A/N. I just watched two seasons of B99. It may have affected my writing. Also, Melissa Fumero? Mmmm. I finally understand the meaning behind 'age is just a number.' UPDATE! Since I started this chapter and have now ended it I have watched six seasons, and can honestly say I would leave my wife and children behind (if I had any) if Melissa Fumero asked me out on a date. Also sorry for the delay. I wanted this to be one whole chapter instead of two smaller ones. And of course, life happens.

Small revisions on 12/13/2021.

There was a knock on my door. "Co—ome in!"

NorthernSectionalSpiritualitydoesnottransgressthethirdCentralAuthorityTheorembutdoesinterferewiththefourthruleofTransmigrationofConservationbyvirtueof—

"..ata! Arata!" Someone was shaking me by the shoulders. "You're still studying? I thought I told you to go to bed yesterday night?" Shizuka gave me a concerned frown, sitting on the other side of my new desk. It was a lovely mahogany. Mmmmaahoganyy….

"Arata?" Oh. Yes.

"Oh. Yes. You did indeed tell me that, and then I ignored that, followed by about.. five hours of studying? Give or take? I may have passed out in between a few times, but I figured out how to read half-conscious! Watch!"

I stared at my Advanced Chakra Theory textbook, absorbing information.

Thereforewhileaworthwhileapproachforstudyitisnotstandardpracticetoincludethecreationsquaresintoourmoderndayunderstandingofincorporationofyang-energyin—

Suddenly, there wasn't anything in front of me. Huh.

Shizuka had the book in her hand. "Arata. Honestly. I doubt you're even absorbing anything anymore."

I took it back roughly. "Yes! I am! I just learned why monks don't use jutsu! What did you learn huh? To feed the ducks with birds?"

"That made no sense. Seriously, you need to stop. You're not even looking me in the eyes." She was right. My eyes had drifted to her nose. How interesting.

"Did you know the nose has no nearby tenketsu? That's why it's so sensitive to chakra burns, it has no dispatch point. Isn't that so weiirddd?"

"That's not even on topic. I think you need some sleep."

"It was so on topic! And I don't need sleep! I need more time! The test is in three weeks, and I haven't even started on my sealing textbooks yet! That's not even to mention I have to retake my Physics II tests, or that I haven't been able to get through more than three chapters of that STUPID calculus book!" The textbook I had in my hand ended up on the ceiling. Stranggggeee.

"Sleep will help you retain information. That's in at least one of your textbooks right? If you're up for two days in a row you won't be able to get anything you just tried to learn."

I scoffed. "Hah! Just two? Try three! Going into four!" I tried to raise my arms in support of my statement, but my body did not cooperate, ending with me promptly falling on the floor. "Yes. A change of scenery. That's what I need. Now back to studying." I reached for my recently fallen book.

Shizuka gave me an unimpressed look. "Okay. That's it. You're grounded. For a whole day, you're not allowed to get out of that bed. The only thing you're allowed to do is sleep. Do you understand me?" She got up and threw me on my bed, somehow getting my blanket to move over me and coat me on the way in.

"You can't do that! You're not my mom!"

"Close enough! Now get some sleep." She walked out and locked the door from the other side. Ugh. Ninjas and their ninjaing.

"Shiromaru, make sure he doesn't get out of that room until he's slept for at least 10 hours. Got it?"

"Oh, gladly." And the ninja is joined by the traitor. I am surrounded by ruthless backstabbers! In protest, I will stay up allll day!

I fell asleep in two seconds. Maybe less.

Tetsuo P.O.V.

"Ayame, there you are! I thought we had a rest day today." She just came in through the Training Ground gate, holding a binder in between her arms.

She frowned. "Why? We still have a week till our next one."

"I don't know. Arata's not here yet so I thought—"

Ayame freaked out. "Arata's not here yet?! Then who's gonna make our food!?"

Oh no! "You're right! Oh, nee-chan just came back from a mission yesterday. I'll ask her." I pointed into the air.

"Oooh can she make duck?"

Can she make duck, I— "Heck yeah she can make duck! She can make peking duck too! Isn't she awesome?!"

Ayame grinned. "She sure is!"

I noticed something off on her neck. A blue spot, indicating either cyanosis or bruising. "Ayame, did you get hurt?"

The binder came even closer to her face. "Noooo? I'm as springy as a daisy!"

Daisies are springy? "Does that mean you have cyanosis?"

Just then someone rushed into the trees and landed next to us. I recognized her from camp! "Hey Ayame. Came to see what you were doing. I haven't seen you in ages!"

The binder looked as if it was attached to her now, that's how close she was holding it. "Anko! We've been doing okay. The deadline is coming up soon, so we have to be prepared!"

The girl nodded. "Right, your challenge. I feel bad for you, kind of. Where's Arata? And who's this?" She pointed at me.

"I don't know where Arata is. This is Tetsuo, my teammate."

I waved a little. "Hi."

"Cool. You wanna come to train with us? Since you have no one to teach you."

