Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N:

Hello Readers! Another chapter! At this rate we might just finish before the month of January ends. Wouldn't that be great? Thank you for reviews, folllows, and favorites. I am pretty excited about where we're headed. Without giving too much away, the Senju women will play a role in this story. Can't be giving away all the twists and turns (well beyond what my "subtle" attempts at foreshadowing do). So stay tuned for that. :)

~L.H.

Chapter 20: Twisted into Knots

The fog obscured everything. A thin misty vapor clung to his skin and clothes as he moved through it. The first day of the new year was upon them. So much was still unresolved from the year last. The war talks were still at a standstill. More troops, more soldiers, were bolstering the ranks at the borders. Tensions were high from what he made sense of the encoded message. Kakashi was never one for flowery language as he dubbed it. He wrote concisely. He wrote precisely. He wrote exactly how he saw things. And things were bleak. Earth was not ready to admit - much less accept - defeat.

His apprehensions and hesitations of the victory of the passageway had manifested into reality. The war was not over. Nothing changed. All signs were pointing to him having to go back to the frontlines once he healed enough. The minute he could wield a sword and draw back a bow, he would be back on Kaminari racing to where his samurai awaited him. It was always a very real possibility, a realistic one. It did not make the truth any easier to swallow.

Like the war front, things back at the compound were not all as they seemed. The facts and figures that he had memorized long enough to commit to paper, taunted him. The numbers written by his hand were double that of what was written by hers. He did not have proof of her statement. He did not need proof of Danzo's loyalty. The man had risked his own life to save his father's life. He, himself, would not exist if Danzo had not been loyal to his father all those years ago. Danzo served his family long before he was even an idea. His father did not have one complaint against him in all the years. That in of itself was a miracle. Naoto did not like anyone. He tolerated everyone. Danzo was the closest thing he probably had to a friend. Danzo and the late Hatake Sakumo.

He owed her nothing. She had said it herself. She knew her place. As harsh as it had sounded coming from her mouth, as jarring as it had been to hear it, she was right. It was not in her place to speak in the matters of the compound, especially the financials. Her place was not to make accusations against a man who had given over thirty-five years of his life tirelessly without giving the family so much as a reason to doubt him. She had no right.

'But It would be a disservice not to do my due diligence.'

That was how he justified it to himself. He owed it to those under his employ to be taken care of. He pushed away the images of her gaunt face. A face that had not smiled or opened up to him in over four days now. A voice he had not heard in as many days. He was pulled from his thoughts rather abruptly by a very different and loud voice. He came to a stop several yards from the gate. He could just as easily hear every word the man was saying as if he were right next to him.

"I would like to see Haruno-san!" The man - the post carrier - bellowed to the guard.

His blond brows furrowed together. He moved behind the wall of the structure closest to him. He watched, obscured by the brick.

It did not take long for her to appear. She was tugging at her bandana and moving quickly.

'She's probably embarrassed from the attention he's drawing.'

She bowed to Lee in greeting. The man clad in a dark green kimono returned the gesture. His bowl-cut hair reflected the sun to the point it was nearly blinding. His brows all but jumped off his face as he smiled. It was large and open. Sakura's back was to him so Minato could only rely on her body language. The tension in her shoulders continued to ease away the longer she stood there.

"I have your letters for you." Lee held out what had to be envelopes to her.

There was silence yet again. Sakura was speaking much too softly for him to hear what she was saying. He could not move now without running the risk of being seen. She bowed again, probably in apology before she reached for them.

"Are you alright, Haruno-san? You ran out of there really fast the other day." His tone was gentle even if his volume had not reduced the slightest.

'So I'm not the only one you do that to.' He noted dryly with a bitter edge at Sakura's less-than-friendly and rather abrupt ways of leaving interactions.

Sakura was presumably speaking again. The expression on Lee's face went from concerned to relieved. Whatever she said seemed to placate him at least. He flattened his back against the brick. Sakura was on the move. His blue eyes narrowed as he recognized the look on Lee's face as he watched the woman leave. She was long gone but the look of longing remained firmly in place on the man's face.

He turned his head slightly to his left at the sound of feet dragging against the dirt-lined courtyard. He took in Miharu's judgemental expression. The gate groaned open but he did not turn his head. Her dark eyes bore into his. It closed with a loud thud.

"Sakura is a popular one around here," she said with an air of nonchalance.

His blond brows bunched together even tighter until it looked like he only had one. The lines on his forehead asked the question for him.

"Just a little tidbit for you to keep in mind," Miharu said with a dismissive shrug. "Master-sama," she dipped her head so slightly that it could not be called a bow. It was more like an involuntary spasm. The mischief in her eyes made his stomach twist into even more knots. She left him standing there even more confused than he had been moments prior.

What was it with the women of this compound?

"And now we wait," Sakura said solemnly. The last of the seeds had been planted into the ground. She looked over at Naruto. He was watching the water sink into the soil. "Aren't you going to ask me how long?" She prodded in an airy tone.

Naruto shook his head. "No, the plants will grow when they are ready." He said sagely.

"Who are you and what have you done with Naruto-kun?" She eyed him suspiciously.

Naruto giggled at the expression on her face. "I am Naruto, Sakura!"

"Oh yeah? Prove it," she challenged. "If you can't, I'm going to have to tickle you to get the truth out of you."

The boy wrapped his arms around himself. His blue eyes sparkled with delight. "No tickling!"

