Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N:

Hello Dear Readers,

First things first, happy weekend! Had some time so here is an earlier update. Thank you so much for my regular reviewers for all your comments and thoughts. I really appreciate your efforts. There were some questions. And they will be answered. Please be patient. The story peels back slowly. And some answers will come sooner than others. But I am hoping by the end, the whole picture will be revealed. We're just getting bits and pieces now. But hey, maybe the picture will be clearer to you before the story officially confirms it. Since you seem to be an observant lot! Which makes it all the more fun. Anyway, hope you like this chapter. It is more MinaSaku heavy. I'm happy with it and hope you will be too. Enjoy!

~L.H.

Chapter 25: Ripples in the Solitude

The sun had dipped below the horizon not even five minutes ago. The light had waned until it was nothing more than fragments that dotted the sky in a countless expanse. The half-moon became visible to the naked eye. The happy sounds of a tune that he himself had been lulled to sleep with came out of his son's mouth. Naruto bobbed his head side to side as he took in the world atop his father's shoulders. It had become his favorite vantage point. Not only was he taller than most thus being able to see further than he ever could before, he felt safe. He was untouchable on his perch.

"Can I get a fish?" Naruto asked his father whilst tilting his head up to observe the stars.

"We have fish," Minato reminded him. "A lot of them."

"Oh yeah." Naruto scratched his cheek. "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet, Naruto," Minato said with a smile. Ichiraku's stand was still a ten-minute walk or so out. "Are you cold up there?"

"No," Naruto pulled his jacket around him despite his words. The tip of his nose was cold but his hat, jacket, and socks were keeping him from noticing too much. "I'm hungry."

"That's why we're on our way to get dinner."

"How come Jiichan isn't here?" Naruto peered down at his father's face. "Does he not like ramen anymore?" He asked in a tone filled with scandal.

"Your Jiichan," Minato paused to find the right words that walked the line between lie and truth. "Is meeting up with old friends." He settled on that particular sanitization.

"Am I going to Shika's tomorrow?" Naruto asked. The current topic at hand reminded him of his own friend.

"You are," Minato rearranged his grip on Naruto's calves.

"Can Sakura take me?" He asked hopefully.

"No. Ambe-san will be."

Naruto pouted. "But I never get to go anywhere with Sakura." He complained loudly. "Shika doesn't think she's real."

Minato chuckled. "Sorry, Naruto. That's just how things are."

"Sakura might like ramen. Can she come next time?" Naruto asked innocently.

"No."

Naruto crossed his arms. Minato felt one of his forearms brush against the top of his head.

"Why? Sakura is really nice and she's really pretty. She's smart too! And she's fun!"

"Sakura needs to stay in the compound and focus on her work, son." Minato gave the same tired response to the same tired question from Naruto. The boy has been more persistent of late in trying to convince him to 'meet' his friend Sakura again. "Any special treatment would make Sakura -"

"Uncomfortable," Naruto cut him off with an annoyed exclamation. "I know. I know."

"Right. And we don't want Sakura to be uncomfortable, do we? Especially after everything she does for you?"

"No," his bottom lip pushed past his top one as his face settled into a frown.

"Good boy." Minato jostled him on his shoulders which earned a giggle from the boy. "Tell me something else about your day."

"Sakura and I watered the plants again. They are growing really fast now!" Excitement returned to Naruto's voice. "Why can't I grow that fast?"

Minato laughed. "You're growing alright but it's harder to see because it's much slower. Children - little boys like you - need more time to grow."

"Are you done growing, Tochan? Will you get taller?" Naruto's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"No," Minato shook his head. "I can only get shorter from this point on."

"Shorter? How does that happen?"

Minato weaved past the slight congestion. "When people get old enough they start to shrink a little. Their bones are not as strong. Gravity takes a toll."

"What's grab-a-tee?"

"Gravity is what keeps us on the ground," Minato answered. "Without it, we would be flying all over the place."

Naruto giggled. "That sounds like fun."

"It sounds like chaos."

"Tochan?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Can we get candy before we go back home? For my friends." Naruto asked hopefully. He was doing his best to appear extra adorable.

"Sure," Minato smiled up at him. "Not a problem at all."

"Yay! Thank you, Tochan." Naruto beamed down at him.

The boy let out squeals of delight as Minato spun in a circle.

Kabuto's dark eyes scanned the empty room. He could hear Lee's heavy footsteps from behind the hallway. The layout of all the shops that lined the block was more or less the same. He knew it well. Kabuto looked over his shoulder for a brief moment before he rounded over the counter. His fingers glided across the rich wood grain as he moved. He lifted the divider and slipped through.

The overhead lanterns glared against the frames of his glasses. He readjusted them with the pad of his middle finger. His hand left his face to touch the wooden cubbies directly in front of him. He moved quickly. There was a system to the sorted mail. He moved his hands down until he found the cubbies for last names that went from the letter F to the letter I. He began to sift through them. His ears were trained to gap between the two walls of organizers. He was mindful to keep the letters in the order he had found them. Kabuto moved down to the cubby right next to the one he had just inspected. He glanced over his shoulder again. People milled about but none looked interested in coming inside and ultimately interrupting him. He pulled the stack of letters from the box. He flipped through them with speed.

His eyes narrowed at the letter that was now at the top of the stack. The even, neat handwriting spelled out a name he recognized. A name he was looking for. His lips moved as he traced the characters of said name.

