DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe. This is my Mito, though.

A/N: Sorry but I'm going to include something a little more personal at the end HOWEVER since I haven't updated in a bit, I wanted to tell you what's going on in this chapter so that you don't have to go back and re-read anything:

What's been going on in Konoha while Mito was "indisposed" (better word: trapped)

Has anyone else ever wondered how the peace with Suna, after their stunt with Oto, was really achieved? -It's something to consider!

*Sasuke is Sasuke

*Naruto develops a family affliction

**Aaaaand just in case you're wondering, we will see more details of some things that happen in this chapter next time!

Thinking (+ flashbacks, "Mito speaking to Kurama in her mindscape," etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

Both of them accepting of (but privately irritated by) being guarded, Mito took Zabuza to a noisy bar and put up a seal once they made their way to a booth and ordered drinks. Zabuza didn't mess around when it came to drinks: he liked them "strong and long," as he put it.

"So," Mito grinned, matching his order but going a little sourer in her preferences. "YOU are going to be the new ambassador to Konoha."

"Maybe. And if so, only interim for a VERY short time," he clarified grumpily before taking another shot. "I hope not. –Me being an ambassador of or to ANYTHING is a terrible idea."

"I agree with that," Mito nodded, holding up her drink and downing it quickly.

"Thanks a lot."

Mito chuckled. Zabuza being the ambassador to Konoha was a far worse plan than her being the ambassador to Kiri, even. Mei really wanted Mito to represent Konoha, though, and at dinner, had sounded willing to do nearly anything to make it happen. "Do you have someone better in mind?"

"Haku." Zabuza appreciated how Foxy perked up at that. "He's a good kid and has a great mind. He doesn't like to fight but I've made sure he's strong."

"He is an excellent fighter and a very smart boy." And Mito agreed with everything else Zabuza said. "You really trained him well. He'll be a great man one day, I'm sure."

Zabuza's eyes widened a bit before he sat back on his side of the booth, throwing one arm up over the back of it. He smiled at her from the other side of the table, looking way too cocky for Mito's taste. "Naturally."

"Ha! Hardly!"

"Asshole."

"You're the asshole," Mito replied happily.

"He's gotta rank up, though."

"Ah." Mito could understand that. All of the ambassadors she'd heard of were at least Chunins. Most were Jonins.

"Actually, if you ARE placed to rep Konoha, someone else will step in as ambassador for Kiri so I won't have to deal with it."

Mito tilted her head, waiting for him to tell her who Kiri's other candidate could be. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope!

Unbelievable, Mito thought. "So. It sounds like things are calming down in Water Country."

"Yeah," Zabuza groaned uneasily. "There are some who are holding firm to the whole 'Bloody Mist' bullshit but they're in the minority."

"I would think." Mito couldn't imagine people wanting more of what Yagura had forced on his population. "I think that Konoha and Kiri could become great allies. Let's drink to it!"

Zabuza hoped that she was right. "Sounds like a plan."

Mito noted that Gai: that origami stealer, had spotted her and was glaring. Subtly shifting the genjutsu in her silencing seal so that they'd be better ignored, she internally cursed that Gai was such a good shinobi and stuck her tongue out at him. They had some more drinks and Mito asked about everyone she could think of (or at least, had at all liked) in Kiri. It sounded like things were rapidly improving there.

Kiri had a lot of rebuilding to do, however. It can't be too bad, though, or they would've never invited the leader of another village to visit.

She looked up to see that Gai was now sitting down at the bar and he just kept staring at them! Mito finally waved and reluctantly smiled but it didn't change his attitude at all. She groaned and finally brought up something that had been bothering her to Zabuza. "I ran into Hoshigaki Kisame." Zabuza's gaze sharpened. "He was with Uchiha Itachi."

"Fucking traitors…"

Mito wasn't quite ready to call Itachi a traitor to Konoha but he was certainly a traitor to his little brother. Rumor had it that Sasuke had suffered through a horrible genjutsu at his brother's hands AGAIN. What could Itachi be THINKING? "Kisame had Helmet Splitter."

After a beat, Zabuza slowly stood, looking shaken. "I - are you sure?" Mito nodded. "It's been fun but I have to go. I'll see ya, Mito." He turned toward the street after throwing some ryo down but was approached by an angry man wearing way too much green immediately.

