Author's Notes: It took a while but we got there. Please enjoy, The Longest Day.

I am not the only traveller who has not repaid his debt

I've been searching for a trail to follow again. Take me back to the night we met.

- Lord Huron (The Night We Met)

He waited until after Shisui turned the little boy away from the carnage before he slashed her attacker's throat. The second attacker, the one whom Shiori's bunshin had taken down just moments ago attempted a counterattack. He quickly made do with him with a kunai in the middle of his forehead. Everything he did was systematic. Shiori watched everything through his eyes and was unnerved at his coldness. That was, until he laid eyes on her body. The tiniest amount of panic and a hurricane of dread flooded in his veins as he took her in his arms. She didn't blame him. She looked mutilated.

"No, no, no, no," he muttered under his breath. He gently shook her awake. "Yugen-san. Tell us where she is staying…hey."

He paused, slightly moving his head to the side to avoid her bloodied hand that was trying to swat him away. "Shiori, look at me."

This version of her from twelve hours ago was actively trying to ignore him. Before he could say anything more, he heard the child scream. Hurried footsteps tapped against the wooden floor and he looked up in time to see a ridiculously familiar-looking boy running towards him. His dark eyes glinted with equal parts fury and terror as he prepared his small body to launch itself at him.

"Mama-!"

"-Wait!" He exclaimed holding his right hand out, the hand which wasn't cradling her head. The boy skidded to a stop, surprised that he took the time to speak to him.

"Naoki," he said slowly, testing the name on his tongue. His heart fluttered up to his throat.

'Kami, he made it.'

"Naoki right? That's your name?"

The poor kid shook like a leaf. He looked back to the attacker who now lay motionless on the floor. Shisui quickly stepped in between him and the corpse, blocking the view with his legs.

He too looked like he was in shock, absentmindedly pulling at a loose curl of hair which had escaped his knot.

"That's-that's my mama you're carrying."

Shisui gave Itachi a pointed look.

"Dude, you really need to start communicating properly. You can't drop a bombshell like this at me."

Itachi ignored him, instead turning to the little boy in front of him. His face was wet with tears and sweat. Blood dripped on his arm from a cut. His rumpled, baggy shirt had slid off of one shoulder from struggling against his attacker.

"I figured. I promise I'm not trying to hurt her. We want to help."

Itachi motioned at Naoki to come closer to him.

"Go on buddy," Shisui urged. "He's harmless. To you at least."

Itachi couldn't put the feeling into words so neither could Shiori. The moment Naoki took Itachi's hand something inside him clicked. This wasn't the first time he had encountered his unique chakra signature. He found it remarkable that all those years hadn't altered it much.

Before Shiori could cut the reading, she was transported back to Fire Country nearly five years ago. Itachi was kneeling on the stone floor of his room, face buried in her belly as he sobbed. He was grieving over a son he loved but will never meet.

The son who was now looking up at him with the same determined, obsidian eyed glare he had seen many times in his otouto.

Shisui looked at Shiori and Yugen who were siting side by side. At quick glance, it looked like they barely shared any resemblance. If anything, Sotome Yugen could pass more as one of his and Itachi's aunts, with her jet black hair standing in stark contrast against her pale skin. Her dark eyes looked at everyone from under her high-arched brows. It made her look like she was constantly evaluating the people around her. In the background he could hear C get Shiori on the loop.

"Earlier when we were convinced that they were impersonators, we have thought of incarcerating them until we get more information. Well, you just cut that waiting time for us to five minutes at best."

Shiori turned to Itachi. "How long do you think they have been doing it for?"

"The earliest case that we know of happened roughly three months after the war," he replied. "However it could have been going on for longer than that."

"We need to warn the other hidden villages. Based on the records you have and based on what I read from my attacker they have eyes and ears everywhere."

Yugen narrowed her eyes at Itachi. "You really haven't reached out to Konoha? Not even to Sasuke?"

Shiori shook her head. "They haven't. I'm positive."

"Your daughter's advice is a wise one," Itachi said. "This information would further strengthen the alliances of Kumogakure don't you think?"

"Consider it done," Darui spoke up from where he now sat which was behind his massive oak desk. "I'm sending my messengers as we speak. I'll tell them the intel was gathered by two mercenaries who have been investigating the kidnappings as per your request."

Itachi and Shisui bowed gratefully.

"Itachi-san, Shisui-san…or should I say, Kazuo and Ryota…seeing as you're mercenaries now, and as a gesture of good will for risking your identities in exchange for the safety of two of our citizens, I would like to offer you a running contract. Keep on investigating these crimes and report to me what you find. I'll offer you a monthly fee and accommodation within the village."