"Sa-ku-ra." He liked the way it tasted on his tongue. A smirk spread across his lips slowly. He read the rest of the characters on the envelope. "Tonkia Village." He had heard of it. It was a small town near the border. It hardly had anything worth seeing. Or so he had thought. It was her home. Where she was from. Tonika was hiding a diamond amongst its rough.

The sound of Lee's voice boomed in his ears. Kabuto slid three envelopes over the one that had drawn his interest, restoring the order. He had just managed to shove them back in the cubby and close the divider when Lee's face emerged. He was holding two packages against him.

"Sorry about that, Sensei!" Lee's exuberant voice filled the room and then some. It would not be surprising if those walking in the street could hear him through the closed door. "I've been flooded with work as of late. I might just have to hire a pair of hands to help out around here." He set the boxes on the counter.

"It's a good problem to have, Lee-san." Kabuto smiled at him softly. "And don't be sorry. I was enjoying the ambiance while people-watching." He half-turned his body so that he could see the street that was behind him.

"What a relief." Lee chuckled heartily. "I appreciate your understanding attitude."

Kabuto's head dipped down at Lee's words. He placed the coin on the counter and slid the boxes towards him.

"Thank you for staying open late for me, Lee-san. In order to ensure the quality of the materials it was imperative for me to get them into airtight containers as soon as possible."

"My pleasure, Sensei." Lee offered the man a parting grin and wave.

Kabuto's ears registered the sound of the bell chiming a second before the cold late January air hit him across the face. His nose nearly started to run on the spot from the stark temperature difference between the two sides of the same door.

Kabuto's lips tugged down for the briefest of seconds when his eyes came to lock with a pair he was not too quite fond of.

"Namikaze-sama," Kabuto greeted the blond-haired man with a level tone.

"Sensei," Minato's lips barely moved as he returned the greeting with the same level of enthusiasm, next to none.

"Sensei!" Naruto who was perched up on his father's shoulders waved excitedly at the doctor.

The corners of Kabuto's mouth moved in the opposite direction as he smiled at the boy. "Naruto-sama," warmth bled into his tone. "How are you?" Kabuto had to tilt his head up slightly to make eye contact with the young boy.

"Good!" Naruto's grin was wide and carefree. He smiled in a way that seemingly only children could. "We're getting ramen!"

Kabuto laughed. He readjusted the boxes in his hands. He pressed them against his hip. "That sounds delicious. But don't eat ramen too often okay? A balanced diet is important for you to grow up big and strong."

"I know, I know," Naruto said almost testily. He was hungry. Patience was not his friend right now. Minato forwent chiding his son's rudeness.

"You must be staying out of trouble since it has been a while since I've been called to the compound." Kabuto brought up conversationally when Minato attempted to take a step away from him.

Naruto did not notice the way Minato's hands on his knees clenched slightly. "Yeah! Everyone is taking really good care of me! Sakura makes me drink something before bed every night. She says it will make me grow big and strong and not get sick." Naruto made a face. "It's okay. It doesn't taste too icky because she puts sweet, sticky stuff in it."

"Naruto," Minato patted the boy on the knee. "We should get going. We don't want to keep Sensei from important work."

"You're not keeping me from anything." Kabuto smiled at the pair. The usual smile that never seemed to quite reach his eyes. "Naruto-sama, it sounds like Sakura is taking really good care of you." His smile became less polite at the look in Minato's eye.

"She is! She is my friend." Naruto almost gushed.

Minato hung fast and steady to his composure. Ichiraku was not far but Naruto had forgotten. It seemed in the hierarchy of things that Naruto cared about, ramen came after a certain green-eyed woman. He did not care for hearing her name come out of the Sensei's mouth but he would never let it show. Not even when it made his skin nearly crawl.

"What are your favorite things to do with your friend Sakura, Naruto-sama?" Kabuto asked him encouragingly.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Lots of stuff. I like storytime, the garden, and even math. Sometimes. But my favorite is playing games with Sakura!"

"Wow, that sounds amazing, Naruto-sama. How lucky are you to have a friend like Sakura and an Otosama like your dad." Kabuto's eyes found Minato's. The Namikaze's face was an impassive mask but eyes, but his eyes held a wariness to them. His guard was very much up.

"How come?" Naruto tilted his head to the side in clear confusion.

"Your Otosama really likes to play games too." Kabuto's sneer faced Minato. "He's playing one right now."

"Really, Tochan?" Naruto asked his father in excitement.

"Sensei is confused, Naruto." Minato regarded the smug medic, impassively. "We all get confused sometimes. Especially when there is a lack of familiarity or understanding of a situation." He carried on in a smooth voice unbothered. "For example, sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between a need and a want. Sometimes we need to do things that we do not want to do because of desperation born out of circumstance."

"A need is still a need regardless, Naruto-sama." Kabuto's eyes were as flat as coal. There was no light behind them. "One can live without wants. It is much harder to live without a need."

"I'm confused." Naruto raised his hand. "What game?"

"There are limitations to how far a person can go based on where they were born. That is just how our world works. It would be cruel and wrong to mislead anyone to the contrary of the truth." Kabuto pressed on.

Minato's eyes narrowed. "That is a very pessimistic way to see things. Being born is not being condemned to a path. A person decides their fate and their path."

"It is a realistic view." Kabuto insisted. "The rules are not the same for everyone. Not all honorifics are created the same."

A loud, angry grumble cut through the air cutting the tension with it.