Mito jumped to move between them. "Yo, Gai! I'm sure you're aware that Kiri is in negotiations with Konoha." I'm sure you know that Konoha could use any allies we can get since Suna turned on us! "This is Momochi Zabuza."

"I haven't forgotten that you are responsible for killing my father," Gai said darkly.

Mito was surprised that Gai could get this serious and just… nasty. He was pissed! She'd be pissed at whoever killed her loved ones too (and was) but Gai, on the surface, just didn't seem the type to hold a grudge like this.

That was naive, however. Gai was a badass and war vet no matter how happy and carefree he acted.

Zabuza crossed his arms over his chest. "I know who you are: Maito Gai, aka The Green Beast, son of Maito Dai. You are Konoha's S-ranked taijutsu master and weapons specialist. While I was in Kiri, your father was the one to take out my seniors and brother." It wasn't me, asshole.

My brother was an abusive dick but he was still my brother.

Gai rubbed his chin and definitely had his thinking face on. Mito swallowed and huffed, glad that they were both holding back, for now. "Ya know if we want peace, we're going to have to move past what happened IN the past."

"We were at war," Zabuza said, his eyes still narrowly focused on the man in green. "We're shinobis; we all follow the orders of our superiors. We're tools…"

"Oh, God. –Don't start on that 'tool' bullshit again," Mito groaned irritably.

Gai turned his glare to inflict condemnation toward both of them. "You two seem to be awfully friendly." And not exactly Youthful.

Zabuza shrugged. "We fought and bled together." Feeling like pissing this guy off he threw his arm around the woman next to him who gave him the most deadpan of all expressions even as he pulled her into him and shook her a couple of times. "Right, Foxy?"

"Asshole." Mito removed his arm from her person and stepped away and a little closer to Gai - who was still glaring.

Seconds passed before Gai came to a decision. "I do not want to see my students forced to fight and kill." More than they already have.

Mito softly smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "Me, too. –I'm sure Zabuza here feels the same."

Zabuza's nod was almost imperceptible but his eyes remained locked with Gai's before he began to move. "I'll see ya, Mito. He turned to her and grinned obnoxiously from under his mask as he stepped toward the street. "We've got meetings but let's go out and party tomorrow night before we leave, Foxy-chan."

Mito groaned at the name but tried to move past it: he could've definitely called her something worse. "That sounds good." Zabuza gave her a two-fingered wave and sunshinned away. Mito barely avoided the water he sent flying at her with the jutsu. "Tsk. That idiot."

"Mito," Gai growled. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Rarely. I'm exhausted, though, Gai. Walk me home?" Mito felt like a weak asshole to ask that but on the other hand, (aside from the origami stealing) Gai was good company and she was about to fall over.

She also planned to quietly put a seal on him that would turn his current green outfit pink once it was in the sun.

After being sent away from the hospital the next morning, Mito caught up with her aunt Momo, trying to wrap her head around her brother's suspension. She hadn't heard anything about it! "So you're telling me that Naruto fought Sasuke on the HOSPITAL ROOF?! And that's why we were on water restrictions there? What the hell?!"

"I know, I know," Momo said, shaking her head. "The kids on Team 7 are damn lucky that Kakashi-kun was there. Minato said that their sensei got to them just in time; that they would've hit Sakura with two fatal jutsus as they came at each other, had Kakashi not thrown them off first."

"What the fuck?! What is WRONG with that team?"

"The Uchiha brat's chakra is DARK. I know you've felt it, Mitwo. If he's Indra's reincarnate and he seeks to destroy Naruto, then Naruto is most likely Asura's reincarnate."

Mito didn't want to think about that being true. "Fatal jutsus?" she asked, wanting to hear what she feared the boys had pulled confirmed.

"They will kill each other. It is inevitable."

Mito huffed. "Nothing's inevitable, Kurama. Let me pay attention to my conversation, please."

Momo had nodded. "Sasuke used Kakashi's jutsu? –The lightning one?" Mito closed her eyes and shuddered, clearly pained and imagining what could have happened. "Naruto used Minato's Rasengan: he said he only did it to protect himself when he saw Sasuke come at him with the Lightning… blade? They were running at each other."

