The road to the capital of the Land of Waves, if one could deign to call it that, was dusty and pitted with leaves littering the sides of the walkway, crushed into the dirt path. Holey tents could be spotted through the coastal oak trees, off the road. Naked toddlers ran, dirt-streaked through the still brine of the inlet. Women washed their laundry or attempted to, in the muddy shallows.

The marketplace lay not too far from the outskirts of the capital. Bare shelves but for a few pieces of fruit and rotted fish were on the sides of the road. Grim-faced shopkeepers attempted brave faces only for them to fall as soon as the shinobi walked past.

"Where's their actual market?" Sakura nervously whispered to Kakashi, falling behind the head of the group.

"This is their market," Mina whispered back, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I take it you don't get out of Konoha often?"

Naruto turned his head, the wild look in his eyes had been present since Sasuke was taken hostage. "The scrolls mission was our first," he growled, the fox just below the surface.

"Thought as much. The Land of Hot Water is actually fairly prosperous compared to other nations. It brings in a lot of tourist money as well, so much of the poverty that they do have is concealed. Here? There's no tourist industry, shinobi don't pass through. They're more concerned with literal survival than they are with appearances."

Tazuna grunted, pointing to a small footbridge over a causeway. "My daughter's house is over here."

"The telegram office?" Mina casually reminded. "I'd like to get one sent as soon as possible."

He nodded. "I can take you there after we get settled."

Kakashi placed his hand on Mina's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'll trust you for now," he whispered low enough so only she could hear. "But if anything goes wrong…I will always love you. That doesn't mean I will always trust you implicitly."

Mina sighed. "I get it. You're used to being so in control of every circumstance. But you can't be. Not anymore." She stopped, allowing the others to pass by them to the small house. Turning into him, she put her hands on his shoulders. "I love you, nii-san. But you have to recognize I am a competent adult. You can trust my negotiation skills, at least. I've been on the Raikage's council since S died five years ago. I know what I'm doing."

Kakashi's arms were warm as he pulled her into his chest. "You're always going to be my baby sister. I'm always going to see you as that gap-toothed, strawberry sun hat-wearing toddler. When I close my eyes and picture you, I see you running home with your purple glitter shoes and mud up to your hips. It's…" he broke off with a watery sigh. "It's a difficult adjustment."

Mina clutched the back of his vest. "I know. I'm adjusting too."

Footsteps echoed on the raised porch, and Mina reluctantly stepped away from Kakashi's embrace. "Telegram office?" Tazuna asked.

Mina nodded, loosening the buckle from her kunai pouch. "Lead the way. I'll take care of your client, Kakashi. See to your genin. Grumpy will be back in a few hours, like I promised."

Kakashi squeezed her shoulder one more time.

As Tazuna and Mina walked through the winding, desolate streets of the capital, Mina had to concentrate on keeping a straight face. Raw sewage seemed to be on every corner.

Tazuna glanced over his shoulder at her. "Gato hasn't permitted the replacement of our clay sewer pipes. The saltwater eats at the ceramic, busts holes in it. They're expensive to import." He finished with a shrug.

"I see. Greed begets a thirst for power. I imagine his most loyal followers live in better conditions."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for your troubles."

Tazuna rolled his eyes. "Aren't you polite."

Mina shrugged.

"Here we are."

He gestured to a rickety building. The wooden door was cracked down the middle; patched with a series of boards as though it had been kicked in numerous times. Paint peeled off the building in long strips, revealing several more layers of paint beneath. Glass windows were broken, useless shards scattered forlornly on the ground.

Gingerly stepping on the squishy boards of the raised porch; Mina walked into the small telegraph office. A wizened old man sat sloped at the desk, barely raising his head when she entered.

"Hello, I would like to send a telegram, please."

"Got money?" Spittle flew from his mouth, punctuating his sentence.

"Of course. Your fee?"

"Fifteen-hundred ryo."

