Hours passed since Tsunade requested aid from the Sand Village and briefed the retrieval team. She sent a medical squad soon after before treating Lee, Genma, and Raido. Kakashi stopped by to hand in his mission report and immediately left, definitely because of her office's state. Fearing his emotions getting in the way of Naruto's retrieval, she was intending to preoccupy him with an S-Rank mission to no avail. Hinata, despite being responsible for the greatest conundrum of her Hokage tenure, was doing an exceptional job as her assistant: the Byakugan's vision let her read everything on her desk without the pain of sifting through documents. It tempted her to forgo real punishment, but that was as politically unsound as it was irresponsible.

"Last item." She set the second-last stack of done papers on the finished pile. "Which one was this again?"

"The Orange Leaf, a shipping company, requesting permission to establish a base of operations in The Hidden Mist Village," Hinata, sitting meekly on the cracked floor, said.

She murmured. "If they're asking me, they already have permission from the new Mizukage. Pretty big shipping company."

"On the fifth page, it's written they're the former Leaf Village branch of the Gato Company, which fractured recently."

"Because Gato was murdered by Zabuza Momochi in the Wave Massacre." She read the report written by Kakashi while going through all of Naruto's files.

Hinata turned to her. "I thought Naruto and Kakashi-sensei fought a mob and killed Zabuza."

"You hear–"

Several anbu flickered into and kneeled in the center of the office. "Lady Hokage, the young ninja you requested have returned with a squad of Sand shinobi led by the One Tail's jinchuriki. Kakashi Hatake and Anko Mitarashi are with them. Nearly all are wounded, two are in critical condition, two are dead, and Naruto Uzumaki i–"

Tsunade rose from her chair. "Return to your duties." She didn't want to hear it. "Hinata, follow me."

"Y-Yes, Lady Hokage!" Heart pounding in her ears, she stood up as the anbu flickered away and obeyed.

Tsunade cut through her residence to its exterior. Outside, she leaped over the fence towards the hospital. Hinata, lacking the same physical ability, lagged some ways behind but didn't lose sight of her. Eyes turned to greet her as she entered before widening. She went straight to the emergency department, spared all sullen ninja waiting in the hall a glance, and barged into the operating room to assist.

Hinata emerged from the hall heaving. "Lady Ho–" She stopped at the sight of all the familiar faces and her blood froze. "...Where are Neji and Shino?"

Tenten giggled, to everyone's surprise. She laughed even harder before rising from her seat. Holding her sides, she walked down the other side of the hallway. She held a hand out to Hinata and beckoned her. It was as unknown to her as it was to them if her intentions were malicious.

Lee rose when he saw her follow. "I will go." He caught up within seconds, turning two into three.

Attracting eyes, they trekked from one section of the building to another. Sterile white was replaced by dismal gray. A set of matching steel doors stood guard at the end of the hall, filling them with a sense of foreboding. Lee, swallowing his nerves, parted and held them open before shutting both behind him.

Morgue slabs and autopsy tables inside made Hinata shiver. There were few reasons why her cousin and teammate could be near such things, none of them good. When they stopped by two bodies obscured by sheets, her heart began racing. She took a deep breath when their slack faces were unveiled. Several followed. They grew shorter, quicker, and shakier. Grabbing her head, she activated her Byakugan.

Neji's Byakugan were thoroughly destroyed in accordance with the seal transcribed on branch family members. Shino's insects, while active, were acting in a way she never witnessed: roaming his body as if looking for escape yet ignoring the hole in his chest. Scars and moles were all in the right places, especially the ones near the sensitive or unmentionable. Both bodies were real. They were dead.

Tenten erupted in laughter as Hinata smacked against the floor. Her laughs were loud, harsh, and forced. Tears burst from her eyes before they turned into sobs. Lee's arms wrapped around her, and she buried her face in his chest.

It was over. Their mission was a complete and utter failure. Neither their nor anyone else's lives would ever be the same. All knew what was likely to come next. Within time, they'd see the consequences of their shortcomings for themselves. Some already had.