"The Chidori." Mito still couldn't believe that Kakashi had taught a mentally-scarred preteen an assassination technique. Then again, he'd developed it as a mentally-scarred preteen.

"Right."

"So if Naruto was only defending himself, why is he suspended? Especially at a time like this." All ninjas were needed on deck right now. There was SO much going on. Then again, Momo had said they were running at each other…

Momo pursed her lips and slightly shrugged. "Minato said that Naru agreed to fight Sasuke - right after Sasuke was woken from that awful illusion and… His older brother, Itachi, right? Itachi had broken Sasuke's wrist and that had also only recently healed. He was still hospitalized when the boys agreed to fight."

"On hospital grounds," Mito finished for her. She was somewhat personally insulted that they'd fight at her workplace: a hospital was meant to be a place of healing! "No wonder they're suspended." Mito rubbed her temples sadly. She bet Tsunade had wanted to flay Naruto for pulling something like that on her turf. "They're… I want to say friends but the boys are certainly rivals, at least."

"What did I tell you? –It's always the same. It's been this way for millennia!"

"Both boys were angry that they weren't promoted when a few others were," Momo admitted. "That may have factored in, too, but Naruto said that Sasuke believes their difference in power is becoming too great. –Something like that."

"Well, that's stupid. Sasuke's supposed to be the genius of his generation. Seriously," Mito complained.

Momo nodded. "Yep," she breathed sadly, "Sasuke-kun was more vocal about those with 'lesser power and skills' than him being promoted. Kakashi-kun said that the whole thing is also a result of Naruto finally showing his skills. AND rapidly improving."

"Well of course! They're both maturing; they're only going to get better!" Mito groaned. "I guess there is 'family pressure' of sorts to be promoted the first time one takes the exam. Probably for both of them." It wasn't that she or her father were trying to make Naruto a Chunin and giving him a hard time about it in any way but she, their godparents, and her parents had made Chunin on their first go. –That was a different time, though. Mito had explained that clearly to Naruto when he once "joked" that he was so far behind her.

Naruto was powerful enough to be a Chunin but he did have issues with ADHD that he sort of ignored and his dyslexia was rough for him, too. Their mom said dyslexia ran in the family; Mito was incredibly fortunate that she never had to deal with it. Her mother had also said that although she was made Chunin at the same time some of her classmates did, it was only because of the war. Uzumaki Kushina claimed that she never led a team as a Chunin.

That knowledge had actually made Mito feel a little better as a lone Chunin, stuck in that position for so long.

Then there was the whole thing with Naru using a Rasengan when it had been forbidden - and now he'd used it in a fight on the hospital roof with a comrade that was healing. Naruto definitely wasn't ready to lead a team.

"Powerful, huh? He does have immense chakra without touching my own. You know where that could come from. He has more than the inherited reserves of a kage and Uzumaki; more than a whelp who has worked hard, so don't even give me that shit. …I have told you what I can about those two; about who they may really be."

"You've said that my 12-year-old brother and his little rival are going to be incredibly powerful and destructive, destroying each other because they're the reincarnated souls of two - forgive me for saying it - two whack jobs that won't get over themselves. Do you think I want to hear that? What am I supposed to DO about it?!" Mito sighed miserably. " I could warn them. –Have a talk with them, you know."

Sasuke didn't seem like the type to believe something so… outlandish, however.

"Do not interfere! Indra will use knowledge like that against Asura."

"Oh for heaven's sake; his name is Naruto - and thanks a lot, Kurama."

"Do you want your brother to die?"

"OF COURSE NOT!" Mito shivered at even the thought of it and shut Kurama out. "Naru needs to be careful," she said more to herself than her great-aunt. "Where is he?"

"With Jiraiya at the Southern Training Camp, I think Minato said."

"You've gotta be shitting me. WHY?"

Momo grimaced. She was NOT going to be the one to tell Mito that Jiraiya planned to take Naruto on a years-long training trip as his official, new apprentice. She didn't quite understand her nephew's thinking on that, herself. "That pervert probably knows you're coming for him and is hiding!"

"Smart man."

"Kick JIraiya at least once for me when he's down, okay, kiddo?"