"Orochimaru-sama will teach us?"

This conversation is moving too fast for me.

"Of course he will! Orochimaru-sensei is awesome! He taught me how to expand on my soushuriken jutsu! You have to see it!" Something in my stomach jumped.

"Wow, really!?"

They raced off. Without me!

"Hey, wait up guys!"

Orochimaru P.O.V.

A body devoid of moisture, littered with black marks, and already undergoing necrosis. I pushed it down to disposal as quickly as I could. The scent was not pleasant. Not for the first time I thought I should have arranged for the garbage chute to be outside of my lab.

I marked off another dud. Although progress on the Gifted Seal has so far been measured in bodies, it has proved enlightening, if not altogether fruitful. Discoveries of natural energy and to what extent its power can go have been more numerous than I initially thought. But that is unrelated, sadly, to the current topic.

"And me teaching them is going to benefit me how?"

Aimi didn't look up from her reference notes, her white hair obfuscating her expression. "Think about it. Why would the Hokage be giving you a genin team right about now?" I did ask my student to be more confident, but to say I am pleased by the change would be a stretch.

"To saddle me with more responsibilities, and even less reward." Why am I humoring her?

My clone made for the next body, this one having the added benefit of having its limbs fallen off, resulting in it having to resort to making two trips.

"Well, yes. But that's not everything." She picked up another stack of papers to compare against. "He gave multiple elite jounin within the village a genin team. Just like his sensei did with him."

"I'm not following." She looked up this time, swivelling in her chair.

"He's looking for a worthy successor. It's likely that whoever shows aptitude in training their genin properly will be deemed fit for consideration for Hokage."

"And where did you come across that bit of information?" The Hyuuga shrugged. The sound of another clone getting rid of a body banged against the walls.

"They were all there when our teams got announced. There were plenty of names I recognized. Let's see.." Aimi gathered her thoughts, her pen ticking against her cheek. "Uzumaki Kushina, Akimichi Chouza, Namikaze Minato, Senju Tsunade.."

I scoffed. "It is just like her to be abandoning another one of her responsibilities right now." She wasn't even bothering to see the children, let alone teach them. Saddled them with some test instead. Positively fatuous behavior.

"Yes. Now think about how good you would look to him if you trained not only your team, but took over Tsunade-sama's team too." Ah, I see the rationale now.

Then, "Why bother organizing all of this?"

She smiled. "I am nothing if not opportunistic."

Mmmmm. A sensei as Hokage would open up many doors. It did for me. Well done. "It seems you are going to be of some use, after all." I smiled sardonically back at her.

Her head fell back to her notes. "Rude."

Tsunade P.O.V.

Dusk had long since passed. Since then, I stopped keeping time. Or count.

Alcohol bottles decorated every inch of the table, the dresser, and now, I was losing room on my bed. Most of them were empty.

He's gone. He's fucking gone!

*CRASH!*

Shit. I broke something again, didn't I? At least there was space on my bed again, even if it did mean I would have to sleep in the shards.

Fuck, why is my hand aching?

OH GOD, THAT'S BLOOD! NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO

No! I can do this! Just clean the wound. There's still a few pieces of glass in the…

The shaking wouldn't stop. My heart rate was dropping, and my head felt light. I can't focus, I can't..

"Shishou? I heard a noise from the— Oh my God!" Shizune rushed to bow over me, moving to grab my hand.

"No!" I pushed her away. The ache in my hand turned into hurting, but— "I can do this alone!" I could! I just needed to remove the shards.

"Shishou you don't have to—"

"Yes! I do! Go away Shizune! I can handle this!" I gave her a look with sternness I couldn't feel.

"But Shishou I can—"

His hair, and his eyes, and his teeth were cov—

"NO!" My shaking got worse. I felt like I could collapse any second, but I have my dignity. I have my strength.

Shizune left in a hurry, leaving me alone again. Now I just had to clean the shards out. I'd also have to make sure it didn't get infected. Simple procedure. Just some small cuts. It was easy. So why did the wound have to get mixed with my fucking tears!

The moonlight was enough for me to get to work. It had to last.

Arata P.O.V.

"How do you feel?" Shiromaru asked from the kitchen countertop. He technically wasn't allowed on there, but he had just bathed, so I let it slip.

"I'm feeling positively angelic! Ready for the day!" To reflect my mood, I was making my team a cake! Not the most healthy thing, but I've been giving them the good foods for a bit now, so I figured a cheat day wouldn't hurt.

"Really? That's good." I could tell there was a sarcastic tilt there, but I really didn't care.

"Right? I even put a smiley face on it in frosting!"

Shiromaru leaned over to look. "Uh huh.. anyways. Yuuna says she's ready for her food now."

"Mom's already awake?" She was finally stable enough to move back into the house. She even partook in conversation every now and then. Her recovery, for all intents and purposes, was going magnificently. We were trying to get her to take walks outside clan perimeters now. In a few days, I would take her with me to team training. Hopefully, nothing she saw there would be triggering. Mom never told anyone what exactly happened when Hanako died, and in her current state it would be idiotic to pry.