"Okay, okay," she held up her hands. "Why are you being all grown up and understanding all of a sudden? I'm not sure I like it." She teased.

"I'm trying to be patient!" Naruto quipped. He looked over at the small mounds where the potatoes had been planted. They were still devoid of any green. "I waited a long time for Tochan to come home. I have to be patient if I want my Okaasan to come home too."

'Oh, Naruto-kun.'

She brought her hand to the top of his brown hat. He looked at her with surprise in his eyes.

"Sakura?"

"You're just so precious," she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

He erupted into a fit of giggles the instant she started tickling him. Hers joined in when he turned the tables. He had her begging him to stop, with tears in her eyes and a large smile on her face. He was ruthless. He had to be if he wanted to stay undefeated in their tickle battles.

He leaned against the counter, his folded elbow resting against the wooden countertop, as his eyes scanned the space. The dry goods that surrounded him were both plentiful and full of variety. The peppers hanging from the ceilings tickled his nose. It was comforting. The sacks of rice and various blends of flour were open with wooden scoops in them, ready to be distributed and weighed before being sold.

He smiled kindly as the man returned from the backroom of the shop with a big, red notebook with yellowing pages. Minato took half a step back from the counter as the man plopped the book where his elbow had just been.

Hirano pulled glasses from his pocket. The lenses were smudged with fingerprints. He perched them nearly at the tip of his nose. His rough hands flattened the pages. Minato could smell the stale sweat from the fabric of the man's clothes with every movement he made, no matter how slight. He pointed with his middle finger. He moved it down the page. There was dirt under his nails as well as the folds of his skin. From decades of being out in the fields. It was a part of him now. He licked his thumb as he turned the page loudly.

"December...December," he muttered under his breath as he worked his way backward in the accounts. "Ah!" He exclaimed. He leaned forward. His shoulders hunched together as he peered at the small scrawls on the page. "Namikaze for the month of December. Here is your account." He turned the book around and pointed to the top right of the page.

Minato smiled in thanks without looking up. He read every character and every number. The quantities matched exactly what was in Danzo's books. There was not even a gram of variation between the records. Minato pressed his lips together. His finger traced down the page. It stopped right after a value. The total for the week. His eyes kept scanning. He checked the total for the month. His jaw clenched ever-so-slightly. It was barely noticeable.

"Hirano-san," Minato looked up from the book. "I lost the records for the months of April, July, September, and October too." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Would it be possible for you to show me those as well?"

The farmer frowned. "It is not like Shimura-sama to be so careless with the bookkeeping."

Minato waved his hand. "Oh no. He is meticulous. He gave me the books. I'm the one who lost them." He chuckled. "Please don't tell him. He'd worry about it."

Hirano sighed. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head too, Minato-san? It is not like you either to be so scatterbrained. Your Otosama taught you better."

Minato's smile became tighter, marginally. His teeth were now firmly pressed up against each other. He felt the man search his face.

Hirano brought his palms to the page of the ledger. He turned it around. He grumbled under his breath as he thumbed through the pages looking for the accounts for the Namikaze Compound for the months Minato requested. He had asked for additional months to get the general picture. The December ledger was proof enough. The remaining months were corroboration. The stall owner had only raised his rates twice in six months. Despite what the numbers in the books back at the compound reflected.

The various items and their amount in front of him matched everything in the books back at the compound. The total price for the items was exactly what she had said. Her math was spot on. She was not even off by one. The walk back to the compound, to the house, was plagued by thoughts of a harsh reality.

The prices in the official books for the house were inflated. Danzo lied. She was right. He was stealing from him, from the estate. From the son of the man, he had risked his own life for. Danzo was taking from those who had the least to line his own pockets. For what he did not yet know. How long this had been going on was also something he did not have the answer to. All he knew now was that his gut had been right. Tomoha was right. He had a snake in his house. A snake that lived with his son.

His anger built even as he moved with purpose. He opened the door. He settled into the desk in his room. His right hand shook when he reached for the brush sitting atop the surface. Minato took three long, slow breaths. When he dipped the brush in the bottle of ink his movements were measured and intentional. He pulled a sheet of paper towards him. The ink blot at the tip of the brush made contact with the paper. He began to draft the first of two letters. His jaw remained clenched even after the ink had dried and the letters had been sealed with the family crest.

She brought her hand to her abdomen. She pressed her palm against where her belly button was. The internal knots continued to snare. Her hunger only seemed to make everything worse. The flowers - the pale yellow flowers - the doctor had given her were of no help. She did not notice any difference. The wind was cold. The air was biting. Her face was flushed red as her body heat escaped through her extremities and her head. She was ignorant of it all. The sounds of water breaking the barrier of the lake were registered by her ears and barely acknowledged by her brain.

Her eyes were fixed on the yellows, whites, and reds that rested at the bottom of the pound. The koi were sleeping. She should be sleeping too. Sakura let out a small groan. Her stomach would not let her. Lying on her back seemed to amplify the pain. At least the cold she felt externally was helping numb the heat that was raging inside of her. She could not breathe in her room. She needed the air. She continued to watch the almost motionless koi at the bottom of the mostly still pond. She turned. Her back was not pressed up against one of the boulders that separated the water from the ground. She pulled her knees to her chest as she listened to the sound of the water crashing. It was soothing. It distracted her.

Her eyes were dry but her heart was as heavy with sorrow as it had ever been. She pictured his face. His smile. His eyes. His joy. He was such a happy child. He was such a confident child. Everything she was not. She smiled sadly. She started to sway slightly as her mind went back to the handful of memories she still had. The memories she clung to for dear life. Just the happy ones. Her heart could not take to think about all the times she was awful to him. Not today of all days.