Sasuke's wounds were extensive but not outside the bounds of Tsunade's healing ninjutsu and surgery know-how. His broken fingers were realigned manually before the Mystic Healing Palm Jutsu healed them along with the tear across his arm. The electrical burns too, though they left scars. While the cut in his side and tear in his brachial artery were grievous, they required minimal stitching in comparison to the opening in his torso: she had to dress both holes, insert a tube in each until the air as well as the blood was drained, pull it out, and heal him fast enough before either could build up again. The doctors treating him before she arrived wisely performed a blood transfusion during their treatment and him hooked to an IV. He would make a full recovery, but the fatigue of what would've taken over a month to heal properly would weigh on him for a while.

Tsunade stepped out of the room with a heavy sigh and found everyone looking at her with worry. "Sasuke Uchiha is in stable condition and will likely be in top shape again soon."

"And Choji?!" Shikamaru's voice broke.

"Choji Akimichi." Her lips curled downward. "Is dead."

He froze as Ino wailed into her chair's cushion. "...What?"

"There wasn't a single cell of fat left in his body. He had nothing to consume or to even conserve vital function. Healing ninjutsu accelerates the body's natural process for wounds and replaces vital tissue with less vital tissue, like your hair. Even if you arrived immediately after he reached that state, by the time we could finish preparing a ritual to repair all his major organs and replace his fat cells he'd be long dead."

Kiba rose from his seat and punched the wall. "Dammit!" His free arm dropped over the three wounds in his midsection.

She looked from him to Shikamaru's own sand-sealed stomach wound before resting on Ino's side. "See a medic. You will all be summoned to me for debriefing when Sasuke is conscious." She took two steps before stopping. "Where is Hina–" A cream-colored jacket lingered in the corner of her eye just behind a chair. Walking over, she raised an eyebrow at her unconscious body before turning to the others.

"Shino Aburame and Neji Hyuga are dead," Kakashi said, rising from his seat.

"...Oh." She picked the girl up with one hand, set her over her shoulder, and carried on.

Sakura, having embraced her rival in love, shook her head when her sensei glanced at her. As much as it relieved her to hear Sasuke was alright and she wanted to see him, guilt weighed heavy on her heart. Naruto was her teammate. Him going rogue led to their entire situation. She couldn't help but feel partially responsible and think it was inappropriate for her to check on her teammate when those around her couldn't.

Lee shared a look with Tenten and turned to the snarling Kiba. "Lady Tsunade is right: you should get treatment."

He nearly growled at him before he saw the honest concern in his eyes. "...Yeah." A whine from Akamaru drew his attention down to the dog in his coat. "You need a checkup too." He looked to Shikamaru, who remained completely still, before leaving, understanding there was nothing that could be said.

The rest stayed out of respect and in mourning.

For the past few weeks, Danzo felt a sense of foreboding. He'd felt it for quite some time, really. All of it started with the news of the Nine Tail's Jinchuriki awakening the power sealed within him. Events correlating with the boy only escalated since. When he received word Tsunade summoned nearly every shinobi with some knowledge or relationship with him, he knew something was happening. One of his agents flickering into his defunct clan's home would surely enlighten him.

"Lord Danzo." He knelt.

"Report."

He paused for a single second but that was more than enough to inform his master how dire the news was. "The shinobi Tsunade deployed have returned; Naruto Uzumaki is nowhere to be found. Anko Mitarashi was among them and taken into Anbu custody. Neji Hyuga and Shino Aburame are dead. Sasuke Uchiha and Choji Akimichi are in critical condition. The late Kazekage's children, including the Jinchuriki, came with them."

"...Mitarashi is a traitor?"

"She is suspected to be under Orochimaru's influence."

Danzo frowned. "That cursed mark." He was familiar with them from his own use as the one hidden on his agent's tongue could attest. "Did she really let one that invasive linger unsealed?" Shaking his head, he closed his eye. "If Naruto Uzumaki was captured or has gone rogue, immediate action must be taken."

"Yes, Lord Danzo?"

"All agents in the village must meet me in the hideout at the start of the next hour."

He bowed his head. "Understood." With another flicker, he was gone.

Danzo took a deep breath and sighed. "Why did I honor your wish, Hiruzen?" Old age managed to make even him sentimental. "Do you see the results of your ways? Everything you wish to protect is now in danger because you didn't want them to suffer."

