Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 43: Deciphering

"YOU WHAT?!" screeched Namiko as she stood slack-jawed at her brother.

Sasuke came practically flying out of the bathroom when he heard Namiko raise her voice. "What the hell is going on out here?"

Naruto looked a bit sheepish. "I kissed Hinata."

"About time, idiot. She's been gawking at you for years," said Sasuke with a scoff.

Naruto looked puzzled. "Years?"

"Yes, years! She's my best friend, trust me I know her better than anyone." Namiko rolled her eyes. "You are so oblivious… so, how'd you kiss her?"

His face went bright red. "I'm not telling you!"

Namiko shrugged as she picked up her book. "Fine. I'll just get the details from her tomorrow then. Night, nii-chan; goodnight, Sasuke." She quickly went into her bedroom and closed the door, leaving the two boys alone.

Sasuke started to set up his futon. "So you finally gathered the balls to actually kiss a girl?"

"Yeah, I did." Naruto burst out laughing. "I guess that means I'm ahead of you in rank and in romance!"

"Whatever." Sasuke sat on the futon facing away from Naruto to hide his confident smirk. 'If you only understood just how far you're 'behind', idiot. And if you realized I had sex with your sister, you'd want to throw out the whole competition and probably try to kill me.'

"Don't worry, Sasuke, you'll find a girl to be with someday." Naruto stretched with a groan. "I'm going to sleep. See ya in the morning!"

Sasuke watched Naruto retreat to his room, feeling a mix of relief and amusement. He shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Clueless idiot." After ensuring Naruto was asleep by the roaring sounds of his snoring, Sasuke silently made his way to Namiko's room and entered without knocking, closing and locking the door behind him.

She gave him a concerned look. "He still has no idea, does he?"

Sasuke smirked and slipped off his shirt. "None at all. And we'll keep it that way for now. We don't need him flipping out."

Namiko nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm just glad he finally made a move on Hinata. She's had feelings for him for so long." She yawned, placed her book on her bedside table, and rubbed her eyes. "I think I've been reading too much; my head hurts."

Sasuke joined her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You need to rest."

"You've been saying that an awful lot," she said as she laid her head on his chest.

"Because you haven't been resting like I tell you to. All I see you do is yawn."

"I'm fine! This is probably just the after-effects of the poison Orochimaru used. Didn't Kabuto say I could be sick for a few weeks?"

"Yes, but I don't trust him. Maybe you should go see Tsunade or Sakura."

"It's only been two weeks since I was poisoned, if I don't get better by Christmas, then I'll talk to Sakura. Shizune already knows about the poison anyway, which means it's in my medical record, if she was concerned about it she'd make me come in."

"That's a month away. I don't want you waiting that long to get checked out."

She propped herself up on her elbow. "Sasuke, I'm just tired and that could be from anything, most recently probably the emotional roller coaster we've been through the last twenty-four hours."

He sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'm sorry, you're right. I'm probably worrying about nothing."

They settled into bed together, Namiko curling back against Sasuke as he held her close. As they drifted off to sleep, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder what changes lay ahead now that his brother was gone and the only family he had left were Namiko and Naruto.

The next morning, Namiko woke up to the soft light of the morning sun filtering through the curtains. She shifted slightly, enjoying feeling the warmth of Sasuke's body next to hers. He stirred and opened his eyes, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Morning," she murmured, propping herself up over him to kiss him gently.

"Morning," he replied, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "We should get up before Naruto barges in."

"Don't worry about him, he's still sound asleep…" Namiko kissed his neck slowly, trailing her lips down his chest and lingering against his skin.

He trailed his fingers up her spine underneath her shirt before switching their position so he was hovering over her. He kissed her deeply and passionately, and she moaned into his mouth as she felt his length press against her thigh.

She suddenly put her hand on his chest to push him away as she groaned in frustration. "Never mind that idea…he's awake."

Sasuke pressed a kiss to her lips before placing another kiss on her forehead and hesitantly sliding off her. He threw on his black Uchiha shirt and paused at her door, his eyes filled with desire. "We'll continue this later."

Namiko quickly changed clothes, opting for black shorts and a plain red t-shirt instead of her usual cropped shirt, and went to the kitchen to start making breakfast. She caught Sasuke's eye a few times, trading wanton looks without a word spoken.