Her eyes slowly opened. She looked at the figure before her. He was clad in just a jacket over his chest. She could see skin where some form of fabric should have been. Her eyes traveled up his neck. They settled on his eyes. The solemnity in them mirrored her own.

"Are you alright?" His voice was thin and delicate like the web of a spider. He waited in silence, in his apprehension - as to whether she could greet his words like all the others, with indifference.

She lowered her gaze. "Today is a hard day." She said the first words she uttered to him in days after what had to be a lifetime suspended in silence. "Today is the day my brother died." The sound of her voice was familiar but distant. Far away. Somewhere out of reach but not influence.

He came to sit next to her. Not close enough to where their shoulders touched but not far enough where she could not feel his presence or his warmth. Sakura tilted her head back. There was not a single star in the sky. The lonely yellow moon full of craters and other uneven imperfections gave her the courage to push through. She sighed deeply.

"He would have been fifteen going on sixteen if he were still alive." She said in a voice woven with fondness and anguish. It was secured with heartbreak.

Minato rested his forearms around his bent knees. He circled his wrist.

"It felt like I died that day. The day he did." She lowered her chin onto her kneecap. "Not just me but my Okaasan and my Otosan too. We were all frozen in place, unaware that we were still alive. We could not die with him. Not completely, anyway."

The melancholy in her tone alone took his breath away. The words then hit him across the face. It was a one-two punch. It left him breathless and disoriented.

"The world kept spinning. Change kept happening." Cold was her tone. There were traces of bitterness. She continued to drink in the light of the moon, basking in it. "I kept aging. I grew up. Time did not stop for me. Not like it did for my brother. He is forever going to be five years old. He's never going to grow older or change."

"I don't remember much about him anymore." She laughed bitterly. It was hollow sounding. "I have to rely on a picture. A version of him. And I know that the thing I look at, the face I look at is not his true face. It's a face that a foreign hand drew after looking at it through a pair of foreign eyes. The artist only saw him for a fraction of the time he was alive. He did not see him when my brother smiled, laughed, or cried. He only saw my brother once. In a sterile and cold setting. What the man saw was not an accurate representation of my brother. But that is all I have left. A drawing. A portrait." She was oblivious to the tears that started to stream down her face.

"That version of my brother, that picture," she let out a shaky breath, "is all I have. That's all I remember."

Minato closed his eyes. The flood of emotion that rose in him completely overtook everything. He could not help but think that Naruto, his own son, did not even have that.

"I can still remember his eyes," she continued. "His real eyes - not the ones from the picture. The way they sparkled and held life. The rest of him is in a blur but his eyes, Kami, his eyes." She bit her trembling lip. "They are what I see when I look in the mirror." She let out a wet breath. That was why she hated mirrors. The eyes of an angel - a pure soul - set in the face of a monster surrounded by the veil of a demon.

The sounds of her sniffling and ragged breath enveloped them both. Minato did not have it in him to do anything beyond sit and listen. The hand that was circling his wrist was gripping it tight enough to leave a bruise. But he did not relent. He kept the pressure applied.

"How cruel is it that time keeps moving? That the world did not stop for even a second when someone so precious and innocent left it. Why did time keep moving for everyone but my brother? Why does he have to be frozen in place? Why not me?" She ran her fingertips along her arm. "It should have been me. He was younger. I came into this world first. I should have left it first. Isn't that how things are supposed to work?"

He turned his head to look at her devastation. Her jade eyes were swimming with tears. Her broken expression caused dormant emotions to wreak havoc on him.

"I'm sorry for your loss," he shared his hollow sentiment. It was all he had to offer.

Sakura let out a cold sigh. It gave the impression that she was made lighter somehow. As if, by setting free what she carried within her into the air, she was less burdened. He could see her breath. She raised a hand to her face. She diligently and deliberately wiped all traces of tears from her face before she slipped on her mask. All that was left was her puffy skin and red eyes.

"It was a long time ago." She muttered.

"It still does not change the fact that you lost someone you love forever." The words left his mouth as soon as the thought had crossed his mind. It had been so fast that he did not even have time to filter it out. He saw no reason to stop to think now.

Sakura tilted her head to the side. She regarded him.

"I loved a woman," he closed his eyes. He tried to picture her face. He remembered her creamy skin, her purple eyes, and her red hair. The rest of her features were harder to pin down. "With all my heart," his voice grew tight. "But she died." He said the words for the first time. "The woman I love is dead." It felt like the world was crashing around him. He found solace in her grim expression. In the understanding that was reflected deep in her eyes.

"It's been over five years for everyone else. But for me, it feels like it was just yesterday. Time stopped for me. It was impossible being back here with her not here. It nearly killed me."

'Five years?'

Sakura's lips parted slowly. Her pink brow furrowed together. Her face was set into lines of perplexion. She licked her bottom lip absent-mindedly as she measured her words to carefully craft her question.

"Were you in love with Kushina-sama?" She asked barely above a whisper. The still night air nearly carried her voice away before it reached his ears.

"Yes." He nodded his head. "I love Kushina." He said her name for the first time in over five years. He was unaware of the tears that leaked from his eyes. Her name left his tongue burning and his lips lonely.

Sakura lowered her eyes, unable to process or handle the brokenness of his expression. The longing on his face broke her heart. It crushed what was left of it.

