but Naruto knew he hadn't committed a social blunder because Mari's face was doing that thing where she found something Sasuke did endearing but didn't want to admit because then Sasuke would stop doing it.

Kitsune leaned back down, showing some very pointy teeth. "You dare ask for my name?"

"Did I ask it wrong?" Naruto glanced at Mari, and her smile was tight.

"No," she answered, "but I doubt anyone has asked his name in a very long time."

He wrinkled his nose, because giant monster fox or not that was just rude. "That's bad manners."

Mari hummed, though he couldn't guess the emotion behind the sound. "Yes, yes it is."

The Fox narrowed his eyes, looking distrustfully at Mari. "What are you up to Uchiha?"

"Hey!" Naruto shouted to get attention away from his sister, "you didn't my question."

"Naruto, if he doesn't want to share his name he doesn't have to," Mari corrected, "choices, remember?

"Oh yeah," he said, "sorry Kitsune. You don't have to tell me your name, but I'd like it, since we're, uh, roommates?"

"Warden would be a better metaphor," Mari added, "but the proper term in Jinchuriki."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "that."

"He has no idea, does he?" The fox asked, and Mari frowned at the tone, but before she could reply Kitsune opened his mouth. "I killed your parents, clawed them open as your father shoved me inside of you. Still want my name now brat?"

What? That was, he didn't, couldn't, and he sucked in a breath as Mari's hand curled around his shoulder.

"That was unkind of you Kitsune-sama," Mari said in the same tone she used when talking to people in political positions she knew were abusing them, and Naruto wanted to cry again.

"Well, I am the demon fox," the Kyuubi reminded, "or did you really think that pretending to be civil would get the same out of me."

"I think you are the son of Otsutsuki Hagoromo, Sage of the Six Paths," Mari countered, "and I think he taught you better than to take out your anger on a child who had as little choice in this arrangement as you did."

"Do not speak of things you do not understand," the fox snarled, just like Karin did when someone brought up Kusa.

"Did they want me?" Both Mari and Kitsune turned to look at him, but his mouth kept going before he thought better of it because he had to know, he had to. "My parents, did they, did they want me, or was I, someone they wanted to get rid of."

"Oh Naruto," Mari breathed, sound so, so sad. "Naruto listen to me, you were loved, from the moment of your creation to the moment of your birth. You were wanted and loved and adored. They fought to keep you safe, and died doing so. Do not think your life was anything less than their whole world."

"They died because of me," he countered, tears burning in his eyes, and Mari turned him so he was standing face to face with her.

"They didn't, and Kitsune-sama if you dare utter a word right now you will regret it," she hissed, eyes flashing red, and then she knelt on one knee, sewer water staining her pretty dress. "Dying was their choice Naruto, and we will not take it away from them by claiming it was fate, or destiny, or because they weren't strong enough. And if there was blame to be assigned to that night, you would be at the very bottom of the list. You didn't ask to be made, and your parents signed up for the danger the moment they decided to have you, do you understand me?"

"No internalizing other people's prejudices," he grumbled into his sleeve, and Mari patted his shoulder. Though, ignoring the whole, murder bit, "does this mean my father fought along side the Lord Forth?" Mari's shoulder slumped as she looked skyward, and Naruto remembered that she couldn't answer. "Oh yeah, I'm not suppose to ask about that till you get permission."

"My vessel is an idiot," The fox complained, and Mari stood.

"He might not the sharpest kuni in the pouch," she said, and hey, "but he's got heart, and he's going to be unstoppable in a few years."

His chest was warm, and Kitsune huffed at that. Naruto eyed him, thinking of Karin, of Fu and Shino and Lee, and he took a breath, debating. He stepped closer to the bars, thinking of what Mari would say, and the foxed eyed him as he got close.

"My name Naruto Uzumaki," he stated in an indoor voice, "and as the closest to Ashura's main linage, I apologize for what my kin have done to you, and once I figure out how, I will set you free."

"Do not lie to me," he snarled, and Naruto snarled right back.

"It's not a lie! You don't deserve to be a prisoner, and Mari said you had been one for a really long time. That's not right, so we're going to fix it, believe it! Right?" He turned to Mari, and her face was doing that Sasuke thing again.

"At the minimum I think we can promise not to reseal you when Naruto dies," she said in a polite tone, and Kitsune sneered at them.

"And what do you want for such a promise?" He asked, and Naruto glanced at Mari, confused.

"Uh, nothing?" He replied, "we've got the power to make it right, even if it wasn't our fault, so we should."

The fox raised a brow in disbelief. "Simple as that brat?"

He glanced at Mari, because she was better at explaining, and she gave Kitsune a smile. "It may be straightforward, but sometimes the simplest things in the world are also the hardest. To us, your situation is simple. You think, you feel, you are equal in every way that matters, and even if you weren't you do not deserve to live your life in a cage."

"Pretty words," the fox drawled, and Mari shifted her chin, looking at him like she was offering a challenge.

"We'll show you!" Naruto proclaimed, "We showed Karin and her mom we meant it too, and people used them all the time so they didn't believe us for months."

"Karin took months," Mari corrected, "I'm not so sure Akari fully believes, but she's older, so her hurts stick a little more deeply."

Oh. That was, not good? "Well even if it takes years and years I'll prove it!"

"You can't be serious," Kitsune demanded, "I killed your parents."

He sure did, and boy was Naruto going to cry about that later. "And they helped kidnap you after you had gotten free, so I'm taking the circle of abuse and I'm breaking it. It ends with you and me."

"Cycle," Mari said softly, face unreadable, but also so, so sad. "Not circle."

The fox eyed Mari again. "And what's your stake in this Uchiha, don't think I can't smell your plots on him."

She smiled, and it wasn't one of her nice ones. "I can't be doing this out of the goodness of my heart?"

"You're an Uchiha," Kitsune spat, and Naruto was beginning to think he might be that r word Mari sometimes tossed out like a paper bomb. "You might be taking the nonviolent path, but I can taste your anger, your fury. You are seeking vengeance, and now you have come seeking my power, just like your kin always does."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, "don't insult her like that. Mari's the nicest person there is and she doesn't believe in vengeance, believe it! She thinks you should metaphorically spitting in people's faces by living your best life and acting like they don't matter, cause they don't."

Mari put her hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, I am grateful for the defense, but we do not blame people for being weary, remember? My kin have hurt him like Kusa hurt Karin and Akari, it would be very unfair of us to ask him to get over that in just one conversation. Besides, he's not entirely wrong, some would consider what I am doing vengeance."

"How?" He asked, "you don't hurt people, or, well, you might hurt them with words but you don't kill people."

Mari's smile somehow got more scary. "I am ending everything my abusers stood for. I am taking their traditions and their beliefs and their greed for glory and I will ensure they are entirely forgotten. I will tear down everything my monsters ever built or took pride in, and I will do it with a smile as I replace it with all the things they deemed to be worthless."

The fox chuckled, and Naruto gave him the side eye, because it wasn't a nice laugh but it wasn't a mean one either. "Oh, you're not even aiming at people, are you hatchling?"

"The shinobi world took my mother and my father and my brother away from me," Mari stated bluntly, and Naruto smothered a flinch. "The shinobi world made my best friend ashamed of his gifts and told my Heart without his leg he had nothing to contribute and sent the three of us like lambs to slaughter for the entertainment of the rich and the powerful. It killed my clan, it's killed so many clans and enslaved so many people and gotten so many children murdered, and for what? So old men could have their money and their power and their prestige?

I mean sure, I could kill my cousin, and I could kill my elders, and all the civilians who drove Hakate senior to suicide but the institutions that created those tragedies and made those monsters would just make more. So yes Kitsune-sama, I am coming for the shinobi world, and I will kill it with kindness, bit by bit and piece by piece. That is my vengeance, that is my justice, and it will taste oh so sweet, even if I do not live to see the depth of it."

"There's your hatred," the fox almost cooed, "I was beginning to think you had buried it deep."

"Hardly," Mari snorted, "it's an emotion like any other. I sit with it and I examine where it came from and then I let it go. I let it turn into passion and protection and grief. I build with it, because I refuse to let my anger warp me into one of my own monsters, I refuse to continue the cycles that tried so very hard to break me."

Kitsune raised a brow, seeking to unsettle. "You really think you can make a difference?"

"I already have," Mari countered, because she had been playing that game for a very long time. "Roka's got a better prosthetics and Muta's courting a Hyuuga who thinks he's the most glorious thing she's ever seen and I have dozens of orphans under my wing who will never have to pick up a blade to make a living. I've wrangled so many people in to therapy, and I've introduced bill after bill to give this village even more safety nets so it can one day become the thing it was dreamed to be."

She paused then, taking a breath, and her smile was softer now as she glanced at him, like he was the one holding her steady.

"I have given Naruto the tools he needs to be the best Hokage the world will ever see," She continued, and oh. "And he might only be a Genin now, but one day he will carry the mantle of his linage and be so, so beautiful, as he leads us into a generation of peace that will last a thousand lifetimes."

Naruto didn't know what to do with that, and the fox didn't seem know either. "And what's my part in this?"

"To be kind," Mari answered, because that was always what she wanted people to be. She wanted them to be kind and giving and to forgive, even when it hurt. "To give him advice when he gets in over his head, because he will, over and over again. He's going to need someone to help keep him safe when I am no longer able to, or when he leaves the safety of my reach. And if we are being honest Kitsune-sama, I was always going to ensure you and your siblings were set free because you deserve to be, though I guess you could say it's personal, considering we are related."

"What," they said at the same time, and Mari laughed.

"Chomei said the same thing when we had this talk, but I am Uchiha Mari, daughter of Indra's line, who was once the Son of the Sage, your father. I'm not entirely sure how many greats we'd have to go, but you are an uncle, after a fashion. Same goes for the fishcake over there, since he's a descendant of Ashura's line."

"He's my kin!" Naruto shouted, because oh man, that made all those mean things they had done to each other so much worse.

… did that make the Kitsune a kin-killer?

"And what do you know of my father's sons," the fox asked with a rumble, and Mari's face went sad again.

"I know Indra gave into his greed as Ashura abandoned his brother for his father's approval. I know they were set to compete with each other and never taught how to do anything else, passing that generational trauma down and down until I said enough, never again." She took a breath, and then she gave another bow. "May we have your name, oji-sama? We are so sorry we have forgotten it."

Naruto held Mari's hand. He wasn't sure he agreed with everything Mari just said, but Mari sometimes said thing she didn't mean to get what she wanted, so he put that whole conversation in the things to talk about in private box.

"Please?" He added, "I promise we'll keep it safe."

The Kitsune leaned his head down low, resting on his paws as he met Naruto's gaze. He wanted to reach out for a pet because the fox's fur looked so soft, but the Kitsune wasn't a pet so he couldn't do that without permission.

"My father called Kurama," he said at last, and Naruto grinned as Mari gave another bow, though this one was to hide the grief that flashed across her face.

"Nice to meet you Kurama," he said at the same time Mari murmured, "we are honored by your trust Kurama-sama, we will endeavor to be worthy of it."

Kurama flicked an ear. "We'll see, now go, you were disturbing my rest."

"Of course," Mari tugged at his hand. "Come on."

Naruto waved at the fox. "Bye Kurama, and thank you!"

"For what?" Kurama asked, and Naruto gave him a big thumbs up.

"For trusting me, see ya!" And he tugged Mari away before the big fox could reply. She hummed, amused, as they went deeper and deep into the sewers before darkness took hold.

Naruto blinked, and Mari helped him sit up on the couch. The moon was still high in the sky, and she put her hand in his.

He griped it back, holding tight. "I was wanted."

And then he cried. Mari maneuvered him onto her lap, singing that same song again, though she moved on to others, singing and singing like she had done with Sasuke what felt like so long ago. The chains of the couch whined against their hinges as the wood groaned softly with their weight, Mari's fingers weaving through his hair. Naruto cried until unconscious claimed him, his sister's skin warm against his own.

Tomorrow he was going to be a ninja.

Tomorrow he had promises to keep.

Chapter 8: The Strategist Chapter Text

Holy crap, guys! Plans do fail. "Perfect strategy" does not mean one perfect flawless genius plan! It doesn't mean you never lose! Look, you've taught me a lot, so let me teach you something, k? This is strategy. First... you have a goal. Then, you list objectives in support of that goal, in order of importance. Then you weigh the costs and accomplish the most you can, however you can. Without even fighting, if possible! You've got bluff, subterfuge, diplomacy... lotta time it's just "watch what the enemy's doing, and hit him where he's weak and you're strong." But, y'know... he's doing the same to you. And you can't be strong everywhere. So sometimes you fall back where he's stronger, and sometimes you do lose. But you roll with it. Yes you plan, okay? But the enemy won't follow your plan. So the trick is to be fluid, hit him on the fly, define his choices... watch for opportunity, like when he boops up. You have to know more than he does about what's going on.

Mari watched the sun rise. She took in the shifting colors, the Uchiha Compound taking even the smallest hint of light and magnifying it, and she breathed in the crisp morning air.

She couldn't help the smile on the face at the sight of Hakui walking down the dirt road, one of Mari's cat summons by her side. They had come a long way, from Mari threatening to set to bowl cut woman on fire. Now it was Hakui doing the threatening.

Mari placed a finger to her lips, and the healer frowned, but she didn't say anything. Naruto was still asleep on her lap. She'd wake him in a bit, so he could shower, but there was no rush, not yet.

Hakui, once she was close enough, started signing how Mari was an idiot and how she was going to report this to Inoichi and all sorts of things that she would do to Mari if she ever avoided medical attention again. Mari smiled, and basked in the healer's worry and fury and passion.

Want tea? She signed, and Hakui looked like she wanted to murder her. She grinned, swapping with a pillow as she let the doctor followed her in with a scowl.

Muta was asleep on the couch, and Mari was going to get him to bring home that damn Hyuuga he kept dancing around even if she had to break into ANBU headquarters and get Eagle's file herself.