"Tochan!" Naruto whined. "I'm hungry."

"Excuse us, Sensei." Minato moved past Kabuto. He had not taken even three steps when Kabuto's voice called out once again forcing him to half turn.

"Goodbye, Naruto-sama. I hope to see you soon." Kabuto smiled. "Tell Sakura I say hello."

"I will!" Naruto quipped. "If I remember." He added with a frown.

Kabuto chuckled. His eyes landed on the blank visage of the older blond. "It's very promising to see that you've made a full recovery, Namikaze-sama." He smiled his artificial smile. It pulled into a smirk.

Minato narrowed his eyes a fraction. Naruto waved at the doctor over his shoulder. He babbled happily. Excited at the prospect of having a warm bowl of ramen in front of him soon. By the time they ducked down into the stall and sat in their seats, Minato's appetite was long gone.

"The end," Sakura closed the pages of the makeshift book. "How did you like tonight's story?" Sakura asked the boy with enthusiasm in her eyes. She waited eagerly for his feedback. To her surprise, Naruto's face was without its usual joy. "Naruto-kun?" Sakura tucked the book into the drawer of his bedside table. "Is something the matter?" Her voice was gentle and reassuring.

"I tried to picture it…" Naruto's voice trailed off before he completed his thought. His lips were committed to a frown.

"You tried to picture the story?" Sakura smoothed the covers over his chest.

Naruto nodded his head, forlorn. "But I couldn't do it." His expression brightened slightly. "Can you draw pictures for the next story?"

Sakura counted to three. It was mostly a hollow gesture but it allowed her to take in his hopeful face. It allowed her to delay the inevitable.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I can't draw. I'm terrible at it." And just like that, all hope was gone. It was a kick to the throat for her. He looked even more devastated than he was just moments prior.

"I don't know what my Okaasan looks like," Naruto's expression and voice were breaking her heart in her chest. "I can't picture her! I can't picture the stories!" His voice was an octave higher than usual. He was upset. Everything about him conveyed that.

"That might actually make it better," Sakura hid the sadness she felt inside with a bright smile on the outside. Naruto's skeptical face was her only cue to explain herself. "You can focus on how the stories make you feel." She tapped her chest. "In here. In your heart. That's the most important thing."

Naruto shook his head. "No! I want to see too! In my head. Like the play Tochan took me to. I want to picture my Okaasan."

Sakura bit her lip, discouraged by his growing disappointment. She thought quickly on her feet to change tactics.

"You can picture anything. Absolutely anything you want and that can be your Okasaan. She could be the prettiest woman in the world. A woman prettier than any Hime."

The boy was still not convinced. Sakura hunched her shoulders and bent forward. She tenderly brushed his blond locks from his forehead. His eyelashes fluttered. The sadness was giving way to something else: tiredness.

"You Okaasan had the prettiest red hair. It went down to her knees. It was long and strong and really soft." She continued to dance her fingers across his forehead in soothing motions. "And dark blue eyes!" She tilted her head. "They are shaped like yours. Ambe-san says you have her face shape." She saw it now, other than his coloring Naruto must take after his mother.

Naruto continued to regard her with skepticism set in his visage.

"She has a loud voice. A big personality." She scrambled her brain as she continued to dig a deeper hole. "She is taller than me too." She held her hand over her head. "About this high." Maybe. "Why don't we use our imaginations?"

Naruto shook his head. "Can I see your hair, Sakura?" Naruto blinked at her.

"What?" She spoke without thinking, her filter had not had a chance to sift through her thoughts. "Naruto-kun," she said his name with a sigh. "We've talked about this. My hair is something I don't like about myself very much."

"I just want to see. It will help me picture it!" Naruto practically begged. "I'll be nice."

"I don't want it to scare you," she whispered. "It's not a normal color. It's not red, or yellow, or brown, or white, or black." She reminded him gently. "It's not like your Okaasan's hair at all."

"I know." He said with more conviction than she could muster together. "It's strawberry blond," Naruto said with a small smile. "I remember."

Sakura bit her lip. He remembered her lie. She looked over her shoulder. In the glow of the lantern, it would appear as a burnt orange. Burnt orange was close enough to red for it to not be alarming.

"Please?" The slight trembling of his bottom lip set her over the edge. "I won't tell anyone."

'Don't do it.'

Despite everything, her reservations and her fear, she felt her hands move to her bandana. She could not deny him. Especially because she could not help him with what he so desperately wanted. Her fingers made quick work of the knot. She felt his eyes as she lowered the fabric to rest across her knees.

Sakura found the three pings that held her bun in place. She pulled them out slowly. She lowered them one by one onto the white bandana.

"Are you sure?" She asked the boy in a level tone despite the rapid beating of her heart.

"I'm ready," Naruto nodded his head. His cobalt eyes entrapped her in his gaze.

Sakura helped gravity loosen her bun. Her hair fell down her back in a flourish.

"C-can I touch it?" Naruto breathed, she was not quite sure out of horror or fear.

"Sure," she leaned forward. His small hands instantly tangled themselves into her hair. She watched his face closely for traces of scorn or ridicule.

'He doesn't know.'

She tried to remind herself so that she did not pass out from the stress of it all alone. Naruto did not know. He was not like the children of Tonika. He has not been taught to hate her. To fear her. He was blissfully ignorant.

"So pretty," Naruto ran his fingers through her strands. "So soft. So long. So strong."

