(AN: To answer my own question from last time. Ive got a three-way tie between Naruto, Minato, and Konan. They're my favorites. Madara and Jiraiya are up there as well.)

When Sasuke came back from training for lunch, he was surprised to say the least. He had heard a noise at the far end of the compound and went to investigate. He found six versions of his aunt standing inside of the Clan vault. Four were pacing around the front, while a fifth sat in the middle. The four seemed to be carrying around various scrolls, some being put back while others were giving to the one on the floor who was copying down the information given to them. It was strange, especially considering who the clones belong to. The sixth person sat under a tree outside, as usual, getting drunk on sake.

He turned to the drunk one. "I'm guessing you're the original."

"Whaaaat?!" she slurred. "How'd you know it was me?"

He wanted to punch something. "What are you doing? Selling our clan's secrets for more booze or something?" He was only half serious…

"Nah, some kid begged me for tips on getting stronger. Told him I refused to actually train him, but he definitely needs to get some taijutsu practice in."

That honestly infuriated Sasuke to no end. "So you're just giving away our secrets because someone asked?" Yet you always refused to help me. He wanted to scream.

"Our secrets? Ours?" She had the gale to laugh in his face. "Kid, you do know over half of the taijutsu scrolls in there were written or fixed by me, right? There hasn't been a taijutsu specialist in the Uchiha clan in over a hundred and thirty years. Most of the old ones got something wrong, or didn't go into any detail. They were also incomplete or had multiple entries. The Sharingan can only copy what it sees, can't really do much else. I've completed over one hundred and twenty-three arts in this library. Only Maito Gai knows more than me in this shithole of a village."

Sasuke didn't believe that for a second.

"You know how many times Fugaku or Miyako punished me by locking me in here to piece these together. Ha! Jokes on them. They just made me even more awesome." She tried to drink more from her bottle but noticed it was empty. After shaking it a few times, she waggled it at Sasuke with a grin, "Hey. Sasuke. Be a good little cousin and fetch me some more drink, would ya?"

Sasuke felt livid. His face was bright red, his hands were clenched, and if he tightened his jaw anymore, he was sure he'd break a tooth. "So after everything. All this knowledge you have, you still refuse to train me to go after Itachi."

"You don't have what it takes to kill your own brother, Sasuke." Nanashi spoke, and all drunkenness seemingly vanished.

"He killed my clan!"

"He'd wipe the floor with you in a heartbeat."

"That's only if I don't train!"

He turned, storming off. Damn his brother, and his cousin, he'd learn by himself if he had to. He had gotten this far without them. He'd go even further if necessary.

"Oi, Sasuke!"

He turned as something began whistling through the air. He moved to catch it, assuming it was her sake bottle. But as his fingers wrapped around it, he noted that it was a scroll. He looked up in confusion.

"If you really want to go toe to toe with Itachi, of all people, you'll need to be able to get one up on me. After all, I once beat the Fourth in a duel." He rolled his eyes at the lie she sprouted near daily at this point. He turned to leave, but her voice stopped him once more. "Oi! Listen. That's a Chakra Control exercise. Master it, then show me, and I might just give you something better."

Sasuke scowled at the useless scroll and spun around, shouting, "I've already mastered the leaf exercise. I can do ten at a time!"

"Good!" She grinned at him. "For that exercise, you need to have mastered the leaf one! Now go on and skedaddle! I've got important work to do."

He frowned as a new clone popped into existence and took her bottle, traipsing to the main house some distance away. Once a drunk, always a drunk.

"Oh, one last thing!" He blinked as the clone appeared before him, grabbing the scroll tightly, leaning down in a threatening manner. "Do not. And I repeat. Do not attempt this exercise without someone watching you. I mean it. You could get hurt. I don't care if it's another academy student, a teacher, even a civilian. Do not try this without someone watching your back. Hell, ask me for a clone if you need to."

"Fine." He lied easily. "I'll find someone."

"Good. Now, enjoy." She pinched his cheek before hightailing it towards the main house. What an idiotic woman.

Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to keep his smile forced on his lips as the elders and Danzo sat to his left. The other council members slowly filtered in, but he could not focus on them, as today was an important one. Danzo's block had put forth a law change for accepting missions. It would mean more money for the village, however, it would also allow more gray area assassinations to take place. Instead of wasting funds, as Danzo called it, looking into requests before accepting them, the village would take the words at face value while also allowing the assassinations of those who did not need to die. It was a law first put into place by Tobirama-sensei that was in the memory of his brother. To keep the Leaf Village's hands clean, while also keeping them from any unnecessary wars, this would be a dangerous vote.

"It seems everyone has arrived." Danzo spoke. Sure enough, while there were still several empty seats, they were all extinct clans, chairs still here for tradition, or their representatives couldn't make it, such as the Senju or even the Uchiha. What a waste of votes. He would have to get a letter to Tsunade to see if she'd be willing to hand over her vote to him. But for now.

"So it would seem. We will now proceed with sealing the—"

"No entry." The muffled voice of one of the guards caught his attention.

"What a drag, is someone trying to break in," Shikaku sat to his right, and closest to the door. Murmurs spread like wildfire through the rest of the men and women.

"I have a letter saying otherwise." Was that… No, it couldn't be.

"Enter. But do not make a mess."

"Don't worry," the voice spoke to the Anbu as the door slowly opened. "I'm sober enough, maybe."

Nanashi Uchiha walked through the door, wrapped in expensive silk robes and a grin that blinded the rest of the room.

"I hope I'm not too late. You wouldn't believe the line to get in here." At the council table, there were three head seats, interestingly enough. At the top was the Hokage's seat, but at the bottom, sat side by side, were the seats of the villages founders, the Senju, and Uchiha. And Nanashi Uchiha fell into her seat perfectly, sending a wicked smile at Hiruzen, and a wink towards an unflappable Danzo. This certainly threw a wrench into his plans. They had just enough votes to force a tie, but the independents were wild cards. The Inuzuka especially. At best, Tsume would abstain, causing the tie as the other two would choose sides. But if Danzo had convinced the Uchiha to vote with him… his threat the previous night weighed heavy on his mind.

After an hour and a half of going over the village as a whole, as well as certain missions, the Council had finally delved into the main topic of the day. A vote was put forward, and Hirzuen swallowed thickly.

"Those for?" Seven hands rose. Curiously, Nanashi's was not amongst them. Hiruzen frowned at the woman, whose smile merely grew in response.

"Those against." Six hands at first, but slowly Tsume's joined his side. The other two independents, however, The Aburame and Hoki clans, did not. Still, the Uchiha's vote was not cast. A draw was called.

"We have spent two weeks on this single topic." Hiashi said.

"It would defeat one of our village's core traditions. We would become no better than the Mist or the Stone." Inoichi Yamanaka countered.

Shibi Aburame quickly added. "We shall have to reconvene tomorrow. Both sides should put forward someone to give their side of the argument."

"Tomorrow?" Hiashi sneered.

"I don't have any plans, that sounds good to me." Nanashi finally spoke, drawing many looks her way.

"Some of us actually have clans to run." Hiashi Hyuga's eyes narrowed on Nanashi as he spoke. "We don't have time for this, nor another vote."

"This is a precious vote, Hiashi." The Uchiha's words were dripping in sweet venom as she began. "Besides, it is a tie, meaning both sides should be given time to voice their sides of the argument. How else are we to come together and learn from one another?"

Hiashi was already gathering his things and standing, ignoring her words. Quickly, Hirzuen called, "We shall regather tomorrow in order to finish this vote. Who will take the for's side, and who will take the against's?"

Inoichi took the against's side, calming many of Hiruzen's fears as his old teammate Danzo placed his name forward for his own side. It would certainly be a battle, but one the Third was sure he'd win.

Slowly the others trickled out, and he watched as Nanashi stood, stretching from her seat. "Nanashi." He spoke, finally catching her eye.

"Lord Third?"

"Please stay behind a moment. I would like to ask you something."

It took several minutes for the others to leave, many falling into their own hushed arguments, but eventually it was just the two, as well as the hidden Anbu.