She moved into the kitchen, hands finding the tea leaves from Kiri. The stove clicked on with a whoosh, and Mari put the kettle on the stove. She could have cheated, used seals to make everything a minute long process, but she could never find it in her heart to skip cutting the leaves if she had the time. Her mother had taught her this, and Mikoto after her.

She was the one teaching now. Sasuke had learned, and then Naruto, and any of her ducklings who wanted to learn.

Hakui pulled out the emergency kit they kept at the house, pulling out bandages and anti-infectants, gesturing for Mari to sit after she put the leaves in the strainer. Mari's back twinged at the reminder, bloodied wrap sitting uncomfortably against her skin.

Roka came down at some point. Her Heart took one look at Muta sleeping on the couch and Mari getting her back patched up before he sighed, turning right back around.

She could feel Hakui's judgment as she laughed, warmth bursting in her chest.

He came back down a few minutes later, once her injury was fully taken care of and Hakui's supplies were put away, Sasuke grumpily by his side. Little-one was sadly not a morning person, and likely never would be. She set on him vegetable duty while she got Naruto up.

Fishcake was quiet, and the entire household noticed, even if they didn't comment on it. She sent him to shower, ignoring the look an already dressed Muta gave her.

It was worth it, getting injured. There would be no misconnection between Kurama and Naruto, not this time. There would be no years long struggle with untold damage in it's wake, no repetition of his family's mistakes. Mari could have done without the shuriken in the back, but alas, needs must.

"I got the kids," Roka said, and she loved him. Loved him so much it scared her sometimes, her mind whispering the kind of things she might do if he died. She was so, so aware of the violence she was capable of. It was in her history, her blood. Madara and Obito had nearly ended the world in the name of love, and loss. What might she do, if given the opportunity, if given the chance?

Mari loved him anyway.

What would be the point if she didn't?

Muta walked her to the Hokage tower. She put her hand in his and squeezed. The bugs didn't bother her anymore, hadn't for years, and he sighed, shoulders slumping.

"You got hurt yesterday," he said, and for all Muta seemed unflappable she knew he worried about them. "I understand we are in a high injury profession. It would be hypocritical of me to complain about that, but you didn't get hurt on the job, you didn't get hurt because the enemy was greater than you, you just wanted to make him mad, to show him how small he was, and because of that you got a shuriken in the back and Naruto had to see that. You should killed him quiet and easy and been done with it."

"To be fair," Mari countered, "I assumed Naruto and Iruka were out of the field, but you're right. I could have done it without injuring myself, but I was in no danger of dying, not from Mizuki of all people."

Muta squeezed her hand back harder. "You don't know that. It was stupid. Why? Because underestimating your enemy gets you killed. I would have thought, out of all of us, you remembered that lesson best."

Mari had, opinions, about that mission from hell. The bad intel, the timing. There wasn't any proof, just like there wasn't any proof about Sakumo or Dan or Nawaki, but considering the entire mess involving Orochimaru and the whole peace talks sabotage with Iwi and the Hanzo thing in Ame it wouldn't exactly surprise her if one day she found out that mission had been from Danzo.

"Bad intel is different than getting cocky," she replied, and Muta tilted his head.

"I was referring to our first c-rank, not. That mission. I would not, it would unfair of me," he said so softly, "to ever use that against you."

Oh. Well, now Mari felt bad.

"Miscommunication," she said with a wave of her hand. "It happens."

He hummed, and they walk in silence for a bit before Muta glanced at her, a bit of mischief in his Chakra. "Your birthday is nine days away."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "so it is."

"You might not know this," he continued, "but there is a bet going around, to see who can get you the best gift."

She had known that, but was leaving it be since it was mostly harmless, and also hilarious. "Is there?"

"Yes," he said, Charka growing more and more settled. "Hypothetically, if one happened to be near Ame for a mission, and if one hypothetically completed their mission as quickly to as possible to give time for reconnaissance, and if hypothetically that recon revealed a known traitor with a known artifact that technically should be returned to the state, would you want it?"

Mari stopped walking.

"Muta," she said slowly, "are you telling me you have the Lord Second's overcompensation of a blade."

"This was a hypothetical Mari," Muta lied, letting go of her hand as he very wisely stepped away from her.

"Oh my god give it," she demanded, troubles and worries temporarily forgotten, "give it right now I don't even care about the politics I have wanted that sword since I was like six."

Longer even, but that would give the game away.

Muta tilted his head. "I do not know what you speak of, this was purely a question of possibilities."

"Muta!" She cried, and he darted away, the bastard. She took back everything she had ever said about him, he was evil, a monster!

They crashed into the Hokage's office in a tumble of limbs, and Mari pinned Muta to the ground.

"Give it," she hissed, and he patted her on the cheek.

"I cannot," he said, "it's a joint gift."

Mari paused, staring down at her Aburame. "Are you bribing me with meeting your Hyuuga friend?"

"Of course not," Muta lied like the lying lier he was. "Why? Because that would be cheating."

The Hokage cleared his throat, and Muta gave a salute.

"I hate you," she informed him, and his Chakra bubbled with amusement.

"You do not," he countered, and then swapped with a couple of leaves, the bastard. "Good bye."

"Oh I'm going to murder him," she declared as she stood, noting him move towards ANBU headquarters, smug like the asshole he was.

"And what did poor Muta do to deserve that," Sarutobi asked, and Mari huffed as she settled into one his chairs.

"Found a collectors item and dangled it in front of me," she growled, nine days was entirely too long to wait for the Sword of the Thunder God.

"Ah," the Hokage replied, clearly amused. "I see. First off, no."

"I didn't even ask," she muttered, and Sarutobi gave her a look.

"You were going to," he stated, which wasn't wrong. "My word in this is final. He will learn of his parents when he is ready, not before. You got lucky Mizuki broke the law first, and even then you were much too caviler."

"Fine," Mari said, because saying I told you an enemy would use that knowledge against him would get her nowhere. "We've said all we can on this, so I won't waste your time."

"Good," he replied, tone sharp enough that Mari knew better than press at the moment. "We found Mizuki's drop off, and it seemed he was sending information to Orochimaru, is there anything he revealed during your fight that you believe to be a risk to Konoha."

"I don't believe Mizuki was an actual spy," Mari answered, "just someone who wanted power that Orochimaru nudged here and there. The Snake Sannin probably knows about the new theft prevention seals, but he also could have heard that through some gossip chains. He might try something during the Chunin Exams when security is stretched then, but that's only a guess."

"You think he'd be that bold?" The Hokage asked, and Mari very bluntly wanted to say I know for a fact he's going to be leading an invasion and doing his best to murder you when he's not stalking my baby cousin.

She settled for a shrug instead. "From what I've heard from Anko, I believe so yes. He'll come snooping, if only to see what the fuss is about."

Sarutobi sighed. "We'll keep an eye out. Anything else you think is relevant?"

"Yes," she said, "I want the Hiraishin notes."

"You take mostly in-village missions or you do joint task force operations with the police," the Hokage countered, but he hadn't said no, not yet. "What do you even need those notes for?"

"Jiraiya is going to one day teach him his father's signature technique," Mari replied, "Akari is going to teach him him the Uzumaki Chakra Chains. Perhaps it's a little selfish, but I want to give him something of his parents, and sealing is something I can teach, but I wouldn't even know where to begin with the Flying Thunder God Technique."

That was lie. Mari could probably make the same thing with her seals, but she didn't want to was the thing, mostly because it would take forever and she was having enough trouble trying to make emergency return seals as it was.

Sarutobi sighed, and Mari knew she had him. The reason her emotional manipulation worked was because at the end of the day, it was the truth. She wanted to give him something of his parents, and Minato had made the Flying Thunder God Technique with his wife's help, he had put it in her seal.

"You will not mention it to him," the Hokage demanded, eyes sharp, like he knew she was going to toe the line.

Mari smiled like the polite young thing she pretend to be, and dipped her head. "I can agree to that."

"Very well then," he said, "I'll get you the clearance."

"Thank you Hokage-sama." She gave a half bow, noting how Sarutobi was eyeing her like he could sense a trap, but was unable to see it.

"How did Naruto take the news?" He asked after a beat.

"Better than I expected," Mari admitted, "he'll have some questions for you, and he might be a bit angry, a bit confused about why he was chosen that night, but honestly I think it helped clear up a lot of things too. Like why so many people are scared of him."

"Mari," he warned, and Mari met his gaze, because saying I told you so would not be helpful, not matter how much she wanted to say it.

"Apologies Hokage-sama," she gave, weathering his political landscape like she had once weathered hurricanes a lifetime ago. "Can I at least tell him about Fu?"

Sarutobi sighed again. "You may. Mari… I have, a request. You can say no if you like, but I would like to hear your opinion."

Oh that wasn't nerve wracking at all. "How can I help you?"

"You've talked with the Seven Tails," he said, and Mari did not like where this conversation was going.

"Through Fu," she reminded, and the Hokage shifted in his chair.

"Through Fu, yes," he agreed, "though I'm told a Yamanaka or an Uchiha with a strong enough sharingan could reach that meeting place."

"My sharingan isn't strong enough for that," she lied, and would keep lying until Danzo was dead at the least.

The Hokage gave one his fake grandfather smiles. "I've talked with Inoichi, he'd be fine teaching you some more personal techniques should you say yes to this."

They were going to a very interesting next therapy session, considering Inoichi knew damn well she could talk to the Tailed-Beasts.

"You want me to talk to the Kitsune," she guessed, and smothered a giggle that wanted to creep up her throat, because Mari knew she was an overachiever but this was just ironic, and also terribly sad.

"You don't have to," Sarutobi reminded, "but you are, persuasive, and there are very few ways we can help Naruto with this burden."

"Of course," Mari agreed, ignoring his attempt at emotional manipulation. "I can, me and Inoichi can talk about options, but I would be honored to try."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, completely unaware of the irony. "Be careful though, he is a rather tricky thing."

Being locked away for over half a century will do that, Mari didn't say. "I will be."

The Hokage hummed, shifted his chair a bit to look at the village. "Mikoto would be proud of you."

Mari startled. "Hokage-sama?"

He pulled out his pipe, taking a long drag that was really not healthy for him. "I do not think we tell you that enough. Everyone, myself included, expected you to struggle, to flounder and fail and fall. But you didn't, you dug your heals in and built something beautiful."

"Are you alright Hokage-sama?" She asked, because this seemed, thoughtful, and Sarutobi really only got like this on bad days.

"I am very tired," he admitted, and Sage she pitied him, because life would just not let him retire. "And the one person I hope to succeed me isn't ready, not yet."

He was going to be waiting a long time for either Kakashi or Naruto to be ready, and today was probably a day he felt that more cleanly then others. Mari thought about suggesting Tsunade, then dismissed it. "Anything I can do to help?"

He took another breath of smoke. "No, not in this. Thank you Mari. I think that will be all for today."

"Right." She stood to leave, but she hesitated at the door, and she hated the conflicting desires in her heart.

In the end logic won out, as it always did. There was nothing she could do to really help him, he was too set in his ways, set up to fail by his childhood lessons learned in blood and sweat and tears. Sarutobi was laying in a bed of his own making, shaped by the losses of his predecessors, but Sage help her Mari still wanted to try.

Mari tried not to think about how he would be dead in half a year. She tried not to think about how she didn't know if the emotion tight in her chest was from joy or grief.

There were a few good things to come out of the Neji-Karin Debacle of last year.

First was that thanks to Sarutobi being a sap and Danzo being a paranoid bastard Mari was able to get Tenzo out of ANBU and nicely settled as Jonin-sensei to Fu, Karin, and a very disgruntled Suigetsu. The second was that Guy was also a sap, and had made it his mission to become best friends with Tenzo after a little nettling from her and Kakashi. Hatake junior found it hilarious, completely unaware of his own Genin team right around the corner. Third was Neji was now seeing Haruka once a week.

The bad news was that since Karin and her mother still lived at the Den, everyone had somehow her backyard was the best place to train.

Mari eyed the excited expressions of Fu and Lee. "If either you damage any of Sasuke's tomatoes, you get to explain it to him."

"We shall keep ourselves contained Mari-nee!" Lee promised, and Mari knew he would try, but between Fu and himself they were messy, messy, children. "If we do not we will run around the village a hundred times!"

"I wouldn't go that far," Fu added quickly, because they all learned Lee wasn't exaggerating the hard way, "but we'll be careful."

Mari hummed doubtfully, but in the end her only real option was to make her way to the porch. Tenten and Suigetsu were arguing quietly at the weapon rack, most likely about swords, while Karin and Neji wrestled in the dirt like children. Gai and Tenzo hadn't seemed to notice Karin beating up Neji, being throughly engaged in their own quiet debate.

"What's got you two whispering like fan-girls in cahoots?" she asked, and they both startled.

"Ah Mari!" Guy greeted, "have you seen our most youthful students? They are truly learning the spirit of Youth!"

Mari stared at Guy before turning to Tenzo, who put his head in his hands. She felt for him, it was hard work when one was determined to be the straight-man amongst Jonin. He'd learned to be just as crazy in his own time.

"We were having, a debate." Mari raised a brow at the vagueness. "Of a personal matter."

"Is this about Kakashi getting Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura as a team or are the two of you debating who'd be the better boyfriend?" She asked, and Tenzo choked, face turning tomato red.

"Mari?!" He hissed as Guy laughed so hard he fell out of his seat. "We are not, that'd be none of your business, you- Kakashi has never passed a team before and we're worried about him for Sage's sake."

"You have most Youthful students," Guy said from the floor, which was Guy for your ducklings are going to wreck Kakashi but it'll be good for him. "And Kakashi knows full well you would get him fate worse than murder if he failed your ducklings without cause."

"That's not," Tenzo started, when he finally grasped the subtext of that sentence, "I did not imply I didn't think they couldn't pass, just that Kakashi might have… an emotive reaction. To them. For reasons."

"He's been in therapy for about a year now," Mari pointed out, "I think he'll be okay with the echos."

