Naruto: A Red Eye Hidden by Shadow

by Tatanka4Life

On the fateful night of the Uchiha Massacre, a girl of Uchiha and Nara blood is spared and left with no memories of her past. Now she must walk on the path left by her family to help her build a new future for herself. Her path will be hard, full of struggles and pain, but as long as she has her friends and family at her side she will keep forging ahead, even if it was a drag.

170. Chapter 169: One Day at a Time

Chapter 169

One Day at a Time: A New Home and a New Future!

When Amari awoke, she did so in the warm comfort of her bed rather than upon the cold and stiff earth; she awoke not with the phantom pain of a nightmare twisting reality, but laden in the thick iron chains of weariness, which coaxed a soft, defeated exhale from the girl.

Tomorrow had come way too soon. She so wasn't ready to face a new day.

Lying still, eyes shut, Amari wanted nothing more than to bury her head beneath the blanket and never leave. Better yet, she wished to Seal herself away in another dimension, another time, somewhere far from the world that had gone way too crazy. As far as she could get.

She didn't want to play a role in it any longer. She didn't want to bear these burdens. Let someone else fix the world. Someone stronger, someone wiser—anyone except her.

There, in the warmth of her own bed, she wanted to go back—back to being a normal girl without the burdens or stresses which left her jaw sore from gritting her teeth all night. Back to a life before all of this. Back to the pure innocence of childhood, back to the honey sweet naïveté of youth, back to a time when the Leaf felt safe, impenetrable, and virtuous.

Back to when war was a thing of history, not their present reality.

There's no turning back, a part of her mind whispered, mocking her. You can't run away. You can't hide. You announced yourself to the world. Now you have no choice but to keep moving forward.

No turning back. No regrets. You're done hiding in the shadows, right?

She'd made it sound so easy…

Sighing deeply, the kunoichi tried to relax her aching jaw. She opened her eyes to complete darkness, then suppressed a groan. Great. The moon and stars still reigned in the sky. The sun must have hit the snooze button. Amari wished she could, too.

I need to get up, her mind betrayed her wishes.

She blinked, shifting her jaw as she lay there, trying to locate glowing embers within the cold ashes of her Will to ignite a new fire. Even a tiny flame. Something to give her the strength to stand again.

There's too much you have to do. You need to get up and get ready.

The warmth of her bed was ample argument against leaving. It was cold out there, after all. Cold and remorseless. What did she even hope to accomplish? People were sleeping. Stores were closed. And the world was crazy.

Leaving her bed wouldn't change any of that.

The heavy chains binding her body and spirit in weariness gently dragged her back into the realm of dreams.

Amari blinked, then shut her eyes. There was no point in fighting it. She didn't have the strength to. So she let the chains drag her off the deck of reality to plunge into the sea of dreams. Far from the crazy world. Far from the tight fist of stress and grief she felt squeezing in her chest.

It wasn't a coherent environment. There were no shapes in the void she plunged into, no voices, and at times it felt as though she had no thoughts at all.

In that place between sleep and wakefulness, it felt like the war itself ceased to be, like all the pain within her and within the world suddenly, miraculously, healed, and for a moment no one in the world was suffering. No one was hungry. No one was lost in darkness. No one was afraid. No one was dying.

If only it were real. If only she never had to wake up from such a dream. If only the world hadn't destabilized into a war, then she wouldn't feel compelled to rise today. At least not before the sun rose.

Everyone had to wake up eventually, though.

Exhaling a soft breath, Amari opened her eyes again, pulling herself from the sea back into reality where the world was suffering. Where people were hungry and afraid and dying at this very moment, as she slept in relative safety and security far from the war, and yet still trapped there within her own mind.

With a tight feeling in her chest, the girl solemnly freed herself from the warm cocoon and moved to sit on the side of her bed. She shivered beneath an icy caress, gooseflesh rising on her skin; compared to the warm cocoon her room felt possessed by winter's chill, a feeling she associated with stepping out of a warm bath into air conditioning.

Amari began rolling her ankles as she sat there. Her eyes fell shut, her focus fell inwards, concentrating on breathing deeply, softly, and trying not to fall asleep as she did.

Had the world not become crazier than ever the chill would've urged her to slip back beneath the blankets. She would've escaped into the warm embrace of sleep once more like a master thief slipping off into the shadows, so smooth and agile no one would've ever known she'd sat up in the first place.

Unfortunately, the world had gone crazy. It was bounding off padded walls in a straight jacket, foaming at the mouth and screaming wordlessly.

She couldn't stay in bed. The more she thought about it, the more restless she became. Many of her worst fears had come to fruition. Now they had a war to deal with. A war to survive. They had to find someway forward, they had to locate a path out through the grinder to whatever awaited beyond it.

Peace?

More war?

Tyranny?

Amari exhaled a long breath through her nostrils. I can't work myself up about it. I have too much to deal with today, anyway.

She stood up, lifted her arms above her head, and extended them as far up and back as she could while rising onto her tiptoes. She let out a soft groan and lowered onto her heels.

Just keep moving forward, the kunoichi thought. No matter how crazy the world gets, no matter what instability this war brings, just keep moving forward. Keep reaching out to others. Keep burning bright. That's all we can do. And sometimes…

Glancing over her shoulder, the young kunoichi observed the two extra bumps formed beneath the blankets of her bed. Karin and Fū, lying in the middle and on the opposite edge of the bed respectively, slept deeply and undisturbed despite her movements.

Sometimes that's enough to save someone's world.

Silently, Amari approached her desk, picking up the folded clothes and undergarments she set out last night specifically for this exact scenario. Without a single noise she slipped out of her room and shut the door behind her. Karin and Fū did not stir.

After her shower, as she descended the stairs, Amari felt anxiety steadily snowballing within her heart. Every part of her morning routine had added something new for her to procure by the end of the night. Items she hadn't considered until she used them, items which were essential for Fū's and Karin's comfort and hygiene.

How much would she need to buy? How quickly would they run through things like shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste?

Her eyes trailed to the laundry room.

Laundry supplies. She couldn't forget to buy more. There would be a lot more to wash now that they had two guests, especially since Fū would eventually partake in training and missions, leading to more sweaty, dirt and grime covered clothes.

Her mental list grew again.

Did they need to buy backup supplies for their backups? They needed spares. Nobody wanted to jump in the shower and find the body wash and shampoo empty, or to find the toilet paper roll bare without a spare.

She'd need to buy extra toothbrushes, too. Fū and Karin weren't exactly given time to pack anything except the clothes on their backs. Sharing a bed was one thing. Sharing toothbrushes was wholly unsanitary. Unacceptable.

What about food? How much did they need to keep the fridge and pantry stocked? How often would they need to shop to avoid bare shelves?

For Karin they'd need to really hone in on a nutritious meal plan that would help her steadily rise to a healthy weight, just as Kurenai had helped her gain weight.

For Fū… Naruto guzzled down stupid amounts of ramen and food in general. Was it because he had a bottomless stomach? Was he just a garbage disposal for food? Or did being a jinchūriki require more calories?

Has anyone ever even done a study on that? Amari wondered frantically.

The Fifth Hokage would probably know.

On a related matter, would Fū even eat healthy meals? Although she could ask surprisingly introspective questions, Amari couldn't deny that the Waterfall kunoichi sometimes reminded her of a fresh graduate from the Academy—a child.

Wow. Talk about being arrogant and rude, she chastised herself amid the building stress.

Amari entered the kitchen. Another horrible thought crossed her mind.

What if they have food allergies? How do I even find that out before breakfast?

Asking them would be a good start. Or it sounded like one, if not for another issue: Although Fū would have a decent history of food, Karin was little more than a slave to the Grass shinobi.

They wouldn't have fed her nutritious or varied meals. Gruel, she bet, would be the kindest way to frame the meals she had.

What few they'd actually given her.

What else do I need to shop for? Do we need more kitchen utensils? Plates? Spoons, forks, knives?

No, probably not. They'd hosted her entire team before. As long as Fū and Karin cleaned up after themselves there would never be a lack of kitchen utensils.

Towels? Pillows? Blankets? A futon, maybe?

They'd made do last night with what was at hand. Food was provided by Yoshino, who stopped by with freshly cooked rice and salmon, likely to meet the two newcomers firsthand for Shikaku, who was busy interviewing either the Waterfall or the Grass shinobi—Amari wasn't sure which.

During all of that Karin and Fū were introduced to both her mom and her aunt. Of the pair, Karin was predominately anxious and quiet, polite but meek. Fū, on the other hand, was full of excitement, as always, if not a bit nervous at first.

Overall it went well. Kurenai didn't seem too bothered by their new guests…but did she have a choice?

No, Amari realized, wincing. She hadn't given Kurenai the courtesy of a choice. She made her decision, thinking only of herself, her tumultuous emotions, all on the assumption her mom would be fine with it.

She had decided to bring them into their home without sparing a single thought to the logistics of caring for two other people. She'd decided it without considering how her mother might feel.

What a thoughtful daughter she turned out to be.

After dinner last night they'd all taken showers. By then Amari had been so exhausted that she hadn't thought of what they would eat or where they would sleep or how many extra towels, pillows, or blankets were actually available.

She had just wanted the day to be over.

She had just wanted to go to sleep and start over again tomorrow.

"Although, 'Risu, you should know, it falls on the shoulders of the Clan Head to provide and accommodate for those they grant sanctuary."

"Mm. Sounds reasonable. I'll be willing to take on that burden."

She had said it as if it were all so simple. She didn't listen to the sincere warning in her uncle's words. Idiot. Fool. Naïve girl.

She had overlooked so many tiny details, logistics she never considered, because, as always, she acted on emotion first and then thought through the logistics once she was neck deep in the mess.

I don't… I don't know what to do. I don't know where to start. I can't—

Two fingers suddenly jabbed her forehead.

Amari jolted awake, blinking rapidly, and stumbling backwards as her slamming heart jumped into her throat and began bouncing like a pinball caught between two bumpers.

A hand clasped her shoulder and steadied the startled girl.

Wide-eyed, Amari met her mother's concerned red gaze.

"You really were out of it," Kurenai noted softly.

"Mom?"

"Breathe, little one. Breathe," she coaxed.

And she did. She inhaled a long breath…

Then exhaled roughly, harshly. She lowered quickly into a low crouch, threading her fingers through her slightly damp hair.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I've created a logistical nightmare. I didn't consult you on any of this. I didn't even consult Uncle Shikaku. I just…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I acted out on my emotions. I threw around my name, my heritage, and my title like an idiot. I was supposed to keep it secret. And what did I do? I threw it around arrogantly like I'm actually Madara Uchiha. I stuck my nose up, puffed out my chest, and declared who I was and my lineage for everyone to hear like a complete moron!

"You idiot. You brain-dead idiot!" she hissed. "After everything you've all done to protect me—now the Stone are going to know I'm alive. The Foundation and Elders already know that for certain. I've painted a big, stupid target on myself and screamed to the world to come at me. And now they will.

"Dammit. Dammit," she cursed, digging her fingers into her skull. "Why do I always do this? I keep causing everyone trouble. I don't even know what I'm doing or how I'm going to accomplish anything."

Change the world. Another one of those stupid things that was easy to say. But what had she changed? What had she done except become another cog in the bloody machine of war?

What had she done except cause everyone around her problems?

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I keep messing up," she shook her head, words coming out quicker and quicker as she sucked in air. "I'm sorry I brought strangers home. I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let the Elders or the Foundation to decide their fates. Karin needs treatment. She needs help. Fū—they were going to kill and replace her, Mom. Like she was just a broken kunai. She wasn't even a person to them.

"And the Crows…" Her chest tightened. Her vision blurred. "The Crows died protecting my Shadow Clones. They sacrificed themselves and I- I wasn't— I- I couldn't…"

Amari bit her lip. She squeezed her burning eyes shut tightly.

"Nothing went the way it was supposed to," she said weakly. "Everything is spinning out of control. We're at war again. The Stone have already captured two Nations. I- I don't know what to do, I don't know how to fix any of this."

Kurenai was suddenly kneeling in front of her. Gently, her mother unraveled Amari's hands from her hair before bringing her into a warm embrace.

Amari's whole body shuddered. She blinked and stared at the ceiling with glistening and stinging eyes, chin resting on her mother's shoulder.

All at once it hit her.

The crushing tension that had built over the last few days, the chest-pounding fears she suppressed for the sake of survival, the grief she ignored despite the red-hot blade it pierced her heart with, the anxieties and stress of feeling the world change rapidly beneath her feet, it all came rushing forth to gore her like a raging bull.

At that moment, in the security of her mother's arms, the red-hot blade twisted. Amari felt her legs collapse, too weak to hold her up any longer. Too tired to keep pushing forward.

Without them she sank deeper to the floor, deeper into her mother, who she clung to for dear life, curling her fingers into the white long-sleeve she wore, afraid to let go.

If she did, she'd was going to fall below the surface. She was going to plunge into the bottomless ocean she'd been floating in for days now.

She was going to drown.

A quiet, wordless whimper bubbled up her throat and broke out through her lips. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks.

Why is this world so horrible?

Why did I have to inherit this burden?

Kurenai held her closer. She sat back on her heels, rubbing Amari's back in soothing circles. She threaded her gentle fingers through the young girl's hair, nuzzling her now and then while quietly coaxing her to let it all out.

So she did. She trembled and heaved awful, breathless sobs, leaking tears and snot as the stress, grief, and fear finally caught her by the ankle, dragged her to the ground, and pinned her down with cold claws.

"It'll be okay, little one," Kurenai soothed, hand rubbing her back.

"The world is going crazy," she whimpered. "Good people are going to die, and I can't— I can't save them all."

"No, you can't. None of us can," she agreed solemnly.

Amari squeezed her eyes shut tightly and whimpered.

"It isn't your duty to save every single person effected by this war, little one. Once a war begins, it isn't within anyone's power to save every soul from its horrors. By then its far too late. No matter how hard we fight, our best efforts now will still not be enough to save everyone."