"What do you want?" Nanashi demanded after a moment. He found her backbone odd for one who had spent so long within the Blood Prison.

"Is that anyway to speak to your Kage?"

Silence was his only answer.

"What are you doing here, Uchiha? You haven't joined a council meeting since being freed two years ago."

"You reminded me of my duty last night, my lord." Her sarcasm was palpable.

"This topic is one we have discussed for two weeks now. Perhaps it is best you sit this vote out tomorrow."

"I'm sure with Lords Yamanaka and Shimura voicing their sides, I'll catch on quick."

"Nanashi—"

"In fact. I think Danzo's side is already calling to me." The old war hawk had whispered something to her as he left, but Hiruzen hadn't been able to catch it over the others.

"This one vote could tear down our walls. Assassinations are already thoroughly looked over before we ever accept them. This vote would allow nearly any and everyone to be placed in our sights."

"Nothing I'm not used to, Lord Third."

Right, how could he forget? She was such an asset before her true colors showed. "How many assassinations did you have during the war, my dear?"

"Thirteen." She spoke without hesitation. "Thirteen missions I slaughtered my way through. Jonin, Chunin, Genin, civilians. Under your order, I wiped out camps and snuck into inn rooms. All blame placed on missing-nin or other villages. I wasn't even fifteen by that point."

Psychological issues pulled her from the front lines around that time. For six months, he believed. Then, four months after carving through the battlefield once more, the war finally ended. And the Blood Drenched Uchiha returned home… "Who do you place fault in, Nanashi?"

"Fault? For the assassinations?"

"Those are already in my hands." Hirzuen spoke, "No, your stay in prison. Was it my fault for sending a capable shinobi onto the battlefield, or do you place the fault on your clan? You are quite vocal in your hatred for the deceased. Or perhaps you place the blame on yourself? Perhaps even Minato?"

Her scowl wasn't unexpected, but the venom in her eyes certainly was. "Lord Minato had nothing to do with this. You know it's funny, he even wrote to me, swearing up and down how he was already working on getting me out of there. For two months, I waited for another word until finally Miyako stopped by. He took such pleasure in telling me how our lord perished not even a day after I received my letter. No, the blame for my incarceration is placed equally on yours and my clan's shoulders. All I ever did was listen to my commanders, and all it ever got me was pain and suffering."

"Perhaps you should not have committed the crime that put you in there."

She flew to her feet in a rage, and instantly three Anbu were at her back and sides. A kunai on her neck, stomach, and chest. Hiruzen waved a hand, and the three stepped back, but did not leave. "Perhaps I should simply side with Danzo."

By her own words, if he even mentioned to her Danzo's involvement in the massacre, she would probably side with the man simply due to her hatred of himself and her family. "If that is what you wished, you would have done so already. Now tell me what it is you want?"

"Is it so hard to be left alone?"

"Have you not been for the last two years?"

She scoffed, and then laughed, and laughed… "Call your dogs off of my shadow, and never tell me who I can interact with again."

Naruto. "I don't believe that is possible."

"The kid needs something. I already told him I wouldn't teach him, just give him pointers. Let me continue this, and I'll give you my vote. If not, well, I've got a letter with a friend that's to be delivered to Danzo in an hour. I'm sure you can guess what's in it."

Paperwork signing away her voting rights. Hiruzen was sure of it. "Why are you so infatuated with a boy? He is not his father." He hoped to shame the woman.

"And I am not mine. Yet unlike me, Naruto should be more like his. But no, I do not wish for him to become his father. I merely wish for him to become stronger, so that he can earn his father's name. I'm sure you have your reasons for denying him the name Namikaze, but if he becomes strong enough, perhaps you'd be willing to give it back to him."

"When he makes Jonin." He admitted. "Only then will I deem him strong enough to hold that name."

She laughed at a joke in her own head, and Hiruzen could only scowl behind his hands. "Do you want to hear something funny?"

He stayed silent.

