Haruhi gazed around blankly as she took in Konoha. This was the first time she was really seeing it since she had been kidnapped, and she had to say, it wasn't pretty.

It was clear that most of the debri had been cleared up, but it took more than brooms to clear away bloodstains. The former gray-tan hard packed roads were now a deep reddish brown with spilt blood. From both the monsters from the forest and the human casualties. Ninja and organized civilians ran around, working double time to clear the rest and rebuild. It surprised Haruhi how efficient they were, but then again, this probably wasn't their first rodeo.

She couldn't help but notice how most of the damage done to ninja sectors and buildings were already fixed while most of the civilian homes were still damaged.

Now that the third Hokage was back on his feet, moral seemed to have skyrocketed. Citizens chattered on the streep, spouted propaganda about Konoha, some bullshit about the will of fire that had Haruhi struggling not to roll her eyes.

While she was thankful to lord third for last minute saving her ass from state execution, it was still a bit hard for her to get over the fact that he allowed and enabled the discrimination and then the subsequent genocide of the Uchiha, and a bunch of other heinous shit that she couldn't name but knew he did, just because it went with being a military dictator.

Kakashi held onto her arm as she walked towards the hospital. He thought he was being sneaky when he watched her out of the corner of his eye, but Haruhi could tell he was worried. It had been almost a week since he saved her and brought her to his house, but Haruhi was still on edge. She couldn't sleep if he wasn't lying next to her, and she wasn't eating well. She was skinnier than she had been in years and couldn't even scrape up enough emotions to care.

They walked into Ino's and Sasuke's hospital rooms. Sasuke was in worse condition than Haruhi and needed to stay longer. But he had a constant stream of visitors. Mebuki had brought him homemade meals, with the rest of the Konoha eleven, plus Haku and Karin visiting him and Ino at all hours.

Haruhi smiled gently as she spotted him in his bed. He was chewing on tomatoes Mebuki had brought earlier. His cuts and bruises had been healed, but they had yet to work out all the poison from his system.

When Sasuke saw her his face lit up like a christmas tree. His slouch straightened out and he gave her a small smile which Haruhi gladly returned.

"Feeling better Sasuke?" Kakashi asked his student.

Sasuke nodded shyly, and Kakashi meandered off to Ino, wanting to give Haruhi some privacy as she talked to Sasuke. Her heart swelled with gratitude and appreciation at his consideration for her.

Sasuke snorted in amusement and she shot him a confused look.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

They were silent for a bit. Haku's laughs reached them from the other side of the room, and Haruhi's heard Kakashi's low voice reassuring Ino that he could help train her once she was out of the hospital. That he knew how to fight with one eye.

The reminder of Ino's injuries stopped her fluttering heart, and she frowned again.

"Sasuke, you alright?

He sent her a Look.

"Right, dumb question. But really though?"

He hesitated, eyes flickering towards Kakashi and the others.

"You know what? Lets get some fresh air. Kakashi!" He looked over at her. "We're gonna take a walk around the hospital, get something to eat. We won't go far."

His eye narrowed with worry, but he hesitant nodded at her reassurance. The last time the two of them had gone off together, they had gotten kidnapped. But the hospital was much better protected against attack, and Kabuto was gone at this point.

Haruhi helped Sasuke up, and she noticed he was wearing some of Naruto's spare clothes. She would have to drop something more comfortable off for him. But as it was, she shrugged off her jacket and put it around a grateful Sasuke's shoulders.

They walked down the halls, which were surprisingly empty. All the staff must be busy. The civilians with two week old injuries were finally trickling in after all the ninja got taken care of first, which rubbed Haruhi the wrong way.

They stopped buy a vending machine, Haruhi pulling out some of the spending money Kakashi gave her, and buying treats for herself and Sasuke. As they sat down on a bench to eat, Sasuke finally spoke.

"Lately...I've been questioning things." He was hesitant with his words, and after Danzo's whole 'Your opinions will not be tolerated here' spiel she couldn't help the aching sympathy she felt.

"Yeah?" She encouraged.

He was silent for a bit, biting his lip. He leaned over and mumbled into her ear.

"I think there's more to the Uchiha massacre than just Itachi snapping and going crazy.

Haruhi froze.

Sasuke took one looked at her face and sighed.

"So there is. What do you know?"

Haruhi blinked rapidly. Kakashi may now know she had more knowledge than she should, but that didn't mean she was safe. People would and in fact, have kill for the information she possessed.

As the silence stretched, Sasuke grew more stressed.

"Is it really that bad?"

Unable to ignore Sasuke any longer, Haruhi nodded.

Sasuke leaned forward and put his face into his hands. Haruhi slung her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into her side.

