Temari had not slept well. Between compulsively rereading every word in Naruto's file and overthinking every possible scenario of the near future, there just wasn't enough time to sleep. Baki would have something smart to say about her poor self-control, but luckily, he was tied up for the day. As it turned out, her part to play in the peace talks was easily dismissed after she agreed to the marriage. The Hokage and his advisers had claimed there was no point in wasting her time when she should be using it to better get to know her new home.

Glancing down at the piece of paper in her hand, she grimaced. A list of noteworthy spots to see around Konoha and places for her to get familiar with. It almost hurt to read. She already knew many of the important parts of the village; they were the first points of reconnaissance before the invasion, not to mention comically unguarded. Some of the list made sense, like the training grounds, mission office, shinobi library, among several other locations that she didn't have the motivation to seek out and explore. No, her interest was in one place and one place only.

Apartment twenty-three.

It was the only place that wasn't on her list that definitely should have been. Actually, it didn't make much sense to her as to why it wasn't on the list at all. Naruto's apartment should have been a priority. If she was truly going to go ahead with this marriage and be stuck living here, then it made sense she would end up living with her future… husband. Oh, how the word made her spine twist at just the thought. She was supposed to be a kunoichi. Marriage had never crossed her mind, and for good reason. Even back when boys had become somewhat interesting to her it had never been in such a way. Her whole retirement plan was to just die gloriously somewhere on the battlefield, not marry, grow old, or God forbid, spawn children.

Sadly, her dreams of service and glory were quite dead at this stage. Whatever laid before her now was unplanned chaos at best. As such, Temari thought it smart to try and be as prepared for the worst as she could be. For the moment, being prepared meant breaking into Naruto's apartment and seeing what she was dealing with. Finding the place was easy enough. He didn't live anywhere particularly special or hidden. It was a modest place, perhaps a little run down, but not as bad as she had expected. What she didn't expect was the word 'Kyuubi' to be carved so boldly on the door.

Temari took her time scoping the place out. Naruto was a shinobi so traps and defences were always a possibility. It came as some surprise, however, when it became clear that he had gone to no such lengths to protect his home, what with the window to the apartment being left open and not a single trap to be seen. Upon climbing inside she soon realised why. He owned practically nothing. Sure, she had heard of people living on the bare necessities, but this was taking it a step too far. He had no real furniture save for a single bed and a fridge she wasn't even sure was working properly if the smell was anything to go by. It was small too. Maybe even too small. Her bedroom alone was larger back in Suna.

'I have to live here?!' she thought to herself, an expression of serious regret threatening to cement itself on her face.

"Already planning the decorations?" a voice asked behind her. Temari whipped around only to come face to face with an all to familiar mask and single eyed smile. "Or perhaps you were trying to catch my dear student alone for a more… conjugal visit?" Kakashi asked slyly.

"I…uhhh…wasn't…umm," Temari stumbled nervously on her words as she tried to think of a decent excuse. There wasn't one. "I just wanted to see where I'd be living," she admitted with a defeated sigh.

"Hmm, then I'm afraid you are very misinformed," Kakashi said, casually pulling out a small orange covered book. "This was Naruto's apartment. Once he gets back however, he will be relocated as part of the process."

"Relocated?" Temari questioned. "Process?"

"Yes, relocated," Kakashi repeated. "Let's just say that despite how the village views my student, they are not so dense as to think they can treat you as they do him."

"I'm not following," she said. "And why the hell are you here anyway? Have you been following me?"

"If Suna found out that we put their Kage's daughter in such a questionable dwelling, well, one could only imagine the insult they would feel," Kakashi explained. "No. As much as they will hate it, Konoha will make this whole thing as comfortable and rewarding for you as possible. And I wouldn't call it following. More curious snooping."

"Still creepy if you ask me,"

"Good thing I didn't ask."

Temari rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Just keeping an eye on things," he said. "You'd be surprised how often someone tries to break in here in hopes of finding something to use against Naruto."

"So, you two are close?" Temari asked hopefully. From what she could see there was nothing in the apartment she could use to learn much of anything about Naruto, but if she could talk to someone who knew him better, like his sensei, then that could definitely help her plan her approach.

"Regrettably no," Kakashi admitted. "I keep an eye on the place, and I am his sensei, but Naruto doesn't trust me much."

