The morning sunlight filtered softly through the shoji screens, casting golden patterns across the wooden floors.

Hana moved around the small kitchen with ease, setting out the last of the breakfast dishes. The scent of warm rice, grilled fish, and miso soup filled the air, and despite everything—despite the years, the ghosts of the past, the weight of returning to Konoha—she found herself slipping into the rhythm of an old habit.

She had always cooked for others.

Even back then.

The sound of soft bickering pulled her from her thoughts.

"Oi, stop hogging all the fish, dobe!"

"What?! I'm a growing shinobi, teme!"

Sasuke and Naruto sat at the table, already engaged in what appeared to be their morning ritual of arguing over food. Naruto had snatched an extra portion of fish, while Sasuke looked two seconds away from stabbing him with his chopsticks.

Sakura, sitting between them, sighed dramatically. "Can't you two act like normal people for five minutes?"

Kakashi, on the other hand, remained completely unbothered, sitting at the far end of the table, sipping his tea with one hand while casually reading his bright orange book with the other.

Hana placed another plate of fish on the table, ignoring Kakashi's lazy one-eyed glance as she set it specifically between Naruto and Sasuke.

Sasuke grunted, picking up his chopsticks. Naruto made a triumphant noise.

Sakura sighed in relief.

"Eat properly," she reminded them gently as she placed another bowl of rice on the table. "You'll need energy for the day ahead."

Naruto, already halfway through stuffing his mouth, muffled a response around the rice.

Hana sighed. "Naruto. Don't speak with your mouth full."

Sakura rolled her eyes, nudging Naruto none too gently in the ribs. "See? Even Hana-san agrees."

Sasuke, despite pretending to be uninterested, was eating politely and efficiently—clearly raised with manners, though he never spoke about his upbringing.

Hana took a seat and poured herself tea, glancing at the silver-haired jōnin at the end of the table.

Kakashi was as unbothered as ever, sipping his tea with one hand while holding his small orange book with the other.

Hana's gaze flicked to the book.

A small smirk formed on her lips. "You know, Kakashi, it's a little early for that kind of literature."

Kakashi paused mid-page turn.

The table fell completely silent.

Naruto and Sakura froze. Sasuke's chopsticks halted midair.

Kakashi's visible eye glanced toward her, assessing. "It has… depth."

Hana raised an eyebrow.

Kakashi flipped a page. "A rich and complex narrative."

Hana hummed, sipping her tea.

Kakashi snapped the book shut.

Naruto choked on his rice. Sakura coughed into her sleeve to hide her laughter.

Sasuke exhaled sharply, clearly holding back amusement.

Hana smirked. "Mm. That's what I thought."

Kakashi sighed, setting the book down with dramatic resignation. "I see how it is. I'm being attacked before I've even finished breakfast."

Hana chuckled, pushing a plate of fish slightly closer to him. "Here. Eat something before your defence crumbles entirely."

Kakashi gave her a flat look but obediently reached for his chopsticks.

Hana glanced at Naruto, who had cleared his plate alarmingly fast and was eyeing the remaining food.

She sighed ruffling his blonde hair. "Naruto, there's more. Take your time."

Naruto beamed. "Really?! Thanks, Hana-sobo!"

Sasuke scoffed. "You act like you've never eaten before."

Naruto grumbled, but his face lit up when Hana added another serving to his bowl.

Sakura smiled. "You didn't have to make all this for us, Hana-san."

Hana shook her head, placing a soft hand over Sakura's. "It's no trouble. You're all growing shinobi. You need proper meals."

Sakura blinked, surprised by the gentle touch before her expression softened.

Kakashi, watching the exchange, took another sip of his tea. "You're good at this."

Hana raised an eyebrow. "At what?"

Kakashi gestured lazily. "The whole mothering thing."

Hana chuckled. "Well, someone has to make sure you all don't collapse from poor life choices."

Kakashi hummed in agreement, while Naruto grinned through a mouthful of rice.

Just as she was about to pour herself another cup of tea, a knock echoed at the front door.

The table paused.

Hana already knew who it was.

Kakashi, without looking up from his tea, muttered, "You expecting someone?"

Hana exhaled. "It seems the Hokage is expecting me."

Naruto blinked. "Huh? Old man Third? What does he want with you?"

Hana didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stood and walked toward the door, sliding it open to reveal a tall man in standard ANBU armour, though without a mask. His expression was stoic, but his posture was respectful.