I picked up the tray I had already finished laying out. A simple breakfast. Rice, miso soup, fish. "Let's go then."

Up the stairs I went, Shiromaru waddling along behind me. Opening the door I saw her looking out the window with an indecipherable look on her face. The day, despite being mid winter, was bright.

Walking up to her bed prompted her to look in my direction. "Arata.."

I smiled. "Hey mom. Brought you breakfast. Anything else you need for now?" She slowly shook her head no.

I gingerly sat down on the bed next to her legs. Shiromaru jumped on my lap, and I started scratching him without prompting.

She was quiet, eating her food, looking outside the window every so often. I tried to enjoy the moment. The sun's rays made the dust in the air visible. In the distance you could hear children's cries coming from the kennel. The shadows were still long, and they put the room in a sort of gentle contrast. The walls were white and without any decoration, weapon racks having been removed for safety. The imprints of the structures were still there.

'Aren't we supposed to go for training soon?' Shiromaru sent from under my hand.

'Yeah. We are. But it doesn't hurt to stay a few minutes does it?' He stayed quiet.

The home felt like it had stilled, like in a picture frame. Besides mom leaning in every so often for her food, there was almost no movement. Languidness seeped into me like honey dripping off the lid.

"Your hair… it's straight." Mom spoke. I started a bit. "Pretty. Like mine."

I was never good at situations like this. I don't know if there was something wrong with me, or I just wasn't the type, but I would have to get acclimated either way. Personal hang ups were an excuse I laid at the grave when I picked up the headband. My mother deserved it, after all.

I smiled. "Yes. It is."

"We're training with who now?!" I asked in disbelief. I mean, what!

"Orochimaru-sama, sorry sensei now, offered to train us all the way until we finish the test! Isn't that so great!?" Ayame responded.

"Yeah. So great."

"Yeah, so let's go! We're going to be late!" Tetsuo prompted, already bouncing away to training ground 4.

I turned to Ayame. "I don't have any choice in this, do I?"

She grinned so wide her eyes squinted. "Nope!"

I sighed. "Alright, let's go then."

Training Ground 4 looked very similar to our Training Ground 12 in appearance. A forested area encircling an open field, with a lake at the side. The only seeming difference was the species of tree. This one was wider, and had thicker branches. There were also less bushes and foliage, instead there were more plants and other such greenery. It was very interesting. There were even some vegetable plants. There I could spot potatoes! I didn't even know there were potatoes in the Elemental Nations. You could even see some of the roots sticking out suggesting— yes I am stalling why do you ask?

"Arata, why are you so scared of Orochimaru-sensei?" I froze mid tree-travel, almost missing my next branch.

"Why do you say that?"

She didn't bother answering that. "Is it because he looks like a snake? That's really not nice, you know. You look like a dog and I'm not scared of you."

Gonna just skip right past that. "It's not because he looks like a snake. It's because he acts like one."

"That's even meaner, Arata! You act like a parent and I don't say anything." We continued on our way, crossing the edge of Training Ground 3.

"I do not act like a parent."

She smirked. "You so do. You lecture me when I don't eat my veggies!"

My fist came up in frustration. "That's because we are on a very heavy training schedule! You can't afford to miss your minerals and vitamins!"

"Yes, dad…" Since when did she start getting snarky with me? I swear, Shiromaru is such a bad influence.

'Yeah, blame everything on me, why don't you.'

"So, you have all finally arrived. I assume you are Arata? We have spoken before." Orochimaru started talking as soon as we entered the clearing and joined the ranks with the other children. I nodded to Hayama, but he wasn't facing me.

"It is an honor to be taught by you, Orochimaru-sensei." I bowed in the proper way. Don'tlookathiseyesdon'tlookathiseyes!

"Yes, I do think that concludes introductions. Considering the entirety of team Twelve is here, we are going to be working on team strategies today. Team Eleven, you already know what is required of you. Let me work exclusively with Team Twelve for a moment." That does not bode well.

Team Twelve went off onto the side and got out some notebooks, conversing in a circle about something.

Orochimaru took out a small scroll from one of his jacket pockets and unsealed the contents. The poof of white smoke clearing revealed it was… another scroll. "As I do not have files on you, you will have to manually tell me your specialities. Ayame, you go first." He got out a pen.

"Hey! I'm really good at taijutsu and ninjutsu! I can do grapples and fire explosions and I'm really fast! Watch!" She literally began running circles around us.

Orochimaru held up a hand to stop her. "Good enough. Arata?" He looked down to write something in his notebook.

I… actually had to think about this. What are my specialties? I suppose… taijutsu? Since I'm an Inuzuka? Nah for being one I'm barely average. Ninjutsu? I know at least twice the amount of elemental techniques that most genin do. But I never really excelled at it? Genjutsu… I have the Bestial Illusion series and a few Demonic Illusion ones, but nothing especially dangerous or show stopping. "I… I guess I'm a good all-rounder? I can sense chakra pretty well?" That was a weak answer. Really really weak. Please don't eat me. I'd like to stay not-eaten.