Temari stared pointedly at the man's masked face. "Go figure," she mumbled as she returned to looking around for clues. Aside from a poster for ramen, there was nothing to take note of. She did spot a small green frog shaped pouch barely concealed under the pillow on the bed, but she chose to leave that be. "This place is useless."

"You were hoping to get an insight into him, weren't you?"

She shrugged. "Can you blame me?" she asked. "I didn't exactly talk to him during the chunin exams. All I have to go off is the file the Hokage gave me, and even that was vague."

"Perhaps I could help?"

"You said you weren't close."

"Does a shinobi need to be close to someone in order to know things about them?" he asked.

"…" Temari quirked an eyebrow at him. "Has anyone else ever told you how creepy you are?"

"Many times," he said dismissively. "Now, what are you trying to learn about my dear student?"

"Umm, I guess I just want to know what I'm in for," Temari said unsurely. "What kind of person he is? Maybe an idea as to what my life is going to be like with him?"

Kakashi seemed to study her face for a moment before nodding in understanding. "You're worried… after what you saw during the chunin exams?"

Temari crossed her arms in annoyance. "Can you blame me?"

"No," Kakashi answered. "You are not alone in your fears. There are many who now fear Naruto. Not just for what he is, but what he is capable of."

"I don't care what he is!" Temari said harshly. "I have lived with a jinchuuriki for most of my life. I know what to expect of that. What I don't know is what him being a jinchuuriki has turned him into. What this village has turned him into."

"Oh?"

She sneered at him. "Don't play stupid," she said. "My brother didn't just become a murderous psycho on his own. I know what happens to jinchuuriki. What villages try to make them into. So, what is he?"

Kakashi actually put his book away at that. He had not expected such a question, least not from someone so young, or from another village. He let out a deep sigh as he sat down on the window. "We didn't attempt to make a weapon of him, if that's what you're implying," he began. "Naruto is, for a lack of better words, troubled."

Temari rolled her eyes. "You're not going to be very helpful to me, are you?" she asked rhetorically, already making her way to the door. "At least do me the favour of not letting him know I was snooping around his place."

"Don't let your guard down," Kakashi said just before Temari could close the door behind her. "He's not a monster. But you must be prepared. There is more to him than you will learn from just observing or asking others. You should try and learn from him personally. And if I can offer advice on how to approach that, I would say… slowly."

Temari turned to say something only to realise that Kakashi had already left. She figured his cryptic form of insight was the best she was going to get for a while and so she closed the door behind her and made off for the market section of the village. There was nothing worth stressing over on an empty stomach and she still had several places to scope out before the day was over.

It took a little while, along with some advice from the locals, but eventually she settled her search for food on a rather modest barbeque place called the Yakiniku Q. It seemed like a rather nice place, and the few people she had asked spoke high praises of it. She did her best to ignore the obvious sneers the staff directed at her as she was led to a small booth by herself and left with a small menu. It was not as busy as she would have expected given the time of day, although perhaps it served best as an evening meal type. Either way, Temari appreciated the quiet atmosphere and significant lack of eyes leering at her.

Much to Temari's annoyance, and as if to spite her very thoughts, the peace and quiet was disastrously cut short. A small group of loud individuals had entered, yelling and bickering as they were happily greeted by the staff. Temari almost took the moment to rethink her choice of restaurant, right up until she set eyes on the group, and the group her. The silence that swept over the building was… comical. She could practically feel the oncoming headache that this unfortunate meeting was about to cause her and actually found herself wishing she had just stayed at her hotel room, or even locked herself up in Naruto's apartment.

"What the hell is she doing here!?" the girl of the group all but yelled, her finger pointed rudely at Temari.

Yep, there was that headache. Why couldn't she have run into anyone else? Was her entire time in Konoha going to be plagued by bad luck?

"Don't be rude, Ino," the girl's sensei, Asuma, said. He swatted Ino's hand down gently before turning a kind smile towards Temari. "Forgive my student. She lacks subtlety. Temari, right? I hope you are doing well."

"Sensei! Why are you talking to the enemy!?"

"What a drag," Shikamaru groaned. "Why do you always have to cause trouble wherever we go?"

"Wanna say that again?" the girl growled, waving her fist in the boy's face.

"He's got a point, Ino," Choji said, casually stuffing his face with a bag of chips. "You really shouldn't just call someone an enemy."

