Revised by: LORDANTAS


The village changed little in those few years I was away. The only noticeable change was the Tsunade giant face sculpted on the mountain next to the past four Hokages.

But rather than spend my time sightseeing, I wanted to crash in a bed as soon as possible but that plan was scrapped when two Anbu members landed next to Tayuya, their animal masks were difficult to recognize, and their black hair tied back in a bun.

I raised my hand to stop my team from trying anything. Even if I didn't see them reaching for their weapons, I knew them relatively well to predict their reaction based on unexpected situations. Tayuya from her part only gave us a disinterested shrug and jumped off the building, leaving us alone with the Anbu who didn't say a word to us and pointed at the Hokage tower.

I didn't want to cause any problems because I wasn't in top condition, so we followed the Anbu to the new destination. We reached the Tower quite fas at our speed, sadly no time for sightseeing more about the village changes besides plain rooftops. What caught my attention was more Anbu guards staring down like crows ready to lunge and peck our eyes, I could maintain my cool and so did most of my team but Fu showed her inexperience as she frantically checked her surroundings trying to hide behind Juugo's large body frame.

It wasn't the warm welcome I was expecting, but I had to accept the consequences of my choices and moved towards the door that the two first Anbu opened for us.

Leaving behind all those eyes staring down on us felt rather reliving as the mounted pressure was getting annoying. The building interiors remained exactly like all those years ago, same color scheme and decorations and the many doors across the hallway. From memory alone, I turned to the left toward the stairs so we could reach Tsunade's office.

On the way, only Fu showed the curiosity of a kid in the building itself, looking around as if she was in a museum. However, there was nobody in our path as we kept going up. And I was certain of my memory that the Hokage tower was one of the busiest of workplaces in the village.

It didn't give a good impression, and I was sure Karin was aware of the issue.

Reaching the last floor, only one path led to a single office at the end, and coincidentally, there was a long bench for others to wait in comfort outside the office.

I didn't knock on the door before making my way in.

The Hokage office didn't change. The same wooden desk placed near the many windows, filled with stacks of papers and books. Except the one staring down at me wasn't the old man Hiruzen Sarutobi but Tsunade Senju.

A furious Tsunade.

Leaking a very strong killing intent with her stare, trying to burn me out of existence.

And an expressionless Shizune standing next to her with a notepad.

"Do you really need dozens of Anbu guards?"

It wasn't the nice welcoming party I was expecting.

"I'm not taking any chances now." She furrowed her brow even more.

I brushed off her killing intent with ease as I stepped closer to her desk. "Funny how you acted only after you fucked up."

She slammed her right hand on her desk, causing all the books and papers to fall on the ground, "Mind your tongue, brat!"

Shizune quickly dropped to the floor and started picking up all the mess her mentor caused and placing them back on the desk.

"A pardon does not translate to personal opinion; nothing is stopping me from beating some respect into you." She pointed an accusatory finger at me.

Her brief outburst didn't affect me, and I reached one chair, which I pulled away from her desk and took a seat.

"Let's get this over with."

Her glare softened, and she let out a long sigh, "Just tell me the truth. Did you or not kill Kirigakure's new generation of swordsmen?"

I took my time deliberating on the two options I had, but Tsunade's brows were twitching as she clearly was suppressing her anger, "It was self-defense."

"If it was self-defense, why didn't you return or at least leave Kirigakure's legendary sword alone?" She asked a good question, and Shizune seemed to be in agreement with her mentor.

"I won; they lost. Winner takes all." I crossed my arms. Shinobi had no honor, and nobody had any right to preach about it or lecture me.

The anger in her eyes vanished.

Tsunade from her part looked at me with wide eyes for a second, her hands rubbed circles on her temples, "I can't believe this…."

"Do it or not, but my teammate is the new owner, and he is part of Kirigakure, so technically, it never left their possession."

"We do not speak with technicalities, and that doesn't change the fact that you killed their shinobi." She growled.

"Shinobi, who crossed the borders illegally and killed innocent civilians." I finished for her with a grin on my face. Suigetsu's bad habits were rubbing on me.

Tsunade slammed both hands on her desk as she stood up with a face overflowing with unaltered anger, causing Shizune to jump in fright, "Explain. Now."

"The Kiba blades kill the unworthy, Kirigakure first group has been using other people to recover the swords, killing them in the process, and the second one tried to take my head; however, to lure me out, she and her little group massacred bandits using her sword's unique ability to sew and create lumps of corpses hanging on trees, but when she ran out of bandits, she turned to civilians. I didn't touch any of them. They are still there at the south of the Fire Country, intact."

Tsunade turned to the scared Shizune and pointed a finger at the office door, "Shizune, write a letter to that bastard of a Mizukage. And send orders an investigation."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama!" She was quick on her feet and left the office, leaving us alone.

"Kiri has no right to complain or demand anything from me."

"They can still claim those agents disobeyed their orders and went rogue." She slowly returned to the chair, one hand holding her forehead.

"And you can make up any excuse you want as well." I shrugged my shoulders. In the world of politics, anyone charismatic enough is capable of bullshit their way to the top.

"Enough. Jiraiya explained to me you never consciously deserted, but it was an undercover plan of yours to kill Orochimaru."

"He disrespected my family tombs. I could never let that slide. Even less the bastard who facilitated that endeavor so he could profit from such sacrilege."

There was a slight twitch on her right brow, "I know who you are referring to."

"Did you get rid of him?" I asked nonchalantly; the answer was evident to me, so I was planning my own contingency plans to deal with Danzo as soon as possible. I didn't need a powerful enemy behind me as I was waiting for Pain's retaliation, my actions, or even Itachi.