He wrote something down again. "We will revisit that. Tetsuo?"

Tetsuo put a finger on his chin. "Umm. I do really well with bukijutsu. Shuriken, kunai, senbon, and I'm learning how to use a tantou!"

"Good. Good." He scribbled again. "And your team dynamic?"

"Wha?" Ayame asked. Or well, stated.

He looked up from his scroll. "Your team dynamic. Your role within the team in combat situations." We've probably been taught this in the Academy. Though I couldn't remember a single thing. "Oh, right. I've forgotten. The younger students from your graduating class did not get to learn this. Team Eleven had the same restrictions. To summarize, there are a myriad of categories and positions a team can fall into. For example, my team had no formal positions, we made our own. Jiraiya was our primary offensive force. I specialized in ranged support, while Tsunade favored closer quarters. We had more specializations. Namely, Tsunade's healing acumen, and my skills in traps and poisons certainly helped."

Orochimaru used to use traps? I've been told a few stories from the Second War (mainly by Tsume) and Orochimaru came up a few times. Snakes, elemental ninjutsu, and sometimes kenjutsu were more of his standard fare. There wasn't any mention of trapping.

"Leadership when sensei was absent, which was often, was rotated between whoever was more suited to the situation. Usually, logistics would be handled by me, and Tsunade would handle managing covert operations."

"Oo! And what would Jiraiya-sama do?" Tetsuo asked, raising his hand.

"Besides further complicating our lives?" He smirked. "Nothing." Okay seriously, he needs to stop subverting my expectations of his character every time! It's making me very uncomfortable! I mean, HUMOR?!

"So what do you think our positions should be, Orochimaru-sensei?" Ayame asked, leaning forward.

"You will have to corroborate your own responses on that. I, however, can tell you which combinations would not work when proposed to me." He took the more laissez-faire approach.

"Arata, come with me for a moment." Or not! Oh God what if I'm discovered!? Did I not act child-like enough? Did I? Didn't I?! I'm so confused.

I felt like I was being dragged by a chain, following Orochimaru to a corner of the clearing. "Did you give any more thought towards your specialty?" He said, without even stopping to turn around.

"Ummm…" Crap. I hadn't. What now, what now?! "No? Sir?" I honestly can't think of anything constructive right now, cause I'm alone with a psychopath!

He looked unimpressed. "Right. Well, your files would suggest otherwise." He showed me the scroll he had been writing in. Turns out those were our Academy files the entire time?

"I thought you said you didn't have those?"

"I lied. Tsunade never bothered to pick up the documents so I had one of my students fetch it." I don't know if I should be angry at that. "But that is besides the point here. These files outline a different specialty of yours. Think. What technique can only you perform?"

Only me? Besides knowing part of the future I'm not really special in any way. My taijutsu I got from dad. My elemental techniques were from Tsume. My genjutsu—my genjutsu! The Bestial Illusion series hadn't been checked out in over two decades! Meaning there were maybe only one or two other people alive who know what the effects are. Meaning—a hidden genjutsu.

"My—"

"That's right. Your genjutsu affect the function and sensitivity of the adrenergic receptors in the brain. Truly, an unprecedented technique. And a useful one. Perhaps, you can lean into it more. Learn how to expand your influence to other receptors and perhaps even to the hormones themselves." I could regulate adrenaline, meaning I could mess with the fight or flight response in people. As a ninja, you're constantly using this response in one way or another. If over the years, you've come to rely on it alerting you in certain ways… But how do I even go through with expanding that? I'd have no idea where to start!

"I can see your hesitancy." Orochimaru rolled the scroll back up. "But it is tantamount to your survival to outline a specialty for yourself. Generalists tend to do well in many scenarios, but in combat with other shinobi, they end up dead." Wha? "We are heading to war soon. It is better for you to master one or two things and do them well, than rely on many things and do them poorly. War is a competition, and you will need advantages rather than tools." Stick to a plan and own it. You only have so many points to spend… "Now I believe your teammates have need of you?"

I looked over to them. They were deep in their thinking poses, still not getting anywhere with the team assignments. Guess I'll go help them then. I walked over.

Mmmmm. Past experience would tell me to set up the team like my old one from the camp. If, for ease of reference, I had to put it into video game terms, I'd say Ayame was our carry, I handled CC, while Torune was our tank. I would clear the way for Ayame to get in as much DPS as possible, while Torune covered our bases.

The problem is, that wouldn't work with this team. Tetsuo didn't have anywhere near the Akimichi's physical prowess necessary to perform the same role. So, he needed a new one.

"What did you say you were good at specifically, Tetsuo?" I asked of him.

He put on his thinking face. "I like using weapons. Lots of them. I'm learning how to use the tantou right now so I can move up to a proper katana later." Just like Hayama.