Mito smiled. "It'll be my pleasure." The kunoichi's heterochromatic eyes brightened as she imagined a cartoonish version of herself kicking an equally silly one of Jiraiya down that big gorge he sent her little brother into and then jumping up and down on him like a trampoline when she followed him to the bottom of it. She let out a dreamy sigh. Jiraiya was resilient as hell: he'd live.

"OH! Since Tou-san's not here, I wanted to get your opinion on something." Mito reached into her vest and pulled out the little origami fox that she'd refolded. She showed the message to her aunt. "What do you think? And don't tell Tou-san!"

Dinner on Thursday night? 1900?

"Ohhhhhhh! Look at this! And I won't," Momo promised excitedly. "I think you and I need to go shopping, Mito!" She got up and grabbed her wallet, very excited that her grandniece was FINALLY going on a date, it seemed. "So who's the lucky guy or girl?"

Mito stuck out her bottom lip. "He's a guy - but I don't see what shopping has to do with anything. And um… I don't know who he is! But that's kinda fun, right?"

"Oh, it is!"

Well, that made Mito feel much better about the whole thing!

"I don't think I have the right shoulders for this… dress." Momo had picked out a bluish-lavender strapless number that was over the top. –Probably. Mito had NO idea what she was getting herself into on Thursday night but that was part of the thrill, at least for now. And it was nearly a week away.

Was it so wrong of her to wish for a nice, mysterious, first-time, trial date of sorts?

Although she was still a little run down, most of Mito's chakra had returned to her and she felt much better today. She was still on Tsunade's experimental medication and thus technically on medical leave. Mito thought it sucked: her personal challenge to become immune to things/everything (she reminded herself that "dream" was inspired through "Good Old Orochi-oji") had been tempered by the need to return to work asap.

And yet here she was, shopping.

Momo couldn't believe Mito was blind to how beautiful she looked in a dress. "Women around the world would pay good money to have your shoulders and legs! –Your muscle tone is incredible!"

"And yet you also have a certain softness," the boutique's manager said (creepily, Mito thought.)

Momo bobbed her head with a big smile on her face. "That's because this young lady knows how to eat!"

Mito groaned. Were they saying she was overweight?! –She decided to blow that off, knowing that she was healthy and fit and telling herself that she was simply curvy. "Don't ya think wearing something like this might make me look too eager?" Mito asked her aunt. I am pretty eager, though.

Oh, God: not only was she eager, Mito realized she was SUPER eager!
Mito saw the price tag and yelped.

"I think it makes you look beautiful," her aunt said - as an aunt would. Mito rolled her eyes but hid them as she had her head ducked down.

The clerk who would probably make a commission decided to put in her two ryo. "This dress brings out your eyes yet is a dark enough color to flatter your beautiful and interesting skin, Mito-hime. One must consider one's station and how one appears in his or her position - and as Hokage-sama's daughter…"

Mito groaned, leaning back dramatically, and began softly cursing while the salesgirl continued her thoughts on what people should wear.

She was not a fucking princess. She was a Jonin of Konoha.

Momo laughed but gently swatted her niece for cursing so badly and being disrespectful. Mito was a riot, she thought. "She does have a point, Mito! Lately, you've been dressing all in black like some kind of… Well. –Aside from the hood, it's like you're the grim reaper."

"That's kind of fitting then, isn't it?" Mito had thought that she looked good in black and, considering how much color(s) her hair blasted loudly to the world, thought that was okay. She'd already had to change her style or lack thereof for the hospital. Since Tsunade had demanded her to wear a haori or coat so sternly, Mito had come in with one that had large kanji for "badass" on the back of it as a joke, but everyone LOVED it. It made her patients laugh so now she wore it for every shift.

She wasn't a kid anymore, though. And if she didn't get used to wearing different things more she was never going to be an effective infiltrator. "Alright, I guess this dress isn't horrible." Her aunt cheered but gasped noisily as Mito put her combat boots back on and then gazed at herself in the mirror. "Perfect!"

"Mito, no!"

.