"Ho- how did we allow the world to become so horrible?" Amari wept.

"…Because war is our tradition," her mother answered honestly, if not softly. "It's our status quo. We accept it and all its horrors, rather than create a world where soldiers and war are no longer necessary. Because without war, without conflict…shinobi would have few reasons for existing. Some cannot imagine a world like that. Others fear a world of such radical change."

"Damn them all," she cursed in a whimper. "This war didn't have to happen. People shouldn't have to suffer like this."

Kurenai's hand gently rubbed the back of her head. "If they saw the world as you do, wars like this would never occur."

"These bastards will never see it that way. The Tsuchikage, the Foundation Leader—people like them will keep forcing us down this path over and over and over again. So what are we supposed to even do?"

"All that is within our power as shinobi is to fight. We must fight in their pointless wars for our own cause, hoping we may one day reach the world you believe in, and the cycle of war will finally grind to a halt. And never begin anew."

Amari curled her fingers tighter into her mother's lone-sleeve. But if all I can do is fight…will I ever be free?

"The path you're walking is difficult," her mother continued. "Far more difficult than the paths shinobi like me chose at your age. I was just another cog in the machine. It's because of you I changed."

"Me?"

"Mmhm. Your passion, your dreams, even your struggles, they've inspired not only me, but even the likes of Kakashi, Asuma, and Shikaku to try to bring an end to this cycle of war and bloodshed the past generations have caused you to inherit. There are others, too. It's a list that grows everyday. Your heart, that special spark that is within you, it helps us to imagine that world you envision. You paint it so vividly it ceases to be unimaginable."

"I don't feel like I've changed anything or anyone right now." She sniffled. "I feel like I'm just another cog in this endless, bloody machine."

"I know its difficult to see now, but you are more than just another cog, little one. So much more. Your actions have changed lives, never doubt that."

"It's not enough," she said weakly. "No matter how hard I try, I'm not moving fast enough to reach everyone I need to. People are dying right now, and I'm either too weak or too slow to reach them. I can't change this world fast enough for them—the people who need it most."

"You're right, you can't," Kurenai said, but not unkindly. "You must understand that. You have to understand that saving everyone is impossible." She rubbed her back. "You burn brighter than most, you reach your hand out as far as you can to others, no matter how dark the world is around them. But you can't be on every front of the war. You can't be in every home. You can't be beside every person this war will effect. People will die. Good people will suffer. That is the inevitability of war."

"I know," she sniffled. "I know that, but still…"

"All we can do is offer aid where we can and rescue those within our reach. Which you did. You say nothing went the way it was supposed to, and you aren't wrong. Your mission went awry, there's no doubt about that.

"But for all that went wrong, good things happened, didn't they?" she posed the question. "You rescued Fū and her comrades from certain death. You reached out to her, opened your arms and our home to her, and now she has a chance to live. To grow. To make friends.

"Naruto and Shino were able to rescue Karin on their own mission. Now she also has a second-chance at a life she never would've had without the three of you."

"But I forced you to take them in," she whimpered meekly.

"And you think I'm upset with you for that? Little one," her mother let out a soft chuckle.

Kurenai then guided her out of the embrace so they could look each other in the eye. She threaded her fingers through the crown of her hair and smiled warmly.

"While it is true I would've liked more time to prepare for them, I am not upset with you."

"You should be. You should be angry with me. I didn't ask for your permission. I didn't consider anything beyond helping them."

"And why should that anger me?" Kurenai questioned, never once losing her warm smile.

"Because…I'm thoughtless. I'm taking advantage of your kindness and your love."

"Thoughtless? Didn't you just say you only considered helping them? That certainly doesn't sound like someone thoughtless to me."

"Please, don't do that," she argued weakly. "Don't…turn my words against me. You should be… You're…"

God, she sounded so pathetic.

"Amari," Kurenai began softly. "You aren't thoughtless. You aren't taking advantage of my kindness or my love. You welcomed them into our home to protect them, to help them heal and give them the a chance to live. Now why does that sound familiar, hm?" she asked knowingly.

Amari's vision fogged as her eyes stung. She felt her lips tremble.

"I'm proud of you," she said passionately, rubbing Amari's head. And the tightness in her chest loosened a little.

"I'm proud of the person you're growing into," her mother continued, gently uncurling the tight fist crushing her heart with every warm word. "Although it may be a bit arrogant to say, I'm proud to have played even a small role in that. You are the light of my life, Amari. Nothing will ever change that. Just don't welcome every refugee into our home," she added amusedly. "We only have so much room to spare."

A wet snort escaped the Nara. With it, the crushing sensation departed.

"And you don't want to share your bed with anyone except Asuma-sensei," she jested weakly.

Two fingers prodded her forehead. The action and the pink flush on her mother's face coaxed a broken giggle out of her, and the weight on her shoulders lessened a little.

Amari hugged her mother again.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'm sorry I'm so troublesome."

"Don't be. I wouldn't want you to be anyone other than who you are."

For a moment they said nothing.

"Do you want to know another good thing that happened through your mission?" Kurenai asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You came home. And that means everything to me."

Amari squeezed her eyes shut against more tears. She was glad to be home, too. More than she could say.

"I know how it feels to lose comrades," her mother said. "I know my words won't heal the pain you feel. A few pieces of your heart chipped off on your mission, I know that."

They had. She felt it when she ended Shibuki's life, she felt it in every subsequent life she'd taken, and every Crow who had fallen, just like she had after the Land of Waves. She could only hope to reforge her heart in time.

"All I can tell you is to take what little time our lifestyle affords us to mourn them and grieve. Let it all out, like you are right now. From there, all you can do is prepare for the next mission, and try to do everything in your power to bring everyone home. And live on. Living is the best way to honor the sacrifice they made."

"I'll try my best."

"That's all any of us can do, little one."

They fell silent again. Amari was the one to break it after a few moments.

"Everything feels so crazy and undoable right now," she admitted. "I can barely think straight. I can't see how I'll ever get everything done."

"Then our best bet is to focus on what we can do now," her mother replied. "It's just like when you first returned to the Leaf. We'll work on one task at a time. One step at a time. Even if that step is just getting out of bed or eating breakfast, we'll be stepping in the right direction."

"Start with small victories and work from there?"

"Right," Kurenai nodded. "We'll begin by laying a strong foundation one brick at a time. Before you know it we'll have a whole new house, built to withstand anything that comes our way."

"Will it withstand an attack by some rogue shinobi and Mr. Anbu's Wood Style?"

"Of course." She could hear the smile in her mother's voice. "And don't be too hard on him. He fixed our roof for free."

"He did help break it."

"Mmhm. Anyway, let's focus on our first immediate step: Breakfast."

"Okay."

Breakfast was a good way to start. A small task to complete, a small victory among the many larger, daunting tasks ahead. While Kurenai prepared it, Amari wiped away her tears, cleaned the snot from her nose, and sat down, trying to avoid thoughts of what came after.

For now, eating and finishing breakfast was all that mattered. Once it was finished they would decided on their next objective, moving forward one step at a time, little by little, until they reached their destination.

It was meticulous and, admittedly, tedious. Yet it was a solid and familiar plan. The familiarity of it all was key.

They had successfully performed this maneuver before, they had altered the trajectory of her life entirely, reshaping, remolding, and reforging her from a malnourished child consumed by despair and hopelessness to the kunoichi she was today.

Those first steps, they had led her here today. They had helped her to find the path she had committed to.

"When I reunited with Shisui, Itachi and Aimi in the Hero World, the path I was meant to walk began to reveal itself to me," she recalled her words to Sasuke before meeting Lord Hiashi. "I was finally certain in what I wanted to do, what I needed to do.

"To be a Guardian, to bring Itachi and Aimi home, to embody the symbol I inadvertently created in that world; I could see my path forward with perfect clarity. I had this feeling of peace after it. This…intimate understanding of who I was and who I wanted to become."

Yes, that was right. It was those first steps that had helped her reach that day. It was those first steps which had led her to finding that inner peace.

They helped her cross through the Forest of Death and the fog and smoke of the Invasion to see the sun beyond the darkness, where the fears and doubts in herself withered away and the person she wanted to become revealed itself to her in the crystal clear reflection of a peaceful lake.

At the breakfast table she began to search deep within herself for that peace again. For that intimate understanding and that light within her soul which made everything so clear.

To her surprise and relief, it was still there. Tangled, of course, in the smoke and embers of war and dark emotions, but it had been this way before. Yes, her eyes and heart had been clouded once before.

"My meeting with Kasai and Madara, or whoever he is, briefly obscured my path in my dark emotions around Kasai and my fear of the Masked Man…

"But you—all of you—brought me back to my senses. Even though I was nervous, your confidence in me put me back on the right track. It reminded me of that moment of the clarity I felt in the Hero World."

Amari thought only of her mother's warm words. Her love. She thought of Shisui's faith in her. His love. She thought of her comrades, of the good things they'd achieved, and the amazing support they'd given her.

Steadily the smoke began to clear. The embers lost their glow and the dark emotions slowly drained away.

"You didn't…expect a utopia to be easy, did you?" her own weak voice played through her mind.

No. No, she hadn't expected that at all. She wished for it, of course, but she'd know the truth deep in her heart.

With the stress and grief binding her, it'd been hard to see, hard to move, but she couldn't let this stop her. This wasn't the end.

"This is just another obstacle on that path. Another setback. But that's no reason to quit. This isn't the end. Not yet."

It was only the beginning. In order to reach a utopia, in order to reach a day when she could be free…

"You have to keep standing up. You have to keep pushing forward. Even if you keep failing. Even if nothing ever seems to change. You have to stand up again and again. As many times as it takes. That's the only way to change your life. That's the only way we can change the world."

"I know it can be done… As long as you never quit… As long as you keep standing up… Even the impossible can become possible!"

Amari shut her eyes and took in a breath. Yes, she'd known the truth of those words at the brink of death inside the Vault of Gelel. They weren't just meant to rally Temujin, they weren't merely meant to help him see he could change his path and stand once again.

She knew it could be done because she'd been in the same place before. She knew it because that was how she'd gotten here today. So even if more suffering awaited on this path…

"Take heart. One day you will meet those you held most precious once more," the other Haya's voices came back to her.

"But until that day comes, each of you must continue to push forward. Each of you must continue to blaze a trail to the future you envision."

"A future where we are free."

"A future those we lost can be proud of."

"So do not hesitate."

"I will be with you every step of the way."

"Your precious people will be beside you, always, so do not falter from your paths. I believe in you, as each of you believed in me."

"Never forget that you do not walk your paths alone."

"Trust in your comrades. Trust in yourselves."

"And walk tall with the courage and Wills of those you hold and held dear to new horizons. Never stop fighting. Never let hope fade away."

Hope was still within her grasps. She couldn't falter now at the first breath of a new war. She had to blaze a trail. Because even though the world had gone crazy…

"This life may be crazy and painful and hard, it may be full of contradictions and lies and darkness," her own words echoed within her mind. "But it is also full of love, triumph, joy, friendship, and compassion and light and hope. That is the truth across all worlds, across all timelines. So don't give up. Keep living. Keep fighting."

Amari nodded to herself. She couldn't give up. She had to keep living. She had to keep fighting. Staying in bed wouldn't change anything, but standing up, taking action, no matter how insignificant it felt…

"A single act can change the course of history. A single person can change the world. Never doubt that."

"You may not save everyone, but that doesn't mean the endeavor to save some is worthless. Every life is precious. Every life saved is a world saved. Just as my world, the Amaririsu you knew, was saved by them."

The other Haya's lesson resonated within her heart. It helped clear her mind of doubt and place a few bricks in the new foundation she was building.

"I love you, little sis."

Amari took a deep breath.

I am Amaririsu Yūhi and Haya Uchiha, she repeated her words to Sasuke within her thoughts. I am the Head of the Uchiha Clan and a future Guardian of the Leaf. This is our path forward. This is where my heart and eyes have led me.

I'll keep reaching out, seeking peace and alliances, seeking a way to change this world just like my cousin and parents did before me. Just like Madara Uchiha did before he was twisted by the darkness of despair. Just like the other Haya did in protecting all of our worlds.

Everything will be all right, the self-reassurance loosed all of the tension within her body. Even her stiff jaw.

All I have to do is keep moving forward. Keep reaching out to others. I'll stumble and fall, of course. There will be times my vision and heart becomes clouded. But I am not alone in this battle. My comrades, my family, my friends, they're walking beside me, they're always here to pick me up when I fall. And I'll always be there to pick them up.

No matter how pointless this war is, no matter what suffering it brings, as long as I keep walking on my path, as long as I follow my heart and trust in my eyes, I'll reach where I'm meant to go.

Right, Shisui?

The inner peace swept over her once again. Stresses remained, grief lingered on, just as they had back then, and that was okay. It was natural.

In accepting that, the whirling world steadied beneath her feet. Once more her eyes could see clearly and her heart had a clear goal.

And a little bit more of her foundation was set.

"You've found your center again," Kurenai stated instead of asked as she joined her at the table. "I can sense it."

"I wouldn't have found my way without you," Amari said sincerely.

"I'm glad I could help," her mother smiled, rubbing her head.

After breakfast they discussed their next move, first by looking at the situation at hand from an analytical and emotionless top-down view. Many tasks were at hand. Or, thinking of it another familiar way, they had many moves on the shogi board to make to reach checkmate.

However, unlike shogi, they weren't restricted by the movements of certain pieces or at risk of losing any, nor did they have to wait for an opposing player to decide on their next move.

The opposing player's pieces were already set, left as a challenge of skill to solve within an unlimited time while possessing an unlimited number of moves.

"To get as much as we can done today," Amari thought out loud, "I'll need to use Shadow Clones. I can direct them to specific tasks, though shopping won't be one of them. I doubt the shopkeepers would forgive my Shadow Clones for using money that will disappear once they do."