Shiori glared at Darui. Shisui chuckled quietly. Now the resemblances were showing. It seemed to him like death glares were a Sotome trait.

"If this is as bad as I think it is then I'm willing to use all reasonable means to ensure the safety of Kumo's citizens, even an unusual collaboration such as this one."

"Do we have information on the buyers?" C asked.

"Aside from Moku, no. He will be dealt with," Itachi replied. "Shiori, you got anything?"

"Some unknown faces. I don't recognise them I'm afraid. Four victims. All slain after their…it almost looked like their chakra was taken away from them. In all instances a woman would be there. They called her the Seamstress."

Shisui and Itachi exchanged looks.

"She stands out," Shiori added. "I'll recognise her when I see her."

"There might be a chance that might happen sooner than later," Shisui said, frowning.

If Shiori hadn't been shocked into numbness a handful of times in the past few hours she might have more of a reaction. Instead she just rolled her neck to look at him.

"Do you now?"

"There was a lot riding on Moku getting your ability. It's highly likely that they will have another attempt at targeting you…and a possibility that they will go after your son."

Dark eyes met grey.

"You know why."

Shiori thought back on her reading of Shisui. He had been slowly creeping behind the man who had Naoki when he did something unusual. He brought the blade he used to cut the boy to his lips and licked the blood in it. His body stiffened.

"It can't be," he half cried half laughed, shaking the boy roughly. "Wouldn't you know it? We have an Uchiha-"

Shisui quickly quieted him down with a knife going up at the base of his skull.

"He didn't get a chance to report to anyone," Shiori shot back.

"I didn't see him do it. Doesn't mean he didn't. Trust your gut Shiori-chan. They will come after him too. If not for his lineage then to use him as bait to get to you."

Shiori kept quiet, shoving the bubbling panic in her stomach up to her chest with the rest of her big emotions. For the first time in over seven years she had a strong urge to smoke.

A couple more minutes of discussion later, it had been decided. Kazuo and Ryota would act as her and Naoki's bodyguards for the first week. After that, they will be monitored by chonin for most of the day for an indefinite period of time while the pair would head out of town to chase leads. Shiori's only condition was that Miyako would be informed of their current situation. Yugen rolled her eyes at this.

"Firstly she is going to be around me all the time anyway. Half the time Naoki is at their place. She is in no more harm in the know than she is being kept in the dark. Secondly, I need someone to talk to about this little circus that just happened and lastly," she tilted her chin at Itachi's direction. "It's the only way I can explain having him lurking around."

Itachi remained stone-faced. "Hn."

"You can talk to me," Yugen offered.

Shiori shot her the Sotome look. "Okaasan."

It didn't take long for the Raikage to adjourn the meeting. Itachi and Shisui went ahead to make arrangements for their accommodation. Yugen agreed to stay behind until Naoki woke up. Shiori knew their flat was going to be in a horrific state. As much as possible, she wanted to get rid of anything that indicated the previous night ever happened before her mother took him home."

Yugen handed her mismatched clothes and a pair of open toed sandals which were two sizes too big. "At least get changed first. The stars did not align for those two to save you just so you could die of exposure."

Shiori bowed at her. Before she could turn away, Yugen grabbed her into a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm not Miyako but I meant what I said earlier. You can talk to me."

Shiori bowed again and turned away to get changed.

She didn't want to talk. She was tired.

The walk from the Kage Building to the flat was a slow blur. She was glad the oversized jacket that Yugen gave her had a high collar that she can easily hide her face behind. The streets were getting more crowded as the morning rush started to run in full swing.

The Edo Tensei was slowly getting undone. There wasn't much time left but Sasuke needed to know. At the very least he deserved that kindness. For what he thought would be the final time, he gently pulls Sasuke by the back of his head and rested his forehead against his.

"You don't ever have to forgive me. And no matter what you do from here on out know this…I will love you always."

Shiori rubbed her tired eyes, willing Itachi's memories away. Without much thought she stepped inside a small shop, the same one she frequented whenever things ran out in the flat in the middle of the week. She was trying to think of anything they were running low of. Her mind drew a blank. The store keeper, a plump, middle-aged man with a grey moustache which was wider than his cheeks greeted her.

"Good morning, Shiori-chan! Didn't expect you this early-oh…!" His lips formed a small O when he saw her face. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Mmm-hmm." She looked at the glass cabinet behind him. "A pack of reds and a lighter please."