She leaned down and spoke low and fast.

"Sasuke, this is bigger than you could possibly know. It's a huge giant mess, but one that you can sort through to find the answers. But I am in danger because of the knowledge I possess as a summon. It's part of the reason Orochimaru kidnapped me, and if I relive these things to you, not even Kakashi or the Third could save me."

Sasuke wiped his face.

"O-okay. Okay. Fine. But what can you tell me?"

Haruhi opened her mouth only to be cut off again.

"Don't say anything that could hurt you. I heard what the elders almost did, and I don't want it happening again."

Touched, she hugged him again.

"Alright, I'm gonna give you some advice. Remember how you wanted to be a officer when you were younger, correct?"

Surprised, Sasuke nodded.

"Well, it's time to put those investigative and deductive skills to the test. I know its hard for you, but if you want answers, you're gonna need to go over the Uchiha compound and the former police headquarters with a fine toothed comb."

Sasuke nodded.

"And then I need you to study history. Real history. Not that watered down propaganda laden shit they teach in the academy. You're already going to history classes run by civilians, which is good, but you need to dig for information now. Look at relation between the village and the Uchiha. For example, you ever notice how there's never been a Uchiha Hokage? Every single one has either been a Senju or connected to them in some way."

Sasuke stared at the ground, shaken.

"The patterns and the links are there. The evidence is in the compound. Do you really think Itachi by himself could take on the entire elite police force, then every single civilian, and then you parents, one a hokage candidate plus chief of police and the other an incredibly well respected jounin? No way. I don't care if he was a prodigy, they were too and had decades of experience on him. He had help."

Worked up now, Haruhi's leg bounced in agitation. She craned her neck to make sure no one was listening before ducking her head down again.

"Inconsistencies like that are around everywhere Sasuke! The entire massacre is shady as hell. For example, why didn't your parents fight back? They could have taken Itachi, and there was no way he got the drop on them after all that. And why didn't the village open an investigation? Hundreds of their best people died and yet they did nothing but claim Itachi was insane and clean up the evidence. Why would the village not investigate? Could it be there was something they didn't want found out?"

Sasuke was looking a her now, face rapt with attention as he fought off shock.

"You have allies. Talk to Tenten. She seems to know whats up but it depends on how much she will tell you. Speak with Naruto as well. He knows much about the inner workings of the village. All that sneaking around for pranks had to be good for something after all."

She licked her lips.

"And finally, watch your ass. The village will not hesitate to take you out if you go too far too fast. Be low-key. Take it easy-but take it! I know you can do this."

Sasuke nodded slowly. Haruhi could see the wheels in his mind churning.

She sighed.

"C'mon. Let's go back."

They stood and walked back into the room, Sasuke still looking like he had been hit with a shovel.

"Could you go with me to one of the history sessions tomorrow morning?"

Haruhi looked down at Sasuke. She smiles lopsidedly.

"Yeah, sure. Always wanted to go to one."

She let him keep her jacket and watched as he pressed his face into the faux fur and inhaled. She was glad it comforted him.

Kakashi looked about ready to go as he began walking towards her, but Karin beat him to the punch.

"Um Haruhi-sensei?"

"Yeah?"

"Could I talk to you in the hall?"

Haruhi nodded. She mouthed one minute to Kakashi and gently closed the door behind then.

Karin stood there nervously, wearing long sleeves and pants. Even her hands were covered with gloves, and she flinched away when a nurse accidentally brushed her arm as she walked past.

"Anko-sensei told me about a group thing." Karin blurted.

Haruhi crouched down, making herself smaller.

"A group thing?"

Flustered Karin played with a piece of her hair, much like Haruhi when she was stressed.

"A group thing, where you can talk about...bad things that happened to you."

Oh.

Haruhi looked at the hastily applied makeup to the bites on her neck, skin tone off, and smears evident. Her heart sank.

"Would you, c-could you…"

"Could I…"

"Come with me?"
Heart in her throat, Haruhi nodded.

"Sure. What time?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I can pick you up after Sasuke's history lesson."

Haruhi nodded, and opened the door back into the shared room. Sasuke and Naruto were now in deep conversation in the corner of the room, seemingly coming to a conclusion just as Karin walked over to them.

She felt Kakashi slide to her side like he was there the whole time, shoulder bumping against hers, hands in his pockets.

She smiled and bumped his shoulder back.

"Kakashi?"

"Hm?"

"I have a busy day tomorrow."

"Ah. Let me know if you need anything."

She smiled softly.

"Will do."

Koharu Utatane did not get where she was now by being an idiot. She was the sole female student of both the second and first Hokage's, and the only female teammate to the third. She survived two wars and partially led a third. She gave decades of her time to serving the village.