In truth, the machinations were far beyond the scope of him and Sarutobi. Their actions helped as well as disarmed the situation regardless of their intentions. Neither was the only influence nor the only player in the Shinobi World. Both were unaware of the true mastermind and likely would never be. The irony of their predicament laid in the pawn being closest to knowing his identity. Even more so, he understood his role and exactly what he needed to do for everything to be on his terms. Danzo would realize it for himself if he ever met Naruto again, and it wouldn't please him at all.

The sterile white Sasuke saw when he opened his eyes told him where he was. A quick glance of his surroundings revealed welcome and surprising company. Focusing on Kakashi, a variety of feelings bubbled inside him. He didn't know for sure if what he heard was true, but Naruto had no reason to lie. It seemed like he desperately wished it wasn't true. Either that or he was projecting his own wishes on to him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura moved to hug him but froze when he struggled to lift his upper body from his hospital bed. "Take it easy."

Setting himself back down, he looked to the present members of the team he was deployed with. "...Where are the others?" Guilt ached in his heart at their grave looks.

"Lady Tsunade said she'd summon all of us once you woke up," Kakashi said.

Lee approached his side. "I can carry you if you cannot move."

Sasuke nearly raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine." He began struggling into an upright position. "Y-Your surgery was a success."

"Yes."

Blinking at the uncharacteristic dourness, his eyes move to the Sand Team. "What are you doing here?"

"It's best if we met with the Hokage first," Gaara said, his sand emerging from his gourd and moving towards him. "We'll all hear what we need to."

"I c-can." He couldn't resist the grains assisting him at all, getting set on his wavering feet. "...Thanks." Taking a step forward, he nearly fell over if it weren't for Kakashi steadying him with a hand, the sand having retreated to its owner.

"You mi–" Kakashi blinked as his student brushed it off.

Sakura took his place, being one of several others who noticed something was wrong. "Don't be stubborn."

"Y-You know… I don't like being helped." He groaned after a few steps. "Especially to just walk."

"At least you can walk," Kankuro, confined to a wheelchair, grumbled while Gaara wheeled him.

Tenten glowered. "At least you're breathing," she muttered.

Like the broken people they were, they shambled out of the hospital. It wasn't unusual for ninja to walk out of the hospital looking worse for wear, but they were in numbers and accompanied by a squad of foreigners, specifically a squad of foreigners they were recently hostile with. They got a few odd looks from the citizens, needless to say. No one in the Hokage Residence had the time to pay attention to them though, and they had a good guess as to why.

Shikaku Nara stood off to the Hokage Desk's side with a frown on his face, Shizune stood behind her lady, and Hiashi Hyuga faced Tsunade with no expression. Hinata lay on the cracked floor, head resting on the side of the desk, staring out into nothing. The look on the Hokage's face was even more grave than it was when she first summoned them. Even if they weren't there to give their report, she'd know what happened and what they were in for.

Tsunade took in the sight of them all. "Start wh–"

"Is Naruto the Fourth Hokage's son?"

All eyes focused on Sasuke. There was not a single waver in his body or ounce of insincerity on his face. His gaze remained fixed on their village leader, expecting nothing less than a response to what he asked. It was unwarranted, especially in such a dire situation, but not irrelevant. Only two people knew why he would ask that however.

"...Just what d–"

"Answer me!" He scowled and glared at her.

"Yes." Kakashi hung his head as attention shifted to him. "Naruto is Minato-sensei's son." Bitter, sad laughter from his student drew his eye. "How did he find out?"

"When the Nine-Tails was sealed inside Naruto, the Fourth left an imprint of himself inside if Naruto ever tried to remove the seal." Sasuke looked down. "Naruto didn't hold back the Nine Tails at the last minute: the imprint of the Fourth Hokage fixed the seal and told him the truth."

His eye rose. "I should've known." Attention focused on him once more. "After Naruto woke up, he tried to kill me." He looked to Tsunade's surprised face. "I never found out why or punished him for it because I thought he was just acting out." Closing his eye, he took a deep breath and sighed. "But I really should've figured it out when he asked about the previous jinchuriki for the Nine-Tails." He opened and turned it to questioning faces. "Kushina Uzumaki was his mother and the last Nine-Tails jinchuriki." Their sour and surprised faces didn't faze him. "The amount of people that knew that and her could be counted with your fingers."

Tenten's brow furrowed. "Wait." She turned to Sasuke. "Naruto was going to let the Nine-Tails out?"

"Lord Third's death by Orochimaru's hand deeply disturbed him," Kakashi said.