"I've been thinking," Minato began once he'd found Tsunade. Kiri and Konoha were taking a brief break in their ongoing negotiations and he wanted to ensure the plans he'd been making for when he was outside of the country would go well enough. "You're second in command so when I'm gone…" Tsunade put her hand in his face, nearly whacking him, making him flinch and groan. "C'mon, Tsunade!"

"The hospital's still packed, Minato! You shouldn't be leaving the village at all. Just reschedule the Kiri visit!"

"And have them realize how weak we are? No thank you," Minato replied curtly.

Tsunade groaned, hating the idea of stepping into his position for even a day, let alone three or four. She'd helped out several times before over the years but had only been forced to sit at her grandfather's desk for a few hours each time. "Years ago, we agreed that I will not truly be your successor. Give the position to one of your brats."

"One of them?" Minato asked but quickly moved on to the main issue. "YOU are the one that Daimyo-sama and the councils have recognized as Godaime Hokage should I be unable to continue in my duties."

"Yes, but you planned to give the seat to Kakashi-kun back then. And now, ne? He's old enough now, Minato!" Especially considering that you are alive and well!

Get me out of this damn position! Talk to that pigheaded Daimyo!

Minato grumbled. "And Kakashi hates the Hokage position even more now that he is older." He didn't appreciate the way Tsunade found that so understandable.

"I'd say stick Mito in charge; I know you've been considering making her your new official successor since she's…"

"I'm taking her with me."

"WHAT?" Tsunade squawked, outraged. "I need her at the hospital! She's scheduled to be back on duty at 0600."

"Sorry," Minato said, not sounding the least bit sorry at all. "I'm sending Kakashi and Asuma to deal with Kumo. Mei-sama is really pushing me to appoint Mito as Kiri's ambassador which works out well as far as the timing goes: I can keep Mito out of Kumo's sights and can keep an eye on her." Not that her being appointed ambassador will necessarily happen. "Anyway, I want to see for myself how well Mito's received in Kiri. Be at my office at 0500; we're leaving bright and early…"

Minutes later -

"So you just want me to talk to Temari-hime and get to know her better? Why?" Naruto asked his father. His father was, as usual, looking at his watch. Naruto had just gotten back! Didn't he care?

Don't be stupid, Naruto told himself. He's Hokage! Dad has lots to do.
And at least he's less aggravated with me now than when he sent me off with The Old Perv.

"Truthfully," Minato replied, "I'd like to get your opinion on her character: what kind of person Temari-hime is, as well as what you think of her in general."

"Gaara says she's okay, other than being bossy," Naruto shrugged innocently.

"Well, I suppose big sisters are like that, aren't they?" Minato smiled but felt badly at the way Naruto frowned and looked away from him so tellingly. Naruto hadn't gotten to know or even known he had a sister for so, so many years. He didn't get to experience all of the pushes and pulls of a normal sibling relationship. "Which is why I think it's important that I get your opinion, personally." Naruto nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, looking thoughtful. "Temari's a pretty girl, ne?"

"I guess," Naruto replied a little sourly, not having considered that before. "She's got a weird hairstyle."

Minato laughed - but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I don't think so, Naruto. I think… I think Temari-hime has a LOT of hair, much like you do," he added, ruffling his son's blonde locks terribly and making him squawk. "And the four ponytails: maa, I think that's a Suna tradition. I know that her mother once, a long, long time ago, wore her hair the same way."

"Oh," Naruto said, perking up before deflating again with a sad sigh. "Her mom's dead, too, right?" He received a grim nod in return and tried to turn things in a more positive direction. "I guess it's important for a Hokage to learn about Suna! -About all the Hidden Villages!"

Minato nodded. BUT, "try to keep your discussion more focused on personal things."

Naruto's face screwed up. Something seemed weird here. "Like what?"

Genma popped his head into the room. "Hokage-sama, you have five minutes."

"Right. Sorry, Naruto! We'll catch up tonight when my meetings are over, ne?" He picked his squawking boy up and gave him a surprise bear hug. "Now behave yourself and… Oh, Momo-san left some clothes out for you to visit Temari-hime in."

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh?"

"I trust you, Naruto! You trust me, too, alright," Minato cheered before disappearing with Genma.

Having flashed outside of Minato's office annex again, Genma gave his leader a hard look. "Tell me you aren't forcing Naruto to marry that Suna girl?"