Mina nodded and handed over the small pile of money. Leaning over the desk, she slowly wrote down a message. The paper rasped against the desk when she handed it over, the carefully encoded number to the Kumogakure communications office in the top right-hand corner. Her heart pounded in her chest, faster with each click of his machine.

"Finished. It takes a few hours to get a response out here." He sucked against his teeth and spat into the corner of the office.

"Thank you. I'll check with you this afternoon, then."

Kumogakure, Raikage Tower

Darui tugged his coat tighter around himself and released a slow breath. Konoha would be replying to their rebuttal any day now. The North Sea Prison was in need of emergency renovations after a pipe burst—the harbinger of a harsh winter to come. Prisoners were currently being transported by no less than ten squads. There was a small scuffle on the border when a group of nuke-nin decided to try sacking a small village. Morons, really, they hadn't a snowball's chance in hell of being successful. The border of the Land of Lightning was too well-defended.

However, he now had two genin teams waiting for mandatory psychiatric evaluations after taking their first human lives. He could remember his own first kill, an Iwa-nin had decided to go after Mina on a B-rank mission where she was defending a client. Nonlethal force didn't even cross his mind as he lifted his blade. There was more blood than he expected. Flecks of it stood out on her pale cheek. He scrubbed a gloved hand over his face. The rough wool was abrasive against his skin, bringing him into the present.

The glass door opened behind him with a slight hiss, releasing hot air into the still afternoon. A genin messenger walked out and handed him a folded paper.

"Telegram addressed to you, sir," he said.

Darui nodded his thanks and opened it.

I'm fine. Stop. I met with my brother. Stop. Met with a trader. Stop. They will trade good fish for wool. Stop. Please advise. Stop.

Darui's heart pounded in his chest as he walked back to the Raikage's office. He entered without knocking. Ay raised an eyebrow at his uncharacteristic rudeness.

"Mina has made contact with a member of Mei Terumi's faction. They want to make a deal."

Ay threw down the dumbbell in his hand.

"Where is she?" Ay asked.

"Telegram was sent from the Land of Waves," Darui answered. "You've been trying to reach them for two years. This could be a good opportunity to make valuable allies."

"I'll authorize it. Meet their representative at the port in Aioi. Full hospitality."

"By your word, Raikage-sama," Darui said, his fist over his heart.

His footsteps seemed to echo down the carefully waxed halls of Raikage Tower as he made his way to the communications office. Without waiting for permission, he jerked a piece of paper off of a genin's desk and commandeered the pen from their hand.

I love you. Stop. Lavender is never missing where Bees dwell. Stop. Bees love it. Stop. Father approves of exchange. Stop. Family retreat at the beach. Stop. Father will pay for everything. Stop.

The Land of Waves, Telegram Office

Mina closed her eyes and hugged the paper to her chest in the fading light.

'Not a nuke-nin,' she thought. 'Bee must've authorized my absence, somehow.'

"That's it for me, girly," the telegram operator said. "Get out of my office."

"Thank you for your time," Mina said politely.

She walked out as the sunlight drifted between the cracks of the houses. Casting an eerie pall on the town, its orange light wavered and reflected off the water as it began to dip below the horizon. Shadows lingered around the roots of the mangroves into the water.

Without the burden of a civilian, the walk into the forest's depths was quick and easy. She bit the tip of her thumb, summoning Uhei.

"Boss," Uhei greeted, wagging his tail.

"We need to find Bisuke. He's with one of Kakashi's genin."

Uhei furrowed his brow. "Can do."

He began to sniff around the copse of trees. A short bark had her following him into the darkening forest. Small sticks and dried leaves crinkled beneath his soft paws with every step.

The breeze picked up, winding through the dense coastal forest. There was a faint smell of rosemary in the air coming from behind her. Mina turned toward the smell.

"I know you're there."

The teenager from earlier walked out from behind the tree.

"Good evening," they greeted.

"Good evening. Is your sensei around?"

"He is this way, please."

"Thank you. My name's Mina, yours?"