"I think that's enough, Naruto-kun." Sakura straightened. Naruto's hands came to rest on his chest. Sakura coiled her hair into a tight bun right where her head met her neck. She secured it in place with the pins before tucking it away under her bandana.

"I won't tell." He said in a small voice. His face and eyes were solemn.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for showing me." Naruto smiled up at her. It made her melt. It made her forget all her apprehensions and worries for a moment. It was that powerful. She tapped his nose.

"Now hurry up and go to dreamland. I'll see you in the morning."

He lowered his eyes and a bashful look settled on his features.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" She knew that look on his face. It could only mean trouble.

"Can you play with my hair until I go to sleep?" He asked her timidly without looking her in the eye.

"Getting a little greedy aren't you, Naruto-kun?" She asked him good-naturedly. Sakura resisted the urge to pinch his pouty cheeks. Instead, she moved her fingers through his sunny locks. His eyes closed immediately when he registered the sensation. It did not take long for his breath to even out and become deeper. She played with his hair for a couple more minutes to ensure he stayed firmly in the land of dreams before she rose to her feet. With one final gentle tug of his sheet, she blew out the lantern that illuminated his room. The shoji doors closed in front of her. Sakura took two steps back before turning to her left. The guard waited for her at the end of the hall.

She dipped her head only to raise it when she did not hear his feet keeping pace with hers.

"I'm not feeling so good, servant," the guard pointed to his stomach. "Do you think you can manage to make it back to your quarters without getting lost or into trouble?"

Sakura nodded her head. She waited for him to grumble in discomfort and return to his post before she made her way through the house. The cool air had goosebumps forming on the skin of her neck and chest. She did not bring a jacket. But that was intentional. She would relish the warmth of her room that much more after coming in from the cold.

Her footfalls were light despite the heaviness in her chest. What Naruto said, the sentiment that left him so small and defeated looking, was like a weight against her. Sakura brought her hands to her chest. She could feel the small portrait that was pressed into the folds of her kimono under her fingers. She would not know where she would be without that picture. Without that rendition of her brother. Even just the thought of forgetting what he looked like entirely made her heart lurch. Sakura closed her eyes. She saw Haruma's face. It was blurry. She needed to refresh the not-so-clear parts once she was safely back in her room. She had a photographic memory but for some reason, it did not seem to work on his face. But maybe that was because she was trying to juxtapose a 2D painting on the face of a 3D boy.

She was pulled harshly from her consuming thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat in pure terror as she felt a hand on her wrist. Before she could fully understand what was happening, a hand clamped across her mouth. She felt herself being pulled back from the illuminated walkway. The path that was under the watchful eye of the guards. Her back was pressed up against something solid. Brick from the way it felt against her cloth-covered skin. She broke out into a cold sweat. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She reacted. She opened her mouth as wide as she could. She bit down on the hand that was preventing her from screaming. While the curled fist of her left hand swung with accuracy.

It was instantaneous. She heard a hiss followed by a curse she had never personally heard before. The restraint around her wrist was gone.

Sakura pressed herself against the wall firmly. She breathed labored breaths as she blinked rapidly to try to get her eyes to adjust to the lack of light faster. She was so scared that she did not think her voice would work properly.

'Maybe the creep will think twice now about messing with me! I'm not easy prey, Shannaro!"

The voice in her head gave her the push of confidence she needed to look at her attacker. She focused her eyes. Her jaw hung open. She nearly threw up.

The man straightened. He was holding his head gingerly with the hand she had not bitten. She covered her mouth in horror. Her guilt only lasted so long.

"Minori-san?!" Sakura hissed out in a low tone with outrage. Anger was much easier for her to sink her claws into and it was powered by her self-righteousness.

"Sakura," he said lamely.

"Just what in Kami's name do you think you're doing?!" Her hands were on her hips before she could stop them. Angry Sakura was taking over. She hardly thought through her movements. Sakura stood there glowering at him.

"That went differently in my head," Minato offered her an uneven smile. To his dismay, it did nothing to ease the fury being directed at him.

"You thought grabbing a woman at night, covering her mouth before dragging her into the dark would go over differently?" She asked with a raised brow and indignation etched into her features. Her eyes were nearly as dark as the leaves of evergreen trees.

He felt two inches tall. That was what her voice coupled with her expression and body language was doing to him. He had seen her and decided to be a little playful with a surprise. But he saw now that it was best if he kept his mouth shut and let her do the talking.

"I almost screamed for a guard to come after you!" She was seething in anger. It was coming off of her in waves.

What a mess that would have been.

Minato took a step back as she took one forward. The voice of self -preservation told him if he had any hopes of surviving to see tomorrow he needed to stay out of swinging range. His throbbing head was all the preview he needed.

"I didn't think it through," he held his hands up where she could see them. He made sure his movements were slow and predictable.

Sakura's nostrils flared. He saw her breath shoot out of them. "No kidding," she said roughly after snorting.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. That was not my intention." He apologized with genuine remorse. He brought his uninjured hand - thankfully she had not broken skin when she bit him - to the side of his head. The world has just stopped spinning.

Sakura felt the anger subside and her guilt take the forefront of her brain. "This is starting to border on abuse on my part, Minori-san."

"It's not abuse if I'm practically asking for it." He murmured not quite loud enough for her to hear. She took his muttering - incoherent babbling - as a symptom.

"Are you alright?" She called out to him. She sighed before taking a couple of steps towards him. He flinched.