"Hana-sama," he said with a short bow. "The Third Hokage has requested your presence."

A brief silence.

Sasuke's sharp eyes flickered toward Hana, clearly intrigued.

Sakura looked between them, sensing something important.

Kakashi sighed, setting his tea down. "Important people attract attention."

Hana smirked. "Oh? So I'm important now?"

Kakashi waved a lazy hand. "Well, you did make us breakfast."

Naruto pouted. "I make breakfast sometimes, but nobody calls me important."

Sasuke snorted. "Because you burn everything."

Naruto gasped in betrayal.

The ANBU visibly hesitated, unsure whether he had walked into a briefing or a family squabble.

Hana turned back to the table. "I won't be gone long. Eat your fill before you leave."

Naruto grinned. "Don't have to tell me twice!"

Sakura smiled. "Thank you, Hana-san."

Sasuke gave a short nod in acknowledgement.

Kakashi, still far too comfortable, lifted his teacup slightly. "Try not to cause too much trouble."

Hana smirked. "I should say the same to you."

With that, she turned back to the ANBU.

"Shall we?"

The man stepped aside, allowing her to lead.

And as the Hokage's tower loomed ahead, she exhaled slowly.

Time to see Hiruzen Sarutobi walk to the Hokage's Tower was quiet.

Hana moved with steady steps, her expression unreadable. The ANBU escort beside her maintained a respectful distance, his presence a silent reminder of the weight of the meeting ahead. As she climbed the familiar stairs and reached the large wooden doors, she knew—

This conversation would not be like the others.

The ANBU stepped forward, knocking once before sliding the doors open.

"Hokage-sama," he announced. "Hana-sama has arrived."

Hana stepped inside the Hokage's Office

The room was much the same—lined with old scrolls, books, and the faint scent of ink and parchment. At the far end, behind a large wooden desk, sat her and her husband's former student Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Third Hokage looked tired. His robes though neatly pressed, hung slightly looser on his ageing frame. His face bore deep lines—not just from age but from burden. The weight of leadership, the endless balancing act of peace and war.

But as soon as Hana stepped forward, his sharp dark eyes met hers, and she saw it—

He was still the child who had once been a student of Tobirama Senju.

"Sensei" he greeted, his voice measured.

Hana inclined her head slightly. "Hokage-sama."

The ANBU stationed themselves at the edge of the room-their silent presence reminding her that this was no casual discussion.

Hiruzen folded his hands over his desk. "I assume you know why I called you here."

Hana's gaze didn't waver. "The Chūnin Exams."

Hiruzen nodded. "With Konoha hosting this year, the village will be receiving an influx of foreign shinobi—both competitors and dignitaries. I expect your insight on security measures will be invaluable."

Hana hummed. "You're not wrong."

A pause.

Then—

"I assume you've been tracking him." Hiruzen's voice was careful. Measured.

Hana stilled.

She didn't have to ask who he meant. She had spent years tracking him, following the trail of his inhumane experiments, his twisted ambitions, and the destruction he left in his wake. And every single lead had led her right back here, the very village she and her husband vowed to protect.

Her fingers curled slightly against the armrest of the chair. Her voice, when she spoke, was calm—but beneath it was a quiet, simmering rage.

"…His tracks lead here."

Hiruzen's brows furrowed. "To Konoha?"

Hana's jaw tightened. "Everything I've uncovered points to his movements aligning with the exam schedule. If he hasn't entered the village yet, he will soon."

Hiruzen exhaled slowly. "And you are certain?"

Hana's eyes darkened.

"I would not be here otherwise."

Silence. The air in the office grew heavier.

Hiruzen leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable. "You still hold much resentment toward him."

Hana's fingers dug into the wood of the chair. "…Resentment?" The word left her lips in something dangerously close to a scoff. Her grip tightened.

Then—just for a moment—the carefully restrained chakra in her body flickered, the air around her shifting as if responding to her fury.

One of the ANBU visibly stiffened.

Hana inhaled sharply, pulling herself back before the energy could snap.

Hiruzen remained silent, simply watching her.

After a moment, Hana's voice lowered, steady but ice-cold.

"Orochimaru is a parasite."

A pause.

Then— "If he steps into this village, I will rip him apart." The promise in her words was undeniable.

Hiruzen sighed.

"You know it won't be that simple." She had been prepared for Hiruzen's reluctance, but it still grated on her. Even now, after all that had happened, there was a part of him that still hesitated—that still saw his former student instead of the monster he had become.