However, Tsunade only let out a peal of curt laughter, "What do you think? Who would let a viper live inside your home? Jiraiya made quick work of him."

It was seconds of silence, my mouth open as no words came out with my mind processing the fact that Danzo was dead while the blonde woman held an infuriating smirk on her lips.

I closed my mouth and held my chin as my mind worked overtime to rationalize and understand the implications, but at the same time, I was washed by relief, as it was one less threat to worry about.

"I want my family property back. Where is it?" I made my demand without thinking, it came out naturally from me, but it was my right as an Uchiha. I couldn't let them keep those eyes.

"Safe."

"So you can use them and experiment on them for your benefit?" I frowned, my hands clenched into fists as my stomach was at a boiling point, yet I could still keep myself in some sort of control.

Tsunade's face became twisted, and slammed one fist on her desk, undoing all the work her older student did a moment ago, and pointed one finger at me, "The only reason you are standing right in front of me is and not in a cell is because I want to, and you are here because you want something from us. You do not dictate the rules here; I do."

Her words only caused more anger on me, but I let out everything with a long sigh, "Hmph, you truly are deserving of the hat Tsunade-sama."

"Perhaps you are right; perhaps you aren't." She lowered her accusatory hand and reached for the drawer of her desk, where she pulled a small bottle, which didn't hesitate to take a sip.

"Anything else?"

She wiped her mouth with her free hand, "Why do you have a jinchuuriki with you?"

Her question surprised me at first since she wasn't supposed to know Fu's real identity, but then I recalled that Gaara sent a message about Fu months ago, informing her of the events and potential threats.

I had to look away as I planned my answer. Jinchuurikis were a delicate matter in the political and military scene. And Tsunade showed her determination to take care of threats as fast as possible.

"She knows fully that Takigakure has no hope of protecting her. The reason she joined my team is that I saved her from Akatsuki's zombie brothers."

I couldn't just tell her the exact words she used with me.

She gave me a blank stare, then she returned her bottle to her desk, "Do you even understand why the villages possess Bijuus?"

"Of course. The distribution of the Bijuus to maintain some sort of balance." I held myself back. I wanted to answer her with honesty.

She covered her face with both hands as she slouched on her chair, "This is a political nightmare coming my way."

"The Akatsuki wants her Bijuu. I'm doing the world a great service for stopping them from achieving their goal. Besides, who would care? The only villages that maintain their Bijuus are Kumogakure and Konohagakure. That reminds me, are the two tails alive?"

The whole derailing of my plans started thanks to Yugito. Still, Kumo tampered with the information so well that Karin couldn't get any more news from her status besides being at a hospital recovering.

"Their Jinchuuriki is alive and back in service."

"So the cat truly has nine lives." I was amused at my joke, but the fifth Hokage didn't share the same sentiment. Instead, she opened another drawer and pulled out a white sheet of paper and then her pen.

"Enough games. Since you are here, I am putting two rules I expect you to follow to the letter while I think about how to deal with this mess. Do you understand?"

"Tell me your terms." I couldn't say no to her or try to resist. I wouldn't have come to Konoha otherwise.

She wrote two quick sentences before giving her signature and then her seal of approval.

She lifted me the paper so I could read them as well, "First, you aren't leaving this village anymore unless I say so."

"Expected as much."

"Second, you will have a guard assigned to you to watch over you." She quickly stored her improved document inside her desk.

"I want my privacy." Her second rule made me frown. It was already too much that I was under domiciliary arrest. A babysitter would make things more unbearable to me.

"You will have all the privacy you want inside a cell then." Her reply was sharp.

I felt a strong need to slap her face. My pride was attacked, and I couldn't defend it lest I wanted to die or rot in a prison cell.

"Fine," I stood up from my chair and turned around as there was nothing else I could do, "I will be at my clan compound if you need me."

We exchanged no words as I reached for the door and passed it; however, I shut the door as loudly as possible, trying to vent my frustration. Tsunade was a bitch.

Everyone outside was sitting on the long bench. It was almost instantly when all pairs of eyes turned to me.

However, there was one extra pair I didn't want to see after she ditched us back at the secret entrance.

"I didn't expect the hag to be that calm." Tayuya's snarky comment showed she had no remorse for her past actions or didn't even consider what she did was a very shitty move on her part.

But I was too damn tired to even bother with her antics. Talking with that bitch of Tsunade already drained me of my remaining strength, and it filled my mind with dropping on a bed as soon as possible.

And after taking a quick look at my teammates, I saw dark circles forming under their eyes. Karin was occasionally dropping her head, trying to remain awake.

"You call that calm?" The green-haired Jinchuuriki asked with a raised brow and crossed arms. Karin jumped in her seat and nodded in agreement.

The flutist shrugged, "She didn't break a desk or throw a bottle or try to beat someone into a pulp. So yeah, in my book, she was calm."

"Forget it; I want to sleep for now." I signaled for them to follow my lead.

Fu was quick on her feet to lean closer to me and give a faint smile, "Where are we going then?"

Her question made my head flash many images of my supposed past, both good and bad, but the image of Itachi drenched in blood was the most prominent. It was conflicting emotions swelling inside me, rage and confusion.

"To my old home," I answered and turned to the left, descending the stairs.

Tayuya quickly caught up to me with a smirk and her hand making a drinking gesture, "I can tell you really need a drink. I have a stash hidden away somewhere in the village if the bars are too busy."

I couldn't lie, her offer was indeed tempting, but there was another matter far more important than gulping down my anger, making me stop and slowly turn to look her in the eye, "We haven't slept for two days in a row, I just want to sleep."

"See you tomorrow then," the redhead pouted in disappointment and went on her way, ascending the stairs.