"I won't hurt you," Sakura said in a calm voice as she ignored the ridiculousness of what she had just uttered. He was more than a head taller than her and much wider. He could have his way with her if he really had come at her with malicious intentions. Above average strength or not. He had seen combat. He could probably kill her before she could utter a word. She found herself wondering if he had bodies attributed to him. She should have felt more scared than she did. But the minute she had registered that he was the one who grabbed her, her fear had completely dissipated. He would not hurt her.

'At least not physically.'

She ignored the voice in her head. "I won't hurt you," she repeated again. She waited for him to nod before she finished closing the distance between them. She touched her fingers to his temple. He winced from the feather-light contact. "Does it hurt?"

"I feel sorry for the poor bastard that tries anything with you." Minato chuckled despite himself.

"That's a long-winded way of saying you feel sorry for yourself." Sakura rolled her eyes. She turned his hand over. "You're going to be fine. You might wake up with a bruise and a bad headache though."

"You have some left hook," Minato gestured to his head.

"You're lucky you didn't see my right." She smiled at him. "We wouldn't be able to have this conversation if you had."

"I believe you." Minato grinned.

"I forgive you," Sakura held his gaze. "But I won't be so forgiving the next time."

"There won't be a next time." He dipped his head in a bow. "I learned my lesson."

"Good," she quipped. She regarded him with a critical eye. From his easy smile to the laid-backness of his person. He did not look like a man who had been bitten and punched in the head.

"Answer the question, Minori-san." Sakura crossed her arms before she frowned at him. "What did you want?" It took everything for her to not tap her foot in impatience. The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins.

"I saw you," Minato cleared his throat, "and I realized I wanted to show you something." He explained with hints of excitement.

"Right now?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Right now."

"It can't wait?"

"It can't wait." Neither the size of his smile nor the level of his enthusiasm changed throughout.

"How hard did I hit you?" She grumbled. "What day of the week is it?"

"Saturday. And it's nighttime," he flashed her a grin. He was not fazed by her less-than-eager reaction. Minato recognized her hesitation. "It will be fine. Trust me." He held out his hand.

'Don't be an idiot.'

Sakura bit her lip, deep in thought. Her fingers twitched at her side. She slowly raised her right arm so that her hand would come to rest in his. The voice in her head sighed in exasperation. She was two for two.

She breathlessly followed him as he ran through the compound, mindful of staying in the shadows and out of the eyes of the guard. He accommodated her slower pace on account of her shorter legs. The way he moved gave her the impression this was not his first time. He knew just when to duck, when to zig, and when to zag. By the time they reached the structure, she was breathless and a little sweaty. She watched in awe as he jumped the wall that was taller than him. He straddled the side of it. His leg dangled. She did not have much time to think it over. He bent down and held out his hand. With a small 'eep' sound that escaped her lips, she felt herself being pulled up the wall. It was only when both her feet were firmly on the roof that he let go of her waist.

She blinked at him in lethargically. Now she was the one with the muddled mind. She followed his gaze to a ladder that was welded to the side of the building. Sakura looked at him and shook her head immediately.

"No way," she took a couple of steps back.

"Sakura," he grabbed her wrist. Before she could demand he let go, he spun her shoulders around and pointed to the ground. The ground that she would have been reacquainted with if she took another step. "You have to be more careful."

Sakura glared at him. She tore away from his grip. "I wouldn't have to be more careful if you'd just ignored me when you saw me! Or better yet, said hello like a normal person." She covered her embarrassment at almost falling off the roof with anger. "I should be in bed right now!"

"You're welcome to go. I won't stop you." Minato pointed out much too innocently. His hand was already wrapped around the third rung of the ladder. He looked at her expectantly.

Sakura crossed her arms. She peered over the ledge. She could probably get down on her own. It would take her longer without his help. But at least her dignity would be intact.

"Well?" He had the audacity to ask her.

"Well," she made a show of looking around her surroundings, "I made it this far," Sakura spat out. "Might as well see what this thing is." She muttered, disgruntled. It made her feel better.

"Good choice," his smile grew in size. It made her heart flutter. "I'll go up first, alright?"

Sakura nodded her head. She moved to the ladder. She watched him climb the thirteen rungs. He looked back at her.

"You hit him in the head. What's your excuse?" She asked herself darkly.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" He asked cheekily. "Am I interrupting?"

"Yes!" She glared at him. She lowered her eyes directly in front of her. She reached for the rust-covered wrung. It was freezing in her hands. "I've lost my mind." She complained quietly. It was a little tricky to climb the steps in her sandals but she managed to make it up without incident even if she did move much more slowly than he had. She gripped his hand when she was on the second to final rung. He pulled her up.

Sakura moved away from him and looked around the small roof of the second story. She turned around slowly and pointed an underwhelmed look at Minato.

He simply pointed up. His smile was all teeth. Sakura tilted her head up to follow his gesture. Her breath hitched in her throat. All she saw above her was a sky littered with tiny, glittering stars. It seemed that not even one square inch of the fabric of the sky was not covered by a bright sparkling gemstone. It was beautiful. It took her breath away.

"Wow."

"When I saw the stars tonight I didn't want you to miss them." His voice was barely above a whisper but it carried to her ears. She did not miss a word. "It's probably not as nice as Tonika…."