Guy settled back onto his chair. "I will confess, I am curious as to how that happened."

"I emotionally guilted Kakashi into going on lunch dates with me and various Yamanaka until we found one he could stand to engage in conversation with, and then we slowly started decreasing the time I spent at those lunch dates, so by the time Kakashi realized he was in therapy he had technically been going for months." Mari explained, then added, "and then I emotionally guilted him into sticking with it once he had a panic about it."

"Only you," Tenzo said with a shake of his head. "How the meeting with the Hokage go?"

"Well it went," she replied, thinking of her perhaps a little alarming dismissal. Both Guy and Tenzo looked a little sharp at that, so Mari waved a hand. "I'm not in trouble or anything, we've just been at this impasse for a while now. Speaking of which, expect Naruto to show up at some point, he and Fu are going to have a conversation about burdens and legacies and tenants."

"Ah." Tenzo eloquently stated, "Should I, help with that?"

"If you would like to," Mari gave, because for all his lack of skill in teaching and limited social expertise he was trying, and deserved her regard. "but I think they'll be just fine."

"How'd he get told?" Guy asked, expression serious, and Mari smiled with perhaps too many teeth.

"Mizuki spilled the beans, I then corrected the misinformation he was spitting." The smile dropped as she turned towards Tenzo. "Which, heads up in case it doesn't make it's way down, Orochimaru might be poking around the exams."

The maybe Senju Jonin went expressionless. "Thank you for the warning."

She didn't regret saving Karin, or Fu, or Suigetsu, or any of the people she had pouched from Orochimaru, but their pressence in the exams was going to make changes.

Mari was changing the story, she had turned the rudder, and now she had to be prepared for how the story might shift and shift until it was unrecognizable. She didn't want it to, because for all it's faults she loved that story, with the boy who would be king chasing his brother of choice round the world, demanding that even the heavens stop, stop and listen and heal.

"Mari-nee!" Karin called, and she was dragging Neji up the steps. Sadly another downside to the whole Karin-Neji Debacle was that he was so damn nervous around her, shoulders hunched slightly as Karin forced him to where the three of them were situated.

"Is there a reason you got him so dirty?" Mari asked, because Neji's white outfit was covered in mud. Karin looked at her handy work and then back at Mari.

"He looks better this way," she stated so bluntly, and Mari smothered a laugh. "And anyway, he needs a song!"

"I do not," Neji hissed, "let go of me, we're suppose to be training."

Mari gave a hum as Tenzo turned his laugh into a cough. She looked him up and down, and she could see the tension in his posture, the way he was so afraid of mockery, of hurt and dismissal and of stepping where he thought he didn't belong.

Songs were gifts, and some of the tunes Mari handed out were war anthems, to be sung again and again as her kits challenged the world. Others though, well they needed softer songs, need hope in their chest and quiet reassurance in their darkest of days.

She looked Neji in the eye, debating what to give him, who to give him.

"Wake up and breathe in deeper than yesterday," she started to sing, and his expression broke her heart, just a little. "Take on the morning like your soul's been remade. Roll down the windows, let your cares fly away, good things are yours to claim, you don't have to wait. All across the sky new mercies rise, and the future's bright. This is a new day, everything bursting with hope. Coming alive this moment, you've got a freedom. No looking back anymore, open your eyes it's coming, coming. This is a new day. The old has gone away, the old has gone away. This is a new day, don't let it slip away, don't let it slip away. Go on and reignite impossible dreams. Become the one you never thought you could be. All across the sky new mercies rise, and the future's bright. Don't let it slip away, don't let it slip away. This is a new day. It's a new day, it's a new day. Don't let it slip away."

Neji wasn't going to die this time, and his healing wouldn't have to happen on a battlefield, secrets spat like weapons as a thirteen year old felt so shackled by his kin. There would be no martyring, no broken birds left to memory.

Karin tilted her head. "That's not a battle song."

Mari smiled, and the little Uzumaki narrowed her eyes at the expression. "I wasn't aware he needed one."

"Fair enough," Karin agreed, and she manhandled Neji down the stairs again. "Come on, let gets back to it, your nonstandard forms are appalling.

Neji was dragged away protesting all the while, the two of them so engrossed in arguing they didn't notice until far too late a tumbling Lee and Fu, all four of them crashing down in a tangle of limbs.

"We should probably stop that," Tenzo said when Karin shrieked in rage and launched herself at Fu, to which Lee took as permission to launch himself at Neji, who was very much trying to get himself out of that mess.

"Probably," Mari agreed, laughter bubbling at the edge of her chest as the remaining Genin slowly started to back away from the fray. "but I think Suigetsu and Tenten have the right of it."

It was lunch time when all six kids got dragged inside to shower and clean up. Suigetsu crept into the kitchen as she made a mountain of flour, hands white as she cracked eggs on the counter top and plopped the yoke in her self made caldera.

"Next time breath a little," she suggested, "you create stillness when you hold your breath, and the room notices."

Suigetsu scowled, and she was going to find Jugo damn it. Even if Team Taki was only together for a little while, it would make her happy, to see all her favorites in one place, born out of friendship instead of debts and anger and trauma.

"Yamato-sensei said I should talk to you," the white haired boy muttered, looking down, and Mari really needed to get Tenzo out of using that fake name.

Still, she eyed Suigetsu. "You don't seem like you want to."

He shrugged, looking down. "We got a good thing going, not sense in ruining it."

Well there was only one thing this conversation could be about.

"Is this about you returning to Kiri one day?" She asked, pretending not to notice his flinch. Mari made a second mental note to explain to certain people that just because she said whatever she needed in order to get Danzo to agree to her policies, that did not mean she continued that practice in her every day life. "Come help me kneed the dough."

He frowned, shoulders tight, but he did come over to the counter. "I don't, I don't want you think I'm ungrateful, or something."

"I know Suigetsu," she murmured, and helped his hands curve in the edges of the flour mountain. "I knew when I took you in it wouldn't be forever, however much I might want you to stay. I only ask that you stick around until we're sure Kiri is safe to go back to. I didn't spend the last three years raising you just so you could get murdered in a blood line purge."

"You don't," he started, looking up at her with wide eyes, "I'd be going Missing-Nin, turning traitor."

Mari hummed, meeting his gaze with a calm expression. "I considered this more a fostering than a relocation, though at the end of the day the why doesn't matter. What does is this, will you ever take the knowledge you gained here and use against your friends?"

"Kiri might ask me to," he said, and Mari pressed down on the dough, fingers sticky with yolk and sugar.

"I didn't ask what Kiri would do," she countered, "I'm asking you."

Suigetsu was quiet for a bit, fingers clenching in the not yet made dough. He took a breath, and then he firmly answered without doubt or hesitation. "No."

She gave him a smile. "Then in that case, you might be here in the long haul, since you're going to need to be strong enough to tell your Kage that to their face and get away with it."

"You do," he muttered, and she laughed.

"One, just because I hold the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin doesn't mean my strength level is Tokubetsu jonin. I'm stronger than I look, and that is very much on purpose. Two, I'm the regent of a founding clan so my leeway is a lot further than most peoples, and three, I am a pretty woman who is very good at emotional manipulation. You might be able to pull off option one, but two and three?" Mari patted his head, the flour disappearing into his white hair. "There's no rush Suigetsu, enjoy these next few years. Talk swords with Tenten, figure out some more water and lighting combo's with Sasuke, bully Kakashi into giving us more Kenjutsu lessons."

"They're going to think I'm weak," he pressed, and Mari knew who he meant, even if she didn't agree.

"Well then," she huffed, because there so many different kinds of power, and she would going to make the world see that. "You'll just have to be strong enough to pound them into the dirt and then not get killed when you help them up."

Suigetsu gave her the side eye. "Anyone tell you you're crazy?"

She hummed, and then in an entirely deadpan expression stated. "A lot of people, but not my therapist, so I think I'm doing alright."

He snorted, then paused. "Fu might want to talk to you too, about, what being a fosterling means."

Mari sighed. "Yeah, I might have to do some rounds, it seems there's been some miscommunication I need to clear up."

Suigetsu slowed his kneeding of the bread. "You really don't, I really don't owe you anything?"

Sage damn his elders, and her own as well. "You are a child under my care Suigetsu, the only thing you owe me is to clean up after yourself and to give me grey hairs and be happy."

"That's it?" he asked, and Mari wondered if Haruki might kill her if she brought him more kids. Oh well, Suigetsu clearly needed more therapy, and from this conversation alone Mari knew Suigetsu's current therapist wasn't doing his job.

"That's it," she repeated, and then because he wasn't likely to just take her word for it. "I was, my childhood was one of work, and while my mother never made it a duty, I was always happy to help her, everyone else made it one."

"The Gardner's Vengeance," Suigetsu stated, and Mari smiled with some teeth.

"It may seem weaker," she agreed, "it may seem less flashy and less skilled, it may seem quiet and slow and gentle, but gardens eat corpses all the same, even if that time table is measured in decades instead of seconds."

"I don't know how the civilians love you so much," Suigetsu replied, "you're more ninja then most Jonin."

She laughed, and then for good measure she ruffled his hair, white locks powdery with flour.

By the time Roka came home, Team Three, Team Four, and most of the kitchen were completely covered in flour. Mari didn't mind the mess though, because they were laughing and relaxed and even Neji seemed to have come out of his shell a smidge.

It was, after all, a little hard to be scared of someone after watching them cry over a romance movie while egg yolks dripped down their head.

Mari set up three candles around the Naka shrine. Despite the lie written on the stone tablet it had become, a comfort, of sorts. The chiseled words reminded her that this story had a happy ending, where the villain was defeated and almost all it's heroes came on home. Mari wasn't fighting against a tragedy, she wasn't in a world that believed darkness always won in the end.

She was the safety net for the nameless, the faceless losses known only in numbers and flashbacks. She didn't have to try so hard to change the story, just give it a little more hope, a little more victory.

The bickering voices that echoed down the stone corridor brought a smile on her face as she activated her privacy seals. Thank the Sage for her paranoia before she left on that awful, awful mission, otherwise Danzo probably would have pilfered her clan records. She twisted her Chakra, ensuring that anyone who listened in would hear nothing but a serious conversation about the shinobi lifestyle, because officially, the S-conversation was about sacrifice, surviving, and summons.

Officially.

The conversations grew louder, before becoming entirely silent, and it took more will power that she expected to keep a grin off her face at the sight of her ducklings. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura entered the shine with their helds high, expression serious.

Sasuke was in front, and he out of all of them was the most unchanged. He was still in his blue shirt and white pants from the manga Mari had read so long ago. Sasuke was her greatest achievement though, because there was no hate in his eyes, no rabid need for vengeance. He was calm, settled, though she could see a hint of nervousness in his posture.

Naruto was on Sasuke's left, and Mari had helped him get an outfit that was a little less orange, the blue accents like a mirror of Obito's Genin outfit, and she would probably have to get Kakashi something nice for that accidental echo. Naruto, like Sasuke, was also nervous, but he didn't shout, he didn't proclaim himself like his canon counterpart might have, because he had never needed to yell to be heard in her household.

Sakura was the most changed, pink hair in a fish braid that settled around her shoulders. Her red dress had been replaced for red pants with a black, pink, and cream top that folded over to the right. Her hitai-ate was still serving as a headband, but unlike in canon she had reforged her friendship with Ino, because while Mari would tolerate rivals the same could not be said for love rivals.

They were going to be so, so beautiful, and Mari couldn't wait to unleash them upon the world.

Sasuke stepped up, head held high. "Queen, I bring my team before you."

This was, technically, a tradition Mari had made up. Sasuke didn't need to know that though. She hummed, tilting her head. "And who are they to stand beside you?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, son of Ashura," Sasuke answered, "and Haruno Sakura, daughter to Fire and Leaves."

"And what do they have to offer?" She asked, curious as to how Sasuke would answer this.

"Everything," he stated, and that startled a laugh out of Mari.

"Well that's a good enough answer for me," she mused, and then gestured for the kids to come over. "Come on, everyone pick a candle, and then join me on by the wall."

They each light one of the candles, eyeing the shrine curiously as they all sit down before Mari, whose back was leaning against the cold stone wall. All three kids twitch when she activated the barrier seal, but none of them say anything.

"We are having the S-conversation today," she started. "Officially, we talked about sacrifice, about how as a shinobi you or your teammates may have to make a choice about who comes home. We talked about surviving, because no matter what anyone tells you, the mission does not come first. You come first, then your teammates, then the bystanders, then the mission. Lastly, and we will actually talk about this, are summons. Those you will do on your own time. I will be giving the introductions, but the terms of your service are up to you."

"What's the unofficial conversation," Sasuke asked, and Mari's smile was tight.

"S-class secrets of state of course," Mari replied, and Naruto started. Her smile dropped, and she met his gaze seriously. "Not that s-class secret, that one's yours, though you should tell them sooner rather than later. It's not something you want revealed on a battle field after all."

"S-class secrets?" Sakura asked, trying so hard to be serious, and Mari felt for this Kunoichi, who had time and time again been left behind by her boys.

"Well, Naruto and Sasuke have S-class secrets," Mari corrected, "unless you happen to have a Senju relative you've been hiding and secretly have had the Wood Release this whole time?"

"Uh, no." Sakura squeaked, "sorry."

"Don't be," Mari commanded, and meant it. "While I would have enjoyed the symmetry, an Uchiha and a Senju and Uzumaki taking the world by storm, this is good too. Better, in some ways, something new rising to meet the old, something fresh and never seen before."

"Right," Sakura said, sitting a little straighter, and both boys notice that. Good, she would be upset if they left her behind in this world too.

"Is this going to be about the sharingan?" Sasuke asked, and Mari met his gaze.

"In part," she answered, "though not all of it. I will tell all three of you that Sasuke's conversation is a lot heaver than Naruto's, and explains Naruto's whole, mess, a little bit better. So if the two of you don't want to decide who goes first, I would say we should start with Sasuke's, and then have Naruto's as a… well I was going to call it a palate cleanser but it's really not."