"I can assure you that I will NEVER force my children to marry anyone, Genma." He grinned at him but then thought of Mito and those swordsmen she liked so much. There was no way he'd let his children marry and then live outside of the village. "Probably. BUT if Naruto fancies Temari-hime, who am I to stop young love?"

"Rots o' ruck, Hokage-sama," Genma snarked. Naruto only had eyes for his hotheaded teammate.

Genma also hated the idea of a boy he'd helped raise being used for political machinations although a marriage between Temari-hime and some poor (but well-placed) Konoha schmuck would be quite helpful in regaining some kind of alliance between the countries that the general populace could get behind. He turned when the door behind him opened, his eyes widening before a smile broke out on his face.

"Why, hello there, Mito! Feeling better?"

"I am! Thanks for asking," Mito said, hoping she didn't sound nervous. After thinking more about what Momo and that baka salesgirl told her, Mito decided to try to wear something different and felt a little uncomfortable. She flashed Genma and her father a smile and then, after another few seconds, glared at her father more and more. He was standing there looking at her as if she was half nude or something. She looked down at her clothes to make sure she hadn't gotten hot sauce or something on herself at lunch. "What?"

"Nothing!" Minato squeaked, turning around and wondering where the white number she was wearing had come from. For a kunoichi, Mito was usually SO conservative in how she dressed. He turned around again and looked her over, shooting a glare at Genma who he caught staring at his daughter's rear end. Slightly shaking his head at the man (and promising pain with a mere look) he realized that underneath her Jonin vest and the bulky utility belt that partially hung off her hips, Mito's white catsuit of sorts only showed the skin of her outer, upper arms and maybe her shoulders.

The neckline is high, at least… That part was good!

Mito was actually wearing open-toed, light-colored kunoichi heels (who are you, and what did you do with my daughter?!) and her pants flared out around them. He pointed at them. "Not sure that's safe." Non-form-fitting pants could get hung up on branches, tear on brambles, or worse.

Mito scoffed and then bent over, activating a seal that she'd put on the bottom of her unitard. Instantly, the slight flares of the pant legs that made them look flowy tapered to her legs. "Tada!"

Minato grumbled. Why did she have to be so pretty? "You think of everything, don't you?'

"I do-oooo," she sang, feeling victorious. She let the seal go and grinned at him.

"I know that you're supposed to be on sick leave."

"Meh, everyone else is working hard, and if I was well enough to attend dinner last night, I figured I could work this morning." Although Tsunade hadn't allowed her to work at the hospital this morning. "Zabuza told me that I was expected to be here after lunch. –Oh, and Shizune was released from the hospital late last night!"

"That's good. And… I guess you can join us," he muttered as he opened the door. He sighed as the Mizukage and her entourage perked up so much at seeing his daughter. How awful.

.

Sasuke didn't think he could take much more of this bullshit!

First, there was the whole thing with the village, his suspension, and lack of promotion and progression. Of power, his mind whispered: he needed it. Family-wise, he had just been dealt another blow.

Did his mother not remember that he was her son, too?! HOW could she be so concerned with Itachi after what That Man had done? For a second time!

Shisui, he had thought, was on his side but no: Sasuke had followed his cousin to Izumi's house, wanting to ask him to train with him since he was suspended, and he heard Shisui making BS excuses for his brother, too, as he tried to soothe Izumi about Itachi's latest stunt.

He'd never forgive Itachi for locking him in that genjutsu again. –How he'd had to watch That Man killing his father and all of those other members of his family. Sasuke had SEEN the man that was no longer his brother kill his father, firsthand! Making him also watch as he killed everyone else? It was unforgivable!

Itachi's voice in the genjutsu echoed in his mind: "I'm coming back Sasuke, to finish the job."

In reality, that's not quite what Itachi had said.
What Itachi actually said was "He's coming back, Sasuke, to finish the job."

If Itachi was coming to finish him, Sasuke decided that That Man would have to find him first. Just yesterday, he'd received an invitation of sorts - one which showed him just how weak he still was - to leave the village that he could not refuse. Konoha wasn't safe for him.

Konoha couldn't make him strong enough to BE safe, either. Worse, his being here put others in danger.