Hayama's parents were samurai, meaning they drilled him in the art of Iaido, or the art of the draw. A very fast slash on a timing only he would know. Unpredictable, and deadly. Often he would use it as the introductory move to either end the fight quickly, or start a sequence that would.

If I had to put it crudely, he was the distraction. The present and immediate threat that dissuaded attention on whatever else was happening on the battlefield. Maybe, maybe Tetsuo could be that.

Not a damage dealer necessarily, but one who controls the environment by moving the pieces where he wants them. "Guys, I think I know what our roles are."

Ayame and Tetsuo huddled up with me. "Ayame. You're our damage dealer. Hit hard and hit fast. With taijutsu, focus on single target attack damage. With ninjutsu, focus on groups." I nodded at her, and she nodded back. "Tetsuo, you will be our pusher. Use every single piece of knowledge of weaponry and otherwise to force our opponents where we want them. The battlefield is your playground, and the players your toys."

"What about you, Arata?" Tetsuo asked, his hair covering his face so only one eye would shine through.

"I will be our freezer. What you move, I hold still, giving enough time for Ayame to take out. The middleman, I will take and link both of your jobs together."

I put my arms around each of them. "If we do it right, eventually no one could stand in our way. We will win. This challenge, this war, everything. I believe we can do it. Do you?"

"Absolutely!"

"Heck yeah!"

We were grinning at each other like mad loons. "Then it's settled. We have a team."

"Good." We all startled into the air when Orochimaru called out next to us. "I hope you're ready to put that team to the test? Team Eleven is looking for a challenge."

The other three had already squared up, weapons in hand and ready for us. I made eye contact with both of them, and we lined up.

"Let's go then."

"And did you see the girl!?" Ayame hollered in excitement. "She kicked with her tibia out! It was so cool!" She raved.

The fight went about as expected. We lost. Team Eleven had a lot more time to get used to each other and work in a team while we had just identified our positions the minute before. But there was one stand out on their team.

Hyuuga Aimi. The girl, outside of combat, was fairly reserved. I don't think I heard her talk at all before it. During combat? She was like a wraith, moving in and out of the battlefield with startling efficiency and speed. And the most shocking part?

She was a Kaguya. Using both the Byakugan and the Shikotsumyaku at the same time, she was impossible to overwhelm. I don't even know how that's possible! I can't believe I missed someone like that at the training camp. You would think she'd stick out like a sore thumb.

"It was crazy. Certainly."

Fire! Suddenly a wave of fire dashed a line right before our walking path, forcing us to dodge or get burned.

"Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here." Four figures landed on the other side of the fire.

One of them was Asuma. The other three I didn't recognize. Oh no, wait. That one was familiar.

A stocky build, and tanned skin accentuated a fat face, with a thick nose and beady eyes. He wore his headband as a bandana, and his grin had a tooth missing. Over red clothing he wore the green chuunin flak vest, making for an awful contrast.

Sarutobi Souma stood in front of us with an arrogant smirk, his arms crossed. He opened his mouth to speak. "Tiny little Ayame-chan, doesn't know how fucked she is right now."

Damn. We were trapped, weren't we? We had been trying to get to the Uchiha district by a shortcut. A grassy path not too many people tread. That was a mistake.

"Who is this, Ayame?" Tetsuo asked, his tantou already out. I didn't fault him the caution.

"An enemy." She gritted out.

After the Sarutobi clan meeting Ayame had with the other prospective heirs, we had made a list of all the other members. We could only guess at the members at war, but the four at home we could identify.

It was a hit list, and Souma was #4.

Sarutobi Souma is one of Ayame's second cousins. He graduated six years ago, marking his age at fifteen. He had been a chuunin for two of those. Specializing in taijutsu, his conservative clothing hid bulging muscles.

He was also a major dick. "Not even going to introduce me to your little band of gremlins?"

Ayame was shaking. For whatever reason, she couldn't stand most of the people on the list, and Souma was no exception. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Why are we even bothering with her, Souma-onii? She's not worth our time." Asuma asked in disinterest, not even facing us.

"Just showing a bitch her place. Can't believe Hiroto-sama is even considering her." He sneered.

Her fists balled up. "What are you even doing here, Asuma?! Are you Souma's henchman now that you're irrelevant?"

"Cheh. Whatever. I don't care what that guy thinks. He's not even my real dad anyway."

I could tell Tetsuo was getting uncomfortable. This technically wasn't our business. "What's even more unbelievable is that you could be the Hokage's son!" Ayame exclaimed haughtily.

Souma sneered again. "Like the daughter of a fucking sow can talk!"

I physically saw red. Ayame's Killing Intent erupted. "Don't you DARE talk about my mother!"

Ayame's mom was a sore subject, as it spoke to a very… grey area of clan culture. Feminism in the shinobi world was about as complicated as it could get, and every clan and even village went about it differently.

Women had a myriad of roles in ninja cultures. They were soldiers, as well as mothers, as well as covert operatives, as well as workers and crafters and so on. They had always been that. The problem is, they were too valuable.