"It's beautiful," Sakura smiled at him. "Thank you for showing me." She watched as he lowered himself to the ground, crossing his legs under him. He patted the spot next to him invitingly. She slowly sat down. She pulled her knees to her chest.

"Here," Minato held out a small round object between them.

Sakura turned her palm. He placed it in her hand. She looked at the crinkly wrapper. "Candy?" Her eyes painted dark by the moonlight regarded him with surprise.

Minato pulled another from his pocket. He unwrapped it before popping it into his mouth. It did not take long for her to follow suit. The sweetness coated her tongue. She pushed the round, hard candy to the side of her mouth. She wanted to make it last as long as she could.

"Naruto," Minato leaned back on his hands as he took in the expanse of stars. "Brought candy back to share with his friends. I thought it might be a good idea to do the same."

Sakura turned her head to the side. She rested it against her knees. "Friends? Is that what you think we are?"

"What are we?" He turned his head to meet her gaze. There was something intense and unfamiliar in the way he looked at her. She had to look away. Thankfully there was a whole canopy of stars for her viewing delight.

"I thought you were my supervisor, Mister Horse Manager," she joked in an attempt to ease up some of the sudden awkwardness she was feeling. Minato's laugh cut through the rest of the unease.

"You sure know how to put someone in their place," he chuckled while he shook his head slightly.

"I haven't given it much thought." She said when the silence was getting to be too much again. She made a face. It was not a flat-out lie but it was also not the truth. He was a man who had been at war for the past five years. He was probably lonely. He probably liked the attention she gave him. He was chasing a feeling - not a person. And not most definitely her. It was that simple. He was just passing the time.

'He's pretty enough to be in plays.'

She found herself agreeing with Juna's statement. It was about as controversial as water is wet. It was a simple fact.

"Wait," she frowned. Sakura turned her body and gave him a heated glare. "You said you don't even know the boy!" She pointed a finger in accusation. "Why would he give you a piece of candy that he bought for his friends and not give me one?"

Minato blinked a couple of times as he was caught off guard by her question and reaction.

"Don't tell me that you're jealous of me just because Naruto gave me candy?" His shoulders shook from the strain required to keep his laughter internal.

"Stop," Sakura smacked his shoulder lightly with the back of her hand. "Don't laugh at me." She was grinning from ear to ear on the contrary of her words. "Answer the question."

"Don't know," Minato said with a shrug. "I stole the candy."

"Y-you stole the candy?" Sakura asked him, aghast. "You stole candy from a baby?" She covered her mouth in the horror of the thought. "I'm eating candy that was stolen from a baby?" The candy in her mouth instantly lost all flavor. Her stomach churned.

He could not contain it anymore. Her face coupled with the indignation of her question was too much. His deep laughter sounded in both of their ears. It did not take long for Sakura's giggles to join in. The laughing fit lasted longer than either had anticipated. Their sides hurt and their eyes were damp with moisture by the time they wound down.

"B-but seriously," Sakura tried so hard to catch her breath. "Did you steal?"

"No," Minato rolled his eyes. "You always think the worst of me."

"Not true!" Sakura shot back with a frown. "You literally admitted to it."

"I was joking." He deadpanned. "The Master gave me some."

"Oh," Sakura's face fell. His stomach did a flip. "I guess that means he must see you as a friend huh?"

"Maybe," Minato rubbed the back of his neck. "Or it could mean he was just trying to get rid of some of it before Naruto ate it all."

Sakura smiled softly. "Maybe." She leaned back on her hands and stared up at the sky. "Thank you for the candy." She could taste it again now that it was confirmed it was not contraband.

"Thank you for the company." Minato's eyes softened. He spoke up after some moments had faded away in the quiet. "Aren't you going to ask about him?"

"Why would I do that?" Sakura mused as she continued to stare into the skyline. The stars reflected off her eyes.

"You're not curious?" Minato pressed for reasons he did not quite look too deeply into.

"No," Sakura sighed. "Curiosity - not unlike greed - is not easily satiated. It is best not to engage unless it can't be helped." She thought back to the food situation.

"You're content to be in the dark?" His voice was softer than the breeze of the night.

"The dark suits me." Sakura tilted her head even further back. "It makes it easier to hide."

He disagreed. Strongly. "Actively choosing the dark is not the same as being forced into it."

"Maybe," she clicked her tongue. "But in the end, does it even matter?"

"It only takes one lick of flame to cast out the darkness." Minato pointed out.

"One shard of light, one lick of flame can't change anything. All it is capable of doing is illuminating just how much darkness is around." Her tone did not change once. It lacked all traces of warmth. "One lick of flame will burn itself out only for the inevitable to come to pass."

"Bleak," Minato said heavily, "but perhaps true."

Sakura's lips pulled into a wry smile. "Are you going to break out into a poem?" She asked teasingly. "An original this time?"

"Maybe," Minato rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The view is certainly breathtaking enough to inspire it."

"Should I cover my ears?" She asked playfully.

"You'd be missing out on pure brilliance if you do." He frowned.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not interested in listening to cheap flirtations under the guise of poetry."

"Is that what you think of me?" His frown deepened. His expression was painted with traces of real hurt. "A cheap flirt?"

She clicked her tongue. "We've been through this, Minori-san." She giggled. "Maybe we do need to have the Sensei examine your head."

"You didn't hit me that hard." He said with a scoff.

"Next time then." She promised with a bright smile.

"Sakura," he said her name almost testily. "We've been through this. There will not be a next time."