After Shisui left, Sasuke crawled in through the window and rolled his eyes at Izumi who had flown around the corner of the nursery, sensing him. "Mother says you should rest when the baby is resting."

Izumi sighed, realizing that she was clutching her chest. She thrust out her index finger at him and hissed, "Baka! Why can't you use the door like a normal person?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her as he, despite himself, reluctantly smiled into the bassinet.

Izumi snapped her fingers at him. "Your lazy pervert of a sensei has negatively influenced you, Sasuke!"

"I beg your pardon?" Sasuke asked darkly, bewildered and a little grossed out at her claim.

"Coming in through a window! –Like Kakashi-senpai does. Don't do that!"

"Hn."

Izumi grumbled before sitting down in the rocking chair across from her lover's little brother. She sighed, not knowing where to begin when it came to Sasuke. Ever since the attempted coup, Sasuke had been SO angry; he was SO secretive! He had also turned into a snotty little thing since mid-way through the Academy but now things were far worse. She loved the boy but really wondered how deeply buried that sweet kid who used to follow his brother around was.

She blamed Fugaku even more than she blamed Itachi for the way Sasuke was now.

WHAT had Itachi been thinking when he stuck Sasuke in a genjutsu, though?
- The next time Izumi saw him, she was going to kick his ass!

Most of the remaining Uchiha Clan (who were almost entirely civilian now) were newly humbled or ashamed of their clan's prior actions and attitude but Fugaku had been a harsh father and leader, especially to Sasuke. Whenever she heard Sasuke say something about the "Uchiha Clan (being) the most elite" or something akin to it, especially since the former Clan Head's death, Izumi clearly heard Fugaku's voice echo through his mouth. It always gave her the chills.

"How have you been, Sasuke?" Sasuke gave her a rotten look as he bent over to carefully pick up his nephew.

Izumi couldn't help but smile when, as soon as her son was in his arms, Sasuke's expression softened so much, however. It was at times like these that she knew that the goodness Sasuke seemed to view as weakness was still a part of him. "I'm glad you're here."

"Hn."

"Just come through the door next time!"

Sasuke didn't acknowledge her words and figured this would be the last time he'd be back for quite some time.

He held his nephew carefully, smiling softly when he woke up just as the baby's mother nodded off across from him. He ever-so-softly tapped two fingers against his forehead as he activated his Sharingan so that he could forever record the moment. "You have a big job, little nephew. The future of the clan is in your hands," he whispered.

His lips curled up into a soft grin as the little one grasped his finger. He began trying to gnaw at Sasuke, letting his uncle know that he was probably hungry. Sasuke hummed to him - some tune his mother used to sing to him that he couldn't quite remember the words to - hoping to delay his departure from Izumi's place just a little while longer.

His mother… Well, she'd be fine. As long as baby Izuna was here and safe, his mother would remain strong. He knew his leaving would hurt her, but he'd be back. Now he needed to decide whether or not to leave her a note.

It would be better if I didn't. If she finds a note explaining what I'm doing before I intend her to, she could come after me. Those strange Oto shinobis were incredibly powerful and could hurt her.

A stage 2 curse mark, huh? – That's what those four had said they had. They have to be around my age.

Yeah, he needed to get that level up.

The baby began to really fuss and Sasuke reluctantly transferred him to his very tired mother. He moved toward the window to leave but remembered what Izumi said, and turned around to use the door. The least he could do was follow her request. Maybe I'll check the fridge on the way out; to make sure she's got everything she needs for a while. I can pick up some things at the store for them although it might delay when I can leave.

It was hard to leave.

"Until next time, Izumi-nee, Izuna-chan."

Once outside, he sighed despondently at finding his idiot teammates headed his way. "What are you two doing here?" Weren't non-Uchihas supposed to be kept out of this part of the compound for his family's protection?

His mother must have ordered the guards to allow his teammates entry, just like how she was testing the clan by allowing outsiders entry into their home, period. How awful.

"Rude Teme!"

Sakura gave Naruto a dirty look although she could agree that Sasuke could be a little rude sometimes. "Sasuke-kun, we have a… a mission!" Kinda.

"Naruto and I are suspended," he said coldly. His expression did falter a bit when he saw how pained that made Sakura look. He had never meant to hurt her when he powered up his Chidori; he'd just been so angry and messed up.