Production and efficiency would take a serious hit anytime a woman would fall pregnant. And they would have to do so often, since the turnover rate for ninja is more than hideous. Various clans had their own solution to this unique problem. The Inuzuka kennel was one of ours. Erase the need for a kunoichi to have to spend time after childbirth raising them so they could get right back to work. But that doesn't fully solve the supply problem.

The facts are that when a woman focuses on her career more, they are much less likely to consider having children, and being a kunoichi is a hell of a career. So, the clans came to a solution. Have a few women retire altogether from the force, and have them focus exclusively on having and raising children. As many as possible. It wasn't uncommon for such women to enter double digits.

The most frequent name for them was Bearer, as in child bearer. Sadly, misogyny and prejudice is a thing, and these women haven't always been treated as they should.

Ayame's mom was one of these Bearers, and after much agonized deliberation, Shizuka was considering being one. This was a topic close to our hearts.

And I will not stand anyone that dares insult Shizuka!

"Tetsuo…" I uttered. He nodded.

Souma jerked into an offensive stance. "Bitch, watch how you speak to me!"

"Guys! Ryuu!"

We all jumped up, and out of our mouths an angry dragonfire erupted. Suddenly, a figure burst in between our targets and the flames, pushing all of us away with a:

"Wind Style: Great Whirlwind Wall!" The force of a minor tornado of wind snuffed out the attack, obscuring the view of the entire passageway.

"Gyah!"

"Aaah!"

"What the—"

Once the dust cleared, the figure revealed itself, a chilling atmosphere cloaking the aggressions of both sides. "It seems I have come just in time."

A thin, but not altogether feeble-looking man. Tall and confident, he pushed up glasses adorning a stern and serious face. Trimmed brown hair so short you would think him bald from afar turned his visage from a taskmaster to something more confusing.

I know who this one is.

#3. Sarutobi Yaketsuku. A jounin, specializing in wind techniques and covert intelligence operations. Otherwise known as spying. He was dangerous, because he was smart, and smart about it. He knew everything there was to know about everyone noteworthy in the village and then some. Many people suspected he had more sources than he would say, to have such a vast network of information. Ayame speculated he was also secretly ANBU, and I wouldn't fault her for thinking it.

"Souma, are you incapable of basic risk assessment?" Yaketsuku said. They glared at each other.

"What the hell are you talking about? I was just having some fun." Souma responded, but there was no real heat in it. It seems he recognised where on the list he fell.

"So you are incapable. Have you learned nothing of his mistakes?" He gave a pointed look to Asuma. "Taunting your lowers only increases their fervor to climb! I would not think I would have to explain such a simple concept to you anymore, Souma."

Souma looked away. "Whatever. Just go away already! I can handle this just fine by myself!"

"You are in public. Whatever clan dealings we have, we do not bother the rest of Konoha with. These are rudimentary foundations I am being forced to have to explain to you! No, brother. You will finish writing your report, and you will head back home. Do you understand?" Did I mention they were brothers? They're brothers.

He started to walk away, clearly expecting Souma and his entourage to follow him. "Hey! We're not done here yet!" Ayame shouted.

"But I am. You are all encouraged to leave. We do not want to be a disturbance to the population of Konoha, do we?" Yaketsuku's eyes flicked to all of us. I almost thought I imagined it, but his eyes held me a fraction of a second longer than anybody else.

"Why you—" I held out a hand to stop Ayame, which she ran straight into.

"Let them go." We can't fight a jounin and a squad of chuunin. We could pretend at overconfidence, but we couldn't fake stupidity. Yaketsuku, for all that I didn't want him to be, was right. We were in public, and we were ninja now. Any fight we started could be seen as something more treasonous, and I really didn't need to add that to our list of problems.

We watched them all depart from the scene, frozen to our spots.

"Can anyone tell me what just happened?" Tetsuo blinked from under his hair, tantou still out.

Ayame gritted her teeth, a shade covering her eyes. "They're just objects in my way. I'm gonna become Heir before they even think they have a chance!"

"Wha?" Tetsuo lowered his arms and stared at me, baffled.

I started explaining. "Ayame is in a succession battle. There's many candidates, and she's the youngest one. The likelihood that she gets selected for Heirship is slim." She turned her head to glare at me, eyes betraying her thoughts. "But I don't particularly care. I said I would help her, so Headship is basically hers already." I smiled reassuringly.

"Would you help us too, Tetsuo? It's gonna be messy, and hard. But I want you to be a part of it." I weighed.

Tetsuo considered for a bit, standing still and silent, his head down. Truthfully I would need his help with this. On top of training and working the plan for the next coming decade, not to mention the war, another hand on the wheel would be more than appreciated.

I could hear him swallow. "I don't have any friends. Other people think I'm weird because of my hair, I think." Among other things, I assume.

I smiled. "You're our friend. And trust me, you're like the least weird person among us."

His cheeks lit up pink. "Ah— umm.. Good. Well, I think that.. onee-chan taught me that all my friends are my family. And family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten."