"I can handle shopping for groceries and essentials later," Kurenai decided. "So cross that off your list."

"Okay."

"Fū and Karin both need to be checked by the Hokage. Karin, especially." Her mother's brow knotted together. "I can't say I'm surprised they used a child. Yet it makes me wary of all the Grass shinobi currently outside our walls. Among other feelings."

"Me too," Amari agreed. With the wariness and the other feelings. "I've only seen a fraction of her scars, but…I don't think there's an expanse of skin not covered in the impressions of adult teeth."

"There likely won't be. Which is another reason the Hokage needs to see her today."

"She needs to know the kind of shinobi she's dealing with."

"Mm," her mother hummed in agreement. "It will certainly effect discussions, especially if it was widely known. Regardless, you'll have to take them in person. You need a checkup, too."

"I'm dreading it already."

"Have you noticed any changes in your vision?"

Amari shook her head. "I can't say for certain. I mean, it seems like my vision hasn't changed. But…I'm afraid I won't notice the onset of damage. It might be subtle at first for all I know." She sighed. "But I'll find out today. Before that I'll take them shopping; Karin will feel more comfortable if she actually has clothes that fit her."

"Good idea," Kurenai nodded.

So shopping for clothes and the hospital checkup were on her to-do list. Besides the dread about her own potential loss of vision, those tasks alone didn't feel nearly as daunting.

"Can we train this morning?" Amari asked. "I think it'll help me focus and feel better."

"Of course," her mother agreed, smiling. "We can't neglect your training for Anbu. Every day brings us closer to your final exam. We can train your body and mind this morning, and you can use your Shadow Clone's to keep your training going with the Crows."

"Thanks, Mom."

Bit by bit the day seemed less and less daunting. She couldn't control the war or what occurred beyond the walls. She could only focus on what was within her power, what was right in front of her.

One step at a time, Amari thought. One day at a time. That's how we'll build a better foundation.

That's how we'll change the future.

---

Awareness came slowly to Karin when she awoke. At first she thought she moved from one dream to the next; what seemed to be the new dream was absent of imagery, a shapeless, still void she seemed to hover half-consciously inside of.

Yet it was not a cold void. Warmth blanketed her small, withered frame. She was motionless, almost paralyzed, but unafraid. Unbothered. Unburdened.

As awareness increased incrementally, the hovering sensation faded for a foreign and comfortable surface. It was also warm. She was melting into it, sinking but supported.

When she shifted ever so slightly, the possibility of this being a new dream slipped like a thread of silk between her fingers, but didn't fully slip free. The synapses within her brain struggled to ignite, the oil fully burned up through the highs and lows of stress and fear she felt over the last several days.

Eyes creaking open, she found a foreign space fogged by drowsy cobwebs and the indistinguishable blur of her lackluster vision.

I need my glasses, the thought occurred to her.

Karin's eyelids sank and darkness consumed her again.

How much time passed between then and when she stirred awake once more, she couldn't say with certainty. It could've been five minutes. It could've been an hour. Somehow it felt like both.

She opened her eyes to the foreign space, fogged by the cobwebs of drowsiness and the blur of her limited, nearsighted vision. There were shapes and colors, unfamiliar, new, and yet she'd seen them once before. Last night.

Vaguely, she could recall the desk and its assorted items—varied pictures, a crystallized flower, a bird cage, a strange figurine or toy of a very muscular man with blond hair—among which her glasses now joined. And they were still there. Somewhere through the fog.

It's not a dream…

No. It wasn't a dream at all. A fact confirmed by the presence of the desk in the fog, by the comfortable bed she lay in—the first real bed she'd ever slept in.

The mattress was nothing at all like the poor little cots she and her mother shared, the stiff floor she'd regularly been resigned to, or that of an empty gurney on good days. It was bigger than the cot and gurneys, softer than the remorseless floor, and occupied by two suns that…were now absent, she realized.

Vaguely, among the fog obscuring her mind, she sensed their relative closeness, but they were no longer in the bed. No longer on either side of her, sleeping almost motionlessly on the edges of the bed, and yet still close enough for her to know she wasn't alone. Comforting her, whether they realized it or not, with their suns, setting and sleeping, but still glowing like embers.

Karin ran her hand over the spot Amaririsu previously occupied, and shifted her foot over the spot where Fū once laid, finding the former cold but the latter still warm.

Her synapses began to fire on. Her brain processed the new information as she tried to find motivation to leave the bed.

Amaririsu must've woken early, doubtlessly before the sun had risen over the horizon. Fū was currently only minutes ahead of her—ten or so, perhaps. Maybe less.

Should she leave bed now? Should she stay? She didn't have Zōsui's boot kicking her awake or his massive hand yanking her off the floor. He wouldn't appear to drag her out of the sanctuary Amaririsu granted her, he wouldn't barge through the door, wrap her neck or hair in his terrible and violent grip, and then tug her out from beneath the warm and soft blankets.

Zōsui was dead. She'd seen it. Sensed it. He was never coming back. His Grass shinobi were trapped on the other side of the Leaf's wall, while she nestled in a warm bed, far from their reach.

Karin squeezed her eyes shut tightly and hugged her arms around her body.

He's dead. He's really dead. And I'm…

I'm free.

The reality was slowly settling in. Zōsui's death, Amaririsu's home, it all seemed like a terribly hopeful dream; it felt like an unrealistically optimistic nightmare she would soon wake up from at the call of Zōsui's foot jamming into her side, and then her accursed reality would sever the fleeting hopes she now clung to.

Yet, as she lay there, fearful of the dream fading away, nothing changed. No matter how long she hesitated, nothing changed. The bed did not become cold, unforgiving earth. The room did not melt away for a medical tent smelling of antiseptics and gore, nor was the peaceful silence penetrated by the feeble groans and grotesque screams of the injured and dying.

The room remained quiet. Still. The suns did not vanish, they did not fall beyond her reach. Their rays of light warmed her even through the walls.

She was free.

Karin opened her eyes and took in the foggy room, dimly lit by the rays of sun peeking through the curtains drawn over the window.

The sun had risen, its golden gleam brighter than she could recall, enticing her to rise as well to see the world that had always rested beyond her confined existence.

Another sun silently entered the room. The door did not creak or squeak when she slipped in, her steps were as soft as a cat's; without her senses Karin wouldn't have sensed her entry at all.

However, the light she unconsciously emanated brightened the dimly lit room more than the rising sun could. It set her synapses alight, it made Karin feel a sudden whoosh of energy, nearly causing her to bolt upright at attention in excitement rather than from the fear she'd always known.

Amaririsu crossed into her view, stepping purposefully but without a sound, attired in what appeared to be some form of purple top and black shorts. Karin recognized the black harness and general shape of her short sword despite the fog impairing her vision.

Like the sun, the light from Amaririsu offered unconditional warmth as she silently crossed to the closet, it offered a reason to rise from the bed, if only to be close to it.

Her sun, that aurora borealis glimmering within her, was also brighter today. Warmer, somehow. Perhaps because it was no longer darkened, dimmed, by stress, fear, and exhaustion.

Had a good nights rest done that for her? Karin wasn't sure.

She's been training, she noted.

Karin couldn't truly discern her matted hair or the darker shade her top had taken due to sweat, she couldn't feel how sweaty and gross Amaririsu presently felt, or the wonderful decompression training had provided. However, she felt confident in her conclusion nonetheless.

Amaririsu's chakra told her everything without a word. Her actions, acquiring new clothes specifically, put a fine point on the conclusion.

Dedicated was another word she'd describe Amaririsu with. Patient, too. Someone impatient definitely couldn't withstand someone as chaotic and scatterbrained as Fū.

Amaririsu acquired two tops, both bearing long sleeves; Karin assumed one was the mesh armor worn by shinobi. From there she moved on to grab a pair of shorts and fresh undergarments.

Karin watched the kunoichi glide around, wondering if Amaririsu would notice she was awake, wondering if she should speak up, greet her, say good morning, thank her for everything again. Maybe it would be better if she pretended to still be asleep to avoid the sounding like a drowsy, bubbling idiot.

Before she could decide, and as Amaririsu acquired the last of her fresh clothes—a pair of what were likely thermal leggings, maybe—the Leaf kunoichi glanced her way. Karin felt another whoosh when their eyes met.

"Ah, good morning, Karin," Amaririsu smiled.

An electric rush greater than any morning cup of coffee flowed through her. All at once gooseflesh prickled across her skin, her hairs stood on end, and her heart skipped. She felt her face flush red, embarrassed that she'd gotten caught spying.

"Sorry if I woke you up."

"You didn't," Karin assured in a quiet, drowsy voice, shaking her head into the pillow. "I was up already. I was just…" She averted her eyes. "Just trying to find a reason to leave bed, I guess."

"Mm. I've been there before," Amaririsu admitted sincerely and softly.

"…What did you do to get through it?"

Amaririsu approached the bed, setting her clothes down off to the side before sitting on its edge. The Leaf kunoichi's different colored eyes and scarred face slowly came into focus. The edges around her were still blurry, a golden silhouette of sunlight glowed around her.

"I'd like to say I was a tough warrior. That I stood in the face of trauma and grief and I didn't wither or falter. That's what a 'strong person' would say, right? It's how shinobi—soldiers—are meant to be, isn't it? Unwavering. Unfaltering. Strong no matter how much pain they endure. It'd conjure the image of quite the powerful person in your mind, I'm sure, to say that's how I was.

"But it wasn't." Amaririsu shook her head. "The truth is I cried a lot, in this very bed. I can't tell you how many times I sobbed into my pillows as I hugged them tightly, wishing they were the brothers I lost. Wishing all of my pain would just…disappear. Wondering why I should even get out of bed. Somedays wishing I had died instead of living.

"Losing the people I loved shattered my world. I didn't know where to begin with rebuilding a new life. Where was I even supposed to start? How are you supposed to start over when all you've ever known is ripped from your arms and your left with nothing?" Amaririsu pondered.

Karin said nothing. She merely listened.

"Questions like that made me want to stay in bed. It made dying sound so much easier. At least then I'd be with them. At least then this crazy and cruel world couldn't hurt me anymore," Amaririsu said softly.

Karin said nothing. She stared at the kunoichi seated before her, glowing in the sunlight, beaming with an intangible, invisible light none but Sensory Types like her could feel, and felt the sincerity in her chakra, heard it in her vulnerable voice as she lay her hearts scars bare. Without hesitation. Without seeking pity.

Amaririsu sought only to build a bridge to reach Karin, to preface her own circumstances as she sought a mutual understanding.

And it worked.

"It's not what I did that got me through that time," Amaririsu continued, never once losing her sincerity. "If it were up to me, I would've quit. I never would've tried to get out of bed or tried to become strong. Not without the support I've received from others," she added, shaking her head.

"I've been fortunate. Despite the tragedies, despite the scars I bear, I am so fortunate to have met people like my mom, like my teacher, to have the incredible support system they and so many others have provided me. I owe it all to them. Everything I am now, everything I can potentially become, it's because of them," she emphasized, and Karin could feel the resoluteness of her belief in those words.

"I'm here today because of the sacrifices others made for me. I'm here because strangers who owed me nothing never gave up on me. I'm here because they didn't let me quit or stay in bed. They comforted me as I cried and grieved, they encouraged me as I stumbled, and they picked me up when I fell. They helped me build a foundation to stand on, and from that foundation I was able to start again. They helped me build a new life."

Amaririsu smiled at Karin. "It's my hope I can be that for you and Fū. I want to help you start building that foundation. We'll do it brick by brick. One step and one day at a time. So I want you to know that I won't give up on you, and I won't let you give up, either."

Her convictions… Karin felt the sting of tears. Amaririsu's face fell out of focus behind a wet blur.

"And I know I'm not alone in that. I know Naruto and Shino would say the same thing. Ino, too. So will the rest of our peers once you meet them. You and Fū won't be alone in facing anything. Because…"

She glanced off briefly to the table, a soft smile forming on her lips at whatever she saw, before looking back at Karin.

"Because we are here. Always," she said. "As long as you don't mind, that is. I wouldn't want to be a pain."

Karin could only shake her head in silence, indicating she wasn't a pain. Pain didn't feel like this at all.

"All right, it's a promise, then."

Amaririsu reached her hand out and laid it palm up. Timidly, Karin snuck her hand out from beneath the blankets and clasped it, and felt not only its warmth, but a security she'd only felt since meeting Shino, Naruto, and Amaririsu. Just by feeling their fingers entwine.

"Come on," Amaririsu encouraged, gently pulling on her hand. "There's a nice warm shower with your name on it."

"…Okay."

---

Of all the scents Karin had ever experienced, most of which were fetid and nauseating, the pleasant aroma wafting from the Yūhi household kitchen ascended to the peak of a glorious mountain and planted a distinguished and regal banner, one which would stand against the test of time and Mother Nature.

Out of the shower, attired in Amaririsu's clothes, which were two sizes or more too big for her withered frame, Karin had initially followed her senses towards the two suns now gathered in the kitchen.

Yet as she adjusted the waistband of Amaririsu's shorts, slipping off her non-existent hips despite tying the strings as tightly as humanly possible, she was magnetically drawn to the kitchen by the warm aroma smelling of freshly cooked meals she couldn't begin to imagine the composition of.

It certainly wasn't gruel. Gruel tasted and smelled like the nausea just before vomiting, while looking exactly like yesterday's gruel upchucked into a tin can, full of undigested chunky bits.

The memory of it made her stomach churn unpleasantly. She shook her head and grounded herself in the present, here, approaching the kitchen, smelling nothing at all like gruel. She'd never known food could smell so good.

Timidly, she entered the kitchen, adjusting the waistband out of nerves and to keep the shorts from falling off. Fū was already at the dining table, a plate of partially eaten food in front of her as she, eyes sparkling as though she was tasting heaven, chewed on the strange meal.