"It must have been hard," she mused. "For you to watch her be with someone else." She stared at the stitch in the shape of an 'X' on her sandal.

Minto was broken from his thoughts. His heart clenched in his chest. The reality of his situation, the tangled web of lies ensnared him. He was not Minato. He was Minori. To her, he was nothing more than a distant cousin of Kushina, an Uzumaki. He laughed bitterly.

"The Master," he said the word like it was poison on his tongue, "was good to her. She loved him. She loved him even though he did not deserve it. He treated her well until he didn't."

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura pressed her lips into a frown once the question had been uttered.

"The Master is a coward. He's the worst kind of man there is." Minato said harshly. He was acutely aware she was gapping at him. All traces of previously held sympathy she wore were gone.

"He did not honor his word. He couldn't uphold a promise he made to his wife. He left her alone. He let her go through childbirth alone. He couldn't even make it in time to stand outside the door while his wife gave birth to his son. He didn't even make it in time to say goodbye." His voice broke in anger. "He lied to her."

'And she's never going to forgive me for that.'

"He abandoned his son." Hatred towards himself dropped off every word. His anger kept the nippy chill from settling into his bones.

'I don't deserve to be forgiven.'

Sakura clicked her tongue. She looked back up at the moon. Tranquility. It provided that. It also provided perspective. It reminded her just how small they were and how narrow their viewpoint was as a result.

She felt the heat from his gaze. His anger had not dulled in the slightest. It clung to him just as hers had at one time.

"I lied to my brother too." She began in a far-off voice; her heart and mind going back ten years to the very day. "I told him he would be fine. I told him he would be okay now that I was there." She picked at her skin. "He died anyway. He died and the last thing I said to him was a lie."

Minato shook his head. "It's not a lie if it brings comfort. It's not a lie if it prevents the heartbreak of the person in front of you."

Sakura laughed humorlessly. "The things we tell ourselves." She watched her white breath dissolve into nothing. "For years I blamed myself for Haruma's - my brother's - death."

Minato listened intently. His features relaxed into a neutral mask.

"Haruma was like my little shadow. He wanted to be where I was. He wanted to do what I did. The age gap of five years between us may not seem like much now but it might as well have been fifty years back then. He wanted what I did not. I wanted to be alone. I didn't want to be responsible for him. I didn't want to have to worry about him." She met his cobalt gaze with regret in her jade orbs.

"The fields," she sighed. "They were mine. The one place I could go and just be myself, where I could be Sakura. I didn't want to share that with him."

"They were your place of peace." He noted without emotion. "Solitude." He understood just how peaceful and addicting it was to retreat inward.

"Hm," her lips pressed together in a small frown. "It was my fault. I was a bad older sister. I snuck out of the house because I wanted to watch the sunset. Haruma followed me like he always does. Only he wasn't wearing a jacket like I was. He didn't think that far ahead he was only five. I knew he would follow me. Maybe a part of me wished he did get sick. It would give me a couple of days of peace. My Okaasan would keep a close eye on him if he was sick. He wouldn't be able to follow me. I could ride Kaze. I could run until my legs felt like they were going to fall off. I could do what I wanted for however long I wanted."

"I told him off for following me. I said whatever came to mind no matter how cruel. I didn't think about his feelings. I was selfish. I just wanted him gone. He left. I didn't make sure he made it home okay. It was a long walk back home from the orchards. I watched the sunset. I came home. Haruma was not there."

Sakura looked down at her rough hands. She started to pick at her hangnail. "I found him. Later. He was so cold."

"You didn't know," Minato said mechanically. His tone was harrowing.

"It was my fault he was out there. I didn't notice. Even my Okaasan blames me. She took to the bed for years after that day." She inhaled deeply, gathering herself. "She couldn't even bring herself to look at me. She was so disgusted." Sakura sighed. "She had every right to be."

"You're being too harsh to yourself." The words left his lips without consulting his brain. "You were a child."

"That doesn't change what happened." She tapped her fingers against her bandana absentmindedly. "I realize now that Haruma died of pneumonia. He didn't catch it that day. The signs manifested too late. He was already sick." She rubbed her arms. "It wasn't my fault. Not completely anyway. But it didn't matter. The damage is done to my heart. I will always carry around that blame in some shape or form. It will never go away."

She smiled sadly at him. It made his heart clench in his chest painfully. "At least that's what I thought." A look of great fondness dominated her features. "I feel like I got a second chance to right my wrongs," she paused. "With Naruto-kun." She said his name affectionately.

The air in his lungs exhaled slowly. He stared at her completely flabbergasted at what he just heard. His heart pulsed in his chest, slowly. Reminding him that he was still alive.

"He reminds me so much of how I remember Haruma to be. So vibrant. So full of life and wonder. I don't know if it's right or wrong or what. But being with Naruto-kun, the ache in my heart isn't as bad. I feel like It's healing slowly."

"You shouldn't judge the Master too harshly." She said firmly. "No one really knows the extent of the pain in someone's heart like the person themselves. All we can do is try to be more empathetic."

'You don't understand.' The stubborn voice in his head rang out, drowning out the sentiment she was imparting.

"The war," she continued in her far-off voice painted with her emotions. "It started time again for me and my family. It reminded us that the world didn't stop spinning. Naruto-kun could be the reason why time starts for the Master again." She regarded him. "You have to find yours. Maybe it's the boy as well."