"Well said." He smiled.

"You really mean it? Does that mean you'll help?" Ayame's hopeful tone twinged at my heart.

"Yeah, I'll help." Tetsuo nodded resolutely with the statement. Before I knew it, Ayame flung herself at Tetsuo in a hug.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou—"

Tetsuo didn't look like he knew what to do with the hug, just kind of sitting there. Aw, how cute.

"Arata! Come hug us! It's a group thing!" It was? "Come on!" Fine.

We all hugged together like weirdos. And it was pretty okay.

It would have been even better if I didn't spot a mop of black hair observing us from far away, though.

Shizune….why...?

"Close the door, Arata. And turn on the privacy seals." I was not even in the house for two seconds before Tsume asked me that.

I had just come back home from Tetsuo's place. We had a bit of a heart-to-heart with each other, postponing our scheduled studying for the next day. Talking about our pasts, and what we wanted our future to look like took the new center stage. Apparently, I hadn't told Ayame anything about what was really going on in the Inuzuka clan, and she was a little hung up about it. It took a lot of explaining to assuage her, and my throat was a bit scratchy from all the talking I had been doing. What was more interesting was Tetsuo's story, however.

He told us the tale of a sickly child with an amazing capacity for learning. Headaches, vomiting, and seizures were common fare, even as early as childbirth. Doctors couldn't identify the cause of the symptoms. Some speculated it was some type of birth defect. Others thought the issue was tied to a developmental problem in the chakra system. But no one was certain.

Nevertheless, the child wanted to prove themselves, and the best way to do that was to become a ninja. Only his father supported this dream, and when the child's father died, guardianship transferred over to their teenage sister. And then the child thought it was over. But the sister, going against all the naysayers and time commitments and stressors, trained and raised the child in whatever capacity she could. Sometimes, the child was able to attend the Academy with the rest of their peers, only to be pulled a few months later, the seizures and headaches too strong to keep him there for long. This would go on for years, but the sister never gave up, and in turn,

Tetsuo didn't either. Over time the seizures grew less frequent, and the headaches would become less pronounced. He was invited to join a training camp that promised a path to graduation, and he even found friends there!

But then the battle in the forest started, and our destinies crossed on opposite sides of the fight. And now, we were here. It was pretty crazy, all told. It didn't explain much at the same time as it elucidated a ton, but I felt like we had grown close nevertheless.

It gave me this weird fuzzy and warm feeling that I carried all the way into my present situation.

Tsume had turned off all the lights inside the house, facing away from me on the couch in silence. Kuromaru was lain under her legs, eyes closed.

Shiromaru was on the kitchen counter, having elected not to come with me today, curiously staring at the space between us. What could this possibly be about?

After the privacy seals were up, Tsume started talking. "Arata, I need a— No. Arata, do you know what the difference between ninja power rankings are?"

Why is she talking to me while facing the other way? And why did I feel compelled not to move from my spot? "I assume you're going to tell me."

"I will." No smart retort? Okay, something was wrong. Deeply wrong. "Genin like you, you're at the very bottom. A low D-rank threat." Wow, say it like you mean it. "A jounin like me is different. Konoha jounin in general are strong, and many are listed in foreign Bingo Books as A-rank. I was one of them."

She was right. She had shown me a Sand Bingo Book, and there she was. An outdated and blurry picture, and a bunch of conjecture of what her abilities were. Back then she said her only regret from the war was that she didn't get a cool moniker from it.

"But things have changed now. Inuzuka Hiden: Human Beast Combination Transformation: Werewolf is an S-rank technique, which now makes me an elite jounin, even if not S-rank myself."

"What are you getting at here?"

"Elite jounin are valuable, and in high demand, especially during wartime." Oh. "That means that as soon as my maternity leave ends, I will be sent to the front lines to fight."

"Weren't we holding off on sending more troops to Iwa?"

"Not anymore. Something's changed at the front, and not much information has made it back to the public yet, but the Tower is moving accordingly. They've already sent out Shin." Never thought I'd hear that name again. "Michiko is leaving tomorrow." Wha— And she didn't say anything!

"But what about my training?"

"You're good enough to take on simple jobs. I don't think you need any more than that, unless you plan on joining T&I?" Ah, no. "Thought so. Besides, you have bigger plans, don't you?"

Why is she still facing me from the back? It's kinda getting awkward now. I moved to sit on the other couch, but Kuromaru started growling.

What the hell?!

Not risking it, I went back to my earlier spot. Going around meant I had a good look at Tsume's belly. She was working her way up to the third trimester now, meaning she couldn't take missions anymore. Did that have something to do with.. whatever this is?

"That's right. You've been real busy. Plotting and planning and training for years. It baffled me at first, but I think I'm starting to put the pieces together now."

Wait. Is this about— Oooooh no. Oh no. Where's Shizuka? A quick scan for her chakra didn't pull anything up, and her scent was all over the house. It would be hard to track her without walking out of it, and that somehow seemed like a worse idea than stepping closer to Tsume.