It looked like square pieces of bread, but there were tiny little square divots impressed into bread, which may not have been bread at all, for all she knew. Some manner of sauce was drizzled over the bread, circular slices of a banana were neatly laying along the edge of the plate, fresh blueberries filled the divots, which Fū was plucking out one at a time and popping them into her mouth before cutting off another piece of the square bread.

Amaririsu sat with her, a smaller plate in front of her filled by scrambled eggs decorated with chopped up green vegetables of some kind and what her nose recognized as fish of some kind.

Salmon, she realized. Definitely salmon. There was a tiny cup, smaller than the width of her palm, filled with blueberries and a diced strawberry as a side.

Kurenai leaned on the kitchen counter beside the oven, eating from a similarly sized plate with the same food as her daughter.

Everyone noticed her enter. However, Kurenai and Amaririsu were kind enough to finish chewing their food before speaking. Fū was too excited to let manners stop her.

"Karin, you totally have to try these waffles out!" she declared, covering her mouth to hide the food she was still chewing on. "Kurenai made them from scratch and everything. Her cooking is out of this world! Oh, and she made us these super healthy muffins! Look at how cute they are. They're like little mini-muffins! They're made from egg whites and they have some kind of peppers and onions and spinach in them. And I definitely never liked eating vegetables, but these are totally awesome!"

She wasn't sure what a "waffle" was, but…

Karin adjusted her glasses as she examined all the intoxicating foods causing her stomach to moan and her mouth to water.

They're all healthy foods, I think. Fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, and it looks like those "waffles" have applesauce on them. Lots of nutritious foods. I'm not sure what they're made from, but I bet those things Fū is eating are probably made from healthy ingredients as well.

Nothing at all like the gruel I ate… When I ate.

"I told you your cooking is godlike," Amaririsu said, smiling at her mother.

"Careful, little one," Kurenai took on a teasing tone. "I might actually work exclusively for the Feudal Lord if you and Fū keep up complimenting me."

"Still not funny."

"Hmhm," Kurenai chuckled, then looked to Karin. "Good morning, Karin. I hope you slept well."

"Um, yes. I did."

For the first time in years, she'd actually slept…well. It felt strange.

"Thank you again for allowing me—us—to stay with you, Miss Kurenai," she bowed her head.

"Oh, right! I should be calling you Miss Kurenai, too. Shibuki would totally chastise me for my lack of manners," Fū realized aloud. "Sorry about that, Miss Kurenai."

"It's all right," Kurenai reassured, a laugh in her voice. "Now, Karin, are you aware of any food allergies you may have? Any intolerance to dairy products?"

"No."

"Okay. Little one, make sure the doctors test her for allergies."

"I will."

"In the meantime, I'll prepare your breakfast this morning, and likely any other morning when I'm not out on a mission. Otherwise Amari will take care of breakfast for you, at least until you've gotten into your routine. There may be days when neither of us are here, so we'll make sure you know how to cook and prepare your meals, as well as clean up after yourself."

Karin nodded silently. Kurenai and Amaririsu were going to take care of her, yet they also were going to prepare her with essential skills, like cooking and preparing these healthy meals that smelled delicious. At least then she wouldn't be completely useless.

"Our goal is to get you to a healthy weight," the woman explained calmly. "However, given your current state, which is similar to Amari's when she first arrived, we'll need to do it carefully, steadily increasing your calorie intake over a period of time so your digestive system can safely adjust.

"So, although you may feel like you want to eat as much as Fū and Amari, we'll need to carefully monitor your calorie intake for a time. All right?"

Karin nodded silently again. It made sense. Fū and Amaririsu were shinobi, they had to fuel their bodies for intense training and missions, and they were both at healthy weights already so it was only logical that their calorie intake wouldn't need to be as carefully monitored.

Also, she appreciated Kurenai taking the time to explain how they intended to raise her to a healthy weight; they were clearly taking her health as seriously as Amaririsu took any promise.

"Thank you so much. Both of you," Karin bowed her head again. "I… I don't know what else to say. Just… Thank you. Thank you for doing all this for me—for us. I can't repay this—"

She'd sensed Kurenai's approach, but still wasn't prepared for her warm hand to rest on her head, gently ruffling her hair.

Karin lifted her gaze to meet the woman's smile. "Karin, you don't need to repay anything. All we want you to focus on is getting healthy, okay?"

"Yeah. I'm in the same boat as you, Karin, but we'll figure out something together. And we'll help you get healthy together, too," Fū offered her support. "And I know the best way to start."

She lifted her fork to the ceiling as though lifting a mystical sword, skewered with the dimpled bread.

"Waffles!"

Amaririsu giggled. Kurenai exhaled a short chuckle.

She's so simpleminded and sincere…

"…What exactly is a waffle?" she dared to ask.

The sharp and horrified gasp Fū made told her she'd asked something absolutely sacrilegious.

Later, once she tasted one, she would understand why Fū gasped so dramatically.

Because, without a doubt, Kurenai's waffles and egg-white muffins were, in Amaririsu's words, godlike.

So godlike Karin began crying as she ate them. No one questioned it. They brushed aside her apologies, brought her tissues, and comforted her. And so she ate with tears running down her face, savoring every little bite of her meal.

It was her first real meal in years. And it was glorious.

---

The Leaf's hospital was clean, the cleanest she'd ever seen. Undamaged, organized, it was nothing like the Grass's battle-worn medical facilities and ill-equipped tents. Here in the Leaf they were well-staffed, at least they seemed to be when compared to the Grass. She spotted more than a handful of nurses and medical-ninja on the way to their room.

By comparison, the Grass's stark lack of medical professionals was blatant on that first day they forced her into their facility; it was obvious before the first bite she received, as Zōsui dragged her through the halls of a poorly lit, poorly maintained facility past dozens of writhing and wounded patients, some on gurneys, some just lying or sitting on the floor in the halls.

The Grass didn't possess enough medical-ninjas to staff a whole facility properly, they could barely staff a single tent. Conversely, the Leaf's hospital had administrative positions.

It was crazy.

Seeing it all, from the nurses and doctors, to the state-of-the-art equipment, Karin wondered why the Grass hadn't bothered to train more medical ninjas.

It doesn't make any sense, she thought, twiddling her fingers.

Presently, she sat on a bed in a sterile and pristine room, its occupants consisting of her, Fū, and Amaririsu. The Leaf kunoichi leaned on the wall adjacent to the bed, Fū sat on the edge of it kicking her feet back and forth in boredom.

The Grass Village are allies of the Leaf, she ruminated. They could have asked for help in training more medical-ninjas. They could've asked for better equipment before the war began. Were they that arrogant and stupid to think they could negotiate their way out of any potential war? Was it pride or something?

Arrogant, prideful and stupid definitely suited Zōsui.

How much loss could've been avoided if they had trained more medical ninjas?

Would her mother still be alive? Would she be sitting here, covered in disturbing and grotesque scars on every part of her body, appearing like some sort of human dental record if they'd actually asked the Leaf for help?

Karin didn't know. She would never know. Yet the possibility caused her heart to pinch. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling and squeezed her pointer finger's knuckle in frustration and grief.

I'm never going back. Never.

She couldn't wait to leave the hospital. Although cleaner and full of kinder people than any facility or tent she'd spent time in, just the stench of clinical disinfectant left her heart a few quick beats away from an anxiety attack.

If not for Amaririsu and Fū she would have lost it already.

Without a foundation, as Amaririsu called it, their calm and bright presences secured her on necessary stable and solid ground. Their supportive hands didn't clutch her wrist, neck, or hair in vice grips to drag her wherever they desired unwillingly, they guided her along gently, patiently taking it one step at a time, as though teaching her to walk again.

They kept her moving forward. They turned impossible leaps into ordinary steps. She never would have survived shopping for new clothes without them. She had never even shopped for…well, anything in her life. The Grass never compensated her. They never allowed her out of their sight, least of all to buy something for herself.

Just entering the shop had filled her with crushing anxiety. She didn't know what to even pick out. She didn't even know if anything would fit her.

Additionally, they weren't alone. There were people in the shop as well, and their eyes… Whether true or not, she felt them always watching. She felt them staring at her like she was some sort of freak.

Was it because she was wearing clothes too big for her? Had they seen any of her awful scars?

The whole experience left her self-conscious and afraid. So much so she hastily picked out a random outfit and returned to Amaririsu, claiming she had everything she needed so they could leave.

Amaririsu, as always, disarmed her anxieties with a smile and led her back through the store to pick out more clothes.

"You need more than one outfit," the Nara reasoned. "By early next year you'll grow out of any clothes we pick out today, so we'll be back again at some point to update and expand yours and Fū's wardrobes. Mine, too, when my growth spurt finally decides to kick in," she added mostly to herself.

"Anyway, winters here in the Leaf range from a chilly day like today, to full blown snowstorms, to nearly spring like sunny days. We need to make sure you have everything you need for all types of weather. Pick anything you like."

Amaririsu didn't leave her side after that. With her there it made the anxieties less powerful. It swept away their control. Strangely, it also diverted the attention of the patrons from her to the Leaf kunoichi.

Some approached to speak to Amaririsu. One mentioned her "outstanding" performance in the Chūnin Exams. Another spoke about the Invasion that followed it, thanking her for personally rescuing one of their loved ones.

It was a sign of budding influence. When Karin later asked if she knew any of them personally, Amaririsu's answer was simple and to the point.

"Nope. Never met them in my life." She had rubbed the back of her neck. "It still weirds me out. I spent so long trying to glide by unseen in the shadows. Now people know my name, they approach me out of nowhere. And that's bound to happen more and more as time goes on. It's sort of a drag."

Once their clothes were picked and paid for, Fū and Karin changed into their new outfits, consisting of a peach long-sleeve crop top, mesh long-sleeve undershirt, and a short black skirt and thermal leggings for Fū, and a cyan pullover sweater, grey long-sleeve with thumbholes, and whitish-grey sweatpants for Karin.

Now they were waiting for the doctor or the original nurse to return, their initial checkups and bloodwork already performed by a kind female nurse; she had patiently walked them both through every little test she ran in the well-check, providing the reasons behind them as she went.

Karin nervously picked and fiddled with the edge of her sleeves. The windows were shut, yet the room felt cold. She felt cold.

What was taking so long? How much longer did they have to wait here? She wanted to go already. Somewhere that didn't smell like antiseptics. Somewhere that wasn't a hospital. Anywhere. Preferably back to their sanctuary.

An electric shock rippled along her senses, along her skin, summoning gooseflesh and commanding her hairs to stand on end. Karin's head jolted up, wide red eyes drawn to the door, and beyond to the cascading waves of power approaching.

Such chakra! They're at the entrance of the hospital yet I can feel their presence all the way here. I can feel it in my chest. In my bones.

"Hm." Amaririsu hummed, lifting her eyes and chin to the ceiling. "That didn't take as long as I expected."

Fū paused kicking her legs. Karin was surprised to see a serious expression cross the girl's face.

"Feels like someone super strong entered the hospital. Chōmei can feel them, too. They're like that Pervy Sage guy."

They can feel them, too? She shouldn't have been surprised. Amaririsu was a Sensory Type, and though Fū often seemed like a, well… To put it mildly, Fū often acted like an excitable, simple-minded child, but Karin had seen glimpses of a deeper, more introspective side of the kunoichi beneath the superficial layer.

Behind the smile that didn't always reach her eyes, there was someone not so simple-minded or excitable or childish.

There was a young girl, like her, who's entire world was flipping and whirling through space at every angle, bouncing off of other celestial bodies, while she was doing everything she could to hold on and not puke. Or, rather, that was what Karin believed.

Looking at Fū now, Karin could only purse her lips. It was like seeing a stranger, sort of. A person that looked exactly like the excitable fool who declared her desire to be friends and threw herself into it headfirst, as she did with everything, recklessly and without any apparent logic behind the madness.

Yet, the serious demeanor, the smile that was different than the joyful variant somehow, was a far cry from that excitable fool. She was different than that sun Karin welcomed and was grateful to have, despite their total opposite personalities.

I don't think I've seen her cry, Karin realized at that moment. She mentions that guy—Shibuki. That's his name. She mentions his name often. She did it this morning, too, almost unconsciously. He didn't survive, right? And they were close, weren't they?

Yet you haven't cried. You seem fine on the surface. You smile and laugh and you're so excitable, almost annoyingly so.

So… Karin flattened her lips together and pinched her sleeve. Fū was staring at the door, serious and smiling.

So why do I feel this tightness in my stomach when I look at you like this? Why, in the quietest moments, when you have nothing to divert your attention to, or a friend to make, or some new experience you dive into headfirst, do I feel cracks within you?

Karin bit her lip and pinched her sleeve tighter.

You're hurting…aren't you? But you're pretending not to be. Or are you just trying not to hurt?

"Hmph," Amaririsu's amused snort and shake of her shoulders yanked Karin from her dark thoughts. "Sometimes I wonder how Master Jiraiya brings himself to train Naruto when he calls him a nickname like that."

"Do you think he secretly likes it?" Fū asked, sincere in her curiosity.

"Heh! No way," Amaririsu shook her head. "It's likely more self-awareness than anything else. Also, despite their constant bickering, I think their bond as master and student is stronger than it looks at first glance." She shrugged. "Anyway, Lady Hokage is the source of the chakra, so no reason for you two to be on edge. She's here with her assistant. I'd bet Lady Hokage wants to meet you two personally and handle my vision check."

"Oh, that's right. That technique you used hurt your eye, didn't it?" Fū recalled. "Is your vision okay? Are you still blind right now? Is that why you have your eye covered again?"

"I honestly can't answer whether or not my vision is okay. I've recovered my vision since using that technique, and it seems normal to me. But it's possible it has degraded a little without me noticing it. A vision test will answer that soon enough," she added, and Karin felt her trepidation for the results.