Sasuke finished folding up his futon in the living room just as Naruto emerged from his room, yawning and scratching the back of his head. "Morning, guys!" Naruto greeted, oblivious to the shared looks between Namiko and Sasuke.

"Morning, nii-chan," Namiko replied as she looked over her shoulder and finished rolling the tamagoyaki for breakfast. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a log," Naruto said, grinning. "Hey, Namiko, do you want to spar after breakfast? We haven't sparred since before you left."

"Sure," Namiko agreed, glancing at Sasuke as she set the last dish on the table. "What about you, Sasuke? Want to join us?"

Sasuke smirked. "I never turn down a chance to beat Naruto."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You wish, Sasuke."

"You didn't come close to beating me last time we sparred."

"Well…" Naruto didn't have a comeback; the last time they sparred was taijutsu only, which was Sasuke's strong suit and Sasuke had easily won their spar. "No limits then. You can use Sharingan and I can use Shadow Clones."

"Deal," said Sasuke with a confident smirk.

The three of them ate breakfast together, the usual banter and teasing filling the apartment with a sense of normalcy despite the chaos in the last few days. As they finished, there was a knock at the door and Namiko just pressed her lips together, nodding her head toward the door. She knew who was there but chose to put another spoonful of rice in her mouth.

"I'll get it," Naruto said, jumping up to answer. He opened the door to find Hinata standing there, looking slightly nervous but smiling.

"Hi, Naruto-kun," she greeted shyly. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all, Hinata! Come on in," Naruto said, stepping aside to let her in. "We were all just about to head out to train."

"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting you then, I just wanted to ask Namiko something, but it can wait," said Hinata as she began to turn to leave, but Naruto grasped her wrist softly.

"Don't worry about it! You're fine! Come on in and I'll grab her," suggested Naruto, pink beginning to tint his cheeks as he took off to grab Namiko.

"O…kay…" said Hinata hesitantly. She needed to talk to Namiko, but maybe she should just come back later. She stood in the entryway stiffly but brightened slightly when Namiko came around the corner.

"Hey, Hinata," Namiko said, giving her friend a warm hug. She whispered in her ear, "Sounds like you had an interesting talk last night."

Hinata blushed deeply, glancing at Naruto. "You know?"

"Yep," Namiko said with a teasing smile, her voice still quiet as Naruto left to grab Sasuke. "But now is not the time. I want the details later though." She leaned back to see her friend's face. "Naruto said you wanted to ask me something?"

Hinata nodded, looking relieved at the change in subject. "I wanted to see if you'd like to visit Kurenai-sensei with me."

"Of course, I'd love to go!" Namiko looked back at her brother. "Nii-chan, can we spar some other time? I haven't had a chance to see Kurenai-sensei since I've been back."

"Yeah, no worries, Sasuke and I will just go spar by ourselves," said Naruto with a mischievous grin.

Namiko looked at her brother skeptically. "Can I trust that you won't kill each other?"

Sasuke walked into the entryway, his signature smirk on his face. "Of course you can trust us. Though I'm happy to take Naruto down a peg or two again."

Namiko shot Sasuke a disapproving look. "And don't destroy the training grounds either."

"We promise," assured Naruto, giving her a quick hug. "Now go hang out with Hinata. We'll behave."

Namiko grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her away, waving to Naruto and Sasuke. The two friends walked in silence toward Kurenai's house. Namiko knew that Hinata most likely wanted to talk about Naruto with Kurenai as well, so there was no point in getting her quiet friend to 'spill the beans' about her kiss with Naruto just yet.

When they got there, Namiko knocked and they were greeted by a smiling Kurenai. "Oh, what a wonderful surprise! I'm so glad to see you both! Come in and I'll make us some tea." The girls followed their teacher inside and took off their sandals. "Not that I mind you girls stopping by, but you both look like you're about to explode. What is going on?"

"I'm not saying a word; it's Hinata's to tell or not." Namiko pressed her lips together to keep from saying more, trying to keep her expression neutral.

Kurenai raised an inquisitive eyebrow in Hinata's direction. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"It's nothing bad." Hinata's face flushed. "Um…Naruto kissed me." She paused for a moment. "…and I kissed him back."