"Let's do Sasuke's," Naruto blurted, no doubt afraid it was something to do with the fox, and Sasuke took a breath before giving an Uchiha Hn of agreement, the two of them looking at Sakura.

"I," she glanced at her boys then at Mari. "If that's what they want."

"Alright," Mari said, and then because there was really no nice way to do this Mari took a breath, looking Sasuke in the eyes as she started. "Elder Shimura Danzo used the night of the Lord Forth's death to start rumors about the clan, and then got them segregated into the Uchiha District and started a whisper campaign against them so they would feel angry enough to start a coup so he would have justification of killing them. Shisui and Itachi found out about the coup part, went to the Hokage, but before a solution could be found Danzo stole your cousin's eye, and for reasons I can guess at but ultimately disagree with Shisui gave Itachi his other eye before killing himself.

Why they didn't tell anyone else I don't know, but they were young and stupid and maneuvered into what seemed like unescapable positions. Itachi took that eye, but before he could use it Danzo basically gave him a choice that was kill the clan and save your life, or watch the clan and his little brother be killed. Itachi picked you, and tortured you so you would not follow him and also so that you would kill him as penitence for what he had done. The Hokage suspected Danzo had something to do with, but in the end left Danzo in power with Itachi set to become a spy against a powerful group of terrorists."

Sasuke stood as Sakura put her hands to her mouth. Naruto was wide eyed, entirely frozen in his position.

"How long have you known," Sasuke snarled, a hint of the avenger creeping out in his blazing red eyes.

"Sit," she commanded, meeting his glare with a steady expression. " What are you going to do Sasuke? Race up to the Hokage tower and demand justice? Go kill Elder Shimura? I did not spend the last four years raising you so you could die in a fit of rage and get the rest of us killed alongside you."

"No," he spat, words dripping with venom. "You just spent the last four years sipping tea with the man who murdered our family."

"Yes," she agreed bluntly, and he started at her tone. "I made myself interesting enough to keep around and watch but not enough of a threat or challenge to his position that he would make me disappear or start sabotaging my missions. Every interaction I have ever had with Elder Shimura has been one carefully calculated so he had no reason to use Shisui's stolen sharingan. I was not risking him brainwashing me with a Genjutsu I do not know if I can counteract, even with my own Mangekyo. So yes, I smiled and I laughed at his jokes and I implied I wanted to succeed him one day. That way he will not see it coming when I tear down everything he has ever built."

"How long have you known," he whispered, and Mari smiled, bitter and tight and sad, because no matter what anyone said she could have made it home in time, she could had tried a little bit harder.

"From the moment I was told," she admitted. "Itachi might have killed the elders in a fit of desperation, but the babies? The toddlers and children and the innocent? The Genin and the civilians and the housewives? No. It was not in his nature to hurt others, even if he had broken under the strain."

"Why didn't you tell me," he cried, and Mari looked at the boy who would have once traded everything for power.

"Because you deserved what little childhood I could return to you Sasuke, and at the end of the day I needed you to be on steadier the ground. We wouldn't even having this conversation if you were doing poorly in therapy," she informed him, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes at that.

"I deserved to know," he snapped, and Mari dipped her head.

"You do, which is why I am telling you now," she reminded, taking in how every bit of him was tight with tension, like he wanted fight and fight and never stop.

"How you can you just sit there and do nothing," he snarled, but before Mari could reply to that Naruto did.

"She not," the blonde boy breathed, face pale. "She's going after his traditions and his beliefs and his greed for glory. She's tearing down everything he ever built and took pride in, and she is replacing it with what he deemed worthless. That wasn't something you said to get my, my tenant to agree, was it?"

"I meant every word Naruto," Mari admitted, "for what better vengeance is there than building a world my monsters would loathe."

"With us as the weapons," Naruto added, words dripping with betrayal, and oh did Mari have to nip that thought in the bud.

"No," she corrected harshly, "and if your tenant told you that tell him to knock it off. You are my kits, my ducklings. You don't ever have to agree with me, and my support will never be conditional on helping me achieve my dreams. You want to be Hokage Naruto, and I am not helping you so I can have a figure head, I am helping you because you, like any child, need adults in your life to give you support. I meant what I said last night, you are going to be the best Hokage this world has ever seen, and you would be even if I wasn't here, it would just be a harsher path."

Sasuke took a breath, and Mari did not like the look on his face. "Does that mean Itachi killed the clan because of me?"

Sage damn traditional systems of blame, they were so fucking stupid. "Uchiha Sasuke you get that thought out of your head right now. I will repeat to you what I told Naruto last night. If there was blamed to be assigned, you would be at the very bottom of an extremely long list of people, starting with the Sage of the Six Paths all the way down to your brother. Shimura is to blame for setting up a genocide, the elders are to blame for refusing to ask for help, and the rest of the village shares a portion for seeing what was happening and doing nothing to stop it."

"But!" He tried, and Mari let out a flicker of Intent, which made him snap his jaw shut. She was not playing the blame game, she refused.

"But nothing Sasuke," she said, "Itachi… Itachi might have been a traumatized thirteen year old kid who got pressured into doing something incredibly stupid and horrific, but that does not excuse his choices, or what he did to you. He set you up to be the knife in his suicide, he took away your choices, and you don't ever have to forgive him for what he did in your name, valid reasons or not."

"You don't me to care about him, you just hate him," Sasuke spat, and Mari met his gaze unflinchingly.

"I hate what he did that night," she replied, "I hate how he was raised like a lamb for slaughter and how he accidentally set you up to be taken advantage of and very much on purpose set you up to kill him, but I don't hate Itachi. I could never, he's my little brother, same as you."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, three, before he burst into tears. There was nothing to do in the face of that except stand and go give him a hug, so that was what Mari did. She held him tight, his body shaking as his teammates stared with wide, wide eyes as he wailed into her chest.

It took him a few minutes to settle, wiping at his tears as he looked up at her with red eyes and a broken voice. "How can you be so calm, how can you not be angry?"

Mari shuffled back, so he could see her eyes bleed into the second stage, his grief so plain upon his cheeks. Sasuke blinked, not understanding the implications of Takumi's gift, and he was so, so young.

"Someone very kind once died for me," she explained, "and I demanded the very heavens bend to my grief. I slaughtered and I maimed and I gave in to that Uchiha rage that is no doubt telling you to go murder Shimura and the Hokage and everyone else involved, to kill them slowly and brutally and to make it hurt, but in the end I was surrounded by corpses and Takumi was still dead. I promised her brother, later, that I would live like she did, without hesitation or fear, with kindness and grace and humility. She gave me these eyes, and she wouldn't have wanted me to use them for hurting others, she wouldn't have wanted to see more of the same violence that ended her life." Mari paused then, and half joking added, "Plus therapy. Lots and lots of therapy."

Sasuke's eyes were wide as he breathed, "you're spitting in his face."

"Always little-one," Mari agreed, "always."

Mari then stepped back, and Sakura held out a hand to Sasuke. He took it, and Mari was happy to see Naruto had her other hand held tight. He was staring at her, blue eyes worried, so Mari gave him a smile.

"I have the Nine-Tailed Fox," Naruto blurted, eyes wide and scared as both of his teammates turn to stare at him. "Only he's not really a demon he's a Chakra Construct the Sage created and he has a bunch of siblings the villages are using as weapons which really isn't fair and also his name is Kurama and please don't hate me?"

"As if we'd ever," Sasuke growled, and Mari was so, so proud of him, because despite the claim he was pale and very much rigid in his posture.

Sakura was quiet for a moment, staring at Naruto as she took in his words and the implications of that. She then looked at Mari. "Is that why the villagers hate him?"

"Misinformation is a powerful tool," she said, and the pinkette downright scowled at that. She held Naruto's hand even tighter, as if to say she wasn't ever letting go.

"You think it was on purpose, don't you?" She guessed, and Naruto started at that, turning to Mari with wide eyes.

"Nee-san?" He asked, and she hated how hurt he looked, hated how much of his suffering had no cause.

"I think to those in power it was a benefit to have their Jinchuriki be reliant and loyal to them and them alone, so he would aways feel grateful for the kindness they gave." It was the only thing that made any sense, the kind of self-sabotage Danzo was so proud to create, thinking himself so clever, so smart. "That's just speculation though."

"I," Naruto choked, "you mean Jiji. He'd. He…"

"I don't know Naruto," she replied, because she didn't, and that was probably the worst thing of all. "I really don't. I mentioned before that Shimura stole one of Sasuke's cousin's eyes. The sharingan is an incredibly powerful Dojutsu, and in times of extreme trauma an Uchiha can awaken a second stage, called a Mangekyo. Shisui's was called Kotoamatsukami, and it is a Genjutsu so strong it can even override Command Seals. It entirely brainwashes a person without them or anyone else noticing. It's entirely possible Shimura has been using that eye to get away with a great many crimes and anyone who figures it out either disappears or gets brainwashed into thinking it wasn't important."

"You think" Sakura gasped, Sasuke looking sick by her side, "even the Hokage!"

"Shimura tried to have him assassinated, and the Hokage knew he was behind the attempt, and he spared his life on the command Danzo protect the village. The Hokage knew Itachi had been manipulated by Shimura into genicide, and yet he did nothing. I honestly don't which answer is worse, that our leader has been brainwashed for heavens know how long or he is too blinded by his sentiment to his friend he won't do what needs to be done. I wish I did," she admitted, "I wish I had an easy answer, that someone you admire was simply being manipulated, but I don't."

"There's more," Naruto said, because for all his poor academic ability he was emotionally intelligent, and Mari had only sharpened that innate skill.

"Yes," she replied, and Sage his Therapy No Jutsu was going be unstoppable. "You were born on October tenth to Uzumaki Kushina, the previous Jinchuriki who had been hand picked by Senju Mito to succeed her in carrying the Nine-Tails. Her husband was Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage. Which, before you ask, no, I did not get permission to tell you this. The Third Hokage's gag order is still in effect, so I'm technically committing treason."

"Technically," Sasuke choked, and Mari gave him a smile that showed teeth.

"The oaths of the Hokage go both ways. I am honor bound to give my loyalty just as he owes me a duty of care. He broke that oath, so mine is null and void as well." She paused, before adding, "he wouldn't see that way though. I don't think he'd execute me considering our friendship, but I don't know that for certain, especially not with Shimura in the equation."

"The, the gag order?" Sakura asked, and Mari pulled back her smile.

"Officially it was to protect Naruto from other villages," Mari explained, "no one from his parents friend group or their students were allowed to interact with Naruto in case in-village spies guessed his identity. I do believe the Lord Third was trying to protect you, I don't think it was some grand manipulation, I just think he is a product of his time, and children born and raised during the waring clan are… well they're broken. Kindness wasn't safe, and it was either tough love or watch your kids die on the battlefield, because making it to adult hood was going to so, so hard. From his perspective it was, understandable, even if it isn't acceptable."

"They pass it down," Naruto murmured, echoing her words from the night before, and Sage she wanted to hug him.

"Some do," she mused, "and some don't, and before you forgive him Naruto I really want you to think about it. Don't just write it off and say 'well he was thinking in my best interest so it all worked out in the end'. Also, as a Genin you get access to mental health benefits, and after your test tomorrow I want you to go to Ino's dad and sign up for sessions with him. You will let him know that you'll be doing therapy at the Den, where I can have my privacy seals active. That way you can talk about this whole mess, as well the things you had to deal with as a child."

"I- it wasn't that bad," Naruto protested, and Mari stared him.

She took a breath, pushing her anger aside for a later date when she could do something productive with it.

"Children," she explained, "by nature of their existence, need someone to help them. They need someone to make them food, to wash their clothes and to take them to the doctor and ensure they are learning correctly in school. They need hugs and bed time stories and someone to sneak into bed with when night terrors strike. The Lord Third denied you that, and in doing so he wounded you in ways your soul will carry for the rest of your life. And that's not even getting into the social isolation and the bullying and everything including Kurama."

"Haruka," Sasuke blurted, "is it, is it even safe to tell Haruka?"

"Do you want to tell Haruka?" she asked, "if not we can switch you to Inoichi, because I'll be telling him about Naruto's fox friend anyway, and he already knows about the Mankegyo, and I suspect he knows about something about Danzo from the way our last few sessions have gone. But if you want to tell Haruka I will make him safe, the choice is up to you."

Sasuke looked at the floor. "I, I don't know."

"Think on it then," she said, "we don't have to decide right way."

"Uh, I have a question?" Sakura asked, shoulders slumping under Mari's gaze, and Mari pulled some of herself back in. No need to scare them further. "Can we tell our sensei? I don't, how in the loop is he?"

"He's got the sharingan," Sasuke noted, then he glanced at Mari, "he said an Uchiha Obito gave it as a gift."

"He does, and it was." Mari confirmed. "You can tell Kakashi if you like, though only at the Den, and only if you stress the fact the Hokage is compromised. I don't think he'd run straight there, but the Third cultivated that friendship heavily after the loss of Kakashi's team, and the Jonin feels partially loyal after the Hokage didn't execute him for trying to assassinated him."

All three Genin stare at her, though Sakura gathered her wits first. "Are you, are you telling us our sensei tried to kill the Hokage."

Mari smiled, without teeth and without crinkling her eyes. "Elder Shimura."

"Oh," Sasuke said, "so he, got emotionally manipulated into it too?"

"Indeed," she gave, before turning to Naruto. "You may ask him about your parents, also only in the Den, since he was your father's student, along side Nohara Rin and Uchiha Obito. Minato had basically adopted him after his father had died, and he guarded your mother when she was pregnant with you. He was also Hound, on your ANBU unit, if he interacted with you then."

"He never did anything," Naruto replied, "the, the others sometimes did, but not him."

"Well that was before I tricked him into therapy," Mari noted, "he was probably very afraid if he did you would die just like everyone else in his life seemed to do. He might still, a little. He was, he was only fourteen when he lost everyone who ever cared for him, and until recently very few tried to help him."