"Haku. Just through there," they said, pointing to a small hunting shed. Smoke floated out of the crooked chimney. The boy opened the door to the rickety shed where Zabuza was reclining on a sofa. Sasuke was sitting, Bisuke curled on his lap. His face was pale, shaky hands hid in Bisuke's curly fur, and his eyes were fixated on a small hole in the wood floor. Bisuke jumped from Sasuke's lap, his claws clacking with each step. Leaning against her leg, he jumped up and bit her hand. Mina winced when he drew blood, her nose wrinkled. The dog's eyes promised a difficult conversation in the near future.

Bisuke went down to all fours, loping back to Sasuke. He bit Sasuke's pants, tugging him into a standing position with a short growl. Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his head. He glanced at Mina, his eyes widening in recognition. He leaped from the couch and ran behind Mina's back, keeping his hand on the back of her shirt.

"Zabuza," Mina greeted casually, as though a thirteen-year-old genin wasn't tugging on the hem of her shirt. "I received a telegram from Raikage-sama's office earlier this evening. The Godaime-presumptive will meet you at the port city of Aioi to discuss complete terms. Considering your former position, I made the assumption that you were high enough on the hierarchy to negotiate on your faction's behalf."

He inclined his head slightly and held out his hand to the spare seat across from him.

"The telegram I received indicated Raikage-sama is willing to sponsor your faction in full, as well as reimburse for travel expenses to the Land of Lightning."

Scrubbing his hand over his face, he reclined back into the couch. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly. Haku looked just as relieved, standing behind Zabuza.

"My men were ordered to intercept your brother's client."

"Not my brother," Mina said hastily, perhaps too hastily. "We left them alive if you were wondering. Unfortunately, they are probably guests of the Hokage at the moment."

Zabuza sighed. "I thought as much. All the same, thank you for sparing their lives."

"As a former guest of the Hokage myself, I won't say it's a picnic. But. Compared to the Bloody Mist…"

"I understand. It wasn't always like that."

Mina nodded. "A dear friend of mine had a prolonged stay in Blood Mist. To be quite honest with you, I believe it was one of the factors that inspired Raikage-sama to seek such an alliance."

Zabuza barked a harsh humorless laugh. "Yeah, Yagura doesn't give up his toys too easily. What'd the Raikage have to give him?"

"A sword. One of the oldest in the Land of Lightning. It was priceless. And a substantial bounty. I suppose Yagura couldn't refuse the offer."

"Sounds about right." Zabuza crossed his arms over his chest. "I'd like to see the telegram."

"Sure. I don't know how much sense it will make to you, but you're welcome to read it."

Mina handed over the carefully creased paper to prove it was not henged.

Zabuza laughed genuinely this time. "'I love you.' Glad to have my own fan in the future Raikage."

A blush crossed her face, hot and sure, spreading up to her ears. "Ah. Well. That bit was personal."

"Loving a future kage is difficult, I imagine," Zabuza started.

"I don't think you have to imagine all that hard, Zabuza."

"No. I don't."

Mina stood up and extended her hand. "It was a pleasure brokering this negotiation."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Kaminari of Kumogakure, not Kakashi Hatake's little sister."

"Same. I wish you luck with your rebellion."

He nodded again. Haku walked from behind the couch and opened the door for them. As they left, Haku handed over Sasuke's small kunai pouch. Mina strapped it over her shoulder, taking the terrified teenager out of the building.

Sasuke was still shaking as they walked through the dark forest in silence. Bisuke occasionally nipped the boy's pinky finger to make him continue. He stopped completely when they reached the main road, reflected in the pale moonlight.

Mina closed her eyes and sighed. Perhaps it was a cruel introduction to shinobi life, even for a clan child. Gods knew Darui's family practically trained him into the ground at this age. Then again, Kumo children didn't become genin until they were sixteen. She tried to imagine if this kid was Darui, how he would have felt. Not that it would have made a difference, this kid wasn't him.