"You loved his mother. You are in love with his mother," a complicated look crossed her face. "She loved the Master and she loved her son. I don't know her or the Master but I do know this, Naruto-kun is the happiest I've ever seen him and it has everything to do with his father."

He swallowed thickly. Her words, her admissions, washed over him. It warmed him with a heat that was completely different than the one born from his anger. He blinked slowly, unable to do much else.

"I heard some things about the First Master," she kept her eyes trained on his face, gauging him for a reaction; to try to see how far she should push. "He's remembered as being cold and harsh."

If he were not so numb he would have scoffed. Her words were grossly understated.

"But maybe he was doing the best he could. He provided for his family, for his son, for the Master. Because of the sacrifices made by the First Master, the Master does not have to worry about having a roof over his head or a warm meal. The First Master secured his son's future, which speaks to his devotion to his family."

Minato leaned towards her. The calm, even cadence of her voice drew him in. It kept the swells of the tidal wave of emotions rising up in him from completely disorienting him.

"As someone who was not raised in a prominent clan or even family, I know better than most what it is like to grow up without stability. To have everything taken away from you. Stability is one of the best things a parent can provide a child."

He used the silence to ponder her words. He had never considered that perspective before. He had just focused on what Naoto did not provide him. He completely overlooked what he did. His privilege had blinded him.

"I'm sorry," her voice was gentle and soft. Her jade-colored eyes held remorse.

"For my loss?" Minato matched her tone.

"For that and other things," she sighed. "I made a fool of myself in front of you," her fingers traced the stitch of her sandal.

"You remember," Minato said tightly.

"Parts of it," she admitted glumly. "Thank you for fixing my sandal. You didn't have to." It had been mortifying when the memories came back to her. Her groans and grunts had been drowned by the sounds of the fireworks and the cows did not care in the slightest for her facial expressions.

"The Master probably doesn't have to worry about not being able to afford a new pair of shoes," he commented without emotion.

"But neither does Naruto-kun," she smiled softly. "He will never know what it's like to go to bed hungry."

Minato was shamed into momentary silence. He cleared his throat. "I suppose that is worth something."

"Hmm," Sakura hummed in agreement before tilting her head up. "He was out there keeping his son safe. And that's worth nearly everything." She sighed. "We're all trying to do our best."

Minato did not acknowledge the comment. He followed her gaze. The beams of cool light surrounded them in a silver glow as they watched the moon in silence.

The lightness with which he had awoken was gone. Only the emptiness that replaced it was a testament to the fact that it was even there in the first place. Minato did not move as Kaminari came to nudge him. His hands curled around the pitchfork that was in his hands.

"She's over an hour late," his lips tugged into a frown. Their impromptu meetup had not lasted long enough to warrant her to oversleep like this. Both of them had been back in their beds by midnight. He kept looking over his shoulder periodically - the interval between each glance was growing smaller and smaller - for any signs of her. He was only growing more frustrated the longer her absence grew.

'Is she avoiding me because I opened up to her? Because I admitted what I did?'

He did not judge her - think any less of her - was it too much to expect some of the same? He desperately wanted to rake his hand through his hair but the brown fabric fashioned in a makeshift round turban of sorts prevented that from being a possibility. He nearly threw the tool against the wall when he went to hang it. The loud clatter solicited an angry sound from Kaminari.

"My my," a feminine voice called out. It seemed to vibrate off the walls, amplifying in sound.

His whole body stiffened. He looked over his shoulder at an unfamiliar face with hazel eyes and caramel brown hair. He could not help but notice the bulging stomach too. It was far larger than what Kushina's bump had been when he left for war all those years ago.

"Cranky aren't we?" She raised a brow. He could see the amusement set in her features. She leaned heavily against the post as she continued to regard him. "What's got you all upset, hon?" She asked in a friendly manner.

Minato's scowl transformed into a frown. "Who are you?"

"Juna," she answered with a bright smile. "And you must be the horse attendant."

He nodded his head despite her posing her question as a statement. "Minori," he supplied to complete the introductions.

"Kai-kun was right," she gushed. He resisted the urge to shuffle on his feet. Her gaze made him uncomfortable. Her smile, which had a slightly leery edge to it, faltered. "Sakura-chan is in big trouble. She lied to my face!" She thought out loud.

His ears perked at the name. "You know Sakura-san?" He could not help but ask.

"Uh-huh," Juna nodded. "We're pals. Good friends. She adores me as I her." Juna grinned to reveal even teeth.

"Have you seen her?" He turned so that he was now facing her completely. He ignored the way her eyes roamed his frame up and down.

"Not since dinner last night." Juna blew her bangs from her eyes. "That girl gets so caught up in her work. She skipped breakfast this morning! It's not like the servings here are huge, to begin with. You'd think she was on a diet or something. Only making do with half a bowl of congee." The woman rambled.

"Half a bowl?" His stomach dropped. He recalled just how meager the serving had been when she gave him dinner on the night he had torn open his stitches. She had said that was a serving and a half.

Juna rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Like you don't know." She frowned. "She shares her dinner with Rin-chan - a downright adorable little brunette. The girl is so small. She could pass for a ten-year-old despite being almost fourteen."

"She didn't tend to the horse this morning," Minato interjected the moment she stopped to draw breath.

"Hm," Juna tapped her chin. "That doesn't sound like Sakura-chan." She snapped her fingers before pointing one in Minato's face. "Is that why you were all huffy Minori-kun?" Her face and tone could only be described as giddy.

"No," he said flatly. Leaning back as the woman invaded his space.