"But she was there! She helped the invasion!"

"Don't be naïve, Ino," Asuma said. "Do you really think she would be allowed back into the village if we were still enemies?"

Ino caught herself before she yelled anything further, glancing stupidly between her sensei and Temari. "But what is she doing here?" she asked.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?" Temari snapped.

Asuma laughed at the gape mouth expression on Ino's face. "Perhaps we could talk over a meal," he said, looking hopefully at the Suna-nin. "If that would be alright with you? I don't want to impose, but I am curious myself of your visit."

Temari blinked at the man owlishly. "The Hokage hasn't told you?"

"Not yet, but we not long got back from a mission that had us away from the village for a little while," Asuma explained. "I'm sure I'll be filled in on the situation soon enough."

"Well, I guess eating alone would be boring," Temari said. "And it wouldn't hurt to be friendly this time around."

"Awesome! I'm starving," Choji said cheerfully as he sat into the booth, Shikamaru following close behind.

Asuma sat with them, but Ino was more apprehensive. She stood there awkwardly for well over a minute before finally succumbing to peer pressure and sitting in the booth with her team, making sure to pick the spot straight across from Temari. "Well?" Ino asked.

"Well, what?"

"What are you doing here?"

Temari hummed thoughtfully and gestured to the restaurant. "I was hungry. I'm getting food."

"I mean what are you doing in Konoha?" Ino asked.

"She's here with a diplomatic group from Suna," Shikamaru interrupted. "A protection detail. Or at least, that's my guess."

"Still a know it all," Temari muttered, earning a smirk from the boy.

"So Konoha and Suna are going to be allies again?" Choji asked. "That would be cool."

"As long as everything goes according to plan," Temari said.

"My father mentioned talk with the council of Suna," Asuma said. "But from what I remember, Suna did have some… peculiar requests." He stopped talking quickly as Temari gave the jonin a pointed stare that told him to not go any further.

"Requests?" Ino asked incredulously. "How do you people have the nerve? You invaded us. You tried to kill the Hokage. You have no right to ask for anything."

Temari held her tongue and grit her teeth. She was confident she could pummel the girl easily enough, but sometimes it helped to have politics as a backing. "Well, if that's what you have to say about it, then I suppose you don't mind if I take your words as that of the village at whole?" she asked, a victorious grin forming on her face as the expressions of the team in front of her began to drop into understanding. "I'm sure your superiors would love to know that you took it upon yourself to weigh in on such a fragile political matter that they have so carefully managed up until now."

Ino crossed her arms and turned her chin up. "Nice try, but you're just a glorified bodyguard here," she said, ignoring the very intense stares from her team screaming at her to shut up while she could. "Even if you weren't, you wouldn't jeopardise a peace treaty."

Temari wanted to punch the girl in the face, her near splintering grip on the table being testament to that. It wasn't until she caught the shocked expression of Asuma that she found herself able to ignore Ino.

Asuma swallowed hard and leant forward with a look of concern so sincere that it immediately caught the attention of his students. "It's you… isn't it?" he asked, receiving the slightest of nods as an answer. "And the Hokage… agreed?" Another nod. "And ours is…" he caught himself before saying anything and took a deep breath to calm down. As if to purposefully stoke the flames of curiosity in his team, Asuma stood up suddenly and exited the booth. "I have to go talk to the Hokage," he said ominously, lowering a stern look at Ino. "First lesson in village relations, Ino. Apologise. While you can."

Without another word he left, leaving a dumbfounded trio of genin and one rather annoyed Temari. "I thought it was bad enough when Baki did that sort of thing," she said. "You Konoha lot sure have a knack for being dramatic."

"Hey, Shikamaru. What's going on?" Choji asked.

Shikamaru didn't take his eyes off Temari the whole time, studying her intently. "Nothing good," he said.

"You can say that again," Temari said. "And you don't even know the worst of it."

"You could tell us," he said.

"I could," she said. "But then I would lose what little fun I get out of this whole mess."

"You aren't here on protection detail then," Shikamaru said, thinking aloud. "But you aren't currently in any meeting with the Hokage or his council. You have a part to play in the peace negotiation without being required in the talking itself. Which leaves you as a bargaining chip. Question is, what kind?"

"Try sacrificial lamb," she clarified.

Shikamaru frowned. "What a drag."