"Oh," Naruto said. "I'm, that won't happen when I'm Hokage."

No, it wouldn't, and not just in Konoha either. "I know. Any questions I can answer before we move on?"

"What are you going to do about Itachi?" Sasuke demanded, chin jutted forward, and she wondered what he wanted her answer to be?

"Bring him home," she answered, "if I can. We're going to need the Lord Third out of power to do that though, and I doubt our brother will leave Akatsuki without some kind of fight. He is," Mari paused, and then carried on because Sasuke deserved as many answers as she could give him. "Sasuke, Itachi is sick. Between the damp of Ame and the stress of being a spy and the guilt he's got some kind of lung condition. The crows are keeping me informed, but he doesn't trust the doctor of the group he's with and outside of them he can only get stop gap measures, not a real rehab program, and even if he could, he's. He doesn't think he deserves to live, and is really only trying survive until you're strong enough to come hunting."

"I don't, why not you?" Sasuke asked, and Mari gave a tight smile.

"I was never very strong in his eyes," she replied, "just a Chunin who loved too much and questioned things that she should know better than to comment on."

"I," her little-one looked so lost, "he said that?"

Oh Sasuke, she did not say, you never really knew him. "There's a reason it's called generational trauma little-one. You box it up and pass it down and on and on it goes until someone says no, no we're unpacking this and looking at all the ugly things inside. I did my best, with him, but I was one voice against dozens, and in the end we drove each other away, with our inability to compromise."

"It wasn't your fault," Sasuke hissed, and Mari granted him a smile.

"So Inoichi keeps telling me, and I know that here," she tapped her temple, before moving to place her hand on her chest. "But the heart and the head can disagree on such silly things."

It was quiet before Sakura took a breath. "Naruto said, the, ah, Kurama had siblings. Are there others like Naruto, in the village?"

"Smart cookie," Mari praised, "and the answer to the question is yes. In-village we have Fu, she's got Chomei, the Seven-Tailed. Then there's out of village, let's see, Suna has Shukaku, the One-Tailed, and he's in a Genin named Garra of the Desert. Then there's Matatabi, the Two-Tailed. Her Jinchuriki is Nii Yugito and she's in Kumogakure alongside Killer B, whose the host of Gyuki, the Eight-Tailed. Kiri currently has Saiken, the Six-Tailed, thought last I heard Utakata had gone Missing-Nin, and while I believe Isobu is still sealed inside the Mizukage, there's rumors he's been killed? So the Three-Tailed is a bit of a question mark at the moment. Iwi has Son Goku, the Four-Tailed, and he's in a Jonin named Roshi, while Kokuo, the Five-Tailed, is in a Roaming Nin named Han. Naruto, of course, is here, and hold's Kurama, the Nine-Tailed.

They are highly intelligent by the way, and while most of them have made peace with being prisoners and used like batteries for the rest of their lives, a lot of them haven't, and take it out on their Jinchuriki just as the Jinchuriki take out their social isolation and bullying on their Tailed-Beasts, so they might a little off and more than a little aggressive."

None of them had been taken yet. Between her summons to lead them away from any encounters and the Tailed-Beasts being warned via Chomei, all the Jinchuriki had been convinced to either run towards each other or towards a village. Plus, after a close call with Son Goku, Mari had leaked the knowledge to the rest of the Elemental Nations, so they had since tightened their hold on their Jinchuriki.

Mari didn't necessarily like having added in that system of abuse, but between a few more years of being under lock and key or dying in agony, alone and so far from home, she would take the house arrest.

"Fu is Jinchuriki" Sakura repeated, and then her eyes widen, "did you, oh my gods you did! You stole another nations Jinchuriki!"

"As sentient beings they can't be stolen," Mari corrected, "but yes I did kidnap another nation's Jinchuriki, mostly for her safety. Speaking of which, Naruto, if you ever encounter Missing-Nin wearing black coats with red clouds, you run and you keep running until you get to another Jinchuriki or at least three A-ranked shinobi, of any nationally. I can rescue you from Iwi or Kumo or hell even Kiri, but I can't save you from death, or from Ame."

"I," Naruto frowned, clearly confused about what do with that information, "they want to kill me?"

"They want to collect the Tailed-Beast inside of you," she told him, "either to put you in a shinobi loyal to their own or to do something else with him. The crows aren't certain, and Itachi is, not exactly trusted, so I can't use the crows to find out. It won't be good though, I know that, so I need you to promise me you will run Naruto, even if it means leaving Sasuke and Sakura behind."

"What!" He cried, jumping to his feet. "I'll never do that! They're my precious people, I won't abandon them!"

"And I am not asking you to Naruto," Mari countered, calmly and rationally because getting emotional would not help. "I am asking you to prioritize yourself and Kurama so more people don't die trying to save you. Running gives your teammates time to get away, so they can report and regroup because the members of Akatsuki will be more interested in chasing you then them. Do you understand?"

"We do," Sakura said, pulling Naruto down, who frowned, but nodded. Mari allowed that for now, because there was no point in pressing him today.

"Good. Now!" She clapped her hands together. "Summons. You might have guessed, but I'm what people call a Ronin Summoner. Most contrasts are a one and done kind of thing, but I personally negotiated with each animal clan, and most of my summons are animals who agreed to sign with me, which means I am not included in that clan's contract. This has it's pros and it's cons, as I get more versatility in my summons, but it also means I can't summon the more powerful bosses to my side. You can follow that path if you want, but for now let's get you started with just one."

"You're giving us Summons?" Sakura squeaked, for as a non-clan kid this was a much bigger deal to her than it was for the boys.

"I share my contracts with all of Konoha," Mari explained, "if there is a shinobi who I think would benefit from signing a contract with one of my Ronin Summons, I help get them in contact with each other. Hoarding helps no one Sakura, and do not let anyone make you think what I am giving you today is anything less than your due. You may consider it a graduation gift, if that makes you feel better."

"I-ok," she wheezed, and hmm. Mari might have to make a visit to her parents. Just to make sure it wasn't only the school yard bullies giving her insecurities. Later though, and Mari turned to her cousin turned brother.

"Sasuke," she said, voice serious, and his posture went rigid. "You are someone who never stops aiming for the top. You have the storm inside you, and once sharpened you will be unbeatable. The hawks are prideful, they are brutal and harsh and meticulous, but they are strong. They are loyal, they do not falter from their oaths, and together you will reach heights beyond your wildest dreams."

She handed him the Hawk Summoning Scroll, and Sasuke met her gaze with such determination in those onyx eyes of his. "I won't let you down, I'll yearn their respect, I promise."

Mari smiled. She'd already negotiated these contracts, and the Boss Summons had already agreed not only to take them on, but to share with the contracts Mari knew were coming, years down the line. They don't know that though, and it's… good, to see her kits taking this seriously, and not for granted, as their canon counterparts might have.

"I know you won't." She then turned to Sakura, who jutted her chin out, doing her best to be brave. "You have a temper Haruno Sakura. That is not a bad thing. Anger is passion, anger is justice and protection and strength. You are of the earth Sakura, you are unmovable, and one day you will crack mountains. The badgers have tempers, they tear open the earth with their claws, but they are kind too. They build dens and raise families and love fiercely, without shame or envy. With them at your side, not even the heavens could keep you down."

"Thank you Mari-nee," she breathed, taking the Badger Summoning Scroll with steady hands, the paper cradled so gentle to her person.

"It is nothing less than what you've earned," Mari replied, and then she turned to Naruto, who looked so nervous, even as he tried to hide it. "I read somewhere once that foxes are a lot like shinobi. I liked that, and the story it came from even more so. Foxes are hunters you see, but they have to be quick, they have to be cunning, least they get eaten by bears or tigers or S-ranked Missing-Nin. Foxes are not ashamed of who they are, they know their worth, their skills, and who has earned their love and attention. Foxes are adaptable though, they live in cities just as easily as they do in forests, for nothing can hold them down.

I give this you not a joke, not a reference, but because like foxes you are a survivor, because like them no matter where you fall you conquer and you succeed and you thrive. They are the only Summons I wanted to give to you, because I know in my heart of hearts they will cherish you like I do, without care and reservation, as you deserve."

Naruto took the scroll from her hands so, so carefully. There were tears in his eyes, though he blinked them away, looking her with a burning expression.

"We won't let you down," he swore, and he yearned a Shannaro from Sakura and a Hn of agreement from Sasuke. "Just you wait Mari-nee! We're gonna pass Kakashi-sensei's stupid test and be the best team you've ever seen, even better the Sannin!"

Mari couldn't help her smile at the boast, thinking of three ninja taking on a goddess and kicking her ass.

"I don't doubt it," she murmured, before putting her hands on her knees and standing up. "Now, any other questions? Concerns? Anything other than what your sensei has planned for tomorrow?" Her kits shake their heads, and Mari gestured for them to stand up. "Alight then, we've covered a lot today, so we're going to go upstairs and make bread or garden or color while we sing songs and then we are going to have ice cream after dinner and then cry until we run out of tears and then we are going to have a puppy pile where we fall asleep watching a cheesy romance movie my Jonin-sensei got me as a gag gift. And then in the morning we're going to say hi to all your new summons."

"I, we have a survival test in the morning!" Sakura protested as Mari lowered the barrier seal and herded them out of the shrine.

"Your Jonin-sensei is Kakashi," Mari replied, "you have between two and four hours before you actually have to show up somewhere." Which was, sadly, an improvement from before. "Come on, there you go, if you don't like baking or gardening or coloring I've got nettles for knitting and instruments for learning and various other art and hobby supplies."

"Don't question it Sakura," Naruto whispered into her ear, "Mari says you gotta work with your hands when you're sad."

"We were made to build things," she mused quietly, holding out her palms for the kits to see her scarred hands, nicks from kuni and carving knives alike. "No matter what anyone says or thinks we evolved out of creation, and cooperation. Exercise is good too, but you're going to have enough of that outlet for the rest of your life, and there will be times when you can't exercise, so none taxing hobbies it is."

"Oh," Sakura said, and then she looked firece, grabbing both of her boys. "Ok then, let's get to it!"

Mari placed a hand on her lips, smothering a laugh as Sasuke and Naruto allow themselves to be dragged into the sunlight, bickering about what to do at the Den.

Byakko climbed up her back, eyes glowing in the dark. "Was that wise Kitten?"

"I'm going to be twenty-one in nine days," she complained, "I'm not a kitten anymore."

"We can have this talk when you're at least twenty-three," Byakko counted, and Mari mostly regretted using the Queen to help form her debate against child soldiers. Giving Byakko all that research on brain development on humans had been a mistake. "And my question still stands. They are young, even by the standards of your nation. I understand the why, but is it worth the risk?"

Mari hummed, thinking of Sasuke's murder bend at fifteen and Naruto loosing an arm to a generational rivalry he inherited and Sakura left behind again and again and again. She thought of two boys, bleeding and broken and used by their elders seeking power, placing a girl between them knowing she wouldn't last long, grinding her down by traditions and exceptions and the ideals of what a proper woman should be.

She thought of so many children, their choices taken away by those who should have known better.

"I suppose we're going to see," Mari mused, watching the dabbled sunlight flicker across black and pink and yellow, like the sky at dawn. "Aren't we?"

"I suppose we will," Byakko huffed, then she eyed Mari up. "Fish?"

She laughed, cradling the Queen to her chest against the cat's will, bouncing to catch up to her kits, her ducklings. She laughed because she and Inoichi were going to have a hell of a next session, and she could already imagine his face when she told him all Danzo had down in the name of power. She laughed because Roka was happy, and Muta was going to bring his maybe girlfriend to her birthday party, and Sasuke wasn't going to be used against his precious people by his wayward cousin.

She laughed because the world was so, so bright, and because she was winning.

"Yes Byakko-sama," she replied, "we can have fish. Now kits, why don't we go make some dough? I've got a new desert I want to try. The kitchens a mess anyway, so it's not like we can make it worse."

Chapter 9: The Prodigal Sons Chapter Text

Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile tiny shells drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy come marching home. Brave soldier boy comes marching home. These leaves did fall from branches overgrown, drifting slowly down, resting all alone. Little soldier boy, taken from a home, forced to fight a war that is not his own. Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile tiny shells drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy come marching home. Brave soldier boy comes marching home.

Uchiha Itachi was staring at his new room.

He was thirteen years old, and where once he was the Uchiha clan heir and an ANBU captain he was now a kin-killer and an S-ranked Missing-Nin. There was mold in the corner, and the bed looked like it had seen better days, and the bag on his shoulder was so, so heavy.

He hadn't brought any pictures. All he had was a spare set of clothes, Shisui's eye, and the good luck necklace Mari had made for him when he had been promoted to ANBU. She had been angry at everyone but him when it happened, and her smile had been more than a little sad. Mari had given it to him even though they had long started to drift apart.

Protection, she had joked, and she had gone into great detail about how she had made it herself, though she never did explain what the seal on the back did. I've got to watch your back somehow, even if it's just a call to gods who might not be listening.

He didn't have the heart to take it off, even now.

Itachi wondered what life would be like if Mari had come home. She had always been smarter than him, smarter in all the ways that mattered, Shisui too.

He shook his head. The dead were dead, there was no point in wondering about the could have beens. He turned his attention to the window, and the view outside.

The Land of Ran was… rainy, but Amegakure seemed to stretch for miles, none of the clean and pretty spacing of Konoha, grey spilling out like a haze. Already he missed the sun. Already he couldn't wait to leave. He breathed in the wet and humid air, this was his mission now. For Sasuke, and for Konoha.

His partner was around the base somewhere. A tall thin man with a big sword from Kiri. Biwa Juzo was overconfident and sadistic. Itachi did not except him to last long. The humidity was heavy in his chest, and Itachi watched the rain. So far he had only encountered a few members of Akatsuki. He needed to start getting into their trust. He needed to be better.