She had chain-smoked three cigarettes before she reached the entrance of their flat. It was left unlocked. Two strips of yellow and black striped tape formed an X at the entrance.

It was one of the rare times she saw him attempt to scream. It was also one of the few times she remembered him being fearful. The sticky liquid in the tank choked his cries before he could let out a sound. The relief and surprise that he felt upon seeing Shisui, a familiar face, had been a lifesaver.

The jonin task force who processed the crime scene were kind enough to contact the trauma cleaners on her behalf. She mentally added the cost of their services on her monthly expenditure.

Shiori broke the tapes and entered the flat. It was eerily quiet. The smell of antiseptic hung heavy in the air. There were no blood left, particularly in the kitchen where the struggle took place. For that she was thankful. A chair with a broken leg was left leaning against the wall. She shuffled into the kitchen, pausing momentarily to trace the caved in plaster of the partition wall where her chakra had landed. She sighed heavily and went over to the sink to get herself a glass of water, which she quickly downed in a few gulps.

What he felt the following months was a feeling she wouldn't wish on anybody. It was the unnerving knowledge of being completely untethered. If there was one thing Itachi thrived in, it was being useful. Now he had no name, no country and in general, no purpose. Despite being brought back, he felt like a dead man walking. His whole life had been lived as one of Konoha's weapon. Now the same village that he swore to protect at all costs didn't even know he still existed.

Some days the loneliness felt crippling. Despite being grateful for Shisui's company he yearned for people he wasn't sure he deserved to yearn for. He wanted to see his otouto and his wife and little girl. He dreamed of tea with Sora and Fudo. He desired to see…her and the family he had wilfully left behind. Was it even possible still? The uncertainty was a heavy burden.

A mild draft wafted through the jagged hole of her broken window. She couldn't afford to fix that one out of pocket. She would have to take out a loan to have a new one reinstalled.

She looked down and noticed that the faucet wasn't closing properly. A small stream of water steadily flowed from it. She realised that the faucet lever was bent, preventing it from fully cutting the water off. She tried to straighten it back with her bare hands. It was impossible. Pain erupted from the tips of her fingers.

"Come on!" Shiori growled in frustration. Anger welled out of her. She grabbed a saucepan drying on the dish rack and began smashing the handle.

"Fuck! FUCK!"

"Remember I love you."

"FUCKING-!"

Smash!

"-GOOD-"

Smash!

"-FOR NOTHING-!"|

Smash!

"-MOTHER-!"

Smash!

"-FUCKERRRR!"

"Shiori!"

Shiori let out a war cry as she turned around to face her intruder, saucepan held above her head as she prepared herself to smack the living daylights out of them.

"No!" Miyako shrieked, holding her hands up to shield her face. "It's me dammit!"

She made a sound between a sigh and a whimper. Her grey eyes still looked wild as she slowly set her chosen weapon down on the counter.

"You crazy bitch," the blonde whispered as she threw her arms around her in a tight embrace. "Yugen-san told me. I came as soon as I could-" she trailed off as she pulled away to study Shiori's face.

"Kami, what have they done to you?" Miyako asked shakily. She gently took her face and tilted it from side to side. "Anything you need, I'm right here okay? Hey?"

Shiori began to shake. Everything that she had been shoving inside her chest have finally swelled into proportions she could no longer contain. Sobs ripped out of her in between loud gulps of air. Nothing about it was graceful. Her cries were low and guttural similar to a wounded animal. The numbness had worn off and she finally had to come to terms with everything at the same time. The attack. The impending danger her and Naoki were in. And finally, the knowledge that Itachi, the man she had worked so hard to move on from, was back from the dead.

"Hey. Are you okay?"

Miyako looked up from the cup of tea she was nursing on her hands and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Am I okay? Are you okay? Actually no, don't answer that. I'm surprised you didn't scream the Kage Building down the second you laid eyes on him."

Shiori, after sobbing uncontrollably for a solid ten minutes, filled her in on what Yugen left out. Miyako knew her best friend had been attacked but initially she wasn't told why. She also assumed a handful of Kumo jonin neutralised the attack. The last person she expected to come to Shiori's rescue had been her dead koibito and his also dead cousin. No wonder Yugen begged her to skip work and go to Shiori's aid. The poor girl's life, through no fault of hers, had once again spiralled out of control.

"I was honestly too shocked," Shiori replied in a low voice. "I kept second-guessing whether or not I was truly awake. And then I read them." She swirled the last dregs of tea in her cup before bringing it to her lips to gulp it all down.

"Now I've… he laid all his cards out for me to see and now I can't even get mad at him without feeling bad about it."