"What's she talking about?" Ino asked meekly, still recovering from her sensei's disapproval.

"Suna made a peculiar request," Shikamaru explained. "Obviously the Hokage accepted. If my guess is correct, then it makes sense for Suna to want a physical representation of the future peace and bonds our villages will aspire to develop. Which is where Temari comes in. Eldest child of the late Kazekage. Valuable to her people not just as a shinobi, but also as a political figure."

"But what does that mean?"

"What it means," Temari interrupted. "Is that I'm here to stay."

Ino stared wide eyed at the girl, barely taking the time to blink as the gears attempted to grind into motion inside her pretty little head. "So, like an exchange program, but for shinobi?"

"Dear god, you really do have all the braincells of the team, don't you?" Temari asked Shikamaru.

"She's getting married, Ino," Shikamaru drawled. "A political marriage to be precise. A rather old fashion way that allied parties would strengthen their bonds and hold each other to honour their deals."

The high-pitched squeal that followed was deafening. Shikamaru could only groan in regret as he realised all too late that he had uttered the forbidden word in the presence of his teammate, no doubt dooming them all to the most uncomfortable lunch of their lives.

"Married!?" Ino yelled, hearts erupting from her eyes. "Who are you going to… wait, it's not Sasuke is it?"

Temari sighed. "If only," she said disappointedly. "Emo boy isn't exactly my type, but at least I'd be confident I could have him wrapped around my finger by the end of the year. Or at the very least he'd be so focused on his own miserable existence that I could forget he even exists. No such luck I'm afraid."

Choji finally took a moment to ignore his desire for food. "Wait, so if you know who you're marrying already, then they would know too, right? But we didn't know, so maybe it's not anyone we really know."

"You know him."

"We do?"

"I really hope so, otherwise my next question is going to be a waste of time," Temari said.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Shikamaru said, shuddering as Temari leant towards them.

"What can you tell me about Naruto Uzumaki?"

You could have heard a dust mite fart. Ino sat with her mouth hanging open like a distraught fish, and Choji couldn't do more than stare longingly at his bag of chips as if wishing his appetite would come back to him. Shikamaru was even less composed, letting his head fall hard onto the table as two words slipped from his mouth.

"Oh fuck."

Baki had steeled his resolved in preparation for any and all possibilities that he could think of when dealing with Konoha. After all that had happened during the chunin exam invasion, he knew there would be lingering tension. No one forgave or forgot so quickly. Thankfully, much to his surprise, the people of Konoha had been more welcoming than he could have hoped. While not outright accepting, he and the diplomats from Suna had not been openly insulted. The occasional glare or snide remark was easily ignored. What could not be so easily ignored was the Hokage's decision regarding the marriage proposal.

He had put on a brave face for Temari's sake the night before, but he would not let it slide without an explanation. His village was going above and beyond in their offering of the poor girl. Sure, she had no bloodline herself, nor was she expressly powerful. The Kazekage's blood still ran through her veins though. Temari was more than just a potentially good shinobi, she was easily one of the most promising Suna had. If she were to have children the chances of one of Suna's greatest bloodline limit being passed on was not something to scoff at. To be honest, she was the only chance with the way her brothers turned out.

For such an offering to go unnoticed, or rather, unappreciated, was inexcusable. Hence, with what little time he had to himself, Baki had found his way to the Hokage's office, waiting patiently to be seen. He waited longer than expected, being ushered into the office some minutes after arriving and finding the Hokage being helped into his robe by a young woman.

"Oh, pardon the intrusion, lord Hokage. Perhaps I should come back another time," Baki said with a deep bow.

"Not to worry," the Hokage said, thanking the woman and gesturing for her to leave. "That is one of our medical-nin. After everything that happened recently, they have been keeping a closer eye on me."

Baki took a seat. "The battle with your former student," he surmised. "I imagine it took its toll."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Age has taken its toll. That battle only proved what damage was already done."

"But you prevailed."

"Barely," Hiruzen said. "For what it's worth, Suna and Oto truly did have a chance that day. Had things gone differently, I'm sure I would not be here now to have this conversation."

Baki swallowed nervously as he started to rethink his intentions for being here. Perhaps questioning the motives of the very person he had tried to help assassinate was not wise. 'It's for Temari,' he thought before clearing his throat. "Forgive me, lord Hokage. I must admit my reasons for coming to see you are less than ideal," he said.