She pulled out her canteen from her kunai bag and opened the cap, passing it over to him. "Drink up. You've had a long day. It's sweetened tea. For the nerves. Did he feed you?"

He shook his head, and she handed over a paper-wrapped onigiri Tazuna's daughter had made earlier. The small snack sat dumbly in his hand, his eyes still wide in shock.

"Come on, kid. If you don't start talking to me, I'm going to think you're in genuine shock. You won't like how I have to treat that." Her joke fell flat to her own ears. "Did he hurt you? I might be a medic, but I'm sure I could give him a run for his money."

Sasuke scoffed, glancing back the way they came. "No. He didn't. He didn't say anything. Just sat there. Staring at me."

"Take a bite," she prompted.

He chewed thoughtfully. Minutes ticked by slowly under the full moon veiled by clouds. Color returned to his face as he slowly ate the onigiri and drank the sweet tea.

"I was scared," he finally admitted. "I didn't think I would be. I was."

"Come on, let's get you back to your sensei."

"He really let Zabuza take me."

Mina sighed. "Don't be so hard on your sensei. I manipulated him into it. You should be blaming me."

"You're not responsible for my safety, he is. If anything happened to me, nii-san…"

She ruffled his hair fondly. "Nothing was going to happen to you. Zabuza Momichi is in the same camp as Mei Terumi. They want a gentler Kirigakure. He could have killed us all when his sword came toward us. He didn't. He was trying to complete his mission objective, kill the bridge builder, without taking out a bunch of kids in the process. Personally, I think his tales about the academy are greatly exaggerated."

Sasuke stuffed the last bite in his mouth and nodded. "What about you and Kakashi?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, if it was just Kakashi and I, Zabuza would not have hesitated to eliminate us if given half a chance. But we're jounin, adults. You're not."

"My brother became a jounin when he was thirteen. I'm thirteen now and only a genin."

"Mine became a chuunin at six, and a jounin at nine just to keep me fed. Do you think that's right, Sasuke? Making children fight in wars before they hit puberty?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment. He shrugged his shoulders, drinking the last of the tea in her canteen.

"Food for thought, for when you go home."

The house came into view, smoke rose out of the chimney, curling against the night sky. Warm smells assailed her nose, promising fresh rice, and grilled fish. Sasuke broke into a sprint when he saw Naruto sitting on the porch. Naruto's eyes almost glowed red in the dark, his stance was animalistic, crouching over the engawa. When he saw Sasuke, he relaxed, as though all fight had drained from him. Though he pretended like he could care less about Sasuke's safety, his body language said otherwise.

They shouted obscenities at each other, pushing and pulling on each other's nerves. Mina sat on the railing of the footbridge and watched. They reminded her all too well of Obito and Kakashi when they were about that age. Finally, Naruto stalked off, murmuring something unintelligible under his breath. Sasuke entered the house, slamming the door behind him. From the lit window, she watched as Sakura threw her arms around Sasuke's neck. His face turned tomato red.

Kakashi yanked her off of him with a good-natured eye smile. He peeked out the window, with a single-handed wave at Mina. She quietly returned it in the lantern light. Bisuke and Uhei gave a short howl, letting Kakashi know they had also returned. They bumped against her legs.

Melancholy set it watching the tableau in the window. Sakura was animated about Sasuke's return, reminding Mina far too much of C's exuberance. Sasuke stood there, reticent, with reddened cheeks at the overt affection. In a way, he reminded her of Darui, or at least the Darui the public saw. Though Sasuke lacked his sense of wry humor. And Kakashi? He would always be nii-san. She wanted to believe he was still the boy in her dreams, her memories, but he wasn't. He was a grown man. It was time she accepted that.

Not wanting to intrude on the small team's affections any longer, she walked along the path through the town. Battered doors hung on each building were locked next to broken windows lit by candles. The smell decreased as the cool mist of night overtook the sleepy town. Mina walked along the streets, tugging her turtleneck over her sensitive nose anyway. From here in the center of town, she could hear the rush of the ocean.