She could sniff out danger to her village faster than an Inuzuka, which was exactly the reason she wanted that Haruhi woman dead.

Danzo simply wanted her dead because she was an inconvenience, an annoying little dog yapping into his ear. Because her death would serve to make him appear stronger.

Koharu was no such simpleton. Despite being a civilian, Haruhi was one of the single most dangerous people in the village. Her proximity to the Uchiha brat, the Ninetails container, and Kakashi Hatake was a very dangerous thing indeed.

If Koharu could go back in time and rip the seal before it was activated, or squashed Haruhi under her thumb like a beetle, she would have.

From one woman to another, she could respect the steel of Haruhi's spine, her sheer grit, and the amber fire in her eyes, but Haruhi's ideals were simply too dangerous.

Konoha thrived on the complete blind obedience of her citizens. In order to function, no one could question Konoha, or make it appear wrong.

Things that have increased tenfold since the appearance of Haruhi.

Can you imagine what a disaster that would be? If the Ninetails container defected? A huge source of military might gone, just because some silly little foreigner couldn't keep her mouth shut. And what if Hatake and the Uchiha did the same thing?

Already, she has poisoned the minds of the next generation, leading them to commit treason. She had become the heart and moral center of the group. They trusted and cared for her. In the case of Kakashi Hatake, they loved her.

And love was a very powerful thing indeed.

It drove the Hatake-brat to revive the Third and go against Danzo's direct authority to save her. Danzo was unable to comprehend why. Emotions never seemed to register for him as they did other people. It had worried Koharu in her youth, and even a little now.

But the brats affections for Haruhi meant that no attempts on her life could come from the village without incurring his wrath, the Uchiha's wrath, and the rest of her allies and friends wraths.

She pursed her lips.

Oh well. Accidents did happen after all.

"Koharu?"

She looked up from her tea, staring at Hiruzen.

He puffed on his pipe, weak trembling hands decorated with liver spots having a hard time holding the pipe steady. Bleary eyes glanced around the room, and then at her. Warm, like a hearth.

Her heart clenched in her chest.

She remembered long nights in her youth, dreaming about Hiruzen. His warmth was something she so desperately needed, in times when bodies so often laid cold on the ground.

She watched as he reached over for some paper work, his sleeve caught in ink. He didn't notice.

She gently grabbed his arm, lifting his sleeve from the ink and helping him take of the soiled clothes.

"Watch yourself love. You'll get your clothes dirty."

He smiled at her, and she felt another crack in her rib cage.

She fell in love with his hazel eyes. His kindness. His everything. Koharu was proud to serve at his side, and even when it tore her heart out, she blessed his marriage with Biwako, and held him when he cried at her death.

"Koharu, could you deliver this to my wife? And perhaps let her know i'll be late again? Another long day at the office."

He chuckled weakly, laugh breaking off into a string of coughs. She didn't bother to correct him about his dead wife. It hadn't worked the first few times and it wouldn't work now.

He always forgot.

He chuckled again at his own joke and the normally dead serious woman smiled. It was a small thing, sad and cold, but still carrying some of the warmth he gave her.

Something that was common knowledge, but a taboo subject, was the inbreeding of clans. This was in order to keep the bloodlines in family, and strengthen them to pass along. However, other things were passed along as well.

The Inuzuka had genetic defects that made their children more likely to perish in childbirth. The Hyuga often developed brain tumors. The Uchiha's inbreeding led to mental instability and passing along mental illnesses like depression and psychotic thoughts.

The Sarutobi clan often developed dementia later in life.

She had spent so long yearning for their stolen youth, before the wars when it was just them, but now she could only be horrified as he regressed right before her very eyes.

It was why she had agreed to let Danzo into office temporarily until the Daimyo came in to confirm him. Why she agreed to have him replaced. No one could work like this. And now with Danzo demoted, there was no one to take his place. He should have been able to live out the rest of his life in peace, but the universe had other ideas. Hiruzen was too far gone. He would not last long, and then Konoha would be without a leader.

She would be without him.

"Koharu?" A concerned voice asked.

She looked up to see him staring at her. A shaky had reached out, smearing ink on her face as it blotted away her tears.

She smiled, cradling his hand in both of hers, holding it to her cheek.

"I'm fine, love." But you're not.

Pleased, he backed away again, unaware of her heart shattering into a million, little, pieces.

Yes, love was a very dangerous thing indeed.

Um, Happy thanksgiving?

Haha, I was not f*cking kidding when I said every single female character was getting their part. And yeah, this is a slow burn, if you couldn't tell. 150,000 words in and the main pairing has yet to kiss lmao.

question of the chapter: What do you think of the emotions coming into play this chapter?