"What is it you want, Tsume-nee? I don't have much time for games."

"Neither do we." Kuromaru grumbled, threateningly.

"Kuromaru. Stay out of this." She reprimanded.

Shiromaru. This is Shiromaru's fault! I made to glare at him, but he had moved from his position on the kitchen counter top to hopping away upstairs. I'm alone again. Really?

'Don't think you can escape your own line of questioning, Shiro.'

"There were ANBU in the forest, on that day." She continued suddenly. "And Shizuka wasn't surprised at all." This has gone faaaar from the direction I'd like it to. "But I took one of the masks to Shikaku, and he came to an entirely different conclusion. Funnily enough, the theories lined up with one other witness. Tomoe."

She got me.

"Look. Whatever you think you know—"

"Renounce it. Look beneath the underneath. I get it." No, she didn't. "What I don't get is how you're involved in all this. What's your role here, Arata? Whose side did you pick?"

I can't believe she's asking me this right now! "I'm on your side, and I always have been!" I stepped forward. "I'm sorry that I can only give you my word on that." I clenched my fists.

"You can give me one other thing. The truth. Nobuyuki didn't leave a lot behind, but we do have info from his cronies in the clan. He said there was much more to you then what met the eye, but he never specified what."

Am I going to have to do this again? Despite what happened with Shizuka, and my pact with Shiromaru I didn't know if I was ready to open up to another person about what I was supposed to do here. About who I really am, or was. Or whatever I think I am.

For a long long time, silence reigned unchallenged.

I couldn't let this, whatever this was, this insecurity! Stop me. I would have to be better, even if every other cell in my body refused the motion.

I had to respond. She was waiting for me. "My name wasn't always Inuzuka Arata. My journey didn't start in Konoha. I was born here, but I was born first, in a hospital in The Netherlands. Far, far from here. I died just before adulthood, but I was reb—reborn." I really tried to keep my voice from trembling.

"I'll spare you the details, but I feel like you need to know the essentials." Finally, finally Tsume's head turned.

Whatever I thought her expression was, it wasn't that. There was sadness, but there was a relieved.. Hope?

"Back where I came from, this world didn't exist. Well, it did, but it wasn't real. It was fictional. I mean, ninjas and chakra and giant tailed beasts? I just— Sometimes I get out of bed and think I'm in the other world but then something just absolutely insane happens and—"

I forced myself to calm down. Deep breath. In. Out. "This fictional world had a plot. One that unfurls itself years from now. There's… so, so much death." I couldn't. I dropped down to the floor. It was already too much, and it was catching up to me fast.

"And you think it's your job to stop that." It wasn't a question. It's a statement.

"Yes." Before my pact with Shiromaru, I would have hesitated, or been scared to answer, even in my mind. But I had taken up the responsibility, and come hell or high water, I would fulfill it.

Tsume started laughing. It started quiet, barely a chuckle. Then, it cascaded into flutter, and then it kept coming. It kept growing louder and louder, to the point where Kuromaru unfurled himself from below her feet in concern.

"Arata, what did you do?!"

I hurriedly stood up and went to her side. "I— I did nothing! I think?!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, I desperately needed that." She looked to be in noticeably better spirits, even if the rest of her visage echoed 'tired' more than 'elated.'

"What was that!?"

Tsume took my hand with a smile. "Arata. We're alone."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I can't keep up with her anymore. What's going on?!

"I better rephrase that. I mean I am alone. Look around." My eyes flickered hurriedly to the four corners of the house. Yeah, we're kind of alone I guess? "Dad, Michiko, Haruo. Even fucking Shin. All out at war. Mom is Separated. All my other friends turned on me, or are dead. I had no one else to turn to. And then, you told me you weren't a child!" She started laughing again.

"You're not helping this situation, Tsume!"

"I just—HA!— Oh Kami. I just thought that I had no one else to turn to, but you were there all along! Who knew!"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here. What is it supposed to mean?"

She took my hand, and slowly, ever so slowly, moved it to her belly. "I'll be gone soon. But I can't just leave this child behind. She needs care and attention from someone that'll be there for her. I can't be that, even after coming back from the war." I felt something in her belly move.

"A she?" I hadn't known. I hadn't known.

She nodded. "She needs love, Arata. She needs love from her family, not just from distant caretakers and an assortment of other babies." This is…

"Tsume, you can't—" Kuromaru cut in. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"Yes. I can. He has shown he can be trusted. I want him to do it. I don't give a fuck about his secrets." She spoke sternly to Kuromaru.

He backed off, if grudgingly.

"I want you to be her godfather, Arata. I need you to be her godfather."

I… was lost for words. "Tsume…."

This would throw a giant complication into— everything! But Tsume had asked this of me, and—

I felt the child kick against my hand. I already had my answer. "Yes. Yes of course, I'll do it." I had locked our eyes.

"Swear to me you will love her."

"I swear. I will love her, forever and always."

She cried. Tsume cried.

"Good."