It was the double-edged sword that came with her ability. The fact that she can see through their eyes and feel their emotions on that specific memory made it difficult for her to form a fixed opinion on anybody without considering the nuances of their humanity. And Uchiha Itachi was a very nuanced man.

"And Naoki, the poor kid," Miyako added. "Wait, do you think Itachi figured it out?"

"In a heartbeat." She also remembered the way Naoki stopped panicking at his touch.

"I want to save her but I'm struggling with something. I was hoping you could help," Itachi said as he fixed Naoki's top. The two had an instant connection. Shiori could tell.

"Do you know where Yugen obaasan lives? Do you think you could help us get there?"

Naoki nodded eagerly. "She's not far from here. I'll show you."

A small smile graced Itachi's lips as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Thank you."

"Alright little man, you're coming with me," Shisui said, picking Naoki up. He still made it a point that the dead bodies were not in the boy's line of sight. "Let's go tree-hopping. It's faster that way."

"Are you going to tell him?" Miyako asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not. It's kinder for him to assume he lost his father because of the war rather than because he chose to leave…even if he thinks it's for the good of everyone. That's a can of worms that I do not want to open. Besides, they're supposed to be Kazuo and Ryota remember?"

"And I'm in on the whole thing because?"

"You're my best friend and I'd sooner get admitted to the psych ward than keep all these a secret from you." Shiori gasped. "Would you rather not know? I'm so sorry I didn't think about that."

"Please. Gossip as juicy as this? Wouldn't miss it for the world." Miyako smiled. "Hey Shio-chan. Keep your chin up. You'll get through this. So will Naoki. Your koibito-"

"-ex-koibito-"

"-literally rose from the dead to save your ass. Honestly what were the chances? You two keep meeting in the most intense kind of ways. Throw in a sex scene or two and it could pass as the latest instalment of the Icha Icha series."

Shiori threw a wad of napkin at Miyako.

"Hey. Stop comparing my life to your smuts. It's not like that."

"Not yet," the blonde muttered under her breath.

Shiori chuckled. "Thank you Miyako. For being so unserious and for being here."

Miyako stood up, walked around the table and gave her best friend a hug. "You and me? We're stuck with each other. Always and forever."

There was a long pause as the two listened to the sound of rain and thunder from outside.

"So are you still up for cleaning or are we crying ourselves to sleep today?"

"Cleaning, definitely. I'm done crying. Are you kidding me?" She was about to grab the broom when a knock came from the door.

"Must be okaasan," Shiori said. "It's a little early but I guess Naoki is awake now." She walked past the living room to open the door and quickly realised it wasn't Yugen.

Itachi stood by the entrance. His hair and clothes were slightly damp from walking under the rain. Tucked in his arms, almost hidden underneath an adult-sized black cloak was Naoki. His head rested at the crook of Itachi's neck and his left hand gripped at the front of his shirt.

"May I come in?" Itachi asked. Shiori stepped aside to let the two enter. She can't help but observe at how Naoki felt so comfortable in Itachi's arms. He was by no means a reserved child but it usually took him a while to warm up to people he just met. The four-year-old lifted his head up and smiled drowsily at her.

"This one is still a bit woozy from the sleeping draught," Itachi said. He bounced Naoki on his arms before handing him to Shiori.

"Where's obaasan?" She asked her son. "I thought she was keeping an eye on you."

"She went out to catch the criminals," he replied.

"What?"

Miyako came out from the kitchen and gasped at the unexpected scene in front of her.

"Kami. This is a surprise."

Itachi looked at Shiori questioningly.

"She knows. Ita-I mean, Kazuo-san, with all due respect, why are you here? I thought you and Ryota-san are checking out your new place."

"He's with your mother right now," he replied. "They're assessing the discrepancies that the jonin on border patrol reported half an hour ago. She asked that I take Naoki-kun home." He leaned close to her ear and added in a low voice, "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Naoki piped up from between them. His head turned from his mother to Itachi and back.

Shiori set him down. "You must be hungry. Why don't you go with Miyako obasan and grab something to eat huh?" She gave Miyako a look. The blonde clapped her hands and motioned for the boy to come to her.

"Come Naoki-kun!" She chirped. "I'm sure I can cook up something nice for you."

"Later," Naoki said, waving at Itachi before he slowly made his way to the kitchen. He kept the oversized cloak on which now dragged across the floor.

"…bet you're glad to skip school this week huh?"