Hana didn't have such illusions. She narrowed her eyes. "You knew him better than anyone, Hiruzen. If you truly believe he's coming, then you must also believe he's planning something."

Hiruzen's gaze didn't waver. "I do."
Hana's expression didn't change.

But her hands curled into fists in her lap.

"I want to see him die."

The room went silent.

For a moment, it felt like the weight of her words had settled into the very foundation of the Hokage's office like a buried grudge finally exhumed.

Hiruzen shook his head. "You haven't changed, sensei."

Hana smirked. "I've just gotten better at waiting."

The sun was already high by the time Hana stepped out of the Hokage's Tower. Her earlier meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi had been… expected.

Tense. Serious. And utterly frustrating.

Orochimaru was not redeemable. He was a parasite, and parasites were meant to be eliminated. There was no mercy for him. The thought of him walking these streets again made something boil deep inside her.

And if no one else would do it, then she would. Her fists tightened within the folds of her sleeves as she weaved through the market district, the hum of chatter and the scent of fresh produce barely registering in her senses.

She was still deep in thought when a familiar voice shouted across the street.

"Hana-sobo!"

Hana barely had time to react before an orange blur came barrelling toward her at full speed.

She turned at the last second, catching Naruto.

"Oi, oi—" she scolded, though her voice was gentle, her hands steady as she held him in place. "What did I say about running at people like that?"

Naruto grinned up at her, completely unapologetic. "You caught me, so it's fine, right?"

Hana sighed, ruffling his hair and squeezing him into a hug before she could stop herself. "You're impossible."

Naruto beamed, leaning into the touch before he finally away.

Just then, Sakura and Sasuke arrived, both looking equally exasperated.

"Naruto, you can't just tackle people in the middle of the street," Sakura scolded, crossing her arms.

Sasuke huffed, hands in his pockets. "Next time, let her knock you flat."

Hana smirked slightly at that. "Tempting."

Before the conversation could continue, another voice joined in—lazily amused.

"Yo."

She turned to see Kakashi, leaning against the railing of a nearby shop, orange book in hand but his visible eye clearly watching her instead of reading.

"Didn't expect to see you out so soon," he mused.

Hana sighed. "Didn't expect to be tackled before noon."

Kakashi hummed. "Should've seen that coming."

Hana shook her head, but before she could say anything else, Naruto tugged at her sleeve.

"So? What did the old man want?"

Hana stilled for half a second—so quick that only Kakashi and Sasuke seemed to notice.

She met Naruto's curious, trusting eyes.

Then, slowly, she smoothed down the front of his jacket and said, carefully, deliberately,

"The Chūnin Exams."

Naruto blinked. "Huh? That's it?"

Hana smiled lightly. "What else would it be?"

Sasuke's sharp gaze lingered on her.

Sakura hummed in thought. "I guess it makes sense. The exams are going to bring a lot of people into the village."

Kakashi flipped another page, though his eye flicked toward Hana for a fraction of a second.

"Anything important we should know?" he asked, tone light, almost careless.

Hana exhaled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Just the usual," she said smoothly. "Security concerns. Political matters. Ensuring everything goes as planned."

Kakashi didn't react.

But she knew he had caught it.

The way she carefully omitted any mention of what she had truly discussed with Hiruzen.

Naruto stretched. "Well, whatever! I'm still gonna win!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You haven't even passed the first test yet."

Naruto scowled. "I will!"

Sasuke, still watching Hana, finally spoke.

"You're hiding something."

Hana didn't blink.

Instead, she simply turned her gaze to him—calm, steady, unreadable.

"Am I?"

Sasuke didn't flinch, but his grip on his sleeve tightened slightly.

"…You don't talk like most shinobi," he muttered. "You say things without actually saying anything."

Hana chuckled softly, taking that as a compliment. "A habit I picked up from dealing with the Senju."

Sasuke's frown deepened slightly, but before he could press further, Kakashi smoothly shut his book.

"Well, if the Hokage's not worried, then I suppose there's nothing to be concerned about," he mused.

Hana side-eyed him.

He didn't believe that.

And he knew she knew that.

But neither of them said anything.

Instead, Hana took a step back, patting Naruto's shoulder gently.

"Don't let me keep you from training. The exams will be here before you know it."

Naruto grinned. "I'll make you proud, Hana-sobo!"

Hana smiled, though something in her chest tightened painfully at his words.

"…I know you will."