"I cover it mostly out of habit now; years of doing it makes the action pretty much unconscious for me. Still, although it isn't a secret anymore from those closest to me, that doesn't mean everyone knows about it. There are certain people I'd like to keep from knowing about it for as long as I can. Especially now that we're going into a war."

"Like who?" Fū asked.

"For starters, the Hyūga Elders," she explained. "Lord Hiashi and I reached an agreement, but I wouldn't put it past his Clan Elders to cause a scene about it. They're already pissed I copied their Main Branch technique. I don't want to complicate his situation when he's already butting heads trying to reform their traditions," she shook her head.

"My influence in the grander political scene is still too limited to start those kinds of fires."

"Aren't you a Clan Head, though?" Fū asked. "Shouldn't that mean you have, like, a whole lot of influence?"

"I am a Clan Head," she nodded. "However, my Clan is reduced to two people, presently. If I were to take a stand against the Hyūga Clan Elders, I'd also have to stand against Lord Hiashi and the whole Hyūga Clan, who stand as the strongest and most influential Clan in the whole Leaf at this moment. They may not be able to take the eye back or brand me with a Curse Seal; Lord Hiashi has already granted me his permission and acceptance in utilizing this eye.

"But those Elders…" She squinted and said nothing for a moment. Karin sensed her palpable disdain for them in that single action.

"They'd raise a stink over it," she continued. "They'd force his hand, make a scene, basically like a child's tantrum in the middle of the market, and then we'd be forced to clash over such a trivial matter. In the end, I'd lose a lot of political capital and influence and weaken my standing before I ever got started on rebuilding my Clan.

"I can't afford that," she shook her head. "Not if I want to fulfill my goals. Covering my eye circumvents the problem entirely. Everyone believes I'm half blind, giving me an advantage in all sorts of circumstances, and no one here at home wants to fight about it. Win-win."

She's thinking five moves ahead, Karin noted, blinking in astonishment. By the time they realize she has the eye, it won't even matter anymore. The Head of the Hyūga Clan and Amaririsu will be so far ahead in their actual goals that the Elders will have no chance of catching up. Or that seems to be her plan, anyway.

It was no wonder she made Chūnin already.

Every minute that passed brought the powerful presence of the Hokage closer and closer. Karin felt herself fidgeting more, shifting in the bed and tugging at her sleeve, trying not to let the nerves get the better of her.

Fū had begun to kick her legs again, but the closer the Hokage approached, the more her calm composure eroded. Her fingers dug into the edge of the bed. She bit her lip now and then. She stopped kicking and began fidgeting. Until…

"Gah!" Fū finally broke. "I'm totally getting super nervous about this. What should I do? What do I say? I don't want the Hokage not to like me. What if she kicks me out?!"

Karin tried not to fidget more hearing her same fears voiced.

"Don't panic so much," Amaririsu calmed, sounding mildly amused. "Lady Hokage is pretty easy-going. Just be kind and respectful and you'll be fine. And try not to ask too many questions or interrupt her. She's low on patience due to our current circumstances."

I hope you're right about her being easy-going.

They were about to find out.

The door slid open suddenly. Despite sensing the Hokage's approach the noise caused Karin and Fū to jolt to attention. Their spines straightened and their bodies ceased all movements.

Without ceremony, the Hokage strutted into the room bearing their medical charts, trailed by her dark-haired assistant, who slid the door shut behind them.

"Lady Hokage," greeted Amaririsu, bowing politely.

Karin began to do the same, shifting in the bed to rise, when Fū let out a sharp gasp.

"Whoa!" she awed. "Shibuki wasn't kidding. You really are one of the most beautiful shinobi in the world!"

"Aw, thank you. I appreciate the compliment," the Hokage smiled kindly.

"Is your chest really that big?"

The Fifth Hokage's eyebrow twitched. Karin felt a sensation akin to metal claws screeching down a chalkboard deep in her gut.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Did she seriously just ask that stupid question!

"I mean, it's huge!" Fū continued, as if unable to stop or hear herself. "Is that painful for your back? Chōmei says you're using a Transformation Jutsu, so I was…um…"

She finally noticed the change in temperature in the room, as well as the massive vein bulging on the Hokage's forehead. Her assistant's expression was pale and stricken by horror. Karin couldn't move a single muscle.

Amaririsu merely shut her eye and exhaled a long sigh through her nostrils.

"You brain-dead idiot," she muttered.

"I'll have you know," the Hokage began, strutting straight towards Fū, who had begun to visibly sweat, "I was blessed by the gods, you little imp!"

The Hokage lifted her hand, loaded her finger for a flick, and struck the Waterfall kunoichi directly in the forehead.

Fū shot off the bed. She flipped rapidly head over foot, backwards somersaulting against all conceivable laws of gravity, before crashing into the far wall upside down. The whole hospital seemed to shake and vibrate.

"Aieeee!" the assistant cried.

Karin looked on in horror, face pale. I think she just killed Fū!

"Ughhhh," groaned the impish fool.

Nope. Not dead. By some miracle.

Amaririsu sighed again, reaching her hand up to rub the back of her neck as she crossed the floor.

"Be kind, I said. Be respectful, I said. Don't ask too many questions, I said," she mumbled. "You could've left it at the compliment, introduced yourself, and saved yourself from a headache. But noooo. Let's shamelessly question the Hokage's bust size. You're as bad as Naruto. How troublesome."

"Ngghhh. My head…"

"Yep. That's going to hurt for a while, trust me. Be happy you're still conscious," Amaririsu replied, helping Fū off the wall to lay on her side.

"Now then, anything stupid you'd like to ask?" the Fifth Hokage questioned, staring directly at Karin.

"No ma'am!" she squeaked out.

"Smart girl."

Clearly Amaririsu forgot to mention an important detail about the Fifth Hokage.

She did not suffer fools.

---

The differences in Fū's and Karin's conditions were plain to see without their medical charts. So were their personalities, frankly. But, again, it didn't take medical charts or a trained psychologist to diagnose the cause of the little imp's social ineptitude or Karin's meek and anxious obedience.

One was the result of social starvation. A near one-hundred percent deprivation of normal relationships, friendships and bonding. The other was the result of an atmosphere of physical and emotional abuse, a life of slavery and hopelessness that, eventually, conditioned the child into subservience.

Their physical health reflected their different life conditions. Fū, despite now sitting ramrod straight and trying not to squirm, was as healthy as any shinobi. She was physically fit for duty, bearing no signs of infirmity, illness, disease, or allergies, according to preliminary test results.

Additionally, according to Fū, Shibuki had kept her up-to-date with all current vaccines. Assuming she avoided any serious injury the Seven-Tails couldn't passively heal, she wouldn't be due for another well-check for some time.

Karin, who had resumed nervously pinching and tugging at her sleeves, represented the other side of the health spectrum. The sweatpants and sweater did little to hide her emaciated frame, her thinness was only made more obvious to Tsunade's discerning eyes by sitting on the same bed as Fū.

The reports from Anko's squad and Amaririsu regarding her severe scarring were verified by the nurse, which confirmed what the Grass were using Karin for.

It also confirmed a theory Amaririsu only deigned to mention in the heat of their arguments with the Elders and Danzō.

Beyond the superficial, Karin's internal health wasn't any better. She'd mentioned feeling dizzy consistently, difficulty walking, feeling cold all the time, and a constant lethargy—all signs of the effects of malnourishment.

Due to how long the Grass had starved her, there was a chance the long-term effects of malnourishment could make her more susceptible to severe illness and disease in the future. It may even effect her growth through puberty, and damage her organs, among other issues.

Shockingly, the Grass had taken some level of precaution in vaccinating the kid when they decided to start using her as their personal miracle cure. Rather, that seemed to be the safe assumption based on Karin's reports of receiving shots; they'd need to run some blood tests to test for certain vaccines, and fill in the gaps where the Grass failed.

No blood borne diseases, according to preliminary test results. No terminal illnesses. In those areas she was clear.

Yet the road to recovery Karin faced was an arduous road. One, fortunately, she wouldn't face alone. In fact, Amaririsu and Kurenai were likely the best candidates to oversee her recovery, given their previous history with similar circumstances.

As for psychological health, that was an even longer and harder road. A road that would stretch her entire lifetime, honestly. But they would offer what support they could, and, perhaps, if the fates were kind, they could expand their financial support to the Medical Corps and hospital to build a dedicated department to the psychological health of shinobi and trauma patients like Karin.

Eventually, Tsunade thought. War has a way of tightening the Villages purse. And, despite its usefulness during a war, funding the hospital and Medical Corps always seems to be too inconvenient.

Maybe she could change that. Maybe.

"J. L, P, E, D. P, E, C, F, D. E, D, F, C, Z, P."

Tsunade glanced over the two girls to Amaririsu. She was standing twenty feet from the eye chart with her right eye covered, reading the rows of letters from top to bottom. Shizune stood adjacent to the Uchiha, watching and listening intently. This was only the first test she'd need to undergo.

From here they'd move onto a visual field test, determining her field of vision without moving her eyes or using the Byakugan. Then they would run a slit-lamp exam, examining her cornea, lens, and anterior chamber for any potential damage caused by the Mangekyō Sharingan.

If they could catch it early, if she could study the damage caused by the strain, maybe they could mitigate it for Amaririsu and Sasuke. Maybe she could learn how to prevent it for future generations of Uchiha children.

Some way that didn't include the old Uchiha tradition of taking a close-relatives eyes.

"All right, Fū." Tsunade lowered her gaze to the Waterfall kunoichi, who sat up a little straighter, somehow, and swallowed roughly. "As long as you eat a better balanced diet, which you're sure to do while living with Kurenai and Amaririsu, you'll remain the picture of health."

"Yes!" Fū pumped her fist. Then seemed to catch herself. "Oh, um, I mean, yes ma'am," she corrected herself and bowed her head. "As long as they taste as good as they did today, I'll totally eat more veggies."

"Good." Tsunade dipped her chin once. "We'll have a few more regular checkups as you acclimatize to the Leaf, just to be thorough, but overall I don't suspect there will be any changes. We'll discuss your training and the possibility of missions another time. For now just focus on settling in."

"Roger that!" Fū saluted.

"Karin," the Hokage shifted her gaze to the withered girl, who paused picking at her sleeve and sat up straighter. She had difficulty maintaining eye contact and her shoulders quickly began to cave inwards.

"There's record of you participating in the last Chūnin Exams. May I ask how that came to be and how you ended up where Shino and Naruto found you?"

"…Due to my abilities," Karin began in a voice that was nearly a whisper, "Zōsui assigned me to the unit in your records. I wasn't officially a Grass shinobi before that event…or after it. I was just there so my teammates could use my healing and Sensory abilities to their advantage; it was Zōsui's hope I would increase the chances of the Grass reaching the final round, that way the Grass could show off its strength to the most influential spectators.

"Whether I personally succeeded or not in the Finals didn't matter. I just had to get the others there. Or try to, anyway. We failed in the second round, however. When I returned, the headband I'd been given was taken away. I was back to treating patients."

"Mm. I see. Did they start starving you after the Exams?"

"No. I wasn't fed properly until a few months before the Exams. I thought I…was being accepted, I guess," she admitted in a meek, defeated voice. "I didn't realize they needed me healthy enough to participate in the Exam. Once we returned, though…"

"They stopped feeding you again," Tsunade concluded.

Karin nodded.

"Did they bother to give you any shinobi training before the Exam?"

"No."

"And was this Zōsui and his subordinates the only ones who knew about you? Or were the higher-ups in the Grass aware of your situation?"

"I'm not sure, ma'am. Zōsui was the one who…handled me. He brought me to patients and escorted me back when I was too weak to heal anyone else."

Tsunade hummed. I'll have figure out the answer to that question later, then.

If all the higher-ups in the Grass were aware of Karin's treatment—her slavery—then that would alter discussions significantly.

"And they overtaxed your mother, leading to her death, correct?"

Karin nodded silently.

Tsunade wished she could say she was surprised by the actions taken by the Grass. But she wasn't. Not even in the slightest.

Every corner of the shinobi world was full of similar cruelty.

"Well, allow me to assure you no one will ever force you to use your abilities here," Tsunade said. "If anyone ever attempts to force you against your Will to use your abilities, understand they have no authority over you, regardless of their rank or status in the Leaf.

"You are a civilian. You aren't a shinobi of the Leaf, a conscript, or under any Leaf shinobi's authority," she explained calmly and with authority. "Therefore, if anyone attempts to force their Will onto you, I want you to fight, scream, scratch and claw until you free yourself, or another Leaf shinobi rescues you.

"However, should none arrive, should we somehow fail to protect you in that moment, I want you to tell Amaririsu, Kurenai, myself, or anyone you deem trustworthy as soon as you can. Don't hesitate," Tsunade implored. "I will take action against anyone who attempts to force you to use your abilities against your Will. Be certain of that.

"Furthermore, any claim that I commanded the use of your abilities will be a lie; I will never command you to use your abilities," she stated, shaking her head once. "You and you alone will decide whether or not the gifts you were born with are utilized. You and you alone will decide what your path is. Do you understand?"

"I- I think so."

To Tsunade's eyes, Karin seemed to believe her, yet caution and hesitation flickered in her eyes.

She was struggling to understand why she, the Hokage of all people, would dictate such a command when an incredibly valuable set of abilities were at her fingertips. And there was no doubt that Karin's abilities were valuable.

So why wouldn't she snatch them up against Amaririsu's wishes? Why wouldn't she force her to use them when a war was afoot?

Tsunade didn't find her hesitation or caution surprising. Or insulting, for that matter. How could she? Until Shino and Naruto intervened, Karin had only known superiors who used her, who treated her as a tool as opposed to a human being.

Would she take someone's word at face value after experiencing Karin's life?

Absolutely not. She'd be waiting for them to drop the phony altruism. Because eventually a day would come, in her traumatized mind, where these so-called benevolent people couldn't spare a single useful ability, and then they'd throw her back into the hell of treating people against her Will.