Shiori tilted her head towards the balcony before walking towards it, Itachi right on her heels. Once the door was closed he started, "Shisui was right. The people they caught trying to cross the Kumogakure border were the reinforcement squad for the men who attacked you last night. They're interrogating them as we speak. Yugen-san thought we'll let them go after to avoid suspicions but not before performing a memory fuinjutsu to prevent them from reporting back."

She was quiet for a few seconds, her eyes locked on him with a look of disbelief. She snapped out of it with a sigh and ran her hands through her short hair.

"Already," she mumbled. "Not gonna lie, this is one type of attention I don't want to be in the receiving end of."

Itachi mirrored her position and also rested his arms against the balcony railings.

"If it makes you feel any better, you have chonin guarding the parameter for the next twenty-four hours. Tomorrow Shisui and I will be securing your place to make sure you won't have to worry about intruders anymore."

Shiori nodded, pressing her lips together.

"Alright. We'll be here. Thanks. Look at you, always ready to get me out of any bind imaginable. Except the ones of your own making."

Itachi leaned closer to her until their arms touched each other.

"Shiori, I…I just want to say that I will never assume that there is anything I can say or do to ever make up for what I've put you through. You don't have to forgive me. Stay mad. Resent me if you must. I only ask that you do not stop me from protecting you and Naoki."

Shiori kept her gaze on the sheets of heavy rain spilling from the skies.

"You and me, we have a lot to unpack," she replied. "And that's hard work that I'm not ready to face anytime soon. I can't afford to break anymore. Naoki comes first."

She turned to face him.

"And for his sake, I'll work with anyone. Even with you."

Itachi nodded. "Good. They will find out soon enough that they messed with the wrong woman."

He smirked.

She smiled.

They stood there for a couple more minutes in each other's silent company until Itachi finally excused himself. They both stepped in the flat so he could say his farewells to Naoki and Miyako.

"Kazuo-san," Naoki called out as he appeared from the kitchen. He stopped in front of Itachi. "Where are you going? Obasan has prepared food."

"Thanks but I won't be joining you. I need to head back to our apartment."

"Why?"

"I need sleep, Naoki-kun."

"Sleep here."

Shiori's jaw hung open. Miyako chortled.

"No really," Naoki insisted. "I have a big bed."

"For you," Shiori said. "It's big for you. A grown man like Kazuo-san would not be too comfortable in it."

"Sleep with mama then."

Miyako choked on her spit and went into a coughing fit. Shiori's ears grew hot. Itachi remained quiet with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He neither answered Naoki's queries nor did he help Shiori out of the awkward situation the boy had put them in.

"That's enough," she said firmly. "Let's not hold Kazuo-san any longer. Thank you for your help. I'll see you tomorrow." She bowed at him.

Itachi nodded at her before looking down at the pouting four-year old. He smiled and poked him at the forehead.

"Hold on to my cloak for me. It looks much better on you."

Naoki's pout transformed into a bashful smile. He pulled the fabric tighter over his shoulders.

Shiori closed and locked the door after Itachi stepped out. She leaned against it and let out a slow exhale.

Naoki, oblivious to his mother's mortification, let out a loud yawn and went back into the kitchen. The cloak trailed behind him like an ominous shadow.

Miyako was still chuckling. "Be patient with him Shio-chan. He didn't mean it that way."

"I think it's time for a chat on boundaries and privacy. I mean, sleep with mama?"

Miyako howled with laughter.

"Baby boy he sure he did. Many times I assume." She laughed even harder when Shiori smacked her on the arm. "Now that was definitely giving Icha Icha."

"Miyako shut your mouth."

Author's Notes:

-Again a massive thank you to blackgremlins, geto1, and the guest who commented on the previous chapter. Also thank you so much to the kudosers. You all make me smile.

-Disclaimer: The line that Itachi said on the Edo Tensei scene is most definitely not mine. Just want to acknowledge that.

- Apologies if the format of this chapter is a bit confusing with Itachi and Shisui's thoughts injected in between scenes. I wanted to capture how discombobulating it was for Shiori to have all these thoughts in her mind and also have to digest the thoughts from the two Uchihas' brains.

-I can't remember if they ever showed in detail the interiors of Kumogakure architecture. But for Shiori's flat, I decided to go with a more modern/western look of plain block apartments. The girl's a single mother. I doubt she can afford a bougie minka complete with a koi pond.

-For some reason I cannot unsee Naoki wearing the Akatsuki uniform, which of course would be a bit odd. So I settled with a plain cloak.

-I also decided to revive the early 2000 practice of putting song lyrics in the beginning of the chapter. I'm a millennial and I always thought it was a cool addition to the piece. It's a small trivia to the type of music I listen to when I try to write these chapters.