Juna clapped her hands. "Oh of course! It's obvious. You didn't get your daily fix of Sakura-chan in, no wonder your face is looking like that." She giggled unapologetically.

"Juna-san," Minato smiled tightly. "Can you check on her to make sure she is alright?"

Juna waved her hand dismissively. "She's probably fine, Minori-kun."

"You're probably right," he did not sound very convinced. He dipped his head. "If you'll excuse me, Juna-san."

"I'll let her know you were looking for her if I see her!" Juna called out loudly. He did not halt his movements even in the slightest at her utterance.

"Kami," she let out a sigh. "Sakura-chan is such an idiot." She shook her head in a jovial fashion. "If I were her I would be in the damn stables all day. What. A. View." She lamented. Juna brought a hand to her stomach. "Don't tell your daddy I said that, Baby."

Naruto kicked his legs at the table in a bored manner. He looked over at the large grandfather clock that he did not know how to read. All he knew was when the little hand was at the number eight, Sakura usually was there. Only now the small hand was closer to the nine and she was nowhere to be found.

"Where is Sakura?" Naruto asked Tomoha.

The woman's lips were pressed firmly together. She may not know how to read words but even she could read the face of a clock.

"Wait here, Naruto-sama," Tomoha pinned in place with a sharp look. The boy straightened in response. "I'll go get her."

Tomoha turned on her heel. She barely acknowledged the presence of the Master leaning against the hallway wall, obscured in the shadows.

'He is getting too good at that.' Hiding in plain view was yet another thing he could add to his list of impressive accomplishments.

Her sandals vibrated off the halls as she stepped. The cool air greeted her first and foremost. She clung to her annoyance. To her agitation. She wore it around her like a shawl. The girl was getting careless. That was what she told herself over and over again. She was getting too comfortable. That was something she could fix. Tomoha would straighten her out right away.

'Trouble. I knew she was trouble.'

Her eyes narrowed at the sandals at the side of the door. She was inside. She did not bother to knock before she pulled open the shoji doors. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. The smell was the first thing for her senses to pick up. Her stomach lurched. She quickly closed the door without fully turning away from the room.

The woman was on the floor like she had crawled on her stomach to get to the door. Her pink hair was covering her face and her back. Some of the dull strands were dipped at the ends in a pool of vomit. She registered specs of blood along with the stomach acid.

"Sakura!" She called out the woman's name with alarm. She lifted Sakura's head from her own sick. Tomoha let out a relieved sound when Sakura groaned. She slapped the sides of the woman's face.

"Wake up, Sakura." Her voice was frantic.

"Hm?" Sakura's eyes blinked open slowly, lethargically. Her eyes were listless. They were missing their usual glow. Sakura's skin was clammy under her hands. "A-Ambe-san?" The woman worked out weakly. Her heavy eyelids closed over her eyes.

"Stay awake!" Tomoha shouted harshly to the woman. She shook her.

Sakura's eyes opened once again. Tomoha dragged her to the wall, propping her up. She gathered Sakura's hair. She cleaned what she could with her hands before she coiled it up in a bun. She twisted it into place.

"Where's your head covering?" Tomoha shook her.

Sakura straightened her head. It had lolled to the side. "P-pillow." Her voice was weak just like the rest of her.

Tomoha moved to the pillow. She found the fabric under it. She rounded over to cover Sakura's hair. Only when all the pink strands were tucked away did she shout for a guard to go get the doctor.

"Hurry!" She shouted over her shoulder, frantically. Sakura had passed out again. She slumped down towards the floor. Tomoha's hands on her forearms were the only thing keeping the woman from completely turning into a boneless heap.

Minato saw the guard break into a full run from the corner of his eye. It prompted him to do the same. He was out of breath by the time he reached the servant quarters. He saw Tomoha standing in the doorway, guarding it. He came to a skidding halt. He tried to peer over her shoulder. He could not see anything from his vantage point.

"Is she okay?" He asked breathlessly.

"She's breathing," Tomoha answered flatly.

His face pulled into a look of confusion when Tomoha did not move from the threshold. Her eyes were cold and hard when his concern-filled gaze clashed with hers.

"She's fine. I sent for the Sensei. Go back to the house." She hissed through clenched teeth.

Minato hesitated. His eyes darted to the room behind her. It made her blood boil.

"If you cross this door, you're putting her at risk of being treated differently. The rules apply to everyone. No men allowed." She made it clear. "Turn around."

"Ambe-san -"

"Think of Naruto!" She snapped impatiently, cutting off his protest. The mention of his son's name seemed to snap him out of his state. "Sakura would not want him to see her like this. Go give him his lesson. Keep him occupied. That is how you can help. That is how you can help her. Stay out of the way." She said firmly.

Minato took a step back. He nodded his head. His eyes were a shade darker than their usual cobalt. Tomoha watched as the rigid set of his shoulders got smaller and smaller until she could no longer see him. She let out the breath she was holding. She closed the door. She sat back on her ankles. She began to scrub away at the vomit on the wooden floorboards. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized what appeared to be twigs mixed in the blood and the acid. She watched the uneven rise and fall of Sakura's chest from the corner of her eye. Her hand shook the entire time they waited for the doctor.

Sakura winced as he brought yet another cupful of a bitter clear liquid to her mouth. It was her third. It burned her throat as it made its way down.

"Another?" She asked weakly as she watched him refill the cup from the small white porcelain kettle.

"Another," he said firmly.