Tsunade's heart ached. "Even after everything Orochimaru did, Sarutobi-sensei couldn't bring himself to kill him, even when he made it obvious he was after Naruto."

"The one man in the entire world Naruto wanted to be loved by, in his eyes, loved a man who wanted to do him harm more."

"No one ever put Naruto first," Hinata said, attracting looks. "And Lord Third never would, not even his own father."

Tears streaked down Sakura's cheeks. "...He wanted to die."

"And then he wanted to kill everyone in the village after finding out his father chose them over him," Sasuke said.

"Which is why he went with Orochimaru of all people, even after what he did." Tsunade sighed. "Get whatever he can, kill him, and then move on to the village."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Naruto's plans might extend beyond the village: he knows what he's done will likely trigger the start of another Great Shinobi War… Even told me he was willing to destroy every one."

Tsunade parted her lips, paused, and shut them. "A rogue jinchuriki goes against one of the foundations of the Shinobi World." She spared Gaara, who nodded, a glance. "Others, present and future, may rise up following his example whether he succeed or fail. The destruction of the Leaf by his hands isn't ideal. Not even Yagura and his seemingly deliberate sabotage of the Mist compares."

"The moment he gets promoted to jonin, he goes rogue and knowingly sets in motion a series of events to weaken every major power with each other." Shikaku shook his head. "Troublesome."

"Something I still don't get," Kiba said. "Shino…told us Naruto sounded like he could always hear the Nine-Tails in his head." He blinked at the Hokage and Shizune's horrified faces. "Uh?"

"Did you not know jinchuriki could communicate with their Tailed Beasts?" Gaara hummed when they shared looks. "You were once allies with the Uzumaki and likely learned their strongest seals. Either that kept the previous jinchuriki from hearing the Nine-Tails or it didn't particularly care to communicate with them."

Sakura wiped away her tears and looked to Sasuke. "You remember when Ayame brought up how Naruto changed one day, right?" She turned to the Hokage. "Naruto used to be sweet and innocent as a child in spite of how everyone treated him until he went sometime as the punk we all know."

"Shouldn't he have known who his parents were then or did the fox keep it from him for some reason?" Kiba asked.

Sasuke hummed. "Whatever the case, Naruto knows now." He glared at Kakashi. "Why did you and the Third keep it from him? So he wouldn't turn against the village?"

"In all likelihood, that is the case and this entire situation would've played out regardless," Gaara said. "I would know."

"The Fourth Hokage's son and the Fourth Kazekage's son," Shikamaru muttered.

Sakura frowned. "You were just as itching to kill someone in the Chunin Exam preliminaries… Even though you're the Kazekage's son, you went through the same thing he did."

Gaara nodded. "Naruto made me realize the end of the path I was on, and now he walks it himself knowing full well what lays ahead." Closing his eyes, he sighed.

"We have to find him and bring him back before it gets to that point," Sasuke said.

"Is that even possible?" Tenten asked. "Orochimaru wants to switch bodies with him and he has him now."

"When I tried to talk sense into Naruto, he made a point that if it was that easy Orochimaru would've been in a different body when they last met. There must be some kind of condition for a jutsu that complex and extensive, especially to take the Nine-Tails into account. We have a window; we just don't know its size."

"Before we can exploit it, I need to know what happened," Tsunade said, folding her hands together.

And they told her how their mission went. She noticeably flinched when they brought up the Cursed Seals on their opponents, having forgotten to mention them as the Narutos so eagerly pointed out. Hiashi looked down at word of Neji and Shino staying behind. Going over how he fell for Orochimaru's ploy, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to look his comrades in the eye.

Lee saluted when the Hokage stared at him with the judgmental eyes only a disobeyed medic could have. "Hinata told me what happened, and I couldn't stay knowing Naruto was doing such a thing. I headed straight towards the Land of Rice and came across a powerful silver-haired shinobi." His and every other ninja who had to face him's expressions grew dour.

"Kimimaro," Tsunade clarified.

Kankuro groaned. "Fuck him."

"Fuuuuuck him," Tenten hissed.

Ino held herself. "There was nothing we could do, and a single mistake was all he needed to kill us." She shook at the memory.

Gaara almost laughed. "He tore Shukaku apart as if it were a nuisance."