That's what she would believe in Karin's position, so she couldn't blame her for the doubt, the caution, or the hesitation.

"For the time being," Tsunade continued, "all you need to focus on is getting yourself to a healthy bodyweight. I imagine Kurenai and Amaririsu have likely already discussed how they intend to do that."

"Yes ma'am."

"You're both in good hands with them," Tsunade stated, nodding slightly. "We'll have more regular check-ups for you, Karin, to monitor your progress and fine tune your treatment if it proves necessary.

"You'll both also have access to therapy. Our doctors, the few we have that are psychologists, are specially trained in handling trauma, grief, and depression. I suppose you could attribute that to their proximity to shinobi," she added offhandedly.

Frankly, their distinct lack of dedication to psychotherapy and mental health treatment meant their psychologists were few and far between. They should have been overloaded by a system that sent children and adults into a meat grinder and offered them little help once the repeated trauma finally caught up to them. Yet the reality was far more grim.

They had far too few patients. Shinobi from her generation, from Kakashi's, and even Amaririsu's generation, they were trained to push those emotions aside. To bottle them up and stick them somewhere deep out of sight, where the trauma tumor could metastasize out of sight, killing them day by day in silence.

That was the way of shinobi. The way it had always been. They couldn't afford to divert resources to something so "irrelevant." Each generation just had to pull on their big boy and girl pants and tough it out like those who came before.

I can't think of a dumber reason than that for maintaining the status quo. It was the same when I argued for medical-ninjas in every squad, she ruminated. Despite the lives it would have saved back then, despite how important it has become to the Leaf's military readiness in the present, we sit and we wait, and we dig our heels against change because "that's the way it has always been."

Until they actually dedicated serious resources to psychotherapy and mental health, building up an infrastructure to support dedicated centers of research and treatment, and until they changed the societal perception and thought around concepts like mental health and therapy, there would be too few patients for their too few psychologists.

Until that day came many shinobi would simply do what they'd all done for decades now: Tough it out until you either pushed through the dark clouds to the sunlit fields beyond, or were claimed by an eternal, cold darkness.

Tsunade shook the dark thought off. "Don't be afraid to talk to them," she said. "What you say in any session will stay between you and your therapist."

Karin bowed her head. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Yeah. Thanks a ton, Lady Fifth," Fū bowed her head, too.

"You're welcome."

Lady Fifth was an improvement. Better than "Granny," too. If only flicking Naruto would've knocked sense into him.

The Hokage glanced to Shizune and Amaririsu again. Shizune was onto the visual field test. She stood directly in front of Amaririsu, holding up four fingers in her peripherals, all the while the Uchiha had her right eye covered and was staring at the tip of Shizune's nose.

One more test to perform. Soon enough they would know how her vision compared to her well-check at the start of the year and their recent tests after the Sound Four and Gelel Incidents.

Tsunade drew her eyes back to Fū, and then to Karin, where they lingered for a moment.

"I'm almost certain she's an Uzumaki, since she has hair like Lady Mito's, but we can figure that out tomorrow."

It'd sounded far-fetched in the heat of the debate. Now, though…

"There is one final matter I need to speak to you about, Karin," Tsunade began.

"O- okay."

"Your mother, did she ever mention what Clan you hailed from?"

Karin looked at her oddly. She wasn't expecting a question like that. All the same she shook her head.

"N- no. She didn't… Why?"

So, she wasn't told, huh?

It wasn't surprising. Those pursued after the Kekkei Genkai Purges were known to hide their heritages entirely. Fear drove them to do that. Fear their child might slip up at the wrong time, and perhaps hope their kekkei genkais might skip their children entirely.

"Well, historically speaking, your ability to heal others by having them bite you is directly linked to a Clan closely allied to the Leaf," she explained. And that detail captured Karin's and Fū's attention equally. "Would I be right in saying your mother's hair was the same color as yours?"

"Uh, well, yes ma'am." Karin threaded her fingers into her hair nervously.

"Mm," she nodded.

Yeah, she suspected as much. Amaririsu's suspicions were well-founded, despite knowing nothing of the Healing Bite Technique.

In truth, as soon as Tsunade had laid eyes on the kid, she'd known the truth. The Healing Bite Technique and the red-hair were dead giveaways to her true heritage.

"We haven't gotten the official results back yet, but there isn't a doubt in my mind about your ancestral relation. You hail from the Uzumaki Clan."

"The…Uzumaki Clan?" Karin repeated.

"Hey, wait a minute, isn't that the same Clan as Naruto's?" Fū wondered aloud.

"It is," Tsunade confirmed.

"So they're, like, brother and sister then?"

"Not quite. Cousins, potentially, but not direct siblings," Tsunade shook her head. "Likewise, my grandmother was also from the Uzumaki Clan. She and my grandfather, the First Hokage, were married many years ago, solidifying the bond between the Senju, Leaf, and the Uzumaki Clan of the Land of Whirlpools.

"The crest on Naruto's jacket, and on the Leaf's flak jackets, are that of the Uzumaki Clan. Your Clan, Karin. Or, I suppose, our Clan would be more accurate."

"Whoa! That's pretty cool!" Fū was excited. "So, in a way, you're like the Clan Matriarch, right? Which sort of makes you something like Karin's grandmother."

"Something like that."

"And doesn't that mean this is basically her home, then?"

"You could definitely argue that, yes," Tsunade agreed.

"Awesome! Did you hear that, Karin? You made it home!"

"O- of course I heard, Fū," she stammered. "I'm sitting right here. I just… I don't know what to say."

"We have to tell Naruto! I bet he'll be super psyched!"

"I'm… This is…"

Karin, she noticed, was trembling. Her eyes were glistening.

Tsunade offered her a smile. "Well, since you don't know what to say, let me say something instead.

"Welcome home, kid."

Karin shut her eyes. Tears still streamed down her cheeks.

"Th- thank you, ma'am," she croaked.

---

"There seems to be no signs of deterioration," informed the Fifth Hokage.

Standing inside the now unoccupied room where Fū and Karin once waited, the pair currently checking out of the hospital with Shizune chaperoning them, Amari wanted more than anything to exhale a sigh of relief.

The lack of deterioration should have felt like a weight off her shoulders—to a degree it did. Yet, rather than sighing in relief, she pursed her lips and furrowed her brow.

"That's…good," she said hesitantly. "Strange, but good. I was honestly expecting some form of deterioration this time. But there's really nothing?" she couldn't help but ask for confirmation again.

"Your vision is as sharp as it was at the start of the year," Tsunade replied, and she sensed the same confusion and intrigue she felt from the Hokage. "Normally that wouldn't surprise me. It wouldn't be a cause of concern; it isn't one now," she clarified.

"It is curious, though. I wish we had more records on previous Mangekyō users, I'd feel more comfortable extrapolating why you haven't seen any form of deterioration at this point. Especially with such a devastating technique that has consistently overtaxed the Byakugan with each use. Working in the dark like this is annoying.

"But, regardless of how I feel, that information doesn't exist."

"Obviously the Uchiha Clan were trying to protect the secrets of the Mangekyō," Amari theorized, crossing her arms over her stomach. "From outsiders and likely from Clan members who didn't possess the power. If someone got ahold of medical records detailing who possessed the Mangekyō and what sort of power it granted, it would've led to people being targeted. Like Shisui was."

"You're probably right," Tsunade agreed. "Still, you've shown no signs of vision loss at this point. Does that mean significant use of the Mangekyō is what leads to eventual blindness? Does the kind of technique effect how quickly it occurs?

"For instance, if you used the Susanoo repeatedly instead, would that hasten your vision loss more than your normal techniques? Or is there another reason at play here we don't yet know?"

All valid questions. Amari wished she had a solid answer to them, instead of fumbling around in the dark about the possibility of her potentially fumbling around in the dark. Permanently.

"The Uchiha were certain it was irreversible, but I don't know…" Tsunade rubbed her chin in thought. "How many diseases did we believe were incurable before medicine advanced? How many operations do we perform now that would've been thought impossible a decade ago? Right now, all we have is the common held belief of the Uchiha, based solely on our past and current advancements in Medical Ninjutsu.

"But how many Uchiha were medical-ninjas? How many studied it? How many sought ways to reverse it?"

"And they call me a workaholic," Amari drawled, smiling at the Hokage.

"Medical Ninjutsu is my passion. And I'm trying to figure this out for your sake and your Clan's sake, you little snot. So show a little gratitude."

"Truly, I do appreciate your effort, Lady Tsunade," Amari bowed her head. As she rose, a thought suddenly occurred to her. Her eye went wide. "Could the lack of deterioration be due to fusing with the Stone of Gelel?"

"Hm?" The Hokage cocked an eyebrow up. "What brought that thought on?"

"I saw it bring Nerugui back to life. I saw it heal Haido and my body—our body—from grievous and mortal injuries. The other me, she said something I didn't even think about at the time. 'In this form, with The Power flowing through me, there are no limits to the Mangekyō Sharingan.' I wonder if it healed any previous deterioration I had," she considered.

The Fifth Hokage chewed on the thought. And on the inside of her lip.

"That is a possibility," she said at length. "Unfortunately, we know even less of The Power than we do about the Mangekyō. We don't know what sort of effects it will have on you long-term. Are the other Haya's memories still there?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Haven't had time to think about them the last couple days—too stressed out. But… Yeah, I can remember some of her memories still."

"Hm. It may very well be because of The Power that your vision hasn't decayed. However, The Power is no longer flowing through you, based on your report. Don't expect it to shield you from the consequences of the Mangekyō."

"I won't," Amari promised.

"Well," the Hokage placed a hand on her hip, "for now your vision is still undamaged. As long as you only use that power as a last resort, as you did on this recent mission, maybe we can avoid the worst entirely.

"If not, I'll do my damndest to study how the deterioration begins, in addition to how we can reverse it. I may not discover how to fix it in time for your sake, but we may find a path forward for the future Uchiha children who may one day wield the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Amari bowed her head again. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade, for all of your support. Just knowing you believe in those children—that you believe there is a future here for the Uchiha Clan—really helps."

When she rose from her bow, the Hokage flicked her forehead. Thankfully without the extra oomph she'd struck Fū. Amari recoiled slightly and winced all the same.

"Ow."

"That's for constantly being at the center of trouble," the Hokage chastised. "I swear, you and Naruto are going to give me migraines for years to come."

"Don't forget Fū. Gah! Ow!" Amari slapped her hands over her throbbing forehead.

Me and my stupid mouth.

"I'd almost forgotten about that. Next time that little imp blurts a stupid question like that one out, you're the one getting flicked. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah. What a pain," she grumbled.

"Keep a close eye on them, Amaririsu," Lady Tsunade said seriously.

"I will," she nodded sharply.

For as long as they needed her, she'd do everything she could to take care of them.

With her check-up finished, Amari departed for the entrance after another bow, where she relieved Shizune from chaperoning Fū and Karin. The Waterfall kunoichi excitedly greeted her as though they hadn't seen each other for a week, the Grass Native looked ready for a long nap.

Shizune wished them well and returned to the Hokage, still deep within the hospital, where they would both go on to aid some of the other patients in need.

Stepping out into the afternoon sun, its rays warm on her skin despite the mild cool air, they exited the hospitals entryway gates. Fū then spun around, clasping her hands behind her back, beginning to walk backwards as she spoke.

"So where to next, Amari?" she asked in her usual excitable tone. "Do we need to do more shopping? Oh! Are we going on a grand tour of the Leaf? How close can we get to Hokage Mountain? When's lunch? I'm getting a bit hungry. Are you hungry, Karin? We should probably get you a snack or something, huh?"

"I'm…okay," Karin replied hesitantly.

The Waterfall kunoichi furrowed her brow.

"Are you really? You're not just saying that you feel okay because you've felt hungrier, right?" Fū asked.

She leaned in nearly nose to nose with Karin, as if getting closer would allow her to better sense the girl's hunger. Karin hummed in discomfort.

"Amari and Miss Kurenai said you need three nutritious meals a day with little snacks in-between them. More than a few hours have totally passed since breakfast."

"I'll be okay, Fū."

Fū frowned. "No you won't. Not if you don't eat."

"You want to go on a grand tour, don't you?"

"Sure I do. But that can totally wait. You told Lady Fifth you get dizzy and have trouble walking for long periods of time. That's got to do with those Grass guys starving you."

Fū stepped in front of Karin, gently placed her hands on the smaller girl's willowy shoulders, and stopped her in her tracks. Amari paused with them.

"Our main priority has to be getting you healthy before we explore, that way we can do it together," she declared. "You don't have to pretend you're okay, you know. Those Grass guys may not have cared about you, but we do, so if you're hungry or tired or anything, just say it. There's no reason to hold back or pretend now."

She really does have a heart of gold like Naruto, Amari thought.

"I don't want to be a bother," Karin mumbled.

"It's not being a bother. Right, Amari?" Fū asked, looking at her.

Karin hesitantly glanced her way.

"Neither of you are a bother or a burden," Amari stated. "I was planning to circle home anyway to cook you guys lunch and let you rest."

"See? You aren't a bother, Karin. You're our friend. And friends take care of each other."

"…I guess I'm a little hungry."

Fū grinned. "Then let's head home!"

---

Word of the Waterfall Village and Grass Village falling to the Stone spread quickly among the present members of the Rookie Ten and Team Guy, although Amari remained unaware of it.

As she, Fū, and Karin settled in for lunch, and as her Shadow Clones trained alongside the Crows elsewhere, her peers steadily learned about their new reality.

Naruto and Ino both spoke to Sakura on separate occasions of their mission and its events. Chōji and Shikamaru were informed by their parents and Clan Head's, as were the likes of Hinata, Kiba, Neji, and Mimi. The Sensei's of Team's Eight, Ten, and Team Guy would also brief their units of the Stone's decision to escalate into a war and their subsequent capture of two Nations.