She bit back a groan. She grabbed the cup from him, he stubbornly held on. Just all the previous times. She looked at the cup to avoid looking at him. She dared not look over the silent judgment being shot at her from the face in the corner of the room. Tomoha's eyes would turn her to stone. She was sure of it.

Her stomach churned and burned. It demanded sustenance. Real food. It grumbled angrily.

"You've been abusing your body, Haruno-san." Kabuto's voice was layered with both disappointment and disapproval.

She gulped down the bitter liquid. She knew that. She had lost too much weight.

"You haven't been eating properly for months now. You show mild signs of starvation. Coupled with the bark you've been eating. Your stomach is in rough shape. I'd imagine your intestines too. You shouldn't have solid food for a couple of weeks to give your body a chance to heal itself."

She played with a hangnail as she listened to her sentence.

"The yellow flowers - Sweet Woodruff - you ate, it seems you have an aversion to them. Don't take them again. It's usually hereditary, the intolerance. It only made matters worse." His tone softened. "I'm sorry for suggesting it."

"It's not your fault, Yakushi-sensei," she smiled softly. "You couldn't have known I'd be allergic to it."

"What can she eat if solid food is out?" Tomoha's tone was clipping. Sakura flinched out of reflex.

"Clear broth," Kabuto looked over his shoulder at the older woman. "In a few days, a little bit of rice should be alright. No more than once a day though.

"I'll go get started on it," Tomoha rose to her feet. The door slid open. Tomoha did not close it. Sakura watched warily as a guard shuffled closer. Not quite in hearing distance but close enough to react quickly if she yelled for help.

Sakura let out a breath. She tugged at the knot behind her neck. She could still smell the lingering scent of stomach acid. Her hair needed to be washed but she did not have the strength to go about it. She was grateful her clothes had managed to avoid being soaked in the juices.

"Haruno-san," Kabuto's voice pulled her attention.

Her breath hitched. He was much closer than he had been just a moment before. The intensity in his dark eyes threatened to swallow her whole.

"Come with me," he breathed.

Her heart stopped in her chest. It restarted with a painful jolt. "What?" She did not trust her comprehension right now. Her eyes darted back to the motionless guard. There was a bored look on his face. He definitely did not hear and for that, she was immensely grateful.

"I can give you a job. Quit from here. I can teach you everything I know. You won't have to eat twigs and leaves to be full. I can assure you of that." His palm was pressed against his chest. Everything about his demeanor was honest.

"Sensei," the surprise slowly receded from her face. "I'm sorry for troubling you. Thank you for helping me yet again. I am in your debt." The words were not easy to get out. But they had to be said. "But I can't leave," she said firmly. Guilt rose in her at the disappointment on her face. "I like it here." She finished softly.

Kabuto nodded his head. He masked the dip in his mood. "I understand." He looked at her ashy face. "You'll promise me that you won't eat any more bark?"

"I promise," Sakura offered him a disarming smile.

"You're never any trouble, Haruno-san," his expression grew tender. "Rest now. I'll come to check on you in a couple of days." He squeezed her hand. She felt heat rush to her face. He left her struggling to regain her breath.

Sakura brought her spoon back down to the bowl in her hands. She set it aside. She scratched at the side of her neck before she raised her eyes to the all-too-stern face of Tomoha. The woman had been watching her like a hawk the moment she regained consciousness.

"Ambe-san, I'm so so-"

"I have one question to ask you," Tomoha held up her hand in clear disinterest in Sakura's apology.

"Okay," Sakura nodded her head. She folded her hands in her lap denoting that Tomoha had her undivided attention.

"The donkey is outside waiting to talk to you. Should I send him in?" Tomoha's dry voice cut through the air. Her face did not betray anything other than sheer annoyance. Sakura was not sure who it was directed at.

"D-donkey?" She furrowed her brow.

"The horseman or whatever he calls himself," Tomoha said with an agitated scoff. "It's up to you. Should I send him away?"

"Minori-san," she muttered his name. "Why is he here?" She looked at the closed door. Her imagination was playing tricks on her now. She could almost make out his silhouette through the door.

Tomoha rolled her eyes. She was definitely annoyed at the both of them. It was clear as day now.

"I don't have the time nor the patience to answer your many, many questions." The look on her face caused Sakura's throat to clamp up. "Answer my one and I'm gone. What will it be?"

'No. Absolutely not!'

"The rule," she bit her lip. She felt queasy in her stomach. Her hand migrated there without her having to give it much thought.

Tomoha's expression softened a fraction at her action. "Don't worry about that. Everyone is in their rooms. The guards won't notice. Just worry if you're feeling up to it."

Sakura looked into Tomoha's eyes. She nodded her head slightly. "It's okay."

Maybe it was the way she looked or the adrenaline starting to wane but Tomoha did not have full control of her limbs for a moment. She reached out and squeezed Sakura's forearm. The pinkette's face wore a mask of surprise.

"I'm glad you're alright," Tomoha said in a gentle voice that Sakura did not recognize. Had she not seen Tomoha's lips move, she never would have believed that the words came out of the usually stern woman's mouth.

Sakura nodded mutely. She lowered her eyes to the blanket covering her. She straightened the neckline of her kimono and smoothed the wrinkles on her bandana. She was not alone for long. The very air in the room became unbearable the second the door closed. She instantly regretted her decision. She wrung her hands.

Her skin burned. Heat rushed to her face. She was convinced she was redder than any apple she had ever come across in her father's orchards.