Kurenai stared silently wide-eyed at her student while Namiko leaned forward excitedly. "I know he's my brother, but I still want details."

Hinata avoided looking at either of them as she began to recount the previous night, "I was just talking to him and letting him know how he's not alone after Jiraiya died. I put my hand on his and the next thing I knew we locked eyes and he kissed me, and just as I started to press back, he stopped."

Kurenai's eyes softened with understanding as she gently placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Well, it sounds like Naruto is finally seeing what's been right in front of him all along."

Namiko couldn't contain her excitement any longer. "And? What happened after? Did you talk about it? How did he act?"

Hinata fiddled with the edge of her sleeve, still blushing deeply. "Well... after he kissed me, he placed his forehead against mine and said he was thankful for me. I wasn't sure what to say, so I froze. He apologized and I told him he just surprised me, then he said he liked me and I told him I liked him as well. Then we both went home."

Namiko squealed, practically bouncing in her seat. "This is huge, Hinata! Naruto's always been dense when it comes to feelings, but if he's this open about it, that's a big step!"

Kurenai nodded in agreement. "It sounds like he's starting to realize his feelings for you. Give him some time, Hinata. Naruto may need a moment to process everything, but it's clear that he cares for you."

Hinata smiled shyly, her eyes bright with hope. "I hope so. I don't want to rush him, but... I can't help but wonder what he's thinking now."

Namiko leaned back, grinning. "You know Naruto, he's the kind of guy who goes all in once he makes up his mind. He just needs to figure out exactly what his feelings are."

Kurenai poured the tea and handed cups to the girls. "In the meantime, focus on what's important to you. Keep being yourself, and things will fall into place."

Hinata took a sip of her tea, the warmth of it soothing her nerves. "Thank you, Kurenai-sensei. And Namiko... thank you too. I really needed to talk about this."

Namiko smiled, reaching out to squeeze Hinata's hand. "That's what friends are for. And you know I'm here for anything you want to talk about."

"There is something I want to ask you," began Hinata, her tone sounding curious, "what is going on with you and Sasuke? You two are so…intense around each other."

Namiko froze in place, teacup to her lips. 'I should have known this was coming. I know Sasuke wants to keep it a secret, but Hinata is my best friend and I can't lie to her.' She took a deep breath and blew it out audibly as she set down the cup. "Sasuke and I are…together. We've been in a relationship for a few months." She stared at her hands in her lap while she waited for their response.

Kurenai spoke first. "I always wondered when you two would get together. He always treated you differently than everyone else, even Naruto."

Hinata nodded. "I knew something was going on with you two when I saw you back at Ancor Vantian. Plus, the way you all looked at each other when we found you and brought you home has been more than friendly. Is that why you stayed behind with him?"

"I guess we can't hide our feelings from your Byakugan," said Namiko with a nervous laugh, and both Kurenai and Hinata chuckled. "But it's not the reason why I stayed with him in Orochimaru's hideout. I wanted to bring him home and I knew I could do it; I had already seen a shift in his behavior. When I was first captured, he was so angry and irritated, but by the end of that week, he was almost back to the Sasuke I knew before he left Konoha."

Kurenai looked thoughtfully at Namiko. "How long have you been together?"

Namiko nodded slowly, blush tinting her cheeks. "Since around late May. It just kind of happened. We've been keeping it quiet even now because we didn't know how people would react." Her shoulders slumped slightly. "It's just…hard, keeping it a secret from everyone. We don't want people to judge us or our relationship because of everything he's been through, or because of who we are. A jinchuriki and the last Uchiha."

Hinata's brow furrowed. "Why would that matter?"

"The village was worried the Uchiha could control the kyuubi and awful rumors were spread that they were the ones who caused the attack the day Naruto and I were born, but none of that's true. I don't want Sasuke to be seen by the village as trying to control me; because that's not what's happening." Angry tears pricked the corner of Namiko's eyes. "He'd never do anything like that and he'd never hurt me."

Hinata reached across the table, placing her hand gently over Namiko's. "I understand why you'd worry about that, but anyone who knows you two will see how much you care for each other. The bond you share is real, not something forced or manipulated. People will see that in time."

Namiko looked up, her eyes glistening with a mixture of relief and fear. "But what if they don't, Hinata? What if they only see him as a traitor and me as a monster?"