A rigid plan is almost bad as no plan at all, Mari whispered in his head like a ghost, and he wondered how she would have prepared for this mission. She was always better at talking then him, she'd probably be laughing in the common room already, creeping into the members skin without them even realizing it as she smiled and hummed like they were saying something interesting. Backups cousin-mine, backups and contingencies and the ability to let go of everything that's not working.

He was grateful for the crow landing on his shoulder. He shouldn't be focused on the dead so much. There's no message though, and he hadn't summoned it, so why was it here? The crow tugged at his hair, and Itachi raised a hand to stop it.

The summons mimicked a growl at him, and he froze, not sure what was happening. The crow tugged at his hair again, and Itachi turned in the direction it was pulling. The bird seemed satisfied with this, flying off towards the door, and landing on the handle.

Itachi frowned when it pecked at the door and then looked at him. He sighed, and moved towards the door. He might as well follow the corvid, otherwise it would just keep bothering him. He exited the room, hating the empty grey corridors, the way every corner felt like it was hiding an enemy.

He was a Shinobi, he would not be afraid, but Itachi had the feeling these were going to be some truly tiresome years.

Sasori of the Red Sand and Orochimaru were arguing in the common room. It was disconcerting, the gruff sand-like grumble of the Suna-Nin and the silky smooth drawl of Orochimaru. The crow was silent, landing on his shoulder and tugging at his hair, like it was trying to groom him, except it couldn't find what seemed out of place.

There was something wrong with this summons. He'd have to investigate that later.

The two partners were debating some kind of biochemical. Itachi caught bits and pieces of it, but they might has well been speaking in another language. He walked into the common room, footsteps silent and Chakra hidden and curled tight.

Every time Itachi came face to face with Orochimaru, all he could think about was Mari. Shisui had asked her once what she thought of the snake Sannin, and Mari had tilted her head in that special way of hers.

I think he is who he is, she had said, he lasted longer than the others, so that should be commended. Shisui had narrowed his eyes. Buuuut, his cousin had drawn out, and Mari huffed in response. He doesn't think like you or me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means you should probably be careful around him now that his support network and moral compass are gone. Shisui's eyes had narrowed further at the comment.

His cousins had understood each other in a way Itachi just didn't, or perhaps couldn't. Mari had avoided Shisui, for some reason, despite how often she had laughed in his company, or how softly she smiled. You like him, Shisui had accused, but Mari had only giggled, smiling with just a hint of teeth in her expression. Well how could I not, she had bantered back, he's rather a lovely thing, don't you think?

The two partners had paused, eyes turning towards him at the same time, and Itachi couldn't help but tense. The crow on his shoulder dug into his hair, and Itachi pretended it wasn't even there. It was very much a cat action, but he stood by it.

Sasori downright scowled at the sight of him, which wasn't unusual, but Orochimaru's cheer set his hackles up.

Smiles tell you a lot about a person, Mari whispered in his ear, and he wondered if was a bad thing that his cousin turned older sister haunted him more than his parents did. Though, they had never explained social cues to him, they just expected him to know. Mari was the one who had sat him down and explained, never judging him for something he just, he couldn't seem to understand. They're more dangerous than most people realize, remember that cousin-mine. When someone smiles at you on the battlefield don't get angry, or annoyed. You stop and you wonder why, you understand?

He hadn't, at the time. Meeting Orochimaru's golden gaze though, Itachi had the feeling he was going to.

"Ah Itachi-kun," the snake sannin practically purred, "have you heard the news?"

"Which news?" Itachi replied, because there was no way in hell he was admitting he had no idea what the man was hinting at.

"Shall you tell him Sasori, or shall I?" Orochimaru wondered, and anxiety suddenly spiked in his chest. This felt like a trap, and Sasori just huffed, like this entire conversation was beneath him, and yet, and yet, the man was watching a little too intently. "Well, I guess that means it falls to me to be the deliverer of bad news." Itachi's chest was tight, and not Sasuke please not Sasuke- "though I suppose even a genius such as yourself is capable of mistakes, you're so young after all. It really is no surprise that you managed to miss one."

What.

"What," he demanded, because the snake sannin could not be implying what Itachi thought he was.

Orochimaru grinned even wider. "Apparently an Uchiha who was declared KIA managed to claw herself back to the village. I imagine it caused quiet the tizzy, whatever will my dear beloved sensei do about her name on the stone, my it's certainly a predicament."

"What," Itachi repeated, because he couldn't, what. His brain felt like jello, and he needed to know who, and he needed to know now. Please, please if there any kindess the gods might still hold. "Who was it."

"Now now Itachi-kun," The snake sannin tried, but Itachi could see he was nervous, "don't be so demanding. A please would do very-"

His Mangekyo activated, the world coming so sharply into focus even as it hurt, and Itachi snarled at the missing Nin. "Who!"

"An Uchiha Mari according to my spies," Sasori interjected before Itachi could set Orochimaru on fire, "she's your-"

"Second cousin twice removed, I know," Itachi finished, pretending not to notice the crow digging its beak into his hair with more force this time, small trills of worry escaping its beak.

Mari was alive, oh Sage Mari was alive, so Itachi ignored both Sasori and Orochimaru as he turned around and left, heading straight for the basement.

Once he was certain they hadn't followed he summoned another crow. After settling on his hand the summoned crow gave the bird on his shoulder a look. Later, he'd deal with that later, he didn't have time to worry about anything else.

"I need you to deliver a message to Danzo," he told the summons, raising his hand so it could meet his eyes, and see just how serious he was. "You so much as look at my cousin I will not stop at giving away Konoha secrets, I will ensure it burns. She gets the same protection Sasuke does. Do not think I will not watch to make sure you keep your end of the bargin. Do not test me on this."

The summoned crow cawed, and disappeared in a scattering of feathers. The one on his shoulder disappeared as well, and Itachi moved.

All he could think about was Mari. Her smile, the way she had given him a hug, the way she had promised to take care of what was bothering him like she wasn't just a Chunin and he in ANBU. He remembered how she never stopped trying to get everyone to stop comparing him and Sasuke, how she met his father in the eye and did not budge when she said letting Itachi raise in the ranks so fast wasn't only a mistake, but a disservice to him as well.

It was like a weight was lifted in his chest. Mari would look after Sasuke, she would make sure their younger brother didn't lose himself to the curse of hatred, she would make sure Sasuke made friends and went to school and stayed safe.

Mari would kill him, so Sasuke didn't have to.

He entered the basement as quickly as he could without seeming frantic, and waiting in the dark for him was Madara.

"I see you've already heard the news," his former clan head drawled, and Itachi let his eyes flare.

"You will not touch my cousin," he demanded, and Madara straightened at the Killing Intent Itachi was throwing around.

"I think you rather lost the right to care about what happens to your clan," Madara pointed out viciously, and Itachi snarled at him.

"She is my Sister of Heart and you will not touch her!" Itachi felt, stretched thin. He did not notice Madara jolt at the title, he did not notice the way every Chaka point in the compound seemed to still in waiting, he did not notice the way his chest seemed to burn. "You will not get her killed, you will not even go near her. She gets to grow old, she gets to marry her Nara and adopt as many orphans as she pleases and live the life she wants to, free of risk and threats and blood."

Madara stared at him. "You have no standing to make such demands."

Itachi breathed, just like Mari had taught him. He swallowed his rage, his anxiety, he swallowed everything that wasn't needed, meeting Madara right in the eye.

"I do not care if I die," he replied without emotion, with Intent and the promise of a follow-through. "I do not care if when I burn down everything you are trying to achieve I fall in the process. I do not care what the world will think of me, or what my legacy will be. Touch my cousin and I will undo everything you have done since leaving our village."

Mari was, she was everything he couldn't be, and Sage what if he had waited. What if he had bought more time? No, no. That way lied death, he had done what needed to be done to protect the village, to keep Sasuke safe.

Reflection is useful from time to time Wide-eyes, but regret? Wallowing? These are not helpful things. You make a mistake, you don't just apologize for it, you make sure it won't happen again. Sasuke doesn't need your lies, so either tell him the truth or make time for him, understand? I will not ask again.

"Very well Itachi-kun," Madara said at last, something odd in his voice. "This Uchiha Mari is safe for now, but in return you will tell me of her, and why you place her on the same level as Sasuke."

Itachi clenched his jaw, taking a breath. Where to start, what to say?

"I- my mothe- Uchiha Mikoto always wanted daughters. She got sons instead, and when Mari was orphaned she saw an opportunity to have one."

That was so much more callous than what happened, but it, it was really the only way to put it.

Itachi told Madara about Mari, about how she never stopped debating with him over his loyalty, how in her eyes the elders and the village had not earned such devotion from him. How she never let them fight over or in front of Sasuke, how she never let him put things off until next time, how she challenged their elders not because she wanted power but because she wanted things to be better.

He talked about how she always had an orphan or left alone child with her. How she challenged matrons not doing their jobs and parents leaving their kids alone. How she always had treats on hand and how she was just, kind. She gave and gave and never expected anything in return.

He didn't tell Madara about how lonely his Sister of Heart always seemed to be. He didn't talk about she when she listened to Uchiha traditions it was the gaze of someone planning to cut away dead weight, how she had been planning to run off to with her Nara the first chance she got, and probably planned to take Sasuke with her the moment she could. He didn't tell Madara about the line of steel in Mari's gaze, about how her softness was something so deliberately chosen, and how the very act of it felt weaponized.

Life is going to kick you in the teeth, she had once told him, eyes almost Nara sharp as the fire harshened the outline of her face. Its not a matter of if cousin-mine, but when. You can either lie down and take it, or you can bare your teeth and you kick it right back.

When Madara let him go Itachi found himself standing outside the base. He stared up at the rain, and it felt like the sky was giving him the tears he couldn't shed. The crow from before was back, nipping at his ears, giving small trills of worry. Across the street he spotted a tabby.

The poor thing was drenched, but it didn't seem to mind, staring at him amber eyes. It wasn't a summons, he checked. Twice. There wasn't a hint of Chakra to be found. It was just, disconcerting, to watch it watch him. There was something about it that reminded him of Kat, and the collar around it's neck his second cousin never let anyone mess with.

Thinking of Kat made him think of his mother, and the way she had cried, when the retrieval team had brought back ashes and a burnt headband. He remembered how the cats had wailed and the crows had cried and the ravens bowed their heads.

He wondered what Mari would say, when they saw each other again.

She had always been talented at using her words to hurt.

Nice and kind are two very different things Itachi. Nice is smiling and looking away. Nice is keeping the status quo. Nice is following the conventions of polite society without making waves. I am not nice, I am kind, and kindness is defiance. Kindness is buying an orphan ramen because he's just a boy, kindness is standing between those who spit on your loved ones and telling them to fuck off, kindness is me fighting with your father and the elders because they're bitter old men who would rather use you as weapon then let you a child.

I might be only a Chunin, and I might stick my nose where it doesn't belong, but don't ever think I'm too nice to be a proper Shinobi Itachi. Remember it was polite young things like me who made our profession, do not forget our history just because it ended up being written by men, and because you don't want to think critically about the lies you've been parroting since you could talk.

"Yo, Uchiha," his partner called, and Itachi turned to see Biwa Juzo meandering towards him. "We got a job."

He nodded, ignoring the crow on his shoulder and the cat watching his every move and the raven on the roof. He felt, better. More settled.

Mari was alive, she was alive and would shape the Uchiha for the better, and when the time was right she would swing that stolen tanto of hers upon his neck. He wondered then, if she would cry for him when she did.

Probably. She was sentimental like that.

He left with Biwa Juzo, and he did not notice the cat disappear without a trace, he did not spot the raven fade into the shadows. There was just the annoying crow on his shoulders, and a partner he was going to let die.

Asuma stepped through the gates, and breathed in Konoha air. It was good to be back, summer sun shining down on his back as the two Chunin at the gates waved him over, excited expressions on their faces.

He signed all the proper documents, and though Konoha was mostly the same, Asuma noted that not everything had remained unchanged. His time in the court had taught him to see the more invisible battle lines between class and lifestyle, and there was a very interesting divide going on with the civilians. He wasn't sure what it was about, just that it was there, eyes sharp on both sides as a few of the older woman approach him, welcoming him back and reminding him to to revisit their cousins/kids/spouses restaurants or bars.

He was slow on his walk towards the Hokage tower, taking in the gossip. It was a habit he had picked up at the Daimyo's palace, and while he had been planning to drop it, something told him he was going to need to keep it up. Konoha had a new word whisperer, and just like Senju Mito this new player was very, very good.

Kakashi's reputation had done a complete one-eighty, and Asuma had needed to sit down for a bit after learning Rin had used Kakashi like a knife so she wouldn't be used like a bomb against Konoha.

That was. Sage. He had never believed those rumors about his friend, but this was almost worse, because Asuma had always assumed an accident or an enemy nin Kakashi took the blame for out of guilt, not, not that.

He walked past the Uchiha compound after his small breakdown. It technically wasn't on the way, but after learning about Rin, he wanted to check up on his other classmate's legacy. Obito would have loved what Uchiha Mari had done with the place. There were murals all along the wall, some from story books and some from missions that had no doubt taken place with Uchiha teammates and some he didn't recognize, but felt important, for reasons he would probably have to look into later.

Asuma took in the plants and the flowers and the stain glass wind chimes that reflect rainbows across wooden floors. He took in the laughing children and the summons that were pretending to be strays in the corners and the smell of food that drifted down from open windows.

Oh yes, Obito would have loved it, even if the Uchiha elders must be rolling in their graves.

He waved at the patrol of KMP officers walking by. At least, he assumed they were officers from their patch, but seeing as how it was comprised of an Inuzuka, a civilian looking woman, and a shinobi in a chunin vest, it certainly wasn't the same police force as before. The group returned the wave, but their eyes were sharp as they took him in. Oh, not in a hostile way, but he knew if asked they would be able to place his face, his clan symbol, and the time of date without fail.

Interesting. Little Uchiha Mari had done more than just take the reins of her family's legacy, she had improved it, if the way the civilians and shinobi alike were greeting the three members like good friends was any indication.