"I hope that is the case." She regarded the moon. "It is pretty inspiring. Maybe there is something in the air." She brought her head to rest in her palm. Her pinky curled towards her chin. She sighed dreamily. "It's so pretty out here."

"I didn't bring my notebook. The lines are just pairing themselves in couplets." He risked a side-long-glance. She was not looking at him. His gaze lingered as he took her in. "What a shame."

"And you call me a bookworm," she sighed in contentment. "Did you finish the book you were reading?" She furrowed her brow as she tried to recall the title. "The Loneliness of a Samurai?"

"Solitude," Minato corrected gently. "The Solitude of a Samurai. And not yet. But it is a reread."

"I remember." Sakura flicked a piece of lint off her kimono distractedly.

"You'll have to borrow it sometime. I think you'll really like it." He regarded her sudden withdrawnness. She was retreating back into her thoughts. "Notice how I said borrow, and not take. Once I've gone back, you can ask Ambe-san for it. She'll give it to you. Thanks to you, she might actually read the title now instead of just relying on the pictures and colors."

Sakura fiddled with the neckline of her kimono. She could feel his eyes but she stubbornly played the part of ignorance. They did say it was bliss after all.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Will you be honest?" Her eyes pinned him in place.

"Yes. Ask me anything." He waited with bated breath. His heart beat loudly in his chest. "Anything." The word was rooted in his conviction.

"Are you nervous?" She asked in a small voice. "About going back?"

"No," Minato answered truthfully, almost disappointed in the question she asked. It was not the one he was ready to give her the answer to in the still of the moment. "I know what to expect. I know what I'm walking back into. I'm prepared."

"Hm," she hummed. "You're braver than I."

"You left home, the only one you knew, to work for a house you did not know." His voice was gritty with his admiration. "It takes more courage to do that than to pick up a katana. You are brave, Sakura."

"You make it sound like I had a choice in any of it." She drew indiscernible shapes on the roof between them.

"You had a choice. You had many choices. And you made them. Not for yourself but for your family. And you continue to do so."

"When it's a matter of survival, Minori-san, there really is no choice." Her expression was as solemn as the cadence of her voice.

Her sentiment was greeted with resounding silence, deafening.

"Family," she said almost sadly. She cleared her throat. The silver glow of the moon and stars painted her face as her eyes moved from consolation to consolation. "The reason," she took in a breath. "The reason why I have such strong, almost visceral reactions to stealing," she licked her lips to moisten them. She felt the cold air ten times worse after the action. "My Okaasan stole from my Obaasama a long time ago. It made the rift in their relationship unrepairable."

Minato studied her face intently. The manner in which she was speaking almost implied that the person she was addressing was far, far away. The pauses and the shaky tone made it clear to him that she was piecing her thoughts together as she went. Probably for the first time, she was attempting to put all of this into words.

"It's one of the biggest regrets of my Okaasan's life, stealing from her mother. She stressed from a young age the magnitude of her decision and the consequences of her actions. I grew up thinking and believing that stealing is one of the worst things a person can do to another. It completely destroys trust. It is an act that you can never come back from."

The words left her lips and entered the air only to drop back down to coat them both with their significance. He blinked slowly.

'Trust.' The word, sentiment, meaning, and definition rang in his head. Like a gong.

"That explains a lot." He muttered. Another layer was peeled back. "No more jokes about stealing. Understood."

"Hm," Sakura smiled humorlessly. "You couldn't sleep?" She did not look away from the stars.

"Something like that." Minato sighed. He usually came to this spot to clear his head. But now there were even more thoughts swimming in it than when he had left his room. Even with being fully aware of that fact, he did not regret coming out here.

"Missing home?"

He furrowed his brow. "How do you figure?"

"Just a guess," she answered with a shrug. He watched mutely as she settled onto her back. Her hands came to rest on her stomach. One on top of the other. She crossed her ankles. The blatant display of trust left him breathless and conflicted.

"Where is home by the way?" She turned her head to regard him.

"Here," Minato answered definitively.

"You really aren't like most Uzumakis are you?" She asked him in a soft voice, one that was without judgment.

"I suppose not," he played with the wrapper in his fingers.

"Konoha may not be Tonika, but it has a charm of its own." Sakura smiled into the vast expanse of the night sky. "It's nice. It's really nice."

"It does and it is. No place will ever replace it. It's where I was born. It's where my parents are buried. It's what I fight for. My whole identity is tied to this land. It's who I am." His voice was rich with emotion. There was too much swimming in his eyes to make sense of.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Her delicate voice shattered the still.

"Thank you," he swallowed thickly. It had still not really sunk in. More than once since being back he half expected to look up and see Naoto's critical gaze upon him.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No," he thought of Kakashi. He was his brother for all intents and purposes. Blood did not matter to him. But he could not tell her that.

"So you're all alone." Sakura made a sympathetic sound. "I'm sorry. It must be hard."

Minato did not bother to correct her misunderstanding. It would only make things more complicated. The web was complicated. And with each lie his stomach seemed to twist into more and more knots.

"The solitude of a samurai huh?" She asked into the air, watching her breath becoming nothing as it mixed in with the open expanse.

"Solitude is addicting." Minato raised his legs, bent at the knees. "It's dangerous."

"It's safe." She supplied a varying perspective.

'You can't protect yourself from everything.'