Kurenai, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward. "If they can't see past old prejudices, then it's their problem, not yours. You both deserve happiness. The world we live in is complicated, but love isn't something that should be hidden or feared."

Hinata squeezed Namiko's hand a little tighter. "And you have us. You're not alone in this, Namiko. We'll support you, no matter what."

Namiko smiled, her heart feeling lighter with their reassurance. "Thank you, both of you. It means a lot to hear that. I was so worried about what would happen if people found out. I'm still worried, but knowing you're on my side… it makes it easier. I'm not going to lie though, I'm terrified how Naruto will react."

Kurenai's eyes softened with understanding. "Naruto might be shocked at first, but he cares about you more than anyone. He'll come around, Namiko. He'll see how happy Sasuke makes you."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "Naruto has a big heart. He might not understand right away, but he's always supported you. He just needs time to adjust. Besides, he and Sasuke have been through so much together—there's a bond between them that goes beyond anything else."

Namiko sighed, her fingers fidgeting with the rim of her teacup. "I know, but I can't help but feel guilty. Sasuke's like a brother to him, and I don't want him to feel like I'm coming between them."

Hinata shook her head. "You're not coming between them. If anything, your relationship with Sasuke could bring all of you closer, like a true, blood family. Naruto might be protective, but he wants what's best for you. He'll see that Sasuke makes you happy, and that's all he'll care about."

Namiko's lips curled into a small, tentative smile. "I hope so. I can't bear the thought of hurting him."

Kurenai leaned back in her chair, her eyes thoughtful. "Love isn't something you find, it's something that finds you. You're not responsible for how others react, Namiko, no one else's opinion matters when it comes to who you love."

Namiko took a deep breath, feeling a bit more at ease. "You're right. I need to trust that things will work out. I just… I care so much about both of them, and the last thing I want is to cause a rift between them."

Hinata smiled warmly. "Everything will be fine. And remember, you don't have to face this alone. We're here for you, no matter what happens."

Namiko's smile grew, genuine and full of gratitude. "Thank you, Hinata, Kurenai-sensei. I don't know what I'd do without you both."

Naruto clenched his fists. "Keep talking, Sasuke. I'll wipe that smirk off your face in two seconds!"

"Two seconds? That's generous. I'll be done with you in one," Sasuke retorted.

With that, Naruto lunged forward, his fist aimed straight at Sasuke's face. Sasuke dodged effortlessly, countering with a quick sweep to Naruto's legs. But Naruto flipped back, landing smoothly on his feet.

They'd been sparring and insulting each other for over an hour when a voice called out to them, "Hey Naruto, Sasuke. I need to talk to you." Shikamaru tilted his head to motion them over.

"Hey Shikamaru, what's up?" asked Naruto as he grabbed his bottle of water and took a swig.

"I need your help." Shikamaru held up a picture of the code etched in Fukasaku's back. "Do you have any idea what this could mean? I've asked several others, but even the cipher corps can't figure this out."

Naruto took the photo from Shikamaru and stared at it. "Well? Does it seem familiar at all?" asked Shikamaru. At Naruto's now blank gaze, he tried to get his focus again, "Hey, Naruto, are you still with me?"

Naruto had been so focused on the all too familiar handwriting of his master and godfather, that grief overcame him. Sasuke noticed the shift in Naruto's eyes, as he had dealt with similar things after the massacre, and nudged his arm gently to snap him out of it. "Huh? Oh, sorry Shikamaru, what did you say?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Why don't you two take a break and follow me?"

Sasuke watched Naruto closely to see what he was going to do. Naruto took a step forward. "Where are we going?"

Namiko finished her third cup of tea just as she realized Naruto and Sasuke were headed their way, with Shikamaru leading them. Namiko began to tell Kurenai that they were headed their way, just as a knock sounded at the door.

Kurenai went to answer it and stood in the doorway with a hand on her hip. "Shikamaru, what are you doing here? I told you to not worry about checking on me." She sighed and motioned the three men inside.

"Sorry, no can do. Asuma-sensei made me swear," said Shikamaru, a confident smile on his face.

Namiko tilted her head in confusion. "What are you three doing here?"

"Yeah, what are we doing here?" echoed Naruto.