"You are here regarding Temari's… position," Hiruzen said knowingly. "You clearly care for the girl. It goes without question that you would be concerned about my choice in the matter at hand."

"I don't mean to offend…"

"And I take no offence, Baki," he said. "But you have questions, and I will answer what I can."

Baki thought for a moment before speaking. "I saw what the boy is capable of during the exams. The reports I have heard and read about his part to play in the invasion, his ability to defeat our own jinchuuriki, only add to my concerns," he said. "I guess, in a sense, I would like to know if Temari will be safe with your decision."

Hiruzen took a deep breath. "Your suspicions and worries are well founded," he admitted. "There is no point in trying to hide it. Naruto is, much like your own jinchuuriki, an unpredictable asset. I would like to play along with the foolish notion the rest of the village maintain by saying we have him under control, but the truth is we don't. He abides by my rules to an acceptable extent. Even listens to me more often than not. But make no mistake when I say that he is loyal to himself and himself alone."

"Yet he protected the village?" Baki asked incredulously. "He fought impossible odds against an unleashed jinchuuriki to protect others."

"It is exactly that kind of thinking that has stayed the fears of so many in this village," the Hokage said sadly. "The outcome can always be twisted so easily to make it seem appeasing to the masses. The reality is much less so."

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto has never once fought for the sake of Konoha. He has never attempted to protect his fellow shinobi, and he certainly did not care for the lives of others when he confronted young Gaara," he said. "There is only ever one reason, that I've found so far, for Naruto to fight anything. To prove that he can."

Baki frowned deeply and looked at the old man with disapproval. "So, Konoha made the same mistake as Suna," he said. "Trying to make a weapon of a child. I guess ultimately, we all must suffer for our hubris and cruelty."

"We did not do as your Kage did," Hiruzen said sharply. "Konoha has no need for such a weapon, nor would we risk the backlash of it failing as your attempts did. No. We failed in much more shameful ways." Hiruzen sighed deeply and reached into one of the draws of his desk, pulling out an item wrapped in cloth and placing it gently before Baki. "I would have never given Suna's marriage proposal a second glance had Temari not been the candidate you offered. After reading her file I could not help but make the most of an opportunity such as that. A girl, close enough in age, determined and wilful, strong in her own regard, with years of experience living around an unstable jinchuuriki. The odds were impossible. All I need was to ensure she herself was willing to go through with it."

"You asked if Temari would be safe. I believe she will be. You are concerned that my decision is an insult to your village. That I can understand. And so, if you're willing to take an oath of secrecy, I can finally explain."

"You would trust me to keep a secret? Before our alliance is truly solidified?" Baki asked.

Hiruzen smiled. "I am confident that my explanation will go some lengths in helping solidify the alliance between our villages," he said.

"Very well then."

"Do you know what this is?" Hiruzen asked, carefully unfolding the cloth to reveal a three-pronged kunai.

Baki stared at the kunai with all the intensity his one eye could allow. A dozen puzzle pieces he didn't know were connected suddenly forcing their way together in his mind. It was a truly painful experience. He should have seen this coming, should have noticed the signs. It was all far too convenient, so stupidly bold that even those who would suspect never held such suspicions for long. The idea was just so… ridiculous.

"Naruto is…"

"The fourth Hokage's son," Hiruzen finished. "His only child. Born the night of the Kyuubi attack. The night the fourth and his wife died. They used their final moments to seal the Kyuubi into Naruto, and entrusted his safety and wellbeing to me."

"How is this possible?" Baki asked. "How does the world not already know of this? Such a secret should be impossible, especially considering the resemblance."

"I feared as much myself when I first decided to keep his identity a secret," Hiruzen said. "However, as I'm sure you are now aware by your own disbelief, having such a bold resemblance is a trait easily overlooked when nothing else matches up. By some miracle, my failure was my success. Although ultimately neglecting the boy in favour of the village at large, I accidentally created the perfect circumstances for him to slip mostly unnoticed by any who would seek his death or capture. Once I realised my fault in the matter, it was already far too late, so I made the most of a bad situation."

"Does the boy even know his lineage?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "I couldn't say," he said.

"Why are you telling me this at all?" Baki asked. "If only I am to know, then the importance of who he is will be meaningless to my village at large. They will continue to think you insulted us by wedding Temari to a random boy who happens to be a jinchuuriki. What is it you are hoping to gain here?"