He shifted his route again, this time heading for the Jonin Lounge. He eyed the communal coffee, and seriously, why were they still trying to do that. His gaze shifted past the untouched pot though, and he approached the table as he took in the new black board framed behind it.

It was a serious of bets titled the Mari Pot, and he took in will kidnap a Kage's kid and will murder the hospital head of staff so she can replace him with someone she thinks can actually do the job and the daybreak boys will break into ANBU for a prank. There were off shoots to the bets too, like which kage's kid she'd kidnap and how long her kids? Her younger cousin and someone else? would last before they were caught by either Iruka of all people, Uchiha Mari, or the ANBU themselves.

"Ah Asuma," Ebisu greeted, and Asuma waved back at the Tokubetsu? Jonin. "Back for good this time?"

"Maybe," he laughed, and Ebisu matched his grin, which. Hmmm. No, it was his classmate, Chakra signature and all, but his former classmate seemed much more laid back than the last time he had seen him. Had Ebisu finally mellowed with age? A new partner? Someone else?

Curse the Daimyo's sister taking pity on him and teaching him how read the political currents, now he couldn't unsee them and he was getting curious. He had come back to be lazy Sage damn it.

"I tried to stop them," Ebisu said, looking at the board, and it was good to see his old classmate hadn't entirely changed. "But you know how Jonin get with their vices. At least the betting is mostly harmless, and if anyone bets higher than a few hundred yen Mari makes her disapproval known."

"Does she?" he asked, only growing more and more curious. Was Uchiha Mari the new word whisperer, hiding behind her age and title, or was someone using her to get what they wanted? "I've heard a lot about her, since I've been back."

"She is an exemplary kunoichi," his friend answered, and Asuma made a mental note to bring up how gossip could be used by an enemy to get some very good information to Inoichi. He had seen it used as a weapon too many times to ever see it as harmless again. "You just got back so I doubt you've heard, but rumor has it she's taking the Tokubetsu Jonin exams soon as a sealing mistress."

"Sealing?" he asked, and Ebisu nodded.

"Self taught, apparently, though how no one ever noticed any sealing mishaps was beyond me." Asuma could agree with that, he remembered Minato's and Kushina's sealing mishaps well enough, though mostly he remembered Kakashi's face as a bunch of squiggly lines kept nearly killing his Sensei and his wife. Ebisu was eyeing him now, and then quietly asked, "did you, have you heard about Kakashi?"

"I heard about Rin," he replied, and then they both grew quiet. Seriously, Kakashi had the worst fucking luck, the poor bastard could just not catch a break.

"I know some of his old friends got worried at Uchiha Mari's interest in him, but between Guy and Genma and I we've come to the conclusion she just wants to help him." Oh now wasn't that an interesting little story, he'd have to get the run down from how that happened from Genma. "She's, she's even given him a seal so that Obito's eye could rest between missions, and Mari is… vocal, about her support of him, so don't be suspicious if when you rekindle the friendship she tests you. She's given quiet a few people a tongue lashing about their lack of support when his reputation wasn't the best."

Asuma hummed, tucking all that information away for later. "Well you don't have to worry about that on my end. I never believed those rumors anyway. How'd Guy take it though, I know he was closer to Team Seven than you and Genma were."

Ebisu made a face. "After much weeping at his rivals poor luck he seemed pleased someone else had finally noticed how Kakashi, was not doing great. I'm entirely sure how, but he and Mari have a, friendship, of sorts."

"Really?" he asked, because Guy was, well he, he required either a very laid back attitude or someone who thrived in chaos to enjoy his presence, and even then most people didn't put in the effort.

"They don't seem like they'd be on the same wave lengths," Ebisu mused, then leaned into whisper, "but I suspect they are much more similar than people notice. Guy is someone always pushing to be better physically, while Mari does the same thing, only it's socially. She just does it without all the shouting and proclamations."

Well that was a mark in the Uchiha Mari was taking over the gossip chain column. He gave snort at the image though, a quiet young thing with Guy's internal monologue going. "Bet Guy loved that. I've got to go see the old man, but I'll see you around Ebisu, it was good catching up"

"You as well," and then the man paused, fixing his sunglasses. "Kurenai is currently helping out at the academy with a few other Kunoichi, but afterwards they like to meet at Shushu-ya, if you would like to say hello."

He was gone before Asuma could reply, and he huffed. Did everyone know about his crush? Well, there was nothing to do but walk out the door and tuck that information away for later.

Asuma eyed the Hokage tower as he exited the lounge. He was just delaying the inevitable.

The secretary tried to stop him, but Asuma ignored her, walking towards the office that held his father on a leash.

He opened the door, the woman beside him hissing at the action, and he took in his father surround by paperwork. He glanced to the side at the quiet flicker of flame Chakra, taking in a pretty young woman with long raven hair that braided down to her hip.

Uchiha Mari looked up from her doodling, and he would have known who she was even without the Uchiha clan mon on her person.

The Daimyo's sister was smarter than her brother. She was older, more cunning and more ruthless and was the only reason her sibling was still in power, considering his useless and spoiled wife. She would have been a forced to be reckoned with, had she been a man, but her family didn't need her to be ruthless, they didn't need her to be a Daimyo, so she molded herself into a perfect wife and dutiful sister.

Uchiha Mari smiled at him, eyes crinkled and posture soft and every inch of her a polite young thing, but she was cut as the same cloth as the Daimyo's sister.

I see you, he said with the dip of his head, and Mari's smile grew, showing teeth as she waved hello, as if to say what will you do about it?

"Asuma," his dad breathed, eyes wide as he took in his son, "I wasn't aware you were coming back."

"Yeah, well," he rubbed the back of neck, suddenly feeling awkward, "figured it was time. I missed Konoha's cooking."

And his brother, and his nephew, and his teammates and his classmates and Kurenai.

Silence filled the air, and Asuma knew it was because his dad was debating how to welcome him, unsure if he should be the doting father he once was or the Hokage who put duty before everything else. He didn't hold his breath, he knew which one of the two would win out in the end, the hat always did.

"You two should go to lunch," Uchiha Mari said, breaking the silence, and his dad sighed, neither the father or the Hokage, but more a fondly exasperated elder with a kid who asked too many questions. She gave a him a look for that though, sharp like the woman who had taught him to truly see the underneath the underneath. "Use a shadow clone if you need to catch up on paperwork, but I doubt there's anything so serious it can't wait until tomorrow. If there is, let me see it, because clearly I need to have a conversation with more people about proper delegation before their problems become big enough to reach your desk."

Dad pinched his nose, but to Asuma's surprise he stood up. He put his hat on the desk and then left it there. "This is just your way of getting me out of the office so you can plot with my secretary again."

"How could you accuse me of such a thing," Mari put a hand to her chest, but her tone was playful, eyes crinkling, though the expression shifted as she looked at Asuma, looking sad. She was sad, the emotion entirely genuine as she met his gaze with a bittersweet longing. "It's not everyday a family member comes home you know, there's no harm in taking some time to say hello."

Sage but there was power in her voice, and his father, the God of Shinobi, folded like a wet paper bag.

"You're right," his dad said, and Asuma wanted to shake him because why was he only listening to what his family had been saying for years when it came out of her mouth. He then wanted to hug her, because he couldn't remember the last time his dad had taken off work just for him.

Uchiha Mari knew it too, if the sharpness hiding behind her expression was any indication, and she cleaned up as his dad walked over and gave him an embrace.

It was warm, and made him feel so small, his father's tobacco bringing back memories of when he had been just a kid who knew nothing about the world.

"Come on," his father gestured, "let's go to Yakiniku Q."

Mari smiled again when she noticed him watching. It was a good mask, he would admit, but he was fresh off the Fire Daimyo's court. He had learned the hard way how deadly pretty young girls could be.

I see you, he said with his gaze, and Mari softened this time, instead of rising to the challenge.

I know, her expression said, but you don't need to feel threatened by me.

His dad led him out, and he watched as Uchiha Mari smoothed things over with the secretary. He noted that as well, making a reminder to ask what she wanted in return for this at a later date.

"So," he started as they walked out of the Hokage tower, "things look a little different since I was last here."

"Oh you can blame Mari for that," his father said with a wave of his hand, and Asuma blinked, because while his dad might see Mari scheming, he was dismissing it because of her age or her gender or the belief she was nothing but a mother hen using her power to look at her ducklings. Sage, they were both lucky Mari seemed content to leave his father in power, otherwise Asuma might have come home to a different Hokage and a dead dad. "She's a menace when she gets an idea in her head about improving things. I only partially blame Inoichi for giving her so much confidence, she used to be so quiet."

He hummed, having elders who didn't like how you strayed from the mold they assigned you would do that.

Still, he listened to his dad talk. He listened and watched certain Chunin eye a Jonin standing by himself, while the other Jonin watching the interaction noticed, and started eyeing the singled out Jonin like he was being suspicious.

He watched civilians defend the more outlandish Shinobi and Kunoichi. Not loudly either, not with a shout or a cry or the kind of thing that demanded attention. No, this was genuine, it was quiet and hissed and spoken with a jutted chin and sharp eyes. It was a challenge, a snarl, like a battle line had been drawn between those who saw all of the village as pack and those who didn't.

No one else seemed to notice the brewing conflict. No one else seemed to notice all those little changes tracing back to Uchiha Mari with a pattern that spoke of intent instead of accidental improvement.

Asuma wondered if he would have noticed, had he not been so fresh from court. If he had been here from the beginning, would he have even seen the spider web being spun, the dam being built, or would he just have seen it as accidental, as a natural consequence of Mari being Mari. She was a polite young thing after all, it wasn't like she was doing it on purpose, no sir, don't be silly.

He watched the way so many of his fellow ninja seemed so much more steady, dozens and dozens of Yamanaka up and about, talking with clip boards or getting a coffee with someone and looking serious as they talked. And they weren't the Jonin or Chunin members of the clan either, oh no, these were the ones who specialized in Non-Chakra techniques. He had no doubt if he traced it back long enough he would find Mari at the end of that change, and sage he had never seen so many therapists out in full force, not even during the war.

Oh yes, they were very lucky Mari was on their side at the moment.

Asuma would take it though. He had his dad back, if only for a little while. He knew the desk would come calling. It always did. He didn't mind that fact though, not this time at least.

Maybe Kurinai would know what to get as a thank you gift, he needed to get the Uchiha something nice before he started digging into her life. Oh, maybe his crush could help him get one of those double gifts, the kind that was practical and nice but also doubled as a threat.

Yeah, that seemed like a good plan. Have lunch with his dad, go bother Genma about Kakashi, and then get Kurinai's advice on how to handle this... whole mess.

She was smart like that.

Kakashi was at the stone again, and Obito watched as his cousin walked quietly to stand beside him. It was the first time she had ever come to the memorial stone to disturp Kakashi, and he was curious at the change.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, before Kakashi took a breath. "Going to tell me I'm late?"

Mari hummed, eyes on the stone with an expression he couldn't quite interpret. It wasn't sad, wasn't annoyed or disapointed or greiving, but it was some kind of melancholy, some kind of longing and hurt in her gaze as she looked upon the carved names.

"Not today," she said. "My name is on here you know, they never took it off. It's why I hate this place, because I see that name and I think of the woman who should have gotten a monument, instead of the small shrine I maintain at the compound."

"I'm sorry," he said, and Mari titled her head to look at him, so fondly annoyed.

"Not your fault wolf-dog," she mused, and Obito frowned at the softness of her voice. Kakashi didn't deserve people who looked at him like that. "Sometimes the gods give out bad hands, or, well, bad decks in our case."

Kakashi gave her a look for that, and she smiled back at him, like the words were a challange. How Obito didn't know, perhaps a continuation of an earlier conversation? The pale haired bastard looked back at the stone, expression turning fond, and thoughtful.

Obito hated the sight of it.

"They'd have loved you," he said after another moment of quiet, and Mari followed his gaze to the names of their team no doubt. Obito wanted to know how Kakashi thought he had a right to ever think that, considering what he did.

"You think?" Mari asked, and she didn't look like his clan regent then. She didn't look like a sealing mistress or a Tokubetsu Jonin or a Hokage candidate. She looked like a gardener's daughter, so unsure of reaching for things she had been taught she did not deserve.

Obito sympathized. Elders sucked.

"Minato would have hated the way you do seals," Kakashi mused, "but Kushina would have loved them, and found her husbands affront to be the funniest thing in the world. She'd have adored you, not just for the seals or the fact you love pranking but because you wouldn't care about her status. Minato, after getting over how you do seals, would have talked with you for hours and hours about seals and Chakra and ways to improve the village. Rin, she would have found you so endearing, even if you kept getting into her business, because she loved chaos, for all she pretended not to. Obito would have found you amazing. He would have loved you standing up to the council, called them old geezers who were living in the past who needed a good punch in the face."

Obito felt a flicker of annoyance at the accuracy of that, and he took in Kakashi's pause, like he was gearing up for something.

"My," he took a second breath, "my father would have found you funny, laughed at every little joke you slip into conversation, and he would have loved teaching you how to wield a tanto, loved how eager you are to learn, how respectful you are to ways that are not your own."

Obito scowled. Kakashi had never talked about his father when they were a team. What made her so special?

"I would have liked the chance to meet his wolves," Mari admitted, voice gentle and longing and sad. Itachi had said her heart was too big, and he could see that now, even if somehow she still managed to be a very good politician despite this weakness. "I bet they were beautiful."

"They were. Sage they were," Kakashi breathed, and he looked, tense. "Mari I don't think I can do this."

"Do you really think that?" Mari countered easily, obsidian eyes looking up at elder shinobi. "Or is that just the fear and guilt talking, because I know you've trained ANBU teams before Kakashi, Genin just need a little less training and little more support with risk assessment and emotional regulation, but it's really not that different."

Kakashi stared at her, and Mari smiled.

Itachi had called her soft, and Obito was started to get the impression Itachi had not given him a complete picture so he would dismiss her and move on.