Sakura relished the last of the artificial fruit flavor of the candy that was no more. Her thoughts twisted and turned in her brain. It was a jumbled mess. She sneezed into her elbow. Sniffling as she felt build up in her nose. Her bottom jaw quivered as she shivered slightly.

That was not missed by Minato. He lowered himself onto his back. The side of his body brushed up against hers. He felt her surprised eyes on him but he dared not turn his head to confirm with his own eyes. He would lose his nerve. Instead, he stared up at the sky, unmoving and unspeaking. He would have given her his haori but then he would be left without a shirt and the net total of their problems would still be one. His intention was not to add to her discomfort. So this was the best he could do. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she shifted so that she was closer to him, closer to her newfound heat source.

She lifted up her arm. Her sleeve fell to her elbow. He trailed up her goosebump-lined skin with his gaze. He followed her finger. Her lips moved as she began to name the constellations. He listened intently to the soothing cadence of her voice. He raised his hand to trace the imaginary lines her finger connected. He pointed out the stars they used for navigating during dark nights. She listened just as he had.

"The giant trio in the sky?" She asked dubiously, squinting as she concentrated.

"Tilt left," Minato instructed as he did so. His head brushed against hers.

"I don't…" she bit her lip. His hand was warm around hers. She watched mutely as he moved her hand up and down in the shape of what could only be a head.

"The toad," he said softly. He drew more shapes with her hand. "The slug." Her arm was moving again.

"The snake." Sakura finished off, finally seeing the silhouettes of all three.

"Hm," he lowered their arms. Neither moved to break away when their hands finally came to rest on the cool brick of the roof.

"Tell me the legend." She said in a soft voice. Her cheeks flushed with heat.

He began to narrate not once pausing to ask how she could not know such a prominent legend and story that passed down multiple generations. Dating all the way back to when the land of fire was created.

"It all starts with the Kyuubi," he began at the beginning. "He had what the other animals needed, the gift of fire."

"There are other beasts right?" She asked. "In the other lands?"

He nodded his head. "That's how the Nations got their name. Each village within the nation that the spirit of the tailed beast is said to originate from became the strongest. Konoha, Kumo, Suna, Kiri…."

"So the Kyuubi was fire." She mused.

"The Kyuubi was fire." He glanced at her. She was regarding the legendary trio with concentration. "He kept to himself. He did not want to share his gift, his powers with the other animals in the land."

"I can sympathize." She smiled softly. "But they needed it?"

"They did. The legendary trio was chosen to go at the behest of all the citizens of the land to ask for fire."

"Let me guess, he gave it nicely?" She asked with a wry smirk.

"Very." He grinned. "The battle lasted four days. It's said to have taken place near the Valley of the End. That's why no life grows there. No vegetation, no fish, not even bugs."

"But they got it?" She peered at him, her face practically pressed up against his bicep.

"They did. They brought it back." He swallowed. "The legendary trio were heroes. It's said that in the next hundred lives, they will be reborn every time to be just that, heroes. No matter the form."

"What happened to the Kyuubi?" She asked in a small voice.

"That's a little fuzzy. Some legends said he died. Others say he left the land of fire. Some say he is also to be reborn only to have the same fate for his selfishness, to be dealt defeat over and over again at the hands of the three."

"Sounds more like a curse," Sakura concluded. She turned away from him. Her eyes were towards the sky. "Tell it to me again." She blinked heavily.

"Will you have all your questions this time?" He asked teasingly.

"No," she shook her head. "I'll just listen."

"You won't fall asleep?"

"No," she smiled at him. "I won't fall asleep."

He looked at the trio. "So, it all starts with the Kyuubi. Burnt-orange in color, eyes as red as blood. Nine tails. Larger than any building. Taller than a hundred men. Wider too."

"Are you trying to give me nightmares?" She asked with a scoff.

"What happened to just listening?"

She sighed. "Sorry." She apologized disingenuously. "You're a good storyteller."

"How would you know when you keep interrupting?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Takes one to know one." She grinned.

"So that was just a way to compliment yourself?"

"Get back to the story, Mr. Horse Manager."

"Yes, ma'am." He dipped his head in a mock bow which prompted her to roll her eyes.

"Before I fall asleep." She deadpanned.

"I'll just have to pinch you awake if that happens." He promised solemnly.

"So rude!" She scoffed in mild offense.

"I'm not carrying you down the ladder." He promised solemnly.

"No one asked you to!" She shot back with more heat.

"Do you want us to get caught? It's the middle of the night, Sakura." He admonished.

"You are the worst." She poked him in the shoulder at the lower volume.

"Do you still want to hear the story from the worst storyteller?" He wiggled his brows playfully.

"Yes please." She smiled prettily.

He brought the hand that was not curled around hers to cradle the back of his head. "Where were we?"

"Do you even remember your own name?" She narrowed her eyes in scrutiny.

"No," he said flatly. "But luckily I'm not in this story."

"That's how I know it's going to be good."

"You're not helping."

"I'm off the clock," she pointed out.

Minato sighed. "So, it all starts with the Kyuubi."

"Did it have nine tails?"

"How did you know?"

"I heard it before. From the worst storyteller ever."

"Hm."

She giggled. "Again. I'll be good this time." She promised.

"I'm not sure you know what that means." His smile cut through the effect of his words. "So Kyuubi, nine-tails. Big, mean, scary, awful, could breathe fire." He carried on with the story.

She smiled softly as she got lost in the picture he painted with his voice.

Solitude was nice. But there was an exception to every rule.

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