"I have failed Naruto at almost every turn of his life. This marriage is finally a chance I have to do some good for the boy, with Temari's help that is," he said. "Temari is a strong girl, but she is still young. She will need guidance through things yet to come, and will require someone she trusts to confide in. She trusts you undoubtedly. As such, it is important that you and I come to an understanding so that we might help guide both of them to the best outcome possible."

"You're using us to make up for your own failures," Baki muttered in annoyance.

"Yes," Hiruzen admitted. "But you are not in a position to be upset about that, so do forgive me for kicking you while you are down."

Before Baki could say anything further the office door was slammed open, Asuma charging in with an expression of rage focused on the Hokage. "What the hell is wrong with you!" he yelled. "Have you finally gone senile? Or are you just trying to get more blood on your hands before you finally die?"

Hiruzen stared his son down. "You figured it out I see."

"Figured it out! I just spoke to a girl who has no idea whatsoever as to what is in store for her!" Asuma said. "You better have a very good reason for this, or so help me I will…" he stopped suddenly, his eyes suddenly fixated on the kunai on the desk. "You didn't."

"He did," Baki said. "And as it stands, I do have one question begging to be answered."

"Hmm?"

"Where is Naruto?" Baki asked. "If I am to agree to go along with any of this, I will need to meet him for myself."

Hiruzen gave a cautious look to his son. "Someone has been sent to collect him, but it may take some time," he said. "He is… training." Asuma continued to glare at the old man as he carefully placed the kunai back into his desk. "While we wait, allow me to explain…"

Naruto collapsed to his knees. His arms buckled under his weight as he fell forward and his face crashed into the dirt. The sickly red chakra that had enveloped him slowly receded back into his body leaving no more than its essence in the air. He couldn't move. The pain that had been coursing through his body had now completely faded to a numbness of existence. Between each laboured breath he took in the pleasant moments of silence that filled the forest around him. It almost made him smile victoriously. Everything had left in fear, and nothing had come searching for a fight. He was stronger than the forest, and now it knew that.

His eyes began to lose the fight to stay open and he soon found himself falling into the blissful darkness of his mind scape. It was, to put it plainly, a depressingly bland place, even by his standards. A vast open space, barely alight save for the giant gate separating the seemingly endless space into two halves. He remembered the first time he had found himself in this place. He was young, scared, alone. This place had been nothing but a cold and confusing prison for him to escape to when things got too hard in the real world. But not anymore.

He took a deep breath as he felt his body warming up. A faint orange glow seeped towards him from between the cage bars with a darker mist flowing from the series of cracks that had formed in the seal over the years.

"You're getting stronger, boy."

Naruto grit his teeth in annoyance. "Not strong enough," he said. "I can't form three tails. My body barely works with two tails. I need more."

The Kyuubi emerged from the shadows and stared down at Naruto, a toothy grin on its maw. "Patience, boy," the fox said. "We have waited this long. Your body is still young and malleable. Allow it to grow."

"But it will take too long!"

"Time is on our side," it said. "It matters not how long it takes us, only that we succeed."

Naruto frowned. "The forest of death has nothing left to offer us," he said. "We need a bigger challenge."

"Then we find something stronger… someone stronger," the Kyuubi said with excitement. "Let us show the world what true power is."

Naruto smiled at the fox and nodded, walking up to the cage doors and placing his hands upon the bars. As the bijuu's chakra began to flow directly into him he could feel his body healing faster. He would meet with the Hokage once he had recovered. Surely the old man would have something in mind by now to keep him entertained.

Out in the real world, Jiraiya watched on in concern as Naruto's body bubbled with the Kyuubi's chakra. Things were progressing much faster than he had first thought. If Naruto was already trying to draw out three tails worth of the bijuu, then there was no telling what destruction he could cause if he lost control.

'I hope you know what you're doing, Sarutobi.'

A/N:

Hey all, sorry for this chapter taking a little while. Been fairly busy lately.

Was not at all expecting the first chapter to get as much positive feedback as it did so that was cool. I really hope this second chapter wasn't too much of a drawl to get through and I am going to try and make some things sort of happen in the next chapter but annoyingly my mental process wants to do its thing.

Any and all reviews are very appreciated. I look forward to seeing what you guys think so far.

Thank you all for reading, until next chapter.