"Before Minato-sama became Jonin, there were seventeen other Namikazes in the village. Not a one was related, except for a single marriage. One was another Jonin, and another was even an Anbu. You see, the name was simply a random one on a list of fifty that the Konoha Orphanage would use for the children in their care. For over thirty years, that name was worthless, given only to the lowest of the low. Now half the village would kill for that name."

"There was a time you wished it was yours as well."

Her smile said it all.

"Naruto is not to know of his parents."

"All I want is to offer the kid some advice. I doubt I'll ever actually train the brat. I'm not cut out to be a teacher. Certainly not strong enough to train the kid. I may have graduated early and hit Jonin at 14, but I'm no Itachi or Kakashi. I'm just a nobody with some minor skill."

For nearly ten minutes, Hiruzen merely stared at the woman, a hundred thoughts and scenarios rifling through his mind. But eventually, "Vote on any issues why block wants, and you may have your freedom."

"Pleasure doing business with you, Lord Third." Her sarcasm dripped from her poisonous tongue as she stepped around the table, heading for the door. He only wished he wouldn't regret this decision.

Sasuke scowled as he stepped into his personal training grounds and noticed his loud blond classmate running around the small pond in the area. "Dobe!" How dare this idiot trespass on clan property?

"Teme?" The orange monstrosity slowly jogged over to him, a look of idiocy projected clear on his face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sasuke grit his teeth at the obnoxious voice. "I should be asking you that. This is a private training ground."

"Eh, really?" He looked around. "I don't see your name on the trees here?"

With hatred burning in his eyes, Sasuke's hand fell to his kunai pouch.

"Besides, Nan-chan said I could use this one. The last training grounds I was at, I got kicked out by some Chunin, even though I booked the place."

"Nan-chan?" Nanashi? It couldn't be. "Wait."

"Huh?"

Naruto couldn't be the student Nanashi had been talking about, could he? "Whatever, just keep your obnoxiousness down." He'd just ignore the blond. He had to get this tree walking exercise down, and fast. Then he'd pummel the annoyance at their next spar.

He tuned out the other boy as he walked towards the tallest tree at the edge of the area, pulling the notes out on the technique. He skipped the warnings and immediately followed the instructions. Unlike the leaf exercise, which stuck objects to the user, this technique stuck the user to an object. Eventually, he could even walk on the ceiling. A water walking technique was also mentioned.

He stepped up to the tree, pulling out a kunai as the book suggested in order to mark his progress. Breaking into a sprint, he got a good way up, but soon found his footing slipping, and he fell through the air. With a twist, he cut a line and landed gracefully.

"Cool." He smirked as Naruto's whispered word found its way to Sasuke.

He could master this technique by the end of the evening. Nanashi would just have to give him something more challenging. Hell, she'd have no choice but to sign the early graduation paperwork at this rate. He'd catch up to his brother soon.

Again and again, Sasuke ran up the tree, not noticing as the sun slowly dipped towards the horizon, but soon, he wasn't making it any further, carving the same three or four lines, over and over again. It was frustrating. But he couldn't leave it here. He needed this! He backed up as far as he dared, huffing and puffing from exhaustion, and broke into a dead sprint. Two, four, eight, sixteen steps, and he was climbing higher, a third of the way up the tree. He was nearly at his zenith when something happened. His foot slipped, and something hammered at his skull. Chakra exhaustion slammed into him and his breath was lost as he tumbled from the tree, heading headfirst toward the ground.

"Sasuke!"

His eyes dimmed as he plummeted, kunai slipping from his fingers as darkness tried to overtake him. He couldn't die, not at this point. But… Sasuke tried to twist, to soften his landing, but his body refused to move. Through the haze, however, he noticed something orange, right before it slammed into him, and the two hit the ground with a crunch.

(AN: Wooooo! Didn't even notice, but I hit 10k words already last chapter, so here's looking forward to another 10k. If anyone is interested as well, please check out my socials, JamesSDO on Twitter and Bluesky. I post about my other writings and I also have a website link on both pages where I post flash fictions or snippets from my wider works. Hope you all have a good one, and here's another question for you guys. What is your favorite genre of fiction?)