When she finally reached the beach, Mina stopped. She took her shoes off and waded into the gentle current, letting the water lap against her feet. The sand was coarse against the soles of her feet. Grains of it stuck in between her toes. She closed her eyes and sighed into the sea breeze. Though the night was chilly, if she kept her eyes closed, she could almost feel Darui's warm arms around her, his chest against her back. His heartbeat and even breaths would add to the melody of the crashing waves on the shore.

In her mind, she could feel the summer waters of the southern sea off the coast and his kiss against her neck. She would read him a book as he held her on the beach like she did last summer. He'd sweetly hold the flashlight to the page, resting his hand on her knee. Perhaps she'd take a break, turn her face into his, and trace his jaw with her lips, just to memorize the feel of him. His chest had pulled against the bikini strings with every breath, making her acutely aware of how easily it would be to remove it.

Bisuke gave a low growl and a short bark from the beach. When she opened her eyes, a light appeared as the fog gathered off the coast. She took a small pair of binoculars out of her kunai pouch and looked out to the sea.

"Shit," she murmured. Two Konoha shinobi in jounin vests sat in a small boat no more than ten minutes from the island's coast. The younger's eyes glowed red in the dark night. Mina sprinted back to the trees to Tazuna's house, she didn't stop until her feet touched the porch. The ninken were hot on her heels, bumping into the backs of her legs when she stopped.

Quietly letting herself inside, she hurriedly packed her bag. The buckles flew through her hand as she tightened the straps down. She vaguely recognized Kakashi behind her.

"It would appear you have reinforcements," she commented quietly. "Two jounin. I'm making myself scarce."

Kakashi exhaled sharply. "I thought we'd have more time," he murmured.

Yanking the bag on her shoulder, she tightened the straps. She tugged Kakashi into her arms, not caring how her nose squished against his chest. "I know. I thought we would too. No matter what happens, I love you, Kakashi." She pushed up on her tip-toes and kissed his covered eye, then his cheek.

He squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, Mina."

"I'll summon you two when I get back to the continent." She nuzzled Bisuke and Uhei's heads and bounded out the window.

Obito jumped out of the boat before it could be fully moored. The hull dragged against the sand bar as the civilian struggled to hide it underneath the roots of a mangrove tree. Itachi's silent footsteps glided on top of the wet sand as he helped pull the boat. He wouldn't ask for help. The eighteen-year-old never did.

Itachi's shoulder brushed against him, and Obito nodded, bounding up into the trees. The bridge builder's residence was all too easy to find, taking only a few minutes. Kakashi walked out to greet them, raising his hand. Obito narrowed his eyes. There was something different about him.

"Obito, Itachi," Kakashi greeted with a red-rimmed eye.

Itachi spoke first, "My crow reported that you had an encounter with a jounin missing-nin?"

"Mah, your little brother is alright. Time to cut the apron strings," Kakashi joked flatly.

Footsteps echoed on the raised porch behind them as Obito carefully watched Kakashi. The normal tension that he carried in his shoulders was diminished. Deep creases that he always carried on the sides of his eyes were smoothed. His back wasn't as rigid, falling into his natural slouch. He didn't think he'd seen Kakashi this relaxed since before the Kannabi bridge mission. However, though he had tried to conceal it, he had been crying. His eye was red, voice gritty.

A stray silver curl was caught on Kakashi's jounin vest, flagging in the wind. Obito plucked it off his uniform and held it up to the light with a raised brow.

"This our jounin?" he carefully asked, holding up the hair for Kakashi's inspection.

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pocket. His coldest glare may make lesser shinobi shake at the knees but it only made Obito want to force Kakashi to his.

"If it is?" Kakashi asked haughtily.

Obito sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let's go inside."

If Kaminari Hatake was still on this island, it would be all too easy to kill her. Solve one more of his problems. The question was how to do it without being suspected.

The warm glow from the dining room did nothing to fix the chill in Obito's chest as he considered the possibilities. Once they were all seated on various floor pillows, Obito waved his hand for Kakashi to give a verbal mission report.