Word was spreading through the shinobi grapevine of the war. However, the war had yet to begin for the Leaf shinobi presently on missions. For those shinobi the Grass and Waterfall had yet to fall. The world remained unchanged.

Likewise, the shinobi of the Sand, the Mist, and the Cloud lived unaware of the Third Great Ninja War's resumption, nor had word of the Seven-Tails jinchūriki's escape and the existence of Madara Uchiha's Great-Great Granddaughter yet reached the old ears of the Tsuchikage.

It was a blissful ignorance that wouldn't last. Soon, sooner than they realized, would they be faced with their new reality.

In the southeastern corner of the Land of Fire, within one of its coastal towns, Sasuke and Kakashi were among those unaware of the Stone's actions. They knew nothing of Amari's mission into the Waterfall, her close shave with the Stone shinobi and Waterfall traitors, or her encounter with the Foundation leader and Elders.

There was only their mission. The infiltration they were in the midst of demanded their undivided attention; Sasuke maintained a state of high alert, Sharingan ablaze as he scanned the room for clues about their target.

Tracking, surveillance, and now infiltration; this mission, and the opportunity it granted to learn directly from Kakashi, was a gold mine of experience and training for the Anbu.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's voice was barely a whisper.

He gestured him to approach silently. Once the Uchiha was beside him at the nightstand, moving around the fancy carpet and its tassels to leave it wholly undisturbed, Kakashi directed his gaze to the object within the drawer he'd been searching. His hand was inside, using the nail of his pinky to hold a small envelope up, beneath which the object rested.

A small black chip, printed with a crimson flower.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "The Fifth Mizukage was right. They're here, too."

"Yeah. And now we have a lead to follow." Kakashi let the envelope down gently, slid the drawer shut, and gestured him to follow towards the exit. "Come on. There's more work to be done."

"Right."

The Crimson Flowers are here, too, huh?

Amari wasn't going to like this.

Sasuke and Kakashi left the room undisturbed, leaving no trace of their presence for the businessman tied to the Crimson Flowers to find.

From the shadows they continued their surveillance.

---

Visitors started to arrive at the Yūhi household around the late afternoon, a fact Karin did not learn until after she'd awoken from a nap; she immediately sensed the chakra of two strangers and an animal like Hana Inuzuka's ninken.

When she descended the stairs, dressed in her sweater and sweatpants, she found Fū sitting on the floor, a black puppy in her hands licking her face as she giggled and cooed over how cute and cool she was.

Amaririsu sat on the couch, accompanied by a dark-haired boy with a similar ponytail to Ensui Nara, and a girl with a wild mane of dark-brown hair and the same red fang markings that Hana Inuzuka possessed.

Timidly, she joined the group, first introduced to Mimi Inuzuka, Aoko, and Shikamaru Nara—Amaririsu's cousin, she would learn later—by Fū in her usual brash and loud manner, consisting of announcing their names and claiming they were family and friends to Amaririsu, so that, by Fū's simple logic, pretty much made them friends already.

Because friends of a best friend were obviously friends as well.

Karin wasn't certain friendship actually worked that way, but Fū clearly believed in it, and Amaririsu's peers didn't seem to mind her simplistic view. They weren't just entertaining her either, from what Karin had seen.

They were entertained by her boisterous personality; Mimi Inuzuka especially appeared to find Fū amusing, often grinning and egging Amaririsu or Shikamaru on when the Waterfall kunoichi diverted onto her usual rapid-fire questions.

Yet no one—not Kurenai, Naruto, Shino, Ino, any of the other adults they'd met, not even the Hokage—hid behind fake smiles or saw a means to take advantage of Fū's apparent naïveté.

Perhaps, though, they sensed, as Karin did, there was more to Fū than her front facing personality. An intellect beneath the simpleminded nature, though it definitely was not a social intellect, evident by the Hokage's flick.

Perhaps they, too, sensed a depth, an introspection that her boisterous and simple outlooks didn't often reveal. Or maybe, like Karin, they sensed Fū's genuine nature. The inherent goodness that was Fū— pure despite the darkness that once surrounded her.

Maybe they sensed her sincerity, the wearing of her heart and feelings on her sleeve, and utter lack of duplicity.

Fū didn't hide much. She attacked the world with her sincere curiosity, welcomed others despite never being welcomed before, and was wholehearted in everything she did—friendship and otherwise.

Fū was a sun. So, perhaps, it was only natural they gravitated towards her.

Amaririsu went on to offer proper introductions to the new trio, how they were related, in the case of Shikamaru, and how Mimi was like a big sister.

When Karin asked if they'd been promoted as well, a confident conclusion she formed by examining their flak jackets, an attire commonly associated with the higher ranks of Leaf shinobi, Amaririsu confirmed her conclusion, explaining how they now stood as the leaders among their peers and, she hoped, eventually future guardians of the Leaf.

So much for them has changed since the first Exam, she noted in the moment. More than I first realized.

Shikamaru rose from the couch and politely allowed her to sit beside Amaririsu, he moved to sit on a loveseat. Once she was seated Aoko abandoned Fū to settle into the Uzumaki's lap, which was a bit startling at first, but not terribly so.

After Karin listened to the trio tell stories, at Fū's request, about the incidents to befall during the Exams and after.

The Waterfall kunoichi was curious to learn and hear everything that happened. She'd wanted to go to the Exams, but was forbidden; the Waterfall didn't want to show off her skills to the world, apparently. Something about being an ace-in-the-hold.

Admittedly, Karin was curious to hear more, too. The Forest of Death was where the Exams ended for her, it was a place of terror and a strange sort of freedom, when her "teammates" weren't using her to heal their injuries after another failed attempt to gather a scroll.

It was also where she'd seen that boy—the dark-haired boy from Amaririsu's team photo.

The trio obliged their curiosity like grizzled veterans telling war stories. Mimi often input her version of the tales when it allowed her to tease the cousins most. Always with a grin on her face.

Like when Team Seven was apparently "half-dead after their little tussle with the Sound shinobi, on their knees begging and pleading for me to 'please, please, please guide us the rest of the way. We're oh so helpless without you, Mimi.' So, being the benevolent girl I am, I helped the poor kids out."

Amaririsu and Shikamaru often rolled their eyes at her. They knew better than to take the bait.

Shikamaru kept his stories on the factual and somewhat boring side, adding a complaint about how much of a drag events were. Like being pursued by Sound shinobi during the Invasion, or how Amaririsu always pushed herself too far.

"I can't help being troublesome," she would counter. "It's genetic."

"I know," he'd sigh. "It's such a pain."

Fū was particularly enraptured by the stories, leaning forward as the trio took them through the different fronts they were apart of during the Invasion.

Karin, too, felt an intrigue she couldn't deny. It all sounded so impossible. Three Genin recovering from their final matches joining the defense effort of a war?

How did they hold it together? She'd nearly fallen apart while Shino was rescuing her. As the town was torched and bombed, and smoke blanketed their senses and screams echoed from every direction, she'd felt her sanity ripping apart.

Shino was the only force that kept her focused. His calm presence was all that kept her from succumbing to the terror and paralyzing chaos. Yet they each jumped into the fray, afraid, but willing to fight to protect each other.

And die for each other, she sensed, if the need called for it.

As they spoke of the Sand shinobis, specifically a pair named Gaara and Hikari, a knock beckoned Amaririsu to the door. Karin sensed Naruto and another on the other side—the pink-haired member of Team Seven, she would soon learn, named Sakura Haruno.

As with Shikamaru and Mimi, Sakura had joined her teammate to check in on Amari and to meet Karin and Fū.

Fū was ecstatic to make another friend. She bounded over the couch, and skipped, hopped, and landed beside Amaririsu to introduce herself with all of her boisterousness.

"Hey, I'm Fū. Let's be friends!"

"Oh, uh, all right," Sakura chuckled awkwardly, a little startled by the sudden introduction.

"Awesome!" Fū hopped and pumped her fist. "And since you're apart of Amari's team, that means we'll eventually be like best friends, too. I can't wait!"

As Sakura and Naruto settled in, and after the former introduced herself to Karin, more guests arrived in the form of Ino Yamanaka and Chōji Akimichi.

Again Fū couldn't have been happier to meet a new stranger and declare their new friendship. For his part, Chōji didn't seem surprised or startled by the Waterfall kunoichi's boisterous behavior. He agreed to be friends with a smile and joined their steadily growing gathering.

Karin felt a little nervous meeting so many new people. Yet, though they didn't possess suns as bright as Amaririsu, Fū, or Naruto, who she felt herself staring at now and then—they were actually clansmen?

Should she tell him? What would he think about it?

Would he care?

Should she care?

Regardless, despite the newcomers not possessing the suns the trio possessed, each and everyone of them were sincere people. They gave her warm welcomes, smiles, and they tried to include her and Fū in all their discussions.

They tried to make them feel at home. As though they were always apart of their group. They didn't treat either as a foreigner, or an outsider with no place in the Leaf. They…were kind. Compassionate.

Karin had never known people like them, no one except her mother had ever treated her so kindly.

As she listened to their conversations and stories about missions, generally in intrigued silence, learning about their personalities, observing their relationships to each other, Karin realized something important.

She'd never met good people before.

The last to arrive near the early evening was Shino, hoping to check in on Karin, Fū and Amaririsu. He was surprised to see everyone there. He even apologized to Fū and Karin for not bringing his teammates to familiarize them with people they could place their trust in.

He was also concerned his teammates would feel left out now. So he promised to introduce them another day.

Standing off to the side, but within their gathering, Shino was quick to ask how they were settling in and how their well-check went. Fū, as was her way, immediately brightened and brought up what she considered "the coolest thing ever" from their well-check.

Karin's heritage. A detail which stunned everyone, except Amaririsu, of course. Naruto in particular went wide eyed.

Was that a good sign? A bad sign? Karin didn't know.

With all the attention on her, she wanted nothing more than to make herself as small as possible. She felt her pulse quickening. She wished Fū hadn't said it. Of course she meant well. She thought it was awesome that Karin had actually, in a way, come home.

And it was sort of cool. However, there was also a swell of emotions that came with the feeling of belonging the Fifth Hokage, Amaririsu, Fū, and Kurenai all made her feel in some way.

Learning she had a place here because of her Clan heritage, that she wouldn't just be kicked out at some point, regardless of Amaririsu's attempt to shelter them… Knowing this could be a real home someday…

Karin tried not to fidget. Tried not to curl into a ball.

She just… She didn't want Naruto or anyone to reject her for her Clan. She didn't know anything about the Uzumaki Clan, besides what little the Fifth Hokage mentioned.

What if they didn't believe it? What if somehow being an Uzumaki was taboo now? It wasn't like Amaririsu hadn't mentioned the stigma of her own Clan—a founding Clan of the Leaf, from what she'd learned since.

Was the Uzumaki Clan still held in high regard?

Naruto, from what Amaririsu mentioned as they spoke of Gaara, understood the Sand shinobi because they'd both been outcasts to their own Village. What if being an Uzumaki somehow played a role in that?

What if that was another reason the Fifth Hokage had trouble with the Leaf's Elders?

The feeling of a furry head nuzzling into Karin's belly diverted her attention to Aoko. The ninken was looking up at her, panting lightly, happily, as she placed her front paws on the girl's belly.

Not knowing what else to do, Karin pet the ninken's head, who nuzzled deeper into her hand.

She squeaked, much to her embarrassment, when Aoko licked her palm, which earned her a toothy grin from the playful ninken before she nuzzled into her belly again.

"So, Karin is actually from the Uzumaki Clan. Interesting," Shino said.

"It's almost unbelievable," Ino said, sounding as bewildered as she looked. "Talk about being at the right place at the right time. I mean, what are the odds of you and Naruto running into a member of the Uzumaki Clan on any mission, let alone a mission like our last one?"

"The chances are slim, of course. Why? Because: Only the members of the Uzumaki Clan who previously settled within the Leaf are accounted for at this time. Fū, Karin, I can tell you are confused.

"Amaririsu," he looked over to the girl, still seated beside her, "I know you would have explained it in time; obviously you did not want to overwhelm Karin, given all that she has experienced, and all she must continue to learn in these coming days to acclimatize to the Leaf.

"However, I feel it pertinent that they are informed so they do not feel left out of this conversation. If you will allow me, I will explain to them what you learned from Lady Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage. After all, repeating yourself is 'troublesome' as you say, isn't it?"

"Generally, yes. But I wouldn't have minded." She dipped her chin once to Shino. "You're right, though. Telling them now will make it easier for them to follow along. And, as we've all learned, keeping each other informed about our experiences helps tighten our circle of trust, allowing us to counter those who would attempt to manipulate us."

There was a silent agreement among the Leaf shinobi. Some nodded their heads. Others, Karin noticed when she glanced up from Aoko, who once again settled into a ball in her lap, just had a look in their eyes. A deeper, darker understanding of what they faced in the long-run.

"Precisely," Shino nodded in agreement. "Years ago," he began, "the Uzumaki Clan called the Land of Whirlpools and the Hidden Eddy Village their home. They were a Clan renowned for the Sealing Techniques, among other traits, from what we know.

"As you can imagine, from your own personal experiences, power of any kind that can be transferred—like certain kekkei genkais—or learned is often sought by enemy Clans or Nations. Shinobi maintain this practice today. A primary example is the Hidden Cloud Village, but they are not alone in their quest to obtain the secret techniques of foreign Clans. They're simply the most infamous.

"However, like most kekkei genkai, Sealing Techniques aren't something you can simply transfer. They must be learned. Yet this is easier to say than it is to do. Few shinobi know how to utilize Sealing Techniques, beyond the common storage scrolls. Fewer possess the devotion and intellect required to take that knowledge further.

"Furthermore, these techniques are so diverse and powerful, and yet so subtle, they are feared by the average shinobi. Rightfully so. For there is little anyone save a Sealing Master can do to reverse or counter the effects of a Seal once it is placed.