"Kurenai is pregnant," stated Shikamaru matter-of-factly. "And that baby is going to be my student. Asuma entrusted that child to me."

Kurenai's hand instinctively went over the lower part of her stomach as he continued his explanation, "Something he told me before he died: 'The most important people in Konoha are the unborn children who will grow up to take care of Konoha.'" Shikamaru's dark eyes bore into Naruto. "We don't have the luxury of grieving when we need to step up and protect the next generation. We have to switch from being the student to being the teacher. It'll be a drag, but we can't keep complaining."

Naruto gave him a puzzled look and Shikamaru shook his head. "Eventually, you will be the one paying for ramen and being called Naruto-sensei. After all, we can't say brats forever. If you want to be like Jiraiya-sama and make him proud, pull yourself together and help crack this code."

Naruto snatched the picture from Shikamaru's outstretched hand and grinned in determination. "Okay, I'm on it!"

Shikamaru looked back at Kurenai. "Hey, we're going to be back to the cipher corps to try and figure this out. If you need anything—"

"I know, I know," Kurenai said with a laugh, waving her hand dismissively. "I'll call you. I'm only twelve weeks pregnant, Shikamaru, nothing interesting is happening any time soon."

Namiko laid her hand on Kurenai's arm. "Do you mind if I join them?"

"Not at all," replied Kurenai and Namiko followed the men out of Kurenai's house, waving goodbye.

A few moments later, they arrived at the cipher corps building where they met Shiho, an eccentric but kind girl who worked as a decoder. "We've been trying to decode this all night, but we have no idea what cipher Jiraiya-sama used."

"I've asked Godaime and Kakashi, but they haven't got a clue." Shikamaru pulled his hands from his pockets to gesture to the twins. "So, I'm pretty sure he left this for one of you…no, I'm certain he did."

Namiko shook her head. "I have no idea what the numbers could mean. It's got to be something for Naruto. He may have been our godfather, but he was far closer to Naruto."

Shikamaru's mouth pressed into a straight line. "Naruto, there has to be something there that means something to you."

"Anything that means something to you, even if it's small," assured Shiho. "Namiko, you may see something too."

Namiko stared over Naruto's shoulder at the photo. "Wait, what's with the wonky '9'?"

"I noticed that too," explained Naruto, "but that's not a '9', it's the katakana letter for 'ta'."

Sasuke glanced at the photo. "That doesn't look like 'ta' at all."

"Ero-sennin handwrote his drafts while were traveling together and had me read his notes. Whenever he wrote 'ta' it confused me because it looked like a '9'. He eventually started putting a tail on his nines so I didn't struggle so much."

Sasuke raised his brow. "You read his notes? I don't think I wanted to know that."

"They were super boring," said Naruto with a chuckle. "But that's definitely 'ta', trust me."

"Why didn't you mention something so important sooner?" exclaimed Shikamaru.

"How is it important? I mean, how does a letter among numbers help?" asked Naruto.

"It's got to be related to the book he was writing when you traveled together," suggested Shikamaru. "Which book was it?"

"Book? Uh…" Naruto scratched the back of his head while he tried to remember. "Um…Icha Icha…something? I don't remember."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and groaned in frustration. "Seriously? You can't remember the name of the book?"

"…Tactics…" whispered Namiko. "It's Icha Icha Tactics. That's the one Jiraiya-ji-chan was working on." All eyes turned to her, looking expectantly for an explanation, and a light dusting of pink crossed her nose and cheeks. "Yes, I've read all of his books…what of it?"

Sasuke gave her an intrigued look and Naruto scrunched up his nose. "How can you actively search out those books? I just don't understand them at all."

Namiko crossed her arms over her chest. "What? They're a love story! And you know I love reading in general!"

"Okay, so now we know which book, these numbers would be the page numbers and the code would be the first word on that page," said Shiho. "Does anyone have a copy of it?"

"Someone can go grab Kakashi," suggested Shikamaru.

"He—" Namiko hesitated as her face got more red. "He won't have it. I may have borrowed it…"

Sasuke looked her up and down skeptically. "Borrowed?"

"…stole." She dropped her arms and refused to meet anyone's gaze. "His copy is at the apartment. Give me ten seconds." Namiko disappeared instantaneously and the four around the table looked at each other confused. She reappeared a few seconds later, book in hand.