"Five days' walk at a civilian pace outside of Konoha, we encountered the Demon Brothers. After interrogating them, I determined they were under orders from another to assassinate the bridge builder, Tazuna. He was unaware shinobi were after him."

'What a cool liar you are,' Obito thought, saying nothing.

Sasuke squirmed uncomfortably under his brother's gaze but said nothing to contradict his sensei. The pink-haired one was avoiding eye contact. He wasn't even sure where the jinchuuriki was.

Itachi brought his knee to his chest and nodded for Kakashi to continue.

"The team made a decision to continue—"

Itachi interrupted him, "The foreign shinobi my summons reported was a female jounin-level nuke-nin."

"My apologies. A female acquaintance of mine joined us for a brief time and offered assistance."

Itachi furrowed his brow. "Freely? What did she expect in exchange?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Are you sure you want the answer to that?"

Obito rubbed his fist against his mouth to hold back his laugh. He hoped it would make Kakashi feel like slime to answer Itachi's question like that. Hoped that it ate at him when he laid down tonight. From the tightening at the corner of his eye, it already was. The red that had crossed Itachi's normally emotionless face was amusing. He did enjoy watching his younger cousins squirm like a worm on a hook.

"Continue," Obito ordered.

"We embarked on a boat to the Land of Waves. Upon arrival, we were met by Zabuza Momichi, formerly of Kirigakure. We were able to successfully negotiate his departure."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "We? You allowed your female nuke-nin acquaintance to negotiate on behalf of Konoha? With the former head of assassinations for Kirigakure?"

"Considering she is an expert in negotiation, yes." Kakashi shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"Where is she now?" Itachi asked. His gaze turned to Sasuke and Obito felt his lip twitch. Worms on a hook, indeed. "Do you have anything to add, otouto?"

Sasuke quickly shook his head, avoiding his brother's gaze by looking out the window. "I just remembered, I told Naruto I would get him. Excuse me."

The corners of Itachi's mouth tightened as he regarded Sasuke's pale face. "I would be very disappointed if you withheld information from me," he added.

Obito nodded toward Sasuke. "You're excused."

Sasuke let out a grateful sigh of relief and practically ran out of the room.

"Who is your 'acquaintance,' as you call her?" Itachi feigned politeness.

"I don't answer to you," Kakashi replied coolly.

Obito interrupted Itachi from saying anything further. "Is Zabuza Momichi still on the island?"

"I don't know. I didn't keep track of his whereabouts after my team and client's safety were guaranteed."

"I see. It appears we came out here for nothing, little cousin," Obito tried for humor, ruffling the top of Itachi's head. He stood up and stretched. "I'm going to patrol our surroundings."

A useful code for Kakashi to meet him outside with Team Seven and Itachi none the wiser about the true purpose of the dalliance. Minutes later, Kakashi met him at the edge of the mangrove forest, a hundred yards away from the bridge builder's house.

Obito crossed his arms over his vest and faced him. "Acquaintance, huh?"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.

"Kakashi, it's me. Just be honest. You've always been able to tell me anything."

"Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?"

"I like being proven right," Obito said with a smirk. He laid a comforting hand on Kakashi's arm, massaging his bicep. "That couldn't have been easy, throwing Itachi off like that."

Kakashi scrubbed a hand down his face. "No. It wasn't."

Obito laced his fingers through Kakashi's thick hair. He slowly pulled down Kakashi's mask, running his finger down his cheek in a sensual tease. His lips met his softly, tenderly. He had long gotten used to playing the part of a doting lover. And Kakashi? He was far too desperate for tenderness to refuse. Forcing Kakashi's mouth to open, Obito possessed him, plundering deeply as he locked his lips against Kakashi's.