"I won't pretend not to see the echos," Mari continued, "but that's all they are, just echos. Sasuke is not you. He went to therapy and kept going. He won't ever put the mission above his team. Naruto isn't Obito, he won't throw himself into danger because he's got something to prove, or because he is so desperate to be something more than just an outcast." Hey now, that was just rude. "He's got a support system that isn't just his Jonin-sensei and his crush. And most of all Sakura isn't Rin, she won't stand by as her boys bicker, she won't be the peacemaker the elders want her to be, and at the end of the day, she won't ever do to her boys what Rin did to you."

What Rin did to him.

What Rin did to him!

"She put the village first," Kakashi replied, tone more than a little ragged, and Mari looked at him sharply.

"She used you to commit suicide after you told you not to." What. "She did that to you, despite knowing you were fighting so hard to keep your promise to Obito. She broke her own promise as well, because she promised to take care of you, and she knew your history, she knew what she was doing would break you, and it did, and I have had a hell of a time putting you back together."

"She doesn't deserve that," Kakashi defended while Obito tried to wrap his head around that, because they were lying, they had to be lying. Kakashi had found a way to make everyone like him while covering up what he had done to Rin.

"Rin took away your choices," Mari hissed, "and I will never forgive her for that, no matter how understandable her decision might have felt at the time. If she wanted to die to protect Konoha from Kiri she could have chosen a method that didn't use you as the knife."

Kakashi looked away, jaw clenched like he wanted to say something, shoulders tight with tension, and Mari's anger melted away.

Obito wanted to melt away, wanted to sit with that knowledge because from what he knew of the Uchiha before him she didn't tolerate lies or shinobi who killed comrades for power. She had a long list of shinobi who had hidden themselves so well that she had gotten arrested or demoted or just plain disappeared.

Mari took a breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't come here to argue, or to rehash old arguments, and it was petty of me to do that here. I should have known better, considering my Jonin-sensei's up there too."

Kakashi was quiet for a moment, two, before he spat, "Team Seven is a curse."

"Yes," Mari agreed, to both of their surprise. Mari noted Kakahsi's shock, and smiled at him, the expression small and bittersweet. "But it's a blessing too. I would not trade my Jonin-sensei for anything, even knowing how he died. The loss does not negate the gifts he gave to me, and they were not made lesser because they knew you."

"You sound like my therapist," Kakashi muttered, and Obito blinked. Since when did Kakashi go to therapy?

Mari laughed, "and I sound like mine. That's why we see them, because they're objective when we can't be. They'd be proud of you, you know, for how much you've grown, and healed."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to look small. "You think?"

"Oh yes," she replied, "there would be a great deal of teasing involved, and tears too, but they would be nothing less than in awe of you."

Obito disagreed. It wasn't fair Kakashi got to grow old when Rin didn't.

If she wanted to die to protect Konoha from Kiri she could have chosen a method that didn't use you as the knife.

Kakashi frowned, looking annoyed. "You're just trying to manipulate me into taking on your brother."

Mari's expression shifted, showing teeth. "I can multitask, and just because I'm pushing you forward doesn't mean my words aren't true."

"Why can't you take them," his former teammate whined, and Mari tilted her head, looking confused and also very smug.

"My sharingan isn't strong enough to handle Naruto's tenant," she murmered like a polite young thing, and Obito felt a shiver go down his spine.

Oh Itachi was such a lier, that wasn't a house cat seeking her place beside the hearth, that was a fucking tiger wearing skin.

"Right," Kakashi drawled, looked annoyed, and Mari rolled her eyes with a huff.

"Look at this way," she said, "if everything had gone a little bit different, you'd have been an older brother to both Saskue and Naruto, that's all you're stepping into."

"Not Sakura?" Kakashi asked, and Mari snorted.

"She's got parents, so no, but she and Rin would have been very good friends, since I'm sure between the two of us and Minato at the helm we could have gotten med classes in the academy." Rin would have liked that. She always complained they didn't teach enough skills at the academy to girls. "They're echos Kakashi, not repetitions, and in time they will grow into their own songs, their own legacies, and they will be beautiful."

"What if," Kakashi choked, and Sage the man was, his old teammate was scared. "What if I fail?"

"Then you fail," Mari replied bluntly and without care, like the idea of losing her cousin and her fosterling and her semi-student didn't even bother her. "I could lose Muta to his work any day now, Roka could get murdered when someone targets me. I would scream and weep and grieve, and then I would move on. I would love again, because we have to Kakashi. Life is for the living, and you are not dead yet."

"Mari-" Kakashi tried, but it seemed his cousin wasn't having it.

"No, no I'm tired of beating around the bush. I'm tired of watching you deny yourself anything out of fear and shame. You go test the class failure and a clan's last heir and the medic placed between them and you let them stand on their own instead of only seeing the ghosts you keep placing over their faces. You go and you love them with everything you have, and trust your support network will be there to help you, should the worst come to pass."

"It's not that simple," his old teammate hissed, and Obito agreed. How cold blooded was his cousin that she was willing to just leave the dead behind like they didn't matter. Mari's expression became serious, serious and sad and a little like Itachi's, whenever he heard Sasori give a report on Konoha's council meetings.

"It is very simple," she countered softly, but with steel. "It's just, so, so hard. It'll be the hardest thing you've ever done, I won't pretend otherwise, but it will be worth it, in the end, I promise it will."

Kakashi breathed, looking so lost. "Does it really have to be me?"

Mari choked on a wet laugh. "No, but I'd like it to be. I want you to be their Jonin-sensei, and not just because of your history, but because of the lessons you learned as a child, and took to heart."

"Those who abandon the mission are trash," Kakashi started, and how dare-

"But those who abandon their friends are worse than trash," Mari completed, and her eyes scan the stone, like she was looking for a name. "He loved you too you know, and he'd probably find it very funny how scared of some preteens you are."

Obito would, if this conversation didn't keep breaking his brain.

She broke her own promise as well, because she promised to take care of you, and she knew your history, she knew what she was doing would break you, and it did, and I have had a hell of a time putting you back together.

"Don't you have other Jonin-sensei to terrorize?" Kakashi muttered, and Mari laughed, like he had something funny.

"In due time," she mused with a hint of teeth. "I'm not asking you to pass them Kakashi, I'm just asking for you to give them a chance, and to see past the echos, the symmetry."

"They might fail," he replied, and Mari shifted her head.

"They might, but I doubt it," she countered, and then smugly, with amusement and fondness and steel. "They had a very fun bonding experience last night called ice cream and baking and oh! Just this morning I introduced them to their summons."

Kakashi turned to stare at Mari in what looked like growing horror. "They don't have summons."

"Graduation gift," she chirped, and then she checked the watch on her wrist. "You're about, two hours late. That's plenty of time for them to have finished setting up. I didn't spill the beans, but oh did I make sure they were prepared."

Mari's smile was sharp, but her expression was playful, pleading, in its own way, and Kakashi gave. He gave and committed to the bit, breathing out a curse as he darted away from the stone, and Mari watch him go with amusement and fondness in her eyes, though she turned her gaze back to the stone when he was gone.

"Obito," she called, and for a moment he started, wondering if she could see him, but no, no she was just talking to the stone. "I don't think you meant to set him up to die when you gave him those words. You wouldn't, knowing what you did about his father's suicide. It wasn't your fault you were an angry preteen sent into battle before you were ready and he had a terrible, terrible support network. I don't think I can forgive you for it though. I pretend, for his sake, that I have made peace with your death, with Rin forcing him to kill her after Kiri made her into a bomb and his father's suicide in their own house where Kakashi could find his fucking body and Minato and Kushina up and dying without making sure he'd be taken care of, which admittedly wasn't their fault, but I'm petty, from time to time."

Obito wanted her to stop talking. He wanted his chest to stop hurting and his brain to stop feeling like it was burning.

"I had a point to this," she said with a frown, "and it wasn't to pick a fight. I'm not doing a good job of it, but you all died and left me to pick up the pieces, so I think I'm allowed some pot shots. He's going to realize he's loved, one day. That he has friends who are willing to die for him, and that he is strong enough to live with the aftermath of that decision, and all it entails. One day he won't think he deserves to die just because he survived, one day he will learn that his hands can do so much more than just shed blood. He will grow beyond the tragedies you left, and be so, so beautiful."

She put her hand on the stone then, and he ached. He could see how Itachi adored her so, with her kindness and her fury and her steel, and he wondered what she would think of the story on the Naka shrine?

Would she rejoice at a world without pain, or would she dismiss it as another foolish thing their ancestors left behind?

A Nara with a prosthetic leg walked up. He stood beside her in silence, and he waited until she lowered her hand to speak. "So how'd the S-conversation go?"

Mari smiled, and it was a very different smile than any of the ones she had given Kakashi. It was softer, and somehow so much more uncertain. "As well as it could go, but better than I feared. Plus they all really, really liked their summons. I got Naruto a fox and Sasuke a hawk and Sakura a badger."

Nara narrowed his eyes, but the gesture was dripping with amusement. "Don't badgers eat slugs?"

"And fox's frogs and hawk's snakes," she replied with a good amount of cheer, and Obito tilted his head. Were they talking about the Sannin? Had she given those summons as an insult to the previous generation?

The Nara hummed, like something was funny. Obito didn't see how though, didn't most people respect the Sannin? "So how'd the Kakashi conversation go?"

"Well he's not here, so alright," Mari mused, and she looked to where Kakashi had disappeared. "We're getting there, and he really hasn't been in therapy for that long, so there's bound to be, bumps."

Rin took away your choices, and I will never forgive her for that, no matter how understandable her decision might have felt at the time.

Her friend laughed, shaking his head. "We all had bets you know, about when and how you'd kidnap him and force him into the Den, and therapy as well. You surprised everyone but Muta it seems, I thought for sure you were going to snap after the Chakra exhaustion incident from two years ago".

Mari turned to look at the Nara. "You cannot force a horse to drink, it must come to the waters of it's own violation, least you scare it of the river bed. Kakashi is very much an abused wolf-dog, which is why I treated him like one, and why the method worked."

Obito should find it funny she was treating him like a dog. He should find it hilarious this slip of girl clearly had his friend wrapped around her finger.

He didn't though, and his chest ached.

With Rin forcing him to kill her after Kiri made her a bomb and-

Maybe he should see Sasori about the lump of pain there. His family did have some heart and lung disorders after all, and the Hirashima cells might not have fixed that, even if they seemed to fix everything else.

The two ninja stand before the stone in silence, before Mari shifted her head to look at the Nara, a smile tugging at her lips. "Hey Roka, want to hear a secret?"

"Sure," the Nara drawled, and Mari looked back the stone.

"One day this way of life will be a nothing distant memory," she promised, and Obito raised his brow. The Nara did too, but he didn't seem as skeptical, just curious.

"Oh?" he asked, and Mari glanced his way, the mask of the polite young thing completely falling away.

"Yes," she said, so very certain in her truths. "First it'll start with less and less killings, and then will come the demilitarization, and then slowly but surely the techniques we use for violence and violence alone will fade away, forgotten, as they are put down for more useful skills."

Roka hummed. "Sounds silly."

"You think?" Mari asked, and that was a challenge. "There will be shogi competitions and deer sanctuaries and devices to let us touch the clouds. It won't be for years, centuries even, but we will one day put down our weapons as a whole a start to build again. We will look to the heavens themselves and say I wish to touch the very stars, and so I will."

That sounded nice, but Obito agreed with the Nara, it was nothing more than a silly dream. Roka didn't say that though, he just raised a brow and tilted his head.

"And here I thought your dream was the pass the Lord Second," he mused, and Mari huffed, before turning towards her friend.

"It is," she declared. "He gave us missions and bureaucracy and education. I will give shinobi skills that do not require violence. I will give missions that will shed no blood, that will bring no death, until there is nothing left of us but silly stories full of so much misinformation it's almost a sin, but no one will care, because the historical accuracy isn't the point."

The Nara nodded, like this was a perfectly normal ambition. "That's for tomorrow though."

"Yes Shadow-Mine, that's for tomorrow," she agreed, and locked her arm around his. "Today we shall go and terrorize the teachers of my ducklings."

"Why?" Roka asked, though he wasn't disagreeing or protesting, just curious.

"Because the kids they're teaching are mine." Obito noted the hint of possession in that, the barest of reminders that the cousin before him was instinct-raised. "And I need to make sure no one's slackin', particularly Shikaku's mini-me, because he was worse than you as a kid, and that's saying something."

He hummed, eyes looking towards the sky like he'd rather be cloud watching. "Sounds like drag."

She smiled like he had said something sweet, and he remembered how Itachi thought the two of them were going to get married, one day. "But you'll come anyway."

Her teammate glanced her way, and then he smirked, like he knew something she didn't, "You know what I think?"

"What?" she asked, and then the Nara started to sing.

"Hey you, Honeybody, when you coming out for game-play?" Mari looked absolutely delighted, beaming at the Nara like he had just handed her the sun and the stars and the moon. "I got my Checkers out, Chess, Parcheesi, oh yeah Honeybody, you make me want to play with you, and if you want to bring your dice that'd be real nice. Six-sided, dodecahedron, it doesn't matter oh yeah Honeybody, you make me want to stay with you. Oh Honeybody whatcha doin' sunday? Maybe sippin' a coca-cola with me babe. Oh yeah, Honeybody, Honeybody, yah. 'Cuz everybody wants a Honeybody someday, Mama said 'they don't grow on them trees easy.' Hands down on the ground I'm begging you please Honeybody please."

She looked so much like Rin in that moment, expression so full of love, so full of joy. His chest ached as he watched them thread hands, moving away from the stone with a bounce in their step and a song that made no sense upon their lips.

The loss does not negate the gifts he gave to me, and they were not made lesser because they knew you.

Obito took a breath. He could not falter, not when he was so close.

He activated Kamui, disappearing in a swirl, and Konoha's lost son never noticed the spider on his person or the song birds in the trees or even the worms beneath his feet.

That was ok though. He wasn't meant to.

End of Part II