Minato sat back on his heels. The hours that had passed between this morning and right now did nothing to appease his anger. It demanded retribution. The source behind it was finally in front of him. His dark eyes took in her bent form. She looked so small and meek - he would go as far as saying delicate. Just like the flower she was named after.

"How could you be so reckless?" His voice was colder than ice. His eyes were narrowed into slits.

'Did he really come all this way to yell at me?'

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. His tone alone was enough to cut her to pieces. The words themselves were just overkill.

"Just what are you trying to prove? Huh?" He pressed not caring that he was being a bully. Red was all he saw. His voice never fluctuated in volume. It remained low but the anger was seeping off of it. It filled the air. It jolted her nerves.

Sakura glared at him with the full weight of her indignation. Emerald clashed with sapphire.

"How dare you?" She asked with a scoff. "Do you really think I'm putting on a production for you?!" Her eyes flashed as she countered every bit of his controlled fury with unbridled aggression of her own. "I told you about the food situation. I told you it was bad." She ground out through clenched teeth. "I told you!" She needed to convey just how difficult it was for her to ask him for his help only for him to throw it back in her face now.

"This is you handling it? Starving yourself? Literally, twisting your stomach into knots? This is your solution?" The questions fired off as fast as the thoughts formed in his mind. His palms were pressed firmly against the wooden floor. He was leaning forward. His yellow hair hung down his face unrestrained and open.

She could feel his hot breath on her face. "What was I supposed to do? I couldn't sit back while a child went to bed hungry!" She hissed in accusation. She ignored the way her stomach practically begged her to calm down. She fought the liquid down. "I figured I was young and healthy enough that I could handle it. I didn't account for the damn flowers." She nearly threw up her hands in frustration.

"You blindly ate something without checking first?" His tone implied she was an idiot. She resented the implication.

"I didn't just stick some random thing in my mouth!" She crossed her arms defensively. "The Sensei gave them to me."

Minato scoffed. He felt something dangerously close to loathing for the doctor. "And you just took him on his word."

"He's a healer." She looked at him in offense. "The Sensei said it was safe! It should have been safe. It should have helped. We couldn't have known!"

Minato's nostrils flared. His voice remained low. "Now you know. Now we know. What you did was irresponsible, not to mention completely dangerous."

She nearly gnashed her teeth, not quite sure if in anger or pain or maybe it was both. "What was my alternative? Watching those around me suffer?"

His jaw clenched all the while he listened to her. The turning in his stomach grew more and more violent with each utterance.

"So instead, you chose to suffer yourself. You chose to force Naruto and me to watch you do it." He said coldly.

'What?'

Her breath hitched. His words shocked her system like ice water. He completely doused the flame that fueled her anger. Sakura looked at him, really looked at him. There was so much swirling in the depths of his eyes. Even so, she recognized the presence of something beyond the anger. Her shoulders dipped in defeat. She sighed.

"I'm sorry for making you worry." She said in a smooth, low voice. 'I'm sorry for breaking my promise to you. I didn't mean to be a burden.' Her eyes spoke to his dark orbs.

Her tone and utterance changed his whole stance. The anger shed from his person like a jacket or coat, forgotten on the ground. Discarded. His posture relaxed. The harsh expression on his face melted away into something much more gentle. Something she did not quite recognize.

"Don't apologize." Everything about him was soothing. She did not realize she was leaning towards him. He was comfort and warmth. "You rest. Don't worry about anything other than getting better. I'll take over looking after Kaminari for the next couple of weeks while you recover."

"Minori-san I can -"

"I know you can," he said gently. The way he was looking at her caused the words to die in her throat. Her brain was moving so slowly. "Just let me do this. It would really go a long way in alleviating my guilt. Please."

She furrowed her brow. "Your guilt?"

"The food situation is being looked into. It will be resolved soon. Everyone will have enough to eat." He assured her. He thought back to the letter he had delivered to the courier earlier today along with the one sent via messenger hawk to the front lines.

"Is Shimura-sama…?" She let her question trail off. Relief flooded her.

"No," he shook his head. "It was a clerical error from what I understand." He did not miss the way her eyes scanned his face.

"I see," her tone would have been more convincing if he had not seen disbelief flicker across her eyes for the briefest of moments. "Minori-san," she blinked a few times before lowering her eyes to his chin. "About the cost of my treatment -"

"It's taken care of," Minato cut off before she could offer to pay. "You got sick at work, because of this house. All expenses rest solely on the house."

"But," she furrowed her brows. The look on his face had her closing her mouth and swallowing tickly, almost painfully. "Okay," she relented. Her words, strength, and resolve were nearly all sapped out of her now that his anger was not fueling hers. His eyes nearly had an intoxicating effect on her.

"Go to bed, Sakura-san," Minato suggested gently. "The Master is grateful you brought this to his attention. You're to take it easy for the next two weeks. It's his order."

"What about Naruto-kun?" She asked in almost a panic, fighting against the lure of sleep his gaze put her under.

"You can hold the lessons as soon as you feel ready." His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "I'm sure he's anxious to see you."

Sakura nodded her head. She did not fight it when he coaxed her back down to her futon mattress. Her eyelids fluttered closed in response to him tucking her in.

"Good night, Sakura-san." He whispered. He blew out the lanterns that were illuminating the room. "Sleep well."

She mumbled good night under her breath. She was asleep before the door closed completely.

Soft, gentle Minato is the best Minato. Please let me know what you think! Thank you!