Does that mean that in my heart, I intended to really hurt Naruto?

Jeez, he'd known Naruto since they were babies or something. He wouldn't exactly call them friends anymore but Naruto had always been someone he trusted.
- I can trust him to be an idiot, he told himself, refusing to think about it anymore.

His mother said it wasn't just the curse mark causing him to act out on the hospital roof: that it was puberty and he needed to control his aggression! As if. Sasuke had planned to spend his last evening here with his Kaa-san but he found out that she'd been sent on a mission which showed just how messed up the village was now. It's like the "Sound 4" said: Konoha is weak. Without "The Yellow Flash," we'd be nothing.

He looked at his teammates in frustration. "What's the mission?'

Naruto perked up, simmering with excitement. "We're going to finally see Kakashi-ni-uh, -sensei's face!"

Sasuke gave each of them a very deadpan look. "Forget it."

"Ah, c'mon, Sasuke," Naruto begged. "We got a retired ANBU guy to help us and everything!"

Sasuke turned his nose up haughtily. He needed to get ready to leave. "No."

"Maybe Sasuke-kun's right, Naruto," Sakura said hesitantly. She felt foolish now, although she REALLY wanted to know what their sensei looked like. Naruto didn't know and Naruto had known Kakashi-sensei since he was a baby! She wondered how that was even possible.

"Ha. Sasuke's not right," Naruto said cockily. "He's just chicken!"

I am not! Sasuke glared at him with all the strength of an overpowered, nearly 13-year-old could muster. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you know that I'll see sensei's face first! Before you can!"

Sasuke scoffed; the whole thing was so ridiculous. "As if."

Naruto hummed and rubbed his chin. "I don't know. Kakashi-sensei's pretty elusive. I always wondered what was wrong with that face of his."

"Maybe he has a nasty scar," Sakura whispered worriedly.

"Or maybe he's got blimp lips!"

"Hn. Or buck teeth."

"Ane said that he's got a black hole under there but we know that's a lie."

Sasuke sighed, looking up at the afternoon sky. It was getting late. He guessed that he could do this one last stupid thing with them. "Where's Kakashi now?"

"Yatta!" Naruto shouted as Sakura jumped into the air, internally cheering alongside Inner. "Okay, last time I saw him, he was spying on those Mist nins but we gotta get him before it gets dark out; I heard he's leaving on another mission tonight."

.

It wasn't until really late, long after the failure of the Kakashi's Face Mission that Naruto noticed his photographer/retired ANBU new friend - the one that had been helping them - talking to his sister.

The way Mito was smiling at Sukea with gushy eyes grossed him out! It was as if she "liked-him" liked him!

He got a little closer but backed off when he saw one of those Mist guys approach Mito. Naruto then smacked himself in the face when he saw his father flash in and flash away with her. Her face! Naruto began snickering before grabbing his stomach and laughing out loud. -Mito had looked pissed when she saw their dad. She had NOT wanted to leave! He laughed even harder.

- Man, was that guy overprotective! Poor Ane: she's never going to get a boyfriend with Dad around.

He gave Sukea a dirty look. A strange, irrational feeling had begun to bubble up in his chest. Mito doesn't need a boyfriend!

Keep up the good work, Dad!

A/N: OKay, sorry to vent but I've gotten some weird and really aggressively negative reviews and private messages on this story. They're almost what I'd call "threatening" and certainly made me feel sick. I'm going to try to delete them, but I'm not sure that's even possible. I haven't done it before.

update: I was able to remove a review from a "guest" that was so horribly offensive (to ANYONE) that I didn't want anyone else to suffer through reading it.

Those nasty "sentiments" made me even warier of posting than I already was: I generally post nowadays to under the same penname but... If you don't like my story, don't feel pressured to read it! I respect your feelings and can only hope that someone - anyone - might enjoy this story = but if not? I enjoy writing it! I'm still writing over here because I don't want to dump a story in the middle of it. I'm a fanfic reader, too, and I know how much it saddens me when that happens.

My readers matter to me.

Anyway, thanks for reading. And thanks for letting me vent.

As always, I hope you and yours are well and happy!

-a53