He hated him with every fiber of his being. Yet, tugging the zipper of his jounin vest open with feverish aggression turned him on more than anything else. The feel of Kakashi's naked body, hard and scarred under his hands made him want to own him, to brand his name onto Kakashi's soul. He wanted to tear Kakashi apart so that his shattered edges would match his, falling like a broken mirror on a hollow floor. More than anything, he wanted to hear Kakashi moan those pretty promises of ownership in the dark of his bedroom.

Forgetting to play the part of the tender lover, Obito thrust him against an oak tree, satisfied when Kakashi's back fell with a hollow thump. Obito bit down on Kakashi's shoulder, hard enough to hurt and leave a bruise for the next week. He jerked Kakashi's neck to the side by his hair and sucked hard enough to bruise, so when Kakashi looked in the mirror the next morning, he would know Obito owned him.

"My team?" Kakashi protested by the time Obito was jerking at his own belt buckle.

Obito forced Kakashi to his knees against the tree. His kiss was almost harsh enough to draw blood, though he regretted not being harsher. "They're with Itachi. Suck me off. Now."

Kakashi hesitated.

"For fucks sake, Kakashi. Either suck me off or go inside. It's your fault Itachi dragged me all the way down here. I could be balls deep inside Kurenai right now."

Kakashi glared up at him, the strength of it lessened by his submissive position. "I don't think Asuma would appreciate that."

A cruel smirk crossed Obito's face as he shrugged. "He likes to share. She likes pain that he's not willing to give."

Kakashi rose to his feet and shoved Obito harshly. "I don't need this right now," Kakashi said, running his hand over his face. "Not after everything I learned."

Obito softened his face and buckled his pants. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated. That was uncalled for on my part. There's just a lot going on in the tower right now." He sat down on a sprawling mangrove root and reclined his legs in front of him. "Sometimes I get jealous of you, out here, in the big world."

Kakashi shook his head and sat down on an exposed root. "She told me she has five boys. Couldn't even remember their names. Never sees them. Then again, I'm not even sure she was being all that serious."

"She say who the father was?"

"Darui, her mission partner. Her superior officer too, from the way it sounds." Kakashi picked up a pebble, throwing it into the shallows below.

Obito released a carefully controlled sigh. "She was mischievous when she was younger. Though I doubt that's changed, that's not something one comes up with on a whim."

He took pleasure in the way Kakashi's face fell into shadow. Wanting to twist the kunai further he added, "Imagine, your ancestors spent centuries avoiding the Land of Lightning only for the remainder of your clan to be held hostage by them."

Kakashi remained silent, staring off into the shallows surrounding the mangroves.

"Do you think she was willing? Kumo is well-known to be a massive orgy, and with that comes breeding like rabbits."

"Do not use that word for my sister."

Obito held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say it. I'm just repeating facts. When the elders find out about this though—"

Kakashi began to tremble, his face went white as a sheet. "They won't."

Obito shook his head. "They will. They'll call her that name you don't want to hear. Or worse, especially if you have any plans of returning her children to Konoha where they belong."

"She says she's happy. She looks happy. She's more worried about me than herself."

"How well do you know her anymore? People lie about being happy all the time. It's always the ones you least expect."

Kakashi shook his head again. He pushed up on the mangrove root and went back inside the house.

Obito sat in the cool November breeze and smiled. Kaminari was still on this island, he could practically feel it. Her leaving was recent enough for Kakashi to have cried just before they arrived. No doubt she was waiting for the tide to turn. She and Zabuza both. A murder victim, a murder suspect all neatly wrapped in a bow.

When he was finished with her? He would scatter her corpse on the unfinished bridge where Kakashi's team was set to assemble in the morning. Leave Zabuza's sword still in his hand. Murder victim. Murder suspect.

AN: Thank you so much for reading! If you have time, please leave a comment. :)

Also, to the person who decided to report this fic to the vigilante purity police on ffn, bless your little heart. There isn't a mod team on ffn anymore. Besides, this fic is clearly labeled for adults to be consumed by adults. So maybe remove the cactus from your ass. Respectfully.

To everyone else who is reading this, I'm happy you're here. :D

Beta'ed by: Cherryberry12