"Second Green here finally did some damage with that Hyuga, another him bursts from his mangled body without so much as a scratch." Temari shook her head. "All he needed to make sure we couldn't do anything to him was take out one of them and he did."

"If it weren't for Choji, he would have killed us all," Sakura said.

"The Three Colored Pills," Shikamaru said. "I knew he started carrying them lately just in case we were ever in a tight spot, but I never thought we'd be in a situation where he had to use all of them."

Kiba looked off to the side. "Shino died first… Definitely when that bastard turned into an entire bone forest. Can't blame him or Neji for rushing in." He scoffed. "A fucking forest he could pop around like a lightning-fast mole rat; how the hell do you see that coming?"

Sasuke met Tsunade's gaze as she shifted focus to him. "I caught up with Naruto, tried to convince him to come back, he told me Orochimaru plotted our fight, and he told me what really happened that day. We fought. When we were catching our breath… In spite of everything, Naruto was willing to stop trying to kill me if I just let him go." He frowned. "But I chose the village over him, and I would've died if Anko hadn't prevented his final blow."

"What do you mean 'in spite of everything?'" Kiba asked.

Lee turned to Sasuke. "Even if you were acting against his wishes, I find it hard to believe Naruto would go that far: after all, you are his comrade, aren't you?" He was taken back a little at Sasuke's face briefly twisting in anger.

"Itachi…" He grit his teeth. "Not once did it ever cross my mind, but I never told Naruto." Calming down, he frowned. "All those years ago, when the Uchiha Clan was slaughtered, Itachi told me if I wanted vengeance to get his eyes like his, Sharingan beyond the three tomoe… He told Naruto how I was supposed to achieve it." Sakura's curious eyes met his guilty. "I had to kill my best friend."

"You could never do that!" Sakura yelled. She flinched at Hinata reflexively activating her Byakugan in the corner of her sight.

He sighed. "It didn't matter. I kept something he should've known from him, like almost everyone else in his life. The trust he had for me was compromised. Can't blame him for that." He sneaked their sensei a glance.

"That just leaves how you got involved." Tsunade focused on the same man.

"When I submitted my mission report, I could smell that almost every available genin and chunin familiar with Naruto was gathered here," Kakashi said. "Hinata of all people stayed as your personal assistant with something smelling of him while everyone else left together. I summoned a ninken, had him follow Naruto's scent, he told me one of the smells he recognized Naruto's with belonged to a Sound ninja that assisted with Orochimaru's assassination of Lord Third, I put two and two together, made a beeline to the Land of Rice, found Anko already at the Valley of the End trying to stop Sasuke's bleeding, and the rain washing away Naruto's scent." He elaborated what little details were left.

"Lady Hokage," Hiashi said. He looked to his daughter, whose Byakugan deactivated. "What was Hinata's role in this incident?" Almost everyone else in the know looking away told him it was anything but good.

She craned her head to look at her and, receiving no response, focused back on him. "Hinata was the one who reported Naruto's defection to me. She witnessed Sound ninja approach him with an offer and, fearing how he'd be treated, confronted him on her own." Frowning, she pondered how to inform him of the rest before realizing there was no soft way. "What she left out was she beat him: Naruto Uzumaki was at her mercy and she let him go...after bedding him."

Hiashi blinked, closed his eyes as his Byakugan involuntarily activated, deactivated his Byakugan, and opened them. "I will not stand in the way of the punishment you deem appropriate."

"I wish I could come up with one to fit the magnitude of her transgressions, but even execution looks tame at this point." Tsunade sighed. "She will remain in your custody for the time being." Her view shifted to every shinobi in the office. "All of you are dismissed. Do not tell any civilians nor shinobi below the rank of jonin what occurred. Take time to recover...and to grieve: chances are none of us will have any in the future." She focused on the Sand Siblings. "A room has been prepared for you here, if you wish to rest. Shizune will show you the way. Otherwise, you're free to do as you please until you're summoned back to your village."

Nearly all began leaving. Gaara wheeled Kankuro after Shizune with Temari in tow, the remainder of Team 7 had much to discuss with their sensei, Shikaku wished to console his son as well as his best friend's daughter, and Team Guy had no idea how their sensei was going to react. Kiba didn't know what else to do other than limp home. Hiashi picked up his daughter as if she were his bride and began the long trek to the Hyuga Residence.