Shiho instructed Namiko to read the first word of each page. Shiho held up the paper. "The real one's not among them."

Shikamaru grabbed the paper from Shiho and folded it up. "Let's get this to Godaime."

"The real one's not among 'em," Fukasaku read aloud in the Hokage's Office.

"Well, geezer sage? Does it make any sense?" asked Naruto.

"Hmm, I'm not sure," said Fukasaku pensively. "It's still too unclear. Under these conditions, it's still going to be mighty dangerous to take Pain on. We must uncover all his secrets first."

"Exactly, we'll have to wait and see what the other information we've obtained says," explained Tsunade. "I don't want anyone to go in blind again."

Naruto groaned. "This is going to take too long! I can't just sit around doing nothing!"

"Naruto-chan," began Fukasaku, "Now that we've deciphered the code, there's nothing else going on that involves you right now, ya hear me? 'N you're definitely not strong enough to defeat Pain yet."

Naruto scoffed. "What about it?"

"So, come along with me," suggested Fukasaku. "I know Jiraiya-chan was beginning to train you in sage jutsu. I can train you the same way I hammered it into him."

"Will it let me defeat Pain?" asked Naruto as he clenched his fist.

"That I can't guarantee, but right now, ya ain't got a chance at all," said Fukasaku. "Is that okay, Tsunade?"

Tsunade nodded, a small smile finally breaking free. "Of course. Naruto, go get trained."

"Go pack yer things and I'll meet ya at the gate in an hour," commanded Fukasaku.

An hour later, Namiko, Naruto, Sasuke, Tsunade, and Fukasaku stood at the main gate of Konoha.

"I'll warn ya the training is unbelievably difficult. Though I will allow ya to come back to Konoha if needed," said Fukasaku.

Namiko stepped toward her brother, her voice thick with emotion, "Nii-chan, I don't like this. I don't want you even thinking about going up against Pain."

"I'll learn sage jutsu like Ero-sennin and then I'll be able to take him down. You'll see!" Naruto grinned at her and Sasuke. "Though I am sorry I'm dumping all the Sasuke-babysitting duty on you."

Sasuke balled up his fist but said nothing. Namiko's face reddened in irritation as she punched Naruto on his arm. "Quit being an asshole! You're forgetting Sasuke and I spent six months basically by ourselves and we actually enjoyed being with each other." When she realized what her words could insinuate, she added hastily, "Just get out of here so you can hurry back and kick ass. Ugh!" She reached forward, hugged Naruto, spun on her heel, and stormed away.

Sasuke clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You better come back in one piece, for her sake."

Naruto smiled confidently. "If Ero-sennin can master it, then I'm going to do my best too. Take care of her, okay?"

"You know I will," replied Sasuke as he followed Namiko.

Naruto watched the two walk away for a moment before turning back to Fukasaku. "Alright, geezer sage, let's go!"

Fukasaku used reverse summoning to send Naruto to Mount Myoboku before turning to Tsunade. "I still believe Naruto is the child of prophecy, but I believe I was wrong about the other prophecy." At Tsunade's curious look, he continued, "I believe it is talking about Namiko and Uchiha boy."

Realization crossed her face. "Because of their appearances?"

He nodded. "And their personalities. Onyx is a stone of protection, strength, and the ability to absorb negative energy and provide emotional strength to its wearer. Fire is all-consuming and destructive by nature." At Tsunade's pending protest, he continued, "However, fire is also a light in the dark. Tell me, has Namiko changed in recent months?"

"She was extremely reckless before, but she has calmed and become a bit more respectful and responsible since he's been back." She looked at Fukasaku with surprise before watching the duo fade into the crowd. "Maybe you are right…"

A/N: Thank you all for your sweet comments about the last chapter! This one was quite a bit fluffier to make up for all of the trauma I put you all through, so I hope you enjoyed it.
I'm starting to get sick, so I'm hoping to stay on track for next week's chapter, but I never know how sickness is going to hit me. (Gee, thanks, autoimmune illness.) In the next chapter, we'll be doing a little bit of skipping around in time and possibly a bit of spiciness.
Love, Eriisu

PS: Comments are my tip jar!