"For that reason, during the Third Hokage's first reign, the Hidden Eddy Village was destroyed by enemy Nations. They razed the Land of Whirlpools in search for all the fleeing Uzumaki Clan members, knowing they could not allow them to retreat to the Leaf, where their abilities and their knowledge would subsist, enhancing the military strength of the Hidden Leaf as a result.

"However, some did survive the purge. Those who did were displaced, they were scattered across the shinobi continent where they have since attempted to hide and blend into their environments, as was the case for kekkei genkai wielders in the Land of Water during the Kekkei Genkai Purges."

It was a dark tale. One that added so much context to her early childhood, and the inevitable conclusion it led to in the Grass.

"As far as we've known," Shikamaru began when Shino finished, "Lady Tsunade and Naruto were the last known Uzumaki Clan members, although that may just be appearances. There may be plenty of Uzumaki Clan members within the Leaf, but the Clan itself appears extinct to our eyes, like the Senju."

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked.

"You'd think the Senju would have a compound or something, right? After all, they were a founding Clan of the Leaf. Yet, when you think about it, when's the last time you heard of a Senju Clan member? Besides Lady Tsunade and Kasai."

"Never, now that you mention it."

"Exactly," he nodded once. "Pretty strange, wouldn't you say? The Senju seem to have gone extinct. We know better than that, though. The only Clan within the Leaf on the verge of extinction is the Uchiha—which is the culmination of a long, bloody rivalry with the Senju.

"So where are the Senju? It's not like they were a small Clan. They couldn't just vanish without anyone knowing."

"They integrated into the Leaf completely," Amaririsu picked up where he left off. "While the other Clans built their compounds to preserve their individuality, their Clan secrets, and keep their kekkei genkais secure, the Senju melded with the everyday people until, eventually, the Senju and the people of the Leaf were indistinguishable."

"We walk among members of the Senju Clan everyday," Shikamaru nodded. "We've just never seen it that way. Likely by the design of the First or Second Hokage. Who knows how many people, civilians and shinobi, possess a tie in some form to the Senju today. I bet most don't even know they do."

"Which could be the same for the Uzumaki Clan," Mimi followed along. "Those who settled in the Leaf before the purge, and those who may have made it here after, could have kids, grandkids, or great-grandkids walking around in the Leaf right now. But smaller Clans without districts or compounds aren't seen on the grand political scene in the Leaf. They're basically everyday people."

"Kind of what I'm thinking." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "But I don't really have any evidence to back that up, though."

"Either way, what's important is that Karin's here, right?" Chōji wondered. "Thanks to Shino and Naruto she made it out of the Grass, and thanks to Amaririsu she's safe and sound here in the Leaf with all of us. I think that's the coolest part. That she and Naruto are clan-siblings is just a bonus if you ask me."

"Yeah. You're right," Shikamaru said. "What's important is that they're both here. Safe and sound."

"Does that mean we're all friends now?" Fū asked curiously.

"Guess so."

"Wahoo!" Fū cheered, pumping both fists into the air. "Amari, you have the coolest friends ever!"

"Damn right she does," Mimi grinned.

"I'm very fortunate to have all of you," Amaririsu replied, smiling. "Although I am a little surprised. Naruto," she glanced over to the boy. "You haven't said a word. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm just…processing it all, I guess. Heh," he let out a chuckle. "I don't know. I just… I never thought I'd meet another member of my Clan or anything after Granny Mito. It didn't even cross my mind that Karin was apart of my Clan. I just wanted to help her. Shino did, too."

He shook his head. "We couldn't just let those bastards keep using her like that, you know? Had I known Karin was an Uzumaki, well, hehe," he chuckled again and scratched his cheek. "I would've proven Shino right and done something reckless and loud just to save her."

"Then it's good you didn't know at the time," Shino said.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, it's like Fū said. It's super cool we're from the same Clan. I don't know how else to say it. I've got a whole lot of emotions running through me right now. All good ones. Like I'm excited we were able to meet.

"I'm also super nervous for some reason. I want to be a good clan-sibling, but I don't really want to force you to think of it that way," he rattled off awkwardly. "I guess I don't want you to feel obligated to like me. I mean, obviously I want you to. I want us to get along. I want us to be friends, but not just because we're from the same Clan. Does that make any sense?"

It did. She felt the same way.

"Honestly, I'm just…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he ducked forward and grinned. "Man, this is super awkward and weird to say. I've never been any good at expressing my feelings. Like at all. Ask Amari."

"Like I'm any better," Amaririsu replied with an easy-going roll of her eyes.

"You are," he refuted. "You may hide when you're hurting, but when it comes to expressing stuff to us, you're not afraid to admit anything you feel. You never hesitate. Anytime I try, I get all self-conscious about it.

"But… I guess what I want to say is that I'm happy." He chuckled an awkward, trembling chuckle. "Man, it's stupid that it's so tough to admit that. But I'm happy," he said it again, nodding to himself, as if finally grasping his real feelings.

"I'm happy we were able to meet. I'm happy we're part of the same Clan. Even though the world is going crazy and a lot of bad stuff happened, I'm happy we could help you and Fū out. I'm happy you're both here."

The words pinched in her heart. Fū's strong exterior, she noticed, cracked ever so slightly. She tried to hide it, tried to duck her chin slightly, digging her fingers into her skirt as her eyes glistened, but Karin saw it.

Naruto didn't. He kept talking.

"It's weird, I know," the words rushed out of him nervously. "We've barely known each other a few days now, you've only just settled in and you're probably both processing a whole lot of stuff. And you've got me talking about being happy you're here. But… I don't know."

He flattened his lips together. "Knowing how easily we could've never crossed paths and what you may have endured, it makes me happy things turned out the way they did. I mean, not all of it. Not the bad stuff. But rescuing you both—that we could even be there for you two, that makes me happy. And we'll keep being here for you. I mean," he grinned, cheeks a little flushed, "that's what clan-siblings and friends are for, right?"

Karin didn't know. She'd never had friends or a clan-sibling before. She felt the sting of tears again, though. A wet sniffle followed, but it did not come from her.

Fū covered and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, lips trembling as she forced a smile.

"Totally," she croaked while trying to sound like she wasn't crying. "Friends always look out for each other, that's what Shibuki said. And he was right! So, I'm…I'm…"

The trembling smile faltered. And Fū's strong walls crumbled.

A terrible, heart-rending, gut-twisting sound broke free from the Waterfall kunoichi's lips.

Amaririsu was off the couch, kneeling on the floor, and hugging Fū in a blink. The Waterfall kunoichi buried her eyes into her shoulder and held onto her for dear life as her whole body convulsed.

Without really thinking about it, Karin lifted Aoko out of her lap and joined them, wrapping them both in a hug with her thin and frail arms. Because two hugs were better than one, right?

There she felt her tears finally fall. Because she was grateful. Because she was hurt. Because, like Fū, she'd never felt so accepted and welcomed before. And it was all thanks to these strangers, these foreigners who welcomed them both with open arms, and declared their weird emotions without any thought.

But perhaps that's what friends and clan-siblings were meant to do.

Maybe that's what friends and clan-siblings are supposed to do. I don't know. But Naruto seems to think so.

That was enough for her.

---

Within a dark cavern, unknown to the shinobi world, silhouettes gathered in a wide circle, their bodies constructed by an array of spectral colors, appearing like the refraction of a rainbow. The illusionary bodies flickered, as though their virtual images were distorted or interfered with.

Though the rainbow refraction of the Astral Projection Jutsu discolored the silhouettes, the images of cloaks adorned with clouds were prominent, as were the eyes of each individual. Most notable of the Akatsuki members were the two pairs of crimson eyes, belonging to Itachi and Aimi Uchiha, and the purple eyes with concentric circles covering the eyeball—the cold, unflinching eyes of the Akatsuki's Leader.

Deidara could not hide his loathing for the former pair. No. Ever since that red light had destroyed his Shadow Clone and stifled his masterpiece, his loathing had only intensified for those damnable Uchiha. Them and their inartistic eyes.

Sasori, his man, had already delivered the report on the success of their mission. Now he was detailing the events which transpired because Itachi and Aimi failed.

Deidara's teeth grated together.

Yes, that was right. They had failed. They had failed to properly destroy the eyes of that other Uchiha, they had also failed to properly annihilate their entire Clan, including killing themselves.

Because had they not failed to do either of those things, he wouldn't be suffering this humiliation in front of the entire Akatsuki, he wouldn't bear the shame of nearly dying because of some dead Uchiha's power!

Yet did they take responsibility for their failure? No. Of course not. Their inartistic eyes, he noticed while glaring at them, remained expressionless and bored, respectively.

They felt absolutely nothing over their failure. He bet they even found it funny. He bet they would've been happy for him to die. And, frankly, the feeling was mutual, hm!

"So, the Amenominakanushi has finally been revealed," the Leader spoke, his deep voice penetrating the chamber, sounding as though it, like their images, was distorted by interference.

"You don't sound surprised," the harsh voice belonging to Kakuzu, once of the Hidden Waterfall, noted.

"As Sasori has his independent network of spies, I also have agents of my own. Agents who have made me aware of the existence of the power, although I did not anticipate it interfering with our mission so soon."

"Do you know who wields it?" Sasori questioned.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Sasori, my man," Deidara couldn't help his frustrated tone. "It's that Leaf Anbu agent I saw. The Leaf obviously created another Kakashi of the Sharingan with that dead Uchiha's eye you mentioned."

"Wrong," the Leader declared.

Deidara stiffened and struggled to hold his tongue.

Wrong? How could it be wrong? Who the hell wielded that power if not an Anbu agent?

It couldn't be that boy, could it?

"The eye which wields that power is not Kiyoshi Uchiha's, the Reincarnation of Madara Uchiha. It is the eye of his daughter—Haya Uchiha. A thirteen year old recently promoted to Chūnin."

Deidara felt his stomach sink. It belonged to…some random Uchiha girl?

"No. No that can't be right," he went into denial. "The only girl I saw there was some feeble Grass native."

"Clearly you didn't look hard enough," Sasori reprimanded.

"No. No," he shook his head, feeling his hands tremble. "Some random girl used that power? That can't be it. That can't…"

He was bested by some brat? Some Uchiha girl he'd never even heard of? This wasn't right. It couldn't be right. After all, hadn't Itachi and Aimi slain their whole Clan? Even the children? So if she was still alive…

"Kiyoshi Uchiha's daughter lives?" Kakuzu ruminated. "We should leave her alone for now. In a few years she'll net quite the bounty."

"You…" Deidara seethed, skin burning as he glared at Itachi and Aimi. "You two slaughtered every single member of your entire Clan but failed to get some small child? I'm not buying that, hm! What's the deal, Itachi! Why is this kid still alive, hm?"

Itachi didn't acknowledge him.

"Don't you ignore me! I know you can hear me, hm!"

"You're right. I can hear you," Itachi replied calmly. "And all I hear is the bluster of an ignorant child unable to cope with his own inadequacies and failure."

"What'd you say!" Deidara seethed.

"You're always so cold, Itachi, hehehe," Kisame chortled.

"Defeated in your own 'art style' by an Uchiha. I bet the shame is too much to bear," Aimi added with sadistic playfulness. "However, it is only natural, Deidara. You already know that. Your art is dull and uninspired—a short-lived sizzling sparkler."

"Why you…"

Her eyes crinkled in amusement. "What is it you always say? Art is an explosion or some other nonsense. Well, by your own definitions the Amenominakanushi is true art, isn't it? How sad. For you, that is. You attack your art with such passion. You boast and gloat over it. Yet when compared to the power of an Uchiha, you're clay creations are a lot like you—they always fall short of expectations."

Deidara had never felt his blood boil so hotly before. He felt his molars grinding together and a growl scratching his throat.

"Ahhh." Kisame was clearly enjoying his humiliation. "You know, it's always nice to get the gang together like this."

"Are we almost done? I'm gettin' bored and I need to take a piss."

"This meeting is almost finished, Hidan," the Leader stated. "There is one final matter to discuss. The Stone failed to capture the Seven-Tails jinchūriki. They are now in the possession of the Leaf."

"How is that possible?" Sasori asked.

"Shibuki of the Waterfall contacted the Leaf before the coup occurred and requested aid. It appears one of the shinobi responsible for the Seven-Tails escape was none other than Haya Uchiha."

Deidara felt a hot blade pierce his gut and shimmy around. No. No, no, no, no. That could only mean…

"You mean the Seven-Tails was right underneath our noses?" Sasori asked, his agitation was flooding off of him.

"The Seven and the Nine-Tails were both there."

"What?"

"Haya Uchiha appears to have retreated into the Grass with the Seven-Tails, while the Nine-Tails was on border patrol near the town Deidara's Shadow Clone assaulted last," the Leader explained.

"Deidara," Sasori growled. "While you were busy worrying about your 'art' the Seven and Nine-Tails were within our reach."

"Ho- how was I supposed to know that?" he stammered.

"By paying attention. Did you even study the identities of the known jinchūriki?"

"Of course I did, hm!"

"And was one of those escaping Leaf shinobi the Nine-Tails?"

"I don't know. I didn't see their faces, you know!"

"Enough," the Leader commanded. "Deidara, study the identities again. I don't want another jinchūriki to slip through our fingers."

Deidara grit his teeth and said nothing for the remainder of the meeting. To be humiliated to such a degree, all because of those damnable Uchiha!

He glared at Itachi and Aimi, but they didn't acknowledge his presence.

Loathing and rage boiled his blood. It made his hands tremble in the real world.

They were all dead. The girl, Itachi and Aimi, and anyone else who wielded the Uchiha name. He would make them suffer the same pain of humiliation they inflicted upon him before the end. He would kill them all.

Every last one of them.

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Review Response to Isobel Bauch: Glad you enjoyed Danzo getting knocked down a few pegs by a child! Hope you enjoy the newest update!

Anyway, thank you for the reviews!