Recalling what he was able to perceive the brief moment his Byakugan were activated, Hiashi ignored the odd looks cast his way. "That forehead protector…" He pursed his lips at Hinata shifting in his grasp, curling around the object hidden in her inner jacket pocket. The fire burning in her once empty eyes told him how she'd react if he attempted to take it.

Their walk continued unimpeded, albeit an awkward variation of how they used to be.

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke wandered about with no intended destination. There was much on their minds, likes there was on everyone else's. Passerby came and went until none at all were around. It was the moment of truth they were waiting for.

Sakura stopped supporting Sasuke to punch Kakashi in the gut, something her teammate was debating whether or not to attempt in his current state and when he fully recovered. "You!" Tears sprang form her eyes again. "...You bastard! How could you keep all of that from him!? We were all there when he brought up his clan! His mother! His family! He was practically begging you to finally tell the truth and you lied to his face, you piece of shit!"

Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder. "He knows." He stared into Kakashi's empty eye.

"And that's supposed to make it all better, huh?" She scoffed. "Did you even once think about telling him?"

"...Yes: after the Wave Massacre, during the Chunin Exams, after, when he showed me he could perform the same jutsu Minato-sensei took years to perfect, and the day he was inducted as one of the village elites. I wanted to tell him how proud his father and mother would be… How proud I was of my student, but I was afraid of the consequences." Kakashi looked down. "He'd hate them, hate me, hate Lord Third, hate Master Jiraiya, hate Anko, and stop trying to do his best."

"Anko knew?" Sasuke would've groaned at his nod if he had enough energy to.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sakura threw up her hands. "Is there anyone Naruto looked up to that doesn't know?!" She let them drop when Kakashi raised one of his own to his chin. "...All of you are so fucking unbelievable."

Kakashi nodded again in agreement. "Do you count Iruka or Ayame and Teuchi? They don't know."

"None of them are as involved with him as you and everyone else! I can't even blame him for leaving anymore! If it didn't have a good chance of setting off the Fourth Great Ninja War or end with him dying, I would've helped!"

"Sakura," Sasuke called out, eyes flickering over their surroundings.

She glanced at him and understood what was left unsaid. "...Right."

"Keep those two facts in mind," Kakashi said. "I don't blame you for hating me or being angry–you have every right to. Just keep your feelings from clouding your reason."

"So we can end up just like you?"

"...So you don't." He eye-smiled at her taken aback expression. "If neither of you need me, I'll happily go." His eye opened to their disgusted faces, reminding him all too well of his worst fear. "Take care of each other." With a flicker, he was well on his way to his usual spot. The moment he arrived, he fell to his knees.

Like a kunai thrown from an ungodly giant, the memorial stone stuck out from the ground. There was no life in its material yet he could still feel it. Every name etched on to it burned with scorn and disappointment, but four scolded every fiber of his being. Death would offer no relief nor absolution. He made a mistake and in the eyes of the dead he owed them to fix it even if it cost him what little he had left.

"I'll handle it… I'll handle it. I know I've failed time and time again, but I'll handle it. Acting out is what Naruto does. He'll come back, like always. Just need to make sure there's no next time." He knew he was lying to himself. "Right? Obito?"

A masked man in black robes frowned behind a nearby tree.

Complications were inevitable, but he never would've imagined everything spiraling out of control before his plan could truly be set in motion.

AN: It's been a while. At the start of September this year (2023 for those in the future or something), I came down with what was legitimately the worst fever of my entire life so far. At the end of the first day, I was delirious and felt like my torso was on fire. I could not think straight for almost an entire week. It was so bad I actually rethought my entire life. I am not joking. After it was all over, I fell into a deep depression for a few days.

There are things in my life I want to change and accomplish while I still have it. That means putting this far down on a list of priorities. I still want to finish it, but I doubt I'll ever update as much as I used to.

As for the story itself, there's a lot to unpack. I haven't stopped thinking of plot points, fights, and character dynamics throughout all this time. What I'm not sure of is to start a sequel of sorts or keep going, which will make this fic seem bloated. I'll have to start doing those edits I've been thinking about if it gets to that extent.

This fic is now over 600 favorites and 700 followers. It's nice to know my audience for this is still growing. Glad to have you with me, and I appreciate your patience.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a review or PM.